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#& there was like a secret club they had going on & me & my younger cousin always wanted to hang out with them
girlwiththeobsessions · 4 months
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love sick, c. f.
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you and conrad had a secret relationship two summers ago, when you were 15 and he was 16. you broke up with him because your younger sister, belly had liked him, and you were afraid of hurting her. now, flash forward, you were 17, and you thought you had gotten over him, but maybe you haven’t
part 1 part 2 part 3 part 4
this book has also been published on wattpad under the same user. i update faster on there.
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v. first rehearsal
THAT NEXT DAY, i didn't have work, i had my first debutante rehearsal, and no date.
i got ready, i wanted to make a good first impression. i put on a silk pink dress, and tied the front pieces of my hair back with a pink bow.
laurel drove me and belly to the country club.
laurel told me my mom would be proud of me, for doing this.
i saw jeremiah working, and i looked over at belly. "hey, belly, you go ahead, i'll meet you in." i smiled at her.
once she walked away, i went up to jeremiah.
"jeremiah." but he seemed to not notice me, walking. "jeremiah!" i called again, and his gaze met my eyes.
"oh, my god. wow, y/n, i didn't even recognize you." he lets out a small laugh.
"i know, i look like an idiot." i look down, laughing a little too, this wasn't my usual style.
"no you don't, you look good." he complimented, and i smiled. "let me walk you over."
as we walked over, we both just talked, like we usually do. we walked into the room, arm in arm.
jeremiah laughed. "i still never thought i'd see the day where you're a debutante."
"yeah, yeah, so funny." i sarcastically said.
"jeremiah." a lady walked up to us.
"paige."
"where's your shirt?" she asked.
"it's always a pleasure." jeremiah kissed her knuckles. "this is y/n. the young woman my mom told you about. my future wife." he winked.
i hit his arm, he was joking, but i did not see him that way.
"she's late." paige said.
"i'm- sorry." i apologized.
"you're at table 2."
jeremiah took one of the cookies. "jeremiah, those are for the girls!" paige warned.
then jeremiah glanced over at me, before leaving. "knock 'em dead."
i smiled as he left, he was a good person to have in my life, one of my best friends.
i saw belly sitting by herself, looking uncomfortable, i looked next to her and saw the girl conrad was kissing at the bonfire, and the girl steven was with.
i sat down next to belly. "finally." belly said, sighing.
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"i told my mom the only way i would do this is if i can bring my girlfriend." marissa talked. "'cause i thought it was be a deal killer, but the club has been surprisingly chill about the whole thing."
"i'm honestly shocked." dara said.
"dara, i was expecting a conversion camp." marissa told her.
"yeah, but cousins likes to pretend to be woke." nicole told them. "trust me, my family deals with it constantly."
"the things we do for college applications." i mumbled, slouched in my seat.
"don't worry y/n, you'll get in everywhere." shayla assured me.
"probably not." i said.
"you sure?" she smiled. "steven told me you play 2 sports and get good grades."
"wait- where are you applying?" belly looked at me.
"uh.. i told you. a few different schools. but my main one is usc."
"what about you?" marissa asked belly.
"oh, belly's only a sophomore, right?" nicole made sure. "i think that's what conrad told me."
"yeah, i'll be a junior in the fall." belly politely smiled.
"and, y/n, you'll be a senior, right?" nicole asked me.
"yep." i nodded my head.
"so, is this your first summer here in cousins?" dara asked us.
"no, we've been coming here our whole life." i told her.
"yeah, they're like family friends with conrad and jeremiah." nicole told dara.
"uh, so, are you and jeremiah like- a thing?" gigi asked me. "are you going to take him to the ball?"
i nearly choked on air when she asked that. "jeremiah? no way. he's only my friend."
"gigi has had this thing for jeremiah." nicole laughed.
"ever since he got abs." shayla teased, and the girls started laughing and talking.
"relax, i'm not into jeremiah fisher." shayla added after a comment.
"oh, so you're just noticing his abs?" dara asked.
"she's too busy eye-fucking the waiter." marissa joked.
"dude!" shayla laughed. "that's belly and y/n's brother."
"oh.. gross." belly looked down.
"what's it like for you both living with jeremiah and conrad?" dara asked. "conrad's so mysterious."
i did love living with them every summer, jeremiah's my best friend, and so was conrad, but conrad's completely done a 180 this summer i don't even know anymore.
"i-"
"hello debutantes!" paige spoke up.
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after the rehearsal, i noticed belly had a good time, her and nicole had started forming a bond, with nicole being belly's big sister for the deb.
and belly had gotten a date, with the guy from the bonfire, cam.
the four of us sat on the couch, bored out of our minds.
"yo, this shit is so boring, can we go somewhere?" jeremiah asked.
"yeah, where?" steven asked.
"we could go into town." conrad suggested.
"buy some weed from that guy." i also suggested.
"nah, he got arrested. last summer." conrad told me, not looking at me
steven smirked. "we could go to the drive in."
"dude, gross, no. i-i don't wanna watch belly hooking up with some kid in the backseat of a mini van." jeremiah shut down.
"yeah, we shouldn't go." i agreed with jeremiah.
"yeah, actually." conrad had finally spoken up. "lets go to the drive in."
"actually?" steven said.
"yeah." conrad simply responded. "why not?"
it took me a second to realize they were being serious, and my eyes widened a bit. "no, we're not going to the drive in."
they didn't say anything to me, which just caused me to talk more. "this is her first date, if you guys go, you'll ruin it, just don't go."
conrad threw the keys to steven, with a smirk, and i rolled my eyes.
"you all are so immature." i insulted. "i'm going to my room. you better not ruin her date."
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later that night, belly came into my room looking sad.
"belly? what happened? did things not go good with cam?" i had so many questions.
"no.." belly looked down. "they went great actually. but the boys ruined my date."
my lips slightly parted, i wasn't really shocked, no, but i was disappointed. "seriously?" i scoffed. "i told them not to go."
"and- me and conrad had an argument." belly ranted.
she told me all about the argument, including his little comment where he had said 'why don't you look in the mirror some more.'
i didn't get it. why was he acting like this?
but yet, i still defended him, i had to. i knew he cared about belly, and she needed to know that. right know she thought he didn't care about her at all.
"listen," i put my hand on her shoulder. "he cares about you. i don't know what's going on with him either, i'm not going to justify it, but he's probably going through his own things. don't let it get to your head."
"thanks." belly smiled. "and things weren't so bad, cam kissed me on the way home." her cheeks had turned a little pink.
a grin appeared on my face. "you serious? oh my god, isabel conklin."
we spent the rest of the night talking, watching movies in my room, and eating snacks."
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END OF CHAPTER
tag list: @lonelywitchv2 @drikawinchester
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theficshop · 8 months
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Can I request TSITP Jeremiah x reader where the reader is friends with the Fishers and Conklins? Her and Belly are closer and always joke about each getting a brother then it isn’t a joke anymore lol
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You and the Fishers had been family friends for many years, meeting every time summer rolled around at Cousins Beach. Your mum worked at the country club during the summer and a few years prior had introduced you to the Fishers and the Conklins. You were one month younger than Belly and you guys acted like sisters. In fact, you were one of the first people Belly told when she first started crushing on Conrad. And that same summer she was the first person you told about your feelings for Jeremiah. In retrospect you were both only 10 years old, you would both fantasise and joke about being with them one day not expecting it to happen. Now that you were both almost sixteen everything had changed. There was actually a possibility that It might just happen...
Jeremiah watched as the silver car pulled into the front of the house for the first time that summer. Knowing exactly whose car it was he ran outside. Greeting everyone with his signature smile.
"Look who came back all grown up?" he says ruffling Belly's long hair
"I think Conrad's gonna be real happy this summer he winked
"yeah, whys that?" she says with a smug tone
"oh, nothing he's just been asking every other day when you guys are gonna get here," he teases
"And speaking of..." Jeremiah cuts himself off as he looks up seeing Conrad come around the corner
"I'll leave you to it," he says with a light hand on her shoulder
he goes to Steven, going over their plans for the summer. Just a few minutes later a second car pulls into the driveway. Before anyone can process it Y/N is opening the car door and sprinting towards Belly with open arms.
"Belly!" she yells pulling her into her arms.
"Hi Y/N, god it's been so long" She wraps her arms around her
"You look amazing, you have to tell me everything that's happened this year" she eyes Belly up and down
"Are you kidding me? you look like a Victoria's Secret model, Jer is gonna freak" she says quietly
in mere seconds Jeremiah is practically shoving Belly out of the way to sling his arm over Y/N's shoulder
"Y/N!, I was waiting for you"
"you're gonna be hanging with me all summer," he says quietly pressing his face into her hair
"Yo Steven" he calls out, "
"you know what time it is?" they both exchange knowing looks
"I think it's time for a belly flop!" they shout in unison
Y/N's eyes widen slightly
"Jere no, Jere!" she tries to protest
it falls on deaf ears as he's already picking her up bridal style and making his way to the outdoor pool. In front of them, Steven and Conrad are carrying Belly, Conrad at her arms and Steven at her feet.
At the water's edge, they swing the girls one, two three times before throwing them in.
"Guys that's not funny I hurt my foot" Belly pretends reaching her hand out to Conrad. With a hard tug, she pulls him in.
"Jer help me out please?" she holds onto his hand, and seconds later she yanks him forward into the pool
"I can't belive you fell for that!" she laughed
"Don't think I'm not getting you back" he jokes clinging onto her her body as she swims to the edge to get out
"All of you get a room" Steven makes a disgusted face.
an: sorry this took so long I've been busy, also I really want to make this a series
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apolloanddaphnis · 1 year
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A Week in New York
Act I Scene II
Disclaimer: not proofread.
Themes: queer romance, Timothée x Male!OC, public kissing, sexualizing smoking (sorry)
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My cousin lives in a beautiful Edwardian townhouse on Maple Avenue. Gianni Lukashenko is twenty one years old, seven years younger than myself, and the primo male ballerina of the New York City Ballet. With his gorgeously mixed features of having a Sicilian mother and a father of Black and Russian descent, he's 5'8, svelte with sinewy lean muscles. His hair is jet Black and naturally looks like wet curls, cut in a pretty shag that kisses the end of the nape of his neck. He has almond shaped green eyes with long, thick lashes, high cheekbones, full pink lips and olive skin.
I'm harmlessly jealous of my stunning cousin, I must admit. "I thought you just went to grab coffee, why are you grinning like Meg Ryan in every movie?" He asked me as he leaned against the doorframe of his Natuzzi decorated living room.
The director of the ballet takes good care of him, playing sugar daddy to my beautiful cousin. He bought him this townhouse and gives him access to a bottomless account, and gives him pretty baubles and gifts and trinkets, like the Mapplethorpe hanging on the wall. Recently he acquired a new Amazon credit card.
"I did, look!" I held up my to go cup from Caffé Aronne, it's my go to coffee shop when I visit family in New York. I find it funny that they call taro a purple potato here. I ordered a purple potato latte with almond milk and an almond croissant for myself, and a blue butterfly pea latte with oatmilk for Gianni.
I don't know how I managed to order anything after flirting with fucking Timothée Chalamet! I'm still shaking, tapping my chipped sage green nails against the paper cup. I still can smell the spearmint gum on his breath, cigarettes clinging to his leather jacket, and the citrus and lavender notes of Chanel on his skin. Those olive Hazel eyes touched my skin and caressed the sight of me, I was allured but also self conscious becoming fully aware of my flaws. I'm not large but a little soft, I could have a flatter stomach and a smaller butt. Having an ass is wonderful but too much of one…I struggled with my body image sometimes.
So it was a little shocking, that little exchange we had. I was surprised he was even attracted to me, I'm a guy, penis and all.
"Something happened." Gianni accused with a secret smile and serpentine eyes.
I froze, feeling like a caught rabbit.
My cousin's smile turned into a Cheshire grin. "What's his name?"
I hid behind my hair as I sipped my sweet latte. "It doesn't matter, I'll never see him again."
So I thought.
The next day I joined Gianni at his rehearsal down at the theatre. He's playing Orpheus in Orfeo ed Euridice, naturally who else would play the lead male role? I tease him about sleeping his way to the top, but Gianni seriously is such a talented dancer. His moves are fluid and beautiful, like a gazelle, and his expressions are well…expressive.
It was like seeing the canvas before Mona Lisa, watching the dancers practice in their danskin, and honestly they're a lot more laid back and jovial than I thought.
I sat as an engaged spectator, it wasn't early at all. Training always starts at 10 in the morning, but Gianni took me out to the clubs after dinner at Bar Masa, and we were joined by the other dancers. It was clear that Daisuke Ogura, another principal male dancer, was a jealous rival. And the prima, Bella Garrett who is good friends with Gianni, and is to play Eurydice, confirmed it.
Apparently Daisuke is the hardest working dancer in the company, and he feels as though Gianni has everything handed to him.
The rivalry in ballet can be an ugly thing, I wish Daisuke saw how well revered he is and focused on that.
I was a little afraid to hang out with a bunch of ballet dancers, I'm not gracefully lithe and swanlike, I'm short and soft, definitely no abs or muscle. But everyone has been so kind to me so far, including me in conversations, laughing together, and Raquel Johnson, a principal dancer, was my main dance partner at two out of four of the clubs we danced at.
So 10 in the morning might as well be five in the morning to me right now. My Starbucks London fog latte wasn't helping me much either. I could barely even get dressed this morning, thank God Gianni's lavish marble shower has a seat, or I would have collapsed. Black biker shorts, an old oversized Smiths t-shirt, and black uggs were all I could manage this morning. My bleached wavy curls were tossed up in a messy top knot, just a nose stud and my staple ear studs were my only jewelry, and as for makeup, only Vaseline's rosy lips painted my lips.
I was starving, Gianni packed his breakfast. It was just a banana, an apple, trail mix, and a protein bar.
After taking some pictures to send to my little sister Larissa, who's fifteen and attends the Marat Daukayev Ballet School back home. I told Gianni I was going to go grab something to eat, he didn't mind, training lasted from ten in the morning to six at night.
I tossed on my Daria canvas jacket, my black square sunglasses, grabbed my black vegan leather and chains mini backpack, and headed out.
I went to a bagel shop nearby on 2nd avenue, called NY Jumbo Bagels. It's a perfect New York bagel nosh, the kind you'd see in a movie in the 80s or 90s, I felt like Kim Basinger almost.
I salivated at the smell and sight, deciding on the LEO bagel (Lox, eggs, and onion on bagel), and the two eggs, fries, and coffee special. It was a lot of food, but I was absolutely famished. But, before I could pull out my card to pay, a beautiful voice caught between deep and light with a laziness to it cut through, with the swipe of a black card. "I'll take care of that Hannah."
I whipped my head back so fast I got whiplash. Standing there towering over me looking devilishly handsome in a Chorus Line hat and expensive sweats, was none other than Timothée Chalamet.
How was this happening? Of course the hottest man on the planet caught me pigging out in my bumming-it-couture.
I didn't even have makeup on, my hair looked crazy, curly, didn't make the call backs for Pam Anderson style, oh I could throw myself into the Hudson.
But he was just staring at me, with those gorgeous sleepy eyes. That smile that yanked on my heart chords, and he smells so good oh God I wanted to lick him, I wanted to get down on my knees and yanked down those sweats and take his cock down my throat.
"Yury, right?"
Fuck me, he remembered.
"Uh yeah."
He chuckled and I bit back a groan. "It's funny how we Uh, keep running into each other."
"Yeah, meant to be or something like that."
Ugh, don't tease me. "Something Like that." I said with a nervous laugh. "I look like such a mess."
"Oh come on, you look like you wandered out of an urban outfitters catalog, I look like I just rolled out of bed."
"Okay it's a little too early for recreational drugs, you're crazy if you think you look like a mess. " I laughed.
He laughed too and it was authentic, carefree, and dorky which was so sexy. "It's never too early for recreational drug use!" He winked. "But I'm serious, you look…" His eyes took their time combing over me, lingering a little bit on the black lace strap of the bralette I wore under my t-shirt. I felt my cheeks heat. "Warm, soft, and pretty."
He finds me pretty? I couldn't stop the smile forming on my lips.
He ended up ordering the same as me, and we sat together at his table outside. He looked perfect, sitting there blasé, fry in one hand and a cigarette in the other.
Our knees touched and I felt the springs boing in my spinal cord and heart.
"So, how are you enjoying the big apple? Have you seen all the cliches yet?" He smiled and sipped his coffee before taking a drag from his cigarette, my eyes focused on his lip as some escaped from his pursed lips. "Oh I'm so sorry, does smoking bother you?"
"No! Not at all, I mean all my exes smoked–" I babbled.
His eyebrows attractively shot up as he smiled with his teeth. "So what I'm hearing is that you like guys that smoke?"
I swallowed and licked my lips, feeling his eyes on my throat and mouth. I felt a little bold. "Maybe it has something to do with poetry and rock n roll or something, I find it ignorantly romantic."
"Good, so I can get away with this."
I furrowed my brows in confusion. "Get away with what?"
"This." He breathed, and he leaned in smelling like Marlboro, Chanel, and fries. His mouth, his lips are surprisingly soft and he tastes like cherry chapstick, coffee, cigarettes, and remnants of ibuprofen. An arm curled around my waist pulling me in close and I found my hands cupping his diamond sharp jaw with silky skin. He tilted his head kissing me in slow devouring, brushing against mine before sucking on it.
We kissed until we were reminded that we were human beings who needed to breathe to live. I pulled my lips back, panting, feeling dizzy and I even let slip a giggle.
He smiled with a breathy laugh, his two front teeth are so cute like a bunny, I forgot myself and licked them. This emitted a low groan from, he clutched my waist and pulled me into his lap. I was nervous I'd crush him and tried to move off but his grip was strong and he didn't let me move as he kissed up my neck. I bit down hard on my lip to prevent a squeal, and kissed up to my ear and spoke into it. "You're spending the day with me, boy."
@meetmyothersouls
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holylacydoll · 3 years
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and you know, it's quite strange
#when my memories of traumatic events were gone#i didnt even know i was missing them#like people often say they dont remember what happened to them and they know the memories are gone#but one day i was just sitting and thinking of my older step cousin and then my brain was like#hey u remember that he exploited the fact u looked up to him as a cool older cousin to sexually assault you right?#and i. like. we were really poor for a while and lived with my ab*sers family. my grandma and his sister and all her kids.#i was in elementary school. i only lived there for 1st & part of 2nd grade. but there was a big forest behind the house that all us kids#loved to play in. we'd eat huckleberries & we also got the adults to help built a pretty awesome fort. but then my older cousin basically#took over it & he & his friends who were twins always hung out in it#& there was like a secret club they had going on & me & my younger cousin always wanted to hang out with them#but they excluded us and so we were really desperate for their attention & to hang with the cool older kids. like once they made us walk#through this like really thick muddy swamp & my little cousin & i were so short we couldn't get through easily.#like i was 2nd grade max & she was in kindergarten. so ofc the taller kids could get through fine & it was like a club initiation. but i#couldn't do it & so i cried & my ab*ser got mad at them for not letting us play with them. so basically they were forced to let us hang out#& everyone in the club had a postition & my cousin was the leader obviously. we would have jobs like clean the fort or go pick huckleberries#or look out for animals bc we pretended there was bears in the woods. usually all we found was deer or a rabbit.#it was rlly fun honestly to explore the woods like that. i miss it a lot. i miss the trees in the pnw. but of course in order to be in the#club my cousin would like pull me apart from the group sometimes to talk or to go down to the little stream or wherever. and then he would#like at first it was just looking down my pants but after time it became putting his hands down my jeans & having me do the same to him#this was 1st grade & it might be what started my fascination w/ s*x at a young age. that or it started in kindergarten?? diff story.#at the time it felt weird but good & like i didn't understand anything but for some reason i knew wasn't allowed to tell anyone bc it was#something i shouldn't be doing. and maybe you could say it was just two kids being curious together but he was in at least 7th grade at the#time. like it's one thing to experiment when ur young w/someone your own age but its another thing to do it to your younger cousin. idk.#but after this i just sort of became obsessed w/ the feeling. like b4 i got my own computer i literally used to google sex on yt & watch it#in the living room with my family just w/ the computer faced away from everyone else. i didn't do anything else just watched it.#when i got my own tablet my ab*ser monitored all my online activity. i think that's when it went from fatherly love to being a f*ckin p*do.#like omg. that tablet i got for xmas rlly ruined my life. i did so much w/ older creeps i didn't even know i was a victim until years later.#but worst of all my stepf*ther used it against me & said he'd tell my mom what i did. it was like he was always trying to start a fight.#he really enjoyed arguing with us and then making js apologize.
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peakyblindersxx · 3 years
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whiskey buisness - john shelby x reader (part 5 of ?)
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gif by my literal angel @michaelgreys who keeps blessing us like holy fuck
a/n: all i can say is that this is the hottest one yet. as always, my girl @stxdyblr-2k did an amazing job so i hope you all enjoy :) and i'm still working on requests, tysm for all of them!!
love, abi xxx
read part one two three four | my masterlist
tagging: @datewithgianni, @mayaslifeinabox, @deepdonutkid, @springsoulofengland
prompt: john just can't help himself when he sees you with someone else.
warnings: nsfw!!! smut, fluff, angst, light praise kink, john fucking adores you and spends a good amount of time with his head between your legs (yes i know!!!!!)
John had spotted you from across the London nightclub, his table tucked into the balcony area, perfectly positioned to survey the entire club. It'd been over a month since he laid eyes on you last. Sometimes, he wondered if it was possible for you to only get more beautiful every time he saw you. He wasn't surprised, as he'd been warned of your presence by Tommy, but he was unable to stop himself from staring at you, hair neatly styled, scarlet velvet dress clinging to every curve, red lipstick emphasizing your lips, a light haze of pink pressed into your cheekbones, lash-line expertly darkened with kohl. You were dancing with one of Isaiah's friends; the young man was tall and muscular -- a blinder foot soldier, John concluded, draining his glass of whiskey, flagging the waiter down for another.
The young lad was smiling down at you. John took a swig from his drink bitterly, the man obviously head over heels, his eyes bright, excitedly glancing from your lips to your figure. John could feel himself cringe; the younger man had all the subtlety and strategy of a malnourished dog. Then again, who could blame the lad? You were an absolute vision, twirling and giggling, off your face on something Michael had brought. John couldn't help but watch, wishing it was him who had caught your attention tonight, wanting to feel your breath fan across his neck, pulling away while you giggled at his blushing arousal; him whisking you to dark corners to steal a moment of quiet.
He'd tried to get over you but he couldn't. He'd been travelling a lot lately, business in Liverpool, Edinburgh and Belfast; yet in every woman who smiled at him, he found himself searching for you in their eyes, their smiles, their laugh. They were all gorgeous, but his heart simply wasn't in it.
Tonight had started off alright, normal Peaky activity. They'd seized the club only a few hours ago, gaining vital territory in London, bagging their place in the opiate trade and a successful business prospect in one fell swoop. By all accounts, John should’ve been happy, but he'd been too lost in his own mind lately to properly take in the consequences of those sleepless nights with the accounting books, all the hours practicing shooting and boxing, all the endless driving, the meetings, the lingering stench of death which clung to his family. Try as he might, he couldn't enjoy himself. His night got worse the second he spotted you; a yearning for you suddenly flooding his veins. It was easy to get on with life when you were hundreds of miles from him, but when you were a flight of stairs away? He knew the club had countless dark passages to hide away with you, multiple cloak rooms with thick brick walls to take you against: he had to stop his mind running wild. He couldn't. That had to be the last time. You were in his past, you had to stay there. But as he watched you dance with the blinder, he could feel the familiar burn of jealousy swell deep within him. The lad was far too close to you for his comfort, practically grazing his hips to yours. John roughly rubbed his jaw at the sight, silently seething to himself in the shadows.
Thomas studied his brother's body language, taking a slow drag of his cigarette, not understanding the fuss around you. Sure, you were pretty enough; you were bright, apparently funny, but you had never caught his attention really. He observed how John's eyes followed your every move, every sway of your hips closely watched as he held his breath, losing himself to you. He was glad he'd prompted Michael to invite you; this was the most attentive he'd seen John in a month. It was no coincidence that he'd dragged you away from Birmingham, from the watching eyes of the city locals, the wagging tongues in the assembly lines, far from Ada. Michael had admitted to Thomas that it was easy to persuade you, promising you a lift in his new car and a night out as Ada had plans with a gentleman. A night of dancing with your favourite lads and an all expenses paid trip to London? You couldn't resist.
John's jaw had tensed and squared, the man murmuring something against your neck causing you to giggle and grasp his collar. Thomas could tell his brother was practically bristling with jealousy. If looks could kill, the young man clinging to your hips would be long dead from the glare unleashed on him by the tallest Shelby brother.
"You gonna sit there useless or are you gonna fucking do something about it, eh?" Tommy inquired, nudging him with his shoulder.
"I can't."
"No one will know." Thomas pointed out, raising a brow, "The Blinders will say fuck all if they see owt. They keep quiet when it's about us Shelby brothers, yeah?"
John glanced at him, eyes slightly widened, confusion furrowing his brows. "You've changed your fuckin' tune."
"Sometimes, it's good to have secrets. What Ada doesn't know about the events of tonight won't hurt her."
"We don't do secrets. We're meant to trust each other." John objected. "We're a family."
"Nothing will change, John. I'll fix it for you, yeah? You've had a rough few weeks, you should reward yourself."
"She's not a fuckin’ prize, Tom."
"Keep talking that shit and people will get the wrong idea, think you love the woman or sommet." Thomas shrugged, taking a sip of his drink, while John's cheeks flared, his eyes flinching to the floor. He smirks to himself. "You going to go get your lass, then?"
John replied wordlessly, standing and downing the rest of his drink, pulling on his suit jacket, straightening his collar. "I'll catch you later, Tom."
********
The lad was nice, his name had long disappeared into the fog of liquor and Tokyo. He was someone's cousin, but he was polite; charming, almost. Most importantly, he wasn't related to your best friend. Not quite a Casanova type like John, but you two were a good match, everyone thought so. You'd seen him a few times now over the past week. He wasn't much of a talker, but he was a good dancer, and sweet after a few pints.
The band started playing a slower song, Isaiah dancing chest to chest with a beautiful girl across from you. You felt your partner place his fingers on the small of your back, his fingers inching lower, pulling you in closer before the two of you were interrupted by a dark figure looming over you.
"Can I cut in, mate?" A strong Birmingham accent sliced through the air, voice low and polite enough, but with a tone that was laced with venom. "Or are you gonna be a dick about it?"
The lad glanced nervously between you two, moving his hands away from you, embarrassed to be caught by his boss in this state, John staring him down. You slowly pulled away from him, turning to face John.
"Or you could ask me to dance yourself, John?"
John silently glared back at you, his mouth tensed into a thin line. He looked momentarily embarrassed, his attention switching back to your dance partner, the rest of lads silently watching, breaths baited, ready to jump in on the action if the moment required it.
"I'm heading off mate, reckon she's a cocktease." Your partner comments, attempting to diffuse the tension, stepping away, not wanting a fight or to piss off his boss. His path was quickly blocked by another blinder. You shot him an apologetic look and took the large hand John was offering you.
"Or, she's just not interested in you," John quipped, smirking, locking his fingers through yours. "You gonna go get your coat while I finish up with your best mate?"
"Thought we were dancing?"
"You can dance as much as you like in the suite, yeah? Proper gramophone. You coming?"
"You just want me on my own."
"Just tired of the distractions." He told you pointedly, skimming his glare over the group of men, standing with baited breath, preparing for it to kick off.
You rolled your eyes but squeezed his hands, slowly heading to the cloakroom, chatting with the attendant as you watched John confront the lad, keeping your distance. His arms were clutching the lad's lapels, snarling in his face before pushing him back. Michael watched from a few steps away, smoking absentmindedly, spine pressed to a pillar, leaving his cousin to sort out whatever offense he believed the man had caused.
You bundled yourself up in your thin coat, a gift from one of the girls you hung around with as she had recently married a blinder and was being spoiled rotten. The coat's flimsy material was going to be useless against the London night. At least you could count on John to keep you warm on the walk back to the hotel. You headed towards the side door, John's hand quickly finding your lower back protectively as he fell into step beside you. He opened the heavy wooden doors for you, the cold air an instant relief from the heat of the nightclub. You turned back as the door closed, catching a glimpse of the boys closing in on the lad, their eyes gleaming with a violent hunger for action.
"He'll be alright. Daft prick just getting put in his place." John said flatly. He seemed bored but watched you anxiously, begging you with his eyes to drop the subject.
"Is the hotel close by?" You asked casually, as the frigid air swirled around your calves, instantly causing you to shiver.
"I'll get us a cab, love, can't have you in those heels trekking halfway across London town." He stepped fearlessly into the road, unbothered about any potential danger or just forgetful from the whiskey. Quickly, a dark cab pulled up to the cobblestone pavement and John helped you in, taking off his coat and wrapping it around your shoulders before climbing in after you.
As the engine started and the car made its way through London's dimly lit streets to Camden, John's hand found its way to your thigh. You glanced at him, his eyes looking away but his thumb angled against his teeth. He was nervous, having not touched you in a month. You crossed your legs, angling them towards him, his hand shifting higher up your thighs, taking a deep sigh of relief. Your hands found his chin in the gloom of the back of the car, only the occasional bright lights from a nightlife hub or the demure lights of a residential illuminating his face, the angles changing as the cab drove on. It was too much. You'd been needing this for the past month, needing him. Your hands laced around the back of his head and you pressed your lips to his for a brief moment, allowing John to pull you deeper into the kiss. It awoke something familiar inside you, something comforting. Kissing John erased all your homesickness. Christ, you had to stop thinking like this.
"You've not been about for a bit, sweetheart. I know we said never again, but I was hoping you'd come by," John muttered, forehead pressed to yours, breath mingling with yours as he spoke.
"I almost did. The amount of times I nearly visited your office.. I just couldn't do that to you or Ada. Besides, last I heard, you were on tour." You admitted, keeping your voice down to save the cab driver the embarrassment. John caressed your cheekbone with his thumb, tracing the corner of your mouth, prompting a grin from you.
"Last place on earth I'd expected to see you next, it's been hectic my end," He sighed. His eyes were outlined with deep purple smudges of exhaustion, yet he was still devastatingly beautiful even after all the sleepless nights. "It's been too long."
"Not my fault you've been hiding yourself away. You should've called."
"Blame Tommy for that. His solution seems to be sending me on business trips. Trying to make me too tired to handle you." A nervous lick of his lips revealed John’s response to the suggestion that he call you. He wanted to say he would ring next time, but there couldn't be a next time.
"You can barely handle me on a good day, Mr. Shelby."
"Can't blame me. You seen yourself? On the brink as soon as I see you, lass." He teased, earning a gentle shove to the shoulder as you quickly pressed a kiss underneath his chin. You wanted to bring up Thomas' threat, but you bit your tongue, nudging his shin with the toe of your heel in the back of the cab. He rolled his eyes, grabbing your wrists lightly. "Behave yourself in front of the nice cabbie, sweetheart."
You soften at his touch, unable to resist reaching to interlock your fingers, squeezing his hands in yours affectionately. The spirits your table had been bringing you all night definitely boosted your confidence, any hesitancy due to potential rejection drowned out. John pressed his lips to your knuckles in response. He seemed different tonight, far more protective and serious than usual. He was so quiet it was strange, usually yapping your ear off, desperate for you to react, treating him to a giggle, a middle finger or a cutting response. You'd also never witnessed him spark off due to someone's interaction with you. Finn had mentioned a week or so back that John had a shouting match with Thomas and in the moment, your name got thrown up in the conversation, resulting in John taking a swing at his big brother out of frustration. It was confusing. He was willing to start fights over you, punch his brother, yet when you two were alone he was uncomfortably quiet, studying you, lost in his thoughts. His silence only made your body long for him, his fingers tracing patterns in your inner thigh. You let out a small whimper into the crook of his neck, as he instinctively pressed a kiss to your shoulder.
The car pulled up outside the hotel, your pulse racing, the anticipation already threatening to make you give in completely to his wishes tonight. You waited as he turned up his collar against the rain, clambering out of the car to open your door, creatively arranging the coat to hover just above both your heads protecting you from the miserable weather. Although John had referred to the building as a hotel, you could instantly tell the manor was some aristocrat's third or fourth home, obviously being rented out or gifted to business partners for trips. It was an imposing grey stone building, exquisitely carved, although not a country estate, the house was just as large. Was John used to this? It hit you all of a sudden that you'd never set foot inside John's home. You'd heard from Ada that it was overrun with hoards of screaming children. She often joked with the children at the Shelby Institute that if they hung around long enough at John's, he'd assume they were one of his offspring. You'd only ever fucked him in a guest bed. The shame made your stomach churn.
You needed to remind yourself of this when your late night thoughts ran rampant. John could say what he liked, but he'd never actually allow you to get overly personal with him. Whatever confusing mess was winding around your skull regarding him was useless; it was best not to think about it. You went to him every time, yet he would've picked another lass tonight, it was just that you were there. He probably had a string of gorgeous women, older, more accomplished, more experienced, more elegant. He could tell you he missed you, but you could never take for granted that he told you this for any other reason than as a prelude to get you in bed with him. You were his gorgeous mess, but only for the night. It was best to remind yourself to care less than he did. It was the easiest solution in the long term; this way, the downfall would be less brutal.
"You alright, love?" He asked suddenly, breaking your train of thought.
"Sorry, I was thinking about work."
He lived around his brothers for long enough, he could smell bullshit. He decided to let it go. It was best to not push it tonight. Just keep it light hearted, easy, like it was always meant to be.
"If your boss keeps being a prick, you tell Ada. She'll sort him out."
"Don't I know it? He can barely open the door before she starts on about workplace ethics." You joked, earning a small smile instead of his usual bright chuckle. "John, what are we doing here?"
"Well I'm about to take you upstairs and sort you out, yeah? You gonna let me look after you?" He asked, stopping you in your tracks by turning you into him, grabbing your wrist.
"You know that isn't what I meant."
"I know. But can we leave it tonight? Can we just have fun?" He questioned, lips ghosting over yours, fixing you with an intense stare.
"It's fun anymore." Your voice cracked, the liquor in your system making it impossible to control your tone or your facial expressions. "It's fucking with my head, John."
"It's just.. fucking difficult. It's fucking difficult because of who we are." He replied firmly but dropped his makeshift coat shelter around your shoulders, freeing his hands to grab your face pulling it to his, the alcohol making him far needier than he usually appeared. "You, my beautiful Y/N, are a fucking losing game. It's not as easy for me, I can't just dance with a woman and get a leg over-"
"I never said you couldn't."
"I know, I.." He gestured vaguely, lifting one of his hands off your cheeks, and you can feel your head nodding in understanding. "You know, I thought I was going to manage it this time. That I wouldn't be a total fuck up, but then you and that lad-"
"Catch you getting jealous over me."
"Fuck off." He let go of you for a split second but you reeled him back in, resting your palms on the chest of his shirt, the soaked material sticking to his skin. You'd struck a nerve. You decided to push him further.
"I don't know what you're trying to do, Mr. Shelby, disappearing across the country for weeks then coming back and telling me you want me all to yourself?" You played with his collar, tugging his face to yours before pulling back at the last possible second, causing him to let out a frustrated groan, hands itching to feel you underneath them.
"Don't fucking wind me up," He snapped, the intensity between you rekindled momentarily.
"It's worked wonders in the past," You replied, barely able to finish your sentence before his mouth was on yours, his fingers tangling into your hair, kissing you properly. Although you'd kissed so many times prior, this one felt so genuine, as though unleashed from its restraints deep within John. You'd never kissed anyone in the rain before in the middle of the night, and it felt magical. You were shivering but hot all over, burning for John to do something, anything. You could feel his cock through his dress pants, hard against you, prompting you to moan into his mouth.
"Fuck’s sake, Y/N," John grunted into your ear, his hands grabbing at your arse. "You're fuckin’ killing me here. I need you, yeah?"
"Tell me how badly." You responded coyly, linking your arms around his neck, ignoring the late night drizzle.
"I'd rather show you. M’gonna take care of you tonight, make up for the month I've been gone."
"Who's saying I've not been taking care of myself?'
He bit his lip in frustration, trying to stop his mind running wild with the image of you in bed, fingers between your thighs, breasts moving as you arched your back, hips lifting off the mattress, moaning as you called his name -- his jaw clenched. "I know what you're doing. You coming up before you catch a chill?"
You shifted your weight away from him, as if considering your options. He knew your answer; you both knew in a few minutes you'd be upstairs practically tearing his shirt off, needing his skin against yours, begging for him. John pulled away from you, dragging you up the winding path to the front door of the manor, opening the door for you, arm wrapping around your waist. His lips met yours, then your collarbones and neck, prompting a breathy giggle and whine as you wound yourself back around him, craving the contact. The manor was plunged in darkness, staff somewhere in the gloom. Your arrival had definitely been noted, but as with everyone who worked for the Shelbys, they just left you to it. It was easier to not get involved, to keep their heads down and not mention the midnight trysts the brothers got up to.
John knew his path, he'd stayed here before. Even in the dark you could tell the house was decorated to spare no expense, the gaudy paintings and sculptures casting strange shadows. He led you up the grand flight of stairs, then another.
"Worse than Thomas' estate, this place." You murmured quietly, unsure of other guests within earshot.
"I could never live like this. I'd never see my brood again. Getting them ready for bed would be one hell of a nightmare." He whispered back, halting your stride by pulling your hips to his, unable to wait any longer.
"John, what if we get caught?" You asked, pressing your hand against his chest with your palm flat.
"Never bothered you before. Thought you liked the fact that anyone could just walk in and see what a pretty little mess you’ve made for me."
You couldn’t help yourself from pressing an affectionate kiss to his mouth, letting him lay you down and pin you to the stairs, the luxuriously thick carpets scraping into your flesh. He cursed under his breath at the sight of you underneath him, pushing your dress up your thighs, lifting your legs to wrap around his neck, pressing a kiss to your flimsy underwear, glancing up to drink you in. The most beautiful woman in his city, begging for him, figure swamped by his coat, rain soaked and shivering, his mouth between her thighs. He ran his tongue slowly across your clothed core, your pleading moans music to his ears, loving how your thighs tightened around his neck. His tongue traced circles over your clit and labia, the friction generated by the lace of your panties pushing you further, your hands knotting into his hair, spine arching against his mouth.
"No one been looking after you while I was gone. eh?" He asked, pressing kisses to your inner thigh, tugging your panties to the side. "What about your dancing pal?"
"Fuck’s sake, I barely know him, John." You snapped back, teetering on the edge between lust and frustration from his relentless teasing.
"Keep it that way. You don't need ‘im, lass, not while I'm about." He replies before lapping at your slit, interpreting your moans as approval as your head slumped back and you released a low groan. "Y/N, watch me, yeah?"
You pull yourself weakly upwards, propping yourself up in your elbows to be able to look down the staircase at John between your legs in the dark. The view was thrilling, moonlight shining in through the rain on the window, illuminating his face, hair messy and tongue flickering across your clit while he stared up at you, his eyes darkened with lust. You couldn't help but pant, knowing you'd be returning to this moment alone at night, when it was your fingers instead of John's tongue pushing you towards the edge.
"So fuckin' wet and ready for me, aren’t you?" He crooned, sliding his fingers into you, sucking at your clit between flicks of his tongue.
You couldn’t find the words to respond, whimpers leaving your mouth instead, your hips lifting beneath his palms, chest heaving.
"Go on, use your words, clever lass."
"John, fuck.. don't stop," You manage to string together, thoughts too muddled by alcohol and arousal to play hard to get any longer.
"I won't ‘til you cum in my mouth. Need to taste you again, beautiful."
Your head jerked back suddenly as John curled his fingers inside you, pushing up against the spot that made you lose your mind, his name falling from your lips like a prayer, all he could hear except from his blood rushing in his head. Your desperate cries for relief caused his cock to strain against his dress pants, fighting the urge to sort himself out, needing to finish you off. John needed to prove that he could fuck you better than anyone else. He knew he was pushing you to the edge, but he wasn't going to deny you your orgasm. He wanted to make a point with this. His fingers worked faster, his mouth hungry for you, lips moving against your core at a harsh pace.
You groaned loudly, hips bucking involuntarily just to be forced back against the carpet of the staircase. Your breaths grew heavier, warning him how close you were to your peak. John refused to let up, pushing you closer every second, lips latched to your core firmly, lapping up the wetness he'd produced.
"I want to watch you finish." He commanded, you completely at his will now that you'd lost control, lifting your head upwards with the little strength you had left to be able to stare down at his dilated blue eyes. "Good girl. You gonna show me how good I make you feel? You gonna cum for me, doll?"
You couldn't respond, unable to keep your eyes from rolling backwards as you felt yourself suddenly release, John’s name escaping from between your lips, legs shuddering around his neck. He let you ride it out on his tongue, tasting you desperately, watching your expression slowly relax.
Finally, he pulled away from your cunt, unwrapping your legs from his neck. He grabbed your wrist, not letting you retrieve your panties, stuffing them into his trouser pocket. He returned his attention to tracing your slit with the index finger and thumb of his other hand, as he pressed a long kiss to your lips.
"I love how you taste," He murmured against your lips, causing you to flush slightly. John noticed, pressing kisses to your jawbone. "Don't get shy on me now. I've barely started with you. Not even got you to the suite and you've already cum."
He looked so proud of himself, it suddenly clicked for you. He was trying to prove himself to you, for some unknown reason. You know he was protective and quite obviously jealous tonight, but you couldn't believe that John Shelby felt the need to prove that he knew what he was doing, as though you weren't aware. You weren't trekking to his office for mediocre sex. Tonight he let you finish first, no teasing, no denial, no fucking about. Just putting his ability fully on show, so when your mind went drifting it'd go back to him, not some young lad who barely knew what he was doing. His cocky attitude and smug acceptance of his sexual prowess would've been off-putting if it was anyone else, but John, but with his bright smile and constant humour, pulled it off. It was enticing, making your core pool with wetness when he crossed your mind.
"A month is far too long, Mr. Shelby."
"I know, you're practically drooling over me." He teased. He seems a lot more himself than before. He’d been too caught up in his head, too focused on getting you off to enjoy the flirting and teasing. John loved how light-hearted he could be with you. Despite the mess you were both in, it was making you laugh or roll your eyes that soothed his mind. Honestly, if it was just sex he'd have cut you off instantly; he wouldn't have even gone there out of loyalty to Ada. Admittedly, it was your company and presence that had him absolutely on his knees for you, the way he felt understood, less alone in his brother's bullshit, less trapped by his criminal career because you understood. You always had a cutting line, a bright smile just for him, an eye roll at his brothers' daft plans, a choice curse word for Thomas. He didn't even want to consider what would happen after the night ended. He stood, pressing another kiss to your lips as he helped you to your feet, fixing his coat which hung off your shoulders.
"You ready for rounds two through to six?"
"John, you know you won't get through three with me."
"You’re right, you're just too pretty when you’re riding my cock." He teased, the vulgar material of his jibe earning him a joking shove before you curl into his side, letting him escort you up the stairs to the nearest bedroom. He quickly shut the door behind you, scooping you up in his arms, causing you to let out a laugh as he practically tossed you onto the king sized bed, eyes shining with adoration as he looked down at you grinning back up at him.
“You’re something else, John Shelby.”
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xo-alie-xo · 3 years
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PORTWELL LONG GAME OR RINA SLOWBURN.
You can only choose one poison.🍷
Listen up my Wildcats.🐱
We all ship each character with happiness. No matter how much you love to hate them, a majority of us simply adores the characters and want the best for them. Then comes relationships and it's okay to ship our favorites.⛴
I'm a diehard Rina shipper and I know in my heart that they are series endgame. The set up, the natural chemistry, their mutual understanding, the surprises and angst literally put me on chokehold. So I'm 100% a Rina shipper till the end. I'm here for the slowburn and their development rather than one shots. They are worth the pain. 😭❤
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Let me start with Ricky Bowen now.
Ricky shouldn't to be with Gina because he's hurting her mentality. He's not insensitive on purpose. Like when he tried to stop Big Red from telling her his message to Nina because he KNOWS it'll hurt her.
If you think, that Ricky didn't understand clearly when Gina confessed, think again. He shushed her. Kept their thing a secret from everyone. He knows he feels some type of way and she feels something too. But this boy is so used to safeguarding his childhood norms and has very little adaptability. Hence, he pretended to ignore everything between them because his home stability was falling apart and he clinged on to Nina, his constant childhood love.
He's a traumatised 16-17 year old boy that needs to heal and grow. This episode was heartbreaking because he had to accept that he had to let Nina go because their once upon a time fairytale had become toxic.
People change. I'm not the same person I was when I was 16 lmao. Being together as childhood lovers means growing together and accepting each other's growth. Which Ricky couldn't. He clutched to the idea of Nini. Even his love confession. It was sooo sweet but all he did was focus on their history.
This boy needs time to heal and maybe seek professional therapy. It would be so DAMN HISTORIC if Disney decides to take psychological issues seriously and show how he's dealing with his anxiety, pills and psychotherapy. He needs to breathe before he can be with any girl for that matter. He's hurting and isn't trying to hurt anyone on purpose. Including Gina.
Him asking her for advice on Nini was a dumb, insensitive move. But he's trying to find a way to build some supportive friendship that they shared in early season one.
As for now, this boy needs to get his own grip on life and heal.
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As for our Queen Gina
In Gina's confession, she focuses on their future. She basically said, "I wouldn't quit on a possible future of us being together despite obstacles. Because I never quit. But moving away isn't in my control." Ricky deep down knows this, encouraged her to say it, teary eyed, despite right after getting back together with Nini. Gina is his future. She went to his new house. And I also have this feeling that when she was given a chance to stay, she stayed partly because of Ricky. She left a chance to be with her mom because she prioritised their relationship. Because she never quits. 💪🏼
But she came back and found out Ricky has gotten back together with Nini.😭 What she doesn't know is Ricky got together with Nina before her confession, and after Gina kept dodging his messages. She's hurt and questions why she returned because she isn't particularly close to anyone. Hence, she was so silent at the after party. She thinks it'll be fine, "she'll live", and finds other reasons to find permanence. Her arc this season has been settling down in East High, despite the pain of losing and being 'betrayed' by Ricky, she finds other reasons to stay. 🏡
This kind of contrasts her with Nina. Nina left her dream school and came to Salt Lake because she missed her established home, and not just because of Ricky. Nina returned and was loved and embraced by Ricky Bowen.💕 Gina came back to a semi new place called Salt Lake because of her promise of a future to Ricky. But she got stabbed and she bled. 💔🗡
Think about her situation. She feels confused, alone, heartbroken, out of place and seperated from her mom. She's broken and hurting too. And she doesn't need more from Ricky's accidental or intentional 'sick burns'. That's the one line where he was such a jerk and I can't defend him here. 😠
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Here comes the Caswells.
Her second family. A place of healthy stability. A home that accepted her. Ashlyn, her roomie and her confidante. EJ, the misunderstood boy who saw her value and bought her plane ticket.
Let's get to EJ.
At first, I wasn't too keen on seeing Portwell's development. But then that video chat where they talk about the possibility of her staying and him convincing her. Had me sold for a solid brother-sister relationship. Few episodes later, when Gina's pain seemed to be oblivious to everyone, he was the only one who asked her how she was, and saw her glow. The comfort she must've felt.
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Not that she needs a man's validation, but she must be feeling like a second choice and feeling a little insecure because of Ricky. But EJ lifts her up and I genuinely saw her smile. This boy has her back whenever. The man she can lean on and truly sees how special she is. She no longer feels alone now that she has his entire fam and other friends. She genuinely feels a place of belonging and happiness when she's the apple of his eye. Notice how happy she is? How happy this boy is? She's going through her own issues and she has found ground with EJ.
I was very doubtful when they started hinting at a romantic direction. Because EJ would be used as plot device again for a girl to get to Ricky.😤 This man doesn't deserve to be second best to anyone, just like Gina.😑 That's why I'm still hesitant on shipping them at least temporarily. EJ needs to be something even more special to Gina. They need to show each other how special and treasured they are to each other despite feeling like rejects. They are each other's source of comfort.
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I'm sure they can keep EJ at East High for the next season. Whether it's the drama club, or the AV club or going to a local college. So he will be there for Gina. I don't know how they can work out a relationship with much distance as Rini's fell out when she moved away. So, if EJ leaves again, it'll again shake up Gina. Her being worried whether he'll date college girls, second thoughts, etc. I don't want them to go through that. And if they do move on to romantic Portwell, make sure it's not plot device for Rina. So you can either have Portwell endgame or Rina Endgame.
Basically I want Gina to be treated so right that she understands she doesn't need Ricky. And when he does ask her out, and he makes her feel like a second choice or a rebound, she says NO. Because EJ has helped regain her self assurance. Eventually I want Gina to confide in EJ about her and Ricky. EJ is jealous but also angry about how Ricky has been hurting her. And becomes damn protective of his 'babe'. Ricky gets jealous of their relationship, restarting Ricky and EJ's old rivalry. But this time, it's not because Gina is his girlfriend, but because she's EJ's best friend who he has a crush on and wants what's best for her.
If it's meant to be Rina endgame
EJ- RICKY, YOU IDIOT! You have no clue how to treat her right. You don't put her first. You mislead her. Get the hell away from her! She's too powerful and beautiful, she doesn't deserve your scraps. I know how she feels for you. I wish I were you. I would treat her like a queen. I don't mind even waiting years till she's ready. She deserves that. You're so lucky you have even a small chance that I may never have. So get your act together, prove you're worth it to win her over. All I want is for her to be happy. Even if it's with someone else. And maybe then I'll stop threatening you to stay away from her.😠
Ricky- .....I don't know what I'm more scared of. Change, or losing the girl I fell for or YOU. Okay, losing her but you're a close second.😬
If it's Portwell endgame.
Ricky- I messed up. Make sure you don't mess up with her. You'll regret it forever.
EJ- I'd rather get hit by thousand basketballs than ever hurt her. I'll be her plus one and her best friend until she's ready to be with me. I know she's ready now too. But I want her to know I'm willing to wait till she graduates before we make it official. I'm in it for the long game.
As for their age gap. I'm 100% sure Portwell won't kiss this season. If they do, it'll be next when Sofia turns 18. They are professional actors who are cast because they are the perfect fit for the role and are expected to carry out the storyline. But I suppose fearing some outbursts, they might delay Sofia kissing anyone till next season. It's so weird because Olivia was maybe 17 when Matt was 21-22 when they kissed in season one. But no one had a problem with that. But for this, they do. Remember, they are professional actors. They are acting! Sometimes, actors are over 10 years apart (but above 18) and act as romantic partners.
As for their characters, they are only two years apart. That's hardly any difference once you're over the age of 18. Age of consent is 16. But adults above 18 are only allowed to have sex with adults above 18. So, age isn't a problem here because EJ is a gentleman and is genuinely interested in her and isn't trying to get in her pants. So age isn't the issue when it comes to dating. It's the maturity. Gina is very mature and gives very sound advice. But I can see EJ being patient enough till she turns 18 just to kiss her because he loves her. 😚
As for the Ashlyn remark, "You look like a kid to me rn". He was JOKING.😂 Don't take things out of context. I tell my cousin sister that all the time. But she's three years younger than me and a grown adult. I don't see her as a kid but it's just a cousin teasing her younger cousin that's she's a little immature. I'm Matt's age and I'm very mature for my age and since I was a teenager, I always matched up with boys a little older than me. Now that I'm in my early 20s, I've dated boys even close to 30. So age is just a number.
EJ dating Gina and giving her quick kisses is fine. But to have a strong sexual element in their relationship (including making out), he'll have to wait till she's 18+. And I'm sure for that he'll wait till she's ready even past her early 20s. Age is really just a number and we can't help who we fall in love with. Trust me, I've been there.😂 So I can see EJ feeling conflicted about his feelings that are clear at this point.
They might not be a perfect fit, but they make each other sooo happy. They deserve a lot more than a short lived fling.😟 They are either endgame or Rina is. You can't have both as a Rina unless you're an EJ hater who wants him to exist as plot device. Nope! He's sooo much more precious than that.
But Jack on the other hand....I'm okay if he's the one to make Ricky or EJ jealous. Because he's just been introduced and it's okay if a character is used, but only once, for someone else to realize their feelings. 💁🏽‍♀️
In short.
Ricky needs help and needs to be on his own. No girlfriends allowed.🙅🏽‍♀️🚫
Needs to give both Gina and Nina space for them to grow on their own too.🌳
Ricky needs to understand the core of his problems and become more adaptable via therapy. Maybe the psychologist will point out his unresolved feelings for Gina, or he will conclude it himself. And in comes Ricky-pining-for-Gina season three.
Ricky needs to fully get over Nina before he moves on to anyone. Same for Gina if Portwell were to happen. No one deserves to be second choice.
Gina isn't Ricky's cushion. She's a living person with strong feelings for him and shouldn't be subjected to share his pain. She already struggles with her own issues.
Ricky needs to stay single till he wins back Gina and prove he's worth it. He needs to show even if another girl wants him, he'll never quit on Gina ever again. Even if he has to watch her be with someone else. *cough parallels*.
It's either romantic Rina then Portwell endgame OR Portwell flirty besties but Rina endgame. You and I can choose only one because my boy EJ shouldn't be used as plot device for a girl to leave for Ricky ever again.
Portwell's age difference can be practically solved and isn't much of an issue unless they get hot and heavy before Gina turns 18 which is impossible considering this is Disney. 🤣🤣
Jack and Gina will be plot device material and purely so sentimental to us OG Andi Mack fans. More than any ship, this is what I'm looking for. Sort of an Andi Mack crack ship for season 3a. It's gonna be soooo funny. 😍😂
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I respect everyone's ship. I see what you're seeing. And I'm not going to invalidate your ship. But unless it's done right, I won't jump from the Rina ship. I liked Rini. I like Portwell. I like AU Juffy crackship haha.😂 But as for me, I'm still holding on to Rina slowburn.
Preparing myself for the pain. 😭🔥
(But if I had to pair two characters without Disney getting in the way, it would be Gini. The power duo. Undeniable chemistry. They can be written so well because of their layered relationship and contrasting personalities.🤩 The classic rivals to friends to lovers. But that's a talk for another day lmao.)
Thanks for reading my opinion, Wildcat!🐱❤
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jacqueline wilson’s ‘love lessons’
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tw: abuse, pedophilia, characters making Bad Decisions, long unnecessary spiel about my childhood like I’m running a recipe blog
It’s funny how loads of the authors who helped shaped me into the vaguely humanoid being I am today have names beginning with the letter ‘J’; Judy Blume, Jeff Kinney, John Green, J.K. Rowling (yikes, I know) … and Jacqueline Wilson.
I’ve never owned a Jacqueline Wilson book of my own; they were always borrowed from a friend, or from a friend of a friend, or from a friend of a cousin- you get the gist. Her books, for me, come with an entire aesthetic: something reminiscent of yard sales, and reading under the covers with a flashlight, and being lulled into a false sense of security by the deceptively innocent Nick Sharratt illustration on the cover until someone’s best friend gets mowed over.
So I knew what I was getting into when I picked up Love Lessons. I knew this was going to be Fucked Up; and boy, was I right.
(Here’s the part where I warn you about spoilers.)
From an abusive dad to creepy child predator teachers to slut-shaming and victim blaming, this book has it all.
The main character is Prudence ‘Prue’ King, who is homeschooled at the beginning of the book, along with her sister, Grace. Their parents remain rooted in the early twentieth century, and are very strict about- well, everything. No TV, no computers, not a single mobile phone in the house; their clothing worse than the orphans’ from Annie; and their father remains distinctly distrustful of modern institutions like the school and the hospital; and so on, and so forth.
Daddy King suffers a stroke, and has to be taken to the hospital. Meanwhile, Mrs. King (a floppy, spineless woman who lives in fear and awe of her, frankly horrid, husband) sends the girls to school, behind the then invalid Mr. King’s back. Cue Prue and Grace being the freakshows of the school, with their strange clothing and overbearing mother.
Grace manages to make friends, but Prue remains alone. The kids are dicks, the teachers are dicks… well, all of them but one. And that’s the art teacher, Mr. Raxberry (I just couldn’t get over that name; it seems like something you’d name a mythical plant from Pixie Hollow or some shit. I’m assuming it isn’t an actual name, since the spelling & grammar check on my computer doesn’t seem to recognize it), or Rax, as he’s called.
Oh, yeah; Prudence’s favorite subject in school is art, and she’s a whiz at it. This is relevant, because reasons.
And here’s where stuff gets murky. Prue develops a crush on Rax- which is perfectly normal. I’m definitely no stranger to it; I’ve had crushes on my teachers, my mum admitted she used to think one of her professors was cute. And yeah, as I grew older, I grew out of those crushes and now have a markedly more refined taste in men (unless he’s 5’ 7’’, born in ’97 and named Bang Chan, I don’t want him); and my mum married my dad, so I’m assuming she did, too. Admittedly, now that my dad teaches at a university, it’s icky to think that there might be students who have crushes on him- but I digress.
My point is, loads of us have liked our teachers. But I doubt the majority of us have acted on it.
And Prue actively showing her interest in Rax isn’t the worst part. That’s a spot reserved for Rax reciprocating her feelings.
Guess Ezra Fitz and Ms. Grundy (yes, I watched Riverdale; please don’t cancel me) have a new addition to the Creep Club.
The age of consent in the UK is 16, if I’m not mistaken. Prue is 14. She’s just barely become a teenager, and she’s being preyed upon.
Because that is what Rax is. He’s a predator; he preys upon this vulnerable girl who’s never been in a relationship before- hell, she’s never even had friends- her father’s abusive, so she obviously doesn’t have the best experience when it comes to men- she’s unpopular at school, with the students and staff alike- and he lures her in. I don’t care how bloody nice he is to Sarah, or what a good dad he is (well, he’s really not, seeing as he cheated on the mother of his children WITH A BLOODY FOURTEEN-YEAR-OLD CHILD)- the guy’s a fucking pedophile.
I was staunchly stuck at a yellow light with him; like, sure, maybe Prue thinks he’s flirting with her- maybe she’s looking at this all wrong, she doesn’t know how relationships work- see, he drew a picture of Sarah, too, in his secret notebook- Prue’s just reading into this too much- up until he says he loves her.
Dude. Humbert fucking Humbert. She’s fourteen, for Christ’s sake, and you’re married. You have two children. She’s a child. She’s probably closer to your son’s age than she is to yours.
(This is the part where I bury my head in my pillow. And scream. Extensively, and with passion.)
The book does make some genuinely good commentary on slut-shaming and victim blaming and abusive parenting. And on one hand, I can see why so many people find issue with the romanticization of the when I kissed the teacher trope- but I can defend it, too.
The book is in Prue’s perspective. She thinks she’s in love with Rax, so obviously, she’s not going to throw in some valuable moral at the end- because she’s too young and inexperienced to think otherwise. And sadly, there are loads of instances of child abuse that go unreported because the victims just don’t know better.
What I have issue with is how the school dealt with it, ultimately. Prudence, a child, has to deal with the consequences of the actions of a literal child predator. Sure, Rax ‘clears his name’ by cooking up some bullshit story about how it was only a crush and he didn’t encourage it, but you’d think other adults would know better and, oh, I dunno- dig deeper into it, instead of blaming it on a child?
“She says you told Mr. Raxberry you loved him and he held you in his arms and fondled you.”
Which Prudence denies, because, again, she doesn’t know better. She then goes on to say that they did nothing wrong. To which the adult speaking to her, in this case, the principal, Miss Wilmott, goes on to say:
“I’m not sure that’s entirely true… I feel that there are some aspects of your friendship that could be considered inappropriate.”
FYI, lady, he kissed her- multiple times (not that kissing her once makes him any more redeemable), and told her he loved her, and admitted to fantasizing about running away with her and leaving his family behind. Fun fact: do you know Prudence is underage?
You’d think that Miss Wilmott would maybe give this whole fiasco a favorable ending, but it turns out she listens to school gossip;
“I haven’t been at all happy with your attitude. You don’t seem to understand how to behave in school. I’ve heard tales of unsuitable underwear and then a silly romance with one of the boys in your class. I feel that in the space of a few short weeks you’ve made rather a bad name for yourself… I don’t know whether you intend to be deliberately insolent but you certainly come across as an unpleasantly opinionated and arrogant girl… I can’t help feeling that you’ll be much better off elsewhere. I shall try hard to engineer a suitable transfer to another school.”
And then she comes out with this gem:
“If you won’t leave, then I shall have to ensure that Mr. Raxberry finds another position.”
“No, you can’t do that! He’s a brilliant teacher.”
“You should have thought of that before you started acting in this ridiculous and precocious manner. If I were another kind of headteacher, I would have Mr. Raxberry instantly suspended. There could even be a court case. He would not only lose his job, he could find himself in very serious trouble. Did you ever stop to think about that?”
Girlboss, gaslight and gatekeep. The fucking trifecta.
Also, by ‘another kind of headteacher’, does she mean the kind of headteacher WHO DOESN’T LET CHILD PREDATORS ROAM FREELY WITHIN THEIR HALLS?
This bitch is out here blaming a child, a literal child, for the crimes of an adult man.
The only time Prue seems aware of the fact that Mr. Raxberry is actually a very shit person is her immediate thoughts that follow after she tells Miss Wilmott she’ll take the fall;
I so wanted to save darling Rax- and yet why hadn’t he wanted to save me? Had he told Miss Wilmott it was all my fault, that I’d got a ridiculous crush on him, that I’d made ludicrous advances to him? … I wanted to tell this horrible, patronizing woman how hungrily he’d kissed me, but I couldn’t do it. I loved him. I had to help him.
NO, SWEETHEART; YOU MOST DEFINITELY DO NOT.
And maybe I’m going overboard with all these excerpts, but here’s what Rax has to tell Prue, after school, following her expulsion:
“I let her think the worst of you, the best of me, just to save my skin. I said it was ridiculous talking about a love affair between us. I said you simply had a crush on me, and that I was just trying to be kind… You were brave enough to stand up to me and force me to acknowledge the truth… I love you… That’s why I had to take a risk and see you this one last time. I didn’t want you to think I didn’t care… Every night when I close my eyes, I’ll think of us together in this car and how badly I wanted to drive off with you. I’ll imagine us walking hand in hand at the water’s edge… I wish I wasn’t such a coward.”
(I burrow into the pillow further. I’m trying to suffocate myself.)
And that’s where I think Wilson went wrong. Sure, Prudence getting expelled for something that was completely out of her hands is unfair, and horrible, but it’s real. That shit can happen.
What’s bad is showing Rax in a positive light after all that. If only Wilson had written Rax to not be the Romeo he thinks he is. Make him ignore Prudence, throw her under the bus in front of her face, instead of this star-crossed lovers bullshit it’s made out to be. Show your younger audience that Rax is not a good man. I’ve got a little over two weeks left for my twentieth; I can see why this is unacceptable. But I was a little younger than Prue when I watched Pretty Little Liars, and my only gripe with Aria dating Ezra was that Noel Kahn was so much cuter.
It shows when you scroll down the Goodreads reviews; you’ve got adults giving it one or two stars, and teenagers giving it four or five, with their biggest complaints being, “but Toby was cuter!!!”
Other non-pedophilia related complaints regarding the book include: Prudence being unlikable- which I didn’t really notice, considering she reacted to some people way better than I would’ve, even at 19 (which probably says a lot more about me than it does about Prue, but oh well). Still, Prudence obviously isn’t the most prudent of people- and again, she’s fourteen. Look me in eye and tell me you weren’t an arsehole at that age (unless you’re fourteen now, in which case, I assure you that you’ll look back on yourself someday and go ‘wtf was I thinking’). Bringing up Toby’s dyslexia in an argument was low, though.
There were people who thought the Kings’ almost-Amish lifestyle was exaggerated and unrealistic, but I assure you, it may very well be real. There are 8 billion people on the world- it’s fair to assume that several of them are complete weirdos.
Grace was a sweet character, and I adored her with every fiber of my being. As were her friends Iggy and Figgy. Honestly, I would’ve loved a book about Iggy, Figgy and Piggy’s (mis)adventures too.
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A family reunited - part 2!
Summary: The time has come for Y/N Shelby to explain her five-year disappearance to her family. Tommy, her beloved elder brother, proves to be less than understanding...
Word Count: 3220
A/N: 300 followers?? I still can’t believe it. I know this part 2 has been a long time coming, so I hope it serves as enough of a thank you 😘 I’ve never written a sequel to a fic before, so I don’t know how this will go down, but I hope you like it!! 💜💜
Part 1
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Y/N Shelby had loved seeing her family again, she really did: it had been what she'd dreamed of for so long, just for them to know that she was alive had brought her happiness.
What she didn't love was Tommy's booming wake-up call of "FAMILY MEETING AT THE SHOP IN AN HOUR - DON'T BE LATE," at half past 8 in the morning.
Ah, but she sort of did at the same time.
Thinking back to the night before, Y/N found a warm, fuzzy feeling spreading throughout her body and a smile spread across her face as she snuggled back into her pillow. Her eyes began to close again, tempting a few more minutes sleep – surely she would still make the meeting in time?  
At the thought of the meeting, however, Y/N suddenly found herself wide awake as she realised what the meeting would be for: she was going to have to explain herself. Y/N was going to have to tell everyone why she disappeared for so many years and what happened in that time. Her stomach began to churn and her mind started to race, trying to hurriedly plan out what she would say, but unsure where to even begin.  
Y/N was proud of her work as a spy during the war, but that didn't mean that she was looking forward to reliving some of the details of her story.
Knowing that there was no point in delaying the inevitable for longer than necessary, she dragged herself out of bed and sent up a little prayer for the strength that she so desperately needed.
***
As Y/N walked into the meeting an hour later, she noticed the change in Tommy immediately. Gone was the loving brother that had spent the entire evening practically glued to her hip, and in his place was the cold leader of the Peaky Blinders that Polly had told her about upon her return to Birmingham.  
Whilst in hiding, Y/N had seen the impact that the war had had on the men who fought in France, but that didn't stop her heart from breaking slightly as she properly looked at Tommy in the light of day. He had always been quiet and controlled, but never to this extent.
She sat down at the table, and soon enough the whole family were gathered. Y/N couldn't bear to look at them, even though she hadn't said a thing yet. She feared their judgement, and was petrified that they would kick her out when she'd only just got back.  
But Y/N knew that in order for this to go the way that she wanted it to, she couldn't afford to let thoughts like that show. Instead, she needed to make it clear to her brothers that she still stood by her decision to leave. She had been made stronger by her mistakes and experiences during her time away, and refused to let them believe otherwise.  
So, as Tommy cleared his throat to begin speaking, Y/N took a deep breath and looked up.
"Right, well, we're all here - "
"That we are!" Arthur's hand came down and rested on her shoulder roughly, causing Y/N to smile in amusement.
"Yes, thank you, Arthur." Tommy's gruff voice cut through the joy. "So, Y/N, would you care to tell us where the fuck you've been for five years?"
Out of instinct, the woman in question met her older brother's blue eyes, hoping to find the comfort and support that they had always shown to her in the days before the war. But there was nothing; not even the slightest bit of love, or encouragement, or anger or anything.
In that moment, Y/N realised that no one could help her – only she could tell the story.
And so, she began...
***
A couple of hours later, it was finally over.
Y/N had told them all about how she had been recruited as a British spy, recounted most of her tales (but not all – some of them were still highly confidential and as much as she loved Arthur and John, Y/N wouldn't trust them with a barge pole when it came to keeping secrets), and eventually about her time in hiding and return to Birmingham.
Miraculously, she hadn't shed a single tear. Not even when she'd recounted the worst trappings and beatings. Before coming down to the meeting, Y/N had debated whether or not to tell her family about those times, but in the end she knew that the full truth would come out in time and that it would be better to get all of the pain out of the way at once. Whether that pain was for Y/N or everyone else, she wasn't sure.
But Y/N also hadn't been able to suppress her laughs and smiles at the happier memories: the friends that she'd made, the clubs that she'd danced at undercover, the boys that she'd seduced whether as part of her mission or just for a bit of fun (Tommy may appear to be an expert at controlling his emotions now, but you bet that Y/N didn't miss his jaw clench in protective anger several times).
Now, silence filled the room. A silence that seemed to last for eternity for Y/N. Unable to cope with it for any longer, she spoke again, this time unable to control the waiver of emotion in her voice: "Please say something, anything. You lot have always got something to say," Y/N finished with a slight laugh. Unknowingly, she had directed her words at Tommy, who was staring at her, his eyes as cold as ice. Y/N hated the fact that she sounded like a little girl again, seeking his approval; Tommy's opinion had always been important to her, no matter how many times she had vehemently denied the fact when she was younger.
Surprisingly to her, it was John who spoke first, looking at her directly as he did so. "We're proud of you, Y/N/N."
"Yeah," Arthur continued, gruffly. "Just a fucking lot to take in, is all."
Silence infiltrated the room once more, only cushioned by Polly reaching over to grasp her niece's hand tightly.
Realising that Tommy wasn't going to speak any time soon, Y/N stood up as if to leave, her chair screeching horribly across the floor. "Well if that's it, I'll go and -"
"Why?" Her second eldest brother cut her off. Even though her back was now turned, Y/N felt his gaze burning into her.
"Why?" She repeated, confused, as she turned around.
"You heard me. Why did you go?"
"Christmas had long gone, Tommy. I needed to do something other than sit around in Small fucking Heath waiting for you lot to come back. I tried to help with the business, you know I have ideas. But I got nowhere because I'm a woman, alright? So, when an opportunity arose to go and do something useful, of course I was going to jump at it."
Tommy scoffed. "Do you realise how fucking selfish you sound?"
Y/N's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Excuse me?"
"Even after you knew that the war wouldn't be ending any time soon, you still went gallivanting off, throwing yourself headfirst into danger. Did you not stop to think that this family could have lost another member? You clearly didn't, because apparently all that matters to you is getting a rush of adrenaline and trying to be the hero."
Crack. The sound of Y/N's open palm meeting Tommy's cheek echoed through the room.
"How dare you, Thomas Shelby." Y/N's voice was deadly quiet, her rage and feelings of betrayal bubbling ferociously inside of her. "How fucking dare you. After everything that I've just told you, you have the nerve to stand there and call me selfish? I knew that when I signed up there was a chance that I might not come back, but I did it anyway, you're right. I did it in the hopes that my work may help to end the bloody war sooner, so that it was more likely that you boys would come home alive. Because if none of you came back, have you thought, Thomas, how wrecked this family would be? Not just emotionally, but financially as well. There would be three women, Finn, and John's kids left and that would be it. We would hardly be able to bring enough money in to keep everyone safe and together forever, at least not until the children had grown up. As much as you might not like it, Tommy, that I knowingly put myself in a situation where I could've been killed, I did it to try and protect this family."
If Y/N had looked around at her family at that moment, she would have witnessed the shock and pain etched onto the face of each person around the table. None of them had realised that she had put so much thought into her decision to leave. Instead her eyes were locked with those of her brother, unwilling to back down.
Breaking the silence, Y/N added bitterly, "Still think I'm selfish, Thomas?"
She didn't know what she'd expected.  
Y/N knew that Tommy wouldn't take it all well, and whilst his instinct to protect her and make sure that she was safe typically overrode everything else, she had hoped that he would have at least understood her reasons behind her actions. He had always said that family came before anything else. So, when Tommy barged past her, storming out of the shop and slamming the door behind him, Y/N couldn't help the sob that escaped her.
***
Dusk had settled over the city. Y/N was sat by the Cut, mulling over the events of the last 48 hours.
After Tommy had left, she had broken down completely, letting out all of the emotion that she had kept pent-up for so long. Her siblings, aunt and cousin had told her that Tommy would come around, and that they would do anything that they could for her.  
But, as much as she adored her entire family, she needed Tommy; she needed the brother who had stood by her through thick and thin, who had always trusted her judgement and always loved her no matter what. She hadn't realised how much she had needed him until he had turned his back on her completely.
When most of her tears had dried, Y/N left the shop herself, murmuring a quick "I'll be back later" before she did. The family had let her go, knowing that she needed the time and space to process everything and calm down.
A few hours later, she did feel calmer as she took in the familiar surroundings (a hidden spot next to the Cut that her and Tommy had found when they were younger and hiding from their father). That was until she heard footsteps quickly approaching her from behind...
***
Tommy's mind was racing at a mile a minute.
Once again, he'd gone and ruined things with his family. He'd probably destroyed his relationship with Y/N for good, something that he couldn't bear the thought of losing. His little sister meant the world to him; it just hurt him to know that she had been through so much by herself, and that he hadn't been able to stop it. At least in the trenches he'd had his brothers by his side. Y/N had no one.
But he could help her now. He had realised that after hiding himself away in the Garrison with his thoughts. He'd realised that his place was now back by his sister's side once more.
Tommy had made his way back to the shop to try and make amends, and marched straight over to Polly. "Where is she?" His voice may not have shown it to his aunt, but she could see the emotion in his eyes. Polly was glad that her nephew seemed to have got some of his sense back, but she sure as hell wasn't going to make things easy for him. Tommy's behaviour had been despicable, after all.
"She left." Polly said, simply, returning to her work.
"Left?"
"You heard me, Thomas." God, how many times was he going to be full-named today?
"Left where?"
"She didn't say."
Tommy felt a niggle of anxiety stirring in him. "Well, did she say when she'd be back?"
"No." Polly's lips were pursed in irritation.
"You let her wander off alone, I take it, without asking where she was going or what she was doing, eh? Do you know how fucking stupid that is? We've only just got her back, and you're risking losing her again?"
"Perhaps you should listen to your own words. At least I wasn't the one who caused her to have a panic attack." It was harsh, but partly true: the combination of the memories and Tommy's reaction had caused Y/N to spiral.
Tommy froze, worry and guilt consuming him. How could he have let this happen? He had spent half of the night in Y/N's bedroom last night, making sure that she was real and safe, and now she was gone again.
Walking back out of the shop, Tommy found himself hiding in an alleyway, trying to collect his thoughts as his hands shook. Where could Y/N be? Where would she go when she was scared and upset?
Suddenly, he knew.
***
The hurried footsteps drew nearer, and instinct took over Y/N's entire being. She spun around, gun cocked and pointed straight at the source of the noise, her breathing speeding up again as the last ebbs of her panic attack began escalating quickly again.
Any relief that Tommy had felt at finding his sister faded at seeing her distressed state. He raised his hands slowly and spoke softly to her: "It's okay, Y/N/N. It’s just me, it's Tommy. You're home, you're safe." As he continued to offer his reassurances that she wasn't under threat and edged closer to her, he noticed recognition begin to sweep over Y/N.
Her gun clattered to the ground as she broke down into tears again, relaxing into her brother's embrace as he sat down next to her and pulled the young woman into his arms. In that moment, Tommy realised how broken his sister was, how much the war had affected her, just like him.
Eventually, Y/N's breathing became normal again, the sound of Tommy's heartbeat and the gentle hand stroking her hair grounding her.
After a few moments, Tommy mustered up the courage to say the words that had been on repeat in his head for so long. "I'm sorry, sweetheart." Y/N looked up at him with those big eyes that had him wrapped around her little finger. "I was...overwhelmed and I lashed out, even though you didn't deserve it. Hell, you probably even saved our lives at some point and all I do is call you selfish. I went too far, and I'm sorry."
Y/N smirked slightly at Tommy's obvious discomfort at his confession, but it melted into a gentle smile when she looked up and was met with his loving yet troubled gaze.
"Thank you, Tommy." His entire demeanour relaxed at these words. "Do you understand though? Do you understand why I did it all in the first place? Do you understand why your reaction broke me? All I needed was for my brother to be there, and you just walked out on me. You promised me that you never would. You promised."
Tommy took her hand tightly in his larger one and nodded slightly, a lump forming in his throat. His other hand settled in his coat pocket as he asked: "Are you really back to stay?" The vulnerability that had been uncovered again last night had now returned.
"Yeah, I am." Y/N squeezed his hand. "Doesn't mean you're completely forgiven yet though; speak to me like that again and I'll cut you a smile on that grumpy face."
Tommy breathed out a slight laugh, despite the threat (which he knew was an honest one). "Oh, I missed you, darling." He wrapped his arm around Y/N and she rested her head on his shoulder.
"Missed you too, Tom."
***
The siblings sat there, peacefully, for a little while longer. Whilst part of Y/N was still angry at her brother, she couldn’t deny that she felt at home back by his side, in their special childhood hiding place. So, for now, she decided to put her anger behind her.
Soon enough, the chill of the night air began to settle around them. Tommy offered Y/N a hand up and wrapped his long black coat tightly around her, before the pair slowly started walking back towards the streets of Birmingham.
“I promise I’ll try and be better, for you.” Tommy’s voice cut through the silence. I can’t bear the thought of you leaving again because I pushed you out, he added in his head.
Y/N smiled sadly. “Don't make promises you might not be able to keep, Tom. We’re different people compared to who we used to be. All we can do is try, eh?”
Tommy stopped off at the office to call Polly and let her know that Y/N was staying with him for the night. Y/N found herself looking around the big building, in awe of what her family had managed to achieve.
She plunged her hands in the big pockets of Tommy's coat as a shiver wracked her body, frowning when her fingers touched something familiar. Checking that her brother was still on the phone, she pulled the object out and her eyes widened in surprise as she stared at it. It was a small stuffed toy, shaped to resemble a horse (sort of, it was definitely handmade).  
Y/N had loved it when she was younger, and barely used to be seen without it. When she grew into a teenager, she had hidden the toy in her old childhood treasure box and retrieved it when she felt low, even as she had entered adulthood. She had been devastated when she couldn't find it to comfort her the day that her brothers had left for France.
The horse was more frayed and tattered than she remembered, and dirtier too. Y/N had always been meticulous for looking after her possessions, not having much of her own.  
Then the explanation for its state and whereabouts dawned on Y/N: Tommy had taken it to France and kept it with him ever since, a constant reminder of her.
Placing the toy carefully back where she found it, Y/N looked through the glass to Tommy’s office with tears in her eyes as he hung up the phone. A small smile flickered across his face as he caught sight of his sister and made his way straight to her, not a single piece of work in his hands.
"Come on," Tommy said, softly. "Let's go home."
As her brother subtly offered her his arm, Y/N felt optimistic about the future for the first time in years. As Tommy rested his hand on top of hers, which now sat in the crook of his arm, one thought crossed Y/N's mind:
Maybe Tommy would try. Maybe there was hope for him yet.
But the Shelby family knew that there was hope, because Tommy's guiding light always came in the form of Y/N Shelby...and she wasn't going anywhere any time soon.
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Smalltown Bringdown 1
Warnings: blood, violence, more to be added.
This is dark!biker!Bucky and explicit. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.
Summary: You live in a smalltown run by a biker club. When your boss gets into debt, you find yourself drawn into the crossfire.
Note: Yesterday I tried writing Sugar, Sugar. That didn’t work out. I had a migraine on Monday that I’m still tiptoeing around. I wrote this a week ago but wanna continue it. Well, if there’s any interest in my doing so. So to those who take the time to read, thank you. Love you guys!
Please, leave some feedback, like and reblog if you can <3
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Birch was a small town, named for the line of pale tree at its heart. The streets were built around it. It had stood for centuries like a guardian over residents. Like a harbinger of their eventual fates. White as a ghost, looming like the reaper.
And death lived in Birch. It rode the streets on iron steeds. The apocalyptic horseman roaring down the roads in leather. Oblivion was the bar on the main road.; The Asp was a remnant of the town’s birth. An inn for those who claimed to discover this “new world”. Cleopatra reclined along the sign’s moniker, a snake around her arm, poised to sink its long fangs in her throat. 
Further down was the Chipped Saucer. The British were the first Europeans to settle here and when they supped with the Natives, they found their dishware cracked from their long journey. The tale outlived those early townsfolk painted across the window of sleepy old diner. The history of the forgotten town was long remembered because there, time didn’t seem to move very fast.
The town was more purgatory than hell. Few ever escaped it. You were among the trapped. A waitress in an aged yellow uniform and frilly white apron at the old diner. Sundays were busiest. The older folk were hungry after the weekly service and the younger residents were trying to caffeinate their hangovers.
You did your round of refills and returned the carafe to the machine. You took your time replacing the filter and adding the grounds. The rusted jingle of the bell above the door barely registered in your head. But the decisive stomp of boots did. Not just one set, not two, but more than you could count. You looked up as you closed the lid on the machine.
The diners sat frozen as if in a tableau. Not a single breath was drawn as you watched the leather-coated men walk between the tables. You didn’t need to see the patches on their backs to know who they were. Everyone knew who they were because they owned everything and everyone. The police, the town council, the mayor, and any who called Birch home.
Every small town has its dark secrets but the club had never really been a secret. The Howling Commandos had reigned since the boys returned from the war in 1945. Since, their mantle had been taken up by sons, nephews, cousins. Those glory days loomed as if it were only yesterday that the newspapers declared victory in Europe! Victor in Japan! Korea! Vietnam! Iraq! 
You skirted behind the counter as Lillian, the oldest of the waitresses, stood by the kitchen window. Artie, the cook, neared the other side and gave a grunt at the bikers kicking around the diner. 
“From what I heard,” He said loud enough for them to hear. “They serve hash down at The Asp, don’t they?”
“Artie,” Lillian hissed under her breath as she touched her immense bosom.
The diners, the servers, the bus boys, all exhaled in communal dismay. Mr. Elrich watched as Danny, the boy he’d once taught, took his mug of coffee and emptied it in a single gulp.
“Where’s Jimmy?” A golden-haired man stepped forward. 
You knew him. Knew of him. He had been a few years ahead of you in school. He was held back and sat beside you in math and copied off your tests. Steve Rogers was too much trouble for a browner like you.
“Jimmy’s out,” Artie waved his spatula. “Can’t you see these people are tryna enjoy their breakfast?”
“Jimmy’s out,” Steve repeated slowly as he neared the counter. “Well, that’s a first. I always thought he slept off his Saturday nights in his office. Least I always found him half-asleep at his desk. Definitely wasn’t working.”
“You come back later when he’s in,” Artie shook his head. “Goddamn, boy, my eggs are burning.”
“Artie,” Lillian and several other waitresses wailed at him.
“How long you worked here, Art?” Steve was close. You could smell the leather and smoke as he passed you. His hand was on the door as he glared at Art through the window.
“Be thirty years, soon enough,” Artie answered defiantly. “Since you were a kid tossing your pancakes at the wall, you brat.”
Steve chuckled and pushed through the door. Several women screamed and men shushed them at the flurry that followed. The crash of pans as Steve grabbed the old man by his collar and pushed him against the window. You stepped through the door before it swung shut.
“Don’t.” You pleaded. “Don’t hurt him. Jimmy’s not here. None of us have seen him since yesterday.”
“Oh yeah?” Steve shrugged you away. “Loyalty is admirable. The man pays your check, so I understand your insistence on protecting him. I only wish he was as diligent in paying his dues.”
“St-stop,” You squealed as he his hand wrapped around Artie’s thick throat. “Goddamnit, you know Artie. You know he means no harm.”
“I know he’s always had a mean mouth,” Steve snarled. “Where’s that spatula now, hmm? You gonna give me a swat, Art?”
You looked around. The waitresses gaped through the window as the men loomed around the tables. Amused, they crossed their arms and watched the helpless old cook struggle. On the long steel table behind Steve was a large knife. Your heart pounded as you inched around him.
“Steve, come on, you can wait around for Jimmy,” You offered. “I’m sure he’ll be in. Hell, you’ll have more luck heading down to his. I’m sure he’s sleeping it off there.”
“I came here to get the money and I’m not leaving without it.” Steve snarled. 
You bent slowly and took the knife, careful not to drag the blade on the floor. You stood and came around Steve. He glanced over as you pointed it at his neck. He chuckled as his eyes flashed.
“You don’t wanna do that, girl,” He warned.
“I don’t so long as you let him go,” You declared. “You go sit down, we’ll get you coffee, Art will cook you some bacon, and we’ll wait for Jimmy.”
“Don’t think I will.” Steve squeezed tighter as Artie turned red.
“Oh yeah?” You touched his neck with the blade’s edge. “You want Jimmy, no one’s keeping you from him but we can’t help you if you throttle poor Artie.”
A chuckle came from behind you. Deep and venomous. You looked slowly over your shoulder as the back door whisked shut. The knife slipped from your hand as you were faced with the barrel of a gun. The metal clattered to the tile as you dropped your arms and stared at the pistol’s mouth.
“You grew some balls since grade school,” Bucky remarked. 
Him and Steve had always been inseparable. You should’ve known he wasn’t far. And as the main shareholder in the Asp and therefore the club, he was owed more than any. It would be a mark on the crest not to collect the debt himself.
“Wish I could say the same of you,” You retorted. “So, you gonna shoot me?”
He laughed again and Steve did too. “Let the man go,” Bucky said. “There’s a safe in the office. If there’s not enough in there, we’ll empty the till.”
He lowered the gun. Slowly as if taunting you. You turned to check on Artie as he leaned heavily on the wall. Steve headed for the door to the back hall where Jimmy’s office was. 
“You okay?” You helped Artie stand straight. “You need some water. You should sit down. I’ll get Billy to finish service.”
“You are going to go out there,” Bucky said as he holstered his gun. “With the rest of the girls and stay away from sharp objects.” He grabbed your arm and dragged you to the door. “Artie, you get back to your tickets. These people look hungry.”
He shoved you through to the dining room and you stumbled into the counter. Artie coughed and wiped his sweaty hands on his apron. He waved at Billy, his sous chef, and ambled back to the grill.
It was a few minutes of tense silence filled only with the sound of pots, pans, and plates. As Artie called out an order and Lillian loaded her tray, Steve emerged from the back. Donny stood at the front door and kept any from leaving. Not than anyone had the strength or courage to even stand up.
“I don’t think we’re getting that thing open.” Steve said. 
“Hey!” Donny shouted and the door chimed as he pulled it open. 
Everyone watched as he raced out and chased Jimmy past the window. The small, greasy-haired man put up little fight against the burly biker and was dragged inside. 
“There you are, Jim,” Bucky swung the door open and brushed past you. “We were starting to get impatient.”
“Bucky,” Jimmy’s voice cracked. “What are you--”
“Jim, let’s not play this game,” Bucky snapped. “I think you know I haven’t brought everyone here for breakfast so why don’t you help us crack the code and we’ll be on our way.”
“Crack the code?” Jimmy whimpered.
“We found the safe,” Bucky crossed his arms. “So, you open it up and we’re on our way. I only came for what’s mine. For what you owe me.”
“I-I-I--” Jimmy stuttered.
“Grab him,” Bucky ordered and Steve was quick to grab the thin man by his scruff and drag him across the diner.
Bucky led the way into the kitchen and the weak struggle could be heard as they disappeared through the back door. Artie called another order and Kimmie balanced it on her tray. When the three men returned, Jimmy had a bloody lip and Steve carried a black bag of what could only be the safe’s contents.
“Well, you see, we still got a problem here, Jimmy.” Bucky hauled him over to the window by his arm. “That’s not even close to what you owe and you’ve got late fees on top of it. Dodging me all week like this.”
Jimmy looked ready to cry as Bucky took his hand and slammed hit flat on the window’s ledge. He held his wrist down as he reached to his waist. “Check the register.” Bucky ordered.
Steve went to the till and hit every button until it opened. He emptied the drawer and shook his head. “Not even a hundred.” He scoffed.
“Pity,” Bucky pulled a knife from his belt. “Well then, Jim, there’s only one thing for you to do; pick a finger.”
“Wha--” Jimmy yelped. “What do you--”
“You pick a finger or I will find something worse to cut off.” Bucky lowered the blade and Jimmy flinched away.
“Please,” Jimmy begged. “I’ll get the money. End of the week, I promise.”
“You said that last week,” Bucky countered. “And I can’t gamble my integrity as lightly as you do, Jim. So hurry up or I’ll make you pick two.”
“Uh…” Jimmy quaked and went pale. ‘Th-the pinkie.”
Bucky was quick. The knife cut easily through flesh and bone and blood pooled beneath Jimmy’s hand in second. You covered your mouth as your stomach flipped and several people wretched, some followed by sloppy splats onto the floor. 
Bucky held up the finger and admired it before he tucked it into his pocket and patted Jimmy on the back. “One week for the rest of it, Jim.” He strode through the door and stopped just beside the counter. He turned to you and smirked as he took the cloth from your apron pocket. “Get some pressure on that before he passes out, will ya?”
He handed you the cloth and winked. He nodded to his men and they filed out the door without another word. You blinked and shook yourself from your shock. You pushed through the kitchen door and grabbed Jimmy’s hand as he held his wrist. You pushed the rag to his severed pinkie and he hissed.
“Someone call an ambulance,” Your voice seemed to break the pall that had fallen over the diner. “Please!”
💀
By Tuesday, it was as if nothing had ever happened at the Chipped Saucer. The usual customers stopped by for their breakfast or lunch and Artie was back to his grumpy ways. The only thing that remained was the blood stain on the window ledge. And the bandage on Jimmy’s hand.
When you were done your shift, you hung your apron on its hook in the back and clipped your name tag on it. You covered up your hideous yellow dress with your black cardigan and grabbed your purse before you headed out. Your mother texted you to grab some cheese on your way home and a sixer of Blue for good measure. 
You stopped by the grocer first and added a box of oreos to your bill. The liquor store was just next door and the after work crowd strolled its aisles. You traipsed to the back, the paper bag balanced against your hip as you browsed the cans and bottles. You grabbed some Blue and turned to head to the check out. You were the only person left in the aisle, well aside from one. Likely the reason for the sudden desolation.
Bucky Barnes stood before you in his leather jacket. You hadn’t noticed him there at the end of the shelf, watching you, arms crossed. You sighed and walked towards him, deliberately sidestepping him. You stopped short as he blocked you with his arm.
“Not even a hello?” He mused.
You scoffed and shook your head and stepped to the other side. He blocked you just as quickly. You tilted your head wryly and he smiled. 
“What do you want?”
“To talk.” He said evenly.
“Mmhmm,” You rolled your eyes. “Forgive me if I’m not up for it.”
You tried to shake him again and he caught you around your waist. “Honey, honey, honey.” 
You wriggled away from him and almost dropped your armful. 
“You had a gun in my face two days ago. I have nothing to say to you.”
“You had a knife to my man’s throat.” He said. “Think we’re even.”
“Just say whatever it is you want so that I can go home.” You grumbled.
“How you like working over there at the Saucer?”
“What?” You shook your head.
“Seems slow. Tips any good?”
“I don’t see how that’s any of your business.” You challenged.
“Well, we got an opening at The Asp and you’ve got experience serving.” He shrugged. “Figured I’d put that out there. Not many ways to move up in this town.”
“I don’t wanna work at a dive.” You said through your teeth. “You done?”
“Sure.” He backed up and turned so he was almost against the shelf. He waved you past him. “Go home. Relax.” You began to step by him and he spoke again. “Say hi to your ma.”
You stopped but didn’t look back at him. You swallowed and carried your sixer to the counter. You set it down and dug for your wallet with one hand. 
“It’s been covered.” Larry said as he scratched his thick mustache and glanced at Bucky. The biker pretended to peruse the white wines.
“No, it hasn’t.” You slammed a bill on the cans. “You give him his money back. Or keep it. I couldn’t care less.”
You waited for your change and grabbed the beer. You kept your head high as you swept out onto the street and past the motorcycle parked across two spots. You’d have to barter a can off your mom when you got in.
💀
On Friday, Jimmy called you to his office. He never called anyone to his office. Well except Kimmie but that’s because everyone knew what was going on between them. So you punched out and headed to the small back room with the dented metal desk from the 60s and the cinder block wall poorly disguised with flowery wallpaper. You knocked then entered when he replied.
You sat in the small chair with the orange cushion. The same one you’d sat your interview in. Jimmy spun his pen in his hand. He was jumpy. More than usual. The small safe hidden beside his filing cabinet was scratched but still in tact. He dropped the pen and twined his fingers together.
“So, uh, yeah,” He blinked and sniffed. “Well, this isn’t… easy. Not quite sure how to say it really.”
You were quiet. Confused. You scrunched your lips and listened. You had a bad feeling. Unusual things didn’t happen for no reason. Not in a small town.
“Heh, well, I’m sure you know I’ve come into some financial hardship and, well, it looks like...uh,” He sat back and smoothed his greasy, thinnng hair. “I’m gonna have to let you… go.”
“Let me go?” You repeated. “You’re not serious, are you?”
“I need the, uh, cash,” He turned back and forth in his chair. He was nervous.
“Cash. Sure. You couldn’t sell that heap of junk parked outside?” You sneered. “I have no doubt this has something to do with those goons but I don’t think you’re being honest about the why.”
“Look, I’m real sorry. You’ll get severance.” He sputtered.
“You can’t afford to keep me on but you can afford the pay out?” You scoffed and stood. “Let me ask you, have you received any other visits from your friends at The Asp?”
He shook his head frantically.
“Yeah, you haven’t been around Larry’s to grab a mickey at all? Or passing by? Maybe Tuesday night?”
“It’s a small town. I got nowhere to hide.” He cowered.
“Suppose there’s nothing else to say. Nothing I can say.” You threw up those hands. “You tell Bucky you were a good boy, okay?”
“I…”
“I get it. You owe them.” You started to turn away. “When should I expect my cheque.”
“Usual,” He answered glumly. “I really am sorry.”
“Yeah, yeah,” You stopped by the door. “You remember how sorry you are the next time you pick up a cue, eh.”
💀
Another trip to the liquor store, this one unimpeded. A bottle of wine from some unheard of vineyard on some distant island. You carried it home in the bag, its shape visible beneath the wrinkled paper. You went in the back way, as you always did. Your mother’s dog, Ash, wiggled his bum as you stopped to pet him. You let him inside as you entered the kitchen.
Your mother was at the counter, working on dinner. You set the bottle on the table heavily and sat. You let your purse fall to the floor and sighed.
“Hey, hon,” She said. “How was your day?”
You grumbled and unsheathed the bottle. You crumpled the bag and tossed it in the middle of the table. You unscrewed the lid and drank from the long neck. Your mom stopped her chopping and turned with a hand on her hip.
“Rough one?” She asked.
“I got fired.” You said numbly.
“Fired? For what?”
You shrugged and took another drink. She huffed and set aside her knife. You listened as she opened and closed a cupboard and crossed to you. She set down a glass. 
“Pace yourself.” She reproached.
You frowned and filled the glass to the rim. She tutted and went back to the counter. 
“It’s because of them.” You said at last.
She looked at you but kept quiet. She knew who you meant.
“Some kind of game.” You muttered.
“Oh, Lillian told me about your heroics.” Your mother sighed. “I knew you weren’t telling me something.”
“Christ, ma, they were gonna give Artie a heart attack,” You exclaimed. “What was I supposed to do? He’s a defenseless old man.”
“And? The Commandos are thugs. They have no qualms against old men and young women.” She dumped her cutting board in the pot and covered it. “Losing your job is nothing. You could’ve lost a lot more messing around. You know how things work.”
“Not as well as you, yeah?” You drank deeply. “Dad learned it the hard way, didn’t he?”
“That he did,” She assured you and took a glass of her own from the cupboard. She sat with you at the table. “You’ll find something else. Something better than the diner. That little tourism place, they need a new receptionist.”
“Great, I’ll get my resume printed tomorrow.” You poured her a more modest glass. “It’s a show. Don’t worry, ma. They just want to wave their-- well, you know.”
“You just stay clear of them. Let them find bigger fish to fry,” She advised. 
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bulletballet-arch · 3 years
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REALLY LONG  CHARACTER  SURVEY. RULES. repost ,   don’t  reblog !    tag 10 ! good  luck ! TAGGED. I took this from Minnie’s archived Bioshock blog. I’ve been looking for this meme all this month. TAGGING. @hammurabicomplex. @bluuxriising. @ Me - for Sal on @bulletsoverbensonhurst​. @immaterialed (charlie) @soypeor (bella) @svmmercmance​. @mrflayed. and you!
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BASICS. FULL  NAME :  Eve Delores Littlejohn NICKNAME : Evie, Little Evie (by her maternal side of the family), Delores, Didi NAME  MEANING / S  Eve is from the ancient Hebrew name  חַוָּה (Chawwah), which was derived from the Hebrew word חָוָה (chawah) meaning "to breathe" or the related word חָיָה (chayah) meaning "to live". Delores is a variant of Dolores, meaning "sorrows", taken from the Spanish title of the Virgin Mary María de los Dolores, meaning "Mary of Sorrows." Littlejohn is a surname that has historically been found in England and Scotland. With potential origins being either ‘to distinguish a beloved child that was not the eldest.’ Or, ‘a contradictory nickname for a large man.’ HISTORICAL  CONNECTION? : She’s named after her grandmother, Evelyn Hollins.
AGE : 42 BIRTHDAY :  June 2 ETHNIC  GROUP : Black-American. Meaning she’s mixed with a lot (Some of her relatives are respectively Creole and Italian) but uses Black as a catch-all term. NATIONALITY :  American LANGUAGE / S : English, Italian, Spanish, Latin, some French SEXUAL  ORIENTATION :   Bisexual ROMANTIC  ORIENTATION :  Biromantic RELATIONSHIP  STATUS : Verse dependent, usually married -or connected- to Salvatore Scozzari in some way. CLASS : Upper-Class HOME  TOWN / AREA :   Brooklyn. Spent time between Bedford-Stuyvesant - with her paternal grandfather and Park Slope - with her maternal grandparents.  CURRENT  HOME : In her childhood home in Bedford-Stuyvesant. PROFESSION : Ballet Instructor. Former Professional Ballerina. ( Other verses see her as a professional thief. )
PHYSICAL. HAIR : Black. In terms of her natural hair, Eve has springy, 3C hair she seldom shows off because she was raised in a family where straightened hair was deemed presentable and professional.  EYES : Thin almond eyes. Dark brown. NOSE : Straight and small. FACE :  She has a prominent, high forehead, that’s accented with high cheekbones and a pointy chin. LIPS :  Full. COMPLEXION : She has a light brown (tawny) complexion.  SCARS : None major. TATTOOS : None. HEIGHT : 5′4″ BUILD : Eve has a slender build. One of those people who have been small and petite since childhood. Despite this, she also stays skinny because she is obsessively conscious of the food she consumes. The older she gets the more she weighs, however. USUAL HAIR STYLE :  Her hair is cut short. Reaching her shoulders in a neat, even bob. She either curls it in a retro fashion or curls the tips. For work she wears it in a traditional, pinned bun. USUAL FACE LOOK : In public, she appears stoic for the most part. Any emotion shown (such as the length of a smile) is carefully calculated. She has to seem perfect.  USUAL  CLOTHING : Form fitting dresses. Incredibly chic and fashionable for the time. Shoes include heels - never open-toed, unless she has on stockings. Extravagant earrings. Jewelry that can include either necklaces, crosses, pearls, or dainty rings. Prone to wearing black sunglasses in public.
PSYCHOLOGY. FEAR / S : Thunderstorms, airplanes, creatures like weasels, snakes and ferrets, break-ins, men she doesn’t know, harm coming to her children ASPIRATION / S :  Formerly wanted to become a major [black] ballerina in the elite world of ballet, now she just wants to expose more [inner city children] to dance through her job. Personally, she wants her children to change the world in some form or fashion, too. Eve also has good ideas on improving the community, but at the moment has no idea how to go about these ideas. POSITIVE  TRAITS :  Generous, compassionate, patient, protective NEGATIVE  TRAITS : Strict, sullen, hard to read, represses her emotions, secretive MBTI :  Advocate - INFJ-T ZODIAC :  Cancer TEMPERAMENT :  Melancholic ANIMALS :  Lioness VICE / S :  Pride & Lust FAITH : Christian. Grew up Baptist, but Catholic influences have been around her since childhood. Attended a Catholic High School in Park Slope, her grandmother Evelyn was also a practicing Catholic.  GHOSTS ? : Yes and no. She feels that objects formerly owned by the deceased posses the essence of their previous owners and that they essentially live on through these pieces of property. AFTERLIFE ? : Yes. REINCARNATION ? :  No, but it’s a romantic concept. ALIENS ? : No. POLITICAL  ALIGNMENT :  Democratic ECONOMIC  PREFERENCE :  She likes being where she’s at now. But honestly, being upper class is all she’s ever known. SOCIOPOLITICAL  POSITION : Bourgeoisie, basically. The Littlejohn’s represent The Historical Black Elite.  EDUCATION  LEVEL : College level. FAMILY.
FATHER :  William ‘Bill’ Littlejohn MOTHER : Linda Littlejohn ( nee Hollins ) SIBLINGS : None EXTENDED  FAMILY : Amos Littlejohn (paternal grandfather) Liza Littlejohn (paternal grandmother) Evelyn Hollins (maternal grandmother) Giuseppe D’Aietti (maternal grandfather) and a wide host of cousins, aunts and uncles.
FAVOURITES. BOOK :  Night Song by Beverly Jenkins. The Color Purple by Alice Walker. Some sort of old, French erotic novel that was published before she was born. MOVIE : Eve watches films along the lines of...Waiting to Exhale, Beaches, The First Wives Club and Fatal Attraction. She loves Made-For-TV movies from the time period. In regards to plays, her favorite one is Sunday In The Park With George. 5  SONGS :  Meet Me On The Moon / Essence of Sapphire / No One In The World / People / The First Time I Saw Your Face  DEITY :  Persephone  HOLIDAY : New Years Eve, Christmas, Thanksgiving. Major holidays during the colder season. MONTH :  October SEASON :  Autumn PLACE :  The dance studio she works at. WEATHER : Sunny, but cool. SOUND : The voices of Anita Baker and Sarah Vaughn. A skilled hand running over piano keys. Soft trumpets. Running water. Cats making chipper little meows. SCENT / S :  Perfume, floral scented lotions, her partner’s cologne TASTE / S :  Caramel, the tang of dark chocolate, strawberries coated with either chocolate, or sprinkles of white sugar. Light Vinegar.  FEEL / S : Performing in front of an audience. Hot water engulfing your skin after a long day. Satin - whether it be the fabric of her clothes or sheets, your fingers tightly intertwined with another’s, feeling your significant other’s chest raise and lower against your skin with each breath they take. ANIMAL / S : Cocker Spaniels, Afghan Hounds, Cats, Birds - she loves all ( well, a majority ) of animals. NUMBER :  Doesn’t have one. COLOR :  White, Pink, Gold.
EXTRA. TALENTS :  Dance, Eve is trained in ballet when it comes to her main verse. She has attended ballet classes since the age of eight and ever since then she placed all of her focus into it. Similarly, Eve has always had the makings of a good artist - as a child she enjoyed drawing and had informal art lessons with a man who lived in the basement of her grandfather’s brownstone, but she never invested into that half of her. BAD AT : Singing, Being interviewed, Public Speaking (as in Speech Giving), Decision Making TURN  ONS :  Charisma, Leadership Skills, Temperature Play, Phone Sex, Heavy Kissing, Light Roleplay TURN  OFFS :  Public Sex, Tearing [ Her ] Clothes, Threesomes, Cruelty, Senseless Violence HOBBIES :  viewing plays & some musicals, reading romance novels, shopping, working out (she was into the whole celebrity VHS tape exercise trend), playing tennis, decorating AESTHETIC :  Vintage Black Glamour, Black Ballerinas, Champagne and Wine Glasses, Paintings by Melinda Byers and Edward 'Clay' Wright QUOTES :  "I'm bad with words, I hope you're good in reading eyes." / "There are truths I haven't even told God. And not even myself. I am a secret under the lock of seven keys."
FC INFO. MAIN  FC / S : Lynn Whitfield ( A Thin Line Between Love & Hate ) ALT  FC / S : Kylie Bunbury ( Twisted ) OLDER  FC / S :  Lynn Whitfield ( Greenleaf ) YOUNGER  FC / S : N/A VOICE  CLAIM / S : Lynn Whitfield
MUN QUESTIONS.
Q1 :   if  you  could  write  your  character  your  way  in  their  own  movie ,   what  would  it  be  called ,  what  style  would  it  be  filmed  in ,  and  what  would  it  be  about ?       A1 : Recently I decided that if/when I try to write anything serious about Eve again, it’ll center on her being a jewel thief because it presents me more fun, and emotionally diverse, opportunities. That and I have a very specific cover image in my mind. Ideally, her adventures would be a series of books. I have no title in mind, no idea about how ‘it would be filmed’ ( although a style replicating 90s films would be excellent, film grain and all. ) but, I do have a bunch of plots in mind that I really don’t feel like typing out here.  
Q2 :   what  would  their  soundtrack / score  sound  like ?         A2 :  Her score would have a vintage sound (or a jazzy Spike Lee sound, if you will) with instrumentals by Dorothy Ashby (a Jazz Harpist) the Ahmad Jamal Trio, Pharaoh Sanders, Yusef Lateef and Tarika Blue. For music with lyrics, the soundtrack would include the likes of Julie London, Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald, and Dionne Warwick.
Q3 :   why  did  you  start  writing  this  character ?   + Q4 :   what  first  attracted  you  to  this  character ? A3 :  Whenever I make NPCs for my character’s lives I actually can’t just let them just be NPCs. I start thinking about them too much. Developing them too much. And then I’m like, ‘wow! I really like this character!’ Eve was a different character when I began writing her, and likely wouldn’t be considered the same character as she was previously, if I told someone in real life who knows about my writing (like my grandma) about all the changes she has undergone. Originally Delores was a university professor, because I thought it could lead to interesting interactions with college-age muses. And her previous history with the mafia was also something interesting to tap in. But then I started thinking about what was realistic, what wasn’t realistic, what did I feel comfortable/interested writing? What didn’t I feel comfortable/interested in writing?  So as time went on, things would alter about this character. And the new things I came up with attracted me more. 
Q5 :   describe  the  biggest  thing  you  dislike  about  your  muse.         A5 :  I have a love/hate relationship with Eve’s quiet demeanor. On one hand, I think quieter characters need love and the ability to be fully dimensional but on the other hand, writing louder characters has always been more fun for me. But really, Eve’s guarded behavior makes writing her stressful in some cases with others because sometimes...if I’m going to be honest...people don’t know how to carry a thread and interact with someone of her demeanor effectively. 
Q6 :   what  do  you  have  in  common  with  your  muse ?       A6 : We’re both black, we’re both into art (although our exact interests and aesthetics with art differ)
Q7 :   how  does  your  muse  feel  about  you ?         A7 : Realistically she would think I need to take better care of myself.
Q8 :   what  characters  does  your  muse  have  interesting  interactions with ?   A8 :  We skippin’ this question.
Q9 :   what  gives  you  inspiration  to  write  your  muse ?       A9 : Films such as, “Waiting to Exhale,” “The Kitchen” and “Widows.” Books by Alice Walker, like “The Third Life of Grange Copeland” as well as her short story, “Roselily.” The historical mob figure Stephanie St. Clair.
Q10 :   how  long  did  this  take  you  to  complete ?       A10 : A few hours.
8 notes · View notes
yonymii · 4 years
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secret garden
a/n: shoutout to my chamaedorea plant, Debrah 🤩 (also @gigis-galaxy for telling me to write for mattsun) his characterisation is wierd but whatever,, this took wayy too long to write sjkdjkdjks i think i change tenses at the end?? I liked it tho so i kept it
Wordcount: 4.4k
pairing: matsukawa issei x gn!reader
Warnings: cursing
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Matsukawa didn’t notice you the first time he saw you. Of course, he’d seen you sat leaning against the wall scribbling notes onto your hand, but he hadn’t really noticed you, not enough to be able to describe your appearance. Like every other year, he’d just sat near his friends and started talking, completely missing your voice reverberating off of the plain white classroom walls, your laugh never reaching his ears. Your friends were always sat in front of you, blocking you from his field of vision, so it was no surprise when you two had been partnered up for a history project he’d had to ask who on earth y/n l/n was.
You hadn’t noticed him either, though. Matsukawa was one of those kids who joked around in class, throwing paper balls at their friends and drawing bad pictures of the teacher on scrap pieces of paper but was too discreet to ever get caught. You’d heard his voice but never bothered to turn around and learn whose it was, never scanned the classroom to take in and memorise the faces of your classmates. In your opinion, they were irrelevant unless you needed them for something. 
Unfortunately, you needed Mattsun for this grade.
You waited for him to approach you, not moving from your seat, occasionally glancing over to see whether he was coming to sit beside you (on the table your friend had begrudgingly moved from). After what felt like hours, there was shuffling in that spot and you heard the chair legs scrape across the wood flooring, then a figure slump into the plastic seat. He looked over to you but you were already sending texts to your friends on the other side of the classroom, trying not to laugh so you wouldn’t be caught by the teacher. He thought you were quite attractive; not like Oikawa, though. Like you were unaware of your appearance, as if you didn’t spend too much time staring in the mirror worrying about how you look to others. 
It was silly, really. That he was thinking so deeply into it when all you two had to do was study together and then produce a poster on World War One. It wasn’t difficult, except everytime you started speaking he felt obliged to look over at your face, your expressions. Mattsun desperately needed to focus, and you weren’t helping.
“Are you free to work on this over the weekend or do you want me to finish it?” he heard you ask as he was packing his bag on the Friday before your project was due. You two had mainly worked on it during his free lunches, seeing as all your clubs were on afterschool and not at lunch break. He turned to see you stood at the doorway of your empty classroom, tapping the end of your foot on the floorboards. He nodded, zipping up his backpack and meandering over to where you stood. “Yeah, you have my number, right? Text me your address and i’ll come over at twelve tomorrow,” he started walking off but looked over his shoulder at you, “If it’s okay with you, that is?”
You just agreed politely, joining your friends on the field at the back of campus. You could hear them talking, but you weren’t listening. You had your phone out but it was hidden under your blazer in case any teachers walked past and saw you; as you sent your address to Mattsun you couldn’t help but worry about the state of your room.
Not that it was messy. In fact, it was abnormally clean for a teenager. It was just… full. You had no idea how to tell your partner that you had no desks to work on because they were all occupied by your various houseplants your grandmother gave you? You sure as hell weren’t moving them just so that he could work. 
Your room was a long rectangle, your bed positioned carefully so it fitted perfectly into the thin space by the window (which was occupied by a long pot of forget-me-nots), and you had two desks; one that was for plants all along and the other was now home to plants but was previously used for studying. You did most of your work sat in bed with a tray for stability nowadays.
“Hey y/n! The bell’s gone, we’ll see you Monday, m’kay?” your friend said as they tapped your shoulder and headed off. You just nodded, tucking your device into the inside pocket of your blazer and packing up your things ready for your next english class. 
-
There were crescent moons of dirt underneath your fingernails and when you put the trowel down to sit back and bathe underneath the late afternoon sun you felt a presence behind you, their shadow above yours. 
"Y/n?"
You pulled one of your airpods out, turning to gaze up at them. They were stood directly in the way of the sun, the skin on their arms illuminated with gold. You hummed in response, shifting onto your backside and exposing your mud and grass-stained knees. They chuckled and bent down to meet you; you shielded your eyes from the brightness of the sky.
"You're partnered with Mattsun for the history project, right?" Iwaizumi asked, his head tilting to the side. You nodded, fingertips digging into the soil beside you. There were a few younger students kneeling to weed the flowerbeds and vegetable patches beside yours, but they were silent. Iwaizumi lowered his voice, noticing the alck of noise in the area. There were crickets chirping quietly and the heat seared your skin. You wiped your forehead with the back of your wrist.
"Yeah, why?" your cousin smiled, standing back up as he noticed your eagerness to get back to work. 
"He's skipping practice some lunches and won't tell anyone what he's doing. It's driving Shittykawa mad." you laughed at the nickname but still smacked his leg. "Don't call your best friend names, Hajime! And yeah. It'll be done by the weekend so don't worry, m'kay?"
The brunette nodded, turning away from you and starting to leave, waving lazily at you while still turned. You shouted goodbye as he walked off, spinning round to face the bed of flowers and positioning yourself onto your knees comfortably.
-
Your doorbell was broken when Matsukawa tried ringing it. He marveled at the vast number of window boxes filled with vibrant flowers (which he couldn't name), knocking three times on the wooden door. It was mid afternoon, the sun was hidden behind a few clouds and when you opened the door and invited him inside there were no lights on, only open curtains and white walls and carpets to brighten the rooms.
"Where are we going?" he asked when you led him to the back door and opened it, ushering him outside. It was a large green lawn, surrounded by tall bushes and beds of flowers. There was a small allotment behind a wooden fence and grey brick wall and he saw a tall wooden structure supporting a plethora of different vegetables, along with all different shades of sweet pea blossoms. In short, your garden was something out of a children's story book. 
By the time the pair of you were sat on the blanket underneath an old looking tree, the sun had come out and was lighting the area. There was a stack of textbooks by the roots and you handed him a few which he opened to the bookmarked pages. Mattsun had been the one to keep hold of your poster so he set it down on a tray in the centre of the blanket, along with his stationary.
"What do you want to focus on for the last segment?" you broke the silence with a question which he was quick to respond to.
"Uhm, the causes? Of the war?" you nodded in agreement and opened a textbook. Mattsun cleared his throat and spoke again.
"Whose garden is this? I mean, uhh, who like, takes care of it?" 
You had to hold back a laugh at his nervous tone, suppressing your grin when you explained that it was, in fact, your garden, and you lived mostly alone. 
He just nodded, avoiding any eye contact.
"It was my grandmother's but i look after it now." Mattsun nodded again, ruling a line along the bottom of your poster to mark off the last section. "It's really nice," he said, looking up at you. You slipped your shoes off, tucking your feet under your legs and meeting his eyes.
"You must enjoy it." 
A smile adorned your lips and you hummed in agreement, outlining the title of your poster (causes of World War One) and explaining your hobby to your partner. Honestly, you knew he probably didn't care, but he would listen, even if it wasn't particularly interesting to him.
"When i was younger i lived with my grandparents and sometimes my dad. He's away on business most of the time though. My grandmother used to bring me out and tell me about all of the plants, and after a while let me grow a few myself. When she passed i took over the garden," you giggled as soom is the sun appeared from behind the clouds and lit up your face, " It looks the same as it always did though. I haven't changed it much."
Although you'd assumed Matsukawa wasn't listening, he hadn't transferred any of your notes onto the large sheet of paper. He was laying on his back staring up at the sky through the leaves of the large oak tree and there were little dots of sunlight decorating his skin and hair. His eyelashes were fluttering against his cheeks; he was stunning in a way you'd never noticed before. You probably wouldn't have been able to see him this way if you'd have only been with him at school, volleyball practice or at games. It was different, but not in a bad way. You didn't know Matsukawa Issei, but you wanted to.
Clearing your throat to gain his attention (which you had anyway), and looked over at him once again, only to see his eyes on you, cheeks flushed a little as he gazed at your face under the shade of the tree. "We should really get this done, Matsukawa. It's been an hour and a half already."
He agreed, sitting up and resting his soft cheek on the palm of his hand, picking up a pen and copying out your notes in neat while you cut out pictures to accompany the writing.
-
Three sharp knocks at your front door woke you up from the light nap you’d been taking on the sofa laying next to your dad who’d come home for the weekend. You watched sleepily as he stood up to answer whoever it was, expecting a delivery or the friendly postman who was also your neighbor.
It was Matsukawa.
“Y/n!- Oh, uhm, hello, sir.” he said, looking down at his shoes and fiddling with his fingers. After the project you’d turned in the pair of you had become good friends and you now often sat with the volleyball team at lunches, visiting them after school during practice and going to watch practice matches. You’d done this every once in a while because of Iwaizumi but it had become significantly more frequent over the last few months.
“Why do you need y/n?” your dad asked Issei, crossing his arms protectively and leaning all his weight onto one leg. The boy who’d come over to see you just smiled up at him as you peeked out from behind the doorway and waved, pushing your dad to the side gently to allow him over the threshold and towards the door leading to your garden.
“He’s a friend, dad. I told you why i got all that food ready this morning, right?” The sun was setting on the horizon as you took Mattsun’s bag and ran up the stairs to your room, putting it by your desk and running back down to meet your friend on the lawn.
He sat on the tyre swing that hung on the oak tree, his legs threaded through the hole as he swung gently in the evening breeze. “You didn’t tell him i was coming over?” Mattzun said, resting his chin on the rubber. 
“I did! I just didn’t give him any specifics is all.” You collapsed onto the blanket that was spread out over the green blades, your head on a large grey pillow. There was a basket by your feet full of cakes and drinks, and you had a speaker resting in the hollow of the tree trunk. The stars were starting to appear in the sky and the moon was hanging low in the orange glow near the rooftops, their silhouette bold against the slowly darkening backdrop. It was beautiful, and with the silence between you two you didn’t notice Mattsun crawling towards you to lay down on your stomach, a can of cola held loosely between both of his hands. He tapped his short nails against it as he looked up at the sky, his delicately carved face illuminated in the fiery sunset.
"You ok, Mattsun? You're being quiet, it's scaring me," you said, looking down at him as he breathed gently, chest rising and falling slowly as his lungs filled with air. You felt him nod against your stomach, hair sticking slightly to the fabric of your shirt. When he sat up to look at you, it was sticking out in weird directions; he looked like someone from a movie who'd been electrocuted. A giggle escaped your lips and he brushed a hand over the back of his locks, smoothing it down effectively. 
He hummed when you pressed one fingertip to the tip of his nose and then the screen of your phone to play some music. Your dad shut off the upstairs and downstairs lights so now it was almost completely dark; the light of the full moon kissed Mattsun’s cheeks and made him glow, your heart stuttered and your breathing becoming laboured and heavy. The boy was laying down on his back on your blanket, chewing a biscuit and sitting up slightly to swallow it before laying down again. The stars blinked at your through the green leaves of the tree, and you leaned forwards to grab your cup that was filled with tea; the warmth radiating from it met your skin and sent a shiver all the way down your spine. You could hear your breathing fall into synchronization with his, your mind clearing and the only thing present in your thoughts was the boy laying beside you.
-
“Y/n, you never sit with us anymore. Just this lunch?” you shook your head at your friend (who you had indeed ditched for the Seijoh volleyball club a number of months ago), sighing loudly so that she heard you. 
“Seriously, i don’t want to sit with you today, okay?” she just stared at you, face not showing any emotion, “I’ll sit with you guys when i feel like it. That isn’t right now.” and you ignored her pleads as you walked to the stairs where Makki was standing, one foot against the wall and his hands shoved into the pockets of his blazer. His bag was leaning against the surface and one of his shoes was sticking out of the side because the bag as too full. When he saw you he picked it up, slinging it over his shoulder and not speaking, just wandering lazily up the staircase and towards the rooftop where you assumed the rest of the third-year volleyball players would be.
The door was open; there were voices coming through the opening and you heard Mattsun’s laugh, your ears singling out the sound and blocking away everything else. 
Your bag dropped to the ground next to Iwaizumi, sitting on the concrete and letting the wind brush across the bare skin of your arms, blazer discarded on your chair a few minutes away in your classroom. It was a nice day; the sun was overhead, your friend group situated in the shadow of the building. The sky was blue and there were fluffy white clouds floating past, but you payed no attention to them, instead choosing to listen to the conversation the third-years were currently having.
“So you’re skipping detention and sitting with us? For what?” Oikawa said, gazing at Mattsun lazily, the sun almost in his eyes but not quite. He shuffled to the left a bit so he could sit completely in the shade. “Won’t you just get afterschool tomorrow, Mattsun?” 
The boy nodded, fluffy hair bouncing atop his head. His lips were set in a straight line and he opened his mouth to speak, bored expression sticking to his features almost comically, as if he were a doll that only had one emotion. You knew his face never reflected his feelings though.
“Yeah,” he gave no further explanation, just ripped a bit of bread from his lunch and pushed it past his lips into his mouth, chewing slowly and looking over to you. You smiled gently, taking a sip of the chocolate milk you’d picked up from the vending machine that morning but hadn’t had a chance to drink. “Why are you staring at me?” was what you decided to say to Issei after a few minutes, your eyes still locked with his. The corners of his mouth twitched up into a smirk and you sighed, cheeks puffing out. 
“You’re so irritating sometimes, Mattsun. I swear Hajime’s the only responsible one here,” you looked over to your cousin, nudging his knee with yours and adding with a coy smile, “And me, of course.”
The brunette shook his head but didn’t bother to speak. “Y/n, you bring plants to school everyday.” Makki deadpanned, nodding his head towards your schoolbag. . You instinctively pulled it closer by one of the straps, crossing your legs so it was in between your thighs. “Not today, Makki. I didn’t bring anything but my work and lunch.”
Oikawa laughed, seemingly flying over to you and snatching up your bag. When he set it down there was a quiet clink, indicating there was, in fact, something inside. “Y/n seriously, you act as if they’re animals. Just leave them on your windowsill or something.” Makki stated as the captain unzipped your bag. You looked down in defeat when he pulled out a small terracotta plantpot with a tiny succulent in the middle. A burro’s tail, Mattsun thought. He recalled you showing him one when he was at yours after practice once.
The group snickered at the plant and you snatched it away, patting the soil to see if it was in need of water and pulling out your waterbottle to give it a bit. It clinked again when you set it down and Mattsun pulled your face up by the chin to see your expression just as you were about to give the plant a drink. You were pouting, he saw, and your eyebrows furrowed when he laughed at you, his lips curved into a beautiful smile as his voice escaped them.
That’s when you realised just how close his face was to yours. The volleyball team had gone quiet and were all watching you two but you didn’t think Issei had heard you, his forefinger hooked under your chin while his thumb brushed over the top. There was a lot more heat in your cheeks than before, you noticed and you’d dropped your bottle, spilling it over the pale concrete and staining it the colour of slate. Your ears picked up a snort from one of the boys and you tried to wiggle away from Mattsun’s grasp, shaking your head but he gripped your cheeks, squeezing them gently. “Stay there.” he ordered, voice low so the other’s probably couldn’t hear.
Issei leaned in closer, but to your surprise, his lips moved past your face and stopped at your ear, a snicker escaping. “You’re a dumbass, y/n.” was all he said but it surprised you and you yelped from the volume, your head banging against the wall. Your vision clouded and went dark, and when you woke up and raised your hand to the back of your head there was warm liquid over it. You didn’t know if it was blood or the water you’d spilt earlier, but when you saw all four of the third years crouched over you, you assumed it was blood. Iwaizumi pulled you up by your back and leant you against the wall, tapping your nose like he used to when you were kids. 
“Mattsun, you fucking idiot! Shit like that can kill people!” you heard Makki’s voice and then saw Issei’s face above yours, worry filling his eyes. “Fuck, y/n, i didn’t mean to do that, i was trying to joke around,” he whispered, hand on your cheek. Oikawa pulled you up and wrapped your arm around his shoulder, his own slung across your back in case you were dizzy. He turned his head to face his teammates, “I’m taking them to the nurse’s office. Go to class without me,” the brunette informed them and when you stepped through the threshold of the office and collapsed onto the bed, Oikawa setting your bag down on the chair (along with your plant) the bell had rung and you saw the others pass by the office, glancing at you, Haijime waving as he passed. 
You didn’t see Mattsun.
-
It wasn’t until the next weekend you saw Issei again. You were sat on the swing under the shade of the oak tree, swaying gently to the beat of some soft piano music after watering the dying rose bush when your dad called you out of the garden. 
It took a few moments for you to recognise the boy sat on your sofa. Mattsun was holding a yellow plantpot in his hands delicately, tapping it with the edge of his too-long fingernails. He didn’t look at you when you sat down beside him but his cheeks puffed out and he set the pot down on your coffee table, your dad watching quietly from the kitchen with a cup of tea cradled in his hands. 
“I didn’t mean to hurt you. I’m sorry.” was the only thing your friend said, after a long but comfortable silence. You nodded, hand on his thigh, “I know. I’m not mad though! Are you free now? We could go sit in the garden if you wanted to,” your voice grew quiet when the brunette looked up at you. He nodded, hair bouncing as he stood up and reached out a hand to help you up. You laced your fingers with his, smiling gratefully as he led you outside. You heard the kettle boiling and mugs clinking as your dad made two drinks for the pair of you.
-
It was still warm in your garden when you finished your picnic. The sun had started setting and the horizon was growing amber, the silhouettes of birds on telephone lines. The skin on your arms was golden from the light and Mattsun was laying next to you, his eyes closed so that his long eyelashes fluttered gently against his cheeks, long shadows extending across his skin.
Your fingers were tangled in his hair and you didn’t want to move them in case he woke up. Really, you had nothing to worry about. Issei wasn’t asleep, but you didn’t need to know that. The breeze fanned over your bare legs and the hairs stood on end. Maybe it was getting a little cold.
Issei opened his eyes when you shifted to move one of your blankets across your legs. He sat up and pulled it over his, shuffling closer to you. His lips were curved up into a delicate arc, tinted red from biting them constantly. His cheeks were flushed pink and his eyes were gazing over at your figure lazily, hooded and tired. You reached over to your bottle, opening it with a fizz. A little of the drink got onto your nose and Mattsun patted it away with the corner of his sleeve, his smile dropped and biting his lip in concentration. 
“Mattsun?” he hummed, placing his hand over yours as you fiddled with the leaves of a hydrangea bush. “You look like you want to say something. What’s up?” your voice was very quiet, but he heard it just fine. The boy shook his head, curls ruffling against your shoulder. 
“It’s nothing.” 
You furrowed your brows but didn’t push any further, knowing that he’d deny it and eventually just leave if you kept asking. The hand that was resting on top of yours moved to your calf that was slung languidly across his thighs, his thumb rubbing circles into your warm skin. It was quiet, without any bird chirping in the background. You heard a car go past your garden; then silence.
His eyes shone when he looked over at you, and you didn’t know if it was the light from the house or if he was really just that beautiful, but it took the air out of your lungs all the same. The usual lazy smile danced on his lips and he pulled your head down and pressed the smile to your cheek, the feeling of his lips on your skin leaving a burning sensation; it felt good. The heat rose onto your face and it felt as if your whole body was on fire, all the way from the tips of your fingers to the top of your nose. 
He was already looking away, though. 
For Mattsun, this was enough; he didn’t know why his heart was pouding so hard it felt like his ribcage was going to crack open or why his eyes were trying to look anywhere but at you. And as much as he was scared, he liked it this way. If not telling you what he thought was happening to him meant that you could stay with him like this, he’d do it. He’d do anything.
The only thing stopping him was the feeling of your hand on his cheek and something heavy crawling into his lap; not until your lips met did he notice it was you who was so close to him. He saw the moon out of the corner of his eye, and the stars around it but nothing at that moment shone as brightly as you did. It was almost blinding, you were almost blinding.
Mattsun had never been very good with his words but he didn’t need them with you. You thought the look in his eyes when you both pulled away was enough to explain what he was thinking.
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uhhh @reiningsun​ 👉👈 mayhaps?? KJBDKW im so embarrassed
92 notes · View notes
blouisparadise · 4 years
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Upon request, here is part two of our mpreg Louis fic rec list. The first part of this rec list was done a while ago and can be found here. Happy reading!
1) Always Coming Back To You | Explicit | 4749 words
Harry's been missing Louis for eight days, and eight days without his Omega feels like decades in his pre-rut state.
Louis happens to come back to him earlier than planned.
2) Through The Storm | Mature | 6497 words
Note: This fic has no smut, but it is MPreg Louis so we included it.
Harry and Louis' marriage has hit a rough patch. A much needed week vacation in Jamaica just may be the second chance their relationship needs. What could possibly go wrong?
The answer?
Everything.
3) You Can Show Me Your Heart | Explicit | 6935 words
Note: This fic is locked and can only be read by AO3 users.
Everyone knows about the unsinkable Titanic, which tragically did just that in April of 1912. However, not many people know the story of the Carpathia - the ship that raced to rescue and aid the survivors of the Titanic when the distress call came through. This is the story of the events leading up to the luxury liner crashing into an iceberg on that fateful spring night. More than that, this is the story of how two of Carpathia’s passengers - Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson - met, fell in love and helped over 700 people in the cold Atlantic water.
4) Cooking with Styles | Explicit | 9119 words
Anyone can cook— or so they say.
5) Something To Prove | Explicit | 9425 words
Louis is the first and only omega to work at Red Valley Medical Center. Despite being more than qualified, he still faces prejudice for his career choice everyday. From patients refusing his treatment to condescending alpha doctors intervening with his work, practicing medicine in Boston is more challenging than Louis had ever thought it would be.
6) We Will Get Through This | Explicit | 11219 words
Because of quarantine, Louis has to stay home with his roommate, Harry, who he's never really hung out with before. He's a sweet alpha who seems to really care and that annoys the hell out of Louis. But as he gets to know the alpha, he realizes it might not be dislike that he's feeling.
7) Easily | Explicit | 13588 words
Note: This fic is a sequel to this fic.
Years later, Harry and Louis are as strong as ever and more than ready to take the next step in the story of their lives. It gets a little weird, a little confusing, but at the end of the day, it is as easy as can be.
8) Baby Honey | Explicit | 14744 words
Note: The pairing in this fic is Alex/Louis.
When the next great war strikes, all alphas have to ship out. Alex leaves a little more behind than some of the others.
9) The Post-War BP | Explicit | 17732 words
The eight year war has left the country's birthrate severely stunted with a lack of virile alphas left to bring it back up. To ensure the survival of the country, the government opens The Breeding Program where young omegas can apply to carry an alpha's child in exchange for benefits.  Louis' family is struggling and the BP is one of the only ways to secure a roof over their heads.  Harry was drafted at the age of eighteen and spent six years of his life defending a country he doesn't recognize when he returns home.  The government made the bed but it's Harry that has to lie in it.
10) Souls; Plural, Parallel | Teen & Up | 19679 words
Note: This fic has no smut, but it is MPreg Louis so we included it.
Soulmates are rare, the sort of rare that means everyone has a story about a friend's sister's coworker or a brother's roommate's cousin. But the fact of the matter is that most people never meet theirs. It's unfortunate then, that Louis finds out the hard way that he met his soulmate in a club, and the guy never texted him back.
11) Be Mine, Dear | Not Rated | 20104 words
It really wasn’t fair. He was the oldest of all of them. He’s the one who dreamed about being bonded his whole life, while Liam laughed at the idea, until he met Sophia. Niall had always been indifferent, but when he met Heather six months ago, everything changed for him. He quickly went from being the only omega around two alpha’s, to the odd omega out. And it really wasn’t fair, because Liam and Niall both still protected him just as much as the did before, just as much they do their new mates now, but he was still bitter about it, so he’d pity himself as much as he wanted.
12) Oops, Baby, I Love You (In That Order) | Explicit | 25344 words
The minute Louis Tomlinson decides he don’t need no man to start a family, Harry Styles literally falls into his arms.
13) I’m Having Your Baby (It's None of Your Business) | Mature | 26383 words
A bet can cost you a lot. Harry learns this in the weirdest of ways.
Louis just wanted a baby, and he got so much more.
14) The Things I'd Do To Wake Up Next To You | Mature | 36109 words
AU. Harry wakes up to a pregnant Louis Tomlinson and a wedding band on his finger.
15) If I Stay | Mature | 37226 words
Harry and Louis agree to a temporary arrangement that Harry can't seem to walk away from no matter how many times he tries.
16) You Put the Sun in Sunday | Mature | 42319 words
Louis is a love-brainwashed-teenager of hope drenched in dreams, clad in oversized clothes damaged with holes, and standing waist-high in novels. Harry is a selfish closeted football captain with a head too big for his heart, and a bad habit of not thinking before he opens his mouth. No one ever said love was easy, Louis learned the hard way.
17) Flash Forward (We’re Taking On The World Together) | Explicit | 44273 words
In which Omega Louis and Alpha Harry are absolutely perfect for each other and say I love you too much.
18) Every Story Has Its Scars, Ours Is A Brand New Start | Mature |  62859 words
Life as a devoted husband and an amazing father turned out to be a little different than Louis had expected. Everyone tells him it doesn't have to be that way; that he's worth more and that he's so much stronger than any one person trying to keep him down. It's all just words though until he meets the one person who makes him truly believe it.
19) Such Good Luck | Explicit | 66205 words
An Edwardian AU where Harry is a young aristocratic lord and Louis is a working class dairy farmer. Secrets are a necessary part of their relationship, but Louis has one that could topple their whole world.
20) Things I Can't | Not Rated | 67495 words
Louis has a plan for his life. He’s going to be the first in his family to finish college. He’s going to be a doctor - the best damn doctor in the country. And he’s going to work his ass off to make sure his younger siblings never have to wonder whether they have the means to pursue their dreams.
He doesn’t have space in his plan for a relationship with an effortlessly alluring musician, and certainly not for the child that unexpectedly results from that union. Louis is at a crossroads he never thought to plan for, and now he must make a decision: between what he wants now, and what he wants most.
21) I’m Still Learning To Love | General Audiences | 74695 words
Note: This fic has no smut, but it is MPreg Louis so we included it.
An AU where Harry has almost everything in the world except for the will to move on.
22) I Want You So Much (But I Hate Your Guts) | Mature | 83648 words
AU in which Louis gets accepted to play for the Manchester University Alpha-Beta Football Team. The only problem: Louis is actually an Omega. He is determined to make it big in the football world, though, and he can't do that bound to an Omega team. With the help of a faked doctor's certificate and some pretty strong suppressants he is ready to fight for his dream.
That Harry Styles (Alpha, second year and youngest football captain of the A-B team in ages) doesn't seem to like him complicates matters, though.
23) Fucking Animals | Explicit | 116688 words
Louis is the frontman of an equal rights-movement, author of a book about beta-omega marriage and the struggles of being born and boxed into a personality you don’t necessarily feel you fit. The notion that an omega must want to be with an alpha or else he or she’s just settling for less, is bullshit.
But, fucking hell.
24) Be My Omega | Mature | 138372 words
It all started when the alpha laid eyes on the short curvy omega and he knew at that moment that his life would never be the same, in a good way of course.
25) Cold Little Heart | Teen & Up | 194600 words
Louis is a soft omega with an abusive past and an alpha child. A few months after getting a divorce, Louis meets Harry, an ex-military alpha wolf that offers him something -odd.
In exchange for teaching him how to cook, Harry will babysit his son, Abraham. Louis really could use the help.
26) Love Me Until The End | Mature | 207130 words
AU where Louis, an Omega, is the head nurse of the hospital in charge of running the nursing staff. Harry, an Alpha, is a highly respected surgeon working at the same hospital. They also happen to fall in love.
Check out our other fic rec lists by category here and by title here.
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jeongyunhoed · 3 years
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A year after the events of Past-Present-Future, Lee Mirae, Choi San, and Jeong Yunho receive a mysterious envelope containing photos and notes about the deaths of several individuals. The deeper they go into the case, they find that the entertainment industry hides a very dark secret. 
Group: ATEEZ Pairing: Yunho/OC Genres: It’s a little bit of: adventure, romance, mystery, crime, fantasy, action. Things to note: It also features mentions of other idols/artists: Junhong (Zelo), Dean, Chanyeol, etc. Superpowers AU if it wasn’t obvious as well. 
T/W: Themes of death, violence, demons, cults, blood, use of weapons and/or firearms, use of drugs (both recreational and medical), implied/referenced assault, implied/referenced suicide
A/N: The main conflict is a reimagining of an actual long-running theory. This is also a remaking of a previous fic I wrote before on Ao3 that will now be under the new super powers au. (if you know, you know). This work is pure fiction and does not bear a direct reflection of the idols in the story. Please let me know if you would like to be included in the tag list. 
Masterlist
One
Lee Mirae and Choi San were seated at the dining table, huddling over the steaming pot of noodles in front of them. Even with the heater on, the freezing winter winds seeped through the windows that night. The television was on, the evening news reporting anything that happened during the day. Aside from the reports of finances and petty crimes, there was the sudden update in the case involving a nightclub owned by a celebrity. 
“You know, the more the police let people like that get away with what they’re doing, the more I’m convinced that it’s all about the money,” San muttered in between bites. 
“When hasn’t it been? Times are hard,” Mirae replied, glancing at the television every now and then while they ate. 
It had already been a year since the events at Kang Tower, where she faced off with the family that played a big part in turning her into what she was. A year since remembering everything about her past, a year since putting it all behind her once and for all while reuniting with the man she loved, Jeong Yunho, who also turned out to be a mutant, an immortal mutant that could teleport in the dark. 
Mirae was a mutant, as was San, who was her half-brother. Both of them essentially had the same abilities, only Mirae’s was much stronger and she was referred to as an omega-level mutant. The two of them had the ability to manipulate energy and were capable of turning objects into explosive projectiles. San only channeled his through his harpoon gun while Mirae did it with lighter objects like playing cards. Although she never played card games much, she knew how to throw it. Both of them were also highly skilled at hand to hand combat, both unarmed and armed, and had an extraordinary healing factor that made them almost-immortal. 
However, that was only a few of Mirae’s capabilities. Her abilities also presented her with one unusual power set, that was being able to trap souls. This manifested when her eyes would turn black and was likely a result from using her powers to the fullest extent. Her powers also resulted in her being able to generate static, that not only made her able to neutralize touch-based powers, but it also gave her a strong psychic shield, making her mind unreadable to psychics. Yunho was an exception as he was what her old colleague Ino called, her soulmate, and would always be connected to her. 
San on the other hand, ran away from home when his mutant powers first manifested. He witnessed Mirae get taken away and interned in the sanitarium when he was younger. Years before reuniting with her, he worked as a mercenary, a highly-paid assassin. San had since put that life behind him when they met again and decided to work at the store after the event at Kang Tower.  
“It shouldn’t be hard for those celebrities that get arrested for those kinds of things. They could do whatever they want and get away with it. They’ve got some balls to be that cocky,” San pointed out. 
“You talk like you don’t have billions stashed in your clothes.” 
“Those are my life savings, I kept 1,000 won every day since I started school,” San argued. 
“And how much of those billions were your cuts from old jobs?” She raised a brow. 
San wrinkled his nose at the comment and went back to eating. Mirae reached over to ruffle his hair, amused at his reaction. “Where’s Yunho?” He suddenly asked. 
“He’s closing the store for tonight. He lost the rock-paper-scissors game with the other employees, so he’s closing,” Mirae replied, pausing to drink water. “Money’s the root of all evil, isn’t it?” She heard more updates on the incident in the nightclub. 
He noticed the way she said it. “You think there’s something more to it? Government cover-ups?” He was curious. 
“There’s always something like that, isn’t it? When a government official messes up, what does the media do? Rather than cover it, they release an entertainment industry-related scoop or scandal, whatever it is,” Mirae explained. “How much of those celebrity relationships were revealed just when executives or high-level government officials were being charged for crimes? Hyuk told me a lot of those were publicity stunts too,” She added. 
San looked intrigued at his sister’s explanation. He wasn’t one for being interested in the private lives of celebrities but even he knew a publicity stunt of a relationship when he saw one. “Eat the rich, kill the parasites,” He managed to say, chuckling. 
“Depends on who the parasites are,” Mirae pointed out. 
They heard a rustling coming from the hall and Yunho appeared. “Honey, I’m home, and good evening to you too Sannie,” He said, sitting down at the table to help himself to a bowl of noodles. 
Jeong Yunho was also a mutant, an immortal mutant who had the ability to teleport. However, his teleportation abilities were very limited as he could only do so in the dark or at night. His powers manifested when he was killed during a mission in Morocco, when he died in Mirae’s arms only to wake up shortly after they had gone and made a long journey back to Korea. Yunho was also interned in the same sanitarium as Mirae, trained with the same fighting abilities and seemed to be the only one who could match up to her with an added advantage of his height. 
“We were just watching the news, another update on that case with the club,” Mirae tilted her head towards the television. The news shifted into a commercial that featured an idol group. Mirae noticed that the group looked familiar, until she saw the face of Lee Midam, her best friend and producer Kwon Hyuk’s cousin. Both Hyuk and Midam were mutants that had psychic abilities. Hyuk was a powerful, omega-level telekinetic that had some telepathic ability, while Midam was a telepath of what could be the worst kind - he could project a person’s worst fears and desires and saw how they may die if they were to die in the near future. “Oh, I see those boys are doing very well. Hyuk told me they’re all overseas now for a concert or something.” 
Yunho sat up upon remembering something. “Oh yeah, I saw this envelope for you, placed on your desk in the back room,” He took out a long, thin, piece of paper and slid it across the table towards her. 
Mirae put her spoon down to tear the envelope open. Out fell several small photos of men and women, including one of a police officer. All the photos looked years old based on how their hair was styled. Another photo was a wedding photo. Behind each of the photos had names and some information. The wedding photo was of Na Youngji and Ji Myungsoo, and it struck her as familiar. Myungsoo was one of the biggest basketball players in the country. Youngji, his wife, was among the top actresses. She paused as she read what else was written. 
Na Youngji - Committed suicide by hanging in 2008 - murder covered up as suicide. 
Ji Myungsoo - Committed suicide by hanging in 2013 - murder covered up as suicide. 
No wonder they were familiar, she thought, and Yunho heard it as he peered over from his seat, as did San, both of whom looked at the wedding photo. Mirae looked at the other photo. It was of Min Junghwa, who played one of the mean girls in a very popular drama. She looked through the rest of the photos, realizing why they were so familiar. 
Min Junghwa - Committed suicide in 2009 - forcibly hanged, murder covered up as suicide.
 Na Jongsuk - Committed suicide in 2010 - murder covered up as suicide - brother of Youngji, carried her portrait during funeral possession. 
Oh Jinho - Committed suicide by hanging - murder covered up as suicide - carried Junghwa’s photo during the funeral, accused of drug possession. 
Mirae stopped at the photo of a police officer and turned it over to look at what was written behind. 
Officer Kim Yujin - apparent suicide in 2015 -  murder covered up as suicide. 
Yunho and San peered through the rest of the photos she slid to the center of the table, careful not to let any soup from the ramen noodles spill on each one. Mirae took out a few pieces of paper that were also included in the envelope. It was a chart linking all the deaths together, including what was currently on the news. The actresses in the photo were all under the same company, and at the very center of it all was one name. 
Madame Seo
“Who sent this to you?” San asked. 
“There’s no name, not even inside,” Mirae shrugged. “What could this mean?” 
“I think you know what it means,” San was trying to contain his excitement at the realization. 
“It’s been a while since we did something like this,” Yunho eyed her. “Whoever sent this to you must have known what you did before, with the cult? And the Seoul attack?” He said. 
“And probably the Kang mob too,” San added. 
Mirae looked into the envelope. There was another folded piece of paper and a business card of a luxury fashion brand called Montague. Unfolding the paper, she saw it was a list of five people, all of whom were prominent CEOs, one of which was a CEO of an entertainment agency, Yang Ent. 
“All of these men, Junghwa was supposed to sue before she died. All the victims were found with piercings on their necks and wrists,” was written next to the list of names. 
She handed the note over to the males. San and Yunho gaped at the note. “Now I’m even more convinced we have to solve this,” San nodded. “But where do we even start?” 
“We could start with these five guys, but then there’s this too,” Mirae held up the business card and stopped when she saw another note at the back. “I’m thinking we start at this place first, it’s Madame Seo’s fashion brand. Maybe this is a front or something.” 
“Maybe,” Yunho nodded. “I don’t think we have a lot of time, but whoever’s doing the killing probably believes they’re vampires or something because why would the victims have holes in their necks and wrists?” He read the descriptions again. 
“Serial killers do tend to have certain preferences,” Mirae pointed out. “It’s one of the things I had to read in university,” She mumbled. 
“You know, since you’re taking that up in university, this could make for field work,” San said, making the two of them stare at him. “What? I’m just saying, you won’t only solve a long-running problem in the entertainment business, but you’d also have some firsthand experience.” 
“So do you, and especially you” She eyed him and then Yunho. Mirae sighed. “Well, I guess we could check this out. Whoever brought this to our attention will probably be glad we’re saying yes to solving this.” 
San cheered in his seat and went back to eating, only to sit back and cringe. “Oh, my noodles have gone soggy.” 
Mirae was staring at the notes behind the photos and the charts and the list later that night at her study desk by her bed. Her laptop was open and she needed to finish her dissertation. Yunho turned the television in the bedroom off and turned to face her. “You should probably come over here and rest, you’ve had a long day, we’ve had a long day,” He said, rolling over to her side. 
“I will, you get some sleep,” She said, eyeing him with a small smile on her face. 
“I won’t unless you do,” He said. “Also, you forget I can read your mind, I really won’t be able to sleep unless you relax.” 
“Since when has that stopped you?” She teased. 
Yunho sat up. “Since I started being able to read your mind, which was almost right away when you remembered who I was,” A fond smile crept up on his face. 
“You really have to remind me?” Mirae grinned. 
“Mhmm, because it’s how you know we’re stuck together for life” Yunho was beaming. “In a way, you could say, we’ll always have some kind of connection no matter what happens.” 
“We do, yeah,” She nodded. Mirae closed her laptop and kept the photos and the pieces of paper laid out on her desk. “You’re excited about doing something like this again, aren’t you?” She got up and climbed into bed, Yunho rolling back to his side with an arm outstretched to hold her. 
“Yeah, it’s been a while, I’m starting to miss beating bad guys up and I’m getting tired of having to play bouncer whenever Hyuk’s group’s fansigns are at the store,” He teased.
“Are you still sure you want to work at the store? You could work somewhere else-” She was cut off when he kissed her quiet. 
“I’ve been away from you for so long, it took years for us to be together again, I don’t want to be away from you anymore,” Yunho rested his forehead on hers. 
“I don’t know, I guess I was thinking you never got to do what you’ve always wanted to do, you know?” She said. “Not that I know what you’ve always wanted to be when you grow up, but, don’t you have dreams to do something you’ve always wanted to do?” 
“My father wanted me to be a dentist, I think,” Yunho tried to remember. “But I didn’t want it, I rebelled, but he thought that me not wanting to do what he wanted me to do was enough to intern me.” 
Mirae frowned and ran her fingers through his hair. “He was that strict, wasn’t he?” 
“Very,” Yunho chuckled. “He wanted things his way, not even my mother could argue, not even my brother, and he was the favorite. But no, my father always wanted things to be done his way. You can imagine how suffocating that was.” 
“I can,” She hummed in response. “My birth parents were the same way, they liked my sister more than me. If not my sister, they also liked San more than me. When my powers manifested, well, they called the sanitarium. My father ordered them to put me through electroshock therapy, and the rest is history.” 
“We’re really not that different after all,” Yunho smiled, nodding knowingly of the tale. 
“No, I guess not.” 
“Now, you’re a lot more tired than I am, you should sleep, we’ve got some snooping to do tomorrow,” Yunho kissed her cheek. 
“I guess you’re right,” Mirae watched him close his eyes. “It’s always going to be you and me.” 
“You’re reading my mind now, aren’t you?” 
“Somehow I don’t have to, I can tell when you’re so assured,” She was grinning. 
The three of them spent the entire morning piecing everything that was in the envelope together. It went to the extent that both Mirae and San drew up a diagram on a piece of paper noting each connection everyone had to Madame Seo to Yunho’s amusement. It made him see how they were related to each other. “There wasn’t any name on the envelope either,” He said, peering over at the piece of paper that contained the notes and the photos. “Whoever sent this also seems certain we’ll solve this and get this Madame Seo arrested with the proper evidence to do it.” 
“That, or wants her dead, after everything she’s done,” Mirae said. “She was the reason why Ji Myungsoo divorced Na Youngji. He left Youngji for her, and then they divorced eventually.” 
“Oh, and these actresses aren’t the only victims apparently,” San looked over at what he wrote. “They all came from one entertainment agency, and a few singers were also victims of this whole scheme. You won’t even believe where they all came from,” He reached over for his phone and showed them what he found. 
“Kang Entertainment,” Mirae and Yunho read. “...That better not be what I think it is.” 
“Yeah, I can’t even believe that guy. Is every Kang company in this country under the Kang Organization?” San was unable to hide the annoyance in his tone. 
“Well he is one of the richest guys, it wouldn’t be surprising if Kang Entertainment was a subsidiary business for the Kang Organization,” Mirae shrugged. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he practically owns nearly the whole capital either.” 
“He’s got a lot of answering to do then,” Yunho pursed his lips. “And then I thought he was really coming around, he gets involved in this mess.” 
“Well, when we first met him, it wasn’t in the best of situations either. We found out he killed the CEO of Park Enterprises,” Mirae recalled. “Did the dirty work of the CEO’s daughter. She’s in maximum security now.” 
“I remember that well,” A small smile crept up on San’s face. “We just found each other again when someone called you,” He turned to his sister. “It was something out of a murder mystery story.” 
“Oh yeah, I remember that. One of the first times I saw you, but you didn’t see me then,” Yunho eyed her. 
“So, I think we can cover more ground if we split up today,” She suggested. “There’s Kang Entertainment, Montague, and… Yeosang. San, you can pass as a model, you should probably check out the store. Yunho, you’re the only one who can get through to Yeosang without really fearing death so you should pay him a visit. I’ll go to Kang Entertainment.” 
“As long as we interrogate those five men in the list together,” San pointed out. “We’re surprisingly efficient now.” 
“We’ve always been, and it’s a lot easier with you two anyway,” She chuckled. “We meet at Viva Polo tonight for dinner and to talk about what we’ve found out for today. Let’s hope we get answers.” 
The doorbell suddenly rang, making them look at the hall. “Who could that be?” San strode over to the monitor to see who it was. “Oh it’s Junhong, and Mirae, I think you know who else is standing outside,” He gestured to the screen. 
Yunho and Mirae approached the monitor and upon seeing who else was with Junhong, they exchanged looks. “Hongjoong?!” He was stunned. 
“I know. Well, I guess we may as well let them inside. Ino oppa’s probably foreseen or seen this happening, whichever one it was,” She rushed to the door when the doorbell rang again. Yunho and San crept by the hall, peeking over. “Coming!” 
As soon as Mirae opened the door, Junhong was smiling, while Hongjoong looked a little reluctant but certain of his resolve in being here. “Ino hyung told us to come here, said you needed help, he saw this situation,” The taller of the two said upon taking his shoes off. 
“It’s been a while, Hongjoong,” She said to the shorter one of the two. His hair was now dyed a very light brown and his fashion sense was now a stark contrast to the all-black garb and the sanitarium uniforms from the past. 
“Yeah, a year since we last met,” He replied with a small smile, following her and Junhong down the hall, where he quickly greeted Yunho and San. “Yunho, it’s been a while too. I’m...glad you’re not dead after all.” 
“And I probably won’t die anymore either,” Yunho replied. 
“What kind of help did Ino oppa say you two would bring…?” Mirae asked this time. 
“I’m glad you asked. Well, for starters, Hongjoong is your reinforcement. Apparently, the Kang family did more than just give your old colleagues some improvements, in fact it was an understatement as I’ve observed over the last six months,” Junhong said. 
“What do you mean? Like they gave him powers or something?” San tilted his head in confusion. 
“Yes and no. You see, the chips in the brains were one thing that I took out, and the audio trigger Ino hyung took out. Hongjoong’s now incredibly impervious to pain, practically built like a zombie, or a wall, whatever you prefer,” Junhong explained. “He still knows what you know in terms of combat though, one more person that could match up to you,” He eyed her. “But aside from that, he’s also gotten so much faster.” 
“Wait a minute, I stabbed you with your blade thing back in Sky Sushi, does that mean you heal too?” Mirae raised a brow. 
“Kind of yeah, just not the way you heal,” Hongjoong tugged on his shirt a little to reveal the scar of the stab wound on his chest. San and Yunho cringed. 
“Well, if it helps, at least you fight well? You won’t have a lot of scars to worry about either way,” She assured him. 
“Which also leads me to the other things,” Junhong opened the black bag he was holding. “I was tinkering in my lab again, and I thought I’d bring some things you should try out while you’re out snooping on whoever this Madame Seo is,” He handed her a roll of what looked like small, black poker chips. 
“What’s this?” 
“Hongjoong told me about some of the gadgets you all once had back in those missions of yours, and I was so intrigued that I built my own. I guess you know how to use them?” 
Mirae glanced at Hongjoong, whose face was expressionless, as if also intrigued by what the taller had built. Yunho nodded, remembering what he meant. “Oh, these. When I whistle these explode,” She looked down at the chips again, feeling the cool, marble-like texture of each one under her fingertips. 
 “Bingo,” Junhong grinned. “Here are more communicators. The ones I had you test before went through some improvements. I’ll be a call away if you need anything. Last but not the least, here,” He brought out a small wooden box and handed it over to Yunho. 
Yunho opened the box, revealing a set of test tubes and a few bottles of some solution. “A chemistry set?” 
“More or less, for sudden findings, you never know what needs to be collected,” Junhong shrugged. “It was Ino hyung’s idea to give you that,” He added right away. 
“I’m not surprised one bit,” Mirae shook her head. “But to make sure, we’ll go ahead and bring the samples to you anyway.” 
“That might probably be the best idea,” Junhong nodded, feeling assured by her words. “So, what were you three planning to do today again?” 
“We were thinking of splitting up in our investigation today. San will be going to Madame Seo’s fashion label, Yunho will be paying Yeosang a visit to ask him what he knows, and I will be going to Kang Entertainment. All the actresses that were killed came from that one company, which might have been owned by Yeosang’s company too,” Mirae explained. 
“We’ll interrogate the five guys in that list Min Junghwa left before she died together,” Yunho finished. “Hopefully tonight but we can’t be sure.” 
“Well, you will cover more ground in one day that way,” Junhong nodded. 
“Hongjoong, you might want to go with San to the fashion label, but we’ll explain on the way to where we need to go,” Mirae suggested. 
“Got it.” 
“Everyone armed and ready?” Mirae glanced at the two other males. 
San lifted his coat to reveal his harpoon fitted into a holster and the extra blades and the ropes carefully inserted in other parts of the belt. Yunho did the same, revealing the holsters in his jeans that had his trusty sai. To their surprise, Hongjoong lifted up the sleeves of his jacket, revealing the blades that were activated by the fingerless gloves he was wearing. Junhong beamed with pride at his invention being brandished. 
“So, I guess this means we’re on,” Mirae said.
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trashcankitty12 · 3 years
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Tecna Headcanons
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Tecna Mode, the Guardian Fairy of Zenith would like to make your acquaintance. 
She’s a tad sassy, a bit of a show-off when it comes to her projects, and a video game expert. 
(All headcanons are for my main au verses, “Balance/New Company of Light” and “Left”.)
-Tecna tends to be reserved in her emotions, but just as her family knows, her friends (and Timmy) quickly learned that Tecna can be rather affectionate when she feels safe and loved.
-As a Zenithian, Tecna has an easier time learning new technological systems and how to rewire electronics.
-She also tends to be able to see at night. Not better than nocturnal animals, but better than most Magical Dimension people.
-Tecna is also somewhat immune to being electrocuted. Somewhat. (Lightning attacks by storm harpies and Stormy aside, electricity doesn’t bother her. In fact it sort of wakes her up.)
-Tecna is really close to her parents, partially due to her being an only child, partially due to her curious nature putting her in the middle of her parents’ work because she was determined to help.
-(She didn’t necessarily want to be an only child, and her parents had wanted another… But Magnethia had had a hard enough time getting and staying pregnant, that they felt Tecna was more than enough.)
-Tecna may have been a bit of a spoiled child… Her parents made sure to get her the latest technology when it came out, and they gave her her own workspace when she got older.
-As close as she was to both of her parents, she’s closest to her mother. Magnethia loves having Tecna help out at her and Electronio’s workshop. They have created many new gadgets and gizmos together, including specialized robots to do household chores. (Which is why Tecna has no idea how ‘obsolete’ cleaning tech like brooms and vacuums and mops work.)
-Because of Zenith’s climate, most animals and plants do not live/thrive there. So Tecna has had minimal contact with non-robotic plants and animals. Which led to quite a shock when she came to Alfea and saw all the greenery and the birds. (And Kiko and Flora’s plants.)
-Tecna, as a Zenithian, isn’t as bothered by the cold climates as other people would be. In fact, it’s the heat that bothers her.
-Which is why she’s not a fan of the beach. She doesn’t mind going and hanging out with her friends, but the heat and the sand and weird feeling of the ocean just sort of… Bugs her. (Which is why she stays more on the actual beach and wears specialized shoes to keep sand away from her feet.)
-Tecna has a major sweet tooth and has ‘borrowed’ from Stella’s secret stash of chocolates before. (Please don’t tell Stella…)
-She doesn’t like veggie meals much. It’s the textures and slight tangy tastes that turn her away from them. (And as a Zenithian, she doesn’t need them as much.)
-Physically speaking, she’s not in the best shape. She’s like… Bare minimum shape to pass Griselda’s and Real Avalon’s classes. (She’s decent enough at running away and decent at feats of climbing, but trying to be acrobatic or trying to physically fight with her fists or feet is difficult without her winx/fairy forms).
-She’s not a strong swimmer either. But Layla has helped her get to be decent enough that she can make it to her destination without getting herself hurt or drowned.
-Layla has also helped Tecna get better at dancing, which has in turn helped Tecna with her rhythm and dance video games. (Take that Rubis!)
-Tecna is extremely competitive when it comes to games. Video or board or card games with Tecna can lead to arguments and a smug Zenithian fairy. (Bloom even brought some from Earth to try and trip Tecna up… Monopoly and Uno are no longer allowed on Alfea’s school grounds. Thanks, guys.)
-She may not have the best grades at Alfea, but it’s not her fault… Well, not entirely. Okay so she could stand to study more… But her projects just need a little more tweaking. (Please Ms. Faragonda, understand.)
-Tecna doesn’t have the best handwriting… But her typing skills are out of this world.
-Tecna doesn’t have a big appetite, but when she’s hungry, just hand over the plate. (She doesn’t just get hungry, she gets hangry.)
-Everything has to have a place. Tecna’s workshops/workrooms may be messy and unorganized due to everything always being used, but her actual room and desk? Spotless. Everything put away neatly. (And she tries not to look over to Musa’s side of the room when they were still sharing a dorm. That’s not her mess or her side, it’s not her problem.)
-Tecna is sort of a mom friend. But she’s the sort of mom friend who will be telling you why what you did was stupid while she’s bandaging you up. (“Dammit Layla, I told you this would happen. Why did you think you could jump from that height without your wings?” “Musa bet I couldn’t do it.” “Why do I even bother?”)
-(Yes, Tecna has swearing problem. But only around friends or on her own. She tries to tone it down around parents or those who are in charge.)
-Digit, despite being just as big a gamer and tech guru as Tecna is, is also more in touch with her emotions (thanks to having roomed with Amore for so long). Which is great, because Digit helps Tecna naturally learn more about her own emotions without pushing or pressing. (And damn does it feel good to see Tecna and Timmy being more open with each other.)
-Tecna is unabashedly an anime fan. (Or at least, the Magical Dimension’s version of anime.) And she loves comics. (Which shocked her when Stella showed her her own collection. They may have a few get-togethers just to talk about their favorite comics now.)
-Tecna first transformed at 12, after trying to protect a younger cousin from an incoming snowstorm they had gotten lost in. Thankfully it helped her boost her power to signal for her mother and aunt.
-At Alfea, Tecna is part of the STEM club, anime club, robotics, and gaming club. Thanks to her and a few other Zenithian fairies, Alfea’s robotics club finally beat out Red Fountain’s.
-Speaking of Red Fountain… Tecna may have borrowed Timmy’s badge to enter into Red Fountain’s weaponry.
-(She was always curious about how Red Fountain’s weapons and ships worked, and the best way to figure that out is to take it apart and put it back together… She may have even upgraded a few things… Please don’t tell Saladin.)
-Tecna didn’t thrive as well as she claimed while in Omega. She just didn’t want her friends to feel guilty about not coming for her sooner.
-She understood why it took so long. And it was lucky that she was used to Zenith’s frigid temperatures. But it just… She did her best.
-She had to fight like hell most days, trying to keep herself alive and safe.
-And once she was back at Alfea… She had nightmares. (Which she logged into her tablet to try and help herself with later.)
-Eventually, during spring break, she went home and talked it all out with her parents. They had a hard time letting her go back to Alfea after that, but they knew they couldn’t keep Tecna from her education or from her friends.
-(The nightmares eventually faded a bit. But they still haunt her from time to time.)
-Before the whole Earth mission, Tecna and Timmy were one of the first couples to move in-together without any of the other members of their teams.
-They got an apartment on Zenith near their university. (They still go to their classes, though they take them mostly online these days. And they still keep the apartment, though it’s mostly a glorified work space now.)
-Tecna surprisingly gets along really well with Riven. They help each other with their respective partners and they like to build and work on projects together. (And play video games. They’re both super competitive and watching them go at it is like watching a train wreck. It’s awful but you can’t look away.)
-Tecna finds Flora to be the hardest to converge with. Their personalities and feelings on different issues tend to clash and it makes it difficult to meld together.
-Surprisingly, Tecna finds Stella to be the easiest to converge with. It’s like they just complement each other on a new wavelength.
-Tecna didn’t have any interest in music until rooming with Musa. After a few months into their rooming situation, she asked if Musa would teach her how to play an instrument because she felt it’d be cool to come up with her own soundtrack (for a video game project she’s been working on since she was like 12). Musa got Tecna a keyboard and the rest is history.
-She doesn’t get emotional about a lot of things, keeping a cool and level head to focus on facts is a Zenithian trait after all, but when someone messes with her projects or belittles her work or comes after the people she loves? You’re gonna get fucked, and not in the good way. (She has a real temper when she blows up, and people tend to get electrocuted.)
-Once they started their Earth mission, Tecna had to mentally fight herself every day to not upgrade or complain about Earth tech. (“Bloom… How the fuck do these people live like this?!” “Tecna…” “Please. Just one computer. Let me upgrade one computer.” “People will notice and we have to keep a low profile.” “Dammit Bloom!”)
-Tecna has several projects going on any given day, and since dating Timmy and having been bonded to Digit, they’ve been included in helping her with them.
-Most are gadget-based projects, things that girls need immediately or things that can help them. Some are robotics or engineering/vehicle based. But the one she’s the most proud of is the video game she’s still working on. (It’s almost done and she hopes to be able to publish it soon! Maybe sooner than expected since she’s got backing from Sky, Stella, and Layla.)
-Tecna’s main goal, after all this craziness with being a Winx Girl is over, is to take over her parents’ business and to further the Mode Brand of tech. (And maybe even expand into the video game departments. Depending on how her video game goes when she finally releases it.)
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