#'I came today to class along with Claudia' | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

blue-fidelity · 3 years

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~ “Smile in the face of Tragedy”

Chapter 2: New King

Pairings: Billy Hargrove x Henderson!reader, Steve Harrington x best friend! reader

Chapter Summary:

A wild night reveals secrets and broken hearts. At least Billy & (Y/N) have each other.

Warnings: Fluff, angst, drunk!Billy, sad!Steve (that is a warning 🥺)

“(Y/N)! It’s Halloween!”- Halloween? (Y/N) woke up to the sound of her brother yelling excitingly. If she wasn’t mistaken, she could hear the Ghostbusters theme playing loudly from Dustin’s room. She groaned, burying her head in her pillows while running her hands through her hair.

This is not how she planned to wake up this morning.

Before closing her eyes to regain a little more sleep, her alarm clock looked her right in the face. 7:15. Another groan came from her. Perk up (Y/N), it’s your favourite holiday! She pushed herself up, swinging her legs on the side of the bed. (Y/N) definitely knew the high school students weren’t going to be wearing costumes to school. So before Billy picked her up, she’d head home to get changed.

Billy- (Y/N) didn’t think she’d be able to forget yesterday. The way he held her, the way he kissed her forehead. His embrace was so comforting- she nearly melted into him. The smell of dry cigarette smoke and cheap cologne haven’t been able to leave her senses. It was like everything that came with him, it was intoxicating, and she couldn’t get enough of it.

As she stepped out of bed, she moved her hips slightly to the music coming from her brother’s stereo. When she made it to her drawers, she contemplated what she should wear today. Just because she wasn’t going to wear a costume, didn’t mean she couldn’t look spooky, right? She grabbed her “Chistine” t-shirt, it was one of her favorite horror movies. Pairing it with a black acid wash skirt, some fishnets, and her usual chuck taylors, she strutted confidently out her bedroom door.

She walked into the bathroom to find Dustin clad in his Stantz costume, brushing his teeth. He looked so cute! “Hey Doctor Stantz, ‘lookin pretty badass”, she grinned, patting him on the back. “Thanks (Y/N)! I can’t wait to see the guys in their costumes, Halloween’s gonna be so great!”, he cheered, spitting out his tooth paste. He quickly ran out of the room to fetch breakfast, leaving (Y/N) time for her hair & makeup.

Bright red lipstick and heavy black eyeliner, hair slightly curled.

When she stepped into the living room, she saw her mom enthusiastically taking polaroids of Dustin. She couldn’t help but smile, hoping her mom would save her some for her picture board. (Y/N) sat on the couch beside her cat Mews, scratching the back of his ears as he purred in contentment. She giggled at the various poses her brother made in front of the camera.

Her mom had finally stopped taking photos, noticing her on the couch. “(Y/N) darling! I didn’t see you come in, can I get a photo of my two children?”, she questioned, looking at her with pleading eyes. (Y/N) couldn’t say no! “Of course!”, she said, standing up from the couch.

She placed an arm around Dustin’s shoulders, teasingly taking him in a headlock, rubbing her nuckles on his hair. To this he laughed, playfully pointing his fake proton blaster at her. It was the perfect picture. Perfectly trapped in the moment of two great siblings, simply having a good time.

(Y/N) gathered her things, making sure to take one of her mom’s homemade muffins for breakfast. She had made them a couple days before, but they still were delicious. Even though (Y/N) desperately needed coffee, she decided against it. She was already running a bit late, and as much as she hated the stale stuff from the cafeteria, it’d have to do. Dustin had already slipped out the door to head off on his bike, he really must’ve been eager to see his friends.

Before making her way to her motorcycle, she slipped her jean jacket on and hugged her mom goodbye. Claudia looked at her intently, ruffling her curled hair. (Y/N) rolled her eyes playfully, “Alright mom, I gotta go! ‘I’m gonna stop here after school though, k?”, she opened the front door. “Okay have a good day sweetie! ‘I’ll see you before your party!”. (Y/N)’s mom knew about the party, whether she knew there was going to be alcohol involved, it was better off not knowing.

Sliding the keys into the ignition, she sped off to the school. She could never get enough of the mysterious backroads of Hawkins. It scared her, obviously. With all the things that happened the previous year, she couldn't help but wonder if things still lurked in the depths of the forest, hiding till they could strike. Waiting and waiting till they can catch someone else and drag them to that horrible place. Her body trembled at the thought of it. She shook her head, trying to clear her mind of the memories. Eyes turning back to the road, she removed one of her hands from the handles, trying to reach for the button of her stereo. It had turned onto some random radio station that was playing Halloween tunes.

“Happy Halloween ‘Morning Ghouls and Goblins of Hawkins! Here’s a spooky throwback from ‘1982 for y’all on this fine dreary morning, ‘Blood Bitch’, by Cocteau Twins!” - the radio host introduced, was he really supposed to swear on radio? Well, no one really had a filter these days.

The song added to the eerie atmosphere of the cold morning, making her uneasy. She pushed through her thoughts, trying to just focus on getting to school. It was Halloween! No need for being pent up on past trauma. The station had eventually turned to a happier song, putting her in a better mood. What better to put a smile on your face then the ‘Time Warp” from The Rocky Horror Picture Show? She bobbed her head happily to the familiar tune, singing along to the lyrics.

School today had been an absolute drag! Last period (math) was nearly done and (Y/N) was desperate to get out. She could see some of her mutuals were anxious as well, probably too excited to wait for the party tonight. She was excited as well, maybe a little bit of the fact that she’d be spending more time with Billy?

(Y/N) would hate for him to think she’d be using him as a rebound. Even though it seemed that way, she really should’ve forgotten about her feelings for Steve awhile ago. (Y/N) really loved Steve, but he’d always been so oblivious, but- that was just Steve. He would’ve never known of her feelings if she didn’t tell him. Which she never did, in fear of obvious rejection. Then here was Billy Hargrove, whether it be his flirtatious nature, she could see herself really falling for him. The one thing she knew she wouldn’t do was dive in too quickly. She wouldn’t make the same mistakes, for her and for Billy’s sake.

She was finally released from the rechedouness that was her math class-running straight out the door right as the bell rang, nearly having winded Mr. Henry. After taking a quick stop at her locker, she walked outside to find her motorcycle. (Y/N) was nearly there till a skateboard hit her feet, stopping her in her tracks.

“I’m so sorry! It slipped right out from under me-” a voice of a young girl called, her breath shaky. (Y/N) looked down at the girl shuffling to grab her skateboard, she had never seen her before. The mysterious teen with the red hair looked around her brother’s age, so why was she so unrecognizable? Wait- could it be?

Billy’s step sister.

“Hey, hey it’s all good!”, (Y/N) gave her a reassuring smile. “Hey- not to sound weird or anything-”, she chuckled nervously, “But, are you new here? ‘You see I got a younger brother ‘about your age, and you got an unfamiliar face”. The girl stared at her skeptically, but still replied. “Yeah, just moved here from ‘California, what are you ‘looking to set him up or something?” she questioned sarcastically. ‘Damn she was quite the firecracker. “Nah frankly I think you're a little out of his league”, (Y/N) winked. To this she got a laugh out of her. “Well, it was nice weirdly meeting you, ‘I’m Max!”, she introduced herself. “Well Max, ‘I’m (Y/N), if you're interested in someone helping you out with that kickflip, ‘I used to do some skateboarding myself”, she offered. Max beamed at her offer, “Really? That’d be so great!”, “Alrighty then, if you see me around, don’t be shy to ask!”.

Little did (Y/N) and Max know, Billy was watching them. Billy knew (Y/N) was genuinely kind, but not that kind. It wasn’t necessarily cool to be seen with a middle schooler. He figured he wouldn’t look too much into it, but something about seeing (Y/N) with her, didn’t sit well with him. Billy gave Max a dirty look as she skated up to the camaro. “You're late again”, Billy started. “I had to get catchup homework”, Max stated. “Jesus! I don’t care- who was that girl you were talking to?”, Billy asked, even though he already knew who she was. “Just some high schooler- she offered to help me learn some skateboarding tricks' '. So she skateboarded too, huh? “That’s rich. Just, get in the car, will yah?”.

(Y/N) entered the door with a ‘skip in her step. She really needed a reason to lose herself, forget about the world around her. Tonight was going to be perfect for that. Expecting to be greeted by her mom, she noticed no one was there. She knew Dustin was heading to Mike’s right after school, ‘but her mom was nowhere to be seen. She probably had to work later hours again. ‘This meant she had the place to herself! (Y/N) still had a few hours before Billy picked her up. So she figured she’d get into her costume, and then fix herself something to eat.

The Sarah Connor costume was simple. Gray tank top, black jeans, sunglasses, a chunky belt and combat boots. (Y/N) already had all of this in her regular wardrobe, so it’d be a pretty easy costume. Of course she didn’t have a rifle to complete it, even though she could’ve asked Nance. She wasn’t about to show up to a house party with a gun. It would have been pretty cool though.

She stood in front of the bathroom mirror, clad in costume. Now it was time to remove her makeup and untame her curled hair. “Mr. Crowley” by Ozzy Osbourne was currently spinning on her “Blizzard of Ozz” vinyl. She mouthed her lips to the lyrics as she straightened her hair, her (Y/H/C) locks falling in straight whisps on her head. Replacing her once extravagant makeup with a more nude look, she looked at herself pleased.

A total badass look, you might say.

It was only 4:30, and Billy was coming over at 6 o’clock. She had way too much time to kill. Making her way to the kitchen, she scoped the fridge. Enough ground beef for two burgers, and she knew they had leftover buns. Maybe Billy would be hungry when he got there, and if she was making dinner for two- she didn’t want to start too early. So she’d head back to it in about a half an hour. Meanwhile a coca-cola would hold her down, she was pretty firsty.

(Y/N) now laid in her bed, bored. ‘Blizzard of Ozz was still playing, it just switched onto “Steal Away (The Night)”, her ears perked up to the upbeat tune. She couldn’t help but dance around, hopping happily on her bed as she belted the lyrics along with Ozzy. Pointing at the poster of him that was plastered on her wall, she shouted the chorus. It’d be pretty funny if Billy were to walk in on her singing her heart out, what would he think of that? She rolled her eyes at the thought, he’d probably think she was crazy. The song ended, turning to the next one. (Y/N) took this as her cue to start on dinner.

Flipping the patties in the pan, she sighed at the smell. She did cook a pretty ‘mean burger. Dustin loved when she made them, he always said the added rosemary was the perfect touch. (Y/N) grew up with her mother teaching her how to cook. Claudia Henderson had worked in a number of restaurants, usually in the kitchen or as a waitress. She now helped run a popular Inn a little outside of town, and it was her favourite place she’s ever worked in. (Y/N) probably figured it was a busy night, considering she didn’t come home at her usual hour.

5:45 and the burgers were ready and plated, the aroma running through the room. Billy was ‘going to be here soon, and she was giddy with excitement. Before she knew it, the bell rang. Fuck he was early. “Coming!” she called, slowly making her way to the door. ‘There he stood; a cocky grin on his face with his arm propped up on the door ledge. She took time to take in his minimal outfit, tight jeans & a leather jacket, no shirt. His abbs were on full display- (Y/N)’s mouth watered just at the sight of him. “See something you like, sweetheart?” he smirked. “Maybe-”, (Y/N) stammered. “It’s aight, I see something I like to,'' he whispered the last part into her ear, letting himself in.

“She cooks too? ‘I guess looks can be deceiving”, he motioned to the burgers. (Y/N) blushed, “I figured we could eat before we fill ourselves with alcohol”. They delved into the burgers, she couldn’t help but laugh when Billy moaned at the taste. “Darlin- I haven’t had a burger like this in awhile, ‘the ones down at Benny’s don’t hold anything on these”, he praised. “That must be a high compliment, because ‘Benny’s are pretty good”, she smiled at him. (Y/N) put the dishes into the dishwasher, quickly running to her room to grab her polaroid camera. “Where are you ‘heading princess?”, she’d never get tired of his little pet names. “I’m just grabbing my camera- I want to get some good shots tonight!”.

(Y/N) came back with her camera bag, a big grin on her face. “You ready to head out?”, he questioned. “Yeah, just let me get my jacket”, she took her jacket from the hook. “Ready”. He guided her to the camaro, opening the passenger door. Billy never opened the passenger door for girls! ‘(Y/N) really did something to him, huh? “Such the gentlemen”, she smirked. “Anything for you dollface”. He slid into the drivers side, placing his keys into the ignition. “Music?” she questioned, “Sure thing, feel free to look through the cassettes in the glove box”. She searched through the assortment of tapes, varying from Metallica, Def Leppard, RATT, Mötley Crüe, Hanoi Rocks, AC/DC and more. She settled on Hanoi Rocks’s, “Two Steps From The Move” album. It had just come out that summer, and it was one of her favourites. Not to mention she had a HUGE crush on Michael Monroe.

“Hanoi Rocks huh? I like your style”, he nodded in approval, till turning his eyes back on the road. “Got any specific fave tracks?”, (Y/N) questioned. “Track 8”. She was surprised he chose this one, considering it was one of the more “cheesy” songs. ‘It did have a pretty ‘rockin guitar riff in it though, she’ll give him that. Billy contentedly thumped his hands on the steering wheel, speeding up a bit. Rolling both of their windows down, (Y/N) was surprised to see him singing along to the lyrics. It was a bad attempt at a Finnish accent, sure, but it was still really cute. (Y/N) joined him, jumping in at the chorus. They banged their heads to the tune, continuously singing the lines. (Y/N) really felt alive in that moment. ‘She couldn’t remember the last time she had this much fun, and they haven’t even gotten to the party yet.

They pulled up to Tina’s, teens were already rallying in. ‘It was going to be a wild night. Before Billy could open up his trunk to get the kegs, (Y/N) stopped him. She pulled out her camera, “Hargrove! Smile!”, she grinned, pointing the camera at him. ‘He rolled his eyes, posing for the picture. The photo was of Billy playfully doing the devil’s horns symbol, with his tongue stuck out. She giggled, “This is one for the board!”. “Well Hey Sarrah Conner- let me take a pic of you!”, he said, trying to grab the camera from her. She handed the camera to him, smiling that he remembered her costume name. Letting her sunglasses shade her eyes, ‘she smirked brightly at the camera, ‘Billy quickly snapping the shot. He handed the polaroid to her, she shaked it and placed it in her bag with the one she took.

Billy held one of the kegs while (Y/N) grabbed the other, walking into the crowded house. It was overwhelmingly loud. They could feel the heat coming off the numerous teenagers that littered the home, their bodies moving to the heavy beats of the stereo. Tina was in the kitchen, and had noticed the pair walk in. “Billy & (Y/N) are here with more kegs!”, she shouted, ‘causing the crowd to go wild. Someone had taken the one from her hands and motioned Billy to follow them into the backyard, leaving her alone. She grazed over the sea of teens, trying to spot anyone she knew. She noticed Steve and Nancy dancing freely in the living room, Nancy nursing a drink while Steve had a big smile on his face. She figured she’d grab some punch and then see what Billy was doing in the backyard, most likely a keg stand. He was the new ‘king after all, Tommy was probably expecting him to beat Steve’s record.

‘As luck would have it, she was right. She stood on the back porch with a cup of “pure fuel” in her hands, watching the teens crowd around him as he bent over the keg. They shouted various numbers, counting the seconds as he chugged down the beer. (Y/N) cheered with them, looking at him with bright eyes. His torso was glistening, beads of sweat running down his toned chest. Her cheeks flushed red just at the sight of him. The enthusiasm got louder as he finished the stand, spitting spews of beer out of his mouth. “That’s how you do it Hawkins! That’s how you do it!”, more cheers. Tommy passed him a cigarette and escorted him into the house, the gang shouting his name as Mötley Crüe’s, “Shout At The Devil” played on the speakers. Billy spotted her on the porch, grinning wildly at her. He shoved her into his side with his arm, hugging her tight. Tommy glared at the interaction. Never in her time with being friends with Steve has ‘Tommy liked her that much, and it seems things haven’t changed.

Typical Tommy.

(Y/N) was enjoying the feel of Billy's embrace a little too much. She knew he was already partially drunk, and she was feeling a nice buzz that she wasn’t planning on getting rid of anytime soon. Someone had to drive them home. ‘Tommy paraded them up to Nancy and Steve, (Y/N) wasn’t sure if it was to torchure her or show off Billy, probably both. ‘Billy and Steve stared each other down as if they were going to kill each other, it was really intense. Too intense for her liking. Still hooded under Billy’s arm, she shot Steve a sympathetic look. ‘As if to say ‘I’m sorry’ with her eyes. “We got ourselves a new keg king Harrington!”, Tommy declared. “Yeah eat it Harrington!”, another guy shouted. Somehow in ‘Billy and Steve’s stare down, Nancy had slipped away.

“You see Harrington- not only that, but I stole your girl away too”, Billy retorted. Oh shit- this wasn’t good. Steve glanced over at her, a nervous look in his eyes. “I don’t know what you're talking about man-”. How did Billy know about (Y/N)’s past feelings for Steve? “Well you see, this lovely lady under my arms thought the world of you, and frankly I- I just don’t see why! Point being, she has me now, you can go fetch that slut you settled for.” This interaction was making neither Steve nor (Y/N) happy, it left them feeling both angry and confused. Steve scoffed, chasing after Nancy. He was going to want to talk to (Y/N) about this later.

Steve really didn’t know what to make of what Billy had said to him. Mainly, it sounded like a warning; but he didn’t think Billy intended for it to be that. (Y/N) and him had been best friends forever, and even if he didn’t necessarily like Billy, there was no harm in her being friends with him, right? Though, something about what Billy said hinted that he meant more than just friends. Had (Y/N) liked him, loved him even? Was Steve really oblivious all these years- no, it couldn’t be. If he was being honest, he harboured a small crush on her in the beginning of middle school, but then Nancy came into his life. Nancy Wheeler hit him like a freight train right in the heart, and he then became a lovesick puppy. He couldn’t get enough of her. That’s when Steve began to realize, the jealous glances over the years, the slight distaste of Nancy that came off her.

But, why did it matter if (Y/N) loved him? He still had Nancy, or so he thought.

Tommy had left, leaving Billy and (Y/N) in the corner of the living room, an uncomfortable silence stirring between them. “Billy-how did you-“, she wondered in a whisper, but Billy cut her off. “You really don’t think Tommy would’ve told me? Besides, everybody knows”. She didn’t need to hear the last part. Besides, why did it matter if everyone knew- it didn’t matter to her anymore. “Does that bother you?”, she asked worriedly. Billy chuckled darkly.

“Darlin- you got nothing to worry about, I’m your new king now”.

Next thing she knew, they were on the dance floor. Billy had pulled her into the crowd of sweaty bodies, grinding on each other. Some people were making out, others chugging alcohol till they fell limp to the floor. She stared nervously at the rowdy teens, her body shaking. He noticed her agitation, placing a hand on her cheek, turning her to face him. He smelt of cheap beer and stale cigarette smoke, and a hint of cologne. She was caught with that intoxicating sensation again, making her hazy. His icy blue eyes peered into her (Y/E/C) ones, “Just feel the music princess- everything will be just fine”.

‘Their bodies moved comfortably against each other to ‘Billy Idol’s, “Flesh For Fantasy”. A perfect song choice in the moment. ‘(Y/N) was very much sober and very much aware of what was happening. Aware of Billy’s strong grip on her waist, aware of his hips moving against hers. Normally this would’ve been cutting close corners for her, but she was looking for an opportunity to lose herself. What better way than this? She ran her fingers through his thick blonde curls, her hips swaying a bit more. He sighed in contentment, making her shiver. His face was currently buried into her neck, placing soft kisses on her collarbone.

They continued their heavy sway for a while, Billy had started to form a hickey below her ear. She was definitely not going to be able to cover it up tomorrow, but she really didn’t care if people saw it- she wanted people to know that she wasn’t desperate. That she didn’t need Steve anymore. She wasn’t exactly sure what she meant to ‘Hargrove, but she knew that she wasn’t planning on leaving him anytime soon. (Y/N) felt him remove his lips from her neck, his hot breath waving over her. “Mhmm- left a pretty big mark sweetheart-“ he mumbled. She hummed in return, removing her hands from his hair.

The rest of the night consisted of more dancing, and Billy getting more intoxicated than he was before. Really drunk Billy- let’s just say it was quite the sight to see. He was a giggling mess, slurring his words and stumbling on his feet. “(Y/N)- has anyone ever told you-“ he hiccuped, “That you were gorgeous?”, another hiccup. She giggled at his comment, “Tons of people- but I bet no one sees me like you do huh?”, she supported him up against the kitchen counter. “Absolutely no one!” He cheered in a high pitch voice, damn he really was a mess. She tried to wrap his arm around her shoulders snatching his keys.”Hey- what are you doing?”, he gestured to the keys, “Getting you home-“, “Wait! Can we go to your house please?? I can’t wake up my dad letting him see me like this- he’ll kill me”, he pleaded. “Fine- just, try to be as quiet as possible, I got a sleeping family too”.

(Y/N) took him out of the house, nearly carrying him. She waved goodbye to a few mutual friends who were still conscious, muttering a soft “See y’all tomorrow, hope we aren’t all hungover”. This earned a few laughs from her classmates, bidding her and Billy a goodnight. Unlocking the passenger side to the camaro, she set Billy down lightly on the seat. “Being so ginger with me sweetheart- I’m not made of glass ‘you know”, he joked. “Whatever tough guy- let’s just get you to a bed, mhm?”. Placing her hands on the steering wheel, she realized she hasn’t driven a car since the summer, and a camaro is definitely nothing close to a station wagon. She took a deep breath- she could do this, no sweat. Besides, there was no way she could bring herself to ruin a car as beautiful as this one.

Billy must’ve passed out while they were driving, because when she pulled into her driveway, his eyes were sewn shut. She had to admit- he did look pretty adorable when he was sleeping. She tried to resist the urge to take a photo of him, but she couldn’t help herself. Pulling out her camera bag that was littered with pictures from tonight, she snapped a quick photo of him. The flash startled him, waking him up. “Sweetheart- were you taking photos of me in my sleep? That’s just creepy”, his voice was groggy. “How could I not when you were laying there looking like an angel?”, “Pfft- ‘darlin, I am a demon, Satan himself! ‘Ain’t no way I’m an angel!”, he scoffed.

“Hate to break it to you sweetheart, but Lucifer was once an angel”.

Fumbling with the keys to her front door while trying to help Billy regain his footing was hard. He was just about to lose consciousness again when she finally got the door open, it shouldn't have been as much of a challenge as it was- but Billy had a lot of weight to him. She didn’t notice the lights were still on till she saw her mom sitting in her reading chair, Mews on her lap and clad in a cat costume. Shit- what was she gonna say about this? “Oh! Mrs. Henderson- I see where (Y/N) gets all her good looks from!”, Billy squealed, “Ugh can it Billy! Mom I can explain-“ she shushed Billy, staring wide eyed at her mother. “Sweetie- you clearly had a wild night, just take this pound of muscle to your room, and we can talk about it while he crashes, okay?”- (Y/N) nodded quickly, dragging Billy to her room.

Billy flopped down on the bed, giggling wildly. “Honey! We’ve known each other for two days, don’t you think we ‘oughta know one another better before I sleep in your bed?”, (Y/N) rolled her eyes at the blubbering idiot. “This was your idea dumby! Just get under the covers and keep it shut, will you?”, she glared at him, closing the door and heading back to the living room.

“So no Steve, huh? He’s the one who usually spends the night”, her mom said softly. “Different reasons mom- I’m just trying to figure out who’s a bigger piece of work”, she huffed. “Well he’s quite the looker, ‘makes me wonder how you keep up with him”, Claudia smirked. “Mom! He’s new here- he just happened to notice me first”, (Y/N) blushed, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. “Besides- what are you doing up so late?”, (Y/N) stared at the clock, “It’s nearly 1 o’clock”. “Busy night down at the Inn, just needed a little time to myself after Dusty went to bed”, she sighed, but (Y/N) knew she wasn’t finished. “Also wanted to see what mess you brung home, it’s always a new thing with you”, her mom laughed. “Billy’s- interesting, but I’m not sure, doesn’t seem like the most faithful type”, she sighed. “He may surprise you, and besides- if he hurts you he’ll have to suffer the wrath of your brother!”, Claudia giggled, smiling at her daughter. “Anyways- I’m gonna head to bed, early day at work tomorrow, you gonna go join the guy?”, she pointed down the hall. “Yeah yeah I’ll join the idiot in a second- just gonna get some water”, (Y/N) said tiredly.

Snuggling up on the couch, she sipped her water. The quietness was calming, the fact that everyone was at rest and she was the only one around southend her in a way. The fact that Billy was sleeping soundly in her bed, gave her a different feeling. Things with him- had gone by so quickly, and it was only just beginning. It was nice being with someone where the relationship had lasted longer than more than a few hours. Her past flames- had simply been one night stands, meaningless things to shy her away from Steve, but Billy was different. She actually liked him, and even though he came off as a jerk- he seemed really sweet on the inside. Though, she couldn’t help but wonder how Steve was feeling right now, the bomb had been dropped on him nearly two hours ago- it must be overwhelming to know your best friend was holding back feelings for so many years.

(Y/N) was just about to head to bed, till she heard a knock on the door. Who was here at this time of night? She opened the door slightly, and who she saw she didn’t expect. There Steve stood, his face red and puffy with tears in his eyes. His body was shaking, his shoulders were slumped over. He looked awful. “She- doesn’t love me- it’s bullshit! It was all bullshit!” He stuttered as his body continued to quiver. (Y/N)’s heart ached at his words, what had Nancy done this time? She didn’t know what to say, it’s not like she could’ve let him in. So, she just pulled him into a hug, “Steve-you can’t keep coming here like this- it’s not my job to fix you”, she tried to explain. “I know! I just don’t have anywhere else to go”, he cried. “I can’t tonight- it just isn’t the right time.” (Y/N) was attempting to tell him in the best way possible that Billy wasn’t there, but Steve caught on. “He’s here, isn’t he, Billy?”, Steve muttered angrily. “Out of all the guys in Hawkins- you chose him to get over me, that’s just flattering!” . Steve was making her feel sick, “Steve- I know you're hurting but you can’t take it out on me like that- it isn’t fair”, she pushed away from him. “I’ll talk about this with you tomorrow- when you're in the right state of mind, okay? Just please leave”, she pleaded. “Fine- I’ll see you tomorrow”, he breathed out harshly, walking back to his car.

She was on the edge of a breakdown, heart racing and choked up tears running down her face. This is not how she expected her evening to end- seeing Steve like that, broken and beaten again. (Y/N) thought she’d never live to see Steve crumble in her arms one more time- and with that she could’ve rested easy. At least she wouldn’t have to be alone tonight, she had someone waiting for her. Trying to stay quiet, she tiptoed down the hall. Opening the door, she walked in to see Billy sleeping soundly, the pink hue of her bedside lamp illuminating his features. She took notice of his leather jacket, jeans and boots scattered on the ground. That meant he was only in his boxers. Before joining him she slipped into an oversized AC/DC t-shirt and looked in the mirror, her hands grazing over the purple mark that had formed on her neck- the little bastard.

When (Y/N) laid in bed, even in his sleepy state Billy could notice the slight dip in the mattress. He groaned, “What took you so long…?”. (Y/N) chuckled softly at his tiredness. “Just an unexpected visitor, nothing to worry about”, she smiled reassuringly. “Well as long as you're okay, that’s all that matters”, he kissed her temple, pulling her into his chest. She snuggled into his side, sighing contentedly. She needed this. “Thank you”, she mumbled mindlessly. “For what sweetheart?”.

“For helping me start fresh”.

The couple held each other comfortably, sleep taking over them. (Y/N) rested her head on Billy’s torso, as he lazily made circles on the small of her back. Everything was blissful in that moment. Perfect. She’d deal with Steve tomorrow, for now, she had Billy Hargrove. Billy Hargrove with his strong hold and warm comforting body, Billy Hargrove who made her feel safe.

Author’s note:

Hope you all love the second chapter! Feedback is always appreciated & as always if you want to be added to the taglist comment down below ❤️!

Tag-list: @theblueslytherin @oopsiedoopsie23 @lulu-yuming @merc12-us @soullesstaco @unded-bride @holychocopie @nikkixostan @ellesimagines

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hoodharlow · 4 years

Text

Se Esta Acercando el Final de Nuestro Amor

AN: Thank @fioridichernoby1 @frankies-fury and @littledrummeraussie for the beginning lmao. As always thank you to @d-oaks for editing.

Reqquested: Yes! by a lovely anon. “1 + 7, with Cal and the OC of your choice.”

Warnings: smut in the beginning, a lil angst, and mentions of sex

Word Count: 4.2 k words

Claudia's anthropology notes and flashcards were long forgotten. All she could concentrate on was her mounting orgasm rather than the exam she had later in the morning. She knew Calum had been up to no good when he told her to put on her vibrator, pero como mensa se lo puso.

Even before today, she knew she would regret buying that vibrator the minute she inserted her card on the chip reader at the store. Then she saw the mischievous glint in Calum's eye when she showed him that he could also control the vibrator through an app even if he was across the country.

Everything was fine when they started the Skype call until Claudia joked that he should increase the speed for every definition she got wrong on her flashcards. She started to purposely get definitions wrong just so Calum could tease her, which pissed him off because the last thing he wanted to do was to get in the way of her studies.

Claudia closed her legs shut.

"Keep them open." Calum demanded. He increased the speed on the vibrator, making her yelp.

She reached for her pillow to keep quiet. Thankfully Calum slowed the speed, but it was still driving her insane. Claudia squirmed and wiggled her hips for some relief.

"C'mon pretty girl, one more. I know you have it in you." Calum's voice echoed through her Airpods.

Claudia bit her pillow harder, keeping her moans and screams muted. Her hands pushed her face deeper into the pillow.

Through his computer screen, Calum watched her body tense and constrict. She was nearing her climax, so he increased the vibrations on his phone. He watched as her hands tightly fisted the pillow, letting Calum know she was coming. Her legs shook at the intensity, and her grip on the pillow loosened.

Claudia pushed the pillow off to the side.

"There's my pretty girl." Calum smiled once he saw her face.

"I hate you." She panted.

"You shouldn't have been a smartass earlier. No one likes a smartass." Calum tisked.

"No, but you like this ass." She sat on her knees and lifted his flannel just above her waist, showing off her glorious ass.

What Calum would do to be right there with her. He hasn't been able to hold her in weeks. He briefly saw her for a few days before the tour began. Except he had to fly to New York for a last minute radio show, so they didn’t spend as much time as he wished. The good thing was that she’s finally going to come see him.

She sorted her school schedule to visit him. Her and Dulce even pre-recorded their podcast to upload on Apple Music and Spotify later. At the end of the semester, the school shut them down for being too political, so now they do podcasts. Claudia still worked at the restaurant during the summer. It was a deal she made with her parents. What financial aid didn't cover, her parents would pay plus her rent. She knew they were making a huge sacrifice, so she worked at the restaurant to earn some money of her own, so she wouldn't ask them for any more spending money.

Claudia reached down and removed the toy. She got up and picked her panties off the floor. Noticing their dampness, she tossed them to the laundry hamper and got a fresh pair. In the bathroom she cleaned the toy and placed it in the storage box; then into an empty tampon box.

She quickly fixed her hair and went back to bed. Claudia beamed at Calum. He looked a bit intimidating with his shaved head, but the second he smiled, he had a completely different demeanor. He looked so soft and cuddly.

"I like your face.” Claudia found herself saying out loud. She pulled her giant pillow closer to herself as she watched him get ready. She unconsciously licked her lips when he was in front of his suitcase. His glorious ass out on display as he put on his sweats. She squeezed her thighs together, hoping for some relief. After all those orgasms, she should not be thinking of how she would dig her nails in his ass when taking him in her mouth. Nor the way he would tightly grip her hair as he guides her mouth along his length.

Claudia sat up right and slid her hands inside her panties. She closed her eyes and imagined Calum's face in between her thighs. His teasing licks and kisses. Her other hand played with her breasts. Tweaking her nipples and squeezing them. After all that teasing, she inserted her ring and middle fingers inside of herself.

Calum was too busy getting dressed that he wasn't watching the screen, but the second he heard Claudia's soft moans, he stopped everything and looked over.

"Calum," she said softly as she touched herself.

"Fucking hell," he mumbled.

He checked the time; he had an hour before heading to the arena for sound check. He sat back down and pulled down his pajamas along with his boxers. His cock slapping against his stomach, already hard. He reached for his lotion and slowly stroked himself.

"What are you thinking about, pretty girl?" He asked her.

"Your tongue, miss it so much" She groaned. They told each other what they wanted the other to do to them. In a matter of minutes they both came.

"How many was that?" Calum asked her.

"Like eleven? I don't know, my brain is mush." Claudia sighed. Her alarm belted out a piano cover of 'L$D'. She groaned and stretched over to the other side to turn it off. "Fuck, I gotta get ready to fail my exam."

"You better pass, or else." He warned.

"Or else what?" She sassed him.

"You don't get my tongue."

***

The exam is multiple choice and short answer, and in the class it's a given pass if you get at least 75% on the multiple choice. Claudia passed her exam. She doesn't like her professor, but the one good thing about her is that she's a fast grader.

Her flight was tonight, arriving in New York in the morning to meet up since he had a few days in between shows. Calum bought her her ticket, much to her dismay. . He knew she hated that he paid for her things because she wasn't a mantenida. Calum always reassured her that he's okay with paying for her things because he knows that college is expensive. He doesn't want her to worry about it when she's saying up for grad school.

She pushed away those thoughts and went back to packing. When she got home, her Savage×Fenty package was at her doorstep. She was trying on the bra she ordered when Calum FaceTimed her.

"Hey!" She said, "This is cute right?"

"I'm supposed to go on stage in a bit. Why do you torture me like this?"

"Fine, I'll take it off." she reached back and unclasped it. She threw it on her bed near her duffle bag. "Happy?"

"Please put on a shirt." He groaned. Claudia laughed at him, but went to go put on a shirt.

"What's up?" She asked, pulling out her hair from her shirt.

"Can you do me a favor? I need some jackets. When you stop by my place to get Duke, could you get some? I'll even let you take a hoodie for yourself." He replied. He had only packed one jacket that was useful for cold weather. The others were more for him performing.

"Like any hoodie? Even your green one?"

"If you can find it, it's yours."

"Okay. I have a few hours before my flight. I'll text Roy that I'm driving over."

"Okay. Want me to send you some food over?"

"I made myself chilaquiles verdes." She lifted her bowl and showed him.

Calum nodded. "Thank you. I appreciate it and I appreciate you."

"Better show me how much you do when I get there."

"Oh, I plan on it."

They kept talking until Calum had to go on stage. Claudia was pulling up to Calum's house an hour later. She knocked on the door and waited. She looked back and didn't see Roy's car, but there was a car parked in the driveway. Maybe he got a new car, she thought to herself. She knocked again.

A girl with purple hair opened the door. It took Claudia a second to realize she was Calum's ex.

"Cal's not here." She said. She looked at Claudia up and down.

"I'm aware. I need to get some things for him." Claudia replied, coldly. She nudged her way in.

"Still can't believe you're together. Let me give you some advice. As someone who dated him—"

"I didn't ask for advice." Claudia snapped at her. She surveyed the house. Her eyes landed on the living room. A blanket she left there was splayed over the couch and the tv had "The Good Place" paused. "Where's Duke?"

"Roy took him to get groomed."

Claudia watched her lay back on the couch. She covered herself in the blanket and continued watching "The Good Place." Claudia sat on a chair in the kitchen.

She pulled out her phone. Calum was already on stage. She texted him to call when he can.

Roy came back half an hour later. Duke ignored Calum's ex and went straight to Claudia.

"Hey, babas." Claudia said. She pulled him to her arms and sponged kisses all over his face.

"Well, I should get going." The ex announced. She pulled Duke out of Claudia's arms and hugged him. He squirmed and tried to pull away from her. "Bye, my love. Be good."

She set him on the floor and he went back to Claudia.

Roy bid her goodbye and led her to the door. There were muffled whispers between. Then Claudia heard the door slam.

"Sorry, I was gonna bathe him here, but we ran out of shampoo, and Cal is super anal about Duke's shampoo. He gets that expensive shit from Japan. And it gets here in a few days. So I just took him to get groomed. I didn't know she was gonna be here." Roy rambled.

"No worries." Claudia waved him off. "Cal needed some clothes."

"Right," he said. He pulled out his keys and handed her one. "This is the one to his room."

"Thank you." she said, taking it.

She went upstairs and quickly entered his room. She slammed the door shut and finally started processing what just happened.

‘She still has a key ro Calum's place. It's probably not the first time she's been at his place when no one's home. And lastly, she used my blanket.' Claudia thought to herself. She just can't comprehend that Calum still lets her come over like that. She sighed and went into his closet.

***

Calum's stomach dropped and he saw the 'text me when you can, we need to talk' message Claudia sent him. He had about half an hour before going back on stage. He took a backstage pass and went to the tour bus. He paced around the bus waiting for Claudia to answer.

"Bueno?"

"Hey, just got off stage. What's up?"

"Just trying to figure out why your ex was watching 'The Good Place' at your house. I find it weird. Like, the fact that she acts like it's her place just doesn't sit right with me."

"She has a key? She always goes over to see Duke. We got him together, you know that. She gets him when I'm touring."

"And that makes it okay for her to act like that's her house? Why doesn't she take him back to her place? Where she has her own blankets." She mumbled the last part, but Calum managed to hear her.

"Claudia, please tell me you're not getting worked up over a fucking blanket?"

"I could care less about the blanket! I just don’t like it that she's at your house. How would you feel if you came over and found Paco chilling in my house while I was out of town?"

"It's not the same thing! We have Duke! Plus it's not like I'm there with her."

Claudia was silent for a bit. Then she sighed. "I don't think I can go visit. I have midterms coming up and I can't distract myself with anything."

"Fine." Calum said. He balled up his fist and rested his head against it. He saw Ashton hold his hand up, they were going back on stage in five minutes. Calum waved him off. "I gotta go. I have to get back on stage. I'll call—"

"Okay, I don't wanna keep you." she said softly. "Um, I'll call you later. Good luck."

Calum didn't respond. He hung up and went back to the arena. The guys noticed his whole demeanor change.

"What?" he snapped at the guys.

"Everything alright?" Michael asked.

"Yeah." He said. He waited for their cue to go back into the stage.

It was the worst Calum has ever played. Even the people that went to go see them could tell he wasn't in the right headspace. In a blink of an eye, they performed and left.

. After the performance, he went back to the bus.

His phone pinged. It was a venmo alert that Claudia sent him the money for the plane tickets. He sent the money back and texted her not to send him the money. He waited for her to reply, but she didn't.

Michael came on the bus. "We're going to go get food before we hit the road. What time are you leaving for the airport?" He asked.

"That's not happening anymore." Calum sighed.

"What do you mean? Is Claudia sick or something?"

"We got in a fight because she saw my ex at my house."

"Why does she still have your key? Don't you find it weird that she's always there when you're not?"

"Because she sees Duke. What's not hard to understand about that?" Calum snapped at him. "Sorry… Claudia's just pissed for no reason. I never thought she'd get so worked up over a fucking blanket."

Michael stayed silent.

***

Calum thanked the Lyft driver and made his way up the steps to his house. He noticed her bright red car parked across his house. He trudded up the steps and unlocked the door. He stepped in and immediately frowned at the sleeping body on the couch. ‘That’s Claudia’s blanket,’ he thought to himself.

“Get up.” He said sternly. He shook her shoulder, waking her up.

“Shit,” his ex said looking up at him confused. “How long was I out?”

“Where’s Duke?” Calum asked, dismissing her. Duke, no matter where in the house he is, always meets him by the door when he gets home.

“Hmm?” She yawned and scratched her hair. She pushed off the blanket and stretched.

Calum scoffed and went to go look for him. He went upstairs to check his room. Empty. Behind the fireplace where he stored all the chewed up shoes. Nope. Calum went to the yard; he chanted and whistled for him, but Duke didn’t appear.

He came back to the house. He heard soft whines and moans. Calum quietly walked near where he heard the sound. He ducked down under the table and saw Duke. There was a pint of ‘Chocolate Therapy’ next to him.

Calum's heart raced.

"Oh, you found him!" He heard her say from behind.

"Get out." Calum's voice rose in panic. He scooped up Duke and took him to the nearest bathroom. "It's gonna be okay, old man." He rubbed his stomach and kissed his head.

He ran back to the kitchen and rummaged around looking for measuring spoons. He opted for a turkey baster and went back to Duke.

He filled it with enough hydrogen peroxide and forced it down Duke's throat. After two minutes, he vomited. Calum waited another fifteen minutes to make sure nothing else happened.

"You feel better, old man?" Calum asked him. He set Duke on the couch and went back to the bathroom to clean up.

When he came back, he found Duke sniffing Claudia's blanket. He growled at it and laid down on the opposite side of the couch. Calum went to get the blanket and frowned. It didn’t smell like Claudia.

Calum needed to call her and apologize. He wondered if he should go over or just call her.

He missed Claudia, plain and simple. He wanted to hear her laugh. He needed her there with him, reassuring him that Duke was going to be fine. He just wants her there with him.

***

Claudia checked her phone for the millionth time, but nothing. She wasn't in the wrong, she thought. He's the one that doesn't have set boundaries, and his ex was the one fucking this up.

She went to the fridge for some rosé. She was going to sip some wine and color to keep her mind off things.

Her phone rang, so she ran from the opposite end to answer.

"Bueno?"

"Mi'ja, why haven't you called? You said you were calling when you landed." It was her dad.

"Um, something came up?... Yeah, my profe dropped an assignment last minute and I wanted to work on it. It's due the day before my—"

"¿Porque mientes?"

"I'm not… I'm not…"

"Claudia, te conosco. What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just…" Her voice cracked. She couldn't finish what she was saying. She slid down against her desk and sighed. "I'm just stressed with school. Like I graduate next semester and I have to do good because I have to apply for grad school next semester too. I just wanna do good. Don't want to let you and mami down."

"Claudia, we're proud of you no matter what. You can drop out and go to pastry school, and we'd still be proud and support you. If you think it's too much, you can take a semester off before starting grad school."

"Thanks, dad." She felt guilty for lying to him, but she hates putting out her business like that. Knowing her dad, he'd joke about potentially killing Calum, but he'd wish them the best and tell her some dicho her grandmother would say to him.

"Te dejo. I was just checking in. If you need anything me hablas. Te quiero."

"Yo tambien."

They bid goodbye and hung up.

Claudia sighed. She heard her stomach grumble. She hasn't eaten anything since last night.

She tugged the sleeves of Calum's green hoodie. She found it last night when she was getting his jackets and Duke. It felt like she was getting a hug from him.

She quietly walked in the kitchen where the others were and grabbed some noodles from the freezer. While they cooked in the microwave, she went back to her room for the rosé and her coloring supplies.

Dulce and Sara looked at each other and then back to Claudia. They had both seen the airport pictures of Calum. They weren't sure if Claudia had, so they decided not to say anything until she brought them up. They saw how upset she was when she got home last night. The last time they saw her that upset was when her ex broke up with her last year.

Claudia sat on their island and spread out her things. When the microwave beeped, she pulled out her noodles and added some leftover bistec. She poured her rosé into her mug and got coloring.

Her left hand alternated between feeding herself and having a sip. Her '💔💔💔' playlist was blasting through her air pods. After a few hours,she got up to get the charging case.

"... she's a little sensitive right now. Us telling her that he's in L.A. is probably not—" Dulce quieted down. Sara and Ale looked behind them. Claudia was standing behind them.

"He's here, and he didn't even bother to tell me." Claudia wiped a tear off her cheek. She hugged herself. "He's probably here to break up with me. Of course he is! He's fucking Calum Hood. I'm just some college student. He can do so much better, and he will."

"You burn all of his shit." Dulce piped up. "Starting with the hoodie."

"Dulce!" Ale and Sara said at the same time. She signaled them to wait for Claudia's response.

"Maybe something happened, right? It's probably all a misunderstanding and he's gonna show up and tell me. 'Hey, sorry for being MIA the past few hours.'" Claudia said. She sat down on the couch only to stand up three seconds later. "But if he's not? What if this is his way of breaking up with me? I'm going to go listen to Christian Nodal full blast."

"This is all a misunderstanding, like you said. We'll order some pizza and wait for him with you." Ale said.

Claudia nodded and went back to the kitchen to finish coloring. She sipped some more rosé. Then the doorbell rang, and she bolted to open the front door. She looked at herself in the mirror and pulled up her hair into a messy bun. She plastered a smile and opened the door. Her smile faltered when she saw it was James, the pizza delivery guy who's also in Claudia's anthropology class. He used to give them free pepperoni knots but stopped when he found out Claudia was dating Calum.

"You're not Cal." She said softly. Claudia teared up and slammed the door. Shortly after, she opened the door and took their order. The girls came over and found her stuffing herself with pepperoni knots. She hugged her knees and sighed. "How do you think this ends?"

***

Calum rolled off his couch. After he gave Duke the hydrogen peroxide, he took him to the vet. They stayed there for a few hours until Duke was cleared. He was going to call Claudia, but he left his phone on the bathroom sink. When he got home, he called his ex. They argued for a bit, but they agreed that she should return his key and that she should call Roy whenever she wants to see Duke.

He decided to take a quick nap before going over. He wrapped himself in Claudia's blanket after he washed it with the detergent and fabric softener she uses and sprayed it with her perfume that he stole because it reminded him of home.

Now it's almost midnight.

"Fuck," he mumbled. He rubbed his neck and stretched.

His phone pinged. He tripped over his feet to get his phone. It was from Claudia. 'Hope you had a safe flight.' He cursed. He grabbed his keys and phone. Duke followed him. Instead of convincing him to stay, Calum lifted him onto the car and drove to Claudia's.

He gave himself a quick pep talk before working up the courage to knock on her door. Her bedroom light was on. He could hear her singing.

"Se está acercando el final de nuestro amor…" he overheard her sing. He wasn't sure what she sang, but he knew it was a sad song.

He took a deep breath and knocked. The music stopped. Seconds later the door opened. Tears pooled around Claudia's eyes.

"You couldn't wait until the morning to break up with me?" She asked quietly.

"What? Break up with you? I came to apologize. You—"

"What happened to you, babas?" She lifted Duke and inspected the tag on his paw. She moved off to the side to let him in. She looked up at Calum, her eyes filled with worry. "Is he okay?"

"Yeah. When I came home I found him covered in chocolate ice cream. Gave him some hydrogen peroxide and then took him to the vet to make sure he's okay." He explained. He followed her to the kitchen. She sat on a stool and Calum took the one opposite of her. "Claudia, I'm sorry. I—"

"I should be the one apologizing. It's not my place to tell you how to take care of Duke. You know what's best for him, and I should respect that." Claudia said. She softly rubbed Duke's tummy and kissed his head.

"But you were right about setting boundaries. I didn't realize how you must've felt until I saw her in your blanket. It just didn't feel right."

"Cal, please tell me you're not getting worked up over a blanket?" She joked.

She set Duke on the floor. They heard him pad over to her room. Claudia wrapped her arms around Calum. He sighed and kissed her hair. They stayed quiet in each other's arms. Calum's stomach ruined their moment.

"You hungry? There's pizza." Claudia offered.

"Did you pass your exam?" He asked her, dismissing her pizza offer. He wanted to eat something that he was craving for the past few weeks.

"Yeah, but what does that have to do with pizza?"

"I want my dessert first if that's okay with you, pretty girl." He picked her up and sat her on the counter. He got down on his knees and placed her legs over his shoulders. He ran his hands over her thighs.

"I suppose. You did help me study."

Taglist:

@calumscalm

@cherryxwildflower

@myloverboyash

@idontneedanyone

@findingliam-o

@sexgodashton

@calumhoodaf

@5-secondsofcolor

@sunshinebabycal

@another-lonely-heart

#el novio #El Novio series #calum hood imagine #calum hood imagines #calum hood smut #calum hood fanfic #calum hood one shot #calum hood one sh #calum hood series

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ellewritesathing · 4 years

Text

So Close - S.S. XLVII

Summary: The universe has a funny way of putting the things you want right in front of you, but just out of reach. Stiles and Y/N have been best friends ever since Scott brought him home, but when Stiles realizes that he might want to be something other than best friends, she leaves to go to some fancy private school up North. Now that she’s back though … maybe he’s got a shot? A Teen Wolf AU in which the reader has always been so close to Stiles and yet so far.

Masterlist Prev. | Part 47

Word-count: 6.3k+

A/N: apologies for disappearing friends!! i’ve finally finished writing all the parts for 6a so i should queue them up for regular content again soon (also i’m pretty sure i’ve used this gif before but don’t mention it)

Sleeping had always been tricky for you, but after everything you’d seen and all the sacrifices you’d made protecting Beacon Hills, sleep was either short and dreamless or long and full of nightmares.

That night, you dreamt of Stiles.

He was always at the edge of the picture, just out of your view, but you knew it was him. His laugh, his voice, his silhouette. The way the light caught on his hazy figure and sometimes you could just make him out before he disappeared completely.

He always disappeared, but he always made you promise to find him, and you always did. Stiles was starting to fade into the distance again when the alarm tone rang out. It tore you away from him, but not before his hand caught yours and he said, “I can feel you forgetting me.”

The alarm tore him away from you before you could promise to remember Stiles one last time.

When you were sure you couldn't dream of Stiles again, you pulled yourself out of bed and forced yourself to get ready for school. You were already on your second cup of blood-spiked coffee when Mason, Corey, and Liam showed up. You crapped them out for trashing your house but it was largely just to get a laugh and not because you were angry with them. This was the first morning that you weren’t angry, just empty.

Scott broke up your fun before you could get anything really good out of them, and then he asked what Liam wanted to show you guys.

Liam took you to the living room and pointed up at the ceiling where a dark stain rested. There was a dark spot in the center and black tendrils snaking outwards. Definitely not a water stain; it looked almost like tree roots.

“That’s how he got in?” Scott asked.

“Yeah, but what is it?” Liam asked. He looked away from the ceiling to gauge Scott's reaction.

“It’s a Lichtenberg figure,” you said, still staring at the long tendrils that seemed to reach out for something. An image flashed through your mind: these same tendrils snaking up a neck, unusually dark against the pale, sickly skin. Tearing yourself away from the Lichtenberg figure, you folded your arms around yourself. “They, uh- they’re common in lightning strike victims.”

“You knew someone who was struck by lightning?” Liam asked. You felt his eyes on you and curled in on yourself even more.

“No, I-” You shook your head and sighed. “I think so, but I'm not sure ... I don't know.”

“Stiles,” Scott said when you couldn't. You nodded at him and he gave you an encouraging smile in return.

“You can also usually find charred spots like this on the ground after a violent thunderstorm,” Mason said, blissfully unaware of how crappy you felt and continuing the lightning-related thought process.

“So that’s how the Ghost Rider got in,” Scott said. He looked away from you and back to the Lichtenberg figure on the ceiling. “He rode the lightning.”

Liam caught your attention in your peripheral vision. “If they can use the lightning to get past the mountain ash … no place is safe.”

“What about the others?” Corey asked. He sounded panicked. “It’s my fault they’re marked.”

“We’ll find a way to protect them,” Mason said quickly. He looked over at Scott and Scott looked over at you.

“And we’ll find a way to get the others back,” Scott promised.

One of your phones went off and scared the rest of you out of your stupor. You promised to reconvene later on, and split up to head to school. No matter often it happened, it was still jarring to discuss the supernatural special of the week over breakfast and then have to sit through econ and pre-calc.

Still, your friends found you between classes and it was back to piecing together a way to defeat the big bad. Today, it was relics. Specifically, a student ID card belonging to a sophomore named Jake Sullivan.

“Wait, what’s a relic?” Malia asked.

“An object with a fixed associated to the past,” Lydia said. As she spoke, you twisted your signet ring on your finger. It was a nervous habit that you'd picked up whenever you couldn’t turn the Feliscore Arcade coin over itself. “Jake’s ID was left behind after he was taken, and Gwen found her sister’s bracelet on her bedroom floor.”

“How can someone be erased and still leave something behind?” Malia asked.

“A conservation of mass,” Lydia explained. She was incredibly patient with her explanations considering how near-constant they were. “The total mass of any isolated system remains constant.”

“So, even the Ghost Riders have a weakness?” Scott asked.

“And a relic would be proof that Stiles existed,” Malia said.

“And that we can bring him home,” you said, sounding more hopeful than you'd meant.

“Exactly,” Lydia said. “And I think I can find one, but Noah and Claudia-”

“I can take care of Noah,” you said. “Give me the ID and I’ll go talk to him, but I think you should go looking while I do.”

The bell rang and you had to split up, but you and Lydia texted until you settled on a plan. It was a shaky plan, but you needed to talk to Noah and Lydia needed to do her Banshee magic to find something that belonged to Stiles.

So, hesitantly, you borrowed the car from Scott after school and drove yourself to the station. Once you were there, your hand hovered over the key. Once you went in there, everything would change again.

You yanked the key out of the ignition and headed to Noah’s office.

Your explanation of relics was shaky - Lydia could have done it much better - but Noah followed along for most of it. There was only one thing that he was caught on.

“You want to search my house?” Noah asked.

“Yes,” you said. “I know it’s crazy, but if there’s any chance that Stiles left anything behind …”

“Why would it be there? At my house?” Noah asked.

You took a deep breath and looked down at your hands. The light caught on your ring. “Because I heard what Elias said after we left, and my house has really thin walls,” you said quietly. Noah looked confused, so you went on, “I heard what you told Scott about-”

Noah pushed the case file in front of him away and leaned forward in his seat. “About my dream?”

“About your memory.” You looked up at him with pleading eyes. “Please. The worst that can happen is that Lydia doesn’t find anything.”

Noah sighed and rubbed his face. “She’s already at my house, isn’t she?”

“Got there five minutes before I walked in,” you said.

“Dammit, Y/N!” Noah shook his head. “This is just typical. You and Stiles are always-” He stopped dead when he realized what he’d said. He sighed and put his head in his hands.

You pulled one of his chairs closer to the desk and put your hands out for him to hold if he wanted to. “I do it, too, sometimes,” you said softly. “I tell jokes that people don’t understand because they weren’t the ones I shared them with. Whenever I buy food, I buy a pack of Reese’s even though I don’t eat them. Seriously, you- you should see the stash I’ve got. They’re pouring out of my loose floorboard.”

Noah laughed. He pulled his hands away from his face and gave you a sad smile. “You know, last night I couldn’t sleep so I got up. Figured I’d do some paperwork. The files were in the back of my car so I- I went to the garage, and some junk had fallen off a shelf and I stubbed my toe on an old baseball bat. Without thinking, I yelled a name …” he took a deep breath. “Stiles.”

You smiled at him, trying to shove down the tears that threatened to spill. “The other day, Malia wanted me to promise her something, and I said ‘no matter what’ without thinking about it. She didn’t know what it meant but I knew that it was because it was something he and I used to say to one another.”

“Stiles,” Noah said.

“Stiles,” you repeated. “I’ve never actually said his name until now. It felt too, I don’t know-”

“Real,” Noah said for you. You nodded and he sighed again. “And that’s why you’re so determined to find something.”

You tapped the desk a few times as you answered, “Determined to find Stiles. This is just the first step.”

“Okay,” Noah said. He slid the ID back over to you. “Okay, Lydia can search the house.” Then he laughed. “Even though she’s already doing it.”

“Thank you.” You took the ID back and put it into your wallet. Somehow feeling more uncertain than when you came in but still comforted, you said, “I’ll get out of your hair now.”

“Wait, do you- do you maybe want to grab a cup of coffee?” Noah asked. He looked awkward. “I mean, if you have the time.”

“I’d love that,” you said.

It was an awkwardly lovely coffee date. Noah knew the ending to some of your jokes, and you made his coffee the way he liked. Although you didn’t explicitly talk about Stiles, you talked about your grades and the diet he had to go on to help manage his cholesterol, how Mel was doing at work and life at the station. It felt like you’d been doing this for years. Just catching up.

But then your phone buzzed and you had to go help Scott track down Gwen. Even after apologizing a dozen times and Noah assured you that he understood, you still felt guilty as you left him there with two empty coffee cups.

You rushed to the school, listening to Mason’s hasty explanation of how Gwen snuck out of the bunker and Okafur, Steinbach, and Wallace were never in the bunker to begin with. He needed to figure out a way to stop the Ghost Riders and your job was to try and keep him safe until he did.

It wasn’t that hard, considering that nothing was happening aside from the team getting absolutely destroyed on the field.

“Yes, yes, yes!” Mason cheered as one of the players got knocked down to the ground. Everyone around you got mad at him but you tugged on his sleeve to get to sit with you again.

“Hey, what did you realize, boy wonder?” you asked in a low voice.

“The night of the party, Parrish showed up. The Ghost Rider seemed … scared of him, I guess,” Mason said. “And then I remembered the mural.”

“The Hellhound fighting the Beast,” you said slowly. “You think it’s related?”

“It has to be,” Mason said. He sounded more confident than before. “The Hellhound’s a harbinger of death and these guys … I mean, it has to be connected.”

As if on cue, thunder started rolling in the distance. Ignoring the pit in your stomach, you said, “Find Hayden and tell her to call her sister. I’ll make sure nothing happens here.”

Mason dashed off and, after a few minutes of alone time, the wind started picking up. Then the light rain. When the lightning cracked overhead, your eyes darted across the field.

Scott was staring at the sky. He pulled off his helmet as the light rain turned into a downpour. You raced onto the field as players started taking cover. Corey yelled that the Ghost Riders were there, but you couldn’t see them.

The ref was trying to get everyone off the field as you huddled the players together.

“Okay! We’ve got all three, right?” Scott asked.

“Scott, there were four,” you said. Both of you turned to count but you still only came up with three players: Gwen, Okafur, and Steinbach. You saw Scott grab Corey’s hand and did the same. You couldn’t kick the Ghost Riders’ asses until you could see them.

Your grip tightened as you watched one of the Riders drag Wallace off the field as he screamed for his life. Then he just disappeared into a small cloud of green smoke.

“Oh my god!” Okafur yelled. “They’re real! We’ve gotta get out of here!”

“Stay together. We’ll protect you,” Liam promised. He wasn't as confident as Mason had been.

“How?” Gwen asked.

You followed her eyes to the quickly approaching group of Riders. There were just three of them but you knew you wouldn’t stand a chance against them. Scott told you all to run but the second you did, three more Riders showed up to block your path.

“Stay close!” Liam yelled, pulling the players behind him.

It didn’t help. They shot Okafur and he disappeared, just like Wallace.

Corey moved out of your grip but you could still see them. So could Scott. As one of the Riders readied their gun, you weren’t entirely sure whether seeing them was a good thing or not.

Liam tackled him before he could shoot but it was just an inconvenience for the Rider. He kicked Liam off of him. Scott jumped forward to protect him, but as soon as he moved another Rider shot Steinbach. He was gone.

“We can’t stop ‘em! Protect Gwen!” Scott bore his fangs at the Riders.

You did the same but you were so focused on the Riders that you didn’t notice Gwen slipped past Corey. The Riders shot her and she disappeared. In a few seconds, the Riders were gone, too.

The four of you stood in the field until the rain stopped, none of you managing to say anything.

“Hey,” you said to break the silence. The rain was clearing up. “Let’s go find Mason and Hayden. He might have an idea on how to end this.”

They nodded and you rushed back to the school. Mason and Hayden were fine. Parrish didn’t fight the Ghost Rider but it left them alone before disappearing just like the rest of them.

“Everyone from the bunker has been taken,” Scott said as he got off the phone with Malia.

“Everyone? How?” Mason asked.

“It doesn’t matter how,” Scott said. “Malia’s at the hospital and Argent’s been hurt. My mom’s with them.”

“I’ll go check on them,” you said. Looking over to Liam and the others, you added, “You guys get cleaned up, okay?”

“Yeah, okay,” Scott said with a nod.

You found Lydia at the hospital before you found Malia or your mom. She told you about Claudia’s frontotemporal dementia and how it should have killed her by now and you caught her up about the Ghost Riders taking everyone from the party.

The two of you found Scott and Malia before either of you got to talk about Stiles.

“Tell us you found something,” Scott said.

“I found out Claudia never had children,” Lydia said, dropping her eyes for a second. “So, Stiles can’t be her son.”

“What about a relic?” Malia asked.

Lydia shook her head and you looked down at your hands. You twisted the ring on your finger, so sure it was connected but not sure enough that it could be a relic. Tied to him, maybe, like Noah was. But not something that belonged to Stiles.

“There never was a Stiles, was there?” Malia asked, as gently as she could.

It was quiet. Scott broke it by saying, “It doesn’t even sound like a real name.”

“We have to keep looking,” Lydia insisted. Her voice was urgent - the kind of urgency she only got when something was driving her supernatural Geiger counter crazy. “Check the school records again. Or call your dad-”

Malia shook her head. “No, we’re fighting the wrong battle.”

“No, we’re trying to find Stiles,” you said defensively.

“The Ghost Riders came back and we still have no way of stopping them. Whatever they are, they’re real,” Malia said. She was one of the best friends you’d ever had, but she was also cold and fixated on survival. You understood, mostly, but right now it was annoying. “We can’t keep chasing someone who isn’t.”

“Maybe he’s not real to you, but the rest of us actually give a damn,” you snapped. There was a time when you would have felt bad for snapping at them, but this wasn’t the time to feel bad. This was the time to find Stiles.

“Y/N, he didn’t leave anything behind,” Scott said gently.

“Just us,” Lydia said, seeming hollow as she looked up again.

You shook your head and started walking away from them. “This is unbelievable,” you mumbled.

Malia grabbed your arm before you could get very far. “Where are you going?” she asked.

You spun back around and pulled your arm away from her. When you were this upset, her touch burned. “To call Isaac and Cora since you guys don’t care anymore,” you said.

“No one said we didn’t care, we just-” Scott stopped, unsure what to say. “We just can’t keep losing people.”

“I’m not losing anybody else,” you said. “I’m finding him, Scott.”

“Then let’s do it together,” Lydia said, grabbing hold of your hand. Her touch was cold, but it still burned. She gave you a smile and looked back at the others. “Please?”

Malia was reluctant. In the wild, coyotes didn’t have time to track down imaginary best friends. Still, she looked over at Scott before she told you that you were out of your mind.

Taking a deep breath, Scott looked over at you. “Okay,” he said. “We’ll keep looking.”

---

It turned out that while your definition of ‘keep looking’ meant that you’d skip school the next day and get together as a group to discuss everything, Scott’s definition was to go to school and act like nothing happened. In an effort to be slightly less confrontational, you’d gone along with his plan, but it didn’t make you happy.

As hard as it was to believe by your scowl at Scott’s goofy smile when he dropped into the seat across from you at lunch, there was a time not too long ago when you would have at least tried to hide your bad mood from him.

“Get an A on that psych paper?” you asked, stabbing your food with a fork.

“No. Well, A-minus but that’s not the point,” Scott said as he shook his head. He took a breath and leaned forward. In a fake whisper, he explained, “Lydia found something. Malia’s already checking-”

You pushed your tray away and grabbed your bag. “Then why are we sitting here? Let’s go.”

Scott laughed and led you out of the cafeteria and to the parking lot. At first, he didn’t want to explain where he was taking you because he wanted to see your face, but - after some threats to tell Melissa about how the car got that scratch on the bumper - he finally told you about Lydia bribing the tow truck driver. He stopped talking when you reached a powder blue Jeep.

Your heart ached as you tried to remember something, anything, about the Jeep or the person who owned it. You tried to remember Stiles.

When no memory presented itself, you said, “Well. This Jeep isn’t going to search itself,” and pushed past Scott to get to the Jeep.

It wasn’t filthy, just a little dust-covered inside and pollen-coated on the outside. To add to the abandoned feel, the radio was stuck on the wrong frequency and only played static. Ignore how wrong it felt for the Jeep to be like this, you opened the glove compartment and found a red rag, some take-out receipts, and a map of Eichen House. The radio cut out and you froze.

“Why’d it stop?” Malia asked.

“It doesn’t matter,” Lydia said. Despite her rough tone, she flipped the Master Switch on and off four times before saying softly, “But there has to be a reason.”

Because he was incapable of sitting in silence for more than three seconds, Scott started sniffing. Loudly.

Turning in your seat, you asked, “Did you catch a scent or a cold?”

“A scent,” Scott said and shook his head in an attempt to focus. “Ours. Mine, yours, all four of us.”

“Mine? I’ve never been in this Jeep before,” Malia said, sliding forward in her seat in the back.

Scott shrugged. “Neither have I.”

“Yes, we have,” Lydia said. “We just don’t remember it.”

Malia tilted her head to the side. “I thought we were done with that.”

“You literally promised me last night that we wouldn’t give up,” you said, doing your best not to glare at her.

“No, Scott promised you. I didn’t promise anything,” Malia said.

“Mal, could you for once in your life try to understand when something is important to someone?” you asked. You didn’t mean for the words to come out as harshly as they did, but they were out there and you couldn’t take them back now. You took a deep breath and looked away. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for. Can we please just keep looking?”

“I don’t know if there’s anything to look for,” Scott said. “Parrish checked the VIN number and there’s no record of an owner.”

“The Jeep didn’t just drive itself here,” Lydia argued.

Scott looked over to Malia with his ‘they’ve got a point’ face. It reminded you of an argument with Isaac back when he thought the twins were the ones killing people instead of the Darach. You couldn’t remember who the other person in the argument was, so you guessed that meant it had to involve Stiles.

“Oh, whose side are you on?” Malia asked exasperatedly.

Scott looked at you, then he looked at Lydia, and then Malia, and then back at you again. “I’m on everyone’s side,” he said eventually.

Malia and Lydia started arguing over whether or not Stiles was real again, so you continued your search of the glovebox to help tune them out. Your hands froze over the Jeep’s registration papers.

“Guys, I think I found something,” you said, not caring what you might have interrupted. You unfolded the paper and leaned closer so Scott could read over your shoulder. “It’s from 1996.”

“But there’s no name,” Scott said.

“Yeah, but look at the address,” you said. “It’s Noah’s.”

---

“I don’t know what to tell you,” Claudia said after reading over the Jeep’s registration papers. “I haven’t seen that Jeep in … almost eighteen years.” She looked over at Noah for confirmation and he nodded slightly.

“But it’s in your name,” you said. “You never went looking for it?”

“It was stolen.” Claudia shrugged. She was either a very good liar or she really didn’t know anything.

“Then how did it end up at the high school?” Lydia asked.

Noah shook his head and opened his hands. “Beats the hell out of me,” he said with his trademarked sigh. “I mean, that thing was a junker back in the day. God only knows who’d want it now.”

Something about how flippantly Noah talked about the Jeep tugged at your heartstrings. “Someone with a sense of whimsy?” you asked with only a touch of your usual venom.

“I- I guess,” Claudia said with another small shrug. “I don’t know, girls. Maybe somebody dumped it there?”

Stiles would never abandon the Jeep, you almost screamed. You let out a low growl that reminded you uncomfortably of Malia and took a breath to recover.

Lydia set an uncertain hand over yours to calm you down. She turned back to the Stilinskis and asked, “Is there any way to trace the history of the Jeep after it was stolen?”

“No,” Noah said, frowning at the idea of how that would even be possible.

“Can’t you check for fingerprints at the station?” you asked.

Claudia looked over at Noah and shifted slightly closer to the edge of her seat. Noah met her eye and sighed again. “Is this about Stiles?” he asked.

“Can you please just check the Jeep for prints?” you asked, doing your best to keep your voice even and detached.

“Don’t you girls think you’ve taken this far enough?” Claudia asked. She reached out for Noah’s hand as she asked, but it seemed less like a move of solidarity and more like a reminder that she was there. She handed the registration details back to Lydia with her other hand. “I don’t really know what’s going on with you lately,” she said to Lydia, “but maybe it’s a good time to talk to your mom.”

Instead of telling Claudia that she was way out of line, Lydia just pulled her hand away from you, dropped her gaze, and nodded. “I’m sorry. You’re right,” she said quietly. She looked up again and flashed Noah a bright, dishonest smile.

“Hey, are you okay?” Noah asked.

“Yeah, I’m sorry. Can you just …” Lydia shook her head. You knotted your hands together to keep from reaching out to comfort her. “Um, do you mind-” she pointed to the hall where the bathroom was.

“Of course. Take your time.” Claudia nodded. She didn’t even make it through her sentence before Lydia was on her feet and heading down the hall. Shaking her head, Claudia turned back to you. “You’re a good friend for being there for her, but be careful not to encourage Lydia too much,” she said. “You know how unstable she can be.”

You swallowed hard to keep from snapping at her. All you could bring yourself to say was: “Lydia’s a genius.”

“There’s a fine line between genius and insanity,” Claudia told you with a heavy look.

You’d been squeezing your hands together tightly to keep yourself grounded, but Claudia’s words made you squeeze so tightly that you could smell blood. “I’m going to go check on Lydia,” you said as you rose to your feet.

Noah called out to you but you told him it was fine and kept walking. You could hear him and Claudia whispering after you left; he thought she was too harsh on you guys, she thought you needed someone to stop enabling you, you stopped listening when you found Lydia slumped in the hallway crying.

You knelt in front of her and fumbled for her hands with one hand and cupped her face with the other. “Hey. Hey, Lyd, you’re okay,” you said gently. “We’re gonna find him, okay?”

“How?” she asked, voice tight through the tears. Her eyes darted down the hall. “How are we gonna find him?”

You faltered. A beat passed and you knew whatever you said next would sound fake. “I don’t know,” you said. “I don’t know, but we’re going to find him. I promise we’ll find him, alright? No matter what.”

Lydia went still for a second. “No matter what,” she whispered. It sounded like a question when she said it. “Why are you saying that to me?”

“I don’t understand,” you said, pulling back slightly in surprise. You suspected the saying had something to do with Stiles, but you had no proof and it wasn't like Lydia could tell you anything for certain. “Why does it matter?”

“Because it does,” Lydia said. She looked down the hall again and squeezed your bloody hand. “We need to go. Now.”

Lydia didn’t wait to answer any of your questions. She pulled herself up and basically dragged you out of the Stilinski’s house, apologizing for the intrusion and thanking them again for their time as if they’d actually done something helpful.

Once Lydia had safely buckled you into the passenger seat, she started the engine and pulled out of the driveway at such a speed that you were sure Noah would call you about the tire tracks. She explained, briefly, that she was having one of her feelings and you needed to get back to the school. To the Jeep.

You didn’t argue. You never argued with Lydia’s feelings, especially not when they had anything to do with Stiles. She seemed to be the only person who still wanted to find him, and you trusted that together you and she would find him.

It’s not that you expected to find Stiles sitting in the Jeep when you got to the school - even if a tiny piece of you hoped you would - but you weren’t expecting to find a tow truck driver trying to shake down Scott for more money.

“-Now I’m picking it up again,” the tow truck driver said as you and Lydia ran up to them.

“How much do you want? I’ll write you a check,” Lydia said.

“It’s not about how much. They want it out of here, okay? So it’s not up to me,” the driver said. He moved closer to the Jeep to attach it to his truck but Scott stepped in his way. Scott had never seemed intimidating to you - a byproduct of seeing him laugh so hard that milk sprayed out of his nose when he was five - but he looked intimidating at that moment. “Don’t make me move you, kid, okay? I’m hooking this thing up. And I am towing it away.”

Scott clenched his fist and you got ready to intervene, but Malia broke off a piece of the tow truck before anything escalated that far.

Malia handed the broken connector to the tow truck driver. “Your truck’s broke,” she said.

After some particularly nasty words, the tow truck driver stormed off and left your friends laughing in his absence. It was only a few seconds of laughter, but you felt a little lighter after a win - even if it was a small win.

“So what now?” Scott asked.

“I mean, he’s probably just going to come back in the morning,” you said. You looked at the Jeep over your shoulder and sighed. It looked so impossibly lonely in the dark parking lot. “Do you guys want to stay here for a while?”

“No,” Malia said, at the same time Lydia said: “Absolutely.”

Scott got that awkward look on his face when he had to choose between his friends. “Five minutes?” he suggested. “Just to make sure no one else comes back.”

“Fine,” Malia said begrudgingly. “But I’m not sitting in the back.”

“Deal!”

You and Scott sprawled into the backseat while Malia took the passenger seat and Lydia sat in the driver’s seat. Sitting behind the driver’s seat like this, you could almost picture Stiles sitting there. He always sat there, except when something was incredibly wrong or the time when he taught you to drive.

The memory of learning to drive was still fuzzy and disjointed in your mind, but that’s how you knew it was him. Stiles was in so many of your memories that without him it felt like your whole life was fuzzy.

You were still trying to piece together the fuzzy memories when a roar tore through your ears. A strained, agonizing roar. Whoever that roar belonged to was dying. You bolted out of Scott’s arm and clambered over him and the seats to get out.

“Did you hear that?” Malia asked. She’d been too uncomfortable in the Jeep after a few minutes so she'd stood guard outside.

“I think all of Beacon Hills heard that,” Lydia said.

“Who is it?” Scott asked.

“I’m not sure, but I think I recognized it,” Malia said.

Despite the very distinct and unexplained feeling that Stiles was human, Malia’s recognition sent electricity down your spine. “Let’s go find out,” you said, looking over at her for a second before taking off towards the preserve.

Finding whoever roared was clumsy. There was no scent and they hadn’t roared again since. You were still looking for the injured wolf when you tripped over the burnt body. Despite your badass shadow-wolf status, you screamed and scurried to your feet.

They let out a roar in response to your accidental kick to their ribs and you dropped next to them to check that you hadn’t just killed them. From the second you focused on them, you knew that it wasn’t Stiles.

“Hey, you’re okay,” you said gently. You reached out for his hand to take away their pain. Their hand wouldn’t open so you moved to their arm and started taking away their pain from there.

It hurt so much that you didn’t even notice that Malia and Scott got there until Scott put his hand on your shoulder and the burnt werewolf grabbed Malia’s arm. You pulled your hand away so fast that you took bits of burnt skin with you.

“Peter?” Malia asked.

He struggled to say something but nothing came out.

“Who’s Peter?” Scott asked.

“Peter Hale,” Malia said, not looking away from the burnt werewolf. He struggled again to say something. “My dad.”

“Your dad?” you repeated. Your voice ached from taking away his pain. “Peter Hale. That makes him Derek’s brother. I don’t- how could I forget Derek’s brother?”

A distorted voice broke through your internal crisis. “You were my beta first,” Peter forced out. His voice triggered something in Scott; a memory, you guessed. You didn’t remember anything.

Scott stuttered out Peter’s name. “He bit me,” Scott said. “How could I forget him?”

“How could I forget him?” Malia asked.

Peter looked more pained with the knowledge that Malia had forgotten him than when you kicked him. He looked heartbroken. He craned his head to nod at his hand.

“I tried to get his hand open but I didn’t want to break it,” you said quietly, moving around to try and see what Malia would find.

Scott took Peter’s pain away as Malia pried open Peter’s palm. Between the three of you, Malia got whatever it was and lifted it up.

A set of keys.

Stiles’ keys.

You snatched the keys from her and started running before either of them even had the chance to say anything. Nothing they could say could stop you from trying those keys in the Jeep, because you knew they were the key to more than just the Jeep. They were the key to bringing Stiles home.

Malia tackled you to the ground in the school parking lot and Lydia almost lost a hand trying to break you two up. Once again, the four of you piled into the Jeep, but this time you got in the driver’s seat.

Now that you were sitting there, key still clutched in your hand, you almost couldn’t bring yourself to try it. What if it didn’t work?

With an uncertain breath, you put the key in the ignition and turned it on. The engine sputtered. This wouldn’t bring Stiles home if you couldn’t get the damn engine to turn over. You kept turning the key and pressing down on the clutch.

“Don’t flood it,” Scott said next to you.

“Please, this thing is held together with more duct tape than-” You stopped arguing when the engine turned on. You didn’t talk. You didn’t breathe. All you did was wait.

And wait.

Stiles didn’t show.

“What now?” Malia asked, poking her head between the seats.

“I don’t know,” you said quietly. A few annoying tears clawed at your throat as you spoke. You kept your eyes fixed on the steering wheel to keep from crying.

Scott started suggesting that you all go home when the radio stuttered to life. It filled the car with static. Scott reached to switch it off when a voice came on.

“Hello?”

Stiles.

You grabbed Scott’s hand and yanked it away. If he touched that radio then you were going to break his fingers.

“Hello? Is anyone there?”

His voice fought the static but you’d recognize that voice through a hurricane.

“Can anyone hear me?”

Hesitantly, you reached for the walkie connected to the radio. You didn’t want to break whatever magic held the signal together and lose him. Still, you pushed on the button and took a breath. “Stiles?” you asked. “Stiles, I can hear you.”

Stiles said your name in a way that no one had ever said your name. He said it like it meant something. “Is that you?” he asked. “Scotty, you there?”

Scott held your hand over the walkie. “I’m here. Oh my god, Stiles- I can’t believe-”

“Oh my god, you know me?” Stiles asked. He sounded so relieved that your heart ached. “You remember me?”

“I’m trying to,” you said. “I- I dream about you. I promise I’m gonna remember you, alright? No matter what.”

It was quiet. Just the sound of your breathing.

“Are you okay?” Scott asked as he pulled himself closer. “Where are you? We’re coming to get you.”

“No, no, no. You can’t, okay? You won’t be able to find me,” Stiles rushed out. He was panicking and you wanted more than anything to fix it.

“No, Stiles, I need to find you,” you said. “Let me find you.”

“What are you talking about?” Scott asked at the same time you were talking. “Just tell us where you are and we’ll … we’ll come and-”

“Just remember this: Canaan,” Stiles said. Canaan. You were going to get that tattooed on your forehead to make sure there was no way to forget it. “Okay? You have to find Canaan. Just find Canaan. Promise me.”

“I pro-”

Static.

“No.” You moved closer to the radio, desperately looking for a switch to flip to bring him back. “No, no, no. Stiles? Stiles, can you hear me? I need you to say something, okay? Anything.”

Static.

“Stiles, please say something,” you whispered.

Scott said your name quietly. He untangled your hand from the walkie and set it down in its holder, putting his other hand to the side of your face. He said your name again, over your hysterics. “He’s gone,” he said gently. “We’ll get him back, but, for now, Stiles is gone.”

Tagged: @ietss @used-avocado @trustfundparker

#so close #teen wolf #teen wolf au #teen wolf rewrite #stiles stilinski #mccall!reader #stiles stilinksi x reader #stiles stilinksi imagine #stiles slow burn

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alias-b · 4 years

Text

sins of my youth. 004

Billy Hargrove x OC! Evie Fenny~ Also posted to my AO3

Summary: It was common knowledge that Billy Hargrove hated Hawkins. Hated Cherry Lane. Even loathed the strange girl next door. Evie Fenny wasn’t too fond of the chaotic Cali transfer either. An awful high school tradition sparks a chain of events that changes everything, ultimately bringing two frayed souls together.

A/N: Hello all! Pushing out a baby chapter early so I can focus on my other fic! Thank you so much for the support on this fic. Billy goes to dinner and Tries It. That's the chapter. :D Tag list open!!!

Chapter 4: No Day But Today

“Claudia, do you have the keys?” Mona crossed the salon floor.

“I do, we’re fine here, go on. Dusty is spending the night at the Wheeler’s place. Having some castle and dragons party.” She'd gushed.

“Feel free to close up early if we’re dead the last hour. Thanks, sugar.” Mona patted her back as she followed Evie out the door.

“Can I drive?”

“I was hoping you’d ask.” Mona smiled.

Evie was saving for a car. And college. And her future.

And it was a lot.

Truthfully, she didn’t care for school. It was in the way. Wished her lyrics could carry her straight to the red carpet before all those flashing paparazzi.

Wanting to unwind, Evie hid in her room when she got home. Shut the curtains and prodded at herself before the vanity. Sorted dangly earrings in a mesh metal display. Huffing to lean over when Bourbon swept into her legs. His little body shivered and she plucked him up.

“Okay, BB, you’re my best guy. You can’t let me down.” She scratched under his chin, gave him a little boop on the nose. “You take one look at that walking Def Leppard poster and you hiss and run. Got it?”

A purr.

“Good boy. You’re my only hope here. We can’t lose. Not to Billy Hargrove.” Arms let him down. She'd feel this sentiment often about Billy. A sigh. Evie applied a fresh lip color and paused. “Ugh.” She pushed up and didn’t change. Did her school work to get it out of the way and wandered out, turning the TV on to some game show. The savory smell of dinner wafted. “Need help here, Mom?” One tug and the ceiling fan spun, cycling cooler air.

“No, I have it. You can set the table for me.” Mona drained some noodles.

“Got it.” Plates and cutlery clicked around. Evie slid everything into place, perked up when the doorbell rang. Mona turned and smiled as her daughter adjusted fabric and fixed curls into place all the way to the door.

Evie half expected Billy to not even show. But, there he was. Sly smile and all. Billow of date night cologne. A vision in moonlight.

“Hey.” Evie said slowly. The surprise evident.

“Hey." He mirrored it.

"You're here." An exhale out. He blinked, found himself again.

"I was gonna steal flowers from the old lady’s garden across the way, but there’s a huge opossum in her trash guarding it.” He tilted his head, earring catching the porch light and she cracked a grin.

"Big Ben? Yeah, he's the neighborhood menace. Chief Hopper's nemesis because they get so many calls about it. You'd be a hero if you took him on." Evie persuaded lighter. His face fell.

"I'm not trying to die in Hawkins, Indiana. That thing was bigger than anyone on our football team."

“Color me impressed. King Billy didn’t want to do battle for the first time?” She actually teased him. Her nose crinkled when she smiled. Cute. “Shock and awe.”

Billy felt this tug pulse up his ribcage. Pulled a genuine chuckle from his lips. He had to look away to give it. Glowy in starlight.

“Sometimes I surprise people. I know my weight class and the pests here look like they were grown and mutated in some lab.” He shrugged into the door frame with one fist lifted, clicking his lighter shut. Hooded eyes all over. Evie went still as he leaned forward to her face with his tone lowering. “Am I allowed inside? Pretty please?”

“With cherries on top?" Bright, wet lips parted. His lashes fluttered, a baritone sinking. Bringing her with him.

"With anything your heart desires on top." Smooth.

"Huh. I guess. For now.” Evie stepped out of the way. “We go to school with plenty of those lab grown pests by the way.”

“No kidding.” Billy shrugged his jacket off and she awkwardly reached to take it. Hung it up behind her.

Evie turned to see him staring again and swallowed a hard lump down. Thought maybe he saw all the begonias blooming behind her eyes and up her throat.

“Billy.” Mona came out of the kitchen, arms out. “So glad you’re here.”

“You saved me from a sad date with a TV dinner.” Billy winked, charming Ms. Fenny to bits. She giggled and shook her hair out.

“Dinner’s got about ten minutes. Why don’t you show him around, baby?” Mona hurried back off, leaving them alone again.

“Tour? Great idea." He peered behind Evie. A mission at hand. "Where’s the cat?”

“Hiding from you, clearly.” Evie beamed, gesturing. “Welcome to the living room. Mom's showroom is a better word.”

“Your mom like tchotchkes or what?” He came to the full mantle. Scanning.

“How’d you guess?” Evie reluctantly trailed to his side.

It was strange to let this boy wander around and see little bits of her life. Guess things about her as he went along, trailing deft fingers about the fireplace. She wondered what was blooming within the pit of his stomach, if anything.

Mona Fenny's house overwhelmed.

Photographs, plants, and crafts. Little porcelain figurines. Too many handmade candles. Crochet projects. A full dollhouse on a table in the corner.

“My grandma passed a lot of craft skills down. She owned this amazingly strange trinket and voodoo shop in New Orleans that my aunts run now after Nana died."

"Your mom didn't stay for a piece of that?" Billy let his eyes trail over every little thing.

"Ah, I don't know. She was the baby and married pretty young. Seemed like she wanted something new," Evie peered behind her and whispered. "Never really got along with Nana like her older sisters did."

Billy hummed a little. Decided not to pry with Mona in the next room. Evie brought him to the corner and flicked a lamp on.

"Mom’s dollhouse is her pride and joy. Lights up and everything.”

“Tell me why your mother has a framed photograph of Dolly Parton next to a picture of you two on the fireplace. And the same photo shrunk down in the dollhouse?”

“Science may tell us the truth one day when the world is ready. And I fear for that day.” She replied in all seriousness and Billy snorted. Laughing.

A truly enchanting sound Evie decided she liked.

“And I have to say,” he plucked a photo off a bookshelf with a broad grin, “this one is my favorite.”

One of Evie on Halloween. Had to be about six. Dressed in the campiest pink daisy costume with a huge toothy smile.

“Gah,” she cringed and swiped it from his hand, “this house is a museum of embarrassment.”

“You’re into the museum shit, guess this is like our first-” Billy stopped himself from producing the damning word when Evie turned. Blushing. Oof. He scratched the back of his neck. “So, uh, you got a bedroom in here or do you sleep in the dollhouse?”

“You won’t find the cat that easily.” She caught him peering around again and led him past the kitchen. “C’mon, not much to the rest of the house. Garage. Spare room.” That used to be her dad’s office space. “Mom’s room. Attic up there and on this end. My cat's room that he lets me stay in too.”

The door was open so Billy prodded it to peek inside. Evie exhaled and flicked the light on.

It didn’t feel like a teenage girl’s bedroom. Not covered in decorations and pictures like the rest of the house. No posters cut from magazines covered in pink lipstick kisses.

A vanity full of disorganized makeup. Desk. Overfilled bookcase of novels and tapes. Crafts and trinkets she collected in labeled tin boxes. Dresser covered in jewelry. Music player. Bed. Closet. Couple of pictures taped by the vanity and headboard. Mostly Evie and Heather laughing and bright. Her beloved acoustic guitar propped in the corner.

It felt like it was decorated by one trying to take up as little space as possible. Everything was compacted. Billy eyed the wall by her bed. Realized most of the papers were notes with random lyrics and words patched together.

“Yeah, I tend to jot every little thought down even when I’m half asleep and hope it makes a song eventually.” She peered aside. It felt too intimate, letting Billy shift about the space.

"Hey, everybody has a method." Two fingers traced over a note taped up to straighten it. She caught the ring gleaming on his middle finger. “My-”

“Ah, don’t read them aloud, I may combust.”

“Oh?” Billy slunk toward her, licked his lips. A hungry way about it. Mouth watering fangs full of sweet venom. Wonder how they'd feel sinking into her throat. “Because I make you nervous, Angel?”

“No, it’s just...just…weird.” Evie pressed up into her desk. Billy closed the distance. Got within inches of her. “It’s weird.”

Repetition didn’t ease the sear of those ocean eyes drowning her too sweetly. She felt her chest fill and flutter all the way down. Flowers unfurled to be plucked and caressed. Billy pushed into the space until she was seated there on the desk. Scrambling further. Unable to climb the wall.

“You do seem nervous though, Evie.” His tone hushed. Fingers brushed her thighs and palms came to rest there. The bunched fabric of her dress barely separating them. She inhaled his cologne. Smelled peppermint from his breath. Chest heaving.

Billy knew this wasn’t part of the quest. If that’s what this was, maybe that was a nicer way to put it. Maybe rationalizing it a thousand times would help him get some sleep at night. Just show her a good night, cash in, and go home.

It still sounded shitty. Wasn't doing Evie any favors. This girl painted too many iridescent colors. They could bleed and Billy wouldn't step away if it pooled too close.

He liked to watch the blush spread across her freckled cheeks. Rose petals falling into a cool pond. Liked the way her nose scrunched when she smiled and when she was cross with him.

Billy didn't want her because she was a conquest. A challenge. Sure, she challenged him, that was part of it. And she also made him smile like he was looking at the rocking ocean waves again. Sand and wind kissing his warm skin. There was a mystery in those molten eyes he wanted to taste for himself. Maybe it was possible to just enjoy a person without strings.

To let colors bleed and swirl. To just watch it happen without fear or judgement. To not step away from it either. Just sink right in and create those echoing ripples.

It was too sweet and peculiar, how soft Evangeline Fenny was against the hard edges of his steel frame. So sharp, it warded everyone off.

But, not Evie, she fit perfectly against him. Fire with fire. It gave them so much in this world that had forgotten them both. Freckles to count. Eyelashes to wish upon. Flesh curves and razor angles to explore.

Hell, he even enjoyed how shaken she got as he neared and how still she went when his fingers trailed up her legs.

Evie watched his muscled chest rise, the saint pendant caught the light. Looked up at his eyes and then his mouth because it couldn’t be helped. Billy Hargrove filled Evie's space and lungs with sugary smoke. He was too many colors in one soul. So, he pushed further because those painted lips were big and full and right fucking there.

One curious taste, that couldn't hurt.

Brought his hand up toward her chin and leaned forth when…

“Dinner!”

Evie practically shoved Billy back. Scrambled up so the desk gave a rut. Bright red as he stumbled.

“Sorry.” She shuddered, passing him. Smelling of amber perfume. “Coming, mom.” Billy stared at the back of her hair. Blinked a couple times to pull himself together. To rationalize some.

Curiosity. A deadly thing and so sweet too.

It felt like he was dreaming and woke up sitting at the dinner table. Evie clicked a Coke in front of him, flashed a knowing expression that made him smirk before she sat down.

“Now, I left a bowl in the kitchen to cool. We always bring extra to Miss Abigail, she’s three doors down.” Mona was setting plates about.

“It looks amazing, Ms. Fenny.” Billy even shifted a dish to help make room for another.

“Please, Billy, just Mona. Ms. Fenny was my mother and she was a harder woman.” She set a glass of water down and smoothed her dress out, sitting. Billy went for his fork and his hand was snatched. Evie shot him a look as Mona reached out. “I always say grace. Don’t feel pressured to join, sweetheart.”

Billy peered at Evie’s warm hand in his and accepted her mother’s. Bowed his head a little so Mona could say her prayer.

“Bless us, oh Lord. For this and all we are about to receive, make us truly grateful. And thank you for bringing Billy to our humble table, may he truly feel welcomed in our home. Please guide and protect him. Through Christ, we pray. Amen.”

“Amen.” Evie offered softer. Lips lifting when Billy peered at their hands again leaving each other. Clearly not expecting such words from a neighbor.

“You’ll forgive me, Billy, some people say they leave their hearts open. I just let mine fill the room.” Mona settled a napkin in her lap. “May I ask, if your family is religious at all?”

“Dad’s Lutheran.” Which meant Susan was by default now whatever she believed before. “We don’t go to church or anything.”

As if Neil Hargrove could drag his son under a steeple without one of them spontaneously combusting.

“Well, that’s perfectly fine.” Mona cut each of her meatballs into smaller pieces which Evie mirrored. “Evie doesn’t attend with me when I go. Although, the choir sure misses her voice.”

“Mom...” A teenage whine, near silent as she prodded at noodles.

“She get all the solos?” Billy encouraged the pink spreading Evie’s cheeks.

“Oh, every single one. She’s even been asked to come sing the national anthem at minor league baseball games.” Mona prattled and Evie’s head fell back.

“Mom!” Another drawn out groan. Evie sunk down lower.

“Oh, Evangeline, let your mother brag about you.” Mona ignored her.

"Yeah, Evangeline." He chimed in, earning a harder glare.

“Now, Billy, you’ve been in Hawkins just over two months?” Mona continued. Blue eyes lifted from the plate before he gave a nod. “How are you liking it? I’m sure it’s such a huge change from California. You must miss the beach.”

“Getting used to the cold.” Billy speared a meatball and didn’t sound convincing.

“I’ll bet you’ve never seen snow before, your poor sinuses aren’t going to know what to do. Anyone in your family takes ill, just give us a ring.” Such a mom. “It took me a few years to get used to the cold here too. We moved when Evie was just a baby straight up from N’aw Lins.”

Billy bit his tongue.

“What type of music do you write?” Billy asked and there was a beat when Evie realized he was looking at her. Addressing her pointedly. Maybe to make conversation and suck up to her talkative mother. Evie’s back grew taut, lips opening.

“Evie’s gonna be a folk singer.” Mona had cut in. “Voice of an angel, she’ll make it big. She’s been in competitions, just one look from any talent scout and she’s sold.” Evie sank down again to go back to her food. Billy watched her roll a meatball around her plate like it was the most interesting thing in the room.

Mona Fenny struck Billy as a woman who always meant well. Frilly like a lace doily. So well, she steamrolled over you because she knew best. Evie barely got two syllables out before her mother was flicking her hair and boasting. A doll that constantly had the string in its voice box yanked.

Billy learned a great deal about her.

That Mona had been arrested twice in her life for marching and protesting. Civil and women’s rights. She joked that she hadn't been arrested for gay rights yet, but looked forward to the inevitable. She was a pageant queen too. Stopped when she found out she was pregnant and couldn’t compete after that. No bitterness there of course. She had a daughter to mold and complete the legacy now.

Mona insisted on taking the plates away. Grabbing her own, Billy’s, and a side dish.

Evie was still rolling that meatball around until Billy plucked up a fork, stabbed it, and swallowed in one bite. She perked with flushed cheeks. Glared again.

Billy wanted attention.

“Your mom is friendly.” Statement of the fucking millennium.

“Just wait til she busts out her old pageant scrapbooks. You'll never see home again.” Evie quickly flashed a smile and picked up her own plate to follow her mother off. Billy stood too, peered around. That cat had to be close. “Give it up.” Arms crossed when she leaned into the doorway working a melting ice cube around her mouth. Swallowed it whole instead of crunching. Water ran in the kitchen behind her.

“We agreed on an hour of television.” Billy matched her stance, saw her hip cock.

“Half hour.”

“Hour.” Billy went in to sit on the couch like he owned it. Legs spread. “Come on in, the water’s fine, Evangeline.” Evie plucked up the remote, sat as far away from him as she could. Turned the TV on to something campy just to make him suffer.

“Fucking Love Boat. Really? Susan watches this crap.”

“You said the full hour.” Evie flashed a smug grin. “I think The Golden Girls is on too.”

“Love Boat is fine.” Billy lifted his hand. Swiped the remote from her to set it on the other side of him. They both sunk in there. Eyes on the screen. Mona left them alone to bring the plate to their neighbor, stayed for conversation.

Billy fidgeted. Stretching to scoot closer so he could nudge his knee into Evie's. Her face remained at total peace. She pushed back at his leg which drew slow smiles upon them both.

“What kind of music do you really like, or does your mother always do all the talking?”

“Doesn’t matter.” Evie felt him peer back over and held herself. A beat.

“Yeah, your dreams. They don't matter." Came sarcasm. "A girl who wants her name in lights. Don't spend too much time feeling for the switch in darkness, Angel."

"Why do you want to know?"

"Just asking. You really want to sit in silence to this cheesefest? Young actresses paired with old ass grandpas playing love sick.” Billy put his arm up over the couch. Missed Evie twitch. Got his hand smacked for tugging her curl like a giddy little boy.

“I don’t know,” Evie faced him with a shrug, “somewhere in the rock and pop area. Maybe with a touch of soul. Not the hair metal I’m sure you’re into."

How beautiful she looked when she hoped.

"And my name in lights won't ever be enough, I need people to chant it too.”

Lips curled at Evie.

“Better than folk music.” Billy decided. Pride welled because she smiled too. Genuinely. Evie fiddled with her necklace. Delicate little music note caught the technicolor glow. Brown eyes turned to see him, she tried to bite the smile down. Failed.

“So, what’s the deal with this party thing? A dance?”

“One of many in the city. Bunch of high schools will probably run drunk through the streets with everyone else. No one will get carded because no one cares on New Years. Dancing and whatever. Watch the ball drop, it’s just the feral thing to do that night.”

“And you could score with any girl, but you’re asking me. It won’t be like a date or anything.” Evie dropped the charm in her fingers to see Billy’s eyes linger.

“You mentioned that. I know how to get out and have a good time without fucking. I have all sorts of tricks.” He noted the word didn’t make her wince. “Not looking to break your seal.”

“You’re gross.” Again, no argument on the details of it.

“You’re too tightly wound.” He paused, whispering. “Maybe not, but you hide it.”

"Nothing to hide, I'm an open book."

"A never ending record," Billy pushed into her so their legs pressed flush, "not nervous around me though."

"Nope." Her lips popped, fingers curling into the hem of her dress when his arm snaked behind the couch. "Not nervous."

"Not running either." That realization seemed to hit them both.

"Why would I? I can handle you just fine." She hissed at that because it came out sexual. Billy licked his lips and snickered, shifting to face her head on.

"Oh, I like the sound of that." He'd murmured, inches from her face. Evie found herself wondering how he managed to weasel his way in this close. Wondered why she was drinking him back in. "Picture this. You and this perfume enjoying a couple free drinks and some fireworks in the city. No strings attached. Not a date. Just those exploding lights and that chilly wind cooling your cheeks down, because you'll be blushing and you won't know it."

"Uh huh. I guess I can see it." Evie sized him up and crossed her legs to lean back into him. "You and the roar of a Camaro commanding the city to its knees. Glam and hairspray working their magic."

"I love an audience, Angel." Billy shook his head and froze because her palm came to his knee. Bold move. "But, I don't mind the front seat to see you blush too."

"What about you?" She whispered with a hum. "What makes King Billy blush? Does all the noise you like to make hide it?" A spark flitted up her eyes. Made his chest heave. "Is that your secret?"

"Come to the party, I'll tell you all my secrets." Fingers grazed up her arm when soft digits gave a rhythmic tap against his thigh. Billy went for it. "Do this dance with me."

"You don't play as hard to get as you let on."

"Not when I want something bad. Better to just play harder." Lips parted to hit that word. Her brows lifted at such an admittance. "You're sizzling up a fuse, aren't you, Evie?" She shook her head with a lazy smile. Eyes finding his again after. Near sultry.

"You have to light a fuse first, Billy, for it to sizzle." Her hand crept along denim. Felt him go rigid and part his thighs just a little bit wider before she sat back. "And the fire's out anyway. I'll make good on the deal. If you win."

"I hope you have a dress picked." Billy scoffed, breathless and still intent on her while she looked ahead at the screen.

“Time is ticking. As if you taking me out will do me any good." Evie rolled her eyes and reclined back into his side. Quite comfortably like she wasn't thinking about it. "Give me cool points so Tommy and Carol leave me alone.”

“They’re assholes to everyone. It’s not you.” Billy replied dismissively. Curled his finger into her locks behind the sofa.

“You don’t notice who they target because you’re too busy chasing skirts and fighting others yourself. Also haven't seen the writing about me on the bathroom walls. School hierarchy rules. Open those pretty ocean eyes and see the world for what it is. You're untouched because of your front. Everyone wants to be Billy Hargrove or screw him.”

Evie looked at him there, blinking.

"What side of the line are you on?" He bit his lip. "I can guess."

She plucked his hand from her shoulder and placed it back into his lap. Patted it for good measure.

“So, you really think my eyes are pretty?” Billy laughed when a square pillow nailed him in the face. "You said it before too! When we were drunk and you still think it now that we're sober. Telling."

Tension shattered. Evie glittered right back at him, teeth flashing. Still chuckling, he tilted his head back to create the magical sound. Quieted.

“Fine. I’ll pay attention if it helps you sleep at night.”

Evie blew air out her lips, let a curl fly up and bounce down. They watched the screen again. Shared a space. Maybe it shouldn't have felt so intimate.

“Episode’s almost over. Thanks for playing.” She about sang. Triumphant.

“I guess you have me, Fenny.” Billy pushed up. “Mind if I take a leak?” He was already pacing off so she said nothing.

Just watched couples go hand in hand into the sunset.

There was a flush, the sink running, and then Billy’s huge smile crept back down the hallway. The boy was gone all of three minutes.

Bourbon in his arms. Purring. Perfectly happy. Evie’s jaw dropped open.

“Guess who crawled out of the shower to eyeball my junk? Not that I blame him.” Billy quipped, scratching the cat’s chin. Bourbon rubbed back into the touch. Rasped his scratchy meow for more.

“Traitor...” Evie muttered, coming to her feet. “Damn it.”

“Oh, yeah. You’re mine now, Evie. Seven o’clock. Wear something short if you like.” Billy’s lips were pressed up. Such an ass.

"I call foul." Her finger lifted.

"And I'll be calling on you. New Years Eve. Just an annoying dance. It'll be fun and free." His chin gestured at her. "Just say yes, Evie. Get out of this small town and see some lights for once. You want your name in them so bad, you gotta look at the damn things first. No day but today. Right?"

"Right," a lengthy sigh, "but, the fire's still out. Bourbon, why? First, mom and now you. He's just hypnotizing you both.” Evie took the cat from Billy, watched his face scrunch.

“Your cat is really named Bourbon?” He said flatter.

“I found him when we visited family in New Orleans. Bourbon street.” She let the feline nuzzle into her chest.

“God, Angel, I hope your lyrics are more creative than that.” Billy lightened, chest shaking as he peered away shaking his pretty head. “Well?”

She pouted and if that cat wasn't between them, Billy didn't know what he would have done. Another time or place. Another pretty dress. Another shared beat of bleeding together.

That itched him the rest of the night.

“I’ll go. Seven. I’ll dress nice. It’s not a date, so don’t try anything and get me home in one piece. I reserve the right to leave you if you act like too much of an ass.” Evie grumbled some about it, defeated.

But, she wondered about the lights and what it might be like to share them. Suppressed all urges that longed to hope.

“That much I can do, I might even keep my ass in check. Don’t flake, we have a deal. I’ll be your Mr. Darcy or whatever.” Billy made for the door, plucking up his jacket as she opened it.

“That’s an impossible standard, but keep dreaming.” Evie sighed out. Watched him turn to beam. Offered a pet to Bourbon. “Least you got his name right.”

“Quick learner, I get points. New Years Eve. Don’t make me chase you, Evie, because I will.” Billy stepped off the porch lighting a cigarette, idly waved behind him.

Game. Set. Match.

“I’m not gonna be nice about it.” She called.

“So, you’ll be your normal, cheery self with me. Great. Won't ask for anything else, we have a good thing going.” He turned to wink, curling a final smile. Evie stilled, petting her cat before sighing into the cold air. “See you then, Fenny.”

“Whatever you say, Hargrove.” She shut the door as he climbed his own porch. Looked at her cat.

“You did this to us, I hope you’re proud.”

Bourbon blinked. Another rumbling purr in response.

** ** **

“The world...” Evie plucked an idle cord. Sang soft to not disturb her mother down the hallway sleeping. Nestled into the wall on her bed next to the window. “May think I’m foolish. They can’t see you like I can...”

Darkness shrouded save for a small set of twinkling lights around her bed frame. Eyes kept averting to the clock.

“Oh, but anyone...who...”

Another pause to see the clock. Eyes flickered out along the street marked with lamps. Cracking her window to see out. Nothing. Evie settled. Changed the tune to something original and plucked another heart string.

“Those ocean eyes… Drowning me out. What I wouldn't give to...” Her palm caught the vibrating cord to snuff the sound. A groan as she set the guitar aside. “Shit.”

That was not happening.

A car went down the street at the exact moment the clock struck eleven. Evie grabbed her coat and locked her bedroom door. Checked her hair and makeup before hitching one leg over the window. Felt the naughty thrill pulse into her heart as she snuck out.

Billy peered to see beyond his own window near the foot of his bed. Unseen in the pitch black space. Thought about catching her. It was always a Saturday night. Evie Fenny crept out like clockwork. Wearing something nice under a jacket she held close. Sometimes with the guitar on her back. Lips painted red. Went down the street and returned as the sun rose. He’d observed it often. Sometimes it happened on school nights. Two to three times a week. Never asked because it didn’t seem important enough before. But, now…

Billy knew a teen girl didn’t paint her lips red at eleven o’clock on a Saturday for just anyone.

Evie hurried down the street toward the woods at the end. Got into a shiny car. Disappeared until sunrise.

~~~~~

Chat with me about Evie & Billy and the impending Skirt Safari Dance! Thanks!

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trillian-anders · 4 years

Text

amor de mi vida - 1941

pairing: bucky barnes x latinx!reader

warnings: racism, prejudice, fluff, angst, death

word count: 5449

description: Bucky Barnes is a sweet young Brooklyn boy, just on the cusp of manhood, a hopeless romantic that falls in love with almost every girl he sees. when he sets his eyes on a young girl fresh off the boat from Cuba he finds out how hard love can really be.

for @cake-writes 1940s challenge.

Lips were pressed softly against his. Bucky’s heart was singing. It was a pure tonic. A drug. Something he’d never give up. He’s not a quitter. Lips parting and joining, a wet sound between them as he buried his fingers in your hair, shifting you back against the seat of the car. Thank god for bench seats. A movie neither of you cared about playing in the background.

They pressed against each other in the small kitchen of your apartment. His hand fisted in your dress at your hips while your hands we’re wrapped around his neck. The edge of the counter digging into your back. Billie Holiday’s ‘God Bless the Child’ playing softly over the radio. Soft moans as his tongue brushed yours, heads titling and breath catching.

In the back office of Barnes & Son’s Autorepair. Blinds half pulled sitting on the couch in the office, his fingers twisted in the ends of your hair, leaning over you. Legs laid over his lap as he pulled you close to him, the tension thick but unbreakable. This forever buildup that will result in both of you parting with shuddering breaths and half lidded eyes.

“You’re so beautiful.” He whispered against your lips, thumb brushing the skin of your knee through your hose. “What are your plans for today?” It was a rare day off for you, Bucky had been frustrated that he had to work, but you stopping by with a Tupperware container of leftover pisto from last night made up for it. Only slightly.

You shrugged, picking at the letters on his uniform. ‘Bucky’ it said there. A childhood nickname he’d explained to you before.

“I dunno how it came about,” He had shrugged. “My Pops has been calling me that ever since I could remember.”

You rolled your head to the side, leaning your cheek on your palm, “Probably groceries, some cleaning.” The heavy winter had just been lifting from New York. You’d opened the windows this morning, letting the chilled air flow through the stuffy apartment for the first time in months. The apartment needed a good wipe down, rugs needed to be beaten, and some fresh linens.

“I’ll be done around six,” He explained, trying to fix a curl he’d mussed in your prior activity. He raised your hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to the back of it. “You’re coming for my birthday dinner right?” It was not unknown to Bucky that you specifically planned to come around to the shop on days where his Dad was off nor was he naive that every time he’d tried to bring you home you’d get cold feet.

You’d always offered to bring him around yours, Claudia loved him and he’d fixed the whole apartment so well that he’d probably gained a good five pounds from the torticas de moron that you loved so much. The ones you sent him home with after your Mother had none so kindly stuffed about ten down his throat after feeding him a minimum of two plates at dinner.

“Engordar a un hombre [Fatten a man],” Claudia said, “El nunca te dejará [He’ll never leave you.]” He laughed as you rolled your eyes, clearing the plates from the table. He watched your hips sway as you wiped some crumbs of the counter, looking at him over your shoulder with a look that made his cock twitch in his slacks. He cleared his throat, standing from the table before helping you wash the dishes.

It was routine.

What wasn’t routine was you coming by his house for dinner. You never have. You’d been avoiding it actually. And both of you knew it, but Bucky just couldn’t understand why, “My folks are gonna love you, I already know that.” You nod, and Bucky watches your pouty swollen lips pull into a frown. “What are you so worried about dahlin?” Thumb still caressing your knee. It wasn’t the concern of them being progressive that was the issue. The acceptance of minorities had been made clear by George Barnes after he’d integrated his auto shop. That wasn’t the issue here, the issue was,

“What if they don’t like me?” What if you weren’t what they wanted for him? The fact that he’d never brought a girl home before was daunting. What made you so special? Bucky laughed, your face flushing with heat.

“Of course they’re gonna like you.” His teeth were perfect, how were his teeth so perfect? “I talk about you all the time. They basically know everything there is to know about you.” His other hand met your chin, lifting your head and bringing your lips back to his. So soft. “If it makes you that uncomfortable we can try again another time, but I would really like you to come tonight.”

He was always like this. So accommodating. He worked everything around you, and that is what made you feel so guilty about this. He would meet you out wherever you wanted, he came to your house for dinner almost every night he could. He worked around your schedule mostly and the pale pink bolt of fabric that sat next to your sewing machine was your latest gift from him.

“Spring is here, you’ll need some lighter dresses right? The girl at the shop said--” He’d walked into the fabric store not knowing anything about anything and walked out with this beautiful soft pink cotton fabric, enough to make both you and your mother dresses with a little bit left over to make him a shirt as well.

He always showed up with flowers, the vase of flowers on your kitchen table replaced every time a bloom began to droop. Every leaky faucet and creaking floorboard was repaired as soon as it was noticed and you swore you put on a pound or two from no longer having to walk anywhere you needed to go.

You’d fallen for him, and fast. The ease at which he’d slipped into your daily life had been almost alarming. It was if he was this missing piece, like he was meant to be there all along.

“I want to go.” Your hand covered his, now cupping your cheek. “I’m just nervous, it will be alright.”

The Barnes’ lived in a brownstone in the middle of a pretty nice park of Brooklyn Heights. Just blocks away from Sunset Park, but almost a completely different world. The bubbling in your stomach wouldn’t settle as Bucky parked his car in the street, looking at you reassuringly,

“C’mon babydoll,” He lifted your knuckles to his lips, “My sisters are a little bit of a pain, but once everyone’s eating it’ll be okay.”

Steve was already at the house, sitting with Suzy as she wrote out a paper she had due for English class the next day, he was scribbling on his sketchbook beside her as she rambled,

“I don’t really care for Hemmingway,” Suzy, 13, was telling him, Steve looked up at her from his scribbling, “I heard he’s a drunk.”

There was a scream from upstairs and two girls, Ginny 17 and Ruth 15, were arguing, “You ripped it!” Ginny yelled, tears in her eyes as she held the bundled fabric in her fists.

“I only ripped it because you wouldn’t let go!” Ruth stomped her foot, “I was only borrowing it!”

“You have to ask to borrow things otherwise it’s stealing!” Ruth made hands for the garment again, Ginny pulling it out of her reach and screaming in frustration, “Mom!” There’s a clatter of pots and pans under the sound of the radio playing in the sitting room where George Barnes was reading a book, ignoring the chaos building in his home.

Becca skid into sight at the top of the stairs, “Y/N!” She yelled as her sisters disappeared into the kitchen, she lay herself dangerously over the banister before attempting to slide down, Bucky quickly stepped from your side to catch her as she fell over the side, laughing in his arms. “Y/N, I’m so happy to see you!” Becca had gone through a bit of a growth spurt as she neared her eleventh year. The beginnings of puberty shown in the few little dots on her face and the way her attitude was now easily sparked.

“Let her breathe Becks.” Bucky hung his coat up on the rack, Becca parted from you, rolling her eyes at her brother but still grinning. Bucky moved to take your coat,

“I couldn’t wait for you to come,” She grinned, taking your hand as Bucky hangs your coat next to his, taking your hat and gloves as well. “Here, come meet my Dad.”

Bucky Barnes was a spitting image of his Father, right down to the blue of his eyes. If you wanted to know what Bucky would look like in his late forties, George gave you a good idea. Hair stark grey at his temples and salt and pepper throughout, George kept a thick beard. His hands were rough from working with machinery for so long, but the man cleaned up well. He wore wire rimmed glasses that sat low on his nose, ones he peered over to look at you for the first time. A smile crossed his face, “Well Hello!” Jovial. Cheerful. Downright jolly. He was soft in the middle. “You must be Y/N.” The book was discarded and the radio close to him was turned down low as he stood from the armchair. He crossed the room in two quick strides, taking your hand and shaking it softly as he pressed a kiss to your cheek. “Buck you weren’t kidding,” George smiled at his son, “You’re absolutely stunning.”

“Thank you,” A flush on your cheeks, Becca was holding your hand to the side.

George’s hands on your shoulders, he patted them once before turning to his boy, “Have you said hello to Mom yet?”

“No,” Bucky hugged his Dad, coming back to your side and wrapping an arm around your waist, “We just walked in the door.” The girl’s screaming could be heard from the kitchen, George winced.

“Best give her a minute to get them to calm down, Steve’s in the dining room with Suzy doing homework. I’m going to go help your Mother.” With that he disappeared down the hall.

“See?” Bucky whispered to you, “Not bad so far?” The butterflies were still there, it wasn’t George you had to win over, it was Winnie.

“Do you like to read?” Suzy asked, shifting her papers aside. You shrug,

“There aren’t many books here in Spanish,” You say, “I have a few from Cuba, but I’m not very good at reading in English.” Suzy smiled,

“I could help!” She reached into her bag, pulling a book out. Jane Eyre. “This is one of my favorites, you’re speaking really well so I don’t think it’ll be that hard for you to put two and two together maybe-”

“Suzy.” Steve interrupted, “I’m sure Y/N appreciates the enthusiasm, but I’m sure she’d want to do that another time” She blushed heavily. It was no secret she was harboring a little crush on Steve. Whenever he was at the Barnes’ residence, which was often, she was sure to be stuck to his side. The blond didn’t notice though. He would never notice.

“She’ll come over again, I’m sure.” Bucky nudged your shoulder, “I hope so anyway.”

“Did you want to go to Coney Island this weekend?” Steve asked, “I’ve seen plenty of people there before.” People like her. Steve has been searching for places they could all go together. Like a real pal. The three of them had spent some time together, mostly at the park, occasionally at the drive-in and once Bucky and Steve had taken you to that diner down the road almost without issue.

You could still remember how red Bucky’s face had gotten when that woman had accidentally spilled her milkshake on you. He ”...couldn’t believe it”, he said to you later, “That you just let her do that. You didn’t even--”

“What am I supposed to do?” You asked him heatedly, “Punch her?” Bucky’s knuckles gripped the steering wheel even tighter as he stopped at the light.

“Y/N, how many times do I have to tell you I’m sorry.” His teeth clenched, “I wasn’t thinking--”

“No,” You sighed heavily, rubbing your forehead, “I’m sorry.” There was a dark stain in the front of your dress, covered by your coat, something you hoped would come out. “There’s just not much I can do.” And you can’t solve problems with your fists.

“Buck,” Steve spoke from the backseat, “Things will get better.” Eventually. You gave him an appreciative look. There were people out there, some just like the Barnes’ family. Some like Steve who believed in racial equality. For every bad experience you’d had since you came to New York you’ve had an equally good one.

Two days ago a woman kindly asked you to hold her child while she dug in her purse for some change at a food cart. The sweet little thing cooing in your arms as she said, “I love your lipstick,” The harlot red some people called it, “I’ve been looking for a shade just like it, but my husband isn’t keen on me spending so much on makeup.” She was sweet, blonde, a couple years older than you are.

“You should do whatever makes you happy,” You smiled, the baby’s pudgy hands coming to grip a strand of your hair. A gentle tug, a harsh tug, and the blonde was apologizing. You gently worked the hair from between the cherub’s fingers, “She’s fine.” You laughed, “That’s what babies do.”

And the men at Barnes & Son Auto Repair were always so courteous and nice to you. Bucky seemed to only remember the bad things, but that’s life isn’t it?

Bucky was looking at you with hope now, “I’d love to.” Steve grinned, looking at his friend.

“I wanna go to Coney Island.” Becca whined to her brother, gripping his arm.

“Me too.” Suzy shifted down in her seat, agreeing softly. Bucky sighed heavily,

“Let me ask Ma, see what she says.”

“Ask me what?” Winifred Barnes was a sight. The four Barnes daughters were beautiful, so she had to be too. And she was. Her hair in a polished chignon, green eyes, and a beautiful green velvet number that made you feel like you were very under dressed.

“She likes company,” Bucky will explain to you later, “That’s just how she always dresses.”

Her nails were perfectly lacquered in a soft nude color and her heels matched perfectly. A single strand of pearls lay around her neck. A perfect figure you couldn’t believe birthed five children, but here she was. The perfect American wife. The one you see in adverts and who coo over commercials about what dish soap they prefer.

“Oh!” Her peachy lips grinned, “No one told me you’d arrived.” Her hand went to pat the side of her hair and she removed the white apron from her front, laying it over the back of the chair as you stood to politely greet her. Her hands gently grasped yours, soft, the kind of soft you get from not having to work a day in your life. “Let me get a look at you.” And she stepped back, taking you in.

You’d felt a little uncomfortable, nervous. The dress you were wearing was a bit older, but nice, it buttoned down the front, it had little blue birds on the white fabric. Your shoes were a little worse for wear. The scuffed black kitten heels you’d been trying to get an entire life out of.

“You really are a gorgeous thing.” She cooed lovingly, looking at her son she glared, “James why haven’t you gone and changed?” He pushed back his chair and stood,

“Sorry Ma,” A kiss to her cheek, a playful look to you and he disappeared upstairs.

“Here,” She smiled at you, “Come help me in the kitchen.” It was very organized, a practiced orchestration of dishes and side dishes, “James’ favorites.” She said, Winnie must have been cooking all day. Brisket, mashed potatoes, string beans, a whole roasted chicken with rosemary and a garlic butter sauce, sweet corn, and freshly baked dinner rolls. An iced pound cake sat to the side, nineteen candles jammed into it. “You can thank Becca for that,” she had explained laughing.

Their house was noisy, crowded for the space they had. The four girls were fighting almost constantly, playfully bickering over who was going to get the leg of the chicken, Bucky because it’s his birthday and Ginny for being the oldest, and who was better at singing also came up at the table causing the two youngest girls to belt out what they could remember of I’m Yours.

Steve and Bucky talked about what Howard Stark’s latest invention had been and news of the Stark Expo he was trying to put on next year, while both Winnie and George asked you about the factory you worked at and how Bucky had told them you make all of your own dresses.

“You must be very talented,” Winne motioned towards your dress, “It’s very beautiful.”

“Are you okay?” Bucky whispered, his hand gripping yours in your lap. He had a little mashed potato on the corner of his lip that you wiped with your napkin.

“I’m okay.” There were some words that you’d never heard before that Bucky had translated for you, but the girls seemed eager to learn some words in Spanish as well. The discussion of language breaching the table as Winnie disappeared into the kitchen, reappearing with the fire hazard of a cake and a silence before the tune of Happy Birthday was sung. Bucky’s hand not leaving yours as Becca yelled,

“Make a wish!” And his candles were blown out. You didn’t know if you belonged here, in this world. It had always been you and your Mom and you’d always been poor. This house, these sisters, this family. You doubted they’d ever had empty stomachs. The girls had talked about buying new dresses for Spring. They begged George for money so they could go over to Neiman Marcus and go shopping. And he’d given it to them.

They had everything they needed, and things they wanted. It made sense how Bucky was kind of naive in some ways. Sometimes he couldn’t understand why you weren’t able to just do certain things, but he was getting better about it. Steve would knock some common sense into him from time to time.

He looked so happy right now, it was hard to say anything about how you were feeling.

Bucky pressed his lips to yours in the darkness of his car, hand cupping your cheek. “I’m so glad you came babydoll.” His mouth was sweet, sugary from the two slices of cake he’d eaten. His tongue brushed yours and a heat developed in your core. He whispered against your lips, “I’m gonna take you to Coney Island,” Kiss, “And I’m gonna win you a teddy bear,” Kiss, soft moan, “And then I’m gonna take you on the ferris wheel,” Slower kiss, “And I’m gonna kiss you when we get to the top.” His fingers sunk into your hair, “Cause you’re so damn sweet.”

“Happy Birthday James.” You whispered against his lips, eyes half lidded looking at him. He pressed a soft kiss to your forehead before exiting the car, walking around to open your door and help you out. Stealing another kiss as he shut the car door behind you.

Mateo was standing in the hallway when you’d reached your door. The man hadn’t given you much trouble after the night at the club. Your Mother had talked to him once about leaving you alone, about how she didn’t like the way he would grab you sometimes. He left seething and every time he’d seen James from then on he had a steady glare and a hard grip on whatever he was holding.

“Your Mother needs you.” Was all he bit, before disappearing into his apartment and slamming the door. You wished Bucky hadn’t left. But he’d seen you to the door of the building, stealing one last kiss before skipping back down the stairs. You wish he hadn’t left.

The room was still when you’d entered the apartment, where radio was usually always playing it sat silent in the corner. You dropped your house keys on the kitchenette, slipping your coat off your shoulders as a heavy cough sounded from your Mother’s room. “Mama?” You called, “Estás bien? [Are you alright]?” The sound of your heels clicking was so loud it was almost deafening as you walked down the hall, she was laying there in bed, pale as a sheet. A pile of used rags next to her, and they were covered in blood. You gasp, covering your mouth at her sweaty pallor.

What were you supposed to do now?

You stopped going to the shop. Bucky would come by the apartment and you would tearfully tell him it wasn’t a good time. Your Mother was sick and there was nothing Bucky could do to make it better. His heart ached with the sudden distance. She’d been sick for a while apparently, and she hid it well. He could only hope you wouldn’t come down with the ailment as well.

He’d asked his family Doctor to stop by, the one that had been at his own birth. It was lung cancer, and a late stage. It was only a matter of time. Bucky began dropping off groceries, you’d woefully sat on the step of the apartment building with him for a few minutes thanking him and saying, “What do I do without her?” Because you both knew it was coming, and soon.

“I’m so sorry dahlin.” His arm around your shoulders. He could remember when Sarah died. Steve had been a mess, trying to be strong, level headed about it. But now the things Claudia had been telling him made sense,

“La amas? [You love her?]” She’d asked him once as he watched you sway side to side to the radio, dusting a picture frame.

“I do.” He remembers his heart being warm, smiling.

“Prométeme que cuidarás de ella. [Promise me that you’ll take care of her.]” Of course he would take care of you. You were everything. “Promise me.”

“I promise.” Her hand coming to rest on his shoulder.

“Bueno.” She shuffled around in the kitchen, repeating, “Good.”

She knew. She knew she was dying and did nothing. There was no cure. She complained about poking and prodding, the Doctors who would just destroy her life faster than she could live it. She decided against treatment. She decided against telling you until she had to. Until she couldn’t hide it anymore.

Bucky didn’t know what to say, but Steve did.

“When my Ma died it was really hard, and it’s going to be really hard.” They were at your kitchen table, a bowl of ropa veija in front of the three of you, mostly untouched but still steaming. “But you’re strong, and she’ll want you to be strong.” His hand lay on yours comfortingly. “My Ma told me women are survivors and much better than men at pulling themselves together and pushing against all odds.” And you’ll survive. You will.

Her last words are a gentle affirmation. “Eres el amor de mi vida. [You are the love of my life.]” Her chapped lips pressing against your hands, weeping eyes not being able to focus as her breath rattled and then stopped all together.

Her funeral was small, a couple of men and women from the neighborhood, you, Steve, and the Barnes family. George Barnes bought a plot in the cemetery for her and paid for the casket himself. “It’s the least we can do.” And you were grateful, because you wouldn’t have been able to afford it. Bucky held your hand tightly in his grip, pressing a kiss to your temple as they lowered your Mother’s casket into the ground.

The six of them were now shoved into your tiny apartment, the girls helping their Mother roll out dough and fix dinner in the small kitchen, George and Bucky were stripping the bed and Steve had just gotten back from starting a load of laundry in the basement. You didn’t know what to do, sitting out on the fire escape, blankly watching the cars pass by on the street below.

“Hey honey.” Winnie Barnes leaned out the window, pulling one leg up and then another to scoot herself outside. It would look almost ridiculous if she hadn’t been so put together. She gently pulled you into her chest, letting you wrap your arms around her tightly, crying into her shoulder. It was quiet for a beat, then another, then she said, “We have a guest room if you want to stop by, ever.” Hand soothingly rubbing up and down your back. “James aside, if you don’t want to be alone.”

You doubted you’d take them up on their offer, but “Thank you,” You sniffled into her shoulder, “Thank you.”

Comfort food. That's what they’d made. A large pot of beef stew you’d eat on for almost a week. Rolls, pie. You were okay throughout dinner, you ate some, but your appetite hadn’t fully returned yet. And Bucky didn’t leave you.

After dinner was put away and the family left, the two of you lay in the dark above the covers, staring at each other. This was very improper. Some say it would ruin your reputation. But at that moment you just really didn’t want to be alone. His hand outstretched and softly holding yours, the comfort of him just being there.

“I don’t have to leave,” He whispered, “But if you don’t want me here I understand.” You gripped his hand a little harder and he pulled you closer to him, letting your head lay on his chest as he pulled you in tight. Eyes dry and puffy from crying all day. “I love you babydoll.” A kiss to your hand while he stared at the ceiling.

“I love you too.” Voice watery, spoken into his chest.

Life goes on. Life went on. The apartment was just emptier. Quieter. Lonelier. Your Mother had done everything for you. She created this life. She brought you to America knowing you’d have a better life here than you did in Cuba. More opportunity. And if you hadn’t came to New York you would have never met Bucky.

Sweet, gentle, caring Bucky who brought you groceries every week now. He stayed for dinner every night. Sometimes he would even try his hand at cooking, as unpracticed as he was. He started doing laundry on days where you couldn’t bring yourself to do it. He cleaned on days you couldn’t get out of bed.

He bought you new shoes when your old ones began ripping up at the soles, “You have to take care of yourself dahlin, you need a new pair of shoes.” He had argued with you about it until he decided to just go get you a pair himself. He knew you were struggling to pay for this apartment and every time he brought groceries, every time he’d brought you some new fabric, and every time he’d slip money into your purse you would argue, but he would always win.

He just wanted to help. And he did. Wherever he could.

Arms wrapped around your waist from behind as you stirred a pot of rice. Lips pressed against your neck as he sung softly in your ear, Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered.

I'm wild again

Beguiled again

A simpering, whimpering child again

Bewitched, bothered and bewildered am I

“I love you.” You whispered, placing a hand over his on your stomach. “So much.” He let out a heavy breath,

“Marry me.” Your stirring halted, head turning to look at his flushed cheeks.

“James…”

“I’m serious.” He stepped back, bringing you to face him in his arms, swaying you side to side. “Be my wife,” A gentle kiss against your lips, then his blue eyes searching yours, “You’re so smart, so beautiful,” Another kiss, “I wanna be with you, I told you that on our first date.” He did. “I don’t have a ring or nothin’ yet, but just say the word and I’ll have one by lunchtime tomorrow.” Fingers twisting in your hair as he tilted your face. “I love you.” A gentle kiss, tongue brushing yours, fingers entwined in your hair, scratching your scalp. You moaned into his mouth,

“Ask me again.” He parted from you, pressing a kiss to your hand as he sunk down to one knee in your small kitchenette.

“Y/N,” Your hand held to his cheek, “You are the most caring, beautiful, intelligent woman I’ve ever met. I knew from the moment I saw you standing outside of the corner store that I would marry you. I love you, and I want to love you for the rest of my life. Everything I do and everything I will do will be to give you everything you ever wanted. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?” You blinked, teary eyed, nodding.

“Yes.”

“It is no joke, this is a real war.” Spilled over the speakers of the radio in the Barnes’ living room. Pearl Harbor had just been bombed.

It was a quiet Sunday morning until that point. At lunch the family was sitting down to, the entirety of the Barnes clan, you and Steve. You’d just gotten back from church, George turning the radio on to have some background noise when the broadcast came on again. The United States were now part of the war. Troops were going to start being sent out any day now.

Steve and Bucky shared a look and the three men shut the doors to the parlor. Your fiance avoiding your eyes. Winnie lay a hand on your shoulder, turning you back into the kitchen as your heart dropped out of your chest.

“You’re not going.” You said sternly. “No.” Bucky sighed, running his fingers through his hair.

“You don’t understand dahlin, I have to go.” His hands reached for yours and you backed away out of reach.

“No, you don’t have to go.” You spat. “You want to go.”

“Stevie isn’t going to be able to, both of our Pops fought in the 107th and I have to continue on. This is for us, I’ll still be sending checks--”

“You think I want money?” You couldn’t help it, you started to cry. “I want you, here. With me.” He ran over to you, pulling you into his chest.

“Listen, baby.” A kiss pressed against your hair, “It’ll be fine.”

“It won’t.” You hiccuped, “Men die in war every day, James.”

“I’ll be fine.” You pushed your hands against his chest, trying to get away.

“No, you won’t be.” He held you tighter, “You’re leaving me.” Bucky let out a heavy sigh, beginning to rock the both of you side to side.

“Not forever,” He whispered, “Only for a little bit. I have to serve my country, to keep my family safe.” He moved to cup your cheek, tilting your teary eyes up to meet his, pressing a kiss to each of your cheeks before pressing his mouth to yours. “They bomb Pearl Harbor, who's to say they won’t bomb New York, huh? Gotta keep them off our shores.”

“James,” His face was serious, determined. There was no talking him out of this. This legacy he needed to fulfil. A war. A stupid fucking war. Wars gave a promise of work and promotion, they gave young boys like him good money to go out and put their lives on the line for men who sat in offices and just pointed fingers. It chewed young men up and spat them back out, you’ve seen it before. And you were going to lay witness to it again.

“There are people over there, innocent people,” He said softly, “Being persecuted for being who they are.” He pressed a kiss to your forehead, scratching the nape of your neck with his blunt fingernails, “I would never be able to forgive myself if I didn’t fight to free them.” You sighed, closing your eyes and looking down at his chest.

“I just lost her, James.” You hiccup, “I can’t lose you too.” Silence filled the apartment for a moment, the gentle rocking side to side continued on before he responded,

“You’re not going to.”

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#bucky barnes #1940s bucky barnes #bucky barnes x reader #steve rogers #captain america #winter soldier #cake's 1940s challenge

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kiatheinsomniac · 4 years

Text

Chapter IV: New Beginnings

Part I, Part II, Part II

(Y/n) woke to the sound of the room's clock ringing. The loud noise made her jolt awake, unused to the volume compared to her own quieter phone alarm. She buried her face in her fluffy blanket before peeling it away from her features when the ringing stopped. She glanced to the other side of the room to see that Evie had been the one to get out of bed and turn it off. Six in the morning.

"Me réveillez à sept heures," Aveline mumbled, rolling onto her stomach and falling back asleep.

"What?" Evie furrowed her brows.

"Wake her up in an hour." (Y/n) translated as she sat up and ran her hand through her hair, gazing out of her window to see the mist that hung low over the green forest. She glanced to her few succulent plants on the windowsill and smiled softly before getting up.

Today was their first academic day at the school. They'd been handed their schedules at dinner the previous day along with directions to the classes. She threw her hair up messily with a scrunchie, yawning before sitting in front of the floor-length mirror, lugging a small makeup bag with her as she sat on the fluffy rug.

"I don't like getting ready without music," Claudia grumbled, making her way behind the dressing screen. Not wanting to selfishly keep the mirror all to herself, (Y/n) was quick in applying her makeup, keeping it simple. The (y/o) girl stretched before pulling the scrunchie out of her hair and brushing it in order to style it for the day, settling on a parting down the middle and two french braids. She got up to let the other girls use the mirror - Evie being quick to take the spot in order to apply her usual dark eyeshadow.

(Y/n) stepped behind the dressing screen to pull on a pair of tights; the grey and white plaid skirt, which was part of the uniform, a white button-up shirt and an oversized red jumper which she tucked into the skirt. She slipped on a simple pair of flats and grabbed her washbag to make her way to the bathroom, glancing to the still-sleeping Aveline as she left to find the girls' bathroom.

When she got there, (Y/n) was briefly greeted by Kassandra, who was drying her hair, and she spotted a red-haired girl fixing up her hair in the mirror, still in her pyjamas.

She made her way over to the sink to brush her teeth before leaving to go make sure someone had woken Aveline. On her way back, she spotted a dark-skinned woman with almond eyes and beautiful silky black braids.

"Is that the bathroom you just came out of?" She asked in an American accent.

"Uh, yes." She replied, "Which room are you in? I'm in room one, I'm (Y/n)." She introduced herself.

"Room three with Élise, Lucy and Lucrezia. You can call me Ziio." She replied with a warm smile.

"Lucrezia? I feel sorry for you." She laughed lightly.

"As do I." The Native American girl replied, "It was nice to meet you." She finished before heading off to the bathroom. When (Y/n) got back, she found that Aveline was stumbling around the room, pulling her ankle boots on and fully dressed.

"Wow, I wish that I could get dressed that quickly," (Y/n) spoke up, smiling.

"Believe me, it's a blessing when you're running late. . . or just not a morning person." She laughed out in her thick French accent that hung like a rich smoke in (Y/n)'s ears. The (e/c) eyed female decided to head downstairs, frowning at the poorly-written guide to the dining hall. She figured that she would run into another confused student on the way and they would be able to navigate the way together.

She trod lightly down the curved stairs and settled on making a left down the corridor when she was stopped by a voice:

"Dining hall's that way!" The rough yet smiling voice called out from the stairs behind her. (Y/n) turned around to spot the boy who she had presumed was Evie's brother yesterday.

"Oh, thanks." She quirked up a smile as he made his way beside her, the two of them silently agreeing to walk there together. "Just to clarify, you're Jacob, right?"

"My reputation proceeds me." He puffed out his chest a little, a joking tone edging his voice.

"Your twin does, actually. Evie's in my room." She explained briefly, "She's really kind."

"Right up until you have to live with her." He replied with humour, making (Y/n) chuckle a little.

"I wouldn't know. I'm an only child." She replied, "It must be nice to have someone all the time at least." The ebony-haired female offered.

He seemed to ponder over it for a moment, "We argue a lot, but. . . I still love her at the end of the day." He shrugged, keeping it simple. (Y/n) spotted Arno and Ezio in the doorway of the dining hall; they seemed to be getting on well. "Ah!" Jacob burst out, making them turn around, "My Rooks!"

"We're not making a gang and we're not calling it the Rooks." Arno pointed a finger at Jacob, his eyes slightly dark and a book clutched in his free hand. (Y/n) let out a small gasp upon seeing it, holding her palm up to her mouth after realising she had made the noise out loud and not in her head. The trio of boys shot her an odd look.

"Sorry, I just really like that book." She gestured to the one in Arno's hand: Stung with Love, "You don't seem like a fan of Sappho." She felt a little bad after spotting how slowly he reacted, clearly exhausted.

"Uh, yeah, I like literature a lot, especially plays and poetry. I have a big library at home." He shrugged, a small smile tugging at his lips. "I didn't have my phone to check this morning so I guess that I'm getting more of my books read and reread while I'm here

"You seem so tired, bless. Want to get a coffee?"

"Best words I've heard all morning." He replied as he followed her inside, "I've always had trouble sleeping and it doesn't help that I'm not a morning person." He spoke as he made a beeline for a hot drinks machine that seemed almost out of place in such an old building. At least it was convenient.

"I'm usually terrible in the mornings, myself. I think it's just the excitement of being somewhere new that has me in such an energetic mood." She reasoned, more so with herself than with him.

He hummed lowly, "It doesn't help that Ezio talks in his sleep. . . a lot. The worst part is I can only understand half of it."

"What? Does he speak in Italian?” Arno hummed in approval, “It’s got some similarities with French though, I’ve seen a lot." She agreed, grabbing a bowl and filling it with some fruit.

"You speak French?" He perked up at this.

"I had a lot of time back home so I started learning it," She explained as he grabbed a few slices of toast while she took her turn on the machine, making herself a cup of tea. Loud voices sounded from down the corridor as the two of them took a seat, (Y/n)'s eyes flickered down the corridor to spot the two boys that had jumped in the lake yesterday. She knew Alexios - Kassandra's brother - but not the blonde boy.

"I will forever be jealous of people with that much energy this early in the morning," Arno spoke between sips of coffee while (Y/n) watched them race into the, previously quiet, dining hall.

"Who's the blonde one?" She asked.

"Edward. Welsh, I think - he's in the room next to mine. I think I saw him jump in the lake yesterday." He added with a scoff as he picked up a slice of toast. (Y/n) popped a strawberry in her mouth as someone new slid into the seat beside her. He had dark, rich skin and cropped hair with eyes such a light brown that they seemed to glow amber. He had full lips that were split by a scar, much like Ezio's. He smelled strongly of smoky cedar and mint.

"You seem like the quiet people and I've already had to deal with those two being loud all morning." He groaned, seemingly only having a cup of coffee for breakfast, judging by the mug in his hand. He had a low middle-eastern accent accompanying his voice that was still thick with sleep.

"I mean, you're not wrong." She shrugged, biting down on an apple slice, "I'm (Y/n), by the way, and this is Arno." She introduced. He shot her a sidelong glance that wasn't mean nor kind.

"I didn't sit here to talk." He spoke, sipping his coffee and glancing around the room.

"Oh. . . ok." She replied, a little taken aback but completely understanding all at once. She had been that way with the people at her old school, after all. She picked up her mug of tea and took a sip, looking to Arno only to see that his interest laid with the book which he had now opened.

(Y/n) looked around the room to see Kassandra and Aya shooting her cheeky looks at sitting with two boys already, she raised a brow and shot them a disbelieving look, holding back a laugh at their teasing immaturity as she picked up another strawberry.

Breakfast passed soon enough and they were heading to their first class: history. (Y/n) took her seat by the back of the room but not too far that there would be an excessive amount of people in the way. She settled herself in her seat and pulled a pen out of her pocket, leaning on her hand as she watched the class filter into the room. Almost everyone seemed reluctant to take a seat beside someone, the room full of unfamiliar faces. This left (Y/n) having the desk to herself, at least, until the chair beside her was pulled out and a taller figure fell down into the seat.

She glanced over to see that it was Kassadra's brother, Alexios. He gave her a quick look, eyes glancing between her and the teacher.

"Alexios, right?" She spoke up, not wanting to sit in awkward silence for the entirety of the lesson. That certainly seemed to dampen his mood, brows falling low over his eyes.

"Deimos, actually." He corrected, looking her up and down, seeming to think for a moment. "Are you going to leave your hair like that?"

"Like what?" She replied quickly, offence and self-consciousness taking over her tone.

"Like that." He gesticulated with his hand before turning to face the front. Perhaps her emotions were too evident on her face - a pinched brow or a pout, maybe her fingers twisting a hairband around her wrist - because Kassandra came over to crouch by her desk, taking advantage of Alexios having his back turned while he spoke to Edward.

"Don't take anything he says to heart, he's doing it to try and upset you. Please, just give him a chance, he's here to change. He's not around those málakes friends of his anymore, I know he can go back to the way he used to be." She pleaded softly before going back to her chosen desk beside Aya. (Y/n) glanced over to Alexios, Kassandra's words spinning in her mind. He had no friends here yet, none of them did, really; he would realise the fault in his ways sooner or later and become friendlier, she figured.

A teacher made his way to the front of the room: A tanned man with cropped brown hair. He had an apathetic face with a large scar over one side and wore an old-fashioned cravat with his shirt.

"Come and collect your notebooks from the front. I'm going to tell you about the course we give here and we'll go straight to work." He spoke as he turned to the board and picked up a pen, writing the date. Everyone rose from their seats to collect a blank notebook from the front.

"Grab me one." Alexios nodded his head on (Y/n)'s direction.

"I would if you asked a bit nicer." She huffed as she got up, feeling his sour look on her back before he stood to fetch it for himself. He took his seat beside her once more, shooting her a side-long glance as he tried to mentally assess her, watching her keep her focus on what was happening at the front of the room, filling in the front of her notebook. Giving up on trying to figure her out, he huffed and leaned back in his seat.

LOADING ANIMUS DATA... ██████████████]99%

The next few lessons passed similarly; though not all of them were spent beside a brooding Alexios, (Y/n)'s English lesson had been spent next to Élise. The two of them got along well, discussing Les Misérables and comparing the English and French versions which they were both familiar and unfamiliar with.

They chose to continue their conversation into break, strolling through the gardens together and eventually sitting on the side of the fountain. The cherubs and mermaids in the centre of the display stood frozen in some sort of mysterious dance which only they knew as the water rose and fell around them.

Élise could easily stir envy in the girls around her, she was utterly beautiful: gently curled hair like the flames of a bonfire in November spent among friends, dazzling blue eyes like a Summer's sky, perfect clear and porcelain skin and a figure that every model desired. Not to mention, from what (Y/n) had learned of her, she was intelligent, confident and kind.

"I think we should explore the grounds later." She suggested as she looked over her shoulder to the line of trees, "See what's beyond the lake perhaps. Surely this château can't be the only thing around here?"

"Are you sure?" (Y/n) followed her gaze, "We could get lost."

"Not if we don't go too far. I think it'll be fun!" The Frenchwoman seemed to buzz with excitement, "And we can bring some more people with us. Have you met Arno yet?" (Y/n) nodded her head, recalling their exchanges on the roof yesterday and at breakfast that morning.

"Yeah, he seems nice." She replied, "And I'm sure Claudia would be up for some exploring, perhaps Evie?"

"Perfect!" Élise beamed, "We'll do it after today's classes!"

53 notes · View notes

thebisexualdogdad · 4 years

Text

Being Claudia Donovan's brother and dating Steve Jinks

Co written with @inhumanshadows

· You didn't start dating Steve until a year after he joined the team

· For one reason you thought dating a co worker was a bad idea

· And more importantly your sister was his best friend

· And that was another can of worms.

· However after a year... you decided to talk to her about it.

· And by talk you meant “frantically run to her room shouting ‘crisis!”

· "What the hell is wrong with you?"

· "I uh.. Want to ask Steve out on a date"

· "Well finally"

· "You knew i liked him?"

· "Everyone knows dude, even Pete figured it out"

· “Wow... that’s uh... kinda sad honestly...”

· “Yeah... so go ask him out.”

· You asked Steve and out and he happily said yes

· There isn't much to do in south dakota so your first date was just to a dinner in town

· The date was pretty nice. You guys just sat there and tried not to talk about work. But with your job kinda the only thing.

· Then Steve wanted to know about the other cases you guys had before he came along.

· You spent hours telling him all about the dumb shit Pete got into before Steve joined

· And how Claudia accidently magnetized herself to the warehouse

· “Wait wait she what?”

· “Oh yeah. Alessandro Volta’s lab coat. Then there was the time the place almost exploded cause of silly string.”

· You end up kissing him goodnight outside his bedroom at the inn and Pete see's who tells Claudia

· You definitely heard someone scamper down the hall.

· but you didn't care, you just wanted to kiss steve again

· You made out in the hall until Myka left her room to find Leena and stumbled upon you guys

· "Oh come on Myka don't ruin the mood" Pete yells from down the hall

· "Great Pete you ruined our cover" Claudia then yells

· "Claudia, Pete knock it off," you yell at them

· Said guilty parties pop up from around the corner.

· “Really? Really what are we 5?” You ask.

· “It was Pete’s idea!” Claudia points

· “What!!”

· You guys go on a few more dates and eventually have the are we officially boyfriends talk

· You’re laying in your room, away from the nosey coworkers and family.

· “So... boyfriends?” You ask.

· Steve nods. “You know Claudia had a pot going for how long it would take you to ask me out?”

· “I’m gonna kill her....”

· Nobody ships you guys more than Pete not even Claudia

He's always trying to set up cute moments for you two

· Like putting up the mistletoe on christmas

· “Haha very fun Claudia...” you say, pointing to aforementioned plant.

· “Wasn’t me I swear. You guys are cute but I don’t need to see my brother and bestie sucking face.”

·"Where's Pete"

· "Damn i was so close"

· You shake your head and give Steve a quick peck.

· Pete: “aww I missed it.”

· One of the perks of dating another warehouse agent is getting to see the world with him

· Granted most of those involve artifact related high jinks and chaos. Of course you claudia and Steve are a team.

· Which means many times your delightful sister has gone “hey lovebirds! Artifact!”

· Claudia now makes Artie book her a room on a separate floor after the incident where she could hear you guys going at it next door through the thin hotel room walls

· Josh is very nonchalant about his younger siblings dating

· When he met Steve it was just alright cool and that's it

· You look to Steve “Relax. He’s telling the truth.”

· double dates with Myka and HG often

· Going out for drinks and having to help HG carry a tipsy Myka home

· Or HG casually dropping that she knows whatever historical figure Steve brings up

· She’s like “[insert historical name here] Very homosexual. Revolving door of men.”

· Arties like a dad, the moment he sees you kiss even just a peck he looks away

· You wear Steve’s jacket and artie is like “is that new?” Pete and Claudia : “it’s steves.”

· Or having to hurry to get dressed in the morning for a mission and not realizing you're wearing each other clothes until later

· You guys have a break and you realize you got your pants right but shirt and jacket and even your underwear once got swapped

· You and Claudia tried to throw a surprise birthday party for Steve and it was a disaster

· There was screaming and flying cake. but it did end in laughter

· And Steve pretended like he didn't know but he secretly got Pete to tell him days ago

· You find out while you and Steve share a shower. “Pete Really told you....”

· “Yes. But I appreciate the effort.”

· You and Steve are always trying to set Claudia up on dates

· You also debated tracking down Todd

· "I do not need help finding a boyfriend"

· "And how long have you been single for again?"

· "Shut it"

· “What was that? T-t-two years?”

· “I’ll murder you...”

· You and Steve end up getting a dog who becomes the team dog

· You guys come home and announce “trailer has a brother!”

· You got him mainly because you were jealous that Artie was trailers favorite

· He’s a corgi named Max

· You guys spoil him, he has so many toys and everyone always sneak him treats

· He’s your little loaf. And myka wants to steal him

· He's a bandana boy with a rotating attire

· He even has a pride bandana that Pete got him

· "What kind of gays are you not even getting your pet a pride outfit"

·“We have you pete. We knew you’d do something.”

· “Oh yay! Points for uncle Pete.”

· When you get hurt Steve drops everything to nurse you back to health

· He’s a mother hen and goes a bit overboard but it comes from places of love.

· Max's new home is your chest when you get hurt

· "Did i just get replaced by the dog?"

· "Babe there's enough space for both of you"

· He's such a cuddler

· Claudia Totally secretly plans a wedding

· And denies the hell out of it

· "Claud, Steve and i aren't planning on getting married for many many years"

· "You can never be too prepared bro"

· Pete: “especially in our line of work!” “See pete gets it!”

· Oh boy. Steve’s mom meeting you.

· She won't stop telling Steve how handsome you are

· And she’s just so happy. Steve is blushing and hoping she doesn’t bring up any stories

· And she sneaks Steve the family ring

· "For when you're ready dear, I know you're gonna marry that man one day"

· Meanwhile you’re over by the family photos. “Is this you in high school?!? You had BLUE HAIR??!”

· "The teenage angst was real in high school"

· "Oh god i can't believe you had a nose ring"

· His mom is like: “he had his he combat boots and eyeliner too...” “ma!!” “Please go on!!” Steve: “what have I done...

· You feel bad so you share some of your own embarrassing stories from high school

·“I once got caught making out with the coach's son

· "No way"

· "Yeah i got banned from the locker room"

· “What else?”

· “Um... can’t tell that one in front of your mother... oh I once made got into class through a three story high window”

· "You could have gotten seriously hurt"

· "I was 16 i wasn't thinking"

· “Unbelievable.”

· “Oh come on. You have to have done stupid stuff

·"I guess i did ride a skateboard into a pool once..."

· “A full pool” His mom tacks on.

· “Ma!”

· Vacations with Steve are tough because he's constantly checking his phone for an artifact sos

· You helped Claudia build more tiny artifact ping things and have them on your person.

· "Steve we're on a beach in the Bahamas, they can handle the warehouse for one week without us"

· “I know... I just... you know?”

· “I do... and I get it. But right now you and I are on mandatory vacation so let’s enjoy it.”

· You make Steve turn his phone off and take a long walk along the beach

· That walk is empty enough for the occasional ass grab from you.

· Once Steve truly starts to relax you guys explore the island taking in all the information the tour guides give you

· You guys spend the rest of the first day getting ideas on what to do. Now you’re back in the hotel room. You decide to shower, now covered in sand.

· one of the days you found out there's a hot surfer giving paddle boarding sessions

· After your paddle boarding lesson you returned to your room both you and Steve blushing about how hot the guy was

· “Can I just say that instructor was very hot!! Not as hot as you Steve but...”

· "That was one gorgeous man, think we should try to set him up with Pete?"

· "Honey Pete is straight"

· "You sure about that?"

· You think for a minute. “Well... now that you mention it....”

· You keep that idea on the backburner as you grab the phone to order some room service

· "Tomorrow's the last day what do you want to do?"

· “Honestly? Let's relax here maybe get a massage and then order in.”

· The next day you do as Steve suggests and just relax

· You sleep in and have lunch

· Get a couples massage and end the day with one last walk on the beach

· At the end of the walk Steve stops you before you return to the room

· "Y/N there's something i want to talk about"

· "What's that?"

· "Us"

· “Okay... should I be worried?”

· “No! No! Nothing like that.

· "What is it then?"

· "You know i love you and i want to spend the rest of my life with you"

· "This is sounding like a proposal Jinksy"

· "Don't worry I'm not proposing, we're not ready for that right now but one day I want to"

· You smile. “I’d like that too... one day... that isn’t today.”

· “I love you Y/N.”

· “Love you too Jinksy”

· "Wait till Claudia finds out"

· "I'm more worried about Pete, he's been waiting for the engagement since our first date"

· "We really need to set him up with the hot surfer"

· "Yes, yes we do"

#warehouse 13 imagine #steve jinks imagine #steve jinks x reader #headcanons #co write #co written

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iwillhaveamoonbase · 5 years

Text

We Could Be Heroes

Attending a university on the border between Xadia and Katolis, Callum and Rayla have been secretly together for a year now. Coming clean to their families is one thing. Announcing their relationship to the public is another.

_____________________________________________________________

“You know, if you want to talk to her you have to actually talk to her.” Callum was jolted out of his stupor as Claudia brought him back to reality. “I swear, you haven’t been this bad since before we dated. You’ve been pining after her for a year; maybe it’s time to say something.” Claudia was smirking while sipping her hot brown morning potion; the hustle and bustle of the university cafeteria completely ignored by the pair.

“She’s an elf, Claudia. A Moonshadow elf, at that. You know how they feel about humans.” Callum shifted the eggs on his plate in an efforts to distract himself from Claudia’s prodding.

“Doesn’t change the fact that you like her. And she might like you.”

Callum couldn’t stop the awkward laugh as he began to look everywhere but at his friend. “Don’t say things like that in public. What if someone-”

"What, Callum? Figures out you are crushing on a girl you’ve shared classes with since your first semester? She’s pretty and clever, and, from what Soren says whenever he goes to the gym, really athletic. You’d be stupid not to like her. You’re a prince and on your way to become an archmage. She wouldn’t be getting the short-end of the stick by liking you.”

“She doesn’t like me Claudia. Nothing is going to happen between us.” Claudia sighed before reaching over and patting Callum’s hand. “Why do you want something to happen between?”

Claudia shrugged before turning her neck to look at Rayla. “Because I want you to be happy. You light up when you talk about her and smile more after you work together. She makes you happy, Callum.”

Callum blushed and looked down at his own cup of morning potion. “Don’t tell anyone, Claudia.”

“Soren knows.”

Callum nodded his head from side to side a bit. “Why am I not surprised?”

_____________________

Rayla was doing her best to discreetly look at the two humans a few tables away. Her frequent project partner, Callum, and his friend, Claudia. Rayla and Claudia did not get along at first, mostly due to Claudia using dark magic while Callum had somehow managed to unlock Sky magic. Claudia still didn’t see anything wrong with dark magic and it made Rayla, and every other elf in their vicinity, wary of her. The other reason they didn’t get along? Claudia wouldn’t stop bugging Rayla about Callum.

“You’re looking at that human prince again, Rayla,” Bandlr, a fellow Moonshadow elf hissed. He was just a bit taller than Runaan and covered in toned muscles. The sloping purple marks on his cheeks reminded Rayla of the scythes used during harvest time. He exuded power and arrogance with every little move he made and tended to have either a scowl or a smirk on his face.

“I’m doing no such thing,” she stated absently.

“You better not or your uncle will be pissed.”

“Is that a threat?” Rayla glared over at him and could feel the energy crackling between the two. They lived in the same small town and had known most of the same people since high school. For Rayla, it had been hate at first sight, finding his arrogance and knowledge of her life the biggest turn-off she had ever encountered. He was a thorn in her side that just wouldn’t go away, no thanks to the other Moonshadow elves at the university not wanting to kick one of their own out without ‘proper cause’. For Bandlr, it had been lust at first sight. He spent all his time with Rayla either antagonizing her or trying to charm her. He had once told her that he wouldn’t mind it if she came to him in a fit of rage, just so long as she did.

“Maybe. You know how to shut me up.”

“You’re right. I do.” Rayla leaned in a bit, Bandlr smiling wide as she did. He never saw the punch that went straight to his jaw. “Try to talk with a sore jaw, asshole. Don’t forget, I’m faster than you and I was trained by the best.”

Bandlr glared as he massaged his already bruising jaw. The other elves at the table let the two be, already used to Bandlr’s flirts and Rayla’s violent reaction to them. Sadly for Rayla, it only made him convinced she was a ‘challenge’ for the ‘taking’. “To be fair, Rayla,” interjected a girl with long braids, “you spend a lot of time with this Prince Callum. I don’t think anyone back home would approve. Just because our school is on the border of Katolis and Xadia doesn’t mean you can go fraternizing with humans.”

“Ugh.” Rayla looked up at the ceiling, rolling her eyes. “For the last time, back off. I’m going back to the library.” Rayla grabbed her things, roughly pushed her chair in and stalked off, but not before bumping into Callum and Claudia. “Watch it.” Callum simply nodded as he turned away from her while Claudia raised a brow. “Got something to say?”

“The sexual tension between the two of you is so thick I could cut it with a knife. Just tell him you like him.”

“Mind your own business, Claudia.” Rayla walked as quickly as she could out of the cafeteria and headed towards the apartment complexes off-campus. She continued to look behind her and to the sides as she walked. Rayla eventually stopped in front of a luxurious apartment building and entered the large glass doors. The human doorman smiled and greeted her.

“Another project with Prince Callum, Miss Rayla?”

“You could say that. He texted me that he’s on his way, so I’ll wait for him by his door.”

“Of course, Miss Rayla.”

Up the elevator she went and waited in front of a door on the top floor. It was one of only two, reserved for important dignitaries. ‘Fucking Bandlr. When is he going to get it through his thick skull to leave me alone?’ Rayla’s hand grasped her bag as she bit her lip. ‘They know I’m spending a lot of time with Callum. Who else has noticed?’ She was pulled from her thoughts by a hand softly grasping her’s. “Callum.”

“We going to do that project, Rayla?”

“Yeah, let’s get it over with.” Callum nodded as he unlocked the key to his apartment and let her in first. Rayla was always struck by how minimalist Callum kept the large space. The base of the room was obviously expensive while Callum chose to hang his own art and art that one of his fathers had done. Pictures of his family were dispersed among the opulence of the walls and floors. The furniture was a different story, obviously on the cheaper end, but well taken care of. Callum had felt guilty taking the extravagant room so he had asked for cheaper materials to make his space a home while he was at school. “No one would ever believe me if I told them your apartment was the definition of high-low.” Rayla deposited her bag on the chair closest to the door, grabbing Callum’s bag and doing the same right after.

“You’ve been telling people that you come here?” The slight bit of hope in his voice was clear as day.

“No, of course not. If I did, they might think something was going on between us.” Callum looked down at the floor, that glint of hope suddenly dashed. “They don’t have to know anything is going on.” Rayla didn’t give Callum a chance to nod before she had his face in her hands and her lips against his. Callum wrapped one arm around her waist and made sure his door was locked. Rayla backed him up to his couch and they tumbled down, with her landing between his legs and his other hand landing on her back. “I’ve missed you.”

Callum groaned as she began to nibble at his neck. “It’s only been a week.”

“Uh-huh. A week of not seeing other or texting…or those naughty phone calls you seem so fond of.” Callum gulped. Rayla sat up and began to take off her top. “Pants off. Now.”

“You don’t want me to romance you a bit?” He brushed his hands lightly against her stomach, causing her to quiver above him.

“Later. Now, I just want you.” Callum took off his pants and boxers and laid back. Rayla pulled off her shirt and her own pants and underwear. She quickly climbed on top of him and grasped his length. “I’m gonna go fast and I’m gonna go hard. Alright?” He nodded, reaching to grab her hips. She had a lot of pent up frustration in her and Callum knew by now that it was wisest to let her take the lead. Rayla inserted Callum within her. They groaned together as Rayla grinded on top of him. Quickly picking up pace, she leaned back so her hands were resting on his legs.

Not fully satisfied, Rayla came back up and grabbed Callum by his shirt to pull him up to her. She sealed his lips to hers, grasping his shoulders to give her better leverage. Callum ran circles on her hips with his thumbs. Rayla broke the kiss to nibble at his ear. “Ray…”

“Almost, Callum. Almost.” Rayla had never been shy about what she wanted from him and she wasn’t going to start now. She took one of his hands from her hips to rest right on her clit. “You know what to do.” A sharp nod led to Callum leaning forward and nibbling on her shoulder while circling her. “Ah!”

Callum moved his head to whisper a husky ‘I love you’ in her ear. She quietly repeated it back, locking their lips again. A few thrusts more led Callum and Rayla to completion. He gently laid back, taking her with him. “I missed you, too.”

As they lay on his couch, covered in sweat and panting together, he ran his hand up and down her back. Rayla snuggled her face into his neck, mindful of her horns. “Mhmm, that feels nice.”

“Why did you punch Bandlr today?”

Good mood broken, Rayla broke out into a scowl. “Ugh, the jackass was getting on my nerves. Threatening to tell Runaan about me looking at you.”

“Oh. Would…would that really be such a bad thing?” His hopeful tone had come back full swing and Rayla hated crushing it.

“Callum, we’ve talked about this. Just because the elves and humans are no longer at war doesn’t mean that we’re at peace.”

“I don’t want us to be a secret, Rayla. Not anymore. It was nice, for a while, but I want to be more.”

“What more do you want? We have dinner together, we’re exclusive, I spend the night often enough. What more is there?”

Callum shifted so he could look Rayla in the eyes. “I want you to meet my Dad and Ezran. Well, you’ve met Ezran, but I want you to meet him as my girlfriend. I want to meet Runaan and Tinker and hold your hand on campus and-”

“And what happens if it blows up in our faces?” Rayla closed her eyes to try to keep he anger at bay. This wasn’t the first time they had argued about this and she didn’t want him to know exactly why she didn’t want to tell anyone about their relationship. “You do realize that Runaan could pull me out of school, right? Just because I’m an adult in Katolis doesn’t mean that he isn’t allowed to make those decisions for me in Xadia. The press will hound us both. Why do you want to ruin what we have?” She began to wriggle out of his hold, frustration making her want to move far away from him.

“Why are you scared of what we have?”

“I’m not scared.” Rayla got up, pulled on her underwear and began to move towards the kitchen, Callum following her as he pulled his own boxers up. She went into the cabinet and got a purple glass out as she looked back at him. “I have my own glass here, Callum. I have a whole drawer of my clothes in your apartment. Anyone who looks closely enough at my texts would know that I’ve been deleting more than half of the ones from you. I keep a freaking toothbrush in your bathroom! Do you think I would do any of that, of this, if I was scared?” Her arms were wide and disbelief on her face. Why couldn’t he understand just how big all of that was?

He gave her an incredulous look as the same frustration that had taken over her began to seep into his voice. “Yes, because you and I are the only people that know that any of your stuff is here.”

“I thought you wanted to stay out of the spotlight-”

“Don’t change the subject, Rayla. It has never been about us going public with the world. It’s about telling our families. It’s ALWAYS been about telling our families. Do you think I like telling Ezran that there is nothing between us? I have never had to keep secrets from him before and I don’t like doing it now.” Rayla understood that. Ezran was understanding and had a big heart. She couldn’t imagine anyone felt good after lying to him, least of all Callum.

“And what about your dear Aunt Amaya? Doesn’t she hate elves?”

“She’s marrying a Sunfire elf named Janai. Try again.”

Rayla paused as she looked at him with furrowed brows. “Is she really?”

“It’s all over the news in Katolis. ‘General of the Katolian Army chooses to marry a general of the Sunfire Corps.’”

“I haven’t heard anything about it.” A rough sigh followed by a groan as she got her thoughts back to the topic at hand. “Callum, I want to tell them. I would love to tell Runaan and Tinker about you.”

“Then why can’t we?”

“You don’t see the way the elves look at you. Not just the Moonshadow groups, but all the others. You’re a human prince, even if it is by marriage. King Harrow has not hidden how much he considers you to be his son and you have a target on your back from anyone who doesn’t like him. On top of that, you’re learning primal magic. There are elves that think you’re dangerous because you are the first human ever to learn how to use primal magic without a primal stone. Do you think that you being with an elf is really going to make them think ‘oh, that Prince Callum isn’t such a bad guy? Sure, he’s learning how to use primal magic and is trying to unlock the ability to use all six primal sources, but damn, he’s dating an elf.’”

“So, me wanting to learn magic the right way and rejecting dark magic is the problem?” Callum’s hands were in his hair at this point as Rayla looked ready to throw her glass on the floor. She quickly put it on the counter before she broke it.

“No, Callum. The problem is that you’re human. There are elves all over Xadia that will never accept you, accept us, no matter what you do.”

“Why do you care about them?”

“Because I don’t want to come home to you dead! OK?! I don’t want to walk into your apartment, after we went public or decided it was okay to make-out in the library, just to find your body or to have you end up dead in an alleyway.” All of Rayla’s fears began to pour out of her. She couldn’t stop once she started and wasn’t sure she wanted to. Callum needed to hear why she was fighting him on telling anyone about them. “I was trained in the arts of Moonshadow elf assassins. I know of ways to kill you and make sure that no one will ever find out it was me. And you can bet that I’m not the only one that knows that. Bandlr would be first in line if we went public and if he doesn’t succeed, someone else will. Runaan has a lot of respect among Moonshadow elves, but there are still many more elves and humans who will target you. Your life isn’t worth it, Callum. Us telling our families will only lead to the wrong person finding out.” She was so furious she never saw him walk around the counter to stand in front of her.

Callum grabbed her shoulders and put his forehead against her’s. “Do you think I haven’t thought of that? Of course I have! Just like I have a target on my back, you will have one on your’s. There are people all over the Pentarchy who want elves to stay in Xadia and humans to stay in their kingdoms. There was outrage when Dad announced I was going to school right on the border. When I told a newspaper that I was going to learn primal magic and refuse to learn dark magic, the number of human mages who rioted…I didn’t know there were that many in Katolis alone. And it would probably get much worse if they found out my girlfriend was an elf.”

“Then why is this so important to you?” Callum cupped her face and stroked her cheeks. It was getting harder to look meet his gaze when he looked at her with so much love and adoration.

“Because I love you. And I don’t want to hide it anymore. I know my family will love you and their opinion is the only one that matters to me. Claudia and Soren already keep pushing me to confess to you and Ezran thinks of you as his big sister. I never, ever would have introduced you to Ezran if I wasn’t 100% sure I wanted to be with you. I want to meet Tinker and Runaan and tell them I’ll do everything I can to make you happy. We won’t know unless we try, Rayla. We’ll get through this. Together.”

Rayla sighed as she looked Callum in the eye. The desperation in those green eyes of his let her know that he was serious about this. “If we try, and I mean if, you’re going to have to learn a lot more about Moonshadow elf culture. History class is one thing, but you can really, really piss Runaan off if you do the wrong thing.”

“Like what?” Callum moved his hands up to lightly run his fingertips over the base of one of her horns, sending shivers down her spine as a gasp left her lips. The burn in her belly she had just worked off was back full-force.

“Like that. In any elf culture, you might as well have grabbed my ass while your tongue was down my throat.”

“Noted. Horns are only for behind closed doors. Anything else?”

“Stop stroking my horn and maybe I’ll be able think.”

Callum released her with a long-suffering sigh. “Fine. I guess I can keep my hands off you for a few minutes.”

Rayla snorted as she lightly nudged him backwards. “We tend to spend a lot of time outdoors. Training is outside, lots of festivals and camping trips. It’s not unusual for families to spend nights when the moon is full in their yards. Weddings are outside, too, as are major parties, like birthdays, graduations, and anniversaries,” Rayla counted on her fingers. “Weddings tend to be the night before the full moon and the actual honeymoon starts on the night of the full moon. Something about the moon granting love and fertility and fidelity. When it rains, we go places that have large windows so we can still see the moon at night. Think you can handle all that time outside?”

“I’m sure I’ll make it work. I’ve had to rough it once or twice.”

“If by ‘rough it’ you mean spending time in the Banther Lodge, you are in for a rude awakening.”

#rayllum #rayllum fanfic #the dragon prince #tdp #rayla #prince callum #this first chapter does contain adult material #we could be heroes #moonbase fanfics

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seven-oomen · 4 years

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Okay, I’ve managed to scrape back up some of the thoughts that were drifting in and out yesterday. I was trying to think of stuff I remembered from high school (what hasn’t been lost to an ADD haze at this point anyway) that might be interesting/cute to see crop up in the prequel. For example; we know Peter played basketball, but did he or anyone else participate in any other extracurriculars or sports? Student council? Debate team? Academic team? French club? Band/orchestra/choir? Cross country/Track? Ecology club? Gay/Straight Alliance? Martial arts? Science club? Softball? Pagan Student Union (I think that might have been a college thing, but whatever)? Art club? Cheer/gymnastics? Other things I’m forgetting right now?

Speaking of Peter and basketball- Did the gang ever go to his games? Did he have supportive sports boyfriends; did they make cute signs or run to hug him if Beacon Hills won? (Did we ever find out Peter’s jersey number? I legit can’t remember.) Did he bother to get a letterman jacket? If so, did he give it to either of the boys? (Or did he just get two? I forget how/when you got patches, I wasn’t much for that sort of thing. I think maybe I got one for softball at some point?) I love him with the leather jacket, I just thought it was a cute image. Did they get class rings (and exchange them)?

Also, yearbooks. Who all actually had their picture in the yearbook? Did Peter shake his hair over his eyes to block the weird reflective thing (and would that work)? Did they pop up in any group shots or candid pics? I had a mental image of a shot from some sort of home game, maybe for football, or girl’s basketball, or something, of the group of them clustered on the bleachers; Peter between Chris and Noah, with an arm thrown around each’s shoulders, his smiling face pressed into one of them’s hair (I can’t decide which) partially to prevent any reflection, partially just because; Chris holding the hand Peter has wrapped around him with one hand and with the other stretched across to rest on Noah’s knee, smiling in the genuine yet vaguely stilted way of someone who’s not used to being this happy yet; Noah with one arm wrapped around Peter’s waist, his other hand resting on the one Chris has on his knee, staring at the camera with an amused grin that’s flirting right on the edge of a smirk; Claudia cuddled up to Noah’s side, both hands wrapped around the top his nearest arm, head leaning against his shoulder, grin clear and bright and open; Melissa next to her, arms enveloping Claudia in a loose hug, camera catching her mid-laugh. (God, I really wish I had something approaching passable art skills at times like these.) Maybe the kids find a copy of that yearbook in the school library, and make framed copies of the picture for Melissa and their dads for a gift.

Do you have any plans to cover Prom? Or any school dance (Homecoming, maybe?), really, Prom is just the big one. Because part of me with never be over the ridiculousness of that scene with Peter and Allison at Macy’s (as cute as it is). Random middle-aged dude walks up to teenage girl and starts offering her unsolicited fashion advice (as part of an intimidation tactic against her boyfriend, no less), and she not only is not worried or weirded out in the slightest, but she actively takes his advice and buys the dress he suggests. (I legit laughed so hard I snorted when I realized it was the same dress.) (Momentary segue: Do you think she ever described the encounter to Chris? Peter just gets a random angry text one day from an unknown number that just says “Stay the hell away from my daughter!” and he just knows, so he sends back “Don’t blame me, her selections were utterly abysmal. Didn’t your wife run a boutique or something? You’d think she’d have taught her better." Chris never does answer back.) But anyway, yes, school dances with that group could be entertaining. Sneaking off (for various reasons), special song dedications, spiking the punch with assorted substances, inappropriate dancing under the cover of semi-darkness. Lots of potential shenanigans.

Also can’t wait to find out more about how everybody met. One of the things I love about long-running series is being able to go back and compare where characters began their relationships versus where they end up. We’ve seen how Chris met the boys, but not Claudia or Melissa. (Did he already know Melissa? Was she still a hunter at that point?) We know how Noah and Claudia met, but not how Peter and Noah met, or Peter and Claudia, or how any of them met Melissa. Plus all the potential bonus drama because of the supernatural issues involved. When did Claudia and Peter realize what Elias was really like? (Did Claudia ever give either of the other boys a "shovel talk”?) How did Melissa’s relationship with Rafael develop? How did the rest of the gang get along with the assorted Hales (or did they know them at all)? And re: the preview for it you posted - what kind of car does Peter have, and can you comfortably fit three growing boys in the back seat? (I do occasionally remember to ask the important questions, lol.) Is the Jeep still Claudia’s here? What kinds of vehicles, if any, do the others have? (Can you tell I’m excited about the prequel?)

Bonus thought from last night -

Me: *trying desperately to fall asleep so the day can just be over*

My brain: So what about a vaguely, very loosely Breakfast Club inspired Chris/Noah/Peter fic? Like, Chris could be Emilio Estevez’s character, and Noah could be Judd Nelson’s, because Andrew’s damage is more internally focused (I can’t live up to my father’s expectations because I’m not good enough), where as Bender’s is more externally focused (I’m pissed that my dad treats me this way because he’s an asshole, but also secretly worry I actually deserve it). Peter could be Claire; popular, charming, probably more intelligent than they let on, emotionally distant and neglected. Claudia’s probably the best fit for Allison, although you could maybe make Melissa work. Finstock is totally Brian. Could we shove Harris back in time to make him Dean Vernon? It’s fic, you can totally do that sort of thing, right? I mean, you’re already planning to completely redo the relationships, so who cares, right? Who would be Carl, though?

Me: FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, BRAIN, NOT NOW!!! PLEASE JUST SHUT UP AND GO TO SLEEP ALREADY, I’M BEGGING YOU!! NOW IS NOT THE TIME! WE CAN THINK ABOUT THIS TOMORROW!

My brain: …okay but seriously; Peter in a peach colored v-neck and overly snug khakis, Chris in that wrestling top, Noah in the trenchcoat and plaid… Do you think Peter could do that lipstick trick with a chapstick?…

Me: AAAAUUUUGGHH!!!

(Thankfully, sleep was at least eventually had.)

I’m glad you’re feeling better today, and hope that work was busy enough to pass the time quickly without being overwhelming, and blissfully free of excessive stupid people. As someone else stuck in the world of heat, storms, and humidity, you have my sympathy. Sending hugs and cooling vibes!

Alright so I finally got some time to sit down (or lie down technically) for this and go through it. I’m excited!

we know Peter played basketball, but did he or anyone else participate in any other extracurriculars or sports? Student council? Debate team? Academic team? French club? Band/orchestra/choir? Cross country/Track? Ecology club? Gay/Straight Alliance? Martial arts? Science club? Softball? Pagan Student Union (I think that might have been a college thing, but whatever)? Art club? Cheer/gymnastics? Other things I’m forgetting right now?

I think Chris was a cheerleader at some point. He wanted to join gymnastics like in his old school, but BH didn’t have a separate gymnastics team, so he joined the cheerleaders instead. His dancing skills are abysmal, but he makes up for it with gymnastic skills, strength, and agility.

Peter’s on the student council I like to think he would do well as the secretary but I also feel like he’d definitely try to run for president.

Noah’s on the Martial Arts team (couldn’t resist) and I like to think he’d participate in the ROTC, as he served in the military in canon. (Obviously due to having children at 17, he never enlisted in this Au.) But the prepping definitely happened.

Chris would also join the swim team, which is a nod to Jackson joining later in Once Upon a Time.

And oh yeah, they went to every game. Chris as a cheerleader and Noah was up in the stands with signs for every single game. Claudia and Melissa often came with. Whenever BH won, Chris would run out and ‘cheer’ the star player, which was almost always Peter, and lift him up on his shoulders.

I don’t think there’s a canon answer for Peter’s Jersey Number. I’ve seen some places sell a shirt with 01 on it, but I kinda wanna say it’s 15. Due to his birthday being May 15 in this au. (Chris’s is July 22nd, Noah’s is September 14th.)

I feel like Peter got a class ring, maybe Noah, but Chris didn’t bother. It would just be one more thing his father could potentially take from him and he wouldn’t need something like that to remember the other two by. He already has the Triskelion necklace. As for the letterman jacket, I think Peter definitely got one, as did Noah. Chris once again skipped it, probably because he still felt like they might move at a moment's notice and he didn’t want to bother with all of these things.

Omg, my heart...

yes to all of this. Seriously <3

Do you have any plans to cover Prom? Or any school dance (Homecoming, maybe?),

I do. In both stories. The canon school dance in Once Upon a Time. And the prequel will feature either a homecoming dance or prom. The potential for drama there is too good to pass up on.

Also, Peter giving fashion advice to the girls is way too funny because of course, he would. And to some of the guys as well. Seriously McCall... that’s what you’re going with?? Wear a fucking tux for Mel, jfc...

I feel really bad, but I actually never saw the Breakfast club, though it sounds like a really dope movie. And those visuals are very nice visuals ^^

I’m also writing all of these questions down for the prequel. XD This is awesome writing fuel <3

No but seriously, I don’t say this often enough, but you are awesome and I adore you <3

Thanks for sticking with me and this au for so long already, I love talking to you.

#ben says stuff #once upon a time comments #life unfolds in chapters comments #submission

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triggeringthehealing · 6 years

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alpha meet (ch1)

Teen Wolf || Stiles/Derek || E || ~2k || AO3

Summary: Born a werefox with a magical spark that gives him the ability of a full fox transformation, Stiles’s life is decidedly not simple. Now that he’s in college though, it’s bound to be easier, right? There’s less prejudice, fewer reasons to feel like he’s so different from everyone else... and he gets to spend time figuring out all the aspects of people, supernatural or not. Now if he only remembered that proper spelling, capitalization of words, and the right alphabet matter when he’s texting.

Tags/warnings: ABO dynamics, pack dynamics, fraternities, college AU A/N (content): Alpha/Beta/Omega - pack status, alpha/omega - biological disposition. A/N (personal): Look, once upon a time @bleep0bleep tweeted a thing and my brain latched on. Ever since then I’ve been in a muddy puddle of Alphas, alphas and then some Greek alphabet alphas. Since today is “Previously Unpublished WiP” day at @wipweek , I figured it was about time I set this one free. Or well, the first part of it, at least. *hides*

-=-=-

It's not until college and the courses on gender, sexuality, pack hierarchy, and disposition that Stiles learns more about who he is. The information that he had before, as he was growing up, never really sated his curiosity about it. Not that college gives him all the answers, but it's more than he found out before—from school, from his family and friends, from the research online that sometimes ended up more confusing than helpful.

The world has changed since shapeshifters became known. He can't imagine living in secrecy, hiding that he's different than the average human. Even though he's never been too open about his own ability to shift into a fox—even with shapeshifting being normal, full animal transformation is still rare enough to raise eyebrows—it's at least something he knows he can mention, something that isn't going to shun him from the rest of the world.

Being upfront about being a were is not the norm, not yet, and since the magic that's involved doesn't carry a scent, it's not something that can be discovered without either an accident or a deliberate reveal from the person.

In his hometown, it wasn't easy to keep his ability hidden. Beacon Hills is small, everyone knows everyone. Since his Mom was a werefox, people knew that Stiles was likely to be one too, even though his Dad doesn't have the genes. Stiles knows, he asked his Babcia when he was little, and that was how he found out that on top of his shifting ability, he also had a spark of a different kind of magic. The kind that, had he not been a were, would've probably led him down the path of Druids and spells. As it is, he has a few extra features, as he likes to say—like handling mountain ash that's normally something shifters can't touch.

But his best friend Scott is a werewolf—bitten by a rogue Alpha passing through the territory when they were sixteen—and his girlfriend Kira is a kitsune. Deaton, Scott's old boss from the vet clinic he used to work at is a Druid, the very one who helped Stiles reign in his spark when it messed with Stiles's shift for a while.

Even so, Stiles didn't shift fully until his Mom got sick just before he finished middle school. He later found out that it was the spark he inherited from his dad's side that allowed him to transform into an actual fox. At the time, Stiles did everything on instinct—when he was told about his mom's illness, he spent days in his fox form for the first time ever, refusing to change until she begged him to. Her own ability to change was impeded by her illness, a rare strain of a virus that attacked the were part of a brain, one that to Stiles's dad's relief was not contagious—Stiles couldn't even begin to think what would've happened had his dad lost both of them back then. As it was, after Claudia passed away, Stiles and John found it hard to cope—Stiles spent long periods of time as a fox and curled up on a pile of her old clothes, John became way too close to his bottle of whiskey.

They got through it eventually, with the help of Scott and his mom Melissa, who eventually grew closer to John and is now about to officially become Stiles's step-mom.

Scott and Stiles ended up in the same college, both of them wanting to stay close to home since their parents were the only family left nearby—Stiles's grandparents retired and moved back to Poland, Scott's father never bothered returning after Melissa kicked him out years ago and her own family was living in Florida.

It's during the first year of classes that Stiles dives deep into studying the various aspects of people, along with the history of them all. He learns about the bigotry that still exists but nowhere near as strong as it used to, all discrimination based on inherent traits of a person banned and punishable by law. With were packs being less secretive about their existence, there are a lot fewer hidden sides to dynamics between people, along with a lot fewer feral Omegas like the one who bit Scott roaming the world.

As much as pack status tends to be kept under wraps to outsiders, so does a person's disposition and sexuality. Stiles is of the opinion that unless it matters to his relationship with someone else, there's no need to wave whatever flag it is he should be carrying.

Scott's a were, but outside of their small social circle, he hasn't told anyone other than his first girlfriend, Allison. It was only by luck that the anti-discrimination laws were passed by then because Allison was an Argent, the future leader of a family of hunters who—before weres became a regular part of society—used to hunt magical creatures, good or bad. She ended up being the one to change the family's credo to we protect those who cannot protect themselves. Stiles approved, the new motto a lot less terrifying than their old one which was so easily twisted into unprovoked attacks against anyone who wasn't strictly human. As if humans were never dangerous to others—a few members of Allison's family were proof of the opposite—and having the ability to shift into a wolf, any other animal, or have abilities that were considered supernatural somehow made one inherently a threat.

Growing up, he watched as the world kept changing towards inclusion on several levels, not only when it came to shapeshifters and magic, but also when it came to sexualities, gender, wealth, skin color... anything that once upon a time used to be a reason to marginalize some people and elevate others. By the time Stiles left for college, there was still residual bigotry in the world, but at least in educational areas that sort of discrimination was rare.

It's something that Stiles takes comfort in because he knows how lucky he is to be able to be in college in the first place. Had he been born a few decades earlier, he would've likely been mated the moment he graduated high school, if he'd even be able to do that. He presented as an omega early, in freshman year. The first heat was the wake-up call that his dad needed to sober up and get back on the straight and narrow, back to being a father instead of a mourning husband. For a fleeting moment, Stiles worried that his dad's lack of experience with shifters would mean that he'd fall into old traditions, that he would get bad advice and Stiles would end up in the care of a pack and not allowed to work for the goals he'd had. But instead, John embraced Stiles's eagerness to go into law enforcement and supported him in any way he could.

Here, in college, no one besides Scott—who's on track to step into Deaton's shoes at the vet clinic when he graduates—knows that Stiles is a werefox. Since there's no scent to give it away, he hasn't felt the need to share that information. Unlike werewolves who are still guided by the pull of the moon and need to work on their control once a month, as a fox Stiles has the freedom to choose when he shifts. The same way that he doesn't have to share the fact that he's an omega unless it's relevant to the relationship he's in.

Which he didn’t need to so far, since he's never been in one. Sure, he kissed people, he lost his virginity—not that it was that big a deal to him—in his senior year and had sex a handful of times since. There was never a need to tell anyone about his disposition though because he hasn't thought about the future with anyone. The only exception was a long-standing crush on Lydia—a banshee whom he had an ongoing rivalry with academically and who was now a good friend from across the country, since she was working on conquering the world all the way from MIT. He's never had feelings for anyone that would make him want to try for a steady relationship for anyone else.

Well, maybe one person. Not that he thinks he stands a chance.

From the orientation week onwards, Stiles has been making friends outside of his usual small circle, which was now reduced to only Scott, what with his dad being back home and Lydia on the east coast. He didn't dive right into rush week when he came here, but he still managed to meet people in his classes and in the dorms. That's how he started looking more into fraternities on campus and why he's considering joining one now that spring rush is coming up.

"Come on, Stiles, at least come to the meet," Danny tells him as they walk from the class they have together.

"Look, I don't know," Stiles says, knowing that it's obvious that he's stalling. "I'm not sure if frats are my thing."

"Well, what better way to find out than to check one out?"

Danny's dimples tend to be disarming and Stiles is no exception to that effect. So he shrugs and nods.

"You can bring Scott or anyone else you can think of who isn't already in either Alpha Xi or any other frat," Danny tells him like he hasn't already won the argument. "The meet is on Friday, we'll be in the house over on Willow, you know the one, right?"

"You mean the biggest one on Greek Row?" Stiles asks, grinning. "No, I absolutely do not know the house, not like I've been dragged to it several times last semester for parties or anything."

Danny chuckles.

"Just making sure," he tells Stiles and nudges his side. "Can't ever be completely sure if people have the mental capacity to remember things."

"Oh I remember," Stiles replies, still grinning.

Not only has he never been one for drinking much, not after dealing with his dad's alcohol abuse in the past and also seeing what it did to Scott's family, but the Alpha Xi parties were memorable for several reasons. One of them is walking down the hallway right next to Stiles, dimples still in full force like he remembers exactly what Stiles does. The night they spent together at one of the parties was a good one, even if they never managed to repeat it, not once Danny met Ethan, his current and probably forever partner.

"Right, so, Friday. I'll see you then," Danny says as they come to the front door where they usually part ways. "And seriously, bring friends."

"Oh yeah, will do, the whole one of them," Stiles snorts.

He's not friendless, he's just not really sure who would be up for a pre-rush party like this. Most of the people he's become close to are not freshmen or they're already in frats or sororities after the initial autumn rush. Back then it almost felt like he and Scott were the only holdouts who didn't bother with that aspect of college life.

In the end, he only thinks of one person to ask to tag along and he sends the text message before he can overthink and talk himself out of it.

this weekend is an alpha meet up, do u wanna meet my friends?

#sterek #sterek fic #wipweek #wip week #eternalsterek #bleep0bleep

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captain-azoren · 5 years

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White Knight, Red Queen - Chapter 2: The Mirror

Claudia repairs a broken magic mirror, only for her and Soren to get sucked in and sent straight into the clutches of the Fire Nation! And on the day Soren was to be sworn into the Crownguard no less.

FF.net

AO3

Now it really begins.

2 years ago…

Soren marched proudly and triumphantly through the halls of Castle Katolis, donned in a shining new set of armor and the signature black and white tabard of the Crownguard, the most elite class of knights in Katolis. Today was his day, the day he would officially become the youngest Crownguard in the history of Katolis, and Soren could not be happier as he thumbed the hilt of his new sword. Soren grinned and winked at the other servants and soldiers as he made his way to the tower where his father’s study was located. Soren threw the doors open and made his entrance.

“Hey, future almost newly appointed Crownguard here!” Soren shouted into the room as he entered. He looked around to find Claudia nose deep in a spell book and carrying her bag of dark magic items. “Hey Clods, where’s dad? My knighthood ceremony is in an hour…and what are you up to?” Soren watched as Claudia walked over towards a table covered in ingredients, the kind she and their father Viren used for dark magic. There was a small cauldron in the center, into which Claudia poured in a vial of glowing orange liquid. The sorceress finally looked up to her brother.

“Oh, hey Soren!” Claudia greeted her brother cheerfully. “Sorry, I’ve been trying to crack this spell for dad. You see that mirror?” Claudia pointed towards the back wall, and Soren’s gaze followed to find a large, rectangular mirror, framed with gold flames and beset with rubies. The glass, however, was cracked into several shards, though all the pieces remained within the frame. Soren frowned and crossed his arms.

“Yeah, how could I forget,” Soren pouted. “That’s the mirror dad got mad at me for breaking all those years ago.”

“Well, you shouldn’t have been fooling around in his secret magic room,” Claudia replied and gave Soren’s shoulder a playful shove. “But it’s been over seven years since then, so your bad luck should be all out, right?” Soren simply huffed and turned his head away. “Aw come on Sore-bear, dad’s not still mad about that. Here, have an apple. Don’t worry, it’s not poisonous.”

Claudia handed Soren an apple from the table. She knew he liked to eat when he was upset. Years ago, Viren had found Soren in his secret chamber in the library, and the gold framed mirror smashed. Viren had been furious at the time, and ever since then the cracked mirror had been a reminder to Soren, hence why Viren still kept it in his study and not moved it along with all his other magic items to a more secure location.

Soren eyed the apple before biting into it. “Well, whatever. I don’t see how it’s so hard to fix a mirror anyway.” He said between mouthfuls. “I don’t even remember how I broke this stupid thing! It wasn’t my fault…” Claudia threw a spoonful of crushed butterfly wings into the cauldron, and a poof of smoke evaporated into the room.

“This is no ordinary mirror, the glass is magic,” Claudia explained. “The pieces are all attracted to each other, but they need a spell to properly repair. I’m betting we could use it to spy on people, or maybe even talk to them!”

“Look, just don’t take too long, okay?” Soren bit off another chunk of apple. “I don’t want you or dad to miss the ceremony. This is my special day, and I don’t want to be one upped by a mirror.” Claudia nodded absent mindedly as she gave the cauldron the juices from a sparrow’s gizzard, making Soren queasy. Another puff of smoke shot from the cauldron, and Claudia smiled gleefully as her concoction began to bubble and glow.

“Alright, let’s see if it works…” Claudia whispered excitedly, making Soren roll his eyes. He watched as Claudia dipped a ladle into the cauldron and carry it over to the mirror. With a flourish, Claudia took the ladle and splashed the glass with the dark magic brew. The liquid sizzled against the cracked glass, glowed, then evaporated….and did nothing. Claudia waited a moment and Soren watched, bemused. The sorceress let out a groan of frustration and set the cauldron back onto the table. “I was sure that would work.”

“Well, too bad, let’s go Claudia.” Soren said in a hurry. He took one last bite of his apple and swallowed. “We’ve got more important places to be.” The young knight took the apple core and spitefully threw it at the mirror. Every time he saw it, he heard his father’s shouts of anger, and the sooner he could get away from it the better.

The core flew through the air, and both siblings expected it to bounce off the mirror and fall to the floor harmlessly. But no apple core hit the floor. No core hit the mirror either. In fact, there was no core anymore. Soren and Claudia watched with amazement as the apple core disappeared into the mirror, the cracked glass rippling like still water being disturbed. Claudia let out a long, slow gasp of amazement.

“Soren, you did it!” Claudia shouted and took Soren by the arm to drag him to the mirror. Soren himself was dumbfounded as they both watched a mirror that was simultaneously cracked, yet rippling. “This isn’t used to spy or talk, this mirror is a por-!”

Claudia was cut short as, without warning, the mirror’s cracked surface fell inward, and within the frame was now a starry sky…and empty space. There was a moment of calm before both siblings felt themselves being sucked into a vacuum. They cried out in shock as they were pulled in by the rush of wind. Soren and Claudia both instinctively reached out for one another, grabbing each other’s arms as they went tumbling through a star filled voice.

“Claudia, don’t let go!” Soren shouted over the gusts of wind pushing them. His sister clung tight to him with one arm, while he other hand went to her satchel to pull out a dried crab claw. Claudia crushed it in her hand, and a lavender liquid formed around the two of them into a bubble. The two of them steadied as they rode the wind. Soren stood up and looked into the direction they were heading. There was a star ahead, growing ever brighter. The closer it came, the more it looked like a doorway.

“Soren, I think we’re about to exit!” Claudia stated. Soren nodded as it was clear where they were going. Their bubble reached the light, and the siblings shielded their eyes as they passed through. The bubble popped, and Soren and Claudia fell back to earth.

Viren’s children landed face first with a thud onto a red, carpeted floor. Soren shook his head as he got to his knees, still blinded and disoriented from the light. As his vision returned, he looked around to see where he was. The walls were red, covered in ornate patterns of gold depicting long, serpentine dragons. Lining these walls were dozens of different ornate items and artifacts, not unlike a museum, but very lustrous. Exotic, spiky sets of armor that were definitely not from Katolis, treasure chests, wall scrolls, tables of books and maps all filled the great hall which Soren and Claudia found themselves in.

What caught Soren’s attention the most, however, was the striking figure standing before him. Clad in red and black armor with gold trim, a teenage girl about the same age as Claudia, with dark brown hair tied up into a top knot with a gold hair pin shaped like a flame. Her sharp features were framed by two long bangs. Soren’s blue eyes met the girl’s golden ones, and for a moment they gazed back at each other with shock and wonder. Then the girl shouted.

“GUARDS!”

Soren and Claudia had a second to react before the girl extended her palm and an intense blue jet of flame shot from it. Soren grabbed Claudia and pulled her out of the way just in time as the flames singed the carpet where they had landed. It was then that they saw the guards coming through the doors, wielding spears and wearing the same type of armor as the girl. They blocked the exit, but Soren charged forward. Drawing his longsword, Soren cut through the wooden spear shafts, their points falling to the floor harmlessly. The guards blinked in confusion before Soren bulldozed his way past them, knocking the men aside with his own armored body and clearing the way for Claudia.

“I’ve got your back Soren!” Claudia shouted as she took out a green bundle of vines from her satchel. Her eyes glowed as she whispered the incantation, “tpure seniv,” purple magic flowing into the bundle before she tossed it at the doorway. The bundle burst into a web of vines that covered the doorway, buying the siblings some time as they began running down the halls of this strange, new palace. The vines would not last long though, as they were engulfed in blue flames and burned to ashes. The girl who had called the guards walked past the smoldering plant life and looked down the halls where Claudia and Soren had run, squinting her eyes with intrigue.

“Claudia, where on Earth are we?!” Soren shouted as they ran. A young servant girl squeaked in fright as the two of them ran past her, almost dropping the bowl of cherries she was carrying.

“I don’t know Soren, I don’t think we’re in Katolis anymore,” Claudia answered while she tried to keep up. “I’d say we’re in Xadia, but nothing here looks like an elf!”

“Well they’re still trying to kill us anyway!” Soren retorted as they rounded a corner. By now the commotion had alerted the entire palace, and more guards were beginning to swarm and chase after them. Some of them began to shoot fire from their hands like the girl did, but these were orange flames instead.

“These people, they’re doing fire magic like it’s nothing…” Claudia observed as she pulled out a glass globe filled with water and a tiny, floating clam shell. She recited yet another incantation, “doolf tnerrot,” and threw it onto the floor. The small globe broke and unleashed a torrent of water that rushed down the hall and swept away the fire mages. That gave the siblings some breathing room, and both ducked through an open door to catch their breath.

“Claudia, wherever we are, this is really, really bad.” Soren began. “Not only are we surrounded by hostiles that can do magic, but dad is going to kill us for messing with the mirror. And worst of all, I’m going to miss my knighting ceremony!”

“Calm down Sore-bear,” Claudia said reassuringly. “We can still get back, we just need to get to the portal we came out from. Makes sense, right?” Claudia smiled at Soren, hoping her logic would cheer him up. Her brother took a deep breath and sighed.

“Okay, but that means having to get past that scary lady with the blue fire. Kind of hot though…” Soren smirked as he rubbed his chin, before Claudia gave him a light smack on the head.

“Focus Soren. We have to find a way back to that museum-y looking room. How’s your sense of direction?” Claudia asked. Soren shook his head.

“Sorry, kind of hard to get your bearings when you’re fleeing like a scared bunny.” He answered.

“Why don’t I show you,” Came a voice. Soren and Claudia looked to the doorway to see a grim looking young man with dark hair and a horribly burned face standing there, wielding two curved swords. “We can start with the prison...” The young man rushed at the two and brandished his swords. Soren blocked Claudia as he raised his own sword and the blades clashed.

“Claudia, move! I’ve got this!” Soren shouted as he and the boy with the burned face locked blades. Claudia moved out of the way as the two sword masters began to duel. Soren’s longsword had the range advantage, but the burned one could attack and defend at the same time. Claudia fumbled through her satchel trying to find the right spell to use. Soren swiped at the dual wielder, who blocked and swung back with his other curved sword. Soren thought he was out of range, until a wave of fire shot out from the sword tip.

Soren was blasted back by the fire and stumbled. Fortunately, his armor was resistant enough to negate the worst of it, as Soren regained his posture and stance. The burned swordsman began to swing his swords once more, throwing wider arcs of fire at Soren. Soren blocked, parried, and dodged the fire as best he could, but took another hit. Meanwhile, Claudia found the item she was looking for, a short chain bracelet in the style of twin snakes.

“Got it! Soren, snake chains!” Claudia signaled to her brother. Soren grit his teeth as he stood his ground.

“Okay ugly, block this one.” Soren growled before charging at his opponent. The burned boy took a defensive stance, but was surprised when Soren gripped his longsword by the blade instead of the hilt. Soren swung the sword at the burned one hilt first. He tried to block it, but extra weight of the blow broke through, and the cross guard of Soren’s sword struck the burned one in the shoulder. He dropped his guard and stumbled back, gripping his shoulder in pain.

“Meht dnib leets nirehtyls!” Claudia shouted. The chains in her hand grew long, and transformed into large snakes that quickly slithered towards the enemy. The burned one gasped as they wrapped themselves around his body, trapping him, before changing back into heavy chains. The burned one fell to his knees and grunted as he struggled to break free.

“Come on.” Soren took his sister’s hand and they ran out of the room. More guards were closing in on them once more, and neither sibling had time to gain their bearings, turning any corner that seemed safe and dispatching any guards that got in their way. They ran for minutes, not stopping to rest or catch their breath, until finally they came to a long hallway leading to a large doorway with light shining through the cracks. Soren and Claudia both instinctively knew it was an exit, and made a beeline for it. Two guards moved in to halt them, but Soren easily knocked them out with quick blows of his pommel.

Claudia readied another spell as Soren began to push open the heavy double doors, and they ran outside into the palace courtyard. The light of the sun shined down upon them, and for a moment they felt relieved to be out, until they saw the rest of the guards and fire mages swarm in on all sides. The siblings stood back to back, guarding each other as the hostiles closed in.

“Claudia, if you’ve got something big and flashy you wanna throw out, now’s the time…” Soren said to his sister as he brandished his sword. Several of the fire mages held fire in their hands, ready to unleash.

“Then it’s time to bring out the big magic…” Claudia replied as she reached into her satchel and pulled out one of her most powerful relics, the Sky Primal Stone. A small thunderstorm raged inside the tiny sphere, and Claudia drew the power of lightning into her hand before raising it skyward. “Fulminis!”

The lightning shot up into the sky, and all the soldiers surrounding them stepped back in fear and awe. Soren grinned triumphantly. Claudia always came through, and now was their chance to escape. Soren was about to make a path for them, when suddenly, another bolt of lightning struck the sky, only it was not from Claudia. Everyone turned to the palace’s entrance to see the girl from before, her two fingertips smoking as she stood in a low stance.

“Whoa…” Soren could only say as he gazed at her. After a brief pause, the soldiers quickly moved in, pointing their spears and readying their flames. What opportunity the siblings had to flee was gone. Soren kept his sword held high, but he knew it would do them little good. Claudia held more lightning ready in her hand, but they were too close now for her to manage another casting. A guard had a spear now pointed close to her throat. Soren growled as he switched places with Claudia and knocked the spear tip away. “Don’t you touch her!”

“Stand down!” The blue fire girl shouted to the soldiers as she began to approach. Running up behind her was the burned swordsman from before, having freed himself from his chains. “Good of you to join us brother. Guards! Disarm these two so they can’t cause any more trouble!” The soldiers did as they were ordered, pulling Claudia’s satchel away from her and taking the primal stone, leaving her powerless. Two more guards took Soren’s sword and forced the siblings down on their knees. The rest of the soldiers cleared a path as the other pair approached.

“Don’t underestimate them,” The burned one began to say, his dual swords sharing one sheath at his back. “The boy is strong, and the girl has powers like a spirit.”

“Yes, I see they gave you trouble,” The girl replied dismissively. She stood before Soren now, looking down at him as he looked back up defiantly. She tilted her head as she studied his features, then reached down to tug at his dirty blond locks, making him grunt in pain.

“Ow, hey! Watch the hair!” Soren snapped at her. The girl let go and squinted at him.

“Golden hair and blue eyes…” The girl said. She looked over to Claudia to study her features next. “Green eyes too, with strange clothing and equipment…” Her gaze shifted back to Soren, and they met eye to eye. Soren did his best to match her gaze, but it felt like her eyes were piercing right through to his soul. “Who are you? What nation are you from?” She demanded.

“I’m Soren, Crownguard of the Kingdom of Katolis!” Soren shouted out for all to hear, loud and proud. “And this is my sister, Claudia, a master of magic. Who are you?!” He hoped that would get them some respect. The burned one crossed his arms. The girl’s face was blank for a moment as she gazed at the blond boy and processed the information.

“…Soren…?” The girl asked, then smirked at him and leaned forward. Her face came dangerously close as she met Soren eye to eye, and for a moment the Crownguard felt a sense of unease at his personal space being invaded.

“Don’t you know?” The girl asked, keeping eye contact with Soren. “I’m Princess Azula of the Fire Nation. This one here is my brother, Prince Zuko,” She motioned to the burned one, who simply glared in silence. The girl, Azula, stood up straight and put her hands on her hips, asserting her authority. “And the two of you just managed to storm out of the royal palace of the Fire Nation, making it past hundreds of guards and firebenders.”

“Firebenders? Is that what you are?” Claudia asked, her curiosity piqued. There were spells that controlled fire, but nothing on the level that these firebenders seemed to display. Azula raised an eyebrow at the question.

“Yes, that’s right. You two really aren’t from around here, are you?” Azula asked, holding her chin as she studied the siblings. “You come stumbling out of a mirror without warning, no idea where you are, and you managed to get this far…I’m impressed. Just a little.” A small smile formed on her lips as she stroked her chin. “Still, I’m afraid we’re going to have to detain you, for now. Guards, take them to the treasure room and keep them there.” Azula turned and began walking away, with Zuko following suit. “I need to speak to father first.”

The guards lifted Soren and Claudia up and placed shackles around their wrists. With their weapons confiscated, they had no choice but to obey as they were led back into the palace. All the servants and staff watched with curiosity as the two outsiders were led back down the long halls to the treasure room, the place where they had first appeared. Meanwhile, Azula and Zuko took a different direction, to the throne room where Fire Lord Ozai was seated. He had a look of annoyance as his two children approached and kneeled, heads bowed.

“What is this disturbance?” Ozai asked hotly.

“There were two intruders Father, a boy and a girl. They appeared without warning within the palace.” Zuko answered, keeping his head bowed.

“Intruders? But the day of Black Sun is weeks away.” Ozai retorted. “Was your intel incorrect?”

“No, never, Father, these two are different,” Azula began to say, and raised her head to meet her father’s gaze. “They’re unlike anything we’ve ever seen before, from an unknown kingdom they call Katolis.”

“They’re not benders, but they possess great skill and strange powers. One of them can even control lightning.” Zuko explained. Ozai’s eyes widened, and he furrowed his brow.

“I want these intruders executed,” He said as he stood, the flames surrounding his throne intensifying. “I’ll not have would be assassins thinking they can come for me and live to tell about it.”

“Actually father, I don’t think they are assassins,” Azula said. “They came through a mirror, that large one which the late Admiral Zhao brought to us from the hidden library he found in the Earth Kingdom. It must hold some kind of spirit magic. I saw the whole thing happen, and judging by their reactions, these intruders came by accident.” Ozai turned his nose up as he sat back down.

“They came through a mirror? That sounds like some preposterous spirit tale, strange people traveling from another world through a looking glass.” The situation had rattled Ozai. He did not let his children see it, but he had been on edge ever since he was told about the Day of Black Sun and the coming invasion. “So? What is your point, my dear?” The Fire Lord asked, and Azula smiled at him.

“Father, I think we have an opportunity to gain new allies, and new power,” Azula stood to her feet, while Zuko eyed her suspiciously from the floor. “Even though there were only two of them, our strange visitors fought their way past our imperial firebenders from the treasure room to the courtyard. They even managed to subdue Prince Zuko,” Azula shot a smug smirk down at her brother, who scoffed and rolled his eyes. “The day of Black Sun will be here soon, taking away our bending and leaving us vulnerable. While we have a foolproof plan for the invasion to come, a little more insurance would not hurt.” Ozai stroked his long beard as he considered Azula’s words.

“So, you believe that convincing these…aliens to join us is worthwhile?” Ozai asked. Azula nodded, her smile growing larger as she could already feel her father’s approval.

“Yes Father, and not only that, but we could learn how they wield this magic,” Azula answered. “The boy is strong and resilient, but the girl, his sister, holds the real power, to control elements without bending, to use real magic like the spirits can.” The Fire Lord smirked back at his daughter, amused by her choice of words as his son stayed silent. Ozai nodded to them.

“Very well then, if you can turn this…incident to our advantage, then do so,” Ozai commanded. “Keep our visitors here as our new guests, make them feel right at home for as long as you can. We will show them the glory of the Fire Nation, and they will come to us in our time of need to tell us their secrets. You two are dismissed.”

Azula and Zuko bowed to their father before turning to leave. Zuko frowned at his sister.

“You think it’s going to be easy to convince them to join us?” The prince asked. “I have a feeling they might not be too thrilled about it if they knew why we’re being invaded.”

“Don’t worry so much Zuzu.” Azula replied, her smirk still present. “What our guests won’t know won’t hurt them, right? Besides, I’m sure these poor lost souls would appreciate the infinite hospitality that the Fire Nation has to offer. Just leave it all to me…”

Meanwhile, Soren and Claudia were taken back to the treasure room where they had arrived. The two of them were seated down at one of the large tables, side by side. Claudia’s eyes scanned the room until she spotted what she was looking for, a large mirror, though this one was different from the one in Katolis. It was a large circle, with a grey stone frame lined with runes, and a winged dragon perched on top. The glass was not cracked, but perfectly smooth and reflected the rest of the room.

“Soren, there it is…” Claudia whispered to her brother. Soren followed her gaze to the mirror and smiled excitedly.

“Clods, all we have to do is make a break for it,” Soren whispered back. Claudia gave him a worried look, but he did not notice. “I can overpower these guys easy, then we just bolt for the mirror and we’re out of here.” Soren took a deep breath and readied himself, tensing his legs to spring into action. “On my mark….one….two…th-“

“I’m so sorry about that,” Came a female voice from outside. The guards made way as Princess Azula and Prince Zuko entered the treasure room and walked up to the siblings. “Guards, please take these shackles off, these two are our guests and we should treat them better than prisoners.” The guards did as they were ordered and unlocked the cuffs from Soren and Claudia’s wrists. Soren was taken back, his plan interrupted before it could begin. He and Claudia watched as Azula walked up to the large mirror, studying it inquisitively, before pushing her hand towards it. The glass stayed firm, as glass normally does. Claudia and Soren were surprised by this, and Azula turned to them. “You both came through this, but it seems that you can’t go back.”

“What!?” Soren exclaimed as he walked towards the princess. Two guards moved in his way, and Soren glared at them. “You mean we’re stuck here?” Soren stomped his foot and huffed. “I had places to be…” Azula put on an expression of pity. She had already known the mirror would not work, having tested it before pursuing Claudia and Soren earlier. Azula just needed to make sure they knew they were stuck, before one of them tried to do something rash. Azula motioned for the guards to move, and she put a hand on Soren’s shoulder.

“I know this must be difficult for you, being stranded in a strange new world,” Azula said, her words coated with honey. Soren looked back at Azula, he and Claudia oblivious to her intentions, and began to feel more at ease. “But not to worry. The Royal Family are generous hosts, and we will gladly let you stay at the palace until you find your way back home.”

“Really? Oh, thank you!” Claudia said as she got up from her seat and went to give Azula a hug. Azula did her best not to shove the sorceress to the ground and set her long hair on fire for her insolence, and she managed to keep her composure.

“It’s nothing, you’re more than welcome,” Azula replied as she pried Claudia off of her. Zuko watched from the edge of the table, glowering at the spectacle. Lying always did come easy to Azula. While the prince did not trust these outsiders, using them the way Azula did made him uncomfortable. Still, it was better than executing them, as long as they truly were not assassins. Ozai had restored his honor, and Zuko would not shame himself by disobeying his father again.

“Okay, so, what now?” Soren asked impatiently. It did not look like he was going to be home in time for his ceremony. He still considered himself a Crownguard though, regardless of if he was officially sworn in and took the oath. Soren would make sure no one forgot that. “What do we need to do?”

“I’ll have to create a new spell to try and reopen the portal home,” Claudia said, scratching her head. “Some of those ingredients I used were not easy to get either. You wouldn’t happen to have any unicorn mane lying around, would you?”

“What is a unicorn?” Zuko asked incredulously. “Is that like some kind of tiger monkey?” Claudia sighed and rubbed her temple, causing Zuko to shrug in confusion.

“Okay, I have to make a new spell using all new different ingredients then…” Claudia grumbled for a moment, and Soren was worried until Claudia put a bright smile on her face. “But hey! That just means I get to experiment with a whole new kingdom of animals! Imagine all the new spells I could invent!”

“We will assist you in any way we can, Claudia was it?” Azula said, her words still sweet. “I would love to learn how your spells work, but first, I think you both need some rest after such a harrowing experience. Come, we’ll show you a tour of the palace and where you’ll be staying. I’ll make sure the guards and staff know you are our most esteemed guests in your time of need.”

Azula snapped her fingers, and the guards stepped in line as she led Soren and Claudia out of the treasure room with Zuko not far behind. Things were already starting off even better than she planned, and Azula loved every bit of it.

#Azula #Soren #Claudia #Zuko #Ozai #avatar the last airbender #the dragon prince #White Knight Red Queen #fanfic

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agaywadarchive · 5 years

Text

Title: Roast

Prompt: i want alex and claudia to pig out on cheese, water crackers or whatever, and wine while they talk shit about his coworkers and their neighbors. THEY PROBABLY JUST GOT BACK FROM A FANCY ASS PARTY #MARRIEDVERSE claudia still in her gorgeous dress and Alex's bow tie undone and laying around his neck and sleeves buttoned up the fore arm. the jacket on the chair behind him 👌👌👌👌

Who: Claudia Daviau, Alex Reeves. Mentions: Ingris, her husband, and Susana

Rating: R for language

For: @toptotoe @ravenpuff-writes

Notes: Claudia and Alex beng nasty (but not in a sexual way, they’re both being bitches.

Her mother’s Winter Ball was always something Claudia looked forward to. Even though Claudia had disowned her mother the day of her wedding and hadn’t invited her to her wedding, Claudia still got along with her father and siblings and was always excited to see them. She usually had fun talking, laughing, and dancing with them. And even though her Ari didn’t like Alex; Amya, Avery, Felix, and her father thought he was alright. Which meant that there was no hostility or tension towards him or her while attending the ball. So today, when she attended the ball, she wasn’t surprised that the evening had gone great.

However, even though she had a good night, she was happy to get home. Her feet ached from walking around in heels and she was starved since there wasn’t really any good appetizers for her to choose from at the ball. So upon opening the door to her home, Claudia immediately took off her shoes and headed for the kitchen to get a plate of meat and some crackers for her and Alex to munch on. She kept on her dress because she liked the red and how good her shoulders looked without the straps. And after getting the food and placing it at the coffee table, she came back with two glasses of wine. Alex was already sitting on the couch, his jacket off and hanging on the arm of the couch, so she sat down on the cushion beside him and smiled at him.

“Did you see her face when I ignored her? She looked so pissed that I didn’t even bother acknowledging her,” Claudia said, a bright and mischievous expression lighting up her features as she spoke. Sometimes she liked ripping people apart with Alex because he seemed to be on the same page as her when it came to talking shit. They would talk about people they didn’t like - whether it be their colleagues, their batshit neighbors, or people that they met and never wanted to talk to again - for hours and it was both catty and fun for Claudia since, if she got into tangents about all the people she didn’t like in front of everyone else, that they’d probably be offended and tell her she was being a little too harsh. With Alex it wasn’t that way, so she got to say whatever she wanted to say without filtering her words.

Alex took the wine glass from her hands and took a long sip of it, before talking. “She looked like she wanted to kill you. I thought it was hilarious, but I think you could’ve done a lot worse. She was wearing white and you could’ve dropped punch on her.”

“You’re right. I was being too nice. I should’ve made my mother suffer. She was having way too much fun earlier,” Claudia responded, tapping her glass against his. Her leg was barely touching his because she wasn’t sure how close was too close after a night of socializing, but she was a bit tipsy so she wanted to touch him, even if it was subtle. She was certain that the glass of wine she would drinking would make her full on drunk, so she drank it slowly to avoid that.

There was a silence as Alex grabbed a cracker and a piece of ham and ate it and Claudia played with her hair. Then he spoke, “You were, yeah. I also think you’re a little too nice to the neighbor. That bitch Ingris really has it out for you, and she’s annoying as fuck. I don’t know how anyone deals with her squeaky voice and victim noises.” His face was blank as he spoke, but Claudia can see in his eyes that he was interested in the conversation.

“Oh yeah, I really have to. I feel like doing small things like tripping her in yoga class and sabotaging her garden would give her the hint that I’m on to her bullshit, but apparently, me bothering her only makes her more fake nice to me.” Claudia nodded and scrunched her face in disgust. “Then her husband is just...pathetic. Every time we do something with our yard, he copies it. And then there was that little stint at Lettie’s potlock where he hit on me, thinking I’d be interested in his disgusting ass.” Claudia scoffed, then took a swig of her wine. Already feeling more tipsy than earlier. “I fucking hate them.”

A small smirk twitched on Alex’s lips. “I fucking hate them, too. If it weren’t for you loving this house, I would’ve had us out of here a long time ago.” He nodded his head, then shrugged casually.

“It is the best house that I could ask for, but sometimes I am willing to let it go if it means being away from that racist bitch and her gross husband.” She rolled her eyes and sighed heavily.

“Well, we could move if you wanted?” He shrugged again, then drank the last of his wine, his eyes glassy as he spoke.

“I lied, I don’t want to give up this house. It’s my dream house. I do have an idea though, and it’s complete garbage, but I don’t see you judging me over it.” She narrowed her eyes at him, daring him to judge her. Just so she could bitch about it.

“You want to get them to move out, don’t you?” A rare smile made its way to his face.

“Yes, but I think I’m going to need your help - you know if you’re willing.” She was the one who was shrugging now.

“I’m willing to help If we do this I won’t have to see that bitch again. So it’s a win-win for everybody.”

Claudia gave him an awarding winning smile before raising her glass. “Good. I’ll come up with a plan when I’m soberer.”

#elliesfinishedworks #writing: claudia daviau #( fake ass hoes )#i feel like alex wouldn't be meaner but he's odd so i didn't know how to write him #also i only owe you two more things #so woot

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thewineauctionroom · 3 years

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New Post has been published on https://wineauctionroom.com/pyramid-valley-vineyards-featured-in-country-calendar/

Pyramid Valley Vineyards Featured in Country Calendar

An American couple’s chosen this unique site in Canterbury to make world-class wine.

Claudia: “You know we took the old world model and brought it to the new world, this wine tastes like wine from nowhere else in New Zealand; nowhere else in the world and that’s precisely what we set out to do.”

Mike: “It’s always a risk, it’s farming you just can’t control mother nature and you’ve got one chance every year to get it right.”

At Pyramid Valley Vineyard in North Canterbury they do things the traditional European way and that takes a lot of people power.

Claudia: “We’ve got a team about 10 people here today we’re just shoot positioning and lateral thinning. They’re going through with snips or with using just their hands and pulling off the laterals like you do with your tomatoes, and that’s exposing the fruit to wind air sunlight everything moving through to prevent disease from happening.”

Claudia and Mike Weersing have their own way of doing things, they’ve planted their grapes close together and low to the ground in the French style and it’s taken some kiwi ingenuity to ease the backbreaking work.

Claudia: “When you have vines that are so low to the ground, it was really hard for us to constantly be bending over. So we’ve kind of over the years created these trolleys, we started with skateboards which was kind of funny, but they’re not great when you’ve got muddy soil so we came up with these aluminium frames — everybody grabs a pad and you can sit on that really comfortably. There’s no back injury and it also brings you into the fruit zone, it brings you right against that fruit and that canopy so that you could have a really close look at what you’re doing and feel more comfortable about doing it.”

Claudia: “Fruit sets just really in balance, yeah it’s probably a little bit more meticulous than what you would see in a normal vineyard but we’re aiming for quality here and we’re aiming for a very low yield and we can’t take any risks on detritus so we’ve really got to get it right the first time.”

Claudia: “Everyone here at Pyramids are part of our family and I think that’s one of the nice things when you come to Pyramids there’s that people talk about the energy here and it feels like home and it’s a place that we share and we’ve shared from the beginning. And mike and I didn’t have kids so it’s really nice to see the next generation thinking about viticulture and what’s here for them. It’s wonderful.”

Claudia and Mike have established their vineyard using biodynamic principles which focus on creating healthy soils.

Mike: “Well we know for a fact that in a vineyard ninety percent of the biomass is from the soil surface down. We see a vineyard as being what’s up in our part of the universe up here, but if you get your 90 percent wrong your 10 percent is never going to be what it should be. It’s like asking to have lustrous hair on a corpse, so you farm your soil first and we we found our soil first and now we farm it and the vine just happily follows along. You know we’ve made mistakes along the way but biodynamics is something we would never take back and we would never abandon.”

Claudia: “So this is fresh manure I collected this morning and we’re just going to put a little bit into the horn like that and then we’re going to use our stick to push it in. I just use my fingers because I don’t worry about it you’ll be eating lunch with your forks and not your hands today.

Claudia: “People think it’s a little crazy that you fill it with cow dung, but once you’ve got that vessel and you fill it with the manure and then you put it in the ground six months later you lift it and you’ve got that really amazing compost with all that microbial activity.”

Claudia: “This is six months on so what I’ve got here is this incredible compost. It’s got more microbial life to it than you’d ever find in a compost. We then put this into a drum, we stir it for about an hour with a stick and we put it into the sprayer and then we spray it onto the land just like you would a normal fertilizer. It’s really the magic of biodynamics this is just feeding the soil you know, looking after the land caring for the land and this just keeps everything alive and everything going.”

Vineyard manager Stuart McDuff has adapted to using biodynamics too.

Stuart: “The only word that’s guaranteed to get you fired around here is weed killer. And it is it’s just something all of our weeding done by hand. There are times honestly where the crew would just love to get out there with the weed killer because it’s not a flash job but it’s a great environment. It’s the people basically, it’s a good place to work and it’s a hell of an office, it really is.”

Claudia and Mike moved from California 18 years ago following a dream to create a wine unique to the site.

Claudia: “It’s funny when we first met each other, he used to have his nose and a Pinot Noir book every single night and I thought oh this guy’s having an affair with Pinot Noir you know, it was kind of weird but um I got attached pretty quickly. There’s something really special about being in the wine industry and I felt like this was a really good direction for myself.”

Mike: “It’s so lifted this year, it’s so violent, it’s really pretty. This wine tastes like wine from nowhere else, nowhere else in New Zealand, nowhere else in the world and that’s precisely what we set out to do I can’t imagine wishing to be anywhere else.”

Their love for the land has seen them turn a former swamp paddock into an irrigation pond and native wetland.

Mike: “So we had to do was simply dig it out like a swimming pool essentially. And then because our clays swell when they get wet it lined itself and it filled itself. Of course all the neighbors were laughing saying those crazy Americans, they’re digging this gigantic hole and it’s never going to fill. But we had one big rainstorm in the winter and it was full.”

But the Weersings needed a solution to deal with algae and weed that could take over the pond.

Claudia: “With the challenges of having the pond, we knew that we needed a management system and we needed to find someone to do that for us and that’s when we came across Gray. He drives all the way from Takapuna down here and we catch up with him about four times a year. He checks on the pond and make sure the levels of the algae aren’t getting out of control.”

Gray Jamieson has introduced two new species of fish to manage the water quality naturally.

Gray: “We use grass gap to eat the weed and the filamentous algae, and silver carp to filter out blue-green algal blooms. I just wanted to show you this time the silver cup they’re now in size. So oh right that’s the silver carp, we’ve had the grass carpet in the past but this is the first time that we’ve actually put the silvers, and the silvers now are of size and they’re the ones that are going to swim around in the water and filter feed out all the algal blooms, so the water will start to go clear. One of the biggest issues we have putting them in different places is that they’re confused with the koi carp, silver carp and grass carp aren’t that at all we we’ve actually changed the name to white and silver and muir they can’t breed in New Zealand that’s been proven and they can be easily managed i mean you look at a pond the same as you look at the amount of stock you put in a paddock you work out your stocking rate and then you put them in and you just adjust it to suit. Well here they are, here’s the first of the silvers to be released in here. They’ll probably go about 10 kilos minimum, they could even get as much as 18 to 20. Also the freshwater mussels they filter feed on blue algal bloom, they’ve got toxic blue green algal blooms as well. That’ll take a couple years to build up the numbers but then it will actually turn your water clear. Well what we’ll do when we put them out is we try and keep them together so that when they spawn, it’s easy for them to fertilize each other so we’re just going to chuck them out in the water.”

Mike: “He’s so committed to what he does. And he really does believe that there’s much we can do to help clean so many polluted waterways in this country that if it requires a non-native carp to do so and there’s no danger in releasing it that seems a better way than many.”

The pond may be getting cleaner but with some of the jobs around here you’ve got to get your hands dirty.

Vineyard worker: “It’s not as bad as I thought.”

Mike and Claudia Weersing grow grapes on a former sheep farm in North Cnterbury.

Mike: “The farm is 200 acres, we only have two hectares five acres planted. We wanted to concentrate on just the areas that had the correct soil mix and the right sort of aspect. We have four different blocks, two of pinot and two of chardonnay in those two hectares. To be perfectly frank we haven’t even planted our best ground yet because I didn’t want to make mistakes on what I considered to be the very best plots.”

A specific soil type is at the heart of this vineyard.

Mike: “The soils are a mix of clay and limestone that’s very important. … full content could be viewed in below video clip.

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stydiasecretsanta · 6 years

Text

HOLD ME NOW, TAKE ME HOME

Take my hand Take my whole life too For I can’t help falling in love with you

Playlist

@poehdameron

June 5th, 2002

Stiles Stilinski knows he loves Lydia Martin on their wedding day.

She’s wearing a white and blue sundress, a blue bow in her bright red locks and with one of his mom’s plastic sunflowers pressed between her small hands. His backyard is full of guests. All her teddy bears and Barbie dolls made it to the biggest event of the afternoon and keep Stiles’ Star Wars action figures company.

She walks slowly, both hands carefully holding the flower he attentively chose for her, smiling brightly towards him. Her eyes move ever so slightly to look at her mom’s encouraging smile before stopping in front of the seven-year-old boy wearing the newest T-shirt his mom had gotten for him.

He looks at his best friend and finds the softest smile on his face. Of course he’s right next to him, standing between Lydia and Stiles, wearing one of Sheriff Stilinski’s favorite ties. That particular one was chosen by Stiles for his birthday and it couldn’t be in better hands than Scott McCall’s.

“We’re all here today to marry Lydia and Stiles,” Scott says, loud enough for their parents and toys to hear him. He then turns to Stiles with an encouraging nod. “Stiles, you can say your vows.”

“I promise to always share my chocolate ice cream with you even when you ate all of yours,” he says, looking at her. “And to always hold your hand when you’re scared of the dark.”

“Now it’s your turn, Lydia.”

“Stiles, I promise to let you sing along to The Little Mermaid movie with me. And to never make you choose between me and Scott. I know you like us both the same.”

“Okay. Now you can put the ring on Lydia’s finger.”

Stiles takes a green plastic ring out of his pocket and holds Lydia’s hand carefully. He looks at his dad hesitantly and his father points to his hand, showing which finger the ring goes on. When the act is complete, he doesn’t let go of her hand.

Scott’s face breaks into a big smile, showing his missing teeth, before announcing:

“You are married. You can kiss now.”

Lydia, always the bravest out of them, takes a step further and kisses Stiles’ cheek. It’s quick and wet, but it makes him smile.

The adults applaud and Stiles looks at his mom. She’s smiling at her son, clapping her hands with enthusiasm as she sends him a look. But not any look. The one she only does when she knows Stiles is keeping a secret.

Stiles Stilinski loves Lydia Martin.

Claudia Stilinski knows.

February 27th, 2003

He’s eight when his mom doesn’t wake up anymore.

Stiles knows she’s been very sick for a long time and that she needs to sleep in the hospital now so they can take care of her, but he’s been patiently waiting for all those noisy machines to make his mom better. He always asks Scott’s mom when his mom will get better, but she never answers. Melissa only looks at him with the kindest eyes, the ones Scott has whenever he’s feeling sad, and holds him gently.

When he asks his father the same thing, he only says the doctors are doing the best they can to make her better. But Stiles knows something is wrong. She’s not getting better. Sometimes she smiles and listens to all his stories or helps him with his drawings, but there are other times where all she does is scream. Scream at people he doesn’t see. Scream at the doctors who are trying to give her the medicine she needs. Scream at him.

She never screamed at him before.

But tonight she isn’t screaming. She’s looking at one of her old photo albums with him. Stiles notices how sometimes she doesn’t remember things, so he gave his dad the idea to show her the pictures to help her with her memory.

The doctors can’t seem to make his mother better. Maybe he can.

“You look very handsome here,” she says quietly, pointing to one of the pictures. Her finger stays still for some time before she moves it to the person next to her son. “Who’s this little girl?”

“That’s Lydia. She’s my best friend, like Scott.” He looks at her, but Claudia doesn’t seem to know who she is. “We’re married, you know.”

“Oh, you are?” That seems to make her smile. “She’s very pretty.”

“She is. And she’s smart too!” he says proudly. “Lydia told me a teacher tried to make her go study with the older kids but she didn’t want to go to a different classroom than me and Scott.”

“Do you like her?” He doesn’t answer. Lydia is his friend and they’re married. But he knows he doesn’t like her the same way he likes Scott. Stiles knows he can’t like two people the same way and, like she promised in her vows, Lydia never made him choose who he liked better. But he didn’t like either of them better. Stiles just liked them in different ways. His mom seems to notice his pensive face. “It’s okay if you do.”

“I think I do. We made Valentine’s day cards for all the girls in my class and hers is the only one I wrote a joke at the end of.” The smile comes back to his face. “She thought it was funny.”

“That’s good, baby.” Her voice starts to fail, but her hand never leaves his back.

“Mom?” He looks at her hesitantly. Stiles knows he’s not supposed to ask, but sometimes it feels like his mouth has a life of its own. “When are you coming home with me and Dad?”

Her face softens, and he can feel her hand gripping his shirt harder — like if she holds him tight enough, this moment will never end.

“I don’t know, honey… I really want to. But the doctors say it’s not time yet.” He looks down, disappointed her answer isn’t what he expected. “But Dad told me you’re doing a good job at home.”

“I always remind dad to buy apples so he can eat them at work.”

“See?” She’s smiling proudly at him. “You’re already a big boy, helping Dad with the shopping list.” He nods, feeling a little better. His mom always knows how to make him feel better. “While I’m here, it’s important you and Dad take care of each other like I do.”

“Okay.”

Stiles knows she’s starting to get tired again, and soon enough she’ll fall asleep, so he closes the photo album and walks over to his backpack. He had decided to save it for when his father came to kiss his wife goodnight and bring him home, but he wants her to see it before she falls asleep again.

Claudia’s eyes take longer to focus on him than usual, but he waits patiently. When they do, he climbs onto her bed again and hands her a pink piece of paper and a red paper flower he made in art class.

The card has a poem he wrote by himself one night when he couldn’t sleep. His dad helped him write without any spelling mistakes and they both signed it at the end.

“Happy Valentine’s day, Mom.”

That is her last good day.

Two weeks later, her eyes close and the machines in her room makes so much noise that they bring doctors running into the room. It’s Melissa who pulls him out of there and sits with him until his father comes running towards them with a worried look on his face.

As he sees the coffin of his mother descending, tears fall from his eyes. He misses her already. Her smile, her eyes, her warm hugs.

He wants her to come back to him immediately. Seeing his father cry at night is too much for him. He cries too and she’s the only one who can make them feel better.

But Stiles knows she won’t. And he’s scared of how things will be without his mom to make everything better.

Lydia notices. She doesn’t let go of his hand the whole afternoon.

September 17th, 2010

They’re fifteen when she kisses him for the first time.

Lydia Martin is the most popular girl in Beacon Hills High School. That’s how it’s been since middle school, and nothing seems to change that. She’s the prettiest, smartest girl in the school and everyone wants to be her friend.

Stiles Stilinski, on the other hand, is not.

Even though he’s one of her best friends, Stiles isn’t popular by association. Or popular at all. People barely speak to him or acknowledges his presence, and everyone wonders why she is friends with him in the first place. They get why she likes Scott. How couldn’t they? Everybody does and he’s the co-captain of the lacrosse team, so it makes sense.

Stiles is also on the lacrosse team, but he doesn’t have the same abilities his best friend acquired over the summer. Even though he would like to be known as something other ‘Lydia’s weird friend’ or ‘the ADHD guy,’ he doesn’t mind that much. Lydia and Scott see him.

And that’s enough for him, if he’s being completely honest.

Except when he’s being dragged by her to one of her boyfriend’s stupid parties.

That’s when he wishes he was actually invisible. Or at least that he didn’t have social anxiety every time he attends a party. Whichever is easier to achieve.

“You have to go, Stiles,” she says, looking through his wardrobe, trying to find something she approves of. “It’s going to be fun, and Scott and I will be with you at least eighty percent of the time, I swear.”

“No, you won’t. You’ll hang with me until your second beer and then you’re going to make out with your boyfriend and I won’t see you until tomorrow.” She rolls her eyes, but doesn’t disagree. “And Scott will have the most respectful flirting conversation with Allison for hoursbefore deciding to hold her hand and maybe, just maybe, dance with her. Do you have any idea how lame it is to be third wheeling those two?”

“According to my sources, they’ll do something a little more outrageous than holding hands tonight.” Stiles sits up straight at her statement, smiling widely. “You tell him and I’ll murder you.”

“I’m so proud of my boy. After everything he put me through to talk to her, I can finally say my job is done.” Lydia’s still not facing him, but he knows she’s smiling. “Can I at least tell him to be a little more… presentable? You know… not to show up covered in mud or something like that?”

“What are you going to suggest?” she asks, pointing to his wardrobe. “Something in the line of fifty shades of plaid?” He stares at her. Plaids are his signature look and it’s suitable for every occasion. Lydia is the only one who doesn’t get that. “Don’t worry about it,” she adds. I already went to his house and left something for him to wear on his bed. My problem here is what youare going to wear.”

“It’s sweet that you think I’m going to a party where I’ll be alone all night being judged by stupid teens who wonder if you’re my friend because of a bet.”

Lydia looks at him with a serious face.

“ What? Where did you hear that? Who said that?” She walks over to her purse and grabs her phone, already furiously texting. “I swear to God, these people…”

“Lydia, it’s fine.” He takes her phone from her hand and puts his hands on her shoulders, looking at her upset eyes.

“No, it’s not. It’s not fair the way they treat you.” She looks at him hesitantly. “You do know I’m not your friend because of a bet, right?” He smiles and holds her.

“Of course I know.” She relaxes in his arms. “You’re my friend because of my good looks and Star Wars knowledge.”

“I’m pretty sure I’m your friend because of convenience.” She looks up at him, smiling. “You know I was only interested in being friends with Scott, right? You just happened to come along.”

“Whatever makes you sleep at night, Martin.”

“Whatever makes you sleep at night.” She bites her lip, looking at him expectantly. “Please come? I promise you’ll have fun tonight.”

He takes an exaggeratedly deep breath, but nods.

“Fine. But I’ll pick out my own clothes.”

It takes exactly forty-five minutes for him to be left alone in the corner of the living room. Scott and Allison moved their routine to somewhere quieter and Stiles had a hard time pretending he didn’t know what was going to happen by the end of his best friend’s night. Lydia hung out with him a little bit longer until her boyfriend required her presence and she left, with a promise it’d take just a minute.

He looks around the room, seeing the drunk people surrounding him as they dance, drink or make out with the person next to them. He’d love to be one of those people, but the probability of him making a fool of himself and, in the end, getting Lydia in trouble is too high.

So the corner of the living room it is.

“You look really bored,” someone next to him says. He turns in her direction and smiles at the brunette girl leaning against the wall, finishing her drink. “Which you shouldn’t be at a party. It gives a bad impression.”

“I’m not a huge fan of parties,” he answers, taking a sip from his red cup. It’s kind of surprising Cora Hale is talking to him in the first place, but he tries not to think too much about it. “Especially when I’m alone in the corner of a room and not even close to getting drunk or laid tonight.”

“Maybe if you stopped whining about being the only virgin left in the world, someone would be interested in doing you a favor,” Cora says, taking his cup from his hand and drinking the remaining beer on one gulp.

“Are you offering?” He asks with his brows up. “Because Danny already did as a joke and, let me tell you, I’m not sure how much more a guy can take it.”

“Let’s see how the night ends, Stilinski.” She winks, turning her back on him and walking towards the kitchen.

The kitchen is fuller than the living room, which overwhelms Stiles even more, but the music isn’t as loud, so he can concentrate on the girl in front of him without any problem. Cora fills his cup with more beer without taking her eyes off of him. Suddenly, his mouth seems dry and he feels the need to take a drink as well.

“Thirsty?” Her voice is low and, he notices, deeper than before.

“Well, yes. Some girl took my drink from my hands, so…”

“Somehow I think you had it coming.”

“Is that so?” he says with a laugh. “I wonder what I did to deserve it.”

This is new. Stiles doesn’t flirt often and he’s impressed he’s pulling it off this well. Maybe, he thinks, it’s the alcohol finally mixing with his ADHD medicine and turning him into a more confident person. Or maybe he is doing a poor job but the alcohol is making him think otherwise. Either way, it seems to be working.

Scott always tells him he and Lydia are constantly flirting, but he never believes him.

He thinks he’d notice if Lydia Martin flirted with him.

However, it feels different with Cora. She and Lydia are somehow alike: determined and beautiful, with a strong personality. But Lydia is his best friend and in a relationship. Cora seems interested in him and he can’t say he’s not interested in her.

The conversation goes on for a while and the alcohol makes them a little bolder. The touching becomes more explicit and the whispering in each others’ ears more frequent until he finds himself pressing Cora against the wall as they kiss fervently.

If he’s being honest with himself, Stiles doesn’t know what going on in his mind. He has no idea why or how, but as she kisses his jaw, he decides to open his eyes. They immediately meets Lydia’s for a moment. Lydia’s on the other side of the room, holding two cups and standing still with both her brows raised. She’s so drunk and he doesn’t miss the surprised expression on her face. But then it melts away as she smiles at him.

He blinks a few times. It’s not the same smile she always gives to him, it’s a weak one and Stiles wonders if it’s all in his mind, if he’s too drunk to be able to read Lydia right this time. He raises his brows, but she just nods, sending him a pointed look and turning around, going back to wherever she was in the first place.

A small hand pulls him inside of one of the rooms and he remembers the girl he’s been kissing for the past half hour. Stiles smiles at her and closes the door.

It’s past three am when he finally leaves the party, and Stiles is very proud of himself for actually leaving at a socially acceptable time for this one. He still can’t believe the events of that night. The drinks, the dancing, the kissing and Cora Hale .

Who would have thought Cora fucking Hale would be the one to devirginize Stiles Stilinski?

He’s so excited about everything and all he wants to do is talk to his friends about it. Preferably Scott, who would be much more interested in hearing about Stiles’ sex life than Lydia, but, at this time, he can only imagine Scott would be fast asleep or busy with Allison. He also hasn’t seen Lydia for a while now, so she probably is doing the same with her boyfriend.

Either way, he can tell them tomorrow.

As soon as he gets home, he’s relieved to see just his jeep in the driveway. His father is pulling another all-nighter at the precinct and he sure as hell doesn’t need to see Stiles at this level of drunkenness. His body is aching from all the dancing and his head is starting to become heavier after not drinking for a while, so all he wants right now is his bed.

“Just a few more steps, Stiles,” he mumbles to himself. His eyes are already beginning to close when he steps inside the house. “You can do it. You can make it to your room.”

He walks slowly up the stairs, being careful enough to not bump into any of the portraits of his family perfectly hung the wall. He looks at one where his mother is smiling brightly while holding him in her arms. What would Claudia Stilinski say, seeing her child in this conditions?

His room is dark when he opens the door. The only light that comes in is from the moonlight through his window onto his bed, which makes it easier to find. He takes off his shoes and throws himself on his bed, relaxing immediately.

And then the doorbell rings.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” he mumbles, shoving his face into his pillow, ignoring the constant noise. After a few minutes, the sound stops and Stiles feels his body start to relax once more, his mind already shutting down to his surroundings.

Until his phone rings.

He groans loudly, reaching for his phone.

“You better be in the middle of the forest, naked and bleeding to death,” he answers without checking the ID caller.

“I’m outside. Can you open up?” a weak voice comes from the other side before his phone goes silent once more. He finally opens his eyes and stares at his phone.

Lydia .

He doesn’t think twice before throwing himself out of bed and running down the stairs. When he opens the door, there she is, looking so small, so lost. Lydia looks at his eyes and relief splatters over her face. Stiles frowns, confused. What the hell is she doing, alone, at this time of night in front of his house?

“Lydia?” He steps back, giving space for her to enter. “What are you doing here so late? Are you okay?”

“Can I stay here tonight?” Her voice is slow and he can see how tired she is. But what gets his attention is her eyes. They aren’t focused or determined like they always are. They seem a little blurred. “I really don’t want to be alone.”

“Yeah, of course.” He put his hands on her shoulders, bringing her close as they walk up the stairs to his bedroom. The strong scent of alcohol invades his nostrils and he realizes how none of it is coming from him. Yes, he is still pretty drunk, but every inch of Lydia’s body reeks of alcohol. “Uh, do you want to take a shower before getting into bed?”

She nods, walking straight to his bathroom. Stiles sighs and grabs some clothes for her and a towel. As soon as he hears the water turn on, he enters the bathroom to leave everything she needs on the sink.

He looks to the closed curtains and stays still for a few seconds, wondering what he should do. It isn’t the first time he handled a drunk Lydia, but, for some reason, something feels off this time.

“Lydia, is everything okay?” he asks one more time.

“Yeah.”

“Bullshit,” he blurts out. She pulls the curtain back, sticking her head out of the shower to face him. “I’ve known you since we were six. I know when you’re lying.”

“You’re drunk. You’re imagining things.”

“And you’re keeping something from me.” She looks down before getting back under the water. He sighs. “You don’t have to tell me what’s wrong. I just want to know how you are so I can help.”

He waits for an answer, but it doesn’t come, so Stiles just takes a deep breath and leaves the room, lying on his bed once more, hoping to fall asleep before she finishes her shower. A few minutes later, she comes out of the bathroom wearing just a long sleeve nightshirt that stops on her mid-thigh. Her hair is wet, dripping all over the shirt, and her skin looks like porcelain as it contrasts with the light color of his shirt.

She stands still in front of his door for a couple of seconds before closing it and walking towards his bed. The moonlight isn’t as bright as before, but it is still possible to see her features quite well.

One of the things Stiles loves about Lydia is how beautiful she looks without any makeup on. He can see all of her freckles around her nose and how small her eyelashes really are. There is nothing distracting him from the bright green of her eyes or the peach color of her lips. She always looks so pure, so raw without any makeup. He could stare at her all his life and still be amazed by her beauty.

But, this night, something else gets his attention. The sadness is so present on her face; it makes her look smaller than he’d ever seen her. The usual spark in her eyes is now a blurred shade of green and the red around them is so present that, if he didn’t know better, Stiles would think she was high or something.

Still, he doesn’t say anything. He just waits.

Their faces are turned towards each other, and Stiles can feel her breath on his chin. He can still smell the alcohol from both of them, but, this time, it’s weak enough to not bother them. Stiles’ bed is small, so much different from Lydia’s, but still able to fit both of them whenever they share it. That’s not the first time they’re sharing a bed. Growing up, sleepovers at each other’s house were pretty common and still sleeping in the same bed at their teen years felt natural, so her leg touching his, their noses almost pressing against each other, and their hands so close aren’t uncommon occurrences.

Because of this, when she moves closer to him and their noses touch, Stiles isn’t alerted by the approximation. It’s only when her hand rests on his cheek and she closes her eyes that he notices what is about to happen.

She kisses him slowly. Her mouth moves delicately against his, burning his lips with every touch, every breath, every ounce of warmth she gives him. For some time, everything seems like it’s happening in slow motion. Like the universe has stopped so they can savor this moment, as if they have all time in the world to stay like this.

It’s his heart that brings him back to earth. It’s the only part of his body that isn’t working in slow motion. It’s almost like it wants to leave his chest, considering how fast it is beating. When he comes to his senses and realizes what is happening, Stiles moves his face from hers.

“Lydia,” he simply says.

And it is more than enough to make her eyes water.

Stiles pulls her closer to his body, holding her tight as she hides her face in the crook of his neck, starting to cry. He doesn’t know how long she cries, but it takes some time for her to start to calm down. When she looks at him again, her eyes are redder than before, but, for a moment, she looks relieved.

“I’m sorry,” she says weakly.

“Tell me what’s wrong,” He begs, but Lydia shakes her head. “Please. I can make things better.”

“No. You can’t.” She tucks a lock of her hair behind her ear.

“I can try,” Stiles reassures her. “Did he do something? Did he hurt you? Did someone else? Tell me what it is.”

“Stiles…” Her voice trembles. He sighs, nodding. Him pushing the subject won’t do her any good. That’s not what she needs right now.

“Okay.” He brings his hands up to her face, brushing the tears from her cheeks. She rests her head on his shoulder as his hands return to the side of her body, moving up and down slowly.

After some time, he thinks she’s asleep. She’s not moving and her breath is not uneven from the crying anymore. His body relaxes a little, but his heart is still beating a thousand miles per hour.

“Stiles?” she mumbles, looking up to face him. He can see how she’s trying not fall asleep right away. “Do you remember when we got married?”

“Yeah,” he simply answers, surprised at what’s on her mind.

“You promised to always hold my hand when I’m scared of the dark.” The hand that is resting on his stomach moves quietly and holds his, lacing their fingers together. Her hands are cold against his. They are never cold, so he tightens his embrace. She looks at them for some time, and Stiles wonders for a second if she lost her train of thought. But then her eyes are looking at his once more. “I’m scared now,” she whispers.

“Don’t worry.” His voice is firmer than before. “I got you. I’m not gonna let go.”

He wakes up the next morning with half of his bed empty. The clock by his dresser tells him it’s almost eleven thirty and the pounding in his head lets him know why he’s waking up at that time in the first place.

It takes a second to see the note on top of his second pillow. He picks it up, holding it close to his face for a moment, waiting for his vision to stop being blurry.

In small, curvy handwriting, there are only two words in the middle of the paper.

Thank you.

Stiles sighs. His lips are still burning and his heart is warmer than it should be this morning. The only clear memory from the night before is sealed into his brain and heart, and Stiles knows that the feeling he has had for his best friend since he was seven years old never truly went away.

It only grew.

And there is nothing he can do but pretend it isn’t there.

July 8th, 2015

“I don’t understand why we can’t have this poster in our living room,” Stiles says for the third time in the last hour, holding one of his many Star Wars posters in front of her. “You said this is a shared space and that we could both decorate.”

“And we did. The kitchen? All you.” She points to the already finished space behind them. “The only thing that’s mine in there is the penguin magnet Allison gave to me when she moved in with Scott.” She looks around the living room. “And you have all of your DVD’s and a couple of Darth Vader and Han Solo dolls in here already, so I don’t see why we need a poster too.”

“ Action figures, Lydia!” he repeats for the third time this afternoon. “And I only got to do the kitchen because you can’t go in there without setting something on fire.”

“That’s not true! Remember when I made breakfast at your house last week? Nothing got burnt.”

“You made cereal. That’s not cooking, that’s you finding a way to not starve to death.” Lydia rolls her eyes and continues unpacking her box. “That’s so not the point, by the way. The point is that you have two posters and a painting on the wall, so why can’t I have one too?”

“One of the posters is a Game of Thrones one, which we both enjoy, the other one is a Paris landscape, and I painted that for you for your birthday.” She faces him. “Plus, we have at least six pictures of you and Scott in here, so your personality is present too.” He continues to stare at her. “Stiles, I’m looking out for you, believe me.”

“How?” he asks.

“You’re already living with me. That’s going to make it hard enough for you to bring someone home to spend the night. Having a Star Wars poster in the middle of the room will scare away the ones who actually make it to the apartment.”

“I can always say they’re yours.”

“ Please , like they’d believe that.”

“Maybe I’ll only bring home people who likes Star Wars then.” She raises an eyebrow. “We’re not in high school anymore! More people have an excellent taste in movies like me!”

“Of course they do.” She grabs the poster and he smiles victoriously. “But this still goes in your bedroom.”

Stiles sighs, defeated, and walks to his room. For all scenarios he imagined when she proposed them moving in together to escape share dorms, this wasn’t one of them. Knowing Lydia for his entire life made him think he could handle living with her. God, he was wrong.

He’s glad he accepted her offer, though. He openly admitted how hard and exhausting it was living in a small place with two other people he did not get along with. Luckily, the year from hell was over, and now he’s excited to share the next one with Lydia.

Scott isn’t thrilled with the idea when Stiles talks to him about it. Being the only one aware of the extension of his feelings for Lydia, which is the biggest lie in the world since pretty much the whole population of Beacon Hills but Lydia knows how he feels about her, Scott strongly suggests against it.

But Stiles is stubborn. He guarantees Scott he can handle living with her. They grew up together, had sleepovers all the time, and he has seen her in a bikini multiple times. There is no way this decision will backfire.

Of course it does. Three hours living with her has already proved Scott’s point. Stiles just won’t let him know that.

It’s been a month since they moved in together when Scott comes to visit. One of the downs of living with Lydia is that he isn’t living with Scott like they had planned for a long time. The worst part of it all is that Scott is still living in California, attending UC Davis while Stiles is many miles away in Massachusetts at Northeastern.

He misses him so much that he can’t hide how eager he is when he sees Scott walk into his apartment.

“Scotty!” The brown-skinned man doesn’t even have time to say a word before Stiles is hugging him tightly. “God, I missed you so much.”

“Me too, dude.” Stiles looks at his best friend with the biggest of smiles. “Where’s Lydia? Did you tell her I was coming?”

“Nah, somehow I thought it’d be a great idea not to, but now I think she may kill me for not being here when you arrived.” He grabs Scott’s bag and walks to his bedroom, Scott following behind him. “She went for coffee with someone she met in one of her classes before summer started, but I think she’ll be here soon.”

“So that makes… three people you two, combined, are friends with.”

“Yup. Two are hers.” He looks over his shoulder and sees Scott shaking his head, disapprovingly. “What? I socialize plenty. I went on three dates in the past three months, and went to parties with a friend of mine.”

“Yes, but you also brought Lydia to those parties.”

“So? She’s my friend and she likes going out.”

“Stiles, part of why I didn’t think you two moving in together was a good idea is because it’d be nice to see you two hanging out with people that aren’t each other for a change.” Stiles rolls his eyes, but Scott ignores them. “The other part…”

“Everything here is fine. Lydia and I are best friends exactly like you and I are. Nothing is going on.”

“So no flirting, no going to each other’s room in the middle of the night and cuddling, no being mistaken for her boyfriend all the time?” Stiles raises his brows, surprised Scott knows all that. “Girls talk. A lot. And Allison and I talk about you two all the time, so.”

“What does Lydia say about us? Or what do you and Allison talk about?” he asks. Both of them know about Stiles’ more-than-a-crush feelings for Lydia, and he finds it very annoying whenever a conversation like that comes up. Long ago he gave up on Lydia ever feeling the same for him, so he doesn’t see the point in discussing the subject any further.

Before Scott can say anything else, they hear the door closing and voices coming from the living room. Stiles looks at him and both of them go to the living room, where Lydia is talking to a black girl. As soon as her eyes land on Scott, she stops whatever she is saying and runs to his direction, hugging him tight.

“You’re here!” she says, looking at him. Stiles eyes Lydia’s friend and smiles politely. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming over?”

“I told Stiles,” he informs her, and she stares at him. “He’s known for like two weeks.”

“Well, before you start screaming and plotting my death, let me just tell you that Allison also knew and didn’t tell you. Neither did Scott. So… I mean, I’m not the only factor here.”

“Where’s Allison, by the way?” she asks, noticing her friend wasn’t there.

“It’s her mother’s birthday this week, so she went back to Beacon Hills to be with her dad. She said she’d call you.” And then, because it’s Scott McCall, he turns to the girl near the door. “Hello. I’m Scott.”

“Oh, right. Sorry!” Lydia says, looking at her friend as well. “This is Emma. She’s in one of my classes. Emma, this is Scott, he’s from California, and this is Stiles. He goes to Northeastern.”

“Nice to meet you two.” She looks over to Lydia. “We can reschedule if you want to spend time with your friend.”

“What were you two going to do?”

“We were planning on doing a movie night,” she answers. “But we can do it another time.”

“I’m up for movie night,” Scott says, looking at Stiles. “I’m here for a whole week, and I’m too tired from the flight here to go out, so…”

“Movie night it is then,” Stiles says, smiling.

There is something about Keira Knightley movies that makes Lydia melt. Aside from The Notebook, Lydia is constantly watching her whenever she has the time, and Stiles is more than familiar with everything she’s been in.

She chooses Atonement tonight, and it only takes one look between him and Scott to know how tonight will go. He sits next to her and tries to ignore the very pointed glare Scott gives him.

He knows the movie from beginning to end. How Cecilia is in love with Robbie, how Briony fucks everything up and tries to fix it the best she can. He admits, it’s a great movie. But his favorite part is how Lydia always finds comfort in him.

It’s not even in the middle of the movie and her legs are already on top of his. Her eyes are fixed on the TV like she’s watching it for the very first time, but her lips sometimes murmur along with the lines she knows by heart. It doesn’t take long, but, when Robbie is in the war, her head rests on his shoulder and his hands on her back.

He can feel Scott’s eyes on them, but doesn’t meet them. It’s not like what they’re doing is new. Lydia is a touchy person whenever she watches a movie. It is almost like she needs to touch someone to be able to concentrate on it. And yes, Stiles is always the one she does it to, but that doesn’t mean something more is going on.

As Cecilia and Robbie take a final look at the ocean before entering their dreamy blue house by the beach, Lydia is in tears, holding his hands firmly.

“God, that movie,” Emma says, looking at her friend. “Keira Knightley and Joe Wright did it again.”

“I don’t understand how you cry every single time,” Stiles says to Lydia with a soft smile. “We’ve watched this since we were fourteen and you have never not cried.”

“It’s sad!” she argues, cleaning the tears from her eyes. “You and Scott cried the first time you watched.”

“It’s sad!” they say in unison, making her crack up. Stiles kisses the top of her head.

“You two are adorable, you know,” Emma says with a soft smile on her lips. “I wish my boyfriend watched these kind of movies with me too.”

Both Stiles and Lydia freeze at her statement. The room is silent for a moment before Scott snorts.

“What?” she asks.

“Uh… Stiles is not my boyfriend,” Lydia says simply. “He’s my best friend and my roommate.”

“Oh.” She blinks a few times, blushing slightly. “Sorry… You two just seem to… Fit. With all the looks and touching and you talk about him a lot. I never thought he wasn’t your boyfriend, to be honest.”

“Okay, Emma.” Lydia stands up, smiling awkwardly and pulling her by the hand. “Why don’t we go to my room and grab you that outfit you wanted?”

As soon as the boys hear Lydia’s door close, Stiles looks at a smirking Scott.

“Remember when you said that you and Lydia are best friends just like you and I are?” Scott asks.

“Yeah.”

“Well, I’m not sure if you realized, but no one makes as many mistakes about us being in a relationship as they do about you and Lydia.”

“Scott…”

“No, listen. I’ve known you two since we were kids, and I grew up listening to you talk about her none stop. I still do. You say you’ve moved on, but you haven’t. You’ve been in love with Lydia for years and it’s never gone away.” He frowns, trying to find a way to say the next words, like it’s been in his mind for a long time now. “I know you think there’s no point in you telling her about your feelings because she doesn’t feel the same, but she never acts the same with both of us. Everything I do with Lydia is no more than a sister would do with a brother. But you two… Isaac is uncomfortable watching you two and that’s saying a lot.”

“What are you saying, Scott?”

“I’m saying you need to make a decision about Lydia. You either tell her about your feelings and go from there or you truly move on, because you can’t be in this horrible middle you’ve been in for so long.”

After his mom died, Stiles started to have a hard time sleeping. He’d lay in his bed with his eyes closed until he was sure his dad was far away from his bedroom. For some time he’d read some of the books in his room until he got bored and tried to force himself to sleep, but it never worked as well as he planned.

Everyone said it was just a phase. That he was going through a traumatic event and, in time, everything would go back to normal, but he father should try to tire him out so he’d sleep faster at night. It never worked, no matter how tired he was. His body was exhausted and begging for a good night sleep, but his mind never gave in.

And here he is, twelve years later, still having the exact same problem. Sleep is a very known enemy to Stiles’ system. Scott, on the other hand, welcomes it with open arms. He’s long gone in Stiles’ bed, snoring lightly, but Stiles’ mind is too busy thinking about what Scott told him earlier.

He isn’t wrong. Stiles is well aware of how unhealthy it is for him to be pining after someone who wouldn’t take a second look at him. He loves Lydia with all his heart, and he always will, but he needs to move on for good. Truly go out with people and have an interest in them for a change. Give someone an opportunity to get to know him.

A noise coming from the other side of the door takes him out of his thoughts. Stiles stays still for a few seconds before hearing it again and recognizing what it is. Without making any noise, he leaves his room and walks to the kitchen.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Lydia jumps at the sound of his voice and turns around to face Stiles. “Lydia, it’s two am.”

“I know. I’m making tea.” She turns her back to him once more, filling the kettle with water. “What are you doing up?”

“Apparently stopping you from burning down the apartment,” he says, taking the kettle from her hand and turning on the stove.

“I can make tea!”

“Your tea is always too watery.” She rolls her eyes but sits at the counter, watching him. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m just not sleepy.” Her voice is low and her eyes are focused on the kettle. “Hence the tea.”

“I wished this worked on me like it does on you.”

“The perks of sharing a room with Scott.” She smiles. “Guess you lucked out living with me.”

“Yeah. Who else would feed you and stop you from burning down the building in the middle of the night?” He looks at her. “I guess you lucked out.”

They stay in silence waiting for the tea to be ready. Once it’s done, Stiles pours it into two mugs and they move to the couch, taking small sips from it. They drink the tea silently and Stiles’ mind is back to Scott’s words. That is a perfect time for him bring up his feelings for her and hope for the best.

But, he wonders, what if things didn’t turn out okay? What if that is the beginning of the end of their relationship?

“About what Emma said earlier…” Lydia’s voice makes him snap out of it. She’s looking straight ahead, biting her lower lip as if she is considering what her next words are going to be.

“She made an honest mistake; don’t worry about it,” he says simply, putting his mug on the coffee table. “I mean, it’s not like it’s the first time that’s happened.”

“Yeah… It happens a lot, huh?”

“People have a hard time grasping the concept of people of the opposite sex being friends.”

“Yet, no one made that mistake when I hung out with Scott.”

“Well, that’s because he’s been dating Allison since forever, and the first thing he probably tells people when they meet is that he already found the love of his life, thank you very much.” Lydia laughs quietly and finishes her tea. “I’m just sorry that they always think you’re with me, though.”

“Why?”

“Well… Look at you. The fact that people don’t second guess we’re together astonishes me, to be honest.” He smiles and looks at her, but she’s not smiling. “What?”

“I hate when you do that.” She rests her head on the back of the couch and continues to look straight. “You know, we’re not in high school anymore. You’re not that awkward kid that falls everywhere. Stop thinking you are.”

“I haven’t changed that much, though.” He raises his brows when she rolls her eyes. “I haven’t! I’m the same spastic kid that follows you and Scott around and can’t seem to shut up to save his life.” He rests his head right next to hers.

“Yeah, but you see that as a bad thing. You choose to see all of that as a flaw, but that’s not what Scott and I see.” She looks at him this time. “You’re funny and smart. You won’t shut up to save your life, but what you’re saying is actually interesting. Plus,” she finishes, “you’re hot.”

“What?”

“Oh, please. Whenever I come to Northeastern with you, a lot of people are always eyeing you.” He’s looking at her with an expression full of surprise. “Also, do you know how many girls and guys approach me to ask if we’re together? And when I say no, they ask me for your phone number.”

“I didn’t get any calls.”

“Of course I never gave them your number.” She rolls her eyes. “The point is, you’re a good catch, and if something feels weird about people second guessing our hypothetical relationship, it’s the fact that they think I’m a good match for you.”

“What do you mean?” He faces her. “You’re literally a genius, you go to MIT and you’re graduating early, you’re gorgeous and can destroy anyone with just a stare.”

“All true, but look at you. You’re kind. You have a good heart and you give so much to everybody.” Her voice becomes softer and Stiles can’t stop looking at her eyes. “I might be all of what you said, but… I don’t exceed as a person. And, since I’m being honest here, the truth is: I’d be lucky to be in a relationship with you.”

He wants to fight everything she just said, but she’s looking at him in a way she never has before. It feels like she’s pouring her heart into those words, and that last statement is the most sincere words she’s ever spoken. So, instead, he chooses to focus on that.

“Lydia.” His voice is failing, but his eyes never leave hers. “What are you saying?”

And for the third time in his life, she takes charge of the situation. She leans closer to him, resting her forehead against his and brushing their noses softly. Stiles is breathing weakly, and he can already feel his lips burning from her kisses all those years ago. They come closer, lips barely touching, savoring that moment. Because they know if they do this, there’s no way of coming back.

“Lydia,” he whispers expectantly. When she kisses him this time, it’s not slow or soft. She’s not drunk or going through a hard time. They’re not afraid that the slightest movement will break the spell.

This time, her kiss is passionate. Is desirable. Lydia is not afraid of being vulnerable with him, he notices. She’s pouring her feelings into this kiss to let him know her completely. Every part of her soul is being put into it to let him know her like he never has. And it burns, Stiles concludes.

Lydia’s soul burns against him and he expects it to be overwhelming, but it’s not. Her lips are fire and he knows he can take it. He doesn’t want that fire to ever stop. He wants to drink from her mouth forever.

Stiles tries to do the same. To put all his feelings for her into that kiss. He needs her to know everything he has ever felt for her since they were kids. He wants her to know that there wasn’t a day he didn’t love her with all his heart. That his heart beat for her every day.

But it’s not enough.

She seems to notice the same, because soon enough she’s in his lap, pulling him closer to her and depositing small wet kisses on his jaw. He spreads his hands over her thigh and she shivers, feeling his cold hands against her burning flesh. His mouth finds her neck and starts to suck it desperately, addicted to how her skin feels pressed to his lips.

When her hips meets his, Stiles sees stars. It’s a small movement but it’s the best feeling in the world, so good that a low moan escapes his lips. She seems to notice him and repeats the act, moving a little harder to both of their pleasure. His hands move to hold her ass under her shorts, helping her to keep a steady pace.

Stiles captures her lips once more, kissing her harder, savoring her taste, her breaths, her body. It’s only when he feels her body start to tremble on top of his and hears her moans become sharper that he stops the kiss and looks at her.

“Lydia,” he starts when she opens her eyes. They’re so lustful, so full of desire that it takes a few seconds before he remembers what his next words are. “Are you… Is this what you really want?”

“Yes.” She touches his face kindly. “I do. Not only… Not only this, but everything.”

“Me too,” he whispers, pressing his forehead against hers. “Lydia, I’ve been in love with you since… Since I can remember. I want everything too.”

He doesn’t need to say anything else. His hands are around her waist, lifting her up when he stands up and walking to her bedroom. Her mouth finds his neck and starts working up to his jaw over and over again, making him crazy. When he lays her on her bed and lowers himself down on top of her, their eyes lock one more time before he drowns in her mouth.

They take their time, because this isn’t just some hook up or one night stand for them. No, this is so much more than that. It’s them giving themselves to the other, their heart, soul and body. It’s every I love you unsaid. Everything they wanted to do for a long time but never could.

This is Stiles and Lydia finally becoming one.

May 28th, 2016

“Where the hell is everybody?” Stiles asks for the tenth time, walking around his living room and looking at his watch every five seconds. “ We’re going to be late!”

“We’re not going to be late,” Lydia answers, flipping a page of her magazine. “Allison just texted me and said they’re parking.”

“Parking? Why are they parking?” He grabs his phone and starts to dial. “They don’t need to come up here, we’re supposed to meet in front of the building and go. I sent them the schedule. ”

Lydia takes a deep breath and stands up, taking his phone from his hands. He looks at her, outraged, but she twines her hands around his neck and kisses him slowly, which makes Stiles immediately relax. When they pull back, his forehead rests on hers as he looks down into her eyes. Even with her highest heels, she’s still so short next to him.

“Stop worrying. We’re gonna get there with plenty of time left.” He doesn’t move, but his eyes are still agitated. “I’m the one who needs to be there, and you don’t see me worrying.”

“I’m not gonna lie, it kills me you’re so relaxed,” he says. “But, Lydia, this is your graduation! I need everything to go perfectly. We need to find amazing seats, take tons of pictures with everybody, and I need to find the perfect light to film you getting your diploma.”

“We have time,” she promises and kisses him again. And he gives in, because how could he ever argue with Lydia’s amazing persuasion skills?

“I love you,” he says as soon as they pull apart.

“I love you too.”

“Aw, I love you too!” They look towards the door, seeing Allison and Scott with smiles across their faces. Lydia rolls her eyes and takes a step back from her boyfriend, walking to her best friends, hugging Allison first. “I can’t believe you two think Scott and I are the clingy ones.”

“Oh, you are. You two are absolutely disgusting with each other.” She kisses Scott’s cheek. “What you saw was me distracting Stiles so he wouldn’t murder you two.”

“For what? The ceremony isn’t for two hours.” Scott looks at his best friend and raises his brows. Stiles is at the same spot Lydia left him, looking at the group with his mouth open in shock. “What?”

“ You’re not even dressed yet!” he says, exasperated. “I had a plan – I had a schedule! We’re going to be so late now.”

“I thought it was a joke,” Scott tells them. “I mean… Who gets there before anyone else? What are we going to do until it starts?”

“Stiles wants us to do a photoshoot of the day. You know, all possible combinations of photos with and without people.” She grabs Allison’s bag and looks at her boyfriend. “Which we’ll do no matter what time we get there.”

“But the plan…”

“Plan A never works, Stiles,” Lydia says, kissing his cheek on her way to her room with Allison. “So get ready for plan B.”

“Lydia Martin.”

As soon as she steps onto the stage to receive her diploma, Stiles stands up, clapping, followed by the whole row of people who came to see Lydia’s graduation. On his left, Scott is smiling proudly at her and Allison is almost jumping excitedly for her friend. Her mom is tearing up on his right and his dad and Melissa couldn’t be happier seeing her there.

She shakes the hand of one of her teachers and as he hands her the diploma, she looks to the crowd applauding her. She looks at everyone, smiling thankfully at them for being there for her. But her eyes stops on Stiles and her face softens.

He’s so proud of her, and he’s not scared of showing everyone around him. Without a doubt, he’s the one clapping the most, and when he screams her name from far away, he doesn’t care if people are staring. His girlfriend is graduating two years ahead of everyone else with honors. This is her moment and he wouldn’t miss it for the world.

He’s the first one to spot her from the hundreds of students all around campus. He grins widely when she looks at him and walks towards the group, hugging him tight.

“You made it, Lydia.” She looks into his eyes, and Stiles notices how bright they are. “You deserve this so much, you worked so hard to get here, and I couldn’t be more proud of you.”

She doesn’t get a chance to answer him because she’s pulled from his arms by her mother, but he doesn’t care. He doesn’t need an answer. All he wants is make sure that she knows.

June 5th, 2022

Stiles Stilinski is getting married to Lydia Martin for the second time.

The ceremony takes place at Lydia’s lake house back in Beacon Hills. Everything is decorated in light shades of yellow and white with flowers dotting the whole place. There’s nothing too fancy about their wedding, but it’s beautiful enough to make the guest sigh at the atmosphere of love.

For the first time that day, Stiles is completely still while waiting for Lydia. Scott is at his side, just like when they were kids, radiating happiness for his friends. He can see his father in the first row, smiling at him, and Lydia’s mom, already crying right next to him. Stiles looks at his friend.

“Do you think Lydia’s mom is crying of happiness or because she’s marrying me?” Scott just stares at him. “What? That’s a completely valid question. I’m definitely not her first or tenth choice to marry her daughter, right Mr-I-must-charm-every-single-mother-in-Beacon-Hills?”

“Are you nervous?” Scott asks, ignoring his previous words. Stiles thinks for a few seconds. He was nervous this morning when he woke up. He was nervous when his father told him how proud his mother would be of him. He was nervous ten minutes ago when Scott fixed his tie for the fifth time and they shared a look, remembering all those years ago when it all started.

But at that moment, as he’s standing at the end of the aisle, next to his best friend and waiting for the woman he loves to walk towards him, he decides he’s not nervous. Not even a little bit. Because when the song starts and everybody stands up, watching Allison walk in her yellow dress with watery eyes, all he can think about is how lucky he is to be marrying Lydia Martin.

And how absolutely beautiful she is.

It’s possible to hear a gasp from every single person when Lydia walks down the aisle. Stiles’ breath catches in his throat because Lydia looks stunning. Her hair, her dress, her eyes. He doesn’t know where to look first, everything about Lydia in that moment is too much for him.

The strapless tulle dress she is wearing makes her look like she had come out of a fairytale book. Her hair is down with a delicate crown braid and soft curls on the end of her locks. Her makeup is so soft, almost natural, with exception of her lips, which are painted in a light shade of red.

And, once more, she’s holding a sunflower bouquet.

She remembered.

“Don’t cry,” she says, eyes starting to water and voice already breaking. “You know I’ll do it too.”

“You look beautiful.” He takes her hand, squeezing lightly. “And the flowers…”

“I wanted her to be here with us too.” She touches the only plastic sunflower in the middle. “She’s my something old.”

“You kept it.” He looks at her, surprised.

“Of course I did.” Lydia brings his hands to her lips. “You chose it for me.”

The ceremony is beautiful. The words spoken about them are kind and it’s made to share their story with everyone at the ceremony. But it’s not until their vows that their love is completely known by every single soul sharing that moment with them.

“Ever since I was a little girl, I had a weak spot for fairy tales. The idea of someone finding their one true love was the epitome of happiness someone could find. But once life happened, I started to believe that none of it was true. That there was no Prince Charming, no one true love, no happy ending.” She bites her lip, looking at him. “And as skeptical as I became, the harder it was to see what was right in front of me. You. You were always there for me in times no one else was. You were the only person I told all my secrets, all my fears, all my dreams. You were the only one who knew my heart and soul, and loved me for it.” When her voice cracks, Stiles holds her hand tighter, even though he’s crying as well. “And still, I couldn’t see you were everything I dreamed of. And on this day, I promise you to be everything you need. To love you endlessly. Just like you always did for me. Because you are my Prince Charming. My one true love. My happy ending.”

When it’s Stiles’ turn to say his vows, he takes a moment to recompose himself, before looking at her, smiling.

“I fell in love with my best friend on June 5th, 2002. That day, we were a couple of seven-year-old kids who just wanted to do something special and a wedding was the best way to do it. And in front of our best toys and our families, we made important promises to each other and we never, not even once, broke them. I always held your hand when you got scared. I always shared my ice cream when you ate all of yours. You always let me sing along to The Little Mermaid soundtrack and never once made me choose you over Scott.” Stiles looks at his best friend for a brief moment before returning his attention to Lydia. “But on this very same day, 20 years later, I come before you and every important person in our lives to make you a final promise.” His voice fails for a moment and Lydia smiles, touching his cheek. “Lydia Martin. I promise you me. In every aspect of your life. To cherish and love you. To never leave your side. To never make you doubt, not even for a second, how much I love you. I promise you my love every day for the rest of our lives. And even after that. Because there’s nothing in the world that will make me stop loving you, my very best friend.”

He doesn’t hear the rest of the ceremony. The way Lydia’s looking at him is enough to make everything else disappear. And when they’re pronounced husband and wife, he kisses her passionately.

Stiles is finally home.

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