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thetargaryenbride · 1 year

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Nail To The Coffin - S3 - Chapter 2

Warnings: drinking chemicals, drugs, possession

Pairing: Steve Harrington x f!Byers!Reader

Word Count: 2909

A.N: Now this is the reason why I had reader take drugs occasionally. Because I wanted to insert her into Billy’s plotline of season 3 and make her a victim of the MF. But she would have had to drink chemicals and let’s face it, that is a certain death. That’s where the drugs come in as a loophole because she can suffer a fate just as bad as the other flayed without actually dying in the aftermath ;) As always, please do make me know if I’ve written certain characters OOC and if you think there is something that can be corrected within the story. Thank you for reading. Hope you like it! 🖤 🥀

Masterlist || Chapter 1 || Chapter 3

“Steve!” yelled Robin from the front, wishing he could be more responsible and come lend her a hand in dealing with the children who were pestering her for more free samples. However, the boy in question barely even heard her. He had shut down temporarily, robotically munching on a banana while his mind raced with thoughts.

He was thinking about too many things since last night.

He was thinking about you and how you didn’t show up at Hideaway. He waited for hours and at one point Eddie’s performance ended and the boy went to join Steve and talk to him. The two of them theorized why you hadn’t shown up but came up with no plausible reason. By the time he went back home, it was already way too late and he didn’t want to call your house and disturb everyone in the middle of the night. He waited until morning came and then ran to your home to ask your mother and brothers if they knew anything about what happened.

It would have worried him less if they had told him that you chose to stand him up. But they said that they haven’t heard from you since you left for your date with him. Joyce told him that a friend had called you, asking for help, and you had rushed out immediately after, saying it was urgent. But she didn’t know who the friend in question was which left Steve with more questions than answers and he had begrudgingly bid the Byers goodbye and had gone to work.

Ever since, he couldn’t stop thinking about the oddness of this situation, simply because he knew you would have called to tell him and cancel the date. You weren’t the kind of person to leave him hanging like that so his mind immediately jumped to the worst possible conclusion which was that something bad must have happened to you.

He decided to give it some time despite his worry because he didn’t want to turn into a paranoid maniac but after everything you two went through, he couldn’t help but jump to worst-case scenarios.

“So what do you think?” asked Dustin, snapping Steve out of his thought trap.

“It sounded familiar,” he hummed as he popped a piece of banana in his mouth and Dustin furrowed his brows.

“What?”

“The music. The music right there at the end,” he pointed out and Dustin deadpanned.

“Why are you listening to the music, Steve? Listen to the Russian! We’re translating Russian!”

“I don’t know! I’m just…I can’t concentrate, dude, don’t hassle me,” groaned the boy. “I’m trying to listen to the Russian, but-”

“Alright, babysitting time is over,” snapped Robin as she threw open the door and stormed inside. “You need to get in there…Hey, my board! That was important data, shitbirds!”

“I guarantee you, what we’re doing is way more important than your data,” sassed Dustin and she strolled towards the table he was occupying.

“Yeah? And how do you know these Russians are up to no good anyways?”

“How does she know about the Russians?” mumbled Dustin with wide eyes as he looked at Steve and the boy shrugged.

“I don’t know.”

“Ok, I think it’s high time you call Y/N and bring her in. She is amazing with languages. She has to know Russian!” exclaimed the boy and Steve shook his head.

“She knows some Egyptian and a little bit of Latin. Nothing in common with Russian, though.”

“I can’t believe you just said it as a matter of fact,” Robin shook her head in disbelief and Steve looked at her weirdly.

“But it is a fact!”

“Ok, whatever, the point is, I can hear everything you guys are saying. You are both extremely loud. You think you have evil Russians plotting against our country, on tape, and you’re trying to translate, but haven’t figured out a single word because you didn’t realize that Russians use an entirely different alphabet than we do,” she rambled on and the two boys slowly looked at each other before back at her. “Sound about right?”

After that, Steve, Dustin, and Robin struck a deal and she got to help Dustin with translating while Steve headed back outside to work.

But his mind kept being occupied by one thought and that was you.

Billy felt like a wreck.

A shipwreck in the midst of a raging sea that was chomping away at him, taking bit by bit with every wave that crashed against him, slicing, eroding, fractions of his soul, his very essence, until he was left with scattered scraps he could not piece together even if he desperately wanted to.

He stumbled his way to the pool, not even being able to remember how and when he had gotten to his workplace in the first place. His memory was ever-changing. Some things he could remember, others were a blank spot.

He felt stifling hot, his head was a victim to splitting headaches, he was sweating profusely and everything was burning inside him.

“Billy? Are you ok?” asked one of the staff and he barely nodded.

The sunrays were devastatingly scorching.

He breathed heavily as his eyes darted between the cool pool water and the multiple people. All the noise was making his ears ring.

Then suddenly, everything got muffled as if he was listening from underwater and the only voice he was able to hear clearly was yours, calling out to him, begging him, screaming.

And memories from last night flooded his foggy brain.

Your eyes fluttered open and at first, you were extremely disoriented and your vision was blurry. Everything around you was so dark that you could barely make out if you were in your own room or locked in a dream.

Then you felt dull stinging and throbbing in your cheek, head, knees, and arms, and all began returning to you.

The cemetery.

The chase.

Billy.

You shot up in a sitting position only to fall back down because when you tried using your arms to lift your body, you realized they were bound tightly by ropes. You grunted as you tried to sit up again, this time using and balancing your strength properly so you could succeed without the help of your arms. You looked around, your breathing picking up nervously when you were finally able to take a better look at your surroundings, realizing you were in some kind of abandoned building and there was nothing in sight.

That is until you heard the sound of footsteps bouncing off the walls, making it seem like they were coming from everywhere.

“Who goes there!?” you yelled as your head darted from side to side, trying to take a look at the person. “Billy! Are you there!?”

“Shh,” sounded a familiar voice right behind you, and you felt a hand bury in your hair and grasp the locks gently. “Don’t make a sound,” he drawled in your ear and your heartbeat increased rapidly.

“W-what do you want? Why are you d-doing this?” you stuttered out, trying to calm down your wrecked with tremors body.

“I’m not doing this for me…A special someone wanted to have you real bad,” he whispered and you gulped.

“I don’t understand,” you cleared your throat as you tried to steady your voice.

“Try not to move. Be very…very…still,” he mumbled before releasing you and that’s when you heard something you hoped to never hear again – growling.

And when you looked up, you saw the most skewered, sickening, horrendous-looking monster you’ve ever laid eyes on. This one put the Demogorgon to shame.

You tried moving backwards, only to fall on your back. You began crawling, eyes unable to tear away from the approaching monstrosity and filling with tears of utter terror.

“No…Please!” you sobbed as the thing got closer to you and you turned to look at Billy who was simply standing there, looking on monotonously at the unfolding scene. “Billy, please! Please, help me!” you cried out with tears streaming down your cheeks and a trembling voice. “Whatever this thing is forcing you to do we can stop it! Please!” you bawled and you jumped in fright, letting out a strangled yelp, when you felt the monster stop at your legs, eyes snapping to look at the vine it was extending from its mouth before you looked back to the boy. “Billy, please!” you shrieked before the vine was forcefully shoved onto your mouth and you felt your body being invaded by shadows before everything faded into darkness.

Billy’s eyes watered at the memory as a sickening feeling clutched at his insides, seizing him in a chokehold, and he found it difficult to breathe as he clumsily made his way down the pool, bumping into a couple of people in the process, and towards the staff rooms. He all but fell through a couple of doors, staggering through the turns and brick corridors, before getting into the backroom and shutting the door with force.

A feeling of dread washed over him and he felt nauseous as he kept hearing you screaming and begging. His hands flew to grasp his head, palms going flat against his ears in hopes to deafen himself to your cries but nothing helped. He felt like he was about to explode not only from the physical pain but from the mental and emotional turmoil that was eating him from the inside out.

The feelings of guilt, regret, shame, fear, and hopelessness were off the charts.

Then all of a sudden, a sense of calm washed over him and for a second everything he previously felt was pushed to the very back of his mind as he straightened up and made his way towards the shelves full of cleaning chemicals. He felt like he was being pulled by an invisible force as he grabbed a bottle and unclasped it as if in a trance. He wanted to stop but he was stuck. The spider has got him in its web and was tearing off his wings so he couldn’t escape from its sticky prison and had to suffer a slow death. He could only watch his body do the unimaginable. He brought the bottle full of toxic liquid to his mouth and took a couple of big gulps.

It was as if burning flames licked at his insides but at the same time, it made him feel more alive and stronger than ever.

“Billy?” came Karen’s voice from behind him and he slowly left the bottle down, the feeling of calmness and strength slowly beginning to chip away like the paint of an old rusty car as the previous emotions of dread, regret, guilt, and fear began creeping back up on him.

“I,” she sighed. “I understand if you’re angry with me. I just…I wanted to explain why I didn’t come last night… It’s not you, it’s just…I have a family. And I can’t do anything that will hurt them. You can understand that, right?” she asked hopefully with a bit of guilt lacing her voice and all he wanted to do was crush her head against the metal shelves. In fact, the urge was so strong that for a split second, he vividly imagined and felt himself doing exactly that.

“Billy, please!”

He heard your sobs once again and the feelings of dread, regret, guilt, and fear that had been slowly creeping back in, suddenly hit him full force. They were so powerfully overwhelming that the force felt almost physical, like a strong Californian wave crashing against him, hurtling him back into that nauseating state he was in before he had been compelled to drink the chemicals.

I don’t want to do this again. I never want to do this again is what he cried out in his head at the thought of you and he was able to regain control and stop himself from doing something bad to Karen.

“Billy? Please, will you talk to me?” she spoke softly.

He exhaled sharply as he turned to face the woman and mumbled lowly, “Stay away from me, Karen.”

And then he left back outside, once again falling into the torturous embrace of the sun and the dreadful feeling of something bubbling up inside him that was taking control of his body and mind bit by bit.

“Jesus H. Christ! What do you want!?” yelled Eddie into the phone once he picked up because the device hadn’t stopped ringing for what felt like hours and Eddie was extremely groggy and pissed at being woken up by the shrill sound, interrupting his much-needed rest after last night’s tiring performance.

Later this afternoon

As if that hadn’t been enough, he had spent the majority of the night brooding at home, being worried about you and the way you had stood up Steve which was something you would never do even if you were pissed at the boy. He had been up and about, smoking weed and pacing until morning before passing out from exhaustion.

“Munson, you son of a bitch! Pick up your damn phone, will ya!?” his eardrums got busted by no other than his drug dealer Reefer Rick.

“Why are you calling me here? Are you crazy!?” bit the boy angrily.

“Am I crazy? I’m the one who should be asking that question, dude! Once I get my hands on you, you’re dead meat!”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Eddie barked confoundedly and the man let out a short mocking laughter.

“You really wanna play that game? Fine, I’ll tell you what I’m talking ‘bout. Someone broke into my house and stole all my stash! And I’m talking all the special, heavy stuff too! Do you know how many I had and the money I was gonna make outta them? I’m distributing not only to Hawkins but to all smaller towns in the area!” growled the man and Eddie did a double take.

“Wait, hold on, hold on, hold on! You think I stole? From you!? Are you kidding me right now? It’s like you don’t fucking know me, man! I’d never steal!” yelled the boy.

“Oh, yeah? And how can you prove that to me?”

“I don’t know! Come check the trailer if you want! But I swear I’m telling the fucking truth! You can ask at the Hideaway if you want! I was there last night and stayed until after twelve am then I came straight home!” he tried to explain himself and Rick huffed.

“Then who would come steal from me!? There’s probably only one person in this godforsaken town that knows I deal and that’s you!”

And then Eddie’s blood ran cold.

He wasn’t the only person who knew about Rick.

His friends knew about him too because Eddie had told them and that included you.

And now his mind went to places he used to be too afraid to explore.

He was beginning to put two and two together and he didn’t like the outcome at all.

He had to find you and he had to do it fast because something very horrible was grasping at him, suddenly choking the air out of him, and he wanted to make sure he was wrong about it all.

But first, he had to deal with Rick because he didn’t want to get himself into further trouble.

“What the fuck is wrong with you!? I swear if this is some kind of fucked up way to get back at me for doing what I did-“

“Shh,” you put a finger to your mouth as your hand brushed the bangs away from the boy’s clammy forehead.

“Wasn’t it enough for you that I spent time in Juvie? I paid for my crimes!” snapped Nathaniel angrily but there was fear that could be detected in his voice.

“Be quiet,” you hushed him gently as you took a big package of white powder and poured a big pile onto your palm. You brought your nose to your hand and snorted as much as you could. The rest – you licked.

“What is wrong with you?” stammered the boy in utter shock as he watched you inhale what he supposed was cocaine. You crossed your arms on top of your knees and laid your head on them, looking at the boy through half-lidded, red-rimmed eyes.

Then he heard the sound of growling and he froze, more sweat forming on his forehead and dripping down his cheek.

“Try to be very, very, still,” you whispered monotonously as you watched him turn around slowly and face the monster.

Your face was devoid of emotion as you watched him scream and writhe while getting flayed.

Deep inside, you were screaming.

You felt as if you were in the backseat of a car that was hurtling towards the edge of a cliff. An unknown force was driving, increasing the speed with each passing second and you couldn’t take control of the wheel. You writhed and trashed against the belts but they only grew in number and wrapped even tighter around you, choking you. You could only watch as the car flew off the cliff, the sinking feeling in your stomach growing exponentially and swallowing you whole. Your heart flew out of its bone prison and then you were submerged underwater.

You couldn’t move.

You couldn’t breathe.

And there was no one to pull you out.

#stranger things #stranger things x reader #stranger things fanfiction #steve x reader #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington fanfic #eddie munson x reader #eddie x reader #eddie munson fanfic #billy hargove x reader #will byers x reader #jonathan byers x reader #hopper x reader #reader #reader insert #stranger things reader insert #Spotify

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lostlimerence · 2 years

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The Periphery

He starts on the periphery of their world.

Blonde, beautiful and brutal. That’s how Eddie described him one night, joint in hand, heady smoke thickening the air. Steve had snorted, choking a little on an inhale, “ever the poet eh?” Eddie’s gaze had slid from the hazy night sky and locked onto Steve “always darling,” he’d said with a quirk of his lip, a look that had dropped straight to Steve’s gut, coiling and warming in a way that made him squirm, made the back of his neck heat, made his toes curl a little. It was a feeling he was getting used to desperately trying to dissipate as of late, that night he’d done it by asking why the fuck they were talking about Billy Hargrove, though of course it was a question he’d known the answer to.

Ever since Max’s hospitalisation, everyone, family and friends, had become hyper-vigilant. She was never alone, Steve felt for the girl, she must’ve been feeling completely smothered. Said smothering meant that whenever she came over to Steve’s with the others (which was a lot) a begrudging Billy Hargrove would appear in tow now too.

The first time he’d turned up the tension that’d shot through the room had been stifling, Steve had clenched his teeth on a grin, unsure of his next move, complicated feelings had churned in his stomach as his fingers dug hard into the doorframe. The room was a grenade, and he’d seen Dustin gearing up to pull the pin, luckily Max had gotten there first. With the authority of an army general the girl had scanned the room with unseeing eyes, opened her mouth and barked “you want me here, he has to be here too you fucktards, no complaints. Ok?” she’d raised a brow as mumbles of affirmation had echoed around the room.

Then she’d shoved further into the room asking what takeout they were getting that night, seemingly satisfied that everyone would be tolerating her step-brothers presence. Billy had remained in the doorway until Steve had realised he needed to move to let him in, which he had, Billy had mumbled an awkward thanks placed himself in a seat at the edge of the room and then promptly ignored all of them.

So that was that. Suddenly there he was on the periphery, the boundary of their world, of everything they’d been doing for the past few weeks.

Tonight, he stands in the threshold between the lounge and the kitchen, silently watching Eddie’s Dungeon Master performance. His lip is split and his jaw is purpling, perfectly highlighting the ‘brutal’ part of Eddie’s epithet. Steve’s kind of joined him tonight on the periphery, because when Eddie commands a room he does it completely, this is his stage, he’s captivating, enthralling and Steve can see even Billy can’t help being pulled in a bit.

Steve has never understood the game, doesn’t pretend to, so he doesn’t notice the mistake when El enters the room to announce “next time I would like to play and I would like to be a turtle.” eyes wide and hopeful, hesitant smile aimed at Eddie, who is so soft for all the children, and looks ready to burst with joy at the idea of a new player. He’s about to answer when an unexpected voice enters the ring, “you mean Tortle,” it comes out in a low rumble but it permeates the room, Billy looks shocked he’s said it, Eddie spins towards him with an “Oh,” and Steve swears to god he can see his pupils dilate a little when his eyes land on the blonde, a smirk stretching over his face as he says “after weeks the brooding barbarian speaks!” and Billy isn’t immune to the intensity of that gaze because where Steve expected a rage filled ‘shut the fuck up Munson’ instead they get a mumbled, almost embarrassed “just play your fucking game Munson.” The tips of his ears are a little pink, which Steve thinks is actually a bit cute. To his credit Eddie doesn’t keep him in the spotlight, he lets his gaze linger a little longer before telling El that of course she can be a Tortle next time, then promptly jumping back into his manic tirade.

Steve doesn’t know exactly what compels him, maybe it’s the slight show of embarrassment, the crazy revelation that bad boy Billy Hargrove might know much more than he’s let on about the nerdiest game Steve has ever seen, but he takes a step over and simply says “beer?” eyebrow raised in question, and Billy looks a little shocked at this too but he nods, grumbles a “yes,” and before he knows it Steve is leaning against the living room wall with the ‘brutal barbarian,’ sharing a beer watching the manic Dungeon Master attempt to end the game for the night.

Once he’s managed, Billy immediately calls out for Max who groans loudly ready to start her, usually futile, begging to stay longer. Billy looks ready to say his usual piece too, they need to be back in time for dinner, in time for curfew, because apparently their parents are really strict, something Steve sometimes wishes he had from his own parents, because then at least he would know they cared.

This time though the usual flow of the play is interrupted “woah hold on there, you should stay, have another beer, let the kid eat some more pizza, hmm?” Eddie has a way of saying things so convincingly, that Steve is nodding along though he’s not even sure that this is the best idea. Billy looks torn, has a little conflicted frown on his face as he deliberates, and Steve for some reason is overcome with the need, the want for the blonde to stay with them a little longer too. So he pipes up “yeah why not stay? One for the road?,” and the combined weight of their expectant looks seems to convince Billy because he sighs and says, “One hour shitbird, and you fucking explain to Neil when we get back,” absently thumbing the bruise on his jaw. Steve’s not one hundred percent sure who Neil is, he’d thought Billy’s biological link in their family was the dad and Max’s the mum but maybe he’d mixed that up, he doesn’t let himself dwell on it.

The next hour passes quickly, they learn that some of Billy’s friends back in California played dnd, though he’d insisted he’d never played himself, something Eddie refused to believe. They talk and talk and fall into such an easy rhythm that the trio don’t notice that the hour is up until Max clears her throat “Billy it’s been an hour,” and she looks a little nervous, suddenly she’s not a kid desperate to stay for pizza she’s one anxious to get home. The flip is perplexing, maybe her anxiety has increased since the hospitalisation, it would make sense, whatever it is Billy seems to get it, he gets up from the kitchen island grabs his leather jacket and they both head to the door with haste. Eddie and Steve stumble after them ready to wave them off. The tips of Billy’s ears are a little red again as he gives a hasty goodbye, shoving Max out the door and towards the Camero.

“Hmm blonde obviously, beautiful absolutely, but maybe not quite as brutal as we think ey Stevie?” Eddie mumbles eyes locked on the retreating form. Steve has experienced first hand the brutal side of Billy Hargrove, he knows it’s there bubbling under the surface, but he can’t help but be intrigued by their experience with the guy tonight. His easy laugh, his gentle charm, maybe there’s something more to him, he turns to Eddie with a little grin, “hmm I still think barbarian fits him, a beautiful barbarian maybe?” he jokes, Eddie smiles back “we’ll make a poet of you yet, darling,” he chuckles low as they turn to watch the Camero speed off into the night.

#harringroveson #mungrove #harringrove #billy hargrove #steve harrington #eddie munson #strangerthings #stranger things #fic #writing #pre relationship #max mayfield

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imagines-fandom-backup · 2 years

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Up in Smoke- Chapter 1.6

Masterlist

Warning- Usual PB violence and swearing

Within the next few days, Arthur had returned back to normal. At least for now. Tommy walked into my room. My nose was too busy in a book to realize he had walked in. I finally glanced up.

"Hey, Tommy."

"Check your gun."

"Why? What's going on?"

"We're doing it today."

"Doing what today?"

"Family meeting, half ten." He walked out.

I walked down to the kitchen to sit with Aunt Polly and Ada. She was finally speaking to us again. We talked as her baby, Karl, was asleep. Aunt Polly smiled as she looked down at Karl.

"Mine were terrors for the tit. Both of them. You girls never knew my children, did you?"

"I was a child myself then."

"No. Why don't you ever talk about them?"

"Never had a reason to. My heart breaks even when I think about them." She walked away from the basket Karl was sleeping in. "But today, I do have a reason to. Sit down, Ada."

Ada sent me a look as she sat down. I shrugged as we both turned our attention to Aunt Polly. "They were three and five years old. Sally was three, Micheal was five. Well, two weeks away from being six. It was Sunday morning. Uh, I was at church. 'You are not forgiven,' this pinch-faced bitch said to me. 'You are not forgiven.' You see, some sheets I had washed and hung on the line had the name of a hotel on them. They'd been stolen in a robbery and they said some porter at the hotel had been coshed. A woman from around here told the police about the sheets. Jealous, you see, of the new sheets. When the police came, they found a spirit still...making a few drops of gin." Her eyes started to gloss over.

Her eyes darted around the room. She started to break down. "And for that, they took my children from me. They never told me where they took them. They did it because they could and because I was weak. But they will never take your baby away from you. Do you know why? Because Tommy won't let them. Tommy will not let them walk all over us. Tommy has brought strength and power to this family. Cause he knows you have to be as bad as the above in order to survive. I'm telling you this because I want you to forgive him."

"How can I? My Freddie is rotting in jail because of him."

"Ada, Tommy had nothing to do with this. He didn't tell the police he was here, I swear." I said as I looked over at her.

Aunt Polly looked over at me, unsure if she'd believe us. "There's something about today you need to know." Aunt Polly went on to tell Ada what was going on today. We had to break away from this conversation here in order to get to the family meeting. Everyone was inside when we got there. Tommy stood in the front of the room with his hands deep in his pockets.

He looked around the room at all of us. "I've brought you all here today because this is the day that we replace Billy Kimber. This is the day we become respectable. The day we join the official National Association of Race Course Bookmakers. But first, we do the dirty work. We've all known this day has been coming. I just haven't told anyone the date." He turned to look at the board behind him.

"We're going to the Worcester races. The track opens at one. We'll get there at two. Now, Kimber thinks we're going there to help him to fight the Lee brothers. But thanks to the efforts of our John and his lovely new wife, Esme, the Lees are now our kin. So it'll be us and the Lees against Kimber's boys. We take them out but leave the bookies. I expect a swift victory which will send a signal all the way to London that we believe in letting legitimate businesses run peacefully."

"What about Kimber himself," John asked.

"I'll deal with him. Any more questions?"

"Yes," Polly said as she walked towards the door. "Does anybody object if I bring a newcomer to the meeting?"

I smirked as I watched them confusedly look at each other. Polly opened the door, "come on." She whispered to Ada who was on the other side with Karl. "I'd like to introduce the newest member of the Shelby clan." Ada walked through the door with Karl in her arms. Arthur started clapping when she walked toward the crowd. Everyone joined him.

Tommy smiled as he watched them.

"Welcome home, Ada."

"We named him Karl. After Karl Marx."

"Karl Bloody Marx," Arthur joked as he walked towards them. "Let me get a look at him." "Here we go," John shouted.

Arthur put his hat on Karl before holding him up. Everyone laughed. "Hey, look. He looks just like me."

"That's his ass that looks like you, Arthur." John joked.

"He's all right. He's a Shelby." We all started to walk out of the room with him.

We made our way to Garrison to have a few drinks. Well, the boys were going to drink. I preferred to stay sober for this. I had to watch out for Finn. Tommy seemed to be in a really good mood. He was even helping Grace pour drinks for everyone.

"The next family meeting, I'll make sure you're there."

"If I were family but I'm not."

"That could change."

"Tommy-"

"We'll talk about it more when I get back. Alright?"

"When will you be back?"

"Oh, is this how it's going to be? You waiting at home for me saying 'what time do you call this?'" He smiled at her as he chuckled.

"The barrel needs changing." She walked to the back room.

What the hell just happened? I thought they liked each other. He just told her he wanted to be with her. One of Tommy's friends, Jeremiah, walked into the pub. "Two vans are driving up Stratford Road. An old corporal of mine said he recognized some of the men. It's the Kimber boys, they're heading this way." My stomach turned as he stood there.

None of this made sense. Someone betrayed us. Now, we were outnumbered. The Lees were on their way to the races. Tommy took off to tell Ada and Aunt Polly to get ready for anything. The phone in the pub rang. It was Aunt Pol.

They had made the realization that Grace was working for the other side. She had been betraying us the entire time. Aunt Polly was going to deal with her. We had to get ready to fight Kimber and his boys. They were going to need everyone they could. Tommy walked up to us.

"Alright men, you were mostly in the war so you know the battle plans always change and get fucked up. Well, here it is. Things have changed. We fight them here. Today. Alone. Now they're gonna come for the pub. They're gonna try and break us up for good. We'll have no help from the law today. That pub there is called the Garrison. Well, now it really is one. And it belongs to us, right?"

"Right!" All the men and Finn screamed.

"How many are there?" Arthur asked.

"Jeremiah says two Riley vans. I reckon we're outnumbered three to one."

"Fuck," I mumbled as I looked at the ground.

"It's us, boys. It's us. The Small Heath Rifles. We haven't lost a fight yet, have we?"

"No!"

"All right. Jeremiah. I know you vowed to God to never pick up a weapon again. Can you ask him from me if you can help us today?"

"God says he doesn't deal with Small Heath, sir."

"Good man. Arthur, Scudboat. You'll take the flanks. Just like St. Marie."

"Curly, if any Shelby's die here today, you bury us side by side. Alright, we have about 10 minutes. Make your peace with whoever." I talked with John and Arthur for a few minutes.

I headed into the pub to finish off our minutes with Tommy. He put his drink down on the counter to hug me. He rested his chin on the top of my head. I listened to his heartbeat as we stood there. "Tommy," I whispered. Tears started to prick my eyes.

"If anything happens, I want you to know how good of a big brother you are."

"Don't get all sappy on me now."

"Whatever." I looked up at him with a smile.

Finn bursted through the doors. "Tommy, they're here." Both of us headed outside. We made sure our guns were ready and loaded. The men came from the opposite end of the street. We were severely outnumbered. We started to walk toward each other.

They all started to hold their weapons at us. They were showing us what they had. Once the groups got close enough to each other, they stopped. "All guns and no balls, right, Billy Boy," John shouted. It went quiet. "What do we do now? Just give the order," Arthur mumbled to Tommy.

We were all waiting for something to happen.

"It doesn't have to be like this Kimber."

"Too late for all that. You bit off more than you can chew, you little toe rag. And now I'm gonna take over this shit hole."

"Well...if we have to use guns, let's use proper guns." Danny and Freddie walked out of the garage next to us.

Freddie looked like shit. He had a giant machine gun in his hand. "Sergeant Thorne reporting for duty, sir." Tommy looked back at Kimber. "You were saying something about being out-gunned?" Everyone held their guns up at each other. Well, everyone except for Tommy and Kimber.

"Move," Ada's voice came from the back of Kimber's group. She pushed her way to the front. She was dressed in all black. She was pushing Karl in a buggy as she walked between us. Freddie shouted,

"What are you doing?"

"I believe you men call this no man's land."

"Ada!"

"Shut up and listen."

"Have you lost your mind?"

"I said shut up!" Kimber turned to look at his men.

He was just as surprised as we were. "Now most of you were in France. I've got brothers, a sister, and a husband here, but you've all got somebody waiting for you. I'm wearing black in preparation. I want you to look at me. I want you all to look at me! Who'll be wearing black for you? Think about them. Think about them right now. And fight if you want to, but that baby ain't moving anywhere...and neither am I." No one said anything.

Freddie and Ada stood there staring at each other. I didn't think this would end things this easily. I did like the effort though. "She's right, you know." Kimber looked around at all of his men then ours. "Why should all you men die? It should just be them who's caused it."

A gunshot went off. I felt a pain rip through my right shoulder as I nearly flew onto my back. I fell to my knees as everything turned into a blur. I slowly reached up to touch where it hurt. My whole hand was red. It took me a minute to process what was going on. I was shot, Kimber shot me.

Another gunshot went off. I looked up to see both Danny and Kimber laying on the ground. Tommy's voice echoed through the street. "Kimber and I fought this battle one-on-one. It's over. Go home to your families." After collecting Kimber's body, they left.

Tommy ran to me, carrying me into the pub. My body was numb. Well, it was numb until they started to fish the bullet out. They sat me down on a table before stripping off my jacket and half of my shirt. "I'm so sorry," Tommy looked into his eyes. Jeramiah took the end of a spoon to the wound. They all surrounded me as I screamed and wiggled in agony.

They all cheered me on. "Come on, An. You can take it." After a minute or 2, he got it out. "There. I still have the knack." He smiled as he put it in a glass.

"Have a drink," Arthur handed me the bottle. I took a swig before handing it back to him. "Deep breath." Before I realized what was happening, he was pouring it on the wound. I screamed as he held me still. "It's done, it's done," he took a step back. I took a few deep breaths as they wrapped it up.

Aunt Polly and Ada came into the pub. Aunt Polly was not happy. We all gathered in the private room to say goodbye to Danny. His body lay on the table. The only one who was crying was Curly. The boys all kept their composure.

John lowered his head.

"We can bury him properly. In the grave, we dug for him."

"Yeah. It's high on a hill. He'd like that." Tommy held up a bottle. "To Danny Whizz-bang. May we all die twice." They all passed the bottle around to say their goodbyes. "Come on, the day is ours. Let's celebrate." We all left the room.

The pub started to get crowded as our party started. I had to sneak out for a second to breathe. Tommy was actually standing out there. None of us said anything for a second. I asked,

"Do you think he shot me to get to you?"

"He knew my biggest weakness."

"Biggest weakness and pain in the ass." He laughed as he lit his cigarette.

I headed back to the pub to finish parting after standing there for a few minutes. Slowly everyone started to go home. The only ones left in the pub were Aunt Polly, John, Arthur, and me. John and Arthur were too drunk to go anywhere. They were passed out together in a booth. The door opened and Tommy walked in. He went to see Grace before she skipped town.

He walked into the pub with his head hung low.

"There he is."

"Tommy," John called out.

"Drink?" Polly offered.

"Not whiskey. If you check behind the bar you will find a bottle of champagne."

"The one she bought." Aunt Polly placed it on the table.

"Today was a good day. All of Kimber's men were busy here. The Lee boys took all their pitches at the Worcester races. It couldn't have gone better even if we planned it. Shelby Brothers Limited is now the third-largest legal race track operation in the country." He started to walk over to John and Arthur.

"Cheers," Arthur and John drunkenly cheered. "Only the Sabinis and the Solomons are bigger than us, boys. And all my family is here to celebrate." He popped open the bottle.

"To Shelby Brothers Limited."

"Shelby!" Arthur cheered before groaning.

Tommy put his head on the counter. I rubbed the back of his head.

"There will be others." Aunt Polly soothed.

"To others."

"To others." The 3 of us clinked our glasses.

He walked out of the pub without another word.

#peaky blinder headcanon #peaky blinder fanfic #peaky blinder imagine #peaky blinders x reader #peaky blinders fanfic #anna shelby #shelby!sister #shelby!reader #thomas shelby #finn shelby #fanfic #alfie solomons #arthur shelby #john shelby #michael gray #peaky blinders #polly gray #bonnie gold x reader #bonnie gold

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extremelyblackandwhite · 1 year

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Hey Bea so I was wondering if you could write something based off Billy and Daisy first meeting each other because I would love to know how they met and also would ever write about Daisy and Billy like how you write about Steve and Mrs. Kemp???? Love Everly

pairing: steve kemp x dark!reader, daisy kemp x billy

a/n: i'd love to write more about the kemp family, i really do enjoy it!

Y/N stood at the bottom of her staircase, watching as everyone was rushing up and down the stairs, yelling about where a bobby pin or dress was and how long they had before they all had to be in the car. Daisy was the first one down, dressed in a black and white dress as she usually did whenever any events came around and with her head stuck in a Physics book. It was still surprising to her how they’d managed to get Daisy to go to the Christmas pageant - she hadn’t particularly signed up for any choir singing and was mostly going out of obligation to the triplets (whose whole class had been forced to go) and Rose who were performing in choir numbers. The triplets soon rushed downstairs along with Rose.

- Buddy come here. - Steve got a hold of William just as he finished eating some cheese cubes. - Your tie is a bit crocked. Do you want daddy to help or do you wanna do it yourself?

- Help, please.

Even with the mess, she found herself enjoying the small moments from Steve redoing William’s tie and even to Daisy mumbling physics facts to herself. This pregnancy was making her way more emotional than she usually liked to and it didn’t help that it was the season and everything made her emotional.

- Right Team Kemp, triplets and William with me in the car, Rose and Daisy with mum. Does everyone have everything?

- I don’t have the will to live. - Ivy rolled her eyes. - Dad, please don’t make me do it.

- It’s not me who’s making you do it, it’s your headteacher, Ivy. - Steve crossed his arms. - No pranks, Ivy.

Ivy continued rambling all the way to her dad’s car, only stopping when Steve turned to kiss his wife before she went to her own car. They did what they usually did, counting everybody before making their way to the school. The once quiet building was surrounded with parents and extended families, shouts, cries and children warming up. Soon enough, it was only Steve, Daisy, William and her, looking around for seats.

- Tell Daisy to close her book, the performance is starting.

Y/N turned towards her daughter, expecting to have to take her book away but instead found her gaze directed towards a crowded area and she doubted it was to stare at the thousands of formally dressed parents. Instead, she guessed her 17 year old was looking at the boy who had his feet up of the seat in front of him, tossled messy shoulder length hair and a combination of jean jacket and jeans that she thought had died with Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake.

- Is that one of your friends?

- What? - Daisy turned around, broken from a daze. - Oh ... hum, no. I’ve just never seen him before.

- Go introduce yourself. Maybe he needs a friendly face.

- I seriously doubt I’m part of the school’s welcome team. - she opened her book once more, trying to avert the topic.

- What are we looking at? - Ivy sat on the seat next to her sister, taking her Santa’s hat off.

- Should you be backstage, Ivy Kemp? - Y/N crossed her arms.

- Sore throat. - she faked a cough before smiling. - Why are we looking at Billy? He’s a dickhead.

- Language. - Y/N gave her a warning look. - Is he one of your friends, Ivy?

- No. He’s Max’s stepbrother, he’s a dic ... annoying person. He’s in the basketball team and he’s obnoxious. Is he bothering us?

- I’m gonna go to the concession stand. - Daisy stood up. - Dad, I’m going to the concession stand. Do you want some Peanut Reeses?

- Do you need some money, Daisy love? - Steve moved to grab his wallet from his jacket pocket.

- It’s my treat.

She quickly moved away from her family before the conversation could turn into why she was looking at Billy. She’d heard of him but hadn’t actually seem him before and it didn’t look like he was in any of her classes. Not that it mattered, she commented to herself, it was just her curiosity. After all, her parents had always encouraged her to be curious about everything. However, if Ivy was any right, she had no will to speak to anyone part of the basketball team. She’d rather hear Ivy and dad argue than speak to anyone from that team - not that they spoke to her anyway.

- Can I get 2 Cokes and 2 Peanut Reeses? - she asked the concession stand employee who nodded, turning his back on her to grab her request.

- I didn’t peg you for a Peanut Reeses’ kinda girl. - she turned around to see the same boy she’d be discussing standing in front of her with his hands in his pockets. - You look like you don’t even take your head off your books to eat. Thought finals were over.

- Extra credit. I ... uh Mr. Galloway said he’d give me extra credit if I did a presentation in String Theory. I’m just doing some light reading on it before hand.

- I wouldn’t call that light reading.

- Trust me, it is light reading.

- I don’t know if I can trust a girl who likes a combo of Coke and Peanut Reeses.

- Well, we’ve just met so it’s probably best.

- I’m Billy. - he extended his hand towards her. - And you’re Daisy. We have Physics together.

- I’ve never seen you there before.

- Maybe you would if you took your head from your books every once in a while.

- That’ll be 4 dollars, miss.

Daisy turned back to the concession stand, rushing through her purse to find her wallet but before she could even open it, Billy put money on the corner.

- See you around, Daisy Kemp.

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kmomof4 · 1 year

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Christmas Miracles for Storybrooke: A New Christmas Fic by @kmomof4

Hello everyone!!! I am so excited to begin posting this years Christmas offering, I thought I’d offer y’all a sneak peek! This fic is inspired by the 1979 made for TV movie Christmas Lilies of the Field starring Billie Dee Williams, which was itself a sequel to the 1963 movie Lilies of the Field starring Sidney Poitier. The fic is complete with five chapters. It’ll start posting tomorrow, so the last chapter will be posted on Christmas Eve.

Without further ado, here we go!

~*~*~

“So,” Killian began, looking around the kitchen at all the children and out the window over the sink at the rest of the compound. “Where does everyone sleep? I don’t see any new buildings around, and I know you don’t have the room in here for all of them.”

“We don’t,” Sister Astrid agreed. “They sleep in the barn.”

Killian couldn’t contain his shock at her statement. “What?”

Mother Superior turned to him, her face just as he remembered when he was under her care- like stone, eyes flashing, daring him to challenge her. “It is safe, warm, and dry. We have no other place for them and we certainly won’t be turning them out when they have no one else to care for them.”

Killian’s shock and dismay disappeared as quickly as it came. “Of course, you wouldn’t. No one would expect you to, Mother. But sleeping in a barn is no place for children, or expectant mothers.”

Mother Superior’s shoulders fell. “I know. Child Protective Services has given us until the end of the year to get adequate accommodations built or they’ll be collecting and separating the children.”

“I’d like to see them try to separate us,” Will interjected, angrily. “This is my family, and I’m not going anywhere without a fight.”

“The battle is the Lord’s, William,” Mother Superior reminded him. “The battle and the victory are His. We just have to have faith.” She turned toward Emma who was sweeping the floor in the common room where they’d eaten. “Emma will be eighteen in October, they won’t have the authority to take her if she doesn’t wish to go, but her baby will be born by then…” she trailed away and smiled at the girl with soft affection before turning back to him. “Cora Mills, one of the ladies in our congregation, is hosting a bazaar Labor Day weekend to raise money for the building of a kindergarten so the children won’t be separated. She’s Henry Mills’ widow, very rich, and a bit eccentric, but she’s continued supporting us since Henry passed. Her donations make it possible to keep all the children fed and clothed.”

“Oh, I remember Mr. Henry, and I’ve already met Ms. Mills,” Killian acknowledged with a roll of his eyes. “She came to the office earlier today and introduced herself before asking… insisting really… on housecalls.”

Mother Superior rolled her eyes as well and one side of her mouth twitched up in a smirk. “I’m not terribly surprised. She claims to have a very rare and serious form of agoraphobia.” Her voice rose in exaggerated concern and Killian had trouble containing his chuckles as she continued. “She can’t leave her house unless she’s going to be surrounded by many people. At all times. And if those people she’s surrounded with just happen to think very highly of her, then so much the better. If she were to, say, go grocery shopping, alone… why, it would leave her bedridden for days afterward from her anxiety. She just can’t possibly… unless, of course, she’ll be the center of attention, or at least very visible, like on the front row of a church service, for example…”

She stopped abruptly and made the sign of the cross over herself as she lifted her eyes heavenward. “Lord, forgive me my uncharitable thoughts.”

“And who will be building the kindergarten?” he asked.

Mother Superior cut her eyes toward him furtively and Killian raised his eyebrow at her.

“You and Liam did good work for us when you built the chapel all those years ago…”

“Yes, we did, but you never paid us for the work, if you’ll remember,” he reminded her.

“You were both gone before I could!” she exclaimed. “I know now, of course, where you went and why, but neither of you informed us then. I had no idea where to find you! And besides,” she continued, with a hint of a smile, “the chapel still needs bells.”

Killian pressed his lips into a thin line. “I could probably reach out to Liam and see what can be done about that, but back then, we couldn’t get bells the right size without paying extortionate prices that you wouldn’t have approved in the first place!”

“How about this,” she offered. “If you will build us the kindergarten, we’ll pay you for your work on both.” She held her hand out for him to shake. He reached out and took it.

“You’ve got yourself a deal, Mother. We’ll be cutting it close getting it built,” he observed, his brow furrowing. “I’ll only be able to work on it in the evenings and on the weekends.”

“The Lord is faithful and He will provide,” she assured him.

Killian grinned. “Indeed.” He looked around the clean kitchen, finding it empty.

“It is time for the evening vespers. Will you join us?” Mother Superior asked.

“Ah,” he scratched behind his ear in nervousness. He still believed, and tried to live his life accordingly, but he hadn’t stepped foot in a church since he left home to go to college. Mother Superior gave him an appraising look and looped her arm around his. She wasn’t going to give him the option, so he sighed in acquiescence. “Lead the way, Mother.”

~*~*~

Thank you for reading and sharing! Ch1 will be posting tomorrow!!

#christmas miracles for storybrooke #krystal writes #sneak peek #inspired by christmas lilies of the field

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sam-blackbird · 2 years

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Since I saw Stranger Things season 4 yesterday, I’ll talk about it. SPOILERS AHEAD!

It’s more questions than theories but it works as well I suppose.

So, I had the intuition that the blond nice looking guy was One since almost the beginning of when we saw him, but I didn’t planed that he was an absolute douchbag and Vecna, and that would be him who killed the children (btw big up to the person who theorized on Youtube under the 8 minutes extract that Eleven was fighting the thing that killed the children when Brenner came into the room (which explain why she was turn towards the wall where it is a dark after-portal thing)). Also, I didn’t understood that the last yelling we had heard at the beginning where from Eleven because in my head, when people yell, they are still alive. (does that mean that if we saw it, « Papa » Brenner saw it too? On his screens yk)

Anyway, this seven episodes let me with way too more questions (and remarks), and since I don’t like to wait, I’m sharing them with you so we can discuss about it!

I put them in the order they came into my mind.

Will Suzie (and / or her sister, yk the one that Argyle seems to be in love with) comes to help to get Eleven/Jane out of here? How would the rescue team rescue her out of that bunker in the middle of nowhere, Nevada? Will Eleven/Jane came out at the same moment?

How will Joyce, Hopper and Cie came out of Russia and came in the USA? (i’m sure they will panic when they come back and see the house + no children) (+ how does the freaking Demogorgon arrived in Russia?)

(+ Have they considered stop playing DnD since it seems to suck like the Demogorgon’s and Vecna’s name came from it and seems to appear after they play (even if they find later that it’s not related) (btw those hypocrites made me wanted to punch my screen : the boys didn’t care at all about Will’s willing to pay DnD (like at all, and it was very painful to watch, I wanted to play with him and I’m not even joking!) and then, when they Hellfire match happen to occurred the same evening at Lucas’ match, then it’s a problem?! I know Eddie was very convincing but even! It made me furious.)(also, I liked the fact that Erica plays DnD, showing it's not only a boy's game)

How come Nancy affected when she didn’t had visions? And how will they made her out of her? Will they succeed?

It remind me that there is a thing with the promotional posters : they all look toward the camera (and the watcher) except Mike, Jonathan, Joyce and Max. Why them? Are they chosen ones? It could be because of their importance in this season? Mike is the main character (?) and have a (strong ?) relationship with Eleven/Jane; Jonathan have a relationship with Nancy (idk we don’t saw him that much for now); Joyce have a relationship with Hopper (and even go to Russia to save him); and Max was Vecna’s cible. It’s implied that Vecna’s cible were psychologically weak (?) : Chrissi had the impression that she was too big and wanted to be thinner, the guy with glasses feel guilty for the death of those people, the black guy idk (yep I’m very bad at remember some names, sorry), and Max literally saw her brother died in front of he (btw here again, the Hawking’s boys are little douchbag, like they don’t get that Max isn’t good and well since what happened with her brother?! Like what’s wrong with those boys???) Also, with Billy’s grave, we learn that his birthday was on Marc, 29, which is near the time when the season began (since the last day of school was on March, 21) and it’s sad.

Would it be something with the fact that in the Upside Down (that I’ll call the UpD) the time is staggered? Like is it some weird wibbly woobly timey wimey stuff or… ? ’coz it’s weird, isn’t it? In the UpD, it’s the same time that in season 1, or at least the UpD is modeled on the season 1!Hawkins.

Will they finally get rid of those freaking things from the UpD?! Like once for all?! I mean… Dudes, it’s been years now, it’ll be time to end, no? To end it and grow old together. I know it seems impossible, since Vecna’s open up news portals and that the show come back, again and again, and I know that the show is great and all, but now, I’ve got the feeling that it’s always the same stuff… I like it but it’s like ordering one kind of pizza every time : it could taste different, but at the end, it’s always the same pizza, isn’t it? (not literally the same, but you understand, right?) (I only hope that no one die in the process) (how people still love living in Hawkins after all those weird stuff that happened here?!)

Will Eddie finally be declared guilty or not?

Will Robin asks out Vickie? Will Vickie say yes?

…

#stranger things 4 #st #st spoilers #strangers things spoilers #stranger things #stranger thing spoiler #stranger thing season 4 #Stranger things theories

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legends-of-time · 3 months

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The Journey of Living at Downton

Chapter 24: Mid August to End of September 1920

Masterlist

Emma goes to London with Mary with them only telling Cora why. Dr Ryder tells Mary that she needs to have a small operation though Mary doesn't want to talk about what exactly is wrong. Emma is very worried about it but Mary thankfully is fine, tired, but fine though has been told she can't do any sexual activity. Emma wonders how Mary is going to be able to keep Matthew away without him becoming suspicious until Mary gets the all clear.

Emma in the meantime is able to get a job as a nurse at the Hospital since they seem to be staying at Downton for longer, Emma wants to be doing something useful plus her promise to Sybil that their children would be close.

Emma, Tom and Ivy are still at Downton but that won't be long as they are moving into the Agent's house as Mr Jarvis has moved out. Emma and Tom have looked around together and decided on decorating properly soon after the cricket match.

Turns out Alfred has reported to a horrified Mr Carson about what he saw between Thomas and Jimmy. Mr Carson has decided that Thomas can get a reference and leave while using Mr Bates returning as an excuse. Emma is sad to see him go but worries about what Alfred or Jimmy would do if he stays.

——

"How are you getting on with the cricket team?" Cora asks her husband as she does some sewing as she sits on one of the settees in the Library. It's mid August now and the cricket match will be happening in just over a month's time.

"We should be all right. We've still got Thomas, thank God and it seems Billy knows a thing or two." Robert replies from his desk.

"Won't Thomas be leaving soon?" Edith asks from where she's looking through some papers at a different desk.

Robert turns to look at her. "Not before the match if I've got anything to do with it."

"One of the gardeners told Gemma their team is in 'terrific shape'." Emma says as she looks up from her book from her settee opposite Cora. Gemma had become Emma's little helper now and again but her main job still fell to being the head maid, now that Anna is Mary's lady's maid, and helping Edith with getting dressed etc.

"It's so unfair the outside staff play for the Village," Robert complains.

"Why don't you support the house and the Village? You own both." Edith retorts. Emma looks over to see Mary sitting on a chair, between her father and sister, in a daze and not engaging with the conversation. Emma frowns in concern about Mary's behaviour.

"But I'm captain of the house team." Robert counters as he gathers up his papers and walks over to them.

"If I were you, I'd be captain of the Village. They always win." Cora comments with an amused smile.

"Not always. Usually, but not always." Robert corrects before noticing his eldest daughter's mood. "Mary, you look as if you're in a trance. What were you and Emma doing in London? It's worn you out."

"Maybe. I'll try and rest tomorrow." Mary quickly replies. Emma shares a knowing and sympathetic look with Cora.

——

"Mary?" Emma calls as she opens the door and steps into the eldest Crawley daughter's bedroom.

"Oh, Emma." Mary breathes in relief. "I thought you were Matthew."

"No, he's still getting dressed for dinner, I think," Emma says, coming over and taking a seat next to Mary. "Are you sure you're feeling well? You've been off since we came back and you didn't tell me much about what the doctor said."

"Look, all you need to know is that Dr. Ryder believes it went well." Mary sighs. "He was quite optimistic about the outcome."

"If you say so." Emma then smirks. "Are you really going to keep him at arms length for the next few weeks?"

"Well... you know Dr. Ryder said that I'm still recovering from the operation, and that it would be best to not... exert myself... before my next appointment but I do not know how I am supposed to do that?" Mary frowns, a blush coming to her cheeks.

"This is why I think you should tell him," Emma argues.

"You know I cannot. He'll fret and worry the whole time." Mary argues.

"But you've been away for days. I'm sure that he's missed you." Emma counters. She knows that in a new marriage like Mary's and Matthew's, it's difficult for them to keep their hands off one another.

Mary rolls her eyes and looks back at the jewellery sitting on her vanity. "I just hope the operation worked." She sighs, turning back to Emma. Emma gets what she means, it's one thing to put off Matthew for three weeks if she had good news for him by the end of it, but if the operation didn't fix their issue, then Mary will be even worse off than she was before.

"You couldn't be in better hands than Dr. Ryder's if the cost of him is anything to say by it." Emma says kindly.

"I hope to God you're right," Mary says.

"Anna's worried you're getting late." A voice calls across the room. Emma jumps suddenly at the sudden interruption. She sees it's Matthew of all people that interrupted them

"Heavens, you made me jump," Mary says, trying to make her voice sound light. She smiled at Emma, who can see she's thanking her with her eyes as Emma rises and leaves the room.

"Anna." Emma greets the lady's maid.

"Emma," Anna says before entering the room and Mary must be grateful for her presence.

——

"What is that you're so glued to?" Mary asks her sister who's intensely reading the papers in her hands as she, Matthew and Emma enter the Drawing room. Emma has been taking every chance she gets as being a looming presence when near the heir and the eldest Crawley daughter as to create a buffer in case of questions though shifts at the Hospital do not always make it easy. Tom is in the Nursery with Ivy who has been unsettled recently and Emma worries for when she starts teething.

"This week's column. I've got to send it off tomorrow." Edith replies.

"What's it about?" Emma asks as she takes a seat on the settee that's in front of where Edith sits. Mary and Matthew walk further along to a chair where Mary sits and Matthew continues to stand. Billy and Robert already stand in the room.

"The poor soldiers," Edith explains. "How many are reduced to begging on the streets. And some officers are working as dance partners in nightclubs."

"After the trenches, even the Embassy Club must seem an improvement." Matthew remarks. After what she had seen in the war, Emma agrees with him.

"You shouldn't make fun of them." Edith admonishes.

"She's forgetting that you were in the trenches and she wasn't." Mary retorts.

"She must be 18 by now." The Dowager says as she walks in with Isobel and Cora.

"Little Rose, 18? How scary!" Cora exclaims. Rose is the daughter of the Dowager's niece and Robert's and Rosamund's first cousin. Emma has never met the girl except once briefly from a distance. It's weird to think of that little girl as practically an adult.

"Hello." The Dowager greets them all. She and Isobel sit in chairs nearby the settee that Cora joins Emma on. Tom walks into the room and gives Emma a kiss on the cheek before joining Billy and Robert.

"It's quite a responsibility," Isobel says. That's why they are going on about the Dowager's great niece, said girl is coming to stay with her great aunt for a bit starting tomorrow.

"Well, I couldn't say no." The Dowager argues. "Her mother is my niece and my godchild and she asked it as a special favour. Apparently, she hates London. And they can't get to Scotland until July. Poor Shrimpie, his work keeps him nailed to his desk."

"She hates London, so she's coming to a great-aunt in Yorkshire to have a good time?" Isobel murmurs sarcastically. "Mmm-hmm. How original."

"Well, don't be silly. Of course, you will. Billy is." Emma hears Robert say.

"No, I won't." She hears Tom argue. "I'd like to help. But I've never played a game of cricket in my life. Oddly, the game was never part of my childhood."

"Didn't you play last year?" Robert pushes. Emma rolls her eyes and sighs to herself.

"No. Nor the year before that. The fact is, I've never played cricket." Tom says with finality.

"But couldn't you try?"

"Robert," his wife interrupts, "stop being such a bully. Let's just have a nice dinner." Robert grumbles to himself.

——

Emma knows that Anna and Mr Bates are having a look at the cottage they are getting today. She's pleased that things are finally going back on track for them.

Tom tells Emma all about his and Matthew's plans of buying out Simpson and Tucker, which will mean quite a chunk of the estate will be back in the Crawley's hands and they'll be farming 1/3 directly. Emma is pleased with how excited Tom is and how he and Matthew are getting along but she can't help but worry about how Robert will feel about all this.

"How's keeping Matthew at bay?" Emma remarks when she and Mary are in the Library together.

Mary gives her a glare. "A struggle. He looks at me with those eyes and I'm tempted to give in."

Emma puts on a false serious look and sarcastically pats Mary on the arm. "I'm sure you'll survive. Now I'm off to the Hospital."

——

"We should think of some things to do while you're here," Mary says to Rose, who sits in the Dowager's usual seat next to Robert as they all sit down for dinner. The Dowager sits on the other side with Edith next to her. It's then Emma, Matthew, Cora, Isobel, Billy, Mary and Tom.

"Edith, you should take Rose over to Whitby on Wednesday when they have their market. She'd enjoy that." Robert suggests.

"I can't," Edith says. "I'm going to London on Wednesday."

"Oh, well could I come?" Rose eagerly asks.

"Oh, but you've only just got here. I thought you hated London." Her great aunt looks at her in surprise.

"Who told you that?" Rose asks in disbelief.

"Susan."

Rose chuckles. "Darling Mummy."

"Well, should I correct her?" The Dowager asks, frowning.

"Oh, no. She's right, really." Rose quickly says. "But I'm planning a surprise for her and I need to go to London to arrange it. You won't give me away, will you?" Emma frowns at the girl, something feels off.

"Won't you stay with your parents?" Robert questions.

"Well, I can't. That would spoil everything." Rose frantically replies. Emma has a feeling she's up to something.

"You can stay with me. Aunt Rosamund won't mind and there's plenty of room." Edith speaks.

"I don't even know why you're going," Cora says to her daughter.

"To see my editor. To discuss my article." Edith answers. Emma catches the small smile on her face. It seems Edith might have a small crush on her editor.

——

"I think I might come up with you to London," Matthew says to Edith as he sits next to Emma on the settee across from Edith in her chair. "I'll ring the office in the morning. I can stay at my club." Emma tries to not look alarmed at the idea that Matthew will be going into London the day before her and Mary are sneaking into the city. Hopefully, the large city will keep them all apart.

"Don't do that," Edith tells him. "Aunt Rosamund would love to have you. And I suspect I'll need help controlling Rose."

"Why do you say that?" Matthew asks as they all glance towards the girl sitting on the other end of the settee, talking with Isobel and the Dowager, who sit in chairs.

"I'm not sure," Edith admits. "Instinct."

"I feel it too. Something's off and she doesn't want her mother to find out." Emma informs them.

They turn and watch as the Dowager asks Rose, "But when your mother finds out, will she mind?"

"No, she'll be delighted and so grateful to all of you for helping with my secret," Rose reassures and turns towards Edith, Matthew and Emma as she speaks louder. "Besides, with Edith as my chaperone, what harm can I come to?" Matthew looks at Emma and Edith, amused while the two women look anxious.

Emma stands and wanders over to where Mary stands with Billy and Robert. She spots Tom talking with Cora and realises he's sharing his and Matthew's plans for the estate to gain support.

Emma shares a look with Mary and the two of them wander over to hear Tom say, "We think so, but we need you to think so, too. Because Lord Grantham definitely won't."

"Are you drawing up the battle lines?" Mary remarks.

"Poor Robert. The post-war world is not being kind to him." Cora murmurs sympathetically.

"How are you two getting on with the agent's house?" Mary asks Emma and Tom. "I hope Jarvis didn't leave it a wreck."

"No, not at all," Emma says. "Only some things need to be done."

"But the furniture was his, so we'll have to begin in a state of Trappist simplicity," Tom adds.

"Well, I'm sure there's some stuff in the attics here. We'll have a look." Mary suggests.

"What about Emma and the baby? Won't it be lonely for them with just you and Nanny and nobody else for company?" Cora speaks.

"I think it's right for all of us and I have the Hospital," Emma argues. "I'm not going to be cut off from the world."

——

Emma goes to the Servants' Courtyard after dinner and checking on Ivy. She still enjoys going to the Courtyard to think and reflect. However, when she gets there she finds a sobbing Thomas in a corner.

"Thomas?!" Emma exclaims when she sees the crouched figure and hurries over to him. "Dear god. What happened?" She squats next to him.

"I'm not getting that reference after all, Emma." Thomas sobs.

"What do you mean?" Emma questions, confused. "I know Mr Carson isn't exactly open but I thought he at least wanted you to get a job elsewhere."

Thomas sniffles. "It's Jimmy. He's threatening to go to the police if Mr Carson gives me a good reference."

"How could he do that?!" Emma cries in outrage.

"No, no." Thomas quickly says before Emma can jump up and charge into the servants' quarters and string up the footman. "It wasn't Jimmy. He wouldn't do this. Someone else has put him up to this."

"Well, if you're sure," Emma says uncertainly. She doesn't really know Jimmy so she can't be sure.

"I am." Thomas declares. "Mr Carson has given me a couple of days to decide what to do but I don't what I can do."

"Well, I—"

The door opens and Mrs Hughes emerges saying, "Mr Barrow? Emma?" The two of them quickly stand though Thomas seems to lean on Emma for support. "What in heaven's name are you doing out here? I know you're leaving, but things can't be as black as all that. You're trained now. You can apply for a position as a butler."

"You don't know everything, then," Thomas speaks.

"Then will you tell me everything?" Mrs Hughes asks kindly.

"Look, I'm afraid if I do, Mrs Hughes, that-t will shock and disgust you." Thomas shakily replies.

""Shock and disgust"? My, my. I think I have to hear it now. Come on." Mrs Hughes puts her arm around him to encourage him inside. Thomas looks to Emma.

"I think you should tell her," Emma tells him. "Of all people, Mrs Hughes can help and there's no one else I would trust to help you."

Thomas nods and the three of them walk into Mrs Hughes' Sitting room to talk.

——

Mrs Hughes is going to talk with Mr Carson. The idea of it all still not being sorted makes Emma very anxious as she sits in a chair in Mary's room as said woman sits at her dresser. They are waiting for Edith so they can enact the part of their plan to get Mary to her check up with Dr Ryder with Matthew none the wiser.

"Yes?" Edith asks as she steps inside the room.

"Is having Gemma working out?" Mary asks as she sorts her jewellery.

"Yes, though I still miss Anna," Edith replies as she sits on the chair next that's next to Emma's. "What do you call her now she's your maid?"

"Anna, I'm afraid. I can't very well call her Bates." Mary remarks as she slips on her gloves. While Emma doesn't wear as fancy clothes as the Crawley sisters do, she wears appropriate enough clothes for someone of more middle class standing.

"No. What's this about?" Edith questions.

"Well, you know Matthew wants to come with you to London."

"Why shouldn't he?" Edith retorts.

"We want to check which train you're planning to come back on," Emma says calmly, trying to calm the atmosphere before it gets hostile.

"The three o'clock on Thursday, why?"

"Can you promise not to let him catch an earlier one?" Mary asks.

"Of course not. What reason would I give?" Edith questions.

"You can think of something."

"Please Edith." Emma pleads.

"Oh, all right. But why is everything always so complicated?" Edith huffs before leaving.

Emma sighs. "Well, that's done then."

——

Mr Carson is insisting that his hands are tied when it comes to the situation. He can't give Thomas a good reference without risking him being thrown into prison despite not liking him but at the same time, Thomas' life will still be ruined as he will struggle with no reference to help him start again.

Emma feels uncomfortable about leaving Thomas for the night while she goes with Mary to London as she worries things will only get worse for him.

Emma also feels bad for leaving Tom at the mercy of Robert's questioning though she hopes Billy will back him up. Tom had said that he doesn't want to have to explain things on his own and so will have to wait till Matthew returns.

The first day is spent travelling around the city, sightseeing and shopping. Emma can see that Mary is anxious the entire time and Emma doesn't blame her.

——

The next day after arriving in London, Emma and Mary arrive to see Dr Ryder. The appointment is just to see if all is well with Mary before he can give the all clear.

"Mrs Levinson for Dr Ryder," Mary says when they approach the reception desk.

Emma glances around and freezes when she catches Matthew on the steps leading to Dr Ryder's office. "Mary." She murmurs.

Mary glances at her confused before turning to see what she is staring at and then proceeds to freeze herself when she realises she's been caught.

The silence is broken when the receptionist leans forward to inform Mary that Dr Ryder is ready to see her. Mary quickly passes her husband and goes into the office. Matthew follows her with his gaze before turning accusingly to Emma.

"What's going on?" He asks, walking toward Emma.

She glances awkwardly at the receptionist, who is watching them, and pulls Matthew away so as not to be overheard.

"I'm sorry we've lied to you but Mary didn't want you to worry," Emma tells him.

Matthew frowns. "Worry about what?"

"Mary can explain." At Matthew's worried expression, she hurriedly adds, "It's nothing bad!"

——

Thankfully Matthew, after Mary has explained everything, is not mad but delighted to hear that Mary has been given the all clear and hopefully she'll be pregnant before her next check up in six months' time.

And Emma was right to be worried about Rose as the girl had been out partying with a married man who used to work with her father. Matthew has gotten Rosamund and Edith to agree not to say anything and Rose to not see the man while she's in their care.

Rose has a sour expression on her face as she walks down the steps of Rosamund's house to where Matthew, Mary, Emma, Edith and Rosamund wait.

"I feel very guilty not telling Susan about last night." Rosamund grumbles.

"Mummy wouldn't understand." Rose retorts hotly.

"Nor do I." Rosamund snaps. "What were you thinking? A respectable, well-born young woman going out with a married man?"

"Rose knows it all depends on her behaviour for the rest of her stay. One false step and I shall personally telephone Lady Flintshire." Matthew mediates.

"Very well." Rosamund accepts. "But I don't approve."

Rose sighs irritably and all of them make a move to leave the house and make their way back to Downton. Emma is particularly anxious to see Thomas.

——

Mr Bates had questioned Mrs Hughes and has also told Robert about the blackmail to Mr Carson from Jimmy who is also being blackmailed by Miss O'Brien, according to him. Now Emma and Mr Bates have joined forces to talk to Thomas, to see if there's anything they can do. Emma is surprised by Mr Bates' offer to help but she supposes that after being in prison himself, he doesn't want to see it happen to anyone else.

"What's he doing here?" Thomas asks with narrowed eyes.

Emma sighs. "He's helping. We want Mr Carson to be able to give you a good reference without the risk of sending you to jail."

"Prison has changed you," Thomas murmurs to Mr Bates. "There was a time when nothing was too bad for me, as far as you were concerned."

"Prison has changed me." Mr Bates replies. "You do know Miss O'Brien is behind it?"

"I knew someone was. Jimmy'd never think of it for himself." Thomas murmurs.

"Doesn't it bother you that she'll get away with it?" Emma asks. She can't believe he's just given up.

"Not really."

"Without a reference after ten years here? You'll never work again."

"Not in England. But elsewhere maybe." Thomas argues. "A cousin in Bombay. I might go there. I like the sun." Emma raises an eyebrow as she takes in his very pale complexion.

"You shouldn't be kicked out of your own country!" Emma exclaims. "I've seen it happen with my own husband and it's not pretty."

"There must be something you know about Miss O'Brien you can use against her." Mr Bates persists.

"You've heard of the phrase, to know when you're beaten?" Thomas asks. "Well, I'm beaten, Mr Bates. I'm well and truly beaten."

"Then give us the weapon and I'll do the work. What can I say that will make her change her mind?" Mr Bates questions.

Emma sees an idea dawn on Thomas' face. "Her Ladyship's soap." He murmurs.

Emma scrunches her face up in confusion. "What?"

"Right then." Mr Bates says. "I'll invite Miss O'Brien round to the cottage and we'll see what happens."

——

"It is not how we do things!" Robert snaps as he paces between the two settees in the Library. Cora, Mary and Emma sit in one and Matthew and Tom on the other. "Many of the farmers' families have been at Downton for as long as we have."

"But we need to see more profits from the farms," Tom argues.

"Here we go. Profit! Profit! Profit!" Robert retorts. Emma sees her husband's face tighten.

"We cannot go forward with no income." Matthew calmly counters.

"But why not tackle it gradually?" Robert suggests. Emma tries not to roll her eyes at him. "Perhaps buy some time by investing your capital. I hear of schemes every day that'll double whatever's put into them or triple it or more."

"Many schemes offer high rewards, very few deliver them." Matthew points out.

"There's a chap in America, what's his name, Charles Ponzi," Robert continues, "who offers a huge return after 90 days. Now Harry Stoke has gone in with a bundle..."

"Then Harry Stoke, whoever he is, is a fool!" Matthew retorts.

"But if I could find out..."

Matthew leaps up and yells, "Robert, the last time you took an interest in investment, you ruined the family!"

Cora turns on her son-in-law. "Now, look here! Robert's been the captain of this ship long enough to be entitled to some respect!"

"He didn't mean to be disrespectful," Emma argues, trying to calm everyone down.

"He does a marvellous impression of it," Robert says.

"We are giving the farmers a choice. That's all." Tom pipes up, coming to stand next to Matthew. "If they want to sell, the larger units will let us meet the challenges of the modern world."

"We need to build something that will last, Papa. Not stand by and watch it crumble into dust." Mary pleads.

"What about the tenants?" Robert continues to argue. "What about the men and women who've put their trust in us? Is this fair to them? I don't believe so."

"But isn't the most important thing, for them or us, to maintain Downton as a source of employment?" His wife counters.

Robert looks at his wife, betrayed. "So, you're against me, too."

Cora stands. "It seems to me your plan adds up to carrying on as if nothing's changed, to spend Matthew's money keeping up the illusion, then, when we've fallen into a bottomless pit of debt, we'll sell up and go. So, yes, I believe Matthew is right." She argues.

"I see. You seem to be agreed that there's no place for me in all this. So obviously it's time for me to take a back seat." And with that Robert walks out. Emma watches in shock. This wasn't how it was supposed to go.

——

"But why London? You've only just got back." Cora asks her daughter. They aren't joined by the Dowager, Rose or Isobel so it's just Robert, Edith, Emma, Matthew, Cora, Tom, Billy and Mary.

"I've had some bad news, that's all." Edith mysteriously explains. Emma frowns at this. What could be wrong?

"What sort of bad news?" Mary asks.

"Never mind. It's not our business." Matthew placates his wife. Then turns to his father-in-law. "How's the cricket team coming along?"

"We're still two short," Robert tells him.

"And you're still determined not to play?" Matthew pointedly says to Tom.

"It's not that I won't play. I can't play. I don't know how." Tom insists.

"Stop twisting his arm. Any news on the move, Tom, Emma? We're going to miss you all so much." Cora interrupts.

"You told Matthew not to twist his arm, now you're doing exactly the same thing." Edith voices.

"I just think children are happier in families. I'm sorry, but I do." Cora defends. Tom sends Emma an exasperated look, which she returns.

——

"I don't know what we can do to bring him round. We need his support." Tom huffs as they get ready for bed. Emma lies in it while Tom paces about.

"You need to remind him of his value," Emma tells him.

"What do you mean?"

"You need to give him something so that it doesn't seem as though he is losing on everything," Emma says. "Show him what he can contribute."

Tom sighs and gets into bed. "I hope that works."

"Of course, it will." Emma rolls her eyes at her husband. "I'm always right."

"You are my darling." Tom wraps an arm around her shoulders and gives her forehead a kiss as she snuggles into his arms.

——

Tom informs Emma the next day that he has been pulled into the cricket match after getting Robert on their side for the changes to be made. He is met with her laughter at it all. He smiles at her, her laughter making him smile.

"Matthew is going to teach me today," Tom informs her. Emma knows she has to watch.

——

Mary and Edith walk down the path leading from the house, following Emma's gleeful step. There's a pep in her step as the plan has worked and Thomas is getting a reference though Robert seems to actually want him to stay on because of the cricket and Mr Carson to establish authority over Jimmy. Still, now it's up to Mr Carson and the others to come up with an idea of what Thomas' position will be. Well, that and the fact her husband, who has never played in his life, is playing cricket today. Mary and Edith both still have no idea what is so urgent that they had to be summoned and to go outside no less.

"You'll both just die when you see!" Emma calls over her shoulder, almost running ahead of them.

"Emma, darling, please don't run. It's hardly ladylike behaviour." Mary scolds her. Emma finds it funny that she herself is the oldest out of the three of them yet Mary is acting like a mother hen to her.

"Really, Mary, running is probably the least of her sins." Edith laughs. Mary glances at Edith, then shakes her head and smiles in acknowledgement. They walk around the house and over to a field, finally coming at last upon the source of Emma's mirth.

Matthew and Tom are standing several metres apart, a makeshift fence put up behind Tom, and a rudimentary cricket pitch scratched out in the grass. Tom is standing awkwardly in front of the wickets, swinging a cricket bat back and forth. He wears his day suit without the jacket and tie and with his shirt sleeves rolled up. He has pads tied around his legs and still wears his dress shoes. Though Emma is hardly an avid fan of the sport, even she can recognise how ridiculous Tom looks missing the proper flannels and shoes.

Matthew is bowling. He also has removed his jacket and rolled up his sleeves. As bowlers do not wear pads, Matthew looks quite casual and relaxed. He raises the ball above his head and instructs Tom to prepare himself to swing. Matthew bowls the ball lightly towards him. Tom takes a giant heave and misses the ball completely, almost losing his balance in the process as the wickets fell behind him. The three women all place their hands on their mouths to stifle their laughter. The two men are so engrossed in their practice that they do not notice they now have an audience. Emma takes the opportunity to put out the mat she has been carrying and plonks herself onto it. Mary and Edith are more graceful in sitting down.

"Elbow up," Matthew calls out.

"You won't make a gentleman of me, you know," Tom says, picking up the ball and tossing it back to Matthew. "You can teach me to fish, to hunt and to shoot, but I'll still be an Irish Mick in my heart." Mary and Edith roll their eyes playfully at Emma. She blushes and smiles back, completely smug at her husband's comment.

"So, I should hope." Matthew smiles. Emma shakes her head and raises an eyebrow at Mary who rolls her eyes as her husband wounds up to bowl once again.

Matthew throws the ball a bit more gently and Tom is able to drive the ball a fair distance away. "There!" Matthew smiles.

"You're getting the hang of it!" Emma cheers and applauds, surprising both men.

"How long have you been standing there?" Tom asks, slightly put out.

"We just arrived! Oh, darling that was very well done!" Emma goes over and congratulates him as Matthew walks back over with the ball.

"You're all going to sit there? Watching?" Tom asks, his face is aghast at the thought.

"Oh, buck up, darling," Emma replies. "We're all going to be watching the match in any event, so you may as well get used to playing in front of an audience." Matthew and Mary exchange smiles as Tom grudgingly resumes his batting stance.

They watch from the blanket as Tom gives it a few more tries, improving slightly with Matthew's advice. Emma feels sad at the thought of having to move to the other end of the estate and not being around all of them all the time. After several minutes, Matthew looks back up towards the house and smiles. Billy is walking across towards them. He seems to have just arrived from work.

"Well, this is a sight!" He remarks as he walks over.

"He's improved but he still needs work." Mary comments.

"Well, come on then." Billy places his briefcase on the blanket and takes off his jacket before walking back over to the two men. "Let's see it."

Tom winces. "You may want to stand somewhere safer." He suggests.

Billy glances around. "No, I think I'll be perfectly fine here." He replies, looking over at Matthew, who can barely hold back his laughter.

Tom takes several more swings, missing twice, and never coming close to hitting Billy with either the bat or the ball. Billy tells him to square his shoulders a bit more and not bend at the waist as much. He barely makes contact on the next ball before making solid contact three times more.

Emma claps rather eagerly after each contact. "See, Tom? You're getting the hang of it." She cheers.

Mary looks over at them with a smile. "Now he's got to do that in front of everyone and make sure we do not lose."

"Mary, please." Matthew shakes his head with a wry smile. "Do not get him riled up, for all of our sakes."

Edith looks at her brother-in-law with a smile. "Perhaps Billy can give us a taste of his skills?"

"I think I will take a swing or two actually," Billy says nonchalantly. "Watch my legs, Tom. Balance and transfer of weight is the secret to having a good swing."

Emma finds it funny to see Tom so focused as he stares at Billy. "I actually do feel like I have an inkling of what I'm doing now. Maybe it won't turn out so bad." He smiles at her.

"Just don't be too casual about it," Matthew warns. "Robert can be rather competitive in these matches."

"A competitive streak in the Crawley family? Surely you must be joking." Billy replies, drawing laughter from all of them.

Matthew bowls for Billy, who makes a couple of big and strong hits with his bat. He just completes a third just in time for a loud bark to draw their attention. Isis comes bounding down towards them, running straight to Tom's waiting arms. He laughs as the dog licks his face several times before she moves on to Emma.

"Isis! Stop that!" Robert's stern voice calls out as he reaches them. His dog circles back and stands at his feet, wagging her tail affectionately. "Well, well, I'm glad to see we're getting some practice done before the match."

"Of course," Emma says with a mock serious expression. "What else." She gets a few raised eyebrows from everyone but Robert, who doesn't seem to notice the mild sarcasm.

"Very good." He nods, pleased.

——

It's the day of the cricket game. Everyone from the house and Village gathers on the cricket ground. Multiple tents are set up to sit and eat. Emma feels excited about the game despite never having been interested even though her father had an avid fan. She feels tearful thinking about how excited he'd be by all this.

As the game begins to play, Emma chats with Isobel and learns that Ethel has found a place to work near the Bryant's and gets a chance to see Charlie and will no longer be followed by her past.

Matthew seems to get knocked out and has to retreat to the sides where his loving wife gives him a kiss on the cheek. Emma watches her own husband, who watches from the sidelines looking anxious but claps whenever necessary.

Thomas later stands up to bat and seems to do very from what Emma can tell as the ball keeps on flying far away every time he hits it. Everyone cheers and applauds. Robert congratulates him with a handshake as he walks off. Emma goes up to him and gives him a quick squeeze.

——

"It's down to you, Molesley. Last man in. We're in good shape, thanks to Barrow, but we could do with a bonus." Robert says as he walks off. Emma and Mary linger nearby.

"Don't worry about me, milord. I'll show them a thing or two." Mr Molesley says eagerly though he looks nervous as well.

"That's the spirit."

"Well done, Papa." Mary compliments. She carries an umbrella to give herself shade while Emma simply opts for just her hat. She still finds it odd, after 10 plus years in the past, how important hats are and there are different meanings and everything.

"Well, I did my best. We'll just have to hope it's enough." Robert concedes.

"Gemma and Anna say we are to expect great things of Mr Molesley," Emma says to them but is unsure of the truth of it as she watches a shaky Mr Molesley take his position.

"Oh."

Emma is right to be concerned as the ball is bowled and Mr Molesley fails to hit it and ends up hitting the stump behind him.

The umpire cries, "Out!"

"Aw!" The crowd voice.

"As usual, our expectations are disappointed," Robert complains. He turns to everyone and calls, "Let's have some tea."

——

Emma eats the food she had gathered on a plate as Rosamund and Edith talk next to her.

"I think he must have played somewhere..." Edith is saying this before they're interrupted by an angry Rose.

"Who gave me away?" Rose demands of them. She turns on Edith. "Was it you?"

"Certainly not." Edith retorts.

Emma frowns. "What's going on?"

"Well, if you supposedly don't know, I'm being sent north tomorrow, with a monster for a jailer!" Rose cries out before storming off. The three women stare after her in confusion.

"Well, what did she expect?" The Dowager says. "Carrying on with a married man as if her home were in a tree." Edith and Emma turn to the elder woman in surprise.

"Granny, who told you?" Edith exclaims. The Dowager looks directly at Rosamund.

Emma turns on the woman accusingly. "How could you have done that, after you promised?"

"But Mama said Edith told her. I just filled in the details." Rosamund defends.

"I never said a word," Edith says.

Rosamund turns on her mother. "Have you tricked me, Mama?"

"Tricked? I am not a conjurer. I only did what was necessary to preserve the honour of the family." The Dowager remarks and walks away.

"In other words, you tricked me." Her daughter retorts.

——

Mr Carson has earlier informed Robert and Emma that Thomas will be given the position of under butler so that he can stay at Downton. Now it is up to Emma and Robert to placate Jimmy.

"James." Robert greets the footman, who stands up from the bench he is sitting at in one of the canopies, having his tea and cake. "You put up a very good show out there. Well done."

"Thank you, milord." Jimmy accepts the compliment snuggly, which irritates Emma slightly.

"As a matter of fact," Robert continues, "I wanted to thank you for your generosity with Barrow. Letting him stay on shows a real largeness of spirit."

"Stay on? Mr Barrow's staying on?" Jimmy blurts out, letting go of the formal show.

"As under butler. I was given the impression you'd allowed it." Robert says innocently. Emma tries not to laugh at that.

"I allowed him to have a decent reference for when he left." Jimmy corrects.

"But you won't mind too much, will you?" Emma asks pointedly but also with some naivety at why he would be upset. "As we also just wanted to say congratulations on your appointment as first footman."

"What?!" Mr Carson exclaims.

"Thank you, ma'am, milord. Very much."

Emma tries not to laugh at the glare Mr Carson sends in her and Robert's direction as they leave.

——

Emma spots Gemma and walks over to her.

"You know if I was more unbothered about what people thought, I'd get more of the cake," Emma remarks.

Gemma laughs. "I doubt that would stop you. Maybe you're thinking of others?"

Emma rolls her eyes before moving on. "You know, after all these years I still don't understand this game."

"Neither do I." Gemma agrees. "But we can't let the men know that as they think they're impressing us."

Emma snorts. "Please, Tom knows I don't understand and he doesn't need to try to impress me." She raises her eyebrows up suggestively.

Gemma screws her nose up in mock disgust. "Ew."

——

Two serious men in suits approach Emma, Robert and Mr Carson a short while later. Emma has Ivy in a pram in front of her and is rocking it back and forth.

"Lord Grantham, I believe?" The moustache one greets.

"The same."

"We're looking for a Mr Alfred Nugent, milord."

"And you are?" Robert questions.

"Inspector Stanford and Sergeant Brand, York Police." Stanford introduces as he and Brand take off their hats.

"Surely Alfred hasn't gotten in trouble with the police, that's not possible," Emma comments with a frown. She doesn't dare think of the other reason why Alfred would be involved with the police.

"He's made a complaint concerning a Mr Thomas Barrow making an assault of a criminal nature on another of Lord Grantham's employees, ma'am," Stanford explains. Emma tries to not show the dread and terror she feels at those words.

"That is a very serious allegation," Robert says calmly. Emma is amazed at his ability to act as if he doesn't know what's going on.

"It is, milord. Serious enough to bring us here to interrupt your cricket match." Stanford agrees. "If you'd like to point out the young gentleman?"

"He's over..." Mr Carson begins to say.

"I'll fetch him." Robert interrupts, walking away.

"We'll go and..." Stanford and his colleague try to walk forward but Emma and Mr Carson block them.

"I think it's better if you leave it to his Lordship. I'm sure he can get to the bottom of it." Mr Carson says. Emma agrees. If she had gone, she'd have throttled Alfred.

——

Robert returns with a forlorn Alfred.

"Just as I thought. There's been a mix-up. Alfred here witnessed some roughhousing between two of the staff and misinterpreted it." Robert says to Stanford and Brand.

"But why did you make the telephone call without checking your facts?" Stanford asks Alfred. Emma stares at the footman imploringly as he struggles with what to say.

"I'm very much afraid to say he was a bit squiffy, weren't you, Alfred?" Robert quickly explains.

"I made the call before I knew what I were doing. I'd been at the cider." Alfred elaborates.

"You'd what?!" Mr Carson exclaims in shock.

"Oh, I think we can overlook it this once. Don't you, Mr Carson?" Emma says pointedly. The butler grumbles but calms as he seems to realise what they are doing.

"So, you see, I'm afraid there's really nothing to investigate. I am terribly sorry to have wasted your time. Would you care to have some tea?" Robert offers amiably.

"No, thank you, Lord Grantham. I think we've got the measure of it. Good luck with your match." The police make their exit.

——

Emma sits near the other women in their tent, cradling Ivy in her arms when her husband sits down in the chair next to her. Mary is cradling her niece and goddaughter in her lap with Matthew lovingly watching them.

"I need to talk to you." She states.

"So do I." He speaks. "You go first."

"I don't know if living away from Downton is our best idea," Emma reveals. "I want our child to grow up with other kids. We could move once she's older?"

"That's why I wanted to talk to you. Seeing Mary with Sybbie made me rethink everything." Tom admits. "So, we're staying at Downton?"

"If they'll have us."

She looks over to Billy, who is crouched down by Mary, who is still holding Sybbie. She smiles at the sight. She wants her daughter to experience the same amount of love.

——

The break is nearly over when Emma makes her way over to Thomas. She pushes the pram containing Ivy over to him.

"So, we're not rid of you then?" Emma remarks with a smile.

"Seems so." Thomas looks at her softly. "Thank you."

Emma smirks. "I don't suppose you're going to say thank you to Mr Bates?"

Thomas snorts and shakes his head. "I don't think he wants me to. I was supposed to be leaving yet I'm still here."

"True." There's a lull before she speaks again. "Tom and I aren't going to move to the agent's home after all." She tells him.

"No?" She shakes her head. "Well, I'm glad." He looks down to Ivy, who's gazing intently at him. "So, I'll be seeing more of you little one." He strokes her cheek and she smiles and gurgles at him.

"Right gentlemen. Time's up." Dr Clarkson calls.

"Well, that's me then," Thomas says. "Wish me luck?"

Emma rolls her eyes. "You don't need it. And while he isn't doing as bad as we thought, I think my husband needs it more."

Thomas chuckles and runs off to play.

"Matthew, hurry up! You're keeping everyone waiting." Robert calls to Matthew who seems quite distracted by his wife.

Eventually, all the men gather to play and everyone's watching intently as Mr Cotton from the bakery shop takes to bat and hits the ball successfully.

"Catch it!" Mr Molesley calls as it flies over his head

Emma watches anxiously when she realises it's heading towards her husband.

Tom is successful in catching it and everyone cheers. Emma leaps up beaming as she claps for her husband, who receives a congratulatory handshake from Robert and has Matthew and Billy grin and slap him on the back. After all the turmoil they have been through, the future seems bright.

——

A/N: Please leave comments on how you're enjoying this story and what you think.

#downton abbey

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ginalinettiofficial · 2 years

Text

anyways i’m rewatching all the teen & kid scenes in st2, and remembering how i felt when i watched it wayyyyy back when it first came out vs watching it now is WILD

like first of all: they’re all my babies, every single of one of them, i love them all endlessly

secondly, never noticed before how WILD billy was to stalk up to steve at that party no prompting no onscreen reasoning ever given???? one second he’s playing w toilet paper the next he’s fucking naruto running to the hot guy on the other side of the room just to silently glare at him?????? billy r u ok???????

some other things i didn’t notice/remember that feel important now:

- will’s visions are fucking henry creel !!! eyes rolled back in his head and shaking and everything. they really did some cool parallels in s4 to s2 will with vecna’s victims and i’d totally forgot about it by the s4 came around

- always forget that dustin liked max for a second there. poor dustin he can’t catch a break

- erica “just the facts” sinclair look how BABY she is!!!!! she’s so little!!!!!

- billy hargrove wore denim on denim to both his first AND his second day at his new school. legends only

- max: “let’s just try to make the best of a bad situation!” / billy: “what in the goddamn HELL and FUCK did you just say to me?”

- why are there SO many redheads at hawkins high this cannot be a coincidence i’ve never seen so many red headed teenage girls in my LIFE as the minor characters/extras on stranger things. there’s like at LEAST five of them what is UP with that do they have a club???? they have to have a club?????

- billy was there in the bg for that entire fight max and lucas had before she got in the car and he yelled at her to stay away from him which truly is context i 100% never noticed before! like billy didn’t just see her walk away from a random kid looking upset and then yell at her about it, he watched her very obviously fight with and yell at that kid and then walk away w tears in her eyes. doesn’t excuse the very clear implied racism that the duffers just had to shove in there, but it does give a new perspective on that whole car convo

- eddie’s van is at tina’s party i’m not fucking kidding ????????????

- where is the fandom love for that random toga dude at the party!!!!!! “pure fuel” i love you toga kid!!!!!!

- natalia dyer acting her ASS off as drunk nancy i love it

- joyce byers threatening to genuinely murder children for bullying her son, we stan

- max’s FACES god sadie sink is so funny her expressions this entire season are just GOLDEN

- why did dustin have so much baseball gear does dustin play baseball???? give me dustin baseball backstory lore i’m begging

- also fr dustin being the calm stable one in the house vs his nervous wreck of a mother esp when mews went “missing” !!!! like oh, no wonder this kid latched onto steve “i’ll parent anyone” harrington so quickly

- max is SUCH a bad liar and she and billy both know it and it’s hilarious she makes the EXACT same faces when she’s lying about knowing lucas, seeing him at the arcade, and the “talkative mormons” i love her

- i always forget how billy starts off his scene w neil by speaking loudly and with attitude and i think that’s important!!! it’s something we forget often in fic and fandom depictions of the hargrove family dynamic but like. billy is still able to sass like a teenager and raise his voice sometimes and get defensive without being /immediately/ hurt and tbh i think that makes the whole neil thing almost worse !!! it’s at least different than if we pretend that neil’s the type of abuser who is CONSTANTLY blowing up and making everyone walk on eggshells all day long. it seems like he’s more one of those where he HAS good and fair days and then sometimes he’ll just SNAP and TURN and that’s just its own sort of horrible because like…. it’s the false sense of safety it’s the never knowing when the mood is gonna shift it’s the constant testing for boundaries that are ALWAYS shifting, never consistent, never predictable !!!

- i’ll go to my grave believing that when dart approached dustin in the shed he wasn’t gonna try to hurt him at all. poor dart he was just tryna see his buddy!!!! he loved dustin!!!!!

- max telling lucas that billy used to be okay but now he’s just angry all the time and tearing up talking about it really hit home !!! i’ve had family members who i’ve seen be consumed by anger and just. hoh boy actually i think i need a full separate post to talk about this one because it got to me. that whole convo on the roof of the bus does NOT get enough attention

- also the brief dustin/steve/max scene right before that is comedic GOLD and i watched it four times in a row because i was dying

- billy was SO excited to go on his date or wherever the fuck he was going and i WISH there had been SOME context before that moment as to what he was planning to do because it seemed pretty damn important !!!

- jonathan and nancy and murray scenes just kill me that shit is so funny. how was the pull out jonathan

- also billy fully just put cologne on his dick. truly a teenage boy ladies and gents!!!

anyways half of these make me want to write their own post but that’s a dump of most of my big thoughts so far. haven’t rewatched ep 8 yet so ofc will also have feelings to share on that but yea. stranger things 2 what a TIME!!!!!

#d speaks #stranger things #st 2 #s2g noah carried this season on his back !!!!!!!! in case any of y’all forgot!!!!!!!!!

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cynettic · 3 years

Text

Kissing Genshin Characters before you Die

Summary - Kissing the Genshin Characters one last time before you enter the battlefield.

Pairings - Reader x Albedo / Barbara / Bennett / Beidou / Chongyun / Diluc / Eula / Kazuha / Kaeya / Ayaka / Ningguang / Childe / Venti / Xiao / Zhongli

Warnings - Angst, death mentions

Tips - I wrote this listening to ‘Lovely’ and ‘Listen before I go,’ so it might make it better if you listen to both those songs while reading this :’) Both are by Billie Eilish btw, both reverb and slowed down songs for the extra angst

A/N - Im so tired, so so tired of human interaction and having no motivation to talk to people. Its like my social battery simply does not recharge, and I'm stuck writing about interactions I wish I could have, even if it's angst. Burying myself in the delusion that being in a different reality would change everything, burying myself in little imaginations and dreams of a love that doesn't exist.

Also yes, if you did notice the song lyrics playing at first are from "If the World was Ending," used to listen to that song so much. Thought it would fit this :)

“If the world was ending you’d come over right?”

It was absolute chaos, flames crawling up the wooden buildings and spreading smoke through the nation of Teyvat. Everything burned with the scorching heat, children crying, men and woman trying to run from the unescapable flames. Terror etched into citizens faces when encountering the monsters who appeared unaffected by the destruction.

Hilichurls and ruin guards smashing past people, till there was nowhere to run. And it was the mere decision of whether being beaten to death or burnt crisp was a better way to leave this world.

“You’d come over and you’d stay the night.”

But there you were, weapon in hand as you stood up against the blaze. Strong against the unblinking inferno in front of you, unwavering as you stood in front of the monsters that eagerly rushed towards you. Cut and obliterated in seconds, your eyes held nothing but a sickening disgust.

You slowly turned back to your s/o, relief quenching your heart when they were safe in the little location you’d found for them. They were injured, they wouldn't be sitting on the sidelines otherwise. And holding your weapon up again, you claimed the role of protector against the hoard of monsters.

“Would you love me for the hell of it?”

Their voice broke past your focus, a ragged sound that was suffering. It only took you a few strides till you reached them, crouching down to face them fully. Your faces were mere inches away, and you could see the frustration on their face. A deeply rooted feeling that fueled the action as they curled their hand around your head. Pressing your lips against theirs, one last kiss before you assumed the role of predator against the monsters.

“All our fears would be irrelevant.”

Both hands coming to hold their face, you pressed forwards into their kiss. Grasp tight against them, clinging onto them as if they were your lifeline.

“If the world was ending you’d come over right?”

You kissed them as if the world wasn't a aflame, like it was just you both sitting there. Hands grasping for their skin, for their lips, for them. Because without them you couldn't live in this smoldering world, a bright light that cocooned you in its comforting warmth. Nothing like the blazing flames that surrounded the two of you.

You kissed them like they were the only thing that mattered.

“The sky’d be falling and I’d hold you tight.”

But you felt the shake in their hands as they pressed their hand against your back, scared to let you go, scared to lose you. Scared to let this kiss end and have to face the scorching reality.

“And there wouldn't be a reason why.”

You pressed one last kiss to their forehead, basking in their embrace once more between you broke away. The look on your face was confident as you faced them one last time, softened by their teary eyes. Whispering soft words to them, you could only watch as they broke down, a tight feeling in your chest urging you to do the same.

But no, you had to be strong. For them, for yourself, for all of Teyvat. You slowly turned to the flames and monsters, holding up your weapon, screaming one last battle cry as you let your weapon lead your actions. As you let death become your only objective in a flurry to protect your partner.

“We would even have to say goodbye.”

Sobs wretched out of their throat as they watched you crumble, watched you fall the ground and collapse. Till the movement of your chest came to an abrupt stop, and monsters pooled at your sides.

They were forced to watch, unable to move.

“If the world was ending you’d come over right?”

Their cries turned to whimpers, until they couldn't hear the noises that spilled form their lips. Until they didn't care. What they cared about was thrown on their battlefield, beaten and ragged, torn and broken.

Dead.

“You’d come over… right?”

_-_-_-_-_

Albedo

He takes his time, hand on the back of your neck pushing you so hard against him till he’s woozy. Memorizing the feel of your plush lips against his, molding them into memory with every kiss. He’ll break away from your lips, pressing soft pecks up your face, along your nose, to your forehead. Infatuated with the way your hands gently hold his face, careful, delicate. He doesnt want to let you go, and with one final peck right between your eyes, he’ll close his eyes, whispering a goodbye as you leave. He doesnt open them when you die, he doesnt open them when the monsters reach him. No, he dies in your embrace, even if its not real.

Barbara

Desperate, oh so desperate. She doesnt know what to do with you when you press your hands to her face, tearful. You’ll have to be the one to initiate the kiss, muffling her cries with a short lived sweetness between the two of you. She’ll have her hands all over you, unsure of how to hold you, how to press you against her. She wants to stay like this forever, and even if her kisses are sloppy and messy, she’s crying too much to notice. She won’t break away, you’ll have to tug your way out of her grip and press one last kiss to her forehead. Her voice is angelic, even when she cries. You remind yourself that this is what you’re protecting as you enter the battlefield, giving it your all.

Beidou

Oh she knows, knows how this will play out. The kisses shared between the two of you are strong and compassionate, its more intense than any other kiss you’ve both shared before. Because she knows. She knows what’ll become of you and her, that this is the last kiss she’ll share with you, that there's nothing she can do about it. She lets herself indulge in you, her strong hold on you never letting go until you vocally ask her to let you go. You make her promises she knows you can't keep, but simply smiles, telling you to come back to her.

Bennett

Awkward, his hands will grab your shoulders when you approach him, pressing for a kiss immediately. He misses his mark, accidentally pressing his lips to the edge of your lips, noses bumping against each other as he tries to shift his face. You chuckle, holding his face as you adjust the angle, till you can fully reach his lips and press him against you. Like Barbara, he’ll cry, letting himself melt into you. He doesnt resist when you back away, whispering to him. Just sitting there he’ll cry, sob through it all, vision blurry with tears. But its better that way, he can picture you better when everything is fuzzy.

Chongyun

Everything was smoldering hot, too much for Chongyun who has so much yang energy trapped in him. He’s going through one of his rushes when you get to him, eager to tuck you into his arms. His kisses are sporadic, like he’s trying to kiss you but he cant. Like no matter how much his lips meet yours, it isnt enough. He wants more, he wants the promise of your forever embrace ingrained in his head. And when you break away, he’s left empty, the kisses he’d given you the only warmth on his lips. Suddenly everything was cold, so cold, and he only wished for you.

Diluc

Too rough, mashing your lips against his until you couldn't breath. Dizzy with the lack of oxygen, he didn't stop. You were ‘his,' right here right now, no one could take you away from him. You belonged alongside him, crouched in front of him, pressed into his arms where he could keep you safe. He wouldn't let you go, strong arms pulling you to his chest so firmly that you couldn't escape. He wanted to be selfish, he let himself indulge in the promise to himself that you weren't going anywhere. You’ll have to physically break out yourself, pressing back his hands as he tries to make a grab for you, tears brimming.

Eula

You were her everything, and she’ll tell you it through her kisses. She’ll run her hands along the curve of your back, holding you tenderly against her. She doesn't wish for vengeance for all the soft kisses you’ve stolen from her good days long ago, no, she’s willing to forgive you for everything as long as you’ll ‘stay.’ She promises that in all honesty, she loves everything about you, even if she denies it sometimes. And when you leave, she tells you to come back. That its the one and only thing she’ll hold against you if you don't.

Kazuha

Soft, so incredibly sensual with every touch. Kazuha was always filled with words, filled with lovely compositions made for you and only you. But now, he couldn't think of anything, no haiku he’d written in the past that compared to what he felt right now. Metaphors and hidden meanings couldn't compare to the raw pulsing throb he felt in his chest. “I love you,” he whispered, plain and simple. It held so much affection, he was afraid even those words weren't enough to express what he felt, but he settled with it either way. “I love you,” he repeated, brushing your lips against his before he said it again. “I love you.” He said it again, even as you left, entering the battlefield. He didn't stop saying it, not when he saw the monsters take you, not when they approached him with the promise of death. “I love you.”

Kaeya

He doesnt kiss you, because kisses to Kaeya are a sort of affection that brings the sense of normalcy. He likes the way your lips feel against his, but holding you against him is more special. He doesnt depend on kisses to express what he feels, instead pushing your head to his chest, sighing when your own arms come to wrap around him. No kisses, no touches, just you and him. Offering each other your last shreds of hope, because in the end, you only need each other.

Ayaka

“Look at me.” Her hand cups your cheeks just as you do to her. Now you both simply stare into each others eyes, love and adoration filling hers. She loves you, oh she loves you so much. But she understands duty better than anyone, the urge to protect you almost consuming her. When she kisses you, its soft, butterfly kisses. She doesn't rely on the contact to keep her grounded, no holding your face is a gift enough for her. To stare at you, even for one last time, is all she needs. You’ve given her so much, she would follow you to the ends of the world if you asked her to, and that's why it hurts her so much to watch you fall. She closes her eyes, noticing that she’d follow soon after and perhaps see you in the afterlife. No, she would, that's a promise she makes to herself.

Ningguang

Ningguang has delt with loss before, the concept isnt foreign to her. But you… you’re more than the jade chamber, more than any possession she has. You’re precious, like she sold a piece of her heart to you that she could never gain back. You took it from her, and you plan to take it with you to the battlefield. All she can do is press her lips against yours. Kiss you and the world beside you both becomes meaningless, until air becomes a chore instead of a necessity. Because without air she'd kiss you forever.

Childe

Details, in the case that Childe himself cant fight alongside you, he’ll hold you and repeat the details in his head. The way his hand feels on your hair, how soft or rough your lips are against his. How you fit against him, how badass you look out in the battlefield. He won’t stop you from leaving him, because he knows that if this case was reversed, he’d want you to let him go too. So he presses intimate kisses, slow ones that dont consist of a fight for dominance like they usually do. No, he wants to tell you how much he loves you, one last time.

Venti

He doesnt know what to do, pressed against you firmly. He presses soft kisses, but theres no emotion, he doesn't know how to express himself here. He’s lost a lot, lost so much in his existence, but nothing prepared him for this. Only after a kisses will he ask to cry, and when you tell him yes he’ll press his head against your shoulder. He’ll sob, hands gripping the fabric of your shirt as he does so. And then he kisses you while tears stream down his face, mashes your lips against his until his face grows numb. And he’ll continue to feel numb when you leave, when you die, when he dies.

Xiao

He doesn't know what to do, Xiao has never felt so utterly useless when you crouch to him. Form battered and bruised, when you embrace him he feels whole again. You’re his world, he doesn't care about the blazing inferno just beside you, the monsters that threaten all of Teyvat. You are his everything, what he strives to protect and keep safe. Kisses with him are breathless, both of you passionately pulling each other closer. He cant get enough of you, he wants all of you, every single piece. Molded into his embrace until you cant get out. When you break away, he tries to pull you to him, but he finds himself only able to move in the slightest. But Xiao is a protector, he is ‘your’ protector. He follows you as you head to the battlefield, dragging his limp body in a crawl to get closer. He doesn't stop when he sees the monsters overtake you, no, he continues. Just until he reaches your body, grabbing you and holding your corpse into his chest. He numbs out the monsters that attack him, knowing sullenly that he's going to die. But death doesn't seem so bad, not beside you.

Zhongli

As someone who always has control over the situation, Zhongli will be able to adapt quickly. But he doesnt want you to suffer, admiring you for being so strong when everything presses against you. He wishes to relieve the weight if only a little bit with a few kisses. Sensual and intimate, he wants to support you, and if he cant do it on the battlefield he’ll do it right here. Hold you close and promise you that he’ll always be there for you. Only after you die does he allow himself to cry, not wanting to have burdened you with his tears.

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angelofbloodlust · 2 years

Note

YO YO YO Randy x Billy's sister 👀

A/N: HELL THIS IS A FUN REQUEST, I get an odd joy out of writing Randy and Billy’s rivalry 😭 and regarding your other message, don’t worry about requesting a certain gender!! I’ll be taking that portion out of my list of dont’s, I don’t mind it anymore <3

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

Randy Meeks x Fem!Loomis!Reader

You and Randy had been close for a long time now, having instantly bonded the moment you and Billy were introduced to him and the others

Billy didn’t mind at first, as it seemed you two were nothing more than best friends, and despite Billy and Randy’s mutual dislike for the other, Billy still wanted you to be happy and left you be to be friends with whoever you please

But, the moment you two began to seem extra touchy with each other, Billy wasn’t anything short of distressed and pissed

First this motherfucker goes after his girlfriend, now his sister?? He didn’t think he had done enough for Randy to act this petty towards him

But, he kept his mouth shut. Until you two officially came out with the announcement you two were dating, anyways

Cue the violent glaring from Billy every time you two are sat beside each other, his anger of course more directed at Randy than you

Expect a bunch of talks with Billy back at home with him dramatically expressing his worry for you dating “someone like Randy”, and you can’t help but get fed up with your dumb brother for being so concerned for absolutely no reason

You knew Randy, and you could guess his intentions were well with you. There was no way you were letting Billy mess up the first relationship you were actually happy in

You never really understood why Billy and Randy didn’t like one another so much, or why they both handled it like children with their little jabs at each other to make the other annoyed

You had to have Randy assure you this wasn’t just another way to get at Billy after a point, and he promised you endlessly that he does love you, and his words were more than true

But.. He couldn’t help but thrive a bit knowing how pissed Billy was at him

Seeing the way Billy would scowl each time you leaned into him was a sight that would overjoy him to the core

Until Billy decides to get a bit more.. confrontational

Billy’s never been the type to shy away from telling someone off, and you weren’t surprised to hear from Randy that the two had a very terrifying talk about Randy treating you well, or else.

You were mad at Billy for threatening your boyfriend, of course, but nonetheless you appreciated your brother being so protective over you. After ensuring Randy wasn’t too shaken up, you found yourself happy that Billy was at least making a step towards being a bit more accepting of your relationship

But with the closer you and Randy grew in your relationship, Billy’s anger turned into worry as the deadline for his and Stu’s murder plans approached

There was the risk of ending up having to kill Randy and leaving you entirely heartbroken, and Billy didn’t know how he could cope with the thought of you being in so much pain

A thought he had looked forward to was now something he stressed over, Randy wasn’t an option anymore. He had to do whatever he could to keep you both far from Stu’s party and out of the way

And after suggesting that you two take a night to yourselves back at home, he got exactly that. You weren’t sure why Billy was so insistent, but you were pleased that Billy was happy to leave you two be on a night where your father wouldn’t be home and you could finally have some proper alone time with your boyfriend

Billy would learn to adjust to you being with Randy, as long as Randy can put aside his grudge as well. Especially after the success of Billy and Stu’s night of kills, with being under the belief that Billy had been attacked, Randy learned to be nicer to him and even make an attempt to befriend him a bit more genuinely

They’ll always have their petty moments, of course. But still, you all made your attempts to move on and have your happily ever after

Just as long as Randy didn’t push it and hurt you, or else Billy would happily let himself be rushed off to prison at the expense of protecting you.

#scream 1996 #scream #slashers #stu macher #billy loomis #randy meeks #randy meeks x reader

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tommyspeakycap · 3 years

Text

Ruined it

pairing - andy robertson x reader

summary - after the england tie, andy’s left sulking while watching the woman he’s fallen in love with apparently cracking on with kt - this request

word count - 2k

"What're you sulking about eh?"

Andy turns his head suddenly at the sound of a voice he’s come to be very fond of. A brotherly voice of consistent reason. Jordan Henderson is always level headed and gives probably the best advice of anyone Andy has ever known, especially off the pitch. It’s why he’s their Liverpool skipper.

Andy shrugs, watching as Jordan takes a seat a little away from him, a row down and three seats over so they’re not too close as they sit in the stadium. The England international has his hands stuffed thoroughly into his pockets for a bit of heat against his rain soaked body, but the Scot doesn’t seem to be bothered by the dark blue strip still rain plastered to his skin. Jordan’s never understood the unbothered nature of many Scottish players and the rain, especially after matches. Tierney could often be spotted kicking about training in shorts and t-shirt even in the snow. But the rain seemed to be the least of Andy Robertson’s worried right now.

His eyes instead are focused down on the side of the pitch, still actually standing in the rain on his fellow left back. Tierney is standing by the goalpost and next to him is someone Jordan has become mildly familiar with through his friendship with Andy, you. Billy and Mason had been standing there a couple minutes ago and since had left to chat elsewhere with Chilwell, but you and Kieran remained talking.

The Liverpool skipper understands immediately why his club mate looks so sour even though they hadn’t conceded a goal. It’s not so much that you’re talking to Kieran, but instead the way that you’re talking to him.

It’s so animated, he’s using his hands to tell a story and you’re mimicking his actions with the same intensity, engaged in somehow simultaneously telling and listening to each other talk. Except Jordan can rationalise. You haven’t seen Kieran in person for ages, this was like two pent up kids seeing their friends for the first time after the summer holidays. So much to tell, so little time to get it across.

“Can’t compete with that, mate.” Andy mumbles, his voice thick with the heavy heartache kind of emotion that chafes a little at the large heart of the mackem man looking at him softly. “Don’t be like that,” Jordan protests with a scoff, “She’s not interested in him.” He insists, but he - again - can understand why Andy might think that. He doesn’t see what you look like when you talk to him. He doesn’t see the way you look at him or how excited you are to speak to him. He can’t watch your conversations from the outside line he’s sitting doing right now with you and the arsenal left-back who you’ve got doubled over in laughter right now. It's very obvious for Jordan to tell that you and Kieran are just friends because he can, and does, get to see what love from you looks like.

It looks like the hearts that basically swirl around in your eyes every single time you look at Andy Robertson.

You're standing down there talking to that cheeky Celtic through and through left back with his hair sticking up funny because of the rain and the thing that he's talking about is you and the Scotland captain. He was the real reason you were at the game, Kieran knows this. He knows you’re smitten, have been since he introduced you to him a few years ago. It had only been a waiting game of how long until one of you to crack and admit it.

Kieran was getting awful bored of waiting and nobody was getting any younger. If he had to hear you talking about Andy and this 'potential girlfriend' one more time, he'll lose the fucking rag. Andy doesn’t have a girlfriend. He couldn't fucking get one because everyone that asked him out got turned down for the simple fact that they weren't you enough for him. Nobody ever would be.

Nobody would laugh at his jokes and rip him a new one when he needed to be told that his patter was genuinely shocking. Nobody, literally nobody, appreciated that little thing he does with his shoulder on a run down the side of the pitch when he realises he might lose the ball like you do. He throws his shoulder forward, almost in a way that can be played off as a natural movement but has just enough on it to send the quickly running member of the opposing team into the closest pitch barricade. When he'd spent the length of the Manchester City game doing it to Kyle Walker, it's all you'd talked about for days. You just love him and it's almost painfully obvious to everyone but the one person who should see it the most.

"They're just friends Robbo." Jordan repeats, but Andy squints with an ever so subtle shake of his head. "It's like a fuckin' movie. Met when they were four, still fuckin' best friends at twenty four. Couldn't write it Hendo." Andy explains, hitting the back of his hand against the palm of his other emphatically, almost as if to drive home the idea brewing in his mind that you and Kieran were set to be together. A perfect couple, of sorts.

"You're being ridiculous." Jordan states simply, shaking his head in disagreement and indifference. "Like, do you realise how stupid you sound? She is not... interested... in ...him."

Andy sighs again heavily, finally tearing his eyes away from you to look at his club mate turned close friend sitting there in front of him. Jordan had his serious, almost dad face on. The one he uses if there is a message he needs to get across or a scolding that he needs to give either to a team member acting up or to one of his children.

"That said," he adds, "You need to tell her how you feel mate, before she is interested in someone else. Won't wait around for you forever."

The words actually give Andy a chill through his spine, making him shiver and not from the cold. He spots you, drifting out of a circle containing KT, Ben Chilwell, Billy, Mason and John McGinn, kind of looking as though you were looking around for someone else. Jordan knows that you are looking for the one man you really came here for. You're almost looking for him to save you, searching for him in the sea of football players standing in circles dotted around talking amongst each other about the game, about their lives and all that other rubbish that had missed talking about.

You're not sure what it is, but it feels like someone's arse that bloody bounces you sideways stumbling in straight into the front of Jack Grealish. Kieran smirks from where he stands knowing he hit his intended target when he hears your 'oof' and Jack's signature Brummie accent asking if you were alright. He casts a side eye up to the stands where he's seen his skipper sitting, a small grin ticking over the former Celtic mans lips as he sees Jordan Henderson patting Andy on the back just as he quickly makes for the stairs two at a time on tired legs.

"It that Grealish?" Andy had asked, eyebrows pulled into furrowed confusion. Jordan nods. "Yup."

That raises Andy to his feet immediately. Kieran was one thing, but to see you basically nose to nose with Jack fucking Grealish was another. That Andy could not even begin to handle even as he helped you back to your feet. "Better move fast." Hendo notes.

Andy does just that, except not in the direction that either Kieran or Jordan had anticipated him going in. When Andy got to the bottom of the stairs where Kieran had expected him to barge through the players and make a break for you, he instead took a swift left and marched back through the tunnel to the changing rooms.

Jordan is the first to spot your frown when you see the number 3 walking quickly off towards the changing room. He can physically see from your face the way that your heart sinks, a soft sigh parting your lips as you disjoin from the groups of talking players and mingling family members to find the side of the pitch that he had left from. Whether or not you were supposed to go back there, you didn't know. But you had come here to see him, watch him play and actually get to speak to him face to face for the first time in a while. Your work had kept you busy and he was travelling for the Scotland matches.

"Andy!" You call out after him, picking up your pace when you spot him rounding a corner quickly. "Andy!"

You know he can hear you, but he doesn't slow down. He keep thundering towards the changing room and you're confused. He was never like this. Andy is such a sweetheart to everyone and to you he was even sweeter. He was funny, he was kind and he made you feel like the world was a better place to be in.

This was very out of character, especially after a game that would be considered a success from their perspective.

"Andrew!" You bark, courage bubbling up to the surface when he pushes through the changing room door and lets it shut behind him just before you walk through.

Andy freezes in his spot, guilt immediately causing through his veins at the sound of you attempting to catch the heavy door. That was uncalled for and his mother would slap him silly if she'd ever caught word of him doing something like that to anyone, but especially. His mum really loved you.

"What was that far? Who pissed in your cereal this morning?" You try to joke as you lean against the door, crossing your arms over your chest with a teasing grin, but he just turns his back to you at his number designated changing spot in the room. He shrugs and pulls his shirt over the top of his head roughly, chucking it down on the bench in front of him. "Just didn't know you were behind me." He mumbles, almost so lowly you can't hear him.

"Right." You scoff with a step takin towards him. He still won't turn and look at you. He has so much anger coursing through his veins and he just doesn't even know why. Just seeing you there, hugging all them and speaking to Kieran before him, the way the arsenal man held you with such a tight squeeze and kissed the top of your head was what he was supposed to be doing. It's what he always did and watching Kieran do that to you knowing it was a routine for him too made him feel like an absolute idiot. Everything for Kieran was completely platonic, simply the act of missing you as his best friend.

"Cause you're not really supposed to be back here." He hints, making your heart sink. Your confidence to confront him dissipates right there and then, forcing you to attempt to swallow back a lump in your throat. He had never even used a tone like that with you before, not even in the petty little arguments you've been in in the past.

In fact had anyone else spoke to you anywhere near anything like that, Andy would have laid them out flat. But he was so fuelled by jealousy and the desire to be alone to wallow in his heartache so he doesn't take it out on his teammate later on a ruin morale that he almost doesn't realise how nasty he's being, even if the words themselves aren't that sharp, his cold tone was enough to make any words seem hurtfully intended. He chances a look back at you, a quick turns of his head to see you staring at him before he turned his head back to face his number stuck to the wall in front of him as he pulled the tape from off his wrists.

"I just noticed you walking off and the guys let me through so I-" You attempt to reason, words shaking slightly as you try to string together an excuse for being there when he clearly doesn't want you to be. God that hurt more than it should. "Are you alright?"

"Just surprised you could tear yourself away from trying to shag KT is all. Or maybe you'd prefer Grealish? Not too sure."

Your heart skips a beat at his snap as he pulls his undershirt from his arm and throws it down with his strip shirt. A puff of air is snorted out your noise, the kind of scoff of disbelief that hits his ears just in time to realise the words had actually just left his lips. With his back to you, he's safe to make screw up his face in disbelief at himself.

You scoff full this time, just about sick of the sight of his back and completely over the attitude. He's not sure what you're doing behind him in the seconds after he spits out those words that he knows for a fact will have hit you hard.

"Here." You tug him from his thoughts, turning him around finally to see you standing there with hurt written across your face. He watches you with his own pain filled eyes as you stand there in a long sleeved blue shirt something like the one he had been wearing under his strip. Right when he turns around, you throw something at him. A bundle of blue material that he barely catches against his bare chest. His head turns down towards it to investigate.

"Fuck you, Andrew." You spit, "Fuck you."

His sighs heavily to himself as he watches the door slam behind you, shaking out the fabric in his hands. His heart literally shatters when he realises what it is. The dark blue Scotland shirt with name and number is printed proudly across the back, something he hadn't even noticed you were actually wearing until you had throw it at him.

He drops himself backwards to sit on the bench, the jersey settling over his cold thighs as his head falls into his hands and a loud "Fuck," leaves his mouth into the empty room.

You power past Jordan Henderson walking along the corridor, looking at you expectantly with a smile that falters the second he see's your face, eyes brimming with unshed tears as you basically run past him. You're heading in the opposite direction of the pitch too, clearly on your way to leaving.

"Don't, Jordan. Just don't." You cut him off, holding up a hand to silence him before he even had the chance to do more than open his mouth. "Just leave it alone."

He reaches out for you, but you're gone before he gets the chance to catch your arm and his eyebrows are tightly furrowed in confusion. He knows that you and Andy have gotten in something similar to fights before, all friends do but never has the left-back said anything that had ever made you look quite so upset. He was usually the one making sure nobody ever did make you that upset.

While the England international stands there confused, it becomes clear he wasn't the only one to see you so upset when a thundering head of dark hair barrels past him towards the changing room with a definitively angry gusto that has Jordan leaping forward to chase after him.

"Fuck did you do, mate?" Kieran booms the second he throws open that changing room door with Jordan behind him, immediately getting in between the two Scotland players. Kieran has a tendancy to get hot headed. He’s very protective and everybody knows this. Andy’s guilty face wasn’t enough to clarify the idea that it was, in fact, he who had upset you.

“Tierney,” Jordan warns, his eyes serious as he switched from friend to captain mode in a split second, “You’d better go make sure she’s alright.”

Kieran lingers shifting from boot to boot, but ultimately does as he’s told and goes after you at a jog that allows Andy to drop his head back into his hands. Jordan turns back to Andy, hands on his hips with a very unhappy look written into his features.

"Now what the fuck did you do?"

“Just fucking ruined everything, mate.”

#andy robertson #andy robertson x reader #andy robertson imagine #andy roberston imagines #Scotland national team #footie fics #football fics #footballer fics

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therealvinelle · 3 years

Note

I know this is like taking a bat to the beehive but... I really wanna hear your opinions on the whole... Imprinting thing

(Note before we go any further: this meta is written purely about the shapeshifting aspect of the Quileute characters, I don’t at all get into the racism in Twilight or any kind of social commentary. This is a purely watsonian meta. Others in this fandom have already addressed the racial dynamics at play, far more eloquently and knowledgeably than me. If I say something in here that’s in any way offensive, that’s not my intention and I’m open to criticism.)

Ooh imprinting.

I touch upon it here, basically I hate it.

The imprinting is part of this theme where the shapeshifters lose their free will and autonomy, and I find it tragic, cruel, and unnecessary.

First of, the fact that they have to phase at all.

They’re made warriors to protect their tribe. There’s no choice involved, only genetics and magic irrevocably changing their lives, and at a ridiculously young age, too. Sam is the oldest of them, and he is 19.

Violence is an inherent part of what they become. Their purpose is to protect the tribe, by fighting vampires. Not only is this insanely dangerous (we see Jake get so injured by a single vampire that he’s bedridden for weeks), but if they succeed, they will have killed. In the singularly brutal manner of tearing apart and burning someone who looks a lot like a human, who talks and might beg for their life, at that. And I remind you, most of these shapeshifters are literal children. They might not see vampires as people, but all the same, killing one can’t be good for their mental wellbeing. (Thought: Perhaps an argument can be made for Laurent’s death having a part in the turn Jake’s personality took? Some, though not many, of the symptoms for PTSD do fit. I don’t know enough about PTSD to pursue this train of thought, but it occurred to me just now, in particular he becomes quite aggressive and prone to outbursts after that incident, so into a parenthesis it goes)

Not to mention how inhumane that responsibility is. Vampires in the Twilight-verse are terrifying, and the shapeshifters might have the power to fight them. But (and this is where I plug one of my all-time favorite animes, Puella Magi Madoka Magica, as it asks the question “Is it okay to sacrifice yourself for others?” because that’s... well there’s a parallel to be made to the shapeshifters. It’s on Netflix!) does that mean they should? Is it really their responsibility? Again- they’re kids!

Then there’s the time Sam lost control, and accidentally mauled the girl he loved. And it’s so cruel to both him and Emily. Sam never chose to have to control himself in the first place, he never chose shapeshifting. He didn’t choose to imprint on Emily either, and he didn’t choose to lose control that day. At no point in the series of events that led to Emily being mauled did Sam have any real choice, and yet he will shoulder the guilt for what happened for the rest of his life.

These kids get superpowers, and several of them seem to enjoy being shapeshifters, but the fact remains that they now carry this huge responsibility to protect their families and homes, doing so is incredibly dangerous, they lose out on their regular lives, and they can’t opt out of it.

This all sucks, but then we get to the fact that they are deprived of their free will, as their alpha can issue an order they physically can’t break. The alpha becomes alpha because of bloodlines, not because of a democratic election. Jake got a mockery of a choice in that he could choose to become alpha himself, or let Sam continue, which was really just choosing between a rock and a hard place. There is no limitation to what this order can be, from “don’t say X to person Y” to “let’s kill someone you love”. Jake has to struggle to break that last one, and he’s only successful because of the bloodline thing letting him become his own alpha.

Oh, and there’s the massive invasion of privacy when they have a hive mind. Cool concept, less cool to have it be reality. Leah is the poster child for how a hive mind can backfire, and they can’t opt out of this.

I’m not good at gifs, but the shapeshifters just make me think of that gif of someone flicking a lightswitch on and off, “WELCOME TO HELL!”. Of course, Twilight in general is a pit of despair for everybody, so I suppose that gif really is... well it sums up all of canon.

So, we have these kids aged 19 or younger, as of Breaking Dawn they skew as young as thirteen, their lives are turned upside down by something they can’t opt out of, they must shoulder this huge responsibility to protect their homes and families from the terrifying threat of vampires, and on top of all of that, they must obey orders that are so irresistible, they can compel them to harm someone they care for.

With all of that in mind, you’d think that the shapeshifters had enough on their plate. That through all of this they would at least retain their selves, and be able to look forward to a future where they could stop phasing, and go on to live normal, human, lives.

Yeah, NOT IF THEY IMPRINT.

I’ll just quote Jake’s description:

Everything inside me came undone as I stared at the tiny porcelain face of the halfvampire, half-human baby. All the lines that held me to my life were sliced apart in swift cuts, like clipping the strings to a bunch of balloons. Everything that made me who I was—my love for the dead girl upstairs, my love for my father, my loyalty to my new pack, the love for my other brothers, my hatred for my enemies, my home, my name, my self—disconnected from me in that second—snip, snip, snip—and floated up into space.

I was not left drifting. A new string held me where I was.

Not one string, but a million. Not strings, but steel cables. A million steel cables all tying me to one thing—to the very center of the universe.

I could see that now—how the universe swirled around this one point. I’d never seen the symmetry of the universe before, but now it was plain.

The gravity of the earth no longer tied me to the place where I stood. (Breaking Dawn, page 237)

Everything that made me who I was disconnected from me.

Jake’s love for his father, his home, his very own self, it’s all gone now. And while I have thoughts on the authenticity of this imprint, whether it was organic, the description above is apparently how imprinting feels. It’s along the lines of what Sam, Jared, and Paul all describe.

I don’t think I can put into words just how devastating I find imprinting, I think the above quotation speaks for itself. And as with all other shapeshifter things, there is no choice involved.

We see its devastating effects in the Emily, Sam, and Leah debacle. Sam and Leah were serious together, so much so that they were engaged. Sam had fallen for and chosen to be with Leah. Perhaps they would have broken up eventually, but Leah was still the choice he made. Then he imprints on Emily, and all that is for naught. He had to break up with Leah, who if she hadn’t phased never would have learned why, Emily and Leah’s relationship is ruined, and Emily must forever live with the knowledge that if Sam had his free will intact he would be with another woman.

Then there’s Jared and Kim. Kim crushed on Jared, but Jared never noticed her. The fact that they were in the same class is damning: if a boy is attracted to a girl, he's gonna notice her. Jared never did.

Quil imprints on Claire, who is a toddler. That’s just a recipe for misery and disaster all around.

And I’ve only touched the shapeshifter side of things. They lose their autonomy and freedom, but the imprintées draw the short straw too. They’re now responsible for this other person’s happiness. Sure, having someone who’ll be whatever you need them to be sounds nice (well, it sounds horrifying, but I’m playing ball) on paper, but you can’t opt out of them being like that. The imprintée can’t say “Sorry, not interested,” and she certainly can’t shut the imprinter out of her life, not without irrevocably ruining the imprinter’s life. The imprinter needs her. She’s the center of his earth now, but she didn’t choose to be.

Imprinting is a liferuiner for everyone involved.

Then we have the question of what imprinting is even for. I’m afraid I agree with Billy, that it’s for procreation. We see Sam, who was dating a woman about to phase (even if Leah isn’t infertile, she’s a warrior now. She can’t run in the woods and fight vampires, and gestate and nurse a child at the same time) conveniently imprint on her cousin, who as cousin to Leah is from a shifter bloodline. Claire, as Emily’s cousin, has those same genetics. Paul imprints on a woman from the Black family line. Jake is the outlier, but either Renesmée’s gift helped that imprinting along, or he imprinted because of the offspring they could potentially have (I firmly believe it’s the former because the latter... NOPE. Also, I can’t imagine whatever magic drives imprinting would want vampiric progeny for the future generations. Regardless of Renesmée’s person, her biology is wired to desire human blood. That’s exactly what Jake is supposed to protect people from. Bad match.).

I just.... ughhh. God, I hate imprinting so much, and on every level.

To me, everything about the shapeshifters is about free will, autonomy, and the loss thereof. And it would have been beautiful if their story was about reclaiming that, but it isn’t. None of this, with the exception of the alpha orders, is even acknowledged.

So, in summation, yes I hate imprinting, but it’s only the horror cherry on top of a very sad and problematic cake.

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free-pool-trash · 3 years

Text

utopia- peter maximoff

yeah... im back being in love with Peter <3 enjoy loves <3

word count: 3k

warnings: angst and fluff, wandavision spoilers

id be open to writing more parts if anyone was interested <3 (I wrote this at 4am if it’s all over the place im sorry)

masterlist

You didn’t know much, but one thing was for certain; you didn’t belong here.

This morning you had opened your eyes and were met with a town that seemed like the very definition of the suburban dream. Your mind screamed at you as soon as you came to in the strange and indisputably new environment, telling you that this town was your home. The fact that you couldn’t remember anything before your eyes had fluttered open didn’t fill you with the utmost confidence about the legitimacy of the voice in your head, or the utopia that surrounded you.

All you knew was that you came here to look for someone. This someone was someone very important to you and you had a feeling that you were exactly where you needed to be to find this someone. There was one minor problem though; you didn’t have a clue who this special someone was, just that you needed to find him.

Cautiously, you found yourself wandering the town that seemed to be lost in time. All of its residents dressed like they were all attending an 80s themed party, yourself included. You couldn’t recall pulling on the ridiculous getup but that voice told you not to worry about it. It wasn’t long before you were in the middle of the town square, people bustled around you happily, all of them eerily going about their day as if they hadn’t a care in the world. Nobody looked stressed or sad or anything other than animatedly happy.

The realisation caused a slight panic to begin in your chest, there was something very wrong happening here and you didn’t know what. The very second you began to show anything that didn’t come across as positively blissful, the voice you’d been hearing since you opened your eyes sounded in your brain, louder than ever.

You are happy here. WestView is home. You are home.

Despite her soothing tone, you weren’t convinced.

“Who are you?” You demanded out loud, whipping your head in all directions, eyes set in a glare as you watched the citizens of the town acting none the wiser to your question.

Within seconds a woman appeared before you, a sweet smile on her face and two children by her side. “Hey there, you must be the new neighbour.” She spoke kindly, something familiar about the woman caused you to immediately relax in her presence although that relaxation felt somewhat… forced.

With a hesitant nod you looked around again, you brought your eyes back to the little family and offered them your best friendly smile, “It seems I must be, yeah.”

The lady giggled and held her hand out towards you, “Nice to meet you, I’m Wanda. And these two are Billy and Tommy.” You took her hand in yours, suddenly overwhelmed with an influx of thoughts that didn’t seem to be yours. Suddenly you were giving Wanda the most sparkling smile you could manage, not entirely sure why your mouth had formed such a smile for a complete stranger.

“Pleasure to meet you all.” Were the only words you could manage, still riddled with confusion as to what was going on.

Wanda returned your smile, Billy and Tommy seemed almost enamoured by you as they both stared at the new arrival. Glancing at her boys, Wanda knew she’d have to keep a very close eye on you, you were a mutant and stronger than even you knew, hard to control. But she had let you through her barricade as soon as she realised who you were and why you came.

“What’s your name?” Billy had asked and Wanda grew nervous as she noticed your eyes lose their smile for a second as you blanked on the simple question.

What was your name? It took you a moment or two before you regained your composure and extended your arm to the little boy in front of you who shook it excitedly, “Y/n. My name is Y/n, it’s really nice to meet you two.”

“Say, would you like to come and have dinner with us?” Wanda offered and you nodded your head gratefully.

“Dinner would be lovely. I’m feeling quite airy today, a good feed might help.” You told her with a laugh.

You walked to what you assumed to be Wanda’s residence, Billy and Tommy spoke excitedly to you as you walked, the pair of them strolled on either side of you fighting for your attention and entertaining you as they constantly tried to one up each other.

“You’re so cool! I can’t wait for uncle piet to meet you!” Tommy commented, prompting a soft smile from Wanda and an agreeing nod from Billy.

With a laugh you ruffled the boys’ hair, “Uncle Piet, huh? I bet I’m way cooler than that guy.”

“Don’t let him hear you say that.” Wanda laughed, her hold on you lessening as you began to relax on your own accord.

It only took a few more minutes until the four of you arrived at their house. As you entered you took a second to take in the interior, the 80s theme not as glaringly out of place to you as it had been earlier.

“Vis! Pietro! I’m home and I’ve brought a guest!” Wanda’s sweet voice sounded from the kitchen.

“Uncle Piet hurry up! Come meet our new friend!”

“Come on! Come on! Hurry up!”

Billy and Tommy yelled up the stairs impatiently and you smiled fondly at the boys, crossing your arms over your chest as you anticipated meeting ‘the funnest guy in the whole world’.

“M’coming! Jeez.” The deep voice made you freeze. For the first time since you arrived in WestView you could finally say you recognised something.

The thumping of feet running down the stairs had your heart beating out of your chest and when you finally came face to face with the man the twins had praised so highly you thought your ribs were at risk of breaking from how rapidly it was pumping.

The man looked at the twins, expectantly, “Alright. Where’s the one making you two so excited?” He hadn’t noticed you yet.

With a shaky breath, it bagan coming back to you, he was the someone you were looking for. He wasn’t just someone special, he was your love. And there he stood, silver hair unkempt as usual and his signature grin painted his lips.

“She’s-“ Billy started but Peter cut him off.

“She? You guys get yourself a lil girlfriend? Huh?” He wiggled his eyebrows and you couldn’t help the breathless laugh that left you. He was still your Peter. Funny, lighthearted, great with children and not completely thoughtless behind his gorgeous doe eyes like the rest of the town’s residents.

The airy laugh caused a shiver to run up his spine. No, you couldn’t be here. Not you. But he knew without even turning his head that it was you, his girl, the love of his life. The loyalist person he’d ever had the privilege of being able to love. Of course you’d follow him to a whole different reality.

He whipped his head in your direction, his mouth falling open as his eyes landed on your form, your eyes shining the way they always did when you’d see him after a long mission.

“Peter?” The boy felt his heart crack as your expression dissolved into something between confusion and panic. He quickly zoomed over to you and pulled you into him, pressing your head into the crook of his neck to hide your expression from Wanda who had yet to return from the kitchen.

His lips hovered close to your ear, “Pietro, you have to call me Pietro. I’ll explain everything, I promise just act natural for me, alright?” He murmured, moving his hand comfortingly up and down your back, aware that the twins were watching Peter pulled away but wrapped an arm around your shoulder and you forced yourself to smile as the pair of you faced the boys.

“How’d you guys manage to find my girlfriend in this dump?” He asked jokingly, smirking proudly as their faces dropped.

Billy glared and raised his little eyebrow at his uncle, “Your girlfriend?”

“You were right, you two. He definitely is the funnest person but I still win in the cool department.” You said, laughing nervously and hoped you weren’t being too conspicuous.

“Oh come on,” Peter groaned, “I haven’t seen you in forever and you’re already making fun of me in front of my nephews? That’s cold.” He pressed his lips to your temple, keeping them there for a few seconds, they were firm and sure and they let you know that he was really with you, you’d found him and he was real.

When Wanda re entered the room you felt your shock ebb as if it were being drowned beneath the surface before you could calm it naturally. You allowed your body to melt into Peter, your unintentional, sitcom worthy smile making his way across your lips again.

“Oh good, so you two have met then?” Wanda grinned, knowingly. Peter gave her a grin of his own.

“We’ve done more than meet.” He told her suggestively and you poked his ribs gently.

“You should’ve told me you were a Maximoff,” You giggled out as Peter littered your face with kisses while the twins gagged, the silver haired man pulled away from you for only a second to stick his tongue out at his nephews before he returned his attention to you as you chastised Wanda softly, “I would’ve been able to prepare myself to see this loser.”

Peter scoffed and gently pushed you away before speeding to catch up with your body. He wrapped his arms around your torso from behind and rested his chin on your shoulder, “She loves me really.”

Peter knew exactly what Wanda was after; a perfect family. He understood that’s what she wanted but he didn’t know how far she would go to achieve that goal. He had to make sure you played along, he couldn’t lose track of you again.

Your next words caused a stir in the hearts of both the siblings, your head was turned and your gaze was locked on Peter’s face, eyes free of any outside emotion as you broke out of Wanda’s hold and what Wanda read off your face wasn’t fear nor confusion, it was nothing but pure adoration for her brother.

“I do. I really do.” You told him, eyes becoming glassy before Wanda managed to regain control of your mind. You cleared your throat and gave Peter an airy smile, gently placing your lips against the curve of his jaw and he bit the inside of his cheek as he held you, allowing the conversation to flow easily and trying his best to support you as you unknowingly exhausted yourself fighting against his sister's hold.

He had a feeling you hadn’t remembered your mutation yet. You were one of the most powerful mutants Xaviers School had ever seen, your powers similar to Jean and Charles himself. Telekinesis was a tricky game, especially when you weren’t aware of it.

He remembered when he’d met you, you were with Charles and Hank, in his basement and asking for his help. He smiled to himself when he thought of how you’d been just as confused as him at the time.

You had no control over your telekinesis back then, similarly to now as you sat playing a board game with the twins, lights would flicker when you laughed and the very ground you walked on would shake if you got angry enough.

“Her mutation, it’s strong.” Wanda commented breezily as if it were nothing, floating through the kitchen going about her business as Peter’s eyes never left your form.

With a sigh he murmured, “She’s powerful, Wands. Trust me when I tell you that this whole thing could come crashing down if you don’t let her access her mutation.”

Wanda paused, her jaw clenched. With a flick of her wrist the panel that was allowing Peter to gaze at you from his place in the kitchen shut in his face. He turned to face Wanda then, an incredulous look on his face.

“What do you mean.” Peter only let out a tired laugh.

He shook his head, “Why did you let her in in the first place? You could’ve kept her out if you didn’t want her here.”

“She came for you, Pietro. You were the only thing on her mind. I didn’t realise she had power until I’d let her in.” She seethed, glaring at Peter.

“Maybe this was a mistake…” Wanda began, clenching and unclenching her hands as she considered her next actions. Noticing her uncertainty, Peter stood up and approached her as she spoke, “I should send her back.”

Panic flooded the speedster and before his sister could so much as move a finger he grabbed both of her hands in his, “No!” He shouted, desperately.

“Please don’t. I’ll look after her, just… just don’t take her away from me. Not again.” He begged, shaking his head frantically and Wanda knew in that moment that sending you away would create more problems than it would solve.

With a steady nod Wanda squeezed her brother’s hands, “She’ll stay here. But she’s your responsibility now. If she becomes a problem she’ll have to go.” His sister explained causing Peter to once again nod his head frantically.

“There’s an empty house next door. It’s yours, take her home, she’s tired I can tell.” Peter left the kitchen without another word, a smile on his face as if the conversation with Wanda hadn’t shook him to his core.

When he entered the living room he watched fondly as Billy tried to impress you and Tommy sat contently beside you. Wanda had released you from her influence and you were simply fighting sleep while simultaneously keeping the twins occupied. Even without your mutation, Peter knew you were a superhero.

“Alright, nerds. Stop bugging my girl.” Peter walked casually to the couch and pulled you up gently, kissing your temple like he had done earlier, “Let’s go home, sweetheart.”

When he pulled away you were looking at him, your expression somewhat defeated, “Home?” That’s right, he reminded himself, you didn’t know where home was.

He nodded gently, interlocking your fingers with his and led you to the front door.

“Bye boys!” He called over his shoulder, not bothering with a proper goodbye tonight.

True to her word, the house next door was vacant and ready for the couple to move into. As soon as the front door was shut Peter attached his lips to yours, feverishly moving his hands to your cheeks as you melted against him.

“I’ve been looking for you for so long.” You croaked, pulling away, select memories had began to return upon meeting his lips.

Completely overwhelmed you nuzzled your cheeks into his palms when tears began to leak from your eyes. Peter pulled you closer, bringing his forehead to rest against yours, “I know, baby. But I’m right here, I’ve got you.”

His words had only served to push you further towards the edge and you gripped his wrists to keep his hands in place, using him as an anchor. He shushed you gently once the picture frames nailed to the wall began to clatter against the plaster while you struggled to even out your breathing.

“I couldn’t think, Pete. I couldn’t- I couldn’t keep her out. There’s something so wrong here, we need to get out- we have to get out.” You rambled, tears streaming down your face now as the panic Wanda had pushed away from you earlier now manifested into a full blown panic attack.

“Hey, hey, hey, Y/n, look at me, okay? Neither of us are under her control right now, you’re safe, you’re with me and I’m not going to let her so much as flick her wrist at you, do you understand me?” He spoke steadily and sternly, caressing your face so gently as if he was afraid you’d break.

After a second or two, the walls stopped shaking and you let Peter guide you to the stairs and into a double room. Carefully, he undressed you and redressed you into the shirt he’d been sleeping in, something in him just knowing being surrounded by his scent would calm you down.

Your hands snaked around his waist after he finished getting himself changed, with a content sigh you pressed your lips against his shoulder before pulling away to look into his eyes, “You’re sure you’re okay?”

Peter nodded his head, eyes softening at your concern, “M’better now.”

Before you could respond Peter had zoomed the pair of you into the floral double bed. He lay on his back, his silver hair sprawled against the pillow and his eyes looking at you contently. You gazed at him from your space against his chest, your body completely flush to his, the arm he had wrapped around your waist making you feel safe.

He hummed in approval as your finger lazily traced his jaw, he grinned dorkily, he watched your eyes fluttering open and shut as you struggled to stay awake. Peter wrapped both arms around you tightly, pulling you up ever so slightly to let your face rest against the crook of his neck.

“I love you, Y/n.” He whispered when he felt your fingers toying with his hair gently.

You hummed, pecking the skin of his neck, “I love you, Peter. Or should I say Pietro?” He couldn’t stop his chuckle when he felt your lips form into a smirk as you continued to peck lightly at his neck.

Peter shook his head, his hands moving up and down your back, slowly and softly as he told you, “Nah, I just wanna be Peter with you. You’re the only person in this wacko town who knows who I am.”

“We’ll get out… and then we can go back to being whoever we were before we ended up here.” You spoke sleepily, but honestly, he knew you believed what you were saying.

He wanted to ask why you’d put yourself in this situation but he knew why. And he knew he’d follow you into anything like this too.

Maybe he shouldn’t have been proud of the love the pair of you shared, considering it had landed you in a borderline tyrannical suburbia. But even a barrier that wiped memories, a witch who could bend time, space and the very reality around her couldn’t keep the two of you apart.

Neither of you knew what would happen in the future but that didn’t matter so long as you had each other. As your breath evened out against his neck Peter promised himself that he’d find a way to get you both out, get everyone out.

#peter maximoff #peter maximoff x reader #peter maximoff imagine #wanda maximoff x reader #wandavision

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heliads · 3 years

Text

Some Things Have To Be Said (Part Three)

When S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Y/N L/N is called to the S.W.O.R.D. encampment outside Westview because of her history working alongside Wanda Maximoff, she’ll have to face her past with Wanda and even a confrontation with the woman she loved.

previous / masterlist

You can only stare at her. Your blood feels like it’s freezing in your veins, slowing to a stop. The world crashes to a halt around you. After a long moment, you’re able to claw up the strength to form a single word. “What?” Wanda’s gaze doesn’t break. “Who are you?” She repeats, and the question still burns just as deep the second time.

“You don’t- you don’t know me?” Wanda shakes her head, the movement slow and unflinching. “Should I?” You blink, trying to regain any sense of clarity. “Yes. No. You did, once.” Wanda’s emotionless mask flinches once, and she tilts her head slightly to the side to consider you. “I did, didn’t I?” She looks deeply into your eyes, and you have that same sense of overwhelming scrutiny that you had felt before. Wanda must be reading your mind, but there seems to be something blocking her from looking too deeply, because she looks away after barely a moment has gone by.

“L/N. Agent L/N. If you’re with the government, why don’t I feel afraid of you? Something is telling me to trust you, but I don’t know why.” You feel a bitter smile creep onto your cheeks, lips tugged up at the sides. “It’s because I loved you.” Wanda nods once. “And me? Did I feel the same way about you?” You force yourself to keep a calm face, to not break down. “I don’t know. That’s why I came, to find out.”

Wanda furrows her brow. “Y/N. Your name was Y/N.” You incline your head. “We met a while back. I don’t know why you can’t remember me.” Wanda seems about to answer you, but then you hear the sound of shouting from across the town. It sounds like the cries of two young boys, and you realize it must be Wanda’s children.

Wanda appears to have come to the same conclusion and seems drawn towards the sound, but she forces herself to turn back to you, as if held in place by some anchor tying her to you. “I have to go.” You nod once. “I know. It’s alright.” Wanda’s eyes flicker up to you, and she places her palm lightly against your cheek. It barely touches you, but the sensation of her so close to you is spellbinding. “You need to be careful. There’s a woman here, Agatha. I don’t want you to get hurt.” You let your hand come to rest against hers, contact for just a second. “I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me.”

Wanda nods, takes in one quiet breath. “I’ll come back, Y/N. I promise.” You try for a smile. “I know you will.” Wanda hesitates one last second, as if drinking in the sight of you, then she finally pulls her hand away and hurries off down the sidewalk to help her children.

You’re left standing there, your own hand unconsciously rising to where hers had just left you. Your fingers feel cool against your cheek. Out of nowhere, a woman appears in the middle of the street, and walks until she’s shoulder to shoulder with you, both of you watching the place where Wanda had just been. You speak first. “You must be Agatha.” The woman leers at you, and you realize she was the strange neighbour from before, the one who had known your name.

Agatha’s voice is colder now that she’s dispensed with the ‘happy neighbour’ attitude. “And you’re Agent Y/N L/N of S.H.I.E.L.D. Don’t take Wanda’s lack of memory too personally, I’m afraid that was my fault. I needed her to completely fall apart so I could take her powers, and I knew she wouldn’t crumble as easily if she knew she had someone else waiting for her who wouldn’t vanish when her little suburban dream disappeared.”

You cut a glance over to Agatha. “So you took her memories of me?” She nods, shoulders lifting in triumph. “Had to be done. I’d tell you not to worry because the memories might come back, but I’m not even sure that will happen.” Agatha claps her hands together, suddenly purposeful. “Well, I’m off to rain destruction on your little friend. Stay out of my way, sweetie, or you’ll find yourself in more trouble than you can handle.” The words, spoken so carelessly, carry a far deeper threat than the seemingly innocent words would otherwise show.

In a heartbeat, Agatha vanishes, and you’re alone on the street once more. You glance around you at the houses nearby, and realize with a dull panic that Monica was supposed to be checking out Agatha’s house to find Wanda. Surely she would have heard the voices and come out, right? When you check around, you can’t find Monica anywhere, so you decide to enter Agatha’s house and try to find your friend. If you can’t help Wanda right now, you can at least try to get Monica out of Agatha’s control.

The door to Agatha’s house is unlocked, and you can hear a vague commotion going on upstairs. When you make your way up a flight of stairs and down a hall, you pause by a door leading to a bedroom. You can hear Monica’s voice coming from inside, so you try the doorknob but find it locked. From inside the room comes the sound of someone panicking, and they seem to be begging for their life. That does it- you back up a little, then run at the door and kick it down. Monica looks up at the sound of the door splintering open, and you find that she’s not alone- there’s another boy there, who looks like the new Pietro casting on Wanda’s show.

You raise an eyebrow. “Well, I was ready to join in the fight but it doesn’t look like you’ll be needing my help. Who’s he?” Monica gives one last look to the boy on the ground. “Ralph, apparently. I think Agatha put him under mind control to make him act like he was Wanda’s twin brother. Easier to recast than bring someone back from the dead.” You shrug. “I can’t argue with that logic. You want to come to the town center? I think some big fight is going on between Wanda and Agatha.”

Monica nods, and the two of you leave Agatha’s house, heading quickly towards the center of town. Sure enough, you see Wanda and Agatha hovering in the sky, exchanging blasts of magical energy. You also see Hayward and his S.W.O.R.D. reinforcements arriving to the scene, and tap Monica on the shoulder to point them out. “You see that? He’s still gunning for Wanda even though it’s obvious she’s not the villain anymore.” Monica frowns in determination. “He’s got a bigger hand in this than he’s letting on. Are you ready to help defend Wanda and her kids?” You grin, reaching for the gun at your belt. “I thought you’d never ask.”

At last, after days of research and planning and mind control, you’re finally back in your element. As Hayward’s reinforcements pour out of their armored vehicles, you take them down one by one, moving with the methodical grace of someone who was practically born for combat. It feels so freeing to be able to finally push everything out of your mind and just take down everyone in your path. A large part of your S.H.I.E.L.D. training was combat, so it’s nice to use that familiar skill set again.

Out of the corner of your eye, you see Hayward training a gun at Billy and Tommy, Wanda’s kids. Your eyes go wide as you realize he’s prepared to shoot, and even as you race towards him, desperate to stop this, you already know you’re arriving too late. Luckily, Monica is there just in time, and stands in front of the boys to protect them from the bullets. To your shock, Hayward still fires, but the bullets pass harmlessly through Monica and fall to the ground.

Hayward seems just as surprised as you are, and races into an armored vehicle in an attempt to ram the twins and Monica. Just as he’s flooring the gas, though, a food truck of all things hurtles into the vehicle, crashing into it in a flurry of sparks and twisting metal. You realize with a grin that it was driven by Darcy, and sigh in relief to realize that your friend is alright.

You hurry over to Monica. “Okay, I knew about the glowing eyes, but the bullet trick was new. Very cool and very dangerous.” Monica purses her lips in thought, but she looks exhilarated by her new powers. “I know about the dangerous, but I’m not so sure about the other part.” You toss her a grin. “I’ve worked with the Avengers for a while, and I’ve seen a lot of powers. Trust me, that was very cool.” Monica laughs at that. “It is, isn’t it?”

You look up to see Wanda floating out of the sky towards her children, and turn away hurriedly, distracting yourself by running checks on your weapon so that Wanda won’t see you. Monica frowns at you. “Y/N, when I got my powers I could see into Wanda’s head for a little bit. I know she loves you, and I know how you feel about her. Why are you trying to hide from her?”

You look back at the retreating figures of Wanda, Vision, and the twins. “She only has so much time left with this family, I don’t want to mar any of it with thoughts of others.” Monica follows your gaze, watching them leave. “Does it hurt to see her with them?” You sigh quietly. “Yes and no. It hurt more before, but I know that I’ll be able to be with her again once she lets them go. I want her to have as much time with them as possible.” Monica nods, and puts a hand on your shoulder in comfort. “If you need anyone, you know you’ve got me, right?” You smile back at her. “I do. Thank you, Monica.”

A woman in a black suit comes up to Monica, asking for a word in private. Monica nods, then turns back to you. Both of you know that this is goodbye, that you won’t be meeting up again today, or even for a while. Your eyes warm as you take in the sight of your friend. “I’ll see you again soon. I have no doubt of that.” Monica smiles at you. “Good luck, Y/N. I hope you can make things work with her.” You nod goodbye, then she turns and walks away, following the woman into a movie theatre. You slip away from the crowd of agents, walking briskly into the fading light.

Wanda Maximoff is striding purposefully down the streets of Westview. She’s almost on the outskirts of town when she notices the parked car waiting at the far edge. A woman is leaning up against the car, staring up at the sky, although she straightens once she notices Wanda approach. “Need a lift?” Wanda’s eyes widen as she recognizes the woman. “Y/N?” She hurries over, wraps her arms around the other woman. Although Y/N has had years of training on managing her emotions, she still freezes slightly, surprised at the sudden contact.

Then a smile appears on her face. “You remember me?” Wanda nods. “I remember everything. Agatha’s spell fell apart once I took care of her.” Y/N nods, a warm happiness glowing in her eyes. “I knew you would.” Wanda looks over at her, face falling. “Y/N, about everything, I-” Y/N holds up a hand, cutting her off. “You don’t have to explain. I know. I’m just glad that you came back.” Wanda reaches out, takes Y/N’s hand. She stares at it for a second before finding the strength to continue speaking. “I knew I would, eventually. I don’t think I could ever really leave you.” Her voice falters for a second. “I love you, Y/N. I wish I told you that before.”

Y/N’s face lights up at that, even as she struggles to keep her emotions under control. “I love you too. Always have and always will.” Wanda runs her finger over Y/N’s knuckles absentmindedly, fingers trailing over the faded scars that line her palm. “Thank you for waiting.” Y/N inclines her head at that, then gestures towards the car. “Are you ready to leave?” Wanda takes one last look at the town of Westview, then opens the door and slides into the passenger seat. Y/N crosses around the front of the car, and Wanda watches as she swings her legs over into the driver’s side chair. They lock eyes for a second, both closer than they ever have been, and then Y/N speaks at last. “So, where to?” Wanda looks back over the road before them, eyes trained not on the town behind them but the journey ahead. “Home.”

Wanda is sitting on the porch of a cabin in the woods, dressed in a simple gray. The piercing whistle of a kettle echoes through the open door, and she stands to pour herself a cup. Wanda glances at a dusty clock resting on the mantle, then gestures lazily with a free hand. A portal appears in the space next to her, scarlet sparks flying off into nothingness. A woman in a black suit walks through the portal, trading the tall buildings behind her for the quiet of the cabin. A label is stitched in white over her coat pocket: S.W.O.R.D. Director L/N. A promotion after the success of a recent job.

Wanda smiles at Y/N, handing her a cup of tea. “How was work?” Y/N takes a sip of the beverage, savoring the warmth. “Pretty good. Only a couple of new crises, but it’s nothing we can’t handle.” She gestures with her chin towards the corner of the room, where a strange energy seems to hover in the air despite nothing being there to conduct it. “Have you learned anything new?” Wanda grins, a faint aura of power tugging at her lips. “You have no idea.”

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the-cult-of-russo · 3 years

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Hi!! So i just read your billy headcanon about him and reader arguing and it was so good! I loved how thorough you were and i liked how the stages are so accurate to his personality! What do you think him and reader would argue about?

Once again, my brain is total chaos. It's my chaos and I understand it but trying to get it down for others to make sense of makes my head hurt lmao

First of all, I'm gonna do two sections. One for things that Billy would start a fight over, and one that you'd pick a fight over. Basically, things you do to upset him enough to cause a fight and then things he'd do that upset you enough to cause a fight.

If you haven't seen my other headcanon about how Billy acts during a fight, find it here. I reference his Stages of Rage in this so it'll make sense if you've read it.

Also remember this is my Billy.

Billy:

Billy can be impulsive and he has a temper. That being said, he's learnt really well over the years how to push it down. He's got good at stuffing his anger in a box and dealing with it another time somehow. Sometimes people wouldn't even know just how pissed he is. Yet with you, sometimes you do things that drive him to the brink of insanity and he finds it hard to deal with it.

The thing with Billy is, any negative emotion turns to anger. He doesn't know how to cope with it otherwise. And the things you'd do to cause him to fight with you don't actually make him genuinely angry. They've made him upset, hurt, or scared. All feelings he loathes to feel and they morph into anger instead.

The first thing that would cause him to fight with you is jealousy. Its not that he doesn't trust you because he does. He trusts you explicitly. But for all of his outward bravado and confidence, he has a lot of deep rooted self worth issues stemming from his childhood. Those disgusting feelings of not being good enough, of not being worthy of love or happiness, of not being wanted. All of those have been buried down inside of him yet you seem to bring them out kicking and screaming.

He's terrified of you leaving him. He finally has something special, worth every bit of pain he's suffered. He's finally found happiness. He feels like he's got to cling onto you desperately, fingers bloodied as he clutches you so hard like you might float away the second he let's up.

So when you and Billy are out with friends and you go up to the bar, he watches you with a dopey smile because he can't help it. But it gets wiped off his face the second some asshole approaches you. He knows it's ridiculous when the green eyed monster rears its head, he knows because although you smile at the man, it's tense. It's a polite but awkward smile as you shake your head and clearly tell him you're not interested.

Yet Billy's chest hurts. Because what if you see something in this man you don’t see in him? What if this guy is the one who steals you away from him? What if this is when you open your eyes and realise how worthless he is and you leave him?

He's aware his brain is being overdramatic yet he can't help the anger building inside of him. The defense mechanism of turning his pain and terror and sadness into something he can deal with.

And he doesn't want to cause a scene around all of your friends. So he goes the rest of the night being quiet and a little distant. You know somethings wrong and have a good idea what. But Billy suddenly feels miles away.

As soon as you get home, he let's it loose, unable not to. It sometimes starts with The Snark, passive aggressive comments about the man at the bar and how you should have gone home with him.

But he gets angrier.

Because you don't get it. You tell him nothing happened and that he's being stupid but you don't fucking get the agonising fear that's crippling him because he's not good enough for you. So The Loudmouth stage begins because if he's wounded, he's gonna wound you right back.

But somewhere along the way you see through the anger. You see the pain in his glossy eyes, hear the tremor in his voice. Suddenly you hear everything he isn't saying. Instead of yelling at him that he's being dramatic or stupid, you switch tactics. You reassure him. You tell him he's the only one for you and you soothe his wounds by trying to get him to see that.

Although he still doesn't believe it, he likely never will, it does bring him back to earth. And of course he says sorry for the remarks he made but you know he was only lashing out because he was hurting.

The other thing that will get him to fight with you is also because of fear. If you put yourself in situations where you could possibly get hurt, even if it's something small like walking home in the dark, he flips his shit. He hates it, doesn't understand why you'd be so reckless. And while sometimes he's being overboard with it, too overprotective, he doesn't see it that way.

Billy's been through a lot, seen a lot of shit, done even more. He knows how dark this world gets. So if you ever put yourself in danger, even a small bit by being reckless, you're damn right he's gonna lash out at you. He goes through every stage of rage (except the last) if you try and defend your actions because he can't fathom the fact you aren't seeing his side with this. Why you won't let him just protect you. If he had his way, he'd put you in a bubble to keep you safe.

Other than that, there isn't much else you do that causes him to really fight with you. He's not petty. He's not the type to pick a fight over mundane stupid shit like you leaving your clothes all over the bedroom. Even if it does annoy him since he's such a neat freak.

Anything that you do that elicits those awful negative emotions are what gets to him.

You:

Billy's flirting is certainly a bone of contention. And while it doesn't happen often and it's never really serious since you two got together, sometimes it slips out of his mouth like it's second nature to him. Because it is. An example of this is at an event. He pays a flirty compliment to a senators daughter thats been eyeing him. He doesn't even know he's done it, doesn't seem phased until he sees your face. But he's at work, important business and schmoozing to do and he doesn't want you to cause a scene.

But waiting until you get home only annoys you more. It was an offhand comment and you know deep down he didn't mean it. But it still hurts you because he's with you. And you knew damn well if you did that to him he'd lose his shit. But you patiently wait until you get home, giving him the cold shoulder the whole way. And he knows what's coming. It's happened before.

But the thing with Billy is that he gets defensive if he feels backed into a corner. So when you whirl on him the second you get home, he pushes right back. He thinks you're blowing it way out of proportion and honestly, if you'd approached him calmly about it, he'd apologise right away and tell you he'd do better. But the fact you’re yelling at him has his back up so he can't seem to find it in himself to see it your way at all.

At first you don't tell him the real reason why it hurt you. You're just pissed. But as the argument unfolds you blurt out why it stung so much and his anger gets sucked right out of him. He watches you, devastation on his face as he realises you don't feel loved enough, that you think he'd go behind your back, that he'd find someone else. That notion is absurd to him, like he'd ever do such a thing when he has everything he ever wanted with you. But knowing he's hasn't shown you enough how much he cares wounds him deeply.

So he comforts you, promises he'll make it up up you and it won't happen again and he makes sure to make time to make you see just how much he loves you and only you.

Another thing that tends to get you upset at him is Anvil. Billy works a lot, too much most times. The amount of times he's coming home when you're already asleep or has to cancel plans with you starts to weigh on you. Building up until you explode about it.

But once again, Billy feels backed into a corner. Anvil is way more than just a company to him. It's a physical manifestation of how far he's come in life. It's proof that he's come all this way and he's done it all on his own. Anvil is like his baby.

And if it ever came down to picking Anvil or you, yes he'd pick you. But deep down he might end up resenting you for it. Because Anvil is an extention of him and his work makes up who he is. You knew this when you met him. It starts to feel like you're trying to change him and that gets right under his skin. Because if you want to change him, then you don't love him as he is. And that shit hurts.

He's already tried his best to placate you over Anvil. He works less, only staying late if its imperative he does and he tries his best to make time for you. He knows it's hard and he's away more than you'd like but he's fucking trying. So it feels like a smack in the face when you do this, like you can't see how much he's ready done to try and make a life where he can have both.

He works hard to keep the company the best it can be, he has to. But he also works hard for you. Because one day he wants to buy a big house and possibly fill it with children with you. He wants to show you the world and give you everything you've ever wanted. So it makes him feel unappreciated.

He feels stuck between a rock and a hard place every damn time this argument comes up because he doesn't know what else to do. He's trying his hardest to juggle Anvil and you and sometimes it feels like you're making it hard for him. He can't change who he is and if you can't handle it then it kills him. Because he knows if you can't deal with it then eventually you'll leave and he thinks he might just die if that happens.

These arguments get explosive because of all the emotions it makes him feel and sometimes you don't speak for days after. Both of you miserable as you miss the other. Deep down you know he's trying his best and you feel bad because you know how much these fights upset him. Eventually you apologise. You knew Anvil was his world before you met, knew how hard he worked. You don't want to change him and if you're honest with yourself, he's done a damn good job of making sure there's a place for you in his life. And maybe you never imagined you'd settle down with a workaholic, to miss them all the time, but it's worth it.

The last thing is how Billy's past seems to have a way of haunting you both. You were well aware of his nature before you met, he'd been pretty upfront about it. But sometimes it's hard when you're at an event with him and one of his past one night stands are there or you both run into one in the street.

This doesn't cause a full blown argument. If anything it's more one sided and Billy soon learns you've been taking tips from his Stages of Rage handbook when you use The Snark on him. You can't help it. The bitter jealousy that creeps in. But he doesn't fight back because for once he's a little ashamed of his past behaviour. He never wanted to settle down, didn't see the point. But that's because he hadn't met you yet. But now he sees your face everytime he's approached by a past lover and it hurts him. It makes him worry that you'll leave him one day.

So he accepts the anger and passive aggressive comments you throw at him because he feels like he deserves them. But his unwillingness to fight back has you sobering up pretty quickly. Because you know realistically it's not his fault and you can't hold his behaviour from before you even met over his head. It comes from insecurity and its not fair to lash out at him. And you hate how sad he seems when you do this to him. So you say sorry and make it up to him.

The last thing I'll touch on is his last Stage of Rage that mentioned in my other post. The Snowstorm. I said how this meant you'd done some really bad. Like maybe even break-up bad. This is where he turns off his emotions because you've hurt him that much. I wanted to give an example of what might cause him to do that.

The biggest one of course would be you cheating on him. It would be a knife right through his heart. He'd want to forgive you for the fact he loves you more than anything but betrayal isn't something he takes lightly. Couple that with him already having self worth issues and feeling not good enough for you and you have a very broken Billy on your hands.

Maybe in time he could move past it after some separation and a lot of thinking. But this would be the worst thing to happen to him.

#billy russo #billy russo x reader #the punisher #billy russo imagine #billy russo headcanons

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