#Finn: afterward she said he felt better and that he was fine | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

angelltheninth · 2 years

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Arcane Characters + Aftercare

Pairing: Jinx, Vi, Caitlyn, Ekko, Silco, Sevika, Finn, Viktor, Jayce, Mel x Reader

Tags: nsfw, smut, hickies, scratch marks, aftercare, bathing, food and drinks, talking, soothing kisses, slow and gentle sex

A/N: Aftercare is really important. At least that's what I've heard lol. And there just isn't enough of it depicted in fanfics.

Jinx would kiss and ask about every mark she's made. In the moment you liked it but do you like them still?

She'd wonder if she was too hard on you and carefully take note of every bruise she's made, gently brushing her lips over them, tracing them with her fingers and tongue, loving the way you sigh against her and arch your back further into her.

"That looks a like it hurt sweetheart. Was it painful? You should have said something then. You liked it eh? Well that's good, but if I ever go too hard you'd tell me right? I don't... actually want to break you. Tell you what, I'll kiss every single mark better? Sound good?"

Vi loves to cuddle you after sex. No matter what the two of you did prior she will give you the absolute best cuddles afterwards.

She'd wrap her arms around you, low on your back and pull you close, your face on her chest, her lips kissing your forehead and the top of your head. She loves the way you nuzzle close into her and trail your fingers across her muscles, making her let out a pleasant exhale.

"Oh damn sweetstuff, you really went at it tonight huh? What's the matter? Felt pent up hahaha. Well truth be told I did too. And you know what I feel like right now? Squeezing you against me and never letting you go again? Food? I don't need that when I have a snack like you in my bed."

Caitlyn would bring you what ever you wanted to eat and drink. She'd also memorize your favorites and cook them for you afterwards while you took a short nap.

For her keeping her strength and energy up is important for her job and she has the same attitude when it comes to aftercare. She will make sure you are hydrated and that you get to have your favorite snack while the two of you talk about your plans for the rest of the day, or the next day depending on when you have sex.

"Here you go darling, I brought you all your favorites. Why do I insist on this? Well I know you like them and I know that you're feeling quite happy right now, I just want to keep the energy going. Fine, yes I also want to make sure you have enough energy for... more, if you want."

Ekko likes doing nice things for you as aftercare. He wants you to know that he will take care of all your hearts desires both in and out of the bedroom.

He'd make little gifts for you while you watch, always having something to work on in arms reach, bring you lots of soft blankets for you to cuddle up with, have your favorite fruits on hand and ready for the two of you to playfully tease each other while you eat and enjoy the afterglow.

"What do you want this time Firefly? Oh you know I can make anything, I'm very good with my hands as you've pointed on many times, and not just tonight I might add. I can bring you something to warm you up sure, wait here. Will these do? Ok, then just give me a little bit of time, I'll make you something pretty, just like you."

Silco likes taking it really slow for the next round, slow kisses, slow sex, and the most gentle of touches that you can imagine.

Oh he's very aware that you love it when he's rough and just takes you like you belong to him, but he also knows how you can't help but melt into him when he's kissing your neck, his lips barely against your skin as he slowly and gently thrusts in and out, keeping you on the edge of an orgasm until he finally tells you to let go again.

"You were wonderful, my darling. How about something a little more... delicate this time around? Let me worship you hm? Take my time with you, slowly, savoring you. Easy now, I know you're still sensitive, I promise I'll make this worth your while."

Sevika likes both giving massages and being massaged. Sex is a great way to release stress but she also needs something to slowly get rid of that post orgasm high.

Her body is always humming with energy after a good round of fucking, and she knows yours is too. You're shaking all over, and she wants you calm. She's start at your shoulders, working her way down, pausing at a few choice spots to tease you a little before moving on. As for herself getting the massage, she likes it when you straddle her thighs and massage her shoulders and her muscular back.

"You doing alright there sweetheart? Aww, you're shaking. That good huh? I know what you need. A little kiss. And a nice, long, deep... relaxing massage. Oh I know what you were thinking. Gods that's why I love you. Now try to relax for me. That's it. Still so obedient for me."

Finn... is not good with aftercare. For him it actually happened on accident at first and then just became a habbit.

He was asking about the things you liked most, wanting to know how he can make you come undone even harder, asking if there was anything you'd like to try next time, or if you wanted him to do anything special for you. He wasn't really thinking of it as aftercare but you notice that he does become a little softer when he's asking these questions.

"You came a lot for me this time kitten, but I'm thinking... I can make it even better for you, make you scream louder, absolutely ruin you for everyone else. So tell me... how can I make that happen? What does my pretty toy want from me hm? Have a favorite position? Tell me all your dirty secrets."

Viktor craves closeness and intimacy, so for him he likes to take a short nap with you, to recharge and back in the comfy afterglow with you.

He would whisper to you, telling all the things he wants to do with you, where he wants to go, the dates he wants to take you to, but his vice would quickly trail off into murmurs and then into soft snores.

"I'm feeling kind of worn out darling, and I see you yawning as well. How about a little nap before we take a bath and maybe get some food afterwards? You know, I have a few days off soon, maybe we can go somewhere? Where would you like to go on vacation?"

Jayce loves talking to you after sex, about anything and everything, or just talking to you, or maybe even reading together and to each other.

He just likes the sound of your voice, its soothing to him and he knows that you like it when he reads a book over your shoulder, you holding the book for him while leaning against his chest, giggling every now and then when his words tickle your ear.

"Where are you going babe, I thought we were gonna... oh, haha, you just wanted to get the book. Do you like listening to me read that much? Really, even science books? Well I'm guilty of that too, I could listen to you for hours. Come here then, I need your pretty shoulder to lean on."

Mel will shower you with endless praise and words of love and affirmation.

Weather it be about the things you did while you were having sex or just the things she admires about you in general she never runs out of things to like about you. While she's whispering sweetness in your ears she'll also softly trace patterns on your back, loving the way you melt from her touch and praise.

"You did such a good job darling, especially toward the end. I especially enjoyed that trick you did with your tongue. You always did have a talented mouth. And I'm not just talking about sex. You have a real way with words. Of course you do, I wouldn't have fallen for you just for your good looks."

#arcane #arcane x reader #jinx x reader #vi x reader #caitlyn x reader #ekko x reader #silco x reader #sevika x reader #finn x reader #viktor x reader #jayce x reader #mel x reader #arcane imagines #arcane headcanons #arcane smut #league of leguends #league of legends headcanons #league of legends imagine #league of legends smut

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deepdonutkid · 3 years

Text

Kismet

Requested: No

Paring: Shelby!Sister Reader x Isaiah

Words: 5624

Summary: For a year now, you had a secret relationship with Isaiah and even when he is still in the same room with you, you can’t stop feeling lonely. It’s not that you don’t love him anymore, it more about the weight of the secret you have to carry. But with Tommy as you big brother you can’t risk, telling the truth or your man might get shot.

Note:

I was in the mood for a Shelby!Sister reader x Isaiah and it turned out to be way longer than I expected it... and I even cut out dialog... So here it is!

It’s also flavored with Junior Peaky Boys fun at the beginning. And I was inspired by my homegirl’s one shot called star and my story is an addition to hers, it’s the same night, but Bonnie has some other adventures than the reader and Isaiah.

Somehow I feel like everybody is a little ooc, but I couldn’t correct it.

Requests and tag list are still open, feel free to dm me or send me an ask.

tagging: @bonniesgoldengirl @justalonelyslytherin @theshelbyclan

Warning: swear words, drinking, binge drinking, gambling, a hinted smut and a sweet ending

It was one of those nights, nothing special, just the usual fellows around the same table in the Garrison. You had fun nevertheless. All your friends were right there, you had enough to drink and you had a luck hand today. The cards seemed to work in your fortune.

Deviously smiling you revealed your hand. You just had won this round and it gave you unholy amounts of satisfactions. “Ha”, you cheered: “Suck it up.”

Your friend shrugged and shoved his coins in your direction. All he said was a very grumpy “There you go”, but it pleased you.

You took the money and peaked around the corner. Where was Michael with the drinks? He was like a brother to you, but he was just your cousin. Maybe it was because you were born just two months before his older sister, Anna. Even though, she was gone Michael came back to his real family and now you were closer than ever. You cared for him, more than your siblings did.

But that didn’t mean you wouldn’t hit him, if he just left the bar to fuck with some random girl. It was not about him having sex, more about leaving without telling anybody. Especially when he was supposed to get drinks for the table. You moaned and said: “Where is Michael?”

“Probably doing somebody”, Isaiah joked and lit a cigarette. Then he offered you one and you took it gladly. Actually, you bit your lip and gave him the side-eye, but you had to hide your smile in front of the others. Bonnie and Finny weren’t the smartest boys in Small Heath, but you wouldn’t risk it.

You had so much fun with Isaiah that you didn’t even know when it started. Months passed by, while you were completely caught up in your little game with him. Nobody knew it. That was mainly Isaiah’s fault. At first it amused you to keep your relationship with him secret, but now you were ready to tell your family about it. Your boyfriend didn’t like the idea.

Somehow you thought Michael started to notice. He gave you the glace, which said: “I know, dear”, but maybe you were just getting crazy. You just had to be more careful around others now and everything was fine.

The night was still young and you were keen to make Bonnie lose all his money today. He had won the boxing match earlier and the bruises were still visible, but unfortunately for him, he couldn’t win against you. It was just a card game, but it filled you with gleeful joy. This and the fact that Isaiah was sitting next to you. Sometimes he would brush your thigh with his fingers, which made you giggle even more.

“There he is”, yelled Finny while being so fucking drunk, like you never had seen him before. Michael arrived with messy hair and his tie was undone, but he had your drink and that was all that you care for. “Finally”, you fluted and ripped the glass of his hand: “Thank you, babe.”

And the whiskey was still cold, which meant he fucked the girl first and ordered the drinks afterwards. “How was she? Good?” you asked before you took a sip from your whiskey. You weren’t a lightweight when it came to drinking, maybe not as well as Arthur and John, but you could tolerate much more than Ada and Finny. Your little brother was so drunk, he looked like his head was all empty and yet filled with bullshit.

Michael sat down next to you and answered: “Mhh, she was okay, but she talked too much.” Then you felt the weight of a hand on your thigh again. A shiver rushed down your spine, but it was the wrong side. Your cousin had put his hand on your knee. “Everything alright, Y/N?”

You nodded. “Yeah, everything is perfect”, you blabbered hoping he wouldn’t keep asking questions, but he did. “Don’t be so worried, every time I’m with a girl. I know you’re still a virgin, but you can get some too. Tommy wouldn’t be against it.”

How wonderfully wrong he was. Neither were you a virgin nor would Tommy be okay with this. After all, you were his little sister and he wouldn’t accept the guy, you were sleeping with. Of course, Isaiah was a friend of the family, but after the whole thing with Ada and Freddie you had something to worry about.

The best snarky comeback was right on the tip of your tongue, but you couldn’t say it without letting something slip. ‘What gives you the idea I’m still a virgin?’ And yet you were silent as the guy who fucked you, sat right next to you. You felt trapped and decided to go straight forward. “Yes, he would. You know it and everybody in Small Heath knows it.”

“Oh whatever”, Michael mumbled: “Just drink enough and you eventually forget about it.”

You grinned and emptied your drink. “Fuck it, let’s play some cards. I’m not done with Mr. Gold over here.” Then you took the cards and dealt them to start the next round.

Much later that night when you brought Finn back home and went straight back to the pub, in front of the entrance, you stumbled into Bonnie. “Is there a reason why you’re smirking?” you asked him. He was gleaming red and smiling like an idiot.

Then you remembered. “The singer, right?” Bonnie nodded and his grin got even wider. “You talked to her?” Again he gave you a silent answer. You grabbed his arm and pulled him back inside. He was a lot heavier than you thought, but then again, you were just a girl and he was a boxer.

Sometime it was weird to only have male friends, it just happened. Maybe it was because of your brothers. Maybe that’s why you never acted like a proper girl. Of course you felt like a woman and you liked your body, but in your eyes it was so much easier to talk to guys.

“Eyy, where did you found him?” Michael slurred and helped you to put your friend on a chair again. With your hands finally free you had the chance to explain. “Found him outside. I don’t know what he did there, but he talked to the singer.”

Both, Isiah and Michael nodded. It was only logical for Bonnie to freak out after it talking to her. He was there every Friday night looking for the singer and now his brain seemed to melt, just because she said something to him. But neither of you knew, what she said exactly. Maybe this was a problem for another night. It didn’t look like Bonnie was able to answer.

So you ordered some more drinks and sat back down again. In this separate room, which was reserved for your family, it was almost too tempting to get close to your boyfriend again. Isiah looked so good that night and it hurt to be unable to touch him… or to kiss him. But you would be satisfied with just holding his hand now.

It was a curse; you knew it soon after you realized that you loved him. He was handsome, charming and a loyal friend. There was no better man for you, even though you wished you could be together in public. And again you bit your lip and moved your chair away from him.

But you couldn’t think about this anymore, it was too frustrating and luckily somebody else caught your attention. It was Bonnie who mumbled very quietly: “I think she kissed me, but it could be a dream as well. It felt so surreal.” You padded his shoulder and nodded to underline your compassion.

It was just the same with Isaiah. Whenever you two were alone, it was amazing and beautiful. He was so soft and romantic and he just made you happy. But every time you woke up and he was gone, the sweet scenery shattered. And out in public it was getting annoying to find excuses to be with him or getting away, so you could spend some time alone with him and you had to lie to your whole family about your whereabouts. Slowly it became exhausting.

There was nothing you could do about it, so you just drank your whiskey and talked with the boys about Bonnie’s singer and the girl Michael had. It was so easy for them to display their relationship in the public, but of course you didn’t have this privilege as a girl. Apparently, you needed to be protected. Or so it has been explained to you. You wasn’t concerned for your safety but for your freedom. Tommy said it was his job as your big brother to care for you, even if it felt like he was controlling you. You have always been the wild one among your siblings and everything was fine, until your mum died and your dad left. Then Tommy was in charge and sometimes his opinions would vary from yours, which led to fights. And yet you feared what he might do, if he found out about your secret.

All the sudden Bonnie fell from his chair and you groaned. Now somebody had to bring him home as well. First Finn and now him… but why they couldn’t take the whiskey today? You weren’t nearly as drunk as them, but still.

Isaiah stood up and picked his friend up. “I’m taking him home. I’ll be right back”, he said, before leaving.

Now Michael and you were alone. It wasn’t what you wanted. The only thing you could think of was smooching the sweet lips of your boyfriend. You were caught up in your little fantasy, when your cousin woke you up again. “Isaiah is acting weird lately.”

“Oh… really? I didn’t notice”, you replied: “He seemed normal to me.” Your hand grabbed the fringe of your dress. Talking about him made you nervous.

Michael moaned and fumbled for his cigarettes. He put them out, you took one and he turned his between his fingers, when he added: “I don’t know, maybe I’m getting paranoid, but I think he is hiding something from us.” Then he lit his cigarette and took a drag from it.

You inhaled sharply and stared into the void for a second, before answering: “Don’t be silly, he is just as loyal as ever.” Then you laughed and Michael joined in. “Yeah, you’re probably right. I just needed to get this off my chest.”

The rest of the conversation went just like usual. You chatted, you bickered and you had fun. While the bell already announced the new day, Isaiah came back.

In this tiny glimpse of a moment you couldn’t hide your smile and he reciprocated. Actually, you were just waiting for Michael to leave now. It was your plan all along, but patience has never been your strong suit.

It took three more rounds for Michael to say goodnight. “Take care of her, will you?” Isaiah nodded. When Michael finally grabbed his jacket and headed to the door, you felt unbelievably excited. Your fingertips slapped a melody on the table, while you watched him leaving. The door shut and now you had what you longed for all night.

You turned around and looked at him. Gosh, waiting felt like an eternity. Now you were the one smiling like an idiot. Slowly Isaiah came closer and his hand pulled you to him for a kiss. “Finally”, you whispered against his lips, before giving him what he wanted.

After you two parted you rested your head on his shoulder. Now you were getting tired as well, but you didn’t want to go to your bed. “I was waiting the whole evening for this”, he moaned and stroked your hair.

The smell of his perfume made you realized how much you missed him too, even though he was with you since you went to Garrison tonight. You moved closer to him and wrapped your arms around him to give him a tight squeeze. Then you signed: “I wish we didn’t have to hide” and buried your face in his shirt.

“Babe”, he replied: “We already had this conversation. It wouldn’t end well. Let’s just enjoy what we have as long as we can.” It hurt, but Isaiah was right. There was no chance Tommy was getting you off the hook, once he knew about it. And no matter how you explained it to him, he would still be against it. You were too young for stuff like that, as if he didn’t fucked Greta, when he was the same age.

You leaned back to see his beautiful face again. There was something in his eyes, a twinkle or something like that, but it always made you feel comfortable. A lick of your lip was enough to purpose the idea of doing something nasty. He knew you since you were children and it was like he could read your thoughts, especially the dirty ones.

Isaiah started giggling and asked: “Hey, babe, I still can cheer you up, right?”

Maybe it was time for some fun, different to the fun you had before with your friends. The word pleasure would describe it well and with his knowing look he gave you so many ideas. You laughed and nodded. “I think it might help when you do the thing with your tongue.”

“Oh”, he responded amused: “Like this?” And then grabbed you for a kiss and god, what a kiss it was. His tongue brushed your upper lip just to enter your mouth and explore it as if it was your first kiss. He even bit your lip playfully and kept going until you couldn’t breathe no more. Your knees started shaking and it was needless to say, he was the best kisser you ever had.

It took you a while to catch a breath again, but then you answered: “Yeah, just like this… But maybe we could go to your place and do a little more?”

He didn’t seem to be so sure about this suggestion. His thumb stroked your shoulder as he held you in his arm. Because he was so quiet for a second, you knew, he thought about this backwards and forwards. “But right when the sun comes up, you have to go back home”, he argued.

Again, Isaiah was right. You should take too many risks. Otherwise you might get caught and neither of you wanted that. All you could do was to shrug and agree: “Just don’t shoo me after we fucked.” There was bitterness in your voice. What wouldn’t you give to wake up next to him every morning?

The pub was almost empty, when you left. You couldn’t hold his hand on the way out. Everybody in Small Heath was Tommy’s spy. Back on the streets a cold wind blew. Now you had an excuse to go near him and he shared his coat with you. Isaiah was always so sweet and caring. You knew you wanted to spend your future with him. There was no other man and you wouldn’t get over him, not now and not in five years.

You even took off your shoes before entering the Jesus household and followed him on your tiptoes to his room. It was completely dark in the house and the silence was haunting, but good for you, you knew the way by now. The excitement made your fingers tremble.

Finally you arrived where you wanted to be the whole day, in his room. Isaiah closed the door as quietly as possible and started smiling. You walked up to him and started to unbutton his shirt. Now you didn’t want to waste any time.

And neither did Isaiah. He was ripping down your dress, which only worked because the straps were so thin. His hands were all over your body and you couldn’t stop kissing every inch of his skin. It felt like magic whenever he touched you. You moaned, when he played with your bare breasts. To silence you he put his thumb on your lips, which you took as an invitation to suck it. Maybe it was mean to tease him like that, but you were desperate for his affection.

An hour later you laid next to him, your head on his chest as he stroked your hair. “You should leave, before we both fall asleep, babe”, he whispered, which caused you to sign. Leaving now was draining, even exhausting. After this wonderful sex, you were too tired to move anywhere, not to the bathroom and certainly not back to your cold bed.

You pouted your lips and tilted your head, so you could give him your puppy eyes and a pretty please with cream and a cherry on top. “Just ten more minutes. Your bed is way comfier than mine.”

He laughed and kissed your forehead. “That’s just because I’m in this bed and you like to use me as your personal giant pillow.” Your fingers hovered about his belly. Even though his muscles weren’t tense now, you could still feel the strength lying beneath his skin.

While your index finger drew circles around his bellybutton, you whined: “Maybe… just maybe that is true, but I still want to lay here for a bit. Otherwise I start to feel like a whore, who only comes for sex and leaves silently afterwards.” It wasn’t a knock against Lizzie or her job, but you didn’t like the feeling, when you got home and had to find sleep in your own bed. Even though you had a relationship with him, you still felt lonely. Especially when the sun was rising and nobody was by your side.

“You’re not a whore and you know that”, he argued looking a little concerned.

Then you turned on your back and stared at the ceiling. “No, I’m a Shelby and that is probably worse”, you scoffed.

Now Isaiah was silent and had no witty comeback for that. Maybe, because it was true. If you weren’t part of the family, you could be with anyone, whoever you wanted. Carrying the name Shelby was the only reason, why you had to hide your relationship with Isaiah.

After a while he mumbled: “Okay, stay for a while, but you should be back before they open the shop.” By that time you were already half asleep and yet his words made you smile. He wrapped his arms around you, the little spoon and purred like a cat. Just in this position the both of you fell asleep.

Loud steps were coming near the door, but they wouldn’t wake you up. The screaming of Isaiah’s name did. It was a familiar voice and it took you a couple of minutes to notice, it was your brother Finn who shouted and ran down the hall. Suddenly you were wide awake. You startled up and looked around the room. The sun was already up and shining through the window. Then you saw Isaiah, who was just as frightened as you were.

If Finn came rushing through that door, your secret relationship was no longer secret. “I locked the door last night”, he whispered, which was relieving to you, but still no perfect solution for this problem.

Now Finn arrived at the other side of the door and was knocking on it like crazy. “Isaiah, wake up! Y/N is gone. Nobody can find her and Michael said you were the last one with her in the bar”, your brother yelled. You could hear the panic in his voice, but you couldn’t get caught. Not now.

You stumbled out of the bed and collected your clothes, when you heard Isaiah ask: “What are you going to do? You can’t go out there. He will find out.” And you knew your boyfriend wasn’t concerned about Finn, more about Tommy.

The tension in the room was immense. You had to come up with a plan or your brothers would shoot your lover in front of your eyes.

Suddenly you knew what to do. You pushed the pile of clothing to your chest and squeeze it thigh, when you explained in a lower tone: “I’m gonna hide in the wardrobe and then you open the door and go with Finn away. Afterwards I can come out and then I go to the betting shop and tell the others I have fallen asleep on a bench or something.” It was not the best plan, but yet your only option.

Isaiah nodded and you climbed into the cabinet where he stored his shirt and jackets. The second you entered the small wooden space, you knew it was all going down. Call it intuition, call it divination, call it whatever power Polly owned, but you felt it rushing through your body. He closed the door behind you and then you could hear him stumble into his pants.

Only half clothed he unlocked the door to let Finn in. Isaiah was still sleepy. He wasn’t the morning type of person and before he hadn’t had his breakfast he wasn’t really available. Finn strode up and down. You heard is nervous steps. “Everybody is freaking out right now. Polly thinks somebody kidnapped her or worse. I mean, she has always been unratable in her doings, but this time my sister is really going of the edge. It’s already past lunch and nobody has seen her”, Finn explained: “This morning her bed was empty and I thought I shouldn’t worry, but now I’m afraid I should have said something sooner.”

The cabinet was very uncomfortable and yet you tried not to move or to make a noise, which would cause Finn’s attention. However, being in Isaiah’s position didn’t seem to be pleasant as well. He had to lie to his best friend about the whereabouts of his missing sister, knowing she was sitting right here. Isaiah patted his friends shoulder and said nothing.

Finn didn’t calm down and seemed to be upset, Isaiah wasn’t panicking like him. “C’mon, get dressed. We have to look for her. She might be lying somewhere in the dirt. We shouldn’t waste even more time, standing around.” Then he walked to the closet and opened just the door where you had been hiding.

Butt-naked you fell down to the floor and looked up to your younger brother, who had the same face expression as the one time you told him where the babies were coming from. Some when later you would look back at this moment and would have a good laugh about this, but right now it felt like your world was collapsing.

He should have seen you like this and it took you a whole minute to gather the mental energy to get back up at your feet and greet him like it was the normal thing to do in a situation like this. “Hey, Finny, there I am.”

Your brother froze mid movement and stared at you as if you were the first pink elephant the world has seen or a bear riding a bike. Then he broke the silence. “What?”, he winced. There was no anger in his voice, just total confusion.

Finn looked to Isaiah and then back to you. “You screwed my sister?!”

There was no answer to this question.

“How long?” Finn asked: “How long did you hide that from me?”

You glared over to you boyfriend as if you were asking him for permission to say something. Isaiah signed and nodded. There was no point in denying this anymore. It was over.

Now you had to tell the truth. “A couple of months, maybe a year or so”, you croaked and your voice sounded strange. Like it was not your own and even though you dreamt about finally opening up, it shouldn’t have been like this.

Your brother yelled: “A year?! A whole fucking year? Damn, I should be proud because apparently you two are excellent liars with no moral issues… you two deserve each other.” You heard the disgust and disappointment, when he spoke and it broke your heart. Back then, when the whole thing started you though he might be the only one of your brothers to understand you. How wonderfully wrong you were.

“No”, you said under your breath: “Don’t fucking do this to me. I would have told you, if you wouldn’t have run straight to Tommy after you knew. Everybody knows you can’t keep a secret. So don’t act like it was my fault or my mistake, because it’s not. I would have gladly told everybody, I’m like him very much, but you and Tommy and Arthur and John made it impossible for me to even talk with a guy who is not part of the gang. You can’t turn this around and act like you are the victim in all this.”

It was time for you to stand up for yourself and your decisions… and time for you to get dressed. You didn’t seem as responsible as you were when you were still naked and in front of the closed you have been hiding in. Now you knew how wrong it was to lie and hide your relationship, because it wasn’t their concern. It was your life, your body and your choice. Nobody could take that from you and certainly not your brothers. You weren’t afraid of them. All your life you saw how your brothers treated women and you said nothing about it, but this should change right now.

So you stood there, furious and filled with rage, put on your dress and your shoes and said one last thing, before leaving: “This madness has to end.”

You stormed out of the room- not caring for Isaiah or Finn- and heading for the King of Small Heath to throw him out of his high throne. Your hair was a nest and you smelled like a bar after a dirty old night, when you entered the betting shop. Nobody was there, just the regular family members.

Everybody seemed to be relieved to see you again and then came close to hug you. Ada was right next to the door and the first to greet you. “Oh my god, you’re back, sweetie”, she muttered.

Next was Polly who examined your appearance for cuts and other injuries. Of course you had none, besides the hickeys Isaiah gave you. She tried to take a closer look of your neck, but you pulled away, which caused her to ask: “What happened? Where were you all night?”

Now Tommy was coming up to you. His steps were slow, but fierce and the glare in his eyes was pinching. “Just from the smell I would guess, she was with a guy this night”, he scoffed: “She probably had a lot of fun, but now she should say, who that guy was, so we can take actions.” You knew he was addressing you, even though he didn’t phrase it like that.

“I don’t think, this is your business”, you replied with a grin on your face. You wouldn’t back down. Not this time. “But yes, I was with a guy tonight. So you don’t need to worry. I’m completely fine.”

Your older brother led out a little laugh, pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. “Well, well, well, I don’t care what you think. I’m your brother and it’s my job to make sure you’re safe”, he explained: “And now you tell me who he was.” Ah, past tense, a hint of what was going to happen.

You crossed your arms and tiled your head to give him a dismissive look. “Who said it was your job?” was your comeback, but your brother wasn’t remotely impressed. Neither of you would let the other win. You were too stubborn for this gesture of insight.

Others, including Arthur and John, were somehow intimidated by Tommy’s behavior, but not you. Actually, you learned too much from him to take his shit. He taught you to help your head up high and how to outsmart your enemies. Now you could use the same strategies against him.

“Ever since our father left and mom died, you act like you are in charge, but you’re not. We are your siblings, not your pawn, waiting for your command”, you hissed: “I have my own life and I make my own decisions and who I meet shouldn’t concern you.” Slowly your anger grew. It was a boiling feeling in your gut, like you were fueled with fire.

Tommy was getting gleaming red. You had hit the right spot and you knew you would hurt him with your words, but otherwise he wouldn’t understand. The words were stuck in his throat as he killed you with his looks.

Patiently, you waited for his answer. He wouldn’t give you the satisfaction, but silencing your brother was the best thing ever, since he was the reason why you felt miserable lately. “No comeback? No arguments, dear?” You loved to poke his wounds and you did it with a huge smile on your face.

“As if you would listen to me… You even said it yourself. You wouldn’t take my advice”, he responded and bid his lip. “But I don’t need to talk to you to teach you a lesson. You’re too young to fuck around town and I’m going to find the bastard who did this and kill him.”

The door was opened behind you and soon Finn entered the room. You gave your little brother the death glare you were known for. He shouldn’t get the idea he was allowed to talk about what he found out.

You should be raging right now, but all you could do was laugh. His empty threats weren’t as daunting as he thought. With nothing but spite you whistled: “I would love to see you try. I kept this a secret for over a year now and you noticed nothing. And now I can wait another year for you to find him… or I could run away… whatever you prefer.”

Now you’re pushing your luck. Finn could ruin everything, if he just said one wrong word. The palms of your hands were sweaty. It was a dangerous game you played there, but it was not like you could back out of it now. This was road of no return.

Tommy seemed to be more surprised than fuming, when he asked: “You slept with some geezers for a year now?” He respected your talent to keep it under the radar. Everybody who could shirk his rules deserved acknowledgement for putting up with this risk. Maybe he was finally realizing how much you had grown. You weren’t his little kitten anymore.

“No, not geezers, just one guy”, you corrected him: “But yes, that is true.”

You watched Tommy as he walked around the table, heading for the whiskey, while he nodded understandingly. “Mh, so you would say it’s love?”

A sign came from your lips. You already knew the answer, but you weren’t so sure, if you should say this out loud. After all, you didn’t even have a proper talk about this with Isaiah. Silence was filling the room, while you calculated your risks. If you said, you loved him and Isaiah wasn’t as serious about the relationship, you would look like an idiot. Good for you, he didn’t come to the betting shop to witness the fight between you and your brother. Finally you decided to tell everybody: “Yes, I do.”

“Good”, Tommy mumbled while he poured his whiskey: “Then you should have my blessing. Just give us the name now.” He took a sip and seemed to be amused by your embarrassment.

Talking about Isaiah, while he wasn’t present, was weird, but you knew why he stayed in the comfort of his own room. You weren’t mad at him for not running after you. This was your fight and not his. And after all your brothers were a little scary, when it comes to stuff like this.

But you had Tommy’s word now and nothing should happen to your man. You shrugged and rolled with your eyes. The fuss they made about this was still annoying.

Ada patted your shoulder and encouraged you to speak. “Do we know him?” The answer was yes, but it was also the reason, why you struggled to say it out loud.

Even John chimed in and kept pushing: “Yeah, what’s up with this fella?” He was smiling to let you know the mood had changed. Nobody was against you anymore.

“It’s…”, you started and fumbled for the seam of your dress: “It’s Isaiah.”

At first it was dead silence, while the others processed the information, then Arthur and John burst out in laughter. Finn seemed to be relieved, because he would have hated it to keep a secret like this. Your older sister was hugging you a little too tight and even Polly was smiling.

Tommy had a smug on his face when he muttered: “If that’s the case, then you should have your happiness.”

“Isaiah is a fine fella. You will be alright”, hummed Arthur. Apparently everybody was happy with your choice. You just had to stand up for yourself.

It felt like a huge weight was lifted off your shoulders and then you could laugh about it too. But suddenly you remember that Isaiah was still waiting for his death in his room. “I should go and let him of the hook”, you fluted and already went to the door when you heard Tommy said: “Don’t get pregnant or he has to marry you.”

#peaky blinders #peaky fucking blinders #peaky #peaky blinder fanfic #isiah jesus #isaiah jesus #daryl mccormack #peaky fookin blinders #tommy shelby #shelby sister #isiah x reader #isiah x you #fanfic #peaky blinders x sister!reader #peaky blinders x reader #peaky blinders x you #peaky blinders x y/n

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pennylanefics · 4 years

Text

Family - Finn Shelby

a/n: this idea was sent in by anon, but i’m not happy with how it turned out :( sorry to disappoint.

*gif not mine*

•••

“No, (Y/N), I can’t do this!” Finn yells, trying to push your hands away from him. A hurt look crosses your eyes and your arms drop to your sides, defeated.

“Why not? I met your family and your family is way more scary than mine! You’re a Shelby after all. I had to go through with meeting Tommy, Arthur, and even Polly. And she scares me the most!”

“It’s not the same!”

“How? Tell me how you meeting my family is different from me meeting yours?” He shuffles around a little, worried that you were going to fight even more.

“I’m a Shelby, like you said.” Your eyebrows furrowed together and you step closer to him.

“So?”

“So? Really? You don’t think your family is going to fucking flip when they find out you’re with a Shelby?”

“You act as if they’re really judgemental people, Finn. My family is probably the most carefree family. Shelby or not, they’ll like you for you and they won’t see you as someone who belongs to the family because they wanted to. You were born into your family, it’s not your fault.”

“I know that, but what if they do judge?”

“I won’t allow them to. You’re nothing like your brothers or cousin or Isaiah. You’re you, and I love you so much.” Finn is silent, thinking it over, before he wraps his arms around you.

“Okay. I’ll come to dinner with you,” he finally says. His voice is filled with worry, though, still terrified of meeting them.

“It’ll be okay, I promise, love.” He nods and smiles against your head, snuggling closer to him.

“We should leave in a little. Mum wanted us to come over early to meet everyone before dinner so eating wasn’t so awkward and everyone isn’t questioning you while you’re trying to eat.” This makes Finn even more nervous.

“What? You didn’t say the dinner was tonight!”

“Yes I did! That’s the first thing I said and you completely ignored me.” He backs away and runs his hands through his hair, or lack thereof, on top of his head.

“Oh fuck, I’m not sure if I can do this,” he breathes out.

“Finn, I told my mum all about you, and she’s so excited to meet you. She’s the only one you really need to be worried about. I have lots of younger cousins who I don’t see very often, so their opinions don’t really matter. Hey,” you grab his face to stop his pacing. His breathing is rough and comes out in short breaths, a sign he was very overwhelmed.

“It. Will. Be. Okay. I promise. You trust me, right?” He nods under your touch and begins to calm down. “I promise if anything gets out of hand, I’ll be there to stop it. If you want to leave at any point, we can leave.”

“Alright,” he sighs. “Let’s get going.” Smiling widely, you give him a quick kiss before taking his hand and walking out of his home. You hop into the car you had waiting for you to drive you out to your family’s farmhouse.

“Are you ready?” You question, standing in front of your door. He hears the noise from inside and his anxiety raises again. He takes a few deep breaths and closes his eyes. Your hand raises to caress his cheek, making him open his eyes within seconds.

“Trust me?”

“Yeah.”

“You ready to go in?” He takes a few seconds but he nods in response. You keep your hand tightly around his and step inside with him. Your older sisters see you right away and come to give you a hug; you don’t let go of Finn’s hand just yet.

“This is my boyfriend, Finn,” you introduce. He smiles sweetly at them, reaching out to shake their hands. They give him a strange look, which makes his heart race even more, but they relax and pull him in for a hug one by one. From that moment, Finn seems much more at ease, knowing your sisters already approve of him.

You lead him over to the couch, seeing as it was open, and your mother steps into the living room from the kitchen.

“(Y/N)! You’re here!” She hugs you tightly, rubbing your back.

“Yeah, we just got here. This is Finn,” you move over to reveal your anxious boyfriend. She also pulls him in for a hug and afterwards, she takes a seat in the single chair beside the couch. You sit with Finn on the couch adjacent to the chair and she begins her questioning, asking him things that you haven’t told her about him yet.

As she continues, your family all settles into the living room on the carpet, in awe at the new guest in your house. You introduce him to all your nieces and nephews, sisters and brother, and he is super nice to everyone.

After a while, he finally is beginning to warm up and feel much more comfortable with the large amount of people around. It should be normal for him because he’s used to being around so many people at times, but it’s because it’s you and your family; he wants to make a good impression.

“Dinner’s ready!” Your mother calls from the kitchen. She asked the basic first meeting questions, like if he has any brothers or sisters, what his interests are, stuff like that. When she finished, she went back to the kitchen, leaving you to comfort Finn, who was still very visibly worried.

Dinner was great, honestly. Finn was much more open and friendly, getting into conversations with your siblings. All of the younger kids sat at a table towards the corner, as usual, so it was just you adults left to chat.

“So Finn, (Y/N) told me you’re a Shelby,” your oldest sister asks randomly. Finn’s eyes widen and he turns to you, not knowing how to reply.

“Uh, y-yes. I am.”

“How’s John?” She wonders. Finn gulps and shrugs his shoulders.

“He’s fine, I guess. Why? Do you know him?” She nods, taking a bite of her food before answering.

“We may have slept together before.” You choke on your water and stare at her. You knew of John’s reputation, thanks to some chats with Finn, but with your own sister?

“He’s with Esme,” you respond.

“I know. We slept together before he met her.”

“Didn’t father any of your kids, did he?” You joke, hoping that it wouldn’t be true.

“Thankfully, no. His pull-out method somehow worked.” Finn can’t help but laugh from beside you.

“That’s John for ye. He told me the same thing. When I was growing up, slowly maturing, my brothers told me everything about sex, and the first thing out of John’s mouth was that piece of advice.” Everyone joined in on the laughter this time, which Finn felt good about.

“I like you,” your mother grins at him. He blushes deeply and glances down at your entwined hands.

“You know, I was really nervous about tonight, but you all are such lovely people, I have no clue why I was so terrified,” he admits. You coo and lean your head on his shoulder, knowing that it must have taken a lot of confidence to admit that.

“Why’s that, hm? Worried we would be too uptight for you?” Your other older sister chuckles.

“No, that’s not it. I just wanted to make a good impression and I wasn’t sure if you guys knew my family, but seeing as you do and you don’t mind that those men are my brothers, I feel much better.”

“Everyone knows the Shelby’s, Finn,” your brother steps in. “You seem nothing like them anyways.”

“Yeah. I’ve been told that by a lot of people.”

“You are nothing like Tommy, so we have no reason to believe that you would treat (Y/N) wrong.” Finn smiles and glances over at you, grabbing your hand and caressing the back of it with his thumb.

“I would never treat her horribly. She means the world to me and I hate the idea of hurting her, intentionally or not.” That is the turning point for your family, that’s when they realize Finn is perfect for you.

Once everyone finishes eating, you help your mother and sisters with cleaning up and doing the dishes, allowing Finn to join the rest of the family in the living room. You heard your younger sisters and nieces and nephews call out for him as they were leaving the kitchen, so you know he was in for a lot.

“He seems really sweet,” your mom says as she hands you a dish to dry. A small smile appears on your lips as you nod.

“He is. He’s the nicest boy I’ve ever met and I love him a lot.”

“I’m glad you found someone as amazing as him, even if it means you’re going to be a part of the Shelby family someday.” Her comment makes your mind and heart race. You had never thought about marrying Finn, both of you still being so young and pretty early into a relationship, but now thinking about it, Finn would be the perfect husband.

“Yeah, but that’s well into the future, mum.” You hand the dish off to your sister and grab another one.

“Who knows? People marry at a young age. So it could be in a couple years.”

“She’s right. His family could be pushing him to get married.”

“His cousin Michael is well into his twenties and not married yet.”

“Well, his brothers aren’t Tommy and Arthur Shelby. I guarantee they’re already talking about marrying Finn off.”

“Okay, can we not talk about this anymore?” You were getting a bit overwhelmed, worried that you would turn out like everyone else in your family. Almost everyone has had at least one failed marriage, including your mother, and they all married young.

“Why don’t you go and find Finn and help bring out the desserts?” Your mom says, sensing your uneasiness. She grabs the dish towel from you, handing it to your sister.

So, you walk into the living room, expecting to find your boyfriend chatting with your brother and nephews, but you find him sprawled out on the floor, all of your nieces and nephews on top of him, attacking him playfully.

You can’t help but stare at him in adoration, loving that he was getting along with your family, compared to how he was feeling before he stepped foot inside your home.

“(Y/N)! My princess in shining armor! Save me from the evil monkeys!” He shouts. You laugh loudly and begin to tickle the young children so they would move off of him, allowing you to help Finn up.

“Thanks, love! They were so hard to get away from!” He was out of breath and a bit sweaty, fixing his clothes a little.

“I’m glad I was able to help, honey. My mum wants us to set up for dessert.” He nods and follows you to the kitchen, waiting for you to hand him a pie from the fridge. You two set up the table in silence. Once things are set, Finn asks for your hand and guides you out to the backyard.

“What’s up?” You wonder, taking a seat on the swinging bench. Finn follows, still holding your hand.

“Just wanted to get away for a little. It’s a lot.”

“Yeah, it definitely is. More crazy than your family. Even with John’s kids.” Finn chuckles and turns his attention towards you.

“I saw that you were having fun with my nieces and nephews,” you say, voice filled with adoration.

“Yeah. They’re loads of fun, honestly. They are so excitable and crazy.” There’s a pause in the conversation before you say something.

“They really like you, Finn,” you whisper. “Thank you for coming with me and meeting them.”

“I’m happy I did. It’s been a great night and I like them as well.”

“They’re even talking about us marrying,” you quietly admit. Finn smiles and kisses your forehead.

“When the time comes, love. When the time comes.”

#finn shelby #finn shelby imagines #finn shelby imagine #finn shelby x reader #harry kirton #imagines #fanfiction #fanfic

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bimswritings · 3 years

Text

Games and Prizes

Warning:none

Ships: Reylo/Finnpoe

A server event that I recently took part in, with the prompt I received being carnival for @perry-the-rebelpus! I've never written for in show ships but I loved doing this. It leans more towards fairs since that's what I have more experience with, but never the less, I hope you enjoy! I also took a more modern AU approach as I felt it was the best way to tackle this!-Bim

_______________________________________________

“Really Rey, we don’t have to do this.” Kylo tried to convince her for what felt like the thousandth time, and most likely was. Ever since she had discovered he had never been to a fair, she insisted on going, even calling and finding someone to cover her shift at the mechanics. The stubborn girl wouldn't have it though, ignoring his protest as she hopped off the motorcycle, grabbing the helmet from his hands and tossing it along with her own under the seat.

“Nonsense. Carnivals are an important part of growing up.” Her hand interlocked with his own, guiding him in the same direction as the crowd that was steadily streaming in. Ranging from families with excited and energetic children, to young couples such as themselves. “There was one that came through town every year when I was a kid. My parents always took me for a special treat at the end of the harvest.”

Rey’s eyes took on a softer, more distant look. One that Kylo knew all too well. It was the same one he got when talking about his own family, feelings of both sorrow and yearning for better times. Times that, despite how much they both may want to, they can’t go back to.

He lifted their intertwined hand, bringing Rey’s attention back to the present as he placed a light kiss to her knuckles. A small smile curved her lips, and they continued on to the increasingly bright lights of the carnival, the setting sun only highlighting their peaks further.

Once inside, they were quick to buy their wristbands for the rides, Rey practically bouncing with excitement the entire time in line. As soon as the offending neon green bands were in place she was pulling him towards the rides, her eyes bouncing between each one.

“Oh, let’s go on that one!” She pointed towards what could only be described as a giant wheel. It was as if a ferris wheel had been taken and laid down on its side, with the seats all inverted and its spinning capabilities dialed up a thousand.

“I’m not sure. Those seat belts don’t look like they would do a very good job of keeping me from flying off.” He eyed the offending items warily, to which Rey simply rolled her eyes as she pulled him into line.

“Children go on it and live. I think you’ll be fine Mr. ‘Tall and Brooding’.”

It didn’t take long for their turn to arrive, and it seemed like only in the blink of an eye were they strapping into the seats, the ride operator barely giving the belts a tug before moving to his operating booth in the center. With the press of a button the ride was whirring to life, slowly picking up speed until they were all but plastered to the side of the ride. The seats they were strapped to began moving up slightly, and it was only now that he noticed they were on rails that allowed them to move up and down with the increased G-force.

The pressure pushed his face back, though nothing he wasn’t used to. It was hard to focus on the ride with Rey beside him however. Her laughter spilled above the loud whirring of the ride and excited and terrified yells of the other riders. It was something he would never get used to, with how carefree and joyful it always sounded. Something he would always strive to hear as often as he could. Nothing could compare to the gut churning reaction he had when he heard it, though the sight of her stumbling, off balance and clearly still slightly disoriented, as they got off the ride came in a close second. It did nothing to deter her, still smiling as she pulled him to the next ride.

On and on they went, ride after ride all evening. It was only after she had proceeded to destroy him in bumper cars time after time that he suggested they go and get food.

“We can ride a bit longer!” Rey had tried to protest, not content to take a break until they had ridden all the rides at least twice. It was the first time she had been able to go to such an event ever since her parents had passed, and she was determined to make the most of it, even if she went a little hungry. Her stomach seemed to have other plans however, cutting her off in the middle of her protest with a loud growl of its own. Her cheeks flushed as Kylo chuckled, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and steering her towards the vendors. All night the smell of the overpriced and greasy food had been tempting him, though he dared not to eat any of the potential nauseating treats while Rey was still determined to ride so many things that spun.

After paying for a slice of pizza each, as well as an almost comically large elephant ear to split afterwards, they settled down on one of the far tables away from all the action.

“Thank you.” Rey spoke, finally breaking the comfortable silence that had developed as they watched others pass by. He cocked his head slightly to the side, confused and prompting her to clarify further.

“For agreeing to come, I mean. I know places like this aren’t really your style.” She grew suddenly shy, finding her fingers more interesting than anything else at the moment. Her nails nervously picked at one another, though there was nothing much to pick at. Years of working at the mechanics had left them short and cracked in places, much tougher than you would think for the rest of her looking so soft. Yet her hands were one of his favorite things. Hands that held his own softly, as if they weren’t the hands of a man who had killed dozens; that would softly card through his locks while absentmindedly laying on the couch. Hands that would hold his face close, brushing over each scar tenderly as she whispered soothing words for minutes, hours. As long as it took.

He thought her hands were the most beautiful things in the world, both then and now, as he took them in his own.

“For you, I would go anywhere.” He leaned in closer, locking games as he lightly pressed his forehead to hers. She was warm, her skin almost burning in contrast to the cool night air. Though it was anybody's guess how much it was due to her body temperature, and how much was caused by the quickly rising blush that consumed her face. “Especially if I could see you as happy as I have today.”

“You two really need to get a room.”

The third voice took them both by surprise, so wrapped up with one another that they hadn’t even noticed their audience, and in his surprise Kylo jolted forward, bashing his skull against Rey’s before falling backwards off the bench and landing painfully on his tailbone.

“Finn!” He heard her joyous shout. Propping himself up on his elbows, he spotted the named man, who was currently receiving a hug from his girlfriend, as well as Finn’s own boyfriend.

“Dameron.” He nodded, climbing to his feet as the man returned the gesture silently.

It wasn’t that they didn’t like one another, quite the opposite actually. They held nothing but respect for each other, both having spent time in the air force. The only rift came from the fact that Kylo had run more covert missions, often flying solo or with just a single partner, while Poe was in charge of and flew an entire squadron. He thought of him as more of a mercenary, while Kylo would consider his potential wasted on such general missions. Still, the greatest offense in his eyes was still the fact that he had chosen to date someone from the marines. The marines. Of all the branches, he had to choose someone from the one known for shooting first and asking questions never. The two might have never seen each other after serving, yet fate had other plans; of which being in the form of their respective partners having been best friends through high school and college. They had only met again by chance after moving to the same small town in hopes of living a quiet, simple life.

“I should have known you guys would be here. You’re never one to miss a fair.” Rey continued, moving back around the table to sit next to Kylo once again, who was still rubbing at the sore spot on his head, briefly wondering what her bones could possibly be made of to have not even flinched at such a hit.

“Maybe if we told you, we wouldn’t have to be subjugated to your nauseating sweetness.” Poe teased, leaning across the table while Finn rolled his eyes. “I have to say, I’m disappointed in you Ren. There’s children around here you know.’’

Kylo said nothing, only gathering their trash and standing, the rest following in suit as he spoke.

“Well, it was nice seeing you again, but we were about to continue our date night and-”

“You guys should join us!” Rey cut in, taking him by surprise. Even if it was her best friend, she was never really one for group outings, preferring just one or two other people.

“It would be just like old times!” Finn agreed.

Kylo was about to protest, and from the way Poe had opened his mouth he was too, but before either male could get a word out the two had already linked arms and were strolling away, deeping in conversation and leaving their dates forgotten. So, begrudgingly, the two men followed.

By this point night had fully set in and the activities of the fair were in full swing. Brightly colored tents lined the venue, creating makeshift paths that helped to funnel the large number of people into a form of organization. It seemed that Rey had had her fill of rides, as she and Finn continued on deeper into the games and shows section that ran along the outside. Here, vendors yelled and mocked, teased and prodded; anything they could do to get the attention of the passersby. Games of skill, strength, and pure luck, though anyone with half a brain knew that the majority were all rigid. Above and lining all the booths were more stuffed animals than Kylo had ever seen in his life, and though some of them he found creepy and downright ugly, he could see the appeal of some.

“Hey Rey! Look!” Finn pointed to one of the stalls, highlighting a create he had never seen before. It looked like a penguin, except the eyes were far too large, and it lacked a beak as well as the stark black and white of the animal in favor of more neutral tones.

The two were at the booth in a flash, the vendor already talking to them as Kylo and Poe caught up. Just from the looks of the man, Kylo immediately didn’t like him. He had spent enough time around others to be able to get an accurate read on them, and this guy had the same shifty, fox eyed look to him that all new recruits who were too big for their breeches had.

“Well hello there.” He leaned in, far too close for Kylo’s liking, and he felt himself tense, his pace quickening to reach them as the man continued his speel.

“Feel like testing your luck against the mysterious and dangerous kraken to free one of its victims.” He gestured to the creatures above.

Rey was immediately digging in her bag, looking for her wallet with Finn doing the same beside her. Before she could get too far however, he was there. Stepping between her and the booth, he pulled his wallet and slapped the five dollars on the counter. Poe did the same next to him.

The vendor collected the money with one fell swoop, tossing two balls onto the counter for them to load at the suction cup guns laying there. He did so with ease, the object feeling almost childishly small and fragile in his hands as he raised it to the target; a kraken shaped cutout a number of feet away. A spiralled target rests dead center in the middle of its forehead.

He fell into proper shooting position naturally, bringing the poor excuse of a sight to eye level as his arms locked.

‘Pop’ ‘Pop’

A jolt traveled through his body. Not because the dinky little object had any form of recoil, but because of how far he had missed the mark. The ball had barely even glanced the side of the creature, and from the look Poe had he had missed just as badly.

He shook it off, ignoring the amusement he felt coming from the two beside him and blaming it on the simple differences of the object from what he was used to. Of course it wouldn’t fire like a normal gun. Expecting the accuracy to be anything more than lacking would be stupid of him. Now that he knew just how off it was, he could adjust accordingly. Both paying for another round, the shooters were loaded and aimed in seconds. Going of where it hit last time, he raised the end a bit and brought it slightly to the right.

‘Pop’ ‘Pop’

They fired again, and again they missed.

“Oh, too bad my friends. I guess you’re not as skilled as your little dates thought you were.” The vendor taunted, sending a wink Rey’s way.

Feeling anger quickly starting to rise within him, there was no way Kylo was about to give up now. He paid another five, giving him another ball.

Then another.

And another.

Several minutes and thirty dollars later he was nowhere closer to winning, his shots, instead of coming closer, were going more and more astray from the target. With each miss his anger rose, and Poe was doing no better beside him.

“For the love of-”

“Ah ah~ Watch your language.” The vendor smirked, only making his temper worse. “There’s children around here after all. What example would you be giving them if you showed how much of a sore loser you were.”

Kylo genuinely thought he was going to hop over the booth and wipe the smug smirk from his face. A gentle hand brought his attention as Rey gently pried the shooter from his grip, a concerned smile on her face.

“Hey, let me have a shot at it.” He hesitated, not wanting her to feel the same discouragement and embarrassment he currently was. The look in her eye stopped him short. It was the same look she had whenever she was working at the shop or on his car at home. A look of utter confidence in what she was doing.

The three men stared at the two friends in astonishment as they high five, already moving on to picking out which of the stuffed creatures they wanted.ly the same position he had been in early, evidently having taken Poe’s place as well. The vendor leaned in closer, Rey clearly doing her best to ignore him as she focused on the target.

“Now sweetheart, what you’re going to want to do is-”

The familiar simultaneous pop of the ball leaving the suctioned end sounded, just as it had with his previously. Unlike their attempts however, instead of silence the pops were answered with the sound of a loud buzzer and the muted cry of the kraken as its eyes lit up red.

The three men stared at the two friends in astonishment as they high fived, already moving on to picking out which of the stuffed creatures they wanted.

“The one in the very back! He looks the softest!” Rey exclaimed, pointing. There was nothing left for the vendor to do but grumble as he grabbed the creature, along with Finn’s choice. All but tossing the animals he was quick to shoo them away, his persona turning from sour to cheerful on a dime as he lured the next group in to the nearly impossible game.

“I just don’t understand.” Poe shook his head in disbelief. Finn gave him a comforting squeeze.

“Rey and I grew up with these games every year. We’re practically professionals.”

“Yeah.” She nodded from under Kylo’s arm, which was thrown around her shoulder. “The vendors hated us. We nearly got banned the one year when we were going around seeing how many we could win before they closed.” They both laughed at the memory, leaving their boyfriends to simply shake their heads.

By now it had grown late, the group foregoing to visit any of the barns due to Poe’s hay allergy. They could always come back tomorrow. After walking the other couple to their car, they made their way back to their Rey’s ride. After pulling the helmets from under the seat, Kylo was surprised when Rey tossed the stuffed animal to him.

“Here.”

His brows furrowed questioningly as he glanced back between her and the creature.

“Are you...are you giving this to me?”

She nodded, slipping on her jacket to protect her from the wind.

“But you were so excited for it.”

“You said that you’ve never been to a fair before, so I assume that you’ve never gotten one of the ridiculously large stuffed animals from one.” She spoke, turning to him. “It’ll be a nice way to mark the occasion. Besides,” she smirked, moving to pull her helmet on. “,it's not like we don’t share a bed anyways. He’ll be there no matter what.”

With that she pulled on her helmet, tilting her head cheekily before tossing her leg over the bike. He climbed on after, his chest feeling lighter than it had all week as he wrapped his arms around her waist. The stuffed animal was sandwiched safely in between them, ready for the journey home.

There was no one more perfect for him, and he reminisced on the fact as the bike roared to life underneath him. He could already picture the stuffed animal and how ridiculous it would look in their otherwise modern styled and well kept room. Normally all the small trinkets and knick knacks Rey would bring home were restricted to her hobby room, him not being able to handle the clutter they created. This however? This would fit perfectly in their room.

She still had to be the one to name it though.

#star wars #star wars fanfiction #reylo fanfic #reylo #finpo #finnpoe #poe dameron #finn x poe #kylo ren #rey x kylo ren #rey skywalker #star wars modern au #modern star wars #ben solo

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zodiyack · 4 years

Text

Baby’s First Bully (800+ Follower Special)

Pairing: Shelby & Gray Family + Female!reader + Elizabeth Shelby (no romance)

Warnings: Slight angst, fluff, possibly pure, heart-melting, cuteness?

Words: 1,407

Summary: It’s a wonder what a grown man would do for a child, let alone what 3 grown men with a gang of other adult men would do for a child that isn’t even theirs.

Note: 1, I’ve started putting a summary? I dunno, I’m toying around for right now. 2, THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH! As usual, I’m at a loss for words, but it means so so so much to me. I love you all. Thank you. Oh also, Ellie is a nickname for Elizabeth!

Taglist: @matth1w, @redspaceace, @simonsbluee, @peakysputain, @fandom-puff, @darling-i-read-it

Masterlist | Peaky Blinders Masterlist

Elizabeth Shelby Origin

The morning Elizabeth trudged through the front door with watery eyes was the morning the boys had snapped. Polly was the first to notice, as she was waiting for Elizabeth to arrive from her walk home from school.

“Hello Elizabeth! How was- ...What’s wrong?” The smile dropped from her face and she began to inspect her great-niece. “What happened?”

“It’s...it’s nothing.” Elizabeth tried to sneak past her great-aunt, but the grown woman sighed and turned, picking Elizabeth up easily and plopping her down on a chair.

“Nothing is usually something. What. Happened.” When Elizabeth still didn’t respond, Polly shook her head and looked at her with a pleading face, “If you won’t tell me...will you tell one of your uncles?”

Thinking for a second, Elizabeth nodded. “Uncle Finn. He’s a good secret keeper!”

Polly couldn’t help but smile a little, the little girl sitting in front of her convinced by many things, a world of imagination in her little head, had so much to learn. To be young and innocent, Polly bit her lip before trailing off to find Finn, the memories made her heart ache with sorrow, rage, and joy all at the same time.

She watched from the doorway as Finn sat his niece upon his lap, making funny expressions as she whispered into his ear, hand making a tunnel between it and her mouth.

After Finn thanked her and got up, he walked to the kitchen, meeting Polly and sitting with her. “So, what did she say?”

Concern laced the boy’s brows, “She said she didn’t tell you because it’d be tattling and tattling is rude and she doesn’t want to be rude.”

“Bless her soul.” Polly put a hand over her heart, “Alright. What did she say happened?”

“A boy. He was teasing her, pulling on her hair. Laughing at her. Saying rude things to her-”

“She’s being bullied?” The two at the table turned their heads so fast, it was a wonder how they didn’t snap right off their necks. John and Arthur were standing at the doorframe, Tommy arriving just a few seconds afterwards.

“What’s going on? Why are you blocking the door?” He observed the expression on both Polly and Finn’s faces, taking note of their attitudes. “What happened?”

Finn was ready to tell his older brother to bug off, try to keep his promise of secrecy between his aunt and niece, but Polly beat him too it, ready to tell the man of the house what had been going on. “Ellie’s being bullied.”

“What?”

“She’s being b-”

“I heard what you said!” Tommy pushed his brothers aside and sat beside his aunt, taking out a cigarette and lighting it, only for it to be snatched by Pol before he could place it between his lips. “What are we gonna tell Y/n?”

“We aren’t going to tell her anything. If Ellie would like to tell her mother, then she can be the one to tell her mother, but for now, I think she’d like to keep it on the downlow.”

“She told you.”

Finn rolled his eyes, “Yeah, because she trusts me. It was meant to be for me and Pol to know, not you or John or Arthur!” A bang came from the other door, Johnny Dogs falling forward and causing Finn to roll his eyes yet again. “Or Johnny.”

“Yeah about that...I kinda told the others already. They’ll be here any moment.”

“Goddamnit Johnny.” Tommy groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose and squeezing his eyes shut. “Fine. But we ask Ellie what we should do beforehand. We will not be initiating any acts of revenge without her consent.”

“Good idea Tom.” The man smirked before rushing out of the room, fearing Tommy would have a worse reaction had he stayed.

Soon enough, the rest of the Peaky Blinders had arrived, gathering in the kitchen with Tommy and his brothers. Polly walked in with Elizabeth on her hip, smiling nervously. She set the minor down and nodded to the people in their infamous caps.

“Ahem...” Johnny stepped forward and kneeled, taking off his cap and brushing a hand over his forehead, “Miss Elizabeth? We hear you’ve been bullied. Would you like us to teach him a lesson?”

The little girl furrowed her eyebrows and tilted her head, blinking a few times. Then she looked to her aunt and back to Johnny before speaking, “What kind of lesson? Like numbers?”

“No, no. Not that kind of lesson. Like...give him a taste of his own medicine.”

“Oh no! Is he sick?” Some chuckles rang through the room, the people in front of Elizabeth finding humor her naïve responses.

Johnny sighed. “He’s not sick either-”

“That’s good.” Elizabeth smiled again, “ I don’t want him to be sick.”

“We’re asking if you’d like us to make him stop being mean. As in, be mean back to him, tell him to back off.”

A look of horror took place on her face as her eyes widened and she shook her head violently. “No! No! That’s mean! That’s mean, and we’re not supposed to be mean!”

The men next to Johnny looked at each other, Johnny exchanging looks with them as well, with confusion and cluelessness in what they were to do. “Uhm... Well, if you don’t want us to be mean...what do you want us to do?”

Elizabeth thought for a second, frowning as her brows reknitted themselves and her eyes darted around the room. Then, as if an imaginary lightbulb had lit up above her head, she smiled widely.

“I can read! My teacher tells me I’m an excellent reader, and that I’d be an even better writer...” She paused. “That’s when he told me girls can’t write. But that’s okay! I’m gonna prove him wrong one day.”

The men watched as Elizabeth walked to the family room, seemingly unphased by the comment the boy at her school had made to her. A part of Polly and her family felt proud, while the other felt somewhat shocked.

It was like the little girl was unbreakable, shrugging off the bullying as every day occurrences; like if an earthquake just happened every hour or so while she just sat in her chair and continued going along with her life as if the earth wasn’t shaking.

Blinking their surprise away, the group followed Elizabeth where they sat down on sofas and chairs, some even on the floor, around her. She pulled out a book and laid it on her lap, beginning the page with excitement in her voice.

Their expressions were no different; the room practically full of grown men and a little girl, all of the adults watching and/or listening with awe and intrigue, as if she were the adult and they the children.

Y/n walked into her family’s home, looking around with unease in the unusual silence. She heard her daughter’s voice and began walking to it, only to be stopped by her aunt. Y/n opened her mouth, preparing to ask what had been going on while she was out, but Polly clasped a hand over her mouth and held a finger up to her own.

Pol led Y/n to the room, showing her the chair occupied by her daughter, as well as the men around it, all either drifting off or already passed out. Despite their states, Elizabeth continued to read until she got to the last page, closing the heavy book when she had finished.

She hopped out of the chair and set the book where she had been sitting. Walking to Johnny Dogs, she pressed a kiss to his forehead and told him goodnight before hopping over the men who’d already fallen asleep on the floor.

Approaching the door, a smile relit her face. “Mommy!” She hugged her mother tightly, nuzzling her face into her, then pulling away. “I’m not ready for bed yet. I know it’s late, but I was reading uncle Tommy’s friends a bedtime story. I’m sorry for staying up, it won’t happen again!” Without giving her mother time to respond, she darted past her and up the stairs to get ready for bed.

“She’s too innocent to be a Shelby.”

“That’s true for now, aunt Pol.” Y/n shook her head as a lopsided grin graced her face. “But, to be honest, she’s one of the best things to have happened to this family. To have happened to me.”

Polly chuckled, “You can say that again.”

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slipping-through-my-fingertips · 3 years

Text

mad woman

part of my folklore series

Summary: Kurt is concerned that Santana has lost her voice; Blaine helps her get it back.

Notes: I really feel that this song embodies Santana. I can’t explain it but it just reminds me so much of her. HAPPY 1 YEAR OF FOLKLORE!!!!!

AO3

Anytime he heard Santana singing in the shower, Kurt wondered why she gave up performing. Sure, she had the Spotlight Diner shifts but she was seldom a soloist. More likely, Santana opted to be backup vocals unless she was feuding with Rachel that day. It was like glee all over again. Her voice silenced or drowned out by the attention seekers. She didn’t fight for it as she had during her short-lived time as a member of the Treble Tones. Hell, she wasn’t into the music as much as Elliott and Dani were when One Tree Hill had been a quintet.

Kurt was worried about her. Though she’d deny it, Santana loved to sing. She needed glee just as much as the rest of them. The problem was since she moved to New York it was like she lost her voice.

He remembers feeling like that when he first arrived. Without NYADA, Kurt was another drop in the huge sea of city folk. No longer did he stand out for his bold fashion choices or being gay. Here, the things that once made him eccentric were just another thing people tried to ignore as they went about their days. No one in the city had time to pick on or compliment a newcomer from a small town in Ohio.

At first, Kurt liked it because the fear of being beaten for being himself had completely vanished within a few weeks of moving. That was all behind him. Way back in Lima. After a few months, the novelty wore off. He actually started to miss the stares from his classmates at McKinley High.

He hated to admit it but Rachel may have been right when she said they were similar. Sometimes, Kurt felt like Tinkerbell too. He needed applause to live. Craved the attention. Then, he got it at the Winter Showcase. Madame Tibideaux handed the limelight to him on a silver platter. The entirety of the NYADA staff got to hear him sing.

Of course, he could’ve thrown up because he was so nervous and completely unprepared. Yet, it had been exhilarating. That rush of being on stage with a captive audience. Combined with his attendance to NYADA being on the line, Kurt hadn’t felt this energized since he last saw Blaine in person.

None of that seemed to faze Santana Lopez.

Honestly, after pulling her into the band and having her quit, recommending the evening dance classes at NYADA, and taking her out to Callbacks on weekends, Kurt was out of ideas. She refused to get on stage. But he saw that small smile on her face when she hummed under her breath when she thought no one was listening. No matter how vehemently she denied it, she missed singing. So, Kurt called Blaine.

“I don’t know, Kurt, it’s kinda hard to help when I’m not seeing the situation for myself.” Blaine sighs, likely bummed he can’t solve this.

Kurt practically saw him pouting through the phone. Thank god, they weren’t on Skype. He hated seeing his boyfriend looking so defeated when he wasn’t there in person to kiss the top of his head.

Blaine had become the self-proclaimed advice-giver of the New Directions since he transferred.

He helped Mike Chang fix his relationship with Tina when they had a week-long fight about only eating at Asian restaurants on their date nights. Tina had been pissed. No simple apology was going to cut it. Blaine single-handedly compiled a list of Tina’s favorite places to eat and added a few of his personal favorite date night places.

When Finn would forget special dates and Rachel got fussy about how Finn never uses the couple calendars she made for them, Blaine stepped in and helped him set up a reminder alert on his phone.

And there was that whole fiasco about Miss Pillsbury not-so-subtly hinting that she wanted to get engaged. Blaine was able to straighten Mr. Schue out pretty quickly that day. For the life of him, that man didn’t understand why Miss Pillsbury was acting so weird.

“You don’t have to be so roundabout, you know?” Kurt told him.

“Huh.” Playing dumb, typical.

“Just come up to the city, Blaine,” he said. “I know you want to ask.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, boyfriend of mine,” Blaine huffed. “I have zero ulterior motives while being completely unhelpful to your current predicament.”

“Uh-huh, I’m sure that’s the case. I’ll see you next week.”

“Unless Cooper can find an earlier flight!” Blaine exclaimed.

He had been using up the countless number of frequent flyer miles his older brother had racked up to make weekend trips to New York. After Cooper discovered their long-distance relationship (likely after one too many late-night calls from Blaine missing his boyfriend), he offered them to Blaine.

Blaine arrived the following Friday. McKinley had some teacher’s day so Blaine was able to hop on a morning flight. He was waiting in the loft when Kurt finished classes for the day.

“Okay, we’re going to Callbacks tonight,” Kurt said, removing his coat.

“Hello to you too,” Blaine replied, standing up from the sofa. “How are you, Blaine? How was the flight, Blaine? I missed you so much, Blaine.”

Kurt rolled his eyes and ignored his boyfriend.

“This isn’t about you, Blaine,” he said, “it’s about Santana.”

“Wow, Blaine, you look great! Aren’t those my yellow pants you’re borrowing?” Blaine crossed his arms.

“Hey!” Kurt exclaimed. “Those are my pants!”

“Yeah.” Blaine blushed. “I rolled them so they’d fit better.”

Kurt marched over to him and knocked him onto the couch. “You look hot in my clothes.”

“I look better out of them.”

Instead of verbally agreeing, Kurt unbuttoned his yellow pants. Blaine was quick to keep up removing his own shirt and attempting to pull off Kurt’s as well. However, Blaine was sitting on the couch and Kurt was kneeling between his legs. It was proving to be rather difficult a task.

“Kurt…” Blaine groaned, “come up here with me.”

“I can’t very well do what I want up there, Blaine.”

He sat up straighter. “Is this payment for not properly greeting me because I’ll take a blowjob over ‘how do you do’ any day?”

Kurt pressed his face into Blaine’s naked thigh. “So long as you aren’t accepting blowjobs from anyone but me.”

“No, I would…” Kurt licked around Blaine’s hip. “Never.”

Within seconds, Blaine’s head was fully tipped over the back of the couch and the only thing coming from his mouth were moans. He couldn’t even force the word ‘Kurt’ from his lips. When Kurt finally gave in and decided Blaine had received efficient teasing, he sucked at the tip until Blaine screamed his name.

They were quick to clean up their mess afterward, unsure of when the girls would be home. It was one thing to have sex in the living room, it was a whole other to get caught. Though, Kurt figured Rachel owned him after Brody paraded around naked for the few months they dated.

“Okay, now that we’ve defiled Santana’s bed, can we focus on helping her?”

“Step one, don’t tell her about this,” Blaine suggested.

Kurt slapped Blaine’s chest.

“Ow.”

“Be helpful. You said if you were in New York, you’d be able to help better. So do it.”

“FIne,” Blaine replied, “no Callbacks. I have a better idea.”

Turns out that idea was a speciality club night of Alternative Tunes.

“It’s open mic. There’s gonna be singers, poets, magicians, and I heard their harpist is opening tonight,” Blaine explained, as they waited in line.

“Is that why she brought your violin?” Rachel questioned.

“Yup!” Blaine held up his black case. “I haven’t played to an audience of more than one in a while.”

Kurt smiled at him. He loved when Blaine performed just for him almost as much as he enjoyed watching Blaine in front of an audience. Something about his face just lit up on stage. The same way Santana’s did in front of a microphone.

“As much as I love talking about violins…” She rolled her eyes, “is there alcohol at this place?” Santana asked, “because that’s like 90% the point of going out.”

“Yes, there’s alcohol,” Kurt confirmed.

He told Blaine they’d need at least two drinks into Santana before they brought up performing to her. Which proved true. After nursing two long island ice teas, Santana was finally talking to Blaine about being on stage. He hadn’t gone up yet and she was teasing him.

“Come on, you brought your own instrument and everything,” she said. “Give us a show and tell.”

With that, Blaine stood up and walked to the stage. No one was in line so he went right up after the juggler finished. He tapped the microphone and introduced himself.

“I’d like to dedicate this first one to my boyfriend.”

He mouthed an “I love you” towards Kurt, who blew a kiss back.

Then, he was lost in the strings. The next song he did was for Santana. Blaine didn’t announce it or anything but he watched her face when he could during the progression of the song. When he finished his set, Blaine thanked the audience. Kurt whistled and clapped, Rachel was jumping up and down while screaming for an encore, and when Blaine was back at the table Santana offered to buy him a drink.

Without Kurt even realizing it, the next performer on stage was Santana. Just her. She didn’t introduce herself as Blaine did, the piano music just started to play and then she was singing.

“What do you sing on your drive home?

Do you see my face in the neighbor's lawn?

Does she smile?

Or does she mouth, ‘Fuck you forever’?”

Kurt couldn’t say why exactly but the song suited her well. Santana was always one to command an audience when she soloed. Soft instrumental with harsher lyrics was always her style.

While Santana had the audience and Kurt captivated, Blaine bounced back over to their table. He had two drinks in his hand.

“For you,” he said, passing Kurt a mojito.

In return, Kurt pecked his check. He really was so lucky. Then, his full attention went back to the stage.

“Every time you call me crazy, I get more crazy

What about that?

And when you say I seem angry, I get more angry

And there's nothing like a mad woman

What a shame she went mad

No one likes a mad woman

You made her like that”

As Santana finished her song, Kurt and Rachel turned to Blaine, who was positively beaming. He’d done exactly what he had told Kurt he could do.

“How?” Rachel asked.

“I’m a smooth talker,” Blaine said with a smirk.

Kurt rolled his eyes.

If anything, his boyfriend was a clumsy mess. Romantic and adorable? Yes. Tripped over his words? Constantly.

“Come on, Blaine, give it up,” Kurt said.

“Magicians never reveal their secrets.”

Rachel huffed. She had a glint in her eyes suggesting she wasn’t giving up. Rachel rarely did when she really wanted something. Kurt had a theory that she could pester anyone enough to get what she wanted. Example A, a ticket to NYADA by tracking down the head of admissions and inviting her to Chicago to watch a show choir competition.

Before Kurt could tell Rachel to drop it, Santana returned. She had a new drink in her hand.

“Compliments of the lady in red,” she told them.

“Excellent song choice,” Kurt said.

“Blaine’s idea.” she shrugged, sipping her drink.

Blaine was still beaming.

“It’s perfect for her, isn’t it?” Blaine replied, “When I first heard it I knew I had to hear Santana do a cover of it.”

Santana winked at him from across the table.

“What is going on with you two?” Rachel asked. “The devil incarnate and the sun from teletubbies should not get along this well.”

Santana shrugged. “He’s besties with Britt.”

“It’s true.” Blaine nodded. “She even called us the Sunshine Twins.”

Kurt’s eyes drift to Blaine’s—his—yellow pants. “Yeah, that fits.”

#klaine #klaine fanfiction #klaine fanfic #my fics #folklore series

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wxlfstxrx · 4 years

Text

My Love (Chapter Three!!!!)

FINALLY. the final chapter is up!! god, i’m tired. firstly, before i forget, pls forgive my ignorance regarding the passport thing. HAHA. i had no idea that a passport wasn't necessary when crossing between states. best believe i was shooketh when i found out. i tried to briefly correct it in this chapter. also, once again the French phrases were translated online, so apologies if there are any errors.

i wanna thank everyone who’s provided support one way or another. i love you guys <3<3

special thanks to @lumosinlove for the wonderful story & characters. you are very lovely :))

“DUMO,” Finn yelled as the Dumais’ door slammed open. “God damn, fuck, I’m sorry, oh god—”

“C’est bon, Harz,” Dumo, who had jumped in shock, got up off the couch and made his way over to Finn and Leo, meeting them halfway at the entryway of the living room.

“I don’t understand,” Leo removed his glasses to rub at his eyes blearily, not bothering with contact lenses at six thirty in the morning. “Pourquoi est-il parti?”

“Je ne sais pas, mais quelque chose a dû lui arriver....”

Finn groaned and shoved Leo lightly. “French, guys.”

“Sorry, mon chéri,” Leo patted Finn’s unruly mop lightly.

Dumo raised an eyebrow at Leo, who yawned, unaware. “Dumo, you’ve got any coffee? I can’t think straight right now.”

Dumo gestured for the two boys to follow him into the kitchen, where he started heating water in the electric kettle. He busied himself with getting three mugs while Finn and Leo plonked themselves at the dining table.

While Leo was still half asleep, despite dozing on the car ride to the Dumais’, Finn was filled with nervous energy, subconsciously shaking his knee out of habit until Leo softly slapped his thigh under the table to stop him from rocking the table.

None of them said a word, all lost in their own thoughts until Dumo placed the three steaming mugs of coffee on the table, along with creamer and sugar, before sitting down opposite the pair. He took a sip, while Finn and Leo jostled for the creamer and sugar. When they were sufficiently satisfied with their coffees, Finn spoke up again.

“Dumo… You didn’t speak to Logan at all yesterday?”

“Non, not since before he left the house after training. D’you know where he went?” Dumo gave Finn a significant look, the latter flushing and quickly taking a big gulp of his coffee to avoid meeting the former’s eyes.

After several moments, Finn realised he hadn’t answered. He shrugged in what he hoped looked like a nonchalant way, “We went for lunch, and then he dropped by. He… He left before dinner, so I assumed he, err… I assumed he came back here right away.”

“Ah bon? Celeste and I brought the kids upstairs to bed around ten, and he still hadn’t come back by then.” Dumo frowned into his mug, as though his coffee had the answers to all his problems.

Finn and Leo shared a look, Leo raising his brows meaningfully. He jerked his head ever so slightly in Dumo’s direction, and Finn shook his head sadly, looking down at his hands.

“And he’s not answering his phone?”

Dumo laughed humourlessly. “Never does, that boy. It’s bad enough on normal days, but I think he’s completely turned his phone off. I can’t get through at all, and his last seen was—”

“Yesterday night. Yeah.” Finn buried his face in his hands.

“Did… Did you try asking the rest of the team? Maybe they’ve seen him,” Leo suggested, running a hand through his messy blonde hair.

“Later, I guess,” Dumo hummed, looking out of the kitchen window. “‘s still a bit early.”

Finn stayed silent, draining the rest of his coffee in one gulp. His knee was shaking again, and Leo didn’t have the heart to stop him this time.

They went down to the basement, greeting a sleepy, bewildered Celeste at the stairs as she made her way to the kitchen. Dumo stayed to exchange terse whispers with her while the other two boys headed down.

Objectively, Logan’s room looked as it always had: his unmade double bed with pillows strewn all over and the duvet half falling off the bed (Why make your bed every morning when you’re just gonna mess it up again at night, hmm Harz? You know I’m right.), his dirty clothes clumsily thrown into a laundry hamper by the door, the small desk cluttered with random knick knacks such as his laptop, several caps that he hadn’t bothered to stow away properly, and a few bottles of cologne. The floor was in an even worse state, however, where a few stray tee shirts that had fallen out of the laundry hamper and a whole array of clothing items that had tumbled out of his wardrobe on the far end of the room.

Finn approached the mess by his wardrobe, his stomach dropping. Crouching down, he let his hand run over the soft fabric of his red Lions hoodie. The exact one that he was wearing now. He lifted the hoodie up, biting down onto his bottom lip, and let himself fall backwards on his arse, into a sitting position.

He felt a warm hand on his shoulder, and he turned his head to look up at Leo, wide brown eyes shining with tears.

“Mon chou…” Leo’s eyes darted around Finn’s face, and he had just started to tug on his hoodie to pull him into a hug when they heard footsteps right outside the door.

Leo quickly stood up and took a step back, shoving his hands into the pockets of his sweatpants just as Dumo walked in.

“I’ve dropped Sirius and James a text, hopefully they’ll have some idea of where he is,” The older man frowned, his voice trembling, looking as heartbroken as Finn felt.

“Thanks, Dumo,” Finn ran his hand through his wild red curls, tugging on them in a weak attempt to calm his nerves. No such luck. “I’m sorry, this mustn’t be easy for you either, yeah?”

Dumo smiled dejectedly.

“He’s like a son to me. Mon dieu. I don’t know what to do. I’ve never…” He dropped down onto the edge of Logan’s bed, wringing his hands together. “It’s just… He’s been with me for some time now, oui? I can sort of read him. Sometimes even better than he knows himself.”

He looked at Finn once again, who ignored the thundering of his heart in his chest.

“I’ve noticed something off ever since he came to live with us. I mean… I do think he enjoys staying here, sincerely. We get along well. We all love him... Me and Celeste and the kids. We spend a lot of time at home just, being together, you know? Playing games and talking and watching the telly. We’ve always been close. But there’s just something, something that he’s not telling us. He gets closed off sometimes when we’re talking to him, and some nights he comes home refusing to talk to any of us at all, heading down to his room immediately. But then the next morning, he’ll kiss us all on the cheek, and he’ll take us out for breakfast, as if nothing happened.

“He acts as though he’s fine all the time, and maybe he doesn’t know it himself, but I know. Je la vois. Dad instincts,” Dumo tapped his temple with his pointer finger, the corner of his mouth turning upward slightly, but without a hint of joy.

Leo sighed and asked Dumo a question, but Finn barely heard it. His mind was running in overdrive.

He knew that they had parted on awkward terms when he got drafted to the Lions, and other than the text reply that came a few days after Finn had messaged him when he had arrived in Gryffindor, they frankly hadn’t talked much for a couple of months. He felt like he had left his heart behind at Harvard, and the homesickness he had felt, combined with the heartbreak over being away from Logan for the first time in years had him feeling very, very lost and unsure.

Several times, he had stared into his phone for long periods of time, Logan’s contact flashing on his screen, but he had never dared to make the call. Call me when you get there. I want to hear about everything. What would he even have said? Both of them had been in two very different places, and he knew Logan had been missing him too. Would he have just made things worse if he had called?

So, he never did.

His first interaction with Logan after that had been when the younger boy had graduated. After several unsent drafts, he had finally decided to text Logan a simple Happy graduation, I’m proud of you.

Logan had called him almost immediately, chattering excitedly, and since he had been seemingly in higher spirits, Finn had let him, sitting in his apartment alone, feeling a sense of calm washing over him for the first time in almost a year.

They had kept in contact regularly afterwards, after both of them had apologised, awkwardly, for not catching up sooner. Logan had not said a word about what had happened during the party two years ago, or the night before he had left Harvard. He had decided to let it slide, though. If ignoring what had happened would give him back his best friend, he’d take it in a heartbeat.

Soon after, Logan had been drafted into the Lions. Finn had felt a whole roller-coaster of emotions: pride, excitement, and love, but also fear and nervousness. He hadn’t known what to expect. Would things be the same between them? Or would their friendship be different, now that they were out of school and past their partying days? Would they still be living together, like they did in school? Would Logan ask to share the apartment with him? Would he ask Logan?

One day, he had woken up to receive news that Logan had chosen to billet with Dumo and his family, and Finn never did have the chance to ask. He had felt as though his heart had been ripped in half, and seeing him during trainings together had been strained and tense for some time after.

Following one of their team dinners about a month after, they had talked it out, just the two of them, seated on the trunk of his car in the parking lot of Sid’s. Neither of them had really looked at each other. Basked in the warm glow of the streetlamp above them, Finn had never felt colder than he did then.

Didn’t— Didn’t you think I would’ve asked you to stay with me?

I did. That’s exactly why I didn’t.

Finn had sucked in a deep breath at that, feeling the pain in his chest intensify until he had found it difficult to breathe.

Okay. Yeah, no, it’s alright.

I’m sorry. I couldn’t. I— I couldn’t.

It hadn’t been alright.

read the rest on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24215410/chapters/58975165 <3

#Finn O'Hara #Logan Tremblay #Leo Knut #O'Knutzy #Sweater Weather #Coast to Coast #Lumosinlove #Songfic #My Love #Leo is woke as all hell #Finn & Logan are just disaster bis #kinda like me

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chocoholicannanymous · 3 years

Text

If the Spit Hits the Fan (Glee) pt XIV

Follows pt I, pt II, pt III, pt IV, pt V, part VI, pt VII, part VIII, part IX, part X, part XI, part XII and part XIII.

Posting this for day 3 (Dalton) of @kbweek2020, for reasons.

Benjamin Harris asks Kurt to call him Ben during their first meeting, and pencils him in for two sessions per week “for now”. Kurt doesn't know whether to be grateful that he's at a school where his mental health is considered so important or horrified that he's seen as needing that much help.

When he brings it up with Sebastian the answer is “grateful” and Kurt's pretty sure that it's the right one. It's just such a glaring difference from McKinley where the closest he'd gotten to an adult caring about his anything (in a positive way that was) was poor Miss Pillsbury.

And that's, that's just sad.

So he agrees to go to Ben's office every Monday and Wednesday, and he tries to talk, only he finds he's still skittish and wary.

Ben's good though, and finds a way around Kurt's defenses by suggesting that they bring in Finn for a few shared sessions, “to heal old wounds”. It's a good solution as that's something about being back at Dalton, and about boarding again, that Kurt isn't entirely pleased about. Not living at home means it's hard to be there for Finn (and to not having Finn be there for him). Sebastian is a good friend, but Finn's his brother. Kurt worries, okay?

Ben being sneaky and getting permission to have Finn come over for the first two weeks is an excellent solution.

(The only one who doesn't realize that half the reason is so Finn can get the help he needs but McKinley won't provide is Finn himself.)

Once Kurt begins to trust Ben – once he's seen that it's justified – talking gets easier. Telling him about everything that's lead to Kurt transferring to Dalton not just once but twice in a year in painful but also healing. Even if he sometimes hides from everyone afterwards just to deal with the sheer hurt of how little help he's ever been offered outside of his home and his dad's garage, and how much he could have thrived if he'd gotten this earlier.

The worst part is talking about Blaine.

Except, he has to, and maybe that's even worse.

So he makes an appointment late on a Friday, arranges for Finn to come pick him up, and then walks in with his back straight and his emotions tucked away as deep as possible.

He tells the whole story of him and Blaine, from that first meeting on the staircase all the way to the police station, with as little detail and emotion as he can get away with. He winces, once, because Ben shifts a little during the part about Scandals, and right, he worked here last year. It's possible, Kurt thinks, that not that long ago it was Blaine sitting in this very chair telling Ben about his circumstances.

When Kurt reaches the end he falls silent. He's a little hoarse, from talking so long, and he feels empty.

Ben's quiet too, at first. He sits there, then gets up to fetch Kurt a bottle of water and waits for him to drink some of it.

“That's...that's a lot you just told me, Kurt. And judging from what I've learned about you I'm guessing this is the first time you've talked about all of it like this?”

True. Kurt's talked, yes, with Finn and Sebastian and even his dad. Before Blaine's disappearance he'd talked to Rachel and Mercedes. But not like this. Not without hiding things, or editing them out. Not with honesty.

“All of this, everything that's happened with Blaine... How does it make you feel?”

“Angry. Pathetic. Weak. Stupid. So, so stupid.”

“Why stupid?”

“Because I trusted him. I've got trust issues from here to forever, and I just trusted him. All I had to go on was that Blaine was cute, and charismatic when performing, that he was willing to listen and seemed sympathetic, and that he was gay just like me. That he'd been bullied, like me. Or so he said.

“And I just took him at his word. Trusted him like a damned sheep. Without a single shred of evidence that he was worth it. I told him things I hadn't even thought about telling my dad – who was worth my trust – and things I didn't have the right to tell him, and for what? So things could get even worse?”

Ben takes a moment again, before asking his next question.

“Do you feel now that Blaine didn't deserve that trust? Not just in the end, but throughout your relationship, I mean.”

Kurt laughs, short and harsh and joyless.

“You know, I dream about it. Not, not about that night – or I do too, but those are, that's not dreams, that's... Anyway, no.

“I dream that it's an ordinary day, and I'm driving over to Blaine's house to surprise him for some reason. I don't know why, since Blaine specifically told me I was never to show up there without warning, and I respected that.”

He'd added two and two and come up with “Mr Anderson is a homophobic prick”, which may or may not be true, and also may or may not be the actual reason.

“Anyway. I drive over there, and I ring the doorbell, and when Mrs Anderson opens the door I ask for Blaine. Only she tells me there's no Blaine living there, there never was. And when I push her on it, she tells me that a boy paid them to pretend to be his family, but she doesn't know why, or where he really lives.”

Kurt swallows.

“And then I wake up, and I can't help but wonder, if I were to do my research, would I find an Anderson family at West Elm Street? And if I did, would the faces match the people I've met?”

“What do you mean?”

“Blaine and I dated for six months, and were friends for another six months before that. And somehow I never got to know his family. I haven't even seen a photo of Blaine's older brother. I've only ever met Mrs Anderson three times, and Mr Anderson twice. If it wasn't for the fact that they were at the police station, specifically as Blaine's parents – which, by the way, is one of those times – I don't know if I'd believe that's who they are. Hell, at my darkest moments I still question it.”

“Do you really believe he would fake something like that?”

Ben's voice doesn't hold mocking, or disbelief, just worry.

“No. Not really. As I said, they went to the police as Blaine's parents. That's not something you risk if it's fake. Besides, Lima's too small to pull something like that off.

“It's more that I find that I was such an unimportant piece of Blaine's life puzzle that I can't even trust something like that.”

They both sit quiet for a while. After all, what is there even to say about thoughts like those?

When Kurt returns to Dalton on Sunday evening Sebastian is leaning against his door, dangling a thermos-flask from one hand. It's both a welcome sight and not, seeing as Kurt had let slip about the nightmares during a check-in the day before. But. It's coffee, and it's Sebastian.

He's halfway through his cup before Sebastian grabs the bull by the horn.

“Do you want to talk about the nightmares?”

No, he most certainly does not. Not those anyway. Still...

“The ones about that night, no. But there are others. Sometimes I have nightmares where I come to school and instead of Blaine being gone, instead of me being called into Miss Pillsbury's office the next day to be met with the news that Blaine's gone... I go to my locker and he's there. And I forgive him. I just...ignore that he tried to rape me, and I forgive him. Even worse, I take the blame.

“And then I wake up shaking, knowing that I could so easily have done just that.”

“Kurt...” His name falls from Sebastian's lips with almost no sound, and it's so clear that the other boy wants to protest.

“No, I really could have. Right from the beginning everyone was so happy to let me know I was lucky to find Blaine, and some made it clear that they didn't think I'd ever be able to do better. Hell, my own experience made me believe that. So why would I have let him walk away? If he was the best I could get, then it was forgive him or spend my life alone.

“Talking to Ben has made me realize exactly how unhealthy that kind of thinking is, and how me folding about something like that would have impacted our entire relationship. He would always have known he could get away with just about anything, and I would never be able to stand up for myself because of the fear of being alone.”

Kurt shudders. Had those dreams been reality then he would never have felt safe denying Blaine sex again. He'd never have felt safe denying Blaine anything. You want that role I need? Of course. You want to move across the country? I'll start packing. You want me to quit my job and be a househusband? Yes dear.

He'd have become a doormat, and he'd have told everyone it was what he wanted while believing it was all he deserved.

Blaine leaving had hurt like hell, but Kurt's beginning to believe it had been a blessing.

“I think I might have dodged a bullet there.”

Sebastian scoffs.

“No shit. That's not a bullet though, that's ammunition for a small war.”

Kurt acknowledges the point. It's a bit of an overstatement, he thinks, but then again he went the other direction.

“Either way, he's out of my life, and he's not getting back in. That's a good thing. The same will be true about the nightmares, sooner or later. No, this isn't me pretending things are fine when they're not, this is me honestly believing it'll be fine. Talking to Ben helps.

“Having you helps.”

He watches amused as Sebastian blushes softly at the compliment while trying to play cocky. He likes it when Sebastian's facade breaks down. In fact, he might just have made it his mission to make it happen as often as possible.

“So, do you have any plans for the rest of the evening? Lacrosse equipment to clean? Lingering homework? No? What about that essay for Mme Lacroix?”

The panic in Sebastian's face as he jumps up is delicious.

“What essay? When did she– Oh, I see. Not funny, Hummel.”

“From where I'm sitting? Definitely funny, Smythe. But if there's nothing else you need to do, would you like to watch a movie with me? I've got some chocolate I don't mind sharing, and I'll even let you pick the movie.”

Sebastian looks at him suspiciously, searching for the next joke. Then he apparently decides that Kurt is serious.

“I could do that. Careful though, that almost sounded like you asking for a date.”

“Who said I wasn't?” Total deer in headlights look. “Would it be so bad? I like you. I think we are good together. I believe we could be even better. I trust you. Giving this, giving us, a chance feels smart. It feels right.”

Sebastian keeps staring at him, and Kurt feels himself begin to fidget a little, suddenly uncomfortable. Did he read the situation wrong? Then, finally, Sebastian speaks, voice a little raspy.

“Oh god. I thought you... Can I kiss you?”

There's a desperation in the words, but Kurt can't fault him for it. He feels it too. So he nods, and takes a step towards Sebastian. He's expecting... Well, he doesn't know what he's expecting. More of the desperation maybe? Expertise? Seduction? He definitely wasn't expecting careful softness, and constant checks for consent, but that's what he gets.

Then again, maybe that's exactly what he should have expected from Sebastian, who's been with him the whole way, who knows everything, and has shown himself to care in a way Kurt's not entirely used to to.

It's a Sebastian without masks and attitudes, meeting a Kurt without the same, and it's everything he could have wished for.

He's got no memory of what movie they finally play.

#chocoholic fics #kurt fic #kurt hummel #a wild sebastian appears #sebastian smythe #in 2020 we finish our wips #kbweek2020

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aphrodites-law · 4 years

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ClexaWeek, Day 6.

“She can’t be killed while she’s cursed, but she can be made vulnerable enough to let her guard down.”

Clarke felt uneasy. “How would one do such a thing?”

“Love. The curse has made her heart hard. Embittered. You can make it soft again.”

“So that I may run a knife through it afterward,” Clarke predicted.

Finn’s eyes gleamed at her quick thinking. “The manner in which you kill her is your choice.”

Mr. Collins had never been to a brothel before, that much was obvious to Clarke. He stood by the door of the room holding his hat in front of his groin, as if it would protect him from Clarke’s wickedness. His eyes looked everywhere in the room, from the made bed to the small window. The floorboards creaked in protest beneath his polished shoes and the heavy perfume in the air made his nose twitch. Clarke had guessed this wouldn’t be business as usual. She’d had timid patrons before, but Mr. Collins was a different breed.

She sat on the chair by the open window and observed him, glad they couldn’t hear the ruckus from the tavern downstairs.

“What can I do for you, Mr. Collins?” she asked. He’d introduced himself before asking for privacy, which she had granted after noticing the fine make of his clothes. He had money.

He loosened his tight grip on his satchel and placed it on the bed. “Have you ever traveled by the Forest of Polis?” he asked.

Clarke chuckled dryly. It wasn’t the strangest question she’d been asked, but nonetheless unexpected. The tall, dark forest was their city’s natural border in the north and east, but to most people it was considered a wall. Even foreigners knew to stay on the beaten paths.

“I don’t see much of the world outside of this street. If I did, my destination of choice wouldn’t be a deadly forest.”

“Cursed is the word I would use,” Finn said, then cleared his throat. “Have you heard of the keeper?”

Clarke picked up a hairbrush on the dressing table next to her. If he was going to bore her with stories, she might as well keep her hands busy. “I’ve heard of the tale told to frighten children, yes. The ruthless keeper lives in every tree and can see through the eyes of every animal. Adventuring too deep inside is a sure death sentence at her hand.”

“That isn’t quite the truth. She has great power over the forest, but she isn’t cruel. I could tell.”

Clarke paused her brushing, surprised by the revelation. “You’ve met her?”

Finn nodded. “A year ago. I had pigeons delivering a message at key points in the known parts of the forest. When one of the birds went missing for weeks, I thought it had died. To my astonishment, it came back with a reply and a rendezvous point. We met in a clearing by a river. I… had an enlightening conversation with her.”

“How—” Clarke shook her head, baffled. “So she truly exists? A woman living alone in that forest?”

“She does. And despite her power, she struck me as deeply human. I don’t think I was particularly interesting to her, but she asked many questions about Polis.”

“What was your business with her?”

Finn sat on the bed, leaving his hat on his lap. “You might have heard that the ancient city of Arkadia was built in the forest, with countless riches and fertile soil around it.”

“Another folktale to entertain children with.”

Finn seemed irked by her lack of wonder. “They are stories based in reality. Now imagine what we could do with these resources if we had access to them. How better our lives might be if we had the gold to better our businesses and the crops to feed our children. Our neighbors would finally respect us. Polis could become a great city again, as it was decades ago.”

“And you think a single woman stands in your way?”

“I know it for a fact. Six years ago, my father found the maps that proved Arkadia’s existence. We brought them to the Commander, but none of the soldiers sent to find it survived the forest. Our leaders may have given up on finding Arkadia, but I owe it to my father to realize his dream.”

Clarke sighed. She had heard this kind of talk before. “I don’t have much time for dreams, Mr. Collins.”

“Few people do,” Finn acknowledged, “but I believe in a better future for us all. That is why I sought out a diplomatic resolution with the keeper.”

“I take it she wasn’t interested in diplomacy?”

“She… became enraged. She said that Arkadia deserved its ruin and ordered me to leave. It was the end of our conversation.”

Clarke appreciated his honesty, but it still didn’t explain his presence. “And now you’re here.”

Finn fiddled with his hat, still not sure what to do with his body in tight quarters with another woman. If Clarke had to guess, he’d taken a vow of purity. “Since the keeper cannot be reasoned with, there is no other choice but to stop her.”

Clarke immediately felt that the conversation had shifted into something more sinister.

“It’s simple, really,” Finn said with the ghost of a smile: “She is lonely.”

“Surely she comes to the city once in a while.”

“No, she cannot leave the forest grounds. I believe her isolation has finally worn on her. She wouldn’t have met with me otherwise.”

“And you wish to send someone to her. Someone who would work for you.” Clarke knew she was right before he even nodded. “If what you say is true, the keeper has power and land—reasons enough for many to enjoy her company. But you came to a brothel, which means you’re looking for a woman desperate enough to say yes. Why?”

Finn grimaced. “The truth is, she’s not easy on the eyes. She was cursed with a mask of sorts.”

“A mask?”

“One that cannot be removed, as if melded to the top of her face. It’s white and textured like bone, but unbreakable. I thought to bring something similar.”

Finn opened the satchel and showed Clarke what seemed like the front part of a human skull. He brought it over his face, where it covered his visage from his forehead to his nose. His face suddenly looked beastly, like he might turn feral and rip her throat. Clarke’s blood ran cold the longer she stared. She could understand how no one would be willing to wake up to such a frightening sight every morning.

“I see.”

Finn hid the mask back in the satchel, staring at it for a beat, as if both entranced and disgusted. “She can’t be killed while she’s cursed, but she can be made vulnerable enough to let her guard down.”

Clarke felt uneasy. “How would one do such a thing?”

“Love. The curse has made her heart hard. Embittered. You can make it soft again.”

“So that I may run a knife through it afterward,” Clarke predicted.

Finn’s eyes gleamed at her quick thinking. “The manner in which you kill her is your choice.”

It was not the first time Clarke had been asked to kill. Spurned lovers or hateful spouses sometimes bribed her to get rid of their partners if they came back to her. She had never agreed to it, but she knew others had. Finn’s request was different. Clarke didn’t fully understand it yet, but she needed the full story before she made up her mind.

“Are you sure she would be seduced by a woman?”

“Yes, according to a witch’s knowledge of her curse... ” he revealed, but did not share any more.

“You said she isn’t cruel, yet people are harmed by the forest she controls.”

"I wouldn’t say she controls it. There’s a reason we call her a keeper rather than a witch. But they are intricately connected, that much is certain. When my father sought to find Arkadia on his own, he recounted that the deeper he went, the more aggressive the plant life became. Even stranger? It was like the roots and thorns came to life, but neither blades nor fire affected them. He was one of the lucky ones to survive.”

There was a sadness to Finn’s tone that suggested his father had since died.

“Magic?” Clarke asked.

“The woman’s curse. My belief is that, should it be broken, we would be able to clear a path just like the Arkadians did. We would finally have access to our rich heritage.”

“You are relying heavily on your beliefs.”

“I have no other choice. Polis can’t go on like this anymore. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“Hm.” Clarke had no feelings about it either way. Her own survival mattered much more than that of a crumbling city. “Are you confident love would do the trick?”

“I have researched her curse and others for the past year. I have traveled to witches’ dwellings from south to west and risked my life for these answers. Love is the most human of powers—I’m certain it’s her antidote.”

Clarke considered the task for a moment. “Why kill her?” she asked.

Finn seemed surprised. “Pardon?”

“Why kill her when she becomes powerless? You said her powers are tied to her curse.”

Finn looked away, the telltale signs he hadn’t revealed everything. Clarke knew that expression too well.

“You’re lying to me, Mr. Collins.”

“I’m not!” he panicked.

“I won’t take on a fool’s quest without knowing all the risks. Spit it out or leave.”

Finn hesitated before yielding to her request. “When I say the curse will be broken, I mean that lulled would be a more appropriate word. Love would make her human side come forth again, but if she were to lose this love…”

“She would relinquish her humanity for good,” Clarke guessed.

“I fear then that she would become unstoppable. That we would never find Arkadia.”

“And no sane person would agree to a lifetime in a dark forest, pretending to love a masked woman.”

Clarke was glad she had gotten to the bottom of it. Still, something made her hesitant to throw herself in the fire: “True love cannot be one sided.”

“I believe that it can. I’ve seen it happen. My father was madly in love with my mother. Devoted to her. She fulfilled her duties, but she had no love for him—at best, tepid affection. Yet it didn’t make his love for her any less true.”

“What makes you believe the keeper could love me?”

“Isn’t love your business?”

“Fucking is my business.”

Finn blushed, unused to such bluntness. “I saw you downstairs, in the tavern. You had patrons eating out of the palm of your hand. You’re a beautiful woman, but you’re also sharp. Witty. And you exude something that…” he struggled to hold her stare, but did his best to appear confident. “The witches I’ve met have all told me the same thing: She will be yearning for someone like her. An outcast. A woman who understands loneliness. At the same time, you would be her opposite. Someone constantly surrounded by people. You could travel the world and blend into the fabric of each city. I think she would like that. I think she might easily love you.”

“You spin quite the tale,” Clarke replied, then shrugged. “I’ve heard your proposal, but what’s in it for me?”

Finn dug into his satchel and took out a velvet pouch. He approached her and opened it, revealing gold and precious stones. Clarke nearly lost her breath. That was more than she’d ever seen and enough to last her years, even a lifetime if she was smart.

“It would also come with the title deed to a house and an orchard.“ Finn closed the pouch. "Land and money… Surely that is enough incentive?”

As he spoke, Clarke stood up to look out the window. She had expected him to come prepared, but the offer still shocked her.

“What do you have to lose?” he asked with thinly-veiled contempt. Clarke could hear that he had shaken off his awkwardness and was now anxious for an answer.

“Would you really miss this life? The filth and the noise? I’m offering you freedom. A home.”

Clarke studied the street, needing to ignore his gaze. It was an appealing proposition, despite the risky nature of it. The keeper was yearning for companionship but saddled with a frightening face—she would likely be receptive to someone’s affection. It was no different than the act she had put on to retain a faithful clientele here. To survive this world. She suspected Finn knew more about her than he let on. He had used the only word that might sway her completely: Home.

A home to call hers. A home where she would eat her own meals and clean her own mess. Walls, doors and windows that would keep her safe, not trapped. An orchard that would sustain her. It was the only dream she ever did allow herself to have, now attainable.

“Are you interested or not?” Finn asked.

She turned to him and nodded. “I’ll need an advance—two months worth of living expenses. Then you’ll show me the house. Should I find the plot suitable, I’ll sign the title deed before my departure.”

Finn seemed taken aback by her demand. “Before?”

“I’m putting my life in mortal danger. I need a guarantee it won’t be in vain regardless of the plan’s outcome.”

He mulled it over, likely wondering if she would take her deed and close the door in his face. But without money, she would not be able to do much with the house. It needed upkeep, as did the orchard.

“You think two months will be enough?”

“To have her fall in love? Perhaps not. But I will know whether or not it is a possibility.”

Finn looked elated, his chest puffing up and his boyish grin betraying his youth. His plan was finally being set in motion. “Very well, I’ll come by in the morning! I’ll have everything—anything you want.”

Clarke thought quickly about every step before it was too late. She would not get duped into a trap. “Where will I find a weapon if she has none?”

Finn took out a folded map from his satchel and opened it on the bed. He had truly come prepared. For his sake, Clarke hoped he hadn’t come alone. A naive looking man with such a heavy bag wouldn’t go unnoticed on this street.

“Here are the known areas of the forest,“ he explained, showing her the shaded points on the map. He pointed to a twisted looking line. “When you feel the moment is right, you’ll find both a knife and poison beneath the thickest root of a weeper tree. I don’t know where the keeper stays, but you’ll only need to follow the river stream toward Polis to find the tree. Its branches are warped into such unique shapes that you’ll immediately recognize it.”

Clarke stared at the map but found herself drifting when he spoke about the rumored location of Arkadia. Could she truly kill a woman, cursed or not? Could she be so callous as to make love a fatal weakness? Clarke had looked for ways out of Polis’ streets for years and this was it. How could she refuse such an offer? Morals had to be flexible when it came to survival.

“How shall I find her without getting myself killed?” she asked.

Finn pointed to another winding line on the map, excited to divulge more of his plan. “There is a bridge…” he started.

#Clexaweek2020 #clexaweek2020 day 6 #clexa #a concept #and basically another take on the keeper of the forest #anyway this is uh... period piece in an alternate universe :-)#w #f: the keeper

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gustafsnightangel · 3 years

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Shattered Lives Ch 31 Pt 1

The days following Sildie’s birthday passed with the usual pre Christmas rush, work, and kids. Sildie and Gustaf got caught up in the holiday spirit, buying presents, squaring away the legal paperwork, working out the logistics of moving. It was a little daunting for both of them. Then there was the Christmas party and dinner with his family Christmas Day. Out of the two, Sildie didn’t know which she was dreading the most. At least she was on vacation until the kids went back to school mid January and had the time to chew on it all. She needed this time with them, with Gustaf. The time to make sure the six of them could coexist together.

“I have some good news.” She said sitting down at the table with a fresh pot of tea after the kids had gone to bed.

“I like good news.” Gustaf smiled, and tugged her into his lap. “I like good news and you in my lap for Friday night tea dates.” He kissed the nape of her neck and lingered, the scent of her grounding him. They had reinstated their Friday night tea dates as a way to talk about anything and everything, a designated weekly vent and purge session. She’d missed them.

She reached over and grabbed her messenger bag and pulled it into her lap.

“No work.” He growled, and it wasn’t his usual playful tone. “You’re on vacation Sildie.” And he’d see that she’d get the rest and relaxation she needed.

“It’s not work. It’s my good news. Our paperwork came in today. Approved by your lawyer and mine, all we need to do is sign and I can file on Monday.” She said quietly, she still wasn’t sure this was actually happening.

“Get me a pen.” He said without hesitation and she chuckled as she held one up. She stopped him before he took the pen by gripping it tightly.

“Read it first. You know it as well as I do but read it before you sign, just in case.” She said gently. He was being rash and stupid and he knew better, read before you sign and read everything. Kissing her cheek he started to read.

“Just excited.” He mumbled. She leaned back as his arm came around her.

“I know you are but read first.” She sipped her tea and snuggled into him staring at the tree, all lit and sparkling. They were about to move in together, be a family. Her gaze rested on the digital frame that held a Christmas photo of when the twins were still babies. Quinn and Dana happy, the pang of grief echoed in her chest. Whatever it takes Quinn, she thought, I’ll see them all happy and cared for if I meet the same fate as you. Please don’t hate me for it, she said silently, he’d a good man.

After reading through it he signed the bottom and handed her the pen. She felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders once pen had been put to paper and her own signature had been placed next to his. The kids would be safe, whatever happened to her, they would be safe and cared for.

“Can I ask you something?” He said kissing her on the spot below her ear.

“Of course.”

“Move in with me?” He grinned against her skin as she chuckled. He felt suddenly alive and excited.

“Not wasting any time are you?” She laughed

“Fuck no.” He kissed her, long and slow. “I want to be in our bed. Move in with me.” He murmured.

“After Christmas. We have the party tomorrow and then dinner with your family. Boxing Day we can start moving.” She said softly. She was excited but it terrified her. They hadn’t told the kids yet, and what if they hated the idea.

“So that’s a yes?”

She giggled. “It’s a yes. Yes I’ll move in with you. Yes we can tell the kids. Yes to sleeping in our bed.”

“Have I told you lately how much I love you?” He grinned kissing her hard. It was like all his Christmas’s had come early.

“Repeatedly.” She was smiling so hard her cheeks were hurting. “At least every hour.”

“Then to keep that winning streak going, I love you Sildie.”

“Sweet man I know you do.” She placed a hand on his chest over his heart. “I love you too.”

“You’re moving in with me.” He said quietly as if the thought hadn’t really sunk in yet, that shit eating grin spreading across his face.

“Yes I am.” She whispered. His kiss was other worldly, nothing short of mind blowing.

“Are you ok to sit with the kids tomorrow? I have some shopping to do that I didn’t get a chance to do last weekend.” She asked as she filed the legal paperwork back into her bag.

“Sure. What time’s the party again? Six right?”

“Yes, and you’re sure Bill is ok with all of them?”

“He offered. I was on the phone with Alice and overheard she was booked. I think Alida and Oona are coming over for a bit too, so Lily will have a playmate.”

“I need to make sure I have something nice for them.” She said as if making a mental shopping list of things to get and do tomorrow.

“No you don’t.” He said firmly.

“Gustaf.” She sighed.

“You don’t Sildie. He’s doing it because we’re family and because he wants to.” He said gently, it would take her a while to get used to that, to be able to depend on family without feeling guilty for it. “Let him help. The poor guy has been wanting a rematch with Finn on Mario cart anyway. He’s still in disbelief that he was bested by a seven year old.” He snickered.

“Is he ok with it being overnight?” She asked sipping her tea.

“He’s fine with it. He has all the details of the hotel and the party. Things will be fine.” He reassured her, and he’d have to do it again a thousand times over before leaving tomorrow night. He kissed her neck, lingering, tasting. “I know we’ve been busy as hell the past week or so, but I miss you.” He murmured, that low tone making her belly quiver as his hands roamed under her silk blouse to find the gorgeous black lace beneath. “I’ve missed touching you.”

Between her work schedule, court, and the kids Christmas parties with friends and school camp activities they’d had a dry spell. Then there was the legal paperwork and moving in, they were both a little stressed, a little anxious. Sex hadn’t even crossed her mind until just now.

She turned in his arms to straddle him. “It’s been a rollercoaster. So much crammed into each day, I’m fucking exhausted.” She chuckled.

“I feel much the same. I like being with the kids but it’s taking a bit to adjust.” His huffed laugh was humorous. “It’s full on, all the time with them. Will your work and court schedule get easier in the new year?”

“To a point, unless I take partner and then it’ll be much the same. Which reminds me.” She fished around in her bag again and handed him her legal pad. She had the most elegant writing he noticed. “Would you take a look at this? It’s my list for Oliver and I want to make sure it doesn’t sound too demanding or ungrateful.”

“Of course.” He kissed her. “You’re considering it.”

She shrugged. “Still on the fence. I need to get past Christmas and revisit it again once we’re all moved in with you. I need to see it with a clear head.” Her kiss was tender. “Things will change when you’re out of town and I want to be sure I can handle it.”

“You’ll have my family as backup.” He said softly and twirled the loose wave of hair around his finger. “And we can always book Alice to take the pressure off you. Or we can hire a housekeeper and or a nanny. You’re not alone anymore love. If I can’t be here physically to help then I’ll find another way.” He kissed her sweetly. “When are you going to give Oliver the list?”

“In the new year. I’ve already told him I need to get past the remainder of this year, especially with all the changes. He understands and partner isn’t something they want to rush into either, even though they want me to start yesterday.” Her chuckle made him smile.

“That’s a good plan. Can I read this tomorrow?” He asked as he glanced at the pad. “I don’t think I’ll comprehend much tonight.”

“Whenever, there’s no rush.” She kissed him sweetly, her hands wandering to dip into his sweats and stroke him.

“Sildie.” He breathed. “My Sildie.” His hands streaked up her thighs and pushed her skirt to bunch at her waist before his mouth took hers tenderly.

“I need you.” She whispered. “Right here, right now.” She kissed him, mouth hot and hungry. “I want to ride you.” He hooked her g string to the side as she slipped his tip along her wet heat.

”Take what you need love.” He murmured, mouth claiming hers roughly.

It was that soft cry as she impaled herself on his cock that always made him weak for her. She rode him slowly, his massive hands on her ass grinding her into him as he stretched her, filled her.

“So big.” She moaned as she threw her head back offering him her throat. Not wasting the opportunity he savaged it, her release cresting. “Gustaf.”

“Take me with you.” He groaned as he felt her body bow before she came hard, her pussy clenching him tightly as she rode him. “Sildie.” His breath caught as he held her onto him buried deep inside her as he came, spilling his seed.

“I love you.” She said softly, his face cupped in her hands. “So much.”

“I love you too.” He held her close as they caught their breath.

She yawned. “Sorry, now I’m beat to hell.” She chuckled.

“To bed love.” He said gently with a smile. “Big night tomorrow.” He leaned his forehead against hers.

“I’m still not too keen on going.” She huffed, but she also wanted to get it over and done with so she could move on.

“I know, but I’ll be there. We can get the business end done and then enjoy a night out.” He kissed her slow, lingering to take it deeper as she relaxed.

“It’s not the dedication that’s freaking me out, it’s all the people coming up afterward to tell me how sorry they are, or stories of his time in court. I don’t know if I can handle it all being shoved in my face all night. Sorry I’m rambling and...” She closed her eyes and took a calming breath as his lips pressed a kiss to her forehead, lingering to help her find that calm she desperately needed.

“Will there be dancing?” He asked against her skin, hopeful.

“Yes.”

“Good. I’ll just dance with you for the rest of the night so they can’t talk to you.” He smiled.

“That’s not a bad plan.” She looked at him, kissing him quickly. “It beats getting shit faced and blubbering in your lap outside my front door.” She grinned at the memory.

“And we have a room in case it gets too much and you need to get the hell out of there.” He had created a safety bubble for her. A quiet space where she could retreat to because he knew at some point tomorrow night a panic attack was highly likely. “Speaking of a room. Bedroom, let’s go, because I need some damn sleep too.” He laughed. Lily had decided that 5 am was her new wake up time regardless of the holiday season and for the past week Gustaf’s sleep had been cut short. He’d made sure Bill was ok with the kids for most of Sunday because he was getting a damn sleep in after the party.

She curled into him and plummeted into sleep, exhaustion and relief that there was no work to rush off to for a few weeks taking her under hard. She’d been better since getting past her birthday. The grief was still there but it seemed manageable, like she’d turned a corner and was able to exist without it constantly consuming her. He was slightly worried that it would rear its ugly head in spectacular fashion at either the party tomorrow or with his family, he’d prefer it to be with the latter. They at least would understand and she’d have the space to distance and collect herself if needed. It felt like a ticking time bomb just waiting for her guard to be down before blowing up in her face again.

His own anxiety was a little high too, she was moving in. He wanted her with him, in their bed, under one roof, comfortable, as a family. It did not negate the fact that it was scary as hell, especially if the kids hated the idea. He’d dropped a few questions to feel them out, what they were thinking and they seemed like they’d be ok with it. He was hoping the work he’d done on their rooms made it easier. Sleep took him a little while later and it felt like he’d only just passed out when Lily was up chattering to them.

“Morning little lady.” He slurred, the cobwebs of sleep still addling his brain.

“I’ll get her.” Sildie mumbled and stretched out on top of him before kissing him sweetly. “Go back to sleep love.” She murmured. “You’ve had her and her crazy ass wake up schedule for the past week.”

“K.” He breathed and sleep took him under again.

Sildie changed a somewhat grumpy Lily and headed out to make some tea. “Well little lady if you’d just sleep longer you wouldn’t be such a grumpy pants.” She chuckled, snuggling her in and kissing her head. She would let Gustaf sleep, the man had been up with the kids and keeping them occupied for nearly two weeks while she’d been plowing through work and a mentally taxing court case. She felt a little guilty for leaving the house and kids for him to deal with and knew it wasn’t a habit she could fall into. She never forgive herself if she took advantage of him, or made him feel like she was.

Once Brendan had surfaced she left Lily with him cuddled on the couch and took a shower, Gustaf was still out cold. After spending most of the morning with the boys, she changed Lily and sat of the edge of the bed.

“Dad dad dad. Sooch.” Lily said softly.

“Time for dad dad kisses huh?” She set Lily down on the bed and stroked a hand down his chest. He snapped awake with a sharp inhale and blinked at her.

“It’s eleven love.” She said gently as he looked around wondering where the hell he was.

“Shit I didn’t mean to sleep that late.” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “Sorry I know you have shopping to do.”

“It’s ok you needed it.”

“Dad dad.” Lily squealed and his low chuckle made her smile.

“Hello Lily bear.” He said and lifted her up the bed to kiss the tiny girl before snuggling her in.

“Would you like some tea?”

“I would, but first.” He tugged her hand and she chuckled as she curled up with him. “My two best girls.” He murmured, the familiar sentiment choking her up. Damn it she thought, she couldn’t get emotional now, she’d never get through the night. His kiss chased that thought away, slow and loving. “Morning my love.”

“Morning.”

“You heading out shopping?”

“I’ll make you some tea first, but yes I’m about to try and do shopping.”

“Brave girl.” He chuckled. “It’ll be madness.”

“Yes but I have stuff to get.” Like for tonight, she thought. She had her dress, she just needed the underwear. And she had a plan for that underwear. She kissed him tenderly and got up to make a pot of tea.

Gustaf came out carrying Lily as she set the teapot on the table to steep for him. Her belly did a little flip at his disheveled look, all soft, warm and rumpled, still half asleep. Damn she wanted to go back to bed and snuggle with him, do erotic things to him.

“Bye love, have fun.” He kissed her softly as she grabbed her bag and left for a few hours. She’d done most of her Christmas shopping online and had them wrapped and under the tree, but needed stuff for tonight, something for Bill and something for his parents even though Gustaf had said it wasn’t necessary. For him it wasn’t, for her however, she needed to, she couldn’t turn up empty handed.

Gustaf goofed around with the kids, he’d shower before they went out tonight, but it was nice to just have a pajama day. It was relaxed and carefree, and he’d noticed that the kids had settled since he’d been staying in the apartment with them the past month or so. That was a good sign he thought, moving next door may not be as emotional or stressful.

Sildie came home around 3:30, arms full of bags. Some of it was wrapped and the kids were more than happy to place it under the tree, shaking boxes as they went to try and determine what she’d purchased.

“You look like you had fun.” He chuckled, taking one of the bags from her hand and placing it on the table before kissing her.

“I did actually. But now I have to get ready, go get my Christmas glam on.” She kissed him chastely.

“Do you want to do that here or in our room?” He asked.

“Here. All my stuff is here.” She said quietly.

“Ok, Bill texted and he’ll be here at five or so.” He kissed her tenderly. “Once you’re out of the shower I’ll go home and take one and bring my monkey suit back here.”

“Sounds good. I’ll need help with my dress at some point.” She said wickedly.

“I think I can help you with that.” He winked at her as she took her bags to her room and disappeared.

In all honestly he loved the way Sildie looked with no makeup and in sweats but he couldn’t help but fantasize what she would look like all dolled up. He went home and showered, grabbed his tux and headed back to Sildie’s in clean sweats. He didn’t want to have to put it on until the last minute. Bill arrived just after five and he sat talking to him until Sildie called out.

“Gustaf? Can you come help me please.” She called from her room.

Nothing prepared him for the sight of her in black lace and deep Christmas red heels. He shut the door and leaned on it, pinning his hands against it with his ass.

“Fuck me.” He choked and her giggle was wicked. She walked to him slowly and he shook his head. “Nope. Kitten if you touch me we aren’t going anywhere except to our bed.” He growled.

“You’ll just have to control yourself.” She purred. “Remember on my birthday when you said you wanted to see me in black lace and heels and that blindfold, tied to our bed?”

“I remember.” His voice strained, he was close to blowing his load in his fucking sweats like a teenager.

“Looks like Santa got your message. I don’t want to stay overnight at the hotel, I want to come home to our bed.” She walked her blood red nails up his chest and stroked one over his jaw. “I want you to do things to me.” She purred and kissed him sinfully. “All night long.”

He was struck speechless. He’d never had someone that played this game so fucking well.

“Cat got your tongue?” She smirked, those ice blue eyes sparkling mischievously.

“My kitten has.” He growled and her seductive chuckle make his cock twitch. “Fuck I love playing this game with you.” He breathed as she leaned a palm on his chest and kissed him.

“You need to get dressed.” She purred and palmed his erection making him groan.

“So do you or I’m going to fuck you where you stand kitten.” He growled.

“Patients daddy.” She breathed, nipping his bottom lip before sashaying over to where her dress was hanging.

He stood there and breathed, willing his cock to calm down at the mention of her endearment for him. It was difficult considering the vision in front of him. Black lace corset, g string, suspenders, lace top thigh high stocking with a red seam running up the back of those incredible pins she called legs. The red heels were four inches so they would be the same height tonight, and screamed fuck me.

She stepped into the dusty gold column sheath dress and wiggled her hips to get it on. A simple cut, figure hugging, plunging neckline, thigh high split. Modest for a formal party, devilish enough to tease Gustaf all night. She felt him stand behind her and help zip her up and secure the clasp for the deep Christmas red sash that cinched her waist and draped to the floor with the rest of the skirt. He rested his hands on her hips and kissed her neck seductively.

“You do realize I’m going to need a defense lawyer after tonight.” He said softly as he started to dress.

“Why’s that?” She asked a little confused, walking back to the bathroom to touch up her makeup and apply the 24 hour deep siren red lipstick she’d bought as a why the hell not.

“Because I’m going to have to kill every man in the room that looks at you.” He smirked pulling his tux pants on and zipping them up.

“I hope we can get a two for one deal then.” She huffed.

“Why?” He chuckled as he buttoned up his shirt and tucked it in.

She stood in front of him and ran a nail down those buttons, half tempted to strip him naked and take him in her mouth.

“Because you’re fucking royalty for one.” She scoffed. He watched her as she tied his bow tie, that bottom lip sinfully red and beckoning to him. “And every woman there is going to want you, I’m going to have to beat them off with a stick.”

He chuckled at her words and her smirk tugged the corners of her mouth. “I love you Sildie.” He said softly. “You’re the only one I want.”

“I know. You’re the only one I want too.” She kissed him, his brain melted as her tongue teased his. “Seeing you in this makes me all tingly.” She moaned biting her bottom lip.

He gripped her by the chin gently and teased his thumb over her bottom lip before kissing it, slowly. “Mine.” He growled, his eyes met hers as her pussy tingled at the possessive tone. “Are you ready to go kitten?” The intimacy swamping them both.

“Yes.” She choked breathlessly.

“Let’s get the business end of it done. Then...” He kissed her longingly. “Then kitten, I’m going to do all kinds of delicious things to you.” His low tone caused and involuntary shiver to ripple across her body. “Mmm, you like the sound of that don’t you.” It was a statement more than a question. The man was able to bewitch her with his words, his tone.

“Mmm hmmm.” She was already drunk on him. “You smell so good.” She purred. He kissed her again before pulling away, a cocky smirk on his face.

“Let’s go lovely lady.” He chuckled, sitting to slip his shoes on. Standing he held out his hand for her, his gilded goddess, her halo of molten copper cascading down her spine. And that dress was something else entirely and he knew what was hidden under it. That was going to be fucking torture all night, he thought, the little minx.

Bill almost choked on his drink when Sildie came out, the boys all standing around gobsmacked.

“Piddy.” Lily squealed pointing at Sildie from the safety of Bill’s arms.

“Yes little lady, she is very pretty.” Gustaf said and kissed her until she giggled.

“You’re sure you’re ok with this lot?” Sildie asked, still a little nervous as Liam hugged her.

“More than ok, besides I have a rematch with Finn to take care of.” He grinned. “Have fun. I’ll text you if I run into any issues.”

“Thanks again Bill. You bailed me out.”

“Anytime, they’re great kids.” His grin told her he was having just as much fun as the kids were.

Gustaf helped her into her coat and the pair set out for the hotel. She was nervous, her hands wringing in her lap as he drove was a dead giveaway. He took a hold of her hand and brought it to his lips kissing her fingers. “Just breathe love. I’ll be right here, all night.”

“Sorry.” She chuckled. “I’m on edge.”

“As expected.” He pulled up to the hotel and looked at her. “Deep breath. Together love, you and me.” He kissed her fingers again and stepped out of the car to walk around and open the door for her. Holding his hand out, he helped her to her feet, the top of her stockings peeking out from the split. Fuck me he thought, she would be the death of him. Giving the keys to the valet he slipped a hand around her waist and held her to him. “Breathe.” He said, lips at her temple. “Let the lawyer surface and take care of business.” He kissed her cheek sweetly and looked at her, his courtroom lawyer looked back. “There’s my girl.” He growled as they walked into the hotel ballroom. “I’m proud of you. You’re so fucking strong.” He kissed her, not caring who could see them. She was moving in with him, he loved her, and he wanted to shout it from the rooftops.

Her firm had spared no expense, and there were tables for at minimum 300 people. The room had a massive dance floor and stage, blue and silver glittered everywhere to turn it into a winter wonderland. Snowflakes and fairy lights, fresh flower centerpieces and silk festoons.

Gustaf took her coat and he felt his arousal spike again at seeing her, his gilded goddess on the outside, his erotic sex kitten beneath. They were met by Oliver and swept up into the throng of introductions and small talk. For Gustaf working a room was second nature, it was just like a press junket, but for Sildie it was anxiety central and to compound matters her grief was hovering waiting to pounce. Thankfully Oliver had kept them moving quickly before he could be too overwhelmed with people figuring out there was a celebrity in the house. It was one of the downsides of his chosen profession. He didn’t want that overshadowing the party, he was just along for the ride, to support Sildie.

“I owe you one Oliver.” He said as Sildie stepped away from him to talk to Dana’s partner in family law.

“How’s that?”

“For shielding me.” He chuckled.

“Thank Sildie. She sent a memo to everyone before tonight and talked to me specifically. She wanted you to feel comfortable with her family.” He smiled.

The penny dropped, this was her family, the only one she had left now that Quinn was gone.

“Ah! I see she didn’t forewarn you.” He said quietly.

“No, she didn’t.” He said wistfully, looking at the gorgeous woman just out of reach, he found his fingers itched to touch her. “She’s had a lot on her mind.”

“It’s none of my business, but I’m glad she has you, glad the kids have you.” Oliver said carefully, not wanting to overstep.

“I’m so ridiculously in love with her.” Gustaf said shyly. “And she’d kill me for telling you that.”

“Your secret is safe with me. I know the feeling.” He said looking at his husband of six years.

Oliver hesitated. “Is she doing alright?” He asked gently. “I don’t like to pry it’s not my business, but I think of her as my own daughter and she’s been through hell.”

“She’s doing better.” Gustaf said quietly, keeping his gaze fixed on Sildie. “Her grief and guilt is substantial.” He didn’t want to divulge her painful moments, it was none of anyone’s business and he wouldn’t betray Sildie’s trust by spilling it to her boss, father figure or not.

“I can only imagine.”

“I’m sorry Oliver I can’t elaborate. Her grief is her own story to tell.” Gustaf said gently, trying to be as polite as possible.

“I completely understand and apologize if that put you in an awkward position. We all felt the loss, no one more keenly that Sildie.”

“She’s doing better, so are the kids. I love her Oliver, and I’ll move the world to see her and the kids happy.” He said, feeling a need to make his intentions known.

“You’re a good man Gustaf.” Oliver said as Sildie walked back to them with Elsa.

“I’m trying.” He huffed a chuckle.

“Your past is just that, the past. We all have one and we’re all far from perfect.” Oliver held out his hand for the man walking over with Elsa slipping it around his waist and kissing him as Sildie introduced Gustaf to Dana’s partner in law.

By the time they were asked to sit for dinner he’d been introduced to probably half the room. Pulling the chair out for Sildie he had to contain his groan of disappointment, Lucas and his date had made their way over to their table.

His entire system froze as his gaze landed on her, the quick polite smile on Lucas’s lips as his eyes focused on Gustaf. The familiar prickle and wave of heat as his fight flight response kicked in at seeing a threat. You vindictive asshole, Gustaf thought silently. Throwing his sobriety and addiction in Sildie’s face was one thing, but an ex girlfriend, that was just cruel.

Sildie sat and saw where his gaze had landed.

“Hey.” She said softly and his eyes snapped to hers, concerned ice blue looked back.

“Hey back.” He smiled, he would not let this asshole get to him and ruin her night. He’d promised to be on his best behavior around Lucas and although tempting as it was to stalk over there and press his fist to his face repeatedly in an abrupt manner, Gustaf knew how much it would embarrass Sildie, she’d never forgive him.

“You ok?” She asked gently. Something was up she could feel it.

“Yeah, I just wasn’t expecting Lucas to be at our table.” He shrugged, trying not to let the woman sitting next to Lucas get under his skin either. He wouldn’t think her name, he wouldn’t say her name, she was just a blip in his life.

“Gustaf I’m sorry, I should have told you.” She said apologetically. “There’s been so much going on I forgot.”

“It’s fine love. I just don’t want him upsetting you, especially.” He let himself get lost in her for a moment, calming the white hot rage at the man across the table by running his fingers through her hair, watching it shine.

“Let me handle him. He’s just bitter and jealous.” She said quietly trying to contain her own irritation. She’d tried to get him to sit at another table but in the act of goodwill toward all men she’d let it slide, now she wished she hadn’t.

“Of what?” He chuckled softly.

“Of you love.” She kissed him tenderly, she needed to set his mind at ease. “You have the one thing he wants, the one thing he’s never going to get.” Her kiss was sultry, that hot seduction burning him from the inside out.

“I love it when you kiss me like that.” He grinned.

“I know. I’ll handle him if it comes to that, ok?”

“I know you will, but if he upsets you like the last time.” He toyed with a wave of hair she’d meticulously curled just for him. “We will have words.” His tone was unmistakably equal parts, protective and possessive. “Tonight is difficult enough for you, I won’t see him, or anyone for that matter, make it worse.”

“Fair enough, no punching him, no making a scene.” She said seriously, she didn’t need them getting into a fist fight over her in the middle of the office Christmas party. “Remember, I still have to be able to show my face in court with everyone in this room.” She said flatly, the lawyer had surfaced and was in complete control.

“I’ll only need words love. I promise I won’t do anything to embarrass you or lay a finger on him.” He kissed her tenderly not giving a shit who saw, especially Lucas, especially his ex. Lucas was the one with a problem, not him and he wouldn’t jeopardize what he had with Sildie over a few snide remarks and bringing his ex to a party. He would just ignore them, in his mind they weren’t here, he had other things to worry about.

Dinner was exceptional and she found herself enjoying the time to catch up with Elsa. She couldn’t help but flick a glance to Lucas’s date, she looked oddly familiar. They hadn’t met but she’d seen the woman somewhere before and it was irritating not to be able to place her.

As dessert hit the table she felt Gustaf’s finger stroking her thigh where the split in her dress had revealed silk lace and bare skin. His touch both calmed and aroused her. She smirked at his soft tone as he talked with Vera. The poor girl was beyond it, her voice meek and shaky as she spoke to the Scandinavian god beside her.

“Stop breaking my admin.” She whispered and Gustaf chuckled as Oliver took the stage.

“Just making small talk. She’s a good kid and very shy.” He said kissing her temple. “Deep breath love.” He murmured, his lips lingering. “Together, you and me.” His words grounded her as Oliver started speaking.

It was the usual spiel, the recap of the year, the high and lows, achievements and gains. “Tonight we start a new tradition.” He said gently and his gaze fell on Sildie. She felt her gut plummet as he continued. This was it she thought, just sit and get through it, you just have to listen and smile. “Tonight we honor the tireless work of two of our greatest attorneys, their lives and careers cut short, their compassion and humanity greatly missed.”

Gustaf stayed where he was, his hand on her thigh, an arm casually around her shoulder, his lips at her temple. He’d felt her tense, her body preparing to take flight the moment she was pushed, the moment her anxiety threatened to overwhelm her. “Easy kitten.” He growled, the tone and endearment enough to snap her out of it, her breath shuddering out. “Breathe love, I’m right here.”

“Dana excelled at family law, courageously fighting for the rights of families, mother and father, and most importantly children. Quinn was the complete opposite.” The room chuckled, including Sildie. “Quinn O’Rourke was ruthless in the courtroom, an adversary many of us here tonight faced on a daily basis. Although ruthless and stubborn, a man that could skewer holes in defense counsels case like Swiss cheese while he was prosecuting, Quinn held the same beliefs, the same compassion as Dana when defending. A rare soul that believed there was always some goodness left in a person if you took the time to look.”

He heard Sildie choke back a breath at Oliver’s words and gently squeezed her thigh. “I’m here love, you’re ok.” He whispered and kissed her temple. “Deep breath.”

“The Swedish Bar Association, in recognition of Dana and Quinn’s commitment to justice have founded an achievement award for exemplary conduct by an attorney inside the courtroom in their honor. To be awarded to someone that shows the same tenacity and compassion, the same humanity and dignity toward others as they showed, in the pursuit of justice.”

That just described Sildie to perfection, Gustaf thought silently.

“It was therefore only fitting that the first recipient to harness these qualities of such a prestigious award be Quinn’s sister, Sildie O’Rourke.”

*************

@hausofobsession @ill-skillsgard @grandpa-sweaters @authentic90skidd @tuckersgirl @fairlyfallacy @flowers-in-your-hayr @raewritesfiction @stinkerbelle007 @kamie-b @mrsaugustwalker @skrsgardspam @loliwrites @trippedmetaldetector @lihikainanea

#gustaf skarsgard #gustaf skarsgard fanfiction #shattered lives

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apomaro-mellow · 3 years

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Cold Anger

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When it came time to negotiate terms of the First Order's surrender, Finn hadn't known what to expect. If he was being honest, he didn't think he'd see anything like this in his lifetime. Joining the Resistance as a full-fledged member, he truly believed that he might die before seeing the end of the war, but hoped his actions were enough to push their side closer to victory.

As he embraced both Rey and Poe, Finn couldn't believe how incredibly lucky he was. There were those who had lost so much in the fight. And while he had to sacrifice much on his own, he was more than thankful that his life and his friends weren't included in that.

Now came the less bombastic but still very much terrifying part - diplomacy. In addition to Kylo Ren, now posthumously referred to Ben (not that he was spoken about much), Hux, Palpatine, and Snoke, a significant number of First Order higher ups were dead. The same was obviously true for the Resistance. And while both sides still had officers trained in these political matters, Finn, Poe, and Rey found themselves at these tables often.

Finn had expected Poe to be much more intense at these proceedings, given not only his history fighting these men but his fly-off-the-handle personality in general. But his love surprised him with his cool attitude and formality.

It was Rey he had to worry about.

"Promise me that you wont start any fights this time", he said as he straightened her robes.

"Fine, I promise I wont start any fights", she replied, not meeting his eyes.

"Thank you."

"...I will finish them though."

Finn let out a breath through his nose and Rey looked like she might start a fight with him now but they were interrupted by Poe knocking on wall next to the open door.

"You guys ready?"

"As we'll ever be", Finn said.

Poe crossed the room with his arms open. "You look great."

"I look the same as I always do", Finn rolled his eyes but smiled anyway and met Poe halfway.

"I know."

Rey was used to their PDA by not and barely batted an eye when they kissed. She was mentally squaring up anyway. For the first time, people had the upper hand on a system that had oppressed them. And yet still those that benefited from the system wanted to sneer down their noses at her. They needed to be put in their place and that's exactly what she set out to do.

When their entourage finally met and sat down with the delegation, Rey kept her expression neutral. She would keep her word. She wasn't going to start anything. But the moment anyone said anything she didn't like, she'd let it be known.

"In regards to what discussed in our last meeting..."

They went over old business first, which had mostly been talking about what to do about the places more recently conquered by the First Order, places they could more easily detach from. Then they got to new business, which was part of the reason Finn had made sure to talk to Rey today about her behavior. Under the table, Finn grabbed Poe's hand and squeezed it.

It was time to demand that the First Order demilitarize. And that meant discussing the fates of the stormtroopers under them. There was a rise in tension as that demand was reached and that's when the arguments began. Rey let Finn and Poe handle most of the talking. Not only was this Finn's personal battle, he'd know better than any of them what should be done with the troops. As the conversations continued though she felt the heat rise in her. She tried to find her center and focus instead on the Force.

It did calm her somewhat. And for a moment the voices muffled out. It was probably irresponsible of her to do so, but tuning them out was really the only way she was going to get through this without igniting her saber. And then her hearing returned in sharp focus at one word.

"...the livestock."

Rey's eyes narrowed and she saw that word being directed towards Finn and she jumped from her seat. Finn tried to make a grab for her but she was too fast as she leapt to the other side of the table and pointed her lightsaber at the man who dared utter that word.

"You steal children from their homes, raise them as weapons, and you have the nerve to compare them to animals?!", she roared. "I'll show you who the real beast is!"

"REY!", Poe shouted.

"WHAT?!", she shouted back, turning to look at him.

He was standing, although unlike her he was still on the floor. His eyes were stern. Finn's were looking at her like he didn't know what she'd do. Rey looked back at the agents of the First Order and most of them were cowering in their seats. And that fear felt good. And then she felt a crushing wave of cold at that realization.

She deactivated her lightsaber and got off the table, running from the room.

When she heard someone coming after her, she had thought it'd be Finn. But when she finally stopped down the hall, she saw that it was Poe. And somehow that made her feel worse. She was used to Finn following her, trying to know what she was doing or telling her that he was worried about her. She still wasn't entirely sure how to handle Poe.

"Are you going to tell me that I shouldn't have done that?"

"I'm not your dad. I can't tell you what you should or shouldn't do", Poe said. "But I have to ask if you think that was smart."

"They just! They're so! They make me so SO angry! They deserve to be punished for what they've done. And we're just letting them sit here and talk with us."

Poe leaned against a wall. "You're right. They're absolute garbage. And I think they should be burned like it. But this is what it means to be a just society."

"You hate them just as much as I do", Rey said. It wasn't that long ago that Poe shot them down with glee. They had hurt him and his people. "How can you sit there so calmly? Why don't you ever yell at them?"

Rey had never felt so tempted by the anger that led to the dark side than when she had to speak to these men who knew nothing of struggle or sacrifice or pain. And that scared her. What if anger was all she had in her?

"It's not easy", Poe said. "It's probably harder for you. I can't choke someone from ten feet away."

"I would nev-", Rey interrupted herself when she realized that wasn't true. She hadn't used the Force like that yet, but it would've been so easy to. And she felt colder.

"Do you know how easy it would be to organize a strike right now and take out First Order leaders right at their homes?", Poe said. Now that the rest of the galaxy was backing them up, he had a large number of ships and pilots not just under his command but would do a favor if he asked. "Abusing our power makes us no better than them."

"What if I don't want to be better?"

"You have to, Master Jedi", Poe said.

"I'm not a-"

"Maybe not yet. But someday we're gonna have people looking back on the things we did when we were in charge. These guys are all going to get what's coming to them. I'll dedicate my life to make sure of it", Poe said, crossing his arms. "Even if that means giving each of them a trial and listing each and every one of their crimes for the whole universe to hear."

Rey looked at him, uncertain. "You think they'll go through with something like that?"

"They have to. Otherwise they're fugitives of the law", Poe grinned. "And jurisdiction can get pretty loose on that."

She let out a long sigh. "I feel bad for leaving Finn to deal with them on his own."

"He can handle himself. If I were you, I'd worry more about the lecture I'm going to get afterward."

"You don't really think he will, do you?" Rey felt a different kind of ice in her veins.

Poe shrugged. "I'd try and compliment his hair or something before the meeting is over though."

The two of them returned to the room. Rey's righteous anger hadn't gone anywhere, but she no longer felt the need to skewer any of these men. Being humiliated publicly and imprisoned or exiled or possibly executed would be much more fitting.

#apo writes #finnpoe #fanfiction #star wars

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pennylanefics · 4 years

Text

Losing Everything - Finn Cole

a/n: i can’t be stopped lol. hope y’all like! thanks to those that are giving feedback on my finn fics, it’s encouraging and great to know that people like them :)

gif is by @sethkate

warnings: mentions/slight descriptions of a car accident (one paragraph right under the cut) mentions of a hospital

•••

Your friends dragged you out of the house to go to some club that was opening up; apparently it was the coolest thing in town yet, but you weren’t up for it. You and your boyfriend Finn broke up a couple weeks ago. His filming schedule and endless work days were getting too much for you, so you decided to end things.

It was a pretty civil break up, though it hurt a lot. There were no hard feelings, Finn didn’t blame you because he always knew it was a struggle dating him with his schedule. You left on a high note, but you were still so heartbroken; you wanted things to work out so badly, but unfortunately, they didn’t.

You weren’t having a good time at the club. As your friends danced with strangers, you sat in your booth, away from the crowd, sulking. Finally, when it was time to leave, you couldn’t have been happier. You were the designated driver, since you didn’t feel like drinking, so everyone piles into your car.

Five minutes into the drive, the girls are still singing along to the radio and having fun. But things take a turn for the worst.

You were driving through a traffic light when a car driving the opposite way runs the red light, t-boning your car right on your side. It wasn’t a direct hit to your door, but in the middle of the back seat and the front seat. Your car swivels in the road, and that’s the last thing you remember before passing out.

—

A faint beeping sound brings you from the darkness. Your eyes slowly open, trying to adjust to the low light of the room. You see your friends surrounding you, tears in their eyes; they look a little beat up as well, but not as bad as you.

“Hey, (Y/N),” your friend Ashley whispers. A painful groan rumbles in your throat and she clicks for the nurse right away. Within seconds, a woman is stepping into the room, a sorrowful look on her face.

“Hello, Miss (Y/L/N). I’m going to ask you a few questions, is that okay?” She allows you a few seconds to come to your senses more before looking down at her clipboard.

“What is your first name?”

“(Y/N).”

“Do you remember the crash at all?” Your head shakes side to side in response.

“Do you know what month it is?” Another head shake.

“What’s the last thing you remember?” Thinking for a moment, an image of Finn pops into your mind.

“M-my boyfriend.” Your friends share worried glances with one another.

“And what is his name?”

“Finn. Finn Cole,” you smile through the pain at the thought of the man you love.

“Um, can I talk to you for a second?” Ashley pulls the nurse aside, out of your earshot.

“Damn, I thought Dana had it the worst, but you look awful,” your other friend Ivy says. A low chuckle leaves your lips, though you grimace in pain once more.

“Thanks. Makes me feel s-so much better.” You were pretty beaten up. You had casts on your right leg and left arm, a bandage wrapped around your head, scrapes, cuts, bruises, and gashes everywhere else, including your face.

Your nurse walks back over and explains that she’s going to check for a concussion. She asks you a few more questions before checking your eyes, then leaving to go get the doctor.

“Guys, where’s Finn?” Your friends are silent, not having any idea on what to say. They wanted to tell you more than anything that you aren’t together, but they didn’t want to upset you even more during this very vulnerable time for you.

“He’s away filming for Peaky Blinders. You remember that, right?” Ashley says. A smile appears on your lips.

“Yeah. He plays Michael. He left right after our last date to go film.” Once more, your friends share disappointing looks with each other; him leaving for that filming was what led you to break up.

“Is he coming back soon?”

“Uh, I’m not sure.”

“Did you tell him what happened?”

“No. I tried calling him and he didn’t answer. I’m sure someone will get ahold of him soon and he’ll be back before you know it.” They were straight up lying at this point, they had no idea how to tell you, or if they even should.

Just then, the doctor walks in with the nurse trailing behind him.

“Hello, (Y/N). It looks like you have a small case of amnesia, no concussion.”

“But, I remember things. I just don’t remember the crash.”

“Olivia wrote down that you don’t remember the month, but the last thing you do remember was from a couple weeks ago. Your friend mentioned that your boyfriend Finn left for another part of England to film during that time.” The realization finally kicks in, and everyone is awkwardly waiting for you to say something.

“Well shit,” you breathe out. Laughs echo in the room as the doctor checks a few things before leaving you with your friends once more.

Finn’s POV:

After a long day of filming in the cold rain, I stepped into my trailer to relax until it was time to head back to my hotel. As I laid down on the bed, my phone rang loudly, irritating me even more. I angrily answer it, but soon regret the tone in my voice.

“Hello?” I scoff in response.

“Hi Finn, this is Ashley, (Y/N)’s best friend.” I close my eyes and wonder why she’s even calling me.

“Is something wrong?” She pauses before continuing.

“Yes, actually. A couple nights ago, we went out, and on the drive home, we got into an accident. Ivy, Dana, and I are fine, we got away with minor cuts and bruises, but (Y/N) is still in the hospital, with two casts, a bunch of different injuries, and amnesia.” A chill runs through my body at the news.

“Is she gonna be okay?” I tried to remain strong, but deep down, I felt sick to my stomach.

“Yeah. The doctor said her memory should return in a few weeks, but if not, it may be permanent. There is one problem, though.”

“That is?”

“She forgot everything within the past couple weeks. The second she woke up, she was asking for you. We had no idea what to say, she doesn’t remember that you broke up.” That’s what breaks my heart.

“She doesn’t?”

“No. She said the last thing she remembers is the fact that you left for filming right after your last date, right before your fight.”

“Shit.” I rub my face with my hands, not having any idea on how to handle this. “Uh. I don’t…”

“We didn’t want to tell her that you guys broke up. She was really upset after it happened, and we didn’t want to make her relive that while she’s in the hospital, recovering from an accident.”

“No, I get that. I just, I have no idea what to do.” Ashley is quiet for a moment before she suggests something.

“I don’t want to make you do anything, but seeing you might trigger her memory. The doctor says it could help.” I think for a moment, trying to figure out any other solutions, but after drawing a blank, I decide to give her plan a go.

“Okay. I’ll ask the director to give me a couple days off to see her.”

“She’ll be back at home in a couple days.”

“I can’t leave until the end of the week, unfortunately.”

“That’s fine. We're going to stay with her and make sure she gets the help that she needs until you come.”

“Thank you. Tell her I’ll see her soon, yeah?” With that, I hang up and flop back against my bed. Tears form in my eyes as everything settles in. My ex-girlfriend, who I still love, is in the hospital right now, and I can’t visit her.

Your POV:

After being home for a week, you were finally starting to feel better. Almost all of your cuts and scrapes were healed, your broken bones were healing well, but your memory was still gone.

Thankfully, today was the day that Finn was coming back. He was all you could talk about to your friends. Ashley felt awful lying to you, but it was for the best; it was better you remember on your own than to be told that you’re not fully okay.

The doorbell ringing excites you and Ashely raises from her seat to answer IT. Finn steps inside, a somber look on his face as you come into his sight. Ashley whispers something to him before he drops his bags and walks over to where you were laying.

“Finn! I’m so glad you’re finally back!” You shout, reaching your arms out for a hug. He gladly lends down and hesitantly hugs you, not knowing what still hurts and what doesn’t.

“I would say it’s nice to see you too, but you aren’t looking too well,” he says, taking Ashely’s spot on the couch. She left for the time being to give you two some time alone again.

“It’s not as bad as last week. I was a wreck.” Finn's smile is small and awkward. It felt weird sitting together, with you having no recollection of your break up. Still, he said absolutely nothing about it because you looked so happy to see him again, and deep down, he missed it.

When you are asleep for the night, after showering and getting ready for bed, Finn ends up calling both his director and agent, explaining the tough situation he’s in and asking for a few more weeks off filming. Miraculously, they agree, understanding that it is a hard thing to go through, and wish him the best, giving him four weeks off, and more if he needs.

The next three weeks are filled with healing, cuddles, and lots of tears. Every time you were in pain or overwhelmed with the idea of everything, Finn was there to hold you and comfort you, letting you know that everything was going to be okay.

He was there with you when you got your casts off, and went to every physical therapy session you had for both your arm and leg. It was a hard process, but he made it easier; he helped you with your exercises every night and iced your injuries afterwards.

One day, after a rather gruelling session, you were back at home, cuddled up with Finn.

“Can we talk about this?” He speaks quietly. Sitting up, you look at him in wonder.

“What about?” Finn sighs and situates your bodies so you’re comfortable.

“What’s exactly the last thing you remember?”

“We went on a date to a fancy restaurant. You had a steak, I had chicken, and we shared chocolate cake and ice cream for dessert,” you smile sweetly. That was before everything went downhill.

“You don’t remember the days after that?”

“No. I remember you leaving to film, but the rest is blurry. Why?” Finn shakes his head and sighs once more.

“Why haven’t you tried kissing me?” His voice is soft, as to not upset you anymore. Your shoulders shrug in response.

“You seem distant and not yourself. I didn’t want to make you do something you didn’t want. Plus you always let me know if you wanted a kiss, but I haven’t seen any of those gestures since I got home, so I haven’t tried.” This breaks Finn’s heart. You know that something’s off, but you have no clue why.

“Your lip was pretty busted and your jaw was bruised, I figured it would hurt too much to kiss you anyways.” You grin and peck his cheek lightly.

“Yeah, that wasn’t a fun time.” And with that, the conversation is dropped and not brought back up.

A couple more days go by, and the time that Finn has off is drawing close to an end. But, you’re still not any better. So, he tried the one thing that the doctor said might help you with regaining your memory: showing you photos; your phone was destroyed in the crash, so you haven’t been able to look through your own pictures.

You two spend the entire day scrolling through his phone, since he kept the photos of you two from when you were together; he didn’t have the heart to delete them just yet, and he was glad he didn’t. You ask about each photo and Finn is more than happy to explain each one.

It was a hard scene for Finn to watch. The only thing you remembered was dating him and going on that one date. You didn’t remember anything before that, which hurt him even more; he didn’t realize how severe your memory loss was until now.

Finn tells you all about the time you first met and how you spilled a milkshake on him on the first date. The laughs falling from your mouth and the look in your eyes pains him, he knew he had to tell you soon.

The next morning, though, everything changes.

You wake up alone in bed, the sunlight streaming through the slightly cracked curtains. Just then, you felt everything rush back to you.

Every single memory of you and Finn. Including your break up.

Looking around your room, you see picture frames of you two, ones that you used to have up in your room, but you took them down after you split; it was too hard staring at them. Everything is as clear as day, you even remember the night of the accident.

For the first ten minutes, you lay there, quietly sobbing and wondering why Finn went through all of this.

When you finish, you try to compose yourself as well as you can, but it’s no good. Your eyes are red, your cheeks are stained with tears, it was useless trying to cover up the fact that you were crying. You make your way downstairs slowly, already exhausted and wanting to get back into bed.

Finn stands in the kitchen, making some pancakes at the stove. A soft sigh escapes your lips, catching Finn’s attention. He smiles sweetly upon noticing your presence, but that smile quickly turns into a frown when he sees your state.

“Oh love, what’s wrong?” He turns the stove off and runs over to you, wiping your tears away with his thumbs immediately.

“I-I got my memory back,” you whisper, keeping your eyes away from his, staring at the ground. Finn inhales deeply, dropping his hands to his sides. “I know we broke up.”

“Listen, (Y/N), I-”

“Why did you stay? Why did you stay and lie to me and pretend everything was okay?” You were getting upset for the wrong reasons. You weren’t mad at him at all, but you felt the need to blame someone.

“I stayed because I love you. Sure, we may have broken up, but that doesn’t mean I stopped loving and caring for you the second you were out of my life. Everything was Ashley’s doing. She didn’t want to tell you that we broke up because you were already in a vulnerable position.”

“So you went along with it?”

“For your sake, yes! You looked so happy to see me and I didn’t want to be the one to tell you. The doctor said your memory would eventually come back, and even he advised me not to say anything until you were ready.” Silence fills the room as you and Finn stare each other down.

“Well you can leave now. I know the truth. You don’t have to pretend anymore.”

“What did I just tell you? I’m not pretending! I love you and I wanted to be there for you!”

“I don’t need you!” He huffs out dramatically at your stubborn behavior.

“You may think you don’t need me, but I was the only one here for you. Your friends were here for a week while I was away filming but left as soon as I got here, and they have yet to come back and say hi. They dropped you as soon as you were out of their hands.” Your expression changes to a sad one, realizing that he was right.

“But if that’s what you want, I’ll leave.” He moves to set all of the dishes aside and gets ready to walk out of the house. As he walks past you, you grab his hand to stop him.

He looks back at you with confusion, glancing between you and your grip on his wrist. Before anything else can happen, you step forward and press yourself against him, reaching up to kiss him deeply.

Finn is a bit shocked at your sudden action, but soon melts into the kiss, wrapping his hands around your waist and pushing you flush against him. The kiss is heated as you pour all of your emotions into it, making up for the lost time.

“I’m sorry,” you whisper against his lips after you pull away. “I should be thankful that you’ve been by my side the entire time, it means a lot.”

“I’d do anything for you, love. When I got the call from Ashley telling me that you were in the hospital, I felt so nauseous and worried. It was awful,” his voice breaks at the reminder of that day.

“But I’m here, I’m safe, I’m together, well, besides the couple broken bones that are still healing, and the best part, I have my memory back.”

Finn’s hand raises to caress your cheek. You lean into his touch, missing the way it feels and yearning for more.

“So, do you still want me to leave?” He wonders. You stare right into his eyes, seeing the hint of sadness in them.

“No, stay. Let’s enjoy the pancakes you made and work things out, and see if being together is a possibility again…” You weren’t even sure if he wanted to get back together, but after these past few weeks, you remembered what you missed most about him, how caring he is.

“It’s most definitely a possibility,” he whispers.

•••

@peakyxtommy

#finn cole #finn cole imagines #finn cole x reader #finn cole imagine #imagines #fanfiction #fanfic

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meterokinesis · 4 years

Text

Skin and Bones

Read it on AO3

Prompt: Starvation

TW: Hunger/food insecurity, ED mention (very short), Implied/referenced drug use

Summary: Jason Todd knew what hungry felt like. Hunger and Jason had always been bosom buddies.

Jason Todd knew what being hungry felt like.

That’s always what they called it when he was a little kid and the teachers tried to pretend that most of their class had full bellies. They’d say “when you haven’t had lunch yet, you’re hungry. But when you don’t eat for days, that’s hunger.”

Hunger and Jason were bosom buddies, and had been for years.

It was bad enough when it was just him and Catherine. At least then he could pilfer through her pockets for enough loose change to buy them rice and bread and beans. It wasn’t much, but it kept them alive in between the free lunches Jason got at school.

It got worse when Catherine had to be admitted to the hospital. Jason wasn’t stupid--he’d gotten an A on that last English paper. He knew that she was doing drugs. He knew that their food money went into plastic baggies full of powder and who-knows-what-else. He knew that their already low budget would be gone as soon as the hospital started sending bills.

He started stealing parts off cars that he passed on the walk home, then selling them to the shady guys at the garage. He’d sneak what he could from pockets and couches and placed it in places no one would ever notice. Bills rolled up in the toes of his sneakers, pennies and nickels shoved into his sock drawer. Jason was good at sneaking around already, but he learned to be even better. His life depended on it.

Catherine died the Friday after Valentine’s Day. Her hospital room was full of discount flowers and cheap chocolates. She squeezed his hand before she died, and she smiled. Her smile was unmatched, totally unique. In the days that passed afterwards, Jason would wonder if his smile ever looked like hers.

As Catherine’s breathing slowed and then stopped, Jason snuck out of the fourth floor and onto the street below. He had one, maybe two days left in the apartment before CPS found him and tried to force him into a foster home.

He’d rather die than go there.

So Jason Todd, eleven years old and barely five feet tall, broke into his apartment to survey the life he was leaving behind. Some of it was easy. He could afford to take two bags: a backpack and a duffel. The duffel got a pair of boots, a pair of sneakers, five sets of clothes, jackets, and a copy of Huckleberry Finn. He’d already read Tom Sawyer, he didn’t need to bring that too.

The backpack got essentials, like his toothbrush and toothpaste, his school ID, the money he’d saved up, and another set of clothes. His birth certificate and Social Security card were wedged under the loose floorboard already, so he left them there. When his path led him to the kitchen, Jason swallowed hard before grabbing a knife and a pair of scissors, then wrapping them both carefully and placing them in the backpack too.

He crawled into his bed, with its blue striped bedsheets, and tried to fall asleep. The sounds of Gotham weren’t comforting anymore, but rather like every monster under his bed amplified. He was too old to be scared of things that weren’t there, but every Gothammite knew that the city was not to be trifled with. The city he’d soon be in the heart of.

The clinking of keys on the apartment’s old doorknob woke him up. He’d always been a light sleeper, but for a second he thought it was maybe just Catherine coming home. Then he remembered how she’d never come home again. Jason was out of bed in a matter of seconds, grabbing his bags, tugging on his shoes, and climbing down the fire escape. The old watch he’d taken from Catherine’s room--he thought it was his dad’s--read 7:12, which meant it was really 3:17. Jason crept through the streets, not letting his heart catch up with his head. He’d have to squat somewhere for the night, maybe an abandoned warehouse or something. He’d found a few while adventuring the summer before, and not all of them could have been blown up in the last eight months.

“Clinton and Hall has a good one,” he mumbled to himself, steering his feet that way. It was cold, even for February, but he had no choice. It was either walk seven blocks now or walk straight to CPS. He’d take the seven blocks.

It was a quiet night, at least for Crime Alley. There were the usual shady guys doing deals in the back alleys and the over-rouged women in heels and too-short skirts, but at least no one was running around trying to blow the city up again. A night without Batman and Robin coming around was a good night, as far as Jason was concerned.

It wasn’t that he didn’t like Batman, just that he tended to invite more trouble than he did away with. Even the most well-intentioned people couldn’t fix Crime Alley. Jason would know, he was Crime Alley through and through.

He finally reached the warehouse and dragged himself up seven flights of stairs, where there was an office that sat mostly untouched. There was a boarded-up window and the walls were probably full of asbestos, but the door locked, so as far as Jason was concerned it was great. The boy placed his duffel bag under his head and slipped his backpack around so it covered his stomach. As the first breaths of sleep came to him, he could hazily feel hunger stab at his stomach. He hadn’t eaten in three days.

_______________

In the eight months since Jason had taken to the street, he’d learned a few things: trust people sparingly, only share if you have enough, and never let anyone give you shit. His copy of Huck Finn was tattered now, but it was the only real piece of home he had left.

He wasn’t alone by any means. There had been some older kids who had taken him under their wing for a few weeks back in April, but they got busted for dealing and Jason hadn’t seen them since. He and his occasional allies worked pretty well, a shared meal here, a hand-me-down there. Life wasn’t so bad like this, if you were careful.

Stealing the tires off the Batmobile wasn’t careful.

Jason felt Batman before he saw him. The guy just had that kind of energy, like a horror villain. But Jason already had three wheels off, with one stashed nearby, so there was really no point in stopping now.

“Excuse me, what are you doing?” The gruff voice asked, and that’s when Jason knew he was well and thoroughly fucked.

He didn’t answer, because Jason was never the type to admit guilt. A large hand fell on his shoulder, and he couldn’t help but jump. Batman turned him around, more gently than Jason thought he treated most criminals.

“Kid, you’ve gotta be what, thirteen? Come on, put those tires back on and get in the car.”

Well, Jason might be reckless enough to steal from Batman, but he wasn’t dumb enough to make himself an enemy. So, he silently put the tires back on the Batmobile and turned to face Batman. He was just as intimidating as everyone said he was.

“I know that you have stuff stashed somewhere,” Batman prompted, like he’d already seen thousands of alley kids today.

“Behind the dumpsters,” Jason muttered, staring at his scuffed-up sneakers.

Batman ducked behind the dumpster, and emerged with the two bags and a tire. Jason sheepishly put the last tire back, then stood and opened his hands for his bags. His hands were stained with dirt and grease, like black blood.

“In the car,” Batman ordered, and Jason’s stomach dropped.

“No!” He cried, his throat as dry as bone. “Please, you can’t turn me in. They’ll send me into the system or juvie or something. I’ll die in there, I know kids who have.” As much as he wished that was a lie, it wasn’t. Foster kids didn’t last long in Gotham.

Batman hesitated a moment, then spoke again. “Fine. Get in the car. I won’t take you to CPS, but I can’t let you go back on the streets.” His voice was firm, but also gentle. It was… strange.

Jason nodded, and tucked himself into the passenger side. Batman sat down in the driver’s seat, and with a reminder to fasten his seatbelt, the pair was off.

The drive wasn’t particularly long, but Jason was antsy all the same. His heart thundered as they entered a long tunnel in the side of what looked like a mountain, but Jason was pretty sure that there were no mountains in Gotham. Finally, they parked in some sort of weird cave-garage-thing. Batman turned to Jason, and looked him in the eyes.

“I have a doctor here. She’s going to take a look at you and make sure you’re okay. You can spend the night here. Then, we’ll discuss other options. No matter what, you’re not going on the street again.” He said this all in a perfunctory manner, but it was polite nonetheless.

Jason scrambled out of the Batmobile, only to see a familiar face waiting for him.

“Hello, Jason.” Dr. Thompkins smiled, and he tried to hide his surprise that she remembered him. He hadn’t been to the clinic in at least a year.

“Hi, Dr. T,” he mumbled.

“Alright, let’s get started. Can you sit down over here for me?” Jason followed her gesture, only to see a full clinic set up. What kind of garage was this? He nodded absently and shuffled over, then sat on the crinkly paper.

Dr. Thompkins walked him through a normal check up, with some added questions about how the past year had been. The whole time, she kept glancing at his face, like she expected him to start crying at any moment.

“So, Jason, I’m so sorry to hear about your mom.” She said as she tested his reflexes. His heart lurched in his chest, but he tried to keep his face from betraying him.

“... Thanks.” He mumbled, then left it at that.

Dr. Thompkins finished the exam, then stepped away to speak to Batman. Jason laid down to stare at the wall, but he couldn’t help but overhear some snippets of conversation.

“... known him for years… neonatal abstinence syndrome… only eighty pounds… severely malnourished… needs individualized support…”

The conversation trailed off as footsteps padded back into the room.

“Alright, so we have to get you up to date on vaccinations, and then you’re all done with me. You’re brave, you’ll be okay.” Jason nodded, and she injected the first vaccine. After three more, his arm was sore and his head was heavy. Dr. Thompkins led him to a reclining position, then pulled the curtain shut.

“Goodnight, Jason. It’s going to be okay.”

_______________

Jason hadn’t expected to like the Imposter’s girlfriend so much, but he did. Stephanie got it in a way no one else did. The pair sat on a Crime Alley rooftop, sharing a combo meal from BatBurger.

“-And then, they accused me of being anorexic! Like no, I don’t have an eating disorder, I just can’t afford to eat more than saltines and water!” Stephanie rambled, gesturing wildly with a fry. “Seriously, I don’t think I ate an actual meal that wasn’t made by a lunch lady until I was fourteen.”

Jason chuckled, “My first big meal was when Bruce took me in. Until then, I thought having pizza or chicken nuggets for dinner was a splurge.”

Stephanie quieted, then looked from the carton of fries to Jason.

“Hey, does it ever get easier? Do you ever stop panicking when you grocery shop or when you treat yourself to lunch?” She questioned, her voice hoarse.

Jason took another bite of his burger.

“No. No, it doesn’t.”

#whumptober 2020 #my writing #jason todd #stephanie brown #hunger tw #food tw #drug tw #ed tw #crime alley was rough on jason ok

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waywardwrestlewritingwaif · 3 years

Text

TheGuardian’s Oath, Part Ten

I’m definitely making progress... You can get caught up on previous sections by following the links in the Master List.

Pairing: Feargal Devitt/ Finn Balor x OFC

Word count: 3,035

Content advisory: Some sexual content, not as graphic as in previous chapters.

At first, I wondered if Sophia might have made them when she first started talking of her lost younger brother, but even a quick look dispelled that idea. The needlework was that of a skilled worker, a grown woman, not a child. The fabric was very soft and fine and the blanket was edged with a distinctive type of lace. Even the thread used for the embroidery looked expensive. Whoever had made these pieces had done so with the aim of making something very special and had the knowledge of what was needed to do so. Whatever had become of Colin, someone had gone to great lengths to make him something to show that he was loved.

Perhaps the proper thing to do would have been to put everything away and wait to discuss these matters with my husband but I knew myself well enough to know that the thought that Kate might have lied to me about the origins of “Colin” would eat at my heart until I knew the truth. So I gathered up both items, carefully folding them because I hated the idea of showing them any disrespect, and went downstairs to the kitchen.

“Good morning ma’am,” Kate greeted me with her customary cheer. “Can I fix you something to eat?”

“Not right away,” I stammered, laying the mysterious garments out for her to see. “I was making some room in the cedar chest upstairs and I found these inside it. I’m not quite sure what to make of it.”

Kate stepped closer and her eyes widened. She looked every bit as shocked as I was, her jaw falling slack as she turned to face me.

“These were upstairs? They were with… her… things?”

I nodded. “I remember what you told me about Sophia and I thought at first she might have made them but… there’s no way…”

Kate shook her head, rubbing her hands on her apron as she often did when she was anxious. “Oh no, these are her doing… the first Mrs. Devitt. That lace is from her part of the world. She brought some with her and she made blankets and wraps for Miss Sophia and Master William just like these. It’s been years since I’ve thought about it but doing such work was one of the only things that made her seem happy.”

She pursed her lips a little, as if she felt she’d said too much.

“So there must have been some background story then, something she shared with Sophia,” I mused. “Is it possible that Mrs. Devitt had a younger brother who died? Perhaps Sophia heard the story when she was very young and confused it in her mind?”

“I suppose it could be something like that, ma’am. Although that name, Colin… that was the Reverend’s late father.”

“True. And the late Mrs. Devitt’s people were French.”

“I suppose they might have chosen that name for their son and then decided to change it to William afterwards,” she offered.

We puzzled in silence for a few minutes before we were startled by a sharp gasp. We hadn’t heard Susan make her way into the kitchen but more unnerving was the expression on her face when she saw what we were looking at.

“Oh she can’t have kept those,” she exclaimed breathlessly. “With the name and everything.”

“Do you know what these are, Susan?” I asked her, a little more sharply than I had intended.

The girl’s face could hardly have looked more shocked if she had seen an actual ghost.

“I’m sorry for speaking outside my place, ma’am but it caught me off guard. I never realized that they named it.”

“Named what?”

“Well when the Reverend’s first wife disappeared, when she died, she was expecting a child.”

“What on Earth are you talking about?” Kate snapped at her. “Who told you such a thing?” The cook turned her attention to me before continuing, “Ma’am, I’ve been here many years, and I was here during both of her confinements and I knew practically as soon as she did when she was in the family way.”

“I know she never shared the news,” Susan retorted, “but there were people in the village knew about it all the same.”

“Shame on you for listening to idle gossip!”

“Wait,” I interjected softly, trying to make sense of what I’d just heard. “Susan, why would Mrs. Devitt have told people in the village about this?”

“Why indeed?” Kate huffed.

Susan shot the older woman a hot look but addressed her comments to me. “It wasn’t that she told people there, ma’am. She went to see my Aunt Anne because she was having a terrible time of it. My aunt always helped ladies in distress that way.”

Kate shook her head a little, her dark eyes furious and I was worried that any word she spoke would cause a fight.

“Your aunt helps with the lying-in?” I prompted.

Susan nodded, looking a little gratified that I was taking her seriously. “She does whatever’s needed along the way.”

I didn’t need to ask Kate for her opinion because her disgust was painted across her face for all to see.

“I can’t say what the problem was exactly but she asked me to set up a meeting for her with Aunt Anne and that’s what I did. I never knew what they discussed, as it wasn’t my business.”

Kate ejaculated a hard little laugh and I held up my hand to calm both of them.

“Clearly, we’re not going to be able to learn anything more on the subject and that may be for the best. I am going to place these back where I found them and I don’t think we should any of us speak on it any further.”

The rest of the day unfolded under a sort of dark cloud that was reflected in the weather. A squall rolled in by late afternoon and everything for miles around was battered by wind and rain. I entreated Susan to stay until the storm passed for her own safety but she remained in such a mood that she refused. Dinner was quiet, with Kate a little tart that I had given any credence to Susan’s story and, I imagined, a little annoyed that she was unable to come up with an argument to categorically refute it.

“Will you have a cup of tea with me?” she piped up once I had put the children to bed.

“I would enjoy that,” I sighed.

She sat with me and asked friendly enough questions about how I was managing and whether or not the children were afraid of the storm, but it was clearly all a prelude to what she really wanted to say.

“I hope you don’t think I’m being impertinent, ma’am, but that girl’s story about…”

I nodded and bade her continue.

“I don’t know if you’d decided on saying anything to the Reverend about those blankets you found, but if you do, for pity’s sake don’t start talking about his former wife going to see that old woman in the village. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with her helping young mothers when their time comes but it’s well enough known that she’s hardly better than a witch. You know I don’t believe that the Reverend’s first wife was any saint but there’s wild and then there’s ungodly. I don’t think there’s a hair of truth to that tale Susan told us. I don’t believe she meant any harm because she’s like a lot of the village girls, a bit simple and a measure too fanciful for her own good. But I’ve heard enough about that old woman and goings-on there to know that if you tell the Reverend that people are saying that his wife went to see her because of a family problem that it will be like a knife in his heart.”

“I understand, Kate. I wish I hadn’t found those things and started any of this. When I feel the time is right, I show them to him and ask what he wants me to do with them. As far as I’m concerned, that’s the end of it.”

We sipped our tea, both clearly ruminating about the fact that this was likely the end of nothing. It seemed that whatever I tried to do for this family, now my family, I was forever disinterring their dead.

Then, from upstairs, there was a bloodcurdling scream followed by a loud crash. Kate and I leapt to our feet and ran to the children’s room, finding them both wide awake and in tears.

“What happened? Did something fall?”

Both children shook their heads frantically, both of them trying to grab hold of me.

“It came from upstairs!” William wailed, burying his face against my skirt.

“Very well then, I’ll go and look.”

As best as I could with the children attached to me as they were, I made my way to the door leading up to the garrett. It felt strange that I was so intimidated, considering that I had still slept more nights in the attic than in the master bedroom. But the narrow door seemed like it led to something dangerous and I found myself hesitating before it.

“Leave it ma’am, I’m going to go for the watch,” Kate mumbled, grasping my shoulder.

“There’s no need for that,” I answered, as much to convince myself as her. “If someone wanted to break in, they’d have come in through the ground floor. We are in no danger.”

I managed to extricate myself from the three of them and cautiously opened the door. I could immediately feel something different than I remembered. I could feel the wind and the scent of the sea was thick in my nostrils. I slowly ascended the stairs to my former room, my breath quickening. I wanted to tell Kate to bring the children back to their room, although I knew they would never go. Unlike them, I had no fear of burglars. I knew that something else could be lying in wait.

The attic was oddly bright and it took my eyes a moment to adjust and understand what I was seeing. The little window from which I had been able to see the ocean was completely smashed and part of a tree hung through it. In the end, I was alone and this was nothing more than a common accident brought on by the storm. As much of a mess as it was, it was neither physically nor spiritually threatening. Nevertheless, I was filled with unease as I observed the carcass of the tree and the shards of glass glittering like stars across the floor.

“Well I won’t be easy to clean up but it’s nothing too bad,” I sighed, giving Kate and the children a weary smile. “That big Scotch pine’s fallen and taken out the window.”

Kate shook her head. “The Reverend’s been asking Mr. Jones to cut that thing back for two years now. He’s going to be fit to be tied when he finds out.”

“At least I’ll be able to get the worst of it dealt with before he gets home.” I smiled to reassure everyone that I had things in hand. “Please get yourself some rest, Kate. I’ll get these two settled again.”

William and Sophia went back to bed easily enough, their tears dried and their rush of excitement quickly fading. I gave them both a kiss and promised them again that all was well. I was about to leave them when something occurred to me about the sequence of events from earlier.

“Sophia,” I began, trying to recall every detail of what had happened in perfect clarity, “what was it that made you scream earlier?”

“I was just frightened by the noise,” she answered tensely.

“Of course, it’s just that I thought… I thought I heard your voice before the tree fell.”

Her dark eyes met mine and, even in the shadows, I could see her brow twitch and furrow just a little.

“I must have been mistaken,” I whispered. “Good night, sweet girl.”

As I returned to bed, I replayed the events of the night in my head. I tried to convince myself that I’d made a mistake but it was no use. Sophia had screamed and then the tree had fallen. She had seen or heard something that scared her but it was something else, something that had disappeared in the commotion afterwards. It could easily have been that she awoke and was frightened by the grotesque shadows cast on the wall by the trees outside. But there was that other possibility; I knew that there was that other figure who lurked here and now it seemed that he had approached the children.

“The arrangement is that you don’t touch them,” I whispered aloud. “You do what you want to me but the children and their father are spared.”

I realized in my heart that I had no power over him and that I could not depend on him honoring our bizarre ‘contract’. Still, I repeated the phrase again in the hopes that he would hear:

“They are to be kept safe.”

I shouldn’t have been surprised that the following day I had a terrible headache. Shifts in weather often had an effect on me and with the stress of having to deal with Mr. Jones and arranging the repairs, along with another sleepless night, I was in so much pain I found myself having to squint.

Mr. Jones was none too happy about being called in to deal with the tree, all the more so when I insisted on hiring men from the town to repair and replace the window rather than allowing him to bring in members of his family to do the job. He cursed at me under his breath whenever he thought I was out of earshot.

Strange men were in and out well into the evening, filling the house with the sound of shouts and heavy footfalls. The men who had come to work on the window were aggravated that Mr. Jones insisted on cleaning up the remains of the tree at the same time. Kate and Susan were aggravated that there were so many people coming in and out of the house. An argument broke out when Mr. Jones fell from his ladder and insisted that one of the men inside the house had distracted him and caused the accident. The foreman was equally adamant that none of his men had been in the room at the time and that our old gardener was trying to stir up trouble.

By the time everyone was done for the day, I was so exhausted I could barely speak. Seeing the state I was in, Kate ordered me to bed. I did not like to impose on her any further, since she hadn’t had an easy night either, but I was in no state to put up a fight. I retired early and would have fallen asleep right away but for what I saw when I entered the bedroom: three lines scratched roughly into the floorboards just inside the doorframe.

I wanted to cry out but there was nothing that I could say. Although the workers hadn’t been in our bedroom, they had been moving throughout the house. The marks could easily have been an accident. Even if they had been made on purpose, there was no sinister meaning to such markings that I was aware of. Still, their presence was a torment to me. It wasn’t enough that he could come and claim me whenever he wanted, Balor needed me to know that he was always there, always watching, even when I couldn’t see him.

I fell asleep quickly and found myself dreaming of a walk in the coastal forest, of wandering and trying to find something, my way home or something I had lost. As I walked, I found myself growing shorter and shorter of breath, until I realized that I was underwater, that I was struggling to breathe because there was no air for me. I awoke some time after dark, gasping, aware only of a weight on top of me and rapid, hot breaths on my neck. His claws were wrapped in my hair and I could feel his sex pressed close to mine. His shoulder pinned my face to the pillow and kept me from seeing anything. I might as well have been running through the underwater forest still.

His touch was rougher and more insistent than ever but I felt a little relieved because if he was focused on me, it meant that he wasn’t marauding through the house or targeting the children. I even slipped an arm around him, pressing my hand against the base of his bony spine and encouraging him to take what he so obviously wanted. He bit down hard on my neck, enough that I felt blood droplets form and trickle from the wound as he thrust into me.

As always, I tried to resist surrendering to the ecstasy he made me feel and, as always, I failed, becoming an eager participant in our ungodly coupling.

He was exceptionally animated, a stream of filth and curses flowing from him amid declarations that I was his and no one else’s, that I had been made for him, body and soul. I wanted to tell him that he was a monster and I was meant only for my husband, and at the same time, I felt connected to the very force of life when I was with him in a way that I never could without. In the end, my mind seemed to become confused as it shifted between Feagal and Balor and all I could do was mewl and whimper in reply to his goading.

When it was finished between us, Balor ran his tongue slowly over the length of my collarbone, sucking gently at the hollow where it connected to my throat. He spoke in a rough whisper, tapping his fingers against my shoulder, a beat for each word he uttered.

“One. Two. Three.”

And then he was gone.

#finn balor imagine #finn balor fanfic #nxt imagine #nxt fanfiction #wwe fanfiction #wwe imagine #wrestling fanfic #wayward wrestle writing

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i-write-sometimes-blog · 4 years

Text

The times with her (Rey x Reader)

Request: Hey! I loooove your fics, can you write one where Rey is into reader and viceversa but reader knows that Finn likes her and Poe likes reader so that’s the reason they don’t have a thing, at the end they just kiss =D by anon

Words: 1,513

A/N: I did my best try, I hope this was close to the request and hope is not so confusing.

Fixing the Falcon with Rey was always fin, the sound of the nuts and bolts spinning and the click of the metal tools surrounded you and captured you like a bubble where there was only you and her.

It was the only time you felt like yourself for real, Rey accepted the way you were, she had never met someone as unique as you, no one who really understood her.

After every mission if the legendary ship was broken or in needs for repairs she would run to you for help. It had started a bit of time ago now and your relationship with her was the closest you ever had in your life, you two made a really good team when it came to ships, you shared a silent chemistry. Rey was different than the rest.

"The engine's fine" she informed you.

"Then it must be the gasoline hosepipe" you replied

"If one is broken it will cause an explosion if a spark of fire touches it, and will destroy the whole ship" you said in unison, causing a laugh bursted out of you and a complicit gaze afterwards.

"Rey" you heard a familiar voice behind you. It was Finn, he would often came and try yo help though he wasn't the best with the machines. He barely knew what a screwdriver was. But you knew why he did it, he was so into Rey, you have seen the way he looked at her, the way he was always trying to protect her. So he used every chance he had to spend some time with Rey, sadly for you those times were when you and her fixed the ship. He begged you with his kind eyes to let him have his shot and, because he was a close friend of you, usually you found a way to let them alone.

"What are you doing here?" He said pointing at the engine.

"Y/N and me were just figuring what was wrong with the Falcon and it could have kill us" Rey told him with a smiling at you.

"Need some help?" He offered

"Probably not, the work only needs two people" she explained Finn and you saw how his smile fade a little.

"But, Rey, you need someone strong to hold the hose pipes they're very heavy, perhaps Finn could help you better than me" you interfered. She looked at you and then she nodded.

"You're right" she said "Thanks for the help, Y/N" she told you. You passed Finn and winked at him, the bright smile back on his face.

"Y/N" Rey rushed after you "the screwdriver. I need It"

"Oh, sure" you told her and pulled out of the back on your hip. "Here you go" you passed it to Rey, her fingers brushing sofly your hand as she held the tool you knew she definitely didn't need. And then you turned and made your way out of the ship, turning your head from time to time to find her gaze still lying on you.

That was all you could have, complicit smiles, slight touches, yearnings gazes and the Falcon to repair. Both of you felt a deep attraction for the other, It was in the air every time you were together and yet both of you knew how heartbroken would be Finn, so none of you have never tried to make a move and it was killing you slowly you wanted to hold her, to kiss her but you knew it wouldn't happen.

And there was also another very tiny thing, a cocky pilot that was waiting for you at the Falcon's door. You shook your head when you saw him.

"What is it now, Dameron?" You told him and he smirked

"I think my X-wing is broken" he told you. "Can you take a look"

"Sure" you walked by his side without stopping forcing him to follow you. "I don't know how you keep broking that ship, aren't you supposed to be 'the Best Resistance pilot'? You joked as his smirk only grew wilder.

"I can show you if you want to" he said.

"Nope"

Finally you arrived to his ship and opened a compartment to see inside, you saw some minor damage but nothing that BB-8 couldn’t easily repair or even Poe, he was more than capable to do it by himself. You leaned on the side of the ship and raised a brow to him.

“Seriously, Poe?” you huffed. “Even a kid can fix this. Why did you want me to come?”

“Okay, you got me” he chuckled. “Things are fine and calm around here right now, so I was thinking maybe you and me should go for a drink” he told you with that flirty tone in his voice as he got a bit closer to you.

“What?” you laughed, this guy was a flirt, that was just how he was, charming, gently, fun and yet not exactly what you were interested in.

“Please, Y/N. I know a place where they serve the best drinks you’ll ever taste” he looked down at you. “Just you and me, not fixing ships, not rebelion for a while, what you say?” you laughed and pushed his arm playfully.

“Maybe another day, Dameron” you told him “You might be free but I still have the night guard just today” His face didn’t changed, he stood down smiling at you.

“Fair enough, but” he said “You own me that drink” you rolled your eyes.

“Yeah” you told him as you started walking out. “See you around, Dameron.”

That night you were walking down the halls of the base, the guard nights were pretty much boring just walking and reporting if something strange came but this days were calm, most of the people were sleeping and the others probably enjoying themselves in some other planets.

The echo of your footstep was the only sound in the quiet night. Walking slowly you stopped in front of a window and you contemplated the ships hiding by the lush vegetation of the planet and the stars above them.

Inhaling the cold air you sighed thinking on the brunette, you missed Rey so much and wished you could spend a little longer with her this day, even wished Finn wouldn’t have interrupted your time with her.

“I like the view” a voice brought you back to the real world, a voice you knew more than well. Turning around you met Rey’s gaze and you grinned.

“It’s nice” you agreed.

“It’s better now that you’re smiling” she told you, making a slight blush form on your cheek. With a small move you indicated her to get closer to you and she walked towards you.

“How’s the Falcon?” you asked.

“Took longer than I thought” she chuckled “Finn is… learning” she told you and you nodded as you laughed. “I saw Poe outside the Falcon” she said.

“Yeah, you know. A little repair, nothing really big”

“Again?” she said smiling “You know he does it because he likes you, riight Y/N?” she told you sincerely.

“He’s not my type” you answered her gazing at her face, the known complicit look in her light brown eyes.

“I know” she giggled and putting a strand of hair behind your ear. “But you don’t want to break his heart, don’t you?” you nodded, gosh she knew you so well.

“He’s a good friend” you told her and everything got quiet for a moment between the two of you.

“Y/N” she said breaking the silence, you could told she was plotting something by the way her smile curled into a smirk. “There’s something I need to do but I need your help”

“Yeah, whatever you need, Rey” you said not knowing what she wanted to do.

“Close your eyes” she ordered you causing a nervous laugh burst out of you. “Just close them” she insisted and you obeyed. For a moment you just waited and the you felt Rey’s soft lips brushing against yours, you opened your eyes surprised but happier than ever you reached to cup Rey’s face and pulled her in a new deep kiss, allowing yourself to follow the dance her tongue was guiding.

Gasping for air you broke away and held her face inches from yours, her eyes looking into yours as you enjoyed the calm night.

“What was that for?” you asked as if you didn’t know the answer

“Compensation” Rey murmured

“For what?”

“I believe someone stole our fixing time just this morning” she told you winking.

“Well, I can get really used to this” you said and took her hand in yours. Then both of you turned to see the stars.

You passed the night walking with her through the long halls, her hand secure in yours, stealing kisses from each others, wishing that someday you could tell the rest of the crew, but for now it was just you and her, you didn’t need to worry about anything else, not for your friends nor the rebellion, just her.

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