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pucksandpower · 3 months

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To the Moon and Back

Lando Norris x astronaut!Reader

Summary: not many people can say “I love you to the moon and back” literally … but you’re the exception

Based on this request

Happy Valentine’s Day, my loves 🫶

The roar of the engine echoes through the car as Lando revs the McLaren 720S Spider. You glance over at your boyfriend and can’t help but smile. His eyes are bright with excitement beneath his helmet.

“You ready for this, love?” He asks, giving your hand a quick squeeze.

You nod, adrenaline already pumping through your veins. “Let’s do it.”

As an astronaut, you’re no stranger to G-force. But taking a hot lap around the race track with Lando is a different kind of thrill. The track marshall gives a thumbs up and Lando eases the car out of the pit lane. He takes it easy for the first few turns, warming up the tires.

“How’s it feel?” He asks.

“Smooth,” you reply. “Can’t even tell we’re going 200.”

Lando grins. “Oh just wait.”

He floors it down the back straight, pinning you back against the seat as the speedometer climbs towards 320 kilometers per hour. The G-force builds as he brakes hard into the next corner, expertly controlling the slide.

You let out an exhilarated whoop. “Now that’s more like it!”

Lando chuckles. “Barely getting started, babe.”

The next few laps are a blur of adrenaline and speed. Lando dances the McLaren through the corners, braking impossibly late before powering out in a controlled slide. You relish the forces pressing you back into your seat, so similar yet so different from a rocket launch.

As you pull back into the pits, crowds of fans erupt into cheers. Lando parks the car and hops out, pausing to take off his helmet and run a hand through his curly hair before coming over to help you out.

“So, what did the astronaut think?” He asks with a playful grin.

You’re still catching your breath, heart pounding. "That was insane! What a rush."

Lando looks pleased, keeping an arm wrapped around you as you’re swarmed by fans seeking autographs and photos. Most want a moment with their favorite driver, but a few recognize you as well.

“She’s the astronaut girlfriend, right?” Someone asks.

You nod, giving a little wave. “Yep, that’s me!”

The fans seem impressed that you were able to handle Lando’s hot lap so easily.

“Wow, you took those Gs no problem!” A teenage girl remarks.

You laugh. “Well, I have some practice from launch and re-entry.”

“You must be fearless to be an astronaut,” adds an awe-struck boy.

“It’s intense for sure,” you agree. “But so rewarding.”

Lando smiles proudly, giving you an affectionate squeeze. “My girl’s a badass. Takes a lot more than some high-G corners to phase her!”

You laugh and pose for a few more photos before Lando regrettably has to head in to prep for free practice. After a quick kiss goodbye, you wander through the bustling paddock, enjoying the infectious excitement in the air on race day.

You’ve just grabbed a water bottle when you hear rapid footsteps behind you.

“Y/N, wait up!”

Turning, you see Lando’s performance coach approaching. He gives you a polite smile. “Got a minute?”

You nod. “For you, always. What’s up?”

He falls into step beside you. “I wanted to run something by you. Lando seems distracted lately during training and physio. Have you noticed anything off with him?”

You frown, thinking back over the last few weeks. Now that he mentions it, Lando has seemed a little distant at times.

“I have noticed he’s been quieter than usual,” you admit. “But I figured it was just nerves or fatigue going into the season.”

Jon nods thoughtfully. “Could be. I know he really wants to impress this year. But as his girlfriend, I thought maybe you’d have a better sense of if anything else is on his mind.”

“I’ll try to talk to him,” you promise.

“Appreciate it,” Jon says. “Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.”

You part ways and head out to the pit wall to watch the start of the race. But your mind is only partially on the action, thoughts preoccupied with concern for Lando. He’s normally so upbeat and energetic, but thinking back, you realize there has been a muted quality to him lately that is unusual. You wrack your brain trying to pinpoint if there was a specific incident that triggered this change, but come up empty.

After the podium, you pull Lando. “P3! What a freaking drive," you give him a quick kiss.

His eyes brighten momentarily. “Thanks, love. Feels good to start the season off strong.”

You study his face, wishing you could read his thoughts. “So … can we talk later? Maybe grab dinner in the city before heading back to the hotel?”

Lando shrugs. "Sure, I guess so."

You frown slightly. His response is lacking his normal enthusiasm. But the paddock is too crowded to dive deeper now. “Great, it’s a date!” You say brightly, taking his hand as you both head out to spray champagne. You’ll get to the bottom of this tonight.

After a flurry of post-race obligations, the two of you finally slip away to a quiet restaurant downtown. When the waiter steps away with your orders, you reach across the table to take Lando’s hand.

“So, what’s really going on?” You ask gently. “And don’t say nothing. Everyone can tell something’s been off lately.”

Lando sighs, avoiding your eyes. He runs his free hand through his curls. “It’s stupid, really …”

You squeeze his hand reassuringly. “If it’s bothering you this much, it’s not stupid. Talk to me, babe.”

He’s quiet for a long moment before responding softly. “I’m worried I don’t deserve you.”

You rock back slightly, caught off guard. “What? Where is this coming from?”

Lando keeps his gaze down. “It’s just … you’re this badass astronaut. You literally go to space! And I’m just a guy who drives cars in circles.”

Your heart aches for the vulnerability in his voice. You give his hand another supportive squeeze. “Lando, you’re so much more than that. Yes, I love space. But racing is your passion and you’re incredible at it. You bring joy to so many people. That matters.”

‘I know, but …” Lando trails off uncertainly.

You lean forward, gently tipping his chin up. “No buts. You deserve the world. I’m the lucky one here.”

He finally meets your eyes. “Really?” The doubt is clear on his face.

“Really,” you confirm. “I fell for you, Lando. Not your job or your fame. Your kindness, your humor, your giant heart … that’s what I love.”

A small smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. “When you put it like that …”

“It’s the truth,” you say firmly.

Lando lets out a long breath, his shoulders dropping as the tension eases. “I’ve been in my own head about this for weeks. Should have just talked to you sooner.”

“Well, you have me now,” you remind him. “No more keeping worries bottled up, deal?”

“Deal,” he agrees, lifting your hand to his lips for a gentle kiss. “Have I mentioned lately how amazing you are?”

You laugh. “It’s always nice to hear.” Your heart swells with happiness to see the sparkle back in his eyes.

Just then your food arrives, and Lando insists you try a bite of his pasta. The conversation flows easily again as you trade stories and banter. With the worry lifted from his shoulders, Lando’s charm and humor are on full display. By the time you meander hand in hand back to the hotel, the moon is high in the sky.

Lando pauses outside your door. “Thank you for tonight. And just … for everything. You’re my whole world.”

“I love you to the moon and back.” You gaze at him adoringly for a moment before adding, “Now, I believe a celebration is in order for that podium today …”

You open the door and pull him inside by his collar as he laughs. As you kiss him deeply, you make a silent promise to always be the safe space he can turn to when doubts creep in.

You’re the luckiest girl in the world to be loved by this incredible man. And you plan to spend every day proving he’s worthy of the same boundless love … to the moon and back.

***

You take a deep breath as you stare out the small window of the shuttle, watching the Earth get smaller and smaller as you ascend into the sky.

This is it. Your first mission to the moon.

You’ve dreamed of this moment since you were a little girl, gazing up at the glowing orb in the night sky and imagining yourself walking across its cratered surface.

As an astronaut with NASA, you’ve completed years of intense training to prepare yourself mentally and physically for the rigors of space travel. But nothing can fully ready you for the surge of emotions that hits you now as your childhood fantasy becomes reality.

Excitement.

Awe.

A twinge of nervousness.

And above all, gratitude. Gratitude for the opportunity to push the boundaries of human exploration. To boldly go where only a handful of people have gone before.

You think of Lando. How his eyes lit up when you got the call informing you that you had been selected for this mission. How he immediately started planning a big celebratory dinner, inviting all your friends and family. How he held you tight before you left for quarantine and launch preparations, whispering “I’m so proud of you” and “I love you to the moon and back.”

Your relationship with Lando has always been anchored in mutual love, trust and encouragement. As a Formula 1 driver, he understands the demands and dangers of your job, the laser focus it requires. When he races, you’re trackside or glued to the TV, cheering him on. When it’s your turn to take the spotlight, he’s equally in your corner, hyping you up and telling anyone who’ll listen that his girl is an astronaut headed to space.

You chuckle thinking back to when you first met Lando at an Engineering for the Next Generation event. Him in his McLaren gear, standing out like a beacon in bright papaya. You in your crisp blue flight suit, NASA insignia shining. Sparks didn’t just fly, they erupted into fireworks.

Fast forward five years and here you both are, thriving in your dream careers, happily together and each other’s biggest fans.

Your daydreaming is interrupted by the voice of the commander crackling over your headset. “Prepare for trans-lunar injection burn.”

It’s time.

You watch attentively as the burn commences, adjusting the shuttle’s trajectory until you’ve escaped Earth’s gravity and are hurtling towards the moon.

The next few days pass in a blur of course corrections, equipment checks, meals, sleep, and anticipation. Then finally, the moment arrives. You feel the shuttle tremble as the engines fire, slowing you down until you achieve lunar orbit insertion.

For the first time, you’re gazing upon the entirety of the moon’s pockmarked surface rather than just a slice of it in the night sky. It’s simultaneously familiar and foreign, a world both near and far.

“We are go for powered descent,” comes the voice of Mission Control. The shuttle shudders as the lander separates, ferrying you and your crewmates down to the awaiting surface. Through the window you watch the grey, dusty terrain rise up to meet you. A perfect landing kicks up plumes of powder.

You’ve arrived.

Stepping outside in your bulky space suit, you marvel at the stark beauty surrounding you. The pitch black sky, dotted more vividly with blazing stars than you could have ever imagined. The rolling plains and hills in muted grays. The unfiltered rays of the sun overhead. And above all, the profoundly silence, unlike anything you’ve experienced on noisy Earth.

You bend down and scoop up some lunar soil, letting it sift through your gloved fingers.

The next two days pass swiftly, filled with collecting samples, setting up experiments, and traversing the alien landscape. Too soon, it’s time to depart. As the shuttle lifts off in a spray of dust, you take one last look at the moon’s cratered face, etching it into your memory.

Returning to Earth, you’re met with great fanfare. Lando wraps you in an enormous bear hug, his relief and elation at having you home safe and sound is infectious. “I’ve missed you so much! Can’t wait to hear all about it,” he holds you tight and refuses to let go.

At the dinner he’s arranged, surrounded by your closest friends and family, you regale everyone with stories about your lunar experience.

Walking in spaces so silent your own heartbeat sounded thunderous. The inexplicable lightness in your limbs from the reduced gravity. Seeing Earth hover above the horizon, a blue and white marble in the void. The sense of wonder at walking upon a heavenly sphere humans have gazed upon for millennia but few have ever touched.

“I’ve always loved you to the moon and back,” you tell Lando, taking his hand. “Now I can say I’ve literally loved you to the moon and back.”

You see his eyes widen as you pull out a small pouch and tip glittering gray dust into his palm — a moon rock. “A little piece of the moon, just for you,” you close his fingers around it.

Lando is momentarily speechless, touched beyond words by your gesture. Then a grin spreads across his face. “You are simply out of this world,” he laughs. “This is going in my trophy case for sure!”

Over the next year, Lando has the moon rock fashioned into a ring, which he wears on race days for good luck. Sure enough, he scores his first ever victory that season, a thrilling achievement after years of near misses and podium finishes.

Standing on top of the podium, Lando whoops and thrusts his trophy high. Then he gazes straight into your eyes and says words meant only for you. “This one’s for the person who has always loved me to the moon and back.”

You beam with joy, pride surging through you. In that moment, all the years of supporting each other through the highs and lows to follow your passions feel profoundly worth it. Because at the end of the day, whether it’s launching into space or racing on Earth, you’re always each other’s biggest fans, connected by a love deeper than any distance — even 768,800 kilometers to the moon and back.

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muertawrites · 2 years

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I Know What Those Stains Are (Eddie Munson x Reader)

Summary: i feel like robin’s face explains it all, really

Word Count: 1.1k

Warnings: PG-13 references to s*x and dr*gs, Robin being the best worst friend (ilhsm), pure shenanigans, harsh language in the author’s note bc i’m a motherfucking lady and you bitches can’t do shit about it

Author’s Note: this ended up longer than i thought it would but it was worth it tbh. i stg dissociating with eddie munson-colored glasses on is the only thing keeping me sane right now. i’m so fucking depressed. pray for me to finish my masters dissertation and immediately fuck right out of the shithole i’m stuck in to the life i fucking deserve ✌🏻

"Eddie has these... weird stains on his sheets."

Robin stares at you pointedly from the other side of your kitchen island, her lips curled into a tiny, knowing smirk.

Damn her and her privileged security clearance.

Being best friends ("We're soulmates," Robin always insists) means you have a pact - top secret information is kept closely between you, nothing held back or excluded. She'd come out to you before she even came out to her parents because she knew you wouldn't be weird about it. Your relationship is one of pure, unadulterated, platonic adoration, which means everything is safe.

And is exactly why she's pried about your "friendship" (as she refers to it, always with air quotes) with Eddie Munson since the two of you started hanging out a little over a year ago. He fixed your car at a steep discount when it needed emergency service; when you ran into him at one of his shows the following week, you bought him a drink to thank him, and the rest is history.

"I've never been in his room so I wouldn't know," you lie.

Robin laughs.

"You call me from his place once a week," she retorts. "It's a suspicious amount of time to spend with the local pot dealer for someone who freaks out with even the slightest contact high."

"I told you, he's just nice," you groan. "What's so bad about me hanging out with a nice guy? You've seen the guys I usually get caught up with, and you have to admit, Eddie's a huge improvement."

Robin snaps her attention back to you, eyes wide and smile wider as she freezes over the popcorn she's watching on the stove.

"So you admit it," she says. "He's... a guy... and he’s... huge..."

She waggles her eyebrows. You grab a marshmallow from the open pack on the counter and lob it at her, smacking her right between the eyes.

"He's a boy that I'm friends with," you correct her. "That doesn't make him my boyfriend."

"Does this friendship come with a benefits package?"

She gives you bedroom eyes over her shoulder, taunting you. You stare back at her, expressionless.

"You went into an alternate dimension," you comment, "and all you can think to talk to me about are Eddie Munson’s sheets. Unbelievable."

"You also went into that dimension," Robin reminds you. "There's nothing I can say that you haven't already seen. You guys have just gotten a lot closer since we all saved the world together, and I was just... wondering."

She shrugs like it means nothing as she transfers the popcorn from its pan into a bowl, but her cheeky gaze through her lashes at you tells you otherwise.

She totally knows. She's just waiting for you to admit it.

The rumble of an engine outside cuts your conversation short, the familiar clunk of a door slamming shut making your heart leap into your throat. Robin notices the tiny change in your expression, how your eyes light up the moment the van rolls into your driveway, and her smirk grows all the more sinister.

"Prince Charming has arrived," she teases.

You aggressively ignore her as Eddie's heavy footsteps ring down the hall, the man himself appearing moments later. You're thankful when he refrains from kissing you on the cheek, as he usually does the second he’s close enough.

"Hey!" he greets you both, slapping a large hand on your shoulder in an entirely friendly, totally unromantic display of affection. Robin isn't immune to the way his hand stays there, migrating to the back of your neck, his thumb tenderly stroking at your skin.

"What brings you over, party crasher?" she wonders.

"Oh, just dropping off a mixtape."

He slips the cassette smoothly into your hand, which you cover up with the sleeve of your sweatshirt before Robin has a chance to glimpse what's on the label.

"Mind if I grab a beer?" Eddie asks. "Partake in some popcorn?"

"You're gonna do it anyway, so go crazy," you reply.

He grins sweetly at you, giving your bum an appreciative squeeze below the counter where Robin can't see it.

"Too late!"

He bounds out of the room, disappearing into the living room with a Bud Lite and a fistful of popcorn in his hand. Your “girls only” movie night has just become a “girls only plus Eddie” one.

The air in the room grows tense. You stand perfectly still, both you and Robin staring each other down, waiting to see who’ll speak first. Her gaze is smoldering, burning into yours with ruthless intention.

“Didn’t know you guys had an open doors policy,” she finally notes. “It’s all very... interesting.”

She slowly starts to stalk around the corner of the island, trailing her hand nonchalantly (or what she thinks is nonchalantly) across the countertop. You back up, taking one step for each of hers, knowing exactly what she’s about to do.

That still doesn’t stop you from shrieking as she jumps you, her hands snatching at the cassette tape now tucked inside your sweatshirt sleeve.

“Robin, you’re acting totally feral!” you yell, trying in vain to keep her out of your shirt.

She cackles as she wrestles the little rectangle of plastic from your grasp, shoving her hand into your face to keep you back as you claw at her. Her eyes widen and jaw drops as she reads the label, an incredulous laugh escaping her throat.

“Songs We’re Gonna Bone To?!” she howls, reading the title aloud. “Oh my god, you guys made a mixtape to have sex to?! I knew it!”

You cross your arms, pressing your lips harshly together as you glare at her, wishing you could make her head explode.

“See, this is why I didn’t say anything,” you quip. “... And Eddie made it, not me.”

Robin’s neck audibly cracks, she turns around so fast. She looks like a seven year old kid who’s just woken up on Christmas morning.

“What’s on it?” she whispers.

She’s out the door before you can answer, sprinting down the hall into your bedroom and smacking the tape inside your player so fast she’s little more than a blur. Queen’s Fat Bottomed Girls starts blaring from the speakers, causing a fierce blush to erupt across your cheeks. She slaps the skip button, moving on to KISS’s I Was Made For Lovin’ You, followed by Def Leppard’s Pour Some Sugar On Me. You bury your face in your hand, entirely unable to meet her gaze as she savors your embarrassment.

“What a massive cheese ball,” she chuckles. “Is the sex good, though? Like, he’s given you at least one orgasm, right?”

You’re laying face down on your bed, craving the sweet release of death when Eddie appears in the doorway.

“Why the hell’s everyone screaming?” he questions, frantic. “Did another portal open up? Baby, are you okay?”

“Aaaaaahhhh he calls you BABY!” Robin shrieks. She doubles over, collapsing to the floor in hysterical laughter.

You sit up, taking one of the pillows off your mattress and chucking it at Eddie. He catches it, just barely, stumbling backward in shock and confusion.

“Change your fucking sheets, Munson!”

🌹💀 get your eddie fix 💀🌹

#muerta's works #eddie munson #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x you #eddie munson smut #eddie munson x reader smut #eddie munson x you smut

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buckleysbitch · 3 months

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alright hazel sluts, here’s some jealous!rough!hazel smut to fuel you ⋆˙⟡ ₊˚ෆ reblogs and comments keep this blog going!

18+ only under the cut

reqs are open!

listen to hazels spotify here ̤̮̤˗.🎧

“i’m so tired of hanging out with these pathetic losers, you’re so much cooler, pj.” you ask the curly haired girl, lightly grazing your fingers down her arm seductively. hazel knew pj wanted you, and even told you so last week. she’s been jealous ever since, snapping dirty looks at her, because how dare she make a move on her girl. “so, how about we study for mr. gs test tonight, my place?” she gulps in response, nodding. you wink, grabbing your things and sauntering out of the gym.

“pathetic, huh? -goddamn- i’ll show you what pathetic looks like.” hazel grunts, her strap on relentlessly pounding into your walls, no end in sight, her hips harshly clapping into yours. your face buried into her pillow, she laughs sinfully, watching your crumble before her.

“pretty bold for - someone - who’s in this losers bed every night.” she grumbles, your hair clenched in her fist in a ponytail, the other bruising your asscheeks with stinging smacks.

the cries you let out to her are pitiful, just fueling her to pound into you harder, if even possible.

“you think,” she gasps, “that pj could fuck you like this?” you groan into the pillow, sobbing as the tip of her strap grazes your cervix. “no one fucks you like this…like….me.” she pants, obviously exhausted, yet the urge to ruin you overtakes her. “get up.” she commands, leading you to her full length mirror.

fuck.

she positions you with your hands on the wall, on each side of the mirror, and proceeds her unforgiving thrusting, handful of your hair.

“look at yourself.” she orders, yanking your gaze to meet with your mascara stained face in the mirror, tits pressed up against the cool glass. “who do you belong to?” you should be embarrassed, the way your hips are rocking back into hers, desperate for her.

“p-pj…” you stutter out, knowing exactly what you’re doing to her. you know deep down you belong to her, but sometimes you want to see the jealous, mean hazel. of course that’s hard to get out of her, she’s just too sweet for words, but desperate times call for desperate measures. she jostles the strap out of your throbbing cunt, and throws you on the bed.

“oh, pj, huh?” she interrogates, slipping the harness off her hips and kicking it to the side. “now you and i both know that’s a lie.”

“is it?” you pant, caught off guard by hazel pushing you onto the bed, forgetting how strong she’s gotten since fight club started.

“watch your mouth, slut.” she laughs, climbing over your chest, hovering her core just above your trembling lips. “is that what you are, a slut? that why you can’t keep your legs closed, hm? my touch not good enough for you? you- hgnh- want pj? the girl who doesn’t even know where the clit is?” her wetness drips down, drooling onto your lips.

“answer me.”

“n-no!”

“yeah, that’s fucking right.” she proclaims, settling herself onto your face. “you know what to do,” she grumbles, “whore.”

you quickly begin to lap her up, her clit throbbing against your tongue, so sloppy and unrefined, drunk on her taste. her hips snap into you repeatedly, burying the fluffy patch of hair that protects her heat into you. her groans are intoxicating, motivating you to buck your hips up, but finding loneliness every time.

“that’s right.” she coos. “i want you to go to class tomorrow, and when she asks where all these pretty bruises came from, you tell her the truth. understand?” the only sounds that fill the air are of her heavy panting, the bed creaking, and the delicious sound of her drenched pussy coating your tongue. you nod, not pausing once to even verbally respond.

“that’s it, you’re mine. my- my slut.”

#hazel callahan #hazel callahan x reader #hazel callahan blurb #hazel callahan fanfiction #hazel callahan headcanons #hazel callahan imagine #hazel callahan x you #hazel callahan brainrot #bottoms 2023 #hazel callahan au #hazel callahan smut #hazel bottoms #taking requests #taking reqs #reqs open #requests open

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dietmountaindewbae · 10 months

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Can you do Stockholm syndrome with alex please? (any Alex era) 🙈

xvi. velvet crowbar

alex turner x reader

requested by anonymous

word count: 10k

summary: Would you rather be missed or missing? On a dark night, you walked lonely and cold, contemplating your life, and you thought it was like a flower slowly rotting dry, and dead, no one could stop it, until (2014) Alex saves you in the most unusual way you fall in love with a dying man.

warnings: ch*king, sp*tting, age gap, vi*lence, degrad*tion, bru*ses, bl*od, m*rder, kn*fe play, g*ns, dr*gs, ga*ging, mentions of sub*stance abuse and su*cide.

song recommendation: velvet crowbar by lizzy grant

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*⋆ ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*⋆

Silent, and still was the night, a lonely and dark walk to get to your house awaited you, you didn't mind the silence, it's been a while since you heard that in this city, muffled were the sounds of the cars that drove down the high way, you wrapped your arms together, hoping that any drunk man would drive down the sidewalk and act as if they own you but it wouldn't be the first time some prick chased you down, inviting you in, you prayed nothing like that happened, you thought it was way worse than your father finding out you sneaked out, or the other times you did.

You spotted a dark and relucent limousine parked on the same sketchy alley you had to walk thru to get to your house sooner, you thought it was an odd place to be, maybe someone abandoned it there, or it simply belonged to the chauffeur, either way, you speeded your way down the alley, then out of nowhere you felt a wave of shivers enveloping your whole body when you heard a loud tut, you turned around a strange magnetism to the car took over you, it was silent before you could take another step, then you heard muffled shouting, it horrified you, your mind told you to walk but you stayed put, scared to death and frozen.

You heard a man shouting again, more reluctant this time, you heard his whipping, and the gasping for air, you felt his anger, and how furious he felt, you ran back to the car, and knocked on the window, but he was silent, and the man murmured something you didn't understand.

The windows of the car slowly unraveled the man, his forehead bleeding each time he screamed, his eyes blood red shoot, his cheeks burned, drenched in sweat and blood all over his suit, he was frightened for himself, for his life, his eyes turned side to side, he kept yelling, you didn't know what to do, you knew you had to help him, suddenly he quiets down when he saw someone walking from the shadows, quickly you tried to unlock the door, and he dropped to the floor, you dragged him across the floor, he yelled in pain, you saw he had a knife stuck on his leg pouring more blood on the street, the shadow man ran your way while the other man kept yelling "run! run!" to you, finally the shadows caught up to you as you ran away as far as possible, he wrapped his arms around you, covering your mouth, he backed you up against the wall.

"If you scream, I swear that I will stick this down your throat..." A knife pressed against your neck, "Understood?" His eyes, they were on fire.

"I do..." You managed to say, he dropped you back to the ground putting the knife inside his pocket and taking out a gun from the inside of his coat, his arm wrapped around your shoulders while he points it against your waist

"If you try to run, scream... you understand what's gunna happen to you, right darlin'?" You nodded, "Good, good..." He whispered, "Now move your pretty legs" He dragged you back to the alley, the man laying on the floor unconscious, you prayed over and over it didn't turn out to be you, the door swung open, and he pushed your body inside the car and shut the door, you took a last glance at those vibrant green eyes of the man, they cried for mercy.

He gave out his final yells, he was like an animal, and the shadows were the hunters, you heard the last bang of his gun, silence. The shadows dragged his body to the trunk, and he shut it harshly, he went to the driver's seat and made a call, "It's done... this is the last warnin' I'm taking it all," He said, he glanced at you thru the rare view, you shut your eyes tightly, not being able to face the reality that you might not get out, that you might not escape he could kill you, you felt tears running down your cheeks and your nose swelling up, you were panting, needy for air, your heart was racing for the commotion, your eyes began to close, your body giving out on the blood-stained leather seats.

Your eyes slowly opened up, the lights were so shiny you couldn't see properly where you were, you began to feel unsteady looking for a way to escape, you were in somebody's bedroom thankfully you still had the same clothes as yesterday but there was blood splashed all over your jeans and your top, you jumped out of the bed, quietly looking for a widow or door to scape, you glanced to your right, they had a balcony in the room, you shut the door and locked it, putting a small shelf to be safer, and you opened the balcony, putting your legs over the railing.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," You froze, and you glanced at him, it was the same man from yesterday, you vividly remembered his thick British accent, "You obviously don't remember what I told you yesterday, right darlin'?" You jumped back inside, shutting the balcony door, hiding inside the closet, he unlocked your door and kept pushing until he managed to open the door, you saw everything thru the crack of the closet's doors, "We're gonna play hide and seek, aren't we?" He announced, "I'll count to three, and if by then you're not out, well... I'll guess you'll find out yourself," You were horrified by this man, how could he kill you, you didn't do anything.

"1..." He said, you felt him walk closer to the closet, he knew exactly where you were, "2..." you shut your eyes tightly, but he swung open the doors, "Please come out of there," He asked not so politely, you did what he said, "Lay down on the bed" You didn't move but he walked towards you, his eyes staring right back at yours, they were angry, demanding, but hurt in some way, you didn't realize when the back of your knees touched the bed, "That wasn't so hard" He pulled a chair, and grabbed a bowl with water, and a fresh cloth, there was another one, stained with blood, "That's not yours," He cleared out, "You passed out on the seats," He dipped the edge of the cloth inside the water, he cleaned your face, starting with your cheeks, you finally saw his whole face, his big nose, chapped thin lips and his almond brown eyes, his milk chocolate hair fixed up in a messy 50's quiff, the dark circles, his cheekbones, and stubbed beard, his jawline, sharp as a knife, but not as sharp as that look he had, you felt little, you couldn't look at them, after everything, you wondered why wasn't he hiding his face.

"Where are we?" You asked him in the quietest way.

"Somewhere really safe, outside the city, it's like my vacation house," You shifted on the bed, this time it was serious, you were very far from home, and you didn't know if it was a good thing or a bad thing to be away and with a stranger that could kill you if he pleases to do so, "I'm not gonna kill you... if you collaborate" He said your full name, "I know who you are... but mostly I know everything that you did, shoplifting, skipping class, sneaking out, even the drugs you have bought, the vodka bottles you've stolen along with cigarettes, and other things, very cute girlie things to do, regardless of that you're a decent student, I'm not surprised any colleges want to accept you, but you faked your birth certificate, didn't you? and your name, everything... you're smart," He said with a smudge smirk on his face, "One sister, a small family circle but I'm sure they don't care enough about you, your sister, Ivy league thanks to a scholarship, of course, your father wouldn't be able to pay that, and here it says you turned 19 the other day, happy birthday" He chuckled.

"Why didn't you kill me?" You said, but he was silent.

"I need you for something," He said, "Then I will let you go" He sounded legitimate when he said that.

"Why won't you think I won't go to the police?" He leaned in closer.

"Because if you don't, and you won't, I'll clean your records, I'll put you inside the best college you could ever be in, and I'll get you and your sister out of that shit hole that you're in, I'll give you a better life, and a fresh beginning" Your sister took care of you like no one else, this was your chance to get you and your sister out, to get her a better place to live and to work, the stakes were high but you had nothing else to lose.

"What do I need to do?" You said he composed himself, throwing the towel to his shoulder.

"That man you saw yesterday, he did something really fucked up to me, but the people he worked for, that's the real target, tomorrow there's gonna be a party at one of their underground clubs, you and I are going there, put a show for them, and I'll take what I need, easy as that" He scrubbed the blood out of your neck, "I would've hired someone else to go as my accompaniment but then you appeared so... if you want to leave, then you'll do as I say..." He grabbed a hold of your neck, "Got it?" You said yes with your head, "I'll get you something nice, doll you up, and we'll go"

You began to think the worse out of this situation, what if another man try to approach you, and take advantage, what if you even had to kill someone, "I... won't have to-"

"The only one who's gonna get their hands dirty is that man, not you or me... just that man" He assured you, he picked up his things and headed out.

"Where are you going?" You asked, he glanced at you and closed the door, you were confused, scared, and worried about your sister, what if someone tried to do something to her or even hurt her? you began to feel guilty about all of the things you've done, you felt like everyone you've ever loved could be in danger, and if anything happened to them... it would be your fault, maybe you were exaggerating but there still was a small possibility, did anyone even cared to look for you in the first place?

"I got you clothes" He referred to you by your name, "There's a bathroom right down the hall," You waited for him to leave, and you followed his orders, if you wanted to get out, that's the only option you had, you grabbed your clothes, and headed to the bathroom, you heard him in the other room talking.

"No, that scumbag is dirty!... shut the fuck up and listen to me! He will pay for the shit he has done to me, Matt, and my mother" You heard his voice crack, when he said the name of his mother, "Listen I got this under control Miles, the only thing you have to do is nothing! He won't get away with this... and he will suffer just like he did to me, but this will be worse... at least for him, this will be different, way different than the last times, of course, it isn't my way but at least this is better," He chuckled.

"Listen, Alex-" He hung up, Alex was his name, and he shut the door closed when he saw you staring back, you ran to the bathroom.

You locked the door and stepped inside the shower, little blood running down your body, as you washed your body with soap, you sigh, too tired, with bruised arms, tired neck, and legs, you sat on the shower letting the water wash your body, like rain dots, and you cried like a baby, runny mascara tears on your cheeks, you heard a crack at the door, and squeaked close again. You put your clothes on, they had a very strong scent to them, he gave you his navy blue sweater that fell off your shoulder and a pair of sweatpants that dropped your hips, you felt warm, almost like a big hug.

Two knocks at your door made you tremble once inside your room, "It's me" He said, you backed up against a corner, "I got you some books and food?" He put the food on the vanity along with your books.

"I- mean, yeah I will... after you leave"

He sighed your name, "Look, darlin'... " He sat down on the floor, grabbing your wrist and sitting next to him, "I won't do anything to you if you don't want to eat, I understand, I'm not a fucking psychopath, I'm sure you heard me name, right?"

"Alex, yeah?" You asked and he nodded with his head.

"The job begins tomorrow, so you'll be out sooner than you think" He lightly smiled at you.

"What makes you think I'm the right person to help you?" He could've asked another girl, with more experience, way more professional than you just like he said, so why were you still there?

"'Cause none of those arseholes knows you or has seen your face, plus you weren't that bad at shoplifting, this is sort of like that" He took out his phone, "And you looked cute doing it" He showed you the video when the cameras caught you putting a top inside your purse, "And look at those" He swiped to the next pictures.

You gasped exhaling a laugh when you saw your mug shots from that day, "Gosh, where did you get these?!" You couldn't stop laughing, you wore a wig, your makeup was all trashed, and your shirt broke, good times.

"No one will guess you were the one who was helping me, your face irradiates innocence, and you're too pure to be considered a threat," The moment you looked back at him, your eyes looked down to the floor, he admitted you were cute and pure, you felt something strange when you felt his shoulder against yours.

"Do you think I can have a gun?" He chuckled loudly.

"Clearly the answer is no" You looked down at the floor.

"But what if I need it? To protect myself, just in case anything goes wrong, you know?"

He put his hand on your knee, turning your face to look at his eyes, "I assure you everything will be ok, I'm gonna be with you all the time, alright?" His voice was so tender, it was hypnotizing, you found yourself staring at him for more than you should, and nodded, "Your sister asked where you were, and someone called Lily, I told your sister you were fine, you were staying at a friend's house, and I told Lily you were at home feeling sick" At least they did care about you.

"Thanks," You said to him, "And... did my sister tell you anything about my dad? Has he asked for me?" He slowly moved his head from side to side saying no, you felt as though you shouldn't have asked, but you thought there was a small chance he could've asked for you, but as always, what else could you expect?

"Don't feel stupid for askin'" He tells you, "I would've asked as well, I know my mum would've been worried and probably going all over the city, looking for me" He smiled but it was crooked.

"Yeah, my mom would've too," You said.

"I'm sorry," He said, "I shouldn't have said anything about-"

"It's ok, don't worry," You assured him.

"My mum," He said, "She's in a ward, one night, I woke up at my house alone, I was just a kid even though I wasn't tall enough I was smart enough to make meself breakfast, I spend three days alone until me dad came back, he said my mum had gotten sick and that she would be hospitalized, but she wasn't her, they said she was having a broad of psychosis and she was admitted to the ward," You listen to every word he said, "I knew she was fine, she was still herself but people simply wouldn't believe her, me dad did something to her, he tried to make me become him, shaped me into his own mold but I never listened, that's why I ran away at 17"

"Your dad is-"

"He's a very powerful man here since he moved to the States, he has lied, stolen, cheated, and hustled every last person that has helped with his business, the empire hotel, that franchise is his, they don't know what goes down in his secret clubs,"

"But I didn't know they had a-"

"Exactly," He said, "Clandestine, no one knows, only his star investors know about the girls, drugs, lies, money, I'm not a saint but that money doesn't belong to him, so I'm gonna take everything that once he loved, just like he did to me, this is more than just me, it's my mum... I recently found my mum's ward in Belgium, which took me more than it should, everything about her had changed, but her eyes told me what I already knew, she confirmed that he was the one who put her there, but she didn't say anything, me dad paid everyone there to keep eyes on her and keep her medicated... she can't speak or sometimes even walk" He was in it too deep.

"What's in for you?"

"I'm gonna take his business, his money, his life, and expose him" All of what he had confessed to you, you could feel his pain, his anger, his sadness, and no one that looked out for him or even cared, you still didn't know what happened to the guy he mentioned when he was on the phone, but you bet he was one of his father's victims.

"That's fucked up, I'm sorry to hear that," You tried to comfort him, caressing his shoulder.

"Everybody has a sad story," He turned his face to you, "Yours?"

You wrapped your arms around your legs, "My mom too, had complications after giving birth to me but the biggest was the depression, she never got better, one day my dad found her on the patio, passed out, she overdosed, but my dad said it was me and my sister's fault, my sister's because she had to take care of her, watch that she took the right doses every day, and me because, if they didn't have me then she would've never died," He covered his mouth with his fingers, "I think we both have a lot going on, right?" You wiped your nose.

"The only thing that made me wake up each morning was the hope that maybe one day I'd finally be free, we can help each other out, I can get you out" He assured you, cupping your cheeks, "I will get you out"

You held back your tears but your eyes betrayed you, "Why would you do that? I'm a horrible person, I lie, I cheat, I steal, why-"

"Your whole life, you were blamed for something you never did, you were painted like that, shaped like that, but you never had fit into that mold just like me, I know why you do the things you do, don't think you're not worthy of my help or anybody's help, I know you want to get out, so I'll help you"

Your vision was blurry, "It's too much" You crossed your arms and legs together, as you cried in silence, he opened your hand, caressing your knuckles, he was careful and delicate, he knew you were cracking, so fragile, "Take me to bed" He wrapped his arm around your shoulders, slowly wrapping your body, holding you in his big arms, "Can you... stay with me?"

"I thought you didn't want me to stay" You hold on to him like a puppy.

"Please, stay?" You asked him once more, he laid you down on the bed while he sat on the edge of the bed, his hand on your knee, "Hold me... can you hold me?" You whispered, it was clear enough for him to listen, he reached you with his arm, laying down in bed next to you, holding you while you let your tears stain the soft pillows, his unusual warmth made you feel safe, and protected, but could you trust that?

The next morning, you woke up and felt no one, he had vanished, you scanned around your room for him, and you stepped outside, you felt scared to go out but you did anyway, you wanted to know why he had left, you wanted to see him, you heard three voices downstairs, you peeked thru the stairs.

"Karina, you got that article ready when I tell you, right love?" You hear the woman giggle.

"Of course, you can count on it" You saw him hug her and lightly peck her cheek.

"Miles, you've got all the evidence ready for court?" He grabbed a yellow envelope, and suddenly he spotted you listening, you quietly ran back to your room, "Excuse me for a moment" He said, chasing you to your room, he swung open the door and shut it, he pulled you up by the arm, and held you in place by the neck, while his other hand gathered your hair up, "Don't ever do that again, you stay in this room, and you won't go out unless I tell you so, got it?" You saw his eyes turn darker, covered in anger, his jaw clenched, and his lips in a straight line, you must've felt terrified of him, he could've easily choked you to death but something was holding him back.

"I-" He was chocking you too hard, you couldn't breathe, "I- You're hurting me, please" He loosened his grip, and dropped his hand from your hair, "I understand," You said, "I won't do it again" He left your room without saying another word to you slamming the door shut, your body dropped to the sheets, you cuddled up to a ball, you felt guilty, just as if you brought this onto yourself, you deserved that, you shouldn't have peeked, it wasn't your place, the less you knew the better, you wouldn't get involved, right? There were so many questions, you truly didn't want to know the answer to, like why does your heart stop whenever you looked at him, or when he entered your room? Why did you like it when he was angry and got violent? The strangling, the loud and animalistic exhales, the sharpness of his jaw, and the violence in his eyes, why do you feel tingles? why do you feel something about him?

You heard the nob of your door twist open, he stayed in the frame for a moment, he thought you were sleeping, he liked the way his navy blue sweater looked on you, it made your brown hair look darker, and he loved it, he liked it fitted you almost like a dress, all cuddled up into a tiny ball, with his hand on his hip he walked in, laid your dress for the night on the bed, he noticed the purple bruises on your neck, the redness of your lips, and your eyes a little puffy, suddenly his mind send him over to the feeling that broke his heart the most, feeling as though he had hurt you not only physically but emotionally as well, he was cold, he could be such an asshole, but when he saw you lying on your side, with your hands between your thighs, he could've crumbled completely if you cried.

Your eyes opened, and you felt he was looking at you and for whatever reason you stared at him back for a moment, something about his eyes, behind all of his coldness he finally had let you see right thru him, and the feeling of nakedness had taken over the two, there was nothing like the beauty of the exposure of that man's heart who had beautiful intentions easily misunderstood.

Not saying another word to you he left the most beautiful midi créme white dress laid on the bed for you, made out of silk with the silhouette of a corset with a slit on the leg and black velvet heels, he gave you a pair of black thigh-high black socks. You tried it on and you looked at yourself in the mirror, it had been a while since you felt this taken care of, he had picked out that dress only for you, thinking of you, it felt like he was spoiling you a little bit with this Dolce dress and heels.

He opened the door and smiled when he saw the dress on you, "I bought you some makeup too," He gave you a bag of Channel, and Dior makeup, a small black YSL purse, and perfumes for you to pick, "You've got two hours to get ready"

"You bought all of this for me?" You asked him, trying to hold your smile back.

He stared at you as he took out his golden cross chain from his neck, "Turn around" He laid it on top of your collarbone, "They don't need to know who you are, but they do need to see that somebody else owns you" He ran his hands thru your hair, he took out a small box from the pocket of his jeans, "That's for you too... wear it on your ring finger, and before I leave, don't cover up the bruises" He seemed serious about that part, he shut the door and left you all alone once more when you opened up the box there was a beautiful ring inside, with a stamp and a symbol even though you couldn't point out what exactly that was but nevertheless you wore it where he told you to, you smiled when you saw it on your hand.

"What's wrong with you?" You whispered to yourself in the mirror, why were you letting yourself think more than you should? After tonight you would be long gone, and he... he would forget about you, you shouldn't cling to the smallest details, you had to face the truth, maybe no one else has ever spoiled you this way, thought about you so meticulously, but Alex would let you go, and you will be obligated to forget any of this happened.

Since you had two hours, you decided to take your time with your hair, decided to do a quick blowout with a drier and a brush, the dress reminded you a lot of Claudia Schiffer, and her shoot with Joseph Gordon for the GQ magazine, so you went for a very feminine and elegant eye look, you wished you could stay with everything he had gifted you, or maybe he would, you finished just by the time he knocked on your door, watching you spray Poison Girl on your neck.

"I'm done," You said to him, "Do I look ok?"

He memorized every last bit of you, you were the type of girl he had daydreamed about, the type of girl that lives in his memory but is gone when he's present, he felt his heart tore, even if it was the smallest cut, it hurt, "You're beautiful" He said, "Come with me" You held his hand and finally went down the stairs for the first time, his house was huge, filled with art deco, sculptures, light, and the smell of cigarettes and black coffee, he had a piano by the living room with 4 guitars, the biggest book collection you had ever seen with comfy couches, and a batman poster, he had another living area with a TV, but you didn't have enough time to see everything, you turned to watch the moonlight reflect on his pool, the stars glimmering in the water.

You turned to look at him, he looked so handsome with his all-black suit and silver belt, and perfectly gelled slick back hair, "It's time," He said to you, you held his hand once more and went inside the limo, the same one as last time, you began to feel the same giddy feeling as the time before, repulsion and nausea, "Listen, what you're gonna do once inside, you're gonna go with the girls they'll be partying everywhere, and you're gonna sneak behind the bar, there's a small office with a big window facing the pool, you're gonna put this drive in the computer, and you'll go back to me, pretend that you had too much to drink, and we'll be out, I'll distract everyone there, this is very important and everything must be executed perfectly, there's no excuse, it's not too hard for you, right babe?" You said no with your head, and he immediately picked up on what was wrong with you, he put his arm around you, "Everything's gonna be ok, have this" He gave you a burner phone "I trust that you won't call anyone because you know better than that, I put my number there, in case anything goes wrong, call me, and I'll be there" You nodded, when you looked at him in the eyes, suddenly you had forgotten everything was wrong, you knew if you held on to his words tightly everything would be ok.

He went out of the car and opened the door for you, he grabbed your hand and headed thru the back door of the hotel, The Empire Hotel, his dad's hotel, you felt chills, you could keep it cool but for how long?

Behind the red couching doors there was a whole other part of the hotel, the bar was full of girls dancing around in just some loose underwear, and a few of them had no bras on, you felt strange wearing a dress while the rest seemed to be way more comfortable with just some panties and a bra, you glanced at Alex but his look was straight, aiming towards a table full of men smoking cigars and drinking Martinis, "I see you already began without me, Mark!" All of the men stood up with open arms to greet Alex and you, some of them were in their 30s or 40s, and some looked old enough to be your grandfather, all of the hugging you, their arms around your lower back and their hands holding your hips, they kissed the crook of your lip.

"I see what you got here Turner! Fresh meat" Alex held you close to him his hand on your hip, gripping it hard and possessively, "Not so fresh anymore, right fellas?" All of the men laughed at the bruises on your neck, "What's your name, cherry pie?"

"Where's David?" Alex interrupted, it was part of his plan to confront him, tell him exactly what was he going to do, but the creepy old man began an eye contest with you, his smudge and filthy smirk, and eyes made you feel disgusting, his breath stunk of liquor and cigars, he was relatively handsome, white hair, tall and fit but you had someone better. Alex squished your hand tightly, and you his fingers.

"He couldn't make it, something came up for him" He quickly answered Alex, he came back to you, "Join the other girls to play, let the grown-ups talk for a bit, yeah?" He referred to Alex, as he cupped your cheek and played with your nose, "You're something else, aren't you?" You were quiet, "Liz!" A blonde-haired girl came up to the table, she had the most tender and friendly smile, and you immediately felt better around her presence, "Hey ya baby girl, gimme a kiss" She leaned in forward to give him a small peck on the lips, "Settle her in, I bet you have something nice for her to wear" He smacked her ass, and she giggled.

"Sure daddy, come with me" She held your hand and Alex followed you behind, he grabbed your hand pulling you away from her, and leaned forward to give you a kiss lightly caressing your neck with his thumb, he caught you off guard but you immediately returned the kiss, something inside had switched the moment his lips pressed against yours, he took the advantage to slip his tongue inside your mouth, your heart was giddy just like when you were younger and had your first kiss, that excitement turned your cheeks warm and pink, you gulped when he parted his mouth from yours. He proved to all of the men there that he owns you.

"I'll distract them, meet me here once it's done, got it?" You nodded your head, "Kiss me again" Without asking twice you leaned forward cupping his cheeks and kissing him with the same passion he kissed you, his hands dropped from your hips to your ass, and he hummed with pleasure, and you gasped, a moan slipping from your mouth to his, you couldn't hold it back but the way he bit your bottom lip before touring the kiss apart told you that he liked it, "Don't take long, I'll wait for you here,"

"Get them a room!" The man joked, you went back to Liz, she hid her laugh once she was away from the table.

"God! That was something else" She joked, "I didn't know Mr. Turner had another girl, I thought he was dating Karina, she told me it was nothing though but I don't know they seemed close, then she met Miles and they're inseparable so I guess she was right, what's your name by the way?"

"Oh, I'm Carmen" You lied, though giving her a genuine smile, she walked you to a well-hidden elevator, pressed the buttons, and rested her back on the walls.

"Tell me all about you and Alex! To be honest I want to dump Mark, he's a total jerk to me, he doesn't even get his thing up by himself I need to spend like 30 minutes stroking his dick to get it a little bit hard, I'm dating another guy in the table though, and let me tell you that guy... he's a beast and I love it, but don't say anything Mark doesn't know" She giggled, and the door opened, you were inside Liz's penthouse there were a few girls having drinks and snorting coke from a golden platter, Liz pulled you to the bedroom some girls looking at themselves in the mirror, whilst others tried on a few clothes, "This is my closet" She had a whole entire room for her clothes, "This is the only benefit of being with Mark, the only bad thing is his unfuckable dick" You laughed and hugged her.

"I won't say anything I promise," You glanced at your phone, you were losing time with Liz, and even if you wanted to spend more time with her, you had to finish what Alex told you to do, "Do you have anything black?"

"You're gonna be inside the pool or out?"

"Out, I spend a lot of time trying to get this hair ready so..." She nodded her head and took out a black Agent Provocateur see-thru set with cute black bows and embroider flowers, it came with a matching pair of black stockings, "Woah! This is-"

"Put it on!" She helped you out of your dress and gave you a quick touch-up before you looked at yourself in the mirror, "Gorgeous, it looks better on you than me!"

"I'm sure this looks amazing on you" She looked at herself in the mirror, she had a pastel-colored lingerie set, and she gave herself a smack on the butt.

"You're right, it does but you can keep it... oh! And I know what goes just perfect with it" You smiled at her when she covered you up with a big and fluffy fur coat, she was so kind to you, it's been a while since you last had a friend like Liz, outgoing and charismatic, but not cocky and self-centered, she was legitimately a nice girl, "Gimme a quick sniff," She said to the girl, she put her pinky up and she inhaled the white powder, "You want some?" She asked you, you were tempted but you didn't let it affect you, you had bigger things to do, and you needed to do them sober.

"Just a cigarette," You said, Liz gave you one from the box she had inside the socks, and you giggled going back to the elevator, she kept talking about her new relationship, and how good it was while you tried to find a way to sneak inside the door, she held your hand and walked you back to the table with Mark and Alex, you smiled at them all and looked at the malicious faces.

"What do you think, Daddy?" Said Liz to Mark and he spun you around checking you out with no shame not caring about Alex being right in front of him, Alex wanted to rip his hand off but he stepped back, he looked at you from top to bottom, he had no words, that set had him on the verge of throwing everything out of that table and fucking you so hard against it, his eyes were glued to your legs and your thighs, your heart-shaped butt, he bet it fitted in his hands just perfectly, "You did an amazing job honey, that why you're my angel, sit with us for a little" Liz sat on Mark's lap, and Alex grabbed your hips and sat you on his thigh, legs opened, the rough fabric of his jeans lightly grazed a spot that made you feel tingles, you wondered if he did that intentionally, his legs were spread in a very manly and dominant way, you sat closer to his crotch, feeling something hard, and bulging, you tried to hide your smile.

"Here you go, gentlemen!" One of the men said when he came back to the table with another plater of coke, the lines were already done for each of them to snort, Alex grabbed a dollar and sprinkled the coke on your inner thigh, snorting off from you, his face so close to yours, you sighed feeling electricity all over your body.

"Here's to the girls!" Mark said, all of them raised their glasses, while Liz poured you something in a cup, you didn't know what it was, "To the girls!" They all said, you emptied the cup in your mouth, feeling the booze burn your throat, your cheeks held in the liquid, they all laughed at your face but you swallowed anyway.

"She swallowed it!" One of them said, "She's a good one, right Alex?" Alex nodded his head, and pulled you in, putting his hand on your inner thigh and gripping it tight.

"Yes, she's a very good girl," He said to you, and only for you to listen, "Go now," He told you.

"Let's dance I love this song!" You grabbed Liz's hand and went dancing, you left Liz with the other girls promising that you had to go to the bathroom first, and you made your way to the bar, you acted drunk and said to the barman, "Hi," You slurred, "Can I have um... like I want something very strong, you know?" You laughed, and he nodded his head, the moment he turned to make your drink you used that to get inside the office, luckily it was unlocked, you closed the door and immediately found the computer, it obviously had a password, you used your phone to text Alex for help, he quickly wrote it down for you, and you took out the drive from your bra, you were surprised how unprotected his computer was but he was old though, something about this being so easy made you feel off, the download took a bit though, you felt anxious you wanted to get out as fast as possible now, you sneaked out and peeked to the barman, he was distracted and you quickly blended in with everybody else, you put the drive inside your sock and went back to Alex, acting drunk.

"Al- Daddy," You said to him sitting in his lap, "I missed you," You said with a cheeky smile, his eyes got big, as you leaned in to give him sloppy and wet kisses on his neck, "I have it, it's in my stockings" You whispered to him, putting your arms around the back of his head, pecking his lips, his hands ran down your thighs feeling how soft and smooth your legs were until he reached the hem of your stockings, you could hear his hallow and heavy breathing, but you acted like it was nothing, going back to kissing him, slowly, feeling a sweet melody covering your ears, he let's go of the environment around him, of all the pressure, and now he was hurrying to kiss you back, his arm around your tummy to hold your hand, while the other kept your head in place, you felt him smiling thru the kiss, he didn't hide it, he liked feeling your soft lips and the the sweetness of your mouth on his, you forgot about everything that happened prior to the kiss, this was your way of letting him know that despite everything, you liked him, and you forgive him, this was your way of saying goodbye to him.

What you didn't ask yourself is if he was ready to say goodbye to you.

"I think it's time to go, right angel?" He said to you, he shook hands goodbye to all of them and picked you up from the ground, putting your bag on his shoulder, you giggled along with him, hugging him tightly until you got back to the limo, he sat you down, and you cuddled close to him, "Let's get you back home, ok? I have your real phone here" He took it out from the pocket of his jeans, "We made a good team, my love" You looked at him, and you held him tight, he cupped your cheek looking at you with love and tenderness setting aside everything he had done to you, you knew he did it to keep you safe, and now, you realize it, and all he wanted was to kiss you, his eyes they yearned for your lips, and his mouth from one last taste, you were the one who leaned in forward and gave him a small lingering kiss on his lips, he closed his eyes and he enjoyed the feeling of leaving this world and focus on you completely, he kept kissing you deeper his kisses turning to much rougher and needy ones, you hummed feeling the taste of whiskey and tobacco, he pulled you to sit in his lap, he couldn't resist you in that black set, he just wanted to be all over you, he could see everything just perfectly, his hand gripping and smacking your ass, you moaned on his mouth, and with his tongue he rammed the tip of it on your bottom lip, "You're killing me" He gasped when you sat on his pulsing bulge, "You want this?" You grabbed his gun from his pocket.

You grabbed his hands, and aimed them at your chest, "I don't know what it is that I'm feeling, but I would die if my heart ever stopped beating like this, I don't know what you make me feel but it feels right, I much prefer to die then to spend my life without you," He understands you, he sees you for what you truly are, "I prefer you holding me hostage for the rest of my life," You instinctively closed your eyes when he kissed you, it was full of emotion, emotions that no one else could comprehend like you and Alex, he knew no one else would understand him just like you did, even if he was cold, cruel and violent, you stuck with him thru the fire, his love was full of rage but you would let it burn you and turn you to ashes if it meant you would be loved by him, you would let it consume you. He puts his hands around your throat leaving you breathless.

"You know there's no going back," He sounds serious, "It's been a lonely way for me, but it's better like that, I wouldn't want anything or anyone to hurt you, I've lost so many things... this is the life I created for myself"

"I know you're lonely... I can fix that," You said to him, your fingertips against his cheek, "I want to be with you"

"Why would you want to be with me, I'm a total stranger to you, you don't know me, I'be hurt you before "

"I do know you, and I trust you just like you trust me... this stranger took care of me, trusted me to do something that was very important for him, and when he kissed me I knew I didn't want him to stop, you're in my veins, you're everywhere and you fuck everything up, but I much rather be fucked up by you" He smiled, "Fuck me up, and hurt me, I'll still choose to be with you" He hungrily kissed you, his hand running down to your thigh and gripping it hard, pulling your hair, with the right not losing the grip on your neck, he watched how your hips roll back, agonizing and moaning.

"You're mine, say you're mine" He ordered.

"I'm yours," You whispered, his hands turned your head to the side, holding your neck, chocking you until you were out of breath, his tongue was eager to be inside your mouth, and your mouth was waiting for it to taste you, his kisses began to grow hotter, his breathing heavier as you kept grinding your hips against his, his hand slammed your ass and your breathing hitched, "Take me home with you" You whispered to his mouth, "Please, I wanna go home to you, I wanna be yours," His fingers sneaked inside your panties, sliding up and down so easily.

"Figuring out what gets you so wet is harder than you think... but I wanna know what soaks you? Is it me... huh?" He said to you, he had you in a complete chokehold, you were crying as his fingers weren't too far from touching your sweet spot, "I knew you were something special since I hit you, and it felt like a kiss" He pressed his mouth against yours, his fingers reach higher and lightly touch your spot making you tremble, "I wonder what else can make you feel like this..." He pulled out a blade out of his pocket, "Look at that pretty neck, do you remember how I had my knife against it?" You heard the blade snap open, the sharp pointy knife against your belly, "I would kill for you," He kept kissing you until suddenly the car stopped, he looked out of the window and realized he was right in the place he wanted. He picked you up from the car, carrying you to his home, and up to his room, it was so cozy and big, the mattress so warm, he crawled on top of you, you quickly tore his shirt out of his body, the buttons flying across the room, he was desperate to get your clothes off your body, his sharp blade ran down your arms until he cut open your bra, you gasped when he threw it away exposing your chest, "This too..." The sharp edge ran up your inner thigh, "It's just in the way" He presses it flat on your hip and cuts it off your body, spreading your legs wide open, putting the knife on his vanity, "Fuck, just look at that," His mouth was drooling inside for a taste, his knife going down your belly, "Just looking at you so wet for me, so wet for it... I saw how eager you were at the party, you were quite needy and willing to do just about anything for it, you like taking orders" He squished your cheeks together, "Tell me babe, what do you want from me?" You smiled even if it was hard to.

"You know exactly what I want daddy, I want you to fuck me like a real man," You purred but he could sense how nervous you were, even the smallest trace of it, "Use me... use me any way you want to"

"Would you be able to handle it honey? 'cause I don't think you will" He pins your wrists to the bed with just one hand, while the other plays with your lips, trapping his fingertip between your teeth.

"I'm ready daddy, I will handle it" You promised him, "Let me-" You tried to reach his pants but you were trapped in between his arms.

"Oh, this?" He pushed down his pants kicking them to the floor, you could see just the shadow and the outline of his cock but it wasn't just seeing it, you wanted to feel it and he knew exactly what you wanted, he rocked his hips back and forward pressing up his rock hard boner against your inner thigh, you gasped, he flipped your hair to the side, putting his hand on the back of your head gripping your hair tightly, "You know what I really want?" He pinched your chin and opened your mouth, sliding his finger between them for you to suck on it, you did it with no shame, starting slow, and swirling your tongue around it, he pushed another one in pressing them down your throat making you gag and spit them out, he made a big messy fist with your hair putting you down on your knees, "Suck it," You put your lips around him, teasing him at first you thought it would be fun, you just held him inside your mouth barely even sucking or licking him up, he made a fist pulling it harder than last time and he fucked your throat deep, making you gag and choke, making you become a drooling mess, "I see you like to be treated like a fucking cunt, so you're gonna be treated like that, open wider" You obeyed him, and he cupped your chin and the back of your head pulling it up to spit in your mouth and in your face smudging the makeup you had left "Gorgeous" He put your face back down to his swollen dick, "Kiss it" You pressed your lips on his dick, giving him some ticklish and silly kisses on it, he tugged your hair once more signing you to get back on it, when he saw how good you took him inside your mouth, he stopped being so aggressive to you, and he caressed your hair as he saw you giving him the best blow ever, your mouth so warm, and your lips plump, gulping and swirling your tongue, "Look at me" When your eyes raised to look at him, something inside him, way deep, had shifted when he saw your glimmering and loving eyes, since that moment, he pulled your head back pulling your head up to kiss your mouth, your kisses were sweet and tender while his where more erotic and rough, you followed his pace he settled on top of you hovering you over to lay down, "I can't wait to finally be inside you, you felt so good 'round me fingers, it just gets me harder to think about me fuckin' you" He bit your bottom lip.

"So please, just do it, Alex, please" You begged him crying, with every part of you, "Please..." You whispered but he wasn't giving in, "Did I do-"

"Nothin's wrong with you, I just- ... do you really wanna be in this with me?" His eyes illuminated when you smiled and kissed him, just a small peck but it was honest, "If you stay with me, you'll be in danger, you might get hurt, this is your final chance to decide what you really wanna do" You cupped his face, very lovingly caressing his cheeks and tracing his nose with your thumb.

"This, you... is really wanna do, I have nothing else to lose, nothing to gain, so I much rather take a ride with you, than stay here and live the rest of my life like I used to, I would've died if you hadn't taken me with you, you saved me, you're like my guardian angel" You cuddled closer to him, "You keep me safe, and you protect me, I trust you... and I like you" You blushed when you said you liked him, just like a little girl on the swings, "I need you, Alex, please... don't leave me" He hugged you to his chest.

"I won't, darlin' and you'll be loyal to me, right?" He asked you, and you answered immediately by saying yes with your head, and with your mouth, "Good 'cause I don't think anybody else will love you as much as I do," He made your eyes soften when he gave you those reassuring words, just what you needed to hear, "Forget about those other men, I'll be your man, you'll be my sweet little good girl"

"Maybe not too good," You said, and he smirked cupping your cheeks together.

"Listen, if you're gonna be with me you obey me" You nodded with a smile, "Don't laugh at me smartass," He said and it made you laugh even more how angry he got, without you expecting his next move he pushed himself all the way inside you with no warning and no mercy, "You're not laughing now, aren't you?" Your laughter turned into a loud moaning, his hips thrusting into you slowly but slamming his cock inside you harshly, you were gasping for air gripping his white sheets with your hand while your other hand scratched his back, fingernails digging into his skin, you were trying to say something but it was just a mumble, "What's that?" He mocked, "Huh?... that's so pathetic" He dug himself inside you making you scream, "Let's go, just like that babe" He put one of his legs up as he threw one of your legs over his shoulder, and he pushed forward making your body jolt and almost hit your head against the headboard, he put strength on his knuckles to hold his weight for the position, kneeling on the bed to get a better approach to you and your spot, meat to meat and skin to skin, the sounds of his body slamming against yours, "You feel perfect, so fucking tight and warm, just perfect, you're my little whore aren't you? tell me how much you love it, 'cause I know you do"

"You're using me just the way I needed daddy, and the burning and stretching... fuck I love your cock please, I want more, keep fuckin' me like a slut" He slowed down his movements, "Please, daddy?" You cried, making him soften but it wasn't right enough, "Pretty please, daddy?"

He crumbled to ashes at those words, "You're my nasty little princess, you're so adorable when you call yourself a slut" He slammed himself inside you, "I'll make you forget everyone else, I'll be the only thing in your mind for now on, did you hear me?" He was getting more aroused by the second, grunting and moaning, he pulled your hair back to see your face, your eyeballs were white, his thumb opened your eyelids and she smiled when he saw your pupils dilated, "God, you love it that much?" You gasped not even being able to speak, you were completely silent just gasping for air and crying, your makeup had been washed out by your tears, all the blushed replaced by your natural flush, he kissed your lips sloppy with his tongue tracing your bottom lip, his mouth stained cherry red, "I want all your lipstick on me" You moaned when you felt your release firing up on the pit of your stomach, your heart was beating thru your ears, pumping blood to your eyes, it was too much for you, his moaning and gasping, how rough he was with you, you never imagined how much you would love it, his way of not only showing he cared was just as good as his love making, you couldn't handle it any longer, your mind was completely blank, your vision was blurry, and your ears were clogged, "Oh fuckin' 'ell you're just getting tighter and tighter, so close baby," You were knocked up when finally you reached your orgasm, the waves drowning you, filling it coming from the bottom of your chest up to thru your throat and shuting out of your lips, he left your mouth wide open for him, "Get that open... mmm fuck yeah, I'll cum all over your mouth and your face" He put his dick inside your mouth once more just for you to suck, and you did it without him asking, "Stick your tongue out" He pulled your head up by the hair, and you let your tongue out tasting his warm cum pour all over your tongue and your face, he didn't need to order you, you swallowed his hot cum, running your tongue thru your teeth, "Fuck! You're such fucking whore," He spread his cum all over your face and down your neck, your whole body was bruised, and tired, you couldn't get your heart to slow down, you were passing out on the sheets.

"Calm down, breathe" He soothes you, and he hugged you close to him, covering your body with his arms, chest on chest, heart to heart, you felt his heart rate slow and calm, and you breathe in and out, calming your self down as you looked at his deep brown eyes, he was covered in sweat his perfect hair messy just like the first time you saw him "Steady...shh, just like that" Once you were calm and relaxed he covered your body up with the blankets, "Good my darlin'?"

"Mhm," You cuddled close to him, "Was I good, daddy?" He kissed you tenderly and lovingly caressed your hair.

"Perfect babe and did you like it... felt comfortable?" You hummed as a yes, you tried to get more comfortable in his bed, your arms were hurting so much, you grunt and he noticed, he picked you up and rests your body on top of his, his hands grazing your back up and down slowly.

"To be honest..."

"Yes?"

"I'm not very tired... I'm hungry actually" Both of you giggled at the same time.

"Midnight cookies and milk?" He dressed you up in his shirt, and he changed into his boxers, you pouted, then he piggybacked you downstairs into the kitchen, sitting you on the counter while he prepared the cookie dough, you dumped the whole chocolate chip bag into the bowl and you loved how he laughed, deep and silly, contagious, the rest of the night you spend it watching movies and snacking on the cookies, but nothing as sweet as his lips and charming smile, you fell asleep but Alex really couldn't, it had been the first time in a long time he had felt so excited about someone, someone that cared for him as much as he cared for them, those familiar and nostalgic butterflies on his stomach began to fly and jump up and down inside his stomach, and if only you were woke you would've heard his heart pump faster than yours.

He turned to his phone and looked at the time, it was 4 in the morning, and no signal at his house, he got up and carefully laid you down on the bed covering you up with the blankets, he grabbed all of the dirty dishes and cups going downstairs to fix the electricity, once back inside he heard the sound of a clipper, a flame lighting up a face he hadn't seen in years.

"Hello Alex" It was him.

The sound of a bullet woke you up as fast as the gunshot, your eardrums were clogged just like last time, and everything seemed to go fast but too slow, you felt like you weren't running down the stairs fast enough when you saw Alex's body laying on the floor, with his silver gun on the hand, you heard a car speeding down the highway, you cried and screamed holding Alex's body, you still felt his heart beating but a lot of blood was coming out of him, could he be dying? could you save him in time before it could be too late?

To be continued...

#alex turner #arctic monkeys #alex turner smut #arctic monkeys one shots #miles kane #alex turner one shots #matt helders #alex turner fan fic #2014 alex turner #alexturnesimages #lizzy grant

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wordsonamission · 21 days

Note

67 or 81 for the kiss prompts? 😘

Hello! Thanks so much for this, sorry I took forever to reply. But you get 1300 words for waiting! (I hope it's worth it).

I'm thinking about posting this on A03 later, I kinda like it. And you know me, standard warnings for angst and softness apply. I like the other prompt too (we just broke up, let's kiss one last time) so let me know if there's any interest in writing for that, too.

The prompt: icemav #67 Leaning into your lover's touch, their fingers tracing down your stomach, their body pressed against yours.

The clatter and hum of carrier life was all around them. Never a dull moment, never any sense of real peace or privacy. Silence was akin to sacrilege and learning to sleep among the endless noise of engines and the constant thrum of life from the crew of thousands was difficult. Once adjusted, however, sleeping among the tranquil stillness and hushed sounds of civilian life became nearly unbearable.

It wasn’t the carrier’s sounds that kept Maverick awake. His body ached all over: his jaw throbbed from how tightly he’d clenched it since Goose’s death, his back and neck spasmed from whiplash and the force of the Gs he’d endured during the dogfight, and his nerves were jittery after the constant emotional upheavals of the past days. Without battlefield adrenaline, he was crashing hard.

But his body and racing mind wasn’t the source of his continued wakefulness, either. That cause was far more pleasant. The final twist that threatened to sooth him into emotional complacency and something very close to a word he didn’t dare think about (love).

Warm fingertips trailed down his stomach, disturbing the sheen of sweat that gathered there. Maverick’s shower after the Layton rescue hadn’t been enough to really cleanse him. Days of grief and fear seemed to be leaking out of his pores. The muscles of his stomach bunched and trembled under the firm touch. Ablution came in the form of the plush lips that pressed against his shoulder and the leaking from his eyes that he called sweat but were really tears.

He laid himself out, his full length stretched along the narrow rack, vulnerable naked skin on display and asking for absolution. He had nothing left to give and nothing he could hide in this secret place. There were no more mental barriers, no more excuses or standards of decorum. In this small place tucked away from prying eyes, he was reduced to his truest self, the scared animal that covered its flaws with bared teeth and feigned fearlessness.

“Maverick?”

The voice that said his name fell from those blessed lips. He shook his head, flinching as those roving fingertips rose to cup his jaw and turned him back to face reality and his companion in the tiny bed.

Ice was a thousand yards of hot, golden skin, such a contrast to the name they gave him. Call signs were just one more mask that they hid behind. Just days before, Maverick thought he hated him. And, in some ways, he did. He hated how Ice held up a mirror to his faults and called him out on the dangerous things he did. He hated that Ice was right so often, and that he was so pompous about it, confidant in his rightness. He hated that he was such a fantastic aviator even while playing by the rules.

But Maverick now knew that Ice’s criticism came first from a place of care and now from a place that might be real affection. Now he knew how the musk of Ice’s cock tasted and how it felt to be wrapped in those long arms. He felt safe for the first time in ages when Ice was in control – in the air or on the ground. Ice was more than Maverick’s wingman – he was the lodestone foundation upon which he could build the rest of his life.

Ice kissed his forehead. The touch was tender and sweet and made Maverick’s mouth quiver. He was so sweet now, but scant minutes before he’d made Maverick come harder than he’d ever come in his life, whispering deadly promises in his ear as one hand worked his cock and the other skillfully massaged a place inside him that he hadn’t even known existed.

But Ice wouldn’t let him turn away. There was no more hiding, not between them. Maverick’s breath stuttered as he failed to keep himself in control. For so long he’d tied down any deep emotion so far within himself that he could pretend it no longer existed. All his hurts, all his fears, the shattered trust that broke when his mother chose her own pain over her young son’s needs, the source of his desperate need to prove his worth, all of it was open and raw.

“Let go, Mav. I’ve got you.”

Finally, the tears fell in earnest. Mav fell apart as Ice held him impossibly close. Their damp skin stuck together in ways that should be deeply uncomfortable, but Maverick relished the connection anyway. He wanted to burrow inside Ice’s ribcage and make a home for himself, somewhere safe. He was distantly embarrassed by this blatant display of weakness, but he was too tired to fight anymore.

“I’m sorry,” he gasped. “God, Ice, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s alright. I promise, Mav: it’s going to be alright.”

Ice sounded so sure. But Maverick could hear the waver in his voice and felt the shiver in his skin. They were both so fragile, balanced on a knife’s edge and ready to fall. They held each other together tightly anyway, neither willing to sacrifice their closeness.

“Why am I such a fuckup?” Maverick asked an interminable time later. Then smaller, to stop Ice from speaking when he felt him take a quick breath: “I miss him so much.”

“You are not a fuckup,” Ice cut in firmly before Maverick could continue his self-flagellation. “What happened was an accident. You’re cocky and push everyone’s boundaries, sure, but you are an excellent aviator and a good person.”

Maverick wasn’t so sure, but didn’t have the energy to argue. “I should have been better.”

“I shouldn’t have gotten so angry,” Ice countered. “It was my jetwash you flew through. If I had kept my temper and taken the risk to take the shot, the accident wouldn’t have happened.”

Maverick frowned. He hadn’t considered that angle. But - “I was goading you into a reaction. That means I’m responsible for your anger and Goose’s death.”

“No,” Ice hissed emphatically. He cradled Maverick’s face into the meat of his upper arm, surrounding him with the surety of his strength. “Sometimes things just happen. Even if, and that’s IF, you were responsible, the canopy didn’t clear properly. You might be culpable for the accident but not for Goose’s death.”

Maverick’s throat clicked as he swallowed hard. His face was a ruddy mess of tears and mucus. He wanted to hide away from the pain by staying safe in Ice’s arms forever. The shaking just wouldn’t end. He was alternatively hot and cold, ready to push Ice away so he could breathe without his weight atop him and at the same time craving the way Ice’s presence kept him from feeling out of control of his body.

Three sharp raps sounded on the bulkhead behind Ice’s body. Their time was nearly up. Slider had covered their absence from the others for as long as possible, but it was time to return to the world. Maverick clung obstinately to Ice’s middle and forced one last rattling breath into his aching lungs. Ice nuzzled deeply into Maverick’s neck to steel himself. Finally, he pulled back and held Maverick’s face in both hands and he kissed him deeply, full of promise.

They dressed quickly and Ice fixed his hair in the tiny mirror in his kit. Raw and shocky still, Maverick moved without thinking. His mind was totally blank at last. Ice caught his hand as he moved to leave the compartment. One firm squeeze and Maverick’s heart could beat again. One loaded look and he knew that he wasn’t alone. They nodded to each other, not needing words to understand the words they couldn’t say. Ice’s worried expression cleared, but concern still lurked behind his eyes. Maverick ran his thumb over Ice’s palm to soak up the feel of his skin one last time before he headed out the door to face reality.

#wordsonamission writes #icemav #top gun: 1986 #tom iceman kazansky #pete maverick mitchell #top gun fanfiction #top gun fanfic

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hybbart · 1 year

Note

After finding the post of Jimmy going feral on my dash and scrolling through everything I could find for this au, I know everyone is encouraging Etho & False’s murder but I love them so much can we get a quick check in in how they’re doing?

Most certainly, I'll do a quick explanation about their situation.

False was a living history enthusiast who learned blacksmithing and carpentry, so she has an actual factual handful of hand-forged swords and bows and even knows how to fix shoes.

Etho was a security guard with a hobby for fishing and survival camping. He may or may not have known a horse breeder and stables, so he's also pretty good with large animals. (He also is definitely not a cosplayer, he just manifested those sewing abilities out of thin air for sure...)

Overall the two have a lot of odd and unique skills that let them survive in ways others cannot.

Etho and False (and a few others with them) basically had your stereotypical more cynical "humans are the real monsters" apocalypse experience and ended up in a large group of raiders. Unfortunately, such a group is rather unstable and ate itself with conflict and violence. It made them tougher, but much more wary and cynical. (Hence their first method being to rob the ranchers of what they need.)

Despite being much more willing to kill they ultimately would rather not. So, Tango made a deal to bury the hatchet if they agreed to behave.

They live downtown now, in the city no one else wants to. They're a bit tougher and have more combat experience so they don't mind it in exchange for the natural protection the zombies provide and the untapped resources found nowhere else. Those resources make them very valuable trade partners, too.

They're still adjusting to interacting with other groups peacefully. Some people are also not ready to trust them, Jimmy most of all. As such, they primarily interact with the Gs right now, who are their closest neighbours and they've had the most time with.

They're getting on pretty fine now. It's a bit rough to set up, but they have a good network of tunnels and rooftop highways under way.

They don't have as much resources to do so but just like the ranchers they're starting to set up gardens now that the weather's turned. Since they're far less established in general they probably won't have enough to survive off it independently this year.

Overall they're making due, and have been tentatively added to the radio network on Tango's vouching.

They have access to a lot of technology, untouched canned foods, clothing, and other large quantities of resources, so they're setting up a pretty luxurious base.

#raau ask #raau notes #raau notes: character #raau notes: setting

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fanatic1997 · 2 years

Text

In the Clouds Again (2)

(TopGun: Maverick Imagine)

Chapter 2

Rooster x you

Summary: You’ve been grounded since having your wings clipped 2 years ago for disobeying orders. Now you’re ordered back to TopGun to train along with the best pilots in the Navy for an impossible mission. You aren’t surprised to see Rooster again but that doesn’t mean you are prepared.

Prologue, Part 1

“Hey girl, you going to take it easy on me?” You pat the side of the F18. You had finished your pre-inspection. Now you were just making proper introductions.

“Those other pilots don’t appreciate the classics. What do you say we show them what we’re made of?” You start the engine and as soon as you are signaled, you take off.

You feel the small bump when you run out of the runway and suddenly, you’re in the sky again for the first time in two years. The anxiety you had, melts away. You practice some quick dives and banks before Maverick calls you into position.

You positioned yourself into a combat spread. “Behind you Phoenix,” you announce to the aviator although you were sure Bob, her RIO, had already spotted you.

Maverick had already demolished three other teams before naming Phoenix next. Phoenix had fist-bumped you when you were named her wingman, but you didn’t miss the slight hesitation in her eyes. You tried to not take it to heart.

“Maybe he’ll go easy on you Doc,” Hangman had smirked around the toothpick in his mouth. “I can tell him for you if you want. Tell him you’re a rookie again.” Hangman had taunted.

You rolled your eyes and waved off the blonde. “Maybe so. Or maybe I’ll teach you a thing or two,” you had winked at the cocky blonde. Hangman had only scoffed.

Flying was doing a hell of a job washing away your fears, but you still worried Hangman’s words held some truth.

“Let’s go find Maverick,” Phoenix snaps you out of your thoughts. She increases her speed, and you do the same. You hold your defensive position behind her while looking around for the instructor. He had to be somewhere close.

“Were you guys looking for little old me,” Maverick appears suddenly from underneath and splits the two of you apart. The maneuver causes your jet to rock in the air.

Maverick begins his pursuit of Phoenix. “Doc where are you?” Phoenix grinds out. She was maneuvering her jet from side to side trying to evade the missile lock.

As soon as you regain control of your jet, you immediately increase your speed to reengage. “Phoenix, get ready to bank right.” You call out, rapidly approaching the pair. “Bank right!” You holler and you barrel-roll over Maverick before banking left. You and your partner have split again but the maneuver takes Maverick off her tail. Importantly, you aren’t out of the fight yet

The instructor had read you like a book though. “Maverick’s hot on your tail, Doc.” You bank right, hard.

“You ready to show him what you got girl,” You pat the cockpit before tilting the jet’s nose down and opening the throttle. You rapidly descend into a negative G dive that helps you put space between you and your pursuer.

“You’re approaching the hard deck y/n,” Phoenix announces. You level out your plane quickly and Maverick takes advantage to gain ground on you again. Fuck, he was good.

Think, y/n think. How can you shake him off?

You decide to take a page out of the old man’s book. You quickly raise the nose of your F18, and the jet rapidly pitches vertical without initiating a climb. The maneuver keeps you stagnant in the air for a second and Maverick shoots right past you.

“Nice move, lieutenant” Maverick grunts. You smile, leveling back out and chasing after your instructor. He banks hard but you stay on him. He begins to scissor which effectively keeps you from getting missile lock, but you stay with him still.

From the observation deck, Rooster smiles watching you fly with ease. He turns to the cocky blonde sitting next to him. “You should pick your jaw off the floor.”

“Phoenix, where are you?” You grunt feeling the heavy Gs on you as you continue to bank at high speed. “Swinging around. You two flew right past us,” she laughs into the microphone.

Finally, in a last-ditch effort to shake you off, Maverick ascends directly into the line of the sun. You attempt to follow but the blinding rays burn your eyes, and you lose sight of him. Less than a second later, you hear the tone of someone getting you in their missile lock. “Gotcha Doc,” Maverick announces.

You unstrap your face mask before swearing. You should know better than to follow someone directly into the sunlight like that. Hangman was right, you are an amateur.

Before climbing off the jet, you pat the cockpit. “You did good girl. I’m the one that failed today.”

10 minutes later and you’re sweat drips onto the asphalt. Your arms are in agony. “190, 191, 192…” You’re in a daze.

Hondo puts a hand on your shoulder to let you know you're done. You collapse and roll onto your back. The clouds look different from down here.

“Doc, can I have a minute?” Maverick comes into view above you. “Yes sir,” you do your best to stand without using your arms to push yourself up. You feel a little woozy standing.

“I haven’t seen flying like that in a while. I read your file. I would have done the same.” You nod unsure of how to reply. But it’s enough for the instructor and he walks away. You stand there, trying to figure out what just happened and maybe also deciding whether you should lie down again.

“Yo Doc, drinks on me tonight.” You hear someone holler. You look up and Phoenix is a short distance away, waving you over.

......

Author’s note: I’m still laying down the foundation but hopefully we will have more spicy scenes in the next chapter ;) I’m starting to like the idea of a love triangle, what do you think?

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stayandot8 · 7 months

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Chapter Three, Part Two: Hell's Reign

series summary: this one is a little different than anything else I've written. An AU where the members work in a bar with my MC, no idols among them. It's also going to be on the longer side. The fluffy Chris we know and love is nowhere to be found. He's broodier, moodier, and has jokes up the wazoo. So buckle up, kitties. This one's gonna be good 😏.

inspo: the song by Fall Out Boy.

Genre: i'm not really sure tbh

Relationship type: ???

Important Contents: bar setting, so mentions of alcohol, chris is a lowkey-highkey dick, swearing as usual, 18+, mentions of dr*gs, death of a child, mentions of a g*n (if i miss any, please let me know)

a/n: HOOOOOO BOY, we been waitin on this one for a while, huh. Sorry for those of you who are actually reading this series, the creative process takes a lot out of you, especially when you have no time on your hands. BUT here is the next part, fully finished. I hope it lives up to your expectations. I don't know when the last part will be out, so I guess follow me if you aren't already? If you want to? Anyways... enjoy. :)

WC: 12.9k

Last part l Next Part I masterlist

My feet had never been lighter as I followed Minho out of my room and down the stairs. Once I was out of earshot of the slumbering boy upstairs, I let the panic set in.

“Minho?” He was quiet, moving about to find the things he needed. Grabbing a coffee pod and inserting it into the machine while finding a mug. He simply opened the cabinet and grabbed one, completely ignoring the mug with cats on it. That’s when I knew he wasn’t really all there. He shuffled over to place the mug under the machine to catch the coffee and pushed the start button. He didn’t turn around.

“Minho? “ Nothing. He just stared as the machine whirred to life and the smell of coffee hit me. Awakened my senses.

“Minho, please.” I hated how my voice sounded, pleading and high-pitched. Like I was about to cry. “Please let me explain.”

“You don’t need to.” His back was starting to piss me off, my desperation turning to anger. I just wished he would turn around and look at me.

“I feel like I do. Nothing happened. Not last night. He couldn’t sleep, he said Changbin was snoring really loud so he couldn’t-”

“What do you mean ‘not last night’? Has something happened between you before last night?” He finally turned to face me, his features hard. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking. He was good at that mask of coolness, acting like nothing mattered to him. He was cool as ice, his eyes shuttering closed and giving nothing away. It was like he was trying very hard not to show any emotion. The twitches of his mouth were the only sign I had that he was still breathing. He wanted to say something, he just wasn’t saying it.

I stood there, silent. Watching him and opening and closing my mouth to say something. Anything. But nothing was coming. There was nothing I could do to combat the hurt he unknowingly exposed. I knew that deep down. What I didn’t understand was why he felt hurt.

His eyes kept flitting between my chin and his cup, steam rising up and disappearing into the air. He would watch it fade from view, then come back to my chin, not willing to look me in the eye.

“The night before last…” I started, voice barely above a whisper. “He waited for me while I was closing up. We got into an argument and he told me…things. Things I couldn’t…ignore. And he kissed me. And I didn’t stop him.” I said all of this to the floor, my stomach doing flips.

“Well that makes sense.” Was the only thing he said, but the way he whispered it, I could tell it wasn’t meant for me. I made a mental note to ask him later. All I could focus on now was how he felt right now.

What I still couldn’t figure out was why I felt like a child getting caught sneaking out in the middle of the night. I hadn’t done anything wrong, so why did I feel such shame and guilt creeping up through my spine, locking my throat? Why was Minho’s gaze so hard to meet? Why did it feel like more than just an older brother being concerned for me? Why wasn’t he saying anything?

I took a few deep breaths and chanced meeting his eyes, which weren’t on me. They were glued to the view out the window behind me, jaw clenched. He looked strained with the weight of the words he wasn’t saying. Each rise and fall of his chest pushing them deeper and deeper until they hit the bottom, to be locked away. The tension he was creating with the silence grew with every passing minute, becoming tangible. My hands found solace in fiddling with my own cuticles, picking and messing with them in every which way I could.

“Minho, please.” I repeated. “Say something. Anything. Yell at me, scream at me, hit something, just do something other than stare out the window.” His tongue licked his lips quickly, then returned inside his closed lips. He blinked rapidly, eyes never settling on one place for very long. He swallowed. Loud.

“I just…” He trailed off. He bit his lower lip for a second before giving me what I wanted this whole time. He looked me straight in my eye and said, “I didn’t know you dated coworkers.” His shoulders sagged, deflated, and his head lowered. He stared back down at his feet, finally finding a spot to land on. He shuffled his slippered feet, crossing one over the other while he leaned on the counter.

My head reeled. That was the last thing I thought he would say. I said as much.

He scoffed, but looked up at me expectantly, like he was waiting for an answer to a question he didn’t ask. I let my head fall in confusion.

“Is that what this is about? Me dating a coworker? I never knew of a rule against that.”

“There isn’t. I don’t care if people date each other in the workplace, as long as it doesn’t affect their work. I just didn’t know you did.”

“But why does that matter?”

He sighed. “It matters.” To me.

I stared at him. Couldn’t do anything else. The silence in my head was now replaced with a million questions. I had been in front of him this whole time yet I didn’t see him until now. My quiet, stubborn, kind-hearted friend and his quirks all wrapped into this man before me, fighting his better judgment. The inner battle he was losing was evident in his frown lines.

“Minho?”

“I was-” Footsteps up the stairs, heavy and a sound like someone dragging something soft with them. Minho’s eyes went wide again and he turned his back to me, to whoever was coming down the stairs. Felix appeared, a blanket wrapped around himself, his blue hair disheveled and eyes drooping.

“What- Why are you guys up?” I glanced at Minho's back and sighed.

“Nothing. Just too excited to be here I guess. Didn’t sleep much.” Minho said nothing. The tension I was feeling mere moments ago was fleeing, as if it too didn’t want to be a part of this. Part of what, I didn’t understand. I watched Felix move about to start making something for himself, moving around the stationary Minho and completely oblivious in his half-awake state. Clatter of pans and the frying of eggs were the only sounds coming from this room, the ceiling creaking about with the others starting to wake and walk around. I was staring at the marble of the kitchen island, trying to make sense of it all.

Then it hit me.

Like a ton of bricks.

Space.

I needed space.

The house was too loud, too crowded for such a large temporary oasis. The open kitchen-to-living room was suddenly too close, pushing in and squeezing any air that was left in the room. It was quickly very hard to breathe. Ragged breaths were all I could manage.

I felt a hand on the small of my back. Chris appeared out of nowhere at my side, looking very concerned. He searched my eyes for what might be ailing me, but it was all a whirlwind of confusion, anxiousness, and nerves of giving something away before I could tell him myself.

“I’m… going to get some sea air.” I stood, moving out from Chris’s grip and headed for my shoes by the door. Chris followed me, his basketball shorts swinging with every step and tshirt hanging loose on his torso.

“Do you want me to go with you?” He said just low enough for me to hear. I shook my head.

“No, it’s fine. I just need some air.” And I left him standing in the door, looking like a puppy being abandoned by its owner. I glanced back as I shut the door and Minho’s eyes were watching me walk out, a similar look reflecting back to me.

Even surrounded by the calming aura of the sea, my mind was still reeling. My hands were running mindlessly through the sand, my mind elsewhere occupied.

Minho had feelings for me. That was all that was bouncing within the walls of my skull, going from one side to the other.

Minho has feelings for me. Has? Had? It seemed current, ongoing. So many questions were coming to me in between the waves of shock running through me.

How long has he felt like this? Why say something now? Why didn’t he say anything sooner? He had plenty of opportunities. We’ve only been working together forever. We’ve only known each other all our lives. Why did he never say a word? Or did he show signs and I just never saw them.

The Minho I knew wasn’t very expressive. Often coming across cold and unfeeling, he was never one that was easy to catch on to until he had already done what he was going to do. He laughed quietly, except when he didn’t. He found no one funnier than himself though. His jokes were the funniest to him. When he wasn’t overwhelmed with work, he actually was one of the funniest people I knew.

Ah, Minho at work. He got buried too often. Or maybe he buried himself? Oh god, did he bury himself in his work to distract himself from his surroundings? Namely, me? No, there’s no way. He just focuses easily on it. He loves it. Doesn’t he?

Everything was coming too quickly, too fast for me to comprehend. I tried to let the sea drown out the thoughts when two people plopped down beside me in the sand. I knew from the smells of old dough and cologne that it was Felix and Hyunjin. I didn’t bother turning my head from the water.

They sat with me, silent and following my gaze out into the nothingness. Felix leaned his head on my shoulder, the weight of his head bringing me back down from my thundercloud of thoughts. I brought my knees to my chest and wrapped my arms around them. The blanket of safety I needed while I had these two friends with me along with the silence. Hyunjin broke it first.

“You really didn’t know?”

I snapped my head to him, eyes bewildered. He kept staring straight ahead, either completely oblivious or pointedly ignoring my stare.

“You did?” He nodded.

“We all did. We thought he would die before telling you.” Hyunjin said it slowly, like he was weighing the words on a scale before he used them.

“And he told everyone but me?” Felix picked his head up before shaking it.

“No, he didn’t tell anyone. We just…picked it up from watching him with you. No one told us. We just know how he is with you versus how he is with other people. He’s softer, less… troublesome with you.”

“I beg to differ, Lix. He gives me all kinds of shit! You guys just don’t see it.”

“Maybe,” he replied “but I would bet you that everyone else would say otherwise.” His deep voice was soft, carefully laying the words at my feet for examination. For the first time since they sat down, I looked at each of them. Hyunjin was cautious, a little apprehensive and bit his bottom lip while he watched me. He met my eyes, giving me an apologetic look.

“Really?” I said, quiet. He nodded slowly. I sighed and looked to Felix, whose head was still on my shoulder in his version of comfort. He shifted to look at me without moving off my shoulder. His eyes were wide and I have never hated that look more than this moment. I couldn’t say no to him, I would give him anything he wanted. “And what do you want?”

“I want to get this burden off of you. It just seems like it’s a lot for you right now.”

“You have no idea.” I went back to the ocean, longing to be a simple piece of seaweed just floating in the water. My life would be so simple if I was just another piece of greenery with no feelings, nothing to care about, no one to answer to or listen.

“Hey, we’re gonna leave you to think. Just…” They stood up, brushing the sand off their pants for the walk back. Hunjin had gotten a head start while Felix had started walking backwards, still facing me. “Don’t be out here too long. People” he widened his eyes at me, putting even more emphasis on the word, “will start to worry.” I nodded once, knowing exactly which people he was referring to. I wondered what he was doing through all of this, if he too would join me out here.

Well, I should have known better than to doubt that he would.

The sun was almost straight above me, signaling midday. It was a nice day to be at the beach if you weren’t me. More people had crowded the beach here, enough where there was noise to distract me. Shirtless guys playing volleyball, families laying out on blankets and old sheets, kids playing with their toys and shouting for their parents' attention were all around me. I was watching one particular group of older teens pushing and shoving each other playfully when another presence approached me.

Minho walked quietly on normal ground, but he was even softer on sand. He mimicked my position, knees up to his chest with his arms circling them. He joined his hands together in nervous wringing as he found what I was watching.

“They’ll get burned to a crisp.” A puff of air escaped my nose in a chuckle. We watched them run around for a while before my thoughts and questions burst through the dam.

“How long?” A deep sigh.

“Almost 10 years.”

“It started at 15?” I asked incredulously. I saw him nod through the corner of my eye. “How?”

“I couldn’t tell you the exact moment. It was like I woke up one day and realized ‘hey, you’re in love with your best friend.’ Which was immediately followed by a ‘fuck, you’re in love with your best friend.’ And there was nothing I could do about it. Nothing to slow down, nothing to catch me from feeling this way. It was like it was… always there. Just waiting to be tapped alive.”

I couldn’t believe it. Was I just too naive to realize it? Or was he just that good at hiding it?

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I was waiting to see if there was any spark there, anything to tell me that you were into me too. And I was waiting and waiting and waiting. I watched the boyfriends come and go. I watch you flirt with customers. I knew what it looked like when you liked someone, so I looked for those signs. I looked for them with the guys and I didn’t find any. I thought you just didn’t like guys you worked with so I just sat back. I knew I couldn’t let the restaurant go, and there was no way in hell I was firing you so I suffered in silence. I didn’t think that would change. Yet here we are.”

“Here we are.” I was scared to look at him, afraid of the vulnerability I would find. I didn’t think I was ready for it. I had never seen him not be his sarcastic, stubborn, sometimes abrasive self. This was a new side of him I hadn’t been able to see. But I couldn’t help wondering… “What now?”

“Well…” He turned to me, forcing me to finally return that piercing gaze. I was right to be afraid of what I would see. I swallowed hard. “I know you. I know how you think. I know how you are. If you had feelings for me, you would have felt them already.” I tried to protest, the words forming on the tip of my tongue. He held up his hand to stop me. “It’s true and you know it.” That sad smile broke my heart. “Besides, now that you know, if you told me you returned those feelings, I don’t think I would believe you. Not truly. I would think that you were just saying it to ease the blow.” He put his hand on my knee. “We’re fine, I promise. I’ll just need some time to grieve. I don’t want this to turn into some… choice you have to make. Between me and him. It would create drama that we don’t need and honestly, I can’t stand the thought of losing you. So I’m removing myself from the equation. Forget I said anything and let’s just go back to how things were.”

“That’s the thing, Minho. I don’t know if I can. Now I’m going to read into everything you do and wonder if you’re telling me the truth.”

“But I’ve never lied to you.”

“A lie of omission is still a lie.” To that, he was silent. “Exactly.”

“Just give me some time. You’ll see, it’ll be fine.” I turned my eyes to him again. “Do you still want to be my friend?”

“I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Then just give me time. Nothing has to change.” It was my turn to be silent, doubtful of his words.

I didn’t want to lose him either. I wanted to tell him, but the words wouldn’t come out. He meant the world to me. I couldn’t, I wouldn’t lose him. But now everything he did I would have to look at differently. Reading into every word he said like I would find something there if I looked hard enough.

“Now, if you’re going to pursue things with Chris, you need to make sure he’s telling you everything. Don’t push it, let him come to you. But make sure he tells you about his family before you two get…serious.”

“We’re not officially together. Not yet.”

“‘Yet’. There’s that word again.”

“What did you mean earlier? When you said ‘it makes sense’?”

“He asked me if I was into you and I never gave him a straight answer. I didn’t deny it outright. Not until later.”

“So he suspected it too? Wow, did everyone know but me?”

“I denied it to everyone who asked. After the first couple times, the others just stopped asking. I figured they had dropped it.”

“They took your denial as just the opposite. Hyunjin just told me that they all knew.” Minho nodded.

“That makes sense too. They never asked me about it again so I assumed they dropped it.” Hmm.

“Is that why he was so cold towards me in the beginning? Chris?”

“I don’t know for sure. You’ll have to ask him.” I nodded and took in our surroundings one last time for the day. I had already spent too much time here. I needed to talk to Chris.

We walked back together, not really saying much. I was still processing all that he had said to me. I think he was doing the same, accepting the fate he had resigned himself to.

Walking up that long driveway, we could see that a figure was sitting on the stairs leading up to the front door. Sounds of splashing and laughter came from the backyard, yells and shrieks from the other boys of laughter and playful shouting. Minho was a few steps behind me, trailing me the whole way. As the figure came more and more into view, Chris had dressed in jean shorts and a white t-shirt with a band I hadn’t heard of. His hat was backwards as he picked at his cuticles and tried to act like he wasn’t waiting for us to come back. When we reached his earshot, his head shot up. He looked confused as to whether he should stand up or not. I stopped just short of him, giving him no indication of what was said over the past few hours. The only thing me and Minho talked about was that I should be the one to talk to Chris about everything.

Minho walked past me up the steps, giving me a small pat on the back before I sat next to Chris. I picked a spot of rocks on the driveway to focus on, deciding it would be the only thing I look at while I got everything out. I was struggling with how to start, but Chris decided for me.

“So… What the fuck? What was all that?”

“That… was the culmination of years and years of pining.” I turned to look him in the eye, wanting him to know that I didn’t enjoy this part at all. “He’s been lying to you. He does- did have feelings for me. He never told me or anyone else.”

“What?”

“Yep. He didn’t even tell me directly. I figured it out. And this was the one time he didn’t deny it.” I turned to fully face him, watching his facial expression turn from confused to slightly angry. “He peeked in my room this morning and saw your arm around me. I wouldn’t have been so concerned but his face when he realized what he was seeing… I never want to see that face again. It was this mixture of sadness and anger and pain that I have never seen before. So I ran after him.

“And that’s when we started talking in the kitchen when we got interrupted by Felix. That was when it clicked. He was talking about not knowing that I dated coworkers and I thought it was weird until he wouldn’t look at me while I was explaining. I think that was the moment it actually clicked for me. He said something about something making sense and when I asked him about it, he said that you asked him if he had feelings for you. He said he denied it. Has denied it every time he’s been asked.”

“I asked him when I realized my own feelings. It was at the same time that I noticed he treated you differently from the rest of the crew. When he denied it, I thought it was because you were friends for so long. It was the only reason I could come up with.”

“So then why did you treat me like I wasn’t worth your time?”

“He just talked about you so much, I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. It wasn’t until about a month in that it finally clicked. I was fighting it, I didn’t want to fall victim to it too. But that all changed for me when you started training me. I got to see you. I saw what everyone else saw. And I was pissed about it. I had fallen for you and I was fighting it so hard. But you broke down every wall I had built, just by being you.”

Everyone was dropping so many bombs at my feet today. I hardly had the brain power to process it all. I thought this weekend would be fun, a time for all of us to relax. I didn’t think it would end up like this. Well, why stop the bombs now? I dove in head first.

“Tell me about your family.” Chris’s face hardened from the open and soft glow he had while he was telling me his feelings. From confessing more about how his feelings had come about to being forced to bring up a subject I was sure he wasn’t ready to talk about. He was pushing himself to tell me. I was pushing him, dying to know what Minho thought was important that I should know before he and I moved forward.

Chris looked at me, apprehensive and wringing his hands just like Minho had earlier today. That particular nervous tick they had in common. They reminded me more and more of each other with every passing day. Chris swallowed hard and looked behind him to the front door to check for any eavesdroppers. Then picked a spot on the gravel in front of him just like I had. And it all came tumbling out.

“You weren’t… far off with your accusation of drug deals. My father was the one who brought me into it. Said he wanted to retire and do his own thing and pass it on to me to take care of everything. He got so caught up with leaving me with the responsibility and teaching me how to do things properly that he slipped up on his boss and he ran my father out of town. I spent the next two years trying to right his wrong and get him back. My mother was devastated. And pregnant with her fourth child.

“I had two younger brothers. Lucas was close with my sister but the baby, Daniel, wouldn't leave my side no matter where I went. Those pictures you found in that box, those were the ones I took with me before I left. Those are the only pictures we have together. He was the one who understood what I was going through without me telling him. He had a talent for feeling your emotions without you having to say it. He was the sunshine that came out of the shadows of my father running. Daniel was always trying to make Lucas and Hannah laugh every day. He was so young and already wanted to make everyone around him happy. I wanted to take him everywhere, make up for my dad being a piece of shit that ran out on him. And he came along too, just to be a part of it all. I kept him away from that dark part of our life, the life my father thrust on me to take care of them. The problem was the room we shared. Daniel always wondered where I went in the middle of the night without him. He would wake up after I put him to bed and question me until he was out of breath and I got him to go back to sleep again. I was very late to a lot of deals because of him. About three years ago, he followed me to a deal and hid in the corner of the alleyway where no one could see him. I thought I was being careful enough that I wasn’t being tailed. But he was smaller, quicker, could hide easily. Well, the deal took a wrong turn, something about there not being enough for what he paid for. He brought out his ‘backup’ and started shooting, two warning shots off to the side. And I heard the smallest of gasps from behind the shadows.

“I’ll never forget the way his little body collapsed to the ground. It haunts me every night in my dreams. Everyone ran. I found someone on the side of the street to call for help but by the time the ambulance came…” He shook his head, his bottom lip starting to quiver. He drew some calming breaths, fighting the welling I could see coming from him. I could see the anger, the pain of it all in those tears. He was fighting these emotions too.

“That’s how I know Minho. He was in the hospital for his dad in a random town, my town, and he saw me pacing and waiting for my mother. I can’t imagine how I must have looked for him to approach me that night. He said he overheard what I told the nurse and put two and two together since the town we were living in at the time was known for shit like that. I didn’t say anything, didn’t confess or deny it. And then the fucker sat down and he waited. He started telling me this story about how his dream used to be to become a professional dancer. I thought he was fucking nuts, talking to this random guy about his dreams. But what I didn’t know at the time was that he was waiting with me for my family to come so I wouldn’t be alone in a hospital.

“He gave me a piece of paper with his number on it and told me if I ever needed a way out, to give him a call. I don’t know what he saw in me that day, probably a broken soul with no way to change his circumstances but I couldn’t face my family after what had just happened. I couldn’t… wake up every day in that house, knowing what I had done to them. I didn’t deserve any kindness from them. So I ran too. I left my sister, my brother, and my mother all to deal with the mess of what I had done. I’d been living with friends and friends of friends for years, just trying to make ends meet and keep up with demand until Minho called me again a couple months ago and told me he had a job for me. So I packed up my duffel and hopped on the bus until I got here.”

I was in tears by the time he was done. We both were, as much as he tried to fight it. His breaths were shaky as he tried to regain his composure.

“What you saw that night was when they caught up to me. I hadn't seen them since. They couldn’t find me, they said. But now they have. I don’t want to fuck this up, I like being here. I don’t want to have to run again.”

Wiping the tears that had fallen, my fingers were now slightly wet. I wasn’t sure how my voice would sound if I were to speak, but I had to ask.

“Have they come back since?” He swallowed again and kept staring at the ground. I couldn’t help the slight anger that arose. What the fuck.

“It’s not like I wanted them to come. They have people everywhere. I can’t ever get away. I’ll always be dragged back there. Hell, I moved four towns over and they still found me.”

“What do they want from you? Why won’t they leave you alone?”

“He keeps saying I need to pay back my fathers mistakes. More deals I do, the less that I owe. I was hoping that if I made enough here, I could pay them and they would leave, but they haven’t yet. More things keep getting tacked on to the bill and it’s just a never-ending list.” He ran his hands up his face and into his hair and groaned. “If I could be done with it, I would.” He sniffled and wiped his tear-stained face again.

“Thank you. For telling me.” I couldn’t think of anything else to say. I had no words for what he just told me and I was trying not to let it show. He started, seemingly surprised to hear me say that. “You haven’t told anyone else that, have you.” Not really a question.

“I told Minho when I got here. But he’s the only one who knows.” I nodded. “What a way to ruin a romantic trip, huh.”

“It’s not ruined.” I put a hand on his back, trying to reassure him and myself. “Just had a couple wrenches thrown in. But there’s still two more days until we have to go back home. Let’s just…try to enjoy this as much as we can, yeah?” He plucked up his best smile, which came off tighter than what I was used to. His effortless glow was dull now, tired and emotionally exhausted. I had to admit that I was too.

Mini golfing had been Changbin’s idea. Something about showing off another one of his ‘many talents’. All of us rolled our eyes.

“Ah yes, something else Changbin can hold over our heads for the rest of the trip.” Seungmin had a point. Changbin loved beating us at sports and games and such and then never letting us live it down. Bowling was always his first choice, but we had all talked him out of it, especially since there weren’t really any bowling alleys around this area of town. But what they lacked in bowling alleys, they made up for in other activities. Mini golfing was one of them.

We all piled into the minivan Minho had rented for us. The ride there was filled with all kinds of smack-talk, more yelling and shouting. There was never a moment of peace around here.

The spot Changbin picked was an outdoor place with a Jungle theme. It had a huge plastic monkey out front that you had to enter under. The open way to the front desk was littered with people who were thinking the same as us; just wanting to get out of the house and do something together. What they didn’t know was how our group handled such activities.

Hyunjin and Felix were “fighting” over who got the blue putter while Minho and Seungmin were mercilessly teasing Changnin about how they would beat him at his own suggestion. Chris had taken Han to find where the staff kept the golf balls, which left myself and Jeongin to meander once we found which putter we wanted to use. I opted for the pink one, of course.

“Why are they so mean to him sometimes?” Jeongin asked, watching Minho and Seungmin.

“It’s how they show their love for him. Trust me, he knows. He wouldn’t stand for it if he wasn’t happy. He does the same thing to them, haven’t you noticed?” I was doing my best to pretend everything was normal, like my heart and my mind weren’t constantly going a thousand miles a minute since this afternoon. It wasn’t that I was scared of Chris, it was just that I had no choice but to see him differently now. I never expected him to trust me immediately, I knew it would grow over time. What I wasn’t expecting was the contents of the story. It wasn’t his fault his brother had come along to something he wasn’t supposed to, but he blamed himself anyway. I wasn’t sure if that made him admirable or not.

“Changbin has tells when something or someone goes too far for him. He’ll shut down almost instantly or be just the opposite of how he normally is.”

“Kinda like you.” My head snapped up at him, surprise written all over my face, I was sure. Innie had never read me like that. I narrowed my eyes on him.

“Whatever do you mean, Young One?” He smiled.

“You’ve been off since this morning. Like something’s bothering you.” I sighed at him. So young, but he was observant. Liked knowing the small details of everything and everyone around him. “What are you hiding? What happened today?” His face held not a trace of insincerity, his eyes focused on me and willing me to tell him the truth. I almost did.

“Nothing, Innie. Don’t worry, whatever it is will work itself out in the near future. I’m sure of it.”

“Well, if you won’t tell me, then I can at least help you take your mind off of it.” He placed his hand on my shoulder and let me lead the way behind Changbin, who had taken off to the first hole.

“Whoever gets through first, tell Hyunjin how many hits you had and he’ll write it down. Whoever loses buys dinner. Ultimate winner picks where we eat!”

Felix went first, not doing too well.

“It’s because there’s a hill there!” He pouted the three steps over to the next hole while he watched everyone else.

Chris laughed at him along with the others before turning to me to try and catch my eye. He’d been trying since we piled in the van. I wasn’t purposely ignoring him, per say. I just needed more time. He leaned forward and back, trying to move around Han without drawing too much attention to himself. He frowned, and from the corner of my eye, I saw his shoulders go up then down, letting out a sigh. His frustrations weren’t for nothing, I knew I was avoiding him and so did he. I just didn’t know for how long. Once I was sure his back was turned, I chanced a look. His shoulders sagged more than they had since we left. He looked defeated.

“Ah, so it is him.” Jeongin and his nosy ass…

“Don’t tell anyone. Please. It’s just very complicated right now and I just need to sort it out on my own.” He shrugged and widened his eyes to look more innocent.

“I wouldn’t even know what to say. I don’t know what’s going on.” He threw up his hands and followed Felix’s turn. Innie had an untapped affinity for mini golf, it seemed. He got it on the first try, to everyone’s shock and admiration, even his own.

I went next, although it took me a couple tries, I got it in eventually.

“Not bad! You did better than me.” Felix said, watching the others before he moved on to the next hole.

“I think that’s how this whole course is going to go for me.” And I was right.

Twelve holes later, my name was at the bottom of the list of winners, Han following close behind. ‘I’m no good with sports with balls!’ he insisted again and again. From the looks of the beginning of our adventure, I thought Jeongin would win the entire thing and I would be saved from any extreme expenses. But alas, Seungmin surprised us all.

“Let’s go to the seafood place we saw down that way.” He pointed down south towards town and we all followed one by one, leaving the van behind since the weather was nice and it was a short walk. Chris decided he’d had enough of my avoidance and finagled his way to my side.

“Everything okay?” He kept his eyes straight, walking just behind the others in front of me, letting his voice carry on the wind.

“Not excited about the hundreds of dollars I’m about to spend but I guess.”

“Have you been avoiding me on purpose or by accident?” Ignoring my attempt at a joke, his tone gave away more than he would admit, but I heard the slight embarrassment for even asking. Like he didn’t want to appear insecure for asking a simple question he may already know the answer to.

“Can we not talk about this here? In front of everyone?”

“Then later tonight? Please?” There was that voice again, that pleading he would never admit to. I had to make up my mind by tonight then, whether to keep things going as they were or to end them now and for good. It seemed like too soon. “I’m not trying to push you, you’re just making me nervous.”

“How about tomorrow night? Before we leave the next day.” It was the best solution I could give him at this moment, while I was still trying to figure myself out.

“I won’t get an answer tonight anyways, will I.” More of a statement than a question. I shook my head.

“I don’t have one right now.” Han must have said something funny because the boys ahead of us cracked up and started playfully shoving the boy. They were completely oblivious to the conversation happening behind them and the weight it carried. Minho was smiling at Han and trying not to look at us from the way his body was angled to the side but his eyes were on his friends and the sidewalk ahead of him.

Chris sighed and kept walking, picking up his pace to leave me behind. I watched them all, all eight of them, together for the rest of the walk. They were a good looking group. They fit with each other really well. Where one lacked, others were there to pick it up. The strengths they played on were just that; strengths. Individually, they were good, but together, they were even better.

We walked into the restaurant and were greeted by a hostess that couldn’t have been more than seventeen, but her smile made her look older. It was warm and inviting and perfect for her job.

“How many?” She asked us. Changbin, who was stuck in front of the group, rose to his tiptoes and counted to make sure he was right.

“Nine.” He replied and the girl counted her menus and led us to a table in the back. The place was semicrowded, just enough to have a stable crowd for this time of day, but not so much as to be too busy to do everything needed. Minho once told me that this meant the place was good, no matter who was cooking.

Once we were all dropped off at our table, the girl started placing menus in front of the chairs to return to her station at the front. Everyone sat in whatever seat they liked while Minho and Chris stared at the last few open seats; one beside me and one diagonally in front of me. When I realized what they were looking at, I quickly sat down and picked up my menu, eager for something else to focus on so I wouldn’t feel pressured to help them with this decision. Chris took the seat beside me while Minho took the other across the table. They both glared at each other for a second before giving a quick nod and picking up their menus.

Felix was seated on my other side and Hyunjin was on his. They were looking at the menu together and whispering to each other. Chris sat himself down carefully beside me, like I might explode if he sat too fast.

“I seem to have found myself beside you yet again. Funny how we keep seeming to be thrown together like this.” He flipped open his menu. “Like a pattern almost.” He turned the pages without glancing at me, scanning through them top to bottom. I took a deep breath and continued to do the same, wondering why the universe was always playing such jokes on me.

***

That night the boys decided to initiate a tournament of sorts downstairs in the basement. I opted for the silence of the crow’s nest on top of the house. Staring at the stars again, like so many other nights of years prior, I was looking for clarity. Being alone while being in a house full of people was a strange, yet not uncommon feeling for me. When there was fighting in the house of my childhood, I needed to find an escape elsewhere and the stars were as good a place as any.

I hated this feeling that was coursing through my veins right now. This feeling of uneasiness was disturbing to my bones. Even when I wasn’t sure where I was going in life, there was always a backup plan in place. Even when it wasn’t solid, I knew I could come up with one if I needed to. But this didn’t feel like that. This felt like I was lined up at the plate, ready to hit a home run only to find out the pitcher wasn’t even there.

Was Chris’ past something I could look past? Did it even matter? He seemed really torn up about it. I would be too in his shoes. But was that enough to look past how he got here in the first place? The drugs, the trauma, everyone he was involved with, it just seemed like too much. But he felt like a changed man, even if I never knew the old one. It felt as though he wanted to be different, wanted to be better than the boy he left behind. I wondered what sparked that desire for change. I prayed it wasn’t me. I wasn’t sure why.

I never wanted to change him, just to… The truth was I didn’t know. At first, I just wanted him off my back but that was before he became my responsibility. Now he wanted to become more, but before he could do that he needed to stop dealing with those people for his own safety, to stop him from getting hurt and to protect everyone else we had come to care about now. That was before I cared about him as I do now. And before I knew what was behind it all.

Minho was another situation. He said to give him time. I didn’t want to lose him, but if what he said was true, that I would have felt something for him the way he wanted to, I would have felt it by now. But I didn’t know it was true. I couldn’t tell the difference between what I felt for him now and what I felt before, with the exception of the pang of guilt every time I thought about him. If what I felt now was friendship, then was it true that it was all I was capable of for him? I had never been overwhelmed with the need to kiss him or anything of the sort, but knowing what I know now, would that change? Did it matter if it did? Would it matter to him?

Minho: Where did you go? Felix is asking.

Me: You’re a terrible liar, even over text.

Minho: That’s beside the point. Answer the question.

Me: On the roof.

“I should’ve known you would find your way up here.”

“You know I love a roof.” His steps were loud on the wooden staircase, creaking beneath his boot. He found me bundled up in my blanket that I took from my room, feet tucked under me while crouched in the corner. I was sure I looked a mess with my hair tied on top of my head and makeup barely off.

“That I do.” He sat across from me and mirrored my position sans blanket and looked up at the sky. “How bad was the damage?”

“Nothing a raise won’t fix.” We both smiled. We had always had this easy repertoire between us. I hoped nothing would change that. “I didn’t really get the chance to tell you earlier, but I thought about what you said. I’ve been thinking about it all day. And I don’t want to hurt you further, but I know as much as I wish you weren’t, I wanted to tell you that you’re right. The feelings I have for you and the ones I feel for Chris are different from each other. I don’t mean to drive the stake in deeper, but I just want you to hear it from me first. Minho, I care about you more than I do myself. The last thing I want to do is hurt you. I hope you know that.” He nodded, watching my face as I spoke. It was killing him, little by little. But he needed to hear it. “I know you said to give you some time and I will. I just hope your opinions of me don’t change. I love you like family and I always will. You mean too much to me to let you go without a fight.” That made the shoulders slump fully, even though his face was growing into a sad smirk.

“You couldn’t get rid of me if you tried. I am your boss.” There was that joke to save me from crying. He could always tell, even when I myself couldn’t. “Unless you want to look for a new job…” He was looking up at the sky and making a face like he was actually thinking about it. I took off my slipper and chucked it at him, hitting his knee that was folded into his chest. He looked at the slipper and blinked, like he couldn’t believe what had just happened. Then he grabbed his leg and started fake-screaming out in pain, falling down to lay on the wood. I rolled my eyes.

“Lee Minho, the other one is coming for you if you don’t stop!” I took it off to show him and his screams dissolved into laughter. That maniacal laughter that he was known for that made anyone stop and give him a look before continuing on their way. I laughed with him until it faded away from our lungs and into the night breeze. He sat up and sighed as he fell back on the railing and scanned me up and down. “What?” I asked softly.

“Chris is just lucky, that’s all.” I blushed and glanced down at my feet. “Hey.” He nudged them, grunting as he reached with his own. “I wasn’t trying to get sympathy.” He stopped. “Well, maybe a little.” He said under his breath.

I picked up my slipper again.

By the time I made my way down to the basement, Chris and Jeongin were the only ones left. Everyone else had gone to bed, or so I was told. They were in a ferocious game of air hockey when I got to the bottom step and I stopped to watch them play a little. Chris seemed like he was better than he was letting on, but Jeongin wasn’t going down without a fight. The score was tied on the digital monitor 6-6. The next point won, and as soon as I realized this fact, Jeongin screamed in satisfaction and glee.

“YES! Ultimate Champion right here! That’s right!” He did a little dance in a circle, hsaking what little ass he had that made Chris burst into laughter, defeat far from his mind. They heard my laughter coming from behind them and whirled around to see me trying and failing to keep my laughter from being caught.

“Not so fast there, Innie. You still have one more person to beat.” I sauntered over to the table and pressed reset. Chris seemed happy I was standing near him. Until I hip-checked him and moved him out of the way. “Can’t have you getting in the way.” He looked at the younger boy, who was staring at his paddle like it had grown legs. “Jeongin!” He looked up through his lashes like a kid who’d been caught. “Get the puck, baby boy.” His eyes went wider and his cheeks were red. He grabbed the puck and tossed it onto the table while I grabbed my own paddle. Jeongin was aggressive after he got over the nickname I gave him. Once the blush returned to his neck, his tongue had poked out between his teeth in concentration. He tried, but he was no match.

7-3

Chris was applauding both of our efforts once we were finished. He stood up from his seat on the couch and slowly clapped as he made his way over to me again.

“I had no idea you were hiding such a talent. But…” He glanced at Jeongin for a second. “I’d like to take a stab at it if I can.” He turned his puppy dog eyes on me, directing the question to me. I swallowed and nodded.

“You can try, but I won’t hold back because it’s you.”

“Oh, my lady, I expect no less.” I raised my eyebrow at him, not expecting the formality. Jeongin cleared his throat.

“I’m going to mourn my title that I had for a total of thirty seconds in my room where people will comfort me.”

“Yeah, Hyunjin might cuddle with you if you ask nicely.” I called after him as he stuck his tongue out at me on his way up. He flashed a quick thumbs up when Chris’ back was turned and I swatted him away. He took off running.

When I went back to the table, Chris had his hand on his paddle, ready to go.

“Scared, Sparkles?” I recognized the familiar movie dialogue and smirked to myself.

“You wish.” He smiled so wide his eyes crinkled into slits. I could barely see the brown I’d become so fond of. While we played, I mulled over my earlier train of thought. The bottom line was: I didn’t know that person. I only knew the one in front of me, getting his assed whooped at air hockey. Whatever mistakes he was running from, he’d removed himself from a place that could’ve gotten himself into somewhere much worse. He left his family behind, everything he had known and came here to make himself a new life at Minho’s offer. And if he could pull himself out of that place, then I could forgive actions that had no bearing on me. As for the family he had left behind, that could be changed. I knew he needed to check in on them, just to hear from them. I was sure they were dying to hear from him if he left with no word. I’d ask him about that later.

He was keeping up with me point for point. I was right; he was holding back from Jeongin. But I couldn’t figure out why. After I scored my fifth goal, I asked him.

“Because he reminds me of my little brother. It’s actually a little creepy.” It wasn’t a sad memory he was reliving, but one that made him pause to enjoy living through it again. A mournful smile crossed his features before he shook his head and grabbed his paddle again.

It was nice that he had someone that sparked something he had lost too soon. Anyone who looked in his direction would notice he was carrying a weight on his shoulders that was going to crush him if he didn’t lift it soon. I wondered if I could be the one to help him.

Two goals later, we were still tied. The next goal would win and after he caught up to me for the sixth time, I saw something spark in his eyes.

“Why don’t we make it interesting?”

“Oh, I’m sorry, were you bored until now?” I left a lilt to my voice and tilted my head, trying my best to mock him into lowering his defenses.

“No, I just thought it might be fun.” I squinted.

“I’ll hear you out, but I don’t agree to anything yet.” He chuckled.

“If you win, I will cook the best meal you’ve ever had. Whatever you want, no matter how complicated, no matter how long it’ll take.” He paused for what I only assumed could be dramatic effect. “But if I win, you kiss me right here, right now.”

I raised my brow in confusion. “That doesn’t seem like a fair trade. Why do I get a fancy meal and you get a kiss?”

“To get you to take the deal.” He shrugged innocently. “You have more to gain than to lose. What’s better than that?” I pondered over it. What did I really have to lose here?

“Alright, Puck, you’re on.” I grabbed my paddle with a sudden vigorous grip, I was sure it would break beneath it. Chris lay the hockey puck down and swiped at it so hard it went straight at the wall and bounced so quickly, it landed

in my goal.

Just like that, it was over. In one swipe, our tight match was done with a winner that was not me. I stood still, not being able to move from shock at what just happened while my brain was playing catch-up. I looked down to confirm what I already knew and blinked as the puck stared back at me in the pocket to be retrieved.

Chris was smiling at me with that cocky smile he had before we had started to play nice. But this time, at least there was no malice behind it, just easy cockiness he had for some unknown reason. The swagger was back. It had been missing since this morning and I hated to admit it, but I missed it. It was an essential piece of him that had grown dull until now.

“I guess that means I win.” He said under his breath, but loud enough I could still hear him.

“You planned this.” I leveled him, letting my mind wander with what plan he could have possibly concocted during the day. Was it all a ruse to get closer? Or just some act of the universe for the second time today. Someone is trying to tell me something, I just know it.

Chris drew closer, dragging his hand across the edge of the table on his way over and not denying a thing. He was walking slowly, like he was waiting for me to say something that would indicate I didn’t want to. He was almost nervous with how tentatively he was creeping along the table. He was watching me to see what I would do, each step drawing closer and closer and he stopped just short of me. We hadn’t been this close like this since the first and only time we had kissed. That fact had popped into my brain as I felt my throat start to close like it does when I know something is coming. I tried to swallow and it came out as more like a gulp. Chris watched my throat go up and down and returned to look me in my eyes.

I got the feeling he was still waiting for me to say something, to object. And I knew if I did, he would stop and back away and I would regret not doing it. The pang of the truth of that statement hit me and I bit my lip. My heart was beating loudly against my chest, it was a wonder he couldn’t hear it too. He stepped even closer, eyes moving down to my lips. I felt pinned to the ground. I couldn't move if I wanted to. He lifted a hand and lighty gripped my chin to tilt my head slightly up to his. Our eyes met, shortly followed by his lips on mine.

It was like being struck by lightning. Twice, since this was only our second kiss. But this one was intentional. It was full of purpose, yet gentle enough that I could feel the raw emotions he had been holding on to the entire day. A place in his heart he held onto to show just me. He was showing me what it might be like, our relationship. Our first kiss had been rushed, flooded with so many emotions it was hard to choose which one to act on. But this…

Chris moved his hand from chin down to my neck to hold me there while we each drank our fill from the moment. He slowly started tilting his head to deepen our soft and sweet kiss while his hands moved again down my arms to bring them to wrap around his own neck. Once they reached their destination, my own hands had minds of their own. They curled into his hair, feeling his curls threading through them. They were as soft as they were that night. I could see myself running through them when the moon took over the sky.

Our lips had started to dance when I felt his hands move down to my hips again, the fire leaving a trail on their way down. They started to inch lower and lower, breaking me from my own trance. I broke our lips apart to whisper against his mouth and shook my head.

“Mm mm. Not tonight.” I let my hands slide down his shirt down to his stomach, then drop back to my side. I had to stop it here before I gave in to what I knew would be a mistake here. Not now, not in this place or in this climate between us. That was a conversation we still had to have, but tonight was not the night for it. Chris seemed to understand and brought his hands back.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel pressured.” I shook my head, more aggressively this time to add emphasis to my next words.

“You didn’t, I promise. And trust me, that day will most likely come. But in a house full of our friends? Maybe not.” Chris nodded with a shy grin.

“Right. I forgot they were here for a second.” He looked back up to me and gave me one last grin. “Well, then I guess this is goodnight.” I nodded, feeling the slight tension of what had just occurred rise. I bit my lip again. His eyes drew downwards to it. It was his turn to swallow hard.

“Goodnight, Chris.”

“Goodnight, Sparkles.”

It was hard not to dream of him.

The next morning began with being awoken by Felix leaping into my bed with absolutely no warning. Besides the mild heart attack and the string of expletives that tumbled out of my mouth, I was mainly left with wondering what he was doing.

“Felix, what the fuck?!”He evaded the question as he continued to laugh at my outburst and rolled off of me. His cackles bounced off my bedroom walls and I slapped his shoulder as hard as I could manage. His cries of laughter turned to those of pain as he held that spot.

“Why did you hit me so hard?!”

“Because you scared the shit out of me! Why did you do that?!” He was rubbing his shoulder now. “You act more and more like the little brother I don’t have every single day.”

“You definitely do have little brothers, you have like seven.” I rolled my eyes and shoved him out of my bed.

“What did you even wake me up for?”

“I just wanted to see if there was someone… extra in your bed this morning. I heard he went to bed with a big ass smile on his face last night and I thought he might sneak up here again.” I peeked at him through the corner of my eye as I stood up and walked over to my suitcase to find something to wear for the day’s activities.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

‘Mhmm.” Felix huffed and plastered the most arrogant smirk on his lips. “Seungmin said he wanted everyone downstairs for breakfast. Something about ‘family time,’ I don’t know. But he’s cooking and I was sent to wake everyone up. Would you like to join me?”

“Like we don’t spend almost every waking moment together? Yeah, sure. Let me put some actual clothes on first.” He nodded and exited, rushing down the hall to jump on someone else. I heard a similar scream to mine, only in Jeongin’s voice this time, and knew exactly where he went.

I threw on my shorts and a plain t-shirt and stepped outside my door to see Felix whooshing past me with Hyunjin in tow, his hair a mess and his own t-shirt ruffled.

“Felix Lee, I’m going to kill you!” Felix’s laughter followed him down the staircase.

“It’s not my fault you’re so hard to wake up!” His flurry of blue hair disappeared downstairs, running towards the safety of whoever was downstairs. Hyunjin swung around the corner of the wall, his feet stomping down the stairs.

I slowly made my way behind them, listening for the others that might be up here but hearing nothing, I continued on my way down. Reaching the second floor, I see most of the boys crowded around the kitchen island and drinking coffee. Chris spotted me and smiled brightly, his cup still having steam coming out of it. I sauntered over to him and placed my arm on his shoulder.

“Morning.” He whispered to me. I smiled down at him and reached across him for his cup. He moved out of the way for me to have a better path and I took a sip while maintaining eye contact. His eyes flickered between mine and the cup I was drinking from, smirking at me.

“Aren’t we missing someone?” I said to the group.

“Changbin said if anyone woke him up today, they would ‘find themselves missing a limb.’ I would rather not know what he meant by that.” Seungmin responded and brought his cup to his mouth.

“Hm.” I thought about it for a moment and nudged Chris. “Should we go test his threat?”

“I thought you’d never ask.” He threw me a mischievous look and we both scurried off down the staircase to find our missing friend.

He was not pleased.

“YAAAHHHHH!!!!” Chris threw himself on top of Changbin, just like how Felix had done to me, and Changbin roared. He sat up swinging, almost knocking Chris straight in the eye. I was a mess on the floor, drowning in my own laughter and unable to breathe. “What was that for?! I could’ve knocked you out!” Chris’ laughter was a melody that sang to my very bones. I was still chuckling to myself, but I had resolved to watch Chris laugh to the side where he had fallen trying to dodge Chngbin’s swing. Watching his face dissolve into pure joy was like watching a flower bloom in Spring; worth the work and the wait.

With another yell of exasperation, Changbin threw off his blanket and began to chase us both out of the room, through the gaming area, and back up the stairs. Chris and I were screaming with laughter the whole way up until we collapsed on a couch upstairs in a fit of giggles. Changbin had given up, saying ‘you’re lucky I don’t do cardio’ and took the cup of coffee Minho was handing to him. Minho was shaking his head at the two of us with a small smile, and I felt a pang on my heartstrings. I hadn’t forgotten what I had said last night, but it seemed he took it very well and was on the way to accomplishing his goal. Seeing him watch me and Chris didn’t extract that feeling of guilt that I thought would rise to the surface. No, instead he appeared as some father figure watching his children pull a prank, enjoying the show.

When the laughter died down between the two of us, we both looked at each other, still breathing heavily. There was that moment between us, when you know you shouldn’t but you really really want to. I looked down to his lips, trying to pretend that I hadn’t been dreaming about them since I fell asleep. I was staring, I knew it, but I couldn’t help but feel the ghost of them again, just above me, aching to touch them…

“Who wants to go shopping in town? You know, get some beach stuff and take a group trip down to the water?” Felix, ever the savior. A bunch of them grumbled agreements. I joined in, still watching Chris watching me.

“Lixie, I think that’s a great idea.”

“Me too.” Chris echoed me.

“You guys go ahead and do your shopping, I’m just going to head straight to the sand and pick out the best spot.”

“I’ll go with you, Seungmin.” Minho piped up from the sink, washing everyone’s cups.

“Well, I’m going shopping. And so are you Jeongin.” Hyunjin gave a look to the youngest, who widened his eyes and threw up his hands.

“Well, I’m going with Minho and Seungmin.” Han proclaimed. “I need to work on my tan. I’m so pale right now, I look like a ghost. Hey! Maybe we could go see a haunted house tonight! That would be fun!” Everyone looked at him in surprise, shocked that he would be the one to suggest such a thing. “What?! I just think it would be funny to see everyone scared shitless.”

“I don’t get scared.” Minho said with a brave enough face, I almost believed him.

“Oh please.” I breathed a sigh. “Tell that to your favorite pair of shorts from high school!”

“Hey! You said you would never bring that up again!” He shouted over the kitchen island, fighting a smile. I wasn’t fighting mine and shrugged.

“What? What happened?” Han eagerly looked my way. Minho leveled a look at me.

“Don't. You. Dare.” My lips caved into my mouth, fighting the urge. I was almost going to do it until Hyunin called from the doorway.

“Van leaves in five minutes! If you’re not in it, you’re being left behind!”

Hyunjin pulled into a huge shop with shirts with the name of the town in big bold letters on mannequins in the windows. The inside was just as big as the outside with shirts, bottoms, shoes, spare swimsuits, and pool toys scattered everywhere for purchase. We all drifted apart, each going to the sections that sparked our interest. I floated over to the souvenirs shelf that was ladened with shot glasses, car magnets, and keychains. I wandered over to the tower with all of the keychains with every kind of phrase I could think of and got an idea. I sifted through each of them, finding ones that fit each member of my family. Some sort of keychain that had the name of this town on it in the different designs on it that fit with everyone’s personalities, except for one.

I had watched a movie recently that I was stealing this idea from. And when I found the keychain for Chris that I was looking for, I snatched it up. When I had everything I wanted from this section, I peeked my head up to see where my friends were. Jeongin was easiest to spot in the pool toys section, so I wandered over to see what he was looking at. He had found the box of pool noodles and was picking out which one he wanted to take with him.

“I like the pink but I think Changbin might steal it once I bring it with us.”

“Why don’t we get one for everyone? And then just start a pool noodle fight?” His eyes lit up and he smiled wide.

“Yes! I’ll buy them all one!” I chuckled and walked away, watching him try and put nine total pool noodles in his arms and start for the registers up in the front.

I found Chris near the t-shirts. He was shuffling through the black ones and I tried my best to sneak up on him, but he caught me before I could get too close.

“Do I wear too much black?” It was directed at me, and the answer flew out of my mouth before I could put too much thought behind it.

“Absolutely.” He frowned and shifted to the brighter colors on the rack behind him. “I think the light blue would look good.” He stopped to look at it closer, and picked it up off the rack to hold it up to his torso. He looked up to me, asking my opinion. “Good enough to steal.” He chuckled.

“Why don’t you get one too and we can match.” His ears turned bright red, followed quickly by his cheeks. “Or not. That sounds pretty lame, doesn’t it.”

“No, actually. But I’m still stealing yours.” I grabbed one in my size and gave him a quick smirk as I followed Jeongin up to the register

Back in the van, Chris found himself in the back seat with me, giving Felix and Hyunjin the front seats and Jeongin had the middle all to himself. Sifting through our bags before we left to ensure we had everything, Hyunjin was off back to the house to get changed and join the others down by the beach.

Chris had nudged his way into the seat directly beside me and placed his hand on the seat next to my thigh.

“So, is today going better than yesterday?” He asked the window facing away from me. Too casually. I didn’t answer. I just took his pinky and wrapped it around my own, and smiled at him. I was noticing I was doing that a lot more now.

Beach day with the boys was ending with movie night with the boys. They piled on top of each other, blankets everywhere and pillows on the floor made a very comfortable place to lay down. It was a nice final night for us all. It was intermittent with moments where I felt like we truly were a family, so close knit that it was hard to imagine my life without seeing them every day.

We were all spread out, myself, Felix, Hyunjin, Han, and Seungmin on the floor with Minho, Chris, Changbin, and Jeongin on the couch behind us. I was sitting between Jeongin’s legs on the floor in front of him while everyone else settled for their own spaces on blankets.

Once the movie ended, half the boys were snoring in their spots and heads were lolled out the side. I looked around and saw that most of them had passed out and decided that the night was best ended in my own room. Chris caught my eye as he had drawn the same conclusion. We locked eyes from across the room and he tilted his head in the direction of the stairs. I nodded.

I followed him down to his own room, his keychain in my pocket that I had just bought earlier weighing in my pocket. Each step had me giddier than the last. I was more sure of myself since the last time I had descended down these stairs, more confident in my next moves. His back was moving through his sleep shirt, the movements making me want to jump on it piggyback style.

We entered his room, dimly lit by a single lamp on the opposite side of the room. His room was smaller than mine, set with a simple bed and dresser about kids’ height and the closet doors pulled shut. I sat on the bed, my hands in the pockets of my pajama shorts and making sure the chain was still there.

Chris shut the door behind him and turned to see me sitting on the bed. He looked nervous and started fidgeting with my fingers until he sat on the floor directly in front of me.

“Why are you sitting on the floor?”

“I don’t know.” He laughed at himself. “I’m scared of making any sudden movements because I’m scared you’ll leave.”

“And what if I told you I didn’t want to leave? What if I said that I wanted to spend the night with you down here in this tiny child’s bed?” His mouth fell open to speak but he said nothing. Instead he just smiled. “I got something for you today. While we were out shopping.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah. But for you to get it, I need something from you first.”

“I’m not sure how I feel about gifts with caveats.” He looked at me skeptically, not moving from his place on the floor.

“Haha, very funny. Wasn’t there something you wanted to ask me on this trip? Something important?” He sat there, his brows furrowed for a minute. Then it dawned on him.

“Are you saying you have an answer?”

“The answer to that question and the question I’m searching for can both be found with this.” I pulled the chain out of my pocket and let it dangle so he could read the word ‘Yes’ written on a seascape background. He watched it and squinted so he could read it. Then his eyes grew wide.

“Really?” He asked quietly, like he couldn’t believe it. I didn’t answer, just looked into his beautiful eyes and smiled. He stared at me for a moment, features frozen in a mix of elation, fear, and something else. “I really want to kiss you right now.”

“If you don’t, I’m leaving.”

He did.

All night long.

The drive back home was as quick as the drive there. We all piled in the same cars we drove up in, Chris and I sneaking each other stupid grins that I was sure the others had to have picked up on. We all decided to meet back at the bar so that everyone could leave at the same time in their own vehicles. Chris and I promised that we would tell Minho together after we had our first date, at which we would be discussing far more things in greater detail. But first, I just wanted to reset myself in my own room back home.

I pulled my car into the parking lot that I was so familiar with, it was like pulling into my own driveway. Until Chris and I spotted, exactly at the same time, what lay waiting for us upon our return.

Minho was already standing outside his car while the others stood just behind him, watching and staring. I couldn’t see his face or theirs. Their parked cars were behind them, still running, like they had barely put them into park before they rushed to see what had happened.

There was glass everywhere. I could spot the broken seats and tables from out here, the sun giving enough light to see it all. I threw the car in park and ran to get a closer look for myself, Chris hot on my tail. We both were stepping on glass as we went inside.

It reeked of alcohol. Like the damage done was fresh. It was like someone had taken a giant hammer to everything within reach. The walls were torn up, pieces of glass broken were everywhere, and left up for everyone to see, were these words written in spray paint behind the bar.

COUNT YOUR DAYS

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continuous-spec · 2 months

Text

ME Fic: The Messages In Between Ch.1

Summary: Shepard and Garrus messages to each other throughout the events of the Reaper War.

Link: Ao3

Notes: GST: Galatic Standard Time. Cycles are one-day cycle of the Citadel per the GST. One Orbit has 40 Cycles. There are ten Orbits in a GST year. 2686 GS is also 2186 for the Alliance.

Galactic Standard Time: Cycle 20, Orbit 9, 2686. Day 6 of the Reaper War.

Garrus breathed in the stale air of his cabin, trying to relax in his makeshift cot. He had been without sleep for almost two days.

Four days since the Reapers hit Palaven and six days since they hit Earth. Six days without contact with the Sol system. Six days not knowing if Shepard was still alive.

Garrus rubbed his brow plates, trying to push the thoughts of her out of his head. He needed to sleep. He had spent the last two hours stuck on top of a comm tower, sniping any reaper forces within scope of Vitcus' men—All while fixing the comm tower too. That was somehow just this morning. Garrus' mind whirled with fog without sleep, trying to keep track of the time. He needed to rest, but the adrenaline still kept him stirring in bed.

Just as he felt himself drifting to sleep, his omni-tool pinged dozens of times. Messages upon messages poured in. Almost all from the same source: Datapad Model OXIV, Alliance Addition. Garrus shot up out of the cot, trying to scan the messages. The words shifted and moved with his exhaustion, but there was no way he could sleep now.

***

[Datapad Model OXIV - Draft date GST: Cycle 30, Orbit 4, 2686]

Garrus, It’s Shepard. I'm sending this out. Hotwired a datapad they’re allowing me to have to prep evidence. I doubt the Alliance is reading. I'm pretty sure they won't notice when this datapad goes missing, either.

Give the Hierarchy hell, and hopefully, we’ll get somewhere with it.

Send back if you can. I think this is going out?

[Datapad Model OXIV - Draft date GST: Cycle 35, Orbit 4, 2686]

House arrest, you got to be fucking kidding me. Is this on the news? Can you see this? I’m sure Khalisah is having a field day with this.

At least Joker can still get on the Normandy. I'm stuck. Maybe I'll take you up on that offer to break me out. You know, we can steal the Normandy again, too, just like old times.

[Datapad Model OXIV - Draft date GST: Cycle 5, Orbit 5, 2686]

You’d hate this. It’s all pointless jabbering. Tribunal after tribunal. They won’t listen. Aratoht is all they care about. I’ve shown them the proof. They keep putting their heads in the sand.

Do you know that saying? Does it even translate? It just means that, as always, they’re ignoring the real problem. Why is that not a surprise?

[Datapad Model OXIV - Draft date GST: Cycle 15, Orbit 5, 2686]

Did you know today is my birthday? On Earth its April 11th. I'm only a little disappointed you didn't get me a gift.

I think I’m 32 or 30. Does being dead count towards age? Do turians celebrate birthdays?

30 is a big one, a big milestone for humans. When I was a teenager, I never thought I would get to it running with the Reds. I guess, technically, I didn’t get to celebrate it. Humans don't generally celebrate it in a jail cell either.

I just wish you were here with me for it. We could have shared another glass of wine. Among other things…

Right now, I’m so bored that I’m trying to figure out how to make prison wine. Hopefully, I won’t go blind.

[Datapad Model OXIV - Draft date GST: Cycle 23, Orbit 5, 2686]

If I could go without hearing about the Reds for one more day, I might not scream. They have spent a week dissecting my time with the Reds. Seriously? I left them when I joined the Alliance. I’m just some drugged-out teen junkie on Red Sand to them still.

When do we stop paying for the sins of youth?

I hope this is getting to you. I hope you’re getting further than I am. Good thing you left. Imagine both of us in an Alliance interrogation room?

[Datapad Model OXIV - Draft date GST: Cycle 25, Orbit 5, 2686]

Want to take any bets on how long until the Reapers are here? I'll give it two more months. that what like three orbits? You think the Councils cares?

What are you wagering? How about we wager like we did with Strip Skyllian-Five? This isn't a bet I want to win this time though. Even if I like seeing you in your skivs.

[Datapad Model OXIV - Draft date GST: Cycle 29, Orbit 5, 2686]

Still no answer from you. You playing hard to get Vakarian?

[Datapad Model OXIV - Draft date GST: Cycle 37, Orbit 5, 2686]

The prison wine is nasty, almost as bad as the stuff you brought last time. Still not blind, although I am having visions of you pinning me up against the aquarium. Did I get you blushing yet?

[Datapad Model OXIV - Draft date GST: Cycle 1, Orbit 6, 2686]

I’d like to think you’re just playing hard to get, and I’m not just sending these off into the ether. It's hard doing one-sided sexting you know?

No one tells you how boring prison is, even with the datapad. I wish they’d give me a keyboard so I can practice. Also, to hotwire it to get a better signal to you.

Now I’m starting to know why they try to limit how much electronics I get. It’s the Alliance's fault, they trained me how to do this. Yeah, that’s the excuse I’m going for.

If you can, send a voice recording, I miss it. You I mean.

I miss you.

[Datapad Model OXIV - Draft date GST: Cycle 35, Orbit 6, 2686]

God, it’s so annoying. They have these guards watching me constantly. What do they think I’m going to do? Fight someone? or someones gonna fight me? Ridiculous.

It'd be nice to have some privacy to take care of myself since you're not here. I guess I'll just have to think about you in the shower...

[Datapad Model OXIV - Draft date GST: Cycle 15, Orbit 7, 2686]

I got tarred and feathered today by the Brass. This is totally something humans do, not an expression like the sand one. Don’t look it up. Just believe me.

If I have to hear one more thing about the geth, I might blow a gasket. Okay, now that one is an expression, although, with the cybernetics, I think that might be possible for me.