#I WANTED TO LISTEN TO HOLD ME NOW FOR THE 87TH TIME IN THE LAST 3 DAYS

[fortuositywritings]

Collide pt 5

Summary: You finally get Wanda to take her powers back but there is a little twist.

“Where are you going?” Wanda runs after you. You are a woman on a mission now, speed walking to the elevators. 

Natasha follows the drama. “What do you mean by ‘take it back’?”

“I’m telling everyone the truth,” you reply to Wanda, pressing the button to call the elevator. When the doors open you step inside as do the other two women. You press the button for the 87th floor- Bruce’s lab.

“Y/N, please don’t do that,” Wanda begs, pushing the emergency stop button. “Just give me a few more weeks and I promise I’ll take it back.”

“Wait, are you saying that all this time you could have had your powers back?” Natasha asks Wanda but Wanda ignores her and focuses all her attention on you,  hoping you won’t do what you say you will.

“Wanda, I can’t take this anymore. All I’m doing is hurting people and that’s the last thing I want,” you answer, pressing the button to make the elevator go again. 

“Can we just talk about this?” Wanda presses the button again. 

“No, I’ve tried talking and now I see you never listened. But if I can’t get through to your head, maybe Bruce or anyone else will. You can’t keep me here,” you reply. You go to press the button again but this time Natasha interferes. She holds her hand over the button.

“No one is going anywhere until one of you explains because what I’m hearing is that this whole time you could have had your powers back.” She looks at Wanda waiting for affirmation that she’s thinking correctly. Wanda’s guilty expression is enough. 

“Wanda,” Natasha sighs, giving Wanda a disappointed look. Nat presses the button herself and stands by the panel so Wanda won’t mess with the button. It’s awkwardly quiet on the elevator. You’ve declared your intentions and Wanda can’t seem to form words right now. Nat remains stoic but her thoughts are loud in the elevator standing so close to you. She thinks of how the whole mess earlier could have been avoided had Wanda been the one there. 

That only further assures you that you are making the right choice here. Wanda should be the one with cosmic power, not you. You are barely getting the hang of the other simpler ones you have. It was stupid for Wanda to hand over her responsibility to a total stranger. Had you been a bad person, you can’t imagine the atrocities you could have performed with powers like Wanda’s. You’ve already made your messes and those were not intentional. 

The elevator reaches the 87th floor for what you hope will be the final time for you. The doors open and you are the first one stepping foot onto the floor. You power walk through the hallway, Wanda following close behind. You spot Bruce through a window and make your way to the doors of that room but before you get your hand on the knob Wanda jogs up to you and tugs on your wrist.

“Wanda-” you start, not wanting to hear her ask for more time, but she cuts you off.

“I’m sorry. Y/N, I’m sorry. Please don’t go. I’ll take it back right now, okay? Just please don’t go,” she pleads. She looks at you with her big green eyes and you believe her but you can’t stay. 

“Wanda, I can’t.” You shake your head. 

Her hand slides from your wrist to your hand. She squeezes it, begging with her touch that you change your mind. “What can I do to get you to stay? There has to be something. Anything.”

You feel the desperation coming off of her in waves and as much as you’re itching to grant her wishes, you have to think about what is best for you right now and staying here is the opposite of that. You need a break from this place. You took on this job and all the stress with it in a single go. There was no easing into it and it was too much. 

Even though it hurts to see Wanda like this, you can’t give her false hope. You have to be honest. “Look, Wanda. There is nothing that can get me to stay. I can’t be here right now. I’ve made up my mind. So whether you take your powers back or not, I’m leaving today and preferably without having your powers because they are better left with you.”

Your free hand takes her unoccupied one and now it’s you that is asking. You are asking her to understand. You weren’t ready for any of this. You did this as a favor but now she’s asking for too much. “Please understand. You asked me for a break and now I’m asking the same.”

Wanda sees there is no use in fighting. You’ve never lied to her. She knows you are serious about leaving even if it means taking her powers with you. No one is going to get you to stay. She sighs defeatedly and nods in understanding. You in turn sigh with relief and feel a little lighter. Fighting with Wanda stresses you out too much and you wish to not have to do that again. 

Finally on the same page, Wanda takes her powers back right here in the hallway, Nat watching the whole exchange. In her point of view, it’s very anticlimactic. She assumed there would be some type of visible evidence of the owners transferring from one person to the other but it’s nothing of the sort. One second you are holding hands and the next you let go, but Wanda’s hands are glowing red. 

“Thank you.” 

Those are the last words Wanda hears from you before you leave. She doesn’t chase after you this time. She knows it’s futile. Nat gives you a nod and you give her a last smile before the elevator doors close. 

You try to get back into your old routine before you moved into the tower. You return to your former job. You hang out with your friends again now having more free time. You make your trips to the grocery store. You do what you can to move on and forget about your time trying to be a hero but Wadnda makes it nearly impossible. 

No, it’s not because so many things remind you of her and the time you spent at the tower but Wanda literally won’t let you forget. She messages you nearly every other day. You never respond to her messages but you don’t have the heart to block her number. Her messages feel like part of your routine now. 

So you find it odd two months later when the messages stop entirely. There is no trailing off. She goes completely ghost and you worry. This is the only time you think warrants a response. After a week of no new messages from Wanda, you initiate contact for the first time. 

Did you find someone to replace me already? lol

You think it’s a good first message back. It’s a light joke but it doesn’t get a reply. You text her again the next day.

Where’d you go, Wanda?

And the following day.

This is a weird strategy to get me to come back. I can’t say it’s working.

And the next.

Please respond so I know you’re okay.

When you don’t get a message back, you call. She doesn’t pick up. You begin to worry and your thoughts go to bad places. You decide to pay a visit to find out what’s going on. You can’t sit here biting your fingernails when for all you know she just got a new number or something. You think about calling one of the other members of the team but you don’t know if they would even take your call. You weren’t there for when they found out about how you and Wanda fooled them. You don’t know how they reacted. 

You find yourself at the Avenger tower. Michael lets you in right away. He doesn’t bother asking why you are here. You try not to smirk at this. You make your way up. You ask FRIDAY where Wanda is. She informs you that Wanda is not in the building. You ask for Natasha’s whereabouts and FRIDAY guides you to her.

“Y/N, what are you doing here? Now is not a good time,” the redhead tells you. She has had a frown on her forehead since before she noticed you. You do think it may be a bad time but you are worried about Wanda so you ask.

“I’m looking for Wanda. She hasn’t replied to my messages,” you say. Natasha seems upset with this news.

“Oh, so now you decide to text her back,” she replies sarcastically. This time you are frowning, not knowing where this attitude towards you is coming from. 

“What’s going on?” It’s unusual for her to speak to you like this. In the few months you’ve known her, you found out the different ways Natasha expresses her feelings and you know that this biting remark isn’t really meant for you but is an outlet for her frustrations towards something else. 

Tony answers for her, his voice coming from behind you. “Bad guys took Witchy.”

“What! When?” you turn around to demand answers from Tony, who fiddles around on his tablet. 

“We’ve got our best people working around the clock to find her. And when we get a trace and we get her back, we’ll let you know okay?”

“No, I want to help.”

“Y/N-”

“No, it’s my fault she wasn’t ready to be out there. If I hadn’t agreed to holding onto her powers, she could have been training this whole time and been better prepared for the mission,” you explain. They look unsure. “Look, I’ll stay out of your way but I’m not leaving until she is back home.”

And you didn’t. You went back to your old room like it was yesterday that you were a part of the team. Although two months have gone by, they haven’t cleaned out your things. You hadn’t stepped foot in your room since your dramatic exit, so you had clothes and toiletries ready for your impromptu stay. 

Everything is in the place you last left it. The only real difference is that someone made the bed to make the room look a little more tidy. 

“Wanda didn’t let anyone touch anything. She said she wanted everything to be where it is for when you came back.” Bruce sneaks up behind you. You give him a sheepish smile. Out of everyone, you feel the need to apologize to Bruce the most. You and Wanda wasted his time and resources to find a fix for something that wasn’t broken. That time could have been better used for something that would actually make a difference and help someone. 

Bruce notices your hesitant smile and speaks before you can apologize. “There’s no need for apologies. Wanda explained everything. I was a little upset at the time but I hold no grudge. Out of everyone here, I think I can understand why Wanda did what she did. If someone could give me a break from the Big Guy, I’d gladly take it.”

“I’d volunteer but the last time I did that, I made a mess of things. I can’t imagine handling your alter ego,” you joke.

Bruce lightly chuckles, “I get it. I get it. So how long are you staying? You know, Wanda’s powers or not, we could still use you on the team. There were plenty of times you held your own on a mission, not resorting to using Wanda’s magic.”

You shake your head. “I’m only here to get Wanda back.”

“Well if you ever change your mind, you’ve got a place to stay. Wanda makes sure of that,” Bruce replies before he leaves your room. 

At least Bruce isn’t upset with you for doing what you did. Nevermind that. What is important is finding Wanda and bringing her back. You couldn’t imagine the things Hydra is doing to her. 

Two weeks later you get a lead. It takes you to an abandoned building in a small town in New Hampshire. You’d say most towns are small towns in New Hampshire but this one was eerily unpopulated. It’s almost like everyone up and left. It explains the seemingly vacant building. 

The team wants to stakeout the building and wait until they can plan a course of action, but you know how that goes. Steve and Nat like to go over all the scenarios before going in. They have back up plans on top of back up plans.

You are not like Steve nor like Natasha. You grow restless after two hours of sitting in the car, while the two avengers plan some recon. While they’re busy with that you turn invisible and go through the car door so they won’t hear you leave. 

Staying invisible you go through the main entrance of the building, again going through walls because you don’t want anyone knowing you are there. There is a secret entrance to a room that if you had not had your powers, you wouldn’t even know was there. But since you are basically going through every wall trying to find Wanda, you find yourself amongst Hydra agents. You do your best, keeping to the walls, to avoid bumping into someone. 

Steve and Natasha realize you’re gone. It took them five minutes to notice. 

“Tell me you are not in the building right now.” Nat’s voice hisses at you through the comms. 

“I would but lying’s gotten me into some bad situations,” you whisper into your earpiece. 

You hear her huff in resignation. “Just, tell us what you’re seeing.”

As you walk through the building, you give them all the details including how to get inside and how many agents are in every room you come across. You basically give them the layout. Finally you find Wanda.

She’s in a glass cell. There are two agents standing guard outside. Wanda looks worse for wear. Two weeks in Hydra’s hands, you hate to imagine the things they’ve done. You make your way into the cell where Wanda is strapped to a chair. She has her head hanging low, her hair covering her face. 

“Wanda,” you call her name. She freaks out hearing your voice. 

“Y/N?” she calls out. The guards turn around at Wanda’s voice. She looks everywhere but doesn’t see you. She thinks her imagination is playing with her again. The guards chuckle at Wanda’s state thinking the same thing before turning back around. 

“Wanda, don’t freak out. I’m right here,” you whisper. She still can’t find you so you kneel in front of her. You place a hand on her knee and use the other to push her hair away from her face. At doing so,the restraint around her neck becomes visible to you. You think it’s something to keep her from using her abilities. 

“Y/N,” she whispers back, giving you a weak smile. 

“I’m going to get you out of here, okay?” 

She shakes her head. “You have to go. You can’t be here.”

“I will go, but not without you. Don’t worry, Steve and Nat are outside and back up is on its way,” you assure her, while unbinding her from the chair. You quietly inform Nat and Steve, “Good news, I’ve found Wanda. Bad news, I can’t get the collar off of her and there are guards outside the cell.”

“Stand by. We’re coming in.” 

Three seconds after that, an alarm goes off. The guards outside open the doors and rush inside. You guess their priority is taking Wanda with them. You won’t let that happen. You use some combat moves Nat taught you and take down the two guards. More guards head your way.

You panic and grab Wanda, turning the two of you invisible. Agents come through the door blocking it off. They wonder where you’ve gone. 

“I know you’re in here somewhere. You can hide but there is nowhere to run,” one of them taunts. He’s wrong. You can run, you just hope it works with Wanda too. You tug her with you as you run through the wall. Fortunately, for the first time ever, it works out for you and Wanda comes through the wall with you. 

“Are you okay? All in one piece?” you ask her. You can’t see her so you aren’t confident but she reassures you she’s fine. You take her word for it before you start running. Wanda’s weak state slows you down but you keep going. You retrace your steps and find yourself in the first room full of Hydra agents. Steve and Nat are fighting them off as best they can. 

Nat looks right at you which means that your invisibility is weakening. You look at Wanda and can actually see her. This is bad. You grab her and find somewhere to take cover. You hear Nat shout, “Y/N! Get Wanda out of here!”

“What does she think I’m doing? Planning a damn picnic?” you mutter to yourself. Wanda tiredly giggles beside you, making you smile. You shake your head trying to focus up. You look around and only one solution comes to mind. 

You turn to Wanda. “I know we’ve had a whole argument about this, but I need to borrow your powers for a minute.”

She looks completely shocked that you would suggest using her powers but she knows you wouldn’t ask unless it was a last resort type of thing, so she nods. You wonder if it will even work since she has that thing around her neck. You don’t see why not, since technically you are the one using powers and not her. 

Luckily, you are correct in assuming this. You do a little test, watching the red wisps run between your fingers. You smile at Wanda. “Let’s get you out of here.”

She thinks you are going to blast agents down to get out of here but much to her surprise, you pull her up with you and ask her to hold on. You use her abilities to fly up to the ceiling then use yours to fly through it. You fly all the way up until you see the blue sky. Finally out of the building, you fly you and Wanda to the car from earlier. Your landing is a little rough but you keep Wanda and yourself upright. 

You hear tire screeches and are on the defense again, only easing up when you realize it’s the cavalry. SHIELD agents rush into the building. You let out a sigh of relief. You return your gaze back to Wanda. She still has the collar on. You use her magic to get it off. 

The collar drops to the ground. She rubs her sore neck. You flinch at the noticeable bruising. You hate how weak she looks but you are happy to see her safe now. You return her powers to her, which she allows immediately. She heals her neck with her powers. Neat trick, you think. 

You two stare at one another unsure of what to do or say. You want to hug her but you’re worried that you’ll hurt her. She makes the decision for you though by launching herself in your arms. She squeezes you tightly, burying herself in you. 

“Thank you for coming for me,” she mumbles into the crook of your neck. You hug her back gently, rubbing your hand up and down in what you hope is a comforting manner. You whisper reassurances, telling her how she’s safe now. 

You do this the whole ride back to the tower, Wanda choosing to cling onto you in the back seat. Not even asleep does she let you go. You let her hug your arm and lay her head on your shoulder as she finally rests her eyes. 

Wanda wakes up in her room. She looks around, hoping to see you there but you aren’t. She goes in search of you and finds you packing up your things in your room. 

“Are you leaving?”

You sigh, zipping up your duffle bag. You planned to be out of there before Wanda woke up. You wanted to avoid this.

“I have to get back.”

“Back to what?” she asks, stepping further into your room.

“Back to my life, Wanda,” you answer. You finally turn to look at her. 

“Please don’t leave again. You belong here. You can do so much good on the team. I- They need you,” Wanda pleads.  

“Wanda, I don’t know.” You avoid looking into her eyes. It’s crazy how easily she can convince you to do something with just a look and you can’t have it impairing your decision making. 

“If I’m the problem, I’ll stay out of your way. I’ll make sure you and I are never paired up on missions. We can train during different times. You won’t even know I’m here. Just stay,” she offers. 

“Why? Why are you so adamant about me staying here?” you ponder.

“Because I need you here. Even if you won’t talk to me or acknowledge me because of what I’ve done and the pain I’ve put you through, I want you here. You belong here,” she explains. You take a moment to think it over. You did like the routine you had in the tower. You liked training and going on missions. You liked that you were helping take down bad guys at the end of the day. The only thing you really had a problem with was having Wanda’s powers, powers that were clearly out of your control. 

That wasn’t a problem anymore. Her powers are back in her hands. You make up your mind. You lift your bag off of the bed and walk past Wanda and over to your door. You hear her sigh behind you before you drop your bag beside the door.

She spins around with wide eyes. She sees you’ve dropped your bag. She asks hopefully,  “You’re staying?”

“Well if the team needs me,” you reply with a cheeky smile. She giggles and runs to hug you. Before you can return her hug, she pulls away completely. 

“Sorry, like I said, you won’t even notice I’m here,” she apologizes, giving you an awkward smile. 

“That’s going to make our ice cream dates really boring then,” you say. The bright smile returns to her face. You decide to tease her. “But I guess I could always invite Sam.”

“No! You don’t need Sam. You’ll be very aware I’m there,” she swears, making you laugh. 

“Come on then. I’d say this was a successful mission and it calls for some ice cream.” You hold out your hand for her to take, wiggling your fingers. She giggles before taking your hand and letting you pull her out of the room. 

You come back from your ice cream date laughing with Wanda in the elevator. FRIDAY announces that you and Wanda are expected in the conference room. You and Wanda head that way, continuing your conversation.

“All this time here and you really haven’t taken Bruce’s ability yet?”

“He’s always used gloves when he’s touched me because of all the tests, so it makes sense,” you shrug. “What’s going on?”

Wanda looks to where you are looking. You see most of the team there arguing with some guy in a uniform. You and Wanda make your way in. 

“There she is,” the older official guy points you out to everyone. “How nice of you to join us. I’m here on behalf of Secretary Ross. We want to offer you a position working with us. We’ve been informed of your abilities and Secretary Ross wants you.”

You’re left dumbfounded. Of course you aren’t considering it. You had just told Wanda today that you’re staying. This just took you by surprise. So many years, you’ve gone unnoticed and now it seems like all the important people want you. Wanda misinterprets your silence. 

“You can’t just come try taking her away,” she growls. She visibly tenses up. You and Bruce come up on each side of her to calm her down, you putting a hand on the small of her back and Bruce holding her arm. 

“He’s not taking her away, Wanda,” Bruce assures her. She eases up a little.

“As I’ve told the team here, the United States government sees the potential you have. We would hate to see it wasted here. You could use those abilities to help your country by joining us,” the man continues. 

“I appreciate the offer, but I’m good here,” you state. 

He sighs, disappointedly. “Look, I can’t leave here without you. ”

You nod. “Tempting offer to negotiate but like I said, I’m staying. It might be disappointing but I’m sure your boss will understand.”

He chuckles but you don’t find anything about this situation funny. It makes everyone tense up. “I don’t think you understand. This is the negotiation. You will be coming with us today. The terms of how you will be greeted is what we are negotiating. We can be welcoming if you agree without fighting or we take you by declaring you a threat to this nation.”

“What?!” 

Everyone in the room starts arguing with him. You’re trying to wrap your head around this. Steve asks the question on everyone’s minds. “How is she a threat.If she is one, then so is every individual in this room. Most of us are enhanced. Why is she being singled out?”

“Because unlike the rest of you, she can take every one of you out with a simple touch and that makes her valuable to the US government. Imagine the possibilities if she takes everyone’s abilities. What we are doing here is figuring out whether she will be coming with us as an ally or if we’ll be taking her in as an enemy. The choice is up to you,” he looks at you. 

“No, you can’t do this. Tony, do something!” Steve yells. 

“I’ve already got Pepper on the phone calling my lawyers. Y/N, don’t say a word until they arrive,” Tony demands. You are starting to panic and you think everyone else is as well. Wanda though, she gets angry.

“No one is taking Y/N away!” she shouts. Her voice comes out really rough. You turn to look at her and you think she might be feeling ill because she looks a little green. She looks a lot green.

Suddenly she’s seven feet tall and looking like Bruce’s alter ego. Everyone stares up at her in shock. You yelp as she picks you up and runs for the glass window, leaping out of the building, leaving behind a hulk sized whole.

“Holy shit!”

_______________________________________________________

I was going to leave it at the ice cream date but I thought that was a lame ending. Let’s give it something cooler. Next chapter will prob be the last. Sorry for the late update. I was busier than I thought I’d be. It’s not proofread so pls let me know if there are any mistakes. Thanks.

taglist: @ineedafinghug @starmako26 @musicinourlips @sapphic-girl @dandelions4us @frvny @romanoffomixam @diaryoflife

#wanda maximoff imagine #wanda maximoff x reader #wanda x you

[lazyangeltreemoney]

Emergency Contact

Oneshot, Rich Kid AU

Description: James Barnes has been Y/N’s best friends since they were kids, even though they seem to come from completely different worlds. So much so that Bucky lists Y/N as his emergency contact, but the spoiled rich kid has to learn the hard way that Y/N has a life too.

Pairings: Rich-Kid!Bucky x Reader

Word Count: 5991

Warnings: swearing, Bucky being a brat, car crash, hospitals, character injury, police stations, ANGST

A/N: this one is angsty AF and involves two idiots being in love. also gotta love a little bit of feisty!reader, hope y’all enjoy.

“So Y/N the demo sounds amazing-” 

RING RING RING

Y/N almost jumped out of her seat trying to silence her phone. Sat in the big office, the man sat opposite her with lots of big gold records in frames behind him gave her a judgemental stare. 

“Sorry about that, as you were saying, Mr Graves,” Y/N spoke, trying to sound as professional as possible. 

She was so close, this could be it, her big break. Finally, she sat in the office with Mr Jimmy Graves, one of the biggest music producers on the scene. All the fame and fortune, she could almost taste it. It would make all those nights singing in shitty bars worth it. 

“As I was saying, the demo is amazing, your voice, out of this world, but I’m afraid that you’re not the look we’re going for at the moment.” Mr Graves finished on a low note. 

“I’m sorry, what?” Y/N choked out, no, no this couldn’t be happening. 

Just as Mr Graves tried to downplay crushing her dreams by offering her a role as a backing singer on some other artists track, her infernal phone rang again. 

RING RING RING

No longer caring about anything the man had to say anymore, she answered it. 

“Hello, who is this?” Y/N seethed out, she tried her best to not sound pissed off but she was not having a good day. 

“Hello, is this Miss L/N, I’m calling from the 87th precinct, you’ve been listed as James Barnes emergency contact, I’m sorry ma’am but you’ll have to come down to the station,”

It probably wasn’t a good idea to be speeding on the way to a police precinct but when it came to Bucky Y/N didn’t care. Parking her car up by the sidewalk, she rushed out into the precinct. When she walked in one of the detectives practically swept her up and led her to where they were holding Bucky. 

The detective looked tired and was holding a cup of coffee. As Y/N followed him down the halls towards the interrogation room he seemed to look more and more pissed off. Y/n could only assume he had been interrogating Bucky, god he could be an ass when he wanted to. She even felt sorry for the detective. 

They eventually reached a room at the end of the hall. The detective opened it to show Bucky handcuffed to the desk. The room had dark walls and a blinding white light directly over Bucky. Behind him was a one-way mirror where Y/n could see some bloody marks on Bucky’s back. His face was bruised, along with his hands looking bloody. 

“Jesus Buck.” Y/N sighed at the sight of him. 

Bucky raised his head to look at her. He was so focused on her that he didn’t even look at the detective that uncuffed him. 

“Looks like Daddy’s bailed you out, my superiors have told me to let you go… don’t let me see you again, Barnes.” The detective warned him in a low tone. 

“And I was about to add you to the Christmas card list.” seethed sarcastically as he got up out of the chair. 

Bucky knew the drill and knew where to collect his stuff. He walked past Y/N and down the corridor, completely blanking her. It’s fine, not as if I’m here to pick your ass up away. Y/N looked back at the detective who was giving her an apologetic stare. 

“You his girlfriend or something?” The detective asked. 

“Nope, do I dare ask what he was taken in for?” Y/N winced as if she was bracing for impact. 

“Assault and destruction of property, it was a bar fight that got out of hand apparently.” The detective explained. 

“Thank you, Detective.” Y/N sighed and went to follow after Bucky. 

“Ma’am if I could offer some advice, rich boys like Barnes take everything for granted, don’t let him take you for granted as well.” The detective’s wisdom, however, didn’t sit right with her. 

She wanted to argue back at him, tell him that he didn’t know Bucky but Bucky was calling her from down the end of the hall telling her to hurry up. The detective only flashed her a look of ‘I told you so’ before Y/n went racing out after Bucky. 

When Y/N got outside Bucky was smoking a cigarette. He looked a little more cooled down from earlier but still relatively annoyed. The orange embers at the end of the cigarette seemed to illuminate him in an amber glow. Even bruised and bloodied he still looked beautiful. Y/n had known Bucky since they were children and she had always thought he was beautiful. Bucky glanced up at Y/N and took one long drag on the cigarette before stubbing it out. 

“How the hell did my Dad even know I was here?” Bucky groaned as he walked with Y/n to her car. 

“You’re Dad probably knows one of the officers, still it’s nice of him to bail you out for what, the tenth time this month?” Y/N argued with him, she really didn’t want to fight with Bucky right now but sometimes it was the only way to get anything through his thick skull. 

“What does it matter to you?” Bucky argued back, stopping dead in his tracks. 

Because I care about you, you idiot.

“You know listing me as your emergency contact doesn't mean I’m at your beck and call at any point.”  Y/N tried to remind him that she had a life as well. 

“Please, I’m not taking you away from much, your nights of singing in dirty bars and songwriting for cheesy commercials are oh so important to you all of a sudden?” Bucky questioned in his ever sarcastic tone. 

“God, could you stop being such a spoiled rich kid for two seconds.” Y/N groaned

“I’m just saving you some time Doll, you really think you’re gonna make it big one day like this?” Bucky’s sarcastic questions were cutting through her like a knife. Every harsh word from him was another stab at her. How could he say such things? Had he always been this harsh and Y/N was just blind to it? 

“Just because I have to work for what I want doesn’t make it impossible Barnes, I haven’t been gifted everything I want like you.” Y/N was trying to hold back the tears, god she really hated fighting with him. 

“Y/N, that’s the only way you get anything in life, but I’ll tell you what, if you want to spend the rest of your life singing in the same bars uninterrupted then I’ll take you off my emergency contact, hell I’ll take you off my whole contact list,” Bucky yelled at her. 

Maybe it was the fact that she had just had her dreams crushed once tonight already made Bucky’s words sting so much. The fact that she had been told she doesn’t have the right look, the fact that Bucky, who had once believed so heavily in her dreams, was now trying to tear them down. Spite is an excellent motivator, however. 

“Fuck you Bucky,” Y/N wasn’t sure what came over her but she shoved Bucky into the lampost, she felt god damn feral and Bucky could only watch her in shock. “I’m going to make it so fucking big, my names going to be in lights, in every talk show hosts mouth, my songs are going to be on the radio and I’m going to sing in the biggest arenas on this planet and I’m going to earn every second of it, meanwhile you will just be some spoiled rich kid who is only known as George Barnes’ brat.” Y/N’s words dripped out of her like venom as she walked away from Bucky. 

It was only when she had her back turned could she let the tears finally escape her. She didn’t care that she was meant to pick him up, he could walk home for all she cared. Right now she needed to be as far away from him as possible. As she drove herself home could think of Bucky and how things had become so messed up. 

He was once such a sweet and kind boy, being her best friend and supporting her for as long as she could remember. She remembered the nights when Bucky wouldn’t miss a single one of her performances, always insisting every time she sang was better than the last. Now, he was almost unrecognisable. It was as if time had taken the kind boy and replaced him with a selfish and cruel man. Y/N decided that night that she didn’t need Bucky, that she was going to make it big without him and it was going to be glorious. 

The crowd applauded as Y/N bowed slightly and bid the crowd goodnight. Stepping down from the stage another singer walked up on the stage and introduced themselves. A year had passed since Y/N left Bucky outside that police precinct and she was actually doing pretty well for herself. 

Less than a month after the fight she had managed to get a job at a classy club in Manhattan full time. It was owned by a wealthy man named Loki who seemed to love Y/N’s voice more than anything else in the world. He paid her well and let her have her pick of the setlist, luck seemed to suddenly be in her favour. For nine months it was bliss… until James Fucking Barnes brought the club off Loki and became the new owner. 

Y/N had no proof but she was convinced Bucky had brought the place purely to spite her. That he was desperate to make her feel as if she couldn’t do anything without him. It’s not even as if Y/N could have left, where else was she going to get a job she loved that paid her this well? So for the past three months, she had been avoiding Bucky like the plague. Only talking to him when absolutely necessary, not caring that he was now her boss. 

Every night that Bucky knew Y/N was performing he was there at the club. Every night he would listen to her angelic voice, watch her take the crowds breath away as she sang and every night he would realise how wrong he was. Y/N would walk on stage in a beautiful dress that would always leave him tongue-tied and make his heart stop. You would think six months away from her would have given him time to figure out what to say to her… but it didn’t. How do you apologise for being an ass to your best friend for years? 

He didn’t mean to become such a monster, but power had grown on him like a tumour. He felt untouchable, nothing he did matter anymore. Any problem he had he could simply throw money on and it would disappear. Anyone he wanted usually wanted him just as much. Soon he became as cold as his money. Even his childhood best friend couldn’t make him come back to reality. 

Y/N leaving also made Bucky have another heartbreaking realisation… he loved her. When Y/N walked away from him that night at first he tried to not care. He still went out, got into fights, danced with whoever he liked and drank as much as he wanted. But none of it filled the hole in his heart. It was in a noisy night club with a girl trying to climb on his lap that he realised that he would much rather be in Y/N’s small apartment and having Y/N cuddle up against him. He missed the nights where they would talk about everything and nothing all at once. The nights where they would drink and Y/n would get the courage to show him the new songs she’d been working on. 

When he found out that Y/N was singing at the Heimdal, a club that his Dad was looking to buy, he leapt at the chance. He hoped that by becoming her boss she would have to talk to him, they would have a heartwarming reunion and somehow fall in love. However, Y/N had been cold and curt to Bucky the second he walked back into her life.

Y/N waltzed over to the bar, feeling absolutely parched after her last set. Sam, the bartender, handed her a glass of water and then handed her another drink. This one looked like some kind of fruity cocktail, definitely not what she’d ordered. Y/n shot him a confused look. 

“It’s from him again,” Sam sighed giving her an apologetic look, “It’s here if you want it.”

“I won’t.” Y/N grimaced. 

Bucky’s new tactic to get her to talk to him wasn’t even talking to her, but to have Sam always give her some fancy drink after her set. Guess he’s still just throwing money at his problems. Annoyed, Y/N sat down on one of the bar stools and took another sip of water. She knew she shouldn’t have but briefly looking over her shoulder she saw Bucky sat in one of the clubs’ booths. He did look a little better than when she last saw him. He'd cut his hair shorter and shaved his beard, that combined with his navy suit made Y/N’s heart skip a beat. 

However, the sight of a girl sat next to him, clearly trying to get in his lap made Y/N cringe. One second he was buying Y/N drinks and the next he was getting off with other girls. A small amount of jealousy boiled in her stomach… but she couldn’t say why. Y/N had watched him go on plenty of dates during college, she never felt jealous then but now she can’t stand the sight of Bucky and this bimbo. 

Y/N was pulled from her thoughts by a stranger sitting next to her. He called over to Sam asking for a scotch and gestured to Y/N.

“-And another round for the Lady when she finishes her drink.” The man spoke. 

“What’s the occasion?” Y/n asked cautiously at him with a raised brow. 

“Nothing much just heard the most angelic voice in America, is all.” The man said nonchalantly with a smirk on her face. 

A slight blush appeared on Y/N’s face and she moved a strand of hair behind her ear. No one had complimented her on her voice like that before, not even Bucky. Trying to not seem too fluster, Y/N sat up a little straighter.

“So what brings you here tonight, Mr…?” Y/N asked, giving a genuine smile. 

“Tony Stark, a friend of mine kept saying that they had an actual angel perform here, turns out he wasn’t wrong.” He took another sip of his drink and winked at Y/N. 

“Wait, Stark as in Stark Records…” Y/N whispered the last part as the realisation hit her. 

Tony Stark, the owner of Stark Records had just brought her a drink and said that she liked her voice, called it angelic in fact. 

“Yes, don’t tell me you’re going to faint.” Tony teased 

“No promises.” Y/n let out a faint laugh, still in shock.

Tony and Y/N had been chatting briefly, he asked her about what music is liked, the conversation moved onto Y/N’s original music and Tony was practically begging to hear some demos. Y/N matched his excitement, this was the happiest she had felt in so long. Tony listened to one of her songs through her headphones and he knew that she was going to be his next star. 

“So, what do you say that you stop singing for Barnes and start singing for me, I’ve been looking for a new star and honestly Y/N, you’d be perfect.” Tony offered. 

“Are you serious, you sure I don’t have the wrong look or something?” Y/N asked meekly, her insecurities getting the better of her.

“Sweetheart, anyone who doesn’t like looking at you has something wrong with them.” Tony smiled back at her. 

Many of his current stars were once like Y/N. Immensely talented but scared they weren’t the right look. Tony, however, knew from experience that someone as talented as Y/N didn’t need to follow some look. 

Y/N was about to accept Tony’s offer when she heard a giggle behind her. 

“James, at least wait till we’re back at yours.” The girl seemed to squeal. 

Even now, James Fucking Barnes seemed to be taking her spotlight. It was childish, the jealousy and silent treatment but Bucky seemed to bring out the worst in her. Y/N let out a frustrated huff and then she saw the fruity cocktail Sam had given her.

“Actually Sam, I'll take that drink,” Y/N smirked, grabbing the tall glass. “If you’ll excuse me for one second.” 

Bucky had decided to have another drink, telling himself that after this one he would finally work up the courage to talk to Y/N. That was the plan, it was the plan he had made over three hours ago, now he had some random girl by his side who was causing a scene. Bucky knew these types of girls all too well, the ones who wanted the tabloids to be going nuts with seeing a girl hanging off his arms. Bucky was trying to make it clear that he wasn’t interested but this one was persistent and the drink was beginning to catch up with him. 

Just as he was about to tell the girl to go far, far away he felt a splash of cold water on his face. He jumped out of his chair in shock and was ready to call security when he looked up to see it was Y/N who had thrown the drink of him. 

“You can keep your drinks,” Y/N began, placing the now empty glass on his table, “and I quit.” A satisfied smirk appeared on her face as she waltzed away from him. 

Bucky was gobsmacked, the whole room was staring at him, even the band had stopped playing. Bucky could only watch Y/N walk towards a man by the bar. He desperately wanted to chase after her but the girl who had been on his lap most of the night was now whining non-stop. 

“Ugh James I think some of it got on my dress, this is PRADA you bitch, JJaaammmess call security on her!” She was like an angry chihuahua. 

Y/N could hear the girls whining at Bucky and it only made her pride swell. Have fun with her tonight ‘James’. She sauntered towards Tony who could only chuckle at Y/N’s actions. 

“You’re going to be a handful aren’t you.” Tony raised a brow at her. 

“Well, there’s nothing like a good bit of publicity,” Y/N smirked. 

With that Y/N left the club for the last time on Tony’s arm and with Bucky left hopelessly behind. To her, it seemed like a fitting start to her new life. 

Five years had passed since she first met Tony. He had become her mentor, teaching her how to truly make a lasting impression on audiences and how to act now that she was under the media's watchful eye. 

With every new song Y/N released, her fame only grew more and more. In a mere five years, she had become an icon with her voice and ‘angelic’ style of dress. Tony’s words the first night she met became something of a mantra to Y/N. True to her word, she was bigger and better than she ever believed she could be. She had proved Bucky wrong at every chance she was given… even if he wasn’t around to see it. 

Y/N had just finished tonight’s performance and was cooling down in her dressing room. No matter how many times she performed to thousands of people, she still needed some quiet time after to make all the adrenaline leave her body. She’d changed out of her costume and simply had on a silk robe as she removed her makeup. The silence of the room was a stark contrast to the screaming crowds Y/N had been in front of earlier but she liked it. It was something to keep her grounded. 

Just as Y/N finished removing her makeup her phone rang. Tony made fun of her for being one of the biggest names in America and still having the same phone from five years ago. Something about the nostalgia of it was comforting. Despite her fame and fortune, Y/N never wanted to forget everything she had because she worked for it. She didn’t recognise the number but nonetheless, she answered the call. 

“Hello?” 

“Is this Y/N L/N… the actual Y/N L/N speaking?” A voice asked on the other line. 

“Yes, who is this?” Y/N replied, there weren’t many people these days who had her number.

“I’m a nurse at St. Andrews hospital, we’ve recently had to admit James Barnes and he’s listed you as his emergency contact,” 

By some miracle, Y/N had been touring in the same state where Bucky was. Tony had warned Y/N against it, telling her that the paparazzi would be on her like vultures and ‘wasn’t Barnes the same guy you threw your drink on.’ But she couldn’t just ignore him, she never could. 

Y/N tried to dress as casually as possible and wore a pair of sunglasses in hopes that she wouldn’t be spotted. As she walked up to the reception she felt like cursing whatever cruel God was going to bring James Barnes thundering back into her life. 

It just had to be from a hospital, I haven't had one phone call from him in years and when I finally do it’s because he’s hurt himself… I guess something will never change. 

Y/N told herself she would just see if he was okay if he was then she could simply walk away and never see him again. The lady on reception told her that he was in room 104, so Y/n walked down the corridor trying to hold her head high. No matter how hard she tried, there was an uneasy pit of worry forming inside her. What if Bucky was seriously hurt? What if he was dying? All the worst possible scenarios seemed to be forming in her mind. She needed to find Bucky and she needed to find him now. 

Before she knew it, Y/n was running towards his room. Acting almost on impulse she heaved the door open to see Bucky lying on the hospital bed. At first glance, Bucky seemed to be fine with only a couple of scratches and bruises on him but then Y/n looked at him properly. Maybe my eyes are playing tricks on me? But they weren’t… Bucky’s left arm was gone. 

Bucky looked up to see some girl standing in his room. She was wearing a cream trench coat and sunglasses as if she was from old Holywood. There was a second of uneasy silence when Bucky was about to explain that she had the wrong room when she finally spoke up.

“Bucky,” Her voice quivered as she walked closer to him. She removed her sunglasses and Bucky could have sworn his heart stopped beating then and there. 

He had seen so much of her, in the papers, magazines and on almost every billboard in the country. True to her word she had become a star, bigger and brighter than ever. However, no matter how many times he saw her on paper it didn’t come close to seeing her in person. 

“Jesus Buck,” She sighed when she was finally right next to him, “What happened to you?” 

Bucky looked down to where his arm should’ve been but instead all he could see was disgusting scar tissue peeking out from his bandage. There wasn’t much to say other than he had been his usual self and this time it nearly killed him. He was speeding down a dark country road without a care in the world when the car spun out of control and hit another car driving the other way. By a miracle, the other driver hadn’t been hurt but fate wasn’t going to let Bucky get away scot-free. Bucky looked back up to Y/N, he didn’t want to admit to her that after all these years he was still being an idiot. 

“You were right you know, you made it bigger than anyone ever thought you could be and you did earn every single bit of it all by yourself,” Bucky began to speak. His voice sounded rough and strained as he talked. Every word that came from his mouth seemed to break Y/N’s heart. 

“You were right about me as well… I’m nothing more than some spoiled rich kid.” Bucky seemed to hang his head in shame. 

“Oh, Bucky, you’re so much more than that,” Y/N instantly felt the guilt from their argument wash over her. In all these years she never considered that what she said might have hurt Bucky. 

“No I am, I’m pathetic... I can’t even hold you in my arms… I always thought the next time I saw you I would get to hold you-” Bucky choked up, tears beginning to well up in his eyes. 

Y/N’s heart broke at the sight. Acting as if no time had passed, Y/n kneeled down next to him and took his head in her hands, wiping away his tears. 

“I’ve felt so numb for so long Y/N, I haven’t felt anything in five years until you walked through that door,” Bucky admitted. 

“You have no idea what it was like to hear your name for the first time in five years, pretty sure my heart stopped.” Y/N’s face carried the same pained expression as his. 

That was when it dawned on Bucky, he never did remove her from his emergency contact. Part of him was beginning to wonder why she had suddenly appeared in the hospital. An awkward silence fell between them. They hadn’t seen each other in so long and they didn’t part on the best terms but right now Bucky needed Y/N. He needed the girl who became his friend when he was 11, the girl who cared for him more than words could say but also called up out for all his bullshit. So that’s when he asked her,

“I know I have no right to ask you, but please don’t go, please?” Bucky begged. 

At that moment Y/N released how broken Bucky was. In all of her life Bucky seemed to demand everything, so used to having everything at his beck and call. This was the first time in her life she could recall Bucky actually asking for something.

“I’m not going anywhere Bucky, I’ll always be here for you when you need me.” Y/N told him. 

She meant it with every fibre in her body. There was some cruel silver lining in this whole story. That this tragic night needed to happen to bring them back to each other. Y/N stayed with Bucky all night, even when they tried to kick her out after visiting hours, Y/N merely dropped her name and they let her stay all night. 

Bucky had been given some heavy pain meds and was fast asleep but still, Y/N refused to leave his side. He could have died tonight. Those words played over in her mind like a bad record. It’s what made her realise that she had spent over six years without her best friend. That she had abandoned him when he needed her the most. Y/N didn’t even have a good reason for abandoning him other than pettiness and stubbornness. 

Then Y/N’s phone rang, it was Tony and Y/N already knew he was going to be pissed. 

“Hey, Tones,” Y/N answers trying to sound as sweet as possible. 

“Well if it isn’t my Darling protege, tell me Y/N in all teachings have you truly learnt nothing?” Tony’s sarcastic tone made Y/N pull away slightly from the phone. As badly as she wanted to hang up on him then and there, it would have only made him angrier. 

“Tony,” Y/N sighed down the phone, hoping she could calm him down. 

“Oh no you’re not talking your way out of this, there’s currently about 100 reporters and paps outside the hospital as we speak and they’re sure as hell not leaving without some answers,” 

Y/N tried to cut in but Tony was very clearly not finished with his rant. 

“-Answers as to why The Y/N L/N suddenly ditched her own after-party for some random guy in a hospital bed, what Bonzo story are you going to try and float here?” Tony groaned down the phone. 

“I don’t know, okay!” Y/N yelled back, her sweet exterior finally broken down, “He just called and I came running, it’s always been the same old schtick… it’s like I can’t fucking help myself,” Y/N’s voice wasn’t as harsh as Tony’s there was still a magnitude in the words she said. 

She could have simply not come and told the lady that Bucky was trying to pull a fast one but she didn’t. Instead, she put everything in her life on hold just to make sure he was okay and the worst part? She would do it again in a heartbeat. 

“Look I can take care of the reporters, claim that it’s a close family friend but I need you to do something for me,” Tony sighed, “I need you to promise me that you won’t give everything up for him… whatever you two have isn’t worth losing everything you worked for.” 

Y/N didn’t have the strength to keep arguing with him or anyone else. Going through the motions, Y/N simply hung up and looked back up at Bucky. He was fast asleep, the pain meds kicking in at last. That was when an awful thought hit her, she could leave now… he’s alive, you’ve done your duty… but then what? Wait another five years until he gets hurt again? She wanted to stay for him but it couldn’t be like last time. Things needed to change. 

When Bucky woke up it was nearly 10 am, man the pain meds must’ve knocked him out cold. He glanced around the room, there were nurses, monitors and IV drips all around him but no Y/N. Had she snuck out in the night? Bucky couldn’t have blamed her if she had, one night wasn’t going to make up for the near-decade he had spent being an ass. 

“Rise and shine, Handsome,” A nurse called over to him as she checked over his vitals. 

Bucky could only give her a small nod of acknowledgement, his mind too preoccupied with Y/N. 

“Something on your mind there, handsome,” The nurse kept pestering him. 

“His name is James,” 

Bucky pushed himself up to see it was Y/N standing by the door holding a coffee and a couple of bags. Her tone towards the nurse was flat and unamused. Something that made Bucky smile properly for the first time in years. The nurse finally left but not before telling Bucky he could simply ‘buzz’ for her at any time, in a sultry voice, a voice that made Bucky feel like spiders were crawling up his back. 

Y/N was giving the nurse a death glare until she had finally left the room. Letting out a small huff, Y/N placed the cup of coffee down on the table and started going through the various shopping bags she had, silently. 

“You don’t have to be jealous,” Bucky spoke, 

“I’m not jealous,” Y/N muttered as she continued to go through the bags. 

“Yes you are, you’ve got the same look on your face as you did when you saw Cindy Schatt’s kissing John Rider,” Bucky chuckled at the memory of that pool party at his house decades ago. 

Y/N just remained silent, trying to not make eye contact with him. Bucky knew that she only did that when she knew he was right but didn’t want to argue. To be completely honest, Bucky didn’t want to argue either. He felt that they had wasted too much time arguing and swallowing their feelings, far too much time. 

“I love you,” Bucky stated, his voice calm, clear and confident. 

Y/N’s hands suddenly stopped moving. All the cogs in her brain stopped working as she tried to comprehend what Bucky had just said… he said he loved her. Slowly, she glanced up and allowed her gaze to meet him. 

“Y/N, I love you so please don’t waste your time being jealous over some nurse,” Bucky repeated, making it clear to Y/N that he had no hidden agenda. 

“How should I spend my time then?” Y/N murmured. 

“Tell me you love me back,” Bucky breathed

“I’ve always loved you, that’s the problem,” Y/N sighed, why did it always seem to end in a fight with him. 

Bucky felt like the oxygen in the air was suffocating him. God, with every other girl in his life it had always been so easy bit with Y/N he never seemed to be able to find the right words to say. What annoyed Bucky the most was how simple things could be, she loved him and he loved her. This was supposed to be where they would finally get their happy ending, the boy finally confesses his love for the girl and they crash into each other and kiss while the credits roll. 

Y/N looked up at Bucky trying to gauge his reaction. Surely her confession couldn’t have surprised him so much. Was Bucky that clueless? All those nights she came rushing to his side when he was being a reckless idiot? Did he just assume she would do that for anyone? Bucky, however, looked completely at a loss. That was when Y/N said fuck it. 

She walked over to Bucky and kissed him. Y/N cupped his cheeks and kissed him like it was the last time she would ever see him… she hadn’t quite made up her mind yet if it was going to be. Bucky kissed her back so desperately, convincing himself that her kiss was more vital to him than breathing. When Y/N finally pulled away slightly for air, Bucky couldn’t help but reach up for the taste of her lips again. 

But then he noticed Y/N pull away slightly further, her hands still cupped his cheeks as if she never wanted to let go. But at the same time, she didn’t want to give all of herself to him, not anymore. 

“Doll,” Bucky whispered. 

“I just- I just can’t let it be like last time, James,” Y/N whispered back. 

“Never, I will never be like that again, it’s already cost me far too much and I’m sure as hell not losing you again,” Bucky’s eyes were just as glassy as her’s, tears threatening to spill at any moment. 

Y/N wanted to tell him how he never truly lost her but Bucky didn’t give her the chance. He kissed her, somehow even more feverishly than last time. They parted panting and forehead resting against one another. It wasn’t the kindest of reunions but it was certainly the sweetest.

#bucky barnes x reader #bucky x reader #ceo!bucky #ceo!bucky x reader #marvel fanfiction #marvel imagine #avenegrs #marvel #winter solider x reader #richkid!bucky #singer!reader #tony stark x reader

[kookitykook]

No Jokes (Jungkook x Reader)

Listen after watching Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull for the 87th time this just ... happened. I regret nothing.

Based off the prompt: “I love you!” “WHAT?” Just kidding, I just needed to distract you. Sorry about this!”

~genre: adventure! fluff! humor! sfw! yeehaw!

~word count: 3.2k 

~summary: You can't believe you let Jeon Jungkook drag you into this. A few weeks ago you were working on your thesis like a normal postgrad, and today you're stealing crystal skulls, shooting at people, jumping out of vehicles, losing your shoe, and kicking bad guys in the face. Just another average day working with Jeon Jungkook.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Did we lose them?” Jungkook shouted, violently swerving the Jeep to avoid running into a stump. 

“Hey!” You shouted back at him as you fell in a heap in the open Jeep bed at the movement. “I’m holding a gun here, maybe give me a warning if you’re about to — oof! Jungkook!”

“Sorry about that!” Your partner shouted back at you, and you were glad that your hat had fallen in your face as you fell yet again, because if you’d had to see his shit-eating grin you would’ve attacked him. “You didn’t answer my question though!”

Standing to your feet with a huff and trying to balance as Jungkook drove like a maniac through the jungle, you peered through the blurring trees.

“I think we lost them,” you yelled up to him. “Can’t be sure though. But there’s definitely not any sign of—”

You screamed as a bullet whizzed past your ear, scrambling get into the passenger seat beside Jungkook. 

“I don’t think we lost them,” he remarked with an annoyingly casual voice considering they were being shot at yet again. 

“Yeah no shit, Kook!” You flinched as bullets dinged the side of the truck. “Drive faster!”

“I’m driving as fast as I can without sending us headfirst into a jungle tree, Y/N! Why don’t you use that gun and shoot back at them!”

“I will!”

Not needing any more prompting, you leaning out of the Jeep and popping off rounds at the three vehicles tailing you and Jungkook through the jungle. Your eyes widened when you saw Namjoon’s vehicle catching up to yours quickly. 

You aimed your gun right at his head and pulled the trigger.

Click.

Shit. Out of ammo. 

Namjoon only grinned, his eyes flitting between you and the jungle he was driving through. 

“I want that skull back!” Namjoon shouted, pulling his vehicle up right next to you and Jungkook, tree limbs whipping past as you sped through the overgrowth. “Hand it over now and nobody has to get hurt!”

“If we hand it over now, far more people than just us are going to get hurt!” Jungkook shouted, one hand on the wheel and one hand clutching the burlap sack with the crystal skull. “Forget it, Namjoon!”

For a brief second, the only sound was the vehicles careening over the brush. 

“Fine,” Namjoon spat loud enough for the two of you to hear him. “So be it.”

You screamed as Namjoon jerked the wheel hard, sending his vehicle hurtling against yours. Jungkook grunted, fighting to maintain control of the Jeep as Namjoon did it again. On your right was Namjoon, and on your left was a tree line that the Jeep couldn’t fit through. And if you stopped or slowed down Namjoon’s henchmen Hoseok and Yoongi would capture you both and the crystal skull. 

You and Jungkook were well and truly trapped. 

You glanced at Jungkook out of the corner of your eye.

“Don’t you dare.”

“Get that skull as far away from here as you can.”

“I said don’t!”

You paid Jungkook no mind, hurtling yourself out of the Jeep and into Namjoon’s vehicle as he collided against you. Namjoon shouted as you latched onto him, raking your nails down his face as your legs dangled precariously from his vehicle. You held on as tightly as you could, knowing that if you fell now then Yoongi and Hoseok’s cars were surely going to squish you like a bug. 

“Y/N!” You heard Jungkook screaming, but his voice was growing distant as Namjoon lost control of his vehicle thanks to you, turning the opposite direction as Jungkook continued to drive straight.

Get that damn skull out of here, Kook, you thought as hard as you could.

“You bitch!” Namjoon shouted, grabbing you by the back of your shirt and hauling you into his vehicle, and you ended up sprawled out halfway in his lap and halfway in the passenger seat. “You and that idiot have no idea the power you’re messing with!” 

“Oh shut up!” You screamed, hiking up your leg and kicking Namjoon square in the jaw. 

The hit had him jerking the wheel yet again, and you took the opportunity to reach for the passenger door handle and fling yourself out. 

You knew it was going to hurt, but you didn’t know just how much. 

You rolled for what felt like forever, branches tearing at your shirt and scratching your face until you finally came to a stop against a tree. 

“Owwww,” you moaned, feeling blood dripping down the side of your face and you were pretty sure you were missing a shoe. 

You wiped the blood out of your eye to see that by kicking Namjoon, you had sent him crashing into Hoseok’s vehicle. They were both scrambling out, shouting at one another about seventy yards away from where you lay. You laughed to yourself, head falling backwards to rest in the jungle undergrowth. 

The pain was worth it. That had been totally awesome and definitely gave Jungkook enough time to get away with the skull.

“Yeah,” you muttered to yourself. “Definitely worth it.”

You laid there for a few more seconds, focusing on the buzzing of the jungle and the ringing in your ears instead of Namjoon’s far away voice screaming at Yoongi and Hoseok to get in their one remaining vehicle so that the three of them could get after Jungkook. It looked like they assumed you were dead or were leaving you to die. That figured. 

You were just about to let yourself fall asleep when suddenly —

“There he is! Get that son of a bitch!”

You snapped your head up, wincing at the throbbing pain the movement produced. 

Oh no … oh no, no, no … you thought to yourself, knowing good and well that there was only one person besides yourself that could make Kim Namjoon so shrieky. 

And sure enough. There was Jungkook. Running towards you like a bat out of hell. 

Wait … running? What the …

“Get up!” He was screaming, still toting the crystal skull in the burlap sack. “Aish, Y/N you idiot, get up!” 

You groaned as you pushed yourself to your feet and — yepp, you were definitely missing a shoe. 

“Run, running, running now, we gotta run!” Jungkook yelled breathlessly, finally reaching you and grasping your arm, tugging you with him decidedly away from where Namjoon and his thugs were currently maneuvering their last vehicle into position. 

“Where is the Jeep?” You shouted, the sudden adrenaline shooting through you and making you forget about your pain. “Kook what the—”

“Ran out of gas!” He shouted, ducking as a bullet flew by the two of you. He was breathing in gasps, holding both you and the skull as you picked up speed, adjusting to the feeling of just one shoe. 

Gah, what a mess we are, you thought, taking in his dirty, sweaty and disheveled appearance next to you, who had literally just thrown yourself from a moving vehicle in a jungle. 

“Where are we running?” You screamed, picking up the pace as much as you could when you heard the revving of Namjoon’s vehicle. 

“Away!”

“Oh well that helps, Kook!”

Three more bullets whizzed by. 

“How the hell did you talk me into this stupid job?!”

“Me?!” Jungkook screamed, leaping over a fallen tree. “You’re the one that told me about this stupid skull!”

“And you’re the one who said we ought to go steal it!”

“It’s not stealing if we’re saving innocent people!”

“It’s definitely stealing if it means Kim Namjoon is going to kill us over it!”

“That doesn’t make any sense at all!”

“Oh like you ever make sense! You could have warned me that—”

“Look out!”

Jungkook grabbed you by the elbow and hauled you back as quickly as he could, the both of you skidding across the dirt and falling backwards just inches from the ravine you had almost ran right into. 

You fought to catch your breath, clutching onto Jungkook just as tightly as he was clutching onto you. The two of you helped each other stand, looking over the edge of the ravine into the churning waters of the river. 

Jungkook glanced back at the rapidly approaching vehicle holding Namjoon, Yoongi, and Hoseok. You couldn’t take your eyes off of the water though. The way that the opposite side of the ravine was positioned, you couldn’t see that the chasm was even there until you were right on it. 

“How high do you think it is?” 

“Uhhh, fifty meters give or take a few,” Jungkook mumbled, running his hands through his hair. 

“Can we survive a jump that high?”

“Uhhh, not sure.”

“You keep answering with ‘uhhh,’ and it’s not making me feel any better.”

You could hear Namjoon getting closer, but they weren’t shooting anymore which meant they had probably run out of bullets too. At least there was that. 

“Y/N.” 

Jungkook stuffed the skull into his knapsack, securing the straps tightly, then grabbed you by the shoulders. You could hear Namjoon more clearly, there were probably going to run you and Jungkook over in about fifteen seconds. At least the skull would be destroyed, too.

“Y/N, listen to me.”

You didn’t listen. 

“Y/N, I love you!”

You finally snapped back to reality. 

“What?!”

“Just kidding, I just needed to distract you for a second. Sorry about this!”

Before you could even think to scream, Jungkook wrapped his arms around you and sent the two of you careening over the edge of the ravine. 

**

You dragged yourself up onto the river bank with coughs that racked your whole body. Mud seeped through your linen pants, and your dripping wet hair was definitely going to give you pneumonia if you didn’t get warm soon. 

Your lungs expelled the nasty river water violently, bringing up some bile with it too. As soon as you could breathe, you pushed past the pain all over your body and looked around you. 

“Jungkook?” you croaked, your voice hoarse from all of the coughing. You were alone on the riverbank. “Jungkook!”

Shit, shit, shit. 

You were getting frantic now, your pain the last thing on your mind as you scrambled to your feet and looking all around the riverbank. 

“Jeon Jungkook!” You screamed. 

And then you saw it. A familiar, stupidly round head bobbing in the river just ahead of you. 

“Kook!” 

You flung yourself back into the icy waters without a moment of hesitation, swimming the ten or so meters out to wear his body was. 

You grabbed him around the waist, noting but not caring that his knapsack with the crystal skull was still safely secured to his person. 

You miraculously managed to keep his and your head above water as you swam back to the riverbank, unceremoniously dropping his body to the muddy bank, his long legs still in the water.

“Oh no,” you murmured, hands shaking as you hovered them over Jungkook’s chest. 

He wasn’t breathing. His head was flopped to the side away from you, wet hair sticking to his forehead. 

“No, no, no.” You put your head to his chest, but the ringing in your ears had you completely useless. “Kook, no, you can’t … no, no!”

Thinking back to the one CPR class you took back in college when you and Jungkook met, you pried open his mouth and began blowing air into it.

“Chest compressions, chest compressions,” you muttered to yourself, sitting up on your knees and leaning your whole body weight into the motions. 

Jungkook remained still. 

You knew you were crying because the river water still dripping from you was ice cold, whereas your teas streamed hot down your face. 

“You son of a bitch!” You screamed, hitting his still chest. “You drag me on this crazy adventure, get me shot at, have me run through a damn jungle without one of my shoes! I jumped out of a car for you! Then you throw me off of a cliff?!” You’re hysterical, your nose running as you cry over Jungkook’s still form. “And then you tell me you love only to follow it up with ‘just kidding?!’ I hate you!”

On pure instinct you slam your fist into Jungkook’s chest, which led to you promptly screaming as his body convulsed, river water shooting out of his mouth as he began coughing and inhaling deep, wet breaths. 

“Holy shit!” You reach out and help him sit up, leaning his body into yours and hitting him on the back to help expel the water from his lungs. “Jungkook, oh my — I thought you were dead!” 

“I think I was,” he gasped out, taking in a deep breath as he looked up at you. “Hey, did you just hit me?”

Well that dried up your tears. 

You huffed, letting him go and standing up quickly, which led to him falling sideways further into the mud. You stomped into the water, shivering as you splashed water on your face to clean your runny nose and teary eyes. 

“Yes, I hit you!” You shouted, whirling back around him but then spluttering as your wet hair slapped you in the face. “And I saved your life too, you’re welcome for that by the way! I’d think you’d be using your first words back from the dead to say, oh I don’t know, thank you?! Or perhaps something along the lines of ‘I’m sorry I threw you off a cliff?’”

“It wasn’t a cliff, it was a ravine.”

You could only stare slack-jawed as Jungkook pushed himself up with a grunt, coughing a few more times as he pushed his wet hair back from his face and shrugged off his knapsack and brown leather jacket.. Any other time you might have been ogling his muscles that were clearly on display beneath his wet white shirt, but at that moment you were primarily focused on not tossing him back into the stupid river.

“And I saved your life first, so really you should be the one thanking me,” he continued, grinning like an idiot as he checked his knapsack and saw that the crystal skull was still safe. 

“M-Me?” You spluttered. “Me — thank you, I — are you joking?!”

“Not at all. Hey, where’s your other shoe?”

“I lost it! When I jumped out of Namjoon’s vehicle after jumping out of your vehicle to save your life the first time! So I will not be thanking you, no siree, nuh-uh.”

“You jumped out of Namjoon’s vehicle?” he asked casually, stuffing the skull pack into his knapsack and taking a few casual steps towards you. 

“I — yes, I did!” You shouted, fury dancing across your features as he nodded as if you had just commented on the weather or something else equally boring. “And it was awesome, thanks for asking. I was willing to die for you to get away with the skull and how do you repay me? How, Jeon Jungkook? Oh I remember! You ran out of gas.” 

“I didn’t really run out of gas, I just said that so you wouldn’t waste time yelling at me for coming back for you.”

It was the wave of his hand in your direction along with those words that did you in. With a gutteral scream you marched into his space, fully prepared to sock him in the jaw, only to be met with his strong hands pinning your arms to your side and pulling your body flush against his. 

“Jeon Jungkook I swear I’m going to—”

You were silenced as his cold lips descended upon yours, kissing you with such an intensity it made your already woozy head spin even more. Your eyes fluttered shut and you wished you could have blamed your injuries for the way you positively melted against him, but you knew deep down it was because it was him. 

Jungkook’s lips parted yours with a shaky breath, his hands moving up to cradle your face when he realized that you weren’t planning on attacking him anymore. You were both shivering, but both reluctant to pull away. The only sounds were the river gurgling behind you and your heavy breathing as he continued to kiss you until you saw stars.

Finally, just as you were starting to feel warm all over, Jungkook pulled away with a deep gasp. He didn’t go far though, and you could feel every inch of him pressed against you. Your body was still trembling, but now it wasn’t from the cold. 

“I …” You gulped, licking your lips as you fought for breath. You elected to ignore the smug grin on Jungkook’s now swollen lips as you looked up at him. “I thought you said you were just kidding.”

“Oh I was,” he said simply. 

Your eyes bugged out of your head and you suddenly wished you hadn’t pulled him out of the river. 

“At least then I was,” he clarified, not perturbed at all at your expression. In fact, he just grinned and kissed the tip of your nose. “But then I saw that you were still alive and that you had saved me—”

“Twice.”

“That you had saved me twice, and I … I realized that I’ll take getting shot at and jumping off cliffs—”

“Ravines.”

“—Ravines, if it means that you’re alive. I’ll take on any adventure as long as it’s with you.”

Tears were welling up in your eyes again, but this time you didn’t mind. 

“I love you, Y/N. No jokes this time.”

“Throwing me off of a ravine is not a joke.”

“Maybe not a good one. But hey, it’s a hell of a first date, you gotta admit.”

You grinned up at him. “I love you too, you insane man.”

Just as Jungkook was leaning down to kiss you once more, both of you smiling like idiots and covered in river water, mud, and blood, a voice cut across the ravine.

“Jeon Jungkook! Y/N!”

The two of you turned, still clutching onto one another as you looked up to the opposite side of the ravine where Kim Namjoon stood, Yoongi and Hoseok flanking him. He was covered in dirt and there was a nasty gash on his arm, and his two goons were in equally rough shape.

“That crystal skull is mine! You won’t get away a second time! I’m going to make you wish you—”

“Oh shut up!” You shouted back across the ravine. 

Hoseok laughed as Namjoon froze, clearly surprised, which led to Yoongi elbowing Hoseok hard enough to make him stumble and lurch backwards away from the edge, falling on his ass in the process. 

Jungkook looked down at you and laughed with abandon, and you smiled at him widely. His laugh was the best sound in the world, especially after the insane day you’d had. 

“I love you,” you murmured. 

“And I love you. No jokes.”

“No jokes,” you affirmed, pressing your lips to his firmly. “Alright, we gotta go. Making out with you is great and all, but I’m missing a shoe and we still have to get that skull out of here.”

“I love it when you talk dirty to me.”

#bts fanfiction #bts scenario #jungkook fanfiction #jungkook scenario #jeon jungkook #my writing

[iambuckyrogers]

3 Nights... Chapter (4/7)

Summary: After your friend bails on your trip to Australia a week before you were due to fly out, your best friend Steve swoops in and saves the day. Unbeknown to you, he’s harbouring the biggest crush on you, but will it get in the way of your holiday?

Word Count: 2041

Chapter Warnings: swearing, angst galore, mentions of sexual harassment,

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Reader

Authors Note: alright it’s about to get interestinggggg. hope that y’all enjoy I promise everything works out well in the end :) taglist is open. likes and reblogs appreciated xxxx

PREVIOUS CHAPTER

The afternoon went surprisingly well, the two of you settled back into your normal, comfortable routine, joking and laughing with each other like nothing had happened. Steve still felt uneasy, the thought of you and Joel bouncing around his head. He tried to push it away, tried to be happy for you but all he felt was resentment and hate, not only towards Joel but himself as well. If he had grown some balls years ago everything could be different. Sighing, Steve flopped himself onto the bed in your accommodation. Your afternoon plans had consisted of horse riding along the beach and a long walk back into town from the ranch, which left Steve thoroughly spent both physically and emotionally. He had to listen to you gush about Joel every 18 seconds, not that he was counting, and it had really taken its toll.

“Do I look alright?” Your voice pulled Steve from his self-pitying spiral. He rolled himself to face you and propped himself up on his elbow, looking you up and down as you stood in the doorway to the bathroom. You wore a tight red bodysuit and short a-line leather skirt, you had on your favourite pair of black doc martins and the fuzzy red socks that Steve got you for Christmas.

“I-ah, god,” he stammered, stumbling over the thousands of things he wanted to say but didn’t have the guts to.

“Nope not god, just Y/N,” you sassed. You did a little spin and faced Steve again, sticking your leg out and pointing your toe. “Like my socks?” you wiggled your eyebrows.

“Y-yeah wow I wonder who has such good taste?” Steve managed to say, offering you a sly grin, “in all seriousness, you look wonderful, doll.”

“My god Steven you sound like such an old man,” you laughed smacking him playfully on the shoulder. He couldn’t help but laugh too, you just seemed to have that effect on him. Getting to his feet he offered you his arm and bowed his head.

“Well then my dear, shall we journey to the parties of the night?”

“Why yes, fine sir,” you loop your arm through his and throw your handbag over your shoulder dramatically, “let us go!”

You opted to walk to the club, the evening air was warm but pleasant with the occasional cool breeze blowing through. You and Steve kept your arms linked as you wandered down the road, the bustling sounds of Byron growing with each step you took. The first club you came across was The Cheeky Monkey. It looked shady, the windows were blacked out, music thrumming through the walls, despite its exterior appearance it was popular, with the line stretching back along the main street.

“Let’s go here!” you pull Steve by the hand to the back of the line and who is he to say no. You join the line and begin bopping away to the music, lost in your own little world. The line moves surprisingly fast and before long you’re inside the club, the smell of cheap booze and hot bodies hitting Steve like a brick wall. Your hips sway to the beat as you move towards the bar, pulling Steve with you. You push your way through the crowd and order 2 drinks from the bartender while Steve waits behind you.

“Dance with me Stevie!” you shout over the music, pushing a glass into his hand and taking the other in yours once again before leading him to the dance floor. Dance floor was a funny word to describe what Steve saw because really, the ‘dance floor’ was a number of heavily reinforced park benches lined up end to end. People were stood on the seats and tables, bumping and gyrating to the electro trash that thumped over the speakers. Taking a swig of his drink Steve tried to loosen himself up, rocking back and forth in an attempt to move with the music. You shook your head and downed your drink in one mouthful, discarding your glass on a nearby table. You leaned in close, warm breath fanning over Steve’s cheek making him shiver.

“That’s not how you dance, Stevie,” you tutted, spinning around and taking his hands, placing them on your hips. You began to sway to the beat once again, hands moving to cover Steve’s and guide his movements. He closed his eyes and sucked in a sharp breath as you moved against him. He followed the movement of your hips with his own, the two of you moving as one in the packed club. His dropped his head to the crook of your neck and pressed soft kisses along your skin. You lifted your head to give him better access, a soft moan escaping your lips as his hands pulled you in closer to his body. Almost as if you were burnt, you jumped from his grip.

“I, ah- gosh. I need to go to the bathroom. I’ll be right back,” you hurried off without so much as a second glance at Steve, disappearing into the crowd. He ran a hand through his hair and blew out an unsteady breath.

He stood where you left him for what felt like an eternity, never once letting his eyes stray from where you disappeared into the crowd. Eventually you, emerged but you were dragging someone else by the hand now.

“Look who I found!” you announced as you approached Steve

“Joel,” he spat, not even trying to hide his disapproval this time.

“Nice to see you too, mate,” Joel slurred, pulling you into his side almost possessively.

“We’re going to go dance, is that ok?” you asked.

“No- I mean, yeah, of course, why would I have a problem with that?” Steve mumbled, as much as he wanted to stop you he had no control over what you did. You kissed him on the cheek and left with Joel as Steve sulked off to the bar. He ordered a drink and sat at the bar, scanning the crowd for you. Sure enough, he found you stood on one of the table tops, grooving to the music and holding Joel’s hands, who stood on the floor below you. He watched you intently, the whisky in his had sat untouched. As much as he tried to look away he couldn’t, something about the way you moved had him transfixed. You ran your hands through your hair and thew your head back as the music washed over you. He clenched his jaw as he saw Joel’s arms snake around your hips and pull you, giggling, into his embrace. He whispered something into your ear before he pulled you in for a kiss, Steve had to look away before he gagged, gulping down his drink and savouring the warmth it left in his throat. When he looked back you were right in front of him, wrapped in Joel’s arms.

“Stevie I’m going to go back to Joel’s house,” you explained as Joel assaulted your neck making you laugh.

“Y/N I don’t think that’s a great idea,” Steve tried to reason.

“Fuck off Steven you’re not my boyfriend. Why do you care?!” Your words stung, cutting right into his heart like a knife.

“Because I do, I do care because that’s what friends do!” he shouted back, eyes stinging. By this point, Joel had removed himself from you which was a smart move because Steve was close to decking the guy.

“Well, I’m sorry we have different ideas about how friends are supposed to behave…  ugh never mind I’m going I don’t care what you say,” you stomp your foot and fold your arms, glaring at Steve.

“Fine but don’t come crying to me when it all blows up,” he gave up, you were stubborn and there was no getting you to change your mind.

“Not to worry, I won’t because I’m going to be fine! Good night Steve.”

“Good night Y/N,” he whispered as Joel swept you away, out of the club and into the dark of night.

*****

Steve checked his phone for what felt like the 87th time in one minute. 12:08, no new messages. After you left the club Steve waited for a while, not wanting to bump into you on his way home, before he left and trekked home in the dark, tears in his eyes and heart full to the brim with hurt and pain. He’d showered and changed but refused to fall asleep, just in case you needed him. It had been 2 hours with no word from you and he was starting to freak out. He should have done more to stop you, to keep you safe. He kept replaying your last conversation over in his head, ’don’t come crying to me when it all blows up’, if that was the last thing he ever said to you he would never forgive himself. He had to stop expecting the worst, you were a strong and capable woman, you had proven time and time again that you could look after yourself, he needed to take a step back. But what if you fell in love with Joel? Would you move here, leave Steve behind? His chest began to tighten, heart feeling as if it may beat out of his rib cage. He couldn’t lose you. In the midst of his panic, he didn’t hear the glass door to the apartment slide open.

“Stevie?” you sniffed, his eyes snapping to you. You were a mess, not wearing any shoes you leant against the doorframe shivering, chest heaving as if you had just run a marathon. The straps to your top were slipping down your shoulders, your hair was dishevelled and your make up a mess. He opened his mouth to speak but you quickly shut him down.

“Don’t,” you choked out. Not saying a word he rushed to your side, scooping you up in his arms and holding you close. The moment he had you in his arms you broke down, warm tears sliding down your cheeks and pooling on Steve’s shirt, heart-wrenching sobs wreaking your body. He just held you tightly and rubbed your back, whispering soothing words as you cried.

“It’s ok Y/N, I’ve got you sweetheart, I’ve got you.” Slowly your body stopped shaking and your breathing slowed back to normal. You nuzzled your head into Steve’s chest, fisting your hands into his shirt. His arms wrapped tighter around you and he pressed a kiss to the top of your head.

“I-I’m so sorry, I sh-should have l-listened,” you whimpered, “h-he said we could g-go back to his place and hang out. I’m so stupid. I should have known.” A fresh wave of tears washed over you as you recounted the evening. “I-I said no, I didn’t want to, but he insisted. Tried to g-grab me so I ran. I’m so sorry.”

“Hey Y/N, stop that, ok? Stop apologising,” he pleaded, “the important thing is that you’re safe. I promise I won't let anything happen to you.” You nodded weakly.

“How about you get cleaned up and I’ll fix you some food,” he suggested to which you agreed, disappearing into the bathroom. Steve put bread into the toaster and busied himself with tidying up the room, trying to push away the images of you alone and scared, running down the streets of an unknown town. The click of the bathroom door opening pulled him from his thoughts.

“I’ve got your favourite movie on Netflix and bread in the toaster, can I get you anything else?” he asked. You shook your head and smiled sadly.

“Thank you, Stevie.” You climb into bed and Steve joined you, bringing a plate of freshly buttered toast which you ate gratefully. You snuggled close to Steve and he draped his arm over your shoulders, pulling you into his side where you rested your head on his chest. He held you close until your breathing evened out and he was convinced you were asleep. Slowly he removed his arm and tucked you under the covers.

“Good night Y/N” he whispered kissing your cheek and turning off the light.

NEXT CHAPTER

*****

TAGLIST:

@njayfbi

@bloodyproudpotterhead

#Steve Rogers #Steve Rogers x Reader #steve rogers marvel #steve rogers imagine #marvel #marvel fic #marvel imagine #3 nights #steven grant rogers #steven grant rogers au #steve rogers au #steven grant rogers x reader

[zombierunfiction]

Season 2 Side Mission 5: Top 40

The next morning Charlotte was sharpening her axe in the comms room when Sam came bounding in happily.  "Char!  Oh my god Char! You will not believe this!"  He said excitably.

Charlotte laughed.  "What has you so excited?"

"We have a mission for you that is super exciting like vault of curly wurlys exciting!"  Sam said happily as Charlotte shook her head.

"Alright then.  I'll go get ready."  Charlotte said standing up.  

"Oh and get Jody ready too.  She will want to join in too."  Sam said happily before heading for the desk.  Charlotte shook her head and walked out into the courtyard area looking for Jody.  Once she located Jody, they gathered their packs and headsets and headed out through the gate.

"Aw, man!  This is amazing!  Runner Four, Runner Five this is great!  We've got-"  Sam laughs happily.  "I can't even believe it - we've got something really exciting for you two to do today, don't we, Janine?"  Sam said happily.

"I suppose that would depend on your definition of 'exciting'."  Janine sighed softly.

"What is it that your so excited about Sam?"  Charlotte asked.

"Oh, right!  Well, we sent a scouting party into a new part of the city a couple of days ago, and they found - I can't even say it!  It's too great!  Janine, oh, Janine, tell them.  Tell them what they found."  Sam said happily.

Janine sighed heavily.  "The runners were able to locate a store that specialized in-"

"They found a CD shop! A real old fashioned CD shop!  Can you believe it?"  Sam interrupted as Charlotte laughed softly.  

Jody squealed as well.  "No!  Really?  I didn't think there were any of those left."

"That's what I said!  We're sending you out there today straight away before someone else gets in and loots it."  Sam said quickly.

"Yes, I'm sure all the other settlements in the area are putting that at the top of their lists of priorities."  Janine said sarcasticly.

"Oh, come on, Janine, don't be like that!  The way things are, I mean, it's not like it's been much of a party around here lately."  Sam said slowly.  "We could all use a little more fun right now.  Look, I bet four and Five could find you one of those classical guys you like.   Maybe Beethoven's 87th piano symphony?  Or Mozart's flute and, um, trumpet, uh, duet, in A, uh, major?"  

"When Four and Five get back from this mission, you and I are going to have a chat about your musical education, Mr. Yao."  Janine said sternly.

"Consider this a moral mission.  Music has curitive properties."  Charlotte said as Janine sighs.  

"We will see."  Janine said as they conitnued down the road.

"You heard the lady.  Runners, bring us back all the classical music you can fine.  And uh, maybe some good stuff, too, while you're at it."  Sam said with a smirk.  Soon they arrived in the shopping district that held some of the newer stores in the area."There we are.  Go past that grocery shop and turn left at those burnt-out traffic lights and you should be right there."  Sam said as they took the turn and stopped in front of a large building.

"Mega Tunes Music Emporium?"  Charlotte asked.

"Ahh, look at that!  Three whole stories of music.  It's... it's beautiful!"  Jody said as they walk inside the door shutting it behind them.  The place looked like a few people had ransacked some of it but not to the point of destruction.  Vinals were broken and thrown all over the place while racks of cassette tapes were left scattered on tables and shelves.  CD's were lined in bins along the center of the room leading to a set of stairs going up.

"Okay, right, I've got a list of requests here, for you.  Let's see, let's see... children's CDs for Ed and Molly."  Sam said as Jody started to grab CD's from the children's section while Charlotte went to Top 40.  "Uh, bit of old school David Bowie for Runner Seventeen.  But of dubstep for Runner Nine."  He listed as they moved to the next sections grabbing the CD's as they went.  "Uh... looks like Runner Three wants you to find some... ew, is that country music?  Yeah, well, we'll just wait and see if you have room in your backpacks before we get that one."

"I will find space."  Charlotte said with a smirk grabbing several country music CD's.  "Simon and I can enjoy country music while you and Runner Nine can listen to dubstep."  

"Sorry love... didn't know you liked country."  Sam said sheepishly.

"It's ok Sam.  She's not mad.  She's smiling if anything."  Jody said as Charlotte chuckled finishing the bottom floor before running up the stairs to the second floor.

"The scanners aren't showing much activity in the area, so uh, you two should be able to take as long as you like inside."  Sam said.

"What about that?"  Janine questions.

"What about what?"  Sam asked.

Charlotte and Jody got to the top of the stairs finding what looked like a cafe with some makeshift beding set up.  "There!  Near the center of the screen!"  Janine said as Charlotte scanned the room slowly looking for anything odd.

"Oh, oh no!  Runner Five, Runner Four, be careful.  Looks like someone else has got here ahead of us.  I don't think -"  Sam said as Charlotte saw movement by the counter.  "they're not moving like a zombie.  If Van Ark's guys have turned this previous CD shop into yet another secret lab, I-"

Suddenly a shout is heard as a CD case came flying towards them making Charlotte and Jody drop to the floor fast rushing to an overturned table.  "I said no autographs!"  A female voice shouted throwing the CD's at them hard.  “Yeah, there's more where that comes from, you stupid zombies!  Find someone else to chase around for a while-”

Charlotte stood up a bit holding up her arms.  “Wait, wait!  Stop!  We're alive!  We're not zombies!”  She shouted as the barrage of CD's stopped followed by a young adult woman stood up slightly from the counter area.  She looked about18 years old with dark skin and a head of braids in both blue and green streaks mixed with her natural black hair.

“What?  What are you doing?”  The woman said sounding more annoyed than angry now.  “Don't sneak up on people like that.  You scared the hell out of me!”  She said walking over.  She had on what probably was the hottest thing in stores prior to the outbreak.  She started picking up the CD's she had been tossing at them.  Charlotte and Jody slowly stepped around the table looking at the woman.  “Oh, God, you made me break those discs.  I'll have to bring more.  Are any of these CD's still in one piece?”  She said more to herself as she picked up one CD.  “This one's scratched, but if I just put the price sticker over it, maybe no one will notice.”  She said as she picked up the CD's on the floor.

“Mm... that voice.  Does it sound familiar to you, Janine?”  Sam asked.

“I have no idea what you're talking about, Mr. Yao.”  Janine said stiffly.

“No, he's right.  She does look familiar.  Don't you think so, Char?”  Jody asked as Charlotte shrugged.

“A little bit but nothing is ringing a bell.”  She said softly.

“Be that as it may, we have a mission to complete. Runners Four, Five – head to the third floor.  I believ ethat's where you'll find the classical section.”  Janine said.  

“Got it, Janine.”  Charlotte said as they headed for the second set of stairs.

“Wait!”  The young woman said standing up making Jody and Charlotte turn.  “Wait, I'm coming with you.”  She said walking over to them quickly putting the CD's into a backpack.

“You are?”  Charlotte asked oddly.

“Those headsets thingies you've got on – you've got an eye in the sky, right?”  The woman asked.

“Uh...”  Jody started looking at Charlotte unsurely.  

“Someone's watching us, telling you to look out for zombies and stuff?”  The woman said insistantly.

“Right...”  Jody said slowly.

“Then I'm coming with you!  Maybe you'll find the zombies before the zombies find me.”  The woman said seriously.

Jody looked from the woman before looking back at Charlotte.  “What do you think?”  She asked.

Charlotte looked at the young woman before nodding.  “Alright.  But try and keep up.”  She said as they ran up to the third floor.

Once up on the third floor they continued to pick up CD's as Sam speaks up.  “No, I'm telling you, she looks familiar!  Definitely saw her in... oh, maybe she was in 'I'm a Celebrity'.  How do you not see it?”

“Some of us had more important things to do with our time before the outbreak than read gossip magazines and watch reality television.”  Janine said rather gruffly.

“Mmhmm, I know, it's just bugging me now.  Ooh, ooh, Runner Five, snag a copy of that last Eurovision compilation album while you're passing through the pop section.”  Sam said as Charlotte looked around then found a copy putting it into her bag.

“That's not on the list.”  Janine said slowly.

“It's... for a friend?”  Sam deflected.

“Ew, Eurovision?”  The woman said in a disgusted tone.  “Someone really wants you to pick up that garbage?  The winning son was terrible.”

Charlotte gave her a pointed look.  “It's not that bad.”  She said as they continued to pick up CD's.

The woman scoffs.  “Even my first single was better than-”

“Oh, wait!  I know who you are!  Sam, I know who she is!”  Jody said excitably.  “You're Keisha St. Cloud!”

Keisha smirks.  “Well, yeah, obviously.”

“Wait the Keisha St. Cloud?”  Charlotte asked looking at her.

“Yes!  It really is!”  Jody said almost hoping on her toes.

“Whose Keisha St. Cloud?”  Charlotte said completely serious.

Jody suddenly gave her a flat expression before Sam began freaking out.  “Oh my God, Oh my God!  Janine, are you hearing this?”  

“I'm sure it's fascinating, Mr. Yao, to those of you who know who that is.”  Janine said boredly.

“You're joking.” Sam said before pausing for a moment.  “Uh, you're not joking.  She only had the biggest hit signle of all last summer!  Aw, you know!  You've got...”  Sam begins to sing a pop like song.  “Hey, boy, looking so shy, da da da da da'.  Oh my God, how's that next bit go?”  He questions .

Jody smiles.  “I know.”  She begis singing as well.  “Come on and text me up, whoa-oo-oo-oo-oo-oh.”  

Slowly Jody and Sam began to sing in unison.  “Yeah, you're so sweet, whoa-oo-oo-oo-oo-oh. Don't have to be shy, when we talk on the screen.”  

Suddenly Keisha paniced grabbing Jody's shoulders tight.  “Shh, shh, don't do that!  They'll hear you!”  She hissed.

“Aw but there was a dance, too, wasn't there?”  Jody asked as Keisha groaned rubbing her face.

“Aw, yeah!  Yeah, it was kinda like a shuffle to the right, like -”  Sam seemed to be demostraiting it for Janine.  “and then  a bit of a shimmy.”

“Do not dance in here, Mr. Yao, you'll knock over the-!”  Janine snapped as the sound of something falling followed.

“Stop talking to your invisible headset people and listen to me!”  Keisha hissed.  “You can't sing that song, you can't even mention that song!  They'll hear you!”  She stressed.

Jody and Charlotte looked around oddly.  “There's no one but five and me.  Who's going to hear us?”  Jody questioned.

“Come on we should get out of here now.”  Charlotte said as they started to head down the stairs.

“Mr. Yao, have you knocked any key wiring loose?”  Janine questioned.

Sam resumed his seat.  “No, I don't think so, why?”

“Then it's highly unlikely that swarm of zombies headed towards the MegaTunes is a scanner error.”  Janine said.

Charlotte stopped at the bottom of the last flight of stairs.  “I thought you said there weren't any zoms around here.”  She said.

“I told you! I told you they could hear!”  Keisha said as Jody looks at her.

“Who?”  Jody questioned.

“It's my fans!  They've found us.  We have to get out of here, now!”  Keisha said quickly.

“Outside door, everyone!”  Sam shouted as Charlotte, Jody and Keisha ran out the front door.  “You're about five blocks up the road from them.  Head back the way you came as fast as you can.”  

“The guy in your headset.  Can he tell you what the zombies look like?”  Keisha asked.

“Sam?”  Jody starts as they head down the road.  “Keisha wants to know-”

“Yeah, I'm looking, yeah.  Ugh, okay, that's weird.  They all look like teenage girls.”  Sam said confused.

“Oh, I hate kid zoms.”  Jody whines.

“Well, I guess these would techincally be young adult zombies.”  Charlotte corrects.

“That's not better!”  Jody cried out.  “Sam, I can see them...”  She said looking back seeing the group of shambling zombies beginning to gain on them.   “They're gaining on us.  They're all so fast and... all wearing the same T-shirt?”  She questions.

“I told you.  I told you this would happen!”  Keisha cries out.  “That stupid song!  Everytime I manage to lose them, someone has to sing that stupid song.”  

“Five, Four, hang a left up there by that billboard.  We've got to shake them before you can come back to the township.  We'll take you up and down the side streets, try and confuse them, or... or something.”  Sam said as they turned left down a street away from the swarm.

“There's so many of them!  There must be nearly a hundred.  Why are they all together like this?”  Jody questioned.

“It's me.  They're after me!”  Keisha said softly.  “I was supposed to play a concert the day after the outbreak started.  A secret show down in London, only for my most dedicated fans.  They were camping in the street outside the theater when people started coming back to life.  They've been following me ever since.  I can't shake them!  They know where I am all the time!”  She whines as she continues to run with them.

“Right, go right, now!”  Sam said as they turned right with Charlotte guiding Keisha with them.  “There's a little gap between these two office blocks up ahead, do you see it?  It'll bring you out one street over, in the clear.  You'll all fit through it, but it should pack up the zombies a bit.”  

“We see it, Sam.  We're going to be fine.  We're going to be fine, we're going to be fine...”  Jody chanted to herself as the zombies growled louder at them.

“Runners, try to speed up.  Those zombies do seem to be catching up with you rather quickly.”  Janine said fast.

“Oh no!”  Jody cried out.

“Get through the gap, that's all you need to do.  Sprint if you have to, just go!”  Sam shouted as Charlotte pushed Keisha and Jody ahead of her as they came to the narrowing alley.  Charlotte and Jody took off their packs and squeezed through with Keisha in front of them.  They slipped through the gap and took off down the road as the zombies began to pile up in the alley.

“It worked!  Oh, thank God it worked.  They're piling up in front of that passageway.  There's only maybe three of four that made it through.  If we can find a way to get rid of them...”  Sam started as Keisha reached into her pocket and pulled out a pistal and fired at one taking it out easily.

“Got one!  Find someone else to take a picture with, you little undead brat!”  Keisha snapped as they continued to run.

“Well, that works.”  Charlotte said with a grin.

“I see Miss St. Cloud is much more gifted with a pistal  than she was with song lyrics.”  Janine said offhandedly.

“Keep moving, guys.  You've got a bit of a head start, now.”  Sam said as they headed towards the outskirts of the city.

“It wasn't suppoused to be like this.”  Keisha said softly.

“Hey, it's alright.  Sam's going to get us out of this, you'll see.”  Jody consoled.

“It's not that...”  Keisha whined slightly.  “That secret concert I was talking about – it was suppoused to get me away from all this!  This stupid bubblegum pop stuff.”  She said sighing heavily.  “I had a whole new album just about to come out.  I was going to do serious songs.  I was going to play guitar.”

“So... no more dancing?”  Jody questioned.

“No more songs about stupid boys, no more glitter costumes, no more Top 40 countdowns.  I was going to be a serious artist!”  Keisha continued sounding more passionate about it.  “Acoustic, real! I keep leaving copies of the new album in shops, hoping someone's going to loot it and maybe listen to it.  But all anyone ever wants to talk about is that one stupid song.”  She groaned softly as she lowered her head.  “It's not fair...”

“Uh, Sam, should we be going anywhere else right now?”  Charlotte asked after several moments of silence.

“I can't believe she wanted to give up the dancing.  I liked the dancing.”  Sam said almost sadly.

“Runners Four, Five?  You should be coming up on the town counsil offices.  Look for the clock tower.  Do you see it?”  Janine asked.

“We see it.”  Jody said.

“Run straight past it, then take a left.  That's what we agreed upon, isn't it, Mr. Yao””  Janine questioned seeming to snap Sam out of his trance.

“Yeah, yeah, what Janine said.  The zombies are – oh wait.  How'd they... oh... that's just weird.  They're on your tail again, guys!  They must have found another way up the street.  Better pick up the pace.”  Sam said quickly as they picked up their pace.

“They're catching up, Sam!  What do we do?”  Jody cried out.

“I have an idea.  It's me they want. If we split up, they'll lose interest in you two.  But I need some time to get away.  I need you to distract them.”  Keisha said as Charlotte nodded.

“How?”  She asked.

Keisha looked over at Jody.  “You know the words to 'Text Me Up', right? If you sing it loud enough, they might get confused.  Not that you're going to sound like me or anything, but they're dead.  Their hearing's probably not that great.”  She said.

“Sam?  What do you think?”  Jody questioned.

“Well, not that we're running out of options here or anything, but... well, yeah, actually, we are running out of options, kind of quickly.  Give it a shot?”  Sam said unsure.

“I only know the chorus.”  Jody said.

“That's fine, I don't think they care.  Um, hey you, Charlotte right?”  Keisha said reaching into her small bag.

“Yeah...”  Charlotte said/

“Take this for good luck.  It's my new album.  If you don't die, you should really listen to it.  I think it was going to be a big hit.”  Keisha said handing her one of the unbroken CD cases.  Charlotte shoved the CD into the bag.  “You ready?”  Jody and Charlotte nodded as they continue to run.

Jody took a deep breath and began to sing.  “Come on and text me up, whoa-oo-oo-oo-oo-oh.  Yeah, you're so sweet, whoa-oo-oo-oo-oo-oh. Don't have to be shy when we talk on the screen.”

“I'm going to turn off here. Keep going!  And louder!”  Keisha said turning off away from them.

“Oh, I can't remember!”  Jody whined.

Suddenly Janine cleared her throat and began to sing.  “You've got my number, I want you ILU.”

Jody, Janine, and Sam continued to sing as they continued to run.  “Text me up, tell me your love is true-oo-oh.  Don't have to speak, don't have to phone.  Text me and tell me you're mind alone. Come on and text me up, whoa-oo-oo-oo-oo-oh.  Come on and text me up, whoa-oo-oo-oo-oo-oh.”

Charlotte looks around after a while.  “Did it work?”

“It appears the zombies are still chasing Miss St. Cloud.”  Janine said.

“Uh, should we sing it again?”  Sam questioned.

“Runner Four, Runner Five, your way is clear.  Best come back now while the swarm is distracted.”  Janine stated firmly.

“But-!”  Sam started.

“It's not our business, Mr. Yao.”  Janine sternly stated.  “We can't have that pack following the runners back to Abel.  Besides, if she's survived this long, I suspect Miss St. Cloud will manage without us.”

“That song!”  Sam suddenly said.  “Did you know it all along?”  He asked.

“I don't know what you're referring to.”  Janine countered.

“Maybe whent he runners get back, we should all have a listen to that new album.  Like a sort of... like a tribute thing.”  Charlotte suggested.

“Or perhaps Mr. Yao could show us more of his dance moves.”  Janine suggested with an obvious smirk.

“I don't think... no one wants that.”  Sam said bashfully.

“I do.”  Charlotte said with a grin.

“Aw, you have to do it, Sam!  Come on, Char, let's get back.  This, we've got to see!”  Jody said happily as they put on speed and headed back towards Abel.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

<     44     >

Season 1 Beginning

Season 2 Beginning

#zombie #zombies run #zombie run #ZombieRun #zombiesrun #run #runner 5 #runner five #runner5 #runnerfive #fanfiction #fan fiction #fanfic

[dfroza]

coming out into the Light

by receiving its rebirth in the heart (inside, Anew) is the purest treasure of life on earth.

and we see this metamorphosis in Today’s chapter reading of the book of John:

[Anointing His Feet]

Six days before Passover, Jesus entered Bethany where Lazarus, so recently raised from the dead, was living. Lazarus and his sisters invited Jesus to dinner at their home. Martha served. Lazarus was one of those sitting at the table with them. Mary came in with a jar of very expensive aromatic oils, anointed and massaged Jesus’ feet, and then wiped them with her hair. The fragrance of the oils filled the house.

Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples, even then getting ready to betray him, said, “Why wasn’t this oil sold and the money given to the poor? It would have easily brought three hundred silver pieces.” He said this not because he cared two cents about the poor but because he was a thief. He was in charge of their common funds, but also embezzled them.

Jesus said, “Let her alone. She’s anticipating and honoring the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you. You don’t always have me.”

Word got out among the Jews that he was back in town. The people came to take a look, not only at Jesus but also at Lazarus, who had been raised from the dead. So the high priests plotted to kill Lazarus because so many of the Jews were going over and believing in Jesus on account of him.

[See How Your King Comes]

The next day the huge crowd that had arrived for the Feast heard that Jesus was entering Jerusalem. They broke off palm branches and went out to meet him. And they cheered:

Hosanna!

Blessed is he who comes in God’s name!

Yes! The King of Israel!

Jesus got a young donkey and rode it, just as the Scripture has it:

No fear, Daughter Zion:

See how your king comes,

riding a donkey’s colt.

The disciples didn’t notice the fulfillment of many Scriptures at the time, but after Jesus was glorified, they remembered that what was written about him matched what was done to him.

The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb, raising him from the dead, was there giving eyewitness accounts. It was because they had spread the word of this latest God-sign that the crowd swelled to a welcoming parade. The Pharisees took one look and threw up their hands: “It’s out of control. The world’s in a stampede after him.”

[A Grain of Wheat Must Die]

There were some Greeks in town who had come up to worship at the Feast. They approached Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee: “Sir, we want to see Jesus. Can you help us?”

Philip went and told Andrew. Andrew and Philip together told Jesus. Jesus answered, “Time’s up. The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.

“Listen carefully: Unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground, dead to the world, it is never any more than a grain of wheat. But if it is buried, it sprouts and reproduces itself many times over. In the same way, anyone who holds on to life just as it is destroys that life. But if you let it go, reckless in your love, you’ll have it forever, real and eternal.

“If any of you wants to serve me, then follow me. Then you’ll be where I am, ready to serve at a moment’s notice. The Father will honor and reward anyone who serves me.

“Right now I am storm-tossed. And what am I going to say? ‘Father, get me out of this’? No, this is why I came in the first place. I’ll say, ‘Father, put your glory on display.’”

A voice came out of the sky: “I have glorified it, and I’ll glorify it again.”

The listening crowd said, “Thunder!”

Others said, “An angel spoke to him!”

Jesus said, “The voice didn’t come for me but for you. At this moment the world is in crisis. Now Satan, the ruler of this world, will be thrown out. And I, as I am lifted up from the earth, will attract everyone to me and gather them around me.” He put it this way to show how he was going to be put to death.

Voices from the crowd answered, “We heard from God’s Law that the Messiah lasts forever. How can it be necessary, as you put it, that the Son of Man ‘be lifted up’? Who is this ‘Son of Man’?”

Jesus said, “For a brief time still, the light is among you. Walk by the light you have so darkness doesn’t destroy you. If you walk in darkness, you don’t know where you’re going. As you have the light, believe in the light. Then the light will be within you, and shining through your lives. You’ll be children of light.”

[Their Eyes Are Blinded]

Jesus said all this, and then went into hiding. All these God-signs he had given them and they still didn’t get it, still wouldn’t trust him. This proved that the prophet Isaiah was right:

God, who believed what we preached?

Who recognized God’s arm, outstretched and ready to act?

First they wouldn’t believe, then they couldn’t—again, just as Isaiah said:

Their eyes are blinded,

their hearts are hardened,

So that they wouldn’t see with their eyes

and perceive with their hearts,

And turn to me, God,

so I could heal them.

Isaiah said these things after he got a glimpse of God’s cascading brightness that would pour through the Messiah.

On the other hand, a considerable number from the ranks of the leaders did believe. But because of the Pharisees, they didn’t come out in the open with it. They were afraid of getting kicked out of the meeting place. When push came to shove they cared more for human approval than for God’s glory.

Jesus summed it all up when he cried out, “Whoever believes in me, believes not just in me but in the One who sent me. Whoever looks at me is looking, in fact, at the One who sent me. I am Light that has come into the world so that all who believe in me won’t have to stay any longer in the dark.

“If anyone hears what I am saying and doesn’t take it seriously, I don’t reject him. I didn’t come to reject the world; I came to save the world. But you need to know that whoever puts me off, refusing to take in what I’m saying, is willfully choosing rejection. The Word, the Word-made-flesh that I have spoken and that I am, that Word and no other is the last word. I’m not making any of this up on my own. The Father who sent me gave me orders, told me what to say and how to say it. And I know exactly what his command produces: real and eternal life. That’s all I have to say. What the Father told me, I tell you.”

The Book of John, Chapter 12 (The Message)

and carrying on with the theme of rebirth from the lines of Psalm 87 for the 87th day of Autumn

[Psalm 87]

A Korah Psalm

He founded Zion on the Holy Mountain—

and oh, how God loves his home!

Loves it far better than all

the homes of Jacob put together!

God’s hometown—oh!

everyone there is talking about you!

I name them off, those among whom I’m famous:

Egypt and Babylon,

also Philistia,

even Tyre, along with Cush.

Word’s getting around; they point them out:

“This one was born again here!”

The word’s getting out on Zion:

“Men and women, right and left,

get born again in her!”

God registers their names in his book:

“This one, this one, and this one—

born again, right here.”

Singers and dancers give credit to Zion:

“All my springs are in you!”

The Book of Psalms, Poem 87 (The Message)

along with these lines that illuminate the same from Psalm 18 for december 18:

God made my life complete

when I placed all the pieces before him.

When I got my act together,

he gave me a fresh start.

Now I’m alert to God’s ways;

I don’t take God for granted.

Every day I review the ways he works;

I try not to miss a trick.

I feel put back together,

and I’m watching my step.

God rewrote the text of my life

when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes.

The Book of Psalms, Poem 18:20-24 (The Message)

and to be concluded by wisdom from the book of Proverbs in chapter 18 that speaks of the significance of our words and our friendships:

Sharing words of wisdom is satisfying to your inner being.

It encourages you to know

that you’ve changed someone else’s life.

Your words are so powerful

that they will kill or give life,

and the talkative person will reap the consequences.

When a man finds a wife,

he has found a treasure!

For she is the gift of God to bring him joy and pleasure.

But the one who divorces a good woman

loses what is good from his house.

To choose an adulteress is both stupid and ungodly.

The poor plead for help from the rich,

but all they get in return is a harsh response.

Some friendships don’t last for long,

but there is one loving friend who is joined to your heart

closer than any other!

The Book of Proverbs, Chapter 18:20-24 (The Passion Translation)

my personal reading of the Scriptures for december 18, the 87th day of Autumn and day 352 of the year:

[varietyofwords]

Tiptoe (Chicago P.D.)

Title: Tiptoe

Fandom: Chicago P.D.

Rating: T/PG-13

Author’s Note: I’ll refrain from writing a diatribe about how angry I am a scene with Jay talking about his PTSD was cut, and instead offer up this (quick) drabble-ish fic I wrote up that attempts to fill in the obvious gap in the break room scene between Erin and Jay at the end of 4x18. I couldn’t find specifics on where PTSD support groups meet in Chicago so I used the locations of Veteran Service Officers from the Illinois Warrior Assistance Program’s website as a proxy.

“Thank God for the job, though, right? I mean, every day you get to meet somebody who’s problems are bigger than yours.”

“Yeah, I guess so,” he replies with a nod of his head because she’s right. The job keeps him grounded; the job keeps him focused and tethered to the here and now.

Yet the words still feel heavy and wrong as she explains how she’s gone above and beyond to help today’s somebody, as she provides herself with an out to leave him in the breakroom. And his gaze immediately shifts to the floor; his head tilting downward so he doesn’t have to look at the small smile she offers him as she moves to tiptoe past him.

“Erin,” he softly calls out, and he can hear her boots scuff on the linoleum floor as she skids to a stop long before he’s fully turned around to face her. “I—”

“I, uh,” he says pausing to swallow the lump in his throat. Her back is still turned to him; her body nearly halfway out the door. And — despite all their conversations in here, despite the fact that he followed her in her and initiated this — the break room isn’t exactly where he imagined himself telling her about this. Telling her about something he’s spent most of the last eight years trying to tiptoe around.

Yet he spent Monday night’s meeting listening to an artillery field officer named Jon talk about how he tiptoed around things until he tried something stupid and this afternoon listening to Voight tell him to he’ll be out of the unit if he doesn’t stop tiptoeing around what’s going on. So he squares his shoulders, lifts his head, and forces himself to find the words to tell her that, in fact, some days somebody else’s problems don’t seem all that bigger than his.

“I’ve been going to a, uh, support group for veterans with, um, PTSD,” Jay confesses, and the pause that follows is accompanied by the loosened rigidity of her posture. By the scuffing of her boot against the linoleum once more as she turns around to face him, as those eyes wide with compassion normally reserved for their victims land on him.

He flinches at the look of pity because that’s the last thing he wants to see from her. From anyone, really. He doesn’t need people tiptoeing around him. Doesn’t need to be reminded that he isn’t living his life in a way that honors the sacrifice of those in his unit who didn’t make it home.

Because he already knows that Petey and Spaulding and Clark would have some smartass, probably inappropriate comment about what kind of man turns down sleeping next to a woman like Erin. Knows that he’s hurt her by keeping things bottled for so long, by tiptoeing around the shit from his past instead of giving her warnings and outs for time apart until it all came to head.

“Is it helping?” Erin asks softly, and he keeps his gaze off over her shoulder at the empty bullpen as he shrugs his shoulders. Because, truthfully, he doesn’t know. It seems like a never ending dance of one step forward and two steps back.

But he’s trying to take the advice he gave her back after Nadia died. Trying to stop tiptoeing around the stuff he’s got going on upstairs; trying to face it head on in the basement of a building on West 87th Street with seven other vets and someone from the Illinois Warrior Assistance Program.

“I don’t know,” he finally verbalizes shifting his gaze to look at her. The tears are starting to gather in his eyes, and he does his best to blink them back as he explains, “Mouse, uh, he took me — he and I went to the IWAP a few years back and—”

His voice tapers off, and his shoulders shrug once more. It worked last time. Or, at least, he thought it did. Enough that he could stop going about a year after Mouse finally got him there. But, seven years later, he’s still spending his evenings off clutching cups of stale coffee — coffee that is somehow worse than the swill in the break room — and trying to get up the courage to speak. To start vocalizing how he’s feeling instead of tiptoeing around it.

“It takes time,” she concludes for him before offering him a sad smile, and he slowly nods his head. Shifts his jaw slightly from side to side as he tries to find more words to explain, to make sure she understands that this and the time he needs to focus on it has nothing to do with how feels about her.

But “it’s not you, it’s me” is a cliché he can’t bring himself to say and, instead, he tries to look her directly in the eye. To let the way he looks at her say what he cannot verbalize; to let the tears gathering in the corner of his eyes tell her that he doesn’t want to tiptoe around his PTSD in the same way he doesn’t want to tiptoe around her at work.

“It’s okay,” Erin replies as she takes a small step forward and, for a brief second, he wonders if she’ll try to touch him. If she’ll place her palm against his chest or his shoulder or his cheek or his back like she has before when they’ve let their private lives seep into their professional moments. And he’s not sure he’d be able to handle that. Took all the strength he had to let her go with a whispered apology last week.

Yet there are no further scuffs against the linoleum as her feet remain planted, as she tightens her grip around the coffee mug in her hand.

“Take your time,” she tells him. The compassionate look in her eyes deepens; the hints of the way she feels about him and, thus, how he let her down causes the lump in his throat to grow and the tears in his eyes to fog over his vision. “We won’t tiptoe around each other here, okay?”

He nods his head because he can’t find the words to provide verbal affirmation, and she offers him one last supportive smile before turning away and stepping out into the bullpen. Leaves him to watch her retrieve her keys and coat from her desk and move towards the interrogation room where Sarah waits through the slatted blinds of the break room’s window. Leaves him to hold back his tears alone as he glances at his wrist watch, as he tells himself that if he leaves now, he can still make the support group meeting over on South Halsted Street.

#linstead #erin lindsay #jay halstead #chicago pd #otp: that's why you have backup #cpdfic #fanfiction #mine #oneshot #i wrote this really quickly this morning #so apologies for any mistakes #i just couldn't sleep or work until i got this out of my head

[screeno42]

Back from the edge

87th of summer, XX19 7:38 pm; Wiloe coastal power plant

“Almasar? Where are you? I’m coming to pick you up.”

“I’m sorry, Ms. Shasan; it was nice while it lasted, but I can’t keep going,” The android paused for a moment, looking over the edge at the rocks below, before adding a reluctant “goodbye,” and ended the call, dropping the phone at it’s side. There it stood, standing there on the edge, looking out, but not taking that last step.

Why is this so difficult? It thought to itself, Am I really so worthless that I can’t even terminate myself? It continued to look over the edge. Considering the sharp rocks at the base and the tides to clean up afterward, it understood why so many humans chose to end their existence here. And yet there it stood. No matter how hard it tried to move its legs to step off, they would not respond. It closed its eyes and parsed its code for any failsafes that may have been installed, yet found none. And so it stood, staring into the abyss it was trying to fall into.

Suddenly, The sound of the roof access door opening snapped the android out of its stupor. There was the sound of clinking glass and metal, then a pause, then a geeting;

“Ahoy there!” came the voice of a man. On reflex, the android spun around to return the greeting, but misstepped and started to fall back off the power plant.

That was it? The robot thought as it fell, I couldn’t do it on purpose, but the minute I try to do something else it simply happens? I can’t even end myself right. Oh well, I guess that’s it then. And with that, it closed its eyes one last time and prepared for the stop. But when the stop came, it was much sooner than the machine had calculated; it also didn’t feel any impact other than a tugging on its arm. Opening its eyes, the android found itself dangling mere centimeters below the edge, with a somewhat hairy pair of arms grasping its left wrist and forearm. Looking further up, it saw the silhouette of the man who had greeted it earlier and was confused.

This human just helped me terminate myself, why are they now trying to stop me? Almost in response, the voice from before spoke through grunts of exertion:

“Laddie, I get the sunset’s beautiful and all, but moving towards the horizon ain’t gonna make it happen any faster! Lend me your other arm so I can pull you up!”

The android looked up in bewilderment at this strange acting human and did the only thing it could think of; It reached up, grasped the ledge with its right hand, and helped pull itself back on the roof.

Once it was fully back on the roof, the android fell on all fours, still gripping the hand that stopped its fall.

“You alright, pal?” the man asked as he began to walk over to a folding chair and sixpack of beer bottles sitting near the door.

The automa remained silent; to be honest, it wasn’t sure. Yes, it would live, but it didn’t want to live anymore, it had no reason to. Meanwhile, the man set up the folding chair next to the android, took a bottle out of the pack, popped the cap and spoke again, holding out a second bottle to the robot.

“You drink?”

“I don’t need to, but I can.” The android replied bluntly.

“I meant would you like a beer, lad,” the man corrected, “the name’s O’Hara, by the way.”

“Well, O’Hara, I’ve never actually consumed alcohol, but I suppose it can’t hurt,” the android stated, and reached for the bottle, only for it to be pulled away as O’Hara added, ”Not before you tell me your name, lad.”

The android looked up at O’Hara confused; first, this man helped it fall off the building, then stopped it, and now rescinded the offering of a beverage just to learn its name?

“I was designated Almasar Alhurr,” it stated plainly.

“Well, Almasar, care to tell me how you heard about this spot?” O’Hara questioned, handing the automa the bottle.

“I heard it was… quiet, and I wanted some time to myself,” It explained, figuring O’Hara simply hadn’t realized what he was interrupting.

“Well, that’s true, I like the quiet too,” O’Hara admitted, taking a swig from his beer.

Almasar simply nodded and popped the cap off its beer to take a sip.

The taste burned the machine’s artificial tongue and it spit out the foul liquid, sputtering and coughing,

“Humans drink this stuff?” it questioned somewhat breathless.

“I’m told it can be an acquired taste for some,” O’Hara replied with a chuckle, “Plus, this is some discount quality product.”

Almasar simply grunted in response, and the two sat in silence looking out at the horizon.

“So,” O’Hara spoke up after a few minutes had passed, “Who’re you trying to get away from?”

“Huh?” Was all Almasar could think to reply with. He had already stated he had come out here to be alone, what more could this human be unsure about?

“Lad, no one comes out here because they want some alone time,” O’Hara stated, almost bluntly, but still with a clear hint of empathy, “And no one leaves their phone by the edge if they plan on going home,” he added, gesturing to Almasar’s discarded device by the edge about a meter in front of the duo, “I’ll be honest, I didn’t even know automa could seriously consider things like that, so what brings you out here?” He finally stated, looking directly at the automa sitting next to him.

“When did you figure me out?” Almasar replied, somewhat ashamed.

“The minute I saw you on the edge. No one stands that close unless they intend on going somewhere,”

“Then why did you catch me?” The automa asked, returning O’Hara’s gaze, “If you knew what I wanted, why did you stop me?”

“Obligation, I guess,” O’Hara shrugged, “letting someone jump isn’t considered the right course of action, regardless of their reasons,” the man continued as he took another sip of booze and looked out as the sun began to touch the horizon, “and you’re not the first one I could have stopped,” he admitted with a sigh.

“Who were they?” Almasar asked, intrigued by O’Hara’s final statement.

“A good person, someone who couldn’t handle life’s pressures,” O’hara paused, looking out into nowhere, “and someone I still miss four years later.”

“Oh,” Almasar replied, seeing how it seemed to have hit a sensitive spot, ”I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Yeah, well, enough about me, you still haven’t told me why you were really out here,” O’Hara reminded, returning the topic to the present.

“I... I’m not actually allowed to say” Almasar stated hesitantly.

“Really? Don’t worry your secrets safe with-” The sound of O’Hara’s phone ringing cut him off, checking the caller I.D., he glanced at Almasar, “sorry, gotta take this,” and turned to face the sunset while answering the call:

“You’ve got O’Hara,” he started,

“Ah Ms. Shasan, how can I help?” at the mention of the name Almasar snapped to attention and started listening, though O’Hara hadn’t seemed to notice yet.

“Really? Well, what do they-” O’Hara was then cut off as the voice of a panicked middle aged woman came through the receiver, and O’Hara slowly looked over at the automa next to him as she rambled out a description.

“Alright, calm down, I’ll find your kid,” he finally agreed as he ended the call and turned his attention fully to Almasar, “Your mom’s worried about you.”

“You know I’m a machine, I don’t have a mother.”

“You’d think so, but Zaida’s something of a mother to everyone she meets, and the way she was talking about you? She may as well have birthed you,” O’Hara chuckled, as he got up to get Almasar’s phone.

“Really?” the automa replied. Now it felt really guilty; not only had it wasted someone’s time, but it had worried the human it was living with to the point of hysterics, “I guess we should get going then, huh?”

“A couple more minutes up here, then we’ll get you home.” O’Hara replied, sitting back down in the chair.

“But she was really worried, shouldn’t you get me home as quickly as possible?”

“Not until we deal with why you came here,” O’Hara stated, “otherwise, you’ll just come back, and I’m not sure if anyone will be there to catch you again.”

“Okay,” the automa sighed “You know how automa figure out their purpose in life?”

“Yeah,”

“Well…” it was Almasar’s turn to pause for a moment, “I can’t.”

“Aren’t you a companion unit?”

“That’s what she’s trying to make me, but it’s not what I was originally built for.”

“Well, now you’ve got me really curious.”

“I was an experiment to see what would happen if an automa didn’t know what to do. I have no protocols, no preprogrammed skills, my frame is only designed to mimic humans; I was specifically created to have no purpose.”

“Well, I wouldn’t say that’s entirely true,”

“What do you mean?” Almasar asked, looking at O’Hara, “What possible purpose could I have?”

“Living, for one thing,” O’Hara replied with a shrug, “Do you have any idea how many humans have asked that exact same question?”

“No, I can’t say I do,” the machine replied.

“Every. Single. One. For some of us, we figure it out pretty quick, others take a while, some go their whole lives doing whatever they can think of, with seemingly no rhyme or reason, a few even make the search itself their purpose.”

“That’s...” Almasar wasn’t sure: was it horrible? Was it terrifying? If an entire species managed to survive for so many centuries without a goal, could a single automa do the same? “Definitely something,” was all it could say.

“I know, and a lot of people would agree with you,” O’Hara added.

“What about you?” Almasar asked, “how long did it take you to find your purpose?”

“Pretty quick, really,” O’Hara replied with a smirk ”I knew pretty early on that I liked getting to know people, getting my hands dirty, doing legwork...” he trailed off as the now nostalgia filled smile turned solemn, ”to be entirely honest, not so recent events have left a bit of uncertainty, but I’m sure I’ll figure something out.”

“Hm…” was all Almasar could think to reply.

“Well, sun’s almost gone, we’ve had a little talk, I’d say it’s time to get you home,” O’Hara stated after a brief pause as he folded up his chair and picked up the unfinished sixpack of beers. After returning Almasar’s phone, the duo walked down to the plant’s parking lot, got into O’Hara’s truck, and headed to the colony’s suburban area.

Zaida paced around nervously, worried that O’Hara might not find Almasar in time to stop him. She looked at the time; it had been about an hour since she called him. She couldn’t take it anymore and called him again. “O��Hara, please tell me you found them,”

“Don’t worry, Z, we’re heading your way, in fact, there’s your house now.”

Zaida’s eyes widened as she hung up the phone and rushed out to see O’Hara’s truck pulling up in front. As O’Hara and Almasar got out and started walking towards her, she rushed up and hugged Almasar, almost knocking him over.

“Never scare me like that again, child,” She demanded, barely holding back tears.

“I promise,” Almasar replied, returning the hug.

The three stood there on the lawn for a minute, until Zaida finally stepped back, wiped the tears from her eyes, and turned to O’Hara.

“I’m sure you’re expecting payment of some sort?”

“Nah, this one’s a freebie, no strings attached,” he replied with a grin, as he headed back to his truck, “Though maybe send your little project by Mordecai’s, get them something to do.”

“Maybe,” Zaida replied as put her hand on Almasar’s shoulder and started leading them to the house, “we’ll see how things look in the morning.”

“Alright, remember what we talked about Laddie,” O’Hara stated as he started his vehicle and drove off into the night.

#short story #suicide #Stories from Wiloe