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quietmyfearswith · 3 years

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happy hoelidays ; preferences

warnings — allusions to smut, swear words, wanting kids (idk)

characters — andy barber, steve rogers, ransom drysdale, jake jensen, bucky barnes, lance tucker, syverson, will shaw, august walker

a/n — here’s my entry for the happy hoelidays 2020 hosted by @stargazingfangirl18, @navybrat817 , and @donutloverxo 🎄 Y/M/N = your mother’s name 🎄 lmk what you think!!

their love language | with their little | when you’re insecure | slipping into little space | fussy

masterlist

I asked for one thing this year…you — dialogue prompt

Andy was going over the last of his files; as Christmas neared, he decided to take the week off. Despite it being something he didn’t usually do, he deemed it only necessary since he was spending the particular holiday with his beloved. Hearing the bustling of Christmas ornaments and decorations made the lawyer raise his gaze from the papers in front of him to the girl who was placing stockings with his and Y/N’s names by the fireplace — he didn’t even know that they had such stockings. “What do you have there, baby?”

Turning to him with a wide grin as she held the two trinkets, “I bought these two when I was at the mall the other day; they’re so cute!” As she pinned them by the fireplace, Andy hugged her so his front was flush against her back. “I do think they’re adorable like you,” Pressing a sloppy kiss on her cheek, Y/N giggled as his facial hair tickled her, “But I don’t think that the Christmas sock is necessary, especially for me.” Looking over to him with worried eyes and furrowed eyebrows, Y/N assumed the worst, “You don’t like it? Is it the color? Or did you see the gift I bought for you and think it’s shit?” Stopping her from overthinking, Andy kissed her deeply and held her hands between their chests to prevent her from wiggling away, “It’s not that, baby.” His statement didn’t help her confusion so Andy further explained, “I asked for one thing this year,” Kissing the knuckles in both her hands before looking up at her with pure love and adoration before confessing, “You. You’re what I asked for and I’m glad it came true.”

Oh, see, I thought we were going to enjoy a nice holiday dinner, and then you had to go and do that. I’m very disappointed, sweetheart — dialogue prompt

Knowing how much his girlfriend adored the Christmas season, August tried his best to end any missions before it or not accept any new ones. Thankfully this year he wasn’t needed elsewhere; so he decided to cook up a delicious homemade meal for the two of them. While he was doing the final preparations for their meal, he wondered what Y/N was doing. As he placed the chicken he cooked on the table, he removed the apron — something she’d gifted him when she found out he developed a habit of cooking and was extremely good — and headed to their shared bedroom, “Little one? Where are you?”

Y/N was nervous as she twirled in front of the mirror completely fixated on whether or not the babydoll she was going to wear later after their dinner looked good; so fixated she failed to hear his deep voice call out for her. When the door creaked open she turned around, they both gasped at the situation they were in. Y/N wasn’t planning for August to catch her in one of his gifts this early; while the latter was incredibly turned on that his erection was aching to be attended to. “Oh, see, I thought we were going to enjoy a nice holiday dinner,” He pointed to the door as he approached her with slow steps; “And then you had to go and do that,” He grabbed the cloth of her skimpy outfit before continuing, “I’m very disappointed, sweetheart.” Confused about his arousal that she mistook for anger, “What do you mean, Aug? Don’t you like this babydoll I got for you?” Her pout was so adorable that it only added to his desire for her as he clarified, “I love the babydoll, but I’m disappointed because now food’s gonna get cold because we’re gonna have to take care of this,” He grabbed one of her hands and let it feel his raging erection against his pants. Giggling at his problem, Y/N then squeezed his cock and sultrily teased, “Let’s get to it then, daddy.”

Congratulations. You’ve officially won the Ugly Sweater contest. — dialogue prompt

There were a lot of technological advancements that Bucky was thankful for; the improvement of the laundry washer and dryer wasn’t one of them though. It was just too much to comprehend for his cyborg brain with all the options and different detergents and products one can use. So he came to a compromise with his girlfriend; she’ll do the loading of their clothes into the washer and dryer, while he’ll unload them from the dryer and fold them. That set up worked perfectly for the two of them given how Y/N loathed having to fold clothes. But Bucky’s luck was wearing thin; Y/N was out running errands for the Christmas party of the Avengers and the former Winter Soldier was left alone at their living quarter. “Fuck it,” He whispered as he gathered all their dirty clothes and headed to the washer. The sweater he was going to wear was in the dirty pile of clothes and despite his disinterest in laundry. He poured whatever cleaning product looked suitable for the clothes and pushed the button that accomplished the task in the shortest amount of time. Opening the dryer, he immediately fished for his sweater and gasped out loudly with what the clothing article looked like. The once gray sweater was now littered with red and green streaks — thanks to the other Christmas sweaters and pajamas his girl had — and by some sorcery there was a white lace stuck to it as well as some colored cotton balls that were made to look like Christmas ornaments. Deciding that he didn’t really care, he decided to discard the shirt he was wearing and be clothed in the sweater.

As he was walking over to the party hall, his eyes brightened upon seeing his girlfriend; hugging her from behind he planted a kiss on her cheek, “Hey, doll.” Smiling brightly at him, she kissed his nose and moved out from their hug and took a good luck on her boyfriend. Chuckling at what he was wearing she teased him, “Congratulations. You’ve officially won the Ugly Sweater contest.” He rolled his eyes as he buried his face in her neck to tickle her, which proved successful as she let out a bunch of giggles that made him chuckle against her skin — adding to the vibrations. “Maybe you should ask for Santa for a simple washer and dryer this year?” Shaking his head as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders so they could enter the room he told her, “Only thing I wished for is to spend more Christmases with you.”

^ gif prompt

Despite having computer skills Jensen couldn’t find out the perfect gift for his girl — even though he may have snooped around on her phone and laptop and yet his search remained unfruitful and the man still was clueless on what to get her. He ended up buying a lot of gifts which included her favorite chocolate and snacks, jewelry he hoped she’d like, a sweater he thought would look adorable on her, lingerie he knew would fit her well, her favorite scented candles, and a framed print photograph of the two of them. As he was delicately placing the items into a large box he bought in her favorite color. Deep in focus, he failed to take note of the presence of his beloved woman, “What you got there, babe?”

Startled, he jumped to stand up and used his body as a shield to avoid her curious and wandering eyes to see the gifts. “Babe! Didn’t hear you come in. What are you doing here?” Chuckling at his flustered state she sassed at him, “Well I live here too, right?” As he placed his hands on his hips he shook his own head as he grimaced at himself and was internally smacking himself for his dumb reply; his girlfriend was more amused with his flustered expression rather than what he was previous doing. “Well the surprise is ruined now; since I was wrapping my gifts for you,” It broke Y/N’s heart to see him disappointed in himself so she placed a kiss on his cheek and covered her eyes with her hands, “I’m not looking so you can put that away; then to make you feel better we can have sex.” Jensen was immediately turned on with her sultry tone and preposition that he just shoved all off the things inside the box before covering it; carrying her bridal style and leaving out the spare room. Y/N was laughing loudly at how her boyfriend was more than eager to carry out her suggestion.

“Since when are you so good at wrapping gifts?” — dialogue prompt

The only gifts that were under Y/N and Sy’s Christmas tree were either gifts that had been given to them by friends or the few presents she bought for her boyfriend. Part of her was optimistic that Sy had gotten her a gift too big that it was impossible to place it underneath the tree; but the more pessimistic part of her taunted her that he didn’t bother getting her a gift. Sipping on her hot chocolate as she watched a movie, she scrunched up her face in confusion upon hearing Sy let out grunts as he walked towards her. “Are you alright, bear?” At the moment she cursed at how thick her man was since his body concealed what he held behind him. “I couldn’t wait any longer ‘till the 25th, bug. Just had to give my gift to you.” His Texan accent was thick as he was proud of the gift he held.

She patted the spot beside him and he was more than willing to sit beside her; then pushing up the wrapped up box he himself wrapped. Holding the huge box in her smaller hands, she threw him a mocking look, “Since when are you so good at wrapping gifts?” Rolling his eyes at her jab, he brought his hand to tickle her side, “Since I had to give my girlfriend the best gifts I could ever give her.” Her heart melted with his sincerity and knew in herself that even though she has yet to find out what’s inside the box but knew that it was the best gift she ever received. Pressing a kiss to both his cheeks she shyly mumbled, “Thank you, bear,” Before proceeding to open up the gift. It was a bit of a struggle for Y/N to open the gift as the packaging tape Sy used was sticky on her fingertips; the former Army captain refusing to help her in her distress but instead just chuckled at her adorable reactions. “Oh my God, Sy!” She squealed as she saw what was hidden under the poorly wrapped gift was the laptop she was eyeing for a while since her old one was pissing her off. The captain wrapped his arms around her smaller figure as she put the box on the floor gently and launched herself on her boyfriend’s lap to press kisses all over his bearded face. “You love my gift, bug?” Nodding enthusiastically she pressed a passionate kiss on his lips before answering, “I did bear; thank you so much!”

“Well, well, well looks like you’re my gift…and now I get to unwrap you.” — dialogue prompt

Lance shut the door as he came home after attending the Christmas party he and his fellow coaches and gymnasts had. He was wearing a silly Christmas sweater and a red belt that was tied to mimic a ribbon from a wrapped gift. “I’m in the living room, angel,” He yelled in hopes that his girlfriend would come to him. When he heard the soft pitter patter of her feet, he smiled upon seeing her figure approach him. “Lancey! How was the party?” She wrapped his arms around his neck as he peppered kisses on his neck to which the gymnast giggled at as he was getting tickled by her shenanigans. “It was alright; turns out Maggie got me for secret Santa and just gave me hair gel.” Pausing her actions, she moved away from his neck and ruffled his hair, “She knows you really well considering how you use so much.”

Feigning offense, he placed a hand on his chest as he gasped, “It takes a lot of work to get this hair to look perfect, like it always does.” Giggling at his response she just kissed his cheek and reassured him, “It always looks good, Lancey; but I do love your bed hair the most.” Her lingering hands lifted his sweater a bit and was shocked to see his belt, “Well, well, well looks like you’re my gift,” With curious eyes he looked at her as she wiggled her eyebrows as she lowered herself to kneel on the floor; by now he caught her drift, smirking as he let her do as she pleases, “And now I get to unwrap you.”

^ gif prompt

It was the annual Avengers’ Christmas outreach program and though he wasn’t the overall head, Steve volunteered which resulted in his girlfriend doing the same. As he was handing out the gift baskets the other agents had prepared, he looked over to find Y/N who was currently entertaining the kids. A loving gaze rested on his face upon seeing how much of a sweetheart and how caring she was around kids — his thoughts then drifted about how much more gentle and nurturing she would be if it were their own kids. Few hours after the outreach program ended, Steve was waiting by one of the couches for Y/N as she was still talking to some of the other agents, wishing them a great Christmas Eve. Smiling as she saw his sculpted face she plopped herself down on his lap as she snuggled herself to him, “Hey there, soldier.”

“You look real happy, doll,” He took note as she stroked the skin of her arm and felt her purr in pleasure from the simple act. “The kids were so sweet and adorable! One of them even thought I was a princess,” As she cooed about the children she interacted with earlier, Steve could not help his imagination as it drifted to images of him and Y/N taking care of their own. Settling one of his hands on her stomach, he began to run slow and soft circles on her skin as he spoke, “What if we had our own?” Craning her neck to look at him, she asked for clarification about what he meant, “What exactly are you saying, Steve?” A soft, serene smile graced his lips as he humorously spelt it out for her, “Why don’t we ask Santa for our own kid this year?” More than thrilled with his suggestion, she kissed his lips multiple times as she excitedly kissed his lips repeatedly, “Yes, yes, yes! I’d love that so much!” Pleased with her response he hugged her as he uttered lowly, “Best part of trying for a kid is the sex we’ll be having.”

Baking together — general prompts

“Baby, can you come over here?” Will’s voice called for his girlfriend as he was laying down the ingredients he bought earlier. Appearing from the bathroom where she peed, she stood beside him as she placed a hand on the kitchen island, “What you got here, bub?” Opening the recipe for the Christmas cookies he found on the internet, he pointed to his tablet and the ingredients, “I need help baking cookies, please.” Y/N softly chuckled at how her man was pouting at her for needing help. “What are the cookies for, Will?”

Pushing away from the sink and heading over towards her, he trapped her between his body and the kitchen island as he revealed, “Well this is really the first time that I’ve been excited to spend the Christmas season,” The business consultant knew that when she tilted her head that she was confused with where his explanation was going so he just bluntly let it out, “I was hoping that us baking together could be our Christmas tradition.” Y/N could not help but feel the butterflies in her stomach erupt as she loved what Will had to say. Nodding her head excitedly, she hugged him, “I’d love that so much, bubba. That can be our holiday tradition starting from now.”

Kissing under the mistletoe — general prompts

The Christmas Eve gala Carter threw was nothing short of elegant and alluring. But as the CEO had his arm wrapped around his girlfriend, it was the only proof he needed to believe that the night was elegant and alluring with her by his side; they both donned the color red in the suit he wore and gown she was dressed in. “You did a good job, Car,” Y/N whispered before pressing a kiss on the shell of his ear. Politely ending his conversation with one of his business partners, Carter smiled at her, “I think I did. I mean, I got myself a beautiful girl who loves me so much and is great at bed.” His jab resulted into her softly slapping his chest to which he only laughed at as he pressed a kiss on her cheek. “There’s something I wanna show you,” Allowing himself to be dragged away, he excused themselves just as some people were trying to start a conversation with them.

“What did you want to show me, angel?” Standing face to face at an empty hallway, he wondered about what it was she wanted to show him. With a grin — one that seemed innocent but the man knew better that if anything her mind had impure thoughts — she pointed a finger up and his gaze followed and smirked upon seeing a mistletoe hanging from above the ceiling. “My needy girl just wanted a kiss from me huh?” Nodding her head, his soft hands cupped her cheeks and pulled her in so he could plant an ardent kiss on her lips; smiling when he felt her claw at his back moan at the touch of his lips against hers. Breaking away from the kiss Y/N grabbed one of his hands — though Carter raised a brow with what she was up to but remained mum — as he guided his hand down her body he was surprised when she pressed his hand against her clothed core, “My panty has a mistletoe printed on it; does it mean you’ll kiss me there too?” Biting his lip as he got hot and bothered at the thought, Carter promised, “Angel, even without a mistletoe you can bet on it that I’m gonna kiss and fuck you down there.”

Friends w/ benefits — trope prompts

Ransom rolled on the bed and faced where Y/N was laying; he shocked himself as he ran his finger over the shape of her face with a rare, loving expression on his face. Before going up to dress himself up he kissed her forehead then headed for the kitchen. As he was preparing a pot of coffee and some toast for him and Y/N, he smiled as he heard some footsteps coming from her bedroom; might be waking up already, he thought. The front door opened to reveal a woman who looked like Y/N, but he suspected was older given how she had wrinkles on her face and had gray spots in her hair. “Oh, am I in the wrong apartment? I swear this where my daughter, Y/N, lives.” Putting the puzzle pieces together, he reassured her, “Oh don’t worry you’re in the right apartment,” He pointed to her bedroom as he spoke, “She just woke up and is probably washing up.” Ransom introduced himself as Y/M/N did the same as they shook hands; before an awkward silence could envelope them, there was a soft ping that came from the coffee pot to announce that the hot beverage was ready, “Would you like a cup of coffee?” The older woman nodded as she removed her jacket and hung it on the coat rack, “Yes please; I also bought some bagels and croissants that we could eat.”

“Mom! What are you doing here?” Y/N gasped out in shock as she saw her mother placing down some food on the table; she was also quick to throw an apologetic look at Ransom. “Well seeing as you’ve never given me a direct answer on whether you’ll be spending Christmas Eve with me and your father, I decided to personally get an answer from you.” The trust fund baby quietly laughed at the exchange between the two women; he never witnessed a banter that was filled with love and genuine wit without disdain or revulsion mixed around in it. “Okay, fine I’ll go!” Y/N sighed up in defeat as her mother clapped her hands excitedly, “Is Ransom coming as well? It’s about time you introduced us to your boyfriend you know!” With widened eyes, the younger woman was at disbelief at the fact she knew the name of her fuck buddy; She wondered about how did Ransom introduce himself he was ahead of her in answering, “We’ve been together for just half a year now; but I guess Y/N was just embarrassed of me.” Flinching as her mother smacked her arm as she scolded about how you shouldn’t be ashamed about the ones we care about Y/N was quick to retort, “I’m not ashamed of you. But if you want you can meet my parents on Christmas.” Both Ransom and her mother were smiling wide — clearly excited for that day. As her mother excused herself to go the bathroom, Y/N was now left with the former playboy and she moved to stand beside him and was pleasantly surprised when he engulfed her in a hug, “Is this your subtle way of telling me you want to be more than friends with benefits?” He smirked at her after placing a kiss on her forehead to confirm that it was indeed what he wanted, “Don’t gloat too much about it, princess.”

#andy barber x reader #august walker x reader #bucky barnes x reader #jake jensen x reader #syverson x reader #lance tucker x reader #steve rogers x reader #will shaw x reader #carter baizen x reader #ransom thrombey x reader #ransom drysdale x reader #henry cavill x reader #chris evans x reader #sebastian stan x reader #happyhoelidays2020

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heyiwrotesomethings · 3 years

Text

Test Run

Maru (Stardew) x They/Them Reader

A/N: Four down, two more bachelorettes to go! No warnings should be necessary but let me know if you think there is something I should mention. Hope y’all like this wild day! Word Count: 3,532

“Morning, (Y/n).” Robin greeted as soon as (Y/n) tromped through the door, wiping their feet off on the doormat before stepping fully inside.

“Morning, Robin!” (Y/n) waved. “Maru’s in, right?”

“She sure is. She’s tinkering in her room, head on back.”

“Thank you!” (Y/n) practically skipped as they made their way down the hall before quickly turning and detouring back at Robin’s desk, causing the woman to raise an inquisitive brow. “I almost forgot! I got you this,” (Y/n) ruffled around in their sack and produced a bag of peaches, handing the precious cargo to the eagerly awaiting carpenter.

“Thanks, kid! The fruits that come from your farm are to die for.” Robin praised, already digging into the bag for a fresh picked peach.

“Hey, I’m glad you like them!” (Y/n) beamed. “I’ve started growing strawberries in the greenhouse too as a surprise for Maru. Demetrius seems to be really looking forward to it too.”

“I’ll bet.” Robin laughed, “what else ya got there?”

“A carton of void eggs for Seb. Make sure he paces himself. I still don’t see the appeal of them beyond aesthetics.” (Y/n) said, placing the eggs on the desk.

“Don’t worry, I gotcha.” Robin promised. “Better get moving now. Don’t want to keep my little engineer waiting now, do you?”

“Right! Thanks Robin!” (Y/n) hummed as they made their way to the back of the house. They knocked on the door and called out in a singsong tone, “Maruuu, I’m here!”

“Just a minute!” Maru called.

After some clattering and clanging, Maru’s door opened, the highly intelligent girl wasted no time pulling (Y/n) in before closing the door once more.

“I’m glad you could make it.” Maru said as she gave (Y/n) a warm hug.

“I can always make time for you,” (Y/n) glowed, “so what did you want to show me?”

“First, did you bring the batteries I asked for?” Maru asked.

“Oh yeah! Just a second,” (Y/n) dug into their sack once more and produced a large handful of batteries, “I couldn’t remember how many you needed, so I just brought a bunch.”

“Aw, (Y/n), I only needed two. You can keep the rest.” Maru said.

“Oh don’t worry about it. You always have a use for these things. It’s been storming a lot lately anyway so I’ve got plenty. Take ‘em, I insist.” (Y/n) pressed the batteries into Maru’s hand.

“You are too sweet.” Maru said, kissing (Y/n) on the cheek, leaving them a giggly, lovestruck mess as Maru walked past them to put the extra batteries away for later. “Now for the main event,” Maru turned back to (Y/n), her eyes gleamed behind her glasses.

“Oh boy! What is it?” (Y/n) bounced on their toes, excitedly waiting for their partner to reveal her newest invention.

Maru walked past her vast array of scrap metal and tools to grab an old shoe box that was sitting on top of the schematics that littered her desk. She popped the lid off and showed (Y/n) what laid inside.

“You made shoes? Neat! You are so talented, I wouldn’t even know where to start on a project like that.” (Y/n) praised.

“These aren’t just any shoes,” Maru explained, motioning (Y/n) to sit with her on the bed as she popped the batteries in place, causing the shoes to faintly glow, “these babies are speed enhancers.”

“Woah, cool.” (Y/n) gasped.

“And I would be honored if you would test them out for me, my busy bee.” Maru smiled, tapping (Y/n) on the nose.

“It would be my honor.” (Y/n) laughed.

The couple exited the bedroom and made it to the front of the house just in time to see Sebastian shove a whole void egg into his mouth, shell and all.

“Dude, I didn’t even boil those!” (Y/n) exclaimed.

Seb took a long pause to chew and swallow the egg before answering with a shrug, “It’s the best way to eat them.”

“I’m so concerned about the decisions you choose to make.” (Y/n) grimaced.

“Come on, (Y/n). Let Sebbie enjoy his eggs. We’ve got a trial run to start,” Maru took (Y/n)’s hand in her free one, the other carried the shoe box.

“I have got to see this.” Seb said, cradling his carton of void eggs as he followed the couple out of the house.

Outside, Robin and Demetrius were staring out over the mountains, enjoying the fresh summer air.

“Hey (Y/n),” Demetrius called upon noticing the trio exiting the house, “how’s that erm, special specimen, coming along?”

“Just a few more days I think.” (Y/n) grinned, “I’ll be sure to give you a fair share of the first harvest.”

Demetrius did a little fist pump, “Yes!” he grinned, “I’m looking forward to it.”

“Dad, you can talk plants later,” Maru said, presenting (Y/n) the glowing shoes from the box, “(Y/n) and I are kind of in the middle of something.”

“What did you come up with this time?” Demetrius asked, already circling (Y/n) as they took off their boots.

“Shoes?” Robin cocked her head.

“Speed enhancing shoes, mom.” Maru added.

“Ah yes, should have guessed it wasn’t that simple.” Robin chuckled.

Once (Y/n) finished strapping up the shoes, they stood up, looking at Maru expectantly.

“So, what do I do?”

“Press those little buttons on the sides of the shoes and then start jogging.” Maru informed.

“You got it, boss.” (Y/n) bent at the waist and pressed the small buttons, causing a humming noise and a slight vibration to power through the shoes. Then they started a jogging pace, amazed at how light their feet felt.

“Wow, this is really neat Maru!” (Y/n) said, easily running to from the house, to the lake and back in under a minute.

“Nice work, honey.” Demetrius praised, squeezing his daughter’s shoulder affectionately as they watched (Y/n) make another lap.

“Thanks dad.” Maru smiled, after a few more laps Maru called out to (Y/n), “Okay (Y/n), you can stop now. This was a great run. And just to think, this is only the prototype!”

“Actually Maru, I can’t stop.” (Y/n) called out as they made another lap, sweat rolling down their face. “I’ve actually been trying to stop for a couple of laps now and I just didn’t know how to tell you.”

“(Y/n)!” Maru slapped a hand against the side of her head. “You should have just told me, here let me help you.” Maru jogged after (Y/n), trying to catch up with them but failed miserably. “Sweetheart, if you could slow down just a tick, I’d really appreciate it.”

“I really can’t.” (Y/n) said. If anything, they only seemed to move faster. “Oh Yoba, Maru, I’m losing control of my coordination!” (Y/n) yelled as their clean, circular laps became squiggly and erratic bursts of speed.

“Hang on, (Y/n)!” Maru breathed heavily as she tried to catch her partner. She turned to her family watching in stunned silence and called out to them. “Can you guys help, please?”

“Oh, right. Of course!” Demetrius and Robin immediately began running after (Y/n) as well. Seb took his time carefully placing his void egg carton of the ground before joining in to try to cut (Y/n) off only for the shoes to juke him and send (Y/n) running the other way.

This went on for a few minutes, leaving the family short of breath, yet still they persisted. Things got more complicated however, when the glow of the shoes began to blink and (Y/n) began running even faster, sending them barreling down the mountain path into town. Maru made a last ditch effort to grab them but ended up falling into the dirt.

“Maru!” (Y/n) screamed, as their body disappeared down the trail.

“Oh damn.” Seb blew out a breath, helping his half sibling to her feet.

“Oh damn indeed.” Robin agreed as she caught her breath.

“Well, can’t just stand here. We got a farmer to catch.” Demetrius spoke up, wiping sweat from his brow.

“I knew I should have made a kill switch.” Maru groaned, dusting off her pants before jogging off after her partner. “Don’t worry (Y/n), I’m coming!”

“Oh Yoba, oh Yoba, oh Yoba!” (Y/n) chanted between breaths as they zoomed past the community center and into town.

“Ey (Y/n)! New training regiment?” Alex called from Dusty’s pen.

“Alex, I can’t stop! Help!”

“What, like you need a spotter or something? I’ve got your back.” Alex said as he began jogging behind (Y/n).

“No Alex, like I literally can’t stop!” (Y/n) called back before screaming. The shoes were sending them straight towards Evelyn, happily watering her plants and unaware of the danger behind her. “Oh my Yoba! Granny, look out!”

“Hm?” Evelyn turned and smiled, still unaware of the very real danger her brittle body was in. “Oh, hello dear. I made some cookies this morning, please help yourself.”

“Oh no!” (Y/n) squealed, covering their eyes with their hands, but luckily just before impact, the shoes took a hard left and spared granny from serious harm.

“Oh, goodbye then dear! Always so busy.” Evelyn shook her head and returned her attention to her plants.

(Y/n) kept running with Alex keeping pace a few yards behind them. They almost ran into Haley as she left her house.

“What the hell, farmer? Watch where you’re going maybe.” Haley grumbled, holding her precious camera close to her chest.

“Sorry Haley!” (Y/n) yelled back. “I have no control over my legs at the moment!”

“Come on, Haley. Help me catch them.” Alex called over his shoulder.

“I don’t run. You know that.” Haley stated plainly. “Good luck with... whatever’s going on there.” She watched the two run off towards the Cindersaps, hummed and shrugged. She positioned her camera and took a few photos before walking off to the beach only to be stopped moments later by the Mountain Road family huffing and puffing in front of her.

“Haley,” Maru wheezed, adjusting her glasses, “did (Y/n) run through here?”

“As a matter of fact, they did. Nearly ran me over too. They and Alex are sprinting to the Cindersap Forest as we speak.” Haley jabbed a thumb behind her shoulder, lazily pointing down the path (Y/n) had disappeared down. “Now I’ll be going. You might want to fix your hair by the way.” She added before continuing on her way to the beach.

“Damn (Y/n), you’re really booking it!” Alex yelled after (Y/n), the distance between them had started to grow.

“Less talking, more sprinting!... on your part, not mine!” (Y/n) yelled back. Their leg muscles were burning and tight as they continued to book it through the forest. As they steadily approached the pond in the distance, squinting, they could see Leah sitting on the dock with sketchbook in hand, enjoying her day.

“Leah!” (Y/n) yelled, startling the artist.

“(Y/n)?” Leah squinted back, using her sketchbook to shade her eyes from the sun.

“I can’t stop running! Do you think you could maybe catch me or push me into the pond when I get there?” (Y/n) asked between gasps of air. But between the distance and the heavy breathing, Leah had no idea what (Y/n) was saying.

“...What?” Leah called back after a moment.

“Push me into the pond!” (Y/n) yelled again, they were already passing Marnie’s farm and the time for Leah to get into position was slipping fast.

“What, why?” Leah was very confused but carefully, she set her art supplies down before hopping to her feet and jogging around the pond to meet (Y/n).

“Wait, no! Don’t stand in front of me, I’m coming in too hot! To the side! To the side!”

Leah was standing like a deer in the headlights, eyes wide and hands out in front of her as she fully took in just how fast (Y/n) was moving.

“Leah bro, move!” Alex shouted from behind (Y/n).

But it was too late, (Y/n) collided with Leah head on, sending the poor artist into the water, but somehow (Y/n) managed to stay on land, their shoes immediately began working backwards, taking them back a few feet before sending them in circles around the pond.

“Leah, I’m so sorry!” (Y/n) called hands over their mouth.

Leah coughed and pulled a stringy mass of algae out of her hair, looking down at her soaking wet outfit.

“Why did you do that?” Leah asked, not so much angry as just annoyed, confused and inconvenienced.

“It’s the shoes! Maru made them.” (Y/n) puffed, trying to rub their aching thighs as they kept running. “I can’t stop running!”

“Oh, I see what you’re going for now, you want to try to short-circuit the shoes with water, is that right?” Leah grunted, pulling herself out of the pond. She then futilely wrung water out of the bottom of her shirt.

“Yes!” (Y/n) nodded.

“Don’t worry, (Y/n). I’ll tackle ya if I have to!” Alex shouted, running to meet them head on.

They chased around the pond for several minutes. They had a bit of a strategy going that had Alex on one side of the pond and Leah at the other so they could conserve some energy, yet they still couldn’t catch the farmer.

“(Y/n)!” Maru cried out in relief as she and her family jogged tiredly towards the pond.

“Maru!” (Y/n) called in return, narrowly missing another attempted tackle by Alex. “Please for the love of Yoba, make it stop! My legs are burning so bad!”

“I’ll bet, sorry!” Maru huffed, coming to a stop at Leah’s side and looping arms with the drenched artist while motioning her family forward. “Come on, let’s make a wall!”

“This is kinda like an intense game of red rover, huh?” Leah commented wryly, shivering a bit as a gust of wind came through.

“Just hold on tight! Don’t let go for anything!” Maru said, digging her heels into the dirt.

“Incoming!” (Y/n) gasped, turning sharply around the bend of the pond with Alex tromping behind them.

“Oof!”

(Y/n) struck Maru and Demetrius’ interlocking arms and nearly got the wind knocked out of their lungs. Their legs were still moving, fighting against the obstruction.

“Wrap around!” Robin ordered, pulling Seb inward so they could wrap around (Y/n)’s back to prevent a backup escape. Leah met them on the other side, grabbing onto Robin to lock (Y/n) inside.

Even with this dogpile-esque formation, the group still struggled to rein the farmer in and keep their footing. Alex caught up, hands on knees, and let out a low whistle.

“Not even my gridball coach’s drills make me sweat this much.”

“So, where do we go from here?” Sebastian grunted. He’d have really like for (Y/n) to stop stepping on his feet.

“Yeah, we can’t exactly stay in this weird group hug forever.” Leah added.

“Okay, here’s what we’re going to do,” Maru, wrapped her arms tightly around (Y/n)’s waist and Alex filled in behind her, between Leah and Demetrius, “Shuffle to the pond, then make an opening. Trip (Y/n) up, and I’ll rush us in.”

“Maru, you’ll get wet too!” (Y/n) exclaimed.

“Water’s fine. Trust me.” Leah said with a half smile and playfully rolled her eyes.

“It’s okay, we do this together,” Maru nodded and tightened her hold. “Start moving!”

“Alright sweetheart, let’s go!” Demetrius rallied, starting to shuffle in the direction of the lip of the pond.

Everyone joined in, making sure not to leave an opening for (Y/n) to unwillingly escape from. Being the closest to their watery destination, Seb and Robin loosened the death grip between them, ready to break apart completely on Maru’s command.

As soon as Maru felt a lull in (Y/n)’s movements, she pushed the farmer forward with a yell.

“Now!” She cried.

Robin and Seb managed to whip their arms away quickly, and watched with mouths slightly agape as Maru tackled (Y/n) into the shallow pond, almost as if they hadn’t expected her to actually go through with it.

The couple surfaced and sputtered, coughing and gasping from the intake of water as well as just plain exhaustion from running around all day.

“Ow, ow!” (Y/n) yelped, their hands moving beneath the water’s surface before reemerging with the pair of sparking shoes. Just as they threw them back on to the shore, a huge plume of smoke burst from them. The scene made those still standing on land back away considerably from the flashy footwear.

“Well,” Maru sighed, still hovering hands and knees above the farmer, beads of water clinging to her glasses, “safe to say that experiment was a bust.”

(Y/n) snorted and sat up to hug Maru, laughing earnestly and breathlessly. “Better luck next time. I suppose. I’m sure you can uh, work out the kinks.”

Maru smiled, hugging (Y/n) in return. Everyone else on the bank watched with little smiles of their own. Even Demetrius who had been wary of (Y/n)’s interest in his daughter initially, was warmed by the sight.

“Well, I think that was enough excitement for me.” Leah clapped, “I’m gonna just grab my stuff and get home to wash this algae smell off of me.”

“Yeah, I’m gonna head home too. Yoba, I’m gonna be feeling this tomorrow. Great workout, see ya around (Y/n).” Alex waved before heading off after Leah, splitting off in the direction of town.

“Are you two going to get out or...?” Sebastian let the words hang.

“I honestly don’t know if I can.” (Y/n) laughed despite themself, chuckling into Maru’s shoulder.

“I don’t know if I can either.” Maru joined her partner’s giggles, “Think we could get a little help?”

“You got it.” Robin said, already kicking off her boots n’ socks and rolling up her pant legs. The carpenter carefully waded into the pond and helped her daughter up first, passing the girl on wobbly legs over to Demetrius’ waiting arms. Next came (Y/n) who got to their feet with a painful moan. The farmer stumbled to shore and hung onto Maru for support.

“Thanks for the help guys.” (Y/n) grinned.

“You’re family,” Demetrius explained, “we weren’t gonna leave you like that.”

“Aw, Demetrius!” (Y/n) cooed, slightly embarrassing the scientist, “I love you guys. Y’all are the best!”

“Even after I made you test those shoes?” Maru asked.

“Yeah!” (Y/n) answered with no hesitation. “Even though I feel like every muscle in my legs have atrophied and turned to jello, I’d happily take on whatever else you need a test subject for. I just love spending time with you.”

“I think we’ll take a break from testing for awhile, though I’m both concerned and touched that you are still willing to be my test subject.” Maru said, picking a stray strand of algae off of (Y/n)’s shoulder.

“Hey, for a pretty genius like you? I’ll be forever at your disposal.”

“(Y/n)!” Maru pushed at their shoulder with a laugh, heat crawling up her cheeks.

“Alright, enough with the love fest.” Robin turned to Demetrius and Seb, “lunch at the Stardrop sound good?”

“Sounds good, hun.” Demetrius nodded, “It’ll be nice to rest before having to trek back up the mountain.”

“Yeah, I was supposed to meet up with Sam and Abi there anyway.” Seb shrugged, though he wished he could at least bring his void eggs back inside the house before hanging out in town.

Robin turned back to Maru and (Y/n). “And you two? Think you can make it?”

“Is it alright if we meet you there? I can take Maru back to the farm to borrow some dry clothes first if that’s okay. And I’m not sure what Gus’ policy is on shoes.” (Y/n) said wiggling their wet, socked toes in the grass.

“So long as there isn’t any funny business.” Demetrius leveled a protective fatherly gaze at the couple. Old habits die hard apparently.

“Dad, don’t be weird!” Maru admonished, already pulling (Y/n) towards the farm, “We’ll, meet you there. An hour tops!”

“Sounds good!” Robin called back, drowning out whatever retort her husband was going to come up with.

Maru stopped for only a second, asking her mom to take the sprinting shoes with her to the pub before turning her attention back to (Y/n) as they babbled on about their pigs as if nothing more substantial happened to them today. Their hands swung loosely between them, fingers intertwined. Maru smiled softly, listening to (Y/n)’s every word about hay and truffle oil. A lull in (Y/n)’s flow provided Maru an opportunity to lean in and give the farmer a chaste kiss.

“Ooo!” (Y/n) beamed before eagerly returning the favor. “Where did that come from?” They asked after a few more kisses were shared.

“I just wanted to kiss my sweet farmer. Much like when you think it’s cute when I talk about my projects, I think it’s cute when you talk about the farm.”

(Y/n) covered their face with their free hand, “Stop, you’ll make me blush. I can feel the blood rushing to my head already.”

Maru grinned, pulling the hand away from (Y/n)’s face to catch their bashful expression. Another quick kiss to the farmer’s cheek and Maru pulled them down the worn path to the farm, careful to watch for anything on the ground that could harm (Y/n)’s stocking feet.

#stardew valley x reader #stardew valley oneshots #sv Maru #stardew valley Maru #maru x reader #sdv #sv #stardew valley

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angloie · 3 years

Text

Cat House

LIVING IN A QUIET CORNER IN A RATHER LARGE CITY, it isn't uncommon for cats to find refuge in Annabeth's home. Lots of cats come from time to time. That one black cat does show a lot more affection, though. She soon learns that it- or rather he's- not a cat.

But a prince?

genre ; fantasy (?) au. sfw + suggestive undertones

warnings ; swearing, little mentions of blood.

a/n - I came up with this at midnight in a haze after watching a Whisker Away. one scene is also from wotakoi

Annabeth always believed in fairytales.

Even now, at the age of nineteen. Almost twenty in only a few weeks. Life had been far from a fairytale. There were no dragons, or unicorns, or any type of that damsel in distress shit. Not that she knew of.

But in some part of Annabeth's mind, that hope clung onto her. Gripping her like a vice. So she remained believing even after years of life bringing her down. Tearing her. Honestly, it was getting a little tiresome.

So it's a surprise to her when she gets her dream job; at a architecture firm in the big capital city. Even finding a quiet, cozy, home nearby a forest with a garden perfect for gardening was a total score for her. The kingdom was the home of the Royal family, so it was definitely crowded. The peace was nice. For a while.

Annabeth doesnt know when the cats started arriving.

Where the hell did they even come from anyways? And we're they all strays?

Not hordes of them, of course, but maybe one or two every few weeks. Some mother cats even bring their kittens to the porch of her house, sheltering them from a raging storm or blistering heat. Annabeth helped them, always. Why wouldn't she? They looked so pitiful in their weakened states.

From her friends words, Annabeth was something along the lines of a 'Cat Lady.' Was she?

Maybe.

But her house was always kept clean of any dirt, so there was no traces whatsoever in feline activity. She wasn't someone who was quite interested in the furry creatures either. Annabeth shuddered at the thought of some old, wrinkly old woman who smelled of cat litter and food.

ew.

The forest nearby was a great escape from her worklife. Tall, branchy tress that covered Annabeth in shade, the bed of flowers she liked to pick from, and the lack of human contact. The air was much fresher than the smoggy aroma in the more crowded areas of the city, too.

“Ahh...” Annabeth flopped down on her couch, plush cushioning melting into her back. She stretched her arms over her head and sighed.

Gods, her co-workers were asses. And lazy, too.

Groaning loudly, Annabeth got up started unbuttoning her shirt. She needed to get out of these stuffy work clothes- and fast. First to go was her shirt. Buttons at the top undone and now off, her pants would be second to go right after-

Meooow!

“Wha-?” Turing 180 degrees, she came face-to-face face with a cat on her (very much open) windowsill. The curtains were waving with the cool breeze, revealing the furry animal. Annabeth froze. It licked it's paw and mewled.

Oh, just fantastic.

“Oh come on,” She complains, arms dropping to her sides and rolling her eyes. “I can never catch a break, can I?” Annabeth throws her shirt back on, buttons still undone leaving her exposed stomach and bra on full display.

The cat mewled again in response.

“What, are you hungry or-" She examined the cat, patting it's black fur on its head. “Oh.”

Oh.

Up close, the cat had little cuts all over. Sea green eyes (a unatural color Annabeth would say) looked frantically around her before looking away quickly. It looked in pain. That couldn't be very good. And of course: Who was she to deny helping a injured animal?

So Annabeth grabs a few old blankets and throws them into a old cardboard box. Antiseptic solution, commonly used as a disinfectant, was something safe to use on cat wounds. (You can thank Annabeth's friend Frank Zhang for that.)

The cat stumbled and limped, but didn't complain otherwise. It growled in pain whenever she touched a raw spot in it's leg.

“I know, I know,” Annabeth mutters to herself while applying the solution. “It hurts. Just stay still for me.” She winces back when it hisses in pain, paw coming up to scratch her hand.

“Ow!”

That little- She scowls. Is this the thanks she gets for taking care of a wounded cat? One that specifically went to her home? The audacity.

“Okay! There.” Annabeth beams proudly at her work when she finishes. The cat was seriously dirty, so she cleaned it off in the process too, leaving a clean and fixed up feline. “All done.”

How did it injure itself? Annabeth thinks to herself. Maybe it doesn't get along with the other cats?

She shook her head as her hand waved in the air. Three thin claw marks left blood seeping out of them.

“You better say sorry for giving me this cut, mister.”

''Meow!’’

“tsk.”

Annabeth picks up the box, the black cat curling scratching it's paws on the material. It certainly is rather to get out.

“Hey!” She yelps as she stumbled back. It leaps out in one fluid motion, only stoping to jump onto the windowsill. Looking back with wide glossy eyes, it mewled one last time before hopping out. Okay, wow.

The next two days are a breeze.

No stress at work, no troublesome co-workers. if only it was the same for a certain cat with onyx coloured hair that, of course, ruins the calm and peaceful breeze.

“Ack!” Annabeth screams in surprise when the cat sneaks in from her opened window. The same window from before.

Maybe a little show of affection would be nice?

She should really learn to keep it shut.

All the animals does is linger around and rub against her as Annabeth works on some sketches for her architecture firm. It snatches her food from her hands when she takes a break for a snack. It tips over cups whenever it leaps from a table. Annabeth is starting to think that the actions are purposeful. When she takes further inspection of it, she learns that the wounds are perfectly healed. Nothing compared to two days ago. Its rather odd.

Out of all the other cats, this one keeps visiting her the most. Whether it's with good or bad intentions.

Why does it keep coming back?

Just to bother her?

Well, Annabeth can't answer that. Not quite yet.

Percy doesn't know why he continues to visit a certain girl who lives in a quiet corner in the outskirts of the city.

Come to think of it, where did it all start?

Well, there was a spell. A sacred one that was cast on him. And many nights of transforming back and forth to both cat and human. Not to mention the days spent escaping from the stuffy castle.

He only came to the home to rest. A couple of old men beat him up for stealing a piece of bread in his mouth, leaving him with scars and injuries. What bastards. If Percy was in his regular form, they would be begging for mercy at his feet.

Percy didn't intend to stay.

But then he's visiting her more. And even more. So much, in fact, that it's embarrassing.

Her name is Annabeth.

It's a pretty name, Percy reads on the plaque hanged on the wall. There hangs a few other frames, holding certificates like her master's degree and bachelor's. It's pretty impressive, considering her very young age.

Maybe its the way she focused so hard on her work; by what Percy can manage, she works as a architect. Or maybe it's the way she talks to him when he's against him, unknowing of Percy's true form. It's cute, really.

And he's already whipped for her.

Percy isn't willing to admit that he'd stumbled onto her doing some things she should really do in private. And he also isn't willing to admit that he'd 'accidentally’ watched her change. But Percy always looked away or covered his eyes from the sight. That didn't stop the images from burning into his brain or from Percy to be a blushing mess when he transforms back. It's so damn embarrasing.

Its It's foolish of him as to visit some lowly commoner. Frowned upon, even when hes looking for marriage. but to Percy, she's much more than that little title.

“Welcome back, Prince Perseus,” A Royal servant bows at the arrival of the young man.

“Hey,” Percy yawns at the greeting.

“If I may, the King was asking for you whereabouts a little while earlier.” He stands fully straight now.

Those times, he's really greatfuly to be in cat form.

People can guess, but it's not like they'll ever guess correctly. “Um, I was out. T-training. yeah! Just training, that's all.” The raven haired male lies through his teeth. The worker narrows his eyes, but doesn't protest further.

"Of course. Dinner will be prepared shortly, sir."

"Alright."

At the beggining of the day, Annabeth doesn't know what colour her underwear is.

yeah, he's definitely greatfuly for his cat form.

It's weird. You know, people should be aware of their clothes when they change. It isn't like her to be... forgetful. But today she woke up late- only having a mere fifteen minutes to get up, prepare, eat, and fix together herself. Stupid.

Even throughout the day, the color never crossed her mind. Not once. Why would she think about that when her boss is lecturing her about the importance of responsibility? When she gets home it's no different.

As Annabeth scrolls on her feed, a picture of the Royal family pops up; a new report on how the prince Perseus is looking for possible suitors. Annabeth scoffs at that. Probably someone rich. Or someone that has a high status. Better yet: Both.

“You’re always here, aren't you?” Annabeth settles onto her bed. Pate weekend nights call for all-nighters, right? What better way is there to spend those nights with a cat.

“You know,” She starts, laughing to herself. “The prince kind of reminds me of you. Black hair, sea green eyes.” Annabeth giggles and closes her eyes.

The cat hops onto her lap, meowing quietly.

“Actually, I bet he's a brat like you too. The petty rich type."

The weight on top of her shifts, and for a minute she thinks that the cat had eaten a little more than usual. And maybe it has.

“Is that so?” A voice says.

A new voice.

On top of her.

She opens her eyes in shock.

Lol and behold, a very familiar face. The- the one on her very screen as of right now.

Prince Perseus hovers above her, arms trapping her, pinning, Annabeth to the bed. He nearly straddles her thighs. His smirking face is only inches from hers, as for a second she considers pinching herself to jolt her awake.

"I don't think I'm a brat," Percy tilts his head to the side. "Or am I?"

She's very much consious right now.

At that moment, Annabeth remembers exactly what color her underwear is.

Black.

"P-Prince Perseus?!" She screams, leg wedged between his own. She shudders at the contact. "U-um, I-" Her stuttering is rather cringeworthy.

This feels weird. Annabeth's mind is racing like cars in the Indianapolis 500. How is he here? Why is he here? Oh Gods, has he always been in cat form around her? Did Perseus hear all that trash she talked about him!? Not to mention he had the guts to scratch her, and purposefuly! Oh fuck, oh shit.

Despite all that, Annabeth can only think about how her thin oversized shirt is the only thing shielding her. Under it is... well, underwear. Fuck, she really screwed up.

"Mm, you're kinda cute," Perseus examines her. "Anyways!" He brushes a strand of hair out of her face. "Thanks for nursing me back to health on that day."

Annabeth covers her face embarrassingly. She can feel her heart nearly beating out of her chest. "That was you!" Its meant more of a question, but comes out as a statement.

"Yeah."

"And you saw me on all those nights..."

"Uh huh."

Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck.

"I'm sorry, your highness! I really am!" Annabeth says underneath him, eyes screwed shut. "Please, just... don't throw me in the dungeons!"

Perseus scoffs. "This isn't the 1600s. Don't be silly. I have a more fitting punishment for you, Annabeth."

How does he know my name?

"Of course! D-do what you must feel fitting." She feels like fainting.

There's silence, and then: "Accompany me on a date."

Another second of silence.

"...What?"

Anyways I wanted to write a very cocky, arrogant percy. can I just say- I wish I was Annabeth rn 😔

OKAY I SWEAR ILL UPDATE MY OTHER FICS IM SO SORRY I JUST NEEDED TO DO THIS 😩😩😩

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frunbuns · 3 years

Text

Almost Home

Modern AU

Read on Ao3

I was just a kid

Dreams were looking big and then I had to grow up

No one ever says

All the love you give might not be enough

Broke my heart in two a couple times

Before it hurt too much

Obi-Wan has been sitting in the car for hours. It’s brand new. Still smells like it even though he’s had it for a while now. Something about insurance. He can’t quite remember what it was, but Mace had taken care of it for him. He hasn’t used it. This is the first time he’s ever been in it. Since getting discharged from the hospital.

It’s a nice car. Maybe he would have liked it if it was before. Though he’s never been quite good with cars. As long as it worked he never thought all that much about it.

The keys are not even in the ignition. He’s got his seatbelt on, his hands clutching the steering wheel, but that’s about it. He hasn’t even turned on the radio. He’s actually not quite sure how to turn it on.

He’s sure that if he wasn’t gripping the steering wheel so hard his hands would be shaking.

He needs to get going soon. Anakin is waiting for Obi-Wan to come pick him up. To finally take him home. It had all been sorted out. After a lot of fighting and arguing - and a little help from Mace and Plo - he had been allowed to take Anakin in after all. Despite his age. Despite Qui-Gon. Despite everything that had happened.

He had fought so hard for the kid, but it seemed now he had lost all his bravado. Over a car, of all things. Over a simple drive.

His heart beats quickly behind his healing ribs as he takes slow, shaky breaths. Willing himself to let go of the steering wheel. To relax.

His hands are slick with sweat when he finally lets go. He thinks he might be sick for a moment, but it passes as quickly as it came when he leans back and closes his eyes.

He wishes his father was there.

Wiping his sweaty palms off on his pants he picks his phone out of his pocket and calls the first person on his contact list. It rings a few seconds before it picks up.

“Obi-Wan?” Bant’s voice says through the speaker. “Obi-Wan, how are you? We haven’t heard from you in a while now and—”

“Can you come?” He hates how small and pathetic his voice sounds. “Please?”

He hears some shuffling on the other end. Then, “Yeah, sure. Where are you?”

Obi-Wan swallows thickly. “The car,” he says, hoping she’ll get it. “I’m in the car.”

She does. “I’ll be there in five.”

Grief, Obi-Wan finds, is all consuming. It takes, and it takes, and it takes until all that's left is a hollow shell if yourself. And then it takes more, as it sees fit. Until all that's left is numbness and emptiness.

It's exhausting. Carrying around all that pain by yourself. It renders you almost immobile. It's like doing the smallest movements – like walking from one room to another – sucks everything out of him. A kind of exhaustion that settles heavily in his limbs, burying deep under his skin and muscle.

It takes his breath away at times. Leaves him gasping for air almost. Because it just hurts so much.

Obi-Wan vaguely recalls their pet goldfish dying when he was little. He had cried so hard he'd nearly thrown up. It took hours before his father had managed to calm him down enough to scoop the little guy out of the tank with a tiny net.

After some coaching Obi-Wan had allowed him to flush him down the toilet. Only after assuring his son that the little fish had loved him too, as Obi-Wan had loved it. That he had been a good owner. That sometimes pets just die. That the pain he felt only meant that what he had lost had meant something.

It had calmed the raging heartbreak slightly. Enough for the two of them to give the little guy a proper funeral. He had cried the whole time, but his father kept his big, comforting hand around him the entire time as he spoke.

He had been a steady rock in a storm of chaos. Something Obi-Wan was too young to quite understand at the time.

Now, however, he's all alone. There are no big arms wrapping around him. No steady rock to his storm of chaos.

It's agony, having loved and lost. He hates it, he decides.

He's aware that he's retreated into himself a bit. That he's far from the person he was before. But if he's going to be able to wake up every morning and take care of Anakin he has to box it all away. Put on some kind of façade to keep him going.

Obi-Wan checks the mirror again for what must be the thousandth time that trip. Qui-Gon sighs, watching the younger man bemused. Knuckles white as he grips the steering wheel for dear life.

Outside the rain slaps against the roof of the car like bullets. Creating tracks on the windows. The wipers work overtime to keep the water at bay. In many ways it feels like driving on a river.

"There are no cars here for miles, Obi-Wan," he says. "You don't have to worry so much. Relax."

"I still think you should have been the one to drive," Obi-Wan replies.

"You're never going to get comfortable behind the wheel if you don't try. You already passed your test and you have your licence. A bit of weather will be fine."

"Maybe they shouldn't have let me–"

They drive over a hole in the asphalt and Obi-Wan startles. He grips the steering wheel until his knuckles turn white.

Qui-Gon chuckles. "Relax, Obi-Wan. You’re doing fine.”

Obi-Wan takes a deep breath. His grip on the steering wheel slackening. He nods. It’s fine. It’s just a bit of water.

Obi-Wan closes the door behind him, Anakin’s bag slung over his shoulder. A weary sigh leaves his lips. He can’t help but feel like he should have cleaned up a bit before he picked up Anakin. But the boy doesn’t seem to mind as he runs room to room, exploring the space.

“Woah!” he exclaims. “This is so wizard! Do you really live here?”

Obi-Wan huffs as he drops the bag on the living room floor. It feels a lot brighter than he could remember it being before he left. Bant laughs next to him.

“He’s got a lot of energy,” she says. Obi-Wan nods.

“Do you need anything else?” she asks him, quietly so only he hears.

“No,” he replies, then clears his throat. “No. We’ll be fine. Thank you.”

She smiles at him then. Almost sadly. And places the car keys in his hand. “Just give me a call if you need anything. Anything.” she says. “Any of us. We’re more than willing to help.”

Obi-Wan nods numbly.

“Bye Anakin!” she shouts down the corridor. “I’ll see you around. Take good care of your new dad for me, will you?”

“I will!” Anakin shouts back. “Goodbye, Bant!”

She chuckles and pats Obi-Wan’s back. “Take care, Obi,” she mutters to him, and then walks out, closing the door after her.

Obi-Wan sits down on the sofa, his body aching with this kind of exhaustion that doesn’t leave no matter how much he sleeps. He runs his hand over his face and just sits there for a moment, with his head in his hand. He listens half-heartedly to Anakin rummaging through the bathroom. He can’t quite bring himself to care about the mess the boy might be creating. Maybe it makes him a bad parent.

He’ll take care of it later. Later… He’s been saying that a lot lately, but later doesn’t seem to ever come. If anything it just keeps adding up. It’s like there’s a big pile of later shoved into a closet somewhere just waiting to be opened and wreak havoc.

“Obi-Wan?” a timid voice says.

Obi-Wan lifts his face from his hands and comes face to face with Anakin. He looks at the boy expectantly as he seems to hesitate.

“Are you alright?” he finally asks.

Obi-Wan sighs. “I’m fine.” Anakin looks unconvinced, but doesn’t press him, seemingly satisfied with that answer for now. “Is there anything else?”

Anakin grabs his bag of belongings and slings it over his shoulder. “Where do I sleep?”

Obi-Wan blinks. “Oh,” he says, a little confunded. “You can take my room.”

Obi-Wan comes to, to the sound of static. His head hurts. A lot. In fact, his whole body hurts. And there’s a distinct smell of oil and antifreeze coming from somewhere. Everything feels muddy and strange. There’s something wet dripping down his face. Wait. No. That’s not right. It’s dripping up.

He groans as he forces his eyes open. Bright lights assault his vision. When his eyes finally adjust everything is upside down. It takes him a moment to realise he’s in the car. There’s another car a few meters in front of them, a massive bulk in its side and its hood. Their entire windshield has shattered, littering the car with glass. His seatbelt is the only thing keeping him from crashing into the roof of the vehicle.

Obi-Wan’s breath hitches. “Da-ad?” He coughs, chest aching after each one. “Dad?”

Slowly, he manages to turn his head towards the passenger seat. The car door is missing on that side. Rivers of blood drip down Qui-Gon’s thorso, soaking his clothes and gathering into a bloody puddle under him. He’s unconscious. And injured. Maybe even worse. He could be— He might be—

“Dad?” He tries again.

Obi-Wan’s heart beats rapidly behind his aching ribs. No one answers. His heart sinks.

He fumbles with his seatbelt, desperately trying to undo his seatbelt. It releases him with a soft click and he goes tumbling into the roof of the car. He cries out as he lands on his shoulder. It takes him a moment to recover before he manages to think straight again. Or as straight as he could before he fell at least. Everything feels a bit muddy and cloudy.

He pushes himself towards Qui-Gon with his weak limbs. It’s a challenge in the small space of the car, but he manages to get close enough to touch him.

With a shaking hand he reaches towards the older man. His pulse is weak and uneven under his fingertips, but there nonetheless. Obi-Wan would be relieved if he wasn’t so sure Qui-Gon was dying.

He manages to fiddle with some of the buttons on the radio and the buzzing stops. He swallows back what sounds like a sob and closes his eyes. It hurts. Everything hurts.

The funeral passes in a blur. Anakin is glued to his hand the whole time, not letting go even once. His tiny hand grips his with vigor. He presses himself into his side when there are people around and practically hides behind him when they come to talk.

“I see you brought the boy as well.”

Obi-Wan purses his lips and looks at his grandfather, face blank and expressionless. The man holds himself high where he stands, practically radiating authority. Obi-Wan used to be scared of him as a child. His cold nature was always a harsh contrast to his father’s warm presence. Not that they spent much time around each other. Qui-Gon had fallen out with his father years before Obi-Wan came into the picture.

Obi-Wan only stares at him as Anakin pushes himself into his side, looking up at the older man with apprehension.

“Though I’ll have to say I’m surprised they let you take him,” the man muses. “Given your age and situation.”

“Obi-Wan was always the golden child,” Xanatos chimes in, ambling up to them. “Of course they let him. They always let him have what he wants, if he pleads enough and bats his eyes at them.”

Obi-Wan’s jaw clenches. He never got along with Xanatos. Even as a child. As the youngest of three – significantly as well – Xanatos just never liked him.

Xanatos stares down at him, barely concealing a glare.

"Oh, please leave him alone," echoes the voice of Feemor. He stops next to them, joining their circle. "Xanatos. Grandpa," he greets them with practiced politeness.

"I see you've finally decided to come back home," Dooku comments, a smug brow raised. "Life treating you well over there, I assume. Seeing as it's been quite some time since you were back in Coruscant."

"As a matter of fact; it is."

They chat for a while. Not for the sake of being nice and catching up, but just to be polite. If polite is an accurate word for it at all. The passive aggressiveness is thick in the air, lacing each word. It’s exhausting to listen to. Obi-Wan understands well why his father kept him away from them as much as he did.

Obi-Wan merely watches the three of them talk, occasionally nodding his head, not really ,paying attention to what’s being said.. Anakin keeps himself tucked into his leg. but seems to be much more comfortable now that he's not under Dooku and Xanatos' heavy gaze.

“—but hey, maybe this is a good thing. The rescue takes on his own rescue. Poetic, really. Dad never could turn down a stray.”

“Xanatos—”

“He always was too sympathetic for his own good. And see how you repaid hi—”

“That’s enough!”

Obi-Wan stumbles over his own feet as Feemor drags him away, Anakin’s grip on his hand tightening as he tries to keep up with the two men. Obi-Wan has never seen Feemor look so furious as he does now. Eyes dark and expression stone cold. It’s unnerving in a way. Feemor has always been the kind and soft-spoken one. Similar to their dad in a lot of ways.

They come to a stop a few tabled down. Feemor’s anger melts away, replaced with a sad smile. “Don’t listen to them, Obi,” he says. “Xanatos is just bitter and petty because he can be.”

Obi-Wan nods and swallows thickly.

Feemor looks down at Anakin, a soft smile gracing his lips. “You must be Anakin,” he says, extending his hand to the little boy. “Nice to meet you, little man. I’m your uncle Feemor.”

Anakin only looks at the outstretched hand, clutching the material of Obi-Wan’s black suit in his hands. Feemor huffs in amusement, turning his gaze back up to Obi-Wan.

“He’s a shy one.”

Obi-Wan clears his throat. “Only sometimes.”

The older man laughs. Anakin shifts next to him.

“I’m sorry about…” His expression turns sad. “I heard it was bad.”

Obi-Wan nods woefully, eyes downcast and lips pursed. He doesn’t trust himself to speak. Doesn’t even protest when Feemor pulls him into a hug, wrapping his arms around him.

“It’s going to be alright, you’ll see,” He murmurs with a sigh. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there. You’re the best of all of us, you know. Dad would be so proud.”

And just like that Obi-Wan sags into the embrace, burying his face in Feemor’s suit. He only holds him tighter when he weeps into the fabric. It’s pitiful and undignified, but the hollowness of Obi-Wan’s heart feels easier to carry in that moment.

It’s so easy to believe Feemor in that moment, and Obi-Wan clings to it.

Obi-Wan isn’t sure how long they wait before he hears the siren. Qui-Gon’s breathing has become shallow and he hasn’t shown any signs of waking up. At some point Obi-Wan started shivering. He’s not sure when, or exactly why. He might be in shock, he thinks.

He hears the commotion of the emergency workers reaching the other car. He hopes they’re okay. He would call out if he felt like he could.

He hears talking, but it’s hard to make out the words.

“Dad?” he whispers, voice hoarse and grating. He coughs, eyes watering.

Next thing he knows he’s being pulled out of the wreckage. There are hands on him and they’re asking questions he doesn’t understand. It all happens in a blur. Then he’s being strapped down to a bed.

“Can you tell us your name, sir?”

Obi-Wan blinks, vision blurry from being moved. His eyes land on a dark haired man.

“Your name, sir. Can you tell us?”

“Obi-Wan,” he says, voice barely above a whisper, teeth chattering. “Kenobi. Obi-Wan Kenobi.”

“That’s good, Obi-Wan. Can you tell me who was in the car with you?”

When Obi-Wan turns his head he sees a group of paramedics pulling an unconscious Qui-Gon out of the car and strapping him down to a bed like the one Obi-Wan lies on. Something in his chest squeezes painfully in his chest at the sight, a surge of anxiety bubbling up from within.

“Qui-Gon,” he says, breath hitching. “My father. Qui-Gon Jinn. He needs— He needs help—”

“They’ll take good care of your father, Obi-Wan. Just relax and let us do our job.”

Obi-Wan gasps for breath. It’s as though something heavy is pressing down onto his chest. Like there’s something blocking his airways. His head swims and his stomach churns as he’s loaded into the back of the ambulance.

He only gets a glance at Qui-Gon before the door is shut and they drive off.

The next few days pass by monotonously. Anakin seems to be adjusting well to his new life, much to Obi-Wan’s relief. He talks animatedly about his day every day when he comes home from school. Obi-Wan spends his days trying to catch up on his classes.

It almost feels like things are going to be okay.

Qui-Gon’s room remains untouched. Door ajar, sitting there like a painful reminder. Ominous almost. If he felt like he could bear it - that he wouldn’t risk getting a look inside - he would at least close the door properly.

He should probably start cleaning it out. He can’t sleep on the sofa forever.

His phone vibrates, loud against the wooden table. Obi-Wan startles. He thinks about just letting it ring like he always does until he sees who’s calling him.

Anakin’s school.

But why would they call him?

He swears his heart skips a beat as he picks up.

“Hello?”

“Hello. Is this Anakin’s father?”

Obi-Wan hesitates for a moment. Technically he is. In all the legal ways. But Anakin has never called him anything but Obi or Obi-Wan.

Still, he says, “Yes.”

“This is Anakin’s teacher, Shaak Ti.”

“Did something happen?”

“Anakin got in a fight with one of his classmates and he appears to have run away. We can’t find him anywhere near school grounds.”

He what?

Obi-Wan’s heart stops. It’s like time freezes around him. He even stops breathing for a moment.

“We already have our staff searching for him, but we were hoping you could come here too.”

“I… Yes, of course! I’ll be there right away.”

Shaak lets out a relieved breath. “Thank you.”

With shaking hands he lowers the cellphone from his ear.

What if something terrible happened to Anakin? What if he’s hurt? What if he got lost and can’t find his way back? He’s not familiar with Coruscant yet. He never even left Tatooine before he came to Coruscant. Anything could have happened. Coruscant is big and dangerous.

Obi-Wan has no idea how to deal with anything Anakin related normally. How is he expected to act now? Is this what being a parent is like? Being so terrified you feel like you’re going to die?

He’s only had Anakin for a few weeks. Surely if something has happened they’re going to take him from him. They were right to be sceptical of him. He’s not fit to take care of a child. The thought of Anakin being taken away from him now… It’s unbearable. He can’t lose him too. Not now.

He scrolls through his contacts until he lands on Bant. His finger only wavers over the call button for a second.

“Obi-Wan? How are you? I haven’t heard from you in a while—”

“It’s Anakin. He— He—””

“What happened?” She sounds worried now. Suddenly serious.

“They said he got in a fight or— or something. I don’t— They can’t find him. He ran away and they can’t find him, Bant! What if he’s hurt?”

“Okay. Relax, Obi-Wan. It’s gonna be fine. I’ll call the others, and then I’ll come pick you up and we’ll find him. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“We’ll find him, Obi.”

Obi-Wan can’t breathe. He’s been sitting next to the bed for at least twenty minutes, not doing anything. He’s dimly aware of the nurse standing behind him, watching him.

It’s the first time he’s got to see his father since...since the car.

He looks better. Without all the blood. He looks almost normal. It’s almost like… It’s like he’s just sleeping.

His hand trembles as he reaches for his father’s limp hand. It lacks its usual warmth, but Obi-Wan squeezes it lovingly anyway. There’s no steady heartbeat beneath his fingertips.

The realisation that he’s never going to see him again - not properly. Not alive. - hits hard. It drops onto him with the weight of a building. Crushing him under the rubble.

Obi-Wan Kenobi knows loss. He knows loss very well. But it does not make it any less heartbreaking. It does not make the pain any easier to bear.

“Da-ad… Oh, dad…”

Carefully, he brushes a strand of hair away from the man’s face. His eyes cloud with tears, he chokes back a sob. Grief heavy on his heart, he gives in. Cradling his father’s hand to his face, he cries. Pitiful and miserable.

Broken rib. Collapsed lung. Head trauma. Coupled up with bad weather, slippery roads and the impact with the other vehicle it had all been one unfortunate accident. One that cost him his father.

He doesn’t know much of the specifics, but he hopes he at least wasn’t in too much pain. He can’t bear the thought of it.

This is the man who took him in. Who gave him a home. Who took care of him. The man who raised him. The man who loved him. Unconditionally. And the man he loved— still loves.

Guilt claws at his insides. Ugly and suffocating. Like a thick blanket, enveloping his whole being. Shameful thoughts poison his subconscious.

It should’ve been him. It should’ve been him. It should’ve…

It’s of no use. Not now. Not ever.

But Obi-Wan feels like a part of his soul has been ripped away. That some irreparable part of him has been broken beyond repair. Taken away from him by that other car and his sloppy driving. Like some cruel punishment from the world itself.

He sits there until his throat is sore and his eyes red.

The rain is pouring down in buckets. Obi-Wan is soaked to the bone. Absolutely sopping wet. Still, Obi-Wan can’t quite bring himself to regret not picking up an umbrella when the first drizzle came. Anakin is still out there. Cold, wet and lost.

They’ve managed to narrow it down to a nearby forest. With the help of some teachers and some of their friends.

His phone died twelve minutes ago. If they find him before he does Obi-Wan hopes he can hear them yell for him. If he can hear anything from the deafening sound of downpour.

Obi-Wan’s teeth clenches to stop them from chattering. His shoes make squelching sounds for each step he takes. He pushes his hair away from his face.

And that's when he sees him. Sitting under a tree, protected from the pouring rain by the leaves. Sitting against the tree, arms wrapped around his knees. Obi-Wan's heart skips a beat.

"Anakin!"

The little boy's eyes snap up to him, surprise and relief colouring his features. "Dad!" He exclaims, scrambling to his feet in a mess of limbs.

Obi-Wan barely has time to even acknowledge that before he’s running. Running faster than he's ever ran before. He practically crashes to his knees in front of Anakin pulling him into a tight embrace. "Anakin," he whispers, voice cracking slightly. His heart warms with affection. "Don't ever do that again."

"I'm sorry–"

Obi-Wan pulls away, giving Anakin a thorough once-over. "Are you hurt?" he asks, trembling hands patting him down. Nervous eyes flit across his features. His hands land on his cheeks, cold and wet, but comforting.

"I'm okay," Anakin tells him.

Before he can say anything else Obi-Wan pulls him into a hug again. He grips the fabric of Anakin's jumper as if the boy will vanish into thin air if he lets go. His other hand buries itself in his hair, securely holding his head against his shoulder. Even though his fingers are cold and numb, Obi-Wan doesn't let go.

Anakin tentatively wraps his arms around the older man, burying himself in the safety of Obi-Wan's embrace. Even though Obi-Wan's clothes are soaked through, and he's cold, Anakin doesn't let go. When he feels the man shaking against him, and hears him sniffle into his hair, he only holds him tighter.

“You scared me,” Obi-Wan murmurs. “Why didn’t you tell me you were struggling?”

“I didn’t want to worry you. You’re so sad and tired all the time.”

Obi-Wan could swear his heart breaks a little at that.

“Oh, dear. It’s my responsibility to take care of you. You mustn’t ever feel that you can’t come to me.”

Anakin is quiet for a while. “Okay.”

Around them the rain pitter patters against the leaves.

“You’re cold.”

Obi-Wan chuckles. “Yeah.”

“You’re gonna get sick.”

“It’ll be fine.”

Behind him boots splash in the puddles. Obi-Wan thinks he might hear yelling, but it’s hard to hear over the rainfall.

“Obi-Wan.” There’s a hand on his shoulder. “It’s time to go.”

Obi-Wan untangles himself from Anakin and comes face to face with Mace Windu. The man holds a black umbrella over him, protecting him and them from the rain.

“We’ve got a car waiting just outside the forest. Now come here before you get yourself both sicker than you already are. Qui-Gon would never forgive me if I let you two sit out here any longer.”

The warmth of the house is welcome. His clothes are still dripping by the time he steps in the door. He’s not sure he’s ever been so relieved to be home. He sighs as he closes the door behind him.

When he takes off his shoes his socks leave wet footprints on the hardwood floor. Anakin tip toes around his footprints to get into the living room, giggling quietly to himself as he does.

He gets Anakin out of his clothes and into a pair of warm, dry pajamas. Then he hops into the shower, the warm water doing wonders for his cold and aching muscles. When he steps out of the bathroom he feels marginally better.

“Ani?”

Anakin is not in the living room. He’s not in the kitchen either. Obi-Wan tries not to worry. He wouldn’t have left the house. He’s probably in his room. Before he gets time to start worrying he sets foot for the corridor.

And sure as day, there he is. Wearing some scarf Obi-Wan doesn’t recognise. Standing in the doorway of Qui-Gon’s bedroom. Obi-Wan swallows thickly and ambles up to him. When he’s behind him he places a hand in the boy’s hair and gazes into the bedroom.

“You never go in here.”

Obi-Wan hums.

“You’re scared.”

Anakin isn’t dumb. Of course he would notice. Kids are never stupid, no matter how hard you pretend they are. It was only a matter of time before he would be confronted about his little charade he’s been putting up.

“Maybe,” Anakin murmurs. “If we cleaned up in here you wouldn’t be so scared anymore.” He looks up at him, hopeful and young.

Obi-Wan clears his throat. “Yeah,” he agrees. “Maybe.”

Anakin walks into the room, inspecting the room with curious eyes. Then he grabs an almost empty box laying by the bed and starts putting things in it. “We did this when my mom died,” he says quietly. “She didn’t have as much stuff as your dad though.”

Awkwardly, almost clumsily, Obi-Wan walks into the room too, sitting down on the other side of the box. He picks up a discarded sweater from the floor and inspects it - He was always the messier of the two of them. Feels the fabric on his skin. It still smells like him. Even after all these weeks.

“You can keep some of it if you want,” Anakin says then. “They let me keep some of mom’s things.” He fiddles with the scarf for a moment. “This used to be hers. It makes me feel better when I miss her.”

Obi-Wan feels a pang of sympathy in his chest. Once again reminded of how much this little child has been through. Oh, what he’d do to make all that pain go away. He’d gladly take it all on himself if he could. If it meant he would never have to feel such heartbreak in his life ever again.

“You should try it on,” Anakin suggests.

Obi-Wan pulls the sweater over his head. He has a second where he can’t quite find the hole for the right arm, but he quickly figures it out. He catches a glimpse of himself in the floor-length mirror and he can’t help but laugh. The sweater is massive on him. Practically swallows him whole. Qui-Gon had always been a quite large man, but to see it like this…

Anakin laughs too. “You look small,” he says between giggles. “You’ll grow into it. That’s what mom always said, at least.”

He won’t, but he doesn’t say anything about it.

He rolls up the sleeves and picks up a framed picture from the dresser.

“Wow, you used to be small,” Anakin comments, pointing to the small redheaded child standing next to a younger Qui-Qon. “I didn’t know Mr Qui-Gon very well, but he seemed like a nice man. And a good dad.”

Obi-Wan sniffles. “He was.”

“I’ve never had a dad before,” Anakin explains, studying the picture. “I was really happy when Mr Qui-Gon said he would be mine - like, really happy - but I think you’re doing a pretty good job at it too.”

Obi-Wan’s lips quirk upwards, into a sort of lipsides and awkward smile.

“Do you miss him? Your dad.”

Obi-Wan nods. “Very much.”

“I miss my mom too. It’s okay to be sad about it. It just means it meant something.”

Obi-Wan feels like he’s been crying a lot lately, but it seems like this is what finally breaks the dam. Anakin only places a hand on his arm as he muffles his sobs in the long sleeves of Qui-Gon’s sweater. Slowly he sinks back onto the floor, back against the bed.

He feels very much like that small, scared child he used to be at this moment. The small, scared child who didn’t know how the world worked yet. Who didn’t know what to do or how to do anything. The small, scared child who worried about everything. But maybe he just never actually stopped being that child.

Anakin presses himself up against his side, leaning his head on his shoulder. It’s such a small thing, but it makes him feel infinitely better. Like things might be okay after all. And it will be, he reminds himself. It will just take some time.

Just close your eyes

Soon we'll be home

Fall asleep to the radio

Strangers pass by

Red, green and gold

I wonder what they're all waiting for

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jamiemackenziefraser · 3 years

Text

All that Was Fair

Chapter 5: You Can Never Go Home Again

Chapter Summary: Jamie and Claire deal with the fallout of her revelation.

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Read chp 5 below the cut:

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Chapter 5

“What do ye mean, ye canna go home?” Jamie asked as his own concern began to ramp up in earnest.

Claire was trembling again, her hand anxiously squeezing his and her free arm still wrapped tightly around herself. Drawn to comfort her, Jamie gathered her into a one-armed hug and pressed her against him. He could feel her distress pulsing through her like an electric current.

She rested her temple on his collarbone— deflated by the enormity of what she was saying and desperate for safe harbor— and then she finally expanded.

“I don’t know anything, Jamie, really. But if I’m right, the only way I could return to my plane of existence— to my realm and the seelie court— is to go back through the stones. But I can’t do that, Jamie, I can’t. I think it might kill me.”

During her revelation, a flurry of emotions was swirling inside Jamie so vehemently that he lost hold on the present for a second. His heart was breaking for her. The thought of being forever stranded in an unfamiliar place— away from her home and people— the terror and loss must have been debilitating. At the same time, some secret part of Jamie was rejoicing. Losing her so soon after she’d dropped into his life and changed him forever would have crushed him. But if she really couldn’t go home, that meant that she would stay with him….

Jamie could only dare to hope about the possibilities.

But as soon as that thought surfaced, he began to feel guilt twisting in his middle. She was quite obviously suffering. Her body was shaking against him, overcome by the gravity of the realization, and here he was delighting in her news.

Hooking a finger under her chin, he raised her face to look up at him and saw her eyes were glittering with tears.

“Listen to me, mo nighean donn, ye’re no’ alone. I’m right here wi’ ye, and I willna let anythin’ happen to ye. If this is true, ye can stay wi’ me for however long ye choose, and I will care for ye and see ye safe.”

Tears dripped from her face and onto his hand where it remained rested gently under her face. She nodded a little against him, lips wobbling as she tried to hold back the tide of her emotions. His heart broke for her all over again.

“Come here,” was all he could say, and then he was wrapping her fully in his arms.

She went willingly, all but collapsing onto his chest. Both of her hands clutched one of his arms and she buried her face into his shoulder. The moment their bodies made contact, she began to cry. Hitched sobs escaped her as she tried to contain the onslaught.

“It’s alright, mo Sorcha, let it out,” he murmured into her hair.

She did, and simply cried against him as the reality and weight of what was going on truly hit. And all he could do was hold her.

He didn’t like seeing her like this. Ever since she’d woken up in his arms while he was carrying her down from the stones, Claire had been so incredibly brave. She’d been taking everything miraculously in stride. Curious and inquisitive, she was bold in her explorations and delighted in the human world. Now though, she seemed thoroughly broken. More than wary, she was fearful of the unknown she’d been thrust into without any possibility of return to what she knew. It was one thing to explore, he supposed, but quite another to be condemned to a life of the unfamiliar.

In that moment, Jamie promised himself that he’d make this world safe for her so that she’d never have to feel this kind of fear again.

And if she’d let him, he’d walk beside her through it.

“We’ll sort it out,” he whispered, “no matter what. Together.”

She nodded against him, tear-soaked face pressing against his shirt. It would surely be stained and damp, but it was of no import.

He brought a hand up to her neck, cupping the tiny curve of the base of her skull, and began to knead his thumb in gentle circles there. At the same time, Gaelic started to flow instinctively from his lips, and he made shushing sounds in between the mindless reassurances. It’ll be alright. I’m here, mo nighean donn. Dinna weep. All of this and more he whispered into her hair, his lips barely brushing it as he breathed the words.

A whimper escaped her as she cried, and if his heart wasn’t already shattered into a million pieces at seeing her like this, that tiny sound would have obliterated it.

He had no idea how long he stood there— holding her as she cried for the life she had lost— but it felt like hours to him. Finally, she began to calm. Her crying subsided and breathing slowed until she went quiet against him.

Carefully, he drew back to look down at her. The bonny face was streaked with tear stains and her lips looked somehow a deeper color than usual. Her golden-eyes held grief, ringed with red, and moisture beaded on the long, dark lashes. But behind it all was an incredible strength. A determination held in those whiskey depths.

He cupped her face with both hands and began to gently smooth his thumbs over her cheeks to clear away the tear tracks.

“Ye’re sae strong. I ken ye’ll be okay no matter what happens,” he told her with complete conviction.

That brought another single tear rolling silently down her cheek. She held his gaze as it made its slow trail downward, as if pleading for him to make it all better. He wished to God that he had that power. But there was nothing he could do, save perhaps distraction.

“Here, I have another thing to show ye that I think ye might like,” he said as a thought struck him.

Letting go of her face to instead take her hand, he led her across the room to the counter where a box of tissues lay. With his free hand, he withdrew one, and then gently used it to clean her face as he explained, “we use them to dry tears and such.” As he wiped away the moisture on her cheeks, one of her hands raised to take the edge between her fingers and rub cautiously.

“It’s soft,” she commented with a tremulous laugh and a watery smile.

The way she said it— a hint of her usual delight and awe creeping into her voice despite her sorrow— made Jamie indescribably happy.

“That’s what I thought ye’d say,” he chuckled fondly.

It seemed to have been just the thing to help her, because once he’d finished drying her face, she straightened up and mustered another smile for Jamie.

“Will ye show me more things?” she asked. Her voice was still thick with emotion but she seemed eager to gather herself.

“Of course,” he said, his tone still laced with soft understanding.

Jamie’s thoughts raced as he tried to come up with the best thing to show her that would take her mind off things. The TV came first to mind, but he quickly dismissed that as being just a bit too overwhelming for this moment. They’d have to work up to that. Jamie thought about everything he knew Claire liked, and suddenly the perfect idea came into his head.

“There’s somethin’ I think ye’ll like verra much in the basement. That’s eh— the level below this.”

His house’s basement was small— just a carpeted room with a couple odd couches, his old tv, and Adso’s litter box haphazardly arranged. Jamie didn’t spend much time down there, and as a result, didn’t bother cranking up the heat enough to warm it much. Being low as it was, it was always cold.

He led Claire by the hand down the steps. She seemed a bit wary of descending but simply clutched his hand and followed. When they emerged downstairs and he flicked on the lights, her gaze swept over the room. She looked at him inquisitively, obviously wondering what exactly he was going to show her here (it was admittedly quite unimpressive, apparently even to a faerie).

Giving her a smile, half to reassure her and half in excitement for the kick she was likely to get out of what he had to show her, he strode over to the little machine that lay in between the couches, pointed it toward Claire, and pressed the “on” button.

“This is called a space heater,” he announced proudly.

It was a small, portable one, about a foot tall and with one opening so the heat all went in one direction, but it created a remarkable warmth.

The moment Claire felt the heat emanating from the machine and blowing onto her legs, her face spread into a wide smile. She eagerly leaned down, hands outstretched toward the machine in fascination. A laugh bubbled from her as she delighted in the feel of the hot air.

But Jamie noticed that she was reaching even closer, and quickly caught her wrist before her fingers could make contact with the heated grate.

“Dinna touch it, it’s too hot,” he warned, “but ye can be jes’ by it.”

She gave him a single nod, looked back at the machine, and then suddenly plopped down to the floor. Crossing her legs, she scooted as close to the heater as she could and hovered her hands in front of it, just like one would warm their hands in front of a campfire.

“It’s so warm!” she squealed, and wiggled her fingers, luxuriating in the flow of hot air.

Jamie was patting himself on the back for how well he was beginning to know her. As much delight as she was getting from the wee contraption, he was getting just as much— if not more— from seeing the carefree happiness return to her bonny face. The smile that lit up his life was turned up toward him as Claire looked for his response.

“Aye, I believe I have ye all figured out, Sassenach,” he teased, “the way to yer heart is all things soft and warm.”

She playfully narrowed her eyes, a glimmer of humor there that reassured Jamie immensely.

“I think I may still surprise you yet, my lad.”

Jamie laughed. “Och, I dinna doubt it.”

As Claire turned her attention back to enjoying the space heater, twisting and turning her body so that the warmth touched every part of it, Jamie thought about what to do next. His mind just barely started to leap to long term implications— Christ, his job! He had to work tomorrow. And she’d need clothes. And—

He had to stop himself before he went mad. What he needed to do was to focus on taking things one step at a time. At some point when Claire was well and truly occupied, maybe when she went to sleep for the night, he’d sit down and try to think through everything. But for the time being, he just wanted to continue to distract her so she didn’t fall back into that horrible despair.

When his eyes refocused on the scene in front of him, Claire looked like she would have been hugging the machine to herself if she was allowed. She was huddled as close to it as she possibly could be, absorbing every bit of warmth.

“Do ye want tae see more? I could show ye the rest of the house so ye feel a wee bit more comfortable. Ye could ask me all yer questions…”

Just as Jamie was finishing making his offer, Claire’s hand shot up, grabbed Jamie's, and tugged him down. Startled as he was, he went with her pull, and plopped down on the floor next to her.

“Just another minute...” she purred, and he could only laugh in response.

Since Claire was cuddled so close to the space heater, her body blocked any heat from actually reaching Jamie. He didn’t mind, but settled himself slightly further back so that he was behind Claire and comfortably resting back against the bottom of the couch as he waited for her to finish basking.

To his surprise, Claire scooted backward, shoving her way in between his splayed legs so she could recline against his chest. Jamie was so taken aback— as he always was when she touched him so brazenly, making his mind spin— that he simply complied when she took both of his arms and wrapped them around her. He found himself hugging her from behind as she let out a contented sigh and rested her temple against his jaw.

There wasn’t a single thought in his head about what he was doing as he instinctively turned his face just a bit to press his lips to the soft skin of her temple.

She didn’t seem to mind at all. She didn’t even react. But the second after he did it, a wave of guilt surged over him. It wasn’t his right to kiss her like that; Claire wasn’t his to kiss. Sure, she’d initiated all this contact that made his heart flutter, and sure he was absolutely falling for her, but he’d known her for only two days. Her entire world has just crumbled out from underneath her feet, and he was her only anchor. He couldn’t possibly take advantage of her with his romantic inclinations. Not to mention, she wasn’t even human. Although for some reason that argument didn’t dissuade him as much as the thought that Claire might feel obligated to return his affections in exchange for his help. He couldn’t do that to her. It wasn’t fair.

He wanted to run away from her, to withdraw himself and put some distance between them so he could finally think clearly. He wasn’t entirely sure that he’d be able to control himself when she nestled up so close to him like this. But the thought of withholding physical comfort which she so clearly desired, even needed… it was intolerable. So he stayed put.

Claire was completely unaware of the turmoil going on in Jamie’s mind, and she sighed contentedly against him. He could feel the rise and fall of her chest as it nudged his with each inhale and exhale. That feeling of closeness did nothing to help the clenching of affection in his heart.

Damn it, Fraser, pull yourself together. You can be her friend— her guide— her protector— but leave foolish notions of anything more out of it.

She tilted her head to peer up at him.

“Are you alright?” she asked, apparently seeing the expression on his face that must have been something close to heartbreak as he agonized over her.

“Jes’ fine,” he mustered a smile, “have ye had enough warmth now tae get ye through a wee walk about the house?”

She chuckled at that, and it sent vibrations through her that Jamie could feel reverberate through his own body.

“I don’t think I could ever get tired of this, but I’m ready for what else you have to show me.”

***

#All That Was Fair #update #outlander fanfiction #claire x jamie

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smol-and-grumpy · 4 years

Text

Something Just Like This - CH20

Pairing: Dean Winchester x Reader

Summary: Dean Winchester, mobster boss. He’s a little cocky, a lot ruthless and more often than not, short tempered. But he’s also, Dean Winchester, a war veteran and hero who suffers under a shit ton of PTS. He met her in a bar and thinks it’s fate that brought her to him. Little does he know why she’s really here.

A/N: This is just a little something fluffy. And we see a lil more of what lies ahead.

WC: 3436

SERIES MASTERLIST

Dean’s man helps her clean up the bar but he didn’t say a word. Only when Y/N asks him his name did he tell her that he’s Gabriel. She wonders what happened to Adam, if Dean’s really jealous and took her jokes seriously to take Adam off this job and delegate him to do something else. Because that wasn’t her intention.

Gabriel follows her to Dean’s apartment in his own car and even follows her into the garage.

She gets out the same as he gets out of his vehicle. “You didn’t have to come down here, I’m a big girl.”

Gabriel looks at her like he thinks she’s crazy. “I live here.”

“In this building?”

“Yeah, boss provides accommodation. Here, and several other buildings around town.”

Her jaw opens and she knows she has to close it. After a long while of staring each other down she asks, “How many of you live here?”

Gabriel shrugs, “About twenty. The rest he rents out.”

“He owns the whole building?”

“Hey woman, you’re with him, you should know.”

Yeah, maybe Gabriel’s right. Maybe she should know.

“And he decides who lives here and who lives in other buildings?”

“Only people he trusts live here.” Gabriel says it like it’s no big deal.

“Adam?”

“No.”

“Who’s looking after the cat when he’s not around?” She couldn’t help but ask.

“Before you? Sam sometimes Cas, but Cas is allergic to cats. Big boss doesn’t trust anyone else with a key to his apartment.”

“Ah,” She says and she feels her cheeks burning up.

“Listen, it’s late, I wanna go lie down. Will you be okay? Just hit me up tomorrow when you’re leaving for your shift. I’m in apartment 17A.”

“Okay,” She says, and adds, “Thank you.”

She turns the key and slips in, turns on the light and immediately, Cuddles is by her side, meowing softly. “Hey Cuddles, I’m gonna stay with you for a couple of days, okay? You hungry?”

Cuddles runs straight to his feeding dish, meows some more and she drops her things in Dean’s bedroom before she returns to feed the cat.

While Cuddles is eating, she stands up, empties the litter box and walks back into the bedroom. “I’m gonna take a shower, alright?” She says to the cat in passing.

Apparently, she talks to cats now.

After her shower, Y/N walks out into the bedroom with a towel around her body. She goes straight to her bag but then she has an idea.

Walking over to Dean’s closet, she opens it.

Suits and shirts.

A lot of it.

Almost exclusively.

Dress pants too.

She opens a drawer. Ties. Neatly rolled up.

Another drawer. Cuff-links. Neatly aligned on one side, tie clips off to the other side.

She tries another drawer. Underwear and socks.

My god, where does he keep his normal clothing?

The second to last drawer. Bingo! Simple t-shirts and henleys. Not as many as dress shirts but enough. She finds the one she’s been looking for, and pulls it out, places it to her nose, smells Dean’s detergent on it.

It’s the same shirt she wore when she was here the first time. Led Zeppelin. The letters already faded. She wonders if he’s wearing it often.

She walks back into the bathroom, hangs the towel up to dry and brushes her teeth. Everything’s still here. His toothbrush, his trimmer, his cologne. Dean must be used to traveling, maybe even has sets in his bag ready for travel so he doesn’t have to unpack a lot once he gets home.

Walking out again, she turns on the light on the bedside table before returning to the bathroom to switch off that light. She fishes out a pair of underwear she’s packed and puts her old clothes into the plastic bag before she stuffs them into her overnight bag.

When she looks at the bed again, Cuddles’ already lying in there, waiting for her.

She grins, “Hey buddy, you’re not supposed to be in here.”

The cat gives her a look that says Duh! If you wouldn’t have wanted me in here you should have closed the door! But then it’s like the cat’s face softens up when she strokes his head. And now he’s looking at her as if to say I won’t tell if you don’t. And how can she say no to that?

Y/N cozies herself into the bed, almost gets lost in the comfy sheets. Everything smells new. Dean must have changed the sheets before he left.

Turning off the light, she turns on her side, Cuddles is already purring away next to her.

She’s almost asleep when she hears her phone vibrate. She takes it, looks at the message. Smiles because she can’t not smile at that.

D: Is everything okay?

Y/N: Why shouldn’t it be?

D: Is the cat giving you attitude?

Y/N: He has a name.

D: Is Cuddles giving you attitude?

Y/N: Oh shit, I was supposed to go to your place!

D: Jesus Y/N! Don’t make me drive back to spank you!

Y/N: Relax. Everything’s fine. Although I wouldn’t say no to a spanking. But yeah, we’re fine. Both in bed and ready to sleep.

D: I would hope that you’re both in separate beds. With him in his cat bed which is located in the fucking living room.

Y/N: Sure.

D: Y/N!

Y/N: Good night Dean

D: I swear, if I find out that he’s been in my bed..

She laughs at that, puts her phone aside even if it’s still vibrating with incoming messages. She’s too tired to deal with texts.

It’s about another minute when her phone rings, and she picks up grumpily. “Hello?”

“I know you didn’t read the messages.”

“I’m tired.”

“That’s alright. Just want to say good night to you. So good night, baby.”

“Good night Dean.”

“Miss you.” He adds and there goes sleep because her heart is racing.

“Miss you too.”

They’re driving to an abandoned warehouse, where the meeting with Crowley is supposed to be. They’re meeting with Crowley’s nephew. The head of Crowley’s logistics operation or so Crowley says.

The drive is a short one since they were already in town for another meeting yesterday and slept here. Sleep is maybe too good of a word. Dean has had a nightmare again, woke up in the middle of the night with sweat beading his forehead. That was when he texted her.

It’s almost noon now and he wonders if she’s awake already.

“Dean, we’re here.” Cas says, jolting Dean back to reality.

“Okay, you can go on, I’ll just be a minute.” He says while Inias, Ash and Cas get out of the car. Of course Dean didn’t miss Cas’ eye roll. Couldn’t have missed it if he tried.

Alone in the car, Dean thumbs over his contacts, his finger hovers above her number. He debates for a short moment, breathes in and out. He doesn’t want to wake her up but the urge to hear her voice is almost too much for him to bear.

It rings.

“‘Lo,”

Dean exhales. The tense in his body is gone and he relaxes immediately. She sounds like she just woke up, her voice as a sexy sultry tone to it. It actually makes his cock stir in his pants and he knows he should be ashamed of it. Should be worried of the effects she has on him. Worried of the power she holds over him.

“Good morning, sweetheart. Did you sleep alright?”

“Yeah,” Dean can hear shuffling, she’s probably getting out of the bed. His bed. The thought makes him feel kind of content. It should be like this, shouldn’t it? With her in his apartment, in his bed.

“Did I wake you up?”

“No, I’m up for a while. How did you sleep?”

“What is sleep?” He snorts.

“Nightmare?”

Dean sighs, “Yeah.”

“‘M sorry.”

“Don’t bother,” He brushes it off, doesn’t want to dwell on the subject of his nightmares. “What are you doing now?”

“I’m—” There’s a sound of a machine. Loud and horrible. He makes a mental note to maybe get a new one. One that isn’t so fucking loud. “—oh my god!”

Dean chuckles, “It’s loud isn’t it?”

“No, I mean yeah, it is but I just had another shock moment.”

Dean’s alarmed. “What is it? The cat?”

Y/N laughs then, “Sorry, no. It’s just I was walking around and there’s a blob of your cum coming out of me and I think I need to change underwear again.”

“Jesus, Y/N! You seriously need to stop giving me heart attacks!” Then his voice gets lower, “Fuck, thanks for that image. Now I can’t stop thinking about you walking around in my apartment with cum stained underwear. You’re now wet and dripping, too, probably. Wet enough for me to just bend you over and fuck into you.”

Alright, that was a mistake because he’s half hard just by imagining it.

“Thanks,” She says, and adds, “Now I’m even wetter.”

“You’re welcome.” Dean grins.

“Why don’t you do it?”

“Do what?” He asks, wondering how she thinks he can go there right now.

“Bend me over and fuck me from behind. You always do it from the front.”

It’s the first time Dean thinks about it and yeah, that’s true.

“I-I just always want to see your face. I can’t if I’m behind you.”

It’s the truth. He can’t stand not seeing her face. Wants to know when he’s doing something wrong because she matters.

“You have a floor length mirror in your bedroom, just saying,”

“Ooookay, I need to cut this off because I have a meeting to attend and I can’t be thinking of you on all fours wet and ready for me.”

She laughs, “Too late.”

“It is.” He agrees. “Right, I’ll be in touch and I’ll see you soon.”

“Bye, Dean.”

“Bye, baby.”

Dean hangs up, stowed his phone back into his pocket and adjusts his boner before he gets out, buttoning up his suit jacket, slips into Dean Winchester, mobster boss.

“Alright, let’s go.”

“Gentlemen,” Crowley says as they walk in. “Take a seat.”

There are four empty chairs around a gigantic round table. The others are all occupied.

“Sorry we’re late,” Dean says, unbuttons his jacket and sits down. He looks into the round, sees familiar faces except for one.

“Yeah, he had to call up his sweetheart.” Ash snorts and Dean gives him that look. A look that says, that Ash should shut up or he’ll find himself at the end of a barrel.

Crowley grins, “Is that so? Is that why you didn’t want a girl from the club?”

Dean’s annoyed to say the least. “Can we get on with what he came here for?”

Crowley ignores Dean, turns to Ash and says, “That waitress?”

“Barmaid.” Cas corrects Crowley, a smug grin on his face but that grin is gone when he sees the look on Dean’s face.

“Ew, the one who said she had STD.” Crowley cringes his nose but then his lips form an ‘O’, “Ah, I’ve been played, I see. Barmaid one, Crowley zero.”

“Please, it’s none if your fucking business.” Dean growls, his hand comes up to scratch at his jaw, feeling visibly uncomfortable.

“Right, it’s your ‘fucking’ business,” Crowley is still grinning, air quotes the word fucking. “Anyway, gentlemen, this is my nephew Cain. He’s something higher up at Amtrak, is responsible for routes and schedules, I asked him to help out and here he is.”

“Cain,” Dean nods. It’s hard to tell that Cain’s Crowley’s nephew. He’s much taller, doesn’t look like his uncle at all. If it’s even his real uncle. Sometimes Crowley likes to take people under his wing, mentor them so he can use them.

“I’ll have people cover up the wagons, make them believe it’s a freight train of the city when in fact it’s gonna be methylamine for buyers in the west and countless other illegal things that I don’t even wanna know about.” Crowley is explaining it to Cain. Looking around at Dean and his men Crowley then says, “I hope gentlemen, that after this, you’ll be voting for me again in the next mayoral election.”

Dean tries not to snort out too loud.

“How many wagons are we talking about?” Cain asks, balancing a pen on his finger. Dean has noticed that Cain’s taking notes like a good school boy. He doesn’t know what it is but there’s something about Cain that rubs him the wrong way. He wonders if Crowley has run a background check on him.

“About fifteen to twenty.” Dean says.

“Excuse me what?” Cain asks, taken aback by the large number.

“Oh, you heard me.” Dean smirks and then he turns to Crowley, “I don’t think your nephew is ready for such a big thing.”

Castiel lowers his chin and mumbles “That’s what he said.” Which in turns makes Ash spit out the water he’s been drinking and splatters it across the table.

He’s working with a bunch of kids, Dean realizes.

“Cain, are you able to do that?” Crowley asks, his gaze on Cain and it’s as if Cain knows that if he says no, Crowley will probably do something bad to him and get someone else to do it anyway.

“I can,” Cain says, but his voice is not as convincing. “I need a couple of months, though.”

“Months?” Crowley’s outraged.

“Yeah, it’s not that easy, given the amount of freight I need to be thorough with the planning.” Cain tries to explain himself.

“Ash will help you.” Dean says.

After everyone walks out of the meeting room, Dean pulls Crowley aside. “Listen how real of a nephew is Cain to you?”

Crowley chuckles. “He’s actually not. It’s just someone I thought has potential.”

“Good,” Dean whispers. “I don’t trust him. Do you have a back up?”

“I always have a back up. Maybe not as good but when Ash can work on it sometime with Cain, maybe Ash can do the majority and we can get the backup in. I don’t trust Cain myself.”

“Why’s that?”

“Have you seen him making notes? Who the hell does that? It’s not like the things we talk about should be found anywhere! It fucking irks me!” Crowley hisses.

“Why did you get him on board?” Dean hisses back.

“His brother worked for me and got killed. Said I’d take care of his family and when I found out that Cain works for Amtrak, he was my fucking man alright?”

“For fuck’s sake, Crowley! Why do you think that he won’t be ratting us out? For all I know he’s gonna serve our asses to the Feds on a fucking silver platter!” Dean’s annoyed, punches the wall next to him.

“He’s being watched 24/7. I tapped his phone and his emails are going through my server. For now, get Ash to work with him, I’ll take care of it when time comes.” Crowley says and with that, he walks out of the meeting room.

Dean feels nauseous, has to sit down for a moment. He rubs his face, leans back and closes his eyes.

No, this can’t be happening. He’s not going to lay his future (or what’s left of it) in the hands of fucking Cain. This is his only shot, it’s all or nothing. It has to work out, only then will he be a free man. And now with Y/N, he has even more to lose.

D: I have to stay here another night, will you be okay?

Her phone lights up as she’s loading the dishwasher. She finishes the task and writes back.

Y/N: Don’t worry about me. Cuddles and me are having a good time.

D: Wish I could be there.

She giggles before she types something in.

Y/N: You’d be the third wheel.

The three dots appear, which means Dean’s typing something. And then they disappear only to reappear. The same game, again and again.

Y/N: You okay?

D: Yeah.

Then a little later.

D: No, actually I’m not. I’m having a rough day. Can I call you later? Maybe it helps when I hear your voice.

Y/N: Sure. Do you wanna call now?

D: No, I’m with Cas and the others. They’re already making enough fun of me as it is. Don’t worry, I’ll call you later, sweetheart.

Y/N: Okay.

Great. Does he think that she won’t worry? Ugh. Men, seriously.

She pockets her phone into her jeans and walks towards Dean’s office. She absolutely hates to do that. It’s like Dean completely turns her around and that’s not good, is it?

Her heart’s racing when she opens the door. The office is sparse, a big heavy desk, a big screen, a laptop. One big ass office chair and behind it some folders and a file cabinet.

All of a sudden a sound makes her scream up. Cuddles jumped from the floor onto the desk. “My god, you scared me for a second there.”

The cat looks at her with the look that says something like You and me both know that neither of us should be in here.

She sighs, rolls her eyes, “This is our secret, alright? I’m not doing it because I want to.”

Y/N works fast, looks through folders, files, comes up empty handed. She picks up the cat, glances back one last time to see if everything’s as it should be and then she closes the door behind her, leans against it and breathes for the first time. She didn’t realize that she’s been holding her breath this whole time.

There’s nothing that leads to his shady things. All the folders and files are about legal investments and that is as frustrating as it is a relief.

He must have all his other things at the bunker and who knows when she’ll be able to go there next and even worse, she won’t be alone in there.

She walks back to the couch, drops herself and the cat down on it, takes out her phone and snaps a picture of them together. Her face is still a little flushed and Cuddles looks as annoyed as a cat can.

She decides to send it to Dean, to help cheer him up.

The reply came immediately.

D: My two favorite things.

Her cheeks start to redden again. And then another text.

D: I set it as my lock screen, hope you don’t mind. You look good in my shirt. Have you been going through my stuff?

Oh, oh…

Y/N: Just wanted to sleep in the shirt I slept in the first time I was here.

She hopes he’s buying it. Which he should because it’s the truth.

D: It’s okay, I don’t keep secrets from you. It looks better on you anyway. You can keep it if you want.

She doesn’t know if she should answer. What she should answer. Decides not to because he said before that he was busy.

Looking at the watch, she sees that she still has two hours to kill before she has to go to work. She walks to her bag, gets out her drawing book and starts to draw. It’s a passion really. She always wanted to study art but then the thing with her dad happened and she completely turned her life around. Now she only draws when there’s time.

Opening the a new page, she picks out Cuddles to draw and when she’s about to start, Dean’s text is coming in.

D: There’s a gym and a pool on the first floor of the building if you’re bored.

Y/N: Tell me, do you really don’t have a camera in here? I thought you didn’t have a pool?

D: No cameras, just think that you might be bored. And it’s not my pool. It’s a community pool for everyone in the building.

Y/N: I don’t have a bathing suit with me.

D: Then don’t go to the pool. It’s kinda unsanitary to swim naked.

She snorts out a laugh.

Y/N: That’s your only concern? That I would swim there naked?

D: Yeah.

Y/N: Okay.

D: My second concern is that people will see you naked and I don’t want that.

Y/N: Thanks for being honest.

D: Anytime.

Y/N: Now stop texting me and go about your business!

D: You sound like Cas.

She grins and picks her pencil back up.

CH21

#something just like this #dean winchester #mobster!dean #dean winchester x reader #dean winchester x you #dean winchester fic #dean winchester fan fic #dean winchester fan fiction #nathalie writes

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gyldenglor · 5 years

Text

Humans are Space Orcs - Puppy

A soft rap on the door dreamed Vy'Keens' attention away from her paperwork. She looked up with the indomitable patience of a Kral.

That patience immediately began to wane as she saw a human standing at the entrance to her quarters.

"Peter - how can I help you?"

Peter smiled, being careful not to show his teeth - while many aliens have learned that it's not intended to be aggressive, Peter still felt that it was best to err on the side of caution.

"Hey captain - do you mind if I ask you for a favor?"

Vy'Keen leaned forward, interested in what the human has to say, yet still cautious of what the outcome could be. "Go on."

"So, you know how Sophie's dog died, about three months ago?"

"Yes."

"Well, I've done some research, and I found a rescue puppy ready for adoption on a nearby planet - it wouldn't be far out of the way, we could be there within less than a day."

Vy'Keen hesitates. She's aware of the nature of a juvenile dog being referred to as a puppy, but she doesn't understand the logic.

"Why would she want to have a new dog?" Vy'Keen inquires. "Wasn't this one painful enough?"

Peter smiled sadly, an oxymoron that Vy'Keen herself had only recently started to understand.

"Humans are stupid that way," he explains. "We love to love so much that we barely consider the end result. Dogs live such short lives, in comparison to us, that the result is almost always that we're left mourning them, heartbroken and devastated.

"And you know what? It's worth it every time."

"So… It's worth it to have your heart cease functioning?"

"No, no - to be heartbroken means to be really sad," he hurriedly explained before the captain could call for a medical exam on Sophie for a broken heart. "And Sophie needs to be able to move on - and there's no better way for her to do that than to adopt a new dog. I know it seems counterintuitive, but it really is the best option for her."

Vy'Keen took a moment to think. "And this new dog - it would be similar to this one, correct? And it would not present an issue to the crew?"

Peter sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "So… It may need to be potty trained. And trained in general."

"Potty...Trained?"

"Yeah - Spot knew how to use a litter box designed for dogs, so his waste could be easily disposed of. The new puppy, though, will have to learn how to do that - and while learning it would be confined to Sophie's room, so if it has any… Accidents, it won't be anywhere except for where we can clean it, and it won't be a hazard."

Vy'Keen hesitated, but she trusts Peter's judgement - as much as she could trust the judgement of such an illogical race, that is.

"And what of the other training?"

"Just to make sure it behaves well, and respects personal space," Peter clarified. "Also, it may be...loud."

"Like this dog was?" Vy'Keen thought back to the errant 'barking', which while loud, was rare enough to not be an annoyance.

"Yeah, but, constantly." Peter had a feeling he wasn't doing himself any favors - but he didn't want to deceive the captain. After all, he had the utmost respect for her. "We could soundproof Sophie's room while we train it to be quiet."

Vy'Keen's tail twitched, betraying her underlying anxiety regarding the situation. "While I do prioritize Sophie's mental wellbeing, I would very much appreciate keeping the rest of my crew comfortable. Is there any other way to ensure this animal would not be disruptive? I fear that soundproofing her quarters could result in safety concerns."

"Well, they do make collars that alter its bark to be audible only to humans, but they're not exactly cheap."

"Then the cost for that would come from your wages."

Peter nodded. "Yeah, makes sense."

"Is there anything else that I should know about?"

Peter hesitated before continuing. "It's going to have to chew a lot, but chew toys shouldn't be an issue."

"I'm familiar with the concept of teething," Vy'Keen explained. "My kind undergoes teething when our ability to chew tree bark develops."

"Perfect! So, can we actually do this?"

Vy'Keen paused. There were many, MANY reasons not to, but for some reason, she felt that the potential benefit to the human crew may be worth it.

Furthermore, to be able to document the growth patterns and behavior of a death world predator, as well as how humans train them, could generate a significant amount of revenue, and the ship DID need some expensive maintenance...

"So long as we can collect data on its growth and the training process."

"Absolutely!" Peter enthusiastically agreed.

"Send me the coordinates and we can arrange for a stop to pick up this animal," Vy'Keen commanded. A part of her couldn't believe she was saying yes.

She knew that if it weren't up to her alone, yes may not have been the answer the human received - luckily for him, however, Xlaxis and the security officers had already cleared canines for extended stay on the ship, meaning that Vy'Keen could make these decisions on her own.

She hoped she wouldn't come to regret it.

"And I will notify Sophie-"

"No!" Vy'Keen nearly jumped out of her chair at the sudden exclamation. Instinct kicked in as she cautiously watched the human, ready to run. "We actually have a way that we wanted to tell her - if that's okay. Maybe at dinner?"

Vy'Keen's patience dwindled further. At this point, she just wanted the exchange to be over. Why must humans insist to deliver information in convoluted ways?

"If you must."

Peter thanked her, and she dismissed him. He hummed a strange tune as he left, one that Vy'Keen couldn't quite understand - after all, the Kral had no concept of music.

Later that evening, when the crew gathered for dinner, Vy'Keen made sure all human crew members were present.

She made sure to informed Xlaxis that they should record the occasion, explaining the circumstances and the opportunity to observe humans partaking in 'surprise'. Xlaxis readily agreed - they knew very well just how much could be made from such an observation.

About halfway through the meal, at which point the humans had already made a mess, as usual, (thankfully they always cleaned up after themselves,) Peter called for everyone's attention. Xlaxis immediately started documenting the occasion, recording visuals and audio, as well as the biometric data of each of the human crew members.

"So, Sophie, all of us decided to get a surprise for you," Peter announced. "And don't worry, the captain already said yes."

Sophie seemed very confused, and her biometrics indicated an elevated heart rate.

Peter pressed a button on a remote, and the hologram protector for the mess hall came to life.

Vy'Keen had no idea how he had gotten his hands on it, but she would have to make sure that Peter explained himself later.

If he had somehow managed to, once again, replicate the functionality of a remote on the ship, she would need to reprimand him.

A hologram of a juvenile canine shimmered into view - it seemed to be very small, and was completely brown. Vy'Keen was taken aback by how different it looked in comparison to Sophie's deceased dog - Spot had been white with somewhat small eyes, and small ear flaps.

This one seemed to have eyes too big for its own head, and ear flaps that hung down past its jaw.

Sophie let out a massive gasp, and her biometrics indicated that her heart rate had skyrocketed. Xlaxis became concerned for a moment, on standby in case she had a 'heart attack' - such an occurrence had only been observed once before, and the texts humans had presented to explain human biology were still being studied.

So, the only widely-known symptom of a heart attack was an erratic heartbeat - and when the heartbeat changes depending upon how the individual is breathing, it can make catching the attacks very, very difficult.

"She's a Beagle Chihuahua mix, and when we pick her up, she'll be ten weeks old. Her name is currently Phoebe, but we can change it -"

"Annie," Sophie immediately blurted out. "Her name is Annie!"

Peter grinned, and some of the crew shrunk back at the aggressive display of teeth.

"Annie it is then."

Sophie let out a squeal, and jumped up to wrap her arms around Peter. "Oh my God, thank you so much! I'm so happy!" The other humans laughed and slapped their hands together.

Vy'Keen couldn't help but feel happy with regards to how this had played out. She didn't understand why she felt happy - perhaps she had begun the process of pack bonding, as well?

------------

Entry #2,532,176

Author - Vy'Keen

Race - Kral

Captain

Subject: Warning

BEGIN REPORT

I've made a terrible mistake.

I let the humans bring a juvenile canine aboard my ship.

Yes, the humans have higher morale than previously thought possible. Yes, Sophie, whose pet canine had passed away recently, has recovered significantly in her mental health.

However, after three months, I must warn anyone reading this report: DO NOT LET A PUPPY ABOARD YOUR SHIP.

They are a constant source of chaos.

Thankfully the humans invested in a collar that renders its ceaseless exclamations inaudible to anyone but themselves. However, we can still see and feel the effect it has on the ship.

Every morning, it wakes at the same time Sophie does. And it goes absolutely wild.

Occasionally it escapes from her quarters, and will proceed to sprint throughout the entirety of the ship. We thought the humans were fast. We were fools.

The humans can barely keep up in their attempts to catch it. They must appease to its hunting instincts with small biscuits in order to get it to approach, and even then it will sometimes outmaneuver them and continue its rampage.

It will pick up anything left unattended, and shake it around and chew on it. It has ruined many, MANY pairs of my crews footwear and various other protective coverings of the same functionality.

Luckily, it no longer urinates or defecates wherever it deems appropriate, and will actually go to its designated waste area. For the first month, the biohazard team was on high alert. I had to give them bonuses.

And as quickly as its rampage begins, it ends. It seemingly randomly collapses and falls asleep.

The humans then pick it up and dote on it, speaking in bizarre ways to it, kissing it over and over again.

Sophie and Peter, especially, obsess over it. There are times that I've walked into the meeting room in the morning, and found Peter, Sophie, or both of them barely conscious on a seat, with the puppy curled into a ball on their laps.

I must admit that I've experienced flaws in my logic.

I can, and will not, force the humans to remove the puppy from the ship, as it appears as if pack bonding is… Contagious. I have grown to like the puppy, despite its terrifying predator instincts.

Furthermore, I fear the humans would mutiny if I forced them to reject their predator companion.

Finally, the amount of data we have generated from this one specimen alone is amazing. It turns out, humans can actually pack bond on sight - even when it's only a picture, or in this case, a hologram.

The puppy has entered my quarters - apparently it has escaped Sophie's quarters, yet again. I can hear the humans attempting to call it towards them.

I'm going to attempt to hold the animal in my lap, to observe why humans enjoy doing so. I will return to this report once I've completed my attempt and will fill in my experience.

END REPORT

ADDENDUM

I now have the puppy in my lap.

It was terrifying to approach it. It watched me with the cold, calculating stare of a predator.

When I finally bent to pick it up, it raised onto its hind legs and stretched its front legs towards me. I do not know if this was a display of aggression, or wanting to be picked up.

I picked it up in the same way the humans do, with one hand on each side. I was careful not to injure it with my claws, to ensure that it would not become enraged and attack me.

I carefully carried it to my seat, sat down, and placed it on my lap. I made sure to stay completely still so it would not perceive aggression, or an attempt to flee, on my part.

It curled into a ball and is now asleep.

I feel an inexplicable fondness for the predator.

From this, I can draw only one conclusion.

Pack bonding is contagious, and I have caught it.

#humans are space orcs #humans are weird #space australia #short story #writing

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cuppalevi · 4 years

Text

Blue Guitar | Chapter 1: Feast Your Eyes

Series Summary: Leone Abbacchio's trying his best to get his shit together for Narancia. But when Narancia ends up inviting him to a concert he's playing for, Leone ends up under the sheets of the popstar, Bruno Buccellati. It turns out dating a popstar has complications. Especially when a certain someone named Diavolo has tricks up his sleeves.

Chapter 1 Summary: Leone Abbacchio gets invited to Bruno Buccellati’s concert by Narancia and he steals a pack of oranges from Giorno.

Fandom: Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure

Pairing: Leone Abbacchio x Bruno Buccellati

AO3 Link | Masterlist

“You should go! You’re always at home.” Narancia remarked as he pressed down on the buttons of his Playstation controller, eyes trained on the television screen before him as he raced his F-Mega car against a computer opponent.

Grumbling, Leone flipped the pancake he was cooking on the stove for them, satisfied (and proud of himself) when the pancake was a good, golden brown color. “I like staying at home.”

Leone Abbacchio once worked as a policeman. Ever since he was charged for being a dirty cop for accepting bribery and letting his partner die in a stakeout, his life has gone downhill. It seemed that the only thing able to numb his pain was alcohol.

Narancia rolled his eyes, “Ugh, you’re such an old man.”

Narancia Ghirga was the only driving force that kept Leone from going crazy. When he had taken Narancia in, he was determined to get his act straight for the teenager. Narancia was a teenage runaway he met when he was drinking his ass off at the pub.

The raven-haired teen was strumming his guitar two seats away from Leone at the minibar when a random dude yelled at the teen to stop playing the guitar.

At first, Leone just minded his own business- with no intentions to get involved. But when he heard the thud of the guitar fall down to the floor, he looked in the teenager's direction. His eyes widened when he saw the boy's head whipping to the side when this guy had punched him.

Enraged, Leone had stood up from his stool and with no remorse, landed a swift punch to the offender.

"Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" Leone grunted, wiping the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand.

He was still definitely drunk.

Before he knew it, he had gotten himself into a brawl that the manager had broken apart. Resulting in being kicked out of the pub with a bruised eye and an aching torso.

"You didn't have to do that you know."

The man turned to see the teenager he had taken multiple hits for. He was looking down at the stone pavement, as he fiddled with his hands.

"A thank you would have sufficed. Got my ass kicked thanks to you." Leone rolled his eyes, wincing as he tried to straighten his posture, only to crouch and aid his stricken stomach.

The teen furrowed his brows, "I didn't even ask for your help. You could have just let them and you wouldn't have gotten hurt."

Leone clicked his tongue, "Yeah, well, guys like him are scums anyway. Picking on a kid." His stomach hurt badly, and the hospital was miles away from where they were now. Maybe he could just sleep it off, Leone thought. It’s probably not that bad.

The teen raised his head to look at Leone with furrowed brows and a frown on his lip, "I'm not a kid."

"Just go home already. Your parents are probably worried sick," Gruffed Leone, taking slow strides as he began the route back to his apartment.

"Tch. Padre doesn't care, he doesn't even bother looking for me. I ran away from home." The teenager had started walking along with him, his purple eyes glinting under the moonlight as the took each step. “I’m Narancia, by the way.”

“Leone Abbacchio,” The adult replied, turning his head at Narancia.

The boy seemed lonely, to be honest. If he did run away from home, then it’s most likely he’s got nowhere to stay. Leone contemplated if he should look for a place for Narancia to stay, seeing as sleeping in the streets wouldn’t suffice.

“Have you got any relatives you could stay with?” Asked Leone, swiping his bangs away from his face as the apartment complex had started come to view.

Narancia shook his head, “Nope. Nobody.”

Leone sighed, his heart overcoming his mind, “You can stay at mine for the time being.” He missed the way that Narancia raised his head and looked at the adult beside him with hope in his eyes.

That was two years ago when Narancia was fifteen. At first, Leone wasn’t fond of the idea of having another mouth to feed when he can barely sustain himself. But it just seemed that his sympathy broke through his walls and let the teenager live with him. Even so, Leone would never admit it, but he was damn glad he picked up Narancia that night.

Leone scoffed, “ Sta 'zitto, I’m too busy trying to find a new job to go to a concert.” He switched the stove off and placed the two plates with a stack of pancakes on the small dining table right by the kitchen.

When the teen heard the clink of plates against the wooden table, he paused his game, removing the headphones that sat on his ears and headed to the dining table where Leone was drizzling maple syrup over his meal.

“You’ll get to see me play my guitar upstage and you even get a VIP pass for backstage.” Narancia grinned as he sat down on a seat, inhaling the scent of the freshly cooked pancake presented before him.

Leone handed the teen the bottle of maple syrup, “I’ve seen you play your guitar hundreds of times.”

Narancia pointed his fork at him, his head leaning against the palm on his hand as it rested on the surface. “That’s different. This time I’m playing it in front of hundreds of people. It’s my first gig, Abba.”

The long-haired man hummed, “And I’m proud of you, definitely. But do you really want this old man spoiling your fun?”

Narancia rolled his eyes, stuffing his mouth with pancakes. “You’re not gonna be spoiling my fun, besides, I want you to meet Buccellati and the band.”

Leone sighed- this kid is relentless- “Don’t speak when your mouth is full. The band? Band of troublemakers you mean?”

“The good kind of troublemakers, Abbacchio.” Narancia smirked, “Come on! Please? Pretty please?” Then he turned to the grown-up with a smile. The kind of smile that a child makes when they want something. That cute, irresistible, innocent smile that Narancia had mastered which makes it hard for Leone to say NO to.

Leone clicked his tongue.

“Okay, I’ll clean Blues’ litter box and feed her for one whole week.” Narancia compromised, eyes beaming at the adult.

Leone hummed, squinting his eyes as he pursed his lips in thought. “Two weeks.” He countered.

“Deal!” Narancia grinned, taking another bite of his pancake as he internally cheered for himself.

Chuckling, Leone gulped down a glass of orange juice as he watched Narancia eat his pancakes happily. Although he would much rather stay at home, he can’t lie that he’s excited to see Naranicia play upstage. Leone remembered the day the teenager had been so excited when he announced that he landed a job as an acoustic guitarist in Bruno Buccellati’s band.

Suddenly, the two hear a loud meow. They whip their heads to the source and see the black-furred feline, Moody Blues. Her bright blue eyes staring at the two adults as she climbed down from the window sill and approached the dining table.

“Well look who’s back from her nightly adventures.” Leone commented.

Moody Blues hopped onto Leone’s lap and purred. The cat rubs her head on Leone’s chest and releases another meow.

Narancia had been coming home from school once when he heard tiny cries coming from the alleyway he passed on the route home. Curiously, the teen approached the source of the sound and found a cardboard box just resting beside a trash bin. And when he looked in, he saw a frail kitten, crying for something-- most probably her mama or maybe some food.

The kitten reminded him of himself before Leone had generously taken him in. So without a second thought, he carried the box home. Of course, Leone was surprised to see Narancia come through the door with a kitten, telling the teen that they weren’t capable of taking care of a pet.

"Please Abba? I promise to take good care of her!" Narancia had begged him with tear-filled eyes.

And since Leone hated seeing Narancia cry, Leone sighed and eventually gave in. Eventually working out ways on how they’d take care of the kitten.

It really should be a crime of how persuasive Narancia was.

It had been two years since then, the cat which Leone named Moody Blues was purring on his lap.

“She’s practically gone all the time. Wonder what she’s doing out on the streets.” Narancia mentioned, finished up the last of his pancakes.

Leone scratched the back of the feline’s ears, “At least she comes back home. Oh, and your two weeks begin now.”

Narancia groaned but stood up nonetheless, heading to the cupboard where they kept the cat food. He opened up the bag and poured a good amount onto the dark purple food bowl with a silver “Moody Blues” printed on. After that, he placed the food bowl down on the floor and called on Moody Blues.

“Here you go, girl,” Narancia called.

The cat hopped down from Leone’s lap and crawled towards Narancia. She released a meow as she rubbed herself on the legs of the teen, purring thankfully for the meal he’s given her.

“Right, what time is this concert?” Leone questioned as he got up and collected the plates and glasses to wash them up in the sink.

“Well we should be there at 7:30 PM since the band and I need some last-minute rehearses. Buccellati is also treating us to dinner,” Narancia said, “But the concert starts at 9.”

“I don’t even know who this Buccellati is,” Leone remarked as he started up washing the dishes.

Narancia had gone back to his game, determined to win against the F-Mega computer opponent. “You’re always listening to Monteverdi, you hardly get to listen to new songs.”

Leone rolled his purple-yellow eyes, “I didn’t know we were questioning my music tastes.”

"Seriously though, you should start listening to Buccellati. He's got great songs."

"I'll consider it." Were Leone's last words before the rest of the morning was met in silence.

It was now 7 in the morning, Leone was just getting ready to go to the grocery store. After Leone had finished up in the bathroom, he called Narancia from the living room who- to no surprise- was still glued to his gaming console and told him to get ready for school.

In his defense, it was way too early to play video games.

The man stood in front of his dresser, brushing down his mane of pale hair. When he first applied to the police force, his hair was trimmed in a crew cut. But since he wasn’t a cop anymore and months have passed, his hair progressed to grow quite quickly. Before he knew it, it went past his shoulder. He found himself liking his long hair so he opted to keep it.

"Abba, can you get those oranges that you always bring home from the store?" He heard Narancia's voice from the open crevice of his bedroom door.

"Of course I can,” Leone had tied a black elastic around his bunched up hair, pulling the mane into a ponytail before he grabs his wallet and exits his bedroom. “Make sure you lock up, okay? And don’t forget your textbooks this time.” He heads to grab his house keys before adorning himself in a black coat.

“Yeah, got them all packed.” Narancia held up his back-pack with a grin. “See ya later, alligator!”

“After a while, crocodile.”

Leone had found himself walking down the aisle of the grocery store, scanning at the different varieties of fruit displayed in front of him. He’s got a shopping cart grasped in his left hand while the other was buried in his coat pocket. He was looking for the oranges that Narancia loved. Once, Leone had brought home said oranges, and ever since, Narancia had become addicted to the fruit.

“It’s got a different kind of sweetness to it,” Narancia had told him when he asked why it became his favorite.

His eyes trailed over the citrus section when his eyes beamed at the packet of the oranges he was looking for. It was the last of the stock as well. As he went to grab the pack, another hand had seized the item. Dismayed, he went to look at the person who grabbed his oranges and they landed on a young, blonde-headed fellow.

“No, signore. Bruno’s supposed to have an interview tomorrow. He won’t be available until then,” The blonde spoke into the receiver of the phone he was holding.

Leone furrowed his brows and clicked his tongue, “Excuse me, I was going to get those-”

But before he could continue speaking, the blonde male raised a finger as if to silence him, conversing with the person he was talking to on the phone. Leone thought the guy looked ridiculous with three large, round curls sat above his forehead as the rest of his hair was braided behind him. He also looked young.

Leone rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

“ Si, thank you for understanding. Ciao, ” The blonde spoke into the phone and ended the call.

“I got those oranges first,” Leone spoke up, glaring at him.

The kid before him removed the sunglasses he was wearing and set his gaze at Leone. “Is that so? They wouldn’t be in my hand if you got them first.” He raised a brow and gestured to the pack of oranges gripped in his hand.

“I was going to grab them but then you-”

“I don’t have time for your complaints, I’m a busy man and my time is short. Just wait for the next stock,”

Leone fumed, lips curled into a snarl. The blonde was about to walk away but then Leone had pulled him back harshly with a tight grip. “Listen here, brat. I got here first, those oranges are mine.”

The lengths he would go through just to please a troublesome kid at home.

The blonde scoffed, “They’re literally just oranges, get another pack. Now let go of me, please.” He tugged on his arm, trying to free himself from this man’s grip on his arm.

“There’s isn’t another pack because that’s the last one,” Leone growled, “I got here first, now hand them over.” Leone wasn’t one to pick up random fights in the grocery store t get the last pack of oranges. However, in this case, he’s definitely not gonna let some donut-headed blonde take the oranges (That he set his eyes on first) that Narancia had generously asked him to buy.

“Please, let go of me or I’ll call security,” The male calmly replied.

“Shut up, I have a kid at home who wants these oranges. I’ll let go once you hand me the oranges,” Leone was holding himself back from punching this kid.

“ Signore, I grabbed the oranges first. Therefore they’re mine.”

Leone poked the kid’s chest, glaringly. If you could squint, you’d probably see the steam fuming from Leone’s ears from how frustrated he was. “ Bastardo, I have seniority here so what I say goes. Are you still going to decline?”

The blonde peered at Leone, and with one motion, he swats at Leone’s hand that has been poking his chest. He glared back at Leone with glinting green eyes. “I’m afraid things will get ugly if you keep going, signore. Trust me, you don’t know what I’m capable of.” He taunted, tilting his head menacingly as if to threaten Leone.

Gritting his teeth, Leone opened his mouth to speak but he was interrupted by another voice joining their conversation.

“Is there a problem, Giorno?”

The two heads turned to see another male. One clad in exquisite clothing with a stylish fedora that sat on his head and adorned white-framed sunglasses. “We’re meant to be at our destination in five minutes,”

Leone found himself staring at the man. There’s something about him that he can’t put his finger on. He finds himself yearning to see the face behind the shades.

“Apologies, Bruno. This man keeps insisting that I stole his oranges,” Said Giorno, moving away from Leone to approach this man called Bruno, the pack of oranges still in his hand.

Leone frowned, “That’s because you did,” He argued, still set on going home with the said oranges.

“All this ruckus for a pack of oranges, boss?” Bruno hummed at Giorno who rolled his eyes.

“I really did get them first,” Giorno claimed.

A huff leaves Leone’s mouth, “I had my eyes on them first.”

Giorno rolled his eyes once more, “Sure, whatever you say. We’re in a hurry, can we please get this over with?”

“I’m not letting you leave with those,” Leone pointed to the pack of oranges in Giorno’s hand.

“I just wanna get them for my kid,”

Wow, Leone could not believe that he’s started to call Narancia his kid. Oh boy, that kid is certainly gonna be the death of him eventually.

Bruno nudges Giorno at his side, “The guy’s got a kid. We can get oranges at another store,”

Giorno raises an offending brow to the man beside him, “ You asked for the oranges, Bruno. I’m only doing what you asked me to do.”

Bruno lets out a sigh, “As I said, we can get oranges at another store. We’re running out of time as well, I still have do warm-ups before tonight.”

Reluctantly, Giorno shakes his head and tosses the pack of oranges to Leone’s direction.

Fucking finally, Leone cheered in triumph.

“Thanks,” Leone mumbled, putting the pack of oranges to his shopping cart.

“Can we go now?” Giorno impatiently asked Bruno who was eyeing Leone scrutinizingly.

With a quirk at the corner of his mouth, he tipped his head to Leone. “Sorry for the trouble, bello,” He slid the shades down the bridge of his nose to get a better look at Leone.

Leone’s cheeks flushed red at the comment, much to Bruno’s delight. He stared back at the striking blue eyes that seemed to see through his soul.

“We’ll get going now,” Bruno smirked at him, putting the shades back in place- unfortunately (For Leone) covering the beautiful eyes he had- before turning to Giorno and nodding at the direction at the exit.

With one last glance, Bruno looked Leone up and down before walking away with Giorno by his side. Then, Leone released a breath he didn’t know he was holding. His fist was clenched tightly, but it wasn’t out of anger, it was more of due to the pile of shudders crawling up his spine. Admittedly, Bruno had managed to charm him. To the point where a small flicker of hope that Leone would see him again, especially without that brat Giorno.

Leone released a puff of breath, shaking his head and then heading to the counter to pay for those damn oranges.

< To Be Continued I \ I |

#march's fics #jojo golden wind #Bruno Buccellati #leone abbacchio #Narancia Ghirga #Giorno Giovanna #jojo's bizzare adventure golden wind #jjba #fanfic #bruabba #Bruabba fic

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fancat-not-fangirl · 4 years

Text

It’s Not You Pt.12

a/n: more Christmas fluff (with a side of angst)

Cas woke up to the smell of something burning. It was clogging up his nose and filled his lungs and he choked awake, coughing at the raw scent. His eyes flew open and he drew in another breath, hoping he had imagined it. No such luck. Something was burning. Badly.

“Mom?” He croaked out, but got no response. Cas then remembered that his mom wasn’t home. She had been called to the office early this morning, and had woken up a bleary eyed, half asleep Cas at 5am to tell him that she’d be home in time for dinner.

Then what was burning? Throwing back his blankets and getting up, Cas coughed a bit and tried to get the burning smell out of his system. He tiredly rubbed at his eyes and opened his door, making his way down the hallway and then to the stairs. Passing by the bathroom, he caught a look at himself in the mirror, and ran a hand through his sleep ruffled hair. It did nothing to help, and Cas shrugged and moved on, too tired to care.

He heard a loud noise in the kitchen, followed by cursing. Tensing, Cas quickened his pace, making it down the stairs and rounding the corner to the kitchen in a matter of seconds. And stared.

The smell was ten times stronger near the source, and Cas covered his nose as he took in the sight in front of him. There were baking utensils strewn everywhere, some in the sink, others piled on the counter. And the flour. It covered the tables and counters in a fine sheet of white powder. But that wasn’t the only thing the flour had engulfed. Dean was bent over, arm shoved into the oven up to his shoulder, shrouded from head to toe in a layer of white.

“Dean, what are you doing?”

Dean’s head snapped up and his face went red. Well, as red as it could get under all that flour. He glanced around the mess of the kitchen, and gave Cas a sheepish look as he put his flour covered hands behind his back.

“I… umm. Baking?”

Cas raised an eyebrow. “Baking?”

“Attempting to bake.”

Cas snorted. “That’s better.” He walked around to where Dean was standing and peered into the oven. Gagging at the burnt smell coming from a black form in the center of the oven, Cas looked back up at Dean. “What were you trying to make? And why at 8am?”

“Well,” Dean ducked his head and rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. “Your mom left and I know that she usually makes you breakfast and I get up early anyway so I decided that I’d make you something.” He gestured at the dining room table, where Cas realized there were two plates, both piled high with eggs, bacon, and waffles. “I tried to make blueberry muffins but I sort of forgot about them and they kind of burned.”

Cas smiled up at Dean, who still had his eyes wide with that guilty look. Standing up on his tiptoes, Cas pressed a kiss to Dean’s cheek. “Thank you anyway.”

Dean relaxed a bit and smiled back, reaching out to pull Cas in for a hug, but the younger man twisted out of his reach, laughing. “I’d rather not get flour all over my clothes.” Realizing that he was still covered from head to toe in the white powder, Dean chuckled and said, “At least help me clean this mess up.”

Rolling his eyes with a grin, Cas opened the window in the kitchen, then made his way to the living room, opening the windows in every room of the house. “First we’ve got to get rid of that smell.”

Dean’s laugh was the only thing he got in reply.

*****

Before leaving, his mom had told Cas that he should decorate the tree today, and that’s exactly what he was doing. Dean was just finishing cleaning the kitchen, which he had been doing for almost an hour now. Cas knew that it had to be spotless, or else when his mother returned she’d hang him by the ears.

Cas had brought up the boxes of ornaments and tinsel and garlands from the basement. They had way too many decorations for their own good, and Cas spent a good ten minutes trying to decide if he wanted to use the garland made out of popcorn or the one he made out of buttons the previous year on a particularly boring day at home when he mother was away at work. He finally settled on the popcorn one, as it matched with the golden tinsel.

While hanging up one of the ornaments, out of the corner of his eye Cas saw Dean collapse onto the couch with a mug of tea in his hands. He must have finished in the kitchen.

“Are you gonna help me or just watch?” Cas called over his shoulder, reaching up and adjusting the lights near the top of the tree.

“Just watch.” Dean said. “I tired myself out scrubbing the kitchen to within an inch of its life.”

Smiling to himself but letting out a loud huff so that Dean could hear, Cas continued his work on the tree, aware of Dean’s eyes following his every move. Grabbing some tinsel, Cas started wrapping it around the tree. Hearing a small noise behind him, he glanced back and saw Dean’s face scrunch up.

“What?”

“You’re doing it wrong.”

Cas gave Dean a confused look. “Doing what wrong?”

“The tinsel.”

Cas looked back and surveyed his work. Seeing nothing wrong with it, he swung his head around and glared at Dean. “It looks fine to me.” He pointed a finger at his soulmate. “And anyway, what are you? The tree police?” He turned back to the tree and continued wrapping it. “You were the one that said you didn’t want to help, so don’t complain.”

Cas finished with the tinsel and dug around in the box for some ornaments. Filling his arms over the top with the decorations, he balanced them precariously as he took one at a time, hanging them all around the tree.

“Wrong!” Came the shout from Dean again. Ignoring him, Cas stood his ground and continued placing the ornaments in random spots on the tree.

“That’s wrong, too.”

Cas turned on his heel and leveled a glare on his soulmate, who was lounging on the couch, sipping his tea. “Well if you know so much about decorating Christmas trees, please, be my guest and get it right.”

Smirking, Dean got up and strode across the room to Cas, handing him his tea and swapping it for the armful of ornaments. Cas backed away and looked the tree over. There was nothing that was wrong with it as far as he could tell. The tinsel was in place, there were ornaments littering the green expanse of tree. The popcorn garland was a little wonky, but didn’t look too bad.

“Hey!” Cas protested as Dean started taking off his recent additions to the tree. “Put them back! I worked hard on those!”

Snorting, Dean said, “Really? I couldn’t tell.”

Grumbling to himself, Cas stomped back and dropped down onto the couch, taking a deep swing of the tea. That was the wrong move, because he immediately coughed it back up. “How long did you keep the tea bag here for? It tastes so bitter, how do you even drink this?”

Chuckling, Dean glanced at Cas over his shoulder. “I like bitter tea. Why are you drinking my tea, anyway?”

“Bitter like your soul.” Cas mumbled to himself, which earned him an indignant “Hey!” from Dean.

They stayed in silence for a few minutes until Cas piped up, “Can you at least tell me what I did wrong so that I won’t make the same mistakes next time?”

Dean sighed, as if he was preparing himself for a long talk. He then launched into it. “Well, first of all, the colors don’t match at all. You can’t have all of the decorations one color, or else it looks bland. The garland and tinsel should not both be yellow gold. No. Absolutely not. Let’s see if you have anything else in here…” Dean bent down and rummaged around in the box until he brought out the button garland. “Aww this is cute. Did you make it?”

Cas nodded, and Dean smiled at him. “That’s adorable. I didn’t know my angel was into arts and crafts. When’d you make it? Preschool?”

“Last year.”

Dean gave him an amused look as he laughed. “Your artistic skills are astounding.” Turning back to the tree, Dean started wrapping the buttons around.

“See? The tree is already starting to look more colorful instead of being one monotone color.” Cas had to admit, it did look better with the button garland than with the popcorn one. Maybe Dean really was the tree police.

“And the ornaments that you hung up.” Dean made an exaggerated shudder. “They’re hung so consistently, it’s like I’m back in math class and we’re going over graphs.” Gesturing at the tree, Dean continued, “You have all of the red ones on this side, all the yellow ones in the middle, and all the blue ones over here. You can’t do that. Nope.”

He started hanging and rehanging the ornaments, rearranging them in a way that actually made the tree look much better than it did before. All the while, he was explaining to Cas about color balance and emphasis and pattern. After a span of half an hour or so, Dean’s movements back and forth in front of the tree lulled Cas into closing his eyes, letting Dean’s voice wash over him.

“Cas!”

Cas was jolted awake by a hand on his shoulder and opened his eyes to find Dean’s face looking down on him. Realizing that he had fallen asleep, Cas yawned and managed a soft, “Hmm?”

“I asked you a question like twenty times and looked over to find that you fell asleep! A bit rude, if you ask me.” Dean sat down on the edge of the couch and crossed his arms.

“What question?” Cas mumbled, still not quite awake after his nap.

“I wanted to know if I could get the ladder.”

Giving Dean a confused look, Cas stretched and sat up. “What for?”

Smiling and ruffling Cas’s hair, Dean leaned in and kissed Cas on the nose. “Well, how else are we supposed to get you to the top of the tree?”

Cas was confused at first, but at Dean’s wink he realized what his boyfriend had meant. Wrapping his arms around Dean, Cas pulled him down on top of him, pressing their lips together. Dean smiled against his mouth, slipping a hand under Cas’s shirt and running it along his skin. Cas leaned into his touch, and wrapped his arms tighter around Dean.

“Did you finish with the tree?” Cas asked. Dean was still sprawled on top of him, face buried in Cas’s neck. Dean hummed and nodded. Cas looked over and was pleasantly surprised at how nice the tree looked. Whenever he or his mom had decorated, it always looked a little sloppy and lopsided, but Dean had somehow made the tree into something you’d find in a magazine.

“Looks good.” Cas whispered to Dean, who shifted and inhaled deeply, mumbling, “Told you your way was wrong.”

Laughing, Cas rested his head on Dean’s and closed his eyes. He hadn’t finished his nap.

*****

Cas woke up for the third time that day when he heard a key in the lock and the unmistakable sound of the front door opening. Shifting a bit, Cas realized that Dean had remained in his position on top of Cas, with their legs tangled together and his arms around the younger man. Cas smiled softly at the peaceful look on Dean’s face. He looked so sweet and innocent when he was asleep. Cas would have used the word ‘adorable’, but he didn’t think that Dean would have appreciated that adjective being used on him.

“Cas! Dean! I’m home!” came the voice of his mother, and Cas could hear her putting her keys down on the counter as she shrugged off her coat and took off her shoes.

Trying not to wake Dean, Cas called out softly, “We’re in the living room.”

From his horizontal and limited view of the room, Cas only felt it as his mom walked in. “Oh, Cas. The tree looks wonderful! But where are y-” Her question was cut short as she made her way around the back of the couch and saw the boys. Her eyes softened, and she let out a soft, “Aww” at the sight of the cuddling Cas and Dean.

“I’ll be right back.” She mouthed, noticing that Dean was asleep, and tiptoed out of the room. There was a large chance that she’d come back with her phone to take a picture, and Cas was not disappointed when she returned.

Waving her hand at him, Claire mouthed, “Pretend you’re asleep.” Sighing with a smile, Cas closed his eyes and settled back down, pressing his face into Dean’s hair, inhaling that scent that was now so familiar to him. He heard the sound the phone made when it took a picture, but he didn’t bother opening his eyes.

“Are you boys hungry?” Claire asked. Cas thought for a moment.The last time either of them ate was hours back when they had leftover spaghetti and meatballs from the day before. He nodded, and his mom bustled away into the kitchen where he heard her opening and closing cabinets and taking out food from the refrigerator. Cas closed his eyes and brought his hand up to Dean’s head, starting to softly run his hands through Dean’s hair.

Letting out a quiet moan of content, Dean shifted slightly on top of Cas. Scolding himself for waking Dean up, Cas stopped stroking Dean’s hair and dropped his hand back to his side.

“Mmm, no. Don’ stop.” Dean’s voice was muffled by Cas’s neck, but he heard Dean anyway. Smiling, Cas moved his hand to Dean’s head again and resumed running his fingers through Dean’s hair. His soulmate let out a noise that was almost a purr as Cas tugged softly on the hair at the back of his neck.

Cas was about to drift off to sleep again when his mom came in again, announcing that dinner was ready. Cas heaved a sigh and poked Dean, who mumbled something about leaving him alone. Cas made a split second decision and started running his fingers along Dean’s sides, tickling him.

Giggling, Dean squirmed on top of Cas, trying to bat away his soulmate’s hands but still not getting off of him. Determined to get his way, Cas moved his fingers faster up and down Dean’s ribs.

“Stop-” Dean managed to gasp out between laughs. “I can’t-” Cas hit a particularly ticklish spot and Dean howled with laughter.

“I’ll stop if you get off.” Cas said, smiling devilishly.

Dean lasted another few seconds before he rolled off of Cas and jumped back, stumbling over his own feet in his rush to get away. Cas couldn’t help but stare as Dean straightened up and ran a hand through his hair. Dean’s shirt was rumpled and his hair was ruffled, giving him an incredibly lovable ‘I just woke up’ look, which was true. He was panting slightly from their tickling ordeal, and not for the first time Cas raked his eyes over Dean’s body, mesmerized by the rising and falling of Dean’s chest.

“Boys! What are you doing in there!” His mother’s voice came from the kitchen, snapping out of his admiration of Dean, who had stretched out a hand and pulled Cas up from off the couch. Exchanging a soft kiss, they then walked hand in hand into the kitchen, where Claire had prepared a delicious smelling dinner of sauteed sweet potatoes and kale.

“I see you’ve decorated the tree.” Claire said, piling potatoes onto their plates. “I’ve gotta admit, it looks better than last year. Or the year before that.”

Grinning, Dean puffed out his chest proudly. “You can thank me for that. The angel here couldn’t have managed it if it weren’t for-”

“The fricking tree police over there.” Cas interrupted, shooting a mock glare at Dean. “He was monitoring my every move, and would scream ‘Wrong!’ anytime the ornaments were 5 millimeters apart instead of 10. It was exhausting.”

Dean stuck his tongue out at Cas, then, as if remembering something, he jumped up and sprinted out of the room, coming back a second later with his phone, which he had left on the coffee table in the living room. Dropping down into his seat, he then passed his phone to Cas’s mom, who promptly choked on the water she was drinking.

Leaning over, Cas saw what Dean was showing her. It was a video of Cas decorating the tree, humming softly to himself, shaking his hips slightly. Cas looked up from the phone and was met with the laughing faces of his mom and Dean.

“Well no wonder Dean had to fix the tree.” His mother laughed and patted his hand. “It looked atrocious.”

Harrumphing, Cas folding his arms and glared at Dean.

“Relax, angel. You looked adorable.” Dean winked at him. “How could I resist?”

Realizing that he could never stay mad at Dean, Cas rolled his eyes and started working on the mountain of potatoes heaped on his plate. The melt-in-your-mouth food immediately put Cas in a better mood, as did the bickering between the three of them.

When they were finished, Cas was about to collect the plates and bring them to the sink to wash them when his mother stopped him.

“Don’t go yet. I have to talk to you.”

The look she gave Cas made his stomach churn, and he quickly sobered up, the smile leaving his face. It was rare that Claire used that apologetic tone on him, but whenever she did, it was always bad news.

Cas’s fears were confirmed when his mom started fiddling with her sweater sleeve, a habit that Cas had inherited from her. Both of them only did it when they were extremely nervous or scared. Cas could only sit and wait and hope for the best.

“I was called to the office today because of work. You know that Cas.” She started. Cas nodded. His mother worked as a travel nurse, rarely getting a chance to stay home. The money was good, but it also meant that Cas saw very little of his mother.

“Jody was supposed to be on the flight to Vancouver from tomorrow morning to the day after Christmas, but she went skiing with her family yesterday and got hurt. She can’t make the flight, and everyone else is on vacation.” Cas already knew what she was going to say next. “Except for me. Management wants me on the flight tomorrow. So… I can’t be here for Christmas.”

There was a moment of silence.

Then Cas burst out, “That’s not fair! Surely there must be someone else? Anyone else?”

Claire shook her head sadly.

“I was looking forward to spending Christmas with you for months now! You promised you’d be here! You promised.” Cas knew he shouldn’t have been getting this emotional, but he couldn’t help himself. He saw his mother so rarely and for such short periods of time, and he had been sitting on pins and needles waiting for Christmas with his mom for weeks and weeks. To take that away from him was cruel, and they all knew it.

“I know. I’m sorry, Cas, I really am. But I told them I would do it.” Claire reached out and put a hand on his arm, but he pulled away. As an afterthought, he pushed away his chair and stood up, then marched out of the kitchen and up the stairs to his room.

Slamming the door shut, Cas dropped onto his bed and put his head in his hands. Why couldn’t they have found anyone else? Why did it have to be his mom? The year before this one she had flown away on Christmas, too, leaving Cas to spend the holiday with Gabriel at Gabe’s apartment. Their Christmas Dinner had consisted of leftover pizza and Burger King, and instead of a tree, they wrapped the TV in tinsel and pretended that everything was fine.

But on coming back, Cas's mother had promised him that this Christmas she’d spend with him. She had promised, and Cas knew for a fact that his mother was a woman of her word. Well, at least until now.

He heard the door ease open and someone’s footsteps approached his bed. The mattress dipped with the added weight of another person, and Cas knew from the gentle way the arms encircled him that it was his mother.

“I’m so sorry, Cas. I know I promised, but there’s nobody else that’s available. I wish it were different, but…” She trailed off, and Cas wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her shoulder, trying not to cry. “I’ll give you your presents on the day I come back, does that sound ok?”

No. No it didn’t. But Cas didn’t have a choice, so he sniffed and nodded. “That’s ok.”

They stayed like that for a minute, then Claire pulled back and cupped Cas’s face in her hands. Giving him a quick kiss on the nose, she whispered, “I need to go pack.” Feeling Cas stiffen, she added, “Why don’t you set up under the tree? You can ask Dean to join you?”

Cas nodded again, and when his mom left the room he sighed and heaved his blanket and pillows into his arms and went downstairs. Dean, who had apparently insisted on doing the dishes while Claire went upstairs to talk to Cas, looked up as he was finishing drying the last few plates. His eyes flashed quickly from sympathy to confusion as he took in the sight of the blankets and pillows. He wiped his hands on a towel and walked into the living room, where Cas was setting up his blankets almost right under the tree.

“Is this because of the tree decorating incident? Are you marking your territory now?” Dean joked lightly as he sat down on the couch across from Cas. Cas couldn’t help but smile.

“No, it’s just that ever since I was a little kid, the first night we set up the tree, be it real or fake, I’d always sleep under it. My brothers would laugh at me, but it was fun, so I did it every year.” Looking down at himself and chuckling, Cas continued. “I’m obviously too big to fit under it now, but I still sleep around it every year.” Even the previous year, even though it hadn’t been a tree but a TV he slept under.

“Am I allowed to sleep under the tree, too, or is that strictly a Cas Only Tradition?”

Cas didn’t hesitate in answering. “I’ll help you bring your blankets.”

Dean grinned from ear to ear and grabbed Cas’s hand as they went up the stairs. The door to Clair’s room was closed, but they could hear the sounds of her packing from inside. Cas’s smile dimmed a bit, but he tried his best to keep it up as he was handed a pillow from Dean’s bed.

They set Dean’s blanket and pillow up right beside Cas’s. Claire came downstairs to set up the fireplace and tell them goodnight, kissing both of them on the forehead before turning off the lights and going back up to her room.

Dean wrapped Cas in his arms, pulling him close to his chest. Whispering a soft “I’m sorry” into Cas’s hair, Dean started rubbing small, comforting circles into Cas’s back. Cas sighed, whether from happiness or sadness, he couldn’t decide, and melted into Dean.

And with the sound of Dean’s heartbeat in his ear, the warm orange glow from the fire at his back, and the reflecting blues, reds, and yellows of the ornaments radiating with a happiness that he didn’t feel, Cas fell asleep.

#supernatural #supernatural au #destiel #dean winchester #castiel novak #college au #soulmate au #claire novak #more christmas fluff #fluff #angst #it's not you

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theateared · 4 years

Text

You Can Stay if You Like. ❜

Summary: Sometimes, you can’t control what sticks with you.

He didn’t lie to her.

‘’Not nightmares. Memories.’’

The simple fact was that he didn’t need to have nightmares. Whenever those hazy recollections replayed themselves in his head, he was painfully aware of the fact that they did not belong to the fictional realm that most dreams did. Those fingernails that I found under the sink three weeks after the investigation were hers. The locks of hair I found stuffed in my pillow after two months of grieving were his. The pain I had to carry around for the rest of my life, even long after I murdered that motherfucker, was mine.

Edgar awoke with a startled jolt, his trip down memory lane cut short by consciousness’ clean blade. His heart thundered in his chest, arms reflexively tightening around his mate as he struggled to breathe. It wasn’t often that he awoke so suddenly. Most of the time, he suffered only a brief interval of disorientation before phasing into the real world naturally, a poignant sense of relief following neatly every time. It was different now; his hands were pawing desperately along his lover’s body, eager to feel all of her limbs in place.

The disturbance triggered her to wake up, struggling against his vice grip, and it made him panic, made him cling tighter. “H-Hey, what’s going on, what’s wrong?” She would have thrown an accusatory comment his way had he not been heaving for air, the hands all over her body unwarranted when she wasn’t awake to tell him what was acceptable and what wasn’t, but she quickly deduced that his hold had nothing to do with desire. It was as if she’d come in a box, like a wooden doll in need of constructing, and he was desperately trying to slot her pieces into place. She winced as his claws unwittingly sank into her arm, like dirt he was desperately scrabbling for purchase in. With a sharp gasp: “Eddie, you’re hurting me…!”

The words made him fall still, as if her voice alone had penetrated the noise with no effort at all. Though his arms remained around her like a snake, his claws retracted, traces of blood dim beneath his nails. Her soft flesh came into focus then, her familiar body sending a cold chill through him as he realised what he’d done.

“Oh… oh no…”

His arms loosened enough for her to turn around in his grip. She did so slowly, afraid to set him off, still confused as to what was actually happening. When her palms rested on his cheeks, she found that they were clammy and hot, as if a fever had chewed its way through his system overnight. Though she could barely make him out in the dark of the inn room, her sense of hearing was acute and touching him was enough.

“It’s alright…” she whispered quietly, brushing strands of hair out of his face. He shook his head quickly.

“I hurt you--”

“It’s alright,” she reassured, tone firm but patient. She wasn’t used to her Alpha displaying such openly distressed behaviour. He was the type to let his pain age like wine, to laugh it off until it ate him alive; to feel him clutching her so desperately, holding her close as if he expected her to slip through his fingers like sand, made her heart ache. “What happened? What’s wrong?”

He didn’t know what he could say that would illustrate his grief effectively enough. In a rushed tone: “I don’t… I just need to know you’re alright. All together.”

Her brow furrowed in confusion, though she didn’t dwell on it. She didn’t have time to as he suddenly pushed himself out of the bed, feeling around in the dark for his clothes. Her ears perked as she heard the jagged end of his tail collide with the bed frame, then the dresser, futile fumbling apparent as he struggled to find anything of value. Eventually, he located his shirt, tucking it haphazardly over his arm before striding to the en-suite .

The knot in her stomach worsened, and after flicking the light on and sliding her underwear set into place, she approached the bathroom door and knocked quietly. When he didn’t reply, she took her chances and opened it, slowly revealing his form as she cracked it open further. She’d seen him naked quite a lot at this point, though she was always struck by how tall he was. Despite his eerie personality, he was perfectly proportionate, and the only thing that she hadn’t been expecting upon undressing him the first time was the myriad of scars that littered his upper body. They spanned along his arms like grass did a meadow, and his shoulder blades were home to two slightly-raised grooves-- as if he’d had wings in his past life.

You’ve put on weight while we’ve been together. I steadily convinced you to eat more, to stop sparing extra for everybody else in the vain hope that you could keep them all perfectly fed at all times.

He was fiddling with the water, body bent over the side of the bath in a manner that looked painful. She approached him warily, hands hovering momentarily before resting on his back and arm. It was as if he didn’t know she’d been there-- he jumped slightly when touched, tail making a dull fwap noise as it swatted sideways.

“Let me help, okay?” “I can run my own shower.”

Arguing wouldn’t have been good for either of them. Instead, she levelled him with a considerate look, slowly nodding before stepping forward to take over. Surprisingly, he followed her motion without complaint, standing aside while she messed with the temperature.

“Cold…” he rasped. “...I want it cold on my head.”

Her head bobbed with understanding, the heat turned down. She wouldn’t let him climb into a shower that resembled an ice bath, but he received his wish nonetheless. Eventually, the water resembled steady rainfall, chilly against her palm as she tested its warmth.

I still don’t know what’s wrong with you. You haven’t said a word about it.

She was distracted by Edgar clambering into the bath, hissing between his teeth when the cold water hit his skin. However, when he turned his head towards it, he let out an audible sigh of relief, eyes falling closed. The tremors slowly stopped, body soaked in a matter of seconds, his thick red hair flat against the side of his face and back. Had she not been so worried, she likely would have felt a spark of lust.

Hesitantly, she turned around to leave.

“You can stay if you like…” Edgar muttered, voice barely audible above the running water. A feeble smile shaped her lips as she slipped her undergarments off and climbed in with bated breath.

It was freezing in comparison to what she was used to, but when he tipped his head down to look at her, water clinging to his tall frame, she realised that she didn’t care. It doesn’t matter. I’m here for you. I wouldn’t care even if it gave me frostbite.

Though he’d made it explicitly clear that he could take care of himself, he didn’t stop her when he felt her hands on his body, his usual shower gel rubbed into his skin. He even raised his arms at one point, accommodating her thorough scrubbing without so much as a grumble. In truth, he was just relieved to see her before him like this. Feeling her hands on him had him sinking back to solid ground, hammering heart settling like a dead cicada in his chest, shrill screaming now long void.

You’re okay. You’re not going to wind up like Brielle. You’re not going to be a repeat of that horrible atrocity. I won’t allow it, and neither will you. The only man who posed a threat to you has already been dealt with. You saw me do it. And with my scent on you, nobody will dare to threaten you like that again. If they do, I’ll kill them too.

“Feeling good…?” she asked softly. Though he felt quite horrible, he nodded his head.

They didn’t speak for the rest of their shower. She washed his hair for him and he did the same for her wound. They shared a passionate kiss, one that he didn’t think would unravel the way it did until she’d pressed herself close, seeking out his comfort plainly. He simply hadn’t been able to let go of her, afraid that once he did she’d be gone for good. Eventually, they got out together, her teeth chattering as he wrapped her up in one of the inn’s fluffy white towels like a baby kitten, tying one loosely around his waist afterwards.

My head feels much clearer. I still feel heavy, but I don’t feel like I’m going to die.

When they were dry, they exited the bathroom in search of the rest of their clothes, dressing themselves properly before they sat beside one another on the bed. If there was one thing she had come to realise about Edgar, it was that he looked much different when he shed his suit jacket. In just a button-down shirt, sitting in bed beside her, she could have mistaken him for her husband.

I hope that I see you in just a button-down for aeons longer. I like this cushy private life.

“... thank you,” he said levelly, afraid to look at her. “And I am sorry for hurting you.”

He graced her with eye contact as she rose, seating herself in his lap. Warm flesh against his cheek prompted him to look up at her, the compassion in her eyes reaching his cold soul just right. He basked in her love like a cat did sunlight, stretching himself thin in search of more.

“You don’t need to apologise…” she whispered, fingers stroking gently. Wet hair was swept aside so that she could hold his face properly. “... did you have a nightmare?”

“A memory.”

The response was familiar but no less harrowing. Seeing his state all but half an hour ago, she knew that whatever had plagued him was horrendous, something that even his twisted little head had had trouble filing away.

What happened to you? What have you been keeping inside all of these aeons? Who were you?

Her thumb stroked tenderly against his cheekbone. “...a memory of what?”

The silence between them hung like a cloud. As she stared at him, looking for clues while he refused to say a word, images flashed in his head. It cut to him finding the letter; to him throwing up violently all over the kitchen floor; to him finding as many pieces of his dead loved ones as possible and surrounding himself with them, sobbing on the phone to the police as he rocked in a pile of disconnected limbs and vomit. He hadn’t even been able to explain himself to the dispatcher. He’d just wailed, and retched, and wailed some more. At some point, they must have gotten his address from him for he was surrounded by police tape and officers, and something in his head had snapped. He felt it go, in fact, like an elastic band finally being stretched past its limit. As the investigation unfolded, he went from one extreme to the other: anguished cries and profuse upchucking to void, staring into space even when an officer shone a torch directly in his eyes.

Sir. We need to speak with you. We understand this is stressful, but until we’ve checked all of our boxes, you’re a suspect too. We just need to ask you some questions.

“... I recalled the night I lost my wife and son,” he answered. “They were murdered. By some sick fuck. I was a target too, originally, but I got called into my office for an impromptu campaign pitch and…” He stopped, inhaling sharply. Though he had tucked his feelings for his previous life away in a neat little cubicle, discussing the ins and outs of his case brought back a dull pang of nausea. For a brief moment, he felt guilty for sitting there with another woman in his lap. Is this what it feels like to cheat? “... they were brutalised. Completely. Fucked. Tortured. Cut open. Dismembered. Dismembered so finely that I still found pieces of them around my house long after the dust had settled.”

“O-Oh, God…”

“He left me a letter, detailing all he’d done. Though there were a couple of lies in there, the majority of it was true. There were signs of a struggle; semen samples; tiny fragments of makeshift weapons still lodged in body parts; and they were able to determine very basic, approximate times of death based on decomposition of the located limbs. It checked out with what he said: he made my boy watch all the horrible things he was doing to his mother, and then he did most of them to him.” He shook his head, eyes narrowing slightly. When he spoke, there was rage and heartbreak encased in the same voice: “Couldn’t even mercy-kill the poor kid…”

Grace had turned pale quite a while ago, nausea coiling up her throat like a snake. “... why?”

“Heh, well there’s the best part,” Edgar retorted bitterly, a hateful smile curling onto his face-- as if he was watching the person he hated the most burn alive right in front of him. There wasn’t a single trace of his usual flippancy in that sardonic curl of his lips. Even so, he approached the topic with a startling coldness, his explanations clinical and matter-of-fact-- as he was discussing somebody else’s tragedy. “You would think he’d have a pretty good reason to do that to a man’s wife and son, particularly when that son was a young child. But he did it to take things from me for my political beliefs.”

She was clearly stupefied by that. Her brow furrowed with equal amounts of confusion and hatred-- as if she couldn’t believe what he’d said.

Edgar scoffed quietly. “Mm. He took issue with my ‘’anarchist’’ stance.”

“What is ‘’anarchist?”

“Very basically, it’s somebody who believes in ‘’overthrowing’’ those in charge. Abolishing the systems that do not benefit you because you believe that they’re harmful.” When she slowly nodded, he continued: “... I was not an anarchist. I didn’t want to do stupid things like abolish the police force or overrule the High Court. I just wanted standard working people, like myself, to be paid a standard working wage, and I still don’t think that that was so evil. Huron almost had a civil war. I was alive then, and I had a foot in the door for political affairs. I wrote speeches for public figures. I helped build campaigns and advertised the desired party positively. I was originally anonymous, though as I became more coveted as a writer, I decided I wanted my name attached to my work. It was mine after all. By all accounts, I was an advocate for political virtue. But I disagreed with one thing. One thing.”

“The work thing…?” Grace asked quietly. Her heart was beating hard for reasons unknown. Her stomach was in knots-- as if she expected to come across a piece of information that upset everything inside of her at once, one that would send her rocketing to the en-suite and throwing up their dinner date in full.

“Mhm. I didn’t believe in people accepting their poor work conditions as irrefutable. I was for the strikes. I believed in staying away from work if it meant that people could get fair compensation. I stood behind their right to protest-- created slogans and art for them to print on billboards and signposts. Wrote speeches that detailed the desire for fair treatment in the workplace.” He realised that she didn’t really understand what he was talking about, and he decided to fill in the gaps for her. “That almost-civil war I mentioned was because of these unfair laws. It was the working class against the rich and powerful. Back then, it was perfectly acceptable to not pay an employee for their work, especially not if it was overtime. That in itself would have been fine had overtime been optional, but the corporate bosses were legally allowed to use their ‘’discretion’’ in order to determine who worked extra for nothing and for how long. I was a particular favourite because of my brain and my work ethic. I was promised money for my efforts, and at the time I obliged, thinking I could save it for my family, but I didn’t receive a penny of it. By the time I found out that I never would, it was too late. I’d already worked those weeks. I’d already sold them my free time, for no profit. I’d already promised my son a birthday gift that I could no longer afford to get him. So yes, I did agree that the law required some amendments. I agreed with people protesting. I even attended a few myself, made some public speeches, and was publicly smeared for doing so, but I didn’t care and kept going. All until this man decided, ‘You know what, FUCK this man, if he thinks that wages are so important then he doesn’t know what he’s got!’. I knew. I did everything for them-- the protests, the late shifts, the birthday gifts-- everything. I believed in change because of them, too. They kept me sane. They kept me grounded. Whenever I felt like I was spiralling out of control, they would be there to set me straight. I loved my wife more than words could express, and Augustus… Gods, I adored him. Still do. I can let go of my wife but I can’t let go of him, even now.”

She stared at him-- through him-- without a word to offer him. What could she say after all she’d been told? An apology would only fizzle out like infatuation. It was an empty word after all he’d endured.

Dear God… what do I do? My mind is reeling.

His hand distracted her from her stunned state, his cool skin nursing her pale complexion as he cupped it easily. He’d always been so much bigger than her in every sense of the word; his tall frame dwarfed hers completely, and his mind was so much more expansive than she had ever thought possible. She fancied herself as a clever woman, as somebody who knew what she was talking about more often than she didn’t, but she knew that she was nowhere close to where his intellect sat. Even so, he’d barely ever weaponised it. Whenever she’d asked him a question, he’d answered it; whenever she hadn’t been able to understand something he’d said, he rephrased it in words she could grasp without even being asked. She wasn’t dumb, she just wasn’t Edgar Strahv, and he made her feel okay with that.

“... but that isn’t the reason I awoke so troubled,” the Alpha murmured softly. “I’ve moved on with my life. My past life doesn’t haunt me. The bad revisits me on occasion, and it all crops up every so often, but it doesn’t plague my every thought. I’m a different person now. But I can’t stand seeing those things again because I don’t want to associate you with them. I don’t want you to be my deceased mate, the woman who was murdered because her lover was too busy for her. I see you now when those memories resurface. You’ve replaced Brielle. You occupy the space she once filled - and as such, you occupy her role in my dreams, too. I find pieces of you strewn around my tavern like confetti, and I cry. I cry a lot.”

Despite the severity of his confession, she couldn’t help but flush slightly. Though she knew it was cruel of her, she wouldn’t deny that she wanted to feel special to him. She didn’t want him to cling to his long-dead wife; didn’t want him to never let her into his heart fully because it was taken by somebody that he could never return to.

“... this is why you hover so much,” she mumbled softly.

“Yes,” he replied, thumb tenderly stroking along her cheekbone. “It’s also why I apologise for my duties so often. I fear you being left alone. I fear the day that I become busy with a task that costs your life. If I hadn’t gone into the office that night for some worthless political movement…” He cut himself off, teeth grit, a frustrated grimace replacing his typical smile. “... I would have either been able to stop it, or I’d have died with them. My life would’ve either continued as it should have or it would have ended as it should have. I wouldn’t have had to take justice into my own hands. I wouldn’t have tried to fill the empty space with worthless women. I wouldn’t have travelled the path I did.”

A lot of what he’d done was unspoken, and as long as he didn’t want to discuss it, she wouldn’t ask. Not only did she feel that it wasn’t her right to know, she didn’t want to be the reason that he was forced to relive all of those vile memories. She could only imagine how painful it was deep inside, like a wound that could never be sealed shut. Though he claimed he had moved on, she was suspicious of that.

“... I wasn’t a ‘bad person’ until all of that happened. Then I lost my way. And I refuse to lose myself again. If I lose you, Grace, it’s game over. I… can’t, do all of that again. And I don’t want to.” He smiled a strange smile, his other hand settling on her cheek and pulling her closer to him with a firmness that didn’t match the sincerity of the scene. A stuttered gasp caught in her throat, their noses touching delicately. “... so don’t. Die.” It almost felt like a threat, her head nodding slightly in agreement before he loosened his hold somewhat. “Or at least, if you’re going to, let me know. We can arrange it together.”

Before she could comprehend it, she had thrown her arms around his neck. She clutched him to her as if she was scared of him vanishing altogether-- as if he’d promised to commit suicide by dawn. Fiercely, she buried her face into his neck, seeking out his mate mark in the dark. Lips brushed against it softly, provoking a shiver, hands flitting to her waist as she held him tightly.

“We’re not going to die,” she whispered furiously, holding him close. “Not you or me. We’re going to be happy here together for as long as we like. Screw what you’re “supposed” to do ‘’as a hybrid’’. Gods can’t stop people who love each other from being together.”

He chuckled at that, something about the words tickling him. She almost sounded childish, though he knew that her indignation was nothing to scoff at. He’d fallen in love with that brazen side of her almost as immediately as he had her face.

I can’t see that die. Not ever.

His arms tightened around her, holding her in his lap defensively. He’d sit there like that for the rest of his days if it meant keeping her sheltered from the world. She’d already seen so much darkness… he didn’t need more looming over her.

“No,” he agreed, voice placative as he stroked through her hair. “No they can’t.”

#🞮 — if i could i'd trade my heart for a second brain. ❜ ( edgar. )#🞮 — that vixen﹐she's a master of disguise! ❜ ( grace. )#☆ — i never promised you your dream boy. ❜ ( main. )#☆ — i'm just here to destroy. ❜ ( ic. )#drabble *#/ hoooooooHOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHH

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jilyss · 5 years

Text

what happens in greece shouldn’t stay in greece

my take on “2 people I know who broke up years ago are on separate romantic vacations w their partners iN THE SAME GREEK TOWN and Im just sitting here watching it unfold on ig, where they have each other blocked. ”

read on Ao3

Lily stretched out onto the warm sand, letting it settle around her fingers and toes. Sighing happily, she shifted so that her head was resting on her boyfriend Blake’s stomach. His fingers moved to play lazily with her red hair tied back in a messy bun, and she closed her eyes, letting the sun coat her skin.

“Gorgeous, isn’t it?” Blake murmured, and she could feel the rumble in his stomach as he spoke. They were on a vacation in Lindos, Greece, a small town on the coast. While it was still a touristy town, it was relatively quiet compared to the busy city of Athens they had visited yesterday. At the moment, there were only a few families and couples scattered along the beach, splashing in the water and enjoying the sun.

“The best place I’ve ever visited,” Lily replied, falling into a peaceful quiet. But within a few minutes, she was already hot, feeling a light sheen of sweat break out on her skin. Sitting up, she pulled off her shirt, revealing a yellow bikini. “Do you want to go in the water? I’m a little hot.”

Blake shook his head, reaching for his phone. “I’m good. Maybe in a minute?”

Lily nodded, shifting again so that she was lying sprawled out next to him, and forced herself to relax in the sun.

XXX

Marlene was sitting next to her roommate Dorcas, watching the newest episode of the Bachelor, and mindlessly scrolling through Instagram when she saw Blake’s newest post of his and Lily’s Greece trip. She double tapped it, not thinking much about it since Lily had sent her a nearly identical picture a few hours ago to prove they were still alive.

She tossed the phone onto the couch and stood up. “Lily seems like she really likes Blake,” she called as she opened the fridge. “Think they’re gonna move into together after their trip?”

Dorcas shook her head. “No way. I mean, she might be ready, but I don’t think Blake is the type to commit this soon. How long have they been dating?”

“I think they took this trip because it’s been a year. I don’t think that was the ‘official’ reason or whatever, but yeah, it’s been a year.”

“Hmm,” Dorcas said, eyes focused back on the tv. “I hope Lily isn’t expecting anything.”

Marlene closed the fridge, holding a bottle of Dr. Pepper. Sitting down next to Dorcas, she propped her legs up and pulled out her phone again. “I don’t think so. She’s been warier this time around than with her other boyfriends. She always goes into everything headstrong, you know? Loves first and asks questions later? I think she’s trying to take it slower with Blake.”

Dorcas nodded, tucking her legs underneath her. “Hopefully Blake sticks. I mean, he’s a little arrogant sometimes, but I think he’s been my favorite so far, besides James, I mean.”

Marlene snorted. “Just don’t tell Lily that. She’ll blow your head off.” Dorcas grinned. Marlene went back to scrolling through Instagram, bored.

As Dorcas reached for the chip bag next to Marlene, Marlene suddenly sat straight up, eyes wide and staring at her screen.

“Wha - Mar, what’s wrong?” Dorcas said, tugging at the chip bag. “Let me have some chips - “

“It’s not that,” Marlene said, waving her free hand frantically. “Look at this.” She shoved the phone into Dorcas’s face. It showed a picture of James and his friends, Sirius, Remus, and Peter, snorkeling just off the coast of a beach. Dorcas’s eyes flicked up to the location at the top of the picture. Lindos, Greece. Her eyes narrowed.

“Isn’t that where -”

“Yes! Lily and James are in the same town.” Marlene bolted out of her chair, pacing anxiously around the room. “And I’m pretty sure James still has her blocked on Instagram, and Lily barely checks anyway. Dor, do you know what this means?”

Dorcas rolled her eyes. “So what? The probability that they run into each other is super low, and even if they do, it’s going to end up in a big fight, just like every other time they’ve seen each other since.”

Marlene’s eyes flashed excitedly. “I’m calling Sirius, right now.”

Now Dorcas jumped up, reaching out to grab the phone from Marlene’s hand. “Marlene! You can’t just -”

Marlene jumped out of Dorcas’ reach, standing on the couch. Dorcas followed her, and practically leapt on top of her, laughing as she pulled her down and wrestled the phone out of her hand.

Holding it above her head, Dorcas used her other hand to push Marlene away. “If we interfere now, it’ll throw both of them into a nervous wreck and ruin their vacations.” Marlene lunged at Dorcas, who stepped neatly away, grinning. “It’ll be much better if we let them just find each other. It’s a small town, there’s a good chance they will run into each other at the beach already.”

Marlene stepped back, eyes widening as she understood Dorcas’ plot. “What happens if they don’t run into each other?”

Dorcas shrugged. “If they’re meant to be, they’ll run into together sooner than later.”

Marlene snatched her phone back and sat down heavily on the couch. “Fine, I won’t call Sirius. But, if Lily hasn’t seen him by her last day, I’m calling him.”

Dorcas shoved her legs off the couch so that she could sit down. “Deal.”

XXX

At exactly 8:00 am, Remus’ alarm went off and four men collectively groaned. James, who was sleeping closest to alarm, tapped at the phone’s screen aggressively until he hit the snooze button. No one moved otherwise until it went off a few minutes later, and Remus finally sat up, rubbing at his eyes. “We gotta get going if we want to make it anywhere before all the tourists get there.” When no one moved, he pulled the covers off of Peter, who he was sharing the bed with, who instantly groaned and curled into a ball.

Remus shuffled out of bed and pulled the covers off of James and Sirius, who reacted similarly. They had been out late the night before, at a local bar and had had one too many drinks, but Remus was determined to make the most of their vacation, so despite his hangover, he was getting up.

Their Airbnb room was already littered with various clean and dirty clothing items, and when James finally got up, he had to sort through until he found a clean outfit. Head pounding, he got dressed and wishing that he hadn’t gotten so crazy last night. He hadn’t meant to drink as much as he did, but it had been a long time since he had gotten that wasted that he had let himself get carried away. By the time he was finally dressed, Sirius was still in bed. James chucked a pillow at him, and when Sirius didn’t even flinch, jumped on top of him.

“James - urgh!”

A few minutes later, Remus was pushing everyone out the door, ready for another day in Greece.

XXX

“Hey babe, look at this,” Blake said, grabbing Lily’s hand, and pulling her over to a vendor’s stall filled with tea bags and glowing candles. Instantly, she broke out into a huge smile. She had always loved candles, especially the smell just after lighting them.

Lily let her fingers slip from Blake’s to pick up the one closest to her, taking a deep breath of the lemon lavender candle. She spun around, intending to show Blake when she thought she saw a figure pass by in the corner of her eye. Confused at the familiarity of the figure, she tried to step out of the vendor’s stall to get a better view of the person, but Blake stepped in her way, handing her another candle.

Shaking her head, Lily focused back on Blake. She had to have been seeing things - the chances of seeing him in Greece, were impossible, and it had to have been someone who had a similar body type.

“You want to get anything?” Blake asked, shoving his hands in his pockets. Lily shook her head, still distracted.

“I’ve got plenty already. Do you want to go get lunch soon? I’m starving.”

XXX

Later that afternoon, Lily had almost completely forgotten that she had seen her ex-boyfriend’s lookalike in Greece. But not quite. Every dark-haired stranger that was taller than her caught her eye for the rest of the day, but finally, after dinner when they had wandered down to the beach to watch the sunset, she managed to forget about it as she stepped side by side with Blake.

They had just sat down on a pier bench, with a view of the boardwalk and the beach in front of them, when Blake cleared his throat. “Can we talk for a minute?”

Lily gave him a questioning look, suddenly nervous. “Yeah, of course. What’s up?”

Blake glanced at his hands, which were twisting in his lap and cleared his throat again. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking… about us.” Lily’s heart rate skyrocketed, and she couldn’t breathe. Blake reached into his pocket, pulling out a small velvet box, but didn’t open it. “A lot of people wanted me to propose on this trip. But you - I don’t think we’re ready for that yet.” He laughed lightly. “But I am ready to make a promise and move in together. I love you, and I know it’s cheesy or whatever - but I know how I feel about you, and I know where I want us to end up.”

Lily gasped as he opened the velvet box to reveal a small diamond encased in a silver ring. He held the ring out to her, and Lily took a deep breath.

Unbidended, a memory of the man she thought she had seen earlier popped back into her head. Late one night, she and the man she had been almost positive she was going to marry, had snuck to the top of a building and stayed until the sun had gone down. Wrapped in a blanket together, and laughing together was the happiest Lily had ever felt.

“Lily?” Blake’s voice brought her back to the present, and she rapidly blinked away the image of James’ unruly black hair and sparkling eyes. “Are you ok?”

Lily smiled, trying to shake off the weird feeling surrounding her. “Yeah, you just surprised me.” She took Blake’s free hand and squeezed it tightly. “I think a promise ring is a great idea. Um…”

He raised an eyebrow as she trailed off. “Is something wrong?”

Lily bit her lip, glancing up at him. “I don’t want to put the ring on my ring finger if that’s alright with you? You know how my friends are, and I still want to take this slow so -”

“Oh yeah, of course. I wouldn’t expect you to.” Blake grabbed her right hand and put the ring on her ring finger. “We’re taking it slow, I know.”

Lily pulled him in for a kiss, taking her time to show him how much she appreciated the gesture. The longer kiss was definitely not because she had thought of her ex-boyfriend when she thought her current boyfriend was proposing and she felt guilty.

XXX

Earlier that afternoon, James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter had rented bikes to go up and down the boardwalk as the sun had gone down. The cool air from the ocean mixing with the heat of the day had made everything seem calm and peaceful amongst an orange sky. Letting the wind push their backs, they took their time biking home.

XXX

Blake stood up, grabbing Lily’s hand. “Let’s go back to the hotel?” He whispered in her ear, sending goosebumps down her arm. Lily nodded, laying her head on his shoulder as they began the walk back. His fingers wandered down her back, and although at any other time Lily would have loved the attention, tonight, she couldn’t stop comparing Blake with James, and she hated herself for it. The unwanted memory that had popped up had brought emotions she had forgotten about to the surface, and the whole reason she was taking it so slow with Blake in the first place. Pushing the thoughts aside once again, she planted a kiss on Blake’s cheek.

XXX

Sirius brought his bike to a screeching halt, nearly causing Remus to crash into him. As the rest of them stopped, he reached out with one hand to get James’ attention. “Is that Evans?”

“What?” Peter asked. “Are you out of your mind? We’re in Greece.”

“No, no - over there, by that bench. Is that Evans?”

James’ heart rate quickened, and his breath caught as he caught sight of Lily Evans. There was no doubt in his mind that that was her. Her red hair caught in the golden hour lighting, and her skirt swished around her long legs that he knew so well. Swallowing hard, he shook his head. “Nope, not her.”

Sirius shot him a pained look. “That’s Evans.” He sat back on his bike and stood up to pedal. “I’m going to go say hi. Oi, Evans!”

“No, Sirius! No!” James called after him, grabbing onto the back of his shirt. “You can’t -”

But it was too late. Lily glanced over her shoulder and spotted the Sirius pedaling towards her, and the three men standing sheepishly behind him.

“Sirius? What are you doing here?” Lily detached herself from Blake, only holding onto his hand now. As her eyes took in the four men that used to be her best friends, her heart twisted painfully in her chest. When James and Lily had first broken up, they had done their best to stay in touch, but it had gotten too hard for Lily to stay near James, and she had eventually stopped returning their calls.

“I just couldn’t stay away, Evans,” Sirius smirked, stopping right next to them. He glanced over at Blake and stuck out his hand. “Sirius, Lily’s former friend.”

“I’m Blake, Lily’s boyfriend.” Blake tightened his grip on Lily’s hand, pulling her closer, but shook Sirius’ hand.

James, Peter, and Remus made their way over, and each introduced themselves to Blake. “How’ve you been, Lily? We haven’t seen much of you lately,” Remus asked.

“Good!” Lily said quickly, trying to break the awkward tension that hung around them. “I got a new job at Time, so I’m keeping busy.”

“What are you guys doing here?” Peter asked.

James looked away from Blake and Lily, having not said much. They had broken up over a year ago, and he had gotten over her, but that didn’t mean that it didn’t hurt that she had a boyfriend, and especially since he still couldn’t bring himself to date seriously.

“Couple’s getaway,” Blake said, kissing her cheek and pulled her even closer. Lily tried to smile, but no longer felt comfortable with him in front of her former friends. “What about you?”

“Remus just finished up his medical school, and the rest of us decided to take a vacation before he went into residency,” Peter said.

“Can I talk to you for a minute, Evans?” Sirius blurted out, eyeing Lily and Blake carefully.

“Um, yeah sure.” Lily let go of Blake, sending him a quick smile, and followed Sirius a distance off to the side, leaving Blake with the three other men.

“What’s up?” Lily said, folding her arms and watching Sirius carefully. Knowing him, she knew he wasn’t going to be gentle, so she prepared herself for whatever blunt fact he threw at her. Not being one to hold back, Sirius started talking immediately.

“What’s up with you and Blake? Are you guys engaged?”

Lily shook her head, holding up her right hand. “Promised, I guess. As of today.”

“Hasn’t it been a year?”

Lily frowned. “A year isn’t a very long time -”

“And yet when you were with James you were ready to say yes within a year. What’s the difference?”

Lily shrugged. “I guess I learned my lesson. I need more time.”

Sirius rolled his eyes. “That’s bullshit, Lily, and you know it. What’s Blake holding out for?”

“It’s not him that holding out, it’s me,” Lily whispered, her eyes suddenly stinging. Sirius always had a way of making all her emotions come out at once with his honesty. “I’m just not ready for the next step.”

“You mean he’s not James?”

Lily glared at him. “What are you trying to do Sirius? James and I broke up because James freaked out over marriage, and said he was never ready to get married and didn’t want any type of long term commitment.”

Sirius shrugged. “I’m not trying to do anything. All I know is that it’s been over a year, and James still barely smiles or goes on any dates. You got a boyfriend three months later, Marlene says you aren’t as happy as you were with James, and you don’t even talk to us anymore.”

Lily let a single tear slip out and brushed it away angrily. She looked over her shoulder, at James and Blake, standing side by side, talking politely. “You know I couldn’t hang out with you guys anymore because James is always there.”

Sirius was quiet for a minute. “Come back, Lily.”

“What?” Lily choked out, brushing back another tear.

“Ditch Blake. You and James are meant to be.”

Lily swallowed hard. “You’re talking for James? If he wants this, he should man up and come talk to me himself.”

“No, I’m not… he’s not - look all I’m saying is that-”

“I’m with Blake now,” Lily said firmly, pushing a strand of hair out of her face. “James and I are over. I’m not sure how we ended up here, at the same time, but I would really like to just… not see James again.”

Sirius shrugged, turning on his heel. “Fine.”

As they rejoined the group, Blake tucked Lily under his arm. “Everything alright?”

“Yeah, all good,” Lily said, sneaking a glance at James, who was staring at the ground. She waved at Remus and Peter, both standing with their hands shoved in their pockets. “I’ll see you later, I guess.”

They murmured their goodbyes, and then Lily and Blake walked quickly away. As they made their way to the hotel room, Lily checked her phone and saw that Marlene had called her.

“Hey, Marly called, I’ll be right in,” She told Blake, and made her way down the elevator and into the hotel lobby before she called.

“Hey Mar, did you call me?”

“Yeah, Sirius just called me. Said you might need some help. What’s up?”

“Huh, that’s surprising coming from Sirius. Did he tell you what happened?” Lily collapsed heavily on a plush red chair.

“That you saw each other on the boardwalk in Greece, but that was it.”

“He thinks I should get back together with James.”

“What?” Marlene shrieked so loudly that Lily had to pull the phone away from her ear. “James wants to get back together?”

“No, no. At least, I don’t think so. Did you tell Sirius that I’m not happy?”

The other end of the line was quiet.

“Marlene.”

“Ok, don’t get mad at me, but he called like two months ago? Just to catch up, you know, and I might have mentioned that you were happier with James than you are with Blake.”

Lily wanted to reach through the phone and strangle Marlene. “What does that even mean?”

“It means that Blake is nice and all, but you and James… you guys were just meant for each other.”

Lily groaned, leaning back, and kicking her feet up on the coffee table. “I’m so confused Marlene.”

“Wait, you’re actually considering this?”

“No, yes, well, no, definitely not, but I thought I saw James earlier today, and then Blake gave me a promise ring, but there was this moment James popped into my head during that and I haven’t been able to shake it all day, and I love Blake and I don’t even know if James loves me anymore, and I can’t just leave Blake because he wants to get married and James doesn’t and -”

“Lily, Lily, Lily, can you please just calm down for a minute? “Look, James wasn’t ready back then. But maybe he is now. And I know you love Blake but are you completely over James? In my opinion - Look, you got together with Blake three months after you guys broke up. I don’t really think you were ever over James.”

“You’re just telling me this now?” Lily sighed. “So what do you think I should do?”

“Call James.”

“Are you out of your mind? While I’m with Blake?”

“Lily, sometimes you are too good for your own good.” Lily could practically see Marlene’s face through the phone, exasperated and impressed. “You can explain to him later. But you never know what could happen. If anything, it will get you some closure.”

Lily sighed again, sweeping her fingers through her hair. “Fine. See you in a few days.”

After hanging up, she pulled up James’ contact information and set the phone on her lap. She sat staring at the phone for almost half an hour, tapping her finger on it occasionally as the screen went dark. Her brain was a jumbled mess.

When she had first met Blake, it had been an accident. Marlene had invited Lily to a party but had left twenty minutes in, leaving Lily alone. Blake had taken pity on her and talked to her for most of the night, and before Lily really thought about it, they were dating. Thinking back, Lily wasn’t even sure that she had consciously made a decision to date him, it had just kind of… happened. Obviously, that wasn’t the start to a healthy relationship, but Lily, still in a James induced post-breakup fog, wasn’t thinking straight.

The more Lily thought about it, she more she realized that she hadn’t been entirely truthful to Blake, not that she had even known. At the beginning of the relationship, she still loved James, and if she was completely honest with herself, she still did.

Admitting that simple fact, that yes, Lily Evans, still loved James Potter, gave Lily more questions than answers. What if James didn’t love her anymore? Had he gotten over her? Was Sirius right? And if Marlene and Sirius were right about James being ready to move forward, what was Lily going to do about it?

Before Lily could do anything, Lily’s phone lit up with a text from Blake.

wya?

A second later, her screen changed, indicating a call from James. Heart racing, Lily picked up the phone, at war with herself over what to do. Squeezing her eyes shut as if she could block out the ringing, Lily tapped the green button and pressed the phone to her ear.

“Hello?” She said softly.

“Hey,” James murmured. There was some shuffling on his end of the line, and then silence. “Um, Sirius said you needed to talk to me?”

“That bastard,” she swore, sitting back in the chair.

James breathed heavily on the other side of the phone, and Lily could picture him running his hands through his hair in the angry way that he so often did. “So you didn’t need to talk to me?”

“Um, no. Yes - I mean, no, not really.”

James stayed silent on the other end, knowing that she needed a minute before she could speak.

Lily bit her lip again, bouncing her knee up and down. “Sirius told me that you haven’t been yourself lately.”

James cursed bitterly again and Lily instantly felt bad. She hadn’t meant to start so abruptly, and that wasn’t she even wanted to talk about. “He said that? Things have just been really busy at work lately, and you know my parents are getting older. I guess I��m just a little stressed. I’m fine.”

Lily nodded, even though he couldn’t see her. “That’s not what I wanted to talk about, actually.” She took a deep breath as if to say something, but couldn’t form the words of what she actually wanted to say.

“Ok, I’m listening…”

“Do you still love me?” Lily cursed herself for starting so abruptly again, but kept talking anyway. “Don’t answer that. I mean, when I first started dating Blake, I still loved you. And seeing you today, and talking to Sirius, made me realize that… I might still love you.”

“Fuck Lily, I - you can’t just come out of left field and say that. You - We broke up over a year ago and I - you broke it off because I was scared, how are you still - why would you still love me?” Lily could hear James’ anger in his voice. “You wanted marriage, and I wasn’t ready for it, so you broke it off. And now you want it again?”

Lily’s throat clenched, and she swallowed tightly. “I don’t know what I want anymore.”

“Do you love Blake? He seems like a nice enough guy.”

“Yes,” Lily whispered.

“Then it seems like you have a problem.” James' voice was hard and cold. “I’m not your second option Lily, and you weren’t willing to just wait -”

“What do you want now, James?” Lily pinched the bridge of her nose. “Do you still love me?”

The question hung between them, fraught with tension and longing. It was silent on both ends, and Lily let out a silent, shaky, breath.

“No. It’s too late. I - sorry.”

Lily had to hold the phone away as she felt tears stream down her face. “Alright. I guess I’ll see you around.”

“Yeah. Bye.” James hung up, and Lily stifled a sob through her hand. The hotel receptionist sitting on the other side of the lobby cast her a sympathetic look, and Lily realized that she hadn’t exactly been quiet while talking to James. Wiping her eyes, she straightened out her shirt, stood up, and walked back to the hotel room.

XXX

Lily was able to successfully avoid any questions about her phone call when she returned to Blake but spent the rest of the trip trying to stay as positive as she could. Two days after seeing James and Sirius, Lily and Blake were packing up to return home.

As Lily haphazardly tucked the last of her swimsuits into her suitcase, Blake wrapped his arms around her from behind, lifting her off her feet for a second. Lily laughed, using one hand to push him off while she used the other to zip the suitcase. She turned around in his arms, giving him a quick kiss before dodging his next attempt.

Blake righted her suitcase, then turned around, folding his arms. “Is everything ok with you? You seem… off.”

Lily flashed a small smile. “I think I’m just a little jetlagged. It’s finally catching up to me.”

Blake raised his eyebrows. “C’mon Lily, I know you better than that. What’s really wrong? Is it the promise ring? Was it too fast? We can always -”

“No, no - I just - Seeing James here really surprised me. It kind of threw me for a loop for a minute.”

“Oh.” Blake took a step back, looking disappointed. “A lot of people told me that you weren’t over him yet when we started dating.” Lily’s eyes darted up to look at him. “I didn’t want to believe it because -”

“Blake.” Lily took a deep breath, stopping him before he could say anything else that hit too close to home. “Looking back on it, I don’t think I was a hundred percent over him before we started dating but I didn’t realize it at the time.”

“So… I’m a rebound?”

“No! I mean, no - I always wanted to be serious.”

Blake took in a big breath, leaning back against the wall behind him. “Were you only interested in me because I eventually wanted to get married? I mean that’s why you broke up with James, right? Because he didn’t want to get married?” Lily felt his eyes bore into her and she shut her eyes tightly. When she didn’t reply, he said quietly “Talk to me, Lily. Do you still love him?”

Lily’s chest felt like it had been wrenched open and her heart had been smashed to pieces. Because it was true. She was still in love with James, despite ignoring it for the better part of a year, and seeing him again had opened that hole in her heart once again.

“Maybe we should just go home. I think we’re both a little jet-lagged -”

“Damn it, Lily, just tell me!”

Lily threw her hands into the air, shrugging. “I don’t know! I thought I was way past it, I was in love with you, and then I saw James and now…”

“You love James again.”

Lily stayed quiet while Blake moved to sit behind her on the bed. Voice cracking, Lily said, “Maybe we should take a break.”

“If you still love him… I think this is over, Lily.”

“No - Blake, I don’t - Give me a week, and I’ll-” Lily stopped herself. Looking at her current situation, Lily couldn’t see herself marrying Blake, and James wasn’t going to talk to her again. There was no way a ‘break’ could make any of this work out, and she needed to move on - from Blake and James - and accept it. “I’m sorry,” she choked out, tucking a strand of loose hair back.

“Me too,” Blake said quietly. “Was any of it even real for you? Or did I just waste a year of my life?”

“It was real, all of it.” Lily smiled through her tears, standing up and giving him a hug. “I’m sorry it ended here.”

Blake broke the hug rather abruptly, brushing a tear back himself. “I’ll uh… catch the first flight back. Goodbye, Lily.” He grabbed his suitcase, gave her one last quick smile, and walked out the door.

And just like that, Lily was alone, in a lonely hotel room, on the other side of the world as her friends.

As soon as the door closed, Lily fell back on the bed, using a pillow to muffle her sobs. She cried so hard that she could barely breathe, gasping for air through the wave of tears and snot rolling down her face.

It must have been hours before she was finally able to pull herself together enough to remember that she was had a flight to catch. Assuming Blake had already caught a flight, she was going to be able to take their already scheduled flight home. She pulled up the boarding pass on her phone and realized that the plane was scheduled to leave in less than an hour.

Checking the time was enough to almost make her start crying again, but she was drained, and no more tears came out. Instead, she stumbled her way into the bathroom, where she stripped off her clothes and turned on a cold shower.

Over an hour later, her face still red and puffy, she emerged from the bathroom, dressed in loose shorts and a t-shirt. She grabbed her phone, took a steadying breath, and dialed Marlene, who promptly answered.

“Hey! Did you talk with James yet?” Her bright cheery voice made her burst into tears immediately. Trying to cover her sniffles, she tried to answer, but when nothing came out, she hung up the phone and tossed it onto the bed. Marlene was going to kill her for it later, but she couldn’t care less at the moment.

Lily forced herself to drink a huge bottle of water to try to calm her pounding head and rehydrate after crying so hard. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she evaluated her options. All in all, she really only had one: book a flight home.

But like Marlene had said, sometimes Lily was ‘too good for her own good’, so Lily decided to add a completely out of the blue second option: not go home yet. She couldn’t go home yet - Marlene and Dorcas would want to try to persuade her to get back together with James or Blake, and would refuse to accept Lily’s decision for at least a few days. Right now, Lily couldn’t handle that when she didn’t even know what she wanted for herself. She knew she couldn’t be with Blake, and although she was still in love with James, he had made it clear that it was too late. And even if it wasn’t, how would they pick up the pieces of what they had together?

Opening her phone back up to see eight missed calls from Marlene, four from Dorcas, and two from Sirius, nearly threw Lily for a loop again. She bit down hard on her lip to check her emotions, opened her browser, and booked a cheap hotel in Athens for two more nights. She didn’t have to checkout for another three hours, which meant she still had a little bit of time to kill before she needed to leave.

As her phone lit up again with a call from Marlene, she glanced in the mirror to see that her face, for the most part, had returned to normal. She switched her phone to airplane mode, pulled on her shoes, and walked out the door.

And right into James.

“James? What are you doing -”

“Why aren’t you answering anyone’s calls? Marlene has called me three times now to ask if she’s seen you,” He said flatly, arms folded against his chest. His face looked tired, and his hair more scrambled than usual.

Lily took a small step back, looking down at her feet. “Blake and I broke up. I’m actually about to head home right now”

“Without your suitcase?”

Lily opened her mouth, ready to lie, but she knew James could see right through her, like he had always been able to. “Plane doesn’t leave for a few hours.”

“Why did you two break up?”

Lily leaned against the doorway. “We… things were moving too fast for me. And I wasn’t-” She rolled her eyes, sighing. “You already know the rest, I guess.”

“And now you’re just going back home?” His tone was even colder than before, and he looked angry.

Lily shot him a look. “Why did you say it like that?”

James took a step towards her, lowering his voice. “You’re just going to give up?”

“What do you mean give up? I realized that I wasn’t being honest to Blake, even if I didn’t realize it. So, we ended it.”

“And that it’s?”

“What do you want me to say?”

“You’re always the good girl, Evans, the one who always does the right thing, even when it hurts you. Why didn’t you just keep Blake and do the wrong thing for once in your life?”

Lily stepped back bewildered. “Are you serious?” Her voice raised a notch. James glanced down the hallway as a family walked by them, and pushed both of them inside, closing the door behind them. Lily continued. “Why do you even care? I made the right decision, and now I’m moving on. And for the record, I’m not doing the right thing here. I’m not going home.”

“What?” James asked, as if he hadn’t heard correctly.

Now, Lily felt stupid. “I mean, I am, just… I decided to take a detour to Athens before I go back.” She paused, not knowing what to say next. “Why does it really matter that I did the right thing here? I’m confused.”

“Because - this would all be a lot easier if you just… stayed with him.” His eyes were downcast, and Lily suddenly realized what he was trying to say.

“Because then it would be an easier decision for you?” She whispered. His eyes shot up to meet hers and he thrust a hand in his hair. He shrugged.

“You left me, Lil, after one of the best years of my life. And you moved on so quick, and I thought I could never be that happy again.” When he looked up at Lily again, her heart wanted to break all over again. His face was so troubled and shattered, and it was clear that he was in pain. “If you were still together with him, I could have just checked on you and left.” His voice choked a little and he threw his hands in the air.

“What do you want me to say, James? You freaked out - in a major way - after I mentioned marriage once, and then went AWOL on me.”

James tipped his head back, leaning into his heels. “I messed up, okay? I never pictured myself getting married when I was little because I was always with Sirius, and we never thought about the future. It wasn’t on my radar.”

“Then why were we even dating?” Lily could understand that he hadn’t thought it about marriage a lot. James wasn’t the type to get caught up in romantic daydreams, he liked to do things headfirst, and think later. But what had hurt Lily so much a year ago was that he didn’t think about the future of them together.

“Because I’ve been in love with you since we were eighteen, Evans!” James burst out. “I’ve always loved you, and -”

Lily stood up, taking one small step towards him. When he didn’t move, she took another, and another until she was close enough to feel his heat. “Does it still scare you?”

James looked down at her, glancing at her lips, then looked up to the ceiling, tipping his head back. Lily held her breath. He released his breath slowly, lowering his head so that he was looking directly at her. “No.”

Lily didn’t move, not sure that she was comprehending what was happening. She didn’t want to make a move if he didn’t want it, so she stayed frozen in place, staring at James’ hazel eyes. James inched forward so that their fronts were touching, glancing down at her lips once more. An instant later, Lily grabbed his shirt and pulled him to her, crashing her lips onto his, and wrapping her arms around his neck to pull him down to her level. He responded instantly, leaning into her and putting steady pressure on her hips with his hands. Lily took a step forward, forcing him backward until he was leaning against the wall. She used one hand to thread through his soft hair - something she had missed more than a little since they had broken up, and used the other to feel the strong muscles in his back.

A second later, James flipped them around so that Lily was the one against the wall. He pulled away for a second to catch his breath and used his arm to prop himself against the wall, still inches from Lily’s head.

“We’re really doing this?” Lily asked, letting her hands trail from James’ back to his front, up to his chest, and back into his hair.

“Oh, hell yes,” James sighed, lips crashing down onto hers once more. Lily grinned at his eagerness, biting down softly on his lower lip. He groaned and reached down to grab her legs. She settled on his hips, pressed against the wall, just slightly taller than him. He used the height to litter her neck with kisses, and Lily knew that she would have more than a few marks in a couple of hours.

James pulled them off the wall and lowered her down onto the bed. As Lily fell back, James stood over her, reaching up to pull off his shirt. He had just leaned down to kiss her, her nails gently scratching his tan skin, when he stopped.

“James?”

“You were here. With Blake. In this bed.” His eyes clouded heavily, and although he was still on top of her, he lifted himself a few inches from her.

Lily let her head fall back into the bed and closed her eyes. “I -”

“It’s fine, Lil, it’s not a big deal. Your choice of what you want to do with your body. But…”

“You don’t want to stay in the same room,” Lily finished. She sat up, and James rolled to the other side of the bed. Straightening her shirt, she tucked a loose piece of hair back. “Maybe it’s a good idea that we don’t rush right into this.”

He sat up next to her, their shoulders just brushing. “I mean, you did break up with him… three hours ago?”

Lily smiled, although a little guilt crept into her. “Almost four. But yeah, I guess you’re right.”

“We’ll get back to London, and figure everything out there. I think we both need some time before we go back to how it was.”

“Hmm,” James murmured, leaning over to kiss her again.

“Want to go to Athens?” Lily said, pulling away once again. “I mean, I know we’re not trying to rush anything, but I did book a hotel and I already paid for it, and checkout is in shit - fifteen minutes - so -”

“Lily, hey Lily!” James cut off her ramble, laughing. “Yes, yes, I’ll go to Athens with you. We don’t have to go slow on everything.”

Lily gave him a devious look and kissed him once again. James pulled away, laughing a few minutes later, checking his watch. “I uh... I better give the guys an update if I’m leaving mid-trip. I gotta cancel a flight, tell the guys, and pack my bags.”

Lily pecked him once again but stood up. “I should probably call Marlene and tell her I’m okay.”

“I bet twenty bucks she won’t forgive you for a week.”

Lily grinned, picking up her phone. “Hm. Well, when I tell her I got back together with you, she is going to literally knock Dorcas out with her screaming.”

James opened the hotel door, tousling his hair with one hand. He leaned over and gave Lily another deep kiss, and when he finally pulled away, he winked. “Poor Dorcas.”

“Hm,” Lily murmured, swaying into him as he kissed her neck. Then, laughing gently, she pulled away, pushing on his chest gently. “Go, go tell Sirius that I’m fine. I’ll call Marlene, and meet you out front in an hour.”

“Sounds good.” James kissed her once more. “See you in a bit.”

As James walked down the hallway, Lily quietly closed the door. She collapsed on the bed, picked up her phone and dialed Marlene. The sudden changes - breaking up with Blake, getting back together with James - would take some getting used to, but the instant James had come into her hotel room, she felt a thousand times more comfortable than she ever had with Blake. And with that happy feeling, Lily gathered the last of her things, checked out of the hotel room, and went to go meet her boyfriend.

read on Ao3!

#im sorry i had to write Lily/OC :((( it hurt to write but had to be done to make the part with James way better loll #jily fanfic #jilyarchive #mine #my writing #jily fic #jily #fic recs #hp #fic #enjoyyyy

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fandom-collective-writers · 5 years

Text

Library Mischief

Fandom: Ikemen Sengoku Pairing: Mitsuhide Akechi x MC (Mai) Written By: @lil-creatorwritings Requested By: @pristinehaven and @shadowyanimequotesprofessor Prompt: Smut Prompts #40: “If you don’t like my teasing, then why are you moaning?” and #46: “You’re not allowed to cum without my permission.” A/N: College AU, because why not? I hope it’s both to your liking and thank you for sending a request~

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History 102 would always be full whenever the second semester rolled in. The administration never had a problem with the influx of students, since it was a prerequisite for several of their available course. One would instead question the ratio of genders in the class--there were obviously more females pining over the Thursday and Friday schedules, and there could only be one reason why.

Mitsuhide Akechi. Good looks, well mannered and smart. A perfect trifecta of qualities to boost morale in an otherwise bleak and monotonous subject.

It’s wasn’t a mystery to Mai on how he ended up being the center of attraction to the students. She wasn’t one to judge, falling right into his charms and smooth antics. The man did have a silver tongue and a way with words. Even as they’ve decided to be a couple, it seemed oblivious to the rest of the people around them.

Now, it wasn’t any of her business to interfere with work. After all, she was also a teacher and she had other things to worry about such as lesson plans and quizzes. Getting away from the students was the opposite of their profession, and she wasn’t about to suggest it just so that they could keep their hands off her boyfriend. Though the jealousy creeping up her throat wasn’t helping.

Stepping into the huge library, she swiped her card for entrance and pointedly made her way to the economics section at the far back. The groups of giddy girls littered everywhere told her what she didn’t want to know before the clock outside chimed for the time. A cacophony of chairs scratching on the floor, papers being shuffled around, books closed shut, and the world was at peace again.

Mai sighed to herself, reaching up for a book. If she didn’t know any better, she would have convinced herself that all of them were studying, finding a quiet place to focus on their thoughts and notes. But their dreamy sighs and lovestruck gazes only confirmed her suspicion. Skimming through the book, she reshelved it back and took the one beside it, reading through a couple of pages.

A voice spoke up from behind her, making her almost drop the book. “That looks interesting.”

“Mitsuhide!” She spun around, meeting golden eyes as she clutched it to her chest. “When did you get here?”

“For a while now. I spotted you when you came in.” he replied, glancing over the cover of the book. “It seems that had caught your full attention.”

He looked good as always, dressed in well cut slacks and a light blue button down. The man certainly knew how to dress to impress, and even such a simple outfit made him look gorgeous. It was downright unfair that he could pull off being a model with almost any sort of clothing.

Mai gazed back at the book. “I’m trying to come up with new ideas for class. Maybe something that appeals to the male students as well.” Woodwork seemed to be a good idea to start with. “What are you doing here?”

“Nothing important, just some additional paperwork.” he shrugged. “Trying to get away from my new students.”

“I see.”

This wasn’t the first time it happened. She’s seen this ever since she met him as a fellow colleague. Female students would crowd over him, animatedly trying to grab his attention outside of class hours. Some purposely stay a while after lectures, approaching him with trivial questions and such. Maybe leaning over a bit too much, acting a little too cute, being a little too touchy. February was the worst; his desk would be flooded with boxes of chocolate or letters filled with confessions, the scent of roses wafting through the whole faculty. He claims that the amount is nothing compared to what Shingen or Nobunaga receive every year.

He’s never been one to revel in the fame, unlike the two. It would always settle down after a couple of weeks, the spotlight fading as he makes them actually pay attention to the subject.

“It must be nice to have the majority of females here fawn over you for your attention.” Squaring her shoulders, she faced the bookshelf, trying to focus back on her book.

Mitsuhide approached her, his hand ghosting up her arm before it rested on her shoulder. “Why, is that a hint of jealousy I hear?”

“What? Why would I be?” She refused to look at him. Being jealous wasn’t her thing, but she refused to give him the satisfaction of being right.

“Are you sure?” he murmured, his hand moving her auburn hair to a side. His teeth lightly nipped at her ear, making her shiver. “That pout you’re making tells me otherwise.”

She dropped the pout as he kissed down her neck. “Mitsuhide, stop that.” Squirming away was no use; he had already trapped her against the bookcase, wrapping an arm around her waist and using his body as leverage to keep her still.

“Do you really want me to stop?”

No and yes. No, because the heat of his body was feeding the growing fire in her stomach, and yes, because they might get caught by a colleague. Or worse, a student. One of them had to be rational.

The sudden bite of his teeth made her gasp, marking her with a hickey just below the collar. His tongue quickly swiped over it in apology, the sensation sending a pulse between her legs. Mai bit her lip, trying to stifle her voice as she felt his hand squeeze her ass before slipping under her skirt, caressing her inner thigh.

“If you don’t like my teasing, then why are you moaning?”

She didn’t have time to respond before Mitsuhide deftly pushed two fingers in, her pussy squeezing around them. A strangled moan fell from her lips as he started thrusting, stretching her, lightly teasing her nub with a flick of his thumb.

“We’re.. on campus..”

“And you’re squeezing so hard, little mouse.” The pet name spiked her arousal as he moved to stroking longer and deeper. “I can tell my fingers are soaked.”

The book tumbled to the ground, her hand gripping the nearest shelf she could hold on as he suddenly picked up speed. She couldn’t press her thighs together to stop him; he had nudged one of his legs between hers, keeping them apart.

Mai sunk her teeth on her finger, the pain barely distracting her from the rapid peak to her orgasm. Her hips jerked forward, seeking him deeper, trying to press up against his palm for some friction on her aching clit. It was absolutely infuriating, the way he kept her on the edge like this when he wanted to be a tease. Oh, she was so close…!

But he had other plans, and the whine she gave him was full of protest. He slowed down, thrusting just a bit more before pulling out of her. The sound of him licking his fingers clean made her clench.

“Now, now,” he chuckled, leaving light pecks on her neck. “I thought you wanted me to stop?”

He was agonizing, but the need for him threw her logic out the window. Twisting in his grasp, she pulled him by the shirt, crashing their lips together in a hungry kiss. In a bold move, she rubbed her palm on his clothed erection. She could almost make out the exact shape as it strained against his pants.

“Mai.” His voice was tight. The small crack in his composure encouraged her to give him a squeeze.

Mitsuhide sucked in a harsh breath before grabbing her wrist, pulling her hand away and walking off to the corner. The change in movement almost made her trip on her own feet, gaining balance as he led her a few bookshelves down to a painted door.

It was the storage room. “I doubt that’s open to the pub--”

Click!

With a turn of the knob, it opened to reveal several stacks of books in yellow light. As soon as they were behind the door, he claimed her lips again, pressing her against the closest wall. Her hands fumbled with his belt and zipper, opening it just enough to fit a hand in. She was already stroking him when he managed to pull down his boxers low enough. He pulled her panties to the side, fitting between her legs as he rubbed against her slit.

There was an air of dominance as he spoke. “You’re not allowed to come without my permission.”

Thoughts of her arguing with that flew out the window as his cock slid inside her. Her head bumped against the wall, his girth stretching her walls much more than his fingers. Mitsuhide gently nipped on her exposed throat and played with her clit, giving her time to adjust. Seconds ticked by before he moved, pulling out of her almost completely before pushing right back in.

The steady pace was absolutely maddening. She tried to urge him, wrapping a leg around his to press them even closer. His ministrations had her drifting in the waters, teetering in pleasure with a slow climb to release.

“Mitsuhide..!” she whimpered.

With a little tilt of his hips, he hit against that sweet spot. Each thrust had her moaning louder as he held her waist and began fucking her faster. The slickness of her cunt made it easier for his cock to fill her up with one smooth motion. It was divine, how her walls squeezed him, his cock throbbing inside her. His hot breath fanned over her neck as he nipped on her skin, right below the first hickey.

“Please!” It was all too much, and she couldn’t fight off the impending fall. “I’m gonna come…!”

“So come. Come for me right now.”

The pleasure crashed over her in waves, her body quivering and giving in. It hit her hard and fast, crying out for him as Mitsuhide kept thrusting, helping her ride it out. He groaned as her cunt clamping around him tightly triggered his own orgasm. His hips moved jerkily, slowing down to edge them off the high before stopping, slipping out of her gently.

The couple paused to catch their breaths. Even as he was appropriately dressed again, Mai didn’t want to let go, wrapping her arms around his neck. Despite needing a more thorough clean up in private, she wanted a few more minutes with him like this.

He was the first to break the silence, resting his hands on her lower back. “Still jealous?”

“..Maybe.” Mai pouted, leaning against him for support as she waited for her legs to stop shaking.

“Then I guess I’ll have to keep reassuring you.” He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “There’s no other woman I’d look at but you.”

Rarely was he so blunt about his feelings, and hearing it from him made her blush.

“I’m sorry I get jealous.”

Mitsuhide ruffled her hair playfully. “Although, it’s absolutely adorable when you are.”

He’d never admit to her that he finds it endearing. Mai was too easy to tease about it, and it was one of the things he loved about her. She pulled away, feigning anger as she huffed at him. The peck on her cheek was all he needed to put a smile on her face. They made sure to at least look decent before turning to leave the room, acting inconspicuously as the two tried to return to work.

#ikemen sengoku #mitsuhide akechi #smut #lastteaparty #ikemen discord writers

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cjxkpopxwriting · 5 years

Text

SINDAY DRABBLE: Happy birthday, Jagi

Author’s Note: this is a Drabble written specifically for Raquel @gloomyoongs for her birthday! Jin’s coming for you. 😍💋😈 I Hope everyone can enjoy it too.

It wasn’t like he hadn’t celebrated Westernized birthdays ever before. Even after their exposure to other types of celebrating, the guys had made it a thing to celebrate on their individual birthdays as much as the big one on the 1st of the year. But this was his princess. His queen. His Jagi. And he had to go all out.

The mood was set. The whole room was perfectly cleaned, organized, the table tuned to just the right angle. He’d made sure candles littered the room in the sappiest way he could imagine. Rose petals on the floor. On the table cloth. Two place settings with gleaming silverware and plates and perfectly folded napkins that had taken him hours to do. In the middle of the table was placed a dish full of her favorite pasta, complete with decoratively twisted breadsticks coated in garlic butter.

Of course he’d not missed a detail. He had his hair perfectly combed, a full suit on. He wore his best cologne, and had a dazzling smile as she texted him that she was almost there. Fussing over the food, he made sure it was still hot, accidentally blew out a candle, and had to relight it, w text that she was here. The door opened and she gasped, making him jump and turn to look at her.

“Ahhh, Jagiya! You didn’t text!” Raquel shook her head, eyes wide. “Oh yes I did! Jin... did you do this... is this for me?” Jin blushed brightly, his smile soft and then quirked to the side as he closed the door and took her hands, tugging her gently to the table. The surprise wasn’t necessarily ruined, but the whole serenading her bit was out. “It’s your birthday. I didn’t forget. And... I know it’s not going out and being crazy. But sometimes a night in is good.”

His eyes turned to her, drinking her in, and he sighed. “You are so beautiful... so so beautiful, princess.” She has been invited over under the guise of movies, pizza, and maybe a quickie. But with everyone gone, he had been able to plan something wonderful. “Come and sit... I’ve made your favorite.” Her eyes shot open in surprise at the pile of pasta and chicken coated in a lemony garlic sauce that smelled absolutely divine. He grinned victoriously as she beamed back up at him, and pumped his arm. “Oh yeah. Team Kim Seokjin for the win!”

Jin quickly served the two of them plates of pasta, salad, and breadsticks, feeling accomplished. She smirked at him. “What?” He finally asked, and she shook her head. “No entertainment? Kook and Jimin aren’t gonna jump out to sing for us?” Jin scoffed. “You want singing? From them? What am I, chopped cabbage? Hello! I can sing!” She giggled back at him, his face looking more perturbed. “And I’m worldwide handsome! Are you not entertained woman?! Seriously? Fine!”

Getting on his knees beside her chair, in a suit that could easy match the price of one of those little box cars, he began to serenade her with Epiphany. Shoving him lightly, she shook her head. “First, there’s no rain you dummy! And second, that’s not even close to romantic.” Jin grumbled and sat in his chair, shaking his own head. “You are impossible to please! And to think I was going to share Japanese style cheesecake with you!”

It was her turn to pout and he threw his hands up. “Yah! Impossible! Fine! I’ll share! Only because it’s your birthday!” The dinner between the two of them was interrupted by a video chat where Jungkook and Jimin did actually sing to her and everyone wished her the best night ever. While she finished her video call, Jin served up the dessert for them, and slid the plate with one lit candle in it in front of her. “You idiots quit yammering and sing again!”

Letting her blow out her candle, the guys finished singing and cheered when she silently made her wish. “Go find someone else’s date to crash, you savages! Bye!” Hanging up on them as they laughed, he sat back down and took a bite. “Mmm, try it!” Jin looked like he was on pins and needles as she began to bite into the cheese cake. Oh please be the right slice. Finally she scooped up a large bite and stuffed it in her mouth only to sputter for a moment and spit out whatever was hard and cold and... “oh! Is that a ring! Jin!”

That was a massive rock. Holy shit.

The man was on his knees again (sorry, Gucci) and he met her shocked gaze with a lopsided grin, trying not to giggle. “I waited all dinner to watch you nearly choke on that 5,000 dollar engagement ring...” he began, making her swat at him, which he easily dodged, catching her hands to hold them. “Will you make me the handsomest, smartest, most talented, happiest man alive? And marry me, Jagiya?”

Tears filled her eyes as she tackled him to the floor, cheesecake covered ring forgotten on the table as she kissed him. Cradling her against him, he laughed and rubbed the back of his head. “So is that...” “yes you idiot! That’s a yes!” Jin shouted victoriously, scrambling from the floor to dance around for a second. “Oh... my Jagiya. My baby. My princess...” he began, kissing all over her face, and she added “fiancé” between kisses, making him laugh. “Mhmmm. Fiancé. God I love you.”

The kisses began to get more desperate and hungry, the tiny woman pressed against him shoving him back towards the room he shared with Yoongi. “I’m so glad they’re not here... that means I can be as loud as I want.” Jin was wide eyed as she undid the buttons on his jacket and shoved it off, tugging his shirt out of his pants too. “Hey! Take it easy! This is quality stuff! I swear if you...” He added as a button popped off, and then growled at her. “Oh that’s it. You’ve ruined my suit. Now you pay!”

Squealing as she was lifted and promptly body slammed (gently) into the bed, Jin finished the shirt off by ripping it off Superman style. “Always wanted to do that for a girl. Yesss.” Her hands slid up his abdomen and chest and across those wide shoulders, lips finding his neck as he climbed back over her. “I love you so much. Gotta make love to my fiancé on her birthday... yesss.” She giggled, but the sound shifted to something wild as his hand slid into the front of her dress, shoving it higher.

“Oooh. Lace. Very nice... what color is it... mmmm.” The black lace hugged her curves, contrasting her skin perfectly and he bit into his fist, nodding. “I knew there was a reason I wanted to marry you. Yes!” As she sat up he peeled her dress off and allowed her to strip his shirt off his arms, her fingers flying to his belt right after. “Slow down baby. I have all night.” Her chuckle made his lips pout out and she nodded, explaining, “I know we have all night but if we get the crazy, clumsy round out of the way I’ll get at least two really good ones.”

Gasping, he covered his chest. “How dare you? Ya! You’re not getting any unless you say every round is the best round, you monster!” Giggling again, her lips found his. “Ok, I’m sorry. Every round with Mr. Worldwide Handsome, my fiancé, is AMAZING.” Looking satisfied, ego thoroughly stroked, he preened and nodded. “Good girl.” Standing up, he pulled his belt off. “Birthday spankings... now. On your knees.” Obediently turning over to expose her lace clad ass to him, she gasped when the sharp sting of his belt met her flesh, arousal turning over her senses to him. “Again, Jin. Please.”

He let her have two more swats so she got three total, and nodded in satisfaction. “You’re overdressed.” He added, and she agreed, shoving his pants open and down his hips. “So are you. I need these off. And I need you inside me.” His fingers slid around her back to fight with her bra, and after a few tries, he finally got it loose. “Black lace... god I love it. Jagiya...” Plush lips wrapped around a nipple, sucking hard while his fingers found the other, twisting teasingly and then kneading the entire breast.

“So beautiful baby. I am so lucky. You have no idea. Everyone will call you Mrs. Worldwide Handsome... because you look so good. Like me.” His lips wandered down to kiss right above her navel as he tugged the lace off her lower half and slingshotted them across the room. “I have no idea where those landed. I’m sorry.” Being yanked down for a kiss, he was quiet again, her hands deftly working his boxers lower. Freedom. Oh it was so good and-

“Ahhh.”

Her fingers wrapped him and pumped slowly, his jaw falling slack as he leaned down to kiss along her jaw and neck. “Yes baby... mmm.” She was slow, teasing him with each pump of her fingers. “You’re so hard and ready to go baby. Eager to please me?” Jin gave her a playful grin and nodded. “Perhaps. Yes... ok god, I want it. I’ve waited all day..” Her eyes met his, so full of love for the mess of a man over her and she knew this was it. This was the love of her life. And now she would be his forever very soon.

Jin kisses her passionately, lips eager but gentle and slow, parting her thighs with his body and sliding close enough to take her. Finally where he wanted to be, he gripped himself, stroking a few times, soft wines leaving his lips. “Condom? No condom? How do you...” But she was already dragging him closer, reminding him of her use of birth control in a whisper against his lips. Not needing to be told again, he connected their bodies with a single stroke of his hips, jaw dropping when he bottomed out.

“Always feels like the first time, baby.” She nodded in agreement, having briefly forgotten how big he was, body flexing around him to accommodate his girth and length. Having been together for over two years, there wasn’t a thing Seokjin didn’t know about her body, and quickly put that knowledge to work, hoisting her leg higher to bury himself deep. Maintaining even strokes and grinding with each one, he already had her maxed out.

One orgasm. Two.. could he get a third?

“Jin... oh my god are you on something? Jesus...” Jin kisses down her throat and chest, slowing as he had to back himself off of his own release. “Just high on your love, baby. Please, take one more?” Nodding, she kissed his lips slowly, deeply, passionately, only breathing between when he did it so good she couldn’t help it. “Jin... I’m so... close... please don’t stop.” He managed a hiss in response, hips jerking harder as he fought to stay in control.

Her face scrunched up, eyes rolling back in her head, and he knew that was it. Hearing her cry his name out into the echo of the empty house, he tumbled over the edge with her, slamming himself as deep as possible to keep everything inside. Her fingers slid up his back and shoulders and into his hair, keeping him close as they both panted to catch their breath. “I love you.” He stares back into her eyes and she smiles back, heart melting in her chest as she cradles his face in both hands. “I love you too.”

Jin is already getting off, running out of the room and she’s left confused and dripping and staring at the ceiling. “Jin!” He quickly returns with the ring and a paper towel, drying it off after he’d quickly rinsed it off in the sink. “I have to make it official. I just realized your hand didn’t feel right. Come on.” Sitting up, she offers him her left hand and he quickly slides the ring on her finger, cheering at the perfect fit. “I love you so much, baby. I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you. Happy birthday, Jagi.” And with a snort, he begins round two.

#seokjin #jin #sinday drabble #bts writing

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sweet-otome-angst · 5 years

Text

Ruminations on a Proposal

Jihyun x MC | SFW

Summary: Jihyun has a surprise for MC on Valentines Day.

(This is reposted after tumblr ate my tags overnight -_-)

Also available on AO3

For a moment, MC wondered if they were in the wrong apartment. She had never seen it like this.

It had been some time since she had moved in with Jihyun, long enough for the clutter of comfort to overtake their space. Piles of books that crowded the end tables in the living room, the baskets of unfolded laundry they were perpetually tardy in putting away taking up most of the couch. The trail of improperly discarded shoes, both his and hers, that led from the front door to the kitchen.

The island counter that separated the two spaces that was overrun with random art supplies and unopened junk mail, a minefield of half full mugs that could contain either dirty paint water or tea, to the peril of the unwarily thirsty. Stacks of photographs littered the kitchen table, the sink still piled with dishes from breakfast.

It had only been a few hours since she’d left those familiar surroundings, dressed to the nines for an unusually elaborate dinner date on the other side of the city. But it was Valentine’s day, after all, and although it was more than enough for her to just to spend a quiet night at home with Jihyun she had to admit his sudden insistence on celebrating the holiday in a traditional way was kind of adorable, and unable to deny him much of anything, she was more than happy to oblige him.

But the real surprise came when they returned home. The apartment was sparkling, every surface shiny and gleaming, the floor to ceiling windows that overlooked the city flawlessly spotless, a faint scent of lemon disinfectant in the air. And more than that…

MC kicked off her heels and shrugged out of her coat at the door, rendered speechless, and walked slowly to the center of the living room, the rose petals scattered across the freshly vacuumed carpet tickling underfoot as she took it all in, the decorations and the brightly wrapped gifts set in front of an alarming mountain of chocolates.

“Happy Valentine’s Day.” Jihyun said as he closed the door softly behind them, and then, “Do you like it?”

She turned to face her boyfriend, cheeks flushed in embarrassment. “Jihyun, you didn’t have to do this.”

“I wanted to,” he quickly volunteered. “I wanted today to be special.”

“Every day with you is special to me,” she smiled at him, so dashing in his clean white suit, still bundled against the raw February chill by the dark blue jacket draped over his shoulders. She had grown so used to seeing him in casual clothes, comfortable t-shirts and loose fitting pants speckled with paint, that she almost forgot what an extra vision he was when he was all dressed up. He could’ve have been a model, tall and lean and impossibly, unbelievably handsome. She still had no idea how she’d gotten so lucky. “But this makes me very happy, too,” she added.

“I’m glad you think so,” he said, smoothing a hand through his short blue hair as he joined her. He did not remove his coat. “Because there’s something else.” He took her hands in his and inhaled deeply.

“Mystic stranger, innocent voice on the other end of the phone…”

Her breath hitched, the air in the room suddenly thicker as a shiver of anticipation prickled down her spine. His palms were a little damp and his fingers were restless, the pads of his thumbs rubbing small circles against her skin, the sort of fidgeting that usually meant he was deep in thought…or nervous. But he smiled at her brightly and earnestly, the light of it filling his stunning eyes, so blue she thought she would gladly drown in them as they held fast to hers as he continued.

“Precious friend that held my hand and kept me safe through some of the darkest days of my life. My patient love, who waited long for me to find my colors and know my heart, so that I could share it with all the love I have for you.”

It was starting to dawn on her, the clean apartment and the fancy clothes, the flowers and champagne, the pomp and circumstance. Jihyun was a hopeless romantic but he was not an extravagant man. He showed his love in simple, easy ways - the way he kissed her every morning before retreating to his studio, the way a hot meal waited for her when her days ran too long. In quiet rainy afternoons wrapped up together on the couch under a pile of thick, fluffy blankets while old records warbled from the stereo, and long, languorous nights tangled up in the rumpled sheets of their bed. So this…this was…

“You have given me so much, more than I can ever repay you, though I will never stop trying. But I hope you would grant me one more imposition…”

His hands slipped from hers as he smoothly dipped down to one knee. She gasped, a wave of pure emotion stealing her breath and rooting her to the spot, tears streaming freely down her face even as she beamed while he fumbled for his pocket under his coat, his own nerves betraying his composure. But a moment later he produced a small red box, voice steady even as his hands were not as he asked:

“Will you marry me, MC?”

Unadulterated joy welled in her chest, so overcome with it she did not realize she had not actually answered until she saw his hopeful expression twist with nervous trepidation. She started nodding vigorously.

“Yes,” she finally managed. And she fell to her knees, her dress pooling in ripples around her as she pulled him in for a kiss which he returned with equal measure. His shoulders went slack with relief as he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close.

“Yes?” He asked when they broke for air, his own tears mingled with hers.

“Yes,” she repeated, lightheaded and giddy and so, so happy. She framed his face between her hands, brushing stray locks of his hair from his eyes. “I love you, Jihyun,”

“I love you too,” he answered, his soulful baritone dropping to a delicious register that never failed to make her shiver before he kissed her again, deeper this time, his hands drifting down to her waist as she melted into his embrace. His grip tightened, grasping the fabric of her skirt as her fingers found purchase in the dark fabric of his suit vest, toying with the buttons, her blood quickened by the thought of all their fancy clothes crumpled up and forgotten on the bedroom floor…

“-Oi, uh, Jihyun,” A distinctive voice interrupted gingerly. “ She said yes, didn’t she? Isn’t that our cue?”

The lovers broke apart, startled.

“Saeyoung…?” MC scrambled to compose herself, wiping her eyes quickly as a head of bright red hair appeared from around the corner, and nor was he alone. One by one the members of the RFA trooped out behind him, a crowd spilling into the living room.

“Right,” Jihyun laughed, bashfully rubbing the back of his neck. “Sorry, everyone.” He helped MC back to her feet. “I…might have had some help…”

“A lot of help, but that’s nothing. Congratulations to you both,” Jumin greeted them, drifting towards the champagne at once. “Now, then, Assistant Kang, about the toast-”

“I pray you will have a long and happy life together,” Jaehee quickly bowed before she followed him.

“Hey Mr. Trust Fund, could you wait a minute before bringing up drinking?” Zen muttered after them. He clapped Jihyun on the shoulder and winked at MC. “You really made him sweat it, Jagi-…ah, well, I guess I shouldn’t call you that anymore,” he laughed.

“Congratulations, MC!” Yoosung offered cheerfully, then frowned at MC’s bare hands. “But Jihyun, didn’t you get her a ring?”

“Of course I -” Jihyun looked around, still flustered, quickly stooping to pick up box that had been all but forgotten in the heat of the moment. He lifted the ring from it, the stones sparkling in the early evening light. “May I?”

MC nodded and held out her hand to allow him to slip it on her finger and they shared a briefer, more modest kiss, to the applause and cheers of all.

“So, uh, who do I have to thank for cleaning the apartment?” she asked, when things settled down.

“Madame Vanderwood’s #1 Cleaning Service,” Saeyoung sang out. “Madame said all this lovey-dovey stuff makes him want to puke, so he didn’t stick around. He said he’ll send a bill - ah, no thanks for me.” He declined the glass of champagne offered to him by Jaehee. “Do you want some, Saeran?” He asked his brother, who hovered quietly at his side.

Saearn shook his hand. “No, thank you, but maybe some chocolate for me?” He asked.

“Coming up,” Saeyoung agreed.

“I’m very happy for you,” The younger Choi offered quietly to MC.

“Thank you, Saeran,” She smiled at him.

“Thank you, Saeran.” Jihyun echoed, wrapping his arm around MC’s shoulder and pressing a quick kiss to her temple. “Thank you, everyone.”

When the glasses were all distributed, and all of their friends gathered round, it was Jumin who raised his glass first.

“To good friends, and true love,” he toasted. “To Jihyun and MC.”

#morning repost becuase tumblr ate my tags overnight #it's probably my fault #jihyun kim #mystic messenger #what the creators won't deliver the fandom will provide

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