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leahsgirl · 4 months

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Hiii! Can you please do an angst with a happy ending for Alessia Russo x reader? Like r doesn't think something is big of a deal but for Alessia it is and they argue and r is in the doghouse but can you please make it a happy ending?

spin the bottle | alessia russo x reader

based after the england vs scotland game for the olympics qualifiers, let’s imagine leah wasn’t still injured 🤗

—

You didn’t win. Despite the six goals your team scored. Your hopes of heading to the olympics and playing for your country was out the window.

In light of this event, you and the squad decided to deal with the loss in what felt like the most appropriate way; get ‘pissed out your head’ drunk. Deciding to head back to Beth’s who had the biggest place.

You and Alessia made it back to your own place first of course, deciding to change out of the outfit you was wearing that screamed ‘homeless’. “Hurry up, we’re going to be late man.” shouting down the hallway as you waited for your girlfriend to finish up doing god knows what - the perks of dating a femme!

“I’m coming, i’m coming.” She turned the corner, raking a comb through her blonde locks. “Without me? you wound me Russo.” Taking notice of your crude comment, she slapped your arm while you just stayed smirking.

“What time do you call this?” Stanway was the one to answer the door when you arrived at Beth and Viv’s, you wondered how those two were coping with one of them qualifying and one just missing out.

“Blame miss ‘my hair doesn’t look right’ over here.” Nudging Alessia’s side as you remember how you watched her curse herself in the mirror for her hair not ‘staying in the right place’ a good twenty minutes before.

With being the last ones to arrive, and the get together in full swing, everyone was already in conversation with one another. Alessia offered to get you a drink which you took up as you threw yourself onto the sofa where your fellow man united teammates ella and millie sat. “Jesus christ y/n, watch the glass.” tooney shouted as you nearly spilled her vodka all over her outfit.

“My bad. What are we talking about over here anyways?” Millie proceeded to sift through her camera roll before passing you her phone, showing a picture of a hotel somewhere abroad. “Was just telling tooney here where i’m going over winter break, nice isn’t it?” Zooming in on the picture you nodded and passed the phone back. “Where is it you’re going?” Alessia having come back and handing you a beer which you take a swig of. “Croatia.”

“right whoever wants to play beer pong come on up!” Stanway was now stood on a barstool, projecting her voice through the open-plan space. How she hadn’t fallen off it you didn’t know, considering it was wobbling like mad and the brunette wasn’t completely sober at this point.

“Fancy a game?” Turning your attention to the blonde sat in your lap and watched as she nodded. you was split into two teams of four. One team consisted of you, lucy, chloe and niamh while the other was alessia, leah, lotte and beth. “oh my god, of course the arsenal clan makes up a group.” You scoffed as you saw the group line up behind one another. “Afraid you’ll lose y/n?” the england captain smirked while you dismissed her.

Leah went first, bouncing the ping-pong ball on the table for it to land in the middle cup. “Lucky shot Williamson.” You said as you pick up the drink, it was some sort of brown colour which you only assume had been a result of multiple liquids mixed together. Knocking it back down your throat your suspicions were confirmed as the taste practically made you gip.

Taking your turn, you threw the ball and watched it bounce into the far left cup. “Get in!” High-fiving Lucy making your way to the back of the line as the skipper drank the cup’s contents.

After multiple turns, your team now had one cup to take down while the other team had three. Niamh was the lucky lady who got to throw the ball, taking on none other than your girlfriend. She landed it directly in the plastic cup, your team now celebrating the win.

As the night continued so did the alcohol consumption. You could confidently say everyone in the house was at least a little tipsy. It was fun seeing everyone’s drunken personality come out. You had Lucy, Lauren j, Georgia and Rachel claiming the ‘irresponsible drunks’ title. Leah, Alessia, and Chloe the affectionate drunks. Beth, Kiera and Alex fulfilling the ‘wistful’ drunk stage, being reminiscent on their memories. You found yourself in the ‘happy drunk’ category along with the rest of the gang.

“Shit.” You say as you stumble, causing a half full beer bottle to topple over, spilling onto the wooden floor. As you looked for something to clean it with, rachel took notice and smirked. “you know what this calls for? SPIN THE BOTTLE!” With everyone in their buzzed state they didn’t oppose when daly started manoeuvring them into the lounge urging them to take a seat on the ground.

“Is this normal spin the bottle or PG version?” Keira asked which again lead to another wicked smirk form on daly’s lips. “How about every three goes there has to be a kiss.” There didn’t seem to be that much disagreement on the idea and so went ahead with it.

Daly went first off course, suspiciously landing on her bff Millie in which she dared her to down six shots of tequila one after the other. Somehow the girl managed it and props to her because you could hardly muster a single tequila shot.

The game was getting more intriguing with each turn. James took control of Charles’ instagram - posting something embarrassing onto her story, Zelem gave a quick peck to Kiera which got some wolf-whistles, Chloe had to draw something explicit onto Alex’s forehead and so on.

It was Leah’s turn next and she also so happened to the third person, meaning whoever the bottle stopped on was the lucky lady. Watching as she spun it harshly and did multiple rotations around the room, you noticed the bottle starting to slow down as it made its way to your side of the room.

“Well aren’t you the lucky one y/l/n.” The blonde said as she crawled over to you. “Bold statement Williamson, I think you’ll find it’s the other way around.” She rolled her eyes playfully before placing her hand on your neck, raking you in closer. Soft lips met your own in what was a tender kiss. The centre-back didn’t stop there though; she proceeded by tugging on your bottom lip and swiping her tongue across it. You parted your mouth which allowed the blonde to take advantage by snaking her tongue inside. You didn’t know if it was your drunken state, or the simple fact that the blonde locks in front of your face was reminding you of a certain someone, but you’d be lying if you said you wasn’t getting at least the tiniest bit turned on.

Pulling away, Leah moved back to her original spot. A shocked silence fell over the group which you thought was strange. Well, you did at first - until you saw your girlfriend get up and walk out the room with no warning.

You took your queue to follow her and called out after her. She had gone and grabbed her coat and walked out the door, shutting it in your face.

“Less? Where are you going?” You scurried to catch up with her while at the same time hopping trying to put your trainers back on your feet. “I’m going home y/n, i’ll order an uber just please leave me alone.”

“You’re seriously not mad about the kiss are you?”

Alessia let out an exasperated sigh. “You tell me y/n, maybe i’ll go and make out with one of our teammates and see how it makes you feel.” She wasn’t even looking at you while saying all this, instead typing something out on her phone.

“Oh come on, we wasn’t making out. You’re being ridiculous.” Alessia wasn’t the only one annoyed now. You was simply playing the game and just so happened to be the person the bottle stopped on, you didn’t get what the big deal was.

“Y/n you had your tongues down each other’s throats, it was more than ‘just a peck’. Last time I checked Leah isn’t your girlfriend - I am.” It was clear the forward was getting emotional with the tiny but noticeable cracks in her voice.

“Yeah exactly; i’m your girlfriend, so I don’t see what the big fuss is about. I’m not about to run off into the sunset with Williamson.” Speaking of the devil, Leah and Keira come outside and walked towards you. “Everything okay out here?”

“Just dandy! Leah can you please tell Alessia over here that our kiss didn’t mean anything.” As if realisation just sunk in Leah raised her eyebrows, “Shit sorry Less, I didn’t even think about you and y/n - but I can promise the kiss was only in fun.”

Alessia gave a halfhearted smile. “It’s okay Lee, i’m not mad at you. You are single after all.” Now turning back and glaring at you. “So you’re mad at me and not Leah? fucking hell Less I don’t know what you want from me.” Holding your hands up in the air incredulously. Kiera nudged your side clearly wanting this ordeal to be over with “Just apologise to her y/n.”

“Apologise for what?! playing the game? following the rules? She’s acting like i’ve committed a crime for pete’s sake!”

“You’re insufferable sometimes y/n, you really are. Don’t bother coming home tonight.” As if on cue, a white toyota prius came rolling up outside the house, the blonde getting into the back seat. Watching as it made a u-turn and drive off, you felt a hand on your shoulder. “Come on y/n, you can crash at mine for the night and find a way to get back into her good books.” the barcelona player offered.

You nodded and re-entered the house just to gather your belongings and say bye to everyone. It’s safe to say you found it hard to fall asleep without the warm presence next to you that you’ve become accustomed to over the last year. The alcohol effects had started to wear off and you replayed the events from earlier in your head.

Looking back you could see how you may of overreacted and got defensive a little too quick. ‘Why am I such a dickhead’ You grabbed your phone and debated texting the hurt girl but chickened out, figuring you’re the last person she wants to hear from at this very moment.

You figured the best plan of action was to wake up early and talk to Alessia and hope it will resolve the issue, shutting your eyes trying to fall into a slumber.

Making your way out the apartment at around 9am after saying thanks to Kiera you headed to the local corner shop deciding to buy your girlfriend’s favourite chocolate and get her a bouquet of flowers. While you knew gifts shouldn’t exactly be used as a way to excuse your behaviour, you gathered it couldn’t make things any worse than what they were.

Lucky for you, Kiera’s apartment wasn’t far from yours, only a twenty minute walk or so which you was grateful for because winter mornings in england weren’t exactly the warmest. Knocking on the door you wait for it to be opened. The younger girl answered and looked you up and down before reluctantly moving to the side so you could slide in.

“Hey.” You’re the first one to speak as Alessia heads into the lounge. She was wearing her favourite pair of grey sweatpants and a navy blue crew neck t-shirt, not to mention her blue slippers that had smiley faces embroidered onto them. Damn did she look good you thought but best not to say out loud given your current circumstances.

“So I had a think over how I reacted last night and I can see how I was in the wrong and just wanted to apologise.” You pulled out the chocolate and flowers that was hiding behind your back “-And I know it’s no consolation but I got you these.” Alessia took them from you and placed them down on the coffee table.

“It’s okay y/n, I had a think last night too and guess I overreacted to the whole kiss situation.” Scooting closer to her, you take her hands. “No Less; your feelings were totally valid and I completely ignored them. You’re right, I’m your partner - I shouldn’t be kissing other people, even if it is just for a game.”

The blonde sighed, “I guess I just felt a little threatened by Leah after seeing you two kiss.” You was now confused. “Threatened?”

“Oh come on y/n, youse two are always bantering and playfully flirting, not to mention in training the both of you are always laughing together about something. I even thought you were dating when I first met you both.” The mention of this made you feel bad, never did you intend to make Alessia feel like this. While you and Leah may be overly close, you’d never date one another.

“Babe, if there’s any woman out there for me; it’s you. Clearly i’ve not been a very good girlfriend if i’ve made you feel insecure in our relationship, i’m sorry.”

You offered your arms out and waited for Alessia to give into the hug. She slid under your arm and rested her head on your chest. “Are we okay?” You asked now stroking your hand through her golden locks. “We’re okay.” She confirmed.

Breathing a sigh of relief you leant down and kissed her head. “Good. Being in Alessia Russo’s doghouse was not fun.”

It’s not everyday someone like you ends up with a girl like Alessia and clearly you took it for granted. As you sat there in contentment, you vowed to yourself to never let something stupid get in the way of your relationship again.

#alessia russo #alessia russo x reader #alessia russo x y/n #woso #woso community #woso x reader #england lionesses #lionesses #arsenal wfc #angst #happy ending #request

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maxsimagination · 5 months

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𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗴𝗶𝗿𝗹 - 𝘀.𝗸𝗲𝗿𝗿

warnings: smut. alcohol. bathroom sex. 18+ under the cut.

------

it was a memorable night for sure, i was out with my girls in blue with a drink in my hand. we were celebrating our win against arsenal at a local club, the whole team had tagged along.

i usually didn't party much, preferring to stay at home, but sam was going so i went too. currently, sam was sitting at the table with millie and a couple others while i was on the floor dancing. i could feel sam's eyes rake over me from where i was with guro.

i had managed to convince her to come out to the floor and got a couple of vodka shots in us to boost the confidence.

the song suddenly changed and it was an upbeat vibe, both me and guro were singing along with eachother. she was behind me, my back pressed up against her front.

i was practically grinding on her, fully aware that sam was watching us two. guro seemed to notice too as she leant down to whisper in my ear.

"she's watching us."

"good. i get better sex when she's pissed."

guro laughed loudly from behind me, i had no filter with alcohol. we continued our suggestive dancing before sam had had enough and walked over. it was perfect timing, the song had just ended and guro had gotten a bit tired so headed to the table.

sam all but stormed over to me when she left and took jess's place. her hands on my hips, pulling our bodies closer together until there was no space left between us.

"i didn't like you dancing with guro."

"no? i thought we looked hot."

i knew that teasing her was a fine line between being flirty and bratty, but i was feeling the latter.

"too hot, love. no one else gets to see this pretty ass but me."

she gripped my ass to punctuate her statement, leaning down and licked a stripe up the side of my neck, finishing below my ear. i hummed in satisfaction, my head tilted back and eyes closed.

"meet me in the bathroom." sam spoke lowly into my ear, then left me on the dance floor. i downed the rest of my drink then followed sam. i found her where she said she would be, standing in front of the mirror fixing the collar of her shirt.

when she saw me, she glanced around the room before dragging me into the nearest stall.

her lips were on mine the second the lock on the door clicked. i melted instantly, the alcohol in my system amplifying my neediness. sam's lips trailed from mine down to my neck then collarbone.

she pushed the straps of my dress down, bunching it around my middle, only to find out i was not wearing a bra.

she pulled back with a glazed look in her eyes before diving back in, but this time attaching her lips to my left breast. her fingers reaching up to attend to the right.

i let out a small sigh, trying my hardest to be quiet. i had no intention of getting caught fucking in a club bathroom. but the way same moved her tongue against my nipple made it very hard to contain the moans i wanted to let out.

"quiet, baby girl. don't want anyone catching us, do we?"

i shook my head vigorously, hands trailing over sam's body now. she just smirked at my neediness, switching her attention to my right nipple for a bit before kneeling down further and pushing my dress up so it was entirely bunched around my stomach.

she hooked her fingers into the bands of my underwear and pulled it down to pool at my ankles.

"you gonna be a good girl and stay quiet?"

"mm, yes sammy i'll be quiet."

"that's my girl."

and with that she dove straight into my dripping pussy. a strangled moan left my throat as she harshly sucked on my clit.

"fuck, sam, more."

i whispered breathily, using every ounce of self control i had not to scream out her name. she added her fingers to the mix, pushing two of them into my clenching hole while her mouth continued to suck on the bundle of nerves.

sam set a pace with her fingers, gradually increasing it until i was teetering on the edge of orgasming. she kept going, unrelenting as her fingers pounded into me and tongue flicked my clit repeatedly.

"s-sam, i'm coming!"

she didn't respond, just kept going, determined to push me over the edge. it didn't take long before i could feel myself let go, cumming all over sam's fingers and her face.

i couldn't move for a second afterwards, just stood panting against the door while sam stood up and sucked my juices off her fingers.

"such a good girl for me. round two with my cock?"

#woso #woso x reader #woso community #woso smut #sam kerr #sam kerr x reader #sam kerr imagine

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roosterbruiser · 1 year

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Aaahhh Millie I wanna ask for Charlie but honestly this can 100% totally be Jake too

Maybe a short blurb where you pleasure him for the first time in agessss because he's been so busy with work and literally has not had the time to orgasm

I've never written for Charlie before so I am going to stick with Jake, but you can totally imagine Charlie!!

Jake's been overwhelmed with work.

now that the Dagger Squad is indefinitely stationed in Miramar, he has to be on base early in the morning and doesn't get home until after dark. he feels like his days are an endless loop: wake up, work, work, work, work, go home, eat, shower, sleep. he loves his job, really--he does. but he loves you more than he loves his job. so only seeing you for a few hours across the dinner table or in bed (when he's far too tired to do anything but sleep) has been hard on him.

so when he comes home, dragging his lug-sole boots across the floor, with an ache in his chest and tired in his eyes--you know what you have to do.

"how was work?" you ask as you sit on the sofa.

Jake, ever the performer, groans and flops down on top of you. he sinks into your body and holds you tight against him, yawning against your throat.

"stupid," he answers, even though he doesn't mean it. "m'gonna quit and do this full-time."

then he's kissing your throat, sucking softly on your skin. he's getting excited already, growing hard against your hip as you rake your fingers through his hair. it doesn't ever take much to get him going--even just feeling the swell of your breasts through your t-shirt has been known to rev his engines. usually, he's happy to satisfy his certified pillow princess, but he's so exhausted that he can hardly keep his eyes open.

but you know that even though he wants to, he's so tired.

so, you do the only thing you can think of.

you detangle yourself from him and leave him lying on the sofa by himself. he whines for a moment, peeking an eye at you and grabbing your wrist to tug you back. but then he stops in his tracks when he realizes that you're undressing right now.

"what're you doing?" he asks, eyes narrowed.

"I'm gonna take care of you," you tell him.

true to your word, you definitely do. once you're both naked, his flight suit laying beside the couch in a puddle, you do the work for both of you. you bracket his hips and grind your bare cunt against his hardening cock as he holds onto your hips.

"fuck, that's good," he whispers, the tension in his neck disappearing. "Jesus Christ."

and you're content just slowly moving your hips, letting the head of his cock nudge your clit as you hold onto his pecks.

"not gonna last long," he warns, peering up at you apologetically.

but you hush him with a bruising kiss, swiftly pressing his cock into you and letting him sit fully inside of you. he whimpers against your lips, almost hissing at how fucking good it feels. he's missed this. he's missed you. he's gripping your hips, fingernails digging into your skin, eyes closed tight in ecstasy.

"that good, baby?" you coo, clenching tight around him and lifting your hips off his before bringing them back down.

he almost doesn't know what to do with his hands--he feels so overwhelmed by the pleasure. so he wraps your hair around one of his hands and lets the other guide your hips up and down on his cock.

"baby," he whispers, breathless, forehead resting against yours. "Jesus, fuck--fuck, oh God. I'm about to--oh, shit I'm gonna cum."

"cum inside me, Jake," you whisper to him.

and that's all it takes to push him over the edge. he holds you tight, whimpers your name breathlessly, then pushes into you a final time as he spills. you ride him through it tenderly, kissing his parted lips, telling him you love him.

when all is said and done, you collapse on his chest and keep him inside of you. he holds you tight, using your body as a weighted blanket, and wonders how the fuck he ever got so lucky.

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an-otterly-adorable-being · 9 months

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An Old Acquaintance: Moxxie & Millie x ArmsDealer!Poly!Reader Headcanons

I really enjoyed this if I'm being honest. I'm a sucker for childhood friends getting out of contact and reuniting years later and becoming partners. Will probably do one for Stolas eventually. Hope y'all enjoy!

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

• It's not a suprise that selling weapons in Wrath raked in a decent amount of money.

• Whether its the locals, a passing assassin, security teams, there was good money to be made, and you took full advantage of that.

• You grew up in Wrath, and from a young age you learned the value of keeping a keen eye on anyone you meet, and a hand on your revolver.

• So, when you figured you had some... connections and a silver tounge, why wouldn't you keep that attitude with your business?

• You weren't rich by any means, but you lived a comfortable life, staying at your family's ranch and helping pay for upkeep.

• Sometimes, when you got fancy clients or very rare items, you even helped get some upgrades made around the house.

• He'd never admit it, but your brother loves the new cooking appliances.

• Back to the important stuff, business had been somewhat slow, but you were in contact with an imp from Pride interested in buying a lot of guns.

• Apparently he ran an assassination business, and apparently he'd be sending two of his employees down to talk terms.

• It wasn't an unusual request, not by a long shot, but not many demons sent a duo to negotiate with you.

• Either way, you didn't particularly care. Until they arrived.

• The guy you vaguely recognized from the last harvest moon festival, but the girl, you recognized her right away.

• Although you and Millie didn't interact much now, your parents certainly did, so you still saw eachother a decent amount.

• Actually, the brother mentioned early got a cushy chef job in Gluttony, and the plan was to invite her family over, since Mrs. Lin was the one who introduced him to the culinary world.

• Needless to say, the two of you had a pretty good time catching up.

• You also had a pretty good time getting to know Millie's husband, Moxxie.

• Moxxie was a far cry from Millie, but was still rather charming.

• Plus, you all could bond over your on-sale arsenal.

• You actually made a handful of jokes about having to steal Moxxie away at some point, which were recieved relatively well.

• After a long conversation, you finally got around to your job and negotiated a deal, but before they left, you invited them over to the party for tonight.

• Moxxie seemed a bit hesitant, but Millie did get along with your brother more than you, and let's be honest, it's hard to say no to Millie.

• Her family was a bit suprised to see them that night, but overall things went smoothly.

• Throughout the night though, you kept getting drunker and drunker.

• You weren't sure why, but you knew that, at the very least, the party didn't get ruined because of it.

• Still, no matter how much you drank, there was a, well, it felt like a knot in your stomach.

• It was just about the time you lost the ability to think about what you were saying that you realized why.

• And that's when Millie and Moxxie sat next to you, and your memory got super blurry.

• You ended up waking up with a massive hangover, a reminder of why you don't usually drink.

• You didn't realize it for a good few minutes, but someone had moved you into your bed.

• It was pretty early in the morning, earlier than what you and your family was used to, so no one else should've been awake.

• Apparently, Moxxie and Millie were

• They had stayed for the night, mostly so they could talk to you in the morning.

• Turns out, you had told them that you thought you were in love with both of them, and that the three of you should be in a big ol' poly relationship.

• That...sounded right, and you knew it probably was.

• You weren't sure what it was, but you had been really drawn to the two of them.

• Granted, you were just going to try to move on, but now you had to deal with the consequences.

• Well, you would've if there were any consequences.

• Both Moxxie and Millie were actually fine with it, which came as a big shock.

• And it turned out that Moxxie thought you were kind of cute?

• They both had to get back to Pride, but left their number before you left.

• Yeah, you'd definitely have to ask them both out when you're more sober.

• For now though, you need coffee and food before your hangover takes you out of commission.

#helluva boss headcanon #helluva boss x reader #helluva millie #moxxie #moxxie x millie #moxxie x reader #millie x reader #headcanon #polyamory

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ashbrat488 · 8 months

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Foul Play - Chapter 19

Henry quietly entered Millicent's dimly lit room to find her asleep on top of the blanket, a book still in her hand. He smiled to himself and gently took the book, placing it on the nightstand. As he turned back to her, her eyes met his. "Hey."

"I'm sorry, I must have dozed off..."

"Don't worry about it, shortcake," he replied. "I was helping with the Christmas decorations at my parents' house and lost track of time. Should I go?"

"No!" She quickly crawled under the blanket and patted the spot next to her. "I want you to stay. Please?"

Henry hesitated for a moment before removing his shoes and draping his jacket over her desk chair. He discarded his jeans and settled into the bed beside her, gently pulling her against his chest. After a few minutes of comfortable silence, he spoke softly, "I won't let them get away with hurting you."

She sighed, turning to face him and resting against his chest. "Henry, I don't want you to risk your future for this. You can't afford to be kicked off the team."

"I understand," he conceded with a sigh of his own. "I promise I won't do anything reckless." He smiled and shifted onto his side to face her, reaching up to stroke her cheek. "We're going to graduate, and I'll make it onto the English Rugby team. And then next summer, we'll have a big wedding and plenty of red-haired babies."

Her laughter filled the room, and she pressed her hand to her mouth, trying to stifle it. Henry raised an eyebrow playfully. "What's funny?"

"No, it's just... I haven't laughed this much in a while."

He pretended to look offended. "Are you laughing at my life plans?"

"Never," she replied with a grin, moving closer so that his hand settled on her waist. "How many babies?"

"Four," he responded quickly as she raked her lip through her teeth.

"Two," she counters with a smirk.

He pretended to ponder it. "Okay, you win. Two it is."

Millicent shook her head, giggling. "And what about the proposal? A wedding needs a proposal, you know." She nestled her face into his chest, her eyes closing.

Henry chuckled, resting his head atop hers. "You'll get a proposal, I promise. Now, get some sleep, love."

***

Henry stirred awake to the sound of Millicent's distress beside him. She had moved away during her sleep, her back now turned to him. He reached out and gently rubbed her back. "Shhh... Milly." He turned on the side table lamp and tried to gently shake her awake.

Her whimpering continued, and she shrugged him off, letting out a startled yell as he shook her. "Don't touch me! Get away!" She thrashed, her elbow accidentally hitting Henry's eye, causing him to stumble and fall off the bed with a thud. Millicent woke fully now, her panic subsiding as she saw Henry on the floor, clutching his eye. "Oh, Henry," she groaned, rushing to his side as her bedroom door burst open.

Darren rushed in, his face filled with concern when he saw Henry on the ground. He helped Henry to his feet, his voice laced with anger. "What's going on here? What did you do?"

"Daddy, please," Millicent intervened, pulling her father away from Henry. "He didn't do anything. I was having a nightmare." She sighed and gently guided Henry back to sit on the bed, examining his eye. She winced as she moved his hand to reveal a rapidly forming black eye. "I'm so sorry..."

Darren's anger seemed to subside a bit, replaced with a mixture of concern and exasperation. "Why is he here?"

"I asked him to be here. He makes me feel safe," Millicent admitted softly, her eyes pleading with her father.

"I don't trust him..."

"I know you don't, sir, but I promise I'll earn it," Henry pleaded as Millicent left them alone in the room.

"Sneaking into my daughter's room in the middle of the night isn't exactly helping your case."

Henry managed a rueful chuckle. "You've got a point there."

Darren sighed, watching as Millicent returned with an ice pack for Henry's eye. "Just promise, when you come to this house, use the front door. Not the window."

"Deal," Henry promised with a small smile. Darren gave them a measured look before shaking his head and leaving the room, softly closing the door behind him.

"I'm sorry, Henry," Millicent repeated, sitting beside him on the bed. She leaned against the headboard, drawing her knees up to her chest. "I'm broken now. I don't think I'll ever be able to let you touch me."

"Shortcake, that's not true at all." Henry moved closer, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and pulling her close to his side. "I'll wait for you, as long as it takes. And remember, you're not the one who's broken. They are."

"Why are you still here, Henry?" Her voice quivered, and she looked up at him, her eyes brimming with tears.

"What do you mean? Do you want me to go?"

"No," she clung to him, burying her face against his chest. "I mean, why do you keep coming back to me?"

He let out a soft scoff, shaking his head before pressing a tender kiss on the top of her head. "I've told you, Milly. I love you. How many times do I have to say it before you believe me?"

She chuckled, not lifting her head, and replied in a soft whisper. "Maybe a few more times."

"Fair enough," he agreed with a sigh, shifting down in the bed. "Now, let's try to get some sleep. I promise not to wake you up next time you're having a nightmare," he teased, earning a groan from her. "I'm okay, really. I play Rugby, a black eye is nothing."

Her laughter filled the room, and she looked up at him, sharing a knowing smile. She wanted to say those three words, but the wounds were still too fresh. Instead, she whispered, "Thank you," into the darkness as he turned off the side lamp, and they settled under the blanket together.

Chapter 20

#henry cavill fanfic #henry cavill fanfiction #henry cavill #henry cavill au #henry cavill xofc

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chickensarentcheap · 6 months

Text

Lost and Found- Chapter 23

Fandom: Extraction

Pairing: Tyler Rake and Esme Drummond (OFC. But you do not have to read the others in the series to understand this fic.)

Tagging: @tragiclyhip@munstysmind@themaradwrites@youflickedtooharddamnit@secretaryunpaid@kmc1989@thebejeweledwatercat@asirensrage@theesirenteller@residentdormouse@arrthurpendragon@ocappreciation@occommunity@karimac@alisbackalleybbq@ninjasawakenedmystar

Link to Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/43179357/chapters/131266804

My tag list is OPEN. Please just let me know if you’d like to be added :D

*****

Esme lingers in the near distance, watching Millie as she busies herself at the table by the living room windows; her hair dishevelled and unruly, wayward strands skimming the sides of her face and falling into her eyes. Her long, slender frame still clad in her pyjamas; an intentionally mismatched set comprising traditional brown and grey camo leggings and a neon pink shirt decorated with bright yellow stars. Attention riveted on her creative pursuits; kneeling on one of the chairs, the tabletop covered in sheets of different coloured paper, markers, and both pencil and traditional crayons.

The little one looks so much like her in that moment of intense concentration: the furrowed brow, the narrowed eyes, the top teeth tucked over her bottom lip. Even fresh out of the womb, she’d borne a startling resemblance to him. Arriving in the world with a headful of thick, dirty blond tresses, sparkling blue eyes, and that long torso and lanky limbs. And shockingly big feet and hands. And despite not spending her first four years in his presence, she somehow carries quite a number of his mannerisms and quirks; the stubbornness, the resiliency, the naturally occurring love for animals and a seemingly fearless, bold curiosity that knows no limits.

For Esme, it had been so bittersweet. Longing to be a mother for so long, she had found herself alone and overwhelmed, yet blessed with a beautiful little girl who was the spitting of the man who helped create her.

The one she had lost, but had loved beyond all comprehension. And always would.

She lightly raps her knuckles against the wall in an effort to grab Millie’s attention. “Hey…”

The four-year-old glances up and over; a broad, dimpled smile replacing the frown of concentration. “Momma! Hi!”

“What’cha doin’, babes?”

“Just drawing and colouring some stuff.”

“What kind of stuff?”

“Just all the stuff I like best. Animals and birds and rainbows and flowers and the places that you and I would always go to. Like the library, and the Statue of Liberty, and the fountain at Central Park. And Macy’s.”

“Macy’s, huh? Let me guess; what it looks like at Christmas?”

“Christmas is the best time to go there. All the lights and decorations and stuff. And the hot chocolate and those things we always get to eat. In the paper bag. That you got at the food cart.”

“Roasted chestnuts.”

“Those are soooo good. Do they have Christmas in Australia?”

“They definitely do.”

“Just no snow.”

“No. There won’t be any snow. But we could always travel somewhere where there is some. For Christmas time. I’m sure Tyler wouldn’t mind. He’s been in winter weather before.”

“Christmas is only a month and a bit away. Is that enough time? To let Santa know where I moved to? What if he comes to New York City and can’t find me?”

“There’s more than enough time to send him your new address. Once December first comes, we’ll write him a letter. Let him know where you’re living now. He won’t forget about you. I promise.”

Satisfied with the answer, Millie returns to the drawing in front of her. “I’m going to hang my pictures on the wall in my new bedroom. Tyler said I could. That I could decorate it myself. And that we could even go shopping! So I can pick out things I really like. He even said I could get a bike. And that he’ll teach me to ride it. IF it’s okay with you.”

“Of course that’s okay with me. You guys have been talking a lot, huh?”

“I like talking to him. He always lets me ask tons of questions. Even if they’re stupid ones. And he never gets mad at me. For talking too much. Alessio always got mad. He said I was too noisy.”

“I’m sorry. That Alessio was mean to you. And I’m sorry that I didn’t do something about it. That I didn’t take you away from him.”

“You always told him off! When he was mean to me. You never let him get away with it. Especially when he threw away my sandals. You REALLY lost it on him! It was awesome!”

“There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you. To defend you. Keep you safe. You know that, right?”

“Mmhmm. ‘Cause you’re my momma. And you love me.”

“I do. I DO love you. I love you so very, very, VERY much. And that’s why I need to have a little chat with you about something. About how things are going to go down today. When we finally get out of here.”

“When do we have to try and get away from the bad guys?”

Her mother nods. “Do you think I could join you? Sit with you for a little bit? Have our talk, and then you let you go back to what you’re doing?”

“Okay.” She hurriedly gathers up the loose pieces of paper, caps the markers, and settles everything into a neat pile. “Can I show you my pictures first? I think they’re really good. That you’ll REALLY like them.”

“I would love to see them.” Settles on the edge of the bed, Esme combs her fingers through Millie’s hair as the little one proudly shows off her creations: brightly coloured drawings of all of her favourite animals, princesses, superheroes, her rendition of Macy’s at Christmas, and the fountain and ducks in Central Park.

“And I made this!” Millie holds aloft the final piece. “It’s my best one! That’s me and you and…”

“How come you made me so short? I’m almost as small as you are.”

“‘Cause you’re really tiny, mom. I’m going to be taller than you soon.”

“You’re four years old, I highly doubt that.”

“I bet you when I’m ten, I'll be taller than you!”

“You know, for such a cute little thing, you’re a savage.”

“...and that’s Tyler. I made it with all three of us ‘cause we’re going to be living together, so that makes us a family! He IS family, right?”

“He definitely is.”

“And that’s his dog, Lucy. He showed me a picture of her. So I could draw her. I love her already. I always wanted a dog.”

“And a rabbit and a ferret and a bearded dragon. Along with a whole list of other animals. You’ll have to go easy on Lucy, okay? She’s getting older. Slowing down. And I’m sure things are starting to hurt.”

“Tyler said maybe all she needs is a little kid around. To have fun with. That maybe she’ll be so excited, she’ll act like a puppy again. I really hope she likes me.”

“She’ll love you. For sure. She’s a very sweet girl.”

“Mom, can I ask you something? Without you getting mad?”

“Why would I ever get mad at you? There’s nothing you could ask that would ever upset me.”

“Are you sure?”

“One hundred percent. There’s nothing you can’t talk to me about. You know that. What’s going on? What’s up?”

“You remember how you said that one day you’d take me to meet my dad? My REAL dad?”

“I remember.”

“I kinda changed my mind. I don’t think I want to meet him anymore.”

“Why not? What happened?”

“Well, if we’re going to be living with Tyler, that means he’s gonna be my dad. Maybe not the dad that helped make me, but the dad that’s going to help you take care of me. Until I’m old enough to take care of myself.”

“Okay…”

“I love Tyler. With all my heart. He’s my second bestie. And if my real dad comes along, he might not like that. That Tyler is around and that I love him and like being with him and living with him. And he might get upset and not let me see Tyler anymore. That would really make me sad. If I couldn’t see him.”

“I don’t think you have to worry about that. I don’t think your dad…”

“I don’t want to take any chances. So it’s just better if I don’t meet him; if he stays a secret, and I just wonder about him. I just want it to be us. You and me and Tyler. And Lucy. I don’t want anyone changing that.”

“Honey, I don’t…”

“Please, momma?” Millie’s voice quivers with emotion as tears sparkle in her eyes. “Please don’t make me meet him. I don’t want to ruin things. I want them to stay the way they are. I don’t want him trying to take me away. I just want to stay with you and Tyler and Lucy. Please?”

“Alright…” Cradling her daughter’s cheeks in her palms, Esme turns her head up towards her and places a kiss on her lips. “...we’ll keep things the way they are. But there’s something I need to tell you. And it’s really important and…”

“About my dad?”

“Yeah, about your dad.”

“Momma, no! I don’t want to hear it. I don’t…”

“Millie, it’s not what you think. It’s not bad. It’s very good, actually. It’s very, very, VERY good. Please just let me say it? I really need to say it?”

“I don’t want to hear it. I don’t…”

“Tyler’s your dad. Your REAL dad. He’s not just an old boyfriend that I got back together with. He’s so much more than that. He always has been.”

“That’s impossible. He CAN’T be my dad.”

“He is, sweets. There is no doubt about it. There was no one else but him. In my life. He’s the person who helped make you. He’s…”

“If he was my dad, he would have known about me BEFORE. He wouldn’t have just met me.”

“It’s a long and complicated story and…” Her voice trails off as the main door to the suite clicks open. And she returns Tyler’s warm yet apologetic smile with a shaky, nervous one of her own.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to be this late.” Affectionately ruffling Millie's hair, he lays a hand on Esme’s shoulder, and drops a kiss on the top of her head. “I got tied up with work stuff. We were going over some things, and people were disagreeing about them and…” He frowns as he notices her discomfort, then runs a hand over her hair, and squeezes the nape of her neck. “What’s going on? You alright? You don’t…”

Tears threaten as Esme shakes her head. “I told her. The truth. About you. I didn’t mean to do it. Just she was talking about her dad, and I just blurted out. I’m sorry. I am so sorry. I know that we were going to wait and tell her together, but…”

“It’s okay. There’s nothing for you to be sorry about. You didn’t do anything wrong. Hey…” Dropping to a knee alongside Millie’s chair, he gives a comforting smile and then places his palm on the top of her head; thumb repeatedly stroking her brow. “...you alright? What’s going on?”

“It’s not true, is it? That you’re my dad. There’s no way it’s true.”

“It’s true. Your mom isn’t lying, I AM your dad.”

“You can’t be. I’m four. And we just met! If you were my dad, we would have met before. You would have known since I was in mummy’s tum!”

“Tyler didn’t know,” Esme informs her daughter. “He had no clue you were ever in my tummy.”

“How could he not know? It’s obvious when there’s a baby in someone’s tummy!”

“He never knew about you, Amelia. He had no clue you were even on the way. I left before I found out about you.”

“Why did you leave? You didn’t love him?”

“I didn’t leave because I didn’t love him. I left because I did.”

“That doesn’t make any sense. NONE of this makes any sense.”

“Your mom got into some trouble,” Tyler attempts an explanation; eager to tell the truth, but keep it simple and short enough for a little one to understand. “With some really bad people. And she was worried that I was going to get hurt. Or worse. We had already been through something really bad together, and I wasn’t healthy enough to fight back and keep her safe. That’s the only reason she left. So nothing would happen to ME.”

“But mom said you had no clue I was ever in her tummy. Why didn’t she tell you?”

“Because there was still trouble. And once she found out she was having you, all of a sudden, there were three people to keep safe. Her, me, and YOU. She didn’t want anything bad to happen to you. Before you were even born. And she’d wanted to be a mom for so long, and she was so happy that you were on the way that she did whatever she had to. To protect you.”

“But what about AFTER? After all the bad stuff? She must have told you about me then. I’m FOUR! There’s no way you just found out about me. Didn’t you want me?”

“I didn’t know about you. Until I came here. That was the first time I met you. I wouldn’t lie. Millie. I didn’t know you even existed. Because believe me, if I had? There’s nothing…or no one…that could have stopped me from being with you. AND your mum. We would have been a family. Long before now.”

Millie turns narrowed, accusing eyes towards her mother. “Why didn’t you tell him? About me?”

“Because I was stupid. And selfish.”

“You’re stupid, alright.”

“Hey…” Tyler’s tone is firm. Scolding. “...don’t talk to your mum like that. Don’t ever say those things to her.”

“I hate her! For lying to me! And to you!”

“No. You don’t. You don’t hate her.”

“I do. I DO hate her.”

“I can’t do this.” Esme holds her hands up in surrender. And a play for mercy. “ I can’t HEAR this. I just can’t. I’m sorry. I can’t…”

Tyler reaches for her, fingertips brushing across the top of her hand as she moves further away. “It’s alright, Me. Just sit down. Just sit down and breathe and…”

“I need some air. Or some water. Something. Anything. I’m sorry. I am so sorry.”

He heaves a sigh as she flees the room; running a hand over his weary, unshaven face before turning his attention back to Millie.

She remains steadfast. Unapologetic. “I DO hate her.”

“Listen to me.” He takes his daughter’s face in his hands. “ That is your mum. And she loves you more than she loves anything or anyone in this world. More than she even loves herself. And she’s been a good mum, yeah? A REALY good mum?”

The four-year-old offers a reluctant nod.

“Everything she did? She did it to protect you. And me. It doesn’t matter if we agree with it or not. Doesn’t matter if we even really understand. We don’t know what she was going through. What she HAS been going through. Only she knows those things. But what I DO know? I know it wasn’t easy for her to leave. I know she didn’t want to go. I know she wanted to have a life with me. She wanted to get married and have kids; she wanted us to grow really old and really gray together. But she didn’t have much of a choice. She wasn’t given one. And she wasn’t taking any chances. With me OR you.”

“I’m angry. At her.”

“But you don’t hate her.”

Millie shakes her head.

“It’s okay to be angry, Amelia. It’s okay to be pissed off and for your heart to hurt. Mine does. It’s hurt nearly every second of every day for the last five years. I have missed your mum so much. I never stopped loving her. I never will. But just because I love her and I would do anything for her doesn’t mean I’m not angry at her. That I don’t get upset with her sometimes. But I don’t hate her. I never could.”

“Why? Why don’t you hate her? You should.”

“No. I shouldn’t. Because I don’t know what she was going through. The things she was thinking. How she was feeling. It hasn’t been easy for her. These last five years. She didn’t want to leave me. She HAD to. And she has her reasons; for not telling me about you. I don’t pretend to understand them. But one day I will. And one day, I won’t be angry anymore. And neither will you.”

“But right now…”

“Right now, you’re pissed off. And you’re hurt, yeah?”

The little girl nods.

“So am I. And that’s alright. To feel this way. And you know who told me that? Your mom. She was the one who told me that it's okay to be angry and sad. That she understands. But to say you hate her…”

“I don’t really. I don’t really hate her.”

“You said it to hurt her, didn’t you. You wanted her to be sad, too.”

“I wanted her heart to hurt. Like mine.”

“Believe me, Millie, it already does. It’s been hurting for five years. Your mum didn’t deserve that. You saying that to her. She isn’t some horrible person who did all of this to hurt you. Or me. She thought she was doing the right thing. And even though all the bad stuff was finished and she still didn’t tell me about you, she thought there was a reason she needed to protect herself. She was afraid. Of being hurt. That maybe I’d be so angry at her that I wouldn’t want her back. That I wouldn’t even want YOU.”

“But you would have, right? Wanted us?”

“I definitely would have wanted you. BOTH of you. And I’m sorry; that we didn’t get to meet before. That we didn’t know each other until now. But we got a lot of time left, yeah? For all of that?”

“Tons of time.”

“And I know that we’re both pissed off and hurt and all that. That we deserve to feel these things. But you know what? Your mumma is going through a lot. Because of all this. She’s been lonely and sad and hurting for five years. And she hates herself; for what she did to us. And I don’t want that. I love her too much to watch her put herself through that.”

“So do I.”

“She needs us. More than she lets on. So do you think you could help me? Be there for her? Think we could be a team? Help her together?”

“I think so.”

“I know you love your mum. And she knows it too. But do you think maybe you could tell her? Maybe say you’re sorry? Because she didn’t deserve that. Being hurt like that. And I think you know that.”

“I didn’t mean it. I don’t really hate her.”

“I know. And so does she. But I still think it’s better if you tell her that. That you’re sorry and you love her. Even if you don’t understand why she did the things she did. I don’t really understand either. But I’m trying.”

“Is it REALLY true? It’s not some kind of big joke, is it? That you and mom are playing. You really ARE my dad?”

“We wouldn’t joke about this. I really AM your dad.”

“And you honestly didn’t know about me?”

“If I’d known that your mum was pregnant, nothing would have stopped me from being with her. There’s not a bad guy in the world that would have kept me from her. I would have been there as soon as she told me about you. And she knows that. That I never would have stayed away. Which is part of the reason why she didn’t tell me.”

“Because she wanted to protect you.”

“Exactly.”

“And she didn’t tell you after all that?”

“I didn’t know about you until I came here. I didn’t even know it was your mum that needed my help. It was Auntie Nik that called me and said she needed to do a job for her. A client asked for me by name and needed me to get her and her little kid out of a bad situation. And to somewhere safe.”

“You didn’t know it was mom?”

“I hadn’t seen or heard from her in five years. I had no idea where she was. I didn’t even know if she was alive. I wish I had. Known that she was alright.”

“And you wish you’d known about me.”

“Believe me, I would have loved to have known about you. I wanted to be a dad again. I was scared to be one, but…”

“Because your little boy died.”

Tyler nods. “And because I made a really bad decision when he was sick. That hurt him and his mum. And I didn’t want to screw things up again. With your mumma. But I wanted all that with her. A house and a wife and kids. I wanted to do it right the second time around.”

“It’s sad, you know.”

“What’s sad?”

“That momma had to leave. That she didn’t get to stay. ‘Cause she was happy, and she loved you, and she wanted all that too. It must have hurt her. A lot. To leave.”

“It did. And it still hurts her. That she left. She didn’t want to go. And she definitely didn’t want to keep you from me. She really thought she was doing the best for me. And for you.”

“Momma wouldn’t do anything to hurt anyone. Not on purpose.”

“Exactly. Your mum isn’t like that. She’s a good person, Millie. She’s the best human being I’ve ever known.”

“And the best momma, too.”

“I’m very lucky. That she’s your mum. Because she loves you so much. There’s nothing she wouldn’t do for you. And she’s taken such good care of you. She’s kept you happy and healthy all this time. And SAFE.”

“It’s been a really good life.”

“I’m sure it has. And that makes me really happy; to hear you say that. Your mum has done such a good job, Millie. And she IS sorry. That she kept us apart. She regrets it. And she probably will for the rest of her life.”

“I don’t want her to be sad. Not for THAT long.”

“Neither do I. And that’s why we have to team up. Work together. To help her NOT be sad. To let her know that we don’t hate her. We never could. We just gotta keep finding ways to show her that we love her. Think we can do that? Be a team?”

Millis gives an enthusiastic nod.

“I’m going to go and check on her. Make sure she’s okay. And then I’m gonna bring her back here. Is that alright?”

“That’s alright. But I have a question first. Is that okay?”

“Always.”

“I don’t want to upset you.”

“Believe me, it takes a lot.”

“When do I call you ‘daddy’? ‘Cause I’ve only known you as Tyler, and I don’t know if I’m ready yet. To NOT call you Tyler. Is that wrong? That I’m not ready to call you anything else?”

“That’s not wrong. At all. I know all of this is hard. It’s a lot to hear. And make sense of.”

“So when? When do I call you something else?”

“Whenever you’re ready to. Whenever it feels right. That’s all that’s important. What’s right for YOU. Don’t worry about anyone else. Just yourself. I’ll be around. I can wait as long as you need me to.”

“Promise you’ll be around? Even if it takes a long time? You promise you won’t leave me? And momma?”

“I’m not going anywhere, Millie. Ever. You and your mum are stuck with me. Sorry.”

Giggling she wraps her arms around his neck and pecks his cheek. “I do love you, you know.”

“I know.” He embraces her as tight as her little body will allow, then places a kiss on her temple. “And I love you. You know THAT, yeah?”

“Yeah…” Millie issues a long, content sigh, then rests her head on his shoulder. “...I do.”

*****

He finds her in the master bathroom, perched on the edge of the bathtub; eyes puffy and red from crying, a pile of used tissues by her feet.

“You okay?”

“She hates me.”

“She doesn’t hate you.”

“You were right there. You heard her say it.”

“She could never hate you. You’re her mother.”

“I hate MY mother.”

“Yeah? So? So do I.”

“So that means you hate me, too.”

“Don’t start that shit again. No one hates you. Least of all ME. I have very good, solid reasons to hate your mother.”

“Millie has a VERY good and solid reason.”

“No, she doesn’t. It’s a hell of a shock, you know? To hear something like that. Especially when you’re only four years old. Fuck, it’s a lot to digest as an adult. But she does not hate you. She was hurt, and she was angry, and she lashed out.”

“Boy, it’s true,” Esme rips a tissue from the nearby box; sniffling noisily as she dabs at her eyes. “About the apple not falling far from the tree. She really IS her father.”

“I’m going to ignore that.”

“You heard her, Tyler. You heard everything she said. She even called me stupid.”

“You know damn well that your daughter…OUR daughter…doesn’t hate you. And she doesn’t think you’re stupid, either. Babe, she was upset. She just dropped it on her. How did you want her to react?”

She shrugs. “I don’t know.”

“She’s been through a lot. In the past week ALONE. And hearing that…that I’m her dad and you’ve been keeping it a secret…it was just too much for her. She’s just a little girl. I know she’s smart as hell, but she’s still only four. Get her some slack.”

“It just hurt, you know. To hear her say that. It was my worst fear; that she’d hate me for keeping her from her dad.”

“Look at me,” he gently orders as he kneels down in front of her; using calloused fingertips to clear wayward strands of hair away from the sides of her face. A thumb passing over her lips as he cups her cheek in his palm. “Please?”

She raises her chin from her chest.

“Millie does NOT hate you. You’re her mum. And you’re a damn good mum. An AMAZING one. She was just angry and hurt and that was the only one she knew how to express it. That’s all it was. She didn’t mean it.”

“When did you become an expert on child behaviour?”

“I have done this before, remember? And believe me, Austin could be damn mouthy when he wanted to be.”

“So he took after his dad, too, huh?”

“She is so much like him, Esme. She has so much of him inside of her. I saw it that first day; just the way she carried herself, the way she laughed, and how even the smallest things just made her so excited. And he loved drawing and colouring, too.”

“Does she look like him?”

“A little. He had a lot of his mum in him, though. Millie…”

“Physically, she is ALL you. I knew she was going to look like her dad. I mean, at my thirty-two-week ultrasound, they got a perfect side pic of her, and she damn well had your profile. She had your chin and the line of your jaw and even your nose. Well, your nose BEFORE it got all busted up a few times.”

“You love my nose.”

“I do.” She trails a fingertip over the bump in the bridge, then the scar that curves over top of it. “I love everything about you.”

“Do you still have that picture? Of her?”

“I have so many. There’s so much stuff. I started collecting things and putting them away; as soon as I found out that I was pregnant up until about eight months ago. When I moved in with Alessio, Nik took everything for me and kept it safe. I didn’t want him to find any of it. I didn’t want him to know about me. The REAL me. Or my past. He didn’t deserve to.”

“Maybe we can grab that stuff sometime. Or get Nik to ship it to us. I’d like to see it.”

“I saved it for you. So you could see what she was like; from the time she was born until the time you met her. I know it wouldn’t have made a difference; it wouldn’t have made you less hurt or angry. And it wouldn’t have replaced everything you missed out on. But I wanted that for you. To at least SEE those things.”

“It wasn’t easy for you. I know it wasn’t. And I’m sorry. If I’ve made you feel like I don’t care about any of that. How you must have felt and everything you must have been going through. I never meant to make you feel like it never mattered.”

“I never wanted to leave you. It was the last thing I wanted. I wanted ‘always and forever’ and ‘happy ever after’. Whatever that would have looked like for us.”

“We‘re still going to get that. It just didn’t happen the way we planned it. Things got a little sidetracked and delayed…”

“Just a bit.”

“...but we’ll get there. We’ve already started.”

“I’m sorry. That I told her. I know we planned on doing it together. I know you wanted to be there when it happened. It just..”

Laying a hand on the nape of her neck, he pulls her into him and kisses her forehead. “It’s alright, Me. There’s nothing for you to be sorry about.”

“She started talking about her dad. And how she didn’t want to meet him anymore. Because she found you and loves you and she was scared that her dad would come along and take her away from you. And it just freaked me out; hearing her talk about those things and being so adamant about it. Because her dad is right here, and she doesn’t even know it, and it seemed so unfair for her NOT to know and…”

“It’s okay, Esme. Everything’s alright. I’m not mad. Not in the slightest.”

“That’s NOT how I wanted her to find out.”

“Better out than in, yeah? It wasn’t the best way for it to happen, but…”

“Is she okay? How did she handle it? How…?”

“She’s so tough. So resilient. I’ve never seen a kid THAT strong. What have you been feeding her?”

She manages a laugh. “I told you. She’s YOU.”

“No. That’s all her mum. Her mum is the strongest person I’ve ever known.”

“That’s not true, and you know it.”

“It IS true. When do I ever bullshit?”

“Never. Not about serious things like that.”

“Millie’s fine. She just had the rug pulled out from under her. But we had a nice, long talk about her mum and why she did the things she did. And I told her that no matter how hurt and angry I am at times, I will defend you. No matter. Against anyone. Even her.”

“Boy, do you ever have your work cut out for you. That girl is pretty damn headstrong. She’s a bit of a challenge.”

“Babe, don’t hate me for saying this, but she gets that from you.”

“I am NOT that bad.”

“You are, and then some. I just let her know that I wouldn’t put up with that shit; her talking to her mum like that. And I told her that I love you. That I always have. That I always will.”

A soft knock comes to the door. “Mommy?” Millie’s voice is uncharacteristically tiny. Nervous. “Mommy, are you in there?”

“I am. Tyler’s here too.”

“Can I come in?”

“Of course you can.”

The little one lets herself into the bathroom, closing the door behind her and then sheepishly approaching her mom. In possession of a peace offering; pink construction paper cut into the shape of a heart and sprinkled with purple and silver glittering and decorated with stickers of rainbows and unicorns. “I made this for you, momma. Don’t worry, I didn’t use the scissors. Abuela did that part.”

Tears threaten once more as Esme accepts the gift; giving a small, choked sob when she opens the card and discovers its message. Done with so much care, patience and love; letters of various sizes and facing different directions. Declaring her the best mommy ever and Millie the luckiest kid alive- so carefully and lovingly printed- on the inside. “It’s so beautiful. Thank you. I love it.”

“I’m sorry, momma. That I said bad things to you. And hurt your feelings. I didn’t mean them. I was just angry. And really sad. I still am.”

“And that’s okay, sweetpea. To be angry and sad. It’s a horrible thing that I did. And I’m so sorry. I am so, so, so sorry.”

“I love you always. No matter what. But right now, I’m really upset with you. Tyler told me that’s okay; that we can be upset at someone but still love them.”

“Tyler…your dad…is a very smart man.”

“I know you were just trying to protect me. But it still hurts. That I didn’t get to meet my dad. Until now.”

“I know it does. I’d never deny you that, Millie. I’d never say your feelings are wrong.”

“But I DO love you. I’m just a little pissed off.”

“You’re allowed to be. I totally understand why you are.”

“I still want snuggles, though. Even though I’m mad. Can I have some? Some snuggles? Maybe Tyler will snuggle with us too.”

“He scowls. “Tyler doesn't snuggle.”

“I know that isn’t true. When I woke up this morning, you and momma were asleep, but you were snuggling.”

“Your mum is the one that likes to snuggle.”

“I think you like it too.’

“You’re right,” he concedes, then gathers his ‘girls’ in his arms. Pressing a kiss to one forehead, then the other. “But I’m telling you right now; if you tell anyone, I’ll have to kill you.”

Laughing, Millie then curls an arm around his neck and noisily kisses his cheek. “Your secret’s safe with me.”

******

Three hours later, they stand alongside the dining table; the suite a hub of activity as the countdown begins. A mixture of nerves and adrenaline among the team; the rush that comes with a mixture of confidence, worry, and fear. The world around them so unpredictable; the expectation that danger…perhaps death…lingers around every corner.

“It’s weird,” Esme says as she watches him ‘gear up.’ “Seeing you like this.”

“You’ve seen me like this before. Maybe not in this exact stuff, but…”

“Sometimes it seems like such a long time ago. Dhaka. And then other days…”

“Feels like it was just last week.”

She nods. “So much has changed since then. WE’VE changed.”

“For the better, or…”

“I mean, not like there was anything horrible about the way we were. We were just…different. We were at different places in our lives. Different crossroads.”

“Not to mention my body ached less back then,” Tyler teases. “Five years ago, just one of my shoulders could tell you if it was going to rain. Now it’s both AND my right knee.”

“You went through a lot. After Dhaka. No one expected you to live, let alone walk out of that hospital.” “You did.”

“I knew you weren’t going to give up. That you were going to fight your way back. I know that sounds weird; considering we’d only known each other for less than a week. But I already knew you were too stubborn to die. That this universe couldn’t get rid of you that easily.”

“I only fought my way back for you. So I could have more time to drive you completely insane.”

“You weren’t THAT bad. You occasionally got on my already frayed nerves, but…” She lightly smacks his butt. “...you were really hot, so it made it a bit easier to deal with.”

A grin tugs at the corners of his mouth. “You always grope your mercenaries like that?”

“That was hardly groping. And no, I don’t. Only the really tall, blue-eyed, tatted-up Australian ones.”

“You meet a lot of them, do ya?”

“Tons,” she teases. “They’re a dime a dozen. I do like it, though.” She smoothes her palms down the front of his bulletproof vest. “You’ve always looked really good in black. It’s very sexy.”

“You’re nervous, aren’t you.”

Sighing, she fidgets with the frayed hem on the waist of his jacket. “Is it that obvious?”

He holds his thumb and forefinger half an inch apart. “Just a bit. You always talk about crazy shit when you’re nervous.”

“What’s so crazy about it? It’s a compliment. Okay, so maybe it isn’t exactly the right TIME to be saying it…”

“Well, for what it’s worth, I appreciate the ego-stroking.”

“And you are a whole other level of hot. When you’re all geared up. It’s so intimidating and masculine and badass. Not that you aren’t masculine or badass all the time, but it’s just heightened, you know? And with that jacket and the vest over it? You look even thicker.”

He smirks, then nods his thanks to Yaz when he hands him his earpiece for communications, popping it into place before turning back to Esme. “Listen, if you call me fat one more time…”

“I’ve already explained this to you. I’m not calling you fat. I’m calling you THICK. It’s two totally different things.”

“In your warped little mind, anyway.”

“And even if you were, I’d still be madly in lust with you.”

“So we’ve narrowed it down, have we?” He chides, and snags a bulletproof vest from the supply case open in the middle of the table. “To just lust?”

“Well, I DO love you. That’s never in question. But sometimes the lust does have a slight edge. Are you telling me that there are never times when you don’t lust me more than you love me?”

“I love and lust you in equal amounts.”

“You are so diplomatic.”

“They’re both huge amounts, in case you haven’t figured that out.”

“You really ARE just a big sap.”

“Remember how you said maybe it isn’t the time or place for certain talk? Well, this is it. This is the time and place. Are you honestly feeling that confident? Insulting the guy that’s in charge of keeping your ass in one piece?”

“Like you would ever let anything happen to me. Regardless of how annoyed you are.”

“It’s because you’re so cute. You get away with a lot. Arms up.”

She does as instructed, her eyes never leaving his face as he slips the garment over her head. Tugging firmly at the fabric until it settles perfectly just above her waist; calloused palms smoothing down the front and back before his fingers begin tending to the velcro straps. And she notices the very distinct change in him in his persona. The seemingly smooth and easy transition from the angry and vulnerable Tyler from the night before to stern and focused -and extremely intuitive and skilled- mercenary. The darkness that now inhabits his eyes, the edge and the authority that creeps into his voice, the confident and assertive body language.

It’s the Tyler she remembers from years ago. The one who had tended to her vest and made sure she was feeling safe and secure in her own skin before sending her on her way. It had been those rough and rugged edges that had started the tumble into blinding lust and unprecedented love, but it had been what lay beneath that had sealed it. Those five days in the dirty little room had allowed her access to the Tyler that he hid from everyone else. Not just the softness and the lingering humanity that this weary and broken man still possessed, but the tenderness and patience and adoration that he had poured upon her. And she repeats her actions from that day as she reaches up to clear locks of hair from his furrowed brow; a shaky yet reassuring smile curving her lips.

“I was just thinking about how…” A startled gasp interrupts her words, a grimace replacing the smile. “Ow! Too tight! My lungs do need space to work!”

“Sorry.” He adjusts the straps. “I think I was being a little overcautious there.”

“Yeah, just a bit.”

Hands keeping a firm hold on the shoulders of the vest, he pulls her into him, lips pressing a lingering kiss to her forehead. A pure and innocent form of intimacy that brings tears to her eyes; so many words left unsaid, yet so many promises being made at the same time. “What were you thinking about?”

“Do you really want to know?”

“I wouldn’t have asked.”

“Dhaka.” She notices the beginnings of his scowl and quickly adds, “But not the bad things. About when you dropped me off. Before going to get Ovi out of that apartment. You did the same thing; you wouldn’t let me put on my vest. You insisted on doing it. Didn’t give me much of a chance, actually.”

“I needed to make sure you’d be safe. It made me feel better. Doing it for you.”

“Maybe this sounds really odd, but I liked it. Then AND now.”

“You ARE really odd,” he teases, shooting her a wink before turning back to his selection of equipment. “Now, don’t make me regret this. Don’t get trigger-happy and shoot me in the ass.”

“Ooooo….” She accepts the weapon offered; slipping the Glock out of its holster and checking the magazine. “...a shiny toy just for me. I don’t get another clip?”

“I’m hoping you won’t need to use that one. IF, for some reason, you run out, I’ve got more.”

“By the way, I would NEVER shoot you in the butt,” she assures him as she returns the revolver to its holster, then reaches under her coat and clips it to the waist of her jeans. “It’s too nice of an ass to take any chances with. But there was this guy that I served with in Kabul, that put his sidearm down on a lawn chair and then sat on it. Took a nine-millimetre right between the legs. Came out of it okay. Well, one ball less, mind you.”

“You shot him in the nuts, didn’t you.”

“I am completely innocent. Although he pissed off enough people that I’m sure a lot of us WANTED to.”

“Okay…listen…” He firmly seizes her by both shoulders. “...I know you’re not just a regular client off the street, and you have a lot of personal experience with shit like this, so I don’t know exactly why I’m about to say what I’m going to…”

“Force of habit?”

“..and I’m not trying to be a complete asshole, so…”

“It’s okay, Tyler. I get it. If anyone does, it’s me.”

“You stay close to me. At all times. Always behind, never in front. Unless I tell you otherwise. You listen to everything I say. Whatever I tell you to do, whenever I tell you to do it, you don’t hesitate. You don’t give me a hard time, you don’t argue, you don’t second guess me, and you don’t question a goddamn thing. If I want your opinion or your ideas, I’ll ask for them. Got it?”

She nods.

“You wanna get out of here alive, you cooperate. Now, I know how much pleasure you get out of being a complete pain in my ass…”

“One of the greatest joys of my life.”

“…but I really need you to toe the line. This isn’t a regular job. This isn’t Dhaka; we’re not partners this time. This is MY show to run. So I need you to just go easy on me, yeah? Just do what I say? Because this is way too personal, and I have way too much to lose. So does Millie. She needs her mum. And at the risk of being called a sap, I kinda need her too.”

“That’s not sappy at all. It’s beautiful.”

“That’s even WORSE than being called sappy, you realize that, yeah?”

Finishing the tightening of his own vest, he checks the magazine on both rifle and sidearm; locking and loading before disabling the safety switches. Noticing out of the corner of his eye the way she anxiously rocks back and forth on her heels and gnaws at the inside of her cheek; her hands nervously fidgeting with the hem of her jacket. And he’s amazed at how easily it is to make that switch; to abandon the harder and more aggressive and assertive version of himself in order to become exactly what she needs at that moment.

“Hey…” His tone is gentle yet firm as he settles a gloved hand on the back of her neck and lightly squeezes. “...you’re alright. You’re safe. With me. I’m going to get you outta here. All you gotta do is trust me.”

“I do. I DO trust you.”

“Everything’s going to be okay,” he assures her as his fingers massage her tense muscles. “It’ll be over before you know it.”

Taking in a deep, trembling breath, she releases it slowly; eyes briefly closing as his lips brush against her brow. “I hope so.”

“Getting close to showtime.” Alcott, as he and Abeula join them. Millie perched upon his hip, already clad in winter boots, hat and mitts, her coat unzipped to reveal the child-size bulletproof vest worn underneath. Posie the doll, tucked tightly under one arm, Franklin the stuffed koala under the other. “I think we’re ready. Are we?” He lightly pinches and tickles the little one’s tummy, managing to get a giggle and a smile out of her.. “Are YOU ready, sunshine?”

“As I’ll ever be!”

Esme steps forward; zipping Millie’s coat and straightening the brim on her beanie. “You be good for Uncle Duey and AB, okay?”

“I’m always good!”

“Mmmhmm. Sure you are.”

“Well, maybe not ALWAYS, but most of the time. And why do I gotta wear this thing?” Reaching under the shoulder of her coat, she pulls at the fabric of the vest. “It’s tight! I don’t like it. It’s making me sweat!”

“We’re all wearing them. We match. It’s like a team uniform. Why should we leave you out? You’re part of the team.”

“Mom…” Millie tilts her head to the sigh and regards her in disdain. “...I KNOW what it is. I KNOW it stops bullets. I get why you guys have to wear them, but why ME?”

“Because bad people are crazy, and they love to hurt people. Especially innocent people. And I don’t want you to be one of them. It makes me feel better, okay? Knowing you’re wearing that. Makes me know that you’re safe and sound.”

“I am safe with Uncle Duey. He can protect me.”

“But wearing that vest makes you EXTRA safe,” Alcott points out. “And that’s a good thing, yeah? To be extra safe? I know I like to feel extra safe. That’s why I wear one.”

“You’re safe because you carry a gun, Uncle Duey.”

“Guns don’t protect you from other guns. So having one makes me safe, but wearing one of those makes me extra safe. Make sense?”

“I suppose. I still don’t like it, though. It’s uncomfy. I can’t breathe.”

“You’re breathing just fine, judging by the amount of talking you’re doing. Just like your mum, yeah? Talk, talk, talk.”

“That’s ‘cause we both have a lot to say! We’re very opinionated!”

“You’re very something alright. How do you even know that word? Opinionated? You’re four.”

“‘Cause I’m smart! Like momma. She’s pretty brainy, you know.”

“I beg to differ. She did get mixed up with your dad after all and…”

Esme takes her daughter’s face in her hands. “You and I need to have a chat, little miss. It’s very important that you hear what I have to say, okay?”

Millie nods.

“I want you to listen to everything Uncle Duey and AB say. Whatever they tell you to do, whatever they tell you to say, you do it. You don’t argue with them, you don’t pitch a fit, you don’t ask why. You just do what you’re told. It’s very important that you do. You understand that, right?”

“I understand.”

“All you need to do is cooperate. Just stay calm and do whatever they say. If you do, things will go by really fast, and you won’t have time to be scared.”

“I’m already scared, though.”

“You’re in very good hands. There’s not many people I trust. Especially when it comes to you. It’s a very small list. And you know what? Uncle Duey is right near the very top. Because I know nothing bad is going to happen to you when he’s around. That he’ll do whatever he has to, to keep you safe. And you’ll have AB with you and Uncle John when you pick him up. Baby sweets, you are going to be with three of the strongest people I have EVER met.”

“But I’m not gonna be with YOU. Or Tyler.”

“I know it would make you feel better; if you were with us. But this really IS for the best. I wouldn’t send you away if it weren’t. And it’s not permanent. It’s not even CLOSE. It’s just for a little bit.”

“How long’s a little bit?”

“An hour. At the most.”

“That’s a long time.”

“I know it seems like it, but it’s really not. It’s going to go by really fast, babe. I promise. You just buckle yourself in tight, put your earphones on, and watch something on your tablet. You do that, and before you know it, you’ll be at the airport. And we’ll all be one step closer to getting out of here and starting our new life somewhere else.”

“And you’ll be there? At the airport?”

“You’ll get there first. You’ll have to wait for me.”

“For how long?”

“Not long at all. Probably just a few minutes. Believe me, Millie, if it could be any other way, it would be. If it were safe for you to stay with me, you wouldn’t be going off with Uncle Duey and AB. But remember what your dad told you? About how he has to really concentrate? On getting me out of here? Do you remember that?”

“I remember.”

“And that if you were with us, he’d be so worried about you that he wouldn’t have all his attention on me and…”

“And that’s when bad things happen. When he doesn’t put all his attention on something.”

“Exactly. He just wants everyone safe. That’s all. And sending you with Uncle Duey? That’s what it does; keeps everyone safe. We’re not sending you away because you’ve been bad or because we’re punishing you or anything like that. We’re doing it because we want you to be okay. And because we love you. You know that, right? How loved you are?”

The four-year-old nods.

“You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me, Amelia. The best gift anyone could have ever given me. And I don’t want that taken from me. I don’t want something happening to you. I just want you safe. That’s all. And this keeps you safe.”

“And we’ll see each other soon?”

“Very soon. It won’t be very long. We’re leaving right after you are. We’re taking a different way so we’ll be a bit late, but we’ll get to the airport not long after you. I promise. I love you so much. So, so, so much.”

“I love you, too, momma. Bunches.”

“How many bunches?”

“Tons and tons and tons!”

“That’s a lot of bunches.” She pecks Millie’s cheek, then her temple, before squeezing her tightly. “Too-da-loo, kangaroo.”

Giggling, Millie noisily pecks her mother’s lips. “Adieu, cockatoo!”

“Hey…” Tyler lays a hand on the back of the four-year-old’s head, then leans down to lightly knock his forehead against hers. “...you behave. I don’t want to hear any different.”

“I will,” Millie promises, then shakes a finger at him. “And you behave too! Don’t get hurt! And make sure you take care of momma! Bring her back to me, okay?”

“I’ll do whatever I have to make sure that happens.” Offering Millie a fist, she curls her tiny fingers into one of her own; beaming up at him as she taps her clenched hand against his.

“And remember, you promised that when we got to Australia, I could hold a snake AND a big spider!”

“A snake and a spider, huh?” Esme stares at him pointedly, both eyebrows raised. “Really…”

“Come on now…” Tyler playfully tousles his daughter’s hair. “...you weren’t supposed to say that out loud.”

Eyes sparkling, Millie covers her mouth with both hands and giggles into them. “Ooops.”

“We’ll see you in a little bit,” Abuela promises as she tightly embraces Esme. “Take care of one another. Watch each other’s backs.”

“Always,” the younger woman assures her, then offers a shaky smile. “Please keep my baby safe. If anything happens to her…”

“She’s going to be just fine. Like you said, she’s in great hands. Just worry about yourself. That’s all you need to do. Keep your head on your shoulders, breathe, and rely on each other to get the hell out of here. And don’t give this poor man a hard time…” Reaching up, she gently taps Tyler’s cheek. “...he’s been through enough. And he’s already complaining about the amount of gray hair he already has. Try not to give him anymore.”

“This is Esme we’re talking about. Giving me gray hair is her specialty.”

Rolling her eyes, she playfully elbows him in the ribs. Thankful for the strong, supportive hand that settles on the nape of her neck and gives her weak, trembling knees a reprieve; her body leaning against his as it seeks both comfort and reassurance.

“Two minutes,” Nik calls from across the room, immediately followed by the last-minute securing of weapons and loading of magazines and the fastening of velcro. The tech team hurriedly logging off their computers and packing away their equipment as Yaz prepares to shut down the hotel’s security system; able to monitor it through just his cell phone.

Wick approaches the group as the group moves towards the door, slipping into his own bulletproof vest and then scooping up a storage case that contains the pieces of his rifle.

“You ready for this?” Alcott inquires, a smirk curling his lips. “Think your old ass is up to it?”

“Just another day at the office.”

“Make sure you’re right where I’m supposed to pick you up. ‘Cause if you’re not there, I’m leaving you behind. You can take the subway. Or an Uber.”

“Don’t you worry about me, I’ll be there. Just make sure you don’t get lost. I know you’re used to driving on the other side of the road and all that, but…”

“Have you noticed the kind of men you allow into your life?” Alcott playfully tugs on Esme’s ponytail. “You’ve got the smart-mouthed, severely depressed, alcoholic American, the nappy-headed, big-eared, ugly ass muppet from Australia. You have a soft spot for mangy strays?”

“Obviously. Or you and I wouldn’t be friends.”

“I set myself up for that, didn’t I.”

“Left yourself WIDE open.” Turning to Wick, she stands on her tiptoes, pressing a kiss to his cheek and then tightly embraces him. “Be careful, okay? Stay safe.”

“I always try my best. See you on the other side.”

Tyler offers a hand in appreciation. “Thank you. For everything. Especially getting them out of there the other night. If you hadn’t done that…”

“When Nik called, I didn’t hesitate. Of course I was going to be there.”

“ I know this can’t be easy for you; going against Winston after all he’s done for you.”

“I don’t regret my decision. After all…” Wick casts a glance at Esme, offering a wink and a small smile. “...I have my own amends to make.”

#Tyler and Esme series #Tyler Rake #Tyler Rake fanfic #Tyler Rake fan fiction #Extraction #Extraction 2 #Extraction fanfic #Extraction fan fiction #Tyler Rake x OFC #Chris Hemsworth #Esme Drummond #Esme Rake #Millie Drummond #Millie Rake #Rake Lives

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edgeofmyniall · 1 year

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okay so I am TERRIBLE at math so the flashback dates maybe wrong I will make a post putting them in order at the end of the story

TW: description and overdramatization of a miscarriage and gaslighting

The Arrival: Part Two

Six Years Ago

“What do you mean no?” Niall sits across from Poppy, brows furrowed into row of waves that swim across his forehead. He sounded hurt; he didn’t mean to sound it, but when it came to his girlfriend, Niall laid everything out on the table. The small group of friends sit in a booth in the back of the local pub. Penelope is on the edge of the seat staring her date in the eyes. She is unwavering in her gaze as a small, crooked smile forms her face. Niall can hear his friends snickering around him, but he doesn’t care that he looks like an absolute fool in love in front of them. They would eventually learn.

“I said no, Niall.” Her brow arches as she leans forward, picking up the playing card on top. Niall tries to grab her wrist, to stop her, but he misses and slams his palm on the table. She adds the newest card to her hand, looking over her collection before blowing a kiss at him. It was never clear on the rules of Niall and his buddies’ card game. Hell, it didn’t even have a name, but Poppy picked it up easily and was one of the toughest people to beat.

“We could be unstoppable, Pop. Just think of the rounds of drinks these idiots would us,” Niall makes one final plea, desperate at a chance of winning.

“No.”

“I’ll do the dishes for a month straight,” Niall runs his tongue over his lips as he looks up at his girlfriend. She’s thinking it over, but only waves him off.

“I’m Justin’s partner,” she smiles as she rearranges her cards to suit her. “Hope you’re ready to lose, Horan.” A devilish grin forms on her mouth as she places the ace and king of hearts on the table. “Read ‘em and weep.”

The groans coming from Niall, Amelia, Ryan, and Jackson fill the air as Justin leans against the table to high five his partner. Poppy smiles as one of Niall’s childhood friends sighs before scooting out of the booth to order a round of shots for the winners.

“You suck,” Niall grumbles, leaning into the worn leather seat.

“I know,” she winks, causing the group to snicker. She leans down to kiss Niall, fully and deeply. She taste of vanilla liquor and sticky Chapstick. Her hand slides into Niall’s front tee pocket before sliding out. “I’ll be right back. Got to pee. Millie?”

“Coming,” Amelia motions for Niall and Justin to stand so she can go with Poppy. When Justin and Niall sit back down, Niall feels Justin nudge his side with an elbow. He looks over at his best friend, a soft smile forming on his lips.

“Don’t rub it in,” Niall scoffs, laughing as he rakes his fingers through his hair. He sighs, feeling the emptiness already. He shouldn’t feel this way when Poppy isn’t around. Not this badly and not this soon.

“You’re done for, dude.” Justin’s deep voice carries over the booth and “You’re so over for her, I can’t even see the end.”

“Yeah, you think so?” Niall asks, shuffling the cards again. He wanted to win this time. He peers over to his friend. On the outside, they were completely different- where Niall was average height, Justin loomed over him standing over six feet. Where Niall had baby blue eyes, Justin had deep brown irises, a color that Niall compared to a strong tree in the middle of a forest. And where Niall was a pale hue, Justin is what Poppy, while drunk, once described him as a piece of dark chocolate that she had been dying to taste. Justin only smiled and pulled her in for a suffocating hug.

But on the inside, Justin and Niall were the same. They cared about the people in their lives. They protected them, no matter the cost. They saw themselves as the top two male lions over watching their pride. They were warriors growing up in the streets of Hell’s Kitchen. One always had a seat at the other’s table, especially after Niall defended Justin in school when he was bullied for being black. Niall had taken a blackened eye when the fight ended. He left the middle-school aged boy on the pavement with a broken nose an an almost broken arm to himself while Justin and his younger sister looked on.

“I know so,” Justin stretches before lightly hitting Niall’s arm with a closed fist. “Which I don’t mind because she’s kind of awesome. Just waiting on you stop being a bitch and ask her to marry you already.” Justin reaches into Niall’s front pocket and pulls out the king of hearts.

The warm air hits Niall like a sudden force that kicks him in the stomach. His hand still lingers on the crook of Penelope’s back and he knows all too well that his heart is screaming for her. One look from her and he feels like he could vomit.

It was a familiarity that burned in his soul and only projected through his shaking hands.

It had always been that way for him when it came to Penelope Myers. She could make his thoughts dizzy, his heart sing, and his stomach knot with one singular look. If love was illegal, he would forever be a criminal. He was absolutely still in love with Poppy. And he hated himself for it.

Until he started to notice that Poppy cared for more of the material things than himself. Her gaze would linger on the necklaces and rings that he presented her when she thanked him, instead of him- the one who worked long days and nights to procure the item. She could not stop praising the new car that sat in the garage when she called her mom. It was him that worked hard and gave Poppy the nicer things in life. And she failed to respect him in the way that Niall seemed fit.

She was shallow, only loving him for the diamond on her hand and the car she drives. And the house that they built together.

“How have you two been?” Amelia asks as her drink slings against the carpet. Clearly under the buzz of wine, she pulls both Niall and Poppy into a forced hug, letting her Yorkshire accent free from her imprisonment. Niall had adopted Amelia as his little sister when she had became the foreign exchange student in high school. She fit right in with the group, honestly. She taught Niall the differences in types of hair and hair textures, how to talk up a girl and follow through, but the most important thing that Amelia ever taught him was that even though time and space can part two people, the unconditional love was always there.

The pretend couple look at one another before Amelia lets her grip go, forcing smiles on their faces. “Been a lot of rumors going about… a divorce, an affair? Not the two of you, I say,” Amelia smiles, genuinely believing her friends were still together.

“Kind of a nuance, don’t you think? I mean, listening to that garbage?” Poppy smiles at her friend. She feels Niall’s grip on her tighten. She had given too much away. Too much of a hint. “They always get it wrong.”

“Not all the time, but,” Amelia smiles. “If it were true, you wouldn’t be still trying for a baby. You are trying for a baby again, right?”

Poppy cradles her torso in an unconscious decision- grief swallowing her whole. Niall presses his hand tighter around Poppy’s back. They had been trying, to say the least. Until one day Poppy woke up with bloody sheets and her torso feeling as if it’s been ripped open. Niall grieved only for a few weeks that his wife miscarried, but Poppy still grieves in silence.

Four Years Ago

“Niall,” Poppy whined, her stomach feeling torn to shreds. She had woken from a deep slumber to the intense pain that scratched and clawed at her body. Her back tightened and with cramps pulling at her muscles, she felt like someone had taken to her insides with a hatchet. She felt weak, both physically and mentally. She thought it might have been the food she had eaten for dinner, but it was more than that. She felt the loss move through her body. She moved her legs closer to her chest trying to relieve the pain somehow. She whimpered as tears fell onto the silk pillow case.

The pain was enough to break someone. She tried to form a sentence, but the only thing she could muster together was her husband’s name. “Niall, please… I-ow.” Poppy sobbed into the pillow, her fists clenching the sheets in some desperate to suppress the pain.

“What is it?” Niall sat up suddenly, leaning on one arm as he turned toward his wife whose tears had soaked into her pillow. He had just fallen asleep, twisting and turning trying to shut his mind off. He was going to be a dad. He would get the chance to raise a child, in hopes that they would be everything he wasn’t.

“What’s wrong?” Niall tries to wrap his arm around Poppy’s shaking body when he feels the dampness on the sheets. Quickly, he leans across her wife’s rigid body to turn on the lamp beside the bed and tosses the white sheets off Poppy’s body. The dark red liquid had stained the entirety of Poppy’s side of the bed. In the scene of life or death, Niall watches his wife lose the greatest joy she had. Still crouched in the fetal position, Penelope screams out as another wave of pain courses through her body. Niall’s heart races as he becomes frantic. His breathing is erratic as he scoops his wife into his arms and carries her downstairs.

“Please, please, please not the baby,” was the only thing that ran across his mind.

“It hurts, Niall. I can’t-” Poppy tries to speak through the tears and the gut wrenching pain, but fails as she buries her head into Niall’s chest as she cries.

“Baby, shhh, it’ll be alright,” Niall lied, panic rising in his chest. He awkwardly opens the back seat of his car and lays Poppy down gently before racing back up the stairs to grab his phone.

“Sam, get an emergency cleaning crew to my house as soon as fucking possible,” Niall tries to steady his request, but it comes off more as a demand. It was late and why his assistant was still up at this ungodly hour he will never know. “I’m taking Penelope to the ER. Cancel all my meetings for tomorrow or today or what the fuck ever day it is. She’s losing my child and I- '' Niall screams into the empty house as tears fall down his face. His body shakes as he hits his fist into the wall, putting a hole into the painted drywall. “I got to go.” Niall shoves the phone into the pocket of his checkered pajama pants and flies to the nearest emergency room.

The drive to the hospital was the longest fifteen minutes of his life. He didn’t care if the cops caught him speeding through traffic signs and lights. He had his hazard lights on as he pushed his Mercedes Benz and himself to the limit. He tried to keep his eyes on the road, but the sniffles and groans coming from the back seat, he couldn’t help but look in the rearview mirror and see his heart break.

When they arrived, the car halted to a screeching stop. Niall ran into the emergency waiting room yelling for help. He didn’t care who he had to pay, who he had to assault, who he had to sell his soul to- he just wanted his wife taken care of.

Nurses frantically took Poppy out of Niall’s hold and while they placed her on a gurney, one very petite nurse assured him that his wife was in the best of hands and that he needed to fill out some information to give her the best care possible.

“Azithromycin. She’s allergic to that,” Niall paced back and forth as the nurse took down Poppy’s name, address, and emergency contact. “She goes by Poppy. She hates it when she’s called by her government name. You got that she’s allergic to azithromycin? She’ll end up in hives. I found that out when I took her out the first time. I planned a picnic, you know, just to get to know each other, and some of the food I packed had gone bad. We ended up at Lenox and they gave her azithromycin and she got hives.”

Waiting felt like centuries. When a male in blue scrubs called out their last name, he ran to him, searching his face for any kind of answer. Niall pushed his hair down, knowing that he mindlessly ran his fingers through as he paced the white, sterile waiting room.

“Follow me, the doctor wants to speak with you.” So Niall followed the tall man in blue scrubs through hallways until he walked into an exam room that was empty sans Poppy’s pajamas. “The doctor will be right in.”

Alone, Niall walked over to the neatly folded silk pajamas and holds them gingerly in his hands. He felt his body tremble, his mind blank, until the silence was screaming at him. Tears fell from his eyes as he held the night clothes close to his chest. He didn’t care if the remanence of what was once stained his shirt. If he lost Poppy, he would lose himself.

“Sir,” the doctor, a young and fairly new attendant, walks into the room. She carries herself in a way that one would when delivering bad news. Niall quickly stands, holding the pajamas in one hand. She explains that Poppy had been rushed to the operating room given they didn’t know what was going on at the time. “Your wife has lost a lot of blood and she could have lost her life if you hadn’t made it here in time.”

“What about the baby?” Niall’s eyes wide as he takes in the unspoken words. He could read between the lines. “What about my baby?”

“The fetus did not make it,” the doctor’s face scrunched as she tried to break the life changing news. She tried so hard to stop her own tears from falling, as if she had been on the other side of the news she was giving. “Penelope wasn’t far along and in the first trimester there is-”

“Eighty percent chance that a miscarriage could happen. I know, I researched everything when Poppy told me.” Niall hung his head and wept as the doctor stood in the solidary of Niall’s grief. “Is my wife okay? Did she make it?” Niall’s voice cracked at the thought of losing his best friend. His life would be shambles if he ever lost Poppy.

“She’s in the recovery room asking for you. Penelope, it seems that she does have polycystic ovarian syndrome. It’s a condition that affects her hormone levels. Penelope has more male hormones than she should. PCOS makes it hard for women to become pregnant…”

“We had a hard time… We had an appointment to start with In-Vetro, but then she got pregnant by some miracle,” Niall looked at the speckled white floor tiles, trying to steady his voice.

“The high levels of testosterone caused the miscarriage. Mister Horan,” the doctor crossed her hands in front of her body. “I’m sorry for your loss.” Niall knew the doctor was truly sincere when she apologized, but nothing, no words, could bring his growing baby back.

Niall’s trek to the recovery room seemed never ending. He wanted to reach his wife and to hold her close so badly that the white walls and floors of the hospital were an endless maze. Niall curses at the barriers that are keeping him from his wife, his best friend, that needed him. He tried so hard to hold himself together when he saw his wife, laying in a stiff hospital bed hooked up to beeping monitors. He watched her heart rate continuously flash across the screen. He held her hand, still soft and gentle just like the first time he held her hand.

“I’m sorry,” Poppy said, her eyes fluttering open. They felt heavy from the pain medication, but she knew the warmth of her husband’s hand. “It’s all my fault. My body... I-” Poppy’s voices cracked under the weight of her words. Everything she tried to say was too burdensome to speak. The invisible barrier between them was overshadowing both of them and Niall had begun to crack under it.

“No, no, no,” Niall repeated as he pushed the wet tendrils of hair out of Poppy’s face, his voice finally cracking. He tried to be strong for his wife when she was at her weakest, but the sight of one of the strongest people he knew lying in a bed in grief that consumed her broke him. It was not her fault. It wasn’t anyone’s fault, but maybe his own. If he would have watched more closely for the signs, anything, he might have prevented this from happening. Pale and sickly cold with sweat, Niall smiles at the angel with dark circles under her eyes as if she was the inspiration of the Mona Lisa. Poppy swallows hard as she brings her husband’s hand to her lips, the touch of his hand to her skin causes another wave of tears. She had failed him and the baby. “We’ll try again.”

“We’re...giving it some time,” Poppy dances on the right words to say. She dares not speak of anything that might give any indication of what’s happened after the loss. She curses herself for living a secret life. Was it a secret life or was it is a double life that was covered in contracts and inconsolable grief?

“Ah, well, it’ll come. All good things come when in their own time, innit that right, Niall? The business hasn’t been doing well, yeah?” Amelia’s eyes flicker with sarcasm as Niall swallows his anger. It stung, really. It wasn’t the time nor the place to compare piss streams. He wants to say what he’s really thinking, what he really thinks of Amelia being born into her winery, but instead, he only gives back what Amelia dished. It had always been like that with them.

“Same could be said for you and Maxwell? Or is it Josh this week?” Amelia laughs, hurt and anger flash across her face, a look that would kill Niall where he stood. Niall regrets his vomit of words as soon as they left his lips. It was Millie. The girl who never judged him for all the wrong decisions that he made in his past, and yet he couldn’t tell her the deepest and darkest secret that he buried inside of him. It would devastate her- fully knowing how he broke his now ex-wife’s heart and tore their marriage apart like fine paper. He had put himself and his wants and needs first for the first time in his life, and he told himself that he doesn’t regret it- the decision to move on with his life after the miscarriage, but he half believed his lie. Poppy nudges Niall with her elbow and whispers, “Be nice” after Amelia disappears to fetch the unlucky lad of the month.

“I am. Being nice. Did you hear what she said about the business? Jesus Christ I could twist her head off,” He sighs, taking his grip off her. “I shouldn’t of said it. She got under my skin.”

“You know she does that to you,” Poppy looks up at the swirl of brown hair that had fallen down. It lingers in front of his forehead and for a moment, her hand reaches forward to put it back in place. It was muscle memory, doing the simple yet intimate motion. She rolls her lips in, hoping the nude lipstick doesn’t smudge, and does it anyway.

Niall jerks back when he sees Poppy reaching up to touch him, but he looks around the room, feeling the looks of familiar faces taking them in. This is couple that was supposed to beat all odds. The couple that was supposed to make it.

“Calm down, I’m only fixing your hair,” Poppy has through a forced gritted smile. “Gives the illusion, remember?”

“Yeah,” Niall huffs, faking a toothy smile as he looks at Poppy the way he did on their wedding day. It could be the ease that he had gotten used to when he was with her, but without thinking, Niall cups Poppy’s face, his thumb running against her smooth skin. His eyes soften for her. The same green eyes that still haunt his dreams. Her hand gingerly wraps around his wrist and he could swear he could hear her heart scream for him.

That moment lasted as fast as it came when Amelia rounds the corner with a man in tow. Niall drops his hold on his ex-wife and morphs his body into the business Niall that Poppy had seen so many times. And she was left with feeling empty.

“Ah, here is the lucky man. Name’s Niall.” Niall extends his hand out to the tall, tanned male who looks to belong in a magazine. His blonde hair is gelled back with a tiny curl swooping down his forehead. He flashes his teeth when he smiles.

“Jayden. Nice to meet you and Miss?” Jayden almost bows as he looks at Poppy and Niall notes this. His fist tighten as his smile grows wider. “Mrs. Poppy, Niall’s...wife.” She had hesitated for a mere moment. The frantic squeeze of Niall’s hand on her hip had pushed her over to say the word. The same word that is a lie and it tastes bitter in Poppy’s mouth. She wishes she could get used to the taste by now, but it still is just the same. Poppy looks at Jayden, who is still holding her hand. Niall clears his throat as he pulls Poppy closer to him.

“Leave your luggage by the door,” Amelia says before folding her arm around Jayden’s and showing them Justin’s home. As if they actually needed it. It was only to show off that the successful business couple came back to their roots, even if for a little while. The house that they spent many nights and weekends in, making the memories and people that they are today. The home that was their safe haven.

“Now, tell me,” Amelia whispered to Poppy when Niall wandered over to the bar to collect a bottle of bourbon, “I saw a dark-haired hussie standing over Niall with her breasts all out when I came by the office one day to drop off some of my samples. I tried putting in the code on the gate, but it wouldn’t work, but you would know that if you ever returned my calls.”

“Sorry about that, Millie, I’ve been busy with the magazine and Arlo is going to training school. Niall said she’s the new receptionist.” Poppy hates the taste of lies, boiling inside her as she spews one after another.

“Well, she was all over him, and Niall was eating that shit up. I swear, I almost threw the bitch off the balcony meself.” Amelia’s brow furrowed as she looked up to her friend. “If the rumors are true…”

“No!” Poppy said a little too quickly and loudly, “I mean, no they aren’t. I trust Niall. He knows what he comes home to.” Poppy smiles reassuringly, but doubts her words. Does he really?

“Well, I trust you. I know that you would never lie to me cuz your me best friend, and I love you so fuckin’ much,” Amelia’s words slurred as brought her friend in for another hug. Poppy’s heart sank as the lies burned in her mouth. She could never take them back, and if her friend ever found out, their trust would be severed and the domino effect would begin.

“I just hate that we’re all together again under these circumstances. Justin was…” Poppy tried to find the words to describe what Justin meant to her. He had been her friend throughout college, and they had been close until his passing.

The day she found out Justin died had been a blur. She woke up feeling off, like the grey skies had already known what she didn’t. She tried working from home, but her attention turned to the frame picture of all of the group that sat on her desk. Justin had made some corny joke to make Poppy cry to tears. He had always been the light of the group, and without him, it was just grey. Alex, his girlfriend of eternity, had called her to let her know and to pass along the news to Niall whom she couldn’t reach. Probably because he was under her.

She was angry at Justin for keeping his cancer a secret from her for so long. She wanted to help, but Justin reassuringly let her know that unless she held the power of God, that there wasn’t anything that she could do.

“Amazing, to say the least,” Amelia finished her friend’s sentence. Poppy looked over to Niall who stood next to Alex with a smile wide across his face. He was firmly gripping his glass of red wine when he looked over to his ex-wife and felt an old happiness and yearning for her. He held up the crystal glass towards Poppy, giving her a small toast in honor of them keeping up the show so well. He swallowed the feeling down as he sipped his wine, cursing himself for letting his guard down.

He still loved her.

Three Years Ago

“Where were you last night?” Poopy asks, her hands crossed against her chest. “Where the fuck were you? This is the third time, Niall.” She cocks a brow as she looks at her husband who remained silent. The cold grey morning seeped into the pale white living room where the two were standing. Niall had only just come inside when Poppy stood at the base of the stairs. Her eyes, rimmed with red from worry and tears, watches her husband as he tosses his briefcase to the floor.

“I was out, alright?” Niall sighed as he looked Poppy in her swollen eyes. He didn’t call her. Not even after the floods of texts and calls, Niall never once picked up his phone.

“Where?” Poppy asks, her voice sharp as a knife. She could feel the tears brimming over the edge of her lids and her mouth formed a frown. She thought of the worst.

“I was at the office late with reports,” Niall walked over to Poppy kissing her temple as he pulled her close. “I fell asleep. I should have called.”

“You’re lying. You were with her.” Poppy screamed, the heart break too much, “Just fucking it admit it, Niall,” Poppy rubs her eyes with the inside of her hands. She wanted to shove him, make him pack his shit up, to throw her rings at him, to do anything, but cry and scream at her husband. She was turning into the one thing she never wanted to be.

“I’m going to take a shower and then we can go see your parents. Stop acting crazy. I already have to deal with them still fighting. They do know that they’re spilt, right?” Niall said, ignoring the accusations. She stood there, smelling the perfume and she felt sick to her stomach. He pushed past her, climbing the stairs as he went about his day.

It was foreign to her now. The fighting. It stings and it put a sour taste in her mouth. She covered her mouth with her hand as she screamed and cried as Niall lied to her once again. Who was this Niall that pushed past her like she was nothing? There, as she sits on the bottom step, Poppy decides that to make it through this storm, she would put on her rain jacket and boots and march on, numb and void.

One by one, the two are reunited with old friends that they had lost contact with over the years. Each time, the two forced smiles and laughter for shared memories and explanations. No one dares to address the rumors that the couple are no longer together. That would mean facing the truth and digging up each lie they’ve spoken over the past year. Hours passed and the two felt as if they had finally come home after wandering around for years. Niall steals a quick glance from Poppy who is laughing at a joke that Jayden said. He wants to rescue her as he watches her subtly flirt with the stranger. His fear of losing Poppy had come true, by his own demise, but here in the warm fire scented room, he felt that he could lose Poppy all over again.

“Where’s our rooms?” Niall finally asks after sharing a chardonnay with Alex, her brown wavy hair perched on the top of head after the heat of alcohol had taken over her face. Alex tried to keep the wine from coming up when Niall asked his question. Niall felt the secret becoming like loose strands the longer he stood there in front of his friends.

“Rooms? You and Poppy only need one, unless…”

“No, none of it’s true. Just misspoke is all,” Niall swallows the last of the wine in hopes of the conversation and upcoming questions dying. The bottle of unopened bourbon still stands on their suitcases waiting for Niall’s lips to taste.

“Last door on the left upstairs. The usual room,” Alex cocks a brow when Niall pulls Poppy in the direction of the luggage.

“Grab your bags and let’s go,” Niall breathes hard, angry at himself for letting the one word almost unravel the lie they’re both living. “We’re in our old room.”

“One room? We’re sharing?” Poppy asks hushed as she pulls the handle on her overnight bag. “Are you sure?”

“They don’t know, Penelope,” he growls, looking Poppy in the eyes before trudging upstairs leaving Poppy to her own demise.

They don’t know.

She has to repeat this to herself, reminding her that while life moved forward for the two of them, their friends are stuck in the past.

Three Years Ago

Poppy stood in the elevator, wine in hand and all of Niall’s favorite foods. It felt thrilling, sneaking into her husband’s office. She wanted to revive their love life. They had fallen into the roommate groove, helping with household chores, and casual conversations, but when conversations turned heated with passion, Niall would shut the idea down with an excuse.

She had everything planned out in her head. She wore the red lace lingerie that Niall had bought her a year ago. He nearly tore it to shreds the first time she wore it. She had hoped he would this time. The long coat was heavy on her body, but she knew it would come off soon. Her insides vibrated as the elevators dinged open and as she walked out, her lips turned upward in a smile.

But she stopped in her tracks when she rounded the corner. With her back against the wall, and the man she knew to be her husband hovering over the woman, Poppy watched as Niall ran his thumb across the receptionist’s cheek. Giggles filled the room. Poppy’s mind screamed at her to run to elevator to escape the reality she was witnessing, but her body stood there frozen in time as she watched the woman loosen Niall’s tie- the tie that Poppy had bought him recently. Niall grabbed her hand and pulled her towards his office.

“C’mon Shelby baby,” Niall said before kissing her. She was dark haired, tanned skin with full breasts and hips. Everything that Poppy was not. Everything that Niall wished she was.

She was everything that Niall dreamed of and the only thing Poppy could do was turn and walk away. The red lips burned in her mind and she imagined what the two were doing just now as she pushed the button to the elevator. Tears stained her face, running her make up off her skin, and when the elevator opened up, Poppy swallowed what dignity she had left and tried to put herself in the box that she thought would win her husband back.

####

@niallsguitarplaying @threalniallgrande @lovelywordsblog @niallerlover @kare38 @halfpinthoran @beautyispayno @niallsguinesss @theresnooneheretosave

#niall horan #niall horan au #niall 1d #niall horan fic #niall au #niall horan fanfic #niall horan fanfiction #1dff

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cal-writes · 1 year

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couldnt stop thinking about trigun firefly au so have some 2am scraps

Wolfwood had seen a lot of shit in his time but a naked person spilling out of a cargo box was a new one. Meryl gasped somewhere behind him and Milly’s heavy footsteps thundered over the metal floor of their ship as she rushed forward, undeterred by the gun Leonof was waving about.

“Don’t touch him!” Nai snapped at her, lunging forward and stopping only at the gun being pointed back at him.

Milly was crouching next to their stowaway, having shed her huge duster jacket. The guy looked terrible. His skin was littered with scars, new and old, one arm missing. Even from afar Wolfwood could see the guy was rake thin. The hair was mostly blonde, black showing through underneath as Milly carefully bundled him into her jacket and it was clinging to his face - from grease or moisture from the cryo crate was anyone’s guess.

Leonof watched, gun arm never wavering away from Nai.

“Well, that’s new.” Wolfwood said and got the dented pack of cigarettes out of his breast pocket. Leonof looked over toward him with disdainful disinterest as he shook a cigarette out of the package and put it between his lips. “Anyone care to explain?” Wolfwood asked around the filter.

Nai pressed his lips together, shaking with rage. His eyes only ever left Leonof to glance toward blondie and Milly. She had gathered him into her lap and was buttoning up her coat to give him some decency in his unconscious state.

“These two specimen belong to the Eye of Michael.” Leonof explained, getting a badge out of his pocket and holding it out toward Wolfwood and the rest of his crew. He glanced at it, lighting his cigarette and letting his eyes drift over the gallery walkway over the storage area. Livio met his gaze, hiding behind some cargo and out of view from Leonof, gun at the ready. “They are highly volatile and dangerous. I am taking them back into our custody.”

“Like hell you are.” Nai told him.

Leonof cocked his head and sighed. “We both know you are powerless.” He said and briefly gestured toward his own head with his badge. It seemed to mean something to Nai who’s hands clenched into fists. “And these fine folk will be handsomely rewarded for aiding in the apprehension of you two criminals.” He said pointedly towards Wolfwood.

Wolfwood took a drag of his cigarette. “How handsomely?” He asked, earning an affronted “Wolfwood.” From Meryl in the peanut gallery.

Leonof smiled condescendingly. “You can name your price.”

Wolfwood hummed and scratched his stubbly chin. He glanced back at Meryl who was only being held back from strangling him by Roberto’s hand on her shoulder. “You said we needed a new engine.” Wolfwood reminded her and her mouth fell open.

“You can't be serious.” She said and Wolfwood shrugged, turning back toward Leonof. Milly was holding the unconscious guy cradled in her arms and Wolfwood felt her big sad eyes burrow all the way down to his bones. He tried not to let it get to him.

“I will kill everyone on board before I let any of you touch him again.” Nai said with a deadly certainty.

Leonof pocketed his badge. “You’d burn yourself out before you even got close. Don't be dramatic.” He glanced toward Wolfwood. “We have a deal then?”

Wolfwood took a long drag from his cigarette, blowing out the smoke in two puffs. “You’ll let your people know what a big help we’ve been?”

Leonof nodded and got a communicator out of his pocket. “They’ll be delighted to hear about your commitment to our cause.” He said and Wolfwood nodded, flicking his cigarette away and Livio fired at the same moment.

Meryl let out a shout and Milly threw her body over blondie as Leonof fell to the ground. Wolfwood kicked the communicator and gun away from his spasmining hands and crouched down. “Appreciate you didn’t let them know beforehand.” He said, patting the dying man’s shoulder as he laid there gasping his last breaths.

Nai only took a few moments to react, falling to his knees and all but ripping blondie out of Milly’s grip. “Hey!” Wolfwood shouted, making him freeze.

Nai just held the unconscious guy closer and glared at him. So close together, Wolfwood realized the two looked eerily similar safe for their hair color. Nai’s was entirely black. “I don't know what your game is but-” He began.

“I think I just saved your ass.” Wolfwood cut in. “The least you can do is not be an asshole. Now if you’d apologize to the nice lady in front of you.”

Nai looked like he would rather shit himself than do that but he grit his jaw and inhaled before glancing at Milly who was still kneeling in front of them, hovering like a worried mother hen over their stowaway. “My apologies.” He said reluctantly.

“It’s okay! Is your brother going to be alright?” Milly asked, cheerful as ever and Nai blinked, taken aback. Wolfwood snorted.

“Well then.” Wolfwood clapped his hands and stood. “We just murdered an important guy so we better get out of here. New guy.” He said towards Nai. “Milly’s gonna put blondie up in a cot and you can earn your keep by dumping the body out the airlock.” He said, kicking Leonof’s corpse. Nai looked ready to object or to throw up but Wolfwood wasn’t waiting around for him to make up his mind and turned to the rest of his crew.

Roberto was shaking his head, already heading back to the engine room while Meryl glared at him in disbelief. Behind them Livio came down the rickety metal stairs, gun slung over his shoulder. “Now if anyone that knows how to fly the ship would get us out of this area before we get blown to bits or something that would be great. Oh, wait, that's me. Chop chop.” He told the room at large and headed toward the cockpit.

#trigun #firefly au #no promises ill turn this into something polished lol whos got the time

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stray-kaz · 2 years

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Three Day Hire : a Leo Grande x reader FF : four

A/N: Oh my gosh, this took me ALL DAY. I barely know if it’s any good right now. I really hope it is, in spite of my stuffy nose and headaches! Take pity on me lol. Let me know what you think. :)

18 and up, y’all.

The room was mostly dark thanks to the blackout curtains, but a tiny ripple of light made its way through and danced across your closed eyelids, drawing you too quickly out of sleep. You crinkled your nose and rolled, the top of your forehead making solid contact with Leo’s hard shoulder. You groaned and opened your eyes. He blinked at you sleepily and rolled up onto his elbow.

“You okay?” he asked, his accent suddenly thicker.

You nodded, rubbing your forehead. Your gaze met his and then excruciatingly slowly, travelled down to his mouth, then his chest and then to the tattoo inked over his left side. You hissed slightly and he looked down, confused.

“What?”

“Did that hurt?” you asked, wide eyed. “It must have hurt.”

He smiled and shrugged, propping his chin on his palm.

“Sure” he answered. “But worth the pain.”

You bit your lip, hesitant, then turned onto your side and tugged up your sleep shirt to the middle of your back. Leo’s eyes were drawn down just below the hem to the black raven in the centre of your lower back, bright blue gems for eyes.

“Can I touch it?” he asked.

You nodded and went still as he traced the outline of the bird and then each feather, every detail. The talons were curved and silver, drawn to look wickedly sharp. He leaned up and pressed a kiss to your exposed shoulder, making you shiver.

“A raven for Ravenclaw?” he murmured, and you could feel his smile on your skin.

You laughed and turned so you were nose to nose, his eyes so close to yours you could see the constellations in them.

“I love that you know that” you told him, and his lips twitched.

“Of course I know that. I’m a Gryffindor.”

“Of course you are. How could you not be?”

“Why?”

“Too brave for words, Leo Grande.”

You kissed his cheek and bounded out of bed, stripping off the sleep shirt and crouching on the floor to riffle through the contents of your bigger suitcase. Leo let his gaze trace down the curve of your bare back, past the raven tattoo and then onto your cotton clad backside. He watched as you hooked your bra into place and stood up, a short dress clutched in one hand. He grinned and pointed to your bra.

“Hot pink” he said. “Like your toenails.”

You grinned back and pulled the dress over your head, stretching it down past your thighs. You ran a brush through your hair and glanced down at Leo, still reclining on the bed watching you. You raised an eyebrow.

“Are you coming?”

He arched his eyebrows back at you, grinning cheekily.

“Am I?”

You rolled your eyes, strode across the room and yanked the curtains open, letting the morning light flood in. He curled away from it, squinting, and you grabbed his hands and pulled him up, your chest brushing his as he stood to his full height. He was warm, his skin radiating heat, and you couldn’t help yourself; you let go of his hands and wrapped your arms around him, resting your cheek against his chest.

Leo felt his heartbeat pick up speed as you leaned against him and he lowered his chin to the top of your head as a happy hum purred out of your chest. The sun warmed his back through the windows and he pulled you closer, arms crossing strongly against the small of your back.

The door banged open, bouncing roughly against the wall, and you jumped apart, Leo turning his back on the intruder to hide the effect you were having on him. He glanced over his shoulder to see Millie and rolled his eyes as hard as he could, ignoring how she raked her gaze over him like a butcher picking out choice cuts of meat.

“Good morning, you two” she greeted, nose upturned as she looked at you. “Breakfast is almost ready and then I think the plan is to spend the day at the lake. Guests are coming and Abigail’s parents have just arrived, so be nice.”

You rolled your eyes and shut the door in her face, then flopped down onto the bed while Leo dressed in shorts and a t-shirt with the sleeves ripped off, revealing to your gaze the smooth muscles in his upper arms. He caught you looking and smiled, pulling you off the bed and into his arms; caught by surprise, you giggled as he swayed you over to the door, pretending to waltz with you.

Still on the other side of the door, Millie eyed you with revulsion as Leo released you but was quick to slide his hand down your back and onto your hip, curving his fingers around the softness hidden by your dress and anchoring you to his side.

By the time you arrived at the dining hall, your insides were warm and fuzzy; the imprint of Leo’s hand on you, you were sure, would remain forever. You greeted everyone pleasantly, memories of the previous night in this room crowding to the forefront of your mind.

Leo watched you closely, taking note of your flushed skin, and wondered if you were thinking about his hands on you as much as he was.

You introduced him to everyone who approached you and he answered the same questions over and over again, about how the two of you had met and how long you had been together. And then Millie dropped the bombshell you knew she had been holding onto until the maximum number of people were around to hear it. You had known it was coming, but it still made you cringe to hear.

“So, have you slept with him yet?”

Her voice was loud and full of amusement, all at your expense. You sucked in a fortifying breath and felt Leo come up close behind you, his hands resting on your hips. He couldn’t disguise the loathing in his eyes as he looked down at Millie; he couldn’t believe you were treated so disrespectfully by your own sister. He was about to answer for you when he heard your voice speak up, clear as a bell.

“Not that it’s any of your business, Millicent, but yes, I have. And you have no idea how good he is.”

Leo smirked at the growing look of horror mixed with a strange fascination on Millie’s face as he buried his face in the side of your neck and laughed into your skin.

“Stop being such a cow, Millie, and let them sit down and eat” Derek said, sighing as he elbowed his eldest sister out of the way and pulled chairs out for you and Leo. “Sorry about her.”

Leo shook his head and nudged you onto a seat.

“It’s all right, I think” he replied. “I think she’s got her handled.”

Derek nodded and walked away, glaring at Millie as he passed.

The rest of the morning skated by easily, spending the time in your room away from everyone else. You sat propped against your headboard, reading out loud as Leo lounged on his back between your spread legs and listened to your voice washing over him. He felt he could have easily fallen asleep like that, his head on your stomach, if it weren’t for the sudden pounding on the bedroom door and Derek calling through it that everyone was headed down to the lake.

He tipped his head right back and looked up at you.

“Do you want to go?” he asked.

“Yeah. They’ll have the most amazing lunch brought down to the water. Best not to miss it.”

He chuckled and eased himself away, scooting down the bed to give you the space to get up. You knelt in front of your suitcase and pulled out two separate options for swimming, frowning as you glanced between them. One was a pink one piece that fit everywhere, and the other was a black bikini that technically fit, but was snug and you never dared actually wear.

You started to stand, dropping the bikini back into the suitcase, but Leo caught it and held it out, surprising you. Your brow furrowed as you stared up at him.

“Are you sure?” you asked worriedly. “I never wear this. I bought it on a whim. I don’t think I’m skinny enough for -”

Leo cut you off by covering your mouth with his free hand and shaking his head.

“Stop talking” he said firmly, as your eyes widened. “Go in that bathroom and put it on. Now.”

You ignored the wobble in your knees as you tossed the pink one piece back into the suitcase and obeyed, taking the bikini from him and closing the bathroom door behind you.

When you emerged, he was wearing black swim trunks and standing with his arms folded over his chest, blocking the bedroom door in case you tried to bolt. The look in his galaxy eyes as he drank you in turned your insides to water, and you stood a little straighter. He walked towards you and lifted the chain of your necklace with one finger, tugging the locket out of its home between your breasts. He smoothed its rounded edges and the catch popped open under his thumb. He glanced up to your eyes, confused.

“It’s empty.”

You nodded.

He tilted his head to one side as he closed the locket and let it fall back to its place.

“Why?”

“Haven’t found anyone to fill it with yet.”

Leo nodded, and then smiled crookedly as he ran his hands down you, grazing the sides of your breasts and landing where they always seemed to grab: your hips.

“You look very hot right now” he murmured, scrunching his nose when you blushed. “The lake awaits, baby.”

You walked most of the way, but as soon as you were in view of the shining water, Leo stepped in front of you and bent to a half crouch, indicating for you to climb onto his back. You hesitated and then did as he wanted, winding your arms around his neck and legs around his waist, feeling his hands find a firm hold on your thighs.

“What is this for?” you muttered in his ear.

He grinned.

“I’m being boyfriend-y, remember?”

“Fine.”

You pressed a trail of kisses from his shoulder up to just below his ear, and felt him shudder. You hid your smile in his neck.

“I’ll pay you back for that” he said quietly, his tone a little dangerous.

“Can’t wait!”

He snorted, took three more strides to reach the water, swung you around to his front, his grip now a little more tenuous, hands stuttering over your warm skin.

“Ready?” he asked, a wicked gleam in his eyes.

“What?” you yelped. “No!”

“Too bad.”

With one strong move, Leo tossed you bodily into the lake, hollering. You surfaced with a shriek and a splutter, water dripping into your eyes, chest heaving. You waded through the water, eyes narrowed, and Leo raised his hands, palms facing you in supplication even as he continued to grin. The grin dropped a little, though, when you hooked two fingers in the front of his trunks and pulled hard, sending him splashing down with you. He gripped at your waist as you resurfaced, his fingers sliding over slippery skin.

Your breath caught at the sight of him standing right in front of you, lake water pouring off him like some kind of perfect demigod. There were scattered laughs from the nearby shore and your ears heard, but the pulse between your legs ignored them.

Leo looked back down at you and pulled his bottom lip in between his teeth, his gaze dragging from the apex of your thighs up your stomach, past your cleavage and finally to your hungry eyes. You were looking at him like that, like there was nobody else at the lake, nobody in the world, and all the blood in his body rushed south.

You glanced down, your eyes widened, and Leo swore he heard you whimper. He didn’t think he had ever heard a more come-and-get-me sound in his life. Your thighs clenched together and he held a hand out toward you; you grasped it and let him reel you in, your eyes rolling a little at the feel of him pushing into your hip.

“Is there a less public side to this lake?” he whispered in your ear, his free hand kneading desperately at your thigh.

You nodded and pointed. He followed the direction of your finger to a small copse of trees on the other side; their roots reached down into the water and their shade provided a cool, dark enclosed space away from prying eyes.

“Come on then” he muttered, and ushered you out of the water and around the circumference of the lake, over to those trees.

You looked around you at the water and the trees, puzzling over where to sit or stand.

“Where -”

And Leo kissed you, his mouth insistent and yearning, his hands dragging your damp body against his, your skin sticking together. His tongue pried and pushed, but it wasn’t long before you yielded and felt lightning crack through you and light up your veins. You leaned into him, reaching your hands into his hair and tugging gently, eliciting a soft groan from the back of his throat. So you did it again and the sound got louder and the heat buried under your skin funneled lower and you arched your back, striving to get closer, your heart thumping hard and fast against his.

Leo’s hands wandered, slipping down your back and over the raven to your rear, gentle massaging turning into fingers digging into the flesh through the lake soaked bikini bottoms, tilting your hips up to his. Desperate for air, you finally tore away from Leo’s mouth and he took the opportunity to lay siege to your neck, leaving you a softened, panting mess, held together only by the firm grip of his hands. The feel of his tongue and teeth on your skin was melting you from the inside out.

Leo turned you around and guided you into the water, then gently, carefully lowered you down onto your back in between two thick tree roots, your head resting on dark, muddy sand. But you didn’t care because the water was lapping coolly against the heated insides of your thighs as Leo eased them apart and settled himself down on his stomach in between your knees, looking up at you. He could only see the rise and fall of your chest and the underside of your chin as your head was tipped so far back.

He murmured your name as a question at the same time as tugging blatantly at the sides of your bikini bottoms. You mumbled back a response, but he heard the positive connotation and yanked them down as quickly as he could, rearing back on his knees to slide them off over your feet before retaking his position. He tossed the wet material off to the side on the bank, avoiding losing them in the water, before he paid his attention back to you and laid eyes on your pulsing heat.

His pause sent a bolt of anxiety through you and you lifted yourself onto your elbows to see his face, his eyes now a very dark green.

“Leo?” you said softly, hesitantly. “You don’t have to, I would never ask you to -”

The last word out of your mouth became a sigh on his name as his tongue swept inside and his nose bumped against you. You wriggled a little, heat flooding your face, and he pressed your thighs open and down to the ground, anchoring you and keeping you from moving any further as he made a meal out of you.

So there you were, hidden in the cool shadows of the trees, within shouting distance of your whole family, plus extras, flat on your back, panting, barely able to breathe, as the most beautiful man you had ever known loved over you, his dark head buried between your legs.

That evening, before heading into town for Abigail’s last hurrah, you didn’t even bother to change in the bathroom, and Leo watched with unabashed appreciation as you tugged the white shorts up your thighs and pulled the red clingy halter top over your head, leaving your arms bare.

“I know this is very 2000s, but I like it” you said, plucking at the hem of the top.

Leo shrugged.

“Don’t care” he told you, and winked. “‘Cause you’re not wearing a bra under it.”

You rolled your eyes, pushed him back on the bed and straddled his waist, leaning down to kiss him, his lips soft and open beneath yours. Just as his hands smoothed down your sides to glide into the back pockets of your shorts, you tapped his chest and sat back, swinging your leg over him and standing.

“Come on, boyfriend” you said. “We’ve got some dancin’ to do!”

He grinned and stood up, then shucked off his jeans while you looked on, face heating up. He watched you with every move he made, shedding his t-shirt as well, before changing into the clothes he had laid out on the bed earlier while you were deciding what to wear. A plain black button up, open necked shirt and black pants had never looked so sexy on a man before. Leo left the top two buttons undone and the pants were tight around his hips and looser as they flowed down.

“So?” he said, chucking you gently under the chin. “What do you think, baby?”

You swallowed and grabbed his hand after he’d finished putting on his shoes.

“I think we need to leave or we won’t” you replied.

His eyebrows rose and his lips tilted in a secretive half smile.

“Oh, is that so?”

He pulled you back by the waist and attacked your neck with kisses, tickling your skin and making you shriek with laughter. You turned in his arms to face him and reached up to cup his face in your hands, suddenly serious. His happy smile faded as he gazed back at you and waited.

“No matter what happens after this weekend, even if I never see you again, I will regret none of it. And you will always be a happy memory. You will always matter to me” you said solemnly.

Leo nodded into your touch, his throat feeling suddenly tight. Unable to speak, he kissed your forehead, letting his lips linger for several long moments.

“Okay” he murmured, finally able to. “Let’s get going or Reginald will look at me funny the entire night.”

You laughed and took his hand again, squeezing as you led the way outside and into the waiting car. There was a lineup of them this time, filled to bursting with Abigail’s university friends and one awkward looking cousin. And Millie. She looked you both up and down and then away, upper lip curled.

Leo caught her eye, made sure she was watching, then pressed you against the car door with his hips, his mouth searing on yours. Then, breathless and beaming, you backed into the car and he followed, half crawling over you and then reaching back to pull the door closed.

The ride into town was quiet, the only sounds your soft sighs and the push and pull of Leo’s lips on your skin, as he kissed every bare patch he could find. You giggled as the car rolled to a stop and Abigail was on the other side as it opened, her eyes widening a little as she saw Leo hovering over you, one knee between your legs, one hand bracing against the car’s ceiling.

“Are you two sure this is where you want to be tonight?” she asked, smiling slightly. “I understand if you’d rather go back to the house to be alone.”

You shook your head and Leo climbed off you and stepped out of the car to help you out. You smiled at Abigail and patted Leo’s chest, right over his heart.

“We’ve got time” you assured her. “Besides, I love dancing and I never get the chance to.”

She kissed your cheek and sent you inside the one club the little town boasted. It might have been the only one of its kind, but it was already loud and the floor trembled from the pounding feet. Leo bent so his lips were right by your ear.

“You didn’t tell me you love to dance” he said, almost accusatory. “I can dance. I could have danced with you.”

You turned and met his lips with yours before stretching up to his ear.

“We’re here now” you said. “Shake, rattle and roll me.”

He grabbed your hands and led you backwards into the crush of bodies on the dance floor. Your heart began to pound in time with the beat as Leo drew you in tightly, his hands heavy weights on your hips, controlling your movements. There were people all around you, pushing you harder into him, so you took advantage of the closeness and slid your hands up his chest, dipping your fingertips into the gap at the top of his shirt before wrapping your hands around the back of his neck. His hair tickled your skin and his neck was already dewy with sweat from the room’s swelter.

“Are you okay?” he shouted.

You nodded, your gaze fixed on his. He began to move in earnest then, switching his hips in time to the music and moving yours with them, until you could feel the drag of the front of your shorts against his pants and what they hid. You slowly closed your eyes and let him move you, feeling the thrum of the bass vibrate along your skin and your blood rush to catch up.

You jolted slightly when you felt Leo kiss you, eyes still shut and unsuspecting. But he slid his hands into your back pockets and pulled you in again, pressing you flush against him. Your eyelids fluttered and lips parted on a silent sigh when he slotted a leg in between yours and set his hips into a slow grind with yours, so you could feel him, hard and insistent against the front seam of his trousers.

You were desperate to let your emotions out, but words wouldn’t, couldn’t, do it, so you showed him instead. You began to kiss him more fervently, your tongue touching his, open mouthed and eager. You felt warm everywhere, and sweat dripped down the back of your neck and the front of your top and made your grip on Leo’s neck slick and precarious. Instead, you sank your fingers into his hair and pulled again, the way you knew he liked. And then you freed one hand to drag back down his front, catching at each of the buttons on his shirt, before palming him gently through his pants. His hips stuttered and you pulled your lips from his, your hips still rocking to and fro with his. You barely noticed the music now, or the other people crushing you together, your hand now pinned between your bodies.

Leo’s starlit eyes locked on yours as his body seemed to begin moving on its own, his hips pushing more insistently into your hand. You bit your lip and glanced away. He instantly brought your head back, his thumb and forefinger firm but gentle on your chin.

“What is it?” he asked, and you read his lips.

You looked around you, saw no one you recognised, and started to pull him back towards the doors, back out into the humid summer air. He pushed your damp hair off your forehead and waited, itching to touch you, to take you, no matter who might see.

He at last murmured your name, bringing you out of your own head and back to him.

“We need the car” you said suddenly, lifting your gaze to his. “And we need to get rid of Reginald. I - I want...”

You trailed off, biting your lip. Leo copied your movement from earlier and cupped your face in his warm hands, centering you.

“I want to just...grind” you said very quietly, and threw your hands up to cover your face in embarrassment.

You heard Leo’s soft chuckle and then his footsteps heading away. Then you opened your eyes to see where he had gone, only to see him guiding Reginald away from the car and pocketing the keys. He ran back to you, grabbed your hand and all but dragged you to the car; he opened the car and climbed in first, settling himself comfortably on the wide backseat, legs spread out wide.

“Come on, baby, c’mere” he encouraged you, patting his lap.

You clambered inside and pulled the door shut; the overhead light switched off, dousing you both in near perfect darkness, if it weren’t for the neon lights of the club’s sign. Your eyes adjusted quickly and you slowly settled your weight on top of Leo, hips canted down, a quiet whimper escaping your lips as you felt him arch up beneath you.

“Is this your fantasy?” he murmured, watching with fascination the grind and sway of your body as you worked your hips over him. “No penetration, just...sensation?”

You couldn’t answer, too caught up in the feelings sweeping through you with every grind down onto him. He tried to help, guide your hips with his hands, but you pushed them away, eyes closing as you leaned forward and braced your hands on his shoulders.

He could feel the urgency, sense the change in you even as he felt the pull in his own blood, the urge to flip you and take over driving him to the brink of madness. But he kept his hands to himself, panting breaths mixing with yours as the car windows gradually steamed up and he felt his pants get tighter and tighter with each passing second.

He saw when it happened, when the tightness in your expression loosened and you slumped forward onto his chest, legs quivering. Your hips continued to twitch even as he wrapped his arms around you and tried to ignore the throbbing between his legs. But you didn’t. You sat back on your shaking knees and unbuttoned, unzipped his trousers, holding his gaze the whole time.

“Let me help?” you asked.

He bit his lip and nodded, and you reached in for him. As you took him in your gentle hands, he closed his eyes and leaned his head back, shifting his hips unconsciously. Your hands and breath whispered over him and he gave in.

Tagging: @fineanddandy @slippinginto-theairwaves

#leo grande #leo grande x reader #Good Luck to You Leo Grande #liss writes

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