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sserpente · 1 year

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Montana Blues

Synopsis: When you moved to Hawkins, Billy Hargrove quickly became the pain of your existence. As an arrogant fuckboy trying to lure you into his bed, you take absolute pleasure in turning him down times and times again—even if he’s getting on your nerves. But when you find out that Billy practically threatened the entire male population of Hawkins to keep their hands off you because you are his, you snap. How fucking dare he?!

Words: 3714 Warnings: smut, lots of f-bombs

In retrospect, foregoing wearing a bra had been a really bad idea. The Indiana summer heat was near unbearable and it hadn’t even hit July yet. Fanning yourself some air with your hand, you breathed out audibly and tucked your white tanktop away from your sweaty skin with the other. You were soaked which had resulted in your nipples happily showing through the now see-through fabric.

Not a single summer back home in Montana could have ever prepared you for the boiling temperatures here in Hawkins. Naturally, you were not equipped for the change of weather yet. You had one old bathing suit and a pair of flip-flops that was on the verge of falling apart. A large bag, some beach towels, and some new swimwear were high on your shopping list but until your next salary rolled in, your hands were tied and the public pool was out of reach.

“Just this, please.” You placed the ice cream on the counter along with a dollar bill, envying the clerk behind the till because he got to stay inside this air-conditioned gas station all day while you, in just a moment, had to go back outside and melt.

The fact that you ran into Billy Hargrove of all people when you left the small store didn’t exactly help either. That man was sex on two legs and you were already too hot. Unfortunately though, his arrogant demeanour made him quite unattractive for the most part. You knew him because you’d given his sister Max a ride a couple of times. She’d been skating home despite the pouring rain so you’d offered to pick her up from the pavement on your way home from work.

He’d been trying to woo you ever since, only his usual tactics didn’t work with you. You’d seen right through them. A charming smile, a few flattering words, cheesy compliments, a nice dinner and then… sex and then of course the infamous promise that he would call but then never did.

“Hey, Montana. Enjoying your day?”

You rolled your eyes, unwrapping your ice cream in the process. In your current state… hardly. His sly smile was proof enough that he’d noticed your very visible nipples through your shirt.

“I don’t know how you guys cope in this heat,” you gave back.

Billy shrugged. “California’s worse. Why aren’t you at the pool?” He was topless, wearing only a red pair of trunks. Lifeguarding duties. He must have been on his break and getting a snack given the public swimming pool was right across the street.

“My inventory isn’t cut out for that yet. Besides, I’ve got more unpacking to do.”

“You’re still unpacking? You moved here six months ago.”

“Yes. Alone, and buying bit after bit. I’m on a budget, you know.”

Billy rolled his shoulders. “Sounds like you need a day off. Are you free Saturday evening?”

Saturday, aka the summer-BBQ-ball. The whole town had been behaving like high schoolers all week, asking each other out as if it was prom all over again. You’d heard of it and to be frank, you’d hoped that a cute guy would ask you to accompany him—not that you needed that sort of validation. It would just be… nice. A date with Billy, however, could only end in sex. Hot and really good sex maybe, but you did not move to Hawkins to get your heart broken.

You sighed. “You never give up, huh? I don’t know yet.”

“So you’ll think about it.”

“That’s not what I said.”

Billy grinned. “It wasn’t a no either though.”

“Will you ever give up? I’ve said no plenty of times. Take a hint, Hargrove.”

Billy only chuckled, almost as if he knew something you didn’t. “Enjoy your ice cream,” he said with a nod to your hand. You cursed. The chocolate on it was already running down your wrist.

He was good at getting under people’s skin, you had to give him that. And he had quite possibly tried everything in his book to seduce you. Needed your new bookshelves assembled? Billy had shown up with a toolbox the same day. Your bathroom tab was not working? He’d had it fixed the next day.

Come to think of it, the man was quite protective over you too. You’d never seen a man more determined to get you into his bed. The thought of giving in to his advances had crossed your mind more than once of course. But you weren’t the type for one-night stands. No. Once you tasted blood, you were back for more and you sincerely doubted that Billy was going to give it to you. Or was he? What would that be called? An enemy-with-benefits relationship?

The fact that the electricity between you was practically sizzling didn’t exactly help either. You wanted to fuck him just as bad as he wanted to fuck you. You might have evaporated if he touched you or at least melted into his arms and let him do whatever he wanted to you, preferably with his face between your legs. You’d been dancing around each other for months now—to the point where your friends had claimed that it was only a matter of time until you’d both explode and pounce on each other like wild animals.

Luckily though, you soon didn’t have to think about that particular issue anymore. After you’d finished your ice cream, you stopped by the local building store to get paint for your bedroom when you ran into Andreas. He was a cute young man with dark curls working there part-time to save up for a house—for a family, he’d said the first time you’d spoken.

There were sparks between you for sure. Andreas was future husband material—so much more suitable than Billy, only… only a little less panties-wetting maybe.

“So, uh…” Andreas said as he rang you up, “… you going to the summer-BBQ-ball?”

“Maybe. It depends.”

“Has, uh… anyone asked you yet?”

You smiled at him. “Not yet.”

“O-okay. Then, well… consider this an official invitation? Do you, um… wanna go with me as in… you know, my date?”

His hand was warm when you gave him a twenty-dollar bill. “I would love to, Andreas.”

Take that, Billy. You’d show up with Andreas, have a good time and let him kiss you good night rather than let him tear your clothes off in your bedroom after taking you home. It had been about time.

“Guess who has a date for the summer-BBQ-ball!” Andreas was beaming when he entered the bar and joined his friends at their table, waving for the bartender to bring him a beer. He’d just clocked out and was ready to celebrate now that he’d finally mustered the courage to ask you out.

“Who? Dude, tell us who you’re going with!”

Proudly, Andreas spoke your name—noticing only from the corner of his eye how the head of a certain Billy Hargrove whipped around in an instant.

Andreas tensed up when he watched him get up and approach with his beer in hand, smelling trouble the closer he came.

“I’m sorry, I must have misunderstood. I heard you’re taking my girl to the summer-BBQ-ball?” Billy put his arm around him, leaning against him slightly as if to prove how heavy he was—and hence, how much damage he could do.

“She’s not your girl. As far as I’m concerned, she’s single,” Andreas explained and swallowed.

“Yeah, come on, Hargrove, you can’t have them all. Leave some girls for the rest of us. You can’t chase after her forever.”

“What did you just say to me?”

“Billy, come on…”

“Listen… Andreas, is it? You take my girl out to that barbeque ball and I will give you not one but two black eyes and a couple of broken bones to go with that. Have I made myself clear?”

Andreas swallowed. “T-then why did she agree to go on a date with me, huh?”

“It’s complicated. But if you talk to her again, if you even look at her again, you’ll pay, understood?”

“Understood.” None of his friends made a move. Billy was not one to mess with even though he was outnumbered.

“Oh, hey, Andreas!” Your phone had rung right after you’d finished blowdrying your hair after a shower. Now that the clock had struck seven, the heat finally became a little more bearable and you were ready to call it a day and enjoy your evening.

“Hey… uh… listen… I have a little problem,” his voice sounded at the other end of the line. “Something came up and I’ll… I’ll be out of town this Saturday. So… I won’t be able to take you to the summer-BBQ-ball after all.”

Your heart sank. “I’m sorry… what?”

“I’m really sorry, it’s… something I can’t postpone came in between and…”

“Cut the bullshit. I know you’re lying. Just tell me the real reason.” And I might leave your crown jewels intact, you added silently. You gnashed your teeth, anger mixing with disappointment.

It went silent on the other end of the line. Then, Andreas sighed your name.

“Okay, listen… you’re really nice and you probably don’t deserve that. But you didn’t hear this from me, okay? It’s… it’s Hargrove.”

You blinked. “What do you mean it’s Hargrove?”

“Well, as long as you’re on and off… no one wants to risk it.”

“What do you mean, on and off?”

“Come on,” Andreas said, repeating your name, “Hargrove clearly still has a thing for you. He won’t let any guy come near you. I thought you guys were done when I asked you out on a date today but he quickly proved me wrong.”

“What do you mean proved you wrong?” You were speaking slowly, putting stress on every single word.

“He threatened to beat me up, alright? Call me a pussy but Hargrove’s a bag of walking testosterone. I don’t have a death wish.”

“He did what?” you shrieked.

“Yeah… look, if you’re done with him, you’ll have to let him know. He’s been telling every single man in town to keep his hands off of you for months.”

“What?” You were screaming now.

Andreas whined. “Now I’m deaf…”

“Sorry… Andreas, okay, just… forget about the summer-BBQ-ball, I’ll talk to Billy, alright? Thanks for the call.”

“Yeah… see you at the store I guess. I’m really sorry.”

The line went dead and you smashed the phone back on the hook.

“Oh, fuck me!” This was it. This had been going on for long enough. One by one, the puzzle pieces fell into place. Why no one had dared to ask you out for the summer-BBQ-ball. Why no man so much as looked in your direction which, even though you didn’t make your life dependent on a man’s attention of all things, had been nibbling away on your confidence. Andreas was the first man who’d shown you proper courtesy today. It hadn’t always been like that either. A young woman, strong and independent, you had caught the eye of a lot of men in town and then, one day, it had simply… stopped as if they’d found out you were practicing witchcraft or something.

Rejecting Billy was one thing but him ruining the prospect of a relationship for you? Not cool. Determined, you grabbed your car keys and rushed out of the house, almost forgetting to lock your door in the process and speeding along the way.

When you arrived at his house, your frantic knocking even alarmed the neighbour who was sitting on a bench on the porch. It was Max who opened, clearly disturbed.

“Where is he? Is he home yet?” you snapped. Max stared at you blankly and then stepped aside. She knew who you were here for, obviously. You stormed past her and toward the door that had a “Keep the fuck out” sign on it—without a doubt Billy’s bedroom—and barged through the door without knocking.

Funnily enough, he didn’t even seem to notice. He had his muscular back to you, lifting weights with a pair of headphones on. Sweat was glistening on his naked arms. The only two reasons that stopped you from licking it right off him were a, your seething anger and b, the fact that it almost traumatised you he was working out in this heat after a lifeguard shift. Oh, you’d lied. Three reasons. C was that you certainly wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of acting on your filthy thoughts.

With a scoff, you slammed his door shut behind you and then ripped the headphones right off his head.

“What the hell…” He turned, probably expecting to see Max. Visible surprise danced across his handsome face when he recognised you instead and set the weights down.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” you yelled, not even giving him a second to think about why you were in his bedroom—the one place you had not, under any circumstances, wanted to end up in.

“It’s nice to see you too, Montana. To what do I owe the pleasure of a home visit?”

“You told Andreas you’d beat him up if he went to the summer-BBQ-ball with me!”

Billy raised his eyebrows, seemingly unfazed. “The fucker told you?”

“He also told me that you threatened the entire male population of Hawkins to leave me alone! You have no fucking right to do that, who do you think you are, you arrogant prick? Can your fragile little ego not take a scratch? Is it so hard to believe there are women on this planet who don’t want to fuck you?”

“My fragile little ego? You want me, Montana. Why would I go after a woman that doesn’t want to fuck me when there’s so many that do, including you?”

Yes, you did and that was another fucking problem. You wanted him so bad you’d admitted to wanting to lick the sweat off his body only a moment ago—but you were certainly not about to tell him that. “For Fuck’s sake, Billy! I moved here only six months ago and you fucking find a way to ruin it! You fucking untell them, do you hear me? You tell him that we’re not a thing and that you don’t mind me dating other guys.”

“Untell them?” He grinned.

You glared at him. “You’re not even taking this seriously! You can’t just claim ownership over me like I’m a fucking object, Billy, I’m a person!”

“Come to the barbeque ball with me.”

“Excuse me?”

“I said come to the barbeque ball with me.”

“You’re joking. You’re fucking joking! I’m not gonna go out on a fucking date with you now that I know that you—“ You didn’t get to finish your sentence, not before Billy’s lips came crashing down on yours. He cupped your face, devouring your mouth like his last meal. His kiss was passionate and demanding and just like that… you were melting for entirely different reasons, your body reciprocating his kiss on its own accord.

Your body embraced him as if you’d been made for each other, the tension between you finally finding release. Billy’s hands slid over your collarbones and the side of your breasts, down to your waist and your hips. He stepped forward, forcing you backwards until the back of your knees hit the edge of his unmade bed.

He pushed you down on it without your lips parting, crawling on top of you to keep you from an escape you didn’t want to attempt. All hell broke loose in your mind, your brain ceasing to function any longer. All you could think of was Billy and how you wanted his hands everywhere on your naked body, especially between your legs.

He was quick to peel you out of your clothing when he finally let you catch your breath. He was still sweaty from his workout and you too were sticky again from the car ride because you hadn’t turned on the AC in your rage and hurry. They all landed on a messy pile on his floor until you were naked beneath him.

There were no breaks. Billy assaulted your neck by leaving a trail of wet kisses on the sensitive skin, a moan escaping your lips the moment his hands cupped your bare breasts. You parted your legs, allowing him to kneel between them. He got rid of his tanktop and tossed it away, revealing his upper body to you. You bit your lower lip, too distracted by his abs to notice him shuffling further away from you so he could comfortably place his hands on your knees.

“Want me to show what you’ve been missing out on, doll?” He didn’t leave you time to reply, instead buried his face between your legs. His tongue came darting forward to taste your arousal, teasing your entrance, nibbling at your outer lips and then… he flicked it over your clit—again, and again, and again, and again…

Billy closed his mouth around your sensitive bundle of nerves, sucking gently all the while his tongue kept playing with it. Your toes curled, your fingernails digging into his sheets. You threw your head back and moaned.

Fuck, he certainly knew what he was doing. Billy had you on the brink of orgasm in no time. You were about to see stars when he pushed two fingers into your slick warmth and fucked you lazily. But then… just when you were about to let go and fall over the edge, your walls aready clenching around his digits… he pulled away.

“What the fuck, Billy?”

“I want you cumming around my cock. Repeatedly.” Repeatedly? Oh fuck…

“C-condom…” you choked out.

“I’m on it, doll…” Billy reached for his bedside table and opened one of the drawers, pulling out a small and shiny square package. It didn’t take him long to get rid of his boxers, revealing his erection to you. Motherfucker, that man was very well equipped indeed. Average in length but a little thicker than the guys you had slept with before him. He stood proudly, his red tip leaking a little bit of precum.

You licked your lips, imagining sucking him off like a popsicle when he ripped the condom packaging open with his teeth and quickly rolled the thin layer of latex over his throbbing cock. His lips were on yours again only seconds before you could feel his tip press against your entrance, sliding in with no resistance whatsoever. Inch by inch, Billy sheathed himself inside you until you wrapped your legs around his hips, willing him even deeper.

“You good, doll?” he whispered against your lips.

“Yes, yes! Just fuck me already!”

“Been waiting to hear these words out of your pretty little mouth ever since you fucking moved here.”

But he obeyed, eliciting moan after moan from your lips when he started moving inside of you, fucking you senseless. He wasn’t gentle. Hell, he was rough and you loved it.

Every single stroke of his knocked all air from you. Billy withdrew almost entirely only to plunge himself back into you with so much force he kept hitting your cervix. Pleasure mixed with a slight hint of pain and your fast-approaching orgasm now that he sneaked his hand down to where your bodies met, playing your clit like an instrument.

“Cum for me, pretty girl.”

You couldn’t have resisted even if you had wanted to because only a fraction of a second later, you burst into a million pieces like a glass vase shattering its shards all across the room. You came with his name on your lips, clawed at his naked back, leaving angry red marks for sure as you kept contracting around him, milking him for all he was worth. Billy shuddered, you could feel it but he didn’t stop. As soon as you’d calmed down enough for your hazy gaze to return to him, he kept on rutting into you like an animal in heat.

“Again,” he ordered, his skilled fingers returning to your clit. You flinched as it was more sensitive than now but fuck, it felt good. So good that…

“Oh my god!” You arched your back when you came a second time and pulsed around Billy’s cock. At this point, you couldn’t tell anymore where you ended and he began as he fucked you through your climax.

“Again, doll.”

“No, Billy, I can’t… I…” You were tingly all over and you were pretty sure you couldn’t tell where up and down was anymore. Trapped in pleasure, desire and lust you were putty in Billy’s hands.

“Yes, you can. You can give me one more. Come on.” He was right, you could. You could when he wrapped one of his hands around your throat and put just enough pressure on the sides to remind you of his dominance and fuck, you loved it.

But you could tell that he too was fighting to keep his composure and hold out for a while longer. As soon as your third orgasm washed over you like a tidal wave, Billy grunted, his eyes rolling to the back of his head. He gave you a couple more frantic thrusts before he stilled and jerked inside of you, filling the condom with his seed. Fuck, next time you wanted to suck him dry and taste him.

Once you had both come down from your highs at last, he withdrew to get rid of the condom. His chuckle when you whined at the loss instantly made your heart beat faster.

Then, when he leaned back on his bed and crossed his fingers behind his back, you snuggled up against his sweaty chest. You two were a complete and utter mess in dire need of a shower.

“I’ll go to the damn summer-BBQ-ball with you,” you said into the surprisingly comfortable silence.

Billy chuckled triumphantly. “Good. Wear something pretty. I’ll show you off like a goddamn princess.”

Whatever would happen from here, you didn’t know. Perhaps Billy Hargrove would break your heart now that he’d gotten what he’d wanted. Perhaps you’d just officially become enemies with benefits. But you had to admit there was a slight chance that he’d just officially declared you his girlfriend too.

A/N: Check out my blog for more Imagines and my novels! ♥

#billy hargrove imagine #billy hargrove smut #billy hargrove x you #billy hargrove x reader #billy hargrove #billy hargrove x female reader #montana blues #stranger things #stranger things imagine #dacre montgomery

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skyward-floored · 1 year

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A pink scrap of paper reads: “What does Legend miss the most after Sky disappears and/or what was a good thing that came into his life after?”

My angst writer side won out with this one, so I didn’t really explore the “good thing that came into his life after”, sorry about that XD A certain red-haired singer would probably count as a good thing though, yes?

This little fic isn’t about that though.

———

Legend looked up at the ceiling as he lay on his bed, hands settled over his chest.

Quiet talking was coming from down the hall, but Legend was pointedly not listening to it. He was tired of hearing the exact same discussion, over and over, and the inevitable raised voices and tears that came afterwards.

There’d been no news about Sky in weeks.

Thunder rumbled from outside his window, but Legend didn’t move, swallowing thickly as rain began to patter on the roof. It started slowly, but quickly picked up in tempo, until a true downpour was gushing down onto the house.

More thunder rumbled, louder this time, and Legend rolled onto his side, reaching a hand under his pillow and withdrawing a single crimson feather.

He ran a hand along it, and felt something tighten in his throat as he was reminded of when he got it, the feather still in perfect condition despite how many years ago it had been.

“I used to not like storms either.”

Sky’s voice was quiet as he spoke to Legend, his gaze settled on the sheets of rain falling from the sky.

A bolt of lightning flashed in the distance, and a much younger Legend whimpered, turning invisible as he hid his face under Sky’s wing. His uncle smiled down at him, and tucked him more securely against his side, letting Legend bury his face in his feathers.

“But you know what? I’ve learned to see the beauty in them,” Sky continued, a rumble of thunder accompanying his words. “There’s so much to look at and listen to. See all the different layers of clouds Legend? And all the different shades of grey they are? Those over there almost look blue.”

Legend cautiously poked his head up, and picked out the clouds Sky was pointing at, big mounds of greyish-blue all piled up in the sky.

Lightning flashed and Legend flinched again.

“Here, now close your eyes,” Sky said gently, and Legend obeyed, setting his head against Sky’s chest. “What do you hear?”

Legend listened, hearing the rain pattering steadily on the roof, along with a quieter rumble of thunder that rolled through the air. He could also hear Sky’s heartbeat, a steady background to the sounds of the storm outside the house.

“It sounds pretty nice, doesn’t it?” Sky asked, and Legend nodded, opening his eyes as he turned himself visible.

More lightning flashed, but he didn’t flinch quite as hard, the bright bolt making him blink spots out of his eyes.

“The storms might seem scary, but you’re safe inside,” Sky assured, smiling at him. “And it’s nice to slow down and take a moment to watch them, and listen.”

Legend nodded, seeing sense in what Sky was saying. The sounds were nice to listen to he guessed... but he still wasn’t too fond of the lightning.

Sky pulled his wing around him again, and Legend settled under it, watching as a single red feather drifted loose. Sky picked it up before it could fall to the ground, and handed it over to Legend with a bright look.

“Here. You can keep it,” he smiled, and Legend took it with a wide-eyed expression. “They come off sometimes, I don’t mind if you have one.”

“Thanks Sky,” Legend said in awe, admiring the feather.

Sky smiled at him again, and they watched and listened to the storm together, until the sun shone through the clouds.

A roll of thunder pulled Legend out of the memory, and he looked at the feather again, twirling it between his fingers.

His throat tightened further as a flash of lightning shone through the window, and Legend closed his eyes as he curled up, the feather held tight to his chest.

The rain pattered on.

#so in answer: he misses everything about him the most #but especially just sitting and spending time with him #Incredibles au #lu legend #lu Sky #linked universe fanfic #angst #writing from the floor #mad navi my beloved #answers from the floor #watch me rip your hearts out mwahahaha #incredibles au fic

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heymeowmao · 2 years

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2022.07.18 - https://weibo.com/l/wblive/p/show/1022:2321324792677232148593

LYN: Hallo everybody, good evening. I am Modern Brother’s Liu Yuning. Welcome~ C: It feels like you haven’t streamed for such a long time. LYN: Yes, just one day without seeing me and it seems like so many seasons have passed.

- Went to sleep one night and woke up with a sore throat, turns out he caught a cold LYN: You might be listening and feel that I have a very thick nasal tone- that’s because my sinuses are full of snot. It’s possible that while I’m streaming I might have to blow my nose, and I hope that it doesn’t affect your viewing experience. Anyone who’s eating right now can eat a little faster. LYN: I’ve taken medicine. I’m an adult, so I know how to take care of myself at least that much. I just caught a cold, is all. I know to grab an umbrella when it’s raining and to take medicine when I’m sick. I’ve taken some already- all sorts, I don’t care I’m eating them all. XD LYN: It’s not like the drama you’re acting in cares about seasons, so it’s not like I can wear weather appropriate clothes on the camera. So I’ll be wearing dress shirts, to look a little more handsome. Mostly, the air conditioning on set is not turned on either, because it will create noise interference. It will just sound like this: /sound of a fan/ Why do I have that sound? Because my laptop is too hot and I’ve given it a fan. So, since it creates a problem with receiving audio, we usually don’t turn the A/C on and the set will be on the hotter side. Chengdu these days has been pretty hot... It’s not bad... But after we do one take the clothes are already soaked through with sweat, so we head back inside for the A/C. After a day of back and forth, hot and cold, I seem to have gotten sick. It’s alright. Only a small matter- who doesn’t get sick, right?

- His diet & exercise efforts are paying off, so he’s lost a little weight (presumably gaining muscle, though); says how he sees videos of himself from 2-3 years ago and calls himself a “baozi”, thanks his fans for sticking with him XD

- Speed of the comments is a little fast today, it’s making him dizzy. Asks the weibo staff if they can adjust for him, so he can “See all the praise my friends are giving me.” LYN: You see? I mentioned it and now you’re all typing FASTER. I’ve noticed you’re all young people with a sense of rebellion aren’t you? I said the comments were going by too quickly and you’re over here typing faster. You want to see me throw up, is that it? Look at this. Who can see this clearly?? What is this? I told you not to type so fast and now you’re typing “haha” and making the comments go by even faster. This is a perverse speed. Look at this- WHAT IS THIS? Even if you have nothing to say, some people are just typing “haha” to get in on the action. Alright- whatever. It’s fine. You can type. LYN: This just goes to show that I have high viewer ratings. I am SO popular and there are SO MANY COMMENTS that they just go by in a flash. Actually, you’ve fallen for my trap- this is exactly what I wanted. LYN: Okay, that’s about enough. I’m sure you’re all tired as well. Let’s continue our chat while we wait for the staff to adjust the speed. Thank you. - To him, streaming is like a hobby- where other people ride bicycles, hike, and skateboard, his hobby is to stream. He’s been streaming on weibo for almost two years now, and thanks weibo for always supporting him. LYN: People who watch my stream are my fans or maybe some passersby, but also some of the people might have trouble getting to sleep; you can play my stream and I guarantee that within 10-15 minutes sleep will come to you- that’s how “boring” I am. But it is my honor to help you get to sleep. If you look at it a different way, it means that my streams are a very stress-relieving, and I can help you relax.

C: Was your hair styled? LYN: This is all.. natural. Meaning I ran mussed it with my hands a little and left it. There’s not much style going into it right now.

C: I’ve brought five of my good friends with me to watch. LYN: What a good friend. Good things must be shared.

C: Where did you get that shirt? LYN: ?_? What sort of question is this? It’s going to be in a shop or from online. Or are you going to the bathhouse to buy a shirt?

C: Does your cold affect your acting? LYN: More or less, it will. One thing that comes to mind is that I’ll look uglier when I’m on camera... but that’s not much of a difference because I always look ugly on camera. Even if I’m uglier by one or two degrees it’s still okay. It will make your nasal tone heavier and make you look more weary, for sure. Yesterday was the worst of it- when you feel like your whole head is blocked and you feel uncomfortable. Coincidentally, the take we did yesterday happened to be my “debut” scene. I was standing there with Tao-jie, and she asked me why I looked so haggard. I told her I was sick, and thought she was looking after me, but then she said, “Ok, well, don’t pass it to me.” Then we filmed the scene. I thought I came out looking SO UGLY. LYN: Sometimes I like wearing glasses- and you can differentiate the reason for when I do and when I don’t. If I get up and get into hair and makeup and after all of that I think I look terrible, I will wear some glasses. They’ll help cover some of my “ugly”. So for my first scene yesterday I wore the glasses, to help cover, and asked Tao-jie if I looked okay- if now my appearance made me worthy of standing next to her. She said, “It does look better, but the glasses are considered an “appearance”. If you don’t wear the glasses and still look haggard, then it’s considered your “character”.” What does that mean?? But because my character in the drama is supposed to be falling on tough times, then actually my weary appearance helps make him more convincing. I thought about it, and she was right. All of a sudden my “ugly” wasn’t a flaw of mine, but an asset to the character. So I decided not to wear the glasses, but on the inside I was thinking, “It won’t be YOU who is cursed at for looking ugly when this drama airs, anyway.” Okay, so I listened to her. It all made sense. - says that he still has a bit of an “idol burden” in daily life, but he will let it down when he is acting and can accept any appearance or state; always learning from the actors with more experience than him.

C: Does you new director yell at you? LYN: Why are you trying to dig me into a pit? He doesn’t yell at people. Working with directors, it’s different every time. They’re not going to just sit there and praise you for a job well done. I actually really like the way this one works, because I really enjoy his thoughts and ideas. It’s already a great script but he will take a scene and add just small details that make it even more exciting and better to look at. I don’t think there’s a single scene that we’ve shot that will be wasted.

- Someone came to ask if it was time for class (to learn the Vietnamese song) yet, but it’s not because the stream hasn’t hit a peak number of viewers yet. :p LYN wants people to go out and spread the news that he is streaming, so he gets more viewers first. If you make an announcement that costs money, he will reimburse you for it (but not really). C: Then do I announce it to my upper and lower neighbors? LYN: You mean opening the window and announcing my stream to your neighborhood? There’s no need for that, since it counts as disturbing the public. Let’s not do that.

- has been watching some dramas, but won’t share which because they are a little... violent (??); watches his own dramas though, once when doing the voice acting and the second time when it airs officially.

- starts promoting The Truth, as agreed. Mentions the script for the variety show. C: Ning-ge, you finally admit that the variety show has a script. LYN: ?? What are you saying? It’s a reasoning show- how can it move forward if there is no plot? Of course there’s a script! This is a Murder Mystery show- how can we pull it off with no script? Only murder, no mystery? C: There’s no meal discussion in this week’s diary? LYN: Right... I know that people like to watch us relax and discuss while we eat. But why wasn’t there that portion this week? I forget, but it’s probably because in the last stretch we spend quite a few consecutive days filming the end of the show. There was no time for us to record a long meal session. We’re all hot right now- most of us are actors so we were flying around trying to get everything done. BY, SZE, GQL, and myself are all shooting dramas. ZS is doing three variety shows at once. ZKY... what has he been doing lately? Being spokesperson for a bunch of brands. We’re all quite busy. C: Is there going to be a second season? LYN: The first one hasn’t even finished airing yet- you’re thinking too much. But I think there’s a good possibility it could be cleared for a second season... because even though it’s reaching a smaller audience, it has pretty good ratings. After we wrapped up, my PD even asked me if I would be back the next time. It’s no problem for me, but if I’m not as popular next year and the ratings tank, just don’t blame it on me.

C: Will UN have a second season. LYN: That’s probably a no. Well- I’m not the producer so I don’t know, but I haven’t received any news as an actor. There’s probably not going to be a second one. I think NPSS took back his copyrights. I’m not clear on it.

C: Which episodes of The Oasis are you on? LYN: Probably the third or fourth to last episode? I went to shoot for two days as Liu Xialai from The Truth’s Reasoning Team.

C: What’s at the bottom of the screen? LYN: You mean this? /points/ It’s my laptop screen. I was streaming the other day and thought it was overheating, so I bought a stand for it.

- admits he has been watching The Boys (American TV Series); doesn’t recommend it because it’s a little... bloody. C: We’re all adults. // Then why are YOU watching (if it’s violent and bloody)? LYN: I’m an adult! I also watch scary things. I just finished up the third season.

C: Ning-ge eat a can of yellow peaches. LYN: You see that I’m sick and want me to eat a can of peaches? You think I’m a child, right? When I was little my parents had always told me to eat a can of peaches when I was sick. I don’t know about you, but that’s how it was where I grew up. You can ONLY eat the canned peaches when you were sick. Have a little sweetness and you’ll get better.

C: Ning-ge, why are you such a scaredy-cat? LYN: What do you mean. I’ll tell you this- I’m more afraid of the dark and the unknown. I think I’m okay- not too afraid- as long as I can see what’s in front of me.

C: When’s ALZ going to air? LYN: Someone asks me this every time, and I actually met the producer jie-jie a couple days ago and asked her. She said it isn’t confirmed yet, because it is co-produced by Shanghai Films & Media and they’re still in the process of editing. So... we just wait. LYN: In terms of which will come out the quickest, I think the one I’m shooting now will come out the earliest. Since it’s a modern drama there isn’t much special effects to add in post, so they are already starting to edit. I think it will come out the first half of the next year. C: What about Zuo Bufan (Floating World)? LYN: I think that one is the latter half of next year.

LYN: Regarding Be Your Own Light, I guess it can count as my first male-lead drama, even though my scenes are very little. Only about 200 or so scenes. 220? Because this drama is split into three storylines, and I am only a part of Tao-jie’s story. LYN: There are only small actors, no small roles. There are no “side” or “supporting” roles- As long as you appear in a drama, you are one of the characters. LYN: It’s already impressive enough that I am able to work beside Tao-jie. That’s the ceiling for me and I am very satisfied. I have about 200 scenes for this drama, which is about on par with Hao Du from The Long Ballad. In Floating World I have about 100+ scenes, and for Zichuan I have around 200 as well. It’s enough. I am very satisfied. C: When are you shooting 500+ scenes? LYN: That’s not important. /sigh/ I’ll take my time and improve myself step by step until that day comes.

- [t/n: I guess people are asking the age-old question: “Why LYN? What makes him worthy?”] LYN: In your eyes I may never be good enough, no matter what I do. Maybe you only think me worthy enough to sit here and stream for you. But here’s the thing- the people I am working with don’t look down on me, so what makes you think you are better than them? This is the difference between your reality and theirs. Take Tao-jie, for example. She was the one who recommended me for this drama. She is such an amazing person and didn’t see LYN as someone to look down on, but rather helped me. This is how you show your humanity. She doesn’t care if I am worthy enough or if I am professional enough- she only believed that I could do it and was willing to help me. This is the extent of her “reality”. So if you don’t think that I am worthy of what I have right now, it means that your “reality” has not been reached yet. LYN: I’ve never been “worthy” enough for anyone but it doesn’t matter because I’ve still gotten to where I am today and still signed the contracts I have had. What can I do? It doesn’t matter if you think I’m “worthy” or not, I still have to do a good job. I used to be a cook, a waiter, a shop clerk, a salesperson- was I worthy? I think that as long as people can treat their jobs seriously and are able to continue forward on their paths it doesn’t matter if you’re “worthy” of your position or not. LYN: I used to be a cook and I stopped, not because I didn’t like it- in truth, I didn’t like it all too much- but because I had gotten sick and my body couldn’t handle it. [t/n: something to do with his lungs]. It wasn’t anything contagious though! It was pneumothorax (?)- I don’t know if anyone here knows- there was a small hole in the lining of my lung and there was air there. [t/n: the air in this pleural space can start to compress the other lung and heart.] So I became a waiter, and got later got promoted to manager... until I didn’t want to do it anymore. All the while people were asking me why I was worthy. I had enough of the (food services) industry, so I wanted to try something different- I tried my hand at selling clothing. I was a salesperson at a pretty famous shop and people didn’t think I was worthy of that job, either. I came from a food services industry, what did I know about selling clothing? I wasn’t worthy. But I didn’t care, and just kept selling clothes... until our shop was in the green for sales. I don’t know about men’s clothing, but the women’s clothing sold pretty quickly. I don’t know why. :) C: You’re worthy. You’re VERY worthy. LYN: Are you saying I’m only worthy enough to sell you clothing?? LYN: Anyway, I just want to say to anyone working in any industry, don’t care too much about your “worth”. There will always be telling people you can't make it- they don’t matter and can’t influence your future development. The only one who can decide that is yourself. The only one limiting yourself is you- if you want something you have to take small steps in that direction until you attain it. You won’t know what you’re capable of unless you try. It doesn’t matter what anyone else says because they aren’t the ones living your life.

C: It’s almost time for me to enter society- I’m lost. LYN: You don’t need to be lost. I’ve been there. When I first stepped into society I was wondering what should I do, what CAN I do? What will I do for the future? Am I going to waste my life away? Just living paycheck to paycheck? But let me tell you this- the moment you graduate and start thinking all these things. There’s no point. Thinking about these things won’t help you precisely because you can’t think of what you should do. No one knows. Of course, there are the few who have a set goal in mind, and that’s definitely one path towards success. But most of the time people don’t have a set goal in mind, and the way they move forward is step by step, through experiences. There are people you will meet or situations you will encounter that will help you grow as a person. These people and situations may give you an opportunity or a choice. You don’t need to be too lost right now- just DO SOMETHING first, and opportunity may come later. If you have some type of job in mind, try working towards that and later it will become clearer to you whether it’s something you want to keep pursuing or not.

C: I don’t have friends. LYN: I don’t either. No friends, no co-workers. You just have to do it. Don’t consider anything too small. Im not trying to teach you a lesson or anything- many of you are far more successful than I am. More intelligent, and more cultured. I just want to share my advice- which you can choose to take or not. You’ve just got to get yourself out there, and don’t waste your time away. If you just stay in your house wasting time you’ll have no opportunities- you’ll meet no-one and get nowhere. Connections are very important, and that’s true for everyone. You’ll need connections to friends or co-workers. There are people who are very good at socializing, and they can survive anywhere. There are people who are strong in their skillset, so even if they don’t have connections they can still survive. There are people who don’t have any particular skillset, but are good at socializing- they can survive equally as well. C: I have social anxiety. LYN: Me too. Don’t get me wrong just because you see me chatting away on screen. I’m very afraid of any gathering that includes people who are like... director status and up. I really can’t do the pandering socializing as expected of people in my position. First of all, because I can’t hold a drink, therefore I am unable to share a toast with them for very long. Secondly, I can’t do the lip-service. It might not seem like it, but I really can’t do it. As soon as I’m at a table with a director I’m timid and weak- the only thing I’m there for is to eat. You talk amongst yourselves, I’ll be here, eating. But if there is someone I’m more familiar with at the table, they’ll tell me to go up and offer a toast. In that case I’ll say, “But there are so many people, I’m afraid to interrupt :(” and in that case they will have to take charge and make room in the conversation for me. I just feel like they’re such busy people, they don’t need nor want me there to inconvenience them. I will just sit there, very small, minding my own business and when everyone is about done for the night I excuse myself and make a getaway. LYN: I have social anxiety too. You might not see it because this is my stream and I need to keep the mood up, but I’m really not great at socializing. :| C: I don’t believe you. // Then how did you get so many jobs out of going to a dinner party? LYN: /sigh/ Let me explain- sometimes when I stream and tell you how I got a job and give you all these details... you can try to believe only 20% of what I say. I’m only trying to share my work experience with you in a fun and relaxing way, but do you really think society is this simple, friends?? Does the world OWE me? Nothing is as simple as it seems. I just tell you the basics- and none of everything else that goes on behind the scenes. There’s no way I’m going to tell you in excruciating detail about a contract that took three months to complete. It’s not that simple, and please don’t think it is. There are people and media accounts that THINK they know how this industry works, but in reality they’re nowhere close to the truth. - He only tells us about the successful contract negotiations, first of all, and he also only tells us the the basics of how he got the job. But there is so much more he is leaving out for the sake of simplicity.

- he’s trending! LYN: I don’t believe you. I’m not ~wOrTHy~. Am I really, though? - tries to play one of his own songs, but the audio isn’t working -> /troubleshooting/ LYN: I don’t believe (I’m trending)- how about this? Friends, slap me. To prove I’m not dreaming. Come on. Bring your hand over and slap me. Quickly!

- sang a bit of 黑夜一束光, then said he wasn’t going to sing because of his cold - proceeds to start the lesson and review of the next installment of (chorus of) the Vietnamese song from two streams ago: HKT - TẢI THÊM MỘT LẦN ĐAU; types the “lyrics” for ease of understanding- as much as you can of Vietnamese lyrics written in a Chinese homophonic equivalent, that is... XD C: I don’t know the song name. LYN: It’s in Vietnamese- I don’t know it either. But there is a Chinese version of this song, called 错错错.

-- bathroom break #1 (Tactic 1: ”the neighbors are fighting”... actually their tv is too loud, and they’re watching Heroes XD)

- gently advises people not to go from somewhere very hot to somewhere very cold (with A/C) lest they catch a cold

- reiterates again that he CAN speak Standard Mandarin, but likes to use his hometown dialect to make himself more comfortable and to feel closer to the viewers; gives examples of the difference: instead of using -子 (zi) suffix, they will use -个 (ge) qualifier instead. Also uses -er sound more often with words. C: Then, how do you say “This is my wife”? LYN: Go home and ask your husband. Don’t stay here provoking me.

- Zhu Xudan has entered the chat. C: Why don’t you connect with YCY? LYN: ? She’s busy- why would I connect with her? LYN: Let’s welcome ZXD-laoshi. Long time no see~

C: When’s your next drama going to start? LYN: Next month on.. the 15th? 20th? 25th? I don’t remember. It’s a guzhuang drama but it won’t be in Hengdian to start, though. I think we’re going to start in Yinchuan first. LYN: I won’t tell you what it is yet, but I think the announcement is going to be made soon. Since we’re going to start shooting soon, there will be an official announcement... and when I heard that I was preparing myself for the onslaught of criticism. /laughs/ /sighs/ It’s alright- a lot of people may not know me and think very little of me, so it’s alright if they criticize. Let’s just remember not to interact with these people, ok? I don’t want my fans to start any fights- everyone’s just working hard and doing their jobs, ok. None of us have it easy, you can let these little things slide. Another thing is, I don’t want you to attack people I work with or their fans. There are always going to be the reasonable fans and unreasonable fans, the kind ones and the mean ones. Everyone has them, even I do. But in the end it doesn’t matter what they say, but how the product comes out. If the drama airs and it flops then that just means I have to work harder. Everyone I have worked with and will work with is my senior- I’ve only debuted for 3, close to 4 years- so I hope there can be mutual respect among our fans.

C: Where are your abs? LYN: I’m working on them- I already promised that on the new year- on December 30th- I will post a picture of my bare upper half to show you. I only just mentioned this last stream, why are you so hung up on it, like a child? This is like having a fruit tree at home and asking your mother when it will bear fruit- you have to give it some time. Let the seasons pass. Give me some time. C: Is it having any effect? LYN: Do you think it’s as easy as PS-ing abs onto my body?? I need time to accumulate muscle- it’s not something that happens in one day. Why do you thinking losing weight is such a difficult process? You need to work on it little by little, day by day. C: Are you keeping a record? LYN: Yes, I’ve been taking a video a little bit every time. I was thinking of making a compilation and seeing my progress. When all my training results in something, then I’ll upload it. Because what’s the point of showing you when there IS no progress? C: Have you found a trainer yet? LYN: When you get started on doing something, you’ll discover that’s all you get recommended when you’re online. So Ive been learning from online- how to train abdominal muscles, how to train chest, back, shoulder muscles, how to lose weight, etc. You’ll see all these videos and tutorials from online fitness gurus and I’m looking at them all. C: Still working out when you’re sick? LYN: Yes! I did some training yesterday. C: Are you for real this time? LYN: Of course. You think I’m still trying to fool you? Even though I have said something along these lines for seven or eight times already... but this time! This time... I’ll try to make good on the promise, otherwise it’ll make me look bad. C: I’m afraid you’ll turn into a muscleman. LYN: You think that’s something I can become just because I want to?? You think it’s so easy? If that were the case EVERYONE would be musclemen. It’s not an easy thing. C: Does this mean that in the next drama you’ll be baring your chest? LYN: No. I just want to do this for myself. Every year I have a plan for myself, and this year it’s to get fit. I know a lot of the actors I work with exercise and work out and I know I can’t compare myself to them, but I also don’t want to just fall behind/slack off.

C: Is Chengdu fun? LYN: I don’t know, because I haven’t gone out for fun. Most of the time I’m working and there’s not much free time to shop or look around. When I first got here I did do a little shopping, though. Because this is a modern drama, so we were looking for appropriate clothing that I could wear. Other than that I have’t really had a chance to get around. Oh! But I did go to Sanxingdui- the museum. C: The drama doesn’t provide clothing? LYN: They do. You can choose to use theirs or bring your own. Of course most of the time I wear what’s provided, but sometimes I want to wear something that fits me better or something in my own style.

- went to an arcade and later exchanged his pile of tickets for two backpacks, so he could give them to his RV driver’s two kids. The total cost of the backpacks themselves probably wasn’t much more than 300RMB, but since they were acquired with game tickets then in actuality they cost much more. XD

C: Do you have a lot of (your own) clothing? LYN: There is quite a lot, for 200 scenes. The difference between a modern drama and a guzhuang drama is that in the latter you may go for a long period of time wearing the same clothing, but you can’t for a modern drama. In a guzhuang drama if someone wears the same outfit for the first 10 or so episodes, you don’t think anything of it. But if a character in a modern drama does the same it looks a little strange, except it it’s a uniform. But for example, you won’t see the same t-shirt for ten consecutive episodes unless that character has some special circumstances. But even the poorest of characters have a different shirt to change into, right? LYN: So I have a lot of clothing... I think for now it’s up to 80 outfits. 80 outfits for around 200 scenes, but no matter how much the drama provides to you, there is still the wish to add your own style into it. C: I thought each scene would get its own outfit. LYN: No, no. There are scenes that follow in continuity. For example, I go out. The next scene I am on the street. The next scene I enter a restaurant to eat with someone. The scene after that we’ve finished our meal but have started a fight with someone else. These four scenes all have the same outfit- it’s not like I’m going to have a sudden wardrobe change in the middle of the street.

C: Does this character count as having money? LYN: I guess you can say that. He has some money because he has a restaurant- he’s a boss of his own. Even though it failed in the end... he was still the owner. C: Are going to be fight scenes? LYN: Some. If I remember correctly there’s at least one. I say it’s a fight scene, but actually it’s a “me being hit” scene. We’ll have to see how the director wants it to go. I’ve never shot a modern fight scene before. Well, I guess I have. C: How do you like working with Tao-jie? LYN: I’m very happy. There are always useful things you can learn from working with other actors.

C: Where did all your model figures go? LYN: I see you’re not my fan. Quickly go subscribe to my weibo. You must not be my fan you don’t know what I’ve been doing lately, and even ask where my figures went. The thing is I couldn’t make a living and had to sell them. C: You must have made a lot of money. LYN: Not as much as I spent getting them in the first place. LYN: Let me explain to my new fan- I’m in Chengdu shooting a drama right now, and that wall is in Hengdian. This is a hotel.

- someone wants him to play Jay Chou’s new song, but here we hit a copyright issue because you have to BUY the song, so LYN can’t just play it in his stream for free. >.<

- doesn’t like mentioning other people in his streams because there are a dedicated group of individuals who watch his stream like a hawk, waiting to take any snippet of material out of context and turn it into hate material. LYN: I don’t want to mention other people, because I don’t want to accidentally hurt them in some way. But even so, this still won’t stop me from streaming. // There are very few artists out there who will tell you some... not very official things in their streams. It’s not because they’re trying to maintain their image or anything. I want to share my experiences with you because I started out as a very normal person who slowly found his way in the entertainment industry. But after my words are filtered through people with ill-intent I also started to understand why people don’t share. The less you share the less they can cause you trouble. But I still have a way that works for me, and anything I want to share that I CAN share, I will still tell you about. Don’t worry. - lately there have been several articles of anti-LYN material floating around, but Ning-ge really thinks there’s no need for it. “We’re all in the same industry, why can’t we just lower our heads and pass each other without confrontation?” - someone says it’s bc the media/gossip blogs are trying to leech of LYN’s fame. LYN: What fame do I have? Who am I, even? Please don’t say that I have any fame or that anyone is trying to ride my coat-tails. I don’t have fame and I only ride other people’s coat-tails. XD C: But the media accounts are all saying you’re “hot”. LYN: There’s different categories of “hot” too- the bad kind and the good kind. Usually you won’t hear about the good kind.

- won’t be on Chinese Restaurant 6 bc he truly has no time [t/n: looks like Chen Linong and Yin Zheng will be regulars though!]

- says that there are definitely people who will say he’s not taking his drama roles seriously, but to defend himself clarifies that he has already done a script reading with the whole cast of YNGS twice while he was still in Hengdian. (Not counting the times he went over the script by himself.) He has already shared his thoughts with the director before he left, and also asked if the director had any points he wanted LYN to work on while he was in Chengdu, to which the director had no requests to make of him, other than “Come back on time.” So he’s already made the appropriate preparations. - comments on how for a guzhuang drama the wig is the most important for actors- someone will look good in one drama while looking bad in another one, and it’s because of the wig. LYN: For the next drama I’ll need FOUR wigs, and I spent a total of two whole days helping to prep for those. This drama has a high standard for their wigs, and not only that but mine in particular really needs a lot of hair. Not because I have a lot of hair, but because I’m tall and the hair has to be even longer to accommodate. I was sitting there for four hours (each wig) letting the hair artist fix the wigs, to match the shape of my face and patch hair- if there were three strands missing they would add three. If the top was missing two strands, they would add two to the top. Very detailed. So now I have two done and when I get back we’ll get to work on the other two.

- amusing the notion of getting together with some production companies to agree on a livestream set-up where he can go to some different drama crews filming around Hengdian and just... drop in on them to see the set and interview the directors and actors, etc. They could do one or two different drama crews a week. LYN: I think it would be fun. C: Do you have time, though? Mr. Male Lead? LYN: Uh.. Eh! Who told you I was male lead? I’m not worthy! LYN: I can try it, but I have to collaborate with the production companies. It’s not like I can do it just because I want to. Some are under wraps and it’s a complicated process where there needs to be negotiations, like whether the crew is willing to even let me check them out. C: ZSX is in Hengdian. LYN: He is, and it’s fine if I go to see him, but his crew might have a different opinion. Anyway, it’s a fun idea. C: I’m already eating this “pie (in the sky)”. LYN: Eat first, don’t go hungry. Whether or not it’s a “good” pie or a “bad” pie, you’ll know later when you have an upset stomach or not. C: It SOUNDS fun. LYN: I think so too. I just want to do something no one else thinks of nor has the ability to do. I mean, who else would put down their own identity (as an actor) and go around to drop in and stream about other drama crews? No one else, probably. I think people shouldn’t think too highly of themselves, but must know where their value lies. C: Ning-ge, what about cameoing in every drama around Hengdian? LYN: You think I don’t have any other work to do?? I only said that as a joke- maybe one day when I can no longer find work I’ll see about the cameos, but I have my own roles to act so why should I cameo for other people?

C: Disney. LYN: Maybe when I have some time in the future I’ll have to try the Disney stream again. It’s a little inconvenient right now. I’m busy working! Maybe when I have some time off I will go to Disney and stream more often for you. I also have important things to do. My friends, you have to remember that my profession is as a singer and actor. Streaming is just my personal hobby. Someone said it earlier- some artists like racing, some like playing with skateboards, and exercising etc. But my hobby is to stream, but that doesn’t mean it’s my JOB (even though I /am/ pretty good at it).

C: Can you stop the stream earlier, I’m a little sleepy. LYN: What time is it, even? /checks his watch/ It’s only seven, how are you sleepy? There’s something wrong with my watch... /shakes his arm/ It’s broken! /shakes it again, pokes it/ Oh, it’s running. That scared me. LYN: You’re free to do what you want- if you’re sleepy then go to sleep. There’s no rule here that says you HAVE TO stay up, if you’re sleepy then go to sleep, because I know a lot of you have work or school tomorrow. But if you CAN stay up with me, do it. We can chat and you can listen to me blabber. Stay up if you can. Why? Because I only stream the one time a week. You can stand to stay up every once in a while, unless you have something really important to do.

- LYN is honestly tired of answering the “When is the concert happening?” question. C: I’m from overseas, so how do I get a ticket? LYN: I’m not even HOLDING A CONCERT yet what are you worried about getting a ticket for?? C: How much will tickets be? LYN: I’m not even holding it yet, how would I know how much the tickets will cost???? C: You can hold an online concert. LYN: I already talked about this- what other artists do and choose is their own business. But I won’t hold an online concert, because when I stream it practically IS an online concert. Even though I don’t sing that many songs, and the visuals aren’t that amazing. But I believe the best thing about a concert is the atmosphere when you’re there in person. If I just wanted to listen to someone sing, I would play their CD- and it would be perfect and clear. But at a concert you have the different nuances of a song sung live and the added bonus of screaming along with the other fans around you. // A couple years ago I had so many platforms contact me asking if I was interested in holding an online concert and I turned them all down. To me, if I hold an online concert, that just means I’m trying to trick you out of your money. To other people an online concert may be good enough but to me a concert must be held in person. C: Ning-ge, you can do one for free. LYN: ?! /laughs/ What you mean is you want me to hold an online concert, but not charge for it? I mean... it’s not like I can’t. People who know me know that I usually like to sing during my streams, and then singing at a big venue really makes no difference to me. ... You’re watching an online concert right now, friends. It’s just that the hair and makeup is a little lacking. But other than that, this is exactly the view from an online concert. Let me sing you a song, so you can know what it will feel like. I’m not even charging you for this, AND I closed the ability to send gifts. What else do you want from me?? LYN: Let me try a song, what do you want to hear? Something from my OSTs? I’ll give it a try and if I can’t do it (because of his cold) I will stop. It’s free anyway. LYN: Ling Yun Ji? Not that one. I’ll try Meng Hua. - /sings weakly/ LYN: LOL. Let me do it properly. C: If you can’t sing, then don’t. Don’t try to fool us! LYN: I was just testing it out, can’t you be nicer?? This is for free! Let’s do it! -- 梦华 (A Dream of Splendor OST)

- they were talking a few streams ago about fan ranking labels in weibo, and how there was only one grade (iron fan); weibo has taken their suggestions into consideration and created different ranking labels!

-- bathroom break #2 (Tactic 2: His friend had a baby and wants it to see LYN, so that it can grow up to look like him.)

- drinking a giant jug of orange juice, for the Vitamin C C: Ning-ge, is that millet porridge? LYN: How hungry must I be to have millet porridge while I stream??? - but the Northeast does have a porridge that he can’t remember the name of, made with corn flour. LYN: I used to have it a lot because my grandma would make it. We would eat a lot of taro and yams, she would steam them. I had a lot of potatoes and yams when I was little. - ends up talking about some foods LYN: Maybe I’ll get someone from home to send me some corn flour and I can make something for you to see. We’ll do a Food Stream. C: Another “pie in the sky”. LYN: Why are you like this? Everything I say is a “pie” first? [t/n: meaning easier said than done] There’s not even one bit of- hold on... Can we have some trust? Everything I say is a “pie”.... Where’s the trust? I was looking for a song called “Trust”... oh, here’s one. I don’t know how to sing it. LYN: How about this? Friends- I’m telling the truth. I really didn’t- “说谎 (Tell a Lie)”. So friends, please stop saying I’m making pies. One day I really will make that cooking stream for you. C: You can make a pie shop. LYN: /grumbles/ LYN: Someday when I get back to Hengdian, before the end of the year, I will fulfill this promise to you.

C: What day is “someday”?// Hope it happens before I die. LYN: Can you not be so negative? Last time I said I would do a stream when I was 60/70 and you all were saying that you’d be 80/90 by then. I have a lot of jiejie-fans. Don’t have such a negative outlook- it’s possible that when I’m 40 I won’t be able to bear it anymore and hold it then. We have to live with hope and anticipation for tomorrow. C: When you’re 60 I’ll be 40. LYN: .__. Are you 15 right now?? 12?? I don’t believe it, because on average my fans are around my age. They’re either my age or older/younger than me by just a little. I don’t have young fans because honestly my looks aren’t what younger girls are looking for. They don’t like my type... I’m not a flower boy. C: /telling their ages: 16, 15, 17, 18.../ C: Young girls like your type exactly. LYN: Really~? So does that mean in the eyes of young people, I also count as a “好男人 (Good Man)”? C: /someone called it greasy/cheesy/ LYN: That’s on purpose! I see that young people are into the “big brother” vibes, I thought that was what you liked. Am I wrong? You don’t like that? Ok, that’s fine. I can sing it normally, and you won’t feel like it’s greasy. Listen. - sings it again, “normally”

C: Jiujiu, hello. LYN: I’m not your uncle. My fans’ kids usually call me Ning -jiujiu. Because they know me from their mom’s side. [t/n: instead of calling him Ning -shushu.]

C: Ning-ge, do you have male fans? LYN: I’m sure I do but their numbers are probably on the smaller side. I believe that men who really like me are the “dragons amongst people”. C: Then what about female fans? LYN: We were talking about my male fans, why are you asking about female fans... If men are the “dragons” then I guess women are the “phoenixes”, right? What else do you want me to say?? C: My husband is a fan of your songs. LYN: Thank you. Thank your husband. I don’t know if I should call him my jie-fu or my mei-fu, but for someone to call themselves a fan of my songs, I am still very happy. C: What are male fans called? LYN: They’re not called anything- “dragons amongst people” right? So next time I see a male fan, all I have to do is call him “Long-ge”. - his female fans are called “Peng-Fei”, and not “Feng-jie” as the previous logic would suggest

LYN: If you’re sleepy, go to sleep. You don’t need to tell me.

C: Can you not have the face-slimming feature on? LYN: It’s not on- that high. :| Just a little bit, because due to how the video is displayed it will make your face look a little bigger. So it’s on just a bit- but I have never adjusted the settings. It’s always been the same. C: Turn it off, let me see. LYN: You must be sick, why would I do that. You all always want me to turn off my filters. It’s really not on that high. Only 15/100. C: Turn it to 100, let’s see. LYN: Okay, this is 100. My whole shape changed. - talking about his filter settings, but won’t turn them off because he still has an image to maintain (for his brand collaborations) XD

C: People who’ve seen you in person all say you’re handsome. LYN: :) If they don’t, they’ll get hit. People can say that I’m ugly online because I can’t get to them, but if one day someone says it to my face- do you think I’ll hit them or not?

- the latter half of The Truth is very surprising, so you can stand to check it out :)) LYN: By the end of filming I was in a daze. [t/n: not sure if because he was tired or because of the unexpected twists, maybe both.]

C: What did you do on your breaks when you were young? LYN: Do you mean to say that I’m not young anymore? What do you mean “What did you do ... when you were YOUNG?” Am I old now? But you probably mean on breaks from school. I’m not like you- I didn’t go to college. When I finished junior high, I went directly to cooking school. What did I do on breaks though? What all young people do- I went around to internet cafes and played games. C: No wonder you like to stay up all night. LYN: Exactly! A lot of people might thing this wasn’t the right thing to do, that you’re wasting the highlight of your youth away. But at the time you have no other choice, because there are no other choices to make or you aren’t clear on what you’re “supposed” to be doing. I think if this period of time made you happy, it’s enough. You might be clueless and lost right now, but later you’ll figure out what it is you want to do. - Talking about what games he played back then; but also he really likes gaming and will check out whatever’s new. - Says that if he couldn’t beat his opponent, he would get into the chat and start cursing them out XD But now he’s grown up and knows better, so that’s why he wants to teach his fans how to be kind and polite now. If you really want him to curse you out though, I’m sure he’d do it fluently. Amends his comment to say that more than cursing, he would frustrate his opponent in the chat, just annoy them to death XD - Had a game account-for which he bought a lot of skins/equipment for- and later wanted to sell (for much cheaper than his initial investment, but some money was better than nothing). The person he was selling to wanted to check it out first, so he let them. They logged in, changed the password, and started trashing all the equipment for the avatar that he had bought and stole all his gold and potions (and also didn’t pay him for the account in the first place). LYN was able to recover the account and the items, but it took some time. - In the end the account was tricked away by him from a different person LYN: That’s why I’ll never try to sell one of my gaming accounts again. It’s not worth the anger and my high blood pressure. C: This story sounds a little fake... LYN: If it were fake then why would I spend so much time talking about it?? It’s a true story. I didn’t tell you this story to show you how naive I am, I told it to you so you can remember that I hold a grudge. I was well and truly tricked. // So now I’d rather my money was spent for nothing than ever try to sell an account again. - /plays a gentler song at request/ C: You could have reported the account. LYN: It was too late.

- he’s used to staying up late into the night bc for many years working in a bar, it was his regular schedule to get off at 12:30a, and then after getting home, washing up, and eating it would already be 4-5 in the morning. when he’s in a drama crew his schedule gets a little more “normal” because it requires him to get up very early in the morning, so he is unable to stay up all night. LYN: I don’t WANT to be able to stay up all night. I also want to be healthy and have a regular sleep schedule, but my previous work just made it so that I am unused to what is “regular”. I don’t know if some of you have parents who’ve worked in some factory? There are usually the morning, afternoon, and night shifts. It’s not like they get a choice, that’s just the way their job works. C: Cram schools are like this too. LYN: Right. See? Who really WANTS to stay up all night? That’s just the way life is- some jobs require you to stay up all night. Who doesn’t wish for a nice work schedule, and a day off on Saturday and Sunday? When I worked in customer service, there were no such thing as holidays and weekends. So if you’re currently in school and are later able to find a regular job with a M-F workweek, S-S off, and a break for the holidays then you’re very fortunate.

-- happy new year

- someone comments on his hairline LYN: When I was shooting for The Long Ballad- it was the only time- the makeup artist trimmed away this bit of my hairline, so they would have an easier time gluing the wig on. I thought everyone would have to do it, so I agreed. Later I found out that no one else did it, and all they really had to do was glue the hairline a little lower. Glue it a little lower and then it would make your face look smaller, too. I thought about it and yeah, they were right. It’s grown back a little now, though. But after the stylist cut my hair I had a bunch of product photo shoots, and the collab studio kept looking at the photos we were taking and always thought there was something weird about them. The hairline didn’t look quite right. I thought so too and had my stylist fix try to fix it, but it turned out that no matter how they tried to fix it, it still looked weird. LYN: That’s what you slowly learn through trial and error. When I was shooting The Long Ballad it was my first guzhuang and I really didn’t know how much an impact the look of a wig would have on one’s appearance. But Hao Du was mostly wearing that hat, so it didn’t really matter where they ended up gluing the wig. After I shot Heroes I finally understood the importance of the wig. When you watch it sometimes you’ll think someone looks ugly in one scene and fine in another. I’m telling you- a large part of it is because of the wig. I’m not joking. It’s so important. LYN: Now I have experience, so I can tell when it needs a better comb. I beg the hairstylist to comb through it and make it look smoother. I’m not like before when I thought nothing of it- just because I didn’t want to cause trouble and have anyone talk about me behind my back. I didn’t know that doing that was a little foolish of me. You need to have requests. I was too careful at the start but if you have requests that are within reason, people have no reason to refuse. I didn’t know that, but now I do. The problem here is that it’s your own problem if you didn’t know and also your own problem if you come out looking ugly when the drama airs; because no one is going to be blaming the hair/makeup stylist. You can only blame yourself for being ugly and having no requests. LYN: I know better now, and can beg the hair/makeup stylists to help me out. I won’t blame them for it- I will say that I myself am ugly and need them to help make me more presentable.

-- bathroom break #3 (the final stretch)

LYN: I’ll wish everyone a happy new year again. I don’t know how many new years you’ve spent with me now. But I will wish for your growth. LYN: Honestly, how many artists do you know who stay up past 12am to stream? How much do you think I must love streaming?? Tell me how many people can pull it off. Let me tell you, it’s normal for young people nowadays to stay up all night. They sleep pretty late. There are some out there who have only just gotten up. LYN: Who else can sit here and just chat for four hours? I’m even impressed by myself. Not because I’m proud of myself, but because I need to give myself some support so that I can continue to keep doing this. Sometimes you need to give yourself the satisfaction. I’m happy to be able to give my fans a one-of-a-kind experience in chasing stars. Others like to have an air of mystery to them, but not me- I’m really just here to chat. C: My Ning-ge is a real chatterbox. LYN: Friends, please don’t think the the Streamer version of me is the real me. Honestly in real life I don’t talk this much. I have social anxiety. I’m like a lot of you- bold online but small and timid in real life. C: Are you more of the cold type? LYN: I’m not cold- it’s just that when I don’t smile I don’t look very.. nice. [t/n: he’s got a resting bitch face XD] I’m not a cold person but when I don’t smile I might look it.. I look fake or... not a nice person. C: Looking for a beating? LYN: Why did you have to go there?? LYN: Anyway, it’s probably because my eyes are small and I have mono-lids, so I look.. not as naive. But people with big eyes and double eyelids look sweet and innocent. My eyes look like they have a story. C: How about double-eyelid tape then? LYN: Some people are suited for it and some people aren’t. I really tried it, in the past. I was going to shoot a drama and the makeup artist suggested it. I looked scary, so ever since then I never used the tape again. I’m happy as is.

C: Ning-ge, your face is looking a little oily, do you want to wipe it? LYN: No. I’m going for a dewy look. I will use the oil in place of water. So I look shiny and bright.

C: You talked so much that your nasal tone doesn’t sound as heavy. LYN: Actually it’s still there, you’re just used to the sound because you’ve been listening to me all night.

- since they were on the topic of the sound of his voice, wanted to talk a little about his Cang Lan Jue donghua voice acting as Jiu Yuan, but decided against it. - doesn’t use the posture corrector anymore, and also won’t comment on its effectiveness XD

C: Can we see your sixteen-pack? LYN: Am I Wu Kong? I’ve heard of 6-pack and 8-pack but never 16-pack. What is that? Two people combined?? Honestly, each person’s physique is different. Some people are born with the ability to have 8-packs and some are born with 6. I’m the type with 6- if I were able to even make them appear. It’s just like with wisdom teeth- some are born with 1, some 2, some all 4. C: How many packs do you have now? LYN: How many? No matter how you count, it’s going to be six. It’s just six that you can’t see right now. C: One big pack. LYN: I’m not that bad. Actually, I don’t really have a gut. After I watched UN I swore to myself I wouldn’t have such a “rich” stomach again. I want to maintain my youthful figure. So I was able to get that belly fat away and am working on the abs. You can see them a little but they are not very well defined. LYN: With abdominal muscles, you will always more or less have them if you’re thin enough. Some people have never worked out, but they’re thin enough so you can see their muscles. I’m not at the point of “thin” so I have to work out. It’s alright. There’s no rush. Wait for the year’s end. You can forget about seeing anything right now. - hasn’t really weighed himself lately, because weight doesn’t really matter. it’s more of a difference of fat vs muscle. - someone says he has been misinformed. LYN: You have to make the effort to understand [any topic]. I only share what I know, what I learned, even though what I say might be wrong. But I did look this up, so let’s not pretend to know about something when you don’t. - discussing the theory of being unafraid because you don’t know how scary the world really is. LYN: Why were people in the past so happy? Because they didn’t have the internet and know what “short videos” are. Because they didn’t know how anyone else was living. The internet is too vast now. People used to be happy making 3k a month. Now even 6k is not enough, because you know how well other people are getting along. People know TOO MUCH now, so they are no longer as happy, comparatively. - ignorance is bliss. - it’s not good to know nothing, but equally as bad to know everything. :|

- talking about his Ford Mustang, bc the internet will try to trick you into believing that cars under a certain price point are all crap :p - people will sacrifice their legs to look cool driving a sports car XD - if you want to know what it feels like to drive a sports car, sit in a large tub and hold a smaller tub as a steering wheel. LYN: I don’t drive sports cars, but when I have time I will go to the 4S dealership to check them out. I don’t buy anything, I’m just there for the experience. I never test drive because I’m afraid of putting a scratch on the car. But I sit in it and listen to the sound of the engine while I sit in my tub. After I get a bottle of sparkling water I’ll leave. That’s what I usually do when I head back to Beijing. C: Have you been to the 4S in Chengdu? LYN: I haven’t yet, I don’t have the time. There really haven’t been any new models out lately that I want to experience. I heard about the Ferarri SUV, but there’s no test model yet. Later I want to try sitting in it and check it out. - talking about stick shift vs automatic C: I can’t find a tub, so I can’t experience the sports car. LYN: If you can’t find one go buy one. You can look up the sound of the engine of whatever model car you like and play it while you sit in the tub, too. C: My legs are long, a normal tub won’t do. LYN: I’m not talking about the big tubs you use to take a bath, I’m talking about a normal sized one where only your butt fits. Your legs need to stick out so you can step on the pedals! LYN: The seat is shaped like a bucket, and even the seats wrap you in, so that when you make a turn you’re not sliding around everywhere. They’re designed so that you can’t move, so that you stay in your seat. It wouldn’t be good if you made a turn and flew into the passenger’s seat. You’d be done for. C: People who are too fat can’t drive a sports car then, huh? LYN: It doesn’t matter. I don’t think it does. As long as you want to drive it, you will find a way to. C: Can the seats be customized? LYN: Do you think I work in a showroom?? Are you trying to commission a car from me? I don’t work in a dealership but I can tell you that nearly everything that goes into a luxury vehicle you can customize including color, seating, fabric, texture, even the STITCHING. If you bought a 5M sports car and wanted them to install a bucket for a seat, they’d do it for you. Whether you actually sit in it is your own business. -- LYN: I used to have a friend who was able to drive all sorts of cars. I was chatting to him about which cars were good and when we got to Lamborghini-s he said they were just ok. Such a cool car! What was wrong with it? They don’t have air conditioning, and for the models that do they don’t work well. I guess that is a problem... but if you’re driving a Lambo are you going to care about whether the weather is hot or not?? That’s a prime opportunity to roll the windows down. C: You really don’t care? LYN: I don’t know about you, but if it were me I really wouldn’t care. If it were hot I could roll the window down and rest my arm on the door. Wouldn’t that be cool? C: Makeup’s ruined. // Wig will go flying. LYN: LOL. LYN: I’m not trying to purposely diss Lamborghini or anything, that’s just what I was told. Maybe my friend’s AC was broken.

LYN: When’s the next time I’ll stream? I don’t even know exactly. So that’s all the more reason to subscribe to my weibo and it will notify you the next time I stream. LYN: Thank you all for coming to watch my stream, even if it was just for a short while. Thank you for your support and company. Thank you Weibo, for your support and the fans for the trending topic. LYN: I want to wish everyone a wonderful and relaxing night. It was great to have you. I’ll see you the next time~ Good night!

#Liu Yuning #lyn livestream #(4:33:19)#caught a cold - and how it affects his acting #what is being 'worthy'#life lessons with ning-ge #ugh socializing #muscleman lyn #some Be Your Own Light chat #mentions doing some streams where he jst goes around to the different drama crews in hengdian #some chat about gaming #(and getting cheated)#the importance of a well placed wig #car chat #[oop this took a while. he's already done a next one: 5 hours]

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project-cars-2-cheats-dj · 2 years

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AI cheats? :: Project CARS 2 Offtopic

💾 ►►► DOWNLOAD FILE 🔥🔥🔥 Home Discussions Workshop Market Broadcasts. Change language. Install Steam. Store Page. Global Achievements. Atty View Profile View Posts. I'm fairly new to the game, I'm on the 2nd race of Ginetta Junior, a track in the rain. Maybe I just don't understand how to drive, but when I drive through a puddle, I start slipping and have to fight to keep control over the car. But I see all the AI drivers just casually and smoothly speeding through every puddle. Seems they are not affected by the weather conditions, basically cheating? Showing 1 - 15 of 20 comments. Unfortunately this is common in the career mode. In some races, the AI are just better in the rain. In other races, not so much. The only solution I've heard is to turn the AI skill down for these particular races. If I understand correctly, this may not be a problem when racing with AI and not in the career mode. I wouldn't know for sure, because once I learned this about the AI in career mode, I uninstalled the game. It is fun for online play against others, but that's pretty much it. I hope others have better solutions. From what I see AI is indeed not affected by puddles, but you can also drive fast over a puddle if you hydroplane uf you dont brake, dont steer and dont use throttle, just release everything and the car will go straight there. At puddle your tyres dont have contact with the ground, meaning each tyre that get to the puddle loses grip, while all other tyres will have grip and it will cause instability. If you are braking or using throttle, you will have a massive grip difference that will cause you car to spin and if you was already turning what will happen is that 1 tyre turning will have grip while the other dont, so you have to avoid it. If it is a puddle right at a braking zone, brake earlier. If it is a puddle at a turn, avoid the puddle. If the puddle cover the entire turn, reduce more to get through it at slower speed that will allow you to turn while driving over the puddle. Sure, it is better if you can "completely avoid" the puddle, but if you can not, go as straight as possible and without braking or using throttle, return to use throttle or brake just when you have grip on your tyres, when out of the puddle. If your car is too low height, well, pray that you dont meet any puddle at too much speed. AI usually is also fairly slow at rain at least most of the times and it is like that for AI to avoid overloading your CPU with extra calculations in real time for every AI vehicle, so AI have simplified physics or else your computer would not stand to run a race with AI. Originally posted by Voltaj Tepes :. Andy View Profile View Posts. Nats View Profile View Posts. Is this the same with AMS2? Originally posted by Nats :. Have got AMS2 I can tell you it isn't the same in that game. Its got the same graphics roughly but the puddles don't make you lose control or skid off. It's got better AI as well. And custom championships although you cant pit in them yet. No career though. Last edited by Nats ; 27 Jun, am. Mahjik View Profile View Posts. They actually slow down in the rain now. There have been improvements since that post. All I know for sure is that in PC2 it seemed to me that all of the AI ran at the same pace, so you either won big or lost big, trying to get your level set to where you can compete. If I set it too high, I still have good racing at the rear of the pack. They also seem to race each other more in AMS2. PC2 was a line of cars usually. I probably misspoke. I meant to say that it seemed to me that the AI all ran at about the same pace, relative to each other. It was a line of cars that didn't really seem to seem to have any "personality" other than follow the leader. In AMS2, they seem to do things different. I see bunches of cars, I see battles going on, and it seems can't prove it , that the AI will change pace during a race. On more than one occasion, I've had them catch me after I passed them. Per page: 15 30 Date Posted: 11 Apr, pm. Posts: Discussions Rules and Guidelines. No raindrops in VR? PC2 won't launch. Analog Steering Issues. Note: This is ONLY to be used to report spam, advertising, and problematic harassment, fighting, or rude posts. All rights reserved. All trademarks are property of their respective owners in the US and other countries. Some geospatial data on this website is provided by geonames. View mobile website.

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the-bau-quinjet · 3 years

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Plum Cobbler

Steve x Barnes!reader, Bucky x platonic!reader

Summary: What happens when Steve confronts the woman who's been sitting outside the compound every Saturday for a month?

Warnings: mentions parental death, some cursing

Word Count: 6315

a/n: This really took on a mind of its own. I was going to make it a series, but I feel like this is the whole story.

Masterlist

Nervous didn't even begin to describe how you were feeling. Sitting in your car, just outside of the entrance gate to the Avenger's compound was never somewhere you thought you'd be. Not until two months ago, when you found your grandmas old scrapbooks.

Of course, you don't know how to get inside. Honestly, you should have seen this coming. Why would just anyone be able to walk up to their door?

"Who are you?" The sudden question startled you, causing you to jump and hit your head on the roof of your car. You turned to look at the source of the voice, shrinking under her watchful gaze.

The one and only Natasha Romanoff was standing outside your car, glaring at you as if she was ready to drop everything to take you out.

"Oh, um. My name is Y/N L/N. I just wanted to talk to Bucky..." Her glare only grew stronger as you revealed why you were there.

"Barnes doesn't talk to strangers." Before you could explain why, she was gone. You watched her walk into the compound until she wasn't in your view anymore.

"Well, that went horribly." You mumbled to yourself. Now what? Should you just sit there until someone else comes out? Will anyone come out?

"So who is she?" Clint asked as soon as Nat got back inside.

"Why is she here?" Sam added on.

"Said her name is Y/N L/N, and she wants to talk to Bucky." Nat rolled her eyes.

"Friday, run a background check on F/N L/N." Tony asked of the AI. "What? You can never be too careful, and people shouldn't know how to get here." He explained given the questioning looks from the rest of the group.

"Y/N L/N, 27, daughter of the deceased Kathleen and Grant L/N. She owns a bookstore in Brooklyn, passed down through her family. No criminal record." Friday responded quickly.

"Sounds normal enough, probably a fan?" Tony suggested, looking around the room.

"A persistent one. She's been here for hours." Steve looked out the window, still seeing your car just outside the gate. "How did she find the entrance?"

Everyone shared similar looks, unsure how a seemingly normal civilian found the gate.

"Excellent question, Capsicle. Friday, got any ideas?" Tony, as usual, turned to the AI for answers.

"Based on GPS data from her car, she drove around upstate New York for eight hours every Saturday for the last 6 weeks until she came across the side road leading to the compound."

"Either she's really good at looking normal, or she's just normal." Nat added on, still slightly suspicious.

"Well, she just left. I guess we're not getting any answers today." Steve said from his position still looking out the window.

You came back every Saturday for a month. You didn't know if anything would come of it, but you'd be damned if you didn't try. After your parent's deaths, you thought you had no family left. Finding out you were related to Bucky gave you a lifeline. Something to cling to when you felt alone.

So far, nobody else had come to talk to you. You didn't even know if Bucky knew you were there for him.

The fifth Saturday, you pulled your car up to the gate at 9 am, sticking to your makeshift schedule of waiting outside for the entire day. They had to at least be curious as to why you kept coming back.

Unfortunately for you, the weather upstate today was not the same as the weather in Brooklyn.

Around 10:30, it started to rain. Just a sprinkling, nothing you couldn't handle.

You listened to music, read, ate the lunch you packed, played games on your phone, anything to pass the time. You weren't going to force your way inside, but you were definitely going to show that you were interested.

Typically, you would leave at 5:30. It gave you enough time to drive home and heat up dinner, plus you had to check in on your cat.

Today, however, was a different story. Around 5:15, it started pouring. Sheets of water were coming down around you, completely cutting off any visibility through the windshield.

You figured you'd just wait out the rain, but when it didn't let up by 6, you were getting nervous.

"She's still here." Steve walked into the kitchen, announcing his news to the room.

"I'm not surprised. It's not exactly peak driving conditions out there." Sam easily responded, glancing out the window.

"Aren't you the least bit curious as to why?" Steve asked again, pushing the same conversation as always.

Nearly everyone in the room rolled their eyes, sick of repeating the same things.

"Look, we figured if we ignored her, she'd eventually stop. Clearly, that might not be working. If you're so curious, feel free to go ask her." Tony gave in, eager to move on from the discussion of you.

Steve contemplated his choices for all of 2 seconds before grabbing an umbrella and walking down the driveway.

You had your head leaned back against the headrest, eyes closed, listening to the rain. Of course you would get stuck here. Why didn't you ever check the weather?

You shrieked when a knock sounded on your passenger side window, not having expected anyone, especially in the rain.

Mr. America himself pointed to the door, gesturing for you to unlock it. You sat up quickly, rushing to hit the unlock button.

He quickly opened the door, shutting his umbrella and lowering himself into the small car.

You were utterly speechless. After your brief encounter with Natasha, you didn't really expect anyone to come talk to you.

Sure, you came back every week, but it was more so to fill the lonely hours you would have normally spent with your parents at the bookstore.

You had other employees to run the shop on Saturdays, allowing you to come here instead.

"Why are you here?" He sounded more curious than anything. Clearly he didn't perceive you as a threat, which was good because you had zero fighting experience.

"To talk to Bucky." Your voice was quiet, unsure how much you should share.

"I know that. Why?" He had fully turned in his seat to look at you, his large frame filling nearly the entire car.

"Well, I found something a few months ago that I thought he should know." You stuttered through your response, mildly intimidated by the man in front of you.

"And that something is?" He questioned further, genuinely curious as to what you want to tell his best friend.

You hesitated, eyes flitting around the car, looking at anything but him. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair before speaking again.

"Look, if you ever want to actually talk to him, you should tell me. Buck's been through hell, he won't just talk to anyone. Especially if he has no reason to."

During your conversation, the rain finally let up. You decided to take that as a sign.

"Can I show you something?" You finally looked him in the eye, nearly forgetting why you were even here at the sight of his bright blue eyes.

"Is it the reason you've been out here every Saturday for over a month?" He joked with you, helping to calm your nerves.

You nodded in response, unsure if you could even speak while still looking into his eyes.

"Then please."

You tore your eyes from his face, throwing the car into reverse and backing out of the spot you've claimed as your own. You turned around, heading back to your apartment in Brooklyn.

"Wha- where are we going?" He's clearly surprised by your actions, but he doesn't seem worried.

"I'm going to show you what I found, and hopefully you'll let me talk to Bucky." You paused for a minute, thinking. "Although, really I guess it should be his choice. Maybe you can just give him a message for me, and if he doesn't want to talk I'll leave you all alone."

The idea of never getting to know Bucky, you're only remaining family, hurts, but it's got to be his decision.

Steve just nods in response, still slightly wary of your reasons for wanting to talk to Bucky.

When you're a few minutes away from your apartment, you decide to give him some context.

"You probably already know a lot about me, but let me explain a few things." He silently nods, encouraging you to continue.

"My parents died three and a half months ago." You immediately felt like crying, but did your best to hold it in. Of course, Steve didn't miss the break in your voice. "It was a car accident. The weather was bad. They lost control of the car. They were both pronounced dead on the scene." You parked the car, turning slightly to look at him.

"They were the only family I've ever had, and the were both just gone." You turned and opened the car door, taking a moment to wipe the tears from your eyes. You gestured for him to follow you, locking the car and heading inside your apartment building.

"We were really close. I spent every Saturday at the bookstore with them." You wiped the tears again as the elevator doors closed.

You didn't chance looking at Steve, knowing you would break down at the look of pity.

"I had to go through the stuff at their house. You know, decide what to bring here, what to put in storage, what to get rid of. I found some old scrapbooks, I think from my great grandma."

You lead him into your apartment, locking the door and immediately heading to the kitchen to feed your cat. After you set down the food, you moved to the couch. You had the scrapbooks on the coffee table, having taken every opportunity to look through them.

"I never knew her. My parents didn't talk about her either, I'm not sure if they knew who she was. Her name was Rebecca." You waited a beat, to see if he would understand. When he remained quiet, you handed him one of the books, open to a page with a picture of Steve, Bucky, and Rebecca. "Rebecca Barnes."

You waited again, letting the information sink in for him. After a few minutes he smiled.

"I remember this day." He looked at you, a wide smile on his face. "It was a few days before Bucky was enrolled. We had a picnic." He continued to reminisce, looking through the other pictures in the scrapbook.

"Maybe it's selfish, maybe he won't want to know me, but when I found out I had more family, I wanted to find him." Again, tears pooled in your eyes. "I, I just don't want to be alone."

Steve's smile faltered as he realized what you've been going through, and how you've been doing it alone.

"Hey, I'm sure he'll want to talk to you." He reached out to place a hand on your arm, trying to comfort you.

"Really?" Your eyes were still watery, but a small smile grew on your face.

"I think so. Bucky was really close with his sister when we were young." This time, Steve's eyes grew watery, memories of his youth playing through his mind.

You couldn't take the sight of him being sad, so you pulled him into a hug. He came willingly, letting you bury your face in his chest. He lowered his head so it was overtop of yours, relishing in the comfort of your hug.

You pulled away a few minutes later, not wanting to overstep, but the feeling of his arms around your waist didn't let you go far.

"Thank you for coming out to my car." You laughed, trying to lighten the mood. His face was so close to yours, you could make out the individual shades of blue in his eyes.

"Thank you for sharing your story with me." He whispered back, not wanting to break the moment.

You're not sure how long you would've stayed like that, but a loud crack of thunder jolted you apart.

"What the-" You mumbled, walking over to the window to look outside. Steve followed close behind you, also curious about the weather.

It was now pouring, lightning and thunder cracking overhead.

"I guess the storm followed us to Brooklyn." He joked, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I guess so." You looked at the clock, taking in the late hour.

Steve must've followed your line of sight, because he spoke up. "It's getting late, I should probably go."

You immediately shook your head, your fear of travelling in bad weather shining through. "I can't let you leave when it's like this. It's not safe. You, um, you can stay here tonight. You can sleep in my room. I'll sleep on the couch." You grew more confident as you kept talking.

"I couldn't impose like that." Steve shook his head, not wanting to make you uncomfortable.

"Steve, it's not safe to travel when it's raining like that. I would never forgive myself if something happened to you." Your voice grew tighter, trying not to flashback to the day your parents died.

Steve seemed to realize why you were so worried about the weather, ultimately deciding to agree to stay so you wouldn't worry about him.

"Okay, okay. I'll stay here, but you sleep in your bed. I'll be fine on the couch." He refused your offer, not wanting to force you to spend a night on the couch.

"First of all, thank you. Second of all, you are sleeping in the bed. You're like two feet taller than me." You exaggerated your height difference, but you were trying to make a point. "You won't even be able to lay down on the couch. I take naps here all the time, it's super comfortable." You argued back, unwilling to allow Captain America himself sleep on your tiny ass couch.

"You know, I should've expected you to be this stubborn. You spent five weeks waiting outside the compound with no contact. Plus you're related to Bucky" He laughed to himself, slightly shaking his head. "Fine, I'll sleep in the bed."

You smiled victoriously, jumping up from the couch. "Yay! Do you need anything? I have spare toothbrushes under the sink, and I can probably find you some clothes to sleep in. There's some snacks in the kitchen if you get hungry. Oh! And Carrot might try to lay in the bed with you, but I'll try to keep her out here." You rambled, trying to make sure he was comfortable.

"Carrot?" He smiled at your rambling, finding it adorable.

"Yes! Carrot is my cat. She's a cuddler, so consider yourself warned." You paused, eyes growing wide. "You're not allergic to cats are you? I think there's probably cat fur all over my room."

He laughed again. "No, I don't think the super soldier serum left any room for allergies." He quipped.

You smacked a hand to your forehead. "Duh! Anyway, do you need anything?" You asked again, trying to calm your beating heart.

"Some clothes would be great, thank you." The way he smiled at you did nothing to soothe your nerves.

"Okay." You breathed out, finally taking a deep breath. "I'll go grab some, the bathroom is right here if you need it." You pointed it out on your way to your room. "I'm just gonna get changed real quick, and then I'll be back with your clothes."

He nodded again, watching as you turned and walked into what must be your room.

You quickly changed into a t-shirt and sleep shorts. It took a few minutes of searching through boxes, but eventually you found an old pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt for Steve to sleep in.

You made your way out of the bedroom, handing him the clothes.

"Here ya go. Like I said, there are extra toothbrushes under the sink in the bathroom, and don't hesitate to grab anything you need from the kitchen."

He eyed the clothes in his hands, wondering where they came from, but not wanting to ask.

Luckily for him, you could tell what he was wondering. "They were my dad's." A sad smile graced your face. "I- I sleep in them sometimes when I really wish I could talk to him."

"Thank you." Steve turned to go to bed, but changed his mind last minute. He set the clothes down on the couch, pulling you into another hug. "You know, I can tell your related to Buck. He always looks out for people too."

You blushed at the compliment, grateful he couldn't see your face. "Thank you, that really means a lot." You stayed like that until Steve pulled back to talk to you again.

"I can take you back to the compound tomorrow, if you want. Maybe introduce you to Bucky."

"Really?! You don't want to talk to him first? Or double check anything I told you?" You were shocked at how willing he was to introduce you to Bucky.

"I trust you. Plus, I think you should be the one to tell him." Steve didn't say it out loud, but he also thought you and Bucky would be good for each other.

Bucky had Steve to connect his past and present, but another person for him to rely on wouldn't hurt. And you clearly were looking for a family connection.

"I would love to. Thank you!" You hugged him again, although quicker this time. You jumped back, excited to collect everything you wanted to show him. "I have to find all the scrapbooks to show him!"

When you turned to start collecting things, Steve put a hand on your shoulder, essentially preventing you from moving.

"Why don't we get everything together in the morning? It's getting late and you should get some sleep." He understood how emotionally and physically draining it could be to relive a loss like yours.

"You're right. I should sleep." You tried to slow your mind down, but the prospect of meeting Bucky tomorrow filled you with a mix of excitement and nerves. You gathered your extra blankets and pillows, setting up a bed for yourself on the couch while he went into the bathroom.

You were snuggled in bed, ready to sleep when he came back out.

"Goodnight, Steve."

His heart contracted at how adorable you looked buried in blankets on the couch, but he did his best to ignore it. He'd only just met you after all.

"Goodnight, Y/N."

The next morning Steve woke up at 5, per usual. He didn't want to wake you up though, so, despite his natural tendencies to run 10 miles every Sunday morning, he stayed in bed.

That is, until he heard you shuffling around the apartment.

He poked his head out of the room first, trying to verify that you were indeed awake. When he saw you in the kitchen, he fully emerged intent on helping you with whatever you were doing.

"Good morning, you're an early riser?" His question was completely ignored. Granted you couldn't see him yet, but he didn't know why you would be ignoring him.

He made his way closer to you, tapping you on the shoulder to try and get you to interact with him.

You, in a mixture of surprise and fear, turned and threw an egg at him.

He looked at you in shock, while you stared in horror at what you had just done.

You took headphones out of your ears, explaining why you hadn't heard his question.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry!" You reached toward him with a dish towel, trying to wipe the egg off his (your dad's) shirt. "You just surprised me! I can get you another shirt!"

"It's fine, don't worry-" You ran out of the room anyway, grabbing another shirt of your dad's from the box in your room.

He couldn't help but laugh, oddly relieved that you weren't ignoring him.

When you reentered the kitchen, a shirtless Steve Rogers was washing your dad's shirt in the sink. You froze, taking in the sight of the man before you.

When he turned back around, your eyes took on a mind of their own, soaking in his toned chest and arms. You cleared your throat, shaking yourself out of your stupor to hand him the other shirt.

"Thanks." He smirked, but still blushed slightly before he put it on, ringing out the other shirt before handing it to you. "I didn't want the egg to stick to it since it was your dads, so i rinsed it off..." he trailed off, unsure if it was the right thing to say.

"That's really sweet, thank you. Especially because it was my fault there was even egg on it in the first place." You laughed, trying not to blush with embarrassment.

"Don't worry about it, really. I shouldn't have snuck up on you." He laughed as well, clearing any lingering tension. He took a look around the kitchen, taking in just how much stuff you had out.

"What are you making?" He smiled when you blushed again.

"Oh, I was making plum cobbler... I just, I read online that Bucky likes plums, so I thought I would bring him a cobbler." You blushed again, embarrassed by the admission.

"He does." Steve smiled, completely enamoured with your personality. "Did you want some help?"

"Actually, the cobblers are in the oven already. I was going to make breakfast next, though, so you can help with that." You smiled, noting how easy it was to spend time with him.

"Cobblers? I know Bucky's a super soldier, but one would have been plenty." He joked with you, moving to help scramble some eggs.

"Well, yeah. One is for him, but then I thought the other Avengers might be there and I didn't want to not have enough so I made three."

"You're too cute." The words slipped out before he could even think about what he was saying.

You blushed again, a frequent occurrence it seems when you're with Steve.

You uttered a quick thanks, trying to change the subject. "Do you always get up this early?"

He chuckled again. "Yeah, typically I don't need much sleep. I usually run in the mornings, try to clear my head."

The two of you fell into easy conversation, moving around each other effortlessly to make eggs, sausage, toast, and smoothies for breakfast.

When you finished eating, you collected the scrapbooks Bucky might want to see. You added his mom's wedding ring, the one your mom wore as well, to the box.

"What's that?" Steve pointed to the box, unsure if his assumption was correct.

You pulled out two scrapbooks, pointing to the near identical pictures of Bucky's mom and your mom after having been proposed to.

"My mom always told me her engagement ring was a family heirloom. I think it was his mom's ring too. I thought he might like to have it. As something to remember her by, ya know?"

You got teary eyed again. Thinking about how much he must miss his family combined with how much you miss your own parents was too much to handle.

You finished gathering everything, putting it all in a box to make for easier transportation. You took the cobblers out of the oven, packing them as well.

With a deep breath, you followed Steve back out to your car, ready to talk to Bucky.

"Where the hell is Steve?" Bucky nearly stormed into the kitchen.

"Whoa, calm down tinman. What's up?" Sam replied casually, pouring cereal into a bowl.

"Where is Steve? I was supposed to run with him this morning, but he wasn't in his room when I went to find him. I don't even like running this early. I literally only do it because it's what he prefers."

Sam laughed, enjoying anything that annoys Bucky. "Dude, chill. He probably just forgot you were going with him."

Tony walked into the kitchen as well, trying to tune out the whines coming from Bucky, but failing.

"That's what I though, but he's always back by now." Bucky huffed, annoyed with Sam for laughing.

"Who?" Tony asked, now slightly intrigued.

"Steve. I haven't seen him since yesterday." Bucky replied as he angrily ate an apple.

"Really?" Tony sounded mildly concerned, immediately alerting Sam and confusing Bucky.

"You don't think?" Sam asked, ignoring Bucky for the time being.

"I don't know!" Tony looked bewildered. "Friday, where is Capsicle?"

"Captain Rogers left yesterday evening with Y/N L/N." The AI easily replied.

"Who?" Bucky questioned the room, never having learned your name.

"You know the woman who's been sitting outside every Saturday?" Bucky nodded to Sam, unsure why he was bringing it up. "Well, Steve went to ask her why she was here last night."

"Nat told me she was just some fan, wanted to see you all." Bucky furrowed his brow, thinking over the new information on Steve's wearabouts.

"Well, yeah that's what we thought. Look, she said she wanted to talk to you specifically." Sam explained, ignoring the pointed glare from Tony.

"What? Why didn't you tell me?" Bucky rose from his chair, annoyed at everyone now. "Now she's got Steve?"

"Relax, Steve can handle himself. She cleared her background check. We really don't have any reason to believe he's in danger." Tony's words were more to convince himself than anyone else. He's the one who said Cap should go check it out if he was so curious.

"Steve's too trusting. What if it was a trap?" Bucky questioned, glaring daggers at the other two men.

Before they could respond, Friday chimed in with more information.

"Captain Rogers just entered the elevator from the parking garage."

"See, he's fine." Tony glared back at Bucky, secretly relieved that Steve was fine.

Bucky just rolled his eyes before leaving, heading for the elevators to yell at Steve for ditching him this morning.

When the elevator doors opened, however, Steve was not alone.

"Hey, punk, why'd you ditch me- Oh. Who are you?" Bucky eyed you suspiciously, looking between you and Steve.

Before Bucky interrupted, Steve was trying to reassure you that everything would work out. He had a hand on your back, rubbing up and down to soothe your nerves.

His other arm was occupied by the box of scrapbooks, or else he probably would have hugged you again.

You were holding a large sheet pan, three pie dishes sitting on top.

Steve was blushing, a surefire sign Bucky had seen something he wasn't supposed to.

"Oh, um. Hi. My name is Y/N L/N." You froze, not thinking you would have to see him so soon. You could see the family resemblance between him, your great grandma, and your mom.

"The car girl." He nodded, trying to piece together the events of last night.

"Yep, that's me." You laughed nervously, unsure of what he already knew.

"Buck, do me a favor? Let us out of the elevator." Steve eyed him, mildly annoyed with the ambush.

Bucky moved to the side, allowing you and Steve to exit the elevator. You followed Steve down the hall to the kitchen, where you put the cobblers on the counter.

Sam and Tony were still there, eating various foods.

"Well, hello there." Tony greeted when he spotted you, intrigued by the development. He looked at Steve for an explanation.

"Y/N made plum cobbler." Steve said instead, moving his hand back to the small of your back.

Bucky's eyes lit up at the mention of plums, enough to momentarily distract him from Steve's actions.

"Oh, right!" You took a cobbler out of the dish, moving toward Bucky. "This one's for you, because I read that you liked plums." You handed him the dish, quickly moving back to the others. "I also made a peach and an apple for everyone else." You smiled at Tony and Sam, unknowingly leaning slightly into Steve.

"Why does he get a special cobbler?" Sam whined, eagerly reaching for the other dishes.

Suddenly, all eyes were on you. Well, except Sam's who were on the peach cobbler.

"Oh, um, well, I was hoping I could talk to you." You looked at Bucky nervously, unsure of how he would respond.

"Anyone who bakes me a plum cobbler can talk to me, Doll." Natasha chose that exact moment to enter the room.

"Who made plum cobbler?" She looked around the room, eyes narrowing in your direction. "How did you get in here?"

"I brought her." Steve smiled at you before walking over to Natasha. He whispered in her ear, just loud enough for her to hear, but nobody else. "She's not a threat to your relationship, trust me."

Nat nodded her head, trusting Steve, although not for the reasons he thought. She could clearly see the blonde's affinity for you.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Bucky asked between bites of cobbler.

"It's really a private conversation." Steve answered for you, seeing how unsure of yourself you were.

"Then why do you know, punk?" Bucky countered.

"Well, I had to tell someone so I could finally talk to you. Steve's the one who asked." You smiled at Steve again, trying to convey how grateful you were with just a look.

Steve smiled back at you, while everyone in else just shared a knowing look.

Eventually, Steve cleared his throat. "Buck, can you just come with us?"

Bucky nodded, moving to follow Steve while still eating the cobbler. You followed the two of them as well, growing more nervous with each step.

Steve lead you to his room, placing the box of scrapbooks on the bed.

"Do you want me to stay?" Steve looked to you for an answer.

You took a deep breath, in all honestly you would love for him to stay, but you think you should probably just talk to Bucky first.

"No, that's okay. Come back in like, 30 minutes?" You scrunched up your face, unsure if 30 minutes was long enough, but knowing you would need the deadline if you were ever going to explain it all to Bucky.

Steve nodded, squeezing your shoulder as he passed you to leave the room.

"Um," you turned to Bucky, trying to think of where to start. "I don't know what you already know about me, but-"

"Nothing really. Except that you make a delicious plum cobbler." He smiled, helping to ease your nerves. Food really was the way to this man's heart.

"Oh, I guess I'll start where I started when I told Steve." You smiled at the mention of his name, unaware of your own actions. But Bucky noticed.

"My parents died a few months ago." Bucky's eyes went wide, trying to think of what this could have to do with him. "Um, it was a car accident. They both died on the scene." You took a deep breath, trying to push through the sad parts.

"I had to clean out their house, and I found some scrapbooks that lead me to you." You shifted closer to the bed, looking through the scrapbooks you brought.

You pulled out the one with the first picture you showed Steve, opening it and gesturing for Bucky to take it.

He set the cobbler on Steve's nightstand, cautiously reaching for the book. He looked at the picture for a long time before saying anything. And when he did talk, it was a whispered "Becca..."

He ran his fingers over the picture slowly, just staring. A few minutes later, he eagerly flipped the page. He spent a good 10 minutes just looking through all the books you handed him.

"Where did you get these?" He questioned, although not accusingly.

"I found them in my parents house. They were with a bunch of my grandma's stuff that she had from her mom." You wanted to ease him into it.

"So your great grandma..." He trailed off, disbelief clear across his face.

"Was Rebecca Barnes." You finished the sentence for him, nerves clear in your voice.

You weren't sure what to say next, so you waited for him to make the next move.

"So you're my... great-grand niece?" You nodded at his question, still unsure if he was happy with the news. "God, that makes me feel old."

You nearly cackled, surprised by the joke. He smiled when you laughed, glad to have cleared some of the tension.

"Why did you want to find me?" He questioned, the mood turning more serious again.

"Well, I was really close to my parents. They were the only family I had. When I found out you are family too, I just... I knew I needed to at least tell you." You shrugged at the end, unsure if you really answered his question.

"You wanted to tell me so badly that you sat outside the compound every Saturday for five weeks even after being ignored?" He was in shock that anyone would spend that much time and effort just to talk to him. You started panicking immediately.

"I'm so sorry if you didn't want to know! It was selfish of me to force this on you. I can go, if you want. You don't have to talk to me." You started questioning everything. You moved to put the books back in the box when he stopped you.

"Oh, um. I'm sorry, you can keep those. If you want!" Tears were threatening to fall down your cheeks when you remembered the ring. You froze with your hand in the box, not knowing if you'd want to part with it knowing you'd never see Bucky again.

"Y/N..." Something in the way he said your name made you look at him. "I- I'm glad you told me. Really glad. I, uh, I never thought I would have family, well besides Steve. You know what I mean." He ran a hand through his hair, and you noticed the tears in his eyes.

"I don't want you to go. It's just hard for me..." he paused, trying to figure out his emotions. "It's hard to believe that someone would care about me that much."

"Bucky, I don't know you." He frowned at your statement. "But, I would love to get to know you." You smiled at him, trying to be reassuring.

"I'm not so sure you would." His face was hard, staring at the ground.

"Bucky, you aren't a bad person. I mean, sure you've done bad things, but it wasn't your choice. You were forced to do those things. You can't let yourself be defined by them. You're here aren't you?"

"Here?" He questioned.

"Working with the Avengers, I mean. You go on missions to help save people. That's your choice. That's who you are. I would be honored to get to know that person."

You smiled, waiting for him to say something.

"Are you sure?" He still looked unsure.

"God, maybe I get my stubbornness from you." You both laughed at that. "I am 100% sure."

"Wow." He shook his head, still in shock.

A knock sounded on the door before Steve came back in. "Is now a good time?" He asked, still standing in the doorway.

You nodded appreciatively. "Thank you." You pulled him into a hug, needing the emotional support.

"Of course. I'm happy I could help." He rubbed your back, reciprocating the hug. "Did you give him the ring yet?" He asked when you took a step back.

You shook your head, reaching into the box for the last item. "I, um, I thought you might want this." You handed him the box, nerves peaking through again.

He opened it, a soft smile on his face when he recognized it. "My mom's engagement ring."

You smiled, happy that he recognized it. "It was my mom's as well."

The two of you stared a the ring for awhile, reminiscing on time spent with your parents.

Eventually, Bucky picked the cobbler back up, not wanting to let it go to waste.

Steve couldn't help but roll his eyes at his friend. "Wow, jerk. You're just gonna go back to eating."

"Yes, punk. My great-grand niece made me a plum cobbler, and I tend to fully enjoy it."

"Great-grand niece. Ha, that makes you sound so old."

It was fun for you to see the two interacting like this, especially after the emotional hurdles you just ran.

"It's fine, Stevie. Let him enjoy the cobbler." Your face went red, not having meant to use the nickname.

"Yeah Stevie, let me enjoy the cobbler." Bucky couldn't help but poke fun, knowing there was an unspoken attraction between the two of you.

Somehow your face got even redder. Steve just rolled his eyes.

"Fine, eat your cobbler. Only because I had some of the apple one and it was delicious. It would be a shame to waste any."

You smiled at the compliment, embarrassment subsiding a bit. Steve sat down on the bed between you and Bucky, eager to ask his friend about some of the pictures. Steve put his arm around you, squeezing your shoulder as he spoke to Bucky.

You felt your eyes growing heavy, exhausted since your nerves kept you up most of the night. You rested your head on Steve's shoulder, soaking in his warmth as you cuddled closer.

Steve just rubbed your arm like it was the most natural thing in the world. Bucky narrowed his eyes at the interaction, realization dawning on his face.

"Oh my god. My best friend likes my great-grand niece. And she likes him." He said it so matter of fact, the two of you didn't bother denying it. You just smiled, and cuddled closer together.

#steve rogers x reader #steve rogers x y/n #steve rogers x you #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes x you #bucky barnes x y/n #bucky x natasha #bucky barnes x natasha romanoff #tony stark #sam wilson #steve rogers #bucky barnes #marvel fic #clint barton #Bucky Barnes x platonic!reader

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ryozoro · 3 years

Text

Hades Playlist - iv.

NOW PLAYING: Memories - David Guetta [ft. Kid Cudi]

an; yo, sorry if the transitions are a little sloppy; I’ll go back in and fix them when I have the chance :,)

last song 🔊 EP 🔊 playlist 🔊 next song

“We try to hide our feelings, but we forget that our eyes can speak.”

“Oh, fuck - sorry,” yn moved out from behind the counter, “forgive me, I’ve been daydreaming a bit. What kinda model do you got?” Yn said as she walked the nice lady to the side of the store where parts are displayed on the wall in lamented posters. “You’re very pretty, sorry if I keep staring.”

“HA,” the lady snorted as she played with her wedding ring, “you sound like my husband; you are like - the first girl I’ve met who has thought I was pretty. Thank you, it truly means a lot.” The lady smiled as she began pulling out her wallet and a few written down notes, “it’s uh - fuck hitto, you write like a kid, it’s a 2016 Ducati?”

“2016 Ducati Full Throttle,” yn said back with a small smile as the woman laughed again, “I’m assuming it’s your husband’s old bike?”

“Yeah,” she played with her ring as her smile softened, “he wants it in good condition before he gives it to one of our neighbors. It’s tradition for his - occupation..”

“He in a gang?” Yn asked as she began shuffling through shelves, “Don’t sweat it, I’m not gonna freak out over trivial matters.” The young ryuguji chuckled as she finally found the part she’s been looking for. “Here,” she place the part on the top, “its the G2 Throttle Tamer Ducati you needed. I’m assuming he’s still in a gang by the looks of how you covered for him, but don’t worry - it’d be hypocritical if I got scared you were involved with a delinquent.”

“Oh,” the lady sighed out, “thank gods. You can call me Kaku-san if it’s alright with you? Could you install the part by yourself? Sorry, my man is just always busy with work and was hoping to have someone install it for us..”

“I can’t personally install it, but my brother can! He gets back from his lunch break in about twenty minutes, so I know its a long wait -"

vrrr...vrrr...vrrr

"I'm so sorry, I'll just turn that off-," yn went to hit 'decline call.'

“I can wait, no sweat!” She smiled as she began digging through her mini backpack, “I need to check and see if my loser has ate lunch yet. I'll be outside for a bit." With that, 'Kaku-san' had walked out as she dialed her husband.

"Fucking hell," yn breathed out before hitting accept, "Inui-senpai, hey - what did you need?" Her breath hitched in her throat as she heard his low laugh.

"Just checking to see if my favorite girl has ate yet - so, have you?" Yn could just hear the smile that creeped upon his face, but for some reason - she didn't feel as in awe as she once did.

"Ah," yn scanned the shop and began totaling the price for the repair and writing further notes for her older brother, "no, I haven't ate yet, but I was planning on just heating up some of the leftovers that Souya-kun gave me."

"You know, if you keep being as cute and clingy as you are around him," yn could hear him moving around paper bags of what she assumed was to-go food, "shit, sorry. As I was saying, if you keep being so cuddle buddy with him, he's goin to fall for ya."

"Or," yn rolled her eyes as she began to document minor details on the log for each hour, "maybe, you're just reading in too deep on the fact that Souya is just an overall easily flustered person. Being a decent human does not make my kind actions count as flirting; if it does, well, you men around me are just dumb."

"Oh, don't be like that, princess," inui said in a rather sarcastic tone, "you know I'm just teasing you. Leaving that matter, I got you lunch - your favorite lunch, might I add."

"Thank you senpai, but -,"

"Inui-kun~ why aren't you getting off the phone yet? You promised that you would pay attention to only me today!" Yn heard a whiny voice - a woman’s whiny voice - through the phone, “I thought you said after we get lunch we’re just gonna lay in bed all day.” Inui mumbled something to her that seemed to have shut her up, clearing his throat, “sorry about that, are you still -,”

“I’m pretty busy and I plan on going out with a friend for my lunch break,” she cut him off, “have fun on your day off.”

yn knew she shouldn’t be angry; inui was never hers to begin with, but she was hoping that he’d at least spare her feelings. maybe this was good. maybe knowing that he has someone, even if it’s just a fuck buddy, will help her clear her mind and finally let go.

tani senpai <3: ft during your lunch break?

tani senpai <3: wait do you play cod? if you did that’s be kinda hot

tani senpai <3: I meant dope but hot works too

tani senpai <3: OH, wait rain check on the call, why don’t we just meet in person? ;) after all, I still have your necklace.

tani senpai <3: I cleaned it up because I was wearing it so I wouldn’t lose it.

tani senpai <3: lmfao I really made it a blood diamond at one point

kaku-san paid her total for the part and repair and ensured yn that she’d be back around five. sighing once the older woman left, yn went to check her phone that had been buzzing incessantly since she hung up on her brother’s best friend.

you: I’m gonna punch you in dick next time I see you :,) I was helping someone and I had to act like my phone was not going HAAM in my pocket

tani senpai <3: uh uh uh , leave ran jr. alone. he did nothing wrong :p plus, you’d have to kiss it better if you hurt him

you: I — WHEN ARE WE MEETING AND WHERE ?

tani senpai <3: [location] a small nightclub @ 16:00 tonight :) I would offer to buy your dinner, but you threatened my best man.

you: I hate you :,) but um,,, I don’t exactly know — what to wear to a nightclub..? Can I just go in a hoodie and some sweats and talk to the bouncer like “hey, I know the haitani bros — lemme in.”

tani senpai <3: LMAOOO,, nah I would to see you size the man up. as for clothes — you don’t have anything like ,, that radiates “hot girl” shit ?

you: no, if I’m not in my uniform — I’m either wearing my brother’s clothes with some cargo pants or sweats. sometimes I wear my own clothes, but that’s usually just merch.

tani senpai <3: as much as I want to see you in school uniform or in full need mode, I don’t think the bouncer would just let you in. OH, wait — fuck them. I forgot that I’m literally a god to them lmao,, wear what you want , I’ll wait outside for you and we can walk in together :)

you: wait really :,) I’m gonna try and make use of what I have tho ! I’ll lyk when I get there :)

tani senpai <3: wow so you’re not gonna ft me :|

you: you licherally said “rain check”

tani senpai <3: but I just finished my tasks for today, call me or I’m calling you

you: sorry , my brother just got back, I’ll talk to ya later :p

tani senpai <3: fine :| I’ll just bother Rin then.

the young ryuguji chuckled before locking and pocketing her phone once she noticed her brother’s presence. sure, she was still hurt at the fact that inui is currently hooking up - maybe even dating - another girl, but at least she could look to the eldest of the Haitanis and feel herself forgetting all about her first love.

“What ya lookin at brat,” Ken laughed out as he went to pat her head, “hey, who has you smiling like that?” He has always been protective; it was just his nature as a big brother. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad you’re happy, but if it’s about a boy I would LOVE to know who.”

“It’s just a stupid thing that emma-senpai sent me,” yn attempted to play it off, “anyways — how was lunch?”

“It was good,” draken said as he went to put his jumper back on, “but it coulda been better if inui didn’t bring his ‘friend girl’ around. She kept hittin on Mikey and asking about my necklace and I almost called you up to come deck her.” He quickly grabbed his chain and kissed the ‘Emma’ that hung in the middle just before tucking it back under his white tshirt; it was his routine.

“I woulda showed her that ‘Draken Uppercut’ if I was there big bro,” yn made a small show of what she did in hopes of making her brother smile.

“You’re an idiot,” his smirk plastered on his face in a proud manner, “but I don’t need you wasting your energy on her. It just — like who the hell do you think you are touching a random stranger, especially around their neck. Like who?” She could tell that he was upset that he couldn’t have done anything; Draken was just brought up to be extremely respectful. “The worst part,” he threw a wrench at his ‘anger wall,’ “she kept asking shit like: “who names their kid emma,” “was she at least pretty,” and the one where I almost put my hands on her, “is she dead or something? what you just can’t let go?” Yn, I was so close to knocking her daylights out. She honestly got lucky takemitchy had tackled Mikey, or she woulda got her shit rocked.”

“I,” yn was at a lost for words; she had never heard someone disrespect any of her family this openly, “what the fuck did inui say? Did he just sit there through all this shit?” she moved from behind the counter and rolled out one of the bikes he was scheduled to work on, “please don’t tell me he did.”

“No,” draken rolled his eyes as he recalled the previous events, “just prop it up by station one, gotta get the new 340 mm rear air shock absorber suspensions, oh, could you jot that down, please? But nah, this fucker,” draken lifted the bike up so the back was in the air and put it on a lift, “just found every way to piss me off. Like I love him, but he fucked up today. He told us ‘sorry, she’s just cranky so don’t take her words to heart.’ If she called me ugly or some dumb shit I’d be okay, but he really told me not to take to heart the fact that she spoke on Emma’s name like that.” He tugged on his dark locks as he undid it, “could ya put it back up for me, it’s not tight enough.”

“I gotcha big man,” yn gently massaged his scalp as she went to put his hair in a tight but loose bun, “you know, she’s probably really proud of you right now. Bet she’s smilin up there too.” she could feel his tenseness fade as she comforted him; she’d do this one hundred times a day if it meant that he’d finally stop blaming himself for all those years ago. “There,” she smoothed over the top of his head once more, “all done.”

“Thank ya,” he hums as he begins to work on the bike, “oh, do you want to come with later? me and the boys are gonna head to mitsuyas before we go out so you can hang out with the other brats.”

“Actually, I um,” yn felt the sweat gather in her palms as she walked back to her station, “I was wondering if I could go out tonight - with a friend..”

“What friend,” yn flinched as her brother snapped his gaze towards her, “do I know said friend?”

“N-no,” she cleared her throat and began writing on sticky notes and receipts, “he — they were nice to meet when I first got back in town and offered to hang out - so, I felt that it’d be rude to -,”

“Nah, you’re not going,” draken turned his attention back to the bike, “you’re either going to stay home or hang out at mitsu’s house. No in between.”

“That’s fair,” yn sighed, “can I just have a reason as to why I can’t go?”

“Because I don’t know em and the streets have been rainin havoc since Mikey got out,” he sighed as he put his tools down. He stood up to full height and gently patted the leather seat of the propped up bike, “I just don’t want you to get hurt, bub. Yer my number one right now and I don’t know if I’ll be able to go on if you even get the slightest bit of hurt.”

“I understand big draco,” she laughed softly, “Can I just stay in then? I promise I won’t leave; I just feel like being in my own bed tonight.”

“Anything for you, yer majesty.” Ken smiled as he concluded that he had the best sister in the world.

—

“Alright, yn, we’re about to head out,” her big brother knocked on her door, “can ya at come say bye?”

“Fuck,” yn got up and quickly put an oversized sweater and some basketball shorts that reached just below her knees, “gimme a minute! Sorry, I was taking a nap.”

“We’ll be out in the living room, dumbass.”

If anything, yn was just glad none of them walked into her room to see her basically bare figure - shout out to her Ken-nii for knowing his sister. Once fully covered, yn made her wait out the room and noticed everyone sitting on the couch in the living room, even inui.

“Yn,” souya barked out, “you’ve ate right? If you haven’t ‘m gonna fight you!” He stood up and approached yn as all the other boys smirked and whistled in the back. “You guys shut the hell up.!”

“Neh neh,” nahoya laughed, “you need to stop bein so flirty over there, angry.” Smiley always teased angry, but that was just brotherly nature; however, if anyone else were to continuously pick on angry — it wouldn’t be a shock if Smiley was on top of them and imprinting the curve of his elbow into their forehead. “He just missed you, little Ryu. Make sure to let us know if anything happens-,”

“We’re going to get Ken-chin laid,” Mikey said with a mischievous smirk as he began pushing his taller friend out the front door. “Choi~.” The other boys followed either patting her head before they left or hip bumping her; hakkai decided to be the odd man out and hug yn to his chest and dramatically walk out the door as if they won’t see each other for fourth years.

“BYE,” she poked her head out then quickly shut the door and disregarded her hoodie, “now that they’re gone..”

VRRR..VRRR….VRR

“OH MY GOD, WHAT,” picking her phone up off the coffee table she fell back onto the couch, “what do they want-,”

Incoming FaceTime: tani senpai <3

“Shit.!” Yn quickly sat up and answered with an apologetic face, “heeeey, what’s up?”

“You look cozy,” he eyed the tops of her shoulders with only her bra straps decorating them, “cozy enough to make a man stand outside for, hmm - what does my watch read - thirty minutes.”

Yn looked thoroughly confused as she cocked her head to the side and fell back, “what does you standing outside of some random building have to do with me?”

“Did you really —,” she watched the man shift and bring her golden chain into view, “you were supposed to meet me tonight in order to get your precious necklace back. You stood me up and now I look like a fucking idiot who got stood up.” He deadpanned into the camera and had a small pout, “you had all the guys laughin at me, darlin. You really disappointed me.” Yn felt her heart slowly tear; she hated disappointing anyone. “If you were going to show up you could have at least said so.” Just as she was about to speak, Ran hung up and left her to wade in her thoughts.

—

You: Ran-senpai, I promise it was on accident ! I meant to tell you earlier, but it just slipped my mind (read 8:44 p.m.)

You: pls forgive me :,) I fell asleep as soon as we got off work and came home; draken-nii told me to rest up since I can’t go out so I figured I might as well (read 8:45 p.m.)

You: yk if you’re going to read my text, the least ya could do would be to respond. I said I’m sorry. (read 8:47 p.m.)

You: yer a fucking brat , man child who throws a fit and refuses to actually try and listen to others when they try to talk it out with you. (read 8:48 p.m.)

You: self made bitch. (read 8:50 p.m.)

You: yk what, fuck you. I tried to be nice to you and I actually enjoyed talking to you for what-? A week ? You’re mad because I can’t just do what I want? Sorry I’m a great sister who doesn’t want to make her brother worry. Sorry I don’t just abide and do as you please because I’m not a fucking sheep. Keep the necklace for all I care; I’ll just get a new one. Stupid cunt. (read 8:52 p.m.)

You: Fuck face. You probably just wanted to get in my pants and dip; fuck you. Leave me alone, if I see you on the street; I don’t give a fuck if I get shot or jumped, I’m gonna punch you in the throat, pussy ass bitch. (read 8:54 p.m.)

tani senpai <3: give me your address so I can drop this necklace off and get out of your life since you so desperately want me to.

You: no way in hell, just keep it.

tani senpai <3: if you don’t want it then I’ll just drop it off with your brother tomorrow.

You: you fucking —

You: ugh, fine, just drop the shit off and leave . [location] (read 8:59 p.m.)

—

With a knock at the Ryuguji’s front door, yn shrugged the jacket back on and checked through the peep hole. After noticing it was the infamous older brother of the Haitani duo, she quickly yanked him inside and made sure to lock the door quickly.

“You know drop offs don’t usually require the said delivery man to be in the house, correct?” He asked with a bored expression as his eyes scanned the small space. “‘S cute for someone with you and your brother’s income.”

“I only pulled you in because my neighbors like to talk about what goes on throughout everyone’s house,” she rolled her eyes and pulled in the strings of her sweater, “hurry up and give me the fucking necklace so you can leave.”

“I did all the work of coming here,” he brushed past her as he took off his shoes and made his way to sit on the couch, “the least you could do is offer me a drink or some food.” Ran laid back into the cushions and spread his long legs as he slowly turned his gaze to the TV, some random anime blasting in the background. “Well, if you don’t mind, a water will do.”

“Cute for someone with you and your brother’s income,” she mocked as mumbled under her breath and grabbed him a water bottle from the fridge, “here, your majesty.” she tossed it into his lap and stood in between his legs to block the tv and make him focus all of his attention onto her.

“To what do I owe you?”

“My necklace, home invader.”

“Take it off of me then,” he raised an eyebrow, “you didn’t expect me to do that as well did you?”

“Fine,” her shorts hiking up as she moved to straddle his hips, she took note that he had been eyeing her thighs since he arrived, “I’ll take off the stupid thing.” She buried her chin into the crook of his neck, “just sit still so I can -,”

“You know,” he flattened his palms against the bare tops her knees and barely sliding his finger tips up the rim of the pants, “you hiding more just makes me want to see you in less.”

“Heh,” she chuckled as she slowly wrapped her arms around the middle of his torso, “yer a fucking perv as well as a bastard.”

“You know your necklace isn’t dangling along my spine, right?” He chuckled as he gently kneaded her flesh, “am I making you uncomfortable?”

“Nah, feels nice,” she chuckles when she feels him gently dig his finger tips into her skin, “‘m makin you uncomfortable?”

“nah,” he jokingly mocked her as he took his hands and slid them farther up to the tops of he thigh, “boxers?” He pulled back slightly so he could rest his forehead on hers.

“mm, never really wanted to bother ken-nii when he did the laundry, so I just get boxers,” she laughed, “what? Did you honestly think I’d be chilling at home in a thong or something? Women gotta breathe too.” she felt her heartbeat pick up as his finger tips danced along the material; yn wondered if he could tell that she’s never had a boyfriend as she lacked - in takemichi’s words - ‘ettick.’

“You are respectful yet have anger issues, a smart mouth, and embody the term ‘I don’t give a fuck,” he swiftly took both hands from under the clothing and lightly placed them on either side of her face, “you are so fucking gorgeous, didya know that?” His rings were cold on her heated skin, making her smile softly.

“..you know,” yn laid a chaste kiss on the bonten’s left wrist, “… ‘msorry..”

“Couldn’t hear ya,” he chuckled deeply as he maneuvered his right hand at the back of her neck and squeezed lightly, “repeat it more clear this time. You wanna be a good girl, right? Be the best girl you can and repeat it.~”

“Motherfu-, AHEM,” she scrunched her face up in hopes of hiding how happy it made her to have a second chance at being a ‘good girl,’ “‘m sorry you don’t know how to communicate.”

“Ah ah ah,” he squeezed his right hand a little tighter, causing her to ground her hips down and lean forward into his chest, “that’s not what I want to hear.” she heard him groan, but she was too busy fighting the battle in her head as to why she felt more secure when he gripped her tighter.

“I said,” she nuzzled her nose between his lean pecs, “‘m sorry.” Yn got up and placed one of her hands at the base of the bonten tattoo and squeezed gently along his Adam’s apple, “I’m not saying it again, so you better have heard me the first time.”

“You’re so angry; a wolf under sheep’s clothes you are,” ran hummed as he leaned back in, noses brushing, “yer forgiven little lamb. I don’t know - you barking up the wrong tree knowing that I could hurt you just turns me —,”

BZZT, BING.

Both bodies had turned their heads towards the door in confusion.

“Are you expecting guests?”

“No,” yn quickly got off of Ran’s lap and grabbed the crowbar that rested by the umbrellas, “fuck, if it’s those fucking assholes that want to fight ken-nii, ‘m gonna kill em.” She went to look through the peep hole, only to be pulled back to the older man’s chest.

“Let me get it,” ran signaled for her to hide behind the kitchen wall as he pulled out his signature baton that hung on his belt loop, “be quiet, little one.” Ran opened the door to a young man, about a year or two older than yn, dressed in a pizza delivery uniform with 3 large boxes in his hand. If he wasn’t just some kid, the Haitani would’ve beat him just for openly sporting a scowl towards him.

“Oh, hi sir, are you,” the young man looked back at the receipt then back at the Bonten executive, “Kawata Souya? I have one pepperoni, Hawaiian, and plain cheese.” Ran’s head shot to the side at the sound of you rushing towards the door.

“A-ah ! That would be me I guess,” yn guided Ran’s hand behind her to hide the weapon as she widely opened the front door, “sorry my brother’s friend probably ordered it since they went out -,”

“Yn?”

“Huh,” she looked up at the man, “oh shit, hongo?! I thought you were in Osaka right now for Uni; you still play there, right?”

“Yeah,” the worker replied, “oh shit, this like.. a date or something?” He threw his glare at Ran and softened his features once his gaze returned back to the young ryuguji. “Nah, nevermind, that’d be dumb considering you swore off dating,” the bonten men felt as if his heart had been pricked with a small needle, “especially since you used to swear to draken we were gonna get married and stay together forever and ever.” Yn was visibly embarrassed as Ran watched her take the pizza from Hongo’s hands and start trying to kick him off the porch. “Wait, before I go,” he said as he jotted down his number on the receipt, “let me know when you’re free. Maybe ya could come see me play one of these days? Summer games start back up next week so I’ll be headin-,”

Ran pulled on yn’s wrist before slamming the door, interrupting Hongo’s spill. He made show of how hard he locked the door so anyone outside could hear that the house was closed and not expecting anymore visits.

“Ooo,” yn placed the pizzas down onto the small kitchen table and looped her arms around Ran’a slim waist, “are you upset yer not getting all the attention?” She giggled as she kissed the symbol that marked the center of his neck.

“Why would I be upset over some 4 incher maxed college boy,” he smirked as he brought his hand to the side of her face and let his thumb brush along her bottom lip, “plus, if anything he should be the one whose upset. You can’t hate me or push me away if you wanted to; your desire for me to show you the depths of the world is visible just by looking in your eyes.” Yn felt her breath quickening and her head going numb as his words made way into her; making her feel far more intoxicated than any alcohol or drug could have ever done. “You can try to deny it, but what sane person would invite one of the most violent people with the most blood on his hands into her home?”

“I’m the farthest thing from sane,” yn breathed out as she placed a chaste kiss onto his lips before burying her face under his chin, “because I find myself wanting to do this more. I’m so glad I don’t look where I’m going when I’m on my bike.” Ran laughed as he connected their lips, but this time he deepened the kiss; her knees gave out and his tongue slipped in making her lungs just as weak.

“Princess, youre fucking gorgeous,” he broke away before holding her in his strong arms, “but I don’t want to just ‘get in your pants.’ I want-,”

“Good, because im not easy,” she cut him off as she tried to catch her breath.

Ran laughed as he dragged her back to the couch, leaving her to fetch each of them two big slices of cheese pizza. He sat beside her, kissing her temple, and devouring the free meal, “yknow, this taste ten times better than any food at the shitty night club.”

“Don’t talk with your mouth full,” she said as she harshly swallowed the dough, “ish bad mannirs..”

“You,” he leaned in and kissed the sauces covered corners of her mouth, “also taste better than any food at the club.”

“Well you’ll have to wait until you can taste all of me,” catching ran off guard - she flirted back, “after all, the fruit taste better when ripened.”

—

“Princess,” Ran attempted to shake her tired figure off him, “believe me, I want to stay. I really do, but I don’t want to cause a stir or heated argument between you and your brother.”

“We we’re just playing Mario kart and you said,” yn stared up at him with an unimpressed glare, “I’d fuck you on the counter of the pizza place just to embarrass that pizza boy,’ and now you’re scared to be caught by my brother?”

“Not scared,” he bit the tip of her nose gently before freeing himself of her limbs, “just cautious. Want my little girl not to have any complications; plus, I’d have to kill your brother if he made you cry.”

“Wait,” she pulled his sleeve, gaining his attention, “text me when you get back home.” He leaned down and kissed her forehead before making his way out her front door, “okay, little lamb.”

—

Within the span of 4 hours, draken arrived back home and yn managed to make the house rid of any clues of guest over; she even masked the smell of Ran’s cologne by bringing the box of pizza to the living room to spread the smell of grease and regrets. She rested easy on the couch, allowing some random movie to lull her into the comfortable cushions.

draken sobered up a bit after he came back and went to get a late night snack from the kitchen. spotting his sister on the couch, he chuckled softly as he gently rubbed her forehead, “thanks for bein a little angel, ya gremlin.”

it’s as if the gods above could sense draken’s obliviousness and caused yns to vibrate several times. Much to her brother’s curiosity, he checked the notifications and felt his blood boil.

—

tani senpai <3: hey, made it back home. hope you rest easy, princess. thnx. rin also says “thanks for allowing him to annoy you so I could catch a break

inui. : yn can we talk? I promise it’s not what you thought; idk what to say. Just remember, you’ll always be my favorite girl ..<3 lmk when you’re ready.

inui. : idk jus tseeing yuor brothr without you attached at the hip just made my stomak hurt, I wanna see you more.. maybe it’s because I’m drunk and finally thinking sobre, but yer awlays my fav

inui. : look, unsot having talked for like — a weakk? Has Ben eating me up, I really miss you. I’ll see you at the shop ? dream well, pretty girl.

takemitchy: BESTIE,, DONT FORGET YOU OWE ME A REMATCH BECAUSE YOU HAD YOUR BROTHER PUT ME IN A CHOKEHOLD SO YOU COULD CROSS THE FINISH LINE

takemitchy: wait, can you send me your brownie recipe ??? Hina loved them :,)

—

he didn’t know whether to be upset at the fact that there was some random “tani senpai” texting his sister and he didn’t know jack shit about them, or the fact one of his best friends was talking and drunk texting his sister. Nothing a beer and pizza can’t help.

After grabbing a full pizza box plus some beer and bringing it to his room, ken stared at his tv processing everything he just seen. Maybe this is just a dream? Maybe he’s so dizzy from the dancing and whiskey that he can’t seem to think straight? There’s just no way that his little sister would actually go for his friend; let alone, his friend returning the affection, right ? There’s absolutely no way that his sister would be letting random boys in the house. Nah, maybe he’s just scared of letting her go to university and growing up on him. This is all just a shitty nightmare.

“Whatever,” draken burped out as he took the cheap beer bottle to his lips, inhaling the last of the liquid, “heh, maybe it’s kisaki’s ghost hauntin my head with dumb thoughts.” He felt himself drifting to sleep, but stirred once he realized he almost forgot his nightly routine. Untucking the chain from his neck and pulling it towards his chapped lips, “g’night emma.”

Taglist: @richiyo @haitanigigi @chifuyusprincess @legravalice @l-ilysm @katariinasworld

#tokyorev haitani ran #tokyo revengers haitani ran x reader #haitani ran x f!reader #tokyo revengers haitani ran #tokyo revengers haitani #ran haitani #haitani ran #hades playlist #haitani ran x reader #haitani brothers

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nightingaelic · 3 years

Note

Fnv Companions react to Fem Courier being trans girl (sorry feel abit of self projection today hahah)

Don't feel sorry for wanting to see yourself reflected in the world around you, we all want to know that we belong.

The Forecaster frowned, and his eyes moved rapidly from left to right as if scanning some hidden radar. "Your face does the thinking... two to the skull, yet one gets up," he said.

The courier who stood before the boy nodded and touched her fingers to her temple, almost reflexively. "That's me."

"Odds are against you," the Forecaster went on, squinting. "But they're just numbers after the two-to-one. You've changed suits once, clubs to diamonds, and now you're playing the hand you've been dealt."

At this, the courier stiffened suddenly. "Um..."

The Forecaster went on, unaware of his customer's discomfort. "But you don't let it rest, you shuffle and stack, and a gamble... a gamble that may pay off? But how? Forecast: Rapidly changing conditions."

"Um... thanks." The courier counted out the caps and handed them over to the boy, then beat a hasty retreat from beneath the overpass.

Once back atop Highway 95, she took her traveling companion aside. "Before you think I worked for some Mojave faction and deserted, that thing he said about changing suits... I didn't think he'd... what he meant was... I wasn't always..."

She sighed and ran a hand over her head. "Hell, it's about time I told you anyway. I'm trans."

Arcade Gannon: Arcade stopped her before she could stumble into an over-explanation. "It's, uh, it's okay. I... may have already known."

"You..." The courier's eyes widened. "You did? But who told you?"

"I, um..." Arcade straightened his glasses and looked up at the sky, avoiding eye contact. "Oh boy. Doctor Usanagi..."

Immediately, the courier's eyes narrowed. "... doesn't betray doctor-patient confidentiality, but I was in one of her medical clinics that day you came in for the NEMEAN sub-dermal armor," Arcade finished hastily. "She, uh, asked me and a couple of the others to help her close you up."

"Oh." The courier relaxed her stance a bit. "Oh yeah, I remember. I mean, I don't remember you, but I do remember signing the form that said I was okay with med student assistance. Why didn't you say anything, when I first asked you to tag along?"

Arcade shrugged. "I don't betray doctor-patient confidentiality either. Usanagi hammers that into you pretty hard on day one. Besides, something like that doesn't matter much outside of a doctor's office."

Craig Boone: Boone shrugged. "Okay."

The courier's eyes darted around his countenance, looking for some kind of stronger reaction. "Nothing? Not even a 'congratulations' or a disapproving grimace? Who are you, Boone?"

"Unconcerned," he shot back testily. "Unless it affects your aim somehow, it's not a problem. If that's what you're asking."

The courier sighed. "No, it's... you're fine. I guess I'm still pretty defensive about it. Especially around NCR types."

Boone nodded. "There were a few officers that Manny and I operated under who weren't the open-minded sort. They didn't last long."

Lily Bowen: Lily looked positively stormy. "Did that young man just air your personal business for the whole trading post to hear without a care in the world?" she thundered, with all her grandmotherly might. "Let's go back, dearie, I need to give him a piece of my mind."

"Lily, no," the courier protested, grabbing the nightkin's arm before she could stomp off toward the overpass again. "He probably doesn't even know what he said, it's just part of his gift. And no one's going to put two and two together unless I tell them outright, like I did you."

"If you say so, pumpkin." Lily smiled and settled herself. "But I can always ask Leo for a little help if anyone has cross words for you about this."

The courier sighed and patted her companion's arm. "No need for that, Lily. That reminds me, you should take your medication today."

Lily wrapped her up in a hug. "You take such good care of Grandma, my sweet girl."

Raul Alfonso Tejada: "Mija." Raul smiled. "How long you been holding onto that for?"

The courier let out the breath she'd taken, and her shoulders sank back to a normal level. "Well not everyone takes news like that too well. I didn't know if you would... mind."

"Mind?" Raul shook his head. "Oye. I've lived a long time, out here in the desert. It's a lonely place, even if you're surrounded by a crowd on the Strip. You can lose yourself pretty easily, lose sight of what you want, what you are. I'd know better than most. If you held onto who you want to be, then that's a victory, in the Mojave."

"Um..." The courier's eyes were shiny with tears, but before Raul could comment or pull out a handkerchief, she'd enveloped him in an unexpected hug. "Thanks, viejo."

Rose of Sharon Cassidy: "Well, I'll be a gecko's uncle." Cass grinned. "You're serious? All this time on the road together, and you didn't think you could tell me that? I'm wounded, Six."

"Hey now, you were slow to trust me, too," the courier pointed out with a growing smirk. "I was gonna tell you after the Silver Rush situation, if we made it out alive, but then we did and you were riding so high at the Atomic Wrangler that I didn't want to dampen your memory of that day."

"Dampen my..." Cass chuckled and clapped the courier on the shoulder. "Better fix your metaphor there, Six. Rain in the desert is a good thing. And trust between friends would never dampen my day."

She held up a hand before the courier could protest. "I know, I know what you were worried about. Trust me, I'm not the type to froth at the mouth over propriety or 'family values.' Thought you'd've picked up on that, with my smart mouth and wanderin' eyes."

"Wandering..." The courier ducked out from under her arm and danced away, laughing. "Uh-uh. I helped you with your vendetta, now you help me with mine. Then we'll buy a drink at the Tops and talk, whiskey rose."

Veronica Santangelo: "You..." Veronica's eyes went as wide as the Mojave's full moon. "Oh. Oh."

Slowly, the Scribe sank into a sitting position on the cracked asphalt. "That explains a few things, I suppose."

The courier sat down next to her. "Like what?"

Veronica started ticking things off on her fingers. "Both that guy in Primm and the bartender in Goodsprings called you by a different name, but they were the same name and it sounded kind of like yours so I wrote it off as a coincidence. Benny didn't recognize you right away, even though he shot you in the head. And Arcade locked us all out of your room that time you took some shrapnel to the torso and were laid up in the Lucky 38 until you weren't covered in bandages."

"Oh yeah." The courier grinned. "Surprised you didn't piece it together sooner, then."

"I sometimes forget that's something people can do," Veronica admitted. "Remember when I said that some in the Brotherhood don't look too kindly on those who choose relationships that don't produce new children? Well, ditto and worse for those who want to transition. Most of the ones brave enough to do it anyway don't stay Brotherhood for long."

ED-E: The eyebot beeped in mock surprise, then whizzed around the courier three times playing triumphant music. She giggled and swatted the bot away playfully. "Go on then. I have no idea how you could've known, but there it is."

ED-E beeped quizzically once it came to a stop.

"Why hide it?" the courier responded. "Well, unlike robots, some people think it's strange to change your... parts. Or even just your classification. Honestly, it's old-world thinking, no clue."

The eyebot beeped long and low, almost like a coo of affection and reassurance.

"Thanks, ED-E," the courier said with a smile. "I'll try to remember that."

Rex: Rex cocked his head to the side. The courier knelt down to his level and scratched his ears, inspecting his new brain and cybernetic limbs as she did.

"I don't know why I'm telling you this," she murmured, increasing her attentions as Rex leaned into her. "You probably already knew, with that amazing nose of yours. I think your owner knows, otherwise why keep spouting that line of his whenever I come around?"

Rex whined, and the courier smiled. "You know. 'Do what's right for you, so long as it don't hurt no one.' Got that seared into my brain as surely as that bullet, thanks to him. I bet that king he's worshipping never even said that."

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andrei-svech · 4 years

Text

today, tomorrow and all of our lives | n. mackinnon

Word Count: 7.3k Warnings: Some smut in the middle, swearing, minor character death. Summary: Leah reflects on her relationship with Nate through a series of memories they’ve shared in the minutes before they say I do. a/n: Full disclosure this is the first piece I’ve written in almost 10 years. It turned out way longer than expected and I am so terrified to post it but I hope you all love it as much as I do. Any and all feedback is appreciated, happy reading!

As she looked into the mirror, running her fingers over the white silk lining her frame, all she felt was calm. Peace. She’d surprised herself in that regard. She’d expected nerves, expected anxiousness, but she didn’t feel either. She simply felt calm. Her fingers moved up toward the tulle settled neatly in her hair, then ran down the fabric of what had once been her grandmother’s veil. Her something borrowed. She thought of her grandmother then, of the relationship between her and her grandfather, one that had lasted almost sixty years before they’d left this life together, just months apart and still madly in love. The kind of love she’d hoped for as she watched them as a child, then as a teen, then as an adult. The same kind of love she felt she’d found when she met him. Her eyes closed, thinking back to the day she’d first laid eyes on him.

The excited little voices of the children filing back into her classroom brought a small smile to Leah’s face in an instant. Kindergarten had just finished art, and as she watched them come in and sit back at their tables, she silently thanked Mrs. Claskey for the lack of paint on their clothes and hands. There’d been a small (according to Mrs. Claskey, not so much to Leah) incident last week at the very end of art class that had somehow ended in Jack Ledger’s entire right arm and half of his shirt covered in brown paint. Of course the 5th graders had already been lined up at the door waiting to come in, so Mrs. Claskey hadn’t had time to clean him up. That’d been a fun afternoon at the sink for Jack and Leah. Once all of the children were seated, Leah stood from her rocking chair at the front of the room and raised her hand. Her students followed suit, having been conditioned to quiet down and raise their own hands when she did so. Their hands lowered as she began to speak.

“Alright, my friends. I know we’re excited, today’s a special day for us. We have new friends coming to spend time with us this week! Do we remember who they are?” As soon as she finished, little hands all over the room shot back up. Leah looked around, pointing to the tiny blonde in the far too large and, Leah suspected second hand, Avalanche jersey dead center. “Emory, who are they?” “The Colorado Avalanche, Ms. Brewer! They play hockey here, at the Pepsi Center! My dad says some day they’ll win the… the um…” “The Stanley Cup?” Leah supplied. That and what information Emory had spoken aloud was about all she knew of them as well, not really following the sport herself. “Yes!” Emory continued, “The Stanley Cup!” Leah nodded and clasped her hands together. “Good job Emory that’s right! Some of the players from the Avalanche are coming to meet us this afternoon. They’re just as excited to meet you as you are to meet them. But before we can do that, we need to talk about the rules for when we have guests in our classroom.” A small groan sounded throughout the room and Leah giggled under her breath. “Okay, okay. I know talking about our rules isn’t always fun, but we want to show them how kind and polite we can be, right?” Twenty-two heads nodded, so she continued. “Good! Okay, who can tell me our rules then? Thomas?” Her gaze fixed on the quiet boy in the back corner, smiling slightly at him as he straightened up in his chair. Leah had been subtly attempting to bring Thomas out of his shell throughout his time in her class. As she remembered his silence and lack of eye contact at the beginning of the year, she felt nothing but pride for how far he’d come. “We don’t leave our spot at the carpet unless you or our guest says that we can. We sit criss cross applesauce and don’t touch our friends while we’re listening. When we want to talk or as a question, we raise our hands until someone calls on us. And we always show kindness to our friends, our visitors and our teachers.” Leah felt a swell of pride at the last bit. She had a great group of kids this year, and though she knew she shouldn’t play favorites, if she’d had a list this class would be up at the top for years to come. Teaching at a school in a low income area of Denver wasn’t what she’d expected herself to do after graduation, but she adored it all the same, and the children she’d taught were all incredibly special to her.

“Good, Thomas! But there’s one more rule we forgot, the most important rule. I know we remember, so how about let’s all say it together?” “Have fun!” “Yes! Have fun! I don’t think it’ll be hard with these new friends.” She glanced up at the clock then that read one o’clock on the dot. “Okay friends, time to make our way to the carpet! Please find your spot in our circle.” As her students got up and made their way to their seats in front of the rocking chair, she heard multiple people enter her room and all twenty-three heads, including her own, turned toward the intruders. Leah studied them for a moment as they made their way through the desks toward the group. There were two of them, both in blue and burgundy jerseys graced with the numbers 29 and 92 and an A and a C, respectively. Excited gasps and whispers filled the front of the room. The first to reach them was 92, and probably the most conventionally attractive man Leah had ever seen in person. His perfectly straight, shining white teeth were on full display, a wide grin stretch prominently across his face. His attention was focused solely on the children, so Leah looked past him and settled her eyes on the other, 29. She was surprised to find his attention fixed on her. She was also surprised at the butterflies that filled her stomach when her eyes met his. The bright blue staring back at her was like a shock to her system. She felt herself blush and quickly averted her gaze down to the jeans, white tank top and baggy yellow cardigan she’d pulled from her closet that morning. ‘Probably would have been a good day to dress it up a bit, Leah.’ She quickly shook herself from her thoughts and smiled at 92, still unable to meet the eyes of 29. “Hi there! I’m Ms. Brewer. We’ve all really been looking forward to this, I know they have especially.” Leah gestured to her excited students, some of the visibly trying to stop themselves from squirming in their places. He smiled at her and took her outstretched hand, shaking it and then setting his sights back to the children. “Hi everybody, we’ve been really excited to meet you! I’m Gabe, and this is Nate.” He gestured behind him to number 29. Nate. The name bounced around her head like a stray pinball. Nathan Mackinnon. She remembered seeing his face plastered over billboards downtown, along with that of who she now remembered 92 to be, captain Gabriel Landeskog. The two large hockey players sat in the admittedly too small chairs in front of the group, and Leah quietly made her way to the corner of the room, plopping in her desk chair to watch the interaction between Gabe, Nate and her students. As they excitedly asked and answered questions and talked about school, hockey and life in general (as much as five and six year old children could), Leah found herself unable to look away from Nate. He wasn’t handsome in the way that Gabe was. His nose and teeth were slightly crooked, and his jaw a bit more squared, but she found him incredibly attractive all the same. He smiled brightly at the group of children in front of him and enthusiastically spoke with them, his laugh speeding up the butterflies she still felt. She again found herself shaking her from her own thoughts, looking down at the papers on her desk. Leah hadn’t dated anyone seriously since her disastrous relationship with Scott had ended just before her college graduation. They had met in high school and began dating junior year, when they were both far too young and impulsive to have actually found the kind of love that was meant to last. They were two different people from the start, Scott preferring to get plastered at a large house party, Leah preferring to spend her Friday night on the couch under a blanket watching bad television. They had somehow lasted through their first three and a half years of college together, though they spent large chunks of it arguing or in silence, before Leah had discovered that the last seven months of their relationship he’d spent in bed with a blonde he’d met in one of his classes. She’d been devastated, but deep down she’d known he wasn’t the man she was meant to marry. Following graduation, she’d packed her things, picked up and moved to Denver for a fresh start, and hadn’t looked back since. She blamed her lack of dating for her current thoughts about Nate. She’d been so lost in her thoughts that she was surprised when she heard one of her students saying her name, immediately turning her attention back to the carpet ready to answer, though she found Millie still speaking to Gabe and Nate. “-she’s the best! She’s so much fun, even when she’s making us do our counting worksheets. Ooh, she lets us sing our weather song every morning, that’s my favorite part of the day.” Millie turned towards Leah and spoke directly to her, “Ms. Brewer, can you sing the song for them! It’s so much fun, they’ll love it.” Leah blushed slightly but chuckled as all twenty-two excited smiles and two curious pairs of eyes turned towards her. “Why don’t we all sing it together? Show them how great we are at it.” Leah led the excited group through their morning weather song about the rain, the snow, the wind and the sunshine and as they finished (loudly) she once again looked at the two blonde men and found Gabe smiling widely at the class while Nate looked at her with a small smile of his own. Her face warmed yet again as they all began clapping and laughing at her as she grinned and took a small bow in her chair. Conversation between Gabe and her students continued, but for a long moment Nate’s gaze remained fixed on her. She looked down at the papers on her desk again, trying not to read too much into his glances that were frequently aimed at her. All too quickly the two men stood from the chairs and bid goodbye to the students and after a collective “aww” and a round of high fives, left the room to meet the fifth graders waiting for them in the gym. As Leah focused on getting her students back to their seats at their tables, she didn’t notice Nate casting one last look through the door as they left, his eyes only set on her. By three o’clock all of her students were gone and Leah made her way around the room, cleaning up leftover trash and wiping the crumbs from their end of day snack from the tables. She jumped as she heard the deep voice coming from just outside her door. “Hi, did you need some help?” Her head snapped towards the voice and her eyes again met the bright blue that hadn’t left her mind for the rest of the afternoon. The small smile she’d gotten before was present on Nate’s face as he watched her drop the wad of colored paper in her hands into the trash. “Oh no thank you, I’ll be okay here.” She silently willed the butterflies dancing around her stomach and the blush painting her cheeks to go away as he stepped further into the classroom and waved her off, starting to push the chairs into the tables as he spoke again. “It’s no problem, it’ll go faster if we work together. Besides, Gabe’s somewhere shooting extra footage with our media team and this’ll get me out of that.” They both chuckled at that and she nodded, keeping her eyes averted as she helped push in the chairs. “I’m Nathan. Mackinnon. Nathan Mackinnon. But, um, everybody just sort of calls me Nate.” “Nice to meet you, Nate. I’m Leah, Leah Brewer.” She knew there were nerves in her voice, but she didn’t know if she’d imagined the hint of them in his. They worked in silence for a few minutes before he spoke again. “So, Leah, are you from Denver?” She shook her head. “No, I grew up in Murraysville. It’s in Pennsylvania, just outside of Pittsburgh.” He lit up a bit, turning towards her fully. “One of my best friends lives there, plays for the Penguins. Sidney’s his name, Sidney Crosby.” She shot him a playfully unimpressed glance as she stopped pushing in the chair. “Now Nate. I may not know much about hockey, but I can assure you, even I know who Sidney Crosby is.” She laughed quietly at the blush that tinted his cheeks and he chuckled along with her, shaking his head. “Yeah that was stupid, sorry.” They kept on cleaning up the last of the classroom until he plopped into the last chair. “So, what brought you to Denver all the way from the East Coast?”  Leah figured that since he’d sat down, he wasn’t planning on leaving right away, so she made her way to her rocking chair. She thought for a moment before she answered. It wasn’t like she could come right out and tell him Scott had emotionally destroyed her, so she settled for the cliche, generic answer she gave most people when they asked her. “I graduated from college and just… needed a fresh start.” He nodded slightly, but by the look he gave her, she knew he was curious for more. He didn’t press her, and the small talk moved onto other things, her job, then his job and then their families and friends. The conversation flowed so easily between them. By the time she realized almost forty-five minutes had passed, they were laughing and sharing stories as if they’d known each other for years, not hours. “Oh, it’s almost four o’clock, you should probably get back to Gabe and the rest of your team.” He sighed as they both looked at the clock, like he knew she was right but also like he didn’t want to leave. “You’re right. It was really nice meeting you though.” He stood from the chair as she returned the sentiment and turned to leave the room. He’d made it almost fully out the door before he stopped and turned around asking her one last question. “Listen, I don’t… this might be a little forward, I- would you maybe want to go out to dinner sometime? With me? Like, as a date?” She stared at him in surprise for a moment and then thought about her answer. Sure, she hadn’t really dated much since Scott, but it had been three years and thousands of miles since then. And there was something about Nate that intrigued her, something that had caused the butterflies to erupt the minute they’d made eye contact. Something that made her answer fairly easy. “Sure, Nate, I’d really like that.” The memory flooded away as she opened her eyes and looked back into the mirror. One dinner date had led to another, which had led to a few more, then spending the night at her place and then his. She’d met Cox then, which she was glad had gone well because, as Nate had told her later, he couldn’t date somebody Cox didn’t like. That had led to her meeting his teammates and their significant others, and him meeting her friends. That summer when his season and her semester had ended, they traveled to Murraysville where he met her family, and Nova Scotia where she met his. Before they knew it a little over a year had flown by and they’d bought their first house together. She chuckled at that memory, instantly thinking back to the mess of hockey players that had filled their home the day they moved in. “Josty come on, man! The box says fragile!” Leah giggled from her place in the kitchen at the sound of JT’s voice echoing down the hallway, and then at Nate’s voice, floating in from his spot in their living room. “Don’t break any more of my shit, Josty, you know I still haven’t forgiven you and Z for the broken lamp from the Christmas party.” Mel snorted across the counter, Jackie shaking her head as Leah placed the last of the bowls in the cabinet. “They’re a fucking mess, the whole group of them.” Jackie and Mel laughed and nodded in agreement before moving to start on loading the cutlery into the drawers. Leah made her way from the kitchen into the living room, passing by Gabe, EJ and Naz walking to the front door to pull more of the heavier pieces of furniture from the truck. “Thank you guys again for helping us with all of this. No way Nate could have done all the heavy lifting himself the softie.” She smirked at the indignant ‘hey!’ that came from their sofa and the boys chuckled before assuring her again it was no problem and heading for the door, EJ jostling her on his way. She rolled her eyes but smiled at the toothless grin she got in return, passing them to plop down next to her boyfriend, leaning heavily into his side and closing her eyes with a yawn as he lightly kissed her forehead. “Tired, baby?” “Mhm.” As she opened her eyes again, she finally took the chance to look around their living room, the large bay windows bathing the room in sunlight. Boxes were scattered around, the television still waiting to be mounted above the fireplace and the shelves empty, save for one photo. Her eyes landed on it and she smiled fondly, one of her favorites of the two of them. It was taken in Cole Harbour on one of their last trips. They sat together on the boat, her leaning against his side with his arms wrapped around her, much like they were now. They’d gone for a sunset cruise with Sid and Kathy and Tyson and Emma who had also come back up north, just chatting and enjoying the company when Kathy told them to pose, that the sunset created the perfect backdrop behind them. As they leaned into each other and smiled at the camera, Tyson said something from just beside Kathy that had drawn her attention as Kathy snapped the photo. She’s laughing in his direction in the photo, still leaning against Nate who’s smile is directed only at her. The love between the two of them is obvious, which is exactly why it’s one of her favorites. Leah is drawn from the memory captured in the photo when she feels Nate’s lips on the top of her head again and the smile on her face grows even wider. She listens to the sounds of a pot clattering to the floor in the kitchen followed by Jackie’s voice scolding EJ and Gabe and Mel laughing, Josty, JT and Burky pushing each other around in the hallway and Nate’s slow, even breathing right beside her on the couch. As her eyes closed once more, she couldn’t remember if she’d ever in her life felt as happy as she did in that moment. Nate’s fingers ran through her hair and she pulled slightly out of his embrace, taking a moment to silently study the man she’d so quickly found herself falling madly in love with. “What’s on your mind?” he asks her, and she finds herself overwhelmed with emotion as she tries to put her thoughts into words. “I love our friends. I love our new house, but I love even more that we get to make it a home. I love this life that I get to build with you. I love you Nate.” The silent exchange that directly followed was just as meaningful, if not more so, than the words she’d just spoken. She could feel it. He’d felt it too. “I love you, too.” He hadn’t said much, but what he had said had told her everything she needed to know. She’s yanked quickly from that memory as the door to the bridal suite opens. Linnea flounced into the room in her white tulle dress, looking every bit the little princess they all considered her to be. Mel shuffled in behind her before the door is closed again. The soft pink of her dress perfectly complimented her blonde hair and pale skin, amplifying her beauty even further. Mel and Gabe were two of the best things to come from her relationship with Nate, quickly becoming some of her very best friends. Through every hardship or struggle she’d faced during her relationship with Nate he’d been right there beside her, but the Landeskogs had been right there on her other side. She still feels a jolt of happiness when she remembers finding out about Linnea for the first time, and the first time she got to hold her. She couldn’t keep the smile off her face as they entered the room, fiddling with the small diamond bracelet Mel had given to her as a gift the night before from both her and Gabe, her something new. Mel snorted, joking “What, already thinking about the honeymoon?” Of course she hadn’t been before, but she started to now, and she quickly tried to ignore the tingle she felt between her legs at the next memory, one from just a few weeks ago. “Oh fuck, yes.” Leah’s eyes were shut tightly, mouth wide open, one of Nate’s arms thrown across her lower stomach to keep her from squirming as his tongue slowly circled her clit. She was panting, hard, one of her hands wound tightly in his blonde hair while the other held onto their headboard. She’d already come once on his fingers, but he hadn’t shown any signs of slowing down. He groaned as he pulled away slightly, his mouth and chin covered in her wetness and let his eyes roam back up her body, flushed, until they met hers. “Fucking love your pussy, baby.” He dove back into her cunt then like it was a five-course meal as she tightened her grip on him and moaned loudly, her body thrashing and hurtling toward her second climax. She’d found out early on in their relationship that in contrast to how soft he was with her normally, in bed Nate was filthy. And she fucking loved it. They both shared a high sex drive, and when they first started dating, they’d gone at it like rabbits. In the morning in the shower before she left for work, on their couch when he’d gotten home from a game, one particularly exciting afternoon when he’d come home after practice and laid her out on his kitchen table. They constantly got each other off over FaceTime or Skype when he was on the road, and on their first bye week together they spent almost the entire five days of their trip fucking on every surface of the villa they’d rented. She’d been sore for almost a week. And after almost four years of dating, it hadn’t really slowed down at all. When Nate moved his tongue from inside her back to her clit, flattening it and shaking his head from side to side, she felt her orgasm crash over her. “Fuuuuck yes!” Her back arched sharply off the bed as she rode out the waves of her high, Nate continuing to lick and suck at her through it. As she worked to catch her breath, he kissed his way back up her body, biting down softly on her neck when he reached her sweet spot. “So sexy when you cum. Think you can give me one more, baby?” Though she was exhausted from the first two orgasms he’d given her, she still nodded enthusiastically and let her hand snake down his body, taking him in her hand and guiding him toward her center. She let out a sigh which turned into a quiet moan as he entered her. Of all the men she’d been with, which though admittedly wasn’t many, Nate was the biggest. His length was average, but he was thick, spreading her open and filling her better than any man ever had before. Their mouths met as he started to move inside of her, swallowing the noises she made. She knew it wouldn’t take much for either of them, her already sensitive from her first two highs and him keyed up from the reactions he’d gotten while giving them to her. As his thrusts picked up in both pace and in power, their kisses turned more into breathing and moaning into each other’s mouths before he moved back down to her neck then down further, taking one of her nipples into his mouth and biting before rolling it between his teeth. “Ah, daddy please, I need to come, I need to come.” She whined, rolling her hips up to meet his the best she could. He kept his pace and shook his head slightly. “Wait baby, wait for daddy. I’ll give you what you need, be patient.” He stopped for a moment and took her ankles into his hands, placing them up over his shoulders and she cried out as he began thrusting against her harder and faster, hitting a spot deeper in her than before. Her breathing went ragged and she struggled to get out anything but whines, which quickly turned into yells, then sobs. “Please daddy! Please, I’m gonna, I can’t- I need to cum!” she clawed at his back, her head lolling back against the pillows as she felt his hips begin to move more frantically and uncontrolled. “Yeah baby, fucking cum for me. Show daddy who makes you feel like this, who’s pussy this is.” She shrieked and seconds later felt her fluids gush around him, pulling a loud groan from him as he followed her over the edge. “Fuuuuuck yeah baby, your pussy feels so good when you cum around me. Fucking angel.” He grunted, filling her with his seed. They’d stopped using condoms six months in and he maintains it was one of the best decisions they’d made. She couldn’t help but agree with him as she felt his warmth pulsing inside of her. When they’d both given each other everything they had, he dropped down gently over her and wrapped his arms around her, holding her as she trembled through the aftershocks of her third high of the night. Soft kisses were planted across her neck and jaw and she lightly combed her fingers through the sweaty mess of blonde on the nape of his neck. These were some of her favorite moments with Nate. Just after a round of great sex when they just laid catching their breaths in the silence, still connected and just basking in the warmth of being together. All she was capable of thinking about in those moments was the man laying over her and how much she loved him. “I love you baby.” He whispered quietly to her as he pulled away from his place at her shoulder, leaving her with a languid, toe curling kiss on her lips and feelings of love for him swirling around her body. It was Mel snorting again that brought her back to reality and she turned toward the other blonde, realizing she’d been biting her lip as she got caught up in the memory. “Jesus, I was kidding. My child is in the room.” Mel smirked and Linnea answered perfectly with a giggle from her spot in the corner, making both women laugh. She turned back toward the mirror to readjust her veil for what felt like the twentieth time since it’d been put in her hair. Mel continued. “Anyways, we just came by to tell you we’ve got about 15 minutes to go time. Maid of honor duties and all.” She winked making both of them laugh again before she swept Linnea into her arms, heading for the door “We’ll leave you alone now, see you in a bit.” As she exited the room, another woman entered. “My baby. Look at you, you look beautiful.” Her mother moved to stand by her side in the mirror, placing a hand gently on her shoulder, eyes filling with tears as they met hers in the mirror. “Your dad would be so proud, sweetheart.” Her own eyes filled with tears this time and as she closed them, she could hear the beeping of the heart monitor and smell the sterile scent of the hospital as clear as day. She couldn’t breathe. The only word to describe her in that moment was numb. Her eyes traced the wires to the white linen blanket, up to the machine that measured the slow heartbeat of the first man she’d ever loved. A face eerily similar to her own, her father had never looked thinner and paler than he did laying there in his hospital gown. ‘Brain aneurysm. Ruptured. Hemorrhagic stroke.’ The words the doctor had spoken to them rested like a weight in her head and in her chest as she stared down at their hands, hers clutching tightly and his limp and unmoving. She couldn’t cry. Not yet. She’d been holding onto hope for days now that he would wake up, that they could talk about how terribly their Steelers were doing and laugh about the clumsiness of her mother. That they could drive home together in his car, singing terribly along to the old Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin tunes he’d brought her up on. That one day he could walk her down the aisle (‘Not until you’re 30!’) and hold his first grandchild. No matter how many times she’d heard the words braindead and pull the plug, she held onto that hope, the same hope she was starting to feel slip between her fingers. The beeping was the only sound in the room aside from her mother’s sniffling and Nate’s steady breathing. Her parents had divorced just before her fourth birthday, but they’d remained great friends and worked together to raise her, something she didn’t realize how grateful she was for until she reached adulthood. It was only fitting that she, Leah and Nate were the three present at his bedside as two of them were what he always called ‘the loves of his life’ and the third one of his ‘favorite people out there’ as he’d called Nate just a few months before. The doctor entered the room again and when Leah met his gaze it was somber. She looked away almost immediately, knowing what was coming as he started speaking to them again. “I’m sorry, we’ve done all that we can, but we believe at this point it’s about a five percent chance he’ll wake, and if he does, we can almost guarantee significant brain damage. It’s in my medical opinion that you may want to consider pulling him off of the life support.” She felt it then, the first tear slip down her cheek where she sat in the chair by her father’s side. She locked eyes with her mother and they both knew what they had to do. This isn’t the way he would have wanted to live, and that’s if he did, and she wasn’t going to put him through any pain and suffering simply because it would make her happy. An hour later, after the three of them had all spoken their goodbyes and spent their last minutes with him, the machines were turned off. The beeping stopped, her father’s hand, still clutched in her own smaller, softer one went cold. Leah wept. She laid down on the bed beside her father’s body and held him, weeping as the last signs of life left his body. She couldn’t do this. She couldn’t get through this. She didn’t want to live a life without her dad’s obnoxiously loud laughter and world famous bear hugs. She didn’t know how she was going to pull herself from the grief crashing over her in waves. Then a warm hand circled her ankle from its place at the foot of the bed, thumb softly smoothing over the skin there. Nate. Her rock, her stability, the calm to help her weather the storm. He’d be right by her side through it, just as he had been in everything else since the day they’d met three years ago. She knew when she felt the letters he was tracing onto her skin. I love you. It was strange but through all of her grief then, she felt the slightest bit of joy, because she also knew that her father had gotten to know and love the man she was going to marry, the love of her life. Her mother quickly pulled a handkerchief from her clutch, chastising both herself and her daughter for ‘ruining her makeup.’ She giggled as she clutched her mother’s hand and then directed a small smile at the pair of sapphire earrings she wore, a gift from her father on her eighteenth birthday and now her something blue. He was there with her, she knew that he was. Quickly wiping at her eyes, she handed the handkerchief back to her mother and went to gather her bouquet from the small table but stopped when her eyes landed on her engagement ring. One that had belonged to Nate’s grandmother, her something old. She floated away into yet another memory, and by far one of the best of her life. The air was crisp and smelled of the first signs of winter as Leah and Nate walked hand in hand down the lakeside pathway through Confluence Park. This was her favorite time of year, filled with memories of pulling out the Christmas decorations far too early with her mother as her father just smirked and shook his head at them. Memories of home games spent with her girls in the family box cheering on the men they loved. Memories of cold mornings spent curled up on the couch with Nate under the blankets, Cox at their feet as they fell in and out of sleep, watching the snowfall through the bay windows. She smiled as Nate gently tugged at Cox’s leash, willing him to slow down as they strolled lazily behind him. “This is my favorite time of year. I know I always complain about how cold it gets, but nothing beats a winter day like this.” Nate brought their joint hands up to his lips to place a kiss and replied, “I know baby. It’s one of my favorite times of year too, just because you love it.” She laughed at the cheesiness of his statement but leaned into his side, looking up at him as they slowed even more. “I love you, you know.” He didn’t reply immediately so she continued walking, only stopping when he did, turning to gaze at him curiously. It was only then that she felt the trembling of his hand still clasped in hers. “Nate? Why are we stopping, are you okay?” Cox whined behind her, probably wondering the same thing. “Yeah baby I’m fine, I just needed to say something and I wanted your full attention when I did.” This intrigued her even further but she didn’t answer, waiting for him to say whatever it is she could see was stewing in there. He stared at her for a moment longer before he started to speak again. “There’s something that I haven’t told you. I spoke to your dad on the phone a few weeks before he died. Spoke to him for quite a while, actually?” Leah was now incredibly confused, so she waited for him to continue. “You know how much I loved and respected him. I don’t know how but in three years he became another father figure to me and I wanted his opinion on something important so I called him to ask.” “What did you ask him?” her interest was thoroughly peaked as Nate’s hand dropped to his pocket, until he pulled out a small velvet box and both hands came to cover her mouth when she realized what was happening. She went completely still, tears already coming to the surface as he took a step closer to her, one of his hands still holding Cox’s leash and the other the box. “I asked him for his blessing.” He looped the leash around his wrist, but Cox was still then, sitting on the pavement at her feet, tail wagging furiously though she knew he had no idea what was occurring. How much her life was about to change. Then Nate took one of her hands from her mouth, her left hand, and held it tightly in his own. “When I was growing up, I watched my parents all the time when they were together, and you could see it in their faces when they looked at each other. It was this pure, real, genuine kind of love that doesn’t scream at you. The kind of love that’s just there, the kind that looks like making each other breakfast or bringing each other the morning paper, the kind that’s sitting on the couch together doing two completely separate things but somehow still being connected, the kind that looks like smiling through raising two children together. I saw other people find it, Mel and Gabe, Erik and Jackie, Sid and Kath. I always wanted that kind of love, but I never believed that I would have it, that I would somehow be lucky enough to find someone that loved me like that or that I could love like that. I think I realized on our third date that even if it wasn’t there yet, I could see that kind of love with you, and then it happened. There isn’t a day that goes by that I’m not thanking whoever’s up there in the sky or wherever they are,” she giggled slightly through her tears at that bit, “that I got lucky enough to fall in love with you. You are everything. You’re kind, you’re witty, you’re intelligent, you’re incredibly beautiful and you’re so loving to everyone around you. But especially me. You’ve loved me through every bad game, through every hotheaded tantrum, through every argument, through every loss and every heartache. It didn’t matter what I was facing, what we were facing, you’ve loved me through all of it and I can only hope to spend the rest of my life giving that love right back to you.” At this point she was ugly crying, clutching his hand so tightly her knuckles were turning white, but he pressed on. “This kind of love, the love we feel for each other is special, once in a lifetime. It doesn’t come around often and my grandma always told me when you find something like it you have to hold on as tightly as you can and never let go. This was hers, actually.” He opened the velvet box then and Leah gasped as she saw the simple round diamond set on a silver band. “After I called your dad to ask for his blessing and he not only told me yes but that he couldn’t be happier not only that his daughter had found someone she loved so much but someone who loved her the way she deserved,” she wept harder at that “I called grandma and told her I had found it, the kind of love she told me to never let go of, and the next time we were in town visiting her she gave me the ring. This ring is from a marriage full of that love and I thought it might be a good luck charm for us, not that we need it.” She laughed loudly at that and he grinned at her, but his smile softened and she found tears to match hers in his eyes as he dropped to one knee. “You’re it for me, baby. My best friend, my soulmate, the love of my life. I’ll never need to wonder again if I’ll ever find this kind of love because hopefully I’ll get to have it with you and the family we’ll build forever. If you say yes, I promise to fall asleep a little more in love with you today, tomorrow and all of our lives. I love you so much. Leah, will you marry me?” She didn’t even need to think, she knew. She’d known for years, just as she was it for him, he was it for her. “Yes. Yes, Nate. I love you. I love you.” He slid the elegant diamond onto her finger and his lips were immediately on hers, kissing her through their laughter and through their tears, over and over again. If you’d ask her, there weren’t words she could put together to describe the love she felt for him in that moment. Everything, every moment and memory that lead them to this place was worth it for the reward of getting to call him her husband for the rest of her life. They spent what felt like hours but could only have been minutes kissing and laughing in that park, elated at the idea of spending their lives together. As they finally pulled away from each other Nate excitedly pulled her left hand forward, flashing it at their dog proudly, making her laugh once again. “Cox, she said yes! Mom and I are getting married.” The knock on the door shook her from her happiest memory, Gabe standing proudly in it’s frame offering her his arm. When she’d thought about who would walk her down the aisle that day, though they’d never fill the void left in her father’s absence, Gabe was the only choice. The older brother she’d never had but had found in him. “Ready to be Mrs. Mackinnon, kid?” The nerves still didn’t come, the calm and the peace remaining. She grabbed the bouquet and crossed the room to take his arm. “Never been more ready in my life.” (+ bonus:) Their bedroom was still save for her husband’s soft snores and the hum of the ceiling fan. The clock on the bedside table next to her that was illuminated by the soft glow coming from her reading lamp read 3:53 am, but she didn’t feel the sleep gripping her like she probably should. She took the quiet moment to glance at the man sleeping soundly beside her, the man she’d called her husband for the last two years but her best friend for far longer. He was the man of her dreams and though they’d faced challenges, she wouldn’t have wanted to face them with anyone else. She scanned quickly back through all the memories she had of their relationship and smiled when they brought back the feelings of intense love between them. And as she looked down at the tiny baby nestled softly in her arms, his eyes an identical blue to his father’s, she remembered the words he’d said the day he proposed. “I promise to fall asleep a little more in love with you today, tomorrow and all of our lives.”

#n. mackinnon #nathan mackinnon #nathan mackinnon imagine #nathan mackinnon fanfic #hockey imagine #hockey fanfic #nhl imagine #nhl fanfic #nhl writing #hockey writing #hockey smut #nhl smut #colorado avalanche imagine #colorado avalanche fanfic #my writing

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just-dreaming-marvel · 3 years

Text

Love and Medicine ~ 11

MASTERLIST

< previous chapter

Word Count: 4,300ish

Summary: The aftermath of Steve’s bombshell insues....

I do not own Grey’s Anatomy or Marvel.

Previously on Love and Medicine…

Steve grabbed your hand, staring at you as you both started for the door. When he turned to look at the door, he froze, stopping you two in place. His eyes went wide, which worried you. You looked to see what he was looking at. Walking towards you was this beautiful brown haired woman, with fiery red lipstick.

“Y/N, I am so sorry,” Steve whispered. The woman walked all the way over to them. “Peggy. What are you doing here?”

“Well, you'd know if you'd bothered to return any one of my phone calls,” the woman responded, surprising you with a British accent. She turned to you, overing you her hand. “Hi. I’m Margaret Rogers.” You shook her hand.

“Rogers?” You repeated, confused.

“And you must be the woman who’s been screwing my husband.”

You were pretty sure that everyone in the lobby could hear your heart drop to the floor and shatter into millions of pieces of glass. Quickly, you yanked your had from Steve’s.

“Y/N…” Steve tried to reach out to you but you shook your head and hurried out the door.

“Hey, Y/N,” Tony greeted heading into the building. He quickly noticed you were freaking out. “What’s wrong?”

“Did you… did you know?” You asked, quietly.

“Did I know what?”

“About that?”

You pointed behind you. Tony could see through the glass windows, Steve and Peggy talking.

“Oh, Y/N,” Tony said. “I’m so sorry. I was hoping—“

“You knew. Oh my… I can’t. I have to go.” You rushed away.

“Y/N! I’m sorry!”

You ignored Tony, making a run for it. You needed to get somewhere, anywhere, else. As you ran, rain began to fall, making the whole scene a lot sadder.

~~~

Back inside the hospital, Steve and Peggy were talking.

“Peggy, what are you doing here?” Steve asked.

“Your hair’s different,” she said.

“A lot of things are different.”

“It’s longer. And the beginnings of a beard here. I like it.” She goes to try and touch his face but he moved back.

“What are you doing here?”

“What are you doing here? You just pick up and leave everything? Your house, your practice, your friends? You had a life you up and left.”

“Had.”

“And now you have a girlfriend. She seems… sweet.”

“The ice you’re on. Thin.”

“She's young. That whole wide-eyed, ooh he's-a-brain-surgeon thing happening, but still sweet. Which was what you were going for, right? The anti-Peggy?”

“If you came out here to try and win me back, forget about it.”

“I did. I flew all the way across the country to reminisce over wedding photos, get drunk, fall into bed, and make you realize you can't live without me. Relax. Steve, I'm here for work. I'm helping the TTTS case you guys admitted last week and from Fury's briefing, I should be—“

“Fury knew you were coming out here?”

“He asked me to come. Didn't he tell you?”

“No. He didn’t.”

“Hmm. Surprise. The hair, though.” She leaned into his ear. “It looks really good.”

~~~

You found your way to the bar across the street. You quickly order a few shots of tequila and began to down them.

“You know familiar,” the bar tender stated, wiping down a portion of the bar. “You been here before.”

“Once,” you replied. “And, sadly, that’s what brought me here.” You took another shot.

“I know that look. It'll be one of two things. Either your boss is giving you hell or your boyfriend is. Which is it?”

“Both.” Another shot. “My boyfriend is my boss, which was a problem. But not as big a problem as the fact that my boyfriend has a wife.”

“Tell you what, these next ones,” he began to refill the shot glasses, “are on the house.” The door bell ran began you and the bar tender greeted those coming in. “Hey, Clint, Natasha.”

“Hey, Happy,” Clint replied, the two came to sit beside you.

“Where’s Laura?”

“Don’t ask. Can I just have a beer, please?”

“Let’s play a game of whose life sucks the most,” you said. “I’ll win. I always win.”

“No,” Natasha said, “you don’t want to play with me.”

“Oh, I do. I'll even go first. Steve's married.”

Clint spit out his beer. “What?” He questioned.

“Clint, you have beer running down your face,” Natasha stated. He quickly got up to clean himself up.

“Told you I’d win,” you said before taking another shot.

“No, you didn’t win.”

“Did you hear me? I said Steve is married. As in pigheaded, adulterous, liar married. Nothing you could say could top that.”

“I’m pregnant. I win.”

“What?”

Suddenly, Happy groaned and held onto his head. He was one the floor before anyone could say anything.

“Okay, maybe Happy wins,” Natasha said as you and her rushed to his side. Happy tried to sit up. “Happy, lie back down.”

“I’ve called the medics!” Someone in the bar said.

“The medics are coming,” you told Happy.

“You called the gurney patrol?” Happy asked.

“Sit back and relax. We have to take you to the hospital to run some tests.”

“Tests? I don't need tests. I'm fine!”

“You collapsed! On the floor,” Natasha argued, the two of you checking him over for injuries. “This is your bar. You know how filthy this floor is.”

“Radial pulse is strong,” you stated as Clint came up to help as well.

“Minor skull contusions.”

“You’re sleeping with someone?” You questioned Natasha.

“What? Who?” Clint asked.

“Why is that such a shock?” Natasha wondered. “Even Clint managed to get some action.”

“Correction. Clint got some syphilis.”

“How could I not know, you were sleeping with someone?” You continued.

“Forget this,” Happy said, fighting you guys to stand up.

“Happy!” Natasha exclaimed.

“The hospital is right across the street. I can sure as hell walk across the street by myself.” He stood up and headed for the door.

“I got him,” Clint said. “Happy!”

~~~

You, Clint, and Natasha helped Happy get checked into the hospital. You and Natasha were currently walking the halls.

“Alright, details,” you broke the silence. "You're pregnant? What are you gonna do?”

“Look, you know what happens to pregnant interns. I'm not switching to the vagina squad or spending my life popping zits,” Natasha replied. “I'm too talented. Surgery's my life.”

“Which begs the question: who are you sleeping with?”

“Just a guy.”

“That's all I get? You can't just bring something like this up and expect me to drop it.”

“Well, watch me.”

The two of you walked up to a nurses station where Scott, Val, and Clint were standing.

“Why are you back here tonight, don't you have a date with Captain McDreamy?” Val wondered.

“More like Captain McMarried,” Clint responded.

“McWhat?” Scott said.

“I came to check on Happy,” you told them, trying to change the subject.

“You think he’s gonna be okay?”

“You think he's gonna need an operation?” Natasha wondered.

“Operation, yes,” Steve answered, walking up. “Okay, hard to tell. Basilar artery's blown up like a balloon. Subarachnoid bleeding. Aneurysm the size of a golf ball.”

“No way to clip something like that,” Clint said.

“Not without magic fingers,” Scott added.

“Or a standstill operation,” Steve stated.

“You’re doing a standstill?” Natasha questioned.

“I'd like to try. First I need some additional patient history, overnight labs, and a cerebral angio.” He tried to had Happy’s chart to you.

“I’m drunk,” you said, walking away.

“Y/N.”

Clint grabbed the chart from Steve before Steve tried to follow you. The other interns quickly stepped in his way. You hurried into the stairwell and headed down the stairs.

“Y/N!” Steve called, now in the stair well, trying to catch up with you.

“Go away!” You replied, trying not to get emotional.

“Just wait, please! We should discuss this.”

“Here’s a thought, no!” You exited the stairwell and went outside, where it was still raining. “Quit following me!”

“At least let me explain.”

“Explain?” You turned around and stopped. “You know when you should have explained? The night we met in the bar. Before any of the rest of it. Yeah, that would have been a good time to discuss it.”

“Look, I know how you feel.”

“Do you? Somehow I doubt that. Because if you did, you would shut up, and you would turn around and go back inside, because you would realize that I am this close to stealing a car and running you down in the parking lot!”

“Y/N—“

“Leave her alone,” Tony ordered, jogging up and putting himself in between you and Steve.

“Tony, this has nothing to do with you.”

Tony turned around slightly and handed you his keys. “Go, wait in the car. Do not drive, you’re in no condition.” You nodded and left to find Tony’s car. He turned back to face Steve, pointing a finger at him. “I warned you that this was all bad news and going to blow up in your face.”

“Stay out of this, Tony.”

“I will not! Her parents are no longer here to take care of her, so I will.”

“Her parents? What are you talking about?”

“You don’t deserve to know. Now, I’m taking her home and you’re going to leave her alone.”

“Just… tell her I’m sorry.”

Tony didn’t responded. He simply walked to his car, where he found you in the passenger seat, crying into your hands. He got into the car and started it.

“I’m so sorry, kid,” he said softly, unable to look at you. “I should have told you—warned you.”

“I… just take me home,” you cried. “Please…”

“Of course.” He leaned over and kissed your head. “Of course.”

Steve watched, in the rain, Tony drive you away. He had really screwed up. He was planning on telling you, tonight actually. But then Peggy had shown up, because of Fury. Going to speak with Fury, Steve found Peggy laughing with Fury in his patient room.

“And the husband was the…” Peggy trailed off as Steve fully entered the room. “Well, I will be back in the morning to report for duty. You get some rest.” Peggy kissed Fury’s cheek before leaving.

“What is she doing here?” Steve asked, angrily.

“You and I both know she's the best in her field,” Fury answered. “Brining Peggy out was a business decision, nothing personal.”

“Oh, well, what a relief. It's not personal,” Steve scoffed. “It is personal to me.”

“The working of my surgical unit don't have any—“

“Don’t include my wife!”

“Don't include your private life! Stark will act as Chief of Surgery until I'm back on my feet.”

“You gave Chief to Stark?”

“Like I said, there's no room for personal in being Chief.”

“How long have you have been sleeping with an intern?”

“So, I guess part of being Chief is personal.”

“Don’t let the door hit your ass on the way out.”

~~~

You didn’t get much sleep that night, lying awake in your bed thinking about what had happened. The only reason you even made it to work was the fact that you didn’t want Steve to have that power over you, even though you knew he did. You were in the locker room, finishing up getting dressed when Gamora entered and gave out assignments.

“L/N,” she called after giving everyone else their assignments. You walked up. “Somebody’s popular.”

“Meaning?” You asked for clarification.

“There’s been a special request, just for you.”

~~~

Tony was walking through the hall with Maria Hill, going over a clipboard full of paper.

“You’re telling me that Fury runs through all of this? Tony questioned.

“All before lunch,” Hill stated. “After, you’ll have calls to return, meetings, and a few of Fury’s surgeries that I won’t be able to cover. Not to mention the surgeries you already have scheduled.”

“Absolutely. No problem.”

Maria walked away, rolling her eyes. “Virgins,” she muttered.

Steve then walked up to Tony. “So, congratulations are in order,” he said.

“Don’t sweat it, Rogers,” Tony responded, a tiny undertone of anger. “I’ll only be your boss for a few days.”

“I’m well aware of Fury’s recovery time. I’m the one who operated on him, remember?”

“Oh, I do. I also remember what else happened last night. And I’m not planning on forgetting.”

“I didn’t plan hurting, Y/N. You have to believe m—“

“Sorry to interrupt,” Peggy said, walking up. “Dr. Stark.”

“Dr. Carter-Rogers,” Tony greeted curtly.

“She’s always interrupting,” Steve muttered.

“I was just checking to see if Dr. Gamora was around,” Peggy explained. “I want to know if she secured the—“

“Intern you requested?” You finished, walking up. “She did.”

“Come on then, Dr. L/N. We have a patient to see.”

You followed Dr. Carter-Rogers down the hall. As you walked, you could feel Tony and Steve’s eyes on you. You shook it off as you tried not to freak out that Steve’s wife had personally requested you.

“Hello, Jamie,” Dr. Carter-Rogers greeted as you both entered the room. “This is Dr. L/N, she’ll be the intern on my service today. So, Dr. L/N, define TTTS.”

“Twin-twin transfusion syndrome,” you answered. “Conjoined fetal twins.”

“Connected by?”

“Blood vessels in the placenta.”

“Meaning?” You paused, unable to find the answer. Dr. Carter-Rogers was clearly unpleased. “One twin gets too much blood, the other too little, endangering the lives of both. I'd expect you to know that, L/N.”

“They told me there wasn't much chance anything could be done,” Jamie said.

“TTTS is usually impossible to correct. Unless you happen to be one of a handful of surgeons in the world who knows how to separate fetal blood vessels. Which, luckily for you, I am. So were gonna get you into surgery tomorrow. If you have any questions at all please ask Dr. L/N. From what I have seen, she is one the hospital's most popular interns.”

You followed Dr. Carter-Rogers out into the hallway.

“I could’ve answered your question had you give me the chance,” you spoke up.

“Chin up, L/N,” she responded. “I'm this tough on everyone, not just the women my husband sleeps with. Order an ultrasound for her and pre-op labs in full.”

~~~

“Stark, you let Y/N go with Peggy,” Steve said. “Are you sure about that?”

“Not your call, Rogers,” Tony responded. “And technically it’s not mine. Have you ever tried stopping Gamora when she has her mind set on something? Yeah, not planning on dying today. Now, do you need something. Because as the new Chief, I’m—“

“Interim Chief.”

“Chief nonetheless.”

“Ever attempt a standstill surgery?”

“No. In plastics, I’ve never needed to. What are you up to, Rogers?”

“Happy, the bar—“

“I know who Happy is. What about him?”

“He has an aneurysm that needs to be taken care of. But it’s in a tricky location.”

“I’ll let you do it. Make sure you get Banner involved.”

“Already on it.”

~~~

Natasha, using the stairwell, ran into Bruce.

“Hey,” she greeted, only for him to ignore her and head away. “What, we aren’t speaking now? Banner!”

“What do you want?” He asked, turning to face her. He was clearly frustrated in a way Natasha had never seen him before.

“What?”

“What do you want? You don't want to go out to dinner. You don't want to meet me in the on-call room, and you sure as hell don't want to talk to me. I could pretend I know, but hey, I don't even have your home phone number. So tell me, what do you want?”

“Don’t yell at me.” Frustrated, he shook is head and turned back to walk away. “Wait. Hey, we’re having a conversation here.” She chased after him.

He turned her way. “Well, what do you want?”

“I don’t know!”

He grabbed her and kissed her passionately. “Figure it out.”

Then he left, leaving Natasha speechless. And to neither of their knowledge, Clint witnessed everything from a few flights above.

~~~

You were currently getting ready to do an ultrasound on Jamie.

“What does it take to go after another woman’s husband?” Jamie wondered.

“Excuse me?” You questioned, confused.

“It happened to me. Jake moved in with a long-legged miniskirt who answered his phones, three weeks into my pregnancy. By the way, that gel is really cold.”

“I'm sorry. I'm sorry about your husband.”

“Are you sorry about Dr. Carter-Rogers’ husband?”

“I'm going to be checking a few things today,” you told her, trying to change the subject.

“I bet she asked to work with you. It's what I would have done.”

“You know what, I’m gonna go check on your labs. This can wait until after.”

You left, confused and utterly embarrassed. How did Jamie know? And if she knew, did the whole medical center know? It’s not like you all were very subtle last night. You were screaming at Steve and Tony in front of the center. Shit. You were screwed.

Taking the long way to get Jamie’s labs, you found Clint talking to himself.

“Talking to yourself now?” You questioned, walking up.

“Yes. No! Damn it… I’m a bad sponge. A leaky sponge,” Clint rambled. “I'm gonna leak all the wrong secrets. I'm a bad liar, can't even lie about talking to myself. You look nice today.”

“Wore my new lip gloss. Cause my ex-boyfriend's wife is like the most attractive woman in the world, and I'm like me. I'm trying to outdo her when she's the victim here. How crazy is that?”

“Not crazy. Smart. You know, gloss, you know, prevents chapped lips and your ex-boyfriend?”

“I'm an evil mistress.”

“Well, still. You look nice.”

“Thanks. What are you doing here?”

“Well…”

“Come on, Barton. Out with it.”

“Okay. Can you think of any reason, any reason at all, really, why Natasha would be kissing Banner?”

“What?!”

~~~

You found Natasha inside an elevator, alone. You quickly entered it, pissed.

“After all this time,” you scoffed with a shake of you head. “All your warnings about me sleeping with my boss, and you're doing the same exact thing?”

“It’s not the same,” Natasha responded, not even bothering to look at you.

“It’s the exact.”

“No, it’s not.” She turned to face you. “You and Captain McDreamy are in a relationship.”

“And you and Banner are…?”

“Switzerland. It's very neutral there. And they make very nice watches.”

“Have you even bothered to tell Banner about the baby? Are you going to?”

“Look, Y/N, can we not go there? Can everyone just accept the fact that there are some things I like to keep to myself? I don't discuss everything to death.”

“Well, why even confide in me at all. If you're so intent on not discussing it? Why even tell me?”

That’s when the elevator doors opened and Natasha excused herself without another word.

~~~

After finally getting the labs, you went back to Jamie’s room to do the ultrasound. You were hurt now, from various people who you cared about. All you wanted was this day to be over.

“When I found out about the miniskirt, I called her up and took her to lunch,” Jamie told you. “It was perfectly civil. I said I didn't hold it against her, that these things happened. But, really? I just wanted to put a face on the bitch that got my husband to throw away 15 years of marriage.”

You bit your lip, trying to focus on the ultrasound and not back talking your patient.

~~~

Steve, trying to go about his normal day, eventually ran in to Peggy.

“That took a lot of nerve,” he commented.

“Oh come on, Steve,” Peggy said. “She came highly recommended.”

“Right.”

“So you don’t recommend her?”

“No, I did not say that.”

“Just not for her medical skills.”

“Oh, would you shut up?”

“Dr. Rogers,” you called, coming up to the couple.

“Yes?” The both responded.

Ignoring Steve, you turned to Peggy. “Labs confirm what look like abnormalities on the ultrasound,” you stated. “I think you should come and see for yourself.”

“Fine,” she responded. “Let’s go.” You followed after her.

“Y/N, Y/N,” Steve called, trying to catch your arm.

You pulled it away. “Don’t,” you growled.

Not too long later, you were standing beside Peggy as she did another ultrasound on Jamie.

“See,” you pointed out something on the ultrasound. “Bilateral pleural effusion with evidence of subQ edema.”

“In English, please?” Jamie requested.

“We've detected what looks like beginning heart failure in the twins,” Peggy answered. “Don't be alarmed.”

“Are my babies gonna be okay?”

“I'm gonna go ahead and take you into surgery now. We're not gonna wait.” Peggy turned to you. “Book the OR. Move.”

~~~

“Jamie, we're just gonna go in laparoscopically,” Peggy informed the patient as you all surrounded her in the OR. “You're not gonna feel anything and neither are the twins. Ok, let's get going. Ten blade. Begin with a three-millimeter incision.”

You watched and help, the whole time in awe. Peggy was actually so amazingly talented. There was no way you were ever going to be able to complete with that. No where close. Peggy was literally operating on twins still in the womb. How could anyone beat that?

~~~

Natasha found Banner in an on-call room after Happy’s surgery was finished.

“That was the single most amazing surgery I have ever witnessed,” she stated. “You, you killed a man and brought him back to life. You, like, raised the dead. God, how does that feel? Are you rushing?”

“Like you wouldn't believe,” Bruce responded.

“Hey, um, do you still have those reservations? Cause I'm starving.”

“Natasha, I think there's something we should discuss.”

“Yeah. Yeah, there is.”

“It’s pretty clear.”

“It is?”

“We've been fooling ourselves, to think that we can continue like this without consequences.”

“Consequences?”

“We have careers to think about. Reputations. We both put the job first. You are very focused. I respect that.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Oh, wait… you’re ending this?”

“I think it's best to make a clean break.”

“Okay…”

“Before it gets too involved. Before it gets—“

“Messy. Right, right. That would be, that would be bad.”

“It’s really nothing personal, Nat. I’m sorry.”

“Yeah… right… I’ll just— I’m gonna go.”

~~~

After Jamie’s surgery, you and Peggy took her to her room and began going over what happened.

“See?” Peggy showed Jamie her stomach. “Just a small scar.”

“And my babies?” Jamie wondered.

“Your babies are doing very well. And Dr. L/N will be back to check on you a little bit later.”

“Actually, I'd prefer it if Dr. L/N were taken off the case.”

“Why, is there a problem?”

“Just reminds me of someone I don't like very much. Someone my husband likes a lot. Particularly in lingerie. You understand.”

“No, no, I don't understand.”

“Well, she's sleeping with your husband, right?”

“Ms. Philips, I lack Dr. L/N’s class and patience so, let me set the record straight. My husband didn't cheat on me, I cheated on him. So the wronged woman here, Dr. L/N. So, I think you owe here one hell of an apology.”

Then Peggy left, leaving you in even more awe of her. And confused. You needed to get Steve’s side of the story.

~~~

“One night I parked my car, I unlock my front door, go inside my house, and something 's different,” Steve began.

You had found him leaving the medical center and stopped him. You two went into an on-call room. You stood by the door while he sat on the bed, farthest from you.

“Nothing's different, everything's the same, but yet, still, something's different,” he continued. “And I stand there for a while. And then I know. See, there are moments for me, you know, usually when I'm in the OR, when I just know what's gonna happen next. So I go upstairs. As I'm walking down the hall, I trying to prepare myself for what I'm gonna see when I go into my bedroom. I step on a man's jacket that doesn't belong to me. And everything I think I know just shifts. Because the jacket that doesn't belong to me is a jacket that I recognize. And what I know now is that when I go into my bedroom, I'm not just gonna see that my wife is cheating on me. I'm gonna see that my wife is cheating on me with Bucky, who happened to be my best friend. It's just so pedestrian, common and dirty, and cruel. Mostly just cruel. I left, came out here.”

“And you met me,” you stated softly.

“And I met you.”

“Well, what was I to you? The girl you screwed to get over being screwed?”

“You were like coming up for fresh air. It's like I was drowning and you saved me. That's all I know.”

“… that’s not enough.”

~~~

You were trying to enjoy a beer at Happy’s bar, when Natasha come and sat beside you.

“The clinic has a policy. They wouldn't let me confirm my appointment unless I designated an emergency contact person,” she told you. “Someone to be there, just in case, and to help me home, you know, after. Anyway, I put your name down. That's why I told you I'm pregnant. You're my “person.”"

“I am?” You questioned, looking at her with slight surprise.

“Yeah, you are. Whatever.”

“Whatever.”

“He dumped me.” You sighed at her statement and laid your head on Nat’s shoulder, putting an arm around her. “You realize this constitutes hugging?”

“Shut up. I'm your “person.”"

next chapter >

NOTES: from now on the taglist when be added by a reblog. I will reblog it using my second account, @just-dreaming-marvel-2. Just so that my main page doesn’t get too cluttered.

If you want to be added to the tag list, please dm me or send in an ask.

#steve rogers x reader #steve rogers imagine #steve rodgers x reader #steve rodgers imagine #the avengers x reader #avengers x reader #marvel x reader #marvel imagines #marvel imagine #tony stark x reader #peggy carter x reader #clint barton x reader

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dru-plays-starbound · 3 years

Text

Castles in the Sand

Universe: Starbound Context: My entry for the Sept 14th prompt to the Homestead’s Fall Prompt Week. The prompt was: Theme: Vice & Virtue; Color Scheme: Neon tones; Quote: “Chant your anthems to the deaf” / “I’m breaking habits for the first time”. I used other parts of the quoted song (Not Ready To Die by Demon Hunter) to influence the other half of the idiom mentioned. CW: Alcohol, oppressive regimes, mild cursing Words: 1100 Tagging: @homesteadchronicles @strosmkai-rum

Yasahama tugged the collar of his jacket up and the brim of his hat down against the onslaught of rain, funnelled by the canyon-like buildings either side of the street. "I thought you told me conditions were favourable, SAIL?" he said into the comm on his wrist. "They are, Yasahama," came the modulated voice of his AI. "This planet has no excess heat or cold, nor threatening weather conditions." "It's raining, SAIL. Heavily. Rain is not 'favourable'." "You are a hylotl." The AI sounded confused. "My databanks tell me that hylotl enjoy water." "This rain's different," Yasahama muttered, splashing along the asphalt-paved road, acid-bright lights reflecting like oil slicks. Before SAIL could ask for more detail, Yasahama stopped and looked up at the garish pink sign hanging loosely to a corrugated panel. "Looks like I'm here," he said. "Wish me luck, buddy." "Luck is merely a series of statistical probabilities arrayed in favour of the observer." Yasahama gave a wry huff and pushed into the rickety building.

The room beyond wasn't as crowded as Yasahama had expected. In the dim light, only a few others of various races were present, scattered through the joint. "Hey, fella. If you're loaded, you ain't coming in." He turned, finding a blaster levelled at his face. The penguin behind it raised an eyebrow. Yasahama held up a hand, pulling his coat open to reveal an empty holster. "I'm unarmed, friend. Don't want any trouble. Just here to meet someone." The penguin scowled, lowering the blaster. "Fine. But don't forget, I've got an itchy trigger-flipper." Yasahama smiled, tight-lipped, and with a nod made his way to the bar.

"What can I get ya?" the bartender asked. Above the bar-back, the 'Beakeasy' sign hummed and flickered, coating his feathers intermittently with toxic-sunset pink. "I'll take a Reef Punch," Yasahama said, sliding a couple of pixels over the counter, the old wood polished into softness. He dropped a doubloon next to the pixels. "I'm looking for a friend of mine. Female apex, penchant for red scarves." The doubloon vanished. "Over in the far corner, behind the arcade machine." Yasahama nodded his thanks and, drink in hand, drifted over to the indicated booth.

"Blake." The apex looked up from her glass of Root Pop and ran a hand over her floppy brown mohawk as she sat back. "Sashimi." Yasahama rolled his eyes at the nickname as he slid into the seat opposite. "What was wrong with meeting at the Ark?" Lana Blake gave a noncommittal shrug. "You know why." "I really don't," Yasahama said. "They're our friends, Blake. They could help." Lana barked out a laugh. "Friends? Maybe. Of a sort. Help?" She shook her head. "No. They don't understand what's required in a mission like this. Not like you do." Yasahama rolled his shoulders. "Someday Blake, you'll need to leave that world behind you. Let new people in." A fist came down, making their glasses rattle. "How can I, when my people are still under the thrall of the Miniknog?" Yasahama pursed his lips at the outburst. "Big Ape is gone." "Big Ape was never there to start with!" Lana leant forward. "But it doesn't matter if Big Ape exists or not, not when the Miniknog still wields power." Yasahama's gills flared out. "What is it you want from me, Blake?"

Lana raked a hand over her mohawk again and readjusted her scarf. "There's a town on Shedar Legion Four. I want your help liberating it." "What kind of town? Are there already sympathisers in residence?" Lana pushed their glasses to one side and placed a holographic unit in the centre of the table. A fuzzy blue image of a town appeared; cute, standardised homes filled the picture, punctuated by uniform office blocks and factories. "It's medium-sized, only one Miniknog Commander housed here," she jabbed a finger through the hologram. "We should come from the South, overwhelm the Watch-" Yasahama grabbed her hand. "Sympathisers, Blake. Are there any? We both know you can't liberate anything under Miniknog control without them." Lana pulled her hand back, staying mulishly silent as she swirled the dark caramel liquor in her glass. "How does that idiom go?" Yasahama continued. "’Singing your hymns’-" "'Chanting your anthems to the deaf is a fruitless exercise'," Lana supplied. She looked back at him. "But it has a sister idiom – 'So take your empty voices and turn them into knives'." Yasahama gave a sad smile. "That's very poetic. But it doesn't solve your issue. If there's no one sympathetic to the rebellion – ready to fill the power vacuum left by the Miniknog Commander's assassination – then the town will just fall again." He leant forward, tone urgent. "You know this, Blake. What's your solution?" Their gazes locked for a long moment, Lana's silence deafening. Then Yasahama nictitated and looked away.

His fingers curled, bloodless, around the bowl of his glass. "I cannot help you then. Not this time. Not with this town." He threw back his drink, draining the cocktail in one go, ignoring the way Lana's fists balled on the dented tabletop. "I'm sorry-" Lana scoffed. "I am," Yasahama insisted. He sighed and rose, pausing with his hands flat on the table. "Call me again when your plan is more viable." Lana shook her head, teeth bared. "Apple-munching bastard. I should have known the last of the Protectorate would go soft on me." Yasahama stared her down, gills and nostrils flaring. "I should have known you'd use my talents to end The Ruin, then drop me like week-old bananas. You talked a good game, but when it came down, you only wanted your revenge. So fine. Ponce off. Some Protector you are – I'll go liberate that town by myself!" Yasahama gave her a cool look. "Are you done? You'll do no such thing, and you know it. Your plan is folly as it stands now." He sighed, tension easing from his shoulders. "Let me make some enquiries before you go jetting off to be gunned down by a Miniknog firing squad." Lana opened her mouth, but Yasahama halted her with an upraised hand. "I think you've said enough. Go back to the Ark. Get some rest, train with Nuru – and wait for my call. And, by the Ocean Tides, don't do anything foolish in the meantime." Lana growled at him, deep in her throat. Yasahama ignored her in favour of jamming on his hat and stalking out into the oleaginous night.

"SAIL?" "Yes, Yasahama?" "Tell Dallas to get the coffee on. I've got a long night ahead of me..."

#alcohol tw #writing #starbound #starbound fanfiction #HomesteadPromptWeekFall2021 #lana blake #the last protector #Wandering Words

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stevesharrlngtons · 4 years

Text

what i want.

roman godfrey x reader

summary: takes place in s1 of hemlock grove just after roman’s coma and the aftermath.

word count: 3.1k

a/n: yeaaahhhh so i know this is st related but it felt more right to post this here over my marvel account? anyways, i just really really wanted to write for roman and this poured out of me yesterday (which is surprising bc i can’t remember the last time i wrote a fic all in one day) but even though i already know this is gonna flop, i wanted to post it anyway just for fun (: i hope you enjoy and if you do read, please let me know that you think!!!!

With an ear pressed to his chest and a hand cradling his neck, you counted the rhythmic beats of his frail heart.

He looked the same, felt the same, smelt the same; but the man we lay still below you wasn’t Roman. Not in the metaphorical sense at least. This man who’s lashes lay gently against the apples of his cheeks obscuring his large doe eyes, wasn’t your love. He was still and quiet and lacked the emotion of your Roman. Your Roman who could never hide how he really felt, who wore every feeling on his sleeve, unable to mask his emotion.

At least, always around you.

A soft french ballad played in the background as you hunched over his hospital bed in the attic of the Godfrey home. You could hear the faint scratch of the needle against the vinyl, more so when there was a lull between songs.

Heavy footsteps entered from your right and you knew before they reached you that it was Shelly to fetch you for school.

“I know, Shell.” You said quietly, like you might wake Roman from his restless sleep if you spoke any louder, “I just need a few more minutes with him.”

The tall girl loomed over you both, watching you stroke Roman’s cheek lovingly with your thumb, the rest of your nimble fingers still holding his thin neck.

She had never experienced the kind of unequivocal and palpable love that she did when she observed you and Roman together. She often wondered if all the tales of true love and soulmates that were regaled in some of her favorite novels were actually true? Because the way you looked at Roman, and the way Roman looked at you, could not be fabricated or faked.

After a long beat of silence, Shelly gripped her phone and typed out a simple message to you.

“I miss him, too.”

She could see tears forming in your eyes once more. Your eyes that seemed to have not ceased their perpetual filming for the last two weeks Roman had been under.

All you could was nod in response. When Shelly placed a dense hand on your shoulder, you silently wept.

It all felt so surreal. But Roman was always larger than life, you probably should have prepared for something like this. You were just so scared.

That night two weeks before, when he had come to you in the pouring rain, drenched to the bone, you had been scared then, too. Roman was dramatic, yes. But never anything like this. He trembled fiercely and his fingers twitched and his muscles rippled with fear.

He didn’t seem himself as you wrapped him in blankets and placed him in your bed to warm his icy bones. You had wound your arms around him as he cried into your neck, tears and snot streaking your skin as you soothed him the best you could.

“I’m ugly, I’m a monster, I am unlovable and disgusting.” He chanted between hiccups and deep intakes of breath, like he was under a spell.

“Please stop, please don’t say that. You’re not, you’re not, you’re not. I love you, I always will.” You whispered sincerely to him, beginning to shutter yourself at the uncharatieric behavior he was displaying.

He startled you even more when he grasped your wrists together with one hand and flipped you onto your back, meeting you with a fierce kiss before you could comprehend his actions.

It was all teeth and tongue and labored breathing as Roman pulled your strings in only the way that he could. Once he was inside you, he only became more brutal. It was more pain than pleasure as he looked at you with soulless eyes and his mouth agape. But everything Roman was, was good. Even now he felt like heaven.

When he had finished and pulled two orgasms from your body, he collapsed on top of you. You cocooned him with your limbs, whispering loving words and frightened questions as his body seemed to pass out from sheer emotional exhaustion, anchoring you beneath him.

The next morning, you were dressed in nothing but Roman’s cardigan and tucked underneath your duvet with no knowledge of his departure the night before.

It was only minutes after you woke that Olivia called to curtly inform you of Roman’s condition.

You placed your own hand, the one not holding Roman, over Shelly’s and squeezed it.

“He is so lucky to have you.” You said, swallowing thickly to look up and give Shelly a smile, “He loves you so much, I know he’ll wake just for you.”

Shelly knew you were trying to soothe her as well, something you had a knack for since you came into the two Godfrey’s lives. She appreciated it greatly, but wished you would let yourself swim and stop trying to make sure she stayed afloat.

“You, as well. He will wake for us.” Shelly typed and you squeezed her hand in a tight pulse.

“We can only hope.”

You dropped Shelly’s hand as she went to turn the music off while you kissed Roman goodbye.

“Where, today?” Came Shelly’s mechanical voice as the music ceased.

“His left eyelid.” You replied, standing up and stroking Roman’s porecelain cheek.

You had taken to kissing a new part of Roman each day as you left him. To cherish him even while his mind was missing. You were saving his lips for when he woke, hoping his subconscious would crave your mouth on his enough to jar him from his slumber. Roman was never quiet about his appreciation for your lips.

“And tomorrow?” She asked.

“The other.”

As you sat in english class, you couldn’t help but feel Peter’s absence in the seat next to yours. With neither him nor Roman around, you felt off kilter. The boys had been going through a rough patch lately, but Peter was still your friend when Roman wasn’t looking. Giving you winks that would reply with an eye roll, and chatting between classes. You believed you could mend the fence between the two men by simply being Switzerland, but after the police incident, Peter wasn’t so sure.

But you and Roman were alike in many ways, you told Peter as much.

“You two will work this out. Even if it gets hard.” You say flippantly one day as you rummaged through your purse for a tube of lipgloss.

“Yeah? And how do you know? Are you an oracle and just haven’t told me?” Peter jokes as you take the cosmetic from your bag.

You remove the fuzzy doe-foot applicator from the pink make up with a loud squelch and smirk at him.

“Because not only do I know everything,” a swipe of the goods on your lips, “But, I always get what I want.”

Now, his absence along with Roman’s seemed to be significant. Connected.

And then you got a call.

And the ID almost gave you a heart attack.

You fled the classroom without the formality of an excuse. It wasn’t any secret that you and Roman were a couple, so some teachers had been far more lenient with you since he had fallen under. Thankfully, Ms. Day was one of them.

You ran from the class and around the corner for the veil of privacy before you picked up the call.

“Roman?”

“God, how I’ve missed your voice.” He said, punctuated with his melodic laugh.

You burst into tears, clenching your phone tightly in your sweating palm as Roman cooed to you.

“Hey, hey, no. No tears, baby. Too fucking hot to be sad, you know that?”

“I’m not sad, God no! These are tears of joy, of fucking relief.” You felt suddenly very fatigued from the worry and dread escaping your body at the sound of Roman’s voice, and slid down the wall to the grey linoleum below.

“Good, hate to think you’d forget about me after two weeks out of commission.” You could see his smile in your minds eye and your stomach twinge with love.

“You know I could never forget about you.” You replied, whipping your damp cheeks on the back of your hand.

“I’m glad. I was counting on it.” You can see his smirk now.

“Dick.” You laughed and he did as well.

“Eh, you love me.”

“Yeah, yeah I do.”

There was a silence and you wished so helplessly that he was in your arms. Your Roman. Not the still and sterile one. The one with a wicked tongue and a beautiful smile that he offered to you so freely.

It was in this silence though, that you heard the purr of an engine.

“Baby, are you in a car? Are you with Olivia?”

“Uh, no. Not exactly.” And the bubble of joy popped just as it had formed.

“Roman, where are you? Why are you in a car?”

“It’s nothing for you to worry about, my love.” He hummed quietly his adoration and immediately you knew what was happening.

“Put Peter on the phone.”

“How did you-”

“Just fucking do it, Roman.”

You could hear him curse, then the shuffle of the phone being passed between hands.

“Hey, (Y/N/N), how’ya doin’?” Peter asked, faking a calm tone.

“Let’s forget the goddamn pleasantries, Peter. What in the living fuck are you doing trying to track this wolf when Roman just rose from the dead?”

“Rose from the dead sounds a bit dramatic, don’t you think?”

“Does it sound like I give a shit?”

“Frankly, no. It doesn’t.”

“And what does it sound like I give a shit about?”

“Probably Roman not doing this right now.”

“Bingo, Fiddo. Now you either take him back to his house or I am coming to find you two and I promise you, I can be scarier than Olivia.” You hissed into the receiver, looking around to make sure no rouge students in the halls were hearing your conversation.

“Oh I don’t doubt it. But this was his choice, (Y/N). Nothing neither of us can do anything to change his mind.”

“Peter, I swear to-” This time, you were the one cut short.

“Baby, listen,” Roman said after commandeering his phone back.

“No, Roman, you listen! I know you have some attachment to helping kill this thing, but now isn’t the time.”

“But it is. It’s complicated, but you just have to trust me on this.”

“I do trust you, Ro. I do. But I don’t trust whatever this thing is.” You sighed, leaning your head back against the wall, “Unfortunately I do trust what it is capable of. Which is a fuck tone pain.”

“I’ll be safe. I have Peter, Peter’s got me. I got this. We know what we’re doing.”

“Wish I could believe that.”

“Baby, I promise. I swear, even. We are gonna find some answers and then I’ll be home to you in one piece.”

You pause and Roman calls your name from the phone, his voice vulnerable.

“It’s funny. This morning you were in a coma and you were more safe then than you are right now.”

“I love you.” Roman says firmly.

“I know.”

Another pause and you know you can’t scold your way out of this one.

“Just… please call me when you get back. I don’t think I can take another minute of being away from you.” Your tears were beginning again.

“Me too. You’re all I can think about,” Roman sniffles, “I need you, I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

You both sit in silence on the line before Roman tells you he needs to go.

“Ok… but hey, Turner?”

“Yeah?”

“Tell Hooch to be careful. Both of you just… be careful.”

“Always.”

And the line goes dead.

After school you debated going straight to the Godfrey residence to wait for Roman to return, but decided against it. You weren’t sure exactly what Olivia knew and didn’t know, and didn’t feel like being alone with her while you figured it out.

So, you waited anxiously in your bedroom, doing everything possible to quell your shaking nerves. You had a perpetual tremor in your body as fiddled with your phone to try and distract yourself. Which was partly true, the other reason your phone was glued to your palm was so you would know the second Roman contacted you.

Though, as the sun descended in the sky and the night sky spanned for hours, you were becoming more restless. Whatever Peter and Roman were doing was no doubt dangerous and time sensitive, and it made you sick that it was nearing midnight without any word from either boy.

As the night continued to wear on and your mind ran away from rationality into an amalgamation of pure fear and absurdity, you decided you couldn’t sit around anymore. You weren’t going to wait for Roman to call and tell you he was home safe. You were going to drive to his house and wait for him there, and if he wasn’t back in an hour, you’d go out looking for him yourself.

As you put on a pair of house slippers and a sweatshirt over your nightgown, your phone vibrated on your vanity. Your heart began to speed up in your chest as you rushed over to the table and picked up your buzzing phone. On the screen was a text alert from Roman, with only one word present:

Come.

And you didn’t need to be told twice.

When you arrived at the Godfrey’s, you fled your car so quickly you almost forget the keys in the ignition. You ran up the front steps and banged both fists on the door needing to use your excess anxiety and adrenaline for something. And while you didn’t want to face Olivia’s wrath, your judgment was clouded by the chance of seeing Roman, alive and well.

When Roman finally opened the door, you wasted no time throwing yourself into his arms. He stumbled at the impact of your embrace, but was quick to remedy his shock by wrapping his arms around you. The feeling of this made your throat constrict.

“Jesus fucking Christ I missed you.” Roman all but growled as he firmly smoothed flyaways from your hair and placed his strong hand on the back of your neck.

“You have no idea how much I missed you, Ro.” You said, voice thick with tears as you began to pepper kisses anywhere you could reach.

Neck, jaw, ear, temple, cheek, shoulder, trap, clavicle, repeat.

Roman groaned appreciatively in your ear as you covered him in your lips.

“You scared me half to death you know?” You said between kisses.

“I know, I’m sorry. Things have been… odd. I still can’t remember it all.” Roman says, his tone confused.

“Well, Olivia said-”

“I know what she said. I just don’t know if I believe it.”

You furrowed your brows and tried to wiggle in his hold, silently signaling for Roman to place you back on your feet, but he only gripped you tighter.

“Not yet. Just, stay a while.” His voice wavered.

You finally pulled back to look at him, his eyes red from tears and shadowed. Sometimes it was difficult to look at him, his beauty and pain were just too much.

“I’m staying, Roman. You couldn’t get me to leave if you wanted to.” You reply.

A wash of emotion washes over his features as his lip quivers and his eyes attempt to blink back tears. You opened your mouth to try and alleviate him of whatever he was feeling when his mouth crashed to yours.

You forgot how good his lips felt against yours as your mouths meshed together. The velvet of his tongue and the mint and smoke on his breath. His hands gripping you everywhere as he pressed you impossibly close, moaning into you with deep primal noises sounding from his chest.

“Roman, baby,” You pulled away for air and Roman promptly moved his attention to your neck and clavicle. “I need you. Take me upstairs, I can’t wait any longer.”

Roman groaned and bit you hard on the shoulder before hitching your legs higher on his hips and running you both up the winding staircase behind him.

Bruises, at the behest of his mouth and fingers, littered your body as you lay on Roman’s chest as you both still reeled in the blissful aftermath of your climaxes. Roman’s fingers idled along and spine while his unoccupied hand rested behind his head.

He had begun to tell the tale of his night, of Peter and the turn and Chasseur and his mother. He told you Peter was upstairs unconscious and that he was unsure what was going to happen when he woke.

“So, after all this, everything’s still shitty? Is that what you’re saying?” You muttered.

“Essentially. But I have hope… we’re going to figure this out. I know it.” Roman nodded, like he is reassuring himself more than you.

“Me too. You two are smart,”

“You flatter me.” Roman chuckles and looks down at you.

“Just trying to butter you up to get into your pants.” He laughs again and slaps your ass.

“Clearly it’s working.” He replies.

“Well that, and I always get what I want.” You say with a content smile.

Roman hums, “Don’t I know it.”

“You enable it.”

“Again, I know.” He kisses your forehead and you burrow closer to him.

You two lay in silence a bit longer before he sighs.

“I think we should move to sleep in the attic. Just in case something happens with Peter and he needs us.”

We. Us.

The small implication in his word choice makes you smile and once again fall under a wave of emotion, just so happy that your Roman was back to you.

You don’t know what you had done if there was no we or us with Roman any longer. But you choose to not fixate on the past.

You just nod and kiss the underside of his chin. Roman gives you a small grin and begins to get up. As you do the same, Roman throws you one of his white button downs, giving you a stern look as you raise an eyebrow in question.

“Just put it on. I got two weeks to make up for, baby. It started with reuniting, then fucking, and now you in my shirt.”

You try to hold off the wide smile that was threatening to take over your face and put on the shirt, buttoning it to just above your cleavage.

“Yeah? And what’s next?” You ask, watching Roman round the bed toward you.

“Sleep.”

Now in a pair of threadbare silk pajama pants and nothing more, Roman extends his hand to you.

“Shall we?”

“We shall.” You reply, taking his hand, weaving your fingers as he led you to the attic.

i hope you enjoyed even though it was for a different show!! and if you did, pls i’d love some feedback (:::: also let me know if you would possibly want another roman fic bc i have other ideas lol

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lyranova · 3 years

Text

A Fractured Diamond

Episode 2: A New Team

Hi guys~! So here’s the second chapter of Diamond! I’ve been working on this for weeks and I have to admit I got really mad at myself over this because everything I have planned is for later chapters. Also, I really suck at naming spells so I apologize they’re not very good. But anyway I hope you guys enjoy this ☺️!

Word Count: 2,554

Warnings: Violence (but its not really graphic)

Neva was pissed to say the least, this was the last thing she wanted. She did not want to be sitting with three other strangers in the dining hall trying to get to know more about one another. She couldn’t believe the Captain ordered her to do this, to be in a small squad of her own. Why couldn’t he just let her be for a change? Why did he always have to stick his nose in her business? Neva watched as Mimosa’s mouth moved but wasn’t listening to a word she was saying, she wasn’t interested in any of it if she were being honest. The royal appeared to be sweet and kind, but Neva wondered if that’s how the girl actually was or if it’s what she wanted to project to others.

Klaus meanwhile was how she usually saw him; as a suck up to someone of a higher status than him, and dismissive of the ones that were of lower status. Yuno, on the other hand, was very intriguing. He was sitting silently like her, looking like he’d rather be anywhere else than where he currently was much like her. Neva looked him up and down for a moment; when he was standing he appeared to be tall, he was lean, had jet black hair, and gold eyes. Yep this kid was going to end up being very popular with the ladies. Until they found out he was a commoner that is. Neva was pulled out of her observations when she heard her name.

“ What about you Neva? What’s your magical affinity?” Mimosa asked with slight curiosity, Neva crossed her arms and slightly shrugged her shoulder.

“ Diamond magic.” She answered simply, knowing the reaction she’d get. Mimosa’s eyes grew to the size of cylinders and she let out a small gasp while Yuno’s eyes only widened slightly but otherwise didn’t have much of a reaction.

“ D-Diamond magic? Does that mean you’re..?” Mimosa trailed off, seeming to be slightly weary of the answer she would receive.

“ Don’t worry I was born and raised in the Clover Kingdom. Otherwise I’m sure I would’ve been arrested by now.” Neva assured her with a small wave of her hand as the young girl seemed to release a breath she was holding. It wasn’t the first nor would it be the last time people asked her that question. Mimosa had then turned her attention to Yuno.

“ What about you Yuno? What’s your affinity?” Yuno turned to look at the royal.

“ Uh, wind magic.” Neva blinked at his answer ‘wind magic? Any mage that I’ve encountered with that power wasn’t very special? So what is it about him that has everyone so impressed?’ She thought curiously, she had to admit, it was going to be a very interesting first mission tomorrow.

———-

The next morning the four Golden Dawn members went out on their first mission together. It was to clear out a small group of bandits, nothing too complicated. Neva at first couldn’t understand why the Captain had sent them out on such a small mission like this, but the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. He wanted them to get used to working together. Neva wasn’t sure how well they’d work together since all their magics weren’t really compatible with one another; her’s was diamond, Yuno’s was wind, Mimosa was plant, and Klaus was steel. So how in the world would they be able to work with each other? Neva huffed. ‘The Captains probably thought of that as well.’ She shook her head, before hearing Mimosa call out to them from the steel carriage she and Klaus were in.

“ We’re almost there. It should be right in that clearing!” Neva and Yuno nodded, both having chosen to use their brooms instead of riding with Klaus and Mimosa.

They slowly eased down before landing a few feet away from the campsite and quickly hiding behind a few bushes. They watched as the men seemed to be standing around the fire, talking and eating, the perfect time to strike.

“ So what’s the plan?” Mimosa whispered as she turned toward the others, Neva smirked. ‘I can handle this easily!’ She thought as she went to stand up but suddenly she felt a rush of air fly past her and when she looked over she noticed Yuno was gone.

“ Where’d he go?” Klaus asked in a hurried whisper before Mimosa pointed toward the bandits camp and all three of their eyes widened at the sight.

Yuno was currently standing in the middle of the campsite, a vortex of wind swirling around him. He was currently trying to fight all the bandits at once! Neva gritted her teeth and quickly ran out from behind the bushes, with Klaus and Mimosa following.

“ Diamond creation magic: Diamond Shower!” She shouted as she pulled out her grimoire. Shards of diamonds began to rain from the sky and were aimed precisely at the bandits, although she wasn’t aiming to hurt them, she at least wanted to knock them out or immobilize them. She smirked as she was able to pin one to a tree and another to the ground, she quickly turned as she felt warmth near her side.

“ Flame magic: Dragon’s breath!” She heard a flame mage shout, luckily she was able to feel the warmth before she even heard him shout, she quickly dodged the spiral of flame and when she turned toward him she quickly made a hammer out of diamond.

“ Diamond magic: Diamond Hammer!” She quickly swung the mallet before the flame mage could even blink, hitting him square in the stomach, she heard him make an ‘oof’ sound before he went flying into a tree and was knocked out cold. Neva looked around and noticed the others had taken care of the rest of the bandits, Klaus had chained a few to a tree, and Yuno had either knocked them out cold or immobilized them with his wind magic. Mimosa stood by with a big smile on her face.

“ Good work team!” She cheered as she clapped her hands together, Klaus let out a sigh as he pushed his glasses up his nose.

“ It would’ve been better if one of us hadn’t rushed in without discussing a plan first.” He said as he glared slightly at Yuno, who only stared back.

“ It would’ve taken too long. They were right there and it was the perfect time to strike, they were distracted, had their guards down, there wasn’t a better opportunity.” Yuno told him bluntly, causing Klaus to glare further as Neva and Mimosa watched them.

“ M-Maybe so! But we still should have discussed it as a team!” Klaus argued as Yuno began to walk away. “ Don’t walk away from me! We’re not done here!” He shouted after him and Yuno just continued walking.

“ Oh I like him.” Neva said with a smirk as she followed Yuno, Mimosa shrugged at Klaus and also walked away.

“ Are you all going to at least help me with the bandits?!”

————-

After loading the bandits up, the small team carried them back to the capital and dropped them off at the prison before heading back to their headquarters. As they were flying back Neva couldn’t stop herself from watching Yuno; she had honestly thought the rumors about him were just that, rumors. She had no idea they would actually be true, but even she could feel how strong his mana was back in the woods, how powerful he was. It was like he was blessed by it or something, and in all honesty, it made Neva a little jealous. But the more she thought about it, the more she got a wicked little thought in her head.

‘I wonder,’ She smirked at the thought. ‘If I could convince him to help me become Captain.’ Yuno must’ve noticed her eyes on him because he turned to look at her. She jumped slightly and quickly turned away, missing the suspicious look in his eyes.

After the four of them had made it back to the Golden Dawn headquarters they began walking toward the dining hall for dinner when Neva cleared her throat.

“ Hey Yuno, do you have a minute? I’d like to talk to you about something.” Neva asked, Yuno blinked in confusion.

“ Uh, sure? I guess.” He said before Mimosa and Klaus continued walking toward the hall, saying they’d save the two of them a seat. “ What’s up?” He asked after they had gone inside. Neva sat on the short courtyard wall and looked at him.

“ I just wanted to say that I underestimated you. When I first heard the rumors about you, I’ll admit I was skeptical, especially when you said you had wind magic.” Neva started as she crossed one leg over the other. “ But I was pleasantly surprised, so I apologize for my earlier doubts.” He shrugged.

“ It’s fine. You’re not the first person to underestimate me.” He told her as he placed one hand on his hip before turning to look at her. “ Although, I doubt that's the only reason you called me out here.” Neva almost laughed at how perceptive he was, ‘No wonder my father always told me to never judge a commoner. Sometimes, they’re smarter than they want you to think.’.

“ You’re right, there is something else I wanted to ask you,” she started before looking down at her shoes. “ What’s your goal?” She asked, he looked slightly taken aback by her question but he quickly recovered.

“ To become the Wizard King.” Yuno told her, she could hear the slightest amount of passion in his voice. She looked back up at him with a small smirk on her face.

“ I can help you reach that goal, but I have one condition.” Neva told him, and instantly he frowned at her. “ You see, I have a goal myself; to become Captain of the Golden Dawn someday and I believe we can help each other.” His eyes narrowed skeptically.

“ I can try and get us the more serious missions, the ones that will help us rise up the ranks and if I’m being 100% honest, you’ll rise up the ranks faster than I will. So all I ask is that when you rise up to the rank of Captain, because you will eventually, that you make me your Vice Captain and when you become the wizard king, that you make me the Captain of the Golden Dawn.” She proposed, and instantly his face went blank. Neva hated it when she couldn’t read people's faces, it made her nervous.

“ Sounds like you need me more than I need you.” He told her after a minute and it shocked her so much she nearly fell off the wall. ‘My proposal was excellent! Wasn’t it?’ She thought in disbelief, she quickly pulled herself back up the wall and glared.

“ T-That’s not it-.” She started but he cut her off.

“ Yes it is. You said it yourself; I will eventually rise up the ranks, all the way to Captain in your opinion, so why would I need your help if you believe I’ll do it even without it?” Yuno questioned, Neva looked down at the ground. He had a good point. She basically gave him every reason not to agree to her deal, ‘Wow, I really suck at this.’ She thought with a small huff before hearing Yuno sigh.

“ Do you know why you suck at trying to manipulate people?” He asked her. “ It’s because you’re not a manipulative person, I’ve only known you for a few hours but even I can see that. You don’t need my help, or anyone’s for that matter, to make it to Captain.” He added with a small shrug, Neva’s face turned a slight shade of pink as she looked up at him.

“ Heh. It’s funny, I’m sure at least a majority of this squad would disagree with you on all those points.” She muttered and she saw him roll his eyes.

“ Then let them, what does it matter what they think?” He asked her. “ Come on, let’s go get dinner.” He added as he began walking toward the dining hall door, Neva stood up and followed after him before suddenly remembering.

“ You go ahead and eat, I have to go report to the Captain.” She told him before walking past him, Yuno nodded at her before opening the dining hall door and walking inside.

————

Neva made her way to Vangeance’s office, a small smile on her face. Even though she completely failed at trying to get Yuno to help her, it felt really good having someone to talk to, someone other than the Captain anyway. She came upon his door and began to knock but she stopped herself; it sounded like he had company. She couldn’t make out the other voice as it was a hushed whisper, but she knew it wasn’t her Captain’s voice. She placed her ear against the door to see if she could hear any bits of the conversation, but they were just being too quiet. It sounded urgent if the tones of their voices signaled anything. Neva heard his boots approach the door and she quickly pulled away and held her hand up, as though she were just about to knock on his door. When Vangeance pulled it open to see Neva on the other side he was very surprised.

“ Neva, I wasn’t expecting you back so soon. I take it the mission went well?” He asked her, his voice calmer than what she had heard a moment ago. Neva couldn’t stop the frown from appearing on her face as she tried to look around him to see inside his office.

“ Uh, yeah it went fine. Is there someone in your office?” She asked turning to look at him, a small smile appeared on his face as he tilted his head.

“ No why? Is something wrong?” He asked her his voice, sounding a little confused, she blushed slightly and scratched the back of her head nervously.

“ N-No nothing wrong, I just thought…” Neva trailed off nervously, Vangeance chuckled a bit before patting the top of her head.

“ Its ok, you’re probably just tired. Go get some dinner and then try to get some rest. You’ve earned it today.” He said as began to walk away. “ Oh by the way, I’ll be gone for a while, I was called away on urgent business. So if you need anything, you’ll have to try and get a hold of Langris. Goodnight Neva.” He added as he continued walking away. She turned to look into his office and her eyes widened.

It was completely empty. It had only been him inside the office, Neva quickly turned to look at her Captains retreating form. She had never known him to be the type to talk to himself and it would be even more odd if he used a different voice when doing so. Neva’s face immediately became concerned.

Something was wrong with her Captain.

————

I’m sorry it’s not very good 😔. I’m thinking about skipping ahead a little bit or maybe trying to talk to some of my mutual writers because I’m really stuck on what I should write next since I’m trying really hard not to directly copy canon events. But anyway I hope you guys enjoyed this I apologize if you didn’t and I will try better next time. Have a good day everyone 💞~!

#black clover oc #oc neva #black clover fanfiction #a fractured diamond #i’m sorry its not very good #episode 2

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sunnywritesstuff34 · 3 years

Text

Found

(Working on my wips??? never heard of it. Hears an entirely different au then the other one I posted, which I will write more of. At some point. For now, Boruto brain rot has gotten to me, so here’s a weird au where Hinata had the two kids and then died and then Naruto took the kids and left the village under mysterious circumstances. Have fun, try to follow it as best as you can. You don’t need to watch Boruto to know what’s going on here. Just know that Naruto left the village with his kids in tow and they have no idea that they’re from Konoha. Oh and just like everything else this will probably be sns at some point because I am weak. Tell me if you like this one)

TW and CW for: potential parental death, implied past parental death, cursing, death, blood, children navigating traumatizing situations, probably medically inaccurate but its a fanfiction about gay ninjas so sue me, tell me if I miss anything this one isn’t too bad.

His father is dying and Boruto can't think.

He should do something, say something. Come up with a funny, stupid one liner or whatever. But he can't. He can't do fucking anything at all. Sometimes his brain feels like it's made of jelly, sloshing around uselessly in his head when he desperately needed to use it. The rain was coming down in torrents, a downpour that they hadn't expected. The giant trees stretch out above them and form a canopy as they stand at the forest floor, but the canopy isn't enough to stop the rain from reaching them. Boruto’s clothes are soaked through; sticking to his body. Thankfully the storm was warm, a summer downpour rather than an icy tsunami. But he didn't notice the rain, and he probably wouldn’t have given a damn anyway. His father was laying in the grass, the wound on his chest staining the green with crimson. Boruto desperately tried to use every healing technique he could remember, funneling chakra into his hands in a desperate attempt to close the wound. He was sixteen years old, his father had trained him in almost every technique he knew (mostly for defense), but truthfully, Naruto had never been good at healing jutsu either. So, Boruto’s skill was lacking in this area, and it was going to get his father killed. He couldn't weasel his way out of this one like he usually did, and that was becoming abundantly clear. His father had gotten nervous, Boruto was aware of that when they went there. They needed to draw close to Konohagakure to get across the Land of Fire and back home to Wave Country before winter set in, and that had immediately set Naruto on edge for some reason. Boruto didn't bother questioning it, he knew he wouldn't get any answers. Everything had been going fine, they were making good time, but then they got ambushed by bandits, and everything had happened so fast. It was all Boruto's fault, really. If he hadn't kept his father up so late the night before, he would have realized something was wrong earlier and managed to fend them off easily. Typically any opponent was no match for Boruto’s father, but none of them had been paying attention and the ambush was almost perfectly timed. Naruto scared them off and nearly got himself killed in the process, and now Boruto was here, stuck in time. He dimly felt a tug on his sleeve and vaguely registered Himawari talking to him.

“Is he gonna die?” she whispered. Boruto didn't even think about the question.

“No,” he answered immediately, letting the chakra fade from his fingertips and opting to just stop the bleeding manually instead, pressing on the wound. He was running out of time, there was so much blood and he could hardly get it to slow down and what would he do if- he felt the presence of ninja before he saw them, and that fully snapped him back to reality. Boruto forgot about his father for a second and whirled towards the other side of the clearing, shoving Himawari behind him. He had to protect her, that was the prerogative. He threw kunai blindly in that direction, three of them. The shinobi dodged the blades easily and then began advancing.

His eyes settled on the squad of shinobi standing in the grass as they assessed him. He grabbed another kunai from his pocket and flipped it into his hand, angling it outwards. Boruto narrowed his eyes. Ninja were never good news, rogue or otherwise. These didn't seem rogue, and that was probably for the best. Still, loyal shinobi could be just as dangerous. Could be even more so, and he had Himawari to think about. The clouds in his head seemed to clear. There was a woman heading the group, with platinum blond hair pulled back into a ponytail. Her eyes were light blue, a different color from theirs, and she seemed… welcoming, almost. Still, she had the scrutinizing gaze of a shinobi. Boruto watched her movements, careful.

“Don't come any closer,” he growled, trying to sound as threatening as he could manage, well aware of what he looked like. The hand holding his kunai was shaking. Who was he kidding? He’d gotten injured before while his father was fighting, he couldn't protect himself in this condition, let alone Naruto and his little sister as well. Still, he had to try. “Hear me? I said- I said stay away.” He gripped the kunai tighter, waiting for them to strike, make a move, do something. His father didn't trust ninja, they were to be avoided at all costs, even if he never seemed to have any necessarily malicious feelings towards them. Still, they were never to be trifled with under an circumstance. Never let them see what I taught you, he’d tell them, the few times where Naruto was serious. Ninjutsu are considered very dangerous, especially by shinobi. If they see you using ninjutsu it could get us in serious trouble. I mean it, Boruto. God, he wished Kurama was here right now, but by the looks of it, the demon was doing everything it could just to keep Naruto alive. Fine, they could do it on their own. Of course they could. The leading woman put her hands in the air and started edging towards him slowly. Her smile looked warm. He still didn't trust it. He gritted his teeth. What was she playing at?

“Hi there. My name’s Ino. What's your name?” she asked calmly. He didn't answer.

“It looks like something bad happened. You have someone injured behind you, it looks like they need help. If you let me I can heal them. What’s your name, kid?” Boruto hesitated. It was too good to be true. This was a trap, it had to be. She had two people behind her, two men. Someone with black hair pulled into a stark ponytail and a frown. The other looked a bit more kind, he had brown hair and welcoming eyes. He still didn't trust them, he couldn't trust this-

“Please!” Himawari shouted. Boruto blinked and before he could do anything about it, Himawari had ducked past him and was running towards the woman.

“Himawari! Get, get back here!” he shouted desperately, mind racing. They were going to kill her, what was she thinking? Himawari was usually more cautious, smart about these things despite her age. But the shinobi seemed surprised, not angry or poised to hurt her. She ran to the woman and tugged on her sleeve. Boruto froze.

“He’s- he’s hurt and Boruto can't help and there's blood- I, I mean i've seen blood before but this- he’s- he’s going to die, please-” the woman crouched down and smiled again, clasping Himawari’s hands gently with hers.

“Don't worry, I'm a medical ninja. I can help your father, okay?” She glanced at Boruto as if asking permission, and he found himself stepping aside, silently urging Himawari to come back to him. He moved out of the way and she ran into his arms. He should have been thinking about her more. She was clearly terrified, and he had been too psyched out to think about it. He scooped her up easily, suddenly more at ease now that he could confirm she would be safe. Boruto watched the medical ninja like a hawk as she moved over to his father, letting the other two approach as well. When the woman got a good look at him she gasped. “By the sages! What the fuck?” she demanded, sounding more juvenile all of a sudden.

“What? What is it?” the plump man asked, trying to get a better look.

“It's… it's Naruto.” Boruto stiffened, holding Himawari closer to him.

“How do you people know my dad’s name?” he demanded. He felt lightheaded, and the indignant shouts of ‘what?’ from the other ninja weren't helping. The woman ignored him for a moment, checking Naruto’s wounds. It didn't take her long to stop the bleeding and close the wound, and she stood right after and turned her attention back to Boruto.

“Listen kid, it's… it's a long story. He’s going to be alright but he needs further treatment at the hospital. We can help him if we take him back to the village.” Boruto hesitated again, but concluded he didn't have a choice. He was outnumbered and if he didn’t accept the help, whatever the ulterior motives were, Naruto would die. So Boruto nodded mutely.

“F-Fine. But you better answer me when we get back to… wherever you're taking me. And- and she stays with me,” he said, nodding at Himawari. The woman smiled shakily, clearly rattled by some realization about Boruto’s father. The larger man picked him up and carried him easily. So Boruto watched, hopeless, as they took his father away, and followed close behind, arm still wrapped around Himawari. He would lecture her about rash actions later, now wasn't the time. The man with long black hair was studying him, and he didn't like it. Boruto glared. “What?” he snapped. The man raised an eyebrow.

“I'm Shikamaru Nara,” he said. “What about you?” Boruto looked away.

“I… B-Boruto… Namikaze,” he said with finality. Boruto Uzumaki, he wanted to say. Descendant of Uzushiogakure, grand daughter of Kushina Uzumaki. But he didn't trust these people to share his real name, instead going with the one their father used occasionally. Shikamaru snorted.

“Original name,” he muttered. Boruto only frowned. “Well, alright. Your sister, it looks like she has Byakugan. Does she?” Boruto blinked.

“Byaku- Byaku… what?”

“Hm. Nevermind. C’mon, while your father’s in the hospital, i'll take you to see the Hokage.”

#oh boy #back at it again #boruto is a little less juvenile then he is in the show #but he's also older and I figured living on the run will do that to you #also himawari is smarter then he gives her credit for #she saw Ino and everybody and was immediatly like can trust and that was that #stay tuned for a very very awkward sasuke #trying to navigate talking to his oldest crush's kids #and coping with the betrayel that came with Naruto leaving in the first place.#speaking of that #why did naruto leave?#he had a reason #but thats for later <3 #naruto #naruto fanfiction #naruto fanfic #boruto #naruto uzumaki #in this au nart is a good dad #and Kurama is a coparent #stay tuned for that #boruto uzumaki #himawari #himawari uzumaki #Himawari looks just like Hinata and it hurt ino a little to see her #oh boy oh boy #forgot how much fun it was to write this au #i've got pieces of it stored somewhere #boruto next generation #boruto fanfiction

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kurt-nightcrawler · 4 years

Text

Together Again

John Allerdyce x Female Reader

Request: Hi! I love your your writing (especially the mother nature ones and crush honestly,,,,, art lmao) and I was wondering if you could write something else for John? Like honestly anything I'm just really starved for pyro content 😂 if you don't want to then uh dw 💜

A/N: if you guys want a blurb about wedding vows or baby making sex let me know!!

Warnings: teen pregnancy, swearing, mentions of sex, and some angst.

Word Count: 8.9k

“Hey, I know it’s been a while, but I miss you… and I know I shouldn’t… but I can’t help myself. I’m really sorry for everything I did. I hurt you, I acted out, I ruined all the relationships I had at the mansion…” His voice faltered as tears fell from his eyes.

“Um, you don’t have to call me back… I’m just really sorry for being such an asshole… You deserved better…”

You jokingly scoffed to yourself.

Typical John, You mused. Never realizing his potential.

“I love you…”

The voice message ended. You felt your eyes watering. Despite it all, you missed him. You missed John so much.

He joined Magento’s army, brotherhood, and left you. You didn’t want to side with either of them, Charles or Erik.

You wanted to run away somewhere, live a small-town life, maybe in Europe or something. You hadn’t really figured out all the details, but you assumed that figuring it out as you went along would suffice. As long as you had John by your side, nothing could get in your way.

But then he wasn’t by your side. And your entire world came crashing down.

You had woken up to an empty bed. Unusual, since John was in it with you the night before.

His clothes were gone, and it felt like he had never been there to start with.

You got yourself out of bed, not even bothering to change out of your pajamas. You wanted to know where he went.

You made it downstairs to the den, where your friends were seated with some staff members.

“Ah, (Y/N),” Xavier said. “You’re awake. Please sit down.”

You sat down on the couch next to Kitty. “What’s going on? Where’s John?”

“Allerdyce left,” Logan stated with a bitter tone.

“Left? What do you mean he left?”

“Magento is forming a new brotherhood of mutants, and he’s planning to attack Worthington industries.”

“Is this about the “cure”?” You asked.

Xavier nodded, “John left to join him.”

No… You couldn’t believe what you were hearing. “That can’t be true. He wouldn’t just leave and not tell anyone. He would have told me if he was thinking about joining forces with Magento!”

“(Y/N),” You looked over at Bobby, “We had an argument in our room late last night. I tried to convince him to stay but—“

“No…” You were shaking. “You’re— you’re lying!” You stood up too quickly and you got a head rush.

“I wish I was—“

You felt like you were going to be sick. You could hear the blood pounding in your ears. Your vision was blurry, and you were sweating.

You ran to the nearest trash can and dunked your head in as you heaved.

Kitty held your hair back and rubbed your back. “Let it out. Let it out, (Y/N)...”

You puked your guts out until you didn’t have the energy to continue. Then, you turned over, moving your head out of the trash and started crying.

No one knew what to do about you— and Magneto trying to kill a bunch of people was a bit more of a pressing issue.

You didn’t want to go to Worthington industries and fight. You didn’t want to see him. You wanted to be left alone.

Plus, with your mutation, the X-Men thought you’d be a good guard for the mansion if anything happened.

It was a few days before anyone came back, and while they were gone you caught a stomach bug. Constantly vomiting, bad cramps, and your chest was extremely sore.

You didn’t know what to do about it, so you kept a trash can nearby and drank lots of water and took some ibuprofen.

When everyone returned, Bobby, Kitty, and Rogue, all ran to hug you, knowing you’d need it.

“I punched him for you,” Bobby whispered. You held him tighter and let silent tears rain down your face as you hugged him.

The three of them told you about the battle, and what happened to everyone, and a new addition to the team— Scott’s younger brother, Alex Summers, who had apparently been friends with one of the brotherhood members, but decided to switch sides and support his brother.

He was in the medical bay downstairs with everyone else, getting checked out.

“What have you been up to?”

You let out a weak laugh, “Nothing much. I’ve been watching tv and puking my guts out the past few days…”

Your friends nodded in sympathy. “You’re probably sick from all the stress…” Rogue commented.

“Yeah, that’s probably it. When it’s a good time, I’ll ask Dr. Grey to give me some medicine other than pain killers.”

“Good idea…”

“I’m gonna go shower,” Rogue said, getting up from the couch.

“Me too! Kitty replied. “Are you going to change Bobby?”

He looked over at her, “Uh, yeah. I will in a little bit.” The girls walked off, satisfied with his answer.

You patted Bobby’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t talk him out of leaving…”

“He’s… He’s stubborn. I don’t think any of us could have convinced him to stay…”

“(Y/N)...” Bobby sighed.

“He never told me about even wanting to leave!” Your words stung in the air like venom.

“He’s not coming back, is he?”

Bobby shook his head, “I don’t think so. After the fight, the brotherhood just kind of wandered off… We have no idea where any of them went—“

“And that includes John…”

There was a pregnant pause before Bobby spoke up.

“He really loves you.”

“Not enough to stay,” You scoffed.

“He just didn’t want you to get hurt… And while he’s dumb as shit, deep down, he meant well…”

“It’s just…” You snuffled your nose. “Three years, B. We were together for three years. He confided in me, and we trusted each other and we were gonna move out to the countryside in France or maybe Denmark…” Your cries interrupted your words, and all Bobby could do was hug you. Trying his best to comfort you.

You weren’t sick with a stomach bug from stress— you were pregnant.

It was simultaneously the best and worst news of your life. Everyone was supportive and kept reminding you, you didn’t have to keep it, you were only 18.

You weren’t sure what you were going to do. John wasn’t there and you had almost no money.

You didn’t want to raise a child alone, but you didn’t want to send them into foster care either.

It was a messy situation, and with each week passing by, your baby grew, reminding you to make a decision.

“I’m going to keep it. I’m going to stay here and raise my baby. It’ll probably be a mutant, so what better place for a mutant child to grow up?”

Everyone was excited for you and your baby. Kitty was excited to “be an aunt”, Rogue was excited, ablet a little nervous, with her no-touch rule, and Bobby just wanted you to be happy.

You found out you were having a boy, and you were so excited, you cried. Jean and Ororo threw a baby shower for you and Bobby, Logan, and Scott helped redo your room so it could function for the baby too.

Everything was going great. So great, in fact, you didn’t think about him most nights.

You still longed for John, and you wanted him there with you, to see your baby at the ultrasound screenings, feel him kick for the first time, and decide on names. But you had to remain strong. With or without John, you needed to be a good mom for your son.

Before and after his birth.

No one was allowed on the roof normally, but you were especially not allowed in your condition.

Yet you went up there anyway, for a moment of quiet and alone time.

You had snuck up to the roof before in your 4 years at Xavier’s. Most times it had been to hide with John. Or just lay and star gaze— your head resting on his chest, and his hands either preoccupied with his flames, or they’d be in your hair.

You placed a hand on your stomach, thinking it would maybe soothe you, but it didn’t really work.

You heard footsteps, and you quickly looked over to see who it was.

“Sorry— I uh, I didn’t think anyone was up here.” He started to leave.

“Alex, no, you’re fine. You can stay.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah! Of course.” He walked over and sat next to you.

“How’ve you been?”

“Good, good.” He nodded. “How have you been?”

“Same as you…” You both awkwardly laughed together.

“That’s good.”

“Mmhmm…”

Alex shifted in his spot awkwardly.

“Are you uh… are you excited about being a mom?”

You laughed. He was so nervous. “Yeah. I mean, I’m nervous as hell, but I have all my friends around, more than willing to help me, and my life is secure and safe.”

Alex nodded, shy and awkward, yet attentive.

“Is… Is Bobby excited about being a dad?”

You were shocked. “Bobby’s gay.”

“I know, but wait— isn’t he— is he—“ Alex was so confused.

“Bobby’s probably my best friend here, his old roommate, um, he’s the father…”

Alex’s face was red as a tomato. “Oh…”

He knew about Bobby’s old roommate, seeing as he took over his spot in his room. He didn’t know much, and he was pretty sure he died or something.

“I’m sorry…”

“It’s fine. You didn’t know…”

“Did he… did he die?”

You rubbed your eyes. “No… he left to join the brotherhood, days before I found out I was pregnant…” Alex listened to your every word. He still didn’t know who this guy was, considering he too, joined the brotherhood during the battle at Worthington industries, but so did a ton of other mutants.

“I don’t really know how to contact him now, and… I don’t really want to at the moment.”

“You don’t have to…” Alex said. “He left, and that’s his problem.”

“Yep… And besides, I’m not alone. I have my friends and family here.”

“Yeah, see! You’re doing great.”

You laughed at Alex’s words. He was cute and dorky. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

You were crying. Crying in pain, in joy, in sorrow, in relief— you were extremely emotional. Your baby was finally born.

Once he got all cleaned up, umbilical cord cut, and was in your arms, laying on your bare chest for some bonding, people started coming in.

At first, it was just Bobby, Kitty, Rogue, and Alex. They had some flowers, balloons, and presents with them.

“We got you some things…” Rogue began.

“Awww... how are you guys?” Kitty interrupted.

“We’re fine. He’s asleep.” You glanced down at your chest.

“He’s so small.” Alex’s eyes were glossy.

“He’s all pink,” Bobby observed.

Kitty hit him on the arm, “He just came out of her vagina!”

You laughed, “He was a C-section.”

“Oh, I was a tumor baby.” Everyone looked at Bobby like he grew a second head. “What?”

Rogue rolled her eyes, “Anyway, we all got you a card and some gifts.” She set them down on the ledge near the visiting chairs and window.

“You guys didn’t have to do that.”

“Most of them are for the little guy,” Alex said.

“Still! He’s gonna be so spoiled…”

Your nurse walked in after you said that. “Alright mama, we gotta get him weighed and everything. Just get stuff for the birth certificate…” She set papers down on your table tray. “If you’re up for it, you can fill stuff out now, or have someone else do it for you… We’ll be back in a little bit.”

“Aww, bye…” Your friends cooed at your son.

You rolled your eyes, smiling. “He’ll be in the nursery, and you can go see him in a little bit. Then if he’s fine, he’ll be back here with me and you guys can hold him.”

“We can’t stay in here forever. This room is too small, plus Scott and his posse wanna come say hi.”

“Right, right.” You took a sip from your water bottle the hospital gave you and looked at the birth certificate and other papers with it.

“So… What’s his name?”

“I don’t know…” You admitted. You hadn’t really thought of a name.

Well, you had, but it was kind of stupid.

You wanted to name him after John, his father because he was one of the few things you had left of John. You also wanted to name him after Bobby or Alex, because they’d been some of your best friends and there for you during your pregnancy.

“Well, you have sixty days to think about it.” Bobby reminded you.

“Yeah,” You yawned. “Oh boy… Sorry— Sorry, I just—“

“Nonsense. You gave birth like what maybe an hour or two ago? Take a nap. You deserve it,” Kitty told you.

“Yeah, we’ll go down to the nursery and see if we can spot him.”

“Okay, you guys sure?”

“Yes, mom,” Alex teased. “We’re sure.”

“Okay, okay.”

“We’ll be back.”

Once the four shuffled out of your room, you quickly examined the birth certificate.

You took a pen and wrote down your name, John’s, and the perfect name for your son.

“Johnathan-Robert Alexander (Y/L/N)! Get back here!” Rogue scolded.

“Sorry Marie, I just saw a cool bird, and it flew away…”

She ruffled his hair, “Your mom is gonna be mad if we don’t eat lunch. I let you play outside for an extra twenty minutes.”

“Oh, okay…”

It had been six years since your son was born. You named him after his dad and your two best guy friends. His nickname was Jr, or Junior, because of his initials.

He took after you mostly, except he had John’s eyes and mutation.

You and your friends all became X-Men and teachers at the mansion, and they all pitched in to help raise Junior, despite you telling them over and over again that they didn’t have to.

It wasn’t easy. You were a young mom— there were some pity looks at the grocery store, people asking if Junior was your little brother, you had no biological family around, despite the X-Men making up for it, and you were single.

Not the end of the world, but sometimes, late at night, you thought about John.

You know he did what he thought was right, somehow. You just wish he didn’t leave. Keeping you safe, what bullshit.

Sometimes you resented him and you were glad he was gone. Sometimes you cried and wished he was there with you.

He would have been a great dad. Nervous, and a little unsure at times, sure, but you know he’d love Junior and do anything for him.

You were grading papers when your phone rang.

You didn’t recognize the number, and you had no idea who’d be calling you at noon in the middle of the week.

It stopped ringing and you didn’t look at it again for the rest of the hour.

You glanced over at your phone as you took a bite from your salad. The caller left a message in your voice box, which was weird since spam calls usually don’t do that.

Maybe it was someone with the wrong number, thinking you were a lost loved one.

Oh god! I better listen to the message!

You picked up your phone and went to your messages.

Your finger didn’t even hover over and hesitate when it hit the play button.

You were crying. Six years later. Six years later, and he finally reached out.

You didn’t know what to do.

What did he want?

You rubbed your temple. What if he’d been in trouble with some bad people? What if he was dying?

You quickly selected his number on your screen.

“Would you like to call? Yes or no?”

Your thumb hovered over yes.

Why didn’t you just push it? What were you so afraid of?

“God…” You groaned. “What am I doing?”

“No! No, no… I have to call him back. Urgh!” You ran a hand through your hair.

“Whooooo…” You hit yes, out your phone up to your ear, and let the phone ring.

You were sweating and your heart was pounding like a drum.

What if he didn’t pick up?

“Hello?”

“Hi, John, it’s me… (Y/N).”

You asked him to come to the mansion, to sit down and talk to you. He seemed nervous over the phone, but he agreed to come and talk.

“He called you? After six years of nothing?” Kitty scoffed in disbelief.

“My number isn’t the same as it was in 2006. Plus who knows what he’s been up too since…” Your words trailed off.

“Why didn’t you ask to meet up at like a Starbucks or the library?” Alex asked.

“I want him to meet Junior.”

“Are you insane?!” Rogue asked, looking over at you.

“The mansion is a place we’re both familiar with, and he doesn’t have to see him right away…”

The three all had unsure looks on their faces.

“It’s my decision. And while you’ve all been more than supportive, I believe he has a right to meet his son. He doesn’t have to be in his life permanently, as much as I’d like that, but he should at least know about him. See him once, maybe.”

“You’re right,” Kitty spoke up. “He deserves to meet his kid. We may not like him or want him around, but Junior is his son. We can’t change that.”

“Kitty’s right. John’s not the greatest, but he always tried when it came to you, and he deserves to meet his son.”

“When is he coming over?”

“Tomorrow at 10.”

“Hey, kiddo.” You slowly opened your son’s door and peaked in. “You ready for bed?”

“Yep!” He popped the p. “I fed George and Rock and Socks.” Those were the fish in his little aquarium. “I brushed my teeth, and I put my pajamas on!”

You gave him a hug, “That’s great, sweetie!”

Junior sat under his covers in his bed, and you sat on the edge. “What’d you do in your classes today?”

“Well, Ms. Monroe read us a book about a farm where the cows found a typewriter and made the farmer change the farm up!”

Wow, starting them young.

“And then she taught us about different types of plants. Did you know broccoli is actually a flower?”

“I did not,” You blinked.

“Does this mean I don’t have to eat it anymore? People don’t eat flowers!”

Oh, Junior thought he was so slick.

“Actually kiddo, some flowers are edible. So, no, you can’t cut out broccoli.”

He frowned, “But I don’t wanna eat flowers!”

“Rules are rules… And besides, you wanna eat healthily and get strong, don’t you?”

“Yeah!” Junior’s face lit up. “So I can beat Gabe when we wrestle!”

Gabe was Scott and Alex’s 10-year-old brother, who also went to Xavier’s school. He was one of the few kids even close to Junior’s age, making them almost best friends.

“See! That’s the spirit! Now, do you want me to read to you before you go to sleep?”

“Hmm… Hmm… Hmm…”

You laughed a little, “I’ll take that as a no.”

Junior yawned, “Hmm…”

“I’ll let you get some sleep, okay?” You got up, bending down to kiss his forehead.

“Okay, mom… Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, sweetie.”

You closed the door behind you as you stepped out. You stood there for a moment to take a breather.

John was going to love him, you weren’t worried about that. You were worried if you still had feelings for him and you were acting irrationally.

No, You decided as you brushed your teeth in your bathroom. I’m not acting irrationally. I’ve wanted to talk to him since he left. I have no anger or sadness left in me, and I just want to catch up.

“(Y/N),” Professor Xavier spoke into your mind. “You’re making part of the mansion shake.”

“Shit!” You dropped your toothbrush into the sink and tried to pace your breath.

“It’s alright, dear.”

You had geological manipulation, and while you had practically mastered it, you still struggled at times.

You rubbed your face with a towel and sighed.

You knew getting any sleep was out the door at that point.

You must have fallen asleep at some point and gotten some sleep because you woke up almost an hour late.

“No, no, no!” You were frantic, slipping on your clothes, trying to brush your hair and somehow rock half-assed bed head and no makeup so you could be presentable in under five minutes.

“Hey, (Y/N), you slept through your alarm—“

“I know, Bobby!” You were running down the hall to get to your classroom.

“So I got Junior dressed and ready for the day—“

You slowed down to stop and open your door, looking at Bobby. “Oh my god. Thank you so much…” You instantly wrapped him into a hug.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay…”

“I’m just so worried… about John and—“

“You’re gonna be fine,” He soothingly rubbed one of his hands on your back.

“I got no sleep last night… I’m anxious about John coming back too. We’re in this together, okay?”

“Yeah, together.”

You stood peeking through a window, waiting for him.

10:00 came, and a rugged, black Jeep pulled through the gates.

You watched him step out of the car— brown leather jacket, facial hair, and he looked slightly more muscular than you’d last seen him. He’d aged, just like you, but not in a bad way, despite the fact he looked a bit tired. But then again, so did you.

You left your hiding spot and went outside to greet him.

“Hey!”

“Hey!” He quickly checked you out, but it didn’t go undetected by you. “Wow, you look— great!”

“You too.” You stood there, face to face, unsure if a hug or a handshake was appropriate.

“So, how have you been?”

“Good, um— well, a lot has changed since you left…”

John nodded awkwardly. “But uh… I could give you a tour. Tell me about what you’ve been up to?”

“Yeah, sure. Sounds good.”

“So… Bobby, Rogue, Kitty, and I all became teachers...“ John chuckled. “What? Hard to believe?”

“No, no…” He shook his head. “Are Bobby and Rogue still together?”

You laughed, “No way! Bobby came out of the closet and Marie sees some guy from New Orleans, I think his name is Remy? I’m not really sure…

John smiled, “Yeah, he told me— junior year, he didn’t like girls.”

“It hurt, Rogue,” You admitted. “But she understood.”

“Well, that’s good, I suppose…”

“Yeah, yeah.” You wandered down the halls a bit, before speaking up.

“So… what have you been up to?”

“Well, I lived in Genosha for awhile…”

“Magento’s hippie colony?”

“Hey!” He jokingly scoffed. “It’s not a hippie colony!”

“Okay, Mister.”

“Anyway, I uh, I started writing…”

You rose your brows in surprise, “Really? What do you write about?”

“Romance, mostly…” John was flustered. “Gothic romance. One of the people on Genosha knew a guy, he’s a literary agent—“

“Wait, are you…?”

“Yeah, I’m an actual published author. I only have two books out right now, the first one came out in 2008, and the other just last year.”

You were baffled, all this time, and you could have contacted him sooner somehow. “I had no idea… congratulations! That’s amazing!”

“Thank you…”

“Yeah, of course. You do anything else?”

“My mom died two years ago… I went to her funeral… I saw my dad.”

“How’d that go?”

“Not great… but, you know how it is.” You nodded in sympathy. “Anyway, what’s new with you? Besides teaching… Any new X-Men? Are you… seeing anyone…?”

“Scott’s younger brother joined the team, and he has another brother—“

“Mommy! Mom!” You froze. John noticed your shift in demeanor and glanced from you to Junior.

“Junior, you’re supposed to be in class.”

“I was, but then Stacy Brown, the girl with the lizard tongue, threw up, so Stacy got taken to Dr. Grey’s lab and Ororo let us leave early.”

“I know who Stacy Brown is, sweetie. You don’t have to tell me she has a lizard tongue. That’s not very nice to point out people’s mutations.”

Junior frowned and sulked a little, “I’m sorry…”

“I forgive you.”

John’s eyes kept moving between you and Junior. When did you have a kid? He couldn’t be any older than five or six.

“Hi. Who are you?” The kid spoke to him.

“Oh,” John crouched down to equal eye level. “I’m John… What’s your name?”

“My name is John, too! Well, actually Johnathan-Robert, I was named after my dad and one of his closest friends, even though his name isn’t actually Johnathan. Everyone calls me Junior though, cause my initials are JR.”

John was floored. He had a son.

He had a son, and he left him. He left you.

Oh, God…

“Uh, Mr… Mr. John?” Junior asked. “Why are you crying?”

“Uh, Junior, sweetie…” You trailed off. “He’s your dad.”

“Oh! Oh, I’m sorry…”

John wiped his eyes and stood up, “What for?”

“I made you cry… I’m really sorry…”

“It’s okay. They were happy tears.” He rubbed his eyes.

“Oh… Do you wanna see my fish? I have 3 of them in my room, they live in a terrarium!”

“Aquarium,” You corrected him.

“That’s what I said!”

John smiled, “Yeah, I’d like that.”

“Come on, then!” Junior grabbed his hand and led him upstairs.

John moved back in.

Not with you necessarily, but he wanted to be a part of Junior’s life. He felt like the world’s biggest asshole for leaving days before you found out you were pregnant.

He joined the brotherhood because he felt like you were the only person who saw him as a decent human being. He didn’t agree with everything Xavier said and stood for, and he was tired of people comparing him to Bobby.

He wanted to fight for what he thought was right. He wanted to be able to just do what he wanted without hurting the one person he cared about. Which is why he didn’t tell you he was leaving.

But he knew he hurt you. He knew soon as the battle was over and he claimed one of the small homes on Genosha as his.

He was scared to reach out the first few months. And then he assumed you left Xavier’s and he didn’t know how to contact you from there. He only just got your number because a graduate from Xavier’s moved to Genosha, giving him your number and telling him you hadn’t left.

He didn’t even hesitate to call you. He didn’t even care if you cursed him out on the other line, yelling about how you never wanted to see him again. He just wanted to hear your voice one more time.

What he wouldn’t have done to hold you in his arms again, feel your soft, pink lips against his, your bodies pressed against each other, becoming one.

But he knew he didn’t deserve any of it. He didn’t deserve you. He knew he fucked up.

And what hurt him the most was he thought he was worse than his own father. The one who beat him, called him a monster, sent him away to a foreign country, left in the care of strangers— he thought he was worse because he wasn’t there in the beginning. He wasn’t there for the doctor’s appointments, the birth, or his first steps and words.

You talked to him. Tried to convince him he wasn’t bad, while still holding your ground and making him responsible for just up and leaving.

“I should have gone with you. You know I would have. I would have followed you to the fucking moon if you asked.”

“I know… I just thought keeping you out of all that was the best choice.”

“We were fucking kids John! We really didn’t know much. We still don’t! We’re 23 with a child.”

“You don’t have to forgive me. You don’t have to love me again. I just want to be in my son’s life, please.” He was trying his best to not cry again.

“Most of the time you’re a great guy. I want you in Junior’s life… I just… I don’t know if we can ever go back to how it was before.” I still love you, but I’m not ready to rush into anything…

“Yeah, no, I get that. You have no reason to trust me, and no obligations to date me…”

You sighed, “I want us to be friends. Not for anyone’s sake but for our own… because as much as I should… I don’t hate you.”

“Thank you.” His voice was breaking.

“Friends?”

He nodded, “Yeah, friends.” You wrapped him in your arms in place of a handshake. Neither of you said anything. Nothing needed to be said.

John had been living at the X-Mansion for almost two years. He taught an English class or two and continued to write more gothic romance novels while spending as much time as he could with Junior.

He became friends with Bobby, Kitty, and Rogue again. He became friends with Alex. He was friends with you, despite wanting more.

But he knew he didn’t deserve it, and he was just glad to get what he could.

“So… what do they like, do in Romania?”

You looked up from your lesson plan for the week and gave John a funny look.

“What do they do in Romania? Aren’t you the one writing about vampires? You should know.”

“Yeah, but you’re a history teacher!”

“I teach kids about the civil war, Marie Antionette, and the Han dynasty.”

You sometimes worked together in the library or in one of your rooms or classrooms. John— writing the next chapter of his novel— and you, usually doing lesson plans or grading tests.

“What are you writing about anyway?” You turned in your chair to watch John scribble words down in his notebook. He preferred to write down on paper first, then type it up.

“Well, she’s making Von take her on a date since she’s been living with him for a month and he confessed he liked her.”

“Isn’t Von a vampire?”

John nodded, “Half. Anyway, he’s gonna like, take her stargazing on the rooftop. I don’t know what else they’re gonna do after that.”

You pondered for a moment, “We used to do that all the time…”

“Yeah, um…”

You laughed a little, teasing him. “Do you base all your stories on our romantic endeavors?”

“Not all of them!” He defended.

“That so?” John hummed in response. “What has the great womanizer, St. John Allerdyce, been up to in his love life the last few years?”

“Not much,” He admitted. “I went on a few dates, a handful of hookups, but nothing really worked out…” He tried to shake the feeling of longing for you off, “What about you?”

“Same as you. Not much luck, especially with being a young mom, and raising a kid with two of her best friends who are guys, it tends to… scare people away…”

John swung his legs to the side of the bed, about to get up.

“They’re pussies,” He said while looking at you.

You nodded, not noticing he got up, “Yeah, besides I’m busy…”

Your train of thought was forgotten as John’s eyes looked into yours. You weren’t speaking.

Your eyes glanced down at his lips. They were soft and pink.

You cleared your throat, trying to distract yourself from your thoughts, unaware John’s brain was on the same page as yours.

He unexpectedly pressed his lips against yours. You were wide-eyed with shock as he did so. You weren’t expecting that.

But you were glad it happened.

He broke away too quickly for your liking. “I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have—“

“Do it again.”

“What?” John almost thought you were kidding.

“Kiss me again, Sinjin.”

And so he did. His lips collided with yours, your mouths moving in sync.

His weight and force caused you to fall back in your chair, with John straddling your waist. Your hands were tugging on the hair at the nape of his neck, causing him to moan a little against your mouth. His hands were roaming up and down your body.

You partially ground against his crotch, causing him to break his lips away from yours and curse.

It didn’t last long, as he went back to kissing your lips like a horny teenager, pulling your shirt up off of you.

“Wait, wait, stop.” John froze, looking you directly in the eyes, his face barely two inches away from yours.

“Is everything alright?”

“Buy me dinner first, before you undress me, okay?”

You didn’t want to get carried away. You wanted a clear mind before you slept with him again. Kissing and going on a few dates and whatever else you were doing was enough at that moment.

He nodded, in total awe of you— The small details of your face one could only see if they were this close— “Tomorrow at 7. Does that work for you?”

“That’s perfect.”

“So I need you— if you can’t that’s fine! You have lives of your own— but I kind of need someone to watch Junior for the night.”

You really hated asking people to babysit, but it was Kitty and Rogue. They wouldn’t care.

“Not that we won’t do it,” Kitty said. “But why can’t John watch him?”

“Well—“

suddenly, Bobby burst through the door, screaming the girls’ names.

“KATHERINE! ANNA MARIE! I HAVE HUGE NEWS!”

“What is it?”

“John—“ He looked at you, and then stopped his sentence.

“Oh… I’m assuming you told them.”

“Told us what?” Rogue asked.

“John and (Y/N) are going on a date.”

“Finally,” Kitty let out.

You were confused, “What do you mean, finally?”

“Are— are you serious?” Bobby asked in disbelief.

You nodded.

“You two are so in love, it’s sickening sometimes!” Rogue scoffed.

“We are not!” You knew that wasn’t true. You obviously still had feelings and so did he, but love? You weren’t sure if it was that.

“Please, he never stopped loving you, and you never stopped loving him.”

“Bobby…”

“(Y/N)...”

You groaned.

“Look, I’m not gonna push you into saying the L-word anytime soon, but the guy writes romance novels for fuck’s sake! You’re gonna have a great time no matter what.”

Yeah, you thought to yourself as John drove down the crowded New York roads.

We’re gonna have a great time no matter what.

You went to some restaurant that just opened. It wasn’t too fancy or too casual, but since it was new, you still needed a reservation.

After dinner, you walked around the city streets, just catching up, looking at shops and apartment buildings and all the people.

It almost felt like you were teenagers again.

Holding hands, watching the sunset…

John pulled out his phone to snap a few pictures. You decided to try and photobomb, making dumb faces and peeking your head into view of the camera.

John shifted his hands and arms so you were the camera’s main focus.

The way the sun's rays reflected through the lens behind you making you glow, (John already thought you were most of the time), your goofy smile— he took a picture, but to him, it looked more like a renaissance painting.

He glanced away from his phone to see you without a lense.

You still looked like a heavenly being to him. You always did— strong, beautiful, intelligent, witty, and you were an amazing mom.

He didn’t have anyone to use as a base for “mom skills”, but he didn’t need that to know you were amazing. Not just with Junior, but all the young kids at the mansion.

Of course, there were times when you faltered or felt like you weren’t good enough, times where you would make the mansion shake on accident, but everyone had weak points.

John didn’t see you as any lesser for them, he knew your life wasn’t easy. Even if he had never left, it wouldn’t have been perfect.

But he couldn’t dwell on the past forever, despite how much he wanted to at some of his weaker moments.

“Whatcha looking at?”

He blinked. “You… The sunset… You look like an angel.”

You nervously laughed, “Stop it.”

John put his phone away and got back to your side.

“I’m serious, you’re beautiful…”

Your gaze fell down to your feet, not unnoticed by John.

“Hey,” He cupped your face with his hand, forcing your gaze on him. “It’s okay if you don’t believe me right now, but you will one day… I promise you that.”

His hand faltered and you hugged him.

“God, you’re so nice to me.”

“I don’t deserve you.” He plainly stated.

You narrowed your eyes at him and pointed a finger. “No self-deprecating talk!”

John laughed at your attitude shift. It was cute. “Alright, but that means nothing from you either.“

“Fine.”

John kissed the top of your head, causing you to smile like a madman. It made his heart flutter a bit.

Your first date was almost two years ago. It seemed so long ago, yet almost like it was yesterday.

You woke up to the sound of your alarm.

You immediately woke up, but John just groaned and stirred in his sleep a little.

He had an arm wrapped around you, so you had to wiggle your way out of bed. “Come on, sleepyhead…”

John groaned some more, his grip on you just got tighter.

“If you don’t let me out, I’ll pee on the bed.”

John’s eyes shot open, and you smirked to yourself, having been victorious.

“That would be hot.”

You gagged as you walked into your bathroom. “Gross!”

John followed you, “You know I’m just joking.”

You shook your head, a smile evident on your face. “I know, I know.”

You turned the sink on and began washing your face. John used the empty space in the mirror to brush out his bed head.

You caught him starring at you a few times as you both went through your morning routines.

“What are you thinking about?”

“Nothing.” He kissed the crook of your neck. “Today’s just gonna be a good day. That’s all. I can feel it.”

You let his words sink in for a moment.

“Yeah, today’s gonna be a good day.”

That’s when John knew. His instinct, gut, or whatever you call it, knew this was it.

He casually walked out of the bathroom and grabbed a small box. You were preoccupied with applying some makeup.

He came back in, on one knee in the doorway.

You looked over at him, nearly dropping your brush on to the floor, your jaw slack.

“(Y/N), I love you. And this isn’t some big romantic gesture, but love isn’t only seen in big romantic gestures. It’s the small things, the intimate moments. I did have something planned, but I really couldn’t wait. I love you… and…” John’s words trailed off. He was starting to cry. Your eyes were watering too.

“Will you marry me?”

You nodded, “Yes, yes!”

John got up and kissed you. Then he slipped the ring on your finger.

You admired it, “Wow… it’s beautiful…”

“So are you.”

You kissed him without missing a beat.

“You may now kiss the bride.”

John didn’t hesitate with that.

People cheered and some jokingly wolf-whistled. Junior made a sour face.

Your wedding was magical, and despite having to say hello to every guest and dance at least twice, you were happy. So happy.

John was happy too. He had a big smile on his face the whole time, no matter what and he was so excited to call himself your husband.

Some people teased him and others were very surprised, claiming John was really out of his element.

You knew better though. You both just loved each other, and after John spilled his guts on how much he loved you in front of everyone at the altar, he couldn’t care less who saw him like this.

You just had a quick breakfast before you had to teach your first-hour class. You didn’t think anything of it as you were running a bit behind.

You were fine though, and your schedule was going smoothly, your class was taking notes as you talked about the French Revolution. Students were asking questions when needed, and most of them were paying attention.

Suddenly, you felt a wave of nausea hit you. You tried to keep it down, but you couldn’t, and immediately darted to the trash can near your desk.

Your students were murmuring among each other, unsure of what to do.

“Um… Ms. (Y/L/N)? Are you okay?”

You used a tissue to wipe your mouth and applied some hand sanitizer.

“Yeah— um—“

You couldn’t come up with an excuse though, for one of your students opened a portal and grabbed John and another teacher.

John rushed to your aid, asking if you were alright.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.”

“I’m gonna take you to Dr. Grey. Piotr, can you watch her class for a little bit?”

“Yeah, sure.” He replied, a little unsure and worried about your well being.

John helped you out of your classroom, despite you insisting you didn’t need help.

Thankfully Jean was in the lab, so you didn’t have to go looking for her.

As you explained what happened, John sat at your side like a nervous puppy.

“Babe, I’m not going to die. I probably just ate something bad and my stomach didn’t agree with it.”

“Food poisoning is really serious—“

“It’s probably not that.”

“You rarely get sick aside from the common cold or seasonal allergies.” He reminded you.

Jean smiled, at how much John was worrying. It showed he cared.

“Have you had anything else happen to you lately?”

“I’ve been a lot more tired, and more headaches, but that’s just aging, right?”

“Probably. I’m gonna have you fill this out though, just in case.” Jean handed you a clipboard with a questionnaire attached.

You read each question, leaving a checkmark or an x, depending on what it was. You handed it back to Jean and she read it over.

“I’m gonna have you pee in a cup, just so I can test it for a few things.” Jean opened a plastic wrapping and handed you a small plastic cup.

“Bathroom’s on the right.”

You came back quickly, informing Jean you left the cup in the bathroom.

“I’ll go get that… and I should be back with your results soon.”

She walked out, leaving you and John alone.

You checked your phone, seeing some missed texts from Kitty.

KITTY: Hey

KITTY: heard you puked in class today :( you alright?

(Y/N): yeah, I’m in Jean’s lab. She’s testing my urine for something…

KITTY: oh my god! Are you pregnant?

(Y/N): What!!?

KITTY: that’s usually why they test urine. Although, when I’d go to the dr. they’d make me pee to see if there was like protein in my pee or something

KITTY: idk

(Y/N): There’s no way!

(Y/N): Well...

KITTY: *side eye emoji* didn’t you tell me your period was a little late?

(Y/N): Yeah, but that’s normal!

KITTY: You’re almost 30

(Y/N): So? Your period isn’t always regular, and we’re the same age

KITTY: I’m a lesbian. You have a husband.

You turned your phone off. What if you were pregnant again?

Obviously, you were in a good place, you would be fine having a kid. (Plus, Junior had been asking for a sibling awhile back.) You just hadn’t really discussed it with John.

Why mess up a good thing? You, know? You didn’t need another child, but you wouldn’t be disappointed.

Oh god! You were definitely pregnant and what if John didn’t want more kids? What if your body couldn’t handle carrying another baby? What if—

“Sweetheart, you’re shaking.” John’s hands held yours, trying to keep them from moving. “Are you alright? Do you feel like you’re gonna faint?”

“I might be pregnant…” You whispered. You don’t know why you whispered it.

“Are you sure?”

“My period is late— but even after five different kinds of birth controls it’s never really been on a regular schedule. Me throwing up could have been morning sickness—“

John couldn’t hide the smile on his face. You were rambling about how you were probably pregnant and how worried you were. He just held your hand, and calmly said your name.

“(Y/N), you’re gonna be okay. You’re an amazing mom, and I’m gonna be with you through all of it this time.”

You nodded, not trusting your voice.

Jean came back with your results.

“So?”

“You must have eaten something bad, or your period is coming up. Some women vomit during PMS.”

“Am I pregnant?” You asked.

“No, why? We’re you expecting that?”

“Oh, no. We’re not— I just thought— cause you made me pee—“

Jean shrugged as she typed on her computer. “I did test for that. But no baby…”

You nodded, asking what to do next.

John sat, lost in his thoughts. He was so excited at the thought of you being pregnant.

Do I want another kid?...

When Junior had asked for a sibling not too long ago, John said, “No way.”

Now?

“Just drink plenty of water, and bed rest. I’ll get someone to cover your classes for tomorrow after we disinfect your room. If you don’t puke or have any new symptoms within the next 48 hours, you can go back to teaching.”

“Make sure she stays in her room, okay?” Jean said to John.

“Yes, ma’am.” He half-joked.

John led you up to your shared room, shutting the door behind him.

“Lay on the bed. I’ll get you some pajamas, and then some water. How do you feel? Do you need more blankets? I’m sure I can get Bobby to cover my next class, I can cuddle with you if you’d like.”

“No, Sinjin, I’m fine, really… besides, I can make another lesson plan, or finish my book—“

“Oh no, you don’t. Jean said you needed to rest. So, that’s exactly what you’re gonna do. Even if that means I have to sit and watch you.”

“Creep,” You teased as you changed into your pajamas.

“Edward did it with Bella,” He argued, while quickly texting Bobby, asking to sub for him.

“Didn’t you say Stephanie Myer was an ‘embarrassment in the gothic romance community?’”

“Besides the point…”

“Okay, Edward Cullen.”

John removed his shoes and socks and joined you in bed, “Shut up.”

“Make me,” You teased, eyes bearing into his. John kissed your forehead.

“I would, but you puked up breakfast not even three hours ago.”

You frowned, “Then don’t cuddle with me! You’ll get sick.”

“My body is like a furnace. Most diseases don’t last in me.”

“I don’t think that’s how it works.”

John shrugged as he draped an arm over you, rubbing circles into your skin with his thumb.

You shifted a little, trying to get comfortable, before settling on a position.

“Hey, Sinjin…”

“Yeah?”

“What if I was pregnant?”

John’s hand stopped.

“We thought I was for a minute, and you looked excited, despite the fact I was freaking out… Do you want another kid?”

John flinched a little at your sharp question. “I mean… it’s your body. It’s up to you.”

“No, no, we’re in this together. Do you want another kid?”

“Honestly?... Yeah, I do. I know I was on the fence when Junior first asked, but that was months ago… I want to experience everything, and be there for you this time… do you want to have another kid?

“Uh-huh.”

“Okay… Wait— when can we— Jean said 48 hours without puking—“

You glanced over at the clock, “10:43 AM. This Wednesday.”

“Right. At exactly 10:43 AM, on Wednesday, we can have sex… Oh my god.” John laughed, somewhat disappointed and embarrassed by his words.

“What?”

“We’re like an old couple, scheduling when to have sex.”

You laughed, “Plenty of people schedule sex— remember when we were younger? We’d plan around when Bobby and Kitty wouldn’t be around so one of our rooms were empty—“

“Okay, okay… I’ll go to the store and get some viagra.”

You snorted, “Don’t think you’ll be needing that big guy.”

“You’re right. I’ll just get some extra large condoms.” John joked.

“First off, that defeats the whole point of baby-making, and second, you need small at best.”

“You wound me, woman!”

You smiled stuck your tongue out like a child.

When you were in better health, you and John didn’t waste any time— You went at it like rabbits.

You thought you’d get pregnant on the first try, seeing as you weren’t even trying for Junior, but that wasn’t the case. You had to try a few more times before getting there.

Test after test, until finally, one said positive.

You and John were so excited, not a dry eye between the two of you.

“We’re having a baby!” John held you close, his hands down at your stomach.

“I’m not showing yet, it’s too early…”

“I know, I know,” He sheepishly admitted. “I’m just excited.”

“We can’t tell anyone until the second trimester, or well, we’re not supposed to, because it’s such early development right now that something could go wrong, usually it doesn’t— but that’s what all the doctors and books and mommy blogs online say.”

John nodded, he’d read a few books, and some articles online, but he knew you’d already been to doctors before and just knew more.

“When do you think we should tell Junior?”

“How are we gonna tell Junior,” You corrected him.

“He wanted a sibling. This should be easy.”

You squinted your eyes at him. “If we start to struggle how to explain this to him, it’s all on you buddy.”

“Alright.”

John knew what was going to happen. He knew what a cesarean section was. He even watched videos, about it.

But boy, oh, boy, seeing it in person was so much different.

Your doctor let him cut the umbilical cord, which he was super nervous about. He was anxious about everything.

Was your daughter safe? What if you woke up before you got stitched up? What if you had a sudden health complication?

His mind raced as he watched your baby get cleaned off and checked on.

“Is she okay?”

“So far. We’re going to take her to the nursery to get her weighed and measured and move her mom out of the delivery room. Stay with her, when the anesthesia wears off she’s gonna be pretty sore.”

John didn’t want to leave your baby girl, but he wasn’t going to disobey your doctor.

You made it into your recovery room without any trouble, and after a few minutes, your nurse left you and John alone, saying he could visit your daughter in the nursery soon.

“I’ll wait until our friends and family get here.”

Your nurse nodded and reminded you to press the button on the side of your bed if you needed anything, before heading out the door.

You named your daughter after your other two best friends, Katherine Anne Allerdyce. John wanted to name her after you, but you argued what if you had another girl?

He got all flustered and nervous at the idea, which you found cute.

“Do you wanna hold her?” He asked Junior.

He nodded and was told to sit down in one of the chairs.

“She’s so… tiny…” He emphasized.

Everyone laughed or chuckled at Junior’s demeanor.

“She was born a few hours ago,” You reminded him.

“Oh… Yeah.”

Everyone else took turns holding her and cooing and doting over Kat.

“Aww, hello… Hello Kat… Aww, you’re so cute.”

“Bobby she’s asleep.”

“Hush let me hold my niece.”

John frowned. “She’s my child and I’ve held her less than you have.”

You rolled your eyes, “Babe, let Bobby dote.”

“Fine…”

Kitty pulled out her phone, “Let me get a picture of you guys! Bobby, John, and Katherine. I think it’ll be cute!”

“Fine, fine.” John rolled his eyes but smiled nonetheless.

He scooted closer to Bobby and grinned up at Kitty’s phone as the flash went off.

“Ow!” Bobby winced. “Did you have to use flash?”

“Aww… you blinked.” She pouted.

“I was blinded!”

“Hush it, you big baby. Let me take another one.” Kitty positioned her phone to take another picture again.

“No flash this time!”

“It’s not on!”

John smiled again and so did Bobby. Kitty took her photo and then admired her work.

“Aww, you guys look so cute together!”

She handed her phone to John so he and Bobby could look at the picture.

John smiled.

He looked tired, normal with age, raising a kid, and being up for hours while his wife gave birth.

But he was happy.

His life wasn’t how he thought it would be, but unplanned plans are usually the best ones.

He had a family— not just you, Junior, and Kat— but Bobby, Kitty, Alex, Rogue, and everyone else at the mansion. He had people to fall back on and that supported and loved him.

He looked over at you, talking to Alex while sipping from the straw of your hospital cup/water bottle they gave you. His heart yearned. Despite how tired you were, and how you couldn’t even walk at the moment due to giving birth not even 24 hours ago, John still thought you were the most beautiful and brave person he knew. His writing could never compare or encapture your character, no matter how hard he tried.

But it didn’t matter.

You both had what you never knew you wanted.

And you were happy.

#john allerdyce #john allerdyce x reader #pyro x reader #x-men x reader #x-men oneshot #john allerdyce x you #pyro x you #john allerdyce oneshot #pyro oneshot #x-men x you #early 2000s #original x-men movies #modified timeline #oneshot #x reader

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frostedfaves · 4 years

Text

Umbrella In the Rain

Pairing: Jake Peralta x fem!reader

Summary: Jake being a light in the dark for Reader.

Word Count: 2.3k

Warnings: implied depression, mentions of trauma

A pen tapped lightly on the file in front of me. I looked up to see Rosa settling back into her chair with just a hint of concern resting on her features.

"What's up, Rosa?" I attempted a smile that didn't fully form.

"Are you okay? You look like Boyle when he dropped his sandwich earlier."

"Yeah, just got a little lost in thought there," I forced out a believable chuckle as she raised her eyebrows.

"For the fifth time today?" Her brows dropped again when I sighed. "Look, I'm not saying you have to talk to me or anything because you know I don't do feelings. But I am really good at listening to my friends. When I want to, that is."

This time a real smile broke out. "I know, thank you. I'm just having a bit of trouble concentrating today. I don't think it's anything to worry about."

She nodded and returned her attention to her computer as if the conversation never happened, my shoulders instantly relaxing. Truth be told, I was a little worried. To the outside world, I had no reason to feel like there was a weight on my shoulder. I had a great job working with some of my closest friends and things with Jake only got better with each passing day.

Lately I've been focusing on my past, things that not even Jake knows yet. Cuddling at night with Jake keeps the focus away from them in my dreams, but my conscious brain isn't as easily tricked. I have things I've held onto, things that hurt and only feel heavier when I add on the guilt of not being open with Jake about it. I don't feel that he'd ever leave me for experiencing trauma. If anything, he'd want to be there for me more. But I don't have the heart to invite anyone else to the arms of darkness that welcome me when I'm alone. Especially my ray of sunshine.

Jake was still on a stakeout with Charles by the time I left, so I decided to go to my apartment for the night, quickly texting him when I walked through the door.

I just got home. Please be safe tonight. I love you and I'll see you tomorrow.

Not even a minute later, I received a reply from him.

Sorry I have to work so late tonight, but I guess it's better that you get a break from me so you don't get sick of me! Love you, babe

I cleared the notification after plugging my phone in and turned on Do Not Disturb for the night. I contemplated going to at least make a sandwich for dinner, considering I hadn't eaten since breakfast with Jake. Five minutes later, I found myself in the bed instead, long t-shirt and underwear replacing my work clothes. I couldn't bring myself to care about eating, now that I was alone with so many thoughts.

My alarm went off the next morning, and it took all of my energy to force my eyes open and keep them open. After cutting the blaring sound short, I flipped over onto my back and stared into the ceiling for so long that I forgot why I was even awake. Shit, I have to work.

I picked up my phone again long enough to look at the time, fully aware that thirty minutes had passed. Groaning, I dropped it again as I settled back into the pillows, probably letting another ten minutes or more pass. Without even stopping to think about it, I picked up my phone again and constructed a text to Holt.

I feel awful and can't make it out of bed this morning. Think I should stay home for the day.

I paused with my finger over the send button, reading over the message a few times. Why was I lying to my boss? Just as I was about to erase the words, a little voice reminded me that my paperwork would still be there when I got to work tomorrow, and that I really needed to just lie down and forget the world for a day. So I watched the screen until 'Delivered' popped up, turning off my Do Not Disturb just in case he needed to reach me later. I instantly regretted it when my phone went off with three messages in a row minutes later from Holt, Rosa, and Jake.

Update me on your condition.

Sincerely,

Raymond Holt

Dude I know you're not sick. Am I gonna have to baton whack a confession out of you?

Hey, babe! Holt said you're sick :( Why didn't you tell me? Do you need me to bring anything later? Love you and get some rest!

I let the screen go dark again and turned my back to the phone, wrapping myself up into the covers now that I had no responsibility for the day. A few tears found their way across the bridge of my nose and onto my pillowcase. I simply closed my eyes and hummed 'Funky Cold Medina' to try and keep the incoming thoughts locked outside of my brain.

At some point, I opened my eyes again to the sun shining in a different part of the room. I quickly realized the sound of my apartment door opening woke me up when I heard Jake calling my name and his footsteps heading this way. I buried my face into the pillows and adjusted my breathing right before he gently opened the bedroom door.

"Babe?" I heard him walk around and felt the edge of the bed in front of me dip slightly. A light chuckle fell from his lips as he reached over to tuck some of my extremely ruffled hair behind my ear, rubbing my jawline just under there.

Eventually he stood again and left the room, returning seconds later and bringing a beautiful aroma with him of chicken and spices. I heard pen scratching paper for a second and felt the other side of the bed dip as he leaned over to place a kiss on my forehead.

When I was sure he left, I sat up and rolled over to see a to-go tub of vegetable soup and a box of what I could only guess to be chicken dumplings. My favorite meal from my favorite restaurant.

Before I could even understand why, I'd pulled my legs to my chest and buried my face into my knees as I sobbed louder and louder with each passing minute, not stopping until I was forced to in order to breathe. I gulped big mouthfuls of air, releasing them in rough, shuddering exhales as I attempted to stop the flow of tears with the collar of my t-shirt. I managed to breathe a little more calmly but the tears never stopped. I just let them go on and soak my pillows as I fell sideways onto the mattress.

Through a watery filter I caught a glimpse of the note Jake left. I stretched far enough to grasp the closest corner of the paper and yanked it onto the bed, inhaling deeply because somehow I could smell just a hint of his comforting cologne. I managed to hold in a fresh wave of tears just long enough to read his quickly scribbled words on the page.

Wasn't sure what kind of sick you were but I hope this food helps. I'll be back this evening to help you with whatever you need.

I'd barely reached the final word before I was sobbing again, clutching the note to my chest as my body shook and my heart ached. The more I cried, the more exhausted I felt, and the more I realized that there was no way in the world that I deserved someone like this.

I must've fallen asleep again, because I opened my eyes to a room that no longer held the sun, but a singular ball of light from a nearby lamp. I became aware of the note missing from my hands and Jake's arms around me. When I turned and pushed my face into his hoodie covered chest, he pushed back a little and tilted my face toward his.

I blinked in shock when I noticed his eyes, shining with just a hint of oncoming tears. Unknowingly, I raised my hand to his chest and grabbed a fistful of fabric out of fear.

"Are you okay?" My voice came out faintly and full of crackling from lack of use and the ghost of a smile fell upon his face.

"I should be asking you that," he whispered. He noticed my confused look and continued. "When I got back to work and everyone asked how you were, I told them that I wasn't really sure because you were knocked out when I brought the food. Rosa pulled me aside and told me that she didn't really think you were sick, and that there might be something else going on based on how you were acting before." I tried not to physically react as he searched my face for any signs of that being true. When I didn't give him anything to work with, he continued.

"As much as I didn't want you to be sick, I also didn't want to think that you were going through something alone, especially when I could be here helping you. But then I got here and the food is untouched and my note is soggy from tears and so is your shirt and you were sleeping again and I.."

I closed my eyes as he cut himself off, not wanting to see the tears that were building in his eyes again. Coward move as the one who caused them, but I felt too unstable to face the consequences.

"Baby, please look at me." I forced my eyes to open, nearly sighing in relief at the lack of tears on his cheeks. "Y/N, is there something going on with you? Is it me?"

There it was, my third breakdown of the day. Something about his uncertain tone and the near tears in his eyes were enough to make my own a reality. He coaxed me through it, rubbing my back and kissing my messed up hair as my body shook. He shushed me as I started to cough, reminding me that he was here and that it was okay, and that pulled me from his arms.

"It's not o-okay!" I pushed myself up into a sitting position, looking down at him and trying really hard not to whimper. "I'm pushing you away and all you do is help me anyway when you shouldn't because it's my fault in the first place and—" I cut myself off with a few hiccups and coughs, and he took the opportunity to sit up with me and place his hands on either side of my face.

"Listen to me, Y/N. I love you, okay? I don't care how much you push me away. You're clearly hurting and so I'm gonna be here to help you. I'm not going anywhere so please feel free to talk to me when you're ready."

I took a moment to just look at the man in front of me. I raised a hand and ran it through his curls, dragging the same hand down the side of his face and rested it on his shoulder. My opposite arm met the other one around his neck and tugged him slightly forward, squeezing him into a hug. His arms moved around my waist and rubbed my back as I placed my head on his shoulder. I took a deep breath and started to talk.

I didn't stop until I was done telling him about every violent moment of my childhood year by year and sometimes month by month, aware of his arms tightening around me slightly during certain parts. With each story I told him, I felt my shoulders practically lifting as the straps from my emotional baggage were removed and the weight dropped away. My lungs found it easier to process the air my mouth and nose forced into them, my hands loosening their grip on his hoodie as a sense of security wrapped around us both.

He never once interrupted, and when I finished, he pulled me into a different hold against his chest as he sank into the mattress. He whispered promises into my ear that I knew he'd keep, and I gave him words of trust with my safety in return, as well as assurance that I'd talk to him whenever I felt out of control again.

By the end of the night, Jake helped me find a therapist to call first thing in the morning because—despite his beliefs on therapy—he knew that relying solely on him for my happiness wasn't very healthy no matter how happy he made me. I needed someone who knew more to help me process my emotions so that I wouldn't have such a struggle sharing my mind with him.

I sat there looking into his eyes as I ran my thumb over his jaw, telling him I loved him repeatedly. I wanted to shout it until my throat burned from the force. To make him feel the warmth he sent from the ends of my hair to the tips of my toes every time he was simply there. To be as useful to him as he was to me. To be his umbrella in the rain. He told me that I always was from the moment we met. That he couldn't even see the rain when I was around. I was everything to him, even when I felt like nothing.

Hearing those words filled me like a soothing tea stirred with honey. With his arms around me creating the warmth that kept me sane, I couldn't see the rain either.

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