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yandere-sins · 3 years

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a/n: The first giveaway price for the sweet @ohno-otome ♥ It was a pleasure working with you and I had a lot of fun with this piece! Thanks for participating ♥

Characters: Yandere!Shinsou Hitoshi x Fem!Reader Warnings: Yandere, Non-con, Lemon, Biting, Rough Handling, Manipulation, Obsessive behavior, Future!AU Words: 5901

Locking his office’s door, Shinsou gave it a precautious pull to check that the important documents were kept safe inside. Luckily, he never had problems like the other heroes - Bakugou and Midoriya especially - where spies would come and try to steal his business information. He was just a good hero, not a superhero. Good. But his firm was going well enough to have some reliable heroes working under him, and that was enough for Shinsou.

Putting on his coat, he made his way down the long corridor to the elevator. His secretary had made sure to lock up before leaving earlier that evening, Shinsou supposedly the only one late, so he was left in the dark with only the dim emergency lights shining his way. It had gotten pretty late, quarter after eleven, but he was glad he got to go home at all that day rather than sleep on the office couch again. A nice, hot shower and a barely used bed were expecting him after all; how could he refuse these alluring offers of his own home?

Shinsou only slowed down his steps when he noticed the faint lights shining out of one of the offices located further down the hallway. Well, he was supposed to be the last, but honestly, he didn’t know who went home already and who hadn’t. Stepping to the far right so he could look ahead at the doors better, he noticed it was your office still occupied, and for a moment, he tensed, fearing the worst. What if it was a spy or robber that had broken in? You were the media representative of the company. Every statement and scandal that needed to be worked on, promotions sent out, and appearances that needed to be managed were in your hand. It could be fatal if unnecessary pieces of information came to light because someone snooped through your work.

Stepping closer on soft soles, Shinsou tried to make out sounds that would confirm his suspicions. However, it quickly became clear that it was just you by the long sigh you heaved. It had been a few days since he last saw you, always too busy to check in with everyone in his company, so Shinsou not only felt relieved but also a little happy he’d get to send you home that day. He felt his heart flutter but quickly composed himself. You worked harder than most at his company, your work never coming to an end, and as your boss, he had to stay professional even if you made his pulse race. It would be his greatest pleasure for him to send you home now, considering it was already late. That’s the least he could do for someone he was so fond of.

Without hesitation, Shinsou knocked, hearing rustling rush through your office as you stuttered, “O-One second!” in surprise, and he couldn’t help but grin hearing your voice. You had always been special to him; after all, you had been one of the first to ever join his firm when it was still in its baby shoes. You stuck with him all this time even as the company grew and more responsibilities were shoved your way, and you both grew with the challenges. Truly, if anyone, you and Shinsou were the backbone of this whole endeavor, and he was incredibly fond of your never-ceasing enthusiasm and charisma.

Not long after, he heard you walk up to the door quickly, opening it with a tired smile on your face. “Good Evening!” you greeted him, still as chipper as if it was morning, but he knew that the bags under your eyes weren’t lying about how exhausted you are. “Are you ready to go home?” he asked, looking over your shoulder to your desk and seeing the many files and papers piling up on your desk. “O-Oh, you know… Just a few more minutes, and I’ll be done.”

Shinsou couldn’t help but not believe you. ‘A few more minutes’ always meant at least one more hour, and leaving you now to go home while you had to stay late would make him feel incredibly guilty. “What are you working on? Can I help you with it?” he asked, stepping forward to get inside when you stood in his way firmly.

“Nothing, Sir! I’ll be out here in a bit and lock the door when I leave! You don’t have to worry about me.”

Odd, he thought, his brows furrowing in suspicion. “It looks like a lot, though,” he tried to persuade you, and this time, when he tried to move past you, you reluctantly gave up your stance to let him in. “It really isn’t!” you were quick to call after him, but you had probably already realized Shinsou wasn’t going to be swayed from his idea that quickly. “One of our men got into a quarrel with someone from Endeavor’s firm, and I just need to write down the public statement and be gone!”

You rushed past him, and Shinsou couldn’t stop wondering why you seemed so hectic. Setting down his bag and the coat he had taken off again already, he reached for the file on top of all the others to have a look himself. However, before he could so much as pick it up, your hand fell down onto it, and he was surprised by the strength you used to pin it beneath your palm. Finally, Shinsou looked up at you, watching as you avoided his gaze, gnawing on your lip. Something was definitely wrong.

When you first started, both you and he had been rookies at best. Everything you two did wasn’t up to par with other companies, but you two bit your tongues and accepted the whiplash you received for the ways you were doing things. All this made you both stronger, and before long, you wouldn’t go out to have drinks anymore every night, becoming more serious and working even harder. Yes, the work changed you two, but he thought it was simply the way of growing up. However, right now, your behavior was childish at best. He was just offering help. Shinsou trusted you more than himself, but the way you acted gave him a bad feeling.

“[Name],” he said gently, trying to soothe the tension coming from you. “Show me what you’re working on, I will help you with it, and we can wrap it up and go home. You look like you could use the sleep.”

He’d be the bigger person. Shinsou realized that all these responsibilities had always just been on your shoulders. Perhaps he should have hired someone to take some of the workloads off of you. Maybe that’s why it was so hard to accept help now? You might feel like you weren’t good enough if you couldn’t keep up with it. He made a mental note to look into hiring a helping hand for you the next day.

Finally, you looked up at him, almost as if tears were going to shoot into your eyes. You sighed, shoulders slumping and your hand slowly sliding off the top of the file, only to grab your own arm and hugging yourself. Something was very wrong; that’s what Shinsou’s gut told him. Very, very wrong.

Opening up the file, he skipped through the sentences, trying to remember what incident it was with only a few keywords. Even if it wasn’t his main priority work, he knew about difficulties that the heroes of the agency had, nonetheless because he was the one to reprimand them and make decisions over further actions. But his brows kept furrowing as he began to read the sentences properly, realizing that what he held in his hands wasn’t a press statement about a work-related incident at all. This was a big promotion for a hero, and that hero wasn’t Shinsou.

His mouth opened, surprised, taken aback by his findings. It was hard to piece together why exactly he was holding a piece of your work, but it wasn’t for his agency at all. Immediately, a hundred little devils peaked up inside of him, giving him all kinds of bad ideas. He didn’t want to believe them, especially when they spoke about betrayal from you so much, but Shinsou’s eyes searched for yours helplessly as he kept on coming up with more bizarre explanations.

“It’s… it’s not like that!” you were quick to deny it as you caught his gaze. Shinsou wished that the bad feeling he had prior to this would disappear hearing you say that, but really, it had already begun to fester inside of him. “How is it then?” he croaked, wishing you’d give him a good reason for your doings. To him, this seemed like you’d be leaving. It seemed like you were preparing to get a better gig somewhere else. Was this agency no longer good enough? Was Shinsou no longer good enough for you? After everything you two went through?

“They’re my friend! I was just helping them to get a better start with agencies! That’s why I made these promotions for them...”

Oh, he wished he could have believed that. You were convincing, but the bad spiral Shinsou already found himself on had taken over, telling him it was all a lie. “Promotions?” he mumbled, reaching for another file and another. Photos, praise - all of it in your writing and composition. Why wasn’t there even one file that would have shown him the work you did for Shinsou and his agency? Was he not worthy of receiving the same attention you put into these promotions of a hero Shinsou hadn’t even heard about?

Yes, they were a nobody. But you’d rather use your precious time and skill to promote them than Shinsou.

It was irrational, but every one of the files he picked up felt like a stab in the heart to him. It was Shinsou you were working for! He should have been the one at the receiving end of all your attention! All this time together, had it meant nothing to you? Did he mean nothing to you? Because to him, you were everything.

“I-I’m sorry!” you burst out, heaving a deep sigh. But how much could he believe your words after all this?

“I really shouldn’t have done it in the office, but here’s where all my materials and files are… It won’t happen again!” You bowed deeply to your superior, but all Shinsou could worry about was if you truly understood the graveness of the problem here.

You shouldn’t have done it at all.

You should have only worked for him, just like you always did.

The awkwardness as Shinsou didn’t reply at all hung heavy over your heads, and you did the only thing you could come up with after admitting your mistake. “Since I promise I won’t work on those anymore, let’s go home! We can talk more tomorrow, but it’s really getting late, and I know you have to come in early again…” If it had been any other colleague of his, they wouldn’t have talked to him this way. But you… you were just special, and perhaps, you knew it. You knew he couldn’t just fire and let go of you, no matter what you did or how you behaved. Was that why you thought it was okay to search for someone else to give you what you needed? Didn’t Shinsou do enough for you anymore?

Picking up some of the files to take home with you, you grabbed your coat and bag before passing by him, urging him to come to an end as well. You had a lot of freedoms with him, especially considering how he felt about you. But now, as you walked on by, he felt like you were cracking the beautiful image of you that he had in his mind. No matter how exhausting and stressful his day was, he knew coming back to you, have you laugh with him, and cheer him up would mend everything. Had you been playing with him until now? Played with his feelings so you could do whatever you wanted? Was he not enough, so you had to give your attention to other heroes now?

What should he do, now that he was on the brink of falling into this bottomless abyss you left him in?

Shinsou never wanted this to happen. Not like this, at least. God, even if he never told you, he loved you! It was his fault for not knowing better, but even if you didn’t know about his feelings either, you couldn’t just leave. No, he couldn’t let you leave like that.

“Don’t go,” he mustered to say, eerily calm even though the mixture of feelings inside of him burned brighter than flames.

“I’m sorry--?” you replied, feeling your whole body coming to an immediate halt before you even reached the door. The files plummeted to the floor, and no muscle would listen as you told them to act. You were frozen in place as if you looked into Medusa’s eyes. It was pure desperation. Shinsou would have never used his quirk on you, but this was an exception. No matter what he did, he couldn’t help himself, desperate as he was. All he wanted was to be the center of your attention, just like you were his. Days were long and dragged out, but not one passed where he wasn’t thinking about you. So maybe, if he couldn’t get what he needed from you by being good, he had to be bad instead.

“I would have given you everything,” he muttered as he turned around, slowly stepping up to you from behind. The, “But I was too scared to tell you how I felt,” stayed hidden in his throat as he approached, reaching out to you. If you could have spoken, you’d probably have screamed and cursed at him for using his quirk, and if he had let you move, you might have kicked and run. You were a feisty one; always had been. And he liked that about you too. Liked that he didn’t need to worry so much about you because you knew how to defend yourself and were strong on the inside as well as the outside. But Shinsou worried now. He worried about you, and even more so, he worried about the future you two had together.

Bringing his hand up and reaching around you, he placed it around your throat to pull you back against his chest, his other hand turning your face to the side so he could easily lean in for a kiss. Others had dreamy dates before their first kiss, and he felt sorry that he couldn’t give that to you. He felt sorry that he never told you about his feelings for you, but you just had to understand. You had to see it for yourself.

You had to realize that it was best to stay on his side. His good side, preferably.

It was a shame that he had to use his quirk on you, all your movements specified by him, even your lips moving to the rhythm of the kiss. Natural was always better, but he’d accept this for now. His hands began to roam, crossing the buttons on your blouse and returning to loosen them up. Shinsou faintly remembered dreaming about this in particularly lonely nights, the feeling of your chest heaving beneath his touch, your lips on his. This was so much better than that dream, though; much better than any expectations he had even.

The gentle shudders as he pinched your nipple, your bra pushed aside for easy access. “Fucking tease,” he mumbled, tearing himself away from the kiss to wander down to your shoulder, your blouse slowly but surely slipping off your body. “You always wore these tight shirts to show off those great tits of yours, didn’t you?”

Shinsou didn’t allow you to respond, completely satisfied by the moan you bit back. The feeling of you, the sounds you made - even if it wasn’t because you wanted him to do all of this, it felt so much better than anything Shinsou could have ever imagined. You deserved better in every way. You deserved more pay and praise for your work, and you deserved a better man to touch and ravage you. But his hand slipping beneath your skirt and into your stockings and panties, Shinsou made himself believe that he had to do for now. He loved you enough that he couldn’t ignore the shivers and gasps coming from you as he slit his fingers between your labia, happy to find the building wetness welcoming him.

“Look at me,” he moaned against your lips. “Only me.”

Oh, it was excruciating. Shinsou loved you; he loved you so much! He wanted to make you the happiest he ever could, even if he had long lost any rights to it. Everything about you should be satisfied, mind and body alike, and he so, so wished it was because of him. If only he could have been your hero rather than anyone else’s. Even he didn’t know why he ever held back on telling you his feelings and desires for you! But now you were here, and you were with him, his cock building up a noticeable bulge in his pants just from touching you.

He’d give you all that you deserved right then and there.

Oh, yes, he would. “Tell me what you want,” he whispered into your ear, rubbing against you from behind. You had the permission to speak, and yet, you hesitated or maybe didn’t realize it. When he drove his fingers into your depths, you jumped in surprise and stimulation, the words that his quirk had held back just falling from your mouth in masses.

“No--! No, stop! Please just stop it!” you piped up in a panic as if you had only now realized what he was doing with you. But this was just the start of something magical that you had yet to understand. Something only Shinsou could make you experience. “Shh, it’s alright,” Shinsou cooed gently, feeling the goosebumps erect on your skin as his voice echoed through your head, and his fingers explored deeper.

Next in line for caresses were your earlobes, his lips kissing and parting around them, small nibbles to accompany the touches inside you. Shinsou was nothing if not careful. You should have known better than to test him, but you kept nagging, enough to make him reconsider allowing you to speak. “Shinsou…” you mumbled, your voice one step away from being a sob. His name from your lips felt heavenly, but it was a disappointment to find out the reason you were calling out to him.

“Please let me go! I won’t tell anyone. We can just part ways and forget about all of this, alright?”

Disappointment and frustration spread through him like wildfire as he sighed inwardly, resting his forehead on your shoulder for a moment, thinking. “You still don’t get it,” he eventually muttered, pulling his hand from your panties and bringing it up to your lips. You may have wanted to shut your mouth tightly as his wet fingers approached it, but with them pressing up against it and with nowhere to go, you had to open up for them. Pressing them down onto your tongue, he played the muscle like a guitar, pulling and releasing it. Surely it gave you a good taste of yourself, but even more so, when he took a step back, you had no other chance but to follow, eyes widening as you were dragged back further into the room.

With one skilled strike of his arm, all of the files and papers piled up on your desk, your laptop and phone, as well as pens and personal items, met their fate of plummeting to the ground. It was a good thing that you were the last two in the agency for that day; the crashing surely wouldn’t go unnoticed if it hadn’t been just you two. “You’re staying,” he ordered, not letting any room for interpretation. “Come on, [Name].”

Patting the desk, your body, led by his quirk, knew exactly what to do, even if your insides were raging. Shinsou had tried to be nice about it, hadn’t he? But apparently, you needed more satisfying, more convincing reasons for staying if leaving was all you could think about while he was still nice to you. At least your body knew how to behave, sitting down at the edge. Shinsou could see in your eyes how much it frightened you to not be in control, but what did you have to worry about? He was in control now, so you were in good hands.

Loosening his tie, Shinsou pulled it off, brushing back his hair with a sigh. In the end, it was him who had to take matters into his hand. He had always relied on you, but that wasn’t enough anymore. It was okay, though. Even if you shivered with your whole body, he was satisfied with watching you unzip your skirt and pulling it down, stockings and panties following. It seemed like a struggle to get them off your feet with your shoes still on, but ever the gentlemen, Shinsou bent down to pull everything off one foot, kissing your shin before standing up again, your ankle in his grip.

Steading your foot on the table, Shinsou didn’t waste time with long preludes. It was his time to taste you now. Tender affection was good, but by now, he wondered if you really deserved that from him. Maybe if you had thought about his feelings in this matter, back when he allowed you to reason still, he wouldn’t have to push it onto you, but this way, he had no other chance but to take what he wanted. Roughly if needed.

Pressing his mouth between your legs, Shinsou grunted at the first taste of you, much sweeter than he had expected. Lodged against your entrance is where he could have stayed for hours, but he was quick to direct his attention to your clit, licking at it as if there was no second chance for him to ever love you like this. His tongue was a well-skilled muscle, just like any other on his body, and only got replaced by his thumb when he decided to move on. Had you ever thought about him going down on you? Did you want him to come into your office like this and take you right there, on your precious work desk? Shinsou had dreamt about it before, but had you? Had you ever craved his attention this much as well? If yes, was that the reason your mouth couldn’t hold back on its moans and gasps, your body flinching ever so often when a jolt of pleasure ran through you?

Even with him controlling everything, your reactions were so naughty, downright teasing to the man who loved you so much. He had decided now. Decided to make you his. Shinsou would never let you leave, even if you feared rather than respected him in the future. These other heroes wouldn’t make you happy either, and he just knew they were taking advantage of your great work.

“I’m the one that you want,” he mumbled, his breath tickling over your sensitive skin. “Can’t you see how much I appreciate you? Why would you ever work for someone else?”

Your response was covered by moans while you tried not to give in to the ecstasy that Shinsou spread through you. Even if you never agreed on this, both of your bodies were on fire. “No one can give you what you need better than I do.” Finally, Shinsou had set his mind on what to do. Wasn’t it better to stay with the person who loved you and took advantage of you rather than some ‘friend’ doing it? Even if you couldn’t accept him, by the end of it, you’d have to accept the fate that would bind you to him. Because Shinsou was the only one who could give you all you needed.

With his tongue out, Shinsou licked you up all the way back to your mouth, catching you in a gasp before plunging his fingers back in your cunt, this time curling and working you up into a frenzy. It had all been his imagination before, but having you cum, squeals pushing against his lips, made him realize how perfect you two were for each other. He didn’t think you were such an easy girl, cumming just from being eaten out and fingered, but here you were, bending your back and sighing into the kiss as if you just had a glimpse of heaven. It was unbearable to hold back any longer, his cock feeling like it would burst out of his pants any second now.

While you still rode the waves of pleasure, Shinsou grabbed your arm to turn you around, having your ass perk up over the table edge, perfectly positioned for him. Using his own legs to push yours out of the way, Shinsou finally freed his member from the holdback of clothes on him, giving it a few strokes for good measure. Gripping hard into the supple flesh of your butt, he pushed the cheeks out of the way, rubbing up against your slit and coating his cock in your juices. The slippery wet and the cold air on his heated body only excited him more, his tip finding the perfect spot to enter you as if you two were made for each other.

Reaching for your hair, he let the strands tangle around his fingers, pulling you back. Your body was quick to react, curving you perfectly, so he had easy access to your entrance. First, the tip pushed in, but inch for inch, the rest of his cock followed, your walls clenching and relaxing around him as he was welcomed inside of you. Hot, pulsing eagerness mixed with your wet insides created a harmonic synergy that Shinsou felt himself fall more in love with by the second.

Shinsou had enough resolve to control his lust, even though now that he was inside you, he wanted nothing more than to pound you till orgasm. But this was for you, too. And so he tempered himself, the first few pull-outs being as slow and gentle as possible with his heart running amok in his chest. Eventually, he latched onto the back of your neck, pressing down to gain even more access to your inside. You struggled with his fingers clenching around the sides of your neck, but whenever it got unbearable, he loosened up, but never enough that you could have escaped his hold, your mouth gasping for air before falling victim to yet another moan.

“Fuck, you’re so tight,” he noted as it became harder and harder to control himself. Shinsou felt like an animal, and you were his prey. Maybe if he’d bite you, he’d be able to control himself better and calm the ecstatic feelings inside of him. So he did, without you even realizing it until his teeth sunk into your shoulder, and his own jaw hurt, not being made to gobble up another human. But the truth was that it did help. The pain helped him to free his obsessive mind. So much so that for a moment, he regained conscience, realizing the wrongness of his doings. With his eyes wide open, he let go of your shoulder, his teeth marks embedded in your flesh. Yet, Shinsou couldn’t help but think how perfect you looked with his mark, considering giving you more as his hips continued to pound into you.

“Never leave!” he whined as he looked down at your perfect form beneath him. He felt every shudder and ever flinch in your pussy, your walls clenching and relaxing around him every time he went in and out of you. “Swear to me you won’t leave me!”

Shinsou needed to hear it from you. He needed that confirmation just like the air he was breathing. You were gasping and moaning, shivering as you felt your second orgasm build up inside of you. Right now, you simply had to think about him and him only, right? That’s why he needed you to say it! Say you wouldn’t leave for some other hero! Say you’d never look at someone else the way you were looking at Shinsou!

If only once you could tell him that you liked him as much as he did, that would have been enough for him.

There was no time for either of you to complete this conversation as Shinsou slammed into you from behind once more, deeply lodging himself inside you as hot, white semen erupted from his cock. You squealed as you felt him fill you up while he did a couple more pushes into you, instinctively knowing how to make his sperm go as deep as possible. Slumping on top of you, Shinsou buried you beneath him, your mind going blank when you reached your own limit, unable to perceive the tender kisses on your shoulder as he comforted you through your own raging orgasm. Shinsou felt on cloud seven, and he hoped you did too, though he suspected your mind to be fried by now from his quirk and two releases of pleasure.

With his quirk vanishing upon releasing the pressure that had built up inside of him, all Shinsou could think of was you, you, and more you. This was all he ever wanted, but he wished that you’d feel the same way. Rolling you back over, Shinsou cupped your cheeks in his hands, whispering, “You can’t work for anyone else, got it? Look who satisfies you. Look who made you into what you are. Do you think anyone else could make you feel like this other than me?”

Brushing his lips over yours, Shinsou was sure you weren’t in your right senses anymore, but when you stammered, “N-No…” he couldn’t help but smile, his heart warming at it. So you did understand. You did know it, after all. He gave you what you deserved. He was the only real hero for you, someone who satisfied and took control. And Shinsou earned your recognition for it. He deserved to be loved by you for it, just like he loved you.

Leaning down to your shoulder, he kissed the top of the mark left there, sighing deeply. There wasn’t a way to describe how relieved he felt that his efforts had come to fruition. As long as you realized to which side you should stick, he was more than happy; even if you two had crossed a line, you couldn’t go back over anymore. “You’re mine now, I marked you,” Shinsou mused, rubbing his lips over the teeth marks in your shoulder.

Finally, Shinsou got up, pulling out of you, white semen dripping from your pussy the moment he unclogged you. Unable to keep you on your shaking legs, you slumped to the floor, hanging on barely by your arms, leaning on the tabletop still. The room was in total chaos, but once Shinsou pulled himself together and put his cock away, his only thoughts were about you. You seemed adorable yet miserable sitting in the pool of cum and your juices. If he left you like this, he didn’t want anyone to find you the following day in case you couldn’t get up and leave on your own. Besides, Shinsou was in charge of you again since you stayed with him, wasn’t he? He had to look out for you.

“Come on,” he mumbled, helping you up and back into your clothes. Closing your blouse as the buttons came to him and zipping up your skirt after pulling your panties back on, ripping the stockings off at your foot. Surprisingly, it didn’t bother him at all, caring for you. Yes, you had always been so strong and independent, it was pretty cute that you had to rely on him now. Once done, he came up, kissing you on the cheek before gathering your coats. Shaking yours out, an idea crossed his mind.

From now on, Shinsou would always be there for you.

Seeing the trashed office, he made a decision to relocate you. “You should move into the office next to mine,” he revealed, proud of this idea. It would be so much easier to be around you if you were closer to him, and he’d be able to look out for you more. Shinsou couldn’t endure the idea that you’d go back to working for your ‘friend’ after all you two had been through. But he also couldn’t trust you anymore not to do it. With him closer, it would be easier for you to only have eyes for him as well, right?

Helping you into your coat, he took your hand as he led you out of the room, turning off the light and closing the door. It was quiet between you until you stepped into the elevator, Shinsou pressing the button for the garage. When the doors closed, your lifeless stare turned into tears, your mind overcome with all that just happened.

However, Shinsou was quicker.

Pushing you into the corner of the elevator, he closed off your lips with his, you two sharing another passionate kiss while the tears dripped off your cheeks. “You don’t have to worry about a thing,” he finally muttered as he released you. Sobs erupted from your mouth, but Shinsou merely wiped away the tears from the corners of your eyes tenderly. “You’ll see, if you stick with me, everything will be alright. You and I - we’ll be unstoppable!”

Perhaps, this wouldn’t make you happy, but Shinsou sure felt good as he finally conveyed his feelings to you. He should have said it way earlier, but now the time was as good as any. “I like you, [Name],” he confessed. “Just rely on me from now on, please only give your attention to me and no one else, okay? No other hero needs you as much as I do! Promise, and then, I’ll forgive you.”

To his surprise, you didn’t need more convincing as you uttered a quiet, exhausted, “Okay,” in between your sobs. They stopped after just a few more tears dripping from your cheeks, almost as if he had used his quirk on you again. But no, this was reality, a promise made between you two without any influences. Shinsou kissed you again, tenderly this time, and it tasted like salt because of your tears, but it still was the most genuine affection he could gain from you. Maybe something inside of you clicked since you now knew it was useless going against him. Now that he had used his quirk on you, he wouldn’t hold back on doing it again if needed. So even if it was all just pretending that everything was fine and this terrible night never happened, the less you resisted, the easier it would be for you two, and the more Shinsou could pretend that it was love keeping you by his side.

And love was all that he wanted, even if he had to control it with all his might.

304 notes · View notes

thefledglingdm · 3 years

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Umm can I request directors commentary for literally any Leopika fic you’ve written??? Love your stuff!

❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

ahhahaha thank you so much! yes, absolutely! this is going to be long, because i have decided to do that scene in light of my life, pain of my ass. beware LONG BULLSHIT and spoilers below the cut!

ok to set the scene. i was TERRIFIED to write this part. because this is the climax, you know? we've had 150k words of build-up and emotional tension to this scene. while this has been a romantic story, this is the actual climax of the story. we've spent all this time in kurapika's head as he's dealt with his anxiety, his need for control, his fear of letting go. how he's changed as he's opened up his heart and his life to people outside. and finally he's actually working through all of his emotions and the progress he's made out loud, in front of everyone. and because he forgot about giving his speech until like five minutes before (sorry, kp), he is forced to speak from the heart.

For five agonizing seconds, Kurapika stood alone in the middle of a silent room. Above him, the string lights coalesced into a single shared point of soft white light that illuminated his space.

i so wish this could be adapted to, like, netflix or made into a movie. i put so much into this imagery. the play on light? the cinnamon topography? *chef's kiss* yes please netflix CALL ME.

Everyone in his life was staring at him expectantly, Pairo and Altair and Gon and Killua and Nanika and Alluka and Kalluto and his parents. And approximately a hundred other people on top of that, extended family on both sides, industry insiders, coworkers. All staring at him and waiting for him to say something amazing and powerful and deep about love and what did Kurapika know about love, anyway? He was a thirty-two year old trans man so terrified of his own emotions, so paralyzed by his fear of loss, that he did not figure out he was in love with his best friend until three weeks ago.

this is me screwing the knife in deeper for poor kurapika, sorry. this is so incredibly horrifying for a person with anxiety, as someone with anxiety. behold, the terrifying ordeal of being known.

Five seconds. Kurapika finally found Leorio standing near the back, leaning against the bar. He wondered if Leorio picked the same spot where they sat together the very first time they came here on purpose. Leorio sent him a wink and a thumbs-up.

the terrifying ordeal of being known and being so, so loved anyway. it was great to write in a way that showed leorio realized he was in love with kurapika first (indeed, realized that kurapika was in love with him before kurapika knew himself), because these little interactions shows so much how leorio is inviting and allowing kurapika to come to him on his own time. and supporting him the whole way, because they are friends!!!!

Breathe, Kurapika thought. Just breathe. It’s going to be okay.

this statement was not supposed to be a running theme/motif, but i'm super glad it did! i wrote it as a one-off line for melody, but then i was like, hang on, that's kinda good? every other time i write i'm like, hey, you could make a theme out of this!

“Um,” Kurapika started, his voice cracking. Christ, he sounded seventeen again. He cleared his throat.

my friends told me about how their voices changed and dropped on T. any trans person is stronger and more powerful than any us marine.

“For those of you who may not know, I’m Pairo’s brother. Kurapika. His older one, just to be clear.”

this is definitely something that has happened like a hundred times.

There was a smattering of chuckles around the room. He twisted to look at Pairo. “I’ve known Pairo since he was a toddler dragging a ragged, threadbare T-Rex plushie around behind him. I was there when he read his first chapter book on his own – Dino Hunter, of course – because he came bursting into my room at two o’clock in the morning to tell me about it.” Another round of laughter. “I was there when he got his first notebook, when he won his first writing contest, when he was published in his first magazine. I was the first person he told about liking boys instead of girls. I’ve watched him grow and learn and fall in love. And now Altair is part of our family, too.”

pairo and kurapika's lives as brothers were amazing. dino hunter is a reference to the book they both read in the manga that led to kurapika wanting to leave the kurta and explore the world.

i also thought that writing fit pairo well because it's a pretty accessible career for his eyes. he could type, he could enhance the screen and font when he needed, and he could do talk-to-type. one day i want to write a side-story of when pairo and altair met, because i have it perfectly formulated in my head and it's adorable.

Kurapika took a deep breath, tucking a lock of hair behind his ear. He confessed, “To be perfectly honest, I was scared when Pairo asked me to do this, because I’ve run out of things to teach him. He’s run on ahead of me in life. Settled down, moved in with his boyfriend – now husband, congratulations on that by the way – and gotten married, while I’m perpetually single and living alone in my loft apartment with an absolutely spoiled monster of a cat. Stop laughing, that wasn’t supposed to be a joke.”

emperor the cat was also not intended to be a character. i came up with him like, right before i started writing the chapter.

i think it was hard for kurapika to watch his brother fall in love and move on ahead in life. even if he was genuinely happy for them both. i had a conversation with a coworker a few months ago where we both talked about how we feel like we are "behind," even though we're both very accomplished. she felt like she was "behind" because i have a master's degree; i felt like i was "behind" because she was happily married and already had a child on the way (who is here and beautiful and perfect). and i imagine kurapika wondered if he was falling behind or missing something when he saw his brother succeed in love and business without really trying.

but there's no competition at all, of course. the world spins on, and we grow and change and find our place in our own time. there's no race.

The room quieted again. Kurapika went on, his eyes flicking over the crowd. He was starting to smile, too, now.

he's starting to realize this is okay, he's not going to mess up, he may actually have something worthwhile to say or share. he's getting more comfortable in all this.

“But I’m also a wedding planner – I know, ironic – and I’ve learned a lot about love from my clients. So if you’ll indulge me, I’d like to share some of those lessons now.”

No one from the back shouted at him to shut the fuck up, that he didn’t have a single clue what he was talking about, so he thought he was safe to carry on.

how funny would that have been??? like, it would have been fucked-up and humiliating, but in any other situation?? hilarious. just killua looking like that dude in mean girls being like HE DOESN'T EVEN GO HERE except it's like HE DOESN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT LOVE IS.

He thought back to Light of My Life’s various couples, musing over their own rocky paths to the altar and the beautiful, fractured glimpses into their lives they gifted Kurapika and his team. What did they teach him? What did they teach his heart, that terrifying, terrified lump of meat frantically beating in his chest?

More than you think, his heart seemed to be telling him. Trust me; I will guide you through this. Trust me, trust me, trust me.

*"listen to your heart" plays in the background*

also like. trusting oneself and your perceptions and your feelings and your heart is so necessary. it's an important part of healing. and being honest with yourself and your feelings is part of a foundation for all healthy relationships, i think.

also i really like writing alliteratively. the play on words with "terrifying, terrified" was. inspired? terrifying, because kurapika for a long time feared his own heart and feelings, viewing them as a loss of control; and terrified, because his heart is afraid, too. and they are taking this leap together!

And Kurapika explained: “Love isn’t just found in eloquent professions or grand, romantic gestures. It’s supporting each other through your lowest, worst moments and coming out the other side stronger for it. It’s standing together, hand in hand, against the world. It’s in looking at someone simply existing in the world and seeing them as they are: good, beautiful, strong, intelligent, kind. It’s in your communication and your foundation and trusting that all good things will come together in time. It’s in the family that you build together. It’s in the work you each put in to get through the hard times. Together.”

me: yeah uh-huh jj you really did summarize the fic so far.

this is also where i started being sappy and thinking about love. friendly and romantic love. the love i've seen in my friends, the love i feel myself in my relationships.

There. That’s what his clients taught him. Menchi and Buhara; Morena and Theta; Pokkle and Ponzu; Knov and Morel; Knuckle and Shoot; Canary and Amane. But so many more people showed him what love was. He pictured Pairo and Altair on his couch, laughing at him and judging him and helping him put his own puzzle-piece heart together into something cohesive and beautiful. He smiled at his brothers and saw the way they were clutching each others hands, mouths beaming and eyes dewy.

they LOVE their brother so MUCH. their view of the outside looking in for the past year, watching kurapika fall in love, go soft, be happier than they've ever seen him.

He told them, “It’s in the way you can communicate in gestures and looks, and sometimes, without looking at all. It’s in banter and private jokes and finishing each other’s sentences. It’s in casual touches and... pouring their coffee before your own.”

my coffee is never as good as when my partner makes it. my honey-lemon tea is never as good as it is when my partner makes it. my jokes are never as funny as they are when my partner and i finish each other's sentences, build off of each other's quips. we can communicate across rooms with nothing but a look. these little signs of love are everywhere and expressed in so many tiny ways. these examples here are between people in romantic relationships, but these apply to platonic friendships as well.

His eyes swept the room and found Killua and Gon. Gon had his camera hefted onto one shoulder, and Killua stood behind him, arms around his waist and chin on his shoulder. “It’s on the first day you wake up and realize the way you look at the world has changed. The way you open your hands and your heart and give what you have, simply for the joy of being received.”

to love? transcendent. to be loved? incandescent. to love and know that it is valued and cherished and requited?

and this was a callback to killua talking about, of course, how he fell in love with gon like melting ice. like sinking into a bath. and this was also a quieter callback to how gon fell in love. because it wasn't just that he had/has so much love to give, but because for the first time in his life, he got to see it truly received. accepted.

Kurapika saw Killua’s breath catch and Gon’s hand flex over the fingers interlaced over his middle. Heedless of their surroundings and of the running camera, Gon twisted to kiss Killua on the mouth.

SMOOCHES ahahaha!

He turned his head back to Leorio. The man had not moved; indeed, he looked like he was nailed to the floor. His eyes were so intense as they watched him that Kurapika was almost surprised he had not yet burst into flame. Kurapika said, “It’s in the moment you see someone you’ve never met before, but you look at them and just know, to your core, that this is really going to be something.”

leorio realizing something is happening here. something huge is about to happen, is about to change. and he's trying so hard not to dare to hope it might be good. it might be everything.

A chorus of oohs went around the room. Even from this distance Kurapika saw the way Leorio’s face went red, and he ducked his chin, looking bashful and embarrassed.

leorio: holy shit holy shit holy SHIT IT'S HAPPENINGGGG

How was I such a fool before, Kurapika wondered, How was I so blind, so willfully ignorant and oblivious. How did it take me so long to realize you were talking about me. I’m sorry it took me so long to get here. I’m sorry I made you wait for so long.

this is important because it's not just kurapika realizing and accepting his feelings for leorio. this is kurapika's version of realizing that leorio feels the same for him. leorio is in love with him, too. and he's wondering how it was possible he was so scared and blind for so long. he fears he may have hurt leorio by holding off on this for so long, so he wants to be brave, take the leap, and see what they could be.

Kurapika did not want this man to wait another second. He did not want Leorio to spend another moment trapped in this limbo. So he confessed in the middle of a silent room in front of over a hundred people, “It's the first time you hear them laugh, and your entire world’s axis shifts beneath your feet.”

i remember the first time i met my partner. i remember the first time i looked at them and felt my world shift a little to the right. i remember falling in love and thinking that this one was unlike all the others. it was warm, golden, comforting.

Kurapika watched the confused frown on Leorio’s face when he heard that, amused by the almost puppyish tilt to his head as he considered it. He knew the moment Leorio realized what he meant when his eyes blew wide, amazed and awed and achingly soft. His lips parted.

gOD he is so CUTE. he's like oh hmm huh what does that mean

and then he remembers

i promise, he's not a huge dickwad!

and leorio laughing at gon's accidental gaffe and his sweet earnestness. and kurapika walking in. leorio realizing kurapika wanted to know him before they ever even met.

Kurapika made himself turn away from the arresting sight. “One of my favorite venues lately was the Roseview Ballroom downtown. Among its many beautiful, gaudy attractions are its murals depicting scenes from Shakespeare’s plays all across the ceiling. One is a famous quote from Twelfth Night: ‘journeys end in lovers meeting, every wise man’s son doth know.’ But the more I think about it, the less I agree.”

i'm such a WHORE for shakespeare, as any readers of mine will know. check out my modern college adaptation of much ado about nothing.

He turned to meet Pairo’s eyes again, repeating, “‘Journeys end in lovers meeting.’ But nothing is ending here. It’s just changing.”

life does not end when we start relationships! or when they end! or when we move, change jobs, graduate, go to school, drop out of school. happy endings in stories still aren't endings. the greatest constant in life is change.

“Because what I’ve learned in this job, Pairo and Altair, what nugget of wisdom I have to give you, is this. Love is looking at a world that can be terrifying, cold, capricious, and indifferent, and finding the person whose hand you want to hold through it all anyway. Because you want every laugh, every tear, every wrinkle, every spark of joy. Love is life’s greatest leap of faith, because you don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow. But you know exactly who you want to spend all those tomorrows with.”

me finishing this: dammit i just wrote out my wedding vows.

Kurapika looked around the room again. At Gon and Killua; at Kalluto, Nanika, and Alluka; at his parents; at his brothers. At Leorio.

He concluded, “So you simply breathe. And you trust it will be okay.”

There wasn’t a dry eye in the room when Kurapika dropped the microphone.

DAMN ME TOO THIS SHIT WAS GOOD TF?????? sorry my writing has peaked here.

#jj answers #hxh #loml

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starryeyes-darkestnights · 3 years

Text

Gold Rush

Part 5 of We Dance Together Now

An O’Knutzy au where Leo and Logan are still playing for the Lions, but Finn is a musician/grad student they met by chance on a roadie to Montreal.

Here are the first few parts!

Part 1 - Jingle Bell Rock

Part 2 - This City

Part 3 - Shut Up and Drive

Part 4 - Wicked Game

I also stuck this up on AO3, my username there is the same :)

These beautiful characters and their world belong to the incredible @lumosinlove ! Her work is amazing, and I’m so happy to get to play with some of the people and places she’s created <3

The song that Finn is singing in this chapter is Gold Rush, by Taylor Swift. And it’s the song that inspired this entire fic :):)

I imagined Finn playing it like the version by Travis Atreo! (If you haven’t listened to that you should :) )

I hope you like it!!!

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

Logan

It was too early the next morning, or maybe too late from the night before, when Logan finally gave up on the idea of sleep. The sun was just starting to peak over the horizon when stole out onto the balcony, closing the door softly behind him and leaning against it. He stayed there for a moment, still and quiet in the pre-dawn chill, and let the fresh air wash over him. He let his eyes close and breathed in deep- once, twice, three times.

It was better, being out here. He always felt more grounded, more like himself, outside. He pushed away from the door and wandered over to the patio chair in the corner, out of sight from anyone who might wander into the living room.

He wasn’t sure how to talk to the other two after last night. He had been off all night, he knew. Having Finn there to watch them play, seeing Leo get hit on the ice, making it to the play-offs… it had already been a lot. And then that moment in Cap’s kitchen…

He slid down in his chair, scrubbing his face with his palms as he tried unsuccessfully to block out the memory of Finn’s eyes on his, of Leo’s chest flush against his back.

What he should have done was leave with Dumo when he’d offered. But no, of course he wouldn’t do the sensible thing. He had to be cocky and assume he could keep it under control, when clearly he was an idiot who didn’t know what control meant. And by the time he figured that out it had been too late and he had no good excuse to uber back home without making it obvious that he didn’t want to be around them.

So instead he had just walked home with Finn and Leo, like they had planned. And when they had finally gotten inside, just the three of them, alone in the dark apartment, Logan had promptly panicked and bolted off to his room with hardly a word. Clearly the sign of a man with his shit together.

Plus, to add insult to injury, shutting himself in his room hadn’t even helped. In fact, it had made it worse. Because all he had to do was look around to see that the room had clearly been put together for him. It had happened gradually when he had started spending nights there. First, the sheets had been replaced with new ones in his favourite colour after a slightly drunk and very passionate argument with Finn about the importance of having favourite colours (Finn was in favour. Logan was not. At least not out loud. But Finn had figured it out anyway). Then a container of the Tiger Balm he was constantly rubbing on his legs had appeared on his nightstand after a stretch of home games. There were always two towels waiting for him, after Finn had caught him scrounging around the linen closet for an extra one evening. There was a water bottle on his dresser, a phone charger plugged in next to it. He had clothes in the drawers and an extra pillow to hug while he slept—Leo must have shared that detail.

His toothbrush was in the bathroom, his favourite snacks were always in the fridge and a spare blanket had made a new home on the couch for when he inevitably got cold while the other two overheated. He’d had more than one pair of very fluffy socks thrown at his head when Finn caught him shoving his toes between the couch cushions to keep warm, and those socks were sitting on the end of his bed even now. Everything he needed to be comfortable, Finn had provided, without ever saying a word about it.

It had surprised Logan at first, how thoughtful Finn was underneath all that chaos. How observant. Him and Leo were similar that way. They were similar in a lot of ways, actually, and it both warmed and twisted Logan’s heart to watch as the two of them grew closer.

Last night, as he had closed his bedroom door behind him and took it all in, it was the twisting that took over. That room had felt like a safe haven for him for the past four months, but now everything in it reminded him of what he could never have. And so he had just laid there, on top of the blankets, staring at the ceiling and trying to will himself to sleep.

The balcony door creaked open again as the sun finally broke away from the skyline, and Logan didn’t have to look over to know it was Leo.

His tall silhouette moved forward to lean his forearms on the balcony railing. He didn’t look at Logan either, but Logan knew he had come out to keep him company. Just like he had last night. Logan tried not to read too much into it. It was just who Leo was. If Finn was the master of creating a comfortable space, Leo was the master of joining you in it.

It was something Logan was kind of jealous of. He was always fucking up when people needed support- joking when he should be serious, and being serious when they needed distracting. But Leo always got it right. He always knew when someone was having a bad day, and he’d show up with exactly what you needed. A cup of tea, the channel changed to your favourite show. A closed door and a quiet warning to others to give you space. He always knew when to ask about it and when to let you sit with it, or when to sit with you in it. Everyone loved him for it. Logan loved him for it. Which was half of the reason he was out here hiding in the first place.

Not that it had worked, because apparently Leo also had a knack for finding people when nobody else even knew they were hiding. Logan had closed his door when he came out. Leo shouldn’t have known he wasn’t still sleeping. He let his head roll to look at Leo’s profile against the morning sun.

“How did you know I wasn’t in my room?”

Leo turned to look back at him with a kind smile and shrugged. “I know you find peace outside. I figured you would rather be here than there right now.”

Logan wasn’t sure what he had been expecting exactly, but it certainly wasn’t that. He just blinked back at Leo for a few moments, trying to formulate a response, and thanked the universe when the door slid open again, distracting them both. Finn stepped out with coffee and a tentative smile, handing steaming mugs to Leo and Logan before sitting down next to them and turning to look out over the early morning cityscape.

The three of them stayed there together in awkward silence, watching the city over the balcony railing. Logan was almost reminded of the night they had done the same thing in Ilvermorny, standing shoulder to shoulder at the railing and looking out over the moonlit ocean. But this was different. Because this time, for the first time since the day they had met, nothing about their silence was comfortable. And for the first time since the day they had met, nobody knew how to break it. And Logan knew it was his fault.

---

Finn

Leo and Logan left for their team meeting at 7am, and Finn hadn’t sat still since. His mind was racing, his pulse pounding in his own ears. Everything was wrong, and it was his fault, and he had no idea how to fix it.

He should have known it from the moment he stepped foot in the arena. If he was being honest with himself, he should have known it as soon as he agreed to come to the game. Half of the reason he had avoided it for all this time was because he knew that seeing the boys in their element like that would be difficult to resist.

But he hadn’t expected the way that game would crack him open. He had felt exposed from the instant he saw them on the ice, and if he had been smart, he would have left the party early. Faked a headache. Blamed a school assignment. But he hadn’t been able to bring himself to walk away from them. Instead, he had let his heart overrule his brain, and predictably, he had gotten hurt. And now he was regretting it with every fibre of his being, as the memory kept replaying in his mind.

Last night, he had left the dance floor to go and get a drink. And when he tried to go back out, he had caught sight of Logan, right where he had left him on the edge of the room. And that had stopped him in his tracks.

Because instead of the scheming look Finn had expected to see, Logan’s face had been a stormy expression of pure longing. It had taken Finn less than a second to follow his gaze to where Leo stood, love clear in his concerned eyes as they roamed over Logan’s face.

Finn’s stomach had plunged through the floor even as he looked away. He’d turned on the spot and strode back into the kitchen, pressing his back against the wall and facing resolutely away from the living room, trying to breathe deep and settle the spinning in his head.

He should have expected it. He had noticed it before- the flickering glances and fleeting expressions between them. He had brushed off every one of those instances as just his imagination, and then they had all come back to him in that moment. His brain had felt like it was fighting itself- half of it warm with the thought of them together, the other half cold with the thought of never being with them himself. He’d shut his eyes, trying to block it all out. And then Natalie had come to his rescue. He replayed their conversation in his mind.

“Finn? You ok?”

Her voice cut through the sounds of the party still going on around him.

He’d opened his eyes to see her looking up at him from beside the door, a concerned look on her face. He quickly schooled his face into what he hoped was a convincing smile.

“Ya, of course. Just had one drink too many I think. I need some more water.”

She looked unconvinced, but smiled back anyway and reached out a hand for his cup. “That’s where I was headed too. I’ll fill yours up.”

Finn had stayed put while she went over to the sink, feeling guilty for not helping, but not sure he could move at the moment. When Natalie brought back his cup, he’d been surprised to see her lean back next to him instead of heading back out to the party.

“Do you want to talk about it?” She cut to the point in true Natalie fashion, looking straight into his eyes with a genuine kindness that almost made him want to open up.

But he shook his head. “It’s nothing. I’m good.”

She nodded, still holding his eyes. “Ok. But promise me, if you ever need to talk, that you will? It doesn’t have to be to me, but I want you to know that I’m here. And that whatever you say to me, doesn’t go beyond me.”

Finn nodded back with a smile, small but genuine. “I promise.” He meant it.

She took a drink of her water then, looking satisfied. And Finn was beyond grateful for her when she started her next sentence:

“So… you can only listen to one album for the rest of your life. What do you choose?”

---

Finn checked the time on microwave. 8:30. It was still early, but it was going to have to do, because he couldn’t handle this on his own anymore. He was going to keep that promise to Natalie sooner than he had expected. He picked up his phone and dialed the familiar number, turning on speaker and dropping it back onto the table.

“Please pick up, please pick up” he muttered to himself as he circled the dining room.

“…hello?” His best friend’s sleep-filled voice filled the room. Finn snatched the phone back up.

Finn: June. Thank God. I’m sorry for waking you up. Are you awake? Can you talk? Do you want me to let you sleep?”

June: Finn? What the fuck. It’s so early. Why do you sound like that? What’s wrong?”

Finn heard her shuffle around in the blankets, heard her whisper to Heather to go back to sleep. Suddenly he realized he didn’t know what to say. How to explain it.

June: Finn? Dude, what’s up??

Finn: I… I just need your help. I don’t know how to do this anymore.

June: What? Do what anymore?

Finn: Be around them, June.

June: Be around who? Finn, you don’t make sense, can you like, start from the beginning? I just woke up.

Finn dropped the phone back to the table and brought his hands up to his hair. This was not working. He squeezed his head for a second, trying to organize his thoughts before he tried again.

Finn: It’s Leo and Logan. I thought I had it under control but then I watched them play hockey last night and then I was completely NOT in control, and then I watched them dance together and that… that hurt. And now everything is completely out of the box and I don’t know how to shove it back in.

June was quiet for a moment, before letting out a sympathetic sigh.

June: Finn…

Finn: I know, June. I know it’s stupid. Just tell me how to fix it. I’m going out of my mind.

June: That’s not what I was going to say.

Finn: … Oh. What were you going to say then?

June: I was going to tell you to not shove it back in the box.

Finn: Excuse me?? Are you still sleeping? That is not what I called you for. You’re supposed to be helping!

June: I am helping. Finn, you clearly care about each other. Everything you’ve told me about them… it’s obvious. So why are you boxing things up? Let love happen.

Finn stopped pacing and stared at the phone incredulously.

Finn: Let love HAPPEN?! June, they are LITERALLY professional athletes! They are gorgeous. Every time we go out they’ve got, like, hordes of girls following them around. You should see them June. They think they’re subtle but they’ll sneak behind them on the dance floor and crash into them just so they can talk to them. So they can touch them. And I can’t even blame them! And they’re always so fucking annoyingly beautiful. It’s like- it’s like a contest for these girls, and I can’t compete. I don’t want to compete. It’s impossible, June. I’m a grad student with a guitar. I stand less than zero chance here. Plus…

Finn cut himself off with a sharp intake of air. He was working himself up nearly to the point of tears, and he was not interested in crying right now. He let out a steadying breath and forced himself to sit down. June waited a second before prodding him gently.

June: Plus what, Finn?

Finn: Plus… I don’t know, June. Last night… you should have seen it. The way they were looking at each other, I just... I think, even if they ever were to be willing to get into a relationship with a guy, one they would have to hide… it would be with each other. Not with me.

June: Ok, well… actually wait, is it Logan or Leo that you’re into?

Finn dropped his face into his hands, digging the heels of his palms into his eyes. This was another thing he wasn’t sure he knew how to deal with.

Finn: That’s… another thing. I don’t- I don’t even know. I. Don’t. Even. Know. Isn’t that insane? How is that even possible?? They’re completely different from one another and I… I know it doesn’t make any sense to be equally into both of them, and I have tried, God, believe me I have tried to turn it off. For both of them. But apparently I can’t, June. Not for either one. So, in all honesty, even if, let’s just go completely hypothetical here for a second, even IF I thought it was a possibility that either of them could be interested back, I couldn’t do it anyway. Because there would always be someone else too.

June: I see…

Finn: I just— UGH! This is insane. This is so stupid. This is the stupidest thing that I’ve ever done. June. Help.

He dropped his head to the table as he felt all the energy drain from him.

Finn: Help me turn it off. Please. I need to turn it off.

He was going to cry. Goddammit. He tilted his head back and stared unblinking at the ceiling, breathing deeply, willing it away. He could hear June on the other end of the line, just waiting, giving him time. After a moment, he continued.

Finn: Why am I like this? Make my feelings go away. I don’t want them.

June’s voice was soft coming through the phone.

June: Yes, you do, Finn. Your heart is what makes you, you. I would never- never- do anything to take it away. You’re the best person I know, and I know this is hard for you right now, but it’s going to work out. I promise. You’ve always got me to talk to when it gets too much, but please don’t ever think it’s better to change who you are.

Finn didn’t think she was right. He was tired of his heart being always on his sleeve. Tired of feeling so vulnerable. Tired of feeling like he was going to implode every time Leo and Logan were near. There was a line he hadn’t known was there that had been crossed last night, and he didn’t know if he could turn back now. If he could go back to pretending. He hated feeling like this, and he hated the tension it was causing between them. But he didn’t want to argue with June right now.

Finn: Ya. You’re right. I’m kind of tired now though, I think I’m going to go back to bed. Thanks for listening, June.

June: Ok… any time.

Finn could hear that she didn’t sound convinced, but she let out a resigned sigh.

June: Seriously, Finn. Call me any time, ok? I’ll pick up, any time of day or night. You know that. And I sent you my flight itinerary right? I’m coming to see you soon. I’ll be there to hug you in person.

Finn: Ya, I got the itinerary.

June: Good. And please don’t forget, I don’t care if these boys are professional bajillionaires, you’re the only Finn O’Hara in the world and they are the ones who are lucky to have you. I love you.

Finn: Love you too, June. I’ll talk to you soon.

Finn hit the End Call button on his phone and just sat still for a moment, unsure if he was feeling better or worse. His eyes locked on a mug on the other side of the table and he pulled it toward himself, hoping it was his coffee from earlier that morning. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be his tea from last night. He sighed. Leo was always making fun of him for leaving half-drank cups of tea all around the apartment and he supposed this was why. It was a very disappointing find.

He dropped his head into his hands and stared straight down at the dull surface of the old tea. The last of its ripples faded away as memories of the past few months started to roll through his mind like a film reel.

He thought of the day they met, up on that stage in Montreal. The trip they had taken to Ilvermorny to watch the stars. The team dinners he’d joined and the club nights they’d danced through. All the times he’d looked out from the stage to see them in crowd at his shows.

He thought back to that first show they had come to in Gryffindor, at the Burrow. The way he had felt when he saw Logan flirting with that girl. He hadn’t ever wanted to feel that way again. He had promised himself that night that he would turn whatever feelings he had for them off, keep it friends only.

And even though he wasn’t perfect, he really thought he had been doing a good job of it. But now, sitting here feeling that exact same feeling amplified a thousand times, he knew that he had never turned anything off. That that hope had stayed there, growing in the back of his mind whether he’d been willing to admit it or not. And last night had exposed it. And now that Finn knew, like really knew, that what he hoped for would never be, it was coming back around to crush him.

Finn tried to shake the thought away, tilting his head back to get some air. He was getting in his head, and he knew it. He just needed to catch his breath. He needed to get his thoughts out.

He needed his guitar.

He stood abruptly, grabbing the mug from in front of him and dumping it in the sink on his way out of the kitchen. For his entire life, music had been the way that Finn worked through his feelings. No matter what tangled mess was crowding his mind, pulling at the heart he could not for the life of him keep off of his sleeve, music calmed him. It brought him back to earth, centered him and let him start again. So now, just like he had done a million times before, Finn sat on the edge of his bed, closed his eyes, and let his emotions bleed out through the strings of his guitar.

---

Leo

That afternoon, Leo let himself into the apartment quietly. Finn hadn’t responded to his messages letting him know that Coach had let them go early, and Leo thought maybe he was napping after the late night and early morning they’d had.

He screwed up his face at the thought of their morning. Leo had hoped that sleep would help with whatever weird tension had appeared between them last night, but it seemed to have done the opposite. In the bright morning light, everything had seemed even more awkward, and they had spent the morning like strangers- unsure of how to act or what to say. It hadn’t stayed in the apartment either. Leo had shared an Uber with Logan to the arena, and Lo hadn’t looked at him a single time. He had also, impressively, managed to avoid him for nearly the entire day despite being in pretty close quarters in the locker room. But Leo had finally cornered him for a few seconds on their way out the door. Just long enough to make sure he was still planning to come to Finn’s show tonight. He was anxious for them to work through whatever this mess was. And Logan had, in the end, agreed to come, so Leo hoped that meant he wanted to as well.

For now, though, Leo just wanted to make some tea and retreat to his bed to sort through his own thoughts. Last night had messed with his head too. Knowing Finn had been at the game, watching, and then the excitement of the win. He’d been on an adrenaline high, and then watching Finn and Logan doing… whatever that had been in the kitchen. That had hurt. He’d tried to act normal, but he wasn’t sure he’d done a very good job.

He was pretty sure that what he had seen between the two of them was what was up with Logan as well, but he wasn’t sure about Finn. He’d been weird even before that, from the time they’d met up after the game.

He dropped his keys on the table beside the door, and was just about to head to the kitchen for his tea when he heard the sounds of Finn’s guitar coming from down the hall, quietly playing a song he didn’t recognize. His interest piqued immediately—Finn was always singing quietly around the house, but he NEVER played guitar when Leo was home, unless it was to dick around to karaoke songs in the living room. He always rehearsed for shows in the practise rooms on campus, and when he worked on his own stuff at home it was always on the keyboard, with headphones plugged in to stay quiet. He always insisted it was not pleasant to listen to the songwriting process, but Leo was pretty sure he would be happy to listen to Finn play anything for hours if he did it on his guitar. He was good on the keyboard, but the way he played guitar… it was like it was a part of him. Leo could never look away when he picked it up on stage.

On second thought, maybe it was for the best that Finn did refrain from playing around him.

He made his way down to where Finn’s bedroom door was open and leaned quietly against the doorframe. Finn didn’t seem to notice him, and Leo took advantage of the rare moment, being able to study him unseen.

Finn was sitting on the edge of his bed, eyes closed and guitar propped on his knees. His fingers danced along the strings as sunlight filtered into the room, casting shadows below long eyelashes and playing across the freckles Leo loved, high on Finn’s cheekbones. There was never a time when Leo didn’t want to reach out and touch those freckles, let his fingertips trail across Finn’s skin- soft and gentle, connecting the dots. It was a daydream he kept close to his chest, never letting anyone else see.

Leo let himself be lost in that moment, watching, until the boy in front of him started to sing and his admiration turned to awe.

Leo was used to the Finn he saw playing music on stage, at parties, even messing around in their living room. That Finn was always larger than life, full of mischief and chaos, working hard to make sure everyone was having a good time. Leo had assumed that’s what he was always like as a musician.

But here, alone in his room without an audience to entertain, Finn was playing for himself. And Leo realized he’d been wrong. Maybe that was who Finn was as performer, but this- this was Finn as a musician. As an artist. Open, unguarded, his heart in every note. It was utterly captivating. It felt like he was intruding on something private.

The realization that he was intruding on something private, and had been for several minutes longer than he should have been, finally snapped Leo out of it. He cleared his throat just as Finn started to sing a little louder.

“What must it be like to grow up that beautif—” Finn turned his head at the sound and caught sight of Leo in the doorway. He slammed his palm down on the strings as his voice cut out, ending all of the sound in the room at once. He jumped up, eyes going wide as he stood, his body tense. Leo lifted his hands in a show of peace, and watched Finn let out a relieved huff, relaxing as he realized who was there.

“Jesus, Leo. Dude. Once again: learn to make noise when you enter a space. You’re going to give me a heart attack one of these days.” Finn’s tone was joking, but Leo noticed his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“I’m sorry.” Leo suddenly realized he was nervous, a feeling he wasn’t used to around Finn. “I didn’t mean to interrupt you. I tried to message you, Coach let us go early, I know you weren’t expecting me back yet…”

“It’s ok.” Finn stepped in when Leo trailed off. “I didn’t have my phone. And you never have to be sorry about coming home, ok? Just… try not to scare me when you do?”

Leo huffed out a small laugh at that, relieved that Finn didn’t appear to be upset with him. “I didn’t mean to. I just didn’t recognize the song you were playing. I wanted to come and see what it was. Are you practising for tonight?”

He watched the long lines of Finn’s throat as he swallowed before answering- a nervous tick of his that Leo had picked up on.

“Oh. Um, no, it’s not for tonight. It’s a… it’s a new one.”

“You wrote it?”

“Ya. I did.”

Leo considered Finn for a second before asking, “… Can I listen?”

Finn hesitated, starting to look uncomfortable as he shifted the guitar across his chest.

Leo immediately regretted the request, worried he had crossed a boundary. He had heard Finn play original music at shows, but this was his personal space, and he had just waltzed in and invaded it. He tried to backtrack. “Oh my god, I’m sorry Finn, I shouldn’t have asked that. I didn’t mean to make you—”

Finn cut him off. “No, no, you didn’t do anything wrong. It’s ok.” He looked up at Leo, a new spark in his expression. “I want to play it for you.”

---

Finn

This was his opportunity. He could play the song and either Leo would recognize it was about them or he wouldn’t. He would be upset by it or he wouldn’t. All he knew for certain was that he couldn’t keep it to himself anymore. He wasn’t deluding himself, he knew it wouldn’t work out. He had realized that last night. Reaffirmed it this morning. And he was aware that it didn’t make any sense, the feelings he had for the two of them, but he was so tired of bottling it up. All he could do was share the best way he knew how and hope they could work through it. They were worth that.

Before he had a chance to talk himself out of it, he cleared his throat and brushed his fingers across the strings. As soon as he played the first notes, the song took over. It always felt like magic, the way the sounds of the guitar wrapped around him, calmed him, pulled him together. He looked down, away from Leo as he started to sing.

“Gleaming, twinkling, eyes like sinking ships on waters, so inviting I almost jump in”

He kept his gaze down as he moved through lyrics he had finished this morning. The words he had pulled out of himself to try and make sense of it all. To tell the story of the past few months with these two incredible, indescribable boys. This first verse was vague enough that if he didn’t already know, Leo wouldn’t guess it was about him.

But the one that followed… Finn forced himself to look up, to connect with that familiar blue-eyed gaze and watch his reaction. There was no way Leo wouldn’t realize what he was singing about now. Memories swirled behind Finn’s eyes as he played.

“What must it be like to grow up that beautiful

With your hair falling into place like dominos”

Dark curls falling over emerald eyes; blonde over cerulean. Finn wanting to reach out and touch so badly that his hands shook.

“I see me padding across, your wooden floors,

With my Eagles t-shirt hanging from the door”

Every time Finn had walked across Leo’s room to take back the shirt that Leo was constantly stealing and leaving hanging on his closet door, where he knew Finn would be able to find it if he ever came looking. He watched as Leo’s small smile turned into a look of recognition.

“At dinner parties, I call you out on your contrarian shit”

The first time Finn had caught on to Logan’s game, at dinner with Talker. The countless times since that he and Leo had called him out for stirring the pot. The grumpy look on Logan’s face when he realized he was caught.

“And the coastal town we wandered around,

Had never seen a love as pure as it”

The day they drove out to Ilvermorny and spent one of the best days of Finn’s life playing tourist and looking at the stars. The burning heat he had felt as Logan flirted with him from the side of the balcony railing. The pull in his heart when he realized how much Leo missed the open skies. He knew now what those feelings meant.

“And then it fades into the gray of my day old tea,

‘Cause you know it could never be.”

This morning, at the table, reliving all of these moments as the hope he had been harbouring slowly slipped away.

Leo’s face was unreadable now, and Finn closed his eyes to the sight as he kept singing.

“Cause I don't like a gold rush, gold rush I don't like anticipating my face in a red flush I don't like that anyone would die to feel your touch Everybody wants you”

Girls lining up, pushing for their chance to make a move on them. The heat crawling up the back of his neck as he fought to not let it get under his skin. He’d told June this morning that he couldn’t compete. That he didn’t want to have to compete.

“Everybody wonders what it would be like to love you Walk past, quick brush I don't like slow motion double vision in rose blush”

Watching them touch the boys, running fingers down their arms, laying palms on their chests as they danced by. Pretending that it would turn into something more. His world spinning as he was reminded time and time again that he could never do the same.

“I don't like that falling feels like flying till the bone crush Everybody wants you And I don't like a gold rush”

The boys made him better. Everything was so easy when they were together. So good. And that made it so much worse to see the longing in Logan’s eyes when he looked at Leo, to see the love in Leo’s when he smiled at Logan. To watch everybody else want these two boys who so clearly wanted each other.

He slid into the final verse, trying to keep it together as he repeated the first few lines. And then,

“My mind turns your lives into folklore

I can’t dare to dream about you anymore”

There was something there between Leo and Logan. Finn knew he wasn’t imagining it. The vision of their future together had been running through his mind on a loop since last night, and it was perfect. They were perfect, together. He knew that the only thing he could do now was rewrite the ending of this story. Write himself out of it. So, lyrically at least, he had.

“I can’t dare to dream about you anymore.

At dinner parties I won’t call you out on your contrarian shit,

And the coastal town we never found will never see a love as pure as it,

Cause it fades into the gray of my day old tea,

Cause it will never be.”

Finn’s voice cracked on the word never, and he knew he wouldn’t be able to sing the final lines. He forced his hands to finish playing anyway, to give him time to take a few steadying breaths so he could at least look at Leo.

When he’d dragged it out as long as he could, Finn let the final note fade out across the room and sat perfectly still for a few moments. Hoping it would be ok.

When Leo didn’t speak into the quiet, his heart sank. He lifted his head, intending to look at Leo, but his eyes stayed glued to the frets under his fingers. The burst of confidence he had felt when he started the song was a distant memory now.

He tried to laugh, but it sounded fake even to himself. His knees wouldn’t stop bouncing. He needed to break this silence.

“So… ya. Um. I’m sorry. That wasn’t a song that I ever intended for anyone to hear, and…” he stopped as his voice caught in his throat again.

It was quiet for another moment before Leo’s voice, kind and gentle, spoke up.

“I think they should.”

Finn’s heart was pounding in his throat as he heard Leo take a step toward him.

Leo spoke again, softer this time. Cautious. “I think Logan should.”

Finn’s knees finally stopped moving. His entire body froze in place. On a hypothetical level, he had known this was what was going to happen when he decided to play this stupid song. But he always had been better at jumping than at dealing with the fall, and experiencing it was turning out to be much worse than imagining it. It would seem he had failed to factor in how much panic would be involved. What had possessed him to think it was a good idea??

He was suddenly desperate to take it all back.

“Logan?” He croaked out. “No, Logan doesn’t—”

“Finn.” Leo cut him off. He was closer now, standing beside him. “You wrote that song about him. About me. About us.”” Leo’s voice was steady. It wasn’t a question.

Well, fuck. There was no taking it back now. Dealing with the fall it was. He took a deep breath, tried to steel himself for whatever was about to happen, and finally looked up into Leo’s eyes.

His face was still giving nothing away. Which was horrifically unfair because Finn knew that every single thing he was feeling was written across his own. Goddamn goalie face.

Finn whispered then, his voice full of apology. “Leo…”

Leo’s mask finally disappeared.

“Don’t apologize, Finn. Not now. Please.” His expression was suddenly open, vulnerable. Finn wasn’t sure what to do then, so he just pulled his bottom lip between his teeth and sat still, giving Leo the space to make the next move. He took it.

Leo’s eyes flickered between Finn’s, unguarded, and searching- always searching.

He started slowly. “I thought it was just me. I thought I was going crazy—these feelings, I didn’t know what to do with them. I just wanted to pretend it wasn’t there.” He shook his head a little, his gaze shifting away from Finn as he continued.

“I promised myself when I came to Gryffindor that I wouldn’t get attached to anyone. Not anyone on my team or anywhere else. I just wanted to keep my head down and focus on my career. But then…” he paused for a moment, and Finn could see him debating how to proceed. All of a sudden he turned those ocean blue eyes back on Finn, and the look in them made Finn forget how to breathe.

“But then there was Logan… and then there was you, and I just… I don’t know.”

Finn’s heart skipped several beats as he blinked up at Leo. He had long suspected Leo’s feelings for Logan, had almost expected that confession, but…

“Wait. Me?” His voice was laced with confusion.

Leo nodded back.

“Ya. You.” he breathed out. He looked away then, his cheeks flushed and confidence faltering as he continued.

“But I thought… you and Logan. I see how you watch each other. I saw the way he looked at you last night. Oh my God, Finn, the way he was looking at you last night. I knew he had feelings for you and I never thought… I thought I would just have to back away and watch the two of you.”

What? Finn’s head was reeling.

“Leo… Logan. I’ve been watching how he looks at you, Leo. That’s what the whole song…” he stopped, not sure he was making sense. But Leo was nodding.

“I know that now. Now that I’ve heard you sing that, I know.” He smiled reassuringly at Finn, then leaned against the windowsill as his expression turned hesitant. Finn watched some kind of internal debate play out over his features before Leo connected their gaze once more.

“Finn, in your song, you said you don’t dare to dream about us anymore. That it could never be.”

Finn nodded slowly. He had written that this morning. When he thought he needed to back away. Now though… something had sparked inside him as he listened to Leo speak.

“And maybe... maybe you’re right. Maybe it never can be, the way you were thinking about it before. The way I was thinking about it before. It’s impossible, to feel this way about two people.”

Finn felt the spark go out. He was familiar with this moment. Too familiar. He pushed the flickering reminders of his first years in Gryffindor back out of his mind. He didn’t need them to know he was about to be let down gently.

But Leo’s voice was shaky, nervous as he continued. “But maybe—maybe if I stopped dreaming about you separately. If WE start dreaming about us together, all three of us. Maybe… maybe then it could be.”

That… was not what he had expected.

Finn felt something connect inside of him as he considered Leo’s words. It felt right. He looked up at the boy beside him, usually so calm and collected, now looking just as freaked out and vulnerable as he felt.

Finn felt a surge of protectiveness over him. Leo had put himself on the line here, for Finn. So that Finn wouldn’t be out there alone. He knew how big of a risk that was for Leo, with the job he had and the scrutiny it came with. If Leo was willing to take that risk, Finn knew he would do whatever it took to make it worth it.

“Yes.” His voice cracked. He tried again. “Yes.”

Leo looked at him carefully, searching, Finn knew, for confirmation that he meant what he was saying. “Are you sure?”

Finn’s mind was still reeling, but the one thing he felt sure of right now, was this. “I’m sure.”

Leo quirked up one side of his mouth then, his smile warming up the room like the sun peaking out from the clouds. “Ok.”

“Ok.” Finn repeated, starting to smile back. “So, what do we do next?”

Leo’s expression turned serious again. “I think next, we need to talk to Logan. When he gets here. But right now,” he took a step toward Finn, “do you think you could put down your guitar?”

Finn looked down at the instrument he now realized he was clutching to himself like a lifeline. He pulled it over his head and slowly set it down on the bed behind him. Leo held out a hand, his eyes cautious as he watched Finn grab his wrist and stand up.

The two boys were face to face then, and Finn slowly let his fingers slide to twine between the taller boy’s. He had touched Leo hundreds of times before, been closer to him even on the first day they met. But this- the feeling of Leo’s calloused palm against his own, of his thumb tracing gentle circles across his knuckles- was something completely new.

He watched as Leo looked down at their connected hands and used the grip to pull Finn closer, until Finn could feel the heat from his body coming through his shirt. Finn wondered vaguely if Leo could feel the way his own heart was beating through his skin. His eyes traveled up to lock onto Leo’s. He would never get over Leo’s eyes. They were so blue, like the ocean in the sunlight. So inviting.

Those eyes flickered back and forth across Finn’s face, and Finn let Leo be the one to voice what he was sure they were both thinking.

“Finn.” His voice was a whisper.

“Ya?” Finn replied just as softly.

“Will you kiss me?”

Finn’s skin erupted in goosebumps as he felt Leo’s other hand slide gently across the back of his neck. He didn’t know if he even had a heartbeat anymore.

He brought his own hand up, tracing his fingertips delicately under Leo’s jaw and running a thumb along his cheekbone, before tangling his fingers into his hair and pulling him the rest of the way forward.

“Yes.” He was barely able to breathe the word out before their lips met in an impossible kiss.

Finn’s whole body was electrified. He leaned in closer and felt Leo do the same, tilting their heads in unison. Finn felt himself slipping away, his brain drowning out everything but the feel of Leo under his fingertips, against his lips, nothing but Leo’s name running through his mind.

Until another name joined it. Logan. Finn took the moment to slowly pull back from Leo, who was panting slightly as he leaned his forehead against Finn’s, his hands coming up to trace lightly along Finn’s cheekbones. Finn opened his eyes to look at the beautiful man in front of him and said, simply, “Logan.”

Leo nodded, not letting go of Finn. “He’ll be here in a few hours. We’ll talk to him?”

Finn just nodded his agreement, closing his eyes again and moving to rest his forehead against Leo’s shoulder.

“I should let go of you now,” he murmured, “or I’ll never be able to again.”

Leo chuckled, the sound warm where their bodies were touching. “That doesn’t sound half bad to me.” He ran a hand through Finn’s hair and kissed the top of his head. Finn melted into it. “But you’re right,” he hummed against the red curls, “we need to talk to Logan.”

Reluctantly, they backed apart from one another, keeping their hands laced together.

Finn watched Leo’s chest rise and fall evenly, always so composed. Finn’s heart was still racing through his bones.

“How are you so calm right now?”

Leo laughed at that. “It just looks that way. Believe me, my mind is freaking out right now. I was just kissing one of the most beautiful men I’ve ever known.”

Finn cocked his head, lifting an eyebrow. “One of them?” He teased.

Leo just smiled back softly, meeting Finn’s gaze with affection.

“Yeah”

Finn couldn’t help himself; he leaned into Leo again, wrapping his arm around his waist and resting his head where he could feel the steady rhythm of his heart.

“Hmmm” he hummed, listening. “Logan.”

Leo nodded and rested his chin on top of Finn’s head. “Logan.”

“Let’s make some dinner?” Finn asked after a few seconds.

Leo actually snorted at that, finally breaking the spell that had fallen over the room.

Finn grinned back in response. “Ok fine. Will you make some dinner, and I can finally watch you without pretending that’s not what I’m doing?”

Leo smiled softly, looking surprised at that admission.

“I didn’t know you liked watching me cook.”

It was Finn’s turn to snort. “Leo, I like watching you do everything. But yes, I love watching you cook. You care about it so much. I’m surprised you’ve never caught on to that.”

Leo laughed as he pulled Finn toward the door. “After today, I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that there are a lot of things I’ve been oblivious about. Let’s go. I’ll make you something you like.”

#sweater weather lumosinlove #lumosinlove #Coast To Coast #o'knutzy #finn o'hara #leo knut #logan tremblay

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fortheloveofwonderland · 3 years

Text

The Last Goodbye [Spencer Reid x gn! Reader]

A/N - For my “goodbye letter” square on my CM Bingo Card for @cmbingo. You can find my bingo masterlist here.

CW - this one is mostly fluffy but angsty in places too. Talk of major character death and not necessarily a happy ending. Mentions of smut but only hinted at as I wanted to be able to keep it gender neutral.

Masterlist for my other fics can be found here.

Spencer and the readers' relationship over the years told through their firsts.

WC: 7.2K

The First Sight

It was winter in DC and the snow had rolled in a few days previous bringing with it icy temperatures. You pulled your scarf tighter around your neck as you headed up the steps of the public library. A shiver passed up your spine.

You waved hello to the librarian on the front desk, most of your Saturdays were spent in the confines of the library and you’d long ago become friendly with the old woman.

You made your way straight to the literature section, balancing books in one hand and your coffee in the other. You navigated the aisles with ease, you never felt more at home than when you were within the library walls.

Once you’d picked out your reading material for the morning, you headed to the armchair next to the large window where you always sat. There were actually two old, battered armchairs in the private alcove but usually you had the space to yourself.

Not today.

There was a scruffy haired man in the other chair, long legs tucked under him, tatty converse hanging off the cushion. His hair fell over his face as he read a book perched in his lap. He turned the pages at such a rate you couldn’t believe he was actually reading the words in front of him.

You were a little downtrodden to find your happy space occupied but tried to ignore the intruder, reminding yourself it was a public library as you made your way to the other chair opposite.

You set your books and coffee on the window ledge while you got comfortable. You selected the book on top of the pile and as you sat back to open it, you noticed the man opposite staring at you.

He was so brazen, not even trying to hide the fact he was staring. It made you uncomfortable, mostly because he was incredibly attractive and you felt insecure under his gaze.

You tried to ignore it and turned your attention back to your book. You opened the cover as you sipped your coffee and started to read.

You felt his eyes on you for the time it took you to read four pages of your book and then suddenly you felt a cold and you looked up to see him looking back at his book.

You shook it off and tried to focus on reading. You stayed for several hours as did he, in fact he was still there when you finally called it a day and left.

You had a voice in the back of your head the whole way home telling you, you should have spoken to him. You tried to shrug it off. There would be other times.

At least you hoped there would be.

The First Words

You frequented the library every Saturday as normal for the next month and a half with no further sightings of the mystery man.

This Saturday was no different. You found your space empty again and settled down in the armchair, once again slightly discouraged he wasn’t there once more. Maybe you’d blown your only chance.

You suppose it was your own fault, you couldn’t expect him to make the first move. You should have said something and maybe you wouldn’t always have to wonder.

You were half way through your first book when you felt a presence looming over you. Slowly you tore your gaze away from the page and looked up at the messy haired, converse wearing man from several weeks ago.

He had large, expressive eyes and a half-smile on his sinfully plump lips. He paired his converse with brown slacks, a navy shirt and sweat vest. He looked like a college professor.

When your eyes met he held out a takeout cup of coffee in your direction. And then he spoke the first words he would ever speak to you.

“You struck me as a black coffee drinker.” His smile widened as he motioned you to take the cup.

You did, cautiously, sniffing the strong contents.

“Thank you. And you were struck correctly, black is the only way I take my coffee.”

“I find coffee to be its own language.” He shrugged. “I’m Spencer by the way. Spencer Reid.”

You sipped the coffee, it tasted glorious but it was nothing compared to the warmth you got from the smile Spencer was giving you.

“Y/N. Y/N Y/L/N.”

“Beautiful.” He breathed. “It suits you.”

You felt your cheeks burn with embarrassment and you tried to hide it by looking away and taking another sip of your coffee.

“Thanks.” You whispered.

“Do you come here every week?” He moved across to the other armchair and sat on the edge, never taking his eyes off you.

“Mostly if I don’t have anything else on. I love the atmosphere here. It helps me focus.”

He was listening intently, like you were the most interesting person in the world.

“I’d like to come here more, but my job is so hectic.”

“What do you do?”

And just like that your book was all but forgotten. You and Spencer spent the rest of the morning chatting quietly surrounded by books. After he took you for coffee down the street. You exchanged phone numbers and he told you he’d take you out for dinner as soon as his work schedule allowed.

And you couldn’t wait to see him again.

The First Date

Two weeks after your day spent in the library with Spencer, he had a weekend off work and tonight he was taking you for dinner at an extremely posh restaurant in central DC.

You changed your outfit several times, not wanting to look either under or over dressed for the occasion.

Once you settled on an outfit and wrapped up in a warm coat and scarf, you braved the frigid weather and hailed a cab on the street outside your apartment.

Traffic wasn’t on your side and you were fifteen minutes late by the time you finally pulled up at the restaurant.

Your hands were shaking as you approached the door and it had nothing to do with the weather.

The warm air of the restaurant hit you as you stepped inside and you felt your face start to immediately defrost.

The host smiled at you, a warm and friendly smile.

“Do you have a reservation?” He asked softly.

“Yes I believe it’s under Reid. R-E-I-D.” You spelt it out, but you weren’t sure why.

He looked down at his book, ran his finger down the page and then looked back up with a smile.

“Ah yes, your dining partner is already here. Can I take your coat?”

You nodded, a wave of nerves rushing over you. You shrugged off your coat and scarf and gave them to the host. He hung them up before motioning for you to follow him.

As soon as you saw Spencer dressed in a suit and tie, his hair swept back off his face, your heart started to race. You had no idea why this gorgeous man wanted to take you for dinner.

As soon as he saw you, his whole face lit up and a large smile came to his lips. He pushed his chair back and stood from the table.

“Y/N,” he breathed your name. “You look amazing.”

“So do you.” You blushed a little.

There was an awkward moment where he stepped a little closer, wondering if he should embrace you or not but he clearly decided it was too forward of him so he stepped back again.

“Can I get you a wine menu?” The host spoke, startling the two of you a little.

“Huh?” Spencer snapped his gaze from you to him. “Oh, yes please.”

The host gave you both a smile and a small nod and took his leave.

Spencer came around the table and pulled your chair out for you. You couldn’t help the slight blush that spread to your cheeks.

“Thank you.” You mumbled as you took a seat. “I’m sorry I was late. Traffic was a nightmare.”

Spencer sat opposite you and smiled.

“It’s ok, the important thing is you're here now.” He couldn’t take his eyes off of you. To him you were the most mesmerising person in the room.

The host soon brought over the wine menu and you decided between you on a bottle of red.

After the initial awkwardness you fell into easy conservation. He told you about his job at the BAU, and you told him about yours. You spoke at length of your favourite books and authors, your respective childhoods and educations. There was barely a moment of silence between you the whole meal.

You felt completely and utterly relaxed in Spencer’s company.

***

Spencer insisted on paying the check even though you tried to argue otherwise. He helped you up from the table and into your coat.

You took a stroll through the park, conversation still flowing naturally. He walked you home and only once outside your apartment, did the awkwardness return.

“I’ve had such a lovely time.” He smiled softly at you, his beautiful features illuminated perfectly by the street lamp overhead.

“So have I.” You returned his smile.

He stepped closer awkwardly like he had done when you arrived at the restaurant. He lifted his arms slightly, looking as though he was going to hug you.

You stepped closer, into his arms and he wrapped them loosely around you, not sure if he was crossing a line with physical contact.

The embrace was short and a little cumbersome but you did enjoy the feeling of his chest pressed against yours even if it was only brief.

He stepped back and chewed his lip.

“I’ll call you as soon as I have a break in my schedule. Assuming you want to do this again?”

“I’d love to do this again.” You beamed at him.

“Ok good.” A wave of relief washed over his features.

“Thank you again Spencer. I’ll see you soon.”

“You’re welcome Y/N. You’re so very welcome.”

The First Kiss

Your second date consisted of dinner and the movies. For your third the two of you spent the afternoon ambling around an art gallery and then got coffee.

When Spencer walked you home on your third date, he stepped in for the hug once more which had gotten slightly less awkward by now.

He pulled back but kept his arms around you, smiling at you.

“You know, every time I look at you, I am blown away by how beautiful you are.”

His words made a deep blush spread on your cheeks and subconsciously you found your eyes land on his lips.

His eyes found your lips too and he started inching closer to you, as if in slow motion.

Your eyes closed and seconds later you felt his warm, plump lips press against your own. It was cliche to say, but you felt a spark as your lips met.

You wrapped your arms around his neck and his hands moved to cup your face as the kiss intensified. For a few minutes, the two of you were the only ones in the world, wrapped up in nothing but the feeling of each other.

When he pulled back, Spencer stroked your cheek.

“I hope it was ok that I did that.” He smiled bashfully.

“It was more than ok.” It was perfect.

“Good.” He kissed you softly once more. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“The night doesn’t have to end here.” You smirked at him, pulling at what little confidence you had.

You took hold of Spencer’s hand and he let you lead him inside and upstairs to your apartment.

Your lips found their way back to one another's once the door was closed behind you but this time it was more heated. Desire was the friction between your bodies as you started helping Spencer out of his shirt. Running your fingertips over the warm skin of his chest sent electric pulses through your body.

You had never needed another person this way. Your body was aching for him, screaming to be touched everywhere by him.

And he was clearly happy to comply as he gently laid you back to the bed and started helping you out of your clothes.

You swore some kind of magic took place in your bedroom that night. Spencer took his time to explore every inch of you. He was gentle and slow and kept checking in that you were ok and you were sure this was what you wanted.

Boy, were you sure.

Spencer made you feel good in a way you’d never felt before. Your bodies moved together in such a wonderful synchronicity you’d never experienced, as though somehow the two of you were meant to be long before you’d even met.

Afterwards, heavy with sleep and bliss, you curled into him, laying your head on his chest. He wrapped you in his deceptively strong arms and kissed your head, still checking you were ok even after the fact.

You would remember that night for as long as you both lived. It was like an awakening; a realisation that this was where you’d always meant to be.

Spencer Reid was your future, you knew that now with every fibre of your being.

The First “I Love You”

He’d known pretty early on he was in love with you. Spencer was a romantic and he fell hard and fast.

After your first time together, he knew he didn’t ever want to experience that kind of intimacy with another human being. He knew you were the only person that could make him feel that way.

He wasn’t sure when exactly he’d realised the extent of his feelings for you. But it was certainly quick, within weeks really, probably before the first time you were intimate.

It was three months into dating he finally told you, quite by accident really.

He’d invited you over and cooked dinner for you, a recipe he’d gotten from his colleague David Rossi he would later tell you.

You ate and shared a bottle of wine and then retired to the couch to read together. You laid with your head in Spencer’s lap and he stroked your hair with his free hand.

You were rereading To Kill a Mockingbird for the umpteenth time. It was your go to book. You knew it verbatim but that didn’t stop you enjoying every reread.

“God I love this book.” you mumbled turning the page.

“And I love you.” it just slipped out. He hadn’t meant it to come out this way and for a moment he didn’t even realise it was the first time he’d ever said that to you.

But then you were sitting up, staring at him, the book hanging loosely from your fingers.

“What did you say?” you croaked. Surely you must have heard him wrong? He couldn’t have said what you thought he’d said, could he?

The look on your face made the realisation of what he’d said dawn on him. He put his book in his lap, chewing his bottom lip like he always did when he was nervous.

“I uhm...I well I...I didn’t mean it to come out like that.” he swallowed, his mouth suddenly extremely dry.

“Did you mean it?”

“What?” he frowned. “Of course I meant it!”

You chewed your lip now. Of course you loved Spencer, you felt as though you had loved Spencer your entire life. But you hadn’t been expecting for him to blurt it out like that.

He took hold of your hands and held them tightly. You always loved how his hands were so much bigger than yours.

“Y/N, I love you so much it makes me dizzy. I have never felt like this before about anyone and I know I never will. I wanted the first time I told you to be perfect.”

“It was perfect.” You smiled at him. “And for the record, I love you too.”

“Yeah?” His lip twitched in a smile.

“Yes Spencer.” You laughed and he pulled you close so he could kiss you.

So it wasn’t how he’d meant it to come out, but sometimes these things just happened. And he couldn’t be happier now it was finally out there.

The First Goodbye

Being that you and Spencer were both passive people, fights weren’t commonplace in your fledgling relationship.

In fact, your first fight didn’t occur until nearly eight months of dating. Due to your passive natures, you often let issues bubble under the surface. Maybe you’d been stewing on this for a while and finally couldn’t take anymore.

You understood when you met Spencer that his job was first priority and you admire that about him. His dedication to the bureau and putting bad guys behind bars was part of the reason you fell in love with him.

But it was hard. Falling in love with an FBI agent came with a lot of cancelled plans and even more lonely nights. Most of the time you could handle it, but this time it was too much. He’d promised he would be there and he wasn’t.

He had a spare key to your apartment so you weren’t surprised when you heard a key turning in the lock in the middle of the night.

You weren’t sleeping, you were too mad to sleep. So when you heard the door open you jumped out of bed and stormed into the living room as he was closing the door.

“What’s the excuse this time?” You folded your arms across your chest.

Spencer looked exhausted, completely drained. A part of you said it wasn’t the time for this, let him sleep first, but your anger won out.

“You know what the “excuse” is Y/N.” He sighed. “Work. It’s always work.”

“I think I have been very patient and understanding of your job Spencer.” you stepped a little further into the room. “But this one time...you promised you would be there and you weren’t.”

“I tried Y/N, I really tried. But we’re a man down and I couldn’t get away.” he sounded defeated already. He wanted to diffuse this situation as quickly as humanly possible so he could go to sleep.

You however, were wide awake and ready for a fight.

“You should have tried harder.” you spat with a little more venom than you’d meant to.

“You don’t think I tried as hard as I could? You think I wanted to miss this?”

“I don’t know Spencer, maybe you did.”

“Oh come on Y/N.” he stepped across the room, coming closer to you. “I wanted to be there more than anything, you know that.”

“Well that doesn’t help Spencer.” you unfolded your arms and let them drop to your sides. “My parents came all the way here from LA to meet you Spencer. And you weren’t there. My mom kept asking me if I really wanted to date a man who couldn’t make me his main priority. I tried to insist how important your job was and how I understood but I’m not so sure I do anymore Spencer.”

His face fell at your words and he bit down hard on his bottom lip.

“If you can’t understand my job Y/N I don’t know what to say to you.” he frowned. “You know how important my job is to me. At least I thought you did. I know it isn’t easy, I can’t imagine what it’s like for you when I’m not here but you knew the deal when we first met. This is me, my job is who I am Y/N. and if you can’t accept that…” he trailed off, not wanting to finish that sentence.

“What Spencer?” you narrowed your eyes on him. “If I can’t accept it then what?” you were challenging him, it was as though you wanted him to break up with you. Of course you didn’t but you couldn’t help but goad him.

“Y/N, please just understand.” He tried to steer you in another direction.

“If I can’t accept it then what?” You repeated, raising your voice slightly. “You’ll break up with me? Is that it?”

He sighed again.

“I didn’t say that.”

“You may as well have done.”

“My job comes first. I’m sorry, but that’s how it is. I need someone that can understand that.”

“You didn’t answer the question.” You folded your arms again.

“I didn’t think it warranted an answer.”

“I think you should leave.” The words came out before you were sure you were going to speak them.

They hung between you like a stale smell, permeating the room. Spencer stared at you, trying to work out if you meant it or not.

“You want me to leave?” He asked in clarification.

“Yes.” You confirmed. “Permanently.”

One single word hit him like a ton of bricks and he physically stumbled backwards.

“You...you’re...breaking up with me?”

Is that what you were doing? Were you breaking up with him?

“Yes.” You croaked. Why? Why were you doing this? You weren’t even sure yourself.

“Wow.” Spencer sniffed. “Thank you for not disappointing me.” He suddenly turned on his heels and headed to the door.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” You followed him.

He flung open the door and stepped into the hallway.

“It means I should have known you were no different. I probably did know which is why I’m not disappointed. No one can handle my job, even you. Despite the fact you tried to convince me otherwise.”

“Screw you.” You spat at him, grasping the door frame with white knuckles. “I have been nothing but patient and understanding with you for eight months. But this was important to me Spencer, and if you can’t get that then we’re just wasting each other’s time here.”

“I hate wasting my time.” He practically growled and then he turned away from you and stormed down the corridor away from you.

You wanted to scream at him, yell and shout and kick and make a fuss. But you didn’t. You simply slammed the door closed, loud enough for him to still hear. And then you fell to the floor and sobbed.

The First Makeup

For the following two weeks after your break up you went about life on autopilot. Eight months had felt like eight years. Suddenly you couldn’t remember what your life was like before you’d met Spencer.

You went to work. You saw your friends. You still visited the library. You carried on like normal, as though your whole world hadn’t come crumbling down around you.

You’d been hasty, over dramatic really. Yes you’d been mad but you hadn’t been mad enough to end things with Spencer. And you’d regret it every day since.

You tried to call and text him several times to no avail. He didn’t want to talk to you and you understood why. You’d been just like everyone else in his life when he’d needed you to be different.

The next few weeks got a little better. You had made a decision and your time was being filled with making sure it was executed flawlessly. You couldn’t live without Spencer, you knew that now and you were going to do everything in your power to make it up to him.

Little over a month after your break up you sat in your usual chair of the library on a sunny Sunday morning. You were nervous, you hoped everything was going to plan.

Tapping your foot on the ground in impatience, you were startled out of your thoughts when you recognised a bubbly voice you had first accosted outside the Quantico headquarters a few weeks ago.

“Excuse me?”

“Oh my gosh! Don’t jump out on a girl like that! You’re lucky I don’t carry a gun.”

“I’m so sorry, but you don’t happen to know Spencer Reid do you?” You chewed your lip, feeling foolish for even being here.

The brightly dressed blonde squinted at you behind her thick framed glasses for a few seconds before her face contorted into realisation.

“You’re her!” She gasped. “You’re the her. The her from the photo!”

“Photo?”

“Reid used to keep a photo of the two of you together on his desk. You’re her!” She squealed a little. “Oh please tell me you’re here to pull him out of this slump. He’s missed you like crazy. He won’t admit it but we can all tell.”

She was talking a hundred miles a minute and you tried to keep up.

“Uhm...yes actually. I could use with some help.”

“Gosh yes! I love Junior G Man like a brother, I would do anything to help put a smile back on that face!”

“Great.” You smiled.

“Oh!” She stepped forward and held out her hand, fingers clad with large rings. “Penelope Garcia.”

“Y/N Y/L/N.” You shook her hand.

“Ok Y/N,” she grinned. “What do you need me to do?”

“Why are we here Garcia?” Spencer’s whispered voice carried to your ears and you felt the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

“Would you just be quiet giant brain? Just for a moment. Garcia’s grand plan will all be revealed.”

Their footsteps got closer and you shot up from your chair and smoothed down your shirt with shaking hands. You held the coffee cup out ready.

Spencer and Garcia rounded the corner. She was beaming from ear to ear but his face fell when he saw you.

“Garcia,” he turned to her. “What is this all about?”

“Goodbye my loves!” She beamed before backing up and disappearing back around an aisle of books.

“Y/N, what is going-“

“I find coffee to be its own language.” You cut him off, offering him the same line he’d given you the first time you spoke. “And I couldn’t think of a way to say sorry in my native tongue. So I’m hoping the coffee will do the talking for me.”

He took the coffee from your hand.

“I do like coffee.”

“I know.” You half-smiled. “I miss you Spence. I thought maybe if I got you back where it all began, we could...I don’t know...start over?”

“My job hasn’t changed Y/N, it’s still just as demanding on my time.”

“I know.” You nodded. “I was out of line. I don’t know where that came from. Please Spencer, give us another chance. Try the coffee, I’m sure it has more to say.”

He sipped the coffee. The perfect blend of beans and sugar.

“It tastes like apologies.”

“Good.”

“I missed you too by the way.” He shrugged. “Do you really think you can accept my job?”

“Yes.” You were quick to say. “Most definitely. Being without you while you're away on a case is something I can deal with. Being without you forever...I can’t do that Spencer.”

He took another sip of coffee. It was easy really to forgive you. He missed you like he would miss a limb if he suddenly lost it. You were the love of his life and he knew if he got a second chance with you he would never turn it down. He was just too in love with you.

“Hmmm that tasted like I love you.” He smiled. “Why don’t you let me show you.”

And with that he stepped closer, using his free hand to cup your face and he kissed you with urgency and passion.

“I can taste it.” You mumbled into his lips. “I can taste the love.”

The First Home

After you and Spencer made up things were better than ever between you. You all but moved into his apartment, it was never official but over time you spent less and less time in your own apartment.

The only issue was, Spencer’s apartment was a great size when it was just him, but for the two of you it left a lot to be desired.

So you brought a house together just shy of your two year anniversary.

You chose Cleveland Park in DC as it was a nice, friendly area near some great schools for any future children you might have. Spencer had long ago expressed his desire for two kids, so you decided on a three bedroom walk up with a large yard.

You made it your home. One bedroom was used as a spare although it was more like a bed surrounded by a library and the other as Spencer’s office.

You decorated to both of your tastes, you built furniture and even planted flowers in the garden.

It was your own corner of the world and you loved that you got to share it with him.

You got a cat named Mildred, a black and white three year old you adopted from the pound.

Derek came and fitted a cat flap as Spencer didn’t even know where to begin.

It was nice to have the cat for company when Spencer was away on cases. It was comforting to be surrounded by his things.

On nights he was home you curled up on the couch and read together or watch movies. You made love on every available surface, in every room of the house.

It was perfect, it was everything you’d ever dreamed of and more. Every day in your home with Spencer and Mildred was pure bliss.

Of all your firsts, this was probably your favourite. This was the start of the rest of your lives together. This would be the home you would grow old in, raise your kids in. There were so many more firsts to be had within these walls and you couldn’t wait to see what happened next. At least that’s what you thought at the time. Of course back then you had no idea the curveball life would throw at you. But that would come later.

You also had no idea that your next first would take place in the BAU offices.

The First Work Visit

It was funny, you thought, as you made your way up in the elevator to the BAU floor at Quantico, that in three years you’d never visited Spencer’s workplace. You supposed he didn’t spend much time here himself, he was usually out on cases across the country rather than hauled up at Quantico.

He’d called this afternoon to say they were heading back from New York and could you meet him at the office. He wanted to show you around and then take you for dinner nearby. You’d obliged, not thinking much of it, until now.

Your confusion hit as the elevator slowed to a stop. The doors opened and you were met by near complete darkness. You cautiously stepped out onto the floor with a frown. It was deathly quiet, as though everyone had gone home. You did have the right floor didn’t you?

Before you could check your phone for Spencer’s message, a piece of paper on the floor caught your eye. It was cut in the shape of an arrow and taped to the floor.

Your frown deepened, what the hell was going on? Despite the confusion you followed the direction the arrow was pointing through a set of glass double doors. Inside you assumed was what Spencer referred to as the Bull Pen, as it was set out with around a dozen desks. There was another paper arrow on the floor which you followed through the row of desks.

You started to hear faint music coming from a nearby room. There was also a dim light coming from within the same room. Your brows were heavily furrowed now as you crept up the four steps to the second level and passed two closed office doors.

The music was getting louder and you could now tell by the flicker that the dim light was coming from candles.

You reached the open door where the sound and light were coming from and your heart skipped several beats and your jaw dropped.

Red roses petals scattered every inch of the floor and there was a ring of candles on the round table in the middle of the room. On the side was the vinyl player from Spencer’s apartment, the dulcet tones of Frank Sinatra filling the room.

Spencer was next to the table in a suit and tie holding a huge bouquet of red roses. He was smiling brightly at you.

“Welcome to the BAU.”

“Is this how you welcome all your visitors?” You laughed a little nervously.

“Only the ones I love.” He put the bouquet on the table and came close to you, taking hold of your hands. “Only the ones I want to spend the rest of my life with.”

His words made it all click into place and tears immediately filled your eyes.

“Spencer,” you croaked but he shook his head to silence you.

He kissed you softly and then let go of your hands.

And then he was getting down on one knee amongst the rose petals and produced a ring box from his jacket pocket.

Your tears overflowed and your hands went to your face as you gasped. He opened the ring box revealing a beautiful vintage diamond ring nestled inside.

“Y/N Y/L/N-“

“Oh my gosh.” You gasped again.

“Will you make me the happiest man alive and say you’ll marry me?”

Your tears cascaded down your face as he took hold of your left hand. This was the happiest moment of your whole life and you wanted to savour every part of it.

“Oh my gosh Spence!” You sniffed. “Of course! Yes I’ll marry you!” You practically screeched.

Spencer beamed and slid the ring on your finger, it fit like a glove.

He stood up and enveloped you in his arms, kissing you passionately.

“I love you so much Y/N.”

“I love you too Spence, and I cannot wait to be married to you.”

The First Child

You married less than a year after Spencer proposed in an intimate gathering at Rossi’s and it was perfect.

Being married to Spencer, being Y/N Reid, made you happier than you ever dreamed possible. You and Spencer completed each other, you were two halves of a whole. You didn’t think it was possible to have a more perfect life than the one you’d created together over the years.

That was until the day you brought your first child home from the hospital.

Spencer had your baby daughter cradled in his arms as you unlocked the front door and you stepped inside as the three of you for the very first time.

Addison Reid was sleeping soundly in her fathers arms as you both quietly made your way upstairs.

In the bedroom, you watched Spencer gently lay your newborn in the cot next to your bed. You both stood staring down at the beautiful little girl, your daughter, marvelling at how tiny and perfect she was.

“I can’t believe how much I love her already.” Spencer sniffed back tears.

“She’s just so perfect.” You agreed, tears swimming in your own eyes.

“I didn’t think our lives were missing anything until I met her.”

“She’s the missing puzzle piece we never knew we were missing.”

Spencer looked up at you across the crib with a large smile. He reached for your hand and you let him take it. He led you to the bed where you both curled up on your side facing Addison’s crib.

Spencer spooned you from behind, one arm under your pillow and the other around your waist.

You entwined your fingers with his and sighed in content.

Before you met Spencer you weren’t even sure what happiness was. It was a concept you’d heard of, a far off distant land which you’d never quite been able to reach.

But as you laid in his arms, listening to the soft breathing of your newborn daughter, you knew you’d found it.

If only you knew then that it would be snatched away all too soon.

The First Diagnosis

At only forty five years old he never expected to get this kind of news. He’d had so many more firsts he had see.

His daughter's first day of high school. Her graduation. Her first day of college. Her first partner. Her first kid. His first grandchild.

But it had all been snatched away with one visit to the doctors office.

The words terminal and incurable were thrown around a lot. They seemed to be used so casually as though it wasn’t ruining his whole life.

He left the doctors office in a daze. He’d left the BAU a few years ago to focus on teaching full time. He’d done it so he could spend more time with you and Addison, to take himself out of harm's way.

How painfully ironic was this?

How was he supposed to tell you and your daughter that he wasn’t going to be around much longer? How was he going to tell you that the future you’d had planned together was to be cut short?

Dinner that night was stifled. You and Addison were happily chatting like you didn’t have a care in the world while he was carrying this huge weight on his shoulders.

“What’s up with you?” You asked later as you sat next to him on the bed. You put your hand on his knee. “You’ve been quiet all evening.”

Spencer sighed, tears brimming in his eyes that he’d tried desperately to keep at bay since leaving the doctors.

“Baby?” You could see the concern written on his features and you felt your heart rate increase. “What is it?”

He sighed as a few tears rolled from his eyes.

“I’m dying.” He choked on the words, causing more tears to fall.

“What?” You frowned, you must have heard him wrong.

“I went to the doctors today for a check up. They say I’m sick. Terminal. They say I have less than a year.” The dam well and truly broke and his tears cascaded from his eyes and down his face.

You wanted to laugh, because this had to be some kind of sick joke didn’t it? But you could tell by the look on his face, he was far from joking.

“Oh my god.” Your own eyes leaked and you pulled your husband close. “Are they sure? Really sure? They must be able to do something.”

“They’re sure and there isn’t.” He buried his head into your shoulder. “I’m going to die.”

“No, no this can’t be happening.” You sobbed. “We have to do something! There has to be something we can do!”

“There isn’t.” He looked back up at you, his eyes held more sadness than you had ever known. “We have to just make the most of the time we have left.”

You engulfed him in your arms and the two of you fell back to the bed sobbing.

One day had turned your idyllic life on its head. Everything you knew this morning when you’d woken up had been shattered; your dreams for the future dashed. All in a matter of minutes.

You knew you had to make the most of the time you had left with your husband but right now all you wanted to do was stay curled up in a ball sobbing, until everything went back to normal.

But it never would.

The Last Goodbye

Y/N,

You know that words sometimes fail me. You know sometimes when I go to speak, my brain and my mouth aren’t on the same page and often my words will come out jumbled and make no sense. The best way I saw of making sense of this was to write you a letter.

Over time, words I speak will fade, you won't remember them clearly and eventually not at all. If I write them down you can keep them forever. Whenever you miss me or you’re feeling sad, you’ll be able to read this and hopefully it will provide some comfort.

My dad wrote me a letter when he left and so did Gideon, they provided little comfort if truth be told. But at least I had a permanent reminder of their departure.

The years we’ve spent together have been the best of my life. That day I went to the library, I had no idea my whole world would change.

Ours was one of the great love stories. Meeting someone when you least expect it, falling head over heels in love and spending our years together building a home with a beautiful daughter. Unfortunately I have found that all good love stories usually meet a tragic end, take Romeo and Juliet or Anna Karenina or even Madame Bovary.

Sadly, this is our tragedy, my diagnosis. And as I come to the end of my time on this plane of existence, the only thing that fills me with comfort is thoughts of our life together.

Do you remember the first time we went to Vegas and you met my mom for the first time? She loved you from the second you met, she told me she could see how happy you made me and she’d love you forever for that.

Or our first dance at our wedding under the gazebo in Rossi’s yard. “The Way You Look Tonight” was playing and all our friends and family were watching and I was so nervous I was going to trip and fall but you kept telling me I was doing great.

Our first proper vacation stands out in mind. I’d never been a beach person but you insisted I’d love it and I did. Mostly because you were there, sunbathing in next to nothing and how could a guy not love that?

We had so many firsts together and I will treasure each and every one of them. I only wish we’d had more. I’m so sorry this had to happen to us. But try and remember the years we did have. The smiles and the laughs. I wish we’d had longer but unfortunately the universe had other plans.

I want you to be happy, I hope this doesn’t break you completely. Look at Addison and remember our amazing life together and try and smile. Please, don’t deny the world your incredible smile.

Please tell Addy stories about me, I know you will. Make sure she knows how much I love her, how much I will always love her even when I’m not around.

Thank you for everything you’ve given me. Meeting you gave me hope and it made me realise that true happiness does exist and I’ll always be grateful for that. You changed my whole world Y/N and I love you more than you will ever know.

My time is coming, I can feel it. My body is giving up on me. The end is near for me, but you and Addy still have so many more years left. Don’t waste them grieving me please.

I hope this letter offers you some semblance of peace.

Goodbye my love, my greatest love; my forever love.

Your loving husband,

Spencer W Reid.

#spencer reid #dr spencer reid #spencer reid fanfiction #cmbingo21 #criminal minds #criminal minds fanfiction #penelope garcia #spencer reid x reader #spencer reid x gn!reader #spencer reid x y/n #spencer reid x you

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nakunakunomi · 4 years

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Out of all days to get lost...

Hello everyone! This is part II of the beautiful Fern Flower Scenario @some-piece wrote for her summer challenge. Please go read it and follow her, she writes the best things I swear! The part II started off as a joke of which I really loved the concept, and I couldn’t say no when she asked to collab! I hope you enjoy part 2~

Summary: Zoro has an awful habit of getting lost. Even on his wedding day. Character: Zoro. Word count: 3.2k 2nd person Reader insert. Disclaimer that the wedding is loosely based off of the stereotypical western idea of marriage.

Weddings weren’t really common in the pirate world, besides the arranged kind, especially if you’re in any way or shape related to big mom or another influential family. But the ones out of love? Rare. There is very little time and space for love, let alone wedding parties with entire pirate crews involved while there’s enemies all around, marines and other pirates alike.

Zoro and you hadn’t been really sure on how you would break the news to the other crew members. So far, Robin had been true to her word and had not spoken a word to anyone about it. There were some mysterious smiles and knowing glances, but those were not new for Robin, so everyone kept sailing after you left the island where the Fern Festival was held, blissfully unaware of what had happened in the forest.

The way everyone found out was by accident. Nami had ‘spotted’ the ring in cleaning out the room. You had decided to stash it away carefully, keeping the news and the funny story around it between mostly you and Zoro for now, but once Nami connected the dots, she went off about how you had denied her the berries price for finding the Fern Flower, and you had no choice but to explain the circumstances. Nami’s yelling had by then attracted the attention from some other crew members, and before you knew the whole ship was aware of yours and Zoro’s status.

Luffy was immediately ready to throw a whole feast, right then and there, but was quickly stopped by Nami, who had forgotten about her anger from minutes ago to now enthusiastically name all the things she wanted to do with you. You had to curb her enthusiasm a little by telling her you had already agreed on Robin as maid of honor, after all, she knew and had been able to keep quiet.

That didn’t stop Nami from still rambling on about all the things she wanted to do and plan. If you didn’t know any better, you’d think she was more happy about the engagement than you are. After talking it over with the whole crew, Zoro placing a hand on yours the entire time as you said what the both of you wanted to do, actual plans were made.

Nami and Robin would be in charge of the clothes of everyone. Your dress, the men’s suits, everything. Zoro agreed as long as it wouldn’t be ‘too flashy’ or ‘too tight’. His only requirements were being able to breathe, and being able to carry his swords. It’s not like Zoro didn’t want to be involved in everything, he just mostly wanted you to be happy, himself to be comfortable and have a party with those who matter most. Other than that, he was fine with mostly everything.

Nami would map out a route to an island that did not have many inhabitants and would be safe to dock at without getting in trouble with the locals, marines or other pirates. A ceremony on the beach would be a little more special than one on the sunny.

Jinbe would be the officiate the marriage, and Usopp and Franky would take care of the special effects. You weren’t entirely sure what that meant but you let them to that, if it made them happy to contribute.

Luffy was Zoro’s best man, you were not entirely convinced if your captain was the best choice for the role, but it was Zoro’s choice, and you knew how much he cared about his captain. In all honesty, Luffy had very little idea of what exactly was going on, but was happy to just follow whatever instructions, as long as there was enough meat at the afterparty.

Of course, Sanji would take care of the food, his eyes lit up when you said he was free to experiment with whatever recipes he saw fit. The moment he got the okay, he practically dove into the kitchen to get started on little testers for you, Nami and Robin to decide on. Even begrudgingly giving some to Zoro, he had a say in this too after all, it was heartwarming and hilarious to see them interact on their best behavior just for this special occasion, it truly was something.

Chopper was going to be the ring bearer. Zoro really wanted the little reindeer to have an important role and this seemed perfect. Chopper was more than excited to even help go pick out the wedding rings. The actual wedding rings would be kept in his possession just so Zoro couldn’t lose them again. Just to be safe.

Last but not least, Brook was in charge of the music and he had promised to compose a handful of songs just for the occasion. Seeing the whole crew work together for this made you emotional already, even weeks before the big day came. It was heartwarming and it seemed to give everyone an extra boost during the rest of your adventures, because on your way to the island that Nami picked out, there were still plenty of pirate things to do.

Time flies when you’re having fun, or when you are dreading something. The closer you came to the island where it all was gonna happen, the more nervous you got. You didn’t even know why exactly. You were looking forward to it so much, the cherry on top of the best relation you ever had and the only one you wanted to have still for the rest of your life.

You were looking forward to it every night you went to sleep in Zoro’s arms, your head resting on his broad chest, his even breaths lulling you to sleep even though your heart was racing with unnecessary stress and anticipation. But with every preparation that got finished, every little item checked off the list, you were feeling like everything was just too perfect? Suspiciously so. The day could be perfect, that’d be ideal. But the slightly pessimist voice in the back of your head kept nagging you about what could possibly go wrong.

You docked at the island by the evening a few days later. All preparations were complete, now it was only a matter of going through the motions. A small party in the evening, preparations in the morning and noon, and then the actual ceremony would be tomorrow in the evening, exchanging vows as the sun goes under. It seemed incredibly cheesy to Zoro, but it everyone had rather unanimously decided that it was also incredibly romantic, and time-management wise it worked out very well. You could party all night, and continue the adventures in the morning. It was all perfect.

You excused yourself from the evening party rather early, nerves eating at you and you wanted to be up early and feeling well the next morning to be able to help wherever you could. You kissed Zoro goodnight, who replied that he’d be joining you in a bit. He would probably only admit it to you if you asked, but he was looking forward to it too, and was actually uncharacteristically nervous about it as well. But even if everything possible went wrong, there was nothing in the world that could ever diminish his love for you and that helped a lot to make him feel at ease. He had proposed to you buck naked, it could only get better from here on out.

You were still awake when he eventually joined you for the night. He noticed, but was still careful as he joined you in bed. “Can’t sleep?” “I’m nervous” “No need to be. We know we work well. You’re gonna look so nice, and we’re just gonna have a nice party with the crew. It’s just affirming what we have” You smiled. His blunt honesty sometimes was exactly what you needed. You turned to your side, kissing him softly before gliding down so you could rest your head on his chest.

You were about to close your eyes when you started overthinking again. You jerked up as your brain had successfully misguided you into thinking you misplaced something. “The rings!” “Don’t worry, Chopper is keeping them safe.” “Oh, right...” Zoro chuckled, stroking your back as he tried to calm you down so you could sleep. You felt stupid for being so nervous, but well, there was nothing you could do to keep your emotions from going haywire.

Zoro’s breathing was steady and even as it always was, but you could hear his heart beating a little faster in his chest and you smiled, happy to know you’re not alone. But he had been right. Nothing could go wrong. You were just going to affirm what you had. And what you had, was magical. Dorky as he could be, blunt as he could be, you loved this man with all your heart. He was strong, honest, and too many other things to name up. He made you so, so, so incredibly happy and it was the good thoughts of the man you were lying on, combined with his soft snoring - even nerves weren’t enough to keep him from his naps - that eventually lulled you to sleep as well.

The following day chaos ensued. It was not that nothing was prepared, it was just that so many little things and final touches needed to be done, that everyone seemed to be in each other’s way. You barely managed to kiss Zoro good morning before Nami dragged you out of the room to get you all ready, but not before she lectured Zoro on not being allowed in your room under no circumstances until the ceremony. Zoro was barely awake, but groggily nodded as Franky came over to drag him away as well.

Nami and Robin barely let you do things yourself, making sure your hair was perfectly in place, the dress was in order, and when they were all done, you felt yourself tear up a little when you looked in the mirror. You couldn’t believe this was actually happening. You spent most of the afternoon talking, the two doing their utmost best to distract you to keep you inside so you wouldn’t accidentally be revealed to Zoro too early. It worked fairly well, in spite of the occasional emotional moment when you talked about Zoro and the few nervous moments when there was just too much ruckus outside for it to be normal preparations.

Time was dragging on, and then there was a knock on the door. Sanji came in, looking rather serious, you figured it was because of the whole buffet he’d been cooking from early morning on till now, one would be tired from doing less than that in a day. He swooned when he saw you, complimented you and your dress furiously before taking Nami to the side and whispering something in her ear. Her eyes widened and you felt your heart sink. Something was wrong.

“What’s wrong? What’s happening?” Sanji took a deep breath, sighed heavily and stood in front of you. “Don’t panic y/n, we will get it in order. But....” “But what?” You were getting nervous. What could possibly have gone wrong at this point in time that it would mess with the wedding enough to make you panic? “They can’t find Zoro.” Nami filled in angrily, “I told you to watch him!” “Hey! I was cooking all day, he was with Franky and Usopp. Said he was nervous, went into the city for some sake so he’d leave us alone to deal with all the wedding things so he wouldn’t bother us. And then he just went off in the general direction of the city.”

You were unsure whether to laugh or cry or panic or all at once. “Guys, you really let Zoro, go find a city, on a new island, all by himself? He’s probably wandering around somewhere” Sanji replied. “We realized too late that it might be a bit of a problem. Franky already went into the city to retrieve him but we cannot find him.”

You stood up, Nami pushing you back into your chair. “Please y/n, let us handle this.” You scoffed. “Like hell I will. Besides, I have a knack for finding him whenever he’s lost. Call it our connection or something. I don’t care if he sees me earlier than we’re supposed to.” You weren’t even that discouraged, finding Zoro was something you had done before. Just never in a wedding dress. But hey, there was a first time for everything right?

You crumpled up your dress and held it up with your two hands so you could walk around more easy, thanking whatever deity there was on sea that you had opted for flat shoes as you ran onto the beach, in the general direction of the city, before going a completely different direction, something your instincts told you your fiance must’ve done as well.

The sky was starting to color all kinds of yellow and orange and you cursed a little, pretty sure the planned timing was already off. But well, no wedding without a groom right? You chuckled a little to yourself. Of all the days he could get lost, he had to pick today. He was probably getting at least frustrated, and you hoped that maybe he’d yell out, that would at least make locating him a little easier.

You ended up in a little forest in between the beach and the city, almost half an island away from where the Sunny was docked. Your heart was beating fast and you were a little out of breath from power walking all the way here, but you were pretty sure this was it. An frustrated grumble and the familiar sounds of swords slashing something let you know that you were dead on. Was he really getting so frustrated that he was ready to cut down a forest in order to find the way back more easily? Apparently. Relieve washed over you and you ran in the direction of the sound, now yelling out his name.

Now, Zoro’s inner compass isn’t worth anything, but there is nothing wrong with his ears and withing seconds he was by your side, looking a little disheveled from running around in the forest, and completely speechless when he saw you in your white dress. You hugged him tightly and when you stepped back he was still kind of staring. It was almost funny, you had never seen him at such a loss for words.

“Are you okay babe?” “Yes... I... wow... Fuck..Sorry” You giggled, you’d never seen him like that. “You look gorgeous” “Thank you”, you smiled, “you’re not looking too shabby either.” “I ruined it all didn’t I? Lost the ring, now lost myself?” The guilt in his voice was apparent. It had to be, otherwise he’d never even be admitting that he had gotten lost. “You didn’t ruin anything. I am here, in a white dress, you are here, in your costume. There’s a crew waiting for us with food, and booze, and a ring. There’s nothing wrong, we’re just affirming what we already have.” You used his own words against him, smiling broadly as you pressed your lips to his. He melted into the kiss, wrapping his arms around your waist and holding you so close you felt like you were going to lose your balance if it weren’t for his support. “I love you so much” “I’m glad you do cause we’re literally about to get married” He laughed one of his rare, heartfelt laughs and it was so pure, so genuine, that you felt your eyes tear up already. It may be getting dark, but it was not too late to do this thing.

The crew had decided to trust you, after all, you did manage to find Zoro more often than anyone else, due to that connection that could almost only be explained by you and Zoro really being made for each other. They had continued finalizing the preparations, but were still getting a little nervous as the sun was setting already.

Franky just started making the big fire already that was meant for the afterparty. You could still get married in the moonlight, it would work out just as fine. The whole crew was reassuring each other that you could come back with Zoro any moment now. But that didn’t take away from the growing worries they were all getting.

It was Jinbe who first spotted the silhouette of Zoro carrying you back to the sunny. Zoro had proposed he’d run with the two of you, while you gave directions. He didn’t want to tire you out more after running all the way to him, and was very fittingly carrying you back bridal style, under loud cheers of the rest of the crew.

There was no time for scolding Zoro or fixing your hair. You laughed as Zoro put you down on the ground and kissed him quickly. “Let’s get married”.

The ceremony itself was short and simple, and you were pretty sure Jinbe had cut out some parts to make it go even faster. You didn’t mind, now that everything was in place you couldn’t wait to get married, all the worries and nerves you had felt the past few days and hours had ebbed away the moment you kissed Zoro in the forest.

You had promised yourself not to cry anymore, but when you were exchanging your vows, you couldn’t help but tear up, and you felt your heart swell when you noticed Zoro’s ever so steady hands were shaking when you exchanged the rings. You were pretty sure you heard Franky sniffle the entire time in the background too. When you sealed the vows, the ‘I do’s’ and the whole ordeal with a kiss, the crew cheered so loudly, you were pretty sure the entire island could hear it, and the party ensued.

You sat down with Zoro, enjoying the delicious food Sanji had prepared, enjoying the warmth of the campfire and laughing at the stories of everything that had gone wrong during the preparations that the others were retelling now that it didn’t matter anymore and actually was funny. After the cake was cut and eaten, speeches and well wishes were given, another barrel of sake was opened and the strangest thing you’d ever seen happened: Zoro refused his refill.

You were about to say something about it when he swiftly swooped you up in his arms. You yelped, immediately attracting the attention of the entire crew. “Thank you all for helping us out. Thank you all for being here. But now that you all will stay out on the beach for a little longer, I am going to enjoy a proper wedding night with my beautiful wife.” Zoro’s tone of voice and smug grin left no room for imagination and you buried your blushing head in his chest while the crew could only laugh in response.

Zoro didn’t even wait for answers as he walked towards the Sunny with you in his arms. You didn’t dare say it out loud, but you were happy that Sunny was right in front of you so at least he wouldn’t get lost on the way to your bedroom.

Fin.

#roronoa zoro x reader #zoro x reader #one piece zoro #one piece reader insert #one piece #reader insert #collab #one piece imagine #imagine #one piece x reade #wedding fic #humor #fluff #sfw #cute #some-piece

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jwillowwolf · 3 years

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Magic and Miracles - Chapter 2

Sanders Sides Big Bang fic, Chapter 2!

< Previous Chapter | Next Chapter > | Masterlist

Summary: “Did you really teach yourself magic?”

“Yes. I learnt from whatever books it could find on the subject.”

Janus nodded. “Impressive."

Warning/s: food mention, fantasy racism.

Characters: Logan, Remy, OC, Virgil, Roman, Remus, Patton, Janus.

Tag List: @theimprobabledreamersworld @remy-please-come-back

Read on AO3

2 | Getting to Know You

Logan followed the group just barely as he found himself constantly distracted by his surroundings. The paintings, tapestries, vases, and statues, there seemed to be nearly no blank spaces anywhere, yet it didn’t feel cluttered at all. Everything was remarkable and expensive looking. And eye-catching.

In fact, he didn’t notice when the group had stopped moving and walked right into Virgil, which caused him to stumble backwards. Thankfully, Virgil caught him before he fell onto his butt.

“Careful where you’re walking, Lo. you don’t want to end up walking into a door,” Remy remarked from the front of the group.

Logan blushed. “Sorry.”

Virgil just helped him to his feet and nodded.

“Okay, now please pay attention. This hall has all your rooms and this one,” Remy pointed to the first door on the right. “Is mine. They’re all identical and I couldn't be bothered to assign them to you, so take your pick. Everyone has an hour to get settled then we meet back here in the hall for a tour. Good? Good. Farewell.”

And with that, he retreated into his room. Roman chose the room beside Remy’s and Remus took the one beside him, then Patton took the last room on the right side. Virgil took the first room on the left, which left Janus, Logan, and Willow in the hallway.

“Um, thanks, for earlier. With explaining the last-names thing,” Willow said.

Logan nodded. “It was no problem.”

“You would be surprised how many people find it problematic to understand non-humans,” Janus remarked.

“Well, I have no such prejudices. Also, thank you for calling out Roman’s behaviour.”

“Of course. I can’t stand elves who believe themselves higher than everyone.”

“You can’t stand elves in general,” Willow muttered.

“And for good reason. Have you seen Roman?”

Willow winced. “Remus was nice… kind of.”

“She called you a dog.”

“It’s a common mistake.”

“You’re too forgiving.”

Willow rolled her eyes and turned to Logan. “They’re such a hypocrite.”

Janus huffed. “I’m right here.”

“You’re being mean though, so I’m ignoring you.”

Janus rolled their eyes then also turned their attention to Logan. “Did you really teach yourself magic?”

“Yes. I learnt from whatever books it could find on the subject.”

Janus nodded. “Impressive. How did you manage to find a tome that explained pronunciation?”

“I didn’t. I sort of figured that part out from watching the testing ceremonies.”

“In that case, why not replicate the simple performances other mages made beforehand? It’s not against any rules to do the same spell sequence as someone else.”

“I didn’t want to waste the opportunity. Perhaps it was a bit… over the top to do the spell I did, but I managed to leave an impression.”

Janus smirked. “I suppose that’s a good reason. Anyway, it looks like we’re the last to pick rooms. I’m taking the one on the end, see you both later.”

With that, the trio split up into their rooms. Janus taking the one at the end on the left, and Willow leaving the choice between the two doors between Janus and Virgil’s rooms for Logan to choose between. He chose the one next to Virgil’s, allowing Willow to have the room closer to Janus.

Inside the room, there was a queen-sized bed with four tall wooden posts that suspended a silky blue canopy. There was a dresser, a wardrobe, a writing desk, and a half-empty bookshelf. The books didn’t seem to be anything special. Logan’s bag was already on his bed. He only now realised that he’d left it in the carriage. One of the staff members must have brought it here. Thank goodness they brought it to the right room.

Wait, that was his bag, right?

He double-checked the contents and sighed in relief that it was indeed his bag. After that slight scare, he began unpacking his things and sorting the room just how he wanted it. He was delighted to find some fresh blank papers on the writing desk and a few sharp pencils too.

Forty-five minutes later, everything was organised just the way that Logan wanted and he was… bored out of his mind. He flopped down onto the bed and was distracted for a few moments by how incredibly soft it was. After that novelty wore off though, he found himself bored again and stared up at the blue canopy.

His mind once again thought of how frightening this was. He was truly out of his depth with the complexities and splendour of high society. Perhaps there are some books he can find on the subject to help him. ‘How To Fit In With The Upper Class’

He got up from bed to check if there was such a book, or at least something similar, on the shelf. To his dismay, there seemed to only be fictional novels and a dictionary. He’d need to ask Everleigh about looking out for something at the library. Was there a library here? Remy said that they’d have a tour later so he supposed he’d find out then. Wait, when was that tour?

He checked the clock and noticed that… barely three minutes had passed since he went to lie on the bed. Darn it, there were still at least ten minutes to kill before the tour.

He could have read the fiction novels, but honestly, none of the summaries seemed very appealing. He wondered if he could write something but he didn’t have anything to write. Trying to take a nap was pointless so he found himself just sitting on his windowsill.

The view was rather breathtaking actually. Below there was an array of cobblestone paths, lined with green shrubbery, some of which were dotted with white, pink, and purple buds. There was a hedge in front of the iron fence that lined the property, and beyond that was the dark spruce forest that grew high and looked thick and full of secrets.

Logan wondered briefly what secrets really were hidden there in the forest. Creatures? Monsters? Come to think of it, what was hidden here in the manor. Sure, the students had been permitted to explore the entire estate, but Remy had said that they couldn’t go to the tower. What was in that tower? Books full of forbidden knowledge? A porthole to another realm? A gnome that could turn thread into gold?

No, that was stupid, gnomes don’t like being indoors and surely the Royal Family wouldn’t keep anyone hostage in their private estate. But still, what could be there? It must be something important if even Remy wouldn’t let them know what it was.

“Okay, Tour Time, come on out or get left behind!” Remy called from the hallway, causing Logan to practically fall back into reality as he fell off the windowsill.

He groaned in pain as he got up then went out into the hallway to find Remy and the others waiting for him.

“Alrighty, we’ll begin here. This is the east wing, also known as the guest wing. This particular hallway has been cleaned up for us to use this year so please respect your rooms. The other bedrooms are locked so don’t bother looking at what is inside of them. Now if we go this way...”

The tour lasted for three hours and was mostly without interruption as everyone seemed awestruck by the magnificent manor. Logan was glad not to be alone in his awe as they went through the many different halls and passages. There were countless bedrooms in the east and west wings, private bathrooms on the first floor, several studies, sitting rooms, a library [that Logan clocked for later], extensive several acres of gardens, a ballroom, and a large dining hall fit for royalty, which is where they finished the tour to eat lunch.

There was a variety of smoked meats, fresh loaves of bread, tossed salad, a platter of cheese, and lemonade to wash it all down. Logan didn’t know what half of the meats were but tried a little bit of each. He found that he preferred sticking to the familiar beef slices for his lunch and enjoyed them in the form of a little sandwich.

He noted that while Virgil ate the simple sandwich like him, Roman, Remus, and Patton seemed to prefer the salad, while Willow and Janus ate more meat. Willow preferring theirs medium rare while Janus had used some magic to cook theirs further. Logan wondered if this was to do with their race. Willow was part wolf while Janus was part dragon, making them both somewhat carnivores, so craving a lot of meat seemed reasonable. Maybe he could ask about it later if they didn’t mind.

They had certainly seemed the friendliest to him so far, apart from Patton of course. But Patton seemed the type of person who made friends with everyone. Janus, as Willow had implied earlier, was acting cold towards the twins, and Roman seemed to be returning the same cold energy towards everyone apart from Patton. He even seemed cold to Remus, but more in an annoyed sibling fashion. Remus himself seemed indifferent to everyone, just happily chatting with Pat and sometimes blurting inappropriate thoughts. Willow looked still a bit shy though not nearly as tense as this morning, and Virgil was being silent and mysterious as ever.

“Now that lunch is done, let’s have an icebreaker,” Remy suggested.

“It seems quite warm in here, are you sure the ice needs to be broken?” Patton asked.

Everyone was silent for a moment, either cringing or holding back a laugh. Remy looked like that comment had physically pained him as he stared at Patton.

“Just for that, you’re up first, Patty.”

“Oh, um, what are we doing?”

“We’re going to go around and share a fun little fact about ourselves,” Remy explained.

“Alrighty, well, I like frogs. Sometimes, my brother and I go to the marshes and catch a few to just look at them.” Patton stated.

“You have a brother?” Remus asked.

Patton nodded. “Yeah, my little brother Morgan. He’s twelve and likes frogs almost as much as me.”

“That’s so cool. My brother isn’t even remotely interested in what I like.” Remus sighed.

“That’s because you like gory stories about seafaring hooligans,” Roman said.

“They’re not hooligans, they’re pirates. And I’m going to become one someday.” Remus declared.

Patton cocked his head to the side. “Oh?”

“At least I’d want to do the sailing part, I’ll leave the plunder and pillaging to the others. Unless I get bored,” Remus shrugged.

“I suppose we can accept that as your fact, Remus,” Remy said. “You wanna go next, Rome?”

“Roman, and yes, I shall. I am the best swordsman among the nobility. In fact, I’m to be knighted once I come of age,” Roman declared.

“You need to do an incredible deed to become a knight,” Janus pointed out.

Roman huffed. “Well, I will have you know that my great deed was saving the crown prince himself. Single-handedly.”

Virgil snorted at that.

Roman sneered at him. “And what do you find so amusing, Stormy Knight?”

“You lying about 1, becoming a knight and 2, saving the prince. Everyone knows he’s kept protected in the castle so that no one even knows his face. There's not even a remote chance that you’ve met him.”

“Well, I have. He’s actually quite handsome and much more sophisticated than any one of you. He even personally told me about his idea for this school.”

Virgil just shook his head with amusement.

“I agree with Virgil, you’re lying through your teeth. I suppose we’ll all just have to assume you’re nothing important.” Janus declared.

Roman glared at them. “I am the heir of Lycrest Isle, therefore future governor of the Eastern Ocean. I am a very important person, if not the most important here.”

Janus smirked. “Yet you’re so boring you have to lie about yourself.”

“You-”

“Can go next, Janus, since you’re so eager to speak,” Remy interrupted, steeping between the elf and dragon just in case.

“Alright then. Well, I am known in Evergreen Valley as close to royalty, since I am not only a dragon shifter but also the song of the western governor, Declan the fearless.” Janus stated.

“Cool story kid. Wolfie, you’re up.” Remy announced, ignoring the growing tension between Roman and Janus.

“Um, I grew up with Janus, my eight cousins and two younger siblings, with who I am very close,” Willow said.

“I thought you were part of a pack?” Remus said.

“I am. My pack includes my biological family, and many cousins who I was raised alongside,” Willow explained. “What did you think being a part of a pack meant?”

“Well, if you are a part of a pack, then how did you grow up with Janus?”

“I fostered with the Redrunner pack for most of my childhood,” Janus clarified.

“Oh, so you guys are like childhood friends?” Patton asked.

Willow nodded. “Yep.”

Roman looked over to Willow and said. “I’m sorry.”

“For…?”

“How long you’ve had to stand them.”

“Hey!” Janus snapped. “That is a direct attack against my character.”

“And calling me a liar isn’t?”

“Virgil called you a liar, I only agreed with him.”

“Don’t drag me into this.”

“Yeah, can’t you fight your own battles, Dragon?”

“You want to fight me, Elf?”

“Okay, no, that is where I draw the line,” Remy said in a booming voice that instantly silenced the two teens. “You don’t have to like each other, or get along that well, but there will be no physical fighting while you are under my care. In fact, if I see any of you harm each other, then I’ll send you straight home, no excuses. Am I understood?”

“Yes sir,” everyone replied.

“Great, well, that’s enough fun bonding time for today, I suppose. You can all go back to your rooms now.”

And so, that marked the end of Logan’s interactions with his class for the day, since he went straight to bed once he returned to his room. He had not gotten much sleep the night before due to nerves and excitement, so after everything that had happened, he was more than ready to drift away to dreamland.

Now that he had met his classmates, and gotten to know them if only briefly, he sorely hoped that they wouldn’t cause any disturbances to his learning magic. He didn’t want to fail the second test because of some argumentative teens taking up class time. He would be taking the test alone anyway, so he supposed that it wouldn’t affect him if they all failed. But really, he hoped that was the only fight he’d have to witness this year...

---

A/N: thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed this. I'll be posting two chapters a day until the full fic is up, so if you want to be tagged, you can just ask.

I'd love to hear what you thought about the chapter if you wouldn't mind commenting. Thanks again for reading! Here's hoping you have a magical day 💜

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tasteslikepepsicola · 4 years

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Somebody Else (Sodapop Curtis x Reader part 6)

Part 5 - read before continuing

The final chapter, Y/N knows what she wants, at last, but how will her decision change her life?

Word Count: 1,800+

Warnings: none

Authors Note: I’ve been writing this story for 5 months now, and I can’t even believe it’s finally over. I’ve loved writing for these characters, and I just loved this plot. I hope you all have fallen in love with it just as much as I have. I hope the ending doesn’t come across as too cheesy, and I hope everyone reading is satisfied with the ending. I’m just so happy to finally be publishing the last chapter. Please send me new requests, I write for many fandoms, and please consider following for more posts like this. Thank you so much for all your support, it’s been incredible. Love you all <3

Y/N and Steve stood on opposite sides of the car he had been working on before she interrupted him. Awkward silence filled the air, both sharing the strange feeling that everything had somehow changed since the last time they saw each other. That night, when Y/N ran out on the gang with no explanation. She had just been gone for a minute, if she had returned even a couple minutes earlier, she would have returned to the movie, sat back down on Steve’s lap, enjoyed her night. She wouldn’t have been in that room when Sodapop Curtis walked in. She wouldn’t have known what his lips tasted like. She would never have to be having this conversation.

“What happened, Y/N?” Steve asked softly.

She took a minute to gather her thoughts, meticulously searching for the right words to break the fragile news. Finally, she spoke, “You deserve the truth, obviously, by now, I owe you at least that. But it isn’t pretty. Just...please don’t hate me Steve.”

He rubbed his hands through his hair, shaking his head slightly, brows turned down. They both knew what she was gonna say, what was gonna happen.

“It’s Sodapop, isn’t it?” Steve sighed.

“I-” Y/N started.

“I knew the moment he walked through that door. He was supposed to be out all night. Darry said- I guess it doesn’t matter. But its just- when he walked in, and you weren’t by my side, I guess I knew something was going to happen.” Steve’s eyes were tired, glossy, disappointed, and yet, not surprised, not angry.

“I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. I didn’t want anyone to get hurt. Not you, not Soda, nobody. I loved you both. I still do.” she tells him.

He doesn’t respond, just nods in understanding, so she continues.

“I kissed him.” her voice was barely a whisper, small and pathetic, ashamed and scared of losing everything. “And I’m so, so, sorry.” a tear falls down her cheek.

He stands there for a minute, looking like the wind had just been knocked out of him. Breathless he asks, “Was any of it real?”

“Every single thing. I hope you know that. Every kiss, every touch, every word. I loved you, but I never stopped loving him either.” Y/N steps closer to him, cautiously.

“You deserve someone better than me, Steve. Someone who isn’t half in love. Someone who doesn’t doubt it for a second.” she pauses, “You truly are an amazing person. And I really do wish it could’ve worked...and I know it will never make it right, but I loved you, and I’m sorry...for everything.” she finishes her sentence, staring at the ground.

The silence is unbearable, the tension is awful, until finally, he cups her face in his hands, looking at her for a moment, before pulling her into a hug. It isn’t like what they had when they were together, it isn’t that constant need to be near each other. It’s simply, pure, unbreakable friendship. For just a second, Y/N is reminded of life before all this. That's this feeling. That’s this embrace. It wiping away the mistakes of Summer, returning to the ease of Spring, it’s entering the fresh start of Fall, it’s the promise of friendship even when the world freezes in the Winter.

“Friends?” he asked.

“Always.” she replied.

*****

Weeks passed, things slowly started to return to how they used to be. The three of them still hadn't spent much time together, all knowing things could never really be the same. But time heals all wounds, and slowly but surely, this too would heal.

It was a warm morning in September, the leaves just starting to turn, the first day of the new school year for Y/N. She was just finishing getting ready, wearing her favorite skirt and a cozy sweater, she swiped on a small amount of mascara and clipped a piece of her shiny hair back. She turned to pick up her backpack, just about to go out the door, when she heard a tap at her window.

Outside her window, like countless times before, stood Sodapop Curtis, smiling at her confused expression. She slid the glass up, allowing him to crawl inside her room.

“What are you doing here?” she smiled at the boy, happy to see him. Since she broke up with Steve, neither had spoken to the other. If they were going to be together, they needed to give Steve time, they needed time themselves to be sure this was what they wanted.

” I came to wish you luck on your first day.” He sat on her bed, staring at her across the room, adoration in his eyes.

“Don’t you have work, Pepsi-Cola?” she stepped closer to him.

He smirked at the nickname, his heart rate quickening as the space between them slowly diminished. “You’re more important. Cars can wait.”

“Sodapop Curtis, you may just be the sweetest person in the world.”

“Hey, don’t say that. I’m a greaser, I’m a tough, strong greaser, who most certainly is not sweet.” He tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear as he spoke.

“I beg to differ.” she quipped.

“Want to test your theory?” he asked.

His hands found her hips, her arms wrapped around his neck, slowly they connect their lips, melting into the kiss.

After a few seconds, she pulls away. Soda groans at the loss of contact.

“I need to go or I’ll be late.” she reminds him, tapping his nose.

As she starts to leave, he grabs hold of her hand, she turns to look at him.

“I love you, Y/N.”

“I love you too, Sodapop.”

“And I can’t wait till the day everyone can know that you’re mine.” he smiles at her.

“I’m yours,” she repeats. “And I promise, soon enough, everyone will know that. Things like this just take time.”

“I know,” he mumbles, starting to stand. He brings her hand to his lips, their fingers intertwined. “You know…” he adds. “one day, when I have the money, I’m gonna put a ring on this finger.” he lightly taps her right ring finger.

Her cheeks flush, she leans in to kiss him again.

Before she can, he says, “because what you and I have is something that lasts forever. You and I are for always.” And then, he kisses her.

“Always.” she says, before turning to leave for school.

*****

Months later, Christmas day, Y/N wakes up in Sodapop’s bed, slowly rising from her sleep. Ponyboy crashed in Darry’s room to give Y/N and Soda space. In the living room, the rest of the gang laid sprawled across the floor, on the couch, anywhere there was room. None of them may have traditional families who cared much, but they all had each other, and that was enough.

Y/N woke Sodapop with a kiss on the nose. He stirred gently, mumbling incoherently at first.

“Merry Christmas Pepsi-Cola,” she whispered.

“Merry Christmas love,” he hummed, sitting up slightly to kiss her on the cheek.

“I’m gonna go make us some coffee, I’m sure the rest of the gang will be up soon enough.” she told him.

Wearing one of Sodapop’s oversized shirts, she rolled out of bed, and quietly made her way passed the sleeping boys into the kitchen. She started to brew the coffee when she heard a soft, “Merry Christmas, Y/N” from behind her.

She turned to see a very tired Steve, grinning at her.

“Merry Christmas Steve, coffee?” she offered.

“Yes please!” he announced.

When she had finished making the three coffees, Steve went to wake up the rest of the gang as Y/N returned to bed with Sodapop to bring him his drink.

He takes the coffee from her, adding, “You’re amazing. I love you. Thank you.”

Clambering and excited shouts come from down the hallway, and the couple knows everyone has woken up.

“Ugh, I can’t get up. Let's just stay in and cuddle all day.” he comments, pulling her against his chest.

“Oh come on, Soda, it’s Christmas! Get up!” she argues, rising again.

“I need some motivation,” he jokes.

She places a finger on her lips, “well my lips are over here, and your’s are over there. And I’m walking away. You’re choice on what you want to do, though.” she smirked.

He jumped out of bed, running over to her, cupping her face in his hands, and connecting their lips.

“Okay, okay, let's do this.” he adds.

The two of them walked into the living room, seeing everyone already awake. The gang exchanges good mornings, jokes, laughs, and there were even some presents for everyone to unwrap.

In the middle of the festivities, Ponyboy stops to look out the window, shouting, “Guys! It’s snowing!” everyone crowds around the window to see.

“For real?”

“Ain’t that something…”

“A white Christmas!”

Y/N smiles, wishing she could freeze the picture and keep this moment frozen in time.

“You still haven’t unwrapped your present yet,” Sodapop whispered in Y/N’s ear.

“Hmm, well I personally think mines gonna be hard to top this year Pepsi-Cola, but go ahead, let’s see what you got.” she jokes.

He takes her hand, leading her over to the tree. The gang remained by the window, marveling at the sight of the falling snow.

Y/N sits down on the couch, anticipation racing through her veins. After a moment of searching under the tree, Sodapop takes a seat next to her, handing her a small box, tied with a gold ribbon.

She hesitates for a minute, suddenly flooded with nerves.

“Go on, open it.” he urges.

She obliges, delicately untying the ribbon and discarding it to her side. She opens up the box to see a small, beautiful silver ring glittering up at her.

“A promise ring,” he tells her.

“Sodapop…” her voice trails off, speechless.

“Do you like it?” he asks, like a little boy presenting his parents with a piece of artwork.

“It’s incredible. I- This is amazing. How did you- this must have cost you months of saving. I can’t accept this.” she stutters.

“Yes you can, and I want you to. Please. It would make me so happy if you- you know, if that’s what you want.” he blushes.

“You’re amazing.” her eyes fight back tears.

“Look on the inside.” he mentions.

She takes the ring out of the box, turning to see the engraving on the inside of the ring. In beautiful calligraphy the word, “Always”

She can no longer fight the tears, they spill from her eyes as he slowly slips the ring on her finger.

Their lips lock, and all at once, she is home. Safety and surprise, love and lust. Comfort and chaos, perfect harmony.

He wipes the remaining tears from her eyes, and they settle in to a comfortable position, watching the gang finish handing out presents, Two-Bit brings out a chocolate cake from the kitchen, announcing breakfast being served.

Y/N wonders aloud, “do you guys think it will always be like this? You know, between us. Do you think we’ll always be friends? Family to each other?”

Everyone turns to face her, pondering the question. Steve just smiles at her and says, “Always.”

146 notes · View notes

fortitudina · 3 years

Text

DETAILED CHARACTER BIO QUESTIONS.

Name: Cillian Diarmuid Brockhurst ( Kye-Lan )

Nickname(s): Ci ( Kye ), Brocky, Snipes.

Name significance/meaning: Cillian ~ This name has several known meanings, including “war,” “strife,” and “bright-headed.” The word cille also means “associated with the church,” so the name is often associated with the word “church” or “monastery.”

Gender: Male

Age: 32

Birthday: 11th November

Deathday: ~

Star Sign/Astrology Sign/Zodiac Sign: Scorpio

Location: Los Angeles

Birthplace: Los Angeles

Ethnicity: Irish-American

Nationality: American

Race: Caucasian

Physical Appearance: Clean cut and well presented average height male with brunette hair and blue eyes.

Skin Tone: Sandy-Tan ( https://www.schemecolor.com/skin-pastels.php )

Complexion: fair, smooth & soft.

Eye Color: Old World Blue ( x )

Natural Hair Color: Brunette

Height: 5’10” / 1.78m

Weight: 77kg / 169 lbs / 12st 12lbs

Body Type: Mesomorph

Build: Muscular / Athletic

Posture: Healthy [ x ]

Birthmarks: Strawberry mark on his right hip.

Scars: Gunshot scar on the right side of his chest & left side of the hip region of his abdomen. Stabbing scar to his abdomen and one on the back on the right hip area. One on the back of his neck.

Left Handed/Right Handed/Ambidextrous: Right handed

Age Character Appears to Others: 32

Dyed Hair Color: undyed

Usual Hairstyle: Short

Tattoos: Army tattoo on right bicep

Piercings: none

Makeup Style: ~

Clothing Style: Smart-casual

Clothing Size: Chest ~ 32inches / Waist ~ 26inches / Hips ~ 32inches

Shoe Style: Steel-toed boots, sneakers, oxfords.

Shoe Size: 10

Nail Appearance: short, well kept.

Eyebrow Shape: Straight ( x )

Features: Soft features overall; perfectly symmetrical

Face Shape: Oval

Facial Hair: Light stubble

Voice: Deep

Distinguishing Feature: Smile

Extrovert or Introvert: Ambivert

Personality Traits: Cheeky, Compassionate, Loyal

MBTI Personality: ESFJ-A

Optimist or Pessimist: Optimist

Temperament: Cheeky disposition

Mood: Cheerful

Attitude: Positive

Strengths: Caring, Kind, Giving

Flaws: Blunt, Hero Complex, Brash

Mannerisms: Smirking, quirking of eyebrow, cheeky grins

Habits: fiddling with pens or small objects

Morning Person or Night Owl: Morning person

Pet Peeves: idiots, bad lying, loud eaters, slow people ( walking etc )

Favorite Sin: Gluttony

Favorite Virtue: Patience

Weakness: Loved ones or friends & colleagues getting hurt / involved.

Strengths: Sharp-shooter, Skilled hand-to-hand combat.

Expressiveness: strong use of both facial expressions and hand movements.

Ruled by Heart or Mind: A little bit of both; more heart though.

Mindset: Positive

Philosophy: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit”

Motivated by: Food, Justice, Happiness.

Everyday Speech: “The past is behind, learn from it. The future is ahead, prepare for it. The present is here, live it.”

Life Motto: “Don't count the days, make the days count.”

Energy Level: High

Memory Level: Eidetic (Photographic) Memory

Disabilities: none

Phobias: Incredibly small spaces.

Addictions: Does pizza and poptarts count?

General aptitude: Fluid Intelligence

Mental Strengths: Problem-Solving, Psychoanalysis,

Mental Weakness: Not a Genius

Physical Strengths: Physically fit, keen hand-eye coordination,

Physical Weakness: weakened cervical vertebrae from an old injury during a tour in Afghanistan

Past Illnesses: Chicken pox twice as a kid

Major Surgeries: Surgery to pin his cervical spine. Surgery to remove various bullets.

Accidents: Had several bumps and scrapes whilst at work.

Stability: Very Stable

Allergies: Pollen, Shellfish

Job Title: Detective

Company: LAPD

Career Type: Police

Education: High School, Military, Police Academy

College: ~

Work Ethic: Hard-working

Job History: Sniper in the Army, Beat Cop, Detective.

Income: $74,000 per anum

Political Party/Organizations: Doesn’t do politics

Volunteer Work: Helps at the Veteran’s housing association.

Dream job: Got it

What job would s/he do poorly at: Doctor

Career satisfaction: Love the job

Diet: Coffee and any food easy to grab on the go

Favorite Foods: Poptarts, Barbecue-based, Chicago stuffed crust pizza.

Favorite Drinks: Coffee, Beer, Cranberry juice.

Favorite Movie: Top Gun

Favorite Music: doesn’t really have a favourite

Favorite Book: doesn’t have time to read

Favorite Place: Does bed count?

Favorite activities: Running, Shooting, Cooking

Favorite time of day: Morning

What makes them happy? Catching the bad guys, seeing friends & family happy.

What makes them sad? Losing someone close to them.

Hobbies: Shooting, Running, Cooking, Singing

Interests: Films, Artwork

Favorite animal: Hyena

Loves to do: Wind people up and be cheeky

Hates to do: Paperwork

Inspired by: Former Army Colleagues

Raised by: (family) Mother and Father

Parent Status: Married ~ alive

Mother’s Name: Siobhan Marie Brockhurst

Mother’s Age: 63

Mother’s Background: Irish

Father’s Name: Patrick James Brockhurst

Father’s Age: 68

Father’s Background: American

Relationship with Mother: Close

Relationship with Father: Okay..

Parenting Type: Strict

Only Child? One of Three

First Born, Middle Child, or Youngest? Middle

# of Siblings: Second of three siblings

Relationship with Siblings: Close to brother; Distant with sister

Extended Family: ~

Family Relations: ~

How has family life shaped the character? Helped to both break him and make him who he is today

What they like most about their family: They will all get together for holidays and birthdays

What they dislike most about their family: The religious side

Children: Nil

Pets: Two Dogs

Best Friend(s): Doesn’t have one.

Worst Enemy: ~

Many acquaintances or few close friends? Few close friends

Sexual Preference: Any

Orientation: Pansexual

Relationship Status: Verse Dependent

Marital Status: Verse Dependent

First Love: Carlie Anne Vaugn

Current Love or Aspiring Love: Verse Dependent.

Notable Ex-Lovers: Azrael Mortem

Top 3 Loved Ones: ~

Top 3 Disliked Ones: ~

Who knows the character best? Eoghan, his brother or Lupita, his work partner.

Childhood: Cillian had a fairly stable upbringing; his parents in a strong marriage and with an older brother to help teach him the ropes, Cillian did well during his early school years and thrived in all of his subjects.

Adolescence: As he got to high school, he joined the football and soccer teams; being rather sporty as a child meant his fitness was impeccable. When he finished High school, instead of going to college, Cillian got in with the wrong crowd and ended up being arrested for Breaking and Entering and several counts of theft.

Young Adult: Went through Military training then, Cillian’s Regiment was sent to Afghanistan where they served three tours before he was shot in the Line of Duty after going through Hell being tortured with one of his comrades.

Adult: After being medically discharged from the army, Cillian took a year out for convalescence before joining LAPD. Given his history with the army, he soon shot up through the ranks until he became a Detective. He will also play the role of Police Sniper/marksman if they have to go into particularly tough situations that require an overwatch.

Moments/Experiences that shaped them: Getting into the wrong crowd after High school. Being sent into the Army. Being captured and tortured during his final tour in Afghanistan.

How have they changed as a person throughout their life? He has matured a considerable amount and become regimented and organised as an adult, with a respect for the law and bringing justice.

Major regrets: Getting involved with who he did as a teenager and ending up getting arrested.

Biggest life lessons learned: Don’t get arrested.

Religious Beliefs: Catholic

Upbringing: Strict & Religious

Core Values: Dependability, Consistency, Loyalty, Reliability, Integrity.

Morals: Always tell the truth, Treat others as you want to be treated, Be dependable, Be forgiving, Have integrity, Take responsibility for your actions, Have patience, Be loyal, Have respect for yourself and others

What does s/he believe is evil? The force in nature that governs and gives rise to wickedness and sin.

What does s/he believe is good? Morally excellent; virtuous; righteous; pious

Risks Worth Taking: Those that keep both the city and loved ones safe.

Important milestones: Making Lieutenant in the army. Reaching Detective in LAPD. NOT DYING whilst in both the Army or LAPD.

Achievements: The Purple Heart as a result of his capture & suffering endured during that time.

Failures: Getting Arrested as a teenager

Lifestyle: Busy

Character Traits: Hard-working, Brave, Compassionate, Honest, Successful, Fighter, Mischievous, Thoughtful, Sassy, Humorous, Helpful, Independent, Loyal, Courageous, Responsible.

Culture:

Main Goal: Have a long and happy life, full of hard work, fun and family.

Minor Goal: Drive the damn car at work.

Desire: There are several.

Biggest mistakes: Getting in with the wrong crowd.

Life lessons: Not everyone is going to like you.

Dream Life: The one I have now

Worst Nightmare: The Hell I endured whilst on my final tour.

Favorite Memories: Winding my brother up. Making Detective.

Least favorite memories: Getting Tortured

Things they want in life: Family. Love. Fun.

Things they don’t want in life: Suffering. Pain. Heartache.

What obstacles are currently in their way? Work.

Any secrets: Yes, but if you think he’s going to tell anyone, you’re idiotic.

Worldview: It’s just a little bit fucked.

Personal Hero: Former Sergeant Major.

Internal Conflict: Questioning if he’s good enough for his job at times.

External Conflict: Seeing the scars upon his body and being reminded of each event; wishing he could get rid of them all.

What others think of them: Fun and loveable; a genuine and caring guy.

What they think of themselves: an idiot; not good enough.

What they wish they could change: What they did in the past.

What they wish they could have: less strict father.

What gets them fired up: Liars. Suspects who think they’re clever.

Their definition of a good life: A steady job with a family and friends surrounding them.

Risks worth taking: Anything that keeps both family and friends safe.

Things they take for granted: Coffee. Beer. Time at times.

What inspires them: Seeing justice get served.

What they have doubts about: being good enough.

What makes them feel alive: The thrill of the chase.

What makes them want to do better: Any case they do not solve / Criminal that doesn’t get a guilty charge.

What do they want to be remembered for? Being a good and loyal man.

How will the character change? He might become a husband or a father? Perhaps even Lieutenant or Captain of LAPD some day.

#* CILLIAN { HEADCANON }

1 note · View note

totallypathet · 4 years

Text

Okay so I have watched the 2 premiers twice now, and I have FEELINGS about the season 12 cast!

Before we get into it, let's address Sh***y P** real quick: we do not stand for abusers in this house, I hope she never works again and that she ends up in jail.

Now that's out of the way, in alphabetical order:

1. Aiden Zhane

I see potential! I loved her spring look, and her Fosse performance was on point. Her makeup could use a little finessing, but I definitely see where she's coming from. Having said all that, she's already got herself involved in a world of drama. Her comments about the Atalnta drag scene I found really odd, because it's just not true? Weird. Her comments about trans people and specifically trans women doing drag... hmm. On one hand, I appreciate that she apologised, and it seemed fairly genuine - as did her message about all forms of drag being valid. On the other hand, there was a defensive tone, and there seemed like a lot of "I've learned, I've grown, that was a long time ago" and I kind if feel like... 2018 wasn't that long ago girl. You were already 26/27, it's not like you were a teenager making stupid comments. I'm not sure how I feel about it, but also I'm not a trans woman and I dont do drag, so my opinion doesn't mean much!

2. Brita

Whenever I hear her name I feel thirsty 😂😂 I'm kind of underwhelmed so far, her entrance look was okay, both her mini challenge looks were alright, and her rap challenge look was a bit meh. The look she wanted to wear for the challenge (posted on her insta) was stunning though. I hated hated hated hated her runway look! It looked like a disco ball version of Alexis Michelle's rainbow look from season 9. I dont have all that much else to say about her, I didn't love any of her looks, I wasnt blown away by her performance, let's see what she does next week!

3. Crystal Methyd

I. Love. Crystal. Methyd. That fall look ended me. It was so perfect, she was giving me fashion, she was giving me camp, she was giving me references, she was giving me attention to detail, she was giving me LIFE. Every look she served was incredible. I knew exactly who she was when she walked in the work room, she elevated herself in the mini challenge, she showed up for the performance in the rap (and by the way her Nicki Minaj look was perfection), and her runway look was so well executed. I adore her. Top 4 pick.

4. Dahlia Sin

I still cannot get over how much she looks like Aja! I had really high Hope's for her because she's from the Haus of Aja, but she just didn't quite measure up, which is a real shame. Her entrance look was gorgeous, her mini challenge looks were okay, her runway look was alright. Her Fosse performance was okay, I think her voice is pretty, I liked her lyrics and she can clearly dance; she just wasn't giving me the ~performance~ aspect, which is a shame. I'm hoping she gets out of her head a bit and loosens up, I think she'll do much better! She's middle of the pack for me at the moment, but if she can trust herself a bit more I think she'll be unstoppable.

5. Gigi Goode

Good morning Miss Goode! I'm blown away by Miss Gigi. I cannot wait to see what she pulls out next week! She's fashion, she's elegance, she's beautiful, she's a performer, she's personality, she's funny, she's clever, is there anything she can't do?! Her entrance look had me screaming, her mini challenge looks had me in the floor, her runway look had me gagging. The only problem for me was the rap challenge look, it was pretty horrific. I'm counting it as a blip, and her verse more than made up for it! Top 4 pick right there.

6. Heidi N Closet

Okay, I'm not in love with Heidi's name choice, but can Ru and Michelle really say that it's the worst name in drag race history?! I mean girl, Kalorie Karbdashian Williams? Really? I like Heidi so much, though. I wasn't the biggest fan of her looks, particularly the mini challenge spring look, but girl the headpiece fell off and just kept on going! I respect the fuck out of that, that's a professional right there. And anyone that is in hospital during the night and turns around the next day and delivers a performance like that?? What a trooper! I fully respect her. I just wish her hair and makeup was a little bit more polished. She could definitely be the dark horse here, anyone who discounts Heidi N Closet is making a huuuuge mistake.

7. Jackie Cox

Yaaaaaas Jackie Cox!!!! I was nervous when she walked in in that red skirt, but as soon as she pulled out her mini challenge looks I was SOLD. She has a really distinct point of view, she clearly builds characters for each look and sells you that fantasy with every walk, and that's talent. She's also hilarious and adorable as shit. Her performance was incredible as well! I. Love. Jackie. Cox. Top 4.

8. Jaida Essence Hall

So many queens come into this competition with room to grow, and things to learn (which is not at all a bad thing), but my girl Jaida is THERE. My queen is polished, she is elegant and elevated, but she also knows how to have fun! I feel like she is going to go from strength to strength in this competition. Her entrance look was gorgeous (and she made it!), her mini challenge looks were really well thought out and well executed, her performance in the Fosse number was amazing, and her runway look was so stunning. This is someone who knows exactly who she is, she knows her strengths, she knows how to play to them, and she knows exactly what she's doing. She's Top 4 right there.

9. Jan

Just Jan! I'm speechless. I adore her. She's perfection. This week was the perfect set of challenges for Jan, and she sooo should have been in the top 2! Her voice is amazing, her lyrics were perfect, and cam we talk about her tulle look?! It was so so so smart, and so well done! I would have been impressed just with the idea of the tool/tulle look, but to also have it executed so perfectly?! Gagged. Also she is just to most adorable little ray of sunshine!! She's so happy to be there and her energy is so infectious! Every time she was on screen she made me smile. So excited to see what she pulls out next week. Top. Fucking. 4.

10. Nicky Doll

La diva Francaise! Every single look she pulled should be on a Vogue cover. ESPECIALLY that fall mini challenge look I was screaming. I was so worried that her verse and performance wasn't going to be up to scratch because she might just be a "look queen" but she proved me so wrong and I was soooo happy! She's a performer, she's a fashion queen, she's a dancer, and I was so proud of her! Is she Top 4 material? Yes she is! Don't discount Miss Nicky as a look queen because she's got hidden depths.

11. Rock M Sakura

Rock M Sakura? Rock my world! She gave me everything I didnt know I needed!! She's a little fireball, she's got so much talent, and ambition, and passion and I cannot get enough. Her mini challenge looks were perfectly executed, fully realised, and fully Rock M. I feel like I know her already, and I love her so much. I'm so glad she told her story, and I hope she knows how important her story and her voice is. Her Fosse performance was really good, but i wish she hadn't put on the character - it's Rock M we love and Rock M we want! Her tulle look fully made up for it though, I loved it! I think if you're going to do tulle then fucking do tulle. And she gave me that. She's fully Top 4.

12. Widow Von Du

The Widow Von Du, where to even begin? Here entrance look was a 10. Her mini challenge looks were a 10. Her rap challenge look was a 10. Her runway look was a motherfucking 11. Her rap performance was the. Best. Performance. Of both premiers. Her lyrics were incredible, and she is so clearly a performer! I am so so impressed by Widow and I absolutely cannot wait to see what she does next! She's a superstar. Even if she doesn't win (which something really left field is going to have to happen for her not to be at least top 4), she's going to be one for the fucking history books. I think you already know I think she's Top 4.

To sum up, this is the most exciting cast (for me) yet! I can't imagine any of them going home, I think they're all amazing!!

As a side note as well, can we talk about Nicki Minaj? Shes the best guest judge that has ever been on that panel. Her critiques were thoughtful, detailed, personalised, and constructive. She really listened to their lyrics, she had something good to say about everyone and she was so sweet watching them perform! I love her.

#long post #rpdr12 #drag race #drag race season 12 #aiden zhane #brita #dahlia sin #gigi goode #heidi n closet #jackie cox #crystal methyd #jaida essence hall #jan #jan sport #nicky doll #rock m sakura #widow von du

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mobius-prime · 4 years

Text

235. Sonic the Hedgehog #167

Mobius 25 Years Later (Part Two): Tempus Aeternus

Writer: Ian Flynn Pencils: Tracy Yardley Colors: Jason Jensen

Lien-Da is incredibly happy with herself on this fine evening, sipping a glass of wine and bragging about how she and King Shadow orchestrated the arrests of Tails, Lara-Su and Sonic, and how as a result she's had a hand in "bringing down the line of Edmund." Rutan watches silently from the nearby stairs, looking conflicted and upset, while Dimitri (still confined to being a head in a bubble) coldly remarks at how ashamed he is to be related to her due to her behavior, even more ashamed than when he in the past worked with Dr. Finitevus. Wait, what?! That hasn't happened yet! A hint of what is to come in the main comic, perhaps…? After all, though Lien-Da implied that Dimitri was dead during the Return to Angel Island arc, we know he can't actually be if he appears in this future. In the dungeons beneath the castle, Sonic, Tails, and Lara-Su have been chained up next to a despondent Rotor. He is frustrated that the three of them don't seem to be taking their position seriously, as the first two mostly joke around about this "bringing back memories" while Lara-Su complains that Rutan will make fun of her for all this. At that moment, Knuckles walks in, looking very stern.

What, did you think Knuckles was gonna be the villain of this piece? Nah, he has way too heroic of a spirit to end up like that! (I mean, so does Shadow, but we already saw how that's being ignored in this arc, so.) Apparently, he was even counting on Lara-Su to overhear his conversation with Tails, precisely so that she would rebel and allow him to set up a coup like this without Shadow realizing that his head enforcer wasn't loyal. Tails says that he'll hack the castle's security systems to allow the others to get a clear path to the throne room, and Knuckles says he'll keep Queen Sally safe while Sonic battles Shadow. Lara-Su wants to come along, but Knuckles convinces her that now the best way for her to help is to get the injured Rotor to a hospital, which she reluctantly agrees to. Sonic and Knuckles race along the hallways to the throne room, where Sally quickly follows Knuckles to safety. Apparently, she too seems to know about the other timeline, surprised that her husband does as well. With Sally safe, Sonic tries to attack Shadow, but his punch has barely any force behind it.

Ouch. I mean, yeah, saw it coming, but ouch. Things are looking bad, until suddenly Lara-Su bursts in, ready to continue the fight on her own terms. Shadow becomes irritated at her smack-talk, and reminds her that he wields Chaos powers, only for her fist to glow as she smugly invites him to "join the club." Shadow tries to fire off some Chaos Spears in her direction, but she merely dodges them while reciting Tikal's prayer (you know, the "Chaos is power enriched by the heart" one) and performs a Chaos Control, freezing Shadow in place.

Bit of an ignoble ending to Shadow's story, don't you think? I said it last issue, but again, I'm really not okay with how this AU just wants to turn Shadow into this brutal villain. I mean, especially considering his whole character arc in the games - the only times he ever acts truly violent and uncaring of others' wellbeing is when he's being manipulated by an actual villain or otherwise brainwashed, and once he discovers who he truly is he's never anything less than a goddamn hero. I just think that turning Shadow the Hedgehog into Shadow the Evil Dictator is doing a huge disservice to him as a character, and not even bothering to try to work in an ending where he realizes the error of his ways is at this point just spitting in his face.

Meh, whatever. Knuckles comes running back in, concerned, but Lara-Su just excitedly informs him of how she defeated Shadow. She then says a seemingly nonsensical line about how she "already took care of him" that only makes sense if you assume that Knuckles asked her something along the lines of "But I thought you were taking Rotor to the hospital," so I can only guess that they forgot to include that dialogue bubble. Sally and Sonic walk into the next room, and she tells Sonic how Knuckles explained all the timeline shenaningans to her, and how she always felt that something wasn't right all these years. She then awkwardly explains that she never married Shadow for love, but only to try to bring stability to her kingdom. Frankly, I find that to be a pile of crap. Sally Acorn, the lifelong ringleader of the rebellion against not one but two different Robotniks, passively married an evil autocrat who likes to use torture on his enemies? Not fricking likely. Sally would have been at the head of the resistance against Shadow from the very start. It seems that even under a different writer, Mobius 25 Years Later is doomed to have every member of its cast acting completely out of character.

Wow, it's that easy to get back together after twenty-five years apart? *sigh* Look, I think the reason this two-part arc fails is because it's ultimately working off an already-flawed base. I understand that some closure needed to be brought to the tangled mess that Kenders set up at the beginning of this era, but hell, I think it could have been done a lot better. Some people do like the whole King Shadow and dystopian future thing, but personally, I think it's just as inexplicable and out of character as everything in Kenders' version of events. I'm just glad to be done with it, as next issue we actually get to go back to the normal, interesting stuff.

Hedgehog Day

Writer: R. Chacon Pencils: Dave Manak Colors: Josh Ray

Well, we do have this little story before that happens. Apparently everyone in Knothole has decided to put together a second birthday celebration for Sonic several days after the previous one, the one Scourge crashed. Sonic wakes up at 10am on the morning of the make-up party, and begins his morning routine as his alarm clock informs him that Mina's latest hit "Soldier Boy" has just finished playing (note that this issue came out one year before "Soulja Boy" was released, so it's not a reference), that it's going to be in the mid-70s (Fahrenheit) today, and that many important people will be at the celebration such as the king and queen and Mina herself. However, the announcer on the radio then says that everyone is wondering where Sonic is as the party has already started, which wakes Sonic up out of his sleepy daze. He realizes that he accidentally set his alarm for the time the party was to start rather than when he actually wanted to wake up, and rushes to get ready, racing out the door and nearly barreling into a bunch of reporters looking for him.

Ouch! Well, at least there's always tomorrow, right? The next morning, Sonic wakes up at 10am on the morning of the make-up party, and begins his morning routine as his alarm clock informs him that Mina's latest hit "Soldier Boy" has just finished playing, that it's going to be in the mid-70s today, and that many important people will be at the celebration such as the king and queen and Mina herself. However, the announcer on the radio then says that everyone is wondering where Sonic is as the party has already started, which wakes Sonic up out of his sleepy daze. He realizes that he accidentally set his alarm for the time the party was to start rather than when he actually wanted to wake up, and rushes to get ready. However, he hesitates before he races out the front door, struck by a strange suspicion that there's reporters outside waiting for him.

Hmm, something's a bit fishy here… The next next morning, Sonic wakes up and shuts off his alarm, a bit disappointed that he didn't wake up in time to listen to "Soldier Boy." He asks the alarm clock if it's going to be in the 70s for his party today, and the announcer dutifully reports that it will be, repeating the same spiel from the past two mornings.

I mean, maybe if you walked instead of ran, you might make it there in one piece, bro. But then again, this is Sonic we're talking about. He buries himself back under the covers to avoid the prying eyes of reporters looking in through his windows, but that doesn't stop them. They start looking for another entrance, ultimately climbing on top of his roof, which buckles and collapses under their weight. This time, Sonic isn't the only one stuck in the hospital, as all the reporters are injured from their fall as well. Finally, the next next next morning, Sonic has had enough and wakes up three hours before his celebration, making his way there and sitting in one of the folding chairs as everyone sets up around him, confident that now, there's no way he can miss the party!

Though the title of the story is a parody on the movie Groundhog Day, I do find it kind of funny that despite this clearly seeming like another fantastical and silly plot device, stuff like this actually does happen to people. They're called false awakenings, and consist of dreaming that you wake up and perform your morning routine, only to then "wake up" into another similar dream, and this repeats until you finally do regain consciousness for real. They can also be paired with stress dreams, meaning that you might wake up in a panic that you're late for school or work, only to wake up into the same situation again and again in a bizarre loop. So, in a way, this story is actually one of the most realistic in the entire comic! I'm sure that wasn't the intention, but the point still stands!

#nala reads archie sonic preboot #archie sonic #archie sonic preboot #sonic the hedgehog #sth 167 #writer: ian flynn #writer: romy chacon #pencils: tracy yardley #pencils: dave manak #colors: jason jensen #colors: joshua d ray

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intomyshadow · 4 years

Text

Meet Mari

Word count: 1600 (3 to 13 minutes) | Rating: T | Story: Into My Shadow

Note: Fantasy races (common and original), magic

Read Dira’s character introduction

Read Noyo’s character introduction

The Blossoming of Year 185: Dawn’s Strike Era

The streets of Garres were like veins, carrying goods and people wherever they needed to go in the city. Sometimes, to places they’d rather not be. Reliable and chaotic, the contradictory way life worked anywhere else. It made the cobblestone streets easy to map in her mind, especially with practice. Anyone could tell the sunbaked almshouse walls from the lofty towers of the governmental district, but only a local could get from one to the other without being late or lost.

Exactly why living in one place for years wasn’t so bad.

Mari knew the routes and schedules of most carriages there. Not to mention basically everyone who kept the city’s blood pumping. Not that any of them really saw her. She was known for her ties to the Union. Only the half-elf who ran their errands and did their chores. Beyond that, she was no more than one of the strangers outside. And it was incredible, the things people let you see and hear when you were invisible.

But if there was one skill she had mastered, it had to be knowing when to wait for the right moment.

The morning mail coach came soaring down the road, and everyone knew they had the run of the road. Stopping one meant paying a fine—even if you did it by mistake. Mari was in a hurry too, poised to hop across the street on the raised steppingstones the moment it went by. She was close enough to feel it rush past, and a small splash from puddles of yesterday’s rain hit her boots. Nothing that wouldn’t dry. Especially if she ran, and she always did.

Her boots barely tapped against each roughly circular stone that kept people above the water, waste, and manure, then she was on the other side. The poor ladies and gentlemen serving the country from its capital couldn’t do that in their fine heeled shoes and fluffy wigs. Their jobs seemed important with all the shouting, but pretty stifling. So long as she did hers to avoid getting yelled at herself, it didn’t matter.

Darting around frantic storeroom maids in the center of the market square, Mari made her way to the weapons and armor marketplace. The heavy smell of molten metal and coal from smithies burned her nostrils before she even saw the magic shops. All the stores there were more like workshops where you could buy goods, not like the tents and stalls of most other places. Maybe the merchants of magical wares didn’t quite belong there, but there they were. No one really wanted to see them while they picked out a new suit before the festival season or resupplied on early summer vegetables and wines.

Pulling the empty satchel up her shoulder, Mari kept her eyes up and stuck close to the wall. The only people around the weapons shops were assistants to the Guard Captain, hunters, and mercenaries. They covered the whole nation’s people: dwarves, elves, people with mixed descent like her, and even the lone chiali now and again. None of them were gifted with patience for anything that didn’t apply to their work, or none that Mari knew. All she had to be was fast and out of their way. She had to move quickly anyway since it would be hot and muggy soon, and Mari wouldn’t be up to as much running.

She ducked into the open rounded doorway of the mages’ goods shop soon enough. Could have done it with her eyes closed, but it was better that she didn’t.

“Hm?” The shopkeep frowned over the counter, glaring down at her from his stool. That sternness was just part of his expression, she learned that shortly after they first met years ago. He was framed by jars of all kinds of magical goods, some open and easy to reach and others sealed and locked on the top shelves behind the front counter. His thick, black moustache with flecks of grey twitched with his ‘tsk’. Fat fingers tied off the thin rope around some gathered stems of faintly glowing thistles that she didn’t recognize. Not yet. The dwarf was no mage, but he knew more than she’d ever forget about magic in the wild—and he liked to remind anyone who came in of that. “Just you, is it?”

“Yeah,” she said with a nod, dropping the rolled parchment on the counter. The Union’s crest was emblazoned on the outside beside the ribbon holding it closed—a precaution for all their parchment in case something important was lost, supposedly. “Got the whole Union order here.”

He kept that surprising delicate touch from the flowers when he swept up the scroll, pulling the ribbon loose to unroll it. From habit, he muttered it out loud as his dull blue eyes moved down the list.

That week’s resupply trip called for more of what Mari recognized. No Union storeroom run was complete without basic healing herbs, but this one included various roots and powders to carve into protective sigils on armor and shields. Plus some fake-sounding items like will-‘o-the-wisp dust. Mari read about them in the Union’s in-house library when most people were asleep, and she doubted they gave off anything like dust. If finding your way back to your original spot after getting tricked by a will-‘o-the-wisp only meant following a dust trail, why did people stay lost?

But if the Union mages asked for it, it had to be real. Maybe it wasn’t literal. Like sprigs of baby’s breath.

“The glass is new,” she interrupted his mumbling and pointed to the windows. Usually, just fancy clothes and jewelry stores had glass windows, but they had gotten more common in other shops with decent sales. Having the Union buying through him most of the time would do that for his profits. She heard him stomping down the ladder from his stool while she leaned to check for outside hinges through the window. “Kept the shutters. Smart.”

“Mmhm. Wait here.”

Wait, he said, like it ever took him long. Mari was barely taller than him when she did her first supply run for the Union, and she was amazed at how quickly he measured and packaged everything. While he worked, she put her satchel up on the counter and flipped it open for him just in time for him to nestle the first bag of herbs in.

“Walk gently,” he ordered as he pat down a box of packed powder.

“Understood.”

“Not how you usually dart around here.” He pierced her with another glare, tossing the tired leather flap over her bag to close it.

“Yes, sir.”

“I mean it.” Punctuating that with a calloused fingertip pointed at her, he moved the bag over to her open hands at the counter’s edge.

“I said yes,” she repeated with an uneasy grimace, not sure what else he wanted. Mari raised the shoulder strap over her head for the steadier carrying it obviously needed.

“And this.” Less gently, he brought a package up onto the smooth wooden countertop and pushed it over to her. The wrapping job wasn’t like his usual. No practical plain paper held in place with twine, but deep slate blue paper with thick silver ribbon adorning it. The contents were clearly a book. Mari softened her grimace but didn’t reach for it. In all the years she knew him, he didn’t adorn anything. If someone wanted to get a gift to a member of the Mages’ Union, they wouldn’t go through him and definitely not her. Even a surprise gift would be better off handled by actual delivery people.

“What’s this?”

“For you.” Glancing back down to it and again to him, Mari closed her hand around the strap over her chest. This just got more and more confusing. Who would give her something? Mari didn’t talk to anyone she didn’t have to, so there was no one to send her an unexpected present.

“What for?”

“A gift,” he observed, being his usual blunt self, but without any of the clarity that usually came with it. He must have read something in her glance at the present because he muttered something before offering something she could hear. “If you’ve got your mind set on working at that place ‘til you’re grey, be serious about educating yourself. Before you get killed.”

“Alright,” she asked, as bewildered as ever. No one got a nice shop with glass windows and shutters because they gave out gifts to the spry little stray running tasks for the Union. Still, she picked up the package. It was heavier than she guessed it would be… Probably two books, then. Trading the grimace for a level stare, Mari thanked the stars she was talking to someone who didn’t waste words. “But what’s that to you?”

The long hairs of his moustache ruffled in his scoff as he settled back up onto his stool. Leaning over the counter, he almost looked like he was smirking. “You have a birthday, don’t you?”

“Suppose I do.” Giving him a shrug, she continued her answer. “Not sure when it is, though.”

“In that case, doesn’t matter when you get a present.” Nodding to the book, he scooched back into his seat and reached for another bundle of glowing thistle. “There’s your gift.”

“From?” He quirked an eyebrow, clearly at his limit for questions. She should have figured it was straight from him anyway. There weren’t many people who remembered Mari and her interest in magic. Add in apparently having a reason to present her with a new book… Well, that didn’t leave a lot of choices. “Right. Thanks.”

“Mmhm. Don’t die.”

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kate-sinclaire · 4 years

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some type of love (Drake x MC/Liam x MC)

PART TWO

Part One

Book:  The Royal Romance/The Royal Heir Pairing(s):  Drake x MC, Liam x MC (referenced) Summary:  A night after, a bridal shower, and a quick sneak out. What could go wrong? Rating:  T

TAGS: @addictedtodrakefanfic @princessleac1 NOTE: All characters belong to Pixelberry Studios (minus, for the most part, Gemma Williams), I’m just borrowing them. I also do not own the image.

Gemma awoke the next morning with a killer migraine. Wincing, she held her head as her eyes adjusted to the light coming through the windows. How much had she had to drink last night? She glanced over and saw a sleeping Drake beside her, his arm still wrapped, almost protectively, around her. She smiled a little and slowly rose to her feet, causing him to stir ever so slightly. They hadn’t had sex. That much she remembered.

She was still in jeans and a black tank top and when she looked in the mirror, she couldn’t help but stifle a laugh. She looked pathetic. Her mascara had worked its way down her cheeks in vicious streaks, her eyes were still puffy from the night before, and her hoodie sleeves were stained with ink.

“Drake?” she looked over and smiled softly at his peaceful expression as he lay underneath the blankets, his eyes gently closed. She moved over and sat down on his side of the bed, gently resting her hand on his shoulder. “Drake?” His eyes slowly fluttered open and he startled a bit, clearly not expecting to see Gemma so close. “Sorry, I would’ve let you sleep longer but we have a bridal shower to get to.”

He nodded and rubbed his eyes as he sat up. “How are you feeling?” he asked, his voice thick from sleep. Gemma laughed a little.

“Like hell,” she admitted. “My head is killing me. I haven’t heard from Liam in ages and it’s incredibly possible that I’ll throw up when I see him walking in with Madeleine on his arm.”

Drake gave a knowing nod and ran a hand through his hair, something passing through his eyes, though Gemma didn’t know what. “He just doesn’t want to risk anything for you or your reputation...but I know you’re always on his mind.” And mine, he thought. Not that it mattered. She watched as he reached over and pulled on his jacket, his shirt slowly creeping up his chest revealing just a bit of his abs. She swallowed hard and averted her eyes to the beautiful gown hanging up in her closet; a pastel pink tea dress with intricate white lace coating the bell sleeves. “You going to wear that today?”

“Maybe,” she replied, pursing her lips together. “I just don’t want it to look like I’m trying to upstage the bride to be.”

Drake cocked an eyebrow as he came to his feet. “Isn’t that what you’re trying to do, though?”

Gemma smirked, “Yeah, but I don’t want it to look that way.”

“Well, I think you should go for it. You’d look gorgeous.” Shit. That’s not what he wanted to say. She looked at him in surprise, her cheeks slightly flushed. He rubbed the back of his neck and cleared his throat. “I mean, um. Yeah. It would look nice on you.” Just stop talking, he told himself. You’re embarrassing yourself.

“Thanks, Walker,” she murmured, her cheeks still red. “I might do that.”

“Good,” he replied, a subtle smile crossing his lips. She held his gaze for a moment before glancing back at the dress.

“I um...I need to get dressed,” she stammered, her cheeks reddening just a bit more.

“Oh, right,” he chuckled nervously. “Uh, yeah. I’ll head out, then. See you later?”

“For sure,” she agreed. He nodded and just as he reached for the doorknob, he turned back to her.

“Let me know if you need an escape, today,” he said, regretting the offer already. “I sure as hell will.”

Gemma laughed. “Thanks, I will.”

“So when you get there, just flash your usual smile. The press will be expecting you to be petty and upset about this whole thing. Show them that you’re above that,” Justin said, speaking quickly and professionally as he tapped something into his phone. Gemma nodded absentmindedly and brushed a strand of hair away from her face. “Be sure to offer your congratulations to the two of them, as well. Make it obvious so that everyone can say how dignified you were.”

“Okay.” She rested her chin on the back of her hand as she watched the Cordonian scenery blur outside the limo.

“Gem?” Hanna rested a hand on Gemma’s shoulder. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” she lied, sitting up a little straighter. Bertrand looked nervous as he fidgeted in his seat and Maxwell let out a heavy sigh. “How long is this supposed to last?”

“A couple hours, though some will stay longer than that,” Justin answered, leaning back in his seat. A couple hours. Great.

“We’ll be with you the whole time,” Hanna reassured her, giving her a gentle squeeze. “No pressure.”

“Um, yes pressure. Lots of pressure,” Bertrand corrected and Hanna shot him a look. “Apologies, this is just very important for-”

“House Beaumont,” Gemma finished. “I know.”

“And for you,” he said. “We just need to get your reputation back on track.”

“Yeah,” Gemma murmured, not giving a damn about her reputation at the moment. All she cared about was seeing Liam and she knew the odds of actually getting a moment alone with him was close to zero. Part of her didn’t know why she was even trying.

“We’re here. No more sad faces, only smiles,” Justin urged. “If you need me, remember. I’m always just-in time.” He gave a wink before sliding open the limo door.

“You haven’t talked to her in a week?” Drake asked, completely shocked. Liam shook his head sadly. He noticed the dark rings under his eyes and all he could think about was how Liam was sleeping alone while Drake had slept with Gemma just last night. “Damn it, Liam, she’s worried about you. She doesn’t even know what you two are right now.”

“Neither do I,” Liam retorted, running a hand down his face. “I love her, Drake, I do. But I don’t know what to do. I can’t do anything to risk getting her in more trouble with the press or Cordonia. I just can’t.”

“Find a way to talk to her today,” Drake ordered, despite himself. He didn’t know what he was doing, just that he wanted her to be happy no matter the cost. And if Liam made her happy then, well, that was that.

“I will,” Liam promised. “I will. Madeleine knows the deal of this arrangement. She just cares about what we look like in public. Nothing else matters to her.” Drake nodded and adjusted his jacket. “Have you been looking after her?” He swallowed hard and nodded again. “Good...thank you.”

“Not a problem,” he lied. Not a problem? Big problem. “You should get down there.”

“Yeah, I suppose I should,” Liam adjusted his tie in the mirror and took in a deep breath. “Rescue me if I need it?” Drake smirked.

“I already made that promise to Williams.” Liam’s eyes lit up at the mention of her name and he couldn’t help but smile a bit. “Now get down there.”

“Introducing the future king and queen of Cordonia,” Gemma braced herself as Liam walked out with Madeleine, just as she assumed, on his arm. She wore her usual green gown with a strand of pearls around her neck and, as much as it pained her to admit it, she was stunning. But not as stunning as Liam.

Almost immediately their eyes locked and his widened slightly as he took her in. She had decided to wear the pink tea dress after all, complete with a pair of beige heels and a golden heart shaped locket that she had picked up before she left New York. Her lips were a light shade of pink and she did her best to smile as genuinely as she could.

“So you wore it after all,” she started as Drake came up from behind her. “Sorry,” he chuckled.

“It’s fine,” she laughed, her heart still racing. “And you’re...wearing the same thing as last night.” She raised her eyebrows and he shrugged.

“Why would I dress up for something I don’t agree with?” he asked.

“Fair point,” she agreed, watching as Liam greeted the members of several noble houses. “I guess I should start meeting and greeting.”

“Or,” he prompted, looking around nonchalantly. This was a bad idea.

“Or?” she asked, clearly intrigued.

“Or we get out of here for a bit. I know a place nearby. Great food, great atmosphere. American.”

“American, you say?” she bit down on her bottom lip in thought and then nodded. “Let’s do it.”

“You don’t want to say hi to Liam first?” A part of him was surprised; a large part at that. She shook her head.

“He kept me waiting for a week. I can keep him waiting for awhile, too.” Damn. He nodded and offered his arm; why did he offer his arm? Just as he was about to put it down, she took it and beamed up at him.

“Getting formal on me, Walker?”

“Not even in your dreams, Williams.”

#trr fanfic #the royal romance #the royal heir #trh #trh fanfic #playchoices #mc x liam #mc x drake #drake walker #liam rys

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momijis-sunglasses · 5 years

Text

so in my post-first-two-episodes-of-furuba glow, I went home and watched the first episode of the 2001 anime again.

hoo boy.

it was FASCINATING.

it’s definitely become a little more common for the same story to receive multiple adaptations. but here we have two first episodes that cover the exact same chapter in the manga, end on the same story hook, and even have plenty of similar shots. but the overall impression and tone is incredibly different between the two. and it’s so revealing for why i’m optimistic about the new anime and have big issues with the 2001 adaptation.

SPOILERS

-the 2019 anime has the huge benefit of knowing the entire story. starting out with a flashback to the bond first being created between god and the animals is a great idea. it gets a hint of the supernatural in there early for new viewers, and it’s giving you a visual metaphor (the ropes aka literal bonds) of one of the key themes of the series. the new anime is being made with the awareness of the rest of the series, and that’ll improve things so much. they’re already really teasing the hat, and even kyo’s beads. it’s nothing too overt, just little nudges at the viewer that serve as a fun thing for existing fans and ways to tease the mystery for new fans.

-the scene where Tohru first finds the house and meets Shigure have very, very similar scripts between both versions. and I wish I had the new version in front of me right now because I can’t provide specific examples of why this is -- but I was left with a much more natural impression from the new version. the directing is just better. I think the 2001 anime has the problem of being too abrupt constantly. it’s like nothing’s given room to breathe. in the new anime, there’s a really nice transition into a flashback (lots of flashbacks in this episode haha) using the wind chime at Shigure’s to one at Tohru and Kyoko’s apartment. and actually going into the apartment gives the whole flashback a better sense of place. this is also where it starts being really apparent how much more static the old anime is. i do think they generally did the best with what they had, but there are more pans over still frames and the characters expressions are usually flat. the new anime is 1000% more dynamic.

-which also contributes to the comedy! there’s the same funny “what do you have in there, a dictionary?”/”two dictionaries” gag in both, but it lands better in the new anime. it’s more background chatter than anything, actually, so it feels more like incidental funny dialogue. like these people just banter and bug each other on the reg. the 2001 anime makes everything more slapstick and over the top, and 2019 tones it back to something more naturalistic. which i’m happy about, because when i think fruits basket, i think dry humor more than anything.

-also! eric vale! i’ve never blamed him for this, but his performance is sooooo much better in the new anime. he was definitely a newer voice actor (like a lot of the cast) when the 2001 anime came out, but I blame a lot of the issues I had with his performance before on the voice directing. there are so many times in the old episode where Yuki sounds straight up creepy. i don’t know if they were going for mysterious, but they didn’t get there that’s for sure. he’s more regular and a bit suave in the new one, which makes sense for this part of the story. yuki’s just like.. a huge improvement between these two versions. I always felt like the director of the 2001 anime didn’t get Yuki at all. like he thought he was actually a prince and also just wanted to make a cool character so girls would swoon and buy merch or w/e. I just want Yuki to get his due as a character, dammit!

-if you haven’t watched the original in a while and have hulu or netflix, fire that shit up because the transition to school is sooooo bad. first the prince yuki fanclub and their weird chant thing... and then uo and hana’s introduction is also super abrupt and we’re just firing through these scenes real fast. the new one has the same events happen, but again, it’s more natural. no weird chant! the prince yuki club has just cornered tohru in a hallway and are berating her. a boy even walks past and is like, “yikes, bullying.” because it totally is! the timing on uo and hana to the rescue is a lot better. and i think because of that, it allows the comedy more time to develop so that’s it’s actually funny and not just confusing. also all three of them feel more like comfortable friends. like we’re witnessing their usual dynamic. since the 2001 director was always going for comedy, it almost feels more like an interrogation in the old version.

-THIS! CHANGE! IS SO IMPORTANT! so the 2001 anime races through tohru telling us why she’s living in a tent. lightspeed. we have time for the prince yuki fan club chant, but we can’t spend too much time establishing the drama of the situation. in the 2001 anime, we transition to a literal slideshow basically recreating panels from the manga while tohru monologues over it about how her mom died in an accident but she wound up with her grandpa and he asks her to go live with a friend for a while. we all know the story. the new anime, on the other hand, transitions to an actual flashback, not a still image, of tohru as a kid balancing a checkbook while she explains how her dad passed away and her mom had a tough time all by herself. it’s really sad! and it’s so much more effective to show her as an actual kid worrying about money stuff and making dinner. they also showed a heap of blood instead of a car hitting a wall to represent kyoko’s death, which... woof. and then we get an actual scene of her grandpa asking her if she can stay with a friend. which, again, gives us more time to actually feel the situation she’s in. but also works so well because he phrases it as an option for her. he says he’s worried she won’t be comfortable stuffed into a small house with a ton of people so she might be happier staying elsewhere for a while. and then tohru, OF COURSE, takes that consideration and goes to live in a tent. the transition (which is different between the two) to tohru cleaning up a storm at her job was also a moment of genuine, sweet comedy.

-yuki talking to tohru on the way home is kind of interesting, since the two adaptations treat it in kind of opposite ways? in the 2001 anime there’s that ~mysterious~ music while he tells her random zodiac facts and then silent tension (which I actually quite like) when he gives her that enigmatic “it’s not that i don’t like all cats” look. in the new one it’s a more normal conversation? like they’re just chatting. and then it turns when she realizes there’s something more to it and the music got pretty intense and there’s A Moment. i think it’s less outright sinister in the new one. seriously, i’m waiting for 2001 yuki to start monologuing about his master plan to take over the earth any time.

-shigure laughing at tohru’s tent is straight up funnier in the new one. the timing is better. also his continued laughter and yuki’s little “oh you’re done now?” was really well handled. that joke falls flat in the old version.

-and i don’t know how they do it because, again, these episodes have the same runtime and cover the same material, but this whole scene definitely feels like it takes it’s more time in the new anime. it’s not overstaying it’s welcome or anything. it’s punchy and funny and i loved seeing the characters play off each other. but even shigure opening the door to reveal the gross kitchen is given more of a beat to it, so you have a second to laugh. and him hearing the dog howling isn’t the most awkward thing you’ve seen anymore.

-since we’ve had more time to understand tohru’s situation and even her mom (kyoko is finally allowed to be herself and not Cliche Dead Mom!) through flashbacks in the new anime, tohru clawing at the dirt to get the picture of her mom is actually pretty heart-wrenching. you get it more. everything she has in the world is in that tent and she doesn’t have anything but pictures to remember her mom by. this is what i’m so excited about in the new anime. if you give more time to build motivations and drama, because you understand that’s important to storytelling, then the emotional parts will hit that much harder

-tohru telling shigure about the day her mom died! I've always loved this scene, because it's one of the few times Tohru actually opens up to someone (who's not Kyo :P)about feeling crappy. amazing what a fever can do. these two scenes are so interesting, because they're actually really similar. we get the exact same info, and some of the shots of tohru lying on the futon are basically identical. but once again, the 2001 anime does a lot more telling us what happened. some shots are obvious budget-saving measures, like an extended shot of the paper wall/door with tree shadows waving. (what room are they supposed to be in?? for some reason, I always thought that was the kitchen) (actually the reason was all the rats are behind that door) (you KNOW there are rats in that kitchen) the 2019 anime, on the other hand, goes back to those old reliable flashbacks. we get a repeated (and longer) shot of kyoko going out the door, and you realize as the scene goes on and tohru explains she didn't even wake up to see her leave that morning, that it's an imagined scene or a memory of another day. which is... oof. make me feel all those feelings, please. we also get more actual kyoko dialogue, which is always a good thing.

-I also love yuki showing up after she's fallen asleep, having overheard anything, and saying he could've left the sohma compound to live in a tent. uh, I mean, I love it in the manga and the new anime. I won't put this on the original production staff and more on the original English dub, but oh boy is yuki kind of petulant and whiny in that scene. he sounds very petty and jealous and I don't like it. he's definitely envious of her to a degree (and beating up on himself), but he's also pretty in awe I think. ANYWAY I felt the new dub fixed this, so I wasn't like, what's your problem, dude?

-yuki and the rats is still weird lol (honestly being able to "communicate" with their animal is dropped so damn fast in the manga. I only like it for the payoff of the birds running away from kureno.)

-actually, one of the only things I prefer in the 2001 anime is tohru waking up to her mom's photo right next to the futon. I love the idea of yuki setting it up there real quietly while she sleeps, knowing it's the thing she was most worried about. so cute! but one point for the new dub: i'm assuming tohru says "oka-san" when she wakes up. since it's three syllables and zoomed in on her mouth they've changed(?) it to "I miss you" in English and just stab me right through the heart why don't you!!

-it seems like everyone's saying this, but that staircase scene! it's not even really a scene. but I love it! a cramped little switchback-y staircase. this show is making me feel like i'm IN shigure's house. it's also shot cool, and the reveal of kyo in the tree is great. I love that it's not pointed out so obviously, and he's just there. (it'd be hard to miss him though)

-then of course we end on kyo jumping through the whole damn roof (he really blasts through it in 2019 haha) and everyone turning into animals. no huge differences, but I want to fast forward a little to talk about kyo. jerry jewell may be the member of the returning cast who sounds the most "similar" to his old rendition of the character, HOWEVER. there's a huge change in acting and vocal direction. it might seem like a small change, but it's not! it's really big! in the 2001 anime he jumps through that roof and says a punny line (it would take kyo 6 months to come up with that lbr) and rah-rah rages through the next few episodes when he's not acting sheepish. now he sounds much less like he's just angry and more like he BLURTS things. a thought comes into his head and BLURT it's out of his mouth. because of the increased range in emotional expression on all their faces, we can see that he seriously feels guilty and conflicted about being mean to tohru. like there is some depth there to be mined. it's so much more obvious that the people around him can easily push him to the point of blowing up, and that he doesn't feel in control of himself. I give major props to the animation team, the anime director, and the dub director (I would trust Caitlin Glass with my actual life at this point) for pulling this off. because it seems subtle! but it really is a big difference!

I used to be a pretty staunch believer that we DID NOT need another anime adaptation of fruits basket. I know a lot of people wanted it, but I really never did. I love the manga so much, and think it's masterfully done. after the original anime, I didn't want more of it. mostly, because I didn't trust anyone to do it right. a lot of the changes made by the original anime may seem "small" to many people, but what makes furuba so great to me IS all those tiny nuances. change a tiny detail, and you may have changed the whole feel of a scene or an important interaction. the manga is pretty quiet, for most of it's run. little moments build up to create a big, beautiful tapestry. so I was happy reading my manga over again and not worrying about anyone else ever touching it to bring it to moving color.

so i'd say I was likely to be a harsh judge. and I was really, REALLY impressed with what they accomplished. i'm sure there'll be some decision I disagree with later. they'll cut some scene I love or i'll disagree with the emphasis on something somewhere. but they've really built up a lot of goodwill with me. I LOVED watching these characters on screen and seeing them interact. seeing them all eat around the table together felt like coming home. like settling down for another furuba reread.

and it's all the stuff above that made me feel that way. seemingly little tiny details and differences. again, we're talking about the exact same story! it's told with almost the same lines and the same characters and many of the same jokes. but it really felt different, because of small changes. and a much better understanding of what furuba is.

#fruits basket #furuba #fruits basket spoilers #furuba spoilers #text #a mountain of text i can't be stopped

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rinusagitora · 4 years

Text

The love, lead, and the undead.

Fandom: Monster Prom

Characters: Damien LaVey, Brian Yu, Zoe, Vera Oberlin, Amira RashidLiam de Lioncourt, Stan LaVey, Dahlia Aquino, Vicky Schmidt, OC: Jamison, OC: Berenice

Pairings: Brian/Damien/Vicky, Oz/Zoe, Amira/Vera

Words: 2.4k

Summary: Canon divergent. Chapter 7/?. WARNINGS— funerals; It is the day of Vicky’s funeral.

A/N: Sorry this took so long. I caught a whopper of a stomach bug and then I had to work over the holiday. I will be on hiatus until the 16th or 17th of December to work on a couple of holiday projects.

Stan guided Brian and Damien into the overworld. Brian drove them to the mortuary and none of them so much as uttered a word. Damien was preoccupied with what Brian told him before they left: by the conversation between Lucien and Mugandr, about Vicky’s soul. She had done more than enough to warrant damnation.

Damien had met Mugandr before. He was quite a terrible creature. Although seeming loyal to them, it was fearsome to know Mugandr was able to single-handedly create the carnage Damien only enviously dreamt of.

More importantly, Damien was preoccupied with why his parents chose to keep something so… important a secret. It had to be a lie or a dream, but why would Brian have lied? And he was wide awake, it couldn’t have been a dream! The more Damien contemplated it, he became increasingly horrified. He didn’t want to believe it. He didn’t want Vicky, sweet Vicky,

He should have checked the big book before they left. He wanted to see Vicky’s fate for himself.

They parked behind the mortuary. Inside, they were met by a creature with a bulbous jaw and cloudy, albeit kind eyes. “Your Majesty, Prince Damien, Mister Yu, welcome. My name is Jamison. I’m the director here.”

“Jamison, it’s a pleasure finally meeting you. Lucien has told me so many things about you.”

“Your Majesty, your husband saved me and my family many years ago, long before you left your family. I owe him my life. Preparing your daughter-in-law’s funeral is the very least I can do for your family.”

“We’re not… we’re not married,” Damien remarked.

“I trust these are your sons,” Jamison said. He took Brian’s and Damien’s hands into his own. “Mister Yu, Prince Damien, I’m so sorry for your loss. She was a loving woman. I saw it in her eyes. I see it in your eyes. Wherever she is, I hope she finds peace. I hope you find peace as well, dear boys.”

Damien smiled joylessly. Jamison must have been an empath. “Thank you.” He hadn’t the energy to bully the creature.

“The body is prepared. We have taken her into the viewing room if you like to visit her,” Jamison said. He led them into the viewing room. After rows of pews like a chapel, there was Vicky’s grey casket. Even from the other side of the room, he saw strands of Vicky’s hair from the top of the casket. Damien’s knees locked up.

Brian took a step forward and stopped when he realized Damien couldn’t move. “Please,” Brian whispered, “I need you.”

Damien reluctantly nodded. He followed Brian to the casket where Vicky was laid in a nest of her beautiful hair and a satin dress. It wasn’t the same, though. Her eyes were sunken. Her lips were pale.

Brian kissed her forehead. He stroked her hand with his thumb.

“Damien, Brian,” Stan said, “do you have anything to say to Vicky?”

He wanted to shake his father. He wanted to scream at Stan until he was told the truth about Vicky. Instead, he only shook his head.

They sat. He couldn’t bear to look at her casket any longer. As Damien stared at his shoes, people trickled inside, and his father thanked them for their kind words Damien was deafened to. He didn’t want kind words. He wanted their situation to make sense. He wanted Vicky back. He wanted to hope that his fathers hadn’t hidden Vicky’s fate from him.

Liam sat behind Damien and clasped his shoulder. “You look like you spent the last couple of nights sleeping on stone.”

“I’m tired,” Damien replied quietly. “I haven’t had a good night’s sleep since she was killed.”

“I’m still processing all this myself. But Vicky loved us. She loved you guys.”

The constant reminder made Damien ache as if he failed Vicky. As if he should have shoved her out of the way. As if he could have talked her out of robbing a lab.

“Is Vera coming?”

“Yes. She’s coming with Amira and Valerie. Blobert texted me earlier, he should be here soon.”

“What about Oz and Zoe?” Brian asked.

“I don’t know. I haven’t heard from either of them today.”

Oz and Zoe wouldn’t have bailed out on Vicky’s funeral. They wouldn’t have dropped off the planet, either, not when Brian, who was one of their best friends, just suffered such an enormous loss. The whole thing felt like a conspiracy. It only confirmed what Brian said. It gave Damien the chills. Why else would they, as well as his father Lucien, not be there?

Later, the Oberlin girls approached the body. Vera rarely faltered, but she faltered that moment, and Valerie had to take her to their seats. When Blobert came, he sobbed against Vicky’s shirt. Damien only felt hollow when he was hugged. Blobert felt cold like Vicky.

Jamison mounted the podium. “Good morning, loved ones of Missus Vicky.” They weren’t fucking married. It cut Damien to the bone. He loved her like they were husband and wife, yet they were so many only-s Damien hadn’t realized before then. They were only dating, only together for a week, only children. It cut Damien deeply enough he began to cry there. “I am gladdened to see so many of you partook in Vicky’s rich and wonderful life. I will waste no time giving the stage to Missus Vicky’s loved ones. After eulogies from His Majesty Stan LaVey, Vera Oberlin, and Liam de Lioncourt, we will continue into the parlor.”

Stan strode to the podium. "Hello, all. Thank you for coming."

"I didn't know Vicky for long, but what I did know was that she was incredibly loving and she spent every minute possible with the people she loved. My son Damien has regaled myself and my husband with many tales of his friendship with Vicky, and ever since he got together with her and Brian, he's been the happiest he's ever been."

“I will miss Vicky’s softness. My son told me how she enjoyed the rush of violence, but he told me about how much she cared for her friends. She stayed with him when he felt down, he forgave him for his wrongdoings. She stood up to terrible, bigoted people to defend her friends. Given the opportunity, I know she would have made a fantastic warrior and ally. I know she was for all her loved ones, and I know she will be forever missed.”

It was moving, and somehow, it felt like a lie too. Nonetheless, after Stan sat, Vera replaced him. Her cheeks were wet.

“I’m not one for speeches. I’ve spent two days since Vicky was pronounced dead to come up with something to no avail. But I have to do this because Vicky was like a sister to me. Neither of us had families. Her’s had their flaws, and until my father took me in, I didn’t have anyone. You scrounge for anything when there’s a hole like that. In a lot of ways, Vicky filled that hole with my sister and father.”

“Vicky became my best friend. She was fun. Unpredictable, passionate, it made for a lot of insane stories. We became close and then became business partners. Before I knew it, most of my world was the two of us. It was me, Papa, Valerie, and Vicky, all of us together.”

“I haven’t been able to stop crying since she died. I cried this morning, I cried all the way here. I can hardly keep it together now. I can’t help but feel like I didn’t tell her how much I loved her as much as I should have. What I would have done to keep her safe and happy. I’m sad without her, but I try to think about how I would want her to feel if I had died instead…. I’d want her to grieve in her way, with loved ones, and I’d want her to be happy.”

Vera escaped off the podium, tearful before she sat so hard the wooden bench groaned.

Damien felt kind of numb. After his father’s speech, everything seemed like a lie. Vera was Vicky’s best friend, but Damien still wanted to turn around and tear Vera’s head off so she wouldn’t act like she hadn’t treated Vicky like a tool.

Damien was a pretty terrible friend.

Liam had taken the stand. He said some things or another, and he played a video where Vicky was perched on top of a ramp wearing knee pads and a helmet, she howled as they rode down the curve, and then stood and played with her hair as the ocean lapped at her ankles and the sun tinted her cheeks.

Vicky fell on the ramp. The sun sank behind the ocean.

Vicky fell onto the sidewalk. Her casket sank below the earth. Damien wanted to sink with her.

---

Brian ached the entire procession. His eyes, his chest, his knees. Like he crawled mile after mile to weep before her casket. But nothing came from his body, no tears, no whimpers. He couldn't even bleed those days because his blood was a net of coagulation like mucus between his fingers.

But Damien howled like a hound with his head buried in Brian's shoulder. He clutched Brian's blazer so hard his knuckles were pink.

All Brian wanted was a drink. Something hot to scald his throat and deafen him to the ungodly creak of his bones and the drone of plangent eulogies.

When he looked over his shoulder (the way his neck creaked made him sick) he laid eyes on Zoe with a veil over her face by the door.

Brian's head spun. Where was Oz? Did she turn down Lucien's request for help? Was she there to mourn with the rest of them? He couldn't contain his racing mind. He slipped away and followed Zoe into the lobby.

Damien caught his hand. His cheeks were puffy from crying. "I can't do this without you," he croaked.

"I think Zoe has something to tell us," Brian said.

Damien was frozen for a moment before he quietly nodded. They followed Zoe into a family bathroom. Brian locked the door behind them and looked between Amira, Vera, and Zoe.

"Most of you should be able to guess why you're here," Zoe said. "Vicky is alive and we know where she is."

Damien's legs gave out and he sobbed on the floor. Even though Brian knew she was alive, to have heard it with confidence from someone else confounded Brian. He waded in suspense, horror, relief, yearning. It ripped through him and put his hair on end.

"How the hell is she alive?" Vera quivered.

Amira interrupted, "More importantly, where is she? We need to get her back here!"

"It's not that simple," Zoe said. "Vicky is dead. She doesn't have a feasible body to return to, and that's just the beginning. The Aquino has her spirit."

Damien's fist crashed into the floor. It cracked the linoleum as he snarled. "They what?"

"Dahlia must've overheard about the lab robbery. So after Vicky killed someone, Dahlia leaked her identity and schedule so she could be taken out. The Aquino then took advantage of the situation and stole her soul to make her into a weapon against the LaVey. That's the gist of it, at least," Zoe explained.

"Okay, let's get her the fuck out before someone gets hurt!" Vera snapped. "Absolutely none of that matters. Vicky needs us now. We have to save her."

"It's not that simple," Damien grunted.

"Why's that?" Amira asked.

"Vicky isn't like Damien. She doesn't have a corporeal body. Without a body, she may not be able to leave Hell, and seeing as how her body is currently unsalvageable without a brain, I doubt that we can do anything."

Brian's knees couldn't take the weight of his heartache. He sunk to the floor. It was hopeless. Vicky was so close, and yet so far away.

"Take it," Vera said.

"Absolutely not," Zoe snapped.

"Shut up! I don't care what it takes. Take my soul, my life, my empire. I know you can help us. I know you can fix her body"

"Vera, what the hell are you doing? Do you understand what you're saying?" Amira gawked.

"Can it, Amira!" Vera screamed. "It's my fault Vicky died. I got greedy and careless. I'm going to be responsible for bringing her back now, too."

Brian watched with bated breath. He was a horrible friend to hope Zoe agreed. He needed Vicky there. He needed her back.

Zoe finally nodded. He sobbed with Damien, from grief and relief, and thanked them for their generosity.

---

Vicky fell

and fell

and fell.

She must have fallen for days. The winds were so strong she couldn’t even open her eyes. Breathless, yet unsuffocated, she tumbled, and tumbled, and tumbled into bottomless oblivion, until oblivion caught her in leathery arms.

Vicky peeled her eyes open. Blue, horned creatures looked upon her oddly. Like hyenas.

“Dahlia, Is she alive?”

“What?” Vicky croaked. Her throat was dry, it hurt to speak.

They applauded. It sounded like drums underwater.

“Where am I?” Vicky pleaded, only to be drowned out by the jubilee. She freed herself. When her foot hit the damp stone, it crackled with electricity. She covered her ears, she hobbled and wobbled, before she screamed, “where am I?”

From her elbow and eye, lightning arced into the ground and ceiling. She screamed with the thunder, with the hammering of her head.

“Where am I?” she howled. “Where am I?”

It stormed without rain or clouds. She was in so much pain, she was so confused. Why did they applaud? Who was she, even?

“Enough!”

Vicky was suffocated by a dense fog, petrified and bent in horror. A second later, she collapsed and gasped for air. She was surrounded again. She felt like an animal in a zoo, without compassion or privacy.

“Out, everyone needs to leave! Give the poor thing some space.”

Vicky gazed upon a glistening demon without eyes and spotted ears that dragged on the floor. She almost wanted to dive into their arms like a child hid under their mother’s skirt.

“Berenice, what are you doing?” the enormous woman demon said. “We need to take her to my dad.”

“Look at the poor thing, Dahlia! She’s so overwhelmed. Let’s get her somewhere she can calm down and reorient herself.” Berenice picked Vicky off the floor.

“We can’t! She can reorient after she meets with Dad.”

Vicky looked to Berenice with fear and longing. It seemed like Berenice was Vicky’s only ally amid the petting zoo she was a part of. But even Berenice was helpless against an army.

“I’ll be okay,” Vicky told Berenice. “It’s just a man I’m meeting, right?”

“It’s a king.”

Kings bled, Vicky told herself. Nonetheless, she was afraid.

#monster prom #brian/damien/vicky #oz/zoe #vicky schmidt #brian yu #damien lavey #zoe monster prom #vera oberlin #stan lavey #liam de lioncourt #dahlia aquino #oc: jamison #oc: berenice #amira rashid #amira/vera

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star-spangled-eyes · 5 years

Text

The Royal Romance Deleted Scenes, Alternate Endings & Additions...Book 1, Ch. 16

These “deleted scenes”, alternate endings and additions are from The Royal Romance – a story written and owned by Pixelberry Studios. All main story character names and fictional places are owned and created by Pixelberry Studios. Some content belongs to Pixelberry, whereas the rest is created and written by this author.

Master List of Chapters

Book/Chapter: The Royal Romance, Book 1: Chapter 16: The Beaumont Bash (Alternate Ending) “One Last Hurrah”

Content Type: Alternate Ending

Pairing: Drake Walker x MC (Bragnae Bennett -- *pronounced Brawn-yah)

A/N: I fell in love with this series immediately, and I always envisioned more depth and experiences with the characters to make it more realistic. I had a lot of fun writing these “moments” that we didn’t get to see in the books, especially when giving Drake and the MC a lot more time together to show just how much they care about each other. These are NOT the full chapters from the book itself, rather they add to or expand upon certain moments in the story. I do apologize that they are scattered across the series, but I am working to fill in the moments in each chapter. I hope you enjoy what I’ve decided to add to this already amazing series, and stay tuned for more posts!

***These chapters set the foundation for my fanfic series The Royal Couple.

Warnings for deleted scenes, alternate endings and additions: Adult content, suggestive and strong language, sex, violence

Warnings for this chapter: Adult content, strong language

Word Count for this chapter: 4747

Setting for this chapter: The beginning of this chapter has references from @burnsoslow‘s “Quiet Hour” of what happened between Drake and the MC after Truth or Dare was over. It is the day after the Beaumont Bash, and Bragnae and her crew are looking for something normal and fun to do before Prince Gabriel’s coronation in a week. Let the karaoke begin!

Permatags: @burnsoslow @cora-nova @dcbbw

Bragnae rolled over to hug her pillow feeling the sunlight hit her eyelids. She slowly opened her eyes to glance at the clock on the nightstand reading 11:42 a.m. She gasped as she sat up quickly in her bed.

“I… what? I must’ve slept in!”

Just then Bragnae felt a pounding in her head, which caused her to slowly sink back down onto the pillow clutching her forehead.

“Oof. Maybe I’ll just lay here for a second more.” Bragnae closed her eyes trying to will the throbbing away.

As she tried to relax, she let her mind wander to the crazy events that transpired last night that led her to her current position.

I can’t believe I ran around the ballroom in my underwear. All in the name of Truth or Dare…well, for him. God, I’ll do anything just to catch his attention. How embarrassing. But…he does seem to enjoy when I make an effort to embarrass myself for his benefit no matter how silly it is. And he did kiss me back last night. Oh, his lips…they’re so soft. I could kiss him all day.

Bragnae smiled to herself remembering his hands touching her for the briefest of moments last night after he walked her back to her room.

He said that it was ‘the most incredible kiss’ he’s ever had. Bragnae grinned peacefully to herself as images of Drake flashed across her mind. I can’t wait to see him again. I need to see him again.

Thoughts of Drake motivated Bragnae to get out of bed despite her now dull headache. She got herself dressed, and took a few minutes to complete her morning routine before heading downstairs. On her way down, she saw a few members of the house staff plus Bertrand and Maxwell cleaning up last night’s mess.

“Hey, why’d nobody come get me?” She asked.

“You earned a day to sleep in,” Bertrand replied as he bent down to pick up another shard of glass from a broken Champagne bottle.

Bragnae was taken aback by his comment. “I… did?”

“We also thought it’d be better if we minimized the destruction from last night before you woke up,” Maxwell added.

“I could have helped you guys… You know that right?”

“We don’t want you wasting your energy when we’re heading into one of the most important events of our lives…” Bertrand said, waving Bragnae off.

“The Coronation Ball is next, and after last night, all eyes are going to be on you!” Maxwell said proudly.

Bertrand continued, “So, get what you sleep you can. It’s not long before we depart for the palace.”

Bertrand walked away toting a full bag of trash in one hand as he instructed the staff on their next steps. Realizing just how soon the Coronation Ball was, Bragnae started to panic internally.

I knew this was coming, but I didn’t realize just how soon it was. I’m not ready for it. I need more time. I need to see Drake. But maybe also Gabriel? I just need to do something with them that’s normal for once. Like regular people. Maybe Maxwell would want to go, and Hana. But what could we do?

“Hey, Maxwell.”

“What’s up?” He asked as he continued to sweep.

“I was thinking we could all go out tonight to do something fun… you know, for old time’s sake before Gabriel’s Coronation? Before things get crazy for all of us. Not that last night wasn’t fun, but I was thinking about something more ordinary than, say, riding horses in the house and breaking open champagne bottles with swords.”

Maxwell abruptly stopped sweeping dropping his broom to the floor as he raced over to Bragnae who was still standing on the stairs.

“Bragnae, you’re a genius! I’ve been dying to check out this new place here in Ramsford. It’s a karaoke bar and dance club all in one! You know, I’m always ready for a party.”

“Do you think Gabriel, Drake and Hana would want to go?”

“Go where?” Hana asked, rubbing her eyes as she descended the stairs toward them.

“Morning Sleepyhead!” Maxwell practically screamed.

“I haven’t slept in like that in a very long time,” she said stifling a yawn.

“Maxwell and I were just discussing going out tonight to a karaoke and dance club. Do you want to go?” Bragnae asked.

Come on, Hana. Say ‘yes’.

“Sure! I’m well-rested, and I’d love to try karaoke! I’ve never done it before, but I’ve always wanted to.”

“Well, apparently this weekend is full of ‘firsts’ for you! Maxwell, where are the guys? We need to see if –”

Before Bragnae could finish her sentence, Maxwell was already speaking to Gabriel on the phone.

“… Yeah. So, do you want to go?… Of course, Bragnae’s going. It was basically her idea. Ask Drake if he’ll come too... Oh, come on! He has to sing! … Okay, fine. As long as he comes. Let’s all meet up here, and go together. Okay, see you then.”

“So, what’s the verdict?” Bragnae asked, trying to restrain her excitement.

“They’re in! It’s going to be one awesome night! Oh my God, what am I going to wear? What are you going to wear?” Maxwell asked. “Let’s go pick out our outfits, ladies!”

The three of them walked briskly to the boutique leaving Maxwell’s half swept mess on the floor behind them. The girls immediately walked over to the rack of dresses as Maxwell flipped through countless shirts occasionally tossing some to the floor with a look of disgust.

“So, what kind of look are we going for at a Karaoke Bar?” Hana asked, waiting to be inspired by the perfect dress.

“We definitely need something that will stand out. We’re going to be on stage singing in front of people, so we need an outfit that looks great against the lights that will be on us,” Bragnae said as she slid more hangers across the rack.

“Glitter and sequence, ladies. It’s all about the sparkle!” Maxwell called over his shoulder.

Hmmm… what am I going to wear? I want something with color. I wonder which one Drake would like. Should I ask Maxwell what his favorite color is? No. That’s too obvious. I’m sure he’ll like whatever I pick out.

“I’ve got it!” Hana exclaimed, holding up a hot pink dress with rhinestones delicately placed in a starburst pattern. It had spaghetti straps and the front was cut low… lower than Bragnae thought Hana would choose to wear.

“That’s perfect, Hana! Go try it on!” Maxwell suggested.

Damn it. What am I going to wear?

“Hey, Princess-to-be. I think I found what you’re looking for,” Maxwell said, dangling a dress in front of him.

Bragnae turned around and her eyes grew wide. “Maxwell! That’s it! How do you always manage to find the perfect outfit for me?” She ran over to him grabbing the dress and headed for a changing room.

This is definitely going to turn some heads.

Bragnae took off her clothes and slipped on the dress Maxwell found. It had a plunging, cowl neckline held up by a halter strap, which allowed only a hint of her cleavage to show in the center of her chest. The back was completely open, and the rest of the dress hugged her curves nicely. Perhaps the best part that made this dress stand out was its green and blue gradient sequin design. She watched the dress change colors against the light as she rotated her body back and forth in the mirror.

“I want to see too, Bragnae!” Maxwell cried.

“Yes! Come see mine as well!” Hana added.

Bragnae stepped out of the changing room strutting like she was on a runway in Paris.

“Woohoo! That’s what I’m talking about! Get it, girl!” Maxwell called out.

“Bragnae, that’s beautiful!”

“So is yours, Hana! We’re going to light this club on fire!” Bragnae said confidently.

Maxwell held a deep red button up shirt against himself. “This is what I’m wearing. Talk about fire. It’s going to be an inferno up in there! I may even keep the top few buttons undone.”

“Oooh, scandalous!” Hana said.

A few hours later, Bragnae and Hana were in Bragnae’s room getting ready for the night. Hana chose to straighten her hair completely for a more edgy look, whereas Bragnae added a soft curl to hers to provide more volume against her already form-fitted outfit. They began applying their make-up, already dressed.

“You want to be bold and dramatic, Hana. Don’t be afraid to go outside your comfort zone. Here. Add some wings to your eyes with the eyeliner like this.” Bragnae turned her attention away from the mirror, and faced Hana closing her eyelids to display her own design.

“That’s so pretty! I’ve never worn gray and black eye shadow before. My mother always told me to stay with neutral tones as to not offend the eye of a potential suitor. It’s not too much, is it?”

“That’s called the smoky look, and no, it’s not too much. It’s exactly what you need for a night out like this,” Bragnae reassured her.

The girls finished with their make-up, spritzed perfume on their bodies and slipped on their black high heels. With a final look in the mirror, they headed downstairs to meet the guys in the foyer. Bragnae couldn’t help but feel a twinge of nervousness like she was meeting Drake for a date. She hoped he liked how she looked, and couldn’t wait to see him. Maxwell, Gabriel and Drake were standing near the front door talking when the girls began their decent down the stairs.

Maxwell stood facing the stairs in his deep red shirt with his collar popped, and a few buttons undone at the top as promised, along with black slacks. Gabriel and Drake also wore button up shirts, but Drake had rolled his sleeves up to his elbows. Gabriel’s was a steel blue color, which complimented his eyes, and looked great with his hair. Drake’s was black, a color Bragnae had not often seen him in. He completed his look with a pair of dark jeans, which he wore very well. Drake stood with his back to the stairs, keeping his face out of Bragnae’s view much to her disappointment.

“Damn, ladies! Check you out!” Maxwell said, looking up at them.

Gabriel turned his head to the right, and Drake slowly turned around to face Hana and Bragnae.

“You ladies look beautiful tonight,” Gabriel marveled.

“They’re gorgeous!” Maxwell added.

“Oh, you guys! Stop it!” Hana playfully dismissed.

Drake stayed silent as he clenched his jaw and swallowed hard keeping his eyes on Bragnae. When her eyes met his, she felt a little weak in the knees, so she gripped the railing tighter as she continued to walk down the steps. Bragnae felt her heart flutter as her breathing increased slightly. She wanted nothing more than to run into his arms and kiss him for the rest of the night. Bragnae realized she had not looked away from Drake this whole time, so she decided to divert her attention to the others to avoid suspicion. She looked towards Gabriel who had a big smile on his face. He stepped forward to offer her a hand as she took her last step off the stairs.

“Thank you, Gabriel. You look nice.”

“Thank you, but nothing rivals the way you…and Hana look tonight,” he replied.

Bragnae turned to Drake and smiled. “Drake, I’ve never seen you in that shirt before. Is it new?”

“Nah. This is Maxwell’s. He made me wear it tonight,” he said, almost curtly. His eyes still focused on Bragnae and his body rigid.

“Well, it looks good on you.”

“Let’s go, guys!” Maxwell shouted as he threw the double doors open and walked out to the limo waiting outside.

“After you,” Drake offered.

What a polite and subtle way to check me out, Drake. Good one.

Knowing his eyes were most likely on her backside, Bragnae added an extra sexy strut to her step as she followed the others out the door. They piled into the limo and soon they arrived at the club.

“Alright, everyone. I called ahead, and got us the VIP table in the back. It includes drinks all night!” Maxwell stated.

The group sat down around the table as the waiter came over to collect their drink orders and place glittery plastic VIP bracelets around their wrists. Maxwell ran off almost immediately toward the stage and returned just as quickly with a large binder, a pen and a couple pieces of paper. Bragnae found herself seated in between Drake and Gabriel with Hana and Maxwell across from her. Maxwell flipped rigorously through the binder until he suddenly stopped and his eyes lit up.

“Oh! That’s the one!” He said as he lowered his head toward the table covering his paper with one hand writing his selection down secretly.

“What are you going to sing?” Hana asked him.

“You’ll just have to wait and see,” he replied turning his paper over on the table.

“Bragnae, do you know what you’d like to sing? I’m looking forward to hearing your beautiful voice again,” Gabriel said, smiling at her.

Drake looked over at her. “You sing, Bennett?”

“Yes, I do,” she replied proudly.

“Are you any good?” He asked.

“I guess you’ll have to be the judge of that,” she said with a wink. “I’m not sure what I want to sing yet. Maxwell, pass me the binder.”

Taking the massive binder from him, she began to flip through the seemingly endless pages. With some songs standing out, she still felt they weren’t quite right. Drake moved his leg slightly under the table brushing against hers, which made Bragnae lose all train of thought. The slightest touch from him wreaked havoc on her mind and body. She stared at the binder trying hard to steal a peripheral glance at Drake without making it obvious.

“You could sing Empire State by Alicia Keys. And ooh! I can rap Jay-Z’s part!” Maxwell offered with enthusiasm.

She smiled at him and resumed her search through the binder before seeing it. This was it. The song she would sing. It was perfect. Bragnae quickly closed the binder, and grabbed a piece of paper writing her name, song title and the artist on it.

“Do we get to know what you chose?” Hana asked.

“Like Maxwell, I too shall keep it a surprise,” she said pressing the paper to her chest.

While Maxwell and Gabriel helped Hana pick out a song to sing, the waiter dropped off their first round of drinks.

“A martini, huh Bennett?” Drake inquired.

“A dirty martini. I love them. Plus, I think I’m going to need the vodka to calm my nerves. Stage-fright sucks. I see you’re staying well within your whiskey comfort zone.”

“Why mess with a good thing, Bennett?” Drake smirked as he took a drink.

With their selections given to the DJ, the group passed the time talking about the past week’s events until the lights in the club dimmed, and the DJ began speaking.

“Good evening ladies and gentleman! Who’s ready to get this party started? Our first guest who will be singing tonight is Maxwell, A.K.A ‘M-Dizzle’ delighting us with Gansta’s Paradise by Coolio. M-Dizzle, come on up!”

Maxwell hurried up to the stage transforming his face to a hard, determined look. The signature 90’s beat Bragnae knew all too well hit the sound system as the crowd cheered.

“Wooooo! Maxwell!!!!” Hana yelled.

Maxwell rolled right into the song impressively rapping every verse, and loving every minute of it. When the chorus hit, Maxwell threw his arm in the air waving it back and forth to the beat causing the audience to do the same. His presence was commanding, and he shined on stage. He was truly in his element.

♪ Fool, death ain't nothin' but a heartbeat away – I'm livin' life do or die, what can I say? – I'm 23 now but will I live to see 24? – The way things is going I don't know ♪

“That’s for sure,” Drake said chuckling.

Bragnae moved slowly to the beat in her seat mouthing every word along with Maxwell.

♪ We keep spending most our lives – Livin' in a gangsta's paradise – Tell me why are we so blind to see – That the ones we hurt are you and me? ♪

As the song came to a close, the crowd cheered even more chanting his name. He dropped the microphone and ran into the audience high-fiving and fist bumping anyone in his path before returning to the table breathless.

“Maxwell! That was amazing!” Hana screamed.

“I loved that song so much growing up, and now I love it even more! You nailed it!” Bragnae said offering him a high-five.

“Thanks guys. That’s felt incredible! I need a drink!”

Drake shook his head while smiling at Maxwell as Gabriel patted him on the back. A few other patrons got up on stage as the group continued talking, laughing and having a good time.

“Hana, you’ll be fine. Just go up there with confidence, and you’ll kill it!” Maxwell encouraged.

Drake excused himself from the table as Bragnae turned towards Gabriel.

“So, Your Highness, will you be gracing us with your singing talent tonight?” She asked.

Gabriel chuckled. “No, I came for the entertainment. Truth be told, I’m really looking forward to your turn up there in the lights.” He smiled at her with a bit of heat in his eyes. “I have no doubts you’ll blow us all away.”

“You sure are putting me on a high pedestal. I hope I can meet your expectations.”

“As a woman of many talents, I think you deserve that high pedestal,” he said with a wink.

With the current singer stepping off the stage, the DJ spoke again. “And next, we’d like to welcome Bragnae to the stage who will be singing Christina Aguilera’s Bound to You.

Her friends cheered her on as she made her way to the stage feeling butterflies in her stomach with each step. She reached the stage and stepped up to the microphone, which she decided to keep on its stand throughout her performance. She adjusted its height, and braced herself. The music began and she took a deep breath…

Drake heard soft music starting to play as he returned to the table noticing Bragnae wasn’t in her seat.

“Where’s Bennett?” He asked the group.

Gabriel nodded his head in the direction of the stage as Drake heard an angelic voice come across the microphone.

♪ Sweet love, sweet love – Trapped in your love – I've opened up, unsure I can trust – My heart and I were buried in dust – Free me, free us ♪

Drake was instantly mesmerized by Bragnae’s voice as he stood there watching the most beautiful sound come out of the amazing woman he knew standing on stage. As she continued, he slowly sank into his seat listening to her as every word she sang felt like it touched his soul.

♪ You're all I need when I'm holding you tight – If you walk away I will suffer tonight ♪

♪ I found a man I can trust – And boy, I believe in us – I am terrified to love for the first time – Can't you see that I'm bound in chains? – I finally found my way – I am bound to you – I am bound to you ♪

Drake was frozen in place. As far as he was concerned, he was the only one in the audience, and she was singing just for him. That voice. It’s amazing. She’s amazing.

♪ So much, so young, I've faced on my own – Walls I built up became my home – I'm strong and I'm sure there's a fire in us – Sweet love, so pure ♪

♪ I catch my breath we're just one beating heart – And I brace myself, please don't tear this apart ♪

As Bragnae came to the chorus again, Drake couldn’t help but think this song was chosen on purpose. She sang it with such passion, and it felt like it was coming from her heart. Is she singing this for me? No. It can’t be. Maybe it’s for Gabriel. But the words. It makes sense for me and Bragnae.

♪ Suddenly the moment's here – I embrace my fears – All that I have been carrying all these years – Do I risk it all, come this far just to fall, fall? ♪

That last word led Bragnae to crescendo into a loud and powerful note sending a chill throughout Drake’s body. He watched in amazement as she closed her eyes singing the next verse with conviction.

♪ Oh, I can trust – And boy, I believe in us ♪

Shit. She’s looking right at me. Oh my god. She’s not looking away.

♪ I am terrified to love for the first time – Can't you see that I'm bound in chains – And finally found my way – I am bound to you ♪

As the intensity of the song grew, Drake stopped breathing watching her, listening. Breaking her gaze for just a moment to summon the final notes of the song, she looked at him once more.

♪ I am – Ooh, I am – I'm bound to you ♪

As Bragnae finished singing the last word of the song, the lights faded off her as the crowd erupted into a thunderous applause. Hana, Maxwell and Gabriel stood to give her a standing ovation, but Drake couldn’t move. He finally let out the breath he’d been holding as he watched her exit the stage. Realizing he was the only schmuck not clapping for her, he snapped out of his temporary paralysis, and stood to join the others clapping. Bragnae joined everyone at the table receiving a hug from Hana as Maxwell playfully bowed down in front of her reveling in her stellar performance. Gabriel pulled her into an embrace as Drake watched him whisper something into her ear. She pulled back and smiled at him.

What was that about? Stop. He’s probably just telling her how amazing she was. Because she was. But look at her smile at him. Maybe she was singing it for him. But those words…it made sense for me. Maybe I want it to make sense for me, and she’s just singing a damn song. Ugh, I don’t fucking know.

The crowd was still clapping and cheering for her. Bragnae made her way over to her seat and smiled at Drake as she sat down. He joined her as he trembled slightly trying to think of something to say.

Speak. Say something, you idiot. Anything. Tell her she killed it, tell her she’s amazing. SOMETHING.

“Wow, Bennett. Didn’t peg you as a Christina Aguilera fan.”

Okay, that was dumb. Say something better. Why can’t you say something nice to her? Fucking give her a compliment!

“Uh… I meant to say, that was, uh… pretty incredible.”

She smiled at him and touched his shoulder. “Thanks Drake.”

He melted at her touch as he watched her turn to the others and graciously accept their endless praise. Shortly after, she excused herself from the table and headed back toward the restrooms. Drake finished off his whiskey trying to shake himself loose of the trance he couldn’t get away from.

“She slayed up there! I’m still freaking out about it!” Maxwell went on. “Who knew our little Bragnae was a master vocalist? We should start a musical group. We could sing and dance, and go on tour!”

As the others went on about Maxwell’s day dream of starting a band, Drake felt himself watching the hallway that led to the restrooms waiting for her to return. He wanted to look at her and never stop. He wanted to hold her and gaze into her eyes and tell her how much that song meant to him. He wanted to kiss her. God, he wanted to kiss her. He was enraptured. He didn’t care if anyone saw him do it either. If that song was truly about him, for him, then he wanted to know for sure. Finally, Bragnae emerged from the hallway, but headed to the bar instead of returning to the table. Drake took this opportunity to join her.

“Time for another drink. Anybody want anything?” He asked the group, hoping they’d all say no, so he could get to the bar as quickly as possible.

“I’m good, thanks,” Hana replied.

“I’ll take another Manhattan, Drake,” Gabriel announced.

“Could you get me a large water with lots of ice?” Maxwell requested. What the fuck, Maxwell?

“Yeah… Be right back.” Drake spoke with little energy as his attention was still on Bragnae.

He made his way over to where Bragnae was standing. She was leaning into the bar with one foot balancing on the foot rail beneath it. He asked the bartender to fill his drink orders, and turned to Bragnae with a smile.

“You know, you really were incredible up there. I’ve never heard a more beautiful voice in my entire life.”

She smiled the biggest smile he’d ever seen on her. “Thanks Drake. That really means a lot. I’m glad you enjoyed it. Singing is one of my favorite things to do.”

“So, I was wondering… what made you pick that song out of all of them?”

Drake watched as Bragnae looked down at the bar pausing to come up with her response. “It’s one of my favorite songs to sing. I can really showcase my talent with that one.”

“Oh, well… you certainly did that. I think you blew the roof off this joint with everyone’s cheers.”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

Come on, Drake. Just ask her.

Drake mustered up all of his confidence. “You sang with a lot of passion behind your words. It seems as if you might have picked that song to relay a message to someone.” He looked her in the eyes so intensely that he saw her draw in a sharp breath before she spoke.

“Well, Drake… did you feel that it was a message to someone?” She spoke now playfully, but also with a hint of seriousness.

“Yeah, I did.”

“Then maybe you should trust your instinct.”

Damn, this woman is so elusive with her words sometimes. Just tell me it was about me, so I can pick you up and take you out of here.

Bragnae leaned in closer to him placing her hand on his arm. Their faces just inches apart. “I’m bound to you, Drake.”

Oh my God. It was about me. Holy shit.

“Bennett, I –” Drake began.

Just then the bartender placed the drinks they ordered in front of them breaking their attention on each other.

“Come on, let’s join the others,” Bragnae said, grabbing half the drinks as Drake took the others.

They returned to the table and distributed the drinks just as the DJ called Hana up to the stage.

Hana picked up the microphone and sang Dolly Parton’s Jolene as if she’d been singing country music her entire life. The group cheered her on as she finished strong, earning loud praise from the audience.

“Well, guys, I think it’s time we head back to the estate,” Gabriel suggested.

He’s always the party pooper. Can’t he just rebel and stay out late like any normal guy? He’s not normal, asshole. He’s the Prince. Give him a break. God, you’re such a dick.

As they made their way to the doors, Hana, Maxwell and Gabriel walked outside and got in the limo. Drake was about to walk through the door himself when he felt his arm getting tugged hard. Bragnae pulled him back inside and up against a wall near the entrance. It was dark and secluded in that space, and she had him pinned. Without speaking, Bragnae reached up and gave Drake a searing kiss grabbing his sides as he kissed her back. He held her face with both hands and deepened the kiss. All too soon, she pulled away from him slowly and breathless.

“Shall we go?” She asked looking up at him.

Drake nodded as she had removed all words from his body. He only wanted her and to keep doing that. Reluctantly, she walked out of the club as he followed her. They got in the limo and made their way back to the Beaumont Estate.

Drake savored the ride back stealing glances at Bragnae, as he knew his time with her as a single woman was coming to an end with Gabriel’s coronation happening next.

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