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the-anxious-youth · 7 months

Text

Bubbles II

Pairing: Buggy x gn!Reader

Summary: Now that Buggy has agreed to help you find Nami, the two of you get closer, and shenanigans ensue.

Warnings: none, general flirting but nothing too spicy, the reader is written as gender neutral but Buggy does call them pretty, some talks of insecurity but it's more comfort than hurt

Word Count: 4.7K

Author's Note: Here's the highly anticipated part two of my Buggy fic! He's quickly become one of my comfort characters so writing about him has been fun. Also, I made some major changes to the plot in regards to rescuing Nami because I felt I couldn't do it justice since I haven't seen episode 7 yet and didn't want to mess up such an emotional scene. Thank you for being so patient and I hope you enjoy! (Up next is a Shanks fic, so keep on the lookout for that) banners by cafekitsune

Part 1

Luffy’s eyes brightened when he saw you, a cheerful aura surrounding your captain. His smile triggers your own, and you walk up to him, holding Buggy in your hands. Luffy looks down at the clown’s head, and his smile grows even wider.

“Did you give him a makeover? It looks great, Y/N!” says the enthusiastic man, always in a good mood. You chuckle and nod in response, thanking him softly. Out of everyone in the crew, Luffy had always been the most supportive and you’re glad his reaction was the polar opposite of Zoro’s.

“Good news, I got him to tell me how to get to Arlong Park so we can rescue Nami!” Your tone is cheerful, and your Captain’s face reflects how you feel.

“Really? That’s awesome! How’d you do it?” Luffy leans against the side of the boat, visibly impressed by the way you’d been able to tame the beast, considering that a few hours ago, they all thought they’d have to torture it out of him. Looking down at Buggy, you smile softly, debating on whether or not you should tell the whole story. Before you can answer, Buggy lets out a laugh and responds for you.

“Guess I just have a soft spot for them,” he says, sending a wink in your direction. By now his flirtatious confidence is fully restored. Luffy watches the two of you making eyes at each other for a few seconds, before breaking the silence.

“Well, I’m glad you worked it out.” Luffy notices how your eyes sparkle when looking at Buggy, but he decides not to comment on it, instead moving to pull out a map. Spreading it across a table, he gestures for you to come closer.

“So this is where we are right now, approximately.” Your captain points to a spot on the map, and you recognize it as part of the East Blue. You gently place the clown’s head on the table, allowing him to look at the map. “And this is where we think Nami is,” utters Luffy, pointing his finger to an area adjacent to where he said you all are.

“You’re heading in the wrong direction, pal.” Buggy chuckles as he says this, not surprised that your crew wasn’t good with directions. After all, Nami was the navigator, the impact of her absence being very visible. Not waiting to hear what Luffy has to say, the clown continues.

“Arlong Park is on the other side of the East Blue, next to Cocoyasi Village, which is along the coastline.” Since he doesn’t have hands, he tilts his head to gesture towards the location of your desired destination. Your captain nods with a smile.

“I think I know where that is. See, was that so hard?” Luffy says teasingly, looking down at Buggy with a cheeky smile. The clown just glares in return, his smile not reappearing until you gently pick him up in your hands.

“Need me to go tell the others or do you want to do it?” You ask softly. Luffy smiles at you before responding.

“I’ve got it. I am the Captain after all.” He says cockily, though you know he means no harm. You chuckle and nod, finding his happy mood contagious.

“Yes, you are.” He pats you on the shoulder before heading off to inform the rest of the crew of the new developments. You look down at Buggy, his amorous grin causing the heat to rise to your face.

“Now what, sweetness?” He says, his tone smooth. Cocking your head at him, you hum while thinking.

“How about some food? I’m getting pretty hungry and I bet you are too.” You smile at him softly, to which he admires your face.

“You have no idea,” the clown mutters, excited at the prospect of food. Carrying him in your arms, you head to the kitchen, which incidentally is where the rest of the crew seems to be chatting.

As you walk into the room, everyone turns to look at you. Luffy smiles at you gently, Zoro’s face is humorless, and it seems like he’s still irritated about earlier, Sanji’s eyebrows furrow, confused to see you so happy with the clown, and Usopp wears a look of amusement as if he’s just along for the ride. For a moment, everything is quiet, before you decide to walk over to the pantry to find something to eat. Snapping out of his daze, Sanji walks over to you, the others resuming their discussion.

“What can I get for you, dear?” says the cook, gazing at you with a suave smile.

“Just a snack please, enough for two.” Your tone is soft, and you don't miss the look of surprise on Sanji’s face when he understands what you are referring to. You don’t notice it, but Buggy’s face is smug, enjoying watching the other man squirm. Sanji is silent for a moment, his face turning concerned.

“You do know he’s a bad guy, right? Remember what he did to that town?” asks the chef, leaning closer to you, to which Buggy scoffs.

“Lighten up, blondie, you weren’t even there.” Spits out the clown. His tone reads annoyance, not wanting the chef to impact your view of him. Sanji glares down at the head, crossing his arms.

“Yes, I remember. I just figure you get further with people using kindness.” Sanji’s eyes soften at your words, internally reminding himself that this is just who you are. He sighs, before meeting your gaze.

“Just be careful, okay? I don’t want you getting taken advantage of,” he says softly, and you smile at his words in an attempt to comfort him.

“I’ll be fine, I promise.” Chuckling softly at the blonde man’s concern, he nods his head, doing his best to smile back at you. He opens one of the cupboards and pulls out some snacks, handing them to you carefully.

“Let me know if you need help, alright?” Sanji’s eyes still hold some worry, but his easy-going smile is back on his face. You nod in response, thanking him for the food before heading to the top deck, wanting to get some fresh air.

Unbeknownst to you, the rest of the crew watched your interaction with Sanji, teasing him as soon as you were out of earshot.

“Is someone a little jealous?” teases Usopp, to which Sanji shakes his head, brushing him off.

Back on the deck, you take a seat on a blanket, putting Buggy’s head down next to you. He looks up at you with a sense of wonder, admiring your features.

“So what sounds good, apples? Crackers?” You gesture to the pile of snacks in front of you, a soft smile on your face.

“Just give me whatever you don’t want,” says the clown, his smile widening at the surprised look on your face.

“I thought you were this tough guy who only cares about himself?” Your voice is gentle, with a hint of curiosity. He chuckles at your words, shaking his head softly.

“Don’t believe everything you hear, doll.” His eyes twinkle as he speaks. “Who knows, maybe I just like you.” Feeling the heat rise to your face, you look down bashfully, not sure how to respond.

“Apples it is then.” Reaching over to grab one of the apples, you pull out the knife Sanji gave you and start cutting it into smaller pieces, slipping one into your mouth every so often. The clown just watches you, taking the opportunity to admire you while he can. Secretly, he plans to charm you so that you’ll leave with him once this is all over.

After cutting the apple into enough pieces, you move to give one to Buggy, when an idea comes into your mind.

“Here comes the choo choo train!” You say teasingly, waving the apple slice around like you would for a toddler. His eyes narrow at you, and you can tell he’d be crossing his arms if they were with him.

“Very funny,” he says unamusedly, though there is still a hint of a smile on his face. Chuckling at his response, you finally give him the apple slice, and he watches you while he chews.

“I didn’t pick these apples out so if they’re bad it’s not my fault.” You smirk at him cheekily, and he just shakes his head before swallowing.

“It’s fine,” he says, still smiling at you. “Trust me, I’ve eaten much worse.” Taking an apple slice for yourself, you pop it into your mouth, taking a look at the view around you.

“The sea sure is pretty,” you comment, admiring the fluffy clouds above you.

“Not as pretty as you.” Buggy’s statement makes you turn your head toward him. Searching his eyes for insincerity, your eyebrows furrow as you find none. By now you’re sure you’re blushing, and you look down at the apple to hide the apparent flush on your face.

“You’re quite the flirt, aren’t you?” Anxiety fills your chest, wondering whether his words were truthful or just a way to lower your guard. You fiddle with your fingers, sparing glances in his direction. Almost as if he can hear your thoughts, the clown speaks up, his tone softer than before.

“I’m being serious, you’re gorgeous, babe.” His eyes scan your face, hoping you’ll believe him, the corner of his mouth upturned into a soft smile. You just shake your head softly, his cheeky smile prompting your own. Gaining some confidence, you respond in a pert tone.

“Yeah, well you’re quite the looker yourself. I bet the girls go crazy for you.” Buggy’s cocky demeanor falters for a second, used to giving compliments rather than receiving them. He laughs nervously, thankful for the makeup on his face for hiding the blush on his cheeks.

“Depends on how you define crazy,” he says, tilting his head slightly. Even though you can’t visibly see the flush on his cheeks, his demeanor tells you enough. Chuckling to yourself, you reach for an apple slice, observing the clown as you chew.

“I guess we’re both not used to compliments.” Timbre hushed, you watch as he nods, silently agreeing with your statement. The two of you exchange friendly conversation, slowly opening up to one another. Before you know it, the sun is setting on the horizon as the day comes to a close, and all the snacks you got from Sanji are gone.

“If your captain correctly follows my directions, we should arrive at Arlong Park within a day.” Buggy’s tone is kind, something unusual for him, though there’s still a hint of playfulness. Nodding in response, you move to pick him up, being careful as always. He always gets a weird look on his face when you treat him with such fragility, and you assume it’s because being treated in such a way is unfamiliar territory for him.

Walking down the stairs, you head towards your room, smiling at your crew members as you pass them. Stopping by the kitchen to get some fresh water, you run into Sanji, who seems to be writing something down in a notebook. Probably his meal plan for tomorrow, you think to yourself. The chef turns to you as you enter, surprised to see you still with the clown.

“Aren’t you getting sick of watching him? Why don’t you let one of us take a turn, you’ve been on clown watch all day.” He says with a concerned smile.

“That’s okay, I don’t mind.” Sanji looks at you as you speak, his eyes scanning over your face as if it were a puzzle to be deciphered. His eyebrows furrow, revealing his confusion. To him, watching a pretty person choose to hang out with a homicidal maniac was like watching a scientist write poetry, it made absolutely no sense. He narrows his eyes for a moment, debating on what to say.

“Well, if you’re happy I guess.” His tone indicates that he wants to say more, but is restraining so as to not upset you.

“I’ll just get some water and I’ll be out of your way,” you say mellowly, the awkward tension becoming uncomfortable. At your comment, Sanji sends a flirty smirk in your direction.

“You’re never in my way, darling.” Feeling the blush rise to your cheeks, you nod quickly and head to grab the water. You couldn’t see it, but if looks could kill, the glare Buggy was giving the chef would have knocked him dead. After finding the water, you make a beeline for your room, not wanting to deal with more problematic interactions. As Sanji watches you leave, he wonders to himself how the clown has caught your interest, clearly not understanding the appeal.

Shutting the door to your cabin, you let out a sigh, gingerly placing Buggy on your bed, and moving to sit next to him. He notices the change in your mood, already missing the smile on your face.

“Everything okay, dollface?” His tone is the gentlest it’s been in years. The last time he could recall speaking in such a manner was with Shanks, and that was quite a long time ago. Nodding slowly, you start to fidget with your fingers, signaling your uneasiness.

“There’s just something about the way he looked at me like I was doing something wrong. It just reminds me how I don’t fit in with the rest of the crew.” You bring your hand up to start picking at your lips, the anxiety in your gut triggering the habit that appears whenever you get nervous. The action does not go unnoticed by the clown, and he tries to think of a way to calm you down.

“Hey, don’t do that. You’ll get scars,” Buggy says gently, wishing he had his body with him so he could grab your hand and pull it away from your face. Pausing your movements to look at him, you notice how concerned he seems, which ignites a strange feeling in your chest, comfort perhaps. You chuckle softly before replying, watching how his eyes never leave your face.

“It’s a little too late for that, I’m afraid.” He doesn’t match your laughter, aware of your attempt at deflection. A deep pit of sorrow seeps its way through his chest, which feels strange considering it’s not currently attached to him. It’s at this moment when he realizes how much he cares for you and decides that when you find Nami and the rest of his body, you’re coming with him. He’d be damned if he let anyone make you feel anything other than happiness. For a few minutes, you just watch each other, deciding what to say. In the end, Buggy is the one to break the silence.

“I know what it’s like to not fit in, but trust me when I say you’re a treasure, and anyone who doesn’t see that is an idiot. This crew is lucky to have you, they should be making you happy, not sad.” He smiles at you, his usual teasing nature completely gone in exchange for raw sincerity.

“Look, I know we haven’t known each other long, but I meant it when I said I had a spot for you on my crew. You’d be treated like royalty, which is exactly what you deserve.” Unlike the first time he said it, you actually consider what it would be like to join him, the thought bringing a small smile to your face.

“There’s that gorgeous smile. You’re too pretty to be sad, angel.” His words may be flirty, but he means each of them wholeheartedly. You chuckle and blush breaking into a full smile.

“How are you so sure your crew will like me?” You ask softly, tilting your head at him.

“They’d be stupid not to like you. And even if they don’t, their Captain does which means they don’t really have much of a choice.” He smirks up at you, enjoying the little giggle you let out. “At the end of the day, they’re below me and you’d be beside me, so at the very least they’d respect you. Knowing my crew though, I can pretty much guarantee they’ll like you.”

You listen to him speak with a smile, and for the first time in a long time, you feel like someone actually understands you, even if that someone is technically your crew’s rival. He grins as you nod, observing you with an almost wondrous look.

“We have to find Nami first though, okay?” You declare, pointing your finger at him playfully. Buggy laughs and nods, swearing that neither of you will leave before the redhead is found. A yawn slips out as you chuckle, the fatigue from the day reappearing like a weight on your shoulders.

“It’s late, we should get some sleep. Besides, tomorrow’s the day we rescue your friend and I’d rather you didn’t fall asleep on me.” He says with a smirk, and you nod, giggling softly to yourself. Pulling back the blanket, you move to lie down, placing Buggy’s head on its side on a pillow in front of you.

“Good night, Bugs.” The clown smiles at the nickname, gazing at you fondly as you snuggle up with the blanket.

“Good night, darling.” He says softly, watching you close your eyes. He takes the opportunity to study your features, afraid that if he looks away he’ll forget them. After a while he hears your breathing even out, signaling your unconscious state. Only then he closes his eyes, hoping to dream of you.

—---

The next morning goes by quickly, everyone preparing for the rescue they’re about to attempt. Buggy’s directions were correct, and Arlong Park was visible just on the horizon. The energy is full of excitement and anticipation, with everyone looking forward to seeing Nami again. Right now, you’re sitting on the deck surrounded by the rest of the crew as they discuss the game plan.

“You know the layout of Arlong Park, don’t you, clown?” Zoro’s tone is harsh, and Buggy has to physically resist rolling his eyes. He’s placed on your lap, something that keeps catching the eyes of Sanji, perhaps with a hint of jealousy. The only person who isn’t actively glaring daggers at him is Luffy, though that doesn’t say much considering the pirate is always happy.

“Yes, but I won’t be much help as a head, so we need to find my body first. Then we can go after your navigator.” If it wasn’t for your gentle touch on the sides of his neck, he would’ve gone off by now, annoyed at being treated like a prisoner.

“I can help with that,” you pipe up, and everyone nods in agreement. The group discusses some more, everyone being assigned various roles to assist in the operation going smoothly. After that, you all gear up, your goal being to reattach Buggy’s head to his body before you can help the others. Soon, the boat is docked a little away from your destination, not wanting to signal Arlong’s men of your arrival.

Trekking through the foliage, you finally make it to the gates and split into groups, deciding that it’ll be easier to cover more ground that way. Your group consists of yourself, Buggy, and Sanji, as the chef didn’t trust the clown being alone with you. The blue-haired pirate directs you towards a hidden entrance along the side of the park, one in which you hopefully wouldn’t be spotted. Following his directions, you come across a small clearing in the trees, Sanji following right behind you.

“Where do you think your body is being kept?” You ask quietly, hoping your voice doesn’t tell Arlong or his men of your locations.

“Probably somewhere amongst the carnival games. Since he’s taken it I’ve noticed they’ve been throwing something at it, probably darts based on the sensation. Arlong likes to mess with people anyway, so it would make sense.” Nodding, you head towards that area, allowing Buggy to tell you where to go since he’s the only one who’s been here before. Not long after, you stumble upon what you’re looking for, Buggy’s body pinned up against some balloons. Breaking out into a large smile, you look down at Buggy, and he grins back up at you.

“Wow, you were actually right,” Sanji comments, his words full of surprise and bitterness, his distaste for the clown painfully obvious.

“You say that like it’s a miracle.” The clown says in rebuttal, sharing the disdain for the chef. Suddenly, Buggy’s head flies out of your hands as the various parts of his body reattach themselves. Once he’s back to being a whole person, he hops down from the wall, running towards you with joy written on his face.

“It feels better than I even remembered!” Says the clown, running his hands up and down his arms. He turns to you with a grin.

“Now let’s go find your friend.” You nod at him, his happiness triggering your own.

While searching for Nami, you run into the rest of your crew, who seem to be in a bit of a hurry.

“What’s the matter? Did you find her? Is she okay?” Right as Usopp is about to answer, a familiar voice rings into the air.

“Miss me that much?” You turn your head in the direction of the sound, and a huge smile breaks out on your face as you see Nami running towards you. She smirks at your expression before continuing. “We need to get out of here before the rest of the Arlong pirates find us, we can catch up later.” You nod quickly, picking up your pace, and start running behind the others, Buggy at your side.

Once you all are far enough away from Arlong Park, the crew stops to properly greet Nami, yourself included. You can tell she’s not much of a hugger, so you make sure your embrace is short. As you all talk amongst yourselves, Buggy stands a few feet away, not wanting to interrupt the moment. After everyone had a chance to talk to the red-haired girl, she finally notices the clown standing awkwardly a few steps away and furrows her eyebrows in confusion.

“What the hell is he doing here?” She asks shortly, starting to walk in his direction. You quickly move to stand in front of her, preventing the two from fighting.

“It’s okay, he’s okay,” you say quickly, and are met with a confused look from the girl. “He actually helped us find you. I mean, we had no idea where we were going until he showed up, considering you are our navigator.” She scoffs at the idea of Buggy willingly helping someone who isn’t part of his crew.

“Oh yeah? How’d you get him to do that? Torture him or something?” Nami looks at Buggy suspiciously, not believing that he actually did something nice for once. You shake your head, chuckling nervously, not sure how to explain the whole ‘I gave him a bath and we kinda connected’ thing. Lucky for you, Buggy speaks up.

“Your crew member here is very convincing.” He takes a step forward, gesturing to you with a cheeky smile. She just watches the two of you for a moment, finally connecting the dots between Buggy’s friendly attitude and your flustered demeanor.

“Huh. Well, that’s something I didn’t expect to see today,” says the redhead, her timbre nonchalant.

“What didn’t you expect to see, Nami?” Sanji quickly asks. Now that she’s back, Sanji is taking every opportunity he can find to speak with Nami.

“Y/N hooking up with the clown. They didn’t seem like the type but I guess we all have secrets.” She looks at you with a smirk, a deep blush blossoming on your face. The rest of the crew looks surprised, especially Usopp, now that your little fancy has been blatantly stated.

“Wait, you have a thing for the clown captain? How am I only finding out about this now?” Usopp asks with a smile on his face.

“You really haven’t noticed? Even though I can’t possibly fathom why, they’ve been spending every second together the past few days. I mean, they’re always blushing around him, and that’s a sign of only one thing.” You’re surprised that Zoro seems so calm now, especially considering the way he reacted in the beginning. There’s no smile on his face, but he doesn’t appear to be upset. “You really need to be more observant of your surroundings, Usopp.” The swordsman shakes his head, baffled at his crew member’s ignorance.

It’s Sanji who turns to you next, a mix of emotions on his face. “So you two are really a thing?” he asks hesitantly, not sure if he really wants to hear the answer. By now you’re sure your face is deeply flushed, not used to being put in the spotlight.

“Let’s just say I’m pretty fond of your crew member,” Buggy looks at you cheekily, enjoying the blush on your visage. Sanji stays silent for a moment before nodding, leaning closer to say something to you.

“Just be careful, darling, okay?” His voice is gentle, and he backs away as soon as he sees the glare the clown is giving him. Suddenly Nami walks up to Buggy with a tough look on her face.

“If you hurt them, I’ll make sure you’re just a head, permanently.” He immediately puts his hands up in surrender, knowing that she fully means the threat.

“I wouldn’t dream of it, they’re too precious.” The look on the clown’s face shows his fear of her, a sight that almost makes Nami’s lip quirk.

“Good.” She turns back to you, the smile returning to her face.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I think I’ll actually miss you.” You knew this was the closest Nami got to being sappy, and you moved to give her one last hug.

“I’ll miss you too, Nami. Keep the boys in check for me, will you?” The navigator chuckles at your question, letting you go from the hug.

“Oh I will, you don’t need to worry about that.” Despite not knowing you for long, Nami secretly always liked you, finding you the most enjoyable to be around, unbeknownst to you.

Turning to the rest of your crew, you can tell they’ve already figured out your decision. You walk up to Luffy first, who’s beaming at you like a little boy.

“We’ll miss you too but I can tell this is what you want.” Your lips tug upwards at his statement, appreciating the way he values your wants and desires. “You know you’re always welcome on the straw hat crew, right?” His question makes you smile, and you nod in response. Stepping closer, you give him a tight hug which he happily reciprocates. ‘Always so touchy’ you think to yourself fondly. After pulling away, you say goodbye to the rest of the crew members, even getting a small “good luck kid” from Zoro.

“Until we meet again.” You say to all of them, nodding as a sign of respect. They wave at you as you walk away, following Buggy to go find his crew. As you’re walking, he stops abruptly and turns to you.

“Oh! I forgot something.” Raising your eyebrows, you start to open your mouth to ask him what he meant, when suddenly he carefully grabs the back of your neck, pulling your lips against his. Your eyes widen for a second out of surprise, but you quickly close them and kiss him back, moving your hand to his bicep. He grins at you after you pull away, taking pleasure in the shy look on your face.

“Cat got your tongue?” The blue-haired man says softly, referring to the conversation you had the day you first met. You giggle and shake your head, hiding your face in his chest. He laughs and wraps his arms around you.

“You’re too cute, you know that? Now come on, I’ve got some people to introduce you to.” You look up at him as you pull away, smiling as he grabs your hand to lead you to his crew.

©️the-anxious-youth, 2023

Please do not replicate/repost :)

#my writing #buggy #buggy fanfic #buggy fanfiction #buggy x reader #buggy the clown x reader #one piece x reader #one piece

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eleventhdoctorsangel · 8 months

Text

Never wanted you to hate me

I’ve spent most of my life with the pirate hunter known as Roronoa Zoro. I owe him with my life. He saved me. Ever since then I’ve been helping him. I often will get used as bait to help with the latest bounty Zoro is hunting. But never am I ever at risk of any harm. Zoro always makes sure of that. There been a few times where he actually came close to killing a few guys that he wasn’t hunting because they either touched me or hurt me.

Now we got roped into helping this kid who is very determined on becoming king of the pirates and finding the one piece. Both Zoro and I were trying to rest while Nami was still working on getting the safe open. Unlike Luffy we are giving her space and quiet to work. We have a bet going to see how long it is before she throws him overboard. Finally I heard the sound of it clicking open. I could hear Zoro getting up. “Let me know if there is anything interesting enough for me to get up will you please.” I said. “Or I can drag you.” Zoro said. “Yeah you and I both know that you won’t.” I said. “Whatever.” Zoro said as he squeezed my hips making me laugh a little. “Hate you.” I said. “No you don’t.” Zoro said. “The night is not over yet.” I said.

I could hear Nami let out a frustration sigh. What did Luffy do now. I sat up to the three of them walking in. “The seas are divided into four quadrants. East blue, North blue, West, South. This strip of land that circles the globe is called the red line and this band across is the grand line. A treacherous stretch of ocean with bigger islands, bigger cities, bigger pirates. Flush with riches and ripe for the picking.” Nami said. “And that’s where we’re going to find the one piece.” Luffy said. “I’ve taken out a lot of pirates looking for that thing. What is it? Like a big diamond or something?” Zoro said. “It’s Gold Roger’s treasure. He hid it somewhere in the grand line. All in one piece.” Luffy said. “If you believe the story. I could say the same thing without proof you’re just going off a story.” I said. “See she gets it. It’s a myth. The reason no one’s found it in 22 years is that it doesn’t exist.” Nami said. “Can’t wait to see the look on the two of yours faces when we find it.” Luffy said. “Alright if we find it I’ll eat your hat.” I said. The look on Luffy’s face was priceless. “Kidding. I know that hat means a lot to you.” I said as an explosion went off causing me to jump a little. “Is that the marines?” Zoro asked. “How did they find us?” Nami asked. We all walked out to see a red cloud above us. “This smoke smells weird.” Luffy said. As I started to breathe in the smoke I started to get lightheaded. I leaned against the side of the ship. I fell to my knees then it all went black.

No one’s POV

The smoke was clean as the pirate clown buggy and the crew of freaks climbed onto the small ship. Three of the four people were outside while the fourth was inside. Two males and two females. Buggy walked over to one of the girls. She was laying on her side some of her hair was covering her face. Buggy bent down and gently brushed the hair from her face. “You want us to put her with the others?” One of the crew members asked. “No I have a special role for her. No one is allowed to harm her if any of you so as much pluck a hair from her head even if it’s by accident you’re dead.” Buggy said as he picked up the girl from the ground and started to carry her off the ship. He carried her onto his ship taking her to his living quarters and gently laid her down on his bed.

Buggy went to grab a special outfit that he had been saving. He went to get a female crew member to get her changed. He could be a monster but he’s not that much of a monster. But he did stand outside of the room to make sure that none of the other male crew members tried to look. It was only a few minutes later that the female crew member left. He walked back into his room and over to the girl. “I have to admit that this outfit looks cuter on you than I thought it would have.” Buggy said tracing a hand down the side of her face.

End of No One’s POV

I could feel someone poking me. “Come on now wakey wakey.” The voice said. “Luffy stop poking me.” I said swatting the hand away. “Sorry but I’m not Luffy. Now come on and open your eyes I would like to see what color eyes you have.” The voice said. I groan as I moved my head away. “Come on now I don’t want to have to get mad but I will if you don’t open your eyes.” The voice said. I opened my eyes to see a clown holding me close to him I let out a gasp as I tried to get away but he held on to my upper arms in a very tight grip. “Now don’t you have some beautiful eyes.” He said grabbing me by the chin. I looked around for the others but I couldn’t see them. “Looking for your friends. Don’t worry you’re see them in a few minutes. I just decided that you should have a special role in todays show.” He said. “If you hurt me my friend will kill you.” I said. Which only made him laugh. “Kill me. Your friend can try but they will be the one who ends up dead.” He said. At the same time I started to hear circus music. “Come on now the fans await.” He said as he started to pull me with him.

That when I glanced down and saw that I wasn’t wearing my normal clothes but now a revealing circus outfit. With this guy and how handys he’s being if Zoro gets one look at him Zoro will kill this guy if they didn’t take Zoro swords from him. I could hear the crowd yelling but it sounded off. Like they were being forced to. “Great they messed this up again. I wanted you’re first introduction to go perfect.” He said. I just forced a smile as he pulled me along with him. “No. No, no, no, no. Stop clapping! No.” He said as we started to walk in the ring. I was focusing on trying not to trip with how much my legs were shaking. “It’s all wrong.” He said stepping in the ring using one arm to pick me up by the waist. I look around to see if I could see the others and thankfully I finally could. Just like I guessed I could see the rage in Zoros eyes. Both Nami and Luffy had to put their arms out to keep Zoro from storming over. I shook my head slightly at him to let him know that now wasn’t the best time to attack. “The spotlight was late. You completely missed our entrance.” He said as he motioned for the spotlight to be put on us. It was very quickly put on us. “And where oh where was the dancing lion?” He asked as we walked over to a guy in a lion costume. Which made the guy look away in fear. “Hey I know you. I saw your wanted poster in Shells Town. You’re the clown guy. Um uh binky right?” Luff said. “Buggy. Buggy the clown. Buggy the flashy fool. Buggy the genius jester.” Buggy said as pulled me along closer to the others. “Wow. You have a lot of names. I bet everyone in the east blue knows who you are.” Luffy said. I heard everyone gasp and the hold he had on me was let go. “What did you just say?” Buggy asked. “Just that everyone knows who you are.” Luffy said again.

Buggy rushed over to Luffy grabbing him by the face. “Nose! Are you making fun of my nose?” Buggy asked. “Well I wasn’t. But now that you mention it is that thing for real?” Luffy said as he raised a hand to touch Buggy’s nose. Which Buggy was quick to slap away. “What’s real is I’ve been scheming for months to steal that map from old axe hand moron.” Buggy said pushing Luffy away. He looked to Nami to see if she caught his joke. “Only to find out that I was upstaged by four little nobodies who stole it from right under my no. No! It’s in my head now.” Buggy said letting out a groan. I put my hand to my mouth trying not to laugh. “Hey! I’m not a nobody. I’m Monkey D Luffy. And I will be king of the pirates.” Luffy said. Which made Buggy start to laugh. “Oh! Now that’s funny.” Buggy said. Which made the crowd nervous laugh again but Buggy motioned them to stop. “My bounty poster graces the marquee of every marine outpost for miles. And my menagerie of outcasts and freaks is the most dreaded pirate crew the east blue has ever known.. Expect her. I hope you don’t mind if I take her off your hands because I would like to keep her. I am destined to find the one piece. And when I do. I will be king and she will be my queen.” Buggy said as he looked at me. I could feel the tears well up in my eyes as I looked over to the others. “No you wont cause I’m gonna find it first.” Luffy said. “You? Don’t make me laugh.” Buggy said. The crowd started to laugh. “I said don’t make me laugh!” Buggy said as he turned to look at them. “Alright listen up. I’m Roronoa Zoro. Drop your weapons now, give me the girl back and I may let you live.” Zoro said as he walked closer to Buggy. Which then made Buggy grab me pulling me into him laughing. “Ladies and gentlemen we have a celebrity in our midst. Too bad I hate sharing the spotlight.” Buggy said putting his chin on my shoulder. As again the spotlight was put back on the two of us. “Now maybe we should skip right to the finale.” Buggy said pulling out four knives holding them close to my face. I tried to get away but that only worsen his grip. “My freaks put quite a bit of rehearsal time into this little abduction. And if I can’t reward them with that map I supposed I’ll have to offer them a pound of flesh instead.” Buggy said. I started to think about what he just said. I knew that the pound of flesh wouldn’t come from me since he seems dead set on keeping me.

That’s when Nami stepped up. “Wait. Wait. What if I have something else to offer you? Something more valuable than the map? What if I give you a new freak for your crew? A rare talent. The most spectacular act in all the East Blue. Beside you of course.” Nami said. “Go on.” Buggy said. Nami quickly yanked off Luffy hat throwing high in the air. Which made Luffy stretch his arm to grab it. But as Buggy was distracted his grip on me was loosened. I took that as my chance to try to get away. I tried to run to Zoro but Buggy caught my wrist pulling me back to him. “Try that again sweetheart and I’m afraid I might have to hurt.” Buggy said. “You touch her and I will kill you where you stand.” Zoro said. Buggy looked at him and laughed as he dragged me away.

“Now if I let you go do you promise to behave.” Buggy said. “Yes I promise.” I said. “Good girl.” Buggy said pinching my cheek. Buggy pulled an orange from his pocket and started peeling it with one of the knives and started to eat it. Two members of his crew dragged Nami back as she tried to escape by revealing Luffy’s powers. “What did you do to their town? You destroyed everything!” Nami said. “Not everything. I let ‘em keep their hands.” Buggy said. As the crowd clapped. “Okay. Here end the theatrics. I know one of you three has my map and I’m gonna get it back. What was it you said rubber boy? That it was in a safe place? Don’t look so surprised. I’ve got eyes and ears everywhere. So please make our guest uncomfortable in the green room.” Buggy said. I watched as Zoro and Nami were dragged away but Luffy wasn’t. “I am gonna have a chat with my stretchy new pal.” Buggy said laughing. Luffy looked over to me. “Don’t look at her. She’s not part of your crew anymore now is she.” Buggy said. “I just want to know if she is okay.” Luffy said. “She’s fine aren’t you sweetheart.” Buggy said. “I want to hear it from her.” Luffy said. I was honestly scared to answer what if Buggy hurts me if I do. I looked over to Buggy who smiled. “Well aren’t you a good girl. Looking to you’re future king for approver to answer. Go ahead.” Buggy said. “I’m okay Luffy they or Buggy haven’t hurt me.” I said. “See I told you she was fine. Now where were we.” Buggy said.

I watched as they put Luffy on a rack and made a poor town person stretch Luffy out. The more Luffy was stretched out he began to scream laugh. I wonder how far he could actually stretch guess I might find out. “I want you to think of this like an artistic exercise because pain leads to art. And art reveals truth. But there’s only one truth I need from this exercise. Where is my map.” Buggy asked as he walked over to Luffy. “Truthfully? I’m.. I’m kind of hungry. Don’t circuses have cotton candy?” Luffy asked. I let out a sigh. Not the time Luffy. Buggy laughed then let out a groan. “What could you possibly need that map for anyways? You won’t last five minutes in the grand line.” Buggy said. “I already told you. I’m gonna be king of the pir.” Luffy said. “Boring! Let’s go another ten feet.” Buggy said. The town person did as he was told. “You can stretch me all you want. I can do this all day.” Luffy said. “I’m not asking the right questions. We need to go deeper get you out of your comfort zone. What makes a boy want to grow up to be King of the pirates? Who are you trying to impress? A lost love? An absent parent? Or was it someone that you worshiped? A false idol. That’s it.” Buggy said and yanked off Luffy hat. “Hey give me back my hat!” Luffy yelled. Buggy walked over and placed Luffy hat on my head. I could see Luffy relax a little since I was now wearing his hat. “I used to know a pirate that wore a hat just like this. Red haired Shanks.” Buggy said. “You knew Shank’s?” Luffy asked. “Ginger? Three scars left eye?” Buggy asked motioning to his left eye. So they both knew the same guy. “We served together on a pirate crew when we were about your age. For a time I even thought we were friends. Until he betrayed me. Just like all the others. He wanted to keep ME out of the spotlight! He wanted to keep my star from shining too brightly! Is that what he did to you rubber boy? Did shanks betray you too?” Buggy said. “Don’t talk about him that way.” Luffy said. “Ah. Now we are finally getting to the truth. Stretch him until he breaks.” Buggy said. “Please don’t make me do this.” The town person begged. “I invite you to take part in the splendor that is my show and this is how you repay me? With a no?” Buggy said. “You’ve destroyed our town. Made us your prisoners. Isn’t that enough?” The town person said. “Well maybe you’d prefer it If I threw one of your constituents on the rank instead.” Buggy said as he walked to the crowd. No no no. Quick think of something. “Wait!” I yelled. Which made Buggy stopped. “Yes.” Buggy said as he looked at me. “Pirates like to claim their treasure right?” I said. “Go on.” Buggy said putting a hand under his chin. “You said yourself that I belong to you now therefor I’m technically your treasure right. Don’t you have to claim me so no one else can take me away from you.” I said. “I like were this is going.” Buggy said. “Then do it right now. Carve your initial on me. If I don’t make a sound then you have to promise that you won’t have any of these towns people. But if I do.” I said but couldn’t finished the last sentence. Buggy seemed to think about it for a minute. “Alright fine I agree to your terms now come here.” Buggy said motioning for me to come to him. “Y/n don’t.” Luffy said. “Shut up!” Buggy said. “It’s okay Luffy.” I said as I walked over to Buggy.

When I got over to Buggy he pulled out a knife and started lightly tracing it around my body. “Where oh where should I leave my initial. Oh I know.” Buggy has he moved the knife to my upper right breast. But before he started he kiss me right there. “Now remember sweetheart not a sound because if you don’t someone is about to get tall fast.” Buggy said. “Just do it.” I said. As Buggy carved his initial on me I bit my lip to stop me from crying out in pain. If we get out of this Zoro will definitely make his death a slow and painful one. It only took a couple of minutes before Buggy was done. “Well well sweetheart you managed to do it. But how about next I claim you in a different way.” Buggy said he put a cloth on the wound to prevent blood from getting on the outfit then putting an arm around my waist pulling me into him. “Boogie I’m warning you.” Luffy said. “It’s Buggy! And you’re warning me? Now that’s a laugh. I said that’s a laugh.” Buggy said. As the crowd forced a laugh. Then Luffy managed to free himself. As Luffy got up he glared at Buggy. “Put her down.” Luffy said. “But why? She’s having such great time. Aren’t you sweetheart?” Buggy said grabbing my face. But what he did next shocked and scared me. He kissed me on the lips. It only lasted a few seconds before he pulled away. “Yes. The best Buggy. I never want to leave you Buggy.” Buggy said trying to inmate my voice. The Luffy stretched back his arm. “Gum Gum pistol!” Luffy yelled and punched off Buggy’s head. I let out a terrified scream as I could see that there was no blood and worst of all Buggy’s body was still moving. Buggy’s head landed on a woman’s lap in the crowd which caused more screaming. “Hi. Well well well looks like we have something else in common.” Buggy said as his head returned back to his body. “You ate a devils fruit?” Luffy asked. “The chop chop fruit. So you can slice me and you dice me but I’ll always put myself back together again.” Buggy said as he stripped himself of the coat he wearing. He gently put it around my shoulders. Then I watched as he chopped himself into six different pieces then went back to normal. “Want to see what else I can do?” Buggy asked as he made a motion to his hand. His hand was gone but it tapped Luffy on the shoulder squeezing another bomb like thing that the same kind of smoke from earlier came out. His detached hand punched Luffy in the face and flipped him off. “Luffy.” I said as I tried to rush to his side but Buggy stopped me. “I don’t think so sweetheart. My crew will take care of him.” Buggy said. “What are you going to do to him?” I asked. “I’m going to put him in my tank of doom.” Buggy said.

*Meanwhile with Zoro and Nami*

“So are you and her together?” Nami asked as she was working on picking the lock on the cage she was being kept in. “No we’re not. We’re not together like that.” Zoro said. “Then what’s the deal between you two. I mean I saw the way you acted when we saw that clown had his hands on her. You were ready to kill him on sight. You might say you don’t care about her but your actions when she’s in danger say a different story.” Nami said. “I never said I don’t care about her. Don’t ever say I don’t care about her again. Just because I don’t care about her in that way doesn’t mean I will never care about her.” Zoro said. “Alright fine geez. Then what’s the story between you two?” Nami said. “She reminds me of a friend I used to know. I couldn’t save or protect my friend back then but I can do that for her.” Zoro said. “That surprisely sweet coming from you.” Nami said. “Shut up.” Zoro said. Right then the two of them heard a terrified scream coming from Y/n. Which made Zoro immediately went back to trying to break the ropes. “Hurry the hell up now.” Zoro said. “Yeah.” Nami said as she started to work quicker and picking the lock.

*Back to Y/n*

I watched as Luffy was put in a tank as water slowly filled the tank then I saw seaweed. “Is this seawater?” I asked. “Why yes it is sweetheart. You see if you eat a devil’s fruit you might gain a power like yours truly and rubber boy here but just a few splashes of seawater will take that all of that away.” Buggy said. “Oh.” I said. Come on Luffy wake back up please. I don’t want to deal with him by myself. Yes the towns people are still watching but what if he tries something their too afraid of him to stop him and I don’t know where Zoro and Nami were taken to or if anything happened to them. But I could feel him looking at me. “What?” I asked as I looked to the ground. “You’re scared of me aren’t you sweetheart.” Buggy said. “I’m not scared of you.” I said. “Then how come you won’t look at me.” Buggy said. “You kidnapped me and my friends, you destroyed these people’s town and you’re now holding them against their will. You hurt Luffy. I don’t know what you’re doing to Zoro and Nami they could be dead for all I know.” I said. “Well their not dead.” Buggy said. “How can I believe you. I haven’t got any proof that you would tell me the truth.” I said. “But you did forget to mention that.” Buggy said motioning to where the cloth was. “I did that because I didn’t want you to hurt anyone.” I said. Then I could see Luffy start to wake up. “Looks like Luffy is waking up.” I said. Buggy kissed the side of my head but I couldn’t help but smile just a little. “Do my eyes deceive me or did I see a little smile.” Buggy said. “Just go.” I said but Buggy took Luffy hat off my head taking it with him. I watched as Luffy tried to break the glass but failed. “Don’t bother. It’s seawater. Hardly seems fair. All those wonderful powers rendered useless from a few splashes. Of course you could always give me my map. If you don’t want to die alone in this tank.” Buggy said walking over to the tank and kneeled in front of it. “My crew.” Luffy said. “Your crew? You means the ones that abandoned you? Just like Shanks did. I did that make you sad?” Buggy said. “They will come back for us.” Luffy said as he looked at me. “No one’s coming for you. I already made myself clear about her. She stays with me. Your only chance is to turn over that map and if you do I may have a very special place on my crew just for you. Think about how happy she’ll be to at least have someone she already knows and she won’t have to be around all new people. Ain’t that right sweetheart.” Buggy said tossing Luffy’s hat to the side. I watched as Luffy struggled to get up as Buggy copied his movement. “Never.” Luffy said. “Why not!” Buggy yelled and hit the tank then grabbed his hand in pain. I couldn’t help but laugh.

Which made Buggy glare at me. I just smirked and flipped him off. “You’re an outcast just like the rest of us. A freak, scorned and abandoned! Join me and you can serve the man who will become the king of the pirates. When I have that map I will find the one piece and then everyone will know my name. And they’ll love me.” Buggy said but he at end he looked at me. “You can’t make people or her love you. Just like you can’t make them smile. I’ll never give you that map.” Luffy said. “Well then I guess it’s curtains for you.” Buggy said walking back over to the tank. “No wait Buggy please don’t.” I said standing in front of him. “I’m getting sick of you interfering in my show.” Buggy said as he roughly pushed me away. I landed on my side roughly making me cry out in pain. I looked and saw more water pouring into the tank at a faster rate.

Buggy walked away from the tank and went to pick up Luffy hat pulling a piece of straw from it. “Don’t touch my hat!” Luffy yelled. “What was that? I. I couldn’t hear you over all the drowning.” Buggy said. I slowly got up as I did my side started to hurt. I now saw that Luffy was under the water now. “You want out? You know the price you have to pay.” Buggy said. Luffy smiled and tapped on the glass. I turned around and saw Nami as she threw her staff towards the tank making it crack. If she was okay then Zoro is too then we can leave and I will never have to see Buggy again. The tank started to break more as Buggy looked around. “Where are my freaks!” Buggy said. Then I saw Zoro. “They’re not coming.” Zoro said. “Zoro.” I said as I ran towards him but I felt a hand grab me pulling me back. This fucking clown. “Did I say you can leave me.” Buggy said roughly yanking me around. “I don’t fucking care. I don’t want to spend a single fucking second longer near you.” I said fighting his grip. I heard the glass break and went the amount of water that came from the tank it knocked both of us off our feet. But it was seawater so it should have the same effect on Buggy.

Buggy’s grip on me loosened enough for me to get away from him. I look to see Luffy coughing up the map. I had to grabbed it before Buggy. I got up and rushed over grabbing it. But I was yanked to the ground and Buggy climbed on top of me. “Thanks sweetheart. Because you got me my map I can forgive that little outburst of yours.” Buggy said as he took the map from me. “Screw you.” I said. “Well since your friend is back to watch that sounds like a great idea.” Buggy said pulling me up from the ground. Buggy looked between me and the map laughing and then buried his face in my neck. Both Nami and Zoro walked towards us. “You want a piece of me? Let’s see what you got. You better move sweetheart I would hate for you to get hurt.” Buggy said as he let me go. I rushed over to Luffy. “Are you okay?” I asked as I helped him up. “I’ll be fine. What about you?” Luffy asked. “I just want to leave and never have to see this clown again.” I said. “No.” Luffy said quietly. I looked to see Nami and Zoro being knocked to the side as Buggy put himself back together looking towards the two of us as Luffy pushed me behind him. “Ah. Would you look at that? Somebody escaped my tank of doom. Well I’ll be back to finish you off. Right after I tear apart your sad excuse for a crew.” Buggy said laughing. “You can dump seawater on me and I’ll let it slide. But don’t you ever threaten or hurt my friends” Luffy said as he punched Buggy in the stomach causing a piece to fly off then return making Buggy wink at us. “I’ll find the map can you handle him.” I whispered to Luffy. “Go.” Luffy whispered back. I slowly made my way out from behind him as Buggy pulled out knives. “So you want die first? Be my guest.” Buggy said as he pulled himself apart. I got down until I was out of danger. “Chop chop cannon!” Buggy yelled as the pieces started to fly towards Luffy. I started to quickly look around for the map. “Hey.” A voice said quietly. I looked to see a boy point just off to the side at the map. “Thanks kid.” I said rushing over to grab it. “Nami! The crates!” Luffy yelled. I ran to the other side of the ring helping trap pieces of Buggy in crates. I smiled when I saw Zoro stab pieces of Buggy.

With help from Nami all that was left of Buggy was his feet, hands and his head. “What have you done to me?” Buggy asked. “Cut you down to size.” Luffy said. Honestly Buggy really looked funny. “The one piece will never be yours. You’re just a sad lonely little boy wearing another man’s hat!” Buggy said. “I know exactly who I am. I’m Monkey D. Luffy. And I’m going to be king of the pirates.” Luffy said stretching both arms back. I couldn’t help but smile. “Gum Gum.” Luffy yelled. “Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa! No no no! Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait” Buggy yelled. “Bazooka!” Luffy yelled launching the rest of Buggy out of the big top.

I breathed a sigh of relief as I ran over and hugged Luffy. Luffy hugged me back. “Found the map.” I said as I handed it to him as Nami and Zoro walked over to us. I pretty much launched myself into Zoro arms as he held me close to him. “Are you okay?” Zoro said into my ear. “I will be.” I said. “Let’s get out of this clown show.” Zoro said as he let me go and started to walk me out. But stopped when Luffy put a hand on his shoulder. “Still one more thing we have to do.” Luffy said as we looked to the towns people. We start to get the people unchained. After I unchained the boy that pointed out the map he hugged me. I smiled and hugged him back.

As a thank you from preventing Buggy from harming them they managed to find me a changed of clothes so I didn’t have to wear the outfit that Buggy had me wear. They also tried to give us a little food but Luffy refused to take it. I was the first one to go back to the ship as started getting things ready to leave. I waved back to the towns people as we sailed away. I knew I should talk with Zoro about what happened to me but I wasn’t sure if I was ready yet. I sat near the front of the ship as I watched Nami fix Luffy hat. “Almost finished.” Nami said. Then she hands him his hat back. “You fixed it. Thanks.” Luffy said with a smile. “Well you said it was your treasure right?” Nami said then walked away. “Is every day gonna be this crazy with you?” Zoro asked. “Shanks always said that if the path to what you want seems too easy then you’re on the wrong path.” Luffy said. “I really like that.” I said. “This shanks guy sounds all right.” Zoro said. Luffy came over to stand on the railing of the front of the ship. “Next stop the grand line.” Luffy said as he pointed out to the open sea. I smiled as I shook my head. Zoro motioned me to come over to him. “Wish me luck Luffy.” I said as I got up. “He’s not mad with you if that’s what you’re thinking he was just really worried about you.” Luffy said. I smiled then walked over to Zoro sitting next to him.

“What to tell me how you got that.” Zoro said. “You saw that?” I asked. Zoro nodded. “He wanted to hurt one of the towns people I wasn’t going to let him do that. They were innocent Zoro. I know that you might have been okay with something like that but I’m not like you. I rather it be me that got hurt before one of them.” I said. “It was still a very stupid thing for you to do.” Zoro said. “He kissed me too.” I said. “I’m definitely killing that fucking clown next time I see him.” Zoro said. I laughed and put my head on his shoulder. “Did you he do anything else to you. I heard you scream.” Zoro said. “Oh that was when we saw that he has similar powers to Luffy. He punched off his head while he still had a grip on me but I didn’t get hurt.” I said. “Not going to lie it was creepy seeing it for the first time. Anything else?” Zoro said. I bit my lip as tears filled my eyes. “What is it? You know that what ever it is that I will never be upset or angry at you.” Zoro said. “I know. After he craved his initial on me he said wanted to claim me in that way.” I said as could feel him tense up. Then he went quiet. “Please don’t go quiet on me. You know I hate when you do that.” I said as I picked my head up to look at him. “I promise to you that next time we see that clown I will kill him.” Zoro said. I threw my arms around his shoulders as I buried my face in next as I started to cry. “It’s okay I got you. You’re safe.” Zoro said as he held me close to him holding me as I cried.

For the rest of the day Zoro didn’t want me to leave his sight even though we on the ship and couldn’t really go anywhere. “You should try to get some rest.” Zoro said. “I’m okay right now.” I said. “I wasn’t asking.” Zoro said. “Alright fine I’m going.” I said as I got up going inside laying down. I closed my eyes and tried to get some sleep. I tossed and turned for what seems like forever before I finally managed to fall asleep.

#buggy the clown imagine #buggy x reader #buggy imagine #opla buggy imagine #opla buggy x reader #opla buggy #kelsee's works #do not reblog unless it's from me

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toournextadventure · 11 months

Text

our little secret ii

Summary: You're never one to turn down a weekend with Lorraine. But everyone seems to think it's the perfect time to remind you of the reality of the situation. At least the rodeo clowns get paid for what they do; you seem to do the job for free. At least you get to have some fun with Lorraine before resuming your Good Girl act.

Word Count: 8.5k Warnings: 18+ smut, swearing, religious trauma, religious homophobia, blasphemy Pairing: Lorraine Day x Fem!Reader (our little secret i) (our little secret ii) (our little secret iii) (our little secret iv)

"Mornin', darlin'."

You kept your eyes trained on Beau in the corral when you felt Huck's arm brush against your own before he slung it over your shoulder. Instinct had you leaning into him. He smelled like fresh sawdust and hay. Smelled like comfort.

"Mornin'," you replied softly.

"Where's your better half?" He asked. That did have you tilting your head to look up into his sparkling eyes and kind smile.

"Which one?" You asked. "RJ's?" You turned to look back at the corral. "Or ours?"

"That idjit ain't nobody's better half." You felt his body shake with a laughter that you couldn't quite hear.

"Ain't that God's honest truth," you said when his fella, bless his heart, tried to wave to the both of you and was toppled over by a stray calf.

"I meant Lorraine," Huck said once you both made sure Beau was on his feet and safe again. "She at another shoot?"

"Yeah," you sighed. Lorraine's smile flashed in your mind's eye. "Guess they're gettin' good at it cause they're gone all the time now."

"Ain't that a good thing though?" He asked. The bell rang, making you jump. You hated when they tested the damn bell. "Means they're doin' somethin' right."

"Guess so," you mumbled to yourself.

You did hope they were doing something right. Lorraine mentioned that she genuinely loved making the films; not always being in them, but the behind-the-scenes, technical side of it. Her face always lit up when she talked about it and you would never wish for her to fail even if it meant RJ had to succeed with her.

But you missed her. You missed having more than two or three days together at a time before she had to leave again. It wasn’t her fault, and you wanted her to have the successful film career she wanted, and you honestly trusted Jackson more than you trusted RJ. None of it really meant much when you couldn’t even talk to her though.

Another calf ran in front of you, beating out the wrangler once again and pulling you back to the present. Seemed they would be the winners over the weekend if they kept it up. It always made for a less than exciting rodeo if the calves kept winning. What fun was there in no one even qualifying? It wasn't like there was any real compet-

"-What the hell is he doin'?" You asked, pointing to where Beau was donning a very specific vest.

"Better not be what I think it is," Huck mumbled before putting his fingers to his lips and whistling.

Beau turned instantly, eyes landing on the both of you for only a moment before he started jogging over. His boots left the smallest cloud of dust behind him until he hopped onto the fence you were both leaning against. He instinctively went to kiss Huck before remembering where he was, redirecting the kiss to your cheek.

"What on God's green earth do you think you're doin' with that on?" You asked as you pulled him by the top of his vest.

“One of the bullfighters got hurt,” he said. “I offered to help since we don’t compete this weekend.”

“Like hell you did,” you said. Just the mere thought of him being in that corral with the bulls had your pulse racing in your ears.

“It’s one weekend, darlin’,” he said with that stupid smile that always got him into trouble. “It’ll be fun-”

“-Beauregard Callaway, you march back over there right this instant and tell them no.”

“You just got full-named,” Huck said quietly enough for only the three of you to hear.

“I can’t just quit-”

“-Huck,” you scolded, turning to look at him next. “Tell him,” you gestured your head to Beau and raised your brows, “before I full-name you next.”

Huck looked between you and Beau as if he was caught between two lions. Which he was, but he better be more afraid of you. Beau was his lover, sure, but you were the scary one. Out of your whole friend group when you were all little, you were the one capable of instilling the fear of god into anyone.

Now was no exception.

“I’d tell ‘em no, baby,” he said to Beau with a shrug.

“That the best you can do?” You scolded again.

“Darlin’, you know he don’t listen to me-”

“-That’s enough, the both of you,” Beau interrupted. “I done said yes already and it’s only one weekend.” He looked you each in the eye before he smiled. “Ain’t never been hurt before.”

“And you ain’t gonna get hurt, right Beauregard?” You asked with a raised brow.

“If the crick don’t rise,” he said with a wink at Huck before hopping off the fence and starting his walk back to the gate.

“You get hurt and I’ll kill you myself!” You shouted after him. He didn’t look back, but flipped his hand up in a half-hearted wave of acknowledgment. Huck laughed beside you and you turned to glare at him next. “You too, Hucksley.”

“Well shit, darlin’, no need to drag me into it,” he grumbled as his smile fell. “I ain’t even the one in trouble.”

“Not yet,” you said quietly before looking back out at the corral once again.

It was mid-afternoon by the time they let Beau go for the rest of the evening, convinced he was good enough for the actual rodeo over the weekend. You made sure to slap him upside the head when he came back around just as an added threat. If he got hurt, you would make it a dozen times worse without hesitation.

“We headin’ to your daddy’s again?” Huck asked when he started the truck up.

“Think so,” you said as you leaned forward between the two front seats. “Momma was s’posed to make supper.” You took note of their linked hands near the center console and smiled to yourself.

Would you ever be able to hold Lorraine’s hand out in the open like that? To just drive around, laughing and singing to the radio without a care in the world? It was finally the ‘80s, surely that had to count for something. Not that the year had anything to do with the many other reasons you weren’t with her.

You’re going to hell, your mind reminded you. It’s a sin. Right. There was a much bigger reason. It continued to eat you from the inside out, picking you apart like a kid feeding bread to the ducks at the pond. Or, what was that old story you heard back in school… Prometheus, that Greek god. The one who had his liver pecked out day after day.

Yeah. Yeah, that’s how it felt.

“Seems your favourite family came over too,” Beau said when he parked the car in front of your house beside the Days’ van. Well, RJ’s van.

“Fantastic,” you mumbled and rolled your eyes.

You didn’t wait for them as you stormed out, slamming the door so hard it shook the truck. No waiting as you stomped up the porch steps, standing outside with your hand on the door handle and taking the moment to just breathe. Daddy couldn’t see you losing it, because what could you possibly say to explain it?

Hey daddy, sorry I’m upset, I’m just tired of seeing the girl I love be with a man that can help her achieve her dreams. Yeah, because that would go over so well.

The moment your breathing had evened out enough to be considered normal, you entered the house to hear excessive talking and laughter. Typical for your household, and it actually brought a smile to your lips. You could hear your parents, and the Days, and the dogs were yappin’ and it was a wonderful atmosphere.

But when you stepped through the kitchen doorway and saw Lorraine sitting on RJ's lap, that sinking feeling settled in your stomach again. He's her boyfriend, you tried to reason, Huck has to watch Beau do the same thing. But that didn't ease the ache from every breath.

"Evenin', y'all," Huck said when he and Beau creeped up behind you. He patted your shoulder lightly before squeezing by you to make his rounds.

"How was setup?" Your daddy asked when Beau shook his hand.

"Smooth as ever," Beau answered with a grin that made your daddy smile.

It made you sick.

"Momma, can I help?" You asked as you walked over to where she was cooking. You didn't want to listen to everyone's conversations.

It was impossible to stop yourself from cocking your head to listen whenever Lorraine spoke. You wished she would speak louder; she was always far too quiet even when she was the most comfortable. A soft voice for a soft girl, your momma had said one day before Lorraine went off to college.

She still tried to hide her face, but not quite so much in your house. Maybe it was the atmosphere everyone created, or just the fact everyone knew it to be a “house of God himself,” thanks to your daddy. You didn’t know, all you knew was you preferred to be in either yours or her house; at least she let you see all of her that way.

Jimmy, Liz, and Roy came in from the back door while you were helping your momma set the food on the table. Jimmy and Liz were all over each other, which was no surprise, and he got a nice smack to the head with momma’s dish towel. Roy on the other hand looked utterly exhausted. Something which was also no surprise.

When your momma announced dinner was ready, everyone took their seats at the large table in the dining room. Huck and Beau sat together, of course, and so did all the other couples. Leaving you to sit with Roy, who gave you a small, reserved smile with a far away look in his eyes.

“Hey, bubba,” you said quietly while everyone else was still talking far too loud.

“Alright y’all,” your daddy said in his booming preacher’s voice, “join hands so we can pray.”

You all did exactly that. Beau gently grasped your left hand while Roy held your right in a vice grip. As your daddy prayed, you could feel the little bones in your hand shift when Roy gripped you tighter, and you knew it would be bruised tomorrow morning. But it seemed to help even his breathing, so you kept your mouth shut until daddy was done.

“Amen,” your daddy said, and everyone mumbled their own amens to follow suit.

Everyone started serving themselves, conversations flowing steadily and easily over the sound of utensils against plates. The dogs were smart, they stayed under the table in between yours and Roy’s legs. They knew you two were most likely to feed them, and what do you know, you always did. You tried to be sneaky about it, hushing them up when they smacked too loud.

Roy didn’t care, he just shamelessly gave them whatever he didn’t want.

“How’s the film business goin’, RJ?” Your daddy asked. You nearly choked on your food at the question.

“Good,” RJ answered with a slow nod as he finished chewing. “I’m hopin’ to have another one finished in a few weeks.”

“Am I ever gonna get to see one of them films?” Your daddy asked.

“Absolutely not,” you said quickly. Far too quickly. Everyone turned to look at you with a mix of emotions. “It just- it ain’t your style,” you tried to explain; a bead of sweat dripped down the back of your neck. “Not a Western, you know?”

“Hmm,” your daddy hummed. “You’re right then, I’ll pass.”

Everyone in the younger group sighed in relief, more than happy that your daddy had agreed with you. Conversation flowed again, going from the rodeo to Lorraine’s college to Jimmy’s seminary. Never to you or Roy, who everyone had determined over the last few weeks was going to stay put. You were no longer going to seminary because someone had to lead the church, and Roy was staying because he had lost his mind.

A typical situation.

“All I know is y’all better be careful out there,” your daddy said. He always seemed to be the voice that brought you out of your own thoughts. It probably meant something deeper that you didn’t want to think too hard about. “The world is turnin’ into a dangerous place.”

“It’s always been dangerous, Pap,” Jimmy chuckled. “We just got more TV and radio to tell us about it.”

“I’m serious, Jim,” your daddy said. “I don’t want none of y’all to get mixed up with those crowds out there.”

“And what crowds would that be, daddy?” You asked. All of you had half-hidden smiles because he usually had something ridiculous to say that you would all agree to and then laugh about later.

“Those damn homosexuals, for one,” he said with a grimace. Everyone around the table froze.

Your eyes stayed glued to the fork you had just stabbed into a potato. The hair on the back of your neck stood up as you felt everyone staring, looking around at each other in uncomfortable silence. With your pulse rushing in your ears and your heart threatening to jump out of your chest, you swore everyone else could hear it too.

“Gonna be infectin’ us with their disease if we don’t watch out,” he continued as if he didn’t care how everyone had stopped moving. “Y’all better stay away.”

“They’re just people, Pap,” Jimmy said in a small voice. A blackness started to encroach on your vision.

“Dangerous, Godless people,” your daddy said. “Which is why y’all have to stick together.”

“They’re still kids Robert-”

“-Stay right by God,” he interrupted your momma. "All of y'all are in good, Godly relationships,” you could feel him looking at you but you still couldn’t look up. It felt like the room was closing in on you. "Stay that way."

“We’ll be careful,” RJ said, his voice putting a lump in your throat that you couldn’t swallow.

“Keep him around, Lorraine,” your daddy said. “He’ll take care of you-”

-you slammed your hands on the table and stood up. The ringing in your ears was drowning everything out and that blackness was covering more and more ground. You could feel each individual grain of the wooden table underneath your fingertips.

He’ll take care of you.

“I ain’t feelin’ too good,” you said around the invisible ball of cotton in your mouth. “May I be excused?”

“Sure, honey-”

-you didn’t wait for your momma to finish talking before you left the kitchen through the back door, your feet taking you straight to the barn. He’ll take care of you. Why did he have to say that? Why did he have to say that in front of you? Wasn’t it enough that you had to break bread with RJ without getting it thrown in your face?

He'll take care of you.

You bit back the scream threatening to claw up your throat until you tasted blood. It filled your mouth until you swore you would choke on it. Part of you hoped you would; give you an excuse to end the mental anguish that constantly flooded your thoughts.

He’ll take care of you.

Like hell he would. Like hell. He couldn’t even take care of himself, how could anyone even possibly think he could take care of Lorraine? All he was was a wannabe filmmaker that wouldn’t even dare show y’all his films. So how on god’s green earth would he take care of Lorraine? Your Lorraine?

The dull thud of your boots on the dirt transitioned to the whispered slap of concrete when you walked through the barn doors and everything stopped. Stepping into the barn was like stepping into another world; all the noise and troubles from the outside ceased to exist, even if just for a few moments.

It was replaced by the smell of gravel, dirt, and oil. Occasionally sawdust depending on the time of year. The separation was in the temperature drop, thanks to the partial concrete floor and huge space. There was something hypnotising about the sound of the metal walls creaking in the wind outside, yet everything was painfully still inside.

Something brushed up against your jean-clad leg and you nearly jumped from the intrusion to your thoughts. But then you took notice of the black and white tail curling around your calf and your heart rate started to lower again.

“Hey, Miss Kitty,” you mumbled as you bent down and held your hand out to the grumpy old barn cat. “You get locked in?”

She didn’t even dignify your question with a meow before walking off, her tail slinking away from your leg slowly until she was heading out the barn door. Not even a glance back to say goodbye. The complete nerve of that cat.

“I hope you done get ‘et by a coyote,” you called after her as she continued to sashay away. “Then we can finally quit pickin’ up strays.”

“Be nice to her,” Lorraine said softly, though the barn amplified it. “After all, we picked you up.”

“No, you picked RJ up,” you shot back while you straightened back up. “He just proves my point.”

“It isn’t his fault,” she said just as softly as she stepped closer to you. You took a single step back.

“No it ain’t,” you said. Stay right by God. “Clearly it’s God's.”

“Don’t go down that rabbit hole,” Lorraine warned, stepping forward again and placing a hand on your cheek before you could run away.

Her hand was soft, far too soft to be touching you. Why would she be so gentle with you when you were nothing but hidden anger and blasphemous words? And yet you wouldn’t push her away to spare her from your own sins. You wanted to pull her closer, feel her skin under your touch, have her name fall from your lips like a prayer.

“Please stay,” you whispered when you finally dared to meet her eyes.

The short nails on her fingers scratched lightly against your cheek. It was a little too light, hypnotising in the wrong way. There was nothing grounding about it, you felt like you were in a daze. You needed something more, something to drag you back down to earth where you belonged.

“Please,” you whispered again in a broken voice.

“I can’t,” Lorraine whispered back before leaning up and pressing a chaste kiss to your lips. “Everyone is waiting.”

And that right there? That killed you.

—---

At the rate you were going, you might as well start getting paid to be the rodeo clown.

You didn’t know which one of those pea-pickin bastards had done the deed, but someone had invited Lorraine and RJ to the rodeo for the weekend. Part of you highly suspected your mother, but the bashful look on Huck’s face almost made you think it was him. Regardless of who it was, you hadn’t been prepared to deal with the both of them over the weekend.

Was getting rejected in your own barn not punishment enough? Now you had to get publicly humiliated too? Not that anyone knew of your little secret, but it still rubbed salt in the wound. At least you could be down near the corral while RJ and Lorraine were in the stands behind the safety railing. Kept them far enough away from you to relax.

And maybe gave you the perfect position to look at Lorraine, but that was just an added bonus to the situation. It was no less than you deserved for having to put up with all of them for the weekend. You could be forgiven for wanting something pretty to look at while you were having your heart ripped out.

“He looks mighty handsome today, don’t he?” Huck asked, his eyes glued to where Beau was standing around with some of the other volunteers.

“No he don’t,” you said without even looking. “Looks like he needs his ass whooped.”

“You ain’t even lookin’,” he huffed.

You turned your head to finally look where Beau was standing and, you hated to admit, he did look mighty handsome in his new jeans and shirt.

“I looked,” you said, doing your best not to smile. “Still needs his ass whooped.”

"You're so grumpy,” Huck grumbled. You turned your head back to where Lorraine was sitting and felt an icy grip enclose around your heart. "You need to get laid."

“Ain’t that the truth,” you whispered.

The rodeo continued on.

You could tell Huck was getting anxious when the team roping started. Unlike Beau, he actually used the sport in the real world on his neighbour’s ranch. A skill that Beau considered recreational, yet to Huck it was necessary. It made for a fun dynamic, you wouldn’t deny it, especially when they got into arguments about the rules and regulations. Always did make for an exciting night.

But now you could tell he just missed it. He was never one to enjoy sitting on the sidelines, even when it wasn’t his own sport. It was sweet, truly it was, but if he didn’t quit bouncing his leg on the railing and forcing you to suffer with him, you were going to throw him to the bulls. And not the sexy ones.

“I’m beggin’ you to stay still,” you groaned. You reached your hand out and pressed down on his shoulder to ground him into the dirt. “You’re worse than Jim on Christmas.”

“I ain’t doin’ nothin’,” Huck said even as you could practically feel his body vibrating from the effort to stay still. “But you are awful pretty when you beg.”

“I’m gonna pretend you didn’t just say that,” you said as you did your best not to laugh at the ridiculous smile on his face.

"You askin' Lorraine to the hoedown tonight?" Huck asked once the roping was done. Now that you both had a bit of time to look away, it was the perfect time to keep talking.

"Course not," you said with a scrunch of your nose. "She's with RJ."

"Not tonight," he said with a shake of his head and a sniffle; it must have been from the dust. "He's leavin' now."

You turned when Huck gestured his head and saw he was right; RJ was in the process of packing his stuff up. He never had been one for rodeo life. Hell, he didn't even enjoy the events to begin with. All he ever wanted was to try and make a good film out of it and that just wasn't easy enough for him. It'd be a shame if someone finally told him you had to know the sport to film it well.

A damn shame, that was for sure.

"Hurry up before she leaves too," Huck said, pulling you out of your thoughts.

You opened your mouth to argue, but he pushed you forward off the railing. The dirt flew into a small cloud around your boots when you landed, and you sent him a quick glare before jogging over to where Lorraine and RJ were standing up. She seemed much more eager to stay, but you knew she wouldn't if she felt she was alone. That damn shotgun had done a number to her, physically and mentally.

"Leavin' already?" You asked as you quickly hopped up on the railing to be face-to-face with the lovely couple.

"Tryin' to," RJ said with a polite smile that said mind your business. "But we'll be back tomorrow."

"There's a hoedown tonight," you said before he could drag Lorraine away. "Me and the boys were wantin' Lorraine to join us." She turned to look at you with the slightest sparkle in her eye. "Like old times."

"Alright," RJ said without hesitation. It was evident he just wanted to get out of the stadium. Rodeos really weren't his cup of tea. "Need a ride home?"

"She can stay with me," you said before Lorraine could even open her mouth. "Also like old times."

Even though you weren't looking at her, you could feel Lorraine's eyes boring holes into the side of your head. She wasn't stupid; she knew exactly what you were doing. "Old times" just meant Huck and Beau ran off while you and Lorraine had your own fun. But there was the catch; only y'all knew what "old times" meant. Everyone else just thought you were acting like kids all over again.

Oh how sweet.

"Then I'll see you tomorrow, Raine," RJ said, leaning over to give her one more kiss. You quickly wiped the instinctive snarl off your face when he pulled away. "Y'all have fun."

"We will," you and Lorraine said at the same time.

You both watched and waited until he was out of sight before you pulled her over the railing. She yelped out in surprise before her feet hit the dirt and you could take her hand, leading her to where Huck was still waiting. He gave her his best smile and pulled her into a hug when you both got close enough.

"So we've successfully kidnapped you for the night?" Huck asked.

"Seems so," Lorraine said with a raised brow. "Would've been nice to have a warnin’ first."

"Keep your watchdog away for more than two seconds and I'll warn you next time," you said.

"He's not a watchdog," Lorraine said as you both climbed up on the railing, her in between you and Huck.

"Oh, my apologies," you said softly, "I meant your parasite."

"Oh hush up,” she mumbled as she slapped both you and Huck, who weren’t even trying to stifle your laughter. “You need to be nicer to him.”

“Actually, the Lord told me personally that I can be mean,” you said after you managed to calm your laughter down. “I ain’t one to disobey the Big Man.”

“You are a blasphemer that’s goin’ to hell,” Lorraine retorted. But the smile on her face was enough to show her intentions.

“You two are disgustin’,” Huck grumbled; he also had a smile. “Just go make out in a stall already and spare me the tension.”

“Oh hush up,” you and Lorraine said in unison.

“As if you and Beau aren’t makin’ kissy faces at each other all the time,” Lorraine continued.

“You have no idea,” you said, loving the light in her eyes when she looked at you. “You should see ‘em when we go out to eat, you’d think I was nothin’ more than last week’s sermon.”

“Laugh it up,” Huck said with a nod as he looked out at the corral. You hadn’t paid attention to the event and noticed it was finally coming to an end. About time, you thought with a smile. “Once you two get some alone time then we’ll talk.”

“We can handle ourselves much better than you two,” you said quickly, the timer going off immediately after and making you jump. Lorraine’s hand on your arm helped you settle rather quickly.

Huck opened his mouth to say something else but was soon distracted by something in the corral. You and Lorraine shared a smile when you noticed Beau was on his way over. Tease as much as you did, they were rather adorable. It was a genuine love and admiration, one that you didn’t even see in your own parents, one that you wished you could have a little more easily.

“Hey, Rainey,” Beau said as he jumped onto the fence and planted a sloppy kiss on Lorraine’s cheek. “Nice to see you unshackled for once.”

“Is this all y’all ever talk about?” Lorraine asked.

All three of you looked at each other before giving a few nods. “Yeah.”

“I changed my mind,” she said with a nod to herself, “you’re all goin’ to hell.”

“You love us,” Beau said with a grin and another kiss to her forehead. She tried to push him away halfheartedly before leaning into his touch. “What were y’all talkin’ about before I came over?”

“These fine ladies think they can keep their hands to themselves better than we can,” Huck said with a raised brow.

“That so?” Beau asked.

“God’s truth,” you said with as much attitude as you could muster. Around you, the rodeo fell into controlled chaos as everyone started setting up for tomorrow’s events.

“Then how about we have ourselves a little wager,” Beau said as he locked eyes with you.

“Lay it on me, stud,” you shot back.

“If you beautiful ladies give in first, you,” he pointed at you, “have to go watch Lorraine film her next film.”

“Wait, hang on-”

“-and if you lose?” Lorraine asked, interrupting you quickly. The competitiveness was building behind her eyes, you could see it.

“We’ll go with Lorraine,” Beau said, “and we’ll even film a scene.”

“Hold up, baby-”

“-you’re on,” Lorraine interrupted Huck. She reached her hand out to shake Beau’s. “Y’all are gonna look so pretty on camera.”

“I don’t like this game anymore,” you said, looking at each of them hoping to see mercy in someone’s eyes.

“Me either,” Huck whispered.

You both looked at each other and sighed softly. What had the two of you done to fall for such competitive people? And how come Lorraine was the only one in this situation who had nothing to lose? You were starting to get the sneaking suspicion that they all just wanted to watch you squirm.

It was going to be a very long night.

—---

“Hey Huck?” You said when you brought the next round of beers over to the small table the four of you had commandeered.

“Yeah?”

“I think I’m in love,” you said with a sigh as you both looked out at the dancefloor where Lorraine and Beau were two-stepping like it was their last night on earth.

“You and me both,” he said with his own dreamy sigh.

The music from the local band was loud, almost painfully so, but you didn’t entirely care. Not when you were warm from the alcohol and laughter echoing through the barn. RJ had once called the run-down bar a death trap, and you couldn’t disagree with him. The wooden roof and walls had holes that no one cared to fix up and dust constantly fell from the rafters. But it was home to most of you, a place where everyone could get away and have some fun on a Saturday night.

Hell, it was where you had first kissed Lorraine. Your eyes trailed up to look at the dilapidated loft. If you focused, you could see the exact spot where Lorraine had made the move, pushing you against the termite-eaten wall and kissed you as if she wouldn’t get another chance. Lucky for you both, you got plenty more chances.

Laughter from a very specific person brought you out of your memories, and you looked back at the dancefloor to see Beau twirling Lorraine around. Her face was lit up with a big, toothy, open mouthed smile that you couldn’t recall seeing since the accident. For once, she looked like she didn’t care when she twirled and exposed her scars. Like she was just that normal, carefree girl you had fallen in love with all those years ago.

“I think I wanna marry him,” Huck said softly.

“You and me both,” you repeated what he said earlier as you decided to chug the rest of your beer.

Don’t let anyone hear, your inner voice reminded you. Lest you get lynched. Right. Right, that was entirely a possibility. You looked around quickly, fully aware that no one would have heard Huck but still feeling that paranoia wash over you. Suddenly the beer and the atmosphere didn’t feel so homey.

“You look like someone spit in your cup,” Beau said, the sudden sound of his voice making you jump. “You alright?”

“Peachy,” you said with a smile, quickly finding Lorraine finding her seat beside you. “Just thinkin’, is all.”

“‘Bout what?” Lorraine asked as she grabbed the beer that was probably starting to turn warm. The snarl of her lips after that first sip confirmed it.

“How you better finish that beer whether it’s warm or not,” you said with a raised brow. “Paid good money for it.”

“You mean you didn’t flash a little smile and get ‘em for free?” Beau asked as he too took a sip of his now warm beer. He at least managed to play it off a little better than Lorraine.

“Most certainly not,” you said with a shake of your head. “I’ve gotta preach to most of these people in the mornin’, can’t have ‘em givin’ me free beer.”

“Wow,” Lorraine said with a quiet exhale as she leaned forward on the table, resting her chin in her hand. “Your life must be so tough.”

“It is,” you played along. “No good deed goes unpunished.”

“That in the Bible?” Huck asked.

“Not quite,” you said. “You’d know that if you went to church like you were s’posed to.”

“I fear I’d catch fire the second I stepped foot in that chapel,” he said with a laugh.

You’ll all catch fire.

Right.

You all continued talking, no longer interested in dancing as the music continued to drown out your conversations. Lorraine managed to scoot her stool a bit closer until her thigh was pressed against yours, and you very nearly rested your hand on her inner thigh. A cleared throat and a look from Huck was all it took to remind you of where you were, and you quickly placed your hand back in your own lap.

By the time you all started to get tired, most of the people had already gone home. The band was packing up and the makeshift bartender was officially out of alcohol. No doubt everyone would be ready to resume the hoedown tomorrow night after the rodeo finals, but for the night, everyone was done. The four of you followed suit, sending your goodnights to the few remaining stragglers as you all piled into Huck’s truck.

“Which home?” He asked; the most sober of you all, bless his little heart.

“We could all go back to mine,” you said as you leaned forward between the two front seats. “We’ve got the two lofts in the barn.”

“That work with y’all?” Huck asked, looking at Beau and Lorraine. They both nodded their agreement. “Then buckle up.”

You sat back in your seat and immediately felt Lorraine lay her head on your shoulder. If the amount of drinks she had gone through were any indication, she was properly buzzed. The warmth of her hand resting on your thigh, scratching lightly, was another perfect indication.

“Hands to yourself,” Beau said as you met his eyes in the rearview mirror. “I’d hate for you to lose the bet.”

“You still goin’ on about that?” Huck asked.

“You said we couldn’t fuck,” Lorraine said with a sleepy voice, “not that we couldn’t touch.”

“Language,” you scolded her lightly. She didn’t even seem fazed in the slightest.

“I’m watchin’ you,” Beau said even as he closed his eyes. “Bunch ‘a cheaters.”

“Did I tell you how unfair this bet is?” You asked before lifting your hand to scratch at Lorraine’s scalp. She practically purred under your touch.

“It’s plenty fair,” Beau said without looking back.

“All three of y’all can get indecent whenever you want,” you said, “I can’t.”

“We can fix that,” Lorraine mumbled.

“Hush and go to sleep,” you whispered before pressing a quick kiss to her head and sitting back up. “It ain’t fair.”

“She’s got a point, baby,” Huck said with a small shake of his head. “We got her at a disadvantage.”

“Shoulda thought about that before you let your girl agree to the bet,” Beau said anyway. “You can always admit defeat.”

“Go to hell, Beauregard,” you mumbled, to which both men up front laughed like hyenas.

Lorraine was thoroughly asleep by the time you all pulled up to the barn. Thankfully it was far enough away from the house that your arrival wouldn’t wake anyone up. The only potential issue would be if Roy was sleeping in the barn, but he had started hiding away in the shed a few hundred yards away, so you weren’t too worried. If anything, you would just let the boys sleep in the barn while you took Lorraine inside to your room.

“Come on, baby,” you whispered into Lorraine’s ear accompanied by a slight shake of her shoulders.

She grumbled once, not even saying any words, but slowly sat up. Her eyes were barely open and her hair was mused just enough to make her look like a little kid again. It reminded you of all your sleepovers, all those nights before you had realised your feelings for her. The good ole days.

You helped ease her out of the back of the truck. Without any hesitation, you turned slightly and squatted down until she wrapped her arms around your neck and you stood back up. Even though she was nearly asleep again, you couldn’t help but think of how light she was on your back. Sometimes you forgot just how small she was, how fragile she could be.

“You two on the right?” Huck asked as he guided his own partner around; it seemed Beau had drunk a bit too much too.

“Yeah,” you said with a nod, “y’all’s stuff should still be up on the left.”

“Sounds good,” he said. “Y’all get some sleep.”

“Night Huck,” you said with a smile before making the way up to the loft that you had claimed as yours as soon as it had been built.

It was a nice little spot, you wouldn’t try to hide it. There weren’t any real walls, but you had hung some curtains around the perimeter to create a sense of privacy. Tucked into the far corner was a single bed, something more reminisce of an army cot than anything else, with only an excess of blankets and a pillow on top. A few records scattered around, an old record player, and your grandpappy’s old guitar were the only remaining decorations.

You were gentle when you placed Lorraine on the cot, being careful as she slid off and laid on her side. She looked peaceful, with her hair no longer hiding her face. When would she believe you when you told her she was the most beautiful girl in the world? Would she ever believe you? If not then you needed to make sure RJ told her, because she deserved to feel loved again.

“Come here,” Lorraine said in a sleepy voice, pulling you out of your own head. Her arms were lifted as she made grabby hands at you, and how could you possibly say no to that?

With practiced ease, you toed your boots off and left them at the foot of the bed before climbing in. You were still in jeans and your button up but that was alright. There was no way you were going to be able to get Lorraine into pyjamas, so you would sleep in your clothes as well in solidarity.

“I’ve missed you,” she said softly, immediately pulling you close until she could press her lips to your neck.

“I missed you too,” you said as you tilted your head back to give her a little more access.

“A lot,” she continued. With a bit of shuffling she finally settled again, and you felt the warmth of her hand sliding under your shirt to rest on your stomach.

“Raine, baby,” you said when her hand continued to move up to play with the strap of your bra, “I ain’t losin’ this bet.”

“Sure you are,” she said.

“I don’t care what you film,” you started even as she pushed you onto your back and rolled on top of you, “but I’m not too keen on watchin’.”

“How will they know?” Her lips started trailing up your neck, leaving an inferno behind with each kiss. “They won’t be comin’ with us.”

“Raine.”

But you couldn’t really argue when her hand finally slipped under your bra, just the mere feel of her skin on your breast enough to have you exhaling harshly. Paired with the warmth of her lips on your jaw? Clearly it had been far too long because you were almost ready to come undone right then and there.

“Lose the bet,” she whispered into your ear. You let out a shaky exhale when her thumb brushed lightly against your nipple. “For me?”

Well now, how could you say no to that? Without any ounce of care, you grabbed Lorraine’s face and pulled her to your lips. She tasted of cheap beer and tequila and you didn’t care. Her lips were soft and you could feel her breath tickling your face and you just wanted more of her.

In the privacy of the loft you had no shame in the both of you stripping. She was still buzzed and was fumbling around like a horny teenager, but you supposed you were too in the excitement. You weren’t even helping each other, you were too eager to rid yourselves of the confines of clothing. At one point Lorraine nearly fell off the bed in an attempt to get her pants off, and you both had to sit and recover from the laughter you couldn’t be bothered to contain.

She was still giggling by the time she crawled back on top of you, her skin blazing hot against your own. God, you couldn’t remember the last time you had not only had the time, but the privacy to see all of her again. She sat straddling you and even though you hadn’t done anything yet, you could feel her arousal coating your stomach.

Her hands fell right below your breasts, grabbing you by the ribs to steady herself. It was clear that she was still intoxicated enough to be a little clumsy, but very much sober enough to know what she was doing. Although you certainly weren’t going to take the initiative, more than happy to let her take the lead with whatever she was comfortable with.

You rested your hands on her hips and looked at her while her eyes were closed. The summer had done her skin well, leaving her a good deal darker than she had been only a few months ago. Even the scars across her neck and face were a bit darker, not quite so startling in contrast to the rest of her. Even her freckles had become more apparent, and you wished you had a night to just count each and every one of them.

“You’re starin’,” Lorraine said above you, her eyes finally open as she looked down at you. “Why?”

“I just think you’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen in my life,” you whispered.

Even in the dark you could see the slight flush on her cheeks. She let her head fall until her hair covered her face. You sat up quickly, keeping your hands on her hips so she wouldn’t fall. Her legs wrapped around your waist as you let her readjust and you could feel her breath on your face once again.

“If you really thought that,” she started as she let her hands trail up the sides of your breasts and over your chest until they rested on either side of your neck, “then you would lose this bet for me.”

“You just wanna watch me squirm,” you said. She leaned closer until her chest was pressed lightly against yours.

“Yes I do,” she mumbled against your lips before kissing you once again.

Her grip on your neck tightened as she tried to pull you closer. You gasped when she nipped your bottom lip, sighing quickly after when you felt her tongue sooth it immediately after. God, what she could do to you with only the simplest of touches. The slightest scratch of her nails on the back of your neck sent a shiver down your spine.

You gave up on letting her take control the moment you felt her attempt to grind on you. There hadn’t been near enough teasing, but you could already feel how wet she was without even touching her. Not that you were complaining of course, you wanted nothing more than to show her how much you had missed her, how beautiful you really thought she was.

One of your thumbs rubbed circles on her hip while the other hand ran across her stomach and stopped on her pubic bone. She tried to grind again, whining into your mouth when she was met with nothing but air. Your thumb rubbing across her skin, almost touching her clit but not quite.

“Baby,” she whined.

“You gotta be quiet, sweetheart,” you whispered against her lips. “Can you do that for me?”

She nodded quickly, her hips moving just enough to catch your attention.

“I’ll stop if you’re too loud,” you continued even as you let your thumb fall a little lower. “Understand?”

“Yes,” she said.

That time when she moved her hips she was met with your thumb, and her breathy little moan sounded beautiful as her head fell to your shoulder. Oh she was so sensitive, and you hadn’t even properly touched her yet. Blame it on the alcohol, or RJ’s lack of ability, or both, but you wouldn’t complain. A needy Lorraine was a fun Lorraine.

“Touch me already,” Lorraine whined.

“So impatient,” you said as you leaned forward and pressed your lips to that space right below her ear. The one that always had her squirming whether it was intentional or not.

“You can love me later,” she continued. “Just fuck me.”

“That what you really want?” You asked, but she was already nodding her head against your shoulder before you finished the question. “Whatever you want, princess.”

Lorraine was so wet you didn’t even have to worry as you slid two fingers into her effortlessly. She bit your shoulder to keep herself quiet like the good girl she was. It took everything in you not to moan at how tight she was around you. No matter how many times you had her, it always caught you off guard in the best of ways.

“I ain’t losin’ for nothin’, sweetheart,” you said into Lorraine’s ear. “I wanna watch you make it up to me.”

“You’re an asshole,” she mumbled, yet it didn’t stop her from riding your fingers nice and slow. “That’s it, baby.”

She growled in frustration before sitting up again, placing her hands on your shoulders to use as leverage. You let her work herself up, refusing to move even a muscle to help her. If you were going to lose the bet, you were going to milk everything you could out of her as payback.

The rise and fall of her chest as she crawled to the edge was hypnotising. You knew she couldn’t get there quickly, let alone on her own, but you wanted to enjoy the view. The way she fucked herself on your fingers and let her mouth fall open when she angled her hips just right.

But when Lorraine’s head fell forward to rest against yours, you took mercy. Even at the extremely awkward angle that would leave your wrist sore in the morning, you thrust your fingers up to meet her, smiling to yourself at the guttural moan that left her mouth. Your free hand left her hip and moved around so you could rub her clit, her noises rising in pitch at the added sensation.

“Baby,” she exhaled. It almost sounded whiney, which meant she was close. She was oh so close.

“Let go, Rainey,” you said.

Even with her face so close to yours, you could still see the look on her face when she came. The silent scream, the way her eyes squeezed shut. It was a beautiful look that you didn’t think you would ever get tired of. Her nails dug into your shoulders and you could feel the intoxicating sting as they broke skin; you would need to be careful with your shirts for the next few days.

Her hips continued to stutter against your hands, erratic movements that you would have teased her for if you hadn’t been so entranced by her very being. You waited until her hips stilled before removing your fingers, making sure to be slow and gentle so as not to startle her. But then you pulled her closer again, feeling her arms wrap around your neck as you held her in your lap.

“There’s my good girl,” you whispered into her ear before kissing her temple. “You did so good.”

“I-”

-You both stopped talking quickly when you heard something. Something that sounded disgustingly familiar. Lorraine sat up in your lap and cocked her head to the side, listening intently. Maybe you had imagined it, surely it hadn’t been real. Right? There was no way.

Then you heard it again.

“Oh my god,” Lorraine groaned; you saw her smile before her head hit your shoulder again.

“Should I say something?” You asked. She opened her mouth to answer but was interrupted yet again.

“Don’t embarrass me,” she said.

“Never,” you whispered and kissed her head before shifting around. You placed your hands over both of her ears. “The Lord’s watchin’ y’all!”

“Fuck off, hypocrit,” Huck called back. His voice echoed off the walls of the barn. “Y’all ain’t so quiet either.”

“Sorry, can’t hear you.” Lorraine’s body shook above you with silent laughter. “I’m tryin’ to sleep like the Godly woman I am.”

“Shut the hell up,” Beau finally cut in, “you’re killin’ the mood.”

“Good night, heathens!” You called back. “Don’t wake the Devil.”

You and Lorraine both stifled your laughter as you laid back down in the cot. It was difficult to keep yourselves quiet. She shushed you and listened, but neither one of you could hear anything else.

“Either they’re more quiet, or you ruined their night,” Lorraine whispered.

“Hope I ruined it,” you grumbled. “If I have to lose, so do they.”

“And you call me competitive,” she said in her sleepy voice.

“You are,” you said with another kiss to her head. “It’s one of the things I love about you.”

“You just love me.” Her voice got softer with each word.

“Yeah I do,” you said just as softly.

She didn’t say another word, falling asleep quickly thanks to the alcohol and orgasm. Her arm stayed draped around your bare waist as you held her closer, feeling her skin sticking to yours with the mix of sweat. Your father’s voice condemned you in your head, doing its best to ruin the feeling of peace and security you felt with Lorraine in your arms.

But in that moment, you simply closed your eyes and held her tighter. You were going to enjoy every moment with her until the day you died. Heaven could keep its angels; you would keep yours.

#lorraine day x reader #lorraine day #lorraine day smut #jenna ortega x reader

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long-live-astronerd-ghost-king · 1 year

Text

Dannymay 2023. Day 7. Weapon. DPXDC.

The Justice League is trying to figure out Danny’s identity, and he’s not happy about it.

~Words hurt more than weapons~

~~~

Wonder Woman: You’re bound by the Lasso of Truth. No more chance of hiding secrets, ghost.

Danny: Are you kidding me?

Batman: Who are you, Phantom?

Danny: "I am a 400-foot tall purple platypus bear with pink horns and silver wings."

Captain Marvel: Wow, you don’t see many Fire Nation princesses these days.

Danny: Hm, at least someone with good taste here.

Danny: Have you even read the Fenton articles? Batman? Anyone? No? Remember. Ghosts will always find a way to lie. Your ribbon has no power over me.

~~~

Danny: ..I have a few words for you too, Batsy. Martha says hi. And she wants you to know that " ..if I see a damn clown in the immediate vicinity of one of my grandchildren or if I find out that you or any of the family are on patrol with broken bones, I’ll spank you as soon as I meet you on the other side. Obey Alfred. With love, Mother."

Flash:..Batman, why are you so pale?

Batman: Someone sprayed the fear toxin. Check the ventilation.

Flash:..

~~~

Superman: Stop it! Listen..

Phantom: I liked you when I was a kid, you know? They say it’s better to never meet your idols. Now I see it's truth.

Superman: You shouldn't be doing this alone. We can help you.

Danny: What makes you think I need your help? Don’t be a hypocrite. Why don’t you take off your glasses at the Daily Planet office? And why do you think that you can tell me what to do with my secret identity?

Danny: Don’t worry, I’m dead but my family is fine. I’m not like you, Big Blue. I will not sacrifice the people I love for my murderous secret.

Superman: What are you talking about?

Phantom: Don’t play dumb. In the land of the dead, people like to talk about the past, you know. You told Jonathan he wasn’t your father, and then you didn’t even try to save him. It’s cruel. But you can be happy, Jonathan doesn’t blame you for his death. I do.

The temperature in the room dropped a few degrees.

Superman: I.. I listened to what he said. He was trying to protect me.

Danny: So, how does it feel? Letting him die in front of you, knowing you could have saved him? Do you blame youself?

Superman: How dare you.

Danny: Of course, you do. Because no matter how many lives Superman saves, the most important one to you..You’ll never got it back. Afraid of being a lab rat? Superman is not special. I am not special too.

Danny: Don’t look down at me just because you have more experience behind you. Revealing my identity should be my choice, not yours.

~~~~

Danny: Stay out of my grave. *turns to Batman* You should stay away from your son’s grave too. Leave the past behind.

~Hairstyle. Sharp tongue. Physique. This Insolence.~

Batman: Jason?

Danny: Wrong ghost, old man.

Batman: ...You’re the one who said a ghost would always find a way to lie.

Danny: Pride and prejudice! *shit, I’m starting to swear like Mr.Lancer, It’s time to finish my english essay.* I’m not your Robin. Sorry bout that.

~Jane Austen? No hint more obvious. Jay doesn’t want to deal with the League? Well, Bruce doesn’t mind playing along.~

Batman: I understand.

Danny: Thank Ancients! Anyway, I’m leaving. Don’t look for me.

~~~

Tucker: Wow, Danny, when we told you to take care about the League, we thought you’d do it, like, without turning all of them against you.

Danny: Not all of them. And I didn’t do anything wrong. We talked.

Jazz: Danny, believe me, sometimes a conversation with you can cause more damage to your enemies than your ectoblasts.

Sam: Not just to them. Sometimes I also feel like his ideas are melting my brain.

Danny: Hey! Actually, you should be on my side.

Sam: We should?

Danny: Never mind. But if JL set foot in Amity Park I will sic on Wonder Woman her grandfather.

Tucker: But her Grandfather is Kronos. He’s a creep, trying to eat all his kids. Where do you even know such a monster from?

Clockwork *puts a cup of tea on the table and coughs to attract attention*.

Tucker: Wait a minute...

Tucker: Oh mY GOd, Mr. CLocKWoRk I’m sO SorRy, please don’t kill me.

Sam: Now you’ve changed your mind about importance of a healthy vegan diet, Tucker?

Tucker: ..No, I’m not that desperate.

~~~

~At the same time,somewhere in Ghost Zone~

Martha *teaches Jason to do a choke hold*.

~~~

~At the same time, in one of Amity Park’s alleys.~

Maddie and Jack *discuss ways to capture the Phantom*

Batman *appears behind them*:DoN’t toUcH my the сHiLd.

~~~

Jazz: Don't you think that mentioning Superman's father was too much?

Danny: Maybe.But..when I think about you, mom or dad in dander I can't imagine what would make me freeze and.. It just doesn't make sense, okey?

Jazz: You're still thinking about Dan, right?

Danny: Every.damn.time.

#dpxdc #dcxdp #dannymay2023 #dannymay #Danny Phantom #dp #clockwork is kronos

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sporadicthingcollection · 6 months

Text

Smash or Pass: Part 1/4 (LA!Buggy the Clown x F!Reader)

Summary: It's the last stop before the Grand Line and you slink away for a quiet evening. The universe, however, decides to clown on you. Sequel to Kiss, Marry, Kill. Pairing: LA!Buggy the Clown x F!Reader Rating: Semi-explicit. Warnings: Alcohol, death threats, implied threat of sexual assault. Word Count: ~3.1k.

Mama told me what I should know

"Too much candy's gonna rot your soul

If she loves you, let her go'

Cause love only gets you down!"

---

PART 1: In which you are threatened with a knife, a gun, and a good time.

You thought the night would be fine. You thought no one in this bar would bother you. You thought you’d have a little nightcap or three and head back to the ship. You thought you’d have one last night to spend on your own before sharing a small space with five other people for the foreseeable future.

But nothing worked out as you’d hoped.

As soon as you got comfy at a table in the corner, a horde of rough-looking sailors descended and lit up the place. Loud. Rowdy. Obnoxious.

Ugh. At least they’re not Marines. You can lay low. Sink deep in your chair and focus on your drink.

Gazing into the scrying beer glass, you let your mind wander among the swirls. Thoughts ebb and flow.

Like how you need to remember to get more sutures before you cast off. Or how heavy your fingers feel under all the jewelry. How naked your ring fingers look with no adornment. Your family would be nagging you to get married by now. They’d like Sanji.

But they wouldn’t like that stupid, stupid clown.

He’s been on your mind a lot lately. You hate it. But how could he not be? Made you an offer you had to refuse. You tell yourself it wouldn’t have worked out. Where was he last month when you were looking for an escape? You hope you never see him again.

…but if you did see him again, you wouldn’t complain. He’d probably sidle up to you and say something like—

“Well, hello, gorgeous."

Yeah, that's exactly what he would say.

Wait. That was loud. That wasn’t your thoughts. It can’t be. You turn.

Buggy the Clown grins at you. “Fancy meeting you here, Miss Sawbones."

You dive to the floor as he pulls a knife from his sleeve and throws it at you, sinking up to the handle in the wall. You clamber to your feet, put on your best snarl, and raise your fists.

All eyes are on you and Buggy as you size him up. The clink of chains and scrape of drawn swords sounds all around you. You’re not sure who your allies are, but you’re grateful for the support.

Especially because there’s just as many goons behind Buggy. He looks as surprised as you feel. His stance softens as he glances around. You could get a punch in while his guard is down—

“Hey!”

A gravelly voice splits the very air of the room. Like a child caught in the cookie jar, you freeze. You’re in big trouble.

Buggy freezes too. His shoulders hunch and his eyes go wide. He glances at you, and then to the side. You look in the same direction.

Standing behind the bar is a stout woman in an apron. A cigar dangles from her lips and she wields a wicked glare. Along with a very, very large shotgun.

She points at a big sign hung above the shelves. NO FiTiN IN DaH baR in big red letters on weathered wooden planks.

“‘No fittin’…?'” Buggy mutters.

“If you’re gonna kill each other,” the matron says, “do it outside.”

Due to a sudden lapse in self-preservation, you speak up. “He started it—“

Everyone jumps as she fires into the ceiling. “And I’m ending it. Get along or get out.”

You glance at Buggy. He glances back. You can see the whites of his eyes, even from all the way over here. Slowly, he replaces his knives back into his jacket.

You lower your fists, feeling awful sheepish.

The bar matron nods. “Back to your drinks, all of you,” she says.

You can’t help but feel a little embarrassed as the crowd disperses. You can read. You’re very literate. How’d you miss that?

“Guess we both need glasses,” Buggy says right next to your ear.

You jump and nearly swing on him again, but you pull the punch. You have no interest in being shot tonight. “What the hell are you doing here?!”

“Getting a drink, same as you. Last stop before the Grand Line.” His voice dips low and he leans in close. “And last chance I’ll likely get to cut you and your little captain’s throats.”

You scowl. “Over my dead body,” you growl.

“That’s the idea.” The matron clears her throat loudly. He flinches and pulls back, but the glare remains. “Once you leave, babe— snnckt!” He draws his finger across his throat and his head rolls off his shoulders and into his arms. You yelp and he cackles as he puts it back.

Well, now you’re in it. This wouldn’t have happened if you stayed on the ship, you dumb lush. You could have just drank with Zoro. Or shot the shit with Usopp while he shot at shit. Or let Sanji hit on you while you sharpened his knives. Literally anything would have been better than this.

But here you are. Time to get yourself out of it. Somehow.

"Well, I’m not going anywhere," you tell Buggy. You sit back down at your table. "So get comfy, clown."

He places his hat on the table and plops into the seat across from you. He snatches up the mug -- your mug -- and takes a long, long, long pull. He tips his head all the way back, throat bobbing with every swallow.

You try and fail to drag your eyes away. You like sharp throats.

When it's drained, he slams it back down on the table. He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and how he doesn't smudge his makeup, you'll never know.

“Don’t mind if I do.” He kicks up his boots onto the table. “So what’re we drinkin’? Rum? Ale? Whiskey? Bet you’re a rum kinda gal.”

This is gonna be a night.

---

One bottle in. You glower at him and he smiles back, eyes twinkling in the dim light.

Second bottle. The sun is fully down. He’s started chattering about nothing and everything. Rage roils inside you.

Third bottle. The room slowly spins. He’s still talking. You might leave just so you can strangle him.

Fourth bottle. You flip him the bird. He just giggles.

Fifth bottle. You mix it up a bit and order some shots. The matron brings the glasses and leaves the bottle.

“Hey, the good shit.” Buggy pours two glasses and raises one. “Cheers.”

Something bubbles up in your chest. The urge to speak. You’re gonna say something stupid. You just know it. And you’re just lubricated enough that it slides through.

You raise your glass. “Another day, another bender. No retreat, no surrender.” You toss it back and it scorches your throat on its way down.

Your head is so full of cotton that it takes you a moment to notice the laughter. Strong. Sharp. Bellyful. Contagious. You like that laugh. You’d like to hear more of it.

And then you realize it’s coming from Buggy. He has his head tossed back and his eyes scrunched and he’s letting out the most glorious laughter you’ve ever heard.

Before you can be properly disgusted with yourself, he recovers. “I got one.” He pours another pair of shots and slides one to you. “Here’s to our wives and girlfriends. May they never meet.”

Two more shots tossed back and two more glasses slammed on the table. It’s all going right to your head and the more it does, the more you’re enjoying yourself.

“Everyone knows that one,” you say. You pour. “One drink is good, two at the most. Three I’m under the table, four I’m under the host.”

His eyebrows shoot up, lips pursed into a circle. Then he laughs again. “Workin’ blue tonight! Alright!” Two more shots poured. “It ain’t the length, it ain’t the size, it’s how often I can make it rise.”

You weren’t expecting that and you almost spit the shot out. You hack and sputter as it goes down the wrong pipe, but you recover.

Though now you’re thinking about Buggy’s dick. You should probably stop that. You wonder if it’s small and that’s why he is how he is.

“Y’alright, babe?” He takes a pull right from the bottle and spills some on his chin and shirt. He’s sauced too. Small comfort.

One more comes to mind. You reach across and snatch the bottle. “Now he lays me down to screw.” You pour one shot. “I pray this clown knows what to do.” You pour the other. “If he should cum before I end…” You raise yours. “I swear to God I’ll fuck his friend!”

He stares at you a moment, grinless, just long enough for you to worry. And then it returns with a howling cackle. He slams his glass into yours hard enough to slosh some whiskey out and you both shoot it back.

You stare at each other, giggling like hyenas. Some part of you knows this is ridiculous. You’re getting smashed with a guy who tried to kill you and your friends. Who was just ready to kill you. Who is plotting to slit your throat right when you’re not expecting it.

You just laugh harder. What’s your life come to?

You come back down to see him staring at you, head resting on his hand. "You laugh cute."

“Nuh-uh.” You take a swig from the whiskey bottle. “I laugh like a News Coo.”

“News Coos are adorable!” He snatches the bottle back and takes a pull. “We switchin’ back to rum after this one? Or do we wanna get avden— abvench— adventurous?”

A good question. "Let's go nuts."

"My kinda woman!" He slams the table to catch the matron's attention. "Bring us something strong!"

---

Bottle six is gin. Neither of you like it and you both down the whole thing. Bottle seven, you're back to ale.

On eight, you wonder if the throat-cutting threat was a ruse and he's really just going to give you alcohol poisoning.

At least it's a fun way to go.

"So there I am," Buggy says, "looking at the giant hole in the hull where the cannon once was, holding a cannonball like this--" He jumps to his feet, pops his head off, and clutches it to his chest like it weighs fifty pounds. "--when the first mate himself walks in."

Your jaw drops. "What'd you do?"

"Only thing I could do.” He pauses for dramatic effect. “Threw the cannonball at him!"

He lobs his head to you. You squeal in surprise, just barely managing to catch him before you fall out of your chair. The giggles flow from you like water from a spigot.

He grins as you look at him. "Gotcha," he says with a wink.

Maybe it's the booze. Maybe it's the surprise. Your cheeks heat up all the same. You throw the head back and clamber to your feet.

A moment of clarity hits you as you sit back down. "Why are we drinking together? You wanna kill me."

"It's not that weird. Best drinkin' buddies I ever had tried to kill me. When I tried to skip out on the tab, but... y'know." He takes a gulp from his mug. "’Sides, I like you."

"Why?"

“Barber. Cute laugh. Helluva haymaker." Another swig. “You'd do better with me than that group of losers."

"I am not joining your crew."

He watches the ale swirl in his mug, tracing the rim with his fingers. His lips purse and he glances everywhere but your face.

You try to wait for him to speak, but music catches your attention before he can reply. A lively tune, one perfect for dancing. It looks like some of the pirates pulled out instruments and are entertaining their fellows.

"Aw, I love this song," you chirp. “Luffy’s right, we gotta get us a musician already.”

A chain of dancers sails past. You wish you could hop in, but you’ve got two left feet in ill-fitting high heels when you’re sober on a good day.

Buggy watches you watch them. “Go cut a rug. I’ll watch your shit.”

You shake your head a little too hard and the universe spins. “No way. Can’t dance worth a damn.”

“I’ll give you a hand.” His left hand detaches with a little flourish. “Or two.” Off goes the other one. “Or all of me, if you want.”

“Then who’s gonna watch my shit?”

He blinks, then sits back. “Whatever. I gotta piss anyways,” he mutters. He tries to stand, only for his feet to slip out from under him. “Can I get a hand?”

“Alright, but I’m not helping you aim.” You’re less sober than he is, but you’re drunk enough to try. Hauling yourself to your feet, you offer your hand. He takes it, pulling himself upwards.

And then you see the smile on his face. In a burst of coordination, he pulls you into the throng of people.

Oooooh no. No. No no no. He whirls you around, making your head spin. You step on someone’s foot. “I. Cannot. Dance.”

“Can’t?” He lifts you up, moves you to the side, and places you down again. “Or won’t?”

“Both!”

“Bullshit. Hand here.” He plants your hand on his shoulder and places his own on your—

You slap the smile off his face. Not hard enough to hurt, but enough to make your point. He accepts it.

“Sorry, thought you were shorter,” he mutters. He puts his hand on your waist. Even through his glove, you can feel his warmth. “Stand on my feet.”

“I’m not a child!” You try to pull away, only to collide with a very large man and get knocked back into Buggy. You’re trapped. No way out but to dance.

You know what? Fine. You stand on his feet — making sure to stamp his toes good — and glower at him. “What’s next?”

The smile returns. “Hold on tight, sweetheart.”

You clutch him as tight as you dare. And thank God you do, because soon you’re spinning like a top.

He guides you over and under, side to side, forward and back. And you don’t trip once. Neither of you do. You don’t even feel nauseous. How is he doing this? Is he magic? Is he just that good?

You glance down. Detached from his ankles, his feet support yours as they scoot around. The rest of him glides through the air, guiding you among the other dancers.

It might as well be magic.

"Light off your feet!" you say.

Buggy's chest thrums with a chuckle. Your stomach jumps into your throat as he drops you into a dip just long enough for him to wink at you. "Ain't I clever?"

He pulls you back up and your stomach slides into your boots. The dance continues.

Whirling, twirling, ducking, weaving, bouncing, bobbing… Is this what a dolphin feels like, swirled around by ocean currents? Or a kite, floating on the breeze? Or a princess swept off her feet by a dashing scoundrel?

Somewhere in the recesses of your mind, you ponder what your life has come to. A pirate, dancing on the feet of a clown who tried to kill you and your friends. Who then stole several kisses from you and made your heart flutter and got really drunk with you and now you're a little in lo--

No. Don't say it. If you don't say it, it won't come true. Unless it's the other way around?

It is the other way around. If you say it, you'll jinx it and it won't happen. So you admit it to yourself: you're smitten with this psychotic jackass.

The laughter bubbles forth and it just won't stop. You don't want it to stop. You never want this to stop. This feeling, this dance, this fit of hysterics.

But it must, as all things do. With one final fiddle run, the music stops and everyone applauds. You would join them, but you’re too busy holding onto Buggy for dear life, catching your breath and trying to stop the room from spinning.

“Can’t dance, huh?”

He’s as breathless as you, mouth parted as he takes breaths deep enough to shake his shoulders. Sweat glistens on his face. Glows, even. A few shimmering strands of hair have slipped from his bandanna and stick to his forehead.

What little breath you’ve recovered vanishes from your lungs. Your heart flutters — no, it flaps, like a gull fighting a gust.

You wanna kiss him, but that last shred of self-restraint stops you. “Let’s go again,” you say instead.

His face lights up. “Lemme-- Lemme get rid of this.“

His forearms slip out of his coat and fly to his shoulders, catching his coat as he shrugs out of it. They zip over toward your table. Pretty slick, you admit to yourself.

And then it gets caught on a chair. The arms yank and yank, but it’s snagged good. You giggle.

“C’mon, you piece of…!” He huffs. He pecks your cheek. “Don’t go anywhere.”

He scrambles over to the snag, tripping on every table and chair along the way.

And then you realize he kissed you. Your spine goes rigid.

A tap on your shoulder knocks you out of your stun and you turn. You half-expect it to be one of his hands, but a rather large pirate is there.

“My captain fancies you,” he rumbles. He nods at a smug-looking blond with the worst come-hither face you’ve ever seen. “He would like the pleasure of your company.”

Nnnnno, you think. “Nnnnno,” you say. Buggy has freed his coat and is draining the rest of the bottle you’d abandoned. “Already spoken for.”

The man’s hand engulfs your shoulder and pulls you around. “It wasn’t a request.”

The blond snakes his arm around your trunk, his hand going to your breast. You try to pull away, but the goon’s grip is like iron.

A sharp whistle makes everyone turn. Buggy stands there, arms behind his back. His expression is neutral, but you see his clenched jaw and the bulging tendon in his neck.

“And where are you going with my leading lady?” He’s got the showman voice on. “Our number isn’t over.”

The captain smiles. “I’ll return her once we’ve had our fun,” he says.

He takes a few meandering steps towards them. “Look, gentlemen: we can play this as a tragedy or a comedy. Your choice.”

The goon straightens up. He cracks his knuckles with a chorus of pops. The captain draws a rapier. You’re not sure how well a Chop Chop man handles being stabbed.

Buggy glances between the two of them, nonplussed. “Comedy it is.”

Two disembodied hands slam a bottle over each man’s head. Shards of glass and drops of rum fly everywhere. The pirates’ grips go slack, and you jump away as they hit the floor with dull thuds.

Chaos erupts.

---

⬅⬅⬅ | To the "Curious Courtship" Masterpost | To the Mastahpost | To the Tip Jar | ➡➡➡

#buggy the clown #buggy x reader #buggy x you #buggy the clown x reader #kiss marry kill #one piece x reader #one piece #one piece live action #fan fiction #one piece fanfiction #reader insert #x reader #emberly writes #smash or pass #the curious courtship of buggy the clown

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d-apperc-adaver · 5 months

Text

FORTUNE

Green. Viridescent. It was the first colour his eyes saw and even if we were to take arbitrary guesses, it would be the last he’ll see, for he surrounds himself with green.

At first, it wasn’t ‘bout money. Truly, you could say it was never. It was about the riches of the old farts creation! it was helping and giving, and making art of trees that could conquer even the most steepest plains, that could grow tall and proud, plants of a million kinds each one of them strange or beautiful and birds of the paradise that flew like phantasms whisperings songs of holy news. It was Eden.

He always got attached to objects. I mean, if your parental figure would overlook your help you’d try harder, but cope in the lost moments of loneliness, with what you have left.

He loved his vast forests. But what he loved the most was the big dirt patch the geezer conjured on the more neglected, lower side of the planet, and he made sure that it would get the same treatment as the rest of the creations. But what was most curious about this, is that the objects he got attached to were usually of his own making. Not that he couldn’t accept gifts back then, but he just knew he didn’t deserve them.

And when he got to hell he made the greed ring in its image.Just like the Great Architect did with those humans. Of course he couldn’t replicate it or even get close to the creativity he had back than, his mind was far decayed by insects now.

He used to hate the fact that whatever he did he could not get rid of his siblings teases of how he was acting by the patern of the old geezer, take Fizzarolli and the clown pageant for example. But now he just doesn’t care anymore. He ruined one more bond, no, two. And he could care less.

For now, I can only give you a question, which the answer for might be in this very text :

“What does greedy man want?”

AHOY HOY! authors notrs! Genuinely dont know how to feel about this. So I got my inspiration from “A fallen Family“ by Anglotorn on ao3 (which got recomended to me by a lovely person in the comments of a post here on tumblr) which WAS GREAT (possible bias cause I have an oc that lives in the envy ring with a scottish accent which ties into the respectives story choice to make Leviathan have a scottish accent :] )

But ANYWAY!! Having the sins come out of the mob spawner at the beging of hell is kinda boringgg.🤑🤑🤑 i mean man. Wheres the real deal, ANGST. No owl soap opera melodrama.

And tbh Im a firm believer in “every character should have a reason“ on big choices (like not something out of your control, or talking without thinking, ehich usually has a resosbn too, despite unconscious)

ANYWAYE HOPE YOU ENJOYD GUIZ!!

#mammon meow meow #mammon king of greed #mammon helluva boss #hb mammon #hb mammon x reader #helluva boss mammon #helluva boss mammon x reader

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pianokantzart · 1 month

Text

The One to Blame (Part 3)

Part 1 Part 2

Content Warning: Blood, trauma, graphic description of injuries

______

As the airship rose to the top of the castle where Bowser stood, Mario, Toad, and Princess Peach shared a silent agreement that their only goal at this point was to get Luigi to safety. They soon learned, once they got a better look at the situation, that this would require the difficult task of freeing Luigi from Bowser’s grasp without accidentally breaking his neck, as the koopa’s hand was still clamped down over the man’s face like the teeth of a bulldog. But they had the element of surprise on their side. The appearance of Peach outside of her cage and the reemergence of a “conquered” foe was a dual shock that caused Bowser to lower his guard, and Toad used the opening to launch a cannonball into the koopa king’s shoulder. Incredibly, the impact wasn’t enough to cause any serious damage, but it was enough to elicit a roar of pain as he released his captive to hold his injury. The second Luigi was dropped Mario and Peach rushed in and ushered his limp form to the deck of their airship.

Their greatest stroke of luck was that the warp whistle hadn't been wasted. Early in Mario's journey there was no small amount of temptation to use it to avoid certain dangers they encountered on their way to The Dark Lands, though they knew it was far wiser to save it for the journey back when things would likely be at their worst– which proved to be an understatement. By the time Luigi was on board the stollen vessel, Bowser’s pursuing forces had joined the battle, and the great flying galleon was rendered barely able to stay airborne amidst the damage laid into its hull by the attacking clown cars, bullet bills, and the jet of flames Bowser spat out in rage.

Toad, clinging to the ship’s controls in a struggle to keep them from free falling, blew into the whistle on Peach’s command, and with a shrill tweet the quartet disappeared from Bowser’s view along with the crumbling ship.

In a flash, they reappeared in The Mushroom Forest just outside of Peach’s beloved kingdom. A gentle rain shower had blown in during their absence; another stroke of luck that extinguished the flames of the airship as it finally succumbed to the damage and crashed, toppling giant mushrooms in its path as it landed with a heavy thud in the cool, damp earth. Toad braced himself against the steering wheel. Princess Peach and Mario pressed around Luigi to hold him steady.

Once all was still, save for the sound of falling rain and the creak of the airship as it settled deeper into the mud, Mario was first to act, his greatest impulse being to start carrying his brother toward civilization. When Toad emerged from the driver’s seat and finally got a proper look at the severity of Luigi’s condition, he followed suit, struggling to find some unbroken part of the man by which to pick him up until Princess Peach stopped him with a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“We’ve moved him around too much already. Wait for help to come.”

She pointed to the Mushroom Kingdom in the distance. Toad looked, and could see glimmer of lamp lights already venturing closer– excited soldiers and citizens who had noticed the ship’s appearance from a distance, and were now eager to see whether or not Mario’s mission had been successful.

Toad nodded and stayed put.

Mario, however, seemed blind and deaf to everything except his own misguided determination. He grabbed Luigi under his arms, struggling to lift his dead weight until he caught a good look at his brother’s face, and froze. Up until now, Mario had seen little of Luigi’s features through the fog of adrenaline. They had mostly been either hidden in Bowser’s hand, or masked by a thick layer of blood.

The rain had now washed most of the blood away, though more continued to flow from Luigi’s mouth, nose, and ears, turning Mario’s white gloves a ghoulish shade of pink in his effort to carry him.

Mario's mind– struggling to comprehend what it was seeing– couldn’t help but compare the appearance to smashed bread dough or a dropped cake. He felt lightheaded and distant, like all was little more than a lucid nightmare.

Luigi’s lips, purple, swelled, and split, parted to mutter something that Mario struggled in vain to understand, and in his anxiousness he mistakenly stepped on the ruined remains of the shattered leg, causing the mutter to break into a gargled scream so horrible that Mario panicked and collapsed under his brother’s weight. Toad and Princess Peach acted quickly. They grabbed the duo as they fell, Toad taking charge of Luigi to carefully guide him back down to the floor while Peach wrapped her arms around Mario and pulled him off the deck of the downed ship, away onto the grass at the base of the wreckage. She did so with more aggression than intended. She was expecting a fight, but was dismayed when the plumber numbly allowed himself to be dragged away without resistance, fists clenched and shaking with sobs. Seeing this, she switched tactics. She held him tight and spoke quiet reassurances, struggling to hold back tears of her own. “He’ll be fine. You did it. You saved him. I promise you, with all of my heart, he’ll be alright.” Mario barely heard her over the continued patter of rain. The distant lantern lights rushed closer, rumbling in on a blur of color and voices. There were tugs on his sleeve that were batted away and a few muffled voices saying his name– conversations swelling and falling in volume as his mind drifted. ___

Mario recalled that in the short span of time since he had moved to The Mushroom Kingdom, he became renowned as the one who put an end to Bowser's reign of terror. Naturally, this meant Mario was the first person everyone looked to when Bowser was broken out of prison by his minions and successfully captured Princess Peach during his escape. They gave a lot less credence to Luigi’s abilities. The toads liked him well enough, but he was rarely regarded as anything more than “Mario’s brother.” Up until Bowser’s escape Mario had found this annoying, but when his own reputation came with the burden of responsibility he saw a bright side: Luigi had no obligation to go anywhere or do anything that would put him in danger. Mario had hoped to one day go on adventure with his brother (albeit in circumstances far less dire), but he knew that his own dreams and those of the ever-cautious Luigi were not always going to perfectly align, and this time Mario was determined not to act mindlessly like he did back in Brooklyn when he first started the plumbing business, or when he tried to save the flooding city. He would not throw himself into danger while fully expecting his sibling to follow in his footsteps.

To his surprise, Luigi had already readied a backpack full of supplies the moment he heard word of The Princess’ capture, fully anticipating adventure well before Mario relayed his plan to embark on a rescue mission. He even seemed almost disappointed to hear that the effort was in vain, as Toad already had a pack prepared with the essentials. “Well, it couldn’t hurt,” Luigi shrugged, shoving an extra box of matches into the front flap of the backpack before hoisting the straps onto his shoulders and heading toward the doorway. In the long run, his extra provisions would provide them with only some ramen cups and an extra blanket before the pack met its end in The Seaside Kingdom– grabbed in the beak of a cataquack, ripped from his back, and torn to pieces. But in that moment of preparation, losing spare supplies was the last thing Mario was worried about, and with a determination that surprised even himself he moved to intercept his brother before he reached the doorway. “Wait! Luigi, are you sure you want to do this?” Luigi stopped and stared with a confused expression. “What do you mean?” “This journey is going to eventually take us to The Dark Lands. Do you really want to go back there?” “Ha! no!” Luigi said, forcing a laugh. “But The Princess risked her life to save me. It’s only right that I do the same for her.” Luigi tried to side-step his brother, but Mario mirrored his motions to stay in the way. “We may end up facing up against Bowser again! This time we won’t have any superstar to help us out.” “But I’ll have you, won’t I? And nothing can hurt us as long-” “-As long as we’re together. I know. I know. I just…” Mario trailed off, unable to quite find the words to explain why he was so uncertain. There was more to his hesitation than just a desire to allow Luigi to make his own choices. At this point, his choice his clear. But ever since the incident in the warp pipe (and everything that followed), Mario had become far too aware of the effect his actions had on his brother. He suspected that was why he had this ugly feeling in the pit of his stomach that if they took on this mission as a team, something terrible would happen. Luigi sighed. He gave the tops of his hands an anxious rub before he spoke again. “Look, Mario, I won’t go if you don’t want me to, but first you gotta look me in the eye and say it…” He leaned down so they were face-to-face, and stared at him with a somewhat comedic intensity. “… Just say ‘Luigi, I don’t want you to come with me,’ and I’ll leave you to it. Promise.” In the end, Mario didn’t have the heart to say it. His nagging fear did not outweigh his desire to embark on this adventure with his brother by his side, and part of him knew Luigi wouldn’t have given that ultimatum if he suspected he’d actually follow through. He wanted to come, that much was clear. Who was he to tell him “no”? And it had gone so well up until the end! They were as good adventurers as they were plumbers, if not better. Mario was certain he wouldn’t of gotten half as far as he did without Luigi watching his back, and whenever Luigi was scared or cornered all he needed to do was shout “Mario” and– ___

Before he could finish the thought, Mario felt his heart seize up. His whole body felt in free-fall when he suddenly realized what Luigi had been trying to say earlier through shattered teeth and a broken jaw. Mario. “My name.” Mario looked up from his daze with a frantic desperation. “He was trying to… oh Luigi…” As the world came back into view, Mario saw that there were toad guards scattered about, working on the wrecked airship to unload its artillery and ensure that the fire was fully put out. A few of them startled when Mario moved, most of them giving sympathetic glances before returning to work, but the only truly familiar face to be seen anywhere was Toad. He was holding out his umbrella, dedicating its entirety to shielding Mario from the steadily increasing downpour, paying no mind to how soaked his own clothes were becoming with every passing second. When Toad saw Mario finally recover his senses he couldn’t help but smile with relief as he stepped a little closer.

“Hey! You' okay?” “Luigi.” Mario gasped like he was coming up for air, “Where’s Luigi?” “Don’t worry, he’s safe. The Princess is with him. He’s going to– well, he’s probably at a hospital by now. We can–” He hadn’t even finished his sentence before Mario bolted toward town. Toad tried to fold his umbrella and put it away, but finding he didn’t quite have the time he simply tossed it aside before chasing after his friend, struggling to keep up with the plumber through the heavy rain.

#my writing #the one to blame #Mario #Luigi #Princess Peach #Toad #angst #blood cw #injury cw #Mario Movie #super mario bros #piano can write

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kkpwnall · 6 months

Text

if it wasn’t for bad luck i wouldn’t have luck at all

part two | rated t | 4k words [ part one ]

all my thanks and love for @fragilecapric0rnn for beta reading again. thanks for your help, and for kindly correcting my silly mistakes 💜

Eddie catches all the not-so-subtle winks Dustin throws him every time one of the kids wheedles details about the next campaign out of him, or Robin gets him going on government conspiracy theories, or Steve cracks him up with a bitchy remark.

The kid’s about as subtle as a train full of cowbells crashing into a packed clown car.

But he makes it seem so easy, to just… be their friend. Too easy. As if Eddie doesn’t have a lifetime of reasons not to.

Against his better judgment, slowly but surely, they’re eroding his finely-honed walls. Growing like moss, like ivy between the cracks.

The kids barge in one day arguing at full volume. Steve trudges in behind them and drops into the crummy plastic chair closest to Eddie’s bed, the one usually occupied by Wayne or Dustin. Well, when Dustin’s not going toe to broken toe with his friends over—

“We can’t split the party under these conditions!”

[ keep reading below, or read on ao3 ]

Steve heaves a ragged sigh, and Eddie watches as if entranced by the complicated movements of Steve’s fingers as he alternates pinching the bridge of his nose and massaging over his eyes.

He looks wrung out. When was the last time he got a decent night’s sleep?

“So someone has to pull double duty. We’ll draw straws and rotate every week,” Mike says, like he’s being the pinnacle of reasonableness. Whatever it is, Eddie’s sure he isn’t.

“That’s not fair! We should just pull someone off and make them exempt. Like Nancy or El, someone we need on more useful things.”

“What the hell are you little gargoyles arguing about?” Eddie reaches for his DM baritone and comes up short. Maybe his diaphragm got rearranged with all the rest of his guts.

It still works to cut through the kids’ argument though. Steve shoots him a grateful look.

“We’re trying to decide what everyone in the party would do in the inevitable zombie apocalypse,” Mike hurries to explain.

“Inevitable..?” Eddie glances out the window he can just barely see from his position on the bed.

It’s been weeks since they wasted Vecna, with no sign of his sorry ass returning. No blood and ash raining from the sky, no earthquakes splitting the town apart, and definitely no zombies.

“Yeah, ‘cause see, if we’ve got El on recon, Nancy and Lucas take point with ranged weapons. Argyle’s in charge of foraging and cooking—”

Steve groans and slumps back in the seat as the kids pick up steam again. He’s so dramatic, Eddie can’t help a snort of laughter he covers with a cough. Steve’s got a hand splayed over his face, from his jaw up into his hairline, like he can block out the whole world. Or at least this one conversation.

With hands like that, maybe he can...

“But someone’s gotta stay back and guard the base! And you can’t have one person on watch, what if they fall asleep or get attacked or—”

A stupid little smile curls over Eddie’s lips as he watches Steve out of the corner of his eye while the kids keep arguing.

“We’re thirteen people now, Mike! There’s no way to divide watch shifts evenly between thirteen people and twenty-four hours in a day! Even Holly can do that math!”

Eddie whips around as reality drops on him like a load of every perfidious brick this group has worn down over the past couple weeks.

“What did you just say?”

Dustin gives him a disappointed look, “C’mon, Eddie, I know you of all people can do this math. Thirteen—”

No way. Absolutely not. That cannot possibly be correct. It has to be a mistake. It has to.

Eddie does a headcount, checking them off on his fingers hidden under the thin hospital sheets to double check their math. Someone got counted twice or not at all.

His three Hellfire gremlins plus Lady Applejack and Red. Nancy and Robin and Steve round out the Hawkins crew. Add in Supergirl and Zombie Boy with their whole “saving the world” schtick for an even ten, and now he’s really starting to sweat. Then there’s Jonathan and that guy Argyle. Plus Eddie makes…

“Oh my god, I’ll do it! I’ll be the designated hitter,” Steve half-shouts. The kids just stare at him blankly, and he sighs dramatically, rolling his eyes so hard Eddie’s surprised he doesn’t black out from it. “I’ll take the double shifts in your make believe zombie apocalypse. Happy?”

Steve’s hand, the one that was covering his face, sits warm and heavy over the sheet covering Eddie’s trembling hand. Eddie has no idea how or when it got there, or if Steve even really registers where it’s landed. Not exactly holding his hand, not with the sheet between them, but definitely there. Something to focus on that’s not how he already died and he’s still being fucking haunted by the spectre of his birth.

So no, he’s not happy, and neither are the gremlins. They immediately start shouting over each other to argue with him.

“Out!” Steve starts to rise from the chair, leaning his weight on Eddie’s hand and points at the door with a snap. “Get out! Go bother Max and Lucas with this shit, or I’m not driving your sorry asses back here tomorrow.”

And just like that, Dustin ushers them out, still grumbling and arguing. He shoots Steve a look, but Steve glares him down with a hand on his hip.

The door slams behind them and it’s finally, blissfully quiet.

“Jesus Christ with those kids,” Steve mutters as he reclaims his seat, “It’s like they can’t shut up for five minutes.”

Eddie is silent next to him in the bed, and he’s pretty sure if Steve’s hand wasn’t on his, it’d be shaking. The rest of him is. This clawing, aching, tingling vibration just under his skin. The tremor is coming from inside the house.

He knows better than this, he knows better, what the hell is he thinking.

He needs to stop fooling around and get his act together, or with his luck, there really will be a zombie apocalypse and all of these people will be casualties of it. All because of him.

“Sorry,” Steve says, sheepishly. “This is like, your room. I shouldn’t’ve kicked them out if you wanted them here. You just... you looked like you needed a break.”

“Yeah, I— yeah, it’s fine,” Eddie says on a rough exhale. Takes a steadying inhale. And judging by the bags under Steve’s eyes, “Looks like you could use a break yourself, man.”

“They’ve just been arguing about that stupid zombie apocalypse shit for hours!” Steve throws himself back in the chair and launches into his own rant.

One hand gestures wildly, digging through his hair and underscoring his words, while the other stays where it’s been planted, gently covering Eddie’s. Twitching and flexing occasionally.

He lets Eddie catch his breath. He gives him enough space that Eddie could slip his hand free, could pull away without making a big deal out of it. He has to feel Eddie’s hand by now, he has to. But he doesn’t move away.

Eddie doesn’t move away either.

He doesn’t have a good reason not to. In fact, he’s got nothing but good reasons to pull his hand back and let them both pretend like none of this ever happened.

But Steve’s hand is warm and solid over his, even through the sheet. And where would he put his hand anyway? Where would it go, untethered? If anything, it’d interrupt Steve’s flow, and it really seems like he needs to get all this off his beautifully hairy chest.

“—And they’re acting like it’s such a problem we’ve got an uneven number now!“

“Well they’ve kinda got a point. I mean, with thirteen…” Eddie interjects.

Steve flashes him a broad, cocky smile. “Hey, thirteen’s my lucky number.”

“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” Eddie mumbles, mostly to himself.

Steve hears him anyway. “No, I’m serious! It’s been my jersey number since I was a kid. Like even way back when I was just playing tee ball. Oh, and get this! Somehow, all through grade school, I was number thirteen on the roll call list. Every year! I mean, that’s crazy, right?”

No, crazy is being pulled out of hell itself by the sheer force of will and determination of a guy whose lucky number is thirteen.

This is just too ironic for words. It’s bordering on absurd.

But Wayne’s always tried to tell him truth is stranger than fiction.

Eddie keeps his mouth shut with gritted teeth, holding back a laugh. Or maybe a scream. Either would land him in the loony bin, because once he started, he wouldn’t ever stop.

“And anyway, the way I see it, our luck’s never been better.”

That unsticks Eddie’s mouth.

“What?” he sputters. “Steve, three people are dead, Red and Henderson both have broken bones, and you got chewed on by fucking demon bats!”

Steve shrugs his shoulder loosely, like it’s just the price of doing business. “Yeah, but we actually figured out who’s behind all this shit. I mean like, everything, since ‘83. Since Will went missing and Barb... We finally got answers. And we closed all the gates now, for good. He’s gone. It’s over. And we’re all still here.”

Steve’s eyes slowly trace over Eddie’s own slightly mangled body. Over the tubes and wires snaking out between the bandages wrapped around his arms. Over the one taped across his cheek, until he meets Eddie’s eyes through his lashes. “We couldn’t’ve done it without you.”

Eddie doesn’t have a clue what to say to that. To any of it. The only thing he brings to the table are nerdy references and loud music and a penchant for getting anyone close to him killed.

But Steve makes all that sound like a good thing. Like Eddie is a good thing.

If he keeps this up, Eddie might almost start to believe him.

Steve clears his throat and releases Eddie from the trap of his honeyed hazel gaze, but not before Eddie sees the rosy pink color starting to tint his cheeks. The same heat rising over his own face.

“Sorry man, we’re doing a terrible job of letting you get any rest today. The kids came in here arguing, and then I just went off like that. I can go, if you want some peace and quiet,” Steve pushes the chair back, and Eddie’s fingers twitch under his hand.

Yes. “No, you… you can stay. If you want.” Eddie grabs the remote with his free hand and waggles it at him, plasters on a smile. “Let’s just watch some tv. Put on whatever you want.”

Steve doesn’t look quite convinced, but he does scootch his chair back closer to the bed. “No no no, it’s your tv, man. I know Dustin’s always stealing the remote.”

“C’mon, seriously…” Eddie thinks for a moment until he lands on, “What did you watch when you were home sick as a kid?”

“Uh no, absolutely not.”

“It can’t be that bad.”

“You’re gonna laugh...”

“Cross my heart,” Eddie says, with all the sincerity he can muster.

Steve raises an eyebrow at him, before he blows out an aggrieved sigh. “Alright, look… when I was little, like real little, like younger than the kids, my mom would set me up on the couch with a big blanket with a hot water bottle… And she’d put on General Hospital.”

Eddie presses his lips shut tight to contain his snort of laughter. It still blows his cheeks out though, and there’s a smile he can’t quite keep in.

Steve glares at him, but there’s no heat behind it.

Eddie shakes his head, grinning, “General Hospital it is.”

They surf the channels for a while but can’t find it playing anywhere. Instead, Eddie lands one of Wayne’s old favorite spaghetti westerns, and starts outlining all the tropes of the genre. But it turns out Steve’s grandpa was just as big a fan, and Steve matches him beat for beat as they roast the stilted dialogue.

Eventually, Steve’s eyelids start to droop. His head drops a few times, before he jerks back up, blinking hard. Eddie keeps talking to him, but softer now. Slower. More and more space between each sentence.

Steve’s breath slows and evens out, his chin tucks into his chest and one arm wraps around his stomach. He falls asleep in that uncomfortable hospital chair with his hand still over Eddie’s.

It’s release day.

It’s finally, finally release day. Marked on his calendar and circled in red. Or it would be, if Eddie had a calendar. He’s never been good at keeping up with those kind of things.

The point is, he’s been counting down to this day for weeks. Weeks. But this is it, today’s the day.

He’s already been denied twice thanks to the government goons.

The first time, he was so out of it on painkillers, he didn’t even realize that maybe he should be taking their questions seriously. That one’s on him for answering everything in character as Samwise Gamgee.

The second time though, he’d bet his remaining guitar on petty revenge. All because he wouldn’t sign their stupid NDA without reading it thoroughly first. Or it could have been his demand for more than a pat on the back from Uncle Sam. Eddie wasn’t about to walk away from this all shit empty handed.

But all that’s settled now. He and Wayne got a modest farmhouse with some land, ready and waiting for them just outside of town. His name’s been cleared and the yokels bought the cover story, hook, line, and sinker. And there’s a stipend coming to a bank account with his name on it every month, as long as he keeps his trap shut. It’s enough that Wayne won’t have to work unless he really wants to.

All the doc has to do is sign his release form, and he’s gone. Eddie is leaving today or so help him—

But it’s not the doctor that comes through the door, or even Wayne.

It’s Steve.

With a “knock knock”, out loud, even as he knocks on the door, peeking around it, and beaming when he sees Eddie.

“Wayne sent me ahead with this,” he drops a hefty duffel bag on the foot of Eddie’s bed. “He and Dustin are just finishing up at the house, they’ll be here any minute.”

Eddie balks a little at that, but Steve chuckles knowingly.

“Don’t worry, Henderson’s leaving with me. I had to bribe him with a trip to the comic book store, but at least it’ll give you and Wayne some time to get settled at the new place.”

“Is it good?” Eddie can’t help but ask. Hates how small it comes out. There’s always a chance the suits decided to screw them over.

Steve answers with one of those soft smiles of his. “Yeah, man. It’s great. You’re gonna love it.”

“Good, good,” Eddie says absentmindedly. He has to tear his eyes away and grab the bag, start rifling through it. All the while trying not to wonder who picked out these clothes and who packed them up and—

“I’ll uh, give you some privacy,” Steve says as Eddie pulls out a heavy red plaid and a pair of sweats.

He pulls the curtain around Eddie’s bed between them, but he doesn’t leave. Instead he asks if Eddie wants the latest (and hopefully last) hospital gossip.

“Uh, duh! I gotta know if Luellen’s made a move yet.”

Eddie wrangles his arms inside the hospital gown and pulls it roughly over his head to throw it in a heap in the corner. Ooo-ing and gasping at all the right moments during Steve’s tales of intrigue.

He has to move slower than he wants to, has to take his time and sit on the edge of the bed, dangling his legs to the floor to shimmy into the sweatpants.

And whoever picked the flannel deserves a goddamn Nobel prize. He’s able to slip it on easily without agitating his remaining stitches or lifting his arms above his head. And once he’s got the buttons done up, it’s loose enough not to snag or cling.

Eddie digs around in the bag again and fishes out a pair of slip-on shoes. They’re not his, not his usual style, and definitely don’t go with this getup. But the worn leather is soft, and at least he doesn’t have to deal with the whole mess of bending over to tie them. Or— god forbid— ask Steve to come over and tie them for him.

That’s an ordeal he’s not sure he’d survive.

Whoever packed this bag is getting a fruit basket.

In a soft purple crown royal bag tucked in on the side, he finds his rings and his necklace, and it makes something in his heart clench. Something slots into place, just by sliding the rings back on his fingers, the pick over his head. Whole, in a way he hasn’t felt in a long time.

Screw the fruit basket, they’re getting a whole goddamn orchard.

Eddie’s been quiet for a long moment, not quite keeping up his end of the storytelling experience.

Steve’s gone quiet too, and Eddie’s not sure how long it’s been since either of them said anything.

On the other side of the curtain, Steve clears his throat, and his sneakers squeak on the tile as he shifts his weight from foot to foot.

“Are you decent?”

Eddie snorts out a laugh. “I’m dressed if that’s what you’re asking.”

He catches the tail end of Steve’s eye roll as he pulls back the curtain. He looks Eddie up and down as he comes around. Smiles softly and gets comfortable on the foot of the bed, one leg folded underneath him.

“Ready to go?”

“You have no idea,” and Eddie has to fight the urge not to throw himself back dramatically on the bed. Damn the stitches.

“Yeah, I don’t blame ya. My longest stay wasn’t even half as long as they’ve kept you, and I was climbing the walls by the end of it.” He rubs unconsciously at the scar running through the edge of his eyebrow.

Eddie does not take his hand and pull it away to soothe the aching memory himself. He doesn’t even think about it, really. Definitely doesn’t have to distract himself with an old habit like sliding his rings off and on his fingers.

“What, unseasoned hospital food doesn’t appease your refined palette?” he teases in a haughty voice.

“If I had to eat one more piece of dry, rubbery chicken…” Steve threatens.

“No way, man, the pork chops are way worse.”

They argue back and forth, ranking the rest of the limited hospital menu on a scale of pudding cups to sawdust, and it’s good, it’s easy.

Until there’s a lull in the conversation, and Steve clears his throat and runs a hand through his hair. Sits up a little straighter, squaring his shoulders like he’s psyching himself up.

“Hey so I was thinking… Maybe once you’re all cleared, I can take you out for dinner sometime? I promise it’ll be better than any of this crap.”

Steve looks so earnest, so hopeful, with that confident damn smile curving his lips and his heavy lidded eyes watching Eddie. His hands flex like he wants to reach for him. But he stays still and gives Eddie his space. Must somehow know Eddie would be even more likely to run if he did.

A tight knot of want and can’t claws roughly up Eddie’s throat and he’s pretty sure he stops breathing.

He has to tell him. Knowing Eddie, being friends with Eddie, it’s dangerous. It always has been. He’s let himself indulge in this fantasy for way too long. He has to put a stop to it, now.

It’s more dangerous than Dustin, than Wayne, than Chrissy. Not just a friend but something— someone more.

“Steve…” who Eddie cannot even begin to think about being anything. He won’t.

Eddie Munson is nobody’s happy ending.

“You don’t want— this,” he chickens out at the last second.

Steve’s smile slowly fades and he blinks a few times. His tongue darts out to wet his lips as his head tilts to the side, considering for a moment. “I think you should let me decide what I want.”

And Eddie wants to scream.

This isn’t about you!

But of course, it is. It’s about him, and every single person that’s come before him, and every one that’s sure to come after him, and everything that has and will go wrong.

The words catch in Eddie’s throat, and he can’t say any of them. So he just sits there, frozen and silent and begging Steve to understand.

Steve looks away and lets out a long breath. Not quite a sigh as he shakes his head. He stands and starts heading towards the door.

He turns back before he gets there though, catching Eddie again in his earnest gaze.

“The real question: is what do you want, Eddie?”

And nobody’s asked him that in such a long time. Every day since he woke up in the hospital has been the same. All of his meals are pre-planned and brought at the exact same time, whether he’s hungry or not, whether he likes the food or can even keep it down or not. His schedule, from when to sleep to when to take his meds to when he does physical therapy, has been out of his hands. And then Dustin shows up with whoever he decides to bring with him that day.

Eddie’s been resurrected, but what choice has he really had?

Part of him, this new part of him born from his death and a second chance at life, is just daring him to see how far he can push his newfound luck. To prove once and for all if the curse really is broken.

Eddie’s never said no to a dare.

Steve turns to leave, one hand reaching for the door, and Eddie scrambles to his feet. Takes a few shaky stiff, baby deer steps forward as he calls him back, “Steve—”

He holds Steve’s gaze for an impossibly long moment, tracing the swirls and whorls and questions in his hazel eyes, his freckles and moles and scars.

Go big and go home.

“How about a kiss?” Eddie asks. “For luck?”

Steve’s face morphs through several expressions so fast, Eddie can’t keep track of all of them. He lands on something incredulous, his lips curving upwards in a smirk even as his eyebrows fall and pinch in the middle at the sheer audacity—

But he crosses the room in two swift strides to stand in front of Eddie. Throws a quick glance at the still-shut door, at his mouth, before meeting his eyes again. Eddie barely starts to nod, and Steve’s lips are on his.

His gentle strong hand around Eddie’s elbow reels him in, pulls him closer. Eddie’s lands on his bicep, and the flex of muscle ignites a frisson of sparks under his palm to race through his bloodstream.

Steve’s other hand caresses Eddie’s unblemished cheek. Like he’s something precious. Something to hold onto, something dear.

As far as kisses go, it’s Eddie’s first.

Soft, sure and confident, the kiss is everything Eddie could have ever dreamed of. Hurried— not as in frenzied. Hurried as in greedy. Desperate to steal the breath from his lungs before he’s even noticed it’s missing.

Eddie kisses Steve back with equal fervor, trying to pour everything he has, everything he wants, everything he fears into the movement of his lips, the sweep of his tongue.

Eddie’s hand joins Steve’s on his cheek, keeping him close. An anchor in the tsunami flooding his senses with everything Steve. Cherry lip balm and hairspray, fresh laundry, and the musky hint of sweat underneath it all. It’s intoxicating. Incomparable. Incredible.

And Eddie’s just gonna blame the weeks-long hospital stay for how fast he goes weak at the knees.

Steve’s sure, steady hand in the small of Eddie’s back guides him slowly backwards until his thighs hit the bed again, and he sits hard, breaking the kiss with a gasp.

Eddie reaches for him, eyes wide and staring up at Steve through his lashes, hooking his fingers through his belt loops. Two steps away is too far but Steve wastes no time crowding closer to stand between Eddie’s legs. He gently tips Eddie’s face up with a featherlight touch and kisses him deeply while Eddie holds him firmly by his hips.

Consuming and consumed, devouring and devoured. Wanting and wanted.

When they come up for air, Steve swoops back in, once, twice, and a lingering third time, like he’s reluctant to stop. And Eddie strains his neck to meet him kiss for kiss.

Steve finally pulls away just far enough to sigh breathlessly against his lips, “Is that all you want, Eddie?” His eyes screwed shut tight.

No. Eddie wants everything. For now though, he’ll settle for– “Somebody said something about dinner and movie?”

“Oh so now there’s a movie, huh?” Steve says, but he’s smiling and nudges his nose against Eddie’s.

“Don’t go thinking I’m a cheap date now, sweetheart,” and Eddie’s smiling too. Smiling too much for more than quick kisses that skate across their lips.

With each peck, Eddie schemes how to get Steve’s lips on his again. How to keep him. Keep him safe.

They break apart when the sharp clack-clack of heels echoes down the corridor from Eddie’s room, heralding the doctor’s arrival.

Eddie was born under a bad sign. But maybe here, in this new life, he can make his own luck.

[ also on ao3 ]

#steddie #steve x eddie #stranger things #steveddie #steddie fic #steddie fanfic #stranger things fanfic #stranger things fic #stranger things steve #stranger things eddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #friday the 13th fic #bad luck fic #kk writes

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cod-dump · 1 year

Note

Can we see y/n getting drunk nd boldly flirting everything they see? have 141 along with Rudy, alejandro nd Konig see her chaoticness 🤣 Have a good day! and love your work too 💜💜

Yeeeessssssss! Personally I’m a clown when drunk

Also I hope you dont mind the worst pickup lines that I can think of ;)

________

It was Price’s idea to go out for drinks, so it was his fault that they were in this situation. He bought the first round of shots, and it all lead from there. Y/N was reluctant to drink but once she got started a whole new side of her that no one had seen before revealed itself.

Rudy and Alejandro were the first victims. She sat in Alejandro’s lap without warning, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

“Ya know, Mr. Vargas. They say Disney World is the happiest place on Earth. Well, they clearly never been on your lap before.”

Rudy chokes on his drink and Alejandro’s jaw just drops. Soap and Gaz laugh loudly from wherever they were in the room. Y/N keeps eye contact with Alejandro as she takes his drink and downs it before sliding off his lap and moving over to Rudy.

“Rudy! I have a question for you. Besides being sexy and kicking ass professionally, what do you do for a living?”

Rudy is unable to respond due to shock as Y/N leans close to him, staring at him for a moment before blinking and leaning back.

“Sorry, you’re so hot that I forgot my pickup line.”

Rudy blushes despite the horribleness of the pickup line. Y/N grins and goes for his drink which was left undefended by this point. She takes a sip before choking some, “Oh my god that’s straight tequila!”

Y/N gags as she steps away. She composes herself for a moment, noticing that the music wasn’t to her liking. So she went to the bar to demand that they turn it up. After a moment of harassing the bartender someone comes up to her and gently pulls her away.

Y/N grins at the sight of Price.

“Private L/N, how about you come sit down.”

“Only if the seat is your lap, Captain~”

Her attention immediately goes to his hat and she snatches it off his head before he can get his response out.

“Does the cowboy hat rule apply to you? What do you say, are you up for some tactical insertion?”

Price has to clear his throat at that, unable to look her in the eye. Y/N cackles before running off with his hat. She ends up at a table where Gaz and Soap are. They grin when they see her and offer her a seat between them.

“Someone’s causing some mayhem, eh bonnie?”

Y/N grins and slaps Price’s hat down on the table in front of them. Gaz snorts, “Looks like we owe Horangi money. He did say if anyone was going to be able to take Price’s hat that it would be you.”

Y/N stretches out, “What can I say? I’m the favorite!”

Soap takes a swig of his drink before leaning closer to Y/N, “Say, wanna know why they call me a ‘drill’ sergeant?”

Y/N leans into him, “Only if you plan on putting your gun in my holster ~”

Gaz laughs, “God that’s terrible!”

Y/N whips around to face him, “Feeling neglected, Garrick? Need help dishonorably discharging?”

Gaz can’t help but laugh, color forming on his cheeks. Y/N moves closer to him, “When I’m general, I expect your private to be standing at attention.”

Soap wheezes at that one and Gaz flushes red as he laughs. Y/N joins in on the laughter and grabs Soap’s drink when he wasn’t looking. Their peace is short lived when Y/N sees König and Alex. The grin on her face was comparable to the Cheshire Cat. She excuses herself from Gaz and Soap who were both struggling to breathe. Alex sees her coming first and makes a “oh shit” face. Clearly they were aware of the chaos she had been causing all night.

“Hello, boys!”

König looks at Y/N and visibly braces himself. Y/N knew he would be very easy to fluster so she focused on Alex first.

“Alex, are you aware that Uncle Sam isn’t the only one that wants you?”

Alex forces himself to keep a straight face. Y/N frowns at this. That won’t do. She steps closer and lowers her voice, “Mind if I get a peak at your little battle buddy?”

Alex has a hard time keeping himself from smiling at the horrible joke. Y/N smiles sweetly and steps even closer, “Permission to enter friendly lines?”

Alex gives, “Permission granted.”

Y/N wraps her arms around Alex’s waist and hugs him. Her head was buzzing and she needed a moment to lean on something. Alex sighs and wraps his arms around her shoulders.

“Who knew you had such a wild side.”

The sound of König’s voice seems to restart Y/N’s engine and she pulls herself away from Alex (much to his dismay) and turns her attention on the large man. König’s eyes widen and he steps back, unsure of what was about to come out of Y/N’s mouth.

“Is that a gun in your pants or are you just happy to see me?”

One shot and König was down. Y/N couldn’t see his face due to his mask but his eyes told her everything she needed to know. Plus he immediately covered his crotch with his hands in response. Y/N laughs and is about to say something else despite knowing König couldn’t handle another pickup line (no matter how cringey they were) when the sound of heavy boots gets her attention.

She turns and there stands Ghost. She was honestly surprised considering she was unaware he even came with them to the pub since he was incredibly antisocial.

“Lieutenant!”

“You have been trouble all night. Captain told me to come deal with you.”

Anyone else would’ve known that the jig was up the moment they saw Ghost. But Y/N was a different story. Alcohol wasn’t called liquid courage for nothing. She looked at Ghost’s hulking frame and saw a challenge. She grins and Ghost’s eyes narrow in response. This was going to be fun.

She steps forward daringly and hooks a finger through one of the belt loops on his pants and attempts to pull him closer. He doesn’t budge but that doesn’t deter her.

“Say, LT. How about we ditch this joint and go have some private drills. Just you and me… Unless you want a third~”

Ghost scoffs and grabs the back of Y/N’s shirt and starts to lead her through the bar.

“Is this a yes?”

Ghost says nothing and keeps walking. Y/N grins and grabs a drink from passerby and downs it before Ghost could take it from her. Her energy was finally weaning and she started to drag her feet. Ghost catches her as she trips.

“You’re so strong~!”

Ghost goes to say something before Y/N promptly passes out right there. Ghost groans and picks her up and throws her over his shoulder as Price walks over.

“I think it’s time we left.”

“Definitely… did she tell you what she did with me hat?”

Ghost let’s out the world’s shortest laugh before turning and leaving the pub. It would be a miracle if Y/N remembered anything from tonight, let alone what she did with Price’s hat.

#thanks for the ask <3 #cod mwii #john soap mactavish #simon ghost riley #modern warfare ii #john price #call of duty #modern warefare ii #alejandro vargas #rodolfo parra #kyle gaz garrick #könig #x reader #fic #fanfic

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cherrycocaineee · 1 year

Text

32. Joker - Tell Me Again

* Warning: I incorporated characters from both Suicide Squad and Gotham, some violance, attempted sexual assault, some blood, kissing, legal age gap, bullying, whatever else is considered a warning because I’m bad at warnings *

* Paisley’s p.o.v *

Wet sneakers squeaked harshly against the tiled school halls as students made their way through the building. It was the end of the school day, and rambunctious teenagers were shuffling their way out of the building to enjoy the start of their weekend plans. I was shoving books into my backpack while listening to Freddy go on and on about his family’s plan to travel to Long Island and visit their ailing grandmother. Freddy had mentioned to me, through tears, that he wasn’t sure when she’d pass so they wanted to spend as much time with her as physically possible. Even though I knew I should have been listening more closely, I wasn’t really interested in hearing Freddy tell me about his weekend plans for the third time today. Instead, I just kept placing my belongings into my bag while mindlessly tuning him out, only humming once in a while to make him think I was more interested than I actually was.

“You aren’t really listening, huh?”

“Mm-hm.”

The sound of my locker door closing snapping me out of my daze as my eyes widened at the realization that he had asked a question. He was watching me with a slightly arched brow.

“Sorry,” I apologized, slinging my bag over my shoulder.

“No apology needed,” he laughed, “I’ve been going on and on about my weekend plan, I never really asked you what yours was.”

“Nothing really. Probably just sit at home, watch some boring drama, and read.”

Of course I had plans but they were with the Joker so I couldn’t just give that out. I’ve done pretty well so far in hiding my relationship with the criminal clown and I planned on keeping it that way.

“You could always come with me to my grandmother’s, if you want,” Freddy offered.

“That’s okay,” I assured him, smiling kindly, “sometimes it’s nice to spend the weekend alone. I’m able to relax and ease the stress from the week.”

“I can understand that. You know it’s only been a month since you’ve been allowed to come back to school. I never asked how you were feeling.”

He didn’t ask, so I never bothered telling him. Honestly it was stressful; there were a lot of things I had to catch up on even though it didn’t feel like I’d been gone for long, and despite the class load I was catching up on, there was also the problem with Daniel and his friends eyeing me down every chance they got. One time I even thought they had followed me so I made a detour from my house to the police station.

“Maybe it’s just me,” I muttered, “but since I’ve been back I feel like Daniel and his friends have been watching my every move.”

As if right on que, just as Freddy and I walked out of the school building, we saw Daniel standing by his friends staring at me. His arms were folded across his chest, and while most of his wounds had healed, there were still some deep, purple bruises on his face. The bad bruises would take longer than a month to completely go away.

I could hear Freddy visibly gulp as well as gripping the straps of his own book bag.

“He might still be mad at you,” Freddy said, causing me to look at him, “you know, because you embarrassed him when you beat him up.”

“He started it.” I couldn’t even stop the childish words coming out of my mouth even if I wanted to even if it was technically true.

Freddy and I started walking towards the street so we could head to my house and do some homework. He didn’t have homework, no one normally did during the weekend, he was just kind enough to help me with the work I missed. It wasn’t that I needed the help, honestly I could finish the work all alone, I just didn’t want to. On the way back to my house, we stopped at Starbucks to get a little pick me up since it’s been such a long, drawn out day. Freddy got his normal order which was an iced coffee with almond milk and caramel drizzle while I got my typical, boring order: a vanilla, iced latte with caramel drizzle. I guess we both loved caramel. With our coffee in hand, Freddy and I made our way down the block to my place. I was fortunate to have a Starbucks so close to where I lived; it made it easier to get a cup before my therapy sessions or when I wanted to study, a nice place to relax outside of my bedroom.

I pulled my keys out of my bag and unlocked my door, letting Freddy go before me so I could relock the door once inside.

For the next few hours, Freddy and I tackled the piling pieces of school work that was crowding my bedroom desk. Fortunately for me, we were able to get most of it down because Freddy remembered going through them in class and was able to tell me about it. By the time he had to leave, I had ten more assignments to do out of the thirty. So overall, it was productive and time well used. When Freddy was gone, I stayed in my room waiting for my dad to come home. He always came home before going back to work and spending the next two days there.

I picked up my phone and went to my messages with the Joker, silently thanking that my dad wasn’t the type of parent to snoop through my phone when I was asleep. As I smiled down at the previous message he’d sent me, just a simple goodnight, I sent him a new one. It had been a while since the last time we spoke; a week if I remembered correctly.

Paisley: Where should I meet you tonight?

It was short and to the point which was the result of many of our messages. And unless he was busy working, he always messaged back incredibly fast. A little ding came from my phone, the flashing light telling me that I had a message.

Mister J: The park.

Short and to the point.

He didn’t even have to tell me which park, I already knew he meant Gotham Park. It was normally dead in the evening time, no one bothered to go there because the woods made it incredibly eerie for the average person.

Just as I finished reading his message, the front door was opened and closed. I could hear the sound of my dad’s heavy shoes assaulting the carpeted ground as he made his way into the house. He’d be here for almost an hour so he could make himself a lunch box that would last for the next two days, gather some clothes in case he started smelling too ripe for his and his colleagues liking, and whatever else he’d need. I left my phone on my bed and made my way down the stairs, just wanting to see him before I couldn’t.

He stood behind the kitchen counter already preparing himself a sandwich. His eyes looked up at me when he noticed I was standing at the entrance.

“How was school?” He asked.

There was no warmth in his words, and I knew he wasn’t asking because he cared, he simply wanted to make sure I wasn’t stirring up trouble again.

“It was okay,” I answered, “I’m catching up on everything I missed.”

“Good.”

He turned around and opened the fridge, pulling out the Dijon mustard then going back to his sandwich. I sat down at the kitchen table and folded my hands in front of me. I liked our relationship more when neither of us spoke to each other. It was almost as if we were normal, that we didn’t harbor any dark secrets from our friends. It was almost as if he loved me again.

“I’ve been thinking,” he muttered, catching me off guard, “maybe we should leave Gotham.”

My eyes widened in shock. I pushed a bit of my blonde hair out of the way.

“Wh-where would we go?” I questioned.

“Back to Texas.”

“What about mom?”

I could see his bicep flex as he clenched his jaw which was a normal sign that he was getting annoyed with all of my questions.

“Don’t worry about your mother.”

“Don’t worry about mom? You’re talking about leaving Gotham! Does that mean you’re leaving her too!?”

“Paisley!”

“No! You always do this! You never want to tell me anything and that isn’t fair. It’s normal for me to have questions! That’s a normal family!”

He slammed his butterknife down and glared at me, “we aren’t a fucking normal family!”

He came around the counter inching closer and closer to me. I took several steps back until I was standing in front of the kitchen entrance again. My tiny fist balled into a fist as I felt waves of anger and fear. It was never my intention to piss him off, I just did that naturally by still existing. I watched as his nostrils flared, his dark, cold blue eyes staring down at me before a quiet sigh left his mouth.

“Go to your room, Paisley,” he said, “I don’t want to see you.”

“You never do,” I muttered, turning on my heel and running up to my bedroom.

I laid on my bed, my arms spread out as I stared up at my rotating ceiling fan, listening to the noises coming from downstairs as I waited for him to leave. In the meantime, I thought about what he said about leaving Gotham. There were so many things running through my head: Would mom be coming with us? Would he be divorcing her if she can’t come home with us? What about my siblings? What about the Joker? He surely wasn’t going to be okay with that at all. He’d made it pretty clear that I wasn’t allowed to leave, that I practically belonged to him now. But I couldn’t not tell him, he’d find out eventually if my dad was serious about the move. There was also the question as to whether or not everything would go back to normal. Would I be beaten almost everyday like I was here? Would everything be normal again? I just didn’t know and he wasn’t going to tell me.

About an hour later, I finally heard my dad leaving the house. He wasn’t going to tell me bye, and I was use to that, so I waited until I heard him pulling out of the driveway. When he was gone, I peered over at my alarm clock and saw that it was almost nine o’clock. Who would have thought time would go by so quickly?

I shot the Joker another message saying that I was heading to the park, not even bothering to check his message when I heard the ding echo throughout my bedroom. Instead, I brushed out any knots in my hair and touched up on the small amount of makeup I’d chosen to wear today. Opening my drawers, I took out some clothing for the weekend and placed them into my bag. I just used my school bag, it didn’t make people wonder why I was out so late; they either thought I was heading to the library or coming home from the library. People in Gotham were nosy. After I sprayed myself down with some of the Joker’s favorite perfume, a perfume that he kept in stock in case I ran out which was nuts considering it was pricey, I gathered the rest of my staying the night items and headed out the front door, locking it behind me. I peered down at my phone, reading the message the Joker sent me, before being on my way. For the first time in a long time, I was happy and there was a genuine smile on my face.

Halfway to the park was when the real problem started.

“Well, well.”

My body froze and I refused to take another step forward. I immediately recognized the voice, and I nearly cursed myself outloud for not paying better attention to my surroundings. Turning slowly, I came face to face with Daniel and only one of his four friends. That was a relief in itself.

“Paisley Mayflower,” he chuckled, “what are you doing out so late?”

“Fresh air,” I lied, “not that that’s any of your business.”

The longer it took for me to see the Joker, the more aggravated I grew. Which I’d learned wasn’t a good thing, even my therapist noticed it when she tried to hint at something I didn’t want to talk about. Boys, my family, my dad.

“That mouth of yours is gonna get you in trouble one day,” he hissed.

“What do you want?”

“Payback really. Getting your ass kicked by some psycho freak who’s barely even 5’5” does some harm to your reputation.”

“Especially when that person’s a girl,” his friend added, not really helping much.

Daniel glared at his friend, who merely shrugged his shoulders. I rolled my eyes. There wasn’t enough time in the day for me to deal with this. And even if there was, I didn’t want to. However, taking my eyes off the violent person in front of me was never a good idea so I had to mentally cuss myself out again when I felt a hand wrap around my neck. He was squeezing pretty tight too, and I could feel the air being pulled from my lungs. They felt like they were on fire too, a burning sensation covering my entire body as my vision started to blur. Mustering as much energy as I could, I slammed my knee into his crotch making him drop me. A sharp pain shot through my wrist as I landed on my ass, catching myself with my hands. My bag slipped off my shoulder momentarily but I just shoved it back into position. Daniel was cradling his crotch as his friend tried to make sure he was okay. It was a tough blow. While they were distracted, I climbed to my feet and took a few steps back.

“Stop fucking worrying about me,” Daniel hollared, “and grab that bitch!”

“Right.”

When his friend looked up at me, I took off running. I could hear the sound of their shoes slapping against the pavement as they chased after me. I was surprised that Daniel was even able to run after that.

I could feel a bruise forming on my throat, a burning itch in my skin even when I swallowed, trying to moisten my dried esophagus. People watched as I was being chased by two much larger men, no one stepping in to do anything. I just needed to reach that damn park.

As if my prayers had been answered, I made it to Gotham park. I didn’t think they’d follow me in, no one ever came here in the middle of the night. I barely stopped running when I was tackled to the ground, pain bolting through my body as someone heavy sat on top of me. Daniel turned me to face him, throwing my backpack to the side while pinning me down with only one of his arms. His friend, seeming frightened once he realized where they were, stood behind him panting.

“Get off of me!” I screamed, thrashing myself around.

“You’re gonna fucking regret that, bitch!” He sneered, “Guess you need to learn a lesson.”

He started lifting my shirt up and as I tried to scream and pull away, one of his hands clamped over my mouth. My screams were muffled, tears started to spill from my eyes. It was too dark for anyone to notice, and no one would because they avoided the area completely. All I could do was wait. This would either happen before the Joker got here, or he’d walk in on it. Until then, I tried to fight him off as his hands wandered over my exposed chest before trailing down to my jeans. I squeezed my eyes shut, everything going numb until the sound of a gunshot rang throughout the park. Daniel’s movement stopped as birds took off from the trees. Daniel turned around and I peered over to see his friend on the ground with a bullet through his head.

“Holy f-fuck,” Daniel whimpered.

Standing beside the deceased was the Joker; his gun pointed at where the other boy had stood, his arm still hanging in the air as his dangerous eyes stared deeply into my own. I could feel the inside of my chest throbbing painfully.

“Joker,” I choked out, my voice strained from the lack of air and screaming.

It was loud enough for Daniel to hear but not loud enough for the whole world. Daniel turned his attention to the tattooed criminal standing an inch or two away from one of his closest friends' unmoving body. His scared eyes widening at the sudden realization of who murdered his buddy. The Joker’s eyes wandered over to him watching as Daniel tried to put some space between himself and the clown. I pulled my shirt down, wincing at the sudden movement as I felt the aftermath of being tackled and manhandled. Pulling myself into a standing position, fighting every urge to burst into tears with each aching movement, I looked at Mister J. My face felt sticky and wet with fresh tears. The Joker let his hand drop as he made his way closer to me, Daniel watching every step with fear. Getting up to run would be a bad idea, it would just make the Joker kill him instantly. Though I guess it didn’t really matter because he was going to die either way.

Mister J lifted my chin up with his rough hands, they were cold to the touch. His eyes looked over my entire body taking in all the damage. They lingered a little bit at my neck before he used his thumb to wipe something off my face; I thought it might have been tears he was wiping away but when he pulled his thumb away, I saw fresh blood. He pulled his hand away, and despite his hand being cold, I missed the subtle touch, wanting desperately to pull his hand back to my face. The Joker turned his attention to the still frozen high school boy.

“Mmmm,” he hummed, approaching Daniel like a predator, “What do we have here?”

Daniel couldn’t even talk, his mouth was only hanging open but no sound came out. I didn’t blame him, up close the Joker was incredibly intimidating. Mister J squatted down beside him, close enough that he could reach out and grab him. His decorated gun grazed the tip of Daniel’s shoe. I wiped my face feeling the blood under my nose.

“Cat got your tongue?” The Joker muttered, tapping the gun against the tip of Daniel’s shoe.

“We…we were just messing around,” Daniel said, his voice quivering, “isn’t that right, Paisley?”

Daniel’s eyes shifted over to me, pleading for me to save his life. The Joker craned his head back waiting for me to answer Daniel’s question.

“Well doll?” He questioned, “Should I let the poor boy go because you were only playing?”

I couldn’t help myself and inadvertently rolled my eyes.

“What a stupid question?” I snapped, gesturing to myself before crossing my arms, “Do I look like I was playing around?”

“P-Paisley,” Daniel stated, “come on. We were just fooling around with you.”

But I ignored him, instead, I went over to my discarded backpack and picked it up then swung it over my shoulder. Joker reached over and ran the gun against Daniel’s chin, his painted red lips stretching into a wider, mischievous smile. His silver teeth sparkling in the bright moonlight.

“Hmm. I think I’ll take ya home with me. Have a little fun with ya. After all, I can’t have you running around terrorizing my sweet, little girl.”

Daniel was quick to his feet and started taking off towards the street, his eyes darting back ever so often to see if the Joker was following him. And Mister J wasn’t. He didn’t run after his prey, that just wasn’t him. So I was surprised when Daniel ran right into Frost and some more of the Joker’s henchmen. I couldn’t help but wonder where they came from. Were they waiting over there this whole time? Frost lifts a black pillow case up and wraps it around Daniel’s head before allowing one of the other henchmen to knock him out, using the butt of their gun. Daniel’s body crumbled to the ground and all Frost did was point, telling them to deal with him. No one argued, they just did what he said. While they did that, Frost nodded his head towards Mister J and walked away with the others. That left Mister J and I alone.

“Let’s go, doll,” he stated, not even looking at me as he headed over to his parked, purple Lamborghini.

I didn’t argue, I just ran after him ignoring the waves of pain bolting through my body.

* Joker’s p.o.v *

The entire car ride back to my place, I watched Paisley out the corner of my eye as she tenderly touched the forming bruise wrapped around her neck. The darker it got, the more it looked like a handprint. Just the sight of it made my fingers tighten around the steering wheel. She hadn’t told me that prick had been bothering her, and now look, she was all marked the fuck up. And that wasn’t even the concerning part of it all; if I hadn’t showed up when I did and came to her rescue, that piece of shit would have done more than just fondle her. I didn’t keep the bastard alive because I wanted to save Paisley from seeing me kill him, no, he was only alive because I planned to do all sorts of heinous things to him. Before he died, he was going to beg me to kill him.

When we arrived, I told Paisley to wait for me upstairs in the bedroom as I went with Frost and the others to my special room that I normally kept prisoners in. Just as he began to wake up, Frost had finished tying him to the chair and removing the black hood off his head. He blinked a few times as he searched his surroundings, his eyes finally landing on me and Frost.

“What’s his name again?” I grumbled, approaching him.

“Daniel Anderson,” Frost answered, “he’s that boy from the video that was on the news a month ago.”

That much I knew.

I gripped his dark brown locks between my scarred fingers and yanked his head back so that he was looking into my eyes. There were fresh tears forming over his waterline as he tried to force himself not to burst into tears. It was very manly of him.

“Almost in tears,” I grinned, “I have to applaud you for trying so hard to be brave despite the position you’re in. Though manliness won’t be getting you out of it.”

“P-please,” he pleaded.

“P-please,” I mocked, laughing menacingly, “pathetic.”

I threw him back causing him to topple over in the chair he was strapped to. A quiet thud filled my ears as I heard the sweet sound of my new toy whimpering, silently praying that he’d be saved. Unfortunately for him, no one, not even Batman, would be coming to his rescue.

In my bedroom, I saw Paisley staring at the large window that overlooked a lot of the city. My house was far from Gotham but not far enough that you couldn’t see it from my high up window. It was a pretty view but definitely not as pretty as the one I was staring at right now. At the sound of my footsteps, Paisley turned to me with a grin on her face. I didn’t move, instead, I extended my arms out welcomingly and she ran into them. Her arms wrapped around my neck while her legs tightened around my torso.

“Even all bruised up you look pretty,” I chuckled, “shame I had to get you this way though. Poor girl.”

Her fingers ran through my styled, green hair causing it to come undone. Her pretty, ocean blue eyes never tore away from my own eyes, her smile never leaving her face as she took in everything at once.

“I’ve missed you,” she whispered, her lips dangerously close to mine.

“I’ve missed you too, doll,” I muttered, leaning forward, letting my lips graze hers, “How long do we have together again?”

“Two days.”

“Not long enough.”

And just like that, I saw the light in her eyes disappear as she dropped to the floor. Her hands stayed securely on my chest as she looked away from me. I lifted her chin, forcing her to look up at me. We didn’t say anything just yet, I just walked causing her to move backwards towards the bed. Sitting down on the edge of the thick, king size mattress then pulled her to sit on my thick thigh. She was so much smaller than me, barely even covering up my leg when she was sitting.

“Something the matter?” I questioned.

“My dad,” she answered, learning a while ago that I didn’t like liars, “he wants to leave Gotham and go back to Texas.”

My grip on her thigh tightened causing her to flinch a bit in pain but she never pushed my hand away. I grinned, remaining as calm as possible.

“He can leave all he wants,” I stated, “but you aren’t going anywhere. You made a promise.”

“I don’t want to go anywhere,” she replied, “I was hoping you’d have a plan to keep me here.”

“Of course I do.”

Of course I did. If that bastard was planning on leaving Gotham with her while she lived under his roof, then I was just going to have to snatch her up right underneath his nose. Slowly but surely I’d just have to move her in, have her disappear so that no one could find her. Anything to keep her here with me.

“But we’ll talk about that later. Right now, just relax.”

Paisley nodded her head, her blonde hair bouncing at the sudden movement. A smile returned to her face as she tackled me to the bed with a soft laugh leaving her lips. I chuckled softly, letting her have her moment on top of me. The smile on her face never left as she played with my hair once again. After ten minutes, I flipped us over and pinned her onto the bed; one hand tangled into her hair so she couldn’t look away while the other caressed her chin as my elbow kept me from putting all my weight on her.

“Mister J,” she said, her voice soft.

“Hmm.”

“I love you.”

Her words made my heart throb, it was a different feeling compared to before Harley died.

I leaned forward, letting my nose touch hers, our lips incredibly close.

“Tell me again.”

“I love you.”

There was no hesitation when she said it, it was like she already knew what she wanted and she wasn’t afraid to claim it. I let my lips touch hers fully. She moved them in sync with mine, her eyes fluttering close as we kissed. I swiped my tongue over her bottom lip, earning a sweet moan from her. Her fingers tugged at my hair as the kiss deepened. I pulled away, causing her to whine a little.

“Again, doll.”

“I love you, Mister J.”

I sighed contently before dipping my head back down, allowing my lips to engulf hers all over again. I pulled her close to me, her chest pressing against my own and I couldn’t help but notice her size all over again. God, she was so little against me. When I pulled away again, I noticed that a bit of the red from my lips rubbed off on hers. I just ignored it, nudging my head into the crook of her neck and pressing wet kisses against it. Her fingers dug into my bicep.

There was a knock at my door and I growled against her skin, opening my eyes and seeing the red on her purple neck.

“What?” I growled loudly, keeping Paisley pressed against me.

“Boss,” Frost’s voice called on the other side of the door, “you shouldn’t keep your prisoner all night. Someone will be expecting him home, so we have to get rid of the body quickly.”

“It’s always something,” I muttered, hauling myself off of her, “I’ll be right back. Stay put.”

Paisley nodded her head, not moving from her position as I walked towards the door. I straightened myself out before opening the door. Frost wasn’t standing in front of my door when I opened it so I assumed he went back down to the prisoner. That was fine with me.

“One more time,” I said to Paisley.

She sat up, placing her hands prettily in her lap as she crossed her legs.

“I love you.”

*Tag list* @w4nt-h1s-d1ck @leaveitbythewave @ellatitanium @gaymistakeboi @erika-solic @amirra88

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noproofread · 4 months

Text

Half a Heart

spoilers for dressrosa‼️

corazon x gn!reader

this is fluffy and so angsty im so sorry. i really put my writing cap on for this one. part two will be coming eventually :)

word count: 2,131

part 2

You stared down at the desk in front of you, full of monitors and loose forms. Your coworker was entering information from a pile of their own into the computer in front of them. The clicking of the keyboard mixed with the hushed chatter of the waiting room flooded your ears, momentarily causing you to zone out. “Hello?” a voice called out from behind the reception desk. You looked up to see a tall man with clown-like makeup. He smiled at you as you met his eyes, you smiled back. He had such a pretty smile. He had a cigarette hanging from his lips, he was wearing a black feather coat and a burgundy hat. His ruffled blond hair peaked through and his eyes were covered by a pair of dark sunglasses. He seemed intimidating but his smile made you feel comfortable and safe. Snapping away from your thoughts you placed your hands on the desk “Do you have an appointment?” you asked. The man’s eyes scanned the room, he gestured you to come closer.

Every part of this interaction would normally be a red flag. However, there was something about him that made you feel like you wouldn't be in any danger. He seemed trustworthy somehow. You leaned in closer, still sitting at the desk. The man also leaned forward and whispered “I have a child here with white lead disease. We’ve been to a few hospitals but they haven’t been very… helpful.” You stood up and saw a young child next to him. His skin had blotches of white and he seemed tired. The child’s eyes remained glued to the floor, his face covered by the spotted hat he was wearing. You nodded at the man, understanding the severity of the situation. You had heard of white lead disease before. There was a doctor in your town that was adamant on curing it. He was your mentor, a father figure. It was why you chose to work in hospitals. You also knew that people thought white lead disease was contagious, even though it wasn’t, he taught you that. You smiled at the man and grabbed a form, handing it to the man. As he reached for it you whispered “Just fill in any allergies or other health conditions. You don't need to put any other information down, I’ll deal with it.” The man smiled at you and grabbed the form from you, beginning to fill it out at the desk.

He took off his sunglasses and placed them in a pocket on his pants. You couldn't help but stare at him. Aside from the makeup, you could tell he was an attractive man. His eyes were focused on the form, occasionally asking the child questions. You knew they weren't related, but the child’s lack of fear reassured you that he wasn’t in any danger. The man handed you the form and smiled at you. You glanced at the paper, reading out the name “Law” as the patient name. The man retreated from the desk and took a seat with the child. You got back to work. Organizing your side of the desk and inputting details into the screen in front of you. Occasionally, you would look over and watch the man with the child. You observed quietly as he lit up with every interaction he had with the child. The child would bicker with him but it didn’t seem to bother him.

You heard a nurse call out the name “Law”, prying you out from your mountain of work. You watched as the child looked at the man, he gave the kid a reassuring look and then stood up to guide him towards the double doors. The man briefly looked in your direction, smiling as he walked through. You looked down, slightly flustered, and smiled without looking at him. You assumed he had gone in already and continued working. Flashes of his smile replayed in your mind as you carried on with your work. It wasn’t long before sirens rang throughout the hospital. A voice boomed through the intercoms, explaining that a child with “contagious” white lead disease had been spotted in the hospital. Chaos quickly followed as patients and the people in the waiting room scattered to the nearest exit. You acted on instinct and ran through the double doors leading to the same hallway Law and the man had gone through just moments before.

You ran frantically, passing countless nurses and doctors running towards the exits to get away from the “diseased” child. You spotted the man, he wasn’t as stealthy as he thought he was. Aside from his makeup and his 9.5ft tall stature, he was tripping and falling. He stood out. You ran towards him, following him towards the nearest exit as he hadn't seen you yet. “Wait! uh-” You didn't know his name. You recalled the child’s name, “Law!” you yelled as the outside air hit you. Law stopped and turned towards you, gesturing to the man to do the same. He did. You ran up to them, trying to catch your breath as you reached them. This was so unlike you, to care so much about this specific child and this specific man who you barely know. You see so many patients coming and going from the hospital, but there was something drawing you to these two. You wanted to help the child, maybe you could do what your mentor couldn’t. You wanted to know who this man was. Why he scared you yet made you feel safe. They watched you for a while, waiting for you to compose yourself.

The man reached out to grab your hand. You let him. You straightened up and met his gaze. He offered you a smile, “I’m Corazon.” He said. You smiled back at him. He suddenly pulled you as he began running again, grabbing onto Law as well. Before you could ask what and why he was doing this, the hospital exploded behind you. The sound was loud and the ground shook beneath you, causing you to grab onto him tighter. You never really liked working at that hospital anyway, your coworkers and superiors had this pretentious air about them that you never really liked. You realized how tightly you were holding Corazon’s hand and how close you were to him following the sound of the explosion, you loosened your grip a little. He chuckled under his breath, reaching a safe spot under a bridge. Panting, you turned to face him. You hadn't let go of his hand and neither had he. “Well, Corazon…” He smiled as he looked at you. You felt warm but attempted to shake the feeling off. “I was going to ask if you’d let me help you and little Law over here in finding some kind of treatment.” You smiled at Law, who stood with his arms crossed and a pout on his face. Corazon scanned your face, looking for any sign to not trust you. Not finding any, he squeezed your hand prompting you to look back at him. “You probably know more about medicine than I do. It would be helpful if you came along with us.” Your heart was pounding, you didn’t know if it was anxiety or excitement but you liked it. You made a life changing decision and you were sticking by it.

Law tugged on Corazon’s jacket, pulling both of you out of your moment. He let go of your hand, not realizing he had been holding it this whole time. “Can we please go? I don’t want to be here anymore” Law whined, you figured he was upset about how he was treated at the hospital. Corazon bent down to his height, patting his head and laughing at the young child’s complaint. “I’m sorry this hospital wasn’t useful. Let’s go find a better one.” He reassures Law and begins walking towards the west coast of the island, signaling for you to follow them. The sound of your footsteps mingled with the shocked conversations of the residents and the sirens leading to the hospital that no longer stood. Corazon glanced back at you occasionally, soothing your wandering thoughts. You reached a small boat that you assume they had been using to travel. The weight of your decision to join them had just started to hit you, and yet you weren’t scared. You knew you would be fine, you felt it. Corazon offered you his hand to take, helping you board the small boat. You took a seat next to Law, facing Corazon. You sighed, not a frustrated sigh, but a sigh that allowed you to leave behind the life you knew. A sigh of relief at the thought of you following in your mentor’s footsteps, leaving your comfort zone in order to fully figure out who you were. You became aware of the sound of the waves crashing against the boat, the bickering of Corazon and Law, the breeze that hit your skin and cooled you down.

“You okay there? You’re zoned out.” Corazon’s voice pierced through. You blinked, meeting his gaze. “...Yeah just… Just thinking.” You answered. Corazon hummed, “What were you thinking about?” he asked. You looked over to see Law sleeping, all that running and arguing with Corazon really tired him out. He looked so peaceful. “I was thinking…” You made eye contact with Corazon again. His reddish eyes were focused on you as he pulled out a cigarette from his jacket pocket, he lit it waiting for your answer. “I was thinking about how I don’t know anything about you and I decided to run away with you.” You half-joked, earning yet another smile from the man you just met. “I don’t know anything about you either.” he laughed. He took a drag of his cigarette, turning his head away from you momentarily to release the smoke in his lungs before turning back to you. “But we have a long voyage ahead of us so we have time.” He winked. You felt your face heat up at the small gesture. In your impulsiveness you hadn’t stopped to notice just how attractive he was. You looked away from him, trying to present unaffected by his wink but it failed. He laughed at your reaction, causing the ever so faint blush on your face to deepen. You glared at him and he stopped. A smile still plastered on his face, it made you smile too.

“Where are we headed?” Before Corazon answered your question, you heard the sound of a transponder snail. Corazon froze, he didn’t know whether to answer it or not. He looked at you and said “You’re about to learn a lot more about me in a short amount of time. Just know that I am not like him.” His face was serious, a pit formed in your stomach as you also heard Law wake up. Corazon answered. “Are you there, Corazon?” An unfamiliar voice came from the snail. Corazon looked at Law and tapped three times on the snail. You did not move so as to not make a sound. “Is Law with you?” the voice continued. Corazon tapped three times again. “I thought so. It’s been six months since you left us, have you found a cure for Law’s disease?” Corazon tapped twice. “I see. Well, I heard that the marines are going to be trading 5,000,000,000 for the Op-Op fruit. Those foolish pirates don’t know the true value of that fruit. We’re going to take it and I would love nothing more than to have someone I trust eat it. I want you to eat it. Then you can use its power to cure Law.” Corazon flinched, still saying nothing. The voice hung up, not waiting to hear an answer.

You looked at Corazon, confused. He looked into your eyes. “That was my brother… Donquixote Doflamingo…” The words struck you. You’ve heard of him. A vicious pirate that was in charge of the Donquixote Family. Corazon reached to grab your hands. “My name is Donquixote Rosinante… I’m a marine. I’m going to put a stop to him, trust me.” He searched in your eyes for a hint of hope. Something to tell him that you believed him. You looked at the way his hands enveloped yours, then at Law, and finally him. You did believe him. You didn’t know why but you did. Your gaze softened as you met his. “I do trust you.” He felt relieved, not letting go of your hands he smiled. The cigarette was still dangling from his lips. “Thank you.” he whispered. He squeezed your hands, causing your butterflies to bloom in your stomach. You looked out to the sea, wondering where it was going to take you.

#one piece #one piece fic #one piece fluff #donquixote rosinante #donquixote corazon #corazon one piece #rosinante corazon #corazon x reader #rosinante x reader #x reader

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