#but you won’t see Lottie going around saying that her visions are the Word of God | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

crazyunsexycool · 1 year

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My little love

Chapter 6

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x enhanced!reader

Word count 5.3k

Warnings: a bit of crying (happy tears), kissing, Bucky gets to relive a bit of the 40s, Bucky is a whole ass charming warning ok! So much fluff!

A/N: if you’ve read the last chapter of is it a crime? Please accept this as an apology 😂 also I’m having issues with tags again so if you see you’re tagged more than once I’m sorry!

Series Masterlist

Ch. 5

Charlotte stood in the middle of the mats in the training room. Arms spread out to stay balanced and big bright eyes on you. Nat sat behind her, hands hovering around Charlotte just in case she fell. You sat in front of her with your arms extended trying to convince her to take her first steps.

“Come on Lottie I know you can do it.” You say sweetly.

“Won’t Barnes be upset if he misses her first steps?”

“I’m recording just in case. I’m hoping her first word is dad or daddy.” You add as Charlotte wobbles in place and falls softly against Nat’s hands. She giggles as she tilts her head back to look up at the redhead. Nat scoops her up and sits her on her lap, tickling Charlotte sides to get the toddler laughing fully. “She should already be walking and talking but with everything hydra did these developmental stages were delayed.”

“What about her abilities?”

“She hasn’t had another vision. At least we don’t think she has or she hasn’t had any bad ones.”

“That’s good, Steve told me Bucky’s been on edge since the second one.”

“Yeah, he barely leaves her side. I’m surprised he went on this mission.” You say as you get up and take Charlotte from Nat.

You both head over to the row of treadmills and place Charlotte in the playpen you had set up earlier.

“Knowing him, he'll try to finish this mission as fast as possible so that he can get home to his two girls.”

You smile at her comment. She still didn’t know Bucky had asked you out but the thought of having a chance of being with him had you grinning like a love struck teenager.

“What’s that smile for?” Nat asks as she starts up her treadmill.

“Bucky asked me out.”

“What? When? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Tell you what?” Wanda asked as she joined both of you.

“Bucky asked Y/N out on a date.”

“Finally!” Wanda exclaims.

“Ok you two are being dramatic.” You say with a laugh.

“You’re kidding right? I have a hard time ignoring both of your thoughts when you’re in a room together.” Wanda says before changing her voice to mimic yours. “Bucky looks so good in that shirt. Oh he’s so sweet. The way I would let him fu-“

“Ok enough! Little ears.” You say as you nod toward the playpen. Wanda grins innocently at you.

“You’re going to have to tell me more about that last one.” Nat tells Wanda before turning back to you. “It’s only taken forever for him to ask. Tell me you wouldn’t have said yes if he asked as soon as he moved into the compound?”

You don’t say anything, instead you focus on starting your workout by setting an easy pace on the treadmill.

“The silence is so loud.” Nat says with a smile. “Have you guys decided on when and where you’re going?”

“Not yet. We really didn’t get that much of a chance to talk about the date when he was called in for the mission.”

“Hhmm, well from what Steve has told me, he’s a hopeless romantic. I bet it will be something special.” Wanda assures you.

“We could literally go anywhere and I’d be happy. I just like spending time with him.”

“And he’d like some alone time with you.” Wanda wiggles her brows.

“Wanda!”

“What? Trust me Charlotte wouldn’t be an only child if you two had been dating for a while is all I’m going to say.”

The three of you laugh at her statement before you continue with your workout and discuss what you could possibly wear to this future date.

It had been three days since Bucky had left for the mission and he was finally coming home. Steve had called ahead and let the team know they were headed back. By 3:00 pm the jet finally touched down at the compound. Steve and Sam quickly exited the jet and it was obvious the mission hadn’t been an easy one. Sam gives you a quick hello before he keeps going.

“If it isn’t my favorite person in the whole world. Did you come to welcome me home?” Steve said as he got closer.

“Of course I did. I missed having you around Rogers.”

“You know I wasn’t talking to you,” he says as he kisses the top of Charlotte’s head. His voice goes high pitched and slightly squeaky as he talks to her. “I was talking to this sweet Angel right here, wasn’t I? Yes I was, sweet girl.”

Charlotte claps and smiles in approval.

“Wow, you should give your next pre-mission speech in that voice.”

Steve playfully glares at you as he straightens himself up. He looks back at the jet before looking back at you a defeated sigh escapes his lips.

“This one was rough for him, he’s in some type of mood.”

“Thanks for the heads up. Go rest.”

You adjust Charlotte on your hip and head to the jet. Bucky is still in the spot you assumed he’s been in during the whole flight. It was obvious he was lost in thought because you were practically in front of him and he hadn’t even moved.

“Bucky?” You called out softly but he didn’t react. “Buck?” You said his name again and still nothing so you wave your hand to move his left hand.

His eyes snapped up to yours but he quickly looked down. You set Charlotte down, letting her hold on to your legs as you sat down next to Bucky.

“Wanna talk about it?”

Bucky shakes his head. You place an arm on his back and rest your chin on his shoulder. A few minutes go by with both of you just sitting in silence while Lottie’s attention is held by everything around her. You were thankful she wasn’t walking yet or she should have caused some trouble.

“I froze.” Bucky reveals with a sigh. “Steve and Sam needed me and I just froze on the mission. That’s never happened before.”

“Why do you think it happened?”

“I don’t know. One second I'm in hand to hand combat then another I’m ducking under a desk. All I could think about was what if Lottie is left alone because of one well placed bullet?”

“Oh Bucky,” you wrapped your arm around his midsection and hugged him tightly. “I know how scary it is to feel like this. I just wish there was something I could say to help.”

Bucky tilted his head to finally look at you and you offered him a warm smile. He rests his forehead against yours and closes his eyes.

“For the first time in a long time I was scared I wouldn’t come back home and now I’m afraid I won’t be able to shake that feeling. I have too much to lose now. This is the first time I want to be home. To be here for her… and you.” He says softly.

“You’re here now, we’ll figure out how to deal with everything else together.” said as you cupped his cheek.

Bucky pulled back slightly to be able to look at your properly. His eyes darted from your eyes to your lips, his tongue dragged along his bottom lip before he started closing the small gap between you. Clapping and giggles interrupted the almost kiss. Both of you turned your head to look at Charlotte who now stood in the middle of the aisle.

“Oh my god.” You gasped.

Her eyes lit up when she noticed the attention was on her. Suddenly she takes a step and then another until she’s standing in front of Bucky. She’s gazing sweetly up at him and her arms reach out, a silent request to be picked up by her father. Bucky on the other hand is a sobbing mess. He picks Charlotte up and peppers kisses on her now chubbier cheeks. The action only causes her to giggle more before she puts both of her hands on his face. Charlotte babbles and coos happily at her father and you can’t help the happy tears that fall from your eyes as well.

“You did so good, doll.” Bucky says before giving her another kiss.

“I’m so proud of you sweet Angel.” You say with a smile. “Let’s see how much we can get her to walk.”

You get up and Bucky grabs his go bag after placing Lottie on her feet. Bucky starts walking backwards and calling Lottie to follow him. You stay behind her just to make sure she doesn’t hurt herself. Wobbly step after wobbly step Lottie follows Bucky out of the jet happily until you get to the ramp. You grab one of her hands and Bucky grabs the other but you let her lead. It took an extra minute or two but she safely reached the leveled ground. Then she took off, with every step she got a better sense of balance and slightly faster.

“We are never sitting down again.” You joke.

“I’ll have to go to the store and get some extra baby proofing items. Make sure she doesn’t get into anything that could hurt her.”

“That baby proofing thing might work for regular kids but she has the serum. All she would have to do is pull a bit harder and she could probably rip anything apart. We might have to talk to Tony about it.” You tell him while keeping your eyes on the now wondering toddler. “Come this way Lottie.” You call out to her as Bucky holds the door into the compound open.

She stands in her spot for a moment looking between you and the open hanger door. It was obvious she wanted to head back outside and explore.

“Charlotte Barnes, inside now.” Bucky says in a slightly stern voice.

You have to stifle your laughter when she pouts but does as she’s told. She tries to walk faster than she can and she wobbles. You and Bucky have matching smiles as Lottie keeps going until she trips but catches herself, her little hands hitting the floor before she could actually hurt herself.

“You ok sweet Angel?” You ask as you get closer. She just babbles and stands up to continue her journey. “This way, Lottie.” You say after asking Friday where everyone was.

You stepped into the living room before Bucky and Lottie and called out to everyone to look in your direction just as she rounded the corner. Lottie stops dead in her tracks when she notices all eyes on her. Bucky is right behind her, unable to keep his eyes off of her and smiling. It’s silent for a few minutes before everyone cheers and the toddler starts clapping along.

“Come here, Charlotte.” Nat sat on the floor and stretched her hands out.

Charlotte starts walking towards Nat and at the last second changes direction and heads for Steve. She throws herself on his legs and waits for him to pick her up.

“Traitor.” Nat mumbles.

“Everyone here needs to understand that I am her favorite person.” Steve gloats. “So when did this happen?”

“On the jet. Nat and I had been trying to get her to walk all week and nothing. I think she was waiting for her dad.” You say as you and Bucky take the love seat. His arm rests over the back of the couch where you’re seated and everyone notices how at peace and happy you both look.

Charlotte wiggles against Steve and he puts her down before she makes her way around to Sam. He teaches her how to give a high-five and immediately decides that everyone needs a high-five. Clint, Wanda and even Bruce stretch out their hands as she gets closer. She smiles and coos happily. When she gets to Tony she begins to babble and he holds a full one sided conversation with her. He nodded along and gave a few oh yeahs as she pointed at random objects.

Soon enough she gets tired and makes her way to you and Bucky. He scoops her up and sits her in between you both. She leans into your side and yawns softly. Then you feel it, she tenses beside you and you’re quick to pick her up. That distant look in her eye and her breathing is very shallow. You don’t have to say anything, Wanda is already reading her mind. As quickly as the vision started, it stopped but there was no crying or fear Charlotte simply wrapped her arms around your neck and rested her head against your shoulder.

“Wanda?” Bucky asked, worry evident in his voice.

“It was a good vision.” She smiles at both of you.

“But what was it?”

“I’ll tell you when it happens.”

You and Bucky look at each other confused but shrug. There wasn’t anything you could do to get her to talk. You turn a bit and ask Bucky if she’s asleep and sure enough she is. He takes her from you and gets up from the couch saying he’s going to put her down for a nap. You grab his go bag and follow him out.

“I can’t wait for their wedding.” Steve says.

“Who do you think will be the best man and maid of honor?” Sam asks.

“I’ll be the best man obviously, Lottie will be the flower girl and Y/N won’t have the heart to choose so Wanda and Nat will share the title of maid of honor.”

“Do you have the seating arrangements and flowers picked out already too, Rogers?”

“Tony don’t start,” Steve shakes his head. “Besides, we're all thinking about it.”

“I changed my mind.” You whisper as you stand by Bucky at Lottie’s crib.

He was looking down at her with such fondness. With every passing day and every moment you witnessed them interacting you could tell that he was accepting and loving fatherhood. You understood his reaction at first, the existence of a child which he had no recollection of willingly creating was terrifying. It opened up old wounds and brought up new questions. But you could see how the knowledge of someone so pure and innocent existing and being hurt how he had been tugged at his heart. The heart he had said so many times was tainted and broken that he couldn’t be considered worthy of love or good. Yet here he was doing both of those things all because of this tiny person that was part of him.

“About what?” He asked, worried you’d changed your mind about the date about him, or even worse about Lottie.

“When I said I didn't know what to say to help. The reason we have to go out there and fight is because of her. She’s already been through so much but we have the ability to not only keep her safe but get rid of the things in this world that would try to harm her again.” You sigh as you rest your head against his shoulder. “I mean we might not be able to save her from things like heartbreak but the other things. Hydra, anyone that might want to use her, we can stop them.” You take his hand in yours and pull him out of the bedroom and into the living room.

“Heartbreak? You think I’m going to allow her to date ever?”

“Wow you sounded like my dad for a second.”

“Please don’t ever say that again.” He shivers.

“But it’s true,” you laugh as you take a seat on the couch. “It’s ok though, I’m a total daddy’s girl. I’m pretty sure Charlotte is too.”

Bucky smiled at the thought as he pulled you into his side. He places a kiss on your forehead before getting completely comfortable.

“So.” Bucky says.

“So?”

“Do you still want to go on that date?”

“Did you change your mind?” You look up at him. “It’s ok if you did. We don’t have to go out on a date”

“No way did I change my mind. I just wanted to make sure you still wanted to go.”

“Oh, well the answer is still yes.”

“Friday night?” He asks hopefully.

“It’s all yours, Barnes.”

“Good. I just have to decide where I wanna take you.”

“Please say dancing.” You sat up straighter and gave him a hopeful smile.

“Dancing?”

“A little patriotic bird may have said that you used to go dancing all the time.”

“That was decades ago,” Bucky frowned slightly. “I don’t even think dance halls exist anymore.”

“Well it’s ok. As long as I spend time with you I don’t care what we do.” You relaxed against him again and rested your head on his chest. Sighing happily when you felt his arm wrap around you.

Between starting up your training again and having a now walking toddler on your hands the days had blurred together. You stood in front of your closet in your robe as you looked through some outfit options. Nothing stood out to you and since you didn’t know where you were going you really didn’t know what to wear. There’s a knock at your bedroom door and Nat and Wanda come in once you give them the ok. Nat places a dress bag on the bed and Wanda has a few bags in her hands.

“What is going on?”

“Barnes recruited us to help you get ready for your date tonight. Hence all these things.” Wanda said as she put her things down. “Let’s get started.”

The three of you joked as you did your hair, nails and makeup. Nat held up the garnet bag to reveal a beautiful red dress. The style reminded you slightly of dresses from the 40s but not in such an obvious way.

“He’s here.” Wanda announced as she walked back to your room. “Oh Y/N, he’s going to lose his mind when he sees you.”

“You think?”

“Of course, maybe by the end of the date Lottie will have a sibling.” Nat wiggles her brows.

“Oh come on, you’re being ridiculous.”

“Yeah well wait until you see him, you’ll be climbing him like a tree.” Wanda gives you a cheeky grin.

You roll your eyes as you put on some of your favorite perfume. Nat and Wanda say their goodbyes for the night and walk out of your room. After doing one last once over in the mirror you finally walk out to the living room.

Bucky was up and off the couch as you entered the living room. He was dressed in a white button up shirt with a navy blue suit and matching tie. His hair was parted on the side and styled back and he had shaved. It was as he had been pulled straight out of the 40s. His smile was sheepish as he made his way over to you. You noticed how his eyes traveled the length of your body and his cheeks were tinted pink when he realized he had been caught.

“You look just, breathtakingly beautiful.” Bucky holds in hand out, offering you a beautiful bouquet of your favorite flowers.

“You look amazing. And thank you.”

You walk into the kitchen and quickly get a vase to fill it with water and place the flowers in. When you turn back you find Bucky just watching you with a lazy smile on his face.

“Ok, I’m ready if you are.”

“I am, shall we?” Bucky offers you his arm and leads you out of your apartment and the compound and down to the garage.

When you get to the garage you start walking towards Bucky’s car but he stops you, instead guiding you out a bit further. You smile when you see a car that was easily from the late 1930s or early 1940s. It was obviously well taken care of.

“My family used to drive a car like this. Thought it would be fun to drive it tonight.” Bucky explains as he opens the door for you before jogging around to get into the driver's side.

“Is this yours?”

“No,” he chuckles, “it belongs to a friend of Tony’s.”

“Hhmm, so what are we doing tonight?”

“It’s a surprise.” He winks at you before he starts driving away.

Bucky parked on a busy street and walked around the car to open your door. He stretched out a hand to help you out and then offered his arm for you to take. The conversation in the car was easy, mostly talking about who was babysitting Lottie and all the rules Bucky made Steve promise to follow.

“You know Steve’s going to spoil her right?” You ask as you cross the street.

“Yeah, but when has he ever followed the rules?”

“You’re right. That's why I told Nat to check up on them.”

Bucky chuckles as you finally get to your destination. You could hear music coming from inside and there were others walking in and out of the building. They were also dressed in a similar style than both of you. Excitement built in your chest as your grip tightened around Bucky’s arm.

“Bucky, where are we?”

“See for yourself, Sugar.” He says as he opens the door.

It was like stepping back in time. The sound of live music is even louder but not bothersome. There was a hostess at the front that Bucky went to speak with while you looked into the main room. The dance floor took up most of the space but there was a bar to the left and tables and booths surrounding it as well as a balcony with more tables that you could look down from. Your eyes traveled throughout the room, taking in the decoration and how it seemed like it had been taken straight from the 40s. The band was on the stage at the back of the room and they were playing like their lives depended on it.

“Ready?” Bucky whispered in your ear as he placed his hand on the small of your back to guide you to your table.

“Yes. Bucky I can’t believe you did this.” You say excitedly.

“If my girl wants to go dancing, I’ll take her dancing.” He said boldly before taking your clutch and placing it on a table with a reserved sign on it. “Shall we?” He offered you his hand as the band started playing a slow song.

You smile and nod as you place your hand in his. Bucky pulls you onto the dance floor. He walks on to the dance floor but not too close to the center. It’s his training kicking in, he can’t help it. He puts one hand on your waist and holds your hand in the other while you place your free hand on his shoulder.

Bucky begins to lead you in a slow dance. You look around as other couples join. It was definitely the best date you’d ever been on and the fact that it was with Bucky made it even more special.

“So, your girl huh?” You look up at with the intent to tease him a bit but the intensity in which you find him looking makes your heart skip a beat.

“Was I too forward?”

“No, I’d like to be your girl if you really want that too.”

Bucky smiled before he dipped you. “You have no idea how much I want you.” He confesses as he pulls you back up.

“The feeling is mutual.” You whispered as you continued to dance.

The night is filled with music, dancing and laughter. You barely sit at the table Bucky had reserved for you, only doing so when he went to get drinks for both of you at the bar. You’d had someone take a picture of you so that you could frame it later. It was good to see Bucky like this. A glimpse at the young man he used to be, before the war, the serum and all the pain he went through. His eyes were brighter and his smile was blinding.

By the end of the night he had draped his suit jacket over your shoulders as you walked back to the car.

“Hungry?” He asks as he slides into the drivers side.

“Starving.”

“Good, I know just the place.”

You sat in a booth in the back of an old diner. Bucky had mentioned him and Steve used to go there all the time.

“It’s been family owned since the 20s.” He mentions as he puts down the menu.

“When did you find it again?”

“When I first got to the compound. Steve and I would get on our bikes and just ride. It helped clear my mind. One night we were driving through our old neighborhood and we passed it.”

“It must be nice to have somewhere to go to that reminds you of those days.”

“It’s helped a lot actually.” He says just as the waitress comes up to take your order.

You both give your orders the waitress and when she leaves Bucky gets up and slides into the seat next to you.

“I can’t remember the last time I had this much fun.” You say as you grab his hand under the table.

“Me either.” He sighs before clearing his throat. “I wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Is everything ok?”

“Yeah everything is ok. More than ok actually. For the first time in a really long time I feel happy. And a lot of it has to do with you. I care about you a lot and I really want to see where this, between us goes. But it’s not just me I have to worry about now, there’s Lottie too. I don’t want you to feel like I trapped you in this relationship or something or that I used Lottie to pressure you into this.”

You put a finger over his lips to get him to stop talking.

“I care about you too. I have for a long time, longer than Lottie has been in our lives. If anything I wouldn’t want you to think I’m using Lottie. I care about her a lot and not just because she’s your daughter but I do think the Barnes family have a way to steal my heart. I take care of her because I want to, because she deserves to be loved and cared for and she deserves happiness, just like you.” You smile up at him. “So ask me the question.”

“Y/N will you be my girl?”

“I’d love nothing more.”

Both of you smile at each other and Bucky begins to lean in. The sound of a plate hitting the tables pulls you out of the little bubble you created. Bucky glares at the unsuspecting waitress.

“Here you go folks, let me know if I can get anything else for you.”

“Thank you.” You say as she leaves you alone. “Eat up or it’ll get cold.”

Bucky intertwined his fingers with yours as you made your way back into the compound hallways. You both stop when you get to your door. To anyone else it may seem a bit odd, his own apartment was down the hall and around the corner but Bucky was a gentleman at heart. You turn to look at him to find him already looking at you with a soft smile.

“Thank you for tonight Bucky, I had so much fun.”

“I did too, and we’ll go out again soon. I promise.”

“I’m counting on it, handsome.”

“Goodnight, sugar.” He says before leaning in and kissing your cheek.

As Bucky pulled away you tugged on his tie just enough so that he would get the hint. You smile at each other as you lean in. His soft pink lips brush against yours lightly. The seconds before your lips finally meet his are torturous. And suddenly his lips are on yours, moving together as if they had done so many times before. Bucky’s hands grip your waist as yours meet being his neck. You feel the slightly tacky texture of the pomade he used to do hair. A small moan escapes your lips as Bucky deepens the kiss and pushes you against the door. There was no way for you to understand how a kiss could be soft and sweet but also set you ablaze. The butterflies in your stomach had turned into a hurricane in the most delightful way. You didn’t want it to end.

You find yourself following his lips as you realize he’s pulled back slightly. Bucky rests his forehead against yours but it takes you a second for your eyes to flutter open and meet his bright blue ones. Your lips are still slightly pursed so he gives you another quick kiss.

“Goodnight, sugar.” He says as he finally starts walking away.

“Hey, that’s not fair.” You call out, hearing him chuckle.

“Trust me sugar, we’ll be doing a lot of that. Good night.”

“Good night.” You grumble back before walking into your apartment with the biggest smile.

Bucky walks into his own apartment where Steve and Sam had agreed to watch Lottie. Both men were asleep on the couch but he could hear Lottie cooing softly in his spare room. When he walked in he found Nat sitting on the floor with her.

“So how did it go?” She looked up once Bucky was in the doorway.

“I’ve got my girl and now I’m getting my doll. Come here baby.” He lifted her and peppered kisses on her cheeks. “What are you doing up so late?”

“Those idiots you left in charge put her to sleep too early. But she only woke up a few minutes ago.”

“Well thanks for looking out for her, I got it from here.”

“No problem. See you later sweet Angel.” Nat says before leaving.

After taking a quick shower and getting ready for bed Bucky sat against the headboard of his bed with his daughter on his chest slowly losing her fight with sleep. He allowed himself to dream about what his new future would look like now that he really had you. As he finally fell asleep his last thoughts of the night were of his girls.

Ch 7

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#my little love series #james bucky barnes #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes x enhanced!reader #girl dad!bucky barnes #daddy!bucky #girl dad!bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes series #bucky barnes fic

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bitchloveskcbaseball · 3 years

Text

Tripping Over Myself

Pairing: Logan x OC (Charlotte Wheeler)

Summary: Charlotte’s not the best at communicating and it gets her in a bit of trouble. (takes place shortly after Drawn to a Flame)

Warnings: Language. Lots and lots of language. Seriously...so many f-words. lol Also, mentions of her previous car accident (it’s not super detailed, but it is brought up a few times) and her resulting injuries.

Word Count: 5525. I swear ... I was certain this was going to be nothing more than maybe 2k words. And then this happened and the thing that I wanted to happen in this fic didn’t even happen so that’s fun lol

Logan belongs to Pixelberry, but the other two lovelies are all mine.

A/N #1: This was written for @rodappreciationweek MC day. And sticking with the theme from the first two pieces in this series, I have pulled the title from the lyrics of Shawn Mendes’s Stitches.

Also... a huge huge thank you to @burnsoslow for reading a piece of this that had me chasing my tail for what seemed like forever and fixing it for me. You are the best!!

“Hey hey hey! The hell you think you’re doin?”

Freezing mid step to turn back around to where Paul was glaring at her from his now-seated position where he'd rolled out from under her car on his creeper, Charlotte scrunched her nose up in confusion. “You were bitchin’ that you didn’t have your 3/8 down there. Figured I’d grab it so you’d stop muttering to yourself.”

“I had one rule for letting you stay after you showed up here today. And I made it explicitly clear.”

“But – “

“No. No buts.”

“C’mon Paul! You can’t seriously expect me to sit on that damn stool the entire time we’re here. I am fully capable of walking to the toolbox and grabbing a goddamn socket!”

“Lottie, sweetheart. You are still healing. You need to take it easy.” Instead of the calming effect she was sure he was shooting for, the soft gentleness of Paul’s voice just reminded her of an adult trying to calm a child who was in the middle of throwing a massive tantrum. And that ratcheted her mild frustration up until she was actually throwing a damn fit.

“For fuck’s sake! I know I’m fucking hurt. But I’m not a complete invalid. I don’t think me taking three fucking steps across this damn storage unit and picking up a tool that weighs a few ounces is going to do me in when a fucking slab of concrete didn’t!” Her hands flew up to steeple across her nose and mouth. “Shit. Paul – “

Gaze firmly locked on his white-knuckled grip on his wrench, Paul cut her off with a slight shake of his head. “Nah. It’s … it’s fine, sweetheart.”

In two shaky steps, Charlotte was across the unit and gingerly kneeling in front of him. Slowly, as if she were approaching a spooked cat, she eased the wrench out of his hold so she could wrap his hand in her own. “No. It’s not ‘fine.’ I … I shouldn’t have said that. I promised I’d stop acting so nonchalant about the accident.” Before he could interject, she nudged his knee with her own. “Shush, lover. I really am so incredibly sorry. I shouldn’t have lashed out like that. You’re only trying to look out for me. And I appreciate that more than I could ever say.”

Finally lifting his head from staring at the floor between them, Paul’s teary eyes met hers, twisting her heart even harder. In barely a whisper, he asked, “The hell did you have to go there for?”

Letting out a harsh sigh, Charlotte stood up and whirled around. It was a motion she instantly regretted when every thing went a little off kilter and her vision started to swim. Ugh! Not this shit again. She fought against the urge to lean against the work bench to her right, not wanting Paul to decide that she needed to be taken home: that was the last place she wanted to be at that particular moment.

“Lottie?”

Finally giving up any thoughts she'd had of blowing off his question with the pretense of being fine, she practically exploded, “Ugh. I’m just … I’m so fucking tired of all the hovering!” Her fist closed around one of the lug-nut caps that were lined up on the bench, waiting patiently for the new wheels and tires that had yet to be ordered to be installed. The urge to hurl it at the closed roll-up door was only eclipsed by the desire to not mar its mirror-like finish: finding replacements that matched the original set from L.A. was hard enough the first time and she certainly didn’t want to have to do it again because she'd briefly lost her damn mind. So she forced herself to replace it into its previous spot and let out another, albeit quieter, sigh. “Look … I love Logan, ok? Like all that head over heels, all my heart bullshit? I feel all of it for him. With him. But fuck it all. He has barely given me six inches to breathe since he showed up in my damn living room. I know it's only been a few weeks, but it has felt like years and not in a good way. I mean, I had to sneak out of my own fucking home just to come down here today!”

“Sweetheart – “

“I know. And I get it. I scared the shit out of him. Hell, I scared the shit outta both of you guys. But … “ Finally turning back around – slowly and carefully this time -- to face Paul again, she let her shoulders sag. “I can’t live with someone micromanaging every second of my day. Every move I make. I … I cannot go back to that kinda life.”

Stepping up to stand in front of her, Paul gently rubbed his hands up and down her upper arms. “Have you talked to him? Told him all this?”

She laughed bitterly. “I have tried. So many times over the past few weeks. But every time I try to bring this or anything remotely related to the accident up, he just completely shuts down on me.” Voice breaking with the tears she was fighting to hold back, she muttered, “I can’t lose him again. But I can’t keep doing this either.”

“C’mere.” Careful of her still-casted arm and still-tender ribs, he wrapped his arms around her. Instinctively she tucked her face against his neck, letting his presence soothe her. After several silent moments, he pressed a kiss to her temple and asked, “You want me to talk to him ‘bout it?”

“As much as I would love for you to do that … you can’t. I have to be the one to get through to him if this is really going to work between us.”

Tightening his hug ever-so-slightly, Paul kissed her temple again. “I’m so proud of you, Lottie.”

“For what?”

“The girl I met a lil over a year ago would never.”

Pushing back from him enough to see his face, she narrowed her eyes at him as she tried to decipher his meaning. When she came up empty, she questioned him, point blank, “The hell nonsense are you talkin’ about?”

“When you first started pestering me at the sideshows, trying to bully me into giving you a spot in one of the races. You had everything so locked down, I’m not sure a stick of dynamite would have gotten you to open up. Even after I succumbed to my still-ongoing case of Stockholm Syndrome oof – “ using her cast to knock him in the stomach may not have been her smartest idea, but it was still an effective form of retaliation – “and we started hanging out more, you kept most of your feelings tucked away in that vault. I mean, sure, you eventually let me in, little by little … but, my point is, I’m proud of you for admitting how you are feeling.”

Despite the way her eyes rolled exaggeratedly, she couldn’t keep her lips from twitching with the smile threatening to break out across her face. “Would you shut up already?”

“Only after we circle back to that bit about you sneaking out to come down here. Thought you said Logan drove you?”

“Um … how ‘bout we go back to you singing my praises?” All she got in response was a stare down from Paul, so she relented with a sigh. “Fine. I noticed Logan had dozed off, so I slipped out and called a cab to bring me down.” When his eyes went wide, she held up her free hand and quickly added, “I left him a note. I’m not the one that just vanishes without a trace.” The venom in her words caught even her by surprise.

“Maybe without a trace. But never without a conversation.”

“Ugh.” Charlotte’s head fell forward so that her forehead was resting against his chest, grumbling, “Thought you were ‘posed to be my friend and stick up for me?” He shot her a knowing look, but she continued on before he could launch into the spiel she'd already heard dozens of times before. “Fine. Ok. You win. Save the damn lecture and put the time to better use. Say … running me home?”

Laughing, Paul retorted, “Bout freakin’ time, sweetheart.”

A short time later, Paul was pulling up to the curb in front of her apartment building. Mind already running through the things that she needed to say to Logan as she reached for the door handle, she jumped when Paul’s hand came to rest lightly on her shoulder. “Don’t I even get a ‘goodbye’ or ‘thank you’ first?”

“Shit! I’m sorry! Thank you so much. For letting me hang. For forcing me to talk this shit out. For bringing my ass home.”

Chuckling indulgently, he told her, “You’re welcome. For everything.” She once again started to climb from the car, but stopped when he continued, “But, I need you to promise me that you won’t sneak out like this again.”

Chuckling indulgently, she shrugged her shoulders and opened her door before tossing back, “I would, but I don’t make promises I’m not sure I can keep.”

The glare she got in response was stern, but the effect was all but negated by the warmth in his voice as he threatened, “Fine. Lemme put it to ya this way, sweetheart. If you do it again, I’m dumping your ass. For real.”

She waited until she’d stepped out and up onto the sidewalk before she turned around to say, “It’s so adorable when you act like you could live without me, lover,” before turning to walk through the front door, blowing him a kiss from over her shoulder.

As she crossed the lobby towards the elevator bank, her eyes caught on the Out of Service sign and she let out a groan. Despite her annoyance, Charlotte didn’t blink an eye before heading for the staircase, figuring it was only a minor inconvenience. Especially since, at her last appointment, the first thing she’d asked once her doctor had mentioned that she was good to start easing back into very light physical activity was if she was okay to take the stairs to her apartment, because the ancient elevators were constantly having issues and she knew that having the freedom to move around more meant nothing if she couldn’t get in and out of her damn apartment. While he wasn’t exactly thrilled at the prospect, he assured her that she’d be fine so long as she took it slowly and carefully. Still, she knew even with the green light from her doctor, it was going to feel like a trek after having spent so long doing little more than traversing the path between her bed and her couch.

True to her expectations, by the time she’d gotten to the second floor, she was definitely more winded than she’d usually be and her entire body was beginning to take on that achy feel of being suddenly being forced to work. But neither of those things is what had her slumping against the wall with a white-knuckled grip on the handrail. No, that was brought on by the way the world had seemingly begun to spin around her, setting her completely off balance.

What could have been five minutes or five hours later, she chanced peeking an eye open, but the vibrant mosaic tile pattern of the stairs was still swirling and swimming about in front of her, causing her to slam it back closed and drop her head back – gently – against the wall. Frustrated that the only change in how she felt was the deep churning and roiling in her gut, she finally acknowledged that she wasn’t going to be making it up the rest of the way on her own and pulled her phone from her pocket to call Logan.

Without opening her eyes, she placed her finger over the fingerprint reader, waiting for the digital clicking sound that signaled it had been unlocked, but it never came. Steeling herself for the unsettling sensations that were about to wash over her, she once again peeled an eye open and pressed the power button to wake up the screen. A loud groan escaped her when the screen remained dark, reminding her that she had forgotten to charge it the night before.

Faced with the unsettling choice of either continuing on in spite of the vertigo – which seemed risky, even by her standards – or staying in her spot for who knows how long until the episode passed, Charlotte couldn’t hold back the sobs building in the back of her throat or the tears welling in the corners of her eyes as she slid down the wall to sit on the step. All she wanted, with a desperation she hadn’t felt since those first few weeks after he'd walked away the last time in L.A., was for Logan to wrap her in his arms. To whisper all of his sweet reassurances in her ear. To be the calm and steady force that centered her through the storm.

Almost as if her longing thoughts had conjured him, he was suddenly there, hands running gently over her arms and then brushing away her tears as he rattled off question after question, not leaving her space to actually answer one before moving on to the next. It was just as well, however, considering her addled mind couldn’t seem to make any sort of sense out of the words, choosing instead to latch onto the strained breathlessness with which they were uttered.

Wanting, or rather needing, to reassure him that, while she felt awful, she was wasn’t in mortal danger, she blindly reached out until her fingers brushed against the familiar, well-worn softness of his favorite denim shirt. As she ran her fingers across what she recognized as his chest, his free hand came up to tangle gently in her hair and she sank into the touch. A beat later, his forehead was resting against hers and she couldn’t have missed the shudder that ran through his body or the shaky exhale that passed his lips if she’d tried.

Charlotte’s fingers curled around the button-lined edge of shirt and she whispered, “It’s okay baby. I’m okay,” so softly she was surprised when she felt his answering scoff fan across her face, confirming that he had actually heard her.

Instead of a snarky retort or censuring lecture she was expecting to hear, the next words out of Logan’s mouth were simply, “You good if I pick you up?”

Her eyes shot open at the almost frigid indifference in his voice and the sight in front of her knocked the wind out of her like a punch to the gut. His brows were deeply furrowed and his lips were pursed together so tightly that they were barely visible. It was one thing to know that he was worried and upset – she’d felt it in his every tentative touch -- but it was something else entirely to see it.

Wanting nothing more than to ease some of his tension, she trailed her fingers up from his chest along the side of his neck and face, across his forehead until she could smooth them along the deep-set lines running between his eyebrows. It was a left-over habit from when she’d briefly moved into his loft in L.A., one that had never failed to relax him. This time, unfortunately, it didn’t have the same effect and her heart sunk just a little bit deeper into her stomach. Feeling defeated, she let her hand, along with her gaze, drop back down to her lap as she answered his question, “Yeah. I think the dizziness is mostly gone now. So long as we take it slow, I should be fine.”

Without hesitation, Logan pulled back enough to push himself up out of his crouch and it took everything she had not to whine at the loss. Within seconds, he was leaning back down to wrap one arm around her back while the other slid underneath her knees. Instinctively, Charlotte wrapped her free arm around his neck and as soon as she did, he was standing back up and tucking her against his chest, making sure to be mindful of both the strap of the sling across her back and the bulkiness of her cast. He spared her one glance with a raised eyebrow, but immediately averted his eyes when she assured him, “I’m good.”

Despite the way that he was cradling her so carefully in his arms as he carried her up the next two flights of stairs, with what seemed like no effort at all, it felt to her as if there was an entire canyon between them. Not once did he look down at her. Not once did he even twitch as if he was thinking of dropping a kiss to the top of her head. Not once did he open his mouth as if to say something to her. Even when she had to drop her head against his shoulder as a wave of nausea threatened to overwhelm her, the heavy silence remained.

As soon as they were back inside the apartment, Logan settled her gently onto the couch then turned to grab his pillow and a blanket from the pile of bedding he made each morning when he folded the pull-out away. Wordlessly, he tucked the blanket tightly around her – just the way she needs to be able to sleep alone. As he was reaching up to place the pillow beneath her head, she caught his wrist in her hand, whispering his name beneath her breath. Rather than make eye contact with her, he simply shook his head once and slipped away from her grip.

Stung by his rejection, Charlotte didn’t try to stop him again as he left the room. Instead, she curled up into as tight of a ball as she could on her good side, letting the scent of him on the pillow and blanket take over her senses until she was slowly drifting off into a blessedly dreamless sleep.

By the time that she woke up, the living room was cast in complete darkness, save for the bright green LED light letting her know her phone was finished charging. Lotta good that does me now. She blinked a few times in an effort to get her eyes to adjust to the lack of lighting, but still could barely make out the outlines of the rest of the furniture surrounding her. Even still, she knew Logan wasn’t in the room with her: she could always feel his presence when they were in the same space and that feeling was noticeably absent as she slowly pushed herself up to sit on the edge of the couch.

After giving herself a couple of minutes to make sure she wasn’t going to be dizzy again, she got up and headed towards the kitchen, figuring that would be his most likely location. Sure enough, she found him there, perched on one of the oversized chairs that in no way matched the tiny, shitty-ass excuse for a dining table that he currently had his forearms resting on. He was staring at the wall in front of him so intently that he didn’t even seem to hear her enter the room. Or, at least, that's what she was choosing to believe.

With just a couple more steps, she was able to close the distance between them, allowing her the ability to wrap arms around him from behind. She never made it that far, however, because as soon as her palms made contact with his shoulders, he startled and tensed beneath her touch. She opened her mouth to apologize for scaring him, but he cut her off before she had the chance, seething quietly, “Don’t you dare pull that fucking shit again.”

“Excuse me?”

“You can’t just sneak out without a word and then not answer your damned phone for five hours and expect me to be okay with it!”

“Okay, one? I left you a note telling you where I went. Two? As you clearly have already figured out, my fucking phone was dead. I didn’t even realize it until I was on my way back up here!”

Standing up from the chair so fast that he nearly knocked it – and her – over, Logan whipped around to face her, eyes wild with fury. “So one irresponsibility is just supposed to excuse another?”

Charlotte gave up all pretense of trying to stay calm, throwing her hands up in the air as she shouted, “For fuck’s sake, Logan! You knew where I was! If you were that damned desperate to get ahold of me, why didn’t you just call Paul?”

“I did. He wasn’t answering his goddamn phone either! By the time he finally did pick up, it was over half an hour after he’d dropped you off.” While he’d started off yelling at her in a volume that rivaled her own, Logan had trailed of into little more than a whisper by the time he was done. And that cut her deeper than the loudest insults ever could.

Unsure of how to respond, Charlotte reached up to fiddle with his spark plug necklace. It was something that had become a somewhat-nervous habit for her when he’d given it to her back in L.A. and she’d picked it up again once she’d begun wearing it almost constantly after their reunion. That simple, unthinking motion ended up being the answer to her loss of words, however, when the cool weight of it in her hand, combined with all the emotions running rampant through the room, sparked the memory of how she’d come to possess it in the first place.

“Logan, baby.” She paused, waiting until he looked up from the floor to meet her gaze before continuing gently, “You remember what you told me when you gave this to me?”

He raised an eyebrow at her as if asking her where she was going with this abrupt subject change. When she didn’t give him an answer, he let out a harsh sigh before replying, “Not entirely. I remember it was before the Grapevine job. Something about it keeping you safe like it did for me?”

“Yeah, that was part of it. You also told me how you came to wear it, too. How you'd survived a crash that you probably shouldn’t have.”

Rolling his eyes and throwing his hands up in the air, Logan sniped, “Okay … so? What's the point of this random-ass trip down memory lane?”

“You told me that you’d almost died. In a car accident. Right before we were about to go steal four very expensive sport cars. And we were going to steal them off a car hauler on the freeway, no less.” As if he had suddenly figured out where she was going with this, his eyes widened before narrowing on her. He opened his mouth, but she held up her hand to stop him. “I’m not gonna lie. As much as I was so touched that you were giving me something that meant so much to you? The story behind it fucking terrified me. Because if you – who had been driving so long and had so much skill at it – could wreck like that, what chance did I have at holding up my end of the bargain? Not to mention, just the idea of you getting hurt almost sent me into a tailspin. And I’m not so sure that that wasn’t your plan all along.”

“I – “

Walking over to wrap her arm around his neck, she kissed first his cheek and then his lips briefly and tenderly. When he didn’t tense up or pull away from her, she chanced nuzzling her face into the crook of his neck. “I know, baby. You were just doing whatever you could think of to keep me safe. I understand that. And I understand that the result of me being a complete dumbass during that race scared the shit out of you. But I’m still here. I’m still alive. And today’s episode notwithstanding, I’ve been feeling really good. So this whole, hovering-over-me thing? The it’s-too-dangerous-out-there-thing you’ve been doing? It’s smothering me and I … I just can’t do it. It took me far too long to escape it with Wheeler. Far too long to find the strength to realize that it was okay – more than okay – to be who I wanted to be regardless of whether the people in my life accepted it. So … as much as I hate worrying you, I cannot go back to that old, boring version of myself, the one that never really felt like me, just because it's safer.”

Logan inhaled sharply and hands tightened ever so slightly where they had been resting on her hips since she'd tucked herself into him. A couple long beats passed before he finally muttered, “You know, you seemed to have skipped over the most important part of that story, though.”

Face scrunched up, she asked, “Yeah?”

“Yeah. That wasn’t just me giving you a good luck token. That was me trying to tell you not only to make sure you’re always in control, but also to make sure you learn from life's lessons.”

“I know.”

“Do you, though?”

Taken aback by Logan’s abrasiveness, Charlotte stumbled back a step, only to be met by narrowed eyes boring into her. “I ... I … I do.”

“Sure doesn’t seem like it from where I’m standing.”

“Logan – “

“Do you even realize how fucking stupid that stunt you pulled today was? What if that episode had hit when you were out there on the streets somewhere? All alone?”

Even though she knew his point was valid, Charlotte couldn’t bite back her derisive scoff. “First of all, I was literally by myself when it happened, so yeah, I have a decent idea.”

“That’s not what I meant and you know it.”

Continuing on as if she hadn’t heard his outburst, she added heatedly, “Second, the only time I was by myself today was on the elevator ride down to the lobby, the walk from my cab to Paul’s storage unit and back here in the stairwell. It’s not like I was fucking gallivanting around the whole goddamn city.”

“For fuck’s sake! It’s not – you know what? Just forget it.” Throwing his hands up, Logan turned to storm out of the room.

“Sure. Just ru … run away. It’s – “ Tears that she refused to let fall clogged her throat and she pressed her lips together in an attempt to gather her composure. She realized, however, that the damage had been done, her stuttering robbing her words of their intended venom, so she pressed on with a watery whisper, “It’s what you do best.”

Practically freezing mid-step, he pivoted back around to face her, hands scrubbing at his face. “Damn it, Char. I’m not running away.” Shoulders falling when she rolled her eyes at him, he quickly closed the distance between them to lace their fingers together and insisted, “I’m not.”

“Then why – “

Without warning, Logan crushed his lips to hers in a kiss that left her short of breath when he finally pulled back just far enough to murmur, “’Cause you refuse to acknowledge how fucking reckless you’ve been and it is frustrating the ever livin’ shit outta me. And it just felt like it was better to walk away than say something I’d regret. Something just to hurt you. I don’t want … I can’t hurt you like that.”

Charlotte pulled back a little bit further to meet him square in the eye. “Future reference? Words are no big deal. You walking away? That’s the shit I can’t handle.”

Tangling his free hand in the hair at the base of her head, he gently pulled her face back so he could feather another kiss across her lips before replying, “Noted.” Another barely-there kiss. “Thing I can’t handle?” A slight tug of her bottom lip between his teeth that pulled a sharp gasp from her. “You not takin’ this shit seriously.”

This time, instead of leaning in again, Logan pulled pack just a bit further. She tried chasing after him, but he maintained their separation until she dropped her head back with a groan.

“You even listenin’ to me?”

“Um … yes?”

“Charlotte.”

“Hey!” She tried to glare at him, but instead ended up giggling, “You were the one distracting me!” When he leaned back in for another kiss, Charlotte dipped back as far as she could. “See! You’re doin’ it again!”

“Answer the question and I’ll stop.”

“What if I don’t want you to stop?”

Shaking his head at her with a familiar and fond smile tugging the corners of his mouth upward, he chuckled, “Okay … Answer the question or I’ll stop.” As if to emphasize his point, he pulled his hand out of hers and untangled his other from her hair to place them both on her hips to keep her planted to her spot when he took a step backwards.

Making sure to soften her words with a smile, Charlotte grumbled, “Ugh. Fine. If you’re gonna be so cruel about it … “ A light pinch pulled another giggle from her. “Okay. Okay. Yes, I heard you.”

“And?”

“And … I get it.” The incredulous look he gave her almost had her flinching. “Look, I get that I haven’t been the most … appreciative for the way that you’ve been taking care of me. And I get that I can’t go back to ‘normal’ just because I want to.”

“Char – “

“Hold up! I’m not finished!” Stopping to heave a frustrated sigh, she continued, “I’m going to do better from here on out. I’m gonna take it easy until the doctors clear me. I’ll do a better job of listening to my body when it starts telling me to take a break. And I’ll stop fighting you so much about it.”

“Not stop all the way, huh?”

“I think we both know me better than that.”

Pressing a kiss to the tip of her nose, he snickered, “Okay, that’s fair. That mean we’re done with this sneaking-out shit, then?”

Raising an eyebrow defiantly, she fired back, “Depends.”

“On?”

“Are you done with all your helicopter shit? Because if you are? Then yes. I’m done sneaking out.”

Logan studied her face with an inscrutable expression on his own for what felt like hours before nodding his head once. “Fine. I’ll chill out so long as you behave.”

Wrapping her arm around his neck with a smile, she told him, “I’m so glad we got that settled. I hate fighting with you.”

“God, me too. Are you as exhausted as I am?”

Charlotte snorted as she dropped her head against his chest. “Oh, my god. You have no idea.”

“Why don’t we call it a night, then?”

The hopefulness in Logan’s voice almost made her snicker, but she managed to smother it by placing a kiss to a spot right above his heart. “That sounds like a great idea, so long as we go together tonight.

The words were barely out of her mouth before he was nodding eagerly and answering, “Done.”

A/N #2: Just in case any one is wondering (since I haven’t written about Paul and Charlotte’s friendship nearly as much as I have wanted to) and also because I just really want to share this tidbit behind Charlotte’s nickname for Paul. When the two of them first started to become friends, the way Paul was always calling her “sweetheart” drove her absolutely crazy for reasons I may actually write about at some point? lol so she decided to retaliate by calling him “lover.” Unfortunately for her, however he didn’t mind, so it obviously didn’t have the desired effect. Eventually, it became a habit of affection and each of their nicknames stuck. Thank you for indulging me in this moment of ridiculousness

Perma Tags: @burnsoslow @mvalentine @anotherbeingsworld @adiehardfan

Logan Tags: @brightpinkpeppercorn

#logan x mc #rodaw #rodtimecapsule #day four: mc

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atruththatyoudeny · 6 years

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281018 - Happy 1D Fanworks Appreciation Day! Today I want to dedicate my 1D fanworks appreciation post to the “Larry Abroad Fic Challenge” over @larryabroad. I just love all the different ideas and the way all these amazing authors filled their prompts with so much imagination. Thank you all for taking part in this challenge and giving us so many fantastic fics! So, give them a read and show them some love!

POMPEII | A Dangerous Night (To Fall In Love) by FallingLikeThis / @suddenclarityharry || [AO3] || [tumblr post] ✘ historical | mythology | angst | prophetic visions | 7k Harry has visions and sees the destruction of Pompeii before it happens. Now, how does he tell his best friend what's to come?

CHRISTIANIA, Denmark | From Christiania with love by sweariwouldnt / @sweariwouldnt || [AO3] || [tumblr post] ✘ friends to enemies to friends to lovers | drugs | police training | violence | 18k It's Louis' first field training day as a future police officer. It doesn't quite go to his plan. Or, maybe, it goes exactly to some bigger plan.

MADURODAM, The Netherlands | All The Small Things by GMTYUniverse / @goodmorningtoyouuniverse || [AO3] || [tumblr post] ✘ airplane meeting | fluff | mentions of grief | 18k The one where Louis & Harry meet and go on a shared adventure to miniature Netherlands due to a faulty plane, Louis' restlessness, Harry's excitedness and a healthy dose of fate & infatuation at first sight.

NEW YORK CITY, USA | You've Been Taking Up My Mind by styleandsin / @styleandsin || [AO3] || [tumblr post] ✘ music festival | strangers to lovers | famous/not famous | 10k Harry's always been a fan of Louis Tomlinson, and when he gets a artist pass for a music festival (thanks to his best friend's new popstar boyfriend) he doesn't expect to actually meet Louis.

BOSTON, USA | When it feels so good, but it's bad for you by notasawrap / @notasawrap || [AO3] || [tumblr post] ✘ famous/not famous | meet-cute | light angst | past abuse | |36k "I'm gonna..." he mumbles, moving away to look Harry in the eye. The green-eyed man's mouth is half open, his pupils are blown and his cheeks are furiously red. The light shining on his face leaves Louis out of breath at the way he looks. "Beautiful." Harry smiles contentedly, leaning down to press his forehead against Louis' "May l—?" He tries to ask, but Louis interrupts him with a gasp, his head moving up and down in affirmation. He wants it, God, he wants it so much that his fingers ache from how long it took him to get it. Harry giggles, beginning to press kisses along Louis' jaw, pressing his open mouth on his skin, so slow that Louis just wants to turn around and get it on his own; his lips against Harry's. "Just... please," Louis begs, bouncing on his tiptoes, his voice dying at the end of the sentence. He swallows when Harry's tongue licks the corner of his mouth and the next second, their lips collide. Louis' eyes closed and his hand tightens on Harry's neck, an appreciative hum coming out from his throat.

GIRAFFE MANOR, Kenya | When I Run Out of Road by QuickedWeen / @becomeawendybird || [AO3] || [tumblr post] ✘ historical | 1930s | travel | friends to lovers | fluff | light angst | 24k It's 1932 when Harry Styles sets off on an adventure to the African continent and the most popular new travel destination: Nairobi. He has reservations at the best club in town and plans to stay for a few weeks. What he doesn't expect is to meet and get to know a wonderful family along the way. The Deakins are sponsors of the Royal Ballet, traveling with the company to see them perform in Nairobi for the first time. They take Harry under their wing, treat him like part of their family, and change his life in ways he never imagined.

NEWFOUNDLAND, Canada | Take It To The Limit by taggiecb / @taggiecb || [AO3] || [tumblr post] ✘ fluff | tragedy | minor character death | original character death(s) | angst | grief/mourning | break up | post-break up | emotional hurt/comfort | 35k Louis Tomlinson enjoys the simple life. He has his house, his family, and his friends all in the tiny town of Petty Harbour, Newfoundland. When he isn’t spending the winters plowing out the residents and keeping Liam and Niall company at Payne’s pub, he’s out on the open water doing the one thing that he loves the most, fishing. Harry Styles is a traveler. He lands in the tiny town to try to find himself. What he finds instead is a beautiful blue eyed man who seems to have everything figured out. But even a brick house can be damaged by a storm if it’s big enough. Can Louis’ perfect life and their relationship survive the tumult that’s coming?

ANTARCTIC RESEARCH STATION | When the Sun Won't Let You Sleep by allwaswell16 / @allwaswell16 || [AO3] || [tumblr post] ✘ enemies to lovers | light angst | mentions of grief | 30k Four years ago, Louis Tomlinson left the UK to live on an Antarctic research station for reasons best left in the past. He’s carved out a life for himself on the ice and has dedicated himself to his research, his friends, and especially the Halley VI research station. He’s less than thrilled when he learns that Harry Styles, a glaciologist from another base who once broke his heart, will be coming to Halley, and he’s definitely unprepared for the upheaval Harry brings with him.

MELBOURNE | I Left My Heart In Melbourne by EmmyLouWho || [AO3] ✘ online dating | fluff | 8k Or: only Harry Styles could manage to fall in love using a dating app... without actually using the dating app.

SEA OF STARS, Maldives | No better place than right by your side by velvetnoodle / @velvetnoodle || [AO3] || [tumblr post] ✘ stangers to lovers | fluff | humor | meet-cute | 5k Louis' in the maldives for a friends destination wedding when he meets harry at the reception. they agree to a no-strings-attached hook up: no last names, no phone numbers, no personal info, and no promises. only, the universe has other ideas. aka the one where harry just won't leave louis alone (but he really doesn't mind)

LOS ANGELES, USA | Promise Not to Fall by dimpled_halo / @dimpled-halo || [AO3] || [tumblr post] ✘ canon divergence | friends with benefits | friends to lovers | 1D Hiatus | fluff | pining | long-distance relationship | 38k When One Direction goes on hiatus, Harry and Louis reconnect, becoming the friends they once were during their days in the X Factor. It doesn’t take long for their friendship to evolve into friends with benefits, unable to resist the physical attraction between them. Things get complicated when feelings get in the way.

THE WIZARDING WORLD OF HARRY POTTER, Orlando, USA | You've Got This Spell On Me by lovelarry10 / @chloehl10 || [AO3] || [tumblr post] ✘ Harry Potter setting | getting together | long-distance relationship | 29k Louis has been living in Florida for 3 years now, and loves his job working at Universal Orlando Resort, particularly in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. He's on a countdown to finally head home to Doncaster, but the arrival of a curly-haired boy from Holmes Chapel throws Louis' last few weeks in the Sunshine State into complete disarray...

MARRAKESH, Morrocco | Subtle Trouble and The Universal Waves of Love by enigma_scars / @kawaii-yakuza || [AO3] ✘ 15k Harry is a sad and pathetic human who lives on his father's word's. Said father is a rich asshole with no heart and only morals that favour him. Louis is a travel agent whose life was saved from a huge debt because said Harry is a lawyer who works at Louis' friend's firm and said lawyer doesn't like to lose his cases. They meet again almost 4 years later in the middle of Marrakesh. But you just can't be gay in the middle of an Islamic nation. However, confessions are made; emotions are formed and then it's time to leave. Tragic time-line skip. Both realize that what they did was pretty stupid. Harry quits his job to go find Louis. Louis and Harry live together happily ever after. Plus a side of nostalgic other lifetime flashbacks that neither of them knew they lived together. Basically the gay soulmate AU+Marrakesh tourism™.

SCHÖNBRUNN PALACE, Austria | In you, I see the dreams that I have always longed for by littleshoran / @grumpykitin || [AO3] ✘ royalty | fluff | 5k When Louis' parents find him a suitable wife to rule the country with, he has no idea how to let them know that he would rather not. Everything clears up a bit once the handsome brother comes into the picture.

FORT MYERS, USA | The Finding Sea by angelichl / @angelichl || [AO3] ✘ friends to lovers | pining | light angst | 17k They met at the ocean, in a way. It makes sense for them to fall in love at the ocean too. Harry is in love with his best friend. They go on vacation together.

KLEINFELD’S BRIDAL, NYC,USA | We'll Paint the Town by kotabear24 / @kotabear-24 || [AO3] ✘ Say Yes To The Dress Fusion | famous/ not famous | 4k In which Louis can't flirt, Lottie does all the work, Harry just wants to get her in a damn dress, and Niall is an aggressive affirmer. It ends well for everyone.

CHICAGO, USA | Bright Lights, Windy City by harrygotthebee / @harrygotthebee || [AO3] ✘ strangers to lovers | 8k The one where Harry makes an ass out of himself in front of the cute tour guide and decides to take a chance that could alter his future.

#28th appreciation #1d fanworks appreciation day #larry abroad fic challenge #larry abroad #fic rec #my reads #my fic rec #let me know if i missed a link

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the-angst-witch · 5 years

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Forests, Fog, and Fear – Hellscape Pt 3

A bolt of horror shot through Eyrie’s core. What if she leaves me here and never comes back? What if I starve or dehydrate or bleed out or freeze or—or no one ever even finds my body-what—what if—I—A singular thought crystallizes amongst the panicked frenzy in her mind —I don’t wanna die alone.

Lottie was still talking “It might take a long time. But I’m willing to wait.” She took a step back and started to turn.

“N-no!” Eyrie yelled, powering through the agony in her throat. “Do-don’t leave me here! Pl-please! Please just-just let-let me go! I-I can’t- I-I don’t—ple-please—I-“ The words wouldn’t come anymore catching and jumbling in the way she hated but couldn’t help. Eyrie barely noticed her coming back through the tears, she tugged on one of her curls lightly before releasing it and letting it spring back into place. It was a gesture so horribly, so achingly familia rit hurt almost as much as everything else.

Lottie made that shushing sound again and knelt down in front of her “You were always so afraid of that weren’t you? That I’d leave you behind and you’d be alone again, the way you were before you came to live with Esther.” Her lip curled in a snarl “Not that she was fit to raise a child, but it was something. Wasn’t it? You had hope again. But hope is so fragile. You know? And you’ve always been terrified of losing it. Of having nothing and no one to love you, to hold on to. Of those stories of old ladies in big cities being found dead in their apartments weeks later because no one cared enough to notice until the smell got to be a bother. You’d call me from your big fancy boarding school and tell me about nightmares of that happening to you, classmates and teachers finding your body because maggots started spilling through the door or the smell getting to your neighbor. You remember that don’t you?”

Eyrie nodded trying to hold back a sob, hoping Lottie wouldn’t make her respond aloud. But that seemed good enough, Lottie plowed onwards with an intensity that was almost frightening. Her eyes practically alight as she leaned in.

“I always told you. I’d notice. I would care. I’d call the school, I’d yell, and I’d kick, and I’d scream until someone checked on your room if you missed two skype calls in a row. I’d come down there myself if I had too. I always told you that you were my best friend and you’d never be truly forgotten, or truly alone. Not as long as I had any say in it. Because we said we’d always be there for each other. We promised we’d never leave each other.”

She paused again seeming to want some kind of answer, Eyrie just nodded again “I know,” she croaked out, the words felt like knives on her tongue.

Lottie scooted closer, heedless of the way Eyrie’s blood soaked into her jeans “That is what the forest is. You will never be alone again. You will never even feel loneliness again. You’ll become a part of something so much bigger than you, and it loves you, it will love you. This is the happy ever after we’ve always wanted! Why can’t you see that? We can be loved, and happy, and never feel lost again. We can be found. All you have to do is say yes. Eyrie come on. You can’t say that doesn’t sound like heaven on earth.”

It hurt with the bittersweet ache of a lie she desperately wanted to be true. It was bone deep, and it was damnation disguised as something divinely sweet. It was the ruining kind of ache Eyrie was horribly, awfully familiar with. It was the brittle feeling of Gran looking at her and saying “Honey, you know how much I love you” and knowing in a deep sinking way that the real answer was ‘not enough’.

She pressed her forehead against Eyrie’s, her hand coming to cradle the base of her skull “Remember when we had to read Dante’s inferno at the same time? We said we’d follow each other into Hell. So come on, how hard is it to follow me into heaven instead?”

Eyrie closed her eyes, she couldn’t bear to look Lottie in the eye anymore “I c-I can’t”, she pushed away and back to her feet as Eyrie doubled over again. Her vision blacking out as the searing pain in her throat ignited and she choked on her own blood, desperate for a breath of air even if it burned. She laid there in a pool of her own blood shivering for what could have been minutes or hours before she managed to sit back up, leaning heavily on her shaking arm.

“I-if you-you’re real-really” she took an agonizing breath, trying to steady herself “r-really L-Lottie, then-then prove it. Pl-please just let-let me go.” She sagged in exhaustion once she managed to get the words out, dragging her eyes up to make eye contact.

Lottie looked down at her with something that almost resembled pity. “You know I can’t do that.” She sighed “But I can promise that I won’t just leave you here forever.” She smiled suddenly, kneeling back down next to her “I’ll even do something to prove it” she said resting one of her hands over the one Eyrie was using to brace herself. She held her hand out to the side, and in a swirl of fog a knife materialized in her hand. A broken cry ripped its way from Eyrie’s lips as she tried to yank away, but Lottie just moved her hand up to her wrist to hold Eyrie in place. In one sharp motion she stabbed the knife through her hand and into the cold ground below, pinning her in place. Pain exploded in her hand, and a scream ripped itself from her ruined throat. She thought she might black out again from the combined agony of it all. The scream tapered off into a miserable whine, “God, oh G-God, pl-please” She cried hunching over her hand “s-someone, he-help me please! P-please God.” Her other hand fluttered useless around the knife, nothing seemed to exist except for the pain, she couldn’t even think coherently around the shape of it.

Lottie sighed from somewhere above her, she managed to raise her eyes from the ground to look at her. Lottie looked pale, and her eyes were wide and glazed as she stared at the knife. There was something wrong with her voice when she spoke, it had an icy timbre to it that didn’t belong to her. “Come on, you know that religion can only save you if you have enough faith, and I intend to break you of that.” She blinked and the glaze seemed to fade from her eyes, her voice sounded almost normal again when she said, “You’ll thank me for it later, the forest is so much better.”

Eyrie couldn’t do anything but sob into the ground. She heard another sigh, and then there was a gentle hand gripping her chin and tilting her head up, Lottie smiled warmly at her “You know I won’t leave you here because I have to come back to take this out” She said punctuating it with a flick to the dagger that sent nauseating waves of pain through her hand, Eyrie would’ve collapsed completely if it wasn’t for the tightening grip on her chin holding her up. “Now, don’t move it while I’m gone. Or I’ll know, and I’ll just leave you here longer.” Lottie finished with a perfunctory nod, letting her go and rising to her feet.

Eyrie listed dangerously to the side without the extra support as Lottie walked away. She called over her shoulder “Remember, all you have to do is see the light! The forest loves you as much as I do!” the fog seems to swallow her then as Eyrie hunched back over my sluggishly bleeding hand.

Then she was alone.

Alone.

(This is the end of the Hurt part of these. There is a Rescue/Comfort part to the Forests, Fog, and Fear drabble arc. It’ll probably come out in a few days when the hell that is midterms is done and I have more time to write.)

#whump #lady whump #Forest of Puppets #Lottie #Eyrie #Coughing up blood #blood #betrayal #friendship #can anyone tell i have no idea how to really tag these yet?#I am trying my best

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fishylife · 7 years

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The Living and the Dead Episode 6

So much happened in this episode and I’m anxious to jump right in. I kind of went crazy with the screencaps but we’ll see how many I actually use lol.

In the modern day, little Gabriel appears to iPad lady in red coat, who we now know is called Lara.

Sleeping next to her in the crib is baby Lottie.

Turns out Lara’s checked herself into some sort of rehabilitation centre because she’s been haunted with visions.

Lara’s grandmother tells her that Lara’s own mother had experienced similar visions of a young boy, except she had killed herself when Lara was still a baby. Lara decided she could no longer keep this a secret and risk Lara taking her own life, so she shows Lara some of her family history.

Lara sees a picture of Nathan, and one of Gabriel, and knows that she must investigate.

Her husband Ben is encouraging of her staying at the rehabilitation centre to get better.

But while Ben is out retrieving one of Lottie’s toys, Lara sneaks out and takes his car keys.

Mr. Payne has come by Shepzoy to proposition the purchase of some of the Appleby land.

However, Nathan walks in rather animatedly, and suggests that Mr. Payne has ulterior motives towards his wife. Anyway, he walks out saying that he doesn’t care what happens to the land and that he’ll leave the decision with Charlotte.

Nathan is absolutely delirious at this point and completely negligent of the farm.

Mr. Payne mentions that many of Shepzoy’s workers have left, and Charlotte is considering the sale of the land because the Applebys have no other source of income.

Reverend Denning comes by to pay Nathan a visit. They have a philosophical conversation.

Denning points out what Nathan is unwilling to face, that he’s unwilling to move on from his grief over Gabriel.

Nathan and Charlotte have a fight. I don’t want to get into it, because this conversation made me quite sad :( Basically Charlotte, like Denning, points out Nathan’s flaws and struggles.

But Nathan is unwilling to accept any of it as fact, and instead pushes Charlotte away. Of course Charlotte is hurt, but she leaves to attend to business.

Meanwhile, Nathan takes out Gabriel’s old things in an attempt to interact and converse with him.

Earlier in the episode, we find out that Gabriel is somewhat uncomfortable with the fact that Nathan is having another baby, which is the first time we really understand what it is that Gabriel wants.

Now, Lara’s sitting outside when she hears Gabriel singing on the baby walkie-talkie that she’s put in Lottie’s crib.

In this scene, we find out more, that Gabriel is upset that Nathan wasn’t there to save him when he drowned in the pond. Lara realizes that this sentiment is pretty much the root of the problems plaguing Shepzoy and the Applebys. She tries to explain to Gabriel that it wasn’t by Nathan’s own doing that Gabriel died, and she urges Gabriel to forgive his father.

I found this scene pretty interesting because Gabriel hasn’t grown up at all, and Lara must explain the circumstances to Gabriel.

Nathan thinks he sees Gabriel playing by the pond and falling in.

But when he rushes in to the pond to save Gabriel, he can’t find him.

When he dejectedly returns home, he’s distracted by the sight of Lara running around (her red coat is very striking against the drab colours of Shepzoy). Nathan follows Lara, only to find the one person he’s been chasing after this whole time.

Interesting that this is the only back and forth discussion that we observe between Nathan and Gabriel.

Gabriel tells Nathan that he’s been hiding and Nathan is surprised, thinking his son didn’t want to see him. However, Gabriel explains that he thought that Nathan didn’t want to see Gabriel anymore. This is yet another instance of Gabriel showing his young childish side. He’s feeling jealousy against the new baby.

Now, he tells us what is it that he really wants.

Ben’s been leaving tons of messages in Lara’s voicemail, anxious to know that she and Lottie are okay. Lara caves and finally calls back to assure him.

However, she realizes that Ben knows where she is and she decides she needs to leave right away.

However, as she’s driving in the night, we happen upon a familiar scene.

Lara swerves at the last minute to avoid Nathan, but we’re not shown the aftermath.

Lara wakes up to the sight of Gabriel and his ambiguous message.

Encouraged by Gabriel’s words, Nathan knows what he needs to do to make all of this pain stop. He writes one last letter to Charlotte. Contrary to how they’ve treated each other recently, he does still love her.

Charlotte’s been hanging out with the Dennings a lot recently. She’s also grown close with Mr. Payne through their mutual interest in photography. But Charlotte gets a little uncomfortable with how close they are sometimes.

Nathan’s accustomed himself with the contents of the medication box in the kitchen, and he’s going to concoct himself one final drink.

Lara sees this and opens the door to urge Nathan to stop.

Only to be met by nothing...

...but none other than Gabriel.

This is the point where Lara realizes that Gabriel is not just an angry child, but is fatally dangerous to Nathan.

Mr. Payne convinces Charlotte that Nathan needs some alone time and that she can return home to him tomorrow.

Until a strange person calls out to her.

Charlotte’s completely not surprised by the sight of the strange being, seeing as how she’s heard so much about her from Nathan. But because she’s seeing Lara with her own eyes, passing on this important message, she must return home at once, and brushes off Mr. Payne without regret.

Luckily she gets home in time, before Nathan has a chance to drink his potion.

Nathan doesn’t want to leave the world on bad terms, and tells Charlotte how he really feels about her despite their animosity in recent days.

But the one thing he can’t let go has finally reached out to him and he can’t miss this opportunity to return the calling.

Charlotte explains that Nathan had always had an air of grief about him, and she had hoped to melt that ice away. Unfortunately, she thinks she wasn’t able to do that, and so, because she can’t bear to live without Nathan, decides she’ll go with Nathan.

Nathan can’t do that to Charlotte, whom he dearly loves.

And right then, the other love of Nathan’s life appears before his eyes.

Aaaand this scene is what I would call the “crown jewel” of the series. Colin Morgan’s crying scenes are always his best and I will admit that I shed some tears during this scene.

He finally admits his guilt in not being there for his son.

With his small smile, it seems that Gabriel forgives him, and disappears in an blink of an eye.

To the surprise and delight of Gideon, Charlotte and Nathan step out of the house for the first time in probably what is a long time. The farm folk have found a strange machine out in the field and the horses drag out this car.

At this point Lara realizes what had happened that night she swerved off the path to avoid Nathan.

She’s glad to know that at least Lottie didn’t die in the crash.

But in her new state , she shares something with Gabriel, and Gabriel gains a parent figure who isn’t struggling between life and death like Nathan had to be.

In the distance, Nathan spots Lara and Gabriel walking away, hand-in-hand, and I think he’s relieved that Gabriel has somebody to take care of him in the afterlife.

So we get the happy ending that some of us were all hoping for. That baby daughter is Lara’s grandmother’s mother.

One night, Nathan is awakened by some sounds downstairs.

He’s met by some sort of dinner party with a ouija board.

THIS IS NATHAN APPLEBY’S WTF FACE OKAY.

As you may have noticed, this episode ended on the most unsatisfying cliffhanger ever known to mankind. Unfortunately, season 2 has been cancelled and so I’m going to have eternal dissatisfaction with this ending.

But let’s start at the beginning of this episode, shall we?

I felt that this episode plus the last could have made for its own very good made-for-television movie or something of the like. In comparison to the last two episodes, the first four just felt like fluff, to be honest.

Charlotte and Nathan’s relationship is so distant and hostile during their struggles that it’s truly heartbreaking. Last episode, I was still under the impression that it was just a fanatical obsession of Nathan’s with the opportunity to reach Gabriel, but this episode, I came to realize it was guilt. I like this angle much better because it shows that Nathan is human, rather than just some doctor who’s looking for a scientific explanation to stave off madness. I just wish I could have picked up on more hints throughout the series that hinted at Nathan’s guilt. This revelation felt a little rushed because we only found out about it in the last episode.

In terms of what is actually going on, I’m not quite so sure myself. I guess the best interpretation I can come up with is that Gabriel has been haunting the Appleby bloodline since his death in the late 1800s. Since then, he’s been trying to seek help from the descendants of the Applebys to get him back to his father. Now, I’m going to admit that I’ve never been a fan of time travel because just the mere act of interaction with the past affects the future. So with this paradox, I’m not sure how Lara’s tampering with the past won’t innately affect her own presence, including possibly her own existence. This is something I’m still really quite iffy on and I’ll need to do some reading to understand the technicalities of this time travel.

In terms of why Lara and Gabriel are connected, I’ve read a suggestion that it’s because they both lost parents at a young age. I guess that’s a good enough reason for me.

But let’s move on to Gabriel. He’s straddling the line between a selfish kid and a malicious spirit. He doesn’t show it, but he’s angry at his father for not having been there to save him from drowning. Later, we see that he’ll do anything to be with his father again. But at the end, it seems that Gabriel is content with Lara being his new mother, so is all Gabriel wanted just a consistent parental figure?

Which leads us to the question of “what about Nathan Appleby’s first wife?” She’s barely mentioned, and we have no idea how she died. (If it was mentioned, please let me know, but her presence was never strongly enforced throughout the series)

Which further leads us to the last question of “NATHAN KILLED HIS WIFE??!” Of course, the first idea that came to mind was Nathan killing Charlotte. However, I wonder if that is a reference to his first wife instead. So the writers purposely kept Nathan’s first wife shrouded in mystery because we would learn about her death and Nathan’s even shadier past in the second season (which we will never get).

The ending just opens up more questions than there ever were in the first place. Not that these aren’t interesting questions. The ending isn’t quite as cliche as it could have been, which I appreciated.

The overall feel of the series was very drab and depressing, which I guess is required when you’re dealing with a house being haunted by supernatural beings in the Victorian English countryside. Also, it made Lara’s red coat that much more prominent against the backdrop of Shepzoy, but overall I would have liked to see more colour because I like things to be happier.

I do feel like the first four episodes could have added more to developing the story surrounding Nathan Appleby, which really only unfolded in the last two episodes.

Colin Morgan and Charlotte Spencer’s performances were excellent throughout this series. We have Nathan Appleby, who’s sinking further into his grief, which is disguised as madness. We also have Charlotte, who is trying to be strong for her husband, and while she tries to fight back against him, knows that she cannot hate him and so in the end, she decides to be strong for the both of them so that they can stay together. Both are interesting characters that seem a bit cliche, but are still done well in this series.

Overall, I like this series well enough, but I won’t rewatch it because of (1) how depressing the atmosphere is and (2) the freaking ending, man. I just can’t handle cliffhangers anymore because I have a weak heart. If you have time and are looking for something to watch, this would be a good watch, but I would warn others (with as little spoiler as possible) to be wary of an unfinished ending.

#tv #screencaps #the living and the dead #colin morgan

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bitchloveskcbaseball · 4 years

Text

Drawn to a Flame

Pairing: Logan x Charlotte Wheeler

Summary: Logan and Charlotte go for a short drive that ends up being so much more. Set shortly after the ending of Stitches

Warnings: Just a bit of cursing and very brief references to a car crash.

Disclaimer: Logan belongs to Pixelberry.

Word Count: 3364

A/N: This is my piece for @rodappreciationweek Epilogue Day. Just as with the first part, the name for this came from Shawn Mendes’s song Stitches (I might be just a little obsessed right now lol)

“Um, Logan?” Charlotte's brow furrowed when he took a right turn two blocks before he should have turned left.

“Yeah?”

“This isn’t the way to the college.”

“Oh? It isn’t?” His tone told her that he knew it wasn’t.

“Damn it, we don’t have time for this. My meeting with my advisor starts in less than an hour! I can’t be late to that after missing so many days already.”

“It’s not like you were playin’ hooky, babe.”

“Yeah, because demolishing my car in an illegal street race is an approved reason for missing weeks of classes.”

“Nobody knows you were street racing when you wrecked.”

Charlotte rolled her eyes. “For now.”

Letting out a sigh, Logan moved his hand from the gear shift to rest briefly on her leg, squeezing a spot just above her knee gently. “Just relax, okay? I got you. You know I’ll always get you where you need to be.”

Instinctively, she tried to reach out her left hand to lace their fingers together, remembering too late that it was her broken arm. Despite her best efforts to the contrary, a small whimper slipped out at the jolt of pain the small movement caused.

Logan chuckled ruefully, “You would think you’d remember by now as much as you’ve done that.”

Charlotte’s eyes narrowed as she bit out, “Shut up.”

He pulled his hand away from her leg and she had to fight the urge to beg him to put it back, but almost immediately, his fingers were tangling gently in her hair, somehow managing to tuck the messy strands behind her hair without taking his eyes off the road. “I know babe. I miss it too. More than you can possibly know.”

The tender sweetness had her almost desperate to touch him and her frustration skyrocketed as a result. “Would you stop being sweet? It isn’t helping this situation one bit.”

“Should I laugh at your pain instead?”

“Yes, actually. That would be incredibly helpful.”

“Sorry, sweetheart. That’s one thing I can’t do for you. Especially not this time.”

It sounded almost as if he actually regretted it and Charlotte fell just a little harder for him. But she also didn’t miss the shudder that went through his body and found herself wishing for someway to comfort him. Even if the accident had helped bring them back together, she hated the way she’d scared him with her stupidity. Plus, losing her car like that was killing her. “I’m so sorry, Logan. I – “

“Don’t. You’re fine. I’m fine. It…it’s all fine.”

Dropping her head back against the seat, she smothered her groan of frustration. He’d been staying with her for a week but he still wouldn’t talk to her about the crash, despite the way it was clearly still bothering him. Like he thought he had to be this unaffected tough guy about the whole thing. She wanted so badly to push him on it, to make him open up, but she’d been down that road several times already and it always ended with a fight. And that was something she did not want to get into with the way she was already fighting a pounding headache and a touch of nausea – not that she was going to tell him about that particular development – so she held her tongue, letting the deep thrum of the Devore’s engine relax the tension out of her aching, exhausted body.

The next thing she knew, a hand was running gently through her hair and a soft, muffled-sounding voice was calling her name. Using an inordinate amount of effort, she pulled herself awake, vision blurry as she locked onto Logan, who was kneeling at her open door.

“Hey, Troublemaker. Have a good nap?”

“Mm-hmm.” Eyes threatening to slide closed again, she blinked hard a few times, but still felt like she was fighting a losing battle.

Chuckling, Logan leaned forward and pressed a kiss against her forehead. “So…you think you’re ready to go back to school, huh?”

“I would be if the damn doctors would clear me for it.” Even to her own ears, her voice lacked conviction.

“Says the girl who’s worn out after taking a short car ride.”

“That doesn’t mean shit.”

“You keep telling yourself that, sweetheart.”

Too exhausted to argue and beyond desperate to have him close to her, she raised her good arm to wrap around his shoulder and pleaded, “Hold me?”

“That mean you want me to carry you, Troublemaker?” Logan’s low laugh was somehow gentle and sweet.

“No. It means I want you to hold me.” Charlotte couldn’t help but cringe at how whiny she sounded.

“Char” – he sighed – “Lottie. Just let me carry you.”

“No. I can walk. I just need you to help me up.”

His eyes searched her face for several long seconds before he finally muttered, “Fine.” Wrapping his left arm gently around her back while trying to be careful of her still tender ribs, he held on to her free hand with his right to help tug her up to her feet. Tucking her against his side, he asked, “You good?”

Breathless from the effort and the way her body still protested even the slightest movements, she leaned heavily against Logan and huffed, “No. I told you to hold me.”

He twisted so that she was pressed against his chest and wrapped his arms around her as much it was possible with her arm in a cast and sling. She could feel his smile when he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “How ‘bout now?”

“This is perfect,” Charlotte sighed contentedly. They were silent for several moments before she muttered, voice muffled by his chest, “You know you can still call me Char or Charlotte if you want.”

“I thought you didn’t go by either of those anymore.”

“I…I don’t. Or didn’t. It just reminded me too much of…well, you. And him.”

“And it doesn’t still remind you of him?”

“Well, Char doesn’t. Not really.”

Logan gently pushed her away from him, reaching up to brush a stray strand of hair behind her ear before cupping her cheek in his hand. “Troublemaker, you… You aren’t the same girl I first met.” Charlotte felt her heart stutter, suddenly terrified of what he might say next, but was too frozen to interrupt. “I get that now. So, if this version of yourself, the true Charlotte, goes by Lottie, I can get used to that. Because I love her, you, so much and what name she goes by will never change that.”

It took a minute before Charlotte could pull in a shuddering breath, the fear she had been feeling making it hard to comprehend everything he’d just told her. To understand that he was finally saying all the words she’d yearned to hear for so long. But when it finally clicked, the biggest smile she’d ever felt broke out across her face. “You really mean that? All of it?”

“Every single word.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “You were right when you told me that I never actually listened to what you wanted. I…I just assumed that you still wanted the life that you’d had planned before you met me. That this life and I were just a phase you were going through… I assumed that I knew better than you. I was too worried about how I was screwing up your life that I failed to see how much you had changed. Had blossomed.”

“Oh Logan.” She threaded the fingers of her free hand through the hair at the base of his head, using her grip to pull his lips down to hers. When he was close enough for their breaths to mingle, she whispered, “That’s all I’ve ever needed from you. For you to accept me like this.”

“Always, baby. Always.” He closed the remaining distance between their lips, kissing her softly, telling her without words just how precious she was to him. When they finally broke apart, several minutes later, they were both breathless and a little dazed.

Logan snapped out of it first, chuckling, which caused Charlotte to narrow her eyes at him.

“What are you laughing at?”

“Myself. And how easily you seem to be able to completely distract me. I don’t know how I ever thought I’d be able to stay away from you forever.”

“Well no one ever said you were the brains of this operation.” Charlotte managed to keep her expression serious, but could almost feel the laughter sparkling in her eyes.

“Good thing I never claimed to be, isn’t it?” He bopped her nose softly, careful of the fading bruises that still covered her face. “Anyway. I brought you here for a reason and I think we are already late.”

“Oh, my god! My meeting.” She jolted in an attempt to take off, but the sudden move sent a shockwave of pain through her body and her knees would have buckled if not for Logan’s supporting arms around her.

“Easy, babe. I don’t think you are gonna be in trouble for being late to this particular meeting.”

“You don’t underst – “ For the first time since he woke her up, Charlotte actually took in her surroundings and confusion immediately settled over her. Instead of being in a campus parking lot, they were in front of a self-storage facility. “What the hell is going on, Logan?”

“You’ll see in just a bit. You sure you want to walk?”

It wasn’t an easy task, but she resisted the urge to roll her eyes at him. “Yes, I’m sure.”

“Okay, okay. I won’t ask again.”

He started to unwrap himself from around her but she grabbed onto the front of his shirt. “Hey. Don’t be like that.”

“Me? Like what exactly?”

“Mad at me.” She forced herself to ignore his scoff. “I know, I’m being a bitch about all this. It just…it sucks to be so damned dependent on you. …Not you specifically. Just anybody. I hate this and I hate that I did it to myself.”

Logan’s expression softened as he shifted them around so that she was tucked into his side. He wrapped his arm loosely around her and nuzzled the side of her face before pressing a kiss to her temple. “I know baby. And I know I’m going overboard with the protectiveness. I just…I want to take care of you.”

“And you are. So much. So well.” She smiled when she felt him bury his nose in her hair, but when he stayed like that for several moments, she poked his side playfully. “Don’t we have somewhere to be? Something for you to show me?”

“Oh! Right! Yeah…you ready?”

“Definitely.”

Keeping his arm wrapped around her, Logan started to guide her through the maze of storage units. He had already taken two right turns and one left and they were still walking, leading her to wonder if he actually knew where he was taking her. After yet another right turn, she finally voiced her concern. “Are you sure you know where you’re going? Do I need to send out some sort of homing beacon so the authorities can find us?” The breathlessness of her voice seemed to ruin the comedic effect of her joke as Logan drew them to a stop, staring at her with concern-filled eyes.

“Hey. You need to take a break?”

She tried not to pant as she worked to catch her breath. “Depends. How much further?” She didn’t want to admit it, but her body really was starting to scream. She hadn’t moved half this much in almost two weeks and she could definitely feel it.

“Just let me carry you, babe.”

“How far, Logan?”

He let out a loud exhale before finally relenting, “Not far. It’s just at the end of this row. But seriously – “

“I’m fine. Just… maybe we could go a little slower?”

“That’s the most I’m gonna get from you, isn’t it?”

“You bet your sweet ass it is.”

“Whatever.” She could tell he was annoyed with her, but the way the corner of his lips kept twitching with the smile he was trying to hold back told her he wasn’t all that upset.

Once they were finally standing in front of their destination, a unit at the end of the row with a large, garage-type door, Charlotte turned to Logan with raised eyebrows. “Babe, I’m still confused.”

“It will all make sense in a minute, I swear.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket, typing out a short message before putting it back.

“Seriously? You lead me all the way down here just to send a fucking – “ The soft hum of a garage door opener captured Charlotte’s attention as it started to roll the door up. “Did you just send a text message to open that freakin’ door?”

There was a burst of laughter at that – make it two bursts of laughter. Forehead once again wrinkled in confusion, she turned towards the storage unit and gasped at who she saw inside. “Paul?”

“Yeah, Lottie. It’s me.”

Unexpected tears sprung to her eyes and she was helpless to stop them. She hadn’t seen or heard from him since he’d stormed out of her hospital room and she was starting to think that she really had fucked up that friendship. Even with Logan here – especially with Logan here – she knew she still needed Paul in her life and the thought that he might not be absolutely broke her heart. But here he was, waiting in a storage locker for her. But why is he waiting in a storage locker?

Before she even realized he’d moved, he was in front of her, pulling her into a much-too-tight hug, but she refused to complain. Logan, on the other hand, had no qualms about it. “Dude. Lighten up. She’s still really banged up.”

“Oh, shit. I’m sorry sweetheart.” Paul pulled back, but still kept his hands on her shoulders. His voice was much quieter when he added, “And not just for crushing you.”

“No, don’t – “

“Hush. I owe you an apology. You’d literally just woken up from – “ Paul shook his head, as if chasing memories away. “I should have been more understanding with you. More patient. And I damn sure shouldn’t have taken off on you like that. I just… You scared me so damn bad, Lottie. I thought…”

“I know. I know and I shouldn’t have tried to make light of the situation. I just…I hated seeing you so tense and upset and I thought a little joke might lighten the mood. I didn’t even consider everything I’d put you through.” She wanted to let it all go at that, to just enjoy knowing that she hadn’t ruined their friendship, but she couldn’t bite back the question that had been haunting her since he’d stormed out. Voice barely above a whisper, she asked, “Why didn’t you return any of my calls?”

Paul let out a deep sigh. “At first, it was because I was pissed as hell at you. Then, I knew Logan was going to be showing up on your doorstep and didn’t want to give you time to guard that frozen heart of yours.”

“Hey!”

“You know it’s true.”

“Whatever, jackass. What about after you knew Logan and I had talked?”

Turning to face Logan, Paul laughed, “She’s incredibly observant, isn’t she?”

“It really makes you wonder how she’s such a good street racer, doesn’t it?”

Shifting her glare between the two men, Charlotte hissed, “Hey, assholes, I’m still standing right here.”

“Oh, trust me, Troublemaker, we know.”

She knew it was an overreaction to storm off, but she was tired and annoyed and every inch of her body felt like it was throbbing so she really didn’t care how much of an overreaction it really was. She had only taken half of a step, though, before an almost familiar glint coming from inside the storage unit caught her eye. She side-stepped around Paul, the sight behind him causing her to freeze with horror, disbelief and excitement.

“That’s – “ She had to clear her throat to get her voice to work around her tears. “That’s my car.”

Coming up behind her, Logan wrapped his arms around her waist, being sure to avoid bumping her arm or pressing on her incision. “Yeah, baby.”

“What… how… Oh my god. What did I do?”

“Shh. It’s fine. It looks worse than it is.”

“Logan.”

“I’m not saying it’s gonna be a quick fix. But Paul’s already found a new frame. And we’ve got the pieces that need to be completely replaced on order. But the majority of it is fixable. We’re just gonna need you to be patient with us because this shit isn’t gonna be easy.”

Spinning slowly within his arms, she wrapped her right one around Logan’s neck before asking, “Why?”

“Because I know what that car means to you. Hell, what it means to us. And it isn’t beyond repair, so I wasn’t going to let it get scrapped.” A mischievous smirk broke out across his face as he added, “Besides, it’s only fair that I help fix it since I’m sorta the reason it needs fixed.”

Charlotte smothered the gasp that wanted to escape. She hadn’t been able to get him to even talk about the crash and here he was, joking about it? As much as it annoyed her, she figured it was better than nothing so instead of pressing the matter, she arched an eyebrow and sassed, “And just what makes you think it had anything to do with you?”

“Well your record was perfect until I showed up.”

She rolled her eyes at him so hard she immediately regretted it when her headache really started to throb. “Whatever. Pure coincidence is all that was.”

Before he could smart off again, she tugged him down so she could kiss him. Almost immediately, he deepened the kiss, running his tongue along her lips, begging for access. Just before she could oblige him, however, an over-exaggerated cough broke them out of their haze.

Charlotte looked over at Paul sheepishly, knowing that he knew she’d completely forgotten he was there. Rather that bring further attention to it, she opted to shift the conversation back to her car. “Thank you. So much for all of this. For saving her from the scrap yard and for putting all the plans together to fix her.”

“Hell, Lottie. Don’t go getting’ sentimental on me now.”

“Oh, whatever. You know you love it.”

Paul barked, “Shut up,” but it lacked any real heat and the smile on his face softened what was left of the blow.

Turning back to Logan, a realization struck her and she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to mess with him. “What happened to no more lies, Logan?”

“Huh? What?”

“You said I had a meeting with my academic advisor.”

“Well, uh…I just… I wanted to surprise you.” At first, she thought he was just playing along, but the way he was refusing to meet her eyes told her that he was taking it all to heart. Guilt instantly started eating at her.

“Hey, look at me.” When he just shook his head, she cupped his cheek in her hand and forced him to turn back towards her. “This was so much better than some stupid college meeting.”

Eyebrows knitted together, his disbelief was thick in his voice as he asked, “Really? You aren’t pissed at me for lying to you again?”

“Of course I’m not pissed. I was just trying to mess with you a little bit.” She bit her lip, pondering for just a second if she should just leave it at that, but couldn’t resist adding, “Besides, I’ve been wondering how I was beat your ass again without a car.”

The strangled noise that got caught in his throat and the panic that settled over his expression let her know that she would soon have another battle on her hands with him. But she didn’t mind, because she was finally starting to believe that Logan was really in this for the long haul this time.

Tags: @burnsoslow @anotherbeingsworld @openheart

#RoDAW #logan x mc #rod logan #ride or die: a bad boy romance #choices rod

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