#come hell or Highwater

[imaginedreamwrite]

Come Hell Or Highwater: Part 4

Andy Barber, even as young as he was compared to other lawyers who were as seasoned as him, was at the top of his game.

He was a lawyer who built himself a reputation that exceeded others around him and had just as ruthlessly defended anyone that he could have helped. While his brothers had joined the military and became navy SEALs, the two driven by some force demanded they give back to the world by saving everyone that they could.

Their impressive military careers were commendable and had secured the two of them a position with the Navy SEALs, while Andy had chosen to attend university and get his law degree. Ultimately the three of them would end up working for the same goal to aid the Witness Protection Program as best as their skill sets would allow.

While Ari and Steve had aided the program with their skills learned in the military which had provided protection for the people integrated into the service, Andy had worked through the courts to ascertain protective orders and handle the proceedings that would hopefully allow whoever was in hiding to find some level of peace.

Some level of peace that would only be achieved once the men responsible, for beating the prominent businessman and politician to death in the darkened alley on that fateful night wherein your good nature won out, had been put through court and thrown into a tiny windowless cell.

Until then you were at risk of death, or an even worse fate if they had gotten their hands on you. And while Andy, Ari and Steve would do everything within their power to keep you safe and out of their hands, ultimately there was only so much they could do and if you hadn’t played the role given to you by the program, you could theoretically be the cause of your own downfall.

Although that chance was low, it wasn’t out of the realm of possibilities especially not for someone like you.

Naïve and good-natured to an almost fault, there were definite avenues that could be exposed, there were cracks that the other side of the coin would try and expose. If they had gained access to your heart that you wore on your sleeve, or if they had tapped into your willingness to help as many people around you as they could, they would have you exactly where they wanted you.

However they had to find you first, and finding you would grant them the most difficulty. Especially given the numerous trials they had left that directed the organization after you in countless directions. It was a ploy, an intricate plot to have your direct location hidden.

And the benefit of being in a place that was a secure and safe community for polyamorous couples and family units was its secrecy and tendency to stick to each other. A safe place that wasn’t well accessed by the general public, the town you were hiding in was like its own little separate world beyond the usual.

Andy had stolen himself out of his thoughts by the crisp crinkle of the receipt in his hand was almost as necessary as blowing on the cup of coffee in his hand before he had a taste.

With the weight of a case on his shoulders that was a vital step to making the defences’ argument entirely destitute, Andy could have declared himself rightfully stressed. With long hours being pulled at the office and lengthy scheduled meetings to build layer upon layer before heading to the courts, Andy was rightfully stretched thin.

However, as the cords were seemingly pulling him in every which direction, he had received confirmation from Ari, taking Andy’s name as a persona, that introductions had been made upon your arrival.

Steve, Grant, was to take a job at the local mill working on stripping lumber and smoothing it down.

Ari, Andy, was going to be taking shifts at a construction yard transporting materials to the surrounding area.

And Andy, Cole, was a travelling businessman that went in and out of town frequently, a role that would give Andy an excuse to be gone for weeks.

Arrived safe. Bunny fawn is safe — A

Andy read the message once, and then again. As he comprehended the encrypted text for the second time, he raised the cup to his lips and exhaled a soft breath to further cool his black brew. There were a number of files on his desk, a number of records that alluded to your reputation as being a good girl—an exemplary being of softness and empathy that helped anyone within your reach.

And that kindhearted was had struck you on the path of these men who wanted to strike you down to keep their crimes silenced and under wraps.

They would test your bravado; they would test you within all your boundaries of sanity in order to have you crack and crumble. There was nothing more they’d love than to have you cave and give them everything they wanted while they extended their cruel hand toward you to get what they wanted.

It was the true nature of their brutality that faced you if the brothers failed.

But you were a witness they couldn’t lose, and it was Andy, Ari & Steve’s jobs to make sure you made it to court. There was a chance to finally deepen the cracks in the system, the organization that tried to cripple an entire city with their cruelty and brutality.

There had never been an opportunity like this, to commit major players to the steel and iron walls of a highly secure federal prison, one that was untouched and unable to be infiltrated by every source they knew and had.

“Mr. Barber, there’s a call for you. Someone from New York.”

Andy waited for this.

He had sat further upright in his desk chair and set his cup down, a few beads of condensation darkening the coaster beneath the porcelain. He reached for the receiver and yanked it from its nestling hold, first hearing a beat of silence and then a crack thwack of a blade meeting something dense and sturdy.

“Barber.” The voice was concise and controlled, Andy’s name the only verbal catalyst to get the conversation rolling.

You could only see slivers of moonlight that were peeking through building clouds, the promise of rain later in the early morning hours had hung over the area. While the house was still bare-boned and empty, boxes scattered with hastily packed dishes and other kitchen items were all a ploy to make this whole story more believable.

It was all a faceted cover to keep you in a safe area while somewhere else on the east coast, an entire legion of cold-blooded killers and criminals wanted you strung out because you were too kind. It was a choice you made to do good and be good, to try and help other people who needed you, that caused your life to be held in the hands of three men and the WPP they worked for.

Ari, Andy and Steve didn’t know you from Eve, they didn’t know who you truly were off of paper and out of files and yet your life depended entirely on them. Your life, your short life that barely grazed the 22nd year, was in the balance and you were meant to play the part of a young wife. A woman who was in a polyamorous relationship and new to this whole idea of having multiple husbands while in a community that was incredibly tight-knit and close.

You were cursed by your inability to mind your own business and say no. You were going to be fucked over by your innate need to be a people pleaser and overextend yourself to errands that hadn’t belonged to you.

It was your kindness that drove you to stop and grab your roommate’s prescription, saving her from going out herself. It was your inability to turn away from someone who needed help that made you a target, a witness that could put some Butcher away in a federal prison.

Your kindness, your sense of urgency to be a Good Samaritan had caused your entire life to upheaved.

And now you were in a position where you were set to play a young married wife with two men who had seen hell while in the army, and a lawyer who was deep diving into your life to build a case to protect you.

Now, you were restless.

At the moment you were unable to sleep despite the weight of the day driving you to close your eyes and find slumber.

Every time you closed your eyes you saw them, the two men abandoned in the alleyway bleeding out.

Every time your eyes shuttered you could feel the warmth of blood on your hands, the stench of copper hanging in the air while you attempted to stop the bleeding. The two men whose life had been brutalized, with one losing his life entire, and the other almost dying before the ambulance came, had set you on this path.

The men, or man, responsible for this beating had been sure that they wouldn’t live until you stepped in and when word got out that the other tangent was alive the task had been finished in the hospital room.

You were the only witness left, the only one who could possibly testify against the hellish beast that sent the two men to hades. There was more riding on your testimony and your future witnessing in the courts of law than you even knew.

If you had made it to court, you had a sneaking suspicion that you would aid in the devastation in whatever hellhound had called for the extermination of those two men.

For now, until the day came when you were thrown into court, you were going to have to keep your mind clear.

Though it was a task that was easier said than done, restfulness had found you and you had managed to shift on the bed and face the window with your hands cupped under your cheek.

Through the clouds the silver streams of moonlight had acted as a siren song, one that came over you in a haze to usher your to sleep. Your eyes grew heavy and fluttered closed like the groggy clouds shifting in the night sky, and slumber had come to you quicker than before.

Time was fickle. Time had given you sleep that felt like minutes instead of hours while simultaneously slowing down to an infinite crawl once you had stepped foot into the kitchen in the morning.

The two guards who were you faux husbands were already awake and although only Ari had been dressed for his first shift at the construction yard. The pair of jeans had been faded and worn, still in well enough shape to be used until the end of their life however you could see scuffs against the hems of the legs and a few small holes in the thighs.

Underneath the flannel he wore there was a white loose shirt with a scuff along the neckline and a small tear that could have alluded to him working with tools and lumber, just as Steve was supposed to. He truly had looked the part of a blue-collar employee, a man who was used to lugging materials and lumber around from construction yards to their destination, added by his clothing choice and the sheer size of him.

The long drive from the city to this remote and rural settlement, this closed and secured community where you’d be hidden, hadn’t affected him anymore than a single raindrop against dry sizzling earth. If anything, you were the one who’s been affected the most of the three of you, with your body aching still from the long hours in the truck, and your eyes heavy from not white enough sleep.

“Did you sleep okay?” Ari’s question bared no answer.

At least not at first.

Not until you had gotten your bearings and settled your weight on your toes instead of your heel or the ball of your foot.

Truly you didn’t know what to say to Steve and Ari, how to communicate your fears and inability to sleep due to your stress and anxiety. How could you have easily quantified your feelings while being forced to trust them despite not knowing them?

How could you open yourself up to being honest with them while feeling as if you needed to guard yourself?

Your answer was soft, mumbled and came with you rubbing your hands on your fleece-lined joggers, wiping your sweaty palms on your thighs.

“Sure.” It was a weak answer, you knew it was. It wasn’t anything close to the truth but how truthful could you really get when your head was full of garbled chaos?

“I made coffee-” Steve had just slid the porcelain cup against the cupboard toward you when a knock on the front door had rung out in the house.

Your head whipped around to face the sound, the steady knocking sounding more like an alarm than anything, and you were not the only one to think so.

“Stay here,” Steve’s hand was steady on your shoulder, directing you toward Ari and his black and red flannel, “don’t move.”

Steve brushed past you and Ari, trekking from the kitchen through an arched doorway to the front entrance, his voice calling through the door with firmness that created an illusion of a man who was not a morning person.

“Hi! Sorry to bother you!” The neighbour from yesterday called through the door, eliminating the tension almost instantly, and yet Ari still kept you close. “I thought maybe your wife might want to go to the farmers market with Sam and I.”

You heard the twist of the lock before the door opened, the subtle shift of Ari’s body next to yours had stolen your attention off of Steve and your new neighbour if only for a moment. It was enough of a distraction to allow Steve to bring Lia & Sam into the house, and even further toward the kitchen.

“Hi! Hope we’re not interrupting,” as if Lia’s gift of food yesterday wasn’t enough, she had shown up with her husband and a new basket of locally crafted jams and cookies, “Sam and I wanted to invite you to the farmers market.”

“I’m off,” Ari had whispered lightly, stooping low to kiss the top of your head as an affectionate send off, “be good, sweetheart. Grant, you going?”

“Sam, right?” Steve had stepped aside to let Ari past, and then he moved toward you, hands resting on your hips. “Nice to meet you again, yesterday was a long day on the road.”

“That’s right.” he confirmed the name with a smile and then slipped an arm around his wife’s waist, “Are you headed out to work too?”

“I’m sticking around with Danah,” hearing your fake given name for the first time with over people had been the catalyst that drew your eyebrows together in a furrow, and cast your lips into a frown, “we should go to the farmers market, love.”

This was your life for the moment, this was who you had become. This is who you were meant to be in this moment without much of an argument allowed.

For your well-being and to save your life you had to wholeheartedly accept this role as if you were born the persona, you had been assigned.

“I’d like that.” Your reply came as you accepted the basket of gifts and set it on the countertop, and then glanced down at the clothes you’d slept in, rolling your shoulders and picking at the front of the sweater. “Let me change first.”

You escaped without hearing the next spoken word, leaving the room to take the stairs back to one of the guest rooms you’d occupied while using the excuse to change as a chance to catch your breath.

#navy seal!ari levinson x reader x navy seal!steve rogers x lawyer!andy barber #navy seal!Steve Rogers x reader x navy SEAL!Ari Levinson #ari levinson x reader #ari levinson imagine #Andy barber x reader #Andy barber x reader fluff #witness protection program!Reader #Witness Protection Program #Andy Barber x reader angst #Steve rogers x reader #Steve rogers x reader fluff #triplets!Steve Rogers #triplets!Andy Barber #triplets!Ari Levinson #come hell or highwater #come hell or high water series #come hell or Highwater masterlist #come hell or Highwater part 4

[topnotchquark]

#ferrari you will always be my number one bad bitch #come hell or highwater #or the weirdest fucking driver pairing #lewis Hamilton #charles leclerc #scuderia ferrari #mercedes amg petronas #lewis to ferrari 2024 #fred Vasseur #f1 #formula 1

[running-on-coffee-and-anxiety]

Noticed But Hoping For The Best Part 1

So this is based off this post I made about Danny slowly losing small motor function after the accident. I'll be doing this in parts, both for more writing time and because I have no idea how to add a 'read more'.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The first person to truly realize something was wrong was Jazz. Oh, Danny wasn't dumb, he knew something was different- after all, he was the one living through it- but it was no big deal. Fumbling with shoe laces could easily be due to exhaustion from adjusting to having to deal with ghosts, the same with slipping up on buttons or the slight decrease in the quality of his handwriting. While he wasn't dumb, there were some things he just wasn't perceptive about, and his sister noticed.

Danny thought he was just being clumsy any time food dropped onto his shirt. Jazz noticed his hand couldn't quite hold the fork or spoon steady. He laughed off a failure to catch something, but his sister noticed he did catch it but it somehow slipped through his hands. Small issues, new ones that had no reason to appear.

When she learned about the accident, that felt like a reason, but- Phantom was a part of who Danny was, and when flying around and handling things with ghosts or using tools, there were no indications of anything the oldest Fenton child had seen bothering her brother. It might be a new set of colors and new powers, but it was still her brother's body, so nothing could really be wrong. Maybe he was just more alert as Phantom.

The best she could do was keep an eye on the situation, nothing seemed to be going too wrong. Maybe Danny's insistence that it was just from exhaustion was true and she was looking too far into things. After all, the only scar from the accident was so faint it could only be seen if he got sunburnt or otherwise discolored his skin, something like that shouldn't be able to cause long-lasting problems.

Maybe it was optimistic, but Jasmine Fenton was hoping for the best.

Next

#danny phantom #danny fenton #phanfiction #Part 1 I guess? #phandom #Am I using the DP tags right? I think so but I'm new to the fandom #DP #Jazz is doing her best but in the end she is still a kid #She's going to take care of Danny come hell or highwater #But there isn't much she can do in a situation like this #Writing this because of the brainworms tbh #If anyone wants to take this and run with it feel free- just link me the work so I can read it :) #Noticed But Hoping For The Best

[fitsofdespair]

Bill going to heard in Florida (my state) today that will ban all insurance coverage of trans surgeries and gender affirming care for adults. You can bet it will ultimately pass.

“HB1421 is defined so broadly, it would ban health insurance coverage for birth control, HRT for menopause, treatments for breast cancer, including mastectomies, treatments for prostate cancer, and any treatment that involves primary or secondary sex characteristics”

This will effect not just trans people but also people with various cancers including breast cancer that legislators have made no exceptions for.

#it’s basically curtains for me and i’m stuck here for the next four years because i can’t afford out of state tuition #and i need to finish undergrad and masters come hell or highwater #trans politics #trans issues #trans rights #florida politics #florida tag

[dragonomatopoeia]

all grievances aside all hatering pushed neatly away all complaints packed into their appropriate cubbies. there is something to celebrate in this world and it is that BOTH my microfiber duster and my mop arrived today this is going to be sooooooooo fucking efficient

#i am going to clean tomorrow come hell or highwater

[keepchangingandneverstop]

Day 246 - A sign for our sample table at work

#come hell or highwater i am going to bed on time tonight

[bklynmusicnerd]

Esme: *flaunts that pregnant stomach*

Everyone: 

#general hospital #esme prince #come hell or highwater she was getting knocked up

[sumerus]

the way that i have been farming for acheron needs to be studied

#i am unwell but she is coming home hell or highwater and i mean that lmao #cee.txt

[phantom-of-notre-dame]

.

#am i gonna be able to get home from work today? who knows 🙃 #they're predicting up to 9 inches of snow where i live #i don't think it's that high yet but it has been snowing nonstop since this afternoon and it is pretty high #i drove myself to work so come hell or highwater i am going to risk the drive back home #i hate this i hate this i hate this #the dot series

[bullet-prooflove]

ATF!Series Part Three: Hell or Highwater

Tagging: @kmc1989 @hatersaremymotivators benny kkkelpies-shed

ATF Series:

Part One: A Rabbit You Don't Want To Chase - Stahl makes an unwelcome return to David's life.

Part Two: Fucked - Stahl fucks up you entire life in pursuit of Jax Teller.

You’ve been in a custody for five hours by the time David’s finally allowed to see you. Four hours of that has consisted of you sitting silently in an interrogation room listening to Stahl tell you how fucked you are.

And yea, she’s right, you are pretty fucked.

Your entire life it’s crumbling down around you and all you can feel is this crushing, desolate numbness because those hopes you had, those dreams they’re gone. Every single one of them.

You think about that as you lie on a musty mattress in a chilly cell. You think about what Jax Teller has done to you, what he continues to do to you. He has no direct involvement with you but the ripples of that time you spent together still resonate through your life.

This is what David means when he talks about Jax's blast radius.

Jax Teller is a nuclear bomb, his toxicity seeping into everything he touches. His poison, it salts the earth leaving no space for anything else to grow and you, you  just have to sit here and absorb the damage.

“The light giving you a headache?” David asks as he leans in the doorway of the cell block. It’s Tuesday evening and you’re the only one in attendance, your arm is draped over your eyes trying to ward off the glow from the fluorescent. You have that metallic taste on your tongue. The one that usually comes just as the migraine starts to set in.

You don’t answer him, you can’t because the moment you do David will know exactly how broken you are right now you can’t stand the idea of anyone seeing that.

The light clicks off and you swallow past the well of emotion that’s building in your chest because David, he always knows exactly what you need. You hear his footsteps, the squeak of his boots as he comes to linger outside your cell. You hear his sigh before he sits down on the floor, his back against the cinderblocks. His elbows come to rest on his knees as his head tips back and his eyes close.

You’re in for the night and so is he.

The distance it seems to stretch between you, he feels the weight of it in the air as he plays through the past couple of hours in his head. The phone calls he’s made to the San Franisco Art Institute trying to undo all the nasty shit that Stahl has done to you. He’d begged for them to change their minds but that placement is gone, they don’t want a criminal influencing the other students. He’d slammed down the phone so hard, the plastic had cracked on the receiver.

“She told me you fucked her today.” You say quietly and his blood runs cold because it isn’t enough that Stahl has taken away your prospects, she has to try and take him too. “That you came inside her, it seemed important to her that I know that.”

He understands the significance. For Stahl their relationship was about power, about proving she had it and he didn’t. It drove her absolutely crazy that he wouldn’t give her that, that everytime she begged or demanded, he would pull out. It was a sign to her that she couldn’t control him, not completely.

“You’re the only woman who gets to have that.” He tells you, his gaze meeting yours as you shift up into a sitting  position. “The only one that gets to have every part of me.”

You draw your knees up to your chest, tucking the blanket over your legs because it get a little cold in here at night. He makes note to get you an extra blanket because the temperature is only going to keep dropping.

“David, we should talk about what happens when I go to jail.” You say softly. “You need to get clear of this…”

“You won’t see jail time.” He tells you and there’s such surety in his voice that you can’t help but believe him. “You’ll be bailed tomorrow, made to pay a fine, they’re going to seek restitution for the property damage. We’ll be paying it off for the next couple of years.”

We…

Because the two of you, you’re in this together come hell or highwater.

“David…” You whisper because you know exactly what he’s done while you’ve been trapped with Stahl.

All the favours he’s collected over the years, all that good will. He’s used it all up on you, on managing this crisis. You know what this is going to do to him, his dreams of being Chief, they’re over. His affiliation with you has seen to that.

“You’ll be his downfall.” Jacob Hale had warned you when he’d heard about you and David. “You’ll ruin everything he’s worked for.”  

This is it right here, the moment he was talking about. Fuck it eats you up inside, knowing you’re dragging David down with you.

“You think this is a sacrifice for me but it isn’t.” He says as he raises to his feet, wincing at the stiffness in his bones as he comes to stand before the bars, his hands gripping them. “Unser was never going to step down and I don’t see the point of having all this power if I can’t use it to do the right thing.”

You mirror his movements, your fingers coming to rest in the indentations between his knuckles as you press your head against the cool bars.

“You didn’t ask for any of this,” He reminds you quietly, his blue eyes meeting yours. “We just fucked the wrong people and now we’re getting fucked but at least we’re in it together. They don’t get to have this, they don’t get to take you away from me.”

“No.” You whisper, a sad smile crossing your features because even though you’ve both lost so much, you’ll always have each other.  “They won’t ever have this.”

Love David? Don’t miss any of his stories by joining the taglist here.

Like My Work? - Why Not Buy Me A Coffee

#david hale #david hale x reader #david hale x you #sons of anarchy #deputy chief hale #soa #deputy hale

[ravenwitch45]

Hi darling! How are you? How have you been? Sorry for bothering, I wanted to request a fluff poly-relationship for Lucifer Magne & Lillith Magne(Hazbin Hotel) x pregnant!female!Reader going through the pregnancy and after the pregnancy. how would the two of them behave while she is pregnant and after the pregnancy when the reader gives birth?

Tysm! Have a lovely day/night!!

Oh lord I will try with this one, mind you I have never been pregnant or really can be so I'm going to be going after what I heard and read, this is too fluffy to pass up in all honesty. Here goes nothing!

Lucifer and Lilith with a pregnant Female SO

The announcement is of course where it begins, and having two SOs means two different reactions. Lilith is ecstatic, already loving her one kid, and is excited to have another, promising to help with your pregnacy as she's already gone through one.

Lucifer, the grand king of Hell, nearly faints when you two tell him :I See they were under the impression you were infertile, not from anything it was just something you had from birth and come to accept, so even if Luci got a little sloppy with the protection, another child he never planned to have.

But seems you got lucky, as all the ways of magic and tech returned the same result, you were indeed pregnant, so after confiming the two almost reapeated the reactions

If it's not clear by now, these two are polar opposites with this scenario, Lilith is excited and comforting, Lucifer is panicking with preparing for the new addition. The both of you try to calm him down but he;s just very highstrung about the whole thing.

Don't get me wrong, he's happy that your pregnant, it's just it's not something he has great control over, which stresses him out. He hates how he can't help with it much so he get's the best stuff money can buy to try. Not to mention when the child actually comes, and then annuncing it to all of hell, he's pratically paralyzed with all the legal stuff he knows he'll have to do.

Though sometimes he does let up, pushing it all back so he can actually spend time with his two queens, and the baby quickly coming.

No matter if it's with panicking King, or the Queen who couldn't be calmer. It's nine months of being coddled and spoiled by them and every staff member the palace has.

Admittedly everyone would be smothering if it wasn't for Lililth who recites a story where she killed an intruder while eight months pregnant with Charlie whenever anyone tries to stop you from doing something, even when your clearly fine.

Speaking of Charlie, she's even more excited upon finding out then her mother. She asks a ton of questions, like what your going to name them, if you have the nursery planned out (She'll help if you don't). She's just very excited about having a sibling in the future. But she doesn't really help with Lucifer panicking about the workload he has XP

While Lililth has been calm the entire pregnency, even she can't help but panic on delivery day. Of course you have the best doctors Hell has to offer, and even healers if you really need it. Hell or Highwater, you are having this baby and surviving.

Luckily it does go well. And you deliver a healthy baby. Now they really run rampant with their emotions. Crying tears of joy and hugging you and their new child as tight as they can without hurting either of you.

In terms of the aftermath. Your still spoiled a ton by them, as well as the new baby being spoiled to. Regardless of what sex they have, they raise them the same. Of course they do it differently but not on something as insignificant as assigned sex. It's just their own general parenting styles.

Lililth is all loving and supportive, excited to see how the new kid turns out, and letting them find their own way. And Lucifer, while he is loving, you both catch him trying to push his views on them, trying to avoid this one starting a hotel which stands against the entire idea of Hell. But he just get's a slap on the wrist for that, and he stops eventually.

Over all, there very happy to have you, and the new baby. Despite all the differences in styles and reactions. On that they can agree on.

#ask reply #hazbin hotel #hazbin lucifer #hazbin lilith #hazbin lucifer x reader #hazbin lilith x reader #hazbin lucifer x lilith x reader #hazbin hotel x reader #x reader #tried my best with this

[imaginedreamwrite]

“I don’t want you doing that again.” You feel every word against your back, his chest rumbles pleasant and seductively as he speaks.

“I didn’t-” you try to protest and cut yourself off, your hands wrap around the forearm that holds you to him. The bubbles are lightly scented like rose and lavender, the warmth of the water soothes and eases your muscles that ache from the unplanned run you sent yourself on.

“You did, but you were scared.” He towers above you even now, overshadowing you with his thick corded chest and his broad shoulders that are a stonewall for you to cling to.

“I’m terrified.” You kick at the water, a wet sconce of bubbles drip over the tub and for a moment you feel like a child again. “I thought…I swore someone was breaking in.”

“We would’ve known. Andy, Steve and I would have known.” Ari shifts beneath you, your bodies flush with one another, the lack of barriers between your naked body and his is apparent and bold.

“I thought I was going to die, that’s why I ran.” You feel emotional, explaining yourself and you turn your head to sniffle.

Your eyes sting with tears, you feel like a child. Again.

“We’re going to protect you, we’re all going to keep you safe.” Ari’s chest rumbles, the scent of rose and lavender brings you comfort and ease.

The lines have blurred incomprehensibly now. You don’t know where the start has gone and the end is nowhere to be seen. Its an even plane, a certainty that you’ve gone and lost yourself in them.

Andy, Ari & Steve have every part of you now. They’ve had you all, and you’ve had them.

Intimacy is rampant, its not one to be ignored and you are leaning heavily into it.

“We’re trying for a child,” Steve had proudly announced at one of the parties down the street, “its the next step for us.”

You couldn’t stop thinking about that, about the announcement Steve had made. You were aware of it, it was a necessary tactic to make the town believe you were trying to move forward with a normal life.

And you wanted children. You’d told them as much, that you wanted to one day have children and be able to raise a family while writing music. You told them that it would be your dream to own your own song writing company or business while growing your family.

You didn’t seem fame, you didn’t want to play in sold out stadiums. You wanted to write music, and you wanted a family with your partner.

“We’re worried about you. When we came home and you were gone, the door was open-” Ari kissed into your hair as tears rolled down your cheeks.

“-we thought you’d been killed.” Ari whispered with undeniable sincerity.

Like Ari had spoken now, Steve mentioned children with such unreserved honesty you almost believed it was true.

And maybe it was. Maybe Steve wanted kids with you. Maybe Andy, Ari & Steve were as lost in this as you were.

“Ari I’m sorry.” You apologized, leaning back against his bare and wet chest.

“Its okay, sweetheart.” He whispered softly, speaking as rain started to batter the windows and your shared bath continued. “We’re going to keep you safe.”

Safe from harm, but not safe from your heart breaking when this all ended.

#navy seal!ari levinson #navy seal!steve rogers #witness protection program!reader #agent!Ari Levinson x reader #agent!Steve Rogers x reader #Andy barber x reader #come hell or Highwater #come hell or Highwater: picture drabble #Ari Levinson x reader #Steve rogers x reader #triplets!ari levinson x reader #triplets!steve rogers x reader #triplets!Andy Barber x reader

[blacklegsanjiii]

Sengoku and his adopted grandson Sanji.

Sengoku finding Sanji still in the mask while he searches the North Blue for clues to what happened to Rosinante. Sanji, so small, stuck in the metal helmet and looking like he's around five or six thanks to his family just being picked up by this vice admiral and screaming in terror and clawing to try to get away. Sengoku barely getting the kid calmed down enough to pick the lock and get the mask kind of open. The mouth drops open and Sengoku curses as he takes Sanji to his ship.

He has the cooks make food and bring them up to his quarters and half ass explains that he found another kid. He sets Sanji on the bed and digs around and finds some clothes from deep, deep, in a chest that he gives to Sanji and says he's going to get that fucking thing off him come Hell or highwater. Sanji is shaking and frightened as the cook brings food in and looks at him and then at Sengoku and Sengoku gives him a look that makes the cook nod that 'yeah, i'm not gonna ask' nod and leave.

Sengoku has the kid eat and calls in one of the engineers and Sanji is looking around and still shaking and can barely finish his plate as Sengoku tries to get him to calm down and answer some questions. Sanji tells him his name and age and well. Sengoku doesn't believe Sanji is eight until he gets a birthday which makes Sengoku immediately click the pieces of this kid together.

Sengoku knows this is the supposedly dead third prince of Germa. So he calls Garp when Sanji falls asleep even with the mask still on because he fell asleep before the engineer could get there and he's not going to wake the kid. Poor thing is terrified and awfully suspicious of everything.

"I have the dead prince of Germa."

"Buddha, did you just say you have a dead kid?" Garp asks in disbelief. "I know losing Rosinante is rough-"

"He's not dead, he has the curled brows and is in a metal helmet on my bed. Says he's eight. Gave me the right birthday. Skin and bones and I can see so many bruises and cuts. Screamed like hell when I grabbed him." Sengoku explains.

"You're serious?" Garp asks after a few moments of silence.

"Shit, Garp, do I lie?" Sengoku asks and Garp confirms he doesn't. When they reach the main Marine HQ a few weeks later with the mask off Sanji he is introduced to the other admirals and vice admirals and other higher ranks.

Everyone is looking at that his malnourished and abused kid where they don't exactly know what to do with him. Tsuru is looking at him and sighing because Germa comes to the Reverie every year to show off the kids and the soldiers and their tech. Judge is an asshole. "You're keeping him, right?" She asks and Sengoku nods. "Then let's take him shopping, he needs clothes and a doctor."

Sanji is too well behaved while their out and Sengoku nods at Tsuru's looks because he knows something is wrong alright? He knows. So they get Sanji fitted in some clothes and the marine doctor is like very concerned as they check Sanji over and confirms the suspicions.

Sanji grows up with Sengoku and Tsuru and the other vice admirals/admirals. He trains as a marine and is strong and can use haki, skywalk, and set himself on fire. His adopted grandmother and grandfather are very proud of him. For the strides he's made recovering and for just how strong he is as a person and how strong his sense of justice is. It's amazing and they don't dote but they do give him a lot of support. He calls them Grandma and Grandpa which makes everyone laugh and Garp welcome them to the grandparents club.

Sanji still cooks, whenever he has free time. People keep asking him to switch to the canteen positions but he doesn't. He likes being on the front lines and helping people. It's what he's good at. Sengoku and Tsuru and whoever else is treated to his cooking always tell him each new meal is better than the last which makes him smile.

He is a captain in the Marines when he is enlisted to watch over a White Beard fleet commander in Impel Down. Turns out the guy is also the son of Roger and Rouge and Sanji knows about what the Navy did looking for the kid, it's awful. Sanji figured Ace was Rouge's son, you'd have to be deaf and blind to not know that. Her name is on his poster after all. Sanji knows Ace isn't being killed for being a pirate.

Sanji and Ace get to talking about their lives. Their trials and tribulations and the pit of this injustice is growing in Sanji's stomach. That's why this execution was going to be such a spectacle, why it was so secretive. Ace was easy to like and his parents being who they were and who his crew is, they'll have a war on their hands. A war Sanji thinks he's on the wrong side of at the moment.

He tells Sengoku that, that if the execution is going to happen Sanji will leave the marines. Sengoku tries to dissuade him, even gets Tsuru in on it but Sanji won't have it. At the execution Sanji rips his captain coat off and aids Ace and Luffy and the pirates from Impel Down and the White Beard fleet. Garp is yelling at Ace and Luffy and Sengoku is yelling at Sanji but Sanji, steel eyed despite the tears, yells back.

"Executing him for the sake of his parentage is not justice! After everything the Navy did in the wake of Roger's execution, how could a child be sentenced to death for being born! If that is what you call justice it's not real! If you're going to kill us, have it be for treason and piracy, not for being born!" Sanji yells at them and they start running for it. They have to if Akainu coming at them is any sort of guess to how the Fleet Admiral feels about this.

"Run! Run and don't look back!" Sanji yells to them to make sure they keep going. He makes sure they don't by following them. Running after them to make sure he'll take the hit if Akainu decides to throw a fist at them.

When they make it to the ship Sanji and it's leaving Sanji just has a full blown panic attack because he's alone again and he's a traitor of the marines. He betrayed his grand parents who loved him. Ace is trying to get him to calm down, calling him blondie and Ace is absolutely sweet on him, became sweet on him in Impel Down. Sanji can't go back though, he can't because what if they let Germa know? What if he's executed for simply believing what the Government was doing was wrong? Ace thinking it's all his fault and apologizing before Sanji tells him to stop with hitched breathing and choked words.

Sanji tells him when he's calmed down enough he believes in what he did, he doesn't think he was wrong. He's just alone with no where to go.

"Well, my brother's been looking for a cook, they'll be setting sail again in about two years." Ace offers. "I'll be going with them."

"I like cooking." Sanji answers.

"Heard you're real good at it too, blondie." Ace smiles and Sanji gives a wet laugh and nods.

#sengoku!sanji #sengoku the buddha #ikemen sengoku #tsuru one piece #tsuru aoki #black leg sanji #vinsmoke sanji #portgas d ace #fire fist ace #ace x sanji #sanji x ace #acesan #sanace

[equallyshaw]

𝓼𝓮𝓮𝓲𝓷 𝓻𝓮𝓭 | 𝓶𝓪𝓽 𝓫𝓪𝓻𝔃𝓪𝓵 𝓪𝓾 ↠ love at first sight! ↠ au masterlist!

↠ warnings: none? ↠ word count: 2.3K +

when sydney told olivia that they'd be hosting the team's new years party that year, olivia was not too thrilled. she was looking rather forward to spending the night out on the town, but once sydney demanded her sister's presence that evening; she'd be getting it come hell or highwater. it was around 7 pm when she heard music beginning to play, throughout the house and sighed. she had just finished her makeup and hair for the evening, and quickly sent a few texts out to her best friends naomi and nastia, who were in california and chicago that evening. sydney propped open her door just a bit, "can you watch the girls for a few minutes?" and with that olivia turned around with a huge grin on her face with her hands open wide for her two nieces for them to run towards her. she picked both of them up and pretended to eat them, causing them to shriek loudly bringing a smile to sydney's face.

⋆｡ °✩

it was two hours later, and after many many rounds of playing barbies with the two girls- she was relieved by another wag for a bit to grab a drink. she sighed loudly and playfully, once she reached the kitchen counter where matt and sydney were talking with another player. "god! they are so mini you's." she teased while opening up a seltzer, to which matt laughed loudly. "they are a mini syd." he joked, causing sydney to slap his arm playfully. "you are off babysitting duty for the night, i promise." sydney mused passing a small plate snacks,f from the charcuterie board. "good. i could use the night off every once in awhile." she joked, causing the two parents to laugh and tease her relentlessly. "oh! you need a night off?" both sydney and matt joked, causing her to giggle. "why yes!" she hummed, before taking her plate and drink towards the living room. she quickly made her way over towards grace - anders lee's wife and holly, bo horvat's wife. "hey!" grace beemed, pulling the red head into a small hug. "hi holls!" grace said hugging holly as well, "what have i missed?" she grinned sipping some of her drink. "oh lets fill you in!" grace joked, and the three went into catching up mode.

this was the first time in a few years that olivia had made it home for the holidays, her father and mother had been visiting her for the past four plus years while she had been at school in los angeles. she hadn't come back for much of her breaks, besides the off-season, because she was a sucker for new england summers.

she was engrossed in a long conversation when mat had shown up at the party. he greeted some teammates, and their partners before he saw the infamous red head that was never to be found. since matt had been traded from toronto, he had yet to see olivia in the flesh.

oh, how he could not bare to look away.

⋆｡ °✩

it was around 11 when mat had finally worked up the courage to say hi and introduce himself. the two found themselves in the kitchen grabbing some refreshment replacements, and snacking on some more appetizers. "you're olivia right?" mat asked as the two hadn't said anything to each other for a few minutes. she looked up from her phone, and nodded. "yes. and you are?" she questioned looking at mat. she had never seen him before, and she could see the somewhat arrogance oozing off of him. he looked at her, taking in her blue eyes. god, mat knew he was officially gone - even if she hadn't spoken more than a few words to him.

"im mat." he said not moving from where he stood, a few feet away from her. she nodded giving him a small nod, "nice to meet you mat." she said respectfully. he nodded, continuing to look at her as he sipped his amber looking drink. "this is the first time I've see you before, what got you over to the east coast?" he said somewhat teasing, somewhat seriously. she sipped her drink before responding, "well, I've been in los angeles at ucla for the past four years. i graduated in 2022, but haven't had a chance to come back since the summertime. which meant you weren't here." she mirroring his tone. he tsked his tongue, "such a shame. I've heard a lot about you, and how fun you are." he said grinning. "oh really? i am just enough fun, thankyou." she hummed, "a respectable amount." she teased cocking her head to the side just a bit. "interesting. but seriously, syd and matt always said that you're welcome but that you never take up their offer?" he questioned, sipping more of his drink.

the fucking nerve of this dude, she thought.

"well, thats not really your business is it?" she questioned slyly. he chuckled as she sighed, knowing he was not giving up. "since my parents moved to california full time, i really don't have a huge reason to come back here. besides, long island is their home. not mine." she said truthfully, "besides, its not like i can leave los angeles whenever i feel like it. i have work there, that i have to tend to." she said shifting her feet. "oh really? what kind of work, anything interesting?" he questioned, actually interested. she nodded, "i have a boutique jewelry shop that i run with my mom. im actually here on business, we are interested in opening up another shop in the hamptons actually." she said feeling the shift in the conversation. the tense conversation turning to genuine. "oh really? that's actually really cool." he said and she nodded, "yep." she said a bit too short, than she had anticipated. "whats it called, like the name?" he questioned. she smiled, "it's called greenwich jewels." she said. "i think that's the first smile you've had since this conversation started." she rolled her eyes. "there you go, ruining the vibe." she said chuckling just a bit. "me?" he teased, "yes! just when i thought that you were actually being nice and interested, you go and ruin it with your demeanor and your sarcastic tone." she said shaking her head, and mat was eating this interaction all up.

when he didn't respond, and all but continued to stare at her, she scoffed. "you're unbearable, guess all the rumors i've heard have been true." she chastised, before turning to leave. "oh? you have heard of me, huh?" he questioned, trying to get her to not leave. she froze, turning towards him just a bit, "unfortunately." she grimaced before leaving the kitchen.

⋆｡ °✩

she was on facetime with kappy, around 11:50 while she was in the office on the first floor. she needed a few minutes by herself and then kappy called, and it was good timing. "yeah barzal is an animal, definitely a jerk." he said and that made olivia laughed loudly. "are you sure you didn't describe yourself?" she teased, and he flipped her off in the process. "but seriously, when are you coming to st louis red?" he questioned and she shrugged. "do i seriously have to wait until the off-season?" he questioned, and she shrugged again. "ill let you know." she said truthfully. he nodded, "but you're the CEO you make your own schedule i thought?" he said causing her to laugh loudly again. "alrighty kap, hush." she said rubbing her face softly, holding back a giggle. " ill call you in a few days?" she questioned and kappy nodded, "happy new years red." he smiled, to which she mirroed. "happy new years kappy." she hummed, before ending the facetime. she plopped her phone onto the white desk in front of her, as she stretched her body out. she was ready to go to bed, and knew she'd be taking the two little ones to bed shortly at 12; and give their parents some time without the little ones.

her head whipped to the door, as it squeked open. she rolled her eyes as she scowled. mat smirked, stepping into the room. "if you wanted privacy for our new years kiss, you should have just said so. i had to search the whole house like a sleuth." he said amused. she scoffed, turning back towards him. "what is your problem?" she demanded, as her phone began to go off. the both of them looked towards her phone that was still on the desk, and 'zeeeegrass' flashed on the screen. she gave mat a glare, as she picked up her phone. she swiped to accept, and saw the lovely dirty blonde fill her screen. "hi z." she said looking up at mat who only leaned against the door, still staring at her. "yo! when are you back home again?" he questioned and olivia tore her glare from mat to trevor. "seriously z? i've told you how many times?" she said a tad bit annoyed, "oh woah, who pissed you off?" he asked animated. she giggled, "you'd never guess." she said monotoned. trevor grinned, "let me guess, matty said some bad jokes." and that made olivia laughed. "no, but i wish it had been that." she said truthfully, "but ill be back on the 7th." she followed up. "cool cool well happy new years ginger, but i gotta go. jacks calling me." and she felt the blood drain from her face. "oh. nice. well happy new years z." she said, now desperately trying to get off the phone. "alsooooo, my new years resolution is to figure out what happened between the two of you in the hamptons, will i have that resolution granted?" he teased, and she shook her head no before hanging up. she stood up now, feeling somewhat nauseous, and wanted to desperately hide her face from the world.

"please let me go mat." she said looking at the ground, as mat had not moved from the door. she looked up at him now, and crossed her arms. "id like to leave, without making a scene." she said unenthused. he grinned, "now i gotta know...what did happen between the two of you, huh?" he teased taking his arm off the door, and took a step closer towards the redhead. she shook her head, "none of your business- again." she chastised. he chuckled a bit, "if you tell me, ill tell you a secret." he said enticingly but she gave him a disgusted look. "you're actually crazy, mat. wild." she said as she heard the group outside beginning to count down from 12. he stepped right in front of her, invading her space. she could feel the heat and arrogance radiating off of him, making her shiver with a chill. "mat.." she trailed off as he leaned in, pausing just before his lips would have met hers. he smirked, staring straight into her blue eyes.

she swallowed harshly, as she looked down at his lips. as soon as they heard 'one' from the other room, mat swiftly took hold of her by placing his hands on her lower back while simultaneously kissing her. her hands instinctively went to his face, to hold on to him in some way. his hand began to move down further before she realized that she had been kissing him back. she pulled back, not meeting his eye. without saying a word or looking at him, she moved past him and out of the room. as soon as she was halfway down the hallway, she placed a soft finger on her rosy lips. she cursed herself on how vulnerable she had been, and how much she liked the kiss. but she hated the guy. she quickly filtered herself into the living room seeing sydney and matt with the two girls, and olivia kneeled down to them to hug the two. "who's ready for bed?!" she said and the girls shook their heads, and jumped up and down. "i thought we said no sugar past 9:30?" she questioned looking up at sydney, and then the both of them looked at matt. he put his hands up in innocence, causing the two sisters to laugh. "you guys enjoy the rest of the evening, im gonna head up with these two." she said grabbing ahold of their hands, and the three of them headed upstairs. as she picked up the youngest one at the base of the stars, she saw mat coming back into the living room. the two froze momentarily before olivia broke eye contact, and headed upstairs.

while she headed upstairs, mat went to go say by the hostess'. "mat! happy new years, darling." sydney said pulling the younger hockey player in for a hug. she left an arm on his shoulder, as they turned towards matt. "thanks for the hospitality, but im gonna head out. a bit more tired than i had anticipated." he said and the couple nodded. "lets walk you out. but first, take some desserts!" sydney said pulling mat towards the kitchen, along with matt.

matt for the rest of the night, could not shake the red head and even acknowledged that he may have gone too far. he realized that that he might have been a jerk, at some points. though the girl would argue, it was the whole time. even as he drove towards his apartment where his ex was waiting for him, he couldn't shake the girl. he cursed himself, once he realized he wanted to see her again. even if in the capacity he did not totally want.

but he knew one thing, he was smitten.

back upstairs a little while later, as the two girls were tucked in and read to sleep; olivia headed towards her room that the two young ones had dubbed 'tie tie's room', because it was right across from theirs. she laid down on her back, looking up at the white ceiling that was straight out of the gilded age. her thoughts were running a mile a minute, she hated mat and wished she would have slapped him. slap that stupid but attractive smirk off of his face. no, she despised that arrogant and cunning canadian. she turned over on her stomach and screamed into the comforter. she needed to get back to california without seeing him, or else she might hurt his feelings.

no, she'd kill him.

hope you all enjoyed! please like and reblog if you did (:

tags: @toasttt11 @cillianthinker

#mat barzal #mat barzal au #seein red au #mat barzal blurb #mat barzal fic #mat barzal imagine #new york islanders #matt martin #hockey #nhl #hockey fic #hockey imagine #nhl blurb #nhl fic #hockey au #nhl au #hockey blurb #nhl imagine #equallyshaw masterlist #equallyshaw au

[sky-kiss]

Alright, I'm still pondering that ASOIAF AU ask, and I'm about to say some contentious things. I don't think Raphael is like Tywin at all, aside from the looks and voice.

Raphael is Tyrion (show Tyrion, not book). Charismatic, viewed as a failure, more intelligent than people will ever accept, extremely capable. Arrogant. Disliked. Raph is Tyrion blended with Stannis. He wants the world to see him as a Tywin, but he's too playful and jaunty for it. People just see him as a joke despite his accomplishments. Maybe a little Rhaenyra mixed in, too. Did not study for the throne, wants it, probably not that qualified, entilted, more romantic than advisable. Lotta murder-rage, hooked up with just the right murder-goblin to enable all their worst habits.

Joi is Melisandre and Daemon if you put them in a blender. Fiercely dedicated. Ride-or-die. Here to encourage your worst instincts. It's not a war-crime if you do it first. Bit psycho. Very romantic, but in a dialect no-one speaks. No desire to rule, but come hell-or-highwater their spouse WILL.

#raphael x tav #bg3 raphael #I will ponder this to my dying day

[cynthiav06]

What makes Klayley different from other series ships for you?

I am assuming you mean other ships in the orignals by that.

It's the really simple case that's not simple at all. It's the underlying passion between them that just won't go away no matter who they take as a lover. The burning anger, loathing, care, loyalty, and the inexplicably undying connection that keeps them tethered to each other always and forever, come hell or highwater.

Mikael almost killed me and the baby, but i can't help but be more worried about how Klaus suffered all these years, I need to comfort him.

The witches are murdering me and the baby. Forget Elijah , I need Klaus here.

The witches stole baby hope? Not important right now, Hayley's dead, and I need a moment or several to take it all in.

I don't really love Jackson, but Klaus needs me to marry him, so I will.

I have to deal with my newly risen from dead mother and father, but whether Hayley's new husband is treating her right or not is more important.

Hayley tried to run from me, and I am extremely furious, but I can't bear to kill her or physically hurt her.

I will hate Klaus forever, but I can't really hate him at all.

My siblings are in trouble and may need my immediate help, but the road trip with Hayley is the best fun I have had in centuries, and I love it too much to stop now.

I am the strongest and the proudest being on earth. I kneel to no one, especially not to scum like Lucien, but he has Hayley, and I would never let her die. She means too much to me. I have to kneel to save her, no problem, I will do it a thousand times if it's to save her.

I love my Pack a lot, but the Mikaelsons are dying, Klaus is dying, so my pack can go to hell. I will save him and the Mikaelsons even if I die .

I have to let go of my dignity as a wolf and kill, lie, massacre all to save Klaus and Mikaelson family. And I used to have a problem with that, but it's for Klaus, I can't watch him suffer, so i will do it gladly.

Klaus is going around the world, massacring everything in sight and trying to cut contact, but I will never give up on him.

Being in New Orleans near hope will bring forth Apocalyspe that might kill hope, but Hayley's missing, so all else be damned.

I am being killed, and Klaus is being attacked by Elijah. He's hurt, Hope's hurt, so I am going to kill Greta and sacrifice myself for them because Klaus and Hope are my family Elijah be damned.

My daughter is dying and meets me in the afterlife, but the second I hear Klaus's voice, I know all will be alright.

My brother, my companion, my only confidant who I would go insane without is dead to me for good because he killed Hayley, and there's no greater offense than that.

I am in hell. My heart feels empty. Hayley is dead. I can sacrifice Elijah to save hope and kill the hollow, but I vowed to Hayley that I would do anything to save our daughter so I will sacrifice myself. [Also because I can't live without my little wolf]

So yeah, it's you know, soul shattering stuff like this that keeps me hooked to Klayley. Nothing huge. This and all the other essays I wrote should be plenty enough evidence as to why. (Sorry for the late)

And here's the thing anyone who watched the Orignals and isn't blind should be shipping them intensely, too.

#klaus mikaelson #hayley marshall #klayley #klaus and hayley together or not at all #soulmates forever #klaus would do anything for hayley #if you look carefully its evident in every interaction of theirs #you can tell this shit keeps me awake at night cause bloody hell when you start looking for those moments there's an unending list #the originals #anti klaroline #anti klamille