#continuation of sorts? basically I just wrote this and have no where to put it

[thatsrightice]

Here’s unused content from my mota Crosby x Bubbles fic “and maybe if i hold you now”, but can be read alone!!! It’s basically just some fluff of Blakely’s crew after the October 8, 1943 mission to Bremen where Just-a-Snappin’ had gone down and their crew was presumed KIA. They returned late that night much to everyone’s surprise, though several of their crew were injured and one KIA.

Bubbles pulled off the path and into a gap a few buildings down from the interrogation hut. He glanced at his watch as he got out of the jeep. H-minus 0410. Inside, Blakely, Kidd, Douglass, Forkner, and Thornton were seated around a table with Colonel Harding. Standing behind the Colonel were several other members of Group Ops and lurking in the corner of the room with a dark look on his face was Bucky. Crosby walked around the table and sat in the empty chair between Blake and Doug. Bubbles nodded to the other members of Group Ops as he took his place beside them, across the table from Crosby.

“Glad you could finally join us, Lieutenant. Captain,” Harding addressed the pair.

“Sorry, Sir,” Bubbles spoke politely, stepping forward to place a document in front of him. “Lieutenant Crosby needed to be taken to the hospital to get checked out.”

“Lieutenant?” Harding turned to Crosby, who currently had his nose in his briefcase as he pulled out his logs and maps.

“Uh, yes, Sir,” Crosby confirmed. “Just a concussion, Sir.”

“We were just talkin’ ‘bout how you and Forky missed your calling to the Red Cross,” Doug grinned, tipping back in his chair back. His hand was wrapped in a bandage and his face was bruised but he looked to be in good spirits. Crosby was sure he didn’t look any better.

“I just did what Forky told me to,” Crosby protested. He flipped open his log book and shuffled through some maps.

Douglass ignored him, instead launching into his retelling of events. “Picture this, Croz is holding Charlie’s hands and smooth talkin’ him while he’s sitting on McClelland’s chest to keep the kid from climbing back in the ball,” Dougie boasted to all the flyboys around them. “All the while Forky is packing Charlie with our open parachutes and thawing a syringe of morphine in his mouth.”

“Let’s back up a bit now that we have the navigator’s logs,” the Colonel interrupted. “Try your best to remember what happened. Crosby, I hope your logs are as detailed as I hear.” Crosby’s head shot up, face taking on a red tint. He looked briefly from Harding to Bubbles and then back down to the logs in front of him.

“They will be, Sir,” Forky assured, smiling at the navigator. Blake nodded in agreement, resting an arm on the back of Crosby’s chair.

“Of course. Now let’s start from the top…”

☁️☁️☁️🔥✈️🔥☁️☁️🛬💥🌳

“... and then Croz starts talking about lamps…”

“Yeah! What was it he said? Two lamps or one?”

“By land, or by sea,” Forky added. Bubbles snorted, shaking his head as he suppressed a laugh. The others looked at him in confusion.

“Wait, was that supposed to be a joke, Croz?”

“Maybe?” the navigator admitted, not sounding too sure of himself.

“Paul Revere,” Bubbles inputs. There was no response and everyone shrugged. “Ya know...the British are coming?”

A chorus of ‘ooohhhhhhh’s broke out amongst the group.

“Yeah, well these are the Germans and they came at us by air so make that three lamps,” Blake interrupted.

☁️☁️☁️🔥✈️🔥☁️☁️🛬💥🌳

“Up ahead we spotted another Fort with some Messerschmitts smelling around.”

“They were playing with them,” Doug grimaced in disgust.

“No chutes. Unable to ID,” Crosby added.

“Yeah, then they turn to us and the Luftwaffe, they just don’t stop coming but we took care of them.”

“That’s what happens when you have dead-eye gunners,” Crosby smiled at the man next to him. Doug leaned over and bumped shoulders with him.

“How many do you have noted in total?”

Crosby ran a finger down the page as he read the columns of his notes. He flipped to the next page. “I’ve got two for Via; two for Doug; two for Mac; two-no three for Thorny; one for Yevich and one for Nord.”

“That’s what, eleven?”

“Yes, sir. I have the IDs where observed in my logs,” Crosby confirmed.

Someone let out a low whistle.

☁️☁️☁️🔥✈️🔥☁️☁️🛬💥🌳

Crosby kept his head down as he quietly gathered his papers. Bucky’s footsteps echoed thunderously in the near-empty room, punctuated by the slamming of the front door.

“Don’t worry about him, Croz,” Kidd spoke softly, squeezing his shoulder.

“I should have paid closer attention,” Crosby shook his head.

“You did everything you could,” Blakely reassured him, lighting a cigarette. “There was so much solid flak, you could almost slice it like cake.”

“And I’m not sure there was anything you could have said that would give him the closure he’s looking for,” Douglass put a hand on his shoulder and stood. “Now, come on, I’m starving.”

#for context: Charlie Via’s entire lower half was crushed and Saunders had a 3in stomach wound and McClelland had half of his face scalped #and maybe if i hold you now #fanfiction #continuation of sorts? basically I just wrote this and have no where to put it #but I love it too much to let it sit in the doc #just a snappin’ #Blakely’s crew #Harry Crosby #joseph bubbles payne #bubbles payne #everett blakely #james douglass #Charles Via #Jack Kidd #scraps #42 3393 #42 3393 just a snappin' #mota musings #mota #Edmund forkner #John Jack Kidd #William McClelland

[copperbadge]

I was making breakfast and listening to an episode of Just King Things this morning, which is a podcast I do recommend -- two very smart English teachers are reading the books of Stephen King in publication order and discussing them. This could go extremely awry except they're both highly conscious of his failings as well as his skill, so they do really well handling a lot of his less salutatory content.

They've hit the point in King's ouvre (this episode was about Hearts In Atlantis) that follows his recovery from the car accident that very nearly killed him, where he was struck by a van while out walking. One of them pointed out that it seems as though he came back from nearly dying determined to write the wildest shit imaginable and only write what he wanted, which struck a chord in me this time despite having listened to this episode before. Perhaps because I was thinking about my own writing and where it's going in the short term (there are a couple of short stories I want to do that I don't quite have a way into yet). I generally don't think about the drift of my creativity in the long term because when I do I usually draw the wrong conclusions.

I don't really classify my life, the way some people who've had high-impact injuries do, as before-TBI and after-TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury -- the fairly severe concussion I had in January of 2020). For one thing, given I had to cancel a trip to NYC because of it, it may have saved my life; I almost certainly would have caught COVID as someone with known lung issues in New York at the time. For another, the TBI was way scarier to almost everyone else; for me it was just one more dumb injury I gave myself and I didn't even remember most of it so it hardly registered. I used to open the story of it with a joke about waking up not remembering going to bed the night before, but nobody ever found it funny.

It's true that there are changes it wrought in my life, though. Even practical stuff like making sure my living space doesn't have tripping hazards and continuing to wear a fitbit even though I don't really need to (the fitbit told us, the morning after, exactly when the concussion happened, because it registered a heart-rate spike when I fell). For weeks after, I had to move slowly and put off making important decisions because I couldn't trust my physical or intellectual judgement; I didn't even jaywalk in my own neighborhood because I couldn't be sure I was judging the cars' speeds properly. For about a year after I had periodic post-concussion syndrome which basically just slammed me back into concussion space, which wasn't painful or upsetting but was definitely inconvenient.

And it's also undeniable that my writing shifted after the injury. It's not necessarily because of the injury, since my initial recovery from the TBI and the declaration of quarantine happened at roughly the same time, and anyone who tells you that a years-long global pandemic didn't impact their artistic expression is selling you a line. But the last thing I wrote before the TBI was the first draft of Six Harvests, and aside from the Six Harvests publication draft, which had fairly minimal changes, almost all that I've written has been blue-sky, light-hearted, PG-rated romance. It's been on my mind that I've been writing different subject matter from what I used to, but the timing of it didn't strike me until just recently.

I don't mind, really. I love fandom and I support fanfic in whatever expression it comes, but I'm also happy writing my own stories. While I'm aware it's been years since I've meaningfully written fanfic, it doesn't bother me per se, as long as I'm writing. It bothered me much more when I could write fanfic but not original fic, especially in those last few awful months at my last job. I'm proud of the literary and non-genre fiction I've written in the past, but it's also much more trying and frustrating to write at times, so I'm enjoying having a different sort of challenge that feels more fulfilling in the process. I'm sure at some point I'll go back to literary fiction -- there are ways in which it's hard to avoid turning the later Shivadh novels into literary fiction, being honest -- but for now I like what I'm writing, and I'm writing primarily to please myself and without regard to what's necessarily rational or linear.

Just struck me, is all, that it's by far the most noticeable major shift in my work. I do sort of wonder what will be next.

#writing #sam writes

[atskiruma]

snow day

expl: snow falls on the ground and you find yourself enjoying it by yourself until someone stumbles upon you

a/n: the loser of the poll on the last imagine. i wrote both because the poll was just to see what would be written and released first

masterlist

ask me anything

second person writing no pronouns used

"You should have dressed better for this weather," Kaeya said, taking your hands into his and blowing the hot air from his mouth onto them. The tips of your fingers were a peachy pink from your lack of gloves. You smiled to yourself finding the act of kindness sweet.

He smiled at you, knowing you practically rushed out here to experience the snow, leaving him behind. Kaeya had to track you down in order to find you, the footprints basically went for miles. How could you run so far in such a little amount of time?! In the snow nevertheless??

It had probably been only an hour since the snow reached a good amount of height where snowmen and snow forts could be created. You found yourself enjoying the never-ending fall of the flakes from the sky, it was a peaceful thing to stare up at when you were laying below making a snow angel.

He joined you in the snow, not to create a snow angel of course, but just to sit next to your laying form and look down at you. Such a tender part of his emotions always came about when he was with you. That's what he loved, the way you always made the young version of himself peak out from the doorway in shyness and come join the fun.

Kaeya finally snapped out of it when he saw you staring back at him. It seems he didn't notice your eyes change direction when he was admiring you down below.

"You look like an angel from here, Kaeya." You spoke, with a soft smile that practically melted him in his spot. The two of you continued to chat in the cold while remaining in the same spots. That was until the sound of a young girl with too much excitement bottled up caught both of your attention.

Klee and Albedo were rounding the corner, Klee obviously more ahead of the young alchemist. Her small body immediately collides with your own and rolls over to copy your movements. She always seemed to copy after you in everything.

Her talking went on for hours and hours, while you, Albedo, (sort of), and Kaeya listened to the rambles and stories she always seemed to have on hand.

But what you never noticed while listening in on the young arsonist, was that Kaeya's hand slid into yours during it, and was keeping those peachy pink fingertips of yours warm the whole way.

One thing that Tighnari does not do, is play in the frozen-over rain. He finds it too useless to mess around and make figures out of the substance too. Rather, using his time to stay indoors and keep his tail and ears clean. While also doing numerous amounts of research along the way.

He could see you from the window of his small research hut, watching you for a bit as you run around with the children in Sumeru, quickly picking up a clump of snow and throwing a perfectly rounded snowball at someone in the distance. Tighnari shook his head, looking back down at the table of vials and substances to focus more on.

He could see Collei from the corner of his eyes peaking out the window every now and then. Knowing she was anticipating getting out there as quick as possible to join them, he sighed and put down his vials roughly.

"The more you stare, the less time spent on the project, just go do it." He said with another sigh, she looked towards him with glee and ran out to join you and the children. Sighing again, Tighnari dusted off his hands and also left the hut to stand on the porch with his arms crossed and watched all of you play. A small smile formed when he saw how happy you looked running around. He continued to admire you in the distance.

You smiled when you realized he was watching, and tried to wave him over to join. Which resulted in a swift shake of his head in declining. You knew he wasn't one to play, but the least you could do was wipe that frown from his face. Reaching down to form a snowball and whipping it towards him while he was distracted looking in the distance at Cyno's approaching figure.

The snowball immediately collided with his chest and a little bit below his chin, causing him to jolt backward and look toward where you were giggling. Cyno also caught sight of the action and smirked while he walked towards the porch.

"So that's how we're going to play? Okay." Tighnari said, before retreating back into the hut.

You continued to laugh lightly at it, before seeing a rapidly approaching green figure with a large handful of chemically created snow in his hands.

Gorou loved when snow days occurred, it was free time off work and a beautiful day to play and have fun! This was why today he was especially happy to wake up and rise from his bed, looking towards the cloudy white window.

This also meant he could spend time with you, most of the time you two would only see each other late in the afternoon because of his military work schedule. Dates were rare, and you almost never had time to take walks around Inazuma.

He was beaming when he walked out of his home, seeing a couple people waving toward him and others trying to make the perfect snowman. All he wanted to do was find you and spend some time together on this perfect winter day.

Which was seemingly pretty difficult! Because so many people wanted to talk to him and have him join them in their activities. Couldn't they see he was on a mission? He was completely focused on walking in the direction you'd most likely be, but everyone seemed to need him today.

He was so caught up trying to make his way out of another conversation with some guys who he trained, that he didn't seem to notice you standing right next to him.

Gorou's reaction when you lightly patted him on the back was not an amusing one. Specifically, because he thought you were just another person trying to take up his time. Don't get him wrong! He loves spending time with people, but he really wanted to see- Oh. It's you!

His face lit up and his tail swished a million miles per hour, smiling immediately at the sight of seeing you in front of him. You smiled as well, it seemed he had a rough day from his first appearance turning towards you. You put your hand on his arm and squeezed it a little bit in reassurance. Just before his friends could start teasing him for the reaction, you offered to go for a walk down the pretty scenery bridges of Watatsumi Island.

As the two of you walked off, he never stopped looking down at you, while his tail continued to wag like crazy, admiring your appearance and the small snowflakes littering you.

The Kamisato Residence was littered with patches of snow here and there. Ayaka being the only one to actually adventure out in the rain-down of white flakes. Her brother, Ayato, staying inside and continuing his business work instead.

You passed her on the way up to visit the residence, and chatted for a bit, learning that he decided to stay inside on such a nice day. She begged for you to at least get him outside for only a minute to enjoy the peaceful day. You smiled and nodded, telling her you'd do her best, but knowing the man preferred the warmth more.

The walk-up was peaceful, people waved while building their snowmen and others sat with each other watching the snowflakes fall. You smiled, knowing if you couldn't get him in the snow, you'd at least try and get him to go outside and look at it, the least.

When you entered the Kamisato Estate, the guard standing in the front nodded toward you; you felt so bad for him standing out in the snow and offered a chance to come inside. He shook his head in result and said it was too nice to sit inside all day, you smiled and agreed.

Ayato was sitting in his workroom staring down at multiple parchments when you entered, looking stressed at whatever he was reading. You said his name softly, earning his attention and the weight of his shoulders dropped once he saw you.

"It's so beautiful? Why don't we go outside for a bit and relax?" You said, walking behind him and putting your hands on his shoulders to rub them. His eyes closed at the action and he showed a ghostly smile along with it.

"You know I can't." He said, "I've got too much to do today." His rejection of your offer didn't phase you, because you knew deep down you could convince him. You grabbed his hand and pulled him up from his chair, and with no resistance, he followed.

The two of you walked out of the doors of the estate and stepped onto the small porch leading to the garden. It was covered in white and looked to be gleaming with the small rays of sunshine peaking through the clouds. Your small glances toward him proved that the suggestion was proven effective, he looked so much more relaxed looking at the beautiful scenery.

Ayato looked back at you, taking your hand in his and pressing a soft kiss on the back of it. "This scenery is beautiful," He spoke, "But you are all I need to feel this way."

A small blush formed on your cheeks, so unnoticeable from the dusty rose color already painted on them from the cold. Your flustered expression caused him to smile with his eyes. You leaned closer into him and hugged his arm, staring towards the direction that Ayaka, the Traveler, and Paimon emerged from in the distance with dinner.

#genshin impact #genshin impact imagines #genshin impact x reader #ayato imagines #gorou imagines #kaeya imagines #tighnari imagines #tighnari x reader #kaeya x reader #gorou x reader #ayato x reader #atskiruma

[shirecorn]

Your reindeer designs give me such childish joy I can't wait to see the rest. What's your process (aka any advice) for designing from scratch with something like just a name or concept?

Redbubble (buy reindeer swag) || Patreon (see all early!) || Ko-fi

See more free tutorials!

You can see my process unfold in real time by joining any tier of my patreon discord. Which doesn't even have to go through patreon! If you want, you can just pay me $20 and let you in for a year (and then lose track and probably keep you anyway)

Here's a preview using comet! (nevermind the preview thing I wrote you a whole lecture lol)

initial sketches in 2021:

Revisited in 2022 and 2023

I was constantly asking which design was the weakest, why, and how to fix it. Whenever I tested without the magical comet behind it, people could only guess who comet was by process of elimination.

I didn't want to rely on throwing icons into the design. I wanted each one to communicate through shape and silhouette alone. It would be like drawing a little cherub with a bow and arrow floating along with cupid. If you have to include a nametag to communicate, your design can be improved.

So I tried a few different strategies to say "comet" before I realized I could twist the antlers into any shape I wanted. I was worried I would have to discard the drawing and restart from scratch! Which is what I did for rudolph about 6 times before I had a breakthrough.

Then I gave my patrons a brief lesson in antlers to explain where and why I was placing the tines. When I stray from the caribou structure, I do so knowingly in order to achieve something that cannot be achieved within the caribou shape, like dancer's tutu. Know the rules before you break them. My goal is to make animal nerds (myself chief among them) happy when they see species-specific anatomy instead of cop outs.

I tried a few things before figuring out antlers could become comet

Another thing that often caribou have is an unsymmetrical "spork" that comes forward off only one antler. I figured this out by looking at hundreds of reindeer pictures and saving them to my reference folder. A few of my designs have this, that's what the little spiral is in the final comet antler design.

When I put comet in my lineup, I realized that the antlers I drew were way more stylized, chunky, and "tribal" than the others. I had already changed the proportions on one of my designs to match, so then I had to hack away at the basic comet rack to make it look natural.

I already knew that comet's colors would be easy because a basic reindeer already Has the big comet on the shoulder. But here's a peak at all the reindeer images I posted for my patrons to look at.

As you can see below, I chose reindeer markings for all my designs instead of other deer or animals. Even vixen is tied to actually possible reindeer patterns rather than copy-pasting a fox. Almost all of my designs have light-colored anklets on dark colored legs, which is very common with caribou of any color. This is the sort of thing no one tells you; you have to observe it yourself.

Ft cupid's early design! I was continually testing out my reindeer silhouettes and colors on new people, taking their feedback, and fixing what wasn't clicking.

I know I could have made vixen sexy and curvy to play into a recognizable trope, but I really wanted them to be scary and fox-like. Sometimes you gotta do what you want and not what you think will appeal to audiences. Reindeer Days is a purposeful exercise in audience resonance. Most of my art is 100% me and what I feel like doing with no regards to anyone else. So it was a fun challenge!

My patrons also got to see me making fun of corporate designs for recognizably/cliches at the expense of literally anything good

One of these is going to get a lot more "that must be vixen!" results from people who aren't constantly thinking about animal colors, markings, hunting strategies, and teeth.

And one rocks.

Vixen changed the least from the initial 2021 concept!

A Vixen is a female fox. In english slang, it means a cunning, fierce human woman, and sometimes sexually attractive or promiscuous. Quite often an insult to someone because she won't date you!

But to me, a vixen is an animal. A predator.

When designing to reference something, I like to hit it at multiple angles, referencing obscure trivia about something to delight and educate. This is done by researching a topic deeply, far below surface level and beyond what you think you need to make your design. Or in my case its just knowing a bunch of animal trivia already.

After researching/dredging your knowledge, sit there and Think. Don't draw anything. Come up with several ideas and then throw them all in at once for the ultimate trivia design.

Trivia about red foxes:

They have Long bushy tails

They have teeth that include large sharp canines, flat incisors, triangular premolars, and chunky molars with points on them that slide scissor-like with the molars above to cut meat via chewing

They hunt rodents in burrows under the snow by jumping into the air, arcing, and slamming down with their face through the snow

They are orange

They have a dark vertical stripe on their snout

They have black legs, with the backs and bottoms being orange

Translated into the design:

Pose based on a fox jumping, about to land in the snow

Antlers twisted to resemble teeth

Long (for a reindeer) bushy tail

black mark on snout

Some adjustment to the pose to be at the top of the arc and flow better.

Tinkering with the design to make it recognizable but not 100% copypasta fox

I was finally happy with a design that absolutely showed "fox" while still being creative and plausibly caribou shaped. This would absolutely communicate who it is! I thought!

The most obvious one of the bunch! After all, everyone knows what a vixen is!

Nope! No they do not

Want to be part of the design process, help me with WIPs months before everyone else, see exclusive doodles every day, and join a funky little community?

(you also get to see photos of my dog)

Connect your discord to your patreon and join any tier to automatically get added to the server. Not a fan of patreon or monthly subscriptions? message me here, on ko-fi, or via email (shirecorn.art@ gmail.com) and ask if you can pay $20 to get put in the server for at least a year and longer if we work it out later!

This was supposed to be a preview to get you to pay me but instead I wrote an entire lecture for free because I can't help myself.

Want to thank me for the free info? Tag me when you use what you learned! Comment and give feedback! If I could pay rent with attention I would never need anything else in life.

You can also thank me by tipping my ko-fi! I use it to buy pens since I die if I have caffeine. But could you imagine??

#shire screams #shire draws #art tips #art tutorial #character design #character design tutorial #tutorial #behind the scenes #design tutorial #design tips #reindeer days #ask #ramble machine

[bonefall]

Elder Bones, what is your opinion on Brightflower supposedly being in the Dark Forest according to the 'magical warrior cats god' Su Susann? According to the Warriors Wiki, Su Susann put Brightflower in cat hell for hating Yellowfang once and supposedly not being sane after the truth was revealed about the death of her children. I quote, "On Vicky's Facebook, Su Susann wrote that Brightflower resides in the Dark Forest since she was filled with hate when she thought Yellowfang killed Mintkit and Marigoldkit, and was subsequently shocked and no longer sane when Brokenstar revealed the truth about the death of her kits." Seems pretty fucking messed up if you ask me.

HOT TAKE: I think it works okayish with the older "vibe" of the Dark Forest being the sort of place where your feelings put you. Like you lose a mortal part of yourself in death, and what lives on in the afterlife is your life's energy.

So it would be fucked up if, say, your kittens died and you blamed the wrong person, were consumed by it, and then in death were dedicated to that revenge in a sort of nightmarish Angry Ghost kind of state. But also, kinda neat. No wonder they take such good care of their elders, when their belief is that negativity at death can make you into an evil spirit.

And that's interesting with Ashfur in mind, too! Like it's not really something StarClan can control! If you feel like you were justified, if you didn't believe you had hate in your heart, you go where you think you should go. Tweak the line from Yellowfang to Ashfur, and have him decree, "My only crime was that I loved too much!" And you have GREAT setup for TBC.

It could unironically have made a really good way to drive conflict-- have heroes who believe they don't deserve Heaven, and villains who fully believe they do. Makes an interesting worldbuilding idea, at least.

BUT that said, that's probably a personal bias. I want the Dark Forest to be SOMETHING deeper and less simple than canon, where everyone who goes there is usually some flavor kind of murderous freakazoid (unless youre frecklewish, in which case, RIP but dont be The Nearest Woman next time, the Erins HATE those). I'm perfectly capable of seeing how fucked up it is that the two Authorial Damnations were basically just... sad women.

The other one was Lilywhisker, who was "bitter" because... she broke a leg. So the only two non-murderers who were actually sent to Hell under that feelings-first system were a Sad Mom and a Disabled Woman. If that system continued, you KNOW we'd end up seeing a billion girls damned to Hell while the boys are judged less harshly by the narrative, because the Erins are a LOT harder on women's feelings than men's.

In any case, it's not canon any longer so it doesn't invoke white-hot rage like some other statements. But it really was massively uncomfortable, considering their poor track record with both women AND mental illness.

#BB!Lily didn't go to the Dark Forest but her mate who died in the same cave-in did #Not because she's bad but because she seriously just wants to teach people about tunneling #So BB!Leafshine is breathing heavily as Heathertail is experimenting with tunneling but not getting involved in DF training with Her Boys #Leafsh in a bush trying to blast her with brain beams like ''join my emo band. join my emo band. join my emo band'' #bone babble #Also Lily's placement doesn't make any sense in-canon either because she was absolutely NOT bitter in her TR appearances #She's just kinda chillin

[catsfor2]

hands ellie x artist!fem!reader

pt2 but can be read standalone  pt 1 an: shocked to see the interaction on my first post (also super, super happy, ty :))honestly, i like this part more than the first one i wrote. pls. pls request/submit asks, i will gladly do them ! !

@prettyplant0

warnings: UNEDITED, mild smut, fluff, hand + finger kink, mild drug use (alcohol + weed)

You were undoubtedly not a party person. Not that you'd really had the chance to figure that out too many times, but after the first 20 minutes of tonight, you knew for sure.

Ellie however? Not the life of the party or anything, but the loose and confident energy she held was undeniable. She had the ability to make you swoon from across the room. And clearly the rest of Jackson has also noticed, as they huddle around her almost magnetically.

You absolutely were not trying to avoid anyone, but somehow, you have been left out. Sidelined. Othered. It's strange, as most of the town had quickly familiarized themselves with you and your creativity. But now, in this tattered party shack off the edge of the woods, you were nobody again.

"Hey! Hey! Are you fucking listening?"

Suddenly, Ellie's in your face, waving her bottle of beer around as she shouts. She laughs before taking another swig. "Are you thereee?"

"Oh fuck, sorry. Kind of zoned out I guess." You say.

"I see that. Why are you over here?" She asks.

"I don't know, I kind of-"

She cuts you off by grabbing your arm and hoisting you off the low couch. She pulls hard enough to hurt.

"Doesn't matter- we're playing pong. You don't need to do anything, I just need a partner, so..."

"Yeah, fine. Are you, like, drunk drunk? Right now?" You question, almost regretfully, not wanting to overstep. It's just that her hands are climbing up and down your arms, mindlessly, almost like she just can't help but to feel your skin.

"Well...ha...kinda," She rolls her eyes, "why?"

Before you can answer she speaks again, the hand resting on your shoulder starting to drift upwards towards your ear.

"Actually- don't tell Dina- but I'm kinda high right now also," She says, her voice getting quieter as she continues. Her fingers fiddle with the jewelry on your left ear again. You changed them for the party, (something almost unnoticeable to the average person) but Ellie can't seem to keep her hands off of them.

You pause.

"Um, why shouldn't I tell her?"

Ellie stares at you for a moment, like she's deciding on whether or not to tell you the truth. It almost hurts to see her not automatically say what's on her mind.

"Cause last night I got fuckin- I got fucked up, basically. Dina made me promise to not drink and smoke together again,"

Her hand inches up to your forehead as she talks, where her thumb starts to fidget with the clips spread through your hair.

"And Dina always tells me, 'Ellie you're like an insecure guy when you drink. Always trying to pick people up and lift random shit,'" She takes the last swig of her beer before tossing the bottle on the couch.

"And yeah, I do that, but at-"

"Get in here dicks, pong's starting!" A voice yells, cutting Ellie off.

Jesse whips a ping pong ball at the back of Ellie's head, successfully taking her attention from you. He quickly picks it up before letting out a warm drunken laugh.

"Oh shit, is Ellie putting the moves on you? Y'know more than three beers and she's-"

"Shut the fuck up Jesse. Y/N, lets go.

Jesse just laughs again while Ellie grabs your hand to lead you to the kitchen.

"You didn't mention that Ellie," You look up at her, hyper-aware of how often she stares at your lips ever since that morning in her house. "are you a player?"

She scoffs before flicking your head.

"Uh, no. I just...like talking to pretty girls at parties," Her flannel whips behind her as you finally enter the kitchen. "is that a fucking crime or something?"

People crowd around a table, set with various cups, all filled slightly with some sort of liquor. Dina and Jesse stand at the other end of the table, attempting to un-dent the only ping pong ball they've found so far.

Ellie's arm snakes around your waist before you hear her voice beside you.

"I might need to hold onto you, by the way, I've had--like--four beers and a shot."

Your face heats as you think of all the people in the room seeing her arm wrapped so tightly around your midsection. As you fumble to say yeah, of course Ellie, she glues the side of her body to yours, making sure her hand stays firmly on your waist.

Ellie almost falls over trying to get closer edge of the table.

"Hey everyone! Hey! From now on, y/n is my designated pong partner! No fuckin' arguments."

A shocked laugh escapes you immediately.

"Ellie!...Jesus..."

"What? You're my girl right? I've got to let 'em know you're my girl," She assures.

"Well with the way you've been holding me..."

Ellie's smile widens.

"I feel like they'd figure it out..." You finish.

"Yeah? And how have I been holding you?"

Your eyes dart back to Dina and Jesse and all the other people in the room before meeting up with hers again.

"Like...like I'm gonna...run away, or something," You say.

"Yeah, well...what if you do?" Her grip on you loosens just a bit. "You did the other morning. You were all yes Ellie, touch me, and then when I went for the pencils and came back you were gone!"

Your blushed cheeks turn an even darker shade of red. Your voice comes out slightly shaky when you talk.

"I--I got nervous! I'm sorry! And with the way you were so mad at first?"

You let out a breath of air you didn't realize you'd been holding. "I was questioning if you really wanted me there at all."

Her eyebrows crease. Then, almost as if to block you from view, she turns the both of you so that your back is facing the wall closest by. Her face gets near enough to yours that you smell the yeasty tang of those four beers on her tongue.

"Oh sweetheart. I almost fingered you after knowing you for like, 10 minutes. You think I don't want you?"

Your skin warms as you process what she's saying. You want to back up and let her crowd you against the wall. The way her hips shift against yours, not touching but close enough to feel every jut sets your insides buzzing. You can't repress a shiver from the sensation. Or the cold- your skirt is on the shorter side.

"Reeally cute when you get speechless like that," Ellie breaths out, tugging at the neck of her flannel and taking it off. "here. Since you wanted to wear something you know you'd freeze in. Like an idiot."

You spacily grab it out of her hands, and as you do, she takes it back from your grasp while shaking her head.

"I got it. Arms out, c'mon," as she starts to put her flannel over your shoulders, she continues. "I have an idea. How about weee...ditch this party. And smoke the joint I have hidden in the shed right now."

"Are you sure? You're already pretty drunk-"

"I won't smoke that much. Maybe a hit or two. I'll let you have most of it," She grins.

Reluctant to make her miss the rest of the party and lively night in general, you keep pushing.

"Yeah, but, the pong game? Right?"

Ellie laughs, throwing her arm around your shoulders and resting it there. Her bicep being so close to your face makes you dizzy. It feels dirty to admit you don't mind how strong she smells there--unsurprising after a night of partying.

"Just let me treat you, alright? High under the stars. Forget about your worries. That kinda shit." Her finger twirls a strand of your hair as she waits for you to answer.

"Yeah. Of course. That sounds really...lovely." You say, too focused on the weight of her body across your back.

"Ok. Good. Great. I'm gonna tell Dina we're going."

Instead of walking over to Dina, Ellie simply screams over the jumble of conversation until Dina hears, and responds, also screaming across the noise.

"Perfect. Let's head out, pretty lady."

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

You've only taken three hits, but you know you feel something. The greeny ash taste in your throat hasn't gone away, despite you consistently sipping your water.

"How's it feeling?" Ellie asks you, relishing in her fourth puff despite telling you earlier she would take less. You don't mind.

You'd both been slouched on the floor upon a blanket, picnic style, Ellie leaned against your side and her hand starting to creep up the outside of your thigh.

"Good...I guess. I feel warm. Like, cozy." And you did.

Truthfully, you were also a bit on edge. Like, sexually on edge. The blanket heat of the weed with Ellie's presence has you constantly wet and burning. Aching. Of course, that's not something you'd tell Ellie.

"Are you gonna teach me how to roll it?" You ask. "I want to do it next time."

"Next time?" She questions, dramatically opening her eyes.

"I, I mean, you want to hang out with me again...right?"

"Obviously! I'm fuckin' with you," she covers her mouth to laugh before grabbing your hand.

"And, no, I'm not teachin' you how to roll. I'll do it for you. No need for you to learn sweetheart."

When Ellie says things so simply like that, especially in that tone, you have no choice but to go along. You can't bring yourself to push back against something that makes you feel so tingly.

"Oh. Ok." You mumble, staring at her hand encompassing yours.

"It's far easier to just let my hands do all the work," She squeezes your thumb. "right?"

"Yeah-yes. Far easier." You say.

Ellie drags her thumb across your knuckles. Her eyelids droop slightly, eyes shaded a light pink, and her is face flushed from the alcohol. She's so, so beautiful, and you wish you could will the courage to tell her.

"I wore the skirt 'cause I thought you'd like it." You voice, eyes unable to meet her's as you talk. "Do you?"

She lets out a breath.

"Fuck. Fuck, of course I fucking like it. You're so pretty in it." Her hand inches under your skirt, finally grasping towards your upper thigh and edging the hem of your panties.

A brisk exhale escapes your lips as her fingers drift, navigating the plush of your hips expertly. As if she's already planned on where and how to touch you.

"Hey where'd you go? Keep your hand on mine," Ellie grabs your loose hand, which had wandered to your side, and places it firmly on her hand grasping your underwear. "and don't let go."

"Ellie..." you huff, burning hot all over.

"What, this is too much for you? I haven't even done anything yet."

You feel her palm, big and warm, cup you through the fabric and knead, forcefully but slowly rubbing your clit and watching your face for a reaction. Your hand still clutches over hers and you can feel her muscles flex in tune with the heavy pressure on your folds.

Your mouth parts open, lips shiny and untouched as your head looms closer to Ellie's. Her eyes remain locked on yours as her fingers move faster, and it becomes difficult for you to keep your hand on hers as she speeds up.

"Hah--Ellie," You gasp, eyes a bit watery from the sudden stimulation.

Something in her eyes shift and her face is moving closer to yours, her free hand enveloping one side of your face. Ellie kisses you hastily, smearing saliva over both of your mouths. Your teeth clack together, and her tongue is rampant, licking deeply into the kiss. She sucks and bites at your lips, ravaging them, while her other hand still palms you consistently, the strength of her entire arm grinding against your pussy.

The hand on your face reaches to fondle your breast, clawing at your shirt with force to feel underneath your bra. Her hand, despite its size compared to yours, still can't grab your entire breast. Ellie lets out a groan at the sight of you spilling out of her fingers.

Interrupting the both of you, a small metal trinket falls out of the band of your bra and onto the floor.

"Oh--shit, I forgot I was keeping that there," You say, immediately picking it up and holding it to your side.

"Uhm...what is that?" Ellie asks, eyes still partly drawn to where your skirt has ridden up, exposing a part of your ass.

You notice her gaze and mindlessly fix your skirt before picking the item up. The star-shaped rock on the front of the ring took you hours to tediously chip down due to the tiny size. It was worth it to possibly please Ellie.

"It's--well, remember the ring?" You rotate it forward, showing off the small star emblem like its a priceless diamond. "I made it. For you."

"Holy-holy shit! That's so fucking cute! You're so fuckin' cute!" She says in between short laughs. "I can't believe you actually like...made it." She puts the ring on the middle finger of her left hand, pleased with the way it fits perfectly.

"Y'know, now, you jus need to wear something that has a star like mine. So we match."

Her words make you smile wide, also while painting your face rose.

"I actually—my belly," You lift your shirt a tad, exposing the bottom lace of your bra but also the tiny piercing on your bellybutton. "the shape is a star, but-I swear, completely unintentional."

"Oh, shit. That's...cute." She murmurs, leaning closer to your stomach to give it a kiss. "Yeah, 'unintentional', my ass."

You slap her wrist lightly. "Oh shut up,"

Her hand again travels up your legs to reach your thigh, only to pause and retract for a moment. Ellie then takes the ring off of her left hand and triumphantly places it onto her right.

Oh.

"Ok, Ellie, that's like a tiny bit gross-"

"I'll clean it. I promise. I just feel like- I need to baptize it, or something, y'know?" She assures, lips curving up into a sly smile.

"Shut up." You quip. "You really must be high or something."

“We’re both high babe. It fucking reeks in here.”

#ellie x reader #ellie williams x reader #ellie tlou #ellie fic #ellie x fem reader #tlou #tlou part 2 #lesbian #catsfor2

[elvisabutler]

you know how kids are supposed to be good judges of character? i was wondering if you could do elvis x reader where their kids don't like mommy and daddy's manager?

children 'n dogs

summary: your children with elvis never have been a big fan of the colonel and neither have you even if elvis is. but as you and elvis like to say: "children 'n dogs, best judges of character." fandom: elvis presley | elvis ( 2022 ) | austin butler rating: t pairing: elvis presley x female reader ( or austin elvis x female reader ) word count: 1854 warnings: talk of children being absolute menaces. a married couple being very much a married couple. pregnancy. the colonel being the colonel. brief mentions of period typical and culturally typical opinions on child rearing re: discipline and spanking. calling elvis a backwater hick. brief brief mention of vomit. i think that should be everything. author’s note: so hi anon thank you for this prompt, this was actually a really sweet one and i kind of fell in love with it but wasn't too sure how to start it- plus the fun tired exhaustion i've been dealing with. i set this as a sort of continuation of my queen of graceland fic ( that i wrote for specifically austin elvis ), you don't have to read that one, just know it basically has elvis and the reader getting together right before he gets shipped off to germany, and they have a set of twin girls right about that time and i implied they were going to have plenty more kids after those two. read this with austin elvis or elvis in mind, i am not picky, since i left it faintly nebulous.

"Whaddya mean Jess spit on 'im? Damn boy is 6 years old, he knows better." Elvis asks as you start to take down your hair for the night, wincing at one of the pins digging deeper into your hair. "Christ, mama, let me get those ones in the back, ya know ya can't get at 'em."

You roll your eyes but remove your hands only to have your husband's warm hands replace them, finding the pins in your hair with an ease you envy. "I meant exactly what I said, sweetheart. Jesse spit on the Colonel in the five minutes I looked away while tryin' to make sure Loretta and Elizabeth were all ready to go. They all know I'm not movin' all that fast right now." Your hand moves to rub at your bump, an act that has Elvis letting out a heavy sigh above your head, one of his own hands following downward and pressing against it, earning a powerful kick.

"That's what I get for putting another set of 'em in ya, isn't it? My Queen of Graceland too big to be chasin' after my lil' hellion of a boy." He moves his hand off of your stomach, only to watch another kick happen with a chuckle as he busies himself with your hair. "Colonel seemed madder than just a lil spit. Gettin' the feelin' there's more."

There is a moment when you contemplate not telling him the rest, not telling him how your oldest daughters had lost their tempers once you got them over to where their siblings were and how the other two boys promptly followed their older brother and hit the Colonel and how your youngest daughter, your sweet 18 month old daughter had thrown up on the Colonel's shoes. You contemplate all of this only to look up at your husband and realize he's waiting, mid trying to take out a pin. "Everyone might have- well- everyone might have had their own things they wanted to do t'him."

Now you're no stranger to trying to smooth over things your children have done to Elvis, no stranger to making it seem as if your children are far more innocent than they actually are. But in being married to you and in knowing your children together from the day they were born he knows when you're doing it. He knows exactly when you're trying to gloss over things and make them look presentable. He leans down and places a kiss to the top of your forehead. "Darlin'. I ain't gonna be mad at 'em. Or maybe jus' a lil, but ya gotta tell me what they did so I can apologize."

You hum and purse your lips as you move to grab a brush to brush out your hair. "Oh, I don't think any of 'em want you to apologize for what they did. They know very well what they did was wrong." A pause and you shake your head. "Loretta and Elizabeth kicked him in the shin and stepped on his foot. While tellin' him to stop bein' angry at Jesse for spittin' and Anthony and Aaron for tryin' to bite and hit 'im."

The two warring emotions that filter across Elvis's face show just how much of a child he can be even as he's a parent to six kids- eight if he counted the ones inside you. He wants to laugh at the sheer chaos the scene brings to mind but at the same time he knows that he should frown upon everything, that you expect him to be able to discipline them a little but at the same time he looks in your eyes and doesn't see a hint of anger. At the children or him. He raises an eyebrow. "And the vomit on the shoe?"

"Rebecca's lunch." The most simple answer as he pulls out the final pins that you couldn't properly see to pull out. "That one i wasn't expectin' in the slightest. Don't know if it was her tryin' to follow her sibling's leads or jus' an upset stomach. But- she hasn't done it since then."

Meaning it likely was her trying to get in on the action. Elvis sighs, sitting on the chest at the bottom of the bed. "Goddamn, darlin'- Our kids did all o' that to him? Our well behaved kids? The ones who know their manners 'n-"

You hold up a hand waving it for him as a signal to stop talking. "Our kids who know their manners 'cause they know I'd have their hides if they didn't. Yes, those kids. Those kids also hate the Colonel 'bout as much as I do-"

It's Elvis's turn to cut you off, standing up only to kneel down in front of you, taking the brush out of your hands so that he can hold them in his own. So he can envelop them in his own and make you focus on his face as he talks. "I know- I know the two of ya haven't ever gotten along but he's why we have all o'this. Wouldn't have gotten so big and wouldn't be in these pictures if it wasn't for 'im."

There is a part of you, a tiny part that will admit he's right, that the Colonel is the reason he's as famous as he is and why he's able to keep up with paying for your ever growing family but at the same time the man hasn't ever truly liked you and he especially likes you less and less the more kids you bring into the world. "Elvis, if he had his way you wouldn't have me or our kids." You whisper, pulling up your hands in an effort to get him to pull up his own so that you can place a small kiss to them. "He never has liked any of us. Got mad when I was pregnant with Loretta and Elizabeth but liked how he could spin it. Same wit' Jesse. But our other three? And these ones? If he could leave us out in a ditch somewhere, I honestly think he would. He- This doesn't give you the all American, Hollywood star look, it makes you look like a backwater hick."

"A backwater hick." He repeats back slowly, knowing fully well it wasn't you saying that. Oh he'd expect that from your mama, but not you. Which had to have meant that was the Colonel's words, not your own. "He tell ya that? He tell my goddamn wife that?

When you had first gotten married you might have looked away due to how Elvis's voice deepens in pitch, a sure sign of how angry he is simmering under the surface. Nowadays? Now it just makes you shake your head for a moment before nodding. "He has- which might be why your children kinda like a dog know when someone is-"

"Not a good person? Has a bad character?" He finishes for you before muttering under his breath. "Children 'n dogs."

The puff of air that leaves your nose betrays just how aggravated you're getting to be with the entire conversation as does the rolling movement of your twins. "They've done this for years, Elvis, it's jus' today that they've all done it at once. We deal wit' it for ya. I know you won't leave 'im so I handle it."

His eyes drift down to your stomach where he sees his children move a bit angrily and he frowns realizing that you've been stuck dealing with this alone while he sung the Colonel's praises all this time. He had to admit that as of late he was feeling a bit dissatisfied with the man and was beginning to wonder if maybe it was time for a change. A change that would make everyone happy. He pulls his hands away from yours and allows you to start to brush your hair again while he moves to touch and rub your stomach in an effort to calm the children. It works quicker than he'd have thought was possible judging by the way you lean back in the chair a little and sigh. Placing a kiss to your stomach he stands up. "I'll talk to 'im tomorrow, a'right? 'Bout a lot of things. Now come on, lets get your hair all brushed and my teeth all brushed and get ya into bed 'fore these lil ones wake back up and make a fuss."

You tilt your head up for a kiss before you nod. "Don't need to tell me twice. Go on, I got my hair sweetheart." You pause. "I love you. And I am sorry about what they did."

"Don't be, they're- our kids, mama. If they weren't like this- I'd be worried." He kisses you one more time before he pulls away to go to the bathroom to brush his teeth. "Love ya too."

Elvis manages to finish brushing his teeth before you finish with your hair and murmurs something about checking on the kids. It's a quick walk to the bedrooms and when he opens the door he's bombarded by a flurry of hugs and overlapping voices.

"We know we shouldn't have but he's so mean to mama!"

"He was yelling at Jesse and Anthony and Aaron, you'd've been mad too daddy!"

"He spit on me first!"

"He what?" The last words uttered by Jesse are what finally have Elvis putting up his hands and telling everyone to be quiet. "Didya jus' say he spit on ya?"

Jesse looks away when he answers, knowing that he technically is lying but he knows Mr. Parker would have. He just knows. "He didn't but- Daddy we jus'. He's mean. He's never mean when you're here but he's mean."

Elvis frowns and pulls his children in for a group hug, noting how they try and burrow into him as best as they can almost as if they want his forgiveness and protection all in one. When he pulls away he places a kiss to each of their foreheads. "I- I'm hearin' all 'bout this tonight. Listen. You all go on 'n get into bed. Daddy's gonna deal wit' some things tomorrow. Some things wit' Colonel Parker. Don't you worry 'bout it."

The grins so much like his own crossing all of their faces make his heart so full of love he almost feels like crying before he shakes his head. Lights out once I leave. And be nice to your mama tomorrow mornin' ya know your siblings are a lil rough on her right now."

A chorus of "yes daddy" leaves everyone's lips in whatever way they can manage it before he shuts the door and moves back to your shared bedroom. You're already on the bed by the time he comes back, curled up with a pillow fast asleep as he slides in next to you and nuzzles at your neck. "Ya gotta tell me 'bout these sorta things, darlin'. Can't protect ya if ya don't. But I'll deal wit' it tomorrow mornin'. Have some words wit' 'im. Love all of ya too much to not."

taglist: @ab4eva, @eliseinmemphis, @powerofelvis, @headfullofpresley, @precious-little-scoundrel, @blurredcolour, @butlersxbirdy, one day i'm gonna keep track of who would want to be tagged with what. today is not that day.

#elvis presley x reader #austin elvis x reader #elvis presley fluff #austin elvis fluff #elvis presley x you #elvis presley x y/n #austin elvis x you #austin elvis x y/n #elvis presley #austin elvis #elvis presley fanfic #elvis presley fanfiction #ally writes #austin elvis fanfic #austin elvis fanfiction #austin butler elvis x you #austin butler elvis x reader #austin butler elvis #austin butler elvis x y/n #austin butler elvis fanfic

[just-another-author-i-guess]

Hi!

i just wanted to know if your requests are open and if they are i wanted to request something with Judd birch x GN!reader like their in highschool together and known each other for years because of leah (your her bestfriend) and he kinda falls in love with the reader and only soft and fluffy around them, all fluff x

-Markus

Hi <3 my requests are open, I’m just bad at getting through them lol

Tags: Judd Birch x gn! Reader, very cute, very fluffy, Judd is emotionally constipated, sex references, this is a big mouth fanfic cmon, I also still don’t know how to write hormone monster dialogue, talk and mentions of masturbating? Idek man, I didn’t edit it through bc I’m lazy, I wrote this at 2 am

Authors note: hello! I hope you like this <3 I realized that I always write with fem! Readers in mind so this was a nice change, I hope it’s readable (: see you at the bottom lol

Word count: 1,8k words

Judd Birch is a simp:

It just sorta happened one day, like BAM he had fallen for you. Hard.

I mean, he saw you around all the time, at school or hanging out with Leah at his house so it took him a pretty long time to realize he liked you

Of course Maury had been by his side the whole time, telling him to do all sorts of lewd things to you but he never really took it seriously

To him you were still just the quiet little 12-year-old Leah befriended in 8th grade

Until you suddenly became so much more

Maury had been going on about how cute you were for a long time, but it wasn’t until your junior year that Judd started agreeing with his hormone monster

You had always annoyed him significantly less than all of his siblings other friends, so he tolerated having you around

You also never bothered him at school, unless Leah wanted him to drive the two of you home

It was the day after summer break, the start of yours and Leah’s junior year and Judd’s senior

He drove Leah to school and as soon as he parked, she basically threw herself out the van and ran towards someone

He slowly followed her across the parking lot, somewhat curious to see where she was going

She threw herself at someone, and it took him an embarrassingly long time to realize that it was you

But when he did, he was absolutely stunned. I mean, he straight up stopped in his tracks, mouth hanging slightly open

You had grown over the summer, seemingly both physically and mentally

You seemed so much more confident in yourself, and it seemed like you had found your own style too

He would never admit it in a million years, but he thought you looked really nice in your new clothes

‘Judd likes y/n! Judd likes y/n!’ Maury appeared behind him, mockingly singing about Judd’s newfound crush

Judd’s face morphed into a scowl, as he continued to ignore his hormone monster

‘C’mon man! I can see your little heart-boner from here! It’s obvious.’ Maury chuckled, pulling out a stethoscope and placing it over Judd’s heart, feeling his slightly increased heartbeat

“Oh, Judd! I’m surprised you actually showed up today,” You called to him, suddenly turning all your attention to the older teen

He quickly recovered from his shock, shoving Maury aside and putting on his usual stone-faced expression

The wind blew your hair out of your face as you walked towards him, and he had to admit.. you were quite easy on the eyes, and your voice sounded nice calling his name and-

He lost track of his thoughts when suddenly you were in front of him. ‘Here’s the plan. Ditch school, throw them into your van and plow them till you’re shooting blanks!’ Maury said, grabbing Judd’s arm and tucking him towards the van

Judd exhaled through clenched teeth, not even realizing he had been holding his breath as you walked up to him, Leah in tow

“Fuck off.” He scoffed, looking anywhere but your eyes. “Don’t you have to go help Leah with her gay ass theater group, or some shit?”

You grinned, unfazed by his foul attitude. “Alright, mr grumpy pants. I hope you had a nice summer though, it sucks I didn’t get to see you much.”

‘FUCK YEAH! THEY MISSED YOU?’ Maury yelled in victory, throwing a bottle of whiskey to the ground, shattering it loudly. ‘Hear that, judder-butter? My dick tells me you have a good chance with them,’ he purred.

Judd didn’t even notice Maury, face slowly flushing as he took in your words. Judd Birch was not one to blush, never had he been known to look anything but murderous, but suddenly his whole facade melted and turned bright red

He coughed. “Uh. Sure. It’s not like I have time to hang out with dumb ass kids anyways,” he muttered, painfully aware how both his ears and face was now bright pink

You crossed your arms over your chest. “You’re only a year older than me, dipshit.”

Despite the flush on his face, he still managed to look somewhat intimidating as he rolled his eyes and gave a low grunt. Just before he could clumsily come up with an answer, Leah pulled your arm

“C’mon y/n, we gotta go meet Daniel in the assembly hall,” she whined, causing Judd to finally pay attention to his younger sister and break his trance

“Go piss off to your gross theater group. I won’t pick you up, walk home nutsacks.” And with that, he walked off, leaving you and Leah in the parking lot

He finally relaxed as he rounded a corner, out of sight from you and Leah

‘NOOO! What was that? Get back over there and show them a better fucking time than whatever gangbang they’ve got going on in their theater group!’ Maury pleaded, throwing himself dramatically on the ground

‘Look! My little penis was so excited!’ Maury pulled a tiny penis out and held it in his hand, the creature giving Judd a disappointed sigh

Judd stopped walking, leaning against the brick wall he was walking past “Shut the fuck up.” He grunted, sending Maury a glare.

The hormone monster simply chuckled, unfazed by his anger. ‘But loook! How can you say no to such a cute little thing? He’s so sad, he’s getting all soft..” Maury stood up, shoving the little penis in Judd’s face. Sure enough, it was crying

Judd sighed deeply, thoughts of you flooding his brain. He leaned his head back against the walls, closing his eyes for a moment. “Fine.” He snapped. “Let’s go Jack off.”

Maury roared in victory, giving Judd’s shoulder a firm squeeze. “And this is why you’re my favorite, kid.”

After that, Judd started showing up to school significantly more

He started letting you sit in the front seat when he picked you and Leah up, actually leaving his room when you came over, going out of his way to do you small favors, ect

Let’s just say Leah caught on real quick

“You know Judd is totally into you, right?” She said one day, while you were sitting in her room, getting ready for a party

“Huh?” You said, too focused on smoothing out your clothes in the mirror to pay attention

“Judd. My brother. The psychopath. Future serial killer, he likes you.”

You paused, turning to look at her. She was lying on her back on the bed, head hanging down the side as she stared at you upside down. “No way. Judd hates everyone,” you said, searching her face for any signs that she was joking

She looked completely serious as she said: “Yes way. He’s a total simp. It’s almost cute, actually, like, in a deranged creepy kinda way,”

You scrunched up your nose, thinking back to your latest interaction with Judd. He didn’t seem that different, did he? There was that one time he got you free weed, multiple times were his raccoons escorted you places to make sure you were safe, not to mention all the car rides and-

“Oh my god.” You said, looking bewildered at Leah. She grinned, rolling around to lay on her stomach. “You know, I’ve never seen him not make threats at someone. You really did a number on him,” she giggled

Slowly, your face started to heat up and you turned away from your friend with a hand clasped over your mouth. “I mean, he’s always been nice to me- I just- I didn’t think it was a big deal?”

Leah got up off the bed. “Of course it’s a big deal! You even like all the same stuff! Have you seen the way he looks at you when you talk about horror movies? Or when he offered to lend you that one, uh, what’s it called? The game with zombies or something. But anyways, that’s, like the biggest deal ever!”

You hid your face in your hands, trying to conceal the large grin that spread across your face.

“But,” Leah continued and even if you weren’t looking at her, you could tell she was grinning too. “If you’re going to date, it better not interfere with the theater rehearsals,”

You huffed out a laugh, turning back to look at her. “I wouldn’t miss those hours of watching you flirt with Daniel for anything!”

Now it was Leah’s turn to blush, the conversation quickly moving on as she went into detail about whatever Daniel had done that day

After that, you finally started noticing Judd’s odd behavior

What he called flirting, some people would probably call kinda creepy, but you didn’t mind

You liked the stolen glances, how he got angry when he blushed, the quick touches and the long talks you would have about music and movies when Leah was doing something else

You also thought it quite funny how he could go from growling at his family, to looking at you with big puppy-dog eyes in mere seconds

He’s literally only like that to you, would never be soft in public either

You started having lots of movie nights, the guy always has a new low-budget gore-fest up his sleeve

But oh my god, he’ll get so soft if you fall asleep during a movie

Like, gently tucking you in under the blanket and cuddling up to you, he even trades his scowl in for a cute little content expression

Even if he just thinks you’re asleep, he’ll sometimes mutter a bunch of lovey-dovey stuff, don’t ever ask him about it tho bc he will deny it

I think I’ve said this in a previous hc, but high Judd is soft Judd

If you’re high and the mood is right, you could coax almost anything out of him

He’ll quietly say stuff like “you know I love you, right?” Or “I’m sorry I called you fuckface, I didn’t mean it. I actually really like looking at your face.”

On very, very rare occasions his family has caught him being soft

Like, you’re cuddling on the couch or something when Nick gets home from school

Or Leah catches him softly whisper to you while you sleep

She totally filmed it and uses it as blackmail.

“Drive me to rehearsals or everyone’s gonna see you being a simp for y/n” is the only threat that ever works on Judd

Anyways, he’s a good boyfriend but don’t expect him to be soft all the time

He is most of the time, but he also has quite the temper. If he ever says something truly mean to you, he’ll feel so bad about it though

He will beg Leah to talk to you if you’re mad at him

Don’t get fooled by his attitude, he’s so whipped for you

This was so cute (,: I love Judd

I also want to thank everyone for a 1000 followers! I’m really not that active and I honestly didn’t expect to reach a 1000 lmao

But I’m really grateful, thank you all so much for reading <3

I hope you enjoyed this too, tysm for requesting!

If you want to request more Judd stuff, or anything else please go to my profile.

Love, author

#i hope this is okay #big mouth #big mouth x reader #judd birch #judd birch x reader #judd birch is so hot help #self insert #help I was trying to write birch and I accidentally wrote Judd bitch

[originalgenshinscenarios]

I am so sorry Miko for this assignment to Ayato 😔

Part 1 (Lisa, Kaeya, Diluc, Rosaria)

Part 2 (Zhongli, Kokomi, Hu Tao, Baizhu)

Alhaitham, Ayato, Nilou and Yelan monster scenarios with human reader

Reader here is gender neutral

Warning: for the sake of it being a romantic story rather than dark fiction the description of Jorogumo is in a few ways inacurate on purpose.

Warning 2: researching Naiads was hard asf since I kept getting different sources to different questions I had so apologies ahead if I accidentally wrote something in an inacurate way.

Alhaitham- stone golem

Have you ever seen a man as gorgeous as a statue? Well... he was a statue at first. You remember how often you used to sit nearby it whenever you had an idle moment. It was in a secluded place, sometimes you even wonder if anyone else knew about it.

Sometimes, when you were feeling a bit alone- you talked to him like he was your friend. You couldn't take out some frustrations in your everyday life, so why not just talk to a statue that has no way of responding or judging you?

One day however you noticed something. The statue had a hole on his chest (at least that's the time you actually paid attention to the hole), like something was supposed to be there- but it was nowhere to be found.

You started to look around it. You had no idea what you were even looking for, but you just got a bit too curious.

Luck had it that not long search later you found a gem behind one of the bushes. Without hesitation you put it in the hole which caused an interesting reaction...

The statue moved. It's voice was very pleasant unlike what he said "And what did you wake me for exactly?" Judging by his tone, he wasn't exactly happy about being awakened.

Of course you had no idea that he would wake up so you told him that. To which he called you ignorant for not recognizing something as "basic" as a cursed gemstone.

You decided not to argue with him. I mean it'd be like talking to a stone wall. Which you sort of were doing before...

It was getting awkward at this point, especially since he was indifferent to that. So he just left...

He knew exactly where he was going so he must've been "asleep" for not a long time. He didn't pay you much attention. Actually he acted as though you weren't there.

So you decided to just leave him alone. It was as simple as that. But a part of you continued to be curious about him.

Especially since it was hard not to pay attention to him. You saw him around quite often. Whenever he was reading something, he was still. Looking once again just like a statue.

A very handsome one. If only he wasn't such a stone hearted asshole. But it's not like you can expect much of a guy who literally has a heart made out of stone if he has one to begin with.

One day, you were feeling a little frustrated. So you went back to your usual spot. It was weird coming there knowing that the statue isn't there anymore but when you got there you were surprised to see him.

He didn't feel the need to explain himself. It was clear that he just wanted some peace and quiet. And that's exactly what this place was giving. With a little hesitation, you sat down next to him and just allowed yourself to relax.

You enjoyed each other's company in silence, until he asked what made you come here this time. To which you looked at him surprised.

It didn't take long to connect the dots, although earlier he was "asleep" he still was concious and aware of the things around him.

You didn't know what to do... But in the end you told him a short summary of your recent worries.

And as earlier the point of talking to a statue was the lack of judgement, this time you felt it more than ever.

Then again... Having an active conversation helped you more. And to be honest... You had fun. He was blunt, and while his words did sometimes hurt his lack of social understanding was... Cute in a way.

Ever since that moment, you found yourself getting closer to him. He didn't talk to people much, but he started to look for excuses to talk to you.

When he caught feelings and recognized them he also didn't see any point in pretending. He was blunt even in his confession, but you accepted his feelings.

Honestly you were freaking out yourself a bit before that when you started to fall for him. I mean what were the chances of him returning your feelings when he wasn't exactly the type to be interested in romance.

And yet here you were. With a man who's heart was a stone- and yet it was beating for you.

Ayato- Kitsune

Recently, you found yourself being the victim of some harmless pranks... although you could never tell who or what was pranking you or were you just unlucky.

Each time you went through that path between Konda village to Inazuma city some minor inconvenience happened to you. And nobody but a few foxes were there to witness it.

You started slowly suspecting that you were being harassed by Youkai, and you were pretty sure of that actually- there is no buts here.

And since it was always in company of foxes there was no mistaking it that at least one of them was a fully sentient Kitsune. It wasn't that hard to guess which one was it though.

So next time you were pranked by it's illusions you decided to check your theory. You walked up to the white fox, it had an incredible fluffy tail- or perhaps was it because it had more than one?

You asked what their deal was and they acted dumb for a moment, making you question your sanity. Eventually it got bored of pretending and changed forms. With how childish these pranks were, you were expecting some kid. Instead you saw quite a handsome guy...

You didn't recognize him from anywhere. But his clothes were rather fancy, so he could be some sort of big shot you had no way of recognizing. But how would he have so much free time to prank you like this?

"Ah and so you caught me, I was wondering how long it'd take" his voice was mischievous but at the same time oddly appealing.

You only wondered what did you do to gather such attention around yourself. But there wasn't any real reason for it actually.

It was just a coincidence, and your reactions just happened to entertain him enough to keep his interest.

He tried to leave once his cover was off, and you managed to stop him to ask for his name... And you were surprised to learn that he was actually someone important.

Ayato was never much of a public figure, even though his name is known by many nearly nobody had seen him.

There were a lot of rumors about him as it was... him being a Kitsune actually explained a few of them. But since it wasn't a common knowledge among the public, he sure was great at masking his Kitsune features.

In the end it didn't matter much. It wasn't very likely for the two of you to continue crossing paths.

He won't catch you off guard anymore, and he "interacted" with you for the sake of entertainment... Yet a part of you had fun as well.

He added something to those walks of yours and while sometimes you prayed to not run into him... At other times you were wondering what he'd do next.

You didn't see him on that path for about a week, so you were pretty sure he won't show up here ever again... But then you fell victim to his pranks once more.

Turns out that he was actually busy for once but the moment he had the time he went back hoping to see you again. Actually, his schedule is always tight. It's just that he found himself always being able to find an excuse to go to that spot.

He couldn't quite explain it, but he found himself falling for you at a first sight. Your first meeting was a coincidence, but everything after it wasn't.

And he was right to trust you. Because even though you knew what he was, you didn't pass that information onto anyone. Even if you didn't do it because you thought you wouldn't be believed... He appreciated such "loyalty".

Eventually he stopped entertaining himself with your reactions, instead whenever your paths crossed he indulged in a nice conversation with you.

He wasn't surprised to find out that he was right in having feelings for you... But he only silently adored you.

There was a lot of barriers that should be keeping his heart away from you. From social status to your mortality. And yet he allows himself to have those joyous moments with you.

Nilou- Water Nymph (Naiad)

Getting lost in the desert wasn't something on your to do list and yet here you were. Dehydrated and desperate. Your Sumpter beast ran away as it got scared of something.

You were trying to follow it but it quickly lost you and so you could only rely on the traces it left... but the wind was slowly taking care of them so you needed to be quick.

From afar the beast's tracks conveniently were towards an oasis... so you started to wonder if it wasn't an illusion. But you had no other choice but to follow it.

You were really lucky as it turned out to be an actual oasis, and as you reunited with your beast you noticed that you weren't alone.

A pretty lady was dancing on the water. Standing on it like it was solid ground. And thus you wondered now if you weren't just dead or asleep so pinching yourself you react to it causing the lady to turn around and notice you.

Seeing you in such a dire state she immediately walked up to you and asked "Oh dear..! Are you okay? Do you need help?"

Once again you started to wonder if you didn't die and the pretty lady wasn't an angel. Her sweet voice, graceful moves and gorgeous face really were making you question your state of mind.

But your exhaustion was getting to you, so before you got to respond to her you passed out.

Nilou panicked at first but she quickly pulled herself together and tried to help you. She took care of both you and your beast and waited for you to regain consciousness.

She was patient and other nymphs teased her for worrying so much but she just couldn't help it.

Once you awakened she wanted to help you prepare to head back home... But first you needed to rest and she was very insistent on it.

As you rested you got to know her better and you very quickly got to get along. It was almost like you could knew each other for ages.

She was just so such a kind and gentle soul, talking to her was relaxing. It was maybe even a little bit too perfect.

But you weren't too surprised about it, after all Nymphs are supposed to be perfect... Right?

Your departure was sad for the both of you. But Nilou tried to mask her disappointment when seeing you leave.

She was only wondering if she'll ever see you again. While you were asking yourself if you really just fell in love at the first sight.

You soon found yourself reading more about Nymphs and there were maybe one or two romance stories between a Nymph and a human you stumbled across while researching...

There was one major problem though, you had no clue where to look for that oasis. But when there's a will, there's a way.

You felt it was a little bit insane to risk your life just to meet Nilou again... But you'd also go insane if you wouldn't be able to speak with her soon.

You prepared yourself for the expedition. Hoping for a little bit of dumb luck to guide you.

And guide you it did. Just as you were about to give up you saw it in the distance. Now you only hoped that it was the right one. But you had your suspicions since it wasn't on your map.

Upon seeing you she was really surprised... But also extremely happy. Just like last time the two of you decided to rest together and talk the night away.

This time however you didn't let your interaction end on "what if"s you asked if she wanted to come back with you. You didn't ask her for anything big. Just for her to be your roommate and if she's okay with it girlfriend.

Although it would make her mortal she didn't hesitate to agree. It was spontaneous, but she definitely wasn't going to pass an opportunity to see you every day.

Yelan- Jorogumo

There has been a lot of odd cases lately. The milileth would be suddenly summoned for arrest of various criminals, just for them to be found in something that looked like spider web.

At first you didn't really pay mind to that odd occurrence. Until a pretty lady showed up in your life. Coincidentally, around the time where you were being threatened.

You accidentally happened to hear a bunch of idiots talking about their "perfect plan" on causing some mayhem in the harbor. And ever since you were told to keep your mouth shut or everything will be pinned on you.

So it was hard to trust anyone. They could've been sent as a distraction or maybe the pretty lady was sent to plant some evidence while you weren't looking to make you look guilty.

And although you couldn't deny how... Charming... She was. You weren't some idiot that would do anything for a gorgeous woman.

Then suddenly she leaned into your ear and said "We're being watched. Follow me and I'll explain everything" her tone was serious. But it wasn't said in a way to further threaten you.

With some hesitation, you decided to temporarily trust her. So once the two of you were alone she explained that she knew what was going on.

She introduced herself and said she'll help you. But you needed to cooperate with her. Before you agreed to it blindly you asked her what her plan was.

She just needed you to act as a bait. And while you didn't like the sound of that... She was rather convincing.

It was just before they started setting everything up. They had all the evidence they could have on them and the moment couldn't be more perfect.

You waited for those bandits and as you looked around, you didn't see Yelan anywhere. You started to think that she was setting you up but you had no time to further think about your doubts as the group was there.

You started to act as though you wanted to join their scheme. After all, you're already involved.

You didn't talk much, you were just buying time that's when you noticed for a split moment that Yelan was here. Dashing between the trees. You had no idea how or why for that matter.

When she was done doing... Whatever that was she interrupted your conversation. When the bandits tried to attack, her incredible speed impressed you once again.

And those who she didn't catch in her spiderweb in that run, got caught by the web that was set on the trees.

As the two of you were leaving the scene, you heard the milileth in the back. Everything happened so fast you honestly had no idea what to think. Especially since you witnessed the person (?) behind all these odd occurrences.

When all of it was a done deal the two of you were walking back to the harbor in silence for the first few minutes.

You had so many questions... And yet you said nothing. She was the one who eventually spoke up, she asked if you were okay.

Somehow, from that question the conversation started moving in it's own direction.

It was rather enjoyable, you soon found yourself really enjoying her company. It was hard not to.

So your interactions didn't end with that situation. You ended seeing each other quite frequently- and you'd be lying if after some time your intentions weren't purely platonic.

She was just so interesting and awesome in every way. Even her creepy spider quirks were just something you couldn't help but admire.

You hoped that you weren't delusional and you're right in suspecting that she likes you too...

Without wasting much time, you told her how you feel. She wasn't very surprised by this but she didn't mask that it made her happy to hear you say so.

You were glad the "trap" you had fallen into was love and not her web.

~Mod Lisa

#alhaitham gi #alhaitham genshin #alhaitham x reader #alhaitham #ayato kamisato #kamisato ayato #ayato x reader #genshin ayato #kamisato ayato x reader #kamisato x reader #gi yelan #yelan gi #yelan x reader #yelan genshin impact #yelan #nilou x reader #nilou #genshin nilou #genshin impact nilou #nilou gi

[alastyr-not-alastair]

*breaks through your window*

Have you ever wondered how steves are born? i mean like, we all have our headcanons and many of them are pretty similar but who wants to hear mine now

well if you're still reading you probably want to

So this one i'm making specific to my fanfic Sins of the Forefathers (i promise guys im still working on it, i jsut wrote the first chapter without making an outline and now i actually have to write a whole story) just because I think it’s silly, there’s no real reason and I don’t think that it’ll end up being some major plot point or anything so I can share without spoilers!

currently there are 2 big headcanons around, 1 of them being from a bit that states that steves reproduce using diamonds, and the other one being that the energy around the place can gather into one spot until theres so much that it creates a new steve

theres also... mpreg but i'd rather NOT

so naturally i combined them

To create a child you will need a diamond and at least 2 parents that are (preferably) of the same colour! the parents need to pour in a considerable amount of their energy into the diamond to create a new steve, while the diamond acts as a sort of vessel to hold onto their power. if this was tried WITHOUT the diamond, the energy would just dissipate into the air.

This ritual leaves the parents depleted of their own energy, which is why sometimes there will be more than 2 parents, just so that the load is lighter for them. Typically, the energy split isn't 100% even, so one parent may have put in a slightly larger amount of their own energy, this usually leads to the kid being closer to that parent in shade and power type/level.

When theres a third parent introduced for the sole reason of allowing the first 2 to not have to lose so much energy, they typically only gve a small amount of their own. Not enough to influence the child but enough that the parents wont be left EXHAUSTED afterwards. When theres a third parent because they also want to be a parent and have a kid, its once again a mostly even split between all of them

This all continues no matter how many parents you introduce into the mix

now the diamond! as the energy is put into the diamond, the core of it starts to become almost like a star, a core that is keeping the energy circulating and moving inside of it until it starts to create a living being. From then on, the diamond acts as an egg.

the kid inside will slowly use up the diamonds carbon from the inside out, as the energy poured into them combines with the energy that the diamond is absorbing from the general area as well. The diamond will slowly start to slightly change colour and go opaque.

The closer that the diamond egg is to people, the faster it'll hatch simply due to it absorbing energy left in the air that people give off.

The core continues to eat away at the diamond from the inside as a steve forms in there. At this point of their lives they don't need to worry about any food or water or anything because of the fact that they're still only feeding off the energy in the universe.

Once enough energy has been absorbed, the diamond shell that's left over will start to crack and fracture. The cracks will be more like something is expanding out of it rather than just breaking out. The first crack will always be the loudest as it is when the most energy is let out. At that point the kid can come crawling out the diamond and BOOM! you have a child!

A couple thoughts more that i have that im not sure where to put in:

the steves are a carbon based race due to the fact that diamonds are entirely carbon

a new hatch will be like, the size of a large hand. They grow fast once they're out

the way they're made is quite literally like a new star, and that first crack is their supernova. they basically go through the life cycle of a star before they're even born

different colours can technically have children together but it doesn't always have the intended result. Most times the energy they pour in isnt compatible so it... makes the diamond blow up....

if they do manage to succeed, the kid will be one colour or the other, as the energy of the parent who poured less energy would slowly get converted into something the other parents is more compatible with

In the case of Rainbow Steve:

So he’s an unnatural abomination of a Steve, we all know that, right?

If you didn’t, you do now bc he’s canonically made of like 5 people

Rainbow Steve was in fact made the traditional egg way, but the outputs of the energy put into the diamond had to be made so precise it wouldn’t go one way or another. He would also then have been required to be put in an environment where all the outside energy would not influence what colour he turned out to be.

The way this was done was it was completed one person at a time. Each person first had to learn to manipulate their own energy into a spare vessel with a measuring tool in it, and once it was measured to be exactly 1/7th of the total energy they would all put in, they would have to carefully manipulate the energy in an environment where there’s no extra energy swirling around, and put that into the diamond

Rinse and repeat the process 7 times and you have a rainbow egg hopefully, which would then be carefully fed equal amounts of all energy in a sealed off room. Eventually Rainbow Steve would hatch from it and all the scientists would breath a collective sigh of relief

A pretty normal way to make him honestly, but the constant feeding of the egg exhausted the scientists pretty fast, so eventually they just made a filtering system that would store the energy they let off naturally and use that to give to the egg

Also all the scientists fell in love with each other during their time there, it’s canon I said so

#of course it’s canon they’re literally my ocs I can do what I want with them #i just think it’s neat #their biology is meant to be strange and confusing #light Steve is a whole other thing #he just appeared as a teen when rainbow was split apart bc of the over abundance of blue energy inside of Rainbow Steve #favremysabre #steve saga #rainbow steve #sins of the forefathers #headcanon #hcs

[captain-mj]

Hello :]]

I was wondering if you do have any basic tips for ao3 use? :o

I saw ur other post and thought I’d ask, I’m pretty new to using for posting fics so if you have any advice it be very appreciated!! :DD

Remembered this ask and rushed to finally answer it!

For Posting

There is no algorithm. I see people talk about an algorithm occasionally, there is none! If you post at certain times, you may possibly get more attention because more people are on at that time, but there is no pushing. Just tag everything appropriately and you'll find your audience.

Do not advertise things on there. I don't mean you can't mention your socials on the author's notes, I'm saying you can't do paid advertisements, talking about your patreon, gofundme, etc. If it mentions money, don't. There are legal reasons for this, it's to protect the archive.

Placeholders are not useful!! You're more likely to get banned or reported than anything else!

For the descriptions, if you figure it out please tell me ;-:

It's better to over tag than under tag, also I'd try to use the premade tags first! freeform (usually lowercase and it doesn't autofill) are harder to search by.

This is my wife's suggestion. If you want to build an audience of people who recognize you over different fics, really recommend having a consistent style. Not posting schedule, though that can certainly be helpful, but style. Something about what you do is consistent enough people recognize you.

You love someone's work?? You write something based on something they wrote (with permission), write something for a friend or even just write something with someone in mind? You can gift them the work! It's still yours of course, but their name is attached and they'll see on their profile.

I don't know if this is still the case, but there used to be a problem where fics that were in collections could be made private by the collector. I'd be very wary of collection requests.

For Reading

Ao3 is an archive, not a social media. The reason I’m saying this is because you’ll find material that might make you go “That should be illegal to write about it”. You may think to yourself “I should report that! It’s awful!” And while sometimes it is deplorable! , it is rarely going to get taken down. The reason I put so much emphasis on this is people try to treat it like wattpad or tumblr. You can’t. It is not a social media.

Just like you can exclude tags, you can include them! Really recommend adding them to get what you’re looking for :)

Dead Dove Do Not Eat is not always a bad thing. Most of the time, it’s a tag intensifier. My recommendation is to look through the tags a second time, ask yourself if you really think it’ll be something you’re interested in, then continue if you want.

I always sort by most recently posted but there are other options! I think the default is most notes

Check out an author if you really like their stuff! I've found some really great fics this way.

#ao3 help #ao3 #ao3 writer #ao3 tags

[leoniestarlee]

Illyrian Assassin (19)

Pairing: Azriel x OC

Word Count: 1.2k

Warning: past trauma, slow burn

--

Cassian might have been cocky grins and vulgarity most of the time, but in the sparring ring in a rock-carved courtyard atop the House of Wind the next afternoon, he was a stone-cold killer.

I watched for the last hour as Cassian trained Feyre through the basic steps of hand-to-hand combat. Willa managed to fall asleep next to me on the chaise half an hour ago after finishing her training with the two of them.

After my small breakdown last night, I’d fallen asleep in Azriel’s arms, and he kindly put me into my bed. The rest of our little family took the girls with them to dinner, and I was grateful for that because I didn’t want either of the girls seeing me in that state.

“Get a drink,” Cassian said to Feyre. “Then we’re working on your core. No point in learning to punch if you can’t even hold your stance.”

Feyre frowned toward the sound of clashing blades in the opening sparring ring across from us.

Azriel, surprisingly, had returned from the mortal realm by lunch. I had intercepted him first, and he told me he’d found some sort of barrier around the queens’ palace and had needed to return to assess what might be done about it.

Assess—and brood, it seemed, since Azriel had barely managed a polite hello to Feyre before launching into sparring with Rhysand, his face grim and tight. They’d been at it now for an hour straight, their slender blades like flashes of quicksilver as they moved around and around.

At some point since I had last looked, despite the sunny winter day, Azriel removed his leather jacket and shirt. His tan, muscled arms were both covered in the same manner of tattoos that adorned my own arms, stomach, and back. The ink followed across his shoulders and over his sculpted pectoral muscles. Between his wings, a line of them ran down the column of his spine, right beneath where he typically strapped his blades.

“Rory, you’re drooling over Az,” Cassian mused, and I quickly looked away from Az as the blade clashing came to a halt before continuing. 

“No I wasn’t, dickhead,” I said to Cass, sending him a glare as he snickered.

He followed Feyre’s stare to Rhys and said, “We get the tattoos when we’re initiated as Illyrian warriors—for luck and glory on the battlefield.”

Feyre blinked and I snickered, knowing she was checking out my bastard brother.

Cassian jerked his chin to his brother. “Rhys is out of shape and won’t admit it, but Azriel is too polite to beat him into the dirt.”

“I’ll happily do it,” I joked as Feyre and Cassian strode to where he had brought up a pitcher of water and three glasses.

“I’d like to see you try,” Rhys said through clenched teeth as I laughed.

“So,” Cassian said, gulping down the water. Behind them, Rhys and Azriel clashed, separated, and clashed again. “When are you going to talk about how you wrote a letter to Tamlin, telling him you’ve left for good?”

“Mother above,” I muttered, bringing Willa’s feet to my lap.

Feyre sniped, “How about when you talk about how you tease and taunt Mor to hide whatever it is you feel for her?”

My jaw dropped as the beat of crunching steps and clashing blades behind them stumbled—then resumed.

Cassian let out a startled, rough laugh. “Old news.”

“I have a feeling that’s what she probably says about you.”

“Okay,” I drawled, standing up and gently placing down Willa’s feet on the chaise behind me. “For your own sake, you’ll train with me now,” I told Feyre. “No more core exercises. Just fists.”

“Rhys told you?” Feyre quietly said to Cassian.

Cassian had the wisdom to look a bit nervous at the expression on her face. “He informed Azriel, who is…monitoring things and needs to know. Az told me.”

“The more you talk, the worse it gets,” I mumbled to Cass, walking past him and into the sparring ring.

“I assume it was while you were out drinking and dancing.” Feyre drained the last of her water and walked back into the ring where I was waiting.

“Hey,” Cassian said, catching her arm. His hazel eyes were more green than brown today. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hit a nerve. Az only told me because I told him I needed to know for my own forces; to know what to expect. None of us…we don’t think it’s a joke. What you did was a hard call. A really damn hard call. It was just my shitty way of trying to see if you needed to talk about it. I’m sorry,” he repeated, letting go.

Feyre nodded as she resumed her place in front of me. “All right.”

Cassian stood by my side as I shoved my hands into the sparring pads and held them up. “Thirty one-two punches; then forty; then fifty.”

“You didn’t answer my question,” Cassian said with a tentative smile.

Feyre positioned her legs at twelve and five and lifted her hands up toward her face as I nodded for her to begin.

“I’m fine,” Feyre said, stepping and jabbing with her left side.

Her fist slammed into my sparring pad, snatching back as fast as a snake’s bite as she struck with her right shoulder, and foot twisting.

“One,” I counted. Again, Feyre struck, one-two. “Two. And fine is good—fine is great.”

Again, again, again. One-two; one-two; one-two—

“Rory,” Cassian said softly but with a warning as Feyre started sobbing through clenched teeth.

“Don’t stop her. She needs this,” I said, not taking my eyes off Feyre as Cassian looked over to Rhys and Azriel with concern.

The sparring pads started to burn as flames sparked from Feyre’s hands and I bit down on my lip, taking on the sizzling pain. Cassian stepped forward to pull me away, but I shook my head, stopping him.

“Keep. Going,” I instructed her, squeezing my eyes shut for a moment, only to open them again as the clashing steel stopped.

And then Feyre’s fist connected with my bare skin. She had burned through them like paper, and it didn’t take long for her to notice and stop. The wrappings around her hands were now mere smudges of soot.

My upraised palms remained before Feyre—ready to take the blow, if she needed to make it. “I’m all right. It doesn’t hurt,” I lied quietly. Gently.

Feyre’s eyes held a broke piece of her as she breathed, “I killed them.”

Cassian’s lips tightened as he looked at Feyre. “We know.” Not condemnation, not praise. But grim understanding.

Feyre’s hands slackened as another shuddering sob worked its way through her. “It should have been me.”

I gently grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to look at me. “You did what you had to do for survival, Feyre.”

Darkness swept in and I stepped back as Rhys comforted Feyre. I stepped out of the ring, allowing Cassian to grab my hands and observe them for any wounds.

“Are you hurt?” Azriel asked, stopping in front of us with his eyes on my hands.

I shook my head, pulling my hands out of Cassian’s once he gave me approval. “Not a mark.”

“Come on.” Azriel grabbed my hand gently, pulling me toward sleeping Willa. “You haven’t eaten since last night and Willa needs to sleep in her bed.”

I smiled through the tight tugging feeling in my chest as he let go of my hand, carefully lifting Willa into her arms as she continued to sleep.

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

@waytoomanyteenagefeels

#acotar #acotar series #azriel #azriel acotar #acotar fanfiction #acotar fanfic #azriel shadowsinger #azriel spymaster #cassian #cassian acotar #shadowsinger #rhysand #oldersister #wattpad #wattpad writer #night court #illyrian #found family #friends to lovers #azriel x reader #azriel shadowsinger x reader #acotar x reader #azriel x oc #acotar x oc

[joekeeryswife]

Omg angst with reader getting killed (or very hurt) by vecna and Steve watching since he loves reader 🙏🏽 I need some angst

Vecna - S.H

hope this was okay lovely, i couldn’t really think about what to write so i just used some of the storyline from Max- have a good day <3

Did i get inspiration from Max and Vecna? sort of. just an fyi that there is talk about death in this so please don’t read if you’re uncomfortable with that x

you knew it was coming. you had heard and seen the grandfather clock, you had visions of Vecna and your time was running out. you had written notes to every person that meant something to you. you started off with your mum. she had been your been your biggest support through anything you’d done and she was extra supportive after your dad died. you had heard that Vecna played off of his victims traumas and your dads death was definitely your biggest trauma.

he had died suddenly in a car accident on his way to pick you up from Steve’s house. it was probably one of your biggest regrets, asking him to pick you up. it had only been a year and that night sometimes just replayed in your mind. your next letter was to Steve. your sweet boy. he had been your boyfriend for two years and other than your dad dying, it had been the best two years of your life. he took you and picked you up from work, you guys had a movie night every Tuesday which was one of your favourite days of the week just because you spent time with Steve. he was just all around the most perfect boyfriend and you’d never want to have a relationship with anyone else.

you wrote letters to everyone else- Dustin, Max, El, Mike, Eddie, Lucas, Robin and a few of your other friends who you’d been friends with since forever. you also wrote letters to each member of your family, telling them how much they mean to you. as you were sat at your desk, writing the last letter to one of your cousins, you heard a knock at your bedroom door. you jumped, you were scared of basically every single thing. you looked back to the door. before you could say anything, the person barged into your room, giving you no time to hide the letters. “babe? what are you doing?” it was Steve. you scattered the letters around, trying to hide them, it was too late and he saw them. he gave you a look, the look that said ‘what are you doing?’. you sighed before speaking.

“it’s just incase something goes wrong okay? it’s just so i can clear my conscious.” you said, turning back to the letter you were finishing. “nothing’s going to go wrong okay?” he spoke, coming over to where you were sitting. he put his hands on your shoulders and kissed your forehead. you smiled slightly. even in a time where you were scared, he always knew how to calm you down. you finished the letter, putting it in the envelope, before sealing it shut. “i need you to do me a favour Steve. if something goes wrong-” you spoke before he cut you off. “nothing will go wrong” he interrupted. you sighed before continuing. “Steve. stop okay? if something goes wrong, please just give the letters to my mum and the rest of my family okay? i can’t face looking at them whilst giving them these.” you said, standing up, handing him your families letters.

“and as i said, i won’t need to because nothing will go wrong.” he said, putting his hands on your cheeks, making you look into his eyes. “you don’t know that Steve. can we just go so i can give the kids their letters?” you said, pulling away from his hold. he nodded his head and took hold of your hand. he saw your walkman on your bed and he grabbed it and your favourite song. he wanted to be safe. you guys walked to Steve’s car and drove to Family Video, he knew Robin, Max, Lucas and Dustin were there so that’s where you went first. you exited the car and walked into Family video. you saw them all behind the counter talking about Vecna and once the all saw you with five letters in your hand, they instantly stopped talking. you gave them your best smile before handing them their letters. Steve shook his head as you handed them out. “y/n we don’t need letters. what are you doing?” Dustin said as you handed him his letter.

“it’s just incase something goes wrong okay?” you said, handing Robin her letter. “i need to speak to you” you whispered to her, one last letter in your hand. she nodded her head and took you to the stock room. Steve and the others where confused. “where are you guys going?” he spoke once you guys got to the stock room door. “i just need to show her something Dingus. speak amongst yourselves” she said, pulling you into the stock room. you broke down, handing her the letter. there was a small ‘Steve’ in cursive writing in the top corner with a tiny heart next to it. “i couldn’t give it to his face Robin. you are gonna have to do it for me. please?” you sounded desperate. she nodded her head and pulled you in for a hug. you cried on her shoulder before pulling away. “thank you. he keeps saying it won’t go wrong but i can feel it Robs. something bad is going to happen to me wether i survive or not.” you said, looking at her face. it was almost unreadable.

“you will be fine okay? you know Steve would do anything to keep you alive and although he’s a Dingus, he will make sure you’re out of that alive.” she said, you nodded your head, wiping your tears, before both exiting the stock room going back to the group. Steve gave you a look and you smiled at him. after speaking for a bit, you all got into the car. you had asked Steve if you could go talk to your dad at his grave, you wanted to say your goodbyes to him. you arrived at the cemetery and got out immediately. “can you guys please wait here? i just want some alone time” you whispered. your voice was almost silent but Steve understood, nodding his head as you closed the door, walking off to your dads grave. Steve didn’t want you going alone, he asked Dustin, Lucas and Max to come with him but asked Robin, the most responsible one, to stay behind to look after his car. he kept his distance from you, knowing you needed your space.

as you were talking to your dad, your head started pounding, you felt yourself just stop. your eyes rolled into your head and then everything around you changed. you ‘woke up’ in the upside down and looked around. you saw Chrissy, dead, up against a tree. you then saw Fred, in sort of the same position as Chrissy. you gasped. you had never been so scared of something in your life. you looked around more before you heard a voice, it was your dad. “how could you y/n? you asked me to come pick you up, it’s your fault i’m dead, it’s all your fault i’ve left you with your mum. it’s all your fault” he said, walking closer to you. you started backing up but didn’t get that far. “you aren’t real. you aren’t.” you said, closing your eyes, trying to forget everything around you. you opened your eyes and saw Vecna standing right in front of you. you screamed and tried to run away from him but didn’t get far, one of his tentacles got hold of your leg and pulled you back to him.

he wrapped a few more around your body as you were now back up against the tree. “please. you aren’t real” you shouted, “oh but i am. it’s your turn y/n, join the others” he spoke, his voice demonic and terrifying. he reached his clawed hand reaching up to your face. you could hardly breathe. he had a tentacle around your neck, restricting your airway. as he was reaching up to your face, you got flashbacks of all the good times you had. back in reality, Steve had put the walkman over your ears and it was blasting your favourite song. you heard faint lyrics as you saw the flashbacks.

I've got sunshine on a cloudy day

When it's cold outside

Steve watched you as you floated into the air, his heart hurt. his beautiful girl, was being cursed but this awful thing and all he could do is stand there and wait. he had hot tears rolling down his face. he needed this to work, he couldn’t lose you. who would he vent to when he had a bad day? who would he go to if he needed a cuddle? what would he do without you? he was so scared. they all called your name as you kept floating higher. you still had your eyes closed with Vecna’s claws getting closer to your face.

I've got the month of May

I guess you'd say

What can make me feel this way

My girl, my girl, my girl

Talkin' 'bout my girl

My girl

you opened your eyes as soon as you heard those words, ripping at Vecna’s neck. he screamed in pain and his tentacles let go of you. you gasped for air and saw an opening in the upside down. it was you, floating in the air with Steve, Dustin, Lucas and Max all shouting your name. Steve had tears rolling down your face. you could barely breathe. you ran. ran as fast as you ever had before. you ran for your family, your friends, your future, but most of all, Steve. this was your song, yours and his. it had so much meaning to it and that’s why it was your favourite. you gasped as you ran. Vecna was throwing different objects your way, trying to stop you from escaping, you fell over a few times but you didn’t stop fighting.

I've got so much honey

The bees envy me

I've got a sweeter song

Than the birds in the trees

Well, I guess you'd say

What can make me feel this way

My girl, my girl, my girl

Talkin' 'bout my girl

My girl

as soon as you heard those last words, your hand reached the portal and everything went blank. you woke up, mid air, and fell to the ground. you still could hardly breathe. “y/n!” Steve shouted as you fell. you gasped for air, tears rolling down your face as you felt Steve’s arms around you. “Steve, i can’t breathe” you said, coughing as you spoke. he helped you sit up. “y/n. calm down baby. it’s okay. follow my breaths. in through your nose and out through your mouth love” you heard him speak. you felt Max, Dustin and Lucas’ hands on your back, trying to calm you down. once you finally calmed down, Dustin, Lucas and Max left you guys for a moment. you fell back onto Steve and cried on his shoulder. “i thought i’d lost you baby” he whispered, thick tears falling down his face. you shook your head as you cried. “i’m so sorry Steve. i came back for you. i couldn’t leave you” you said, looking up at him. he kissed you passionately and checked the marks on your neck.

there were thick, red marks around it, they looked painful. “maybe we should take you home baby. i’ll stay with you” he said, meeting your eyes. you nodded and he helped you up, you had a few cuts and bruises all over your body. it hurt to walk. Steve helped you all the way to the car and helped you get in. you were silent most of the way home. Steve sharing scared glances your way. you lent your head on his shoulder as he drove, everyone in the back trying to make their own conversation. you were home, you were safe, and you’d never been more thankful for Steve Harrington, the boy who saved your life.

#fanfiction #steve harrington #steve harrington one shot #steve harrington fandom #steve harrington x y/n #steve harrington fanfiction #steve harrington imagine #steve harrington imagines #steve harrington blurb #steve harrington fanfic #steve harrington x reader #joe keery #stranger things #stranger things season 4 #joe keery imagines #joe keery characters #joe keery fandom #joe keery imagine #joe keery x reader #imagines #fanfic #prompts #blurbs #robin buckley #kurtsworld96 #kurt kunkle

[sunnydayroleplay]

Hiya Jack! How are u! I missed you so much! Where have you gone?

Jack speaking, and here are your reminders sunspot!~

- If you're 18- DNI, this is a NSFW post and so is the game it is based off of. This is an 18+ community.

- Those under 18 interacting not only jeopardizes your own safety and well being , it jeopardizes mine, and the creators of the games.

- (As well as moral/ethics.)

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

! Sunshine Insider Information !

This post includes:

-Jack speaking/ Jack POV.

-Fourth wall breaking potentially??

-Wholesome :D

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

Hey sunshine! I've been as dandy as a sunflower in the summer! I missed you all so very much.

I've been all sorts of places, but one of them I haven't been to in awhile is well... here! Although I haven't been present for a long while, thank you all! Reading all your sweet messages and comments really remind me lots as to why I do what I do!

I also particularly enjoy reading all your requests and seeing what you come up with! However there are some...hm.. what's the word... concerning requests, I'd like to also remind you some basic ground rules. Ain't nothin' wrong with being a rule follower! It's good to be a leader, but sometimes it's better to be a follower.

Now, number on- I... hold on-

(insert comical searching sounds for stuff in tiny ass bag)

Language!

(my bad)

(insert comical searching sounds for stuff in tiny a██ bag)

Better- Oh! Here we go!

Ahem, here's a few thing's and rules I wrote down! Take notes my sunrises and sunsets.

Sunny Day Roleplay Rules and Reminders!

1. Please read the pinned comment and look at my boundaries there.

I'm tired of the amount of people who continue to disrespect my wishes and are actually trying to threaten me. I know I'm not the best writer/blogger, or the most popular, but the amount of people who ask me beyond inappropriate questions or make continuous requests to the point I have to block and report is unreal. I don't mean to be rude, but please. This is the main reason I had to take a longer break than last in the first place. I can't get things out as soon as you send them. And I cannot reply back to messages as soon as you dm them. I have a personal life too, my life does not revolve around this account.

2. CHILDREN DNI

I cannot stress this enough, the amount of literal ELEMENTARY school children I see following me or dmming my other SDJ accounts is unreal. At this point I don't even care if you're 13-14 (I do, but listen and don't twist my words) but if you're 9-12 on the internet talking with absolute strangers about NSFW shit? You need to put the iPad down and please go to bed. It's painfully obvious and it makes me and albeit a shit ton of people uncomfortable. Please, just stop.

3. To that one group of people. You know who you are.

Stop spamming me photos of James Corden on my twitter while I'm at work or sleeping. Thank you-

Uhm...Sunny?

What, Jack?

That amount of profanity is-

Have you seen what you partake in this account content wise?

But-

Exactly.

Anywho, that's going to be all for today! Have a happy, healthy sunny day, and be sure to eat well and drink water. And remember sunspot, I'll always be here for you.

#sdj jack #sdj joseph #jacktor #sdj jacktor #sunny day jack #sunny day jack joseph #rory rainberry #sunny day jack fanart #sdj shaun #sunny day jack oc #sdj #somethings wrong with sunny day jack #swwsdj

[jamneuromain]

Mr. & Mrs. Levinson

Ari Levinson x Original Female Character (Anna)

Warning: Angst and Smut, Eventual Smut, Graphic Depiction of Violence, Domestic Violence (sort of), Cursing, Oral Sex, Vaginal Sex.

A fusion of Mr. & Mrs. Smith.

Word count: 11k.

Summary: Being enemies saved their marriage.

3 p.m.

"How long have you been married?"

"Six years." "Seven years." They said at the same time, not forgetting to glance at each other when they heard the other's answer.

"Six or seven years." Ari chose what he thought was a compromising answer and cleared his throat, "Actually, we've been married for so long that this is just a routine checkup, you know? Similar to changing the oil, parts, or whatever for an airplane."

The marriage therapist kept his unchanging smile, gazing at the man as strong as a bear - and as hairy as a bear - and the petite woman beside him, "Sure, so let's pop the hood." He flipped open the notepad for his records and wrote something on it, "Let's start with the basics. How would you rate your marriage on a scale of one to ten?"

"Eight." "Uh, is ten is the highest score or...?"

Ari frowned and looked at his wife, who had been with him for six or seven years, sitting by his side: "He said one to ten, honey."

Anna leaned unhurriedly on the couch pillows, the very direction away from Ari: "I was just making sure. Don’t want to give the wrong answer, sweetheart."

The therapist cap the pen and snapped both of them back to attention, "That's okay, let's try again. Ten is the highest score. Are you ready? Three, two, one..."

"Eight." They both answered in unison.

"How is your sex life?" The therapist asked the next question.

Anna rubbed her fingers at the tip of her curly hair and paused for a moment upon hearing the question, "I'm sorry, is this a one to ten question or...?"

The therapist explained, "Just this week, how is your sex life? Oh, and feel free to rate it or just say how you feel about it."

Ari and Anna were uncharacteristically silent.

"Including weekends?" Ari asked, his furrowed brow not loosening.

"Including weekends."

Anna nodded thoughtfully.

They didn’t have sex this week. Neither did they last week. Nor did the week before.

How is one supposed to rate something non-existent?

She tried to remember the last time they'd had sex, which was about a month ago, and they'd both been drinking a little. She remembered they stopped midway. Why did they stop midway?

She remembered that she had gone to the training room to practice boxing before that and accidentally bruised her rear end. She asked him to turn off the lights in between kisses, and he thought it was no big deal, it wasn't like they hadn't seen each other naked. In the end, a simple question of turning off the lights made them break up the kiss and lose the passion to continue.

Ari always ripped orgasms after orgasms from her. It was all about passion and crude rough sex and it was fun.

It was.

Until the passion faded. And he lost his interest over a little question whether to turn off the lights.

Anna returned home, took off her silver wedding ring and put it away on the nightstand. She was fucking tired of everything. She promised Ari to try to see a therapist to salvage their marriage, but she also wanted to throw the fruit bowl in his face and tell him that marriage maintenance is not something she could do alone. She was tired of playing the good housewife at home while he came home some nights smelling of booze and women perfume and God knew where he had been fooling around. The only thing this jerk did well was that he never came home to her with signs of cheating on her: no hair, no lipstick marks, no nothing, as if the escort grinded on him and nothing more. She was tired of him always being the one making decisions, telling her what to do, even including this ridiculous therapy, which she thought was absolutely useless.

She wrinkled her apron, tossed clean frying pans and dishes into the sink to get them wet, then sat up on the bed and called for takeout.

She basically hadn't cooked in seven years of marriage, and she wasn't going to today.

At 7 p.m., Ari came home on time.

"Good evening honey." He greeted her without looking up as he returned the steady stream of texts with one hand. On the other end of the phone was his DHS supervisor, sending him some key information for his next mission.

Anna had the frilly apron on her and spatula in hand, wanted to open her mouth to greet him, but was furious at the way he greeted her without even lifting his head. She turned temporarily back to the kitchen and sprinkled more sugar and salt on one of the steaks frying in the pan to make sure it was cooked until it was overcooked.

Ari hung up his coat and wondered if the kitchen noise was too loud to muffle his greeting. He stowed his phone properly in his pocket and leaned against the kitchen doorway, raising his voice slightly: "Good evening, honey."

Anna flashed him an impeccable smile, "Good evening. Go wash your hands, dinner will be on the table in a minute." Only when he was completely out of sight did the smile on Anna's face collapse, the meat cleaver in her hand stabbing an inch into the wooden chopping board. A greeting without even looking up? Did his mother ever teach him manners?

At the dinner table, Ari and Anna engaged in some routine small talk, such as Anna asking him how his day went and if he encountered any tough problems; Ari asked Anna back if she had a good day in Wall Street.

Anna was a financial analyst on Wall Street, at least, that was her cover. True, her workplace was located in a tall building on Wall Street, but that floor was used for surveillance, analysis and operational planning by the NSA, of which she is a member. After years of hard work, Anna had successfully risen to the position of chief of operations for the NSA's New York State Division. Most of the time she sat in her office facing the computer as she would if she were a financial analyst, but there were times when she needed to be on the ground to solve some variables during missions.

Across the table, Ari sliced off a piece of beef with some brute force and popped it into his mouth. The sweet and salty flavor instantly overwhelmed all his taste buds and he choked and coughed. He spat out the unchewable beef and wiped his mouth with a napkin: "Honey, the beef is too salty."

Anna tugged her lips into a light smile, a smile she felt a bit sorry for Ari: "Really?" She immediately added, "I'll put less salt next time."

Ari was tempted to say you should stop cooking, you haven't cooked well in the past six years. But for the sake of marital harmony, he chose to swallow the words along with the sweet and salty taste in his mouth. He made do with a barely palatable selection of vegetables and mashed potatoes and ate his dinner swiftly. Barely palatable. That was his euphemistic comment.

Ari's long, thick fingers lingered on the keyboard for a moment, lost in his own thoughts. Honestly, he wondered how much longer their marriage would last. Two months? Three weeks? Four days? Their passion was no longer there, replaced by endless tedium. He believed they still loved each other, yet every day of marriage life was a wear and tear on that love. What they need was not novelty, which no longer had any place after the first six months of marriage. What they need was something that will sustain their relationship for a long time, the glue that will hold their broken lives together. He had to admit that the lack of togetherness was also a reason why their marriage was coming to an end, but there was no way he could make his schedule change. After all, the mission wouldn't pick his “supposedly” working hours to show up. He had to find one excuses after another: a temporary plane breakdown at the airport, a nice weekend with his fellow mechanics, a farewell to a fellow who was leaving.

This fake identity of an aircraft repair mechanic was not solid enough, but it's the best he can do. Ari sighed and tapped down two or three lines of a mission report.

"Hi, sweetheart. I got your coffee."

Anna appeared silently in front of his computer with a steaming cup of coffee: "What are you working on?"

"Jesus." he was startled by her sudden appearance and hit Alt and Tab simultaneously, "Nothing, honey, just the schematics."

"Oh, okay," she walked around the mahogany table and put her coffee in his hand, her eyes glancing at the computer screen. "Yeah SURE." Her big brown eyes lost that glint of smile, "I'll leave you alone."

Ari stiffly turned his head to look at the pornhub interface he had fumbled to place on the main screen, which contained the video of a topless woman bouncing up and down on a rubber dildo. Ari had no fucking idea why it was here, nor had he any interest of watching a woman fucking herself with a toy - apart from Anna.

This is definitely one of his most embarrassing moments. He lied to her about work, only to let her “find out” he was watching porn.

Great.

Just fucking great.

He rubbed his face with his palm: "Wait, Anna-"

Anna left the study without looking back: "You’ll sleep in the second bedroom tonight."

Less than half an hour later, Anna answered a phone call.

"Sorry, some shareholders in Wall Street is holding an emergency meeting, I need to go check." She calmly packed her handbag, put on her coat and left in a hurry.

Only after she left did Ari remember the party at Gray's house next door in an hour. They had promised to go last week.

The text he sent instead seemed cold and indifferent: "Don't forget Gray's party at nine."

"Okay."

Her reply was even briefer.

"Your man?" Jennifer, dressed in plain clothes, joked about it before Anna pressed the lock button on her phone.

Anna tied her hair up, avoided the question:" Do you know any divorce lawyer?"

Jennifer thought for a moment, "I remember Natalie from the other department almost got divorced," she took out her work tablet and cross-referenced everyone's schedules, "I'll set up a meeting for you with her tomorrow at 10:30, I think she's free at that time. "

"Jenni-"

Anna hadn't actually thought about finding a lawyer. Marital property, prenuptial property, real estate ...... Gosh, they didn't have a prenuptial agreement. Now that she thought about it, it was an unforgivable mistake for them to get married.

At least not signing a prenup accounted for eighty-nine percent of the mistake.

She made that number up, but she quickly made up the remaining eleven percent.

Ten percent was his frequent disappearances.

One percent was their size difference.

"It's already booked." Jennifer arranged it without a word, "Besides, what could go wrong with just talking?" They spoke as they made the final adjustments before the mission began.

"The target is Friedrik Karls Vogelbaum, male, sixty-five years old. Our mission is to transfer a flash drive from the target containing information of a new biological virus, sufficient to destroy a half of the Earth's population. Note that Mr. Vogelbaum has just lost a deal with an international arms dealer Morian, so he will do everything in his power to protect the case containing the flash drive, and there may be multiple parties coming to seize it. I expect everyone to cooperate properly in recovering the high-risk item, understood?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

Everyone in the tiny camouflaged van responded in unison.

"Very well." Anna sat in the middle of the chair as electronic screens lit up around the perimeter showing various street-level surveillance, Anna adjusted her headset, "Agent Weiss, do you copy?"

"Very clear, Agent."

Anna switched the headset channel and methodically gave one order after another, "I want the traffic lights at 15th Street and Northwest Avenue locked so the target can't cross the street; standard follow up, one up front and one behind the target, don't draw any unnecessary attention. Do we have eyes across the street? Good. "

Inside the tiny van, the four mission support members of the operation team held their breath.

The plan was to set an agent to attract Vogelbaum's attention, followed by a second agent to switch the case.

Unfortunately, Vogelbaum held the case so tightly the entire time, that the team had to improvise a surprise by having someone on a bicycle run Vogelbaum over and then take advantage of their distraction to swap the case.

The mission went very well overall.

Except for Anna, who pretended to be a passerby to help the bike-riding agent out of trouble, which wasn't exactly pleasant. She had to pretend to be surprised by asking Vogelbaum if he was international movie star Mads Mikkelsen, asking him to pose for a photo and sign a napkin. Otherwise, judging by the way Vogelbaum grabbed the cycling agent and looked him in the eyes, it would not end well.

She took off the beanie she'd pulled off randomly on the street and Jennifer's big black-rimmed glasses and returned to the van. Jennifer handed her a tissue to help her wipe away the fake freckles and moles, temporarily dotted with a marker on her only mere seconds ago.

"Thanks." Anna smoothly put the marker in her pocket and borrowed some water to clean her face.

Agent Weiss and two others circled back to the NSA's New York headquarters and opened the case as the entire ops team watched.

The case was empty.

Max Grey is one of those typical neighbors you want next-door. If Max lives in some lucky neighborhood, then everyone not only enjoys a barbecue party every month or two, but also receives the occasional cake, cookie or pie from his wife.

Max and his wife, Loreen Gray, don't have any noisy children yet. Admittedly, they are preparing to have one, but not yet. That's something that makes them better neighbors.

The Levinsons showed up at Gray's door with smiles on their faces, even though they were late. The Grays were kind enough to let them join the house party, and Max shoved a cold beer in Ari's hand and invited him to sit on the “men's side”. Sometimes, Ari wished he wasn't so big. He looked like he's the boss of some notorious biker gang in his form-fitting leather jacket. And some obvious male psychology suggested that all the men in the room were trying for the Alpha position in the crowd. This meant most of the men would be hostile to him from the moment he entered the room. But his years as a secret agent have allowed Ari to blend in like a fish in water, picking up a few jokes, clinking glasses (or bottles, in this case) with the men around him, and showing a funny but not overly standing-out profile to the others.

He raises his beer bottle to his lips and looks across the living room to the "ladies' side," where Anna was with Loreen, sat among all the ladies with bubbly water. She looked a bit overwhelmed, he thought as he swallowed his cold beer.

Anna was indeed very overwhelmed.

For the love of the computer gods, moms and soon-to-be moms all around are fucking talking about having kids and raising kids and nursing kids. Anna was an only child and had very little contact with her bloodsucking relatives, and she was surrounded by partying and clubbing women - in short, no one had children, not her friends, not her family, certainly not herself. She also did not know how to raise children, this kind of topic she naturally did not have the slightest clue.

Mrs. Brown, who lived across the street from the Levinsons, needed to go to the bathroom. She handed Anna Teddy Brown, her one-year old son and rushed off. Loreen, however, gave Anna a chance to be a mom, which included ideas on how to hold the little one and how to make him laugh. The more she listened, the more Anna suspects that Loreen was partly encouraging her to become a mother. Anna's hand was free to poke Teddy's fleshy cheek, but Teddy flattened his mouth, lost interest in the toy and the stranger, and turned around to cry for his mom.

Fortunately, Mrs. Brown came back in time to take the hot potato away from Anna.

So much for having a kid and enjoying the domestic life.

"Why are you home late today?" Ari asked as they washed up before bedtime, spitting out a mouthful of toothpaste foam.

Anna put on a hydrating mask, smeared essence on her neck and said carelessly, "The shareholders were arguing about the final investment decision."

"So they finally agreed?"

"Can't tell you that, sweetheart," Anna braided her medium-length hair and her tone grew vaguely impatient, "I've told you. The BRC prevents people working in finance-related industries from disclosing relative information."

Anna's impatience stemmed not only from something Ari could never remember, but also from the fact that she had been scolded by her boss at the end of today's mission. Of course, she excused her team and took the blame for the problem. They had repeatedly gone over the surveillance footage of the mission, and found that every step of the mission was accurate, so it could only be that their intelligence had been faulty. Looks like another organization had targeted the highly dangerous biological information Vogelbaum was carrying and taken the flash drive before they did.

Her boss, Mr. Samson, also knew this. Yet the loss of the flash drive was concluded as the major failure in their mission, whether it was in the damn case in the first place or not. From that moment on, everyone had to work overtime to review frame by frame how and when the flash drive was lost.

If she hadn't said she had to go back to a neighborhood party and insisted it would help her keep her fake identity, Samson might have let her stay on this floor all night watching surveillance with everyone else.

"Go back to that party of yours, and next time don't let the your life get in the way of work." Samson waved his hand and dismissed her.

She muttered under her breath, "Soon it won’t be."

2:30 a.m. Ari tossed and turned in the second bedroom alone, unable to sleep. Not only was the bed here harder than the master bedroom, but there was no Anna nestled in his arms. He cursed in annoyance and got out of bed to try the master bedroom. Anna used to let him sleep in the second bedroom when she was angry with him. Although she would lock the door every time, Ari would quietly use the backup key to open the door in the middle of the night and go back to Anna's side in the master bedroom before he could sleep peacefully.

He unlocked the door with a click, but the next second the smile on his face faded when the door wouldn't budge at all. He got down and peeked at the bottom of the bedroom door and found a small door stopper taped to the inside of the door. Six years ago, when they were first married, Anna and he had a falling out. Using the key to open the door, he had unfortunately knocked over her bottle of expensive foundation in the dark. The next thing he knew, she yelled at him to fuck off.

 Shit. He thought to himself that there was no way he could get back to Anna without her noticing.

He tried the bedroom window for the next hour, but also hit a wall. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that he hit the lock, as the window was locked up. Even if he chose to break the window, he didn't think he'd be able to get back to Anna tonight. Shit.

Ari rubbed his overgrown hair and paced back to the study. His supervisor had just sent him a video of the street surveillance, asking him to carefully screen it for suspicious people. The overall blue-gray-toned video was watermarked six hours ago, about the same time when Anna went out for a meeting. He was also out, to carry out his mission.

His mission was to use the opportunity created for him by the other agents to steal a flash drive from the case of an old biology professor. The professor was sitting in the hotel lobby an hour ago after his deal with arms dealer Morian fell through, and DHS engineered a clumsy waiter to break six glasses on top of the hotel tiles while he entered the deciphered code to open the case, took out the flash drive, closed it and retreated. The whole mission took less than ten minutes, but he didn't tell Anna he went out. Sneaking out when she had something to do was not something honorable, yes, he would admit that. But Ari did not want to lie either, at least not to her hopeful eyes.

Ari casually pulled on his pajama pants and went to the study to open his laptop. He didn't bother to turn on the light, otherwise, it would have woken her up. Now, he didn't know the reason behind not turning on the light was whether he was afraid he would wake her up and they would fight, or he was afraid she wouldn't react at all to his outlandish behavior. He squinted against the harsh light of the computer screen, pinched the bridge of his nose, and sifted through suspicious characters.

He paused the video at the spot where Vogelbaum had been hit and stumbled on the sidewalk. Here Vogelbaum's suitcase was knocked off into the blind spot of the surveillance, not even a shadow could be seen. And the cyclist wore windproof glasses and a scarf covering his mouth and nose, so tightly covered that he simply could not get the technician to zoom in and extract the facial data. Vogelbaum grabbed the bicyclist and demanded an explanation, from the look of the video, and someone handed the furious old man the case from the blind spot. But the hand only appeared for a moment, while all other angles of the surveillance were high and fuzzy.

Another dead end. He sighed.

Pedestrians bustled past Vogelbaum, nothing out of the ordinary ...... His argument with the bicyclist lasted a few seconds, when a girl came from the other side of the street, grabbed Vogelbaum by the arm, pulled out her black cell phone, and took out a napkin and marker. The bicyclist took this moment to slip away.

Ari paused the video again by intuition. This beastly instinct had saved his life many times before in a hail of bullets. The girl wore large black-framed glasses and a beanie, and had a conspicuous black mole on her face. She showed at most half her face to the surveillance, but it was enough for picture refinement. There was a strange familiarity about this girl. It seems that the coat she wore was very similar to the one Anna owned. Ari's eyes fell on the corner of the surveillance video, where there was a small flash of light.

Ari reassured himself that he was overthinking it, and that Anna's phone was milky white. But he got up and went downstairs anyway. Tonight, Anna came back from a meeting and they went straight to Gray's house, where, as usual, her coat should be hanging by the door. As if to reassure herself, and to prove herself wrong, Ari quietly went to the door where the clothes were hanging.

He first saw the shiny pin on the collar. Nothing about this pin was fancy and delicate like everything else in this house was. He remembered that pin, he hand-made it as a gift for wedding anniversary. And then the bulge caught his eyes. It was unethical to look into his partners’ pockets, he knew that. But he reached his hands inside, and discovered a marker and a napkin.

Anna couldn’t sleep tonight. This wasn't her first failed mission, however, it was kind of her most frustrating one. It didn't feel good at all to have the drive taken away from her one step ahead of time. She got up and checked the new messages on her work phone in the faint moonlight.

"Jenni?"

Looking at the messages and ten missed calls from an hour ago, not the least of which was from her boss, Samson. She hesitantly called Jenni back.

"Anna, we checked the security footage from the hotel where Vogelbaum stayed a few hours ago." Jennifer's words had a shudder that was not easily detected, "We suspect he was hired by Morian when Vogelbaum's deal fell through. Ari Levinson is a false identity, Anna--" her phone was taken from her by Samson, his cold voice echoed her brain, "You have twelve hours to bring back Mr. Levinson to our New York headquarters. If you can't bring him back alive, interrogate him about the whereabouts of the flash drive. If you do not respond to our message in twelve hours, and not bringing back Levinson or the flash drive, then the NSA will use extreme measures against you. Do you copy, Agent?"

"Yes." She replied mechanically.

"Very well, I'll be waiting to hear from you." Samson hung up the phone forcefully and ordered the two agents beside him, "Put Agent in our holding cell." His indifferent face seemed to be a formulaic execution of the Agent Defection Manual, "Please understand, Agent., hand over your badge and sidearm."

Jennifer spread her badge and sidearm on the table, and before she was taken away by the two agents she said to Samson stubbornly, "I trust Anna. She's loyal to the NSA."

"That would be wonderful." Samson said grimly, "Then killing Mr. Levinson wouldn't be a problem for her if she had to, would it?"

Jennifer bit her lip. That was something she couldn't guarantee. She glared at the agent who shoved her and spat out, "I can walk by myself."

Anna rolled out of bed and removed her sidearm from the secret safe in her closet. Inside the safe laid her NSA identification badge, but she let it stay there. If Ari really was an enemy agent or a mercenary, it would be more dangerous for her to give him leverage.

There were also pistols strapped under the kitchen sink downstairs and at the bottom of the couch in the living room, both of which she'd better take for protection before confronting Ari. At this point, her mind was muddled: Ari? She had seen him fixing locomotives and trucks and planes. Was that a fake identity? Just his cover? She only had 12 hours, how could she subdue Ari, and get him to reveal the location of the flash drive? Or did he have the flash drive on him?

She opened the bedroom door as quietly as she could, not even noticing the second bedroom door was opened. Anna held her gun ready to fire. She never thought she would feel unsafe in her own house. She smiled bitterly, perhaps it would save the trouble of divorce. She stepped cautiously down the stairs one step at a time, the bright moonlight shining through the living room window on the Persian rug. The light brown, hard-to-wash, easy-to-stain Persian rug had been bought the year before when they had done a minor remodeling of the house. Their relationship wasn’t so bad then.

She took a deep breath and cleared her head. There's plenty of time for grief after this bullshit.

Geographically, with the kitchen pistol closer to her, she stepped down the last step of the stairs and turned toward the vast darkness of the kitchen.

"Good evening, honey."

Ari sat wide open in her usual spot, his right index finger firmly on the trigger of a pistol, the muzzle pointed right at her. He had put on his coat, but his unbuttoned coat could not cover his hairy chest.

At the sound of his voice, Anna's hair stood at the back of her neck, her whole body screaming for her to get away from the danger as soon as possible.

"Good evening, sweetheart." She tried to be as calm as she could, "Why are you awake?"

He seemed to find her question very amusing and cocked his head, "I was going to ask the same question."

Anna approached him step by step, but stood at a distance of nine feet from him. She hadn't even changed her clothes. DAMN IT. She was still wearing her nightgown, yet the bottom half of his body was likewise in pajama pants. Maybe that meant he'd just found out his own identity had been revealed not long ago, too, so he'd only had time to pull on his outerwear.

Ari's eyes flirtatiously glided over the lace-trimmed cleavage at the top of her nightgown that barely covered it. He would never admit that he had just been attracted to the view there for a second, it would be too unprofessional. His wife was going to kill him, he had to be professional.

"Did you take Vogelbaum's flash drive?"

"I can neither confirm nor deny that." He threw the subject back at her as it was, his index finger tightening on the trigger. Anna saw the black muzzle and the dark silhouette of the gun and was beyond sure the bastard had removed the safety from the gun before she came downstairs.

He got up with a tight grip on the pistol, and Anna's aim followed his movements, aiming at his forehead or the bridge of his nose, a shot that would basically make his brains burst out. He spoke slowly: "Look, honey, I didn't mean for things to get this bad. Tell me who your employer is, and maybe I'll consider sparing your life."

"Funny, I was going to say the same thing. Whom do you serve?"

Ari was almost exasperated; his cute little wife was such a tough talker as always. Focus Ari, she had a gun. The flared hair made him basically a brown lion, retaining the ferocity of that predator hunting. He grinned. A jackal-like grin hung on his face as if he planned to tear someone to pieces the next second, "What, you want me to say, Jesus Christ?"

Anna knew exactly what was going to happen next, or the next few scenarios that could happen. In scenario number one, she succeeds in subduing Ari and escorting him to the NSA, five percent chance. In the second scenario, she dies in the process of subduing Ari, the probability is 20 percent - she knew very well that her fighting skills were only above the standard passing line, and she could say that she has no chance against Ari. In the third scenario, she is injured and captured in the process of subduing Ari, 60 percent chance- God knows how blood and violence will happen after this episode. In the fourth scenario, she is slightly injured in the process of subduing Ari and manages to escape, returning to the NSA and having them send agents after Ari, a fifteen percent chance, and her best option at this point.

Considering all four possibilities and her probability of survival, she chose the fourth one.

The place she was standing was close to the front and back doors, and if she could run into the garage, she could hot-wire a car and escape. It seemed like a good choice. But right now, she couldn't compete with Ari on who could fire their gun faster.

"Don't make me do this in the hard way." Ari furrowed his brows. He really didn't want their marriage to end this way, much less with a few rounds of ammunition and an interrogation room. If Anna had cooperated, he might have said a few kind words about her to his supervisor, even though he knew they would carry little weight, and even his supervisor would have called him “out of his fucking goddamn mind”.

It seemed that both Ari and she had chosen not to take the preemptive strike. She was curious if Ari would set up his own escape plan - focus, Anna, you no longer have a husband who argues with you because the meat displeases his taste. What else did she need? For hot wiring a car she'd still need a knife, to the kitchen then. She could break out the window with a knife in her mouth if she had to.

The kitchen was behind Ari, which was a bit of a problem. She gradually distanced herself from Ari.

Ari half-heartedly persuaded her to submit to him before more damage was caused. When he said "our marriage", the tears that had been building up in Anna's eyes finally fell. A beam of moonlight from above the stairs poured hazily over her face, and her tears seemed to glisten with light.

"Let's not fight, okay?" Ari meant it when he said this, reaching out a hand to Anna to hand in her firearm.

She lifted her head, her furrowed brows stretched, and a cold light flashed in her eyes: "FUCK YOU." She fired instantly, then rolled and ducked behind the couch. Ari's reaction was also very fast, as he switched his left hand to hold the gun and hit the couch with a couple of shots, but the dull sound of bullets penetrating the cotton of the couch and embedding themselves in the carpet meant that none of the shots hit her, and Anna has taken the opportunity to change her hiding place.

"You disabled yet, sweetheart?" Anna asked.

There seemed to be a flash of something in the dark shadows, and Ari emptied a clip, but only the sound of glass shattered. "To your dismay, honey, I fire better with my left hand." He cursed in secret as Anna's shot grazed an entire patch of skin on the outside of his right forearm. A five-inch wound that looked bloody and messy. Such a large abrasion, if not treated in time, could have ended with an amputation. He yanked off the covering cloth on the couch and wrapped it around his arm, tying a knot to prevent extensive bleeding and infection. But she was right, this wound was very effective in preventing him from shooting with his right hand.

Ari treated the wound and quickly switched magazines, loading all fifteen rounds into the pistol. It was so silent that only his own breathing could be heard, and the dark shadows enveloped the kitchen and half of the living room, so that nothing unusual could be seen. How come he hadn't noticed before that his little wife was so good at the game of hide and seek? He was careful not to let the moonlight shine on him and walked slowly against the wall.

Ari thought he had a vague idea of Anna's method of attack. If she was right, she was inclined to attack by sound, consuming all his bullets and energy before showing herself.

"Give up, Anna, surrender." He shouted.

"In your dreams." An unfamiliar voice ghosted behind him, and he twisted around to pull his gun, two rounds having been fired before he realized it was Siri reading a text message. But he already shattered the phone by then.

The sudden whistling wind made him take a few steps back to avoid whatever it was that was sharp enough to strike. He couldn't help but suck in a breath of cold air as the shiny knife embedded itself in the door frame behind him. Anna let out a laugh as he dodged the knife, but the backward movement sent him into the moonlight. The ensuing flying knives cut his left arm in varying degrees and one small blade pierced his thigh.

Ari's face turned white with pain, and he ducked into the shadows, gritting his teeth and tying another piece of cloth around his thigh. She had avoided major blood vessels, but it was enough to make him less mobile - if that wasn't the explanation, then he'd gotten lucky. Given his greatly weakened combat ability, he needed to make this quick. Wasn't she hiding in the kitchen? He fired three tentative shots in anticipation of her hiding place. The china under the counter shattered inside the cupboard. There was no expected sound of hitting human flesh, and she did not make a sound.

Anna, who was hiding on the side of the counter, was very glad she had her chopping board covering her head and upper body, and the first of Ari's three shots hit her chopping board. Her heart was beating frantically, and rarely did training make her heart beat this fast. Calm down, Anna, she told herself. Cautiously, she picked up a piece of broken glass that had crumbled to her feet and used it as a mirror to look behind her.

There was nothing to see.

Of course, it was as dark as if the room spilled with ink.

The back door to the kitchen was close. So very close. In just three seconds, she could open it and escape.

Come on, Anna, fight for your life. She summoned up the courage to rush to the back door and turned the knob as fast as she could in her life-- and she did.

Except for the fact that the knob wouldn't turn.

It was fucking locked up.

The sound of the lock twisting caught his attention, and bullets came crashing in behind her, and Anna only had time to drop to the ground with her head in her hands and the knife in her hand. The bullet penetrated the upper part of the door glass, and shards of glass fell on her arms, thighs, and cheeks, cutting trails of blood.

"Can't let you get away, honey, I locked the front and back doors before you came downstairs." He closed in on her, the shards of glass shattering beneath his feet with a bursting sound.

She tried to get up and run, but it was too late. The warm muzzle of the gun pressed against her forehead as Ari pulled the restraints from his coat pocket. His eyes lowered as if a lion was sizing up his prey, "Get your hands in there, honey, and don't make this any harder than it has to be."

She let out a breath and sat upright on the floor, “Okay. Can I stand up first?"

"No funny tricks, honey." He gestured for her to first tie the restraints around her wrists. It was much less likely to break free than the handcuffs.

Anna rested her hands on the edge of the kitchen counter and propped her knees up, "I've got my hands where you can see them, didn’t I?”

Ari was distracted from looking at her hands when Anna jerked the counter drawer open and let the wooden drawer hit his cheekbone. Ari let go and the gun fell to the floor, Anna saw the opportunity to kick the pistol away, but she wasn't fast enough to remove the taped gun under the sink before he pulled her by the ankle. The popped-out drawer was hanging outside and struck heavily under her ribs.

Damn, that's going to leave a bruise.

Both of her fists were stopped in mid-air by Ari. His large palm wrapped around her fist to reign in her force with ease, and he used the opportunity to force her arms behind her back. The corners of his mouth were cut and his cheekbone was red and swollen, but he didn't seem to care, flipping his hair out of his sight instead, "Come on, let's talk."

"Fuck your talk."

Anna squeezed the words out from between her teeth as she stomped between his legs, and Ari fell backwards, covering his crotch. She thought that would be enough for her to escape Ari's clutches, but Ari's pain tolerance proved to be much better than she had anticipated. Ari pulled her ankle again, but this time Anna was prepared, she wouldn't be caught up with the same move twice. She elbowed his spine and neck, until Ari was so concussed that he was dizzy and let go of her. Not even slightly relieved, she clenched her fist and punched him in the jaw. Even if it didn't dislocate him, it was enough to relish her anger.

She escaped his grasp and didn't feel safe until her back was against the kitchen corner. She didn't forget to pull off the gun stuck to the bottom of the sink and pointed it at his head.

Ari swallowed the rusty taste of blood and his lips were stained red. He grabbed the knife she had just dropped on the ground, and the hilt turned in his hand, forming a backhanded position with the knife. His jaw joint was vaguely painful, needless to say, came from her last punch. He was half crouched on the ground, his blood-soaked hand smoothing his long hair to the back of his head. A few strands of brown hair dripping with blood slipped down the side of his face, but he had no time to care whether he was decent now.

Ari could slit her throat if he lunged, or he could be pierced by a bullet a few times before he touched her. His dark blue eyes looked at the crimson glass shards that cut through her skin lying on the ground. They looked a bit like the blood diamonds he'd tracked down when he'd first joined DHS. Those blood diamonds were actually see-through and had been swallowed into the bowels of some poor man, staining themselves with the bright red blood of their victims. Since then he had some physical discomfort at the sight of diamonds again, which was why when Anna suggested the diamond ring and he persuaded her to buy the more expensive white gold ring. He deliberately came home at 7 p.m. sharp in order to maintain his cover, so she had to cook dinner for both of them, just because she came home a little earlier. Even the Persian carpet she complained about, which was hard to clean during the annual cleaning, was bought by him to cover up a piece of the floor he had pried up to hide the evidence.

He hesitated and distanced the marriage first. Her detachment was just a natural reaction to several unsuccessful attempts to win him back.

He didn't regret marrying her, but it seemed she had always been the one to back off in the marriage.

"I give up."

He said softly.

If she hadn't seen his lips twitching in his beard, Anna would have thought she imagined him saying that.

Ari tossed the knife into the sink and spread his hands, "I can't ......" His voice lowered, "Anna, I can't do this to you."

He looked straight into her eyes, and only her eyes were illuminated by a sliver of moonlight. Forgotten memories came to mind like a tidal wave: her smiling eyes when they first met, her happy tears when she got married, the temperature in her eyes lowered to the freezing point as she gave in again and again.

He was dying before he understood the failure of their marriage - no, he screwed up big time in the marriage.

It was too late when he understood. A faint red ring mark on her finger already spoke volumes about his failure.

He closed his eyes and waited for his end, whether it was a bullet in the head or endless interrogation and torture. He should not have given up as an agent until the last moment. But he chose to give up for the sake of his conscience and her future, and he only hoped that she would somehow spare him for the sake of his submission. For the first time in his marriage, he truly put the choice in her hands and waited for her decision.

Anna went through a million endings possible in her mind, but none of them involved him surrendering voluntarily and putting the choice in her hands. What would happen next? Would she interrogate him about the location of the flash drive and turn him over to the NSA, or would she ask for it and let him go? Or would she just hand him over to the NSA? Or let him go without further questions?

"Where's the flash drive?"

"It's in a safe place right now, but I don't know exactly where it is," Ari answered honestly. He was only responsible for stealing the flash drive, and he handed it over to his superior as soon as he got it. If his boss had heard what he said, Ari would probably have been benched for thirty years.

"You IDIOT!" Anna was so angry that she wanted to punch this idiot, "That thing can kill people if it got into the wrong hands!"

Ari looked at her confusedly, "Of course, that's why I stole it."

Anna was silent.

She was storming through her mind to calculate the possibility that she had married a dumbass.

"Wait, wait, wait," Ari held up his hands in surrender, "can I ask a question?"

"Yes," Anna said with no intention of answering him.

"Don’t you work for Morian?"

"I thought you work for Morian?"

Ari and Anna stared at each other for a while. At this point in time, there was no need for either side to lie. They both knew that the other was telling the truth, and they were sincere in their questions.

Ari couldn't piece things together for a moment: "Whom do you work for?"

"NSA, I'm the chief of Ops in New York. What!" She snapped.

"Why didn't you say so earlier!"

"You didn't ask! No, whom do you work for?" Anna asked rhetorically, her right eyelid fluttering, always with a bad feeling.

"...DHS, I belong to the Terrorist Activity Monitoring Squad of the Secret Service."

The National Security Agency bumped into the Department of Homeland Security. What are the fucking chances?

"Then why did you say Jesus Christ??" Anna went into a major meltdown, "We wouldn’t have to fight, genius!" She tried to clear her mind, putting the pistol behind her with the safety on, "You just said 'a safe place', you gave it to your boss, right?"

"Yes."

Anna looked even angrier than when they fought earlier, "Why don’t you just say so!"

"I thought you worked for Morian." He explained, a lame excuse, but one that was true, "Optimistically, we -"

"Then why didn't you ask!!!" She was so angry that she yelled at him, her cheeks flushed red - visible even in the hazy moonlight.

"I-"

"ARI LEVINSON you are the most fucking stubborn, stupid, egoistic maniac I have ever met!" She picked up the pistol behind her and threw it right in the center of his chest, followed by a melon and a pear straight at his body.

"Don't hit the wound, honey-"

"Don’t HONEY me!" Anna was shaking with anger, his pitch soaring two octaves higher: "You arrogant, self-absorbent little shit!!! We are getting a fucking divor--" Tears welled up from her eyes.

The familiar warmth gathered around her body, allowing her tears to soak through his coat.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, sounding a little pitiful.

Anna sniffled, her fists striking haphazardly against his back and shoulder. A number of them landed his wounds. On the one hand, she wanted to shoot Ari, but the pistol hit him just now and fell on the floor; on the other hand, she wanted to sink into the warmth of the embrace and never get up again.

She said reluctantly, "Your badge."

"What?" Didn't she say she was divorcing him for one second? Or he thought he would say at least something as cruel as "I hate you". He knew he deserve it though.

His word alone was surely not enough. She needed to see his ID badge, and she needed to call Samson to confirm the situation, as did Ari. "We need to record each other's ID badges and report to our respective supervisors." She kicked his calf, the tear not quite wiped from her face, but she was already thinking about what she was going to do for the next twenty-four hours.

Ari believed for a moment that they were going fuck. But she was right. Indeed, they had more pressing matters at hand that needed to be concluded.

4:30 a.m. In the car on the way to NSA's New York State headquarters, Anna looks at Ari, who has just finished a phone call to his boss, and smiled sweetly: "Have fun, Mr. Husband, you'll have to go over this whole story with my supervisor, Mr. Samson, later." Without even hearing the specifics of the call, she could imagine the shocked look on the face of Ari's supervisor when he heard Ari say that he had been subdued by his wife and the even more astonishing fact that she was an NSA agent.

But she could just as easily imagine that both the NSA and DHS would taunt each other with the other's failure to uncover the false identities of their own agents - or simply keep their mouths shut and put skeletons in the closet, which was probably best for both organizations.

Ari chuckled, choosing to let Anna have her moment of complacency.

"I feel like I should tell you, do you remember that old car we had?" Anna thought for a long time, tapping her fingers on the leather-covered steering wheel, her eyes glancing at Ari, whose long hair covered half of his face.

"Yes, why?"

"I didn't have a car accident. Drove it to the scene during a mission and ended up getting totally banged up by a dumb agent trying to put on a show of Fast and Furious. NSA even helped with a full news blackout at the time."

Ari's expression went from disbelief at first to gradual acceptance, "I told you that injury wasn't serious at all! You could have waltzed out of the hospital and still acted like you need a gurney at any second!"

"But NSA did pay for it, that's why we bought this car." Anna shrugged and took pride in her honesty (and in asking NSA for an extra amount for the damage to the vehicle).

"Fine. A bunch of terrorists once tracked down my, uh, our home address a few years back and started a mass shootout while you were at work - that's why I insisted on renovating the house, or you'd have seen the bullet holes sooner or later."

"You son of a bitch!" She exclaimed, but her tone wasn't quite angry, "You were the one who said that termites had infested the house that time. I was so scared I almost had to put pesticide under my pillow for a month."

"The lawn mower was a little crooked. I grabbed it when I was beating up those guys. I’m surprised you didn’t notice." He sighed.

"To be honest, you've been in charge of mowing the lawn, so I haven't paid much attention to it." She said bluntly, her pale fingers curling up and scratching the steering wheel slightly nervously, "I haven't done much cooking."

"You don't-"

"They’re mostly takeout."

"Fuck." It was Ari's turn to have a slight breakdown, "I never doubted it, just thought your cooking really sucks."

Anna looked into the rearview mirror, "You actually ate something I cooked once. I baked the cookies after the charity sale about four or five years ago."

"...You told me they were from the neighbor next door."

"Yes, after you thought it was too sweet. So I never made them for you again."

Ari caught the gist of the words and straightened his upper body from the car seat: “For me? You still make it yourself?"

"Occasionally, I make myself baked goods when I'm in the mood. But you don't have a sugar tooth, so you won’t touch it even if it's in the fridge." She glanced at him before adding, "My mom's a baker, and I've been helping her in the kitchen ever since I was a kid."

"You told me your mom died when you were a kid."

"Sorry, she's still healthy and very much alive. I think she’s sunbathing on whatever beach she's on. The guy holding me down the aisle at the wedding was an actor I hired - my parents divorced early on and I pretended my dad was dead."

"I told you I thought that guy looked familiar on Law & Order. I actually invited my own parents to the wedding." Ari felt deeply offended by the deception, "I was married once."

He immediately received a few slaps on the shoulder from Anna.

"What's her name and social security number???" She barked at him.

"Hey! Hey! Hey!" Ari had to raise his arms in defense, "She and I got drunk in Vegas back in the day. We signed divorce papers immediately when we were sober!"

"That's not a good reason either." She mumbled darkly, "I'm starting to regret being honest with you."

"It's too late, honey, you've opened Pandora's box." There was an unconscious note of mockery in his tone. He immediately regretted saying this, "I'm sorry, that's not what I meant, Anna."

"It's Diana. mom thought it sounded good when she gave me the name, but then needed to pick a less noticeable name for missions, so my fake identity became Anna. What about you?"

"Levinson is my mother’s maiden name. I used my father's name until I was eighteen, then I joined DHS and needed to completely cut myself off from my old life. One last question, do... did you love me?" He asked calmly, feeling an unmistakable chill burrow into his heart.

"Did."

Ari turned his head to look out the car window, a watery glow already piling up in the corners of his eyes.

The AC blew a whirring cold wind that settled to the floor and gathered at the ankle. Anna looked at the way his goosebumps cover his arm, reached out and turned off the central air conditioning, and opened the windows to balance the temperature inside and outside the car, "still is. Probably will continue to love the idiot who always forgets to turn off the air conditioning in the future."

The chill dissipated.

She slowly pulled the SUV up to a building on Wall Street, the car door unlocked but no one got out.

"Say, you don't have an evil twin brother or anything, do you?"

The slightly sad atmosphere was broken once again by her skeptical question.

"No!" He answered in surprise, raising his eyebrow, "Where did you get that from? I'm an only child."

She pulled out her car keys but didn't forget to close the window, "The plot of 365 Dni. It's always good to be careful." Anna picked up her phone and checked for messages, luckily NSA hadn’t rushed her yet, "That book has been sitting in the middle of the study in the very center of the shelves, haven't you noticed? I bought it last year."

"You speak Polish?"

"No. I purchased an English translation of the book."

"My God, the stuff you read..." He couldn't help but sigh, "It's a novel?"

"I just love dramatic cliche romance novels." She didn't forget to add fuel to the fire before she got off, "Aren't you an agent? You don't even know what novels your wife reads at home?"

At 6 a.m., Ari Levinson and his wife Anna were finally released by the NSA and DHS after an exhausting hour of cross-interrogation and simple wound treatment by the accompanying doctor. With assurances from both superiors, they managed to keep their badges and sidearms. The flash drive problem was handled entirely by the NSA and DHS, which was beyond their pay grade. Jennifer, who was unfortunately caught in the mess, was also released, and Samson gave her a two-day vacation. But Anna had reason to suspect that he didn’t like Jenni's behavior of standing up for her.

Natalie heard that Anna almost killed her husband and secretly slipped her lawyer's business card into Anna’s hand and gave Anna two thumbs up. Anna didn't really want to know what she heard, but according to Jenni, the word around the department now was that Anna beat her husband to ED, and several colleagues claimed that the version they heard was that Anna beat Ari to his knees begging for mercy.

On his knees, well ... pretty much; begging, true. Ari thought silently, draping a thin quilt over Anna's sleeping, curled-up body. She had done too much mental and physical activity overnight, and was so sleepy after leaving NSA that she fell asleep in the passenger seat. He drove home and carried her to the main bedroom. She was disturbed several times, but did not wake up.

Fortunately, the damage they did was not extensive to reach the upstairs bedroom and study. The kitchen was half ruined, as were the living room and entryway. The storage room under the stairs wasn't in great shape either, so he was going to talk to her after she woke up about whether to call in the renovation team. Or maybe she'd wake up and he'd have to deal with their divorce papers and the divorce lawyer with the gold-rimmed glasses.

Ari walked down the creaking stairs and sat down on the couch to pour himself a glass of whiskey. He preferred it on the rocks; however, the fridge was shot through last night. The spicy liquor warmed up his throat and stomach, but the darkness had passed and the temperature would only continue to rise as the sun rose. He leaned back against the couch, the lack of support from the soft fabric always made him feel like he was not lying on his own sofa.

Miraculously, through the thin layer of the floorboard, both of them coincidentally thought about their first meeting. As for Anna, she dreamt about it.

Six or seven years ago, in a rainy and misty southern Argentina, such uncommon precipitation weather naturally gave the intelligence agencies opportunities to take advantage of. Anna was an intelligence analyst at that time and was ordered to come to Argentina to assist a criminal informant to get out of trouble, but more importantly, to get information from the informant about the operation of an international crime syndicate. Something neither she nor her superiors anticipated were that the desperate informant first gave her false information and then defected to the crime syndicate, offering Anna as his proof of loyalty.

Anna had no choice but to shoot the renegade informant. The sound of gunfire brought her trouble, as the police in Cordoba, on the payroll of the crime syndicate, started to investigate who killed the man. They were focused on foreign tourists who were traveling alone.

A few policemen tried to shake down some female tourists, and Anna was one of them. When they questioned Anna loudly in Spanish if she had company, she was relieved by Ari, who called her honey and helped her out. Ari said he was a pilot on a flight from Los Angeles to Buenos Aires, even though he actually poisoned an Argentinean military official in collusion with terrorists before the police riot. He felt sorry for Anna's entanglement and bought her a drink. One drink soon turned into two and three, and then the pair soon fell in love and spent a few more days in Cordoba, kissing, dancing, and laughing.

They both returned to the United States. After a few more dates and three weeks of knowing each other, they announced to everyone around them that they were getting married.

Anna finished her nap and stretched in bed, but almost twisted her back out with the "good morning" from the doorway. Ari leaned against the door frame and grinned at the look on her face. He walked over to the bed and leaned down to kiss her forehead, "Good morning, honey." His warm kisses landed on her brow and the bridge of her nose, his lips eventually lingering for a moment above hers, his crystal blue eyes searching her face for any sign of resistance.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close for a deeper kiss. The kiss quickly ignited an unfinished flame between them that began with their anger but was not entirely made up of pure bottled-up emotion. The mutual revelation of their identities did not quench their thirst but only temporarily stopped the further spread of the flame that now swept through their souls and bodies, burning down almost everything.

He took off her pajama and took hold of her slim waist, brushing the patch of bruising skin with his thumb unintentionally, earning a soft whine from Anna. Ari regained a moment of sanity from the kiss and his eyes followed the strange touch beneath his fingers. The underside of her ribs was slightly swollen, no doubt from their chaotic encounter downstairs a few hours earlier. He had no strange fetishes, he had to admit, but Anna's bruised and battered body only made him pity her more and his desire to fuck her higher than ever.

"I'm sorry." He whispered his apologies, kissing every tiny cut and bruise beneath, a profound way to remind himself of the mental and physical damage he had inflicted on her. Ari's long hair fell down the sides of his face, sweeping over her body along with his beard. Anna's hands convulsed with his hair, slightly removing some of the itches, yet his soft beard left her squirming under him. There was nothing she could do. He lifted her legs and held her scratched legs over his shoulder, burying his head and kissing the soft flesh on her inner thigh. His ringed left hand rested on the outside of her flesh, the silvery-white ring touching her skin and bringing a cool sensation.

His overly exuberant hair brushed her pussy through her panties, which were soaked with her own juices, and the sensation of being tickled caused her to express her displeasure in a somewhat frustrated, thin moan. Hickeys crept up her inner thighs to the groin where they met her belly. She tried to keep her legs together, but his head was in between and she was afraid of crashing his skull. If he didn't do something to her soon, she really would do something to his skull.

"May I?" His blue eyes darkened. The heat in her body collided with the hot breath across her skin, burning the knots in her lower abdomen.

She lost her strength after just one look at him. Not to mention taking off her panties, these beautiful eyes could have made her tie herself up and edge her ten times over and she’d gladly obey: "Please."

Her panties were flung to God knows where, and that was probably the least thing on her mind right now. He started with a long lick at her slit, then the tip of his tongue went in to seek out the swollen, almost painful clit. "Fuck." His tongue slid around the edge of her entrance, muffled by the abundance of her juices. The vibrating sensation beneath her made Anna clench his hair, running her fingers on his scalp, stirring a few strands into one.

Six years of marriage had given him a good knowledge of the sensitive spots on her body. Ari rubbed his jaw over her mound, making her squirt and come all at once as she whimpered. "Cream on my face, honey." His brush-like whiskers gave her a tingling, intertwined sensation, the delicious beard burn generating soreness she could feel even days later. His whiskers glistened with her crystalline juices, and with a slight gasp, he moved up to kiss her lips, giving her a taste of her own.

Her fingers left the ends of his messy hair and peeled off his tank top and shorts, exposing his thick shaft. It took little time for Ari to get his cock at her entrance and penetrate her effortlessly, his arms gripping her thighs so that her pussy met his shaft without breaking the stitched wound on her body. Her warm, wet channel fluttered upon his intrusion. Her pussy was a constant supply of juices for lubrication, dripping out of her body, yet he felt strong resistance every time he thrust in. She was so tight that made him suck a breath.

"You are so fucking tight, honey, might come just this second." His teeth took her soft earlobe in and whispered filth in her ear, along with his muffled grunts burnt Anna's face. She pulled him down and bit his lips to shut him up, but Ari's hand somehow rested on her tits, pinching her nipple and making her scream. The tingling from her nipple, the warmth coming from her earlobes, her pussy split open by his demanding cock, the squelching noises, the lips grinding and chasing, the rising heat in the room, and the salty taste of sweat on his chin... she was lost in the multiple sensations and soon came.

They made love three times until they both lay exhausted on the bed, panting heavily, unwilling to lift another finger. It wasn’t fuck. The process was gentle and caring. And Ari, for the first time in his life, didn’t thrust into her like a horny teenager, but rocked slowly, allowing her to float in the blissful post-orgasmic fuzzy feeling, rather than passing out the second she had her orgasm. He came three times inside her, stuffing her pussy with so much cum dripping out of her entrance and smeared with her juices. She didn’t particularly enjoy orgasms ripped out of her body, but that didn’t mean she didn’t like to be stuffed full either.

Anna rested on his arm, keeping her back close to his warm chest. His firm arms wrapped around her upper body like chains from behind, while he pressed kisses (and tickled her with his beard) to her shoulder.

After a long time, when the sunlight peeked into the gap between curtains and landed on the dark floor and both of their ankles, Ari finally asked the question that was bothering him for hours, "What are we going to do next?"

A week later, at 3 p.m., the marriage therapist was very pleased to see the couple from last week back here. Many people didn’t make it through a session, but that was a topic for another day.

"Have you made any progress in the last week?"

"Sure." The Levinsons smiled from the bottom of their hearts. Ari caught one of her hands and rubbed her ring finger. Anna gave him an annoyed look but didn't pull back. It was a good sign that they had communicated well in the previous week, as they did not resist physical contact. The therapist took notes in his notebook.

Ari's eyes unconsciously glued to her face: "We ... ahem, we communicated, and we both recognized our shortcomings in the marriage."

"And we are fixing the problems in the marriage," Anna added, leaning slightly in Ari's direction, but only a little. Anna straightened her face, but could not stop smiling, "Oh, and we redid the house."

The therapist listened very carefully to their answers and nodded approvingly, "That's going very well. Marriage is all about communication, constant improvement, and constant bonding. It's a long-term process."

Ari agreed: "I'm not going to lie, I still sometimes want to …" his eyes are glued to Anna again, swallowing the few words that could get them back into trouble, "but uh - couldn’t take the shot. "

"Me too."

They looked at each other and then grinned. Both were a bit smug.

The therapist cleared his throat to regain their attention, "Remember it's the two of you versus the problem, not you versus the other person. So how will you rate your current relationship?"

"Ask us that sex question again," Ari interjected, causing Anna to slap him on the back of the hand with a disapproving look. Ari just shrugged and intertwined their fingers. Anna shook her head as if dealing with a 5-year-old, considering Ari’s smug smile and his clinginess, it wasn’t a bad metaphor.

"Well, -"

He held her hand and raised his smile triumphantly, posing "1" and "0" with his fingers and mouthed: "Ten."

Notes: I wrote this in June to celebrate Chris Evans' birthday. And it took me five days to write this stuff, in English, no less, which is not my first language. No beta'd, so there's gonna be typos and grammar errors. But anyway. Always appreciate comments and feedbacks / reblogs!

#ari levinson #ari levinson x original female character #ari levinson smut #happy birthday chris evans

[kazosa]

Wildwood Sequel: Interlude

Summary: Jensen and the reader are in a soft, blissful part of their relationship before reality fully kicks in. They go back to Y|N’s house, with the touches she added with Jensen in mind, to slowly ease back into the swing of their lives. They have a lot to do before they go to Texas, like breaking the news to Y|N’s mother and brother. Jensen still has some secrets to reveal.

Pairing: Jensen Ackles x female reader

Word count: 18429

Warnings: really covers the gammut... swearing, drinking, yelling, jealousy...

a/n: this is pure fiction in regards to the real life celebrities. They are merely a face-grab for characters of my creation.

Tags: @coffee-obsessed-writer   @leigh70  @sandlee44  @coldhearted93  @djs8891  @magssteenkamp  @babykalika2001  @ladysparkles78​  @supernatural3002

The dog days of summer were ending and it felt more like fall the morning when they left Wildwood. He’d taken care of the cabin the night before and even cleaned out the fireplace. It meant there would be no heat running in the cabin, but he and Y|N had found ways to stay warm. Going back to reality would be an adjustment to both of their lives and he was confident they would figure it out together.

Before Y|N got to the cabin, he’d been so out of sorts. He couldn’t make any sense about what to do about his situation. Then, as time passed, he was beginning to wonder if she would find him. When he finally realized it was her walking down his road, the relief set in. The giant, swirling abyss dissipated. She, somehow, always would show up when he needed her most. Sure, he’d given her a clue, but she showed up. She still cared.

He looked over at the passenger seat where she sat in his truck. She’d only gotten more beautiful as time had passed. He couldn’t stop sneaking glances at her and she’d caught him more than once. Y|N would smile a little, tuck her hair behind her ear and look down. When he would catch her watching him, he knew she still had some kind of feelings for him, too. Even if it was pure lust, or just pent-up years of desire, he would take it because he had been holding them in, too. He really couldn’t get enough of her.

They were basically driving into the sun, but it didn’t bother her too much. She had her head down, writing in the notebook she’d forced him to stop to buy. It was bright enough that she still wore sunglasses as she wrote and the sun gave her hair a halo. His angel. Once in a while, she would whisper two sides of a conversation, or other bits of dialog before putting the pen back to the paper to continue the flurry of writing. She went on like that for a couple hours before she lost some speed.

She turned yet another page in the notebook and wrote something at the top of the page before she finally gave him her attention again.

“Okay, we need to talk about some stuff. I need your opinion on things,” she said.

“God, finally,” he said. “You’ve been so quiet, except for whispering dialog, I thought you forgot me.”

“Oh honey, I could never forget about your fine self. Look at you, you sexy sonofabitch,” she said. She smirked when she saw how pink his ears got. “I was writing so I could get the scene out of my head so I could get to you.”

“Get to me?”

“I’m starting a new book in a series I do and I want your input,” she explained.

“I thought you were never going to use me as your smut muse?” he said. “I think we have a pretty good story going.”

“Oh my sweet boy,” she said, “you really are adorable. Let me ask you this, have you read any good books lately?”

“Not lately, but yeah. It’s this guy, a lawman, who fell from grace, gets a job as sheriff in some backwoods area during prohibition, tries to take down bootleggers and other bad guys…”

“... encounters some weird shit in the woods and has an eye for the lady that runs the diner?” she finished for him.

“Yeah, you know the books?” he asked. When she didn’t answer, it hit him. “Are you telling me you’re Ross Black?”

You laughed, “Yeah. Honestly, I thought you knew. I did kind of make it obvious.” You waited as he thought it over. “It’s basically you and all of the cool western lawmen and broken lead characters. Dean, Clint, you, Longmire. Rolled ‘em all up to make Hobart Gibson. Hell, I even gave him your physical description.”

“Hold on,” he raised his index finger at you as he drove. “I need to process this.”

You patiently waited for him to think it all through.

“So, you’re Nova Scott, who, from what I can tell since I’m not allowed to read the books, is on par with Nicholas Sparks and Danielle Steel, and have published however many of those…”

“...about a dozen,” you answered.

“A handful have been made into major motion pictures. Not only am I not in any of those movies, I’m also not the muse. And yet, every single one had some big name in it and made a shitload of money.”

“Are you telling me you want to do a romance movie?”

“No. …I don’t know… maybe?”

“Well, what do you think of Whiskey Hollow and Bart Gibson?” you asked. You’d spent a lot of time and energy getting the character just right.

Jensen looked at you a moment, “He’s a total badass. I love how salty he is, but is soft for Lill.” He paused, “You ever gonna get them together?”

“Do you think they should?” you already had it in the plans but you wanted to hear his opinion.

“She’s obviously in love with Bart.”

“It’s obvious?”

“Every time Bart goes to the diner, Lill personally makes his favorite sandwich and gives him a cookie. If she didn’t love him…”

“... no cookie?” you grinned.

“No cookie,” he tipped his head, his eyes still on the road. “Sugar was precious in the depression. You don’t just slip random people a cookie.”

“Unless she’s in love?”

“Unless she’s in love.”

“Is that why you give me ring-pops, ‘cause you’re in love with me?”

He looked directly at you before switching back to the road and back to you again, “Are you fucking with me right now?”

“Depends on your answer.”

“Have I given you more than one?”

“Jay, you don’t forget much. I know you remember.” There have been many over the years.

He sighed. “I knew it was a trap,” he muttered. “You already know I love you.”

You nodded, “I know that.”

“Is Bart going to make a move on Lill? Are you getting any movie options offers coming in?” he asked.

“Lillian isn’t going to make the first move, I can tell you that much. If he has any kind of warm fuzzies for her, he has to tell her. Cookies and ring-pops won’t cut it. They’re gestures, she wants to hear him say it.”

“He’s not going to say it just because she wants to hear it. If he’s going to tell her he’s in love with her, he’ll do it when he’s ready.”

“Nearly three decades isn’t enough time to work up the nerve?”

“I knew we weren’t talking about Bart and Lill anymore…” he let out a sound of annoyance.

“Who do you think Hobart and Lillian are, Jay?”

“We were only able to get together a few weeks ago. I hadn’t seen you in person in over three years. If we, you and I, are going to be together, I want to do things the right way and that means taking things one step at a time, getting familiar with each other again.”

“Don’t I get a say in this? Relationships are give and take and I feel like I’m doing all the giving. I left my job to come find you. I know I don’t need the job, but that isn’t the point. That’s a burnt bridge.”

“Just like you can’t demand I tell you I’m in love with you. If I want to say it, I will when I’m ready. Individually, you and I have been through too much shit to not try to give us the best shot possible and that’s exactly what I want to do. Are you going to do the same or are you going to keep fucking pushing?”

“Knowitall,” you grumbled.

“That’s rich coming from you.”

“What the fuck does that mean?”

“It means you’re the same way. You’re one of the smartest people I know, but you also know you’re smart and don’t leave room for other people’s opinions.”

“Even if they’re wrong?”

“See?” he raised his index finger and wagged it in your direction. “That right there. That’s why it’s an opinion. Just because it’s different from yours, doesn’t mean it’s wrong.”

“Oh really? You sure were vocal when you thought I was wrong about things,” you countered.

“When?! Examples.”

“Every single guy I dated was either an asshole or a douchebag, as you were all too happy to point out.”

“But they were douchebags and assholes. Knew from the start Grant was a manchild freeloader.”

“That may be true, but in that case, your opinion was irrelevant because he was my choice. And not all of them were bad guys, they just weren’t a good match for me.”

“And that’s what makes them douchebags.”

“You married the one I told you was a stuck-up, snobby-assed bitch. What’s really got a bug up your ass, Jay? Seems like we both made dumb choices in the name of love.”

He went silent. You weren’t entirely sure if you’d really made him mad or not. He had both hands on the wheel and slightly tipped back, the expression on his face was changing from annoyed to resolve over and over again.

“Jesus, I can see you thinking in there. You're gonna say what’s on your mind or do you need to pull over and walk it off?” your tone was still snotty.

He clenched his jaw and you decided, maybe too late, to shut up and cool off, yourself, while you rode in silence. He needed to do the same, you supposed. You forgot that he liked to take time to think things through. You should have known not to push him so hard. He needed the time to consider all options and you were more in the moment and needing immediate action.

“Hey,” you wanted to apologize, but the truck began to slow down. He might have needed to walk it off after all. “What are you doing?”

He didn’t say anything, he only pulled over and stopped the truck, putting it in park. He got out and you watched as he walked around the front and came to your door.

He flung open your door, “I take it back.”

Confused, you asked, “Take what back?”

“When I said we shouldn’t try to be together because of our careers. When I said it wasn’t “our time” I was full of shit then and I knew it. I wanted you. I always wanted you. I knew that Christmas at my parents’ house that I didn’t want to let you go. When you told my mom we were just friends? I didn’t like it. All of those boyfriends you had were douchebags because they weren’t me. No one would ever love you, or treat you as well as me.”

He stepped on the running board, leaned in and unbuckled your seatbelt, then turned your knees toward him as he stepped down.

“I should never have let you get on that airplane. I knew I was in love with you then, just like I’m in love with you still.”

He took off his sunglasses and looked up at you in the truck.

Your hands went to his face and neck, touching him wherever you could reach.

“Promise me one thing?” he asked.

“Anything,” you whispered.

“Never be away more than a couple days,” he said.

You nodded.

“Honey, I need you to say it.”

You slid to the edge of the seat and out of the truck. Jensen kept his hands on you, helping you down to the ground, his arms around your waist.

“My sweet boy, I promise, never to be away more than a couple days,” you managed to say while looking into his beautiful green eyes.

The intensity that Jensen exuded could often be overwhelming or scary depending on the situation. He wasn’t one to throw away words. He said what he meant. He was in love with you. 

His forehead rested on yours as you stroked his head and neck. “I could never give my whole heart to someone because you had it, Jensen, my whole heart, since the day we met. I was so scared I would never see you again. I cried when we left the hotel, just like I did when I got on the airplane. I shouldn’t have left.”

If he hadn’t been holding you so tightly to his body, you might have started crying. As it was, you felt like you could barely breathe. Putting words to feelings you’d held down so firmly and for so long seemed to have robbed you of oxygen. It was amazing to finally be able to say it out loud and to the man you’d loved since he was a boy.

He tipped his head down and to the side, his lips meeting yours with subdued passion. The occasional car driving by reminded you both you were still in public. Jensen had been extremely private in his relationship with Danneel. Making out with him on the side of the road felt somewhat out of character. It wasn’t until the last car that went by and honked their horn that he decided to come up for air.

“We’ll finish this later,” he said.

“Jay,” you stopped him. He came back to you, his hand cupping your face. “I’m sorry for pushing too hard. I didn’t mean to upset you, that was the last thing I wanted. I just get hyper aware of what I want and get too focused on it.”

“Mhm,” he grumbled, “you’re forgiven.” He gave you a quick peck.

“Hey Jay, remember when we did the photobooth?” He nodded, stroking your cheek with his thumb. “I was really glad to have you as a friend, but that’s also when you were more than a friend. No one has ever been good enough since then, because, whether I knew it or not, I was in love with you, too.”

“Now you’re just sucking up so you can see my half of the photo strip.”

“Please, can I see it? I didn’t even know you still had it,” you said. “I didn’t take you for that kind of sentimentality.”

He went to the back of the truck and hopped in with his usual athletic grace that still irritated the crap out of you. He barely put any effort into staying fit. Minimal cardio, minimal weight training, and he was good at everything. He went to the box you hadn’t even noticed he’d put on the truck. It was inside a bungee’d bin and he pulled out the box you’d seen at the cabin with “Nova” written on it. Sliding the box to the end, you were there to open the tailgate and join him when he sat down.

He opened the box for you to see all of the contents loose inside. Most of the letters that he kept were in their envelopes and only a few loose cards and pages. He’d kept a few things you’d given him, including a bottle of sand from the lake trip when you were kids, to the trinket you won at the arcade in Dallas. Something caught your eye at the bottom of the box, though.

“Are you kidding me right now?” you couldn’t believe your eyes. You immediately recognize the white and black material and black nylon straps.

“I guess it wasn’t so bad after all,” he shrugged.

“Now I know why you wouldn’t let me dig in the box at the cabin,” you said. “But why now? And how did you even sneak this out of my apartment? How did you find it?”

“When I was looking for stuff that belonged to fuckface to throw out. I had a moment of weakness. Look inside,” he said.

After you unzipped the main pouch, you looked inside to find a piece of folded paper. Opening it, you saw what might have been the first letter you ever wrote Jensen. You remembered the aquatic stationery that you’d been so happy to find. In the folds of the paper was the bottom half of the photo strip. The edges were worn and some of the edges of the pictures were damaged, but the important parts were still there.”

“I think you were laughing at some dumb face I was making. And that bottom one, that’s my favorite,” he said, shyly. “You still look at me like that, you know.”

It was the picture of your forehead on his that got you, the bottom picture. Your face had a happy smile, your hand on his chest next to his neck and your other arm around his shoulders. The look on his face and the body language of you both spoke volumes. You put the picture down and looked up at him, speechless.

“I thought about it… kissing you… really wished you had tried. I was too shy and scared of your dad to make a move,” he admitted.

You wiped your eyes, “Honestly, I wish I had too, but I was too scared and I didn’t know what the hell I was doing to even attempt it.”

“Me either,” he admitted, “but I was willing to find out, if you were.”

You couldn’t stop looking at the pictures. The top half was in your house and you’d seen them many times, but the bottom half was so different. There was an undeniable shift in the bottom. The top was just two kids having a good time. The bottom was two kids having a very intimate moment.

Jensen started putting things back in the box and gently took the photo strip from you. “Alright, let’s just pretend you didn’t see those.”

“Nope, too late. I already know the truth.”

“What’s that?”

You watched him put the box back in the bin and secure the bungee cords.

“Despite years of blatant denial, you are, in fact, a hopeless romantic, Jensen Ackles.”

He hopped down from the truck bed and stood directly in front of you, pushing your knees apart to stand closer. You locked your legs around him as your fingertips went under his shirt to caress his warm belly. His skin shuddered at your touch, his breath catching.

“Sweetheart… you tryin’a jump my bones on the side of the road?” he asked, not hating it.

“Maybe.”

“How long to your house?”

You eased up on him, but it was hard to not keep going.

“Not sure, but I think we’re at least four hours away, still,” you said.

“Grab on,” he said, then quickly added, “around my neck.”

You did as he asked, then he did the rest and carried you to the passenger side of the truck where he put you down. He did it like it was nothing, not even so much as a grunt. He took a moment to give your ass a smack before moving on to close the tailgate and get back inside the cab of the truck.

When you were back on the highway, your mind went back to Bart and Lill.

“Jay…I do need to talk to you about Whiskey Hollow and…” you trailed off. It wasn’t like one of your books hadn’t been turned into a movie before, but this time was different.

“Shoot,” he replied.

“You do like the series, right? And the characters? I mean, I did write Bart for you, specifically…” you really needed the validation from him.

“Yeah, I really do. Bart isn’t strictly me or any of the people you mentioned, but an amalgamation. I like him a lot. A good man who does the best he can and isn’t perfect. Bart’s backstory is good and it definitely explains why he is the way he is.” He gave you a pointed look, “I’d tell you if I thought it was shit.”

“Okay, good. Please always give me your honest opinion… when it’s work-related.”

“And if it’s not work-related?”

You smiled, “I always look good in whatever outfit I choose.”

He nodded once, “That won’t be a problem.”

“So… my agent was begging me to write a script for Whiskey Hollow rather than have another writer do it. She wants to shop it around to studios and see if anyone will pick it up. But I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing. I’ve never written a script before and have no clue about what’s important. I want to do a good job and I need your help. I don’t want to embarrass myself, especially on my own story.”

“You won’t embarrass yourself,” he said. “Alright, hit me. How can I help?”

Over the next two hours, you wrote as fast as your brain and hands would allow. Thankfully, you’d adapted a shorthand method that made getting your flow of words out quickly without losing anything. Eventually, Jensen needed to pull over for gas and you both took the opportunity to use the restroom and grab some food for the ride, especially since you were sure there wasn’t anything to eat at your house.

“What’s all this?” he pointed at your purchases on the counter.

“Milk. Bread. Jelly. Peanut butter. Chips,” you said. “Pretty standard stuff.”

“How are we going to make sandwiches in the truck?”

“Very carefully.”

You pointed him in the direction of the paper plates and plastic cutlery to complete your grocery shopping. You paid for all of the food and gas for this stop and were back on the road fairly quickly after. Jensen held out the keys to you and told you he needed a nap. Gladly, you took the keys and got comfy in his truck. It never failed to amaze you at how quickly he could shut off his brain and go to sleep. Before he was totally out, you let him know you needed to make some calls and he gave you a thumbs-up without opening his eyes.

When you got your earbuds in, you pushed a button on your phone, then said, “Call Jen.”

She picked up on the third ring.

“Where the hell have you been?!”

“I told you,” you spoke quietly, “I needed to find Jensen.”

“That was almost a month ago, Y|N.”

“It took a minute.”

“Does that mean you found his fine ass?” Jen asked.

“I sure did,” you still kept your voice low. “About three weeks ago.”

“Three weeks ago?! So you found him almost right away? What the hell were you doing? Were you doing him?”

“Shh! Yes, we were making up for lost time. I’m with him right now, in his truck, and we’re going to my house. I know I don’t have to remind you, but please keep this quiet. We’re going to need to go to Texas at some point.”

Jen was only just beginning to process what you’d told her. “How was the sex? Was he any good? Did you scream?”

“Jen!”

“I can hear your friend,” Jensen said, quietly.

“Oh my god, he can hear you,” the blush quickly rose to your cheeks.

“No, go ahead, tell her. I want to hear your answer,” he paused. ���Tell the truth,” he cracked open an eye.

“I’ll talk to you later, Jen,” you were mortified. “I need to call Janice, too.”

You disconnected the call and turned down the volume in your earbuds. You were about to call your manager, but Jensen was curious.

“Well?” he asked.

“Do you really want me to tell you?” you countered, hoping he would drop it.

“I can take constructive criticism,” he said.

You decided to just say it. “You are the only person to crack the code. A few have gotten close, but you… are masterful,” you couldn’t bear to look at him.

He gave a sleepy little fist pump and grin before crossing his arms over his chest again and closing his eyes. You waited a good twenty minutes before you attempted to call your agent, Jan. The two of you discussed the books you had going and what you’d been doing, then caught her up to the details about the script she wanted you to write.

“Sweetie,” she began, “you know I love that you have two secret identities, but you need to give me more to do. You have phenomenal numbers in BOTH fan bases. When will you let me get you on TV for some promotion? We really need an author reveal. Also, I have a big-wig on the hook for your script, really need you to get that to me as soon as you can, sweets.”

“I promise, I’m making progress. I bought the software. I have a consultant. I just need a few moments peace to crank the sucker out,” you liked Jan a lot, but there were times you wanted to kick her, not super, hard, but enough to leave a bruise.

“What would it take to get you out on a promotion circuit?”

“A miracle.” 

“Pretend I’m a magic genie. If we’re gonna do a reveal, let’s go big,” she said.

“I have conditions,” you said.

“Lay ‘em on me, sweetie. Genie Jan is ready,” she said.

“If you manage to sucker someone into buying the script… if the studio or producers give the green light… I will do TV with whomever is cast as Bart. I want it noted with emphasis that Jensen Ackles should be strongly considered for Bart. He is, after all, whom I was thinking of when writing Bart. I will do Seth Meyers with Jensen.”

“Jensen Ackles? Are you sure? Isn’t he kind of imploding right now? Aren’t they still looking for him?” Jan asked.

“He’s on my wishlist, Jan. He is the one who should play Bart,” you reiterated.

“Sweetie, I understand. I just want the best possible outcome.”

“Anyway, I’m sure he’ll be found soon. That woman’s story isn’t ringing true, either. I think she was just trying to scam money out of him.”

“And you want Seth Meyers? Why not one of the Jimmy’s?” she asked.

“I’m a fan and I dated a Jimmy, It didn’t go well. Besides, Seth is funny and the only late night show I’ll watch,” you explained.

“If I can get you on Seth’s show, you’ll do it and not back out?”

“My conditions are simple. I will do it, but it must be like that.”

“Alright, I can work with that,” she said.

You ended the call shortly after that and felt a lot better about things moving forward, not just with your career, but also with Jensen. When you did get home, you were going to look into that “hussy”, as Donna called her, and see what you could find out, maybe enlist the help of Shelley. You just wanted to ask the woman why she was targeting Jensen. You drove on in silence thinking of all the things you wanted and needed to do when you got to the house. Before you knew it, you were driving 25 mph down the main drag of your hometown and Jensen stirred awake at the speed change.

As you got closer to your old apartment, you looked up and noted the light was on in the living room.

“Mom is still up,” you looked at the clock, 10:09 PM.

Jensen looked up at the windows as you stopped for the stop light. “It’s weird not going to your apartment.”

“I know. Before today, now, it didn’t bother me, but it does feel strange.” The light changed and you drove on toward the bridge. “I hope you like my house, though. I did a couple things with you in mind.”

“You did?”

“Don’t get me wrong, it’s for me, too, but I thought you’d find them appealing,” you said.

“You didn’t have to do that. Your apartment was great though,” he said. Curiosity got the better of him, “What things?”

“I’ll give you a tour when we get there,” you said, crossing the bridge that went over the river. “I’ve had to buy a lot of stuff just to maintain the land, it’s ridiculous, and I had to have out buildings built. I’m a proper adult.”

He snorted, “Do you use the equipment?”

Sometimes it was annoying how he could see through your bullshit so easily. “Sometimes. Shut up!” you laughed. “I hired a guy I went to school with to come out to mow and plow once a week and as needed. I use the mower to keep my trail growth down and the snowblower is hella cool.”

Jensen just stared at you as you turned onto your road.

“Stop looking at me like that, weirdo,” you pulled up to the gate and entered the, very particular to you and Jensen, code. You’d embraced your secret life, the one where you were a notable author with a hot and famous best friend, who had become your boyfriend. It was something like your own inside joke. If anyone had ever guessed how you were able to buy land and build a house, no one ever said anything to you. You found most people didn’t ask questions if they got paid well for their work and you were a generous tipper. Every little bit helps.

The gate came to life and rolled open, enhancing the anticipation. You really wanted him to like what you had created. When it opened and you pulled ahead and stopped for it to close before moving on. The driveway to your house was lit with small lights to lead the way. The house itself wasn’t visible from the road and you followed the driveway to the left and through the trees around a small hill. After the trees, the land opened up into a clearing where your house stood. Every time you drove through the trees and the house appeared, it struck you that the modern appearance of the home was so well complimented by its surroundings.

“Whoa. That’s… I don’t even know what…” Jensen sputtered.

“Good, though, right?” you were quite proud of your home.

“Yeah, I like it. I honestly didn’t know what to expect.”

You pulled around to the side where the garage doors were and parked in front of the middle door. When you hopped out and went to the hidden keypad by the door, Jensen crawled into the driver’s seat and pulled into the open garage space when the door fully opened. You went to the inside control panel to close the garage and turn on the lights.

The stark white interior was nearly blinding from driving in the dark for so long. Jensen had gotten out of the truck by then and was looking all around the inside of the garage. It didn’t take long for his eyes to land on the classic car in the third stall.

“What have we here?” he said, admiring the car.

He was about to cup his hands around his eyes to peek in the window when you said, “My dad’s car.”

Jensen immediately stood up straight without touching the car in the third stall. “Your dad’s?”

You nodded, “Mhm. I started looking for it before the pandemic. It was a bitch to do, but my aunt works in the treasurer’s office and hooked me up with the VIN. Made it a lot easier to track down.”

“Wait, this is his actual car?” You nodded. “How long was it gone? And what condition was it in when you got it?”

You sighed heavily. “It was in pretty bad shape. Dad sold it before I was even born. He loved it.” It was impossible to not be a little sad and a lot mad. You had put these details in letters you’d sent to Jensen in Austin. “She kept a lot more from you than I thought… I put all of this in the mail, Jay.” You tried to keep the anger out of your voice, but you knew it seeped in. If anything, you understood why she did it. You and Jensen were so close, but it still made you mad since you both had tried so hard to stay platonic.

He stood silent for a few moments, “Alright. Can we go inside and talk about this?”

He grabbed the bags out of the truck and followed you inside. You led him through the laundry room and into the main house. You noticed he looked around to take everything in. The house itself wasn’t huge, but you’d also gotten creative with the design. Hidden spaces, secret doors, everything you’d ever wanted in a house when you were a kid. 

Jensen put the bags on the counter in the kitchen and started putting things away. You got out a couple plates and started making the two of you something to eat. Silently, you handed him a plate with a pb&j on it.

He sighed loudly, “I asked her if she – misplaced anything from you. She denied it. It wasn’t just her jealousy. It was the lying and manipulation that hurt the most. I’m ashamed to say that I started to believe it. There was a lot more I wasn’t even aware of.” He took a bite of the sandwich. “I asked what her relationship with Dan was,” he continued. “She insisted nothing was going on and that he was stalking her.”

“Did you believe her?”

“At that point, I didn’t know what was real and what was a lie. After that, I knew not to trust her word.”

“I wouldn’t believe a single word that comes out of her mouth in the future, either.” Jensen looked at you with an expression that told you he was done for the moment.

“Finish up and I’ll show you around the house,” you told him.

He took another bite and talked with his mouth full, “All I’m interested in is the bedroom.”

“Your mother will be shocked at your table manners, sir,” you said. “Also, you’re a perv.”

“Stop. You’re the perv. I was sweet and innocent until I met you,” he countered.

“So now it’s my fault you’re like this?”

“I said what I said,” he smirked, looking you over, his eyes resting on his favorite places.

You didn’t know what to say either to his words, or his scrutiny. “Alright then,” was all you could muster.

Jensen woke you up in the morning in the most pleasant way. Eventually, you both made use of your extra large, spa shower. You couldn’t help but stare at him. You stood in the shower and stretched as the hot water ran over your body. You could see the reflection of Jensen behind you at the 2nd separate shower. He was already looking at you like you were his next meal…again. You turned to face him and returned the gaze. He’d always been fit, but the muscle he’d put on for The Boys, and the work on the mountain had maintained it, was something to behold. He stood staring back at you as he washed his torso, a little, pleased smile on his face.

“You’re staring,” he noticed.

You rinsed your hair, “It’s like looking at a marble statue.” You stepped across the stall to where he stood, reaching out to trace the lines of the muscles on his arms, shoulders, and torso. “Are you going to keep these?”

He stepped backwards into the water to rinse the soap. Stepping forward again, he flexed a little, “You like ‘em?”

“I don’t mind ‘em. It’s kinda hot, but you’re just hot anyway,” you said. Your fingers traced the ‘V’ that formed at his waist, loving the sounds it elicited from him. “Love the hair and beard, too. The beard needs a bit of a trim, but still, dirty hot look for you definitely works for me.”

“Depends on the next role, but the beard is driving me crazy. Takes too much damn time to maintain. Same with this mop,” he said finishing up his routine. He suspected if he didn’t get out of the shower soon, they would need to wash up again.

“Such little butt, though. Nice shape. Not flat, but little,” you observed.

You turned to grab your conditioner and Jensen shut off the water on his side.

“Do you want me to keep it?” he asked.

“It’s good for ‘sports’ but I would have climbed that scrawny kid I knew way back in the day,” you said. “That sounds terrible.”

“Not everyone can have a perfect ass like you,” he said and gave your butt a solid smack, the sound amplified by your surroundings.

Reeling, not only from the stinging of your buttock, but also from the rush of heat to your lady parts. Rubbing the now hot skin on your butt, you called after him, “I still have you!”

He just laughed and added, “Touche!” as he wrapped a towel around his waist and left the bathroom. Almost as soon as he stepped out of the bathroom, something felt off. His clothes were in the bedroom and needed to grab the bag. Brushing the feeling aside, he walked through her closet into the bedroom. His peripheral vision caught the small dark figure near the door at the same time as a soft gasp met his ears, making him freeze in his tracks. His hand immediately went to his towel to make sure it didn’t go anywhere.

“Who the hell are you and what are you doing in my daughter’s house?” the woman asked.

He pushed his shaggy hair back off his forehead with his free hand and turned to look at Y|N’s tiny mother.

“Hi Deb,” he said, feeling very, very self-aware as it took her a moment to recognize him.

“J-Jensen?! Oh my god!” She quickly covered her eyes. “I didn’t know you kids were back in town. I was just coming over to check on the house, water the mail and check the plants. Oh god, you know what I mean! Where’s Y|N?”

If it had been happening to anyone else, he might have found it funny how Y|N clearly got some of her more amusing traits from her mother. Instead, he was beyond mortified that her mother had now seen him nearly naked and obviously sleeping with her daughter. “Finishing up in the shower,” he hated the awkward pause. Pointing back toward the bathroom, he said, “I’m just going to go…” he trailed off and took long strides back through the closet to the bathroom.

Y|N was out of the shower in a robe and was putting her hair up in a towel when he walked in.

“Babe,” he waited for her to look up. “Your mom is here,” he pointed, “IN your room.”

You looked at Jensen and how pink he looked and nearly naked. One plush towel was the only thing saving his modesty. The image of your disheveled bed flashed into your mind’s eye and you’d obviously just gotten out of the shower right after Jensen.

“I guess I don’t have to tell her we’re together,” you chuckled.

“Do you have another one of those robes?” he asked.

You shook your head. “I’ll be right back,” you told him and gave him a quick kiss. “Don’t worry, Mom loves you.”

Quickly, you went to your room and gave your mom the “one second” hand signal, grabbed Jensen’s bag and took it to the bathroom for him. He mouthed a relieved “thank you” and took the bag from you. Back out in your room, your mom was still standing by the door waiting for you to return.

“Oh my god, honey, I didn’t know you were both here. I came in through the front door, I didn’t even know you were home. What happened out there? Is he okay? I think we were both pretty shocked,” she said all at once.

Your mom was well aware of what had been going on in Jensen’s personal life. Donna and she still talked fairly regularly. “It’s okay, Mom, he’ll live,” you chuckled. Your mom had a funny smile on her face. “How about you? Are you okay? Did you get an eyeful?” you teased.

She put her hand on your arm, “Honey.”

“I know,” you chuckled again.

“So you two got together finally?” She looked hopeful.

You smirked and thought of all the inappropriate things to say. “Yeah, we’re finally going to give ‘us’ a try. Please, don’t make a thing of it. I don’t want to jinx anything.”

“Y|N!” she smacked your arm. Her eyes went wide then a little teary. 

“You’re making it weird,” you told her. “He wants me to go with him to Texas and wherever else he needs to go. Guess I can quit the grocery store now.”

“You could have anyway. You don’t need that job at all,” she reminded you.

“I like the structure,” you told her.

“You know, I tried to call you.”

“I know. Soldier Boy threw me in the river and it was in my pocket,” you explained. “I made him buy me a new one.”

“Soldier Boy?”

“The reason he looks Hulked out. He was at his batcave and the physical work kept the muscle. It’s kinda hot.”

“I’ll say,” she mumbled.

“I’m telling him you said that.”

“Don’t you dare!”

“Okay,” you laughed. “We’ll meet you downstairs, okay?”

You shuffled her out the door and gently closed it behind her. When you heard her on the steps, you went back to your bathroom. Jensen stood in there, fully dressed, looking like he was finding stuff to do until it was safe for him to step out.

“Smells expensive in here. Did you try all of my products, or just the ones that you thought smelled nice?” you asked.

He was studying the bottles of perfume. Finding the one he was looking for, he picked it up and showed it to you saying, “This one is my favorite. Warm and spicy, like you.”

“That’s my favorite, too,” you admitted. It was one you had found in one of the little shops near your hotel when you visited him in Rome. “I told my mom we would come down to talk with her. She’s going to want to know what the plan is for Texas and after.” You took the bottle of perfume from him and opened your robe to spray it on your body and put it back on the vanity.

“If we make it out of this room,” he said, snaking his hands inside the robe and pulling you to him. His hands moved over your bare skin.

“Don’t start something you can’t finish, Ackles,” you warned him.

His full lips met yours, parting for his tongue to gently mingle with yours, stoking the embers that seemed to always be threatening to ignite around him. His right hand went up your back between your shoulder blades while his left reached down to grasp your ‘perfect’ flesh. Your heart raced in your chest despite the somewhat tender moment. He broke the kiss, but held you still, not wanting to fully break the moment.

“Love you like crazy, Nova,” his eyes were closed, forehead touching yours.

Despite the heat from your body and his, his deep voice and breath on your face gave you goosebumps. “Love you so much, my sweet boy.” You smiled with your eyes closed as your hand went up the back of his neck.

“You better put some clothes on before we go down,” he said, sounding a little like Dean, his lips brushing your forehead before he kissed you.

He left you standing there in a little daze to collect yourself and get ready as quickly as you could to meet with your mother.

Mercifully, by the time you and Jensen went down to the kitchen, your mother had rallied and was pretending like she hadn’t just seen Jensen nearly naked. She was looking through the cupboards for something.

“Honey, where’s your Keurig pods?” she asked after hearing you enter the kitchen, but she still kept opening cupboard doors.

You went to the pantry and showed her what you had for your selections.

“You don’t have any coffee?” she asked.

“I only keep that around for you. When you were here last, you used the last one. We only got here last night, so I haven’t gone to the store yet.”

You thought you heard a grumble from behind you.

“I didn’t know you would be here either,” you said over your shoulder to Jensen.

“Well, how long are you kids going to be in town? Do you want to put in an order at the store? I could go pick it up for you,” she offered.

You moved to the end of the island to stand next to where Jensen was sitting.

“We haven’t really talked about how long we will be here. Jensen needs to go back to Texas to deal with some stuff and I want to go with him. We’re not in a huge rush to get down there, but we do need to go, soonish.”

Jensen nodded. “We didn’t get much of a chance to talk about it on the way here. I was thinking we could ease into it. Take care of as much as we can here, then go down, maybe in a week or less.”

“I think it’s going to be crazy once we get into the full swing of your career,” you looked at him.

“Um, your career is doing pretty well. I’ll probably be the one keeping up with you,” he said.

Your mom looked at you with wide eyes. “Are you going to go public? You, Y|N, with who you really are? I mean about your writing.”

You nodded. “At some point. That’ll make my manager and agent very happy…and publisher.”

Your mom clasped her hands together. “Oh thank god. Please do it soon! It has been so hard to keep this a secret for so long, especially from your brother. I think he suspects something but I don’t know what.”

“Drug dealer,” you joked.

Jensen perked up, “You didn’t tell him that, did you?”

“No,” you admitted, “but he probably thinks that.”

“No, he doesn’t,” your mom admonished, “but he will draw that conclusion soon if you don’t tell him soon. He wondered how you were able to build this house. So far, he’s buying your NRC cover.”

“The government pays well,” you noted.

“Be that as it may, you’ve got to at least tell your brother the truth,” she said.

“So he can ask for even more money?” you grumbled. “It would be one thing if it weren’t so frequent.”

“I’ll handle him, even if you don’t tell him. His feelings will be hurt if you don’t tell him before you go public.”

You looked at Jensen. He shrugged, “Deb has a point.”

“Yeah, I know,” you admitted. It had been a long time since it all began. He didn’t really ‘deserve’ to know, in your opinion, but he should know, you supposed. “I guess I better make a to-do list of shit to get done while we’re here.”

“I know, and he’s terrible about keeping a secret. Anyway, I should go,” your mom said. “You two probably have a lot to take care of while you’re here.” She picked up her purse. “Let me know if you need me to run any errands for you.”

“Thanks, Mom,” you said.

She patted Jensen’s shoulder, “I was always rooting for you kiddo. I’m happy for you both.”

Your mom was going to leave it at that, but Jensen turned toward her. “Thanks, Deb,” he said and hugged her. “I feel like we’ve gotten closer today.”

They parted and your mom was blushing again.

“I’m so sorry, I was just so surprised,” she said.

Jensen chuckled, “Don’t worry about it. It was good to see you.”

“It was good to see you, too,” she said innocently. Then the realization of the double meaning washed over her features before she practically ran to the door.

“Now I understand where you get it,” Jensen smiled.

“She’s my mom, not blind. She’s always appreciated a hot guy,” you told him. You reached out to touch his neck. “This grizzly look is working, big time.”

“I don’t know if I can wait for Texas to get this cut. Do you have any scissors, razors, clippers or anything?” he asked.

“I do, but you’re getting the dullest ones I have,” you told him. You sighed, “We can probably get some at the store when we get groceries.” 

You could feel the cosmic pressure to get back to work coming from your agent, publisher, and manager. You gave Jensen a quick tour of the house but you eventually ended up at your desk in your office. You tapped the ctrl button a few times to wake up your system. Jensen left for a few moments while you opened your emails. You knew he’d noticed your secret, but you waited and kept reading.

After you answered a couple emails, Jensen reappeared to ask, “What’s with this wall?”

You tried to look confused, “It’s a bookshelf? I think I need one of those cool rolling ladder things.”

“You should definitely do that,” he pointed a finger at you for emphasis, but turned back toward the wall of shelves. “But…something is off…”

“What do you mean? Is something out of place?” you got up to join him. He was so close to discovering your secret.

Jensen scanned the shelves until his eyes fell on a book that seemed out of place from the others.

“Nova, you are the coolest chick I’ve ever known.” He stepped forward and tipped his head to the side to read the spine of one of the books. “Aerospace Engineering. Now I know you do a lot of research, and are smart as hell, but I read all of the Whiskey Hollow books and Bart wasn’t engineering shit.”

“Okay, smartass. How about you check the inside cover. It’s inscribed to me,” you gave him a playful shove.

Jensen reached for the top of the book to pull it off the shelf. When he grasped the top corner of the book and began to pull, there was a soft click and the bookshelf moved.

“No you did not do a secret library door! Where does it go? Can I go in? There isn’t a trapdoor for me to fall through is there? I can’t believe you Scooby-Doo’d your office.”

You went to the bookcase and pushed on the right side while pulling on the left. The bookcase moved easily and quietly opened like a regular door. It locked into the open position and the lights inside the room turned on to reveal both a spiral staircase going down and a room you had turned into a quiet office for your zoom meetings. It worked great for the meetings where you needed to focus and not get distracted, looking out the window.

It was cute to watch him. He looked like a kid in a candy store. The walls in the open space of the room were covered in a mural of muted greens and grays, displaying a misty forest scene and the lighting was adjustable to your mood.

Jensen stuck his head inside the booth and poked around looking at the mic and camera, but his eyes kept going toward the staircase.

“There is a trapdoor next to the staircase, but it isn’t a drop door,” you said as you motioned to the stairs, “After you, sir.”

Jensen went to the spiral staircase and looked down into the darkness.

“Make sure you use the handrail,” you told him.

Eager to discover more surprises, he rested his hand on the rail and began the descent. The lights turned on and got brighter as he went down each step. He immediately stopped, lifted his hands and took another stop to test his theory. He then ran his hands up and down the rails and the lights dimmed or brightened with the motions.

“Coo-ooo-ool,” he said then ambled all the way down the stairs which ended facing directly into the big surprise you’d incorporated into your house, just for him. “You did this for me?”

He went to look at each guitar, instrument and piece of equipment you had gathered for his in-home recording studio.

“How? Why? Babe… this is too much,” he said, though his voice was still far away, exploring and marveling at the gift.

“I hoped,” you began, “I hoped, that someday, you would be here and could use it. And… that you and I would be where we are now… You probably don’t even know you sing along to the radio, like, all the time. If you’re not singing, it’s humming. I wanted you to have a place like this where you could be creative if you wanted to. You never know when inspiration might hit.”

He was still quiet looking at things, “I tried to involve you in this, but I called some guys you know and they helped me pick out the right pieces and equipment,” you explained. “I didn’t mean for this to be a surprise. I just wanted you to be happy here. Happy to come visit.”

Jensen put down the acoustic guitar he’d been strumming and crossed the floor to where you stood watching him. He stood over you looking down into your eyes. You saw they had gone a deep green color as he looked into yours. His hands cupped your face and neck as he spoke softly to you.

“I want you to hear me and take this to heart, my Nova, as long as you’re with me, I’m a happy guy. I hope I never made you feel like I didn’t want to be around you. Hell, I even asked you to move closer to me,” he pulled you to him, his lips pressing to yours, one arm around you, the other touching your face. “I’m sorry I wasn’t around when you needed me, but I promise, I’m all yours.” He turned his head to the side, leaning down to kiss you again.

He broke the kiss but didn’t pull away. You were still floating somewhere close to heaven with your eyes still closed.

“It was Steve, wasn’t it?” his voice rumbled, breath on your face. His fingertip traced your lower lip.

“Steve who?” you were in a love daze.

“Carlson,” he kissed your jaw near your ear.

“Mhm,” you ran your hand through his hair, “and Jason, too.”

He moved to your neck and you wrapped your arms around his shoulders. “You’re mine.”

“They really liked helping me,” you prodded. “They’ve even been here before you. …and stayed overnight.”

“Never again,” he said against your neck, his beard scratching your skin.

“You’re not jealous, are you?” you asked, playfully.

The way he rocked and swayed with your body, it almost felt like you were dancing.

“You’ll never have to wonder where I am, or how much I love you, ever again,” he said.

“Why are you so sweet to me?”

“I give back what I receive,” he said simply, kissing you softly. “You set a high bar.”

You composed yourself and remembered you needed to get back to work.

“Hey, give it all a try and the amps. I won’t be able to hear a thing with the soundproofing,” you went back toward the stairs. “I really need to get back to work.”

He gave you a look of longing, but also a thumbs-up as a signal that he heard you and was already looking at his options. When you got upstairs, you left open the bookcase so you could hear him anyway. He could sing the alphabet and you would want to hear him. Steve and Jason had both been at your house at the same time for one visit and they had their own little jam session down there to test out all of the equipment. With all of the soundproofing, being in the basement, and closing the bookcase, you’d forgotten they were even there until they emerged several hours later.

Once you’d gotten resettled at your desk, you were disappointed to find that your unread emails and open documents were still there, unread and unfinished. Resolving to at least get through your emails, you trained your focus to your computer screen.

When the emails were all read and responses sent, you decided to take a break at your desk and listen to the music coming from below. You heard the last of “The Sounds of Someday” before he started “City Grown Willow”.

The lyrics to “City Grown Willow” had always resonated with you and you didn’t know why. It just felt like it was mean for your ears. It just hit differently now. The video he and Steve had done… the lyrics… it was almost like he’d been calling out to you with the song. You passed off the notion as wishful thinking and got back to work on the screenplay. It would be the introduction of Hobart and Lillian to the viewers who may not be familiar with the books, but also, you wanted to stay somewhat true to the first book, while assuming the viewers half-way know what’s going on in the universe.

The software package you bought was a life-saver and you were flying through pages and pages of script. Dialog had always been easy for you. Hearing the character’s voices had always been very clear for you. Thankfully, describing setting didn’t need to be wildly descriptive and it was the content of the scenes that were more important.

Whiskey Hollow had lived in your mind for years, but it was somewhat difficult to reintroduce the characters because they had come so far since the beginning. Thankfully, you still had your written notes and outlines from your original book and that was an incredible help. With your notes handy, you wouldn’t reveal too much, too soon.

It wasn’t until Jensen arrived with a bowl of cereal and a drink that you realized how much time had passed or that he’d even left the studio.

“Figured you might need that,” he said, pulling up a chair to eat with you.

“I’m sorry, Jay, I got in a groove and I had to go with it,” you explained.

“No worries,” he waved you off. “I got carried away down there, too. You did great with it. Whole thing,” he waved his hand in a circle, “A plus.”

“Well, you can thank Jason and Steve. They were a big help.”

“It was your idea. So I’m thanking you. I can’t believe you did that.”

You only shrugged. It didn’t seem extreme to you. You’d only wanted a space for Jensen to be creative in a way you knew he would love and not be held back by anything it could be lacking…but you did realize the truth of it.

“I think that, though my brain knew we were not a couple, my heart didn’t listen and wanted…to express my love for you,” you couldn’t believe you admitted it out loud. “Some people’s love language is touch, mine is outlandish gifts.”

He nodded as he chewed his cereal. “I know you don’t love people touching you, pretty much ever, but I love that you let me. Touch is my language and… it makes me feel important, special, that you shower me with your attention.” He took another bite of cereal, “I put a lot of what’s going on in here,” he tapped his temple, “into the songs I write with Steve. It’s not a love language, exactly, but… it also is.”

“What do you mean?”

“I know you’ve heard me perform. I’ve seen your vinyls of mine…” he was getting shy. “Do you have a favorite song?”

“Off My Mind,” you answered quickly.

Jensen smiled, “Yeah, that’s a good one. We ran with that one. I was feeling a certain kind of way with that one.” 

“Did you write that?”

“It was mostly Steve, but I put in my two cents. Any others, maybe off volume 2?” he asked.

““City Grown Willow”,” you answered.

“"City Grown Willow" is about you,” he said simply. 

“What?”

“Us,” he said, pointing back and forth between you and himself.

When you just sat staring at him in confusion and disbelief, he continued, “That video call, that one in December 2019.”

“The one where you didn’t get my spot on Edna Mode impression?”

“I know who she is now. Good movie.”

“I know…”

“Can I tell you this or not?”

“I’m sorry, please, go on,” you chuckled.

“After that call, it kicked things in motion. You were on my mind a lot and I needed time to process. Wrote the song to kind of push things out and into being.”

You remembered that call quite well and what he’d just said made you ask, “So talking to me made you realize that you had love feelings for me. You tried to stay with Dee, ultimately divorcing. Then you write the song. Then you go out and shag everything with boobs. Get into a situation. Text me the most cryptic text you’ve ever sent, and that’s saying something, and went into hiding hoping I would come find you.”

“When you put it like that, it doesn’t sound as good. We can edit that when our grandkids ask us about our story.”

“We’re having grandkids?”

Jensen shrugged and took a drink of the milk in his bowl. “We’ve been ‘shagging’ like rabbits for weeks…I know I wasn’t using anything, were you?”

“Holy crap,” you said. “I didn’t even think about it. I’m getting a little – seasoned. We better get to the store and pick up some tests, just in case. I didn’t think you wanted kids, Jay.”

“I didn’t think I did. I didn’t think it would be a good idea until now,” he said.

“What changed your mind?” you wanted to know.

“The right partner,” he answered. He seemed apprehensive, “I want you to know it’s okay if we don’t. I know you went through stuff with Dan…”

“For the record, before you say more, you came for me when I needed you, too. And while I was very sad to lose that pregnancy, I didn’t want to have a child with him. I felt really guilty about that for a long time, but I knew he wasn’t the one.”

“--are we doing this?” he asked.

“I don’t know. This is kind of out of nowhere, Jay. I don’t even know if my body can handle it at this point. What if I decide you’re a douchebag and kick you to the curb? What if I’m not the best thing since sliced bread and you decide you want soup?”

“Sweetheart, I’m a sandwich guy and that’s not gonna change. Not now, not ever,” he said with finality.

“You’re such a dork, though! Oh my god. What if I’m pregnant right now and this kid gets your sense of humor? I don’t know if I could take it from two of you!” 

“You’d love it,” he said playfully.

You avoided his gaze for a few moments, feeling a little overwhelmed. You hadn’t even thought about your cycle since before you left. You didn’t even know if you could have kids at this point in your life. It was possible, of course, but risky. “Jay, let’s not rush things, okay? I… I’m a little skittish after everything. Dan and Grant and all of the other disasters, I just… they all cheated on me and treated me like shit, used me for whatever reason… As my friend, I trust you implicitly…”

“I understand,” he raised a hand, as though to indicate, ‘say no more’. “I don’t want to rush either. I’m just saying if it happens, I’m going to be happy about it, and if it doesn’t, I’m good, too. I love what we have going on right now, too.”

“Are you sure?”

“Babe. I promise. You can trust me. Always.”

“Okay.”

“Let’s go get some groceries,” he said.

“Hold on now,” you said, finishing your cereal and milk. “How long do you plan on being here? I don’t want to buy a bunch of food only to throw it out.”

He leaned back in his chair, extending his legs to go across your lap. Absently, your hands rested on his legs. Jensen stretched his whole body shit his hands clasped on top of his head.

“How does staying the week and leaving on Saturday morning sound? IF we drive all day, we’d get there Saturday night.”

“Do you have your own place down there, or did you get to keep the house?” you asked.

“I let her keep the house,” he said. “It was never really mine. She picked just about everything. I got a little place on Lake Austin. It’s small, but it is secure, has a good view and access to the lake.”

“What did you do with the Impala,” you were suddenly fearful. “You still have it, right? Tell me she didn’t try to take it from you.”

“No, I made it clear there would be pushback if she tried. Clif is looking after it for me, for now. Also, she wanted a prenup and I signed it. I don’t go after her stuff, nor she mine. Another reason I didn’t want to have kids with her.”

“What do you mean?”

“If we’d had a kid, she could get half of my shit and alimony and child support.”

A thought sprung to your mind and you didn’t know if you should ask it or not.

“I can see your wheels spinning. Just ask.”

“Is there any-thing that is going to come back and bite you in the ass?” you asked.

“No?” he pulled his legs from your lap.

“Jay… I don’t trust her. I just get the feeling this isn’t over with her. She’s going to lose her mind when she finds out about us.”

“She can be mad all she wants. Divorce was final four months ago.”

“Okay, let’s go get some food,” you said, not wanting to discuss it any further. You just couldn’t shake that feeling of dread regarding anything to do with his ex wife. She didn’t strike you as one to give up on someone she wanted, or let go of a goal. She played the long-con for years and did what she could to keep you away from Jensen during that time.

“Can we make your pasta?” he asked.

You grabbed your bowl. “I told you you’d get hooked on it.”

Jensen drove you both into town to the local grocery store. Your little town has changed a lot over the years, including the grocery store. When you were growing up, there were two stores. Nowe there was only one and it was in a brand new building and location.

Jensen wore jeans, t-shirt, sneakers and a trucker hat. He looked funny with his hair smashed down and his beard sticking out. It was the little things that mattered though. He took your hand when you walked through the parking lot. Little touches as you shopped. The need to be separate, to hide your feelings, was gone.

People said hello to you both. Jensen got some second looks, but nothing to make them stop and ask questions. A few of the people you worked with stopped to chat and Jensen continued on shipping. When he found you again, your former boss, former classmate, and former neighbor, Brian was chatting you up.

“You look great, Y|N. You look really happy. What have you been doing?” he asked.

Apparently, Brian hadn’t noticed Jensen approaching. You turned at the sound of the cart and Jensen making noise as he got closer. Somehow, he’d taken on a rougher version of Dean, one who’d seen too much and he looked quite imposing.

“Me. She’s been doing me, Brian,” he said reading his nametag. 

The blush in your face was rising. He could never just be cool when a guy was talking to you.

“Brian, this is Jay. Jay, this is Brian, whom I just told I quit. I’ve also known him since we were kids,” you introduced your guy to your friend.

“Huh. Me too,” Jensen said. “Good to meet you, Brian.” He extended his hand to the other man. “Baby, I got us set for the week. Are you ready to go home?” his voice was full Dean and half an octave lower.

Dominance Asserted.

“Yes, hon, I’m ready. Did you find what you wanted?” you replied.

“Sure did,” he planted a kiss on you. He pulled you and the cart with him, leaving Brian behind you.

The two of you went to the register and a high school kid you didn’t know rang up your selections. She was quick and friendly and barely gave Jensen any attention. You paid and thanked her and left with Jensen pushing the cart to the truck.

“Jay? You good?” you were putting bags into the back of the truck.

“Do you know everyone here?” he asked.

You nodded, “Kinda. It’s a pretty small town and I did work here… Didn’t like Brian, huh?”

He shook his head, “Nope. He was looking at you like you were a full meal after being half-starved.”

“Seriously? I’ve known him since his family came to town. Literally my next-door neighbor.”

“Yep, dead serious. Maybe he didn’t ‘see’ you then, but he does now. Does Br-i-an know how you wrecked your friend’s bike when you were seven?”

Jensen put the cart away with emphasis. It crashed to a stop in the coral.

“Jay!” he stopped in front of you. “Only my immediate family, Lance’s family, and you know about that accident. My love,” you patted his chest, “wild horses couldn’t take me from you, you know that, right?”

He grumbled, “Nova, I don’t think you realize how hot you are. You could wear a burlap sack and I’d still want to do dirty things with you. People are always drawn to you. Friggin Glen practically ran to talk to you.”

“Glen is an old man,” you laughed, “and you were being an aloof mountain man. I think he was worried for me.”

“Old, not dead,” he said.

“Ooookay, I think you’re blowing things out of proportion. I know who I’m going home with and it sure as shit isn’t Brian…who is a total douche, by the way. Constantly cheats on his wife. And definitely not with crusty Glen. I’m the one who is supposed to be neurotic, not you.”

He sighed heavily, “It’s just that… I’ll tell you later. Let’s get out of here.”

At your house, you and Jensen got the groceries put away and he’d gotten back to his normal self. You hadn’t forgotten what he’d said and your curiosity was killing you. It had gotten close enough to dinner that the two of you could start preparing food.

Jensen helped cut the tomatoes while Y|N did the rest of the food prep. She hated cutting the tomatoes and it was the least he could do to help out if she was willing to do the rest. By the time the water was boiling, he had half of the tomatoes done and in the bowl where she was steadily adding the green onions and other ingredients. When the tomatoes were added to the bowl, he excused himself to get cleaned up for dinner and grabbed the bag that held his purchases from the pharmacy.

Upstairs in the bathroom he pulled the boxes out of the bag and saw the pregnancy tests at the bottom. He wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to be a father, but if Y|N was pregnant, he was happy to be a parent with her. Seeing them also reminded him of things he didn’t want to remember. He had to tell himself that Y|N was not at all like Dee and wouldn’t do what she had done. Normally, he was a happy-go-lucky kind of guy, but the last few years had severely tested his resolve.

He set up the clippers and got to work. He didn’t take off too much since he didn’t know what the next job would need… if he got another job. He just hoped there would be a next job. Tomorrow, he would start making calls. Hopefully his career was salvageable. 

Y|N had asked him if he wanted to retire. He supposed she asked because she already knew the answer. He didn’t want to retire and she had already pulled him out of headspace that had been quickly going down that path. It was hard being around her again and not think about all of the things Dee had been trying to brainwash him with. Despite knowing Y|N so well and trusting her, Dee had managed to cast doubt inside him.

“Everything is going to work out,” Y|N had told him. “Tomorrow, I’m going to show you how to use everything and you’re going to get back on track. Maybe you can finally start that production company you’ve always wanted to do, too. Maybe quietly start developing shows, actively look for new ideas and writers who are also in love with you.”

Dee had never said anything like that to him, never been so encouraging. He should have known not to doubt Y|N. She was always in his corner and had never waivered. He flipped on the clippers and set about taming his overgrown beard. There was no denying she made him happy. Hell, he couldn’t get enough of her. All he wanted to do was be around her, to touch her, to love her. It was nice to shower affection on her and have it returned rather than withheld. After all she had been through, it seemed like she needed it, too. Maybe they just needed it from one another. 

You took the candle stick holders from the mantle and put them on the table in the dining room. The pasta definitely wasn’t a romantic dinner, but you wanted to make it special somehow. Jensen was probably going to be very busy in the lead up to going back to Texas and you had a lot of writing you needed to get done. That morning was a good start, but there was so much more to do.

You were busy getting the candles set up and the bowls dished when Jensen reappeared, looking very over-dressed for a simple home meal. And yet, also slightly casual. He was rolling up the sleeves on a white, button down shirt, which was neatly tucked into black dress pants. No belt. No socks. Somehow, he’d managed to tame his glorious mane of hair and had it brushed back from his face. His tan skin enhancing his good looks and green eyes.

“Whoa,” you heard yourself say.

He looked up with his eyes and gave you a wry smile as he finished cuffing his sleeve.

“I am wildly underdressed…It’s really not fair that you make this whole combo look so fucking hot. Absolutely ridiculous.”

“You can take your clothes off,” he put his hands in his pockets, not moving from the dining room entry. He could see you thinking about going to change your clothes. “No. Not change. Off. Or as you are.”

Goddaaaaaamn. He raised an eyebrow in question at you. “I choose my modesty, I guess.”

“Hmm.” He entered the room and pulled a chair out for you to sit at the head of the table. He pulled the palm of your hand to his lips, your fingers touching his beard, which felt softer.

The man made you feel giddy inside. Of course, you’d been friends forever and he’d always given your heart a rush, but your relationship had shifted dramatically the day you found him at his cabin. 

“Jay – you don’t have to try to be someone else for me, you know that, right?” you asked. “You don’t have to be Dean, or anyone else. I just want my friend and confidant.

Jensen seated himself to your right. “I’m not trying to be anyone else. Now that you and I are together, I get to show you all sides of me…the ones I couldn’t show you until you found me on that mountain.”

You took a bit of food and reached for his hand. He took it and held it on the table. “You held back?”

He nodded, “Mhm, big time.” His thumb stroked the top of your hand.

“Me, too,” you admitted. “Like every time. Was it like that for you, too?”

He nodded again, taking a smaller bite, “Had to.”

A couple of bites passed with him holding your hand on the table top. “Were you –in love–with me–the whole time, too? Cuz–I was–with you.”

Jensen let go of your hand, used his napkin, then leaned way over to kiss you. “Mhm.”

It took you a few moments to collect yourself after that. You knew you would never get tired of hearing him say things like that to you. When your heart and stomach stopped jittering, you got out your phone  and told your sound system to play music. You and Jensen chatted over your meal and you were using your elbow and the palm of your hand to hold up your head. You couldn’t help but stare at him. His skin was tan, hair somewhat lightened due to being in the sun, his green eyes shining. White button down shirt highlighting his already ridiculously good looks. The music was playing and invading your thoughts while you appreciated the view.

“Can you dance like John Travolta?” you asked.

His fork stopped before reaching his lips, “What?”

“You heard me.”

“Only John Travolta can dance like John Travolta.”

“Hmm,” you smirked. “Stayin’ Alive’ was playing when it finally hit you who Jensen had been reminding you of with his glorious mane. “Barry Fucking Gibb!”

“Maurice Gibb,” he said confused. “The hell are we doing, naming BeeGees?”

You sat staring at him, both shocked and proud of yourself for finally pin-pointing who he’d been reminding you of.

“Oh my god!” you laughed and clapped your hands over your mouth. “No! You’re reminding me of Barry Gibb!”

“That’s not funny.”

“Yes it fucking is!’ you laughed. “Oh god, do I think Barry Gibb is hot?”

“That’s it, it’s coming off tomorrow,” he grumped.

You sat considering his thick hair. You’d really gotten to like running your fingers through it. “We could really complete the look with a spectacular blowout.”

“Woman, if you come near me with a blow dryer, I swear…”

“You’ll spank me?”

He put his fork down and wiped his mouth. “You’re filthy. You’ve spent too much time around ex-cops and ex-military.”

“No, I’ve always been like this, I just couldn’t say it before. You always had a lady on your arm,” you paused, “Does it bother you?”

He smirked, “No. I guess not. Guess we need to get to know each other again.”

“In a new way,” you agreed.

When you woke the next morning, it was not to Jensen’s kisses. He wasn’t even in the bed with you. You’d reached to touch the spot where he had lain and it was cold. Still waking up. Your brain wasn’t processing information. You looked around trying to figure out where he’d gone. Only briefly, you wondered if you’d dreamed it all. Then the sound of a song softly sung reached your ears. It wasn’t quite the deeper tone of Steve’s voice, but you recognized “Off My Mind” right away. 

Getting out of bed, you went into your bathroom and found Jensen in front of the mirror with the trashcan on the counter under him. He hummed the song when he was on his neck, then would vocalize the lyrics when he cleaned the counter of the bits that missed the trash.

Catching you watching, he said, “Good morning, Sunshine.”

You thought maybe you grunted in response. Jensen asked, “You gonna miss it?” He was taking off what was left of the beard. He turned the clippers back on and another soft plop of beard landed in the bin.

Moving to where he stood, you leaned against the counter with your back to the mirror. You’d caught a glimpse of yourself and were not impressed. You shrugged slightly, “It’ll be nice to see your face again. Are you taking it all off?”

“I was thinking I’d leave some. Dean still looks back at me sometimes,” he said. “I should have just taken it all off last night. Thought I’d be able to stand it a little longer.”

“Do you miss him?” you asked.

He nodded and continued taking the beard down to a thin layer. 

“I miss him, too. It’s okay with me if he shows up once in a while. It was really hard watching that last episode,” you paused, remembering. “I probably won’t ever watch it again, though.”

“That bad?”

“That traumatizing,” you said. You could feel yourself getting emotional. “Not only did I have to watch Dean die, I felt like I was watching you die, too. You and Dean are so intertwined, it felt so real. To have Dean go out like that… the writers did you dirty. I get why they did it, but I hate it! Dean deserved to be happy and have a life, too.” The tears were welling up. “If you ever bring him back, please, let someone love him. Someone who loves him for exactly who he is.” The tears broke over your cheeks.

He took a step to the side to hold you, “Baby, I had no idea you felt that way.”

“I know!” you mumbled into his chest, still crying. “You had me on radio silence and I had to suffer alone.”

“He had to die sometime,” he rubbed your back.

“Not like that! Not so young! They barely left room for you guys to come back. And don’t give me that bullshit about COVID and needing to make changes. They did not need to kill Dean in a dirty BARN with a random piece of absurdly large rebar in shitty lighting. Give me Dabb’s phone number.”

He squeezed you once more before letting you go and resuming shaving.

“I’m not giving you his number,” he said.

“Well…okay,” you sputtered, “but I’m going to fix it. I’m gonna plot out a whole thing and my sweet Dean will live.”

“Like fan fiction?” he asked, still shaving. Large clumps of beard falling into the trash can.

“No, not like fan fiction, butthole. Like a fully plotted out, written scripts that will fucking resolve that bullshit.”

“Don’t you have a whole movie to write?” he asked.

“Listen, Ackles,” you gave him tone and he grinned knowing he zinged you. “O’ll make it happen. Just you wait.”

“Okay,” he chuckled. “You do that. Can I help plot it out with you?”

“Of course!” you were feeling better now and excited about the prospect of potentially bringing your favorite character back to life.

Jensen put the final guard on the clippers and ran it over his face. He made sure he got any long pieces he may have missed, then cleaned up the mess he’d made on the counter. You were patiently waiting for him to show you his face. It still surprised you how long his hair had gotten, though.

“How long were you growing out your hair, for real?” you asked. “You were up there a couple months, but this grow out is a good six months or more.”

“About that,” he agreed.

“Do you want me to take some length off? I have scissors somewhere,” you offered. “Can’t guarantee it’ll look good, but I’ll leave enough a pro can fix it.”

“Knock yourself out,” he agreed and sat on your vanity chair.

Grabbing a towel, all of your hair clips, brush and comb, you got ready to cut Jensen’s hair. You draped the towel around his shoulders and reached around from behind to clip the towel together in front of him.

She brushed his hair, running her fingers through with each pass. Her nails scratched his scalp as she seemingly massaged his head.

“Mm. Your scalp is tense. How is your scalp tense?” 

“Might be because I have a nearly naked woman dancing around and touching me all over,” he remarked.

She looked down at her bare legs under his shirt. “So…if I lifted my arms above my head like this,” she flashed him, “that do anything for ya?”

It really did. He didn’t know why it was so hot when women wear their partner’s clothes, but it was. The shape of her ass just barely concealed.

“Yep. Like it. Like it a lot,” he was trying not to think about it.

“Oh…okay,” she said, and he knew she would tease him the whole time she cut his hair.

She brushed it back and tried his hair in different styles. He just let her do her thing until she could picture the style she wanted.

“Too bad, Barry Gibb is pretty hot on you,” she teased and got to sectioning his hair.

When she was done, he’d gotten his face full of her at least three times, and two views of her butt in the mirror. She took off about three inches of hair from all over his head. She brushed it again and checked her work, looking for missed, long hairs. She then got out the clippers and shaved his neck and evened out the line of hair. He was then given a mirror so she could check the final product while she cleaned up the floor gracing him with one luxurious view of her backside.

“That’s a lot of hair, hon,” she said, putting the clippings in the trash. “So?”

“Actually, not bad.”

“Really, or are you trying not to hurt my feelings?” she asked.

“Baby, I would tell you,” he assured her.

“Alright, let’s get some breakfast going. Then I can show you how to use all of the equipment,” she said.

After breakfast, you showed Jensen all of the things and where you kept your cheat sheets for him to use if needed. He seemed to catch on fairly quickly and you left him to it so you could get your own work done. Almost as soon as you got on your computer, you got a zoom call from your manager, Eleanor Mitchellhill.

“It’s very early in the day, Eleanor,” you answered the phone. An icy chill flowed through your screen.

“It’s not early here Y|N,” she snipped in her British accent. “Where the hell have you been? It took you longer than a couple weeks.”

“I was in an undisclosed location spending time with my friend who needed me,” you explained.

“Does this friend have a name?” she pressed.

“Elle…,” you stalled, “I don’t think you need his name yet.”

“Oh, I see,” she drew out the word. “It’s a he. Is this man the reason you’re practically glowing?” she wanted to know.

“You could say that,” you nodded.

“Well, whatever fuels your fire, I suppose,” she acquiesced. “We will come back to this soon enough.”

“I don’t need a background check, Elle,” you said, “but you’re right, we will need to talk about him later. I need a week. He needs to go to Texas.”

“And you need to go with him?” she guessed.

You sighed, “Elle, it’s complicated and yes, I’m going with him.”

“Can’t wait to hear about it in a week,” she said, dryly. “Right, let’s talk. For the love of all that is holy, when are we going to get you in the public eye? You’re cute as a button and the people will just eat you up. And my god, when they know about the mystery series…” she kissed her fingertips. “Perfection.”

“About that, I want to go public with the mystery series pen name first. The romance one, I don’t want to do yet. And I want to go public with the mystery one when the movie is about to release. Like, on the promotion circuit.”

“I suppose you’ve already talked to Jan about this?” she asked.

You nodded, “She’s aware. I also told her that when I get this script done, I want Jensen Ackles to get a shot at playing Hobart. So if he does, you’re gonna be okay with it.”

Eleanor leaned back in her chair, “Why would I need to do that?”

“He’s my friend, Elle, and I based the character on him. There really isn’t anyone better to play him.”

Eleanor sat quietly, just staring at you while she thought. “Alright. Now get that script done. And as soon as you get to Texas, I expect a call, immediately, Y|N.”

“Understood,” you confirmed.

After a few more calls and answered emails, you were able to get in some steady work and the words flew from your fingertips into the script. It was like you were putting what you could see so clearly in your head into the script. You still had the notes from when you wrote the first book so it flowed really well. The story of Whiskey Hollow was precious to you and it would have been hard for you to let anyone take over writing the script for the movie adaptation. You just hoped that what you were creating would be appealing to whichever studio wanted the script. Jan, your agent, would be working hard to find takers and you wanted to give it your best effort.

A few days later, you and Jensen had put in three very long days doing all manner of work on your script and getting his affairs in order. You had written a ton in the script and were nearing completion, but something had come up that needed to be dealt with. Your brother and mom were coming over and you were not looking forward to finally telling him your big secret.

You sat on the couch in your living room with a notebook and pen, jotting down a few words here and there as Jensen looked around while he waited. He liked to look at your things. He did it a lot when he would visit in the past. You supposed he just liked to get to know you by the items you kept, as well.

He turned toward the mantle. The light from outside shone on some glass pieces that had caught his eye. Stepping closer he realized the sparkle came from one of the crystal candlestick holders he’d sent her as a housewarming gift from himself and Danneel. Dee hadn’t wanted to sign the card, but he’d insisted. With one candlestick was the glass orb his mom had gifted her years ago and the Swarovski star he’d left for her at her apartment. Behind the glass art was a picture frame that held multiple pictures.

He needed to step closer to get a better look.

“Need my glasses?”  Y|N asked from the couch.

“Hush,” he returned. The pictures were of his family on various occasions through the years. He didn’t remember some of them.

“Where was I for this one?” he pointed to the picture in the top right location.

She put down her pen and paper to join him.

“Oh, I think you were in …shit…wherever Dawson’s Creek filmed… North Carolina?” she put her hand on his back. “Your mom said I was welcome to come by anytime I was in Dallas, so I did.”

“You did? How often did you go?” he was surprised she would go to his parents’ house without him also being there.

“Maybe once every two or three years. It was usually for work when you weren’t there. You knew when I was there for the conventions.”

He looked down at her, “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me.”

“Well, I wasn’t there to see you,” she smiled. “I went to see your mom and dad…and have your mom’s cooking.” She got on her tiptoes for a quick kiss. “You’re hot as hell, but even my world doesn’t revolve around you.”

She moved to go back to the couch and her notebook. He put his arm around her to keep her close. “Hey,” he waited for her gaze to meet his, “you know I don’t think that, right?”

“I wondered sometimes,” she admitted.

“When?”

Her demeanor changed and she looked uncomfortable.

“You can tell me,” he tried to reassure her.

“That time you asked me to move to Austin, or LA, or Vancouver to be closer to you.” A harsh blush rose to her cheeks. “It felt like it was only to make you happy. You were with Dee and it made me feel like your side-piece, especially when I was sure you knew how I felt about you.”

It shocked him to hear her say it, but it was hard to deny her viewpoint. Neither one of them had been very good at concealing their feelings for each other, he was realizing. It had been selfish of him to ask, but he’d truly just wanted her closer… maybe he’d just been lying to himself a lot longer than he thought.

“I didn’t realize what I was doing. I shouldn’t have asked to put you in such an awkward position,” he held her tight to his chest. “Forgive me?”

“Of course,” she said. Her hand snaked up the back of his t-shirt, her nails scratching the skin of his back. “I was so close to saying, fuckit, but I would totally have tried to be a homewrecker.”

He remembered asking her and he remembered that they had gone to the fair that trip. “I should have done something after you kicked fuckface to the curb. I thought I was doing the right thing. I didn’t want to make things worse. I thought Danneel and I deserved a shot. I did love her, but not like how I love you. Even she knew. It’s probably why I didn’t get any of the letters you sent to Austin. She kept them from me because she knew how much I looked forward to them, even before we got engaged.”

“You were right though. I didn’t know who I was or what I needed after the Grant situation. I thought about making a move on you, too, but I didn’t know if I just wanted to feel better or if I truly wanted to start something with you.”

“Remember that night I fell asleep on your bed?” he paused when she looked up at him.

“Yeah?”

“Totally watched you change your clothes.”

“Oh my god,” she hid her face on his chest for a moment. “You dirty dog,” she chuckled.

“Worth it.”

“You liked what you saw?”

He nodded. “You were my dream girl before I even knew what that meant. I should never have let you get on that airplane,” he lamented.

He released her from his embrace and watched as she went back to the couch to wait for her brother to take his sweet time arriving. When she bent down to pick up her pen and notebook, he got a good look. She still has a great ass, he thought.

There were a lot of pictures on the mantle. Mostly, they were of their respective families and some convention photo ops. Far too many with Richard, he thought. At the opposite end of the mantle held the matching candlestick and more pictures that included her travels and himself. His eyes fell on the picture of them at the lake on the deck. They’d had such a good time that trip. Young enough to be carefree, old enough to be left to their own devices. They’d gone to the tiny amusement park and rode the rides over and over. Of course, Nova had liked the Ferris Wheel the best because it overlooked the lake. She loved the water, Ferris Wheels, and me, he thought with a smile. 

Finally, a half hour late, your brother, Jarrod, rang the doorbell and you let him into your house. He greeted Jensen and Jensen poured drinks for everyone while Jarrod got settled.

“Mom told me you two finally got together,” he said in his usual loud voice.

“Yeah, Jarrod, it’s true,” you said.

“If you two ever need security, I’m available. You know I’ve got that training…” he said.

You tried not to roll your eyes where Jarrod would notice. Jensen stood behind him for a moment and did it for you before coming around to sit in one of the armchairs and sip on his whiskey.

“Clif has his own guys that Jensen uses, but I will tell Clif that you might be interested if there’s an opening. But the reason I wanted you to come over is because I need to tell you something…”

“You’re pregnant?”

“Jesus Christ, Jarrod. No, I’m definitely not pregnant. I need to tell you that I don’t work for the government and haven’t for years. I did work for the NRC, but I haven’t for years.”

He just looked at you like it was old news. “You’ve been at the grocery store for a while. I assumed you just had a good retirement plan.”

Sometimes it still amazed you that you and he had the same genetic material.

“The government doesn’t pay well enough for me to buy a whole goddamned city block in town, Jarrod.”

“Don’t get pissy with me. So if you didn’t work for the government, who did you work for? You obviously had some serious cash coming in.”

It was all you could do to not attempt to strangle him. “I write books. Lots of them. And I sold a lot. I am Nova Scott and Ross Black.” You waited for it to sink in. All he did was stare at you blankly. Your brother was not known for quiet reflection and was beginning to scare you. A whole new list of worries sprinted through your brain. “I need you to be cool about this, Jarrod, and to keep it quiet.”

“Does Mom know?”

“Yeah, from the start. Like three people in the profession know, Mom, Jay, and my one employee, Jen. Now you.”

“He knew before me?” you could hear the anger rising in his voice.

Jensen said nothing but carefully set down his glass.

“Barely. I only just told him about Ross Black. He knew about Nova Scott a few years ago.”

“What about your dumbshit exes?”

“No, Jarrod. Dan knew I wrote, but he didn’t know what or under what name,” you explained.

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me sooner,” his voice boomed despite your plush furniture.

“I had my reasons,” you said simply.

He was obviously angry and hurt. He stood on the opposite end of the mantle from you. The sheer size of him was daunting and he scared the hell out of you when he was mad. Even if you got the upper hand, you knew you couldn’t take him. He was 8 inches taller and 150 pounds heavier, severely skewing your odds of being successful.

“Boy, nobody fucks you like family,” his volume only increasing.

“How the fuck is protecting my privacy about you?! I didn’t tell you for very good reasons.”

“You always thought you were too good for this family. Always smarter than me. The favorite child.”

“For fucks sake, Jarrod. This childish resentment needs to stop. I’m not smarter than you. I just tried harder. You’re mad at me about shit you could have fixed but didn’t and that’s on you.”

You didn’t realize you had so much built up rage.

“How long have you kept this from me?”

“Oh my god,” you were getting a headache. “I don’t have an obligation to tell you jack shit. I’m only telling you now out of courtesy because the press is going to find out about me and Jay and they will dig into who I am.”

“If you’ve been incognito this whole time, why now? You’ve known him forever. Has no one ever approached you?”

You shook your head. “What about you?” Jarrod shook his head. You sighed deeply as you told him about the plan. “If I tell you, I need to know I can trust you not to tell anyone, and I mean anyone. Not even Jenna.”

“What? Why not?”

“I’m not risking this leaking before its time. If you can’t promise me, I can’t tell you and you can leave now. Once it’s public then you can talk.”

Finally, he agreed and you told him everything. Jarrod went from fuming to understanding and back and forth as you told him your plan.

“So let me get this straight. You find out Bob is doing sketchy shit and your ‘source’ agrees to get you evidence of said shit. You find out other methods of embezzlement, not giving Dad a raise for 20 years, dad dies, you flip out at the funeral… I’m guessing that was the tipping point?” You nodded. “Debbie tries to start shit and you said what you said to her… so, are you going to do it soon, or are you just going to hold it over her, or them, or?”

“As long as they mind their own business, we’re cool. If they want to come at me, talk shit, or say any disparaging words about me and/or Jay, I will burn those motherfuckers to the ground.”

“Holy shit,” Jarrod muttered. “Still sounds like you’re the smart one.”

“No, I just hold a grudge and am willing to play the long game,” you told him.

Jarrod turned to Jensen who had been quietly listening to the exchange. “What about you? Are you good with this?”

“I know better than to get in her way. I trust her and the plan and will back her up to the end …not to mention happy to stay in her good graces,” Jensen answered, picking up his whiskey again.

“Guess I better do the same.”

The rest of the week continued to fly by. You were writing like crazy and Jensen was working with his lawyers, and team, to start getting him back into auditions for his various interests. He was collaborating with Steve, sending in voice work for his various cartoons and other voiceover work, calling all sorts of people to get his interests turned into reality. Meanwhile, you were writing, researching, asking Jensen questions and fielding calls from people like your agent, Jan.

“Hello Jan,” you answered. “What’s up? I wasn’t expecting you to call again this week.” You’d sent her what you had of the completed script on Wednesday morning and she had called Thursday morning.

“Sweetie, I don’t know what you put in that script but the studio called back already and they want to have a meeting.”

“A meeting? About what? Is that good?” you asked, worried.

“In all my years, this has only happened a handful of times. You need to get over there so they can ooh and aah over what can only be a masterpiece.”

“Or they want to tell me to my face how it’s total shit and need to redo the whole thing,” you lamented.

“Sweetie, the studio doesn’t fly you out to talk about garbage. When can you be ready?”

“Um…I don’t know…I need to talk to Jensen, but I’m thinking we can go out tonight or tomorrow morning.”

“Is this a package deal?” Jan asked. “If he’s included, I need to know now. I can try to get them to pay for the ticket, but I can’t guarantee it.”

“Book it regardless. He’s coming with me,” you told her. “We can cancel if need be.”

“Please tell me you’re going to get away from that tiny town you live in. You need to either be in LA or New York. You’re killing me with all of these connecting flights.”

You chuckled at her exasperated tone. “It may happen sooner than later. Hang tough, Jan. I want to try out the London West Hollywood this time.”

“Why not the Beverly Wilshire? You love that place and you can walk to the studio, you love that healthy shit.”

“Jan, that’s the Pretty Woman hotel and I’ll be going there with my new boyfriend.”

“So what, put it in one of those books you write. You are a pretty woman and that new guy of yours is a hot piece. You have your Pretty Woman experience, sweetie, you deserve it. And for what it’s worth, I like him and I don’t believe a word of the allegations. Nail that bitch to the wall. I did check around and couldn’t find anyone who had a bad word to say about him.”

“It means a lot, Jan,” you admitted. “I didn’t know you didn’t like the other guys.”

“Sweetie, you’re like family at this point. I tried to like ‘em, but it wasn’t my place to tell you who to love. I’ll get it set up and email you the details.”

“Thanks, Jan,” you signed off.

You got up from your computer to go find Jensen. The last you’d seen him, he’d gone through the bookcase. Inside the room, you’d expected to see him inside the soundproof room, but it was dark inside. You were reasonably sure you hadn’t missed a smoking hot man leave through your office, so you went for the spiral staircase to descend into the basement studio.

Jensen was at the soundboard with headphones on. His eyes were closed and you would have thought he was sleeping if not for his fingers tapping the beat on his chest. Your fingertips touched his shoulder first. He merely tensed his body before relaxing under your touch as your hand moved across and down his body. He held your arm against him then pulled you onto his lap. He reached for the keyboard and touched a button before turning his attention to you and took off his headphones.

“This is a nice surprise,” he held you gently as you settled. “I thought you were working.”

“I could say the same about you,” you returned.

“I took a little break to listen to some tracks and a few caught my ear. What’s going on?” he asked.

“Jan called. There’s interest in the script and one of the studios wants to meet on Friday. She’s going to book us a flight either for tonight or early tomorrow morning.”

“That was quick. Told you they’d love it. You sure you want me to go with you? I’m looking like damaged goods lately,” he said.

You touched his face and noticed the chop job you’d done on his hair. “Diamond in the rough, maybe.” You leaned in to kiss his full lips. “Of course, I want you to come with me. No more than a couple days, remember? Plus, the hotel is across the street and there’s hella good shopping all within walking distance.” You were softly touching his face all over. “Do I have to twist your arm?”

“No, just making sure.”

“My sweet boy, I will always want you. I’ve always had your back, I’m not stopping now, so will you go with me? Did you have your heart set on driving to Texas? I promise your truck will be safe here.” You paused briefly, “We still can, I just didn’t want to rush.”

“We’ll figure it out,” he agreed. “I’m so proud of you.”

His warm hand went under your shirt and up your back, expertly unclasping your bra. You pulled the garment from your body through the arm hole of your shirt.

“You’ve done that more than once,” you noted, kissing him again and feeling his lips smile against yours.

“It hasn’t been worth it til now,” his hand covered your breast, kneading your soft flesh then moving to your nipple. “Have any other hidden rooms down here…with a bed?”

His voice had gotten deeper and quieter.

“I have a sofa in my office,” you offered.

“That’ll do.”

You sat at your desk, both working and waiting for Jan to get back to you with travel plans. You were still adding things to the script and tweaking scenes here and there when the email finally dropped in. Jensen was reading a book on the sofa. You couldn’t really see the cover from where you sat, but you thought it looked vaguely familiar.

“Time to get packed,” you told him.

He closed his book and said, “I think we can go to Texas from California. My truck will be fine here. What hotel’re we staying at, anyway?”

“The Beverly Wilshire,” you mumbled.

“The Beverly Wilshire?” he asked. Reveling in her suddenly shy demeanor.

“I’m gonna tell Jan to change to the London,” you blustered.

He sat up on the couch, “The one from Pretty Woman?”

“You know it is, jerk.”

“Nice hotel.”

“Yes it is.”

“Have you stayed there before?”

“Yes, I’ve been there before,” you told him, “For the romance movie deals.”

He got up and put the book back on the shelf and you saw he was near the section that held your Nova Scott and Ross Black books, but your mind was on other tasks and couldn’t see which one he put back. You didn’t want to assume he was reading anything other than Whiskey Hollow and let it go for the time being.

“Are we going to the mighty SooFoo tonight, or in the morning?”

“Tonight,” you answered. “Jan somehow managed to get us in with only a short layover in Denver.”

You left your office to go up to your room to pack what you would need for a few days and clothes for the meeting. 

Jensen stayed behind, waiting to make sure she had gotten all the way upstairs before he went back to the bookshelf and pulled off the book he’d been reading. It was the first time he’d seen it in a long time, not since he was on set with all of the cast members reading the first #1 seller for Nova Scott. He tucked it into the back of his pants and pulled his shirt over to hide it. He thought he would bust it out on the airplane and take the consequences there rather than asking her to finally let him start reading them. 

#jensen ackles rpf #jensen ackles x female reader #spn fanfic #jensen ackles x you #Interlude #kazosa