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andydrysdalerogers · 5 months

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Presley ~ A Curtis Everett AU ~ Part One

Curtis Everett x OFC Presley Adams

Synopsis:

Curtis Everett is a hard working man. As the head of the mob of Concord, he does everything he can to provide for his wife and children. His life is perfect. Until it's not.

After a devastating accident, Curtis is alone with his children and needs some serious help.

Presley Adams needs to find work and fast. Running from her past she just wants to lay low and earn enough to get her out of town. Until she starts working for Curtis as his live in nanny.

As she falls in love with this family, can she stop her past from finding her? Or will her past be the end of the Everett reign in Concord?

Book two of the Five Kings of Boston series

A/N: It's here!

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I do NOT give permission for my work to be translated or reposted on here or any other site, even if you give me credit. DO NOT REPOST MY FICS. Reblogs, comments, likes, and feedback ALWAYS appreciated

Series Masterlist // Main Masterlist

Part One – The Boss

Welcome to Concord. An up-and-coming town outside of Boston. Where kids can play with their friends and shop owners advertise with signs on the street. It’s a quiet town. An unassuming town. A town where one-man rules and no one forgets it. This town, Concord, is Curtis Everett’s town.

“Anna, come back to me.” A man slept in his bed, tossing and turning, reliving an old nightmare.

Four Years Prior...

Curtis’s POV

“Are you sure you’re gonna be ok?”

I could see that my wife is exasperated with me. “Honey, it's just to see my parents and back. One weekend. You can last one weekend with the kids.” She took in my grumpy face and smiled. “Curtis, I would take them with me but...”

“I know, it's for their safety,” I grumble. Anna giggles at me. I love that she giggles at me. Her big scary mob husband.

My name is Curtis Everett, head of the Everett family of Concord, mob boss and King of this town just outside of Boston. Most people would consider me a scary sight. Tall, brooding with a buzz cut, beard and piecing blue eyes that, more than a few people have said, seemed to be able to suck out your soul. I took over for my dad a couple of years ago. My business in the city is protection, that everyone paid, gambling, which Sherrif Bodecker turned a blind eye to for a fee, and clubs, strip or otherwise. I ruled with a ruthlessness that could make a man piss himself.

But I know my place. I have four other equals that answer to a higher power.

But in my town, Concord, I am the head of our town, the law, the savior and the devil.

I only have three weaknesses in the entire world: my wife and children. I just don’t like being away from you, sweetheart.

“I know, my love, but daddy is sick, and momma just needs a break for a few days.” Standing on the curb at the airport, Anna Everett knows me very well. Her big, surly, bossy of a mob boss is truly a teddy bear underneath, she would tell her mother. Her father had been the same until he had stepped down to her brother. She married into the Everett family to tighten the alliance between families from Chicago and Boston, so she was well versed in protection and sacrifice. It was just chance that Anna and I had met in college before and were already in love when the alliance was made. I still think that Dad and my father-in-law set us up, hoping that Anna and I falling in love, would be the outcome.

I pulled her back into my arms and kissed her forehead. “I know. Just hurry back to me, Mrs. Everett. I love you.”

“I love you, Mr. Everett.” She kissed him slowly and passionately. “Take care of my babies.”

“Always.”

I’ve been in love with that woman since freshman year in college. I saw her for the first time at the coffee cart, her long blonde hair pushed away from her face with a blue head band and green eyes enhanced with glasses. She had been laughing with her girlfriends, looking so naturally happy; it was love at first sight. It took two weeks for me to work the courage to ask her out. I had never drunk so much coffee in those two weeks. Cup after cup, waiting for the moment, hoping it would be the day until I saw her again. When I approached her, she blushed from the attention. Her hair was up that day, her glasses on top of her head. “Hi,” I said. She smiled and I was a goner.

I asked her to lunch and from that day, we were inseparable. We had never been away from each other for more than a day in 10 years. I watched as Anna walked through the terminal and security. She turned around and waved, blowing me a kiss. I caught it and kissed my hand, waving goodbye.

It would be the last time I would ever see her.

Present...

I jolted awake from the dream. Every once in a while, I would still dream of that last day with Anna. How much I wished I had insisted she fly private instead of commercial, forced her to stay home and fly her parents to us, so she didn’t have to leave.

You’re supposed to grow old with the love of your life.

Raise your children and then watch them raise their own children. Hold hands in the cold. Kiss in the rain. Dance in the sunshine. Make love in the moonlight. Live the life you had planned out.

The love of your life is not supposed to die in a plane crash.

Now I was left with two small children. The lights of my life. Joshua, my eight-year-old son, and Everly, my five-year-old girl, had grown up without their mother. I wasn’t even sure if Everly remembered her at all. She had been just one when the accident occurred.

I tried so much to keep her memory alive. Anna had been the best mother, the best wife, the best partner any man could have asked for, especially for the life I led. Being one of the five kings had its perks, of course, but it left my family in constant danger.

I had the crash investigated for sabotage, but none was found. We took precautions when we traveled, made sure my wife flew under an assumed name because of her status. Not just as my wife but also because she was the daughter of a former head of a family as well. The Monteleones were strong out in the Midwest and when Anna married me, I made a promise to her father that I would do anything to protect her. I would go in guns blazing if anyone dared tried to hurt my family. My Anna.

A plane crash was something I couldn’t predict. I couldn't control it. I couldn’t protect her from that.

I failed.

I sighed as I stretched and got out of bed. I went to the bathroom and then checked on my children. Everly and Joshua still shared a nursery, but I knew it was time to let Joshua have his own room away from his little sister. I chuckled quietly when I saw Joshua half off the bed, tangled in his blankets, mouth slightly open. I shook my head and gently adjusted his son back into his bed, laying the blankets back over him. My daughter stirred slightly. “Daddy?”

“Morning princess,” I whisper. “Shh, let's stay quiet to let brother sleep, ok?” I picked up my little girl, a perfect duplicate of my Anna. She yawned and curled into my neck as I walked us downstairs. I sat in my chair by the fire, early November bringing a chill in the air, enjoying her cuddles into me as she woke up. “You want some breakfast, Evie?” She nodded and I carried her to the kitchen. “Morning Ma.”

Sylvia Everett smiled at her son and granddaughter. “Morning Curtis. Morning my Evie doll. I made cinnamon rolls. Just need to fry up some bacon.”

“Thanks Ma.” I kissed her cheek and went to set up Everly in her booster and her colors. I returned to the kitchen and poured myself a cup of coffee. “How’d you sleep Ma?”

“Ok, I guess. Still weird not to have your father next to me.” My dad had been diagnosis with cirrhosis of the liver. They caught it pretty late, so there wasn’t much more we could do but make him comfortable until he passed. It was hell for my mother. Her entire life had been devoted to my dad and now here she was, a widow, just like me.

“I know Ma but its only been six months. It doesn’t get easier, you just get used to it.”

Sylvia’s heart broke for her son again. While his father had died from illness, Anna was taken from then suddenly and that was crueler and harder. “I know, my boy.” She patted my hand. “What’s the plan for today?”

I made a face. “I’ve got meetings today.”

“With who?” She took as sip. Ma had been like a consigliere or counselor for my father as he grow the family business. She would lend her advise from time to time but mostly she. supported my dad in any way she could. It had been unheard of in the old days, but my dad embraced it. Just like Anna, Ma was raised in this world and understood it better than my father sometimes. When I took over and Anna was gone, she did the same for me. I’m forever grateful that she stepped in to help me with my family.

“Some guy from Jersey, Giovanni, I think. He’s looking for some help with something. Who knows, Anthony’s got all the details. I have a call with Barber and with Rogers. I’m hoping to get it all done before lunch so I can throw the ball around with Joshua. And Miss Everly has requested cupcakes.” I sighed. “Not sure how I’m going to pull that one off.”

“You’re a good father Curtis.” Sylvia put her cup down. “I’ll make the batter for you and leave instructions.” She played with her hand. “I did want to talk to you about something.”

Concern flooded my body. “What is it Ma? You ok?”

“I’m fine. It’s just,” she sighed, “I’ve been thinking about moving back to the Paris property.”

I stopped mid sip. “You want to leave?” My head was spinning. Yes, I had been the head of our family for several years, having taken the reigns three years after we had got married from my father. My father had developed a distaste for the family business and could no longer hold up the demands of being the Don. He had spent years training his only child to take over. And had great joy when I fell in love with the heiress of the Monteleone family. I took the reins, stepped in and the transition was smooth. Nothing kept the family down. Until the loss of my queen. “Ma...”

"Son, you have done a terrific job raising your children and running the family business.”

“Yes, because you have been here to help me.”

“I know, but I would like to retire and enjoy my time now. I think you should hire a cook and a nanny for the children.”

“But...”

“Curtis, it’s not like I am asking you to fall in love again. I am asking you to find help while you work. It’s the best thing for all of us. I want to retire, enjoy the last years of my life. I don’t have to stay at the Paris property forever, but I need time to grieve and resettle into my new life.”

I couldn’t ignore her argument. She had been with me through my grief, taking care of my father when he was sick and helping raise my children. She had earned the right to be a bit selfish and live in her favorite estate. I pulled her in for a hug. “You won’t leave until I find someone right?”

“Of course, my son. I need to make sure they are the best fit for my grandchildren.”

My mother is a smart woman. I didn’t delay. I took her advice seriously and found a chef for the house right away. Adam Jones had been highly recommended from Andrew Barber’s wife, who was a baker herself. He came in to interview and I found him direct and agreeable. “I have two small children and they usually will eat whatever I put in front of them, but you understand that there will be some aversion to things.”

Adam nodded. “Of course, sir. I had a lot of time, working with children to know how to make the food great. What ages?”

“Eight and five. My five-year-old is the one that can be the pickiest.”

As I finished the sentence, Everly ran into the room. “Daddy, Joshie is trying to put a bug in my hair!” She climbed into my lap.

“Evie, sweetheart, I’m in a meeting.”I saw Clint chase after her and stop but I waved him off to stand by the door. Clint was my right hand and was protective of the children. We had been best friends since grade school and was the children’s godfather. He would wait until Everly came out to take her back to the yard.

“But Daddy...”

“It’s alright Mr. Everett,” Adam interrupted. “Hi Evie, I’m Adam.”

Everly, like every little girl who found a handsome man, became shy and curled into me. “Hi.”

Adam chuckled. “Do you like cupcakes?”

Evie perked up a little. “Yes. My nana makes me pink ones with a strawberry on top.”

“That sounds so good. I make some with little flowers and sprinkles that make it sparkle. I used to cook for a princess. Maybe I can make them for you?”

She nodded with enthusiasm and turned to me with her big green eyes that she knows I can’t say no to. “Daddy, can we?”

“Of course, princess.” I kissed the top of her head. “But I need to speak to Adam a little more so go play for a little bit and then I’ll come have a tea party with you. Sound good?”

“You’re the best daddy ever!” She hopped down and made her way out of the room. She turned back. “Bye Adam!” I saw Clint take her hand and walk away.

“Bye Princess Evie.” Adam smiled and turned back to me. “Sorry, my girlfriend, she has a daughter a little older than Evie but every girl loves a little sparkle.”

I laughed. “Yes, they do. She is like her mother. Joshua, my son, takes after me. Very athletic and opinionated. I’ll introduce you on the way out. Otherwise, any questions?”

Joshua ran into the room at that moment. “Dad, Evie was lying about the bug.” He took note of the man sitting in front of his father. “Oh sorry.” He made to move to back out of the room.

“It's fine. Joshua, this is Adam Jones. I think he might be our new chef.”

Adam took note of the boy who looked just like his father. “Hi Joshua.”

“Hello Mr. Jones. You can call me Josh. Dad is the only one who calls me Joshua.” The little boy stuck out his hand. Adam took it a shook it, noting the force the boy had put into it.

“Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” He gave him the once over. “You look like a boy who thrives on burgers and fries.”

Josh nodded. “That’s my favorite. Well, that and pizza. I hate Brussel sprouts.”

Adam chuckled “Good to know. I’m sure I’ll learn all the things you like to eat.” Adam winked at him, and Joshu nodded.

“I’m sorry for interrupting Dad. I’ll go check on Nana and Everly. It was nice to meet you.”

“Same.” Adam watched the boy leave. “He looks just like you.”

“Poor bugger,” I replied with another laugh. “Now where were we?”

We discussed the finer details of the job, salary, hours and whatnot. I walked the man out the door and was shaking his hand when I noticed a young woman wandering outside the gate of my home. She looked about 24 or 25, with dark brown hair and glasses. She wore a black peacoat with long black boots. Something about her reminded me of my Anna. As Adam walked past her with a nod, she approached the steps to the house. “I apologize, is this the Everett residence?”

I couldn’t help but stare at her. Dark curls hung down her back with blue green eyes framed by black framed glasses. Her full lips were a sweet pink, and I had the sudden urge to feel them against mine.

What the fuck?

I mentally shook myself and cleared my throat. “Yes, and you are?”

She gave me an earth-shattering smile and I was blown back. It was a smile that was just like my Anna’s.

“My name is Presley. I am here for the nanny position.”

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daydreaming-in-letters · 1 year

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Worship

Epilogue - Home

01/01/2023

Pairing: Hades (August Walker/Geralt of Rivia) x Eliza (OFC)

Word Count: 5,460

Warnings: pain (physical and mental), mentions of past trauma and grief, a little angst, unprotected sex, all the fluff

Summary: It's time for the God of the Underworld to return to the mortal realm and take his queen home.

A/N: This is it. More than 61,000 words, 15 months, a Hades tattoo and a lot of frustration, despair and soooo much fun later this story will finally come to an end today. I still cannot quite believe it and I am far from ready to let these two go now. But maybe rather than marking the ending of Hades and Eliza's story, it is actually the beginning of their life together as King and Queen of the Underworld. So instead of closing the door with this epilogue, I think I might leave it ajar, just in case the muse may grace me with one or two more ideas for these two.

Thank you to everyone who stayed with me during this crazy journey. My special thanks goes out to @ashesofblackroses for her never dying support and the endless swooning sessions that never failed to kick my muse in the butt whenever I felt the project was much too ambitious for me. And second I would like to personally thank @fvckinghenrycavill for all those unbelievably kind comments. You understand me as a writer like no other and pushed me through a real motivation drought with your wonderful feedback. I love you guys!

Picture by Nikolay Zharov via Instagram

If you like my story, you are very welcome to like, comment or reblog. Please don’t copy, repost or share my work on other platforms.

It was time, Anastasia realised as she looked up from the yellowed pages and found the mellow waves of the lake glowing like liquid fire. She would have to finish the story later if she wanted to stick to the plan and take her stroll at the water’s edge in the cool light of the blue hour. It wasn’t much of a loss, she thought as she sat the book down on the coffee table. She knew the ending of the story anyway. The fool would turn and lose the love he had just regained for good. He had entered the Underworld, touched the hearts of Hades and Persephone, swayed them to let him lead his lover back to the world of the living, just to give in to his growing impatience and consequentially ruin the second chance they had been so graciously granted. Anastasia sighed. Mortals or gods, it didn’t matter. They were all idiots if one believed the tales of the ancient Greeks.

For a second her eyes grazed the coat rack, but she dismissed the thought of taking a jacket right away. It had been scorching all day, and she didn’t expect it to be any less so when she stepped out onto the front porch. To her surprise, a soft breeze carried over from the water, gently playing with her hair as she began strolling down the small path that joined the cottage and the lake.

A thought made her turn around and she couldn’t help a bittersweet smile from growing on her lips as she watched the tiny house gleam in the last rays of sunlight that crept across the tree tops. She had spent a lot of her childhood here, at her grandparents’ cottage. Spring had always been her favourite time for a visit and she remembered scurrying through the daffodils that grew everywhere around the lake, chasing butterflies while her grandfather had watched her with a smile, patiently waiting for the fish to bite. After their deaths, she had inherited the place and for the last two years, she had come here every time the opportunity presented itself.

It was a good hiding spot, her refuge to forget about her shitty job and her troublesome love life and all of life’s other inconveniences. Here she was free, to be herself, to do whatever she pleased and she was sure that there was something magic about this place.

Ana shivered as an odd feeling suddenly befell her. A familiar feeling, like an old friend, but odd nevertheless. It had accompanied her all her life, always lingering in the back of her mind or the pit of her stomach, growing stronger from time to time, then dropping to a mere whisper at others. It wasn’t exactly a bad feeling, neither did it feel particularly good, and over time she had simply learned to live with it.

It hadn’t always been an easy burden to shoulder though, especially not in her childhood, knowing full well that her friends didn’t live with the same inner voice and assuming as a consequence that something was terribly wrong with her.

Maybe it was, she often thought, especially in the darker moments when another relationship ended or when simple tasks like getting out of bed and going to work seemed almost impossible. It were times like those when the voice grew louder, clearer, and Ana thought that she might be able to grasp its message at last. But no matter how hard she tried, she hadn’t been able to figure it out.

The closest she had ever gotten were images that came to her in flashes, like fragments of memories that weren’t her own, forcing themselves into her mind violently. Dark, demonic eyes, an opera house, a name too faint to understand. She couldn’t make much sense of them, but that wasn’t necessary. She knew they were important and nothing could ever compare to the feeling they brought with them. A feeling of finally being whole that always vanished too soon and left her feeling more incomplete every time, knowing only that she was missing something or someone, and probably always would.

That was why she loved coming here, to her cottage, so much. At first she had thought it was nothing, a mere coincidence, but over the past few months the voice inside her head had grown stronger with every passing second she had spent here. A whispering temptation that had become impossible to ignore, pulling her steadily towards the unknown. Maybe it had to do with nature’s beauty that surrounded her here. With the soft light, the calming sound of the tender waves or the heady scent of narcissus that filled the air.

Narcissus?

In the middle of August?

Bewildered she stopped, just in time, she realised as her gaze fell onto the colourful patch of flowers that bloomed right before her feet. Ana could have sworn they hadn’t been here this morning when she had last taken the rocky path to get to the lake for an early morning swim. In an attempt to find out if they were actually real, she leaned down, careful fingers reaching out for the yellow petals instantly.

She gasped, stumbling back a few steps when a tearstained voice ghosted through her mind as clear as day the second her fingertips touched the silky blossom.

Aidoneus.

Her heart drumming wildly in her chest, Ana clutched her hand to her body as if the flower had singed her fingers. Impossible.

Until we meet again, my beloved mortal.

That voice.

A different one this time, but layered thickly with the same heart-wrenching despair. On instinct her eyes followed the direction it had seemed to come from. Down the path, from the lake. And without waiting for permission, her feet began to carry her in the very same direction.

My beloved mortal.

The words echoed in her mind. Mortal? Who in their right mind talked like that? She had probably read too much Ovid today, that was all.

Still, that voice. That warm, dark timbre. A voice like that surely couldn’t just emanate from the pure power of her imagination. It was too tempting, too perfect, too familiar to be born from her mind alone. And it was calling her.

Where to and who or what would be waiting for her, Ana didn’t know, and it didn’t matter anyway. Because the one thing she did know was that this was it. This was the day she would find out what the feeling that had accompanied her all her life meant. And the moment she looked around and found the path lined by more and more lush patches of daffodils, she hurried her steps.

And she didn’t stop until her body broke through the last line of trees. She couldn’t have stopped, not even the growing fear of stumbling and crashing onto the rocky ground could have made her, but as soon as her eyes fell upon the figure standing by the waterline, her feet refused to take even one more tiny step.

His back was turned on her and she couldn’t make out more than a pair of remarkable shoulders, a wide back that narrowed all the way down to his perfectly shaped behind, all clad in the blackest set of trousers and a matching shirt she had ever seen. And still it was enough to make her feel his darkness, his strength and preternatural power that was oozing from his body.

For a split second, she was tempted to run, solving the riddle of a lifetime be damned, but then he turned. Even from a distance the icy blue of his eyes dazzled her. But it wasn’t just their colour, there was something else about his eyes that annihilated her flight instinct in a heartbeat.

Could it be? Could it be that it was his voice she had heard, his voice that had lured her here? If only he would say something to confirm or contradict her theory, but he just stood there, his eyes fixed on her with a probing gaze, holding hers, waiting patiently. And it was then Ana understood that he was leaving the decision to her. She could turn and walk away, pretending this encounter had never happened, or she could follow the path that had led her towards him and, hopefully, finally unravel the mystery of the voice inside her head.

But to Ana, there was no choice to make here, not really. And so she walked on, even though her knees threatened to give out with every step she took, even though her lungs felt as if they didn’t take in enough air to keep her mind focused, even though she heard nothing but the rush of her heartbeat in her own ears.

It surprised her a little with which ease she stepped into his private space—and even more so, how natural it felt. For a moment she pondered whether she should touch him, just to make sure he was real. The wavy strand of his brown hair that trembled in the breeze was tempting, as were the whiskers on his upper lip, but for now, being so close to him that she could feel the warmth radiate off his massive body would have to do.

“Do I know you?”

The hint of a smile broke through his sincere facade and Ana regretted her lack of courage to touch him instantly. He would have let her, she was sure of it now. But as soon as he answered her question, that thought wasn’t important anymore. Nothing was.

“You do, and yet you don’t.”

It was him. No doubt about it. Him she had been pulled towards all her life. Because it had taken only one sentence from his mouth to make her yearning stop and all she was left with under the warm gaze of his eyes was peace.

“Who are you?”

“Some call me the Unseen One, Receiver of Many, others Devil or Death. But that’s of little consequence to me.” He paused, and Ana wanted to blurt out a million questions that spiralled through her mind at once. But from the corner of her eye she saw his hand move towards her cheek, and the anticipation of his touch silenced her. It never came though. It didn’t have to. His words meant more than any touch of his hand ever could have. “You, on the other hand, are.”

“Why? What am I to you?”

And then his hands were there, cupping her cheeks with an urgency that was only surpassed by the urgency in his voice.

“You are everything to me.”

His passionate confession made it impossible for her to breathe. He had meant every word of it. If his tone and his touch weren’t enough to make her believe him, his eyes surely were. But still there was this nagging voice inside her. Doubt. Nursed by the lies and disappointments that formed the patchwork of her previous love life.

“How can you be so sure of that? You don’t even know me.”

The soft smile he finally allowed to settle on his lips made her heart flutter.

“I’ve loved you for a long time, sweet mortal. And at some point, I believe you loved me too.”

It was true. It must be. What other explanation could there be for this pull, this feeling of belonging? She had loved him. She still did. And he loved her. And still her heart grew heavy with the one realisation that pushed itself between her and the man she belonged with.

“I…I don’t remember. Why don’t I remember you?” It wasn’t until she heard her own shaky voice that Ana realised she was crying.

“Sh, don’t cry, my love,” he cooed as he tenderly wiped away the salty drops from her cheeks. “I told you once that there was always a way. And while I have been waiting for this day to arrive, it unfolded itself before me. I’m afraid it is neither easy nor entirely painless, but I will be with you should you choose it anyway. So tell me, my queen, do you want to remember?”

Her answer didn’t come immediately and it was only now that Hades realised he had only ever envisioned this scenario to end in his favour. But what if she declined? What if she chose a life that did not include him?

The day he had finally found her again, he had been sure that he wouldn’t be able to live another day apart from her, and it had cost him every last ounce of his will power to stay away from her, to wait for the moment she would be ready to remember. He wasn’t sure if he would survive her rejection now. He had vowed never to lose her again, not even by the hands of the Fates themselves, and the plan he and Hecate had come up with to ensure his queen would be able to rule by his side until the end of time itself was immaculate. But in this very moment his happiness, his heart lay in her hands and it didn’t escape the immortal god that he found himself once again in the throes of hope and despair, at the mercy of a mere mortal.

A single nod, silent but decided, finally ended his torment. His instinct told him to pull her closer, to celebrate the relief she had just granted him with a passionate kiss, but he knew that it was too soon to rejoice. The hardest part still lay ahead of them—of her.

And so the only thing that spoke of his elation was the warmest of smiles that curled his perfectly shaped lips upwards. “Then all you have to do is drink this.”

He loathed the second her gaze left his and was pulled to the richly decorated chalice that had appeared in his hand instead. Eyes glued to the clear, odourless liquid, Hades wondered whether she might reconsider her choice after all, when they suddenly lifted back up again to find his orbs of blue for reassurance.

I love you, sweet mortal, he wanted to say and Eliza would have understood. She would have understood that it was a promise, that there was nothing to be afraid of because he would never let anyone or anything harm her. But this was not his Eliza, not yet, and so he swallowed his words and smiled again instead until he could feel the weight being lifted out of his hand at last.

He didn’t dare look away or even blink as she lifted the chalice to her lips. She needed to drink it all, every last drop of the water from the Mnemosyne he and Hecate had been very careful to measure. A few drops too much from the pool of memory and she would not only remember her last life but all of them, and humans had gone insane over less. But one drop too little could mean she would be missing parts of her memory, vital parts, and that was a risk he was not willing to take.

And so he monitored her closely, watching her every move, every single twitch and flutter, while he waited for the inevitable. He knew exactly what was about to happen, Hecate had briefed him again and again, and they had disputed more times than he could count whether he was to tell his mortal what was about to happen to her or not. Ultimately, the fear of losing her again before he had even gotten her back had convinced him to spare her the details, but now, as he watched the unease cloud her eyes and slowly turn into panic, he hated himself for being such a coward.

It had started slowly. The first effects had been almost imperceptible and Ana had thought it were her nerves playing tricks on her when the world had seemed to blur for the tiniest moment and then instantly cleared before her eyes again. But she could feel that there was something building up in the back of her head, like an oncoming storm, and then everything seemed to be happening at once.

She had wanted to warn him that something wasn’t right, but before the words even had the chance to form in her mind, she lost control. She could see the reflection of her own eyes in his, and judging from the terror they held she seemed to be in a state of utter panic. But she wasn’t. At least it didn’t feel like it. In fact, Ana didn’t feel much at all. Strangely numb and a little lightheaded, the world began to slip away from her. She remembered waiting for the clattering sound of the chalice that had escaped her grip, but it never came. Instead she could feel herself fall, but instead of the hard ground she landed against something soft and was wrapped tightly into a warm blanket. For a second, it was only her, floating in sweet nothingness. She could have stayed like this forever. Calm. Peaceful.

But then a rush of light split the darkness, its gleaming blaze hurting her eyes as it surged towards her. In the distance, she heard somebody scream in pain and the air suddenly felt too heavy to breathe, leaving her with nothing but a salty, bitter taste in her mouth. And then the images came.

A beautiful couple with two sets of beaming eyes, a small boy sticking his head in between theirs as he hugged them from behind. Then the same boy, a bit older now, missing a tooth in his wild smile, and a little girl with dark hair looking up at him in adoration as he tightly clutched her hand in his.

Alex. ALEX.

Mom and Dad.

Tires screeching somewhere far away, glass breaking and metal groaning, then silence, darkness. And pain. A suffocating ache deep in her chest as real as it had been on the day that had marked the end of life as she had known it and spiralled her deeper into the abyss that had opened up a long while ago.

There was nothing. Only the darkness that surrounded her. She couldn’t even tell if her eyes were open or closed. But then there was something. Faint at first, but growing louder with every passing second. A whisper.

Eliza.

And even though there was still nothing to be seen, she could feel him. His strong arms that carried her into her bedroom, unrelenting hands that helped themselves to her flesh, caressing her, pleasuring her.

Let me worship you.

She was soaring, her heart threatening to burst as the memory of her divine soulmate came back to life piece by piece. Light blue eyes turning black, silvery scars appearing on immaculate skin, white hair replacing brown locks, and a smile as precious as it was rare, sparked by her, only her.

She wanted to stay in this fragment of her memory forever, basking in the intoxicating composition of mystery and desire, power and satisfaction, and love, so much love. He had almost completely manifested before her now, her God of the Underworld. All it took was a mere reach of her hand and they would be one again at last.

Her arm already lifting up, a flash of yellow suddenly drowned out his image as it hit the ground right before her feet. It was gone as suddenly as it had appeared, and all it left behind was a daffodil, its fragile petals crushed and broken. By a secret, sealed with a promise born from the naive passion of first love, woven by the hands of the Fates. Those fucking Fates.

Eliza felt her body starting to tremble, her breath quickening and it was only now that she realised she was running. She didn’t know where to, it was too dark to see, but she knew that she was running from something. And she was running for her life.

Should you ever need me, just say my name and I’ll be there.

“AIDONEUS!”

Eliza was screaming at the top of her lungs now. Over and over she hollered his name into the darkness, her voice losing volume with every cry for her lover. Hot tears were streaming down her face, drowning out her voice until it only came as a mere whisper, muffled by silk, before it fell silent completely.

It was done. She was back. His queen had returned. Where only moments ago he had taken a stranger into his arms, he held his Eliza now. She was still trembling in the aftershocks of her pain that had wrestled them both to the ground, but he could feel her body slowly relax against his chest. Still he was hesitant to loosen his tight embrace, as was she, it seemed, her fingers clutching the fabric of his shirt as if she feared he might vanish the moment she let go of him. He wouldn’t. He would never lose her again and there was no power in this world that would ever take her from him again either.

“It was you.” Her voice was feeble and croaky but full of determination. “It was you all along. Always you.”

“I promised to wait, didn’t I? Just as you promised to be with me always. Do you remember?”

“I do. And I did. All this time.”

It was strange really. The drink from the Lethe should have wiped every last bit of her memory, but somehow it seemed as if part of her had refused to forget about him and everything they had shared. He may have been erased from her mind, but he could never be erased from her soul. He was a part of it, a part of her.

A soft sigh escaped her lips as the need to be closer still took hold of her and her arm was already moving to wrap around his strong shoulders and neck before she even realised what she was doing. Everything about him felt new, as if she would feel him for the first time and hadn’t already explored every last inch of him. But that had been in another lifetime, a different body, causing her whole form to tingle as her head found the faintly familiar comfort of his shoulder. Immediately his long lost scent invaded her senses, smokey, sinful, pulling her closer until her nose had found the bare skin of his neck to inhale his rich essence right from its source.

It wasn’t long until her fingers started to move on their own, setting out to explore their territory. Soon they left the silky path of his shirt to slip underneath the dark fabric, venturing deeper and deeper, refusing to stop before they found the lush fur that covered his chest. Eliza could feel the rapid swell of his sharp inhale underneath her fingertips, and her lips chose to answer in her stead, pressing down urgently onto his warm skin. There was nothing she could have done to prevent them from parting the second they detected the strong pulse of his heartbeat against them, tongue darting out to taste him and the sheer force of life he radiated.

“Eliza.”

His voice was soft, pleading, almost drowning out against the low rumble of thunder in the distance, but his hands spoke a different language as they dug into her flesh. It was more than apparent that he was holding back. What for she couldn’t tell, but she knew for sure that she didn’t want him to. It felt like an eternity to her since she had last been his, how long must it have felt for him?

Distracted by the trail of burning desire her lips and tongue left on his skin, Hades was in no state to notice that her hand had left its fluffy resting place and was now moving up along his chest, his neck, his sharp jawline to find the friction of his scruffy cheek. He wasn’t surprised in the least that she wasn’t met with any resistance as she began to gently tilt his head towards her.

“My love,” she whispered, right next to his mouth, and when her breath slipped in between his parted lips, he knew he was lost.

The first touch of her mouth was featherlight, and still her kiss moved the deepest parts inside him as her lips carefully caressed his, probing, testing. It was Elysium, savouring her like this after what had felt like millennia, eons of separation. He could have stayed like this forever, his darling mortal in his arms, her soft lips on his, and he would never want for anything again. But then, with a sigh that rekindled memories he had only ever allowed himself to visit when the pain of her absence had threatened to become unbearable, she opened up to him and all his intentions of taking his time dissolved in the gentle breeze. With the first taste of her sweet flavour on his tongue, he could feel the hunger awaken inside of him, a hunger only she knew how to sate.

And Hades could tell that he wasn’t the only one who was yearning to renew their union as Eliza began to shift in his arms. Soon she was straddling him, the full softness of her body pressing against his chest as the strong hold of his arms around her coaxed a delicious moan from her lips.

Everything about her was new, the sensation of her skin, her smell, her taste and he was eager to familiarise himself with every little detail of her being and learn her anew.

Suddenly a flash of lightning broke the sky, reminding him very effectively that this wasn’t at all what he had wanted their reunion to be like. There was no need to rush. He had made that mistake before, outside the opera house, overwhelmed by the lure of her want for him. After the mess his weakness had caused, the pain it had caused her, he had sworn himself to never let his primal instincts take over like that again. And so he pulled away.

But as soon as his eyes found hers, he knew that it had been the wrong decision. Confusion dimmed the sparkle he had found there earlier, and was soon joined by the pain his refusal had brought.

“Don’t you want me?” she whispered and the words she added only in her mind spoke louder to him than ever. In this form.

How could she ever think he didn’t want her because she looked different now? He loved her, so much he had merged his soul with hers, a bond that would last until the end of time. What did looks matter in the face of such love?

“I want you more than anything, my sweet mortal.”

“And I you, my lord.” A pair of soft hands cupped his face. “I need you. I need you to show me you’re still mine.”

He growled lowly as his lips captured hers again in a searing kiss and pulled her closer.

“Right here?”

Her brown eyes held the blue orbs of his mortal form unashamedly. After everything that had changed about her, her eyes still remained the same. The same warmth, the same challenge, the same fire that burned for him.

“Right here. I cannot be apart from you any longer.”

In an instant the last barrier that had separated them vanished, forcing two heavy moans to break free as they finally felt each other skin on skin. They didn’t even notice the first raindrops that hit their naked bodies. Deeply immersed in each other, in their kiss, now hungrier, more demanding, they devoured each other, claiming anew what had been denied to them so long by fate.

“Show yourself to me, my love.”

With a soft moan his eyes closed and Eliza watched in awe as his hair turned white, his skin a touch paler, decorated with silvery scars like the finest marble. On impulse her fingers reached for him, coaxing a soft sigh from his lips as they traced the silvery lines on his chest and shoulders. But she also needed to feel his hair run through her fingers, those silky strands that were withheld from her by a messy bun. But she was quick to free them and as soon as she let her fingers dive into the divine softness, he opened his eyes.

“Aidoneus.”

Like a tender caress his own name wafted over his lips on her sweet breath. But before he could return the favour, the sure touch of her fingers, closing around his arousal, made her name die on his tongue and while she let the unfathomable darkness of his eyes swallow her, they became one again.

For a short eternity the world seemed to stand still, and so did they, clinging to each other upon the overwhelming sensation of the completeness of their reunion.

Finally, he thought as he buried his face in her raven hair. Finally she was back in his arms, where she had always belonged.

No words could have ever explained what they both felt right now, and so they kept silent, eyes holding each other—until she moved. Moaning in unison, there was no holding back from here on. Hands began wandering across bare skin, feeling, exploring, relishing in their regained closeness, joined by mouths that needed to lick and suck, to bite and taste what they had missed for far too long.

Rain was pouring down on them by now, still they stayed unfazed as the warm droplets hit them and cascaded down their bodies in thick rivulets. Thunder shook the trees nearby, causing ripples on the surface of the lake, but soon their sounds of pleasure drowned out the rumbling of nature as they filled the charged air around them.

In a wave of pleasure that pulsed through her whole body, Eliza’s head lulled back and Hades seized his chance. Eagerly he lapped up the raindrops from her velvety neck, her collarbones, her breasts, coaxing the sweetest sighs from her throat.

“Don’t let go,” she begged, her voice needier than ever in the face of her nearing high. “Please don’t let go.”

“Never.”

With a roar he pulled her closer, securing her in his arms as another stroke of lightning split the sky.

“Eliza.”

“Please, my love. Please.”

“I love you.”

His confession still hot on her lips, ecstasy washed over them, engulfing them, consuming them whole. And he did as she had asked of him. He didn’t let go. Not even after the storm had calmed and left them floating in perfect bliss. And neither did she.

He couldn’t blame her. It was simply impossible to loosen their embrace. After all the years of pain and yearning and silent despair. But none of this mattered now, dissolving like morning mist by sunrise. He would not lose her again. Never. Not even another day would he spend without her by his side, without her warm embrace and the protection of her love. This was perfection. Just holding her close, feeling the strain of her chest against his grip and the wild beating of her heart against his own, this was why he lived, the only thing that was real, and true, and finally set him free.

The many years of solitude had given him time to prepare, to plan her return to him and to the Underworld, as his rightful queen. Everything was settled, Thanatos and Hecate waiting for them and setting everything up for the ceremony. For as his queen, he wanted her to be his equal in every way. A goddess, not only to him but to the souls he ruled and the Olympians alike. The Goddess of Rebirth.

“Come with me, Eliza. Be my queen. Rule the Underworld by my side.”

His heart sank into his feet when instead of an answer, Eliza pulled away. He had been so sure that this was what she wanted as well, but with every passing second of her silence he began to wonder now if all the years of separation had deluded his mind on this matter.

“Aidoneus.” Her hands cupped his face again as she spoke, one thumb gliding along the softness of his lips. “Take me home.”

And there it finally was, the beaming smile, overflowing with happiness, that he had so dearly hoped to find on her face.

Home.

For a long time, there hadn’t been any place that deserved to be called that. But with her, he could make a home anywhere, even in the most unlikely of places. And he would. They would.

***

Tag List: If your name is crossed out, I wasn't able to tag you. If you don't specify which fic you want to be tagged in, you will be added to my general taglist.

@summersong69 @myloveforhenrycavill @dorothea-hwldr @omgkatinka @ashesofblackroses @amberangel112 @icarusblinders @zealoushound @asuni921 @endofalldays01 @nerra75 @indigosaurus @nowyouseeme098 @cap-just-said-language @miss-rebel-without-applause @wheretheriversrunintothesea @maan24 @mochionly @introvertedmouse @sofiebstar @kebabgirl67 @marytudorbrandon @littleone65 @thoughtfullyfurryangel @mimi-just-living @themanfromu @liecastillo @capncassas @evansabove1981 @luclittlepond @agniavateira @enchantedbytomandhenry @lumiousmoon @tumblnewby @crazybutconfidentaf @viking-raider @thorins-queen-of-erebor @aletheladyinred @fvckinghenrycavill @wonderlandfandomkingdom @calwitch @cynic-spirit @aubageddon91 @atomicr4ven @kmuir1

#august walker x reader #geralt of rivia x reader #hades!geralt #hades!august #henry cavill #august walker #geralt of rivia #august walker imagine #geralt of rivia imagine #henry cavill imagine #greek mythology au #hades #hades x reader #worship

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if-loki-was-a-fox · 1 year

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PLEASE GET A PROFILE PIC

or I will block thinking you are a bot

/not mad, tumblr just has bot issues and it is common practice

~Introduction Post~

I have a sideblog for everything I reblog: @if-loki-was-a-fox-reblogs

Info about me:

Loki or Fidget or any nickname from my url (Loki from Norse Mythology, not Marvel/MCU)

Any pronouns idk my pronouns just do whatever or switch it around

Young adult / older teenager (this blog should be sfw 99% of the time but use discretion/filtering as needed)

I also post my art on Instagram (same username but with _ instead of - between words. Mostly sharing this so people can properly @ me there if it comes up 'cus it's always been @/ before)

Neurodivergent (ADHD, probably other stuff as well idk)

Unlabeled gender (vaguely agender/nonbinary/genderqueer)

Incredibly aroace ♠️ kinda sex-repulsed, idk what romantic love is. maybe also a tiny bit lesbian, but so aroace it doesn't matter tbh

Interactions:

Anyone can send me asks whenever! I may be shy in a lot of other ways but I do like getting asks

Feel free to use my art for pfps, blog headers, edits, web weaves, art studies/reference, etc, with credit (ask before just flat out reposting to another social media, tho. The other stuff you don't have to ask but do credit I'd appreciate an @ ping or such just so I can see cool stuff you do :)

Let me know if you'd like me to tag something (I tag with "cw [thing]" most consistently, so feel free to filter that for anything you need)

I use tone indicators (and appreciate when others use them, usually not abbreviated)

Mutuals can @ me whenever I'm a bit anxious about non-mutuals @ me on tag games and what not, but anyone can tag me on like, fanart of my latest blorbo obsessions, or if anyone does anything inspired by anything I've done

Reblogs are always appreciated on my fanart and fandom rambling posts! Comments and ramblings in reblogs is always welcome (so long as you're not being rude about my post ofc ofc)

I don't mind likes, especially from mutuals and/or on stuff about OCs or AUs. Obviously reblogs are generally preferred because that's how this site operates best, but I won't get offended or block anyone for liking my art w/o reblogging, likes are still appreciated :]

Fandom stuff:

Main fandom: MCYT (Hermitcraft + Life Series)

Not really a big shipper, but I love friend and family dynamics, especially found family and platonic co-parenting, but really any and all variants

I greatly enjoy Clockers Family as canon, but may treat it as a separate canon from general Life Series to some extent

The Mounders, Roomies, Clockers, and just traffic!Mumbo himself are frequently on my mind

I also enjoy Ranchers, Cletho, Grian & Mumbo, Ren & Doc, Stress & Iskall, Pearl as a whole, the ESMP1 musical and Scott's ESMP1, and many other's I'm forgetting right now

I lean towards seeing Flower Husbands as an unhealthy/toxic relationship

Secret Life and Last Life and their differences are my favorite thing

I do not like engaging in discourse, it stresses me the heck out! Do not bring it to my ask box and please tag it appropriately (and let me know if you'd like me to tag anything as discourse, /neg, or /crit. I try to use those tag liberally)

I would also request you don't bring any sexual or suggestive discussion of characters or anything to my inbox or reblogs. Mild general suggestive jokes or comments are chill, but nothing too graphic/explicit or sexualizing a specific character/person preferably

I'm also trying to get better at image descriptions, so please give me feedback and advice on that if you have any!

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keanureevesisbae · 2 years

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hi there and welcome to my little cafe. here you can find all the information about my writings. if something is unclear, please don't be shy and send me a message.

☕️ ---------------------------------------------------------------☕️

｡･:*˚:✧｡ about requests

my requests are closed. however, if you have something in mind after reading a fic of mine, you can send me an ask and i will post them and maybe write a little something something for it.

☕️ ---------------------------------------------------------------☕️

｡･:*˚:✧｡ about the characters

i mostly write stories with original female characters and these ofc's are all asian. i try to have some diversity in these characters, because there are a lot of different types of asians.

please note that just because i write asian ofc's, it is not limited for asians to read. years have gone by where i read about readers/ofc's with very eurocentric traits, however that never stopped me from reading it. if you broaden your horizon, an entire new literary world will open for you.

the one shots i write with a reader are all female, however i try to be as inclusive as possible, unless stated otherwise.

☕️ ---------------------------------------------------------------☕️

｡･:*˚:✧｡ who i write/have written for

➻ keanu reeves | john wick |

➻ henry cavill | august walker | walter marshall | captain syverson

➻ chris evans

➻ marvel characters such as bucky barnes | sam wilson | peter parker

➻ one chicago charachters such as antonio dawson | peter mills |

☕️ ---------------------------------------------------------------☕️

｡･:*˚:✧｡ from the author to the reader

like any other author on this platform, we love comments and reblogs. while likes are okay, all we want is interaction about the stories we have created. however, i understand it can be a little daunting to actually write down what you thought about the story. believe me, i know, i was a lurking reader once.

but remember you can always send me a message (anonymous or not) or a dm. i love to talk about my stories and the characters i created. i write for free, but the best form of payment is in sweet and kind words.

please note: i love comments and sweet messages. if you have some feedback or if you think i have written something incorrectly (i'm a human being and while i do my research, i get it wrong sometimes), you can always tell me that, but if you do so, please be mindful of your tone.

if you do not like or appreciate what i write, there is a very simple thing for you to do and that is to exit the story and not look at it again. go write your own story and post it on here. i do not appreciate nor tolerate hateful comments on my stories or about me.

☕️ ---------------------------------------------------------------☕️

© all works posted on this blog belong to me and all rights are reserved by me. i do not give permission to repost or plagiarize my works. i work very hard on the characters i create, so if you plagiarize (therefore steal) my work, it affects me deeply.

#guide for my writing #welcome to L's cafe #keanureevesisbae

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blackxwidowsxwife · 3 years

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No More Burning Breakfast

Natasha Romanoff x Reader One Shot

Word Count: 2.2k

(not my gif)

summary: One morning in the Norwegian countryside you decide to surprise your girlfriend with something sweet, it doesn’t go exactly as you’d originally planned

Warnings: Soft Norway Nat, fluff lots and lots of fluff, mild violence described

A/N: SO my first fanfic EVER AHHHH! so many lovely writers on here have inspired me to try my hand at this and I’m excited to get started! This fic is dedicated to all of them. Keep in mind this is my first attempt at writing and is pretty much unedited so please go easy on me. I’d love to hear any feedback and comments you all have! and ofc likes and reblogs always welcome! pls enjoy :)

pls no reposting! <3

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You hummed contentedly as you approached the metal door of the trailer, shifting the paper bag full of pastries from your right hand to your left to be able to place the key in the lock. Calm mornings like this one were always your favorite, and they weren’t hard to come by as you and Natasha found yourselves with more and more free time when you’d been peacefully tucked away in the countryside of Norway. The circumstances of your seclusion may have been forced but the peaceful moments it brought along with it were something you secretly savored.

You'd never seen this much of Natasha before, she was usually away on missions for months at a time and your time together was sparse, only managing to steal brief but intimate moments together in the compound before she packed up and left another mission again. It was a simple occupational hazard you often found yourself rationalizing, one that tested the strength of your relationship multiple times. One the two of you hadn't been faced with ever since the Avengers had an impromptu break up and became wanted war criminals though.

Now all your time was spent together, holed up in the safe house Natasha found through an old friend. Stressful nights contemplating the lives you'd left behind slowly morphed into quiet mornings just the two of you spent curled up in bed watching movies as the weeks passed by and no trouble reared its ugly head.

Around this time in the morning you usually made Natasha and yourself breakfast, you quickly realized your girlfriend wasn't the best cook in the first few weeks you'd spent together, and took on the role yourself happily if not for your own concern for your health. You weren't the most amazing chef but you had a few tricks up your sleeves. And as tedious as getting up to make breakfast every morning was, you'd be lying if you said you didn't love the domesticity of it all..

Still, as the days went by it began to feel a bit like a routine and you felt a longing desire to break up the monotony. So today you decided to surprise your lover with something sweet, slipping out of bed without managing to wake up your super spy (which came as a huge surprise to you) and driving into town to pick up sugary confections from a small bakery to express your affections for the redhead.

You smiled to yourself anticipating the look on her face when you presented her with an assortment of her favorite treats before turning the key in the lock and stepping into the safety of the home away from home you two had made. You were greeted with the smell of something burning as you shrugged off your jacket and let your eyes take in the view in front of you.

There in all her glory Natasha was dancing gracefully in front of the stove, draped in an oversized t-shirt and underwear. Forcefully stirring a concoction in the pan while her lower half swayed to the music that was evidently playing in her headphones. You admired her form for a moment and chuckled lowly to yourself as you took the opportunity to sneak up behind her.

“Boo!” you giggled out while placing your free hand on her waist.

Big mistake.

Natasha quickly spun around swinging her leg around to sweep yours out from under you, while simultaneously grabbing your wrist from her waist and bending it at an awkward angle.

“Oh my god!”

You both shouted out at the same time for different reasons, though yours escaped your lips more as a whimper

“Detka, it's you!” she exclaimed in surprise and dropped your wrist, placing her headphones on the counter.

“Well yes who else would it be?!” you whisper shouted through clenched teeth, cradling your sore hand and moving to stand back up slowly, pastries long forgotten in their crumpled bag by your feet on the floor. Natasha crinkled her nose and winced, reaching out to caress your wrist.

“I’m so sorry malyshka, you know you can't sneak up on me like that!”

“I wasn't expecting you to go full on Black Widow on me!” she chuckled at this before leading you over to the table and sitting you down.

“I mean seriously! Did you not notice I wasn't in bed this morning? Who else would it be?” you exclaimed with faux frustration now. watching as her smile widened and cheeks began to flush in embarrassment at your questions.

“I’m sorry, I thought you just went for a walk!”

“With the car?!” she paused at this, and her eyes peered towards the window, hinting to you she hadn't thought to check for its absence before getting started on breakfast.

“You know I wouldn't have left for a walk without making you something to eat love.”

“I thought you might have been hinting you were tired of making breakfast for me all the time by leaving so early, so I tried to make something myself.” she gestured to the stove with a grimace, where the pan still sat full of food and you laughed softly to yourself at her expression

“Well had I known you were going to physically accost me when I got back, I wouldn't have left in the first place!”

“It wasn't on purpose!”

“Wait, where did you go?” she questioned, taking in your appearance fully before her eyes met the bag that was still laying on the floor.

“What's in the bag?”

“Don't change the subject!” you laughed out reaching down to grab the bag before she could with her cat like reflexes. She gasped defiantly and met your eyes as you smirked.

“What is it?”

“You know, I think- I think you may have actually broken my wrist, can we get back to that?” you gestured dramatically to your arm and she rolled her eyes at your antics

“You're so dramatic” you gasped loudly at this

“You know what? I revoke my gift”

“You haven't even given it to me yet!”

“I guess i'll just have to eat all of these myself”

“Good, I didn't want any anyway.” she met your mischievous grin with raised brows and a look that said ‘i'm not budging’. You fought back a laugh at her stubbornness, something that always endeared you.

“You don't even know what it is!”

“I know I don't want any, I have a perfectly good breakfast on the stove” she moved to get up and plate her breakfast she’d put together when you first arrived and you giggled.

“Suit yourself darling”

You opened the paper bag that was sitting in your lap and breathed in the smell of the sweet and nutty aroma that were wafting off of the slice of almond cake you’d purchased for yourself from the kind old man in the Norwegian bakery that was resting on top of the collection of the pastries. You reached inside to pull out the slice of warm spongy goodness and placed it on a napkin on the wooden table.

Natasha sat down in front of you with a plate of burnt eggs and you smirked when you met her eyes. Her expression was unreadable for a moment and you decided to play with her a little more.

“This smells sooo good doesn't it natty?” you picked up the napkin and held out the cake in front of her face. She shrugged and shoved a forkful of eggs into her mouth. Her shoulders were straight as opposed to her usual slouch and it looked like she was in physical pain trying to eat her own creation.

You decided to torture her further by taking a large exaggerated bite of the cake, and actually couldn’t hold back the moan that escaped your lips when the almond cake met your tongue. It was light and fluffy and had just the right hint of cinnamon, it was easily one of the best pastries you'd ever had.

“I don't know what you're trying to accomplish, I don't even like almonds.” you met Natashas eyes at this and smirked once again while she shifted her fork around her plate dejectedly

“Oh I know, this was for me,” you said with pretend nonchalance “That's why I got you blini and caviar” you met her eyes excitedly and waited for her reaction

You'd driven for the better half of an hour to get the rare Russian caviar from Natashas contact before you stopped at the Norwegian bakery, and had been anticipating her reaction to you getting her favorite treats all morning. It was worth it to see the expression that lit up her face at your words.

she choked and eyed the bag that was still on the table, and you knew she'd finally caved. She grinned widely before shoving her plate of eggs away and grabbing the pastry and container of caviar out of the bag. You laughed at the surprise in her expression and smiled tenderly when she looked up at you.

There was awe in her expression and you assumed it was because she wasn't used to someone going out of their way to surprise her with something she loved so much, or paying close enough attention to learn what she loves in the first place. Your heart stuttered at the thought but you took comfort in knowing as long as you were breathing and as long as she'd have you, you'd give everything to treat Natasha the way she truly deserved.

She smiled at you, big and warm and thankful and you just about died when she reached out a hand to caress your cheek lovingly. You met her touch in the middle of the table and rested your hand softly over hers, squeezing it with gentle purpose before leaning in for a tender kiss. You both smiled into it before separating and it was then you decided that you'd go any lengths no matter how grand to see her smile like that again.

“Baby, thank you.” she held your gaze and this time you couldn't feign nonchalance through your blushing cheeks.

“Ah it was nothing” you gave an unconvincing shrug and watched as she opened up the container of caviar with a beaming smile

You appreciated the calm silence that took over you both as you ate, and felt the warmth of gratifying satisfaction still buzzing in your chest at the fact that you had returned the favor Natasha gifted with you every day just by existing, you’d made her truly happy.

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

Later in the day you'd stripped off your day clothes and sat beside Natasha on the bed in a t-shirt and sweats. You both bundled up under the covers and put a movie on her laptop. You were getting sick of watching the same bond films every other night but she loved them and watching her recite them line by line was more entertaining than the films themselves sometimes.

Her arm wrapped around you and she pulled you into her side pressing a soft kiss to the side of your head. You felt a safety you’d never known every time she pulled you into her embrace and feeling her skin flushed against yours and her auburn hair tickling your neck was a form of easy intimacy you wouldn’t trade for the world.

You spent the majority of the film stealing kisses in between important scenes, with your attention to the movie waning on and off when you remembered the feel of her soft pillowy lips beside you. You looked up at her at just the right moment and you locked eyes and she moved a hand to your cheek to caress you softly.

“What are you thinking?” she whispered and you smiled up at her.

“that if a sprained wrist is all it takes to make you smile that big, next time i think i'd let you body slam me through the floor if it meant i got to see you this content.” she slapped your arm softly at this and you felt her shoulders shake underneath your own as you both laughed.

“I'm serious!” you laughed softly and buried your face in her neck basking in the light and airy serenity of the moment.

The two of you laid there for a few more moments when something in the room changed. You wrinkled your nose and rolled over in confusion. You sniffed a few times and pat Natashas arm softly to get her attention.

“Babe, do you smell that?” you questioned the redhead beside you and moved to stand up.

“Smell what?” she looked at you pensively.

Natasha stilled, sniffed the air and shot up out of the bed like it had burned her. You watched her in alarm as she ran out of the room and into the kitchen.

“I forgot about the bacon!” she shouted back at your worried form and you laughed in disbelief.

As you watched her take out a smoking tray of charred and unrecognizable shapes you decided a lot more pastries would be in your future if it meant no more cooking from your girlfriend. And you'd let her practice any moves in the book on you when you arrived home with her favorite foods every time if it meant you got to see her face light up the way it did.

It would always be worth it, so long as you were coming home to her.

A/N: AHHHH I DID IT. first fic is done. If you made it this far thank you so much for reading! let me know what you thought in the comments <3 I’m open to requests but I’m a relatively new writer so keep that in mind when you do! I hope to get out some fics I have in the works soon :) I’d appreciate if you like or reblog greatly! feedback is ofc always welcome

thanks again loves ❤️

- E

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theonetheycallhannah · 3 years

Text

The Treatment of Captain Syverson-Chapter 20: Second Assist

Characters: Captain Logan “Sy” Syverson, Shane Benton (OFC), various other original supporting/secondary characters

Summary: Shane reunites with friends and family, hashes out some feelings, and gets real with Sy. Can their relationship survive her trauma? And the threat that still looms above them?

Romance and Smut Abound HERE!

Word Count: 4500

Warnings: Mention of rape, alcoholic beverages, violent imagery…feels out the butt.

Author’s Note: You guys are so splendid and beautiful! I can’t thank you enough for your support and encouragement to finish this piece. First, welcome to new readers! I know poor Henry’s injury and subsequent physiotherapy has driven some of you here, and while I’m sorry for him, I’m glad I can consider myself something of a pioneer in this particular genre and provide you some help for your newfound thirst. To my OG readers, it is to you I owe this entire work, parts written and incomplete, and I hope an eventual book deal. I mean to mention you in my acknowledgements, should this ever reach a willing publisher. You’ve inspired me so supremely that I cannot quantify it, even with the words I hold so dear.

Since my last chapter was posted, we’ve said a relieved goodbye to 2020 and a tentative hello to 2021. To be honest, this year has started out worse than last year. Lots of bad weather in my area this winter, my sister is currently on her way to a new life in another state, and my grandmother, the last grandparent I had, passed away in February. Those last two things have been especially difficult to shake off and recover from, both coming to fruition pretty suddenly. Amongst all that, I’ve been pretty distracted by my other fandoms, especially Marvel, and I’ve been reading a killer book series that I’m utterly in love with. (The Throne of Glass novels by Sarah J. Maas. 10/10 recommend.) But I knew I needed to get back into Shane and Sy’s story, especially given the new and rekindled interest in the subject matter. In all honesty, I’ve had most of it written for months. It’s just been a matter of finishing it off to set up the rest of the story.

I really hope you all enjoy Chapter 20, Second Assist, and would love your feedback and notes. You are all so important to this story, and your notes, reblogs, and comments are cherished. Thank you so much for reading! Love from Hannah!

Disclaimer: Unfortunately for me, Henry is not mine, le sigh, and all mention of him, his characters, any characters from his films, or his precious doggy, Kal, are strictly for transformative and recreational use. I neither ask for, nor accept payment for the work I post on Tumblr or AO3. Unbeta’d because this is for fun and escapism. This is an original work by me, Hannah. Please reblog if you wish to share. Please do not repost either in whole or part, as the work of anyone but myself. Thanks so much for reading!

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X@X@X@X@X@X@X@X@X@X@X@

Shane woke in her warm bed, late morning sun streaming in through her sheer curtains, the heavier drapes parted to let in the light. She wished she'd remembered to close them before now. She really was not ready to be awake.

She was sore. Achy. Her sleep had been fitful and full of shadowy nightmares and muffled screams. Beyond that, she didn't try to remember images or events. She knew the general premise of the dreams. It would take a lot of time, effort, or a miracle to make her forget those traumas she'd been through in the last week. Not even forget. She knew she never would. But move on from them. Accept them. And heal from them…even that seemed a mighty obstacle. One she was not sure she could surmount.

Through the open bedroom door, she could hear Lynyrd Skynyrd and the clanging and sizzling of pans, and she could smell bacon and freshly brewed coffee. Sy had left the room, but had not, it seemed, gone far. She gingerly sat up, stood from the bed, and donned her robe as she walked out into the hall and down the corridor to the kitchen.

The sight before her warmed her heart. There was Sy. In only his boxers, daringly frying the notoriously dangerous breakfast meat. Upon her entry to the kitchen, she could also smell pancakes, and she thought syrup, as well. He seemed to be warming a bottle of the maple unction in a pot of hot water. He turned as she stepped on a squeaky floorboard, and grinned widely at her.

"Mornin' sunshine." And she was struck by the irony of someone with such a radiant smile calling her sunshine. Especially when she didn't feel much like beaming. But she couldn't help return the expression, even through her pain.

"Mornin' bear. Did you go to the store?" She knew she couldn't have any bacon in her fridge, and she doubted her eggs and milk were still good at this point. But she also couldn't think that he would leave her for any reason.

"Nah, some of the guys brought over some provisions. Matt worked on your car all night, too, and filled up the tank. It's as good as new. He and Nate brought ‘er over as well as the groceries. I just had ‘em get stuff I knew your family wouldn't be bringing later. They've had tons of food given to them this week, and they're ready to share. You should have seen your mom loading me down with sandwiches and chips and whatnot when I visited them."

"I still can't believe you met them. I really wanted to introduce you personally." Shane's face fell. She would never be able to get that back. She wanted to cry. Sy had poured her a cup of coffee and sat it in front of her with her favorite creamer.

"Darlin' I’m so sorry. I had to talk to them."

"I know." she sniffed. "I'm not mad. Not at you. Just…"she didn't want to say Elliott's name. "I'm disappointed that the experience was stolen from me." That so many things had been stolen from her. By that monster. There was no other way to describe him. Sy growled. As if he could read her mind. He really just knew her well enough and shared her thoughts.

"Well, don't worry, we'll have a nice dinner with them one of these days, and we can pretend. Sound good?"

"Yeah, and I can feign nervousness." she laughed.

"And I'll pretend too. That I'm scared to meet your dad." he chuckled. "What if he threatens me with his shotgun?"

"I'll pull the ol' 'Daddy, no, I loooooove him!' line, as I throw myself between you!"

"That oughta work." he laughed and kissed her on the forehead as he stepped toward the stove and flipped a pancake.

As they sat eating their late breakfast, Shane's mind wandered. Nothing had changed on the surface, but everything was different now. This cozily mundane breakfast with her boyfriend felt like an out of body experience. As delicious as it was, as wonderful and comforting as it should feel, her guard was up. Even through her amiable façade. She was not the person she was two weeks ago. She was not the same woman who said goodbye to Sy at the base. Maybe that was the real transformation. Maybe that was why nothing felt normal. It wasn't the world, but her own self coming back into it.

"Shane?" Sy asked, gently, but it felt like he was speaking through a megaphone directly into her ear. She was so startled, she nearly dropped the half full mug of coffee that was paused midway to her lips. A bit sloshed out onto the table and splashed her shirt.

"Shit!" she chided herself. It wasn't a big deal, but she felt stupid jumping at the sound of her own name.

Sy reached for the closest towel, hanging from the oven handle, grabbed it and started for her clothes with it. She stopped him. But she couldn't think about why the intimate act made her uncomfortable.

"No, don't, it's fine. These clothes have seen better days, anyway." She pulled the towel from him and began to mop up the small puddles of coffee around her plate.

Sy seemed to note the stains already present on the shirt, as if trying to divine their history. She was something of a messy eater, so the battle wounds of many a barbecue, spaghetti dinner, and hurried breakfast peppered the now off-white SATB club tee she'd gotten her second or third year in college choir. She thought back to a huge room with high ceilings. White, cinder block walls, flecked tile floors, a beautiful, glossy, black baby grand in front of a long whiteboard with black lines to resemble sheet music. She thought about the mnemonic device she'd learned to help her remember what notes appeared on each line, and in the spaces between them. She pondered the deeper meanings and implications of these devices. EGBDF…every good boy does fine. She thought about the "good boys" in her life. She knew many. Her dad, her brother Ethan, Sy, obviously, her many male coworkers and friends…and honestly they did far better than "fine." They were wonderful. But she was letting the "bad boys" she'd encountered dictate her mood. Permeate her psyche. Tear her down. She didn't want to be like this. Then FACE came to mind, and above their purpose of indicating the notes between the lines on the staff, they called her to action. To face these newly minted demons with all the strength she knew she possessed, and she too would "do fine." But as with almost all actions, this was easier said than done.

She felt a warm presence on her left hand which had paused it's torture of the now coffee-infused kitchen towel. Sy's hand was squeezing hers gently.

"Shane." he uttered, barely above a whisper this time. She looked at him through tears that she had not realized had formed. He continued.

"Shane, what can I do, darlin'? I'll do anything."

"Babe, you're doing everything you can, and more. This…this is all going to have to come from me. I…don't know when I'll be myself again…" she paused, tears streaming now. "I'm…I'm different."

"You're not though." he reached for her face, but she pulled away.

"I am, damn it! Sy, I was…" Words had power. And the one she was thinking of had more power than she thought was warranted. She knew that uttering it would take away it's power…and yet mustering the courage and strength to actually do so…seemed impossible. She took a deep breath, and disassociated herself from the statement, even though it was about her own past.

"I was raped." She refused to cry. She felt it all again. She had never said the words. She had never thought it necessary. Everyone understood. Sy, his friends, and she was sure her own loved ones had made the connection. But she knew she needed to say it now to drive home the points she was about to make.

Sy, looked at the table, nodding, not needing to be told in so many words something he already had surmised from the clear evidence. He remained silent. She went on.

"I love you, Sy. I have since the day we met, on one level or another, and I believe that I always will. But I…right now I can't be a proper girlfriend to you. I can't…be with you, touch you, be touched by you, in the way we used to be. In the way you deserve…and I don't know when…or even if…I ever will. Not that I don't want to. That's ALL I want in the world. To go back. To be the woman who fell in love with this…incredible man. To make love with you, but…I can't."

Sy's eyes were full of tears, their predecessors already descending his round cheeks and disappearing into his thick, dark beard.

"Sy, I don't want to lead you on and keep you tied to a relationship with no life in it. You deserve someone who's whole. Someone who can be a fully invested partner for you, and not this broken, damaged--"

"You stop that, Shane. I won't hear no more of this kinda talk. Y'hear? You're my girl. My woman. My person. No matter what. You gotta know I'd never leave ya just cuz you aren't ready for sex again. You don't think that I would, do ya?"

"Well, you went to Virginia…you took that job…knowing the distance it would put between us. Literally and figuratively."

"Biggest mistake of my life." Shane raised her eyebrows in surprise as Sy elaborated. "I couldn't focus on my classes without wishing you were there. Wishing I could team up with you for discussions and hand to hand combat training…that thought got me a little too excited, if you catch my drift." He smirked, pulling a sheepish smile from Shane. "Then in that forest. I dreamt about you every night. I thought of you constantly. I could barely breath sometimes, I missed ya so damned much. I was an idiot. I was insane to think that I needed anything other than you. Any MORE. There IS no more. You're it. You're the MOST! The most important thing in my life."

The declaration hung like vapors in the air, more felt than seen. Tangible yet ethereal.

"And when I found out that you were missing…I was…well, I think I looked like death…and not warmed over. You can ask the program director I met with after I got the news. She could tell I was just sick over it. And as I thought about it on the way home, pieced things together, started thinking about who'd taken you, I got murderous. Shane, I have been in dozens of battles, skirmishes, firefights, you name it. War. But…the sheer bloodlust I felt thinking about what you could be going through…I've never experienced anything like it. Everything was red. Everything. For days. Until I saw you, alive. And then it went red again when I saw the fear and damage on your face." she could tell he was doing his best not to talk about the farmhouse and that basement, but she still flashed back to the moments before and after his appearance there. The moments when she simultaneously prayed to live and hoped to die.

"You don't owe me anything, Shane. I just want you in my life, and I don't care what your presence looks like. Romantic, platonic, or somewhere in between. I'm here for you. And I wouldn't have it any other way."

Shane felt the urge to wrap her arms around her boyfriend, but could not seem to move more than one arm to place her other hand on top of his. She hoped the gratitude and love behind the small, but heartfelt gesture landed. It was all she had in that moment, no matter how abundant her affection.

~~~~~~~~~~

Shane's family's arrival was a complete blur to her. It was joyous, tearful, and the happiest she'd been in a long time. The moment she opened the front door for them, she was surrounded, engulfed with hugs from her parents and siblings. They stood in their affectionate huddle for several moments before Peg waved Sy over with marked insistence. He'd been standing by, observing happily, but not wanting to intrude on the familial reunion.

When they finally dispersed, John asked the two younger men to help him bring in groceries. The women headed into Shane's bedroom for a more private setting in which to talk. Shane filled her mother and sister in the best she could given the rawness of the wounds left on her mind by the events.

She leaned against the headboard cuddling with Gabby while her mom rubbed her feet. She had insisted on doing this thing that had always comforted her children, and made them feel much better when they were younger.

"Well, I'm very proud of you, pumpkin." The girls both looked at their mother, who rather uncharacteristically hadn't spoken in some time. Shane was nonplussed. Peg elaborated.

"You survived something that many women don't. You're talking about it now, which even more women don't. You may think you're broken, but you're just a tree damaged by a storm, but standing stronger than ever." Trust her mom to lay such wisdom on her. When she felt like giving up. When she just wanted pity. When she could only see defeat. Her mother had always found a way to encourage and buoy her and show her the victory.

"Mom's right." Gabby affirmed, and it was Peg's turn to be nonplussed, as the two women, though similar in so many ways, never seemed to see eye to eye. "It's true. Shane I've seen a lot of women come into the clinic in shoes very much like yours. And trust me…some of them…they don't make it to this point. You've got a long way to go before you're fully recovered, don't get me wrong, but you'll get there. You have us. And you have Sy."

"And then there's Sy." She diverted. "How am I supposed to plan any sort of future with him when…" She looked at her mom, and hesitated. Peg rolled her eyes.

"Shane, I know what the two of you get up to when you're alone. You don't have to be shy with me."

"Still…" she took a breath and spoke. "When I can't bring myself to…sleep with him?"

"Look at him, you're kidding, right?" Gabby chided, insensitively, but recanted at the pained expression on Shane's face. "Sorry, sis. Trying to lighten the mood a touch. Too soon. But seriously, I don't think this reluctance you feel will be permanent."

"And even if it is," Peg took over, "that man is out-of-his-mind in love with you, Shaney." She kissed Shane's toe before putting a sock on her foot. "He almost seems to worship you. Now, you know how I feel about using that term outside of religious context, but that is exactly the kind of love I want for you. Devout, and unconditional."

"But, mom, I can't--"

"Did you hear me? I said 'unconditional,' sweetie." Peg interrupted. "No matter what. No matter the obstacle. No matter the distance. No matter the circumstances. Love unwavering. That's what Sy has for you. I've seen it in him. Trust the momma."

The insistence her mother placed on trust had always ruffled Shane's feathers. Gabby's too, who she could feel stiffen slightly beside her. But Shane, for once, really wanted to trust her mother, hoping against hope that she was right. And that she, herself wouldn't screw up the best relationship she had ever been in or was likely to ever be in again.

The girls had begun talking about some of the coworkers who'd brought food in the past week, and Peg couldn't resist remarking on the character of her favorites and judging the ones she didn't care for…oddly enough, getting more or less, the correct measure of them, as Shane saw it.

After what must have been an hour from the time they'd arrived, they heard a knock on the slightly ajar bedroom door. John poked his head in.

"Ladies, we've put a casserole in the oven, and completed various manly projects around the house--"

"Oh, daddy, what projects?" She cringed. She hated that the men had felt the need to "fix" things.

"Babe, your guest bathroom had not one, but two leaky faucets, your kitchen table seemed to be more of a teeter-totter, and half the light bulbs in the living room were out. Among other tiny things. You're welcome." he smirked his crooked smirk so similar to her own, and she returned it as if he was looking in a mirror.

"Thanks, dad."

"Anyway, lunch is almost ready. So, when you've finished your confab, let's eat."

Dinner passed amiably, Shane found a reserve within herself to allow some quasi-normal behavior, as long as you didn’t look too closely. She was talking animatedly with her siblings, making their parents and Sy laugh riotously. Shane noticed some odd looks passing between Sy and her father, but chalked it up to paranoia. She wished at least Gabby and Ethan could stay, but Heather would be over soon, and she deserved her own dedicated time. Shane wanted to give that to her.

She said her farewells to her family with promises to visit them the next day, and at least one more time before her siblings went back home, if she could work it out.

Sy was so wonderful the whole time. Standing by her, a hand resting lightly on her shoulder as they waved goodbye to the departing vehicle. He made her feel so safe. They went into the kitchen and cleaned up from lunch. Well, Sy cleaned. Shane was texting Heather about when she'd be over.

"Heather says she'll be here in about a half hour. She's picking up wine and pizza." Shane told Sy without looking up from her phone. She could see out of the corner of her eye, though, that he had just closed the dishwasher and was selecting a cycle.

"Sounds great. Do you want me to get out of here? Give you guys some time, one on one?" He asked as he dried his hands, wet from preparing dishes for the machine.

She thought about it, and shuddered. She played a scene in her head that startled her. In her mind's eye, she saw Sy leave and then moments later heard a knock on the door. Presuming it was Heather, she opened the door with abandon, only to see Elliott standing there under a flickering porch light, smirking maliciously at her and ready to overpower and abduct her again. She shook the thought from her head, but remained uneasy as she answered his question.

"Uh, no. Thanks. I'm sure she'll want to talk to both of us. She likes you." Shane grinned softly at Sy in an attempt to mask her trepidation over the thought of him leaving her alone for any period of time. She thought it had worked.

"Okay, well, whatever you think, sunshine. I don't wanna get in the way." He was wiping down the countertops. She felt so impossibly full of love for him, she was starting to wonder how she hadn't yet burst with it. She couldn't bear the thought of holding him back from a fulfilling relationship. He deserved everything she couldn't give him right now. And she knew she should make him leave her. Cut him loose. But she was, as she'd been since she'd met him, a weak woman. She couldn't stand the thought of being without him. Of him no longer being hers. And somehow worse, of not being his, herself. She would always need him for so many reasons, not least of which being her love for him. Maybe one day, she'd recover from this trauma, and be able to be who he deserved. To give him what he needed.

"You're never in the way, bear." She walked up behind him, wrapped her arms around his middle and squeezed him as tight as she could. He placed a loving hand over hers, sighing and smiling, though she had no visual proof of the latter. It was just a feeling.

Heather's greeting was no less exuberant than that of Shane's family, but it was more joyful and less emotional, even though she was immensely relieved to see her best friend after so long. They talked as if no time had passed, and Shane mustered up the dregs of her former self to have one more interaction for the day. Thank God it was Heather and not someone who would require more. She wouldn't have it to give.

"I am so glad you're okay, Shane! Things around the clinic have been bleak as fuck. Susan is loosing her mind, Anita is beside herself with concern, and the rest of us just plain ol' miss the hell out of you. And not just because of all of the overtime everyone has been pulling to get your patients seen."

"Oh, God, I'm so sorry! I didn't realize…wow, I'm awful. I didn't even think---"

"That you'd be missed? Think again, sister. The place would fall apart if you ever really left. But don't feel guilty. It's the least everyone can do, and they've all said it themselves. We all love you, and know that you'd do the same for any of us if you could at all. Hopefully you won't have to, though!"

Shane nodded, eyes wide in agreement. She wouldn't wish the last week of her life on her worst enemy. On the worst person in the world. Except maybe the people responsible. Tit for tat.

"Well, I'm sorry my absence has caused extra work for all of you." Shane looked into the deep glass of Chardonnay Sy had poured her from the bottle Heather had brought. She felt about as small as the air bubble making it's way up the sloping curve of the stemless vessel. She felt a guilt that she knew was fully void of logic. It made no sense for her to feel guilt for being kidnapped. But she had always had this notion, this nagging voice in her head that told her that her misfortunes were a direct result of her decisions. That she'd inadvertently stepped on the butterfly that resulted in the monsoon she was currently experiencing, and whatever cataclysmic events she would face next.

"Why in God's name are you apologizing for this, Shay?" Heather's tone was kind, but still mildly scolding.

"If I'd never been with Elliott, none of this would have--"

"Bitch, are you a fortune teller?"

"No, but--"

"Soothsayer?"

"No."

"Time traveler?"

"I wish!" Shane chuckled. But she really did wish.

"Have you any real and proven success at consistently predicting the future?"

"I don't, but--"

"No. No buts. No howevers. You had no idea what becoming involved with Elliott could have done. Were there signs, sure. But you can't look on the past as a rubric to judge the quality of your decisions. You know that. You can only learn from your mistakes. And you have."

"Heather's right, sunshine. You really have learned. You look for Elliott's behaviors in mine and shut me down quick if you see 'em. You're not going to let yourself go down that road again. And I'm proud of you for it."

Shane silently worried her wine glass. It was hard to argue with such truth. But it was hard to agree when her own feelings were in such stark opposition. So she did neither.

"Well, I've preached my sermon for the day." she laughed. "I've taken up enough of your time. Oh, your phone. It's in my purse. I think it's fully charged, but I turned it off."

Shane thanked her friend, then Heather hugged them both and took her leave.

"Y'okay, bug?" Sy asked her after what she surmised was several minutes of silence. Minutes she didn't notice as they passed.

"Mmm…" she trailed off.

"Can I do something for ya?" And she really thought about the question. He could probably do a lot of things for her. He could make love to her until she felt whole again, even if it hurt her at first. Not an ideal option. He could probably get them both some new identities and enough money to spirit her away to somewhere her past wouldn't follow. If she became someone new, literally, would she have to bring that old baggage, those old scars, with her? Again, suboptimal. But he could definitely take the source of all grief and turmoil in her life far into the Missouri back country, somewhere not even the hunters would venture, some fallow field or forgotten cistern, and end him. Snuff out his spark of life like a candle caught in a tornado. Spill a fatal amount of his monstrous blood onto the unforgiving earth and send him to the Hell to which he was undoubtedly destined. But did she want that? Did she want another soul as a scar on that of the man she so deeply cherished? He'd say it was worth it. He'd say he'd take a thousand more for her. A million. That was Sy.

"Nothing comes to mind." She lied. And he knew it was a lie, but didn't push it. She was so grateful that he respected her, not for the lie itself, but for the reason she wasn't giving him the whole truth just now.

His phone went off and he picked it up as he stood from his seat at the table. She could only hear that it was Matt, the guy she thought she understood had the car place, before she heard tension in Sy's voice. Even from the next room, she could tell something was wrong, though he was talking too quietly for her to make out words.

She heard him suddenly shout a stream of profanities that he rarely said at all around her, at least, let alone together. There was a bang, and the walls of her kitchen quaked like the tectonic plates beneath them were shifting.

Sy walked back in, his face was red, as were his knuckles. He was shaking an injury out of his hand.

"What's wrong?" she asked, deep concern at his appearance and demeanor, suddenly ominous.

"I need to fix your wall in there." he grumbled, evading, without success. She'd be doing therapy on his hand, next.

"What's really wrong?" she repeated, sternly.

"That was Matt. Elliott's…escaped, somehow. He's in the wind."

Shane's heart became so heavy, she could almost feel it smashing through the kitchen floor and burying itself deep in the cement floor of her basement.

"Oh, God! No! What if he goes to the police!?"

"Fuck that, I'm more concerned about him coming after you!"

The two stared, faces full of equal measures of concern for the other.

Up Next: Chapter 21-Patient Education

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