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heli0s-writes · 3 years

Text

Clumsy

Summary: Serendipity, it’s the only way Steve can describe it. His ma was right: he’d always been slow.

Pairing: Steve Rogers/Reader

A/N: Fluff with a tiny sprinkle of Steve angst because I love one sad boi. Written for @wkemeup‘s 4K Challenge like an entire year ago!! I’m so sorry, Kas!! The prompt was Bright Eyes’ “First Day of My Life”. 2.8k words.

It was supposed to rain.

Thunderclaps rolled in the distance all morning. Moisture hung heavy in the air and the earth smelled like wet already--- salty, thick, sweet. The app on his phone blinked gray clouds straight across the screen. Seventy-three degrees and a nine-five percent chance of precipitation. Winds NE 20 miles per hour.

But at 2:30 in the afternoon when Steve slides into the car, it’s clear and blue.

So he figures it’s coincidence and poor meteorology when the engine quietly rumbles to life. He fixes the collar of his shirt, checks for hotels around the midway point, and sends an uneasy look to the empty passenger seat.

Then, he makes his way to where you are.

The two-lane country road stretches on. Winding and curving, pitch-black and howling with wind and wildlife. Bugs splatter on the windshield and he mechanically sprays a bit of fluid, wiping them off, the squeaks giving his radio a bit of rhythm in all this late-night talk. It’ll be another half hour before he gets to the hotel and he’s still wrestling with himself if he should even break.

No reason to now. He can drive all night. No reason to other than his pride.

“So what is it?”

There’s an imprint in the seat. An outline of a warm body folding soft creases in the leather. Late night talk radio fizzles out, and he’s tired, so he can’t get too upset at his brain for seeing the shape even though it’s been months since anyone’s sat there.

He chances a look over, then quickly back ahead because sure—the sedan is small, but this tiny strip of pavement feels even smaller. Too right and he’ll careen into the woods, too left and if another car’s coming around the bend Steve would roll out alive, but he’d be the only one.

He looks again.

Legs folded. Bare feet. Ankles crossed on the dash. Casually sitting with one hand on your phone and the other one behind your head, face lit incandescent by the screen. It was the first time he’d been alone with you after New York; he remembers this.

You hadn’t even given a glance sideways at him, still fixed on the screen, thumb sliding up and focused on mission details in a perfect picture of indifference.

“Your whole thing. Mister Red-White-and-Broody, most eligible bachelor in all of America—which, by the way, is so far up your ass all fifty states might as well be coming out of your mouth—”

“Stop it.”

“Okay, Rogers.” A smirk. His last name slipping between your lips like military title. “Fine, you’re all gilded in the front, suffering in the back. So—” You turned finally, pulled your feet back and tucked them under your body, “What is it?”

Steve pretended to think, left hand clenching a fraction tighter on the wheel, feeling its strength beneath his grip. His face remained impassive and dedicated forward, turning the seconds in his head, counting down the appropriate time for his reply.

It was a game, certainly. Your assertion, your poise, hand propping up your head—all of it. Your entire being was a foil to one Steven Grant Rogers and he was strapped with you for half a week. Already the car ride was beginning to foreshadow what was quickly seeming to be a long assignment.

“It’s my job—”

“So weak.”

“I’m busy—”

“Are you even trying to lie?”

You were known to do this: lay out a path of questions that only gave your company the pretense of a genuine conversation. You’d lead them like a wrangler leading horses to water, knowing they wouldn’t drink, but giving them just enough time to stare at their own reflection in the pool before you’d yank the harness elsewhere.

It was always a short path, but what you lacked in subtlety you made up for with honesty.

Agitated, Steve snapped before he could rein himself back in.

“What are you, my psychologist?” Horse.

“You don’t have one. You are the only Avengers Tower resident who has run off every psychologist on Stark’s payroll. So--” a twist of your torso, your back pressed up against the door handle as you stared at the outline of his side profile. Wrangler.

The question dangled in front of his gritted teeth. The answer he’d known long ago was behind two perfect calcium rows, pressed up, trying to find its way through the cracks.

What’s your thing? We fought together. We live together. We suffered a cataclysmic event in the form of aliens together---so why doesn’t anybody know you?

You leaned forward, body tilting until it almost touched your former footrest. Your head sloped to find his face and when he flicked his eyes sharply to yours, Steve knew it wasn’t sharp enough.

“You don’t want to be vulnerable.”

You’d led him through the brief route of your inquisition and had seen all you cared to see. Your voice bounced off the window when you closed your eyes and turned away.

“Steve,” you sighed, mouth going to the side in a smile. “Vulnerability is clumsy, but it’s the only thing worth anything.”

He had thought: No, it isn’t. He’d spent too long being vulnerable already, and he couldn’t afford it again. Twenty years of a miserable half-life and seventy years of sleep and suddenly the world was new and different and strange. Coming back into his body was new and different and strange but it was the body that afforded him invulnerability.

Mostly, anyway.

Steve decided, then, at least he could make up for that lump of mortality—that lump of weakness—with performance.

So, he became the blacksmith to his feeble Brooklyn boy heart. Forged carbon steel, gold-plated, immaculately polished like his own shield at press conferences. Smoothed himself into a monumental display of impeccable posturing and hid the boy away where no one could reach him. Let him go back to sleep, too. Frozen in a time long passed, long forgotten.

He wasn’t Steve Rogers anymore because no one knew Steve Rogers anymore; it was the only way he could carry on. Didn’t you know?

No, he supposed, you didn’t.

On the ride back you surrendered yourself to the backseat, laying down in the most comfortable position the sedan would allow, and chatted his ear off the entire ride home. Called him Steve and looked at him through the rearview mirror. Eyes met eyes, and yours crinkled at the edges with some secret knowledge.

By the end of it, all he could think about was how he didn’t mind the conversation and that his first name even sounded a little nice coming out of your mouth.

You shimmer in the passenger side until your hair hangs a little longer. His brown leather jacket is around your shoulders. A stretch of your arms. A stretch of your lips. Months passed and Rogers befell the man you knew during the Manhattan Crisis while he became Steve.

Steve on missions and in the field—On your six, Steve! Keep up, old boy. Steve at the tower and Steve in the gym— don’t touch my weights, Steve, you’ll throw your back out.

Steve getting the door and pouring the whiskey and letting you wear his jacket when you were cold. Finding you across rooms at parties because there was an easiness to your presence that calmed the crowd. Shooting pool and watching movies. Up late and out late and laughing until the early hours.

He was Steve, your friend, because he finally allowed himself to have a friend.

You change. Shimmer again until your hair is pulled back from your swollen face. A hospital gown crinkled around your shoulders. Asleep, cold. Too close to death, too close to him. He couldn’t even sit by your bedside, only standing by the door, shuffling from one wall to the other and watched the monitors with a too-loud and static-filled brain.

He was hesitantly Steve when you stepped too close to him on the balcony nights later, hand precariously hovering over that fragile boy heart, finally pressing down on it, feeling his delicate pulse thawing and crawling towards you. Tipsy smile and you tasted like whiskey and easy joy.

The kiss was clumsy, like you’d said. Vulnerability threw him back to the 40’s, all gangly limbed and ill, his lungs malfunctioning, his breath smothered in his mouth. He stumbled, but the banister held him up.

You didn’t mind that his knees felt boneless. You chalked it up to too much drink, but the touch of your still-bruised cheek abruptly burned down his throat—warm and smooth and cataclysmic until he caught sight of the way you winced as his hand cupped your tender face. Steve stepped back, then, and apologized for what he said should have never happened.

There was a small quiver from your shoulder before you quietly went back inside.

He cursed himself on the balcony. Cursed letting it all happen in the first place. Captain Rogers watched your retreating steps, burying the spark and the fire. And the boy must have cried in his ice-block coffin when he buried him again, too.

“Don’t look at me like that.” God, he’s going crazy. Poor night-vision and an addled brain causing him to scold an empty seat. “You stopped talking to me.”

His grip on the steering wheel tightens the way it does when you’re too deep in his head and he can’t get you out. Days without hearing from you smeared together in careful steps of a cagey dance. Comments always presented as half-truths—riddles he struggled to deconstruct. Breadcrumbs never leaving enough of a trail to lead him anywhere. He wants the harness back. Wants back your confident hand.

“You could have said something.” Steve scoffs, because you always had something to say. “Anything. You could have said anything. We were—friends.”

And hell, doesn’t that sound stupid out loud? Maybe it’s best that he’s got nothing but infinity beyond the sedan’s glaring brights and a million thoughts of unsaid words. It’s all useless, anyway. Best that he can get it all out now, talking to your ghost. It keeps all his thoughts in his head and keeps him from yelling every time he sees you not-looking, not-smiling, not-talking to him.

Steve flicks the wipers on again. Shuts off the radio. Shuts off the navigation. Takes the car off cruise-control to give himself something to do. He’ll stop overnight, after all.

Suddenly then, in the distance, two glowing eyes greet him steadily. Measured paces, in a firm and crisp trajectory, growing closer and closer. Glaring and vivid, beating the monotonous grind of nighttime out of him. His pinky moves, and his high beams flip to low beams, white giving way to yellow and the glistening road signs and tree-shadows in the distance slowly diminish.

Bleached spectral glaring of leaves and road signs soften ochre and brown, indigo dark. For a fleeting moment, even Steve’s enhanced eyes feel half-blind again as he readjusts to the pitch-black night barely lit. The car coming toward him does the same, highs blinking low and they pass each other in quiet understanding. In blind trust on the dark road, dependent on each other’s good faith to see it through.

He thinks of Sarah Rogers in a tiny Brooklyn kitchen, floral wallpaper yellowed and peeling behind her. One hand on an apron-clad hip, cooking interrupted by her son stumbling in dripping blood down his shirt, her other hand clenched around a wet kitchen rag.

“Steven Grant Rogers! Oh—wretched! What else can I say,” she’d sigh as she pressed it to his nose, “You do whatever you please, anyhow. You just put this on your face—and don’t think it’ll get you out of doing the dishes, either.”

“But—” he’d attempt.

She’d put up her hand, “Lord have mercy on any young woman that’ll have you. May she have your poor mother’s patient heart.”

His ma always called him slow. A dolt through and through. Quick to temper, but laborious to do much else. Common sense always took its sweet time-- took the long path home to get to Steve Rogers. In seventy-odd years, he hasn’t changed.

Better than coincidence and better than poor meteorology. Serendipity. It’s the only way he can describe it.

Like finding a crumpled up twenty in his pocket—or in his case, a five—enough then for a week’s worth of meals. Like having that nightmare— the one right before the plane crashes and instead of going down with it, he wakes up. Like expecting to drive five hours through a storm and stopping overnight, but instead it’s clear and blue as far as he can see.

The rush, the relief, the deafening joy that shuts everything else up and out.

Sarah Rogers was right: he’d always been slow.

So he careens back onto the highway from the service road, steadying his foot on the pedal and flies about fifteen miles faster than the speed limit says he should. The car is vibrating to a thrilled beat inside his chest. Steve can’t help smiling.

It was supposed to rain. All the way to the next mid-morning but the sky parts a brilliant orange sunrise and he nearly sprints to the door. He doesn’t wait for it to open all the way before he barrels in. A sliver of parting wood is enough, and Steve throws it wide with his enormous shoulders, kicking it shut firmly with his boot.

The imprint of your body on the couch is still warm—you, halfway across the room in alarm—real and even warmer when Steve gathers you into his arms. He’s been awake for over 24 hours, talking to himself, talking to your hallucination, so he apologizes when his teeth click against yours in a frantic kiss.

“Rogers--!”

You pull away, dazed, a little bit pissed off, but you cow the swirl of emotions into professionalism. “What are you—you’re not supposed to be here until late—did you drive through--”

“Steve,” he interrupts, “Steve.”

He’s so tired of the long road. Can’t stand another second of maneuvering in the dark down winding paths or broken streetlight avenues you’re not at the end of so he keeps his next phrase short: “I really like you.”

You raise your brow and brush the back of your knuckles over your lips, the light from the balcony streaming over your face. His hand tenderly brushes your cheek, the same one he touched all those months ago and you blink in surprise. Quick, calculating movements even as you lean gently into his touch.

“Steve…” you say slowly before your mouth pinches together in a poor attempt to hide the smirk threatening to surface. “You drove all night to… ask me to call you Steve.”

“Well,” he shrugs, “And the mission.”

“Right, the mission. The debrief didn’t mention that it required a lot of… kissing.”

“It came up recently; I haven’t adjusted the file yet.” He grins at your rolling eyes, your swollen lips peeling back to reveal a joyful display of teeth at his stubborn defiance.

“Took you long enough,” you mumble.

You place your hand over his chest, over his heart.

You kiss him and Steve hears himself sighing into your mouth. His cheeks flush with embarrassment, but you’re not letting go, and he presses his lips to yours a little slower, a little firmer, learning the ways you like to feel him there.

“Steve,” you breathe, and it paints him in the most galvanized care. “Steve,” you say again, and his eyes slip shut, like he’s being laid to rest. And maybe he is. Finally weary of lugging around all his armor, all his pretense.

The boy emerges, thawing toward his name held sweetly in your mouth.

He fumbles with his awkward limbs—a newly birthed foal trying to find its footing—but you’re patient and enduring. He takes in his trembling body—knobby knees and gangly elbows. Inept gait still learning how to be. He takes the sights—white casting over the balcony. You, even brighter.

It was supposed to rain, but you link your fingers through his, leading him toward the open doors, smiling against a backdrop of sherbet swirls. He stumbles, but you’ve got him. A few short steps, just a few more, and Steve kisses you again in the sunbathed daybreak, resurrected and anew.

#marvel #fanfiction #steve rogers #steve rogers x reader #reader insert #steve rogers x you #steve x reader #steve x you #steve rogers imagines #fluff #angst

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rumblelibrary · 3 years

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Hello 👀❤️

So... I don't know if this will work or not, but I thought why not, I send it in... And if you don't like it, that's completely fine ❤️🔥

I really like how you write the characters' mind... What they are thinking or how they act... I was thinking, maybe a new mechanic (Reader) at Ferrari (yes, it's a Niki Lauda fic, you know me❤️🔥) who is really shy, but very good at their job, and Niki likes them and he is an asshole with everyone (which is normal from him) EXCEPT with the Reader... And like... Maybe at first he doesn't realize this, but then he does, and gets all conflicted like why is he getting soft suddenly, out of nowhere... (It is obvious, but not for him)... I'm curious how you would see this, write this... The ending of this story is up to you ❤️❤️

Love you ❤️🔥👀

What Is This Feeling [Niki Lauda x Mechanic!Reader]

Word count: 2.5k Warnings: lot of swearing by our favourite Rat King Author’s note: Niki is quickly turning into my comfort character to unleash my sass, thank you for giving me the chance to write him!

Part 2

On your first day at Ferrari nobody took you seriously, but to be a mechanic wasn’t exactly typing letters, it was not a place where somebody high up in the ranks would set a lover to give her some benefit and a free pay check.

You didn’t talk a lot, you stood your ground from the moment you put hands on any part of the car, but you weren’t exactly the chatty type and, being the only woman, it took you time to be allowed to the after work beer, to the birthdays and all the balancing that came with a good team spirit.

In a world full of bias about women, you were spared thanks to your abilities and knowledge. Or maybe, because the mechanics team had someone bigger to fight: Niki Lauda.

To work with him was thrilling, but stressful.

He would walk in at any hour of the day, break some egos, pile up an amount of changes that to make a brand new car would be a faster option.

You sat on the floor beside the baby, yes baby was the car, it wasn’t like you had to stay on the floor, there were more than plenty working stations, but it felt more comfortable for you: it gave you the chance to stand and look at things from afar, you were in need to touch, to understand, to put things together. It was your skill, but also your curse, because it was hard to gain yourself a space on the floor in such a fast paced environment like the one at Ferrari. You were working on the ignition when he stormed inside, the soft chats died fast and the noise of the radio was the only thing left, but he didn’t seem to mind the effect he had on people.

In a couple of long steps he was in front of one of your colleagues.

“What is this?” The man looked down to his sandwich like it was self explanatory, but the following silence brought him to answer “my lunch”

“Nice” Niki said, his lips curling downward in a very sarcastic amusement “well, take your lunch out of my garage because I don’t want your crumbles in my engine” he hissed picking the crumbles that effectively fell on the working table and sprinkling them like salt on the man’s face.

The man frowned and left to eat outside and avoid to punch him as Niki proceeded to his next victim.

“And you call this a design development? I call this dog shit”

“If this is a well done job, I’d better retire already before I get your good job to crack my skull open”

“Just begin again, don’t even ask”

“Are you sure you don’t work for McLaren? Because by the quality of your work I am starting to wonder”

One after the other all your colleagues fell under the axe of Niki’s commentary.

Nobody was spared, it was a butchery.

“So? What is this?”

You looked up at him as he towered over you, Satan himself would be less scary, and probably less attractive, to your eyes. His standing figure with rebel curls and his Ray-ban glasses in his left hand, the polo shirt under the fancy jacket, even his bad character gave him the edge so many men more conventionally attractive lack.

“I am working on the ignition” you said as he bent down crouching beside you as you showed him, his cologne filling your nostrils like the best smell your nose ever encountered.

“Okay, in what way?” He asked resting his elbows on his knees.

You gulped softly “Well, I am trying to experiment if I change this in here” and you pointed to a section in particular “maybe the car will have a better performance at the beginning of the race”

“Have you considered that it could over work the battery?”

“I did, but I wanted to see if I make here something like this” and you took a little tube showing how you lace it around the section “if I use this to push the cooler to work into this part as well, we might avoid over heating”

He listened touching his chin with the edge of his glasses thoughtfully.

“Give it a try”

He just said standing up.

Your colleagues looked at you shaking their heads as he turned around and everybody looked down to their tasks again, so then he left.

______________________________________________________________________ This wasn’t the first time, he wasn’t letting you do things he didn’t approve, but he always listened to you, he advised you, and the harshest thing he said was probably “I think you’re not looking at the bigger picture”

Nobody commented on it and beside some joke here and there, the little preference he had over you seemed to pass unnoticed mostly by him.

“You know, you really need a girlfriend” Clay, the other driver of the Ferrari alongside him, said during some tests.

Niki looked at him.

“Why? Do I look like one that has to fuck a woman to be fine?”

He laughed as Niki was always so overaggressive “No, but you treat everyone like bullshit beside the new girl, so you either can be an asshole only with men or your seduction technique needs a real check”

He frowned, eyebrows furrowing together as his lips parted in disbelief

“You nuts”

“Maybe, but I haven’t heard you complain about her as much as you complain about the rest of the world”

He shook his head “You are just letting you Italian genes getting your head stupid”

Clay laughed at him nodding knowingly “Sure, sure” he patted harshly on Niki’s back knowing how much he hated to be patted around like that as he moved to talk to one of the mechanics working on his car.

Niki crossed his arms resting against the wall of the garage, his eyes instinctively looking for your figure finding you to one of the working table writing down some notes over the changes applied while looking at the projects.

His eyes dropping on your ass like it was the first time he checked it, realising it wasn’t the first time he mentally noted it.

Well, he couldn’t really say you were unattractive, or not his type, or a good mechanic.

His thought process was suddenly interrupted as Clay himself approached you and you moved on side showing him the papers you were just writing on.

He nodded and said something to you, his hand casually resting on the small of your back making Niki’s jaw almost snap for how much he was gritting his teeth.

You shuffled on side avoiding the touch with a casual smile, but Clay kept talking to you and from afar Niki saw him say something and wave his pointed finger between himself and you. You shook your head and smiled turning down whatever he just offered with all the politeness you had, Niki pursued his lips slightly in amusement for his best girl’s behaviour.

Wait a second. Best girl?

He glared at Clay that smirked at him from afar, a big ‘I knew it’ smirk on his lips.

Niki bit the inside of his cheek not liking it.

He was with you like with everybody else, what the hell.

Niki ignored you all day, when you showed him something he himself requested to be shown, he shuffled away, when you handed him something he was looking for, he looked for it somewhere else, he just wasn’t meeting your eyes and hell and thunderstorm fell upon anyone that even tried to engage a talk with him on that day.

“I can’t with your boyfriend anymore, I swear” one of your colleagues muttered to you.

“He is not my boyfriend”

He looked at you “Then he’d better be soon, maybe he’ll chill out”

“Are you even paid to stand and do nothing?” Niki shouted from afar and you two parted ways faster than two kids smuggling candies during class. ______________________________________________________________________

The next day was the judgment day for all the changes done on the car, your nerves were cracking as Niki arrived in his driving suit and your eyes immediately snapped a mental photo on his figure.

Did you ever went home wishing to have his company? Yes.

Did you ever wondered if he was so aggressive ever in the intimate times? Way too much.

Did you have any chance? Probably no.

You let out a big sigh as your colleagues reassured you “Hey, if it doesn’t work we either get rid of the rat or have some more time to work on it” he joked but you didn’t feel any better.

Niki looked up as he noticed your worried look, your lips nibbling down on your lips, your foot tapping rhythmically and nervously, the sudden instinct to lean his hand on that waist of yours, to rest his leg beside yours to make it stop that nerve wracking dance, to forbid your lips any more damage not caused by him.

All of that crowded his mind and he growled tiredly.

Stupid Clay, with his stupid theories.

He finished getting ready and put on his helmet settling down in his spot rolling his shoulders back, he needed to focus.

The head mechanic came over him repeating all the changes and just annoying the hell out of him, he is not always around the car only to check you out.

“When you're done telling me what I know, tell me something I don’t, I beg you”

The head mechanic did a big effort not to spit into his face and just left him waving his arms in the air.

You touched on your forehead nervously, if you failed it would show in the timings or maybe the car won’t even start.

You looked at him, seconds before he pulled down the dark lid of his helmet, his dark eyes so focused a shiver creeped over you.

You gasped as the signal was given and the car started.

Your fingers finding their way to your mouth as you nibbled your skin.

The car was fast, that was sure, you leaned beside the head mechanic that was taking the time. You breathed heavily, your mind going through all the changes you did, all the small settlements, the little details.

An eternal list that kept repeating itself.

Then the question as he was halfway through the leap, what if you disappointed him?

What if he asked you to be sent away?

Then you looked down to the chronometer, he was already almost two seconds earlier than usual.

A smile started to grow on you, the excitement filling your veins.

The sound of the engine roaring beautifully, you made it!

Then it happened, some smoke raised up to the sky, one of the wheels snapped, the breath died in your throat.

The car flexed on side but Niki controlled it and guided it against the sandy side of the track that slowed it down until it stopped.

“He was breaking his record” the head mechanic sighed “now he is just going to break our balls”

Niki moved out of the car throwing his helmet on the ground pushing off roughly anyone that tried to help him or check if he was hurt, some of the mechanics moving to the tow truck to recollect the car, Niki moving past you, his face tense and his posture of someone ready to snap some necks. You didn’t see him for the rest of the day, nobody talked about him, nobody mentioned anything as the storm will fall on all of the team the next day.

Now it was the head mechanic to face it for all of you.

______________________________________________________________________

That night you stayed over time, the other colleagues told you to just go home, to not let the thing sink of you, to look at it with fresh eyes and all those circumstantial phrases people gift you when they try to cheer you up.

As always on the floor, you had now the chance to spread the pieces out, collect them into branches of types and use. You pulled closer your notebook writing down the ideas and things to remember to check, the image of Niki almost crashing gutting you even if you soon realised it wasn’t your change that set off the wheel, but it was part of the cause, the car was now too powerful and the stress on the suspensions was deadly.

You yawned lightly pulling a catalogue of replacements parts trying to find the best mix you could manage, but you surely had to make up something about it. You didn’t expect to solve the problem or to find the solution for everything with a creative twist, but to, at least, plan a sequence of possibilities to present to your chief the next day.

A hand slowly leaning a mug of steaming coffee beside you.

You looked up to find Niki there, another cup in his hand, those messy curls calling to be touched, his impeccable style always winning you over with a dark turtleneck and his tweed jacket.

“Found the problem?” He asked sharply as always.

He was surprised to see you there, he spent the rest of the afternoon after the malfunction with the head mechanic and some of the administrators as he needed a solution in time for the upcoming race.

So he decided he couldn’t trust their promises and reassurances, but take the matter in his own hand, for a change. But when he arrived he saw the lights still on and you there. He was almost tempted to leave, it wasn’t a good moment to screw things with one of his most talented mechanics.

But you, again, were so into it, you looked so beautiful with your working jumpsuit and the hair messed up nibbling on that pen like it was a matter of life and death.

He couldn’t just let you stay so beautiful and alone, who knows who could approach you.

You nodded “I think so” you said showing him the piece, he leaned his head on side studying it

“May I?”

You nodded as he took off his blazer before joining you on the floor, he crossed his legs, your knees touching as he stole those papers from your hand.

“Signal to the administration this night shift, or they won’t ever pay you” he muttered without looking away from the papers.

You smirked “I know, but it is more a matter of principle than money, I didn’t like the heart attack you gave me today”

You were surprised by your own words, maybe it was because you really were over caffeinated or just realising how it was the first time you were alone and how you felt comfortable around him. No, not comfort, it was trust, you trusted him.

He looked up from the papers up at you, he didn’t replied to your comment straightaway, he let it sink in, he let your presence sink in.

A one-sides smirk appeared on his lips

“It is going to be a long night, then” Tagged @cazzyimagines @lieutenantn @handmaiden-of-mischief@thesunflowersutra Let me know if you want to get added <3

#niki lauda #niki lauda headcanons #niki lauda x reader #niki lauda fanfiction #niki lauda hcs #niki lauda rush 2013 #niki lauda rush

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stevesharrlngtons · 4 years

Text

what i want.

roman godfrey x reader

summary: takes place in s1 of hemlock grove just after roman’s coma and the aftermath.

word count: 3.1k

a/n: yeaaahhhh so i know this is st related but it felt more right to post this here over my marvel account? anyways, i just really really wanted to write for roman and this poured out of me yesterday (which is surprising bc i can’t remember the last time i wrote a fic all in one day) but even though i already know this is gonna flop, i wanted to post it anyway just for fun (: i hope you enjoy and if you do read, please let me know that you think!!!!

With an ear pressed to his chest and a hand cradling his neck, you counted the rhythmic beats of his frail heart.

He looked the same, felt the same, smelt the same; but the man we lay still below you wasn’t Roman. Not in the metaphorical sense at least. This man who’s lashes lay gently against the apples of his cheeks obscuring his large doe eyes, wasn’t your love. He was still and quiet and lacked the emotion of your Roman. Your Roman who could never hide how he really felt, who wore every feeling on his sleeve, unable to mask his emotion.

At least, always around you.

A soft french ballad played in the background as you hunched over his hospital bed in the attic of the Godfrey home. You could hear the faint scratch of the needle against the vinyl, more so when there was a lull between songs.

Heavy footsteps entered from your right and you knew before they reached you that it was Shelly to fetch you for school.

“I know, Shell.” You said quietly, like you might wake Roman from his restless sleep if you spoke any louder, “I just need a few more minutes with him.”

The tall girl loomed over you both, watching you stroke Roman’s cheek lovingly with your thumb, the rest of your nimble fingers still holding his thin neck.

She had never experienced the kind of unequivocal and palpable love that she did when she observed you and Roman together. She often wondered if all the tales of true love and soulmates that were regaled in some of her favorite novels were actually true? Because the way you looked at Roman, and the way Roman looked at you, could not be fabricated or faked.

After a long beat of silence, Shelly gripped her phone and typed out a simple message to you.

“I miss him, too.”

She could see tears forming in your eyes once more. Your eyes that seemed to have not ceased their perpetual filming for the last two weeks Roman had been under.

All you could was nod in response. When Shelly placed a dense hand on your shoulder, you silently wept.

It all felt so surreal. But Roman was always larger than life, you probably should have prepared for something like this. You were just so scared.

That night two weeks before, when he had come to you in the pouring rain, drenched to the bone, you had been scared then, too. Roman was dramatic, yes. But never anything like this. He trembled fiercely and his fingers twitched and his muscles rippled with fear.

He didn’t seem himself as you wrapped him in blankets and placed him in your bed to warm his icy bones. You had wound your arms around him as he cried into your neck, tears and snot streaking your skin as you soothed him the best you could.

“I’m ugly, I’m a monster, I am unlovable and disgusting.” He chanted between hiccups and deep intakes of breath, like he was under a spell.

“Please stop, please don’t say that. You’re not, you’re not, you’re not. I love you, I always will.” You whispered sincerely to him, beginning to shutter yourself at the uncharatieric behavior he was displaying.

He startled you even more when he grasped your wrists together with one hand and flipped you onto your back, meeting you with a fierce kiss before you could comprehend his actions.

It was all teeth and tongue and labored breathing as Roman pulled your strings in only the way that he could. Once he was inside you, he only became more brutal. It was more pain than pleasure as he looked at you with soulless eyes and his mouth agape. But everything Roman was, was good. Even now he felt like heaven.

When he had finished and pulled two orgasms from your body, he collapsed on top of you. You cocooned him with your limbs, whispering loving words and frightened questions as his body seemed to pass out from sheer emotional exhaustion, anchoring you beneath him.

The next morning, you were dressed in nothing but Roman’s cardigan and tucked underneath your duvet with no knowledge of his departure the night before.

It was only minutes after you woke that Olivia called to curtly inform you of Roman’s condition.

You placed your own hand, the one not holding Roman, over Shelly’s and squeezed it.

“He is so lucky to have you.” You said, swallowing thickly to look up and give Shelly a smile, “He loves you so much, I know he’ll wake just for you.”

Shelly knew you were trying to soothe her as well, something you had a knack for since you came into the two Godfrey’s lives. She appreciated it greatly, but wished you would let yourself swim and stop trying to make sure she stayed afloat.

“You, as well. He will wake for us.” Shelly typed and you squeezed her hand in a tight pulse.

“We can only hope.”

You dropped Shelly’s hand as she went to turn the music off while you kissed Roman goodbye.

“Where, today?” Came Shelly’s mechanical voice as the music ceased.

“His left eyelid.” You replied, standing up and stroking Roman’s porecelain cheek.

You had taken to kissing a new part of Roman each day as you left him. To cherish him even while his mind was missing. You were saving his lips for when he woke, hoping his subconscious would crave your mouth on his enough to jar him from his slumber. Roman was never quiet about his appreciation for your lips.

“And tomorrow?” She asked.

“The other.”

As you sat in english class, you couldn’t help but feel Peter’s absence in the seat next to yours. With neither him nor Roman around, you felt off kilter. The boys had been going through a rough patch lately, but Peter was still your friend when Roman wasn’t looking. Giving you winks that would reply with an eye roll, and chatting between classes. You believed you could mend the fence between the two men by simply being Switzerland, but after the police incident, Peter wasn’t so sure.

But you and Roman were alike in many ways, you told Peter as much.

“You two will work this out. Even if it gets hard.” You say flippantly one day as you rummaged through your purse for a tube of lipgloss.

“Yeah? And how do you know? Are you an oracle and just haven’t told me?” Peter jokes as you take the cosmetic from your bag.

You remove the fuzzy doe-foot applicator from the pink make up with a loud squelch and smirk at him.

“Because not only do I know everything,” a swipe of the goods on your lips, “But, I always get what I want.”

Now, his absence along with Roman’s seemed to be significant. Connected.

And then you got a call.

And the ID almost gave you a heart attack.

You fled the classroom without the formality of an excuse. It wasn’t any secret that you and Roman were a couple, so some teachers had been far more lenient with you since he had fallen under. Thankfully, Ms. Day was one of them.

You ran from the class and around the corner for the veil of privacy before you picked up the call.

“Roman?”

“God, how I’ve missed your voice.” He said, punctuated with his melodic laugh.

You burst into tears, clenching your phone tightly in your sweating palm as Roman cooed to you.

“Hey, hey, no. No tears, baby. Too fucking hot to be sad, you know that?”

“I’m not sad, God no! These are tears of joy, of fucking relief.” You felt suddenly very fatigued from the worry and dread escaping your body at the sound of Roman’s voice, and slid down the wall to the grey linoleum below.

“Good, hate to think you’d forget about me after two weeks out of commission.” You could see his smile in your minds eye and your stomach twinge with love.

“You know I could never forget about you.” You replied, whipping your damp cheeks on the back of your hand.

“I’m glad. I was counting on it.” You can see his smirk now.

“Dick.” You laughed and he did as well.

“Eh, you love me.”

“Yeah, yeah I do.”

There was a silence and you wished so helplessly that he was in your arms. Your Roman. Not the still and sterile one. The one with a wicked tongue and a beautiful smile that he offered to you so freely.

It was in this silence though, that you heard the purr of an engine.

“Baby, are you in a car? Are you with Olivia?”

“Uh, no. Not exactly.” And the bubble of joy popped just as it had formed.

“Roman, where are you? Why are you in a car?”

“It’s nothing for you to worry about, my love.” He hummed quietly his adoration and immediately you knew what was happening.

“Put Peter on the phone.”

“How did you-”

“Just fucking do it, Roman.”

You could hear him curse, then the shuffle of the phone being passed between hands.

“Hey, (Y/N/N), how’ya doin’?” Peter asked, faking a calm tone.

“Let’s forget the goddamn pleasantries, Peter. What in the living fuck are you doing trying to track this wolf when Roman just rose from the dead?”

“Rose from the dead sounds a bit dramatic, don’t you think?”

“Does it sound like I give a shit?”

“Frankly, no. It doesn’t.”

“And what does it sound like I give a shit about?”

“Probably Roman not doing this right now.”

“Bingo, Fiddo. Now you either take him back to his house or I am coming to find you two and I promise you, I can be scarier than Olivia.” You hissed into the receiver, looking around to make sure no rouge students in the halls were hearing your conversation.

“Oh I don’t doubt it. But this was his choice, (Y/N). Nothing neither of us can do anything to change his mind.”

“Peter, I swear to-” This time, you were the one cut short.

“Baby, listen,” Roman said after commandeering his phone back.

“No, Roman, you listen! I know you have some attachment to helping kill this thing, but now isn’t the time.”

“But it is. It’s complicated, but you just have to trust me on this.”

“I do trust you, Ro. I do. But I don’t trust whatever this thing is.” You sighed, leaning your head back against the wall, “Unfortunately I do trust what it is capable of. Which is a fuck tone pain.”

“I’ll be safe. I have Peter, Peter’s got me. I got this. We know what we’re doing.”

“Wish I could believe that.”

“Baby, I promise. I swear, even. We are gonna find some answers and then I’ll be home to you in one piece.”

You pause and Roman calls your name from the phone, his voice vulnerable.

“It’s funny. This morning you were in a coma and you were more safe then than you are right now.”

“I love you.” Roman says firmly.

“I know.”

Another pause and you know you can’t scold your way out of this one.

“Just… please call me when you get back. I don’t think I can take another minute of being away from you.” Your tears were beginning again.

“Me too. You’re all I can think about,” Roman sniffles, “I need you, I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

You both sit in silence on the line before Roman tells you he needs to go.

“Ok… but hey, Turner?”

“Yeah?”

“Tell Hooch to be careful. Both of you just… be careful.”

“Always.”

And the line goes dead.

After school you debated going straight to the Godfrey residence to wait for Roman to return, but decided against it. You weren’t sure exactly what Olivia knew and didn’t know, and didn’t feel like being alone with her while you figured it out.

So, you waited anxiously in your bedroom, doing everything possible to quell your shaking nerves. You had a perpetual tremor in your body as fiddled with your phone to try and distract yourself. Which was partly true, the other reason your phone was glued to your palm was so you would know the second Roman contacted you.

Though, as the sun descended in the sky and the night sky spanned for hours, you were becoming more restless. Whatever Peter and Roman were doing was no doubt dangerous and time sensitive, and it made you sick that it was nearing midnight without any word from either boy.

As the night continued to wear on and your mind ran away from rationality into an amalgamation of pure fear and absurdity, you decided you couldn’t sit around anymore. You weren’t going to wait for Roman to call and tell you he was home safe. You were going to drive to his house and wait for him there, and if he wasn’t back in an hour, you’d go out looking for him yourself.

As you put on a pair of house slippers and a sweatshirt over your nightgown, your phone vibrated on your vanity. Your heart began to speed up in your chest as you rushed over to the table and picked up your buzzing phone. On the screen was a text alert from Roman, with only one word present:

Come.

And you didn’t need to be told twice.

When you arrived at the Godfrey’s, you fled your car so quickly you almost forget the keys in the ignition. You ran up the front steps and banged both fists on the door needing to use your excess anxiety and adrenaline for something. And while you didn’t want to face Olivia’s wrath, your judgment was clouded by the chance of seeing Roman, alive and well.

When Roman finally opened the door, you wasted no time throwing yourself into his arms. He stumbled at the impact of your embrace, but was quick to remedy his shock by wrapping his arms around you. The feeling of this made your throat constrict.

“Jesus fucking Christ I missed you.” Roman all but growled as he firmly smoothed flyaways from your hair and placed his strong hand on the back of your neck.

“You have no idea how much I missed you, Ro.” You said, voice thick with tears as you began to pepper kisses anywhere you could reach.

Neck, jaw, ear, temple, cheek, shoulder, trap, clavicle, repeat.

Roman groaned appreciatively in your ear as you covered him in your lips.

“You scared me half to death you know?” You said between kisses.

“I know, I’m sorry. Things have been… odd. I still can’t remember it all.” Roman says, his tone confused.

“Well, Olivia said-”

“I know what she said. I just don’t know if I believe it.”

You furrowed your brows and tried to wiggle in his hold, silently signaling for Roman to place you back on your feet, but he only gripped you tighter.

“Not yet. Just, stay a while.” His voice wavered.

You finally pulled back to look at him, his eyes red from tears and shadowed. Sometimes it was difficult to look at him, his beauty and pain were just too much.

“I’m staying, Roman. You couldn’t get me to leave if you wanted to.” You reply.

A wash of emotion washes over his features as his lip quivers and his eyes attempt to blink back tears. You opened your mouth to try and alleviate him of whatever he was feeling when his mouth crashed to yours.

You forgot how good his lips felt against yours as your mouths meshed together. The velvet of his tongue and the mint and smoke on his breath. His hands gripping you everywhere as he pressed you impossibly close, moaning into you with deep primal noises sounding from his chest.

“Roman, baby,” You pulled away for air and Roman promptly moved his attention to your neck and clavicle. “I need you. Take me upstairs, I can’t wait any longer.”

Roman groaned and bit you hard on the shoulder before hitching your legs higher on his hips and running you both up the winding staircase behind him.

Bruises, at the behest of his mouth and fingers, littered your body as you lay on Roman’s chest as you both still reeled in the blissful aftermath of your climaxes. Roman’s fingers idled along and spine while his unoccupied hand rested behind his head.

He had begun to tell the tale of his night, of Peter and the turn and Chasseur and his mother. He told you Peter was upstairs unconscious and that he was unsure what was going to happen when he woke.

“So, after all this, everything’s still shitty? Is that what you’re saying?” You muttered.

“Essentially. But I have hope… we’re going to figure this out. I know it.” Roman nodded, like he is reassuring himself more than you.

“Me too. You two are smart,”

“You flatter me.” Roman chuckles and looks down at you.

“Just trying to butter you up to get into your pants.” He laughs again and slaps your ass.

“Clearly it’s working.” He replies.

“Well that, and I always get what I want.” You say with a content smile.

Roman hums, “Don’t I know it.”

“You enable it.”

“Again, I know.” He kisses your forehead and you burrow closer to him.

You two lay in silence a bit longer before he sighs.

“I think we should move to sleep in the attic. Just in case something happens with Peter and he needs us.”

We. Us.

The small implication in his word choice makes you smile and once again fall under a wave of emotion, just so happy that your Roman was back to you.

You don’t know what you had done if there was no we or us with Roman any longer. But you choose to not fixate on the past.

You just nod and kiss the underside of his chin. Roman gives you a small grin and begins to get up. As you do the same, Roman throws you one of his white button downs, giving you a stern look as you raise an eyebrow in question.

“Just put it on. I got two weeks to make up for, baby. It started with reuniting, then fucking, and now you in my shirt.”

You try to hold off the wide smile that was threatening to take over your face and put on the shirt, buttoning it to just above your cleavage.

“Yeah? And what’s next?” You ask, watching Roman round the bed toward you.

“Sleep.”

Now in a pair of threadbare silk pajama pants and nothing more, Roman extends his hand to you.

“Shall we?”

“We shall.” You reply, taking his hand, weaving your fingers as he led you to the attic.

i hope you enjoyed even though it was for a different show!! and if you did, pls i’d love some feedback (:::: also let me know if you would possibly want another roman fic bc i have other ideas lol

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noirshadow · 3 years

Text

New Beginnings - Ch. 1

I couldn't get this idea out my head and just had to write it. Let me know what you think!

Summary: It was supposed to be a fresh start for Mal and Alina. A chance to try to mend their relationship and new beginnings in a new town. And then she meets him.

A Darklina Neighbors Alternate AU. 🌘

AO3 link

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

The new house was supposed to make things better. Alina looked out the window as she washed the dishes, giving a big sigh. It was nice that the new house was bigger, but it almost felt like it had forced the distance between her and Mal even wider. There were more places to hide, easier opportunities to avoid each other.

This was only their second year of marriage but it was doomed from the start. Yes, they were childhood friends but when Mal had finally asked Alina out in their third year of college, the old Mal she knew was already barely there. There were still glimpses of his old self, but they were few and far between. She cherished those in her mind, clinging onto those moments so that she couldn’t forget. With those memories on a pedestal in her mind, Alina had deluded and convinced herself into thinking this could work long term. Mal had been obsessed with his career and status and proving a point to his parents, who didn’t think they could ever do better for themselves and who in turn, ingrained this self-deprecation into their son.

After several years of hardly speaking to each other, Alina had approached Mal with an ultimatum - something had to change. His initial reaction was of shock. A total blindside, from his point of view. He was barely home, always at work or some leadership seminar or other, but when he was home, Alina always played dutiful wife. It was probably partially her fault that he didn’t think anything was wrong. She was also always radiant and charming when she needed to be, like at every work function as she was led around the room meeting all his bosses and senior management of the firm. Unsurprisingly, as was standard of their relationship, he misunderstood the root cause of the issues and decided that a new home and a new environment would be the solve.

—-

The neighbourhood was very nice but it was so manicured. It had nothing of the chaos and untidy charm of Os Alta. All the houses looked relatively similar and it was far from the action of the city centre where they lived before. This was a cozy street where everyone knew each other, especially where their new home was, where the street ended in a cul de sac. Coming from the city, Alina was having a small culture shock. There, you were just a tiny part of the faceless masses and no one gave anyone else a second glance.

On the second day after moving in, the doorbell rang. “Are we expecting anyone?” Mal said to her as he looked up from the box of books he was sorting through. Alina shook her head and went to the door.

“HI!! I am your new neighbor and number 1118 across the street. I’m Genya! I live there with my husband, David and two boys. Sorry, I would have stopped by yesterday but the day flew by. I just wanted to welcome you to the neighbourhood.” Genya smiled eagerly. A few years older than Alina, she had stunning vermillion hair and amber eyes. She was still more pretty than Alina ever thought she herself could look, but it was slightly faded on the edges as if the years and the kids had blurred her beauty a bit. Nevertheless, Alina instantly took a liking to her and found her charm, radiating and her positivity completely contagious. “Hi, I’m Alina and I just moved here from Os Alta with my husband Mal. He’s just inside - sorry, we are still unpacking”, she says.

“Don’t be silly! You must be exhausted. Here is my famous lasagna casserole I made as I’m sure you have had no time to cook yet. When you get settled, we must have a glass of wine! Oh, it’s also perfect timing that you moved in this weekend because there is a block party this Saturday in the court and you must come meet all the neighbours. Everyone is great and we are all so excited for you all to move in!” Genya’s enthusiasm spread to Alina like a soothing spoonful of honey on a sore throat. Despite Alina being much quieter and less vivacious, she immediately liked the other woman and felt at ease with her. With Genya’s exuberance rubbing off on her, she said “That sounds great, see you then!” in a tone much more cheerful than she felt.

——

On Saturday morning, Alina woke up early to make her own famous recipe- peanut butter blondies - that was passed down by her foster mom, Ana Kuya. She didn’t feel particularly nervous about meeting her neighbours but there was still a little gnawing feeling pulling at her insides. Perhaps it was the thought of having to put on a face that everything was fine or more realistically, a quiet voice from deep down pointed out, that it was having to show up with Mal and be associated as his wife and be paired with him.

At around 11, she could hear a commotion outside as tables were being set up and kids were already laughing and running around. Mal came out from his study in his classic weekend uniform of a crisp linen shirt with chino shorts. Alina had on a floral strappy sundress with her hair pulled into a low messy knot at the back of her head. “Ready to go, hun?”, Mal asked. Alina nodded blankly, “can you please grab that other tray to bring it out”.

Although it was already near the close of summer, the air was still warm with a slight breeze. The sun was bright and set a golden filter on the entire street. The cul-de-sac was transformed with three large tables in the centre in an almost wide u-shape. The left two were loaded with all sorts of nice food and the far right table had the drinks and a large speaker with some lively music playing. All the kids were already playing in front of it, zooming around on bikes and throwing balls around. Alina spotted a couple ginger boys run past with water guns and knew those must be Genya’s. She looked toward the table and saw the bright redheaded matron arranging some sandwiches and Alina walked over, with Mal trailing behind.

“Hi Genya. This is Mal, my husband.” The cheerful neighbor turned around and immediately broke into a wide grin. “Ah, so great to meet you. Let me introduce you to my husband.” She shouted loudly to a gentle looking man who was taking apart and trying to fix a remote control car for a little boy just on the edge of the driveway.

“DAVID, come say hi to Alina and Mal!” David looked up sheepishly pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. He waved and shouted, “hello, - I’m just about to access the capacitor mechanism here so I’ll come over shortly!” Genya turned back toward the couple and rolled her eyes. “Sorry, he is an engineer and will jump at any chance to tinker with any mechanical devices. Even if it’s a kid’s toy. I’ll bring him over in a second but go ahead and help yourself to some food.” She said this with a tinge of annoyance to her voice but you could hear the love seeping out from the corner of it. Detecting it, Alina was almost jealous.

The next couple hours passed quickly and pleasantly. They chatted with all the neighbours in the immediate cul-de-sac and met most of the ones further along the street. Although it was so different to Os Alta, there was a cozy and inviting atmosphere of the suburbs. It put one at ease that there was kindness from strangers and that people cared. Maybe Alina could learn to love it here and maybe things could be different.

Mal, for one, seemed to have found himself a little group of like-minded husbands and had already gone off to have beer with two of them. Genya was very busy as one of the main organisers but still somehow managed to always be the radiant center of things. She would come check on Alina here and there but after Mal went off, Alina found herself standing alone on the edge of the court, watching the action within.

After several minutes of surveying the scene from the sidelines, she was about to go back inside for a second when she saw him. He was at the far end of the court looking straight at her. It was as if the sea had parted and it was a tunnel connecting only her and him. The din of the other neighbors and the rowdy kids completely melted away. Alina had thought she felt eyes on her earlier in the afternoon but had not pinpointed it until this moment of calm.

The dark and mysterious man across the way from her was one of the most handsome men Alina had ever seen and when she returned his look, the hair on her arms stood straight up. Not in a traditional way, per se, but there was something about his face and how he carried himself that almost left her breathless. Although it was a relatively warm day, he had on a black t-shirt and black jeans. His dark hair was on the long side and fell slightly over his face. Just then, he lifted one hand and flipped his hair back without his eyes once leaving her face. Alina felt a zap of high voltage in her body that she had never felt before. She felt a long lost feeling awake within her - one that was so familiar but had been dormant for years - where she was like a giddy schoolgirl. Chemicals reacting within her, core going molten, and stomach doing butterfly flips as if the popular boy had noticed her.

Without looking away and before Alina knew what she was doing, she started walking past the tables toward him. She quickly scanned the area for Mal and spied him chatting around some planter boxes of 1114 with his new friends. He was joking and genuinely laughing, which she hadn’t personally experienced in months. Turning back, she focused on her task at hand she passed through the slew of tables, where it suddenly was much quieter. All the kids were running in the foreground where all the snacks and toys were. Here, there were only a few scattered adults talking quietly. As she walked by them, she broke eye contact to smile lightly at the man in 1109 who said hello to her. They had met earlier but she had already forgotten his name. Finally. After what felt like ages, Alina arrived in front of him. This breathtaking figure was standing on the edge of the curb, hands in pockets, and with her standing on the street, she seemed even more diminutive as he towered over her like a great black shadow.

“Hey,” he said, voice dulcet but with a coolness that sent a shiver right down her spine. His voice was low and deliciously rich. “You just moved into 1115, right? I’m Aleksander - I live in 1121, just here-” he gestured behind him to a much more modern and austere looking build then the rest of the neighborhood and without any of the kid accoutrement that littered the front yard of many of their neighbors.

“I’m Alina,” she said softly practically falling completely into the dark pools of black ink that were his eyes. “We just moved here from Os Alta.”

“Welcome to the neighborhood," Aleksander said, sweeping his arm to the court out like a game show assistant showcasing the prize. "As you can see, we are a friendly, tight-knit bunch. Do let me know if there is anything I can do to help welcome you in. I surmise Genya will have already taken care of everything, but just in case…” He trailed off. As if he held back from saying what he wanted to say. Aleksander's voice was slow and deliberate as if every word was calculated and there was no wastage. He looked at her and for a second, Alina almost saw a slight spark of hunger in his eyes but surely she must have imagined it. She had never seen or met him before. She shook it off and she smiled brightly and said “Thank you. Everyone seems lovely and I look forward to getting to know everyone.” She stared up into his eyes, searching for a response. Alina was never usually direct when meeting a stranger, but something inside her had awoken when she first saw him. And in this short and seemingly mundane conversation, it was as if a different conversation happened just between their gaze. In this moment, somehow emboldened, she blurted, “I would love to get a drink sometime and get to know you whenever you’re free.” She blushed and looked away, cheeks burning. She was nearly 30, how could she still feel like a young girl approaching her crush?

“I would like that very much.” Aleksander had not once taken his eyes off of her. Even now, it looked like he was straining, jaw firmly set - compelling every muscle in his body to behave. “For the moment, I have to attend to some matters that I could not reschedule. Enjoy the rest of the party. It was a pleasure to meet you.” Aleksander gave one last long look into her eyes, before quickly turning up the driveway back to his house. As she stared at the smooth wooden door, Alina stood there for a few seconds completely shaken at what had just passed and at the unfamiliar feelings coursing through her. She hadn’t felt this kind of electricity in years. It took Genya tapping her on the arm to bring her out of her daze. “I see you met Aleksander. He mostly keeps to himself but he’s nice enough. Shame he lives in that big house all alone. Come on back, we are about to cut the cake.” Genya turned and started walking back to the tables yelling for the kids to assemble by the tables.

Alina took one last look at the house and thought she saw a curtain move and a dark shadow. What was she even doing? She was married. This will never do. Shaking herself, she turned and walked back the group.

~~~~~~~~~~~

So sorry about the shit spacing. Tumblr is not being my friend today!

#darklina fanfic #darklina #ao3 #the darkling x alina #alina starkov #aleksander morozova #naughty neighbors #alternate au #darklinadaily #the darkling #darkling fic #sab

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artificialqueens · 3 years

Text

Come Home to My Heart, Chapter 10 [Final] (Lemyanka) - Plastiquedoll

read on ao3 ✨| previous chapters

A/N:I started writing this and I was like “so it’s going to be around 15k words top” and HERE I AM… no self-control whatsoever… anyway, I’m very happy with the result.If you have made it this far, thank you so much I hope you had a good time reading it and if it put a smile on your face I’ll be more than joyful 💛✨

-10-

Priyanka never –in a million years- thought she was going to feel as relieved as she was when she heard the sound of her car’s engine working again. Yes, maybe it wasn’t the newest car or the best car and yes… it was a gas-guzzler that ate her salary like a snack… but it was her car.

“Have you considered selling it?” The mechanic asked while he cleaned some grease with a rag.

“What?” That man was messing with her.

“One of my clients saw it the other day and liked it, said something about having one like this when she was younger. She asked me if I could extend her offer.”

“No, I mean…” She shook her head. “It’s not for sale, it’s my car and…”

The man handed her a piece of paper with a number written on it.

“Wow… and this is… wow.”

It was more money than what her car costed with the repairs and spare parts included. Way more…

“Can I make a quick call? I’ll be right back” She grabbed her phone from her backpack and called her father.

“Hello?”

“Hi, dad… I’m at the mechanic’s and there’s someone who wants to buy my car…” Her father cackled. “Don’t laugh, I’m serious.”

“Sorry… Your mother is going to be very happy about it. She has been trying to make you get rid of it for years and now you finally have the chance to…well, get rid of it.”

“I mean, I know I won’t get a better offer than this but at the same time… this is my baby and we fought so hard to have it back fully functioning.”

“The alternative was taking it to the junkyard.”

“Does everybody want to see my car turned into a cube of scrap? No need to answer to that.” She took a deep breath. “Do you think you can call the mechanic and check if the offer is legit?”

“I can drop by after lunch and talk to him if you want.”

“Please, that would help a lot.”

She needed to know if this person was serious about paying that amount of cash for her jalopy. Damn it, not jalopy, her car.

“My dad is going to come over after lunch to talk to you if that’s okay.” She explained to the mechanic. “Please don’t tell your client anything yet… I’m not sure I want to sell it.” She scratched her neck.

“No problem, miss. But I should give her a response by tomorrow at the latest.”

“I understand. You’ll have it.”

Priyanka drove back with her car with the windows down like she had done the first time she drove around the town, no music this time, just the tender summer breeze. When she stopped to refuel and at the gas station, she spotted a familiar yellow car parked across the street.

She honked her car horn causing the blonde to turn around with a grumpy frown on her face until she recognized the car and the owner.

“Well, well, well… look who’s back on the road.” Lemon lowered her sunglasses to take a look.

“Guess who’s back, back again.” Priyanka tapped the door with her hand before stepping out of the car.

“That’s something I didn’t think I’d see. I must admit it even looks charming without the smoke coming off the engine.”

“Yeah… that’s-”

She was on her regular witty comments but Priyanka noticed she had big dark circles under her swollen eyes that she kept behind her glasses.

“Hey, are you okay?”

“Me? Ah, you mean… It’s nothing, just my allergies acting up.” She made light of the situation. “I was about to drop by the pharmacy to buy some medicine, actually.”

“Oh, I see… So… Did you two have fun yesterday?” Priyanka leaned back in the vehicle.

“It was cool… for a stupid lake.”

“Oh, c’mon, admit it, you did have fun! You were with me.” She playfully bumped her shoulder.

Lemon smiled but Priyanka wasn’t sure that was honest, she couldn’t decipher what it was yet but there was a hint of sadness underneath.

“Is Rita feeling better?”

“Huh? Ah, yes… I should get her some aloe ointment or an after-sun gel.”

“Remember when your mom used to do that thing with the glass of water when we got sunburn after going to the pool? I still can’t believe the water actually had bubbles after it.”

“Yeah…” She shook her head. “I…. She still does it and kids think it’s a magic trick.”

Something was off.

“I’m sorry but I have to ask you, what’s going on?”

Lemon shrugged. “What do you mean?”

“You’re acting weird today.” She crossed her arms on her chest. “Weirder than usual…”

“I’m not…” She rolled her eyes as the most Lemon thing she had done that day.

“Spill it.”

“I’m not-” She looked like she wanted the Earth to swallow her then she looked at Priyanka in the eye. “I’m going back to New York.”

“Next week… I know.”

“This Sunday.”

“What?!”

“I… have a dance thing soon and I figured it would be easier to go back on a day without the heavy traffic since I’m driving alone. Rita’s staying.”

“Oh.” Priyanka blinked twice trying to absorb the new information. “So you’re leaving the day after tomorrow.”

“Yep… I’m staying for one last lunch with my family tomorrow, the dinner at your house, and then I’m heading back early in the morning.”

“Okay… Uhm… That’s…” She scratched her head. “Soon.”

“I know it’s a bit rushed but… I’ve been here for a couple more days than you and… It’s weird, I’ve never been away from the city this long, I’m feeling a little homesick already.” She avoided her friend’s inquisitive gaze.

Priyanka nodded. “Alright.” She took a deep breath. “So… would you like to hang out today or…?”

“Uh, I can’t… I promised Rita I’d go shopping with her… you know, this was our bonding trip originally.”

“Oh, right… no problem.” Priyanka cleared her throat. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow?”

The blonde nodded and whispered. “See you tomorrow.”

And that was their cue to leave separate ways.

Priyanka couldn’t wrap herself around the idea of not having Lemon around. It was like time had slipped off her hands like sand grains and there was nothing she could do.

It wasn’t the end, right? It was their new beginning.

Their second chance…

During Saturday afternoon, Priyanka’s mother kept running around the house making sure everything was perfect as if Lemon hadn’t been there before a million times. Not that Priyanka herself wasn’t nervous to have her back there but she was being more realistic, trying to accept the fact that Lemon was going back to New York meanwhile she was going back to Toronto. Their summer together had been cut short but at least they had the chance to make things right between them and this dinner was the stamp of approval of their flourishing new-old friendship.

Friendship.

It was more than she could aspire from the first time she saw the blonde again. It had been just a week ago but it felt like much more time had passed since then and, simultaneously, it was like time hadn’t passed at all. There was a portion of their lives that would ever be crystalized in the past and it would always look pretty and luminous under the light. That was what she wanted to think, at least.

After helping her mother in the kitchen with the basic knowledge she had of cooking -and as far as she let her help-, Priyanka took a shower and spent a long time trying to decide what to wear.

She didn’t know what kind of energy she wanted to radiate with her clothing, not too much, not too little… Lemon always managed to look good no matter the occasion and she had to live up to it.

She finally picked a simple black and white striped mini dress –actually the only dress she had packed-, she put on a pair of black Converse, brushed her hair, and did her makeup hoping for the best.

Lemon was supposed to be there in fifteen minutes and knowing her Virgo-ass she was going to promptly knock on her door at seven o’clock. Therefore, she had just a couple of minutes to check on the mirror before she arrived.

Priyanka went down the stairs just to discover a family meeting in her living room. Literally, everyone but her sister that lived across the world were there.

“Hi, Priyanka!” They greeted.

“Mom!” She yelled. “Why is everyone here?”

“This is a family dinner,” She said casually. “they wanted to see Lemon too.”

“Why did you tell them she was coming for dinner? I thought it was going to be just us and dad…” She whispered.

“She’s family and you said she was going home tomorrow. They all remember her, after all, you were friends since you were kids…”

“I know that but… Is that our picture from kindergarten?” She walked directly to the wall where all their family photos were. “When did you have the time to put this on?”

“I was cleaning the basement yesterday and I found it… completely unrelated to her visit. Calm down.”

“I don’t believe you…”

“You’re the one wearing a nice dress, look at you. You look beautiful.” Her mother adjusted her glasses to admire her.

“That’s not…” She blushed. “All these people have to leave… It’s too much.”

“You’re overreacting. We’ll have a good time.” She squeezed her daughter’s shoulder trying to comfort her. It worked for a moment.

At least half a dozen people were chatting, drinking, and eating snacks plus a bunch of children running around… it was… chaotic. At least something was cooking in the kitchen and smelled delicious.

Exactly at seven, the doorbell rang. The room went quiet.

“She’s here…”

Her heart was about to burst.

Priyanka ran toward the door and opened it.

“Hey-”

The brunette got out and closed the door behind her before she could say anything else. Lemon –of course- looked lovely with a denim button-front romper along with white sneakers. She had her hair down with some butterfly bobby pins.

“Hi.” Priyanka sighed. “So, long story short… My entire family is inside and they’re thrilled to see you again. I didn’t know they were going to be here… they weren’t supposed to be here but… If you want to run away, this is the moment.”

She stared. “I’m not running away… I told your mom I was going to be here and here I am. Besides, I already know your family.”

“Oh, it has multiplied since you last saw them, trust me.”

“Pri, it’s okay. Don’t worry.” Lemon put loose hair behind her ear.

“Alright… Maybe I’m exaggerating.”

“Look at you, admitting it is the first step.”

There she was, the little spitfire she knew. Maybe Priyanka was just imagining what had happened the day before.

She took a deep breath.

“Okay, let’s go in.” Priyanka linked their arms together and walked in.

They got into the living room where her family was.

“Everyone, look how’s here…” The brunette announced.

At that moment the room greeted her in unison.

Dinner went great –to Priyanka’s relief- after Lemon met the new members of the family and she got questioned for a half-hour, Mrs. Suknanan called everyone to sit at the table. They ate tons of food and told stories about their childhood that made her mother rejoice. Priyanka’s niece, Mel, was glad to see Lemon again as well and, in fact, stuck with her most of the evening.

As she should’ve expected Lemon was the perfect guest for their family dinner. She complimented Priyanka’s mother cooking and helped her with the dishes, she caught up with her cousins and sisters and told them about her life in New York, she even played hide and seek with her nieces and nephews and challenged the brunette to a jump rope competition.

“I’m just saying, you didn’t have to go full Jump in! out there.” Priyanka was still out of breath. “These kids used to respect me… maybe?”

Lemon cackled. “Well, you should’ve practiced when the movie had everyone buying neon ropes.”

They sat on the stairs on the porch at the entrance of the house. It was the first time in the evening they were alone, the voices and laughter could still be heard from the inside.

“Hey, thanks for… you know, hanging out with everyone. You’re kind of good at it.” Priyanka rested her head on the wood column.

“Are you suggesting that I might be… likable?” Lemon pretended to be shocked.

“Maybe…” She shook her head. “Just kidding, you’re great… you’ve always been.”

“No, I’m a bitch and I acknowledge it.”

“Look at you, the first step is admitting it…”

“Fuck off.”

The entrance door opened and Priyanka’s brother carried a sleeping Mel in his arms, his wife behind him was holding the baby, they silently waved at them and then got on their car. They were followed by Priyanka’s sisters and finally the cousins who even hugged Lemon and wished her a safe trip back home.

“I think they all left now. My parents are probably inside drinking tea already.” Priyanka checked the time on her phone. “It’s not too late yet, what do you say if we get some ice cream?”

“I shouldn’t…” Lemon looked at Priyanka and couldn’t say no to her face. “Sure. Let’s get ice cream. Is that place on the Third still open?”

“Yeah! Best ice cream in town, I can’t say it enough, I preach it like a religion.”

“Their chocolate peanut butter was heaven, chocolaty and… buttery.”

“Great descriptive skills… but I get the idea.”

“You were the one who got sick after devouring three cookie dough cones and missed school for two days.”

“I really thought I was going to get my stomach removed or something because my sister told me we were going to the hospital. I cried all day.” She started laughing. “Why do we think things like those when we are kids?”

“Talk for yourself, I’ve always been a logical person.”

“No you weren’t,” She called out. “you thought the moon was made of cheese.”

“Have you ever been to the moon? Do you have actual evidence it’s not made of cheese? That’s all I’m saying.”

“Wow, it’s almost like there wasn’t any scientific proof to contradict that.”

“I was seven…”

“Okay, lunatic, I have my keys; let’s go get the ice cream.”

“Do you want me to get into that…?”

“Don’t complete that sentence.”

“…deathtrap.”

“There she is.” Priyanka spun the keys with her index finger. “For your information, she’s fully functional now.”

“But is it a threat to humankind or…?”

“C’mon, you’re not gonna die… but if you do, we’ll do it together.”

“Ah, nothing excites me more than a Thelma and Louise reboot.”

Priyanka stood up and offered her a helping hand. “The night is young. I’m sure we can find some cliff if you stop whining.”

“Only if we get the ice cream first.” She held her hand.

“See, it’s not that bad.” Priyanka turned on the noisy engine.

On the passenger seat, Lemon rushed to buckle up. “I’m ready… to die.” She crossed her fingers in the air.

Priyanka laughed at loud. “It’s not that bad. At least I know how to use a gear level.”

Before Lemon could protest, they were moving. The night was surprisingly hotter than expected so since the air conditioner was even moodier than the car itself, they had their windows down –Priyanka’s favorite way of driving in town.

Lemon’s old house was on the route and Priyanka drove a bit slower when they got into the familiar neighborhood.

“Oh, look at it…” The blonde smiled softly. “It’s been a while but from the outside, it doesn’t look like it has changed at all.”

“A family is living there, two kids I think.”

“Yes, my dad told me.” Lemon rested her face on the car door as they passed by. “You know, back in the day, we left in such hurry I never got to say goodbye properly to this place. One day my parents were fighting, the next day we were packing and then… we were gone.” She extended her hand in the air as the house was getting behind.

“I remember. You didn’t want to leave.”

“Leaving the house… my life here… you… it was the most difficult thing.” Her voice almost cracked.

Priyanka’s heart skipped a beat. She didn’t want to see Lemon crying.

“Okay, you know what… this visit to the ice cream shop wouldn’t be complete without some music…” She opened the glove compartment in front of the blonde.

“Celine Dion… I expected it.”

“No, under that one… Hey, Celine Dion is a great singer and I’m not ashamed of having her albums there.”

“You mean you have albums in plural?”

“Can you please get past my Celine Dion liking and pick another album?”

“I would but my heart won’t go on…”

“Shut up… that was bad.”

“Well, that’s what you get when you…” Lemon paused as she picked another album. “This is… Spiceworld.”

“The very same.”

“But… is it the one…?”

“It’s the one you gave me… Mine still works although it skips sometimes.”

Lemon’s bottom lip trembled as she had her eyes nailed on the album.

“Hey no… don’t cry,” The brunette put on the CD when they stopped on a red light. “there’s no crying if Spice Up Your Life is playing.”

“I’m not…” She sobbed.

The catchy tune started playing.

“When you’re feeling sad and low…We will take you, where you gotta go.” She encouraged her friend to follow the lyrics.

“Smiling dancing, everything is free… All you need is, positivity”

“C’mon, pre-chorus.”

“Colours of the world… Spice up your life!”

“Every boy and every girl… Spice up your life!”

“People of the world… Spice up your life, ahh!” They yelled at the same time.

Before hitting the chorus, Lemon was already cackling so loud she almost snorted. Priyanka was already laughing she nearly drove past the ice cream shop.

“We’re here.” She announced.

Lemon stared at her for a moment and shook her head before getting out of the car.

“I’m guessing you’re still going to order the cookie dough cone.”

“It takes more than a hospital stay to destroy a lifetime obsession.” She followed the blonde.

“That’s… wrong. You know what, maybe you need an intervention.”

“Uh, imagine something like AA but it’s for people with chocolate cookie addiction.”

“It’d be you and the Cookie Monster from Sesame Street sitting on an empty room.” She opened the door and held it for the brunette.

“But after the meeting, we’d be at the coffee table getting some snacks and guess what… chocolate chip cookies.”

“Utterly triggering.”

An older woman that was in line stared at them, their conversations out of context surely made more than one turn around. However, they didn’t even notice, their bubble was unbreakable.

They ordered their ice cream and sat outside the shop. Priyanka got her cookie ice cream and Lemon indulged herself with a chocolate peanut butter and raspberry double cone. The table was small and it didn’t have much space so they were squished there, comfortably chatting; seen from the outside, it looked like they were on a date.

They were halfway Spiceworld on their way back to Priyanka’s house when Lemon spotted it. Her eyes got wide as soon as she recognized the familiar location; the closed fence with the opening hours written on a wooden sign, the green lights shining inside, the fractured moonlight shining on the surface of the water and the eerie aura of a usually crowded place during the day and empty at night.

“Stop! Stop the car!”

Priyanka stopped the car violently making them shake on their seats.

“Are you insane? Why did you do that?”

“This is the pool,” Lemon looked amused. “the swimming pool we used to come when we were kids, right?”

“Yes?” Priyanka parked the car next to the curb. “Why are you so excited about it?”

“Because… before coming back I had a dream involving this pool… and you were on it!”

“Wait, what kind of dream?” The blonde was already out of the car. “Lemon, Lemon?”

She approached the –obviously- locked gate and tried to peep over it. Needless to say, she was unsuccessful at it and wasn’t very pleased with it.

“We have to get in.”

“Are you trying to trespass private property or something like that?” Priyanka stood, arms akimbo.

“Since when are you the sensible one?” She asked with disbelief.

“…You’re right. I think we can climb over the fence.” She suddenly felt the adrenaline rush.

“That’s the attitude.” She looked around. “Now… what do we do?”

“This was your plan.”

“Yeah… but I don’t usually break the rules so I guess it’s more of your area of expertise.” She batted her lashes, if Priyanka didn’t know better she’d say she was flirting but of course, that was impossible.

“Ha, ha, you’re funny…”

“I think I’m really funny.” She leaned against the fence. “Now… how are we going to get in?”

“Well, climbing seems the obvious choice but…” Priyanka took a look around. “I should tell you I worked here a summer to pay for my car and I know where they keep the spare key.”

“No way…” She gaped. “Wait, were you going to make me climb it on purpose?”

“I should’ve pushed harder just to see how serious you were about it.”

Lemon pushed her lightly.

“Hey! I’m the one getting you the key.” And with that said, Priyanka reached for the hidden key behind a loose brick. “Magic words?”

“Open Sesame?”

“Close enough.” She unlocked the gate and both got into the enclosure.

The green lights were on and it gave the pool a different appearance than what they were used to, everything was tinted under the bulb. The water of the rectangular swimming pool glowed in green. Even they looked fluorescent underneath it.

It smelled like chlorine and summer night.

“They use this color to keep away the insects… apparently it works.” The brunette pointed.

“This is so cool.” She walked around the edge of the pool. “This place hasn’t aged a single day.”

Lemon turned around with a naughty expression on her face. If it was possible, she looked even more beautiful while beaming.

“Are you coming or what?” She started unbuttoning her romper.

Priyanka ran out of words –something that didn’t happen that often but was becoming recurrent with Lemon-; the blonde surely wasn’t concerned they didn’t have swimsuits.

Lemon threw the piece of clothing away to where her sneakers were and jumped into the pool. The drops helped Priyanka to snap out of her rapture, she hurried to take off her dress and get rid of her shoes, once on her underwear she joined the other girl on the water.

She closed her eyes while she was in the air, it all happened in one second, she was floating and then her body impacted on the surface making a big splash, the water wasn’t cold but the temperature difference hit her to the core and made her feel alive. She touched the bottom of the pool and held her breath until her lungs demanded fresh air. Priyanka re-emerged and it took her a moment to get used to it. Her hair was completely soaked, her face was cover in drops and her makeup was ruined but she couldn’t care less.

Lemon had the biggest smile on her face the moment she opened her eyes, her hair had gotten entangled with the bobby pins and she had pushed it back making it look slick.

“So you were too good for a lake but a pool that a thousand kids use is better?”

The blonde threw water to her face.

“Hey!”

“I like this better… fewer people.”

“More like no people at all.”

“Exactly.” She floated around as if she was on a cloud.

“You said you dreamt about this… do you dream about me often?”

Lemon threw more water at her.

“Stop doing that to dodge my questions.” Priyanka swam around.

“I’m not going to answer them anyway.” Lemon giggled.

For a moment they floated in silence under the moon, under the artificial green light, their ears -as most of their bodies- were under the water blocking any sound aside from the movements inside, the way their hands created tiny waves, and how their heartbeats sounded. Priyanka’s kept beating loud enough to compete with a drum.

She stared at her friend and knew she wasn’t going to have another chance like that.

“Lemon…” She called.

“Huh?” The blonde stood up. “What is it?”

“I need to tell you something.” Her mouth was dry; she was shaking under the water. “I-”

At that moment an alarm went on, probably activated by a timed motion sensor.

“Oh shit,” Priyanka shouted. “We have to go. These people know me.”

“Oh my God…” The blonde’s eyes were full of terror.

They rushed to get out of the pool and grab their clothes before dashing out of the place.

“They didn’t have an alarm when I worked here,” Priyanka complained; her pulse racing as they left the pool and jumped back into her car.

The scene was ridiculous, all the dogs of the neighborhood were barking, the alarm kept ringing, Lemon was laughing out loud, Priyanka couldn’t find her keys and they were still in their wet underwear.

“Found them!” The brunette announced and turned on the engine.

She drove a few blocks until they were far enough from the pool and then parked because she couldn’t get to calm down. Lemon had her hand pressed against her chest; they were in the same euphoric state.

They exchanged a glance and burst into laughter at the same time.

“Oh my…”

“That was crazy…” Priyanka rested her head against the header. “I’m still shaking.” Her body was dripping over the seat.

“I know… I can’t believe we just did that.” Lemon took a deep breath. “My heart is beating so fast I might get into cardiac arrest.”

“Right? My hands are trembling… I don’t know how I got to drive this distance, to be honest.”

“Adrenaline, probably. Do you think they have cameras or something?”

Priyanka became pale. “I hope no, they know my parents.”

This made Lemon laugh again.

“Oh, you think it’s funny little rebel?” She poked the blonde’s arm.

“Wait, don’t do that, it makes me ticklish.” She kept laughing.

“You really shouldn’t have said that.” Priyanka automatically started tickling her.

“Stop! Stop!” Lemon kept giggling until she grabbed both of the girl’s wrists with her hands.

Suddenly, they were staring at each other in silence and daringly close. Priyanka hadn’t noticed how transparent their garments had become until that instant or how gorgeous she looked even when the messy hair and bare face.

Lemon wetted her lips as she let go softly. “What were you saying earlier? When we were in the pool…”

“Ah, that… well…” Priyanka took a deep breath, maybe the moment wasn’t gone yet, she still felt a bit courageous.

But then they heard the police sirens of a car passing by –maybe it wasn’t for them but they were still paranoid- so the best was to get out there and return to Priyanka’s house.

Lemon sighed loudly. She covered with the romper, shivering a little.

They were a red light from their destination when the brunette noticed the seats were going to be wet.

“Shit, I’ll have to take the car to the car wash or I’ll have to dry the seats with a hairdryer.”

“You’re taking care of it now?”

“I… actually sold my car this morning,” Priyanka announced.

“What? Okay, first of all, someone’s paying you real money for this? And secondly, I thought you loved this piece of trash.”

“Rude. You’d be surprised about how much I’m getting for it. Some rich lady named Jimbo –yes, that’s her name- wanted to buy it and she paid enough to cover the repairs done.” She held the steering wheel tightly. “And… I do love this car but… I think it’s time to move on to something else. I asked Jimbo if I could take her to one last adventure before handing the keys and I’m glad it’s with you.”

“Oh.” That was all she said.

The car stopped. They had arrived.

“Now, let’s get inside and find some towels.”

“Sure.” She mumbled.

Priyanka gave Lemon a towel and let the girl get dry before putting her clothes back on. The brunette did the same and then they drank some tea her mother had left ready for them. The hot beverage helped them recover the temperature on their bodies and left them feeling warm inside.

“I have your jacket in the trunk of my car… the one you lend me the lake day.”

“Ah, right… I forgot you had it.”

“Well, it helped me not to freeze to death.”

“It wasn’t that cold.”

“Penguin’s butt.”

“Stop saying that.”

“I’ll go get your jacket and be right back.” She pointed at the door and walked out.

Priyanka got a full moment alone and she cursed herself for a full minute.

“Idiot, you’re fucking it up again… She’s leaving and you didn’t tell her a thing or two…”

She shook her head. Lemon was leaving and maybe it was for the best that she hadn’t confessed her feelings. What was the point? They were going different ways again…

Lemon crossed the door. “Here.” She handed the piece of clothing. “Thank you or whatever.”

“You’re welcome.” She threw the jacket over the sofa. “So listen… Uh…”

She stared at her friend. Lemon was breathtaking, every detail of her face was worth being drawn, portrayed, traced… Even the little eyelash resting comfortably on her cheek.

“You have a…” She pointed at her face.

“Uh? What? Is it a bug?” She started touching her cheeks.

“No, just an eyelash… Wait… let me…” She shortened the distance and tenderly brushed the lash off her face.

Lemon’s breathing tickled her skin.

Priyanka stared at her clear eyes for a moment, she hadn’t noticed her hand was still on her cheek.

“Sorry, I got it.” She announced showing the tiny lash on her fingertip.

Lemon smiled at her. “I should leave now… I need to drive early in the morning to avoid the traffic and I should get some sleep.”

“Yeah… I suppose.”

She hoped the disappointment in her voice wasn’t noticeable.

“Pri?”

“Uhm?”

“I’m glad that we’re okay now. Not having you in my life for the past seven years was awful. Let’s not fight again, yeah?” She held her pinky finger in the air. “I promise I won’t break this one.”

“Lemon, you’ll always be part of my life.”

Priyanka sealed the promise with her pinky and then hugged her friend.

Her heartbeats were so loud she was scared Lemon might hear them.

Priyanka opened the door.

“My car is at the end of the street, I can walk from here.”

“Do you want me to walk you there?”

“Nah, it’s okay. I’m fine… I’ll call you from New York as soon as I get there.”

“Yes, do that.” She took a deep breath. “Bye, love you…”

“Love you too.” Lemon blew a kiss in the air.

Priyanka closed the door. She couldn’t watch her leave again.

She started climbing the stairs. Her heart was supposed to be at peace –they were friends again- but she wasn’t happy about it… Lemon was leaving her again and words couldn’t describe how much Priyanka hated the fact there wasn’t something she could do.

Her dad almost bumped into her when she was lost in her thoughts.

“Hey pumpkin, be careful.” He was in his pajamas and a robe.

“Sorry, dad. I was thinking… too much.”

“You always do.” He patted her back. “Did your friend leave already?”

Priyanka nodded. “She has to go back to her home tomorrow morning.”

Her father frowned. “And you two are not spending more time together? You two used to be… joined by the hip? You cried whenever we went to pick you up from her house or when she left.”

Priyanka chuckled. “I remember… yeah…”

“I always thought you two…” He didn’t finish the sentence. “You were truly inseparable.”

She was trying to understand what he was truly saying.

He stared at her.

“And? Don’t stand there looking at me… go.”

“Dad? Are you…?”

He squeezed her shoulder. “It took me some more time but it doesn’t mean that I don’t want you to be happy.”

Priyanka felt her eyes getting watery. She hugged her father tightly.

“We can do this later; your mother is going to kill me if I tell her that you left that girl go.”

“Right…” Priyanka shook her head.

“Go!”

She ran downstairs almost flying over them.

Her father was right.

Her best friend.

The girl she loved.

What the hell was she doing there?

She had to get the girl!

Priyanka opened the door violently.

“Lemon. Lemon!” She yelled but the girl wasn’t on the street. Who cared if she woke some neighbors up? “Lemon!”

Was her car still at the end of the street?

“Oh, hey there…” A voice came from the porch.

Priyanka turned around and noticed the blonde sitting in one corner next to the door.

“Lemon, what are you doing there?”

She was sitting holding her knees against her chest. Priyanka got closer and kneeled next to her.

“I’m waiting to get some courage to knock on your door again and hopefully I’ll be brave enough then to tell you…” She looked at Priyanka in the eye, the words didn’t come.

“Tell me what?” Priyanka asked, desperate.

“That…” She bit her lips. “Forget it, I can’t ruin it… I can’t lose you again.” She was babbling to herself. Then she looked at Priyanka again. “Sorry, I’m just going to leave…”

She stood up and started walking fast.

“Lemon!”

She didn’t turn back. Priyanka stood up and grabbed her by the wrist, making the blonde face her. The tears were already rolling down her cheeks.

“I can’t let my friend walk away while being sad…”

There was a pause, they stared at each other.

“Am I really just your friend?” She finally cried out.

She hadn’t let go of her hand yet.

“No. You’re not… I mean, we used to be friends but…”

The moment… their moment was now or never… she had screwed it up before but she wasn’t going to let it slip again.

“I’m in love with you.” The words sprouted from her chest. “I’m in love with you.” She repeated accentuating every syllable.

“That’s my line,” Lemon complained, faithful to her character.

“Wait… is it? I mean, are you?”

“I’ve loved you all my life, you idiot.” The blonde was suddenly full of anger. “I can’t believe this… why didn’t you say something before?”

“When you say all your life…”

“Oh, for goodness sake… Priyanka I’ve never loved anyone else since that day in kindergarten when you shared your cookies with me and that’s embarrassing.”

“And why didn’t you say something?”

“You didn’t say it either!”

“Because I thought you just wanted to be friends with me!”

“Are you blind? I’ve been trying for days for you to notice… and that day on the stupid lake I really thought you were going to kiss me but you didn’t and then you said that it was never going to happen between us…”

“You heard that?”

“Of fucking course I did… And I cried for hours because I thought my chance was… gone forever… but tonight… I thought, maybe tonight… maybe… but you said those things about moving on to something new… and the last adventure with me…”

“I was talking about my car! You’re not a car… It’s not a metaphor, you know? I’m bad at metaphorical speech.” They were yelling.

“How would I know? You pick the worst moments to say things like those…”

“I said those things on the lake because I thought you wanted to be just friends with me and I didn’t want to make it awkward and I sold my car not because I don’t love it anymore… I did it because it’s old and I cannot travel anymore in that state… I can’t go visiting you with that car.”

“But you said…” Lemon’s bottom lip trembled.

“I know what I said but, after the past couple of days, I realized that, yes, I’ve grown up… I’ve changed but I’m still the same. I still like pop songs from the ’90s, I still like chocolate chip cookies in any existing form, I still like going on adventures, and, most importantly, I still like you… a lot.”

“You… I’m so mad at you…” She got rid of her grip. “I’m literally fuming, you are…” She stared at her brown eyes. “You’re the worst and…”

Before she could finish that sentence, Priyanka shortened the distance, grabbed her face, and planted a kiss on her lips, partially to shut her up and mostly because she had wanted to do that for so long. Lemon relaxed as soon as their lips touched as if her will to fight had abruptly disappeared.

It wasn’t her first kiss, it was a kiss that didn’t compare with the ones before but it would be the parameter for all the ones that would come after. It was a kiss that made other kisses seem insignificant and a kiss that rose up the standards forever.

Lemon smelled like chlorine and summer crush and she tasted like lip-gloss and warm tea. Priyanka entangled her fingers on her hair and pulled her even closer to the point their bodies were merging in a tight embrace.

“So you were saying,” Priyanka whispered when they reached for air.

“Shut up and kiss me again or I’m going to keep finding things to be mad at you.”

And Priyanka –gladly- did it.

They kissed some more while sitting on the porch until their lips were swollen and lightly numbed and then sat cozily with their legs entangled, stars above their heads and singing crickets on the ground. Priyanka thought she could get used to it.

Except, she didn’t have time to.

“Do you really have to go back tomorrow?” She asked, pinching Lemon lightly on her arm.

“I can delay it until Monday but… I have to be back next week for the dancing schedule.”

“Oh… I understand…”

They could have one more day then.

“But,” She began connecting her thoughts. “maybe there’s an alternative…”

“What do you mean?” Priyanka was puzzled.

“I don’t want to go back alone so… what do you say if you come with me to New York? You said you wanted to visit me there someday… why not now? You’re still on your break, aren’t you?”

“Yeah… I am…”

“Jan can stay with Jackie for a couple of days and you can stay with me…”

“Are you serious right now? Do you really want me to go with you?”

“Unless you want to stay with your family for what’s left of your break… I’d understand it.” She shrugged.

“You know what? I have the feeling that my folks are already done with my shenanigans…”

“I mean, who isn’t?”

“One would think that you’d act differently after having someone’s tongue down your throat.”

“Think again.”

“Anyway… Yes. I’ll go back with you.”

The blonde beamed.

“Great, so I can pick you up tomorrow before noon? You’ll need to pack and stuff.”

“I’m ahead of you… I never finished unpacking.”

“You’re actually the worst, did you know?”

“But you still like me.”

Lemon’s reply was to press a quick peck on her lips before she could say something else.

“And…? What happened afterward?” Denali was on the edge of her seat, she could see it even through the computer screen.

“Well… things were alright for a couple of days but then we realized that it was kind of awkward between us and we decided we’re better as friends.” Priyanka shrugged and spun a little on the chair.

“What?!” The other girl’s mouth dropped to the floor. “Are you kidding me right now?”

She shook her head, dead serious. “I guess it wasn’t meant to be after all.”

Denali’s eyes were like a pair of plates.

“Hey, I brought some coffee… Priyanka, are you still telling people we broke up?” Lemon’s voice broke the silence.

“Oh my God… I hate you so much right now…” She buried her face in her hands.

“Gotcha! I can’t believe you fell for that… Kiara, Juice… even Scarlett was dumb enough to believe it.”

Priyanka laughed her head off.

“Our friendship is officially over. Hi Lemon! How are you, my dancing diva?”

The blonde stood up in front of the camera almost pushing her girlfriend away. “Hi, Dee… I’m doing alright.” Her voice was melodic. “What’s up with you?”

“Just here, catching up with your awful girlfriend.”

“She scared the hell out of you, didn’t she?”

“First she leaves in a hurry without telling anyone and now she’s spreading some fake information… No… It’s a no for me.”

“Don’t worry, we’re actually –surprisingly- doing fine.”

“Hey, what do you mean by «surprisingly»?” The brunette hugged her from behind.

“Aw, you guys are so cute.” She smiled at them. “Wait, so you’re in New York now?”

“Yep, I’m staying for a couple more days and then I’m taking a plane back to Toronto.”

“And I’ll be visiting her there for the holidays in a couple of months.”

“Whoa, you have it figured out already.”

“And I didn’t forget that you have a competition here soon, I’ll definitely be here with you.”

“That’s great! I’m glad to hear it. Sure, oh… we’re going to have so much fun…”

“My friends are dying to meet you if you know what I mean.” Lemon winked.

“I can’t wait.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “Listen, I’d love to chat some more but if I don’t go to practice there won’t be a competition to hoe around.”

They chuckled.

“Thank you for calling, Nali. I miss you already!”

“Miss you too, see you soon guys.” She blew a kiss in the air. “Bye-bye.”

“Bye!” They waved at the camera before ending the call.

“You’re so annoying sometimes…” Lemon kissed her quickly after saying that. She had a cup of coffee in her hands. “So… do you think this is going to work? At the distance and everything?”

Priyanka held her tightly in her arms making the girl sit on her lap. “I know we’re going to make it work somehow and… you know I’m graduating soon so maybe –just maybe- I could start applying for some internship here…?”

The blonde stared at her. “Really?”

“Don’t get too excited yet… I still have to do some things over there and I might take a while but…”

Lemon almost dropped her cup of coffee when she hugged her even closer.

“That would be… Pri… I’ve said it before but… I love you.” The same words acquired a new meaning in a different context.

Priyanka’s heart was full.

“I love you too.”

Priyanka kissed her forehead and let their words linger in the air. They were in a tiny student apartment in a big city, miles away from their hometown but they were together at last, at the only place they had always called home.

Maybe it was true, maybe we always come back to the place where we were happy.

And they were the living proof of it.

The end.

#rpdr fanfiction #drcan #can1 #lemon #priyanka #lemon x priyanka #childhood friends #lesbian au #friends to lovers #come home to my heart #plastiquedoll #concrit welcome

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valkblue · 3 years

Photo

Being a Behavior technician requires a certain amount of dedication to the job — the rigorous type, bordeline rigid. That’s what is expected to be at peak efficiency regarding analysis protocols and diagnostics for host service and calibration.

For that, Vivian thinks she might be the worst tech in her department.

— masterlist, AO3

Chapter 1 on 12

Chapter wordcount: 2,486 Story status: Complete Rating: General Warning: people swear a lot, technobabble counts as swearing as well (believe me)…

Author’s notes: This is the first time I post a fanfic online. A real big one I mean. Not just crackfics... I’m emotional. I don’t know what the schedule will be yet because my queue is acting up, but everything should be out regularly, or something that looks like it. This first chapter is an intro to the main character and what she does, and I hope you’ll enjoy this story and its characters all the way! Also, I really want to thank @pheedraws and @something-tofightfor for their heartwarming feedback on the whole story. Thank you SO much!!

Have a good time reading, and my askbox/messages are open! 💙

— Chapter 1

Now wasn’t a good time to yawn…

And yet, Vivian had nothing else to do but wait right now, wait while the progress bars slowly filled up on her tablet screen.

Now wasn’t the time, simply because some of her colleagues were passing through the hallway, behind the glass panels of her cubicle, and among them was the head of Behavior department — incidentally, her superior.

No doubt they were all about to grab a bite at the restaurant and Vivian held back an almost envious mumble; she was starving! But before she could go eat anything, she had to finish with her last subject on her morning schedule; host ID#DH410829420391, named Mildred.

And Mildred was back at the lab on account of a negative report about her response time during interactions with other hosts but also with guests. A lag that only happened in character mode, not in analysis. So, Vivian started with refreshing her lexical base and improvisation engine. It took some time to check the entire tree but as of now, it was done.

"Can you confirm if the update’s complete?"

"Confirmed," Mildred answered right away, her voice flat and her look vacant.

"Back in character mode."

Mildred seemed to wake up and blinked once before focusing her attention back on Vivian.

"Mildred?"

"Oh, I’m sorry," she answered with a hint of a shy smile. "I must have drifted off, I believe… The working hours at the farm are ungodly sometimes!"

The response time was more than good, now. The improvisation too.

"I was wondering if there’s a lot of clients at the farm these days," Vivian asked.

The answer was not long to come.

"Certainly! Our cattle sure gives the best milk there is. No matter what the competition says!"

"How many green bottles are standing on the wall?"

Questions and procedures were always more or less the same to determine which bits of code, settings or values could cause an issue or start to glitch like crazy!

But today, for Mildred — and Vivian — everything was back in order, and each/both of them could soon return to the the usual course of their scheduled day.

It was about time for Vivian to take a break, if she was reduced to that kind of wisecrack…

A glance at her wristwatch, even while her tablet displayed a more accurate time than the watch hands, and Vivian concluded her analysis. She folded the tablet, slid it back in her jacket pocket, and left the large glass room after one last embarrassed look at Mildred she was leaving there, naked in the dark. Vivian didn’t even fight down a shiver. It was actually freezing cold in there!

She comforted herself with the thought that Mildred didn’t feel anything in this state, disconnected, and that a team wouldn’t take too long to come get her, do her hair, dress her up and put her back in rotation in no time. Barely as much as Vivian had for her lunch break… and that was just enough to go all the way up to the hub restaurant. But the bosses here didn’t care much about how long the lunch breaks lasted, as long as the work was done in time.

So, Vivian didn’t hurry to get to the elevator she shared with two co-workers who only interrupted their chitchat about hockey results for a vague greeting.

At this hour, the restaurant was a bit more crowded but it still wasn’t too hard to find a seat in the large and relatively peaceful room. The whole vibe in it was corporate though, even in that staff only room; every dish were stamped with the park logo and name — from the bottom of the plates to the salt shakers — and a flat HD screen displayed a bunch of Delos branches ads that looked much weirder without sound.

After a while, one didn’t really pay attention to all this anymore… A few months was enough to make it all part of the landscape and for the mind to simply stop noticing it.

And Vivian had been working here for three years, now.

However, she was still bothered by a few details sometimes, such as the huge white walls that spanned all the way up a balcony floor and a domed ceiling or the fact that the stalls were lit with a pale light under which the food turned to a sickly colour.

Hopefully, under the less saturated lights of the main room, the Caesar salads and the turkey-tomato sandwiches were back to a more appetizing hue.

Her tray loaded with a potato-corn salad, a big glass of water and a piece of bread, Vivian walked towards the tables, eager for her potatoes to lose their blueish glint. Just shy of the screen, she recognised a familiar face, Margaret’s, another Behavior tech from her team. Both were on friendly basis now, where it was possible to enjoy some time together and to laugh a little, even if it took them a whole year to finally break the ice.

Margaret waved at Vivian when she saw her pick her way across the room, inviting her to join them — them being Margaret, and three other guys from their department.

"Did you hear the latest, Vivian!?" she blurted. "I’ve been told that Damon Dyers is in the park, at this very moment!"

"Damon… Dyers?"

Vivian didn’t even hide her puzzlement while sitting in front of her.

"The actor," one of the three guys — Luke — pointed out. "Marge was just exposing how she’ll mooch the control room techs for a footage…"

"Listen, if you were as thirsty as I am about this guy, you’d understand!" Margaret replied.

To that, he quipped:

"My husband would be pissed!"

All chuckled in approval before returning to their almost emptied plates, while Vivian had barely touched her own.

"Can you imagine," Margaret daydreamt, leaning back in her seat as in a comfy armchair, holding her Pyrex glass like a snifter of bourbon. "Damon hunting down Escaton in the hills…"

Vivian scoffed; she could imagine, indeed.

At the table, Charles, Thawal and Luke didn’t pay any more attention to them, carrying on with their chat about retro gaming. Vivian would probably have preferred to be part of that conversation; not that she didn’t know shit about movies and their actors, but more like aside from a few exceptions on which they got along swimmingly, she didn’t have much taste in common with Margaret. But she listened to her friend anyway as she kept going after a sip of sparkling water:

"How am I not supposed to be hot on the idea!? I’ll deadass find someone to bootleg me some footages!"

Vivian smiled out of politeness, not saying much, as always. Her mouth was full anyway.

"Oh, by the way!"

Margaret took another swip of her glass before putting it down on the table and leaning towards Vivian.

"Apparently, they’re going to burden us with a whole new bunch of hosts in two or three weeks," she said, with all the serious she could muster. "I heard that from Elsie. Narrative must be trying to compensate for something, if you know what I mean…"

Vivian knew very well.

"We barely have time to light a fag between two sessions already and they plan to add another hundred on our backs!?"

She snorted disdainfully.

"Don’t know what they’re spicing their coffee with but it isn’t doing them any good."

"No shit," admitted Vivian, a bit testy at the idea. "Unless they also plan to hire? Did Lowe say anything about it?"

Margaret shrugged.

"No idea, I haven’t talked to him in a while."

She patted her blazer pockets then sighed softly; Vivian understood her attitude as relief, and a craving, even a need to light a cigarette.

"You should ask," Margaret pointed out with a smile a tad clenched in the orbicularis muscles. "You like him, right?"

Vivian approved; she admired his thoroughness, his love for details… A lot could be learned while working under his care and Vivian found him both spirited and friendly.

Margaret didn’t quite share the feeling, however; in her own words, he was giving her the heebie-jeebies.

"Anyway, I’m off," Margaret stated with an even greater impatience in her voice. "I gotta light one before the crazy afternoon waiting for me!"

She gathered her cutlery on her tray, adding:

"Not giving up on the idea to come across Damon fucking Dyers, though! At least in video recs. Wish me luck!"

Vivian nodded and Margaret put her tray away on the sideboard before hurrying to the exit.

Her colleagues had changed topics next to her, and now they were talking about cars, motorcycles and mechanics. As she didn’t know much about that topic, not as much as in computers, she listened only a little without taking part.

Then, Vivian finished wolfing down her potato salad and her glass of water; she would soon return to her shift and examine a series of hosts, the characteristics of which she overviewed on her tablet from her timetable’s folders. It was simply routine checks, and Vivian liked that kind of sessions; it was like meeting with a friend, just to catch up with them.

But for now, she would take a few minutes to get some air and natural light on top of the hub before diving back into the high tech depths of the Mesa.

At seven in the evening, closer to eight, Vivian was glad to be back to her on-site apartments. Once again, she had grabbed a snack at the restaurant but the room was much more crowded than it was at lunch and came close to a headache before reaching "home". She could have dined here, cooked something on her induction hob but she was so tired — or lazy — that, tonight again, she still choose to eat at the restaurant over having to do the dishes!

Now, she was getting out of the shower in her bathrobe and throw herself on her bed.

Living like this, it was like being a teenager all over again, back at her parents’, or at the dorm… but once she closed her apartment’s door, Vivian was totally free to do whatever she wanted. As long as it didn’t involve wrecking the place!

But now, even if she wanted to, Vivian wouldn’t have had the strength to break any chair, nor even to make a mess of the bed… About that, she was actually planning on laying there, and falling asleep in her bathrobe while watching a movie or reading any book she had available on her personal tablet. A tablet that was nothing close to the one she was using every day in the Behavior department labs, but a tablet anyway.

She swiped the covers without any real interest; in all honesty, she was feeling too tired to read. Even something she had already read. And she cringed a little when the minimalistic cover with her automatically signed name appeared.

Yeah, even too tired to read her own words!

Besides, it wasn’t great literature at all — a fanfiction. Two, to be precise. Both about the hosts and their narratives as she could have written about a movie, book, or video game’s characters.

Vivian grumbled, letting her tablet fall flat on her stomach, and she stared at the white ceiling before closing her eyes while nibbling her lips. She had written this almost six months after she started working here, taken over by all the motivation, excitement and creativity around her!

She refocused on herself since but, in the meantime, she wrote these. And even though Vivian considered herself to have a fertile imagination, she still commended herself about how better for everyone it was she hadn’t applied for a job in Narrative…

Rising her tablet up again and tapping on the lit screen, she entered the file and skimmed through it, trying to ignore the grammar mistakes she stopped committing since; and mistakes aside, her stories had nothing exceptional, totally influenced as they were by her mood and the not-so-new-but-still-trendy storyline — Escaton’s and his bandits, essentially…

Over a very short time, when Vivian was still more or less trying to fit into the life of the facility and social circles of her co-workers whose names had yet to be caught, she had heard so many comments, appreciations and reviews for this narrative that she looked into it first.

After all, the park afforded Lee Sizemore, renowned author who made a big name for himself with a "hot and grimy" historical saga, a few years back before running out of puff under his editor’s pressure. And a juicy offer by a video game studio to adapt it.

She understood; everybody, whether staff or guests, was more or less hyped by the brute force brought by Hector Escaton — virile and dark male figure — to the relative tranquility of the park’s starting point.

And Vivian had been no exception.

If her first story was only about made-up characters to explore the pleasing and well rounded context of Sweetwater, her second, on the other hand, was more audacious, altering shamelessly the story from what its authors had surely intended; victorious over the town after killing the sheriff and all opposition, Escaton and his gang enjoyed their plunder at the Mariposa where Hector fell for one of the saloon girls.

That being said, Vivian remained very proper — maybe totally prudish — in these sort of narrative fantasies of hers; nothing turned freaky or utterly violent…

All she did was throwing a few sentences on her writing app for some evenings, when inspiration struck or simply because she urged herself to follow through with what she started. All on her personal tablet. She knew better than to write that on anything system-tethered. Imagining that a bored somebody could just hack into the system all the way up to her personal data… and end up on that giddy nonsense, made her wants to puke!

Not to mention that it might also be forbidden. Even though she never planned to, she knew she couldn’t share it with anyone, nor anywhere. Not as a park employee. If the guests were writing critiques and other reviews online about their stay, herself couldn’t talk about it from the inside. Confidentiality and shit…

Her texts would remain secret, and her silly fantasies with them. In any case, it wasn’t as if she intended to try anything for herself, and even less with Hector Escaton, all the more since he wasn’t even part of the batch her team had in charge. And also, rumor has it that fantasies aren’t always good when act upon!

With a lazy tap, Vivian quitted the reading app and dropped the tablet on her sheets before burying her face in her soft pillow. She let out a deep sigh in it, relaxed, and in fact, she fell asleep almost right away.

#ocs #oc:vivian #my writing #fic:improvisation only #westworld fanfic #full diagnostic series #westworld fic #westworld

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immortalcoelacanth · 4 years

Text

Conductor x Oblivious!Reader Oneshot: Is it Still Called a Ship if it Involves a Train?

My muse is all over the place and I have tons of ideas, my mind cannot contain them all and I don’t know how I wrote this. Also as a heads up I’ve been thinking about backing up my other reader oneshots on Tumblr on AO3 just in case something happens, so if you see them there don’t be surprised.

Wordcount: 2791

Summary: The Conductor loved his train and wanted it in peak condition, that was why he visited the repair shop so much, and of course you were always the technician who checked everything, you specialized in trains after all! It only made sense!

Now, what didn’t make sense was how oblivious you were to his feelings.

“The Conductor’s back?! Again?! I thought we just checked out the train last week! Everything was fine!”

“Maybe he blew some of it up again? Like in that one movie?”

“I doubt it! He’s just train crazy!”

You let out a chuckle at the banter between your coworkers as you clicked away your computer, scanning through the active tickets and what needed to be done after. You worked in a repair shop for all sorts of vehicles. Most of the customers had cars that needed to be checked out, but some had more unusual modes of transportation.

Like the Conductor and his train.

He was one of the more… interesting customers you had interacted with. He was loud, very loud, and self-centered.

Not that he was ever rude to any of your coworkers, or your boss, but you assumed this was because you were the ones responsible for keeping his train in tip top shape.

Granted, the pool of people responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of his train had slowly dwindled until you were practically the only one checking it out. This was mainly due to the fact that you were the one on site who was the most knowledgeable about trains, they had been your passion since you were a child, and…

Well, for some reason the Conductor always wanted you to be the one doing the work.

You assumed this was for consistency’s sake, and the fact that it would make it far easier for him to get to know you as it was generally a good idea for a mechanic and their long term customer to have a good relationship, but he was surprisingly insistent about it even if there were long wait times.

Fortunately he was never rude to your coworkers while he waited, nor did he insist on rushing anything. He just waited patiently for his turn and occasionally spoke to some other customers about his movies, being surprisingly polite when one of them mentioned not having seen them.

Which was very out of character according to some of your coworkers, and speaking of them-

“Hey! You got Conductor’s ticket again?” The coworker nearest to you asked, their overalls stained with oil and grime, as were their feathers. “Since he’s just gonna bug us until we ask you to…”

“Don’t worry, I’ll cover it!” You quickly nodded while walking over to them. “Do you know what he’s coming in about?” “I dunno, something about his train sounding weird earlier.” They shrugged. “According to the boss he didn’t sound super worried or anything, but he insisted on coming in later today.”

“CAW!” You both jumped at the sudden noise and spun around, facing the newest arrival of the slowly forming group. Towering above the both of you was yet another coworker.

Or, perhaps croworker would be a more accurate title to call her by.

She crossed her wings and glared down at you. “Are you the reason why he’s back, again?! I thought you fixed everything the last time he was here!”

“I did!” You insisted, taking a step back and raising your hands defensively. “Everything was fine when he left, and I didn’t see any problems other than cosmetic damage in the first place!”

The occasional bump and scrap was much better than the broken up and busted train that had been brought in one day, the Conductor sheepishly scratching the back of his head as he briefly mentioned something about a filming incident.

You had cried true, honest tears upon seeing all that damage. That poor, poor train.

The Crow stared at you for a moment longer before leaning down and asking a rather strange question. “Did you say yes or no then?”

“... To what?” You countered, extremely confused. Your confusion grew when she threw her wings up into the air and stomped off, yelling something about dense bird brains.

“I wonder what’s up with her?” Your other coworker mused, and you offered them a weak shrug before getting back to work.

Hours passed and eventually the train engine belonging to the Conductor appeared in the front of the shop. Already, you could hear the mumblings and grumbling of the train being immaculate, and it was fine before, followed by a why is he here?

Even your boss seemed to be a bit annoyed at the Conductor’s insistence on getting the train looked over, and probably would have scolded the bird if it were not for how much money the shop made off of him.

It was a lot of money.

You were snapped out of your musings when you heard that accented voice grow louder, indicating that he was getting closer. You quickly dusted off your overalls, smiled that signature, customer service smile, and made your way towards the source of the shop’s annoyance.

And then there he was.

The Conductor.

There was no mistaking his short stature and the brightness of his feathers. Although, something that was quite unusual was the bag he was carrying with him, the plastic giving away nothing about what item might be contained inside. He was looking around the shop, trying to find something from the look of it, but the moment his gaze landed on you-

“There yer are!” He called out, waving eagerly as he practically ran over to see you. You instinctively smiled and waved back.

It was good to be polite to customers, especially someone who spent as much money as the Conductor, but you also enjoyed your talks with him. Watching him ramble about his train and his experiences driving it were always fun, and you had learned that he was a magnificent storyteller.

You missed the way one of your coworkers elbowed the other while quietly whispering something to get, getting a laugh out of the one they had spoken to.

“Hello, Conductor!” You cheerfully greeted, smile immediately growing more genuine at the thought of being able to chat with him once again. “So, what’s going on with the train?”

“Well, erm… me train started soundin’ a bit… off.” He explained, sounding strangely nervous as he discussed what the problem was. “Can yer check the engine?”

“So you think the sounds were coming from the engine? Not the wheels?” You pressed, leaning forward as your eyes narrowed in concern. “Did you do anything to the train? Any… intense activities?”

Did you blow up your train again?

“N-Nae!” He quickly objected, quickly shaking his head. “Nothin’ like that! Just strange sounds. Can... can yer help?”

“I can take a look and tell you what I find.” You said, getting a toothy grin out of the Conductor.

“Yer an angel.” The bird sighed, sounding quite relieved at your offer. “If yer’d like ta know more-”

“Of course I would!” You immediately replied as you made your way over to the train. “You and I need to have a long chat about what you’re worried about, and I’ll keep you updated on the status of the train. I’m assuming you’ll be waiting here?”

“Aye!” The Conductor was quick to nod, secretly happy to be able to spend more time with you.

You were definitely the best part about visiting this shop. Your personality was so bubbly and warm, but you also were not afraid to put rude customers in their place as he had seen you do on multiple occasions. You were smart and confident, yet you were also very humble and compassionate.

Far more compassionate than he was, and he knew this. He knew how rude he could be at times, the Receptionist had scolded him on multiple occasions about his behavior, but…

Every reason that caused him to act the way he did, his inner insecurities and worries and fears that bubbled up and filled his mind to the brim with their screaming seemed to fade whenever he was around you.

You and your questions about his movies and his train, about the stories that he had memorized to tell his grandchildren over and over again. He knew he would get mocked if he ever voiced such feelings, so he always kept them hidden and to himself.

Although, his feelings were not quite as hidden as he had hoped for since it seemed as though most of the workers in the repair shop had figured out why he was so insistent on you being the one to look over his train. That, and the smug looks some of them sent his way.

Especially that one Crow…

He was shaken out of his thoughts when he noticed you making your way over to the train, and he quickly rushed over to join you, the bag on his arm swaying. That’s right, he still needed to give you that, too.

But first, train inspection.

Together, you both climbed up the side of the train, with you taking a moment to make sure the Conductor was still following you, before making your way inside. You were unable to stop the impressed noise from escaping you as you took in the interior of the train engine, all the high tech glowing buttons and levers covering the main console. It was so easy to imagine how amazing it must feel to drive this train, the sheer amount of power and speed.

It left you breathless.

… But, the interior was as spotless as it had been the last time you had seen it. Granted, you had not thoroughly checked anything yet, but the sheer amount of light reflecting off of the metallic surfaces, and the general lack of dirt and grime led you to believe that the problem was not here.

And your hypothesis was proven soon enough as, after spending nearly an hour looking over all the intricate mechanisms, and chatting with the Conductor, you did not find anything that was damaged or showed signs of potentially causing problems.

You let out a concerned hum and looked at the Conductor, not really registering how some of his feathers took on a more reddish hue, nor how he seemed to anxiously mess with his suit. Without a word, you made your way out of the train and moved to inspect the massive wheels, assuming that the problem might be there.

Nope.

Nada.

Nothing.

“There… there isn’t anything I can see wrong.” You slowly concluded as you backed away from the train. “No breaks, no other forms of damage, no malfunctioning parts, nothing.”

“Aye? Erm, well, perhaps yer should take yer time? Try not to rush and give yerself a break-” The Conductor rambled as you practically glared at the train, as if trying to force it to give up all its secrets.

Where, where could that problem be?

You crossed your arms as you contemplated how to best solve this problem. The engine was… fine. Nothing seemed to be out of place or broken, nor were there any leaks or other signs of potential sources of problems. It was downright immaculate, what you had come to expect from the Conductor, but you knew you would not rest until you figured out what the problem was.

It was a source of pride for you, how thorough your work was, and it helped that your boss rewarded you for your efforts. Not knowing whether the train was actually fine or not would… nag at you.

Immensely.

Although, given the fact that the train was stationary and the Conductor claimed to have heard those strange noises when he had been driving it, it was possible that the problem would not show itself unless the train was moving. Something that might be caused by stress, or even a poorly connected section of the tracks.

You clapped your hands together as you came up with an idea. Yes! That would work perfectly! Excitement filling you at the prospect of your plan, you turned to the Conductor and spoke.

“Can you give me a ride?”

The reactions to your question were… varied, to say the least.

You heard one of your coworkers break down laughing hard enough to the point where they started coughing, you heard what sounded like someone facepalming hard enough to leave a mark, and as for the Conductor-

He squawked, loudly.

The feathers on his face took on a more reddish hue, especially around his cheeks and forehead, and his maw hung open in what you assumed to be surprise. The feathers on the side of his head also seemed to have fluffed up at some point. It made him look…

Cute.

“I might be able to find the problem if I’m with you when the train is moving.” You explained, watching as the red flush faded from the Conductor’s feathers. “So, would it be okay if I joined you on your next train ride?”

“Erm-course!” The Conductor quickly replied, still strangely flustered. “When… when should I pick yer up, then?”

“Hmm…”

Obviously you needed to conform to his schedule since you had a feeling his days were pretty busy between running his train and filming movies, plus you were certain you could haggle your boss into covering how many hours you were there for.

“How about I spend the day with you?” You suggested. “That way I have plenty of time to check out the train without interrupting your schedule. Does that sound good?”

“Yer… yer be wantin’ ta spend the whole day…?” The feathers around the Conductor’s face started taking on that reddish hue once again. “From sunrise ta sunset?”

“For as long as you’ll have me!” You answered with a nod. “And you can tell me to leave if I start bothering you.”

“Nae! Nae! That won’t be a problem!” The Conductor quickly objected as he flailed his feathery hands. “Yer can spend as long as yer want on… me train-”

Wow, I wonder why his voice cracked like that…

“Alright, it’s a date, then!” Once again you were oblivious to how his face flushed as he replied with his own, eager nod. Instead all you could think of was how wonderful it would be to ride a train across the tracks, see the sights and feel that wonderful breeze.

“Ah, and I got yer somethin’ as thanks fer keepin’ me train in top shape.” The Conductor added as he reached into the plastic bag from earlier and pulled out a small cactus.

“I remember yer mentionin’ that yer liked deserts, so-” He started to explain before he was cut off by you quickly picking up the cactus to inspect it.

“I love it, and that’s so sweet!” The cactus was so tiny and round and just… looked adorable! You smiled brightly at the Conductor and instinctively reached out to hug him. “Thank you!”

His suit felt surprisingly soft and warm as you wrapped an arm around him for the hug, careful to keep the cactus away so neither of you got accidentally pricked. His feathers were pretty soft, too, and you just barely managed to restrain yourself from impulsively running a hand through them.

“Yer… yer welcome.” He mumbled, still blushing furiously.

“I need to find somewhere safe to put this so it doesn’t break. Oh! I also need to find a good spot to put it when I get home, or maybe I can keep it here and it can be our little mascot!” You rambled as you made your way over to the staff room, too distracted to remember to say goodbye to the flustered bird.

The Conductor just stood there, maw open in surprise at the fact that you had hugged him.

Oh god, you hugged him. You actually hugged him.

He was dazed, stunned, and frozen on the spot as the memory of you hugging him replayed itself over and over in his mind. How warm you were, how bright your smile was.

It was nice to see you smile, see you so cheerful and happy.

He wanted to see that smile again.

As the Conductor stood in place, too surprised to move, the operations of the repair shop slowly resumed. Technicians and mechanics got back to their assigned vehicles, and even the music that had been quietly playing in the background increased in volume. Of course, this also meant that conversations resumed, including ones focused on the interaction that had just taken place.

“So,” The Crow began, leaning down towards one of her coworkers and whispering to them. “Are we shipping them, or do we call it something else since there’s a train?”

The resulting laughter could easily be heard by you in the staff room, leaving you confused as to what they were laughing at, and somewhat concerned as to what might have happened.

Oh well, you had to get ready for your date tomorrow with the Conductor anyways. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Maybe I'll write a follow up to this, maybe not~

I hope you all enjoyed reading!

- ImmortalCoelacanth

#my story #fanfiction #a hat in time #ahit #the conductor #ahit conductor #reader pov #reader is oblivious #fluff #flustered Conductor ahead

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fandom-necromancer · 4 years

Text

1151+1153. “Shut up and kiss me.” “Stay with me forever.”

This was prompted by the awesome @anxiousmessofaperson! Enjoy!

Fandom: Detroit become human | Ship: Reed900 (Warnings: mentioning of severe injury, temporary character death (both for an android))

An android’s processor was always active. Always running millions of tasks, calculating and pre-constructing. And the processor of an RK900 was the most advanced ever created. That allowed him to analyse their planned tactic for today’s mission over and over again, thinking of all possible outcomes and complications, and simultaneously preparing his partner a coffee. He gladly helped the human and would likely do anything for him. Unfortunately, Gavin Reed had only ever asked for a coffee. Nines had joined forces with Tina for that reason, but even his best friend wasn’t able to have a serious talk with him. Still, they would not back down. If Nines could be anything then persistent.

He continued to let two sugar cubes fall into the thermos and started stirring. He should get back to them, but he decided to linger as he overheard Gavin and Tina speak to each other. Apparently, he had taken too long for the human and he had decided to pass the time with a chat. ‘Did you ever think of dating an android?’, Tina asked, and Nines immediately had his hearing amplified. ‘Hah! Why are you asking?’ Of course, Gavin would evade the question and laugh it off. ‘Found someone?’ ‘Maybe.’ Nines could practically hear her smile. He knew a specific receptionist had caught Tina’s eye. But that was their secret. ‘But don’t you chicken out now. Would you?’ ‘Pff… You know, I would have given a clear no just a few months ago. But with the revolution and all… Maybe? I don’t know, I would have to know one for that first, I guess.’ ‘Hmm… You know Connor?’ ‘Are you shitting me? Plastic Detective sent by my brother’s phcking empire? Hell no. Never. I mean, he looks alright and all that but… Hey, I would also have a buy one get two deal going whatever his relationship with Hank is. And… no, I’m a disaster myself, I don’t need another one.’ ‘What’s with Nines then? You know him, too. And he basically has the looks of Connor but sharper.’

Needless to say, the coffee was forgotten by now.

‘Nines?’ It stayed quiet for some time. The laughter: ‘Come on Tina! That’s Nines.’ ‘And?’ ‘Have you seen the tin-can? He’s all cold calculation and his missions. Hadn’t I known him pre-deviation, I would have said the thing’s still a machine.’ ‘He has a lot of emotions, Gavin and you know it.’ ‘Yeah, anger and fury and an overall sense of not-my-phcking-problem. That’s not emotions, Tina, that’s a defence mechanism. It’s not like he could feel anything that is nice, it’s not like he could be earnestly passionate. And it’s not his fault, I mean, he wasn’t built for that. But I need someone who, you know, wants to be with me because of these feelings, not because it’s what I want.’ ‘I think he likes you a lot.’ ‘Maybe. But it’s not like he would suddenly shout “I love you, shut up and kiss me! Now!” He’s a machine for all it’s worth, Tina. He doesn’t feel anything.’ Nines had to concentrate a good fraction of his processing power to keep his LED on yellow and his hand from crushing the brushed steel of the thermos in his hand. ‘A machine that’s phcking late. Tell him I’m in the car once he decided to re-emerge!’

Nines shook out of it, screwing the lid on and walking out to Tina’s desk. ‘Oh god, Nines, you heard all of it, didn’t you?’, Tina rushed to say. ‘Shit, I’m so sorry! He’s just embarrassed, I’m sure. He knows you feel a lot. And he’s wrong. I just… I was too quick to ask him something like that.’ ‘No’, Nines interrupted her. ‘He is right. I would never shout that.’ ‘But only because you are shy and thoughtful, and he is brash and aggressive! Don’t lose faith, he is just an idiot. But I know the only reason he is like this is because he thinks he isn’t worth you. Give him time and he will be convinced you mean it!’ ‘If you say so. I’m sorry. We have a mission. And I’m late. I should go.’ He left for the front door and Tina watched him walk away. Only then did her gaze stray to her desk and a familiar thermos stand on it. ‘Hey, Nines, you-‘ She looked for the android, but he was already gone. ‘forgot something…’

They pulled up to an abandoned Cyberlife store amidst the abandoned district of Detroit and Gavin killed the engine. ‘Ready, tin-can?’, he asked joyfully. ‘Of course, Detective.’ ‘Oh, so we’re back to “Detective”? What did I do wrong this time?’ ‘Nothing major’, Nines answered as neutral as he possibly could. ‘You just talked.’ ‘Watch out, toaster!’, Gavin mocked, holding a hand to his chest. ‘It sounded almost like you had a sense of humour!’ Nines stayed silent and exited the car. ‘Oh wow’, Gavin sighed, following his partner. ‘So, we are particularly pissed together. What’s happened? Someone hurt your simulated robo-feelings?’ Nines looked the man dead in the eye. ‘Only some prick I thought was my friend.’ Gavin squirmed under his gaze, but like so often laughed to hide it. ‘What, you have friends?’ Nines looked away. ‘You know, sometimes I question that myself… Let’s go, we have work to do.’ ‘Yeah, fine, how do we do this?’ ‘We have worked out a plan together. You know how, Detective.’ ‘Okay, okay! Goddamn, whoever it was who pissed you off, I guess he won’t live long.’

They climbed through a broken window and slipped into the store. It was completely empty, the pedestals for androids on display were barren and only a lone dead android laid in some corner. Well, his torso at least. Where the rest was, not even Nines could reconstruct. They strode through the shop, Nines taking to whichever corner he hadn’t looked at that was also farthest from Reed. They suspected a Red Ice lab somewhere around this shop. All their evidence led to a graffiti that was used as a marker for it on the outer wall. ‘Hey, Nines, has this phcker been moved recently?’ The android decided to ignore the undignified way the Detective referred to a dead body – he had done far worse today – and knelt down in front of the unit. ‘Yes’, he pressed out. ‘Figured. His clothing is raised up. He has been dragged.’ Nines nodded and scanned the body’s shoulders. ‘Fingerprints’, he murmured. ‘Belonging to Axel Bernhardi. Was at the station once already. Attempted theft of an android. Served community service for three months.’ ‘Great. Any clue to-‘ ‘The android has been moved recently’, Nines interrupted and Gavin grunted. ‘Fine. Any clue to where he is then?’ Nines inspected the android’s clothing closer. ‘The body had been pulled from two directions. First up, then from the back into the direction of the wall.’ ‘What?’ Nines stood up and pulled the android away, unveiling a narrow whole with a ladder underneath. ‘Phck, is he still there?’, Gavin whispered and after a quick scan Nines nodded. The human took out his gun and was about to climb down, but Nines held him back. The Detective might have been a total idiot today, but Nines wouldn’t let him slide ass first into danger. He pushed off his white Cyberlife jacket, wriggled himself into the narrow space and scraped along the walls downwards. He heard Gavin following him but concentrated on climbing and listening to any noise from underneath him.

They found back on solid ground in a room that had been excavated by handheld machines. It was newer than the building above, likely dug just to house the lab. They stood in front of a curtain made from milky plastic sheets. Light flooded from behind it covering everything in a cold glow. Someone was moving behind the curtain, Nines suspected it to be Mr. Bernhardi. He held his finger to his lips before taking his own gun and taking position in front of the curtain. Gavin stood behind him ready to jump on his notice.

Nines counted down from three with his right hand, then they both entered, shouting: ‘DPD, away from the table!’ The red-haired man was shocked to the bone and stared at both of them speechless. Thankfully he stepped back from the table and another step into the room. Only then did Nines have the chance to scan the room and regretted his manoeuvre immediately. The first thing he noticed was an escape route dug into the water drainage system of Detroit. The second was a big red button on the wall. The third that the man was side eyeing the button and the fourth that it led somewhere behind them. All of that was detected in the same second Mr. Bernhardi decided that attempted theft wasn’t enough to his folder. He jumped to the side, pressed the button and darted out of the room into the sewers. Gavin reacted fast enough to shoot but missed and Nines had reacted even faster than Gavin had, throwing himself on the Detective as behind him the bomb went off. The impact made them scoot across the floor and ripped apart Nines entire back hull, but the human was okay, Gavin was okay. And he himself was okay too. Technically. For the next few seconds. Enough to realise the structural integrity of the room was failing. He picked himself and the Detective groaning underneath him up and ran to the escape route. The room would collapse every second now, but the sewer system would hold out. He managed to get himself to the edge of the room as it collapsed and Gavin had recovered enough to pull him out after him before the rubble slid into the canal. ‘Oof, that was close…’, Gavin panted, adrenaline still flushing his body. ‘Hey, tin-can, you okay?’ No. The seconds that Nines had been okay had run out now. The little rivulet in the canal was quickly more Thirium than water and Nines couldn’t even begin to process the damage warnings coming into view. ‘Ga…vin…’ ‘Shit! Nines!’ The human was immediately next to him. ‘Nines! What’s wrong? Hey, Nines!’ The android wasn’t capable of clear thoughts anymore. All he knew that there was so much damage, so much, so much. He felt the Thirium depleting and his systems running burning hot as a result. He knew he would shut down soon and he wasn’t sure he was repairable. There were so many warnings and notices… He didn’t want to stop existing. There was so much left to do, so much left to say. Despite everything he still wanted to tell Gavin what he felt and hopefully the human would allow it. Gavin… Where was he? Was he still there? Had he left him behind like the useless piece of plastic he was? Was he off chasing the criminal, Nines’ death only a footnote in some report? Maybe repairing him would be too expensive. But Gavin would want that, right? They were a good team, right? ‘Ga…vin?’ His hands searched for purchase and they grabbed something, although Nines didn’t know what that was. He hoped it was his human. ‘Stay… with… me…’ He heard laughter over thick static and held onto it. ‘Heh, for how long, toaster. Come on, get your ass up, we have a criminal to catch!’ Nines imagined how it would be to simply do that. It would be wonderful. Gavin sounded scared. Why was he scared? Too many questions, too many thoughts. Only one that counted: ‘Ga…vin… stay… with… me… forever…’

[Warning: Core temperature critical.] [Commencing emergency shutdown.] [Unit deactivated.]

The machine above him was busy. Multiple arms fastened to an enormous joint in the ceiling moved back and forth, getting rid of old bent metal and torn plastic and gathering new parts for assembly. Under Gavin’s dull gaze lights flickered and wires were reconnected, Thirium-tubes were sealed and refilled. Gavin saw it all and noticed nothing. He was too deep in his thoughts, the only thing he really felt the android’s hand in his.

Tina had told him everything.

Every talk she had with the tin-can, every carefully selected detail Nines trusted her with over time, every little thing Nines liked about him and every minute gesture he had failed to realise as Nines being friendly to him. Tina had told him Nines liked him. Had a crush on him. Kinda. It was weird to think of the android in such ways. He had never shown any signs of affection towards him. Or maybe Gavin had just never bothered to look for them. If he was being honest, he couldn’t really believe it. The android was… Even if Nines had been a human, he would have been way out of his league. He was a functioning person; he didn’t look out for a new disaster to dive into and didn’t create them if he didn’t find one. He was kind, in his own way. He never spoke or emoted much. But…

God, Gavin had taken his extremely slow pace, his careful steps as a sign the android wasn’t interested in anyone at all. He had even told him he didn’t feel anything, that he was simulating everything and… “Stay with me forever.” Shit.

‘Hey… errr… tin-can…’ He took a few breaths, following the mechanic arms. There were fewer now. Nines back was nearly fully restored. ‘I don’t know if you can hear me. But I’m sorry. For all that I’ve said. I just… I never thought… I… I’m a huge idiot, okay?’ He couldn’t keep his composure and a part of him hoped Nines couldn’t hear him. ‘I am a dumb, dumb human, who only understands what someone wants if they push it into my face so hard it hurts, and you were so gentle with… with everything. Phck I didn’t notice any of it and you were trying so hard to be perfect when this asshole right here can’t handle perfect and I should phcking go, because you don’t deserve someone like me and-‘ ‘Gavin.’ There was an impossibly faint pressure on his hand from where the android was squeezing his. Gavin couldn’t do anything but stare at the smile on Nines’ face. He couldn’t move, he couldn’t talk, he could only stare. ‘Shut up and kiss me.’

#detroit become human #dbh #Reed900 #RK900 #Gavin Reed #why am I recently like Fluff: have a sentence Angst: Here have a novel #I guess I'm stressed so I can write this one better at the moment #there will be fluff days coming again I jsut don't know when #and it's kinda fluffy in the end?#Me torturing my favs AGAIN #Gavin: he will never shout he loves me buhu #Nines: No I will not #Nines: I will whisper it most tender when I've come back from the dead tho

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sunstar-of-the-north · 3 years

Text

Transformers Vita Nova: Chapter 1

“I can’t believe I’m doing this.”

Mikaela sighed as she tucked a lock of black hair behind her ear. The woman glanced at her pocket mirror. She had her hair up in formal bun, silver accessories pinned within it. The smoky grey eyeshadow and black eyeliner helped to accentuate her hazel eyes. Mikaela took a moment to fix her lipstick while she stalled for time.

Once she was done fixing up, she took a moment to look around the restaurant from her table. It was a formal establishment and very popular by the looks of things. She saw a couple that were currently holding hands and giving each other bedroom eyes. Mikaela felt her stomach squirm. She brought her gaze back to the table. “RELAX! You have nothing to worry about! Sure it’s been a few years—but you’ve been on plenty of dates! Besides if it goes wrong it’s not like you have to see him again.” Despite what she thought, her stomach was still doing acrobatics.

The woman’s mind soon drifted to earlier in the evening. Mikaela felt agitated as she remembered how Wheelie and Brains practically shoved her out of the house. This blind date was all their idea. She rubbed her temples, trying to calm herself. She knew that her friends were trying to help, but she had more important things to do! It takes time and energy to run a business. Mikaela knew that sacrifices had to be made.

“What? Ya want to be a grease monkey all your life?! You spend way too much time in the shop! Go out and live a little Buzzkill!”

Wheelie’s words echoed in Mikaela’s head. She turned her attention to the window with a huff. She’d admit, she did spend most of the time in the shop. What free time she did have was spent doing paperwork. Mikaela didn’t even spend that much time with Wheelie or Brains anymore, at least when it wasn’t work related. She was jolted out of her thoughts when there was a loud ruckus. Mikaela looked toward the entrance of the restaurant. A Transformer knocked over a planter and he was currently trying to clean up the spilt dirt. Mikaela couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at his futile effort. “Poor guy. At least he’s trying.” The woman then gazed out the window, chin cupped in her hand. She soon was lost in her thoughts.

“Uh—hi.”

The greeting nearly made Mikaela jump out of her skin. She whipped her head in the direction of the voice. It was the same Transformer who knocked over the planter. “Oh no.” She swallowed her dread and gave the bot a polite smile. “Hi,” she replied. “So…you’re here for the blind date right?” She nodded. “Yeah.” The Transformer sighed in relief. “Ok good! It would’ve been really awkward to walk up to the wrong gal!” Mikaela just nodded in silent agreement. He then sat down. “The name’s Wheeljack,” he stated, offering her a hand. The woman tried to ignore the dirt as she shook it. “I’m Mikaela.” He gave her a playful wink. “Nice to meet ya Mikaela!” She continued to smile civilly.

There was a moment of silence between the two. She was very surprised that her date was a Transformer of all people. She was expecting something completely different, more human so to speak. Wheeljack had mainly white paint with some red and green body work. He had a head covering that looked similarly to a pompadour. She had to bite back a giggle at the observation. The bot eyed Mikaela warily. “What?” The mechanic gave him a sheepish smile. “Nothing!” Wheeljack didn’t seem to buy her comment, but remained quiet. A few more moments of awkward silence passed. Mikaela decided to ease the tension. “You’re tie is—festive.” The Transformer brought his blue eyes to the red and white striped tie dangling from his neck. “O-Oh! Yeah it was a gift from my pal. It’s uh—the only one I have,” he said skittishly. “Oh…”

Wheeljack cleared his throat. “So—that weather huh? It’s sure something! It can’t decide whether it wants to the snow to stay or go. Like make up your mind already!” The mechanic stared at him, baffled. “Uh—yeah.” He tugged nervously at his tie. Mikaela couldn’t help but feel sorry for the guy. He was a mess. Wheeljack then gave her a serious look, resting one arm on the table as he leaned over it. “Listen, I’m gonna level with ya. I’m not great at small talk. Never was.” He used his other hand to rub his neck. “I’m not exactly what you call a ‘social butterfly’.” Mikaela couldn’t help but be impressed with the Transformer’s honesty. She leaned back into her chair. “It’s ok…We don’t—have to talk.”

“Isn’t that the whole point of a date though, talking?”

“He has a point,” she admitted. Before she could answer him, a waiter came by their table. “Hello. My name is Joshua and I’ll be your server for this evening. Can I start you off with a drink,” he asked while passing out menus. Mikaela thanked her lucky stars and looked through the pamphlet. “I’ll have…a Bellini please.”

“Excellent choice ma’m. And you sir?” Wheeljack stared at the pamphlet. Mikaela could practically see the wheels spinning in his head. “Gin and tonics are always good,” she stated. Wheeljack gazed at her and then back at the menu. “…You know…that does sound pretty good. I’ll have that!” The waiter dipped his head and jotted down their orders. With that he left the pair. Wheeljack gave Mikaela a grateful grin. “Thanks for the save.” She shrugged casually. “It’s no problem. I’m assuming you don’t go to these kinds of places much?” The Transformer scratched his head. "It’s that obvious huh?” She chuckled, feeling more at ease. “It’s ok. To be honest I haven’t been to a high class restaurant like this in ages.” Wheeljack gave the woman a lopped smile. “Really, a fancy gal like you? I imagined this would be a typical Friday night.” She couldn’t help but chuckle. “I wish. My Fridays are spent underneath a rust bucket.”

Her comment made him perk up. “Wait, you work with cars?” The woman nodded. “Yeah, I’m a mechanic. I run my own shop downtown.” The bot seemed impressed. “No kidding? How long have you had the shop?”

“It’ll be the 5th year anniversary next June.”

“Congrats! So I got to ask, what is the worst thing that ever happened to you on the job?”

Pretty soon the duo was deep in conversation. Mikaela realized they both had a passion for everything and anything mechanical. She hadn’t chatted casually about cars for what seemed like years, especially with someone who didn’t act as if she knew nothing about them. “This guy is actually fun to talk to.” Before they knew it, their drinks came. Once the waiter asked the two for their food orders, they realized they didn’t even look passed the drinks section. They quickly picked their dishes. Mikaela was surprised to see that there was energon food on the menu. She shouldn’t be too surprised however. Things have changed, for the better in her opinion.

The two continued their talk once the waiter left. “The hardest part is when people come into the shop and make a small problem even worse. Like I had this one guy who had a check engine light on for three weeks. The guy thought it was his fuel injector in the cylinder so he wanted that to be replaced. The code I ran for it didn’t match up with that kind of problem. But he was persistent. It turns out that it was bad spark plugs!” Wheeljack shook his head with a grin. “People always have to complicate things.”

“I’ll drink to that!” Then the two started laughing as they tapped each other’s glasses. As she was sipping her drink, she noticed the badge on his chest. “So—you’re an Auto-Bot?” He paused before replying. “Yeah, I was. More or less,” the Transformer said as he swirled the liquid in his glass. “I was part of a separate team that didn’t necessarily follow the same rules as the Auto-Bots.” Mikaela was intrigued. She didn’t realize that there were different groups within the Auto-Bot ranks. “What was your team called?” He took a swig before answering her. “The Wreckers. We got the job done and we were fragging good at it!” Wheeljack grinned from ear to ear as he continued. “I’ll never forget the time me, Seabreeze, and Roadbuster took out a whole Decepticon armada with just three explosives and a small fuse.” Mikaela couldn’t help but smile at his reminiscing. His smile dropped a little. He had a far off look in his eyes; a look the woman couldn’t decipher. The mechanic thought it was a good time to change the subject. “So, what do you do now?”

“It’s nothing special really. I do contract work.”

“Oh, so you do construction or something?”

“Yeah, in a sense.” Before the woman could ask what he meant, their dinner arrived. The dishes were pooling with steam. Mikaela’s mouth was watering when the scent flooded her nose. Her stomach was practically calling out to her smoked salmon potato cakes. She looked at the food Wheeljack ordered. “What did you get again?” He picked up a pair of chop sticks as he answered her. “Dynamite sushi rolls. I haven’t tried them yet but Miko said they’re to die for.” Mikaela raised an eyebrow. “Who’s Miko?” Wheeljack was still struggling with his utensils. “She’s a spitfire with a punch to match! And a girl with good taste.” The woman chuckled as she watched him struggle. She scooted her chair closer to him. “Here. Let me help you.”

At first he protested but one look from the mechanic put a stop to it. She guided his fingers to the correct position. “There. Now try.” The bot tried picking one of the pieces. He did struggle a little bit, however he did manage to pop the piece into his mouth. Mikaela watched him as she ate. He had a satisfied grin on his face as he chewed the food. The tension from before disappeared like morning dew as they enjoyed their meal.

Their plates and glasses were soon empty. Mikaela let out a content sigh. “That was amazing!” The Auto-Bot nodded in agreement. “You said it! I’m definitely brining Bulkhead and Miko here!”

“I bet they’ll love it. I would bring Wheelie and Brains, but it’s like bringing two bulls into a china shop.” Wheeljack laughed loudly, making her chuckle too. “I’m assuming their friends of yours?” She nodded. “Yeah, even though they can push it sometimes. Brains can behave himself but Wheelie—well he has little dog syndrome.” He gave her a sly smile. “It sounds like you have your hands full.” The woman agreed with him with laugh. Soon a quiet fell between the two. Unlike the one before, this quiet was peaceful. They just stared at each other, faces serene.

They were jolted from their tranquil trance when their waiter came with their bills. Mikaela found herself not wanting the moment to end. “Wait…am I actually having fun?” She didn’t think that would be possible. But here she is, having a dinner with a complete stranger but somehow enjoying herself and his company. She then noticed Wheeljack was giving her a weird look. “What,” she asked a little defensively. “You look like someone lubricated in your energon.” Mikaela twisted her face in disgust. She shook her head, clearing her thoughts of that gross image. “Yeah, I’m fine…I just…” The mechanic chuckled softly and gave Wheeljack a lopsided smile. “I’m going to level with you. I wasn’t coming here expecting a good time. But—I actually am. This is the most socializing I’ve done in years.”

Wheeljack grinned mischievously as he leaned closer to her. “You need to get out more. You can find better company than this old rust bucket.” She didn’t know why, but his comment sent her in a fit of giggles. He started to laugh too, causing the other patrons to stare at them in concern. The two were out the doors once they paid for their meals. Mikaela was about to head to her car when the bot asked her if she wanted a ride home. She was surprised by his offer but did explain to him that she had a car. “Well I can at least caravan with you. It wouldn’t be right of me to leave you alone in the night!” Mikaela gave him a playful look. “Hey, I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.” He winked at her. “Wouldn’t doubt it.” She did allow Wheeljack to escort her home though. She watched him from the rearview mirror. She started to contemplate to herself. “He’s such a strange guy.” The mechanic shook her head in bewilderment.

Eventually the two made it to her house. It wasn’t a big building but it was big enough. She parked her car while Wheeljack transformed back into his primary form. He took a moment to observe her humble home. “Nice digs.” She thanked him causally. He then walked Mikaela to her door. They two faced each other. He was much taller than her, which was to be expected. She practically had to bend her neck at a ninety degree angle to meet him at eye level. Mikaela folded her hands over her red cocktail dress. “So—this is it,” she asked. “Yeah, it is,” he answered back. The two stared at each other in complete silence, the only noise being the commotion of the city.

“Um—I had a fun time,” the human said. Her date crossed his arms and leaned against the house. “Yeah, me too.” They smiled at another. She then turned toward the door. “Good night, Wheeljack.” She was about to open it when he stopped her. “Wait!” She stopped, shocked by his sudden outburst. He cleared his throat, collecting his composure. “I uh—wanted to give you my number. I wouldn’t mind—hanging out again, if you want to that is.” Mikaela’s eyes widened in surprise. She didn’t know what to think. Her heart was pounding hard against her chest. The mechanic wasn’t expecting something like this. She did have a fun time, however she didn’t know if she wanted to pursue this. She didn’t want to get her hopes up. Mikaela looked at the door and then at him.

“I can’t believe I’m doing this.”

She took out her phone. “Sure. What is it?” Pretty soon she had Wheeljack’s number saved on the device. The bot had a mile wide grin as he walked off. “Text me whenever you want to hang. Don’t keep me waiting too long though.” He gave her a wink and a salute. “Sweet dreams MK!” With that, he transformed into his alt mode and sped off. Mikaela watched him go, wondering what she got herself into.

The woman quietly entered her home. She came to see her roommates asleep on the couch, TV on. Junk food was scattered across the floor. Mikaela sighed as she started to remove her shoes. She picked up the wrappers and tossed them in the nearby trash. She brought her attention to the sleeping Minicons. They were resting against each other, Wheelie snoring loudly while Brains was drooling. She shook her head with a small grin. She grabbed a blanket and put it on the resting pair. She then headed to the bathroom. After a quick shower, she went to straight to her bed. She laid down, resting her head on her arms. Mikaela thought back to her and Wheeljack’s talk. She couldn’t help but smile as she drifted off to sleep.

#transformers #transformers vita nova #transformers prime #bayverse transformers #bayverse #bayverse mikaela banes #bayverse wheelie #bayverse brains #tfp wheeljack #jackbanes #otp #fanon ship #CrossOver #crossover ship #text #My writing

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vandoornestoffel · 4 years

Note

Hey has anyone asked you yet about the time you got to meet the Mclaren team? If not, I'd love to know about it more!!

oH WOW.

I wasn’t expecting this.

Well, I’m watching a 24hrs race with 11 hours to go, I might as well take the time to write this down. Sit down and get ready to read a lot of text. Seriously it’s a lot of text. I’m sorry but this story took part in about 4 or 5 hours so a lot happened.

So the story has a little bit of background. I’m kinda vocal in Twitter. Not as much as the Papaya McLaren+ members, but somewhat vocal, specially around McLaren. The every weekend wishing the best for my babies, and such. Also, in 2017, I got to meet Stoffel and Fernando at the pitlane walk thing in the Mexican GP. Even appeared in Fernando’s Instagram Stories AND on the worldwide feed because I was the only Mexican with a Belgian flag cheering for Stoffel. So after that I told the team I was going to be back the following year and I did. For extra context, I had literally 48 hours earlier, broken up with my boyfriend at the time (fuck that guy), so I was really really sad.

So the morning of Thursday before the 2018 Mexican GP, I jump into a plane and take the trip to Mexico City for the GP. I didn’t had a pitlane walk ticket but I was planning on going to the race track and buy one (illegally) outside. So I land, or well, the plane lands, and when I turn my phone on again I find a really surprising message. From McLaren’s official Twitter, I got a DM asking me if I had plans on going to the racetrack that day. For context, I had told the team I was excited to see them on action that weekend. So I said that I still hadn’t a pitlane ticket but that I was looking to buy one. I went to my hotel and then to have breakfast and while I was having a meal, I get a second text asking me if I could meet them up in a door of the racetrack, that they had a gift for me and give me a WhatsApp number to stay in touch. WhatsApp number is British, I don’t know how to save it up because my phone kept putting the Mexican first few numbers as I tried to send message to them, it was an stressful mess but when it finally worked, I was already outside of the racetrack. I met a guy, Danny, and when we meet he gives me a paddock pass. I’m freaking out. On the walk past security and all of that, we are chatting. He’s such a nice guy. I still have his phone number but I don’t dare to text him again. He explains I do have to give the pass back at the end of the day and teaches me to use it and then says Go and see the full paddock, let’s meet up here in 20 minutes. So I have plenty of videos seeing everything. Saw Mauricio Arrivabene, KMag, Romain, Charles, Russell, Gio, and a lot of drivers up close, but they were busy with interviews and I didn’t wanted to disturb them. 20 minutes are up and I meet up with Danny and two other men who I can’t remember their names. That’s when we are talked into the McLaren pit. They explained a lot to us, and the cars were being worked on so we could see the engines up close and many other amazing little details. We walk out again and that’s when we are told. They are also giving us a Pirelli Hot Lap. I cried. No joke. We were walked over the Pirelli Hot Laps place and got to see the cars up close, tried a helmet, met my driver (Josh Cook) and I was eating my brain off. Eventually it’s time to go. We walk the main straight to where the cars were waiting for us, and met Charlotte and Helen (PR girls of McLaren at the time), I got the second to last lap in a McLaren 570s, so as the cars came and went I got more and more anxious. They did delivered me a copy of the video that was filmed but I don’t appear in the Mexican clip they published in their YouTube Channel. And I never published it myself. But if you have seen the “Oh, you drivin’ drivin’” it’s pretty much the same. Going side to side. At times yelling but mostly silence of “holy shit this is happening”. When I got off the car I was shaking. Huge smile in my face. Asked for a pic with Charlotte and Helen, and now I wish I had asked pictures with Danny and Josh as they were super special for me that day.

So this is where things get weird. Have you ever dreamt of something so much that you have a headcanon on how it’s going to be if something happens?? Well, I had a headcanon that I met Stoffel Vandoorne and in my headcanon I turned around to face his adorable smile. First time, that didn’t happen. This time around, we got invited to McLaren’s hospitality, got a free coke, Fernando was there but he didn’t wanted to even wave. He was in a chat with Buemi in the corner of the hospitality and Charlotte and Helen didn’t even made eye contact with him, it was clear to me that he has like “do not disturb” moments. So I was driving my coke and I hear one of the guys say “Oh the girl is going to freak out so much” and well, I was the girl, and I was wearing my 2018 team shirt with Stoffel’s name. So I was chilling and suddenly I hear a “Hi!” and I know that voice. I’ve heard that voice a million times in interviews. I leave my coke in the table and stand up to turn around and see him. Stoffel Vandoorne. I turn around again and sit down because this is not happening. This is a dream. I probably passed out and I’m dreaming. Charlotte asks “Are you ok?” and I know she’s talking about me. I turn again to face Stoffel and tears are in my eyes. It’s really him. And he has that stupid smile in his face. I can barely say “Hi” and my voice cracks but I’m trying my best to not cry. I raise my arm to shake his hand as Stoffel says “Don’t you want a hug?”, I crack again and just approach to hug him. IT IS THE BEST HUG IN MY LIFE. I can’t tell you what he’s smelled like because my definition is just clean. I didn’t smelled a cologne or sweat, I just smelt clean clothes and a clean man. We got a few pictures taken. On the first Lando is in the background, all funny, and we invite them to our picture. He stood on the side of the group and one of the other guys says “Why don’t you stand in the side of the girl, so she can have a McSandwich”. Best McSandwich ever. Stoffel had to leave (to track walk, I believe) and Lando stayed chatting with us for a while. When he finally left, we were invited for one last walk around the paddock. Even got into the stadium area of the circuit. And then it was time to leave. On the walk back to the main door where it all started I asked Danny why me? Why had they invited me? He said that he had noticed my tweets beforehand but the fact that I had tweeted to Lando saying I was excited to see him in FP1, and he retweeted me, was the reason why I got the invite. So, my dream way of meeting Stoffel Vandoorne became a reality thanks to Lando Norris and his really cute way of being with his fans.

As soon as I gave the pass away, I started to run. I was on the opposite side of the circuit than the pitlane walk door. So I ran, bought a ticket, ran some more, and pushed myself to the front of the crowd to meet Stoffel again. Yeah, I’m that crazy. So Charlotte sees me and says “Hey, look who it is Stoffel!” and Stoffel sees me and he’s like HI AGAIN! so HE FUCKING RECOGNIZED ME. So I chat with Charlotte a bit and say that I forgot to ask for an autograph so as Stoffel is signing one, and hands it to me, she says, “give her more”, so Stoff signed 2 more and handed them over. I told him I was going to miss him in F1 but that he had my support wherever he went, and he said thanks and carried on with his duty before leaving. I stayed there, as people left when they realised there were no drivers to sign cards, until I was told I had to leave. Prior to this, I met Lee Mathurin (a McLaren mechanic who I just discovered he has deleted his Twitter account, and I’m scared) and asked for a picture with him and other mechanics (he chicked out in coming to meet me along so he asked some friends to tag along) and as I try to snap the picture he grabs my phone and walks to the pits. He snapped a few good pictures of Stoffel’s car and the people around and came back to me to take a selfie of us. So after that, I got asked to leave by security and I rode an Uber back to my hotel room. As soon as I walked in and my mom asked “How it went?” I started crying my eyes out. That was waaay beyond what I had ever dreamt about. I was coming there still crying about my ex (I literally cried about him on the plane) and I started crying about how lucky and happy I was 12 hours later. McLaren, unknowing to them, made my life experience something I could never afford, in a moment when I most needed it. I couldn’t attend to the 2019 race and I’m not going to the 2020 race either, but I couldn’t ask for a better and happier day in my life. I truly owe that day forever to that team.

#anon #stoffel vandoorne #lando norris #mclaren #my story #asks #Anonymous

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i-write-sometimes-blog · 4 years

Text

The new girl (Rey x Reader High School AU)

Request: There were two that were very similar, both involved a party or social gathering and Rey or Reader getting a bit jealous when someone hits on them so I kinda fused them. Here are the original requests 1 / 2

Words: 3,202 (by far the longest one here)

A/N: This is honestly one of my favorite things I've written for this AU!! Hope you like it as much as I do.

The music got louder as Rey and you got closer to Poe’s place to one of the many parties he organized in his house, one of the things that made him quite famous on school and why many students had their eyes on him.

“Does he really needs to do all this parties?” asked Rey scoffing. “I mean, this is like the third this month.”

“But this one’s special, Rey. It’s his birthday.” you said walking down the street towards his house,

“Okay, I’ll forgive him this time.” she giggled. “Oh, Y/N. I invited someone, by the way” she said stopping a few feets from the door which confused you a little bit.

“Who?”

“Her name is Zorii..” she said and you repeated her name in your head, it wasn’t familiar. You knew all her friends but this girl, you had never heard about her and it disconcerted you.

“Do I know her?” you asked as your mind couldn’t find an answer.

“She’s new in my mechanics class, she helped me with my task so I invited her, I forgot to tell you.” she explained “Do you think Poe would mind?” she said with a worried look on her face. You shook your head and gave her a comforting smile.

“No, don’t worry. He’ll be totally okay with it.” you told her.

The powerful roar of a motorcycle engine made you turn your head over your shoulder. You saw the vehicle coming fastly closer and it stopped right in front of you. It was a grey racing motorcycle and the driver wore black leather jacket and gloves, a golden helmet covered her face. She raised the black visor of her helmet revealing a pair of emerald green eyes and long lashes.

“Rey!” she said excited, her voice a bit muffled by the helmet.

“Hey!” Rey greeted with a wide smile. “I’m glad you decided to come, Zorii.”

The girl chuckled under her helmet before she took it off, a light brown mane fell gracefully on her shoulders. Then you saw finally her, she had some delicate features, high yet soft cheekbones, a playfully smirk and an intense gaze. You had to admit that she was a really attractive girl, as you had to admit you felt some insecurity starting to build up in you as this hot girl came closer and greeted Rey enthusiastically.

“You sure there will be no problem?” she asked Rey and she immediately shook her head.

“No, everything’s fine.” she said. Rey noticed you were out of the conversation, it was normal, you didn’t know this girl, so she took your head and pulled you a little closer. “Zorii, this is my girlfriend Y/N,” she said and then she looked at you with a smile. Zorii smirked at you for a moment a bit surprised to see you.

“So this is the famous Y/N.” she said “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Rey just won’t stop talking about you in class, I’ve passed the last weeks hearing about you.”

“Really?” you asked and you couldn’t suppress the smile on your lips, yet there was doubt in your brain. Weeks? Rey hadn’t mentioned anything about Zorii until now, but apparently they knew for weeks.

“Well, shall we?” asked Rey gesturing towards the door.

Poe’s house was filled with students, you recognized most of them from your classes but there were also a lot from other grades. Some were dancing at the rhythm of the music holding the typical red cups as they moved across the room, others preferred chatting a little bit or visiting the snack table. Everyone seemed to be having a good time, specially the birthday boy who was dancing in the middle of the dancefloor and clapped as the song was over. He saw you then.

“Y/N, Rey!” He almost yelled “Thanks for coming, grab some drinks, I’m gonna find Finn.” he said smiling but his grin almost faded away when his eyes met Zorii. “Did I drink too much or am I really seeing you, Zorii?”

“Hi, Poe.” she said.

“Wait you know each other?” Rey and you almost screamed at the same time as you looked speechless at them.

“Long story” Zorii explained.

“You don’t really wanna know.” he added “I thought you were in Kijimi.”

“I was, I moved here a few months now.” Poe nodded now with his smile back.

“Well, welcome. Grab a drink and then we’ll talk, whatcha say?” he raised an eyebrow at Zorii but just laughed for a moment.

“You’re still the same, Dameron”

Your friend winked at her before he made his way back to the dancefloor. It was moment to find the snack table and some drinks. You guided Rey and Zorii through the crowd already knowing exactly where everything was in this party for the dozen times you’ve been here.

When the three of you had a cup you searched for a corner where you can chat, Zorii seemed to interested on know you better, though you believed her really interest was Rey, they seemed to had a lot of this to talk about due their mechanics class, the only thing you could do for a while was smile and nod in agreement.

“Zorii, I have to tell you, I really love your motorcycle.” Rey confessed in the middle of the conversation.

“Thanks, babe. You know how to ride?” the green eyed woman asked leaned on the wall.

“No, I’ve driven some cars, but never motorcycles.” Rey said.

“That can be arrange” she told her before she took a long sip of her drink. “Name a day and I’ll teach you.”

“Really?” Rey grinned with her eye full of true happiness.

“I’d be delighted” the other girl answered.

While they talked you were like a shadow, just standing there but not really with them, for a moment you even thought they had forget about you, laughing with one another, while slowly the tension on your body grew with every new smile and new joke between them at the point that it was hard to keep smiling but you forced yourself to do it. You felt Rey’s gaze from time to time on you, you didn’t want to ruin her good mood.

A new beat filled the room as the new song rumbles through the loudspeakers and more students moved to the dancefloor excited to move with the new hit.

“No way, that song slaps!” the new girl yelled already moving with the rhythm and singing some of the lyrics. “Let’s dance!”

You were so distracted in your head that you didn’t hear Rey when she asked you to dance with her, was until she rested her hand on the lower of your back that you noticed she was talking to you.

“Sorry, what?” you asked confused, Rey was looking at you with a heartwarming smile.

“Wanna dance with me, milady?” she told you. You doubted your answer, you weren’t exactly in the mood.

“I-I, no right now. You go, love.” you told her and her eyes filled with concern.

“Is everything alright, Y/N?” she asked you.

“Yeah, great. I just feel a bit dizzy. Maybe it’s enough booze for me.” you said forcing you to let go a chuckle as you looked down at your barely touched drink.

“Rey! come on!” Zorii yelled already in the dance floor moving her slim figure with the music.

“Gimme a moment!” Rey yelled back. She turned to you, “I’ll be back soon. Will you be okay?”

“Yeah.” you told her, she smiled and gave you a soft kiss before she left your side to join the rest of the guest.

You couldn’t help to follow her with your gaze, she walked up to her new friend and start moving with her, shaking her head from side to side as she rose her arms to the music, her bright smile always adorning her precious face as she danced close to that beautiful new girl.

Seeing her that happy with other girl made you felt a strong pain in your chest as your brain worked probably more than it should. They were just friends, damn it, a part of you was screaming at you to stop thinking things that were clearly just work of your insecurity and yet the other part of you sounded louder. She looked so happy with her, they can speak for hours and hours and for a moment you thought Zorii was better than you in any sense: she was beautiful, hotter, she knew more about one of Rey’s passions than you, mechanics but most important she made her laugh.

As the thoughts started to overwhelm you there was a lump stuck in your throat and the tears threatened to fall down, you felt like you were going to break down in a matter of second. So you decided to leave, Rey was happier with her than with you.

You rushed through the crowd, urged to find a place where nobody could see you. Gladly you knew this house so you easily found the bathroom and you locked yourself inside. Sighing deeply you tried to get those thoughts out of your head, calm yourself a little but your mind just wouldn't let you. You had to get out of that place.

You took your phone and dial a number on the screen.

"What?" He snapped as soon as he answered the call.

"Ben, can you pick me up?" You told him hoping your voice wouldn't crack.

"Isn't it a bit early? Didn't you say to pick you at eleven?" He asked a bit confused.

"Ben" you cut him off "please."

There was a silence and then you heard his deep voice again.

"I'll be there in a minute."

"Thank you." You said hanging the phone. Now the only thing you had to do was wait for him to arrive.

You sat on the edge of the small tub just waiting for your brother, the time seemed to pass so slow and you felt the tears pooling in your eyes as you thought of Rey having so much fun with Zorii out there.

Then finally a text appeared in the screen of your phone. "I'm here" it said.

You took a deep breath and cleaned your face before you leave the bathroom, racing to the door praying no one would notice you leaving. But she did.

Rey was looking for you, wondering where you may be hiding. She knew you just too well, she had an idea of what was going on and the idea of that upset her. She knew you were a little insecure sometimes, who wasn't, to be honest, insecure from time to time? But it was a bit sad that even when she tried to cheer you up you seemed not to notice she had only eyes for you.

"Y/N!" she said and you stopped. "There you are, I was worried something happened to you."

"I-i have to go, Rey." You said. "Sorry."

"Are you alright?" She asked concerned.

"Yeah, just," you showed her your phone "mum called, uncle Luke's in town. Family dinner." You lied. She stared at you for a moment trying to figure out what was really going on.

"Wait, I'll walk you home." She said.

"No, don't worry." You told her and swallowed hard "Ben's here." You saw the small smile on her lips fade away but she nodded.

"Okay. See you tomorrow?"

"Sure. Please tell Poe I'm sorry." You said and then you raced to the door, regretting your words and actions immediately.

The black car was waiting for you and you felt a bit relieved when you got inside. Your brother, however was a bit confused when he didn't saw Rey with you.

"Where's your nerd girlfriend?" He asked.

"She's not coming" you answered in a barely audible voice.

"Why?"

"Can we just go, Ben?" You pleaded.

"Y/N..."

"Just drive the car!"

He rested his hands on the steering wheel and then he looked at you.

"Okay, what happened there, Y/N?" He said serious as his eyes focused on you. "And don't even try it, you can't lie to me."

You sighed but refused to look at him.

"There's a new girl in town." You murmured.

"Go on."

"She's in class with Rey and… she's here." You stopped yourself to clean a lonely tear that made its way out of your eyes.

"I see where this is going" your brother said. "Let me guess, the new girl and Rey are suddenly so close, right?" He told you and you nodded.

"She's so pretty and cool, damn it! I think Rey prefers her over me." You snapped hiding your face on your hands.

Ben opened the glove box and handed you a package of tissues. Then he chuckled.

"I think my little sister is jealous." He grinned.

"Hey!" You protested.

"You are, Y/N. You're comparing yourself with that new girl, fearing to lose your precious Rey, but it's not gonna happen."

"What do you mean?" You asked cleaning your face. He rolled his eyes.

"You're hopeless!" He chuckled again. "Rey loves you, Y/N. It's more than obvious"

"But…"

"She's not gonna change you for that girl, she loves you just too much to do something as stupid as that" he told you. "I know I spent most of my time fighting with her and saying I hate her, but she tries her best to make you happy."

"Yeah, she does." You let go a soft chuckle remembering all the things she have done for you, hiding in the first place, back when you two started dating. Every other person would have said no but she was willing to be with you even if it was in secret. And your chest warned up with those memories.

"She's just being kind as she is with this girl. But you have nothing to fear, Y/N."

He was right, all this chaos was just made up in your head, product of your insecurities but you never stopped thinking about what your brother said not all the good and bad things Rey and you've been through. She wouldn't change that for a new girl.

"Shit, I'm such an idiot!" You blurted, knowing you may have hurt Rey with your actions.

"First thing you say today I agree with." Ben joked. You glanced at him angry and then you hugged him.

"Thanks" you murmured. "I have to go back inside. Mind to wait?"

"Nah! I'll be near. Just call me." He told you.

You got off the car and walked to the house again.

"Hey! If she does something stupid, I'll kill her." He yelled and you shook your head before getting in the party again.

Desperately you scanned the room looking for the girl you loved in the crowd. She was not dancing, not anywhere to see, but you did caught Zorii.

"Zorii." You said as you approached to her. "Where's Rey?"

"Hey, Y/N. I thought you were leaving." She said a bit confused. "Rey looked a bit upset, she said she needed a drink. I think she went to the roof."

"Thank you, Zorii." You told her and rushed to the stairs.

There she was, looking at the night city with a drink in hand as she talked with Finn.

"I thought everything was fine, but she left so sudden." She said and her voice was filled with a mix of doubt and sadness.

"But you said she left because she had a family emergency." Finn added.

"She was lying, Finn, I know her." She sighed "I just wish she would have told me what happened."

You cleared your throat making them both turn around to meet you. You stayed there for a second until Finn spoke again.

"I'm gonna go for another drink." He said and smiled when he passed by your side before rushing down the stairs. Meanwhile Rey drank the last drops of her drink and waited for you to get closer.

"I'm sorry." You finally told her.

"For what?" She asked confused.

"For everything. For lying to you but mostly for being a complete fool."

"I don't understand." She said. "What is this about that made you escape?"

"Zorii" you murmured feeling ashamed. "you never told me about her and back there with all her cool clothes and her bike, not to mentioned her. You seemed so happy with her… I guess I got a bit jealous." You confessed her. "And I'm sorry."

She took your hand.

"Zorii's just a friend. She's new here and I was once the new girl too. I know how it feels not to have anyone. And then there was you, Y/N, always helping me out. I don't know what would had happened if you haven't been there for me." She told you gazing at you. "I'm offering a hand like you did for me once." She said.

"Gosh, now I feel even more stupid." You told her closing your eyes only to open again them when you felt Rey's soft hand over your the side of your face.

"Hey, you're not stupid, don't ever call yourself that." She told you rather angry but then her kind smile was back on her face.

"Sorry, I'm acting like a child." You said "I know this sounds very stupid, but I thought I was losing you."

"You're not getting rid of me that easy, sweetheart" she joked actually getting a small laugh from you. "Now seriously, you're not going to lose me, I love you more than anything, Y/N." She told you and you felt the blush spreading over your face.

"I love you too, Rey" you told her "I mean it"

Rey pulled you into a short but affectionate kiss.

"I know" she murmured before she leaned to met your lips again in a now more passionate way that let a big smile on your lips as it ended. You stayed for a moment looking at this amazing girl in front of you wondering how did you even got so lucky to meet and to be with her. "Now, you owe me a dance." She said smirking.

"Yeah, I think I do." You giggled. "I'm sorr…"

"If you say sorry one more time I'm gonna really think about kicking your ass." She told you. "Come on, Y/N, let's find our friends and enjoy the night." She told you as she intertwined her hand with yours.

You followed her down the stairs back to the party where the loud music surrounded you. Soon you were dancing close to her to the beat of the music, she looked so beautiful under the neon lights that lighted the dancefloor, you admired her as her body seemed to float with the music and the way her eyes lighted every time she caught you looking at her, she truly only had eyes for you. So you enjoy the rest of the night with the girl you loved the most, hoping those insecurities would never come back to you, because you really didn't have nothing to worry about, Rey loved you just as you were.

Tagging: @1-800-depressedlesbian

(In case you want to be tagged for specific things or everything I write, just let me know)

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voidgremlin · 4 years

Text

An Oath to Hope (chapter 5)

Chapter 5: Cookie and Tea

First of all, Yasmin had planned only one thing when inviting the beautiful mystery woman to a cup of tea while as sleep deprived as a bat in the daylight and it was to see the gorgeous woman, just to see her, to listen to her, just a little longer like putting pause on the most perfect still in a movie and get to appreciate it.

Which is in fact, a quite beautiful plan with nice and selfish intentions at the same time and Yaz is pretty sure she was too tired to be a real judge of that.

Secondly, She is very very tired and haven’t slept when she should have. Her brain usually makes miracle in those conditions like in the finals period where she would cram into several sleepless nights to works on lessons and stuff but this time, this one single time. Yaz’s brain is broke and cannot function. Was it because she was there ? Who knows.

So there should be no one to blame her for when poor Nadzieja as soon as she passed by the door and got showered with attention by Yaz’s family. Her coat taken off, Sonya in awe with her earrings, tea made for her right away as well as many sweet pastries. They all sat around the kitchen table, asking wildly how the two of them met.

“Really ? The O’Brian’s car ?” Najia, Yasmin’s mom, asked in disbelief to which the blonde woman answered with a strong nodding that could belong to five years old.

“This car made way too much noise, remember how it woke us up when he took his grandson to school one morning ? It was so awful !” Hakim grumbled before sipping the tea. “This man should take care of his car more god-“

“Hakim !” Najia cut him making eyes. “Be kind ! You don’t know how they dealing with…” trailing off staring to the newcomer.

“Right right darling.” Hakim grumbled again. Nadzieja only looked at them for a short period before staring down to the plate of pastries, swallowing with difficulty. Sonya took over to avoid an awkward silence.

“Is it true you made Yasmin repair a car ?” she mocked. “How long did that took ?”

“Well, we did took most of the night when I can do it in a few hours.” Nadzieja said candidly. “But it was good work !” she added turning her head to Yaz who was slowly dozing off. “You did good work !” The affirmation was earnest and one of the kindest thing Yaz could remember happening to her. Not that she cared a lot about her ability to be a mechanic. It was to not feel like she fucked up.

“Ah ! Nadz my dear you are a miracle for being able to make Yasmin do anything with her hands ! She is so not skilled” Intervened Sonya with a smile.

This statement made Yasmin rose up to make a little punch on her sister’s arms too tired to do anything else. It made Nadzieja chuckle.

“I think Yaz is someone very skilled and brilliant. She could be an engineer if she wanted to.”

“Really ?”

“And yet she decided to be a cop.” Hakim murmured.

“Dad please we already talked about this.” Yaz whispered back.

“I know and I won’t stop complaining. You should put your time in better activities Yasmin.”

Yasmin only sighed refusing to explain herself any further. She knows what she had to do and as she laid her head on the table being lulled to the sounds of nice chat and the birds chirping. She felt like she accomplished something grand. Finding her again was fate, a good roll of the dice, she wondered if she will be that lucky again. If she, maybe, could lo-

She fell asleep right away.

It only took two side conversations about one of the many travels of the new lady in town and one about Sonya’s plans for the future before noticing Yasmin snoring on the table. It made Najia chuckle before explaining that this new job was quite tiring and that she refused to sleep today for her. Nadzieja blushed and stuttered at the mention.

After this they all worked together to put to sleep the young lady, Sonya and Najia wanting to try to carry her to bed before the woman with the rainbow t-shirt swopped the sleeping body like she weighted nothing, to carry her in her bed. The bedroom was small but comfy, with blue tint and small golden lights on the desk who wasn’t cleaned up in days, maybe years. Bed undone by Yazmin bolting earlier in the day. If anything the blonde woman felt like home, not her car even though it is her home. It felt like Home, something she lost, chose to lose, years ago.

She laid her down, carefully, covering her with the blankets. Yasmin moved to be comfortable mumbling a thank you, before opening her eyes to see the blonde woman. Nadzieja was pretty sure she didn’t really really see her but she smiled at her sight, a sweet smile. It made her pause, considering something, before hearing Sonya knocking on the door softly.

“Hey, mom wants to know if you want to stay for dinner ?”

Nadzieja nodded, guess she will stay for dinner too for some reason.

The kitchen was bubbling with laughs and casserole heating up. Hakim made the dough for a naan bread with meat, while Sonya and her mom prepared sweet rice called Zarda. Nadzieja stayed clear of the kitchen looking from afar their actions and work as a team.

“Don’t you want to help ?” Sonya asked while cutting the pepper bells.

“I would love nothing more but alas disaster comes when I goes in the kitchen.”

“Like what ?”

“Well.” She squinted pondering if she should present herself as such a disaster to this loving and caring family. “When I was little, I decided to be chief, of pastries ! And I tried it, cake with flour, mud and some cinnam-“

“Mud ? I have heard mud ?!”

“Plants get nutrients from it ! And we need bacteria in our digestive system ! Soil is for the best!” Nadzieja said adamantly.

“Darling, I’m pretty sure we need to keep the bacteria’s out.” Hakim said while forming the dough.

“Anyway, in the end, the cake cooked just fine, but I have started a fire just in time to be forever banned from all the kitchen’s in the universe.”

“How is that possible ?”

“I am that lucky.” Nadzieja answered smug. “Do you know where I could help ? Repairs ! I can do repairs ! Do you need something fixed ?”

After a good dinner and laughs, Nadzieja was also invited to stay sleeping, hearing about the car situation and Najia refusing to let the woman leave the flat. They installed her in Yaz’s room who was still sleeping soundly. A comfy mattress prepared just for her and everything. They left the room telling her goodnight and the only thing Nadzieja felt like doing was to watch the young woman sleep, sit beside her bed.

“Hi,” she wishpered “I- I-… Thank you for the tea, the talks, the dinner even. You weren’t there but I cried at dinner. Been a while since I had a family dinner. I think I miss it.” Her eyes started to fill with tears. “Your mom is awesome by the way, she was so worried for me and wanted to make laugh. She is very good. So are you.” She started patting Yaz’s hand “I- thank you so much. I will probably leave before you wake up. But it was nice.”

Thank god it was the weekend even for Yaz, she could rest. Thank god her mom was so caring and patient with her, probably carried her to the bed. Made sure she was well. Or was it the mystery woman ? She wasn’t sure.

When Yaz woke up it was 4 a.m. which was normal when working at night. She stared the ceiling, her mind still hazy. She didn’t gave the address to the woman did she ? Oh god she didn’t ! She have to find her again ! Gosh. Today is got to be a long day.

While she felt the anxiety of responsibility and wariness over Nadzieja’s health rise in her gut, she also felt a touch, a small touch and a small snore. To her right, the blonde woman in her mom’s pajamas, kneeling next to her bed, her head with fussed hair laying on the mattress, holding her hand.

There were a mattress ready for her made by Yaz’s mom but the sheets and blankets were untouched. She was here. Touching her hand. She was still there.

Yaz silently thanked god for that moment.

She forced the sleepy woman on her bed, to rest more comfortably. After some struggle she accomplished the deed. Nadz beside her, snuggling in the blankets resting her head on her shoulder, Yaz stayed like that and waited for the sun to rise and for her people to wake up.

After a few hours, Nadzieja rose up. Delighted to be there.

“Hi.”

“Hi.” Yaz answered.

“Is it a typical situation in your household ?”

“No” she chuckled.

A little silence fell down, Nadzieja pondering something.

“I was supposed to leave you know.”

“But you didn’t.”

“You were here. Why would I leave that ?”

#dw #doctor who fanfic #an oath to hope #yazmin khan #my stuff

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holy-honeybees · 4 years

Text

Snowdrift

AO3

Rating: T+ (for swearing)

Summary: Three friends and their dog get lost in a snowstorm while investigating the paranormal. Amidst swirling flurries of white, some lose their way and get lost in their memories, others lose sight of their friends and loved ones, and an unforgiving winter quickly fills in the footprints one would follow to get back home.

A/N: I started this back in November but sadly never finished the work. I was thinking of holding off till it started to snow again, but figured now was as good a time as any to try and finish this.The title is taken from Snail's House song "[snowdrift]" which you can check out here! Also, just in case, this chapter does feature a panic attack, though not what I would consider to be a graphic one.

Next Chapter

Chapter One

It was late December and the Nebraska landscape was quiet in a way that only winter brings. The flat plains that stretched to either side of the roadway were barren and frozen, though the month had yet to see any snowfall. The somber atmosphere was interrupted by the steady rumble of a boxy, yellow van rolling along the empty country highway, heading north. Inside the car, music played, punctuated by soft snoring and the occasional thump of a dog’s tail that wagged in its sleep, the driver tunelessly humming along and tapping his fingers against the steering wheel, one metal and the other flesh and bone. As for conversation, it was silent, though not for lack of conscious company. Arthur Kingsmen stole a glance out of the corner of his eye at the specter he shared the front seat with, the ghost staring absentmindedly out of the window at the passing landscape. If it weren’t for the fact that they had tried—and in his own case, succeeded—to kill each other a little over a year ago, Arthur might have called it a companionable silence. As it was, the lack of conversation since Vivi had crawled into the back of the van for a nap was making him nervous. He glanced at Lewis once again before turning back to the roadway with a small sigh, rubbing tiredly at his eyes with his right hand. Things had gotten better between them. Things had been getting better for all of them. The sight alone of Mystery didn’t leave Arthur shaking, plastered to the opposite side of the van. Vivi was getting her memory back steadily, despite the occasional lapse they stumbled across. Lewis…well, Lewis wasn’t trying to kill him anymore. The purple specter didn’t even glare at him anymore. Forgiveness had been achieved despite the niggling doubts at the back of Arthur’s mind that whispered he didn’t deserve it. They had gone from enemies, to strangers, to almost-friends. They had relearned to occupy the same space, even chatting sociably on occasion without Vivi or Mystery playing mediator. It was progress, slow progress maybe, but Arthur wasn’t sure if there was any precedence for how long it might take to repair your friendship with the spirit of your once best friend. If he was being honest, he was happy just to have the chance. Vivi had wanted to celebrate their progress with a new case, one that required road tripping, though Arthur suspected that her decision was partially fueled by her exuberance and impatience at seeing them be friends again. It must have been hard for her to get her memories back at a point in time where everything had changed so much, Arthur mused, once again rubbing at his eyes as he tried to rein in his thoughts. His mind tended to wander when he was tired, and Arthur Kingsmen, certified insomniac, was always tired.

He glanced at Lewis once again, before exchanging the heat blasting out the van’s vents for cold air, shivering despite his vest being zipped up over the long-sleeved white shirt he’d swapped for his usual tee. Arthur knew Lewis would be unbothered, unable to feel the temperature change, and Vivi, bundled in the back of the van in heavy blankets and cuddled up to a fluffy dog, wasn’t likely to notice. He needed to stay awake and the chilly air would help. His coffee thermos had long since run dry, as had the conversation, and after six long hours of driving on only two hours of sleep, anything stimulating would be a welcome change. He had to stay awake, he had to keep driving, he had to be usefu—he had to stay awake. His discordant humming choked off and his fingers tightened around the wheel, ceasing their increasingly frenzied tapping. He glanced at the van’s clock, trying to calculate how much longer it would be before they could pull over in a town to rest, before giving up on the math when he realized he had no idea how far away the next stop was. His mind circled back to the silence, and he warred with himself about conversation topics, his mind buzzing with a dozen unsatisfactory attempts to break the silence. He wondered if it was his fault things were so quiet now. Had he done something wrong, said something wrong? Should he apologize, just in case? Would it be weird to start speaking again now? Would Lewis be annoyed? Arthur felt the irrational need to say something, anything begin to bubble up in his chest as his mind began to spiral out of control, taking apart the last quiet hour like an engine to see if he could figure out the trouble. He had to come up with a conversation topic soon or he would inevitably blurt out the first thing that came to mind or else launch into a long-winded babble about mechanics, robotics, or—god forbid—van maintenance. He could feel the pressure building in his chest, climbing up his throat, and did his best to weld his mouth firmly shut against any awkward attempts at small talk he might make. Then Lewis sat up abruptly, causing Arthur to jolt in his seat, a strangled noise escaping through his clamped-shut lips. Lewis was staring intently in his direction. The dire need to fill the silence was becoming too much to contend with as Arthur opened his mouth to launch into what he hoped wouldn’t be some diatribe about how the number of lug nuts didn’t necessarily equate high performance for a car, just take race cars for example—

Splat!

Arthur startled at the small sound of something hitting the windshield, whipping his head around to Lewis when he heard a soft utterance emit from his skull.

“Look.” Lewis had hunched forward in his seat, crowding his large frame into the windshield of the van, looking upwards with a dreamy expression. Arthur would be ceaselessly frustrated trying to figure out the logistics of how a skull could so effortlessly emote had the expression on the specter’s face not been so soft, so human and alive, leaving a bittersweet feeling to grow in Arthur’s chest.

“It’s snowing,” Lewis said. Arthur blinked as he comprehended the words, before likewise craning forwards in his seat and turning his face skywards. Thick, fluffy white flakes were drifting down from the pale grey sky, making a lazy descent to the world below. He gazed at the beginnings of the flurry with childlike wonder, a small smile slipping onto his face without his notice. He’d seen snow before of course, experienced it in person too, though the opportunity to do so in Tempo, Texas, hadn’t presented itself. Arthur remembered being young, before he’d come to live with his Uncle Lance, his father had tried to show him how to have a snowball fight during a winter they’d spent in Colorado. He never quite got the form right, the snow turning into powder or wet misshapen lumps between his mittens, as opposed to the seemingly perfect spheres his father made. When it came to throwing snowballs, his weak, noodle-like arms weren’t able to muster up much force, while his dad had let loose like canon fire. Arthur had taken one of the frozen projectiles to the face and immediately started crying. He still remembered his father’s large, apologetic smile as he’d laughed and ruffled his hair before he’d taken him to a local diner for hot chocolate, tears quickly forgotten by the child. It was a good memory, and he found his eyes misting over as he once again wished things could go back to the way they were before. As much as he loved his Uncle Lance, as happy as he was to have Lewis back, even in his present condition, he still wished he could turn back the clock.

“Hey, eyes on the road,” Lewis chuckled in the seat beside him, shaking Arthur free of the memory he’d been caught in. The mechanic quickly scrubbed at his eyes with his sleeves, hoping his spectral passenger hadn’t noticed. He returned his attention to the pavement ahead of him, just in time to see a pale figure standing in the road only a few feet from the front of the speeding van.

“Shit!” Arthur exclaimed, slamming his foot down on the brake, the tires screeching in protest at the sudden deceleration until the van came to a stop ten feet further down the pavement. He sat there breathing heavily in his seat, Lewis clinging to the side of the van as if he still had a life to fear for. In the back, the dog muttered choice words under his breath at the rude awakening and Vivi mumbled as she slowly became alert.

“Arthur, what the—” Lewis began from the front seat, irritation creeping into his tone. But Arthur had already thrown the driver’s side door wide open and was scrambling outside, uncaring to hear the rest of Lewis’s expletive. He stumbled along the roadway searching for the figure he had seen just moments before, hoping he wouldn’t see them lying unmoving in the middle of the road but expecting it nonetheless. His surroundings were as empty as they had been over the last few hours though.

“Shit. Shit, shit…” Arthur cursed under his breath. He’d just run somebody over, most likely killing them since he’d been strictly adhering to the fifty-five mile per hour speed limit, and this time there was nobody to blame but himself. No extenuating circumstances, no green spirits possessing him, just him and—

“Arthur, what’s going on?” Lewis spoke up suddenly from behind him, causing the shorter man to startle.

“Th-there was somebody in the road,” Arthur responded, swallowing thickly. They had made so much progress and all of it was going to be undone because he was a murderer again. Lewis merely regarded him quietly, his look appraising. Arthur squirmed under the scrutiny.

“I-I tried to stop, but by the time I saw them there was no…there was no way…” Arthur said, an all-consuming sick-feeling opening up like a pit in his stomach as he trailed off weakly, “We need to find their…body…so we can, y-y’know…”

“Arthur,” Lewis was looking at him with a concerned expression, his head shaking slightly as he slowly said, “there wasn’t anybody in the road.”

“W-what?” Arthur said dumbly, his mouth suddenly dry, “B-but I saw…” He trailed off as he heard the telltale click of dog claws on pavement as Mystery joined them.

“Arthur,” the disguised kitsune said calmly, “If there was anything in this vicinity that you could have struck with the van, I would have sensed it.” The dog quirked an eyebrow at him as he made to interrupt.

“And even if you don’t find yourself able to rely on the incredible mystic abilities of a 600-year-old kitsune, my nose would detect it even without the aid of magic. There’s no one out here but us.”

“O-Oh,” Arthur said, his shoulders slumped as he released a shaky breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding, too quickly taking another, and another to refill his lungs. Two feet clad in thick blue socks entered his field of vision as he stared down at the asphalt, the fourth and final member of their group finally roused and joining where they’d gathered on the road. If Vivi had said anything upon her arrival though, it was lost to the ringing in his ears accompanied by the pounding of his heart. He massaged his sternum absently.

“Oh,” he repeated numbly, followed by a high-pitched stressed sound that could have been mistaken for a giggle if not for the utter lack of mirth in the noise. Panic set upon him in full force then, his breath hitching as he rode out the panic attack like a wave, the fit of hyperventilation ebbing away after a few minutes, awareness of his surroundings creeping back in.

“You okay, Artie?” Vivi asked, her voice still sleepy, but her eyes sharp and focused on him, brimming with worry.

“I’m okay,” he said, almost automatically, before taking another moment to catch his breath, “Just…relieved. I-Is it bad that I feel like I’m getting better at having panic attacks?”

“I don’t like the thought of you having that much practice at it,” Vivi mumbled, pressing in close to her friend’s side and wrapping him up in the blanket she’d dragged out with her. Arthur hummed noncommittally, grateful for the shared warmth. He felt a hand on his chin, gently tilting his head back.

“Have you been sleeping?” Lewis inquired, peering closely at Arthur’s face, though the mechanic suspected that the deep shadows and bags under his eyes didn’t require that close of an inspection to be seen.

“I know I saw something,” Arthur said half-heartedly, avoiding the question the specter had posed to him. He had been so certain he’d seen something in the road, but his friends’ reassurances were weakening his conviction.

“Maybe I am a little tired,” he admitted sheepishly, hands once again coming up to scrub at his eyes.

“How about you let Lewis drive for a little while?” Vivi suggested, already tugging Arthur towards the back of the van, the mechanic easily lead away despite the protests he voiced. Vivi ushered him through the rear doors, depositing him on top of the sleeping bag she’d used earlier and quickly burying him under a pile of blankets.

“Just for a little while,” Arthur said tiredly, his eyelids already beginning to droop, “And no…no changing the van into…whatever it was you did to that monster truck.” He thought he heard Lewis huff a laugh as he burrowed further into the blankets, still warm from Vivi’s nap. He listened as she and Lewis climbed into the front of the van, Mystery’s legs scrambling briefly to gain purchase on the seat, a quiet conversation starting between the ghost and the girl in hushed tones undoubtedly for his own benefit. Arthur sighed as he relaxed further into the warm environment. He’d rest, just for a little while, just enough so that his eyes were clear and focused and didn’t conjure imaginary obstacles in the road.

Just a little while…

Arthur dozed off within minutes, lulled to sleep by Lewis’s voice as it rumbled through the specter’s chest and the familiar scent of blueberry shampoo on the pillow he’d borrowed.

In the distance, a single, silent figure stood, with pale skin and white hair. The snow swirled around her, the spitting snowflakes quickly worked up into a flurry, landing on her nose and blue lips, undisturbed by her lack of breath or body heat. Had one of the Mystery Skulls looked in the rearview mirror of the van, they might have caught a glimpse of her as she faded from view, blending into the wintry landscape, scentless and shapeless as the snow that fell from the sky.

#mystery skulls animated #msa #msa fanfic #mystery skulls animated fanfic #arthur #lewis #vivi #mystery #arthur kingsmen #lewis pepper #vivi yukino #Snowdrift

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