#kid's mom's side got no one under 6 foot not even the women

[wefoundloveunderthelight]

Skyline Manor by GleefullyCaptainSwan Chapter 8/13

Read on AO3: | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8

Or on FF

Stacy's Tortured Crew: @teamhook @kmomof4 @stahlop @lfh1226-linda @ilovemesomekillianjones @itsfabianadocarmo @mariakov81 @qualitycoffeethings @zaharadessert @jrob64 @jonesfandomfanatic @natascha-ronin @tiganasummertree @xarandomdreamx @therooksshiningknight @batana54 @superchocovian @onceratheart18 @ultraluckycatnd @snowbellewells @karlyfr13s @the-darkdragonfly @xsajx @deckerstarblanche

Chapter 8: Overstepping Lines

Henry sat at the dinner table at his dad’s place, stabbing his fork at the hardened piece of meat on his plate.

“Not hungry, kid?”

He looked up and shrugged, “Not really.”

“How did that reading fair go at your school?”

“Really good. Mom and Killian both came which was neat.”

“That guy from your apartment.” He snorted. “Already moved on to a new one, huh?”

“Killian is my friend. I invited him.”

“You just invited an adult to your school thing? You know you really need to learn to play with kids your own age. Your mom lets you spend too much time with William as it is.”

“I have friends, dad. But the apartment is like family.”

“Yeah so I’ve been told.” He grumbled. “You know I was thinking about talking to your mom about you staying here a bit more often.” Henry dropped his fork on his plate.

“What? Why?”

“Don’t you want to spend more time with me?”

Henry rested his head in his hands, a pout forming on his face. “How will you have time with all your business trips?”

“Hey buddy, I told you that was an important trip.”

“Yeah, I know. I remember. Can I be excused? I’m not feeling very well.”

Henry got up from the table and retreated to the small room at the end of the hall that was filled with boxes and a small mattress on the floor that he slept on when he visited. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to spend time with his dad, but when he was here, his dad just didn’t seem all that interested in knowing anything about him. He seemed to only want to have him around when his guests came for a visit. All the women that his dad brought home seemed really impressed that Neal was taking care of a kid.

He opened his book, pulling the pencil from the spot he had left off and thought about the next part of his story.

Henry watched as the Captain led his mother toward the small house on the end of town. They knocked on the door and waited but no one seemed to be home. Captain Jones disappeared around the back of the home, looking for a way inside.

Henry leaned against the tree, his thoughts swirling about the information he had learned. His father was alive. This Swan Thief man that he had heard about, his photos plastered around the town with the wanted posters offering a reward. How could this man be his father? How could his mother have been with a man who was currently wanted dead or alive?

His thoughts were interrupted by a rustling sound, and he turned quickly to see someone dashing behind him.

“Hello son.”

The man stood in front of him, his hands held out as if he were to welcome him with a hug.

“Who are you?”

“I just told ya kid. I’m your father. I’m Baelfire. Your mother has kept you from me for so long. But not anymore. I’ve come to find you.”

Henry stepped back. “Stay away from me. You’re not a good man.”

“It’s all hearsay boy. You can trust me.”

Henry turned toward the house just outside the tree line, opened his mouth to warn his mother, when everything around him went black.

Emma waited impatiently on the doorstep for the Captain to get into the house. She tapped her foot anxiously.

“No one is home.” The door opened and Captain Jones appeared in the door frame, a smug look on his face.

Emma pushed past him into the home, yanking the rug from the floor and pulling on the hidden door hidden below. “He got into the castle through here.”

They heard a noise down below and looked up at each other. “Did you hear that?”

He pushed past her, descending into the darkness as Emma followed him down the ladder. “Over here Swan.”

She followed the voice toward a small flicker of a flame. When she reached the light, she saw Leroy, his mouth gagged, his hands tied, as the Captain pulled on the rag holding his mouth.

“Princess, it’s Baelfire. He’s back.”

Emma looked up at the Captain and panic set in. Where was her son? “Henry.” She spoke quickly running back to the ladder and climbing with haste. She ran out of the small house, searching the trees for her son. “Henry.” She hollered but no sound came back. Frantically she ran to the back of the house, but the boy was gone.

Captain Jones was at her side in a moment, and she reached out, grabbing his lapel and she screamed angrily into his face. “Henry’s gone. Baelfire has my son.”

~*~

“A toast to being beautiful and single.” Ruby announced as she held her shot glass above her head. “Men suck.”

Emma giggled, clinking her glass against her friends then tilted it into her mouth, swallowing the warm liquid with a quick cough.

“Not all men, ya bloody drunk gits.” Will complained before downing his shot.

“Not you, you’re all soft and sweet.” Emma pinched his cheek. “And squishy.” She squeezed and he pushed her hand away from his face.

“I am not.”

“You so are.” Ruby cooed across from him.

“Ok enough of this nonsense. You were only with the bloke for two weeks.”

“That’s longer than I lasted with Jerry.” She pouted.

“I wouldn’t broadcast that across the room.” He said, rolling his eyes. “Maybe you should stop dating random men in bars, try a coffee shop, they are at least committed to their coffee order. Maybe it will last longer.”

“Poo what do you know, you haven’t dated in ages.”

“Yeah Will, we haven’t seen you with a woman since Ana.”

“Just waitin’ for the right one.” He said with a glint in his eyes.

“And does she have a name?” Emma inquired, her head feeling a bit like it was starting to spin..

“All women have names, Em.”

“Does this one have a specific name?” Ruby demanded.

“Would you both bloody get off my back? There’s no woman, not exactly.” He grabbed his beer and drank it quickly.

“Fine, keep your secrets.” Emma whined.

“You want to talk about secrets, what’s going on with you and Graham?”

It was Emma’s turn to grab her drink, gulping it as her friends stared at her expectantly. “There’s nothing to tell.” She said, slamming her drink down on the table. “He’s been busy lately with the old people and his Segway lessons.”

“Wait, he’s actually learning how to ride a Segway?” Will burst into laughter. “He really does want to be Paul Blart.”

“Stop, he’s trying to get a job downtown as a security guard at Faneuil Hall. They ride Segway’s and he wants to learn before he applies.”

“So sexy.” Ruby cackled.

“I can just imagine you both coming down the aisle on your Segway’s.” Will choked as he laughed loudly.

“I hate you both.” She pouted, ordering another round.

“You know what I wouldn’t mind? Taking a ride on that sexy ass bike of Killian’s.” Ruby practically purred as she spoke.

Images sprung to mind in Emma’s head, the dark bike glistening in the moonlight, her head thrown back, her legs wrapped around his waist as he brought her hips down against him, his cock buried inside of her.

“Totally hot.” She mumbled under her breath.

“See even the Princess agrees with me, Killian Jones is hot as hell.”

“What?” Her head jerked up toward her friends.

“You said it, totally hot. I’m just agreeing with you.”

“I didn’t say that.” She protested.

“I heard the words too, totally bloody hot.” Will teased. “Did I tell you that she practically took her shirt off before inviting him to the barbeque.”

Emma kicked him under the table. “I did not. I had a clothing mishap.”

“Oh, do tell.” Ruby giggled.

“Half her shirt was unbuttoned; her tits were out on a stroll of their own.”

“Stop it! That is not what happened.”

“That must be why he’s always got his tongue out of his mouth when Emma bends over.”

Emma spun toward Will. “He does no such thing. He has a girlfriend.”

“Whatever.” Will said sourly, finishing his beer. “I’m knackered. Let’s get a cab and get the hell out of here before Emma falls out of her chair.”

“I’m perfectly fine.” She laughed, slipping, and nearly tumbling from her tall stool as she tried to step down. “Or not.” She cackled, grabbing onto Will’s shoulder.

The taxi ride home was filled with laughter and joking from her friends, Emma content to stare out the window, trying with everything she could not to think about her sexy hot neighbor and his bike. Or his stupid hair that she imagined running her fingers through. Or his stupid jeans that fit him so nicely. Definitely not his mouth. She was not at all thinking about his mouth.

By the time she stumbled out of the elevator, her body was on fire with need. She hugged Will before he closed his door and walked arm and arm with Ruby to her door.

“Thank you for escorting me, you beautiful woman.” Ruby tilted in her heels, reaching out and grabbing the wall with a loud laugh. “Get some sleep.”

“Night Rubes. Happy being single again day.” She blew her friend a kiss as the door closed.

She looked across the hall at Killian’s door. “Good night you sexy beast.” She growled at the door, kicking off her shoes and carrying them to her apartment. She shoved her key into the apartment and pushed. The door didn’t budge. “Dammit.” She kicked the door, then dropped her shoes on the floor.

Turning back down the hall, she grabbed ahold of the wall and slid down toward the door that had been calling her to it for the last five minutes. Lifting her hand, she knocked and waited. Looking at her watch she realized it was 1am. Suddenly it dawned on her that he could be in bed with Belle. She backed away just as the door swung open.

“Swan?”

“Hey you, motorcycle man.” She slurred.

“Emma, are you quite alright?”

“I’m doing great. Are you in bed?”

He chuckled. “Not currently, no, but I was pretty content there a minute ago.”

She looked at the robe wrapped around his waist and hummed, reaching out to tug at the fabric. “Do you sleep naked, Jones?”

He smirked. “Are you drunk, love?”

“Me? Of course I’m drunk. Why wouldn’t I be drunk? Aren’t you drunk?” There was movement behind him, and a dog pounced into view.

Emma squealed, “Hello little guy.” Emma ducked under Killian’s arm, wandering into the dark apartment, and reaching out for the dog who was jumping around her feet.

“Why don’t you come in.” He sighed, shutting the door behind him.

“I couldn’t get my door to open, so I thought I’d come to yours.”

“And why would you do that? Will is right across the hall.”

“I know, I was drinking with him tonight. I’m drunk.” She giggled, reaching out and running her hand along the silk of his robe.

“I can see that. Shall I try and get your door open for you?”

Before he could move, she grabbed him by the robe. “What’s your rush, Jones?”

“Emma…” He said, with a warning tone.

“What?” She teased her fingers across his chest, watching his jaw tense as her palm flattened against his flesh.

“You’re drunk and I don’t think this is a good idea.”

“You don’t even know what I want yet.” He looked down between them, her fingers curling the hair on his chest between them.

“Let me just put on some pants and I’ll help you get in your apartment.” He protested.

“Is the Pirate scared of the Princess?” She said with a dark look in her eyes. Pressing her body up against his, the hard appendage currently pressed into her hip telling her that he was affected by her presence as much as she was by his. Her fingers ran across his chest, slipping further down to his abdomen, firm against her palm.

When she looked up and met his eyes, the same want and desire burned in his, she gasped as his mouth dropped to hers, the force of it knocking her back against the wall as he pressed into her. Her entire body caught fire as his hands knotted in her hair, his tongue sweeping across her lips before thrusting into her mouth. Gone was the timid kiss they had shared in her apartment. This was wanton and desperate and full of everything Emma had been missing in her life.

Instinctively her leg wrapped around his waist, pulling him against her, her hands roaming his chest, sliding against his neck, digging into that hair she had dreamt so much about. She groaned appreciatively as his hands explored her hip, slipping under her shirt until she felt his hand on her breast, warm against the fabric of her bra.

Just as suddenly as it had begun, his warmth withdrew from her as he moved away. “Emma, we have to stop. This is wrong.” She stepped forward, reaching for his neck, needing to feel his mouth on hers again. “You’ve been drinking, you don’t want this.”

Suddenly she was angry, how dare he tell her what she wants or doesn’t want. “I want you.” She growled. “Tell me you don’t want me.”

He shook his head. “I can’t. Graham. We can’t.” He breathed out heavily.

“God, of course you have to be a goddamn gentleman all the time.” She turned and yanked the door open, tearing down the hall.

“Emma.” He followed her into the hall, chasing after her as he held his robe shut. “Would you get back here?”

“Leave me alone.” She jiggled on the door, willing it to open, practically begging for the damn thing to budge. He reached around her, turning the key, and pushing the door open. She stormed into her apartment turning around to face him.

“Emma…” He said softly.

“You know just because I have sex with you in my head every goddamn night doesn’t give you the right to live there.”

He stepped back in the hall, “You’re pissed at me because you have dreams about having sex with me and somehow this is my fault?”

“Of course, it is, you and your goddamn hair and that stupid bike.” She yelled.

He shook his head. “Go sleep it off, sweetheart.”

“Go fuck yourself.” She glared.

“Gladly.” He stormed off toward his apartment and Emma stuck her head into the hall.

“Enjoy your hand.” She yelled, slamming her door shut and wandering through her house to fall into bed. She curled up around her pillow and let sleep take her away.

~*~

Killian tossed and turned the rest of the night. The feel of Emma’s body burning on his skin. He should have stopped himself from touching the bloody woman at all. But the way she was looking at him, the pure desire in her eyes, he wanted her. Bloody hell he wanted the woman.

But he couldn’t be with a woman who was involved with another man. He wouldn’t do that again. He couldn’t be that man again. He wasn’t perfect, he had been with many women since leaving Milah, but they had all been free agents, unattached, and available to be with as he pleased. He did no harm, and he left no baggage.

When he woke in the morning, he didn’t feel any better than he had hours before. His head hurt and his body was still needing release from the frustration of having Emma in his arms. He wasn’t sure what he was going to say to the woman when he saw her, he couldn’t afford for things to break down between them. There was the matter of Henry, after all.

Killian suddenly felt an odd sensation, worrying about another man’s child. It wasn’t like they were sharing custody of the boy. He was his neighbor for goodness sake. That was all.

He got out of bed and ran a cold and bracing shower to take care of the situation at hand. He would worry about Emma once his brain could think again.

The cold water ran down his body causing bumps to form along his skin. He shivered, shaking his head as water splashed against the walls. When he could take the sensation no more, he turned off the water and toweled off, dressing quickly before heading to the kitchen to make breakfast.

Before he could start the stove there was a knock on his door. When he opened the door, Emma was standing in the door frame, bracing herself against the wood, dark glasses on her face.

“Jones.” She said, her voice throaty and tired. “Can we talk?”

He stifled a laugh as he let her into his apartment. She looked wrecked and completely miserable, and the sight was almost comical. “And how is the little lush feeling this morning?”

“Don’t make this more difficult than it already is. I don’t remember a lot of what went down last night, but I’m pretty sure I was way out of line.”

Killian stared at the woman, examining her body language. “Aye. Lines were stepped over.”

“I just wanted to apologize and say that it won’t happen again. I had a really long week, Ruby just got dumped, we were celebrating, and I think I might have had a bit too much to drink.”

“Did you figure that out from the blinding headache, or…”

“Probably more to do with the keys I left in the door last night, as well as the fact I found my shoes in the freezer this morning.”

He couldn’t hold in his laughter any longer. “Can’t hold your liquor, Swan.”

“Enough. I just came to apologize, not be teased.”

“Well, no harm done.” He bowed.

“So, we’re good here?” He nodded and she walked to the door. “Alright then. Sorry again.”

“So, you really don’t remember anything?” He queried.

Her sun glassed eyes met his. “Nope.”

“Well, then I guess I hope you feel better.” He mused, watching her retreat down the hall, wondering how much of what she said was the truth, while ignoring his desire to carry her to his couch, make her breakfast, and tend to her in any manner she truly desired.

~*~

Emma made her way back to her apartment, her head resting against the door as soon as she shut it. She peeled the glasses off her face, groaning as the room continued to spin, blue eyes staring into her, his hands touching her everywhere until his mouth was on hers. She remembered everything, every kiss, every touch, every desire she had for the man. The only thing she wished for was that she could forget.

#skyline manor #stacy's fics #killian jones #emma swan #captain swan fics #captain swan au #captain swan modern au #captain swan

[slippinmickeys]

Of the Eight Winds - Part 5

This is part five in who knows how many from the prompt from @sunflowerseedsandscience : “Mulder is unhappily married when Scully is partnered with him, and while he doesn’t cheat (because sorry that’s not romantic), he falls for her so hard that he finally gets the courage to end the marriage and start fresh.”

Links to parts one, two, three and four.

1

“He left his wife,” she said, apropos of nothing, cutting her sister off mid-rant. Melissa had just walked through the door, carrying a bottle of wine and complaining about the parking in Dana’s neighborhood.

Missy froze where she was, one arm still in her coat.

“You’re kidding,” she said.

“I’m not,” Scully said, trying not to smile and failing.

Missy finished taking off her coat and threw it haphazardly over the back of Scully’s couch, swinging into the seat next to her at the table, her eyes intense.

“Are you sure?” Missy went on, “because they always say they’re going to leave their wife and then they nev-”

“I’m sure,” Scully said, sitting up straighter. “He went to court on Wednesday. I guess it’s been in the works for a while. It’s done.”

Missy sat there with her mouth open like a koi. She put her hand on the neck of the bottle of red wine she’d brought and then looked at it.

“Now I wish I’d brought champagne,” she said, excitement creeping in.

Blackwell chose that moment to jump onto the table. She sauntered over to Scully and gave her gentle head butt. Scully ran her hand over the cat once and then put her back down on the floor.

“What are you going to do?” Missy asked.

“Do?” Scully said, “He literally just got divorced. I’m going to give him some time to heal. I can’t do anything, Missy, the ball is necessarily in his court.”

Missy leaned back in her chair.

“That’s a mistake, Dana,” she said, “what if someone else swoops in?”

Scully smiled, thought of his mid-air confession.

“I’m not worried,” she said.

2

The morning after he walked into her apartment and kissed her, bedded her, started their forever—was awkward.

It was like taking the invisible fence collar off the dog--it still didn’t feel comfortable leaving the yard.

Finally, at 11:00am, he leaned back in his chair, threw the pen he’d been holding onto his desktop, and huffed a sigh.

“Why is this so weird?” he said, sounding perturbed.

Scully, sitting at her own desk across the room, laughed lightly.

“It doesn’t have to be,” she said, gently.

“And yet it is.” Another sigh.

She looked at him sympathetically.

“Up until very recently, what we did last night was… impermissible. Forbidden. It’s bound to take some adjustment,” she said.

He frowned.

“But I feel like we wasted so much time,” he said.

She smiled again, charmed.

“Can I see you tonight?”

Bless him, she thought, he looked nervous.

“I’d like that,” she said.

3

Mulder showed up at her door with flowers. Nervous, looking a little sweaty.

She took the flowers from him, smelled them thoughtfully.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve done this,” he said, when she finally looked up and caught his eye.

She pushed her door all the way open, stepped back so he could enter.

“You…” she started, clueing in to his mindset, “you don’t need to court me, Mulder.”

“Sure I do,” he said, swiping a hand across his upper lip.

“You’ve been wooing me for five years, Mulder,” she said, her heart melting a bit at his nervousness, “an intellectual, platonic wooing, but a wooing nonetheless. You’ve got me.”

He pulled at his collar and she had to stop herself from laughing.

“Let me take you out,” he pleaded.

“Mulder, the last time you walked through that door, you planted a kiss on me that ended in my bedroom. I’m kind of a sure thing.”

“Christ Scully, I have flop sweat,” he said, plowing ahead, “please just me do this.”

Her heart ached for him.

“I’ll get my coat,” she said.

Just before they headed out the door, he pulled a tiny terra cotta pot with a small catnip plant growing out of it from his pocket.

“For Blackwell,” he said.

4

He relaxed over dinner. The bottle of Merlot helped.

They had finished their meal and were waiting for dessert. Scully ran her finger over the top of her wine glass and looked closely at Mulder. She felt emboldened by the alcohol, and the restaurant’s dim light made his eyes dark, brewing with intrigue and a shade of lust.

“You mentioned earlier that you regret all the time we wasted?”

He nodded at her slowly, licked his lips.

“Take me home, Mulder,” she said, “take me to bed.”

He threw a wad of cash onto the table and they were in a cab three minutes later.

XxX

She fell back onto the pillows, out of breath and panting, her throat raw. She’d never been loud during sex, but Mulder’s oral fixation had proved to be her undoing.

He crawled back up her body, gave her a peck on the shoulder.

When she felt like she could talk again, she said, “I will never again complain about sunflower seeds. You can leave the husks wherever you want.”

He huffed a laugh and rolled onto his side lazily, his erection bumping into her hip. He looked at her languidly, he seemed in no hurry. She reached down, her fingers light.

“Shouldn’t we do something about this?” she said coquettishly, grasping him in her hand and giving him a long, slow pull.

His eyelids fluttered closed for a moment and then he smiled, grabbed her hand and pulled it away.

She gave him a puzzled look and he leaned in, kissed her softly but insistently. She could taste herself on his tongue.

He pulled back an inch and said “we’ll get to it.”

He began kissing his way down her body once again, stopping at her breasts to lave at and then suck one nipple into his mouth and then the other. Her back arched off the bed of its own volition.

Then he began working his way lower again until finally he was settled back in between her legs in a very oh-I’m-just-getting-comfortable kind of way.

“Oh,” she said, “listen, I can’t… I’m not one of those women who can... twice.”

Mulder quirked a grin at her.

“But you see, Scully,” he said, lowering his head until he was talking directly into her sex, “you’re the skeptic here. Me?” he paused and ran his tongue slowly and firmly from her perineum all the way up to her clit, “I’m a believer.”

5

Robert Modell had a sister. In the end, they were able to subdue and apprehend her, but she would never forget the raw sound of his voice, nor coming around the corner to the sight of him clutching at Linda Bowman’s body as though it were her.

“I’m going to kill you,” he said when he pulled his gun, and she had never seen a rage as shattering as the one flowing through Mulder when he said it.

After she had fired at and dropped Linda Bowman over Mulder’s shoulder, he had dropped his gun to the floor and wrapped her in an embrace so tight, she feared she might bruise.

It took three weeks for him to let her out of his sight.

6

A freshly-tumbled Mulder was quickly becoming her favorite view. Hair mussed and sticking up, lips swollen from kisses, penis laying thickly down his thigh.

He came in from her bathroom and paused at the foot of her bed to consider her. She looked her fill.

“Let’s move in together,” he said.

“You think the Gunmen will let you move out?” she asked, as he slid under the covers and wrapped an arm around her waist. “Your presence has upped their cool quotient by a factor of ten.”

He smiled.

“I’m sick of hauling clothes back and forth,” he said, snuffling her ear thoughtfully. “We could carpool everyday, or take the Metro. It’ll be good for the environment.”

“Well, when you put it like that,” she said, swatting at him playfully.

“There’s a place I want to show you,” he said, “get dressed.”

He slid back out of the bed and whisked a shirt over his head. She wondered what she’d done to deserve him.

7

In LA, he took her to Griffith Observatory. They were still in their formalwear from the movie premiere. As night set in, they looked out over the city, at the vast sprawl, the lights shimmering in the desert heat. The dark void of the Pacific was miles off to their right.

“What did your mom say about the movie?” he asked her, as they leaned over the railing meant to keep people tumbling down the hillside near the top of the mountain. There was a sign warning people of cougars ten feet away.

“She’s thrilled,” Scully said, shaking her head, “she’s getting a big group of friends to go on opening night. How about yours?”

Mulder laughed.

“She’s mortified. She’s pretending it doesn’t exist.”

“I think I’m going to do the same,” Scully said, and pushed off from the fence, grabbed Mulder’s hand. They began walking back toward the waiting limo. Their driver, Carl, had told them to take their time.

They passed a couple of statues scattered intermittently throughout the landscaping.

“Galileo, Copernicus, James Dean,” Mulder said, listing them off.

“All the greats,” Scully said, shaking her head. She squeezed Mulder’s hand. “I’m hungry,” she said, as they approached the waiting car. Carl had seen them coming and was holding open the door.

“I think anyone in that dress,” Mulder said, and held up his arm to twirl Scully around once, “could probably go for a hot dog.”

“You read my mind,” she said, smiling at him.

They had Carl take them to Pink’s.

8

When Lily was born, Scully wasn’t even sure her labor was real labor, at first. She was a week past her due date, and as far as she knew, was having Braxton-Hicks. By 9:00pm, she knew it was the real thing. Mulder wanted to go to the hospital, but she wanted to be able to eat, so she sent Mulder to bed, thinking it would be best if at least one of them was rested. The contractions were just painful enough that she couldn’t fall asleep.

He was back by her side by 10:00.

“You shouldn’t have to do this alone,” he said.

She smiled up at him, rubbed her stomach. “I’m not,” she said.

By 2:00am he was digging his thumbs into her back while she rested on a yoga ball, her back aching. He would gently ask about every 30 minutes if she was ready to go to the hospital. She would not so gently tell him no.

At 4:00am, she felt a gentle pop and a warm gush. Her water had broken. She told Mulder to make her a sandwich and get the go bag. It was time.

Her contractions, now about five minutes apart, had gotten a lot worse. She had to stop walking to the car twice just to breathe.

It was dark in their neighborhood, quiet. Mulder was doing his best to remain calm, but there was an anxious excitement in his eyes. She looked over at him after a contraction passed, streetlights throwing light on him in waves as they drove down the silent streets, and she felt a rightness to her life.

“Did you picture this,” she said, “that first day you met me in the basement?”

He looked over at her, his eyes crinkled with affection, and put a gentle hand on her hard stomach.

“This?” he said, “Is why they put the ‘B’ in ‘FBI.’”

The sandwich went uneaten. Lily was born three hours later with a throaty complaint and full head of red hair. It was only the second time she had ever seen Mulder cry.

9

The baby was sick, had a fever. They’d all been up for at least 18 hours--it was the middle of the night. Lily wouldn’t stop crying, gut-wrenching wails that raised Scully’s blood pressure. She felt like crying, too. She was pacing the living room with the baby -- she had one lamp on and could see nothing out the window but her own reflection; eyes dull, hair a mess, holey yoga pants with dried spit up down the knee. And Lily would not. Stop. Crying.

Movement in the window and she turned to see Mulder shuffling down the hallway, blinking into the light. He’d gone to bed an hour ago.

“Do you want me to take her?” he asked, and had to repeat himself so she could hear him over the throaty wails of their daughter.

Scully shook her head, tears in her eyes, turned away from him, bouncing the baby, even though it didn’t help. She should let him take over, try to get an hour or two of sleep, but she was exhausted and so close to tears herself and misery loved company, didn’t it? She felt like being a martyr.

“Let me take her,” he said, this time not framing it as a question.

She was a millisecond away from picking a fight, but she handed the baby over instead.

“Is it time for the Tylenol?” he asked, shifting the baby to his other shoulder, and wincing when she screamed in his ear.

“She won’t take it,” Scully mumbled, and then on one piercing shriek, she felt the goosebump-flush of her milk letting down--and liquid began leaking from her breasts, soaking her shirt. She felt a drop slide down her abdomen to soak into the waist of her yoga pants.

“What?” Mulder said.

“SHE WON’T TAKE THE FUCKING TYLENOL!” she screamed, and then broke down in tears.

Mulder gave her one good look and then turned and walked the baby down the hallway and into the nursery.

Scully crumpled to the floor, spent.

The wailing continued from Lily’s bedroom, and she jumped in surprise when she felt a gentle hand come down on her shoulder. When she looked up, Mulder was crouched in front of her, his face one of sympathy.

“She won’t take the medicine?” he asked softly.

Scully sniffed, ran her wrist over her eyes and shook her head.

“I should go in there,” she said, and started to rise, but Mulder pressed her back.

“She’s in the crib, she’ll be okay for a minute or two.” Scully nodded again. “I’ve got her, okay? I’ll try again with the Tylenol. You should go try to sleep.”

Scully looked down at her shirt, twin circles of wet fabric looking back.

“Sleep,” she said doubtfully, shaking her head, wincing.

Mulder ran a hand down her face, his touch light as a feather.

“I’ll bring in some clean bottles so you can pump, okay? Just leave them on the bedside table, I’ll take care of them. I’ve got her, Scully. We’ll be alright.”

Scully felt defeated but tiredly acquiesced, shuffled to their bedroom, whipped off her soaked shirt and threw it towards the dirty laundry. Blackwell looked up from where she’d been asleep next to Mulder’s pillow, lazily watched the arc of the shirt until it hit the edge of the hamper and fell to the floor. The cat yawned, bored.

Mulder came in then with two clean bottles. Lily was still crying down the hall. When he left, he closed the door, and the silence felt loud until she turned on the pump and it wheezed to life beside her.

Six hours later she awoke from a dead sleep to find a peacefully sleeping Mulder on the couch with a peacefully sleeping Lily curled on his chest. On the coffee table sat the liquid Tylenol, two empty bottles of breast milk.

Father and daughter slept deeply, their matching full eyelashes fanned decadently across the tops of their cheeks, both their lips wet and loose in the bright morning sunshine. She touched Lily’s back lightly -- her fever had broken.

10

He was offered answers. Information. The golden ticket he’d always sought. There was a time when she knew he would have pursued it without thought to fallout or consequence, but instead he stepped back.

He chose her.

When she asked him about it, he said “I’ve chosen unhappiness before. Over and over again. I know what lies down that road.”

Two weeks later, they found out she was pregnant with their second child.

#the x-files #fanfic #my fic #prompts #of the eight winds

[banditthewriter]

Choose Your Fate - Logan Delos - 6

So by one vote, the winner was that the reader’s father sees them. For those that wanted James Delos to see them, don’t worry. That will happen in the next part.

Tags are at the bottom. Let me know if you would like to be added to one of my tag lists!

*gif not mine*

Enjoy!

*****

You didn’t spend too much time picking out your clothes because that wasn’t the type of girl you were, but you did put thought into it. Nothing too flashy; this was lunch on a Saturday, after all, but nothing that would be at home in a church.

The dress you picked was modest but accented all the right parts of your body. And the look Logan gave you when you walked up to the table he had reserved told you that you’d picked correctly.

“You look good,” he said as he looked you over from head to toe before he got up to pull out your chair. As he pushed it under you, he dipped his head down to your ear. “Good enough to eat.”

Heat filled your cheeks and you shook your head to try to dispel the light fog that had settled over you. You knew that he’d flirt with you, but you hadn’t expected it within the first few moments of you being there.

“What’s good here? Don’t say it,” you said without looking up from your menu, seeing him open his mouth from your periphery, “I meant the food.”

“You’re no fun,” he teased as he picked up his own menu.

It was the first time the two of you had met without something being in the way. Your identities, your companies, Fraser; there had been so many layers to your interactions without you even noticing. And now you were on equal footing with one another.

Or as equal as it got when Logan could light you on fire with one look. A raised eyebrow and half a smirk and you were trying to remind yourself of all the reasons you had stood him up in the first place.

“It’s been a while, but I think people talk more on dates,” he said as he braced his forearms on the table, leaning towards you.

“This isn’t a date,” you said quickly, shaking your head.

He just continued to grin.

“Let’s see. Guy asks girl out for a meal, girl dresses like that,” he said with a gesture to where you were sitting. “Sure as hell sounds like a date to me.”

“I think most dates are dinner, not lunch,” you replied as you desperately tried to cling to your own version of events.

“Yeah, but if I invited you for dinner, I’d be having you for dessert. And something tells me that you’re more than a one and done, so I’ve got to try a new method.”

Did someone turn the heat up in the restaurant? You looked around but no one else seemed to be affected the way you were.

You needed to change the subject before you lost all of your resolve so you went with the first thing that came to mind.

“Why did you interrupt me with Fraser? You said you wanted to wind him up, but why?”

Logan didn’t look at all sorry as he grinned over at you.

“It was obviously a first date and it was obviously a set up. I figured some good old fashioned jealousy would work in my favor one way or another.”

You wanted to laugh, but he wasn’t completely wrong. It had ended in Fraser making a remark that was the reason you ended the date. Definitely worked in Logan’s favor since you were here with him now.

But that did bring up something else…

“How would it work in your favor if I was flattered by his jealousy? Did you want me to go home with him?”

“I wanted you to go home with me,” he said as simply as if he was reciting his own name, “but if you went home with him, then when I finally did get you in bed, you’d never want to go back to him. But like I said, I’m trying a new method.”

This time you did laugh as a way to cover the heat that was spreading over you from that.

“A new method like taking a girl on a date instead of, I don’t know, trying to take home an escort within five minutes of meeting her at a work function?”

It was a little jab, but you were mostly using it to change the subject. Maybe you could ignore whether or not this was a date and what that meant  if you just kept him focused on other things.

He laughed and leaned back in the chair, shaking his head as he looked away for a moment.

“There was something about you,” he said as he made a point to look you up and down again, “a sex appeal that most women don’t have. It’s subtle but you wield it like a weapon. Even when you’re in business mode, there’s something that just draws me to you. So yeah, whether or not I was going to have to pay you at the end of the night, I wanted to take you home.”

He had said that he had never found something worth lying about which meant if you were to believe him about that, he was telling the truth. Or at the very least the truth of how he felt.

“So you thought I was a hooker?”

He laughed again, ducking his head.

“Up until about halfway through our short conversation. And the moment I realized you weren’t? That just made me want you all the more,” he admitted as he looked up and met your eyes once again.

God. If he kept that up, you’d wave down the waitress and get the check right now. But part of you, a large part really, was curious as to this new method. As much as you’d been able to discover from certain gossip sites and one late night Google-fest that you kind of regretted, Logan wasn’t the type to date. He’d been seen with a girl or a guy once or twice, but never more than that.

Was this going to be more? Or once he got you in bed, would he lose interest?

You didn’t have much time to think about it. While Logan continued to stare at you in a way that reminded you a little bit of a starving man looking at a ribeye, you heard a familiar voice off to the side. A very familiar voice.

“Y/N?”

You turned in surprise to see your dad walking up to the table. His eyes darted between you and Logan, slowly narrowing as he bent down to kiss your cheek.

“Hey dad,” you said in a voice that was definitely reminiscent of being caught eating sweets before dinner as a kid. “Uh, this is Lo–”

“I know who this is,” he said to you pointedly before he turned to offer his hand to Logan. “Mr Delos. Pleasure to see you again.”

“Mr Y/L/N,” Logan greeted as he shook your dad’s hand.

You were jealous of his ease and lack of tension. You wanted nothing more than to crawl under the table right then, and not in a sexy way.

“I didn’t realize you were in town,” you said in a small voice that you weren’t very proud of.

“I was going to call you later. I’m just meeting the Bancrofts for lunch,” he said as he looked around as if trying to spot the old family friends. Maybe he wanted to make sure no one else had seen you and Logan. “I should join them, but I’ll give you a call soon.”

The look he gave you said that you were definitely in for it. He went around the table without a second glance to Logan. The moment he was out of sight, your shoulders sagged and you reached up to rub your forehead.

“That’s going to be a fun talk,” you complained with your eyes closed. “I bet he’s going to have a lot to say about me being on a date with you.”

“I thought you said this wasn’t a date,” Logan teased with a grin. Even when you glared at him, his grin never faltered.

“We could be discussing dust mites and it wouldn’t matter; I’m in public at a table in a restaurant with the heir to Delos Inc. That’s all that he’ll see and that’s all that matters.”

He tilted his head a bit as he looked you over.

“Why does it matter so much? We’re both consenting adults and nothing has happened yet,” he said, adding the ‘yet’ in a tone that made you shiver a bit. “I’m not the heir to Delos, not really. It hasn’t been decided who will take over if my father ever kicks the bucket.”

Because he’d have to die before he gave up the mantle, unlike your own father. Your dad had stepped down readily; he just hadn’t realized which daughter he was going to be handing the company over to at first.

“You have the luxury of only being tied to the company by your name,” you said quietly, making sure to keep from sounding accusatory. “I’m the CEO, I’m the face of Y/L/N. My name, my life is tied to this company. I don’t get the chance to do whatever I want, not anymore. I have to think about how things will affect the company in the long run.”

Logan shook his head and leaned forward, bracing his arms against the table as he met your gaze head on.

“It’s your company now. You have the choice to say fuck it and do whatever the hell you want. The fact that you think you don’t have a choice is just because that’s what he wants you to believe,” he said as he pointed in the direction your dad had disappeared.

The thing was that you could see it from his point of view. No one was stopping you from cavorting with Logan, just like no one could stop you from reaching out to Delos for investment support. You could do whatever the hell you wanted. Technically.

But this wasn’t what you wanted. Not the lunch, because you had definitely wanted that. But you’d never wanted to be the CEO.

“My sister was supposed to take over the company when my dad retired,” you said softly, your eyes on your hands instead of his face as you told this story. “It wasn’t released yet, but everyone knew. Joanna Y/L/N was going to be the CEO and I was going to stay on the science side. We had planned it since we were kids.”

You had to take a sip of your drink as you tried to think of how to tell the rest of this. You couldn’t think of anyone you’d actually told the story to before but it felt right for Logan to know.

“My mom, dad, and sister were all coming back from some event one night. Jo was in the passenger seat, mom in the back, dad was driving. It was late, definitely too late for them to be on the road. Dad said he didn’t see the other car until…”

You took a steadying breath and chanced a glance up at Logan. He was listening intently, his face a mask of calm even though you knew he had to know how important this was.

“Dad walked away with just a few scratches. Mom was a little banged up, lost a lot of blood, but she pulled through with minimal lasting damage.” You dropped his gaze for a moment before you continued. “Jo wasn’t so lucky. Her spinal cord was damaged badly enough that she’s paralyzed from the waist down.”

Logan let out a breath in shock at that. It was well known that Jo had pulled out of the public eye at some point, and there had been rumors as to why you took over instead of her, but the whole story was never told to anyone. Even close family friends just thought that Jo wasn’t ready to run the company.

“She didn’t think a woman in a wheelchair would make a good face for the company,” you said with a shrug as you looked down at where your hand was fisted on the table.

His hand came into your view as it covered your hand. You jerked a bit as if you wanted to pull away, but you kept your hand still under his.

“So it fell to you.”

You blinked back the tears that were threatening to fall.

“So it fell to me. She travels between the east coast and Europe, getting investors for the company, but she does a lot of it over video conferencing. No one knows about her accident,” you said pointedly, feeling a little apprehension starting to well up in your chest.

“I’m not going to tell anyone,” he promised as he squeezed your hand. “It does help me understand you a little more though. I know why you’re so uptight about me being a Delos. You never wanted to be in charge and now you have all this extra pressure on you. Doesn’t help that you have me pushing you too.”

That was one thing you didn’t want him thinking. You turned your hand over so that you could link your fingers with his. He seemed surprised, but he simply held on tight.

“I don’t consider you to be one of my pressures. This thing between you and me? It’s the first time I’ve felt… in control of my own life.”

You’d lost that sense of control a long time ago, maybe even before their accident. You loved the science, the nitty gritty details of the projects you were building. And the way that you responded to the pressure was to throw yourself behind your projects. Or one in particular.

Janus was for your sister; you wanted to give her something so that she could have some parts of her old life back. The sims you had created weren’t the same as being there in person, more like a hologram that wasn’t reliant on a camera to be created, but if they wouldn’t hold, you weren’t sure what you could do.

Hosts, you heard a voice remind you. Hosts were still an option. Surely you could create something similar, if maybe not as good as what Delos had.

Logan squeezed your hand once more until you looked up to meet his eyes.

“If you don’t want to meet in public anymore, if you’d rather keep things between us so that you don’t have to deal with the blowback,” he offered with a bit of a smirk on his lips, “I don’t mind being your dirty secret.”

You gave a tight smile as you pulled your hand back, feeling a sudden wave of tension that settled between your shoulders. As much as you enjoyed being with Logan, you knew that this wasn’t going to last. This thing between the two of you, while great, had a shelf life. He’d get tired of you once he got his fix.

“What happened between us holding hands and you looking like you were about to walk out of here without looking back?”

You met Logan’s eyes at his question. Those dark eyes were narrowed at you as he leaned back, lifting his drink to take a sip.

Honesty. It was something that Logan believed in, something that he traded in. You knew that if you wanted to keep his respect, you needed to offer a little honesty.

“I would have gone home with you that first night because you were a stranger and I had just upended my whole life to come out here for the company, and yeah, you’re ridiculously sexy and I wanted it.” You let out a little laugh at the pleasure in Logan’s eyes at that, but you weren’t done yet. “I would have gone home with you that night if you were anyone but Logan Delos, but the fact is you are. And I know that you’re interested in me now, but if I went home with you right now, could you honestly tell me you wouldn’t lose interest in me by tomorrow?”

He thought about it. You’d give him that. He didn’t have an off the cuff answer, some silky smooth words that would probably soothe all your concerns even if they weren’t exactly honest. And you didn’t doubt that he had plenty of those stored for just this kind of situation.

But he thought about it before he answered you.

“I can’t tell you how I’ll feel tomorrow,” he said honestly, but there was something else in his voice when he continued, “but I can tell you that not finding out might be the worst mistake either of us will ever make.”

Sometimes you wished he wasn’t always so honest. It’d be easier to handle moments like this if you could think of him as exaggerating for your benefit.

“So we should just take the chance? Even if it means that it ends horribly and we both destroy our reputations for sex?”

Logan smiled at you. It wasn’t a smirk or a grin, but an honest to goodness smile.

“Deciding against even trying just because what might happen? Doesn’t sound like the same person that called my father to proposition Delos about an investment.”

You bit your lip as you felt a little heat start to warm your face.

“With my company, I’m prepared to do whatever it takes to succeed. I’m a little more careful in my personal life.”

“I’m not asking you to marry me Y/N,” he teased as he reached out to run his fingers over your wrist. “I’m just asking you to give this thing between us a chance outside of our companies. Just Y/N and Logan, no Delos Inc, no Y/L/N, no fathers making our decisions for us. I’m just asking you to admit that you want me as much as I want you.”

You envied his ability to say that with absolutely no fanfare. He wanted you. And as much as you’d tried to deny it, you wanted him too. And if that’s all he was asking for, for now, how could you deny a simple request?

“Okay,” you said with a nod, earning a surprised look from Logan. “I want… for the first time in I can’t remember how long, I want something just for me and not for my family’s company. I want you and I want… I want…”

You weren’t sure what you wanted beyond that. Was it so simple after all? Wanting Logan and having him were two very different things. And like you’d said before, you couldn’t be sure that he wouldn’t just lose interest once he got you in bed.

Logan licked his lips as he leaned back in his seat, picking up his drink and holding it out to you in a toast.

“It’s a start,” he said as he tapped his glass against yours before he took a long drink from it. “Now that you’ve admitted it, we’ll have to work up to you acting on it. But I don’t mind a challenge.”

You shook your head, unable to help the fond smile on your lips.

You’d still need to talk to your dad about what he’d seen and somehow make him see that it wasn’t a problem that you were some sort of friends with Logan Delos. And you needed to figure out what was going on with the prototype Orpheus units since the glitches still weren’t fixed. And you needed to figure out how to make Janus work.

But for now you were just going to enjoy the rest of your lunch with Logan.

The rest could be tomorrow’s problem.

------

Somewhere, in a dark room, a computer blinked to life. The display stayed black for a moment before a series of words appeared.

Link established. Uplink connected. Data sharing allowed.

The words blinked a few times before the screen went to black once more. Then an image came to the screen of the inside of a house, a living room. Moving around in the house was a woman who was grinning as she put her purse down on the coffee table, kicking her shoes off. She started to lower the zipper of her dress before she went upstairs.

The screen seemed to focus in on the purse on the coffee table. There was a moment before words flashed on the screen.

Y/N Y/L/N phone located. Data sharing started.

Transferring.

Transferring.

Transferring.

Transfer complete. Uplink terminated.

The image flickered before the screen went dark once more.

X

A post for voting will be up right after this.

X

Let me know if you want to be added to my Permanent Tag List @hermioneshandbag @onebatch--twobatch @smiley-celine @blackcoffeeandgreenteaforme @starless-skyox @youveseen--thebutcher @citation-is-here @mightymelly @realduckvader @1550kilogramsofsilver @hxbbit @rockintensse @missphanosaur18 @thepuffyeyedpuff @the-three-eyed-ravenclaw @yessy2012 @gingerstarlight @siriusement @marauderskeeper @xinyourdreamsx @wickidlady @sassygirl25 @maraudereestauderelb @rainyboul @cutie-bug @random-quartz @holamor @lea----b @heyitslexy @detectivebourbon @coffeenmoscato @presstocontinue @elisemockingbird @assbuttwithwings @geeksareunique @siriuslovesmarlene @witch-of-letters @delicatelilyflower @l-l-c-m-w-b @whovianayesha @hiddenprincess @yannii04 @jeanettexkillian @brighteststarinthesky @kilyra @gallxntdean @sweetvengeancee @lady1505 @thedarklightwithinus @ateliefloresdaprimavera @siriuslyimmoony @elodieyung @fudgeflyss @madamrogers @thatwrestlingfan91 @teranya @sophiabulbu69 @delusionsofnostalgia @effielumiere @mamaraptor @hot-and-spiceyyy @i-padfootblack-things @aya-fay @fcavalerro @sithskywalkers @raquelbc2003 @iwishyoucouldbekissed @tamanamohain @newtstarmander @suchatinyinfinity @blushingskywalker @queencocoakimmie @funerals-with-cake @love-dria @arrowswithwifi @swiftyhowlz @cheyfleur @dark-night-sky-99 @margot-black @celestegolden @king4thesirens @beautifuldesastre @ashkuuuu @luminex3 @nerdypinupcrystal @iblogabout-stuff @curlyhairedblueeyedangel @myplaceofheavenorhell @nea90sweetie @traeumerinwitzhelden @lexxierave @binbons-is-theloml @cafeconsoya @kryyta @lostinthoughts23 @russosprettydiamondnow @dorkybryan @mahalobro @yesixoxo

Let me know if you want to be added to my Logan Delos Tag List @hoodedhavok @aylinnmaslow @musingsofbanana @bluebird214 @nerrdstark @that-bwitch @queenisabella789 @colddecember-night @gingerstarlight @ironstank @itsjustmylifeconfessions @arrowswithwifi @saltyshaggymeme @persephone-of-tartaros @mooniiieee @katieswinforddiaries @giggleberts @sleepwalkingelite @agent-scully-182 @ethereal-heavcns @slamharder @xxmadhatterx @rileyblues @im-hurric4ne | @editboutique

#logan delos #logan delos x reader #logan delos imagine #logan delos fanfic #choose your fate #choose your fate logan delos

[trashcanband4]

Father Daughter Duo CH. 8

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3  Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7

Chapter title: Yet Another Day. Setting: The Prison. Warnings: Rape, Non-customary situations, suicide attempts.

I sat straight up in the bed gasping for air and covered in sweat. My fingers clawed at my neck in an attempt to remove the imaginary hand that had only been a very realistic part of a nightmare. When I had caught my breath I climbed down off of the bed and peeked out of the cell. The sun wasn't up, but it wasn't far from it and Daryl was sound asleep on the perch. If he was still asleep the others might be too and I desperately needed a bath. So I grabbed a small draw string back pack out of my bigger bag and filled it with my shower supplies. I made sure my gun was loaded before I put it in the waist band of my pants at my lower back and secured my knife to my belt before I tiptoed out of my cell and past a quietly snoring Daryl to the door that led out to a set of stairs that would take me to the court yard. The door made a slight sound when I shut it, and I froze waiting for Daryl to wake up and come after me, but he never did so I kept on walking.

I had gotten to the gait that led out of the court yard when Rick's voice stopped me. "Where are you goin'?" I let my shoulders slump and turned around to look at him in the dim morning light. "Sean doesn't want you goin' anywhere by yourself."

"Yeah, I know. That’s why I was trying to be sneaky. Apparently it didn't work." I said with a roll of my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest.

"Apparently not, now where are you going?" he looked at me with suspicious eyes and I decided it wouldn't be worth it to lie.

"I was going to wash up at the lake." I said dropping my arms to my sides and taking a few steps toward him, "If you haven't noticed I kinda reek."

"I actually haven't." Ugh how could he not have? If I could smell myself I knew others could too. "Everything stinks now days and you're not allowed to get those wet." Aw damn, I forgot about that. “No come back inside.” he put his hand on my back and started ushering me back inside.

"So I'll hold my hands out of the water." I said exhausted with a shake of my head. "I need a bath. I can't walk around here smelling like this anymore. It’s driving me insane." I argued and turned to go out of the gate.

"Okay, fine, but I'm coming with you." I spun around smacking him in the face with my ponytail.

"No, you most certainly are not." The hardness of my voice matched that of his face. "I'm a big girl I can take care of myself."

"Really?" he asked crossing his arms over his chest. "That’s why you've tried to kill yourself, twice?" Eer! Why won't people just leave me the hell alone?

"It's my choice. My decision and if I don't want to be here anymore then you and my father have no right to stand in the way of that." I said angrily while talking with my hands.

"I agree." I opened my mouth to keep arguing only to shut it when what he said sank in.

"What?" he's a cop and he's going to let me kill myself?

"I agree." Huh, okay… "but your father doesn't. If you die on my watch he will blame me." I guess he has a point. "So I'm going with you."

"Aw freakin' A. Are you kidding me? I don't need some stranger watching over me and ogling my goodies." He laughed which only pissed me off even more.

"I'm not a stranger, and I've already seen you naked." I couldn't help the heat that flooded my cheeks.

"Fine, whatever." I gave up knowing that I wouldn't win and started walking not bothering to look back and see if he was following. When we got to the lake I made myself pretend that he wasn't there, stripped and walked out into the cool water keeping my hands out of it.

"So what kind of music do you like?" I heard him ask from behind me and I turned to see that he still had his back turned.

"A little bit of everything, but mostly country. Why?" I answered knowing what he was doing.

"Just trying to get to know you." No, he was making me talk so that he would know I was still alive. "How old are you?"

"Twenty two, twenty three, who knows now days?" I took a deep breath and dunked my head under water before I walked out and started washing my hair and body. I was trying my best to keep water off of my bandages, but little droplets still managed to seep into them. Oh well, maybe Hershel wouldn't get too mad at me if they got a little damp.

"Did you go to college?" he asked while I was walking back out into the water.

"Nope." I answered before I stuck my hands back up into the air and sunk down letting the current wash the soap out of my hair. I was about to stand back up when my foot slipped on a rock causing me to be pushed sideways and my hands to fall below the water line. I had almost regained my footing when a strong arm wrapped around my shoulders and pulled me up out of the water and onto the bank. "Rick, let me go!" I shoved at him and he released me letting me stumble back. I put my hands on my knees and coughed trying to catch my breath before I glared up at him.

"What are you thinking?" he asked raising his voice. "Do you really want to do this to your father? Do you know what you not only dying but, choosing to leave him would do to him? Do you think that he would be able to just move on like you are nothing to him?"

"Why are you yelling at me?" I asked shocked from the sudden explosion.

"Because you were being stupid and tried to drown yourself again. Did you really think I wouldn't stop you?" he was still yelling at me.

"I wasn't trying to drown myself." I said standing up and crossing my arm across my chest as I grabbed my bag and pulled out my towel. "I slipped on a rock and fell." I wrapped the towel around me and went to hide behind a tree while I changed. He didn't say anything back. "But for the record, my father would be perfectly fine without me. All I do is hold him back."

"No, he loves you; you're the only family he has left." He said sounding kind of sad. "He wouldn't be able to live without you."

"How do you know? You don't even know him." I asked as I pulled on a converse t-shirt and picked up my pants.

"No I don't know him, but I can see how much he loves you and I know what I would do if something were to happen to Carl." He said and I took in his words letting them sink in. He was right. Dad hadn't gotten over mom. He had started drinking because we lost her. Rick was probably right about what Dad would do if he lost me too.

"You're probably right, but I still don't forgive him for what he did." I said as I pulled my pants up and stepped around the tree while putting on my belt with the knife secured to it. "I understand Dad's reasoning, but I don't think I'll ever understand why Merle did what he did. I'm not even pretty." I scooped up my bag and gun off of the ground before I started walking back to the prison.

"Well you're defiantly not ugly." He argued from behind me and I couldn't help the sarcastic laugh that erupted from me as I stopped walking and turned around to look at him. 

"Pfft, please, my hair's always a mess, my arms are flabby, my eyes are way too big for my face and now I'm all scarred up." He smiled and shook his head.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but…" the way he looked into my eyes made my stomach do flip flops, "You're very pretty." I don't know why, but what was going on brought out the old me. The me that turned to mush around men.

"You're lying." I accused meekly and looked at the ground.

"I wouldn't lie about something like that." He said defending himself and I looked up at him.

"Don’t pity me Rick, I don’t need it." I said in an exasperated breath and turned to walk away but I was stopped when his hand caught mine and I turned back to him.

"I do not pity you." He said it quietly with my hand still in his. "And your eyes are the most attractive thing about you. Kinda reminds me of Lori when she was Younger." He said and I could tell he sincerely meant it. But remembering that he had a wife I pulled my hand out of his and started walking back to the prison.

When we got to the cell block we went separate ways. Rick went in through the holding room and I went in through the door that lead to the perch, which thankfully was empty. Once in my room I sank down on the bed and let my head fall into my hands exhaustedly. Even with a shower I still felt dirty.

I was putting my almost dried hair up in a ponytail when my father knocked on the door frame of my cell. "Hey, just wanted tell ya that we're about to go." I asked him where without looking away from the mirror. "We're gonna find the commissary." That got my attention.

"Who all's gonna go?" I asked hoping he wouldn't leave me here with these people.

"Rick, Hershel, Glenn, Daryl and me." All of the men except Carl and T dog. I was glad that I was going to have a break from all of them, but I didn't like the fact that I would be left with just women and T-dog.

I don't want him to go, he said he would be safe, that there was safety in numbers, but nothing is ever safe and I was still mad at him. At the moment I was sitting on one of the metal tables watching Maggie and Beth kiss their father before he walked out into the hall and Rick sent Lori a look that I couldn't even begin to understand before he too walked through the opened gate.

Glenn clung to Maggie for a few seconds while my father was looking at me. I managed a small smile and a nod that he knew meant be safe. We had used this silent exchange while we were on the road and didn't feel like talking. Then he followed Glenn through the door and Daryl nodded to all of us before he walked out. I just sat there and watched the white wings on his back disappear into the darkness of the hallway. No one offered each other any reassurances; we all knew they were pointless and untrue. No one could say "They're going to be okay" and know that for a fact, but it was Maggie who came over and talked to me.

"So you must be feeling pretty useless huh?" I looked up from the floor at her. "I mean with your…wrists and all." She motioned to the now un-bandaged horizontal stitches and sat down on the table not far from me. How did she know that I had been feeling useless? "So, I brought you something." She handed me a hard back book. The pink moon on the cover suggested that it was a teenager's book, but it looked interesting all the same. "It's not great, but its somethin' to do if you like to read." I shrugged and set it off to the side. So far, Beth and Maggie were complete opposites.

"Thanks." I looked around the room to see that everyone was still in here. I got the feeling that this group had been together for a long time and had grown to take comfort in each others presence. This only made me feel like I was interrupting their harmony. "I'm sure it'll come in handy." I said with a genuine smile.

"So what did you and your father do before y'all found this place?" she asked trying to strike up a conversation and for once I didn't shut it down.

"Well mostly we just drifted around from place to place, taking what we needed and staying as long as we could before another herd came rolling in. What about you guys?" She shrugged and said that they had done the same thing. We spent a good while talking, and I actually liked her, we had an okay amount of things in common.

When the men came back, they didn't come alone. They were followed by five guys, prisoners, who had survived in the cafeteria since the beginning of all of this. They all looked equally scary in their own ways, but one stuck out more than the rest. The Hispanic, or Latino or what ever he was. There was something different about his eyes, a type of craziness that I had never seen before, not even in Merle. After a yelling match between all of them in the holding room Rick, T Dog and Daryl brought them outside. 

"Who were they?" Beth asked looking around at everyone.

"Prisoners, the huge guy is Big Tiny, the short nigg-” my dad stopped himself from saying the word when his eyes landed on T-Dog, “uh, short guy is Andrew, the bald headed one is Oscar, the red headed guy is Axel, and the one with the dark ponytail is Tomas." Tomas, he's the one that gave me the heebie jeebies.

Hershel looked like he had seen a ghost and Beth walked over asking him what was wrong. "I almost lost my leg back there." Beth started panicking asking him what happened. "We got surrounded, there were walkers everywhere and there was one laying on the floor that I thought was dead, but it wasn't. It reached up and grabbed me when I wasn't looking. Sean killed it before it had a chance to bite me. We ran into the cafeteria to get away from the biters, that's when we found those people." So my father saved Hershel? He looked at my father with the eyes of a truly grateful man. "You will never know how much that meant to me. You kept me with my daughters." He wrapped his arms around Maggie and Beth for a family hug.

"I'd just like to think ya would do the same for me if the time ever came." My father replied. We were all standing near the closed door of the holding room when the prisoners all came back in and Rick left T Dog and Daryl to guard them while he explained to us what was going on.

"We're going to help them clean out a cell block in exchange for half the food left in the cafeteria." There were several sounds of disagreement, but no one really said anything. "I've made it very clear that they are to stick to their own cell block. We won't have any problems out of them." His words were sure and his face was hard, but I didn't believe him. His eyes settled on Lori where she stood with her hand on her belly.

He kept on talking but I blocked him out and turned around to look through the closed bar door behind me. Tomas was standing with his hand on a gun that was shoved into the waistband of his jumpsuit as he stared at Daryl, but my movement caught his eye. That’s when I really noticed it, that level of insane that was almost inhuman. A sickening smile spread across his lips as he looked at me and winked. Daryl followed his gaze to me before he made a motion with his head telling me to back away. I did, but not before seeing and hearing what happened next.

"Don't even look at her." Tomas kept looking at me licking his lips and Daryl charged on him hitting him in the face with the butt of his crossbow. "I said don't fuckin' look at her." I didn't know if I should appreciate what he did or hate him for it. But I turned back to Rick catching the last bit that he said.

"But it's too late now to venture into the halls so they'll be locked in cells until tomorrow morning."

Rick went into the holding area and not long after the building was filled with angry voices. The prisoners where putting up a fight about having to sleep in cells. All the men where hollering at each other save two, Big Tiny and Oscar. They were just standing back watching the other men argue.

In the end the five men won. They where given sleeping bags and put outside. Rick and Daryl locked all the entrances to the building. We ate a meal of canned food from the prisons stock then we all headed to bed. My dad stopped me before I could go up the stairs. "Hey, why don't you move into my cell tonight? I don't like those men being just outside."

I shook my head and hugged myself. "Thanks for the thought Dad, but I'll be fine in my cell." For once he didn't push the subject and settled for a side hug that made me want to cringe before we went our separate ways.

I walked up the stairs and Daryl was already lying down on his makeshift bed. "Night." He called as I walked past him and I said the same back with an awkward wave over my shoulder before I disappeared into my cell. I changed into a pair of pink Nike athletic shorts and a black tank top. I climbed up the ladder, snuggled into the warm blankets and drifted off to sleep.

Tags: @jodiereedus22 @mtngirlforever @zzeacat @winchester-angel @moodygrip @hells-mistress @lighthope08 @sapphire1727 @luisadontcurr @ilkaeliseb @twdeadfanfic @ravengalaxia @1lluminaticonfirmed @my-current-fandom-is @coffeebooksandfandom @coffeebooksandfandomsohmy @lonewolf471 @gruffle1 @mblaqgi @calumstuffs @beltzboys2015-blog @neontiger007 @sourwolf-sterek32 @dixonluvv @dotslabyrinth @kayln97 @art-flirt @cbarter @chocolatealmondmilkk @chocolatealmondmilk-blog @daryldixonandfrogs @feartheendlesssummer @brooklynalpha @topsykretts92

#The walking dead #the walking dead fanfiction #the walking dead fan fiction #the walking dead fanfic #the walking dead fan fic #daryl dixon fanfiction #daryl dixon fan fiction #daryl dixon fanfic #daryl dixon fan fic #twd fanfiction #twd fan fiction #twd fanfic #twd fan fic #daryl dixon/oc #daryl dixon/ oc #daryl dixonxoc #daryl dixon x oc #daryl dixon & oc #daryl dixon&oc #dark theme fanfiction #the walkin dead oc #the walking dead oc fanfiction

[alitheamateur]

Party of Three

TOMMY CONLON ONESHOT

Characters: Tommy Conlon/OFC

Warnings: NSFW. Explicit Sexual Content. Language. Brief mentions of childbirth. Fluffy fluffy fluffy.

Party of Three

*Quite lengthy. I just got carried away with Tommy Conlon. It happens to the best of us*

(GIF NOT MINE)

The strobing of a weak streetlight bulb flickered as the haze of dawn drew pink and orange waves of the sunrise in the Pittsburgh skyline. While most 31-year-old, sensible men were still tucked into their Egyptian cotton sheets, nuzzled into the crook of their college-sweetheart turned lawyer wife, Tommy was jogging alone before daylight half withdrawn from the 8 days without Oxy. The sweat sagging neck of his hoodie smelled of exercise and rock-bottom, and his stomach churned from the lack of practical nourishment his breakfast of whiskey and dry-toast lacked. His night-shifts down at the new factory mended his bank account enough, so he had finally relocated from the mildewed, night-mare stained childhood bedroom at his pop’s place. The paint was chipped, the carpet was slimy and stonewashed, and the bathroom sink seemed to be eternally clogged, but his name was on the lease. It belonged to him, and it was his own to tarnish, and morph into a lifetime den of twisted memories. 

He rounded the final corner of his 3-mile journey, approaching the two-stepped stoop of his gray townhouse and the chugging engine of a garbage truck roared up the street beside him. He turned, nodding an empty ‘good-morning’ to the driver exhaling his nicotine morning breath out the window, when a yelping body apparently below his peripheral line of sight collided with his stalky glide.

“What the fu-“

His dry-worked hands skidded across the crumpling sidewalk to keep his teeth from implanting into the concrete, and smashing whatever lightening quick object had made its way under his running feet.

“Cole! Oh my God, are you alright, sweetie?!”

Tommy felt a squirming, snubbing mass finagle free, to run towards the safety of the panicked, flailing arms of the fitful brunette galloping down the driveway. A small boy with a shaggy bowl haircut, decked in the white-cotton threads of a karate suit, wiped the streaking tears down his flushed cheeks, and wrapped his lanky arms around the waist of what appeared to be his older sister. Aunt, maybe?

“I’m so sorry. He’s a little excited. He ran ahead of me out the front door before I could wrangle him up. Are you hurt?” The striking hazel eyes of a petite face framed in chocolate, wavy mane knelt to assess the child for bruises or blood.

“I’m uh… Yeah, I’m fine. Don’t worry ‘bout it. Is he… is he okay?” Tommy stuttered, searching his face for injury.

“No blood, no foul. Right, sweetie?”

“I’m not hurt, mommy. Boys who know karate are tough, ‘member?” He peered up at his young mother, puffing his chest to allude imaginary muscles there.

“That’s right, how could I forget?!” She conked a fist to her noggin at the little man beside her. “I’m Whitleigh, by the way. And this is Cole. We live next door now. Just moved in a few days ago.” The lady outstretched a shaking hand, and Tommy noted the lack of a ring on her left hand.

“Oh yeah? I saw some movin’ trucks out front. I’m Tommy. Tommy Conlon.” His clammy palm met her feminine skin, and he might’ve even weakly smiled at the sensation of her touch. “So, karate, huh? You prolly a real scrapper, ain’t ya’?”

“You’re um, you’re a fighter or something, aren’t you? I’ve seen you in the paper before, I think.”

Tommy dropped his head diffidently at her inquisitiveness, peeling back his hood to palm the back of his blotched neck.

“Really? You fight people? Like, like a real-life wrestler?!” Cole yipped, eyes widening at Tommy like he was some superstar in the flesh.

“Uhhh, somethin’ like that, I guess. But, I couldn’t take you, that’s for sure.” Tommy weak fisted the boys bicep, and he chuckled with a snaggle-toothed smile.

“Well, we better get goin’. Cole has a big meet this morning down at the Y, and we’re already running late. See you around?” She suggestively hurried the boy up the drive towards her black sedan parked near the front porch, combing the blonde hair from his eyes.

“Right, yeah. Um, I’m sure I’ll be seein’ you guys.” Tommy cleared the lump in his throat. He hadn’t exchanged a conversation of this length with another human being in months, and his mouth felt tired from the foreign amount of chit-chat.

“Mommy, can Mr. Tommy come watch me today? My friends would think I was the best if a tv fighter came to my match!”

Whitleigh’s mouth fell open into a slack smile as she clicked the boy into his back-seat booster. Her eyes caught the rising sun, and Tommy felt an unfamiliar stir somewhere near his heart. Like, maybe there was actually a beating organ inside his scathed, tattooed chest.

“Not today, buddy. I’m sure he’s got lots to do. Maybe another time though, alright?”

Tommy coughed, and scratched his five o’clock shadowed jawbone. “You can show me those skills some other time, Cole. Good luck today, though.”    

The adolescent lad nodded with hopefulness, and she latched the rear-door while coyly smiling at Tommy from a distance.

Tommy turned his back, stomping up his porch and beginning to peel loose the ratty confines of his sleeveless sweatshirt. This newfound, sudden appearance of tangible emotion had him questioning his insane decision of recent painkiller sobriety.

……

Whitleigh and Cole settled nicely on the block, and next door to Tommy, the man they both had inherited a specific soft spot for. The impressionable, aspiring karate kid carefully noted his fighting role models routine, and would wake up every morning before the birds even began stirring, to watch Tommy stretch, and yawn as he jogged down the sidewalk, only keeping track of him when his shadow would fall into the glare of a streetlight. Then, he’d settle back beneath the rumpled covers of his plaid patterned sheets, and wait for his mother to rouse him for school.

Whitleigh’s sprouting intrigue for the brawny man next door however, was certainly one of a more adult rated nature. She found herself tip-toeing passed the living room window more often than necessary to check for stirring in the house next door. Was he home? Was he home alone again? She waited specifically unnervingly for another excruciatingly hot evening hoping the sticky summer sun would have him washing his motorcycle shirtless on the curb again, covered in sweat and cool drippings from the water hose. He was like living, breathing, X-rated erotica for her to enjoy at her leisure. Not only had he been candy for her eye, but his extreme observance, and need to protect she and Cole moved her greatly. If the motion light she nailed over the backdoor detected any movement, and clicked on, she’d find Tommy peeping through his own curtains as she did the same, investigating the surroundings. And when the mailman seemed to be lingering on her porch one morning while she drank her coffee in the swing, Tommy ran him off quite harshly, informing her the guy was a no good, ex-con.

One Saturday evening, she was scurrying, and tripping over her own two feet trying to wag in grocery bags with the help of her as always very active 6 year-old. The thin strap of her black, flowing tank top was sliding over tip of her shoulder, and she blew a lock of her untamable hair from her eyes, giggling as Cole’s hiccups from gulping his slushy too fast on the car ride home echoed from behind her.

The trunk of her car slammed to a close, and she heard the rustling plastic of more bags being unloaded.

“Tommy! Hey, Tommy look! My tongue, is it blue?!” Cole’s toothless lisp screeched at the man walking up the steps with an impressive amount of cargo lined on each arm.

“Yeah, buddy. It is. Whatchu been into, ya’ lil smurf.”

“He insisted on a slushy at the grocery. And he did so well at practice this morning I just couldn’t say no.” Whitleigh smiled, pinching her tongue to aid in concentration as she maneuvered for the front door key.

“I got a medal, too. Most ‘intuned’ in the class!”

“Most-improved, baby. You’re most-improved.”

Tommy, and the child’s mom chuckled to themselves, careful not to discourage Cole and his little blunder. She kicked the door open easily, Tommy catching it with his own foot to prop it open for Cole and the measly two bags he carried.

“Hey uh, how would you feel about maybe takin’ a run with me in the morning, Cole. It’s gonna be a hot one, and I could sure use somebody to go with me. You down? If your mom says it’s okay, o’ course.” He tousled a noogie over the boys head, and looked side-eyed to Whitleigh as she lunged upward to store the unloaded contents in the cabinet.

The waistline of her light-washed, denim capris clung perfectly fitted to her displayed backside, and Tommy caught a glance of her tanned lower back. Her figure wasn’t toned, and gym-fit like the twenty-something, single women around town. But the way her womanly hips curved, and her thick thighs from the exercise of chasing the likes of a hyperactive kindergartener moved, very much had Tommy’s approval.

“Oh, Tommy… I don’t think you really want him tagging along. Won’t he slow you down? And you’d have to keep a really close eye on him. It’s barely daylight when you leave.”

She turned away, mouthing curses to herself for giving away that she had seen him leave the house a few times before dawn when she heard the pattering racket of his front door closing. Cole wasn’t the only person on dutiful neighborhood watch. She may, or may not have been checking to see if it was indeed a female making her break for it after a night of tantric rolling in the sheets with her unannounced crush.

“He’ll be fine, Whit. I’m not incapable of taking care of a kid, y’ know…” He rolled his eyes, trying and failing to appear insulted.

“MOMMA, MOMMA! Please, please, can I go wif’ Tommy? Please!”

The mother hen sighed, and reluctantly nodded the granting consent and Cole began hipping and hopping circles around the kitchen counter, throwing in a few of his martial arts kicks, and grunts to boot. His erratic spinning of circles weighed heavy on his balance, and Tommy caught his wheezing, giggly body before he toppled face-first onto the floor.

“Alright, kid. You better get to bed early for ya’ mom tonight. I’ll be here for you bright and early tomorrow morning.”

Whitleigh’s heart, among other things were warmed watching the way this mysteriously gentle, yet rough around the edges man had already taken such a liking to her young son. Friends for a single-mother were rare to come by, and she intended somehow to relay her gratitude to Tommy for his blind kindness to the both of them.

 She sat her alarm for 4 a.m., allowing herself 30 minutes extra to peel Cole from underneath his plethora of stuffed friends in his bed, but was taken aback when she found him sitting cross-legged in the floor of his bedroom when she opened his door.

“Cole! What do you think you’re doing?! We don’t play with scissors, do you hear me?” She yanked the ragged blade of her kitchen shears out of his grips, and scolded his disobedient act.

She assessed him thoroughly, searching for any nicks or cuts on his arms or legs, then groaned out when she realized what he had done. A still tagged sweatshirt she had bought him back at Christmas was missing a sleeve, and the other hung on jaggedly by a thread.

“Honey, what did you do, huh?” She sighed, and searched Cole’s explanatory eyes.

“I wanted mine to be like Tommy’s, mommy.”

Cole had abstractly chopped the leaves of his hooded shirt to mock Tommy and his DIY running attire. She wanted to be angry, and she would be internally. But, she couldn’t help but laugh at his clever thinking.

She wet his toothbrush and watched him brush, then double knotted his tennis shoes before stepping out the front door to wait for Tommy. The silken robe tied around her waist covered her braless chest, and the men’s boxer briefs she unconventionally used as pajama bottoms.

Next door, Tommy was readying his post-run protein shake, setting aside some ingredients for a kid-friendly edition, thinking Cole would want his own when they returned. He couldn’t make sense of what he felt for the boy, or the fact that he was feeling anything period. Maybe, he saw flashes of himself in Cole’s fatherless lie? Did he want the kid to have some male in his life that encouraged him, and taught him the way a man should behave, and treat people? Sure, maybe Tommy wasn’t the most equipped man for the job, but he knew not to beat women, or lay hands on children. Which was more than his own father ever bothered to teach him.

He poked a finger through his kitchen blinds, the window that looked directly across the driveway into Whitleigh’s bedroom, and saw some lamp light peeking out behind her darkened curtain, alluding she was awake and readying Cole. He wondered aimlessly if he should extend the invite for her to join he and Cole, but remembered how she often teases him for his ‘meathead’ lifestyle. Tommy knew she appreciated his workout habits more than she let on though. Her sideways good morning glances at him while he did his routine 100 jumps of the rope before his 8 a.m. spar told him so. However well his stupid abs, or bulgy biceps usually helped him reel in the brainless groupies down at the bar he frequented, he knew Whitleigh needed more. His grunts, and sulks wouldn’t be enough to impress her.

He shook himself out of the spiraling abyss of questioning, and almost grabbed a shot glass to smother the thoughts. But, he’d need to be sharp, and responsible with Cole if he wanted to remain in good standing with the beautiful family next door.

He left his side door unlocked behind him, as he walked the minimal steps from his house to the residence next door. Cole was bouncing up and down the steps, spitting impersonations of an airplane, or a tractor maybe, chasing an imaginary object around the yard. His mom sat arms crossed on the stoop, her half-exposed thighs fidgeting with the morning chill. Tommy admired her without the touches of makeup, and with the lingering dark circles of a less than restful night.

“Tommy, hey look! Look at me!” Cole galloped into Tommy’s arms, grinning ear to ear, and pounding his chest.

“I caught the little troublemaker in his room with scissors before I got up morning. He took the liberty of nixing the sleeves from that brand-new sweatshirt. Wanted to look like Tommy, didn’t you, bub?” Whitleigh sarcastically smirked, standing at Tommy’s arrival.

He looked at Cole in his arms, giggling uncontrollably at the boy’s miniature hoodie cut to resemble the one he was also wearing. He became instantly afraid, dazed with pressure even. He hadn’t realized the intense way that Cole had indeed been noting him, and observing his every move. A duty to tow the line, and keep on his toes for the sponge of a child settled hard on his heart.

“You look badass, buddy!”

“Tommy!!” Whitleigh scolded with lightening speed.

“I.. Uh, I mean… You look awesome, bro. Real uh.. real cool. Yeah, that’s what I meant.” Tommy coughed and clambered to bury his little expletive mistake.

“Watch him. Please…” She cocked her head, pleading to him with a crinkled nose. “You listen to Tommy, Cole. And stay right by his side, got it?”

“Yeah, momma. I be good, won’t I Tommy?” Cole yanked on Tommy’s long arm, pulling with all his might to hurry him down the road.

“We’ll be fine. No worries, okay? Be back in a couple hours or so. I’ve got my cell if we need ya’.”

She peered down the empty, slow streets of Saturday until the pair turned the corner out of her sight. Tommy glanced back a couple of times, with Cole following suit to wave at her smiling on the porch. She trusted her son was in good hands, and it was safe to squeeze in a least another hour cat nap before breakfast.

 Her cellphone vibrated and buzzed off the side of her end table next to the couch, awaking her with an incoming call. The lazy slumber passing immediately at the disturbance, as she feared the worst expecting trouble with Cole. Tommy’s named lit up across the touchscreen, and she said ‘hello’ before the call had even connected.

“Incoming. Just wanted to make sure you were awake.” Tommy meekly whispered.

She abruptly stood from her couch, peering out the glass storm door, to see the man shoving his phone down into the slick pocket of his shorts, and Cole’s legs dangling around Tommy’s waist.

Jumping barefoot outside, Tommy lifted a hand to calm her, and slow her down before she woke the snoozing child.

“Shhhh.. Hey hey hey, he’s fine, Whit. He’s fine. He got sleepy about 2 miles in, and said his legs were tired,” he smiled sweetly. “So I just carried him back. He fell asleep about 10 minutes ago, I think. At least that’s when he stopped talking about Power Rangers, so I think that’s when anyways.”

Whitleigh reached forth, opening her arms for Tommy to pass the petite, sleeping mass to her so she could settle him inside. But he shook his head under his hood, and continued towards her house.

“I got ‘em. Just lead the way.”

He walked quietly on her heels down the hallway, barely lit with the yellow glow of the sun’s onset towards Cole’s bedroom. Posters of MMA circuit fighters, and a few baseball stars pinned to white walls, and a nightlight near his bed in the shape of a boxing glove. He imagined it would’ve been a room much like his own had he not had to share the small, attic space with his older brother who cared more about women and cars rather than fighting. On Cole’s nightstand, stained with the wet circle of last night’s glass of water, was a portrait of he and Tommy dressed in matching karate garb, drawn in faded marker.

“Best friends, huh?” Tommy nodded towards the misspelled words on the work of art, catching Whitleigh’s eye as she nestled him under the comforter, kissing his reddened cheek.

“He made it last night,” she answered. “I couldn’t get him into bed until he finished. He was planning to give it to you after the little jog this morning.”

“The kid has good taste in friends. What can I say?”

“I guess so. The verdict is still out.” She winded a hand through the tangled ends of her hair, leaving a tiny crack in the door as they scurried out so she could peep in on him later.

“Well, share that pot of coffee I smell, and I’ll see if I can convince ya’.”

He watched her dainty, painted toes stick to the cool floor as she swayed slowly into the kitchen, and he wafted his shirt to let some cool air onto his perspiring chest. He let his brain simmer on the possibilities of what was hidden prettily under the pink robe that skimmed just above a thin scar on her knee.

“Cream and sugar?” She peeped as the pour of coffee flowed into the bottom of a ceramic mug.

“Nah, black is good.”

Whitleigh served two cups, and tucked her leg underneath her as she sat in the wooden chair across the table from him. She fiddled with the silver chain hanging from her neck, only more attracting Tommy to the fluttering gape of her robe as she moved in her seat.

“Was he good for you? Didn’t give you any trouble or anything?”

“He’s a real good kid, Whitleigh. Honest. You done a real good job wit’ him.”

His lips squished on the rim of the cup as he slurped the bitter brew, and she felt her center ignite.

“Thanks, Tommy. It doesn’t hurt that I’ve got somebody like you around to be an example to him either…”

Her lashes cast a fluttering, unmeasurably lengthy shadow over the rim of her lower lid onto her cheek, and Tommy had to situate his visibly growing attraction to her. The strength and steady head she displayed in raising her son alone, the way she held her composure day in, & day out with work and managing a household. What wasn’t to like? The heavy swell of her bosom, and the way her smile seemed to be effortlessly seductive no matter the occasion didn’t hurt matters.

“Trust me… My shit isn’t together even half of what yours is. But, I like the kid, so I’ll help any way you need me. I kinda like hangin’ around you two.”

Tommy didn’t want her to mistake his comments as a come on, but the other half of his shifty brain hoped she would, and maybe he’d get some clarity on how she felt towards him. He couldn’t handle the subtle exchanges, and cheeky stealing looks. Tommy wasn’t the type who played well at cat & mouse, unless he was standing in the cage toying with his next victim.

Neither had really noticed how many wordless seconds had ticked by until the rhythmic drip of the kitchen faucet splashed towards the drain, shaking them to reality. Tommy gulped, scratching his forearm nervously and looked around the room pointlessly, while Whitleigh raised to tend to the leak. She shook the handle, jiggled the spout, and Tommy heard her murmur a ‘piece of shit’ under her breath. He scooted the chair from under him, and rounded the table sitting his empty glass there, to take her side.

“I can fix that, if you want. Not a problem at all.”

He meant to stand to next to her and estimate the appliance issue, but instead he settled his feet behind hers on the kitchen mat, and extended around under her arm. He saw the hairs on Whitleigh’s arm raise, and his exhales ensued goosebumps where her shoulder met her neck. Her fruity scent tickled his nostrils, and a chill rolled up his spine as the sweet aroma nearly instigated a sneeze. She slowly set free the tension his closeness brought to her bones, and she whimpered as he pushed the loose crotch of his pants into the center of her cheeks.

“…..it’s….it’s fine. Just a little shake of the handle usually…usually takes care of it.” She choked, and heaved a struggling breath. Her head fell weightless to his shoulder, and she white knuckle gripped the counters edge to squeeze out some of the pent-up need.

One of his broad, promiscuous hands pulled on the ribbon of her robe, while the other probed up the back of her thigh, tickling the curve of her round ass with calloused, worked fingers. Whitleigh’s nipples poked from the confines of her t-shirt and Tommy envisioned the pink bulbs wet between his teeth.

“Let me tend to some other things around here that need seein’ to then, hm?” He suckled on her earlobe, the gold bulbs of her earrings clanging gently against his teeth.

Her shutter sent the bathrobe cascading from her arms to topple gracefully around their feet. Once Tommy’s hands got a feeling of her soft skin against his, his hunger became irrepressible. He tugged at her legs, rushing her to climb his body. Their lips crashed into each other, their desire screaming at the introduction. Tommy reached his hands into her hair, massaging into her scalp, and his tongue took note and moved seductively against hers. Her mewls of his name, and the breath tossed from her mouth into his enticed Tommy to furthermore explore her every crevice.

“Quiet, Tommy. We have to be quiet. Cole…”

He nodded, lowering her back to the white, chipped tabletop. Her toes curled as her licked up her leg, leaving imprints of his crooked bite on the fleshly meat of her inner thighs. He pulled away to push up the hem of her shirt, and her eyes peeled shut with reluctancy.

“Woah, woah. Hey, whatsa matter, Whitleigh. Talk to me, babe.” He froze, careful not to further intrude if he had done so.

“Nothing. It’s.. I’m fine. Really. Keep going.” She answered surely, but the reluctancy still hid in her underlying tremble of her voice.

He chewed his lips, and carefully continued to peel back her remaining attire. He pulled loose the fabric, and she raised herself to assist him in the undressing. Her hands coyly slid to cover a scar drawn into the lower of her belly, and Tommy’s eyes followed whatever shame she felt there was to hide. He kissed tenderly on her fingers, and eased back her hands to lay behind her head.

“This what you’re so worried about?” He curiously sketched over the marking.

“I’m sure most women you get with don’t have ugly battle scars from childbirth, Tommy…”

He blinked repeatedly, exaggerating his look of taken aback confusion, and almost offence. His palms leaned flat on the table, carrying his weight as he dangled above her.

“First off, you ain’t just somebody I wanna ‘get with’, Whit. Second, don’t ever be ashamed. This,” he pointed. “This scar gave you that badass little boy in there sleepin’. The one that you’re doin’ a damn good job of raisin’, too. Don’t ever feel like you gotta hide that wit’ me. Okay?”

Whitleigh blushed, and her fitful heartbeats bringing a swell of reassurance over her body. To hear that Tommy hadn’t intended on her being just the bed buddy next door eased her worries. She saw potential in Tommy, and whatever this could turn into with him, as well.

She nodded her head, smiling and sighing a loud release of the worrisome pressure she’d been choking on moments ago. Once the exquisite man gathered she had relaxed once more, he began petting over the soft, feminine curves of her body’s edges. His licked his pouting mouth, and journeyed upward to the round handful of her breasts, leaving his hands to work down below. He moaned, stroking the wet patch that stained the warm center of her panties and Whitleigh nearly jolted from the table when his tongue devoured the sensitive line of her ribcage.

Tommy hooked his fingers into the band of her shorts, cheekily popping the elastic before tugging them down her tanned legs.

“I like these, by the way. They look much sexier on you than me..”

He dropped his own shorts, the clunk of his phone in the pocket hitting the floor,  revealing a nearly matching pair of his own boxer briefs. Only his, screaming at the seams trying to trap the large member he was stroking beneath them.

Without so much as a hint of warning, Tommy clutched the backside of her bended knees, and drew her forth toward him. Her feet now weightlessly suspended over the tables edge. Glittering rays of sunlight illuminated through the curtains, catching the speckles of green hiding in the eyes she stared hungrily into. The demanding, heated cosmic pull his body exuded excited Whitleigh more than any desire she had ever known for a man. She withheld a giggle, knowing breakfast every morning seated at this now tarnished kitchen table would never be the same.

Anxious for a quick taste of her pink folds, Tommy kneeled face-to-face with his warm breakfast. Fuck that gritty, bland protein shake he had in the blender at his own house, he thought. Whitleigh was more his flavor. Her hips bucked seductively when the vicious laps of his tongue separated her lips to prime her with another layer of wetness. Delight and orgasm poked her nauseous belly like a prodding finger. She grimaced, but welcomed every nibble of his lips over her blossoming bulb.

“Upstairs, Tommy… let’s go upstairs.” The volume of her needful pants echoed off the hollow ceilings, and she feared their elicit noises would stumble upon the ears of her hopefully sleeping son just down the hall. It took all her mighty efforts to piece together a sentence amongst Tommy’s feasting murmurs smashed between her thighs. The hum, and suckling sounds of him devouring her sopping mound hypnotized her wholly. His touch would be burned there at the most private corner of her body forever.

“I can’t make it that far, Whitleigh baby. I gotta have you. Now. Here, bite down on this to keep quiet.” Tommy tossed her the tee he had discarded, and chuckled. Relishing in the fact that he had her body running on amped speed. She nearly lost all control when he caught a stray trickle of her juices escaping from the side of his mouth with the tip of his thumb, and sucked it dry.

He clung to his thick erection, and lead himself to her steaming entrance, teasing her with slow in and outs. He felt her deep, and so satisfyingly warm squeezes twitch around him, already milking forth his first release with a female in months. He hadn’t really had time for a hookup lately, and thinking about the filth that he typically attracted only made want to down capsize a bottle of narcotics.  

The angsty thoughts that had always swam in his mind suddenly fled when he admired Whitleigh’s blissfully reddened cheeks, and rosy, swollen lips gaped open with the sound of his name. She was reeling him in, damning his demons back to the hell they came from, and shocking his soul back to life, and she had no idea.

He gripped her forcefully by the hips to secure a steady rhythm so her breasts would continue that perfectly timed, spellbinding bounce. He didn’t want to split her painfully in two, but the faster he lunged inside her, the more he could feel the rough flickerings of a hard onslaught approaching.

“More. More.” She read his mind with expert timing. “More!”

The legs of her antique table scuffed and creaked against the floor below them, and Whitleigh wondered whether the weathered wood was a match for Tommy Conlon. She knew Cole would be stirring soon, but she needed to feel this way, in this moment with Tommy, for hours before it would ever be enough. He brushed, and touched her lips with his fingers, grazing her cheeks thoughtfully. His face nuzzled the tips of her nipples, and his lashes tickled them to an even higher peak while his two-day old scruff chapped her sensitive skin. Whitleigh wanted to feel the sweat of his hard-work fall from his perspiring brow and leave his scent on her like a dirty secret.

She hinted sparks flying inside her belly, instigating the release ready to reach the surface. Every raw, barely noticeable taste of delicious pain that came with his every lunge kidnapped her further towards the explosion of orgasm. A pulsating vein in Tommy’s neck protruded from his straining, broad neck and she sensed he was holding back his own ending for her sake.

“Tommy, I’m close. Really… really close.” She whispered, nearly biting her own tongue between gnashed teeth.

He closed his eyes, his back now standing straight to give her a hearty, heavenly view of his tattooed pecks, and insultingly large shoulders. His harsh sucks of air, and vice-grip squeezes on the bone of her hips gave her the push she needed to climb the summit. Using the shirt she still held onto, Whitleigh quickly shoved the cotton between her jaws to absorb her curdling screams. Her eyes watered beneath sealed lids, tears dripping from the corners, and Tommy covered his own mouth muffling what was the most beautiful portrayal of climax she had ever had the pleasure of witnessing.

“Now, I already won Cole over, we know. So, what’s that verdict you were talking about earlier, huh?” Tommy suggested.

Hoping not to offend him with her abrupt dismissal, and nixing of post-cuddle, she stole a fast kiss from him as she hopped from the table to dress. He rubbed over her bare backside once more before she stepped into her bottoms, then shooed her down the hall, understanding the importance of her motherly duties. He speedily decked himself in his own shed clothes, and placed the kitchen back to it’s original tidy state before the observant young boy came for his breakfast.

Whitleigh came leisurely down the hall moments later, holding the hand of a slightly disorientated blonde boy who smiled ear-to-ear once realizing his new best friend Tommy was seated at his kitchen table. He climbed into the empty chair next to Tommy where his booster seat waited, eager to chat all about the things they had seen while on their morning stroll. Whitleigh stirred the batter of chocolate chip pancakes near the stove, stealing smiley glances at Tommy when Cole was caught up in one of his stories.

 As Tommy watched the wild-eyed kid stutter and sling his busy hands throughout the air, pretending his fork was a spaceship. All the while also falling in love with the big-hearted, slightly bashful, head-spinningly beautiful woman across the room. He had never known true family in his entire life. But silently observing the lazy comfort he felt of that Saturday morning with Cole, and Whitleigh, he decided it was worth the wait.

  TAGS: @eap1935 @torialeysha

#tomhardy #tommy conlon #tom hardy fanfiction #tommy conlon fanfic #tommy conlon imagine #Tom Hardy #tommy riordan #warriorfanfic #warriorfanfiction #tomhardyfanfic

[fightevilandthengetblownup]

FIC: Watching Over You

—

“Will someone fucking help me?!”

He found himself snarling into his headset, jaw clenched and hands tight around the controller as he struggled to extract his character from the line of fire he was currently pinned under. Playing healer was the absolute worst thing; Grey was one death away from suggesting they switch to deathmatch so he could murder each and every one of his team mates.

“Jesus, Grey, don’t get your panties in a twist.” The quip came through in that almost sleep-roughed Brooklyn voice that he’d come to learn belonged to the tallest of the old Ghostfacers crew. Kenny Spruce, only ever going by Spruce and the one time he’d called him Kenny had resulted in a ten minute rant from the man himself and then a very offpitch version of Dangerzone from the other two Ghostfacer alumni on the channel, gave a laugh as he responded, but Grey knew he was kidding when he saw the Genji appear up the side of the building he’d been trapped on with his cyber-agility before unleashing his typical shuriken attack on the three enemies that had been surrounding the party-healer left alone without support. “What you even doing up here, man? Didn’t we say you’d stay with payload this round?”

“Yeah, but that was a stupid fucking tactic.” Grey hissed back, his anger dipping slightly as all three enemies are taken out and his character’s passive regen can start up again. “Plus they just blasted the shit out of me to start with, had to get out of the way for a bit.”

“Fair enough. I got him sorted, guys.” Spruce sounded amused still, and Grey could almost feel him nodding as if they were all in the same room and not spread across the entire country.

***

Getting a regular team together had been Harry’s idea. Something about getting his friends to all be friends, and then it turned into some kind of propoganda plan to help out Grey’s reputation with some of the more open-minded hunters.

It has started with Grey and Harry just playing in random match up together shortly after the game came out when Harry’d decided to bring the game and his extra screen over with him. Usually Grey wasn’t huge on FPS’ but this was bright and colourful, and he really began getting suckered into the art style and the backstories of the characters the more Harry walked him through it. He’d started out using Tracer due to it being Harry’s second so he could talk Grey through the best ways to play and use the character, but after a few random match up games, he’d learned pretty quickly no one liked playing healer and someone had to suck it up and roll that way, and who better than him?

About a month later, Harry had called him up and asked if he was free to join him and two of his old Ghostfacer friends that they were just starting to get back in touch with for a few games. Jo had shaken her head from where she’d sat with a few case files and books open around her when he’d asked if the noise would bother her or not, and Grey’d signed in and joined up with them pretty quickly. That his introduction to two of Harry’s best friends before the bar was running about Caduceus Staffing the pair as if he’d worked with them for as many years as his friend had put him off to a good footing. Ed, their Reaper or Reinhart depending on the rest of the team combination, was more than happy after a few rounds to question if Grey’d be available to join them more often in future. He had barely kept the smile off his face, and heard a lot of puking noises from the other guys through his headset when Jo’d leaned over and kissed him after the next round rather noisly.

The four of them continued to play, several nights a week every week, for the next three months and Grey had begun to think of the other two men as some of his closest friends as well.

—

Hey Grey, the boys are actually free and coming up to visit next weekend, you good to come round to the bar for a few drinks and a BBQ?

Harry’s text had made him feel almost giddy the moment he’d seen it, that he was being invited along to an event with ‘the boys’ felt unusual but also so normal all at once. There was a flash of concern about the bar and the safety measures that had once again been put in place cutting him off from being able to agree, until his phone buzzed again three times in quick succession.

Sorry man, forgot about the Iron Jo said we can do BBQ at yours We’ll be round Saturday

That giddy feeling was back immediately upon seeing it. Not only was Harry willing to change his plans to fit Grey in along with the rest of his friends, which somehow made him feel both upset for making those plans have to change but also so good that his friend cared enough to change them for him, but Jo had already okayed the idea of four guys hanging out, drinking beers and taking over the backyard and/or kitchen without a moments hesitation from the sound of it. Facilitating his making new friends, and helping him without it feeling stifling.

His nervous energy had lasted all the way through to the weekend, and Jo had given up even rolling her eyes at him as he’d cleaned up and tidied the living room, kitchen and backyard for the fourth time that morning. She was more focussed on simply getting the minute steaks defrosted and potato salad she claimed her mom used to make prepped for the afternoon.

It felt strange in a way to put a face to a voice and name as the three men had arrived. It felt stranger still for him of all people to find that concept strange, he’d practically invented putting a name and face to a disembodied voice after all. However, the odd mix seemed even stranger when he realised he’d been added to the equation.

Spruce was not what he had expected - almost 6″3 and a patchy beard growing alongside the full black ensemble and glasses. It matched the quiet yet rumbly voice Grey was used to, and he definitely seemed friendly enough from the immediate fist bump greeting as he’d headed through the house to the backyard as Grey’s waved instruction.

Ed matched exactly to what Harry had told Grey of before, and even recognised vaguely from some old video he’d been shown by either Harry or Jo once upon a time. However he’d stopped dyeing both his hair and shaving his facial hair if the dark hair and fully developed beard was anything to go by. Ed even pulled him into a one armed, chest bump-back hit move as his own greeting, and Grey had to bite down a smile of his own realising he wasn’t dwarfed at all by this friend of Harry’s like the other one.

The afternoon had been as if all of them had known eachother for years, talking easily and sharing ciders or beer or soft drink depending on who it was throughout the afternoon until Jo’d called out that lunch had been ready. Spruce had made a joke originally about women in the kitchen and how it’s supposed to be the man’s job to cook a BBQ, but it had been the one and only awkward moment of the afternoon - especially as he’d quivered under Jo’s death glare and Harry had whispered something loudly about not wanting to piss her off ever.

Excepting that moment, all four men had had a great afternoon which had bled into evening and ended up with all four crowded in the front lounge with a second PSN from the bar brought along and playing a few drunken deathmatches.

Jo had brought in the ordered pizza around the end of the first hour of rounds, and Grey had even felt comfortable enough around the other’s to drag her into his lap and try to show her the ropes of the game.

“Yeah, lets teach the little lady how to play, should be fun as.” Spruce’s comment sounded a little too on the edge of asking for trouble, but from what Grey could remember he was about eight beers in and given he’d lost the last four rounds despite sticking to his main Genji, there was clearly a disconnect somewhere in his head. “Pretty little thing like you Jojo probably don’t know nothing about games, aye?”

“Bet she only plays those girly simulation games.” Ed added on, a drunken smirk on his face as he looked over at the pair of them cuddled up on one of the arm chairs from his spot beside Harry on the main couch. Harry for his part looked like he was too bemused by his mates comments and the fact he knew Jo could destroy the pair of them in her sleep to correct them as Jo had snarled in response.

“Fuckin’ bring it on, dickwads.” Her words were fighting words, and Grey didn’t even think about it impacting his points as Jo’d taken his controller off of him and switched characters at the loading screen for their next round. Somehow it seemed to fit when she chose Soldier 76; and he didn’t miss the way Jo looked over at Harry for an imperceptable nod from the researcher before she fully selected it. “Get ready to die, bitches.”

“After you, girlie.”

It barely surprised Grey when it turned into a bloodbath immediately, nor that the moment the game started Jo’s Soldier had Spruce’s Genji trapped and dead within thirty seconds. It also didn’t surprise him as he noticed Harry’s Winston avoided her character and as such her wrath like the plague. Ed’s Reinhart was the next dead, and for the next three minutes as their death tallies continued to be counted up and ranked against the other four unknown players in the round that Grey’s username was sitting up at the very, very top with a healthy ten-kill margin above the next highest.

Throwing the controller into his lap a little too harshly as the round finished, Jo’s play clearly trumping anyone else as well as the screen showing through a 10 kill spree of all headshots as Play Of The Game she’d enacted about halfway through the match time, the blonde had given the two newcomers a sneer before gesturing for their pup to get up from where she was seated and heading upstairs with a “I’ll leave you boys to it” over her shoulder. Grey couldn’t help the tiny smirk that started up at the flabergasted look on both other men’s faces before they started up the next round.

It was another two beers and almost ten comments about “Damn, that play though” before Harry decided to let the other’s in on that they’d just gotten schooled by a real shooter and none of them had started another round until the bitching about “unfair advantages” had died down some twenty minutes later. Another three beers and Harry was summoning an Uber, Ed was wrapping Grey up in the tighest hug he’d experienced from an inebriated man with a lot of tears and “where were you when we needed another Facer?”, and Spruce had then dog piled in on it with a call about how “damn cool Harry’s new mate” was and “you sure your girlfriend isn’t single” before Harry chased the pair of visiting friends into the waiting Uber and shared a bemused look with Grey as they all parted ways for the night.

After that, Grey knew he now have two more good friends, even if they were a bit weird in their own way.

—

It was another month before the fifth member of their little group joined them for the first time.

Harry had organised the usual gaming session about an hour later than usual with the simple message that got another friend whos free to play, and the idea of adding a fifth member to their usual roster suited them all pretty well. If they managed to find one more, they could actually play with friends and friends only rather than having a few odd swing ins for matches against other groups.

When Jo had swung past and heard him up later than usual on her way up to bed from one of her late night baking sprees, he’d handed her a spare pair of headphones to listen in on the group and found out that their new guy was a hunter like her. Grey had played attrociously that round, barely managing to heal anyone on the team as his fingers have shook and fumbled too much to fire straight or connect right on the others.

Jo had said it seemed ‘fitting’ that the other hunter was trading between McCree and Ashe every other game, as if trying on which style of player he wanted to be, before kissing him good night and retiring to bed with Nana. He knew he could wake her up when he got upstairs if he was still stressed, but that felt like a bit of a defeat to him of how far he’d come, of how far he’d pushed past being impacted by interacting with hunters who didn’t know who or what he was. Instead, he’d simply curled up around her, arms around the waist and face buried in that vanilla scented hair like he wasn’t still being impacted by a surprise hunter involvement.

It had taken another three weeks before Grey had found out which hunter it was, other than going by the screenname MrFizzles2000.

—

“Hey so is it okay if Garth stops by this afternoon?”

“Who?”

“Garth. He’s a hunter, but he’s chill. Like you already like him.” Jo had raised an eyebrow up at him from where she was currently in the middle of some intricate looking chocolate and dough bread…thing. “He got a bit banged up on a job nearby and asked if he could swing by for a patch up.”

“I don’t know any hunters called Garth.” He frowned at her, resting a hip against the countertop as he watched her working. The frown didn’t last too long, though his brows still creased, when she had swiped a bit of the chocolate mix onto a finger and offered it out to him with that entirely too innocent look on her face that let him know she knew exactly what she was doing.

Jo shook her head at his words, an eyeroll clearly being fought from showing, before she licked the chocolate off her own finger at his look. “Sure you do, MrFizzles? He’s cool, he’s chill, and he already knows all about you, hun, and he’s the absolute last hunter who would ever be predjudice against you for that.”

That had sounded too good to be true, and he had pressed further for more information just as soon as he’d finished tasting the chocolate from her lips.

“He got bit, werewolf hunt gone bad last Spring. I’ve been workin’ with him on ways to stay in the game and also stay on top of the situation.” Jo had smiled up at him so sweetly at that as she watched him carefully, that he had trouble keeping his look blank at the revellation that the hunter he played video games alongside was both a hunter and a monster too. That there had been no real reason for him to be so concerned and nervous, but at the same time, the whole idea of a monster as a hunter seemed far fetched even with progressives like Jo, Sam and Harry running about. Her smile had dropped a little as she saw his impassive look, and added quietly, “You hadn’t noticed I duck off near full moon each month? I’ve been keeping my hunts set so I can get to his home and help keep an eye on ‘im during the transformation times now it’s all gone back to mostly normal. He’s a sweet guy, he doesn’t deserve what’s happened but damn if he’s not workin’ hard not to let it stop him doin’ the job.”

“I hadn’t actually noticed-”

“Didn’t think so. But yeah, Harry, Garth and I have been workin’ on the hunter portal cause they’re both big geeks and I guess Garth and Harry realised you guys all play the same games so there you go.”

Grey rolled the thought over in his mind for a moment as Jo had spun in his arms to resume her complicated plaiting of her chocolate bread dough, the chocolate was rippled through it in veins and he was sure it was going to be amazing from what he’d already tasted; before tucking his chin over her shoulder. “Fine, he can stop by. Given I doubt he’s going to try to… gank me?”

There had been a laugh at that, and Grey had found himself almost pacing in the front lounge for the next hour awaiting the arrival of the man who was somehow an unknown hunter, a fellow monster and his mystery team-member all at once.

The first Grey had seen of him was a tall but bean-stalk like guy wrapping Jo up into a tight hug that managed to lift her feet up from the floor and spun her around when just looking at him such a feat should have snapped him in two. There was such a friendly look to him despite the extremely gross mess that was one half of his face, that somehow the clearly openhearted and friendly demeanour broke through even the worst of injuries. “Joey, hey, thanks so much for letting me stop by. Just got on the wrong end of a chupacabra.”

“Yeah I can bloody see that!” Jo had laughed as the man had let her back to her feet, and she’d raised a hand to look at the other’s mangled face - pieces of skin sliced and torn all over one side of his face, and Grey could see a bit of blood smeared on Jo’s hair from where it had touched the area during their hug. “Well not to worry, I’ll get you all patched up soon enough. You know Grey?”

“Grey! Hey man, so good to finally meet’cha!” The next thing Grey knew, he too had been pulled up into a tight hug without a moment to prepare for it, while the hunter wrapped his scrawny arms around his shoulders and rocked back and forth for a second. Garth was still talking, that exceptionally friendly tone bleeding through even Grey’s panic at the unexpected move, “I’ve heard so much about you from Joey and Harry. Been so lookin’ forward to meetin’ you finally. Sorry it couldn’t be better circumstances, man.”

He’d been released after a full thirty-Mississippi’s, and Grey had forced himself not to smoke away out of fear or jerk back more than a polite step as the hunter let him go and continued through to the kitchen at Jo’s gesturing. She had stopped and reached out for his hand, squeezing tightly as she gave him an understanding look as he let out a shaky breath. It took him another few minutes to work down the panic, splash his face with water and then head into the kitchen to see if there was any additional assistance needed once he had calmed down.

It hadn’t taken long for Grey to warm up to Garth once there was no unexpected if very nice hugs, especially as all three had sat down at the kitchen table together while Jo whined about “even though you’ve got higher regeneration than the rest of us, it doesn’t mean you won’t get an infection”, the hunter had simply looked across at him and shared an exasperated eyeroll. That the next thing out of the hunter’s mouth was to congratulate Grey himself on a beautiful house and kind girlfriend settled the matter for him, this was another hunter he would happily spend time with. Maybe with just a bit more distance, or at least warning next time.

—

The sixth and final member had actually come about through Dean.

The hunting brothers had been visiting as they had been doing on and off ever since the Gordon Situation had been handled. Grey had found it exceptionally uncomfortable to begin with, especially the heated, distrusting looks he would get constantly from the eldest brother whenever they did stop by, but Jo had almost burst into tears when the brothers had called and asked if they could drop by the first time about a month after they'd last been around that he couldn't very well say no. Not when she'd flung herself at him right after the agreement either. And so it had become a thing, where if the brothers were within two hours of the city they would pop by after their hunt to say hi. So long as Jo was home, of course.

It was on one of those nights that they were over and talking with Jo in the kitchen while Grey and his group were just kicking off their usual two or so hours of game play that the eldest Winchester had made the comment.

"Is that that weird anime shooter game? Overlord or something? We've got a friend who plays that and she's been looking for a new crew. I'll give her a call and see if she's free if you guys need another tonight." And that was how the sixth member joined them.

---

Supposedly Harry and Garth both already knew and liked the woman, and she was involved with the online hunting development with them and Jo. According to Dean she was a genius, according to Jo she was 'a lacklustre copy of Ash with a vagina' when Grey'd asked her for more that night, according to Harry she fell somewhere in between and Jo only disliked her due to being hit on the first time the women had met.

Charlie Bradbury had been a welcome edition though that first night, and the group had quickly agreed to add her into their little ragtag team.

She tended to roll D.va as her default which meshed well with everyone else, but sometimes she'd play Zarya instead when the mood stuck her which also worked well. Grey figured she was compensating for something always playing the tank role, but knew better than to question it.

That first night though, Grey had been surprised to hear the chirpy female voice through the headset as they finally all got online and in the one escort mission together. They were in charge of the escorting that time, fighting off the other party with a fair few hiccups.

Sometimes Charlie would charge forward further than she should, a level of cockiness in her taunting over the channel directed at the other team than rarely matched the level she was playing at. Sometimes, Spruce would end up accidentally completely forgetting it was a team game amidst the jeering and begin to seek out personal glory rather than working within the team. Sometimes, Grey would drop too far behind trying to regenerate his own health and by the time his character would catch back up, the party would be close to death. And sometimes Ed and Harry would have ended up pissing off one another over something or other, and refused to work together properly until screamed at by the rest of the party or one of them would conceed and apologise.

Overall though, it had been thoroughly amusing, they had finally worked out some of the kinks by their last round as it hit midnight and Jo had appeard in the doorway making a coughing noise in just her sleepwear and Grey had quickly called it a night on the group to a chorus of teasing from the rest. Overall, the computer whiz had fit in well with them all once they got a hold of their egos, and Grey knew that they’d be adding a final person to their regular line up.

***

The escort mission was going somewhat well so far, they’d made it through the second checkpoint and Grey had only have the one close encounter so far that Spruce had fixed up. They had almost reached and surpassed their opposition’s marker in the competition play they were undertaking, and as he directed his character back into the frey towards pushing, Grey could hear Charlie going off again.

“Fucking cocksucking assholes, we’re going to beat these sonofabitches back for sure.”

“Not very ladylike language there, Charls.” Ed’s voice crackled through the headset, clearly teasing as his Reinhardt pushed at the back of the payload alongside the firey redhead’s D.va and Grey’s own Mercy while Spruce’s Genji, Garth’s McCree and Harry’s Tracer zipped about them dealing out damage as they passed.

Grey could tell from the way the D.va suddenly stopped moving that the woman had taken offence. It was something that happened often enough each of the other player’s had noticed it and knew just how damaging one of her stubborn flares could be to their overall performance.

“Ed...” Spruce’s voice rumbled through the quiet, before being cut off by Garth’s friendly attempt at distraction, “Hey Charlie, we’re almost there - watch out for the Reaper comin’ up.”

The silence from their solo female player continued as did her character’s stubborn freezing on the spot as the payload’s speed slowed down having lost the third player’s additional momentum.

“Ed...” Spruce tried again, only to receive a loud feminine hiss and a whiney groan in response.

Grey found himself sighing quietly as he moved his Mercy about the screen to start healing a team member here and there, to boost the attack as Garth completed a flashbang to distract and disorientate their oppponents while they waited for Charlie to get her panties untwisted. While the girl was a very good gamer, and from what Grey had heard from Jo and Harry over the last month, he knew she was equally good at setting up secret portals for sharing the information hunters needed quickly and efficiently between themselves without needing to get too involved in understanding any of the information shred herself, she definitely had a bit of an ego and tended to snap quickly and unexpectedly if she thought she was being insulted.

The time was ticking down for them and they only had two minutes left to compelete the challenge, or at least get past their opponents marker. It was so damn close.

“Ed!” This time it was Harry’s voice, sharp and harsh as his Tracer skipped about from one side of the payload to the other, drawing fire and avoiding equally easily. “Just do it man, you know you were being a shit.”

There was a pained sounding groan as the group managed to move the payload further along and from where Grey was positioned, turning his camera he could see their D.va still just standing still left behind them in Charlie’s tantrum while the enemy players appeared to be trying to decide if they kill out the lone character or focussed on the payload objective.

The groan came again and they were slowly leaving the other behind when Grey realised what he had to do as two of the enemy players began wailing on the frozen and non-reactive D.va. He had seen Charlie let her character die and then remain at the spawn spot before, she had seen her be prepared to lose the match out of spite from one too many kitchen jokes from Spruce or a snarky comment from Ed or Harry. One time she did it after Garth had made some joke about her identifying a monster wrong and sending a hunter out with the wrong information if it ‘hadn’t been for his quick thinking’ to fix it. Grey had yet to aggrivate the woman enough before, but he was a lot more wary of upsetting someone close to the Winchester’s than the rest of them.

He had one strategy left that would allow her to survive, Ed to apologise and possibly give enough of a boost to the team they could pass their competition’s mark with or without the other’s help.

“Mother, fuck the lot of you.” Grey hissed into the headset as he set off his ultimate ability and jerked into the air above the rest of the play. He could see Charlie’s character start gaining health as he moved slightly back towards her to split the difference to the rest of the team, while their offensive characters began dealing enough damage to the surrounding enemies to push them back while Ed’s remaining pushing character continued with their objective. It took about ten seconds into the duration of his power for the hits to start coming from the opposite team, watching his own health deplete. “Harry, go for the Genji, Spruce target the Soldier, Garth the Pharah is almost dead one more shot should do it. And for fucks sake, Ed, apologise this instant!”

There was a quick movement of characters about the screen from what he could see as the three he’d pointed out began the assaults on the assigned enemies and as his powers ability came to an end of time and he dropped his character back down to help with the payload; he saw all three enemy units get taken out. His own was needing a lot of regeneration shortly, but that could wait. If they could just get Charlie back on board...

“Fine, fine.” Ed’s voice crackled, sounding tight and a little sour, before he added into the silent chat. “Look Charlie, I’m sorry. I know we’ve been ragging you a bit today so I’m sorry.”

“Apology accepted.” The words sounded clipped and a little too formal, but next second the D.va was up against Ed’s Reinhardt and pushing along beside them as they crossed past the enemies original marker.

The end point was in sight as they entered the final phase of the match, but Grey could tell they wouldn’t make it without a bit more sacrifce, and sighed as he stayed in place providing the third party to push the load as much as possible even as he’d reached under 15hp left. His screen showed them getting to within 5m of the end point before he was back at the spawning point at the start and found himself sighing resigned not to see if they’d won outright or not as the time counted down.

Such was the curse of being the healer when there wasn’t enough time left for healing to matter. He never got to see if they won or not.

---

It hadn’t been intentional when he’d introduced his sister to the game. It was one of those weekend visits by her when Jo was out of town and not due back until early the next morning but it just happened to coincide with one of his game nights and Shada had looked so bored just ‘hanging out’ that Grey had told the guys he wasn’t available and grabbed the spare remote to play a few rounds showing her the game.

She hadn’t been like Jo had, taking time to pick up how the game worked, how the controller worked, how to actually target and shoot and achieve the tasks. But she’d been more excited than Jo had - tongue poking toughtlessly out one side of her lips as she focussed hard and got drawn into the game as much as he knew he did too. Jo had just looked bored and a little vindictive but not like she had been having fun; where as he could tell straight away his sister was enjoying herself getting to do something he enjoyed with him.

It had become a bit of a tradition between the two of them that they’d play a few different random games with others whenever Shada stopped by.

Grey had not been surprised when she’d gravitated to playing Sombra straight away, and had barely pressed her to try more than two others given how frequently she’d zip straight back to her main character choice each time. It wasn’t like he could judge - he rarely changed off of Mercy now unless they were doing a deathmatch, and even then he did not do well in that game type given how little time he spent playing attack characters - but it was amusing to see how excited his sister got every time he suggested they play a few rounds. He knew it was less to do with the game itself, but the reason for her excitement didn’t really matter so much as he got to get that happy grin out of her.

One time Jo had switched out for him playing alongside his sister when she’d been home for one of Shada’s spontaneous visits, and he’d almost bled from biting his lip so hard to stop the dopey grin from watching the two girls get along and laughing together.

---

Hey guys, cant make tonights session - anyone know an extra sixth to take my spot?

The message from Harry had started this nightmare. It had been about an hour before their usual time, and Grey had felt the slight deflate at the idea he would have to either play with some random or the group wouldn’t get together for the night when the doorbell had rung. Only one person rang the doorbell rather than knocking - a habit that seemingly Jo hadn’t trained the few friends and family of her’s that visited out of after they had installed the doorbell - and Grey suddenly realised maybe his night wouldn’t have to stall out.

My sisters just stopped in She plays Sombra That work for you guys?

He shot off the texts in quick succession into the Discord chat they used as he got up to answer the door. Shada looked as happy as ever, flinging herself at him for a tight hug before brushing past into the house without waiting for an invitation.

“God, why are boys so shit? I mean seriously, even the cute ones are horrible!” Shada whined, flouncing into the living room and throwing herself onto one of the arm chairs, draping her legs across one arm and her head and arms over the other. Her entrance barely registered with the other woman in the room, Jo was engrossed in her laptop in her lap and the thick leather journal on her own armrest. “I mean, I get this guy to buy me a Berkin and then he like... wants things for it? Ugh!”

“Well, that..that’s an expensive bag isn’t it?” Grey asked softly, following in and shutting the door behind him to keep the warm air of the rest of the house out and the cold airconditioned air in. Sitting on the couch, he held up his hands apologetically at the angry look he got from his sister instead. “But no you are completely right, men are gross and shit and horrible. Absolutely not worth your time.” That comment got a snort from the other chair, but flicking a look over it didn’t look like Jo had moved at all or was even listening even if she clearly was. “Hey, I know what’ll cheer you up-”

“What?” Shada’s voice perked up, the arm that had been thrown dramatically over her eyes moving so she could peer at him curiously from under it.

“I’ve got my Overwatch game with my friends tonight, but Harry wasn’t available and we’re looking for a sixth player...”

He had barely gotten to finish the words before there was the high pitched squeal of excitement and he was tackled due to her inhuman speed in the body she inhabited, arms around his shoulders in a tight hug. “Oh can I? Can I?! I haven’t gotten to play with anyone else before!” Shada was grinning from ear to ear as she squeezed his shoulder even more tightly, bouncing the couch cushions from where she was practically jumping with glee. “Can I play Sombra? Please, please, pretty please!”

Grey flicked a hand out to check his phone, seeing the several notifications agreeing to her joining - excluding Spruce’s begging if he could get his girlfriend to play instead - and nodded at her. He was lucky there was another hour before they were due to play for Shada to calm down somewhat before she was unleashed upon his friends.

They’d all played well, though it had mean Ed had been relegated to his tank character rather than playing his preferred Reaper for the escort and assault/escort missions which he had grumbled at until they’d all agreed to spend the last half of their time doing deathmatches instead. Shada had fit into the space left by Harry’s Tracer with her Sombra pretty easily, and the team had changed some of their usual strategies to accommodate the newer player without complaint.

Grey had cringed at several times throughout the night though, as Shada had hummed occasionally singing some parody song she’d heard and when he’d looked away from the screen he’d spotted Jo giggling from her own seat while Spruce and Ed both growled their dislike of “that goddamn Spears pop shit”; or as Charlie had asked thoughtfully if his sister was single at one point; or when Shada had accidentally said some offhand comment asking if Whispering the opposition would be counted as cheating or not that Grey had found himself breaking into a loud song to cover the actual question from being heard properly.

But regardless, the team had fit well - moving smoothly through objectives and challenges together, and while Charlie had had one of her little tantrums when Shada’d made a joke about her ‘butch’ choices of character and asking if it had matched the computer-geek in person or not, they had mostly worked well and won more than two-thirds of their games.

As the clock hit 1am, they had all finally called it quits, and even though Shada had annoyed some of them, all of his friends had bid her goodnight and also said she was welcome to be a swing player in the team in future should anyone ever not be available. Grey’s thought that Shada couldn’t smile any wider was proven wrong as they’d powered off the machine and he’d seen her out the front door after a drink and bit of a chat with Jo now that they’d finished their games and she had packed away her computer.

“I think I see why you keep human friends.” Shada had said softly as she stepped out into the muggy hot night time, looking up at him with a small, thoughtful smile. “They’re...so different to our brothers and sisters.”

“That they are.”

“I think I like your friends, brother.”

“I think they like you too.” Grey had replied, pulling her into a tight hug before she skipped down the stairs to head towards the empty school to disappear from in the dark of the oval, before he’d turned around to find Jo standing on the stairs smiling at him with an almost equally soft look as his sister had given him before they headed upstairs to fight Nana out of the centre of the bed.

---

Things continued like that for a while - sometimes the six of them would play, sometimes one of the others would be unavailable either due to work, hunting or personal reasons and Grey would call his sister in to join them. Sometimes they even decided to just do deathmatch free for alls so all seven of them would play at once. It had been a pretty well established routine, and Grey couldn’t help but realise as he’d get texts, calls or Discords from each of his other team members about anything and everything and not always to do with the game itself that this was what having a tight group of friends was all about.

Not only did they catch up in-game, but each of the others had stopped by the house regularly enough that Grey no longer jerked hearing the sounds of a knock or doorbell the way he had used to. It felt sort of surreal the times Garth would pop by that there was a second hunter Grey felt comfortable in his own skin around.

It was even more surreal when Charlie had flown over for Harry’s birthday held in the backyard as the summer had come to a close, and watching Jo try to be polite and friendly to the woman that commanded a bit too much attention from Jo’s almost-brother’s. The day had been going well, all of those that played with them over, as were the Winchester’s simply out of having been in the area and having buried the hatchet with Harry at least as he’d shown himself invaluable to the research side of things. Even Bobby and Jody had come up, though Grey had thought that was more out of taking the opportunity to see both brother’s and Jo in the one place, and possibly to talk over some files or books with Harry the day after too.

That day had been going so well, with the groups all blending well and even Shada had been invited along and had behaved herself for the most part of the afternoon while Jo and Garth had worked beside eachother flipping burgers, steaks and sausages for everyone laughing the whole time about something or other. Sam and Grey had both worked together to put together a few different salads, especially appreciated by Jody, Charlie and Shada, as they’d all sat down to eat stretched out along a long bench table brought out of the shed into the back garden.

Nana had ran about amongst the legs as everyone had stood and talked beforehand, and was now curled up at Bobby’s feet at the head of the table whining and barking happily every time the older hunter had dropped some food for her. The hunter himself was in a deep conversation with Spruce about the use of technology in ghost hunting and about how static noise in imaging could be used and focussed upon to find that which distorted the image.

Beside them was Harry and Ed, talking animatedly to one another, even though the bulkier of the pair - supposedly according to Harry the other had gotten really into the gym after the Ghostfacers had broken up and was now some survivalist prepper trainer or something - was splitting his time between talking to his friend and flirting with the darkhaired shadow sat next to him. Shada had made a crack about, “maybe I should be even more annoying” when she’d first been introduced in person to the other, and had given barely a cursory look at the other four members of their little gaming group she hadn’t met in passing before focussing almost all her attention on the ex-Ghostfacer so far that day.

Sam had actually sat down next to the shadow without any kind of reaction, as Jody had taken the other headplace and Garth across from Sam, from what Grey could tell in his space beside Jo across from Shada, he could tell they were talking about some job or other that Garth had finished off the night before. He was somewhat more focussed on giving his sister disapproving shakes of the head whenever he managed to catch her eye, but figured that there was no harm in it. Jo was on his other side, right in the centre of the table where she could get up and down easily to keep running about to fetch drinks or more food for everyone as the serving plates emptied.

Beside her was Dean and then Charlie between him and Bobby’s position, and Grey could tell there was something going on from the way Jo was spending more and more time getting up and down for things for everyone else than eating the food that he could tell was the same that had been put on her plate when they’d all first sat down. Looking down at the plate as Jo got up for the third time in five minutes, he found himself frowning as he realised she’d not even touched any of it, completely against normal for her.

Tilting his head and shifting slightly into her vacated seat, Grey had found himself glaring daggers for the first time ever at the elder of the hunting brother’s when he overheard him dubbing the redhead woman beside him “the sister he never had” a little too loudly from a few too many beers as Jo had rounded the table behind him. Out of his peripheral, he could see the way she bit her lip and leant between Dean and Charlie to set down another beer for the Winchester brother who gave her an uninterested “thanks Jo” before continuing to joke to the smiling, unaware woman beside him.

Clenching his fists as he watched Jo spin on her heel and hurry back up the back steps into the kitchen, he didn’t even notice the way Sam seemed to pause in his own conversation looking between the slammed kitchen door, his brother and then his own stony look before getting up and following the blonde into the house. He didn’t notice his sister suddenly looking at him curiously, head tilted as she tried to work something out before returning a half hearted comment to Ed beside her who was talking about some survivial training camp he was running next month, eyes focussed on him as he moved. Grey did notice however his own movement getting to his feet and shoving his seat back harshly before he stepped over to place a firm, little more pressure than his body should be able to produce, hand onto Dean’s shoulder.

“Hey, what’sup Grey?” Dean looked up at him, his attention finally jerked from the conversation about the Hobbit movie adaptations he’d been having with Charlie since they’d sat down for lunch, a slight frown at the extra pressure before it got deeper at the look Grey was sure was on his face. His next words were a bit sharper, voice dropped an octave into a more threatening tone even as those around didn’t quite understand what was going on. “What do you need?”

“We need to talk. Come on.” Grey gritted the words out, fingers digging into the other’s shirt and jerking him to his feet as the hunter stumbled up after him with a shake of the arm and a snarl. So much for a nice afternoon, but he refused to have this conversation in front of the crowd or to ruin Harry’s day with this issue. Jerking his head towards the side of the house, the shadow moved without looking behind him around the end of the table not looking to see the approving look he was getting from the wisened old hunter at the end, completely focussed upon keeping from snapping that Dean had to leave immediately and causing a scene.

He could hear Dean behind him, and taking five faster steps before he spun to confront the other, he had himself mostly under control until he saw the way Dean’s hand was twitching towards his back. “You aren’t going to need that knife, Dean. We just need to have a chat without causing a scene.” Grey snarled the words out, arms crossing across his chest as he stared down the taller man.

“Oh you mean like the scene you started out there?” Dean’s voice was sarcastic as he made no move to return his hands to his side, but also made no move to remove the knife itself as he seemed to be seizing Grey up in return.

“Trust me, if I wanted to cause a scene out there, I would have.” He snapped back in return, grinding one heel into the gravel from the utility space they were stood in. It was as good a place as any. Grey would have taken the hunter inside for the conversation, but Jo was in there and he trusted that Sam would be able to handle that half of the issue. His eyes flashed as he saw the hunter shift as if about to head back to the group and ignore the shadow; growling out the words he had heard from the other, dripping the words with acidic intent. “The sister you never had...”

Dean paused at that, eyes widening a little at hearing the words he’d just let out without a thought, before looking back at Grey. Grey could tell his mind was whirling over what that meant or what the point that the shadow was trying to make to him; and from the blank, unknowing look that covered the hunter’s face he figured the other had not worked out the significance yet.

“You told Charlie she was the sister you never had.”

“So?”

“You told Charlie that she was the sister you never had in front of Jo, you complete asshole.” Grey almost bit his tongue as he snarled the words out, hands clenched into tight fists where he had them against his ribcage as he stared down the hunter. Daring him to deny what he’d said, or deny that it would have meant anything.

Dean appeared to finally get it, eyes widening such that the bright green was fully visible as he appeared to look between the shadow and then the edge of the house back to the yard trying to make up his mind. “Oh shit, fuck, I didn’t..”

“Oh but you did. You fucking well did, Dean. And I won’t stand for you being rude and insensitive to Jo like that.”

“I wasn’t- I wasn’t saying anything about Jo-”

“You fucking know what you said, and how Jo, of all people, would take that comment.” Grey growled back at the hunter’s stammered and awkward denouncing, ripping his arms apart and sticking his fists into his pockets to refrain from throwing the hunter up against the wall and showing him just how much he wouldn’t approve of Dean hurting his Jo yet again. “I get that you might not have thought before you said it, but you’ve barely said six words to Jo all afternoon. You’ve barely even looked at her, and I know you are still not comfortable with me and her, but I won’t allow you to take that out on her any more.”

“That’s not true!” Dean spluttered in response, his hand withdrawing from going for his back but each hand clenched into corresponding fists as he glared across at Grey in return. “I have not been ignoring her-”

“Don’t try to deny it. I’ve seen it all day. I know she’s been smiling and happy, and her and Garth get along like a house on fire and Jody has been taking up a lot of her time; but you, Dean Winchester, have not even looked at her once. You didn’t even hug her hello.”

The brash bluff in the other appeared to deflate at that as the taller man seemed to realise there was some truth to what Grey was accusing him of, fists relaxing and running a hand across his hair as he looked back towards the corner of the building. “I..”

“Didn’t mean to, I’m aware. I’m sure even Jo is aware, but you have been disrespecting her all day and I will not stand for it.” Grey moved closer as he spoke until he was right up in the other’s space, glaring harshly up at him and trying to keep himself from getting even angrier as he thought it over. It was the first time he’d reacted like this around the other, and there was a small flare of pleasure when the hunter stumbled a step back and appeared to shrink a little under his stare. That was enough for now, enough of a recognition of understanding and conceeding to his point. “Now, you and I are going to go back to the table and continue like nothing happened here. And when your brother and Jo come outside again, you are going to apologise to her. Properly apologise. And I’ll let you know if I think it is acceptable, okay?”

He didn’t wait for the hunter to respond, just pushed past the other unnecessarially to go back to his seat and ask Garth about the hunt he and Sam had been talking about as if nothing had happened. Grey had noticed the curious looks from the three Ghostfacers, as well as the slight frown from Charlie when Dean rounded the corner but moved to stand on the small landing outside the back kitchen door rather than rejoining them at the table. If he hadn’t known better, Grey would have thought he was getting an approving look from the older hunters on either end of the table, but that was sure to just be wishful thinking on his end.

When Sam and Jo had emerged with two bowls of potato and pasta salad from inside, her face looking a little pinker than usual as if she’d been scrubbing at her eyes and cheeks, Dean laywaid them and piled both bowls on his brother before grabbing Jo’s arm and turning her back around to go back inside.

Sam slid into his spot beside Shada as he plopped both bowls down onto the table and wrapped a friendly arm around the shadow-girl’s shoulder as he leaned towards Grey across from her. “Hey, did you get your side sorted?”

“Yeah, all taken care of. Yours?”

“Should be okay when they get back out.” Sam’s tone was soft and gentle, and Grey definitely knew that he had a friend in the giant as they shared a knowing smile before starting their own meals again.

Grey wouldn’t be sure would be all okay until Jo returned and actually ate something, but it felt nice to have yet another friend to support him in the form of the youngest Winchester.

---

Three months later, something strange was happening.

They had all logged on as usual, and the chatter over the headsets was much as usual when they were missing Spruce for a round. That is to say, Shada was trying to flirt with Ed, Ed and Harry were babbling about their trip to Comic Con later in the year, and Charlie was trying to organise to meet up with them if their work schedules all happened to match up. The only unusual thing was that Garth had not spoken one word, nor had he done his typical greeting to the group as a whole even once - Grey was kind of missing the friendly twang when the hunter would sign of with a “Hey guys, ready to get these suckers Garthed”. Instead, he’d signed in and was silent.

“Hey so we’re doing assault/escort right?” Grey asked quietly at a lull in the conversation, fingers twitching on his controller as he considered whether to have a drink and wait it out or press the issue as he heard his sister’s giggle through both the headset and from her spot on the couch beside him. Looking out the side of his eye, he could see her twisting a section of her hair - one of those bright purple strands she’d started getting done - around a finger than made him groan. “Please, please guys can we get on with playing. We all good?”

There was a ding and in the corner of the screen, he saw Garth’s first message to the group pop up from the Discord channel - Ready when you are - which seemed so un-Garth.

What seemed even less Garth was as the group finally agreed and started the screen to select their roles that MrFizzles2000 selected Solider 76 immediately without any discussion before any of the other’s could pick their own characters.

“Garth, what the fuck man?” Ed’s voice sounded tinny in the headphones, but definitely reflected what everyone else must have been thinking at that choice. Not once had the hunter picked anyone but McCree or Ashe, not even once. “Since when you play Solider?”

Just shut up and lets play.

That was somehow even less Garth than the rest of it, and the group as a whole continued to fire questions out as they picked their characters. At least he’d chosen another offense heavy damage character so Harry could take the lead-tank role alongside Charlie rather than Ed for the first round as the coin flip had determined. Ed had shouted happily at that, selecting Reaper which would match up well alongside Harry’s Winston, Charlie’s Zarya, Shada’s Sombra and Garth’s inexplicable Soldier 76. Grey was, as always unless he was trying out Moira, Mercy and was actually secretly pleased for another healing person on the team for once.

The first round had somehow been a cake walk for them. Garth was insanely good at the new choice of character, and Grey had found himself suddenly getting a heal boost without having to run out of combat without even asking when Garth’s character would swing past. Charlie and Harry had worked in unison well to take the damage for the rest as they rushed their way to the payload, and even Shada’s almost constant singling couldn’t stop the jovial feeling that was spreading between the group as they wiped the floor with their opponents.

“Jesus, Garth, you need to play that one more often!” Harry cried out happily as they completed the mission quicker than they had before; and there was a sharp whistle of appreciation through the call as they all watched the five-head shot kills Play of The Game from the hunter that had decimated their opponents at just the right time. “Good going man!”

Thanks guys

It was such a small message and did ring true of the hunter’s modesty, so didn’t seem too out of place. But Grey couldn’t shake the feeling something was going on while he drank a sip of his water and chewed on a mouthful of M&Ms while they waited for the next round to load.

As they’d moved across Junkertown for the next assault, and Grey spotted the waning moon in the animated sky, he suddenly realised what it was. Letting out a laugh through the chat out of no where and getting a strange look from Shada as she had her character zipping about, humming that infuriating Britney Spears song under her breath while taking out three enemies at once with one of her EMP blasts, Grey shook his head at her.

He waited for just the right moment to do it, when he knew he’d get an automatic response from the hunter as his character was getting pinned by three enemies to avoid him getting to resurrect Charlie’s D.va as the fought to push back the opposing team from pushing their payload any further. “Ah shit, I need help up here.”

“On my way, hun.” The voice came over the call immediately before the Soldier appeared and drew the fire from the opponents for Grey to extract himself back to their teammate.

“Who the fuck is that?!” Ed and Harry both shouted in unison as they double teamed taking out the three tanks their opposition had chosen to use for the payload push, while Grey used resurrect on the D.va. “Who was that?”

“I thought you guys always wanted me to play.” The voice came again, honeyed sweet and Grey could imagine the smirk on her face as clear as day from where she was. He had only just remembered it was a full moon that night, and Jo always went to help Garth during those times, keeping him under lock, key and a watchfulish eye. It was the first one, full moon that was, that they’d all been around enough to play for; and clearly Garth hadn’t wanted them to cancel with two players out.

The choice in character made so much sense, and as he saw his health boosting again as Jo directed her character past him, Grey found himself smiling fondly as he realised just how lucky he was to have the life he had now as he moved into place to support his friends again.

---

#CA #greypov #cc

[hockey-yesplease]

Pre-Med? 2/?

Warnings: Talks of cancer

Word count: 2107

Gif by: brosillustrated

Here is Part 2 you guys! I hope y’all enjoy this. I am considering making it into a series, Let me know what you think! 

You wake up at 6 am as you usually do on a Wednesday so you can get ready for class. Stretching, you grab you phone from the nightstand with one hand and pet Auzzie, your cat, with the other. You get up and make your way to the bathroom to do your usual routine in there. While, in there, you decide to wear a tank today since it’s so hot. Looking at your phone finally, you see a text that makes you smile.

Seguin:

Check your front door.

Confused, you make your way toward the door with Auzzie trailing beside you. You open the door and look down and see a coffee and a pastry bag. Smiling, you unlock your phone to message the sweet man who dropped these off.

Doc:

You didn’t have to do that Ty. But thank you.

Doc: 

Wait, how’d you know I was up? 

Seguin:

You’re welcome Y/N. And lucky guess.

You set the phone down to finish getting ready. About thirty minutes later, you are heading out the door heading to campus for your class. As you’re driving and jamming out to your music, you are rudely interrupted by your phone ringing. “Hello?” “Hey Y/N! Enjoy your coffee and bagel?” “I did Ty. Thank you again.” “You’re welcome, what are you up to?” “Well I’m driving to campus for a class then-” “You didn’t forget about our date did you?” You laugh, “No Tyler, I didn’t forget. My class gets out at 10:50, so I’ll be ready for you to get me at 12:30.” “Okay! Good! Well, have a good class and I’ll see you later.” “See you later Ty.” Hanging up you can’t wipe the smile off your face. 

Your class goes by uneventfully. And you finally start to make your way home; once in your car you see that you need gas, “Of course” you say out loud to yourself. You pull into the first gas station you see as you leave campus and pull up to the pump. Getting out you see Jamie on the other side of the pump getting gas as well. “Hi Jamie!” You say with a smile. “Oh hi Y/n.” He says with no friendliness at all in his voice. After standing in awkward silence, the pump cuts off, you put it up, “Bye Jamie!” “Bye Y/N”  You don’t know why he doesn’t like you, but you were still going to be nice to him. Your mom always said to be nice to everyone no matter what, and that’s what you were going to do. 

Opening your door to your apartment, you toss your backpack by your desk and kick your shoes off. You decide that you look cute enough in what your wearing, which is a cute blue tank top with a pair of khaki sort, and your normal tennis shoes. It is about 11:45 so you decide that’s plenty of time to study some before Tyler gets here. You are so focused on studying, you barely hear the sudden rap of knocks on your door that sends Auzzie running seeking a place to hide. 

Opening the door, you are greeted by a smiling Tyler holding a bouquet of beautiful sunflowers and blue bonnets. “Tyler these are gorgeous. Thank you. You’re doing too much for me.” “You’re welcome Y/N and they don’t even compare to you Y/N. I want to do this stuff for you.” “If you saw so Ty. But for future references, I don’t need all this. I’m a very low maintenance girl.” “Okay, but if you’re my girl, you’re going to be spoiled.” “Well, I’m not you’re girl yet Seguin.”

Tyler waited as you put the flowers in a vase with some water. “Hopefully Auz won’t eat these.” “Auz?” Tyler asked confused. “Yeah, Auzzie is my cat. Sometimes he eats flowers and other times he doesn’t.” “Oh where is he?” “Most likely under my bed or in the linen closet in the hallway. He’s a scaredy cat” you say laughing, “im sure if you stick around you’ll meet him one day.” “I guess I’ll have to stick around then.” He says while smirking down at you, “Ready?” “If you are” you say as he grabs your hand. You can feel the blush creep up to your neck to your face. 

He guides you to his Jeep and you’re in awe, whistling lowly you stop to really look at it. Tyler notices this and laughs, “Like it?” “Are you kidding? This is a beaut! My dad would be so jealous of this. He has a Jeep as well in high school I helped him add on to it, I think because I have little hands” you tell him laughing. He opens the door the door for you and you climb in. The drive to the restaurant was quiet, Tyler asking questions about you and your family. “Do you have any siblings?” He asks you while keeping his eyes on the road, but gripping your hand sweetly. “I do, she’s 8 and her name is Y/S/N” “I bet she misses you.” “She does, it’s so heartbreaking to FaceTime her and see her get upset when she says she misses me. DO you have siblings?” “I do. Candace and Cassidy. They great.” 

The two of you pull up to a small, cute diner and get out. Ty meets you at the front of the Jeep and you guys walk into the diner. You two are seated at a two-person booth and immediately look at the menu, “I’m feeling a burger vibe from this place” you say as you put the menu on the table. Ty looks at you and bursts out laughing. Catching his breath he looks at you, “A burger VIBE?! Omg my god Y/N you’re killing me” and he laughs even more. His laugh causes you to crack up and you can’t hold back the snorts escaping you. He just looks at you with wide eyes and laughs even harder. This goes on for a solid five minutes before the two of you calm down. Gasping for air, you finally say, “Yes VIBES Tyler. I get good VIBES from this place especially the burger VIBES.” “Okay, okay, okay I guess I just never knew what to call that feeling, but now I do. And I can’t believe you snort.” You look down slightly embarrassed. Ty looks at you adoringly and reaches across the table to place his hand under your chin lifting your head so your eyes meet his “It’s the most beautiful laugh I have ever heard Y/N and I hope I can keep you laughing like that.” This makes your face turn bright red, but you smile, “I hope you do too Ty.” You guys order and eat your lunch and you just can’t believe how you got to this point today. 

You catch Tyler looking at your left arm, the arm with your sleeve. And for once you don’t feel self-conscious about someone staring at your tattoos since both his arms are covered with the beautiful artwork as well. “Why flowers?” “My grandfather has a big garden that during the fall and early spring he grows vegetables, but mid-spring and all of summer the whole garden is flowers of all kinds. I’ve always loved flowers, all kinds of flowers. But I will say that sunflowers are my favorite.” “But there’s not any in your sleeve” Ty states a bit confused. Your smirk your devilish smirking look at him through your eye lashes, “That’s because those are somewhere else.” He looks at you with wide eyes, almost shocked by how seductive that sounded. “And you won’t see them until I want you to” you continue as you lean back in your seat, amused by his reaction. After clearing his throat he finally speaks, “I noticed the breast cancer ribbon on your wrist. It’s done really well.” “Thank you, my mom and myself talked my grandma into us all getting matching ones. They both have had breast cancer and are now in remission.” “Oh wow, thats rough.” “It is, especially since I wasn’t near either one of them when they went through it all. I was at school and couldn’t go home at the time. It was so hard not being there.” “But you persevered. You’re strong Y/N, I don’t think I could handle getting news that my mom had cancer.” “They are the strongest women I know. They went through so much, I can only hope to be as strong as them.” You smiled after saying this, because its true. Ty smiles at you as he finishes signing the check and reaches his hand for yours.  As the two of you walk out, the elderly couple that was in the booth next to yours stopped you and the woman told you, “You two remind me of my husband and I at y’all’s age. So young and happy. I wish you two the best.” You smile politely at her, “Thank you ma’am. Enjoy your meal.” 

You and Tyler head back to your apartment; when he finally parked in a spot in the parking garage to your apartment. He looks at you and before you can stop yourself you say, “Would you like to come up and watch a movie or something?” Tyler looks at you and cuts the Jeep of, “I’d like that.” The two of you make your way to your apartment you walk in and kick your shoes off as Tyler does the same. You make your way to the living area and turn the TV on, “What do you want to watch, Ty?” “Whatever you want, I don’t mind. Um, where’s your restroom? ” “It’s right down the hall. I’m sorry it’s a little messy I was rushing this morning.” While he’s in the bathroom, you grab the AppleTV remote and turn on your favorite movie, D2:The Mighty Ducks. When he comes back out, he laughs while looking at the TV. “Great choice Y/N.” 

The two of you settle on the couch and start the movie. About halfway through the movie you get thirsty and get up to make your way to the kitchen, “Would you like anything to drink Ty?” “I’m alright. Thanks though- oh hey little guy.” As you walk back into the living area, you see that Auz has jumped up on the couch laying beside Tyler. “He never gets that close to new people.” “Must be a sign then Y/N” Ty states as he’s looking at you. 

You sit down and finish watching the movie, this time, Tyler has you wrapped into side side with one of his arms and the other is softly petting Auz. You’re disappointed as the movie ends; Tyler looks at his phone and sighs, “Well, I need to go so I can let the dogs out before they destroy my house.” Laughing as both of you stand and make your way to the door. He puts his shoes on and stands back up, and you realize how close the two of you are. He towers over you seeing as you are 5 foot 7 inches. He slowly wraps one arm around your waist while one hand goes to your cheek. You swallow as he leans closer to you, and you lean into him. Finally, he captures your lips with his in a short kiss. He pulls back and looks at you, but before he can say anything, you pull him back down to you and kiss him again placing you’re arms around his neck as his pull you even closer to him, this time the kiss was different like something you had never felt before, something good. Really good. Once you two separate, Tyler smiles, “I’ve wanted to do that since I got here to pick you up.” “Well I’m glad you finally did.” You laugh as you pat his chest, “Now you better go let those pups out before they start to think that you forgot about them.” “You’re right. I’ll talk to you later babe.” Your heart flutters at the new nickname, “I’ll talk to you later Ty. Be careful driving.” He begins the walk downtime hall to the elevator and presses the button. The doors open before stepping in, he looks back at you and meets your gaze. You blow a kiss and he laughs and shakes his head as he steps in. You close the door, and go sit at your desk as you think to yourself,

“Oh boy, one date and I’m in deep.”

#tyler seguin #nhl imagines #nhl imagine #nhl story #jamie benn #dallas stars #part 2 #pre-med? #brett ritchie #nhl #nhl hockey #hockey story #hockey imagine

[myheartrevealed]

I Will Be Here- Chapter Nineteen

Jack Kline x Reader

Summary: Dr. Myla was one of the only therapists who specialized in treating the Supernatural, someone who offered an oasis to people like you. Carrying the burden of your father and being the ever-hunted Cambion, you attend her sessions however, that begins to change when you meet a fellow patient, Jack. Can unfortunate circumstances bring you two together even though all odds are against it?

~ ~ ~

Room 134

You knocked timidly on the door. It was dark out and you no doubt looked suspicious, with your backpack and hunched stature.

You tapped your foot restlessly as you heard footsteps behind the door. When he opened it, he held a gun up to you. “Who are you?”

You held up your hands defensively. Not that a gun scared you that much, but if he hit you in the chest or in the head, you could most definitely die. Your father always said, if you are going to get hurt protect your heart, lungs, and brain. Anything else can be healed.

“Jesse Turner?” you looked into his eyes and both of you suddenly fell forward.

“Look,” a man was saying. “I don’t like it any better than you, but we can’t stay here.”

“Fine. We’ll leave, but we get Mary Ann.”

There were two women, standing beside one another, arms crossed. Across from them stood the first man, although he looked considerably younger than the girls.

“You can’t just take Mary Ann, I promised I’d look out for-”

“What? Do you think we can’t do it?”

They were obviously both frustrated with each other. You, or Jesse, looked down at the bag in your, or his, hands, then to the open window to your left. You started to walk towards it, as the man and women spoke up again.

“You have to take Jesse.”

“I can’t. He’s just… He’d be better off… Safer with you. And I promised I’d-”

“You can’t have Mary Ann.”

You turned around and gave one last glance towards the door, before sliding through the window and escaping.

When you came back to consciousness, one look at Jesse told you he had had a similar experience. He held the gun, forgotten, at his side and his eyes were slightly glazed over, as if sleepy.

“Are you…?”

You gave him a small smile but it was tight. “I, uh, I have your letter.”

~ ~ ~

Jesse was tall. His hair was brown and his eyes matched the blue on his shirt. He sat down across from you at the circular table in his room.

He set the gun down next to him on the table and you thought of all the ways you could get the gun, should things go wrong. Your training had taught you how to disarm a person in any situation, and him putting the gun down made it all the easier.

He cleared his throat when he saw you staring and you looked back at him. “So, Y/N. What do you want?”

You leaned back in your chair. “To talk. I wanted to let you know that I am not the person doing this and the person I believe who set up this,” you gestured between you two, “arrangement between us is dead, so I have no leads on how to stop it.”

“Who do you think did this?” he asked, genuinely curious.

“My father.”

“Why?” You shrugged and reached for your backpack, to which he wildly grabbed his gun and pointed it at you. “Don’t move!”

You decided that playing the victim was not going to help, so you clenched your jaw and sat back upright. “Do you really think that’s going to kill me?”

His eyes flashed with fear and you remembered that Jesse was living the normal life of a college student. He probably barely knew how to fire a gun, much less was he willing to shoot someone.

“What are you?” he asked.

“The same as you.”

“A cambion?” He lowered the gun slightly.

You sighed. “Yes and you really need to learn what you’re doing.”

His eyebrows creased. “What do you-?”

“You’re holding the gun wrong,” you interrupted. “But that’s not why I’m here and if you don’t mind, I’d like to grab something from my backpack.”

You stared at him, waiting for permission. It took him a minute to realize what you were asking, nod, and let you get your phone. 1:46 am.

You waved your phone in front of him. “Just wanted to check the time.”

He carefully put the gun down again and you gave him a smile.

“Jesse. I’m not here to hurt you, to ask you questions, to ruin your life, nothing. I’m here to tell you, that we’re in the same boat. And there’s nothing I can do about it, so you might as well head on back to California and move on with your life. Maybe after a while these visions of each others’ pasts will stop and we can just… forget we ever met.”

He sighed and said, “I don’t know if I can forget. Are you truly a cambion?”

You nodded.

“And you think your father did this to us?”

You nodded again.

“How did you know that I was a cambion?”

You bit your lip, suddenly aware of what you had gotten yourself into. “Well… in my first vision of you I saw you writing that letter to me. I guess you’ve been dealing with this longer than I have. Anyway, when you were writing the letter, all I could make out was the signature at the bottom. So, I talked to some of my friends and they said they knew you. That you were just like me.”

“What? How could they know me? No one knows what I am-”

“It’s Sam and Dean Winchester,” you blurted out. “And their angel friend, Cas. They said they were the ones that found out who you were. And they told you. And they were there when you ran away from home.”

His eyes widened. “That was, like, 9 years ago.”

You nodded. “They didn’t think you were still alive. But when I had that vision, they told me about you. Their encounter with you.”

He felt angry. Not raging or even dangerous, but something was bubbling, you could tell.

“They attacked me, they lied to me, and you’re friends with them?”

You held your hands up in defense. “Woah, they told me Cas attacked you… well, and your mom. But they just wanted to help. And come on, wouldn’t you have lied to a kid who didn’t know what they were doing?”

He didn’t respond, only chewed on the inside of his lip. He finally attempted to change the subject.

“You’re much calmer now… then you were the last time I saw you.”

“The last time you saw me?” you asked.

He chuckled. “Well yeah. I’ve been searching for you for almost a year. About 6 months back I found you in Belleville, but when I went to approach you, you suddenly disappeared. And when I found your apartment, it was destroyed and you were gone.”

You frowned and remembered one of your visions. The one were you were in an alleyway. You felt a presence feel fear and then disappear. You then thought back to the day you found Eva in your apartment.

“That was you! That day, when I transported back home and got my father’s letter. You were the person I tried to get away from. The person that I couldn’t see, but could feel their rage.”

“I thought you were doing something to me. Had me under some curse or something. I just wanted to make it stop.”

You could understand him there. “Fine. Well, now that that’s all cleared up, I would like to go home. And you should too.”

“So what? That’s it?”

You nodded. “Yeah. I just didn’t want you coming after me with pitchforks after you realized that I couldn’t do anything.”

“Y/N, why are we connected?”

You moved to leave, but he grabbed your shoulder, stopping you. “I don’t know Jesse, and honestly, I don’t care. Whatever we’re connected for… it’s not good. You’ve heard about our destiny, haven’t you?”

He pulled away. “I can’t just ‘not care’. This whole thing… It ruined my life. I dropped out of college, all my friends think I’ve gone insane, or I’m dying, or something. I needed this to be over.”

“I’m sorry Jesse. But unless you have some way to ask your dad what is going on down in hell. We’re both screwed.”

Your phone started buzzing. You sighed. 2:00.

You decided to just pick it up. “Hey Sam.”

“Y/N. Everything okay?”

“Yep, it’s fine.”

“Are you on your way home?”

“...Yeah. Be there in a few.”

You hung up the phone and looked at Jesse. You felt bad for the boy. Not once, but twice his life had been destroyed because of his father’s meddling.

You reached down for a pen and scribbled something on a motel paper. “This is my number. It’s the best I can do for you Jesse. If these visions are still bugging you, give me a call when they happen. And if you need anything else… call me then, too. But I have to go.”

He nodded and took the paper. “Thanks for your help, I guess.”

You transported yourself out of there in a second. You arrived just outside the bunker and wrapped your arms around yourself, making your way inside.

~ ~ ~

Tags: @sophiasescape @iris-suoh @random-stupid-stuffs @themaddonesblog @mahalaraewolfe @choosemyname

(If you want to be added to the tag list, just let me know!)

#spn fandom #i will be here #chapter nineteen #chapter 19 #spn fanfiction #supernatural fandom #supernatural fanfic #supernatural fanfiction #fan fic #fanfiction #spn fanfic #fanfic #fandom #spn s13 #spn fic #spn #supernatural cambion #supernatural reader insert #supernatural #supernatural fic #jack kline x y/n #jack kline x you #jack kline x reader #jack kline #sam winchester #dean winchester #jesse turner #spn jesse #spn jack #castiel

[siriuslycollins-blog]

Want You Back - Ulysses Klaue

“Ugh, I can’t keep doing this with you, it’s the same old thing every single time and I am fucking tired of it!” Selena Hawkins screeched at her fiancée Ulysses Klaue. Once again the 22-year-old caught her fiancée cheating on her, finding the evidence when a message popped up on his phone while he was in the shower. Selena didn’t mean to go through his stuff but she was curious; Ulysses was coming home later than usual, refusing dinner when she worked her ass off in the kitchen to fix his favorite meal, his hushed conversations over the phone late at night, and the kicker, a pregnancy test that definitely was NOT hers. “Baby, angel, princess, I promise I have no idea who that woman is,” Ulysses pleaded, lying right to her face, even with the pregnancy test in her hand. “Then why the hell was there a fucking pregnancy test in our trash can?! Don't fucking lie to me!”

But Ulysses ignored her and asked, “are you sure it’s not yours? We’ve going at it for weeks.” Selena wanted to smack the piss out of him but instead threw the stick at him and headed toward their shared bedroom and pulled out a suitcase from the closet. “What are doing? You’re not leaving are you? We’re engaged, did you forget?” Selena ignored Ulysses, stuffing clothes into her suitcase and zipped it up. She found an old school backpack and stuffed more clothes in it, her toothbrush, skincare products and put it in the doorway with the suitcase and finally took off the Tiffany Soleste engagement ring and sat it on the bedside table.

“Not anymore we’re not. Consider yourself single.” Selena was surprised herself as the words left her mouth; whenever she caught him cheating, she never thought she could go through with leaving Ulysses, she loved him too much for that. No woman in her family ever left their cheating partner, not her aunts, cousins, grandmother, even her mom, and she knew her mother would disapprove. Mrs. Hawkins would encourage Selena to work it out, give him time to grow. Selena did all of that, twice now, and still has yet to see any kind of growth or maturity with Ulysses and she didn’t know how much more she could take.

Selena considered Ulysses the love of her life, she wanted to marry him, have his kids, and he promised her all of that. She thought he was the one, that much she thought when Selena was barely nineteen; Ulysses said he would give her anything she could ever want or need if she held him down, and she accepted.  “Baby, you can’t mean that.” Selena booked a flight back to her hometown, New Orleans and reserved a room at a hotel in the French Quarter. “I’m serious Ulysses, I’m tired of doing this with you. You keep saying you’re gonna change and then go right back to cheating again.”

At this point Ulysses was on his knees in front of her as she tried to leave the room and he wrapped his arm around her legs. “Get off me! The fact that you have the fucking nerve to cheat and you wanna cry? Bullshit!” Selena kicked him off her and dragged her bags to the living room of the Paris penthouse they once shared; she didn’t care if it was late, she couldn’t spend one more second with him so she rolled her stuff to the elevator. “We’re done, Ulysses.”

The elevator door shut and Selena was out of his life forever

6 months later

“YAASSS BITCH, FUCK IT UP,” yelled one of Selena’s best friends Andrea. They were in a night club in Sicily Italy and Selena was getting her life to the YG song Big Bank with her other two friends Kennedy and Sasha; they were cutting up on the dancefloor as Drea filmed them for Snapchat and Instagram, hyping them up as they twirled their hips to the beat of the song. Six months ago, Selena broke up with Ulysses, and like she suspected her mother and every other female in her family went off on her, calling her heartless for not giving him a chance to prove himself. Her aunts and cousins considered her lucky to even have a man like Ulysses, he had money, lots of it and he wanted to spend it on all her. What more could she possibly want? 

But the thing is, Selena was a rich bitch before Ulysses and she’ll be one after him, she didn’t need him for money, she could buy as many Chanel bags and Louboutin heels she wanted and it still wouldn’t break the bank. The song ended and the DJ played a Post Malone song so she sat down where a waiter brought drinks to their booth. Kennedy and Sasha slid in on the other side. Selena sipped her lemonade sangria as she noticed a cute Italian guy wink at her and whisper to his friend. “So girl, six months free of Ulysses. How’s it feel?” Drea asked.

“It’s actually... nice. I didn’t think I would like it as much,” Selena admitted. When she told her friends that she left him, they were super supportive and ready to throw hands with Ulysses and the bitch he cheated with but she stopped them; Selena didn’t want anything more to do with him and she was pretty sure Ulysses’ men would shut that down quick. In the weeks after the breakup, she moved back into her dad’s Garden District home, holed up in her room and cried until she got sick, and that’s when Andrea, Kennedy and Sasha stepped in and  told her to pack because they were going on vacation and it worked wonders. They partied it all over the world, and after a two week break back home they went to Italy and Selena was back to her old self. They even documented their excursions to show to their family when they got back. 

This was their last trip before they went home for good, so Sasha suggested Italy after learning that Italian men loved black women, and the bitch was right. For the past two weeks, they were waited on hand and foot by gorgeous Sicilian men, given free bottes of wine, jet skiing at Cefalu beach. Selena was in heaven and on the second night in Sicily when she was still a little upset about Ulysses, a guy named Nikolai fucked the little sadness she had out of her and that was it. No more thoughts about Ulysses late night wondering what he could be up to. It was getting late, nearly three in the morning and the club closed at four.

“You deserve to be happy boo. Just be glad you didn’t marry him. That would’ve been a messy ass divorce,” Kennedy said. “Yeah, I know. I would’ve been divorced in my early 20s with a baby,” Selena laughed as she finished off her drink. She still wants to have kids one day, but that could wait; right now she was living her best life with her friends and she was enjoying it. They weren’t very drunk so they walked back down the street back to their hotel, laughing about high school memories. What Selena didn’t know is that she had a surprise waiting on her.

Ulysses Klaue was in a van along with three of his men waiting on Selena to come home from the club. He arrived in Sicily this morning and spent most of the afternoon trying to find her but failed, checking every hotel and villa in the area to see if she was guest, but no one under the name Hawkins came up. He was about to give up and go back home when he heard her laughter, and there she was, going down a side street. The building the four girls went into was on Cefalu beach, and waited a minute before he followed suit. There was a man at a computer behind the counter in the lobby and went up to him.

“How may I help you this evening sir?” the concierge man asked with a thick Italian accent. “Those girls that came in a minute ago. What room are they in?”  “Le belle donne? Sono molto belle,” the man said pointing to the bank of elevators a few feet away. “Yes, yes, they’re very pretty, but what room are they in?” Ulysses was getting impatient and he wanted an answer now.

“Unfortunately sir, I cannot give you that information as it is confidential, unless you are with law enforcement.” Ulysses knew what to do and he pulled out a few hundred Euros, the equivalent of almost four hundred dollars in American money. “Would this be enough?” The man behind the desk looked in both directions before answering and sliding the money towards him. “Room 15C,” he said and went back to typing.

Ulysses took off, eager to see his girl after all these months. When the elevator opened up to the fifteenth floor he took off until he found room c; it turns out that the room wasn’t under Selena’s name, it was under her friend Andrea’s. He pushed his ear against the door and Ulysses could hear the popping of a champagne or wine botte and giggling. It was now or never; the love of his life was on the other side of this door. He took a deep a breath before knocking.

“Who is it?” someone yelled from the other side. “It’s maintenance! Here to check the air conditioning!” There was some shuffling before they unlocked the door and a girl that wasn’t Selena opened the door. “Maintenance? At almost four in the morning?” He wasn't going to comment that they were drinking alcohol at almost four in the morning, he just wanted to look for Selena. 

He pretended to check the air conditioning unit for problems, wondering how long could keep up this charade. “Hey, you look pretty familiar. Have we met before?” Andrea, the girl who answered the door asked. They did meet before but only once, way back when Selena had bought him home for the holidays in the early days of their relationship. “I don’t think that’s possible. I live in South Africa.”

“What’s going out here?” Selena asked as she exited the bathroom. She was wearing a satin pink lingerie night gown that stopped at her thigh and her hair was pulled into a bun on her head. She was in the bathroom doing her skincare routine so her face was still damps with products. “Oh, just the maintenance checking on the air condition.” “Well, we didn’t ask for maintenance at almost four in the morning, so sir, you can come back later today.” 

His time was up and he closed back the unit and turned to face her. The man with the tattoos on the side of his head and she could feel the shock on her face. “Ulysses, what the hell are you doing here? How did you find me?” This had to be some kind of dream, Selena was sure. Maybe she was a little too drunk and this was a hallucination of repressed fantasies and memories; there was no way he could be here, right? 

“Angel, I miss you and you know I love you.” Did his dumbass really think he could just waltz on in after six months of hard work to get back to herself? She pretended to ignore him and turned to Andrea. “Anyways, I was thinking that before we leave, we should try going to Ida’s, some of their stuff is cute,” Selena said, typing on her phone.” Andrea was just looking at her friend like bitch you know damn well you see this nigga in our room. “Selena, you do know your ex fiancée is here right?” Andrea was sure that Selena lost her mind.

“Yeah, I know. I ain’t tell him to come here though.” Selena still hasn’t looked at Ulysses and in truth, she was scared, scared because if she looked him in the eye, that she would break down, ruining months and months of hard work to get back to herself. “Selena, please, I’m sorry. Believe me.” Andrea was beginning to feel uncomfortable so she excused herself, talking about going for a run on the beach. When she left, Selena let Ulysses have it, not giving a damn if she deserved her neighbors. 

“Are you out of your fucking mind?! What made you come all the way to Italy? Just leave me the fuck alone! I don’t give a damn if you miss me, I said what the fuck I said when I said I was done. Get the fuck out of here.” Ulysses was heartbroken, he was sure that she would break after the first month and come back to Paris, that after it was all over they would get married and have kids, just like he promised her. Then one month turned into two, and two turned into three and so on, and Selena still wasn’t back. She had changed her number, moved back to America and everything was quiet. Not even her mom’s side knew where she was, as she wasn’t particularly close to her mother.

“Baby, I know I hurt you, and I’m sorry for that, but I don’t want to be without you. I can’t be without you. I want you to come back.” Ulysses really loved this woman, more than anything else, more than he wanted revenge against the Black Panther. “I can’t do that. How do I know you’re lying? And what about the kid?” He knew that this question would pop up and he was excited to reveal that it wasn’t his. “Kid’s not mine and I promise I’ll do whatever it takes to make it up to you.”

Selena loved Ulysses, even after six months, but how could she trust him? She didn’t want to do this, not now, not when she was just starting to get used to not having him in her life. “Ulysses...” “Look, I still have your ring,” Ulysses said fishing his pockets for the Tiffany engagement ring. He held it out to her and got down on bended knee. 

A second proposal. “Ulysses, it’s not just the cheating, it’s the missions. You’re gone for months at a time and when you leave I don’t know if it’s going to be the last time I see you, and you’re already a wanted man by S.H.I.E.L.D.” This was another reason why Selena left, she was always worried about Ulysses whenever his missions took him out of whatever country they were living in, not coming back for months on end with short phone calls at night. His line of work was too dangerous and she couldn’t stand the thought of getting a phone call from one of his men saying that he was captured by the government or worse, dead. She wouldn’t go through it, and it gave her heart palpitations every time he walked out the door.

“With the money from Ultron, you shouldn’t have to do this at all. I need you home.” He promised he’d do whatever it takes to get her back, and he would not break that promise. “For you? Anything, please just come home.” He sounded so sincere, and she couldn’t find any hint of a lie when she looked in his eyes; she didn’t want to throw away three years of dedication and she didn’t want to start over with someone else. He was still down on his knee with the ring still in his hand, looking up at her. 

“If you ever do this shit again, I will leave you.” Ulysses slipped the ring on her finger before picking her up and spinning her around. “I promise, you have me.”  

#Ulysses klaue imagine #black panther fanfiction

[therovingrunner]

Surviving Life and Conquering the Grail Of Trail

The Story

Firstly, it’s taken me nearly 3 weeks to pen my thoughts down on what happened at the 10th edition of probably SA’s most iconic trail race, the Otter African Trail Run that took place on October 20th. Partly because life continued, and partly because I didn’t want the euphoria to end.

Ever since I read an article in Runner’s World, back in 2009, written by my good friend & trail mentor, Patrick Cruywagen, on his experience at the Otter, the Otter has been a bucket list event and in the back of my mind.

In fact, it was this article that got me into trail running in the first place.

Dubbed the Grail of Trail, The Forbidden Run, this iconic trail in the Tsitsikamma Section of the Garden Route National Park is only allowed to be run during the event week, as running it during any other time of the year is not only illegal, but could also see you banned from the trail.

Ironically, it was due to the illegal running of brothers John & Mark Collins that the idea of the trail race was born. Back in the day they use to run the route after first dropping off their bicycles in Nature’s Valley, driving back to the start of the trail, running it, and then cycling back to Storms River Mouth camp site to pick up their cars again.

With over 7000 steps varying in height and distance apart & almost 2400m vertical ascent to negotiate, various river mouths & streams to cross, and the continual undulating technical terrain, makes for possibly the most difficult/challenging trail run in SA. No easy feat, as this 42km stretch of trail requires 100% at all times.

The Otter is divided in a Run (8 hour cut-off) and the Challenge (11 hour cut-off), and alternates each year with the Retto (Otter in reverse) running from Nature’s Valley side back to Storms River Mouth compared to the traditional East to West running on this iconic 5 day hiking trail!

My Otter History

In 2013 I got offered the opportunity (4 days notice) to run the Challenge, and with very little training or idea what I was getting myself into accepted the offer immidediately.

That day I was handed a good old trail spanking, devoured by the trail and spat out on the other side just under 6h30 later. I recall moments where I wanted to crawl into the foetal position, and call my mom to come and get me! But once the Otter bug has bitten, that trail flows through your veins and you will be back time & time again.

My first Otter back in 2013! Image by Jacques Marais

In 2015 I entered the Otter for a second go, taking my good friend & training partner Will Saaiman along! That day I got spanked even harder as a combination of tricky underfoot conditions & soaring heat took its toll on me. Will narrowly missed out on the 8 hour cut-off. That night was probably the lowest point in my trail running career and something that broke me. Seeing Will’s face at prize giving as I got up to receive my green Sub-7 medal while he remain seated.

Although a Retto was never on the cards as I prefer the traditional or “Classic” way, I vowed to be back the next year and help him get his medal. But as life would have it, a lower back injury forced me to withdraw months before the race, but thanks to race organisers Magnetic South, I got the opportunity to do some social media work on the route and somehow still be apart of the vibe, so I tagged along to support Will, who managed to run an incredible 7h25 that year.

In 2017 we were back again, a Sub-6 my goal, and for Will, just to get that elusive Otter Classic medal. Although I managed to run a PB of 6h17, and generally had a better day out than the previous 2 occasions, I was disappointed in my result. Will ran another great race, and could now brag with back 2 back medals. I on the other hand started planning for 2019, and give it one more bash on the Classic.

This was also the year that the organisers began an initiative where runners who have done 5 or more Otters received a special medal, and adding 1+ 1, I got to the conclusion that if I did the Retto in 2018, then Otter 2019 will be my 5th (and maybe final) attempt at that elusive Sub-6.

The Goal! Image by Sue Ullyett

As luck would have it, soon after I entered for Retto 2018, Salomon, the title sponsor of the Otter Trail Run, announced the Golden Trail Series, consisting of 5 of the most technical & iconic marathon distance trail races over the world, with the Otter being the grand finale. The top 10 Men & Women after the initial 5 races would then be invited over to the Otter for what would be the most competitive international field ever assembled for a South African trail race.

To run or just see the likes of Kilian Jornet, Marc Lauenstein, Stian Angermund-Vik, Sage Canaday, Ruth Croft, Ida Nilsson and many more mixing it up with local trail stars Kane Reilly, Thabang Madiba, Christiaan Greyling, Johardt van Heerden, Megan Levinson & Robyn Owen in our back yard, would be one for the memory bank!

With Kilian Jornet. Not sure if he asked me to pose for a picture, or I asked him. Image by Alfred Thorpe/Vuurtoring

The Build-up

But life has other ideas, and 2018 has probably been one of the hardest years in my & my family’s lives. At the end of May my wife and I was involved in a terrible head-on collision, which today still has an impact on how we go around our day to day business. Nini took the brunt of the impact, and although I might not have the visible scars, it did have an impact on my lower back and my mental state at the time.

Juggling work, being a father to two incredible kids, trying to be a loving & helping husband and finding the time to train properly has its challenges, and I’m fortunate enough to have a wife that affords me the opportunity to live my passion for trail & supports my goals, especially when it comes to the Otter.

Personally, I don’t think any amount of training will ever result in an easy running of the Otter, although specific Otter training will go a long way in making it easier or more tolerable.

Since the accident, I have not been able to train as I wanted to, as at some point the lower back pain would flair up and cause discomfort, adding to an already weakened mental state! The furthest I ran in the past 5 months was 21km, the longest being just over 3h! What I did focus on was as much climbing as possible on any run, and the stair master in the gym became my new best friend.

I also decided to take the whole family along for the first time, including my in-laws, so they too could be a part of the Otter and Golden Trail Series vibe.

The goal, shared only with a few close friends in the trail fraternity, was a Sub-6, although I knew that that would be a push with the limited training distance wise that I have done in the build up.

The Vibe & Prologue

Although the skies might have been gloomy upon arrival for registration, the atmosphere inside the marque tent was warm and welcoming, as one has become accustomed to with any Magnetic South event. After greeting all the familiar faces who have become part of the Otter family over the years, it was time to get the compulsory kit check done, and head out to do the prologue.

With a slight drizzle, interrupted every now and then by a slightly heavier downpour, I decided to rather go out sooner rather than later, as the underfoot conditions would only deteriorate towards the latter stage of the day. (Apparently the elites didn’t get that message, as some ridiculous fast times were posted, lead by SA’s own Kane Reilly & Toni McCann!

On every of my previous 3 attempts I have managed to make the Abangeni (The Challengers), the top 24 runners based on their prologue times, contesting for the Grail. With the arrival of the Golden Trail Series superstars, that was basically out of the question, although I felt my speed leading into the event was better than previous years, so I would give it a bash anyway and see how close I could get.

We were warned at the prologue briefing that conditions were really slippery underfoot, especially when stepping on any exposed logs, the moss covered roots & the wooden bridges found on the trail. I sped off like a house on fire, but within the first 300m found myself on all fours having slipped in a muddy bend. On we went, and with the second, slightly more worrying slide that looked something like a drunk ice skater, I decided to pull the handbrake a bit and rather coast it in more cautiously! No one has ever won the Otter by just running the prologue, but some have ended their journey before even setting foot on the Grail Of Trail.

Prologue action. Image by Jacques Marais

Prologue done and dusted! Image Karien Ham

Race briefing that evening was a mixture of ooh’s & aah’s seeing all the international athletes being introduced. I had a great sit down and chat to Marc Lauenstein,(the current Otter & Retto* record holder and only man to run a Sub-4 in both directions) who even signed a shoe for me. My friends close trail friends know I’m a bit of a trail shoe geek and major fan of runners who can run technical trails at ridiculous speeds. That signed shoe (which also boasts Kilian’s signature on the other side) is now the centre piece in my trail memory display behind my bar!

*Polish athlete Bartlomiej Przedwojewski won this year’s Retto in an incredible time of 3:40;48

The usual cheers went up as resident Otter Meteorologist, Derek Van Dam, announced a Weather Alert Level 1 from the CNN International weather studio in Atlanta. After that, a few more hi’s & bye’s and it was time to head to bed.

It Has Arrived

It was an early night, although the usual tossing & turning started from about 3am. My father in-law was so kind as to take me to the start, partly because he wanted his daughter to look after her own kids (as he had all four his grandchildren in his car the previous day) and to make sure I actually start and not get a lift back via any of the Collins clan.

Nervous chatter, a light jog, a few snapshots of the beauty that is Nature’s Valley beach as the sun started to peak through the clouds, and the sound of cow bells started the day as the Abangeni trotted off on the initial 800m or so “neutral zone” before dibbing in at the first official timing check point, and speeding off into the distance never to be seen again by the mere mortals left on the beach.

I started in the sixth batch of 4 runners, at 07:12:30, a group that included my fellow Altra team mate Pieter Calitz, and GU’s Rohan Kennedy. The conversation with these 2 lasted all but 800m, and I said my goodbye’s as they too sped off towards the cliff face in the distance.

Our little group sets off! Image by Peter Kirk

A little later down the beach I caught up with Kyle Herring,  and we chatted and coasted along hitting the time checks I wanted to achieve, including getting to Andrè Hut (+/-5km) and seeing Kilian Jornet cheering the runners on, having pulled out due to injury at this point. Kyle decided to up his pace just before the famous Bloukrans crossing (+/- 12km) as he had a faster goal time in mind, and that was the last I would see of him. My swim across Bloukrans was nothing that would make the likes of Michael Phelps or Chad Le Clos sit up and take notice, but it did suffice in getting me across while race photographers Jacques Marais & Jeff Ayliffe had a good laugh.

The swim at Bloukrans! Images by Jeff Ayliffe

Coming out the other side! Still smiling! Image by Alfred Thorpe/Vuurtoring

All went according to plan, working hard enough on the climbs without burning out, and smashing the downs as fast as possible. I was hitting my desired time goals at the various checkpoints with a few minutes to spare each time, including a quick stop at the GU munchie point at Oakhurst Hut (21km) to refill my soft flasks with water & Tailwind, and munch down a few baby potatoes.

From here it got a little tougher, with extended periods of running alone. By Scott Hut (28km), still within my time check, things started going array. The next stretch of 7km to Ngubu (35km) would be the toughest section both mentally and physically, as for the first time I was starting to fall behind the eight ball, and by the time I hit Ngubu I was 12min adrift of goal pace, knowing that the next 3/4km would be the most continuous technical section of the whole trail. With good friend Stu McConnachie catching up from behind (it also happened in 2017 with about 6km to go) my mental head space took a turn for the worst and self doubt started creeping in. This time though, Stu was struggling too, and as he would drop me on the climbs, I would make up ground again on the downs.

In 2017 Stu & I had time for a selfie. Not this time!

Just before reaching Ngubu I was about to take out my phone, call Nini, and tell her I’m not going to make it, while trying to hang onto Stu and death march it in. A familiar voice beckoned down below on the last decent into Ngubu where the familiar face of Robert le Brun greeted us with some  words of inspiration. That, together with a fellow runner telling me it’s just 4km that needed to be smashed hard was just what I needed. I filled up my softflask with 1 last Tailwind sachet, basically swallowed a Racefood FARbar in 1 go, and decided to give it my all over the next 4km.

At this stage the slightest incline would still bring me to a halt, although I was able to keep a relative good pace, dropping Stu as we hit the rocky coastline. Passing the famous waterfall with about 2.5km to go I started getting the feeling that my Sub 6 was possible. A little further down the trail, trail friend, Ian Little, gave the last few encouraging words needed, and at this point I even started catching a few runners in front of me on the more technical sections! Not long after we were spat out back onto the last piece of forest single track towards the finish.

As I ran up the stairs at the start of the Storms River camp site, my daughter Janke was standing there and she ran the last 200m with me. I still don’t have the words to describe the feeling of running into that finishing chute, dibbing that timing check point one last time, looking at my watch and then seeing Nini’s face smiling at me with tears running down her cheeks!

This moment will stick with me forever! Image by Karien Ham

I managed to complete the route in 5:57, and only later would hear the tails of stress the family had looking at the big time board at the finish line, as minutes and seconds would tick off closer and closer to that 6 hour mark.

To be honest, a piece of my soul still lies on those rocks between Ngubu & Storms River, and the Otter would forever be apart of me. Better than achieving my goal though is the fact that I might have given a piece of me away that day, but I gained so much more! For the first time in over 2 years, since pulling out from a race due to my back, I found some mental toughness again.

Thank You

A few words of thanks need to go out to all that made just journey possible, and support my crazy passion of all things trail.

It would not be possible without the continuous support of friends (you know who you are) and family and some amazing sponsors.

The guys from Altra Running & Ultimate Direction South Africa, especially Roger Zeino &Alex Hawkins, thanks for giving me the opportunity to run in the best gear and with zero limits.

Grant & Mel Markey, from Tailwind Nutrition. You guys are like family, and when all else fails, I know that Tailwind won’t, nor your support & encouragement.

Kate Frost from Racefood. Your continuous support is greatly appreciated.

The gear!

To the Collins clan, Mark, John, Christine & Belen, this event would not be possible without your passion for the sport & the environment. We, as the trail community of SA, salute you, and congratulations on the 10th edition of the Otter African Trail Run.

So it’s time to up the ante, and I will be back in 2019, to once again try to survive, but more so, conquer the Grail Of Trail.

#The Otter African Trail run #Otter #Retto #Magnetic South #Altra Running #Tailwind Nutrition #Racefood #Kilian Jornet #Marc Lauenstein

[marveliciousfanfics]

Walk With Me Part 2

This is my entry for @dinnafashsoldat POC Writing Challenge.

Prompts: “You’re not taking me to bed. Ever.” “Who said it had to be the bed?” and “I wasn’t lying when I said I loved you.” Mexican!OC

A/N: I am a Mexican girl so when I saw this writing challenge I had to get on board. It is going to be about a 5-6 mini series. I love Thor. He’s my favorite! Even over Bucky and Steve because he’s just so…perfect and needs to be protected.

“Since my dad is—was a musician music is a big part of our family’s party. He will most definitely sing a song to my mom it’s always Paloma Querida meaning Dear Dove. It’s their song,” I explained to Thor as we stood at the living area with the furniture pushed away to give us space. “But I wanted to teach you how to dance it since it’s tradition for all couples to dance to it. FRIDAY play Paloma Querida by Jose Alfredo Jimenez.”

“All right,” he clapped his hands and stood in front of me. He was a whole foot taller than me—maybe more, so this was going to be a bit hard. I positioned his left hand on my waist and his other hand with mine. I placed my free hand on his shoulder.

“It’s really simple. We just step side to side until we make a circle or something,” I led for the first few steps. “Okay now you have to take lead because that’s the way.” He did as I told him and he picked it up pretty quick. “You’re light on your feet.”

“Of course, I’ve danced many dances throughout the realms,” he grinned. Of course he had. “But this is nice.” He looked down to me and it was the first time I got a good look at his eyes and I knew why so many women swooned. But I couldn’t be just another one. So I turned away and pulled back.

“So that’s just a nice one, we’re gonna move on to Salsa, Cuban, Bachata and Banda,” I knew the last one was going to be a bit more challenging to explain. So I pulled up videos on my phone and showed him. Even that he got it pretty fast. I was so impressed with his willingness to learn. He paid close attention and wasn’t afraid to ask questions.

“Why did you lie to your parents about having someone? Is there someone you’re avoiding?” he asked when I needed a break and had accepted the bottle of water he handed over. I took a long sip before answering. It was best to be honest or as honest as I could without revealing too much about myself.

“My family is nosy. I know they mean the best, but they all have this notion that because I’m a woman I’m supposed to just get married and have kids. They figured this—“ I gestured around me, “would be a phase, but my mom started hinting that my ‘clock’ was ticking. I’m only twenty-seven and the youngest! So to…calm her nerves I told her I was seeing someone, but we couldn’t go public to keep me safe…so the first person I thought of was you.”

“I’m honored, Dulce, but do you plan to tell your family the truth? Unless we are planning a fake wedding as well,” he laughed.

I laughed too. “No, of course not. I figure after this I’ll just tell them we broke up and they can leave me alone for another six years.”

“I’ve known you for nearly four years and this is the most I’ve learned about you,” he placed his hands on his hips.

I shrugged. “No one bothered to ask, plus I’m easily overlooked. I just do research.”

“I believe me…I noticed,” Thor got closer until he has half a foot away from me. “You are very observant. You care deeply and you definitely keep in touch with your family because you want to not because it’s a burden.”

He was right. My family and I were really close, but it took tragedy for that to happen. I wasn’t ready to share that. I knew he was going to find out eventually, but that would be for later. It was odd to get compliments from a God. Especially one who had gone through so much.

“Well, that’s enough, I think. You know the basics. So we should have rules so we don’t end up doing something dumb.”

“Like what?”

“Um…sleep together.”

“Why not? You like me and I like you. Why can’t it happen?”

I laughed nervously. “You’re not taking me to bed. Ever,” I did my best to use a stern voice, but under his gaze it quivered. He leaned down until we were only two inches part. I took in his scent and memorized.

“Who said it had to be the bed?” And before our lips met I took a step back.

“Whoa, whoa, no need to do that, Thor. I don’t expect you to kiss me at all!” I held my hands up as protection because I didn’t trust myself not to fall for his spell.

“Your family won’t find it suspicious I’m not affectionate?”

“My family doesn’t approve of PDA—so we won’t have to worry. The most you’ll have to do is hug me or kiss me on the cheek.”

“What a shame,” he winked. “I’ll see you tomorrow at nine to go to the airport. Will they care that I don’t have a passport?”

I groaned. “I didn’t think about that. Fuck.”

“I’m sure Stark will let us borrow one of his many planes, right?”

“Uh…sure.” I didn’t even convince myself.

“Let me take care of that then. You should get your money back for those tickets.”

“Uh sure,” I wasn’t going to get a full refund, but oh well. I really should have thought about that. Thor kept his word and I got a text from Tony saying it was okay to use his plane. Also he wanted pictures of Thor dancing banda so he could use it as blackmail. I doubted Thor would find it embarrassing.

I packed at night and felt the nerves start to kick in. Not only was I bringing a ‘boy’ well God home, but he was also not Mexican, which my parents always wanted me to marry in my culture. My sister did, my brother is going to do it and all of my cousins did as well. I wasn’t sure how my dad was going to react. Thor and I had gone over our story about how we got together until it was engraved in our brains. To them they think I’m going to get back with Bruno. He had been older than me, but he had been nice when he asked me out. And I thought it had been love, but if I had loved him, it wouldn’t have been easy to end it and move across the country.

I hardly got any sleep, but I got up and did my morning routine. I got a text from Tony that the plane was ready to go in an hour. I got my suitcase and headed for my door. I opened it and Thor’s entire frame took the whole space.

“Good morning, Dulce!” he boomed. “I am ready!”

“Tony said it’ll be ready in an hour, so we have some time to lose. I’m getting coffee,” I told him. “Let’s go over my family’s names.”

“Your mother is Alejandra, your father is Alfredo, your brother is Junior, then it’s Camila and Betty. You have a nephew Charlie and a niece Elizabeth named after Jane Austen characters.”

I nodded impressed. We got to the kitchen. Steve was sitting down with a cup of coffee. I went to the cupboard and groaned when someone placed my mug too high for me. I was about to climb on the counter, but I felt Thor behind me easily reach for it. The whole front of his body covered my back and it woke me up faster than any cup of coffee ever had. He held the mug in front of me and I took it meekly.

“You’re welcome,” he whispered close to my ear.

“Th-thanks,” I mumbled back. He stepped back and I swore I heard him chuckle.

“Morning, Steve!” Thor boomed.

“Morning,” I could practically hear Steve’s smirk. I got my coffee from the pot and got my creamer from the fridge. “So you’re really going through with this?”

“It should be fun! A new culture and new faces. Plus I don’t think I’ve been to…where are you exactly from?”

I turned around to face them. “I guess I should have led with that. So, my family lives in…Watts. It’s a bit of a rough neighborhood, but they don’t want to move out of there.”

“Rough?” Thor’s body tensed.

“I mean, it’s not like it used to be, but my parents still hear a drive by every now and then. Not like when I was younger and it was every week we knew someone got shot or died,” I shrugged and sat down across from them and sipped my coffee carefully.

“I still think you should tell your parents the truth. The truth is always better,” said Steve and I knew he knew from experience.

“It’s a harmless lie, Steve, I’m not keeping deep, dark secrets from my parents,” I shot back and immediately regret it. I knew he felt bad for what happened with Tony, but he had no right to judge me when he hardly knew me.

“Things are going to be all right. It’s only a couple of days,” Thor tried to keep the mood up, but it was clearly not the same. “What can happen in just a couple of days?”

I gave Thor a blank expression and then he frowned. A lot could happen in a couple of days.

“Sorry, Steve, that was a low blow,” I sighed. “I’m just all wound up.” I rolled my shoulders.

“You’re all wound up because you feel bad for what you’re doing,” Steve pointed out and got up and walked out of the kitchen.

“It will be okay, Dulce,” Thor’s tone was softer now. I met his eyes and some how I felt that he was right.

“Again, thanks for doing this, Thor. I mean, what I’m about to put you through…” I shook my head. “Just be patient with my family.”

“They really can’t be worse than mine,” he grinned.

“No, my dad hasn’t told me of a sibling he incarcerated for thousands of years,” I joked lightly and he chuckled at that.

Soon we were on the plane. He sat across from me. I had taken the seat away from the window because if I looked outside of it, I would probably have a panic attack. Flying wasn’t my strongest suit. I didn’t really have to do it much working for the Avengers since I mostly gathered information and gave it to them in briefings. I worked on the ground and flying was one of the scariest things in the world. I literally had friends who could fly and I did not envy them.

Thor quickly picked up on it. He explained we were perfectly safe—well he said we would have been safer if he would have used the Stormbreaker. I just laughed which did help me distract me. When we hit turbulence, I closed my eyes and started humming. I felt a big presence beside me so I opened my eyes. Thor had sat next to me blocking the window so I wouldn’t be able to look out there if I was tempted.

In minutes I was more relaxed and then I must have fallen asleep because after what felt like half an hour—but it had actually been three hours—I was lightly shook. I fluttered my eyes opened and I had been leaning against Thor’s mighty bicep and there might have been drool because the corner of my mouth was a little wet.

Horrified didn’t even begin to describe what I felt. I needed to be swallowed by the Earth. Did I just drool on an actual God?

“Sorry,” I wiped my mouth.

“Don’t be. You looked so tired, plus you were adorable to watch with your little, soft snores,” he chuckled.

I held back an internal groan. “Did…I really snore?”

“Indeed you did, but it’s nothing compared to my great friend Volstagg after he ate a whole pig,” he laughed whole heartedly but then it died and he looked sad. I knew his friend had died defending Asgard from his sister. So I reached for his hand and squeezed it. He turned down to me and gave me a sad smile. “Put your seatbelt on.”

Sometimes it was easy to forget that Thor had lost a lot of people in his life. I held his hand after my seatbelt was on because it was time to land. I was able to squeeze his hand so hard that it wouldn’t even phase him, so I released a breath when we stopped. I hated that I was going to have to go through this in two days again, but if Thor was by my side again, I had a feeling it was going to be okay.

#luce’s first writing challenge #luce’s poc! writing challenge #thor x oc #thor #thor odison #marvel #marveliciousfanfics #tony stark #steve rogers

[thorne93]

Custody Battle (Part 6)

Prompt: You had a son with your first husband, Keanu, but he’s being raised by your new husband, Tom. The two men cannot stand each other, and every time Keanu shows up unannounced to see the kid, he and Tom always end up arguing.

Word Count: 2402

Warnings: divorce, anger, fighting, language

Notes: this took me so long to write….But thanks to my beta @like-a-bag-of-potatoes I got it done

Forever Tags: @capsmuscles @cocosierra94 @essie1876 @magpiegirl80 @letsgetfuckingsuperwholocked @iamwarrenspeace @marvel-imagines-yes-please @superwholocked527 @missinstantgratification @thejemersoninferno @rda1989 @munlis @thefridgeismybestie @bubblyanarocks3 @random-fluffy-pink-unicorn @hardcollectionworldtrash @igiveupicantthinkofausername@kaliforniacoastalteens @feelmyroarrrr @kaeling @friendlyneighbourhoodweirdo

Tom Hiddleston: @camigt1999 @lenawiinchester

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

Keanu and Tom had stuck to the deal you’d created. They attended their events and you had explained to Jaxton that everyone wanted to dedicate all their time and attention they could to the events that he had going on, but not everyone could be at every event. He said he was okay with it as long as someone was there for him, and so far, they had been. You’d made every game for soccer, and you left Keanu and Jaxton to the boy scout meetings, letting the men bond.

But now, of course, another thing had occurred for Jaxton. A birthday party. Not for him, but for a child in his class. He had brought home the silly looking invitation one day after school. So now, you had to take a night and go shopping with Jaxton to try and find a gift. As if you needed any more shit to do. Work was hectic as the year was coming to a close and the summer clothes were already in demand and you only had half your line sketched out. Not to mention running to all of his games, making sure dinner was on every night, keeping the house clean, and then getting him in bed every night.

“Alright, bud, what does this Carter kid like?” you asked as you pushed the cart and he sat in the big part of it, eyeing all the toys. “Does he like Hot Wheels, GI Joe, Monster trucks…?” you asked, listing off things as you saw them.

“I don’t really know,” he answered with a shrug.

“Oh, come on now, surely you noticed or heard him say something. Maybe his backpack has someone on it? Or maybe he was watching a movie he liked and said something to you?” you urged, praying you didn’t have to just pick up something generic.

“Mmmm,” he thought, twisting his little pink mouth to the side, looking adorable. “Oh, he likes Thor!” he suddenly said as he pointed to a Thor action figure. You wanted to laugh, but you resisted.

“Oh yeah?” you murmured as you pulled the figure off the wall. It was about $40, which was steep for a child’s toy, but you and Tom could spare some money for him. Heaven forbid you didn’t get a nice gift then all the other parents berate you for being rich and not sparing a dime on their kid. You rolled your eyes at the very thought.

Eyeing it, you had an idea for the toy, dropping it in the car.

Next was the birthday boy wrapping and birthday card. So the two of you ventured there, then picked up pizza on the way home, since you wouldn’t have time to make dinner.

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

The party day had arrived and you were ready to take Jaxton and the gift to the party. Tom would be working about sixteen hours today and Keanu was on a press tour for one of his movies.

“Jaxton! Come on, baby!” you called up the stairs as you checked your phone for the time, gathering your purse, the gift, the card, and everything else you needed to get him to this party.

A minute later, you heard his little legs coming down the stairs.

“Ready, bud?” you asked sweetly and he nodded. “Okay, let’s go,” you said with a smile as you led him outside, locked the door, and then got in the SUV and drove about twenty minutes to the boy’s home.

Jaxton got out, offering to take the present, you handed it to him, and took your purse and the card, going to the door and ringing the doorbell. A blonde woman, probably the Carter’s mother, answered.

“Hey!” she greeted, smiling brightly at you two.

“Hi! I hope we aren’t too late!” you said, realizing you were about five minutes late.

“No not at all. I’m Rebecca,” she said, leaning forward and shaking your hand.

“Y/N,” you responded. “And this here is Jaxton,” you said, putting your hand on his head as he smiled up at her.

“So nice to meet you. Well come on in! Jaxton, you can put that present over here with the others,” she instructed.

He followed her to the table and you handed him the card to stick with the gift. Meanwhile, you looked around at all of the balloons, decorations, the cake over on the counter. It was any kid’s dream birthday party.

“Everyone is out back in the bouncy house if you’d like to join them,” she said, leaning down to be closer to eye level with your son. He nodded and ran off.

You laughed and smiled as his dark curls bounced around his cherub, pale face, and you saw him join about ten other kids in a bouncy house.

“So, Y/N, what do you do?” Rebecca asked as a mom came from the backyard, leaving another woman out there.

“Oh, I design clothes,” you said simply.

The other woman slid up beside Rebecca, eyeing your knee length red dress, shiny pump heels, handbag, and accessories. You looked like you’d just stepped off a fashion magazine photoshoot.

“And...is this your design?” the new woman, a dark brunette with olive skin asked, a slight distaste in her tone and expression.

“Actually, yes, it is. I try to wear my designs as often as possible. To be a bit of a billboard,” you said, laughing but they didn’t return the gesture.

“I’m Lori, by the way,” the brunette suddenly said.

“Y/N,” you introduced, shaking her hand.

“So, Y/N, are you one of those designers that overprices her clothing so high normal, middle class people can’t wear them?” Lori inquired with a challenging eyebrow quirk.

You shook your head slightly, pursing your lips. “I don’t believe so.”

“How much is that dress?”

“About $95, but some of my dresses go as low as $35 and up to $1000... I try to market business savvy, professional women who want a fresh look. I don’t want women to feel like as soon as they hit thirty they have to suddenly settle for drab colors and patterns, but I don’t want them to feel like they’re dressing out of their age. I try to make it so that a realtor, an accountant, a marketing advisor...any professional woman can feel youthful and vibrant.”

“Do you always remember your mission statement?” Rebecca asked, incredulous.

“Well...it is my mission statement,” you reminded, getting a very jealous and hateful vibe from these women.

“Right,” Rebecca noted as she eyed you up and down. “Well, you’re welcome to stay or if you have things to attend to…” she said, sneering at you.

Typically, you would’ve left Jaxton to have fun, but these women were being vicious to you, what would they do to your child if you left him alone? Would they single him out too? Would they cast judgement?

“No, I think I’ll stay…” you said.

They nodded, looking at you as if you were a walking parasite.

“So, Lori, what do you do?” you asked.

“I’m a domestic engineer.”

“So...a stay at home mom?” you clarified.

She nodded, as if she were a CEO. “Mhm.”

The three of you continued to talk as you learned their occupations and their kids’ ‘names. Then you set out to help the kids, play with them, get drinks for them. The pizza was delivered and all the kids horded around the food as if they’d never seen food before. You helped get pizza’s on plates and get the kids the slices they wanted. After that, it was cake and ice cream time. They got Carter a Thor cake and you smiled, knowing he would absolutely flip over the gift you and Jaxton had picked out. Rebecca cut the cake, and Lori scooped the ice cream.

“Can I help?” you asked as you walked over to Lori.

“Are you sure? Wouldn’t want you to dirty up that pretty dress of yours,” she remarked.

You frowned slightly. “I’m sorry. Did I do something to offend you or did we get off on the wrong foot or…?”

She put her hands on the counter as she looked at you. “We don’t like rich women in the area pretending they’re better than us. Just because you’re some hot shot designer and married two actors doesn’t make you some superstar, okay?”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t think I was making anyone feel bad,” you offered.

“My kid wants to know why he doesn't have brand new shoes like Jaxton, or why his coat isn’t as nice as Jaxton or why he doesn’t have all the newest and greatest comic book stuff. So you and your son know you’re shoving your money in everyone’s faces,” she retorted.

“I would never do that,” you evenly said. “I’m sorry you feel that way but my son nor I would ever make anyone feel bad about money.”

“Save it, okay?” she said, exhaustion in her voice as she carried over the ice cream plates.

You frowned, not understanding why they held a resentment towards you or your son. You sighed and just let it go and rejoined the festivities, texting Tom.

“Do you think I flaunt our money?” you texted.

“What? No? Why?”

“This mom here....well, she said I pretend I’m better than everyone,” you said, chewing your lip.

“You don’t, darling. You’re classy and you like finer things. But I’ve never seen you rub it in anyone’s face…”

“Thanks,” you said.

“Sounds like a fun party, hehe.”

You smiled at his response, loving the fact that he could always make you smile, even when you were feeling mad or upset.

“Oh, it is, lol. Jaxton seems to be having a good time.”

“Well, that’s all that matters, right? : )”

“Right,” you agreed.

You put your phone away in your handbag and the eating finished and Rebecca announced that it was time to open gifts and all of the kids cheered and squealed. The presents were getting opened and you realized a lot of the gifts were way under the budget you’d spent. The most expensive gift you’d seen so far was about $20 and it was for a monster truck you’d remembered seeing at the store.

They got to yours and Jaxton’s gift and Carter tore off the paper excitedly, seeing a Thor action figure.

“Oh my gosh! Wow!” he exclaimed, clearly excited as he gripped it. “Thank you!” he said.

“Thor signed it!” Jaxton said suddenly, pointing at it.

Rebecca, Lori, and Charlene, the other mom, snapped their eyes to you then back to the gift.

“Mhm, Thor signed it,” you confirmed. “Flip it over,” you instructed and Carter did. On the back, in big black Sharpie, you had Chris sign it. He signed it as Thor and as himself. It said “To Carter, from the Mighty Thor.”

“You had Chris Hemsworth sign a Thor action figure?” Lori asked, clearly put out with you.

You shrugged. “Well, yeah, he’s a good friend of ours, especially Tom’s. We just called him and--”

“And how much did this set you back?” Rebecca demanded. “This is the collector’s edition. It’s about fifty bucks,” she remarked, looking t the other women, shock and disdain on her face. “But adding that signature makes it over $100.”

“I’m sorry, I don't understand the problem. I got your son a wonderful gift,” you said, confused, gesturing to the box still in his hands.

“There was a $20 cap,” Charlene informed, her voice condescending.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t know,” you said, apologetic. You weren’t trying to show anyone up, but you were new to the whole birthday thing. You didn’t want to show up with a cheap gift and everyone accusing you of being a tightass.

“Well maybe if you spent more time being a mother, and spent time with your son, you would know,” Lori snapped.

Your eyes went wide at her attack. Was she really attacking you for being a working mother? For supporting your child? For supporting your family?

“Excuse me for wanting to get your child a thoughtful, priceless gift. I won’t make that mistake again with any of you.” You started yanking your things onto your arms. “Jaxton, baby, come on, we’re leaving. Clearly we aren’t welcome here.”

“No, you’re not,” Rebecca noted as Jaxton was out of his chair and walking over to you, his face fallen.

“I told you she’s a stuck up you-know-what,” Lori said quietly to the other two.

You gritted your teeth. “You know what? I’m not going to feel bad that I didn’t know about this stupid spending cap. Not all of us can lay round on our asses all day while our kids are at school. Some of us work to support our families, to make sure they have the very best. If you don’t like your kids feeling inadequate, don’t blame me or my son, get up off your ass and do something about it,” you snapped.

You took Jaxton’s hand and nearly ran out of the home, getting him in the car and belted in before driving home, muttering the entire time. A few times, you chanced a glance to Jaxton, who seemed sad. You assumed it was because you’d taken him from the party early.

“Bud, I’m real sorry about all of that,” you said, reaching over and patting his leg. “Those other mom’s were being real mean to me though and...Mommy lost her cool,” you said, sighing and running a hand through your hair.

“Now they’ll be even meaner to me,” he said so quietly, so under his breath you almost didn’t catch it.

You narrowed your eyes and stopped at a red light. “What did you say?” you inquired, your voice gentle but firm.

“The other kids...they...they’re gonna be mean to me now. More than ever,” he informed.

“The other kids are mean to you?” you asked before someone honked behind you, letting you know the light had turned green, but you’d been facing Jaxton and not paying attention. You jumped, waved a friendly wave in the mirror, and drove forward. “Honey, I want you to hold that thought, okay? We’ll talk when we get home.”

Your hands were kneading the steering wheel as your gut dropped. Your chest filled with dread. The idea of your son being bullied was...nauseating, enraging, and heartbreaking.

#custody battle #tom hiddleston fic #tom hiddleston x reader #tom hiddleston #keanu reeves fic #keanu reeves

[stunudo]

BAU Prep School AU: 2018

Welcome to the Frederick Buchanan Institute located in scenic Quantico, Virginia, a senior high academy that shapes the best and brightest minds. Its motto is “Behavior, Analysis, Unity,” the mascot the Submariners, colloquially “the Unsubs”. The small school supports the most accomplished faculty from across the country.  2016-2017 school year  Class of 18

(Image link)

Uphill

September 11, 2017 6:58am

Grant Anderson had barely slept the night before in worry over remembering to cast the school flags at half-mast. It had been an annual tradition since before he took over from the old groundskeeper, an indeterminate amount of years ago. He arrived at the school in the peaceful, yet creeping silence of the pre-student hours. He quickly parked in his usual spot and rounded the school in nearly a circumferential path, the American and Virginia State flags were listless on the solitary hill before the student parking lot. He said a simple prayer of remembrance as he steadily lowered the cords.

He sighed as he walked into the building, the heavy front doors creaking in the quiet. Grant Anderson turned to open his office and begin his day but something in his periphery stopped him. He paused and spun back to the large entrance hall that broke out into twin curving stone stairwells. There in the middle of the space was a stone table, where a tiny, antique, single-person submarine was held inside a glass display case. It was held, because in that moment Grant Anderson found it missing. In its place was a very underwhelming plastic model and a notecard. In stunned silence he approached the case, which was meticulously wiped down after the switch. The note read: ‘Good luck without Old Unity guiding your way.- New Canaan International School.’

Grant hunched over to read the note under his breath, “Oh shit.”

7:19am

Kate didn’t appreciate the incessant media reminders of the day that tore her family apart. She leaned against their kitchen island while Kit was talking to his toys instead of eating his cereal. She remained in her flannel pants and thermal long sleeve pajama top; this was not a day she chose to deal with people, especially not teenagers who couldn’t completely grasp the meaning of the anniversary. Someone of them weren’t even born, like Meg. It had been sixteen years since her mother, Kate’s sister went to work in Manhattan and the entire world changed.

Still, Meg was her silver-lining. The most impossible outcome of that day and the trauma it caused. Two years after losing contact, Kate’s sister Liz showed up on her doorstep, homeless, pregnant and desperate. And today that silver-lining was taking her time in the shower.

“Meg!” Kate called up the stairs, the water audibly gushing through the thin door.

Meanwhile Meg was sitting on the closed toilet lid, texting Maya as she walked into school. She was dressed and avoiding the awkwardness of the day as long as possible. She loved her aunt and uncle, but somedays she wondered what it would have been like if her mom were around. If maybe, just maybe she got her shit together. The brunette girl sighed and locked her phone. Time to start their yearly ritual and try not to make Kate cry, more.

Sept. 12 4:02pm

Coach Morgan wasn’t holding a standard practice today, instead he was in full Under Armor running outfit; his ripped body hugged thoroughly. He stood stone faced waiting for the team to exit the locker rooms in their running gear. Eventually his forty players were lined up before him, three uneven rows of bulky teenagers.

“Submariners!” The Coach’s deep voice barked in to the afternoon heat. “The New Canaan Cougars disrespected us this weekend. Those fools stepped foot in our house and took our mascot. Now!” He began pacing in front of his team. “Are you going to put up with that?”

“No!” A few players answered in various ways.

“I’m sorry? Are you going to LET them disrespect this school?!” He cocked his head to the side in exaggerated listening.

“NO, SIR!” Forty voices proclaimed.

Coach Morgan grinned, “That’s right. We won’t be able to put the pain to those guys until playoffs, but, for now, we run laps. Together. As a team. Because we don’t lose focus and we don’t back down.”

Derek grabbed his whistle off his chest, “Line up by jersey number, we stick together.” The whistle blast got the kids scrambling to fall into line. He waited a minute before giving another shrill alarm, sending Iggy Cruz, the kicker, off to lead the team down the hill. Derek knew the pace would quickly dwindle as they fought to keep their spacing even to his attentive glare. He followed behind his number 93 for the first lap as soon as he crossed their starting point he sprinted to the front of the pack, taking over the lead. It was going to be a long practice, for coach and players alike. In the middle of all the sweat and swearing and straining bodies, May Howard was formulating a plan.

Sept. 14 12:57pm

Jordan Kyle and Alex Blake were making quiet conversation across the staff table as Spencer was munching on his perfectly edged sandwich while reading over some worksheets. The lunch Chef Rossi prepared smelled amazing, yet still he dutifully ate his prepared sack lunch. The women were whispering about more personal details of their summers and Spencer was dutifully playing ignorant. What Stan Kyle had removed from where, was really none of his business, nor how long it took to get him back to, uh, normal in any arena.

The wizened Chef had been avoiding the sixth period lunch hour in the staff room because he was avoiding his ex-wife, though not belligerently; more like a puppy that had to lick his wounds after a round of play that was more than he bargained for. Today, he had outdone himself and needed the extra time for preparations; he quietly made his way towards the half-occupied table with his own tray of food.

“David! This is amazing quiche!” Jordan covered her full mouth with her hand as she spoke. Her bright eyes sparkling with delight. He shrugged, smugly.

“Wait until you get to the cannoli.” Alex murmured conspiratorially.

“How’s everyone? I fell like I haven’t heard much from you lot.” Dave tried making small talk.

“Good!” Spencer perked up. “Hotch gave me a prep period this year and you wouldn’t believe how much time I have now.”

“That’s great kid.” Rossi nodded, inspecting his slice of cheesy egg bake. It was a little moist, he took a mental note.

“How was Turkey?” Jordan asked him, Alex unsubtly rolling her eyes at her friend and colleague.

“It was great, Jordan, thanks for asking.” He grinned, the amusement at Alex’s uncomfortableness equal parts reassuring and instigating. “Cyprus was my favorite though.”

“Cyprus third largest and third most populated island in the Mediterranean?” Spencer added after a few eye daggers and a swift kick from Alex beneath the table.

“Right from the brochure, look at that.” Dave deadpanned. “The people were great, really welcoming. It’s amazing, the ones who have the least in this world are willing to share the most.”

“The constructs of community vary from culture to culture, but the village mentality leaves personal possessions nearly impossible. It is innate generosity.” Spencer built on the complexities of Dave’s experiences.

“Well said.” Alex finally spoke up, after the bell rang, freeing her from Dave’s retelling of the vacation that could have been hers.

Sept. 15 11:38am

As a new student in the middle of her high school career, Lena Curtis was less concerned with fitting in and more focused on keeping up with the rigors of the new academic environment. She had been eating alone, earbuds in while reading over assignments or syllabi. Lucas and Jake had been watching her on and off the first week of school, both innately empathetic and seated in the cafeteria two tables away. Now, they just had to acknowledge that they had been staring and perhaps they could talk to her. Fortunately for all them, May Howard wasn’t one for beating around the bush.

“You guys going to invite her to eat with us or do I have to?” She huffed as she sat down between Jake and her more socially acceptable twin, Cissy.

“Be our guest, Howard.” Lucas took a massive bite of his panini as he waited for her to own up to her bluff. She looked to Jake and back to the smug lineman. She slid back off the bench seat, shoving her hands in the pockets of her pressed khakis. She didn’t want to scare the new girl, Azalene, she remembered from last period Physics.

“Hey.” May’s voice was gruff because she was trying to remain calm. “So, a few of us have Physics with you and were wondering if you want to sit with us. It’s cool if you’d rather study, I know there is a lot of homework and I don’t want to pressure you into a forced social in—”

“No, that’s fine. Nice, I mean. Thanks.” The girl’s twin French braids bobbed with her enthusiasm. “I’m Lena, by the way.”

“May, I mean—I am May.” She stepped back as Lena grabbed her stuff, giving her lunch group a double thumbs’ up behind the acquired newbie’s back. Jake’s face broke into his signature grin while Lucas waved obviously. “The big one is Turner, Lucas, then there’s Jake and Cissy.”

“She’s your sister, right?” Lena looked down, either because she was trying to hear May or because she didn’t like looking people in the eye, it was hard to tell.

“Yeah, stuck with her since birth, but its fine. She grows on you.” May shrugged as a half smirk quirked up her usually hidden dimple.

“Hi!” Lena smiled shyly as she say down with her backpack and tray.

“Atta-girl, Howard,” Coach Morgan muttered his approval of his player reaching out to one of the new kids.

“What’s up?” Luke Alvez leaned in, following Derek’s line of sight.

“One of my kids reached out to the Curtis girl. Glad she had the balls, so to speak.”

“Right, Lena. It’s about time, they’re in my next hour together.” Luke shrugged. “Cafeteria duty is pretty chill, huh?”

“As long as nobody crosses Turner over there,” Tara Lewis nodded back to the group they’d been watching.

“Oh, come on now, that’s not fair.” Derek laughed. “Turner is good. Honestly I can’t think of anyone in here we really have to worry about.”

“Why are so many of us on this hour?” Tara asked confused.

“I think it’s a ratio thing, fifth hour has more students having lunch, so there are more of us. Hotch knows what he’s doing.” Derek shrugged, not mentioning that Lewis and Alvez were still new to the school and Hotch wouldn’t leave them to the wolves alone. Derek wasn’t complaining, having back to back lunch breaks were the dream. Meanwhile, Tara shifted from foot to foot. She hated losing her momentum in the middle of the day, she felt like cafeteria duty was a fairly menial task. Luke was quizzing himself on student’s names and learning who were friends outside of class.

Sept. 25 6:37pm

Derek walked behind Penelope as she strutted into the library, taking a deep breath to prepare herself for the coming meeting. The first Booster Club gathering of the new school year, which meant new students, new ideas and old standbys making the upcoming calendar filled with possibilities. She carefully placed the school’s tablet and her phone on the central table. Grant had rearranged the hefty study desks into a semicircle complete by a collection of chairs in arching rows for the parents and additional student participants.

“Okay, thanks for coming to the Fall meeting again. I know you’ve got your hands full this season and it means a lot that you’re here tonight.” She made sure to give her boyfriend her appreciation, who had yet to be home from school for the day.

“Hey, this is important to me too. Don’t worry about me, I’m good.” Derek held her hand against his chest. “You ready?”

“For another record-breaking year? Hell yeah. Let’s just hope everyone else is.” She grinned before sneaking a quick kiss. They were still alone anyhow.

The meeting went effortlessly, or Penelope Garcia and Michel Foyet were so prepared that it felt more like a conversation than an agenda-riddled requirement. Derek sat calmly to Penny’s right as Mrs. Jordan Kyle was to her left, nodding and smiling in encouragement. The parents were enthusiastic and those that usually overreached were pleasantly absent. Midway through a mother and son made their way to the back of the meager crowd, Penelope smiled as they sat down nervously. The meeting wrapped up before the hour was up, leaving the attendees to break into their own bubbles of conversation. Jordan thanked Penelope for a job well done and went home without much fuss.

Derek and Mr. Howard were talking football as Penelope approached the late arrivals.

“Hi! I’m Ms. Garcia, welcome to the Boosters Club.” She held out her violet manicured hand to the mother and then the anxiously quiet boy.

“Thanks, I’m Rebecca Garner, this is Regi, he’s a freshman this year.” The brunette woman confided in a slight accent.

“Regi is short for Reginald, right? How royal.” Penelope grinned, letting the student roll his eyes at her observation. “If you are looking for service to the school hours, check with Michel, they have the sign-up lists for the semester.”

Regi nodded, shoving his hands in his pockets. Rebecca looked impatient with the gesture but smiled sympathetically to Ms. Garcia anyhow. “Thanks, nice meeting you.”

“Of course, thanks for coming.”

Derek called for Chinese pick up as Penelope cleaned up the library from the meeting. She hated leaving it less than she had found it, Grant was anal, but he worked himself too hard as well.

“Ready, Baby Girl?” Derek sighed as she gave the room a tertiary glance. “Penelope.” He was tired and needed some cuddle time.

“Yes, I guess. So? My place or yours tonight, Lover?” She asked as he held the door for her.

Sept. 26 4:08pm

Hotch had driven the same route home for the past five years, a scenic and unrushed ritual. He mentally left his day behind him, focusing on the yardwork and dinner awaiting him. There was an oddly satisfying feeling that he was able to come home to his family at a reasonable hour each and every day. His few years practicing law proved how treasured this possibility was. The leaves lined the neighborhood thoroughfare as he made the turns methodically. He passed a teenager mowing the lawn on one corner and a family walking home from school down another block. It was the American Dream and Aaron Hotchner sighed contentedly as he acknowledged his reality with gratitude.

Though it was breezy, their front door was open for him and Aaron quickly found Jack and Haley in the living room which doubled as Jack’s play spot, an octagonal area fenced off in the middle of the room since he had begun crawling at the beginning of summer. The plastic sides had been folded inwards, leaving Jack’s mat and toys strewn across the room.

“Hey!” He smiled as he set his briefcase in the foyer.

“Wait, Aaron, stay there.” Haley called hurriedly.

“Okay? Any particular reason why?” He chuckled, but listened, hovering in the archway between the hall and the room which held his family. “Hey, buddy!” He called to his son who had been thumping a block against another toy with a satisfying and repeated thwack. Jack’s face burst into a drooling grin and he began crawling to his dad.

“Wait for it…” Haley warned quietly. When Jack reached the recliner, he pulled himself up and continued toward him determinedly. His tentative feet taking him away from the grounding of the furniture, but he managed a good four or five steps before falling back into a crawl. Haley clapped excitedly, the joy upon her husband’s face unparalleled.

“Alright, Jack-Attack!” Aaron bent down and snatched up his giggling son. “Has he been walking all day?!

“Just since lunch. I almost called three times, but I figured seeing it firsthand would be more impactful.”

“Well, that’s the best welcome home I’ve ever had. Good job, buddy!” Aaron kissed the baby’s head and brought him back across the room to his toys. The little family spent the next half hour getting Jack’s consecutive step total up to nine before breaking up the fun for dinner preparations and yardwork. Aaron expertly strapped Jack into his carrier, complete with noise dampening earmuffs so the Hotchner men could clear the yard with the leaf blower before settling in for the night.

Next Chapter: Messy

@mentallydatingspencerreid @dontshootmespence @ultrarebelheart @lyrasilverroseelizabethamanti @cynbx @rikersgirl22 @pllfrommars @wheresthewater  @darknesstoglowing @adropintheocean1234567 @tleighstone12 @unitchiefwives @sam-carter-in-training @prettyboysjello @ddreammcatcher @thegirlinflames  @night–hawk @t25luver @onlyalittleteenwolfobsessed @thismiss02 @literallyprentissstwin

#Criminal Minds #BAU Prep School AU #Criminal Minds AU #Hotch #Derek Morgan #Penelope Garcia #Kate Callahan #Luke Alvez #Tara Lewis #David Rossi #Jennifer Jareau #Alex Blake #emily prentiss #Grant Anderson #Elle Greenaway #Stephen Walker #CM #Criminal Minds Fanfiction #Criminal Minds fanfiction Series #CM fanfic #Spencer Reid #CM AU #CM AU Series

[atakportal]

Burn The Fat Body Transformation System - Tom Venuto

New Post has been published on https://click.atak.co/burn-the-fat-body-transformation-system-tom-venuto/

Burn The Fat Body Transformation System - Tom Venuto

Product Name: Burn The Fat Body Transformation System – Tom Venuto

Click here to get Burn The Fat Body Transformation System – Tom Venuto at discounted price while it’s still available…

All orders are protected by SSL encryption – the highest industry standard for online security from trusted vendors. Burn The Fat Body Transformation System – Tom Venuto is backed with a 60 Day No Questions Asked Money Back Guarantee. If within the first 60 days of receipt you are not satisfied with Wake Up Lean™, you can request a refund by sending an email to the address given inside the product and we will immediately refund your entire purchase price, with no questions asked.

Description:

Hi, Im Tom, and in a moment, you’ll hear the story of how I went from being a chubby kid who was humiliated in gym class, to burning every last ounce of fat off my body, and winning my first bodybuilding championship at the age of 21…

This is also the same fat-burning system I still use today to stay in shape after age 40…

More importantly, you’ll see how these little-known secrets of all-natural bodybuilders and fitness models are the key to burning YOUR most stubborn fat and getting the body YOU want…

Read this page to the end, and I’ll also give you all the details about the unusual system that hundreds of thousands of people have already used – instead of dieting – to transform their bodies forever…

And for the first time ever, I’ll unveil the new 7-Day “quick start” that gets you going faster than ever before.

Before reading on, let me point out that this fat-burning system was originally developed by the leanest, most muscular athletes in the world, but it has now been re-engineered for regular people (non-bodybuilders)…

It works whether you are a man or a women, and it works regardless of your age. In fact, if you’re over 40, this could easily take 10 years off your biological age.

It even works for people who felt like they’d tried everything and were just “destined to be overweight”…

BURNED: 75 pounds of fat (from a size 22 to a size 6) while working two jobs and caring for her autistic son

– Audrey Eickwort

BURNED: 41 pounds of fat (from 274 pounds to 233 pounds and lost 19 inches off his waist at age 56

– Tim Amyett

BURNED: 122 pounds of fat (starting weight: 296 pounds)

– Brian Nordberg

You probably noticed that none of them look like stereotypical bodybuilders…

Yet every one of them… even formerly “photo-shy” people who told me they used to “hide” under their clothes, avoid mirrors, or secretly cringe when their photo popped up on Facebook…

… every one of them used what’s been called, “the most powerful fat burning system ever created” to achieve the same confidence in their appearance that bodybuilders feel every time they step in front of a camera.

And no matter how long they had struggled, Audrey, Tim, Brian and thousands of others achieved these startling transformations with these same “bodybuilder and fitness model” secrets.

Now, there’s one key factor that everyone who follows this system has in common with the most successful, photoshoot-ready bodybuilders and fitness models alive.

I have to warn you, it’s a story that’s a bit embarrassing to share…

Yet it’s a story you absolutely need to hear, because many of my clients tell me it gave them an “a-ha moment” that quickly allowed them to burn more stubborn fat than they imagined possible before…

…and I certainly wasn’t winning bodybuilding contests or getting praised by Oprah Magazine as “honest” about what it really takes to lose weight.

Heck, first I had to be honest with myself…

You see, I was never seriously overweight as a kid, but by the time I was a freshman in high school, I was getting pretty chubby around the waist…

Worse still, I was embarrassed to take my shirt off in public because I had what I thought was the worst affliction a warm-blooded male teenager could have: “Man boobs” – a fat saggy chest.

…and when we played basketball in gym, I prayed I’d be called for “shirts,” not “skins” so nobody would see my “moobs” and ab flab jiggling up and down the court.

At 14, I started lifting weights (those guys in the magazines didn’t seem to have an ounce of fat on them), and by senior year, I’d packed on about 25 pounds of muscle… yet the whole “getting ripped” part kept eluding me:

I still couldn’t take my shirt off in public without wishing I would disappear… let alone see the abs trapped under my belly fat.

Perhaps you can relate to this feeling of feeling trapped inside a body that’s just not doing what you want, no matter what you try… and thinking your frustration just can’t get any worse…

I went away to college, and quickly discovered I wanted to become a fitness major… but I also discovered beer, pizza, and cheese burgers and went hard at work on the classic “freshman 15″…

I just laughed at myself right along with the guys who were making fun of me, even though the truth is, I was silently humiliated.

It wasn’t until my buddies at the gym made me commit to stop just “talking” about being a bodybuilder and train for a contest that I finally put down the texbooks and the magazines… and got serious about figuring out what these guys were doing right…

Because they certainly were doing something to get lean and ripped that I wasn’t – one of them had just won a “Mr Teen America” title, and had a body just as impressive as that title sounds…

So I started eating and working out in a certain way – and it was pretty clear I was finally onto something…

… because this “contest training” was by far the most effective program I’d ever tried. It worked SO well, I even placed in my very first contest… and WON my second contest the very next year, at just 21 years old.

Beer belly? Gone. “Moobs?” Nowhere in sight…

It felt like redemption.

Maybe you’ve seen that old ad where the skinny kid gets sand kicked in his face by a muscle-bound bully, then gets in shape and beats the bully up? That’s kind how I felt…

Because not only was I now truly “ripped” for the first time in my life..

It was like getting to tell the whole world, “Remember that kid from gym class with the manboobs? Well, have a look at this!”

Now, I’m NOT telling you this story to brag or hold myself up as some kind of “poster boy.”

There are literally thousands of my client’s stories that are more inspiring than mine…

Stories from ordinary men and women who have no interest in entering a bodybuilding contest, yet used this same “bodybuilder science” to achieve massive results…

People like Bonnie and Mike…

“My Goal Was To Be a “Hot Mom At 40,” And I’ve Achieved It. I lost 23 Kg’s and 12.5% Body Fat!”

“I’m a 40 year old mom of 3, ages 11, 6 and 4. Before, I was 85 kg and 36.5% body fat, size 40. I was fat and miserable. My family life and relationship were suffering. My husband knew someone who did Burn The Fat and it changed his life, so I tried it too. I lost 23 kg’s and kept it off ever since!”

– Bonnie VanNiekerk, Burn the Fat Client

“I Lost 137 Pounds! It Changed My Entire Life!”

“I used Tom’s BURN THE FAT program to lose 137 pounds, but it also changed my entire life and the life of my family. The goal-setting and mindset part of the program also helped me achieve emotional, physical and financial goals I never thought possible.

– Mike Ogorek, Burn the Fat Client

Rather than “smaller versions” of the same old body shape – their bodies take on a whole NEW shape…

And it’s because the one thing all these stories have in common with mine is the one secret hardly anybody besides natural bodybuilders and fitness models knows, or will tell you, about getting a lean, sexy body…

It’s the difference between struggling to “diet away” unwanted fat… and quickly, efficiently burning it.

Here’s why holding onto your muscle while you burn fat is so important, even if you have zero interest in looking like a bodybuilder:

Even though “diet gurus” and popular diet-industry books and magazines will never clue you in about it…

…it’s lean muscle that gives a great body its shape – a shape with all the curves and cuts where they’re supposed to be, and the stamina to do all the things you want it to do.

Just take a look at these bodies side-by-side and tell me what you see:

Pretty big difference, right?

It’s the difference I see all the time between “dieters” and “burners” who might look similarly “skinny” with their clothes on:

Yet the “burners” look great in a swimsuit (I’ll get to how in just a minute, so keep reading)…

… while the “dieters” still end up hiding under their clothes because even though they “lost weight”, they look soft and mushy with their shirts off.

This is exactly what you want to avoid… working your butt off to get thin… then having no butt… or worse, a droopy butt that looks even worse than when you carried more weight.

So why do you see so many more “skinny” people who look like the guy on the left, rather than the lean and toned guy on the right?

It’s not that the “lean and toned” folks pumped iron and packed on lots of extra muscle like a competitive bodybuilder would… The REAL difference is…

Yes, that means that if you burn fat the right way, you can “expose” the firm, toned-looking physique you already have, hidden beneath a layer of unwanted fat… if “dieting” doesn’t get to it first.

And this also means that if you lose fat the wrong way… the “diet industry” way… you might eventually become one of the “lucky” ones who manage to suffer through the torture and get “skinnier”…

But… to show you how bad it can get. I’ve had clients come to me for personal training who at a glance looked thin… BUT their body fat percentage turned out to be what you’d expect to see in somebody who’s visibly overweight, even obese.

One woman I tested was about 5-foot-7 and weighed 121 pounds on the scale… sounds good so far, right?

Then we got to her body fat: It measured an astonishingly high 28% – that’s 34 pounds of pure fat!

Now, I want you to imagine for a second, an arm bone with a one-inch pad of fat surrounding it, kind of like foam insulation around a pipe. That’s what her arm felt like… only the “insulation” was pure fat!

If you grabbed the back of her (very “thin”) arm… it was just one giant fat fold! Literally no palpable muscle at all, just bone and fat.

The fitness slang for this condition is “skinny fat”… and it’s gotten so common, there’s even a medical name for it:

Doctors call it “normal-weight obesity”…

and when they look at DEXA (dual energy x-ray absorpitometry) results or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scans like the one above…. they’re horrified!…

… because this means we have not one epidemic…

We have TWO EPIDEMICS: The obesity epidemic and the Muscle loss epidemic!

And the older you are, the worse the effects, because the older you are, the easier it is to lose muscle. Most people don’t know this, but losing muscle is one of the fastest ways to accelerate the effects of aging.

Because diets cause muscle loss, it’s not a stretch to say that dieting ages you faster.

With each new fad “diet”… you “diet away” lots of lean muscle, and just a little bit of fat. That’s the basic problem with “diets”: Every one you try is like taking one step forward and two steps back… so even if you “win” and “drop some weight”, you still lose!

And dieting danger goes beyond just looking “skinny fat”… because as bad as that sounds, ending up with the skinny-fat metabolism that goes with it is even worse.

As hyper-committed as bodybuilders are to burning fat… they avoid “diets” like the plague, and it’s not just that diets cannibalize muscle… they also damage your metabolism, making it harder and harder to burn more fat off, and keep the fat you’ve already burned from creeping back on.

That’s because typical calorie-slashing diets can’t fool your body… and the body’s response is automatic and unavoidable:

Decreased metabolism, hormone imbalance, sluggish thyroid, gnawing hunger pangs, low energy and “brain fog”… sound familiar?

Then, after a few encouraging pounds come off… just when you think all the suffering might have been worth it… you hit the dreaded, inevitable “plateau” where it just “stops working” and you end up gaining it all back just like the rest of the 95% of dieters who fail.

That’s right – if you’ve been trying to burn fat, one of your main enemies is… your very own bathroom scale.

You see the hypey claims every day: “LOSE 30 POUNDS IN 30 DAYS!” … “LOSE 10 POUNDS IN 10 DAYS!”…

These claims get people so focused on “moving the needle” on their scale… that if they don’t measure up on their daily “weigh-in”, their whole day is ruined!

Yet these “scale-watchers” never seem to manage to get rid of all their unwanted fat.

That’s because muscle weighs more than fat…

… and “diets” that pressure you to blindly “lose weight” without knowing where the loss is coming from trick you into sabotaging your figure and your metabolism.

So rather than putting your body through dangerous fads, body-wasting starvation diets, and frustrating “plateaus,” you get to look forward to a lean, firm, fit-looking body that’s strong in every way, and looks it too.

How can I promise you that? Let me properly introduce myself…

For the past 25 years, I’ve been involved in almost every aspect of fitness – personal trainer, nutrition consultant, fitness model, gym manager and best-selling author.

I’ve had the privilege of helping hundreds of clients in person, plus tens of thousands more online in the last 10 years alone.

In that time, my email inbox has never stopped flooding with incredibly inspiring stories from regular folks from every background, age and fitness level who have discovered the life-changing difference between “diets” that promise you’ll “lose weight”… and the way bodybuilders and fitness models burn fat.

And these same “ex-dieters” have continued to make all the Burn the Fat programs bestsellers every year, while countless “diets” and weight loss fads come and go, for no other reason than… The Burn The Fat System just plain works.

I’ve seen men and women aged 50 and older do it…

I’ve seen busy executives and soccer-moms do it…

I’ve seen people who were 100 pounds or more overweight and convinced “fat runs in their family” do it…

I’ve seen people in the worst, harshest conditions do it…

All of them are regular people with “average” or even “worse than average” genetics, not “genetic freak” bodybuilding fanatics, or celebrities with chefs and personal trainers.

And now that you know preserving your body’s lean muscle and metabolism is the biggest success secret bodybuilders use to burn fat while “diets” fail…

You’re probably wondering exactly how the thousands of everyday “Burners” who’ve discovered this system use it to strip off ALL the unwanted fat on their bodies, and feel great doing it…

So let’s dive into the specific “how to do it” tips I have for you today….

And this First Element has nothing to do with food or workout programs…

… yet if you’ve struggled to burn fat, this lesson will change your life so much that when it’s over, you’re going to want to share it with every person you love or care about.

Because the most successful bodybuilders, fitness models and athletes will tell you that the foundation of all your results comes from training your mind first.

That’s why the First Element of Burn The Fat has always been MINDSET…

I’m not talking about any kind of woo-woo “think-yourself-thin” mumbo-jumbo here… far from it.

I’m talking about “the science” of setting goals … and the psychology of achieving them.

I’m talking about reprogramming your mind for success, so that instead of fighting against cravings or forcing your self to the gym, your new healthy behaviors turn over to “auto-pilot” mode and all the healthy eating and consistent training that once seemed so hard is as effortless as tying your shoes or brushing your teeth.

I’m also talking about the power of visualization and re-making your self-image. You’ll never out-perform your self image. If you want to change your body on the outside, you must first change the image you hold of yourself on the inside…

Olympians, weightlifters, golfers, and other elite athletes have been hip to “mind training” since the 70’s, when the Soviets first revealed how they used these techniques to dominate in so many sports.

Bodybuilders are masters at this, and if you could get inside their thought process, you’d learn more about body transformation than you ever would by looking at their nutrition journal or training plan.

Countless clients and readers have told me that until they mastered their minds, they could never stay focused, stay motivated or stick with their program. After they mastered it, they were unstoppable!

Without fail, those who gloss over this at first and fail to get results, eventually realize the paradox that the biggest secret to physical change is mental change.

The Second Element of Burn The Fat is your right nutrition.

You might have heard the expression, “You can’t out-train a lousy diet”… and that’s 100% true.

Without the right eating plan that accounts for your individual needs and goals, everything else falls apart.

I’ll cover all the specifics and details of putting this plan together with minimum fuss in just a few minutes with you… so keep reading…

First, here’s a crucial tip about how bodybuilders and fitness models eat to get lean…

And it’s one of the most important tips I can possibly share with you, because it’s the total opposite of what every “diet” tells you:

Cutting calories is NOT the best way to burn fat.

That’s why, if you watch bodybuilders, one thing you’ll notice about them is that they always seem to be eating.

You see, while “dieters” eat as little as they can stand trying to get thin…

“Burners” eat early and often, because they know it’s the key to restoring and ramping up your metabolism into a fat-burning machine.

They simply follow the simple formula to determine how many calories their bodies need daily to maintain their current weight (the amount they’d eat if they didn’t want to drop or gain a pound)… and then cut that number by a modest 20%.

That way, you never unintentionally over-eat and store food away as unwanted fat… and you also never trigger your body’s “starvation response” by eating too little, so you never feel hungry.

In fact, many people tell me they eat more with Burn The Fat than they’ve ever eaten… yet they get leaner than they’ve ever been before (and some who under-ate before find themselves eating up to 50% more without storing an ounce of it as fat)…

After depriving themselves on diet after diet, they’re eating without guilt and feeling full, without the hunger pangs, cravings and “brain fog” they’re used to.

Now, you might be wondering… if bodybuilders use food to fuel their metabolic fire, where does the final FAT BURN come from?

Well, that’s where the final two Elements of Burn The Fat come in as a “deadly duo” to melt fat off your waistline…

… and those are your right cardio and strength training.

You see, “diets” do get one thing right: You DO need a “calorie deficit” in order to burn fat… in other words, you still need to use up more calories than you eat.

The difference is, with Burn The Fat, the “deficit” comes from exercise rather than food alone.

Unlike the “diet” strategy that tries to starve the fat, the bodybuilder strategy is to BURN the fat with increased activity.

Think of the third element – the right cardio – as a Fat burning ACCELERATOR…

But Burn the Fat is unlike any other program you’ve ever seen, because Burn The Fat Cardio doesn’t lock you into one type of exercise…

You don’t have sweat on a treadmill every day… you don’t have to jog… you don’t have to sit on a hard bicycle seat for an hour… you don’t have to do boot camps… unless you like them.

You see, the Burn The Fat way is not about what type of cardio you choose, it’s about how you do the cardio of your choice.

It’s a simple formula of duration X frequency X intensity combined with weekly micro-adjustments, that lets you dial your fat-burning UP or dial it DOWN (if you want to stop losing weight), with whatever type of cardio that makes you happy.

Couldn’t you lose fat, without cardio, with the right nutrition alone? Yes, but… that’s the long, slow, hard way, and there’s no telling how much muscle you’ll lose along with the fat if all you do is diet and you’re not using the fourth and final element…

The right strength training also burns calories and increases metabolism, so adding this fourth element is like getting a double boost in fat-burning, but here’s the real reasons to strength train:

Strength training is how you avoid getting “skinny fat” … or losing muscle when you’re in a fat-burning calorie deficit.

And remember – it’s lean muscle that gives a great body its shape – with all the right curves, and the strength to do everything you want your body to do.

Don’t worry – I’m not going to make you “pump iron” like Arnold Schwarzenegger or spend half your life at the gym – remember, this is designed for ordinary people with lots of other demands on their energy and time.

That’s why I’ve built perfectly balanced routines for every goal and level of fitness into the Burn The Fat Program, based on 25 years of experience training hundreds of clients in person and thousands more online.

Don’t worry about getting “bulky” or “too big”, either – believe me, there is no way you will ever wind up looking like a competitive bodybuilder by accident. It just doesn’t happen – not even for men, and especially not for women…

Of course, just like nutrition, there’s no such thing as a “one-size-fits-all” exercise plan, so I’ll show you exactly how to put your plan together and even adapt a workout you’re already doing if you want to, so please keep reading…

Alright, that was a lot to cover… You may be feeling a bit overwhelmed, and that’s okay. Basically, this means that..

PATH 1: Take the information I’ve given you in this fat burning tips report and try to “go it alone”… And who knows? You may see some success from this alone if you took really careful notes…

PATH 2: It’s what the vast majority of people who read this fat-burning report until the end choose… and it’s the quickest and smartest path to the body you desire and deserve…

Path 2 is one that’s been tested and proven again and again with clients at every level of fitness… whether they had a goal of losing a stubborn “last 10”, or 100 pounds or more.

The system I teach in Burn The Fat is the system I personally use, and it’s the ONLY system I know of that doesn’t try to put everyone in the same “box”…

And the main reason the original Burn The Fat has stood the test of time as a 10-year-straight bestseller while dozens of “diets” have come and gone is NOT because of me…

The credit for Burn The Fat’s continued success belongs with the over 300,000 clients, members, readers and customers in 152 countries who have succeeded with it… and proven over and over that Burn The Fat just plain works…

I’ve personally used it to stay as lean and “ripped” in my 30’s and 40’s as I was in my 20’s…

And many fellow “Burners” have even overcome disabilities as serious as being “handicapped with two bad hips, two canes, and bone on bone arthritis” to put these principles to work for them, like 61-year-old John Deegan…

BURNED: 34 pounds of fat, with two canes and bone-on-bone arthritis

– John Deegan, Burn the Fat Client

So even if your fat loss and fitness goals are nowhere near a world record… even if you’re competing with nobody except yourself… just by putting even a fraction of these hard-won secrets into action, you’ll start seeing results that will make you feel like stepping up on a stage and getting a medal.

I’ll take you inside The NEW Burn The Fat Program in some detail in just a minute, but first, I wanted to share with you…

These successful “burners” (below) followed the program during our 49-Day “Burn the Fat Challenge” contest that we run every year for our members (as a Burn the Fat member, you’ll be invited to these challenges too, if you want the extra motivation…)

“I shredded down to 4.3% body fat in 49 days”

“When I hit 30, I found myself with a belly for the first time in my life. I followed the Burn the Fat program and entered the 49 day Challenge; I had no idea how much it would change the whole rest of my life.

Staying in frequent contact with people in the Burn the Fat community, who were all heading in the same positive direction, made staying the course absolute. I will never have a belly again.”

– James Mauck, Burn the Fat Client

“I Achieved The Body I’ve Always Wanted! I’m Now 128 lbs At 17.7% Body Fat!”

“I learned an AMAZING thing: I love the feeling in my muscles, I love the burn, and I love the progress. The more my muscles popped, the more addicted I became to the training.

Another thing stood out to me: Food is integral. Don’t try to starve the fat. Fuel your body properly and it will perform better. It was like my body turned into a fat-burning, muscle-building machine.”

– Amanda Andrews, Burn The Fat Client

“My advice to anyone thinking about doing Burn the Fat is to make a commitment to yourself in writing and list all the benefits you will receive as a result of reaching your goal.” Don’t try to reinvent the wheel – the information and resources you need are right here, and the Burn the Fat community is amazing!”

– Gary Vollhoffer, Age 50, Burn the Fat Client

“I Lost 14 lbs, built some nice muscle, and went from a pant size 7/9 to a size 1! My husband and children can’t thank Tom enough for his healthy, natural, clear-cut program. If a home-schooling mom of five kids all under the age of eight can do it, anyone can!”

– Cynthia Cardenas, Burn the Fat Client

The Newest Burn the Fat program that you can get today is still based on the same bodybuilder-inspired nutrition and training strategies that I developed for personal clients, who expected, no – demanded – success, and those clients have been achieving success with these principles since 1989.

Only now, it’s even better…

In the early days, the only way to learn my system was to hire me in person, to train you one-on-one, in the gym.

Next came Burn the Fat private coaching, where hundreds of people did the program with me in person or long distance by phone or email.

Then tens of thousands more found this system though my Burn The Fat Inner Circle…

… And in the last 10 years, the Burn the Fat Program exploded, with over 300,000 people reading my Burn the Fat books.

A New, increasingly authoritative Burn the Fat Program has been fully updated and released in a never-seen-before online program.

This includes the new Burn the Fat Program together with the Burn the Fat Inner Circle, for total immersion in the community, and for online coaching from me.

The NEW Burn the Fat program delivers you the same fat-burning techniques my clients have used for years, and delivers it in 7 short and simple lessons.

I’ll get to the price (plus a crazy set of bonuses), in just a minute…

First, take a quick look at some of the fat-burning secrets you’ll learn in each lesson.

And that’s just a fraction of the step-by-step, actionable strategies included in the all-new online edition of the Burn the Fat Body Transformation Program.

When you order, you get instant access to ALL the Burn the Fat materials the moment you join, and I’ve broken the course into 7 steps in 7 days, so you’re not overwhelmed and I can walk you through each lesson, one day at a time.

The Burn The Fat 7 Day Body Transformation Program is just one piece of the total package. Now let me tell you about all the other bonuses you’ll get as well…

All the tools you need to make the program easy to follow are available at the click of a mouse: workout trackers, meal planner sheets, calorie calculators, protein, carb and fat calculators, Burn the Fat food data base, Burn the fat shopping list, Burn the Fat Progress chart Burn the Fat Goal Planners and more.

Amazing push-button software creates and saves your customized meals, daily meal plans, and recipes… lets you save foods, meals, daily meal plans and recipes as favorites… lets you add your own custom foods, and you can mix and match your custom meals and recipes into an unlimited number of daily meal plans, quickly and easily.

Forget about bland “rabbit-food” diets. Now you can enjoy our delicious, original recipes, all created and taste-tested by me first, before they were shared with our whole community of burners. Fast to make for busy time-strapped lifestyles, and no previous cooking experience is required. Who knew that eating clean and lean could taste so good?

To be absolutely certain that you will lose pure fat and not lean muscle, you’re also getting the e-book (New 2nd edition), “How To Measure Your Body Fat in The Privacy of Your Own Home.” Discover the simple 2-minute test to measure your own body fat at home and see why your body FAT is so much more important than your body WEIGHT.

With so much UNIQUE fat-burning truth packed into one single system, enough to shortcut years of struggle, you might think the New Burn The Fat program would be priced at a premium, and in all honesty… It really should be.

But my goal from the very first day I made this New Burn The Fat system available to the public online was to make it available to as many people as possible… people I knew could benefit from the rare information it contains, yet couldn’t get it from me in person.

If I priced it too high, I realized that would leave many people with body-wasting “diets,” potentially health-ruining “supplements,” and outright scams as their only refuge…

And that’s not what I want for you.

I’ve seen what this system can do for so many people in person… seen its effects in the emails and photographs sent in by people I’ve never even gotten to meet face-to-face… and I deeply believe you deserve better.

I want you to have the best, and I want you to experience it now, today…

To get started now, just click that yellow button below that says “Add To Cart” for instant access to the program (And of course, 100% of your investment is risk-free starting today – I’ll explain in just a second).

Get started now and as an extra bonus gift, I’ll include access to the entire Burn The Fat Transformation Success Secrets library.

These audios will be available in the Burn The Fat members area and you can listen to them online or download the MP3’s to your ipod or music player so you can listen in your car, while you work out, or anywhere

In these audios you’ll hear me as well as dozens of the Burn the Fat Transformation Champions – some of the men and women you saw right here on this web page – reveal their secrets to their remarkable before and after photos.

All together these audios contain more than 40 hours of motivation, education and inspiration that you can listen to any time, anywhere.

Again, this bonus gift is absolutely FREE.

And like I mentioned a minute ago,

In just 7 days, you will know all the secrets of the leanest people in the world. Then, all I’m asking you to do is put what you’ve learned to use. Try the system for up to 60 days.

If you don’t experience everything I’ve told you about and more in those 60 short days…

If you dont see your first results in your first week, and then keep burning off fat each week after that, week after week, I’ll gladly refund every penny you paid. No questions asked, no hassles.

Look below and click on the yellow button that says “Add To Cart” to start the 7 day program and claim all your bonuses now!

PS. Remember, the next 7 days will quickly come and go, and at the end of them, you can either be feeling just as unsatisfied with your body as you are now, or just as confused and overwhelmed about the right way to start, or…

The choice is simple. Still… I’ve noticed that nearly everyone I meet has a reason they want to put it off:

They’re waiting until New Year’s when the holidays are over, or after the kids start school, or the first day of the month, or after final exams are over, or whatever – there’s always some excuse to procrastinate. PLEASE don’t wait!

If you know you’re ready…

… if you’re at that point where you want to start the rest of your life today so that you can be a new person… leaner, healthier, full of energy, full of life, more fun, looking good, getting compliments…

… if that sounds good to you, then click the “Add To Cart” yellow button below, and let’s get you started now!

Q: Do you really answer questions and give personal coaching on your site? How do you find the time?

A: Yes, I really answer your questions on the Burn the Fat private forums and I spend many hours doing it. I don’t spend much time on social media, so I have more time for our members. However, I can’t guarantee this forever. This program is new and once word spreads, and it gets super busy, I’ll either have to cap membership, raise the price, or have Burn The Fat certified coaches take over for me. So if you’re interested in getting personal advice straight from the program creator (me), now is the time to get onboard.

Q: Do I have to take any supplements?

A: No. Most supplements are scams, some can be dangerous and the few that have scientific support have such a small effect, you would get more results just by doing a better job with your eating and training. You don’t need any supplements to burn fat or build muscle and you’ll never see ads or promotions for supplements in our members area (I don’t endorse or sell supplements and never will).

Q: Do I have to join a gym or buy any equipment?

A: You DO need some kind of resistance training because that’s the key to revving up your metabolism, sculpting lean muscle and keeping the muscle you already have. But you don’t need expensive machines and you don’t have to join a gym – you can work out at home if you prefer. The beginner workouts can be done with nothing but free weights (like dumbbells) and your own body weight as resistance.

Q: I’m not a bodybuilder – will this program still work for me?

A: Yes. The program was developed BY a bodybuilder, but it’s not just FOR bodybuilders. Think of it this way: Bodybuilders are the leanest, most muscular people in the world, so if you want to get leaner or more muscular, who better to learn from? I designed the program so you can use bodybuilder and fitness model techniques to reach your own personal goals, whether that’s building muscle or just toning up, losing 100 pounds or the last 10 pounds, getting ripped or just getting leaner than you are now.

Q: Does the program work as well for women as men?

A: Yes, in fact our membership is now more female than male (53% women and 47% men in our last survey). Women have different needs and the program gives you the exact calculations for the female metabolism (there are separate calculations for men). The workout programs work equally well for men and women (women need muscle too, most women simply want muscle tone, not muscle bulk).

Q: I just turned 54. Am I too old to start this program? Please be honest Tom.

A: Honestly, you’re too old NOT to get started. The science shows that college-age kids don’t have to worry about hormone levels and muscle loss – getting in shape is easy for them. From your 30’s to 40’s and beyond, when hormones and metabolism start to change, if you don’t eat the right food and get the right exercise, your muscles (and bone density) disintegrate faster with every passing year, while fat goes on easier. Age 35-55 is our biggest member demographic and more people are joining us after 55 than ever because that age group is finally discovering how crash diets accelerate aging while training and feeding the muscle reverses aging.

Q: I can’t eat wheat or any products with gluten. Can I still follow the nutrition part of the Burn the Fat program?

A: Yes. Gluten intolerance is common and you can easily work around it. The food choices are flexible and substitutions are easy.

Q: I’m lactose intolerant. Can I still do the Burn the Fat nutrition program?

A: Yes. Lactose intolerance is even more common and it’s also easy to work around it. Dairy products are optional on this program.

Q: Will this work for vegetarians?

A: The program is very easy to adapt for semi-vegetarians who eat dairy, eggs and or fish (no meat). The program was not designed specifically for vegans but can be adapted for vegans as well, as long as you’re able to customize your own meal plans based on which foods you eat.

Q: Will this work in my country? I’m worried about not having the foods required where I live.

A: Yes. We have thousands of members in over 150 countries and you can adapt the food choices to work wherever you live.

Q: How can I be sure it’s safe to order online from your website?

A: Our checkout page is on a secure server, we are a Verisign-trusted site (confirming our identity, location and virus-free status), we’re A+ rated by the NJ Better Business Bureau and our Burn the Fat company has been trusted online since 2003 with a reputation for integrity.

Q: How do I log in to the member’s area and how soon will I be able to start after I order?

A: Just click the “ADD TO CART” button below. You’ll be directed to a secure order page. After you submit your payment details, you’ll be forwarded to the new member registration page on the member’s-only (Inner Circle) site, where you’ll be asked to choose your private user name and password. You can then log in to the Burn The Fat members area and start just minutes from now. You get instant access to the member’s area. Click the yellow ADD TO CART button below to get started:

HOW PRODUCTS ARE DELIVERED: This is an all-digital (internet) product. Burn The Fat Inner Circle is a private membership website that you access online with a user name and password that you’ll choose on a registration page after you sign up. All the products, services and bonuses are delivered in the member’s area. No physical products will be shipped. You get instant access to the website right after you order.

* TESTIMONIALS AND RESULTS DISCLAIMER: Results shown in our testimonials may not be typical. Photos shown on this page are among our best case studies and transformation contest winners. Typical weight loss is 1 to 2 pounds per week. In overweight individuals, weight loss of up to 1% of total bodyweight per week is more common. Faster weight loss in the first 1-2 weeks is common but is usually water weight loss, not body fat. Faster fat loss is possible, but not likely. This is NOT a fad diet or rapid weight loss program. Burn the Fat is a healthy lifestyle program and a long term approach to body fat reduction and maintenance. Permanent weight loss requires long-term lifestyle change and cannot be guaranteed. [More info about typical results and Burn the Fat challenge results]

| Contact | Testimonials & results disclaimer | Health & Medical disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | | Affiliates | Affiliate Agreement | Fat Loss Articles | Free Mini-course & newsletter |

Click here to get Burn The Fat Body Transformation System – Tom Venuto at discounted price while it’s still available…

All orders are protected by SSL encryption – the highest industry standard for online security from trusted vendors. Burn The Fat Body Transformation System – Tom Venuto is backed with a 60 Day No Questions Asked Money Back Guarantee. If within the first 60 days of receipt you are not satisfied with Wake Up Lean™, you can request a refund by sending an email to the address given inside the product and we will immediately refund your entire purchase price, with no questions asked.

#Body #Burn #Fat #System #Tom #Transformation #Venuto