#said Scarlett to the top of her lungs

[saedii-gilwraeth-simp]

If you get around to it, Finlett angst, please? Have a good day!

as Olivia Rodrigo once said "god, it's brutal out here*

jk jk this ends waaaay better than my last angsty Finlett piece.

~~

*about 10 years after Aurora's End*

*Fin*

This time around, he had remembered to take his exosuit glove off when his wife went into labour. With Rory and Cat, he hadn't even thought about it, and Dariel cam too quickly to give him a chance. Both occasions had led to him needing to have the parts replaced to fix the crush damage Scarlett had done to them.

This time, he was ready with the metal parts off to hold her hand.

Scarlett was giving everything to this labour, her red hair stuck to her face from sweating, her teeth audibly grinding from the force. His hand was thoroughly squished, but she was giving life, so he doesn't mention it.

She was so powerful. He loved her so much.

Baby no. 1 came out with a force that almost sends her shooting across the room had the nurse not been there to catch her. He takes her away to be cleaned and Scarlett takes a couple of deep breaths as Fin kisses her forehead and brushes her hair back.

"You got this," he whispers and she nods once before meeting his eyes and bumping their foreheads together.

"Alrighty, Jones, one more," the doctor says and Scarlett braces for the next contraction. Fin squeezes her hand between both of his own.

Baby no. 2 takes her sweet time but in another two contractions, she's out in the world, yelling at the top of her lungs.

He turns to his wife to grin, to kiss her and tell her how wonderful she is, how grateful he is for her.

But the look on her face is wrong. Her blue eyes, normally so alive, are flat and almost confused, struggling to focus. Her hand has gone slack in his.

"Scar?" he asks, bringing his hand up to touch her cheek. Her hand moves as if to touch his, but it falls to the mattress below her. He knows something is wrong right before every bio-sensor starts blaring and his wife's eyes roll back and she passes out.

He barely has a second to yell her name before he is being pushed out of the room by the slew of doctors responding.

The curtains and door close, blocking him from seeing what is happening and his stomach drops like a stone, his whole world shaking as he just stares at the window.

He feels a nurse touch his shoulders and guide him out to the waiting room, where the rest of his Squad is, the air in the room light and relaxed until they see his stricken face.

Saedii seems to react first and takes over from the nurse, guiding him to a seat and crouching in front of him.

"Fin?" Saedii's question sounds like it's coming from a tunnel. "What happened?" She asks and he shakes his head, leaning down so his head was between his knees. No one speaks as a sob comes from his mouth. He feels a hand that might be Tyler's come to sit on his neck.

"She just- Scar passed out. The doctors didn't tell me anything, but something was wrong," he squeezed his fists together and braced himself to sit up. Saedii is still in front of him and she gives him her version of a comforting smile.

"She'll be okay. The Legion has the best facilities in the galaxy," Auri says from the seat next to him and pulls him into a sideways hug. He nods, trying not to let anyone know what is going on inside.

He looks up from his squad and sees his children on the seats opposite him. They are all asleep, cuddled together on the cushioned bench, all three perfect combinations of him and Scarlett.

"We can't lose her," he whispers, standing shakily and walking over to sit on the bench next to his children. Careful not to wake them, he shifts Dariel onto his lap and moves Rory and Cat to rest against his side, running a hand through Rory's blonde hair.

He looks down at his children through eyes blurred by tears. His children couldn't lose their mother so young, the babies in the nursery couldn't grow up without ever meeting the warmest, kindest, most loving mother in the galaxy.

He doesn't know how long they sit there in silence but it feels like a lifetime before the doctor comes and sits on his other side.

"Legionnaire De Seel," she says gently and he turns to look at her. She gives him a little smile.

"Your daughter's are both in the nursery for whenever you want to see them," she says first and he nods.

"And Scar?" the doctor's eyes shift into a sympathetic look he knows too well and his stomach drops further.

"As far as we could get her, she's stable. She is, however, comatose. We don't know when she'll wake up," the doctor says and Fin feels like he stops breathing. "You can come see her now if you'd like," she says and Fin nods.

Auri steps in and takes Dariel from his arms, Saedii taking his place on the seat so his daughters can keep sleeping. He stands and wipes his shaky hands on his pants as the doctor leads him to a room.

He wants to burst into tears at the sight of Scarlett. She is pale and quiet in the bed, hooked up to a million wires and electrodes. She looks worse than she did after their DM storm experience. He sits in the chair next to her and reaches out to brush back a strand of fiery red hair from her forehead and takes one of her blessedly still warm hands.

"Can she tell I'm here?" he asks.

"We believe so. We recommend talking to patients like hers," He nods and hears the doctor leave the room.

"Hey Scar," he whispers. "You gave me a real scare back there. I think we need to limit ourselves to one emergency each in a lifetime, don't you think? So we've both had one and now you have to wake up and never scare me like that again, okay?" he pleads.

The only response he gets is the slow beep of the EKG machine.

~

"So kids 4 and 5 are doing great, hitting the right milestones for a couple of days old. They're- uh what's that phrase you Terran's use? cute as buttons!" Fin snaps his fingers as he remembers it. "...so you should probably wake up and see them," he says, getting no response from Scarlett.

He presses her hand to his forehead.

"The other kids are missing you. Turns out, Ty's bedtime stories aren't nearly as good as yours," he says, watching her face.

"Scar, they need you. I need you," he whispers, voice cracking. "This isn't going to be how you die, it can't be after everything," he says, stroking her hairline. "You're so strong, Scar, you can't just give up now. We still have a life to live together, galaxies to explore, babies to raise. I don't want to do it with anyone else but you," he can feel the tears dripping down his cheeks as he speaks. He stands and leans over her, his face close to hers.

"I know I don't give you orders normally, but I'm giving you one now, Jones-De Seel. You are going to fight, Scar, and you are going to wake up. And while you get your shit together, I'm am going to go check on our children," he orders, voice quiet but firm.

He kisses her forehead and then stands to his full height, wiping his eyes and leaving the room to check on his daughters.

~

"Is mumma okay?" Rory asks a week later, while she watching her newborn sisters squirm in their cribs. Fin tries to give her a reassuring smile, although it's probably lucky she can't see him from where she sits on his lap.

"Well, Rory, she worked really hard to bring your sisters here and she was really tired, so she is still sleeping," he says, trying not to let her catch on to his upset.

"When is she going to wake up?" Rory asks, looking up at him with those night-dark contacts. "She didn't sleep this long when she had Dari," Fin purses his lips.

"I don't know when she will wake up sweetheart," he admits and Rory frowns, turning back to the baby in front of her.

"If Mumma doesn't wake up, what happens then?" she asks eventually and Fin squeezes her a little tighter in his arms.

"I don't know. But no matter what happens, she's always gonna be with you and I'm always gonna take care of you, Rory," he assures her. She seems to take this as an acceptable answer and they sit in silence.

"Can I see her? I want to tell her about what Aunt Saedii taught me yesterday," Fin considers his daughters question.

"Okay, but you have to be gentle with her," Rory nods furiously and turns in his arms so he can pick her up properly. He stands with her in his arms and they leave the medbay nursery to head down the hall where Scarlett is laying, still looking like she was sleeping.

He places Rory on the bed near Scarlett's legs but the three year old climbs up the bed to lie next to her mother's ear.

Rory sends him a look and then leans into her mother's ear and starts whispering, so quiet Fin can't hear what she is saying. He sits beside them and watches them. Other than her eyes, Rory looks just like her mother and the pair together always makes his heart squeeze with love.

Right about now, his heart is squeezing in an opposite way. The thought that Scar wouldn't wake up, that Rory and her siblings would have to miss her their whole life, that hurt more than he could think. Hurt him to know that he could never replace her and that he likely could never live up to what his children needed.

Rory seems unaware of his crisis, continue to whisper to her mother conspiratorially. Fin picks up Scarlett's hand and wait for his daughter to run out of stories about her week with Uncle Ty and Aunt Saedii.

He doesn't notice the change in the beat of the EKG until her hand is tightening around his own. He looks up, hoping he is not just dreaming.

Scarlett's eyes were open, her head tilted to the side to press noses with Rory.

"Scar," he gasps, wanting to laugh and cry and scream with joy. Her head turns to look at him. Her eyes were tired, but focussed. He smiles so hard his face hurts and then leans down to kiss her, pouring everything he has felt over the past fortnight into her, knowing she understands when her hand squeezes his.

"Fin," she responds when they finally pull apart, smiling until a thought seems to dawn on her, "the babies?" she says and he caresses her face.

"They're perfect," he reassures her.

"Not as perfect as me," their daughter interrupts any response Scar was about to say. Scar chuckles and hugs Rory.

"Of course not, sweetheart, never," she grins and lets Fin rest his lips on her brow, thanking the Maker for listening to his every prayer.

~~

This got away from me a bit.

Also, this was the last angst prompt in my inbox so it's all uphill from here.

#aurora cycle #scarlett jones #finian de karran de seel

[delulu-with-wandanat]

When I see people from all sorts of backgrounds: incels, feminists,... yell from the top of their lungs about how Natasha Romanoff is sexualized & an eye candy. I assume that must be a very prominent part of her characterisation but then when I revisit her whole screentime, I can only think of : the suit not it's tightness all superhero suits are tight but the below average lower zip, don't come at me but didn't Wanda's suits in EG, IW,CW & lowkey AOU kinda accentuate her chest not to mention every Spiderman's suit accentuating his dick, I didn't see anyone reducing their characterisation to how they were physically represented. There are also 2 ass shots in IR2 &CA:TWS done for "surprise" effet which shares with her Steve in A1 & EG where there's a running joke about his ass and everyone got over those minutes where his ass was focused. There's that photo (in lingerie) that appeared on Tony's ipad? for like 0.1second but isn't that reasonable considering she is an undercover spy on a honeypot mission? I might also add that backseat car scene in IR2 is kinda understandable I mean it's just her changing her clothes and we can only get glimpse of Scarlett's bra and leg for fucks sake why are people acting like we got full minutes of Scarlett's naked body for no fucking reason? We are talking about a character with very loose (not in that slut shaming way but in morally gray/complex way)views on everything including where/how to change, what to do in her missions,... Her undercover time in IR2 is literally the embodiment of that statement "Natasha is comfortable with everything" that is said by Nick to Steve. This honestly an aspect of hers people overlook &is remembered only to describe her as the team's slut, a pass around who has no values. There's also that 1 scene in AOU where Bruce falls from what I don't remember" on her boobs I get it it was unnecessary but if people just for a second ignored their hatred for brucenat this scene can be overlooked if it was done in a way that makes it spontaneous and reasons why exactly Bruce would fall on nat instead of elsewhere, plus it's just 1 scene. It's sad that even her fans start by "even though she's so sexualized, I like her". I just want to know where is this grand sexualization to a point it's constitute part of the character. I know she was sexualized in a way, that fucking lower zip always drove me insane like ZIP IT UP WOMAN but she got a total of 3:45 min screentime, it's stupid or maybe very telling of the people's part if her unzipped suit is the most memorable of those nearly 4 hours. I honestly think it's because Scarlett is a hot woman with ample chest & those misogynist dudebro nerds only cared for her body & treated as an eye candy and refused to acknowledge her effectiveness then others just believed in the loud notices, it's like circular victim blaming.

I get ur point, but i think its good that ppl point this out so studios will stop with the unnecessary shots on female characters. And maybe actually put more efforts on building their story and their arc.

A character can be sexy and loose in a non sexualized way. They can be sexy spy without having to appeal to men or to anyone. I don’t think ppl meant to reduce her character to how she was represented visually, rather theyre pointing it out.

Because if we don’t, she’ll just stay a side character that they use to uplift other characters. I mean look where we are now? All the og avengers had their back stories all fleshed out, they showed it on screen and we get an even deeper understanding of their character.

Albeit Natasha is not a side character, but how much do we actually know about her? How long did it take til she had her own solo movie? No disrespect to Captain Marvel, but she was the first female avengers to be introduced in the mcu. Why did it took her death to get her a movie? how much did we get to enjoy her story on screen? They kept talking about the infamous Budapest story, yeah Nat told us the story, but are u really fucking staisfied with that??

You see where I’m getting at?

Natasha is such an amazing character with an amazing story and complex personality, yet we barely get to see it. Instead of exploring her character they often use her to push another character’s arc. It’s stupid, it’s lazy, and honestly waste of potential.

I love ur take on that car scene where she changed her clothes. But in my opinion that scene could’ve been done in a different way, yet still showed her loose personality. You can tell the studio meant for that scene to appeal to men. Compare that scene, with her changing clothes in BW movie. See the difference? Same type of scene, shot in a different way, with a different mindset.

As much as i would love to brush off those scenes as part of her character, if we keep letting these studios go like that. They’re just gonna keep using great female characters as a tool to push the arc of male characters while disregarding her own story.

#vlake answers

[whatwouldvalerydo]

Summary: When a reporter gets too close to the Carnage Circus in order to be the first one to get a scoop on the latest female director, things get a little too complicated too fast. How can a pure soul win against centuries of disaster ?

Warning ⚠️: a lot of cursing, slight NSFW hints, blood, weapons

Phil Baker belongs to the fabulous and talented @flareshogwarts

Scarlett Tempest, the director of the most prestigious circus in history. On the anniversary of her tenth year as director, London is roaring as she is said to bring the circus to town then. She promises horror, magic, rides and entertainment like never before. And people would eat it up.

She had something for everyone, from the glamour lovers, to the horror-stricken souls, she adapted, relishing in the attention she received. She would arrive at a destination and take two days just to setup before opening the gates. She would travel by car inside, a private driver at her beck and call. Makeup artists and hairstylists would line up to present their portfolio and get a private audience with the golden eyed director.

A devilish woman inside her own little circus.

Not called Night, no longer Carnage, her changing the names whenever she felt like it. It added to the thrill, to the mystery, to the theme.

Each town would line up their reporters, them trying to convince her guards to let them in so they could take pictures and have an interview, but in the end Scarlett would always arrive, her minions setting a podium in front of them so she could look over the reporters, every time choosing just one.

Just like on every occasion she arrived via car, her private driver opening the door, Scarlett walking outside, cameras flashing even before she exited. High heels clicked on the small podium, lights on her, questions being addressed in a loud roar, words blending together. Her eyes checked the sea of reporters, finally landing on someone who managed to make his way to the front of the group. She could see his lips moving, however she could not make the words out, whispers filling her ears.

Smirking, she requested to be brought down, walking right next to the gate, her eyes locking with the journalist “Phil Baker miss Tempest from the London Pages. Is it true you cannot step outside the circus? Is it true that the police have ceased their investigations and passed their evidence to the FBI? Statistically speaking women are more calculated when it comes to committing murders, is it true that…”

Blinking, she extended her hand out between the bars, fingers grazing his chest, Phil stopping his onslaught of questions, breath suddenly leaving his lungs “You are coming with me. The rest of you can fuck off.”

Being led inside her car, he took out his phone, Scarlett placing a hand over it “I need to record.”

“It’s not how it works. I tell you what to do.” She saw him pulling away, Phil clearing his throat.

“Well then, I still need to write it down in order to quote you for the interview.”

She gave him a side look, Scarlett licking her top lip, then her bottom one “Quote this: I don’t give a fuck. Let’s play a game, make it fun. Tell me something about you.”

Adjusting himself in the seat, he looked at her “Well, I’m a reporter…”

“Skip.”

“What?” he asked perplex.

“I said fucking skip, make it fun, don’t waste my time.”

Crinkling his nose, he nodded “I have a blog.”

Rolling her eyes, she felt the car stop, but neither left it “Hope you don’t have one of those fucking cutesy blogs where you reblog gifs and quotes from stars then call yourself worthy. Because that’s sad.”

“Actually it’s about the circus and conspiracy theories.”

A laugh exploded from her chest, Scarlett throwing her head back “That’s even worse. But do tell me, what do those conspiracies say?”

He saw her leaning closer to her, her body as if giving out too much heat. He could feel it lingering, spreading towards his own skin “That you’re cursed.” Her eyes locked with his, Scarlett leaning even closer “That you need” his words failed him as she touched his jaw making him look at her properly.

“Fucking say it.”

Again that cute nose scrunch, Phil running a hand through his hair, turning his face away when she went to kiss him “Scarlett…”

“It’s director for you. You crinkle your nose every time I say the word fuck, why?”

Clearing his throat, he once more avoided her lips, heartbeat picking up, the space inside the car suddenly far too small for the both of them “Maybe I don’t like swearing.”

“Maybe you don’t like fucking, who am I to judge? Oh wait, I’m the director.” She teased “So what do I need?”

She finally gave him some space, Phil feeling as if he could not form a proper thought in her presence when usually he would rant, ask questions, get answers “Someone to save you.”

Laughter left her mouth once more, dark just like the lights dimming around them “Do I look like I need saving? I’m having the time of my life. Now tell me, do you know what you are?” the darkness spread around them, Phil blinking thinking he was seeing things.

“No, what am I?” Frowning, she looked over at her driver, snapping her fingers. He signalled with the headlights, the door on Phil’s side being opened, her bodyguards grabbing him “What are you doing?”

“You’re denied entry until I say so. Take him out of here.”

By morning when Phil entered the office, his boss already got the memo on how he was selected but also thrown out of the Circus within the first hour. That meeting wasn’t pretty. It resulted in Phil storming off, determined to get that interview and prove his boss wrong, but also he wanted to know if what he witnessed the day prior was real. Because it felt otherworldly. As if she wasn’t real, not like he was or what he perceived the world to be. As if inside her circus, she was queen and there was nothing to hinder her.

But also he needed to find the answer to her question “what was he?”

And his guess was as good as any. On the first days, she toyed with him, appearing wherever he was or wanted to sneak in through “You’ll have to do better than that Baker, this is my domain and I can sense you. No matter where you go, I see you.”

And he did not believe her, it was a game, a stolen smile behind the circus bars, a fleeting touch lingering more than it should. It was him traveling to other cities to get a glimpse of her and his blog blew up as he recorded every interaction.

Yet he could not get close to her and her darkness.

He had been thrown out more times that he could count, scared to death and beyond, had a gun or several other weapons pointed at him, but for some reason he could not even fathom fully, he was still drawn to her and the circus.

But when he decided to infiltrate the circus in the middle of a main performance, Scarlett requested for him to be brought to her directly, a fake smile shaping her lips “You do know I can swallow you whole Baker.”

“Doubtful.” He retorted, trying to get away from her bodyguards.

“My show before director was sword swallowing, trust me, I got this.” Her smirking when his eyes widened at the sudden innuendo “What do you want? You can’t get to me unless I want to.”

“I feel you too. I can be in the city, in my cheap motel and I can still sense you. Why?”

A heavy sigh left her lips, Scarlett ordering her men to let him go “Don’t do this. Trust me, you’re too lovely for this world. How about this? I give you an insight, backstage, tomorrow, you and me. But tonight you are mine. Then we can consider it done.”

“Deal.”

Pulling him closer to her face, her lips barely lingered against his as she whispered “Good.”

As the sun rose and started casting its rays through the thick fog, Phil Baker stepped onto the empty circus, silently making his way to the main gates, dressed in the same clothes as the previous day. Someone clearing his throat made him jump, Orion offering him a small smile “It was not my intention to startle you.”

Phil’s eyes travelled towards the sign above the man’s head, a small wave directed his way “Morning.”

“Would you be interested in a session?” Orion asked, his hand removing the curtain obscuring the entrance to his tent.

“Sorry, no. I need to go, running a bit behind as it is.”

Nodding his head, he offered to accompany him instead towards the exit “You will arrive just on time, we are never early or late, rather we are where and when we need to be.”

He found the idea silly as the question formed in his head, but Phil stopped in his tracks “I’m never going to see her after today am I?”

“That is up to you my friend. As opposed to you, the director does not have the necessary freedom, she goes where the wind takes her next. We are all but pawns and this is our board. You are on the outside, looking in.”

“Right.” He stated a bit confused by his words “What am I really to her? I don’t understand these feelings, this rush.”

“I can’t utter the words for you, but think of her as a doorway to another world, however the door needs something to get it opened.”

“I’m the key.” Orion nodding “But she said she doesn’t want to be saved, that she likes it here.”

Placing a gentle hand on his shoulder, Orion surveyed the terrain “That was before you were truly in play. The fates have an odd sense of right and wrong and there cannot be light without darkness.”

“But there can be just darkness.” Phil retorted feeling like the conversation was going in circles. If it was the influence of much more or the fact that he did not sleep, he did not know.

Removing his hand, Orion stopped at the main gates “You are correct. You will know what to do when the time comes and she will as well. She may be darkness now, but she’s starting to see the light.” Orion gestured to the terrain, the fog having almost disappeared, the sun shinning bright “And once the light touches you, there’s no going back.”

Turning to see if his car was still where he had parked it and intact, Phil asked “What do you mean?” turning back to the gates, Orion was no longer there, however he could feel as if he was being watched, a shiver running down his spine.

By nightfall the beautiful weather was no longer present, a dark cloud making its way above the city, heavy cold rain pouring down, but Phil managed to get the team and equipment intact on the circus grounds, a smug look on his face as he whispered against her ear “You didn’t say anything about a crew.” Scarlett smirking as she looked into his eyes, holding his gaze.

“Good job Baker, you got what you wanted. Hope you’ll be happy with the results.”

He found it odd when she actually stood in front of the camera and the lights, answering questions. He was allowed to film the entire performance, backstage and everything, a dream come true for any reporter. But when the performance was halfway through and he was checking the live footage, as the camera zoomed on the audience, he could see the straight faces in the crowd, their tense bodies and intense stares looking at the show, as if waiting.

And when Scarlett stepped back in the arena to announce the end of the show, he asked for the crew to focus on the audience, a few of them pulling out weapons, pointing them at her. He did not think, he did not even manage to form a proper thought as he moved from the monitors, running into the arena “Scarlett move!” she turned around confused, Phil pushing her out of the way, a single bullet hitting him, his body falling back, hitting the ground.

Scarlett’s bodyguards and crew circled them immediately, the crowd catching on as panic erupted.

Kneeling next to him, she closed her eyes, a sigh of relief leaving her lips seeing as he was just hit in the shoulder. As she opened her eyes, darkness erupted “Fine, let there be carnage.”

The tent shook as she got up, lights going out one by one as she spoke, anger lacing her voice.

“You simple minded people. I was here, I have always been here for a decade and you did what? Nothing. Until what you considered the last moment you did nothing.” She knew it was because the key presented itself, she knew it was the only reason for the attack, for them coming out of the shadows “Well, this isn’t the curtain closing. Oh no, I was never stupid like the others..” Another shot was heard, one of the performers falling to the ground, her laughing “Did you actually think I had only one second in command? No. And to make this even more fun for you fuckers, yes, I do love him and I will give you the best performance yet.”

Staring at the remaining people, she noticed Anthony King “You had a son, tell me, where is he now? Did you go after him?”

“His contribution to the cause is no longer needed.”

Scanning the faces, she looked at Angela, Scarlett rolling her eyes “Of course, you, the shinning light of the circus, spending all eternity to break the curse once and for all. Well here’s something. I don’t want eternity for him and me, I want passion, I want now, the present and then as many years as they come. I offer my eternity in exchange for something else.”

Helping Phil to his feet, she held his hand, looking in his eyes, him nodding once as if understanding, or agreeing with her, Scarlett did not know then and there.

Looking back at Angela she pointed a finger at her “I nominate you, I nominate you all who thought escape was possible one way or another. I bring you all back, with your rotten keys and your stupid destinies. You wanted to break the curse, well here’s your fucking chance. Keys and directors, all in one place.”

Dark smog filled up the tent, from within it screams being heard. Guiding him through the darkness, Scarlett stepped outside of the circus with Phil, both looking back as the main tent collapsed onto itself. In the distance, her eyes locked with Orions, him shaking his head as a heavy sigh left his lips.

What would come would be darker than everything any of them witnessed.

And this time he needed to be prepared.

The fates had a funny way of doing things, but this time, he needed to tip the scales.

#circus au #scarlett tempest #phil baker #temper #hpma oc ship #angela king #orion amari

[theevill]

@duttongirl​ said: [ GROUP ] for both our muses to wake up,  bound and about to be tortured.  ( for aaron ! 😳 )

from some old ass meme i reblogged forever ago! 

                        It was dull at first, the throbbing pain in his body that seemed to sing with every thump of his heart beat he heard. It rung in his head like the first prize bell at a fair and echoed into each nerve without warning. His skin felt tacky and too tight as if being stretched over his own bones and muscle was too much to bear and he was suffocating. His head was swimming only briefly allowing him glimpse of the surface from a distorted underwater glass and it made his guts churn. It was dark, why was it dark? His mind clawed at the brief moments awake desperate to latch onto something and keep himself there, but it was hopeless. He didn’t know how much time had passed since his last surfacing, until everything became too sharp all at once. His nose curled in disgust at the sudden obnoxious smell that flooded his sinuses and throat; wrenching forth a thunderous chorus of coughs that made his chest feel hollow and dry. It was still dark, dark and muggy with a heavy stench of mildew. One that sat on his tongue and made him grimace at the taste, the smell was enough to curdle milk. 

                        Toes flexed carefully as his eyes began to focus, blurry, crisp, blurry then crisp before it remain just slightly out of focus in the darkness around them. Calves flexed next sore as if he’d ran twenty miles straight through the back woods of their farm, taking on the hills and small over hangs like he did when he was young. Each muscle awoke and moved before he was taking a shallow breath and coughing once more, his gaze looking about the dull and sun room. Piecing together what looked like a concrete wall, a single chair, a table, and a small port window placed at the very top of said wall meeting the ceiling. He didn’t recognize this place, that entirely wasn’t a first for him; but the dread easing its way into his system tempted him to pay careful attention. It was hot and stiff, the air almost a solid force of its own when he tried to shift upward. Two things occurred that firmly sat him still, a weight seemed to cling to his back as his left arm seared and yowled in agony. Stealing the very wind from his already patched lungs, his eyes wide in feral terror gaze down at the black bruise forming along the curve of his upper arm. It looked like a diseased splotch that spread and thrummed with a pulse, one that made itself eagerly known. It shorted the scream on his tongue and snuffed it out like a cigarette, a weak whine stealing from his throat in its place.

                          What the fuck happened? 

                         The question echoed and echoed but an answer never surfaced, his ears roared with every sound it could cling too before it stuck to one. Breathing. Not his own, that was shallow and quickened by pain. This one was deep and slow and steady, drawn in with a soft release at the end. Eyes blinked in a desperate attempt to to seek out the source, to find it and know who or what else was in this place with him when a flare of gold stuck out to him. Blonde if he were correct; that fell forward in thick curls over a low hung head. Not but a few feet away and with the cold dread of reality slipping up his spine, he knew who he was looking at. Scarlett. His mind short circuited, fried at the every resounding fear and understanding as he continued to stare. The chains, the bars, the uneasy feeling that this was not a dream — it made him sick.

                        Teeth ground together as he forced himself to shift, nudging his own ass against the stained concrete to try and turn toward her. To warn her, to tell her anything, to even see if she were still with him or if he was looking at a body. The last thought made his voice raise above a hoarse whisper, harsh and pushed through a meat grinder it slipped out. “B-b….baby….”

#. || AARON #. || ASKS #. || AARON DYNAMIC : SCARLETT DUTTON #MA"AM LOOK AT THE PAINYOU GAVE ME I RETURN IT TEN FOLD

[loorain]

Sims 4 Fontenot Legacy - It's Time

With another day passing and still no baby, Sabrina's doctor orders a C-section in order to get their baby out safely, so Sabrina and Scarlett make their way to the hospital.

First, Sabrina gets their epidural to prepare for the surgery. Scarlett soon joins them in their room, chatting with them and the doctor while they wait for the epidural to kick in.

Scarlett: Everything okay, Doc? Heart rate good? How about oxygen levels? Honey, do you need me to--

Sabrina: Mom, this time I need you to take a deep breath. Everything's okay.

Scarlett: Okay, okay. Hear ya. It's just, whew, it's real now! Are you sure you don't want Alton or Marquise here? I can always call them.

Sabrina: I think it'd just be awkward to have my two potential baby-daddies waiting on standby to find out if they're a dad or not. Just keep them updated on things like we discussed.

Scarlett: If you're sure.

Sabrina: I am. Less stress for me and the baby.

Dr. Lundy: Okay Sabrina, we're all prepped and ready to go! Are you ready?

Sabrina's face, which was initially cool, calm, and collected, suddenly shows all the worry and fear resting deep inside. Still, they collect themselves and find some resolve. There's no turning back.

Sabrina: No, but let's do this.

Sabrina is wheeled into the operating room with Scarlett not far behind.

Dr. Lundy: Okay Sabrina, the time has come! We're going to make the incision in a few moments. You should feel some pressure but no pain, but if you do just let me know, okay?

Scarlett: I'm right here baby. You can do this.

Sabrina manages a meager smile and nods in regard to the words said by their doctor and mother, and Dr. Lundy begins.

The process remains quiet for some time, Scarlett trying to keep a level head in order to make sure Sabrina doesn't get overwhelmed. Sabrina is mostly stoic, though on the inside they're freaking out. There's no pain like Dr. Lundy said, but they can still feel the pressure as stated. That's enough to get their heart beating just a little bit faster. They focus on breathing deeply in order to stay calm.

Dr. Lundy: We're almost through, Sabrina! Just one last bit... You're going to feel a lot of pressure for a moment, okay?

Sabrina breathes through this new round of pressure, feeling their body being pushed and pulled as their baby is taken out. Dr. Lundy lifts his arms, and Scarlett dares to lift her head and look over the curtain shielding them from what occurs below.

Scarlett: I see him!

Dr. Lundy pulls the little tyke fully out and places him on Sabrina's chest.

Dr. Lundy: And it's a boy! Congratulations!

Scarlett: Oh my goodness, Sabrina, look at him!

Sabrina looks down at their son in mild shock. After a marathon pregnancy, it seemed like this day would never come. Yet, here he is, screaming at the top of his lungs.

Sabrina: Oh my gosh... He's beautiful.

Scarlett: You did it, baby! You did it! I'm so proud of you! A grandson! Welcome to the world, my boy.

A smile creeps onto Sabrina's features.

Sabrina: A son. I have a son.

#sims 4 #ts4 #sims 4 legacy challenge #sims 4 fontenot legacy

[redspiderling]

Well, well, well. I hope she has a bigger role in this one than she did in her previous Wes Anderson film!

Because yes, Scarlett has worked with Wes Anderson before.

#hehehe #fuck Disney #said Scarlett to the top of her lungs #Scarlett Johansson #industry news

[azaleavi]

Memorable

Summary: the cast of Avengers: Endgame is asked to tell the most memorable thing that happened in all 10 years of filming and they all have the same thing in mind

Word count: 1.4k

Warning(s): knives, stabbing, blood (If you are not comfortable with any of this DO NOT READ)

Author's note: Why did i write this? I don't know. I just had this idea and I thought it was cool so I wrote it down. It’s not really a sebastian x reader even though i started writing it like that. I honestly don’t know what this is but here you go I guess lmao

Feedback is always appreciated and don't forget to reblog and like if you liked it and want to see more. Thank you!

Masterlist

"As we are at the end of a very long era, that was full of exciting events, what was the most memorable thing that happened on set? Out of all the movies" Jimmy asked the six of you, who were sitting on the couch. Your mind immediately went to one specific incident, that happened to you and it seems like all of your co-stars thought about the same thing as they all turned to you. You couldn't help the smile that formed on your face. "It seems like everyone has the same thing on their mind" the host pointed out, smiling.

"Yes, it looks like that" you spoke up.

"Y/N, could you tell us what it is?" he asked.

"I guess it's that one time I got a little hurt while filming Civil War." you let out a little laugh, knowing what the response would be.

"A little hurt?!" Robert almost shouted. "This girl here got stabbed with a real knife and wanted to finish her scene with the knife still in her side and she almost did if it wasn't for the other person freaking out" Jimmy's mouth hung open at that. Everyone knew you got hurt while filming, because production had to be stopped and it was all the news talked about for a few days, but no one knew the details.

"Okay. It wasn't that dramatic" you defended yourself. Robert had the tendency to oversell the scene." I just knew that I will be out of commission for a while after that so I knew I had to finish the scene." you shrugged.

"Okay, I think we need to hear the whole story" the audience screamed at Jimmy's words. You laughed at that.

"So this is how it went..."

-

It was one of the first days of working and you were filming the big fight scene at the airport. You were surrounded with huge green screens. Your character had a one on one fight with the Black Widow so you were getting ready for it. You almost always did your own stunts and this one wasn't an exception. It wasn't that hard either, just a couple of punches and it ended with Natasha stabbing your character. It wouldn't be fatal, but it would defenitely hurt enough to slow your character down for a while. You were streching as Scarlett's stunt double walked over to you. The others weren't in the shot so they just stood to the side. They always liked watching you in action because you were the sweetest person in real life but once you heard action it was like you were a completely different person. It was fascinating. And watching you do stunts was a spectacle in itself. You have been learning martial arts since you were a kid so it came easy for you.

"Get ready everyone, we start in a minute!" the director shouted. You smiled at Heidi, streching your neck.

"You ready to get your ass kicked?" she joked. It was always a pleasure to work with her.

"By you? Always" you said, getting into position.

"Ready?" the director shouted again, looking at you two. You both nodded" Okay. And... Action!" You immediately started thowing punches at her, following the precise choreography you learned. She blocked them well, but you still managed to land a few on her. At least that what it looked like to the camera. You slowly got closer to where the crew was standing, still fighting as hard as you could. Your enemy pulled out a knife from her belt and you jumped back as she tried to slice you. She missed a few more times and you turned so her back was to the camera, while you faced it. It was almost over, she just had to thrust the fake knife into your side and you had to act like it hurt. She lunged forward with the knife in her hand and stabbed you. You thought it would be hard to act like you just got stabbed, but it turnes out you didn't have to act at all. It hurt like hell. Why was it hurting so much? It shouldn't hurt this much. What was happening? The knife was a prop so the blade went inside the handle, but it didn't feel like that happened. Your eyes widened and your mouth opened in a silent scream. You backed away from Heidi and looked down. The knife was lodged in place and you felt something warm starting to trickle down your side. You heard a gasp from in front of you. You looked up only to see Heidi with her hands against her mouth, her eyes wide with fear. She turned around to the crew who had still no idea what was happening.

"Call an ambulance" the panic in her voice was enough to alert everyone. You put your hands on the knife, which, you finally realized, was a real one, and it was currently inside you to the hilt. You heard frantic speaking, but the words didn't register in your mind. It must be Heidi telling them what happened. Your eyes were stuck on the handle, you were unable to look away. You waited for the panic to set in, but it never came. Two legs appeared in front of you and hands touched your shoulders. You finally looked up, your vision a little blurry. Sebastian was standing in front of you, fear and panic clear in his eyes.

"Hey y/n, can you hear me? The ambulance is on it's way, they will be here any minute. You just need to hold out for a little longer, okay baby?" you didn't know if he was trying to calm you or himself down. You tried to smile at him, but it came out more like a grimace. In the frenzy of the situation neither of you realized he called you baby.

"Did the shot turn out okay? They can use it right?" you spoke and Sebastian just looked at you with wide eyes. How can you still worry about the movie right now?

"Yes it was fine, they can use it." in truth he didn't know anything about the shot, but he just wanted to keep you calm. One of the crew members brought a chair for you, but you didn't know if it was a good idea to sit down or even move from where you were standing. How your legs didn't give out yet, you didn't know, but you were glad you didn't collapse so far. You decided against sitting down. It was probably not good to move around. You grabbed Sebastian's hands and squeezed them. Him being there was giving you so much strength. Something you would tell him later, when he was sitting next to your bed while you were recovering.

In the distance you could hear the sirens of the promised ambulance. Finally. You didn't know how much longer you could keep standing.

The car stopped next to you and two paramedics jumped out to assess your situation. They brought out the bed and carefully laid you on top of it.

You had to get stiches in the hospital and you resumed filming a few weeks later when you could move around without the sharp pain in your body.

-

"So needless to say i couldn't do any stunts for a good while" you tried to lift the mood, that settled in the studio, with a joke. Sebastian, who was sitting beside you, snorted.

"Of course you couldn't. And I wouldn't let you either." he said.

"I think my stunt double is scarred for life because of that" you all laughed at Scarlett's comment. You talked it out with Heidi and you made sure she knew that you weren't blaming her. It turned out that the fake and real knives were mixed up and no one knew how it happened. There was an investigation, because it was way too dangerous for it to happen again and they put new safety measures in place. Nothing like that happened ever since.

"Everyone was panicking so much. I think I was the calmest person there and I was the one with a knife in my side" everyone laughed at that.

"I understand now why this is the most memorable thing that happened to you" Jimmy spoke.

"Yes we all have that memory engraved in our minds now" Chris added.

"And I have a cool scar from it too" you laughed.

#avengers #avengers fanfiction #sebastian stan x reader #sebastian stan x you #sebastian stan #fanfic

[scarlett-hamiltonf1]

The Prancing Horse

*This is my story on Wattpad and I thought I would bring it on here as well! My account is parisrockefeller and The Prancing Horse has 17k reads so far!*

Short: She's a princess of a small country. He's a formula one driver from that country. What happens when they meet or have they already met only to grow apart during a tragedy that shook their worlds.

Chapter 1

My name is simply Scarlett Rossi. If you want what the world calls me, then it's Her Royal Highness, Princess Scarlett Rossi of Monaco. Trust me, I hate the title, but it is my duty to accept whatever may come with it. My life has always been one of leisure, but with some challenges.

Our family has been struck by tragedy, one too many times. A very close family friend who was like a brother to me was killed in a race in 2014 when I was 15, now in 2019 it still haunts me. Soon after that my older brother was killed in a jumping accident, his horse fell on top of him and his spinal cord was crushed. This happened about a month after. It broke my mom's heart, I mean literally one day she had a heart attack, and a few days later she passed away.

That was three family deaths in a matter of months. Now it's just my father and I, with the weight of a whole country on our shoulders. Not that we don't have other family members to help, but we are the ringleaders in our circus.

After 2015 ended I came out as a new person, as the media says. I use to be so bright and bubbly, I turned shy and kept to myself. It is true though. Anyway today I have to do something I haven't done in years. I am going to visit my best friend at the Monaco Grand Prix and watch him race. After I present the winners with their trophies and photos. This year we are hosting a champions ball at the palace after the race for charity, so it should be fun!

I heard my alarm go off and hopped out of the shower. I quickly dried off and did make-up and hair while deciding what I was going to wear. I settled on the white high top converse, white ripped jeans, and a Mercedes t-shirt on.

"Ok," I said to myself as I walked down the back staircase of the palace and to the motor court. Romeo, my PA stood there by the black land rover with a smile on his face,

"Ready ma'am?" he asked holding out my Ferrari ray-bans.

I took them, "Duty before self." I said sliding into the passenger seat.

We listened to music and sang at the top of our lungs. Romeo has grown up with the family and is a Baron, but he decided to work for me since we were practically family. I looked at my reflection in the mirror, my straight jet black hair in a high ponytail framing my light brown skin and accenting my honey-colored eyes. My freckles around my nose seemed to tie up the whole princess look, which the media loved.

We soon arrived at the grounds and Romeo let me out as Media came trying to get pictures of me as I made my way back to the paddocks.

"Scarlett!" a British voice called and I jumped.  I saw the face of my closest friend smiling at me.

"Lewis Hamilton, what did I say about scaring the poor girl?" Toto Wolff said smiling to give me a hug as well. Lewis wrapped me in a warm hug, "I'm proud you came today." he whispered and I nodded. We talked for a while till I heard fighting, "Romeo if you don't let me in, I will run you over with my car!" an Aussie yelled.

"Honey!" I called.

"Badger." I heard in return and then footsteps. All of the sudden a mop of curly hair was in my face and I was getting twirled around. "Daniel Riccardo! Put me down!" I exclaimed through laughter and he obliged.

"What are you doing here!" he exclaimed.

"Oh well you know..." I trailed off when I realized if Daniel knew I was here everyone did. "He knows?" I asked softly and they all nodded.

"How about I take you, but on the way, we stop at my garage and you can meet the Dutch Devil," Daniel smirked.

"You are not setting me up with boys." I groaned as Daniel dragged me to through the pit lane. When we reached his garage everyone took off their hats and stopped work, to respect the crown. "Oh please none of that." I said quickly and they all smiled. "like what you've done around here Horner!" I called to him as he came around.

He smirked "Redbull is doing pretty good!" he exclaimed.

"Just not good enough to beat my teams." I poked fun at him.

"Touche Princess touche," he said and went back to work.

"Max!" Daniel called and I saw a head of blonde hair and crystal blue eyes poke out from behind a door.

"What's up?" he called jogging up in his suit that was halfway on, when his eyes landed on me they widened. "Your Royal Highness," he said softly taking my hand and kissing it.

"I forgot people who don't know you do that," Daniel muttered.

"Daniel here did not lie about you Princess, you are exquisite," he smirked.

A slight blush appeared on my cheeks, "Thank you Max, but please do call me Scarlett. Any friend of Daniel's is a friend of mine." I replied.

"Well as much as I would like you two to fall in love, we have to run along to Ferrari," Daniel explained dragging me away after I said goodbye. We walked in silence just taking in the race atmosphere. Soon we reached the dreaded garage, but the media was loving it.

"Sebastian?" I whispered and he was by us in seconds.

"What are you doing here," he whispered.

"I have to represent the Crown," I explained.

He nodded, "Well it's good to see you Rose." he said giving me a quick hug just as yelling could be heard.

"How dare she show up! The Princess of fucking Monaco! SEBASTIAN! Why the fuck does this have to happen and especially in my home country." a voice yelled and I flinched as heavy footsteps were heard coming toward us. Sebastian and Daniel stood in front of me, but I marched up in front of them.

"If only he could hear you now, swearing at me up and down," I whispered.

"Speak up I can't fucking hear you Princess!" he yelled.

"You need to let whatever unfinished business you have, go," I said softly and he got in my face.

"How can I let it go when you remind me of him every day you live and breath." he spat staring into my eyes.

"You tell me..." I said and whispered his name. "Charles."

*I only own Scarlett, Romeo, and other characters made up by me.

*Don't forget to comment and vote!!! Let me know what you think!

#f1 #formula one #charles lecrelc #charles leclerc x reader #max verstappen #sir lewis hamilton #lewis hamilton #lando norris #lando norris x reader #twitch quartet #daniel ricciardo #valterri bottas #sebastian vettel #kimi raikkonen #carlos sainz junior #alex albon #george russell

[bimboamyrose]

On the Scarlett Sea Part 2 / 2

A ~Pirate~ Metamy Fanfic - [Link to Part 1 & Synopsis]  - [AO3 Link]

In collaboration with @mmm-asbestos​ & their pirate Metamy AU Happy 2021 everyone  ❤ ❤ ❤

Part 2

There was no natural light to be found in Amy’s room even in the morning. The ship was incredibly quiet as it sailed on calm waters with its skeleton crew. This combined with the lack of any sort of alarm made it very easy to sleep- maybe too easy. CLANG, CLANG, CLANG! Amy had no idea what time it was and felt disoriented and started when she awoke in the dark, unfamiliar room. CLANG, CLANG, CLANG! The metallic pounding on the door would have sufficed to wake a village.

“Alright, I’m awake… Hang on…” Amy turned on a small desk lamp and stumbled through the dimly lit room to its door. Little more light entered the room. “Where…” she nearly missed the small robot that had awoken her until he tapped her leg. “Oh… which one are you?” she squinted.

“That would be H1.” Metal Sonic stood just down the hall with arms folded neatly behind him.

Amy turned her attention to him groggily. “Why did you wake me…”

“You’ve been in there for 16 hours. I thought you might be dead.”

She blinked at him incredulously. “What time is it?”

“About noon, local. Would you join us on the main deck?”

“Why?”

He stood stoically, looking apathetic. “Aren’t you bored?”

“Are you?”

There was no response from Metal except a mechanical scoff, as if letting out steam. He turned back upstairs without another word. Amy grumbled something under her breath and took her time getting ready with whatever she could find in the room. When she emerged, H1 was still standing guard in front of her door, staring up at her blankly. She stepped around him awkwardly, his gaze following her as she went. Okay, less cute...

The midday sun left Amy squinting on the upper deck. She found Metal Sonic standing nobly right at the bow, watching the seas ahead. Might as well…

Amy came up next to him, mimicking his stately pose. “I had to sleep in this dumb outfit, you know.”

“You really must stop being so irritating when I cannot properly roll my eyes at you.”

“Pft-” Amy tried to hide a snicker. This amused Metal. “So… No clue how far this treasure is, huh? I wonder how long it’ll take.”

“I estimate no more than 12 days; That is how long it takes to navigate to the border of this sea at our velocity.” He glanced down to find a grouchy look on her face. “But… may be quicker.” Unless it’s in a different sea entirely , he kept to himself.

“Great,” she sighed. “So, what do you plan to do for up to 12 days?”

“Hm…” Metal brought his thumb and forefinger to his chin. “... we could spar.”

She whipped her head around to face him. “Again with the swords? What’s with you?”

He shrugged “I learned about the art while researching pirates. I believe I’ve mastered it but I would like to try with a worthy opponent.”

Now it was flattery. He really was impossible to understand. “Well thanks, but I don’t know the first thing about sword fighting- and it sounds like you don’t, either.”

“I assure you, I know plenty ,” he challenged, looking directly at her.

“You can’t learn how to fight by reading about it,” she scoffed.

“Well, perhaps you can’t…”

She raised a brow. “You know, you’re really gonna have to get used to ‘organic’ limitations soon. Unless that’s not really what you want…”

Metal could see that the girl was still doubtful about his intentions. She was unexpectedly clever- he supposed exploiting her kindness would only go so far. Perhaps he should try to limit himself for the time being. “You misunderstand. I am capable of mimicking movements as part of my programming. I don’t usually use weapons and simply wanted the ability to defend myself once I gave up this body.”

“Right…” If it was a lie, it wasn’t a bad one. Maybe he really was bored. “So is there a way you could teach me without all the sharp bits? Something tells me only one of us would get injured, and I’m no mechanic.” A sly smile found its way onto her face.

Now that was an amusing reaction, he thought, if only because she was so quick on her feet. A low snicker radiated from Metal as he beckoned her away. “We shall use the prop swords… for now.”

The pair soon took to the main deck with its wide-open space. Amy did what she could to tie the ridiculous skirt up at her waist and out of the way. Then, Metal Sonic tossed her a cutlass which held a surprising amount of weight when caught. It looked just like a real sword.

“Uh, are you sure these are props?”

“They are real antique swords, but they have been dulled. I assure you they won’t break your skin… Unless I want them to.”

It was hard to tell if he was joking. Ignoring it, Amy jumped out, holding the sword ahead of her with her feet spread. “Well, this doesn’t seem so hard.”

“That is because your stance is appalling.” Metal came up next to her, demonstrating the “proper” way, his pose looking much the same as hers. Her confusion was evident as he described the stance. “Keep your back foot out at a 90-degree angle… sword arm bent at 45 degrees… your feet really should be 91 centimeters apart-”

“Okay, you need to stop throwing random numbers at me,” she pouted.

“Alright…” Metal dropped his sword. With his hands at his hips, he took another look at how she posed. Then he kicked her back foot into the right position.

“Hey! You could be a little more gentle, you know.”

“Very well,” Metal made an exasperated motion as he moved behind her. Amy tried to follow him with her eyes but he grabbed the top of her head and turned it away. “Look forward. Now…” He extended his reach around her, using his hand to lift her elbow slightly. She shuttered a bit at the cold touch. “Does it feel a bit heavier now?”

Amy cleared her throat. “Ah… Yeah, a little.”

“One more thing,” he grabbed her other arm by the bicep, pulling it back toward him forcefully. “Keep this behind you, unless you’d like to lose it.”

A slight gasp escaped her lips at the abrupt movement. She tried to remain unphased. “Okay… Now what?”

He pulled away and stepped to her side. “Try a lunge. Extend your sword.” Amy lifted her elbow, fully extending her sword arm forward. “Good. Now, push off with your back foot to lunge forward.” She did as instructed, jumping forward slightly. “Again- Keep your back foot at the correct angle this time.” Amy’s eyes rolled in her head as she tried the motion again, focusing on keeping her body aligned. “Better… Try it as one swift motion.”

Awkwardly, Amy pushed her sword hand ahead and propelled herself forward all at once, losing her footing slightly. “Ugh! Wait-” Taking a deep breath, she tried the move again. And again. And again. Metal patiently watched her determination as she became slightly better with each thrust. It was so amusing to see the sheer effort it took her. The 16th time was the charm, as she was able to lunge swiftly without losing her footing. “Ha! How was that?”

“... It was fine. Anyone can do it once, though,” he derided.

“Hmph. Let’s see how many more I can do, then.”

To his surprise, Metal didn’t seem to get bored with such basic practice. Her tenacity was enjoyable to experience and she took instruction well, even if she stumbled. Metal moved on to demonstrating how to parry and eventually had her practice the motions together. Around two hours into practice, he came up in front of her, pointing his sword. “Not bad. Why don’t you try to parry an actual lunge?”

“Actually, can we stop for now? I kinda haven’t eaten anything all day.” Amy stood naturally, holding the sword down in front of her with both hands. She went from threatening to sweet in a second.

“Oh- Yes,” he brought his sword down to his side. “Of course. And I should check that we are still on course.” She handed him her cutlass hilt-first but he refused it. “Try carrying it on you. I’m concerned you may forget it’s not as easy to summon as your usual weapon.”

“Pft- You’re concerned about me? That’s new,” she smirked.

“Do not confuse it with amity,” he said flippantly, walking off toward the helm. “You know where the galley is.”

“Whatever, weirdo…” Amy affixed the dulled sword to her waist by the side, undoing the ties that kept her skirt girded around her hips. How anyone got things done with such a cumbersome garment, Amy did not know. The choice of theme still didn’t make much sense to her.

-----

“That should do it,” Tails closed up a hatch on the ship’s engine. He gave the operator a thumbs-up and before anyone knew it, the loud humming and rattling indicated that it was once again fully operational. Some of the crew hung around, cheering, as one of the cameramen leaned in close to the boy.

“Color me impressed.” Rouge sat atop a stack of crates watching the operation. She now wore a much more official-looking fitted navy pantsuit and captain’s hat. “All fixed in under 24 hours! Any chance you’d like to become a permanent member of the crew?”

“Thanks, but I have my own crew,” Tails laughed.

She pouted with a slight sigh. “Suit yourself…” She hopped down from the stack of crates, floating her way up toward the stairs. “I’ll let the crew know we’ll be moving soon. Everyone here, back to your posts.” The cameraman scrambled to shift his focus and follow her up.

A few of the crewmates patted Tails on the back and congratulated him as they got ready to return to their posts. Tails made some small talk until they’d all filed out a few minutes later.

Knuckles stretched his arms and rolled his shoulders. “Finally, we can get a move on. Do you think we’ll catch up to Amy and Metal?”

Tails nodded. “It’ll take a couple of days, but yeah- this ship’s faster.”

“Amy’ll have to hang on ‘til then…” Knuckles held up the compass that Rouge had recovered- it was identical in size and shape to his except that it was gold rather than brass. The arrow pointed in the same direction, though the inscription on the back was different. “ The time has come to find me- it is my turn to bleed. -Scarlett .” The boys found it kind of creepy, but it seemed to serve the same function so it was good enough.

“ Attention all crew: the ship is now fully operational. We will be setting sail in 30 minutes. ” Rouge’s voice was heard over the intercom.

“That’s our cue- come on.”

-----

Back on Metal’s ship, Amy sat on the edge of her seat. She’d brought her lunch back up to the deck and got comfortable under the roof of the helm watching H3 and H4 work. The two little robots ran from task to task, tying various knots and doing whatever one does on an antique pirate ship, sometimes stacked on top of one another for height. Amy clapped in amusement any time they finished something, much to Metal Sonic’s annoyance.

Once they were done, the pair scrambled up the stairs to the helm and gave their master their signature salute. “Very good. That is all for now,” he told them. Rather than scurry off, H4 threw his arms in up, catching H3, who balanced on his brother’s hands with his own.

“Oooh!” Amy clapped and giggled at the silly display while Metal groaned. H4 tossed the other in the air and switched to a handstand himself as H3 landed, their soles connecting. Then H3 rolled into a ball and his brother spun him on the soles of his feet. Amy had burst into full-blown laughter. “Wow, you guys are talented!”

“That’s enough,” Metal interjected. He was authoritative but not harsh in his tone. His henchmen complied, both standing back up on their feet. They waved to Amy as they scuttled off to the lower decks.

“Those guys are fun- did you teach them that?” Amy wiped a tear from her eye as the laughter subsided.

“ No. They were programmed to entertain for some reason. It was not my doing.”

“Well, they’re pretty good at it.” Amy leaned back in her chair, taking a sip of iced tea she’d made to go with her meal. She fanned herself in the heat. “Hey, are they gonna do the same?”

Metal was examining his sharp fingers, having found a scratch in the chrome paint job. “The same what?”

“You know, the same wish. To be organic.”

“What- oh, no,” he shook his head. “They are not the same as me. Or should I say, I am not the same as them…”

“How so?”

Metal had to be careful with his words. “Well… their AI is very simple. They are trained in certain tasks and to look for the right reactions in others as they do so. They’re quite simple- no real ‘emotions’ to speak of.”

Amy placed down her glass. “But you have feelings?”

“They are… simulated. But yes, I suppose you could call them that.”

“Huh. And I thought you operated on blind rage alone,” she chuckled.

Turning to her, Metal leaned an elbow on the railing to his side. “More like… spite.”

“Ha- is that what you feel for Sonic?”

“You could say that.”

The surroundings grew quiet in the absence of Metal’s minions. There was little noise but the gentle swaying of the sea and perpetual whirring from his turbine. Amy closed her eyes and listened as the sails waved in the wind, leaning back so the breeze sailed through her hair to cool her down. The air moved across the soft locks that flowed from her quills. She gently swiped them away when they blew over her face, her sleeves billowing lightly. When her eyes opened, she found Metal staring at her rather intently.

He turned his head away, looking back toward the wide-open deck. “Shall we continue our lesson?”

It was strange, the way he looked at her. She could almost swear there was a yearning in his gaze. She began to seriously consider that he could be telling the truth about his intentions. “Sure, just give me a few.”

Amy hardly noticed how much time had passed during the impromptu “training.” She found that it was much more enjoyable than she anticipated; learning a new skill was fun and Metal Sonic was a surprisingly effective teacher. There probably wouldn’t be time to become proficient at it, but learning to wield a sword was probably at least more entertaining than lounging around the ship most of the day. Still, as daylight dwindled, she was exhausted from the constant exercise and was ready to break for the day. Metal Sonic, for his part, didn’t ever seem to slow down, and was now demonstrating how to perform some combos.All part of being a machine , she supposed.

“Hey, it’s fun watching you and all, but I’m really tired.” She stretched her arms up warily. “Can we stop?”

Metal stopped his demonstration and stood upright. “Hm- Yes, it has gotten late. Will you continue tomorrow?”

Why did he look so excited about teaching her the ropes? Amy wondered how he normally spent his time if he found this to be so entertaining. What else was she going to do out at sea? “... Yeah, sure. It’s fun.” Her smile was sincere this time.

“... Indeed. You don’t learn as slowly as I thought you would.”

“Gee, thanks,” she chortled. “I’m gonna freshen up.” Amy tied the practice sword around her waist and mocked a salute at Metal. She saw his shoulders rise momentarily as if to give her a single laugh. The scenario still felt strange, but Amy was remarkably calm- relaxed, even- as she returned to her temporary accommodation. It was dark by the time she felt ready to leave her room again. It was too early for bed and there was nothing to do, so she returned to the main deck with her lantern in hand.

It was empty. No henchmen, no Metal Sonic- just the swaying ocean and sound of her heeled boots against a hardwood deck. She wondered if she’d have experienced such tranquility while traveling with her friends. Tails’ boat was so much smaller and the three of them already felt like they crowded the space. She missed them. They must be so worried…

Unsure of what else to do, Amy laid down on the bare deck to stare into the dotted sky. It was cold and hard and a bit damp, but the stars overhead were so vibrant she swore she could almost reach out and touch them. She passed some time finding any constellations she could identify in the summer sky.

At the sound of a door creaking open, Amy turned her head toward the captain’s quarters. Metal Sonic stood in the doorway, catching her in his gaze. Only yesterday the sight would ignite Amy’s battle instincts; now she just remained still and silent. There was no reason to fight. It was odd.

Metal looked into her eyes for a minute until she turned her face back to stargazing. His heavy, metallic steps echoed across the empty deck as he approached her. He was otherwise quiet. Metal loomed over her for a moment before joining her, laying next to Amy on the wooden floor and wondering what was so fascinating about the night sky. The way it illuminated out at sea, far from the light pollution of Eggman’s airship and other hiding places, was unlike anything he had seen. He could see why she was so interested.

Amy started giggling after a minute. It was so absurd! They’d normally be trying to rip each other to pieces, but here they were stargazing together.

Metal turned to face her. “What is so amusing?”

“Nothing… Just that, this reminds me of before. Back when you couldn’t talk and I couldn’t fight- you’d kidnap me and we’d just sit there without a word.” The memories weren’t the most positive, but the idea was laughable now. She smiled.

“Ah- yes. Well, I can talk and you can certainly put up a fight now.”

“Yeah,” she giggled. “I had to become strong ‘cause… Well, I was looking for my own freedom, I guess. Like you.”

So she was really beginning to believe him after all. Metal thought that should have been an accomplishment, but his body failed to produce a positive response in his program. What should have translated into pride instead felt like... guilt? That was new. “Did it pay off?” he asked after some silence.

“Well, I got kidnapped again but other than that,” she shrugged playfully.

“Yes, that was… unideal.”

“I get it,” she sighed. “I probably wouldn’t have helped you otherwise. No offense.”

“That is understandable.” Metal turned his attention to the glittery sky, mapping the stars. He was never very interested in it, but he recognized all the common constellations- although they didn’t make sense to him. “Tell me, can you identify constellations?”

“Yeah, I know a few.” She pointed up toward a cluster of stars. “Like… Hercules. It’s pretty prominent this time of year, and it’s easy to recognize.”

“I am familiar with the legend, but this set of stars does not resemble a man…”

“Oh! You gotta, you know, connect the dots.”

His optics allowed him to do that automatically, placing lines between each of the stars in the correct order. The constellation resembled a square with a line coming from each corner, but not a mythical hero. “They are… just lines.”

“Hm… I guess that one’s pretty abstract. How about…” she moved her pointer finger across her vision. “Cygnus. It’s a swan.”

“I have seen swans. This does not look like one.”

“You gotta use your imagination a little!” She scooted closer to him, holding out both hands in front of his face. “See how it kinda looks like a cross when you connect the dots?”

“Yes...”

“Okay. So, the shortest side of the cross is the tail, and the opposite part is like a long neck.” Amy traced each of the stars as she addressed them. “So then, where they cross…”

“Hm… Wings?”

“Yeah!” She giggled. “See? Not so hard.”

It was not how Metal would have chosen to depict a swan. The dots and lines that made up Cygnus were only conceptual, after all. “Perhaps I’ll understand better once I accomplish my goal…”

“Maybe,” she sat up. “Don’t worry if you don’t, though- most of them are nonsense; It’s just for fun!”

That seemed even more pointless. He sat up as well. “I do not comprehend it.”

“You will,” Amy assured. “Things don’t always have to make sense, you know?”

He found some understanding in her words, although “sense” it did not necessarily make. It was amusing, though, he admitted to himself. “I suppose I will.”

They sat chatting a while, Amy trying to explain the meaning of various constellations, Metal doing his best to imagine the abstract figures she described. As clouds moved in and the sky became less visible, the topic moved on to Metal’s interest in pirates. He spoke at length about the life and history of Captain Scarlett and her elusive treasure.

“According to accounts, she used the mirror to become the ‘greatest pirate alive’ and gathered most of her riches during this time. Soon after, her wife, Beryl, became ill and was unable to travel- that is why there are so many letters between them. After Beryl’s death, Scarlett disappeared. It is not known what happened to her or her ship- she likely became shipwrecked and drowned.”

“That’s so sad,” Amy commented. Her eyes were slightly misty.

“Well, piracy had its hazards. Still does. I have a book-” Metal turned his head away, looking intent.

Amy tried to see what he was looking at. “What is it?”

“I hear thunder…” A few seconds later, Amy heard it, too, as a light drizzle began to fall upon the deck.

“Oh, I don’t want to get wet again-” she sprang up.

“To my quarters, then.” Amy sprinted to the safety of the double-doors while Metal followed behind slowly. He was listening for further thunder and determining wind speed. Going in after her, he called to his henchmen, who were sitting at his table playing cards. “H3, H4- Lower the sails. I need to steer.” They both clinked their claws against their heads and jumped past him to start the task.

“Is everything okay?” Amy shook a bit of rain from her hair.

“A minor storm. Stay here.”

Although she had seen many badniks in and around water, Amy worried the rain could affect him. “Will you be alright?” They were both a bit surprised at her question. There was an unexpected tenderness in her concern.

“Yes,” he responded softly. “I am built to withstand worse.”

Amy nodded and he closed the door behind him. It was just her and H1 in the room now. He sat at the table still, cards in hand, and turned up to look at her. She smiled awkwardly, remembering this was the one who was hanging around in front of her room all morning. He patted the chair next to him, inviting her to join.

“So… What are we playing?” He stared at her silently. “Oh, right- you don’t talk. Uh… Go Fish?” H1 gave her a quick, violent nod that made his joints squeak obnoxiously. “Okay, okay! I’ll set up.”

They got two rounds in, H1 pointing at the deck whenever Amy needed to “go fish.” He won the first set but she bested him in the second, and they were now playing to break the tie. The storm outside was intensifying, heavy rain pounding on wood and thunder growing louder.

Amy was studying her cards closely, trying to decide which pair to go for next, when H1 sprang up, making a bee-line for the double-doors and running out into the open deck. “Why did he-” She gasped as her chair slid back and several pieces of furniture were pushed to one side. It didn’t last long as the ship rolled the other way, causing her to crash back into the table with an “oof!” That was more than a bit worrisome. She listened as the thunder and rain grew louder, the ship continuing to sway. Then, a huge crack of thunder boomed in her ears, followed by the sound of splitting wood. Amy quickly made her way to the main deck to see what was happening, immediately being pelted by rain and seawater.

The lower yard perpendicular to the foremast was cracked and practically broken in half, being held together only by H4’s coiling grip. She saw H3 pulling ropes, weighing down that side of the lower foresail to reduce stress on the beam. Metal Sonic was barking orders from the quarter deck above. Amy ran up to the helm just as H1 propelled himself in the opposite direction, toward the bow. His one glowing eye blazed when he spotted her.

“What are you doing? I told you to stay inside!”

“Don’t you guys need help?” Amy held onto the railing as the motion caused her to slip and slide on the wet floor.

“H1 is hoisting the jib, there’s nothing more to do but steer. Get inside, now!” Just then a towering wave came up to their port side. He was sure Amy’s featherweight would be blown off-board if she left the helm now. “Argh! Come here-” Metal steered in the opposite direction, trying to ride it out without capsizing. As the boat rolled, Amy stumbled to his left side and he pulled her in, putting her between himself and the wheel. He held her by the waist with one arm while the other remained affixed to the steering device. “Don’t drown!” he barked.

“What-”

The wave swallowed the elevated deck, leaving Amy and Metal completely underwater momentarily. Metal’s heavy body remained unmoved while her feet were swept off. She’d have been washed away- or at least violently slammed into the railings and water-logged- if he hadn’t affixed his iron grip around her. As the water passed over, Amy sputtered, having swallowed a huge gulp. A whining set of beeps came from ahead of them.

H3 was pointing up frantically, indicating that the top corner of the sail had torn off the yard by the rope. The sail flailed wildly around him until he took hold with both hands again, stabilizing the bottom once again. If the sail ripped any further off the mast it would fold over and become worse than useless, sending the ship to one side with its imbalance. He would send one of his henchmen up if they weren’t already securing half the mast.

“Damn that torn sail,” Metal cursed under his breath.

Amy coughed into his chest in front of him. “Tell me how I can” cough “help!”

He took to his mind frantically, calculating out all the different scenarios in which they would survive if the vessel capsized. He wasn’t too worried about his crew; they could take a beating and were waterproof. But the girl… Whether he kept her by him or sent her away, she had little hope of survival if the ship went down. Their only hope was to hold on and reaffix the sail.

Reluctantly, he made the decision. “The sail needs to be mended. Steer.”

“No!” cough “I can fix it-”

Another wave was about to wash over them. “Shut up and take a breath this time!”

Amy was just able to take in some air before they were engulfed by saltwater for a second time. As it cleared, Metal glanced back at the torn sail. He could fly up and do what he could to reaffix it, but steering the ship and knowing when and where to turn was a lot harder than it looked. He was able to calculate the safest angle with which to navigate into the waves and keep the vessel balanced. Someone without any knowledge on the subject, however...

If she could get high enough, Amy wouldn’t have to worry about being washed off the vessel so long as he kept them upright. “Can you climb?” he asked her.

Pushing her wet hair out of her face, Amy answered. “Yeah!”

“Take that rope and climb up the mast- reaffix the sail by the eye. Here, use my sword to cut the rope. Do you understand?”

Amy nodded. There was determination in her eyes as she took his sword and booked it to the ratline.

“Hurry- Before another wave hits.”

She climbed, struggling against the wind as it vibrated the taut ladder. Water weighed down her long skirt as she went. Once at the top, another wave washed over the main deck, causing the vessel to roll once more. She held onto the ropes for dear life, unsure of how to get to the end of the adjoining yard. Amy turned her gaze in every direction frantically- how do people usually get up there? I could shimmy , the thought, but what do I hold onto?

Despite Metal’s ability, the ship was difficult to control without the proper sails. He felt uncharacteristically apprehensive watching Amy climb as he steered between waves, as if ready to lunge for her if she were to fall. Another wave was now threatening to roll the vessel from the starboard side, so he did his best to focus on steering.

Glancing down, Amy got an idea. She wrapped an arm through the tightly woven ropes and used her free hand to pull out the sword, then promptly sliced through the top of her skirt, revealing the black half-slip beneath it. It was easy to tear off from there and use as an impromptu support system. Amy tied the length of maroon fabric to the yard above her, leaving some room between it and the knot. She hoisted herself up and carefully made her way across the beam on her belly, twisting and dragging the fabric with her. Once she reached the tear, she said a prayer and dropped her body down onto the circle of hanging fabric, hoping it would act as a hammock to support her while she worked.

It wasn’t perfect, but it held. Amy couldn’t believe how high she was, supporting herself with only a bit of fabric on some creaky wood. She was able to do as Metal Sonic had instructed, hanging precariously from the beam and taking hold of it when she felt too much turbulence. Once she’d replaced the rope through the eye of the sail, it was just a matter of getting back down.

A melodic set of rings and tones came from below her. Amy smiled when she spotted H1 on the crow’s nest some feet down. He reached up, uncoiling his extendable arms to pick Amy up and lower her to him safely. “Oh thank goodness,” she threw her arms around the little robot and hugged him close. “I thought I was gonna die up there!”

The vessel was noticeably more stable now that the jib was functioning and the mainsail was secured. Amy heard a whistle and noticed Metal Sonic signaling for them to descend. Climbing down the ratline proved much faster for Amy without the deadweight around her waist, and she rushed back to the helm to see what else needed doing. H1 was already working to tie up the broken beam.

“How are we doing?” Adrenaline rushed through her as she asked.

Metal was taken aback by her excitement; She really seemed to have a knack for putting herself in danger. “Better…. Good work.” He noticed the change in her wardrobe then, but said nothing.

“Oh, it was easy,” she lied. “What else do we need?” They rolled again, listing starboard, and she grabbed onto his arm for balance.

He acted quickly in bringing her between him and the wheel again. “Nothing. We- I need to steer us around the storm.”

The proximity was slightly discomforting now. Amy flushed as she turned away from him to look toward the bow. But the constant motion didn’t allow her to leave his side just yet; They swayed backward while climbing another wave then leaned forward as the vessel crashed down over it. Amy couldn’t stifle a yell when the ship descended, Metal pulling her closer to him still. He wouldn’t admit how much alarm his body was producing as he saw the high chance of tipping forward. The ship’s boom was dunked under the waves momentarily until the entire vessel tipped back, balancing itself like a buoy.

Amy was shaking. Her heart was ready to leap out of her chest, sure she’d be unable to maintain her balance had it not been for Metal’s support. Any rosiness in her cheeks quickly vanished to stark white and she remained speechless in her panic. Metal looked down at her in front of him. He realized he was still clutching her to him, but didn’t ease his grip. He told himself it was in case another wave hit.

They continued to sail over the stormy waters, but it appeared after a few minutes that the worst was behind them. Metal loosened his hold around Amy as her heart rate leveled and her breathing went back to normal. The rain began lightening up, no longer showering the deck. It was a light drizzle by the time either of them found anything to say.

Amy inhaled. “That was… A lot.”

“Yes…” he turned his attention to his minions, who were securing the sail back to the mast. It had been repaired to the best of their abilities with as much rope as they could tie around it.

“So… This ship. It’s kinda falling apart.”

“That appears to be the case.”

There was an awkward silence between them. Amy was still sandwiched between Metal Sonic and the ship’s helm. Now that the shock had faded it was uncomfortable again. “I’m gonna… Step aside…”

“Of course-” Metal removed himself from behind her, taking some steps away to free her. “I did not expect you to do so well.”

“Yeah, thanks.” Amy rung out her locks. They were both soaked, but her clothes were heavy with all the water.

“You may change in my quarters- if you need to.”

“Got another fun outfit planned for me?” she mocked.

“Yes. Come,” he stepped down from the quarter deck toward the captain’s quarters.

Amy scoffed. “I was not being serious.”

Metal addressed the henchmen as he passed. “H1, H3, H4- you did well. We will complete repairs tomorrow.” They all saluted him, and as soon as he turned away, moved on to high-fiving each other noisily. The doors were held open to his room and Amy passed through.

Much of the space was in disarray. The chairs were in different corners of the room, half of them toppled over. The screen had collapsed and any books that lined the shelves had flown off and lay open or bent on the floor. Amy was worried what state her room could be in…

“Well, this is…”

“A mess,” Amy interrupted.

“That is a fair assessment.” Metal made his way to the far corner of the room, bringing the screen upright. “At least this is functional…” He pointed a hand to it, inviting Amy to use it.

Amy was weirded out again by his interest in her attire but was even more uncomfortable in the drenched outfit she had on. She made her way to change while Metal Sonic hung around the room, picking books up from the ground. He’d left her another period-accurate garment to dress up in. The sight of the long-sleeved white nightgown annoyed her at first, but she was glad she at least had something comfortable to sleep in.

When she stepped out from behind the screen, Amy made her way to pick up the floor mirror. It was cracked at the top from having toppled forward but was otherwise functional. She looked ethereal in the white gown, even if it was a little costumey.

“I hope it is to your liking,” Metal said as he approached her. “I understand you were uncomfortable resting in the other clothes.”

Amy had forgotten that the first thing she’d done that morning was to complain about the outfit to him. “I’m surprised you cared to remember.”

“I have ample memory storage; I do not forget.”

“But you still cared.” She smiled up at him.

“... I didn’t want to hear your whining.” Metal stepped away, continuing to tidy up his quarters from the whirlwind.

“Sure.” Amy pretended to study the dress in the mirror, actually watching Metal in its reflection. It was all so elaborate- the ship, the costumes, the sword fighting. What was the point of it all? “Hey, Metal… How come you’re so invested in this pirate act? It seems kinda…”

“Illogical?” He did not turn to look at her.

“I was gonna say inconvenient, but…”

“Hm.” He straightened up the last chair. “I suppose I just wanted something to control,” he shrugged. “It seemed on-theme.” It wasn’t a lie.

Amy had no idea what to expect but the answer still shocked her. It was becoming difficult to doubt him when she realized that she could relate. He really did have nothing to gain but his autonomy. “I understand,” she said simply.

Metal made to return to the deck, holding a door ajar. “Perhaps it will pay off for me, as well.”

“Yeah,” she smiled.

Amy gathered up her wet clothes to dry in her room. It was hard to tell how long she’d spent on deck chatting and then weathering the storm, but she was exhausted- and hungry. She was lucky everything in the kitchen was bolted down but felt less so when her suite was in complete disorder. For once, she didn’t care- simply plopping herself on the mess of sheets and pillows that she could gather atop the plush mattress.

-----

“I am… so sore.” Amy lay on her back directly on the cool wood of the quarter-deck, groaning. “Everything hurts. And it’s sooo hot...”

The ship swayed slightly on the calm water, as Metal turned the helm sharply. “I suppose that means you are too weak to train, then.” He watched the compass eagerly. They had been blown off course by the storm the night before and the arrow was constantly changing direction now.

Ignoring his little insult, Amy darted her eyes up at him. “Is that all you think about?”

“What else are we to do?” He made a frustrated, metallic ring as he turned the ship in the other direction. “How does this ridiculous thing work?”

“How should I know…” Amy yawned. “You seem too busy steering to train me, anyway.”

“H1 can take over once he’s finished with the sails. I suggest you get ready.”

Amy clicked her tongue at him, crossing her arms over her torso. She rolled her head to the side, watching the horizon pass them by.  “When you have muscles, you’ll see…” But he was right, there was nothing better to do. It made her think about what her friends might be doing then. Would they catch up to Metal’s ship? She dreaded confronting them at sea, having to convince them of Metal’s plan. Even if they were worried, Amy would rather deal with them after the fact, asking them for forgiveness rather than permission.

Metal stared down at Amy. For all the spying and research he had done on Sonic and his  friends, Metal was still astonished by her bravery and tenacity in the face of danger. Looking back on their early meeting, he always categorized her as a weak, defenseless being. Even as Amy had grown strong over the years, this was the first time Metal experienced her pluckiness on its own, unadulterated by the presence of her teammates. It impressed him more than he cared to admit.

The maneuver she’d pulled climbing up the mast had left Amy with a pretty noticeable wardrobe change, too. The short half-slip she wore under the layers of scarves at her waist allowed for her usual mobility; he was almost excited by the prospect of sparring with her now that she could move more freely. Her boots and stockings were in full view and the oversized frills of her blouse were more striking now. Metal had found the billowy ankle-length skirt fetching in its historical context, but now she looked...

“Couldn’t we do it at night when it’s not so hot?” she interrupted his thoughts.

“I am not looking forward to becoming as sensitive as you,” he quipped, getting his mind off Amy’s appearance. “But fine.”

The compass appeared to stabilize again. When he set off to research pirating, Metal failed to realize the amount of waiting involved on seafaring adventures and began to wish he’d commandeered a faster ship. But, at least the company was good.

It was more than Rouge could say for her guests. “Look, I appreciate your help fixing the ship and helping us navigate around that storm, but I’ve been hired to recover whatever’s on that island!”

She and Knuckles argued over the fate of “her” treasure for hours. “I’m telling you I just want one thing!” he asserted.

“And I’m telling you I can’t just hand you an artifact when our funding is on the line. There are legalities-”

“Since when do you care about what’s legal? This is more important than that!”

Rouge huffed, plopping into her desk chair with folded arms. “Maybe if you just told me why you’re after it I could talk to my patrons about-”

“No! No one can know what’s in there!”

“ Stop interrupting me! ” Rouge’s wings flared out behind her as she slammed her hands down on the desk. The two glared at each other, neither relenting until a knock came at her chamber door.

Tails pushed it ajar with sheepish caution. “Uh… Am I interrupting?”

“... You’re fine,” Rouge sighed in exasperation. “Sit.” She rubbed at her temples, taking a breath. “I just want to know what we’re after so I can help. Can one of you please explain what the fuss is about?”

“Come on,” Tails nudged Knuckles. “We’re on the same side…”

Knuckles groaned under his breath. “Fine.” Rouge leaned in to listen, resting her wary head in her hand as he continued. “We’re after a Knuckles Tribe artifact known as the Stone Mirror…” He explained some of its history and how they knew that it was buried among Scarlett’s treasure.

She waited until he was done, and then slid her chair back, pulling a large scroll from the top drawer of her desk. “I’d like to show you something.” Unrolling it revealed a copy of the same map they’d used to navigate, stitched-together from a set of letters written by Scarlett. “These letters were addressed to Beryl over the course of several months- she and Scarlett were married. It seemed Scarlett wasn’t too eager to reveal the location of her stronghold, even to her wife. Some say she sailed there alone after, well…” Pointing to one of the letters at the bottom, Rouge read some of its contents aloud.

“ I am sorry for how my selfish desire has destroyed our happiness. You slit your palm and gave your very blood for me, and in my deception we were cursed. It was the mirror that took your health, and my guilty action that will take you if we do not act. These riches were meant to be your assurance in case of my demise; Instead, I must seal away all that I have earned in the hopes of saving you. There is no time to waste coming for you- Please find me.  Love, Scarlett. ”

She set down the scroll. “Earlier in it she writes about meeting some mystic that gave her information about a mysterious mirror and its curse. Something about lying toBeryl?”

“So she mentions it…” Knuckles pondered. “Legend states you need a blood sacrifice from someone else who’s ‘willing and knowledgeable about your intentions.’ Basically you lie and the other person gets cursed. Guess she found out a little too late.”

Rouge sat back in her chair, staring down at the collection of letters. “It’s well recorded that Scarlett recounted making some wish to become a great pirate. Historians just attribute it as a tall tale. Shame about Beryl, though,” she sighed. “In any case- this ‘Stone Mirror’ sounds dangerous.”

Knuckles nodded. “I don’t know how he found out, but I’m assuming it’s what Metal Sonic’s after.”

“... Okay. We’ll create a diversion to snatch up the mirror before the cameras can record it. But we’ll have to beat Metal Sonic there.”

The three of them nodded in agreement- Knuckles promising to find a way to destroy the dangerous artifact. And if they ran into their unexpected enemy at sea, there would be no choice but to subdue Metal Sonic before he could get his hands on it.

-----

Three days went by and there was still no sign of this mystical secret island, orany land for that matter. Actual pirates may have had work to do, but Metal Sonic’s three henchmen seemed to do the all work of a full crew in a quarter of the time. It left Amy and Metal with very little to do other than practice their swordsmanship and chat late into the night.

Amy picked up swordplay like it was second nature. It helped that there was little more to do, but she’d never had issues with swinging a weapon around. After a fourth day of practicing she was getting the hang of perrying against Metal Sonic and was serving combos that would give any other beginner a run for their money. Though she complained of sore muscles and exhaustion constantly, Amy fought against it nevertheless, advancing far quicker than either of them anticipated. Metal was forced to admit that he found it admirable- though he didn’t express it out loud.

Metal, for his part, found himself appreciating Amy’s companionship. Her witty nature complimented Metal’s droll quips, and she found it funny that he put so much effort into his tough pirate charade. He didn’t have anything to counter with when they’d shot back petty insults at one another and she’d finally burst into laughter, remarking on how insistent he was on appearing superior. Metal supposed she had a point, getting his own chuckle out of it. Amy continuously commented on how he would feel differently when his body was organic as if to test him. Of course, Metal played along, but each time he did, there was a nagging twitch in his mind.

The guilt Metal felt over manipulating Amy was beginning to weigh. For years, he’d waited for this kind of opportunity to get the upper hand on Sonic, to become something that not even his rival could imagine. Metal wasn’t sure what form he would ultimately take when he finally got hold of the Stone Mirror, but it was so far from the average organic being that Amy imagined for him. “I wonder what color your eyes will be,” she had mused aloud during an evening conversation- what a wholesome thought compared to Metal’s. He said that he hoped they’d be green like hers and got a laugh over her flustered babbling.

Out of all the things that could go wrong with his plan, feeling remorse was not something he prepared for. It’s not as if he’d ever felt guilty for acting in his own interest in the past, but Metal realized that he’d never worked with someone on a team as an equal, either. There was a sense of kinship between them that grew from fighting against the harrowing storm; They both quickly became comfortable in the other’s presence, as if having been friends for years. That was a first for Metal.

But he couldn’t let all his plotting and past failures go to waste. Metal wasn’t about to let one of his former enemies sway his plans. Amy was nice to have around but there would be others; this was the only time he’d get this opportunity.

But I may as well enjoy myself, he thought. After four days at sea spending most of Amy’s waking moments together, Metal had grown to enjoy their time together; It was a shame it wouldn’t last.

On day five, they met in his quarters while Metal dug around for another sharpened sword. He tossed props aside from a closet as he searched.

Amy stood at the shelf on the opposite end of the room, perusing through a book. “What are you looking for?”

“A sharpened sword,” he answered plainly.

“You have a sword… And claws...”

“It’s not for me- Ah, here we are.” Metal turned back to her, a sheathed sword in one hand and a long, red garment draped over the other. “H3 does find the strangest places to store things…”

Putting the book down, she spun to him curiously. “What’s that?”

“I missed seeing you in red,” he said in the most pompous tone he could manage, holding it out to her.

She took it with a smirk. “Another skirt?” Amy unrolled the garment, revealing a long, notched jacket with gold piping that framed it intricately.

“No, something more fitting this time.”

She threw it over herself excitedly. Belting the jacket at the waist, Amy smiled at her reflection. “Oh, it’s pretty. And way more functional,” she giggled, turning her friendly countenance to him. “Thanks.”

“I thought you would feel that way.” Metal unsheathed the sword and handed that to her as well. “Now we can really spar.”

“I don’t know,” she said. “Seems kinda dangerous…”

“Hmph- I doubt you’ll land a hit,” Metal replied confidently. “And rest assured I will stop before the blade touches you.” He pointed the weapon at her theatrically.

Amy rolled her eyes. “It’s lunchtime- I’m taking a break.” She snatched the weapon from him, hanging it gingerly around her waist and making her way down to the kitchen. She was surprised to see Metal Sonic tagging along behind her. “You hungry?” she smirked.

“Something like that…”

She snickered a bit, not sure what to make of the comment but finding his presence enjoyable nonetheless. Amy got to work preparing her lunch while he observed her from across a high table, his cutlass drawn up to his eyes so he could look past it at her dramatically. She glanced at him with a scoff. “Making sure it’s sharp enough?”

“I can assure you, it is.”

Amy stuck out her tongue at him, sitting down on a tall stool to eat her lunch. “You are just as cocky as Sonic…”

Even if that was true, her comment irritated Metal. He sauntered around the table to her side, the sharp point of his weapon aimed at her. She didn’t appear phased. “I doubt that Sonic knows much about swordsmanship.”

“He’s apparently pretty skilled at it, actually,” Amy said, taking another bite.

“Seriously?”

With her mouth full, Amy shrugged. Metal lowered his sword, pacing around to her other side and looming over her shoulder. She continued to ignore his taunts as she ate. “I’m gonna grab some water…” Amy stood, continuing to watch him out of the corner of her eye. Turning back, she heard him speak again.

“En garde,” he announced with a lunge. The tip of his sword stopped just shy of her chest.

Glancing down at his weapon, Amy returned with a sweet smile. “Aw, how am I supposed to take you seriously if you won’t follow through?” She looked back up at him with doe eyes.

Metal met her soft gaze, locking his vision on her endearing face. “Well, would you like me to-”

Before he could finish, Amy had drawn her sword and gone for a parry, knocking his blade to the side. Then she lunged, closing the distance between them and bringing her weapon over his head. He swung his sword back up, blocking the hit. “Hmph! You’re just as impatient as Sonic, too,” Amy smirked.

“Argh!” Metal pushed her sword off and away from him, brandishing his in a ready position. “Will you continue to compare me to that imposter when I am organic?”

Amy held the same pose, teasing by twirling her weapon around in circles. “Depends. Are you gonna keep letting your life revolve around him?”

“Hm- How else would you and I get to spend time together?” Metal lunged, backing Amy against some kitchen equipment until she countered his attack with her own swing. She ducked underneath his next attack and backed away.

“You wanna hang out that bad?” she giggled. “Maybe just ask me out to coffee.”

“Oh,” Metal approached her slowly, his sword still drawn high. “What are those called again?”

“What are what called, weirdo?”

“Let me see…” As he continued his approach, Amy backed out through the kitchen door and into the narrow hallway. “Oh, a date ?”

Caught off guard, Amy lowered her weapon momentarily. He did the same as he neared her, their eyes locked. “Th-That’s not really-” His sword was upon her again a second later. She dodged, not having time to counter the sudden attack.Should’ve expected that, she thought, planning her next move.

But there was little time to think as Metal lunged toward her again, swinging from every direction as she struggled to block with her sword. They continued down the hall, clinking and striking their weapons together. Amy was just managing to remain defensive; he wouldn’t give her an opening.

Finally, Amy got in a parry after ducking from one of his swings and rolling behind him. When Metal turned back around, he narrowly avoided a swing that passed just under his chin. He sprung back. Out of striking distance, they both stared at each other, Metal holding his weapon down by his side. He was surprised that he didn’t feel the need to hold back more, feeling somewhat proud of Amy’s progress. But he wouldn’t let her know any of that.

“Ready to give up?” she teased.

He drew up the cutlass again, taking a step closer. “How easy could I possibly make it for you?”

Rather than fall back, Amy took his challenge and moved in his direction. “I don’t know… Looks like you’re having a pretty hard time to me,” she sneered. She was having more fun than she expected.

“I could say the same!” He rushed her then, Amy countering the next few swings.

Suddenly, they were each backed close to a wall as they stood in tandem in the narrow hallway, Metal just in front of a set of doors. As he swung again, she dove under his attack and through the double-doors. When the room came into full view, Amy looked on in awe. It was a grand ballroom, elegantly decorated in white and champagne- presumably for the wedding that was meant to be held there. Metal nearly landed a hit on her while she was distracted, but Amy seemed to be a master at dodging his lunges.

“Don’t get too distracted,” he taunted her.

“Hmph!”

Locked in battle, they continued moving down the length of the ballroom, circling around the winding rows of banquet tables and chairs. Metal was coming at Amy in full force, giving her little opportunity to counter. He could see her growing more tired now, her heart rate increasing exponentially as her breathing became more shallow. Taking advantage of this, Metal increased his speed and continued his swings, varying the direction so she couldn’t duck behind him again. They fought their way to the front of the room where the space was more open. Footsteps clicked as they stepped across the hard dancefloor that spanned from wall to wall at the front of the ballroom. Soon, Metal had completely backed Amy into a wall as she panted.

Amy realized that she was, perhaps, a bit too confident. Even if she were to get to a point where her skills surpassed his, Metal Sonic couldn’t tire in battle as fast as she would. She had to find a different advantage.

When she tried to perform an unexpected lunge, his sword made contact with her own so harshly that she lost her grip. It clanged to the ground next to her. Metal used his forearm to pin Amy to the wall by her chest.

She let out a grunt as she clashed with the wall behind her. Panting, Amy glared up at him in exasperation. “Are you satisfied now?”

“I am… impressed.” Metal cocked his head to one side, observing as her chest heaved under his grip. “But I knew you wouldn’t best me so easily.”

“Really? I thought you had more confidence in your teaching skills. I know I’m a great coach...”

Metal stared on at her curiously. “Is that so? And what do you teach?”

Amy gestured to the floor with her eyes. “I taught Sonic how to tango pretty well-” She was cut off as he pressed his forearm against her more firmly.

“Hmph- if you think that will distract me-”

“Hey,” Amy’s face softened into a smile as she interrupted him. She reached a hand up, taking hold of Metal’s lapel. He glanced down at the gesture in confusion. “You wanna know how else you’re like Sonic?”

“... Do tell.”

“C’mere.” Amy held an almost saccharine expression as she gently tugged his collar toward her.

She hardly had to pull as Metal allowed himself to be drawn into her. It may have been a ruse- he was fairly confident in that- but he was greatly interested in what she had to say as she lifted her chin to speak into his ear. Metal remained vigilant as Amy continued.

“You’re really cute,” she whispered.

Staggering back, Metal fixed her eyes with his. She twinkled back at him. “What do you-”

A sharp blow to the side of his head sent Metal off from atop Amy and to the ground. He lost command of his sword just as her enormous hammer came into his peripheral view. Of course - the thought ran across his mind as Metal landed on his side noisily. Amy sprinted to snatch his sword from off the ground as he readied to come back on his feet- but her boot heel was upon his chest before he got any further than facing her. Metal’s heavy body banged on the hard dancefloor as she pushed him down under her foot. Amy stood over him with his own sword pointed just under Metal’s chin. She was grinning from ear to ear as she watched his broken eye illuminate for a moment.

Metal would have been furious if she’d looked malicious, but her sparkling grin was so… cheery. “It’s cute that you think you can beat me so easily!” Amy laughed with genuine amusement as she removed her boot from his body.

His left eye now flickering again, Metal could only manage to glare for a second until he found himself chuckling as well. “That was most certainly cheating…”

“Didn’t know you had such strict rules.” Beaming, Amy allowed the hammer to disappear from her grasp and offered Metal a hand up. The lights in his left eye sputtered out again as he stood. “Hey, I almost fixed your eye! Maybe another wack will do it,” she smiled.

“Somehow I doubt that.” He hadn’t let go of her hand, instead using it to jerk her toward him. “But perhaps you could show me your little dance now?”

“Ah… I don’t know if you’d really enjoy it.” Amy offered Metal his sword, holding it between them.

He took it from her gently and slid it down by his side. “Won’t you indulge me?”

Her cheeks flushed lightly. Amy had just said it to distract him; she could teach, but she suddenly felt flustered in such close proximity. “Well… Maybe-”

The room shook then. Metal kept Amy from losing her footing as the ship rolled unexpectedly. They gave each other a look of concern.

“Is it another storm?” Amy asked.

Metal shook his head. “No- come to the deck, don’t forget your sword.”

He was floating out the door before Amy could find the words to respond. She followed him, picking up the weapon she’d dropped to sprint down the hall and up the long staircases.

“Surrender Amy Rose and the artifacts at once!” Rouge was flying above her deck speaking into her  megaphone with Knuckles, Tails, and her crew on deck below. Her ship floated across from Metal Sonic’s as cameramen focused on both of the captains.

Metal stood nonchalantly with his arms crossed behind, amplifying his voice to speak. “I can assure you she is under no duress.”

Knuckles had managed to snag a megaphone of his own and was now putting the full force of his voice into it. “Then where is she?!”

Metal squinted at the rumbling noise, his receptors vibrating uncomfortably. “Argh- You do not need to yell into that, I can hear you just fine.”

“Tell us where she is now!” Knuckles was getting ready to threaten him as Amy busted through to the deck. The three henchmen burst through just behind her.

When she spotted her friends, Amy’s face lit up and she ran to the ship’s railing. Metal remained in his stately pose behind her in an attempt to indicate that there was no threat. “Guys!” Amy waved, “I’m okay!”

Leaning close to the rails, Knuckles yelled into his megaphone again. “We can’t hear you-”

“Knuckles, that’s enough! I can hear her just fine so shut up,” Rouge snapped down at him. He crossed his arms irritably, grumbling. “Amy,” she continued, “we’re here to rescue you; are you hurt?”

Waving her hands in front of her, Amy answered as loud as she could. “Rouge, I’m fine! Are you guys okay?”

“Us?” she looked puzzled, “You were the one who was kidnapped...”

“It’s okay, I’m, uh…” she turned to beckon Metal, who looked almost bored at the turn of events. He approached her slowly, keeping an eye on the others. Once he was within reach, Amy clung to his arm in a friendly gesture as his expression became nonplused. “I’m helping Metal! Let’s team up!”

He whipped around to her with reproach. “That is not part of the plan!”

“Plans can change,” she responded in a low voice before addressing Rouge again. “Let us aboard and I’ll explain!”

Completely perplexed, Rouge didn’t know how to respond. Knuckles was shouting at her to repeat what Amy was saying and Tails began to call out to her as well. “Don’t move,” Rouge directed a command at Metal with a glare before floating down to the others. “What do you two want?!”

Tails pushed Knuckles aside in order to get a word in. “We’ve detected an island 30 naughtical miles from here in the direction of the compass- there’s no other land within range. It has to be the place. We can be there in the next couple of hours. We need to get Amy back ASAP.”

“We’re that close?” Rouge glanced back across the way to the other ship, where Amy and Metal appeared to be… arguing? Their tones were too hushed to decipher the speech, but neither was fighting the other. Though they both waved their hands around in apparent annoyance, Amy held him close to her without any resistance. Rouge didn’t know what to make of it. “She said… she’s helping him.”

“Helping Metal Sonic?” Tails looked just as confused now.

Knuckles butted back in, shoving Tails aside. “She said that? What’s his game?”

“How should I know?” Rouge brought her hands to her hips in frustration. “She said she wants to come aboard to explain.”

“That sounds like a trap!”

Rouge nodded in agreement. “But it’s the only way to get her back peacefully. We’ll just have to be ready for him.”

The boys each nodded in reluctant agreement. Rouge took a breath and quietly signaled her crew to be on alert. Approaching the side of her ship, she called out to the others. “You may board. We will extend the bridge.”

Amy and Metal paused their arguing to come to her attention. “Don’t you-” he started before Amy interrupted him.

“No need, we’ll fly over!” She faced him. “Come on, let’s go.” He glared at her with resentment, worried he’d just be ambushed and forced to engage, putting his plan in jeopardy. Amy tightened her grip on his arm and lowered her voice. “I’ll hold on to you so they don’t attack.”

His glare softened. That should work , he thought with some remorse. He wished he could feel more positively about tricking Amy so well she was willing to risk her safety for him. When Metal nodded, she climbed into his arms readily. She really held no doubt in him.

“You three,” he told his henchmen, “... be on alert.” H1 shot forward, standing on the ship’s railing and pointing ahead. “... Yes, I suppose I should bring one of you. Move.” Metal could the others’ clinking salutes as he and H1 lifted off, Metal flying over the sea carefully with Amy. A cameraman on a lower deck followed their path while another stood near Rouge, recording their landing. The little minion stood readily by Metal’s feet as the crew took steps towards them, encircling them steadily. Metal gazed around at them but did not move.

Knuckles came the closest. “It’s time to drop her,” he demanded.

“Very well.” Metal lowered Amy to her feet and she quickly wrapped herself around his arm, taking a step in front of him.

“I’m okay, Knuckles. I’m gonna hang onto Metal for now, okay?”

“Why? What is this?” Knuckles was shouting again, continuing his approach. “Did you do something to her brain?”

Metal scoffed, standing his ground. “What exactly do you think I could do?” A camera came up close to the side of his face while a mic loomed above. He turned his head sharply, his single blazing eye catching the crewmember off guard. “Is there something I can help you with?” The cameraman scrambled back, making himself scarce.

“Metal, just ignore it,” Amy tugged on him while his eye rolled around his screen.

“Alright,” Rouge’s assertive voice cut through the crowd that was quickly forming in front of them. “Everyone back off, you’ll hear my signal if I need you. That goes for you, too, Knucklehead. Move!” As her crew dispersed and the cameras backed to a safe distance, Rouge stood some feet in front of them. “So you made friends with Metal Sonic? I’d find it cute if I wasn’t still bruised from his last attack.”

Amy chuckled awkwardly back at her. “Yeah, well… you look great in your new uniform.”

“Hmph.” Rouge cracked a smile as she saw Amy there, protecting her unlikely friend from attack. It was almost sweet. “Well I’m relieved you don’t look too bad yourself. Cute jacket.”

“Thanks, uh… Metal picked it out,” Amy smiled.

“Really?” Rouge turned her attention to him. “Charming. Now what is it you want?”

When he didn’t respond after a few seconds, Amy cut in. “Metal has a… request. For the Stone Mirror.”

“What?!” Knuckles came booming back, stomping his feet.

Rouge held her arm out in front of him with a brief glare, then continued. “We’ll talk in my quarters. No cameras. Come on,” she turned on her heel and beckoned for only Amy and her “friends” to join her. They all followed behind Rouge awkwardly as the crew murmured around them, cameras following their every move.

Rouge locked the door behind them once they were in the privacy of her office. Then she faced Amy and scolded her. “You cannot go around mentioning magical artifacts in front of the crew. Why do you think you were all after it in the first place?”

Amy shrunk back, still clinging to a silent Metal Sonic. “Sorry… You’re right…”

Rouge sighed with exasperation, sinking into her chair. “Will you all sit?! You’re making me anxious.” As everyone complied, Knuckles most reluctantly, Rouge addressed Metal Sonic with some sarcasm. “I would love to hear what you have in mind for the mirror.”

After some seconds of silence, Amy nudged him. H1 climbed up the chair legs to sit in his lap, staring up at him. Metal shot them each an irritated look before starting. “I would like to use the Stone Mirror to become… organic.” He’d lied to Amy so easily, but was almost embarrassed to show such vulnerability with the rest of his enemies.

“Organic?” Rouge massaged her temple. “I don’t even know what to say to that. And Amy, you believe this?”

“Doesn’t matter if she believes it or not,” Knuckles butted in, “there’s no way Metal Sonic’s getting his hands on the mirror!”

Rouge nodded. “Unfortunately, I’m inclined to agree.”

Amy ignored Knuckles and spoke to her instead. “For the record, I do believe him. And I think it’s a good reason to use the mirror.”

Rouge shushed Knuckles before he could start again. “Amy… There’s something you should see.” She opened the top drawer of her desk and retrieved the same copy of the map she’d shown Tails and Knuckles. “I’m sure you know about Scarlett’s treasure and her letters to her wife, Beryl.” Metal’s piercing glare was already scanning through the text in the letters as Amy nodded. Rouge explained the entirety of the Stone Mirror’s curse, blood sacrifice and all, as Amy listened in shock.

“Amy,” Rouge’s tone softened. “This is a big risk for you…”

“Look, this thing cursed Beryl because of her wife’s dishonesty.” Knuckles got up angrily, pointing a finger at Metal Sonic. “Are you really willing to risk that for him ?”

“ Oh, ” Amy lowered her eyes in thought, her grip on Metal’s arm loosening slightly.

“The only way to lift the curse was for her to give her own blood and leave everything she’d gained behind; Hence why she sent for Beryl to meet back with her on the island. She tragically passed before making it off the ship.” Rouge stood from her desk and circled around to the front, facing Amy and folding her arms. “And I’m sorry to say I don’t trust Metal Sonic as far as I can throw him.”

The new information shouldn’t have changed Metal’s plan. He was willing to do anything for an advantage against his nemesis- or so he thought. But now, spending a few days with one of his enemies was enough to sway him? He supposed he could get The Doctor to sacrifice for him- he would revel in the opportunity to take Sonic down... No, he thought, I can’t let her get in my way. It wasn’t as if she’d be safe from him when he finally transformed into whatever monster he could conjure. And yet…

“If I may,” he spoke finally, placing his claws softly over Amy’s hand as it held his forearm. “Your blood will not be necessary. Someone else can take the burden.” He turned to Rouge. “I am only asking for use of the artifact to fulfill my wish.”

“Fat chance,” Knuckles interjected. “I still don’t believe you’re telling the truth- no way I’m letting you turn into a monster again. No deal.”

“Knuckles…” Rouge strode over to him. “Can I have a word, privately?”

He raised a brow at her but agreed. “... Fine. Tails, keep an eye on Metal Sonic.”

“Sure?” the boy looked at his enemy, sitting calmly with one of his best friends at his side. He hardly looked threatening.

As they stepped out, Amy faced Metal again. “Who’s gonna help you if I don’t?”

“... I believe The Doctor will be willing.”

Tails looked at them skeptically. “Eggman knows you wanna do this?”

“No,” Metal replied, once again carefully curating his words so they did not sound suspicious- or make him feel any worse. “He has few details of my plan. I am not sure how he tracked us a few days ago, but I do not believe he will deny me. I wanted to complete the task independently, but I will do what I must.”

“Well I’ll help you if he won’t,” Amy assured.

“Amy, you’ll die if he’s lying,” Tails shot back.

She scoffed as if it didn’t matter. “We’ll all die if he’s lying.”

“How is that better?! How can you be sure he’s telling the truth?”

Amy paused. She felt his steely fingers on her and focused her ears on his gently whirring engine. H1 looked at her from Metal’s lap expectantly. It wasn’t clear to her just why she’d grown to trust him so quickly, but she knew in her heart he would do the right thing. “Because he wants someone to kick his butt at sword fighting,” she smiled. “I’ve gotten pretty good at it the past few days, you know.”

Metal could no longer look at her. He removed his hand from atop hers and sat silently, trying not to let the guilt overcome him.

Tails’ face contorted. “What are you even talking about?”

The door cracked open then, Rouge stepping back inside. She addressed Metal Sonic directly. “We will allow you use of the Stone Mirror,” she began. “Knuckles will take it immediately after. No one on my crew is to know about it- we’re after the treasure only. We expect to come up on the island in the next hour, so get back to your ship and wait for a tow.”

“That soon?” Metal asked.

“Yes. You are not to step foot on land in order to avoid suspicion. We’ll recover the artifacts.”

“... Very well. Let us return, then.” He removed H1 from his lap and rose, Amy’s fingers slipping away from him.

“Amy’s staying with us,” Knuckles called from the door.

Amy’s cheeks puffed indignantly. “ Amy’s going where she wants. I’m staying with Metal.” She stood and pushed Knuckles out of her way, taking her leave.

Metal thanked Rouge and went past the others without a second glance, his lackey scurrying behind. There was no doubt they were plotting something against him, and Metal was determined to make it onto that island and get his hands on the mirror himself- by force if necessary. He would do anything. Almost anything .

The second Amy and Metal stepped out, a set of cameras once again bombarded them. It assured they went away and off the ship quickly so Metal Sonic couldn’t hear what was being discussed in Rouge’s quarters without them.

Inside, Tails got up from his seat. “Are we really just gonna let Metal Sonic use the mirror?”

“Absolutely not,” Knuckles shot back.

“But Amy doesn’t need to know that yet.” Rouge leaned back on the front of her desk pensively. “We’re getting ahead of him so he can’t threaten us with whatever he wants to do with the mirror. No doubt Metal Sonic will get... forceful.”

“Stubborn girl,” Knuckles grumbled. “It’d be easier to keep her safe if she’d stayed here…”

“Arguing with her would blow our cover; and she can take care of herself. Let’s just be ready for whatever he throws at us.”

Tails’ ears drooped slightly. “I wish Sonic could help us, he’d make quick work of Metal…”

“Who needs him?” Knuckles puffed his chest out confidently. “I’m bored of watching them fight anyway!”

-----

Metal and Amy stood at the bow of his great ship, the breeze blowing through Amy’s hair gently. She leaned forward, looking into the horizon, waiting to spot land. They were moving a little faster now as Rouge’s vessel towed them across the sea. Metal stood next to her watching the compass intently. They continued on the right path. It was minutes away now.

Suddenly the hidden inscription on the back made a lot more sense. He shone a pale violet light over it and read- The Mirror’s bloodlust was nothing to me, for I’d have bled myself dry for you. It didn’t just seem like useless theatrics, but the caring words of someone willing to sacrifice for another. What Metal didn’t understand, however, was how Amy was so ready and willing to do the same for him. Worse than deceptive, it felt undeserved.

Spotting his intense concentration on the compass, Amy spoke up. “Crazy how Beryl gave everything to Scarlett like that, huh?”

Metal did his best to shake his head clear of the guilt. “Yes. I suppose she cared for her.”

“That’s an understatement,” Amy chuckled.

“Is it? Then... what is it you feel that makes you so willing to do the same for me?”

Amy swiveled over to look at him directly. He stared down at the compass, not meeting her gaze. “I guess I think it’ll be good for us both.”

“How can you be so sure? Are you convinced I will immediately betray The Doctor and join your team?”

“I guess not…” Amy frowned at the thought. She knew it was an unrealistic expectation, though she remained hopeful he would change for the better somehow. “But I think we should all be free to make our own choices. Maybe you’ll make some good ones.”

“I am not so sure…”

There was a drawn-out sigh as she leaned her back in contemplation. Amy couldn’t help but see the good in people, and when she looked at Metal now, she saw more than a lifeless machine. There was passion in his voice and enthusiasm in his demeanor whenever they indulged in his interests. There was a small sparkle in his eye when they spoke. She had seen him joyful, and concentrated, and playful, where all she would have previously associated him with was rage. But more than that, Amy felt a connection, like perhaps this was something they were meant to do together. How else could they have become such fast friends? Friends, she smiled at the thought. It filled her with optimism. She rolled her head back on her shoulder to look to him again, their eyes locking this time. He’d been staring- it wasn’t the first time she noticed, but he didn’t dart his eyes away this time.

Softening her eyes, Amy looked at him dreamily in the late afternoon light. “I think you’ll do what’s right for you. That’s enough for me.”

Seeing that honeyed expression and hearing such genuine words, Metal never regretted anything more than he regretted bringing her along. I should have just worked alone, he scolded himself. How could he have miscalculated the outcome so terribly? In his mind, Amy would reluctantly agree to help and he’d otherwise use her as a shield against her friends’ attack;. Nothing prepared him for feeling something toward her. There was a kinship, a bond that quickly formed like puzzle pieces fitting together. They managed to just… click. There was no room in his plan for that. But he was so close…

“I do not believe your friends have such faith in me,” he said finally.

“Yeah, I kinda got that feeling. I think we’re gonna have to sneak onto that island first if you want a chance at the mirror.”

That was nothing short of surprising to hear. “You would deceive your friends?”

“It’s for a good cause- they’ll forgive me. You’ll see.”

For the first time in days, land came into view on the horizon. It was a lush green island with little more than a tall mountain rising from its center. It was tiny even as they approached. Metal and Amy exchanged looks as they spotted it.

“Looks like this is it,” she remarked. “Just a teeny island with a little mountain…”

“It appears that way.” He scanned as far as he could zoom with his optics, getting a closer look at the landscape that was still some miles away. “That, however, is a volcano.”

“No kidding...” Amy glanced around the side of the vessel. “Is there a boat around here? We need to sneak ahead if we want to reach the treasure before the others.”

“I have a better idea...”

As Rouge and her crew were making preparations to dock, Tails spotted something flying in the distance. A look through his binoculars revealed H3 and H4 flying in tandem at full speed, apparently trying to get ahead of both ships. “Hey, those are Metal’s lackeys over there.”

Rouge ripped the binoculars from his hands. “They’re trying to get ahead of us, then? We’ll see about that. Tails, come with me; Knuckles, maybe you should pay our friend a visit.” Knuckles nodded as the others both kicked themselves off and toward the flying robots.

They caught up to them quickly and tried to block their way, but were soon engaged in battle. H3 and H4 used primarily evasive tactics and steadily drifted them in the opposite direction of the island while Knuckles made his way across Rouge’s ship and over to Metal’s.

Knuckles climbed over the tow rope that connected the ships and landed on deck with a shout. “Metal Sonic! Call back your minions, now!” Not hearing an answer, Knuckles stomped across the hard floor until he found the entrance to the captain’s quarters just below the helm. Not one to wait for invitations, he made quick work of the door with his fists. He punched through the splintered wood, finding Metal Sonic sitting across the room, the back of his captain’s hat visible over the winged armchair that faced away from the door. “I said call them back now!” Metal did not respond. “Did you hear me? And where’s Amy?!” Knuckles marched over to the chair, swiveling it around to face him. “I said-”

Instead of Metal Sonic, Knuckles was met with H1, who quickly ambushed him with his long rope-arms, holding him in place. “Damn you little-” Knuckles continued to struggle against H1, his master nowhere to be found.

“Well done, H1,” a shrill voice chimed from the door.

Knuckles twisted his body around clumsily to look. The rage in his eyes grew when he saw him. “Eggman!” Knuckles yelled just as his voice was swallowed up by H1’s coils around his mouth.

Meanwhile, Metal carried Amy swiftly over the water, floating quietly close to its surface. They stuck near the side of Rouge’s ship until they snuck ahead of it. The pair managed to make it to shore well before Rouge’s crew as she and the others remained distracted with Metal’s henchmen. They booked it across the sandy beach and onto the greener area, searching for another clue as to where exactly they’d find the treasure.

“Okay… what now?” Amy’s eyes darted around the scenery looking for any hint of a hidden treasure.

Metal looked to the compass that continued to point northward. “This way,” he instructed, accelerating into the small forest of palms that surrounded the volcano’s base with Amy on his heels. They ran deep into the tropical thicket as the sky above changed hue, the sun nearing the horizon. It wasn’t long before they reached a black stone wall overgrown with moss.

“Looks like this is the end of the line…” Amy ran her hand along the wall in search of another hint.

As Metal approached, he found the hand that held the compass was repelled, as if an invisible force pushed it away. Intruiged, he held out his other arm, feeling no such push. The device’s hand spun left and right wildly as he waved it in front of the wall. “Interesting…” He placed a claw on the wall, scratching at it. He was able to make a mark on its surface with little effort. “This is some kind of volcanic rock. It repels whatever this is made of…”

“Really? Must be why it points in the other direction?” Unsure of what else to do, Amy pulled the little crystal spyglass from her pocket, looking through its eyepiece. She scanned the wall up and down, the atmospheric light turning deep red as it had just before they’d set sail together. She stopped, finding a small spot that glowed faintly. It was a small divot in the rock. “There’s something here...” Amy pawed at the vines that crept up its surface, scratching off years of moss that had grown over the glowing spot.

She finally revealed the formation under all the greenery. “Oh! It’s shaped like-”

“Like a heart,” Metal interrupted, shining his own violet light upon the small heart-shaped crater. He approached it slowly, eyes fixed on the compass. Its rapidly twisting arrow straightened as he neared the spot. The correctly pointed side of the arrow indicated straight ahead. Reaching out, the compass practically jumped out of his hand from the magnetic pull as he moved to place it in the glowing divot.

To their left, the rocky base of the volcano rumbled. They whipped around to find a wall shifting, vines and moss tearing apart as a stone slab lifted off the ground to reveal a narrow entrance to a hollow cave within.

“Well that seems like a pretty clear path to me,” Amy grinned. But it was short lived as a sudden explosion boomed from the direction of the beach. Worried for her friends, Amy looked at Metal with concern. “What was that?”

Metal was just as shocked. “I don’t know…” He raised his eyeline to scan the sky, seeming to spot something not far away. Why here? He asked himself as he recognized the round figure.

“Why are you here?” he amplified his voice to The Doctor.

“To help you get the Stone Mirror, of course!” he called back giddily. “I’ll be happy to give you what you need! What form are you taking?” Another silhouette came into view above not far from them.

Metal shot a glance back at Amy. “When did you call him?” She stared up at Eggman with confusion.

“I didn’t,” Metal responded. Before he could think of what to tell Amy, he watched as H1 hovered down next to The Doctor, his arms still tangled around an enraged Knuckles. But Metal didn’t call for H1, either- which could only mean it was The Doctor’s doing. “Is this how you found me?” Metal growled, incensed at the realization.

“Wasn’t H1 useful?” Eggman cackled. “I know you wanted to work on your own, but aren’t you glad I was watching now that you need me?”

Metal was within reach of completing his mission on his own terms. The sight of his master infuriated him, his determination to succeed without The Doctor's help returning in full-force. He’d convinced Amy, he’d made it to the island- he was going to complete his objective. Why should he feel guilty about that?

“I don’t need you!” he roared. “I have everything I need!” He accelerated toward H1, grabbing the smaller robot by his shoulders as Knuckles uttered muffled curses while they flailed around in mid-air. “ Double-crossing heap of scrap metal! ” Metal’s voice rang out with a harsh mechanical twinge as he took hold of either of H1’s arms and swiftly ripped them out of their sockets, dropping Knuckles a few feet to the ground. As H1 kicked his feet around helplessly, Metal grabbed him by the head and catapulted him out of sight, far back in the direction of the beach.

His eye radiated a fierce, burning glow as he whipped around to face Amy, who looked horrified at his actions. “We need to go, now!”

“What? But what about-”

“Go!” Metal extended his arm out, shoving Amy through the cave opening.

“Metal!” Eggman shouted, “What’s gotten into you? That’ll take me all evening to fix!”

Ignoring him, Metal flew back toward the opening as Knuckles began to slip away from the heavy uncoiling tubes. “I’ll leave you to deal with him, ” he called back to The Doctor. Once inside the cave, Metal shot his arm out once more, grabbing and ripping the compass from its spot in the wall. The limb retracted back past the opening just as the stone wall fell back into place, narrowly avoiding crushing his hand.

They were swallowed in the pitch darkness of the cave. Metal illuminated his thermal vision in search of a path ahead, but was met with Amy’s panicked eyes first. Unable to see, she groped around for a wall to follow until Metal grabbed her hand and pulled her toward him.

She did not look the slightest bit relieved. “Metal! I can’t see anything…”

“I can guide us; let’s go.”

“Wait- what was…” he saw her glance back toward the direction of the cave entrance unhappily. “I mean, wasn’t that kinda harsh? What you did to H1…”

“Perhaps- but he was a traitor as far as I’m concerned.”

“Yeah, but, you really seemed to hurt him...”

The clock was ticking and there was only so much time before the others would come after them. “He will be fine,” Metal grumbled impatiently, starting forward.

Amy let herself be pulled along, but she wasn’t dropping the question. “It’s just… is that really the kind of person you want to be?” Amy quickly remembered how she’d thought of Metal. She had forgotten how absurd it was that she’d agreed to help him and how he’d coerced her into it to begin with.

“I’ve been betrayed, how would you have liked me to react?”

“Were you? It really sounds like Eggman was trying to help you-”

“I don’t need his help!” He cut Amy off. Her eyes cast down anxiously and Metal registered the doubt and unease in her face. She almost looked sick, stumbling in the dark and frightened by his violent reaction. He knew she was right to feel that way, but his mind was made up- he would do whatever it took to use the Stone Mirror without The Doctor’s help. And Amy had to be willing, so something had to be said to assuage her. “I can’t be indebted to him any longer. I need to do this alone.”

“But you can’t do it alone, Metal, that’s the point!” Amy’s hands fumbled over his arm until she reached his shoulder, facing up at the single glowing eye, the only thing she could see. “I know you wanna be independent, but we all depend on people. Don’t you think he cares about you if he’s willing to give you this much freedom?”

In a way, she was right- but without knowing the truth, Amy would never understand. Metal highly doubted The Doctor would actually help if he’d really wished to become organic, but he could not deny his master’s well-meaning interest. They had the same goal, after all… Metal just knew he could accomplish it without him. Perhaps then he could feel as if he were an equal in his empire and not just some high-ranking lackey. But how much of that could he really tell her?

“It is different… He created me, and he can control me. I cannot escape his shadow.”

“Is having flesh and blood really gonna change that?”

“... I do not know.” Any illumination provided by Metal’s eye turned to darkness. To Amy, it looked like he’d closed his eyes, though he continued to lead her forward without issue. He just wanted her to look away, making the guilt easier to beat down- but she held her ground. Metal continued, turning his face from her. “I believe that changing my form will give me some sovereignty, making me more respectable in his eyes... It is complicated.”

“I know.” Amy looked for the red LEDs to come back on so she could look Metal in the eye, but they remained out. “But I think you can accomplish that as you are.”

Metal stopped as they approached a wall. He could still see Amy looking lamentful in his peripheral vision, her hand in his as the other clung to his shoulder assuringly. This must have been where the treasure was stored, but he wasn’t sure he could still bring himself to deceive her. He made himself visible to her again, shining his red light on her face. He felt her exhale, as if relieved, when he did. “Are you… still willing to help me?”

A small smile spread across her lips. “Of course. I just wanted you to know that I think you’re capable, you know?”

Perhaps secretly, he’d hoped she would refuse. But there was no turning back now. “I believe we are here...”

“What is it?”

“A door… without a handle.” He stared at the wall head, a smooth slab that extended from the floor to the ceiling of the cave. The shape of a door looked to be carved into it, a circular cavity in place of where a doorknob would be. Words were painted in a neat script following the shape of the hole, appearing to have faded over the decades. “There is a bore hole. It reads, ‘For my greatest treasure: my gem, Beryl.’”

“Oh, ’cause Beryl is named after a gemstone, right? Pretty romantic,” Amy teased, wanting to lighten the mood.

“It is… clever.” Metal examined the hole in the door, measuring its diameter and determining its depth. Amy knelt ahead of him, her hand sliding off his shoulder and reaching out to the wall. She ran her fingers blindly along its surface in search of a clue. He watched as she felt around the great stone barrier, apparently determined to do whatever she could to help. With Amy’s other hand still held in his own, Metal led her to the carved edge of the doorframe. “This is the door,” he said, her fingers tracing down the groove in the stone. “And the bore hole.” He pulled her hand to the spot in the door where one would find a doorknob.

Amy placed her palm over it. “It’s kinda warm,” she remarked, feeling as balmy air flowed through from the other side.

“Yes,” he agreed, hesitantly pulling away.

“ My gem, Beryl, ” she repeated. “Hm…” Fumbling around her pocket, Amy pulled out the spyglass and held it up with the bluish crystal at the end. “Does this look like beryl?”

Metal’s hard claws clicked against the crystal as he held it between his thumb and forefinger. “It does… how theatrical.” There was amusement in his voice as he realized. “Shall we?”

Amy nodded, beaming with excitement. She brought the eyepiece end up to the hole in the wall, letting Metal push the crystal into the divot until it clicked. Pulling herself up by his arm, Amy gave him an encouraging nudge. Metal paused. He stared down at her a moment. “Go on,” she insisted with a smile.

Before they could move ahead, however, a sliver of orange light entered through the floor of the stone corridor. Looking back, Metal and Amy found the door to the cave once again rising, Rouge’s silhouette just illuminated in the late sunset as it rose. Knuckles and Tails weren’t far behind her but neither Eggman nor any of the henchmen were within sight. “This is the end of the line!” she commanded, stepping into the cave.

Metal and Amy shared a brief glance, and she gave him a single nod. “Do what you have to, but be careful, okay?”

If there was a time for Metal to reverse his decision, it was now. But though he hesitated, Metal returned her nod and turned to face the cave opening. The cavity in his chest began to glow with a white light that quickly brightened, luminous with energy. “I suggest you remain where you are,” he warned Rouge.

She stepped back slightly with a gasp, unsure if she could block his attack. “Amy, call him off before someone gets hurt!” she demanded.

Amy shook her head desperately. “Just stay back!”

Knuckles came charging in then, his eyes ablaze as he rushed past Rouge and started down the length of the corridor. Tails made a fruitless effort to stop him but was quickly pushed out of the way.

Rouge yelled, following after Knuckles. “Don’t!”

The compression chamber in Metal’s chest was charged, brilliant with energy. He turned his head slightly to Amy. “You stand back as well,” he advised. Not letting Knuckles get too close, Metal levitated a few inches up and aimed his chest engine up toward the cave ceiling. Rouge just managed to tackle Knuckles to the ground as Metal’s laser fired into the stone ceiling, causing a pile of gravel to rain down between them. Metal shot himself backward and away from the falling stone. As his feet hit the ground, he forced Amy to the wall and stood between her and the collapsing ceiling, blocking the stray debris with his body.

She shut her eyes and used her arms to shield her head, but Metal didn’t let so much as a pebble past his frame. As the dust cleared, Amy peeked up. Metal towered above her crouched form, only his glowing eye once again visible in the darkened cave as it stared down at her. Amy hid her face, slightly flushed from the excitement- and the proximity.

Metal pushed himself from the wall, offering her a hand. “Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine,” she squeaked, accepting the boost. “What about you?”

“No sustained damage.”

They stared at each other for a moment, once again hand in hand. Metal listened to her quickened heartbeat and observed the warmth surrounding her face. Amy panted lightly. She looked especially radiant in his thermal vision, her cheeks illuminated bright red. “Thank you,” Metal blurted out.

She looked at what little she could see of him with wide eyes. “What… what for?”

He wasn’t sure. “For… everything.”

“Well,” Amy slipped her hand away from his gently. “Don’t thank me yet. We’re almost there! Oh-” she hopped past him and lifted her voice, hoping it reached the other side of the debris pile. “Are you guys okay?”

There was a short pause before Rouge called back. “You’re lucky no one’s hurt!”

Amy released her tense breath. “Thank goodness! I’m sorry, we’re going to the treasure room now!”

“The what?!”

They could hear Rouge cursing from across the heap momentarily. Then Metal could just catch Tails utter something before their voices quickly faded away.

“I think we should hurry,” Amy said, hurrying back to his side. Metal simply nodded, reaching for the eyepiece in the wall.

The crystal spyglass turned like a knob in a door. Metal pulled it open and was immediately greeted with a burst of hot air that shot past them, the stone door acting as the only barrier to keep them from being scorched. As the air passed, the enormous chamber beyond became illuminated with torches lining the walls. On the farthest wall, a thin stream of magma flowed down the height of the farthest wall, making the space sear with radiant heat.

Standing ahead of her to look past the door, Metal cautioned Amy. “We are here. But for some reason Scarlett decided to store her treasure in a magma chamber.”

“That’s… terrifying. What else is in there?”

Metal stepped from the back of the stone door, standing in the entrance of the mysterious chamber with its seemingly magical torches and streaming lava. And then there was the treasure; Mounds of sparkling gold coins that glittered even in the dreariest of light were speckled with ingots and gilded statues all across the dusty ground. The center of the room was covered inches deep in jewels, silvery blades buried within the treasure to their gem encrusted hilts. Within it, on a platform mounded with riches, sat an ivory casket, its edges shining with golden filigree inlaid with rubies and sapphires. And finally, atop it all sat a simple stone box, its dull surface clashing with the glimmering room. “What we have been looking for,” Metal said with more lament than he intended.

Pushing past the door, Amy stood next to him and took in the magnificent sight for herself. She gasped with awe, her wide eyes shining with a golden halo in the warm light. “It’s beautiful,” she sighed. Amy stepped inside, giggling. “Rouge is gonna freak!”  The balmy air was stifling, but she ignored it and moved ahead, approaching the room’s center.

He followed her in cautiously, kicking random bits of treasure aside. “Be careful, there could be traps…” He watched as she pushed ahead, seeing her trod through the thick blanket of coins that littered the ground without hesitation. She fanned herself and pulled on her blouse collar uncomfortably, but headed straight for the macabre chest that sat in the middle of it all. There was no uncertainty in her stride- Amy was determined to help Metal in any way possible. He didn’t expect that to be so devastating.

Amy made her way up the elevated platform, standing on her toes to reach up to the top of the casket. There was an inscription on the lid of the stone box that sat on it. “ DO NOT OPEN,” it read. Raising a brow, Amy leaned in closer to find additional words on the front. “There’s an inscription on here…” She read it aloud: “The box reads, ‘In this casket lies Beryl, all I loved besides the sea. In this box, my remorse. Leave this cursed object where you found it; The remainder of this wretched treasure is yours. Scarlett.’ Oh…”

Reaching her side, Metal stared at the inscription that just reached his eye level.Remorse, he repeated to himself silently. “I suppose this is what we are here for.”

Amy sighed. “Yeah, I guess we should do this quick,” she reached out to the box.

Metal thought about stopping her, taking her hand and pulling it away from her cursed fate, but he did not get the opportunity. Something suddenly came crashing through the rocky wall of the chamber, chunks of stone booming as they scattered to the ground.

The cavern rumbled. Amy held onto the edge of the casket for support while Metal stabilized himself and turned his vision to the crash site. The bow of a metallic ship had pushed its way through to the cavern, its steely peak unaffected by the collision. As the rubble settled and the early moonlight seeped in through cracks, Eggman strode out onto the deck with a cackle. “What do you think of my new ship?” He extended his arms proudly. “She floats and flies!”

Metal was fuming. There he was, pushing past his immense guilt and moments from fulfilling his goal, only to be interrupted by The Doctor once again. Amy could sense his anger. She quickly found her balance and lifted her hand to his shoulder, trying to give him a reassuring look. He tensed up but did not look in her direction.

When neither of them responded, Eggman continued. “Don’t you like it? I thought we’d get you a better pirate ship for your-”

“Why do you insist on interrupting me?” Metal cut in bitterly.

“Oh come now,” The Doctor continued, “We’re on the same team! You made it this far- don’t let your pride get in the way,” he warned.

As he leaned forward on the bow of the ship, H3 and H4 popped in from the crack in the wall, squeezing their small bodies through the narrow space. Everyone watched silently as they flew crookedly toward Metal. They were scuffed and scratched, one of H4’s arms missing as the socket sparked out weakly. They landed on either side of Metal, clinking their hands to their heads weakly. “Yeesh, what happened to them?” Eggman asked with a grimace.

Clearing her throat, Amy cut in. “Look, I know you wanna help, but we have this under control. So please leave before someone gets hurt!”

“What?” he chortled. “Do you still believe Metal wants to be, what was it- ‘organic’? Ha!”

“Be quiet!” Metal spat back, his voice cutting into a dissonant metallic ring. Amy drew back her hand as she recoiled from the harsh noise.

“ Oh ,” Eggman snickered at the realization that Metal was trying to protect the girl. “Very interesting! But no need to keep up the charade, just grab her along with the mirror so we can get out of here.”

Looking between Eggman and Metal, Amy took several steps away from the robot. “He’s not lying, is he...?”

Metal stared back at her blankly. She would never help him now- his self-reliant plan had no hope of succeeding. If only he hadn’t hesitated…

“Well, hasn’t this been cute?” Eggman cackled cruelly at her fear before addressing his creation once more. Lowering his brow, The Doctor’s demeanor quickly became more serious and authoritative. “Metal, you need me in order to complete your objective. Time for action!”

He was right. Finishing the mission the way Metal had envisioned was out of reach, and Amy would never trust him again. All that was left to do was complete his objective. “It will be easier if you surrender,” he threatened her, narrowing his vision.

“ Of course you were lying.” There was bitterness in Amy’s voice as they glared at one another. She was trapped and outnumbered, but she wasn’t one to go without a fight, and he knew that. She took her gaze around the room frantically, surveying her surroundings. Just as she was deciding her next move, Amy spotted something red in the corner of her eye. She quickly shot her glare back at Metal Sonic, inching away from him.

Knuckles had slipped in through a crack in the stone, quietly scaling the wall near Eggman’s ship. Amy also spotted Rouge and Tails hidden in the ship’s shadow by the cave floor. Rouge brought a finger to her lips as Amy saw her. She knew that Metal would sense her friends if she didn’t keep his attention, so she kept talking. “Why’d you teach me how to fight if you just wanted me to surrender?”

“If you think you will best me in a real fight, you are mistaken. Give up before you get hurt.”

“Hmph! You were gonna kill me anyway- or were you just gonna let the curse do the work?”

The question lacked an answer. For however determined Metal was to get ahead of Sonic, he didn’t want to have to do it at Amy’s expense... Yet there was no calculable scenario in which he would defeat his rival where she wouldn’t intervene. There was no choice but to destroy her, too- whatever he did would only delay the inevitable. “Does it matter?” He took an imposing step toward her.

Amy reached the end of the long casket, turning the corner and putting it between them so Metal faced away from Eggman- and her team. She knew it wouldn’t hold him for long. “So I guess wanting to be friends was a lie, too…” There was genuine lament in her tone, her eyes squinting back sorrowfully. Amy couldn’t believe she’d let herself become attached to Metal- and in such a short amount of time. Whatever connection she’d felt was as good as severed now.

Metal stopped his advance, standing across from her. “...I never said that.”

“You sounded pretty eager to ‘spend time together,’” she quoted him.

“I…”

A loud ZAP was heard behind Metal. He quickly whipped around to find Knuckles falling to the ground before Rouge swooped in to catch him. “Did you really think I wouldn’t put up a barrier? Come now!” The Doctor laughed as he pulled out a small remote and the invisible barrier flashed around the ship. He pressed a button that sent at least a dozen sword-wielding badniks jumping off the deck and after Tails, Knuckles, and Rouge.

In the confusion, Amy jumped up to snatch the entirety of the stone box from atop the casket. Upon pulling down the heavy container, an ivory switch came up from the casket with a distinct CLICK . The cavern immediately began to rumble, Amy attempting to circumvent the treasure-topped platform and run back toward the direction of the ship in all the chaos.

Realizing this, Metal addressed his minions. “You two block her- the box is mine .”

Amy ran, struggling to keep her balance on the shifting cavern floor. Metal quickly propelled himself after her, reaching out with a clawed hand. Thinking fast, Amy tossed the solid stone lid back at him, hitting him square in the forehead. “Augh!” he groaned as he was knocked off route. As his henchmen closed in ahead of her with arms extended, Amy charged directly at them. Just as they reached out to stop her, Amy hit the ground and slipped between them, scraping against the hard floor. H3 and H4 collided with their arms entangled as she hurried to dust herself off and continue forward.

The cave trembled as the single thin stream of magma at the far wall thickened, now forming a pool on the cavern floor as its exit overflowed. A crack near the chamber entrance also burst open, sending boiling lava spewing over the door from which they had entered. Amy pushed forward through the surrounding heat, lugging the heavy weight toward the direction of her friends- and the oncoming battalion of badniks.

But Metal was quickly upon her again, his eyes blazing with the left flickering wildly front the blow to the head. Knowing he wouldn’t fall for the same trick twice, Amy instinctively ducked as he approached her. The hefty container slid in front of her and Metal lunged for it, snatching it off the ground to remove the artifact he’d been after- But there was nothing inside except dust.

Peering back at Amy, Metal found its rocky handle in her grasp. She had picked up the Stone Mirror- a simple rounded hand mirror with a handgrip and no discernible features other than its distinctive lack of any actual reflective surface. Amy was turning it back and forth in her hands, wondering if this was really what they’d been looking for. It resembled a hand mirror in shape alone, failing to function as an actual looking glass.

Ahead of them, Amy’s friends were already taking on a troupe of robots. After giving one a swift punch to the head that knocked it clean off its body, Knuckles caught sight of Amy- and the Stone Mirror. “Amy- don’t let him get his hands on it! Destroy it!” he called back, just dodging a swing from another badnik.

Hearing this, Metal tossed the useless box aside and flung himself at Amy once more, drawing his sword. As he brought his weapon down over her, Amy held up the mirror at both ends, blocking his attack with its handle. His sword made contact, but bounced off as he hesitated at the last second. Drawing her own sword, Amy pointed it at him sharply. “I’m not going down so easy!” She lunged at him, managing to push to the side as she changed direction toward the pooling magma at the other end of the chamber.

“H3 and H4, corner her!” Metal commanded. The henchmen had just managed to detangle their limbs. H4 launched himself forward at her while H3 came up on the other side.

The heat thickened as she approached the impossibly hot lava, panting and sweating, struggling to run ahead. Metal Sonic was faster than her and closed in quickly behind. Amy could already see H3 and H4 cornering her into the far wall. Rather than wait to be trapped, Amy swung her arm and pitched the mirror fiercely toward the magma. H4, however, threw out his remaining arm, catching it before it made contact with the boiling pool. “Take it back to The Doctor,” Metal instructed him.

“Crap!” Amy cursed. She spun around and pointed, calling out to her friends. “He’s got the mirror!”

Unfortunately for the little robot, the damage he’d sustained made it impossible to fly straight, and he struggled to avoid obstacles. This made it easy for Tails to fly by, grabbing the Stone Mirror to try and pry it out of H4’s tightly clamped claws. Not having another arm to entangle the boy with, H4 swung the coil around wildly, trying to throw Tails off like a mechanical bull. Seeing this, Metal ordered H3 to help his brother and the minion quickly wobbled off.

Eggman watched in frustration as it all unfolded, most of the robots lying in a heap of scrap at the base of his ship. “This is getting boring,” he yawned, and he flipped another button on his remote that sent out another wave of badniks. “I’ve had enough of this; go after the girl! Make it quick.” He wanted to draw the others away from the ship for a quick getaway once the mirror was secured.

Knuckles groaned in annoyance at the new wave of badniks. “I’ll deal with them- help Tails grab the mirror,” he yelled to Rouge through fierce swings of his fists. She nodded and shot herself toward the battling minions.

Meanwhile, Amy was cornered- Metal Sonic ahead of her while searing magma pooled behind her. “Surrender!” Metal commanded, pointing a steely claw at her while he held his sword down by his side.

“Never!” She had no choice but to get out of the way as lava threatened to melt her boots clean off, so she lunged at Metal Sonic with her sword, putting her full force into the attack. His stance quickly changed and he blocked her attack with his sword.

Metal attempted to counter, but Amy kept after him, swinging at him so furiously that he couldn’t get an attack in. “You lied to me!” she screamed out, her eyes brimming with fury.

“Argh- I did what I had to!” he spat back, holding his weapon against hers.

She gripped her sword fiercely with both hands, pushing against him. Angry tears formed in the corners of her eyes. “I thought we had something!” she wailed. Metal’s guilt bubbled to the surface and he faltered momentarily, giving Amy a chance to push his weapon away and plunge toward him. Metal lost his grip and the sword clattered to the ground away from him.

Amy’s lunge would have impaled him through the chest if it wasn’t for the interference of one of Eggman’s badniks. The robot cut ahead of Metal, blocking her swing. As Knuckles struggled to keep them all back, four more of the rotund bots arrived, surrounding Amy and Metal. She brandished the weapon in front of her frantically, pointing it from badnik to badnik. “Rouge,” she called, “Use the sword!”

Metal’s sword had landed just below where she and Tails struggled against H3 and H4. She kicked H3 aside and shot down, seizing the sharp weapon from the cavern floor. “Tails- move!” she warned. The boy quickly propelled himself away as he saw her aiming the sword at H4’s remaining arm. Rouge flung it at the robot, slicing his hand off at the wrist, sending his clamp-like fingers falling to the ground with the Stone Mirror still in its clutches. “Hold them off!” Rouge caught it mid-flight, clamp and all, and got moving in Amy’s direction with the intention of tossing the artifact in the magma and picking her up on the way back.

“Metal,” Eggman howled from a speaker, “Stop that flying rat and retreat with the mirror at once!”

Giving her a final glare, Metal lifted off the ground. “I wish you’d given up,” he told Amy before thrusting straight up to intercept Rouge.

“Why do you care?!” Amy‘s chest heaved, her weak hand wiping the sweat from her brow as the group of badniks slowly pushed her closer and closer to the bubbling magma behind her.

Rouge wasn’t fast enough to dodge Metal Sonic. All she could do to keep the mirror out of his clutches was to hurl it in the direction of the lava pit just before he made contact with her, sending her plummeting to the cave floor- without the Stone Mirror in hand.

As if slowing time, Metal shot his gaze toward the mirror as it fell. His systems worked at lightning speed to determine its velocity and the likelihood that he could catch it before it was destroyed. Metal was tough, but not indestructible- he wouldn’t survive a plunge into the magma. But it was when he was calculating the possible outcome, already drilling his body through the air and down toward the sizzling pool, that he spotted Amy Rose cornered by badniks against boiling magma, mere feet from being pushed into it.

Suddenly, there was a second option to his trajectory. It was her or the Stone Mirror. Save Amy Rose, or be closer than he’s ever been to fulfilling the very objective to his existence. Why was it a question? So much as considering her over his purpose went against his plan, the very core of his programming; And yet, he had already decided the moment he saw her in mortal danger. Before he could comprehend why, Metal had already shifted his flight path.

Amy was panting and swaying, dizzy from the intoxicating heat of the cave. Her vision was blurry and wet with tears as she fought off the attacks from several opponents at once. If they didn’t end her, the magma would. One of the badniks lunged at her while she parried another and she was sure she wouldn’t be able to dodge in time. Just as Amy thought she would have to say a final prayer, Metal Sonic landed between her and the robot, arms outstretched to form a barrier between them.

The sword-wielding badnik stabbed its weapon forward with no time to stop before the sharp end impaled Metal through the chest. The sword cut into his turbine, causing sparks to fly out as the engine sputtered. He heard the devastating sound of the Stone Mirror falling into the magma next to them, watching it sizzle from the corner of his eye as it sunk in. There went everything he had worked towards- yet this regret was so much less than the remorse he’d felt betraying Amy.

“Metal!” Amy gasped.

“You scrap-heap!” Eggman shrieked at the badnik whose sword was stuck in Metal Sonic’s engine. “When I’m through with you-”

There was no time to finish the statement. Glowing-hot lava began to burst from cracks in all the interior walls as the cavern quaked. Gravel fell from the ceiling as the space began caving in. “Retreat at once!”

All of Eggman’s remaining robots dropped what they were doing to run, leaving Knuckles free. He spotted Rouge crawling across the ground and Tails kicking H3 away from him a final time. Knuckles ran to Rouge, supporting her as she stood. “Where’s Amy?” he asked frantically as they struggled to stay upright on the unsteady ground.

Rouge turned her head back as Tails joined them. “Oh, no…”

Metal gripped the hilt of the sword that stuck out from his chest and quickly drew it out, tossing it to the side. The increased lava flow had left them completely surrounded on a precarious island that would soon be inundated. In her surprise, Amy shook the daze from her head. The tears that had welled in her eyes overflowed as she looked up at him in shock. “You- You came back!”

“I am as surprised as you,” he said, drawing her close to him as the boiling magma rose around them. “Hold on.” Metal lifted them off the ground, faltering as he did. His engine stalled, causing him to hover up and down unexpectedly until they finally passed the pooling lava, crashing onto the cavern floor. They were past the immediate danger, but Metal could no longer fly. As Amy stood, he found that his legs had given out as well- only enough power left to operate his upper body. He ordered his minions over hurriedly. “H3, H4, I need you here.”

The little robots did their best to fly over, dodging falling pieces of the stone ceiling. Metal was taken aback by their appearance. “H4? Where’s the rest of you?” The minion shrugged with what was left of his right arm, only the long coil hanging down from its socket. Realization set in for Metal. He looked back at Amy’s panicked face. “H3 cannot carry me alone. I will have to stay. You go with him-”

“No!” Amy shook her head furiously. “You can’t!”

“My weight exceeds his capacity-” Metal tried to explain.

“Don’t be stupid!” She grabbed hold of one of Metal’s arms, dragging him across the floor at a surprising pace.

Her strength was impressive, but they would never make it out before the chamber caved in at this rate. “We are too slow! Just leave!”

“I won’t!” Amy struggled. “H3, a little help would be nice!”

He and Metal exchanged glances for a moment. Metal quickly realized the stubborn girl wouldn’t be leaving him behind. “Well, help her!” he commanded.

H3 obeyed, swiftly grabbing his master by the other arm and dragging him along. They moved at a running pace now, nearing the half-collapsed wall from which Eggman had crashed his ship.

“Amy, what are you doing?!” Knuckles called out. He’d handed Rouge over to Tails to fly out with and now ran alongside her and Metal.

“Just shut up and run!”

As they all neared the threshold and The Doctor caught sight of Metal Sonic, his ship began to back out from the wall. “Hurry!” he yelled at them as it floated back.

The ceiling was falling down behind them, burying the chamber and all its treasure under mounds of solid stone and liquid earth. The entire cavern was seconds from collapsing. Tails was the first out with Rouge in his grasp while H4 and Knuckles followed closely behind. Finally, Amy and H3 dragged Metal past the cave’s external wall as the entirety of the cavern came down behind them. Stones boomed, pounding to the floor in the direction they’d come from. The crashing stone wall rattled and broke the ground outside, lurching everyone forward and away from the entrance with a gust of wind.

It was a rough landing, but the side of the volcano they’d come out from faced the sandy beach. Knuckles groaned, spitting sand out of his mouth after landing face first. Tails came down, landing softly beside him with Rouge. He set her down on the beach and collapsed onto the soft ground, exhausted. Eggman’s steel ship floated above them as he hung over the rails looking relieved. Metal’s henchmen floated about for a moment before a faint beeping drew them away into the palm tree thicket nearby.

Amy couldn’t bring herself to sit up. She lay in the sand, sweating and heart pounding, staring straight up at the night sky as the adrenaline subsided. Metal’s half-functioning body was strewn beside her face-down. He pushed himself from the sand, flipping over to look straight up. Metal fondled the ground desperately, leaving drag marks in the sand with his sharp claws until Amy’s hand happened upon his, locking their fingers together. He relaxed, relieved to still have her by his side. It was the least he could hope for after giving up his plan to save her, he told himself- but he knew it must have been more than that. They sat in silence for just a few moments.

“... It does look a bit like a swan,” he muttered, staring into the starry sky. Cygnus was in full view over the island.

Amy couldn’t keep from snickering as he spoke, noticing the constellation suspended above them. “Guess you didn’t need to be organic to see it after all- ow! Laughing hurts...”

“Seeing as I am still mechanical, I’m afraid I cannot relate…”

She burst out in laughter, holding her ribs with her free hand. Amy’s shoulders bounced, highlighting the dull soreness in her arms from having dragged Metal’s heavy body across the collapsing cavern. “Don’t start-” she giggled. It always seemed to amuse her when he made those snide remarks.

Some yards away, Rouge sat up, holding the back of her head. “There goes my treasure… Is everyone alright?”

Tails flashed a lazy thumbs-up as Knuckles stretched beside her. “I’ll live,” he remarked gruffly. “What could those two be laughing about…?”

“Who knows?” she grumbled. “A bit cheery for a pair who just cost me my treasure.”

Quick footsteps were heard from the far side of the beach. Rouge’s crew and a set of cameramen were hastily running to meet with her. She sighed. “Back to work, I suppose.” As they stumbled near, Knuckles came to his feet and gave her a hand up. Tails dusted himself off groggily and joined them. The trio were surrounded by sailors and cameras soon enough as Rouge immediately began giving orders, playing up the authoritative remarks for the cameras.

Down the beach, Metal’s minion’s floated near him, H3 holding H1’s sparking body in his arms. Metal pushed himself to sit up, looking at the dismembered robot with remorse. “Perhaps I was a bit harsh…” He took hold of H1 as the metallic husk beeped intermittently and automatically, not appearing to be active.

Pulling herself into a sitting position, Amy groaned. “Is he gonna be okay?” she motioned to H1.

“Yes… I can repair them all. We will be fine.”

Eggman hovered down in his floating Eggmobile, coming to a landing and jumping out to address his creations. “Metal! What happened out there? Is your turbine functional?”

Metal glared at The Doctor for a moment. The lights in his left eye flickered weakly every time he moved his head. He believed he should have been furious, but he had neither the energy nor any strong feelings against his master in that moment. “No,” he responded simply.

“You sure did a number on him,” Eggman said, referring to H1 as Metal held him. “Well, we’ll get ‘em next time… Here, charge up so we can go.” A battery pack was quickly hooked up to Metal’s back, steadily providing his body with the power to operate his legs. Amy watched fondly as Eggman doted over him, a sly smile appearing on her face. The Doctor noticed her peering. “What are you looking at, you pest? You should consider yourself lucky to be alive-”

“That is enough,” Metal said plainly. “Give me a minute…”

“... Fine,” Eggman relented. “I‘ll make preparations to ‘set sail,’” he snickered, getting back into his hovercraft and floating away to the flying ship.

H3 and H4 sat in the sand by Amy and Metal, patiently waiting for him to regain his energy. As The Doctor’s attention turned away from him, Metal pulled the charging cable out from his back and connected it to H1’s body. The narrow strip of light that formed his visor powered on as Metal held him in front of his chest.

“You are quite the little spy…” Metal stared at H1 as he activated, the small robot bobbing his head around as if nervous. “... Very good work. I shall keep you around.” H1 stopped his frantic movement, tensing up for a moment before relaxing. Amy giggled as Metal set him down in the sand between them, reaching out and straightening the bandana around his neck. Metal turned to face her so their eyes met. “Thank you for bringing me with you. I am not sure my body could have been recovered from all the rubble.”

She was beaming warmly. “Well, you didn’t let me die in the end, so…” she gestured vaguely. “Call it even for now.” Amy winked.

“Hm. For what it’s worth, I was not going to permit you to sacrifice yourself. Though I cannot comprehend why…”

“Oh thanks,” Amy snickered through her sarcastic response. “Well, even though you lied… I think I believe you,” she shrugged.

Metal never felt like he needed to justify or excuse anything that he’d done in the past; He only ever did what he had to in the name of completing his objective. And though he resented losing this opportunity, the guilt he felt from lying was somehow much stronger. “Yes, well- I have never apologized for anything in my entire existence, but… I do regret that. I am sorry.”

“Really?” She ran a finger through the sand, leaving faint lines. “Ah, at least I got a sword lesson out of it ...I’ll think about forgiving you,” she responded with a coy smile. Metal Sonic was a bit of a mystery, but she could sense that he was apologetic in saving her and as he reactivated H1. She felt it was genuine, though she promised herself to keep him on his toes if they ever say one another again. “Anyway, don’t you need to charge, too?” she asked.

“There is enough for us both. In any case, I can spend a bit more time with you this way.”

She grinned playfully. “Yeah, too bad we’re in no shape for a dance lesson.”

“I suppose not... Perhaps next week, then.” He forced it out indifferently, but there was hope in his response.

It was unclear whether he was just teasing her. Amy flushed suddenly, turning her gaze away. Nothing could have been stranger than feeling this fondly toward Metal after the emotional roller coaster of the last several days, but the idea of being that close again didn’t sound so bad to her now. Only time would tell how the unusual new friendship would play out from opposite sides, but Amy was more than willing to find out. “Yeah, I guess that’ll work,” she responded finally, smiling back up at him. She couldn’t help but think that he’d be grinning back if he could.

-----

“ The treasure has been… compromised, ” Rouge explained. Footage of her on a beach played on a small hand-held tablet. She was wearing a scuffed-up navy suit but stood with confidence and authority. “ There were some… complications. It may be too dangerous to excavate. ”

B-roll of the surrounding area played as a news anchor reported the story. A dark, tropical beach with a mountain at its center. A pile of rubble surrounded by crew members as Tails pointed at and discussed various spots. Rouge storming off the beach as Knuckles followed after her angrily.

Sonic watched the morning news in awe. He’d been lounging groggily near the Master Emerald when he sat up at the appearance of his friends.

“ … and perhaps most strangely of all, the missing historical ship, the Royal Fortune, was found drifting just offshore. She appears to have sustained some damage over the week or so since she went missing. Her disappearance seems to be related to the notorious Dr. Eggman. ” As an announcer spoke, the recording showed a short clip of Metal Sonic and Amy chatting at the bow of the now-anchored ship, her leaning over a railing nonchalantly and giggling while he stood in a stately manner, his gaze fixed on her. Amy then ducked out of the shot when she spotted the camera. Metal Sonic turned to face it directly, glaring with his left eye flickering eerily. The shot quickly panned away.

“Is that…?” Sonic’s jaw dropped as he watched the clip, unable to fathom just what kind of adventure they’d ended up on. Seeing Amy lounging around with Metal Sonic on a stolen vessel was by the far the strangest, but everyone appeared to be safe and would likely be returning soon, so there was no need to worry. “Heh, can’t wait to hear about this.” Sonic went back to his leisurely position as the story ended, grinning over the unexpected footage of his friends and eagerly waiting to hear about all the fun his team was having without him. Still, he doubted it would be enough to get him tagging along on the next seafaring adventure.

-----

wow so that ended up being like twice as long as intended~ i hope yall enjoyed it. meant to have it up earlier but. that’s life.

this is of course part 2 to what i was working on for @metamy-ship-week​

a very very very special thank you to @mmm-asbestos​ for inspiring this fic and brainstorming the story with me. i am incredibly thankful to have worked on something with someone who inspires me so much ❤ i had a great time

happy new year friends~ i hope 2021 treats you all with kindness.

#reblogs appreciated #metamy #metal sonic #amy rose #metal sonic x amy rose #sonic fanfiction #sth #MetamyShipWeek2020 #metamy ship week #pirates

[insaneasgardian]

We’re Not Friends! ~ Thor Odinson

Summary: “We’re not friends”, something the Avengers have grown accustomed to hearing from Thor and Y/N, but this simply worded phrase doesn’t mean the pair are enemies either.

Ship: Thor x Reader maybe a platonic Natasha x Reader

A/N: This is a request by @jennie22feona​. I AM SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG! I really do apologize and I cannot even give you a good reason as to why this was stretched, but it’s out now, and I hope you like it! It’s not even that funny or good, oof, I feel so disappointed, I’m sorry!

Y/H/C = Your Hair Color

Y/F/S = Your Favorite Show

I AM SO DISAPPOINTED IN MYSELF

.

.

.

“Can you two NOT argue for an hour?!” Steve Rogers exclaimed exasperatedly, throwing his hands in the air. Thor and Y/N looked at each other with a little smirk that none of the other Avengers could quite read. “We’re not arguing,” the blonde and muscular Asgardian reasoned, “it’s just some playful teasing!”. 

Steve shook his head, “Yes, well whatever it is, it’s the reason you two don’t work well on missions when paired together”. The others nodded, but Loki piped up, “Um- no actually, the reason they don’t work well when paired together is because they’re always making heart eyes at each other, they’re actua-” the trickster was cut off by Natasha who refused to hear the theory that her best friend who she treated like a little sister actually had the hots for the god of thunder.

“Why can’t you two just be friends?” she asked quietly. “WE’RE NOT FRIENDS!” the pair instantaneously yelled, startling poor Clint who sat right in between them. “Of course you’re not” Natasha mumbled, seemingly annoyed, but she was glad. She would rather prefer that Y/N rather not be Thor’s friend than be his lover, she was protective over the girl that way.

---

“I told you that you shouldn’t draw attention to our hiding spot...” Y/N told Thor as she shot another of the enemy down. The mission was meant to be a stealthy one, but Thor had ‘accidentally’ summoned some lightning and alerted the many HYDRA agents of their presence. Thor struck an entire group of them with Stormbreaker before answering his colleague, “At least I’m getting this mission finished quicker”. The young woman rolled her eyes before taking out a batch of the enemy with nothing but a pocket knife.

“Learn to embrace your mistakes darling” Y/N said smugly

“Okay, come here so I can give you a hug” Thor retorted

And thus it began once again...

Tony turned to Sam temporarily retracting his ironman mask, “I’m telling you man, it’s not some basic playful teasing between those two, it’s full on sexual tension”. Agent Wilson stared at the bickering pair and nodded his head slowly, “I ship it” he announced to his mission partner. Tony chuckled, “Yea, well don’t let Nat hear ya saying that, you know how she secretly hopes Y/N remains eternally virgin and only makes time for her”.

With this little quip at the redheaded assassin, the falcon and ironman took to the skies, keeping close watch on the two lovebirds down below.

---

“Thorrrrr, must you always make it rain?” groaned a very exasperated Y/N from the couch in the Avengers tower penthouse, staring gloomily outside the floor to ceiling windows.

“Y/NNNNNN, must you always complain?” The god of thunder retaliated, he stopped pacing and spun on his heel to look at the girl. “I can’t control the rain my love” he informed her. “That’s a lie” muttered Loki from his place next to the addressed woman. 

Natasha huffed, “She’s not your love’ Thor” a slightly jealous and protective tone in her voice was evident. Loki opened his mouth to say something and Thor and Y/N glanced at each other, but they all stopped their actions when Pietro burst in through the door, “I agree, she is MY love!” he announced. Nat expressed her distaste for this very vividly.

Whilst the redhead tuned Pietro out, angry thunder clouds gathered in the sky and stormed so violently that the entire tower started to shudder. Bruce and Tony stumbled into the room through the elevator, “Take it easy Thor, I think I might lose it any moment now” The brunette doctor said through gritted teeth. The billionaire nodded avidly, “I don’t want to make another tower, I like this one!” he added. Thor promptly apologized and willed himself to calm down, but not before shooting Pietro a dirty look nobody could quite understand the reason behind.

---

Natasha Romanoff and Wanda Maximoff stood on the second floor of the training room, onlooking Thor and Y/N who were sparring with each other. “You know some of the guys are saying their friendly jabs at each other may be something more,” Wanda expressed, pausing to take a sip of water, “like sexual tension” she ended.

Her spy companion rolled her eyes, “Those guys are idiots, there’s no way Thor and Y/N like each other, they’re always arguing” she firmly said, “Almost like an old married couple...” the Scarlett Witch truthfully stated, observing her two friends on the ground floor try to pin each other down.

Nat stayed silent, expressing no emotion perfectly just as she was trained to. However, young Miss Maximoff saw several different thoughts running through her head... literally. “Maybe it’s time to just accept they were meant for each other” she whispered softly.

The other woman clenched her jaw as she watched Thor pin his opponent down, only to be flipped over and onto his back by her. “No” she said, before turning and walking swiftly out the training room.

---

“They’re actually not arguing for once” Bucky whispered to Clint. “And they’re actually getting along” he observed. Both of them were sitting at Tony’s bar area watching the god of thunder and the pretty Y/H/C haired agent watching Y/F/S together and laughing.

“About time” the voice of a certain witch remarked, Bucky and Clint turned to find the rest of their team watching the display in the common room. “What are you guys doing here?” the archer questioned and Vision was the one to respond, “We wanted to watch the rare event unfold,” he glanced nervously at Natasha, “and of course insure that it’s kept ‘PG’“. Loki shuffled nervously before speaking, “Perhaps now would be the appropriate time to tell you that-”

“Shhhh!” the group collectively shushed the god of mischief as they viewed Thor saying something inaudible to Y/N that caused her to turn a deep shade of pink. “What did he say?” Bruce asked, and Sam shrugged, “Complimented her hair or something?”. 

Tony was about to suggest something else that wouldn’t be considered very child-friendly but just then, Pietro uttered out a choked and horrified gasp and directed everybody’s attention back to the two team members on the couch. Sitting there with the TV volume on full blast in the background, Y/N and Thor were kissing each other

Agent Romanoff of course would have none of it. “GET AWAY FROM EACH OTHER RIGHT THIS INSTANT!” She screamed at the top of her lungs, causing the Avengers around her to flinch, and the couple on the couch to break apart. Everybody froze, Nat looked like she actually wanted to cry, Thor and Y/N looked confused, and everybody else just stood there awkwardly.

Finally, Loki broke the silence and cleared his throat before stepping forward. He spoke again, but this time nobody interrupted him because they were glad for the awkward silence to fade. “This is what I wanted to tell you... these two have been a couple for 6 months”. Disbelieving gasps and sounds of shock echoed from the throats of the audience.

“Wait, did you guys not know? It’s not like we tried to hide it.” Y/N asked from her place on Thor’s lap. Everybody save for herself, her boyfriend and his brother shook their heads. “Oh” was all the young lady could manage. Silence settled over once again and this time Captain Rogers broke it.

“So all that arguing...” “Playful couple teasing” Thor clarified, everybody nodded in understanding now as they looked around at each other. The entire team then proceeded to look at the black widow, whom they expected to look extremely devastated. She did, but much to their surprise, she sighed and went to envelope Y/N in a big hug.

“That was unexpected” Pietro commented, “What, finding out Thor and Y/N are a thing or seeing Nat be seemingly okay with this?” Wanda asked him. The speedster scratched the back of his neck, “Uhhh... both?” his sister nodded in approval, “Both is good”.

Natasha pulled away from the hug, “I never thought the day would come, and honestly I wish it never did, but if your happy, I’m happy” she said, causing everybody to let out a loud ‘awww’. “You’re acting like my mom” her best friend giggled, smiling up at her. 

“I just love you that much,” she responded before looking at Thor, “hurt her, and you’ll wish you stayed in Asgard for eternity. The Asgardian gulped, and looked terrified but nodded in understanding.

Then there was that damn silence... AGAIN

“So...” Y/N started, “Anyone else wanna make threats and hug me or are we done here?”

[feverinfeveroutfic]

chapter twenty eight: date night with mr. skolnick

*slight smut warning - it’s not as in your face as last time but still rather present*

The whole circus had reached the spine of North Carolina when Sam found herself caught up between those two men. Her love affairs plus her new venture into the art world for real at that point felt like something straight out of one of her dreams at that point. Had she been on tour with Stormtroopers of Death at that point, she would have found her way out of there whenever she could given the absolute squalor of their rooms, even with how hospitable Scott, Charlie, Dan, and Billy all were towards her and Marla. But there was something more about that tour with Testament, and the meeting with Scarlett there in Poughkeepsie. It was as if everything played out just the way in which she had always imagined before, even with all of the struggles she had had before: to think that she had almost nothing there at the house in Elsinore.

All the lush greenery around them and all Sam could think about was the next time in which Joey would join them there. Anthrax weren't too far away from them anyway, there in the van behind them. In between stops, she took a ride with either of them or with Testament, and each time she rode with the latter, she nestled up close to Alex there in the back. Given Eric and Greg were on either side of them, they never touched each other on the way there.

He always took her by the hand when the four of them weren't looking and he guided her off of the back there. The summer sun always shone down on the crown of his head so it resembled to a shiny helmet and she was his passenger.

At that point, when they reached North Carolina, and everything was fresh and green following a steady midsummer rain, Sam thought of herself and him as akin to a couple of thieves in the night. He always took her to the safe spot in his hotel room and she in turn always stayed with him.

Even if they never went any further than an afternoon together, they kept their chemistry a secret. As far as Chuck, Tiffany, Eric, Greg, and Louie knew, they were just best friends at that point: Alex was her best guy friend especially whenever Joey wasn't around for her. Every so often, she watched Anthrax go into their hotel rooms in the floor down below them and never come out of there unless it was for something important. As far as Sam knew, they retreated into their rooms whenever they weren't playing at the gig in question.

In the meantime, Sam noticed that Belinda had been tagging along quite often at that point. She spotted her short hairdo of blonde hair alongside Eric in particular. She wondered what was going on there from time to time, especially whenever she and Alex reclined back on their hotel bed together with the television on and a drawing pad upon her lap.

He nestled closer to her and watched her draw something: that point in North Carolina, he had developed a habit of handing her a pencil or one of her ink pens. To think it wasn't that long ago in which she was so reticent to share her art with him, and yet there he was right next to her every step of the way.

That Medusa drawing haunted her each and every time she opened her journal because she knew that Scarlett wanted to take it back to New York City with her, but she would have to take it back there at some point, if not during that tour then after the fact. It would be some time before they did make their way back to the Big Apple, and thus she felt herself haunted each and every time.

“One of these days, we have to get you some palettes,” Alex said once they settled into their room.

“Palettes—like paint palettes?” she asked him.

“Yeah. So you don't have to rely on your journal as much in the meantime, you know?” He paused for a moment; she turned from her purse there on the nightstand and watched him tie his long black curls up into a taut ponytail at the back of his head. She eyed the hem of his shirt, which lifted up a bit and showed off his belt and a small sliver of his stomach. Even though he was facing the other way, she knew that that vampire bite was still there next to his belly button.

She looked on at the seat of his jeans.

“You staring at my ass?” he scolded her even though he never turned away from the mirror.

“Maybe. You stare at my chest all the time.”

“Hey, I can't help it if you wear those little low cut blouses ad infinitum,” he teased her as he finally turned and showed her a devilish smirk. His hair tied back only made his face seem rounder and more boyish.

“Cute!” she remarked.

“Cute? Who, me?”

“Yes, you. You look really cute.”

He tugged down on the bottom hem of his shirt and Sam only grinned at him more.

“You know, there's a—I think there was an art place down the block here,” he recalled. “Like I remember seeing it right before we pulled in here.”

“Okay—just—let me change my shirt, baby doll,” she told him, and he ran his lanky fingers through his bangs. She fetched one of her low cut blouses out from her travel bag and she stepped into the bathroom.

Tour life had given her a bit of extra weight in the meantime, but it never seemed to faze Alex in particular: all the lovely food along the way and yet she never felt more at peace with herself. If anything, Greg and Chuck began looking at her more often, at those old curves which returned from the winter before Cliff was killed. Indeed, as she changed into that blouse and made sure the top buttons were a bit loose, she thought of Cliff all the while. She adjusted her ponytail afterwards, right there atop the crown of her head.

That blouse with her shorts. It was hot there right outside of Raleigh, and she was going with Alex to a place that meant everything to her.

She emerged from the bathroom and she saw him there seated by the table at the wall with his legs parted a bit: it didn't help matters that he wore some bike shorts that showed off most of his long shapely legs, and he had changed into a black silk shirt with three of the buttons undone. He propped up the side of his head in the palm of his hand and kept his eyes hooded a bit. For a moment, he almost resembled to a model.

“You know—I have to confess to you,” he started in a low voice.

“What's that?”

“I love it when you call me names like that.”

“Like 'baby doll' and whatnot?”

“Yeah, 'cause it—makes me feel all soft and silken within.”

“Aw.”

He stood before her and she picked up her purse.

“We look like a couple of punks,” he noted with a nod of his head.

“We are a couple of punks,” she told him.

“No, I mean like—my wearing my hair up in a ponytail, and you and I both wearing all black despite the heat outside. We both look like a couple of punk kids.”

“We're wearing all black but at least we both got it,” she pointed out as she eyed his chest.

“Yeah, you do, especially.” He flashed her a wink, and then he put on his sunglasses and held the door for her.

Not so much the heat because it wasn't very hot out, but the humidity of everything brought a warmth to the both of them. A cool breeze grazed over their heads and the palm trees protected them both from feeling too warm all the while. Before they reached the parking lot, she felt something brush against her hand: Sam looked down and found his fingers in between her own.

“Don't,” she encouraged him as she swatted his hand away.

“Oh, yeah, that's right! We're not a couple. But you know, we could do what we did while in Germany together.”

“Pretend to be a couple so we get discounts on stuff?” She showed him a little grin.

“Exactly!”

“We're just going into an art store, though, Alex—it's not like they're selling alcohol in here.”

“They should, though,” he joked, but she never laughed at that.

Alex once again held the door for her and she was met with a gust of cool air from the air conditioner vent at the front there. She was also met with that smell of fresh paints and brand new art supplies; she took off her sunglasses and glanced about the cramped but brightly lit front room there. He moseyed up next to her as she made her way to one aisle, one with all manner of pens and things for doing ink work, including bottles of India ink. As she kept her eye on those jars, Alex loomed right next to her with his legs spread apart as if he was Superman.

She reached down and gave the seat of his shorts a gentle little squeeze.

“What the—” He lunged forward, and then his eyes twinkled back at her.

“I was just getting it out of system, Alex,” she pointed out. “Like squeezing an avocado.”

“Well, if you slap my ass like you did last time, you oughta kick back a couple of them girlish cocktails in the meantime,” he said in a single breath.

“Oh, hush,” Sam finally hissed at him.

“What? It's not like anyone else is in here with us.”

“There is,” she assured him.

“Not if I give you a little taste of my nuts in the meantime,” he blurted out.

“One more peep out of you, and I'm gonna kick you right in the nuts,” she scolded him.

“Not if I get you right in the coochie first,” he retorted in a low voice.

“Alex!” She peered over her shoulder: no one else there in that aisle with them. She spotted a series of already stretched canvases on the wall at the very end there; she scurried over there as Alex picked up a little set of double ended markers.

Sam picked out a small pack of ten black canvases the size of the courier bag he made for her. If nothing, she could do what she did for Anthrax and make paintings while on tour there for Testament. She could already envision them as she held them close to her chest as if the whole thing was a textbook.

“Damn!” he declared right behind her, and she turned around for a look at him.

“What?”

“I never realized how nice of legs you've got, Samantha,” he said in a low voice, and she rolled her eyes at that.

“What? You have very nice legs. Very shapely and smooth. Nice milky white skin to go with your dark hair and dark eyes. Something spooky beautiful about that.”

Nothing could deny the twinkle in his eye, however.

“Besides, you were rubbing my butt back there,” he persisted.

“I was squeezing your butt,” she corrected him. “Squeezing your butt like it's a ripe avocado.”

“Squeezing, rubbing—it's all right on my butt.”

“I'll spank your butt while I'm at it,” she retorted.

“Spank me when I'm misbehavin', Mama?” he teased her.

“Keep at it, you'll be misbehaving,” she hit back at him, and he snorted at that. She kept on walking to the next aisle over, one that held all manner of supplies for glass making and ceramics. She spotted a heavy canvas tool belt on the shelf and all she could think about was the time Belinda showed her and Marla some glass cutting. She hoped that Belinda and Eric were having a good time themselves back in their room. Alex strolled on up next to her and peeked over her shoulder.

“What is that?” he asked in a low voice into her ear.

“Tool belt,” she promptly replied as she caressed her right hand over the thick heavy fabric. “Bel has one of these back home—I think I've seen her use it all of once, though. I would think that you hold all your glass making tools here. The cutter goes here.”

“Right there?”

“Yeah, see?” She ran her finger over the hole in the canvas pocket near the buckle. “There's a slit.”

“You see through the slit?” he asked her in a small voice.

“You see through a slit, Alex,” she pointed out.

“I'm gonna see right through your slit later on,” he retorted back to her, and she couldn't help but laugh at that. He ran his tongue along his bottom lip like the devil's tongue.

“Nice li'l Gene Simmons impression there,” she teased him as she put the belt back on the shelf.

“I'm missing the make up, though. I've got the hair and the chest showing up, too.”

“Need some hair on your chest, little man,” she said in a singsong voice.

“Little man, ha! You've seen me. I ain't little.”

“My tits and your nuts?” she teased him.

“Nah, I'll take your tits and just put my face down in 'em and motorboat like this.” And he shook his head about.

“Hey, now, you do that, you'll get some milk,” she said.

“Some milk to go with the ginger snaps,” he concluded as he tapped his chin.

“Good boys get cookies and milk,” she told him with a raise of her eyebrows.

“Ginger snaps and your tits? This really is the good life.” He then handed her the set of doubled ended markers. “These can help you, too,” he told her.

“Aw, thank you!”

“And call me an anal Jew for this, too, but the other reason why I picked these out was 'cause they're cheap.”

“Nah, I ain't calling you 'anal',” she assured him, “just good with your money.”

He froze.

“What?”

“For a second, I thought you were gonna make a joke with that.”

“It's just your mind, baby,” she whispered to him, “it's too dirty.”

“Dirty and anal,” he said.

“Anal like your dad?” she joked, and he just about gagged on his own oxygen at that. Sam wheeled around and she headed back up front to the cashier. As she checked out right there, Alex took out that little hair tie and his black curls sprawled over his shoulders. He stood underneath the air conditioner vent and closed his eyes and relished in the feeling on his face. Sam paid more attention to the cashier in the meantime who rang her up but kept one eye on Alex for a bit.

“What?” Sam asked her.

“He's a beautiful boy,” she said to her in a low voice: she set one hand on the top of the register as she awaited the receipt to come on out of the slit.

“Yeah, I guess you could say that,” Sam replied with a shrug of her shoulders.

“Babe—he's gorgeous. Take care of that boy. Protect him.”

The paper slid out of there and the cashier handed it as well as a bit of spare change to her.

“Thank you,” Sam told her with a smile. Since she and Alex were the only ones in there that day, she took her time in putting her change away there into her purse. The cashier stepped away and Alex strode over to her once he fixed his ponytail.

“Come on, come on,” he playfully encouraged her.

“I'm trying! I'm trying!” She closed her wallet and tucked it right next to a pad and that old photograph of Frank and Charlie as children. This whole entire time, even after Alex had given her the courier bag and she moved everything into that, she still kept that photograph in there with her.

“Chuck and Tiff are outside right now,” he elaborated, “—and I don't want them to get the wrong idea.”

“The wrong idea about what?” she chuckled.

“About you and me.”

She closed her purse, and then she reached down and slapped him right on the seat of his pants. He then jolted forward with both hands there.

“Yeah, right, I'm the horny bastard,” he chided.

“You're a bad boy—you need a spanking,” she teased right into his ear.

“Yeah, I'm the horny bastard!” he repeated.

She sauntered out of there first and he followed suit right behind her.

“I want a ginger snap,” he said to her.

“You'll get yours,” she assured him as they walked together towards the corner, where Chuck and Tiffany were in fact waiting for them with little brown paper bags in their hands.

“I just want a ginger snap,” Alex griped to her once they came within earshot of the two of them.

“Quit your bellyachin',” she teased him, and Alex put a hand on his stomach.

“Yeah, me, too,” Chuck joined in as he put his hand on his as well.

“You'll get your cookies, big boy,” Sam teased Alex once more.

“Cookies and milk?” he whispered into her ear and she cackled at that, and then she playfully slapped him. Tiffany chuckled at the both of them.

“You guys are funny,” she said, “and yes, there's a bakery right over here, too!” “Is it nice and cool in there?” Sam asked her.

“Quite cool in there!” Chuck replied. “They've got more than just the baked goods in there, too—we got a couple of sandwiches. Have at it, kids.”

“You mean 'sammiches',” Sam corrected him, and that got a laugh out of both of them. She then led Alex over to the place next door, and there in the window, Sam could see all the ginger snaps Alex could ever ask for and then some.

“I'm a bad boy, I need a spanking,” he said to her in a flat tone of voice.

“You're a good boy, you need your medicine,” she retorted back to him as she held the door for him.

He was eager to make his way over to the ginger snaps in the window, and no sooner had Sam picked out a couple of sugar cookies for herself as well as him and Belinda when he took a bite of one.

“Alex!” she said in a hushed voice.

“It was a sample,” he told her with his mouth full.

“Oh, I see. Kinda worried me there for a second.”

“Nice and soft, too,” he added in a low voice, and he handed her the rest of it.

“Aw, thank you.” She took a small bite of it for herself: just the right amount of ginger inside of that warm silken dough, as it came right out of the oven. Alex then turned his head.

“Hey!” he called out. “Hey, Marla!”

“Where?” Sam asked him.

“Right over there!”

She followed his gesture to the green haired woman on the side of the room. Indeed, it was Marla, right before the shelves all with the fancy breads. She picked out a loaf and she turned towards them, and she nodded at them as Alex led Sam over to her.

“Hey, you two!” she greeted them, and complete with a hug for the both of them.

“I wasn't expecting to see you here,” Sam confessed.

“Bel told me you guys were gonna be down here this weekend,” she explained, and she took out a square from her front jeans pocket.

“What's up?” Alex asked her, slightly concerned.

“Aurora had her baby,” Marla announced, and she held up a Polaroid photograph to Sam. “Behold! Little Mr. Teddy.”

The picture beheld that of a small infant with slightly browned skin and those smooth Asian eyes. Sam kept her gaze on the shape of his head and his face. Even though he wasn't her child, there was a part of her that wanted to protect him from everything in the world. She felt Alex rest his chin upon her shoulder for a peek himself at the newborn there swaddled up in Aurora's arms.

“Let me just—let me just—can I?” he asked her as he peered right over her shoulder.

“That's him right there,” she told him in a soft voice. “Theodore Samuel.”

“Sam, as far as I know you could be godmother,” Marla explained.

“Don't go against the family,” Alex told her in a fake hoarse voice.

“Don't go against the family, yes!” Marla chuckled as Sam handed her the Polaroid, albeit with a soft feeling in her chest. He wasn't even her son but she felt something for that little boy as she got those cookies and she and Alex left the bakery for the hotel room once again.

Sam had set her things down on the table right against the wall when Alex walked right up to her and put his lips onto hers. The moment they both were waiting for that whole entire time. Like clockwork, he slid his hand up her back to her bra hooks, and all without his taking his gaze off of her. She took a glimpse down at her chest all the while, and she peered back up at him right as he looked at her breasts.

“Yeah, you like what you see here, don't ya?” she teased him.

“Let me just—let me just—I want—” His fingers struggled right there on her back.

“Aw, baby, here—let me help you.” She took off her top and then she reached behind her to unhook her bra for him. She exposed herself to him right there.

“Aw, yeah, here we go,” he teased her as she let it sprawl off of her chest and down her arms. She licked her lips and moved closer to his face for a hearty passionate kiss.

“Hey, now, if you kiss me, you've gotta do it when neither of them are lookin',” he told her, and she kissed him without a moment's hesitation. Sam kicked the door closed behind her: Chuck and Tiffany would have to come in later at a moment's notice. It was just her and Alex at that point. He reached up and untied his ponytail: those lush black curls sprawled over his shoulders like tentacles and the tuft of gray upon his head served as the crown jewel at that point.

“I'm kissing you so gently,” she breathed into his mouth, “because you could use some soft touch. All the love—all the kisses—” She put her lips to his and then she looked down at his slender body.

That cashier and the woman on the train back in Germany all had a point when they told her those things. She always brushed those comments off, but that time she genuinely felt the flame between herself and him as it burned brighter and hotter there. His body invited her closer inside to him; she breathed a bit harder with each and every kiss.

She was in love with his body. For a moment, she had forgotten all about Joey and now she was in love with Alex's body.

“Hold me,” he begged her in a hushed whisper. “Please hold me. Hold me and love me.”

“I'll love every sexy inch of your body,” she vowed.

He lay down on the bed before her, with his legs wide open for her and she climbed on top of him. She opened up his shirt and kissed his chest.

If Chuck and Tiffany walked in at any moment, she had to give it to him right then and there and then snuggle up to him, just to make it look as though they were napping together.

He lay there on his back with his hair fanned out from his head as she gave it to him right there with both hands.

They nestled up close to each other afterwards and she put her arms around him. She was sore again between the legs, but it felt a little better that time around.

“All the lovin',” he said in a broken voice.

“Sex isn't love, baby—and love isn't sex.”

“You think so?” He raised his eyebrows at her and looked up at her like a prince.

“Yeah. I mean, it makes sense.”

“You think it can turn into it?”

“Maybe,” she said. “Why? Oh, no, don't tell me you're feeling it.”

“I'm not, but I dunno, to be honest. It's pretty hot between us and it's also hard to say and I dunno how else to say it.” He nestled closer to her, right into her breasts as if they were his pillow.

“You're like such a baby,” she teased him.

“I feel like a baby laying here next to you,” he said, and she ran her hand over his hip.

“Come to mama, baby,” she whispered to him. “Come here—sweet baby. Oh, you're warm...”

“It's not the heat—it's the humidity,” he sputtered.

She kept her nose close to the crown of his head so she could smell the soft soap in the roots there. She thought of giving him some extra loving but the soft warmth of his body only made her feel warmer. Sam fell asleep with Alex cradled up in her arms, with his head tucked underneath her chin.

Where had this soft boy been this whole entire time for her. He just gave himself to her and was now like a handful of jelly for her once more.

She moved her head down a bit for a kiss on his forehead and she fell asleep with Alex in her arms.

She woke up to the feeling of something soft and slightly thick in her hand and she realized it was his stomach. She held onto him like she was holding a little teddy bear; she pulsated her fingers on his flesh as if to tickle him but he never stirred once for her. His body was so warm and comforting to her.

She ran her hand down his side and the gentle curvature of his hip, right onto the band of his pajama bottoms, which had slid down his hip a bit.

Such a beautiful body and she didn't want to let him go, either. Sam put her nose to the base of his head for a whiff of his hair.

He groaned in his throat at the feeling, and he stirred right in her arms.

“You are so soft,” she whispered into his ear.

“Soft all for you, big mama,” he whispered back to her. “Also, seeing as we're screwing each other when no one's looking, you might wanna do something about your—” He looked down at her body. “—you know.”

“Oh, that,” she said when she realized he was talking about her nether region. “I used my hands this time but still a good idea, though.”

“Just like that.”

He cuddled even closer to her and she stroked his hip.

“Mmm—baby,” she whispered to him. She lifted her head and she saw that the sun began to hang low over Raleigh. Chuck and Tiffany still hadn't come back yet.

“Are we still alone?” he asked her.

“Yeah, we are. Why? Do you need anything?”

“Getting kind of hungry.”

“There's that nice big buffet downstairs—and I think Anthrax might be giving it to us as courtesy, too.”

“Really?” He knitted his eyebrows together at that

“I dunno, that's what I've heard.”

He shrugged and then Sam let him go, and he rolled over onto his back right next to her. He had never taken off his shirt so when he rolled over he showed her his chest and his slender belly.

“Oh, man, you really look like a model right there, Alex,” she remarked.

“A model?” he chuckled.

“Yeah, earlier when you were sitting there and waiting for me, you genuinely resembled to a model. Just like the way you were sitting there made me think of that.”

“Something for men's cologne or some shit,” he joked as he put his hands behind his head.

“You're still undone, too.” Sam gestured to his shorts.

“Oh, shit—” He brought himself back together and then he looked over at her. “If I'm a model, you're a porn star with your knockers hangin' out like that.”

“Sam Shelley and Alex Skolnick make a porno,” she joked and he laughed at that, that big hearty laugh from deep within him, and then he stopped.

“Back up, I thought it was Sam Shelley and Chuck Billy make a porno,” he recalled.

“Sam Shelley can make more than one porno, y'know,” she teased him as she sat up from the bed, and he laughed again.

“Yeah, you're definitely a porn star now.”

She put her clothes back on and they both headed back outside: the heat had began to back off, but it was still warm enough to warrant Alex's hair tie once more. Sam meanwhile thought about a bucket of ice for their room and she walked on over to the ice machine behind a large column on the right side there.

He went ahead to the buffet line there behind her; as she filled up the bucket, she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned her head and there was Joey to the right of her, in a yellow shirt and little white shorts.

“Hey!” she greeted him.

“Hi—” He followed it up with a kiss right on her lips. He then yanked her away to behind the next column towards a short little hallway, out of anyone's sight and out of Alex's sight in particular.

“What are you doing?” she demanded in a hushed voice.

Joey fell to his knees right before her. He clasped a hand to her own all the while as if he was proposing to her.

“Joey—” She was taken aback by his gesture.

“I want you to fuck me,” he begged her. “Fuck me right here and right now. Get on top of me and fuck me senseless.”

“Joey!” she hissed at him.

“Please—fuck me. I need it!”

She peered over her shoulder: Alex paid more attention to the buffet line and no one else seemed to pay any attention to that side of the room, either. A date night with Mr. Skolnick would be out of the question then as her boyfriend had returned to her with a vengeance.

“Fuck me right before we have dinner and a show,” he begged her as he showed her his tongue.

“No.” She pressed a finger to his lips.

“No.”

“No?”

“No. The answer is no, Joseph. You are not getting any of it from me.”

“Why?”

“Why not?” she teased him as she put her hands on the back of her head and gyrated her hips about for him. He showed her a playful little smirk.

“I want you so bad right now,” he confessed.

“Well, you ain't gonna get it,” she scoffed as she put her hands to her hips.

“Where did all of this come from?” he asked her.

“It came from hanging out with you boys all the time,” was all she could think of right then; it was sort of the truth. Doing that sex tape with Chuck had done something more to her as well, but she dared not tell Joey about any part of it whatsoever.

She turned her body towards him and she brought her face up to his, and parted her lips for him. He raised his dark eyebrows at her and those brown eyes only smoothed out from the look of it.

“A li'l quick one for the Indian prince,” she said in a soft voice, and she gave him a deep hearty kiss as a result of that. She slipped her tongue inside of his lips: even though she was sore in between her legs, she could still feel it. She could feel it for Joey that time around. Every so often, she let go of his mouth and breathed into him. No way she could fake this.

“You smell good,” he noted in between breaths.

“I try my best,” she whispered to him.

His fingers slithered up her shorts and onto that little part of skin at the back there. A part that Alex hadn't touched yet and yet Joey's touch sent the biggest of shivers up her spine, like a cold shower.

“Yeah, that's the spot, ain't it?” he teased her with that lopsided little grin.

“You boys are such bastards when you wanna be, but man, you get so soft when you wanna be, too,” she noted.

“We're crazier than you girlies are, y'know,” Joey retorted with a clearing of his throat. She reached down the front of his shorts for a feel at him and he let out a low whistle. Sam Shelley could in fact make more than one porno, and that third one she could make in public all for Joey.

Her fingers on him and his fingers on her. As long as neither of them screamed out at the feeling then they would be alright.

“Hey—Injun Joe—” Charlie called out from the other side of the room. Joey stopped and then he tilted his head back and groaned.

“God damn it!” He returned to her. “Have dinner with us?”

“Gladly!”

She slapped him right on the seat of his shorts, such that he yelped out at the feeling, and then he showed her a devilish grin.

“Get on out there and give 'em hell afterwards, big fella,” she teased him, and he led her back to Anthrax's table.

“Might haveta wash our hands, too,” he said over the noise in the room.

“Agreed.”

She turned her attention to Testament, all of whom clustered on the other side of the room already.

“And I see Mr. Skolnick is having a screaming orgasm right now,” she remarked as she walked past them, and Greg and Eric laughed out loud.

“Virgin screaming orgasm,” he corrected her, and with a wink. “You know—my twenty first being two months away and whatnot. This was courtesy of Belinda, too—it's a girly drink but I ain't turning it down, though.”

She hoped that none of this would in fact end. There was no way nothing could stand in her way at that point.

#fanfic #fanfiction #anthrax fanfic #testament fanfic #testament band #testament #anthrax #alex skolnick #alex x sam #joey belladonna #joey belladonna x oc #chuck billy #mild smut #oc tag #chapter 28 #souls of black #book four #fever in fever out #fever in fever out fanfic #also on ao3 #also on wattpad #writing #text

[mycupoffanfiction]

I’ll Always Protect You

Pietro x Reader Hogwarts AU

Summary: Pietro, the resident bad boy Slytherin finds himself in love with his goody-two-shoes classmate and feelings come to the surface when he stands up to her bully.

Warnings: Fluff, a cute kiss, bad words, mention of Rumlow being an asshole and being a bit violent, bullying.

Word count: Approx 1300

Masterlist

A/N: Hi loves! Here’s this little Hogwarts AU request, I hope you enjoy! I’m so soft for this Pietro urgh. I can’t get enough of bad boy Pietro and his good girl 💖

“It’s all my fault.” You sniffled, voice wobbling as you dabbed at the small cut on Pietro’s cheek. The Sokovian scoffed and shook his head. “Hush, Prinţesă. It’s Brock’s fault for calling you a mudblood.” He reassured you, pale fingers gently wrapping around your wrist and lowering your hand away from the welt on his cheek. “But Piet-.” You choked out, but he met you with his soft blue gaze, giving you the sweetest smile as he shook his head before he reached up to gently wipe your tears away with his thumb. “No buts, Prinţesă.” He interrupted, voice soft and sweet.

You had known the Slytherin, Pietro Maximoff for months since he had transferred to Hogwarts from Durmstrang Institute. At first, you hadn’t considered even talking to him. Pietro was a bit of a trouble maker and a trickster much like the Weasley twins, but his reputation as a troublesome Slytherin landed him next to you, the shy, goody-two-shoes of the class in hopes of your good attitude keeping him from disrupting the class too much. Of course, it had worked, but as soon as he attempted to tease you that first time, Pietro certainly wasn’t expecting you to come back with the witty, smart mouthed sass he got in response and the Sokovian was immediately under your spell.

“I shouldn’t have said anything, you wouldn’t have gotten punched if I’d just kept my mouth shut.” You mumbled, looking down at your hands as you wrung your fingers together nervously. You sat, perched on Pietro’s lap in a little secluded alcove, away from any wandering students or teachers. “Hey, look at me.” Piet whispered, using his fingers to gently tilt your chin up so you would meet his gaze.

You shyly looked up at him, worrying your bottom lip between your teeth as you looked him over, your eyes trailing over his grey sweater and the Slytherin crest on his chest. His green and silver tie was loosened, but was still loosely tied around his neck. The top buttons of his white shirt were left undone, despite always being told to do up the buttons and tighten his tie, but of course, he never did unless you asked him to. You trailed your gaze up to his face, soft, slightly outgrown stubble on his chin, perfectly angled jaw and cheekbones and that smirk. You looked up to see such sweet, soft blue eyes that you were sure could make you do anything he asked. The silver hair topped him off with that perfect look of his, the silver curls flopping to the side and were tousled messily out of the way.

“Rumlow was out of line, you told him to shove it up his ass-.” “I will have you know, it was certainly more eloquently put than that.” You scoffed, but you couldn’t hide the slight smile on your lips and Pietro chuckled, raising a brow at you. “Made you smile though, didn’t it?” He winked, nudging your arm gently and you practically melted at the way he looked at you. “The point is, Prinţesă, you stood up for yourself and he hated it.” Pietro smiled softly, swiping his thumb gently across your cheek to collect an escaped tear.

Pietro sighed, remembering how he’d gotten between you and Rumlow before he could go for you. He’d rather take a punch for you and get a few hours of detention and some house points knocked off Slytherin’s numbers if it meant you weren’t hurt and Rumlow left you alone. You were far too special to him to allow anyone to hurt you in any way and Pietro hadn’t quite realised until earlier quite how much he really cared for you. Of course, he had always liked your company, he had even sought it out, but seeing you so hurt with such an insensitive, derogatory term was hard to witness and it was even worse when he saw Rumlow lunge for you.

“I won’t let him touch you, Prinţesă.” Pietro broke the comfortable silence between you, making a sweet, shy smile form on your lips. “I’ll always protect you.” His smirk softened into a genuine smile as he gently brushed the back of his fingers against your cheek, his heart warming when he felt you lean into his touch, searching for more of the tender nature that he hid beneath the bad boy attitude he liked to wear.

You loved the sweet demeanor he only seemed to show you. It had come out slowly over time, the closer you became. At first it was little moments here and there, sweet gestures and words of encouragement when you put yourself down or shied away from something, but it slowly blossomed into soft touches and hugs and now you were the closest you had ever been to Pietro and you both loved it.

Pietro savoured the comfortable silence that hung in the air between you as he took in your sweet features, the soft evening light flooding in through the window opposite cast the most beautiful light on your facial features. He loved the way you felt against him, loved the way you felt against his chest and in his lap and in truth, Pietro wanted more though, only if you wished for more as well.

“Can I kiss you, Prinţesă?” Pietro asked, his soft voice, barely above a whisper sent a warm tingling sensation up your back and you felt your heart leap at the question, butterflies blooming in your chest as you silently nodded in response. He smiled lazily down at you, always loving how shy you were and just how sweet you were towards him. It was a warmth and gentle care that he constantly craved that you provided without a second of hesitation.

Pietro leaned in, lips parted slightly as he held you, one arm wrapped around your back and resting at your waist. You tilted your head slightly, lips meeting as he brushed his against yours so softly, just for a moment, until he captured you in a sweet kiss. Pietro moved his lips gently against yours, a tenderness to his movements that he reserved only for you and in that moment, he realised just how in love he was with you and you with him.

You reached up, fingers gently smoothing over his warm, grey sweater, bunching the soft material between your fingers as he kissed you, slow and soft. Pietro trailed his fingers up your back slowly, until he cradled your head, allowing him to deepen the kiss. His free hand rested at your waist, holding you tightly against him. You hummed softly against him, tongues meeting gently between parted lips as your fingers slid between the soft curls at the nape of his neck, tugging only slightly to elicit a low hum from the Sokovian.

Pietro kissed you softly before slowly parting from you and meeting your sweet gaze and he couldn’t help but smile and how vastly opposite you both were from each other, but maybe that was why you just worked. He was the bad boy trouble maker with a heart of gold and you were the sweet, shy, book loving goody-two-shoes.

“I love you, Prinţesă mea.” Pietro spoke softly to you, the unspoken feelings that had been lingering between you both, suddenly now out in the open and you felt a warmth creep up your features at the admission from your sweet best friend. “Piet, I love you too.” You smiled brightly, barely able to say the words above a whisper and the Sokovian gave you a lopsided grin, his cheeks warming to a soft pink, heart warming to hear those sweet words leave your lips.

“My Prinţesă.” He hummed against you, holding you close and kissing your forehead, promising silently that he would always love and protect you, no matter what happened.

Taglist (OPEN):

@sherlocked-bitch​ @megantje123​ @sebbbystaaan​ @scarlett-berserker​ @yougottakeeponkeepinon​ @kitkatd7​ @herwaywardskies​ @southernbell91​ @lancetuckershairgel​ @marvelgirl7​ @book-dragon-13​ @brat-in-a-teacup​

#pietro x reader #pietro x you #pietro x y/n #pietro maximoff x reader #pietro maximoff #Pietro #quicksilver x reader #quicksilver x you #quicksilver x y/n #quicksilver #pietro fanfic #marvel fic #hogwarts au

[artificialqueens]

Come Home to My Heart, Chapter 9 (Lemyanka) - Plastiquedoll

read on ao3 ✨| previous chapters

A/N: ANGST :D LACK OF COMMUNICATION BOTTLED-UP FEELINGS… This is a little re-cap from Lemon’s pov to fill some blank spaces and now ONE MORE CHAPTER TO GO! I hope you enjoy it and thanks for reading it! <3

-9-

Somewhere in New York City, two weeks ago.

Lemon was packing her things for the trip, she’d still have to pick Rita up from the airport and refuel before hitting the road. She was already low-key stressed out by the traffic reports when Jan walked into her bedroom.

“Hey, Lemony. Are you still packing?”

“I need to get those things inside my suitcase.” She pointed at the pile of clothing that was still sitting on her bed. “And I want to leave early in the morning to get the most sunlight on the way there.”

“Okay, I’ll help you closing the suitcase, to begin with,” Jan said, trying to help her afflicted roommate.

Once they were done, the blonde was still clearly uneasy about the whole road trip.

“What’s the matter?”

“I don’t know… I have this feeling in my chest… something about all this.”

“Lemz, I told you, you have to cry when you feel like or the anguish is going to blow up when you less expect it.”

“No, it’s not that –although, thanks for the reminder- it’s something else…”

Jan waited.

“I dreamt of Priyanka last night.”

“Oh…”

“It was a weird dream I can barely remember a thing, we were like ten again and we were in the local swimming pool and then we were twenty again… I don’t know.” Lemon sat on the edge of her bed.

“Maybe it’s a sign. Something in your subconscious is taking you back to her.” Jan wasn’t a psychology major but sometimes it felt like she was.

“I… why? It’s been seven years since we last met and it didn’t end well. Why now?”

“Because seven years is more than enough time to heal, I guess. Is she in Toronto?”

“Yeah…” She was never going to admit to Jan that she used her idea of befriending people in social media… many years later.

“Why don’t you drop by?”

“Are you out of your mind? To do what? I show up out of nowhere and say hey wanna hang out?” Lemon sounded exasperated. “Besides, I don’t know if I wanna see her.” She crossed her arms on her chest. “Maybe I don’t… maybe I’m okay with this being the way it is.”

“Girl, you’re not. I know it, you know it, we all know it…”

“No, I can’t go to Toronto. That’s crazy.” She shook the idea off her head. “I’ll go back home and spend some time with my family and then I’ll be back in time for the dance festival in three weeks. It’s planned perfectly.”

“Okay.” Jan, who understood Lemon’s struggles the most, was always supportive when it came to Priyanka. She just patted her back and let her be.

A half-hour later, Lemon drove to the airport to pick Rita up. That night they went out to have dinner at some fancy restaurant in Manhattan –Rita’s knowledge of New York came up exclusively from Sex and the City and Gossip Girl thus Lemon let her live the fantasy for one night. After all, she paid.

They stayed in Lemon’s apartment since Jan was spending the night at Jackie’s and the following morning they woke up before the sun rose on the horizon. Lemon picked some coffee and breakfast from the nearest café open and then they hit the road.

Rita did her best to stay awake but she kept yawning so Lemon let her sleep for a little. In the meantime, she played some music from the CDs on the glove compartment. She started with the ageless Survivor and then switched to Teenage Dream.

Lemon had her car for over a year now and she had become a much more diligent driver during that year. Before she wouldn’t even have considered driving to Canada but after getting used to the traffic in the city and the sound of ceaseless horns and people yelling, the highway was like a child’s play.

Rita woke up when the sunlight hit her in the face, right on time to change the CD again.

“Oh, can I pick the music?”

“Sure,” Lemon pointed at the glove compartment. “there you have a few if you want to look around or the radio…”

“I brought this one.” She rummaged through her purse and pulled out a Taylor Swift CD.

“Rita I didn’t have you for a Swiftie.” Lemon arched an eyebrow. “I’m not the biggest fan but… okay.”

“But she’s really good.”

Bonding trip, bonding trip, bonding trip…

Lemon didn’t know how she ended up listening to a country album but Rita seemed happy while singing some of the lyrics along. She had to admit there were some bops there. Love Story with the Shakespearian references was good, she’d give her that. She was paying attention to the road mostly.

And then it hit her.

Track nº 6 – You Belong with Me.

Lemon was sure she had heard that song on the radio before and seen the music video somewhere –most likely- but she had never truly listened to the lyrics until that moment. The tune was catchy or whatever but the chorus –and the bridge- really resonated with her.

She closed her grip over the steering wheel once the song was over.

“Rita, play it again.” She said, dead serious.

“Huh? Okay…”

The sixth time, Lemon had it. She was almost in tears screaming from the top of her lungs.

Oh, I remember you driving to my house

In the middle of the night

I’m the one who makes you laugh

When you know you’re ‘bout to cry

And I know your favorite songs

And you tell me 'bout your dreams

Think I know where you belong

Think I know it’s with me

“Again.”

“Lemon, I think it’s time to stop. This is an intervention.”

“I said, play the song again. The bridge really makes me feel something.”

“I can tell…” Rita looked concerned. “I think it’s a good moment for us to switch positions. I can drive for a little.”

She probably fucked Rita’s CD by repeating that song so many times but the echo that it left inside Lemon’s head was like an expansive wave and it reached the deepest, recondite memories of her mind.

She spotted Priyanka the minute she walked into the dining, how could she miss it? Priyanka always managed to draw attention wherever she went and she wasn’t even conscious about it most of the time.

Seeing pictures on someone else’s Facebook wall was one thing but seeing her life had taken Lemon by surprise. She should’ve suspected when she saw Kiara and Scarlett together –and they had seen her too- so it was probably just a matter of time for her to find out as well.

Lemon couldn’t take her eyes off her.

Days prior to her arrival, Lemon had just the normal amount of experiences next to her family, visiting relatives she hadn’t seen in a while, going out to have dinner with her dad, his wife, and Rita, visiting old friends and places from her childhood…

She didn’t expect to meet Priyanka there –just like when she had returned for her dad’s wedding- their paths didn’t cross that occasion and this time was supposed to be the same except it wasn’t. Priyanka was in town and she was there, at the same place at the same moment as Lemon, something she only had dreamt about. Literally.

She had stopped listening to what Boa was saying and in consequence, spilled some orange juice on the denim jacket she had over her dress.

“Oh, shit!” She rushed to grab a napkin.

The girls on the table tried to help her, she removed the clothing item and left it on the table assuring it would dry but excused herself to go to the bathroom for a moment.

Lemon needed to think straight.

Well, no, not that… scratch it.

Lemon needed to think straight clearly.

She could walk directly to their table and just say «hi!» short, sweet, concise… or something like «I just came to say hello» that would give the right idea of her being friendly… right?

She pulled out her phone and called Jan, it was an emergency call.

“Jan… pick up… pick up…”

“Hello?”

“Oh my God, Jan… this is a disaster and I’m gonna die.”

“What? Wait… what happened? Are you okay?”

“Priyanka is here.”

Long pause on the phone.

“Oh, I see…”

“And I’m freaking out because I don’t know what to say or how to act in front of her anymore… and now I’m hiding in a bathroom booth like a vile fifteen-year-old.”

“Lemon, breathe… you need to calm down.”

“No shit… I don’t know if I can do this… what if I fuck it up again?”

“Just say «hi», nothing bad can come from a hi.”

“That was my first choice, thank you… I think I will… wish me luck.”

“Fingers crossed!”

She hung up. At that moment, someone else got inside the bathroom and got in the contiguous booth but Lemon was too immersed in her own thoughts to notice. She walked out, washed her hands, and made sure her hair was looking fine.

Just say «hi». She was going to walk to that table and say hi… It couldn’t go wrong.

Except it did.

Priyanka wasn’t at the table, why wasn’t she at the table? Lemon had just seen her. How was possible that when she finally brought herself to take the first step she wasn’t there? Was she hallucinating? You know what? That was so typical Priyanka never staying quiet for so long in a place and…

Her thoughts started bubbling while she tried to maintain a polite conversation with the other girls. There was one particularly pretty she hadn’t seen around before named Denali, would she be close to Priyanka too? Lemon felt a pang of jealously.

And then, she appeared.

Everyone at the table went silent and when she turned around, there she was.

Taller than Lemon could remember, absolutely gorgeous like a goddess with her long hair and pretty features, it had been a while but there she was, just like she remembered her.

Lemon attempted to smile but it became awkward. She was so nervous she couldn’t say anything…

“Well, that’s my cue to leave.” She smiled at the people sitting at the table. “It’s nice to see you, guys. I hope we can hang out sometime.” She was about to run away because even when she thought she could do it, she couldn’t.

“Hello to you too.” Those were Priyanka’s first words in all that time.

And then, the rage took over.

Was it so difficult to call her back?

Seven years!

“Oh, so you can speak now…”

It went downhill horribly after that.

Lemon stormed out of the dining, walked a little trying not to show her true feelings, and finally laid against a wall to recover from what had just happened. She let the air out of her lungs and then remembered her bag, her jacket, and her car keys were still inside. Luckily enough, she had brought her phone and rushed to text Rita to get her things.

Her hands were still shaking and if she looked through a window she’d spot her again. There was nothing else that Lemon wanted to do but she also felt the need of kicking and screaming, to do something with all those feelings that she had piled up in her heart.

She needed to clear her mind and, in order to do that, she needed to dance, put her body in motion somehow.

It was time to go out.

Lemon felt the most comfortable dancing and the dancefloor was like a second home for her. There she didn’t need to think much, just feel the rhythm and let her body do the rest.

Naturally, she felt deeply aggrieved when Priyanka showed up to disrupt her sacred space.

Well, it wasn’t that sacred, it was a nightclub or whatever.

Yet, how dared she?

How dared she showing up like that?

How dared she looking that beautiful with that top that revealed her back?

Lemon gulped when no one was watching.

She was with that pretty girl from the other day, Denali.

Wait, what if…?

Priyanka had all the right to date someone if she wanted to and who wouldn’t date Priyanka? She was amazing, funny, so beautiful… Maybe there was a real chance that she was dating that girl –that very attractive girl- and good for them… it was a good thing, right?

Fuck it.

Lemon stole Priyanka’s drink, she needed something strong to numb her senses and erase those thoughts.

The shot gave Lemon a dosage of renewed confidence, she could feel physically her inhibitions abandoning her body. She smirked at Priyanka and stared directly into her brown eyes before heading to the dancefloor.

She lost herself among the crowd, closed her eyes, and let the alcohol take over, making her feel lighter. She danced and danced for the longest time as if she had a pair of red shoes on, going with the flow was something she mastered and she proved it.

She didn’t know how long it had been but when she opened her eyes, she spotted Priyanka on the bar again. A sense of heat ran through her body before the idea she was being seen. Her moves became more calculated, she wanted to put a show for real this time but make it effortlessly like she had no clue like she wasn’t aware of the girl’s presence so close yet so far.

She followed Jennifer Lopez’ instructions in the lyrics of On The Floor.

Dance the night away, live your life and stay young on the floor.

She didn’t care if she was sweaty afterward or how sore her feet were going to be the next morning, she had achieved her goal.

And now she was thirsty which led to the bar and to…

“Ew, cinnamon.” Only Priyanka could like something like the taste of fireball.

Lemon recognized the guy that tried to grope her on the dance floor and of course, she told him to fuck off even when it sounded harsh for Priyanka.

And from moment to another –things were happening too fast- she was drinking tequila with her former best friend from kindergarten.

Lemon stared at Priyanka, her makeup was perfectly done and it looked like an ad for the rest of the night regardless of how much she danced. Maybe she was being biased since Priyanka hadn’t ever looked bad in her eyes.

“That girl… Denali…” Lemon tested the waters at the mention of her name. “is she… close to you?”

She had to know… if she was dating someone…

“I adore her, yeah.”

“Is she… your girlfriend?”

But Priyanka was a little shit who wasn’t going to give her a straight answer to one simple question. Instead, she asked the blonde something else.

“Would you care?”

Yes, she would.

But instead of saying that, her first instinct was to storm out and basically run away as she had done before. She was being a coward, yes, but she couldn’t do it, she couldn’t answer that question, not at that moment, when she wasn’t careful enough with her words.

There was a big chunk of that night that was dedicated strictly to dancing, if her shoes weren’t completely worn out by the end of the night what was the point? But she kept an eye on one girl here and there until she lost it and she was anywhere to be seen.

Lemon didn’t want to admit that she looked around like a lost puppy but that was exactly what she did –she was drunk, okay?- and lonely.

She could only be outside or, in the worst scenario, she had gone home already.

Fortunately, Priyanka was smoking outside.

Smoking?

“There you are.” She said, eloquently to her judgment.

Priyanka shrugged. “Here I am.

There she was, looking all perfect and beautiful and…

If Lemon could only take some courage and put it into words…

Instead, she just pointed the height difference between them.

After that, it became blurry, she probably babbled a little –although she did remember the sound of Priyanka’s laugh and being called a Polly Pocket the next morning- next thing she knew she was on a taxi, texting Rita to open the door so her dad wouldn’t hear her.

And the following morning…

Jeez, she had one infernal headache. The room was spinning and not even when she laid down and closed her eyes the movement stopped. Rita had contemplated poking her with a stick but she had read somewhere that it wasn’t recommended to bother a wild animal on their sleep and it applied to drunk Lemon as well.

Finally, she walked in, it smelled like a liquor store in there and the environment was probably flammable.

“Lemon…” Rita whispered. “I’m going to the mall and your dad and my mom are having lunch with some friends. Are you going to be okay?”

“Mmmh…” She was breathing at least.

“Okay, remember they’re cooking dinner tonight.”

“Mkay…” She mumbled.

“Love you, bye.” She blew a kiss in the air and closed the door.

Lemon woke up what felt like hours later, she forced herself to take a bath. There wasn’t a damn aspirin to be seen in that house and she had already drunk more water than her bladder could handle. It wasn’t the best of the starts but at least she could walk.

When she stopped feeling dizzy, she grabbed her keys and drove to the supermarket because there weren’t Froot Loops either and her morning –morning being a loose term since it was almost noon- was already bad enough.

Not to mention that some idiot was playing around with a shopping cart inside of the supermarket and almost destroyed the cereal aisle.

“Jesus Christ you’re going to kill someone with that.” She clutched her imaginary pearls.

Wait a minute, she knew that idiot.

“Fancy meeting you here.” Priyanka mumbled.

Not now, not with that cranky mood, not with a killing headache, not when she only wanted a bowl of cereal and crawl back to bed.

Of course she was going to tell her to fuck off.

But then…Priyanka picked the cookie cereal and Lemon’s stone heart melt right in the spot. For years, whenever she saw chocolate chip cookies in the aisles of the supermarkets, in cafés, or with freaking girl scouts, she couldn’t help but think about that little kindergarten girl with big brown eyes and crumbs over her face.

And years later, she was in front of her…

Some things might have changed but they felt oddly familiar at that moment.

Priyanka not only had terrible taste in drinks, but it also applied to cars too… because that thing was setting on fire in no time.

Lemon had just walked out of the supermarket, she crossed the street, put her things into the trunk and bought some aspirins but when she was about to leave, she saw Priyanka sitting at the curb under her personal dark cloud… and another dark cloud behind her.

She should’ve left her there, it wasn’t any of her business but… she looked truly devastated.

“Looks like you could use a ride.” Priyanka glared at her.

“Not now.” She blurted out. “I don’t have time for your snarky comments so please refrain from saying anything you’d think is clever.”

Lemon lifted her sunglasses. “I’m not trying to get on your nerves; I’m legit offering you a ride.” Priyanka didn’t seem convinced. “Think for a moment, your groceries are going to go bad with the heat and no air conditioner.”

C’mon Priyanka, think for a moment…

“The ice cream bars…” She was on the verge of tears. “Fine. Yes, I need a ride, would you be so nice and help me out?”

“Come with me, my car is around the corner in front of the drugstore.”

“Buying some aspirins?”

“Cut the slack I’m trying to do a good deed here.”

“For a change.”

She was expecting a comment from the brunette about the fact that she had a yellow car and she did it as soon as they got into the car. What Lemon didn’t expect was forgetting which street led to Priyanka’s house. Maybe back in the day, she didn’t pay much attention but she was sure something had been changed, she remembered the way like the back of her hand… or maybe she didn’t.

It was nice of Priyanka to ask about her family. Lemon’s mother always asked at loud if she had news of the girl to which the blonde replied grumbling that they weren’t friends anymore. She secretly hoped her father would tell her if he had seen her in the supermarket or the street but since she moved to Toronto those meetings became rare… that was part of why she put Jan’s plan into motion.

Because she always missed her.

Then, Priyanka asked about Rihanna… how dared she questioning her impeccable music taste?

Obviously, she liked Rihanna. What kind of stupid question was that?

“Hey, this is the album you gave me before moving to New York, remember?”

“I do… that’s actually the copy I used to have in my room… the one we listened to on my radio.”

Lemon’s hands closed their grip over the steering wheel. That album was one of her most treasured possessions, she had shed giant tears the day it stopped working when the stereo of the car kept spitting the CD no matter how many times she tried it. The box had a permanent space inside the glove compartment.

Having Priyanka sitting next to her, holding it in her hands felt surreal for a moment as if seven years had never passed.

“Why did you keep it?”

Lemon thought about that question. Sometimes simple objects like that were the only link to the past and having them around was like owning a time-traveling machine that took her directly to the memories, that took her back to Priyanka and to that bond that once felt unbreakable.

Instead, she mumbled something about «sentimental value» which was the most generic thing to say.

Now, going back to her house did feel like they were using a time machine. It was comforting to know that some things were still the same there but still, the passage of time was perceptible through photos or little details that Lemon remembered. There were more children in the family pictures and it hit her that Priyanka’s mother was now a grandmother and that Priyanka was now an aunt. How crazy was that?

Back in the day, she couldn’t even imagine her friend taking care of a plant much less a living human being, and still, the photos told her otherwise.

Thank goodness the aspirins were starting to work but even though, that headache wasn’t going to stop her from fighting for that car that her friend –for some reason- loved so much. That mechanic was going to have a piece of her mind, she didn’t care if the car was actually set on fire with flames coming out of the engine, he had to tell Priyanka there was a possible solution to that problem.

All was not lost.

That was what he had said and a phrase that lingered in the air long after. It even made Lemon feel hopeful about the car’s state and considering she had called it a jalopy multiple times, it was something.

“Thank you, Lemon… for helping me so much today. You didn’t have to but still, you did.”

Priyanka’s words made her heart swell.

She started the engine. “You’ve done the same for me no questions asked.”

She knew Priyanka would have.

“Are you feeling better after the aspirins?”

“Yeah… I’m never drinking again I swear…”

“That’s a lie.”

“It is…”

“Do you even remember what you said? Last night?”

The question caught Lemon by surprise. She was trying to rack her brains to find that missing information, one of the endless possibilities of stupid things she might have said while being drunk… chances were…

“What did I say?” She was about to have an attack of some kind.

Priyanka started laughing.

Bitch.

“Priyanka, what did I say?”

Her hands were shaking but she held the steering wheel tighter.

“You called me Sprinky and kept asking if Denali is my girlfriend.”

Lemon breathed again. “Thank God… it was just that…”

Her soul had returned to her body.

“I remember that part, you never answered the question anyway.” She said. It seemed appropriate to bring the question back so she could have a clear answer.

Priyanka sighed. “Denali is my friend. Just that… we’re friends. Are you happy now?”

…sort of…

She was about thirty percent happier… yeah… was it something bad?

And then the conversation went somewhere Lemon knew they would eventually talk about.

“So you know… you know I like girls…”

Lemon could feel the sense of fear behind her words, the what if I’m not accepted? After pronouncing that short sentence, after baring her soul.

Lemon just nodded.

“And are you okay with that?”

She looked at Priyanka. “Why wouldn’t I? Of course I’m okay with that…”

Lemon wanted to scream from the top of her lungs… how could she even imagine that she wouldn’t be okay with it? When she…

“Don’t tell me that on top of you thinking that I dislike Rihanna you also consider myself to be homophobic or an ignorant asshole… that being the same thing.” She spat.

Then, she told Priyanka about Jan and Jackie and she suddenly found herself missing them, wishing her friends from New York could also be there in her hometown, she wanted them to meet Priyanka and her high school friends… having her two worlds collide.

After dropping Priyanka back and seeing her mother again, Lemon left with a sense of warmness over her body. She had spent an entire afternoon with her childhood best friend and they were finally at a point where they felt comfortable with each other to share new things and anecdotes alike like normal friends.

Friends.

A friendship with Priyanka was something she had never expected from that trip back home.

Later that week, Lemon got a text message from Boa asking if she was going to the lake thing she was organizing. Her phone buzzed a second later she read the first message.

«I ran into Scarlett and Priyanka and they’re in.»

Lemon bit her inner cheek. She didn’t care, why she’d care?

Right… they were cool now… they were somehow friends again…

But going into nature wasn’t something she was particularly fond of. She still had a scar from that time her dad had insisted that hiking was a good father-daughter activity. Why couldn’t they plan something like a shopping day? Inside of the mall, with functioning air conditioning… wonders of the modernity like electricity?

“Rita, do you want to spend the day in a lake?” She asked the other girl who was flipping through a book’s pages while sitting on the sofa.

“Sure, sounds interesting.” She said without looking away from the book.

“Ugh. You too?” She slumped on the sofa.

She sighed loudly.

“What’s the matter?” Rita asked, accustomed to her behavior and unbothered by it.

“I don’t know… I’m don’t want to go to a lake but…”

She wanted to see Priyanka.

“Don’t go then.”

“No! That’s not the solution.” She grumbled. “Ah, I don’t know…”

Rita closed her book. “What would cheer you up? Pizza? A movie? What’s that movie you’re always talking about?”

“Mean Girls.”

“The other one.”

“Clueless.”

“One that I haven’t watched before.”

“Oh, you mean Drop Dead Gorgeous?”

“That one… why don’t you go get the DVD or something and we’ll watch it tonight.”

Lemon was about to protest but she just nodded. “Okay… I’ll drop by the video club.”

“And I’ll order the pizza.”

“Can you also order mozzarella sticks?”

“Sure.”

“Okay.” Lemon got up and walked toward the garage. The door close behind her.

“Now I can finish this book.”

She knew that the greatest film genre a.k.a. the chick flick movie genre was in the same aisle and that the DVD she was looking for was there, somewhere. It was an empty DVD box but she’d take it to the cashier and show her dad’s membership card or so to pay for it.

Lemon had the DVD on her hands when a little kid almost ran over her.

“Wow! Careful there.”

She looked at the little girl in front of her and she had a déjà vu. By a general rule, Lemon didn’t like children –from the distance they were alright but upfront…- she didn’t know what to do with them. However, this kid immediately got her soft side because she reminded her of someone close to her heart.

The little girl with big brown eyes stared at her for a moment. Lemon was paralyzed thinking she was going to cry or something but to her surprise, she just gave her a compliment.

“You’re very pretty.” She said with her adorable voice.

If there was something she liked, it was getting complimented.

“Aw, thank you…you’re very pretty too.”

Wait, was she on her own? Maybe she didn’t find her parents.

Lemon kneeled to get closer to her level. “Are you lost?”

She shook her head.

“What’s your name?” She tried again.

“I’m Melanie.”

“Nice to meet you, Melanie. I’m Lemon, like the fruit.”

“Nice to meet you… Miss Lemon.”

She was going to melt right there.

“Did you come here with your mom? With your dad?”

She shook her head again. “With my auntie.”

“Ah, I see… What do you say if we look for your auntie?”

“She’s right there.” She pointed at someone behind Lemon.

Lemon turned around and met the brunette’s eyes.

Her heart skipped a beat.

“Oh. It’s you, auntie… I should’ve guessed.”

“The resemblance is uncanny, isn’t it?” Priyanka smiled proudly.

It was the girl she had seen in the pictures, back at her house the other day and now, seeing them next to each other, she couldn’t deny they looked alike.

Wait for a second, her name was Melanie?

“You really convinced your brother to name his daughter like two-fifths of the Spice Girls, didn’t you?”

Priyanka panicked. She rushed and covered her niece’s ears. “Shhhh… He doesn’t know that yet. It took me seven of the nine months of my sister-in-law’s pregnancy to plant the idea… neither Ginger nor Emma were working, so it was down to Melanie or Victoria.”

Of course…

Then Priyanka sent her niece to get a movie and they exchanged some commentaries about the movie Lemon was about to rent. It surprised her when the brunette asked about the lake activity.

“So… are you going to the lake thing Boa’s planning?”

Lemon shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m not that into nature and being eaten by bugs…”

Sounded lovely when she put it like that.

“Oh, so she’s a city girl now.”

“Listen, I spent a good ten years of my life going camping with my dad and hating every second of it. I thought it was finally over when I moved.”

“The girls and I are going… and I’m sure we’re taking some type of booze with us, snacks, a campfire… It will be fun.”

Could it be that…? This was her chance to know.

Lemon tilted her head. “I didn’t know you wanted me to go.” She knew exactly what she was doing.

“Boa said the more the merrier… plus my car is still at the workshop and Scarlett might have screwed up her relationship with the one person that has a car among us.”

“So you need a ride… that’s it?”

Disappointing… Although, she was used to.

“Yeah… and it’ll be fun being all together again.”

“Sure… okay. I’ll tell Rita and we’ll be there.”

“Really?”

Lemon nodded.

Hey, maybe she was right and it would be fun… kind of.

At that moment, Priyanka’s niece returned with a DVD of Brave in her hand.

“Are you dating my auntie Pri?” She asked unscrupulous and unfiltered like any six-year-old.

Lemon almost had a heart attack. She just stared and then looked at Priyanka.

The brunette’s mouth dropped to the floor.

“Mel! You can’t ask people… That’s not… You don’t get to…”

“But daddy said that you like girls and that if you were going to date someone it would be a girl… and she’s a girl.”

Lemon covered her mouth with her hand, she was blushing underneath.

“Mel just because I’m talking to a girl it doesn’t mean that I’m dating her.”

“But she’s pretty… she’s prettier than you.”

“Oh, I like her.” Lemon giggled.

“Hey! You little brat, who’s the one renting movies with you.”

“Why aren’t you dating her, auntie Pri?” Priyanka covered the girl’s mouth.

Lemon didn’t say a word but she’d like to know the answer to that question as well.

“Okay, I think it’s time to go home. Brave, huh? Good choice.” She looked at Lemon. “See you on Thursday…?”

The blonde smiled. “I’ll pick you up.”

“Okay, great.”

“Goodbye, Priyanka. Bye, Mel.” She waved at them.

She had to pay for her movie too but she waited until they left the store to do it. Then she drove back home and informed Rita they were going on a little camping day or whatever.

“Make sure you pack the bug repellent I gotta text Boa.”

On Thursday morning, Lemon drove to Tynomi’s house because she had to pick a cooler. She didn’t know that was the base of operations, almost everyone was already there and they were getting the cars and supplies ready.

“Oh, hey Lemon.”

It was Denali, Priyanka’s friend. Emphasis on the word friend.

“Hi! How are you?” She hugged the girl who seemed a bit startled by it.

“Good to see you again…”

“Yeah.” She smiled at her.

“Actually, good thing I bumped into you. Scarlett wanted me to tell you that Juice and she are going to pick up Priyanka from her house on their way here.”

“I beg your pardon?” She blinked twice. “I’m picking Priyanka, I already told her.”

Denali raised her hands in the air. “I’m just passing on the message.”

Lemon grabbed her phone from her back pocket and marked Scarlett’s number.

“Hello? What’s up?”

“I’m picking up Priyanka. I spoke with her the other day and we agreed on that since her car is fucked and your relationship is fucked.”

“Was… Okay? Juice and I made up. There were roses and everything.”

“That’s adorable, congratulations to the happy couple.” The sarcasm behind her words was strong.

“Priyanka’s house is on the way, we can drive her to the lake… unless…”

Oh, God.

“Is there a reason why you’d want to drive her?”

“No… There isn’t any reason besides I already told her I was going to pick her up. Why is it so difficult to understand? I don’t like my plans to be changed.”

Scarlett dared to laugh.

“I called her earlier so you don’t have to worry about that. I insist though if you had a valid reason to be her driver today I’d…”

“Fuck off. Okay, yeah… I want to spend some extra time with her.” She murmured. Denali raised an eyebrow.

“You could have started there. It wasn’t that difficult, was it?”

“Shut up.”

“Well, Juice and I are driving straight to Tynomi’s. Can you pick Priyanka up then?”

“Yeah… I guess I can.”

“You’re fucking terrible.”

“Wait, since you have an empty space in your car, can you take Rita with you?”

“Oh, so you want some alone time…”

“C’mon.”

“I mean, I haven’t spoken a lot with her but if she’s okay with it…”

“She’s French Canadian, Kiara too, they’ll get along.”

“So you’re playing the language card now.”

“Sure, whatever. Can you?” Lemon rolled her eyes even when she couldn’t see it.

“We’ll take good care of her. Good luck with your little da-”

Lemon hung up before she could finish that sentence.

Denali stared at her, a bit terrified.

“All set.” She had a mischievous smile on her face.

Lemon rolled down her window. “Get in loser, we’re going to a lake… for some reason.”

Seeing Priyanka’s surprise was more than anything she ever wanted. She didn’t look upset at all and that was a relief. Lemon wasn’t going to tell her about all the arrangements she had to do so they could spend some time alone –and she hoped that for their own welfare that Scarlett or the other girls didn’t mention it either.

They didn’t have much time together already with their imminent separation. Lemon would have to go back to New York in less than a week and Priyanka was probably heading toward Toronto as well. They had lost too much already with their silly banters and those minutes were precious on her eyes.

Except, they got lost. It wasn’t on purpose.

And even when she didn’t show it, Lemon started feeling the panic slowly crawling when after their third turn when the stupid lake was nowhere to be seen. It was humiliating that they had to stop and ask for indications but thankfully they got there without any incident.

She was sure Priyanka was going to make fun of her for getting them in trouble and arriving late –which she did- but as soon as they met the others, she did what she did best, shaking Lemon’s little bitter heart.

“Yeah, can you believe I told her the wrong entry on the highway? Lemon almost killed me we were spinning around for like fifteen minutes, right?” She looked at her and winked.

Lemon didn’t know what to do next, her brain was malfunctioning.

“Ah, yeah…” She babbled as she felt her cheeks heating up. “But we’re here… so… it doesn’t matter.”

“Priyanka you dumbass, we’ve come this way before.” Scarlett nagged her.

“Oh, shut up… I forgot.” She picked her backpack and threw it over her shoulder. Lemon hadn’t moved. “Hey, let’s go. We have all day ahead.”

She had to do something, react somehow but she was paralyzed. Priyanka was right, they had all day ahead but she wasn’t sure if she was going to be able to handle it much longer.

“I think we’ve been set up.” Priyanka said when they were both at the boat.

Lemon should’ve guessed it. The way they moved suspiciously and how they had sent Tynomi to casually ask her if she had ever been in a boat before… it was all part of a greater plan to get them in the middle of the lake alone. Suddenly the lake wasn’t all that boring anymore.

For Lemon, that was the moment and the place to talk about what had happened between them, especially since Priyanka had been so open about that horrible story of her first kiss. To think that Lemon once had been mad about the fact she didn’t tell her about it, now she understood, it was bad enough to listen to it, she couldn’t imagine how she felt back in the day and reliving it wasn’t easy either.

They talked for what felt like hours and the conversation flowed avidly once they spoke about the elephant in the room but still, something was missing.

And then she had to put the stupid glasses on. For ages, she had hated being called names because of them and, when she finally convinced her mother to get contact lenses, it was a victory. Now, she didn’t want to go back to it nor Priyanka to see her like that… as if she was a kid again.

“Don’t make fun of me.” She mumbled. “I never wear these in public…”

It was a little plea but she meant it.

“Lemon, I’ve known you for ages I do remember how you look like with glasses on.”

Priyanka took the glasses and opened the temples before placing them gently on her face. She adjusted the nose pads above her nose and removed some hairs out of her face.

“There,” She looked proud of her work. “See, nothing less than stunning.”

When the brunette put the glasses on her face, she knew it.

Priyanka was going to kiss her.

She could feel it on her bones, she could feel it deep inside, her heart couldn’t stop beating fast.

She was going to kiss her, there was no doubt.

But she didn’t… for some reason, in the last second she backed out. Lemon didn’t know why but she could almost swear for her life Priyanka was going to kiss her. She regretted not shortening the distance just a couple of centimeters when she realized, it was too late.

However, now that Lemon had that information… she could take action.

She washed her hands in the bathroom when they were back and looked at the reflection in the mirror. She looked good, just a couple locks out of place and her cheeks a bit red due to the sun but she had Priyanka’s jacket on and she knew what her next step was going to be.

If Priyanka didn’t kiss her first, she was going to kiss Priyanka.

First, she’d take her somewhere they could be alone, -maybe with some silly excuse she’d invent on her way back to the campfire- she’d grab her hand and pull her even if she protested –because she was going to-, there was a cozy spot with a couple of tree trunks cut where they could sit, fireflies were going to start flying around and the buzz of the other people would become background noise. Lemon would pick a fight with her about the first thing that’d come to her mind and when Priyanka was too into it to even notice, she was going to lean in and kiss her to shut her mouth.

It was the kiss she had postponed for so long –years- because above of all, Lemon was deeply, stupidly, madly in love with her best friend since she could remember. It had taken a lot of time to realize that those feelings she had inside were that -love- but now she was confident it was mutual.

That was until…

“I’m being serious right now.” She cleared her throat. “Lemon and I are friends… that’s it. Don’t try to push it further because it’s not going to happen.”

The knot grew on her throat, her eyes were getting watery to the point she couldn’t see clearly; her heart was breaking somewhere inside her and the physical pain almost got her on her knees.

It’s not going to happen.

What a fool… what a stupid, fucking fool she was…

Priyanka didn’t think of her like that and she and her childish crush were nothing more than that, one-sided feelings. Priyanka and she were friends and they were never going to be more than friends. For a moment she had believed it but it was too good to be true.

She wiped away her tears, took a deep breath, and put the mask on.

“Hey, do you mind going back with the girls? I was talking to Rita and she’s kind of tired so I’m going home with her.” She hadn’t spoken to Rita and she hated she’d have to ruin the fun for her but she couldn’t be there any longer and that was the excuse that became handy.

“Oh, sure. No problem. Is she alright?”

“Yeah, just tired and maybe sunburn. I don’t want to drive when it’s too late either.” Her voice didn’t break as she lied.

“Alright. Are you still coming to dinner with my family? My mom said she’ll be waiting for you.”

Right. She had promised her mother she was visiting them…

“Saturday, right? I’ll be there.” She smiled. “I’m really glad we got to talk today, Pri.”

“Me too.”

She hugged her Lemon before she left.

Lemon whispered into Rita’s ear she wasn’t feeling alright and with that, the two girls got into the yellow car. They didn’t even get out of the park when Lemon stopped the car. Her knuckles turned white from holding the steering wheel too tight.

“Hey…” Rita reached for her. “Are you okay?”

She shook her head.

“Okay, let me drive.”

They exchanged seats without saying a word.

“Would you like me to play some music? I can put some CD on…”

“Just put whatever you want, it’ll be fine.” She sobbed.

Rita put the Taylor Swift album on because it was the first thing that she could find in the glove compartment. Lemon wasn’t in the mood for any kind of music really, but at least that would fill the awkward silence. She didn’t want to talk with Rita, she didn’t want to talk at all… she just wanted to get home as soon as possible.

Not her dad’s house, her home back in New York with her friends…

She was too far away.

When track nº 6 started playing, she skipped it without hesitation. She couldn’t listen to those lyrics without going back to her best friend as if she was going to wake up one day and realize… the idea was absurd. How could she ever believe that?

White Horse or Teardrops on my Guitar seemed more fitting.

Fearless, huh? What a joke. She wasn’t fearless, she was a coward who had waited too long.

She didn’t bawl until she touched the mattress of the bed, she didn’t shed a tear until her face made contact with the pillow and she stifled a cry on it. She couldn’t do it, she couldn’t pretend everything was fine for any longer.

The tears felt too heavy to be held so she cried and cried until her eyes were dried out.

She didn’t notice she was still wearing Priyanka’s jacket until she tried to wipe the tears off her face with the sleeve. It smelled like her and it kept her warm like a hug. She wrapped herself with the jacket and closed her eyes until she fell asleep.

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

[captain-s-rogers]

Shower Karaoke

(gif credit to the creator)

Pairing: Chris Evans x Reader Word Count: 1,321 Warnings: implied smut Square Filled: Singing In The Shower A/N: Another square for @marvelfluffbingo​​​​​ 2020! As always a HUGE thank you to the best bestie around @arrowsandmixtapes​ for looking over my stuff and making sure it isn’t terrible. If you want to be added to my tag list please let me know! Feedback is cool :)

You were exhausted from the flight and the cab ride, but you were more than excited to surprise your husband. Thanks to your work deadlines and his hectic filming schedule, months had passed since the two of you had seen each other in person. Scarlett had been coordinating with you for weeks regarding Chris’s set times so that your plan to surprise could be scheduled accordingly. 

Thanks to Scarlett, the security guard was expecting your arrival. He radioed another guard to come in a golf cart and escort you onto the set; you were grateful when you saw that the few extra minutes it took meant that Scarlett was with the guard -- no awkward interactions. This wasn’t the first time you had visited Chris on set, but those incidences hadn’t been often enough for you to feel entirely comfortable being here.  

“You didn’t let it slip that I’m coming, did you?” you asked her as the cart approached the rows of trailers. The cart stopped and the two of you set out on foot. 

“I haven’t said a word,” she promised with a smile. “Chris is gonna be so excited. He was just talking about how much he’s missed you. Honestly, I think he might have been on the verge of tears.” 

You couldn’t help but smile at her words. You missed Chris terribly when the two of you were apart and knew that he missed you too, but you always assumed that he was too busy when filming to think much about being apart from you. That thought never bothered you -- he was working after all -- but finding out that he talked to others about how much he missed you was a balm to your heart.

Towards the opposite end of where you and Scarlett had been dropped off, she pointed to a specific trailer.

“He’s in there,” Scarlett sighed. “Enjoy your reunion.”

The wink and meaningful smirk she showed before leaving you to it made you blush -- more so with excitement than embarrassment. You took a deep breath and jogged up the few steps to the trailer door, letting yourself in. The place was small but comfortable enough, especially since it was usually only Chris on his own. 

Except for, at the moment, he was nowhere to be seen. Set times were more of a guideline than a set schedule every now and then, so you didn’t think much of it. While you waited for Chris to come back to the trailer, you took the opportunity to look around the small space. 

One of the first things you noticed was a framed picture of the two of you on your wedding day set on a small table near the front. Next to the picture was the script with that day’s edits. Your smile returned; Chris had a visual reminder of you front and center, right where he kept his work stuff. That meant something to you. 

Before you made it all the way to the back of the trailer, you heard the shower spray hit the tiled walls of the bathroom in the trailer. You bit your bottom lip with excitement as you realized that Chris was already here, he just hadn’t heard you come in the door. Tiptoeing to the back of the trailer so your footsteps didn’t give you away, you opened the door to the small bathroom as quietly as you could manage. Through the clear curtain, you could see Chris lathering shampoo in his hair. 

“I wanna be where the people are … I wanna see, wanna see them dancing!” 

Chris was singing one of your favorite Disney songs at the top of his lungs as he scrubbed at his scalp. You wanted to pull out your phone and record him, but your hands were too busy covering your mouth to stifle the laughter threatening to give you away. 

The singing had paused for Chris to rinse his hair, so you took a step into the bathroom and picked up where he had left off. 

“Walking around on those -- what do you call them? Oh, feet,” you sang. At the sound of your voice resonating off the walls, Chris startled and jumped -- any higher and he would have bumped into the shower head. The shower door slid open and Chris peered around it.

“Y/N/N? Is that you?” he asked. He blinked a couple of times and wiped the water from his eyes. “You scared the shit out of me!” 

“I wanted to surprise you,” you laughed. “Clearly it worked.” 

“I’d say a little too well,” he laughed. “I can’t believe you’re here! Gimme two minutes, I’ll be done. Actually wait, c’mere!”

You raised your brow, very aware that he could be exacting revenge. You were pleasantly surprised, however, when he took your hand and pulled you in for a kiss. 

“Couldn’t wait for that. I’ll finish quick, then I can kiss you for real.”

You giggled and walked out of the bathroom, noting that the singing didn’t resume even after you had made yourself comfortable on the couch. You had stowed a magazine in your purse for your flight out, and fished it out now to keep you occupied until Chris was done in the shower. 

Before you could even focus on an article, the shower water shut off. A minute or so later, Chris came out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist. You didn’t hesitate a single second; you threw the magazine to the side and jumped up from the couch. You threw yourself at Chris, wrapped your arms around his neck, then pushing yourself up on tiptoe to kiss him fiercely. 

“I missed you,” you sighed when you were finally able to pull away from him. Your hands floated down to his hips. Your forehead rested against his bare chest. 

“I missed you, too,” Chris replied quietly, hooking a finger under your chin to raise your eyes to look at him. 

“I hate being away from you for this long,” you admitted. It wasn’t often that you were open about those feelings, since you had known what you were signing on for when you started dating and then married Chris. The relief of being in his arms again was too much though, and you couldn’t stop yourself from telling him how you felt.  

“I do too,” he agreed, kissing you again. He smiled against your lips. “But, you have to admit. The reunions are way more fun this way.” 

You giggled and nodded, then kissed him once more. Chris took your face in his hands before you could lean away, kissing you deeper. His tongue slid over your bottom lip, and you happily granted him access to your mouth. Before too long, the towel had fallen away to the floor, and Chris was pulling your shirt over your head. You took his hand and lay back on the couch, pulling Chris on top of you. Fun reunion, indeed. 

Afterwards, you forced yourself up off the couch and stood. Chris took your hand, kissing your knuckles. 

“You wanna get dressed and I’ll take you for supper?” he offered. 

You shook your head. “Between the plane and our, ahem, reunion, I need a shower. Care to join? I figure you might want another after that.” 

Chris shrugged and stood from the couch. “Sure, I’ll join you.”

He smacked you on the bottom as he passed, getting the water started to the perfect temperature for you. He stepped into the shower, then held out a hand to help you into the stall. 

“Fair warning,” you said, looking up at him, “I plan on singing Disney songs even louder than you were when I got here.”

“Pretty sure I’ll out-sing you, once again,” Chris chuckled, soaping up a washcloth as you sang out the first lines of Kiss the Girl, grin as big as ever when Chris chimed in with perfect harmony.

@arrowsandmixtapes​​​ @the-murder-strut-murdered-me​​​ @growningupgeek​​​ @phoenixfyre374​​​ @star-spangled-man-with-a-plan​​​ @captain-rogers-beard​​​ @patzammit​​​ @what-is-your-plan-today​​​ @sagechanoafterdark​​​ @kitkatd7​

#chris evans #marvelfluffbingo #chris evans x reader #reader x chris evans #chris evans fanfiction #chris evans fan fiction #chris evans fan fic #chris evans fanfic #chris evans oneshot #chris evans one shot #chris evans one-shot

[thirsty4theextraordinary]

Everything Burns: Chapter 22

Pairing: Ledger Joker X OC

Warnings: Abuse, Violence, Depression

Word count: 1693

Previous Chapters: Chapter 1 | - Chapter 21

Chapter 22: We are getting out!

The cell she had been dumped in was exactly what she had expected, the walls, ceiling and floor were padded with a thick plastic covered foam. A small window was casting light from outside, it was barred up and far too high to reach even without the straight jacket she was dressed in. For hours Jester sat alone staring at the walls of her cell with only her madness for company and for the first time in a long time, she sobbed. Tears washed down her face as she stared out the small window in her cell door.

It had been hours since she had last seen him, hours since she had heard his voice. She was losing what little was left of her mind and she screamed at the top of her lungs but no one seemed to hear her, or maybe they didn't care, she was sure they were used to such noises by now.

"Hush," said a soothing voice she knew all too well through an air vent high up in the wall.

"Joker?" she questioned.

"I'm right here, beautiful" he replied

"Though I doubt I'll be here long, I suspect these cells are somewhat temporary, due to the lack of other inmates," he said and she nodded though he could not see her. She pressed her face against the wall that separated them and hummed. She heard him chuckle and she smiled.

"Don't you worry Jester, I'll get us out," said Jack, his voice drifting through the vent separating their rooms.

"I love you" she whispered to him and again she heard him chuckle.

Jack had been right of course. No less than an hour later she was moved from her cell, more willingly than before she did not want to receive the 'intensive treatment' again so soon.

Jack did not see Scarlett again for another 6 months and when he did he did not recognise her. She was a shell of her former self, for good behaviour both had been granted outside time, they were placed in two large cages next to each other. The cage was bare, just a few wooden benches bolted to the concrete floor, trees surrounded the cage, but that was the only form of life as the people within the cage couldn't really be counted as alive.

If you weren't crazy when you came to Arkham you would be within a few months. He was pushed inside the cage with around 15 other men and he made his way to a bench to soak in a little of the sun. That was when he spotted her, she was sitting with her back to the cage wall separating them. Her black hair was split and wild, she was clean but her skin was grey and her eyes were so sad that it felt like Jack's heart broke just to look at her. She wasn't crying, though her face looked as though she were about to. She had aged and a few grey hairs could be seen. Her once perfect midnight hair was now a dull shade of dark grey. He knew it was her but as she looked up she did not seem to even recognise him. The lighting shaped burns on her arms testament to the regular 'intensive' treatment she was receiving.

He made his way to her and could feel the stare of the guards on his skin. He sat so his back was to hers slightly leaning against the cage, he turned his head to look at her and he saw a single tear roll down her face.

"I haven't told them anything," she said quietly, her chapped lips splitting open as she spoke. He could tell from the gruffness of her voice this was the first time she had spoken in a very long time.

"I never thought you would," he said just as quietly. She didn't look at him, simply nodded slightly, staring into her lap.

"I've missed you, I ..." she began but her voice cracked and she shut her mouth again.

"I've missed you too, gorgeous," he said slowly, he had never seen her like this and he never wanted to see her so broken again.

"I'll get us out of here, I'm working on it, just trust me," he said and again she nodded.

"I always have," she said so quietly the wind almost stole her words. Usually, he would have smiled at this. Usually, he would have laughed but not today her soul was dying and suddenly nothing seemed all that funny anymore.

"They keep giving me these drugs," she said after some time and Jack only nodded.

"Me too, I don't take them though," he replied and again she nodded.

"Me neither," she said.

"I don't like it here, they keep ..." again her voice cracked and a single tear split from her eye.

"I know, I know, but I promise I will get us out soon." he said though he had no idea how he would do so, he needed to save her. Never in his life had he needed anyone, never in his life had he wanted anyone until there was her.

Break time was over far too quickly and soon they were led away from each other again and into the asylum. They saw each other each day, at break and would sit against the fence with one another, but she never looked up at him. He was starting to wonder if she was hiding something. Every day that he saw her she seemed to deteriorate more, in a bid to cheer her up he would bring her gifts, paper flowers he had made in his cell or other pretty things he had found around the asylum. His plan of breaking them out was coming together; he had already found out a few weaknesses of at least 5 of the guards that would make bribing and or threatening them easy. But he needed more time though he wondered how long Scarlett had left, she seemed as though she would drop down dead at any minute.

It took him around a month to get everything in place for the breakout. It was not as easy as he thought, getting himself out was a piece of cake and he would not still be in this hell hole if it wasn't for her. He needed to take her with him, more than he needed to breath, but the organising of it had been hard. He could not tell her anything in fear of being overheard by the other patients or the guards, so she knew nothing. He had heard the doctors talking about her, saying they would have to up her treatment and he was not sure she would take much more. The electrocutions that they had the audacity to call 'treatment' was now twice daily for Scarlett and he was worried. Jack had never felt worried about anyone before, he didn’t even worried about himself. But Scarlett had given him a feeling that he had thought that he was incapable of long ago. He would get her out. If it was the last thing he ever did. She was his and he would keep her.

It was the day before, he knew his plan would get them out and he sat with her in the yard again.

"One more day gorgeous and we will be out of here." he said but she only nodded he feared she had lost her faith in him, or maybe just her will.

"I will get you out," he assured.

"I know" she whispered her hair covering her face as per usual.

"I need you." he said it so quietly, it was the nearest he had ever got to saying the three words she often told him and finally she looked at him. He smiled at her and she smiled back. He tried to control the horror he felt as he looked on at her once flawless face. He knew now why she had not looked at him.

The scar he had given her had split and was much wider and longer than it had been before. As though it had been forcibly torn open. It was more raised and looked more angry, much like the scars on his own face, but this had not been the feature to cause him such shock. Above her scar was her right eye, once it had been bright and shiny and so very beautiful, but now it was clouded white as though she had a severe cataract and the corners were bloodshot and raw. It covered her whole right eye and he wondered if she could see out of it at all, his face must have shown his horror as she turned her head away quickly staring into her lap again.

"Don't look at me." she said as tears splashed into her lap.

"Gorgeous?" he said, turning so he was on his knees, his hands pressed against the cage, his finger pushing through as though to try and touch her.

"Please don't call me that." she cried quietly.

"But you are gorgeous, you are so beautiful," he argued and she turned her body to him and looked him dead in the eye.

"How can you say that, look at me. Look what they have done to me. You can't say that!" she was almost screaming at him. Her face as close to his as possible through the cage.

"You said I was handsome." he said slowly and she seemed to falter.

"Even with my scars, you thought I was handsome. I think you are beautiful." he said simply and she let out a sob and placed her forehead to the cage, he did the same so they were almost touching she gripped the cage with her fingers and he pushed his through to hold her hand as best as he could.

"I love you." She sobbed and he smiled.

"I need you." He replied.

"We are going to get out, aren't we?" she asked.

"Yes we are, just be ready." he said and finally after all this time she grinned and Joker cackled.

#heath ledger #heath ledger joker #heath ledger joker x OC #heath ledger joker X original character #heath ledger x femOC #ledger joker #joker x OC #ledger joker x OC #heath ledger joker fanfic #heath ledger joker fanfiction #the dark knight fanfic #the dark knight joker #the dark knight joker x OC #please reblog

[lo-55]

Revel Ch. 9

Departing Debacle                   

 The last day was too short and too long at once.

 Tori was not yet ready to leave her childhood home, her jungle gardens and the deep lagoons. The mountain peaks, just barely dusted with snow. Her bay of stars. She wasn’t ready to go back to the surreal. Talking trees, massive pieces of pastries, and people who were barely now her own.

 She didn’t have much of a choice, though.

 Tori strode through the long hallways of her home, sunlight falling through the windows to warm her skin as she went. She was tailed by her whole entourage.  All six of them followed behind her. Madelle lead them, a few steps behind her on the right. Behind her was Aelia and Varinia. On the left side was Daria, Flora, and Lapa. They matched in their light, floating pink dresses. They made for a good high light of Tori’s own blue dresses. Layers and layers of thin robbins egg blue, so pale her own eyes looked nearly as black as her hair in comparison.

 They floated through the palace until they arrived at her fathers solar. A tablinum, some called it. Her sisters soldiers, all dressed in their fatigues, stood at attention on one side of the door. Her brothers valet’s stood on the other. Three for each of them.

 Tori’s handmaidens stood across the hall, lining like a curtain pulled across the arches of the peristyle. Her father’s valet’s, only two now, opened the doors to let her inside. Gemma and Lucien were already seated at a table near the clear running fountain opposite the room of her fathers desk.

 Her father himself sat behind it, hands steeped and brow furrowed deep in thought. He watched his children as Tori joined them, smoothing her skirts before she sat beside the fine marble piece. When they had been children they had had a kitten who would sneak in at all times and drink from the fountain.

 Sir Pounce, who’s offspring now harried the kitchen staff and spent their days lazing in the sun, as their father once had.

 “I’ve come to say goodbye,” Tori told them. “Yet I fell there’s something more going on here that I’m not aware of. Father?”

 Gemma and Lucien had the faces of children who had been summoned. Indeed, Gemma was still a teenager, and Lucien only a bit older than she. Tori tilted her head, sending a sing curl falling across her cheek. The rest of pinned tightly out of the way of her face, and her dress, while fine, was fit for travel.

 “I was about to tell you brother and your sister. You might as well hear it too.  Gold Roger is dead.”

 Tori didn’t outwardly react. That was old new. It had happened before her wedding, before the ‘proposal’ from Big Mom. She still had one of the Roger Pirate jolly rogers stowed in her hopechest somewhere.

 “And?” Gemma asked impatiently.

 “And,” her father went on, shooting his youngest an unpleasant frown, “that means that the world is unstable. We stand as royalty in the New World, on our ancient island, but as the world has become more tumultuous through the rise of pirates and the struggles of the navy we find ourselves in a precarious placement. We need allies.”

 “We have allies,” Tori objected. She could already see where this was going. Lucien and Gemma sat oblivious, but the understanding dawned to her at once. They were royalty. Royalty that needed allies outside of their own people, and the best way to get those was to do as they had already done once, with her.

 “I will not have us relying solely on the Big Mom pirates. She is tempermental and unstable, as liable to turn on us as to provide us aid unless direct offense is offered to her. No. We need more than that.”

 “Lucien!” his voice raised and sharpened and her brother, her only brother, sat ramrod straight. He stood on bones of duty, weighed heavy with the crown of a prince and a legislature. He was just, he was noble.

 “There is an island that was our friend in the past. A part of the World Government. It will be your duty to secure them as our friends once more. Their king has a daughter your age.”

 “No,” Lucien shook his head as reality dawned upon him. “Father, please-”

 “Marry the girl. Princess Scarlett will bring us into the graces once more. Her country is known for peace. You won’t have many problems with ruling it in her name.”

 “I’m needed here,” Lucien argued. “The people need me!”

 “The people will find another advocate,” he said shortly. “Their lives outweigh their liberties. Remember this, if you are ever to be a king.”

 “I’m not supposed to be a king! Victoria is the eldest, she is to be Queen, and I a prince.”

 “Things have changed. Your duties have changed with them,” their father’s voice brokered no arguments. “Pack. You leave at the end of the month.”

 His gaze turned to Gemma, who up until then had looked little more than insuferably satisfied with her siblings misfortune. When she met their fathers gaze her shoulders drew together and her chin lifted.

 “      No    ,” she said viciously. “No, you can’t mean me too!”  

 “It’s necessary. You’ll do as your told, Gemma.”

 “I’m not a bitch to be sold to a stud!” she stood so fast her chair clattered to the ground. The light of the sun seemed, to Tori, to dim in the room. It cast long, dark shadows across their fathers face. No longer was he Father. He was the king, now, and family meant nothing more to him than strings to pull and tie.

 “You’re my daughter!” His voice rose, snapping like a whip that had Gemma wild eyed and tense. Tori half expected her to draw her sword.

 “You are a princess of Imperia. You will do what is best for the country.”

 “If you send me away our military with crumble! You’ll weaken us! You’re not making us stronger, you’re dividing us and making it easier to pick us off! Victoria wouldn’t be missed but Lucien and I have jobs to do.”

 Tori swallowed hard. The barb struck hard in her lungs, liks rose thorns needling into her ribs. Her fingers curled slowly into fists.

 “Your arrogance will get you killed in a real war. Before Lucien leaves, you will. Your husband waits for you in the East Blue. It’s peaceful there. Goa.”  

 Words bubbled on her tongue but bitterness killed them before she could speak.

     She’s only a child!    She wanted to say.      You can’t make her marry! That was what I was. I was to secure our future, and they were to    live      .  

 Instead she stayed silent, watching Gemma’s face turn a blotchy red and her chest heave with fast, rapid breathes. Tori could see the whites of her eyes, like a spooked horse.

 Tori stood slowly, all grace and sweet smiles and politeness. She dipped a curtsey to their father befitting the crown princess.

 “Until next time then. I’ll leave you to play your game, Father.”

 “It’s more than a game. And you had best learn to play it yourself, Victoria, before the weight of the crown breaks your neck.”

 On those cheerful words Tori made her exit, head high and fists hidden in the long folds of her gown. Lucien trailed after her, shocked, with Gemma fuming at the rear. Tori caught sight of her husband and good-sister down the hallway, waiting for her. Daria had joined them at some point and was talking softly.

 A hard hand closed around Tori’s wrist and wrenched her back wards, shoving her hard against the marble wall. Tori stared, lips parted with question, at Gemma who tried to loom at her. She was so furious there were tears now prickling her eyes red, but her lips were fixed in a snarl. A horrible silence descended across them. She could see Madelle take a step towards her.

 “Why did you say anything?!” she demanded harshly. “You could have changed his mind! I’m not going to the fucking East. He can’t make me!”

 Tori plucked her arm from Gemma in a smooth move that nearly brought the stressed younger princess tipping forwards.

 “Just where was your army when I was fit to be wed?” Tori asked, coldness settling through her. It wrapped ice around her heart, staying her hand from trying to offer her sister comfort. Tori would not be missed, and so she would not miss Gemma. “When time for tea party came, how many banners did you call?”

 She left her there, gaping like a fish, and marched to her husband with a the air of a woman who tread on top-frost.

 The trip down from Imperia’s capital was much easier than the journey up, a swift glide that took them tipping into the bay. When they arrived, however, they found that during their absence the great ship they had taken from Komugi to Imperia and her sisters had sprung a leak.

 When questioned, no one would say who’s fault it was or what it was that caused the damage, but Tori suspected it had something to do with the missing cabin boy and the fact that they were now a cask of wine and three canon balls lighter than they had been when they’d ventured in.

 Katakuri said nothing, but the slight furrowing of his brows had everyone on deck scrambling to try and repair it even quicker than before. Tori smothered a small, pitying smile at their expense. They were all so eager to please her husband. It was rather adorable.

 “They won’t finish before nightfall,” Lapa told her. She glanced as well to Katakuri, “Shall we have ourself returned to Veleia?”

 Tori thought of her sister, still a ball of fury, and tasted bitterness like a rotten peach on her tongue. She knew her anger wouldn’t hold over the night, but she still had no desire to go back yet. She couln’t imagine looking on her sisters face and not feeling the thorns in her lungs.

 Yet, it was not her who spoke.

 “No.”

 They both looked up at her husband. He made eye contact with neither of them, his attention on his crew.

 “We can stay here for now.”

 Tori nodded her agreement slowly. That was fine with her.

 “Perhaps we should stay in Panarea for the night?” Tori suggested. “It should be empty still. We won’t need much room.”

 Karakuri dipped his head once. They set off, to the mansion that overlooked the sea. It clung to the edge of the island, beside the underwater barrier. Once it had been home to the Serrets, but they had migrated to Aosta a half century before Tori was born. Now the villa was used as a hotel for nobility, for lack of a better word.

 By the time they walked through the tall gates the sun was halfway set. They should have been so far she could no longer see the tips of the mountains. Instead they strode in and were immediately swarmed by the manager and his staff, cotowing until Tori’s handmaidens herded them all away. Save one valet, who was happy to show them to empty rooms.

 Tori spoke kindly to him, thanking him for the help, and he left with pink resting high on his cheeks. Katakuri seemed less happy with him, shutting the door firmly after he left. Tori looked over the room. It was modest, her husband had to bend to keep his head from knocking on the roof. Tori covered her mouth to try not to giggle at the sight. Her own people were tall, but he was another story altogether. Literally.

 “It’s not the most comfortable,” Tori mused. Katakuri sat on the edge of the bed. When he bent to accommodate himself she caught the barest sight of pale teeth poking out of his lips.

     Fuck, that’s cute.  

 Tori sat beside him on the bed, looping her arm with his and leaning on his shoulder. He didn’t tense like he would have when they first began. Instead he took her hand, no longer wrapped with bandages, and turned it over to inspect her palm. The skin was still pink and sensitive, but there were no extra layers, no scar tissue to be seen.

 “Strange,” he commented, so low she wouldn’t have heard if it wasn’t said right next to her.

 A phantom smile crossed her face. “It was a ‘gift’ from our Enchantress.”

 “From whom?”

 “The Enchantress,” Tori looked up at him. “You don’t know?”

 He shook his head minutely.

 “She blesses babes at their christening. She declared that I would be beautiful, and so I am, and I always will be. I won’t callous or wrinkle, I’ve never had acne or scars and I never will.”

 “If you don’t callous or get scars, your skin won’t toughen.”

 “Mhmm. I know. My hands blister and bleed every time I do any kind of labor. It’s always been like this. I’m soft and pretty, you see,” her smile was not entirely genuine.

 Silence fell for a long moment. She didn’t know what he was thinking.

 “What were you and your sister talking about, in the hall?”

 Tori sighed sofly. She closed her eyes. Already she could feel the angry thorns start to untangle themselves from her lungs.

 “My father is marrying her and my brother off. She was upset, and she was upset that I didn’t try to force his hand or change his mind.”

 “Why didn’t you?”

 Tori traced the lines in her husbands palm. Her soft thumb brushed the hard callouses from his hard won strength. She had seen his trident at home, though she had never seen him have to use it, and for that she was grateful.

 “She’s a princess. He’s a prince. Our lives do not belong to us,” Tori said quietly. “They belong to our people. To our kingdom, to our throne, to our father and our ancestors. Somewhere along the way, they forgot that.”

 “You never did, did you?” There something in his voice. Something like respect.

 “It’s the same for you and your siblings, isn’t it? You wed at your mothers behest, to join the family and grow your power and secure your lines. It’s not so different. Still…” she shook her head, trying to dismiss the silly thoughts.

 “Still?” he prodded, looking down at her.

 Tori looked very intently at their hands.

 “Even though I know what I am, and what my life will hold, I had hoped… when I was married, I had hoped that he might be blind.”

 She could      feel    his confusion.

 “Blind.” he repeated.

 “Blind. So that if they came to love me it would be in spite of my beauty rather than because of it.”

 He sucked in a hard breath. Tori waited for him to say something, but nothing came. They sat together as the sun began to dip and the shadows chased across the floor, both lost in their own thoughts.

#one piece #one piece fanfiction #katakuri #charlotte Katakuri #katakuri x oc #oc #victoria di Imperia