#the one saving grace of this movie i think is the set and wardrobe

[retiredtothebriars]

ok i really wanted to like the barbie movie but i didn't ): like all the "meaningful" parts were hamfisted and i didn't even expect it to be deep, it just felt so forced, and all the tee hee quirky and fun parts were at volume 6 and i wanted volume like 23

#the mother daughter characters and relationship were so underdeveloped too like i wish i knew more about them #also the script was god awful #i zoned out during the how hard it is to be a woman monologue cause it was so unmoving #like you cannot go and do that after the cool girl monologue #the one saving grace of this movie i think is the set and wardrobe #i just wish there was SOME subtlety like i wish ruth didn't come back that first scene with ruth was beautiful

[inkandpen22]

The Princess and The Pogue (pt. 3)

Pairing: JJ x Female!Reader / Topper x Female!Reader 

Warnings: underage drinking, mild swearing, mentions of drugs 

Words count: 2k (it’s short but the next part is long) 

Part Summary: As the night dwindles away, JJ feels pressured to secure a place in your life. His chances grow times ten when Sarah arrives with some interesting news. 

Masterlist

You and JJ share a log around the fire. His arm rests over your thigh, his hand gripping your knee slightly. Your chin rests on his shoulder as you two exchange whisper back and forth, making the Pogues sick with how lovey-dovey you two already are becoming. 

“What are you doing tomorrow?” JJ asks, kinda hoping he could ask you for real date but he’ll understand if you already have plans. 

“Hanging out with you,” you cheekily answer, earning a blushing grin from him. 

“Oh! cool, cool...” He presses his lips together with a faint laugh, finding it hard to hide his childish grin. 

You giggle at his bashfulness. He’s so shy around you and you can’t help but find it adorable. 

"Here comes Sarah!" Kiara announces as he spots their friend's car rolling up the drive. 

You and JJ finally break your hype-focused attention away from each other. Almost to make up for the lack of verbal communication, JJ shifts closer to you and plants a quick peck to your temple. 

"Hey! Sorry for the delay!" Sarah announces as she walks over from her car. John B rises from his position, trying to intercept Sarah before she sees you and JJ. Once she reaches John B, she notices how you and JJ are sitting. Her brows scrunch together, but she does her best to mask her confusion. "My parents were having a hissy fit about me borrowing the car. I told them and Y/N's parents that we were staying the night at Kiara's since she doesn't feel well. I hope that's okay, Kie," she asks as she gets closer to the bonfire. 

"Yeah, no problem!" Kiara waves her hand, not caring at all. 

"Wait, so what's the game plan?" You ask Sarah, but also everyone else for their input. You're thankful for the group's help, but weren't exactly prepared for an overnight stay. You understand why Sarah did this nonetheless. 

"You all can stay here tonight," John B shrugs as the Pogues do it all the time. 

"Your parents believed it," Sarah assures you. "I would just text your parents to help it seem more legit." 

"Okay! I'll text my mom," you comply with enthusiasm. 

Hey, I told Sarah to tell you but in case she didn't, we're staying over at Kiara's tonight. I had to drive her home in her dad's car because we think she got food poisoning or something. I'll text you when I'm heading out in the morning. Sarah can drive me home or something :)

"Finally! It'll be nice not being the only girl! I was kinda hoping you and Sarah would stay over anyway," Kiara adds, offering you a kind smile. 

"That makes two of us," JJ whispers for only you to hear. 

"My folks were pretty pissed about me ditching on the party, so I feel no urge on going home," Sarah huffs, right as John B asks for her to help him inside real quick. 

You and JJ watch as John B escorts Sarah inside by the arm. They try to be nonchalant, but it's so obvious they're freaking out. Sarah's whispers aren't exactly quiet and John B's doing his best to fill her in on what he knows. 

JJ turns his face toward yours with a smirk, suppressing his laughter. "They're definitely talking about us." 

"Oh for sure!" You nod slowly with a snicker. 

You two share in your amusement as your friends slowly lose their minds. A Pogue from The Cut was caught kissing the Princess of the OBX. If your friends from the other side of the island found out they would have an even more dramatic reaction. 

Your phone buzzes in your lap and it's from your mom. 

Ok. Text me when you wake up. 

"All set!" You voice to everyone remaining around the fire. "I doubt they'll even care since "I'm still on the Figure 8,” you make air quotes. 

"Yay!" Kiara claps her hands. 

"I say we watch a scary movie tonight!" JJ suggests beside you. 

"The Conjuring!" You vote swiftly, earning a laugh from JJ. 

"No!" Pope instantly refuses. "Nope! Last time we watched that you guys made me sleep on the porch and I heard creeks all night!" 

"Aw, I'll stay with you tonight Pope," Kiara offers, reaching for her friend's hand with a pout. "I'll keep you safe from all the ghosties." 

JJ leans in brushes his lips against your ear. "You gonna keep me safe?" 

You smile softly, turning your head toward him as you nod slowly. "I'll have your back if you have mine." 

His beautiful eyes meet yours in the gold flickering light of the fire. "Always, Baby." He plants a kiss to your lips, this time slow and comforting, as though you two have been doing it forever. 

___________________________________________________________

All six of you are gathered in the living room, watching The Conjuring. John B and JJ insisted that all lights in the house must be off, much to Pope's dismay. Kiara and Pope are positioned on the carpet, their backs against the couch. Pope has been hiding in a ball with his face behind the blanket he shares with Kiara. Sarah and John B are sprawled comfortably on the couch, well invested in the movie. You and JJ share the old red recliner, tucked close in a ball under a comforter. Right before the movie starts to get interesting, you shift forward in your position. JJ whines, disappointed in the loss of contact. His pouty face makes you giggle and he playfully tries to keep you close by holding onto your wrist. 

"I need another drink, anyone else?" You offer quietly, making sure not to step on Kiara or Pope on the floor on the way to the kitchen. You receive various forms of declines as you do your best to navigate your way through the dark and unfamiliar house. 

Finally finding yourself in the kitchen, you make yourself a glass of water. The moonlight shining through the window over the sink acts as your saving grace. Suddenly, you feel a pair of arms slip around your waist, causing you to jump. 

"Hey, Gorgeous," the blonde whispers against your neck. 

"JJ!" You gasp your heart racing. 

"Did I scare you?" He chuckles quietly to not alert the others. 

You spin in his hold and nudge him on the shoulder playfully. "You did that on purpose!"

"Not really but-" In one swift motion, JJ picks up and places you on the counter. He parts your legs to stand between them. His palms glide up and down your thighs. "That I did mean to do," he smirks, biting down on his lip. 

"JJ! Y/N! You're going to miss the wardrobe part!" Pope shouts, his voice shaky with fear. 

"I wish I had spoken to you sooner," JJ confesses abruptly, completely his friend in the next room. All he cares about right now is you. 

"Dido," you smirk, placing your arms over JJ's shoulders. 

"Really?" He voices in disbelief. Despite how much you've reassured him or have reciprocated his affections, he still isn't convinced that you truly like him. 

"That first time I saw you at the Cameron's?" You recall with raised brows. "Um, yeah! You looked hot in that pale green Ron Jon shirt." 

"I can't believe you remember that," he shakes his head, leaning in closer to you. I thought there was no way you'd know who I am." 

"JJ," you say his name in a mild groan with a toss of your head. How can this boy not see how amazing he is? "You're definitely worth remembering." 

"It was at the Boneyard," he states a matter-of-factly. 

"What was?" You grin. 

"The first time I ever saw you," he tilts his head back slightly, relieving his sharp jawline. "You were dancing with Topper on the wall. The fire made your skin glow and shimmer like bronze. You wore a navy blue bikini with ripped white booty shorts. Your hair was half up and all I could think about was how much I wanted to run my fingers through it. You were the most beautiful girl I had ever seen," he tells you, never once breaking eye contact. 

"That was last summer!" You can't believe he remembers that. 

"I know," he replies as though it's completely ordinary. 

Your jaw drops, "you're saying you've been waiting to talk to me for a year?!" 

"Okay well, when you put it that way," he tries to play it off and be cool now. 

"Aw JJ!" You express a little too excitedly, bringing your hands to his cheeks. 

JJ is quick to press his hand over your mouth. "Shh, Baby. Before you alert everyone in the living room!" Mischievously, you plant a kiss on his palm, catching him off guard. JJ swallows hard, peering down at you with hooded eyes.  "Okay, now you're just teasing me." 

You place your hand over his and remove it from your mouth. "You make it too easy," you giggle in a whisper. 

JJ simply stares down at your lips as he bites down on his own. Before you have a chance to react, he hungrily presses his lips to yours. Ever kiss up until now has been gentle, new, and hesitant. Now, JJ is forgetting his nerves and is acting on impulse. He breaks away from you and moves his assault to your neck. You comb your fingers through his thick blonde hair, gripping the strands on the back of his neck. 

"JJ," you pant breathlessly as your eyes fall shut. "What are you doing?" 

"Making up for lost time," he breathes against your neck. I'm really kicking myself right now." 

"It's my fault too," you try to speak as JJ makes a track down your neck to your collarbone. "I could've at least said 'hi' instead of smiling like an idiot." 

"At least you were nice," JJ mumbles against your chest. "I was a statue. Plus, I always thought you and Rafe may be-"

"Ew! Don't even finish that sentence," you scoff in disgusts. 

"You were always at the Cameron's. He's always on top of you and watches you like a hawk," JJ explains as he pops up for air. 

"He's had a thing for me for a while now. I've turned him down," you inform him.  

JJ frowns in confusion. "Why?" 

You figured it would've been obvious, especially considering how much JJ hates Rafe. "He's an arrogant ass. He thinks he's invincible and I hate people like that." 

"Well, you can tell him you're taken now," JJ grins, leaning in to kiss you. 

"Oh, I am?" You question playfully against his lips. 

"Yep," the boy nods as he begins to glide his lips across your jawline. "You're mine... and only mine..." He whispers, making you bite your lip with anticipation. Boy, this kid knows how to get you turned on. "I'll make sure everyone in the OBX knows it too," he declares as he starts to suck on the sensitive skin on your neck. At the rate JJ is going, he's certain to leave a mark or two, just as he wanted. 

"You guys!" Kiara calls this time. 

JJ huffs with annoyance as he appears out from your neck. "Coming!" He shouts, completely unfazed by what he was just doing. "Got you're so sexy," he plants a quick peck to your lips. "I hope you know I'm going to be dying through this entire movie." 

Ever the gentleman, he grips your waist and helps you down from the counter. He slips his hand into yours and grabs your water with the other before leading the way back into the living room. 

"She couldn't find the sodas in the fridge. I had to grab a new box from the back," he conjures up as you two cross the living room toward the recliner. 

"Sureee," John B and Sarah say in unison with amusement. 

"Sorry guys, what did we miss?" You ask while you and JJ get settled. 

After you take a quick sip from your water, you place it on the side table between the recliner and the couch before getting comfortable again with JJ. 

"Nice water, Y/N." Sarah giggles as she peaks over from the couch at your hand, earning an eye roll from JJ. 

"The crazy demon lady jumped on the daughter. I hate this!" Pope rushes out to answer your question. 

"Oh my God! You're fine, Pope!" Kiara groans, not hiding her annoyance. 

"I wish it wasn't so dark in here!" Pope shouts dramatically. 

"I kinda like it," JJ purrs in your ear. 

You turn your head to the side and he plants a kiss on your lips. As the others watch the movie, you and JJ spend most of the time whispering back and forth or too caught up in each other physically to talk at all. Of course, you two are respectful of your friends and keep it PG. Yet, you can't get enough of each other. It's all so soon, energetic, and freeing. As the thought of tomorrow morning lingers in the back of your mind, you’re starting to dread the idea of parting from JJ. 

__________________________________________________

Masterlist 

Tags: @starkeythinker @bethii1 @thegunnerkelly @cc13723things

#jj maybank fic #jj mayback x reader #jj maybank imagines #jj maybank fluff #jj #john b routledge #sarah cameron #rafe obx #pope #kiara #topper obx #obx jj #obx #obx fanfiction #outterbanks #outer banks #topper outer banks

[bakubub]

In which racer!kuroo is your roommate, and seems to only like it when you treat his wounds... (word count: 1.9k)

Ngl quite proud of this one!!

Warnings: 18+, a whole lot of swearing, a whole lot of blood, innuendos and implied nsfw, reader almost vomits (NOT from pregnancy chill, I know we're all scarred but its going to be just fine) and if you're squeamish perhaps skip the scene where reader stitches his wound?

Also bit of a disclaimer: I am in NO WAY a med student and literally all of my knowledge is from movies and other fics... so if you acc know what to do in this situation this may be a torturous for you :D

All due credits go to @aikk00​ for this AMAZING fanart!!!!

I watch as my roommate enters the penthouse, once again scratched up and bleeding, covered in so much blood there is no possible way that it was all his- if it was he would not be standing.

I launch myself off the couch- where I was sitting for the past hour nervously waiting for his return- and slip my arm under his, supporting him as we inched towards the bathroom.

"I can do this by myself you know," he grumbles, his grimace revealing just how much pain he was actually in.

"Mhm, I'm sure you can. Just like you boiled that poor egg by yourself last week, hmm?" I say sarcastically, trying to keep my mind calm and clear, because oh my god it looks really bad this time...

"Oi, its not my fault it fuckin' exploded," he mutters, voice laden with pain.

"You put it in the microwave because 'the shitty water wasn't doing its job.' Of course it would explode," I say, gently seating him on the closed toilet seat and taking out my supplies that I unfortunately have become rather accustomed to using. He's made it a habit to get himself injured.

"Where's the injury?" I ask, setting down my half-empty bottle of antiseptic and box of bandages. He peels off his shirt, cringing at the pain it brought him as the fabric was stuck to the gash that went from his left pectoral down to the middle of his chest.

"Pissed off a bidder after winning a race, fucker took out a knife once he realised he couldn't beat me up," he huffs out, arrogance still lacing his tone even with sweat dripping down his brow as he leans the back of his head onto the tile wall behind him. His Adam's apple bobs down his bloodstained neck as he speaks, and I quickly look away, focusing on the injury at hand.

Not his blood soaked, but nevertheless well defined pectoral muscles, nor the abs that my hands occasionally brush up against and know how hard they really are, and definitely not the trail of black hairs that lead down, down, down...

"What's wrong, the view too hot to focus on the work at hand?" He asks suggestively, raising his pierced brow, even in this state.

I'm quick to reply, having gotten used to his flirtatious remarks from the second I moved into his penthouse, "nope can't even see the view from that massive head of yours. Not to mention your permanent bed head."

He huffs out a laugh, then proceeds to flinch from the pain it must have caused.

"Stop moving, idiot. You're going to exacerbate the cut!" I say, quickly grabbing a damp towel and beginning to clean up his abdomen, whilst simultaneously pressing another rag to his wound to stop the bleeding.

“At least you admit that there is a hot view,” he says in his low voice, gazing at me from his position.

I simply roll my eyes.

No falling in love. That was the deal we had made on the day he offered me a place to stay in exchange for my services as a maid and apparently, a nurse. I cook, clean and basically keep the house running while this moron goes out and acts like the idiot he is. In my defense, dorms are expensive as hell, and his penthouse is nearby. Plus, I don't have to pay rent. It's a win-win situation.

But the feelings stirring up inside my heart might just ruin the dynamic we have going on and simultaneously take out a whole lot of cash out of my pocket.

At least, that's what I keep telling myself.

Once his skin isn't completely saturated in blood, and the wound has (thankfully) stopped bleeding, I add some antiseptic onto a make-up pad and begin to dab at his wound, earning winces and slight grunts from the massive man.

"The cut looks deep, Kuroo. You need to go to the hospital," I say, worry lacing my tone as my eyebrows crease and earn yet another huffing laugh.

"Do you want me to rot in prison for the rest of my life?"

I roll my eyes at his response, deliberately dabbing just a little harder which earns me a yelp and an attempted glare in my direction.

"First off, illegal street racing won't send you to prison for your entire life, just for like, half a year. Second, this wound needs stitches, and believe it or not, I'm not a fucking licensed medic. In fact, the only experience I have is with you!" I say, immediately regretting my choice of words as I wait for his remark.

"That's what she said," He says, chuckling at his own innuendo.

I sigh in frustration, pouring more antiseptic to make sure there was no chance of infection from whatever grimy ass knife stabbed him, and beginning to gently scrub the wound with a soft towel, so as to make sure there was no debris left in there.

"You're gonna have ta do it," he mutters, his hazel eyes boring into mine.

"I- I can't Kuroo, you can't possibly think-"

"Fine. I'll do it. Go get me a needle and thread," he states, struggling but nevertheless, sitting upright on the red stained toilet.

I stare at Kuroo in disbelief as he utters these words. Was he dumber than I thought? Does he have some sort of head injury too?

I examine his face and all I come up with is unnerving determination. I exhale out of my nose sharply, "fine, dammit. I'll sew your fucking wound shut."

I am extremely handy with a sewing needle and thread, used to really be into embroidery back when I had the time so...it should be fine.

He just shrugs, leaning his head back against the tiles and closing his eyes.

"Fucking asshole. Can't believe I'm saving your damn life," I mutter, leaving the bathroom to dig through my wardrobe for my sewing box and taking out a gold silk thread that I was saving for a special project.

Well, I guess that will never happen.

"Hey, I found some silk thread. It's literally known for its strength and durability in high temperatures, so it should work like a charm!" I say, walking back into the blood stained bathroom and trying to psych myself up.

He grunts in response. I sigh as I begin with mopping up the excess blood and sanitising the needle and thread before chucking on gloves.

I wipe the antiseptic over the wound once more, and examine it carefully.

Well, if his condition worsens, I can always knock him out and call an ambulance...

I decide, screw it, and thread the needle, pretending it was just another embroidery project.

It's okay, it's okay, it's okay, I chant as I puncture his skin with the thin needle.

Kuroo gasps in pain, and I place a hand on his knee, telling him to suck it up and deal with it, half talking to him but also to myself.

To my surprise, he listens, stretching his head back once more and gritting his teeth.

"Don't do that, here put this in-between your teeth," I say, grabbing yet another towel and shoving it into his mouth.

He obeys as I continue to stitch. I feel my gag reflex kicking in as I think about how stitching skin feels as though I am stitching leather, it feels hard and tough while pushing the thin needle through.

Must hurt like a bitch.

Once I've completed my neat stitches down the wound, without vomiting, I tie it off as I would with any embroidery, and clean the area free of any remaining blood. After rubbing some antibacterial ointment over the gold stitches, I stick on a particularly large bandage over the wound and start tidying up.

"Thank you," Kuroo mutters, still seated on the toilet seat and practically panting for breath.

"Ah, the criminal knows his damn manners!! Now get up and get in the damn shower. You ruined my pristine bathroom!" I complain, putting the last of the materials away before walking to the door.

"Wait, I- I can't get up." I turn around and look at him incredulously as he utters his next few words, "will you... shower me?"

My eyes just about pop out of their sockets at his request. "Are you insane?! I'm not your mother, nor your wife! Call your pudding haired friend and tell him to come shower you!"

He shakes his head, a rare pleading look taking the place of his usual arrogant smirk, "Kenma's too lazy to shower himself, Y/n, please!"

I contemplated it for a moment. Sure, I've seen him naked before, accidentally of course, and so what if I have to scrub him clean. God knows he can't do it himself with that damn injury.

Fuck this shit.

"Fine, get up right now." I bark at him, leaving to change out of my blood soaked pjs into a pair of shorts and a tank.

"...I just said I can't."

---

"Ow, y/n, you're scrubbing too hard!" He complains, his exfoliating glove around my hand as I rub his toned back clean of any dead skin-cells and blood remains.

"But look how much stuff is coming off!" I say gleefully, enjoying this a little too much.

Kuroo, seated on the built-in bench in the open shower with his red boxers on, looks back to see the satisfaction dripping from my features.

"Are you secretly a sadist?" he whispers. In response, I begin to rinse off his raw back with hot water, causing him to screech like a cat.

"It burns, it burns-”

“Shut the fuck up, moron! It's 4 in the morning, you’re going to annoy our neighbours. I tried very hard to get in their good graces, and Mrs. Suzuki still doesn’t like me! She definitely thinks I’m some kind of hooker…” Kuroo laughs at this, and I can’t help but watch as his whole face brightens up from his usual emotionless expression. I find myself smiling in response.

I grab his expensive shampoo and pour some into my hands, beginning to massage it into his scalp. With wet hair, his raven strands are for once flat on his head and reach down to his defined jawline. Kuroo groans under my touch, leaning into my fingers. I snatch my hands back and pour hot water over his head.

"ARGH! Y/N!" He screams, hastily getting up and wetting me in the process.

"Ah- what are you-" I don't get to finish my question as he grabs my arm and yanks me next to him under the hot water, soaking my clothes and my hair.

"You asshole!" I screech as I reach up to pull his hair in defiance, but he only grabs my arm and hooks it around his neck, leaning down to look directly into my eyes.

Our noses brushing against one another, he mutters, "You look pretty with your hair wet and your shirt see through."

It takes me a moment to get past the compliment and to hear the perverted comment that he just uttered.

He sees my look of confusion and laughs, bends over, clutches his stomach and laughs, before bellowing in pain because of his injury.

Smiling smugly down at him as he grimaces, I force him to sit back down and continue massaging the shampoo into his hair, warning him that if he so much as moaned I would leave him in here, dripping wet and in pain.

"That's what he said," is his reply.

I smack his head in response.

Notes, interactions and reblogs are highly appreciated <3

#kuroo x reader #haikyuu drabbles #racer!kuroo #kuroo tetsuro scenarios #haikyu fics #haikyuu!! #kuroo x y/n #kuroo x gender neutral reader #kuroo x gn!reader #kuroo x you

[thisismisogynoir]

Who are your favorite black girl characters , animated or live action

Ooh! This is a good one! 

One of my favorite characters is Cinderella in the 1997 adaptation starring Brandy! It's one of my favorite movies(a lot of my favorite movies star Black girls/girls in general!), since when I was younger it gave me a boost of confidence seeing a Black girl as feminine, beautiful, graceful, and most importantly, a princess! Many young girls dream of being princesses too! Princesses aren't only white!

From my favorite book, Natasha from The Sun is Also a Star! She has a unique personality and also defies stereotypes in many ways: she is logical, is very nerdy, she's not a good singer, she's secretly afraid she'll drown(okay, maybe not EVERY stereotype), she has a hard time opening up to people but eventually she does, her favorite color is pink, and SHE'S JAMAICAN!!!! AND THERE IS PATOIS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK! LIKE HELL YEAH!!!!!(that part legitimately made me smile and excitedly show my mom like I was in 1st grade tho!) What's funny is that at first she assumes her Asian boyfriend will know about nerdy stuff, too, but he doesn't know a thing, and she ends up being surprised and explaining this stuff to him. Just a nice way of subverting stereotypes, I guess.

From an anime: S.AM. from Cannon Busters! She's a really cute robot girl who is sweet, girly, and wants to be friends with everyone. However, she also has a hidden dangerous side which comes out whenever someone threatens her and her friends. My one nitpick about her is that she has blonde hair and blue eyes. Can we please stop setting apart Black and brown characters by giving them white phenotypical features, as if those features are more magical, special, and unique(yeah, I know that Melanesians exist, but let's face it, unless it's explicitly stated in the story, we all know that's not what they're thinking of when they write it.)?! Please?! Though at least her hair is poofy and curly. So I still find her adorable.

And of course, how could I forget Princess Tiana from The Princess and the Frog? Not only does she stick to working on her career, but she gets a handsome prince and gets to get married and wear beautiful dresses, showing that you don't have to choose between a career and romantic pursuits! And her friendship with Charlotte is also sweet, especially considering the time period she lives in! What I like about Tiana is her ambition and hard work, as well as her kindness, helpfulness, and generosity. And I'm so happy to see a non-whitewashed dark-skinned Black female protagonist in media who is portrayed as attractive. Far more than you can expect from most mainstream media.

One movie I was OBSESSED with as a young Black girl was Annie. No, not the original redhead Annie, although I liked her, too. The 2014 Annie. The BLACK Annie, played by Quvenzhané Wallis. You know the one, because there's only one. The movie itself was great, especially with the energeticness and precociousness that Annie embodied, but Annie being Black gave me the representation I needed and deserved! Because of her I wore my twists out for the first time! I even revolved my entire wardrobe around what I thought Annie would wear. And I obsessively and religiously watched that movie on repeat and listened to all of their songs. I was nine, I was crazy.

There's also Cecile Rey from the American Girl book series. I like her because she's outspoken, bold, and confident, and helps Marie-Grace out of her shell. There's one badass scene where she and Marie-Grace swap places in the Mardi-Gras children's balls, which they can get away with due to wearing matching outfits(this is during segregation.). AND THEY GET AWAY WITH IT. I have a doll of her that I bought for Christmas when I was nine. I saved up my own money to buy it. I can't even kid here. I. Wanted. THAT. DOLL!!!!

Ahem. Anyway. There's this book called One Crazy Summer that details the lives of three sisters: Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern. Vonetta was always my favorite character for her wild enthusiasm and dramatic...just, EVERYTHING. I also was the most invested in her character development tbh. The books follow Delphine, though, and I started to like her and Fern as well. I wanted the next two books to focus on Vonetta and Fern respectively, but they ended up all focusing on Delphine. But I felt a close relationship to all the characters.

The Blossoming Universe of Violet Diamond. The main character is half-white but I thought I'd include her anyway since the book is all about her learning about and embracing her Black side, and getting to know some of her Black relatives. She also has a really beautiful name!

Zoe from Dork Diaries. A good friend who, like Chloe, always supported Nikki!

Penny Proud from The Proud Family, who is not only the main character but is my favorite character in the entire show! Super relatable and I loved the episode on slut-shaming.

Now, kids shows:

Iridessa was my favorite fairy in Disney Fairies

Nikki in Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse(and any Black Barbie tbh)

Princess Pea in Super Why!

Sasha in Bratz

Orange Blossom in Strawberry Shortcake

Jackie in Cyberchase!

Black girls in webcomics! My favorite is this obscure webcomic I don't know if a lot of people know called Princess Love-Pon! It's Magical Girl, which is my favorite genre ever! And is about a girl named Lia Sagamore who, due to her pure heart, is gifted the ability to become a cute warrior in petticoats named Princess Love-Pon! It's pretty obvious, really, but it's also a heartwarming story that has love, friendship, and romance, femininity as power, and also a diverse cast, with Lia's main friend group composing of an Afro-Latina best friend and a Japanese girl. Also has interracial relationships!

Another Magical Girl webcomic starring Black girls is Adorned By Chi! It takes place in Nigeria and is about a college student named Adaeze Adichie and her group of friends who fight monsters that are plaguing the planet. All of these girls are Black and there is also a Black guy who is the love interest! Adaeze is sweet, soft, sensitive, and feminine, and is prone to anxiety and crying, something which is not only personally relatable to me, but allows for stereotypes to once again be destroyed!

Undine Wells from Sleepless Domain. She has a nice design, a sweet and endearing personality, and has water powers! Her blue hair and eyes remind me of a character I created for one of my stories who, obviously, is also a Black girl. And not only that, but she's a femme lesbian who gets with her best friend Kokoro. So triple representation of a Black, female, AND gay character!

And Talia from LoliRock! I can't even choose which of the three girls is my favorite because I love them all, but this blog is about Black girls so I'm talking about her. She's a very interesting character with a tragic backstory. I won't spoil it, but despite being serious and cold on the outside, she is romantic and affectionate on the inside, and cares deeply about her friends and loved ones. She is also a good leader due to her dispassionate nature, and is the strategic problem-solver among the group.

Zuri from Hair Love, a short film about a little Black girl learning to love her hair, as her dad learns how to style it. One of the few pieces of Black media I've seen in which the mother is darker-skinned than the father. If you haven't seen it, then stop reading this and go see it now.

Young child me was also obsessed with A.N.T. Farm, starring China Anne McClain, so I'm definitely adding China to the list. I wanted to be a singing and musical prodigy because of her. She was such a talented, funny, and larger-than-life character, she CARRIED the show!

Basically any role Zendaya played(minus Zoey in Zapped!), such as Rocky in Shake it Up! and K.C. in K.C. Undercover.

And I can't believe I brought up a Brandy role and neglected to mention Moesha! Moesha is such an admirable character for her confidence and supportiveness of her friends, not to mention her feminism! It's an old show from the 90s, and yet it feels nostalgic even though I didn't watch it when I was younger, but more recently. Weird.

All the girls on The Bernie Mac Show, but especially Vanessa. I loved her character development and how she went from just being a bratty teenage daughter to a mature young woman.

Aaaaaaaand, that's just about it! I never thought I'd have this much! Please check out these works of media, it would mean everything to me! I know I inevitably forgot some but I'll be sure to follow up if I do! Reblog or reply with your own Black female characters whom you love and remember! Black girls are everything!

#black women #black girls in fiction #positivity #black girl shows #black girl books #black girl webcomics #black girl movies #black girl animes #cinderella 1997 #cinderella #the sun is also a star #natasha #cannon busters #s.a.m. #the princess and the frog #princess tiana #annie 2014 #annie #american girl #cecile rey #one crazy summer #vonetta #delphine vonetta and fern #the blossoming universe of violet diamond #violet diamond #dork diaries #zoeysha ebony franklin #the proud family #penny proud #disney fairies

[the-metaphorical-jellicle-cat]

Narnia AU

Since a lot of people are highly interested in my Narnia AU, I thought I would share what I have so far. Be aware this is an evolving AU and is the first one that I’ve created. I want to thank @afairytalestray, @demandra, @uppastthejelliclemoon, and @is-it-mungojerry-or-rumpelteazer for the encouragement and input.

This is a lot of fun and this is what I have so far. 

Setting:

Human world- The human world stays in the original WW2 setting. Their guardian and their partner make the difficult choice to send the children away in order to keep them safe. The children need to go to the country to go live with their grandfather who works as a professor. Someone whom they’ve never met.

‘Narnia’ world- In this AU Narnia is a giant place called the Junkyard. However, when the children get there, they are met with an intense eternal summer brought upon them by King Macavity. Which is a side of effect of his intense anger and impulsivity. Instead of having to cross a frozen lake, the children need to cross a dry desert with no green in sight. The only saving grace to the inhabitants of the Junkyard is the night air and the clear sky. It was the only time they could leave their homes but are still scared of Macavity’s agents.

When the oldest child asks about the moon in the sky, one of the residents replies with, “The moon? That’s the Everlasting Cat. She gave this land it’s magic. She even spoke to us through Old Deuteronomy. But once Macavity took over, all of her magic left us.”

Another one says, “But we’ll know when the Everlasting Cat is back when we see gifts upon the doorsteps of our dens.”

As they get to their ‘army’ they see the season change into autumn and the earth begin to grow with greens and rain falls from the sky. 

Characters (Italics are who they would represent from the movie/book):

Gus- The professor who tells the kittens stories of a land in a far off place he once visited in his youth. To the kittens, it seems too fantastical in the world they currently live in.

Jenny/Skimble (yes I changed this from the earlier post. Don’t worry I have a point here)- The Beavers who house and save the kittens from Macavity’s agents. They tell them the prophecy and get to the camp. I can picture Jenny fussing after the kittens because they have been in a way and have been traumatized from going from one war to another. But I can also picture Skimble telling them stories of how the Junkyard used to be.

Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer- Children of Jenny and Skimble who were coerced by Macavity to join his side in order to protect their family. They were first spies for Macavity but soon became double agents for the resistance. As far as they know, Macavity doesn’t know of their true alliance.

Demeter- Mr. Tumnus A kind queen who is skittish and fearful of Macavity but runs into the youngest child and coerces her into her den. While trying to make the kit sleep, she is visited with a vision of Old Deuteronomy telling her to protect the kit no matter what. This causes her to tell the child to leave quickly and not come back to the Junkyard. Several days later she is captured by Macavity’s agents and is taken prisoner. 

Macavity- The king of the Junkyard. He is known for his unrelenting anger and his use of magic. He despises Old Deuteronomy and knows that someday he will be back to his throne. His most trusted agents include Griddlebone and Growltiger. These two were with him when he took the throne and have been with him ever since. He does suspect two of his newest recruits, Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer, are traitors. He keeps them for if they ever cross him, he will destroy their family.

Old Deuteronomy- Aslan type character. He left the Junkyard soon after Macavity took over. After so long, he came back when the Everlasting Cat spoke to him that there would be four kits who would help bring the Junkyard to what it once was and bring change to the land.

The children/kits (This took a lot of thinking and I think I have who would be the young characters. I also want to point out that the only ones who are actually siblings are boys. I’m viewing this as a found family situation where they had no choice but to become a family due to war. Thank you @uppastthejelliclemoon  and @is-it-mungojerry-or-rumpelteazer for your help)

Munkustrap- Peter Munkustrap is the oldest. He was forced to grow up after he and his brother were brought to the foster home. He does his best to make sure his brother doesn’t get in trouble but at the same time wants to make sure his brother knows his brother is loved. He often gets frustrated and becomes scared once they enter the Junkyard. 

Tugger- Edmund Tugger has trouble connecting with his brother and finds him overbearing sometimes. When he arrives in the Junkyard the first time, he is pulled in by Macavity’s lies and tells him things that betrays his family. He soon finds himself in the clutches of Macavity and meets Demeter who quickly resents him after finding out what he had done. Tugger then has to regain the trust of not only his foster sisters but also Munkustrap.

Bombalurina- Susan (this was very difficult and if anyone has a better idea, feel free to comment) Bomba is Tugger’s best friend in the foster home but is also the only one who makes sure Munkustrap is okay and makes the right decisions. She is essentially his second in command. Because she had to take care of Etcetera at a young age, she had to grow up quickly and see everything logically. Once she gets to the Junkyard her logic melts away and embraces the magical place around her.

Etcetera- Lucy Pure and innocent, Etcetera sees the world differently than her foster siblings. She sees the brightness in a world ravaged by war. In her first visit to the Junkyard, she meets Demeter who quickly becomes her first friend in Narnia. She proves to herself and her siblings that believing in each other and themselves will aid them in ways they never knew. 

How do they get to the Junkyard?

This is the same as in the book/movie. They enter the world through an old wardrobe that is in a room by itself.

Welp…. Please tell me what you think. I might add more later but I’d love to hear your thoughts on the AU. If you have any more ideas, feel free to add them. 

One idea that I might want to use is how they get to the Junkyard. It’s from the second movie (I don’t know if this is in the book Prince Caspian) but they get to Narnia through the train station disappearing around them. It’s a really cool scene and I think it would work for this AU. I don’t know.

#thanks a lot guys #you help me so much with this #i'm going to expand on this on another day #such as other characters and who they would be #cats the musical #cats the musical au #narnia #Narnia AU #for edmund it was either going to be tugger or alonzo #but i went with tugger #i'd love to hear feedback

[pretendcnco]

starcrossed - christopher velez

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ: *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* :･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ ･ﾟ:*

or the long awaited sequel to caminos destructivos

word count: 5.5k

note: currently feeling like this video lmao, but hi, I hope you’re all well, I haven't posted in the actual longest time. I did lose a lot of motivation for many things, writing being one of them but this has been in my drafts for months and I’m lowkey proud of it so I finally decided to post it. I hope y'all enjoy my own overplayed rendition of Romeo and juliet LMAO. im slowly getting back into the mindset of writing so just be patient with me, I do see the unanswered asks and will try my best to work on them but really, no promises. but again, hope u enjoy :)

tags: @ella-se-vuelve-loca @mepuserojito @yatusabess @estoy-enamorado-de-ti @richukisbb @smoljoelito @cnc-oh-boi @esmejha108 @h-bea92 @ericks-mala-actitud@undeadspazzattack @cncoh-damn @itsspelledbyannca@estefania723@cncogirl18 @pizzaspirits @miacha3xl @you-kinda-smell-like-christmas@jessenia-p@KitKat1328 @boundtobreakk @nochillnelly @cnco_bby @prettydamnmuchinlove @maggie-lunax @s4usagee @ericksmamita@wastedearth@ccnicole02 @apla-o-eaytos-mou @cncoaddicted @rosebud213@ruvaitkevicius@lover2448

join my taglist !

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ: *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* :･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ ･ﾟ:*

From the moment Christopher Velez stepped foot into town, rumours circulated around him. Rumours about his tough looking exterior, the tattoo on his hand, and the reasons as to why he had moved to town. Whispers were heard all around town about him. He didn’t fit in, it was obvious. His dark wardrobe contrasted immensely from the bright apparel most of the town's population donned. He was quiet, never really speaking unless spoken to, trying to make as little impact in his last year of high school as he could.

But that was until he met her.

He knew about her before he officially met her, of course. Most of the trophies in the school's front office held her name, her face adorned the many pictures hung up on the walls. Class president, Model UN, Debate Club, Environmental Rallies, Scholarships, Soccer, Cheer. Everyone knew her name, her face, she was the star student. But what surprised him was that she didn’t have a group of followers mindlessly trailing after her, rather she was always with just one other girl. This intrigued him because she didn’t seem larger than life, like how the school portrayed her, she seemed rather normal. She was humble, at first glance no one would think she was the Y/N L/N that everyone talked about. He supposed that was what intrigued him about her. He questioned how someone so accomplished in her young age could be so humble about it. Maybe because he grew up around people who would always brag about their accomplishments, no matter how horrible they were.

Christopher wouldn’t describe himself as someone who didn’t care about school, but some things presented themselves in his life that made it one of his lowest priorities. He always zoned out when the guidance counselor began talking to him about his future, because she always said the same: he didn’t have one. His grades were inconsistent, as was his attendance, and his test scores were, let’s just say, not the best. He knew he didn’t have a bright future, you didn’t need to tell him, but it wasn’t because he didn’t want one, he so badly did. He wanted to be able to provide for his family in the right way, he wanted to do something meaningful with his life, but ultimately the stars choose a different path for him.

Catching the school- no the town- angel’s attention was not what he had planned to do. He was okay with just watching her from afar, never in a million years believing a girl like her would go for a guy like him. But that night at the party, the night he decided to make his move, waiting to be rejected, he was surprised to find her kissing him back, with as much, if not more, want as he had.

She was intoxicating to say the least. Her innocence excited him, the idea that he knew things she didn’t, that he could teach her those things, excited him.

But the backlash of their relationship was immediate. Her brother was no fan of him, taking every chance he could to let Christopher know how much he didn’t deserve his sister. Chris didn’t take his threats seriously, knowing he could take him easily, but he tried to respect him, he was Y/N’s brother after all.

It was difficult, keeping their relationship discreet, especially when Chris couldn’t keep his hands off of her. Despite what her brother and most of the town believed, Christopher didn’t want Y/N just to sleep with her, to purposefully corrupt her. He wanted her because she was smart, care-free, and kind. Very different from the people he used to hang around back home. He could stay up late on the phone every night because she always had something interesting to talk about, he enjoyed listening to the way she thought, the things she cared about. But he also wasn’t going to deny that she was an amazing kisser, despite her lack of experience.

Christopher didn’t plan on breaking her heart. But he also didn’t plan on having all he ran from be unearthed in this new town. He ran from it for a reason. He looks back now and wishes he could have changed something, anything, to make things better, but in reality he had no idea what. He believed Y/N to be his saving grace, a gift from God in the hopes of turning Christopher’s life around, but now he assumed his actions had caught up to him, and God himself realized Christopher didn’t deserve something as good as Y/N.

ten days until zabdiel’s end of the year party

Christopher’s arm was slung over Y/N’s shoulder as they sat in the front seat of the truck Benito let him borrow. Her legs were tucked under her as she cuddles in close to him, both of them watching the movie being played that night at the drive-in. She lets out a small chuckle at the joke one of the characters say and he glances towards her. The light from the film lights up her face, her lips plastered in a permanent smile. She was so beautiful, he couldn’t believe she was his. And this is what prompts him to lean down and place a kiss on her cheek.

She looks up at him then.

“What was that for?” She questions, eyeing his small smile.

“Nada, you're just so beautiful.”

Her face heats up at his words, compliments from him always making butterflies erupt in her belly.

“Oh, stop.” She says with a small laugh, nervously moving her gaze down. At this, Christopher lets out a small chuckle and places a hand under her chin, lifting her head to meet his gaze. Their eyes meet and Y/N couldn’t help but get lost in them. And then he’s slowly meeting their lips together. She smiles into the kiss as he wraps his arms around her, pulling her onto his lap. His hands settle on the backs of her thighs, her arms wrapping around his neck. He begins trailing kisses down her neck, reveling in the way her eyes flutter shut at his actions. He sucks on the spot under her ear, earning a small gasp from her.

“Chris,” She breathes out, her hands gripping his shoulders at the sensations.

And suddenly, all that is heard is hoots and laughter as small pebbles hit the trucks windows. It was no secret in town that kids came to the drive-in to hook up, and of course there were the dumbasses who made a big deal whenever they saw a couple too close in the car.

Y/N jumps away from Chris, letting out a small laugh as more pebbles hit the car. She glances towards her window and her smile suddenly drops.

“Fuck,” she mutters. Chris eyes her warily as she gets off him and scoots to roll down the window. The boy outside's laughter immediately stops when he sees who the couple in the car was.

“Wait until your brother hears about this.” The boy says, shaking his head. Chris was utterly confused, did they know each other ?

Y/N scowls at the boy outside the window before speaking.

“Fuck off Johann, don’t you have something better to do than be Michael’s lap dog?”

The boy’s, Johann's, eyes widen in shock, mouth popping open at Y/N’s remark. Chris stifles a laugh upon seeing the boys face, and Johann turns to face him.

“You just wait, you don’t fucking belong here and we’ll show you.”

Y/N sticks up her middle finger in the boys face and rolls up the window. She lets out a loud sigh and straightens her shirt.

“I’m sorry about him. My brother and his friends are a pain in the ass, but you already knew.” She tells him and Chris shrugs.

“It’s okay, hermosa.” He tells her, leaning down to peck her cheek. “Let’s get out of here.” He mutters and she nods. Chris sets the car in drive and pulls out of the field, eyes meeting Johanns as he passes, the other boys gaze filled with hate.

Later that night, Chris finds himself looking after the supermarket as Benito had other matters to attend to. Y/N was long asleep at this point and he watches the clock, waiting for midnight to hit. When the clock read 12, he quickly gathers his stuff and heads out. He clicks the lock shut and shoves the key into his jacket pocket before beginning his walk back to Benito’s.

“Christopher.” A voice shakes Chris out of his thoughts and he turns to find the one person he didn’t want to see. Chris sighs heavily as Micheal, Y/N’s brother, jogs over to him.

“I’ve been meaning to talk to you.”

“I think I’ve heard enough.” Chris states simply. He heard all the things Micheal said about him, thought about him. They were whispered around town and he caught words as he walked by, he didn’t need to hear more. Christopher turns without another word and walks away, feeling Micheal’s burning stars like a target on his back.

seven days until zabdiel’s end of the year party

“Yo, who would’ve thought Y/N would end up with you?” Richard says with a laugh as he receives the newly rolled blunt from Zabdiel. The rest of the boys chuckle at his words and Chris just smiles, blowing out a puff of smoke from his mouth.

“I don’t even know.” He admits.

“You’re treating her right, right?” Erick asks, taking a sip of his drink. Chris looks up at the younger boy from where he was sitting. He knew Erick saw Y/N as a sister, so of course he was a little protective.

“Of course.” He states and Erick nods. If Y/N was happy, he was happy.

They were all currently chilling at the Camacho family’s mechanic shop, where Richard worked part-time. After hours they all gathered there to smoke and drink, unbeknownst to his father of course.

A knock at the metal garage doors brings all the boys attention to the group of people sauntering into the shop. Richard stands from his seat and quickly hides the blunt in his hand. Zabdiel and Joel fan the air, trying to rid the area of the obvious smell of weed.

“We’re closed, bro.” Richard says to the group of boys walking in.

“Yeah we know.” The tallest boy says, and when they finally step into the light, Christopher quickly sits up. Y/N’s brother and his pack of goons walk towards them, their sights set on him.

“We’re just looking for one person.” Micheal, simply states. Christopher’s jaw clenches as he sits up straighter.

Richard steps in between the two boys.

“Listen, you’re not gonna start this shit here.” The red-haired boy tells Y/N’s brother. “Now I’d really like if you all just turn around and get the fuck out of here.”

“We just wanna talk to him.” Micheal says, pointedly looking at Chris. The other boys turn to face him before looking back at Y/N’s brother and his friends.

“We know you guys don’t want to just talk.” Joel states.

“And if you’re trying to start something, piénsalo otra vez.” Zabdiel speaks up, standing and crossing his arms over his chest.

“Listen, you just let us have a talk with our friend here,” Micheal begins, motioning towards Christopher. “We don’t mean any harm to you guys.”

“Bro, we already told you, get outta here. If you want Christopher, you have us too.”

Now all the boys stood, staring down the other group.

“I suggest you back down Richard, unless you want the whole town knowing Joel passes your drug tests for you.” Richards stare was pure rage, and Joel shifts uncomfortably next to him.

“And you Zabdiel, how about that girl you knocked up last year? How is she doing?” Zabdiel pauses, fists clenched at his sides, not having expected that to come out of his mouth. Christopher watched the scene unfold, knowing exactly where this was going. Despite the small towns shiny exterior, there were heavy secrets lying just below the surface. Christopher’s was one of them. The life he ran from, the reason he moved to a completely new country, the thing he’s been trying to keep hidden for months. Christopher held his breath, just waiting for Micheal to spill his own secrets. His heart was beating so wildly in his chest he couldn’t hear, or didn’t want to hear, the rest of the conversation. Before he knew it, a punch was thrown. Christopher is thrown back into reality at Erick’s shout and he turns to see Johann and Richard in a violent embrace, both boys trying to get the other to back down, however bloody that left them. Somewhere on his left, this same messy dance was started by Zabdiel and another of Micheal’s friends. Joel and Erick watch with wide eyes as Micheal walks towards Christopher. Erick acts first, trying to push Micheal away, but to no avail. And before Chris knew, Micheal’s fist collided with his face. Joel and Erick were on him now, struggling to pry off Micheal from Christopher. Micheal manages to get in another hit before Joel and Erick completely pull him off. Chris was bleeding, he reaches up to wipe the blood from his mouth. His ears are ringing, the blows to the head he received not working in his favor.

“This is the last time I tell you. Stay the fuck away from my sister.” Micheal spits out as Joel and Erick push him away. Christopher looks around to see Zabdiel and Richard panting heavily, Richards eyebrow was split and Zabdiel had a bruise growing on his cheek.

“And the longer you guys protect him, the more likely all your secrets are gonna come out.” Micheal spits onto the ground next to Christopher, blood dripping from the one place Chris managed to land a punch. Without another word, Micheal and his boys depart. Chris and the others watch their figures depart, dark silhouettes against the stores warm yellow lights.

“Fuck,” Richard mutters. “Fuck!” He shouts, kicking a beer can so hard it hits the metal garage doors with a loud bang.

“How did he know about Zabdi? And Richard?” Joel whispers. No one answers, because no one had a clue. But they were all thinking the same, if he knew that, what else did he know?

“I’m sorry.” Chris says. Zabdiel shakes his head. He saunters over to the small refrigerator and tosses Chris a cold beer. Chris places the can on his face, hoping to lessen the swell before he got home, he didn’t want Benito to think he was doing the same things he was doing back in Ecuador.

“You didn’t do anything wrong.” Zabdiel tells him.

“Si, I don’t think loving a girl is wrong.” Erick mutters, and a silent agreement is shared throughout the room.

Chris leaves the shop that night with guilt hanging heavy on his mind. He apologized again and again to the boys, but they kept telling him it was okay. But it wasn’t, it wasn’t okay.

As he begins his walk back home, his phone pings. He hoped it was a message from Y/N, she was the only person that could cheer him up in an instant. But as he unlocked his phone, he saw the message wasn’t from Y/N, rather from an unknown number. He eyes his phone warily as he clicks on the message. There were pictures, pictures of Christopher. His throat instantly felt dry and he looked around him, a shiver running down his spine as he eyes the dark expanse behind him. He turns his attention back to his phone to examine the photos. They were pictures that didn’t put Chris in a very good looking position. Goosebumps erupt on his arms, and it wasn’t because of the cold. A message pops on his phone.

Unknown: leave her or this will be released.

Chris: fuck you

Unknown: you have until the end of the week.

Chris eyes his phone in disbelief. He ran from this, but here it was to be the end of him.

The next morning Chris was surprised to see Y/N at his door. Rushing to pull on a shirt and get to the door before Benito did, he slides out of his room, breathless when he finally opens the door. He opens it to reveal his angel. Y/N stood in front of him, a bright smile on her lips and a tray of cupcakes in her hands. Chris peeks outside, notices Benito’s truck is gone and looks back at Y/N, a sly smirk on his face. He reaches towards her and quickly pulls her in, maneuvering the cupcakes from between them and just as quickly placing their lips together. Y/N makes no complaints, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him close. Chris relaxes in her hold, the only place he has felt truly at peace since leaving Ecuador. Their lips meet in small, slow kisses, savoring the moment together. After a while, he pulls away, placing his head in the crook of her neck, inhaling her scent, the tropical smell of her perfume that always reminded him of her. Y/N places her hand in his hair as Chris holds her tight.

“Erick told me what happened.” She mutters, and Chris sighs. He pulls away and walks to the kitchen. “I’m sorry, Chris.” She says, following him into the kitchen. She leans against the doorframe and watches as he paces back and forth. He looks up at her, his big brown eyes caught in the morning light.

“You don’t have anything to be sorry about, hermosa.” He tells her before turning to pull out two mugs.

It was her turn to sigh now. She steps towards him, wrapping her arms around his waist from behind and resting her head on his shoulder as he prepares them coffee.

“I just wish things were easier.” She mutters. He chuckled softly before placing a kiss on her head.

“If everything was easy, there would be nothing to fight for, right?”

He just wanted to make her feel better, but how he wished things were easier too.

The rest of the morning was spent with Y/N and Chris wrapped in each other’s arms, tangled in his sheets. She had fallen asleep, huddled up into his side. He watched the way her chest slowly rose and fell as he drew small circles on her arm. He kept thinking about those photos, that threat, and what it could mean to him, what it could mean to Y/N. His head was full of what he could do, how he could fix this. He had no clue. Before he could think anymore, he felt Y/N stir in her sleep. She smiles when she notices him looking at her.

“Hi.” She says and he smiles, slightly giggling at how messy her hair was.

“Hola.” She sleepily grabs her phone off of his bedside table and in an instant sat up.

“Shit, I have practice in an hour.” She exclaims, quickly getting up to get her things in order. Chris sits up to watch her.

“Do you have to go?” He questions. At the moment he didn’t feel safe. Tough, punches-first-talking-later Christopher Veléz was afraid. He wasn’t sure what these people wanted, he didn’t know who they were. But they knew him, and they knew where he was and that was enough. He didn’t want to worry Y/N just yet, but he supposed because his nerves were so high, Y/N took notice anyway. She looks up at him, a worried look on her face. She promptly drops her bag at the foot of his bed and abandons her efforts to put her shoe on to approach him. She crawls across the bed to straddle his waist and without words Christopher pulls her close, wrapping his arms around her and snuggling his head in the crook of her neck.

“It’ll be okay, Chris. My brother can’t make decisions for me and I won’t let him continue tormenting you like this.” She unconsciously runs her hand through his hair, force of habit.

He chuckles a little at her words. His worries were much bigger than her brother, but he couldn’t tell her. He couldn’t.

“You’re so tough, hermosa, but you don’t need to protect me.” He says, lifting his head up to meet her eyes. She scoffs and rolls her eyes.

“Okay Macho Man.” She says, to which he laughs. “I love you, Chris, of course I’m going to try to protect you.” His heart physically hurt in that moment. Here he had someone so selfless, so beautiful, and she let him call her his. His past was catching up, but he hoped he could stop it in time. He leans up to press a kiss onto her lips, allowing himself to melt into her for a second.

“Vamos, you have to go.” He says, playfully pushing her off. She chuckles as she falls off him. Quickly she collects her stuff and gives him a quick peck before bounding out of his room. Christopher grudgingly follows her, never fond of seeing her go.

“I’ll see you later, okay.” She calls out as she walks out of the house.

“Bye, amor.” He responds, watching as she walks to her car. With one last wave, she’s gone, and Christopher is left alone.

three days until zabdiel’s end of the year party

The rest of the week was uneventful. The growing nerves of both fear and excitement loomed in the halls as the seniors got ready to graduate. Christopher doubted he would graduate, and if by some miracle he did, he had no idea what he wanted to do. He walked the halls and overheard his peers with their larger than life plans. Some were going to big schools in the big cities, others were planning on making it big in Hollywood, and others decided on staying close to home and attending local universities. Whatever their plans were, they were definitely more than what Chris had in mind, which was, at the moment, nothing.

He admired hearing Y/N’s plan for her future, she seemed to have everything prepared. She had laughed when he mentioned this to her now.

“Yeah, but I still feel like when I graduate I’m gonna spiral.” Chris chuckles and brings their entangled hands up to plant a kiss on hers.

“I doubt that, amor.” He mutters. She shakes her head, as if tossing the whole thought from her mind.

“What about you? What are you thinking about after graduation?” He clenches his jaw at her words. Did she want an honest answer? Christopher didn’t think he would have lived long enough to graduate highschool.

“We’re closed.” Chris calls out from behind a shelf. He waits a beat to hear a response, or even the store’s bell to tell him someone has left. Neither of that came. He sets down his inventory sheet and steps towards the front of the store. He turns towards the magazine rack to see someone scanning through the prints. “Hey, I said we’re closed.” He tells them. The person still did not respond. Christopher felt goosebumps prickle his skin. None of this situation sat right with him. Chris begins to approach the person.

“Hey,” He begins, reaching out to grab their shoulder. Catching Chris completely by surprise, he feels a fist collide with his side. On instinct he jumps away, pain coursing through his body. There were two people. He scoffs, unsurprised that Y/N’s brother would start something here. But as the two people approach him, he notices how big they were. These guys could not be Micheal and his friends. Chris tries to fight back but these guys were definitely stronger than him, deflecting his every blow and returning them with two of their own. Grunts sound through the small store as the mystery people deliver fist after fist to every square inch of Christopher’s body. He tried to fight back, but they easily overpowered him. It was in little time that Chris began to fall unconscious. He didn’t know how long it had lasted, but when he finally came to, the people were gone, and the clock read 3AM.

Sitting up was a nightmare, he could feel the deep green and purple bruises forming on his ribs and face. Chris manages to stand after several failed attempts and limps to where his phone was left discarded.

A couple calls and texts from the boys, several missed calls from Benito, and double from Y/N.

Painfully, he manages to drive home.

As Christopher locks the door behind him, Benito’s shouts greet him.

“Christopher Velez dónde cojones estabas?”

He turns to face Benito. His hearing was muffled, it was as if hearing through a wall.

“It’s three in the morning! I’ve been worried sick!” Benito flicks on the lights and prepares to yell some more when he stops, finally seeing Christopher’s face. The bruises were growing, ugly shades of purple and green spotted on his face.

“What happened?” Benito questions, slowly approaching Chris. Chris shakes his head, not wanting to discuss what had happened at the store. He walks past Benito into the kitchen.

“Christopher.” Benito warns, following close behind him.

“It’s nothing!” Chris tells him, but Benito shoots him a look, a look that Chris couldn’t ignore.

He sighs. “Some guys came into the store, and out of nowhere started beating me up.” As Chris says this, Benito retrieves some frozen peas from the freezer and alcohol from the medicine cabinet.

“They were trying to steal?” Benito questions, handing Chris the peas before pouring some rubbing alcohol onto a towel.

“I don’t know, I don’t think they took anything.” Chris tells him, wincing as he presses the cold bag to his bruising face.

“Chris,” Benito begins, a pensive look on his face that didn’t settle Chris’s nerves. “I promised your mother to take care of you, but it looks like I’m not doing a good job.”

Chris answers in silence, unsure of what to say.

“I hope you’re not messing with the wrong people.”

Chris glances up at his words, but doesn’t say anything, his silence was answer enough.

Benito goes to step out of the kitchen, but before he leaves, he places a hand on Christopher’s shoulder.

“Call Y/N, she’s worried.”

Chris rests his head on the cupboards and lets out a sigh.

He knew he had gotten himself into some deep shit, and the last thing he wanted to do was involve Y/N. But he needed to hear her voice.

“Hello?” She says when the call connects.

“Hi.” He responds.

“Hi? Hi? You go missing for hours and all you have to say is ‘hi’?” She’s exasperated, and she’s probably been up for hours waiting for him.

“I’m sorry.” He says.

“What happened?”

He wasn’t going to get her involved. Christopher’s number one goal was to keep Y/N safe, and he would do it no matter what.

“Some guys were trying to rob the store.”

“Oh my gosh, Chris, are you okay?”

“I’m fine, amor. It’s nothing.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, deberías ir a dormir.”

“Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow?”

There's a small pause.

“Yeah. Buena noches, hermosa.”

the day of zabdiel’s end of the year party

The next couple of days were difficult. Every call that came from Y/N, he ignored. Every text he left opened. He knew it wasn’t the best plan of action, but he needed her to let him go, and this was the only way. He knew she would hurt, but a broken heart was better than one that wasn’t beating. Chris hadn’t planned on getting deep with La Marquesa, but he needed money and working as a delivery boy back in Ecuador didn’t cut it. He was going to stop after he got enough so that his family could live somewhat comfortably, but that was a pretty lie he told himself. He knew this life, once you got in it, it was almost impossible to get out.

Friday night came by slowly. The pain it brought him to ignore Y/N’s calls was almost unbearable. But he needed to protect her at all costs. His phone then pings from where it lay on his bed.

zab: vas a la fiesta hoy?

He had forgotten about the party entirely.

zab: you said you’d help me with the beer

He sighed, he had promised that. Christopher sends a text back quickly before throwing on his jacket. He didn’t want to go tonight but he had promised a friend. He decided to just drop off the drinks and leave, not wanting the small possibility of facing Y/N.

After taking as much beer as he could find from Benito’s, promising to restock tomorrow morning, Christopher set off to the party. By the time he got there, the music could already be heard down the street. The pulsing lights shone through the windows and the silhouettes of drunk teenagers were visible.

“You made it!” He hears as he steps inside. Joel approaches him and slaps Chris on the back. Chris offers him a smile and lifts the boxes of beer in his arms. Joel nods and motions towards the kitchen.

“Zab is upstairs, he’s been looking for you.” Chris nods and sets down the boxes on the counter before heading up to Zabdiel’s bedroom.

“Aye! Llego el Christopher!” Zabdiel exclaims as Chris pushes the door of his bedroom open. He offers them a smile as he and Richard clap him up in greeting.

“Everything okay?” Richard questions, noticing fatigue in Christopher's eyes, the normal bright and effervescent look in his eyes was almost completely diminished.

“Si, si.” Chris mutters. They both nod his way, but don’t completely believe him. Zabdiel quickly finishes getting ready, as he was already more than fashionably late to his own party. After he sprays the last bit of cologne, he and Richard follow Christopher out of the room.

“Creo que me voy para la casa.” Chris says as he walks to the stairs.

“Que?” Zabdiel questions. “The party just started!”

“I know, I’m just tired.” Zabdiel and Richard share a quick look.

“Bueno loco, it was good seeing you even just for a second.” Richard says, patting Chris on the shoulder.

Christopher walks downstairs, ready to head home. He keeps his gaze in front of him, just wanting to get home as soon as possible. He steps out of the house, Zabdiel and Richard following to bid their farewells. Chris doesn’t look back as he approaches his truck, but he almost stops dead in his tracks when he hears someone calling his name.

“Christopher!” Y/N. He knew her voice anywhere. Christopher flinches at her voice, but he didn’t turn, he didn’t stop, he couldn’t. Zabdiel leans down to whisper something to him but he brushes the taller boy off.

“Christopher!” She yells again and in a moment, she grabs his arm and turns him to face her.

He made sure his expression revealed no emotions, despite the fact that his heart was a hurricane of them. He watched as the tears clung to her lash line, threatening to fall any second. Christopher’s heart hurt as he looked at her, wanting to console her, to tell her it would all be okay. But he couldn’t. Y/N then reaches up to touch his face, noticing the bruises. Before her fingertips could graze his skin, he moves his face away, sure he would collapse into her if he let her touch him. She recoils back and a large pang of hurt erupted in his heart.

“What are you doing?” She questions.

“What?” He questions back. “Did you really think this meant anything to me?”

Her mouth pops open at his words.

“Wh-what?” She stutters. He hated this, he hated it so much.

“You never meant anything to me.” He states. Those words were a double edged sword, hurting both him and her. “We’re over.”

The tears were falling soundlessly down her face, and Christopher swore he felt his heart crack in two.

“You know they’ve always talked about you.” She says in between tears. “They said you would never treat me right. Maybe they had a point.”

Hearing her say that almost knocked the entire facade off. Y/N, the one person who always told him he was capable of so much more than he thought, the person who made him feel like less of an outsider, the person who defied all rules to love him, was telling him this, hitting him right where it hurt. He knew he was never good for her, but she always made him see him through her eyes. But now she saw his as everyone else did, a criminal, an outsider.

#cnco #cnco fanfic #cnco imagine #christopher velez #christopher velez imagine

[1-800-jmsbckbrns]

‘sugar’

hc #26 || mob!stucky x sugar baby!reader

‘you’re more scarface, i’m more pretty in pink’

Soft sniffles could be heard from out in the hallway of mansion. None of the servants had passed by to catch the noise. Thankfully, Bucky was making his rounds when he noticed an out of place sound.

Y/N’s door was open just a crack. Bucky moved closer to listen, but stayed out of view.

“I’ll be with you, even if you can’t see me.”

The sniffle sound turned to a hard sob. What was she watching? She sounded absolutely broken.

Bucky waited a few moments before moving to open the door. He made sure his gun was tucked away. Y/N didn’t like seeing him hold it and he didn’t like upsetting her in any way.

“Doll, what’re you watching?”

Y/N looked up from her laptop, tears and mascara streaming down her cheeks. If she didn’t wipe it soon, it would reach her sheer white top. She fumbled around to find some tissues but Bucky was there to save her. He used his handkerchief to wipe away those pretty little tears.

“The Land Before Time. I don’t like watching it alone but Stevie is in the back and I-I couldn’t find you,” Y/N said. She was trying to calm herself down but it was hard. This movie hit home for her.

“Why didn’t you have Nat find me, or send me a text? I would have come to you, Doll.” Bucky brushed her hair back and wiped away the rings under her eyes. She shrugged softly.

“Didn’t think about it.” Her face rested in his cupped hand. Even when upset over whatever the hell this movie was about, she was still the prettiest girl he had ever seen.

“What’ll make that little pout turn into a smile?” He squished her cheeks together very gently. Y/N slowly got off her bed and went for her closet.

“We’re going out. Stevie is taking us to dinner,” Y/N said in a rather monotone voice. She began to change in her closet. Bucky stood in the doorway, watching her put on a checkered pleated skirt and white sweater. She glanced back at Bucky.

“Change your shirt so we match.”

Bucky would oblige. He went to his own room and did as he was told. When he was hired on as Y/N’s bodyguard, she made Steve give him an entire wardrobe that accommodated to their style. If he was going to follow her around and help her, he would do so in style. Bucky was just lucky he could keep up with the trends.

He made it to the garage before Y/N, but just barely. Her makeup had been fixed and she looked refreshed. A small smile graced her glossed lips.

“Can we go in the white car today?"

The white car was Y/N’s personal favorite. It ran well, and she and Bucky would look perfect riding in it today. Bucky was always impressed with how she could piece together everything to look so pleasing and easy on the eyes.

After a visit to the bookshop and the tailor to get Bucky some new shirts, Y/N was perfectly content again. The heartbreak of a dinosaur had been forgotten, and now her boys were on her mind. 

“I want to buy something for Stevie. I know he said no presents but...” Y/N let her sentence trail off, batting her eyelashes in true Y/N fashion. 

“When are you the one to listen to Stevie?” Bucky chuckled. She listened when it was truly an order or of importance. Her hearing got selective when it came to what to buy for who. Steve would always argue that if he wanted something, he would just buy it himself. Y/N’s money was for her to spend. He covered things for himself, and Bucky even had his own account if he wanted. (Truthfully Steve payed him enough to be Y/N’s counterpart and do whatever he liked all day. Bucky just preferred putting his time to good use.)

“You know me so well,” Y/N said before she kissed his cheek. She used a perfectly manicured thumb to wipe away the gloss that her lips left behind. 

Y/N bought Steve a new set of Oxfords for their trip to Spain that was coming up, then a new cologne that she knew he’d love. She did have Bucky weigh in on that one as he’d have to smell it up close too. He was enamored, and couldn’t wait for him to wear it. 

Y/N’s phone buzzed as soon as she sat in the car. Bucky’s followed short after. 

stevie 🥰 : Where’d you and Buck go? I was thinking we could all lay by the pool for a little while ❤️

Boss: Hans is taken care of. You and Y/N okay? xx

Each message was specifically tailored for the recipient. Steve knew Y/N liked emojis and bright colors in her texts. Bucky preferred a simple display of affection. 

baby: We went shopping!🛍 Got you a present.💓We’re going to dinner tonight... if that’s okay❤️🥺 

James: We’re safe. Mall had a little trickle of activity but Y/N didn’t notice. No harm to her. ETA: 15 minutes. 

Bucky stuck to his ETA of 15 minutes. Y/N kept herself busy with her texting and scrolling. Tonight, she wanted a new picture of her at dinner to post on Instagram. It always made her a little sad that she couldn’t post pictures of Stevie and Bucky. Though her safety came first and she didn’t want to upset the boys. 

Y/N carried her bags in despite Bucky trying to take them from her. She could absolutely do it on her own. 

Until she saw Stevie in the foyer and her bags were dropped. She ran for him, caught by him with ease. He never ever dropped her. 

“Did you and Buck have a good time?” His eyes were on her’s, but his tone was more towards Bucky. Y/N often didn’t tell Steve when something would go wrong, just so she didn’t worry him. She was too good straight to the core.

Y/N began her animated ramble about her day. It was great, and Bucky took really great care of her. She was put on her feet and she led both the boys towards her room. The words didn’t cease as she began to change in front of them. 

“Achoo!” Y/N wasn’t even phased by her own sneeze. She continued on as if it had never happened. She didn’t stop even when a few followed after. 

Bucky looked to Steve, and he nodded. Steve moved forward to catch Y/N’s hands. That pulled her out of her talking daze. 

“Baby, are you okay?” He held her hands to his chest. She smiled softly. 

“I’m okay. Why?” Steve raised an eyebrow. 

“You had a whole sneeze attack right now. Are you sure you’re okay?” 

Y/N pulled her hands away to rub the tip of her nose, which had turned a rosy color. She turned to look at her mirror. 

“I’m okay. Just allergies. I’ll take some medicine and be right as rain!” She kissed Steve’s cheek, then Bucky’s right after. She began to usher them out. 

“Get ready! I’ll be done in an hour.” 

With that, the boys were out in the hallway. Steve rolled his eyes and grabbed Bucky’s hand. He muttered something about ‘that girl’ under his breath. They would get in his room in the mean time.

The hour came and went, but there was no sign of Y/N. Her music was playing as it normally did when she got ready. Steve took it upon himself to check on her. He opened the door enough to glance in. 

Y/N was curled up in her bed, phone still open. Looks like she had fixed her hair and changed her underwear before falling asleep. Must have been the allergy medicine. 

Steve turned off the music and dimmed the lights. He tucked her in, plugging in her phone and turning it off after. She’d probably be out for the night, if he had to guess. 

“She okay?” Bucky came out in a beautifully patterned suit. His hair had been fixed to frame his face. Steve hated to go to dinner without Y/N... but he didn’t want to bother her....

“She fell asleep from the medicine. You and I will go to dinner tonight, just us.” 

It had been a few days since he and Bucky had gone on their own date. Maybe they could go out for a few hours. 

“Oh, okay. Will she be okay?” He worried for her, as did Steve. They would probably fret the whole night, check their phones for any updates. Unfortunately they couldn’t do much with her sleeping the night away.

“Nat’ll stay outside her door the whole night. We’ll come home at the first sign of her waking up, I promise.” 

And Steve stuck to his word. Y/N was out for the night, and the boys took that time to go to dinner. They checked on her when they returned, but she hadn’t moved an inch from where Steve left her. 

“We’ll check on her in the morning. Come on,” Bucky mumbled, pulling him towards Steve’s room. Steve followed without question. He could take that bargain. 

#Bucky Barnes #Steve Rogers #Chris Evans #Sebastian Stan #stevebucky #buckysteve #steve x bucky x reader #bucky x steve x reader #bucky x steve x oc #steve x bucky x oc #stucky #stucky x reader #stucky x oc #marvel #marvel headcanons #ot3 #polyamory #mob boss steve rogers #bodyguard bucky barnes #sugar baby reader

[h-e-l-l-b-r-o-k-e]

Holding Back The Fool Again [B. Hargrove x you]

Series: part 2 of Galapogos

Summary: This is Billy’s definition of extending an olive branch. Screwed and without shrewdness, kind of like him.

Inspiration: Mellon Collie & The Infinite Sadness by The Smashing Pumpkins (1995) in its entirety.

Word Count: 3073  Warnings: profanity, angst, and mentions of abuse.

Written Date: 07/24-31/2019  Posted Date: 8/1/2019

[PART 1]< >[PART 2]

“Hey.”

He’s not sure if the breathy sigh actually left his lips or if the rustling leaves toyed with his ears. What he does know for sure is that there’s a cool moisture on his upper lip, the impressive one-fifty he lifts is still no challenge to the old tree outside your window, and that even with sleep-mussed hair you’ve never looked better.

The rays of the sun kiss his skin, warming him up to the bone as if home is trying to plunge some needed coaxing through his thick skull. The sun knows he ran once; any discouragement will send him running again. It’s the way God carved Billy’s mechanics—inside the tough exterior is just a lost boy, a coward who’s on the verge of finally having enough of what’s been granted to him before he could even form a coherent sentence.

A reflection bounces off his Virgin Mary pendant, flashing threateningly close to your pupils. It’s the universe giving him a clue that if there’s ever the right time to make eye contact with the one you love, it’s now. Now, in what could be the final moment he has to prove to himself that he isn’t the man his father said he is and prove to you that he’s not just another copy-cat of David.

Is Billy another David? When he first came to your little town, you would have said yes. When you started riding in his Camaro and showing up to social events with his arm around your waist, David hardly crossed your mind. Now? You aren’t so sure, about anything. You don’t even know why you haven’t slammed the window on his gorgeous face. Your best friend Judilyn would have, so what’s stopping you?

Billy Hargrove has never been a perfect suitor. For heavens sake, the heroism he displayed when he saved your camera was soon followed by insulting you on your first date. And, Billy Hargrove’s relationship skills sometimes make you wonder why he’s even with you, or you with him. He has terrible mood swings, sometimes pushing you away so that he can have some time to himself to lift weights and not have a “woman nag at him all the time.” As if he’s not the one who clings onto you about seventy-percent out of a hundred.

He smokes so much that it has created a force-field around him, made up of cancerous fumes. You swear you’ve never inhaled as much second-hand smoke before getting to know him. The smell penetrates into your hair, your wardrobe, and soon your parents water bills were raising through the roof. After your parents started lecturing you and the scent of nicotine made a surprise appearance in your sheets, you had to lay down some strict rules: Billy can no longer smoke with the windows rolled up, Billy can no longer smoke half-an-hour before entering your house, and Billy had to promise to cut back. Not just for your sake, but his as well.

You’re not an unrealistic idiot though. You’ve seen this addiction before with your own grandfather. You’ve seen the continuous cycle of grandpa crushing the cigarette box in his hands and throwing it out only for you to find fresh cigarettes littered in your grandma’s rose bushes the next week. So, it’s not hard to imagine Billy sparking up an extra cancer stick before he’s supposed to meet with you. Especially when he comes over with an extra spritz of cologne and Binaca spearmint masking his breath.

But, as the breeze tickles your nose and wraps loosely around his dirty-blond curls in gentle tugs, you cannot detect the toxic bubble that embraces him. Nor the hours old musk of his favorite Pour Homme, but just the basic nature of the body detoxifying.

He’s here, without the calming of his disgusting addiction nor the courage of a strong drink on his breath.

And his voice. 

You’ve never heard it so…without its punch of beef-packed testosterone, without the fresh singe of tobacco on his vocal cords. So helpless. So vulnerable. So unlike Billy. But, it’s been inside him all along, waiting to be pulled apart by willing hands. Hands willing to tear apart his skeleton, push past the muck of sticky blood and pulsing intestines, and cradle the most important organ of all.  

And he thinks he’s felt—still feels—that pleasant pain of guts being twisted and torn apart whenever you’re around to mindlessly play with his fingers while you two watch a rented movie. To call out on his bullshit when anger either makes him too quiet or too loud. To wrap your arms around him when his father’s had swung the hour before just because Billy had forgotten to pick up one fucking gallon of milk.

Earlier that day when everyone was beginning to gather around in the school’s parking lot to see who’d win the fight between Billy and David, love’s affliction was still harshly pulling at his heart strings. And only when you’d hit the ground was it slowly being replaced by something else—a cold numbing from a lidocaine needle.

He wants to shake off this empty, suffocating, cushionless envelop made by the devil, and repent under your plum-like palms. Repent until you stop looking at him like he’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

He’s Billy, and he’ll always be your Billy. But, maybe that only makes it scarier.

The telephone downstairs begins to ring again—you’ve since disconnected yours after just minutes of continuous phone call after the other. You turn to face your bedroom door in temptation, looking past polaroids and the photographs that Jonathan had taught you to develop in the dark room. Memories of you with Judilyn and your group of friends. Moments in time of you and Billy’s blossoming relationship, featuring his douchy friends. All taped along the smooth surface.

Your fingertips get ready to push off the lower sash of the window.

“Please.”

You turn your head back to Billy.

He licks his pink lips and parts them again. “Don’t leave.”

“Why?” You immediately flinch at the croak in your voice. This isn’t how you imagined the confrontation with Billy to go. Actually, you somehow just thought you’d live in your bed forever with your teddy bear and Billy would fall off the face of the earth.

Instead, he’s just outside your window with bits of bark under his fingernails and the setting sun casting a halo around his crown. The whole view is a magnificent renaissance painting; every detail crafted with expertise and purpose, such as the way pink creeps up on the clouds and how you can count every freckle on Billy’s face.

Yet, you cannot find any of this to mean something. Not when classmates you barely talk to are keeping your line busy just to check up on you while he can’t even form the words that are caught in his throat.

His eyes study the inflamed skin of your palms then cut to the smudges that trail along the side of your right thigh. Through clenched teeth, he sucks in a breath of air. “Can I come in?”

You pause for a moment, even though you hadn’t expected anything else after he decided to claw his way up your window with far less grace than Judilyn’s ladder method (or your ex-boyfriend’s favorite: pounding his fists on your front door at two in the morning and waking up the entire house). Your finger tips weigh the odds by tapping on the painted wood, and only when you take a couple steps away from the window does Billy’s glistening pecks gently deflate.

The poodle designs on your sock-clad feet are more interesting than Billy as he extends a long leg through the opening, or so you convince yourself. But you don’t have to watch him to know that Billy’s glancing around your neat bedroom, checking for ripped up photographs or thrown mixed tapes—any sign that tells him that you’ve terminated things on your end of the hemisphere.

The only thing out of place, as he’s come to conclude, are the messed up sheets. The flannel is crinkled in a way that he’s familiar with; he’d never tell anyone that he’s had his fair share of finding comfort between blankets without a girl writhing in pleasure beneath him. Billy can almost picture you on your side with your knees tucked into your chest and your chin to your neck—he’d rather not focus on that.

You’re still standing by your mirror with eyelashes hiding the prettiest pair of irises he’d come across in Hawkins.

Billy’s never understood your damn patience. There was this time when Billy had walked the couple extra yards from your locker to yearbook class to pick you up for lunch, and he’d walked in on Pam Dubinsky giving you backhanded compliments on your poster designs for the new yearbook while you had stood there without saying a word. He knew about the countless hours you’d spent on your bedroom floor sketching up clever concepts while he would drift off and on on your plush mattress, and he knew all that hard work wasn’t just for some jealous bitch to tell you that her’s was better.

He had taken some loud steps forward and his tongue had been ready to snap away at her when you calmly raised your hand at him, prompting him from getting any closer and intervening, and kindly told the girl who had slept with your ex-boyfriend that no one would appreciate an amateur design on their yearbooks, especially not after such a long school year and that Pam should think about David—mediocre head and a mediocre yearbook? Talk about heartbreak.

It took so much of Billy to keep from laughing and humiliating that bitch any further, but above that he was proud of you for sticking up for yourself without sinking to her level. Malice disguised as a sugar cane had become his new favorite flavor.

Except, he quickly learned that your patience combined with his drastic mood swings brought him an unfamiliar peace that frustrates him just as much. He knows how to spurt out insults and give and receive bruises—that’s easy; that’s second-nature. But, keeping his ears from turning red and his breath under control is a whole other field. How does anyone do that?

But then you sniffle, and he realizes your shoulders are trembling as your hands struggle to clasp together. You’re not just waiting for him to make the first move, but you’re cowering. Over the fact that Billy’s so fucking reckless. Over the fact that Judilyn and your other friends were right, that Billy isn’t capable of anything but serving you pain as dessert on a silver platter. Over the fact that Billy’s anger can blind him of your presence, and has caused him to put his hands on you. Over the fact that just his puppy eyes alone can throw out your free will, and allow him into your bedroom. Over the fact that you’re still willing to hear him out.

“Prove to her that everyone in this shithole is wrong about you.”

Max’s voice still rings clearly in his head, and he doesn’t think he’ll ever forget it. At least not while you shrink into yourself in front of your mirror, but he’s trying to look on the bright side for once: you’re blocking his crumbling tower.

His mouth is so parched that swallowing proves worthless, but he knows he has to keep pushing. The photographs on your door call back to him, and his head rolls on his shoulders towards them.

“Do you remember when your dad almost caught me hiding in your closet?”

Your gaze on the carpet shifts a little closer to him.

A smile almost touches his lips. “You would’ve gotten in trouble if you didn’t have that Mount Everest of stuffed animals piled in there to hide me.”

The stuffed animals from your childhood had been the last thing you wanted Billy to discover about you. You had decided to donate most of them at the local Goodwill on your thirteen birthday, but your sentimental attachment to them kept you from tossing them every time. So you kept them hidden in your closet like a dirty secret, and had meant to never let the tough Billy find them. You were mortified that he’d think you were just some innocent little girl and that he wouldn’t want to be with you anymore, but he didn’t care. Sure it was a little funny, but he revealed he still had a little brown bear of his own that his mother gave him when he was six in his underwear drawer.

“Or that time when my boxers somehow got inside your hamper and your mom washed them, thinking they were your brother’s?” Billy holds in a chuckle. “And your brother was too dumb to realize they weren’t his and wore them for like a week straight.”

A sound leaves your throat. Half-giggle. Half-sob. It’s hard to differentiate whether that’s good or bad. The back of your wrist meets your nose, rubbing softly.

“There was also that one time when no one but Max and Judy knew we had skipped town for a couple days to go see Quiet Riot in Indianapolis,” he scans a particular Polaroid snap shot that was taken at the motel pool, “All we could afford was one night in some sleazy motel room, eating greasy fast food.” He looks at you again, “It was worth it. Never thought you could make a shitty mattress comfortable.”

The corner of your chapped lips tugs up. “Your chest does makes a great pillow, Hargrove.”

The shy smile is gone sooner than it appeared.

His torso appears in front of you as his warm palms find their way to your hair. Thumbs wipe away the sticky streaks on your rosy cheeks, and then gently caresses them.

He wants you to really look at him, but he finds it a small victory when you don’t duck beneath his arms as he envelops you in a desperate hold. When you don’t pull away after he buries his face in your neck. And when you don’t push him away after you hear him suck back the gunk that’s formed in his stuffed nose nor when something wet drips onto your bare collar bones.

“I’m sorry.” His voice is muffled into your shoulder.

Billy knows that your parents have been away, and he guesses by the missing Mustang in your driveway that your older brother must be down at the run-down waterhole with a couple of pig-headed buddies, so he’d been expecting your house to be devoid of its usual mumbling and lively noises that is such an integral part of it. He’d been relieved at first because that meant he wouldn’t have to deal with your angry parents or a careless-yet-overprotective brother, but now that you are keeping quiet Billy has nothing to grasp onto except this energy that’s barely hanging onto life support between you two.

Billy squeezes you a little tighter, praying that you somehow absorb his thoughts, his guilt, his regret, his love, and his fear. “Okay? I’m sorry for…being a piece of shit. I never meant for that to happen—never dreamt of it.”

The saltiness settles on his taste buds. “I promise I’m not David—I’m not my fucking father.”

Your finger nails run up his spine until they’re digging into the curls on the back of his neck. “I know.”

After just moments of softly scratching his scalp, you pull away and bring your arms into your ribs. The apology is left in the stale air around the two of you, but Billy doesn’t blame you. Lord knows that he’d never forgive his father even if he crawled through hell and back and begged him.

Billy untangles your arms from beneath your chest and leads you into the bathroom down the hall with every intention on washing away every negative emotion down the drain, “Come on, I’m gonna take care of you.”

This reluctance that stops you from letting go of the events that transpired in the parking lot is a million time better than being left to choke on the dust of drifting tires. If anything, Billy accepts this as a start in restoring what once was. Your patience taught him that much.

As the cascading water heats up and clothes hit the tiles one by one, Billy swears to himself that the fool inside him will not be in charge of steering the outcome that involves you. And as he takes a washcloth and some Dove soap to your palms, he promises to you he’ll never give you another reason to silence the ugly snort he fell in love with.

Fin.

To everyone who requested a part 2: @whatthefuckkrichard @basic-fragment @toobsessedsstuff @nightshade7117 @banannie25

A/N: This series has quickly turned into a sort of love note to the album Mellon Collie & The Infinite Sadness by The Smashing Pumpkins (1995). Give it a listen; it’s so rich and poetic and fit for everyone’s tastes. And, it’s only 28 songs! Anywho, feedback is strongly appreciated. I tried to keep a similar style of narrative as the previous one but struggled to come up with something both realistic and satisfying. Hope I did it justice.

#billy hargrove #billy hargrove imagine #billy hargrove x reader #billy hargrove x you #stranger things imagine #stranger things fanfiction #stranger things #billy x reader

[toomanystoriessolittletime]

Trick or Treat?

Summary: Having moved in into your new apartment you haven’t met your downstairs neighbour yet. That changes when you hear someone breaking into your apartment in the middle of the night.

Paring: Loki / F!Reader

Words: 1876

Warnings: uhm. Loki being mischievious and... some making out?

A/N: Happy Halloween! I hope you enjoy this little story that has been sitting in my drafts. Enjoy :)

Ever since you moved into your new apartment you felt watched. Like someone was observing your every move. Sure it was an old house. 200 years old to be exact. What these walls have seen since they were build... You didn't even wanted to think about it, if you were honest with yourself.

Sighing you closed your bedroom window which opened to your balcony that overlooked the little garden of the house. Your neighbor from downstairs really had a hand for gardening. You admired his beautiful roses everytime you sat on the balcony, when you read. You hadn't met him yet. He seemed to be a busy man. Leaving the house before you even woke up and getting back mostly when you were fast asleep. Today however you heard the front door close and saw that the light went on downstairs, illuminating the garden in a warm light. Smiling to yourself you put on your sleep shirt and brushed your teeth before you went to bed.

Something woke you from your sleep. Searching for your phone you looked at the time. 2:24 am. Weird. Head shaking you turned around in your bed, bringing the covers up to your nose when you heard it again. Glass shattering. Followed from some low voices. Somebody was in your apartment. Thinking fast about what to do, you grabbed your phone and carefully and as silent as possible got up from your bed, walking to the doors that opened to your balcony. That was the tricky part. The door always made a noise when it was opened. Today however there was no noise as you opened it and stepped through it to walk to your balcony.

You felt someone grab you by your wrist, a hand over your mouth. You couldn't help the surprised yelp that got out of your mouth.

“Hush.” A low voice said. You looked up into almost hypnotizing green eyes. Shoulder long emerald hair framed his face.

“We haven't met yet, but I'm your downstairs neighbor.” He whispered as he looked down at you. You narrowed your eyes.

“You don't believe me? I know you've been stealing some of my roses for a month now.” Your eyes got big. He chuckled almost silently.

“I don't mind. Now, please don't make any noise when I release you.” He pleaded. You nodded. Moments later the hand over your mouth and the one grabbing your wrist disappeared.

“What are you doing up here?” You asked whispering.

“They tried to get into my place first, but they couldn't because of the spells I have cast.” He said. You raised your eyebrows.

“Spells.” You repeated.

“Magic.” He said as he looked over your shoulder through the window into your bedroom. The door opened and you saw two people entering the room. Almost jumping so they wouldn't see you, you felt his hand on your shoulder.

“They can't see us.” He smiled. Something about his face was familiar to you. You just couldn't put your finger on it.

“If they aren't blind they can see us.” You said as someone walked by the window looking out of it. You were busted. There was no way he wouldn't see the both of you standing out here. However nothing happened. He just walked away into your wardrobe.

“What in the...”

“Later. Now. How do you feel about causing some mischief?” He smiled, showing almost all of his teeth. And finally your brain could name what felt so familiar about his face. You had seen it on TV and in the news numerous times since he joined the Avengers.

“You're Loki.” You whispered surprised. He chuckled.

“Indeed I am.” A green mist surrounded him, before he was dressed in his usual leather gear. You couldn't help opening your mouth in surprise.

“Now... Let's have some fun, shall we?” He said as he walked into your bedroom. You just looked after him. Your neighbor with the beautiful roses was Loki of Asgard?

Fun in Loki's eyes was driving the two thieves in your apartment to near insanity. Apparently he put some very disturbing pictures in their heads which ended in them fleeing the house screaming for help. They got arrested 2 streets away from your house, hiding behind a car and screaming on the top of their lungs.

“Do I want to know, what you made them see?” You asked as you sat in a comfy armchair downstairs in Loki's apartment. Afire was burning in his fireplace, warming the room. A cup of delicious smelling tea in your hand.

“The last day of Asgard.” He said, as he sat down in the armchair next to you. He was wearing some sweatpants and a green very soft looking shirt now, having magic-ed into something more cozy as soon as he was done causing his mischief.

You took a big sip of your tea and couldn't help the quick moan coming out of your chest. That had to be the best tea you had ever had.

“Glad you enjoy it.” Loki smiled as he himself drank.

“What is it?”

“It's my mothers receipt. She always had a hand in putting herbs together. This one is to calm your nerves and help you sleep.”

You nodded.

“I'm sorry we haven't met yet. It has been some rather busy weeks ever since you moved in.”

“I heard. If I had known I am living with an Avenger I would have baked you a cake or something.” You laughed.

“Say that again?” Loki said. You looked at him.

“What exactly?”

“That you're living with an Avenger.”

“I am living with an Avenger, aren't I?”

An honest smile graced Loki's face.

“With my history people tend to see the worst in me.”

“But your mind was controlled back in New York. People should see that you've changed. I mean you just helped me in the middle of the night not getting robbed. You're my friendly neighborhood Loki.” You smiled. And Loki laughed.

The two of you enjoyed your cups of tea in silence after that. You really liked the tea. And you felt it's effect as you yawned.

“You should go back to bed. This place is perfectly safe from now on. I cast the spell protecting my chambers over yours as well.” He said. And for some reason the thought alone made your heart beat faster.

“You didn't have to.” You said, as you got up putting the cup down on the table.

“I wanted to.” Loki said and got up as well. You turned and walked towards the door. Hesitantly you put you hand on the handle before you turned around to face him once more.

“You know it's Halloween today.” You said.

“I know.”

“What are you doing on Halloween?” You asked.

“Stark demanded me to go to his Halloween Party and I haven't found a reason to decline yet.” He said honestly.

“I guess my little Halloween party can't compete with one of Tony Stark's parties. It's more of a horror movie marathon anyway. But if you want to come, you are more than welcome. You saved me tonight after all.”

“I would love to come to your party.” He said and grabbed one of your hands, kissing the back of it, as he looked into your eyes.

You swallowed. “It's settled then.” You smiled as you tried to hide your blushing cheeks from his view.

“I'll be there.” He promised. Finally you opened the door, stepping out of it, walking up the stairs.

“Happy Halloween Loki.” You said

“Happy Halloween Darling.” He answered and only closed the door, when he saw you safely in your apartment.

By 7 pm and all your friends canceling because of the storm outside, you made your way downstairs. Knocking on Loki's door it didn't take long for him to open it. He was wearing some black linen pants and a dark sweater. His hair combed together in a bun in his neck.

“All my friends canceled due to the storm. I just wanted to let you know. You don't have to come up.”

“Why don't you stay here then?” He asked. You blinked, looking up at him. A little smile was on his face and you one again starred at the sheer beauty of him.

“Uhm...” Was all you came up with.

“You don't have to. It was just an idea...”

“I would love to, Loki.” You smiled and stepped into his apartment.

You didn't know when exactly you had ended up on his lap. Throughout the evening the two of you were getting more comfortable in each others presence. Loki kept finding excuses to touch you whenever he was close to you. And you didn't mind. At all. Everytime you felt his touch a shiver ran all over your body, hungry for more than he was giving you. So when the two of you had watched the first movie, sitting on his comfy couch under the same blanket, sides pressed together, you couldn't help running your hand over his knee. He sighed at your touch, which you took as an invite to maybe explore some more. So when he grabbed you by your thighs, bringing you up to straddle his lap, his hands slowly running up your thighs, you yourself couldn't stop yourself from sighing.

“You are a tease.” He said lowly looking up at you. Looking at his lips, you wrapped your arms around his neck, getting closer to him.

“I'm not.” You whispered, before your lips crashed on his. His hand ran up to the back of you head, pushing you closer to him, as his other hand lay firmly on your lower back. His teeth nibbled on your upper lip and you opened your mouth for him. Moaning as you felt him explore you, your hand played with the hair in his neck.

The doorbell ringing startled both of you and you parted heavy breathing.

The doorbell rang again.

“I was wondering when some kids would come trick or treating.” You said lowly looking at him. Carefully you got up from his lap, making him moan as you rubbed over his bulge. You bit your lip as you looked down at him. His eyes were definitely darker as he looked up at you, looking like he was ready to eat you.

“I'll be right back.” You said, straightening your clothes.

“I''ll be waiting right here darling.” You hear him say, as you walked to his door, grabbing the bowl with sweets to hand out to the waiting children.

Breathing in deep before you stepped into his apartment again, you set down the bowl on the table next to the door and found yourself pressed against the wall in the next moment. You giggled as you felt his lips on your neck.

“Trick or treat?” You asked he kissed himself up your neck.

“Why choose?” He whispered and teleported the both of you to his bedroom.

#ff #fanfic #fanfiction #loki #loki of asgard #tom hiddleston #halloween fic #one shot #halloween

[lizselwyn]

the beast in me is caged by frail and fragile bars, restless by day and by night rants and rages at the stars

𝕰𝖑𝖎𝖟𝖆𝖇𝖊𝖙𝖍 𝕾𝖊𝖑𝖜𝖞𝖓: 𝕬𝖓 𝕴𝖓𝖙𝖗𝖔𝖉𝖚𝖈𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓

𝖖 𝖚 𝖔 𝖙 𝖊 𝖘

If I told you what I was, Would you turn your back on me? And if I seem dangerous, Would you be scared? - Monster, Imagine Dragons.

Great, big footsteps pounding near; Their deadly echo resonating with fear. His heavy breathing reeked of blood and thirst. I knew right then, I was in for the worst.

“There are no heroes…in life, the monsters win.”  - George R R Martin

I can't escape this hell So many times I've tried But I'm still caged inside Somebody get me through this nightmare I can't control myself So what if you can see the darkest side of me? No one would ever change this animal I have become - Three Days Grace, Animal I’ve Become. 

𝖇 𝖆 𝖘 𝖎 𝖈

NAME: Elizabeth Victoria Selwyn NICKNAMES: Liz by most people, Lizzie by close friends, and Eliza by her mother. AGE: 25 BIRTHDAY: May 25th GENDER: Female PRONOUNS: She/Her

𝖋 𝖆 𝖒 𝖎 𝖑 𝖞

MOTHER: ___ Selwyn (55) Pureblood. Cuban. FATHER: ___ Selwyn (57) Pureblood. Spanish. SIBLINGS: Charles Selwyn (25)

𝖕 𝖍 𝖞 𝖘 𝖎 𝖈 𝖆 𝖑 𝖆𝖙𝖙𝖗𝖎𝖇𝖚𝖙𝖊𝖘

FACE CLAIM: Ana de Armas BUILD: Slender and delicate, unassuming. HAIR: Shoulder length, wavy HAIR COLOR: Hazel. EYE COLOR: A warm brown, like the colour of melted chocolate. SKIN COLOR: Fair, warm and tanned. DOMINANT HAND: Right ANOMALIES: A scar in the shape of werewolf teeth on her right shoulder. Claw marks on her left hip from where Fenrir grabbed her. SCENT: Floral, with tinges of coffee. ACCENT: Well-spoken, a true British accent from her mother’s diction lessons. Elizabeth has learned to tone this down when serving the regulars at the Hog’s head. ALLERGIES: N/a DISORDERS: N/a FASHION: Elizabeth commonly wears plush jumpers and bootcut jeans for comfort. She has plenty of blouses and formal trousers from her time at the ministry, but Abe is far more relaxed in terms of dress code. She has recently cleared out her wardrobe of all things that were off the shoulder or a little too see-through that might reveal her secret. Elizabeth also wears a small locket, recently purchased with some of the family money that when opened shows precisely which phase the moon is in. It is beautiful and delicate, but is practical in knowing precisely where in the cycle they are. Elizabeth also wears a delicate emerald green ring, passed down through her maternal line for generations as a Selwyn family heirloom. She purchased a sapphire ring for her other hand to match her house colours, as she is deeply proud of being from Ravenclaw.  NERVOUS TICS: Playing with the hem of her shirt. QUIRKS: Nervously looking over her shoulder the closer it gets to the full moon. Misdirecting questions however she might. Blending in easily amongst a crowd of criminals despite her colourful clothing and unassuming nature.

𝖑 𝖎 𝖋 𝖊 𝖘 𝖙 𝖞 𝖑 𝖊

RESIDES: The Selwyn family home. Elizabeth had plans to move out shortly before her transformation, but has shelved these. She knows that as soon as her identity is revealed, she will be forced out. For now, she is saving as much money as she can for when the inevitable happens so that she doesn’t end up homeless like the wolves that Fenrir leads. Her bedroom is large and plush, with the walls covered in Elizabeth’s painting. She has painted stars on the ceilings and all sorts of patterns across the walls. BORN: Selwyn family home. RAISED: Selwyn family home. PETS: None.

CAREER: Bartender, The Hog’s Head. EXPERIENCE:  Formerly a ministry worker for the Beast Division. EMPLOYER: Aberforth Dumbledore.

POLITICAL AFFILIATION: Neutral, but Death Eater leaning. Liz is actively exploring what Fenrir Greyback has to offer, and what Voldemort has promised the werewolves in the event that he wins. BELIEFS: A better life for werewolves, a reduction of the stigma. MISDEMEANORS: N/a FELONIES:  Grievous bodily harm. Only in werewolf form, human Liz would only hurt if provoked. DRUGS: Minor marijuana use. SMOKES: Occasionally. ALCOHOL: Liz enjoys a crisp white wine, or a nice glass of gin. She doesn’t drink often, but if she does, she really goes to town. DIET: Liz has had a shift in diet since transforming into a werewolf. Now she can easily go days without eating at all, or days where all she eats is steak as raw as she can get. She’s still fond of sugary treats like Florean’s ice cream or a huge chunk of chocolate cake, but her diet has become significantly more meaty since her transformation.

LANGUAGES: English, Spanish. Her father speaks Spanish as his first language and taught both his children Spanish from a young age.

PHOBIAS: Being found out for what she truly is. Losing her family, and it being her own fault. HOBBIES: Reading, eating ice cream, flying, painting. TRAITS: { + }: Curious, compassionate, passionate, inquisitive, forgiving, loving. { - }: Stubborn, insecure, naive, secretive, private.

𝖋 𝖆 𝖛 𝖔 𝖗 𝖎 𝖙 𝖊 𝖘

LOCATION: Lake Windemere, Cumbria. Cambridge. Portmerion, Wales. Some of Liz’s favourite places are places of natural beauty, or those where muggle invention is both fascinating and beautiful. Before the travel restrictions came into force, Liz used to disappear into different towns and spend the day exploring with her eyes wide open. SPORTS TEAM: Holyhead Harpies. GAME: Gobstones. MUSIC: Classical, pop. MOVIES: N/a. FOOD: Whatever her dad is cooking. She’s never met anyone who can cook as well as her dad. Her favourites are his enchiladas, she’s tried to replicate his recipe on multiple occasions and they are nowhere near as tasty as his. BEVERAGE: Hot chocolate. COLOR: Midnight blue.

𝖒 𝖆 𝖌 𝖎 𝖈

ALUMNI HOUSE: Ravenclaw. WAND (LENGTH, FLEXIBILITY, WOOD, & CORE): Rowan wood with a unicorn hair core 10 and slightly yielding flexibility. AMORTENTIA: Cooking steak, fresh roses, cinnamon, bonfire smoke. PATRONUS: Liz is no longer able to cast a patronus, corporeal or otherwise. BOGGART: Herself in werewolf form.

𝖈 𝖍 𝖆 𝖗 𝖆 𝖈 𝖙 𝖊 𝖗

MORAL ALIGNMENT: True Neutral -  “She doesn’t feel strongly one way or the other when it comes to good vs. evil or law vs. chaos. Most neutral characters exhibit a lack of conviction or bias rather than a commitment to neutrality. Such a character thinks of good as better than evil-after all, she would rather have good neighbors and rulers than evil ones. Still, she’s not personally committed to upholding good in any abstract or universal way.” However, as Liz grows further into her new role as a werewolf and her morals and values slowly shift, I believe that Liz will shift towards Lawful Evil. MBTI: INFP MBTI ROLE: The Idealist - “ INFPs, like most introverts, are quiet and reserved. They prefer not to talk about themselves, especially in the first encounter with a new person. They like spending time alone in quiet places where they can make sense of what is happening around them. They love analyzing signs and symbols, and consider them to be metaphors that have deeper meanings related to life. They are lost in their imagination and daydreams, always drowned in the depth of their thoughts, fantasies, and ideas. ” ENNEAGRAM: 4 ENNEAGRAM ROLE: The Individualist - “Fours are defined by their belief that they are different from other people, and by their feelings of envy for what others have. Fours have the sense that something is missing from their lives, and they worry they will never have the happiness that others experience. Fours feel they are fundamentally flawed and broken, and will never truly be understood by other people. At the same time, they passionately long for the type of deep connection that will make them feel whole and accepted.“ Prior to Liz’s change, Liz would have been a Nine - The Peacemaker, who like to keep a low profile and let others set the agenda. TEMPERAMENT:  Melancholic - individuals tend to be analytical and detail-oriented, and they are deep thinkers and feelers. They are introverted and try to avoid being singled out in a crowd WESTERN ZODIAC: Gemini CHINESE ZODIAC: Sheep / Goat PRIMAL SIGN: Centipede - “Centipedes are sweet, caring, and always know the right thing to say. They are always pointing others toward the positives in life, though they themselves are prone to anxiety and depression. While they don’t care if they look tough or not, Centipedes hate to look weak, afflicted, or in any other way not living the perfect life. They try very hard to be there for others, but hate to ask for help when they need it. While Centipedes are very caring and involved with friends and family they can also become resentful if this caring becomes expected of them. They like to give of themselves as a gift to others but don’t feel comfortable having others rely on them.” TAROT CARD: Temperance, The Hierophant. TV TROPES: The Quiet One, Wound That Will Not Heal, Token Minority, Properly Paranoid, Dirty Coward, Heart of Gold, Everyone has Standards.

IDEOLOGIES:

Despite having a Spanish father and a Cuban mother, Liz used to hate the summer and found it almost unbearably hot. Now she relishes in the sun, and is beginning to fear the dark of night instead. Liz believes that flavoured coffee is a crime against humanity. Self-preservation is increasingly becoming the most important thing in Liz’s life, as she attempts to keep her new status under wraps and protect herself from harm. Swimming in the sea when it is cool is one of the most refreshing ways to relax. Naively believed she might be able to avoid taking a side within this war. Now, she will only take the side of those who have a role for werewolves in society after this war is won. The best British food is a proper roast dinner, followed by a huge chunk of homemade chocolate cake. Spanish cuisine is the best cuisine. 

#dulcetask #about #development #introduction

[pollylynn]

“I absolutely adore you. And you. Especially you.” —Liz Bell, Dead from New York (7 x 22)

Title: Superstar Rating: T WC: 1000

It’s funny to him the way she genuinely has no desire for the spotlight. It’s mostly funny to him, though his ego has taken its lumps since Sid Ross’s body dropped into an elevator car and on to her desk. Even though there’s a slew of TV and movies he’ll never be able to watch again without gritting his teeth, because . . . Danny Valentine. Ew, as it turns out.

But mostly it’s funny to him—both amusing and perplexing. She’s adorable in the moment. She blushes and deflects. She recovers quickly, of course, and he’s sure no one who hasn’t been hanging on her every word to find the rhythm and romance of her cadences would catch the slight hesitation in her speech, the merest shift in her posture, signaling that she’d like to run, because this kind of attention holds no appeal for her.

All of that makes him smile. It makes him want to eat her up, because most of the time cute isn’t the word for his badass wife. But it makes him wonder, too. Now that he’s really thinking about it—now that they’re on this case where unexpected members of her fan club lurk around every corner—it just strikes him as curious that in every scenario, she’d far rather fade into the background than take center stage.

It’s a tragic waste of a could-be superstar, of course. She is graceful, drop-dead gorgeous, a quick study, and really, she’s good at virtually everything already. She exudes intelligence and just a little bit of wickedness. She’s toe-curlingly commanding without being cold or brittle. Everything about her demands one’s full attention, and it’s just . . . odd how attention-averse she is when everything about her makes the world stop in its tracks as she moves through it.  

The whole Model Cop incident, complete with Natalie Rhodes flashbacks, really jars something loose in his mind, partly because he’s totally caught out. He is supposed to be helping to solve a murder, not contemplating how closely his wife approaches perfection, after all.

He’s studying Tina Whatever Her Name Is studying her. She mimics the swing of her hips, the set of her arms folded across her chest, the lift of her chin. He sees it’s a good imitation. He sees how well it’ll play on camera. He sees, for all that, how it’s hardly a shadow of her, and then suddenly  she’s asking him something.

Castle, please tell me I don’t move like that.

She’s watching him watching Tina watching her and this probably isn’t the time or place to fall at her feet and sing her praises, possibly in spontaneous verse. He has to do some deflection of his own.

Is this a trick question?

She fixes him with a split-second look that promises punishment in his near future, and his heart stutters in his chest. He flashes Tina Whatever an okay sign, because . . . A for effort, Tina Whatever, but you’ll never be the star Kate Beckett could be, should be, is, whether she means to be or not.  

He keeps his head in the game after that, but he puzzles over it. He thinks about Liz the Pathetic Writer and her stupid questions about hair and high heels. He’s inclined to scoff at first—how would hair and heels dare to defy her will? And really, what do they have to do with the magnetic pull she has?

Something about the latter question lingers. It hangs out in a corner of his brain with the Model Cop moment and makes itself known again when suddenly she’s on live TV taking down a suspect. Her body is stiff and awkward and her face is blank with terror as he pulls her into a series of exaggerated bows. He has to bail her out, and it's the weirdest thing that she wants no part of the spotlight, and yet—look at her. Just look at her.

She’s adorable all over again with the boys when they tease and gush over her unintentional star turn. She blushes and deflects, but she’s a little pleased by it, too, and isn’t that interesting? She’s pleased, but all the same, she’s more than happy to cede the stage to his mother when she shows up with champagne and her phone carefully set to the Twitter thread someone must have helped her navigate to.

She’s wonderful at that, too—being the adoring fan, the proud daughter-in-law—and he’s just . . . overcome with love for her on top of everything else. He’s impatient to be home, to have her to himself, in bare feet, fresh scrubbed and stripped to the skin. 


It’s too long before he does have her there, before he has her like that, and he’s hovering. He’s all over her. He crowds up behind her in the bathroom mirror, and he knows he’s playing with fire.

“Castle, quit it!” She ducks out from under the arm that’s trying to reel her in.  She’s laughing, but she’s annoyed in earnest, too. “What is going on with you tonight?”

“Nothing.” He’s suddenly shy himself, suddenly tongue-tied and star struck.

She is so much more like this—puttering around with her hair scraped haphazardly up and out of the way, murmuring and singing to herself, tossing snatches of disjointed conversation back and forth with him about their day, about things that need doing around the house. Like this, she blazes with almost unbearable light and heat. He laughs to think how the hair, the heels, the impeccable wardrobe are a smokescreen. They’re a life-saving distraction for the rest of the world.

“Castle . . . ” she says again, and it’s all the warning he’ll get. She brandishes the electric toothbrush like weapon. “What?”

He draws back, hands in the air. He surrenders.

“Nothing,” he mumbles down at the floor. He steels himself with a deep breath and meets her glare with a dorky, dumbstruck grin. “It’s just . . . I’m such a big fan, Detective.” A/N: Ugh. I know. The schmoop. I despise myself.

images via homeofthenutty

#Castle #Caskett #Castle: Season 7 #Castle: Dead From New York #Kate Beckett #Richard Castle #Martha Rodgers #Javier Esposito #Kevin Ryan #fic #fanfic #fanfiction #Fan Fic #Fan Fiction #Writing #Drabble #Drabble Fail #My Brain is Fucking Incorrigible

[thefragileblackdahlia]

Blink Twice if You’re Okay

Chapter Summary

Finally, a sunny day for vacationing, Ariel suggests the crew should head to Bora Bora. Sam and Ariel have some alone time.

Pairing(s): MOC!Soulmate!Lucifer x Ariel, Platonic! Sam x Ariel

Warning(s): Implied R*pe, HEAVY Angst, Mild Language

A/N: Here is my filler episode. I am really excited about it because it's the first chapter/episode where I have a free creative range. Sam x Ariel content. Let's see what I can do! Also, feedback is appreciated.

Beta'd by no one

Word count: 6,954

OUTFIT 1  OUTFIT 2

Hi before anyone goes into this chapter, I wanted to put a trigger warning for R*pe. It isnt heavily detailed but I just wanted to let you lovely people know. If you ever need anyone to talk to just message me or leave a comment and i will message you. ♥ There will be another TW further in the chapter just in case some of you skip this long-ass warning.

Ariel stood in the motel window, watching the people pass by. 

Days like these, she really missed Castiel and her many other angel companions. It was wrong of her to abandon her garrison, but what 'Heaven' stood for was not right, and the Winchesters deserved better. 

Humans deserved better.

The archangel decided to read a book called 'Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief.' It was a lovely book about a prepubescent boy and his destiny. She felt like the Winchesters could relate, defeating a rising evil and saving the world. 

Ariel slammed the book closed once she heard a breathy voice come from the motel room entrance.

"Morning, Ariel. Have you been up all night?" The voice asked.

"Angels don't sleep, I've told you this." She put it. The woman turned to set her eyes on where the voice came from. It was from Sam, coming in from a morning jog. 

A small smile formed on her lips. She was fond of Sam, and his big decision to end his demonic activities made it easier to look at him. His soul lightened by a tremendous amount, and it was almost as if he could be his own sun.

"So like you're always awake? What is that like?" Sam questioned. 

This was probably the longest he and Ariel had a conversation. He wasn't dumb, he noticed that she always avoided looking at him like his presence was a disease. It made him feel already closer to being a monster, but he was sure she was doing it for a better reason.

Ariel just let out a small giggle and made her way across the room to sit on Sam's bed. "It's not like anything if you have never experienced sleep before. And it isn't like I will ever be close to being human because of my grace, it basically refills." She paused and fixed her gaze on the wall mirror across from Sam's bed. 

"Being an archangel has its perks, but the closest to being human I can get is being empathetic and participating in activities. Like eating, drinking, and sex." Ariel concluded.

The tall hunter peeped his head out of the bathroom when she mentioned sex. He began talking with his toothbrush still in his mouth. "Wait, Angels have sex?" Sam had a slight look of amusement and disbelief.

Ariel glanced over at Dean, who was stirring in his sleep. Man, he was still asleep? The ginger nodded. "It isn't permitted," She returned her gaze back to Samuel. "But the rebellious angels do..." Her voice drifted as she thought about all those years of Angels rebelling and her having to execute them. 

"I wouldn't really know..." She added

Rushing water filled the silence momentarily, followed by spitting and then more silence. The brunette male leaned himself against the door frame. He didn't have an immediate response to that, so he just examined her and picked apart her vessel's features. 

It was decorated in freckles and beauty marks. Her eyes were a crystal blue and her lashes were long which complemented the round shape. Ariel's entire being was very alluring.

Sam cleared his throat and started, "What are you reading?-"

Ariel cut Sam off. "Do you guys usually sit around and wait for a case?"

Dean's groggy voice came from her side. "You got a better idea?" He ridiculed while rolling over onto his back and stretching. 

"You both talk too much. Have you not heard of sleep?" Dean snapped.

"Well, no one told you to go to the bar and drink yourself half to death." Sam countered while taking a seat next to the celestial being. 

The gentle giant had many more questions to ask Ariel, but not around Dean. He just wanted to know everything she knew and if he could redeem himself.

The 30-year-old man groaned as he moved to the edge of the bed. "Yeah, well, sue me for having fun." He drawled while sitting up.

This comment made Ariel cringe. 

The idea of drinking yourself under the table and flirting with an endless amount of women, being fun, was an overstatement. Not too long ago, she and Dean were sucking face in Jack's house, and nearly two weeks later, they were strangers again. 

Ariel avoided Dean as much as she could, and whenever Sam tried to get them to talk, it backfired.

"We could vacation." Ariel suggested.

Sam clenched his jaw at Dean's inconsiderate response. Maybe Ariel didn't sleep or eat, but she did display some emotions. She cried, laughed, and obviously, she loves. He hated how clueless his brother could be.

"Yeah, let's just hop on a flight to Bora Bora. Oh, wait, with what money? We barely had enough to stay at the motel." Dean queried. He knew what he was doing, pushing Ariel away. 

Feelings are what Dean tried to avoid in this life, but Ariel made it so much harder for him. Whenever she was around him, he felt the need to protect and hold her in his arms, and he wasn't sure if she had the same feeling.

Ariel scoffed and gestured to her back. "Did you forget that I have wings, dumbass? I can fly us there and maybe whip up some clothes but that's about it."

"Hanging out at the beach actually sounds nice, Dean." Sam interjected. 

Maybe bathing in the sun could take his mind off things, or perhaps it would give him the personal time with Ariel he wanted. The hazel-eyed hunter pressed his lips into a thin line and glanced over at Ariel, who was just waiting for a response. 

"Or...We could go without you." Sam added, which earned a questioning look from both Ariel and Dean.

That suggestion made Ariel's heart flutter. Alone with Sam? She never thought about it, but now that she has, she didn't object.

Dean's face contorted to the thought of his brother alone with Ariel. He hesitated before speaking. He was not good for Ariel, maybe Sam could give it a shot. Sam was smarter and more considerate. 

"Sure, Go ahead. I'll just go to Bobby's," Dean asserted, nonchalantly.

Ariel could tell it bothered him, she could sense the tension in the air, and it only made her want to leave. 

Their unhealthy dynamic and the fighting, somehow, she was always in the middle of two brothers. That is how it started, and that was how her story would inevitably end. 

"Alright." She mumbled before disappearing.

Sam was about to address Ariel, but she just up and left. He immediately looked at his brother and shook his head. 

"You ignore her for weeks...she offers a vacation day in Bora Bora, and you act like an ass. " Sam scolded.

 Now Sam had to find the archangel, apologize for Dean and possibly give her a hug for Dean. The tall being pushed himself off of the dingy motel bed and started for the door.

This radical reaction made Dean angry. "What- I mean, you're practically taking her on a date." He paused. "Why not just kiss her in front of me- Lay her down gently and go to town." The bow-legged hunter stepped to Sam as he spoke.

It was obvious Dean was jealous, but Dean literally had the opportunity to take Ariel to the beach and enjoy a day in relaxation, but he fucked that up moments ago. Sam took a minute to think and then just grabbed his coat and scoffed. 

"Y'know. With you acting like this- maybe I will." Sam sneered and left the room to search for their angel friend.

Dean was taken aback by his brother's forwardness. He did not expect him to say something like that, which meant Dean really messed up. The surly hunter stood in the doorway as he watched his brother leave.

Fuck.

LATER

A soft rustling sound filled the air.

"Samuel? I bought us swimwear!" Ariel exclaimed as she arrived in the motel room. Her eyes darted around in hopes of finding the tall man, but all she was met with was silence and a glowering look from Dean. "Sam?"

Dean rolled his eyes and sighed. "He went out- looking for you." He slammed the lore book closed and grabbed his duffle bag. 

Just then, Sam entered with a case of beer.

"Hey, I couldn't find Ariel, but- Hey, where'd you go? I looked everywhere for you." Sam asked with a laugh. He searched everywhere for her, the diner, the pool he even stole a car and drove to the strip mall, yet here she was, standing in the room with her arms full of clothes.

"What's all this? Where'd you get the money?" Sam chuckled.

Ariel smiled and wigged the bunch of pool noodles. "Clothes! I saw in the movies that people bring a big wardrobe on vacation, even if it's for a few days. I also picked out swimwear. I wasn't sure what your favorite color was- because I know humans become peeved when you forget their favorite things. Like when I forgot Dean's favorite pie flavor-" She started rambling.

"Ariel?" Dean cut her off.

Ariel glanced at Dean, "huh?"

Dean shoved his arm's into his leather jacket. "You're rambling."

"Sorry, I'm just excited. Angels were never allowed to come to earth, and the only beach adjacent place I visited was The Garden of Eden...and when I was there- Lucifer-he uh. " Ariel stared off into the distance, her nails softly digging into the plastic bags.

She tried to fight the impending flashback, but it won.

"Why do you love them and not me? Those apes are flawed beyond comprehension, but us, Little one- We're perfect. You're supposed to love me. We are soul mates!" Lucifer rutted his body against Ariel's, a loud cry erupting from her throat.

The archangel cleared her throat and looked at Sam who's brows were furrowed. "Nothing good happened to me when I was in the Garden. So sue me for looking forward to one good day." She muttered, with her hands visibly shaking.

Her words silenced the boys. Sam was fascinated by how old she was. And Dean was bothered by the fact that Lucifer had done something to her. 

The Garden was supposed to be this sacred place. God was supposed to be watching over everything, right? How could God of all beings let that happen to her? Dean felt like an asshole.

Sam clenched his jaw and sat the beer down on the tv stand. "It's okay, here gimme that." He stretched for the bag of swimwear but recoiled when he saw Ariel flinch. 

What could Lucifer have done that scarred an Archangel of the lord?

"No, it's okay. Let's go, I want to go." Ariel breathed and grabbed the toys and the beer. "Bye, Dean. See you tomorrow." The redhead smiled wanly at the older Winchester.

"Have fun." Was the last thing the two heard before Ariel transported them to the Resort.

LOBBY 

They arrived in the resort lobby: Conrad Bora Bora Nui.

"A little warning there next time." Sam laughed from the ground. 

The male was buried underneath many plastic bags. He let out a low groan and gestured to the front desk concierge, "Go check us in our room while I gather this stuff."

"I've never interacted with...other humans before, I mean- I never spoke to anyone else. Even at the store I just gave them the money." Ariel whispered while kneeling by Sam's head. 

The only humans she interacted with were at the store, and that didn't go too well. They asked her if she were a robot and why she was dressed like the 70s 'threw up on her.' She did not like that.

"Here, it's okay, just help me up, and I will book it," The long-haired hunter tossed the things aside as he saw Ariel stretch her hand out for him to grab. He grasped her hand and pulled himself up. 

"Thanks."

Ariel grabbed the clothes and whipped up suitcases out of thin air for their clothes. She looked down at her attire. With a thought, the woman was now dressed in a short, red sundress. She smoothed down her now straight hair and glanced up in time to see Sam ogling her.

"Here, You look like you just came from a marathon- maybe this would suit you better." Ariel murmured as she snapped her fingers and changed Sam's clothes. He now wore a Hawaiian button-up with pale gray shorts and male sandals. 

Sam snorted and looked down at his outfit.

The hunter appreciated the gesture, but he felt more comfortable in his running clothes. He didn't want Ariel to use up all her grace just to have him in some fancy luxurious person clothes. 

"This is a bit much, don't you think?"

Why did the Winchesters never accept anything good? It bothered her. 

Ariel gave the human a small pat on the arm. "It's okay. I want the full experience. I saw that people dress like this in the movies."

"Really?" Sam chuckled at Ariel's ignorance. It was a delight to be with a celestial being that had no idea how humans worked. He wondered if all angels were like this. 

"Let's go." Sam murmured while taking his hand in hers and pulling her toward the front desk.

PRESIDENTIAL DELUXE SUITE

Once the two were situated in their suite, Sam strolled out on the balcony of the Villa and spotted Ariel, leaning over the edge. She looked at peace with her red hair blowing in the breeze. 

If someone had told Sam years ago that he would be in the Bahamas with an Archangel, he would have told them that they were crazy. 

Ariel shifted onto her other foot and glanced over her shoulder at the hunter standing by the doorway. "Thanks for coming with me, Sam."

"You don't have to thank me, who would pass up the Bahamas? I mean, I like researching, but I guess I kinda needed a break." As he chatted, he inched closer to his speaking partner. 

Sam perched himself on the wooden railing, next to the woman, and resumed talking. "I- I kinda wanted to get you alone, so I could talk to you about...me? I mean, I want to know more about you too." He rambled.

"Sam, It's okay. I already know." Ariel laughed at Sam's nervousness and placed a light hand on the human's forearm. 

This sweet gesture caused Sam to tense up. He wasn't used to someone other than Ruby touching him, and to have an Angel caress him, it made him uneasy. Ariel overlooked Sam's body language and flashed him an alluring smile. 

"What do you want to know?"

"Everything," Sam replied and moved closer to her. A small voice in his head screamed at him to move the hell away from her, but he couldn't. There was something about her energy that drew him in, and Sam felt safe. He knew that he was in good hands, and he'd be damned if he would let something like this fall into the hands of someone else.

Ariel slowly pulled her hand back and motioned over to the white sofa on the deck. "Well, there isn't much I can tell you." She paused and plopped down on the cushion and patted the spot next to her. "But from what I do know, we should sit."

The tall being shuffled over to the couch and cautiously planted himself next to the angel. He fiddled with his fingers and kept his gaze on Ariel.

"Okay, well as far as I know and what I've been told by my older brother- is that you have been trying to track down Lilith and you've been using your powers but- You're drinking demon blood...that stuff is bad Sam."

Ariel moved her hand onto Sam's and gripped it tightly as she told him all she knew. "I know you mean well, but nothing good will come of this if you sacrifice your humanity just to kill one demon." She paused. "You tell yourself, it's to save people but if you have to risk the light in you, then does the end really justify your means?"

Sam averted his gaze once she brought up the blood-drinking. He was saving people. That was all that went through his mind when he thought about using his powers. It was the only way he could cope.

 "I... what she did to Dean- She's breaking the seals and you're telling me you don't want her dead? I can kill her, I just have to get strong and then I can kill her." Sam choked out.

Ariel regarded the man with an expression that was inscrutable when Sam spoke. 

It took him a while to gather the courage to look Ariel's way, he felt like the dam behind his eyes was going to collapse at any second.

"You remind me of someone..." The angel whispered. 

Ariel recommenced, "Sam, this isn't the way to go, and if you continue down this path...I cannot promise you I will stay to protect you."

"Y'know, I can perceive the human soul and yours is very, very bright." Ariel raised her palm to the hunter's face and cupped his cheek. The agony emanating off of his being overwhelmed her and drowned her. She could feel her chest tightening with every breath.

"It's beautiful." The archangel murmured before moving incredibly closer and shifting onto her knees. Ariel raised her fingertips to Sam's temples and sent surges of her grace into him. She wanted him to see what she saw.

The hunter could feel the tears coming and just as Ariel sent the surge of grace, they fell over the precipice. Samuel's eyes glazed over, resembling Ariel's grace-charged eyes. 

Sam's face contorted as she sent the many images of himself into his mind.  His eyes darted from side to side as he saw himself but behind there was a bright, nearly blinding light behind his figure. His ears perked once he heard her dulcet voice.

"You could be your own sun, that's how bright it is. So don't worry about some darkness within you, there is none. You and your crusade, to kill Lilith- It leads to darkness." Ariel whispered.

This exchange was intimate for them. 

There was a long pause before Sam pulled Ariel into a crushing embrace. He nuzzled his head against her neck, tears streaming down his face. 

Sam could not for the life of him tell what it was about this strange woman except that she just reminded him of something, someone, of Jessica. If Sam could see Jessica in her, he only wondered who Dean saw in her. Maybe mom?

"You can't be real." He whispered. Samuel's hold on her tightened tremendously. "Someone like you can't be real." The troubled man repeated, more for himself than her.

"I am real and I'll be here for a long time...I hope." Ariel smiled and gave her human companion a kiss on his forehead. She lingered until her vessel reminded her of Dean. 

Dean, Ariel missed him. She missed comforting him and watching the stars. A soft buzz filled her ears. 

Sam sniffled and lightly nudged the angel. "Sorry- Okay, so, tell me about you. You must be very old. I'm guessing 5 billion years old."

"Close, but no cigar. I'm 10 billion years old give or take a few. Thanks for making me feel old." Ariel playfully pushed Sam away, which was followed by a small sigh. 

This caught Sam's attention.

Sam looked out to the sea, watching the sunset. "Was it lonely?"

"Not at first... I have- well, had four brothers; they are also Archangels. There's Gabriel, Raphael... He did this to me." She gesticulated to the scars that were now fading. 

"Then, Michael, he is the oldest. He says I ruin everything."

Ariel gave a sad laugh and shifted in her seat. She turned to her side, raised her legs, and laid them across Sam's lap. Then, she relaxed her head on the back cushion. 

"Y'know how a younger sibling comes in and knocks over all the blocks..."

Sam chuckled at her analogy. "Yeah, I think I get it. Sounds like a horrible family." He fixed his hazel-eyes on her sapphire eyes. 

When she got down to the last name, her eyes seemed to gloss over. It wasn't often Ariel cried or showed any other emotions besides joy or anger, but Sam did notice when she disassociated. 

Sam laid his hands on her calves, and he gave them a small squeeze to let her know he was listening.

"Then there's Lucifer..." Ariel breathed. Just saying his name made her wings tense up.

Sam started. "We can talk about movies if you want-"

Ariel shook her head and chuckled. "No, it's okay. I'd rather tell you than Dean. He...would not handle it well." She paused and began telling her story. 

"Father, he made me a part of Lucifer and So that sort of made us more than just archangels created by the same thing." Ariel pulled her knees to her chest and hugged herself.

The celestial being fingered the frills on her dress hem, sadness clouding her features. "Him and I, we were God's favorites. We were left alone most of the time. We were a pair- two peas in a pod...but then one day that changed." 

 "Well, It started with the conception of you- humans. I was okay with not being a prized possession, but Lucifer..." Ariel's voice cracked.

"So, when Lucifer wanted me to rebel, begging me to join...I said no. He said I was a part of him and that he didn't need permission..." Ariel closed her eyes and shook her head once she began having flashbacks of The Garden.

Trigger Warning: Implied R*pe (read with caution) Please do not progress if this may trigger you. After this flashback, there will be a short summary of what happened.

FLASHBACK

The sun beamed down on the greenery, morning dew trickling down the blades of grass. In the distance, there were animals grazing.

"Gadreel, please!" A disembodied voice came from somewhere near the Garden.

"I cannot, you know the rules. I'm sorry, Little one." Gadreel held his military position as he eyed the girl in front of him. 

It was Ariel.

"I am so much older than you, not fair of you to call me that. Please, I promise I won't do anything. They're arguing again...I just want to be alone with the trees." Ariel pleaded with the guardian angel.

Gadreel opened his mouth to speak but stopped, his face contorting. A line appeared between his brows as his eyes darted from the archangel to heavenward. He seemed to be listening to something or someone but Ariel couldn't discern who.

"Maybe don’t go in the garden today..."  Gadreel whispered. 

Ariel was taken aback by his anxiousness. "Why not? You would let me in any other day."

The guardian seemed fixed on something else as he gazed at the beauty before him. He had an inscrutable expression that teetered between pitying and haunted. 

Something was wrong.

"Okay, be careful." Ariel's guardian companion huffed.

"Always," The archangel squealed and gave Gadreel a light peck on his cheek before flying into the Garden.

When she disappeared, a disembodied voice echoed throughout Gadreel's mind. 

'Good. Now, Leave your post.' 

The angel hesitated for a moment, glancing back over his shoulder at his friend settling down but the river."I'm sorry, Little one."

Gadreel flew away.

Ariel resided near the stream and stretched her vessel's limbs before laying on her back. She only came into the Garden when they put her in the middle of things. Again, Lucifer put her on display for everyone in the garrison to see; Asking her to join him. When she declined, most of the angels snickered, embarrassing Lucifer. 

He did not like that.  

For years, Lucifer had been throwing a tantrum of the creation of humanity, amongst other things. It greatly affected the whole Archangel family, but Ariel never said a word about how she truly felt. 

Deep down, she knew that she wasn't made to serve heaven, and once she finally saw humans for the first time, her heart was set. Humans were to be loved, cherished, and above all things, protected. And after his last act of aggression against her, she wanted no part of her other half. 

This made Lucifer more vehement. 

No one agreed with him, and those that did were never outspoken.

"I knew you'd be down here, Little one." A sultry incorporeal voice came from behind her, frightening her. 

Ariel's body tensed at the way he put emphasis on 'little one.' She did not like this nickname- or at least when it came out of his mouth. When others said it, it was like a term of endearment, but when Lucifer said it, it made her being crawl.

"Are you cloud watching?" He addressed her again, starving for attention. 

She would not give it. 

"You could at least look at me when I'm talking to you." Lucifer growled.

His explosive temper instilled fear into the young angel's heart. It was not fair; he was older, and stronger by so much. She felt helpless in this situation, and it wasn't like her other brothers would step in and make Lucifer leave her alone. God was no better, but still, she loved her Father. 

Ariel finally set her vessel's eyes on his.

Lucifer's eyes were distant. They held nothing in them but possessiveness and wrath. "Why did you leave me like that?" He asked coldly.

Ariel perched herself up on her palms while keeping her eyes locked with his. "You always shout over the same things. I won't be on display with you asking such inane questions."

"My questions aren't stupid, it's important and lesser angels don't think for themselves like we do, they're meant to follow. Now if God's two most favorited Angels rebelled because, well who cares of the because- They would follow us..." Lucifer took a seat next to his sister and crossed his legs.

"What you'd be leading them to is damnation and i will not join that. Your logic is skewed and Father won't appreciate us defiling his creation he took so long to make." Ariel countered while pushing herself to her feet.

Lucifer's expression hardened as he listened to her. "Damnation? I'd be leading them to triumph. Imagine what you and I could do together..." The man's word fell off as he shifted onto his feet and made an advance on her. 

"What we could make..." He murmured as he disappeared.

"You and I will do nor make anything. Why can't you get it through your thick skull that- I. Will. Not. Join. YOU!" Ariel set her eyes on the gate ahead, seeing that Gadreel was not at his post as usual. 

Lucifer reappeared behind the angel placing himself betwixt her wings. "Why can't you get it through your thick skull, that I'm not doing this without you." The corrupt being roughly set both hands on his sister's shoulders and squeezed them tight.

"And I'm done asking for permission." He whispered in a breathy voice.

"You're insane!" Ariel breathed as she tried to pull herself away, but he just dragged her back to him.

"No... I'm actually not." Lucifer growled, dipping his arms under her feathers and pressed his body against hers. His archangel blade appeared in his hand; the pointed bit pushed lightly into her chest. 

The color drained out of her face as a high-pitched ring filled the air, besides their heavy breathing.

The nefarious being led her over to a nearby tree, shoving Ariel against the tree.

"Luci... This isn't the way..." The ginger's voice broke as she said the word 'this.' Ariel tried to flap her wings to get away but with him pressed so hard against her scapulars it was agony if she even tried moving an inch.

"Please, We can talk this out..." She panted.

"Fuck his Garden. Fuck his Creation. I'm way past talking." Lucifer muttered through clenched teeth, lifting the blade to her neck. He dipped his head down, pressing his cool lips against her vessel's warm neck. 

It invigorated him. The thrill, her fear.

Ariel's eyes filled with grace, donning their rosy color; This was her fighting back. She set both hands on the bark and pushed away from it, but failed to overpower his hold.

Lucifer let out a wry laugh and resumed leaving marks all across her neck. The offender ran his vessel's calloused hands over the curves of her waist.

Ariel began weeping, "Michael!" She tried, but her prayer was cut short when Lucifer slit her throat, her grace seeping out of the cut. Her knees buckled as her essence was stolen. 

"Mmm" Lucifer moaned as he inhaled her grace, his once rosy eyes slowly shifting to a more blood-red undertone. "Now, for the best part..." He cooed in a honeyed voice. 

"NO! " Ariel shut her eyes and reopened them, filling them with more grace, but it just poured out of her neck like a faucet. She wriggled under his hold like a worm, her wings flapping causing moans of agony to exit her mouth.

At this moment she wondered where Gadreel was, where was Castiel? Where was her big brother Michael? Where was Dad? 

"Please..."Ariel knew nothing about intercourse or how humans managed to get it done, but she knew this was not how things went. There were steps to take, and her vessel did not appreciate the way the monster was treating her.

Lucifer brutally capped her mouth with his calloused hand, muttering a "Shut up."  He hastily lifted her dress and grinned. 

"It will be alright." Lucifer sang to his little sister. 

It's safe now ♥ Continuing with Sam x Ariel

Sam held the sides of Ariel's face and searched both her eyes. He wasn't sure what to say. By what he put together from her broken words were that Lucifer had defiled her in the Garden.

To add to that, no one came to save. Not even God.

"Don't worry. I'm here. Dean's here, and we won't let him get free." The hunter pulled the tired archangel into a tender hug, giving her a hard kiss on her forehead.

Sam cradled her for hours, partly wishing Dean was here because he could have probably changed her mood by a great deal.

Soon, Sam fell asleep with Ariel still conscious in his arms. 

A light breeze blew through her scarlet tresses sending a light scent of cherry shampoo past Sam's nose. The giant stirred in his sleep and tightened his hold on the angel. 

Sam slowly opened his eyes and let out a low groan and stretched his body. "Is it morning already? I didn't mean to fall asleep." He murmured.

On the horizon, the sun met the sea, casting a beautiful glow on the sky. The sunrise was always one aspect of earth that Ariel loved. All the colors and sensations made it so winsome. 

With her ear pressed against the giant's chest, she could feel every heartbeat. 

"It's okay. I didn't come to just swim. I came to bond." Ariel murmured. 

The archangel stretched her wings and draped them over her and Sam; They were large enough to hide the duo. A light shadow to be seen over their bodies. 

The hunter glanced down at the shadow and furrowed his brows. He never wished more to see her wings then-  to see the sun glistening and painting her feathers in the purple and pink hues. Dean told him a few times what they looked like but that they look scarier in person. He said to 'imagine white bird wings and dye them red.' 

Dean wasn't very descriptive.

"What is heaven like?" The hunter watched the sky as he imagined heaven. He was hopeful yet terrified because if they banished an archangel for helping humans, could heaven really be a great place? Sam concluded it was better than going to hell.

Ariel tore herself from the human and rose to her feet. "Heaven is one, but many." The angel didn't really want to talk about home, she ran away from there. Heaven to her was like an abusive home, full of innocent angels being manipulated by a person convinced they are doing good.

"What does that mean?" Sam got up from the white couch and followed the angel. It wasn't like he meant to prod but he needed to satiate his curiousness.

Ariel whipped around and glared at the tall man. "It means just what I said. Now please, stop asking me." She let out a shaky breath and turned away. "I understand you are a curious human, but it is still a sensitive topic for me." Ariel murmured.

"I didn't mean to- I'm sorry." Sam drew his lips into a thin line and clasped his hands. "How about we go check out the restaurant?"

The angel's mood switched almost instantly, a smile danced across her lips. "Yes! I want to try whatever a mimosa is." Ariel laughed and flew into the hotel room to change her clothes.

"A mimosa? Can angels even get drunk?" Sam laughed as he walked into their suite. He assumed she went to change her clothes or at least wait for him to change. The hunter grabbed the suitcase that Ariel gave him and opened it to find a bunch of clothes, tailored to him. 

Sam rummaged through the clothes and found a suitable outfit and waited for his angel companion in the loungeroom of the suit. The service wasn't ideal in this area but he still attempted to send Dean a message that they were okay.

RESTAURANT

There was a small flutter of wings that startled Sam until he looked up to see Ariel standing in front of him, beaming.

"Is this attire appropriate? I've been alive for a long time and I value humans’ idea of fashion. I wasn't sure if these shoes were alright with this dress..." Ariel rambled, twiddling her fingers as she talked about her passion. 

Sam listened to her ramble for about five minutes before he just decided to stop her; He was starving. "You look beautiful, don't worry." The human pushed himself to his feet and gestured to the door. "We should maybe walk instead of teleport."

"Perhaps." Ariel hummed and started for the door. 

Together they walked down to the restaurant for breakfast.

"How long have you known this Castiel?" Sam asked with his mouth full of uncooked spinach. He preferred the healthier diet, claiming that you can't hunt if you have cholesterol problems. 

Luckily, Ariel was an angel and didn't have to worry about that.

Ariel's eyes widened and she put up her finger. "Don't, It's like jinxing yourself. If you say an angel's name too much they might show up." The archangel looked around, tightening her hold on the wineglass. She didn't want to see Castiel. 

The last time she saw him was nearly a week ago and she probably frightened him and the rest of the host. 

"Are you avoiding him?" Sam mumbled while sipping some of his water. He drew his lower lip between his teeth as he hadn't considered other angels potentially showing up. 

A line appeared between Ariel's eyebrows at his question. It wasn't difficult but it wasn't easy to answer. "No, It's just..." Her words fell off as she looked heavenward. "When I escaped, something happened to my eyes-." The angel paused and brought her hand to her cheek, gesturing to her eyes. "One turned red, like...Lucifer's. It may have frightened him along with the rest of heaven." 

"Red? Why does it matter what color they are? You are nothing like him." Sam frowned.

Ariel shook her head, "We are one in the same, yet opposite ends of the spectrum and so if-" 

Sam spoke out of turn, interrupting her. "If he's bad, then you're good? What happens if he's good?" His eyebrows rose at the thought of Ariel potentially turning bad. It was something he could not imagine.

"I don't think that would ever happen. Lucifer is corrupted, his grace is red and there no turning back from that." The archangel spouted in a brittle tone. She could not see herself becoming corrupted even after the years of being locked away.

The friendly giant tilted his head in speculation. He wasn't one to pry or be pessimistic but if red grace meant a corrupted angel- what did that mean for her? 

Ariel gazed at her companion with wide eyes. "The seals." She murmured. "The weaker the cage becomes- if he gets out..." Her eyes drifted off to the side, then down at her mimosa. She raised the glass to her glossed lips and took a long sip.  

Sam surveyed Ariel's grimace for reluctance before stretching his arm over the table and cupping her hand. It was a small gesture but the comfort probably meant a lot to Ariel. His mouth curved into a wan smile. "We won't let him."

"Just listen- okay? This is crucial." The celestial being inhaled deeply and gazed into Sam's hazel-eyes as she parted her lips to speak. "Promise me, you won't hesitate." 

"What?" The longhaired males asked, his face shifting from a puzzled look to a doleful one. Sam immediately got up from his seat once he realized what she meant. His small disturbance grabbed everyone's attention in the near vicinity. 

The archangel quickly intertwined their fingers. She flew them to an empty part of the beach and let out a small sigh. 

"We didn't pay..." Sam murmured before glancing to his side and seeing the sorrow-stricken angel. 

"Tell me why I have to kill you, now." He demanded in a low tone.

"Because I can feel myself withering away!" Ariel shouted. "There is this darkness encompassing me with every turn and no matter how many humans I aim to protect and save- it never goes away. It grows every day- I can feel his wrath already, Sam..." Her tone was wobbly, indicating that her vessel was bound to weep.

At first, Sam was taken aback but then his features softened as she revealed what she was going through.

If she could sense his wrath already, then how far gone was she and how much longer did they have with this sweet version of her? 

Sam's eyes glazed over, he fought back his tears as best he could. 

"Promise me..." Ariel whispered whilst caressing his face. Her fingertips grazed the light stubble on his jaw then ran over the few bumps on his cheek. 

Sam's lips quivered as he tried so hard to hold in his sobs but a strangled sob escaped his throat. His entire body trembled as he thought back to two years ago and his interaction with Madison and how he had to shoot her in the heart.

This hurt equally to that or maybe even worse. He'd grown to like Ariel in the past days since he has met her that day Travis died. It was hard for him to even think about killing her, how would he even be able to, she was an archangel. 

"How?" Sam choked out. 

Just then there was a blade in Sam's hands, with curved edges. He studied the sword, his fingers tracing over the Enochian inscriptions. The distraught hunter gripped the hilt with care and let his arm fall to his side. 

"Why not Dean? Why me?" He spoke in a quavering voice.

"You're strong..." Ariel whispered, wrapping her dainty hands around his large mitts. She aimed the pointed end above her left breast, showing him where she wanted it to happen. "And- You'll be the only one close enough." She finished. 

Of course, Sam had no idea what she meant, but if Lucifer was set free, the hunter would be the only one close enough, strong enough to break from Satan's hold. 

"No..." The long-haired male shook his head in defiance. 

"No, If i can fight my darkness, you can too. I won't let you- I can't." Sam took a moment to gather himself before speaking through choked sobs. "Dean, He would tell you the same thing... If there is good in you, then maybe-"

"Abel..." Ariel leaned into Sam's warmth, swiping the blade from his palms. Her eyes moved from side to side as she talked, almost as if she was experiencing something entirely different. 

Sam stared at the angel. Why did she call him Abel? Was she having a flashback? He opted not to say anything and let her finish.

"I tried to lead you to the light..." Ariel whispered in a chagrined manner. "Just promise me, Abel." She squeezed her eyes shut and rested her forehead against his chest. 

"I promise." Sam murmured in a husky tone. 

The human pulled Ariel into a crushing embrace, gazing out into the horizon. "I promise." He affirmed more clearly, resting his chin on her head.

For a vacation, it wasn't that all relaxing. His nerves were constantly yo-yoing and his eyes were puffy from crying. Ariel, of course, looked perfect, even when she cried. 

"Ready to go home?" Samuel questioned. 

"Yes." 

Their home wasn't a conventional home, they traveled from place to place, slept in dingy motels yet they always had one constant in their lives; The 1967 Chevy Impala.

That was home for the boys. And now it was Ariel's as well.

SERIES MASTERLIST

#dean winchester #sam and dean #dean fanfiction #dean winchester fanfiction #Dean x OFC #Sam Winchester #sam x ofc #spn lucifer #spn fanfiction #spnfamliy #spn raphael #spn ruby #SPN #spn angst #spn angels #masterlist

[sprnklersplashes]

A New Hope (2/?)

AO3

Hope wakes up a little before her alarm went off, her body apparently still stuck on school mode. She switches the alarm to off before it can go off and buries herself back under her blankets, only half awake, living in her dreamworld of beaches and bike rides until she wakes properly, just a little after eight. It seems the long lie ins will take a while to come around properly. She settle for lying awake in bed with the covers around, running through imaginary conversations with Melody. She tries to divert her mind away from Melody and towards her hypothetical LA trip or any fun she could have this summer and it’s partially successful. Partially.

She finally starts getting restless, the covers begin to feel constricting, so she kicks them off and jumps out of the bed. She pulls on a white t-shirt and dungarees, not fashionable, but practical. She’s never been bothered about what “looks good”, especially in days like today when her only plans involve sitting inside and watching TV, maybe with the occasional venture out into the garden. Alex claims she has a similar approach, calling her wardrobe style “whatever I find first” but she still manages to look effortlessly gorgeous, albeit in a messy way. And then there’s Melody, who always takes pride in her looks, carefully matching every shirt with the right skirt and getting every detail right, even down to the ribbon she’ll decorate her hair with that day.

It's equal parts infuriating and adorable.

She pulls the sheet off her canvas, revealing her current project. Until a year ago, her drawings had mostly consisted of copying scenes from books and movies, her family’s story mostly, as well as her favourites. Her art box contained drawings of Harry Potter on the moving staircases of Hogwarts, Carrie White covered in blood at the prom (Henry’s idea to watch it, not hers), Spiderman on a New York skyscraper and Winnie the Pooh (one of her earliest projects). As she got older, she branched out a little, starting on quick sketches of her friends and family and onto landscapes, which she considered to be her favourites, and figures from her own imagination.

Right now, she’s working on a painting of a black haired, blue eyed fairy with a pink dress. So far it was so good, even if she had only really done half of it. She picks up her brush and starts experimenting with different shades of pink, mixing it with red and white and purple until she is satisfied with the colour for Isabella’s dress.

Okay, so she names her characters too. Nothing weird about that.

She starts on the outline, making the sleeves and hem of the dress a little darker, before painting the main body a lighter shade of pink, taking care, brushing gentle, careful lines down the canvas. Gideon has his books, Henry has his writing… Hope has art to get lost in. While in New York last summer, her parents had taken her to an art gallery, where she happily fell in love with picture after picture.

She steps back, admiring her work. While she doesn’t want to toot her own horn, so to speak, she would say it’s pretty good. She doesn’t pull the sheet over it, cautious of the wet paint, and packs away her paints and brushes before pulling open her curtains. Outside her window, the sky is light blue, streaked with faint clouds. The rest of Storybrooke is oddly quiet. At this hour, she surely would see people going about their day, but even Granny doesn’t have her sign out and the streets are deserted.

She goes downstairs, taking them two at a time, passing her parent’s closed bedroom door, and enters the kitchen to find Gideon sitting cross-legged on the table, already dressed in a white check shirt over a blue t-shirt and jeans, hunched over another book. He regards her with a nod, but his eyes don’t leave the page.

“Morning to you too, Gideon,” she greets, pulling herself onto the counter to reach the cereal. She busies herself with making a bowl while Henry comes in, still in his pyjamas, his hair messed from sleep.

“Coffee,” is the first word he says to either of them. He walks to the cupboard like he’s on autopilot and takes out the coffee grounds. Gideon, miraculously, puts his book down and uses his fingers to frame Henry like he’s on a TV screen.

“And here we see the adult in his natural habitat,” he says, voice low and husky like a nature documentary. “In the morning, the adult can only function on minimum energy, and so misses key functions such as manners, good graces, and the ability to brush one’s hair.” Hope squeals with giggles while Henry raises an unimpressed eyebrow.

“You really want to go with me while I have hot liquid?”

“No, I’m good, I’ll go back to my book,” he says. Hope sits herself on the counter with her cereal, feet tapping against the drawers. From her spot, she has a view of the living room window, and can make out the yellow curve of her mum’s car, which sets off a little bell in the back of her head, which doubles when she looks at the clock and realises it’s nearly 10.

“Hasn’t Mom gone to work yet?” she asks. Henry frowns and looks down the hall. Hope just notices the red and black leather jackets still hanging on the coatrack, as well as Belle’s pale pink coat. A shiver runs down her spine.

“That’s weird,” Gideon remarks. “Maybe they forgot to set their alarms?”

“Have you met my father?” Hope replies. “He never forgets to set anything.” Henry nods. Hope begins to run her thumb and index finger around each other, trying to dispel all her nervous energy.

“Hey,” Henry begins, coming over to her and taking her fidgeting hand. “They just slept in, Hope. It happens. Maybe something knocked out their alarms or something. Nothing suspicious, okay?” Hope nods, still not entirely convinced, and Henry squeezes her cheeks before turning to go upstairs. Gideon watches her from the table, reading her like he reads his books.

“Come on,” he says, jumping down from the table and reaching his hand out to her. She frowns at him. “You’re clearly itching to get up there, so come on.” Hope slides her hand into his and jumps off the table.

“Thanks,” she whispers as she grips his hand tighter.

“Any time, Cygnet,” he says while they go up the stairs together. They find Henry paused at Emma and Killian’s bedroom door, his hand just above the wood, his fingers dancing anxiously.

“Nervous?” Hope asks, making him jump. She doesn’t let go of Gideon’s hand.

“Course not,” he says, faking a smile. Hope nods and swallows the lump in her throat. “Let’s do this.” He turns the door handle and pushes it, letting it slowly creak open. The room is dark, save for the light of the lamp on the right side of the bed. Henry pauses at the doorway before he takes small steps in. Hope and Gideon follow, creeping in like little mice. Emma and Killian are still asleep, both facing right, Emma’s arm around his waist and her cheek on his shoulder. There’s something about seeing your parents look so intimate with each other, sharing the quiet moments, wrapped up in their own love. It looks like a piece of art, too beautiful to disturb.

Henry inches closer to the bed while Gideon and Hope remain in the doorway, their legs nearly frozen.

“Mom,” he whispers, shaking her shoulder. “Mom?” His voice grows louder slightly, beginning to panic when doesn’t even stir. “Mom? Mom!” He reaches across Emma and desperately shakes Killian’s shoulder as well, calling his name. Neither of them even move.

“Oh no,” Hope whispers, her chest growing tight. She squeezes Gideon’s hand; her nails dig into the flesh and her body turns cold. “Oh no, oh no.” She looks to Gideon, his eyes wide and his shoulders shaking. “Hey.” She drops his hand, despite it being the only thing that’s keeping her from screaming. “Go check on your mom.” He looks from Henry still shaking Emma and Killian to Belle’s bedroom door behind them.

“Thanks,” he mutters before throwing himself down the hall and into Belle’s room.

Meanwhile, Henry runs his hands through his already-messy hair, his breathing grows ragged. Hope’s never seen him scared.

She comes over to the bed. Up close she can see that her mother’s mouth is open slightly and her hair is in a loose ponytail and that her father’s hair is messy and he’s not wearing a shirt.

She watches Henry place two fingers on Emma’s neck, then Killian’s, and he breathes a quiet sigh of relief.

“They have a pulse,” he mutters, more to himself than her. “They’re alive, they’re breathing.” Hope nods, a whimper escapes her mouth. Henry looks over at her and something new comes over him. He kneels down to Hope’s level and holds her shoulders.

“Hey,” he whispers, trying to smile. “It’ll be okay. We’ll find a way to wake them up.” An idea flickers in the back of Hope’s mind.

“Try True Love’s Kiss,” she suggests. Henry nods, seeming to silently kick himself for not thinking of that. He kneels beside Emma and pushes the hair off her forehead. He takes one look back at Hope before pressing his lips to her head.

Nothing happens.

She can’t help gasping as another wave of tears hits her.

“Hey, hey, hey,” he says, coming and kneeling in front of her now. “Look, kid, none of our parent’s adventures were this easy. We’ve only exhausted option one out of an infinite number of possibilities, okay?” Hope nods, her eyes burning, just as an out of breath Gideon appears in the doorway, his lashes spiky.

“I can’t wake mum,” he says. “I tried, I turned on the light, I shook her, but she-”

“Hey, hey,” Henry says, taking him by the hand. “It’s going to be okay.”

“How?” Gideon asks as tears run down his red face. Henry sighs and takes a panicked look back at the comatose Emma and Killian before sitting Hope and Gideon on the edge of the bed.

“Look, back in the day, our parents dealt with stuff like this all the time,” he reminds them. “It always looked hopeless at the start, but they got through it. They got me off Neverland, they stopped Zelena from changing the past, heck, Mom saved Killian from Hades! Okay? Our family is unstoppable. And so are we.” There’s something in the way Henry says it, the conviction, the fire in his eyes, that has both of them believing him. It doesn’t lift the weight in Hope’s chest at all, but it makes the tears come a little slower. Henry smiles at them and kisses them each on the head. “Right, let me get dressed first, then we can scout the rest of the town. See what’s going on with everyone else.”

Minutes later, a now-dressed Henry runs out onto the streets with Hope and Gideon in tow. The streets are completely deserted, shops have their shutters down, curtains are closed. A light wind blows across, making trees rustle ever so slightly.

“It’s a ghost town,” Gideon remarks.

“What if we’re the only ones here?” Hope asks as goose bumps form on her arms. She has a feeling they’re not from the wind. Henry puts his hands on his hips as his eyes scour the street.

“We can’t be,” he says. “We just… We can’t be the only ones here.”

As it turns out, they’re not.

Gideon gasps loudly and Hope turns, her fists instinctively lifting, until she realises the new arrival is Lucas, his arms around Gideon’s waist, panting. He seems completely lost to everyone who isn’t Gideon.

“Thank god you’re okay,” he sighs, releasing him from his grip and pulling Hope into a tight hug, crushing her head. She doesn’t mind. If anything, she feels awful; Lucas didn’t even cross her mind. “Oh you’re okay.”

“I take it you’ve got the same problem as us,” Gideon says, his voice thick, as Lucas lets go of Hope and slips his hand into Gideon’s. “Your parents….”

“I tried everything,” he says. “I did, but they just wouldn’t move.” Henry turns to face them, the panic clear on his face, though he smiles briefly at Lucas. “Henry, what do we do?”

“Um… I don’t know…” he admits. “Why don’t we look through town? See who else we can find.” They agree, of course, given it’s the only idea they’ve had. Since splitting up is not an option, they walk through Storybrooke together, Henry leading the pack with the three of them clinging to each other behind him. They could hear a pin drop.

As they wander through streets, no real plan, they finally see another figure and feel weak with relief. And the dark blonde hair and brown jacket are instantly recognisable.

“Robin,” Hope sighs as she runs to meet them. When she meets them, they can all see how red her eyes are. Gideon doesn’t waste time in throwing his arms around her neck and Hope is close behind him.

“I am so glad to see you guys,” she pants. “My mom, she can’t wake up.”

“Neither can ours,” Gideon explains. “From the looks of it, we’re the only ones awake.”

“Alex is too,” she tells them. “I called her a few minutes ago.”

“Hope?” someone asks behind them. Hope is sure she knows the voice, and she finds she’s correct when she turns and sees Melody, wearing a pale pink lace t-shirt tucked into a floral skirt, ponytail tied with a baby blue ribbon. She runs towards the group, skidding to a half when she reaches Hope. “You guys are all still here.”

“Yeah, looks like it,” Hope replies. She tucks her hair behind her ears and straightens her dungarees, partially to give her hands something to do and partially because she’s suddenly become self-conscious. She can’t pretend she doesn’t know why.

Alex comes running down the street next, throwing her arms around Robin, who whispers “thank god” breathlessly, before she turns to face the rest of them, regarding them with a breathless smile. Gideon looks from each member of their little assembled group, counting them under his breath, muttering their names, and his eyes widen.

“I’m going to check Philip,” he says. They go with him, of course. No one wants to be left out on the street alone.

Philip’s house is completely closed down, no lights, curtains drawn. Hope, Melody, Robin and Alex hang back with Henry while Gideon and Lucas creep up to the doorstep, Gideon holding Lucas’ arm like his life depends on it (and standing slightly behind him) while Lucas knocks the door. When no one answers, they wait five minutes and try again. And again.

Lucas grumbles and pushes the letterbox open.

“Philip!” he calls. “Phil, it’s Lucas. Come on, if you’re here, give us a sign.”

To all their surprises, the door opens just a crack. From where Hope stands, she sees Philip’s face appear.

“Prove it,” he demands. She wonders if he thinks he’s tougher than he sounds. “Tell me something only Lucas and Gideon would know.” The two look at each other, sharing a silent ‘yes’ and look back at Philip.

“Freshman year, last day before Christmas break, you got up on the desk when Miss Ackerman was out of the room and then…”

The door is yanked open, revealing a wide-eyed Philip, brandishing a saucepan in one hand, who throws his arm around Lucas before doing the same to Gideon.

“I thought you guys were demons or something!” he explains, brushing his fringe out of his eyes. “And we also agreed to never talk about that ever again.”

“So you were going to… make them pasta?” Alex asks, half giggling. Philip looks up and just notices the rest of the group.

“I was short on weapons,” he replies as he, Lucas and Gideon join them, waving the saucepan under Alex’s nose. The laughter quickly subsides. The emptiness creeps in on all sides. Hope feels Henry’s hand on her shoulder, and it gives her some grounding anyway. Philip twirls the handle of the saucepan between his fingers until it slips and hits the floor. “So… now what?”

They don’t know. None of them know. Alex, who normally has an answer for everything, is twirling the blue streak of her hair while her eyes dart everywhere. Robin opens her mouth, then closes it again, and opens it again and closes it again. Like all she needs to do is say something, no matter how ridiculous.

“Why don’t we set up a base somewhere?” Henry decides. “Town hall?”. It’s the best idea they’ve heard all day, so they take it and walk to the town hall in an awkward, tense silence. Henry, naturally, leads with Alex and Robin close behind, their hands linked. Alex whispers something in Robin’s ear and Robin manages the tiniest of smiles, which only grows wider when Alex kisses her ear. Hope trails behind them with Melody wand Gideon on either side of her, but Gideon takes one too many looks back at Lucas and Philip.

“Hey,” she says, brushing her elbow against his. “Go hang out with your friends.” He smiles faintly and puts a hand on her shoulder. She guesses it’s meant to be comforting.

“We’ll be okay, Hope,” he says.

“I know,” she sighs. She squeezes his hand, something she started doing to him before she could talk. It lets him know she’s okay, that she loves him. He smiles and falls back to his friends and they form their own little trio.

And she’s left alone with Melody.

Something tells her that her pounding heart and dry mouth aren’t just because she’s scared out of her mind.

“I’m glad you’re still here,” Melody says. “I mean, I’m glad you’re all here.”

“Thanks,” she replies. “I mean, I’m glad you’re here too, I mean if you weren’t here I’d be really nervous. And I’d be really upset about it.”

“You would?” she asks, smirking. She has such a lovely smile.

“Yeah,” Hope squeaks. “I mean, you’d leave me here with all these losers?”

“We’re right behind you, Hope,” Lucas reminds her. She turns and sticks her tongue out at him, and she doesn’t miss Gideon’s knowing smile, the raised eyebrows when he looks at Lucas and Philip. If the circumstances were different, she’d smack him. Instead, she turns back to Melody.

“Thanks,” she says. They go quiet and Hope racks her brains for something to say. She envies the quiet support Robin and Alex can give each other, and the endless chatter behind her.

“You look really pretty,” she says. “I mean you always look really pretty but… you know I mean… I like your skirt.”

Nice one, Hope.

“Thanks,” Mel says, running her hand over it. It is pretty, just something Hope would never wear. “Yeah, I just threw this on.” In Mel-language ‘just threw it on’ means ‘this was the third one I tried’. “I really like your overalls.”

Liar, Hope thinks. Melody wouldn’t be caught dead in something so basic.

“Um, you have a bit of… Pink, on them,” she points out. Hope looks down to see a splash of pink of her chest.

“Oh, yeah,” she mutters, scratching behind her ear. “I was painting this morning. I guess I got a little carried away.”

“Cool,” Mel says, toying with the hem of her skirt. “Really cool. Something important or…?”

“Um, not really,” she says. “Just like… I don’t know, it’s stupid.”

“Well, I doubt it’s stupid,” she replies.

Hope can’t think of a reply, but they come up on the town hall soon enough and hurry inside. Hope realises she’s never actually been in it before. She doesn’t know what exactly she expected but what she gets is a black and white marble floor like a chessboard, white walls with a pattern of trees on it, a brown desk with a tiny sense of foreboding around it and rows of metal chairs.

She sits herself down in one, not knowing what else to do. Henry leans against the desk, not looking at any of them.

“Okay,” Robin says, breaking the silence. She marches up to the front and waves her hand, presumably to switch on the lights, but all that happens is the bulbs flicker. She tries again, and again, and again, until they finally switch on for her. “Okay… So let’s make a plan.” Meanwhile, Alex goes to the corner and starts filling and handing out glasses of water.

“A plan for what?” Lucas asks. “We don’t even know what happened.”

“So we’ll find out,” she says. “Gideon!” His head snaps up at his name, and she tosses him a marker. “You’re the nerd here, write this down.”

“You’re bossy,” he says, but he runs up to the front and drags a whiteboard on wheels out from the corner.

“Okay,” Robin says, taking a deep breath in. “Calm. Logic. What do we know?”

“All our parents are asleep,” Philip begins.

“It’s not a sleeping curse,” Lucas suggests. “At least I don’t think it is. Sleeping curses make you look dead. All our parents, they’re breathing, their hearts are working.”

“And it’s not just our parents,” Hope adds. “It’s everyone in town, except us.”

“So what sets us apart?” Alex asks. “What makes us different.”

Nothing, Hope thinks. Gideon taps the pen against the whiteboard, which is already covered in his scribbles, arrows pointing out of a central question “what do we know”, until he drops it.

“Oh my gosh father!” he declares, not really to anyone in particular. His cheeks turn pink as he picks the marker up again. “Think again, what do all seven of us have in common?”

His answer is a bunch of shaking heads and raised eyebrows.

“None of us were born in the Enchanted Forest!” he reminds them.

“Oh my god that’s it!” Henry declares. “Gideon you’ve got it.”

“It sounds right,” Melody says. “But… we’re the only ones in town not born in the Enchanted Forest? Seems a little far-fetched.”

“Not as far fetched as you think, Mel,” Gideon says, beginning to bounce and his eyes light up. “There’s this tradition amongst the older generation to have their kids in the Enchanted Forest. I don’t know sentimentality, or something. So they pop through a portal and go. But none of our parents did. Alex was born during the curse….”

“Thinking about it, all my friends at school were pre-Dark Curse babies,” Alex mutters, getting on Gideon’s level.

“Exactly!” he replies. He grows more animated as the pieces fall into place, reminding Hope of some kind of mad scientist. “Me, Luke and Philip, most of our friends were born during the Missing Year.”

“A lot of Missing Year babies,” Robin confirms.

“Yeah, as the author, I can confirm, Missing Year was a fun time,” Henry says, grimacing.

“And Robin was born in Storybrooke. Which leaves Hope and Melody,” he concludes. “Your parents must have skipped it and had you two in Storybrooke.”

“My parents wanted to,” Mel agrees. “But I came two weeks early. They couldn’t make the trip.”

“My parents just didn’t want to,” Hope agrees. “My mom wasn’t born there; my dad was a villain there. They don’t think of it like a home.”

“So whatever this thing is it clearly doesn’t affect people not born in the Enchanted Forest,” Gideon concludes. On the board behind him, the words ‘non-enchanted forest people’ and ‘NOT A CURSE’ are scrawled. He reminds her of Doctor Whale sometimes in the mad scientist way.

“So how do we fix it?” Alex asks. She sits on the windowsill, her arms wrapped around Robin’s shoulders with Robin’s hand over hers. “How do we wake everyone up?”

“That’s what we’re going to find out,” Henry says. “Maybe we check the library first, there’s books on everything in there.”

“He’s right,” Gideon says.

“And if not then… Then it’s time to turn to our parents.”

“Our parents?” Robin asks, wrinkling her nose.

“Yeah. Robin your mom’s the Wicked Witch, Hope our mom’s the Saviour and Gideon your dad…” Gideon flinches before the sentence can be finished. Henry’s hand curls into a fist, realising he’s inching close to the line. “Anyway, the point is our parents need to have something around to help us.”

“Uhh… guys?” Melody asks from behind them. She crouches in front of the table, eyeing a glass of water with more worry than there should be. “Sorry, but… I think something’s coming.”

And then Hope feels it. The ground shakes beneath her and she can see what Melody was worrying about; ripples form on the water in the glass. Soon the walls of the hall start to shake. They all drift towards each other, clinging to however is closest to them as the walls continue trembling, threatening to break on them. Henry steps in front of the little bundle they have created, trying to shield all of them with his body.

“What is that?” Philip asks, his voice barely a whisper as he frantically looks around the hall.

“I think I know,” Robin replies in a trembling voice. Almost against her own will, Hope follows her eyes and looks out the window, feeling her heart in her throat. Her hand tightens on the wrist of whoever is next to her.

Outside, she sees what Robin was so scared of. Sludge-green, at least 8 feet tall, wearing a scrap of brown fabric its waist. It lumbers down the road before stopping outside and turning its head, letting them see the dull yellow eyes.

“Is that…” Philip whispers.

“An ogre,” Henry replies.

They hit the floor when it turns to them. Hope feels the beat of her frantic heart against the wood and closes her eyes tightly. She presses her palms into the floor to keep them from shaking. Her chest feels hollow, making her heartbeat seem louder.

This can’t be happening. This doesn’t happen, not now, not to her or any of them. This is all meant to be over now.

“What do we do?” Melody hisses as the footsteps get a fraction quieter. “How do we defeat a troll?”

“Wasn’t it in the book?” Philip asks. “Snow and Emma, they fought one.”

“Right,” Hope sighs, searching for that part of the book in her mind. It sounds familiar, but she’s drawing a blank on the details. “How did they beat it?”

“Mom shot it with an arrow,” Lucas reminds them. “Right in the eye.”

“Pity we don’t have a bow and arrow,” Robin grunts.

“Maybe we don’t need one,” Gideon mutters, more to himself than anyone else.

“Do you have a plan?” Philip asks. Out of all of them, he’s the one closest to the floor, his body pressed against it.

“I think so,” Gideon replies, beginning to smile. Hope follows his gaze and sees what he’s looking at; the two swords mounted on the wall behind a shield baring the Charming family crest; a flower. “Hope, Robin, I’m going to need your help here.”

                                                                                               *****

Gideon, Hope, Robin, Lucas and Henry manage to escape the town hall from a side door. The rest stay inside, reckoning that there’s no point in risking more people. Although there’s no risk, because they’ll be fine if this all works out. If.

Outside, the road is destroyed with the ogre’s footprints. He’s a good bit away from them, far enough so that as long as they remain as silent as possible, he won’t notice them until they need to. They move swiftly down the road and take cover behind Leroy’s truck, which, true to character, he left sitting out on the sidewalk.

“You sure this will work?” Lucas asks. Gideon hands the sword over to Robin with shaking hands.

“I hope so,” he sighs. “You two clear on what to do?” Given how dry her mouth is, Hope can only nod.

“We’ve got it,” Robin whispers. Hope wonders how he manages to sound so confident. It’s only her fidgeting fingers that give her away. Gideon smiles weakly at them and follows Henry and Lucas to the middle of the road, grabbing Lucas’ hand.

“Hope,” Robin asks suddenly, grabbing her shoulder. Her green eyes are torn apart with worry as she looks from her to the ogre. “I…. My magic… I don’t know if I can do this…”

“You can,” Hope assures her. “Just think about who you’re protecting. That’s what Mom says she did.” Robin nods shakily and they place their hands over the sword together. She mutters ‘Alex’ under her breath.

“Hey!” Henry yells. “Hey you big… dumb ogre!”

That’s one way to get its attention, Hope thinks as it turns around. Immediately, she starts wondering if this plan will work. If it doesn’t and it gets any of them killed, she’ll kill Gideon for it. Especially if it’s Gideon who gets killed.

“Robin, now,” she hisses. She reaches inside her, calling to her magic. Her mother has told her so many times that magic is a part of her. She works with it, not it for her. And this should be easy, simple levitation. It’s one of her favourite things to do.

In the road, the boys keep taunting the ogre over to them and it works. He lumbers over, slowly, but it rattles the ground with every step he takes. Hope keeps her eyes on it, tracking its movements. They worked out a marker; the shoe shop. That’s where it has to be when they fire at him.

She doesn’t think about what would happen if she misses her cue. All she can focus on is holding the sword up. Especially when she feels it getting heavier on Robin’s side.

Come on, she thinks, watching the ogre as her friends keep luring it closer. Three more steps. Two more. One more….

“Robin now!” she calls, and they send the sword flying through the air. The ogre doesn’t even notice, too busy focussing on the potential snack in front of him. Thank god for dumb ogres.

Then the sword begins to take a dip before it can meet its target.

“Not on my watch,” Hope mutters, and throws her hands out, letting magic run through her veins and out her hands, and she sends an invisible wind to keep it up until it lands where it should; in the ogre’s chest. Slightly left of middle. Right in its heart.

The ogre stops in its tracks, and for a moment doesn’t even move. For a moment, Hope fears that it will rip the sword out of its body and trample Storybrooke to the ground. Until it lets out a long, low moan and sways before falling to the ground, the force knocking them to the ground with it. Hope lies there, winded on her back, looking up at the sky, just letting herself come back down to Earth, before she gets up.

“Hey,” she says to Robin, who looks paler than normal. “Hey, we did it.” She laughs, despite the fact that the world isn’t exactly standing still right now.

“We did it,” she pants, smiling. She pulls Hope into a tight hug before they run over to the boys.

“See? Fool proof,” Gideon says, adjusting his glasses.

“If that failed, I’d have killed you,” Hope pants.

“Are you two okay?” Henry asks, rubbing his arm.

“Fine,” Robin says and Hope nods. Henry tilts his head to the side, unconvinced. “Hope?”

“I’m fine,” she assures him. “A little shaken up I guess, but fine.” She turns her attention to the dead ogre lying in the middle of the street. “Is that it? Did we do it? Does everything go back to normal now?”

“Can’t be,” Gideon says. “Ogres can’t cast curses, they’re too dumb. He has to be working for someone.”

“Great,” Robin sighs. “So who can command ogres? And more to the point, what do we even do with it?”

But as it turns out, they don’t need to do anything. They see a mist begin to settle over the ogre, making it look fuzzier and muting the colours more than they are already. Logically, they should be scared, or ready to fight back, but they’re all varying degrees of confused and mesmerised. The ogre gets fuzzier and fuzzier and the colours fade before running and blending into each other and then Hope realises what’s happening.

“It’s disappearing!” she announces, just as it fades from them entirely.

“No way,” Lucas says, and he runs to where it was, Gideon running after him. Lucas stands in the exact spot it had been lying, jumps up and down and waves his arms around. “It’s gone!”

“So what.. it was never real?” Hope asks. She turns around and sees the footprints in the road.

“The damage it did was real,” Robin points out, tucking her hair behind her ear. “So it had to have been real… Right?”

“We can deal with that later,” Henry says. “For now.. We did good.”

“We?” Hope asks, raising an eyebrow.

“You two did good,” he sighs. “Come on, let’s get you guys back into the hall and we can work this out there.” Hope falls into step beside her brother while Robin walks on with Lucas and Gideon, Gideon letting her lean slightly on him. “You good, Cygnet?”

“I don’t know,” she confesses. “That was a lot. I mean, it felt good, but it was a lot.” She hasn’t realised before that magic can take so much out of her. She just wants to sit down now until the world goes stationery again.

“I’m sorry you had to do that,” he says. “For what its worth it was impressive.” Her cheeks go pink.

“Really?” she asks.

“Really,” he says. Slinging his arm around her. She grabs onto his jacket for something to keep her steady, because she’s sure she’s walking like Uncle Smee out of the bar. “Mom will be so stoked when she hears this.” Hope nods. When, not if. Never if. Their family doesn’t do ‘if’.

#ouat ff #hope swan jones #henry mills #robin mills #cygnet believer #i stayed up to 1am finishing this chpater dudes

[riverdaleroundup]

Riverdale Roundup: 2x18 “ A Night To Remember”

Okay so I love musicals, but full disclosure i’ve never seen Carrie the musical, i’ve never seen Carrie. I like to sleep at night so I haven’t read any Stephen King novels. I never saw the original movie and the remake starred Chloe Grace Moretz and she’s just not my cup of tea. She couldn’t hold onto Brooklyn Beckham or my attention. I know the basics. They dump blood on the girl at prom and she burns down the school with her super natural powers. I read the wikipedia page on the movie so I am never well informed.

I appreciate all the singing right off the bat.  The whole fake documentary style isn’t exactly my vibe. I get it. They needed to keep Jughead involved. Cole Sprouse doesn’t like to sing or dance because Disney Channel probably trapped him in a room somewhere and tried to get him to record songs with names like “ Dance it Out” or “ Get that Girl”.

There is tension going on all over the place. Tension between Betty and Veronica, Archie and Jughead, Cheryl and Joise, Betty and her Mom.  Chuck and everyone.  Chuck just wants to show off his dance moves and prove that he’s no longer a fuck boy. He’s changed!

Jughead is like “ wtf Archie are you flirting with my gf while i’m like right here?” but Archie just wants Betty to be nice to Veronica. Betty doesn’t associate with liars even though she lies like all the time and she’s real good at it.

Okay so Cheryl almost got hit by a sandbag and then Kevin got a letter from the black hood being like “ Cut Cheryl from the show or like ima get you”

Alright so who sent this? Could it be Josie getting back at Cheryl for sending her a pigs heart? That seems like a stretch. Honestly it’s probs the real black hood. He’s not dead. He’s hiding in a cave somewhere plotting his time.

Archie has to keep the car his sugar daddy gave him at his girlfriends house so that his real daddy doesn’t know that he’s been bought.

Betty and Jughead who have been thirsting for a good mystery since no one has been murdered in the past three weeks are ready to dive into figuring out who sent this letter.

They target Ethel first because she was “ born to play Carrie” and Ethel gets uber defensive and is like “ i’m not violent! I would never hurt anyone for my own gain!” despite the fact that she straight up covered Veronica in a strawberry milkshake maybe three days ago. I mean she didn’t punch her in the face but that wasn’t exactly a solve your problems with words type of reaction.

There is MAD tension between FP and Alice. FP is playing hard to get and Alice might have thought that was cute when they were 15 but she’s a grown ass lady now with an extensive wardrobe and she will not put up with this bullshit.

Cheryl and Josie sing a song about friendship and Josie forgives her for being a grade A psycho.

The Lodges are trying to bring down Freds campaign and they are clearly going to use Archie to do it. Hiram is going to skip on down to the Andrews house and be like “ Your son calls me Daddy now.”

The 70’s hair and outfits are pretty iconic.

Veronica sings about being a mean girl and Betty is finding the whole thing way too meta. Also casual  how this public high school allows for the choreography to include Veronica giving Chuck a very casual lapdance.

Betty calls Veronica out in front of everyone and Archie is like “ Betty you don’t get it. Veronica isn’t mean you’re mean.”

Archie and Betty sing their love ballad and Betty goes to apologize to Veronica. It turns into a love ballad between Betty and Veronica. The fangirls are going crazy. This is like their fanfiction come to life on the screen.  

Fred is building the sets but Hiram is the producer so really who’s the top dog? Fred plays it off like he isn’t pissed that Hiram bought Archie a car but in real life he’d like to take that drill and do some burr holes Izzie stevens style, sans anesthesia. Fred wanted to build a car with Archie. What is it with Riverdale that everyone builds cars with their dads?

Alice has issues with men. FP rejects her so she goes crawling to Chic who won’t return her calls. It’s yikes.

Kevin gets another letter about re casting Cheryl. Cheryl is like “It’s fine fam. I’m going to do it anyway. I’m a bad bitch. You can’t kill me.”

Penelope is like “ look bitch. I hate you. You aren’t doing the play.”

Cheryl needs to pull a Nathan Scott and get emancipated. She’s got money. Get Nana Rose and a lovely little apartment.

Ethel is so pumped that Cheryl is out of the show but Kevin pulls Midge out of his asshole and presents her as the understudy.

Cheryl and Toni share a moment talking about all the whack things that Cheryl did and yet it’s supposed to be like cute? Like wouldn’t it be a good thing that Cheryl is no longer the same person who burned down her house?

Life imitates art a little too much for Alice and she starts singing straight to Betty. Alice just wants to keep Betty close. Everybody else keeps dipping on her. Polly took her Kardashian named children and ran away to California, Hal is a total loser but he bailed too, Chic is gone but honestly Alice that isn’t a loss. Betty wants to help her mom and honestly I think she should get her a nice lap dog. That will keep her good company and it won’t run away to San Francisco.

Archie returns the car that Hiram got him because he can not be bought. He can only be rented.

Alice and Betty have opening night jitters so they can’t enjoy their lovely family meal.

Hal stops in with some superstore flowers in an attempt to woo his way back into the house. I told you to get her a puppy Betty! Not a person.

Alice makes Betty leave so she can talk to Hal and I thought that she was going to be like  “ I slept with FP” but instead she’s like Chic isn’t your son.  I mean if she doesn’t want to keep secrets she should tell Hal that someone died right where he’s sitting like a month earlier.

Archie got the world oldest car to fix up. Fred was on the verge of bankruptcy approx 4 days ago so in what world will they be able to afford all these rare parts?

Cheryl gets some blood from the butcher and goes full horror movie on her mother. She’s ready to burn down thistle house. Oh my god she just said she’s going to get emancipated. She listens to me. She takes my advice. She upped it and wants to keep the house. Honestly she deserves it. She and her nana can live out their lives without the extra weight.  I mean isn’t the house Nana Roses? Penelope got Thorne Hill right?

FP turns up to see the show to find that he’s too late and Alice has fallen back into the arms of her no good rotten husband.

Is Midge cheating on Moose with that Hanks guy or whatever the hell his name is?

Jughead finds the cut up magazines in Ethel's dressing room and if it really was her that cut up the letter she is a really shitty criminal. But calm down guys! It’s for her vision board!

Chuck and the gang are having a lovely heartfelt moment and then her creepy brother shows up. Now everybody is uncomfortable. He’s a ruiner.

Those sets that Fred built are lovely. The sets our schools shitty musical had general consisted on just some risers and projected pictures.

Oh my god. Shut the fuck up. Is Midge dead? We all knew the black hood wasn’t dead. Moose saved her from death the first time but BH is back for revenge.  Plus now she’s a philanderer so she had it coming x2.

Anyway, that’s what you missed on glee

#riverdale #riverdale roundup #the cw riverdale #jughead #jughead jones #betty cooper #veronica lodge #archie andrews #cheryl blossom #Alice Cooper #fp jones #alice and fp #falice #choni #Bughead #barchie #varchie #Hiram Lodge

[sonnenfuchs]

⟶ that tuesday night | jjg | (m)

▹ pairing: jeongguk x reader ▹ genre: fluff, smut ▹ wordcount: 5k ▹ a/n: this is a dumb pwp i have no explanation for except the support of like seven different people that encouraged me to write it. enojy a somewhat college!au jeon.

↳ your best friend finds out how much you love horror, yet you are so goddamn easy to scare. it holds the promise of an entertaining night.

“So, part two tonight?”

He grins at you over the rim of his glass filled with white wine, the usual bunny grin with his nose crinkled and eyes shining that is so incredibly hard to resist. Or maybe, it’s just the wine that you yourself have already running through your system that makes you think that way. You just shrug at him.

“I mean, sure. Why not.” He grins even wider at that, ignoring the faintest trace of hesitation that is laced into your voice. You don’t even get to sigh at his eagerness before he is already turned towards his laptop, opening google to pull up a stream that is high quality enough for his liking.

Maybe it was a mistake telling your horror movie obsessed friend about your definitely there curiosity for all things horror, especially movies, after all you are an absolute nerd for all things film and Jeongguk knows that as well. But being the absolute scaredy cat you are, you never quite dared to venture into them on your own. More than delighted upon hearing those news, a mischievous grin spread over his face, proposing the suggestion that if you are to scared to watch them alone, who better to watch them with than Jeon Jeongguk himself?

After he promised that yes, you can hide behind his back, and yes, you can hold his hand if you need to, you agreed.

And before you knew it, you were laying in his bed, half clinging to his blanket as you watched “The Conjuring”. With lights turn fully up - you insisted on that, but that came with a con as well, because it only made it easier for him to laugh at you sinking further and further down the head of the bed until you were cowering under the safety shield that was his blanket the longer the movie went on.

After the credits had rolled, you had calmly collected yourself, saving as much grace and composure as you had left, but then he simply reminded you that you had to sleep on your own, and your miserable face just added to his amusement. Honestly, why did you even agree to watch a horror movie when you live on your goddamn own in an apartment complex where somewhat creepy noises were heard all night long. But at least he had the courtesy to walk you back home in the middle of the night, and he was polite enough not to mention that maybe, just maybe, you were walking closer to him than necessary.

Now, exactly a week later, you are here in his room again. Under the premise of alcohol and a good time he has lured you over only to once again propose another movie night full of horror.

Not that you mind, after all you admitted your desire for diving into those movies, and any excuse you could get to curl up in Jeongguks bed, letting his smell surround you, you would take. There’s just something very comforting about being in a place that is so private to him.

While he is setting up his laptop on a chair across from the bed so it serves as a movie screen, you crawl into his bed to once again claim his blanket as your safe haven. You are ready for another two hours of tension as you expect a jumpscare to pop up any second, praying that you wouldn’t embarrass yourself any further as you might just flinch and scream. But he interrupts your inner prep talk.

“Does it bother you if I change into sweats real quick?” He gestures down to his in tight jeans and button down clad body and you quickly shake your head, as he goes to rummage around in his wardrobe.

“Mind if I look? Or do you want me to look away?” You tease with a grin on your face as he pokes his tongue out to you. Shrugging of his button down, he searches for something more cosy. Settling on a simple white cotton shirt he pulls it out and turns to you.

“Not at all, please, go ahead and marvel at all these muscles. By the way, do you want to change into something comfier as well?” You look down at your skinny jeans, one of your fave pairs, and one of the few things in your wardrobe that make your nearly non existent ass look amazing, but there are definitely better things to wear for movie nights. Even impromptu ones. And so you nod at him, thankfully smiling as he throws you a pair of sweatpants.

Getting out of bed again, you shimmy out of your pants, when out of the corner of your eye you see him stop his movements and turn his head towards you. His voice sounds out once more, and it’s a mix of a teasing tone and something else you can’t quite make out. “Mind if I look?”

“Guk, please. You have seen me in bikinis before, where’s the difference.” You easily shrug him off, but the realization that you are in fact wearing a pair of black lace panties, which are without a doubt racier that your usual swim attire, does let a slight blush creep into your cheeks. The fact that you definitely can feel his gaze skim over your behind before he quickly turns away to shrug on his own clothes does not help. At all.

Dropping back down on the bed, he lays his body next to yours with a tired sigh, stretching out his limbs. You wonder what he’s doing, he hasn’t even started the movie yet, and yet here he is, and he is looking at you with an expecting look in his eyes, his teeth find purchase in his bottom lip, worrying the delicate skin.

“Why are you staring at me?” Drawing out the first word, you crook your head at him, poking him in the arm to make him spill. He swats your hand away before sighing again.

“You know how I was at that bar on friday?”

“Yeah,” you hum, cuddling deeper into his bed, fully surrounded by his scent that you have grown so familiar with. “You texted me since I promised to come out too. Sorry ‘bout flaking on that by the way.”

He shakes his head to dismiss your apology. After all this time he knows that if he texts you past ten pm, the chances of you actually attending anything that does require a dress code other than pyjamas are slim, if he does not even dare to say impossible.

“Don’t worry about it, that night was a mess anyway. Taehyung was having a rough night, and you know how we always have a drink together if one of us is in a really shitty mood? Yeah, that was why I texted you at like eleven. Had to cheer him up first, ya know?”

You nod as you watch him speak. His eyebrows are knitted, and you can tell he is mulling over something uncomfortable in his thoughts. So, you simply stay quiet until he resumes talking.

“Anyway, we run into some old acquaintances, and there is this one lady who I ended up talking to. She was nice and all, but like, we were only talking. And the next morning I woke up to her having spammed me with messages on facebook. Stuff like I miss you and can I see you again and even I love you. Can you believe that? Like, she’s nearly thirty aaand already has a kid!”

“Wait, what. For real?” You don’t know if you should laugh at his misery, but you definitely want to. It has something so surreal about it that it seems hilarious, yet you get why he is so creeped out and looks so uncomfortable just thinking back to it.

“Yes. For real. What 29 year old hits on a 20 year old and acts that way after meeting them in a bar once? It’s crazy. And now I am kind of scared to run into her again this week.” And, this is the moment you realize as to why he has been staring at you so expectantly. You are not sure you want to hear his idea. “So, I have been thinking that maybe, if she does appear again this week, you could… pretend to be my girlfriend?”

“Jeongguk, how much wine did you have to even think of this?”

“Enough. But like I’ll just tell her I found the love of my life this week, like a miracle, and I don’t know, maybe I’ll put my arm around you for a while so it seems more believable and once she fucks off we go back to whatever shitshow this friendship is.”

“... You do realize that a. I’m super busy this week as I have told you before and will not go near any place that could even tempt me to consume anything that might get me drunk and b. that is one hell of a dumb plan.”

Raising an eyebrow and crossing your arms as he looks at you with puppy eyes. You do get where he is coming from, but also you cannot believe that he is being serious. Well, yeah, maybe some of your friends are thinking that there is something going on between the two of you, with you constantly hang out and all and more often than not ditching the rest of the group to hang out on your own. But most of the time, you just end up playing Overwatch, instead. So, no, you are only friends, but you can see why the plan could work in his mind.

“Y/N, pleaaase. Help me out here.”

This time you sigh, placing a hand on each of his shoulder as you stare straight into his eyes. “Fine. If you meet her again, text me and I will respond with a confession of my undying love for you and how the stars have aligned in just the right position, allowing us to meet, so it can only be fate and has to be destined. But this is a one time thing.”

“Yes! Thank you!” He half screams, hugging you quickly before jumping out of bed to finally hit play on the movie that must have fully loaded by now. “Wait, lights on or off?”

“Well, we did have them on last time, but I guess we can try watching in the dark until I get too scared?”

“Deal.” He presses play, darkens the room and slides back into the space next to you, making himself comfy. “You know, I think this one is actually way scarier than the last one. I’m not sure, though.”

The dim light coming from the laptop screen is still enough to make out his features, the light reflects in his large eyes, and you can see him look at you as his knee nudges yours.

“What is this, a bad attempt to make me cuddle up to you?” You question his motives as you nudge him back, scooting closer to him and letting him put his arm around you as he admits to it laughing. Your head ends up resting on his chest and his hand finds a place to settle on your waist. It’s a perfect position, letting both of you see the screen and you feel safe. Protected. You can easily hide in his chest once the jumpscares begin.

But even as your heart starts beating faster and there are chills running down your spine at certain scenes, you are and will always be somewhat of a snarky asshole. Running your mouth you point out all the illogical things and stupid behaviour in the movie, even laughing at some things that should scare you. But hey, let’s be honest, a voice that should belong to some gruff looking six foot guy that has been chain smoking for the last fifty years coming out of an eleven year old girl just is so unfitting, it is hilarious to you. At one point Jeongguk even has to tell you to shut up and stop ruining one of his fave movies.

You simply shrug him off.

Yet, there are enough moments where your grip his arm, his biceps firm under your touch, and press closer to him as he soothingly runs his hand over your side and holds you tight against him by your shoulder, and you are incredibly grateful for that.

You barely realize how tangled up you ended, not until the credits start to roll and your thigh somehow is trapped, wedged in between his legs and his hand rests on your spine as it sneaked up underneath your shirt somewhere along the way. When he gets up to stop the movie, complaining about the creepy music that is playing, you feel cold without him next to you, and you nearly pull him back down.

At the same a yawn escapes you, and as you stretch out your lazy limbs, you feel how tired you actually are. You think about how you still have to gather your things and walk home through the dark and cold night and groan. It’s warm and comfy in his bed, and just the thought of leaving it seems like torture.

“How late is it, anyway?” You mumble, trying to find the motivation to get up, yet somehow only ending up hugging yourself tighter in the blanket.

“Nearly one am.”

“Jesus Christ.” You groan, and you do not quite believe that it’s already that late. “I’m too tired, can I just sleep here?”

He is already up and putting away his laptop when he turns around to look at you. Seeing you all curled up, stifling another yawn, he cannot help but smile at how cute you look. “Sure. But I don’t have a toothbrush you can use.”

“Eh, that’s fine. I’ll live if I don’t brush my teeth for once. Can I borrow a shirt though? My sweater is too warm to sleep in.”

So he throws you a shirt before he goes into the bathroom to wash up. Grabbing your phone, you check for new messages before turning it off so it doesn’t end up with a dead battery in the morning. Then you finally change into your borrowed pyjama. You quickly get rid of your sweater, and pull the shirt over your head before taking of your bra. That turns out to be a good decision as Jeongguk enters the room the exact moment you pull it out underneath your shirt, and you can see him try to look unbothered.

You ignore his reaction and lay back down.

He turns off the lights and crawls under the covers next to you, pulling you against his chest. “Is this okay?”

“Mhm, yeah.” You hum, making yourself comfortable in his hold as your heavy eyelids close. But sleep doesn’t come quickly. There is something about sleeping in someone’s arms that is too foreign for you, and it throws you off. But it seems to be the same for Jeongguk as you both try to stay still, yet shift around subtly.

And it doesn’t take too long for you to overheat, the duvet paired with his body heat too much. So you wriggle out of his grasp, explaining what is going on when he asks what’s wrong.

“I can open a window if you want.”

“No, it’s fine. I just need to…” You go trail off as you lift your hips to pull down the thick material of the sweatpants and take them off completely to throw them somewhere on the floor. “Get rid of those. Otherwise I’m gonna melt.”

He pulls you back against him after that, and with your legs now bare, it’s way easier to stay that way. But now you are painfully aware of how your bare ass is up against his crotch, and you hope he isn’t thinking the same as you, because as the both of you shift in your attempt to fall asleep, your behind is rubbing against him. And his heart is beating as fast as yours, you can hear it.

But he is your best friend, nothing more and you do not want anything more, but right now with his strong arms wrapped around you and his breath fanning over your neck, you cannot help but imagine how his lips would feel against yours, and how his dick would feel stretching you out as he pounds into you.

The more you think about it, the less sleepy you feel and the more vivid those images become.

You are not sure how long you are lying there awake, it feels like hours, and all you want to do is sleep. But then you turn from your side to your back, and Jeongguks hand slips up to the side of your neck, just shy of holding your jaw, and your breath gets caught in your throat.

His fingers reach up to turn your head towards him, and before you know it, his lips are on yours. You are frozen for a split second, but then you are kissing back as you press yourself closer to him, your hand pulling at his hair.

He easily rolls you over so you are straddling him, his hands tightly holding on to your waist, and he groans underneath you as your teeth tug at his bottom lip. Kissing with even more fervor now, one of his hands slip down to grip your ass and you grind your hips into him as a response. His tongue slips into your mouth and you let out the tiniest of noises that just spur him on to hear more.

Breaking the kiss, he tugs on your shirt and you immediately sit up and help him pull it over your head before diving back to let your mouth meet his again. But it doesn’t take long before he rolls you over again, this time he is being on top of you, yet he keeps your hips lifted off the mattress so he can pull down your underwear.

You kick it off the rest of the way, and the second it is out of the way he settles between your legs, putting his weight onto you as he kisses you breathless. He starts to move down your neck, indulging in the little broken moans you let out. He moves further and further until he is nibbling at the apex of your thigh and just the sight of his head between your legs is enough to make your heart beat faster.

He nibbles and licks at your skin until you get impatient and start wriggling in his hold, whining out of impatience. He silently chuckles at your reaction before finally complying with a broad stripe licked up on your center.

After that, he no longer holds back. You barely have time to catch your breath as he nibbles and sucks, his tongue toying with your clit in the most delightful of ways. You clutch his hair in overwhelming pleasure as you moan out his name again and again, trying to memorize the stunning visual of him eating you out in your mind to never ever forget this again.

And when you start to move around too much for his liking, as your hips start to jerk, he simply wraps his arms around you, his strong arms on top of your lower stomach as he pulls you down so you cannot go anywhere.

In the faint light of the moonshine filtering through the windows you can make out the veins in his forearms as he flexes his muscles to keep you from moving, and the way he is laying on his side, you can see his cock heavy and thick through the thin fabric of his boxers.

You wonder what it feels like in your hand.

But he does not let you reach down. Lifting your hips up, he pulls you against his mouth, wrapping his pink lips around your clit and your hands fly up to clutch the pillow underneath your head as to anchor yourself to this reality as pleasure tries to wash you away. You are barely holding on and he knows it as well.

So, with his fingers digging into your skin to keep you close, and his tongue dancing against you, he does not let you budge a single inch until you are writhing underneath him with gasps falling from your lips in ways that sound like faint resemblances of his name and your thighs are shaking around his head.

He lets go of you when he thinks of you boneless enough, and then moves back up until his face is hovering above yours again. You can tell he wants to kiss you again. “Do you want me to go wash my face?”

You barely let him finish his sentence before your lips are on his again. You can taste yourself, and it feels somewhat odd, but you do not mind it at all, and mostly you do not want to let him go, not yet. You want to kiss him crazy. And he kisses back just as madly with his hand cupping your face so you do not go anywhere.

“So, if we already have gotten to this point…” You ask in a spare second of catching your breath in which he is nosing along your jaw with a heaving chest. “Sex or nah?”

He just snorts at your words, placing a soft kiss on your collarbone. “I mean, I’m not saying no.”

“Well, neither am I. So what are you waiting for?”

He sits back to look down on you, and with his hair a disheveled mess and some of your remains still glistening on his chin, he has never looked better.

“Do we need a condom?”

“No, I’m on the pill. Plus, I do in fact know you are clean after that drama with your ex.” You pull him back down and he easily lets you.

“Ugh, don't remind me.” He groans before attaching his lips to side of your neck, kissing up and down until you are writhing underneath him once again and you feel him grinning against your skin.

Then he leans back again, pulling off his boxers and discarding them somewhere on the side before crawling back above you. You immediately part your legs so he can settle in between, and you prepare to feel him enter you when-

“Wait, erm, I…might have had a little too much to drink, it’s really difficult to get fully hard.” He whispers in the crook of your neck, and you cannot help but laugh.

“For real?”

He hum in affirmation, pinching your side when you continue to laugh at him, going back to teasing the sensitive skin of your neck. You push him a little to turn, both of you ending on your side, facing each other and you reach down beneath your bodies to take his cock into your hands. It’s warm and firm, and definitely thick, letting your core clench with excitement.

You jerk him slowly, and he groans into your mouth at the touch. It’s satisfying, hearing his reaction. Taking it one step further, you change the angle of your position again, guiding his member to your sex and sliding along it. It rubs against your already oversensitive clit as well and noises escape you with each thrust of his hips.

That seems to do the trick, as it doesn’t take long before he flips you over again, asking you if you are ready, and you can only nod furiously until he finally slides into you. There definitely is a stretch, but it feels all too delicious and you cannot help the moan of relief that leaves your lips when he is buried deeply inside of you.

With his weight propped onto his elbows on each side of you, he has all the leverage to move his hip and he wastes no time to start thrusting into you. Your ankles come to cross behind his back and the change of position immediately makes it all feel so much more intense and deeper.

As he starts to pick up speed, the moans spill over your lips more and more in staccato noises that bounce of the walls and spur him on. The bed rattles as it hits the wall with each movement, and at this point you are sure you have long woken up his flatmate. But facing an annoyed Taehyung in the morning is the last of your worries right now, as his sharp hipbones dig into your thighs and it is slowly but surely starting to hurt.

Yet you cannot be bothered to let him know as the current angle just feels all too delightful. If you could, you would never let this moment end, he feels heavenly inside of you, and with you clawing over his back, you are sure he knows how good he makes you feel.

But his own breath is labored and there are groans coming from him each time you tighten around him, so you know, it is not only you that is enjoying herself. He seems to get closer and closer to his own edge too, deep grunts breaking up the rhythm of his exhales here and there.

You press your heels into his lower back, bringing him even closer to you, and he suddenly picks up his speed. His thrusts turn erratic as he chases his high, and it presses all the air out of you, the feeling of him fucking you this hard is absolutely overwhelming.

All you can do is moan out his name.

And that is when the coil in his stomach snaps, he thrusts a couple more times before stilling as you feel him fill you up with his warm cum. His muscles lock up and you squeeze your walls around him, guiding him through his orgasm and milking all you can out of him.

It takes a couple of minutes before the tension in his body snaps and he collapses on top of you. You hold him dearly until he has caught his breath. His lips move over your collarbones, up your neck, along your jaw until he meets your mouth one last time, kissing you with all the passion he can still muster.

Then he finally rolls off of you, and stretches his limbs. Standing up he turns on the lights, and it blinds you for a second after having gotten used to the moonlight. But once your eyes have adjusted, you cannot help but look at him and smile. He returns the grin, running his hand through his hair to try and untangle the mess it has become.

Picking up his underwear, he also throws you the shirt you were wearing earlier, and you easily catch it and pull it over your head. After that you dig around the bed, look through the chaos of his sheets to spot the black lace of your panties. You find them easily enough, putting them back on, and as you move, you already can tell that you will be sore the next morning.

“Do I even wanna know how late it is? Yes, I do.” Jeongguk mumbles before fidgeting with his phone, letting out a groan once the display light up. “Fuck. It’s 4 am. Not like I have some important things to be at tomorrow morning. My project partners are going to kill me if I fuck up tomorrow.”

“Dude, I have morning classes as well. I’m so going to fall asleep in there.”

He just sighs and puts his phone back, cracking his neck before turning to you. “I’ll go clean myself up. Be right back.”

Standing up you nod at him to go, and the movement makes you feel his cum still inside of you, and it is such an unfamiliar and weird feeling, but there is something about it that makes you all giddy and flustered. “I think I’ll go pee real quick.”

And it’s only when you are sitting on the toilet, that what just happened hits you full force, and your blood rushed up into your cheeks, warming them up and tinting them a deep hue or pink as you rest your face into your hands. You just fucked your best friend. Why the fuck did you fuck your best friend?

But it is not like it feels like a huge fuck up, like your friendship has now somehow changed, or worse, is completely ruined. You have known Jeongguk too long for that, and your bond is too strong. Yet it is something you never once expected to happen. And now that it has, it is confusing you.

Your bare feet pad back into his room after washing your hands, and once in bed, he tugs you against his chest once more, holding you close enough that you can feel his chest move with each breath he takes.

“Honestly, Jeongguk, how did that just happen?”

His voice is muffled by the way he mumbles right into your hair, but you can still make it out clearly. “I don’t know, but I blame you.”

“Wait, what?” You want to turn around, poke him in the face for blaming it on you, or at least hit his chest or something, but he knows you too well, knows all your reaction and he just holds you down with his strength, not letting you move at all and you just give up. “What did I do?”

“Let’s just talk about his tomorrow, Y/N. We need to fucking sleep now.”

“We have like two hours, you know that right?”

He nudges you once, as if he was warning you, before pressing his face further into the crook of your neck. “And if you would be kind enough to shut the fuck up, I might actually get to sleep in those.”

And for once, you listen to him as he tells you to be quiet, because tiredness has settled deeply into your muscles and bones, and they are calling you to go get some rest, to let your body recover, and Jeongguks breathing has already become slow and stable, and it lures you into your dreams like a lullaby.

This time, you fall asleep in his hold, and even with the alarm going off way too soon, you can’t remember the last time you slept that well.

#bts writing squad #bangtan bookclub #kreativewritersnet #bts #jungkook #jeongguk #bangtan #bts fics #bts fluff #bts smut #bts x reader #bangtan smut #bangtan fics #bangtan fluff #bangtan x reader #jungkook fluff #jungkook smut #jungkook x reader #jungkook fics #jeon jeongguk #can you guess how much of this actually happened to me? #spoiler alert: all of it #i mean with some tiny lil alterations #but for most parts? this was a thing #and thats probably tmi whoops #sorry

[worryinglyinnocent]

Fic: Devilish (10/10)

Summary: It all starts with a bra. Librarian Belle French is looking to start life afresh after leaving a toxic relationship. Photographer Aiden Gold is feeling old after learning he’s going to become a grandfather. Thanks to a lingerie catalogue named ‘Devilish’, a chain of events is set in motion that causes their lives to intertwine…

Rated: This chapter is E.

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[One] [Two] [Three] [Four] [Five] [Six] [Seven] [Eight] [Nine] [AO3]

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Devilish

Epilogue – Merry and Bright

If Belle had been asked six months ago what she would be doing this Christmas, the answer would certainly not have matched the reality. Sitting in Aiden’s living room, curled up on the sofa in a Christmas jumper covered in dancing snowmen with a glass of mulled wine warming her hands and Aiden’s arm around her warming the rest of her nicely, Neal and Emma and baby Henry on the other side of the room. It was the perfect picture of a family Christmas, even if Belle had only been part of the family for a comparatively short space of time. She was still not fully there yet, she felt. She and Aiden had not made any plans to move in together yet, but she sometimes felt that she spent more time at his place than she did at her own, and she found that she was all right with that. Neal had accepted her readily as a potential stepmother and after a few initial hiccups had been as warm and welcoming as she could have hoped for. Emma had been harder to convince of her benignity, but then again, Emma had been very pregnant at the time they’d first met and could be excused all manner of irrational thoughts on account of that.

And now Henry had arrived and the family truly felt complete. Belle had been dubious about coming over on Christmas Day with the new baby in the picture, wanting to give the little family the time they needed together, and it had been Neal who had re-extended the festive invitation, stating that since he and Emma would be fussing over the baby for the entire holiday, his father needed someone to talk to.

But they weren’t talking now. They were just sitting watching the lights on the tree. The TV was on low in the background; Emma and Neal had found that the soft hum of its sound helped get Henry off to sleep, although naturally the channel was changed if anything with loud bangs and gunfire came on. At the moment, they were watching the Hallmark Christmas movie channel, so there wasn’t any fear of a car exploding or machine gun fire at unexpected moments.

Aiden chinked his tumbler of whisky against her wine glass.

“Merry Christmas.”

“A very Merry Christmas to you too.” Belle finished the dregs of her wine and nestled in closer against his chest. They had exchanged gifts earlier in the day, but there was something else that she wanted to give him, something that couldn’t be wrapped up in shiny paper and exchanged with the entire rest of the family watching.

“Something tells me that it might be getting distinctly merrier,” Aiden murmured in her ear, and Belle wriggled with a mixture of anticipation and embarrassment.

“Am I really that obvious?”

Aiden nodded. “I have to say it, love, but you can’t keep a secret to save your life.”

“And there was I thinking that I was being all surreptitious and coy about it.”

Neal looked up from Henry. “I heard the words ‘surreptitious and coy’ and I began to think that maybe it’s time that we put Henry to bed,” he said dryly. “Either that, or you put yourselves to bed.”

Aiden gave a long and slightly pained sigh. “Just because I haven’t been in a relationship since you were in middle school doesn’t mean that you can take advantage now,” he complained.

“You’re kidding me, right? I missed out on all my teenage years of making fun of you, I need to catch up.”

“You’re absolutely incorrigible, did you know that?”

“Oh Dad, where’s your spirit of adventure?”

“It died long ago.”

“Hush you two,” Emma said, her voice barely above a hiss. “I’ve only just got him off to sleep and if you make me laugh now then you’ll wake him up! Come on Neal, let’s take him up and leave the lovebirds to get on with it. I feel like I could sleep for a week myself.”

Neal gave into this with good grace and good nights were exchanged. Aiden waited until the noises of movement in the house above them had died down and it was clear that Emma, Neal and Henry were ensconced in their own room and there would be little chance of interruption before he twisted to capture Belle’s lips.

“Now then, shall we begin our own little Christmas party?” he asked. There was already that wonderful huskiness in his voice that sent shivers down Belle’s spine, and she nodded eagerly.

“We’ll need to go upstairs though,” she said. “That’s where I left the final part of our present.”

“Our present?”

“Yes. I bought it for me, but you’re definitely going to get a lot of enjoyment out of it too.”

“In that case, I look forward to it immensely.”

There were a few moments of normality then, when they had to break out of their close embrace to tidy up the living room and put the house to bed, but once the lights were out and they were in the bedroom, with no noises coming from the guest room, Belle smiled again in a manner that she hoped was seductive and not just awkward. Going to bed with Aiden had been a learning curve for the both of them, really. It had been so long since Aiden had been in a relationship that he was re-learning everything over, and Belle had not had all that much experience herself. In a way they were learning their way around each other together, and Belle was very happy about that. Ever since that first time together, when things had not exactly gone as she had planned, she had never felt bad about her own sexual inexperience, and she had very much enjoyed everything that she was learning.

Six months ago she didn’t think that she would ever have had the confidence to get into bed with someone ever again, so afraid of jumping into something that she regretted on the rebound.

Now though, everything was going well. She was a part time underwear model, after all.

“Why don’t you get comfortable and I’ll show you what I’ve got?”

Aiden smirked. “Oh yes, I’m very much looking forward to this.”

Belle grabbed the discreet red carrier bag printed with the Devilish logo from where it was sitting innocently on top of her overnight bag and she disappeared into the bathroom, shaking out the contents and spreading them out on the tiled floor. She could do this. She could wear this. She might have gone completely beetroot red when she had tried it on in the shop, but that was beside the point. It was not something that she would ever have consented to wear for a catalogue shoot, but it was only Aiden who was going to see it now, and she knew that his reaction was going to be a favourable one.

Belle had never yet bought anything red whilst revamping her underwear wardrobe, stating that she’d had enough of red and black; she wanted to wear colours that she liked and that suited her. Unfortunately, like most stores, the vast majority of what Devilish offered around Christmas time was in red in some shape or form. The piece that she was putting on now had been a real find, pure white in snowflake pattern lace with little velvet bows. Ruby had modelled it for the Christmas catalogue shoot and Belle might never have come across it if her friend hadn’t quickly shown it off during the lunch break. She gave herself a once over in the mirror and tried to ignore the fact that her face was very obviously reddening before she bit the bullet and stepped out into the bedroom with a confidence that was partially fake. Do the brave thing and bravery would follow. It was the mantra that she had been trying to live by ever since she had left Gaston, and thus far it had worked out for her.

And it had worked again. Aiden was looking at her as if his eyes were about to pop out of his head, and she knew that she had made the right decision.

“Yes, I think I’m definitely going to enjoy this gift,” he said. He sounded slightly strangled, which Belle had learned was a sign that she was onto a good thing. She gave him a little twirl. He’d seen the outfit before, of course, when he’d photographed Ruby wearing it, but he’d never seen it on her. It was a baby doll style nightdress and matching panties, seemingly innocuous but for the very sheer lace, until on closer inspection it became apparent that the little velvet bows over the bra cups and panties were actually concealing the fact that it was a peephole set. Belle could see Aiden’s fingers twitching, longing to get his hands on her and undo those bows to see beneath them. Belle had liked the novelty value of being uncovered but still dressed, however loosely the term might be applied, and she sauntered over to the bed, crawling up Aiden’s body until she could kiss him deeply. He gave in readily, pulling her in close against his chest with a hungry eagerness and Belle grinned against his mouth as she felt the first stirrings of his cock against her thigh.

“This is ok?” she ventured when he finally let her up for air.

“God, Belle, this is way more than ok. You know that.”

Belle smiled. “I like to check.”

“And I love you for it.”

She had been worried when she discovered how much she liked being the more dominant partner in the bedroom, indeed, it had freaked her out a little bit that perhaps she was projecting so many years of being more submissive under Gaston out in an unhealthy way, and it had taken a lot of persuading from Ariel, Ruby and Aiden himself to talk her down from the panic she was getting herself into, that this was not toxic, that Aiden liked it as much as she did, and that as long as they communicated clearly, then there was nothing wrong with it. It wasn’t even so much a question of dominance, but of setting the pace, and that was something that Aiden was more than happy to let her do on a regular basis – something that Belle loved him for.

She leaned back in to recapture his mouth again, her tongue exploring every corner of him. He tasted of whisky, sharp and smoky, and Belle could probably have got drunk off the taste of him alone. His hand came up to cup her breast, fingers toying with the ribbon that kept the cup closed, and she pulled away, tutting.

“Not yet, Aiden. All in good time. First of all I think that we need to do something about the fact that you’re incredibly overdressed right now.”

He wasn’t as overdressed as he could have been. Belle had grown so used to seeing him in his immaculate suits all the time that it had come as a bit of a shock to her when she had first seen him wearing jeans and a sweater in off-duty mode, and she had fallen about laughing earlier in the day when she had seen him in his Rudolf Christmas jumper. Thankfully he had already taken that off whilst she was getting ready in the bathroom; she didn’t think that she would have been able to go through with the seduction had she come out of the en suite to find Rudolf staring back at her.

Together they made quick work of his shirt buttons and the thing was flung in the vague direction of the laundry hamper, before another frenzy of kisses took them over. There was more urgency now that the clothes were coming off, more unadulterated need. Belle moved away from his mouth, savouring all the little groans in the back of his throat as she kissed her way over his jaw, down his neck and over his chest, flicking her tongue over his nipples and making him gasp as they tightened under her touch. She couldn’t help grinning against his skin; Aiden’s body was like an interactive map and the more she roamed over it, the more wonderful and more expressive noises he made. His belly was quivering with the effort of trying to stay still, his hips wanting to buck up against her, and she sat back on her heels, tracing a finger down the line of dark hair that disappeared under his waist band, promising good things beneath. The bulge in the front of his trousers was getting more and more obvious with every moment, and Belle decided to take pity on him, unfastening his belt and fly and helping him wriggle the jeans off.

“There,” she said once he was down to his tented boxers. “I think we’re on more of a level playing field now. He was hot and hard beneath her as she crept back up his body, but Belle was determined to make this last for as long as possible and truly draw out this Christmas celebration as much as she could. “Now you can do a little exploration.”

He kissed her first, pouring more love and desire than she could possibly have hoped for into the kiss. Since they had taken their time in getting to know each other intimately, kissing had been something that they had partaken in often, indeed as much as possible, to sate that hunger that they both felt but didn’t quite feel ready to try acting upon again yet. Kissing Aiden was something that Belle thoroughly enjoyed, but there was more to come tonight, and they both knew that this was only the beginning. She felt his hand come up to cup her right breast, rubbing his thumb over the little bow that covered her nipple, making the bud beneath it pebble and harden, eager for his warm fingers against it directly, and she pressed her chest forward into his touch. Deft fingers plucked at the velvet ribbon and the cup fell open, Aiden’s hand covering her breast and rubbing her nipple.

“Like what you find?” she asked. Aiden nodded, lowering his mouth to her and tugging on her nipple, laving his tongue over it whilst his other hand rubbed at the other bow, eventually untying it and repeating the treatment on the other side. Belle threw her head back, her hands anchored against his shoulders feeling like the only thing that was keeping her from taking off into a little flight of pleasure. Learning to let go and give in to all the wonderful sensations had been one of the hardest things to overcome when they had begun to sleep together again after the missteps of their first night. To just focus on the pleasure that he was so artfully and generously giving her, rather than worrying about what his own reactions might be, was harder than it looked, although when he was doing that with his tongue… That made it a lot easier to distract herself from overthinking the entire situation.

“That’s it,” Aiden crooned, kissing his way back up her chest to her lips and giving her nipples a sly pinch. “Just go with it, let it come. Relax.”

She liked the fact that she could relax with him, that she truly felt safe and not like she was going to be judged for her hang-ups. Another of the things that she loved about him so very much.

There was a final ribbon holding the baby doll fastened in the front, but Aiden skipped past that one, dragging his hands down her sides and up under the hem to rest on her hips, thumbs massaging little circles there over the waistband of her panties.

“A little bit more exploration?” he suggested, getting closer and closer to the split gusset.

Belle nodded. “Oh yes, yes, please.”

“Then your wish is my command.” He grinned at her. “It is Christmas, after all.”

He cupped her mound and Belle ground down against the heel of his hand, wanting as much friction as she could get from him. One finger was stroking her along the line where the gusset was open, just about touching her through the fabric but not as near as she wanted him, and he fumbled a little with the first of the two bows, the one that sat neatly over her clit. The fabric was already damp from her juices, Belle could tell as his fingers slipped on the wet velvet. Finally it was open and she keened against him, head thrown back as he coaxed her pearl out and it swelled under his touch, circling around the little nub but not touching her directly on it. Belle closed her eyes; she didn’t think that she would be able to open them if she tried, and everything else in the room faded away as she focussed just on the wonderful things that Aiden was doing with his hand. She felt the second bow give way and his fingertip press into her entrance; she took him readily, clenching around him and wanting more, so much more.

“So wet and sweet, my love,” he murmured as he continued to pet at her inner walls, pushing up another finger inside her and curling in just the right way, a way that Belle had never been able to get the right angle on herself. His other hand was still petting at her clit, thumb stroking her firmly, bringing her closer and closer to the edge. She was nearly there, she was so close, so desperately close, and…

And now she was overthinking it all again, and pleasure began to give way to frustration as she felt that plateau come. Everything he was doing felt wonderful, but something was stopping her letting go and falling over that wonderful peak with him. She’d already accepted that she wasn’t going to have an orgasm every time they made love and that the discovery of her pleasure was still something of a work in progress, but it was Christmas and she was wearing the most audacious lingerie she’d ever owned and she’d been looking forward to this moment all day and it just wasn’t fair…

“Hey.” Aiden’s voice was soft and Belle gave a moan of something akin to annoyance as she felt the hand toying with her clit move, but then a moment later it was cupping her cheek and she opened her eyes. “Don’t think about it,” he said. “Just let it come. It won’t come if you don’t let it.”

His fingers curled inside her again and Belle shivered, furrowing her brow when he pulled them out.

“I’ve had an idea,” he said simply. “Scooch up?”

Belle glanced down; there was a dark, damp spot on the front of his boxers where his cock was already leaking pre-cum. He must have been aching for her, but he gave himself no mind and just rubbed her thigh, getting her to move up his body.

“Come up,” Aiden coaxed. “Right up.”

Belle preferred being on top, ever since that first time that had not gone according to plan. She liked the control it gave her and the fact it made her feel more like an active participant, rather than slipping back into the ceiling watching that she had always done before. As much as she liked Aiden going down on her, she was willing to sacrifice that if she stayed on top with just his fingers. Now, though, as he shifted down so that his face was between her thighs, she was going to get the best of both worlds.

“Are you sure?” she asked him.

“Very sure. I trust you not to smother me. I’ve got you. Just let yourself give in to it.”

She had come so close before that it really didn’t take all that much to bring her back into the moment after the little interruption, and the first touch of Aiden’s hot tongue against her clit was electrifying. One hand was under her bum, keeping her from collapsing down onto his face completely, and the other was pushing two fingers back inside her clutching channel, curling as he had done before. Belle grabbed the headboard, leaning on it and closing her eyes once more, letting herself go with the exquisite pleasure that she was getting from his hands and his mouth, his tongue lapping over her clit, now circling around it, now hard, now light. Her nipples were begging for touch, the lace and velvet of the lingerie teasing them in just the right way as she moved against Aiden’s mouth…

“Oh, Aiden…”

Her release was blissful, and all the more intense for its unintentional delay. It wasn’t sharp or sudden but the culmination of so much build up, a tumbling fall over an edge rather than a starburst.

“That’s it. Let go, love. I’ve got you.”

He drew his fingers out of her achingly slowly, and as he brought her back down and she flopped against his chest to get her breath back, she could see her juices glistening on his mouth and chin. There was something erotic in the sight that never failed to give her a little aftershock of pleasure as she came down into the glow.

“Happy Christmas,” she mumbled against his skin, and she felt his laugh rather than heard it.

“A very happy Christmas.”

They lay there for a moment, until Belle shifted and felt his hard length against her thigh. She reached down, opening his boxers and taking him out, stroking his blood-dark cock and feeling him twitch in her hand.

“I’ve decided I like underwear with holes in,” she said plainly, running her thumb over his flushed tip and smearing the pearly fluid. “It just makes life so much more practical, don’t you think?”

“Mm.” Aiden nodded, words evidently a bit beyond him as she tugged on his length and his hips bucked up to meet her on the down stroke. “Yes.”

Belle slipped her leg over his hip, lining them up as best she could without moving from her current position. The open ribbons of her panties kept getting in the way and in the end he had to lend a hand, but after a little more wriggling, he was sunk deep inside her, his head thrown back and lips parted in ecstasy as Belle began to move on him, rocking her hips to meet his. It didn’t take him long to come, and Belle couldn’t say that she really blamed him having been on the edge for so long. As long as he enjoyed the experience, that was what mattered, and that was the one thing that she had taken away from their love-making. As long as they had a good time, it didn’t really matter how long it took either of them to get there, if they even got there at all.

“Oh Belle.” Aiden gave a soft, sated sigh, and Belle could hear the happiness in his voice as he spoke. “You are so very wonderful, my love.”

She shifted her hips to let him slip out of her, but neither of them made any move to clean up or make themselves decent ready for sleep.

“I love you too,” she whispered.

They had a long way to go yet, and Belle knew that there would still be moments when her mind would run away with her and she’d have to talk things out with Ariel and Ruby to get her back on track. But she knew that she was moving in the right direction, and here in Aiden’s bed with his arms around her and his seed drying on her skin, she knew that she would get there in the end.

At length he shifted a little, tucking himself back into his boxers and pulling the covers up over them where the night air was beginning to chill, but he pulled her in closer to his side and did not complain when she nestled her head in against his shoulder, simply planting a kiss in her hair.

“You know, I think you ought to venture into the naughty section of the catalogue more often,” he said, flicking at one of the loose ribbons on her baby doll. Belle could only smile, a smile that became a giggle that was nigh on uncontrollable, and she had to bury her face in Aiden’s chest to prevent her from waking the whole household.

“What’s got into you?” he asked, obviously trying very hard not to laugh himself.

“Nothing, nothing. It was a long train of thought. I was just thinking about how it could have been so easy for me never to have met you, and how far I’ve come – we’ve come – since then.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear that,” Aiden said. He stroked her hair. “Sleep now, love. It’s been a long day.”

“Yes. But a good one.”

They fell into silence, still warm in each other’s arms, and Belle continued to think about the course of their relationship and all the ups and downs and doubts and moments of confidence that had brought them to this moment.

And it had all started with a bra.

#rumbelle fic #rumbelle #rumbelle smut #Belle French #Mr Gold #Fic: Devilish