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randomfoggytiger · 5 months

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Eight Nights of Mulder: Day 6, Dreidel

Perhaps a Part II to "Something Approaching a Normal Life".

*****

“Yes, Mom, yes, I will-- what? You… what? Yes, yes I-- yes, Mom, I got it. Yes, I’ll tell him. Mom, Mulder’s here I have to go--”

Mulder wandered in, sun-tanned and healthy and wonderfully free of an earful of Maggie Scully itinerary. “How’s your mom doing?”

“Planning a surprise for you.”

His eyebrows flew up-- for me? she interpreted-- and he shook his head, incredulous and disbelieving.

“For me?” Bingo.

“She said she wants to celebrate us getting the files back.”

“But that was months ago.”

“I know-- and apparently, she’s been planning this for months. Though what she’s planned is beyond me.” Scully sighed, decided against pinching her nose, crossed her arms instead. “The party’s at five next week.”

She looked up and had to bite down a grin: Mulder was flummoxed-- there was no other word for it. His mouth flapped once, twice; his eyes widened; and his eyebrows still migrated north. Finally, he lifted a hesitant hand to scrunch then smooth down the back of his hair.

“I… tell her thanks. From me.”

*****

Scully, for all her impeccable punctuality, arrived late: snow and traffic she excused to herself, ignoring her nervous breaths and shaky hands. Mulder’s car was already pulled up on the curb-- and Bill’s, she acknowledged with (what she was horrified to realize was) a shudder. Now thoroughly riled up at her cowardice, she slammed the door and crunched across the white lawn with as much dignity as her expensive boots would allow.

Of all people, her partner answered the door.

“Happy Hanukkah!” he crowed, grin positively Grinchy while watching Scully’s world grind to a halt.

“Oh, there you are, honey-- welcome home!” Maggie swept under Mulder’s arm with a benevolent hug, an upbeat, infectious party sprite undeterred by her daughter's ramrod posture. “Happy Hanukkah!”

“Mom, I didn’t know you celebrated.…” Scully began, eyes darting between both of them as they shooed her through the hall to the coat rack.

“Don’t be silly, Dana, you know we’re Catholic.”

Mulder clucked his tongue rebukingly.

“Then what’s this about?” Whirling around, hat suddenly gone and coat pulled half off, Scully clutched at Maggie’s arm-- or Mulder’s-- and held on, demanding answers.

“We’re celebrating Hanukkah, Scully. You almost didn’t make it in time for the light show.”

And Mulder-- this incomprehensible, insensible version of him, anyway-- gave her a good-hearted nudge towards the living room.

“I… you’re Jewish?” Though Scully tried not to let it, the fact that Mulder had told her mother about this part of himself before her… stung. “If I had known--”

“Oh, I’m not. Or I might be. Hard to say.” Mulder vague-speak: an outright challenge. And he had the cheek to look endearingly smug about it.

She, as always, rose to the bait.

“Mulder.”

To her surprise, it was Maggie who coughed up an answer: “Dana, leave the poor man alone. I had a dream about him a few months back.”

Another grinding halt: immediately pivoting, she locked eyes with her mother, aghast. “Mo--”

“I know you don’t believe in them, but it was real and it happened. Since then, I’ve been planning out this event for the both of you-- and I won’t hear any arguments.” And she scuttled off to the beeping oven before Scully could get a word in edgewise.

Mulder was having much too fun snacking on fried foods and peeking between her and the decorative menorah resting on a nearby side table. It would almost be amusing if it weren’t so tragic.

“Mulder, I’m sorry. Mom meant well--”

“Scully, it’s okay-- I’m having a great time. Your mom’s been teaching me all the customs and proper words; and I, I even met a few of your relatives who knew more about Hanukkah than I did.” He chuckled, really pleased.

Wonder of wonders.

“Mulder, are you really Jewish?”

She watched him tilt his head mid-chew, watched his jaw grind back and forth between ideas. “I don’t really know, Scully. I think my mother was. Culturally, if not religiously. I have a few memories of her mother, fewer of her father; but… but, yeah, they served these potato pancakes--” he waved one of his snacks for emphasis “--when we dropped in for morning cartoons. Sam and I were always more interested in reruns than talking with ‘the old people’.”

In the stretch of silence that followed, lengthened, she watched regret bloom behind his eyes. “And maybe that was wrong of us. If I’d known…” we’d lose touch filled the gap, unspoken, “then I think I would have wanted to know more about them. We stopped going right… before. I guess we got so used to being Mulders we forgot how to be Kuipers.”

Scully nodded, grabbed a potato. Decided to join Mulder in whatever this was for him.

*****

It wouldn’t pass for the laxest definition of Hanukkah-- all eight nights crammed into one, Maggie and Mulder repeating phrases and rituals back to each other, a nameless relative handing out dreidels and no one caring in the least they were for children's games-- but the celebration was, in its own way, a success. Though the crowd was small (not a lot of stricter family members wanted to attend) and the food a little hit or miss, everyone was determined to have a good time; and that determination carried the night.

Maggie sent her guests home with leftovers and a little party bag of chocolate coins-- “Gelt!” she repeated, over and over, while Mulder licked tasty smears from his eager fingers-- but whisked the cleaned menorah and dreidels away to her holiday storage, before anyone had even left (cleanliness and promptness still wound tight into her military wife gears.)

The tromp back through the snow was peaceful. Scully took advantage of the moment to slow their walk, gaze fixed on the white winter moon. They paused in front of her car, his enthusiasm and her absorption meeting somewhere in the middle.

“Well, Mulder? Do you feel celebrated?”

He nodded, tossed another gelt into his cavernous mouth, smacked twice, loudly, then cleared his throat. “I’ve been to two of your mom’s parties now, Scully, and I think they get better and better.”

“That’s only because Bill wasn’t there,” she teased, watching him shift his left boot in the snowdrift. He’d made a little angel, unawares.

“Yes, he was.”

What? “What? No, he couldn’t have been.”

“Scully, his car’s just over there.”

In a flash, she remembered-- yes, Bill’s car was there, had been there before she’d even arrived. “But… but I didn’t even notice him.”

Mulder snorted. “That’s because your mother kept him hopped up on fried food. He was happy as a clam and didn’t want to come over and bother me.”

“Mulder, of course he wanted to bother you. He probably didn’t think it would look good to bully the Jewish boy on his special day.”

Her partner shrugged; and the silence pushed her more upright to study him closely.

“Sometimes I… I can’t help but wonder if I’m misremembering things, Scully. Mom never spoke Yiddish, or practiced cultural holidays, or mentioned Temple; but it didn’t… she doesn’t seem to be avoiding her roots out of shame. And maybe she doesn’t tie herself to being Jewish. Or maybe… what if I made it up in my head, only recalled bits and pieces of my childhood rationalizations and blew them up into a separate identity out of another sense of having been wronged? I’m a Mulder, but….”

But in light of his mother’s denial and rebuke and slap, being a Mulder was shaky ground at present; and escape with a new or reclaimed sense of identity would seem a beautiful salvation to a man scrabbling for any purchase from sheer desperation.

Scully never weighed in on his family matters-- he hadn’t wanted her too-- but the pieces only fit one way, logically. Rationally nothing else made sense. But as easily as she dismissed the more insidious insinuations of old Spender’s relationship with the Mulders, she also sympathized with her partner’s continual doubts on the subject. Confused by yet another topic Tena complicated by her silence, Mulder was left to drift, clinging to her support and her unflinching, scientific reasoning for reassurance.

And my family’s open arms and toddled-out traditions.

“Mulder, at some point a part of us will be lost to time. No one can trace their lineage without it cracking apart under the faults and frailties of common humanity; but more importantly, the common element in all of us is what binds us beyond who we are and what we have chosen to define ourselves by. In one generation, identity can change completely, be it biological or environmental factors. Human wars upend lives and redefine boundaries; and, when a few more wrongs are made right, those lines dividing people collapse, leaving whoever is left to face each other with more in common than not.”

He was nodding along, mulling over her words. Time to narrow the scope by throwing in a personal illustration.

“Although my family prides itself on its Irish roots, only the very old ones can speak Gaelic; and I’ve learned more about Irish myths and traditions from working with you than I have from an Aunt Olive or a second cousin Seymour. I and my brothers and Melissa were raised Catholic, but only Bill and I chose to remain in the faith. Charlie’s children will turn into different men than Bill’s son, and all three will continue that cycle as they grow up and move out and start families of their own.

“In short, Mulder,” she said, winding back the spool of her thoughts with a self-deprecating grin, “you’re you. And if that means you enjoy celebrating Hanukkah in the Scully family style, then….”

She slowed and stopped, puzzled, as he nudged a chocolate from his coin stash at her. “What?”

“A gelt for your thoughts. I figured you more than earned it.” The expression in his eyes-- starstruck humility and gentle persistence-- undercut Mulder’s flippancy; and brooked no argument. I owe you everything and you owe me nothing, they reminded. It’s the least I can do, they insisted.

If eating a piece of candy was what Mulder needed from her, then Scully was determined to do it and do it right. She ripped the foil off, popped it in her mouth, and chewed and swished vigorously until every last bite was gone. I do it all for you, Mulder, she thought, this proof and my words and even who I have become.

Scully watched his eyes twinkle, thankful, before he turned, parting ways after a promise to compare leftovers on Monday.

*****

She was back in the car, back on the road, almost to her apartment, this time clutching the gelt wrapper like a talisman, swishing her thumb back and forth across the crinkles during the long red lights.

Scully made a mental note to thank her mother. Whatever tonight was, Mulder had needed it.

*****

Thanks for reading~

Enjoy!

(Tagging @today-in-fic~)

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heartfullofleeches · 1 year

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Okay so now that we’ve confirmed that Lius dad is hot, it’s time to find him 😼

Call me dora the explorer cause im not giving up

Maybe he'll find you first-

Your car breaks down on the side of a desolate road. Just before you're forced to pull over, you hear a small pop from the front tires. You climb out to see the damages, using your camera's flashlight to see ahead. Two large gashes were slashed into each tire; the cause left a mystery when you search. It's too dark to trail far from your car even with your light source.

You climb back in your car, going over the logistics of your situation as you try not to panic. You're alone, in the middle of nowhere. The last gas station was about fourty miles back and you only had one spare tire. You could try to get back with that, or the less safer choice of walking. Before either plan is set in motion, you attempt the easiest route of trying to make a phone call.

"Come on... Please." Your heart sinks to your stomach as the third call fails to connect. You check the signal - zero bars. You rest your head against the steering wheel, mentally preparing yourself for what you had to do next. Your phone didn't have much battery left either, so if you didn't work fast you'd have to work in pitch darkness. You take a breath, reaching for the door, but as you grab the handle you're surrounded by a white light.

It's so bright that for a moment you worry you've somehow died and this is your call to the beyond. As your eyes adjust to their intensity, you realize you're staring down the grill of a truck almost three times the size of your car. The driverside drop pops open, gravel crunching under heavy boots as a silhouette approaches you. The soft hum of a whistle fills the air as it creeps forward; coming to an abrupt stop as a man appears in your side view mirror.

He taps on the window, plucking the chewed toothpick held between his lips as you roll the window down. He tips his hat to you as he leans against the door, positioning his face so he can look at you with his good eye. From the angle, you can see a red sticker on his shirt that reads: "Hello, My name is J."

"Evening, Cher. Seems like you're saving car troubles, from the looks of things."

You look him up and down. You've seen him before. Back at the last stop. He gave you a passing glance and you thought nothing more of it at the time. "My tires got busted.. I.. must've hit something."

The man clicks his tongue with a shake of his head. "Shame." He pats the car door. "Can't leave a pretty thing like you alone in this parts. Hop out and I'll carry you back to the station. Get some warm food in you, and call someone to pick up your car for ya."

He smiles warmly. Something about the expression gives you a sense of unease. It reminds you of seeing a loved on you hadn't seen in a long time. His face falls.

"Feeling a little uncomfortable, Cher? That's perfectly understandable. I can't abandon ya out in the middle of nowhere, if ya aren't coming I hold you don’t mind if I stick around. Got a few blankets in the back too if you'd like to fall asleep.."

#J #yandere #yandere oc #yandere scenarios #yandere x reader #yandere x you #yandere insert #yandere headcanons #yandere imagines #yandere drabble #yandere monster #yandere x y/n #male yandere #yandere x darling #yandere blurb #yandere writing

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outside-logic · 1 year

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the ghost in the garden is haunting me

Years after Todd started haunting me, the garden was loud. The wind gripped the branches of my old oak and slammed them against each other, turned the leaves into drums. The gravel of the path crunching under my fight sounded like fireworks. The birds were screaming. It wasn’t as loud as it was the year Todd died, but it was more aggressive. The noises were angry.

I went to a group therapy session on the anniversary of Todd’s death. I couldn’t handle the noise. But it wasn’t any better there. All those other griefs were suffocating.

When I left the room, I saw three women outside the door. They could have been friends, or sisters, or a polyamorous trio. I don’t know, and it doesn’t matter anyway. They were gripping each other desperately, their bodies so close together they were almost running together. If Todd was here I would hold him like that.

“You know, I used to be so angry at you,” Todd said. The blue button-up he wore was rumbled and stained, one collar standing straight up. There was a ragged hole on the left side of the shirt, and I knew that there was a matching hole on the back.

“Why?” I whispered. My therapist had told me not to talk to him over and over. My therapist had chipmunk-sized front teeth, and every time I had a session with her, I was transfixed by them. I stared at her teeth and ignored her advice.

“You named me Todd. It’s such a basic name. I wish you had chosen something more… creative.” As he grinned at me, a thin stream of blood dripped out of his ear. It made no sound as it hit the ground and soaked into the grass. “It’s okay, though. I know you were just doing your best.”

“Thank you, Todd,” I said, woodenly. I very determinedly did not look at his ear.

“I love you, mom. I’ve always loved you.” He said it in a very matter-of-fact voice. At some point, a piece of straw appeared in his mouth, and he chewed on it like a cowboy in one of the trashy Westerns he used to love.

“God, just stop. Please, stop talking. You sound like a Hallmark greeting card, you—just shut up.”

I felt my eyes watering, and took out the travel-sized tissue pack from my pocket. It was almost empty, but I pulled out the last two tissues and wiped my eyes. I’d been a continually leaking faucet for the last five years, and by that point tears were just an eventuality to plan for.

“Of course, mom,” he said. I closed my eyes to wipe them, pressed hard against my eyelids until red crept in from the sides and danced against my irises. When I opened them again, he was sitting on the grass, innocent as you please. In the space of a couple seconds, he had turned small and chubby, his only words indiscernible babbling. I laughed—well, I felt the laugh, deep down, but it dissolved in my stomach acid and was gone long before it got to my throat. It was such a Todd thing to do, obeying my order not to talk in the most absurd way possible.

Todd had been a cute baby when he was alive, and that didn’t change when he died. This hallucination or ghost or whatever it was impersonating my dead son had gotten him almost perfectly right, down to the little wisp of hair sticking up from his skull and the way he had sucked on his knuckles as a baby. But he was never this nice to me. He was seventeen when he died, and teenagers are not notorious for telling their parents about their love. Every time he appeared, every time he said something sweet, it broke the illusion that Todd, the real Todd, was waiting for me in the living room with his phone in one hand and a horrendously unhealthy snack in the other.

I was crying hard enough that my nose was blocked, and I was out of tissues again, so I blew my nose into the grass and went inside, leaving Todd to crawl around alone. By the time I passed the abandoned car stuck in the middle of my garden, he had disappeared.

I stuck my head under cold water until the redness in my eyes went away. I had gotten rather good at it over the last five years. Too long under the water and the cold irritates your eyes more, too short and the puffiness won’t go down.

“Tell me a story,” Todd said. He was eight or nine, that straw still stuck between his lips.

I ignored him.

“Or just talk to me. It doesn’t have to be a story.”

I left the faucet on and dried my hands on a towel.

“Hey, you can tell me about the car in the garden!”

My hands were dry, so I put them under the water again.

He was using his wheedling voice. “Come on, you love the garden!”

I rubbed the towel against my wrist until my skin was raw.

“Please please please please please please please ple—”

“Fine. ”

“... really?”

“Yes.” This Todd was the hardest to resist, all floppy-haired and puppy-eyed, wearing a minecraft shirt that was two sizes too small. “There is tree and and car in my garden.” I told him about raising the oak, 15 years old when I got it and still scrawny, guiding its trunk through a window and then out the sunroof. I talked about the flowers filling the seats and the floor, and the vines hanging down around the trunk. Throughout, he watched me intently, his gaze never moving away from my face.

“Thank you for telling me about that, mom,” He said solemnly.

“You’re welcome.” My smile was a small, sharp thing, but it was there and it was hard-won.

When Todd died, my garden died with him. His death filled it with thorns and weeds, left my oak dried and leaves. The last time I was in it was the night that Todd died. I gave the car that he died in to the garden, and the thorns grew up around it almost overnight. I got home from the hospital, and suddenly pricker bushes were taking over my lilies. Thorny vines choked out everything.

***

When Todd was a baby, his clothes were constantly getting dirty. I would come in from working outside to change him, and even if I scrubbed my hands for minutes before touching him, the dirt under my fingernails and in the crevices of my palm somehow found its way onto his skin.

When he got older, he helped me. No matter how much I told him that there wasn’t much difference, he always claimed that Lonicera Periclymenum was the sweetest of all the honeysuckle species. The honeysuckles were overwhelmed first. They were gone before I got back from the hospital.

In the hospital, there was a clean white bandage wrapped around his head, and not a drop of blood anywhere in sight. It was too clean. When the hospital called me and told me that my son was in a medically induced coma, in critical condition, I had not expected this. I had thought there would be bits of flesh everywhere, and the overpowering smell of rot. Instead, there were clean bandages and the faint smell of cleaning products.

Todd refused to go to sleep without a story until the age of ten, and he always insisted that we go out into the garden to read it.

I opened the storybook across my knees.

“There once was a girl who lived in a cave, deep underground. Her village was made of many rooms, all carved directly into the rock. It was always dark." I told him about the plants, the many plants that her people tended, and saw as holy. I told him about the tunnel, steep and pitted with traps, and the girl who went up the tunnel one day, when everyone was asleep. I thought he shifted when I described the top of the tunnel, and the man, far away, herding strange, skinny livestock. Alarms started beeping before I got to the end. Over the sounds of nurses moving around the room, I yelled about the animals scraping their teeth over the dirt, rocks crunching in their teeth. People started moving around the room. There was one nurse who held Todd’s hand as he looked over the machines, who was kind when he kicked me out of the room.

When a doctor came to see me forty-five minutes later, her face was carefully grave. She told me about Todd’s sudden drop in brain activity in a polite, professional voice. She spewed her scripted sympathy at me for far too long before she got the message and left me alone.

“She watched the man for a long time, but he just stood among his cattle, still as a corpse,” I whispered, standing in the hallway outside his room. I didn’t feel anything except for a vague disappointment that I hadn’t gotten to finish the story.

By the time I got home, the thorns were everywhere.

***

There car in my garden is covered in leaves and vines and earth. If you didn’t know what it was you would think it’s just a mound of dirt.

Todd leaned against the fence, a broad straw hat on his head to match the straw in his mouth. The blood had moved from his ear, pooling around the tear in his shirt and splattering across his cheeks. “Tell me a story, mom. Tell me about how that car got here.”

“You know what happened, Todd.”

“Then tell me again. Please, mom*.*”

“After you died, I drove it here and left it.” My voice didn’t waver on the word died, and I counted that as a personal victory.

Todd disappeared. He had gotten what he came for. I was thinking about it now. He just didn’t want me to forget.

I didn’t want to forget.

After Todd died, after all the doctors left and the only thing left to do was pick out a coffin, I went to find his van.

It looked the same from the back. The paint wasn’t so much as scratched. The windshield was shattered, but someone had cleaned the glass out of the inside. They said the accident was no one's fault. A piece of metal had cracked away from a building to the right. Inevitable, they said, with how much wind we’ve been having. That metal crashed through the windshield and right into Todd’s chest. Regrettable, they said, he was so young.

Most of the bloodstains were concentrated on the leather of the driver's seat and the dashboard. I got into the van and put my hand over a spot of blood on the steering wheel. I kept to the speed limit all the way home.

I turned down the gravel road that led to my house. I was driving the car one-handed, my fingers still clenched over the blood on the wheel. The needle on the speedometer strained further and further to the right. The end of the path was ahead, with my garden ahead, old growth trees lined around the edges of my yard. I didn’t slow down.

The car hit the edge of the path and narrowly avoided hitting a tree. I didn't slow down. I was properly in my garden then, flowers splayed out over the windshield and vines trying to tangle around the wheels. The muddy ground made the car spin around, and I lost my momentum. I pushed the gas pedal down harder. But I was already at the other side of my garden, and the car was caught between two oaks, their trunks squeezing the hood on either side.

I got out of the car and walked back to the street, using the furrows of squished plants as a path.

***

Todd was better than me with tomatoes. I never knew when to pick them. They would end up on the table sour, or they would squish disgustingly between my fingers. He claimed it was all about the surface tension. He threw a tomato at me once, like a snowball. The surface tension of his perfectly ripe tomato kept it from breaking open, and it just bounced off my shirt.

The tomato I threw back at him was rotten and oozing. It splattered across his face, and of course after that he accused me of cheating. While he was doing that I threw another one at him. He got down off his cheating soapbox real quick to find an appropriately disgusting tomato for me.

***

At first, Todd was just a whisper at the back of my head. A comforting voice, telling me that everything was going to be okay. It wasn’t even him, at first. It was my voice, my subconscious, my fault. I believed that voice, at first. I believed that he would come back. But as the days went on and Todd stayed dead, and I stopped hoping, until one day Todd appeared in my kitchen and I didn’t care that he wasn’t real.

In the days before New Years Eve, the illusion stopped being enough. We lurked around each other, me and the illusion. I sat in the living room watching the old TV sputter along on its ramshackle shelf, and he watched me, and the silence pressed down as hard as it had in those first months.

My garden froze on New Year's Eve. The car lurked at the edge of the yard, as usual, except instead of being covered with a curtain of greenery, there were just skeletal branches and frozen leaves. Todd was sitting in the brown grass next to it.

“Why am I here, mom?” He sounded exhausted, and when he looked up at me, there was blood running down his face.

I was staring in shock at the destruction of my garden, but at his words I spun around and jabbed a finger at him. “You—I don’t want you here. You won’t go away.”

Todd was flickering between ages and outfits like an old lightbulb, and for long moments his muscles seemed to be woven together with vines. When he spoke, his voice sounded like mine. “I love you. Everything is going to be okay.”

When his face was overwhelmed by vines, and he stopped looking like Todd, I spoke. “I. Don’t. Believe. You.”

“I. Am. You.” His voice was almost mocking for a moment, before suddenly he pulled back together, into Todd as an eight-year old. “Tell me a story, mom.”

I closed my eyes and listened to the birds. They sounded very far away. In my head, my therapist ranted about healthy coping mechanisms through her chipmunk teeth.

“The trip back down to her cave was easy.” I whispered.

For a second, Todd flickered. There was an outline of a hospital gown, white bandages there and then gone. “The girl who lived beneath the world slid down the tunnel like a slide and soon ended up back home.” The story was old, almost forgotten, and I grasped the edges of it with difficulty. Todd’s straw left his mouth and was threaded between his fingers as I told him about the girl, who came home and wept in sadness for what she had seen in the world above. As she called her people to action, beseeched them to come above and help those on the surface, the wound in his chest leaked blood. I described the villagers digging up their plants, and making the long trek back to the surface. I couldn’t say when it happened, but the ground around us smelled like a hospital room. I could hear the quiet beeping and subdued chatter that had infiltrated Todd's final moments, and I told him the rest of the story. I narrated the grief of the girl as they had to leave some of their plants behind, and the difficult climb through the tunnel. When I described the awe the girl and her village felt at seeing the surface, Todd was no longer moving, and the vines had so enveloped him that it was hard to delineate him from the shrubbery around us. “The surface-dwellers helped the girl and her people dig below the hard crust into the good soil below. They put down their plants in neat rows, and no one had to live beneath the ground ever again.”

“Thank you for the story, mom,” he whispered in my head, his voice like the wind.

Todd faded into the undergrowth and was gone. I don't know if he was ever really there at all.

#horror #creative writing #here's another example of me doing horrible things to my characters #because they've started to annoy me #and so they deserve to suffer

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leos-regression-cove · 2 years

Text

The New Sibling

Chapter 5. Naptime

Synopsis: Mobius and Loki are put down for naps after lunch. Although, Loki is a little bit apprehensive about sharing a room with a little he doesn't really know.

Word count: 1,228

Stand Alone?: no. Please read from chapter 1.

Warnings: diapers/wetting,

Notes:

Read it on AO3!

Loki got changed first and Sylvie tried to make it special by giving him kisses on the belly and rubbing in the sweet smelling lotion liberally as Mobius explored his crib, grabbing at the blankets around him and keeping the lavender scented sheep within arms reach. He began to burble and coo a little bit more as Sylvie helped Loki out of his day clothes, only leaving the bows in his hair after a little tiff about it, and picking out pajamas for him.

The baby fascinatedly ran his mittens along the white bars of the crib and explored the new feeling of a comfortable full sized bed with crawling and shimmying and rolling and trying to touch his toes while looking up at the mobile above him in awe.

“I think it’s time I put somebody’s pacifier in,” Sylvie commented lightly with a smile referring to Mobius’ excited coos and babbles after zipping up Loki’s nap-time pajamas. “Now, how are we going to do this?” she asked the older boy. “Do you want baby and me to take the rocking chair or shall we do crib cuddles?”

“Bi’ boy!” Loki insisted.

“Okay, crib cuddles for the big boy and baby,” she fondly mused.

Instead of going to his crib to wait, Loki sat on the floor with a few toys at the foot of the rocker while Mobius was changed and redressed. The baby made even more little noises whenever Sylvie did practically anything. It was almost like he didn’t expect the motions of the lotion or the baby powder or even the diaper.

“Goodness, look at that, you and your big brother wear the same size nappy,” Sylvie chuckled.

Mobius kicked his legs a little bit to try out the new material. It was thicker than the ones he was used to and louder, too. The plastic made a crunching noise whenever he moved, just like his sensory blocks… Did Sylvie have any sensory blocks? Those were the best. He chewed on his mittens as he thought about it.

Being the big brother, Loki understood his responsibility to pick out the jammies which he did with the council of his wolf and goat plushies, looking through the stuff recently added to the second half of the closet. He picked out a bear hat with a matching brown and white knit-looking pajama set.

The baby seemed to absolutely adore it. As Sylvie slipped on the outfit, he tried a little harder to grab at his toes, much more interested now that they had tiny bear ears and faces, and also tried to grab at the hat on his head, hoping to pull it down over his eyes.

“Loki, what story shall we read for Mobius’ first day home?”

“Um… story!”

“I know, but which one, baby?”

Mobius perked up in her arms thinking he was being referred to.

“Goodness this is going to get confusing,” she smiled, sitting down on the ledge of the open crib while Loki ran off to find a book in the bookshelf that was now, so inconveniently, located in the living room.

“Which one are you looking for, brother?” Thor asked, as Loki looked through the shelves.

Loki did not answer him, not in words. Instead, the little held up Corduroy, which Loki had picked simply because it was one of his favorites.

He began to waddle back to the nursery after showing it to Thor, but let out a shocked giggle as his brother scooped him up and carried him just like Sylvie carried Mobius.

“What do you have for us, lovie?” Sylvie asked after Thor had set the toddler down. Loki hugged the book to his chest. He handed it to her as she sat on the ledge of Mobius’ crib, petting the baby’s back while the bottles Thor had brought cooled on the cleaned off changing table.

Thor held his little brother on the open edge of the opposite facing crib and tried to get him all comfortable, maneuvering the little in his lap who just got sleepier the second Sylvie opened the first page and Thor pressed the nipple of the bottle to his mouth. But little Loki fought sleep, trying to watch his new little brother nurse and making it horribly difficult for Thor to position him, as Loki would not take the bottle himself.

Eventually, the tot gave up and pretended to be asleep as Mobius fell drowsy in Sylvie’s arms, wanting to see what would happen next.

Sylvie hummed as she set the book and the baby bottle to her side, placing a pacifier in Mobius’ mouth.

He nearly woke up as she did so, until she told him to “hush hush,” and added a kiss on his cheek as she laid him down and tucked him in to the fluffy quilts and colorful crocheted blankets.

He mumbled something, but it seemed to be a sleepy “Love you” recreation made up of baby jargon.

Loki watched with one eye open as his brother repeated the same routine with him. The adults stayed for a few minutes, humming soothing melodies and turning on mobiles and praying that no problems emerged. Luckily none did and both Loki, and Mobius, did actually fall asleep in that time given to them.

But when Loki awoke, it felt as though he hadn’t slept. How clever he was for convincing his caregivers that he was asleep! The room was dark, but not pitch black, more like a lazy gray as a hint of sunlight fell through the curtains and by Loki’s crib.

The other baby made no noise and Loki stayed completely still, overcome with the stomach churning feeling that there was someone else in the room, a stranger whom he did not know or understand. He wanted to be the big brother Thor had been to him, thinking about the stories from when he had first come home that Thor had told him, but absolutely could not bring himself to quietly stand up and peer over the other crib, he just… couldn’t. He found himself paralyzed in place with anxiety, and as he was overcome with emotion. The poor toddler started to cry. It wasn’t a loud one, but enough of a bawl to be picked up on the monitor and bring Thor running to come take his little brother.

Mobius, used to these noises, paid no mind and kept sleeping as Loki tried to curl up in his brother’s arms as small as possible.

Thor took him to the living room in the hopes to calm him down.

“What troubles you?” he asked the toddler.

Loki did not answer, instead wiping his nose on Thor’s shirt.

“Was it a nightmare?”

A head shake.

“Oh, sweet brother, was it a messy?”

Loki giggled as he properly denied this was the problem either.

“Just wanted some attention, did you?”

“Yeah,” Loki cooed, deciding that it was easier than actually explaining his nervousness.

“Alright then, let’s play a game, how about that?”

Loki hopped down from his brother’s lap and grabbed a large box out of the toy bin. He set it down on the floor with a loud thunk, lifting the cardboard lid and beginning to take out massive puzzle pieces which Thor helped him place around the room, starting work on a large, 25 piece, picture of the ocean floor.

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p4latinus · 2 years

Text

୨୧⸝⸝˙˳⑅˙ drifted by oceans | tartaglia [angst fanfic]

°•. ✿ characters: tartaglia (childe/ajax), lumine (referenced)

°•. ✿ genre: !afab, angst fanfic

°•. ✿ tw: sfw! mildly suggestive reference, swearing

with a steady breath, you lowered your gaze and drew an arrow.

snow crunched beneath your footsteps as you eased yourself, gingerly reaching for the fawn’s corpse. its weight and hide were easily valued for 6000 mora. there were mouths to feed, debt to pay off, and herbs to buy. you contemplated to hunt some more but knew it was unwise as dusk cloaked the horizon.

you groaned and steadied yourself, lugging the corpse over your shoulder. the metallic stench lingered and stained your clothing. it would’ve been the 2nd laundry load for the week.

“leaving so soon?” a familiar voice called out, lifting the weight off your shoulder.

you turned to face the ginger-haired man, smiling awkwardly with a sledgehammer in the other hand. his callused hands effortlessly tugged at the corpse and tool; surely he was demolishing something again. he had always kept himself busy around our village. you uttered under your breath, calling him a “disaster”.

“you left, and i stayed put.” your unexpectedly bitter words made him shudder. “tonia, anthon and teucer are well fed anyway.”

“i know, and that is all thanks to you. i was hoping you’d be excited to see me again.” it was irritating how his smile was so confident and contagious. you turned away from his infectious grin, chewing the sides of your cheek. you reached for the carcass and paced back to the cottage.

“hey y/n—“ he tripped slightly, rushing to stand in front of you, “i’m back for good now. i left the fatui. we can start over.” his ocean blue eyes followed your expression, tracing from your eyes to your lips carefully parting for a kiss. it wasn’t proper to be impulsive, let alone be affectionate in public, so you curled your lips back and turned away.

undeniably, you hoped that he would follow you and his footsteps trailed along. you listened to your heartbeats thundering and pulsating through your ears. blood flushed and scurried on your cheeks, and along your nose. his footsteps sunk deeper into the snowfield as he paused and cleared his throat, “if you have another man, you could tell me. i’d leave you in peace with him.”

“oh really? well, you’ve changed. i thought you would put up a fight because you’d be reckless as ever. you were never tame, you temperamental mess. you left me to fend for myself and tolerate so much shit in your absence.” you scowled and hissed at him.

your silence gnawed him deeper than his guilt.

“my glaze lily-“ he began, clearing his throat.

“shut up, ajax.”

you kicked the wooden door twice before barging into a home with hungry children. anthon, tonia and teucer gleamed at the sight of you, charging forward with a tight embrace. they hid behind you as they watched their murderous brother smile and wave. tartaglia’s gaze fell with remorse and he finally understood the circumstances.

while he fell in love with you for your candor, he couldn’t help but to feel betrayed. he swallowed and tightened his grip around the sledgehammer. the tension between him and his siblings fell like a deafening silence, only slightly broken by the crackles of flames.

“okay, little ones, who wants some stew?” you offered chirpily, waltzing to the kitchen. the children excitedly volunteered to help, picking pieces of onions and carrots to add. tartaglia leaned by the door frame, watching you and his siblings prepare dinner.

age never defied your beauty. he studied the way your eyes crinkled with more lines as you smiled. stress created faint stands of grey from your roots that were quickly covered as you ran your fingers along your hair, tousling your hair that was plastered with sweat. he frowned at the way your skin peeled and chapped - he resisted himself from nagging at you for not prioritising yourself. nevertheless, he marvelled at how much you’ve taught his siblings; anthon finely cut slices of carrots and tonia stirred the broth carefully with your guidance.

“big brother?” teucer called out in a whisper.

“teucer, what can i do for you?” tartaglia smiled sweetly at his brother, bending onto one knee to face teucer.

“y/n said you were a part of the fatui and you killed people. father told us that it was true. it’s why y/n doesn’t want you to ever meet alec.” teucer blurted in disbelief, silently wishing that his brother wasn’t a mindless soldier.

“alec? who is alec?” anger began to engulf as he rose from his position. his fists were clenched as he glared at you. “y/n, who is alec?” he repeated his question.

you sighed, “you should leave, ajax.”

“okay, anthon, tonia and teucer. y/n and i are going to be making dinner with surprise ingredients. why don’t you all go upstairs and play?” tartaglia fixated his gaze on you, cautiously placing the sledgehammer down. the children exchanged glances and tonia spoke, “but big brother, alec is still asleep.”

enslaved by rage, he stormed the stairwell and checked through every room for a man.

unknowingly, he had disturbed his mother who was asleep on the armchair. “ajax, any louder and you would wake alec up.” tartaglia gritted his teeth and demanded to know who ‘alec’ was.

“didn’t you receive the letters? you mean to tell me that while you were gone for 3 years, you hadn’t had known that you were a father? you impregnate someone on your 21st birthday and you just leave them? is this how we raised you? don’t you have any shame? you are a disgrace to us—“

“thank you, but don’t worry, i’ll handle this from here.” you spoke gently, holding a toddler in your arms.

it had always pained you to look at your son’s eyes - resembling his father’s dearly. his oceanic blue eyes curving into raging tides, calmed by an aquamarine shore. tartaglia’s gaze softened, reaching for his son’s face. his finger slid along alec’s cheek. you watched tartaglia’s mouth fall agape as he whispered, “i’m so sorry, y/n, i didn’t know.”

you nestled alec closer to your chest, feeling his arms wrap around your neck. “mommy, who is this man?” alec’s voice was muffled as he peered over your shoulder, observing tartaglia. “that’s your daddy, alec.”

“daddy, daddy! mommy always read your letters to me! you saved liyue! you are a superhero! i got your presents, mommy brought them back for me! i like this one- i like this one- i want to show you my favourite present from you!” alec wiggled out of your arms and darted to his room, painstakingly searching for letters and presents that were supposedly sent by tartaglia.

tears beaded, brimming by his lash line, slowly cascading along his cheeks. your heart crumbled at the sight of tartaglia sobbing. you unfolded your arms and wrapped them around his waist. alec returned with a folder of letters and an indecisive amount of toys. “daddy, don’t cry. mommy told me that i am a good boy - i shared these toys with anthon, teucer and tonia. do you want to play, daddy? i can share my toys. look, daddy, look at this one!”

it was paradoxical. he ached yet yearned for his son’s love despite knowing he was once a monster. undeserving of love and affection. he was a slave and puppet of the abyss, corrupted by his own desire to be the strongest warrior, the most proficient with weapons. he was once a harbinger that destroyed families but he was devastated at the thought of ruining his own. he knew his family could no longer face him anymore, yet they strained each day, searching for reasons to forgive him.

tartaglia peeled away from you gently and cleared his throat, breathing slowly. he leaned forward to pick alec up and spoke, “you have the best mother in the world, did you know that?” alec beamed and nodded his head, squealing in agreement. “mommy, mommy! i can show daddy that i am strong just like him! i can fight osial and win like daddy did!”

“yeah, i’m sure that his side kick, lumine, was just as strong.” you picked up after alec, and rearranged his toys and the folder of letters. “c’mon, sweetie, you gotta go to bed. daddy is not working for her majesty anymore, he will be here for you—“ you turned back to tartaglia, “right, daddy?”

“right, kiddo. i’m back, and there will never be anyone else but your mommy as my side kick. i’m not sure why she thought the famous traveller, lumine, was even a part of it.” his gaze taunted you for answers. you raised your brows in suspicion before tucking alec into bed, placing a soft kiss on his forehead.

“mommy, can i tell daddy a story? just daddy, though. i want to talk to daddy alone.” alec held onto an exuvia plush. “it’s the same story about this toy, when he saved liyue. remember that, mommy? i want to tell daddy everything that i remember! daddy is a superhero!”

“sure, baby. i’ll be making supper for your cousins. enjoy your time with daddy, okay?” you swiftly left the room, carefully shutting the door behind you.

tartaglia noticed that alec’s room was decorated by paintings of the ocean, filled with detailed marine life. luminescent jellyfish, ocean floors raided by crayfish - the walls were made of aquatic fantasies, meticulously painted by you to protect his dreams. alec believed he could swim with whales and dolphins, journey around teyvat with his father, and obtain a hydro vision as well. he wanted to be just like his father. he wanted to save the world, he wanted to serve her majesty. above all, he wanted to be strong enough to save his parents from all of mankind’s threats.

“daddy, can you promise me something?” alec raised a pinky at his father, watching tartaglia slowly reciprocate with an intertwining finger. “you make a pinkie promise, you keep it all your life. you break a pinkie promise, i throw you on the ice.” tartaglia and alec recited together, giggling at the synchronisation.

“daddy, promise me that i won’t ever have another mommy? i don’t like seeing mommy cry over the side kick. superheroes can have side kicks, but the side kicks cannot steal you from my mommy. promise me that it is only you and mommy?”

with that, tartaglia’s smile fell into profound culpability.

#childe x reader #childe x y/n #ajax x reader #ajax x y/n #tartaglia x reader #tartaglia x y/n #tartaglia angst #childe angst #genshin tartaglia #genshin x reader #genshin x y/n #genshin angst #genshin tartaglia angst #genshin childe angst #genshin angst fanfic #chilumi angst #chilumi fanfic

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waitimcomingtoo · 3 years

Text

Don’t Go Breaking My Heart

Pairing: Tom Holland x Reader

Synopsis: Toms attempt at impressing you goes very wrong…then very right

Masterlist

“What’s your most embarrassing moment?” Tom read off one of the papers from the bucket before looking at you. “I think it was the backflip. Do you remember that?”

“I don’t remember there being any backflips that day.” You laughed at him, making him roll his eyes.

“Do you see how mean she is to me?” Tom playfully asked the camera. “I think that was my most embarrassing moment but it ended up being the best day of my life.”

“You think that was the best day of your life?” You raised an eyebrow at your boyfriend. “You got hurt.”

“Yeah.” He nodded. “Because on the one hand, it was the day I ate shit in front of the girl I liked. But it was also the day we finally got together, which makes it the best day in the history of days.”

“The history of days.” You laughed at his wording as the camera crew laughed as well.

“Was that not a good day for you?” Tom pretended to be offended as he picked up another slip of paper.

“No, no.” You assured. “It was the best day of my life too. But It was also super embarrassing.”

1 year ago

“What are you up to?”

“I’m just stretching for the day. I have to stay limber if I’m gonna keep playing Spider man.” Tom said as he stretched his arms. “Watch this.”

Tom bent down and touched his toes before looking up at you smugly.

“Wow, hot shot.” You snorted. “That’s pretty impressive. Can you do a backflip too?”

“That’s how I got the role, actually.” Tom joked. “Because I can do a backflip.”

“I bet you can’t do one right now.” You challenged him.

“I so can.” He narrowed his eyes at you.

“Nah.” You shook your head. “I bet it’s all CGI.”

“Darling, I’ve been a gymnast all my life.” Tom said smugly. “I can most certainly do a backflip.”

“Hm. No.” You scrunched your nose. “I don’t believe you.”

“All right.” Tom cracked his neck. “Watch me.”

He stepped back and shook out his shoulders, sneaking a glance at you to check if you were watching. You folded your arms and gave him a nod, telling him to go ahead. Tom let out a breath, got in position, and attempted a back flip. Instead of going in a full rotation like he planned, he fell flat on his face. You and Tom heard the crunch at the same time, making you gasp as he let out a groan.

“Oh my God!” You shrieked and crouched down beside him, rolling him over. “Is he dead? Are you dead?”

“Call an ambulance.” Tom groaned as a steady stream on blood ran from his nose.

“Your nose is crooked.” You grimaced as you held his face. “Is it supposed to be crooked?”

“Did I knock my teeth out?” Tom smiled weakly at you, making you laugh.

“No. Your teeth are fine.” You chuckled as you stroked his cheeks with your thumbs. “Are you okay?”

“As much as I’m enjoying you in top of me right now, I’d really appreciate you calling a doctor. My nose feels like it has a heartbeat.”

“Right. Sorry.” You grimaced again. “Can we get a medic over here?”

Within ten minutes, Tom was sitting in his trailer with the medic inspecting his nose. You were sitting by his side, holding his hand and bouncing your leg nervously.

“Is he okay?” You asked the doctor as you squeezed Toms hand.

“It’s definitely broken.” The doctor said as he felt Toms nose.

“Lovely.” Tom sighed.

“Oh my God.” You whined. “Can you fix it?”

“Yeah.” The doctor shrugged. “All I have to do is reset it.”

“Will that hurt?” You asked as you held your intertwined hands to your chest. Tom stifled a laugh at how you were acting, fretting over him like a nervous wife.

“I’ve had this happen before.” Tom assured you. “It doesn’t hurt that bad.”

“Okay, good.” You sighed in relief. “I was gonna say you could keep holding my hand if you needed to but if it doesn’t hurt then-“

“Just in case.” Tom squeezed your hand before you could let go. “You never know how badly something is going to hurt.”

“It’s gonna hurt pretty bad.” The doctor mumbled, making you gasp and Tom give an angry look.

“Oh my God.” You whined. “I can’t believe I did this to you. You’re gonna be in so much pain and it’s all my fault.”

“It’s not brain surgery, darling.” Tom laughed and tucked your hair behind your ear with his free hand. “I’ll be okay.”

“I’m sorry.” You frowned and kissed the back of his hand. “You can squeeze my hand as hard as you need.”

“Okay, I’m gonna fix it in the count of three.” The doctors said as he got in position. He reset Toms nose with a loud crack, making Tom squeeze your hand as hard as he could for your sake. The doctor bandaged Tom up and gave him an ice pack before leaving the trailer.

“This is all my fault.” You sighed as soon as he left. You rested your head on his shoulder and rubbed his arm soothingly. “I’m so sorry.”

“Darling, I hardly think you’re to blame for this.” Tom chuckled as he rested his chin on your head.

“I am.” You whined. “I was trying to flirt with you and get you to do a backflip and now your nose is broken and it’s all my fault.”

“You were trying to flirt?” Tom perked his head up and looked at you curiously.

“Yes and clearly I should never do it again because I put you in grave danger.” You pouted as you stroked his cheek.

“Darling, do I look like I’m in danger?” Tom teased you. “I’m okay. Don’t beat yourself up over this.”

“But you got hurt because of me.” You jutted your bottom lip out and wiped some dried blood off his face.

“It wasn’t your fault.” He insisted as he pulled out his phone. “But I do want to put this on Instagram.”

“Guys, I accidentally broke my nose on set and look at Y/n.” Tom laughed as he looked into the camera. He panned it to you, but you were busy chewing you bottom lip and staring at Tom with guilty eyes.

“I feel so bad.” You pouted as your eyes flicked to the camera.

“It’s okay.” He assured you. “I don’t blame you at all.”

“I’m sorry.” You mumbled as you pulled his face close to yours and pressed kissed all over it. Tom laughed as you did it, feeling his cheeks flush beneath your lips. You pulled away but kept your hands on his face.

“Can I kiss your nose?” You asked cautiously and Tom burst out laughing.

“Go ahead.” He said. “You’re acting like you’re asking for my kidney.”

You ignored his teasing and gave him the worlds most gentle kiss on the nose.

“Did that hurt?” You asked as you quickly pulled away.

“You barely touched me.” Tom chuckled.

“Well I don’t know.” You whined and grabbed the ice pack the doctor left. You placed another gentle kiss on Toms nose before holding the ice pack to his face. Tom, who was busy loving all the attention from you, pulled out his phone again.

“Look at this.” He panned the camera to you. “She’s holding the ice pack to my face.”

“Leave me alone.” You sighed. “I’m guilt ridden.”

“It’s okay.” Tom reminded you as he rubbed your knee. He silently posted the video to document the day as you checked his forming bruise.

“No it’s not.” You sighed again. “Can I get you anything?”

“I’m all right, love.” Tom shook his head. “I just want you to stay here.”

“No. I can’t take this guilt.” You shook your head. “You have to punch me in the face.”

“Why would I do that?”

“To make it even.” You insisted as you cupped his face. “You have to break my nose since I broke yours.”

“You didn’t break my nose.” He reminded you. “If I broke yours, that would be domestic violence.”

“No. It’s only domestic violence if we’re dating.” You told him while stroking his hair.

“I don’t think that’s true.” Tom chuckled, feeling his face heat up again.

“The guilt won’t go away until you break my nose.” You said. “You have to do it.”

“Darling.” Tom cupped your face, making your panic halter. “I would never hurt you. And you would never hurt me. I know that. Don’t you know that?”

“Tell that to your broken nose.” You pouted as you put the ice pack back on his nose.

“Me and my broken nose forgive you.” He repeated. “And we’re not gonna punch you in the face.”

“Then at least let me take care of you today.” You countered. “I’ll take you back to the hotel and stay with you until you feel better.”

Not wanting to admit he felt better already, Tom nodded with a soft smile. He played along as you instructed him to lean on you as you brought him back to the hotel. You helped him on to the bed and he thought you’d leave it there, but he was pleasantly surprised when you climbed in bed next to him.

Tom laid his head in your lap as he held his ice pack to his face. You were running your hands through his hair and twirling his curls around your fingers.

“You do not have to be this nice to me.” Tom said as he gazed up at you.

“Yes I do.” You told him. “I broke your nose.”

“I broke my nose.” Tom reminded you. “You were just a witness to my embarrassment.”

“But I was a leading factor in you breaking it.” You groaned. “I was the number one cause.”

“You were not.” He insisted. “It’s no ones fault.”

“No ones fault but mine.” You grouched as you brushed the hairs off his forehead.

“You’re being ridiculous.” Tom laughed, but he was secretly loving it. “I need Instagram to see this.”

“I wanted to give you guys an update.” Tom said as he held his phone towards you. “She is now in my bed with my and combing my hair.”

“I feel so bad.” You whined for the millionth time as you carded your fingers through his curls.

“I know you do, love. But you don’t have to.” He smiled as he looked up at you. You looked at him for a moment before letting out a whine and leaning down to kiss his forehead. He kept recording as you kissed all over his face, nearing his lips a few times.

“The kisses are appreciated but they’re not going to heal my nose.” Tom chuckled as he sat up a little so you were holding him like a baby.

“They might.” You laughed as you continued to kiss his face. Your lips brushed the corner of his lips and he felt his heart stop for a minute. He started recording again, wanting to memorialize the day forever.

“I keep thinking you’re gonna kiss me.” Tom said quietly as his soft eyes stared into yours.

“I’m about to.” You laughed as you held his face in his face. You stroked your thumb over his cheekbone before leaning down and kissing him on the lips. You pulled away laughing after just a few seconds, leaving Tom completely starstruck.

“I can’t believe you just did that.” He sputtered as your contagious laughter got to him. He laughed too, accidentally posting the video as he let his phone fall on to the bed.

“I’m sorry.” You threw your head back laughing. “I just feel so bad.”

“You kissed me because you feel bad?” Tom asked as he laughter died down, feeling a little disappointed in the reason. You looked away and held back a smile, as well as the urge to say “no Tom, I kissed you because I’m in love with you.”

“What are people saying?” You changed the subject quickly to avoid that conversation.

“What?” Tom regained his composure, still hung up on the kiss.

“Online.” You explained. “I know you’ve been posting the videos. And I know people are talking.”

“Oh.” Tom nodded and scrolled through Twitter, still feeling a little disappointed. “They’re saying we make great couple.”

“What about you?” You asked coyly. “What do you think?”

“About what?” He furrowed his eyebrows.

“About what kind of couple we’d make.” You shrugged casually, but your heart was pounding in your ears. Tom opened his mouth but shut it, trying to decide what to say as he flushed a deep red.

“I don’t know.” He said softly. “All I know is you kissing and holding me all day is something I could get used to.”

“Oh.” Your voice was barely above a whisper as your eyes bore into his. He sat up a little and turned his body to face you.

“Actually, darling.” He continued with a soft tone. “I don’t think I’d ever get used to it. I think if someone like you was loving me, I’d be counting my blessings everyday. I don’t think I’d ever grow accustomed to the goosebumps I get when you look at me.”

“Are you sure you’d want to be loved by someone who broke your nose?” You asked playfully as you raised your eyebrow.

“As long as you don’t break my heart as well, I think I’ll be okay.” Tom smiled gently as he tucked your hair behind your ear. He left his hand there and slowly stroked your cheek with his thumb as he gazed into your eyes.

“I wouldn’t do that.” You shook your head as you kept your eyes on his lips.

“I believe you.” Tom mumbled before leaning in to kiss you. Before your lips could touch, you sharply pulled away and looked at him in a panic.

“Wait.” You shook your head as you collected yourself while a look of disappointment settled on Toms face.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” He sputtered. “I thought-“

“You have to tilt your head to the right.” You cut him off. “And I’ll go left.”

“What?” He blinked in confusion, still thinking you didn’t want to kiss him.

“So I don’t hurt your nose any further, silly.” You smiled at him as you leaned in again. He chuckled to himself before tilting his head to the right and leaning in the rest of the way. Your lips connected as you steered clear of his nose and suddenly, all his pain melted away.

Tag List 🏷

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#tom holland x reader #tom holland x you #tom holland fluff #tom holland fanfiction #peter parker x reader #peter parker x y/n #peter parker x you #peter parker fanfiction #peter parker imagine #iron man #cherry

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mosswillow · 3 years

Note

Hey I saw that your requests for headcanons are open so if it's not a problem for you I had this idea in my head on how would the Avengers react on reader having pierced nipples(I was thinking about Tony, Steve, Thor, Nat, Bruce, Clint, Bucky, Peter, Wanda, Vision, Dr Strange. If they are too much you can write whoever you want or if you have any idea for anyone else go fo it) And so like I had it in my head as if reader is kinda new in the team and now one really new that until one day she wore a crop top without a bra and they were showing. Like after a bath or in the morning right after she woke up, and the team isn't really fond of her so they aren't making any comments about it, just their thoughts. It's okay if you don't want to or can't write it but thank you in advanced

a/n- Oh my goodness. I wrote this whole fic (I know the ask was for a head-cannon but Inn this case a fic actually felt easier.) then came back to post and realized it's not what you asked for. 🤦‍♀️ I'm so sorry Anon, it's also been months I think that you've been waiting. They're supposed to not like her and it's all in their heads. I wrote it with them all reacting to it verbally, and they like her. Send another ask and lmk if you want me to redo this. I'm going to go ahead and release what I already wrote for now.

Here now - Steve Rogers x Fem reader. (plus a little bit of Tony, Sam, Thor, Nat, Bruce, Clint, Bucky, Peter, Wanda, Vision, and Dr. Strange.)

Warnings - dark(ish), 18+ adult content, nipple piercings.

They’re never up this late, or at least they haven't been since you moved in with them. You’re the new girl still and while they’re all kind to you, you don’t fit in. It’s like they’re a family. They have history together that you just don’t. They’ve been through so much together while you just kinda just fell into it. Literally.

Yeah sure, you have super strength but it’s not something you want. Unlike most of the others, your power was something you were born with. You’ve never wanted to be a hero, you just want to be normal.

One day you were walking home from work while watching some stupid cat tik tok. You tripped and fell into this guy, tanging together with him on the sidewalk. When you looked up the entire avenger squad was running your way. Then you noticed the blood. The guy was covered in it. He had this look in his eyes that felt off. You didn't think, just punched. Your fist collided with his face, giving a satisfying crunch before he could scurry away.

Captain America got to you first and to your surprise chewed you out for your recklessness, it was quite the out of body experience. According to him, you shouldn’t have been on your phone while walking. He didn’t even say thank you or anything for catching the guy. But oh, how it made you feel with him standing over you all big with his muscles and piercing blue eyes. You should have been offended by how he was treating you but instead found yourself turned on.

Knocking out an evil villain made you a target, or so you were told. Your options were to join the avengers or live knowing that someone would probably show up in your life and either kill you or turn you into a weapon. You didn’t have much of a choice but to go with them.

That was a month ago. Since then you’ve mostly tried to stay to yourself.

Today, or rather tonight, you crave ice cream.

The freezer is always filled with all sorts of treats so you’ve made a sort of routine a few nights a week where you sneak out and eat a dessert.

You plop a hefty spoonful of vanilla ice cream into a bowl and bring the sweet treat to your lips, moaning at how good it tastes. Someone coughs and you look up into dark brown eyes.

“Oh, sorry, was this yours?” you ask Sam.

“No, you’re good, keep going.” He says, smirking as he steps back and crosses his arms.

You pause for a few minutes trying to understand what’s happening.

“Where’s Cap?” he asks.

“I don’t know?”

“Woah,” Tony’s voice rings through the air. you look up to see the whole crew walking in sans Vision and his highness, Captain America.

They look at you like you’re naked or something and it makes you feel more and more uncomfortable. Then you realize that they’re not looking at you, they’re looking at your breasts.

Fuck.

You look down and remember you’re not wearing a bra. They don't know that your nipples are pierced, or didn't know. Now they do.

“Hey, what’s everyone doing in here?” Vision walks in and looks around, knitting his brow in confusion. He looks at your nipples but doesn't seem surprised. “I don't understand.”

“I’ll explain later,” Wanda says quietly.

“Apparently nobody here has seen a nipple piercing before.” you say, rolling your eyes.

“It’s just a surprise to come in here and see you showing them off in that little outfit. I should have known, the shy ones are always the ones with fun surprises.” Tony says.

“You should have heard her moaning a few minutes ago,” Sam chimes in.

You should walk away but your feet won’t move.

“We’re looking respectfully. Wanda says.

“I’m looking a bit disrespectful.” Natasha says. “Sorry, ”

“Why would you do that to yourself?” Bucky asks.

“You can't ask that Buck.” Bruce chides.

“I think I’m going to go to my room.” You finally say, moving towards the hallway.

“You don’t have to leave. I’ve come across many women with piercings, it’s nothing to be ashamed of.” Thor laughs.

“Yeah, don't leave, stay right there and moan more.” Clint adds.

“Well now she’s definitely going to leave,” Peter says, glaring at Clint. "and she was just starting to warm up to us. I'm tired of waiting for-" He's elbowed by Natasha.

“Children. Actual children.” Stephen sighs.

“Cap’s going to be pissed,” Tony says.

“Why?” you ask, stopping and turning around.

“She doesn't know,” Peter says.

“Know what?”

“He obviously has a thing for you,” Wanda rolls her eyes.

“So?”

“He’s old fashioned, doesn’t like anyone walking around barely clothed, let alone his girl. He gets jealous.” Bucky shrugs.

“We’re also not really supposed to have piercings,” Peter adds.

You slowly back away. “Ok, well this conversation was weird… let’s not do it again.”

You slink back into the hallway and almost reach your room when you’re pushed against the wall. You’re used to being able to push anyone off but Steve is even stronger than you. Warmth pools in your belly as you realize that you feel totally powerless for the first time in your life. Fuck, why does this turn you on so much?

“Did it hurt,” Steve whispers. He brings his fingers to a nipple and plays with it, making your knees go weak.

“When I got it, yes.”

“And now?”

“It… It feels good.”

“Good,” he purrs, groping at your breasts.

He reaches around you and opens the handle, pushing you in.

“You’ll have to get rid of them,” he says frowning.

Fire is ignited inside you.

“You can’t tell me not to get rid of them just because of your stupid sexism.”

“Oh, you misunderstand,” he says “I like them. If it was up to me you’d keep them,”

“Then why?”

“Combat and piercings don’t mix,” he shrugs.

“Piercings or not, don’t wear this outfit out of your room again,” he brushes a finger over one of the piercings. “And yes, I’m definitely being sexist.”

“I-” your breath hitches as he leans into your ear and takes a lobe in his mouth, “But you like it, don't you naughty girl?” He whispers.

You bite your lower lip and flutter your eyelashes. You should say something, anything. He backs off of you and opens your door.

“Welcome to the team,” he smirks before leaving.

#dark!avengers x reader #dark avengers #dark!steve rogers #dark mcu

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itsthestutterforme · 3 years

Text

The Next Step Part Two

Summary: A few kids were able to hear Hanseok's screams in the abandoned house Vincenzo left him in. They called the ambulance in time to take him to the hospital. Months later, Hanseok tracks Y/N down at a party with Han and tries to kill her. Han had something else in mind.

Notes: mention of Jang Hanseok, mentions of Vincenzo plots, SMUT warning, 18+, minors DNI, GIF is not mine

Despite it being months since Vincenzo's call saying that Hanseok was dead, Han still kept his eye on you. Once he saw you actively looking for apartments, he squashed it and said that you could keep each other company. Something fluttered in you when he said that he was willing to do anything to keep you safe.

For once, you enjoyed someone staking claim over you. With Han, he respects your individuality and free will. He doesn't restrain you from doing anything but when he thinks you're doing something dangerous, he'll keep you company.

Sean thinks that Han will ask you out or something but you said that wasn't going to happen he only saw you as a friend and he was still in love with Giselle. Sean asked Han the same thing and he was said similar things. So Sean decided to leave you two alone and let you two figure it out ourselves.

"Put something cute on, we're going to a party." Han says, poking his head in to see you doing yoga. "Who are you trying to be flexible for?" He asks. "For me, Han. Yoga calms me." You say, lifting one leg and tucking it on your pelvic bone in the tree pose. Han steps into the room and pushes you into the cushion in front of you.

"Han!" You scold. "Come on, Sean is waiting for us." He says, turning his back to leave but you jump on his back instead. You grab the chips from his hand and jump off his back to make a run for it but he already grabs you. The back of your knees hit the bed, sending you both hurdling onto the bed.

Your hair fans around your head as you stare up at him. A smile tugs on his lips and he asks, "Is that where you wanted this to go?" You were completely baffled by the fact that his hips were hovering over yours and his chocolate brown eyes drifting between your lips and your eyes.

"What? Cat got your tongue?" "Something like that." He leans in so close you could practically taste him. Your breath hitches in your throat and your heart bangs against your chest but your find yourself pulling him closer until your lips collide with his. A softly sigh into the kiss and he plants a hand on either side of you.

You were just getting used to him lips against yours when his phone starts to ring. He pulls away with a grumble and answers his phone with a sharp what. You smile up at him and you could hear Sean asking where you guys were through the phone but Han leans down to give you a few more kisses in response.

"We'll be there. Don't get your boxers in a twist," Han says against your lips. He ends the call and kisses you once more before getting up from the bed. "Get dressed."

"Roger that," you say, sliding to the edge of the bed. "You want your chips back?" "I'm actually in the mood for dessert, but I'll gladly wait until later tonight." He says, giving you a once over.

Feeling a bigger sense of pride, you walk up to him and press the bag of chips into his chest. "I'm going to take a shower, care to join?" You ask. "If I do that, we're definitely not making it to the party.

Han and Y/N finally pick up Sean thirty minutes later and he immediately felt a change in the vibe between you two. And he definitely noticed the stolen glances and smiles you would send each other. But he didn't say anything until he was alone with Han.

"So what happened between you two?" Sean asks before taking a swig of beer. "What are you talking about?" Han asks, trying to keep it cool by having his back leaning against the railing and not staring at her like he wanted to do. But at least Sean has eyes on her.

Han has body guards trained on her at all times but he still worries for her. It's like he can finally breath when he sees her. "Alright, well what if I tell you she was talking with a pretty good looking guy right now?" "She's her own person. I don't control anything she does." Han answers, popping a chip into his mouth.

"Oh, look at that, he's snaking an arm around her waist." Sean teases and Han wiped his head around so fast, Sean felt whiplash by just witnessing it. Han looked to see you softly swaying her hips to the music as you sipped on your Sake. No man in sight. Once Han realized that he rolled his eyes at Sean but couldn't hide the sigh of relief that left his lips.

"So what changed between you two?" Sean repeats. "We kissed. And it felt so addicting like smoking my first cigarette. I just want to keep kissing her until I can't breathe. And it scares me man." Han says, crunching on more chips.

Sean's eyebrow furrows when he realizes that you were gone and your normal guards are nowhere in sight. "Han, she's gone." Sean says. "Cut the shit. It's not funny."

"No, I'm serious. Look." Han looks at you were a few minutes ago to see . Little did they know that Hanseok tracked you down and followed them into the club.

He bought off Han's guards so you became easy access. Then he just pulled you into a room and shoved you in. Crawling away from him on the floor, you frantically searched for anything you could use as a weapon. Then your eyes fall on a mirror.

"You almost killed me, you know. Vincenzo nearly did it, but he was so caught up on making me suffer as you requested, that it gave me the chance to be saved." Hanseok explains, pulling off his hoodie to show his scarred body.

"Oh God," you whimper. "I'm going to enjoy this," He says, pulling a knife from his belt. You stand up in a wide stance and put your hands up so you could deflect his blows. Your hands were shaking, your worst nightmare has come to life but you can't forget what Vincenzo taught you after he left Korea.

He came to Japan to visit you and see how you were doing. In return for assisting with Hanseok's execution, he taught you how to defend yourself from any deadly weapon. "What? You really think you're going to fight me?"

"The days where I cower from you are over, Hanseok. You want to kill me? Go ahead and try." You snark, shifting your weight from one foot to the next as you waited for him to strike. "Where the hell could she be? She was just here!" Han snaps, looking around the crowd frantically.

You scrambled out of the room with blood sprayed across your neck from when she stabbed Hanseok in the chest with a piece of glass. He should be dead but knowing that he has a vendetta, he's not going to die so easily. You spot Han in the crowd and ran towards him.

"What the hell happened?" "H-hanseok, he's still alive. He tried to kill me." You whimpered, tears building in your eyes. "Where is he?" Han asked. You could see his eyes darken with anger but chose not to question it. You took his hand and followed him into the room where Hanseok held his chest heaving.

Han took out his phone to call DK who answered on the first ring. "Bring your gun. We have some business to take care of." Han says coldly. "Take her back to my place and don't leave her side until I get there." Han says to Sean, talking as if you weren't standing right there.

"No, I'm staying with you." You start, grabbing a hold of his arm. "I don't want you to see me like this," Han says, pulling his arm away hesitantly. "Come on, Y/N." Sean says and Han reassured, "I'll be fine." You nodded before following Sean to the car.

Hours passed and you were on the verge of taking Han's car and going back to the club when Han slowly walks through the door. Sean and you looked at him with wide eyes when you notice blood splattered across his clothes and face. He was practically drenched in it.

"You can take my car back home, Sean. I won't be leaving for a while." Han says softly and Sean nods his head, choosing not the say a word. He leaves the apartment and you spring to your feet. You try to cup his face to get a good look at him but he moves away.

"Han," "Let me get cleaned up first," he walks passed you and turns on the shower. You wait on the couch for him to finish his shower, chewing on the inside of your cheeks nervously. He finally walks back in with black sweatpants and a white tank top.

"I'm headed to bed. It's been a long day." He says. "Don't do that. Talk to me. Please." You say, standing in his way. "What happened?" You add.

"Do you really want to know?" "I want to know if you're okay." "Well I don't want to talk about it. Good night." He dismissed before walking upstairs to his room.

You respected his decision and decided to stay in the living room with a clear view of the door. Just in case Hanseok crawls out of his grave and finds his way back to you again. Truthfully, you didn't feel the need to sleep. But after you became hyper-vigilant of the door, your eyes closed on their own.

You woke to a soft hand touching your cheeks. Gasping away, you grab Han's hand. "Hey, relax, it's just me." He says and you loosen your grip on him. Sitting up, you tuck your knees into your chest. "What are you doing awake?" You ask.

"I couldn't sleep." He says, followed by a long silence. "Thank you, for doing that for me. I don't know how to repay you." You say. "You don't have to repay me." "Of course I do. What you did is traumatic. It'll effect you in ways I can't fix." "As long as you're by my side, Y/N. I can get through anything."

"Han," you start, but he turned your chin so you are facing him. "I love you," he says, making your heart flutter. You lean forward and pressed your lips to him. Piling yourself in his lap, you pull away to say, "I love you too."

He stands from the couch and carries you into the bedroom, occasionally pecking you on the way. He lays down on the bed and you straddled his lap. You unbuttoned your shirt and let it fall off your shoulders. Your hands found his chest but he sits up and rolls so you are laying on your back.

He glances down at your bare chest before wrapping his lips around one of your nipples. Your head falls onto his soft pillow as he continued to work on your sensitive nub. He pulls away with a satisfying pop before blowing cool air and pressing a soft kiss to your nipple.

He does the same to the other breast and your back arches off of the bed, gasping when your clothes buckle rubs against his crotch. He kisses down the line of your stomach before pulling off your fleece shorts, leaving more kisses in it's wake. He settles himself in between your legs and props your legs on his shoulder.

"Oh God," you whine when he laps your folds painfully slow and kitten licks your clit before lapping your fold again. Your hand rakes through his fine hair and he links one of his hands with yours, resting it on your stomach. You rolled your hips at the same time his kitten licked you clit and your legs spasm as you release yourself into his mouth.

"You taste amazing, ojo." He says. He uses his thumb to part your folds before going to work on your clit much faster now. "Han! Oh God, oh God, oh God," you chant as your grip on his hair tightens and you lift your hips off the bed. He push you back down gently and unlinks his hand with yours so his body could shadow over yours.

His free hand rubs circles on your clit and you moan into his mouth. "Han, please." "Shh, chisana hana." You moan at his pet name for you. Little flower. I think it fits. He captures your lips in a slow kiss that you were so caught up in, you didn't even notice that he pulled off his pants and started to pump himself.

He gently parts your legs and slides the tip along your folds to gather your juices. He slides himself in and your toes curl as his dick brushes up against a sensitive spot in your pussy. He waits for you to adjust and you signal him to move by nodding softly. His thrust are slow but deep and he buries his face into your neck.

You rest your hands on his lower back and he continued to rub your clit as he thrusted into you. A whine leaves your lips as you come apart under him but he continues to thrust into you. He lifted one leg over his shoulder and kept the other one hooked around his waist.

Digging your nails into his back, he moans and arches his back, digging himself deeper into you. "Of fuck," he moans into your neck and thrusting into you faster until you came undone once again. You were seeing stars as he cums after three hard thrusts.

He pulls out of you and lays down next to you, nuzzling himself into you neck and leaves soft kisses. The entire time, it felt like you were floating on a cloud. His touches felt light as a feather but burned into your skin the more he touched you.

It was nothing like sex with Hanseok. Han puts your needs before his own and he actually takes care of you in ways you didn't even know were possible. "Can I tell you something?" "Sure," you lay on your side, resting your hand on the side of your face.

"I think I fell for you and it scares the hell out of me." He confesses and you reach over to trace the side of his face. He waits for you to say something and a soft smile plays on your lips. "I think I fell for you as soon as we met. But we don't have to rush anything. We have nothing but time." You say softly.

"Come here," he says,.opening his arms and you wrap your arms around his neck, hiking your leg over his waist.

#han lue #fastfurious #fluff #smut #vincenzo fic #vincenzo

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xmalereader · 3 years

Text

The Mandalorian X Male Reader

|| Masterlist ||

I FORGOT TO TAG THE REQUESTER 😭😭 IF YOU FIND THIS PLEASE TELL ME SO THAT I CAN FIX IT!!

Requested: Hey can I request engineer!reader x Din Djarin where reader travels with Din and Din just assumed reader can't fight for shit since reader is an engineer and he's seen reader get scared of insects, but then Din is in trouble and reader comes to save him, guns blazing, like "listen you pay me to take care of the ship, not to take care of you"

Warnings: Fluff, language, engineer reader, slight violence, sassy reader, badass reader that din falls in love with!

It has been a few days since they have landed on Nevaroo, fueling up and getting supplies for their next journey. But, of course, they couldn’t leave yet without repeating the crest. Poor thing was busted up and his partner was in charge of fixing it up.

Din couldn’t asked for some help from Greef but y/n refused the help, saying that he was the personal engineer and it was his job to fix the dam thing.

Thing is, they have been on Nevaroo way too long. They were suppose to head out three days back but because of the crest not working up, they had spent the next few days trying to fix it, but so far no success and y/n still refuses the help they are offered.

“SON OF A BITCH!”

Din is sitting in the cockpit with the child when he is startled by the loud shouting. Grogu too, gets startled, causing him to drop his favorite ball and to turn his head towards the engine room. His ears raise in alarm as he turns to Din and gives him a look. Din can only shake his head with a sign, “Let’s hope you don’t repeat those words one day.” He said as he climbs out of his seat and heads towards the back.

Approaching the engine room he hears the other grumbling to himself as he got closer.

“Stupid piece of junk! Why won’t you work?!” Y/n whispers to hismelf as he works on the wiring, reaching inside to try and fix it but ends up getting shocked instead, causing him to yelp in surprise and pull away, glaring at the thing he kicks the wall.

“I thought you were fixing my ship, not breaking it more.” Said Din, leaning against the wall with arms crossed. Y/n gasps as he turns around to see the Mandalorian. “I’m trying but your ship is a piece of junk.” He says back with a glare.

Din sighs again, he’s dealt with y/n for awhile now so his additude was nothing new to him. The two have grown so close that y/n no longer found the Mandalorian intimidating like before.

“Treat her nice.” He reminds the engineer as he bends down to check the wiring. “Dank ferik.” He can see the wiring but can’t reach it, grunting he tries to reach for it again but slowly gives up after a few seconds. “Any suggestions?” He blurts out.

Y/n hums. “You won’t like it.”

“That’s okay.”

“Are you sure?”

“Y/n.”

The two stare at eachother as y/n speaks up quickly. “The hole is small enough for the kid to crawl through.”

Din rasies a brow from underneath the helmet. He was close to regecting the idea until he gave the small space one last look, taking in the size. He looks back to y/n who only grins in return before the two slowly turn their heads towards Grogu who was standing in front of them. Watching them with big curious eyes, giving off a small coo at the two.

—

“—the red wire goes where the blue wire was and the blue wire goes where the red wire was.”Din tries to instruct the kid. The two were able to squeeze the kid inside and Din had explained Grogu what he needed to do and the kid agrees to the idea with a small nod and here they are now.

Din has been trying to guide the kid on what to do but the small gremlin can only give him questionable looks, confused on what he was suppose to do.

“No—you put the red one where the blue used to go.”

Y/n sighs and rolls his eyes at the Mandalorian, suddenly getting frustrated as he crouched down and shoves din aside. “Move over tin can, the kid doesn’t know what he’s doing.” He says as he looks inside the small space and gives Grogu a soft smile.

“Grogu.” The kid tilts his head over to y/n his ears rising at the attention. “Hey kid, We need you to help us fix the wiring, you are the only one who fits and if you can help fix it then maybe we can leave early and explore another planet.” Grogu coos at the idea of exploring a new planet or at least getting to know a new area.

“Good, now listen—“ he tries to guide the child and make the situation a bit more easier for the kid to understand. “Grogu, show me the red wire.” He instructs.

Grogu grunts as he lifts his small arm, holding the red wire towards y/n with a tilt of his head. “Good job! Now, on the board you will see two colors. Blue and red, I need you to put the red one into the blue.”

Grogu huffs and gives off a squeak, questioning himself weather that was right or not? He was a child and had the mind of a child, so of course he’s going to be confused as to why the colors need to be opposite.

Y/n is quickly get the signal of the child. “Grogu, you see the red one has to go inside the blue charge because it’ll make the ship work faster and better. Don’t you want the ship to go fast like last time?” He asks, reminding the child of the time that Din spun the crest around in circles, causing the child to squeal in joy and throw his little arms up.

“He doesn’t know what he’s doing.” Said Din as y/n glares at him and slaps him on the leg before turning back to Grogu with a fake smile.

The kid turns back to the board and looks at the two different cables. Cooing he plugs the red one into the blue charge, “yes! Perfect, now put the blue wire into the red charge!”

Grogu lets out a small huff as he plugs in the red wire, causing the ship to come to life as y/n stands up and cheers. “HA!” He points at Din with a mischievous grin. “Told you that he can do it.” He folds his arms over his chest with a raised brow and a smirk on his face.

Din rolls his eyes under the helmet, “well—“ he walks over to help the kid who was trying to get down from the small height. Taking the kid in his arms he strokes one of his ears. “At least the kid is a better mechanic than you.”

Y/n gasps with a glare. “You take that back.”

“Sorry, but no.” Din shrugs and leaves the area, heading back to the cockpit where he sets the kid down and starts to check on the controllers to see what was functioning correctly this time.

After the checkup, they were ready to head out. They had all of the supplies they needed and could last for a few weeks. “Come on kid,” he nods towards Grogu. He was sitting on top of the boxes while holding his favorite silver ball. He watches Din move the boxes against the wall and straps them in. “Looks like we are good to go—“

He is cut off by a scream coming from the cockpit. Din is quick as he climbs up to the cockpit and rushes inside with blaster in hand, “what’s wrong?” He sees y/n standing by a corner with wide eyes as he points towards the pilots chair. “Kill it.” He says.

Din rasies a brow in confusion as he turns to look at the pilots chair, stepping forward he spins the chair around to see a pretty large spider on the seat. “Oh.” With his blaster he nudges the creature, causing it to move.

Y/n gasps and tries to push hismelf further into the corner. “Are you crazy?! Kill it already! Just kill it!” He shouts. The Mandalorian chuckles at the mans actions and shakes his head. “It’s not going to hurt you, these aren’t poisons like the rest.” He puts his blaster away and turns to y/n. “Didn’t know you were scared of small creatures.”

“Shut up! Spiders and Womp rats are two different things! One can easily kill you and the other just runs away!” He exclaims.

Din shakes his head. “I’m starting to think that you don’t know how to do much.” He mumbles out before turning back to the chair to remove the spider, but once he turned back he sees Grogu holding the creature in his small hands and shoving it in his mouth. A loud crunch can be heard as he chews on the thing.

Y/n gags and covers his mouth. “That’s disgusting.” He groans out and quickly leaves the cockpit to avoid the scene that he just witnessed.

Din chuckles, turning to the kid and with a shrug he says. “At least you ate something.” The kid grins back at his father and laughs.

—

Din and y/n say their goodbyes to Greef and Cara, thanking them for the help and for allowing them to stay for a couple of days. Now, they can officially head out and visit another planet.

As din prepares the engines he glanced over to y/n who sat next to Grogu, playing with the kid as the crest slowly lifts off.

“Where too?” Asks y/n with a small smile as he holds one of Grogus tiny hands in his own big ones. “I was thinking that was visit Tatoonie for a bit, I need to visit someone.” Y/n rasies a brow. “Visit someone, who?”

Din smiles. “An old friend.”

The ride to tatooine was long, it took a few hours for them to arrive through hyper space and all in one piece. The crest was flying smoothly and no damage has occurred quiet yet, but hopefully nothing bad happens.

Y/n looks out the window as they arrive, taking in the desert planet as they fly over mountains and a few towns. “It looks lonely here.” He blurts out without thinking.

“Trust me, I’ve seen worse.” Din replied back as he turns the crest around and slowly lands them down in front a big building that y/n didn’t recorgnize.

“Want me to come with?” He asks, holding Grogu in his arms as Din turns off the engines and turns around to face y/n. “Best you stay here, I’ll be back quick.” He gives din a nod and looks down to Grogu who coos back and pats his cheeks, trying to cheer him up.

Din nods at the two before leaving the cockpit.

Y/n is left behind with the kid, holding him close he watches from the cockpit as The front gate is pulled away and Din is allowed inside, he watches the gates close again leaving him alone with the kid. “Alright womp rat, what should we do for the next few minutes?” He asks.

Grogu tilts his head with rasies ears, wanting to know if they’ll do something fun. Y/n laughs and heads towards the ladder, climbing down with the kid in his arms. “Their sand outside, maybe we can play for awhile?” He suggest as he drops down the ramp, allowing them to step outside.

Once y/n step out a blast of heat hits him, causing him to groan. “It’s too hot.” He grumbled out as he sets Grogu down. The child waddles down the ramp and towards the sand.

Y/n makes sure to guide the kid towards a shady area where the sun won’t hit them. After finding a perfect spot he sits down next to the kid who begins to play with the sand, making small hills as he squeals and kicks the sand around in joy.

Y/n was too distract by the kid that he didn’t notice a small pack of anoobas coming towards them. A deep growl pulls him away from his distraction as he looks up ahead to see anoobas slowly making its way towards the two.

Y/n quickly gets on his feet and pulls out his blaster. “Damn desert beasts.” He hissed out. Grogu whines and hides behinds his legs, holding onto his pants as his ears pin down.

“Grogu, get back to the ship and hide just how we taught you.” He instructs the kid who listens carefully and nods. The ramp wasn’t too far from them and as the kid makes a run for it the anoobas are quick to jolt into action. Running towards them as y/n shoots his blaster at the creatures.

Grogu whines as he climbs back inside the crest and quickly hides behind some boxes. Y/n continues to shoot at the creatures, taking one down but still having two more charging at him.

Cursing under his breath and heads back inside the crest, quickly grabbing Mandos beskar staff that he left behind and using it to defend himself. The creature jumps at y/n, he rolls away from it and uses the staff to stab its side causing the creature to scream in pain.

He holds the staff hard in his hands as he glares. “Come on you filthy mutts.” He says as he spins the staff. The two creatures circle him, he follows their footsteps and keeps track of the two, waiting for one to make its first move.

The one behind him attacks first, swinging its claws at him. Y/n is quick to suck the attack and swings the staff under the creatures legs, tripping it over as the other jumps at him. Gasping he steps back and almost trips himself. “Stupid sand.” He mutters out before the creature bounces on him.

Using the staff he holds it up in front of him to stop the creature from digging its teeth into him. Grunting he holds the staff tight as he holds the creatures sharp teeth away from him by. The creature growls and puts its weight on him as y/n screams, trying to push the thing away from him. His arms were starting to tire him out and soon he’ll become this things next meal.

Before his arms could give out a blaster shot it heard and the creature falls limp on its side. He shoves the creature away and pants, standing back up as he turns around to not only see one but two mandalorians, making their way over.

Signing in relief he lets himself relax for bit until he notices the other anoobas approaching the mandalorians from behind. Y/n’s eyes widen in worry, gripping the staff in his hands he glares at the creature. “Mando look out!” He shouts. Using his last strength to throw the spear at the creatures head as it tumbles down into the sand.

Y/n placed his hands on his knees as he tries to catch his breath. “You—you—“ he pants out and walks towards the mandalorians. “You took forever!” He points to Din with a small glare. “I almost got killed and then I had to save your life! You almost got killed by that damn thing!” He points at the creature before walking over and yanking the spear out of its head, stumbling back as he looks at the weapon. “It’s all dirty now.” He says.

“So this is who you hired?” He hears the other Mandalorian say.

“He was suppose to be an engineer...didn’t exactly expect this.” The other replied back as he puts his blaster away. “Where Grogu?”

“I told him to stay inside the ship, he’s probably still hiding inside—just like I taught him.”

“You taught him?”

“Hey I just saved your life, you hired me to fix your ship not to be your babysitter.” He shot back with a hand on his hip as he gives him a sass like stand.

The other Mandalorian chuckles under his helmet as he listens to the two argue. Y/n turns to the other and nods towards him, “something funny to you bucket head?”

His laughter dies down but underneath the helmet he is smiling. “Nothing, just impressed by your ways and strength. You could make a good Mandalorian.”

Y/n hums. “Yeah—I’d rather not.” He tosses the staff to din who catches it. He walks passed the two as he sighs, “I’m gonna get the kid.”

The two mandalorians watch y/n walk away and head back towards the crest. “I’m surprised.” Said Boba. Din rasies a brow at him and holds the staff in his hands as he looks at him. Boba turns towards his friend. “Surprised you haven’t married him yet, best you hurry before I decided to take him for myself.” Said boba.

Din glares at his friend who laugh at him before shaking his head and patting his shoulder. Din may have found y/n a bit annoying and tough to handle but after seeing him fight he couldn’t help but fall in love just a little bit more with the man.

#male reader #pedro pascal #din djarin #din djarin x male reader #pedro pascal x male reader #the mandalorain #star wars x male reader #star wars #the mandalorian spoilers #the mandalorian inccorect quotes

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sweater-daddiesdumbdork · 3 years

Text

Attack Of The Winter Wolf: Prologue

Summary- 7.1k Alpha Steve x Little One Reader. The Alpha gets upsetting news from Natasha. Not ready to share yet, when you want to leave the compound for a quick errand, Steve asks you not to. Thinking it was all settled, he is caught by surprise that you chose to do the opposite instead.

Warnings- Alpha and Little One getting into a heated argument. Also some furniture might have some damage due to the Alphas strength.

A/N- Hello everyone! I’m excited for the next installment following Welcome To The Pack and hope sincerely that you all enjoy the continued life of Alpha and Little One. You all have been so supportive and encouraging. I really love all your thoughts and suggestions when it comes to this series. I welcome and encourage them, please don’t hesitate to drop a message. Wolf Picture Request at bottom by @bostongirl13. Thank you for sending in the inspiration babes.Divider made by @firefly-graphics, be sure to check out her selection. Much Love and Happy Howling. 💙🐺

Masterlist

Steve was in the bedroom closet, finding the clothes he needed for spending a day out in the snow, the temperature dropping low for even the shifters' naturally heated bodies. Just as he was finishing buttoning the last shirt over the layers, his cell phone chirped with a message from Natasha. Quick to go check it, knowing that she was slowly making her way back to the area after tracking there missing packmates all over the country the past few months. The Alpha was looking forward to her either returning home for a while or having some good news to pass on. Unfortunately her message made his good mood quick to turn to one of worry, as it was short and vague.

S, call me.

Quick he pulled up her number and not even a single ring issued when Natasha answered with her usual “Rogers.”

“What's going on Nat?”

“Well I’m closer than you think. Another pack was destroyed overnight. Barely any survivors, Alpha missing.” She continued on, the details worrying him further.

“So what… Do you have any idea of who it is? Is it…” Steve didn't even want to voice it. Didn't want to think it could be his best friend and his missing members of his pack. Natasha was quiet on the other end before she started calmly, clearly having thought of how to answer this.

“I can’t say for sure Steve, but the trail I’m following keeps intersecting these attacks. Everyone I’ve seen is brutal destruction and we both know he has the power himself to do that. Let alone with someone as strong as Wanda, Pietro and Clint.”

Steve felt his throat tighten a bit at the news, the Alpha hyper aware now, wanting to check their borders for any signs of intrusion. It was an inner war, he wanted his family back and safe, but it sounded like they were a danger to all of them now if what she was saying was true.

“Okay, I hear you. If you come closer let me know. Stay safe.”

“Warn the pack Steve.” Natasha left with that last warning before hanging up and Steve sighed, pocketing his phone and rubbing at his face for a moment, worried about what this all meant.

You were currently searching the cupboard for sugar. Out of everything to run out of. You thought to yourself as your hands fell to your hips and you scowled a bit at your situation. Going to the fridge, you added yet this other thing to your long list of supplies needed. Absently your hand went into the box of Cap’n Crunch you had been snacking on. For whatever reason it became your go to comfort food after a Heat, which you just finished. That too was empty.

Another thing on the list, another reason to go to town.

Jotting it down, Steve was messing with the buttons on his flannel, and you side eyed him a moment. The Little Wolf, still feeling the lasting effects of the heat immediately perked up sensing the Alpha nearby.

It's because he’s wearing extra clothes, down girl.

The Little Wolf purred instead, her head resting on her paws while admiring her Alpha across the room while he was making his way through the living area to the kitchen.

You were still standing at the list, chewing your lip while Steve brushed past you, taking a nip at your neck on the way to the coffee pot. “What are you thinking so hard about Little One?”

“We are just about out of everything. I know it snowed heavily last night, but I could take the truck down easily and take care of it while you are up at the lumber yard?”

Steve paused a moment, the phone call he just had with Natasha replaying in his mind. Pouring the majority of the pot in a thermos, he flicked off the coffee maker and placed the last of the coffee in a mug for you, pushing it in your hand. “How about we go tonight when I get back. I don't want you on the roads alone.”

You gave a shrug as if it wasn't a big deal but Steve caught your chin, looking in your eyes.

I'm not commanding her.

<Then you should tell her why> The Alpha countered and Steve internally growled at his wolf.

She doesn't need to worry about it. Steve was sure to keep the bond cut off between the two of them so the Alpha didn't pass over. The Wolf bristled and Steve could feel the hairs on his neck stand up, but he didn't have the time. He was doing what he felt was right in the moment, as he wanted to be able to really discuss it with you and how to approach it with the rest of the Pack. Perhaps a bit of him was just not wanting to break the blissful peace bubble. “Wait till I get back, please? I won't be too late.” Placing a kiss on your lips, sure to nip on your bottom lip in an apology to the small huff you pressed into the kiss and let you go to grab his jacket, his phone ringing. Before you got another word, he dug it out of his jean pockets and scowled at it. “Shit… Okay, I really gotta go Little One, I will see you tonight. We can go out to dinner so don't have to cook.” And then he was gone, leaving you there with your list and a hot cup of coffee in your hand.

Your hand fell to your hip and you sighed. “What even just happened?” The Little Wolf stretched and started grooming herself now that she wasn’t distracted by her Alpha nearby.

You grumbled at how slick your Alpha was.

The morning wore on, you have done everything you could think of around the house when finally you felt cooped up. Working your lip, you make a decision to go anyways, sure that the only reason Steve wanted you to stay was because of the possible snow on the roads. But by now they should all be plowed and cleared.

Your Little Wolf stirred awake while you went to shrug into a jacket and headed out the door towards the garage to get one of the trucks. <I thought Steve wanted us to stay home?>

He did, but it's not all that bad out now. Your eyes wandered up to the bright sun. Looks could be deceiving, as warm as the sun looked, it gave no warmth on that winter day. Ducking into the garage, you grab a pair of keys off the pegboard and reading the label, you figure out the pickup that they went to. The Little Wolf started kneading her paws a bit while pacing, flicking her ears back and forth in a bit of unease.

It will be okay, calm down, would ya? You retorted while starting up the truck and was soon pulling out of the garage and turning onto the road heading down the mountain.

Halfway down the road though the truck started to shudder and whine, stalling out. Your foot shifted from the gas to the brake to start to ease it to a slow while it kept jerking. “What the fuck.” You growled out, the wheel jerking as if it wanted to do the opposite. But you weren't having it, and with a final pull, the truck shuddered to the side of the road, giving an exhausted sigh before it cut off dead.

“I can’t believe this.” You sputtered while trying the key, which resulted in a pathetic whine from the engine and then completely dead again. Slamming your hands against the wheel in frustration for a moment, you felt your pockets for your phone, but of course it just occurred to you that it was charging, on your nightstand. The Little Wolf paced back and forth since you were agitated, huffing out without saying anything. You snapped before she even could.

I know… Just our luck the truck breaks down this time. You don't have to say anything.

<I wasn't going to> She retorted and retreated into your subconscious, leaving it quiet in your mind. Grabbing your bag, you got out of the truck after leaving the hazard lights on and debated just making the shift and letting the Little Wolf take you back home.

A truck pulled up alongside of you and one of the pack members rolled down his window, an older wolf named John. “Y/N, you okay?”

“Yea, the truck broke down.” You motioned over your shoulder towards the truck now useless on the side of the road. John craned a look over his shoulder.

“How about I bring you back up? I can have it hauled back up once we get back.”

Breaking out in a relieved grin, you made your way around, and soon enough John was dropping you back off in front of home. Making your way inside, you kicked off your boots and went to go change back into comfy clothes.

Steve was rubbing his hands together while they got another truck loaded and the chains in place. His hand rubbed appreciative at the base of the tree, the rich maple with its rings. It was always one of his favorite woods to work with. But this order was being made into premium wood for sale across the country. Giving Sam the thumbs up they could pull out, he watched the truck leave the plot when his cell phone rang. Digging it out, he had hoped it was his Girl, just to talk to you and hear your voice. But the number was one of the pack members, which he promptly answered.

“Hey John, whats up?” Steve asked as he started towards the next load.

“Oh just wanting to let you know I'm taking the Mater. Your missus was driving down to the store and it broke down on her.” That's when Steve’s footstep faltered.

“Where is she now? Why didn't she call me?” Steve’s voice sharpened, demanding answers from John.

“She’s back home, I just dropped her off. I'm sure she will be calling you soon Alpha.”

He immediately turned from his original goal, softening his voice while talking to John. “I'm sure, thank you for giving me a heads up. I will catch up later to take a look at the truck.” Passing by one of his crew, he passed along that he had to head home and that they should get the last truck loaded for the day.

You had just changed into your sweatpants and hoodie when you went to grab your phone and dialed Steve’s number. But it just went to voicemail, which you left him one asking him to give you a call back.

It wasn’t needed, because moments later the front door slammed shut and Steve’s voice bellowed out your name. “Y/N, where are you?”

You hopped up from the bed to go greet him but the Little Wolf whined in warning, lowering as she picked up his tone. You didn't hesitate though, holding up your phone. “Hey I was just leaving you a message.”

“Uh, a bit late isn't it?” Steve's hands fell to his hips, his tone leveled as he looked down at the counter a moment and then lifted back up to you, his eyes blue fire at the moment. You wanted to drop back a moment, which you did. But then you hitched your chin up.

“Your phone was off Steve.”

“Why were you even out Little One?” He snapped and you winced at the use of his name for you. “I said to wait for me.”

“Steve, you are overreacting. It was only a few miles down the road and John gave me a ride home.” You folded your arms over your chest and straightened a bit to keep from making yourself smaller and look like you were subduing to him.

That didn't deter your mate though. “You went out after I said not to.” Steve growled from deep in his chest, his fingers gripping the kitchen island till his knuckles went white and the wood groaned in protest while his fingers made permanent dents along the edge. Subtle but there. “How do you want me to react to that Y/N? You could have been hurt, gone off the road. You didn’t even have your fucking phone on you.”

“Stop talking to me like I'm a child Steve.” You snapped back at him, feeling your temper rising and the Little Wolf pacing around, whining sharply in distress. Your arms hugged around yourself in a protective manner, but you wouldn't shy away from this, not like you might have in the past. You weren't just some pack member, you were his mate. Your chin lifted a bit in defiance, holding onto that fact that if anyone got to defy the Alpha, it was you. “Might have forgotten, but I'm a grown damn woman who can make her own decisions.”

With that he turned, advancing on you. A shiver ran through your body at how menacing he looked, his features set in harshness, broad shoulder and a stagger to his stride as he crossed the rooms to reach you. “You sure as fuck didn’t act like it when you took the keys hanging on the peg. The truck that only half works, lucky it even had fucking snow tires on it or else you would be down the side of the mountain. Not to mention who might have come across you.” The Alpha was raging in Steve’s mind at your recklessness, that this new threat he had not entirely come clean to you about could have been out there, ready to just take you away from him.

“How the fuck was I supposed to know that specific truck was being repaired on? Seems like half the shit here is constantly getting fixed.” You bit back in anger, not actually meaning it, but you didn't want to fess up to you being wrong, and he was right. Not yet anyways. “And what's that supposed to mean? Who would come for me Steve? Hmm?” You rounded on him, stepping up to poke your finger in his chest just to piss him off that much more.

The taps against his chest didn't phase him any, he had much worse with his ex and some part of him was a bit shocked at how you were arguing back with him, knowing that months ago you wouldn't have dared to out of fear. Now here you were, fighting back without hesitation. “You didn't answer me about the phone Y/N, You couldn't even call me to tell me that the truck broke down the side of the road. What the fucks the point of having it if you are not even going to use it? What would you have done if John wasn't coming back up? You didn’t even tell me you were leaving, just fucking left without so much as a-”

Your own temper was rising the more he spoke, effectively feeling like he was treating you like a child, not his partner. Your eyes rolled at him while snapping your teeth in a snarl. “Oh I don't know Steve, guess I could have shifted and strolled home. Or am I even allowed to do that, Alpha?” You knew it was a low blow, implying that Steve really restricted you from anything. He hadn't even made it a command for you to follow, he simply said this morning to stay home. No impulse for you to follow behind it. But at this point you weren't thinking that. “I forgot the fucking phone this one time Steve.”

That little eyeroll of yours had Steve’s temples throbbing at that point. Sure that his blood pressure was rising just as fast as this conversation between them was. Your dismissal at the dangers you had put yourself in made him grit his teeth trying to keep from shouting at you. “You’re an Omega Y/N, the Alpha’s Omega who was just out of heat. Any shifter outside of the pack could have smelled that and went out of control.” Now he was shouting, a deep rage burning in his chest. “You never think of your safety Y/N!”

You glared at him, shaking in your anger at your mates brashness in belittling you. “You don’t think I don't know that Steve?” You yanked the collar of your shirt to show off a faded scar, satisfied as you saw some of the rage shrink from his face seeing the mark on you, turning to guilt at his accusation. Your voice was raised just as much as his was at this point. “Trust me, I won't forget how people can be.” You let go of your collar and tug it back in place. “Not ever. Not even those we should trust.”

Steve growled out and whipped away from you, fisting his hand in his hair for a moment in frustration. “You know that's not what I mean Little One.”

“But you still said it, and you can't take back words Alpha. No matter how much you want to.” You wiped at the angered tears on your face and breathed out. “I gotta get out of here, I can't breathe.”

This turned Steve around just as quickly, his brows arched. “Where the hell are you going?” He asked as you were tugging on your coat and stuffing your feet in your boots.

“Out, away. Natasha’s. Just as long as you are not there. I need space right now from you.” All you knew was you wanted to be alone and was opening the door when Steve planted a palm against the wood, shoving it shut again. “Let me the fuck out Steve, Now.” You pushed against his chest, and this time he didn't resist, stepping back as you opened the door and slammed it behind you, trudging off the porch. Steve was quick to follow you out. Standing on the porch while watching you walk away. Any nearby packmates openly stared at the scene in shock, for they had never heard Steve and You shout at one another.

You flinched when you heard Steve snarl in rage and the snapping of railing on the porch, but you didn't look back while holding your head up high, making your way past others before you snapped out at them. “Don't you have something you should be doing?” Which set off the flurry of activity again until you made your way across the compound to Natasha’s and let yourself in, shutting the Pack and Steve away for now.

Steve could feel himself losing patience with himself. He went back inside and slammed his door hard enough to rattle the cabin windows, locking himself away from the world for the moment.

It wasn't long till it spread to the others that the Alpha and his Little One were fighting. Sara was the first to approach Natasha cabin, softly knocking on the door. “Y/N? Can I come in?” she waited, listening intently, but heard nothing that invited her to come in. Defeated, she retreated back to her home, shaking her head at Sam.

Sam tried next with Steve, less subtle then his mate had been. His fist pounded against the door, bellowing Steve’s name. When there isn't an answer, he went around to the back to see Steve brooding on the back deck overlooking the lake. Making his way towards the Alpha, who was leaning forward, his elbows planted on his knees, and his hands fisted together that he had his mouth pressed against as if lost in thought, Sam was careful in his approach. Everything vibrating from him said caution to Sam. Leaning against a railing, Sam cleared his throat. “Sara sent me over to come check on ya.”

Steve just grunted in response, his eyes not breaking from the lake.

“Gotta say man, that was quite the argument you two had.” Sam shifted a bit, hoping Steve would snap out of it and respond, but the Alpha didn't make any notion he was paying attention. “Y/N wouldn't answer the door, we figured she was still cooling off. Wanna talk about what is going on between you two?”

Steve finally sighed and shifted to lean back, his legs stretching out before him. “She was reckless, not taking her safety into account. Anything could have happened. There are rogue wolves possibly in the area. She didn't have her phone.” Steve just released his frustrations up in the air and Sam cocked his brow.

“Okay, and what? you lost your temper? Did she even know there was anything for her to worry about such as rogue packs?” Sam nailed it on the head and Steve clenched his jaw, glaring at his friend. “Don’t give me that look, what's the first thing you did? What you have done in the past I bet. Instead of talking, you let your worry and anger take over.” He shrugged a bit.

“Fuck off Sam, I don’t need this shit.” Steve growled at him and Sam put up his hands to placate him.

“Just give it some thought Steve. Of course you had every right to be worried as hell, I would have been furious and scared if it had been Sara. Hell that had been Sara a time or two, just like I have done dumb shit with her. Just remember who Y/N is before you lay out your anger on her man. Maybe tell her why you were so pissed off in the first place.” Sam shifted from where he was leaning against the railing and started back down the steps, letting the Alpha sit with his words.

After the silence got to deafening, Steve pulled to a stand. Shedding his clothes on the porch, he was quick to shift to the Alpha. Shaking his fur out and stretching his head back to get his muscles stretched, he bounded off the porch and disappeared from sight into the forest.

Sara waited another day. But the rumors of you locking yourself in the cabin and the Alpha disappearing overnight into the forest had made the rumors become crazier with every passing word. Within a night the word was that you were leaving the pack and Steve was going to cut the bond.

So Sara made her way up the steps again, this time she knocked loudly and waited. She heard a shuffle, but no answer. “That’s it Y/N, I'm coming in.” And with a twist of the door handle, Sara walked in and looked around the dim room before she went over to the main window and pushed the curtains to open and let the light in. There was a groan from the couch, in which Sara twisted to see you wrapped in a blanket. As well as a bottle of vodka on the coffee table. “Oh girl, what are you doing?”

You groaned at her words and hid your head when Sara approached, removing the bottle and taking a whiff of it before wrinkling her nose. “Fuck I forgot that Nat liked this shit.” She muttered while going to pour the last fourth of the bottle down the sink.

“What are you doing here Sara?” You groaned while flipping the blanket off your head, and she rinsed the bottle before putting it in the recycling.

“Think it's obvious, coming to make sure you are okay. Be a girlfriend, let you cry on my shoulder about how annoying your man is, all that good stuff. Then tell you to get your shit together and go home.” She stated as she worked on getting the coffee pot started, searching Natasha’s cupboards till she could find what she was looking for.

“Oh is that how it goes.” You blinked your eyes trying to adjust to the light. “But I assure you I'm fine.”

“Right, why you and Steve had a shouting match the whole pack is talking about, and for the first time ever you slept away from Steve’s. Sounds fine to me.” Sara listed off while measuring the coffee and starting it. She twisted to lean against the counter, looking at you as you shuffled into the kitchen, rumbled clothes and tried patting down your hair while trying to look perfectly fine even though you had red rimmed eyes.

“Okay… we had an argument.” You sniffled a bit, your Little Wolf brushing against you to make you feel better.

Sara gave a sympathetic smile and circled an arm around you while you rested your head against her shoulder. “Actually a big one and he hasn't tried to come over and anything. Last night I was so damn mad at him I drank most that vodka wanting to yell at him more, and now I have a raging headache and don't know what to do.”

Giving a rub on your back, Sara let you go to pour you a cup of coffee and pressed it into your hands while leading you back to sit down. “Talk to him. Steve might be hard headed but once he cools down, he typically can be reasoned with.”

You stared down in your coffee cup, going to sip from it and take out some of the pounding from behind your eyes. “Ugh, never let me rage drink again.”

Sara snorted a bit. “Girl, you go to rage drink, you best be coming to get me for that.” She teased and nudged you lightly with her shoulder, which you chuckled softly.

“So everyone heard us huh?” You groaned out and she nodded.

“Heard it and added to it. Right now everyone thinks Steve kicked you out and that you're leaving for good once you got your shit packed. What happened anyways?”

You shrugged. “Honestly, I didn't think that it was going to be a big deal. Steve wanted to come to town with me because he was nervous about the snow, he claimed. But it was just a quick trip to grab some groceries. So I didn't think he would really care. Grabbed the keys, of course to the truck that he and Sam had been working on, it broke down the side of the road. Forgot my phone, since it was just a quick trip. Luckily Jonathan was headed back up and gave me a ride. He called Steve to let him know.”

Sara listened, once in a while patting your knee with sympathy or shaking her head. The she wolf knew the Alpha was over protective of those he considered his, but You hadn't even made it off the mountain. Only going a few miles at that point when the truck had broken down. “I can see why you would be mad at Steve. He didn’t need to go off like that and let his temper get the best of him.”

You wrinkled your nose while picking at your fingers. It felt really unnatural to you to be staying at Natasha’s, really just wanting to go back home now. But you had no idea if Steve was still mad at you or not. That was the worst feeling, thinking that your mate was angry at you. “I know he was just looking out for me but fuck it made me feel stupid, like a burden to him that he has to take care of me all the time. I still don’t even know why he is really all that mad. Sure forgetting the cell phone was stupid on my part, but plenty of the pack travel on that road. It was minutes before I was found and helped.” You rubbed at your face. “So the pack is really worried we will split up?”

What if some of the rumors are true? Your thoughts darkened and the Little Wolf rumbled a bit to make herself known.

<Don’t. You know better than that.>

Well he was really mad, what if-

<Y/N, shut it down now.> She snapped out while pushing up to make a stand against your negative thoughts swirling. <Steve didn’t even make you leave. You walked over here to cool off.>

Sara spoke up, drawing your attention back to her. “You know how rumors go. They catch any trouble in paradise kind of thing and it blows up.” She scooted over closer and wrapped an arm around your shoulder. “You both have cooled off. Maybe it's time to go back home and talk to him? I'm sure he misses you as much as you miss him.”

The Alpha dodged off the usual trails he followed not wanting to come across any others that might be stretching their legs and started making his own through the heavy February snow. He didn't wander far though, because he felt your sorrow on your shared bond. It made his ears flatten against his skull and his staggering gait circled him back towards where he knew you were several times during the night, sure to check on Natasha’s several time to be sure you were safe. Even now he could catch the scent of you from the cabin that didn't belong there. It belonged at his cabin, with him. Where he could wake up and bury his nose in your neck, and feel your soft body welcome him. Where you sang in his kitchen unaware he was listening. Or curl up on the deck with your book pretending to read, but you were having private conversations with the birds and squirrels coming to the feeders, lost in your own little world. Again he circled Natasha’s cabin, his muzzle lifted to try to find you again, his ears twisting back and forth, searching you out. Your voice was muffled with another’s, but it was there and the Alpha sighed.

He hated the temper that flared so strongly and suddenly. Yes he was upset and his fear at how reckless you had been had flared into this ugly thing that pushed you away. Now it was time for him to make it right, bring you home. Pacing around the cabin, he paused at the steps and settled down to sit. The Alpha let himself sink into the bond, reaching out to meet his Little One gently. He felt when You were aware he was close, the sadness easing a bit but still cautious.

You paused what you were saying when warmth blossomed through you and a bit of a foreign ache. Sara tilted her head watching you as your jaw snapped shut and you rubbed at your arms. “Y/N? What is it?”

“Steve is close.” You said under your breath and Sara gave a small knowing smile, being familiar with that sensation with Sam.

A deep howl started just outside of Natasha’s front door and you felt a rush rise up in your throat, the Little Wolf aching to answer him back. You went to the front door and eased it open to see the large Silver Wolf singing at the door, when he heard the creek of the door open, he gave a slight thump of his tail against the packed snow and tilted his head looking at you. Folding your arms over your chest, you stepped out further with a soft.

“Alpha, what are you doing here?”

He pushed to a stand and gave you a play bow, his tail curling over his back while swaying in a wag, enticing you to join him. You went down the few steps and he mouthed your hand, tugging it gently to join him. Running your hand over his head, your hand rubbing deeply at his softer ears and giggling when you saw him get a blissed look at your touch, you shook your head. “Okay okay.” Quickly you tugged off your clothes, tossing them behind you. Which Steve leaped up to catch, still very much in a playful manner till the front of Natasha’s place was littered with your clothes and the Little Wolf was prancing around the Alpha, who was nipping at you twisting around to keep up with her.

Sara stepped out onto the porch, leaning against the railing watching the two of you play with one another, chuckling when Steve rolled you to your back and stood over you stiff legged, which you played as the good little submissive wolf, nuzzling under his chin and whimpering. It lasted all of five seconds before you heaved against him to knock him off balance and twisted to bolt off, leaving the Alpha chasing after you out of sight. The woman shook her head with a snort at the two of you and proceeded down the steps to gather your abandoned clothes to take back to your proper cabin. Making sure Natasha’s place was closed back up.

On her way towards Steve’s, Sam caught up to her with an arm around her shoulder. “I see it worked.” He grinned and she leaned slightly into her mate, letting his scent and warmth surround her.

“Of course it did, they are both just too damn stubborn and needed a slight push.” Sara said as she started up the stairs and let them in to drop Y/N clothes on the coffee table, turning towards her mate and wrapping her arms around him. “Were we ever like that in the beginning?” Sara wriggled her brows teasing and Sam let his hands rest on her hips, pulling her in closer, chaining nips and kisses over her face till she was nuzzling into him.

“Babygirl, of course we are still like that. Remember last week?”

Sara smacked against his chest with a laugh and pushed against Sam to get them back out the door. “You are such a pain in my ass Wilson.”

“Yet you keep me around still.” He grinned while they left, both of them feeling accomplished that Steve and You were now interacting once again.

“For now, till I find me another stud.” Sara shrugged and Sam tickled her sides to get her laughing.

You paced along the tops of frozen snowdrifts, Steve following along nearby but not risking to follow you into the deeper snow as he was much heavier and would sink where you wouldn't. He kept up easily with you though, familiar with where you were leading him and when you rolled off the embankment to land next to him, he took over. Nudging you with his muzzle and steering you towards the thinning trees, you both broke out onto one of the lake's beaches.

Here the wind picked up, lifting loose snow to twirl around across the ice that the lake had turned into. You both bounded onto the lake, chasing after the swirls of snow with snapping jaws and bounding leaps into the air. Powered haunches folded underneath you before you leaped into the air, landing heavily on your forepaws and rolling into a run which the Alpha streaked past you and dug in his claws to keep from slipping too much. He was quick to turn back though and slide alongside you, this time you picked the way you two traveled together, slowing down to an easy going lope. It wasn't long till you both ended at another beach further away from the compound. This one scattered with old weathered logs that you balanced beamed along, Steve jumping over them easily till you both circled back into the forest that was muffled with fresh snowfall.

Easing you both back home, when you hit the deck and scrambled up the steps, the Alpha was right behind you and shifting to ease open the door leading into the bedroom, which you were quick to run into the bathroom and shifted back yourself to turn on the hot water.

Steve silently joined you in there, the both of you stepping under the hot water. Steve twisted your back to his chest, sliding chilly hands along your skin while you tilted your head back into the water, sighing as the heat felt good on your chilly body. He dropped a kiss to your shoulder while grabbing the shampoo bottle and squirting a generous amount on his palm.

“Step out of the water Little One.” He rumbled and you obliged, his hands working the soap into suds and massaging into your scalp. You sunk into that relaxed state where you let Steve simply take care of you, moving the way he eased you back and forth in the water.

Steve rumbled gently with content now that his Little One was back with him, knowing he was going to have to tell you why he snapped in anger. But right now having your trust was everything and he did his best to make sure you had just what you needed. Even needing to do the same for him when you turned and insisted on washing him.

The soap foamed against his chest as you followed the familiar path you've traced countless times now while talking in bed, pressing in close and back up to wrap your arms around his neck and hug yourself in close, nuzzling in against his neck. It wasn't sexual in nature, just the desire to be close, your fingers skating over his upper back and sighing against him as his warmth and scent wafted over you, making you feel calm for the first time in a couple days. “Little One, we should probably get out.” He left off the ‘and talk’ but you knew that it had to happen. With a nod, you back up for him to rinse off.

Afterwards he twisted the knobs off so they could dry off. Gathering a fluffy towel, he whisked it over your body till the majority of your skin was dry. He might have left a few tempting drops on your shoulder that he lapped off with a stroke of his tongue, just further marking you as his.

Once you both left the bathroom, Steve eased into his leather chair across the room, and tugged you into his lap, his hands soothingly stroking your thigh. You let your arm ease around his neck, watching as he traced your legs with the gentlest touch, you never would have known those hands could be capable of anything else. “I'm sorry I left Alpha. I didn't mean to make you worry.” You broke the silence and cold blue eyes lifted to warm looking at you, the furrows between his eyes deepening which you smoothed a thumb over to smooth back out, make him relax. He caught your wrist and brought your fingers down to his lips, just pressing them against your fingers till he sighed against your fingertips.

He needed to tell you because you deserved to know. “Little One, I wouldn't have normally reacted that way. Just that morning Natasha called me to tell me some news that had me worried and I should have told you. I was trying to spare you from worrying.”

Now it was your turn to furrow your brow, a bit of a frown tugging on your mouth as you pulled your hand back from him to rest your hand against his chest. “What? What did she tell you?”

You could see his jaw clench a bit, hating that this perfect bubble that your lives had been since Pierce would be taken away. Tilting your head forward, you nudge your nose against his, and his forehead leaned against yours a few seconds till he drew back to speak. “Some rogue wolves are taking out Alphas. There are some survivors but the packs get destroyed in the process. Natasha keeps running across the attacks while tracking Bucky and the others.”

You gasped out, your eyes widening in surprise. “You don’t think it could be…?” You drifted off, not even wanting to say the words and Steve shook his head.

“I really don't know Little One. Fuck I hope not. But Natasha said that they were efficient in their attacks. Bucky and Clint both have the training for it. Wanda and Pietro are powerful in ways beyond being shifters. I need to talk to the rest of the Pack. Especially since they are heading this way, warn others in the area.”

You nodded, your touch against his chest feeling the vibrations of the rumbles of unease rising from his chest. “Means you will have to contact Stark.”

Steve sighed, resting his hand against your hip and sliding you in closer till you laid your head on his shoulder. “He would do the same for me.” Since the incident last fall, Steve and Tony had kept away from each other, well within their respective boundaries, but Steve wouldn't let that keep him from warning him of the imposing danger.

“What do you think the whole Council will do?” You questioned next.

Steve couldn't help the growl that escaped him then, the Alpha mimicking it himself with great distaste at the supposed council that was supposed to help the Packs.

“Whatever the fuck they want I suppose. As long as they don’t try to interfere with us.” He rumbled out and you shifted in to bite gently on your mark at the crook of his neck and shoulder, giving a gentle lap of tongue to calm your mate once more. The Little Wolf crossed the bond to be closer to the Alpha, nuzzling the growling intimidating beast till he settled back down. “When I found out you were gone… Fuck Y/N, all I could think of was what if something happened to you.” He sighed out his confession now to his anger and you let it sink in, thinking of how it had affected him. You had heard what had happened when Pierce had injected you and you went under. Steve lost his tight control and almost attacked anyone coming close to you, if it wasn't for Bucky, who knows what would have happened then.

You cupped his face and turned him towards you, kissing him slowly, drawing it out while you poured your love for him into it. “Thank you for finally telling me, I understand now why you were so upset.”

Steve sighed against your mouth, inhaling your scent like a healing balm to his fears at what might be coming to their borders. “I will do better I promise Little One.”

You simply hugged around him tighter and committed how he felt to memory, all that power kept in check against you. “We both will Steve.”

#attack of the winter wolf #alpha steve x little one #amber writes #sweater writes #the pack #steve rogers au #shifter steve rogers

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rhaenyratargayen · 3 years

Text

home for the summer // part II // f.w.

read part one

summary: song fic based off of home for the summer by sara kays. Y/N realizes who her heart has always belonged to.

word count: 2.4k

warnings: none, the fluff you guys deserve :)

Her feet felt frozen beneath her, not due to the cold weather, but the hesitation within her. Suddenly all the warmth she had felt being home with the Weasley’s was ripped away as if a dementor had sucked it out of her. Her fingers and the tip of her nose suddenly felt the sharpness of the breeze, and her stomach dropped.

Joshua kneeled before her, presenting her with the most beautiful ring. He smiled up at her and she noticed the tears that pooled in his dark eyes. The white snowflakes contrasted his dark hair as they fell lightly on top like an angel’s halo. Joshua truly was an angel, sweet and gracious, always putting her first. But even with the heartwarming thoughts of her boyfriend swarming in her mind, Y/N couldn’t bring herself to say yes.

She glanced back at the burrow, spotting the gaggle of redheaded Weasley’s gazing at her through the window. She noticed their expressions falter, probably after noticing the fact that he hadn’t slipped the ring on her finger yet. Molly, Arthur, Ginny, and all the boys, Y/N paused when she didn’t spot Fred, and her heart fell to her stomach.

She quickly turned back to Joshua with the guiltiest look, but how could she grant him a life with her if her heart belonged to another? Deep down, Y/N knew that she always belonged to Fred. It was certain back in Hogwarts, the sparks she felt when he kissed her on the astronomy tower, or let her borrow his jumpers never quite faded.

Joshua was good, he was pure and he would make an extraordinary husband, but it wasn’t fair to him to accept his proposal and Y/N knew that.

She squeezed his hand as he looked up at her, and she pursed her lips.

“I love you, Joshua.”

Joshua sighed, lowering his hand that held the velvet box.

“I do, but I can’t–“ She tried to continue.

“It’s okay.” Joshua stood up, now towering over her.

She felt the wave of guilt wash over her as he stood. She could no longer see the crown of snowflakes on his head, and the pool of tears had finally released, cascading down his flushed cheeks elegantly.

She didn’t expect him to yell, Joshua was rather cool tempered. He was a very generous lover, but he surprised her. He pulled her to him and kissed her forehead, his hand cupped her cheek as he looked down at her.

“I love you, Y/N,” he nodded, “Thank you for giving me the best six months of my life.”

Y/N felt a few wet tears trickle down her face, tears she didn’t even know were forming at his words. Joshua tucked the box back into his pocket, to give to another girl someday, a girl who loved him just as much as he loved her. He deserved that, Y/N knew, but she wasn’t the one to give that to him.

“Still friends, yeah?” Joshua chuckled, contrasting the tears that still fell.

Y/N let herself laugh, feeling the weight lifted off her chest. She laughed, a melodic chuckle that had her curling into Joshua’s chest and hugging him tightly. He kissed the top of her head and rubbed her back. They only stayed like that momentarily, before Y/N remembered the huddle of her second family watching from the window.

“Better go break the news then.” She pursed her lips.

Joshua exhaled a breathy laugh and nodded, guiding her back towards the back door with his hand resting on her lower back.

The atmosphere they walked into was awkward, no one spoke, silently waiting for someone else to go first. The Weasley family looked to Y/N almost with guilty eyes, like they didn’t know whether to congratulate her or apologize. She caught the sad smile Charlie threw at Joshua, and she squeezed Joshua’s hand in hers.

“Oh, Y/N.” Ginny broke the silence, pushing past her brothers to engulf the girl in her arms.

The group dispersed at the break of silence, Bill and Charlie came to Joshua’s side, leading him to the kitchen for another drink – one that he definitely needed. Molly scolded the snicker that left Ron’s lips, before smiling at Y/N who caught it and sent a wink Ron’s way.

She pulled back from Ginny’s embrace and found George’s eyes. His hands were shoved in his pocket, and even though Y/N wasn’t his twin it was like they could read each other’s minds.

“He’s upstairs.” George nodded.

Y/N gave him a gracious grin and pulled back from Ginny, rushing up the stairs. The bathroom door was open, the light still on as she reached the top of the stairs. She looked their first, considering everyone else was downstairs.

“Fred–“ She called as she entered, pausing as she walked into the empty bathroom.

She furrowed her brows, stepping back out into the hallway momentarily, and glancing up the stairs to the higher stories to the house, looking for any lights on or any sign of Fred’s presence. She stepped back into the bathroom and chewed on her bottom lip.

Had he left? Her mind wandered to dark places, falling down the rabbit hole of possible thoughts Fred was thinking. She wondered if he was angry with her, or if he ever wanted to see her again. Did he think she didn’t value their time, or value him?

She paced back and forth along the tile floor and paused as her breath hitched. She caught a piece of paper tossed in the bin, one with her name scribbled on it in Fred’s handwriting. As she reached in, she noticed the other half and felt her heart clench in her chest.

Tears pooled in her eyes as she held the two pieces of the letter to her chest. It was only split in two, she could easily piece it back together if it let her. She peeled back the envelope, carefully taking the two pieces of paper with the actual letter written on it. She held them side by side, reading over the messy handwriting.

Dear Y/N,

I don’t know when I’ll give this to you, if I ever do. The thought of you reading this is maddening. I’m not very good with words, you know this, but I figured if I wrote them down maybe they’d stop buzzing in my head all day.

Darling, you’re it for me. There’s truly no one else, you’re one of a kind. I was heartbroken when you left, and I told you I was proud of you, and I am, but the thought of being away from you for so long hurts like hell. You’re coming back soon, at least that’s what you said in your last letter.

Like I said, I don’t know if I’ll ever give this to you, but I love you, Y/N. I love you more than I have ever loved anyone else, I loved you before I even knew what love was, a tiny git on the train to Hogwarts sitting beside a pretty girl with wit. I hope you see this one day, Merlin I do. Whether it’s tomorrow or a century from now, my word still stands, I love you.

Forever yours, Freddie.

All the breath had been taken from her lungs, and the faint droplets that pooled in her eyes were now full blown tears streaming down her cheeks still burning from the cold.

Her heart tugged in her chest, begging to escape. She wanted to be with Fred, she wanted to be with him from the beginning and she cursed herself for not figuring it out sooner. Romania was a dream, an opportunity that filled her chest with light, but nothing was comparable to the feeling of loving Fred Weasley.

She thought back to the night she told Fred she was leaving, she should have noticed the fault in his gaze, she should have given in to the pit in her stomach when the words left her lips. And the night she came back, the night she spent alone with Fred under the stars, she should have noticed that it was the happiest she’d ever been.

Loving Fred Weasley was a high she never wanted to come down from.

It didn’t take long for her to grab her wand from her coat, she quickly repaired the torn letter and clutched it to her chest. She gripped her wand and apparated to the first place her mind told her.

She heard the crunch of dried leaves and dead grass beneath her boots as she carried herself quickly through the clearing before the open field. It was dark out by now, and the moon had rose to illuminate the ground below her.

She had put her heart in the driver’s seat, and her mind in the passenger’s, she trusted her heart to lead her where it desired, to Fred. So she rushed through the field, pulling her wand out and casting lumos to guide the way for her.

Pulling her coat tighter around her, she shivered as the snow fell before her feet, the light from her wand reflecting off the snow. As she continued on, she neared the center of the field, halfway between the trees she came out of and the trees across from her. She froze in her step as she caught the silhouette of a man on his knees.

She picked up her pace, catching the sounds of muffled sobs over the crunch of ice beneath her feet. Her breathing picked up and she felt the nervousness return to the pit in her stomach, as her body led her mindlessly, she called out into the night.

“Fred!”

The sobs stopped and the shadow of the man turned to face her. She exhaled a breath of relief as the moonlight illuminated his features, it was Fred.

She rushed towards him, but stopped in her tracks as she was an arms length away. Patches of blushed skin on his cheeks and nose were a sharp contrast to his usual pale, freckled skin. His hair was a mess, probably from running his hands through it so many times. Again, just like before, she felt her heart tug in her chest.

Fred’s eyes widened as he saw her, the remains of tears leaving streaks down her face. Against her chest she clutched a paper, his eyes scanned the note before his breath hitched as he recognized his own handwriting, the words he read over countless times reciting in his head like a broken record.

He was so caught up in seeing her before him, she looked relieved to see him despite the obvious distress in her appearance. He glanced at her left hand that held the note, there was no sparkly diamond ring on her finger, and his tears ceased.

He stepped forward, cautiously, he yearned to scoop her in his arms but his heart warned him not to jump too quickly. The back of his head spat heartbreaking theories into his thoughts, maybe she was only there to break the news to him first, before she returned to Joshua and kissed him under the mistletoe, showing off her ring to his family while they celebrated with butter beer.

She noticed his hesitation, it broke her heart. She felt the tears pool again at how broken he looked, and hated herself for being the reason for it. She took one long stride and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Fred’s arms instinctively wrapped around her waist, and as she relaxed into his hold, they tightened around her.

She leaned back far enough to look him in the eye while still being in his arms, and she released everything she held in from the years she knew him.

“I’m so sorry, Freddie,” She choked out, “I should’ve told you sooner, I shouldn’t have left! I should’ve stayed, worked at the shop with you and George and told you the minute I knew that I loved you Fred Weasley. I love you.”

His heart skipped a beat at her confession, but she barely gave him the time to rejoice in her feelings before she continued.

“I know you probably hate me now, I unknowingly strung you along this whole time, Godric, I’m an idiot.”

She stopped ranting when she finally looked him in the eyes again. His tears had faded to streaks just like her own, but he didn’t frown or grimace, he smiled down at her. His hand raised to cup her cheek, rubbing away the stray tears with his thumb.

“Why are you smiling?” She choked out a laugh.

“Because,” He leaned his forehead against hers, “You’re not an idiot and I could never, ever hate you, my love.”

She melted at his words, bunching up his shirt in her fists against his chest. She blinked, looking up at him through tear coated eyelashes.

“I have loved you for so long,” Fred continued, “And that is all I have ever wanted to hear you say.”

She laughed, a cheerful, glee giggle that had his body warming despite the cold.

“You’re not mad?” She asked, sheepishly.

“Mad?” Fred scoffed, “How could I be mad when the woman I’m in love with just told me she loves me?”

She smiled and leaned into him, brushing her nose against his. Fred tugged her closer, pressing against her back so that their chests pressed together. Y/N raised herself onto her tip toes, lips brushing Fred’s lightly.

Just the initial feeling of her lips again after so long had Fred’s eyes fluttering closed in bliss. He slowly leaned forward, gently pressing his lips to hers fully. She inhaled a shaky breath and released a calm one. She leaned into him, finding rhythm in their kiss, granting Fred access when his tongue swiped across her bottom lip.

He pulled back, pressing a quick peck to Y/N’s lips when they chased his own. His thumb brushed over her cheekbone and he pressed another kiss to her lips when he caught her gazing up at him so adoringly.

“‘m sorry it took so long.” Y/N giggled.

Fred shrugged, “It was worth the wait.”

He leaned down to kiss her again, finding that even after all this time, she still fit him like a puzzle piece, a perfect match.

————————————————

taglist: @starlightweasley @valwritesx @harrysweasleys @inglourious-imagines @cappsikle @whiz-bangs78 @levylovegood @wand3ringr0s3 @rogueweasleys @gloryekaterina @wolfstarsdaughter20 @charlieswanwhore @loony-loopy-lupinn @gcdric

#fred weasley x reader #fred weasley angst #fred weasley fluff #fred weasley x you #fred weasley imagine

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beelsnack · 3 years

Text

Bad Influence - Beelsnack's 666 Follower Special!!

(Technically I'm over 666 - shoutout to the porn bots)

But seriously, holy shit, there's a lot of you. Thank you all so much for liking my stuff, and for interacting with me and sending me good vibes and all of that. I hope I can keep giving you guys quality work!!

And yes, I am a nerd and I consider 666 a milestone for a blog for a bunch of demons. No, I'm not sorry.

-----

Lucifer: He couldn’t help but wonder when the change had set in.

When the human first arrived in the Devildom, they had been humble and meek. If anyone complimented them, they deflected it with the mastery and resignation of someone who had been doing it for far longer than they should have. And if someone thanked them? You would think their entire world was dissolving around them.

But now?

He extended a gloved hand towards them as they descended the stairs. Tonight was one of the rare nights where they had the opportunity to be alone without one of his brothers tagging along, and they had been planning this date for nearly a week now. They slipped their hand in his without any of the hesitation they would have shown at first. They knew they deserved his reverence.

“You look radiant as always, my dear,” he curled his fingers around theirs as they reached the bottom step, bringing the backs of their knuckles to his lips. “Surely there is no star in the sky that could outshine you.”

They laughed - his theatrics always did amuse them. “You do have amazing taste, after all.”

He chuckled as well, guiding the two of them to the front door. “Of course. Do you think the Avatar of Pride would associate with anyone less than the best?”

“Definitely not,” the wind that came through the door when they opened it blew their hair away from their face, and Lucifer couldn’t help but preen at the fact that he had helped that quivering little animal grow into the proud swan that stood before him.

“Speaking of the best, where are we going for dinner?”

“Don’t worry, my dear,” he laughed as they made their way out into the night. “You deserve the world, and the world you shall get.”

“Unless ‘the world’ means a steak dinner, I’m not interested.”

Mammon: “Come on, don’t leave me hangin’ out here!”

The curtain covering the entrance to the changing room rustled, and Mammon heard a faint “Fine, fine, just give me a sec!” before it finally opened and out stepped the human.

Mammon always thought they looked good no matter what they were wearing, even if it was one of his old t-shirts and a pair of shorts. Actually, especially if it was one of his old t-shirts and a pair of shorts. But seeing them decked out in his fashion brand - one he had both designed and modeled - was definitely making him feel some type of way.

He let out a low whistle when they stopped in front of the chair he had seated himself in. The results of his own shopping spree were tucked haphazardly into a colorful assortment of bags at his feet, but the human had taken a bit longer than he did picking out their stuff. And damn, was he glad they did, because otherwise he wouldn’t get the chance to see them modeling his clothes.

It was a private fashion show, just for him.

The outfit itself was pretty simple. A black fitted tee beneath a cropped leather jacket, a pair of faded dark-blue skinny jeans, and a pair of black sneaks with a gold stripe going up the side. But the thing that brought the whole outfit together was the long necklace with a topaz pendent resting against their breastbone.

“Well?” they asked, giving him a spin before striking a pose before him. “What do you think?”

For a moment, he couldn’t speak. The human wearing his clothes...it was the next best thing to them walking around with “I Belong To Mammon” tattooed on their forehead.

“I, uh...I guess you...um,” he swallowed thickly. “Ya look alright, I guess.”

“That’s tsundere for ‘you look hot,’ right?” they grinned before spinning around to look in the mirror. “Man, this is a whole look! I have to have it!”

If this had been a few months ago, the human would have waffled back and forth about whether or not to buy anything. It didn’t matter how much they wanted something, it was almost like they just couldn’t do anything nice for themselves. There was being frugal, and then there was deprivation. Now, though, was completely different.

“I wonder if I should get some shades to go with?” they mumbled, looking themselves over in the mirror. “I think that would really pull it together, don’t you?”

“Just don’t go for the Ray Bans, it’s a fucking scam.”

Leviathan: "Come on, come on, come on…"

Very rarely was Levi the one watching someone else play games, unless it was a stream. And as mind-blowingly awesome it would be to watch the human stream one of his current faves, he definitely didn't want other people seeing how adorable they looked when they were focused.

They had come to him with absolute determination in their eyes, begging him to help them out. There were a limited amount of UR armor sets in the event, and they needed to get their hands on one. And, well, what kind of friend would he be if he didn't help them out?

(The fact that he already scored the armor is irrelevant.)

So, here they were, camped out in the pillow nest that they often made for themselves when gaming in his room, laser focused on the screen with Levi giving them guidance. The event level was brutal, but they were in the final hours, so it was crunch time.

"Okay, this boss is easy once you know the attack pattern. Four regular slashes, a jab, then you've got about five seconds to get behind a pillar before it uses the AOE."

"Gotcha."

Even then, it was a long battle, and they had used up most of their healing potions by the time the monster let out an anguished roar and disintegrated into a pile of bones. The human held their breath as they moved towards it to gather their loot.

"Yes!!"

They practically leaped out of the pillow nest in triumph. There, right on the top of the loot list in shimmering gold font, and the UR armor that they had been coveting.

"I got it! I got it!" they cheered. "Levi, I finally got it!"

"Hell yeah you did!" the two of them shared a crisp high five as the results of the campaign loaded on the screen. It was updating in real time, so they could watch as the final moments of the event ticked away.

Levi knew what they were looking for. Early on in the dungeon, another player had done them real dirty, sniping them from a few levels above and then taunting them over VC about how they would never get the armor now. So of course that only inspired the human to work harder, and here they were.

3...2...1

Event over. Quickly, the human scrolled up to the beginning of the list, checking the names of all the players who scored the armor.

Levi sat next to them, chewing his lip. What was that person's tag again? He didn't remember.

Suddenly, the human let out a snort that turned into a full-on giggle fit.

"They didn't get it!" they cackled like a hyena. "Serves them right, the jackass!"

Levi was pretty sure it wasn't a good idea to laugh at the misfortune of others. But, he knew better than anyone that spite was a hell of a motivator. When they had first gotten themselves isekai’d into the Devildom, they had let demons walk all over them, Levi had personally witnessed a lower-level demon shove them out of the way to get a sandwich they had been reaching for, and the human just stood there and let them take it. But they had grown to be a little more selfish, and if they wanted something, they were taking it.

And maybe, just maybe, seeing them like that turned him on just a little bit.

Satan: "You want to come and say that to my face?"

Satan stood there in stunned silence as the human spun on their heel to look the demons right in the eyes. They had their back to him, so Satan couldn't see the look on their face, but whatever it was made the two lesser demons flinch.

"Hey, come on, Human, we were just joking."

"Yeah, no need to get all worked up."

They scoffed, and Satan knew them well enough to know that they were rolling their eyes. "Is that right? So you don't think I'm a...what was it? A fleshy meat sack who thinks they can get what they want by sleeping with the strongest demons in the Devildom?"

Another flinch. Satan chuckled to himself.. Did those morons really think they wouldn't hear them? Humans might not have super-heightened senses but they weren't deaf.

A small crowd had begun gathering around them, waiting to see what would happen. It wasn't every day one of the human exchange students squared up to a demon.

"You've got some nerve," the human drew themself up to their full height - which, admittedly, was laughable compared to most demons - and crossed their arms. "What do you think Lord Diavolo would do to demons who messed with his exchange students?"

"I believe there's a special spot in the Royal Torture Chambers for such demons," Satan came to stand next to them, and the other demons downright cowered. "If I recall correctly, there's an Iron Maiden down there."

"Ooh, cool!"

"Alright, we get it!" One of the demons cried, throwing their hands up defensively. "We're sorry!"

Satan opened his mouth to spit a curse at them, but the human beat him to it. "I've got Lord Diavolo on speed dial, so start running."

The two demons turned tail and booked it down the hallway, nearly crashing into Beelzebub as he turned the corner with a sandwich hanging out of his mouth. He stood frozen for a moment before he swallowed and turned to Satan and the human.

"Were those two bothering you guys?"

Satan cast a sideways look at the human before a wicked grin spread across his face.

"They took care of it."

Asmodeus: "Well, someone's feeling bold tonight."

The door had barely shut behind the two of them before the human was pressing Asmo against it, mouthing at his neck as their hands traveled down the front of his silk blouse. He shuddered gleefully as their breath ghosted against his ear lobe.

"I can't help it," they murmured, fingers skirting just beneath the hem of his shirt. "You looked so good out there."

"I look good all the time, darling," he hummed, reaching up to grab a fistful of hair to gently pry them away from his neck.

"You looked especially good," they huffed as he let go of their hair. "Dancing like that, I could barely wait until we got home."

"Aw, sweetheart, you should have come to join me." Asmo rolled his hips in an echo of the dancing he had been doing at the club, delighting when he felt them shiver against him. "We could have put on a show that would have captivated the whole Devildom."

"I don't think the staff would appreciate it."

"They would be too busy watching to care," Asmo giggled, diving down to capture their lips in a quick and dirty kiss. "Although I can't say I'm not thrilled to be getting a private show."

Beelzebub: “Man, this place has the best barbecue!”

Dinner dates were a pretty common thing for the two of them. Over the course of the human’s stay in the Devildom, the two of them had figured out which restaurants would put up with Beel’s appetite and which would visibly freeze when the Avatar of Gluttony entered the establishment. The Hellfire Barbecue was one of the good places, probably because Beel made sure to tip really well, and one time personally went into the kitchen to tip the chef. Or, well, he tried, anyway. He ended up giving the money to the human and told them to give it to the chef because he knew if he went in there he would devour everything. But the sentiment was still there.

Beel smiled down at the human as they wiped the barbecue sauce off of their face. “You finished all of it this time.”

“Huh?” they glanced at their plate. “Oh. Yeah, I guess I did.”

“You usually don’t.”

“I was really hungry, I guess.” they grinned sheepishly.

Beel distinctly remembered the human telling him that they always tried to save some food for later. Whether it was being resourceful or because they had a weird sense of shame around eating too much, Beel didn’t know, but he had never pressed in case it was a sensitive issue. But, seeing them indulge themselves and looking genuinely full and satisfied made him happy. And was probably his main motivation for taking them out to dinner so often.

Well, that and getting his own food.

“I like watching you eat.” Beel said, waving to the owner as he passed by.

“You...like watching me eat.” the human repeated, looking somewhat confused.

“You look so happy when you eat good food,” Beel smiled. “I like seeing you happy.”

Belphegor: Oh, how the tables have tabled.

“Come on, I don’t feel like dealing with Lucifer’s lectures today.” Belphie grumbled, tugging half-heartedly on the human’s arm that was flung around his waist. “We should get up soon.”

For all of his complaining, Belphie didn’t move. If anything, he snuggled down deeper into the bed. He loved when the human agreed to have a sleepover in the attic with him. They got uninterrupted cuddle and nap time, since nobody dared to come up to the attic except Beel. And Beel was almost always welcome to join the cuddle puddle.

“Five more minutes…” the human mumbled sleepily, burying their face into Belphie’s neck. The soft, contented sigh they let out tickled, and he squirmed a little.

“Aren’t you usually the one waking me up?” Belphie nuzzled his nose against their hair.

“But it’s comfy here,” they whined. “I don’t want to get up.”

“You just don’t want to do the presentation in class today.”

“Your point?”

Belphie laughed. “Can’t say I disagree.”

“I did all the hard work anyway,” they shrugged. “We’ll make Mammon give the report.”

“Sounds like a plan to me.”

The two of them settled back down into the nest of pillows. The human had almost drifted back to sleep when Belphie brought his nose down to theirs to nuzzle them together.

“You’re cute when you’re sleepy.”

“You’re cute when you shut up and let me sleep.”

#obey me lucifer #obey me mammon #obey me leviathan #obey me levi #obey me satan #obey me asmodeus #obey me asmo #obey me beelzebub #obey me beel #obey me belphegor #obey me belphie

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yejiroh · 3 years

Text

Runaway Bride

Yandere! Chrollo x Fem! Reader

Part 3

Authors note: Hello everyone! Thank you for being here for the (most likely) final part of the Runaway Bride story!

Tag list: @yanderes-are-the-best @ejeeart @misskuudere-chan @fatherrrora

***

It was a race against time. As the news reported false information, Chrollo and his subordinates continued to search for the Nen user they needed. Meanwhile, Y/n continued to change her appearance, running farther and farther away.

A rough hand slammed against the table, a chewed bullet resting beside it.

Gripping his hair, Uvo screamed in frustration as they had lost another person. It was amazing how many people had such a good sense of smell, yet died the second they smelled Y/n’s belongings.

“How many does that make?”

“I think that was the 19th person. “

“You’re kidding.”

“Uvo, there’s literally bodies behind your chair. “

Kortopi walked in, messy hair hiding his face like usual. He did not say anything, but a curt nod to the two made them stand up and follow him out of the hotel room.

Feitan stood in the hallway, knife in hand.

“Anything new?”

Shalnark shook his head ‘no’ with a sigh.

“The boss isn’t going to like this…”

Scratching his chin, Uvo pondered aloud “Why doesn’t he just take their Nen and use that? Doesn’t he take Nen abilities that he likes?”

“Doesn’t work like that, and Uvo, how come you’re the one coming up with all the ideas?”

‘I’m not sure. All I did was drink a case of beer this morning.”

“What are we gonna tell the boss? It’s already been some time- oh god, what if Y/n, you know- committed-”

“She wouldn’t do that unless it would be fun. It’s not fun when you’re scared.”

“Maybe she’s not scared? Huh, what about then, Uvo?”

“Would you two please shut u-”

“WAIT WAIT WAIT!”

“Hm?”

“Call the boss now, I just figured it out! Ooh, Y/n is smart!”

“No shit Shalnark.”

“Just call Chrollo.”

***

Dark eyes stared back at each other, the only thing separating the pur reflection was the spider web cracks of the glass mirror. Phone ringing, a gloved hand went to pick it it up, pressing the speaker icon.

“Any new-”

“BOSS! IT’S INTOXICATION! EVERYONE’S DYING BECAUSE OF INTOXICATION-”

“Explain Shalnark.”

A deep breath was heard in the other side of the phone, and the younger man began to speak rapidly.

“Okay, so basically, everyone- besides us, or people who have generally been close to Y/n for a while, are either passing out or dropping dead like flies right? It’s her! A part of her Nen- I think. Some sort of precaution since she was always on the move, ya know?”

“How does that help us find her?”

“Well, we just need someone who can sniff her out without any damage- so back to our original idea, we just need to smell her out! We had the wrong scent cause we were tracking her by her stuff, not her!”

Chrollo looked at himself, mouth slightly open. Of course! How had he not seen it before? Hadn’t Y/n mentioned something like that before? Smacking his head, he began to laugh, a wicked smile plastered on his face.

“Oh god, thank you Shalnark, I can do this on my own now- let everyone know to return to the hotel, and clean up the mess. My runaway bride is coming back.”

“Understood.”

Hanging up, the man hurried out of the bathroom, grabbing a black bag, laughing maniacally.

Now all Chrollo had to do was get ready.

***

Sweat dripped down the side of her nose, hitting the countertop. It was to be expected that running from Chrollo of all people would be difficult. Y/n shook her head, refusing to think of why it was a bad idea to run. The bastard had too much control over her already. A hand in her hair, Y/n looked up, having forgotten that she had cut quite a bit off earlier. Eyes on her hair, Y/n inhaled deeply, calming herself as she tried to stop the tears before they could come.

Gray eyes shone like jewels, boring into her own, soft strands of ebony hair framed his face beautifully as he looked down on Y/n, arms around her, a smile on his face.

“You’re so beautiful love, smile for me?”

“Chrollo, I’m nothing special- we both know that.”

“Ah, but you are; to me, you always look like you’ve just fallen from the heavens, just for me!”

A playful chuckle from Chrollo as he blushed. It was a cold night, and the secret visits he would make just for Y/n were treasured. Holding her closer, he moved a stray strand of hair from her face, pecking Y/n’s nose. Ticklish as it was, she let out a giggle.

“Will you stay? At least until I fall asleep?”

“Anything for you love.”

“WHAT THE HELL! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE ASSHOLE!”

Y/n hit the table, grabbing her keys. If she was going to dream about the man, it wasn't going to be now.

***

Various parts of red roses lay scattered on the floor thorns, petals, leaves, and if you looked very closely, pollen. Various gifts lined the walls, all wrapped up nicely. Soon, guests would be filling the seats, and Chrollo would once again stand at the altar, and once again he would expect Y/n too walk out those doors oh so bashfully. But this time he would take her hands into his own, tell her how utterly beautiful she looked, and skip the vows- the faster, the better.

Why was he even going through with marriage if he already had Y/n tightly wrapped around his finger, under lock and key? It’s not like they pay taxes, and he never wanted to marry- and Y/n didn’t care for it.

‘Because it’s poetic you fool.’

This whole ordeal, just to add another story to his vast collection? Chrollo let out a laugh; to think that he had wasted precious months for the sake of poetry amused him.

Sliding off one of the silver bands off his ring finger, he set it on the pedestal, messing up his silky black hair.

“Why waste time slicking your hair back if you have such pretty locks?” Y/n looked up, eyes wide as her hands raked through his just washed hair.

“Gets in my face too much. And it gives me a cool vibe when I slick it back.”

Y/n stopped, bursting into laughter as she uncoiled the hair dryer’s wire. Plugging it in, she sat on the couch, grabbing a comb.

“Let me dry it properly- you're gonna get sick!”

“If you insist- there’s no need to though.”

“Sure there is! Now come on, sit here.”

Between her legs, Chrollo hummed in content as the hair dryer blew hot air all around and the comb’s teeth raked through all the little knots.

“I seriously can’t believe you're this pretty, Chrollo. I feel like seeing you like this is illegal!”

“Well, thank you.”

Chrollo leaned back, head hitting the couch cushion. Grabbing Y/n’s thighs, he lifted her legs onto his shoulders, basking in the soft warmth.

Heaving a sigh, Chrollo adjusted his tie, and headed out to retrieve his bride.

***

The T.V. blared as the flashy icon of the station appeared, the host and hostess of the night smiling proudly as they set their papers down on the prop desk.

“It’s 10 o’clock, do you know where your children are?”

“Hello everyone, I’m Raiyah Ourani,”

“And I’m Bobby McOkazawoo.”

“It has now been 4 months since the disappearance of Y/n L/n. In that time authorities have been conducting investigation after investigation, but no new news has yet to be released. However, the Grungingham Ball House assures the people of Yorknew that their organization is completely safe, and for any future customers to not be shy as they have updated the security, granting the safety they desire as well as the fun time they want.”

“Coming up: Are DonaldMc’s really everywhere within 5 miles? Now, a word from our sponsors.”

“NEW! Scrubbing bubbles foam tastic-super mega ultra is THE cleaning solution to all of your dirty needs! Skin safe to use as a lubricant, and a natural cleanser! You can use it on windows, counters, and so much more!”

Y/n turned the T.V. off, rubbing her temples. Looking at the clock on the wall, it was now 0:45 p.m. Who knew so much time would pass by just from a commercial? About to grab her phone, Y/n suddenly froze; her phone was on, a text notification on the screen.

‘Where are you, darling?’

A hand on her mouth, she quickly grabbed her jacket. There was no time, she'd have to leave everything behind now or never. It’d be too risky to go out the door- there could well be innocents or perhaps Chrollo himself.

“Please tell me he sent Uvo…”

After the first escape, she couldn’t possibly go out the window; they’d expect that. The door, or the window?

She looked around the room: too big to go into the vents, too risky to go out the window or door. So how do you escape?

Another ping from the phone, but Y/n didn’t dare look at it. Paranoid, she steadied her breathing; can’t have them sniff her out too easily.

But…

If Chrollo wasn’t at the door, then she could use her Nen...everyone would either die or pass out, but it would be a better fate then having to deal with Chrollo’s or any of the spider’s blood lust.

A deep breath, she released her ability, and opened the door, running as fast as she could, not bothering to see who would have been near the door. She could hear laughter, crunches, dancing feet- all innocents, but there had to be someone, anyone. There was no way Chrollo wouldn’t have sent someone.

‘It’s like last time…’

Pulling her hoodie over her face, she scanned the crowd before turning around. About to scream, she covered her mouth, looking up at the man who she had bumped into.

Chrollo smiled kindly.

“Nice hair. Where have you been?”

"Chrollo, please n-"

With a flick of his wrist, he had knocked his former fiance unconscious, putting her on his back as if she had just fallen asleep- not like the locals would know. It wouldn’t matter anyways.

He had gotten his runaway bride back, and this time, he would have his wedding and poem complete.

#yandere chrollo #meena #x reader #yandere #yandere hxh #hxh x reader #fem reader #hxh chrollo #chrollo x reader #chrollo #hxh #fanfiction

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wiypt-writes · 3 years

Text

Stark Spangled Rebirth

Chapter 6: Couldn’t Call Our Ride

Summary: On the trip back to base-camp, Steve finds himself bonding more with Katie, and also grows close to a number of the prisoners they liberated.

Warnings: Bad Language words.

Pairing: Steve Rogers x OFC Katie Stark Word Count: 7.8k

A/N: Again, used a fair bit of creative license with this but, what is Fan-Fic if not exactly that? This series is my contribution of sorts to the CATF 10 Year Anniversary Challenge.

And my girl is back! @angrybirdcr hitting the spot with some wonderful edits to accompany this chapter.

Disclaimer: This is a pure work of fiction and classified as 18+. Please respect this and do not read if you are underage. I do not own any characters in this series bar Katie Stark and the other OCs. By reading beyond this point you understand and accept the terms of this disclaimer.

SSR Masterlist // Main Masterlist

Chapter 5

hey reached the rest of the men a few hours later and Steve was please to find that Dernier and the British officer, Falsworth, had already started to organise things. The wounded were being treated as best as they could by the trained field medics who were amongst the soldiers that had been liberated, a little food was being handed out, and there were men patrolling the perimeter of the area of the old, abandoned camp.

However, the elation Steve felt at having found Bucky and the rest of the men soon died down when, after Katie told him to send the signal to Peggy and Howard, he found out the transponder was going to be of absolutely no use whatsoever.

Not because it didn't work, oh no. But because it had clearly been hit in the crossfire, a corner blasted off somehow.

Which meant they were alone, with no ex-fill forthcoming.

Katie had, once again, been the voice of logic, this time supported by a few of the other soldiers and reasoned with Steve that they would be best taking a few hours to rest and treat the walking wounded before they regrouped in the morning and came up with a plan. The Captain had obliged, despite his itch to get going as soon as possible. He knew, logically, that she was right.

After wandering the camp and making sure everyone was okay, Steve’s attention then turned to ensuring that there were enough people ready to relieve the guys on guard patrol for the evening. He wanted them swapped out regularly enough to allow them all to rest. Once he was satisfied they were organised, he walked a little further round the perimeter, his sharp eyes checking into the distance every so often.

His stomach gave a little growl and his hand dropped to the top of his jacket, absentmindedly rubbing at his belly. He’d so far declined the offer of food, despite assurances from the men handling the supplies that they had ample for everyone. He knew that might not be the case if they were still stuck in a few days, and there were people in far more need of a meal than he was. Still, he knew he was going to have to eat something at some point.

With a groan he slumped down onto a large upturned tree trunk, letting out a frustrated breath. How could he could be so dammed stupid as to damage their ticket out of here? There was no way to call help, and now they were faced with a hundred and twenty click hike back to base through potentially occupied territory.

As he sat there, mulling over his own stupidity and failings, he heard a footstep behind him and he turned sharply to see Katie approaching him, carrying a foil packet in her hand. Her boots crunched over the frosty layer of leaves and detritus that covered the woodland floor as she approached him.

“Hey,” she smiled, her breath fogging the cold air in front of her. “I know you haven’t eaten, and I also know you won’t unless someone makes you so, here.”

Steve gave her a little smile in return and took the packet she was offering, looking at the label before he took a rye cracker out of the packet and shoved it into his mouth. It wasn’t particularly tasty, and was rather dry, but it was food none the less. She then handed him a canteen of water which he took with another thanks and flipped off the top, taking a huge gulp.

“Everyone who’s ill or in desperate need of a meal has had some hot broth.” She continued to explain. “Bucky managed a good mug or two of it, that is before he started coughing his guts up anyway.”

“Bucky’s sick?” Steve frowned. “I thought he said he was doing okay?”

“Well that’s men for you.” Katie gave him a little smile as she perched on the log besides him. “Insisting you’re always okay when you’re not.”

“Is he in a bad way?”

“No, all things considering he’s actually in pretty good shape.”

“All things considered?” Steve turned to her, his puzzlement reflected on his handsome face, his brows furrowing. “What do you mean?”

“Has he not told you?” Katie frowned.

“No.” Steve shook his head.

“Well, in all fairness he didn’t tell me either, it was Dum Dum.”

“Oh.” Steve let out a breath satisfied that his friend hadn’t been holding out on him. “How do you know him, Duggan I mean?”

Katie took a deep breath. “He was part of my specialist team at first, but when we got news that the Nazis and HYDRA were marching on Azzano, well, it was all hands on deck so to speak and he was dispatched with the rest of his original unit to fight.” She paused bit her lip, folding her arms across her chest, almost as if she was hugging herself to keep warm. “From what Dum Dum tells me, that’s where he first met Bucky. Apparently, Bucky contracted walking pneumonia on the battlefield, which got progressively worse in captivity.”

“And let me guess, HYDRA were nothing short of sympathetic?” Steve snorted sarcastically and Katie gave a little chuckle as she leaned against him, shivering.

“I’m sure you can guess why they were kept in those cages instead of being shot.”

“They were being used as labour in the factory.” Steve stated and he felt Katie nod as he lifted his arm so she could snuggle in against him a little.

“Thanks.” She smiled and Steve’s hand curled over her shoulder, gently rubbing her arm. “You’re ridiculously warm.”

“Must be the serum.”

“Must be.” She mused before she lay her head against him. “That the only reason you’re making the moves on me, Rogers? To keep me warm? Because I should tell you, I’m not that kinda gal!”

Steve gave an exasperated sigh as she chuckled. “You forget, I know exactly what type of dame you are.”

At that she let out a full on laugh which warmed his chest even more and he felt her shake her head. “Yeah, I guess you do. Just don’t tell Howie, he likes to think I’m perfectly sweet and innocent.”

“Bull shit.” Steve shot back before he could stop himself and she simply shrugged before they fell silent for a moment, Steve’s hand still gently rubbing at her upper arm. As the silence continued, he worried he’d overstepped the mark a little and he glanced out again across the cold, dark forest, wondering what to say, and then Katie shifted next to him, snuggling in even further and began to speak again.

“Bucky became so weak that one day that he collapsed in front of the Colonel that was in charge.” Her voice was soft, and Steve turned to look down at her, swallowing at the thought of what his best friend had been through, a thought which became progressively worse as she continued. “He took a nasty beating as a result and was dumped back in the cage which contained Dernier, Dum Dum, and Falsworth. The three of them fast realised that if Bucky was made to do any more work he’d die so they came up with a plan which basically got rid of the Colonel for good.”

“What, you mean…”

“They killed him.” She stated, matter of factly. “Crushed him under a tonne of machinery. This left some other goon in charge, and he was slightly, well, a little more compassionate, so Dum-Dum says. When this new guy spotted Bucky was ill he was taken to the isolation ward.”

Steve shifted a little and Katie sat up as he ran his hands over his tired face, dragging his fingers down his cheeks before his elbows came to rest on his knees. He pondered her words for a moment, chewing his lip before he spoke again, his voice soft.

“How long?”

“How long what?”

“How long had he been on the isolation ward?”

“A few days, apparently.”

Steve shook his head. “It doesn’t make sense.”

“Maybe they didn’t want to infect the rest of the workers.” She offered and Steve shook his head.

“But why take him there and not just-“ he stopped short of what he was going to say but Katie gently reached out, her hand laying on his back.

“I don’t know.” She answered.

“Did they do anything else to him?”

“Again, no idea. You’ll have to ask him. He aint gonna give you anything tonight, though. One of the guys shot him with some penicillin that was in the medical supplies we stole and then gave him something to help him sleep. He’s out for the count in one of the tents. He’ll be fine after a rest, Steve.”

Steve looked around, his eyes falling on the soldier currently walking the perimeter as he passed a few hundred yards away from them, before he took a deep breath.

“I should go, see how-“ he made to stand but Katie gently laid a hand on his arm, stopping him.

“Everything and everyone is fine, Steve.”

“I’m their Captain.”

“Yes, and you’ve done enough. You should get some rest, we both should.”

“How can I just sit here?” Steve shook his head. His mind was whirring, his body positively thrumming with adrenaline and unease, making the mere thought of sleep seem impossible.

“You need to. We have a long trip back to base ahead of us.”

“Which is on me.” Steve raised his eyebrows, not meeting her eyes as he focussed on a tree trunk a few feet ahead of them.

“How do you work that one out?” Katie frowned.

“I should have kept that transponder safe.”

“Oh for God’s sake!” She spluttered, her tone laced with exasperation as she shook her head as he turned to look at her.

“What?”

“Stop with this self-pity.”

“I’m not-“

“Yes, you are!” She rolled her eyes. “The transponder got broken, it wasn’t your fault. And short of inventing a time machine, there’s exactly zilch anyone can do about it. So sitting here, wallowing in your own completely misplaced sense of guilt is utterly pointless. You need to pull it together, because you’re right about one thing.”

“Oh, yeah? What’s that?” Steve’s nostrils flared angrily at her tone as she groaned.

“You are their Captain.” She stared at him, her green eyes full of fire. “And if they see you looking despondent and moping around what the hell do you think that’s gonna do to their morale, huh?”

“You know what?” Steve fixed her with an icy glare, his temper flaring. “I’ve had it with you telling me what to do, Agent Stark. I think you’ve forgotten who’s leading this mission!”

“Without me you wouldn’t have lasted five minute in that base, Captain Rogers!” She scoffed. “You hadn’t the first idea about basic stealth or operations.”

“I’d have managed just fine.”

“You know,” Katie gave a snort, shaking her head as she stood up, “Erskine was right about you, you really are a stubborn asshole”

“And you’re a brat.” He shot back, a little childishly as he too rose to his feet and with that she laughed.

“A brat?” She raised her eyebrows, wrinkling her nose up as she continued, sarcasm dripping off her words. “Original. Never heard that one before.”

She turned to leave and Steve felt his temper rising even more. He was sick and tired with people underestimating him.

"All you care about is how everyone sees you, because you got somethin’ to prove.” He shot to her back. As soon as the words flew out of his mouth he knew he shouldn’t have said them, his mind whirring back to the conversation he’d had with her the night before his transformation and, as she turned to face him, he felt a sudden pang of guilt at the anger and hurt that was etched across her face as she stalked towards him, stopping less than a foot away, her finger jabbing him in his chest.

“Listen here you stupid son of a-”

Before her tirade could continue, Steve grabbed her by forearms and pulled her straight into him, his lips forcefully crashing against hers. She reciprocated for a moment or two before she made a noise of protest and put her hands on his chest, shoving him slightly.

“You are an arrogant-“

“Shut up.” He mumbled, his lips crashing to hers again and this time she made no further protests, instead she melted into his arms, her lips soft against his as her arms slid round his neck, his own large hands splaying on the back of her combat jacket as he held her close. The kiss was furious, bruising, a far cry from any of the ones they’d shared so far and when they eventually broke apart, he pressed his forehead to hers as Katie stood, her eyes closed for a moment, her chest heaving. Eventually his eyes opened to find hers already studying his face and she took a deep breath.

"Where the hell did you get the sack for that, Rogers?" She asked, her voice little more than a whisper as she continued trying to catch her breath.

“The serum?” He shrugged a little as her hands fell to his shoulders, the heat rising from his neck to his cheeks as he realised exactly what he’d just done. He bit his lip and, as she gave a snort, he cocked his head, feeling a little bolstered by his act of bravery and he grinned and quipped. “Had to shut you up somehow.”

Before she could respond, no doubt with an equally sassy remark of her own, Steve heard a twig crack somewhere to his right and he whipped round, automatically pulling Katie behind him only to find Dum Dum and Dernier stood a few feet away. Both of them wore similar expressions of amusement as Dum Dum’s head turned slowly to the left. Dernier met his gaze and mumbled something in French before he laughed.

“Yeah, I got no idea what ya’ just said, Pal.” Dum Dum sniffed before he looked at Katie, his arms folding as he let out a smirk. “Well, well Lady Lieutenant and The Captain.”

Steve swallowed, the heat in his cheeks burning like a furnace and he felt Katie let go of his hand before she stepped out from behind him, smoothing down her jacket, her hands settling on her hips.

“You’re only jealous Duggan because the closest you’ve been to a woman in the last God knows how long was when that nurse was pulling a bullet outta your ass after the raid on the base in Norway.”

Duggan’s mouth twitched below his moustache before he let out a below of laughter, his eyes twinkling. “You gotta smart mouth, Stark. Gonna get you into trouble one day!”

“It already has, several times. Got me out of it too.” She grinned. “Now, did you want something, Corporal?”

Duggan shook his head, his eyes crinkling as he smiled. “No, Ma’am. We were just doing the rounds so to speak.”

“Well, don’t let us stop you.” Katie gestured with her arm, making a sweeping motion, signalling for them to keep on walking.

Exchanging another smirk, the two men straightened up and saluted her before they continued on their way. As they passed, Dernier gave a little nod to the Captain, chuckling as he remarked. “Vous auriez pu au moins lui acheter un verre d’abord, Capitaine.”

“Oh, nous avons bien depasse cette etape.” Katie shot back and Derneir stopped dead, blinking as she smirked before he let out a loud laugh and hurried after Dum Dum.

“Okay, what did he just say?” Steve asked, drawing up behind her as they both watched the men leave.

“He said that you could have at least bought me a drink first.” She turned, smirking as Steve rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “I told him we were way past that stage.”

“Jesus, Doll!” Steve groaned, his face scrunched up in embarrassment and mock frustration, all the while Katie laughed.

“What?”

“That’s gonna be all round the Camp by morning.”

“You ashamed of me?” She teased.

“No, of course not.”

“Then don’t worry about it.” She gently patted his chest. “All things considered, I think that’s the least of our concerns don’t you?”

With that she stood on her tip toes and placed a soft kiss to the side of his mouth before she stepped back. “Now, I’m gonna go back to the rest of the guys and make sure they’re all okay, and as their Captain, I suggest you do the same. Keep that morale up, like I told you to.”

She gave him a smile before she turned and headed back towards the main part of the camp.

Steve stood stock still, his mind whirring and digesting what the fuck had just happened, before he shook his head, and jogged after her, once more acquiescing to her instructions.

***** Whilst there may not have been much deep sleeping going on, there was certainly plenty of rest and refuelling undertaken so to speak, and at first light the next morning Steve gathered Katie, Dum-Dum, Dernier, Jones, Morita and Falsworth in the back of one of the trucks to discuss their plan going forward, leaving Bucky to sleep as long as he could. He’d fast taken a liking to the five men having heard from various other men about how they’d organised the troops at the base, and his first-hand experience of how they’d been during the night around their makeshift camp. Plus Katie trusted Dum-Dum and Steve trusted her, so it was good enough for him.

Katie and Falsworth had found maps of the terrain buried in the stuff they’d taken from the factory and worked out their distance to the allied camp was approximately ninety-five miles as the crow flies. They had further estimated that, given the state of the men and the fact that were going to have to skirt around various battles that were still raging on, they would probably average between twenty to twenty-five miles a day, meaning it would take them at least four to get back.

They had trucks, a tank, enough supplies to keep them going for a few days, and Dum-Dum stated the obvious, that Steve could go on a head, alone, and be much faster if needs be. But that wasn’t something he wanted to do, plus as Katie rightly pointed out, he would be number one on HYDRAs radar right now. The last thing they needed was to lose him because, as blunt a point as it was, that was just the type of thing Schmidt would need to keep the heat off the fact they had just lost one of their factories.

Then there was the fact that Steve simply didn’t want to leave them behind. They were his men now, he wanted to stay with them, make sure they made it back together. Leaving them would be an absolute last resort.

They split into groups, heading round the camp to spread the word about the plan and instruct the men to be ready to leave as soon as Steve gave the signal, and the Captain took the opportunity to head into the tent were Bucky was resting. He was pleased to see his friend looked a hell of a lot better than he had the previous night, sat on the edge of the make shift cot which had been fashioned out of a number of broad topped crates and blankets, rolling down his sleeve as one of their medics had just administered another shot of penicillin.

“How you feeling, Buck?” Steve asked, stepping into the tent and to the side to allow the other solider to leave, giving him a salute as he passed.

“Like I’ve been run over by a Panzer.” Bucky grumbled and Steve gave a small smile. Bucky sighed, shaking his head. “I’ll be fine, just got a-“

“I know.” Steve cut him off. “I got the low-down.”

“Stark?”

“Yeah.”

“I bet that’s not all you got.” Bucky smirked and Steve rolled his eyes letting out a groan. “Don’t go gettin’ all coy on me, Stevie.”

“I’m not being coy.” Steve protested and Bucky let out a bark of a laugh.

“Course not.” Bucky pulled on his boots and bent to lace them. “You gonna tell me yourself or do I need to go huntin’ for gossip?”

“There’s nothing to tell, lay off, Buck.”

Bucky snorted. “I don’t even have to look at you to know you’re lying, you’re that bad at it.”

“It’s, well, it’s a little complicated.” Steve attempted to placate him but Bucky finished lacings his boots and looked up at him, hands resting on his knees.

“You like her?”

“Of course I do…”

“She like you?”

Steve blushed and his hand rubbed at the back of his neck. “Well, yeah, I mean…”

“Well then, what’s complicated about it?” Bucky shrugged.

“In case you hadn’t realised we’re not exactly here under normal circumstances.” Steve arched an eyebrow.

“All the more reason not to waste any time, Punk.” Bucky stood up, cracking his neck side to side. “Who knows how long we’ve got.”

Steve’s brow raised a little as he looked at Bucky, letting out a sigh. “You sound like her.”

“Well she clearly talks sense, you should listen.” Bucky smirked, taking a step towards him. “So, Captain, what’s the plan?”

“You asking me about Katie now or…” Steve quipped and Bucky grinned, slapping his shoulder.

“Steve, you clearly aint got a plan when it comes to that Dame, so there’s not point askin’ ya ‘bout it is there?” He drawled and Steve sighed, giving him a look. “No, I mean to get us out of this Godforsaken shit hole and back on friendly territory. You do have a plan, right? I mean I hear you always got a plan nowadays.”

Steve groaned as Bucky’s mouth curled up into a huge grain and he shook his head.

“Still a pain in my ass.” Steve grumbled and Bucky shrugged before he took a deep breath.

“But seriously, what are we going to do?”

“We’re getting ready to move out.” Steve’s hands dropped to the buckle on his belt. “We got approximately a hundred and twenty or so kilometres to cover. Gonna be hard but…” Steve popped a shoulder before he studied Bucky as he let out a huge, chest-wracking cough. “You can ride in one of the trucks.”

“I’m fine, Steve.”

“You’re clearly not.” Steve raised an eyebrow.

“There are men far worse off than me, this is just an infection, I’ll be fine. Dare say fresh air and walking will do me good.”

At that Steve let out a snort. “Yeah, just like it used to do me good, huh?”

“That was different.”

“How so?”

“Damned it, Steve, stop being an asshole.” Bucky shot back, glaring at him. “I’m telling you I’m fine. Coped with more in that base than you could even begin to imagine, a coupla day’s hike will be easy in comparison.”

As soon as the words were out of his friends mouth, Steve noticed him look away, clearly cursing himself for his outburst.

“What did they do to you?” Steve asked gently. Bucky swallowed and turned to Steve, shaking his head.

“I don’t know.” He shrugged. “I was out of it for the most but they, well I can remember them sticking me with needles and then there were all these bright lights and…” He trailed off. “It hurt.”

Steve took a deep breath and stepped forward, his hand curling round his friend’s shoulder but Bucky shrugged him off. “Don’t.” He looked at him, his eyes fierce. “Just don’t.”

Steve moved back, holding his hands up in front of him, palms out in a conciliatory manner. “Okay.”

There was a moment’s silence, and then they were aware of voices and Steve turned to see Katie step into the tent.

“Everyone’s moving, St-I mean Captain.” She smiled and Steve felt his cheeks flushing as he was well aware that Bucky was watching him carefully.

“Yes, Ma’am. Be with you in a moment.”

She nodded then her gaze flicked to Bucky who shot her a dazzling smile. “S’up Doll Face?”

“You’re looking better than you were yesterday, Barnes.” Katie smirked a little at his familiar nature and he shrugged, flashing her a wink.

“Takes a lot to keep me down, Darlin’”

“I don’t doubt it.” She grinned, before her eyes locked with Steve’s again and she turned, and left.

“Damned, Steve.” Bucky whistled through his teeth. “The first girl who actually lays her peepers on you, and she’s an absolute dish.”

“Piss off, Bucky.” Steve shot back and Bucky once more laughed, shaking his head before he gave a loud, exaggerated sniff and wiped dramatically at his eyes.

"My boys all grown up,” he spoke in a theatrical emotional voice, before he swept from the tent leaving Steve glowering at his back.

*****

After a near miss with a hostile unit on the first day of their journey, Steve took the informed decision to only move under the hours of low light and darkness. He was keen to keep any confrontations to a minimum given the exhausted and weak state of many of the men he was leading. After discussions with the group of seven who were fast becoming the ones he was turning to most for advice and support, they all conceded that whilst moving at night made it almost impossible they would be spotted by any air-borne allied surveillance, it was the best chance they had at keeping casualties to a minimum.

They kept to the less worn roads as much as they could, sometimes having to split up if the vehicles couldn’t make it a certain way, but thanks to the variety of skills the group had, along with Katie’s unbelievable sense of organisation, it seemed to work. By the third day they were almost three quarters of the way there by their estimations anyway.

“St-I mean, Cap?” Katie’s voice hit his ears and Steve turned to face her where she was walking a little behind with Dum-Dum, rifle in her arms. “I think we’ve got about an hour or so before daylight, we should probably be looking for somewhere to make camp.”

Steve looked up at the sky, his eyes straying to the horizon which he could just see through the valley they were set to make their way between and she, as always, was right. The first slivers of daylight were peeking through the dark, tendrils of orange and pink snaking through the sky.

He turned back to her. “Do we stop before or after the Valley?”

“If you want my advice,” Dum-Dum cut in, “I’d say before. If we get caught down there, Cap, we’re sitting ducks. Best chance is after nightfall.”

Katie nodded to show she agreed, and Steve took a deep breath. He was keen to press on as much as he could, and had been hoping to make it through the last line of hills before they stopped. But, he knew they were right and they’d covered a lot of ground over the last march. As luck would have it, the nights were longer than the days due to the season so, despite the fact it was cold and the weather wasn’t particularly kind to them, it worked to their advantage.

“Okay, let everyone know. Jones, Dernier, can you guys get up high,” he nodded to the hill face a little to his right, “see if you can spot anywhere that might be safe to set up camp.”

“Sure thing.” Jones nodded, and Dernier gave a little salute as the two men took off silently.

Steve declined the canteen of water Katie offered him and she gave him a stern look, her arm remaining outstretched. With a roll of his eyes and quirk of his eyebrow he took it, his fingers brushing hers and he frowned.

“You’re freezing.”

“Soon warm up once we’re round a fire.” She shrugged. “Now drink, enhanced or not, you need to keep hydrated.”

“Yes Ma’am.” He quipped, causing her to roll her eyes, but he didn’t miss the smirk on her lips as she turned to Dum-Dum when he asked her if she wanted him to run down the line and set the communication chain off.

“How you feeling?” Steve moved over to where Bucky had settled, perched on a flat rock jutting out from the side of the mountain face, his legs dangling over the edge.

“Peachy keen, Stevie.” Bucky looked at him and Steve snorted as Bucky leaned back. “Nah, I’m good, Pal. Feel a lot better. Turns out your Ma did know what she was talking about, fresh air can clear your lungs.”

“Yeah, shame there wasn’t much to be found in a cramped, inner Brooklyn city.” Steve smirked and Buck chuckled.

“True.” He bit the inside of his lip as he looked down at his hands. “Do my folks think I’m dead?”

The question caught Steve off guard a little and he frowned, sitting down next to his friend. “You were MIA assumed lost so I suspect they’ve been informed of that. But don’t worry about it, once we’re back you can get a telegram to them, assure them you’re okay.”

“Okay.” Bucky snorted, shaking his head. “Whatever that means.”

“I thought you just said you felt good?” Steve looked at him and Bucky shrugged.

“I do.”

Before Steve could dig further into whatever the hell Bucky meant, a crunch of feet on gravel to his left made him spring to his feet, but it was only Jones and Dernier back from the scouting mission.

“There’s a break in the rock formation, bout half a mile or so further. Reckon it’s a good place to form base. Plenty of spots in and around to hide. Bad news is the vehicles are going to have to go around once we set off again. It’ll take them off course a little but we’ll meet them again about two or three miles through the valley.”

“Thanks, Jones.” Steve nodded. “Get the news down the chain.”

It wasn’t long before they’d found the spot Jones and Dernier had been referring to, and everyone moved around quickly, like a well-oiled machine, establishing the base camp. Thanks to the natural shelter of the terrain, not as many tents this time were required, but Steve insisted, as always, that Katie got her own.

Soon some form of soup was cooking, water was being handed out along with what was left of some sweet liquor that they’d also liberated from camp and soft chatter rang out across the troops. The walking wounded were being treated once more for the night and Steve took the chance to walk around, talking to as many people as he could.

Once he was sure everyone had been fed, he took a helping for himself and settled down round one of the small fires where Bucky was sat with Katie and the other five men that had all formed a close bond. He ate, not really paying attention, until Dum-Dum loudly lamented that his facial hair was getting out of control and Katie snorted.

“You’re not going to find many barbers round here.” She shook her head. “Besides, it all adds to the well-worn rugged look.” She glanced at Steve before she smirked. “Even Cap’s sporting a good layer of stubble.”

At that Bucky laughed. “Makes a change, huh pal. You know he once didn’t shave for a week, looked just as smooth at the end of it as he had at the start.”

Steve groaned, as chuckles rang out at his expense, absentmindedly rubbing his hand over his chin. “Yeah, well, things are different now-“

“No shit”

“- and it seems to grow pretty fast.”

“Were there no razors at all in the stuff we took?” Falsworth asked and Katie pondered.

“There’s some toiletries but no many, that said I can’t say I’ve looked. Why are you bothered?”

“I like to keep up appearances.” Monty looked at her. “Plus, regulations state we should either be clean shaven or sporting a full, groomed moustache…”

“Yeah, come on Lady Lieutenant, surely you know that?” Dum-Dum looked at her, his eyes crinkling in the corners.

Katie shrugged. “Well, yeah, but who’s gonna tell?”

“Well, I like to take pride in my appearance.” Dum Dum shrugged. “Something you’ll understand”

“What, because I’m female?”

“Are you? Hadn’t noticed.” Dum Dum’s eyes twinkled in the light of the fire as a Katie rolled her eyes.

“Steve has.” Bucky quipped causing them all to laugh as Steve gave an exasperated sigh, feeling the familiar heat of embarrassment spread up his neck and his cheeks.

“Well, if you’re all vain enough to be that bothered, go raid the supplies.” Katie leaned back, resting on her elbows, legs stretched out in front of her, crossed at the ankles. “Good luck trying to shave in the dark though, without a mirror.”

As the night went on, one by one the men peeled off to take their rest or sentry duties, leaving Steve, Katie and Bucky alone round the fire. They chatted for another hour or so before Katie told them she was going to hit the hay.

She stood up, stretching before she reached out for one of the tins in the fire, wrapping her hand in her sleeve so as not to burn herself as she took the heated water. “Oh, and don’t tell the others, but if you guys want help, so to speak, with the old,” she pointed at her face, drawing a circle in the air, “I’ll do it for you. Just give me five minutes to wash up first.”

Steve watched her go before he turned to Bucky who was eyeing him shrewdly.

“You taking her up on that?” He asked and Steve frowned.

“She was joking.”

“I don’t think she was.” Bucky smirked. “In fact I’m pretty sure that was a ploy to get you to follow her.”

Steve sighed, “if that was true, why did she invite you?”

“Jesus, Stevie, you’re so clueless. She did that so it isn’t obvious.” Bucky rolled his eyes. “If both of us go into her tent, it looks a lot let suss than if you or I go in alone. Well, that is, unless everyone thinks we’re having some form of threesome that is.”

Steve grimaced before he took a deep breath, turning to Bucky. “No offence, but you’re not my type.”

“Ouch.” Bucky smirked as Steve stood up. “Oh, are we going now? Damned, you’re keen.”

Steve shot him another look before he turned and strode after Katie, Bucky hot on his tails.

Katie simply laughed as they entered her tent and told them both to sit on the make shift bunk she had before she disappeared and came back with a cut throat and what little else she could salvage from the supplies.

“Who’s first?” She brandished the razor and her eyes fell to Bucky.

“Trust you with a cutthroat?” He looked at her and she placed her hands on her hips.

“I do this for Howard all the time.”

“No offence, Doll Face, but I'd rather jump on a grenade.”

“Steve already did that.” Katie quipped.

Bucky turned his head slowly to face him. “What happened to not doing anything stupid till I got back?”

“It was a dummy.” Steve shook his head.

“You didn’t know that.” Katie grinned and Bucky snorted.

“A dummy?” He grinned “That’s definitely stooped, with two os.”

“Hey, in my defense it was very realistic.” Steve pouted. Katie chuckled and looked at him, and Steve felt the heat in his neck rising as the memories of that night came flooding back. And from the look on her face she was recalling them too. She stood there, simply looking at him, biting her lip a little, before she gave a yelp.

“Ow!” She raised her finger to her mouth, sucking at where she’d just nicked it on the razor.

“Yeah, now I’ll definitely pass.” Bucky’s eyes widened and he stood up. “You kids behave.”

Katie watched him sweep from the tent before she turned to Steve. “Something I said?”

Steve laughed and rubbed at his neck as she grinned and held up the razor. “What about you, Soldier? Do you trust me with a potentially fatal weapon at your throat?”

“I trust you with my life.” Steve replied immediately and the cheeky grin on her face turned to a soft smile as she stepped forward, folding the razor and slipping it into her pocket.

“Little naive that, Stevie, considering we haven’t known each other that long.”

Steve shrugged. “I’m a pretty good judge of character.”

“Sure you are.” She smiled, before she moved and dipped her hand into the tin of warm water. “Head back, Captain.”

Steve obliged and she wet his face as best she could, the pads of her fingers brushing against his stubble before she then worked the bar of soap into a lather, massaging it against his chin and cheeks. Steve’s gaze was on her face the whole time as she concentrated, his hands flexing on the edge of the thin bunk which was made out of a couple of the supply crates.

“This isn’t going to be as close as I’d like.” She mused.

“Are we talking about the shave now or…” Steve looked at her and her eyes met his and she shook her head.

“Yes, I mean the shave.” She chuckled. “I can see Barnes is rubbing off on you already.”

Steve smiled as she dipped her hands back in the tin and wiped them on her jacket, before pulling the razor back out.

“Ready?”

“All yours.”

“Are we talking about the shave or-“ She teased, playing his words back to him and Steve held her gaze, her eyes flashing as he took a deep breath.

“What do you want me to be talking about?”

There was a moment’s pause and she dropped her head, swallowing before she looked back up at him. “How many other girls you said that to, Rogers?”

“One or two. In each location, I met a lot on the USO tour.” He teased as she gently titled his head back with her fingers.

“That so?” She mused, swiping the razor down his cheek in a clean, sweeping arc. “Maybe I should carve my name into you.”

Steve smiled.

“Stay still.” She instructed. “Although, I feel I should warn you, if you are mine, I don’t like people touching my stuff.”

“I’d kinda figured that one out.” Steve spoke softly as she swept the blade down his cheek again, washing it in the tin before she moved to the other side. As she stepped across him, his hands fell to the side of her thighs as she continued, her tongue poking through her lips in concentration, before she stepped behind him, his head falling back so she could move down his throat.

The tent was silent, Steve simply watching as she worked, momentarily lost. No woman had ever done this for him before, bar his mother, and that had been when he’d been too sick or sore to do it himself. But this, there was something so incredibly intimate, so innocent, so pure, so ridiculously sensual that he found himself torn between wanting to close his eyes, surrendering completely to her ministrations, and watching her as she worked. As it happened, he did both, shutting his eyes for a moment as she gently moved across his jaw before his eyes opened to focus on her pretty face, as she bent a little nearer and he swallowed.

Eventually she finished and moved round to look at him, tossing the razor into the tin as she smiled.

“There. Almost as good as new. It’ll do until we get back.”

“Thanks, Sweetheart.” Steve ran his hand over his now reasonably smooth face and took a deep breath, before he reached out, his hands taking hers. “Look, maybe, if I mean we actually make it home and get leave or whatever, me and you could, you know, perhaps go out?”

“You asking me on a date?” She smiled, and his face creased into a grin.

“Guess I am, yeah.”

She smiled, “I’d like that.”

She leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to his lips, her hands tenderly cupping his strong jaw, his own gripping at her hips, fingers flexing at the roughness of her uniform. Eventually she broke away and pressed her forehead to his, taking a deep breath.

“I really do need to wash up and hit the sack.” She sighed, her voice almost an apology but Steve didn’t mind. Whilst they’d already crossed that line in a way, this was fast becoming a little more serious. Yes, Bucky was right, they had no idea how long they had, but for the time they did have, he was going to at least try and do it properly.

And bunking up again, on a pile of hard crates in the middle of some god-forsaken mountain trail was not proper. His mother would kill him.

Nodding to show he understood, he rose to his feet, his hands cupping her face as he placed a soft kiss to her lips.

“Night, Doll. Or Morning, whatever.” He smiled and she gave a little laugh as he stepped back, heading to the door of the tent. With a final look over his shoulder, he swept the flap at the front open and left to find somewhere to lay his own head for a rest.

*****

Dawn had broken on the fifth day by the time they approached the camp gates. As Steve led his platoon over the brow of the hill he felt an overwhelming sense of relieve as he saw the barrier and the men guarding it. His sharp eyes picked up one of them holding up a set of binoculars before he harshly slapped them into the palm of his partner, before setting off at a sprint back into the camp.

As they walked towards the blockade, the vehicles rumbling behind them, Steve turned to Bucky, giving him a smile which was met by one from his friend before he felt a smaller hand slide into his, giving a quick squeeze to his palm. He turned to his right and glanced down at Katie who looked up at him, her tired face bearing a look of utter relief.

The gate was raised to allow them entry into the camp, people rushing towards them, staring in awe. Soldiers began to greet their comrades, and Steve could feel the sheer outpouring of emotion as people greeted the brothers in arms they had obviously never expected to see again.

“Here he comes…” Steve heard Katie mutter and he looked up to see Colonel Phillips pushing through the group. Steve simply continued marching forwards, drawing to a halt in front of the man, offering him a crisp salute.

"Some of these men need medical attention." Were the first words he offered the Colonel and somewhere someone shouted for a medic. Steve continued to look at Phillips with a knowing expression and took a little breath in through his nose. "I'd like to surrender myself for disciplinary action."

The Senior Officer’s lips pressed together into a thin line and Steve could see him mulling things over, no doubt trying to decide whether to rip into him or praise him. In the end, he did neither.

"That won't be necessary." Phillips said simply, which Steve knew was going to be as close to a well done as he was going to get.

The Captain just about managed to refrain from smiling, as the slightest hint of a smirk twitched at his lips. "Yes, sir."

With that, Colonel Phillips turned to look at Katie. “You okay, Agent Stark?”

“Peachy, Sir.” She nodded before she gave a little snort. “Although I expect I won’t be once Howard gets hold of me.”

“Well considering he thinks you’re dead, I expect this will be a rather pleasant surprise.” Phillips arched an eyebrow and Katie looked down at the floor, swallowing. “Don’t worry, I’ll make the call so you don’t have to.”

“Thank you, Sir.”

Steve watched as the Colonel turned to leave the group, stopping as he noticed Agent Carter standing to the side, looking rather smug for want of a better word.

"Faith, huh?" Phillips looked from Agent Carter to Steve and Katie, before shaking his head slightly and heading off towards the tents.

Peggy took a deep breath before she moved, stopping as she drew herself up to full height in front of Steve and Katie before she arched an eyebrow, her eyes flicking between the pair of them.

“You’re late.” She quipped as she locked eyes with Katie who snorted. Steve reached into his pocket and pulled out the broken transponder.

“Couldn’t call our ride.” He smiled back and Peggy looked at him, shaking her head slightly, her lips curling up into a smile, before she turned back to Katie and then all professionalism left her and she stepped forward, wrapping her arms round the other woman.

“We’ve been so worried.” She whispered, and Steve turned away, not wanting to intrude on their moment, even though his super sensitive hearing made it impossible to tune out of their conversation.

“You’re not the only one.” Katie replied, and Steve heard her voice crack a little and before he could stop himself he’d reached out, his right hand curling over her left shoulder. In what appeared to be an automatic response, Katie had reached up, her arm crossing over her chest to allow her fingers to briefly tangle in his and give them a squeeze.

Agent Carter merely raised her eyebrow further, that smirk on her face growing wider before Bucky’s loud voice rang out to Steve’s left.

"Let's hear it for Captain America!”

As the cheers rang round the camp, Steve allowed himself a little moment to bask in the genuine feel good factor that seem to have flooded the place at their return. It was self-indulgent, slightly egotistical, a little arrogant even, but at that moment in time, as he glanced down at Katie who was watching him, a broad smile on her face before her top teeth bit her bottom lip as she blatantly eyed him up and down, he couldn’t have cared less.

****

Chapter 7

#stark spangled rebirth #steve rogers #steve rogers x ofc #steve rogers fanfiction #steve rogers x original female character #katie stark #chris evans #chris evans characters #mcu #mcu fanfic #mcu fan fic

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