#and I don’t even LIKE wolf of wall street that fucking much
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So I think the Academy may have screwed over “Oppenheimer.”
Now I know what you’re thinking. “Wait, what are you talking about? Did you miss the Barbie snubs? Are you paying attention?” Yup, I’m totally paying attention. Let me explain.
This year’s crop of Best Picture nominees is very good. There’s not a one that doesn’t make me immediately flinch as to why it’s even there. There are some I might have added (“The Boy and the Heron” and “Across the Spider-verse” both deserve to be there, for example), but this is a good list. Not just by Academy standards, which can be questionable as hell, but by anyone’s standard.
Up until now, “Oppenheimer” has pretty much been a lock for this. It’s very well made, acted, directed, written, all of it. It’s good. It deserves it.
But. BUT.
Final voting is between February 22nd and 27th this year. So that’s an entire month of press and interviews and predictions and whatnot. And already the big story is not “Oppenheimer has 13 nominations.” It’s “Why the fuck weren’t Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig nominated for best actress and best director for Barbie?!”
And the thing is, they DID get nominated - Margot for producing and Greta for writing. Which is not me dismissing the fact they *should* have gotten nominated for directing and acting. (Note: There will be no Ryan Gosling shaming in this house. He deserves his nomination. So does America Ferrera. This is not a case of “only the man got the nomination.” Don’t erase America’s well-deserved nomination.)
So back to Greta and Margot. The next few weeks are going to be the Hollywood media asking “Did the Academy fuck up?” about their nominations. Did they not get the point of the movie? How does one of the best movies of the year not get a nomination for it lead actress and female director? Did Oppenheimer only get so much attention riding on “Barbenheimer”’s coattails? (Monetarily, oh, yeah. Awards show-wise, no.) Like, today we’re talking about their snubs, but it’s not going to stop today. There’s going to be discourse and prediction discussion and “Annette Bening stole Margot’s nomination” bullshit probably.
Basically, the Academy accidentally made the fact it snubbed Margot and Greta the story, and not the fact three other movies got more nominations than “Barbie,” including the likely winner of Best Picture.
The next part depends on if Hollywood can feel guilt and shame. So, you know, it’s anybody’s guess. But directors only voted for directing nominees, and actors only voted for acting nominees. Everybody gets to vote for best film.
Now, here’s the thing. Even IF they got nominated for directing and acting, they wouldn’t have won. Actress is between Gladstone and Stone (I’m hoping for Gladstone), and Nolan probably already has an empty mantel spot prepared. They just wouldn’t have won, it’s just nice to be nominated, yadda yadda.
But the Oscars have this *thing* where sometimes it’s not so much you getting an award because *that performance* deserved it, but because YOU deserved it. Leonardo DiCaprio should have gotten an Oscar for “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape” and/or “Wolf of Wall Street,” they gave it to him for “The Revenant,” which isn’t as good as either previous role. Kate Winslet wins for “The Reader,” which if Best Acting By Kate Winslet were an Oscar category wouldn’t even make the list and would probably get beat by “Mare of Easttown,” which isn’t even a goddamn movie.
You’re an Oscar voter this year. It’s the end of February, and you’re looking at your ballot. And you’ve spent the past few weeks hearing about the Oscars fucked up. How Hollywood didn’t get the point of “Barbie.” How the Academy didn’t even nominate BARBIE for the fucking “Barbie” movie. And you might be thinking, “… I mean, we CAN still give them Oscars.”
Greta’s an easy choice. The Barbie script is incredible, and detailed and smart and funny. Greta already has Oscar nominations for writing. Adapting a book is one thing. Adapting sixty years of canon is a high achievement. I think this pretty much locked her screenplay win.
Margot is nominated for best producer. We’re going to spend the next four weeks seeing articles about just how much work Margot put into this movie. When Margot Robbie loves a project, she works her ASS off on it. And the work shows with Barbie. It’s a good goddamn movie, AND it made $1.4 billion dollars. As good as it was, “Oppenheimer” doesn’t make $955 million if “Barbenheimer” isn’t a thing. There’s an argument to be made that Margot deserves the producer nomination AND win MORE than the actress nomination, because as a producer she made TWO movies reach a billion at the box office, *and she had fuck all to do with one of them*.
So, yeah, I think the Academy might have fucked over “Oppenheimer.” Because for the next month, while people are debating what and who to vote for, all that right there? That’s going to be the discourse they’re sitting on right before voting for Best Picture.
#barbie#oscar nominations#this is me playing 3D chess with an awards show I know frighteningly well and yet still want to throw things at
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House Rules - Frat!Trevor Zegras x Reader
Hockey Masterlist
Warnings: swearing, PDA, intimacy (PG-13)
Words: 1765
Summary: This is the first time Trevor’s invited you over to hang at TKE outside of party hours and the evening goes better than anticipated.
A/n: I proofed this one more than I usually do so hopefully y’all like it! I guess frat trevor is the direction we’re gonna go with this acc atm lol.
“You actually came!” Trevor jeers at me from where he stands in the entrance to the TKE house. I roll my eyes and, as annoying as the teasing is, he looks too good for me to be mad. He’s leaning with his right shoulder against the doorway and both hands in the pockets of his grey joggers. It’s a pleasant surprise to see he’s wearing a t-shirt and baseball cap instead of his usual hoodie and beanie combo. Not that I don’t like the hoodie. There’s just something about being able to see how toned his chest is.
“It’s a lot easier now that there’s no one at the door hassling me about a wristband,” I say once I’m close enough to speak at a regular volume. He smiles but shakes his head in a subtle surrender.
“Touché.” As I step onto the porch, Trevor steps out from under the threshold, completely invading my personal space. Before I can question the action, he places both hands on my hips and kisses me gently as a greeting. When we pull away he looks down at me and smiles softly. He’s not even that much taller than me but I feel like he’s fully towering over me. “Come on in.”
I exhale heavily, trying to relax myself. My palms are tinged with sweat and my heart is racing from more that just the kiss. Even though it’s already been a full month since our first kiss, this will be the first time he’s brought me into his space rather than hanging out at my place. I’ve met plenty of the TKE brothers here and there but this is the first time Trevor is having me over for longer than just a quick hi and bye.
Trevor leads me into the space and now that it’s lit by more than just LED party lights, I’m really getting a feel for what this place actually looks like. The walls are stained with various shades of grey from dirt and scuffing and other activities. There’s a hole in the drywall behind the door that’s perfectly aligned with the doorknob. Dirt and grime cover the floor from countless spilled drinks and substances. My shoes are sticking to the floor as we walk and I cringe at the idea of ever being without shoes here.
“Do you guys ever clean…? Like ever?” I ask, hurrying my pace to catch up to Trevor. Once I do, he takes my hand in his and leads me down the hallway to the stairwell.
“Okay babe, rule number one: drop any and all standards of living when entering a frat house.” My heart flutters at his use of a pet name but I don’t want to draw attention to it so I choose to bicker with him.
“Why do I have to drop my standards? Why can’t you just raise your own?”
“My standards are perfectly fine thank you- this way.” At the top of the stairs, Trevor nudges me to the left and down another long hallway of questionable sanitation. It’s not as bad as the ground floor but I’m sure the dark colored carpet was an intentional choice. There are a few random decorations on the walls: a ‘Saturdays are for the boys’ flag, a movie poster for Wolf of Wall Street, and various wooden paddles that have a plethora of names and years written on them. As we reach the end of the hall, Trevor stops me abruptly and knocks on the closed door of what I assume is his bedroom. He shoots me a mildly annoyed look and I quirk a brow in confusion.
“One second!” I hear a feminine voice call from the other side. What the actual fuck? “Okay, you’re good!” Does he just keep other girls in his room at all times?
As I open my mouth to speak, Trevor swings the door open and walks in. I don’t speak but rather move to stand in the doorway to find out what’s going on. When I look in the room I see Val lounging on the end of a twin sized bed. She smiles when she sees me and I instantly relax.
“Hey!” she tries to wave as best as she can but struggles because she’s leaning back, propped up on her elbows.
“I was gone for one minute and you two were already going at it?” Trevor asks facetiously as he flops down onto his own bed on the opposite side of the room. Val scoffs a laugh and shakes her head.
“For your information, Jamie was changing shirts so I waited until he was done.”
“Please. We’ve all seen Jamie shirtless.”
“She hasn’t!” Val argues on my behalf, “And she might not be comfortable with that.”
“You’re fine with that aren’t you, Y/n?” Trevor asks nonchalantly.
“I think that’s more of a question for Jamie, is it not?”
“Thank you for being the only one concerned with my comfort level, Y/n,” Jamie says, teasingly directing the remark to Val and Trevor as he shrugs on a sage green bomber jacket.
“Rule number two: clothes are optional,” Trevor adds.
“That’s rule number two?”
“Yeah, why not?”
Jamie walks over to the bed and sits down to put on shoes and as I observe him getting ready to go, I realize I’ve been standing in the doorway the whole time. I awkwardly step through and make my way over to Trevor. As I walk over to his bed I ask,
“Where are you guys going?” Trevor lazily outstretches his arm to grab my hand and pull me down onto the bed with him. So I sit on the edge, the outside of my right thigh against Trevor’s hip, which apparently isn’t enough for him as he refuses to let go of my hand. Val answers,
“We’re just gonna grab food real quick. Plus, I’m tired of looking at him.” She points an accusatory finger at Trevor, playfully narrowing her eyes. He glares back at her before tracing circles with his thumb on the top of my hand.
“When you point a finger at someone in blame-” Trevor says in a dramatic cadence.
“There are four fingers pointing back at you!” Val completes his sentence.
“Or three…” They say in unison and then share a laugh. Jamie and I exchange a confused look and he shrugs which leads Trevor and Val to gawk at us.
“Bullet Train?” Trevor asks incredulously. I shake my head slowly to indicate the name isn’t ringing any bells.
“I know Jamie hasn’t seen it, but you too?!” Val chimes in.
“I can’t say I have.”
“We’re watching it tonight when we get back,” she declares before turning her attention to Trevor, “I’ll have Jamie text you when we decide on where to eat and you can send him your orders.”
“Oh, you don’t have to get me-”
“Don’t trip chocolate chip. I’m interning with Paramount right now so I have big girl money,” she cuts me off mid-sentence, “Plus, I don’t want anyone to starve during the movie that we will be watching.”
“Well, that’s very generous of you.”
“It’s always important to rely on the kindness of strangers… even though we’re not strangers,” Val responds sweetly. She then looks at Jamie and her demeanor changes to playful exasperation. “Are you ready yet?!” Jamie looks at her a moment, both of them biting back a smile. Before Val can react, Jamie bear hugs her to tackle her onto his bed.
“Does it look like I’m ready yet?!” He bites back jokingly.
“Yes…?”
“Yeah, I am.”
“Cool,” Val stands up and holds her hand out to Jamie which he takes. She then pretends to put her whole body weight into heaving him off the bed. “God, are you made of lead?!”
“Oh shut up.” Jamie stands before placing a kiss on Val’s cheek. She smiles brightly and then pulls him out of the room.
“See you guys!”
“See ya… I like Val,” I say to put a button on the moment. Watching Val and Jamie interact so sweetly makes me smile.
“Me too. She’s been really good for Jamie.” When I turn to look at Trevor, I find he’s already looking at me. Instead of breaking the moment he sits up and he stares into my eyes. His smile grows at the sight of my own.
“What?”
“You’re pretty is all.”
“So… what do you want to do until the movie?” I ask sincerely. Trevor doesn’t answer. He just smirks and I can tell exactly what he’s trying to say. Grinning, I slip off my shoes and he moves up to rest against the headboard. Crawling onto his bed, I straddle his legs before gently sitting on his lap. Trevor’s hands find my waist, caressing the sliver of exposed skin between the hem of my cropped shirt and the waistband of my pants. He tilts his head upwards to kiss me but before we connect, I take his baseball cap by the bill and slide it all the way around until it sits backwards on his head. He smiles up at me before closing the gap between us.
The feeling of his lips on mine sparks a fire inside of me, just like the first time we kissed. It was a full month ago and yet it feels like yesterday. His lips move passionately in sync with mine. He then pulls my bottom lip between his teeth, grazing the skin with an air of desire. Our movements feel desperate for one another, consumed by kiss. The scent of his familiar cologne, the delight of tracing my fingers over his jaw bone and lacing them into his hair, the electricity of his hands sliding over my hips to firmly grab my ass, all of it envelopes me at once. I can feel myself falling hard for Trevor Zegras. .
Gripping my left hand in his hair, I drop my right to rest on his firm chest. Under the soft fabric of his cotton t-shirt I feel the grooves of his three millimeter chain and hook my fingers in it gently. He groans into the kiss and I slide my right hand up to tilt his chin up. I kiss across his jaw and then down the length of his neck, occasionally grazing a bit of his skin between my teeth. He lets out a choked whine before reconnecting our lips.
“I want you so bad right now.”
“What about Val and Jamie?”
“We’re fine. Rule number three: always knock before opening a closed door.”
“Take me.”
***
A/n: I was gonna make this a really long part but then I decided to split up the exposition and the actual smut in favor of making shorter parts. Hope y’all liked it and get the decision to split things up.
#NHL imagine#NHL x reader#Trevor Zegras#Trevor Zegras fanfiction#Trevor Zegras fanfic#Trevor Zegras fic#Trevor Zegras writing#Trevor Zegras imagine#Trevor Zegras oneshot#Trevor Zegras one shot#Trevor Zegras drabble#Trevor Zegras blurb#Trevor Zegras angst#Trevor Zegras smut#Trevor Zegras fluff#TZ 11#TZ 46#baby duck#patito
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Look, don’t touch
CW: nsfw, chastity play, leon x fem!reader, first person pov, slight femdom, mentions of public fingering, oral sex, begging, submissive leon
word count: 2200~
i saw leon with maría gómez‘s shoe in his face, and for some reason it made me think of that one “wolf of wall street” scene where margot robbie presses her shoe into dicaprio’s face. my mutual asked me to write a fic about it. so here i am. torturing our favourite man.
disclaimer: i’m not a native english speaker, so let me know if you spot any mistakes.
“Darling, please,” he mumbles, as another miserable whimper — no, whine, even — comes out of him, throbbing cock so hard I can see its tip showing out of his boxers, dress pants unbuttoned and resting at the top of his thighs. My chuckles are impossible to hold in anymore, and frankly, I’m not really trying at this point, so I bend over with the most mocking grin my face can make, ass just inches away from his erection.
“No.”
Just like that this sweet word rolls off my tongue, forcing another desperate groan out of my poor husband.
“But please, honey.. Please, please, please..”
“Jesus, Leon, have you run out of words?” I mock with another laugh, too entertained with how precious he looks right now: hair stuck to his sweaty temples, loosened tie hanging messily around his neck, head of his cock so swollen its shade matches his flushed cheeks.
“Baby, please.. I’ll get on my knees, I-I’ll do anything you want, I’m so sorry, please just let me-“
“No, Leon. We had an agreement. You screwed up. Get on your knees all the way you want, it won’t help you.”
He audibly gasps, as his eyes swirl the pretty curve of my ass with such intensity I can practically feel them undressing me. I glance over my shoulder right at his fumbling hands. They’re shaking: and I know how eager he is to grab me and shove me down his dick. But he’s not allowed. And it’s killing him.
It was all his fault. God, I bet he regrets it so much right now. He was so close to finally earning that good fuck tonight, being so obedient and refraining from touching himself all week, proud to be so good for me. Tonight was going to be special. A whole evening to ourselves, with a nice dinner date, finally sensual touches and, of course, the oh so desired orgasm, strong and intoxicating after these long seven days of violently painful abstinence.. And now it’s ruined. All thanks to him.
The ride home was thrilling. Sitting on his lap in the backseat, I ground against his already hard dick, sucking on his tongue and stealing muffled moans from him. His fingers were mercilessly stretching my wet cunt under the pretty dress I wore just for this special occasion. The only thing concerning me was the cab driver. What if he notices that we’re basically having a whole damn foreplay in his car? But fortunately — he was too concentrated on the road to pay much attention to me being fingered in his backseat.
I haven’t seen Leon this excited in a while. The poor touch — or should I say ‘sex’ — starved thing dragged me to the bedroom straight from the car, almost levitating on our way there. Kissing, biting, whispering tender ‘i love you’s and breathy ’fuck’s into my ear, grabbing my thighs like his life depended on it. I praised. I reciprocated. I was also excited for this night, fantasising about his damn dick every day, rubbing my clit in anticipation of this fucking date, creaming my fingers several times a day, wishing it was his tongue instead. And there it goes. The moment before disaster.
Leon frowns, fighting with the zipper of my dress, shaky hands excited to just rip it into tiny pieces right on me, but he wouldn’t dare. It’s my favourite. I laugh, admiring the way he squirms, but the sound of my phone ringing interrupts us and I jolt. With a sigh, I press an apologetic kiss to his cheek, rushing to slip out of his embrace. I know exactly which client is calling me so late. And unfortunately, I can’t hung on this one up.
“Sorry, darling, I gotta take this. It’s urgent,“ I cooed, jumping off the bed, ignoring the saddened expression on Leon’s face.
“Uh, really?” he acts like a fucking tall child when he’s needy. Whiny, demanding and bratty, he gets incredibly upset when he’s not getting all of my attention. “Damn, honey, please tell them you’re not available. My balls will explode if I wait for another five minutes.”
“Your balls will be just fine,” I wave him off, disappearing behind the door. “You’ve been waiting for a whole week now. Five more minutes won’t kill you.”
He sighed, watching me go, fighting the urge to pull me back into his lap, but he knows I’ll make him regret it, so the only thing left for him — is to wait. And my idea of waiting sure as hell didn’t include jerking off with a hope that he’ll be able to stop before I finish my call, or that I’ll let it slide.
But I never let it slide. And he knows it.
I caught my husband red-handed. It was quite a sight, actually, since I rarely see him like this — stroking his pulsating cock, lower lip bitten so hard it’s almost bleeding — a pathetic try to muffle the dirty sounds he makes when he touches himself.
Oh Leon. How could you disappoint me like that? I frown, watching his face drop. He realised his mistake the second I walked back into the room, eyes instantly filling with guilt and desperation. He quickly puts his hand away, blinking repeatedly as countless ‘sorry’s leave his mouth one by one, followed by gasps and whimpers.
Oh poor, poor Leon. Ruining the whole night over one small moment of weakness. How sad.
And now he can only beg, as I mock and tease him, refusing to give him what he needs so bad. Because we both know the rules. Every time he slips up like that — I add one more day to his abstinence.
And for every ‘please’ he says I have three more ‘no’s to respond with.
I lean on the headboard, ignoring his desperate pleas with annoyed eye roll. Now I face him as he sits on the edge of our bed, with his lustful gaze lingered on my thighs. He would be feeling them up right now, only if he wasn’t such an impatient horny brat, and the idea of it frustrates him.
“Honey, please, you can’t do this to me,” he demands, as his hand reaches for my ankle to grab it, but I’m faster, and Leon ends up with my stiletto pressed against his crotch, squinting at the sensation of my heel being gently pushed forward his balls. It’s not painful, well, okay, maybe it slightly is in a situation like this. After all, he’s overstimulated enough for every single teasing gesture I make to feel like a pure torture.
“Oh but I can. And I will,” I utter, as another grin settles across my face. “You know you screwed up.”
Leon squirms. Tries to push my heel off the crotch, arching his hips. Eventually, he manages to do it, humming when I surrender and put my leg away. A silly thought rushes through my mind. A perfect opportunity to tempt him more. To deceive him.
I spread my legs and bend backwards, lowering my body in a way that allows him a better view, smirking when I hear him gulp — I swear to god, this man acts like a damn flustered teenager every time he gets to stare between my thighs, quivering like it’s his first time seeing me naked.
My short dress is slightly rolled up and I know he can see the slick stain on my underwear: he stares right at it, actually, clenching his fist with a suppressed groan. I rejoice, sliding my fingers into the sides of my thong, beginning to pull them down painfully slow. The cool air is palpable on my wet folds now, and I have to admit that it’s a rather.. weird feeling. I look up at Leon to find him utterly dazed. I thought it was impossible for him to get any more harder, but now his cock was curved up towards his stomach, half of its length peeking out of the boxers, precum glistening on the tip. I continue to drag the underwear down my legs, leaving a tiny trail of slick on my inner thigh.
“H-Honey?” he harshly exhales, eyes glued to the lingerie around my ankles. “What are you doing?”
“Oh, Leon, I’m just so sick of this stupid piece of cloth..” I playfully tilt my head to the side, finally breaking free from the underwear, jauntily pushing it aside with my shoe, admiring the confused expression on Leon’s face. “I don’t think I ever want to wear these again.”
He gulps, hitching in breath. And I know that if I were to cup his erection in this exact moment — his pulse would most definitely be palpable in it.
“Y-yeah?..” he pants in the most submissive way someone has ever said this word to me, getting on all fours, desirous eyes glued to mine, hope in them evident and arousing. I rejoice again. I‘ve deluded him successfully and now he’s crawling to me, thinking that I’m done tormenting him. How naive.
One smooth motion — and Leon is stopped by my stiletto pressed into his handsome face. A muffled moan escapes his tightened throat when my heel meets his chin, pushing him away from me.
“What do you think you’re doing?” I hiss, stretching my leg forward, coaxing him to move to the edge of the bed again.
“Look, don’t touch,” I remind, enjoying his reaction with a cruel grin, and he closes his eyes with another deep exhale, so seductively pathetic: just like a devoted dog, forced to put up with his owner’s decisions.
“You’re so evil, darling..” he laughs, looking up with the most vulnerable face I’ve ever seen him make. He’s craving me. So bad, it probably hurts — god, I bet his desire became burning in a literal way at this point.
“You like me best when I’m evil,” I purr, and we both know that’s a statement he can’t deny — he fucking loves it when I make him feel weak.
“That’s true,” Leon sighs, keeping the exact same stance, not moving away from my shoe for an inch, which makes me assume that I’ve accidentally discovered some new kink of his. Well, noted.
“But please,” he continues, blushing even harder when he notices how I bite my lip, admiring the embarrassing position he’s in right now, “it was so stupid of me to do that when I was just minutes away from having you.. I’m terribly sorry, dear.”
“Yeah,” I nod, putting my leg out of his face, “you should be.”
“I’ll make it up to you! I’ll do whatever you want! Hell, I won’t touch myself ever again if that can make you forgive me!” he reassured, slowly crawling to me again.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Leon.”
“I-I’m not!” he protests, leaning in, fingertips almost touching the bare skin of my thighs, “Anything to fuck you tonight.”
I laugh, reluctantly admitting to myself: this bastard really knows how to get me going. Well.. who am I to decline such an offer, right?
Leon waits for the answer, nervously staring into my face. And I finally shrug, raising one eyebrow. “Anything, you say?”
“Yes. Anything,” he confirms with an enthusiastic nod, blushing profusely, “Please, baby, I’m dying for you right now…”
And he means it. Tilts his head with a desperate whimper, tickling my shoulder with the heat of his breath — close enough to kiss me, but he still keeps the distance between us, patiently waiting for my decision. He wouldn’t dare to let me down again.
So I submit, unable to resist his fucking charms anymore (or maybe I’m just too horny to care about the punishment at this point).
“Fine,” I hiss with a sigh and an exaggerated pissed expression, reaching for his hair to pull on it. “I don’t have the energy to deal with you when you become such a needy begging mess.”
He chuckles, allowing me to grab him unquestioningly.
I bite back a giggle, as he makes the most delicious slutty noise when I forcibly tilt his head to press our foreheads together.
“Thank you, darling,” he purrs into my lips, but I don’t let him finish that sentence, abruptly tightening my grip on the top of his head.
“For what? You don’t have my permission yet,” I remind him with a taunting grin, bending one leg to push my knee between his thighs, putting just the right amount of pressure on his balls again. And he squeaks with a satisfied huff, like the obedient slut he is.
“How do I earn your permission then?..” he whispers, grinding against my knee, desperate for any kind of friction.
“Put that tongue to work and I’ll.. think about it,” I sigh, as my other hand grabs his chin, thumb caressing his abused lower lip — bitten of arousal so many times it has crimson teeth marks here and there.
Jesus, I have too much mercy on that man.
When I mention eating out — Leon sparkles with joy and rushes to place himself between my legs, covering my skin in kisses on his way down, purring muffled ‘thank you’s against my wet folds, eager to put his mouth on me.
I’m not thinking straight at this point anymore. I just lay down on the soft sheets, entwining my fingers in his hair again, ready to be hoarse from moaning while Leon earns his right to cum tonight.
“This is the last time I’m letting him get away with it”, I promise to myself for the umpteenth time, arching my back as Leon’s tongue swirls around my clit.
Now that’s what a disciplined man is.
#leon kennedy smut#leon s kennedy smut#leon s kennedy#resident evil#leon kennedy x reader#leon smut#infinite darkness#resident evil 4#resident evil 4 remake
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ANGST ANGST ANGST
Tangerine x GN!Reader (They/Them pronouns)
CW: Mature (Sex References), Self-Depreciation, Near-Death Experience
@honestlywtfisgoingon @white-wolf-buckaroo @felhomaly @sinfulrefugy @venusthepirate @lunarpansexual @wanderedaway @georgiee-riviere @mushywutty @piechans @apieceoffabulousshit @4ng3l-0n-34rth @minjaz @starl1g4t @earth-elemental18 @luhvbot @underratedboogeyman @july-is-summer @vocalvixen20cp @northerngalxy @tangerinesgf (thank u coupleofruits for the gif!)
He’s pulling away from you, and you don’t know why.
The not knowing hurts almost as much as the distancing. You’re not sure what happened. Was it something you did, something you said? Terrible ideas race across your mind as you try to pinpoint what you might have done to upset him.
You don’t know the why, but you know the when. He started drifting after he came back from Japan a month later than he said he would, with a bandage on his neck and a story behind it he wouldn’t tell you.
Maybe he’s met someone else, you think, dully. It wouldn’t surprise you. Someone better looking, more up to his standard. Maybe they know how he likes it when he has a lover’s fingers carding through his hair, their nails down his back.
The thought of someone else in bed with your Tangerine makes you feel sick. You swallow the idea down with a lump in your throat that threatens to erupt into tears.
It’s the small hours of the morning. You woke up to get a glass of water, and you can see him standing on your balcony. He doesn’t sleep well any more so instead he’s having a smoke, leaning on the railing. It looks like the weight of the world is on his shoulders from the way he’s slumping forward. Quietly you slide open the door and join him.
It’s cold and you’re regretting not bringing a jumper. You can see the gooseflesh on his arms, so he must be feeling it too - but the stoic, contemplating look on his face shows he’s barely registered it. You reach out and lay a hand on his bicep; when he notices, he shrugs you off.
Oh. That stings.
“Tan…” you say, softly. He waves you away with his hand before taking a long drag on his cigarette.
“Don’t.”
“Tan, please. Please tell me what’s the matter,” you beg. It’s something you’ve said a dozen times these past few weeks and every time it falls on deaf ears. “I want to be able to help.”
“You don’t,” he practically spits. You recoil like he’s slapped you, even though he’s barely lifted a finger this whole conversation.
“What?”
“You don’t help. You never help, you’re fucking insufferable,” he snaps. He stabs his cigarette out on the wall, violently, flicks it over into the street below.
What? Why? Why would he be talking to you like this?
“I thought… weren’t we…” you can’t get the words to form in your mouth correctly, every attempted sentence fails you. You’re left blabbering like a fool. Tangerine just sighs, rubs his face.
“I’m going back to mine.”
“Tan, wait, please - ”
But he doesn’t wait. He walks through your little flat, grabs his coat from the door hanger, and slams the door as he leaves.
When you’re sure he can’t hear you any longer, you let yourself sob.
Tangerine grips the steering wheel so tight his knuckles turn white. The streets are practically empty at this time in the morning so he can go as fast as he wants. It helps a bit. Channels some of the pent-up energy he has.
He presses down on the accelerator, watching the speedometer tick up.
He almost died. Back in Japan. He can still see the guy who fired the gun at him, clipped his neck so close he should have bled out on that train floor. It was a stroke of luck that he survived it. How could he look you in the eyes and tell you that? It would break you. You’d never let him go again. He’s not sure he’d want to leave you.
That’s the thing about having another half in his line of business. They’re collateral. They could get hurt, targeted, used as a means to get to someone.
Or it’s the other way. You die on a mission and they’re left brokenhearted back at home.
It took that brush with death for him to finally realise it. That it’s… easier this way. For both of you. He can’t subject you to a life of constant panic every time he goes on a job. Because one day, if he doesn’t come back, you… you…
Well. He can’t do that to you, is where he leaves that thought.
Like pulling a plaster off. Quick if painful. Yeah; he’s doing the right thing.
He tries to make himself believe that for the rest of the night as he gets home and lies sleeplessly in bed.
Lemon can read people, and he’s known his brother his whole life - it’s not even reading Tangerine any more, it’s basically looking at a fucking picture book.
So when he gets a text from his brother telling him to pick him up from his own flat when he knows Tangerine was seeing you last night, Lemon gets an inkling something is wrong. The look on Tangerine’s face only cements this as a truth. He looks tired, bitter, foul-tempered.
Alright, well, even more foul-tempered than is usual for Tangerine.
They drive in silence for a little while. Lemon knowing something is wrong, and Tangerine knowing Lemon is going to ask about it; neither wanting the conversation that will come with it.
Lemon can have a good guess at what’s got him like this. When he asks Tangerine how you are, his brother’s jaw tightens.
“I’m not seeing them again.”
Lemon slams on the brakes so hard Tangerine almost goes through the windscreen. He wasn’t expecting that answer. They come to a stop in the middle of the motorway, a symphony of car horns expressing their displeasure at this in the background.
“What the fuck are you doing?! We’re on the fucking M25!” Tangerine shouts. Lemon rolls his eyes and puts the hazards on.
“What do you mean you’re not seeing them again?”
Tangerine huffs.
“I said what I said.”
“Nah, that ain’t gonna slide,” Lemon says. He turns on the handbrake and crosses his arms over his chest, turning to his brother. “You’re gonna tell me exactly what happened.”
Tangerine clenches his fists. People keep honking outside, Lemon throws two fingers up at them.
“I thought…” Tangerine isn’t good at emotions, neither feeling them nor expressing them. But those two words are all Lemon needs.
“Ah, fuck me. You’re doing the noble ‘it’s better this way’ thing, aren’t you?”
Tangerine is furious that he’s so transparent. He spins to face Lemon, acid on his lips.
“Well, it is fucking better, isn’t it? If you don’t remember, I spent a month in a Japanese hospital after I almost fucking died, you bellend!”
“Don’t call me a bellend, I was the one guarding your room the whole time to make sure nobody tried to shoot you again!”
He was. He was also the one who ended up dealing with all of your calls to Tangerine, trying to calm you down by promising they were both okay but wouldn’t be back for a while. He still remembers the sound of panic in your voice.
Yeah. He can see why Tangerine would make this decision. Doesn’t mean he thinks it’s the right one, though.
“What did you tell me? When you first met them?” Lemon asks. It’s a bit more gentle now, but his voice doesn’t leave any room for wiggling out of it. He sounds like a teacher.
Tangerine groans.
“I don’t remem-”
“Don’t lie to me. You can’t.”
A beat. More car horns.
“That I was the happiest I’d been for a long time.”
“Exactly. And you were. The only thing that’s changed is that you got shot. And even though it didn’t kill you, you’re still letting it take you away from them. So you might as well be dead, for all the good you’re doing.”
Tangerine lets this soak in for a moment. He forgets just how succinct Lemon can be sometimes. That underneath the twat going on about Thomas the Tank Engine, there’s a man who might just know him better than he knows himself.
“Turn around,” he sighs. Lemon grins. No matter how old he is, there’s a part of him which will always celebrate when he wins an argument with his brother.
“See, I told you. It’s just like in Thomas when-”
“Oh, shut the fuck up.”
You’re on your way home from the corner shop. They’re pricey, yeah, but you can’t be arsed to go all the way to the big supermarket at the moment. You’ve already had to wear sunglasses to hide your puffy eyes. The last thing you wanted was to have a proper breakdown in the ice cream aisle, so the little shop had to do.
When you see Tangerine standing outside your block of flats you freeze. He’s ringing the buzzer almost viciously with how he’s stabbing at the buttons. You’re not sure if you should approach him or turn and leave. If he’s here to end things for definite you think your heart might just break in your chest.
Not that running will help. It will just delay the inevitable. So you summon what little courage you possess and start to close the gap between the two of you.
Tangerine sees you out of the corner of his eye. He starts making his way towards you, a fast walk that nearly becomes a run the closer he gets. You close your eyes as he approaches, like that will protect you from the hurt.
You don’t expect his arms to envelop you. You don’t expect to be pulled flush to his chest, hard. You don’t expect the kiss he gives you, passionate to the point of bruising.
The plastic bag you had in your hand falls to the floor. Two tubs of Ben and Jerry’s roll off the curb and into the road.
“Tan?” you gasp when you break for air. He holds your face in his hands, looking you over.
“I’ve been a twat,” he states. This is as close as Tangerine really gets to apologising and meaning it. And it’s a good sign.
“Yeah, you have been,” you agree. He chuckles.
“Alright, I deserved that.” He steps back, roots around in his pocket, and holds something up.
A bunch of keys. A West Ham keyring, of course, but they’re not the keys to his flat door. You know what those look like.
“What…?”
“I bought us a house.”
This takes a moment to sink in, and then:
“Tan, you did what?!”
It is at this point Tangerine realises just what a huge gesture this has been and, really, he ought to have maybe discussed this with you first. Lemon had warned him as such but he’d been incensed. Also the brass knuckles he’d been wearing had encouraged the estate agents to expedite the whole process, so he hadn’t had the time to stop and think.
“Err, yeah,” is what he manages. Slowly, a smile creeps over your face, and you throw your arms around his neck.
“I love you, you numpty,” you tell him, speaking quietly into his ear.
“Yeah. I love you too.”
He squeezes you, and knows he’ll never let you go again.
For better or for worse.
#tangerine x reader#tangerine x you#tangerine x y/n#tangerine bullet train#aaron taylor johnson#aaron taylor johnson fanfic#request#thank you firefly-graphics for the divider!
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Chapter >> 17 [x]
Characters >> Cato Wu (oc), Eddie Wolfe (oc), Lauren Dimas (oc), Mikhail Koshechkin (oc), Panam Palmer, Rogue Amendiares, Viktor Vektor, Vincent Mayer (oc), Vitali Dobrynin (oc)
Total >> 9.2k
Warnings >> Blood, chess mention :/, death, injuries, irresponsible driving, violence
‘Hey- Get up. Can’t have you dying on me now.’
The constant, gentle beeping of a nearby heart monitor slowly woke Cato from her slumber, the noise reminiscent of her alarm yet she did not even have to open her eyes to know that this was anything but an ordinary morning; if it was even morning to begin with.
She inhaled deeply, eyes moving behind eyelids and head heavy on the questionable-quality pillow of the unfamiliar bed she found herself in; a weight pressing down on her chest, keeping her locked in position, even the slightest of movement burning painfully through her muscles.
Where the fuck am I?
Cato only remembered flashes.
A car chase- no, she had been on a motorcycle- a stolen one, no less, racing through the streets of Northside in the middle of the night after yet another failed attempt to get help, trying to-
Trying to-
She groaned, memories from seemingly another lifetime flooding back into her mind and her chest painfully tightened, sudden fear overtaking her. Had they finally captured her, now? After everything she’d done- every precaution she had taken to get them off her trail, all the cut ties, all the words left unspoken-
Another deep inhale. It did not smell like a hospital, wherever she was; it did not smell like any of their medbays, or a Trauma Team ambulance, or any other corporate location for that matter. The vague smell of blood and sweat lingered around her, mixed with bleach, some sort of disinfectant-
It stung a bit.
Finally Cato opened her eyes, squinting against the bright light of some lamp pointed directly at her face. She slowly let her gaze trail the room- oh, yeah, a ripperdoc, alright- past cold concrete walls, a surgery chair, makeshift medical equipment and a cluttered desk in the corner on her far right, until she found two figures; one sitting on a stool, the other leaning against the wall.
She did not recognize either of the two men; that was, until the one standing took a few steps closer upon noticing she was awake. Her heartbeat instantly spiked and she jolted up- but her vision faded instantly and with that she sank back down onto the surgery bed she was-
Handcuffed to?
‘Standard procedure,’ the man said, gesturing at Cato’s wrist before running his hand through his short, bleached hair. ‘My apologies. It is always tricky to determine if a merc is going to resort to violence once awake or not.’
‘I’ll fuck you up,’ Cato spat before she could stop herself, her voice hoarse as it left her lips- words scraping past raw throat and it caused her to cough, the raspy noise echoing through the room.
‘I don’t doubt that for a second.’ A pause, as Vitali Dobrynin reached into his pocket and took out a key, then reached for Cato’s wrist and- respectfully keeping his hands to himself- freed her from her restraints.
‘Cato Wu,’ he said, grabbing a chair from the side of the room and setting it down next to the surgery bed while Cato slowly sat up a second time, carefully now, allowing the dizziness to settle before she moved any further.
‘How’d you know my name?’
‘I have my ways.’
‘Right- fixer.’
‘Do I sense contempt?’
Cato sucked in her cheeks and raised her hand, mockingly putting her thumb and the tip of her index finger a mere millimeter apart. ‘Thiiis much. Pinky promise.’
Perhaps not her wisest decision- mocking a fixer like that only inches away from his face. And not just any fixer, either; a new face on the big stage in town, sure, and not nearly as famous- or infamous- as Rogue Amendiares or Dexter DeShawn, but one making his way to the major leagues quicker than anyone ever before.
Of course Cato had heard of him. She had gone looking for him to ask for his help, for fuck’s sake.
She watched carefully as Vitali’s eyes trailed over her face, scanning every little detail- reading her, and she slightly straightened her back in response. No one said anything; and instead it was merely the sound of the heart monitor filling the space around them, Cato’s heartbeat once more steady now that she had calmed down.
‘You have quite some history, from what I could gather,’ the fixer finally spoke, slowly leaning back in his chair as the corner of his mouth slightly pulled up. ‘Active in security since age 17- and now on the run from Kang Tao, no less.’
‘Nothin’ I can’t handle.’
‘I’ve sent some of my people after the squads. They won’t find you here.’
‘Wasn’t concerned.’
‘Of course not.’
Unbothered by her attitude, playing along- yet playfully so, and Cato finally relaxed a little bit as the other man in the small ripperdoc clinic wheeled himself over as well, moving around her to carefully unplug the medical equipment from the port in her neck.
‘Take it easy the next couple days, alright?’ he said. ‘Hit your head pretty hard in the fall. Your helmet caught most of the impact and took most of the damage, but-’
His voice trailed off and Cato immediately glanced into the rest of the room again, her eyes finding- well, what remained of her motorcycle helmet, sitting on top of the desk in the corner.
‘You got lucky, kid.’
Wouldn’t be the first time.
A sharp exhale left her nostrils as she redirected her attention to Vitali, who had not taken his eyes off her for even a second; alert, still, perhaps waiting for her to do something now that she was no longer held down by the handcuffs and the cord in her neck. Their gazes met in the middle, and he leaned forward again, resting his elbows on his knees as he tilted his head in a questioning manner.
‘You were calling out for me, when my mercs found you,’ he said and Cato instantly lowered her gaze again, glad the monitor beside her no longer showed her heartbeat. ‘Said you needed to speak with me.’
‘I need protection,’ she cut him off, turning on the bed to let her feet dangle down and she placed her hands on either side of her body, shoved underneath her thighs.
‘I can work. Do gigs for you, provide security- hell, you’ve done your homework. Seen my resume. Whatever you need, can get started whenever, just- I don’t think I can stay ahead of ‘em for much longer.’
Oh, how she hated to admit it.
Had done fine for months- but she was tired, slipping up left and right, and Kang Tao had not given up on her just yet for whatever fucking reason and it was driving her up the walls. She had no idea if her old squad was still out there, if they were even still alive; and had no way to check it either, each and any attempt to reach out a risk for all parties involved.
‘Endurance hunting,’ Vitali said, a sudden sharp edge to his voice that had not been there before. ‘Running you to exhaustion- minimal effort for them over a longer period of time, while your whole life falls apart around you until there’s nothing left and you are right for the taking. They’re good at that.’
‘Sounds like you know what you’re talkin’ about.’
‘Better than you can probably imagine.’ He paused, jaw slightly clenching as he straightened his back. ‘It’s a good thing you decided to reach out. I think we can help each other.’
Not the first fixer Cato had spoken to- but the first to not tell her no. His words slowly settled in her brain and the look on her face must have told him enough, because he merely smiled in return and slowly stood up again.
‘Go home, for now,’ he said, the rings around his irises lighting up bright blue as a location in the north of Wellsprings popped up in Cato’s view. ‘Get some rest. Visit my office when you are feeling better, and we will get you relocated to a safehouse and discuss business, yes? Vik- You can put the costs on my tab.’
‘One step ahead of you, Vito.’
‘Full price, this time, I hope?’
‘Eh- returning customer discount.’
‘I’ll…allow it this time.’
Cato was no longer listening to them, a strange sense of relief washing over her to the point she suddenly noticed just how exhausted she was. All her muscles were sore- and even with the painkillers she had probably already gotten she could still feel the heavy thrumming in the back of her head, constantly threatening to move closer.
Months of uncertainty, of being alone; and it was all finally going to change, and hopefully for the better. Cato did not know much about how Vitali Dobrynin worked, but his surprisingly charming attitude and his treatment of both her and the old ripperdoc were already a lot more promising than what she had seen from many others before him.
Perhaps it would all be over now. Perhaps Kang Tao would finally give up, finally leave her alone, perhaps she would no longer have to be scared to get taken back in- to get tortured, and killed, if they would even show her that kind of mercy after everything that had happened.
Perhaps she could finally be safe, now.
Cato had not felt safe in months.
She could no longer tell where it had gone wrong. Too much time had passed, too many parties involved; and frankly, at that point it mattered very little who was to blame. She understood why Vitali also didn’t know what to do anymore- he was grasping at straws, but so was everyone else.
But now things were starting to get seriously out of hand.
Hurried pace through the hallway, combat gear on and gun holstered and at the ready. Another day, another tragedy; another citywide mercenary attack traced back to the Broker, yet the man himself once more stayed out of the spotlights like he always did.
Yet something was wrong about it all.
Prior incidents had all had a clear purpose; taking away their resources, exhausting them, rising tensions in town and in the Council and attempting to frame Vitali as the big bad behind it all. Weeks of planning, carefully thought out moves- like some fucked up, intricate game of chess.
Man, the fucking irony.
Yet this time it had come entirely out of nowhere.
And Matvey’s mercenaries merely seemed to be out for blood.
‘Hey-! Cato, wait.’
Cato had almost reached the elevators, but she stopped in her tracks and turned around, heart skipping a beat upon spotting the source of the voice behind her; Lauren, running after her and easily catching up only to drag her in for a hug, arms wrapped tightly around her shoulders and hand on the back of her head.
‘Forgot to say goodbye, was in a hurry,’ Cato sheepishly said, Lauren’s hand gently running through her hair and moving to her face to cup her cheek. ‘You on runner duty today?’
‘W-What? I- Yeah, I am, but-’
Lauren’s voice got caught in her throat and she looked up again, a worried frown decorating her brow as her eyes trailed over Cato’s face and her thumb softly ran over her lips.
Cato didn’t know what to say.
Her brain was stuck in work mode; it left very little space for any distractions, and as much as Cato loved her girlfriend she found herself completely at a loss for words, eyes briefly wandering off as she slightly leaned in to Lauren’s touch and took a hesitant step closer to her.
And in response, Lauren leaned down and kissed her, the scent of her cologne mixed with a hint of coconut from her shampoo wrapping around Cato like a warm blanket, as if the two of them were safely at home rather than in the hallway of Vitali’s office, preparing to make dinner together instead of preparing to put their lives on the line once more in an attempt to regain control of the situation out in the streets.
Cato stood on her tiptoes and kissed Lauren back, grabbing the edges of her jacket to tug her closer and she could feel the corners of Lauren’s mouth turn up into a small smile.
Oh, how she had missed the quiet moments with her; they’d had some time, between all the chaos, but with both of them focused on work and the constant threat hanging above their heads it had been difficult to fully find some time for themselves.
They had wanted to move in together at the start of the year.
Cato still lived alone, now.
‘Be careful out there, okay?’ Lauren quietly said, her lips brushing past the bridge of Cato’s nose before she kissed her forehead, lips lingering on her skin a lot longer than necessary.
‘I’m- so good at that,’ Cato replied and wrapped her arms around Lauren’s waist. ‘Powerhouse. Unkillable, even.’
‘Holding you to that.’
‘As you should! As you fuckin’ should.’
She smiled when a quiet giggle left Lauren’s chest and she hid her face in Cato’s neck, carefully wrapping her arms around her again and nearly lifting her from the ground.
‘You be careful in there, too,’ Cato hummed in her ear and gently ran her hand through her girlfriend’s curls. ‘Wanna come home to you, ‘kay? Alive.’
‘And you will, baby. Alive and well.’
And with that, they finally parted ways, Cato glancing over her shoulder one last time and smiling at Lauren before quickly stepping into the elevator and mashing the button of the garage until the doors closed- but she kept going just a little longer, even when the elevator was already on the move, as if the action would keep the tears welling up in her eyes from rolling down her cheeks.
Cato knew like no one else their jobs came with risks.
She had always been a risk taker- largely calculated decisions but with an uncertainty or two that would make most mercs reconsider their options. Cato was too confident for that; or too stubborn perhaps, if you’d ask her friends, but either way she knew what she was doing and she knew how to clean up her messes like no one else.
She sucked in a deep breath and glanced at herself in the mirror of the elevator, quickly grabbing a hair tie from her wrist to pull her black and pink hair into a tight ponytail to get it out of her face. The elevator came to a stop, and the doors opened- but she lingered inside just a little longer, expression blank and eyes fixed on her own reflection.
Hope I can get some sleep tonight. Looks like I fuckin’ need it.
The garage was surprisingly crowded, several squads getting ready to try and get a grip on the situation outside. Cato left the elevator and quickly pushed her way through the crowd to the other side, until she reached Mikhail, Eddie and Vincent, waiting for her next to one of their armored vehicles.
‘Everyone ready?’ she asked, hopping on her tiptoes and sinking back to her heels as she nodded at the car.
‘Almost,’ Mikhail responded and clicked his tongue, not moving away from his position against one of the pillars of the garage. ‘Waiting for one more.’
‘One more- seriously? Bit crowded for one car, don’t you think?’
‘Would you prefer for me to sit on the roof, then?’
The sudden voice from behind her caused Cato to freeze and Vitali walked around her, fastening the clip of his chest armor as he gave her a playful nudge with his elbow. A soft scoff left her lips in return and she quickly averted her gaze to the ground.
‘Alright, listen to me!’ Vitali shouted, causing silence to instantly wash over the room and everyone’s heads to turn in his direction.
‘We don’t know exactly what is going on, just got eyes on important locations they’re attacking,’ he continued. ‘Lauren is pinging you the hotspots, report back to her once everything is dealt with. Panam- I want you and your squad to follow us.’
‘Where to?’ Panam asked.
‘Afterlife. Rogue called.’
Well, that can’t be good.
Cato slowly wandered over to the passenger seat while everyone got on the move, head completely elsewhere. She did not know Rogue like Vitali did, or Vincent- but she knew her well enough to know she was not one to ask for help, more than capable enough to deal with situations such as this one herself.
‘It’s chaos out there,’ Eddie said as they climbed onto the backseat on the left side of the car, next to Vincent who was sat in the middle. ‘Bet they already got eyes on us.’
‘I do not doubt it.’ Vitali buckled his seatbelt and started the car, slightly adjusting the rearview mirror before starting to make his way outside the garage. ‘V- Are you alright?’
‘Yep,’ Vincent quickly answered, though Cato could hear how strained his voice was. ‘Peachy.’
Deafening silence washed over the car and Cato glanced in the side mirror to look at Mikhail, who merely stared straight out of the window with no readable expression on his face.
Trouble in paradise?
Not the right time to ask.
The sun already hung low on the horizon, leaving the city in warm orange and pink light; yet smoke lingered in the air from a nearby fire, rapidly threatening to get entirely out of control due to the heat and drought. Not an uncommon occurrence during Night City’s summers- despite the vastly different current circumstances- and Cato quickly took a mask out of the dashboard locker to cover her nose and mouth.
The streets were still busy, as they always were; though Vitali appeared unbothered by it as he swiftly maneuvered between all the other vehicles on the road, hands white-knuckled around the steering wheel.
He was stressed.
Of course he was- Cato was too, heartbeat like a drum in her chest and breathing shallow behind her mask. She let her gaze carefully trail their surroundings, looking for anything out of the ordinary-
Bingo.
Through the side mirror she could easily spot the heavily armored Arasaka SUVs closing in. Entirely out of place in the otherwise still relatively calm Wellsprings; and when someone leaned out of one of the windows, dressed in makeshift armor and holding some sort of customized assault rifle, Cato knew exactly who they were dealing with.
‘Behind us!’ she yelled over her shoulder and quickly reached for the control panel between herself and Vitali- grabbed the cord of the car’s systems while Eddie and Mikhail both opened their windows to lean out and shoot at their pursuers, and plugged it in the slot in her neck after a deep inhale.
She was never going to get used to it.
Vision going dark instantly, despite being wide awake and having her eyes open; it never failed to trigger her fight or flight response, body instinctively taking the sudden loss of vision as a direct attack, and nausea washed over her as she tightly gripped the edges of her seat to not lose her balance.
It settled quickly when her vision returned to her; though not in her own body but in a drone deployed from the underside of the car instead, and it slowly emerged from underneath as Cato gained control over its movement.
Mostly intuitive, but disorienting- Cato had done it enough times to no longer randomly lose control of the drone because of concentration loss, but it had happened one too many times in the past. Too worried about her surroundings, worried about getting killed, or getting disconnected too early; or she would think too hard about how to steer the drone, actions that would otherwise come naturally to her in her own body.
She relaxed in her chair as the drone flew up into the air and circled above their car, to assess the situation down below; three cars in pursuit, one of them trailing behind a little as it appeared to be in combat with Panam’s squad.
But the other two were closing in quickly, switching lanes to try and flank the car on either side. Cato dove down with the drone, her hands intuitively moving up as she readied the two small SMGs installed in the bot- and without wasting any time she began firing, quickly maneuvering around the side of the car so she could get a clear shot on the tires.
One of the mercs took notice of her and fired at the drone, knocking it out of its course. Cato hissed a quiet fuck and readjusted its alignment, instinctively leaning to the side in her seat as well as if that would help. She took another sharp turn with the drone and positioned it in front of the car instead- and shattered the windscreen with ease, hitting the driver in the shoulder and chest several times and causing them to lose control of the wheel.
The car rammed into the guardrail, causing Vitali to be forced to hit the brakes and swerve around it. An involuntary yelp left Cato’s lips as she nearly lost her balance, despite being sat down- hands desperately reaching around to find any support until Vitali suddenly grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze, pulling it closer to the wheel so he could keep driving.
The drone had lingered behind a bit in the brief moment of panic and Cato quickly turned it around to get it back within shooting range. The second car was still close; now positioned slightly ahead of them on the driver’s side, and Eddie was attempting to get one of the tires to pop.
Cato activated the boosters on the underside of the drone to speed it up and dove down once more, positioning it underneath the Arasaka SUV. She carefully deployed an explosive and stuck it right between the two front tires- then slowed down and steered the drone back to their own car.
‘Turn right!’ she yelled, and the second she felt the motion of the car switching direction- and saw it happen through the camera attached to the drone- she detonated the explosive, causing the SUV to get blasted from the road and catch fire mid-air before landing on its side.
‘Preem work, Cato,’ Lauren’s voice suddenly popped up in Cato’s earpiece. ‘Taking control of the drone now- you can disconnect.’
‘Thanks, baby,’ Cato replied and quickly let go of Vitali’s hand again to disconnect the cord; she had to blink a few times to regain control of her vision, Kiroshis briefly struggling to focus on what was in front of her.
‘More of ‘em closing in as we speak,’ Lauren continued, and Cato rolled down her window to be able to lean out of it as well. ‘Four vehicles approaching from the east. Cato, Mish- get ready.’
She had not even finished her sentence when the vehicles in question skidded around the corner on Cato’s side of the car, one of them cutting the curb and nearly ramming into a food stand as the driver struggled to stay in control of the wheel. Cato drew her gun and charged up a power shot- released the trigger and the bolt of energy hit the front car right above the grill, sparks flying off the point of impact as the hood of the car flew open and obscured the windshield.
She charged up another shot as she let Mikhail deal with the now vulnerable and exposed car, a small smirk taking shape on her face when dark smoke followed by flames-
Followed by an explosion that knocked her back into her seat, seatbelt cutting into her skin and flesh and head forcefully snapping back causing a cry of pain to leave her lips. She released the trigger of her gun and the projectile got freely launched into the air, managing to hit one of the other cars’ side mirrors on its path.
‘Blyat- They’re flanking us!’ Vitali yelled from beside her and suddenly Cato’s gun was no longer in her hand, taken by the fixer as he leaned out of his own window to assist Eddie in taking down their pursuers. Cato cursed and grabbed the wheel, only just able to get the car back in its own lane- then cursed again when the cars in front of them slowed down for a traffic light and she swerved around them onto the lane on their right, grabbing the back of Vitali’s chest armor to make sure he wouldn’t fall out of the window.
‘This is a horrible fucking idea, boss!’ Cato screamed, wincing as the car rammed into a line of traffic cones, each of them flying over the windshield and landing somewhere behind them scattered all over the road. She took a sharp turn right, only vaguely remembering the route to the Afterlife- but with that cut off one of the other vehicles and it rammed their backside, causing the car to skid around and come to a full stop in the middle of the intersection.
‘Putting ‘er in reverse, hold on!’ Cato yelled and yanked on the steering wheel, slapping Vitali’s knee to make him put all his weight on the gas. Her eyes rapidly scanned the control panel again and she mashed some buttons- until she found the one that added an additional layer of bulletproof glass over the windshield.
She turned around on her seat, holding out her free hand to Vincent to pull him in; he quickly climbed over her and joined her in the passenger seat, leaning out of the window to shoot at the cars now all positioned right in front of them while Cato kept an eye on the road through the back window.
‘What the fuck are you guys doing?’ Lauren asked, genuine confusion audible in her voice.
‘Don’t even worry about it,’ Vitali replied, sitting back down in his seat to reload and wincing when some gunfire hit the side mirror and with that nearly his shoulder. ‘Cato is a fantastic driver.’
‘Cato would love to be in the fucking driver’s seat for that next time round!’ Cato roared in response, reaching over to drag both Eddie and Mikhail back into the car one by one before reaching back to grab Vincent by the arm and give the steering wheel another spin with all the strength left in her body, to position the car back in a forward position on the road.
Vitali hit the gas again and Cato reached up to adjust the rearview mirror, a sharp exhale leaving her body when she noticed two cars still in pursuit. Panam’s squad was no longer on sight- probably took another turn somewhere, to deal with more mercs, or to make use of a shortcut.
‘We have to get across bridge,’ Vitali said, nodding to the road up ahead. ‘Get back on highway and turn left- we get rid of them there.’
‘Yessir,’ Cato said, slightly relaxing against Vincent’s body. ‘Heads up, they’re closin’ in.’
Not her first car chase, by far- but Cato hated all of them, and for good reasons. Her breathing was shallow behind the mask, hairs on her arms standing up straight as she took the turn onto the highway, toward the bridge; a wide open space, both an advantage and a disadvantage at the same time.
Vitali accelerated and Cato repositioned herself on her seat, readying herself to maneuver between the vehicles up ahead. Eddie, Mikhail and Vincent leaned out of their windows again, opening fire on the Arasaka SUVs in pursuit; but Vitali seemed to be waiting for something, eyes carefully scanning the road before slowly but surely leaning out of his seat, aiming his gun at something ahead of them.
Cato instantly realized what he was going to do.
‘Is that a good idea?’ she asked, raising her voice a little to be audible over the gunfire as she steered around a few cars.
‘No,’ Vitali replied, ‘but when have I had any good ideas lately?’
And with that, he opened fire on the tires of an NCPD vehicle driving diagonally in front of them, effectively causing the driver to lose control of the wheel. Cato clenched her jaw and moved in, cutting the car off and causing them to swerve to the side- and both Arasaka SUVs rammed right into it, causing it to flip on its side and come to a stop in the middle of the road.
‘Easy,’ Vitali said, sitting back down and taking the wheel from Cato again. His voice was a few octaves higher than usual.
‘Well, that takes care of that,’ Lauren said. ‘Cut their communication, no backup en route currently. Dunno how long I can hold them off, though.’
‘Just do what you can,’ Vitali replied. ‘We will be arriving shortly anyway- NCPD would be stupid to try and enter Afterlife.’
‘They could send MaxTac.’
‘For the sake of this conversation, let’s pretend they don’t exist.’
Everyone remained quiet for the rest of the car ride. Vincent crawled back onto the backseat and Cato closed her window again, heartbeat settling down only a little bit as she took her gun back from Vitali and put the safety back on. She was waiting, still- waiting for more of them to show, or waiting for Lauren to warn for incoming backup-
But much to her relief, nothing else happened.
The silences after combat were always the worst to her.
Cato’s brain often needed a moment to catch up, body still alert and ready to jump back into the fight if necessary- but in those quiet moments it would often all come crashing down on her, realization kicking in to the point she would be more aware of the pain in her body and the taste of blood in her mouth than she would be of her own heartbeat.
She relaxed in her seat, eyes carefully trailing the roads surrounding them as Vitali continued their way to the club. It was getting darker and darker; street lights turning on around them and the neon lights and signs of Watson turned the streets into colorful hazes of distractions, marking the beginning of the city’s nightly life.
The entrance of the Afterlife was a mess.
Cato hopped out of the car before Vitali could even bring it to a full stop and she readied her weapon again while carefully scanning the parking lot. Cars stood scattered everywhere- two of them merely a chassis and still smoldering, dark smoke lingering in the stuffy evening air and obscuring her view.
She stayed low to the ground, biting the inside of her cheek as she stepped over a couple of bodies- no idea who they belonged to- until she reached the front entrance of the place that once used to be a morgue; and by the looks of it was now reduced to that very same earlier functionality.
Another car arrived at the scene and Cato instantly turned, raising her gun- but noticed Mikhail raising his hand at her from the corner of her eye and waited, realizing soon enough the car belonged to them and was simply Panam and her squad.
‘Mikhail, stay out here with Panam,’ Vitali said, the usual strictness to his voice Cato was used to; though she could hear his exhaustion, the slightly pleading undertone seeping through his words, as if he was no longer sure whether or not his authority was still in place.
‘V, on me!’ she immediately said, raising her voice a little as she pulled her mask off her face. ‘Eddie, stick with the boss, take the back entrance. We’ll meet in the middle.’
‘Copy that. Lauren, you got a visual?’
‘Nix plugged the whole network, you’re on your own from here. Bet Matvey’s runner is tryna poke some holes- I’m stayin’ out of that.’
Cato’s gaze met Vitali’s-
And for a brief moment she could barely recognize him.
The sudden defeated look in his eyes, a stark contrast with only minutes ago when they had been back on the road; demeanor similar to that of a kicked puppy and the gratitude and relief spilling from the expression on his face suddenly made her realize how vulnerable her friend was.
He had always been different from other fixers to her.
Had been the first one to open his doors to her, let her in- and he had offered her a safehouse, protection, things he did not have to do yet did anyway from the kindness of his heart.
‘We’ll figure this out,’ Cato said, loud enough for everyone on the parking lot to hear- yet she was talking to one person directly, eyes still fixed on his face as she spoke and he gave her a weak nod in response, rapidly blinking a couple times before looking away and following Eddie around the building.
Cato inhaled deeply, taking a moment to regain her composure as she pulled herself out of her head and turned to Vincent, who gave her an affirming nod in return. The two of them quickly entered the building through the main entrance, already able to hear gunfire coming from within while descending down the stairs. Security turrets snapped into their direction the moment they turned the corner- but did not fire upon seeing who was entering, and they both did a quick wave at one of the security cameras before quickly running inside.
The interior of the Afterlife was similar to its current exterior, bodies and debris scattered around- some sort of explosion, perhaps- and several tables had been overturned, used by mercs and clients as cover in what appeared to be the final moments of a gunfight.
Cato made a run for the bar and jumped over it with ease, taking cover behind it as she carefully assessed the situation; she recognized some of the mercs as Rogue’s and could easily tell the remainder of the Broker’s mercs apart from everyone else- makeshift armor, cobbled together from what they had been able to find at the abandoned Arasaka facility as well as their own supplies.
She steadied herself on the countertop and fired a few shots in their direction, most of them bouncing off the wood and metal of the tables and chairs- but it did what she was hoping for, getting the mercs agitated enough to attempt to fire back and with that exposing themselves to the lines of fire of everyone else in the club, soon enough leaving the ringing in Cato’s ears as the only noise filling the space around her.
‘Everyone still in one piece?’ Rogue’s voice echoed from the other side of the club. Cato slowly stood up and quickly glanced around until she found Vincent- not too far away from her, giving her a thumbs up the second she looked in his direction.
More gunshots sounded from the hallways further into the building. Cato turned and finally noticed Rogue- emerging from behind a pillar, hair tied back to keep it out of her face and some blood splattered across her cheek and jaw- and watched her march into the direction of one of the doors, only for it to bust open before she could reach it.
Vitali tumbled inside, two mercs attacking him at once and one of them attempting to slit his throat; Cato instantly lunged forward over the bar to close the distance between herself and the scuffle on the floor, but before she could do anything Rogue pulled out a gun and fired- two rapid, loud gunshots, two dead bodies, and Vitali yelped as he pushed them both off himself and scrambled back to his feet as fast as he could.
‘We clear?’ Rogue asked, glancing up when Eddie too entered through the door, and Vitali quickly nodded in response as he straightened his back and pushed back his shoulders while rapidly scanning the room- found Vincent and Cato, and he visibly relaxed again.
Thought Matvey didn’t want Vitali dead?
‘Nix says there’s more on the way,’ Rogue continued, speaking loud enough for everyone inside to hear as she took a few steps back to look around. ‘Including MaxTac. Which I can only describe as an unpleasant fucking surprise.’
‘Probably best if we delta,’ Vincent immediately said, hints of a grimace on his face as he shared a nervous look with Cato. ‘Let them- you know. Fight it out.’
‘Where to?’
‘Whe- Uh. Boss?’
‘Safehouse.’ Vitali paused to lick his lips. ‘Rancho Coronado, should be abandoned. Enough space for all of us, for now. Regroup there?’
‘Preem, lead the way. And, hey- you owe me an explanation, Dobrynin.’
‘Let’s get out of here alive first, yes?’
There was not much to explain, from Cato’s point of view. They hadn’t figured out what was going on still- did not know what Matvey was trying to achieve with any of this, and frankly, it had gotten to the point where trying to find an ulterior motive was more pointless than attempting to make sense out of his weird revenge fantasy in the first place.
She lingered behind a little with Vitali while everyone began making their way back outside, eyes once more trailing the interior of what remained of the Afterlife. It wouldn’t be the first time a gunfight had taken place inside- though she doubted it had ever gotten that bad before, and already feared for the consequences the Council would decide on were they to catch wind of all this.
Problem for later. Got more pressing matters at hand.
Reinforcements had shown up outside in the meantime and Cato instantly snapped back to reality, following Eddie and Vincent around the burnt out car chassis to put more distance between themselves and their enemies. She crouched down, moving around the both of them to get to Panam- kneeled next to one of their other mercs, bleeding from their shoulder.
‘Wound’s superficial!’ Panam yelled over the noises around them. ‘But we gotta get ‘em out of this heat!’
Cato glanced over the concrete road barrier they were sat behind; several vehicles blocked the only road out of the parking lot, and there was no way of safely getting past them without having to abandon their own cars in the process.
She turned back- eyes frantically scanning both Panam and the other merc until they landed on two grenades attached to their belt. She snatched them off and hopped over the barrier, trailing along the side of the parking lot to stay out of sight as she slowly moved closer to get a better angle.
And once she was close enough, she pulled the pins out of both grenades without hesitating and hurled them at the cars of the Broker’s mercs, covering her ears and withdrawing herself back behind the corner of the wall as the double explosion rattled her bones and caused the ground below her feet to shake.
She stayed in her position, waiting until her heartbeat had settled down; waiting for the pained screams and cries to die down, waiting for the gunfire to end, waiting for her nose to become used to the smell of burnt flesh- or for her brain to successfully convince her someone was simply throwing a barbecue just around the block, and there was nothing else to worry about.
‘Everyone, move out!’ Rogue yelled when Cato finally lowered her hands- and a humming noise somewhere above them instantly caught her attention, a sudden breeze picking up, and she turned her head to sky to-
Another explosion blasted her straight off her feet and she fell backwards, back hitting the wall and everything momentarily went black before she was suddenly face down on the ground. She tried to push herself back up on her elbows, grunting as the muscles on the left side of her body painfully protested-
And with that she was yanked back on her feet though not in the friendly manner she had been hoping for and a heavily armored figure appeared in her view, holding a heavy handgun firmly pressed against her forehead.
MaxTac.
But Cato was fast.
Smacked the weapon aside before they could pull the trigger on her and forcefully grabbed the helmet to yank it off their head, spinning 360 degrees before slamming it into the MaxTac agent’s face at full speed. Her arms were grabbed from behind and she was pulled back, one hand reaching up to grab a handful of her hair and drag her along, away from her friends-
But then she was on the ground again, a large boot kicking her in the face and her vision faded away once more for a couple of seconds. She blinked, coughing and wincing in pain as she noticed a tall figure hovering over her and they grabbed her hand to pull her back up on her feet.
‘Hey- Get up. Can’t have you dying on me now.’
Mikhail’s voice was soft, yet somehow the only thing Cato could hear as she suddenly struggled to realize where exactly she was; as if the two of them had been sent years back in time, back to when they used to work together- before Cato ran off with Kang Tao and Mikhail went to work for Arasaka instead-
Still difficult to believe, sometimes, that he had been part of the reason Kang Tao had started to hunt her and her squad down.
‘Wasn’t planning to,’ Cato quietly replied and gave him a small smile in return, allowing her friend to ruffle her hair before they both crossed the parking lot to get around the now empty MaxTac aircraft back to the car.
Let’s get the fuck out of here.
‘Get a medkit!’
‘Alright, sit down, careful-’
‘Misha? Catch.’
‘Someone bring me some towels!’
Vitali slowly followed the others inside the abandoned house in southern Rancho Coronado, lingering behind just a little longer as his gaze moved over the empty streets one final time. In the clear, for now- yet he remained alert, gun still in his slightly shaking hand as he dragged himself through the entrance hall and the living room to the other side of the house to sit down on a stool in the kitchen next to the large glass door leading to the backyard.
His leg and forearm were burning.
He’d forgotten to take any painkillers before departure.
The merc’s injuries were superficial and nothing Mikhail could not fix; just another day at work and one of the risks of their line of work. But the panicked sounds surrounding him, of his friends running around looking for more supplies, Panam nearly running right into him on her way to grab more towels, people getting weapons ready and sharing ammo with each other while preparing for yet another thorough perimeter check-
Vitali’s eyes fluttered shut.
And for a brief moment, it was entirely quiet around him.
The black void swallowing him whole was comforting, in a way; a cool patch of shade on a scorching hot summer day, a gentle breeze on a balcony overlooking the ocean, a wild river dragging him down by his feet until his entire body was submerged.
He often found himself standing there, in the dark- wondering. Wondering when it would end, when he would regain control again; wondering what else was left there for him; wondering what else he could say, if a half-assed apology would be enough to save him this time.
And all he would get in response was silence.
Strange, how that worked- to crave something he feared so deeply at the same time, to want something he knew he could not have without losing himself in the process.
And with that, the noise returned to him, panicked screams and cries and sobs and the feeling of hands grabbing his wrists and tearing at his clothes and clawing at his face, nails and teeth drawing blood, like hungry wolves feeding on a deer’s carcass-
He knew what dying felt like.
‘Hey.’
V’s voice had always been strangely soothing to him. Like a gentle kiss on a bruise- a voice that could cause his heartbeat to settle down even in the most stressful of moments.
But Vitali could not open his eyes.
Could not bear to look at him- what would he even say? After everything that had happened and everything that was happening around them now; he would only end up digging himself deeper into that hole, as stubborn as he was, unable to accept his defeat.
A quiet sigh left his lips when V gently cupped his cheeks, thumbs running over his skin as he gently tilted his head a little to the side.
‘You’re bleeding,’ he quietly said, and Vitali finally allowed himself to open his eyes, watching worry spilling from the expression on the merc’s face as he carefully moved his fingers to just behind Vitali’s ear.
‘It’s nothing serious,’ Vitali merely responded, holstering his gun and reaching up to push V’s hand away, but V dodged him and instead tried to tilt his head further.
‘I said-’
‘I heard you. Let me take a look.’
‘V-’
‘Vincent.’
A short pause, and Vitali sucked in a shallow breath.
‘Please.’
Vincent.
Vitali held his breath, heart skipping a beat as a weirdly comforting fog in his head blocked everything else out and caused him to only see what was right in front of him. He slowly scanned V’s face as his head was once more tilted to the side- no sign of sarcasm, no sign of discomfort, or hesitance.
Their gazes met; and V shot him a small, encouraging smile, lower lip trembling slightly as he did.
And with that, Vitali finally allowed Vincent to assess the damage, a wave of relief washing over him as he closed his eyes again and briefly pressed his lips against the bloodied palm of his boyfriend’s hand.
The carnage at the Afterlife had taken its toll on him, a lot more than he had initially expected. Something had caused the harsh reality of it all to fully kick in there- and they had learned nothing, other than the fact that apparently Matvey’s mercs were now taking a completely different approach.
Vitali involuntarily clenched his jaw and sucked in a deep breath, the memory of the two heavy bodies on top of him creeping back into his mind- the knife that had only been inches away from his throat- Ravager’s hands wrapped tightly around his neck-
‘Is anyone here gonna tell me what the fuck’s going on?’
Rogue had walked over to the two of them and stopped right next to Vitali the moment he looked up again, hands on her hips and a mostly unreadable expression on her face- though he did not need to ask to know she was fucking furious.
‘Genuinely wish I could,’ he answered, flinching lightly when Vincent dabbed the wound behind his ear with a wet towel. ‘Attack came out of nowhere, I don’t think any of it was planned. No pattern, no motive- they tried to kill me, as you saw. That’s new.’
‘So your- the Broker is changing their strategy?’
Vitali clenched his jaw again, but did not answer.
He didn’t know what his father was attempting to achieve with any of this. It made no sense- had their last encounter finally caused him to stop fucking around, to stop wasting time? Had this been part of his plan all along?
Vitali swallowed heavily and pushed the thought out of his head. Anything was possible at that point, but he decided to choose to believe his father had better backup plans at hand. Whatever had happened, whatever it was that had changed- there had to be a logical explanation to it all.
‘Just gotta figure out where they’re stayin’, then we can get this over with,’ Vincent quietly said, glancing in Rogue’s direction before looking back at Vitali. ‘Whatever happens, happens.’
He was right.
Vitali closed his eyes again and inhaled deeply, a strange knot settling deep within his stomach as he realized what that meant. Whatever happens, happens- no way around it anymore this time, nothing else left to do or say. No more grasping at straws; nothing left within his reach.
All he had wanted for himself, was a happy ending.
Selfish, in hindsight, to wish that for himself after getting so many other people caught up in the crossfire. Stupid of him to think that his father would stop, naive of him to think that he could get his family back after everything that had happened between them, after all their years apart.
Vincent cupped his cheeks with both hands and left a soft kiss on the corner of his mouth- I know, baby, I know- and it only then dawned on Vitali a tear had escaped his eye and was steadily rolling down his cheek, Vincent’s thumb softly running over his skin to wipe it away.
Oh, how Vitali had hoped it wouldn’t have had to get to this.
He opened his eyes again and slowly let his gaze trail through the room. Most people had sat themselves down in the living room, everyone a bit calmer now that the mercenary’s injury was being looked after by Mikhail and weapons had been reloaded. Rogue slowly wandered away again too, redoing her ponytail while quietly mumbling to herself- just too quiet for him to hear what she said.
‘Boss-? Someone’s approaching the house!’
Vitali’s head snapped up toward the front door, a rush of adrenaline instantly waking him up again. He grabbed the gun in his holster, dragging himself from the stool and pushing past Vincent to get to Cato, who had called out for him. She briefly glanced over her shoulder, then readied her own weapon and kicked open the door, both of them stepping outside and aiming at-
‘Wait, wait, wait- Don’t shoot!’
Dusty?
Vitali froze.
It was unmistakably his ex mercenary, hands up in the air while he stumbled back a few steps, wide eyes focused on the guns pointed at his head. Vitali instantly lowered his own- and so did Cato, though she also walked closer without hesitation and used the butt of her weapon to smack Dusty in the head- hard.
‘You fucking cunt of a traitor!’ she yelled, stuffing her gun in her holster while grabbing one of his arms and forcefully twisting it behind his back.
‘Cato-’ Vitali said and raised his hand, but other than that did nothing to stop her and just stood motionless to the ground while Dusty sputtered and cried out in pain as Cato dragged him off the street, closer to the house.
‘You got some serious balls showin’ your ugly face here after everything!’ she snarled, pushing Dusty into the outer wall of the house and aiming her gun at him again. ‘I should shoot you where you stand!’
Vitali’s brain struggled to catch up.
He walked a little further into the street, eyes carefully scanning each and every corner; it was too dark for him to be able to see very far but everything seemed clear from where he stood, the only movement he could see coming from the corner of his eye, some of the others emerging from the house to see what was going on.
‘Check the perimeter,’ he heard Rogue say, and turned around again just in time to see a few mercs scatter and vanish into the dark, weapons at the ready- and then he realized everyone who was still there was staring directly at him, even Cato, a questioning look on her face and her gun pointed directly at a still whimpering Dusty, her hand slightly swaying from side to side.
‘Why are you here?’ he asked, slightly raising his voice as he walked back and straightened his back, regaining his composure within mere milliseconds. ‘No fucking around- give me something to work with or I’ll let Cato do whatever she wants.’
‘Sanders is dead,’ Dusty promptly replied, and he dropped his arms past his body, carefully lifting his head from the wall. ‘Your old man killed him. His mercs are out of fuckin’ control- out for your blood, they don’t care about no contract anymore.’
Oh.
Vitali stopped in his tracks, mouth half open as the words got caught in his throat and he exchanged a look with Cato as a sudden location in Charter Hill popped up in the corner of his vision.
‘They locked him up,’ Dusty continued, his voice low. ‘Usin’ every little bit of the supplies he keeps in that building to burn this entire city to a fuckin’ crisp- and they’re not gonna stop any time soon by the looks of it.’
Dead silence fell over the dark street.
Well, as silent as it could be.
If you listened closely you could hear it in the distance- vaguely audible over the light breeze and some distant music- the noises of what was going on downtown, sirens howling through the night sky and heavy gunfire rattling through the streets, not uncommon at all but far heavier than it usually was.
Vitali felt light-headed.
Unsure what to think of it all- unsure if he could even trust Dusty’s word- but the sheer panic and fear in the merc’s eyes said enough and he bit the inside of his cheek, heart beating heavily inside his chest.
They locked him up.
This is not his doing.
He promptly walked back inside, past all his mercs, past Rogue- avoiding eye contact with each and every single one of them as he ran up the stairs as fast as he could to reach the safehouse’s weapon storage. His heart was once again racing in his chest, ramming itself into his ribcage as the pain in both his leg and forearm flared up again.
Painkillers can wait.
The small closet wasn’t nearly as impressive as back at home or at his office, but Vitali didn’t care. It was enough to stock up on ammo- and all he was looking for anyway was the box of explosives, tucked away in the far right corner and hidden behind some shotguns.
Nothing too powerful, of course- there was no need to level the whole thing to the ground, no need to potentially harm innocent people in the somewhat impulsive act of destruction he was carefully planning out in his head. Merely enough to get rid of what was inside; wipe out the threat and get rid of every and any tool used by the mercs to keep their citywide onslaught going.
He closed the door of the storage closet with his hip and nearly walked right into Vincent and Rogue, the both of them having followed him upstairs and giving him a puzzled look before glancing down at the box in his arms, realization kicking in for the both of them at once upon seeing the explosives and the dangerous shimmer in his eyes.
‘Get everyone together,’ Vitali said, and the corner of his mouth pulled up into a small smile.
‘Let’s go blow up a building.’
#nuclearwriting#rbs much appreciated :) <3#it's all coming to a fucking end baybeeey#hope dusty doesn't feel like too much of a deus ex machina here. technically he's been relevant since chapter 1 so like. you know#was only a matter of time before his scrawny traitor ass would come running right back#ANYWAY. HEHE. much to think about much to yell about#lots of cato pov because i love my girl and also the way she observes situations is interesting to me#the car chase was so facking difficult to write. the rest of the action scenes too tbh but i was being very brave about it#the fact that the last sentence kind of implies that this will end similar to like. the canon in-game events#and also kinda similar to the end of the arasaka arc. and all of them being about arasaka in a way#idk it's interesting!!! it's like an endless cycle that the characters are stuck in. can you ever really get away from arasaka and all that#anyway let me know what you guys think of this one!! as always super excited to see everyone's thoughts >:^)#ch:the broker
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sex pollen fic
Pairing: Rowan Desai & Círdan (characters in the dnd party i’m in lol)
Warnings: sex… pollen…. sex pollen… overuse of hyphens and generally inaccurate depiction of gay butt sex… dubcon? (because pollen)
A/N: this is not going to be an enriching or satisfying read to anyone who does not know these characters i’m so sorry. but still read it please :D
——————
Rowan was gone.
Círdan had awoken from his trance, looked to his right, and seen sheets thrown back on a vacant bed. Laying on the bedside table was a precariously balanced pile of leather outer armor that his unwilling roommate had shed earlier in the night, but the man himself was nowhere to be found, the slight cave in his mattress and his left-behind leathers being the only indication that he was ever even there.
Círdan stared blankly at the empty mattress for a few beats before wheels and cogs finally began to turn in his brain. He was gone. Why was he gone?
The room was completely silent.
There was an empty spot, Círdan noticed, on the table beside the pile of armor and he was positive that Rowan’s dagger had been placed there when they had first retired to the room. The paladin had entered, faced the wall, stripped himself of his protective gear, and then placed his blade on the table, and the only reason that Círdan is certain this happened is because he’d been watching the other man’s movements intently as he de-armored himself, eyes fixated on the ripples of muscle visible when he stretched his arms. When Rowan had turned slightly to the side, Círdan quickly averted his gaze, eartips burning hot with shame.
The absence of the weapon was slightly worrying — what were the chances that Rowan had gotten into genuine trouble and had to leave armed and ready to fight? But then again, he would probably take his weapon with him on a simple midnight stroll just to have it within arm’s reach. He was fine. Probably.
Círdan chose not to worry or care too much. He was not in the mood to stress himself to the point of aneurysm only for Rowan to return nonchalantly in the morning from a nice night walk around town. Plus truthfully, he doubted Rowan would give a shit if the roles in this situation were switched. If anything, a sudden disappearance on Círdan’s part would probably just fuel Rowan’s obvious, likely prejudice-based suspicions about the Drow. It was hard to miss all of the sidelong glances and glares that Rowan loved to cast Círdan’s way, the message obvious: I don’t trust you. Every other member of the ragtag group Círdan found himself working alongside had been accepting of him despite his dark lineage, but Rowan — lone wolf, self righteous, pain in the ass Rowan — was the only one to show malice of any kind. So why should he have to give half a shit where the brute had skittered off to?
The most fucked up, anger inducing aspect of it all, however, was that Rowan was a fucking looker. He was the phrase ‘tall, dark, and handsome’ personified, but with additional adjectives added on like ‘isolated’ and ‘probably kind of racist.’ If Círdan lacked self respect, there would be nothing stopping him from diving head first into fantasies about the paladin, but the case was simple: Rowan disliked Círdan and Círdan disliked him back. The occasional glances that he stole were only natural.
A sigh sounded throughout the small bedroom as he hauled himself to the edge of the bed and touched his feet to the carpeted floor. It was soft underfoot as he walked to the wide window on the far wall, running his index along the deep ridges and etched designs on the dark stained windowsill and staring out into the shadows beyond. Unlit lamps stood tall, brittle grass brushed in the wind, the streets empty — quite the stark contrast to how lively Phandalin was in the light hours. Streets bustling with life, vendors dotting the paved roads with their carts stock full of various foodstuffs and trinkets for sale. A lovely town, truly, with just the tiniest smidge of gang activity. Pros and cons. Círdan could picture himself eventually settling in a place like this, where everyone knows everyone and everyone likes everyone, for the most part. It worked for some distant, vague future he could possibly see himself in. But for now he was fine nomadic, married to a life of travel and adventure and service to Rhemus, because that’s what he had grown familiar with. It was his own little loose routine and it defined him. He half feared that settling down would make him lose his spark. That concept scared him; he resigned to not thinking about it most days, staying wholly in the present.
With one hand propping up his head, Círdan continued to stare, slipping out of reality. He stayed that way for a while, in a sort of half-trance state, before he picked up on a subtle noise — an almost imperceptible shh shh shh coming from a direction he couldn’t quite place. He blinked once, twice, before shaking his head to regain clarity. He honed in on the sound, focused hard to try and hear it again.
Shh shh. Chh.
He craned his neck back to stare at the door, nearly positive that that was where the sound was coming from. Heartbeat quickening, he stared, noticing the subtle shift of the doorknob, as if someone was struggling to enter. Círdan ghosted his hand over the dagger still attached to the belt draped across his waist.
With a creak, the door slid open painfully slowly. Instead of a criminal, it was Rowan who staggered in, and he looked like a mess. Certainly the most disheveled Círdan has ever seen him during their short tenure as colleagues — and that was saying a lot, as they’d gone through strenuous battle together.
His hair was slick with sweat at his forehead, stuck in thin strands against his skin. He was leaning against the doorframe, fists clenched, gaze downcast.
Círdan just stared, unsure of what to do or say. Clearly something was wrong with the man, but he couldn’t tell what. There were no visible wounds or tears in his garments, but his eyes were half lidded like he was on the verge of collapse.
“Rowan?”
His gaze snapped up to meet Círdan’s quickly. He looked almost startled to hear the other man speak. He didn’t respond, just stood there, hunched slightly with a heaving chest.
“Rowan?” Círdan repeated.
“You need— to leave,” Rowan finally punched out.
His voice was so strained and gravelly and genuinely urgent that Círdan felt goosebumps prickle the back of his spine.
The taller man entered the room with a stumble and headed to his bedside table. He fumbled with his waistband for a second before pulling out his dagger and placing it down. He didn’t turn around after that, stayed facing the wall behind the table, shoulders taut and full of visible tension.
“What? Why? What’s wrong with you?”
“It doesn’t matter, you— you need to go.”
Círdan was getting nervous. “Why? Is someone coming?“
“No— fuck,” Rowan cursed. His body trembled with every breath, and it was so incredibly unnatural to see a man who was normally so stoic looking like he was on the precipice of complete chaos. “Someone…. I was out…” His words were half-slurred as he tripped over them and Círdan felt urgency and dread beat harshly in his chest like a snare drum. He took a half-step back, uncertain.
“I went out…outside. Fresh air,” Rowan struggled to say, “and there was a— a Red Brand. Looking to do some kind of tradeoff, I think…” It sounded like it was taking genuine effort for him to get words out, let alone string them together coherently. He swallowed thickly, wetting his lips and turning his head slightly to the side so half of his face was revealed to Círdan. “He had these vials, was acting real sketchy. I got up, he got nervous. Emptied a— a whole vial in my face.”
“So… what?” Círdan asked, fidgeting with his sleeve nervously. “What was in the vial?”
Rowan didn’t answer, just turned his head back to stare blankly at the wall. He was relatively still, the only indicator of his inner turmoil being his hands gripping the edges of the table hard, knuckles white from the force of it.
“Rowan?“ Círdan prompted again. Silence was bad. Maybe it was poison. Maybe he was about to keel over and fucking die on the dusty inn floor.
“You need to leave,” Rowan repeated darkly.
“Stop fucking saying that. Tell me what was in the vial.”
“This is so– fucking stupid.” Rowan turned fully then. He looked frantic in the way a caged animal would be. “Why is it so important for you to know every little detail? Why can’t you just listen to me?” Beads of sweat slid down his neck, collecting on his already damp undershirt.
Círdan would have been pissed at his tone if the circumstances were different, but the pure desperation in the other man’s voice amplified his worry tenfold.
“I can’t help you if you don’t talk to me,” he said.
“You don’t want to help,” Rowan huffed, voice lifting at the end of his short sentence, almost like he was holding back a dry laugh.
“I do.”
“No, you don’t understand. You don’t… shit—“ Rowan’s voice cracked at the curse and he wrenched his gaze away, staring at the floor. He almost looked embarrassed with just how flushed and sweaty he was and his newfound aversion to eye contact. Rowan brought a hand quickly down to the waistband of his pants to fidget with it, and it was then when Círdan noticed.
There was a bulge in Rowan’s pants.
He stared.
Rowan breathed heavily, looked back up, immediately seeming to notice the line of sight Círdan had adopted.He turned slightly sideways in what was likely an attempt to cover his erection and regain his decency.
An incredibly awkward silence smothered the two before Rowan cleared his throat. “Aphrodisiac,” he said, curt with the delivery of the word and visibly uncomfortable.
Círdan would have laughed — he almost did, at the absurdity of it. He had no idea how to even begin to process this information, so he just took another step back and offered a quiet “oh.”
“I think it was crushed myllum root. It… has a smell to it, and— shit… you need to go.”
Embarrassment crept its way up the Drow’s spine like a vine snaking up an abandoned building. All this time, Rowan had been practically begging him to leave so he could fucking relieve himself, and Círdan had stayed, continued pestering the guy as liquid sex was pumping throughout his body.
“What, uh— what are you going to do?” Círdan stammered, and he hit himself mentally for asking. For not just making a beeline to the door and getting himself out of the situation. He didn’t know why he felt so compelled to stay and work through this situation like it was anything that concerned him.
“Fuck, Círdan,” Rowan said, “you need to go.”
Círdan’s heart stuttered at that, the way his name sounded being pushed out of Rowan’s mouth in a plea. He took note of the raw desperation, and wondered what was going through the paladin’s head. What he’d do if Círdan stayed.
Slow steps took the Drow closer to Rowan’s shuddering form. He put up a hand to halt his approach.
“No,” he pushed out, but the previous conviction in his tone was gone. He stared down at Círdan, the only thing between the two being the taller man’s raised arm.
Círdan stopped, stayed still for a few beats as he contemplated how to phrase his thoughts. “I can help you,” he said, “if you want.”
Rowan didn’t answer. Or move. Círdan wasn’t sure if he was even breathing.
“Rowan.”
Still, silence.
As seconds ticked by, the tension in the room shifted from that of the sexual kind to the devastatingly awkward kind, and it was so stifling that Círdan had to take a step back. Rowan kept staring at him with blown pupils, brows stitched together in what could have been pain, or lust, or embarrassment – or a very uncomfortable mix of the three.
Cirdan opened his mouth to say something, but any and all words had fled his mind. He felt embarrassed now, standing there aimlessly as he desperately searched for words to repair the state of the situation. Obviously he’d crossed some boundary; he had not been thinking straight, and had made things worse for all parties involved. Now that the heat of the moment had subsided, and Cirdan had the time to actually think about his actions, he realized that maybe what he’d done was totally, out-of-this-world fucked up. Rowan – his half-acquaintance, half-enemy – had stumbled into the room with brain and body addled by aphrodisiac, and the only way Cirdan had thought to help was to essentially force himself on the drugged man. Fuck.
“Look–” he started, “I think… I’m sorry if I– if I overstepped, in any way. I– Shit, I thought – Well, I don’t know what I thought–”
“Fuck. Shut up.”
Cirdan immediately stopped his rambling, mind going blank at the unexpected interruption.
Rowan, with his chest still heaving, took a step forward, and something had changed. Cirdan could tell through key subtleties that something was different: Rowan held himself up straighter, had unclenched his fists, and his eyes – they looked almost fucking predatory with how they stared unwaveringly at Cirdan’s frozen form.
“Just – go to the bed.”
“Rowan?” Círdan croaked with a suddenly dry mouth. “No, no, it’s okay, you really don’t have to—“
“Fucking shut up. Bed.”
Never in Círdan’s life had his heartbeat been so erratic. Never had his blood rushed so loudly in his ears. Also — never had he been this embarrassingly stiff in his pants. He half-thought that all of this was some fabrication created by his mind and that he’d blink awake to soon realize that none of this was real.
When Círdan made no effort to move, still in visible shock, Rowan stormed toward him. Within mere moments, Círdan was being shoved back and downwards onto Rowan’s mattress, with enough force to knock the air out of his lungs. The taller man towered over the Drow in silence for a moment, perhaps contemplating, perhaps preparing himself, but before long he was back in motion, and it was almost too much. He shoved his knee between Círdan’s thighs so it rested snug against his crotch and brought a large hand down to firmly grasp his face, so tight it burned. Círdan could feel the heat radiating off of Rowan’s body, and was aware of his own temperature rising due to raw lust alone. His cock throbbed within the confines of his pants and the unrelenting pressure of Rowan’s knee was not helping at all. They’d just begun doing whatever this was and he already felt like he was on the verge of orgasm.
“F-Fuck, Rowan—,”
“Shh.”
Rowan’s grip on Círdan’s face got impossibly tighter. His hand trembled slightly.
“P-Pretty,” he muttered as he stared down.
Círdan’s heart stuttered in his chest. He tried to not think about how intimate this all felt. He knew it wasn’t Rowan’s intention to spew such strangely soft words at him, that this was all the work of the pollen. Some place deep within him ached and he did not want to go down the road of pondering why, did not want to open that can of worms. He opted for clutching Rowan’s shirt and pulling him down, overwhelmed by the sudden urge to have this onslaught of negative thoughts fucked out of existence.
Instead of succumbing to Círdan’s will, Rowan held his ground. He did not allow himself to be pulled downwards; he darted up to snag Círdan’s wandering hand and pin it down to the bed above his head.
“N-Not yet,” he said, sounding feverish. He adjusted himself so his knee was no longer pressed against Círdan’s dick, replacing it with his hand, palming him rough through his pants.
“F—fuck,” Círdan whimpered. Through his pleasure bled confusion; he’d assumed that sex with someone under the heavy influence of an aphrodisiac would be quick and to-the-point, the goal being reaching orgasm as fast as possible. But Rowan was taking painfully long to get to the point, relishing in foreplay instead of just fucking him like Círdan thought they had both desperately wanted. Círdan didn’t want to cum before the two had the chance to actually fuck, and it was starting to feel like he might.
Rowan’s touching did not cease. He kept on rubbing and teasing Círdan through his pants and grunting in response to every moan and mewl. He dropped the hand he had pinned and went to pull Círdan’s pants down, revealing his bulge in his underwear. The imprint of his dick against the fabric was clear as day, with a spot of wetness where his tip strained against it. Rowan ran his thumb along the tip over and over, watching as the spot got darker and wider by the second. Círdan bucked his hips up slightly with every run of Rowan’s finger.
“Rowan— fuck, Rowan, please—“
“Ple—please what?” Rowan’s voice cracked as he spoke, and when Círdan looked down, he saw that Rowan had taken to rubbing himself through his own pants. The sight alone almost made Círdan finish.
“Fuck— just… just fuck me already.”
Rowan groaned at that, but he didn’t listen. He made no move to flip Círdan over. What he did do, however, was momentarily stop his movements to hook his finger under the seam of Círdan’s underwear, and so frustratingly slowly, tug downwards until his dick was free of any restraints. Círdan felt his face go warm and he was acutely aware of the rapid rise and fall of his chest and stomach as he took quick, embarrassed breaths. Cum was leaking out of his tip and down his cock in thin wet lines as he twitched from sensitivity and lack of stimulation. It no longer mattered to him whether he was fucked or just touched — all he knew was that he desperately needed to cum.
“Please…” he whined.
Rowan was panting like an animal. He threw Círdan’s underwear somewhere off to the side and brought a large hand up to his length, brushing his thumb along the wetness. Círdan shuddered.
“Fuck,” Rowan muttered. He brought his hand forward slightly more and closed it around Círdan’s shaft, giving a few experimental pumps. The sound Círdan let out was guttural. His eyes screwed shut, his head fell back against the bed, his entire body clenched up so insanely tight he felt like he could snap in half from the tension. Rowan breathed heavy, going faster with his movements. “Yeah? You— you like that?” he asked, voice laced with lust. Círdan didn’t answer. He barely even processed the question with how clouded his brain was — he just bucked his hips upwards continuously, chasing the orgasm he felt steadily approaching. His lower half felt like it was burning and he was close, he was so, so, so close, he felt the muscles in his lower body contract in preparation, but then—
All at once, it stopped. The sensations ceased, the pleasure ceased. Círdan felt his heart stutter in devastation at the loss of touch. His dick was painfully hard and leaking a steady stream of precum. When he opened his eyes to figure out why Rowan had stopped, he saw that the other man had propped himself up on his knees further back on the bed. Frustration ran harsh through Círdan’s body. “Why’d you—“
“Flip over,” Rowan interrupted bluntly. A wave of arousal crested and crashed in Círdan’s stomach at the command, followed by an even larger wave of indignation. He didn’t want to comply, his mind was too fogged, too focused on immediate release. His mouth opened again to form a retort, but before any sound left his throat, Rowan was back to making demands. “Flip over,” he repeated darkly, bringing his hand down to tightly grip Círdan’s thigh so hard it hurt. Círdan sucked in a quick gasp of air at the pain.
“Or do you want me to do it for you?” Rowan continued after another stretch of silence. He left no time for a response: as soon as the demand left his mouth he was moving, wedging a strong arm under the small of Círdan’s back and hauling him upwards so he was in a half-sitting position. After that it was quick as lightning, the singular, effortless, rather aggressive motion it took for Rowan to flip Círdan over so his face and chest were flush to the mattress and his ass was pointed up. Rowan’s hand pressed down hard on the top of Círdan’s back.
“Fuck— ow—“ Círdan exclaimed, voice muffled.
Rowan did not relent in his force. He kept one hand holding Círdan down, and used the other to start undoing his own belt buckle.
Círdan was breathing in heavy pants born of mingled pain and pleasure. He shifted his legs slightly to try to get into a more comfortable position, but it was hard when Rowan was holding him down so intensely. He heard the clinking and shuffling stop behind him and felt his heart race with anticipation.
“Fuck,” Rowan breathed, voice thick with a desperate kind of lust Círdan had never encountered before. “T-Tell me you want it.”
Círdan felt his dick twitch at the words; he was so worked up he could cry. “I-I want it, Rowan. Please, please.”
“Fuck—“ Rowan sputtered. He edged slightly forward so the fronts of his thighs brushed against Círdan’s ass. It took a few more moments of adjustment and fiddling with his fly, but soon, Rowan’s dick was pressing hard against Círdan’s skin.
“R-Ready?” Rowan asked. He lined the head of his dick up with Círdan’s hole.
“Yes, yes, just fuck me already—“
Rowan pushed his hips forward. He went halfway in, paused for a moment, perhaps to adjust to the newfound tightness, and then seconds later was all the way in, balls pressed tight up against Círdan’s ass.
Círdan felt drunk with pleasure and pain and every other feeling the elven body was capable of experiencing. Rowan’s dick was huge, and it hurt, and it felt amazing, and Círdan was already so close to finishing that he had to coil the muscles in his lower abdomen to dissuade the ever-approaching wave of orgasm.
“F—Fuck — Rowan…” Círdan cried out. He was trying to thrust his own hips forward to give his dick some much needed friction, but Rowan’s force made it impossible. He could not do anything more than lay there and take it.
“Shh—shit, baby,” Rowan pushed through clenched teeth, “fuck— take it, take it…”
Círdan felt his eyes water from pure stimulation. Never in a million years would he have guessed that this is how the night was going to go, with him being fucked deep on an inn mattress by a man he so desperately wanted to dislike. His eyes were screwed shut on account of the fact that they would probably be crossed had he opened them, and he was pushing back onto Rowan’s dick to the best of his ability, wanting him deeper and harder.
“Fuck—ing s-slut,” Rowan slurred. “Wanted— wanted this since I first — shit — first saw you.”
The admission made Círdan’s stomach churn with arousal and something else, something dangerous.
“Prett—y thing, fucking annoying little…” His voice trailed off into more pants and grunts. He was close, Círdan could tell. His thrusts were getting sloppier, his sounds more frantic.
“Fuck— Círdan…”
Círdan knew the sound of his name on the paladin’s lips would not soon leave his mind. He felt like crying for ten million separate reasons, the most significant one being his too-potent pleasure, his desperate desire for release. He was on the edge.
“Fuck. Fuck, I’m gonna—“
The feeling of Rowan’s warm cum spilling inside of him was all it took for Círdan to come undone. His orgasm hit him like a tidal wave: he let out a loud groan and bucked his hips wildly onto the bedsheet, relishing in the feeling of his own seed painting the bed below him. Rowan was still fucking him, messily now, with unsteady thrusts and a loosened grip.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck…” Rowan repeated as he neared the end of his climax. He began to slow his movements gradually until he came to a complete stop.
Círdan’s orgasm used up any energy that had been left in him. He laid still on the bed like a ragdoll, ass pointed upwards and full of Rowan’s cum.
After a beat, Rowan slid himself out. He got off of Círdan and collapsed on the mattress beside him, apparently just as spent and exhausted. They laid there in silence in their own mess of sweat and semen, eyes closed, not acknowledging one another at all as they regained their senses.
Now that Círdan’s throbbing arousal was ebbing, he had time to really think about what had just happened and the potential repercussions of it. This could have very well ruined everything. There was a good chance that now that the pollen had left Rowan’s system, he would realize this whole thing was a big, irreversible mistake. His heart rate quickened at the thought, and he was suddenly consumed by the overwhelming urge to be made privy to everything that was going on in Rowan’s mind. He looked over to the paladin, noticing he was staring blankly at the ceiling.
“So…” Círdan spoke out into the silence. He shifted himself so he was no longer on his stomach but facing Rowan with his head propped up on his arm.
Rowan did not reply.
“So,” Círdan repeated, “do you, uh— Well, that was—“
“We— don’t have to talk about it.”
Círdan felt a pang of embarrassment. This had definitely ruined everything. He began to formulate the first draft of a departure plan in his head, because surely he’d need to find an entirely new circle of people, adopt a new way of life far, far away so he would not have to think about any of this ever again. “Right, yeah,” he said. He blinked away stinging tears and cursed himself for even having tears to blink away in the first place. “Sorry if this fucked things up.”
Rowan turned his head to the side and looked at Círdan. Círdan looked back and noticed a slight frown on his face. They just stared at each other for a second.
Rowan cleared his throat. “It was good,” he said. “It— You helped. Thank you.” His tone was the gentlest Círdan had ever heard it. A flight of butterflies erupted in his stomach, and he was at a loss for words for what felt like the tenth time that night.
Círdan let out a short breath of relief. “I’m glad I could help.”
Rowan gave back the slightest smirk, but it was gone within a fraction of a second.
He turned back to face the ceiling.
“Probably gonna interfere with work, though,” he said, voice back to being all monotone and disinterested like usual.
“Yeah, maybe,” Círdan replied with a smile, and for the first time in a while, he felt content.
#dnd smut#oc smut#smut#original characters#fanfiction#mlm#fanfic#rowdan#hi#read this#picture them both really hot#yay
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“Life’s Not Fair.”
a wolfstar fluff ending i promise <3, but i won’t lie it’s bittersweet, cw: drinking, making out ;)
Remus is five, the first time he thinks it.
Five, and wrapped in bandages from head to foot—a muggle caricature mummy, propped up on the front porch.
Listening to the hoots of the neighbourhood children, feet slapping tarmac, the cheery tinkle of bicycle bells.
Watching them run and laugh and play.
Remus curls aching limbs around himself. Shivers.
Thinks about moons and wolves and bites and other things he doesn’t really understand, yet.
He’s not allowed to play with the other children anymore. That’s what mami says.
It’s not fair, he thinks. It’s not my fault the wolf got me.
He sniffles. Rubs his nose. Shivers, even though it’s July and there isn’t a trace of a chill clinging to the summer breeze—but that doesn’t matter because he’s always cold now, always tired, always sore.
It’s not fair. Life isn’t fair.
Remus feels something he can’t understand, something choking and twisty and strong—something he thinks is distinctly wolffish, although he doesn’t understand why.
He picks up a picture book and turns the page of a well-worn spine, trying desperately to forget the cheery children on the street.
…
Everything’s loud.
The wind screams outside his window in a ghostly, whistling snarl, made out to a shriek by his unnatural hearing. His stupid wolf ears.
And inside his room, the walls thud and boom and shake and scream at him in the voices of his mother and father—brick barely muffling the thunderstorm raging on the other side.
“You can’t say things like that to him, Lyall!”
Remus pulls a pillow over his ears and tries to block it all out. It doesn’t work.
He wonders, bitterly—because he knows, too well, the name of that choky wolfish tightness now—if suffocating himself with the damn pillow would be a worthier cause.
“Forgive me for telling him the truth! He can’t live with his head in the fucking clouds!”
“He’s ten, so forgive me for thinking that just maybe he fucking can!”
He can’t deal with this. He can’t deal with them.
Remus doesn’t feel bad for thinking that. It’s a mutual feeling, no doubt—reflected on their side of the wall, too.
He’s the cause of the raised voices and the pain and the tears—he always is. His moons, his wounds, his goddamn ‘condition’. It all comes back to him.
It’s not fair.
He never meant to hurt them. He never meant to be this way. If he could, he’d fix himself in a heartbeat.
Remus Lupin hates being broken like this. Irreparable, creaky, a dusty disappointment sitting in his bedroom and watching the weeks tick by.
Smashing himself to bits every month like clockwork,—healing and smashing and healing and smashing and waiting to die—like a destructive little cuckoo clock, pulling out his gears and cogs to a howling midnight chime.
It’s not fair.
Life’s not fair.
He wonders how much longer he’ll have to live like this. He thinks—forever, probably. Until the day I finally kick it.
The world screams at him, and Remus Lupin wants nothing more than to scream right back.
…
“So—thoughts, Mr Lupin?” the man asks, wired half-moon glasses perched on his nose.
Remus thinks a trap never came laced in more honey than this one does. It’s sweet—too sweet. Enough to make him sick—and Remus Lupin has the sweetest, most chocolate-loving tooth on planet earth.
“What’s in it for you?” he asks, shortly.
Surprise flickers like an ill-tamed ghost across Dumbledore’s features, and Remus watches as he struggles to set them into passivity once again.
“Well, I don’t see any reason why you shouldn’t come, Mr Lupin. You’re eleven, magical, and with the right precautions, no danger to anyone at all. It’s only fair.”
Remus looks him straight in the eye.
“Life isn’t fair, sir,” he snaps—he knows it, too well. “So what’s in it for you—what do I have to do?”
“Nothing, Remus,” Dumbledore stresses. Dismisses. Lies.
…
Life isn’t fair, but at Hogwarts Remus thinks that maybe—just maybe—fate has decided to shine on him instead of stab him full of knives. For once.
His moons don’t hurt so much anymore. Madame Pomfrey’s expert potions-work has him up and running a day, sometimes hours, after daybreak—tired—sore, but okay.
And ‘okay’—to Remus—means more than the whole bloody world.
His friends are stupid. But in a good way. In the way that feels warm and fond to think about. Like he’d stand against the world for their stupid asses—because, really, isn’t that what they’re doing for him?
Knowing Remus for his darkness and his danger and still loving him like it doesn’t count for shit. Making him tea on stiff-limb mornings and taking notes on foggy-head days and suffocating him with blankets and hugs and love on bad nights.
And when he thinks it can’t possibly get any better, it does. There’s a new kind of love now, one that makes him feel dizzy and terrified but so alive.
Sirius Black kisses him behind a tapestry during an after-Quidditch party—
Back to the brick, hands in his hair, sloppy and messy and free.
Remus feels like his whole life is just shining. Like he’s been dunked in molten gold. And he can taste it on his lips, warm and bold, tinted with a spark of fire whiskey—but that can’t be the only thing that’s making him feel like this.
Glowing. Shining. Bursting with fate’s golden, heavenly favour.
As he stumbles up to the dorm that night—breathless, drunk, lips red raw like lip gloss, a sport’s jersey with ‘Black’ emblazoned across the back wrapped around him against the chill—Remus thinks that life, maybe, is just a little fair.
That maybe, fate has handed him Sirius Black—his saviour, his beauty, his love—in return for, well… everything.
And Remus thinks—if lycanthropy was all it took to to have this—to have this forever—then it was worth it. It was worth it all.
#sirius black#marauders era#remus lupin#marauders#wolfstar#moony wormtail padfoot and prongs#james & peter & remus & sirius#marauders fic#marauders fluff#wolfstar fluff#remus lupin angst#remus lupin and sirius black#james potter
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An American Werewolf vs Evil Dead
“YES!”
“Alright, David...”
“I DID IT!”
“I know, you’re very pleased with yourself.”
“I FUCKING DID IT!!!” David Kessler bounced through the streets of London, relieved beyond belief. People stared as he jogged by, whooping and hollering, overjoyed ever since he’d woken.
He’d done it. He’d survived the full moon, and hadn’t killed anybody. “Damn right I’m pleased with myself!” He beamed, grinning at Jack as the ghost-man followed him, “I’m a werewolf! I’m a fuckin werewolf but I didn’t kill anybody! I didn’t kill anybody!! YOU HEAR ME LONDON?? I’M A WEREWOLF AND I DIDN’T KILL ANYBODY!!!!”
Jack watched his friend hop onto a park bench and proclaim to the world, passers-by giving him very odd looks indeed. “Still surprised you managed to clean up before your girlfriend came home...”
David chuckled, lacing his hands behind his head and grinning. “Yeah well, I was feeling good wasn’t I?” He hopped up onto a short wall and balanced along it, arms held out by his sides. “I dunno man, I guess it’s residual wolf-energy or something. I feel amazing!”
“Well, I’m very very pleased for you Fido...” Jack reached out and casually removed a Styrofoam tray of fries from a person, the man utterly oblivious at the interaction, “but what about the rest of your life? What you gonna do now, huh?”
David plopped back to the pavement, stealing a handful of fries from the tray. “I dunno... start lookin’ for a cure, I guess. I mean, there has to be right? Now we know spooky supernatural shit exists and all.”
Jack popped some fries into his mouth, ignoring the ones that spilled from his open gullet. “And what if there isn’t, huh? What if you’re stuck like this for the rest of your life? You think about that, dog-brain?”
David stared ahead, now unwilling to meet his friend’s eyes. “I mean... it only happens once or twice a month...” he said awkwardly, kicking at a discarded can as he walked, “I can live with that...”
“I don’t think you’re understanding me...” Jack replied, setting the now empty tray on another man’s head, “David, what about me? What happens to ME?”
David shoved his hands in his pockets and scowled. “It’s... not like it’s my fault you died, Jack...”
“Oh, there we go! We got there in the end!” Jack spread his arms and scoffed, now glaring at his friend. “David Kessler, showing his true colours! Talk about selfish!”
“ME selfish??” David rounded on the ghost, ignoring the looks he got from surrounding people, “YOU’RE the one who keeps telling me I should KILL myself!!!”
“Damn right you’re selfish! You won’t even kill yourself to put your dead best friend’s soul at rest?? The nerve!”
“I ain’t listening to this...” David waved a hand and turned away, storming for a nearby pub. “I’m goin’ for a drink...” David all but barged into the pub, ignoring the stares the patrons gave him and the flashbacks to his and Jack’s arrival at the Slaughtered Lamb all those weeks back. Spiky-haired punks glared at him, loud music sawed away from above, and a haze of smoke filled the room. The young American didn’t care too much, after his experiences the previous two nights, and simply strode on over to the bar to order a beer.
He was a fucking werewolf. He wasn’t afraid o’ nothin’.
...
“So... this is your life now.”
“Mhm.”
“Drinking away your time waiting for the next full moon...”
“You got it.”
Jack had reappeared beside David, the dead man and the werewolf occupying the bar. David was on his second beer, idly tapping his fingers to the music, while Jack looked around. Bored. “Well ain’t this a fuckin’ party?” He grumbled, arms folded as he inspected the smoke-filled bar. A pair of leather-clad individuals played pool. Other folks played cards. Low muttering permeated the air. It wasn’t hard to miss the odd scathing looks that were shot David’s way. “Almost makes you wanna kill yourself, don’t it?”
“Screw off, meatloaf.”
“Seriously man, you CAN’T want this life? Turning into a giant evil dog every month?”
“It’s not so bad.”
“David, really??”
“You never know, some girls might be into the whole giant dog thing.”
“Oh my God, you’re insane.”
“Fuck OFF, Jack!” David raised a finger and glared at his friend... too late remembering nobody else could see the ghost. He paused and gave an apologetic grin to the blue-haired punk he’d inadvertently cursed at and went back to his beer. “Look...” he hissed beneath his breath, “so long as I don’t go nuts and start eating people, what’s the problem? Sure it hurts, but that’s what the whiskey’s for!”
Jack sighed. “And I get to be a walking corpse for the rest of your life.”
“I... look, look on the bright side man!” David replied, “you don’t have to worry about healthcare!”
“Oh gee, you’re right!”
“You don’t have to pay rent...”
“Wow!”
“And you get to hang with your best friend for all eternity!”
“Oh! Oh my! Oh good Heavens!” Jack said, giving David a little clap, “you really know how to soothe a tortured soul, Davy-boy!”
“Oh my gosh! Are you American??”
Before David could argue back with his dead friend, he turned to find a pair of girls eyeing him. Both girls’ hair was dyed improbably bright, one of them beaming at him with interest while the other looked as though she could not care less.
David worked his jaw, glancing at Jack before leaning against the bar. “Why, yes ma’am. I do believe I am.”
The girl squealed while the other rolled her eyes. “Oh my God, I’ve never met an American before! Can you say ‘marmalade’??”
David grinned. “Marmalade.”
...
“I don’t believe this...” An unimpressed Jack leaned against the bar, chattering to an oblivious older gentlemen who looked as though he might have died himself. He waved a hand at David, still chattering with the two girls. “You seeing this? The man’s an animal!” the corpse-ghost waved a hand in front of the older man’s face, shrugged, then stole his beer and tipped it back.
“Y’know...” David said, happily flirting away with the first girl - Cassandra? - while her friend hovered irritably, “I’m not JUST an American on vacation...”
“Oh?” the girl said, batting her eyes at him, “what else are you, David?”
David, now on his fifth pint, grinned wide and flashed his canines. “I have a secret... a terrible, frightening secret... that I only trust very special people with...”
The other girl rolled her eyes. “Oh my GOD this guy’s a creep.”
“What is it?” Cassandra whispered, big eyes gleaming up at him.
David gave her friend a look and grinned stupidly. “The truth is... I’m a werewolf...” she gave a little gasp, her friend scoffing behind her. “And every night... on the full moon... I transform into a terrible beast...”
“That’s awful!” Cassandra whispered, shaking her head in disbelief.
“Yes, it’s very tragic...” David said, raising his beer and sighing dramatically, “but that’s why I gotta keep moving... never staying in one place... to protect the ones I love...”
Jack snorted, spraying beer over the man he’d stolen the drink from. “I can’t believe this guy!” the ghost cackled, the man beside him looking around in mild confusion before continuing to be oblivious, “trust me, he isn’t usually like this. Must be those doggy-genes driving him crazy!”
“The... ones you love?” Cassandra said quietly, as David leaned closer to her.
“Yes...” he whispered back, “all part of the curse... it means we have to... make it count before I... have to move on-”
“Okay, that’s enough!”
“Alright, that’s it!”
Jack and Cassandra’s friend simultaneously approached the two flirters, dragging them away before they could get stupid. “Cass, come on! This guy’s a total nutter!”
“David!” Jack hissed, glaring at his friend as the werewolf turned back to his beer, “what’s WRONG with you?? Did you forget about Alex???”
David shrugged. “Sorry. I guess these werewolf hormones are having an effect. It’s like I’m burning up inside!”
“Huh,” Jack frowned, checking out the window and up at the slowly darkening evening sky. “You feeling good there, wolf-putz?”
“Relax Jack, it’s not a full moon. I’ll be fine!” David tipped back his beer and hissed, grinning at his friend. “nothing’s gonna happen, it’s all gonna be just gravy!”
Jack looked to his friend, suddenly very concerned. He scanned around the bar, shuddering as a wind gusted through from somewhere. The lights flickered, the pub patrons muttering and gesturing at the disturbance. Suddenly, the corpse-man felt everything was wrong. There was some kind of disturbance here. He checked back outside, finding the night falling, a waning moon. He snapped his attention back to David, who had apparently challenged the blue-haired punk to a game of pool. Jack watched him carefully, waiting with bated breath for any sign of an unexpected out-of-cycle transformation.
Nothing happened. The ghost breathed a sigh of relief and shook his head. “Crazy,” he muttered to himself, unable to shake the feeling that something was off. Billiard balls clacked from one another as David took his first shot.
Jack inspected the rest of the pub.
He froze, filled with sudden terror as he found Cassandra... staring right at him with pure white eyes. His half-mouth flapped open as he stared back. “What the fu-”
“JESUS CHRIST”
...
David had been having fun. Bizarrely, he had been actually honest-to-goodness enjoying himself. Maybe it really was his wolf side but he was filled with energy, horny as fuck, and almost swaggering about the pub with a confidence he’d never felt before. If he could control himself... maybe it really wouldn’t be so bad. Unfortunate for Jack, but it wasn’t David’s fault his friend had died and was reanimated as a walking ghost-corpse. David had found himself somehow chatting with the punks from earlier, the men taunting the American until he challenged them to a pool game, and now he leaned over the table, licking his lips as he took the first shot. He whooped, potting several balls, and grinned with bravado at his English opponents. “So! How’dya like that, boys??” He cackled, clutching his pool cue tight as they sneered at him, “remember! Loser buys the-” David went utterly still, jaw locking, as a gust of wind wafted through the pub. The lights flickered... and a horrific burning fever fell over him, sending him collapsing over the pool table. “JESUS CHRIST”
David flailed, one hand smacking the white ball and potting the rest as he spasmed. Horror settled over him as he realised what was happening - he was transforming. Again. “IT’S NOT A FULL MOON!!” he wailed, banging his fists against the table, “IT’S NOT A FULL FUCKING MOON!!!!”
“DAVID KESSLER!!!!”
David spun around, leaning back against the table, finding Cassandra grinning madly at him. He yelped as he looked into her eyes, now pupilless and filled with pulsing veins. “Woah! Cassandra?!”
“WE KNOW WHAT YOU ARE, WOLF-BLOOD!” the girl hissed, now baring crooked and rotten teeth, “CURSED HOUND!!! GUARD-DOG OF THE MORTAL REALM!!!!!!!”
David winced as his body continued snapping. “OW- Hey! What are you- OH JEEZ- talking about???”
“David!!!” David watched, terrified and surrounded by confused pub-goers, as he fought to hold back his budding transformation and Jack grabbed his shoulder. “We gotta get outta here!!!!”
“Cass???” The other girl, Cassandra’s friend, approached her worriedly. “What’s ‘appenin’???”
Cassandra responded by whirling around, spraying spittle in her face, spiking her hand forward, and tearing out her windpipe. The girl collapsed to the floor, mouth flapping like a fish, blood rapidly leaking across the floor.
Pandemonium erupted in the bar, as ‘Cassandra’ lunged for other people, killing them just as violently and easily as she had her friend.
“WHAT THE FUCK???” David screamed, barely keeping his transformation in check, “WHAT THE FUCK????” He yelped as a hand roughly grabbed his jacket collar, and he leaned his head back to find a blue-haired individual, eyes white and grinning teeth yellow... before the possessed punk tossed him in one violent motion across the pub. David landed on a table, smashing through an assortment of leftover drinks and ash trays. “OW!!!”
“David!!!” Jack backed toward his friend, watching in horror as the zombie-like humans ripped through more unfortunate people, blood and gore now decorating the pub, “you have to do something!!!”
“LIKE WHAT??? AAAAH!!!!” David winced, desperately fighting against his own transformation, “WHAT THE FUCK AM I SUPPOSED TO DO???”
“Use your power, David!” Jack said, suddenly decisive, whipping around to face the terrified werewolf, “your body’s responding to the Evil in this place! let it happen! Use it!”
“I don’t WANT to use it!!!” David wailed, desperately clawing at himself as he tried pushing the transformation back, “I just wanna enjoy my vacation!!!”
“David... it called you the Guard Dog of the Mortal Realm...” Jack said, staring his friend down with intent, “USE it, David!! LET IT HAPPEN!!!!”
“NO!”
“DO SOMETHING!!!!”
“GOD DAMN IT!!!” David cried, reaching out and snapping up a leftover pint of bitter, “I just wanted to go to Rome!!!!” He chucked back the beer, guzzled it down... and yelped as he opened the floodgates. He flailed, desperately grabbing at other abandoned drinks and throwing them down his gullet. His bones snapped and stretched, cracked and warped, David stumbling about and knocking tables over in his half-drunk transforming state.
The demonic humans howled and cackled in their blood-rage, ‘Cassandra’ now approaching a screaming woman who scrambled backward in the gore on her arse. “Oooh, filthy!!!! I LIKE IT LIKE THAT!!!!!” The woman screamed, raising her hands defensively... and the demonic human paused. She sniffed, whipping around as a piercing howl sounded through the pub.
Before her, David Kessler slammed onto his front paws, snarling away the pain of his rapid transformation. Beside him, the corpse-ghost of his dead best friend grinned and raised a bony finger, pointing at the possessed humans that bared their teeth and hissed.
“David!” Jack spoke, lowering his brow and grinning wickedly with his half-face, “KILL!!!”
...
David snarled and bounded forward, fearsome teeth bared and claws ready to swipe. He was rewarded with a pool-cue to the face for his efforts, Punk-man swinging the thing and sending him flying with an improbably powerful hit. “*OW!*” David collided with the pool table, reared up on his hind legs, pathetically swinging his paws defensively, “*THAT HURT, YOU FUCK!*” the pool cue swished back, catching him the other side of the face. “*OW! Stop DOING that, it really hurts!*”
Punk-man grinned wide... impossibly wide, his cheeks splitting open as crooked yellow teeth extended.
“*Oh... oh that is just WRONG!!!*” Punk-man snarled, cackling as he inverted the pool-cue and wielded it like a bayonet, stabbing at David with the chalked end. “*Jesus Christ!!! Jack, I don’t know what to do!!!*”
“I’m coming, David!” Jack started forward, before pausing. “Wait, I’m a ghost numbnuts! What am I supposed to d-” Jack cut off and yelped as the zombielike form of Cassandra landed beside him, cackling maniacally as she grabbed him by the throat and threw him across the pub. He hit the dartboard head-first, collapsing to the floor as the zombie-woman giggled. “Ow, shit!”
“OOOHOOHOOO!!!!” Cassandra squealed with delight, “BULLS-EYE!!!!”
“Hey, no fair!” Jack whined, rubbing his head as he rolled around in a pool of blood and spilled beer, “I’m a ghost! You shouldn’t be able to hurt- OH FUCK!!!!”
Jack was silenced again as the zombie lifted him from the floor, slamming him against the wall and leering hideously into his face. “YOU ARE COMING BACK TO HELL WITH ME, PRETTY-BOY!”
“What?? No! I don’t wanna go to Hell!” Jack winced as the possessed woman hissed in his face, “David! Help me!”
“*I got my own problems, man!*” David dodged side-to-side, still pinned against the pool table and dodging away from the jabbing pool cue. Punk-man laughed hideously and prepared for a powerful lunge, David hopping up just in time to avoid having his vital organs skewered. “*Hey man! Not the balls!*” He landed on the table, rearing up and managing to balance on his hind legs. Punk-man accompanied him, breaking the pool cue in half and wielding both halves like stakes. David snarled at the thing. It cackled and hissed back in response. He was suddenly aware of a wind coming from above. He glanced up to find a spinning ceiling fan above the table.
Punk-man lunged forward. David yelped, caught him in a massive bear-hug, then lifted with both forelimbs.
The possessed human screeched as its head began turning into pulp under the onslaught of the spinning blades. Blood spattered onto him from above, much to the reluctant werewolf’s misfortune.
“SUCH PRETTY EYES!!!” Jack kicked his legs, desperately trying to break free from the monster’s grip. Cassandra raised a pair of fingers, now equipped with improbably sharp claws, “MIND IF I KEEP THEM???”
“Daviiiiid!”
David threw the ruined corpse aside, returning to all-fours as he lunged from the pool table with a snarl. Cassandra whipped around to face him, ignoring the dead man in favour of this more interesting foe. “OOOOH! A BIG DOGGY!!! WANNA PLAY???”
David bared his teeth, releasing a snarl as the demon-woman howled with laughter. David felt a surge of rage at her taunting, for the first time in his werewolf state feeling the vicious urge to maul and kill. He lunged forward, claws outstretched, jaws snapping, and promptly bowled Cassandra to the floor.
“OOOOH! SUCH A BIG, STRONG DOGGY!!!” the possessed woman reared back a clawed hand, ready to strike for David’s throat, “LETS GO PLAY IN HELL!!!!!”
The hand lanced forward... to be caught between David’s jaws. In one violent movement, the werewolf tore away, taking the arm with it. The demon snarled and rose the other arm, only for the process to be repeated, leaving the former human wobbling on the pub floor spurting blood from her shoulders. David finished up by locking his jaws around the thing’s head, and ripping it away to send it flying across the pub.
Job done, the big blood-drenched werewolf reared up and howled, letting the universe know of its victory.
Then reality caught up to David kessler, sirens blaring outside. And he bolted.
#An American Werewolf in London#werewolf#werewolves#blood#gore#David Kessler#Jack Goodman#Yeah idk#I just had a lot of fun writing this
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Continuation from again, tempted, & secret.
Cw: mentions of murder and blood, thoughts of violence
@wolfstarmicrofic
Prompt: gunpowder
Black drags Remus out of his dark room the evening of the full moon. His entire body aches from the coming change, and he grunts as the dark-headed man jerks on his arms, leading him down the stairs.
"Where are we going?" demands Remus, but it emerges weaker than he'd intended, the strain on his body forcing his voice away.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" responds Black lightly. He almost sounds happy, amused, and it sends violent shivers of dread racing down Remus' spine.
He grimaces through the pain and uses his steadily building strength to wrench himself away from the other man's grasp. "You are not using me tonight," he snaps viciously. "Do what you will any other day, but I won't…murder people when I can't even remember doing it. Tell me where we're going!"
Black turns on him quickly, anger flashing over his sharp features. "What makes you think you have any right to know my plans?" he snarls, his face invading Remus' own in an instant. Grey eyes shift over him observingly, and then his rage seems to dissipate as quickly as it had mounted. He leans away, rocking on his heels a little as he huffs in mild irritation. "I'll admit, I did think about it. What's more terrifying than a werewolf threatening you? A turned werewolf ripping your child apart before your very eyes."
He smiles wickedly at Remus, whose stomach twists and clenches violently at the words. Then Black is shrugging.
"But how am I meant to control you? Where you go, what you do? Who you attack?" he questions rhetorically. "I'm not, so that's no longer an option, is it?" Black reaches forward and grips around Remus' elbow, tugging on him again. "Let's go."
But Remus doesn't move, remaining rooted to the spot, unyielding, and Black glares at him icily. "You still haven't answered my question," he growls out, a rumble in his chest. The wolf is pacing, snarling for blood and bone. Remus clamps down on him.
"Think maybe that's by design?" says Black, tone level and measured but features sharpening in warning. "Where do you think we're going, Lupin? Somewhere you can transform. You can't do it here. You'd wreck the entire place. Not that I'd care much, mind you. Fuck everything in this house, that's what I say, but it's still mine, isn't it? If anyone's going to mangle it, I'd prefer it be me. Now let's go. We don't have all night, or have you managed to forget?"
Remus bites back the retorts forming over his tongue and allows Black to jerk him to the door and outside, where they Apparate away from the dingy, depressing street surrounding them. When they pop back into existence, the smell is the first thing Remus notices, and his stomach lurches, faint panic ripping through him. No.
His eyes dart around frantically, taking in the tattered, nearly destroyed bed, the stained walls, the buckling, splintered boards of the rotting floor. Everything sways around them, dust swirling thickly through the air, catching the quickly fading light.
"You've brought me to the Shrieking Shack?" whispers Remus, taking a step back. No. No! He's never meant to be here again, not every. He'd spent seven horrible years here, month after month, moon after moon. Remus had thought he'd never see it again, and his body aches terribly from the pull of the moon and with the realization that he's once again trapped and rightfully fucked.
"Perfect, isn't it?" comments Black, and he sounds so smug that if Remus could make himself move at all, he'd punch the other man directly in this aristocratic nose. "I wondered, after I found out what you are, just what Dumbledore did with you every month while we were here. And then it occurred to me. There were never any rumors about this place being haunted before we came to school. It just…started, randomly. The older students were perplexed. Parents as well. But now it makes all the sense in the world."
Remus wants to protest, is prepared to beg Black to take him somewhere else, anywhere at all, but just as he opens his mouth, the light sinks and fades away, and he's bending double as pain races through every muscle and joint. Black watches from his side with only mild interest, as though he's observing an experiment with only flickers of positive reactions.
"You – " Remus stops, gasping in a breath. "You have to go."
"No. I'm staying," returns Black dismissively, shaking his head as Remus stares at him with wide eyes.
"You can't!" shouts Remus, but then he's bending forward again, clutching around his middle. Black smirks.
"I can, though," he says coolly. "I'm an Animagus. You can't hurt me. So I'm going to stay and watch."
Remus gasps again as his body begins to twitch and shudder with the coming change. "You – you're a – a what? How? Why?" And then Remus can't speak anymore, the agony nearly overwhelming.
Black has turned his back on Remus, wandered across the room with casual grace. He trails a finger over the dust-coated ledge of the window, pulling his finger to his face, nose wrinkling distastefully before he glances in Remus' direction again, shrugging one shoulder.
"I was bored."
Remus drops to his knees, a low whine escaping him that he can't control. He can feel it, the pull coming from him, about to barrel him over. His bones begin to snap and he bites his tongue so hard that it bleeds, but in the end, he can't contain the screams. He never can. But Black is still just standing and staring, not moving, no worry on his features.
"Change!" snarls Remus, his last mostly human word.
Black's face shifts, a sinister smile spreading over him, and then his body is morphing, dropping down, parts of him stretching out. Remus is greeted by the sight of too-large dog, eyes dark, fur the color of gunpowder. And then Remus knows nothing else until morning.
Storm
#wolfstarmicrofic#sirius black#remus lupin#dark sirius#werewolf remus#remus is being used#but not like that#yet#cw: mentions murder#cw: blood#cw: violence#sirius is not a good person#please don't think he is#my writing#my microfics#holli writes
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Broken Machines: Lights the Dark
Chapter 25: Unrest
After the concert, Penny was rushed out of the manor soon after she returned. She was only given enough time to change, then was taken to a taxi and sent home. When she arrived home, it was too late to call the general without disturbing his sleep.
Penny: If he actually went sleep tonight.
Penny thought as she lay down in her bed. This was something Penny had always found odd about the general. He’d always tell his soldiers to take care of themselves and get plenty of sleep but would rarely sleep himself. Penny had heard about this pattern for years from other soldiers, which seems to have only worsened since Beacon fell. Knowing this, she decides to wait to give him the information. She’d be going to the training center in the afternoon and would have plenty of time between sessions to update him. She drifts off to sleep, comfortable in the belief that the next day would be an easy one.
At least, that’s why she thought.
The following morning had gone smoothly with her waking up, getting dressed, and having breakfast with her Dad before heading off on patrol. Not long into her patrol, and as she’s helping a group of children cross the street, Penny gets a call. Once she and the kids are safely on the curve, Penny pulls out her scroll and sees it’s Neon Katt.
Penny: Oh no, what does she want this time?
Penny thought as looks at the scroll screen, irritated. There were only two things Neon called Penny for; the first was a casual conversation, and the second was to dig into her love life. The latter was much more common than the former, and if Neon had even the slightest inkling that something happened between her and Whitley, it would turn the entire call into an hour-long invasive nightmare. She debates whether or not to ignore the call but relents when she recalls how persistent Neon could be.
Penny: If I don’t answer now, she’ll just keep calling me until I do. (Sigh) Better get it over with.
She thought begrudgingly. She waves to kids as they continue their walk to school before stepping aside, pressing the accept call button, and bringing the scroll to her ear.
Penny: Good Morning, Neon Katt. Why are you calling me this early-
Neon: HEEEELLLP!!!!
Penny pulls the scroll away and reels back, stunned by the screech emanating from it. When the shock passes, concern takes its place, and Penny holds the scroll a little away from her face before quickly responding. There’s so much noise in the background, people yelling, screaming obscenities, and objects being thrown. Neon’s voice is barely audible past all the commotion as she tries to shout over it.
Penny: Neon, Are you okay?!
Neon: NO, I’M NOT OK!!! WE’RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A HUGE CRISIS HERE!
Penny: What? What happened?
Neon: ANOTHER FIGHT BROKE OUT AT THE HOWLITE WOLF, AND ITS TURNED TO THIRTY MAN STREET BRAWL!
Penny: Thirty people?!
Neon: YEAH, WHAT’S WORSE THIS MESS IS DRAWING A CROWD, AND ALL THE NEGATIVE ENERGY THESE ASSHOLES AND THE SPECTATORS ARE PUTTING OUT IS STARTING TO DRAW IN GRIMM! LIKE A LOT OF ‘EM!
Penny: Oh no. How are the wall guards handling this?
Neon: THEY’RE HOLDING UP BUT HAD TO CALL IN BACK UP TO GET EVERYONE OUT OF THE WAY! NOW MY TEAM’S STUCK DEALING WITH THIS SHITSHOW ON OUR OWN!-
Flynt: Fuck!
Right in the middle of Neon’s talking, both redheads hear Flynt curse aloud, followed shortly by the sound of crushing.
Penny: W-was that Flynt? Is he okay?!
Neon: SHIT! LOOK, WE NEED HELP, NOW! SO GET DOWN HERE BEFORE ONE OF US GETS SHANKED!
Penny: I understand; I’ll be right there!
She shouts into the scroll before hanging up. She shaves the device back into her backpack before powering on her boots and jetting off towards the bar. By the time she’s within blocks of the scene, Penny can already see people fighting. She slows down before landing on her feet, taking in the scene as she descends. It's absolute chaos, far worse than Neon had described. There were no less than twenty men beating the daylights out of each other while people from the business and homes nearby looked on from a distance in horror. It was a mix of both human and faunus men, most dressed in dirty work clothes. They were shouting, kicking, punching, and even biting each other, and the air was hot with hostility.
Penny: Oh, my God.
She says aloud as she examines the carnage. Before attempting to join the fight, Penny takes out her scroll and texts her direct emergency services number. She asks them to send several ambulances and whatever police forces they can spare, then tucks the scroll away and heads towards the chaos. She tries to go through the front door but is blocked by two men fighting in front of it, one black and the other fox faunus. The man was swearing as he scratched at the fox men’s face while the fox grabbed onto the man’s arms to push him away while also cursing and bearing his much sharper teeth.
Men: FUCK OFF, MUTT BREATH!
Foxman: SCEW YOU, DICKHEAD!
The men shout at each other, completely unaware of their surroundings or the soldier in front of them. Seeing the fury in their eyes Penny knows this will end bad so she moves to stop them. As the foxman moves to swipe at the human’s neck with his right arm, Penny leaps forward and grabs his arm and human man’s left arm. Stunned, both turn to look at her, and Penny takes their moment to twist their arms and forcefully turn them around. With them turned around, Penny swiftly sweeps their feet causing both to fall to their knees. With both men down, Penny uses one arm to hold their wrists before pulling two pairs of stun cuffs from her backpack. The two start to struggle as they realize what's happening, but Penny manages to put a set on each. The cuffs sends a small shock into each of the men, tranquilizing them. The human man is dazed while the fox keeps focus for a little longer. He looks at Penny and asks a question in a slurred voice.
Foxman: Who the fuck are you?
Penny bends down to his level before answering.
Penny: I’m a soldier of the Atlas Military, and you're under arrest.
She says calmly and kindly before getting up, settling the cuffed men down on an outdoor bench, and heading inside the bar. The inside is just as bad as the outside; people are brawling all over the place, some are knocked out on the floor a few others are handcuffed to barstools. Team FNKI is trying their best to get things under control, but all of them seem cornered as bar-goers keep coming at them. They’re all dodging hits and trying to detain them as peacefully as possible, but the crowd's rowdiness makes that an impossible task.
Penny looks around, taking note of all that’s happening around her. Despite wanting to help her comrades, Penny decides to prioritize the injured first. If they weren’t taken to safety before the chaos died down, the risk of further injury or death would only rise, and Penny couldn’t let that happen. Focusing in on the bar, she noticed that apart from those cuffed to stools, it was vacant. This gives her an idea, and she fires up her boots, propelling herself above the crowd.
She waits for a moment before scanning the crowd for the position of all the injured. Once she has it, she waits for an opening and then dives down into the fight. She weaves through the crowd, scoops up the injured man, then flies him over to the bar at a tremendous speed. Once they are out of harm's way, Penny looks over his wounds. He’s bleeding from a cut on his arm, has a black eye, and has lost three teeth. She looks around to for something to dress his wounds and finds a first aid kit. She cleans out the cut before bandaging and setting his arm. When he’s set and settable, Penny jumps back to get the rest. She repeats this process of rescue and care until all the injured and unconscious are safe.
With that out of the way, Penny can now focus on getting things under control. Team FNKI was still doing their best to fend off the attacking bargoers; Ivori is outpacing several men as they tried to bombard him with sloppy punches. He moves swiftly, reading the movement of the close person and switching to the next once they fell trying to match his quick movements .Kobalt seems to be drawing the worst crowd as he pulls the large assailant off the smaller, causing them to gang up on him. Despite their numbers, Kobalt doesn’t give in; using his gauntlets, strength, and speed, he blocks most of their hits and tanks, the ones that do connect. Like an immovable rock, he keeps standing his ground. Meanwhile, Neon’s putting her speed and nunchucks to use; as the bawlers get close, she weaves and dodges their attacks with all the flexibility of a ginger cat. And when someone's fist gets close enough to connect, she uses chucks to block them and release a little bit of ice dust onto their skin. It doesn’t freeze the limb, but it does give them enough of a chill to make them recoil. And lastly, Flynt is using his surroundings to his advantage. Boxed in by the pool table, trumpet clipped on his belt, Flynt grabs a pool cue and uses it as a bo staff, pushing back and defect attacks with the borrowed end. His pace seems unstoppable. Even when someone charges at him, instead of attacking, he fakes a lunge, and when they try it dodge, he reels the stick back before swiping them off their now unsteady feet with it.
Their various techniques and focus are true testaments to the capability of the huntsmen, but not even that could stop this. Regardless of their strength, they couldn't keep this up forever; their auras or bodies would give out, and going all out on civilians would be disastrous.
Penny: How do I stop this without lasting damage?
Penny wonders, praying to end this horrible situation before someone dies. She must stop the bargoers so they can be detained and the injured treated, but how? She looks around, hoping that such a rowdy bar might have something for crowd control. That’s when she finds the sound system. It seemed to be the type used at family restaurants or large sports bars to call out order numbers and make announcements across the building. Looking at the intercom, Penny’s struck with an idea on how to end this.
Getting up on the bar, she takes off toward Flynt. He’s still fighting off drunken miners when he catches sight of Penny out the corner of his eyes.
Flynt: Oh, thank the Lord! Can you-
He doesn’t get a chance to finish that sentence as Penny scoops him up and flies him back to the bar. She sets him down by one of the injured before grabbing the intercom. Once Flynt recovers from the whiplash of her sudden actions, he starts to question her.
Flynt: Why the hell did you-
He is again cut off when Penny shoves the intercom in his face.
Penny: I’m sorry for the sudden flight, but I need you to blow your trumpet into the sound system as loud as you can. Can you do that?
Flynt looks at the intercom, then at Penny; her face is full of determination. It doesn’t take him more than half a second to put together what she’s trying to do. He smirks before taking the intercom from her.
Flynt: Absolutely, just let me warn my crew first.
Penny nods before covering her ears while Flynt unclips his trumpet and turns on the intercom. But instead of saying anything about it, he does a mic check. He taps it with his thumb a couple of times, and the sound rings out through the bar. Now that he knows what kind of volume his working with, Flynt starts tapping a beat onto, counting himself. Neon, Ivori, and Kobalt immediately recognize what’s about to happen and all duck down and cover their ears, much to the confusion of their drunken assaulters. But before they can comprehend what’s going on, the sound of a high-pitched note from Flynt’s trumpet blares out of the bar’s speakers. This stocks all the drunken men causing many to fall to their knees. When they're all stunned, Flynt puts his horn down and tosses the intercom back to Penny. Penny gets up and calls out to Neon over the sound system.
Penny: Neon, use your dust to freeze their feet, NOW!
Neon: ON IT!
Without messing a beat, Neon actives her semblance and ups the output in her chuck. Soon she’s a neon rainbow blur as she dashes around the bar and uses her ice dust to freeze over everything single pair of work boots she sees. Some of the drunkers try to stop her, but they're either too slow or too disoriented by the bright light trailing off her to do anything. It doesn’t take long before the souls of all the drunk men’s shoes are frozen to the floor. With them all trapped in place, Team FNKI, and Penny now have no problem cuffing everyone and moving the injured to the front. With the big brawl cleared, the five huntsmen reconvene.
Kobalt: Woah, that was wild! Nice assist, Flyn!
Flynt: I can’t take full credit for that one. Penny set me up for it.
Kobalt: For real? Way think on your feet, little bot.
Ivori: And couldn’t have been better timing; I don’t know how much longer if I could’ve held off that hoard.
Neon: Same, I was so busy holding ‘em back; I don’t even think about freezing their feet. But thanks to our resident hero, we’re finally in the clear!
Neon cheers pumping her fist in the air, and the rest of her team follows suit, letting out their own signs of relief after a very draining battle. Everyone except Penny, who quickly puts a downpour on their celebration.
Penny: This isn’t over yet; there are still people fighting outside; we need to-
The sound of police and ambulance sirens cut Penny off, causing her and Team FNKI to look out the window to find the source. It seems the emergency services Penny called had finally arrived, and police were starting to turn the crowd away and engage with the drunken brawlers.
Flynt: Looks like we still got some mess to clean. Come on, let's go give the boys in blue a hand.
Ivori, Kobalt, and Neon nod in agreement, Neon looks over to Penny for her approval. Despite not understanding precisely what Flynt meant but, the look in their eyes told her everything she needed to know. They were ready to go in for one final push, and she was all in for it. Penny nods, and they all head outside to face the crowd. With the police out front of the building, the five huntsmen make easy work of the rest of the mob; soon, all are in cuffs and being loaded into police cars. The five standby after giving their statements as the emergency services take away the injured, greatly tired by the ordeal when Chief Stones approaches them. The man looks haggard, sweat dripping from his brow and salt and pepper hair onto his uniform. He wipes his forehead with a tissue before addressing the group.
Stones: Thanks for all your help out; you really got us out of a tough spot here.
Flynt: No problem, it's what we do.
Kobalt: Yeah, we deal with worse shit than this on the regular.
Stones: Still, I can't believe all five of you handled that getting without any injuries.
Neon: Well, we kinda owe that to Ms. War Machine over here.
Neon states with a smirk as she points her thumb at Penny, who looks at her, surprised. She’s about to question her comment Ivori chimes in.
Ivori: Yup, we definitely would have taken more than a few bruises if she didn’t show up.
Stones: Really? Well, I’ll be damned, I know she was a good fighter, but I never thought she could do crowd control too! You’re a real Jake of All Trades, aren't ya?
He quips before chuckling at his own joke while Penny looks at him quizzically, not understanding what was so funny. Neon notices her confusion and playful pats her on the back with her tail to get her attention.
Neon: (whisper) He’s saying you're good at a lot of stuff; just take it as a compliment.
She reassures her, to which Penny responds with a look of understanding and a mouthed “Thank you” before turning her attention back to the chief.
Penny: Thank you for the compliment, and if everything is going well here, I’ll be leaving soon.
Neon: Aw, come on! We just fought off a whole bar of drunks, and you can't even stick around for the after-the-battle lunch?
Neon whines, to which Penny gives her a sympathetic look before starting to walk back onto the streets.
Penny: I’m sorry, but I have a schedule to follow, and this has already made me late for my next task.
Stones: Alright, then, see you around, soldier.
Flynt: See ya later, Penny.
Kobalt: See ya.
Ivori: Have a nice day.
Penny: Thanks. I will!
She says with a smile as they bid her goodbye beside Neon, who looks vexed. As she’s walking away, she caught sight of the fox faunus she fought earlier being put in the back of a police cruiser. He’s struggling against the officer trying to get him into the vehicle while yelling at the other.
Foxman: PLEASE, YOU CAN'T TAKE ME IN! I GOTTA BE AT WORK TONIGHT, OR MY BOSS WILL FIRE ME! I NEED THIS JOB, I HAVE FAMILY TO FEED! PLEASE, I SWEAR TO GOD, I WON’T DO IT AGAIN. JUST LET ME GO!
The man pleads to no avail as the first officer finally manages to push him into the seat and slam the car door closed. He signs and turns away from the still begging man as he starts complaining to his partner.
First Officer: Freakin pathetic; why do good men and women do this kinda stupid shit when they’ve got people relying on them?
Second Officer: Just what happens when you mix alcohol with depression and exhaustion. Most of these people were just here for a drink after a night shift, but one argument was all it took to send them into a frenzy.
First Officer: Seriously? Good God, this city's falling to shit.
Second Officer: Don’t judge them too hard; it was only a matter of time before something like this happened. With the lockdown and the heists on all those factors, someone was bound to go crazy eventually. I mean, wouldn’t you lose your shit if all your hard work kept getting stolen from you right after you finished it?
First Officer: I guess, still doesn’t make any of this right, though.
The man states before walking to the driver's side door, face full of jaded empathy and frustration. After hearing this, Penny takes off for the training center; her expression is stiff and cold as she takes off. Since the beginning of all this chaos, she’d been so busy thinking about how to stop the thieves and keep everything safe that she hadn’t thought about what the situation was doing to the people working on those parts and how much stress they were under. Right now, this project is the most significant contract many of these businesses have had since the fall of Beacon. People are depending on this project to feed themselves and their families, even to the detriment of their own health, and now someone was just taking all their efforts away for gods know what reason. This crisis was hurting Mantle’s people, Penny’s people, and she couldn’t stand it.
Penny: I will stop them, no matter what it takes, they will be punished for everything they’ve done.
She thinks as she stands at the entrance to the training facility. The facility was connected directly to the Atlas Huntsman Academy; anyone who knew the buildings could easily find their way through to the headmaster’s office in no time. So instead of going to her usual station, Penny marches through the academy right up to the receptionist’s desk. She asks if to see the general immediately as she has vital information for him. Noticing the intense look of determination in her eyes, the receptionist quickly makes the call, and the moment she mentions Penny’s name, Ironwood okay’s her entry. Penny thanked her before walking ahead to the general’s office. She knocks on the double doors before pulling one open and entering. Once inside, she sees General Ironwood sitting at his desk, forms and papers stacked high in many piles around him, a large empty mug of coffee with the words “world’s best teacher” printed on it. Despite the mess, the man himself looks as calm and collected as he always is, as he states to Penny with the same flat unreadable expression he always wears.
Ironwood: Good afternoon, Penny; please take a seat.
He states while pointing toward the chair that sat directly in front of his desk. Penny does as she’s told, closing the door behind her before sitting down, her gaze never leaving the general as she moves. Once she’s sat in front of him, Ironwood can see something up; this wasn't the usual Penny Polendina. This wasn’t the sweet little girl who peeked out the car's rear window, smiling at everything she saw when they first drove through Vale. No, this was a young woman with no time for cheeriness or play when there were much more important things to worry about. It was a bit concerning and inspiring to see her like this, to see just how much she’d grown up without him noticing. It filled him with an odd sense of pride to see the girl who he had known since she was nearly an idea pitched to him by Dr. Polendina into an individual in front of him. But now was not the time for this; she came here meaning business, so they needed to talk business.
Ironwood: Since you came, all this, I can only assume you have something important to tell me.
Penny: Yes, I’ve discovered some new information on the recent thefts.
Ironwood: I’m listening.
Penny: During the evening party after the concert, I followed one of the suspects, Julia Primrose, to a balcony where she took a phone call in secret. It appears that Julia Primrose is involved with the incident. She is currently in contact and conspiring with the thieves to steal more of the software for the project.
Ironwood: I see, and do you know which factor they plan to strike next?
Penny: No, she didn’t mention that; however, I do know that thieves, or at the least their leader, has not been upholding the agreement they have with Primrose seeing as they’ve stolen from her factories just as much as the others.
Ironwood: Really, I suppose really is no honor amongst thieves even to their employers. Anything else?
Penny: The number and caller ID were the same as the one found in Sylas Foxglove and Joseph Speedwell's contacts.
Ironwood: So they are involved with this, then? I’ll have to get warrants for those wiretaps on both soon than I thought.
Penny: Also, Primrose referred to them as Hill, and judging by how she spoke to them, she knew enough about them to find them. She threatened to hunt them down and seemed confident she’d find and punish them if they failed to uphold their deal again.
Ironwood: That’s good; it means we could negotiate with her for their location and put an end to this sooner.
Penny: Speaking of ending this, General.
Ironwood: Yes?
Penny: When we will be able to apprehend the thrives and their co-conspirators and get the Amity project back in progress?
Ironwood pauses and places a hand over his mouth as he takes a moment to think about the question, and soon, silence fills the room. Penny looks at him intently as she waits for his response, unrelenting in her need for answers. After what feels like an eternity, Ironwood finally speaks again.
Ironwood: With the information you’ve gathered, we know that at least three suspects have had contact with our possible thief, and one might even have a lead on their location but-
He pauses to stifle a profound sign of frustration before continuing.
Ironwood: Even if we confirm this, we still have to ensure that there were no other conspirators involved in the scheme and locate the missing supplies before they can be damaged or destroyed. That and since they’ve already shown little regard for the lives of factory workers or law enforcement and are inconsistent with their own collaborators, it’s highly like whatever information that Primrose and the others may have on them could be faulty if not complete lies. With all those factors, I honestly can't be sure when we’ll be able to end this and get back to working on Amity.
Penny: Oh…I see.
She says in a sorrowful tone, her gaze falling to her lap as she lowers her head, saddened by his words. She was hoping something could be done after everything she did and all she learned to help the investigation, but even with all that, she had only dug into the surface of the issue. Despite all her efforts, she still couldn't protect her people, and she couldn't stop the thieves even when they were right in front of her! She couldn’t be the protector she was made to be or even the protector she wanted to be. It hurt her to know even with all her strength, she couldn't even do what she was made for. The feeling of failure digs deep into her chest and burns her soul. Soon frustration sets in as her thoughts begin to darken.
Penny: How could it have gotten this bad? I’m supposed to be humanity’s greatest protector, Mantle’s protector! But people are still suffering, and I can’t do anything to stop it.
She clenches her hands together as the frustration turns into shame.
Penny: Am I not strong enough? Or am I just faulty? Everyone put so much work into making me and raising me into a protector. They put all their faith in me, and yet I am-
Her dark thoughts are interrupted by the feeling of a hand petting the top of her head. She looks up and sees Ironwood gently patting her head with his left hand, a soft, fatherly smile on his face. He couldn’t stand to see her mopping over things out of her control, especially when she’d worked so hard to help him and everyone else in the city.
Ironwood: Despite that, I can say we wouldn’t have gotten this far without your help. Your investigation has given us a lot of vital information, and from what I’ve heard, your presence in high society has helped improve their opinion of members of the military. All in all, you’ve been doing a great job, Penny; keep up the good work.
Penny’s face brightens, and her cheeks blush in embarrassment at her boss’s sudden act of kindness and familiarity. Ironwood had always been kind to her, just as he was to all his soldiers, but this felt more like something a family member would do to a kid when they got upset over losing a game or failing a test. It was oddly heartwarming in a way Penny didn’t quite understand and didn’t want to delve into at the moment. For now, she just gently pulls his hand off before returning his smile with one of her own.
Penny: Thank you, General, that’s very kind of you.
Ironwood: It’s fine. I’m just giving credit where credit is due.
Penny: I understand but still, also, how did you know my presence in high society is affecting elites' opinion on the military?
Ironwood: Oh, that? It was part of the progress reports for your etiquette lessons. Whitley sends me one every week detailing your class subject, activities, and general progress. I know everything that happens during your lesson time.
Penny’s face goes pale as the memories of everything that’s happened between her and Whitley play through her head, and the idea that Ironwood knows all of it sends a shiver down her spine. Her dad knowing about her crush was one thing, and Neon knowing about her relationship was already aggravating with how pushy and annoying she was about it. But the thought of General Ironwood, head of Atlas military and council, the man that co-signed her very existence, knowing about her love life in detail was absolutely terrifying! Especially when she wasn’t ready to confront the issue yet! Penny freezes; she tries her hardest not to shake as she attempts to gauge just how much he really knows.
Penny: …This progress report…is it…just general information, or is it a transcript of the whole session?
Ironwood: No, it’s just a basic report on your activities and progress.
Penny: …And just what does that entail exactly?
Ironwood: Just a list of all the exercises and reading materials you used, how many tries and how long it took you to complete each activity, and notes on milestones in your progress.
Penny: Oh! That’s great! Just a simple report! Good to know! (big sigh)
Penny let out a sigh of relief which garners a quizzical look from Ironwood.
Iron: Why? Is there something going on that I need to know about?
Penny: NO (hiccup)-Well, nothing that’s important to the investigation in any way!
Ironwood: Are you sure there’s nothing you need to tell about those lessons?
Penny: T-Th-There’s nothing you need to know about at this moment in time that you don’t already ready know! And if there is later, I will tell you an appropriate time and place! And since I’ve said everything I need to say today, and I’m really behind on my duties at the training center, I'll be returning to my regular tasks now! Have a good day, General! Goodbye!
She practically shouts before hopping out of the chair and running out the door before Ironwood can get a word in. The man watches her leave with a smirk on his face; he’d been dealing with teenagers for decades, and he knows when one avoids talking out of fear or out of embarrassment. That was a run of sheer embarrassment that only has a few causes, and knowing Penny Ironwood had an idea of which one it could be.
As for Penny, she spent the rest of the day working and praying in her head that Ironwood doesn’t call and ask her for more detail on her lessons. The fear of having her budding relationship revealed to him via interrogation hung over her head for hours. By the time she finishing up her report for the day, Penny finally starts to calm down again. It’s already dark as she exits her usual outpost and begins her walk home. She looks up at the broken moon, wondering if tomorrow with less chaotic than today had been. But as she gazes into the sky, her scroll starts to ring; it’s the surveillance team, and they're asking for backup on another pack of Beowolves.
Penny: This is going to be a very tiring week.
She thinks before jetting off to save the day as always; the duty-bound protector’s work never seems to end.
#broken machines#beta testers#penny polendina#rwby fanfiction#fanfic#rwby#flynt coal#neon katt#team fnki#james ironwood#fanfiction#angst#comfort#and a little funny
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Ten Lines game♡
thanks for tagging me @konnorhasapen The rules are to post the first line of ten of your most recent fics and then tag ten people, but I'm pretty sure the people I usually tag have did this all already did this so I'll just tag a few @ezshifts @star-sheeps @annahhopee @soup-scope @gavinshorns @friendly-waffles sorry if you already been tagged
I hope the fics don't have to be finished because most of these aren't also don't mind the self promotion
GHOSTBUSTING{with the wolf boys}
“as much as I love staring into all of your eyes I think we should discuss why we're all here,” Asher said clapping his hands together
☆Popsicle☆
“hey Asher~” Tank sang wall biting into the popsicle which Milo cringed at “OH- h-Ey TaNk t-that's uh my….uh popsicle your eating” Asher said nervously “oh this popsicle” Tank said leaning down to be eye level with Ash “I don’t see your name on it” Tank said with a wolfish grin Ash laughed nervously “well I gotta go, see ya masher” Tank said waving over their shoulder. As soon as Tank was out of earshot “h-Ey TaNk” Milo bust out laughing mimicking Asher’s voice crack “shut up” Asher said shoving Milo “oh don’t get mad cat go your tongue are should I say wolf ”Milo laughed “oh you little-” Asher said putting Milo in a headlock David groaned walking throws them to pull them apart “would you two stop” David growled
Aggro's POV Of The Milo x Sweetheart Timeline
"They are back. My wolf came home, and was mad. But then he liked them. I do not want this human to stay, they are weird and annoying"
tastes like home
“Sweetheart, you’re cloaked again.” Milo grinned at the hovering pet, purring up a storm.
The Stealth reappeared feet first, a sheepish smile decorating their face. “Sorry. I got too excited.”
How To Manipulate Your Packmate Into Pursuing Self Care
“Feels better, huh?” He barked at her for the first time, the sound deep and rough. She seemed surprised, but brushed the shock off easily. “You were so good. Such a good boy.”
If she had been anyone in the pack, she would have gotten bitten for that. As it was, Tank figured she had earned a pass. Aimee had put up with his stubborn fur and his uncomfortable staring for hours. The least he could do was not get mad at her for praising him. Besides, she was right. He was a good boy.
The 'Sunlight Thing'
“Yeah, from me and Milo so we can get bad pictures of them.” Ash joined.
I Would Beg To Disagree (But Begging Disagrees With Me)
"Last I checked we're not supposed to sleep with clients," was the very first thing Milo heard once he was within earshot. No good mornings, or where were yous. Milo probably would have even preferred a fuck you or an I'm gonna tell David you were late. But Darlin' just had to start in with the worst possible thing they could, didn't they?
"And last I checked we're not supposed to sleep with vampires either," Milo quipped, but they both knew he wasn't being serious. Everyone loved Sam. "But we just talked. So whatever shit Asher fed you was a lie."
Freebound
“Freelancer? Dude- why are you all wet??”
They turned to him, panting heavily, “I was walking here from Damien’s place, and the Dahlia Spring decided to start chasing me, so I started running, but that made the water faster, so I jumped into your neighbor's pool to escape.”
Huxley slowly approached the window, “holy shi- Freelancer, the entire street is flooded!”
“I knowww,” they whined, “I’m sorry. I would clean it up but I’m afraid I’ll level the entire neighborhood.”
Here's to forever
"God... tonight feels like a dream. C-Can I kiss you?"
"Thought you'd never ask..."
The heat between the Vampires begins to build up as the two lean closer. With half-lidded eyes, lips presses with the other.
And then -
"Shit! Ow! Ow!"
"Oh my God, I'm so sorry, Bright! M-My fangs got in the way! Shit, that looked bad. H-Hang on, I can heal you -
Despite the blood lightly trickling down their chin, Bright Eyes can't help it. They laugh. The soft evening air, their heart that had become so much lighter and the fact that Freddy is panicking over something so silly cast a wonderful spell on them.
If this marks the beginning of their brand new story, then Bright Eyes can't wait to see what eternity will bring for them.
"Maybe we should google how Vampires, uh, kiss?"
"Oh! Good idea, Freddy. Beats asking Sam or Vincent for tips."
stupid cupid
“Mm-hmm,” you mumble, trying desperately not to look as flustered as you feel. Fuck, does everyone feel like this when they see their mates? Or is it just the effect Sam has on you? You’d better start cutting Milo some more slack for that dumb face he makes whenever his mate walks into the room.
#redacted audio#redacted asmr#Yes I know there's not ten#I was supposed post this yesterday but I had to go to school
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[Poor Chronicles Pt. 7]
Similar to yesterday, but some additions. An idiot who looks like a fat ass gerbil would say, “These segments all sound the same…”. You mean a routine, you dumb fat fuck. It’s the poor chronicles, not Wolf of Wall Street remake. I CAN do other things, but I’m done with bars, events, festivals, etc… for the most part. I obviously attended a football game recently…but for my community. I don’t hate time outside of the house, I actually receive great interactions. At bars and because I live in a large, crowded city with many daily visitors. Not the point, I love that personally, but don’t invite it. Also, bar culture is weird and rapey. Not performing for rapists for $20, so they get a perspective on how not to get rejected or not be creepy. Where are your fathers? Not like mine taught me, regardless of his skill. Not spiteful on my account, just don’t believe in copying
Back to this routine. I am poor, not broke like you. Poor = Comfortability lack. Broke = Reckless spending resulting in short funds. What am I required (keyword) to do besides earn an income, eat, sleep, hygiene… I get all the interaction I need at work and on my walking adventures. I don’t like traveling, near or far (anymore). I do not like anything not in Chicago. Do I miss places I’ve visited? Yes. But I love home…MORE! A routine of necessities should not require you to do unnecessary things like leaving the house to waste money. I know where I’ll find my favorite people. Not sure when, but not losing my mind over it. If I don’t? Even though I know I will, I’m prepared to be alone forever and just be wealthy and never seek a partner. Won’t accept less. I know I will find my partners beforehand. Will wait as long as it takes. Takes too long? Even though I know it wont, prepared to reduce partner numbers because my enemies think tracking my life and social media is “funny”, hoping that my life goes as I don’t want it to. Every necessary piece of information leaves out something important if you are without it. In other words, you will be the only person “missing out”. Like I said, prepared to be wealthy and alone to watch others who wanted this outcome, be broke.
Today was nice. Had a dying urge to scream aloud at work, “BAH! BAH! BAH! BAH! BAH! Nut in my coochie!”. I’ve been supporting Sexyy Red and Latto since about 2020 and am thrilled to see them on the “Peaches and Eggplants” Remix. AND ITS GOOD! Sometimes remixes don’t do so well and I’m glad this one is viral. Glad Latto is international and Sexyy Red has went mainstream in the past year. Hits for both! I walked to DuSable Lake Shore Drive again on break, but this time I passed the Water Tower. The architecture is great on Michigan Avenue. I talked to one of my new coworkers. I found out he was just released from jail. I didn’t know we hired felons, but I couldn’t tell. He seems alright, but most people only like me for a short period of time. It is what it is. The architecture gives me great ideas, but I hate to take inspiration from others so I’ll probably just come up with something on my own. Also, left with 8 packs of ramen noodles. I might have some for Friday. I stopped getting other flavors to make this lifestyle hard to maintain for enemies. Eating 2 packs as I type. (Update: Will not make it past tomorrow)
If my posts “all sound the same”. Consider they are GENUINE INTERESTS. Maybe CONSISTENT…or you’re just an idiot and can’t see the difference through a recurring THEME (look that up).
In short, I don’t need much money to provide for myself, so you won’t catch me seeking too much of it right now. You can spend your money on experiences. I live in the greatest, a very large and largely populated city, I am not yearning for these things. I have much to experience and it wont include going outside of my routine unless (and even then) it pertains to making a greater income. I don’t discuss with others for no charge. I don’t charge, but I speak millions. If it doesn’t increase my pay, I have nothing to say. Quote THAT!
- MH (2023)
#personal#poor chronicles#poor#poverty#life#lesson#life lesson#life lessons#guidance#struggle#chicago#2023#LilMark#PUNKAssMark#afr0-thunder
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A Mothers Blood Will Never Flow Without Pain – Storyline 14 – Together - Part One
•- Leah Clearwater -•
Smirking to myself. I took in the mix of his scent with my shower gel and shampoo. I could get used to it.
“I thought you might say that.”
A shape intake, after his word had me lost. Even though we were close there was something in the sweet kiss that did more to me then I cared to admit right now.
My eyes closed by themselves, and for a moment too long I was without words.
“See you soon Dimples.” I whispered, before finally stepping back from him. My brow eyes on him.
•- Embry Call -•
I let my nose brush against her as I stepped away, my fingers and trailed off of her cheek. Her reaction made me smile, and it was the only acknowledgement that I needed that she felt the same.
“By good.” I winked and made my way from her room. At the door, I grabbed my jacket and slipped my feet into my boots.
“Text me later when you start to miss me.” I said back to her, knowing she'd hear me without raising my voice. “I can send you selfies from work... I know how much like me in my uniform.” I chuckled as I pulled open the door and stepped out in the cool morning air.
•- Leah Clearwater -•
I stayed where I was, watching him step away. The first thing I noted was the heat, from his touch, his body. And then his scent. It was still in the air, but there was something missing when he was walking away and out of the house.
“Don’t hold your breath. You may suffocate.” I crossed my hands over my chest before I started towards my bedroom door.
“Get a larger T-shirt you himbo.” Laughing now, he wasn’t going to. The size of those things were like that for a reason.
•- Embry Call -•
I rolled my eyes and stepped back out into the world outside of our bubble.
“Never!!!” I called back… not loud enough to bring the neighbours to the windows. I had my headphone in my ears by the time I crossed the street, and Picture This played as I blindly hit shuffle.
The difference was immediate, the absence of her heat and her scent of all but gone, by the time I made it made all that would be left was a smell of her shampoo.
But even with those things gone… the sense calm and ease I had around her lingered and I knew that would last most of the day. It was a combination of the effect she had on me and how well I slept when we were together.
•- Leah Clearwater -•
I stood looking at my bedroom door longer than I should have. There was a swift change in the atmosphere of these four walls the moment he wasn’t there.
‘Are you missing him?’ My wolf woke up and stretched herself.
“NO!” I shot back, combing my fingers through my hair and pulling it to one side. “don’t be ridiculous.” I continued.
Stepping out of my room, at the sound of the wash being over I went to put it out.
‘Okay, that was a little too fast for someone who likes to think things through won’t you agree?’ She was goading me.
“Why are you up now anyway?”
She just laughed and clicked her tongue. “Well, I miss him. You are half tolerable when he is about. You let your masks down long enough for someone to see the real Leah.’
I set to pulling the wash out of the Machine and headed out the door. Stopping at the sound of my phone ringing from its charging point.
‘Ma?’ She said, and I thought at the same time. It was her ring tone.
•- Embry Call -•
By the time I made it home that feeling still hadn't faded. I heard the sounds of the shower from the front porch Which meant I had time to change... it was unlikely Quil would smell Leah on me after the walk home, especially considering I just showered before I left.
"Honey I'm home!" I called from the front door.
'Fuck you!' #Quil laughed through the bathroom door.
I changed and gathered up any laundry littered around my room, then I gathered up Quil's which was Actually in a hamper, even though he rarely did laundry. But he did almost all of the other chores happily.
'So, you gonna tell me her name yet?' he asked as I loaded the washer, coming out of the bathroom in a towel.
"How do you know it's her?" I asked, brows raised.
•- Leah Clearwater -•
‘Usdi?’ Ma said and I knew something was wrong.
“What happened and where are you?”
My wolf and I contemplating if I need to jump on my baby, or run out the back door and into the wood for my four legs to get me to her.
‘I am at home. And —‘ I cut her off.
“I am coming.” The washing forgotten, a friend deep on my forehead. I was in the back door and running to the front pushing my feet into my boots and grabbing my keys.. “what happened.”
‘Usdi!’ She was going to argue with me.
“Ma, stop. I can hear it in your voice.” Her normally calm and easy voice was set to a higher pitch, and there was pain rattling in there too. I was out the door with my legs flying over my baby, the phone held between my shoulder and chin.
‘Ride safely.’ She said as I reluctantly put the phone down before pulling my baby off his kick stand and setting off at top speed down the street.
•- Embry Call -•
#Quil laughed. ‘Hey you can cheat on me with women all you want. But another man!?’ He clutched at his imaginary pearls. ‘That's just a low blow Call!’
I laughed and hit the start button. “What are you doing today? You aren't working, right? Wanna hang with me at Mom’s?”
‘Way to change the subject!’ he teased and poured himself a cup of coffee, then one for me. ‘I have a run this afternoon. But I could use a dose of Momma T. She's good for the soul.’ He smiled fondly. ‘When are you leaving?’
“As soon as you’re ready. I’m not in a rush, I don't have a run today so I’m free until work.” I grinned and sipped on the coffee he gave me.
‘Awesome I’ll go and get dressed.’ he took his coffee and went to his room. While I got grabbed what I would need to change for work if the day got away from me and I was with mom until I needed to run to work.
#Quil turned to me and grinned. 'So... Are you ever going to tell me where you're spending your nights lately?' he asked, there was no judgement, just curiosity.
I laughed and shook my head. "C'mon you know me." I kept my eyes on the roads. "I don't even get names half the times I hook up."
He shook his head and laughed. 'See you think you're slick... but that wasn't an answer. I know she's on the Rez.. and that's not like you. So spill!' He nudged my bicep with his elbow. I shook my head. I couldn't lie... not when it was about Leah, I knew how she felt about lying.
"I want to keep this one to myself..." I glanced sideways at him. "It's... important."
#Quil leaned back in his seat and examined me. Realising that I had meant it. 'Okay... I get it.' He ran his hand over his face like he didn't really. 'You've been happier lately.. you know not as stressed even though you'd never admit that. You've been around more with the pups instead of chasing girls. As long as whatever to whoever it is... is making you happy...' He trailed off.
"Okay... spill it. There's something bugging you?" I huffed. "Don't take it personally #Quil it's just..."
'No, it's not that you want to keep it to yourself... it's just why you...' He took a breath like he always did when he was about to get real. 'Please tell me she isn't marri-'
"I'm not sleeping with a married woman! Fuck!" I snapped, squeezing the steering wheel a little too hard. "That happened once and she fucking lied to me about her age and name and everything. If that happened to any one of the guys you'd all be defending him."
#Quil threw his hands up. 'Okay, okay... your right. I just... I don't want you to get played like that bro', it's not like you to be this private. I just want to know it's for the right reasons. You seem happier lately and I just don't it ending badly for you. That's all.'
I took a breath... he was looking out for me? I laughed... of course he was.
•- Leah Clearwater -•
I rode low on my baby, his speed hitting faster than I knew Ma would be happy with. But this wasn’t a debate I would entertain.
Right know my wolf and I needed to set eyes in her. And slowing down wasn’t an option.
My jaw was clenching tighter and tighter until we were pulling up to her house.
Eyes scanning the front of the house, nose taking in the scents, ears listening for all the sounds and searching for that tell tail sound of her heart.
‘Can you smell that?’ My wolf and I ran around the outside of the house and into Ma’s yard. Coming to a stop at Da’s tool shed and growling at the sight and smell of her blood.
‘What was she doing out here?’ Our own heart was beating with anger.
We rushed into the back door and found Ma holding her hand up over the sink. Her hair a mess, and she was leaning off one foot.
“Spirits Ma! What happened?” Rushing over to her, we undid the towel around her arm we now saw, where blood was pooled.
‘It is nothing.’ Her words were slurred, and she looked pale faces.
“Just please, for once tell me what in the name of the spirits happened.” I’d slowly walked her over to the table. Sitting her down, and then started to check her over.
‘I needed some tools. I bought that painting I told you I fell in love with.’
I was growling, bending down on my knees I held her foot in my hands and slowly rotated it. “And you couldn’t wait for the Kid or me to come and help you?”
She didn’t give me an eye roll. That was telling.
‘I don’t need help to look after my own home. I just tripped and took a shelf down with me.’
I brushed her hair off her face and saw the ballooning bump growing on her forehead.
“Ma. That’s not what I was saying.” She winced. “Sorry… It’s not broken. But. I think you need to go to the hospital. Your arm needs stitches, this foot needs an X-ray at least. And that bump on your forehead. You could have a concussion.”
‘No, it’s fine. You’re overly protective.’
I frown, shifting to old the towel around her arm. “Ma, see. We. Are. Going!”
I looked around before lifting her up into my arms.
‘Leah Angeni Clearwater put me down.’ Moving her over a little so I didn’t bang her head on the door frames. I grabbed her jacket in my hand and kept walking.
“saying my full name won’t make me stop. Act like a kid, and I will carry you like one.” My heart was pumping so hard. But I was in control.
•- Embry Call -•
I was quiet for a moment, contemplating the irony of how someone looking out for you could also feel like a judgement.
But #Quil... he never lied to me. Even when he was calling me out on my shit. 'I won't ask again.' he said after a beat. 'I believe you. And as long as I know this newfound... calm that you seem to have isn't something that ends badly for you. Then...' He shrugged. 'That's all I need to know.'
"You don't need to worry about me. I'm doing good. Really good... all things considered."
I pulled into the empty driveway. Mom's car being gone was always a sign that things weren't as good as they used to be. But her waves of sickness and dizziness could come with hardly any warning, it made no sense to keep her car sitting there.
#Quil barely waited for the car to stop before jumping out to bound inside. 'Momma T!! Your favourite son is home!!' He yelled before walking in."
•- Leah Clearwater -•
My hands were tight around the wheel, my eyes darting from the road to Ma who sat in the passenger seat drifting.
“Ma. Keep your eyes open.” I told her placing a hand over her lap and squeezing softly.
‘Usdi. I am…’ I cut her off.
“If you say you are fine. I swear to the great wolf. I will go apex Predator on you.”
She chuckled ever so softly and winced again. The drive to the hospital didn’t take long. As much as I hated being in four wheels, I still knew how to Use them to my advantage.
I wanted to carry Ma in.
‘You cannot usdi. People will question how you could do it.’ She tapped my shoulders for me to put her down.
As much as I hated it, I know she make a valid point.
“Stay here. I’ll get some help.”
At the front entrance I found someone who gave me a wheelchair. So that I could roll ma inside.
•- Embry Call -•
I was sitting at the kitchen table, mo had handed me a coffee and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and cut it into triangles like she used to when I was little... and the same for #Quil. Only when we were little we had milk instead of coffee.
My phone buzzed on the table and # Seth's big goofy grin appeared on the screen... He never called me unless it was pack business. he was all about texting. I rubbed my hands on my jeans and mom slapped me on the bicep... lightly she had learned many years ago that even a light slap hurt her. I looked to #Quil and he started distracting Mom so I could slip out the back door and take the call.
"Hey kid, what's up?" I pulled the door closed with a light click. 'Um...' His voice was strange. 'I'm... um I'm not sure.'
I took a few steps from the door. "#Seth take a breath and tell me what's going on."
'I'm at Mom's... her car is gone and Leah's bike is here but they're gone...' He was talking too fast for that to be all.
"That's not unusual #Seth why are you panicked." I pressed.
'I can smell blood but Leah didn't answer her phone. and mom's is still here.'
"Okay, we're coming kid. Stay there, Call the Rez Clinic and see if she went there." I went back inside and mouthed to the Mom and #Quil. that we needed to go. "Wait for us right there."
He promised he would and then I explained everything to mom and #Quil as she gathers her things and we all piled into the jeep.
•- Leah Clearwater -•
‘Leah? My dear what are you doing he… oh Sue!’ I was so thankful to see #Deb working the front desk at the ER.
The woman knew so much and most of all, knew how to get things done. Some part of me missed seeing #DrCullen here at times like this.
‘It—‘ I came to a stop and frowned down at Ma.
“Ma is going to tell you it’s nothing.” I told her trying to keep a check on the anger bubbling within me. I didn’t let those younger years out bursts rule me anymore. But it didn’t Mean I didn’t feel it from time to time.
‘Sue, we can all clearly see that there is something. Leah wouldn’t bypass the Rez and bring you here if it weren’t. Leah, dear. Could you roll your mom in and I will have her seen too.’ This was the no nonsense woman I needed to see.
“Yes, ma’am.” This time a little relief washed into my words.
Ma was quite now, which in itself was saying a lot. She didn’t fight the young doctor when he came in to examine her. She didn’t even Notice his ring less finger and start the questioning as to why he wasn’t married.
‘Your daughter is correct in bring you Mrs Clearwater.’ He said as he worked in stitching her arm up. ‘You needed some help with these injuries.’
The two kept talking and I could see what he was doing. His fingers working fast, and precisely. Trying to leave the a clean line in his wake.
I stood by the wall, arms crossed frowning.
‘Don’t look so worried. You did the right thing.’ He Smiled up at me, I wasn’t sure I could reply without saying something sarcastic. So I just nodded.
‘We are going to take your mom for some X-rays now. Would you like to wait—‘
“I’m coming with her.” He just smiled wider.
‘Sure, why don’t I take you instead of waiting for a porter.’
Ma and he started to talk as we left the ER. And I reached into my back pocket for my phone. I needed to tell #TheKid
“Crap.” Biting down on the inside of my cheek. Glancing back.
‘Usdi!’ Ma tapped my leg as I walked next to her.
‘Everything okay?’ He asked. Looking up at me.
“Sorry. Yeah. I just can’t find my phone.”
•- Embry Call -•
#Seth was making his way to the ar before I even pulled up by the curb and he climbed into the back of the Jeep. ‘The colonic said that Mom hadn’t been there today.’ He told us and I was already turning the the car around.
‘So Leah took her to the hospital.’ #Quil explained in that perfectly logical way of his and put his hand on the kids shoulder.
‘He’s right #Seth, I’m sure we’ll find them there. Your sister just took her to fix whatever happened.’ Mom twisted in her seat, looking back at him. ‘Everything will be okay, sweetie. You’ll see.’
Mom didn't lecture me for driving too fast, but u was still holding back because she was in the car.
I parked the jeep and #Seth made a beeline for the hospital and #Quil ran with him so I could walk with Mom.
By the time we got to the emergency room reception a nurse I recognised was telling #Seth that his mom was taken to x-ray and she would let us know when she came back up.
“Come on, Kid.” I put my hand on his shoulder and pulled gom back when he looked like he was going to press for more information.
“We will take a seat and Deb will your mom and Leah know that we are here, right?” I smile at the nurse.
‘Of course, they took her right down. It shouldn't be long.’ She smiled encouragingly at #Seth. ‘The doctor is with her, she’s in good hands. I promise.’ she closed the chart in her hands and made her way through the double doors.
•- Leah Clearwater -•
‘Here you go, you can us this.’
I was stood by the wall, my back leaning on it and my arms crossed over my chest. Biting the inside of my cheeks as I waited for Ma to come out of X-ray room.
The young doctor had raved off, if assumed to an emergency, however he was stood in front of me now with a phone.
‘You said you have some calls you wanted to make. And couldn’t find your phone. I had to run to my locker to get this.’
He raised the phone up between us. “You didn’t need to do this.” My eyes not leaving his face.
‘I don’t mind. Make your calls, I will go and check you mom is done in there.’ He smiled warmly, this time I took the phone.
“I’ll only make one call.” The woman now willing to take the help from a stranger ( also thinking how to pay it back. ) whereas a year ago this wouldn’t have happened.
I knew the number off by heart, I didn’t even need to glance at the screen as I tabbed it in. Waiting for the answer ‘Hello?’ His voice was wrong, and I guessed he knew.
“Kid—“
‘Lee!!! Where are you? Where is ma? Is she okay? I went to the house… the bloody… there was blood… Ma’s blood….’
“Kid. Shhh… I am on someone’s phone. So, listen. I’m at Forks Hospital. Ma hurt herself and I made the call she needed to come here. She is having some X-rays. Have had to have ten stitches in her arm. She is okay. Just weak.” I wasn’t going to tell him any more untold I knew myself.
We know. We guessed this is where you would be. I’m in the ER. I’m coming up.’
‘We?’ My eyebrows pulled together.
‘Yeah. Mama T, Quil and Bry are here too, they drove me here.’ His voice shook and I knew what this would do to him. Seeing Ma’s house and not knowing would have killed the kid.
“I’m sorry I didn’t call you before.” I told him.
•- Embry Call -•
'It's okay, Lee.' #Seth said. 'You did what you had to in the moment.' he repeated almost exactly what I had told him on the drive here. It had happened to me so many times before we got Mom's condition under control. I would find her in agony or with a burning fever... I would get her to the hospital and then call someone. Someone always came.
#Sue always came.
#Quil was already texting the group chat and telling them what he heard from Leah's end of the phone. 'I'm gonna come up.' #Seth said again. His voice shook but with something like relief. Not the terror of his first call. as soon as he hung up I was next to him, clamping a hand on his shoulder.
"She's gonna be okay, kid." I said. 'When you see her you'll feel better, I promise.' #Seth looked passed me to my Mom and I knew what he was thinking... He was remembering the times I wasn't there when Mom was rushed to hospital and I was the one in his place. He nodded.
'I'm sorry... sorry I fell apart.' He said quietly.
"No... you didn't #Seth. You didn't know what to do so you asked for help. Leah... she knew what to do and she did it. Neither of those were bad choices. I've been through it... I've done both and I've done the wrong thing." I explained to him. He looked at me like he wanted to ask... "Freezing... doing nothing. That's the only wrong thing to do. You do something or you get help. Nothing else matters"
Then, I sent him to go she his mom and sister.
•- Leah Clearwater -•
The doctor came out of the room and closed the door behind him. I held his phone out to him.
“Thank you for this.” I glanced over his shoulder at where my Ma should have been.
‘If you need to make other….’ I shook my head.
“No. Thank you. Just the one call to my kid was all I needed.” His face dropped and he looked me up and down. Until it clicked. “My kid brother.” His mouth turned into an ‘O’, and he smiled.
“Where is my Ma?” I asked
‘Right, your mom. There is Nothing to fear.’ He started my my heart sank and beat harder all at once.
“Why do people say that before giving bad news?” I was frowning, holding it together.
‘You were right to think that your mom was concussed. With the blood lose, and the concussion would like to keep her overnight. Just to be certain.’ I rubbed my temple thinking over what I needed to do. ‘We have found her a bed, and they are taking her to level four room 404. You can make your way up.
‘I could walk you up?’
‘Thank you, Doc. I can walk my sister up there.’ I felt him and smelt him before I saw and heard him. His heart was racing, and I knew he heard it all.
‘Oh. Yes. Sure.’ The doctor stepped to the side as #TheKid came to stand in front of me. He was shaking, and his eyes were full of fire.
“Thank you for everything.” I told the doctor before he left, and I pulled #TheKid into my arms. This was something Ma would do. She would hold him. To whisper It would be okay. To give him what he needed. All I did was open my arms and he did the rest. His forehead on my shoulder, his arms engulfed me, and I felt the warmth of his tears.
“She will be fine.” I whispered to him. His fear had been one I knew, I felt it too. We just reacted in different ways.
‘I.. I.. I thought…’ I placed a hand on the back of his head.
“Shh. I know. I. Know.” The fear of losing out only Parent was crippling for him. ( and me. )
•- Embry Call -•
Mom sat there wringing her hands. I cover both of hers with one of mine, stopping the nervous tic. "You okay?" I asked and that drew #Quil's attention too. He examined her from head to toe for any signs that something was wrong. It was the wolf in him... in all of that did that.
'Oh, I'm fine sweetheart. Just worried about #Sue.' She admitted. I offered her a smile. "Me too. but she'll be fine. I'm sure #Seth will text us soon with an update.
Mom nodded and dropped her gaze to the floor. "What is it, Mom?" I knew when something was bothering her.
'Just... Seth's face. That poor boy was so upset and afraid...' Her voice quavered a little. "I know... but he's a tough kid he'll be fine once he sees her."
'I'm so sorry, Embry...' My brows pinched together. at her words. 'For the number of times I've done that to you.' er glistened a little at the corners.
"No, Mom." I wrapped my a pulled her to my side. "You being sick isn't anything like coming home to find no there and blood all over. It's not the same."
'I suppose so... but it's still frightening.'
"It is... but no more frightening than all my ER trips? Right?" I tried to make her smile. She did... but only humoured me. "Don't worry about me Mom... or, at least... not because of that, okay? Yes, there were bad days... scary days. But you were always right there with me... and I know what to do now." 'Jacob and Nessie are heading to #Sue's to clean up so #Sue doesn't have to see that when she gets back home.' #Quil came to the rescue with a change of subject. 'And #Seth they are taking her to 404... to give them time to settle #Sue in and then we can come up.'
"Okay... let's grab a coffee and give them time. Then we go see them." I stood and held out my hand to help her up. Mom told #Quil to text Jake back and have Nessie make a bag for #Sue... She thought that a woman would know what comfort items to bring... but Nessie... I chuckled at the thought of what she might bring for her.
•- Leah Clearwater -•
As soon as we saw the room #TheKid let go of me and rush into the room. The nurses were still helping Ma into bed and he took over. Charming the nurse into letting him help.
I stood back by the far wall, waiting and watching Ma. She was slow, her skin pale, her arm was wrapped well now and her forehead was bruising out. They placed a pillow under her leg and to her side, which made her wince and my eyebrows pulled together. She had kept that from me! ‘Stay calm, you won’t help by upsetting Ma now.’ My wolf told me as I bit the inside of my cheeks. ‘And stop that! You won’t have a cheek left if you keep it up.’ She chastise me.
‘You had me so worried Ma! Mama T, Quil and Bry are downstairs. And everyone else is asking to come.’ He was kissing her all over her face, trying not to hurt her. But he needed to know she was there.
My chest constricted, he had found time to keep the others informed of everything? And I couldn’t even find my bloody phone!
I shook my head. ‘Usdi. Come here.’ Ma saw me, even with me trying to melt into the background. Her hand was outreaching for me. #TheKid turned to look over.
‘Sis?’ He said and I shook my head, clearing my throat.
“It’s okay. The Kid is here. I’m going to go sort some things out at home.” I told her, my eyes looking and not looking at her all at once. “Kid, do not leave Ma alone.”
Ma dropped her hand and gave me a smile. ‘Usdi—‘ I cut her off.
“Please. Just rest. I will be back ready soon.” Taking out the keys to Ma’s car I set them down on the side, telling #TheKid where I had parked it before I turned to leave.
‘Leah?’ #Debbie called out from behind me as I rushed towards the stairs, I wasn’t going to wait around for the elevator. ‘Is your mom all settled sweetie?’ She smiled.
“Hmm.. yes. Thank you. She is. 404.” I pointed to the door. “Thank you for all your help. I..” she squeezed my arm.
‘Happy to help sweetie.’ By the time she let me go, that feeling in my chest had grown into a chasm. And I couldn’t breath.
I ran down the stairs three at a time. Four flights of stairs where a breeze for me, and not enough to give me what I needed all at once.
•- Embry Call -•
I passed out the cups of coffee as the machine in the lobby spluttered them into the paper cup. Mom had become a bit of a tea snob lately with #Sue and Leah bringing are all of that special tea... so she opted to treat herself to a hot chocolate.
#Quil's phone rang and it was #Jake with all sorts of questions about what to pack. Mom took the phone and just as she was telling Jake that #Sue's slippers would be by the back door if they weren't by her bed.
I saw Leah appear at the bottom of the stairwell. I gave a #Quil a nod and he nodded back, telling me he'd stay with Mom.
"Leah." I said quietly as I approached her. "Where are you headed? #Jake and Ness are at the house packing a bag for you Mom for the night." Even from the whole way across the lobby I could hear Mom say.
'Oh, and her favourite picture of Harry and kids is on her bedside table you should grab that too. No Ness, one change of underwear will be fine for one night.' Sometimes I wondered if there was any human in the woman. "Luckily Mom is walking them through it." I laughed and looked back at her. Extended her the weak excuse for a black coffee. "We have it covered you can head back up."
•- Leah Clearwater -•
“Spirits!” I said under my breath. Coming to a holt with Embry voice calling me. All I wanted to do was run. To leave. To explode. To let the volcano in my chest free and not care what and who was in the way. But that was the old young and misguided Leah. This Leah had walls, she had masks, and she knew how to lock herself down.
I glanced past Embry as he spoke, the buzzing in my ears and the red in my eyes subsiding enough for me to hear #Ness’s sweet voice, and #Jake’s frantic one asking #MsC a million questions.
#Quil’s eyes met mine, and that boyish smile of his was covering up the concern for my Ma. He placed one hand on his chest and dipped his chin. Telling me I was not in this alone.
Even with her mind on the phone call, I wasn’t sure how #MsC knew. But her eyes searching until then locked onto mine, and she beckoned me over with her hand.
‘Go to her, she will help. She always does.’ My wolf told me. But I couldn’t. I couldn’t risk them all. I couldn’t risk the lobby full of innocent people.
“I..” when I finally looked to him, his smile and that laughter. The hospital coffee we all were used to held out to me. The burning need to run from here, and everything fault against the clam these people brought with them.
“Your Mom knows how to get the best out of people.” I say with the strongest of wills I could pull out and together.
“Thank you.” I told him. My eyes met his and I hoped it was for more than just the cup in my hand now. He was here, he looked after my kid, and now they were all helping in their own way.
Taking the coffee, my eyes darting to the doors and my way out. But my feet slowly started towards where #Quil and #MsC were sat.
She ended the call and reached a hand for me. “She is in room 404. On the fourth floor. They have taken good care of her. And the Kid is with her.” I filled them all in of what I knew. “Maybe she will tell you more than she would me.” I finally told #MsC. “But you should head up there. I’m sure she will kill me if she finds out you are down here and no one had taken you up.” Giving her a half smirk.
She gave the cup in her hand to #Quil, taking my free hand in hers she pulled me down to my knees before her. She cupped my face and really locked those deep brown eyes of her with mine. It was like looking into her sons eyes and my heart tried to react, but I stopped it.
‘We are here. You are not allow. And this is not on you my sweet child. We all know your Ma can be somewhat stubborn when she sets her mind to something.’ Now she whispered and I felt #Quil turn away to give some room. Even if I knew he heard it all. ‘This is not your sin.’
She all but crushed me. She saw me when no one else did. She knew what was hidden under the mask.
I lowered my head and cleared my throat. “Go up. See your sister. She needs you.” I whispered for her to hear.
•- Embry Call -•
Her reaction told me she was probably looking for space. Somewhere to be alone and clear her head. I followed her gaze behind me to Mom. "Yeah, she's always been good at that." I smiled and then turned that smile back to her.
"We will; we were just wanted to give her a little time to catch her breath." I said, following her towards Mom... if anyone could stop Leah from wanting to run it was Mom.
#Quil got up and came to stand, by me, giving them some semblance of privacy. We Heard Mom's words and even though #Quils eyes dropped to the floor, he couldn't have known how fast my heart dropped into the pit of my stomach.
After a too-long moment of silence, I spoke. "Hey, why don't you take Mom up ahead up and I'll follow in a second." I smiled at #Quil then Mom, nodding my head to the elevators. Mom stood and kissed the top of Leah's head, then my shoulder as she passed me and whispered. 'Good boy.' I stepped up next to Leah when they were gone and brushed the back of my knuckles against her arm. "What do you need, Leah?" I said for only her to hear. "Do you need me to cover for you up there for a while? Whatever it is... Just tell me." If she needed time I could make sure she got it. if she needed to hit something... hell she could hit me.
•- Leah Clearwater -•
That kiss to my head from #MsC about crushed me. If I hadn’t have had years of practice in hiding in plain sight, the cracks would have shown to anyone who set their eyes on me.
I stood up when she did, my eyes were on the door once again as she moved to join the guys. With that growing need to get away from anything and everything. I wanted no witnesses to the turmoil rampantly trying to drag itself to the surface. It was the touch from him drew me back. I felt the knee jerk reaction only step away, but his voice, the way he looked to me, wanting to give me support I never expected from anyone.
“Me?” What did I need? No one had asked me that before. Spirits even I hadn’t asked myself that question before. But what did I need?
“I need out of here. And I need to know Ma and the Kid are taken care of. He is soft at heart, this is breaking him.”
The words low for him and only him to hear. “And for me to be his strength. I need out right now. Five. Ten. I will be back. I… I…”
My eyes were on him to read the need to shed the fear I felt when my mind played tricks on me at smelling my Ma’s voice, at wondering what could have cased it and how I wasn’t there with her.
And just like that it hit me. I was telling him. Telling him that I needed right now. In a way, asking for help.
•- Embry Call -•
I watched her, and gave a small nod, my eyes meeting hers. “Okay, go... Get some air.” I smile, filling the expression with understanding. I'd been there... And the only reason I had been able to run (briefly) away was because of Sue. “Your Mom is looked after. And don't worry about the Pup. I’ve got him... And #Quil.”
I took half a step back giving her space but only half because my natural instinct was to go to her and comfort her. But that wasn't how to comfort her.. That was the generic assumption: human contact equals comfort. But people weren’t one size fits all. I prided myself on being able to tell what people needed. At least, for the people I cared about and something time that meant contact even when they thought the didn't need or want it, like when I hugged her in Seattle. Sometimes it meant giving them room to breathe.
Right now... She needs to breathe.
“He did really well understood you know. He didn't panic... He was in shock and couldn't think straight. So he called for help. He asked for help... He did and you Mom proud. He did Harry proud.”
I stepped back again. “You made him proud getting her here so fast. Take all the time you need. I’ll stay with them until you get back, no matter how long... #Quil can take mom home if it gets late.”
I had work, but the was several hours away. And Joe Walker was a lot of things... But when it came to family matters, I knew I could call and tell him I needed to be here. He wouldn't question it. He would cover for me himself if he had to.
•- Leah Clearwater -•
I wanted to touch him, just a squeeze of the arm, of a touch of a finger. Tell him 𝕋𝕙𝕒𝕟𝕜 𝕪𝕠𝕦. That him stepping up for Ma and the Kid, he got the meaning of Family. It was more than a word to us, and his actions proved it to me each time.
I glanced over him and saw #Quil give me a half smile waiting with #MsC for the elevators. The nod from him said. ‘We got the kid, don’t worry.’ But this also meant that he saw what I looked like right now, and he heard some if not all of what was said.
I took a few steps back away towards the doors. “You got them.. See you soon.” I said before turning around and walking out of those doors without looking back.
The thudding in my heart pushed the fear I felt higher, the pain of seeing my Ma in pain threatened to show itself. I willed myself, as I broke into a run as soon as I was outside. Heading straight for the forest and out of sight of people.
•- Embry Call -•
I could so many unsaid things in her eyes... I acknowledged them all with a small smile and the slightest lowering of my chin.
"We've got them." I added and I turned away when she did... Watching her go would set alarms bells off for #Quil and full-blown sirens for Mom.
But as I walked to the lift to join them, I felt a tug on my left shoulder to just glance back. But I didn't. Her thumping heart didn't make it easy.
Mom looped her arm through mine, and we stepped into the Elevator. 'She will be fine, sweetheart.' She said.
"Leah?" I asked raising a brow. "Of course, she will. She's a Clearwater." I smiled and the lift started to rise. I was tempted to text her and tell her to take as long as she needed. I would be here. But I had told her that I knew she heard me and trusted I would stick to it. Texting her would only make me feel better.
It was what I did with the guys when things happened... keeping in contact, making sure they knew I was there. And for them, it was the best thing to do, the regular reassurance.
Leah didn't work like other people. she had her way... and she would be back when she was ready.
•- Leah Clearwater -•
There was nowhere I could go and not be heard. There was no way I could run all the way back to Ma’s for my bike just for this. And there was NOWAY I would leave to go that far with Ma, in hospital and the Kid in turmoil.
The best I could do for myself was this, staying on two legs I ran, I ran as fast as the spirits blessed me. Ducking and turning from the trees and their branches. Jumping and the fallen logs and rocks.
The pressure building with every stride I took, the air in my lungs not even at its capacity. I was in pain and my body felt nothing. I pushed, and pushed, and pushed some more. Needing to feel something. Anything!
‘STOP! Leah!!!! STOP!’
She halted me at the precipice of the edge, pushing my body back from taking the leap I knew too well that I couldn’t make on two legs.
‘You can’t hurt yourself like that, they need you.’ She growled from within me. ‘You can’t become so blinded with your grief. This isn’t who you are anymore.’
She spoke to the lost girl who tried everything in her power to punish yourself when she killed the only man who loved her.
“I…” I couldn’t think. All I saw right now was where I wanted to be.
So, I took off running to the river’s edge where I knew I could made the crossing.
‘Shift!’ She told me.
“No!” I snapped back.
‘LEAH! SHIFT!’ She pushed to come out. But I held her back.
“NO!!!” I screamed at her, and the took the leap over the Cullen’s treaty line.
I ran as hard and fast as I could before my legs were taken out from under me. I tumbled; my body rolled into a ball as I hit the ground with velocity. And then came to a stop.
My face was in the ground. My breathing harder now, but not where I needed it to feel the burn.
‘Breathe Leah. She is okay, Ma is going to be fine.’ But all I saw was her blood that had been spilled on my watch.
“I should have been there. I should have done.. I should have….”
‘Should have read her mind and known she is as stubborn as you at times, and has ideas of improvement in her home? Leah. Be realistic here.’
But I couldn’t. Not when it came to Ma or the Kid. Their pain. I couldn’t take it. I burst out into a silent scream. One I had perfected over the years. When you lived where every sound was heard. And you were judged. There had to be an outlet that no spirit warrior could hear.
My body tensed and my fists banged into my chest. Making that hurt rush out. My eyes closed as I let out everything that had been building into that volcano that needed to be let free.
She didn’t say anything, she watched. She protective, and held my soul, she cradles me as she had from the moment, I excepted her as mine. My wolf let me have my moment. She Let me be a kid, with the fear riding me She know I couldn’t lose my only Parent. Not like this. Not after what I had taken from my family and this world.
•- Embry Call -•
I was distracted until we got to the room that #Sue was in. I heard Mom whisper something to #Quil about how I hated being here… but that wasn’t exactly true. I felt a lot of things here. I spent a few horrible days and night in the ER here and then the treatment that kept Mom ali— healthy happened here too.
I smiled brightly at the ghostly woman in the bed. She was laying against #Seth’s lanky frame perched awkwardly in the edge of the bed one foot still firmly on the floor. Or it would be awkward for a human. The Kid looked wholly unphased.
“Well, well! Look at you, as beautiful as ever! Worrying us all just for attention, are you?” I lied with beaming smile. #Sue lifted her hand to her cheek like she did when she blushed. But no colour stained her cheeks.
‘Oh stop!!’ she waved me off with a tired laugh. Mom was already at her side adjusting the pillow her injured hand rested on more carefully than I thought I would ever be capable of. #Seth extricated himself, leaving a kiss on the top of his mother’s head. He looked from me to #Quil and the door. ‘She just needed some air.’ #Quil said before I could.
Our attention went back to the women who we heard. ‘You shouldn't have come, Tiffany. You could pick up all kinds of infection that could set you back.’ #Sue was insisting.
‘Nonsense.’ Mom replied. ‘This isn't just like any old appointment, how many emergency trips to the hospital have you made for me?’
I could see the, ‘But this is different’ in #Sue’s eyes, but she would never dare say it. Even though all of us, Mom included were well aware it was different.
But I also knew the value of Mom being here for her dearest friend too. That boost to her would of being the supportive hand she has always been needed too.
“Jacob is bringing you a little sleepover kit so you can spend the night in style.” Just like that my phone rang and I excused myself. After I stepped into the hall and explained it to be Jake, that Leah didn't have her phone, I told him where to find us. He said he could find us, and I didn't need to meet them downstairs.
I took the chance to call #Joe. He answered with his usual. ‘WALKER!’ much louder than necessary.
“Hey, it’s Embry.” Joe was in his words far too busy to check caller ID.
‘What do you need Call?’ anyone that didn't know him would take it as rude. But it was a genuine question.
“I’m at the hospital, I might not make my shift tonight, can you line up #T just in case, and I’ll call you with a solid answer in an hour or two.”
‘Is your mom, okay?’ He asked, abrupt but really wanting to know. I explained the situation with as few details as possible.
‘Okay so I’m gona I just take your place on the floor tonight, and you take my shift tomorrow? It's easier than maybe’s and what ifs.’
I agreed and thanked him. When I stepped back into the room, I knew the wolves in here had heard. ‘Your boss is pretty easy going.’ #Seth stage whispered.
‘I still don't like him.’ #Quil said. #Joe set his wolf’s instincts off... He set off all the wolves' instincts really.
But I was free to stick around as long as I needed to know.
•- Leah Clearwater -•
I sat on my knees, kneeling forward over the water with my reflection looking back at me. I was taken back to a day when I last felt this lost and broken.
A younger, 20-year-old me, with her hair cut short, and a newly formed tattoo on her forearm. The pain of what she had done telling her that if he wasn’t on this earth, then she had no right to be too.
I closed my eyes and opened them again. And the vision was of the now. The fact I’d let my mom down
feeding the fear of losing her.
Taking the count to ten, with deep breath I started to lock myself down. When I knew that it was safe again I
opened my eyes.
Splashing some water from the river to cool and watch my face, I straightened up. That was it, the fear, the sadness, the want to punish myself pushed deep down to the point that Even I couldn’t feel it any longer.
‘We, will be fine.’ She told me, and even if I didn’t feel it. I believed it. ‘Where to?’ she asked.
“Back to Ma, and the kid.” I told her.
‘What about the house?’ She played the conversation from the hospital, the part when we were told that #MsC had been talking with #Jake and #Ness.
“After.” I told her. I knew they would take care of things. But I also knew that Ma’s level of clean wouldn’t be
met by anyone.
‘After.’ She repeated as we both started back towards the way we had come. ‘We will go there after and do it the right way.’
•- Embry Call -•
#Jake and #Ness arrived with a bag so large that it made mom and #Sue laugh and make there isn’t that so cute faces to each other. ‘We wanted her to be comfortable.’ #Ness whispered when #Seth, #Quil and I eyed the bag that Mom was already unpacking. Setting a photo of a young #Sue and #Harry on the bedside table.
‘We’ll take home whatever she doesn’t want.’ She insisted and I could see her cheeks flush. Her understanding of human needs wasn’t always quiet right, I draped my arm over her shoulder and kissed the top of her head “You did good little one.” I whispered even though it was pointless, they all heard. All but the two women carefully arranging a hand-woven blanket across the patient's lap, whispering about what good kids we were.
The hybrid beamed and swatted #Jake’s chest. ‘Told you.’ He just rolled his eyes and smiled she pushed past all of us and pulled out an iPad she must have sweet-talked someone into lending her, I knew she didn’t own one. She stood by the bed, keeping a cautious distance. I could see that seeing a human she cared about in such a frail state was getting to her… so many people in her life were indestructible. It was a hard pill to swallow.
‘We brought your book too… but I downloaded the audio version and skipped ahead to where you bookmarked. So, if you aren’t feeling up to it you can listen instead.’ She leaned in conspiratorially and whisper. ‘I downloaded season one of Bridgeton. I hear it's the steamiest.’ She grinned.
I left them to it and turned to Jake asking him about the house. ‘All cleaned and locked up.’ He assured me that when it came to blood Nessie knew how to clean up. It made sense, given that she mostly lived off of it.
When they left, I convinced #Quil to take Mom too. He offered to stay in my place, and I told that was my role as Third. To be here for the kid, and it was true. But mostly it was the promise I had made.
I knew #Seth was worried about his mom… and his sister. His eyes kept moving to the door. “She’s fine, Pup.” I whispered as #Sue dozed off. The wasn’t the truth… so I corrected myself. “Leah will be okay, she’ll be back.”
‘I know, I know.’ He finally stopped chewing on his thumbnail. ‘You don’t have to stay you know… I’ve got this.’
“I know you do… You’ve got her, I’ve got you. I can be here or in the waiting room. It’s your choice.” This wasn’t unusual, this was the role I had taken on… built for myself. It wouldn’t be the first time I hung around a hospital for one of the pups. So, #Seth accepted it easily and we sat there quietly, taking turns fetching coffee and letting the nurses come and go as they performed their tasks around the sleeping woman.
•- Leah Clearwater -•
When I arrived back at the hospital, I kept my eyes forwards and my hands pushed down deep into my jeans. No one at a glance would tell that the broken youngster had come out to show her pain now.
‘Leah!’ I heard my name being called from behind me. Stopping as I saw #Debbie trying to catch up. She wanted to stop me, to tell me that Ma’s room was over flowing with visitors, and that she would go and ask them to leave so that I could go in.
“It’s okay. I can wait.” I told her, even if she gave me that ‘I don’t believe you’, look.
I remained in the lobby, pacing back-and-forth but knowing that Ma was in good hands. Finally, I gave up and went to the cafeteria to buy a selection of sandwiches, and whatever else I could get my hands on before coming out. ‘There you are.’ My Alpha stood in front of me. ‘I’ve been following your scent all over the hospital.’ He pushed his shoulder into my forearm. ‘She is going to be okay Leah.’
I knew this. “Thanks for…” he frowned at me and cut me off.
‘Since when do you thank anyone for doing their duty? This was our duty; we all wanted to be here and do whatever we could for Sue. No thanks needed.’ He told me that they were heading out, that Embry was still with Ma and #TheKid, I looked to the clock on the wall and the time frowning.
Once #Jake was gone, I ran as fast as I could up the stairs. The elevator wasn’t fast enough for me. Rushing and slowing down at the same time when I reached the correct floor, I dived around people to reach Ma’s room.
I wasn’t out of breath, but my heart was pounding in my chest. I saw them both sat there in the room, with Ma on her bed asleep. I spent a moment too long looking her over, listening to her heart and her breathing.
Then I looked around the room. The photo of Ma and Da by her side, and her favourite blanket draped over her bed. Her book, an iPad, and a full bag of things set to the side.
#TheKid was already looking to the door before I came in, his shoulders had been tense, but dropped a little on seeing me.
“Are we moving in?” I muttered under my breath Not waiting for a reply, my eyes found Embry, and I wanted to say so much to him. But I tapped my wrist.
“Call, you’re going to be late for work. You need to head out.” I hadn’t meant to be gone this long. I hadn’t paid attention to the Burden I was placing on his shoulders.
•- Embry Call -•
I knew that #Seth heard the hurried footsteps in the hallway too. It was much quieter than a human would be when they ran, but not out of our hearing range. Especially not #Seth's, he had always had the most sensitive hearing of us all. Something I always thought of as an extension of his kindness.
He gave me a look as if to say, Does, that sound OKAY to you?
'Ness went a little overboard.' #Seth offered his sister a smile. 'The nurses said she's doing fine; her blood pressure is coming back up steadily.'
I watched the way they both looked over #Sue, and my chest tightened. I had been where they are, this was how they all felt when they stood and watched me stand over my own mother's sick bed. I shook that off.
"It's okay." I told her. "I switched shifts with Joe." I added quickly before she could say anything else. "Family first." That was the rule, right? I wasn't losing out on a day's pay; I wasn't letting anyone down. Family and the pack came before work, they had to.
•- Leah Clearwater -•
Nodding my head to acknowledge #TheKid, my dark eyes were on the monitors as he gave me Ma’s update. I held myself beside the door, but just inside so that it would close behind me. I also made a note to thank #Ness in my own way, something told me that this visit wouldn’t have been easy on her. I knew that she could speak to #Jake about everything and anything, but still I always gave her to option to have my ear if she needed it.
Embry had me stood looking at him, it was #TheKid clearing his throat. ‘I’m going to go grab us all some coffee.’ He spoke. I held the bag in my hand up telling them both I got whatever food I could from downstairs. #TheKid took it and put it down on the side table before walking past whispering. ‘Don’t be too hard on him please.’ And then the door closed.
Looking to Embry, I didn’t say anything. I just shrugged my jacket off as I walked to my Ma’s bedside and set it down over the back of the chair. Looking down over her, I softly combed so stray hair out of her eyes. She looked peaceful, that pained looked on her forehead gone for now. Only when I was sure she was indeed asleep and pain free, did I step back keeping my voice low as I spoke so that #TheKid didn’t hear me.
“You are playing the rules card at me now? For someone who doesn’t really do rules, you were fast to understand them.” I half smiled but there was too much amiss from it right now. I couldn’t find it in me to mean anything. “I don’t like you owing Walker anything, especially because of me.” What was that man going to ask as Payback for this favour I wondered. “I didn’t mean to mess you about with your work, I –“ I was lost for works, so I took a step back with my eyes locked.
Telling him that I was sorry for putting him in this situation, for placing what was meant to be my responsibility on his shoulder. That I failed my Ma today, and now #TheKid and him too. I wanted him to hear it all, but words never came easily to me.
•- Embry Call -•
My stomach growled when She mentioned she'd brought food. I had been so distracted that I hadn't even smelled it when she walked in.
I didn't say anything to #Seth as he left. I knew he was leaving his Beta and Third-In-Command alone for a moment as much as he was leaving his sister and his friend.
Her smile was half-hearted, and I knew why, she believed this to be her responsibility, her burden to bear alone. But she didn't get to do that... she couldn't tell us that we couldn't be here for a vital supporter of the pack when she needed us, that we couldn't stand her and hold up our brother while he cares for his mom, because she would never look for that kind of support. I knew that she knew that too... her dual natures had to be warring with one another right now.
"It's not about the rules..." I whispered. "Not just, at least... #Seth was... When I picked him up, he was... panicked. I wouldn't have left even if you stayed. You know that."
Then I took a breath and stood in front of her, fighting the urge to touch her arm or her shoulder... any of the normal comforting gestures that wouldn't mean the same thing to her.
I knew if it were my mother in that bed she would lay her hand on my shoulder, because that was what I would need... but this was about what she needed. Not that she would admit to needing anything... but that was okay. "And I don't owe Joe anything... I know he's not exactly a good guy. But when it comes to things like switching shifts, he really doesn't care as he gets Thursday nights off... he's pretty easy going." But I was fairly he'd covered a few Thursdays for me when no one else could.
I looked around the room. "This is what I do... just with most of the time I'm in the car park of the cafeteria waiting on news." There were so many of the kids that it was too hard to explain how were friends with the age difference. But I was close by when accidents and illnesses happened. I'd always felt a little useless as a third... so I made things like this, my responsibility.
•- Leah Clearwater -•
When he told me how he found #TheKid, my bucket of sins grew. I knew I should have been there for my younger brother. The fear he must have felt in the moments that followed when he didn’t know what took place, just that it had been our mothers blood that had been spilt.
“I know…” I gave in because that was Embry. He was the one that always stayed with all the pups and the pack. I didn’t have a bone in my body that could be still long enough. Not as he did. And He was a calming influence too. No matter the reason the pack were in this place, or anywhere. Embry Call somehow knew how to show them a light and the silver lining.
He came to stand before me, and I saw how his fingers twitched. And without the words needed, I knew what he wanted to do, and knew he wouldn’t too.
I rubbed my temples with my index and second finger. I wanted to tell Embry, that I may not know Joe Walker, but I knew men like him very well. That it may seem like he wanted nothing for these things, but someday He would ask for his pound of flesh. And I wouldn’t be able to stand back and let that happen. But now wasn’t the time.
I stepped back to the table the bag of food sat on and slowly and carefully started to remove everything from inside. A mix of a few sandwiches, some bags of chips. A few slices of pies and cake. Really the as a meal it made no sense, it had been what my hands reached for when my heart and mind were elsewhere.
“Will you eat something now?” I asked him over my shoulder. “I know it’s not home cooked, and if Ma wakes up she will have a million reasons why we shouldn’t eat any of this.” I heard the footsteps of #TheKid coming back, and knew he could hear us. “But it’s something, right?” I threw a bag of chips over my head knowing that he would catch them.
•- Embry Call -•
I knew that she was punishing herself. but I couldn't do anything about that right now... maybe not at all. But I could try, when the time was right.
"He did really well... he froze for a second, but instead of giving in to it... he asked for help. He did you proud." I smiled.
I smiled when she asked if I would eat... it wasn't that I hadn't eaten... anytime one of us left the room we came back with something... but her haul was far better than the vending machine fodder that we had settled for.
"Hell yeah, I will," I said with as much enthusiasm possible while still keeping my voice down. "Pie!!!" I whispered-screamed when the slices started to appear from the bag then, I had the lid flipped open on a slice of pie and a bamboo forkful shovelled into my mouth before I could reply.
"This..." I pointed the ridiculously tiny fork at the spread. "Is everything."
"We'll make the kid eat and I'll convince him to go home. He can stay at The Sanctuary." I said this knowing that he would hear me. I gave her a look that said so many things that I couldn't say with the world's most sensitive ears so close by. 'Will you be okay here?' 'I can leave him with #Quil and come back.' I knew she would say no. 'I'll just be a text message away.' 'I really don't want to leave here without hugging you or something similar that will piss the fuck off.'
'You know I heard you talking about me, right?' #Seth snatched the bag out the air and smirked.
"Good." I turned to face him; shovelling in another tiny bite of pie and spoke with food in my mouth. "Because it's happening. You can take my bed... just this once."
'Thank you... But I think I should stay. Just in case, and you know Leah won't leave either.' He insisted.
•- Leah Clearwater -•
I rubbed my forehead with the back of my hand and turned away from Embry the moment I heard the kid’s hand on the door.
I heard his unsaid words, but I couldn’t. Not right now. I couldn’t deal with it.
When I turned back my eyes rolled at the sight of Embry’s big hands with that small fork in them. “Spirits.”
I rolled my eyes again smacking the kid upside the head to keep his voice low, ma shifted and winced in her sleep. And my heart stopped, and it stung to see that pain on her face.
“Listen kid, Mac and Charlie have close up, however we need to make sure someone is there for the delivery. We both know Mac will step up. But we won’t do that to him.”
He was about to speak. “Also, we cannot have the three of us missing runs. I know Sam, Paul, Jay, Quil will all step up with Jake. But again. We have a duty to the pups and the packs too. Clearwater’s will not back down.”
His face changed from the son of a mother to a brother of a pack. ‘What about you?’ He took the pie and the fork I handed him.
“What about me? I got this. And you will come once your run is over and then I will take over. We got this Kid.”
He was frowning. When I looked to Embry and then back to him. “You did Ma proud today. We got to keep it up. Go with Call. Get some rest. I got this from here.”
I believed in that for now. Even if I kept telling myself that she shouldn’t have been left to do this to herself.
•- Embry Call -•
My eyes moved between the siblings. After seeing that #Sue had settled I buried the pang in my chest... It was an all too familiar feeling.
"I can rope one of the pups into helping with the delivery before my run tomorrow if you'd like. Mac can do the business end and we can do the heavy lifting." I offered.
"As for runs... we can cover it so you two can be with your mom for a few days. She'll need help at home and you guys will need to take turns at the bar."
I could see the pride on his face. but it quickly flooded with self-doubt, and I resisted the urge to shake the kid. I could talk to him later.
'You need to sleep too, sis. I'll come back in the morning and promise you'll go home and rest?' He was resigned to the fact that she was going to make sure that he got home.
I wanted to insist that Leah sleep too.. but I knew it would be days before that happened. And it wasn't like I could have that conversation with her right now. I Finished the pie and tossed the plastic box into the trash can in the corner, careful not to let the lid slam when I lifted my foot off the pedal.
"Okay come on kid." I pulled out my phone. I'll get Quil to set up the sofa bed for you." I said and started to type.
'Thanks, bro' but I think I really just want to head home.' He was trying to do the independent thing... but he was independent. He had nothing to prove.
"Cool." I said without missing a beat. "I'll sleep on the couch." His jaw twitched to protest and before he spoke. I continue. "Fine, you can sleep on the couch. I'm not gonna turn down a bed when it's on offer." I rested my hand on his shoulder. "One night Pup... just indulge me?" I raised my brows and grinned. #Seth huffed but that smile of his showed through and I knew it was a yes.
I winked at Leah... not a flirtatious wink. My normal the charm offensive wins again wink, and I went to say goodbye to #Sue.
I touched her Forehead lightly and whispered. "Goodnight beautiful." I smiled as she stirred from her light doze. "I'll come to check on you tomorrow."
'Don't worry about me, sweetheart. I'll be just fine.' She said softly.
"Oh, I know. you are tough as nails. But I will just be a wreck if I don't see for myself." I grinned.
‘Oh, you really do have your father’s charm.' she patted my cheek, and I repressed my flinch. It was the painkillers. That was all. #Sue would never...
I kissed her forehead and smiled at her. Giving nothing away.
"Get some sleep, I'm going to take Seth home to rest too. I'll tackle the other one in the morning." I jerked my head to Leah and grinned. When I stepped away #Seth's eyes were the first that I saw as he approached the bed to say goodnight. They were full of apology. I gave the tiniest shake of my head, there was nothing to apologise for.
•- Leah Clearwater -•
Now it was my turned to watch the exchange between my kid brother and Embry. It wasn’t unseen, and it wasn’t like we didn’t know how Embry worked his magic. It was more the fact that he took the time to make the other person think they had a say in what was happening. When I knew the truth. This used to be one of those things that I used to roll my eyes at. When I saw him playing someone. But now, now that I’d let him in and seen his full view too. I knew there was no Playing, about it. This was his way to help others.
I didn’t know how I would repay him. I hadn’t expected any of this from him. But this was him... This was Embry Call in his heart and soul.
I arched my eyebrow at him when he gave me that wink, and #TheKid whispered. ‘He still has a death wish, at least he is in the hospital’
I stepped back and whispered to #TheKid when Embry went to say night to Ma. “Don’t you let him take your bed.” Nudging him in the side.
‘Ma, would kill me if I didn’t.’ he nudged right back with a half-smile. He reached out, squeezing a few fingers on the hand closest to him. and I knew what he was trying to do and say to me. I did it right back.
We both watched him and Ma whisper, however it had been a clear conversation to our ears. We both stilled and stiffened. I wanted to reach out and squeeze Embry on the shoulder, tell him that Ma didn’t mean it. That it had to be the meds talking. She would never hurt him in that way. But #TheKid did it with one look.
My eyes found Embry’s, wanting him to know that this all. It meant a lot. That I didn’t even have to ask. He had just been here. And I knew that all of this, seeing Ma this way. It would be testing him too. I knew how I felt when I spent time with #MsC in this place.
“Okay, that’s enough. Get out so Ma and I can have our sleepover.” I stepped backwards and pulled the door open for them both to leave.
•- Embry Call -•
I heard the two of them whispering and grinned. I wasn't going to take the kid's bed... not tonight at least. Any other time, I probably would.
There was a lot unsaid in Leah's eyes and I smiled at her. I knew most of my friend's parents knew who my father was, or at least had their own ideas of who he was. But I didn't want to know... If mom chose to tell me then I would hear her.
I stood next to Leah while #Seth said goodbye. I was close enough to let my arm brush hers for the briefest moment.
It wasn't for her benefit, it was for mine... It was quick𝕀'𝕞 𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖; even though I was leaving, I wasn't going far.
#Seth came to the door with us and before I could he said 'Text if you need anything.' And gave her a look that said he meant it.
"And Jake said he can come if you need anything, too." I knew she wasn't going to call anyone. And normally this wasn't a shock, but there was a worry building. Because this wasn't work stuff or pack stuff... it was #Sue... and I alone in this... Like was for everything hated to think of her being alone in this like she was with everything else.
Because we had let her down.
•- Leah Clearwater -•
Just they were leaving a nurse started towards Ma’s room. ‘It time to go, Mrs Clearwater needs her rest.’ She wasn’t rude about it, and I knew she was just looking out for Ma.
‘Sorry, we are just leaving.’ #TheKid gave me and then Ma one last look before heading out.
My eyes found Embry for a second. There wasn’t anything I could do to tell him how much this meant. That I knew my kid was in good hands. And that… he had known it all.
As the sport closes the nurse Started to adjust Ma. “Here let me help you there.” I told her, going to stand beside the bed, I curled my arms around Ma and slowly lifted her, making it look like it was a team effort. So, that she didn’t question how I did it.
‘He is such a good boy.’ Ma said.
“Yes Ma, Seth is a good boy.” I whispered back kissing her forehead.
‘He is… but I meant Embry.’ She sleepy whispered before curling up the best she could and fell asleep.
“You mom is a little lost on the Pain meds.’ She told me. Then felt. I pulled the chair close to the bed, the door opened, and the nurse was back.
‘I brought you a pillow and a blanket. Just in case.’ She set them to the side and then it was just Ma and I.
•- Embry Call -•
When #Seth spoke to the nurse I caught Leah's eyes. You’ve got this! I hoped my eyes told her. Then they flicked to Seth and back. I’ve got this! I hoped the said now.
It was strange how it felt to leave her in that room. I knew she didn't need me there... but maybe she could want me there? I shook away that thought because, no... she would want me with my mom looking after her... working or with the pack... anything but hanging out in a hospital room just to keep her company Did I want her to want me there? would that be a bad thing? But all of it, it was all new and strange and oddly welcome. All the contradictions and mixed emotions seemed to all fit together somehow, wrapped up neatly the idea that looking out for #seth is what those two strong-willed, completely different, and utterly similar women we had left back would want me to do right now. If they ever needed anything from me, it was this.
'Dude your miles away... what are you are you thinking?' #Seth gave a half-hearted chuckle and I only realised that we were in the lift when we stopped walking.
"Oh... Just don't like the idea of Leah being left here alone when your mom will be out like a light all night." I offered, not a lie.
'That's how she likes it.' I could hear the frustration in his voice, he loved his sister deeply, but I knew he felt like she kept him at a distance sometimes.
"Being alone isn't the same as being lonely, Seth." I said the same thing to him that I had to his sister before.
'I know... But how can we know which when she is if she never shares how she feels?' He was so calm when he said it. It cracked my heart a little. It would have been less heart-breaking if he was pissed off. But this was a deep-rooted concern.
"Ask her." I said simply, my eyes fixed on his side profile as he stared at the crack of the door and laughed. 'Yeah right.' He scoffed, not taking me seriously.
"I mean it Seth." We stepped out and made our way across the nearly empty waiting area to the door.
"Just talk to her, ask her how she feels how she really feels." I continued.
'Like walk right up to her and say, Hey sis, are you lonely?’ He laughed like it sounded ridiculous... and it kind of did but...
"In exactly those words if you want to... Leah appreciates directness." I stuffed the key into the lock of my Jeep and we claimed in. I could tell he wanted to defend against my Point... but instead he pressed his lips together and thought about it.
•- Leah Clearwater -•
I sat there watching Ma sleeping now, counting the number of times her chest went up and then came down. Making sure that the monitors weren’t giving the wrong data to the nurse when they came in from time to time to check on her.
They would tell me to sleep, to close my eyes. That Ma wouldn’t be awake until the morning with all the meds pumped into her. And yet I couldn’t. My mind kept telling me that she may need me, that she was in pain, or that I couldn’t just sleep when I should have stopped this from happening I the first place.
Finally, I stood up and walked to the windows. Wishing that I could open them needing to feel the touch of the air, the one that say, ‘You aren’t alone.’ Listening to the whispers of the spirits saying that it would all be okay. But tonight, there was silent and the beeping of the monitors.
I rubbed my face; I blinked away the unsure feelings taking a hold of me. I pulled my hair up into a bun and then took out my phone. Sending one short message to him.
𝚃𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚔 𝚢𝚘𝚞 -𝙻
Text To Embry Call - {Thank you. – L}
I knew he would understand the meaning. It was hard for me to leave today, but if I hadn’t, I wasn’t sure what or how I would have managed to hold it together. Not with Ma this way. And even the fact that I was so weak that I needed to leave was filling the balance of my bucket of sins. I should have been stronger.
A light knock on the door startled me out of my thoughts. And when I saw #Pauls head pop in and then his smiled I looked confused.
‘Hey.’ He whispered for the first time ever.
“Hey” I whispered back.
‘Thought you could use some company.’ He was inside, with a box of pizza and a six pack of soda. ‘I know you aren’t all that keen on soda, but tonight I have a feeling all the sugar in the world would help.’ Setting the box and the cans on the side, he went to Ma’s side and kissed her head. ‘You will be fine Aunt. You have to be. OR who is going to control your Hot Head?’ He kissed her head again, and the back of my eyes prickled.
Walking over he took my seat and pointed to the couch. ‘You take that, eat and then you sleep, and I will sit watch.’ I opened my mouth to say no, but he rolled his eyes. ‘She isn’t just your mom Lee. She belongs to us all. Let her sons step up for her too. Now will you give me some food. I’m starving here.’
•- Embry Call -•
#Seth was quite a lot of the way home and I knew that there was a war in his head between worrying about his sister and worrying about his mom.... and then probably a little guilt that he was worried about Leah and #Sue was the one that was hurt. That kid was a pro and at feeling all the things all the time.
"C'mon kid... spill?" I asked him when we finally got back to his place.
'It's nothing really...' Seth sighed before he even finished the sentence because he knew I didn't fall for that shit. 'It's just stupid to worry about Leah when Mom is the one that got hurt.'
"There it is!" I clapped my hands on his shoulder and steered him to the living room. "Go... Sit... I'll make get us a drink."
He started to protest and I called back from the kitchen. "It's not optional." I grabbed us both a beer, knowing he would be fine to drive if he was needed back at the hospital and I sent Leah a text saying that Seth was home.
Then I settled on the couch across from him so we could talk this thing out and I could send him to bed for a little rest.
•- Leah Clearwater -•
Slapping #Paul on the back of the head. “I thought the pizza was for me.” He’d downed half of it.
‘No, I said the soda was for you.’ He smirked. ‘And that slap was for free. You know. Because you are so happy to see me.’
Rolling my eyes o gave him another. When I phone pinged. I took it out reading the text before putting it back away.
‘Aren’t you gonna reply?’ He asked with a brow raised.
“Doesn’t need one.” I told him.
We settled in for the night. ‘So, what Happened?’ It was a good question. Rubbing my face my eyes went to Ma and then the soda.
“I wasn’t there.” I told him.
‘I call bull shit.’ He said matter of factly.
“That’s your choice.” I returned in the same tone.
‘All this growth, and you still can’t see it… that you can’t stop us all from making stupid decisions. But you can help us learn from them HotHead. I know. I’m speaking from experience.’
I gave him a look and he just smirked holding the pizza box up.
•- Embry Call -•
#Seth and I talked for a long time. We were both really curious about how her injury actually occurred but I told him there was no point trying to figure that out, we needed to head that from #Sue when she was well enough.
I sent the kid to bed and then I get myself another drink settling on the couch. I scrolled through the group chat. It seemed like all the other were being very careful about flooding the chat with question, there was only a few then and message.
from Jake telling everyone that she should be discharged tomorrow and she was in pain but it was being managed. That was one thing about #Jake he didn’t lie to them, he didn’t tell them everything was fine just assured them that it would be.
It was hard to do it the way he did. In cases like #Sue’s it wasn’t easier, he would heal… but in cases like my Mom’s when she was really sick I had no idea how he kept them all so calm.
Sure it was their mom… Most of them never met her in person… but in so many more important ways they had all met her and loved her through the pack member that were in her life daily and they loved her like we all did.
•- Leah Clearwater -•
#Paul made me rest my head on the couch and took watch if Ma, I couldn’t sleep so he handed me a book and told me to read.
The words were dancing on the page as my eyes kept going to ma when I thought I head her move, shift or moan in pain. But it was all in my head.
At about 3am there was a new scent coming towards us and then #Sam was stood in the room, kissing Ma’s forehead and telling #Paul to go home.
I sat up narrowing my eyes at him.
‘Don’t look at me like that You know this is where I want to be.’
I shook my head. “You need to be at home with your wife and baby boy.”
‘I was, I dropped them off to Neah Bay, she wanted to visit home before she starts showing. So, there is where I need to be.’
He took the seat #Paul vacated. ‘Paul said you weren’t sleeping. Close your eyes, Lee. I’m here for Sue.’
I lay back down, watching him from behind. This was my Ma. She loved people so much, that they were showing up for her now.
•- Embry Call -•
I woke up with my feet hanging off the edge of the couch at five AM and by five thirty I had given up on the possibility of falling back to sleep. I sat up and ran my hand over my face and through my hair, shaking away the remnants of sleep... the soft breathing from the other side of the house told me Seth was still sleeping. Good... but I knew it wouldn't be long.
I text Leah [𝙷𝚘𝚠 𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚑𝚎? 𝚃𝚎𝚡𝚝 𝚖𝚎 𝚊 𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚊𝚗𝚢𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍 𝙸'𝚕𝚕 𝚋𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚝 𝚋𝚢 𝚊𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝙸 𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚙 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚊𝚛. 𝚂𝚎𝚝𝚑 𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚜𝚕𝚎𝚎𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚐, 𝚑𝚎'𝚜 𝚘𝚔𝚊𝚢. 𝙷𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚊 𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚕𝚎 𝚜𝚑𝚊𝚔𝚎𝚗 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚑𝚎'𝚜 𝚍𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚐𝚘𝚘𝚍.]
I didn't need to ask her how she was. I knew what the answer was and I knew what the answer she would tell me was too. I also had a feeling she knew she'd been on my mind all night too.
I pulled on my jeans but stayed barefoot, wanting to let #Seth sleep as long as his worried mind would allow. His kitchen wasn't a carbon copy of #Sue's Like his sister's was, but it was still tidy and had a semblance of order.
I turned on his coffee maker and poured myself a bowl of cereal just as I heard a car pulling up... but it didn't pull into the driveaway. Then there was a crunching of gravel beneath feet and a hushed reprimand of 'Will you wait in the car... you sound like a baby elephant stomping up the driveway!' I laughed silently.
Emily.
And bacon.
I abandoned my cereal without a second thought and opened the door to find #Sam and #Emily whisper-yelling at one another at the end of the drive. Though, #Sam had a huge goofy grin on his face as he taunted his wife just enough that she didn't quite get mad at him for real.
A dangerous game to play with a pregnant woman. I laughed again when they noticed me and #Seth's bedroom door opened. 'Do I smell bacon?'
•- Leah Clearwater -•
I wasn’t sure what the time was when I made #Sam leave, He could spend all night sat here, and the sun would be out soon, bringing in a new dawn with it.
Ma woke up and with her sleepy eyes gave me a small smile. ‘You didn’t need to stay here Usdi. I’m a big girl now.’ She said as I help her out of bed to the bathroom. She drew the line at letting me help her inside saying. ‘I am the mother here!’ And even though I could given some form of a witty reply, I knew now wasn’t the time.
Leaning on the wall, I took out my phone when it buzzed reading the text on the screen. Something in my stomach twisted as I typed out a reply.
[ Up and telling me she is the mother here. So good sign? Don’t need anything. Ness took care of all of Ma’s needs. I can do the deliveries. It’s okay. But thanks for staying with the kid. He wouldn’t have been okay alone. -L ]
Hitting send I pocketed the phone as I heard the flush go and then the tap turn on. I helped Ma back into bed as I nurse came in with some more meds. ‘Mrs Clearwater, you are looking bright this morning.’ She was full of energy for this time in the morning, However I have to give her credit. The woman was like a wave of lightening looking over Ma, her meds and then telling her to sleep.
•- Embry Call -•
‘We can’t stay, my cousin is in the house with Kishil, he’s still sleeping and #Sam has work.’ Se explained. That meant the #Bear was here, I forgotten she was visiting tonight. #Emily told us there was breakfast and muffins for us and #Leah and few treats for she with some cleverly disguised flaxseeds and oats to give her a boost. Then she was on her way.
#Seth was laying out the food in the basket and I pulled out my phone to reply to #Leah. [Business as usual! Okay… let me Rephrase; I will be helping with the delivery at the bar. If you still want to help the cool, we’ll be done twice as fast, and you can get some sleep. Or you can let Mac and I help out and just get some sleep. It’s up to you.]
I had already texted him to tell him I could out he refused at first, but I convinced him it was a good plan and he agreed easily.
“We should eat and then you need to shower and head to the hospital and try to convince Leah to get a few hours of sleep.”
#Seth agreed and we tucked into our food, Leaving the box for #Leah well wrapped.
Then we both started to get ready Just like it was on cue #Quil showed up with a back pack of clothes and a little hellraiser on his back. ‘Bry!!!!’ She cried and reached out for me to take her before #Quil could even say hello. she was far too big for this, maybe because we never told her she was getting big for it she just never stopped… I mean that was why people stopped picked their kids up like this, right? They got too heavy. But not to us.
I scooped her off my best friends back and hugged her, her leg dangling in the air and she squeezed with all her might. ‘Quil said you needed a Bear hug.’ She whispered and kissed my cheek. ‘“I always need a Bear hug.” I told her and kissed her cheek a half dozen times.
‘Where is mine!?” #Seth called out, coming out of the bathroom fully dressed with wet hair.
•- Leah Clearwater -•
[Lee, we got this. The Bar is covered you don’t need to come of worry about it, just spoke to Seth and Embry too. He is coming to help me.] I re-read the text from #Mac. And I knew that news was spreading. People were slowly starting to wake up and hear that Ma was taken to hospital.
Just as I was about to hit reply. Embry’s reply came in and I rolled my eyes. “These men are trying to gang up.”
Replying to Mac [Thanks, I owe you and will pay up I promise. -L] Hitting send.
Then reply again this time to Embry. [You always have the answers don’t you. Thank you for helping. It means a lot. -L].
This was something new, help… Accepting it and not feeling like I had failed. ‘You are learning on your journey.’ My wolf whispered as she watched Ma with me. She had been awake the whole time keeping me in check.
I sat up and my eyes jumped to the door, the sound and the scent came to me and he was at the door. ‘Is this her way to get out of helping with the event next week?’ The nurse held the door open and then left us to her as Billy took his hat off. ‘How is she?’ He asked with concern in his eyes. ‘Why didn’t you call me last night?’ He gave Ma a once over before turning his chair to me and scolding me for trying to always do things alone.
“I wasn’t alone. The Kid was here, Ms C. Quil, Embry.. Jack and Ness too! And then Paul and Sam came…” I stopped because the door opened and #Jay was stood there.
‘I just got off my run.’ His eyes went from Ma to Billy and then to me. ‘What did I miss?’
•- Embry Call -•
#Bear wriggled and jumped down to run and give #Seth a hug. and she started to bombard him with questions about #Sue. And to his credit with each answer he seemed to relax more, like the act of explaining it all delicately yet honestly was making him start to see that his Mom was really going to be okay.
"I'm sorry man... It completely slipped my mind that #Claire was coming." I whispered to #Quil.
'Don't worry about it. As long we can pick up some slack for Leah and Seth that's all that matters.' He whispered back as #Seth deflected questions about visiting her in the hospital but he told her she was coming home today and we'd have to wait and see how she was feeling.
That was when #Quil decided to rescue him. 'C'mon #ClaireBear. Let's go home and make Auntie #Sue a card or something.'
I waited for a teenage eyeroll and the retort that she was too old for arts and crafts, but she smiled and agreed... because of course she did. This was #Seth got another hug and then it was my turn. 'Are you going to be home later?' #Bear asked.
"Sorry Little Bear I had to change my shift so I could be at the hospital the #Sue, But I'll work things out and make sure I can at least have dinner with you guys. And you can wake up first thing in the morning and we'll do something fun." She beamed... I would have woken up when she did anyway as I always gave up my room for Claire when she stayed. It just made sense since I was the one coming home between two and four in the morning.
After they felt Seth and I finished up I skipped the shower because I was going to need one before work after my run anyway... Though the hospital smell was still lingering. but that was probably in my head because I was so tired of that smell after all the trips with Mom.
I drove #Seth back to his Mom's and get his truck and we went out separate ways with a hug and the promise he would text me if he needs anything. He went inside, probably to make sure that it was tidy for #Sue when she was home. But I turned the Jeep around and went right for the bar. I was already halfway there when I remembered never replied to Leah or told Mac I was on my way.
•- Leah Clearwater -•
The morning rounds started with the nurses coming in to check on Ma and how she has slept. They offered her some breakfast which she hadn’t hardly toughed. #Jay and #Billy refused to go home when Ma told them that she would be fine. However, they did go outside when the Doctor finally arrived to check.
He was happy with her sticks, with the sleep she had, he told us his blood count was up, however he also told her that she needed to eat before they would let her go. Ma smiled her trademark smile saying that she would eat something nice and big once she was home and showered. She didn’t like to have her breakfast before she showered. So, I didn’t push. This was when I knew that she would be okay.
The minute the doctor was done with his work, she started to quiz him on why there was no ring on his finger. And I closed my eyes and counted to five before she said. “My daughter Leah, she’s right there behind you. She is single too. She is such an amazing young lady.” And I wanted to ground to open up.
When I opened my eyes, they were both looking at me, and the doctor for once had the look that said. “I get it, my mom does the same to me.”
This time I didn’t even have a go at Ma when he and the nurses left. I didn’t care what she did, as long as she was here, fit and healthy. When #Billy and #Jay returned I asked if they could stay with Ma and make sure she eats her breakfast.
‘Where are you going Usdi?’ Ma asked, I kissed her head.
“I need to go and pay the bill Ma, I will be right back.” Kissing her head again, I left the room. I had only gone a few steps when I hear #Billy calling out my name from behind. Worried something had happened I ran back to him. “What happened? Is…” He held up a leather wallet. “What is this, Billy?” I asked
‘It’s what I have at home. Jake is going to the bank right now and will be back as soon as he has taken out what we have. Together we will pay this bill Lealea.”
I swallowed down that hard lump in my throat again. My hand on the wallet I lowered it to his chest. I knew how hard he and Jake saved. This money would be the reason what Jake would be happy to leave Billy. Knowing that his dad had something to fall back on.
“Billy, you have nothing to worry about. I have the money. The bill won’t be that much.” He gave me that look. He knew what the care in this hospital would put us back. “Have faith in my Billy. I have Ma covered. I have this covered. But…” I bent down on my knees to come eye to eye with him. “Thank you. Thank you for offering.”
•- Embry Call -•
I stepped out when I parked the Jeep at the front of the HWH, I stepped out. I could hear the truck approaching, but only barely SO I pulled out my phone and typed back to Leah:
[𝙰 𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝙹𝚊𝚌𝚔𝚜𝚘𝚗 𝙷𝚊𝚢𝚎𝚜' 𝚋𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚠𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚒𝚝 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗.]
Then a second one:
[𝙼𝚊𝚢𝚋𝚎 𝟸]
I smirked and made my way around to the back of the bar the double door were open and Mac walked out just as got there.
'What are you smirking about?' He asked. 'Good news from the hospital?'
"Yeah... #MrsClearwater is coming home today... but it could be a long few weeks of recovery. But I was just telling Leah she owes a few beers for helping out." I laughed ryly... just in case my expression gave any other ideas.
'How do figure that will work considering she insisted she could be here and she could handle it?' Mas teased as the truck pulled carefully around the building.
"Doesn't matter... Leah hates to think she owes someone. Even is she didn't ask... she still has the reward hard work." I smirked. It was true... she wouldn't really owe me... but it was how she saw things so if a few beers evened the scales I would drink them with gusto!
Mac tossed me a pair of work gloves and I pulled them on just the play human while we worked. "Alright, then boss... tell me where you want these?"
We got stuck in, I moved what the driver unloaded inside where Mac told me to take them while he checked everything off a list.
•- Leah Clearwater -•
From Lucky - [𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚖𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚢 𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚊𝚌𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚒𝚝 𝚍𝚘𝚎𝚜𝚗’𝚝 𝚋𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚔 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚒𝚗𝚟𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚋𝚘𝚗𝚍. 𝙸𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚗𝚢 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎, 𝙸 𝚊𝚖 𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚢 𝚝𝚘 𝚕𝚘𝚊𝚗 𝚒𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚢𝚘𝚞.]
I read Lucky’s text twice before pocketing my phone and stepping out of the elevator on the admin floor. Feeling useless in this building whenever I came into it. Until I realised that I could help people by taking the pressure off of them when it came to this finally walk to pay the bill.
Then I set Ma’s insurance card down the woman behind the desk gave me a look. I knew what she was thinking. People like me didn’t tend to have insurance, people like me tended not to come off the Rez away from our small doctors clinic. Let alone the shock on her face when I told her I would clear the rest of the bill with my bank card and not a credit card.
‘It’s a lot of money dear.’ She smiled with a patronising tap on the back of my hand when I set the card down Before her. “I know. Funny enough I know how to read, write and count. Now… do your job… and take the payment.” One glare from me has her quaking in her heels. “And I want a full brown down invoice while you are at it….. thanks.”
I was never rude to the staff in hospitals. But women like this one, she thought herself high and mighty because she felt she had power. Little did she know.
My phone buzzes, I took it out and shook my head reading the text from Call.
To Call: [𝙸 𝙲𝚊𝚗 𝚍𝚘 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚋𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝚝𝚠𝚘 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎. -𝙻]
Hitting send I smirked a little. Not telling him what the better would be
•- Embry Call -•
#Mac finished checking off the delivery notice and started helping me move the boxes. I had taken care of the kegs first… they didn’t weight that much more than a case of beer bottles.. but they were more awkward to carry and knew he had an issue with his back already.
“Take your time will you?” I teased him. ‘You’re making me to look bad.” I tried to keep him talking as we worked but he was still lifting two cases at a time.
‘Do you need a little more time in the gym, Call?’ He laughed. ‘I’ll give you some pointers if you want?’ he teased right back.
I responded by lifting three cases and following him into the stock room. “I think I’m good!” I laughed. I felt my phone vibrate but I didn’t want to stop until this was done.
‘Show off!’ He scoffed. ‘I could do that.. but… I’m not as tall as a tree so I wouldn’t see where I’m going.’
“Keep telling yourself that.” I laughed.
And then he started to ask about the open mic night… things like why I never told anyone I could sing… and how shocked he was by Nessie’s voice. He wondered why neither of us ever pursued it as a career…
“Wait like… sing for a living?” I scoffed. “Nope! Were you not there that night? I about shat my pants on that stage!”
‘Only for the singing… I bet you’d get over that.’ He replied. Stopping the gulp down half a bottle of water.
I used the chance to reply to Leah.
To Leah: [𝙲𝚘𝚕𝚘𝚛 𝚖𝚎 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚛𝚒𝚐𝚞𝚎𝚍… 𝙷𝚘𝚠’𝚜 𝚂𝚞𝚎 𝚍𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚐? 𝙰𝚗𝚢 𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚊 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢’𝚕𝚕 𝚜𝚒𝚐𝚗 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚢𝚎𝚝?]
“Nah… what’s that saying about never doing what you love for a living? I think Ness feels the same.”
‘There’s a saying about that?’ Mac seemed to think.
“Isn’t there?” I shrugged. “Feels like there should be.”
•- Leah Clearwater -•
‘How much stuff did Sue need for one night?’ Jay asked the moment the door was opened and I stepped inside.
“Ness.” Is all that had to be said, he smiled as he would knowing the meaning right way. We all knew the imprints so well, especially Ness. We all had spent time with that kid, as she grew up before our eyes. And now we knew how she would react, and this had her stamp all over it. Hadn’t I had this conversation already? I didn’t know it was all becoming one to me right now because my mind was on Ma in that locked bathroom.
‘I’ll take these down to the car and then be back to help.’ He said before lifting the page and heading out.
The sounds coming from the bathroom told me where Ma was, I gave the room a once over before turning to find #Billy right there looking up at me. ‘Well? How much was the bill?’
My eyebrows shot up with a roll of my eyes. “I told you Billy, it’s covered. We are all good.”
This man had been one of the first to pick me up when I came home. I heard the stories from Ma and Da about Aunty Sarah and Billy coming rushing over to decorate our home to welcome. So, he always thought he could read me. And at times he could because I left him a few bread crumbs. But today wasn’t that day.
The door behind him opened with Ma coming out. ‘Fine, but this conversation isn’t over.’ His voice low enough for me to hear but not for Ma.
“Yes, it is.” I muttered before worked my way around him to Ma’s side. “Are you really to go home?”
‘I am, I need a shower to get this hospital smell off me.’ I knew what she meant. It was something I was used to. Once I’d been around the Cullen’s for long enough everything else smelt like roses. ( Not really but yeah. )
‘The doctor said he would be back with some medication, then we can take Sue home.’ Billy told me. The two of them began to talk about something but I tuned it out. Leaning on the back wall I crossed my ankles and arms over my chest to watch them.
When my phone went off, I pulled it out and rolled my eyes.
To Call. [I was talking about lasagne, Wisearse! We are waiting for Ma’s meds and the Doc, should be out and bringing her home before lunch. -L]
Hitting send, I shot off the same ish text to #TheKid, and #Jake too. just letting them know.
•- Embry Call -•
Once we finished putting the boxes away #Mac tossed me a soda and sat at the bar next to me. “It’s weird seeing you on this side of the bar.” I chuckled.
‘Honestly… it’s weird sitting here.’ He admitted with a chuckle. ‘Lee and #Seth are gonna as take this hard.’ He said with a sigh.
“I stayed with #Seth last night, he’s okay. I’d say he’s at the hospital now… they’ll be fine once they do it together.” I assured him.
‘You do that a lot don’t you?’ He asked, brows pinched until a V appeared between them. I gave him a look that said ‘Do what?’
‘Look after people... Without them knowing you're doing it.’ he continued.
“Not really... I don't really do anything I'm just... There. Most of the time people know exactly what they need to do. They just need someone there... So...” I shrugged.
‘That's still more than what a lot of people do... Probably better because you let them figure it out themselves.’ he was thinking out loud... I swigged from the can and pulled out my phone.
[That’s exactly what I had in mind. The bar is sorted. Try to rest when she is settled at home.]
Then I followed it up with another. Knowing we would both need to delete the message immediately. But it said everything that was needed to be said, I was here... No matter what she needed.
[I got you]
‘What about your mom?’ #Mac asked. ‘How is she doing?’
“Oh...” it was a topic I want expecting, which was stupid considering the topic was sick Moms. “I'm... Yeah. She is doing better. I mean the only cure is a new kidney. But the medical grant from the council really took the pressure off and bring less stress out seems to have had a major impact.”
‘Seems to have worked for you too... You hadn't been the guy I was used to seeing around here for the last few months.’ #Mac added with a knowing look.
“Yeah... Trying to keep the bills paid and mom looked after... It was... Hard. But now I can focus on her.”
•- Leah Clearwater -•
I knew he was coming from the sound of his feet and his scent. Before he was at the door, I opened it and stood back so he saw Ma sitting up in bed laughing with the doctor and #Billy. His heart was hammering in his chest, and I could tell he was trying and failing to control himself.
“She is going to be okay kid.” I said in a low voice as he came to the door and stopped.
Watching him from the side I gave him the time he needed to take her in, to see for himself, because I knew I would have needed to confirm it for myself if I were him too.
‘She’s going to be fine.’ He repeated.
‘Here he is. My baby.’ Ma held her good arm outstretched towards him, beckoning him to come in. When he did, I kept the door open because I could hear #Jay coming too.
‘All set?’ he asked rubbing his hands together. Just as the Doctor gave Ma the sign off to leave.
“Looks like it.”
I took the prescription from the nurse giving it a once over. Letting the guys take Ma as I listened to the instructions of what was needed and when. Being told to keep the bandages dry for at least 72 hours, which meant we would have to be careful when we took her home, and she showered.
Leaving the room behind the others my phone went off and I read the two messages. A rush of calm came over me, and I knew I should delete that last part. Three little words, and it was so much more that I heard from it.
[Sure, you did. Thank you -L]
I didn’t need to say ‘thank you for helping Mac, for stepping in for the Kid and me, so that we could be here for Ma. Thank you for saying you have me. That no matter what, you will be beside me.’ Because he knew it was all inclusive.
Hitting send I rushed down the stairs as the rest went to the elevator. Running down then four steps at a time, I made it to the pharmacy on the ground floor. Showing then the discharge papers and prescriptions. Gathering them just as the others arrived in the lobby.
‘Sis, it may be best to take Ma home in mine, Jay is going to take Billy home, and…’
“I will drive Ma’s car back. It’s a good plan.” The porter rolled Ma out into the waiting area as the Kid came around. Only once they had all left, did I make my way to the parking lot to follow them back to La Push.
•- Embry Call -•
I helped Mac restock the bar… but they seemed to get most of that done after closing. Then I said goodbye to #Mac telling him to text me if he needed anything else.
I headed straight to #Billy’s I knew he wasn’t there but #Nessie’s had offered to stay so she could take my phone and the hospital beeper while I did my run. When I got there she was sitting on the porch at the top of Billy's wheelchair ramp staring out at the road instead of the trees… that is how I knew something was wrong.
I stood next to her and squeezed her shoulders. “What’s on your mind little one?” I asked.
‘I just... it’s…’ she sighed. ‘They’re all going to die.’
I flinched; tact was never her thing. But neither was malice. Her hand flew up to her mouth. ‘Oh my god!’ She stood up in a flash and hugged me. ‘I’m so sorry… I shouldn’t have said that… not to you… I just…’
“It’s okay Ness. You can say these things. I know how you feel.” I hugged her back. “I know it’s hard for you to see them sick or hurt.” Them being the humans she loved. “It makes sense… most of your family is essentially indestructible. But you love harder than anyone i have ever met Little One. And every single human you’ve ever met is better just for knowing you.”
She sniffled now and I squeezed her a little. ‘But what do we do when they’re gone?’
“We hurt… until remembering them doesn’t hurt as much. And we love them anyway. We make them proud to have loved us when they were with us and remember everything, they taught us.”
She sniffled again and pushed me away. ‘I hate you sometimes, you know that.’ She wiped away her tears, but a weak smile broke through I could tell she was breaking through the dark cloud.
“No, you don’t.” I teased her.
‘You should go before you’re late.’ She swiped at her face again.
“Do you need me to call someone to keep you company? #Kim is home today…” I offered but she cut me off.
‘Quil is bringing Claire over… We’re going to make jewellery.’ She laughed and I started to see the optimistic Ness again.
“As long as it's not leather…” I pointed to the cuffs on her wrists. “I think Quil would kill you.”
She shook her head and laughed. ‘No… she had a beading project for school. I said I would teach her since #Emily is so busy.’
“Awesome… Get her to make something pink and sparkle for Leah… she could use the laugh and she can’t say no to that girl.” Then I headed for the trees with the sound of my best friends imprint laughing behind me.
•- Leah Clearwater -•
With Ma settled in bed, I left her with #TheKid to get started on making some dinner. I knew that even one night away from home would had been hard on her. So, it would be best not to make her eat anything from outside. And really, I wanted to cook. Ma had always been in love with cooking, for her it was a art form that she would feed those who she loved with. She never backed down from feeding anyone who stepped foot into her home, or if she found out they were under the weather.
She had a fresh chicken and vegetables in her fridge, which meant I got to work on a soup. The chicken went into the oven to roast with some herbs, onion, garlic, and butter. And the veggies I began to clean and chop.
#TheKid came down some time into the day to take ma up some tea, and then returned to help. ‘Ma’s sleeping. She cannot keep her eyes open.’
“It’s been a lot on her body. Sometimes… I guess we forget just how human she really is.”
We didn’t say anything else. I cooked and he baked. He wanted to make something, anything, it was more about doing something without time, because if we stopped, we would think, and if that happened. Then we would… I didn’t want to think about it.
Two hours later there was a knock on the door, we found #MsC and #Emily came in with a bag filled with food.
‘Leah. You should be sleeping. We have dinner made.’ I could hear the sounds of a kiddo in the bad, and then he was rushed in on the shoulders of #TheKid making my lips curl up into a smirk.
“I needed something to do.” I told them shredding the chicken.
‘Let’s face it. This house is going to be busy for the next few days. It will add be eaten.’ #MsC said as she was about to sit down on the table. I stopped her.
“No. In the living room. Or you can go and climb into bed with Ma. Your choice.” She smiled patting my cheek.
‘With Sue.’ She said. #The Kid handed the kiddo over to me and helped #MsC up to settle her with Ma.
‘Leelee.’ The Kiddo asked.
“Hmm?”
‘Where is Ulisi Sue?’ (Grandmother)
“She’s not feeling well kiddo. She’s resting. You can play with Uncle Seth for now, and then later you can see her. Okay?”
‘They—’ I cut #TheKid off.
“Want tea.” Handing the kiddo back over I let #Emily do, her thing I told her she should be resting. And she said the same back to me. As I got to boiling some water for the tea and finish off the big pot of chicken soup.
•- Embry Call -•
After my run, I spent a few minutes with Claire at the Black's house, with ended with me covered head to toe in glitter and sporting a fabulous new red and black bracelet.
I made my way home to shower and shave (which I really needed). I knew I wouldn't need to leave out food for #Quil, he mostly ate at Emily's when he had #Bear. Then I changed into my uniform and shot off a text to Leah.
To Leah - [Leaving the Jeep home tonight just in case. I know you hate driving, but you can’t exactly get your mom on the back of your bike. You won’t need it. But just in case. You know where the keys are.]
I took my bike to my mom’s, but the house was locked up and there was a note on the fridge - she was just as bad at texting as I was - saying Emily had taken her to #Sue's the help The Kids. I laughed and stuffed that into my pocket because would get a kick out of being called a kid. The note also mentioned a language and specific instructions to reheat it in the oven and not the microwave. So, I naturally put a 𝕤𝕝𝕚𝕔𝕖 (half) of it into the microwave for five minutes. How had fifteen minutes to wait for a lasagne?
I poured a glass of milk and sorted through the mail. checking on Mom's pill organisers and checking to see which of her prescription needed to be refilled. Until the timer went off and then I sat at the table to eat with my music as loud as my phone would go.
I fucking hated eating alone. Guilt crept in at the thought... what a stupid thing to think after everything that had happened... But I let myself feel it, then reminded myself what was important.
•- Leah Clearwater -•
The mom’s ate their dinner in Ma’s room. The two were catching in low whispers the last time I listened to see if they needed anything. It was a little tricky with #MsC here, Ma couldn’t just say she needed some water and then have me or #TheKid show up with a bottle. So, we had to listen and then go up asking if we heard them in need.
‘I cannot believe even Sue’s frozen soups taste this good.’ #Sam said standing from the table. He has arrived here from his run, to check in and then take his wife and son home. However, with dinner on the go. He wasn’t going to leave without eating.
‘No matter what she makes, it’s like eating in the land of the spirits.’ #Emily tasted her husband.
#TheKid glanced up at me from where he stood refilling his and #Sam’s bowl but didn’t say anything to the two. ‘Yeah, The Clearwater’s have magic in their hands.’ He finally said sitting down with the two bowls.
Once dinner was over, Sam said that he would drive #MsC home, however I frowned. Going upstairs to the two. “Hey Beautiful, why don’t you stay here the night? I can make up my bed for you. It would help the Kid and me a lot as your friend here will never listen to us.” Giving her the biggest ‘You would be saving me’ look I could. She had her evening meds with her, and I could drive her back home in the morning in time for her morning ones.
Telling the others of the change of plans, I set my room up for #MsC, giving it a quick dust, changing the covers, and making sure she had everything she needed for a comfortable night. I didn’t know why, But knowing that Embry was working tonight, I just needed these two women where I could see them.
‘I’ll take them up some tea.’ #TheKid told me when I came back down, the house was quite again with the little one gone. Giving me a moment to check my phone. It had buzzed which I was changing the bed.
Glancing over my shoulder, I stood reading his reply once again before replying.
To EMBRY - [If I need it, I will take it. The Kid is here for now, so things should be okay. I am keeping your mom here too. I need them both where I can see them. Don’t work too hard. -L]
Unsure how he would take the fact that I have kidnapped his mom, my eyes were on the back yard and the shed. Slight scent of blood still in the air, however #Jacob and #Ness had done a good job with the clean-up. I knew I would have another go at cleaning in the morning.
‘Hey, are you heading home?’ #TheKid came back into the kitchen with the used cups from the Moms.
“No. I am staying,” I told him.
‘Sis, you were at the hospital last night. Go home, shower, change, sleep. I will be here all night. I am not going anywhere. I got this.’ I knew he did. But I couldn’t leave. I just couldn’t.
To Be Continued in Part Two
#LeahClearwater#EmbryCall#TwilightRP#TwiRP#AUWorld#HotHeadSheWolf#SpiritsHotHead#BabBoyEmbryCall#sueclearwater#tiffanycall
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Seb/Angelo don’t Fully Spark Joy for me and Azure. So we talk about developing Rougewolfe and Angelo interactions instead.
darkicedragon
Yeah, hm. Theres no Spark for me w angelo and seb
Theyve got the culture and class differences, but they dont clash AGAINST each other. They tease, but dont make each other react
azure
same ú-ù
Angelo has potential, but Seb just doesn't cut it
*sigh
he's not Muzaka, unfortunately
darkicedragon
Hes an m at closest, pff. But w self esteem. A lil ball of rage
azure
technically yes, but even his angst falls flat
and boy, I should eat him up with the amount of shit that happened to him
darkicedragon
We need qn escaped alpha
....
............
Roguewolf
Well shit 😂
A failed alpha who went thru all the experiments and augments and is a ball or rage
azure
YESSSS
someone to balance Angelo
heck
I'd eat this ISH UP!
GIMMIE
GIMMIE THIS EXACTLY
darkicedragon
Doing what he can to get by, but too traumatised to do much and ends up back in the hands of scientists again
azure
HNNNNNGGGGG
you
I like ur brain
darkicedragon
Tho would angelo have anything to do with him, since roguewolfs dna just isnt fit for alpha augs. Unless roguewolf tries hunter, has a bad reaction and angelo wants to fix it since he feels its his fault hunter is on the streets
Or the new batch isnt meant for ppl already enhanced
darkicedragon
Roguewolfe hating it there bc it just reminds him of his Failure and all the shit he was put thru, and just rage bc of the strong association angelo has w augur
....
And also angelo getting a first hand acct of whats been going on under his nose, so now he has to figure out what to do with all this information and how to adjust with his new perception of augur (unless he already had suspicions, but never had time to dig deeper into it)
azure
whose blood were they using for hunter?
wasn't it roguewolf's?
darkicedragon
W adjustments. Maybe they improved his own mixture enough that his dna rejected the new mixture like the original
azure
> Roguewolfe hating it there bc it just reminds him of his Failure...
smells like a lovely combination of M and Muzaka
and I'm digging it so hard uwu 👌
Wolf not trusting Angelo, but having no choice but to follow and obey him bc he can help him not die due to his faulty augs
while Angelo is v =-= bc something is clearly at fault, but he doesn't know how to fix it
darkicedragon
Angelo asking abt rogues scars
'Its from the alpha training?? Did you seriously never oversee any of it?'
'An accident...?'
'Hah. As intended. You ask any alpha around how many scars they got from training and come back to me, or do you only listen to other scientists?'
azure
ohohoho yessss
darkicedragon
'Oh right, you WONT see them, bc they were the SUCCESSFUL ones, so all their scars were smoothed over with the augments, never to be seen again'
'I...'
azure
🤤 👌
also night terrors that go extremely bad because Wolf uses his powers to defend himself
and Angelo has to physically hold him down and wake him up
which is not easy, bc him enhancing Wolf meant he was pretty powerful
darkicedragon
omggggg. is wolfe being looked after in augur building or angelos home, bc wolfe might put his fist thru a wall 😂
darkicedragon
'you never asked, did you. what happened to the failures. you were too interested in the ones who made it thru, your little pet project, never thinking abt what happened to the rest of us'
'i just thought-'
'yeah. you did. the rest of us never mattered, so long as you got your fucking results for your golden alphas'
azure
I love this 🥰
also bc Angelo being at an impasse
coming to terms with all the ppl he indirectly hurt
darkicedragon
yesssss
azure
hmmm, I'd like to say Angelo's home bc angelo... illegally stabilizing Wolf
maybe as thanks for him giving him hints about hunter
also bc I don't think Wolf would want to go back to augur ever
darkicedragon
and since wolfe isnt an official alpha, shouldnt be treated in the building either
azure
THE DOGGOS O0O
the doggos sensing when Wolf is in a reaaaally bad place, going to him to calm him down
Angelo finds him dozing off in a corner, with the doggos piled up on him/next to him
bc they sensed him having a night terror/a burst of anger and they grounded him
darkicedragon
angelo def knowing somethings up when the dogs go to wolfe rather than him 8')
also zeus going to angel to help wake wolfe up
azure
while Apollo is just a puppy pile on top of Wolf all <QnQ>
*smol whines bc he's not waking up and he's hurting
darkicedragon
yesssss. licking his face and wolfe still isnt waking up
azure
and when Angelo wakes him up, he's startled and lashes out
at angelo, not at the doggos, ofc uwu
darkicedragon
angelo is the first face he sees, while doggos 'only' feel like restraints, so its angelo he lunges for
...
good thing angelo can heal and doesnt feel 8')))
unless wolfe isnt that strong
azure
Angelo does a good job at fixing him ^-^
maybe he didn't mean to make him that strong
he... accidentally made him strong
Angelo like
"Ah, hmm.... Oh, well'
darkicedragon
😂
he got too In The Zone and suddenly hes been pouring over wolfe's dna and what to tweak and he's got 10 missed called from hastings wondering where the hell hes been and hes missed all these V Imp Meetings
azure
yessss
and he's like 'tsk, such a nuisance'
oooh, maybe Wolf was breaking down or getting real sick
and he had 2 options
crawl back to augur and hope they fix him
or make a deal with Angelo
Wolf hearing Angelo is looking for more info about Hunter and Wolfe can get him that info
darkicedragon
yaaaaa
azure
in exchange for Angelo fixing him and not letting him die
"No offense, doc, but you couldn't take a single step in the slums and not be recognized. I blend in easily, I can get you the info you need. You just fix me."
darkicedragon
yesssssss
azure
"Are you looking to get unlicensed enhancements?"
"No, I just wanna stay alive"
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HEART'S PRICE - CHAPTER 54
*Warning: Adult Content*
Doctor Ambrose Thorne stares at Aengus a moment and something in his expression shifts.
“Noah, go," he says, low and urgent. "Get the fuck out of here, get somewhere safe, go now!"
"I w-w-won't leave you." Noah Hunter argues, hating that his stammer has chosen this moment to reappear, even as he begins to shake with adrenaline and mounting fear. "I w-won't run."
Keeping one eye on the shadowy hound as it paces nearer, head lowered and blood-red eyes lit with a malevolent glow, Noah swallows hard and does his best to sound fierce as he goes on.
"If I'm y-your heart then he w-won't hurt me, he needs me as m-m-much as he needs you,"
"Twenty seconds," Aengus cuts in. "And you're only partly right, mongrel. I do need you. I just don't need you alive."
Ambrose hisses with anger, then startles Noah as he catches him by the upper arms and spins him around so his back is to the stairs, shielded from Aengus' view.
"Noah, listen. You're not running," he breathes. "You're going for help. You're no coward, I know that. You're my fierce, brave, beautiful, my lovely little wolf and I need you to go. Please."
“Go." Ambrose yells and shoves Noah with such force that he startles and stumbles back until he’s barely balanced on the top stair and he hears something like the authority of an Alpha in his tone.
A momentary war rages in Noah’s heart between two conflicting urges, stay with his Mate and fight at his side or obey his Mate and flee.
The decision is made for him when the creature growls again and Noah glances its way.
Its shadow-smoke shape shifts constantly and never quite settles on a distinct form, only its eyes and its long white teeth never change.
Noah shuts his eyes briefly but he can still hear it and still smell the sulfurous tang of its decaying scent.
Maybe it isn't real.
Maybe Aengus is just fucking with their heads like some imitation Professor X.
Then again, something knocked over the table and broke the vase and something else tells Noah that, however talented he might be, Aengus Thorne is not that talented.
Noah opens his eyes again and suddenly he’s convinced of three things, first, that, whatever it is, the creature is real, second, that it will kill him if it catches him and finally, that he’s no good to Ambrose if he’s dead.
"NOAH." Ambrose shouts again and the anguish in his voice is unbearable.
Noah meets his eyes, seeing in them the reflection of his own fear and then he turns and runs.
"Ten seconds," Aengus calls after me, sounding almost bored.
Leaping down the stairs, Noah sprints across the entrance hall, bolts through the front door and dashes out into the yard.
As he runs, he can't help counting in his own head.
Nine... Eight... Seven...
Reaching the gate, he doesn't stop to open it, instead vaulting over the low stone wall before darting across the street towards the thick woods on the other side.
Six... Five... Four...
He knows he should look for Freya or Dane, or head towards town where there might be other people or at least Shift to his wolf-form, so he can run and see better in the dark...
Three... Two...
Panic strikes him through the heart and he plunges into the dense brush, cutting towards the trail that leads around the lake.
One.
Behind him, from back at the house, Noah hears a blood-chilling howl.
It's not the howl of a wolf or a dog or any animal he’s ever heard before.
It's multi-toned, low and long, rising on the air and carrying a promise of death in its unnatural notes.
A demon's howl.
As if Thomas wasn't bad enough, now this.
His breath comes quick and shallow, his heart racing fast and light as he sprints at full-tilt along the paved pathway beneath the bare branches of sleeping trees.
Above, the full moon lights the sky behind high tattered clouds that fly like torn rags across its face.
The air that fills his nose and lungs carries the scent of this season of decay, of fungal blooms and lush moss and of rotting wood and layers of fallen leaves, beneath which move the myriad small, creeping things that call the forest floor their home.
It's the sort of fine, mist-laced night that in other times, in better circumstances, Noah would have liked to turn Wolf and sprint over the open fields, hunt with his brothers and sisters up in the pine-clad mountain slopes and serenade the moon from atop a bald, stone-capped hill, the delights of a Wolf in top form.
Tonight, though, as Ambrose noted earlier, he’s not in top form.
It's nearly four in the morning.
Noah has already been shot by his ex, saved by his Mate, scared half to death by his creepy undying 'father' and now there's a demon after him.
What more could go wrong?
This thought has barely crossed his mind when, of course, his bad luck catches up with him.
His glasses have fogged from his breath in the cold night air and unable to see, I miss a bend in the path, hurtle over the edge and tumble down a steep embankment of slippery mud and soft, fallen leaves, fetching up hard against a tree.
His ribs take the brunt of the impact and he lies on his back a moment, breathless and stunned.
Above him, the bare, interlaced branches of the trees look like skeletal black fingers against the moonlit sky and he struggles to fill his lungs with air against the pain seizing the muscles in his chest.
At last, he manages it and gulp down a few deep breaths of damp air while fighting the urge to cough.
Not far off, he hears something moving through the brush, snapping twigs and crunching through the frost-stiffened leaves as it comes.
Gaining his feet, Noah backs away, a thrill of fear tingling hot and cold over his skin.
He’s close to the edge of the lake now, his bare feet sinking a few inches into the oozing dark mud, the temperature barely above freezing and finds himself faced with a new dilemma, to run or to hide and which of these two terrors would be worse?
Would He rather be run down and taken like prey or be hunted like a rabbit in a hole, his terror increasing moment by moment as his pursuer nears, step by step?
Noah waits a heartbeat too long and just as he makes his desperate choice, to break cover and flee along the shore, something moves beyond the screen of brush at the edge of the trees.
Something huge, black, shadowy and not entirely corporeal.
It's about to emerge from the dense thicket and spot him, when Noah hears a quiet disturbance in the water at his back, a whisper and a splash and then something thick and scaly whips around his chest, encircling him in tight coils, pinning his arms to his sides and covering his mouth before pulling him backwards off his feet and into the lake.
Quick and quiet as a leaping fish, Noah is pulled under with barely a ripple.
Freezing water rushes over him and darkness closes round and with his mouth covered, he can't even take a proper breath in his surprise.
The shock of cold water stings his flesh and makes his muscles seize and he fights the urge to gasp as the coils holding him loosen briefly before tightening again.
As whatever has Noah, holds him beneath the surface and drags him swiftly out into deeper water, the young man’s lungs begin to burn with the need for air and he does his best to fight.
Noah struggles, twists and thrashes but it's no use, he’s no match for the snakelike coils holding him fast.
His strength ebbs, his breath escapes like flashing silver fishes fleeing for the light.
Stars and sparkles burst in his vision and a rushing sound fills his ears as he starts to black out, drowning in the darkness beneath the unbroken surface of a still, winter lake.
Noah stops fighting, going still as his mind goes blank.
Then he begins to hallucinate, which some analytical corner of his mind tells him it is just his brain dying from lack of oxygen but which seems startlingly real.
Real and oddly comforting.
The steel-strong coils become a pair of gentle arms embracing him and warm lips cover his and breathe soft air into his lungs.
Noah’s body convulses again but the arms hold firm and it seems as if he hear a quiet voice, speaking in his mind.
‘Be still, friend. The danger is not yet passed. Be still.’
Noah blinks against the dark water as his mind clears a little and realize that the burning in his lungs has lessened and that they're filled with air.
Through his blurry vision, it seems he’s in the center of a swirl of black lake-grass, encircling him in a soft cocoon, while gentle hands hold the sides of his face and the warm lips press to his again, feeding him air and life.
Knowing he can't fight and with his fear having dissipated as swiftly as the bubbles of his breath, Noah surrenders.
Some time later, he’s not sure how much, he feels himself pulled through the water again.
He breaks the surface and emerges into the icy air, though it seems he barely feels the cold and then he is laid down in the layers of thick leaves a few yards from the shore.
Someone leans over him and as his eyes strive to focus he makes out a familiar face, dark brows pinched and long black hair falling in a curtain, woven through with lake weeds and streaming water.
This was the black 'grass' that had enveloped me, Noah realizes.
"Sh-Sh-Shan...ti," he whispers through lips he can't feel.
She touches the side of his face, her fingers feeling hot against his freezing skin.
"Yes."
Shanti nods.
"I am sorry, Noah. The rakshasa had your scent. I had to hide you."
"R-R-Rak—?" Noah can't finish the word, his body having begun to shake so violently he accidentally bites his tongue.
“Yes, rakshasas are a kind of... demon," she says distractedly, her pleasant accent a little more pronounced than I've heard so far.
"Man-eaters,' they are sometimes called. They can take any shape, though usually they appear more human-like. Noah has not seen one such as this before. He thinks it may be acting against its will. It gave up more easily than he expected."
As Shanti speaks, she smooths her hands up and down Noah’s arms and across his chest, evidently trying to warm him, though without much effect.
"Y-Y-You... You-re..."
"Shh..." She whispers, pressing her warm fingers to Noah’s lips.
"Yes, I am both what you think and not what you think. I am a nagi, the daughter of a water-dragon king, the Nagaraja. But I did not come here to be a thief. I came here to stop one."
Noah feels her hand against his throat and she frowns.
"You are hypothermic. We must get you warm. But I..."
Shanti glances up abruptly, going still, then cups her long-nailed hands around her mouth.
"Here. He is here. I have him." she calls.
The sound of something large crashing through the brush makes Noah gasps like a stranded fish with renewed fear, thinking that it's the rakshasa thing, or Aengus himself, maybe but he can't move.
Shanti shushes him again and Noah sees the glint of scales on her upper body and arms, gleaming with silver iridescence in the light of the moon.
Her lower body, he realizes at the same time, is that of an enormous snake. Then, two figures burst from the line of trees and rush forward, the larger falling at his side and catching him in strong arms, while the other throws a smelly old woolen blanket over him.
"Goddamn it, Noah," Dane gasps hoarsely, holding Noah to his broad chest as Freya looks on, literally biting her nails. "Why couldn't you have fallen in love with a vampire or a... a politician, or something? Why did it have to be a goddamned Dragon with a shit-ton of family baggage, huh?"
"S-S-S-Sorry," Noah gasps, beginning to shiver with a violence that feels like it will shake his joints apart.
"No," Freya objects, kneeling in the mud and rubbing my hand between hers. "No, brother, Dane doesn't mean that."
She glances up at Dane with a glare and a flash of amber in her eyes.
"We love you and we stand by whoever you call your Mate. Just... ask for some fucking help next time, okay? Isn't that what you're always telling me? That's what Pack is for."
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