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#and the big glass doors and the dog. ok there are people there but they’re ignoring me I’ll just drop it off at the door like normal.
spnexploration · 1 year
Text
Collared part 27
Pairing: Dean x Reader eventually
Series summary: Sam and Dean save a woman from where she has been held as a slave by a witch. But things turn dark whenever they try to take her magic collar off, leaving them with a slave to look after and a curse to break.
Episode summary: The boys keep an eye on you.
Warnings: drug use, concerns about potential suicidal thoughts
Word count: 1.2k
Series masterlist | Supernatural writing masterlist
Part 26 <- -> Part 28
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“Ok, fine, if it’ll get you two off my back I’ll call 998.”
“It’s 988,” Sam said kindly.
“Whatever,” you sassed at him. “I’m not suidical, I don’t need some telephone shrink to tell me I am.”
“I am reasonably certain that that is not what they’re going to do. Just, tell them about the pills and what you were feeling at the time, and see what they say. See if they have ideas for next time you’re feeling that way.” You looked up into his big, puppy dog eyes, pleading with you.
“Fiiiiine. But I’m doing it alone!”
Sam and Dean exchanged a look. “Oh, for the love of God, you two and your looks! Ok, you can watch me dial, you can see them pick up, and then you are OUT!”
“Agreed,” Dean said, entering the conversation. He often seemed to make decisions for the two of them, you wondered if he knew that.
Sam handed you an old-looking phone. “It’s a burner, they can’t trace it here, and it’s not tied to any of our names. So if you do let anything slip that you didn’t want to, don’t worry about it. They won’t be knocking on the door.”
You keyed in the numbers. 9. 8. 8. You took a deep breath.
Here goes nothing.
---
The brothers finally let you out of their sight after that, but you noticed that one of them would come check on you hourly. “Did you guys set up a schedule or something? Is there some kind of fucking sticker chart for who goes to visit the crazy chick the most?!” you yelled at Dean. He always did make you angriest.
“You know what, I would like a sticker chart, thanks for the idea,” he said sarcastically. “Here I was slumming it just doing things out of the goodness of my own heart when I could have had stickers!”
You glared at him. He glared back.
“Well, you’re clearly fine, screaming at me is your favourite fucking hobby,” he grumped, then stormed off down the corridor.
---
5 minutes before the next hour, you crept to the library. The brothers were in their usual spots, reading old books and searching the web. Your cushion was against the wall, now.
“I, um, I thought I’d save you the trip,” you said nervously as you entered. “And, um, I’m sorry I yelled at you, Dean. I do appreciate you two looking out for me.”
Dean smiled at you, a genuine, warm smile. “Apology accepted, swee- uh, Y/N.”
“What, um, what are you guys doing?”
Dean pursed his lips before answering. He said in a gentle voice, “Are you sure you want to know?”
“I appreciate the concern, Dean, but I’m not made of glass.”
“We’re trying to research about Azaneth.”
“Oh. I probably should’ve guessed that. Does that mean you’re going after him?”
“If you want us to, we will.”
You shivered. Could they really kill him? What if he got them first? “What- um- what if, he, umm- what if he- whatifhe-”
Dean glanced at Sam, who stood up and approached you. He walked towards you slowly with his hands open and non-threatening. He put his hands gently on your shoulders.
“You don’t have to talk about him if you don’t want to, Y/N,” Sam said.
“It’s ok, I just- I just can’t-”
Sam rubbed his hands up and down your upper arms. “Are you worried about him getting you again?”
You bit your lip. “No… I mean, yes, of course, but umm,” you paused, and then said in a rush, “Imworriedabouthimgettingyoutwo.”
“I didn’t quite understand that, I’m sorry, Y/N,” Sam said earnestly.
“I’m worried that he’ll kill you two, and you shouldn’t risk your lives just because of me,” you mumbled, a little slower this time.
“Y/N, we care about you. We care about the other people that Azaneth is probably hurting, and even if it’s not like what he did to you, he’s a pretty big dickhead of a demon. We’re also not stupid, we don’t go into fights we don’t think we can get out of.”
“I guess…”
Dean stood up and came into your field of view again, no longer blocked by his brother, but he didn’t come too close. “Why shouldn’t we risk our lives for you?” he said quietly. “Why should we risk them for everyone else and not you?”
“I’m not worth it,” you muttered.
“The person who convinced you of that did you and everyone a massive disservice,” Dean replied, piercingly quiet. Like a teacher who could control a room with a whisper rather than a shout. It struck to your core, bringing up many, bewildering and painful emotions.
You fled to your room.
---
The brothers still took turns checking on you, but no one brought up Azaneth again. You all ate dinner on the cushions in the kitchen again, with the brothers carrying on a conversation and you not contributing. Still, it was nice to be included.
---
The next morning, Sam was putting away the clean dishes when you came into the kitchen.
“Guess I should learn where these go,” you joked weakly.
Sam chuckled, offering you a plate. “Goes in the bottom cupboard over there. Try not to drop it,” he teased.
“I didn’t actually think I’d drop them,” you said a little awkwardly. “But it was a possibility, so it wasn’t a lie. I just didn’t really want to do it that day.”
“It may surprise you to know this, but I was far more excited that you challenged me than if you’d helped me put away some dishes,” he said sincerely.
You nodded, then focused on the plate in your hand.
“Had you felt like there were things you didn’t want to do on other days?” he asked, then hastily added, “Sorry to pry, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”
You tipped your head slightly to the side as you thought. “In some ways, no. Not wanting to do something, and therefore not doing it, was a fairly foreign concept to me. There were things I was afraid of and dreaded, but I knew they’d happen anyway. Having something that I just didn’t want to do was... different.”
He nodded, having been focused on your face the whole time you were speaking.
“I- I don’t even quite know why I didn’t want to put the dishes away. I just suddenly realised in that moment that you asked me that I just, didn’t really feel like it. I didn’t feel like much that day.”
Sam looked like he wanted to say something, but stopped himself. Apparently, the boys were doing a lot of that around you recently.
“Whatever it is you’re thinking, you may as well say it,” you said to him.
“It’s just, I had a theory about what was going on for you that day. It took me a while to work it out but when I saw you in the evening it clicked. But I don’t want to mansplain you to you; I might be wrong.”
“Go ahead, I don’t know what I’m thinking half the time anyway.”
“You missed Dean,” he said quietly.
Oh.
Somehow, you hadn’t thought of that.
Was it true?
It felt a little bit true.
But that was ridiculous! If you missed him it was only because you missed the certainty of knowing what your master wanted, of the collar telling you what you had to do.
...Or was it?
.
.
.
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rosantha-tindall · 1 year
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I've posted this on Twitter before, but since Tumblr seems better for long text I thought I'd repost it here. I should also say that yes, I was an incredibly dumb kid.
When I was 15/16ish, I used to regularly walk up to the local library while my parents were at the supermarket, check out a ton of books, and then walk home. Well, soon after I got home this one day, the doorbell went. It was this guy, I pegged him at the time as being about my granddad’s age, which would put him in his 60s, glasses, green hat, heavy grey coat, umbrella (it was raining). He told me he was a friend of my dad’s and that my dad had borrowed some magazines of his and he wanted them back.
Me: He’s not home, you’ll have to come back later.
Him: That’s ok, I’ll just come in and get them.
Me: ??? No, you’ll have to wait until they’re home. They won’t be long.
This was true, by our routine I was normally home about an hour or so before my parents.
He told me he didn’t want to wait and that he could just come in and grab them.
I told him no again, but I was starting to feel nervous, because if he *was* a friend of my parents I’d get yelled at for not helping him. Again, dumb kid, and this was how my mum would react.
Now, at the time my family had this terrier dog. He was maybe 8/9 at the time, but he loved to meet people at the door and he’d come with me. And this dog was *vocal*. We used to joke he could talk because you could tell what he wanted by the pitch and tone of his voice. He had different sounds for everything.
I’d closed him behind the inner door, but I could still hear him, and his voice wasn’t making the normal happy visitor sounds he usually made. It wasn’t growling, but it was a weird grumbling noise I'd never really heard from him before, and I thought he’d got into something trying to get to the door (shoerack or bags or something), so now this was more pressure because I needed to get rid of this guy to deal with the dog.
I told him to come back later when my parents were home and tried to close the door.
He stopped me.
I can’t remember if he put his hand out or his foot in it, or what, but he stopped me, and kept insisting I let him in to get his damn magazines.
At this point I was freaked, and under no circumstances was he coming in the house. Meanwhile, Doggo was going crackers with the grumbling and strange sounding barks behind me.
Him: It’ll be quick, I’ll just grab them.
Me: No.
I’d been trying to be polite, but this was pretty much the moment I think I shut down all niceties.
Me: He’ll be back later, come back then.
And I closed the door in his face.
I was honestly more afraid of how pissed my parents were going to be at me for being so rude to a friend of theirs than this guy, I mean, he was just some old guy, but I locked the porch door, went back in the house, and locked the inner door too.
Doggo had not, as you probably guessed, got into anything, but was just grumbling and wuffing at the door. He didn't look defensive or anything, but he definitely wasn't comfortable.
I got a drink and thought about things. My dad’s not a big reader, never has been. Why would he borrow magazines?
Also, it was summer and my mum had opened half the windows in the house.
I went round the house, closed all the windows, and then locked doggo, a carving knife and I in the conservatory until my dad and brothers got home. Best choice I made in that entire debacle. My dad ended up having to call me because he'd forgotten his keys and I wouldn't answer the doorbell to let him in. He had not borrowed magazines from anyone and had no idea who this guy could have been, but he just kinda laughed the entire thing off.
Looking back, I really hope that somewhere out there, there’s an old man who occasionally thinks of the time he got the wrong address and scared a teenage girl half to death. But sometimes I just think of HOW INSISTENT this guy was to get in the house, and I have to think about it, because was he so socially unaware of the fact he was asking a young girl to do one of the most major things she’d been taught NOT to do?
THEORIES
My street had a semi-similar name to two other streets nearby, and there was a third with the same naming patterns (though my friend lived in my number on one of them, and her family didn’t know the guy either, I asked and gave his description. I honestly thought afterwards that he was probably looking for them because my friend and I look similar in general from a distance but nope). So he might genuinely have just been lost.
I also thought for a very long time that this could have been a robbery scam. My town at the time had a problem with people (usually men) tricking usually elderly folks into letting them into the house and then robbing them. If this guy did think I was a child home alone, he might have decided to alter his script on what he hoped would be an easy job. And it would explain why his story was so weird: he was improvising it on the fly to what he thought was a child.
It's also worth noting that although I was 15/16 at the time, I looked MUCH younger. I could easily pass for preteen at the time, it was a mistake many people made. This guy had no idea he wasn't speaking to a much younger preteen and was demanding said preteen let him in their house. And if he'd seen me come home, he'd have seen me unlock the door, which meant there was a good chance I was alone. This aspect of things didn't strike me until years later, but it's still something I think about.
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griffintail · 3 years
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Hi I'm so so sorry for bothering you! I absolutely love your child reader x parent dreamsmp series, it's amazing!! I had an idea for the lost ones though, or a seperate scenario if that's okay!!! What if the baby was a witch? Witches exist in minecraft, so what if as the child gets older, their powers grow. Windows breaking when they cry, things floating mid air, sparks and fires from their hands, things like that?? I think it'd be really interesting if you want to write it!! If not all the lost ones, then just tge sbi seperate please! Thank you so so very much, i love this series and i cant wait till the next part!!!!!
Magical Born
Pairings: Tommy, Technoblade, Wilbur, Philza, and Ghostbur x F! Child! Reader
Warnings: Mentions of raids, mentions of death, light blood, light violence
A/N: It’s based on Lost Ones Canon, all over the timeline, but it is NOT canon. I didn’t write all of Lost Ones because it’s already a lot to write Lost Ones as its own entity :P I added Ghostbur though for fun because I just really like Ghostbur. Technically he’s part of the SBI!
I went further than planned though so enjoy. ♥
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TommyInnit
        Tommy screamed as he ran from Fundy, who had caught him stealing from his house, (Y/N) sitting on his shoulders as she laughed. He was making for the sewers as (Y/N) waved at Fundy.
        “Bye, bye furry.” She smiled.
        “YOU’RE SO DEAD TOMMY!” Fundy shouted.
        But now Tommy was laughing hysterically as he quickly turned a corner and made for Tubbo’s entrance into the sewer. Tubbo startled when his door opened.
        “What the—” Tubbo questioned.
        “No time, good luck big man.” Tommy saluted, (Y/N) waving her hand before Tommy held (Y/N) and jumped into the entrance.
        “WHERE IS HE!” Fundy came in a moment later.
        “Damn it, Tommy,” Tubbo muttered under his breath.
        Tommy laughed as he pushed his wet hair back, (Y/N) clapping her hands.
        “Big score for us little (F/L). And extra disc time for calling him furry.” Tommy grinned. “Let’s get home with it all.” Tommy walked along the pathway, letting (Y/N) walk behind him.
        (Y/N) clapped excitedly hearing extra disc time. She bounced slightly behind him as Tommy was bragging about this adventure.
        “The furry may be an easy target to take, but we managed to escape successfully, becoming richer!” Tommy said to the little girl, who continued to bounce, announcing as she did.
        “Boing!” She giggled.
        Tommy chuckled, not looking back at her. She had a lot of energy like him and always had to find easy solutions to let it out.
        “Boing!” She squealed with delight and Tommy froze where he was walking as she…float over and past him??
        “…What the fuck?!” He shouted, dropping the bag of stolen loot.
        “Boing!” She jumped over to the other walkway of the sewer water.
        Tommy put his hands through his hair as he watched his child fucking float.
        “What the fuck is going on?” He muttered, looking around.
        She jumped over to him, and he yelped as he caught her, staring at her.
        “Hi, big man.” She giggled.
        “We’re going back to Tubbo.” Tommy nodded, picking the bag and walking back down the tunnel. “No jumping.”
        (Y/N) gave a pout but didn’t jump as she followed after Tommy. He had her go up the ladder first before following after. Luckily, Tubbo had gotten rid of Fundy, looking rather miffed as he went back to sorting his chests.
        “I already got rid of Fundy, what are you doing?” Tubbo groaned, seeing the pair.
        “Dude, you got to see this, I don’t get it,” Tommy told him. “Ok, (Y/N) jump.”
        She smiled again before bouncing around. Tubbo raised an eyebrow as she bounced around like normal and Tommy was concerned for his mental health for a moment when she started to take large leaps again.
        “What the hell!” Tubbo freaked out.
        “Exactly!” Tommy motioned to the girl, who was making her own sound effects as she jumped.
        “Could…has she always done this?”
        “NO! You think I wouldn’t say if she always did this?!”
        “What the hell?” Tubbo put a hand on his head.
        “I know!”
        Then (Y/N) jumped too high and hit her head on the ceiling, crashing on the ground.
        “Shit!” Tommy flailed his arms for a moment before rushing over to the little girl.
        He made sure she had no serious injuries as she started to tear up then cry.
        “Hey, it’s ok.” Tommy tried to assure her, gently rubbing where she hit her head.
        But she only cried harder and Tommy and Tubbo both screamed as the windows in the room exploded. Tommy was hugging (Y/N) to him, looking at Tubbo with wide eyes as Tubbo was looking around wildly at the shattered glass.
        “What’s going on?” Tubbo gestured wildly to the windows.
        “I don’t know!” Tommy said exasperated, still gently rubbing his hand on her head, the effect doing good now.
        The little girl died down to sniffles as Tommy connected the dots.
        “Wait, she cried and the windows broke. I think that was her.”
        “What?”
        “I-I don’t get how it works but she’s doing these crazy things.”
        “Do-Do you think she’s magic or some crap?” Tubbo threw out whatever he could.
        Tommy’s eyes went wide as he nodded. “That has to be it! I mean…I don’t know where she came from after all.” He muttered now, looking at the little girl.
        “So, what, she’s a witch?” Tubbo huffed.
        “I guess…” Then Tommy’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “Tubbo, can you imagine all the things we could get away with?”
        Tubbo frowned as Tommy now, as Tommy put (Y/N) down as she had calmed down.
        “This could be great! We’ll need to figure out how to teach her of course…”
        “We don’t even know what we’re doing with her as a normal kid!” Tubbo flailed his arms.
        “But she’s still alive.” Tommy pointed at his friend and Tubbo put his head in his hands. “We’ll be the greatest, richest crime trio!”
        “She’s a child!” Tubbo protested but Tommy picked (Y/N) up.
        “You can help me out now little (F/L).”
        The chaos they could cause once they figured out exactly (Y/N)’s powers were. Tommy couldn’t wait.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wilbur
        “Alright little star, we have to go talk with a few people today but after, we’ll play together, just you and me,” Wilbur promised the little girl as he held her hand.
        They were wearing their matching L’Manberg uniforms and (Y/N) was humming as she walked beside him, their first stop at Niki’s bakery.
        “Ok.” She nodded with a smile.
        “Thank you, little star. Why don’t we get some cookies from Niki to make sure we’re not hungry while we walk?” Wilbur offered with a smile.
        “Yes pwease!” (Y/N) grinned.
        “Please.” Wilbur corrected gently.
        “Hello!” Niki greeted the pair as they came in. “How are you two?”
        “We’re well Niki, I hope you are as well.” Niki nodded and Wilbur went on. “I’ve come to talk to a few the citizens around L’Manberg,” Wilbur told her. “And we were also hoping to have some of your best cookies while we’re working.”
        “Your very best.” (Y/N) agreed.
        “Of course, I just finished a new batch. Would you like to see?”
        (Y/N) looked up at Wilbur with puppy dog eyes and he chuckled. “Alright, but you have to stay away from the furnaces, they’re going to be hot.”
        “Ok!” She nodded before the two went around back into Niki’s area.
        As (Y/N) watched the woman in infatuation put a new batch into the oven as she was taking the other out, putting them up to cool for the few minutes Wilbur was talking with her about how her life in L’Manberg was. The adults continued to talk as (Y/N) was now looking at the furnaces curiously, wondering how the fire worked to make the cookies.  While she was, Niki suddenly screamed, making the little girl jump as Wilbur looked around in a panic to see why she screamed.
        Wilbur saw after a moment, (Y/N)’s hands had little fires on them! (Y/N) spotted them as well and gave a shriek as his reactions kicked in as he spotted a bucket of water. He snatched it up before quickly throwing it on his little girl. The fire was gone as the girl stood soaking wet, Wilbur bolting over to check her hands.
        “I told you not to go near the furnaces!” Wilbur scolded as he carefully took her hands.
        “I-I didn’t daddy.”
        Wilbur looked at her hands confused though. She didn’t have a single burn.
        “How…” He muttered.
        “I stayed away. Just like you said.” (Y/N) shifted uncomfortably in her wet clothes.
        Wilbur looked at Niki, who had run and came back with a health potion.
        “She’s not hurt,” Wilbur told her.
        “What?” Niki looked at him with wide eyes.
        “I-I don’t know how,” Wilbur said, looking back at the little girl, freezing up as he did.
        All of the sudden…her clothes and hair were completely dry! He hesitated before touching her jacket, indeed finding it free of water.
        “Niki…I have no clue what’s going on.” Wilbur gently pulled (Y/N) to him. “Sweetie, how did you do that?”
        “Do what?” She asked confused.
        “You don’t have any water on you anymore.” Wilbur pointed out to her and she looked at her clothes, before shrugging.
        “I don’t know.”
        “Have…you ever done that before?” He questioned and she shrugged again.
        “How…how do you think it happened,” Niki asked him.
        “I’m not sure,” Wilbur muttered. “I need to send a letter to Phil or Techno; they’ve seen a lot more things in their time. I appreciate it if you didn’t mention this to anyone Niki.”
        “Of course.” The soft-spoken woman nodded.
        “Thank you, we’re going to go home early little star.” Wilbur stood up.
        Niki still gave them a few cookies and Wilbur brought (Y/N) home, making a bird call outside first.
        “Whoa, that was cool!” (Y/N) grinned as a crow landed on Wilbur’s shoulder.
        “It’s one of my father’s crows, they’re usually all around,” Wilbur told her as they went inside.
    ��   “Your dad?”
        “I guess I’ve never told you about him.” Wilbur chuckled quietly as he sat, writing a letter to both Techno and Phil. “My father, Philza Mine Craft, is pretty old but he’s a great dad. He taught me a lot and he’s been through a lot. I’ve told him about you a few times, I suppose I forgot to tell you about him in return.” Wilbur ruffled her hair lightly, making her giggle. “I don’t talk to my brother Techno as much though…we had some arguments in the past. I’m hoping maybe we’ll put that aside to see what be happening with you.”
        He signed off the letters and let the crow have them before they flew off.
        “We’ll know in a few days though I suppose. Now, let’s play some music while we eat these cookies.” Wilbur offered out.
        Waiting for a return letter became a little more desperate the next few days. Not only had Wilbur found his daughter’s hands liked to spontaneously combust with flames sometimes, through some careful observing, but he also found if she was particularly happy she’d find herself being able to jump to his height; and thanks to Tommy, when the boy had come to visit to get instructions from Wilbur, he decided to scare the little girl, causing her to scream and Tommy, in turn, screamed when all the windows shattered.
        “Not a word!” Wilbur immediately demanded as he made sure (Y/N) wouldn’t step on any glass. “To anyone.”
        “What the fuck?!” Tommy screeched.
        Wilbur was tempted to force the boy to stay at the house to ensure word didn’t get out but after a bit of time, he got Tommy to promise him. Finally, two separate letters came in to tell him the same thing.
        (Y/N) might be a witch.
        Techno was a bit blunter about it, proceeding to tell Wilbur off a bit for just taking some orphan, but Wilbur knew it was just his brother’s ways and didn’t hold it against him. Phil’s letter had a bit more useful information and he had once researched witches. Wilbur kept that letter safe as he came out to find (Y/N) jumping around with her powers. She was smart and figured out how to activate it, she often liked to play with her floating power.
        Wilbur wondered what else she might be able to do…It was a rather terrifying thought but he’d learn regardless. She was still his little star, witch or not.
        “You’re getting good at that little star.” Wilbur praised as he came over.
        He also let the thought cross his mind if that’s why she was abandoned but pushed it away. That didn’t matter, she was his little girl now and they’d figure it out together.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Technoblade
        Techno watched from the porch with crossed arms as (Y/N) laughed while running from Tommy, who was armed with two snowballs. Tommy did know how to bring the energy out of his kid. (Y/N) stumbled and fell, Tommy, grinning with victory as he stood over her but the little girl reacted fast and threw snow at him before running again with a giggle at Tommy’s temporary blindness.
        Tommy shouted profanities as Techno smirked, the voices praising his child. That’s his little girl.
        “How much longer are you two going to be out here?” Techno called now.
        “Not much longer!” Tommy shouted before swearing again as (Y/N) managed to hit with a snowball while he was distracted. “THAT’S CHEATING!”
        “All is fair in war!” She demanded.
        “Don’t track snow in the house,” Techno told them before going back into the house.
        Phil was tending to one of his crows as Techno came back in.
        “They alright?” Phil asked.
        “They’re fine.” Techno nodded, going over to his enchanting equipment.
        “I’m proud of you, mate. For taking in that little girl and making sure she’s happy.”
        Techno simply shrugged as he was glad, he had taken in the little girl as well. Life would be nearly the same. He often thought about how things might have been different if she wasn’t around, he probably would have already taken out L’Manberg but he held back for her. He didn’t need people hunting him down again right now and find out about her…
        He was taking off his pick to put a new enchantment on it when his world slowed hearing a scream and Tommy shouting loudly. Running out with his pick in hand, Phil grabbing his sword off a chest as he ran after, he found (Y/N) shaking on the ground as a wolf stalked towards her as Tommy had a bloody arm. Techno dropped his pick as he ran over, taking off his crossbow, a bolt already loaded.
        He took a shot at the wolf but his panic made him sloppy and he missed! It went over the wolf, it not noticing until…
        The bolt turned around all of the sudden and hit the wolf right in the front leg. It gave a yelp, snarling as it backed away from the little girl now, who was scrambling back.
        “B-Bad wolf!” She shouted as she shook.
        The wolf noticed the approaching pissed off man and cut its losses, running off with a limp. Techno was most certainly confused about the bolt but he had other worries. Phil was already going over, tending to Tommy as Techno came next to (Y/N), putting a hand on her shoulder.
        “You, ok? It didn’t hurt you, did it?” He asked as he quickly checked the little girl.
        “No.” She shook her head before hugging him. “It hurt Tommy.”
        “I know, Phil’s got him though.” Techno hugged her before picking her up. “Let’s get inside.”
        Phil was helping Tommy inside as Techno followed, picking up his pick.
        “If it hurt Tommy, is it ok it got hurt?” (Y/N) asked Techno.
        “Yes, because it was about to hurt you too. So, it’s ok. That’s defense.” Techno told her but he wasn’t sure what happened.
        The bolt had certainly missed and then flew back, striking it in the leg.
        “I didn’t want to hurt it.” She mumbled. “But it’s right.”
        Techno was confused by her words, but maybe she had gotten confused with her own words. He put it to the side for now as he spent a bit of time with her for the rest of the day to make sure she was alright. After he put her down to sleep, he came down into the main room where Phil was sitting by the fire. Techno sat across from him and brought up the thought he had put aside.
        “(Y/N) said something weird today.”
        “What was that?” Phil looked at him.
        “She said she didn’t want to hurt that wolf. Like she was the one who fired the crossbow.”
        Phil hummed, looking out the window. “Something was weird, I saw that bolt move on it’s on.”
        “Good, I’m not losing my mind.”
        Phil gave a quiet laugh. “Not yet my son. But something odd did happen. Have you ever seen anything like that?”
        “No…Not around here at least. I’ve seen witches do stuff like that though. That’s why they’re difficult to kill sometimes.” Techno took off his mask for the day, putting it down safely on the fireplace mantle. “If there had been a good witch around, I’d say it was them.”
        “I haven’t seen a witch in some time. Pretty rare these days, some people don’t like their power with magic and hunt them down. They’ve pretty much gone into hiding.” Phil nodded.
        “Sounds about right,” Techno grumbled, leaning against the stone of the fireplace, closing his eyes.
        “Mate, you don’t think…(Y/N) might be a witch?”
        “Doubt it. Would have meant she was magic born; they wouldn’t have just left her on someone’s doorstep for them to die.”
        “It’s rare but she could have been naturally born, with normal parents, and we’re now just finding out.”
        “Even then, when she was born, she shows signs. A magical birth has effects while they’re born. The parents would have known.”
        That made Techno frown now at the thought as he looked over at quiet Phil, who had the same frown. They were both thinking the same thing; what if they left her because of the magical birth?
        “It would explain why she said she hurt the wolf.” Phil leaned back as well on the other side of the fireplace.
        “Yeah…I’ll find out more in the mor—”
        Both Phil and Techno jumped up with muscle memory at the sound of (Y/N) screaming. Phil’s crows cried out in panic as Techno was first up the ladder to find (Y/N) whimpering as she hugged herself as a few objects floated around the room. Techno went to her side as Phil came up, Tommy shouting up as he had been startled awake by the noise.
        “Hey, it’s ok little goddess,” Techno muttered to her, putting a hand on her side.
        “T-The wo-wolf.” She whimpered.
        “It can’t hurt you. I won’t let it.” Techno told her, sitting next to her and pulling her into him. “And neither will Phil or Tommy.”
        She gave a few more soft whimpers before everything in the room slowly floated down, Tommy standing on the ladder, watching amazement.
        “You’re alright,” Techno promised, looking at Phil, the two sharing a meaningful look. “We won’t let anything or one hurt you.”
        There was just more of a reason to keep (Y/N) their secret. He’d have to brush up on his knowledge about witches as well.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Phil
        “Alright, it’s been a while since I’ve done this,” Phil told the little girl. “So, I got to do a bit of practice.”
        “Ok.” The little girl tried to have patience as she was taught but couldn’t help but bounce in excitement.
        Phil chuckled, ruffling her hair, before spreading his wings. “Ok, let’s see if I still remember this…”
        He took a deep breath before taking flight; he grinned as he felt the wind flying by, enjoying the wonderful memories that came to him. Flying had been something he had really missed. From the ground, (Y/N) cheered in the snow as she jumped, clapping. Phil chuckled at his little girl’s reaction as he took a few warm-up laps to make sure his wings were truly back in shape.
        Techno looked up from his work at the commotion, coming out as he took off his glasses. Going out, he looked to see Phil snapping by in flight and he smiled watching his father flying again. He had seen how it affected him to be trapped on the ground. Across the field, he spotted his little sister running after their father rather uselessly but she jumped as she followed after the older man, cheering as she did.
        The older brother shook his head as he watched his father again as he leaned his back on the railing, a few of Phil’s crows flying beside him as they were going over the roof. Techno was watching when another figure went over his head, giving a shriek.
        “Techno!” (Y/N) said and Techno fell backward off the railing of the steps, his cape over his face, but he shouted out.
        “PHIL!”
        Phil looked over to find his daughter now falling to the ground?! With practiced ease, he turned and caught the girl before she hit the ground. He took a bit of a crash into the snow as his crows gave out a few cries in panic but he was alright. It wasn’t the first time he had crashed after a flight.
        (Y/N) looked around a bit of daze before grinning and throwing up her arms. “Again!”
        “Did you throw her?!” Phil exclaimed as Techno threw his cape off his face.
        “What!? No!” Techno huffed as he stood up, brushing snow off himself. “I was watching you and all of the sudden she was over my head!”
        “That makes no sense, mate.”
        “I didn’t throw her; I actually like her more than my brothers.”
        Phil looked at the little girl, who was still grinning even though she could have gotten hurt. “What happened?”
        “I jumped and I flew like you! It was a bit scary and I almost fell.” She told him animatedly. “But then you caught me and it was like Whoosh!”
        Phil looked at Techno as Techno was raising an eyebrow at the explanation.
        “Y-You jumped and flew?” Phil turned his attention back to her.
        She nodded. “I was jumping after you because I was excited.”
        “Why…don’t we go inside and then I’ll take you on a flight, alright?” Phil asked her.
        She gave a little pout but nodded. He nodded as well before standing up, letting her walk on her own. Techno followed the pair in and they let (Y/N) be before Phil spoke to Techno alone.
        “I…have a feeling (Y/N) might have magic.”
        “You think?” Techno snorted. “Where’d you find her again?”
        “A village during a raid,” Phil muttered, glancing over at (Y/N) as she was playing with a few of her toys as one of his crows kept an eye on her as a few of them were just as protective of her as he was.
        “They could have been there to get her family. Pillagers tend to like magic and hearing about magic users, they probably were there for them.”
        Phil nodded. It made sense; the village he had found was a pretty small farming village it had seemed. It had been odd to him how they were raided but now it made a bit of sense…
        “Guess I’ll have to brush up a bit on my witch knowledge. It’s been a few years since I’ve run across one, good or bad.”
        “Yeah, it’s been some time. Heard around the arctic that a few of them were going into hiding. Probably because of the pillagers.” Techno nodded, as he went over to his potions to do a bit of work.
        “Dadza! Your crows talk?!” (Y/N) exclaimed in excitement.
        Phil paled as Techno snorted into his potion ingredients chest.
        “You need to learn what the hell they can do too,” Techno said.
        That was going to take a bit of time to learn.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ghostbur
        “No one else was in the room where it happened. The room where it happened. The room where it happened.”
        Ghostbur clapped as he sat on nothing as he floated above the ground as he watched his daughter sing and do her own little dance. Tommy had taught her all about his favorite musical and taught her a few of the songs. She now wanted to show off what she learned to her father and Ghostbur was more than happy to sit and watch his little blue. He even made sure Friend was there to give her a proper little audience.
        She stumbled over a few words occasionally but he loved watching and listening to her regardless. Once she finished the song, she gave a little curtsy with her hoodie and Ghostbur clapped, giving a joking call of an encore as Friend gave a baa. She giggled, coming over and hugging him. He gladly returned the hug, nuzzling the top of her hoodie.
        “That was wonderful little blue! I can teach you a few more songs and you can sing more for Friend and me!” He smiled.
        “Please.” She nodded eagerly.
        “I’ll have to get a few of my books from L’Manberg, so we can do it tomorrow,” Ghostbur promised her. “We can all go visit Phil as well and you can show him how wonderful you are. Wasn’t it wonderful Friend?”
        The sheep gave another noise and (Y/N) giggled, letting go of Ghostbur and hugged Friend now.
        “Thank you, Friend. You’re a very good friend.”
        “We should get inside, it’s almost time for dinner.” Ghostbur stood now.
        “Ok, can I ride on you, Friend?” She asked the sheep and the sheep didn’t make a noise of acceptance or protest. “He said yes.”
        “Thank you, Friend,” Ghostbur told their sheep friend before putting (Y/N) on top of the sheep.
        After, he took the lead and took the pair to their home in Logstedshire. (Y/N) gently petted Friend’s wool as Ghostbur brought the pair inside, not seeing Tommy, which meant he was downstairs in his chest room.
        “What do you want to eat today little blue?” Ghostbur asked the girl as he helped her off Friend.
        “Carrots and potatoes.”
        “Ok.” Ghostbur nodded, petting Friend before going to cook.
        He made food for (Y/N) and set her up at the table before brewing a few potions he was low on. He hummed as he brewed, (Y/N) happily enjoying her meal as she talked to Friend. Ghostbur occasionally glanced over with a smile at his little blue and the last time he glanced over, he saw Tommy had come up and snuck up behind the little girl. Ghostbur was about to speak as he held a potion bottle but Tommy moved first.
        “BOO!” Tommy gave (Y/N) a scare as he took her shoulders.
        The little girl shrieked…before disappearing.
        Ghostbur and Tommy both stood there for a moment before (Y/N) spoke, gasping.
        “Daddy! I’m like you!”
        Tommy screamed at that, jumping back as Ghostbur dropped his potion bottle, shattering it on the floor. He floated as he went towards the table.
        “(Y/N)? Are you…invisible?” Ghostbur asked, unsure how to process this
        “I can’t see me.” She spoke.
        “HOW?!” Tommy flailed at the empty spot.
        It was another moment before the little girl appeared in the chair again, grinning. Tommy put his hands through his hair as Ghostbur feet touched the ground again as he stood in front of the little girl. There were a few beats of silence before he grinned.
        “You are like me!” He picked her up, hugging her. “This is a very fantastic day!”
        “You found her Ghostbur! She’s not supposed to be like you!” Tommy protested.
        Ghostbur pouted at that as he nuzzled the top of her head. “She can still be like me if I found her.”
        “I…I’m getting Phil. This is not normal and he’ll know.” Tommy pointed at the pair before leaving the house, too freaked out to stay inside.
        “He doesn’t understand yet,” Ghostbur whispered to the little girl before grinning. “Maybe I can teach you to do it on your own like me!”
        Ghostbur had cleaned up the glass quickly as he made (Y/N) stay on Friend just to be safe before he sat with her on the floor, trying to teach her to go invisible excitedly. The moon was a good bit into the sky when Tommy came back, a worried-looking Phil coming in.
        “Phil! We were going to see you tomorrow!” Ghostbur grinned. “(Y/N) wanted to show you a few things.”
        “Like…what?” Phil questioned carefully.
        “She learned a lot of songs and we were going to learn more. Then at dinner, she turned invisible like me! Isn’t that wonderful?”
        “See? I wasn’t lying!” Tommy motioned.
        “Calm down Tommy,” Phil told the younger boy before sitting on the floor with Ghostbur and (Y/N). “Is that true (Y/N)? You did that?”
        She nodded, smiling widely. “I learned a lot of songs and I disappeared like daddy.”
        “Have…you ever done that before? Disappear like that?”
        She hummed before shaking her head. “No.”
        “It’s new?”
        She and Ghostbur nodded.
        “Well…She could be magical born.” Phil threw out, looking at Ghostbur and Tommy.
        “What the hell does that mean?” Tommy asked as he stood next to Phil.
        “She’s a witch. Her parents would have probably been too. It’s extremely rare to have a magical born in a non-magical family. And as the house that Ghostbur found (Y/N) was the way…it was.” Phil avoided the details but Ghostbur floated off the ground as he remembered. “It would make sense; some people aren’t keen on witches.”
        Tommy frowned at the thought with Phil as Ghostbur tried to just ignore the bad images. As Ghostbur looked away from Phil, he looked at (Y/N) to see her sticking her tongue out slightly as she had her eyes closed as well, looking to be concentrating. What she was concentrating on doing made Ghostbur grin widely.
        “(Y/N) can float too!” Ghostbur cheered, making the little girl open her eyes and grin herself.
        “I’m like daddy!”
        Ghostbur laughed as he scooped her into his arms, cuddling with her. Tommy and Phil shared a look though. They had to make sure Ghostbur wasn’t vocal about this…They couldn’t let little blue lose another life just for being a witch after all…
        But Ghostbur didn’t think about that as he was simply ecstatic about his special little blue.
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littlemisslipbalm · 3 years
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I live in the neighbourhood - Part 3
What happened to the cycling classes after work and the occasional drinks with coworkers? Now it was flying to Italy to vacation for the December holidays with Harry and his family and friends.
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Ok part 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and the final part of ilitn i believe! let me know what you think! plssss! Not proofread, but your support means the most and it means the world to see your thoughts, literally anything about it, and this little harry I always have to remember that’s the simp your honor ^ right there! anyway happy reading!
Read Part 1 | 2
Word Count: 10.9k | Warnings: swearing, smut! (finally) - oral (m+f receiving, dirty talk, choking? i can’t remember ngl there might not be, sloppy sex, outdoors by the pooldeck just btw, christmas, idk but hopefully nothing I missed, feelings! happy ending (possibly rushed 
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“You’re really flying to Italy and then traipsing around the Italian countryside for three weeks with Harry and his family? I cannot believe you’re leaving me behind.”
“You’re gonna kill me for saying this, but he had said I could invite a friend or two if I wanted. But I thought it’d be weird with his family so you literally can’t be mad at me!”
“Fine. I’ll move past it, but how did you move past the whole panic attack? Like you barely spoke to him for a month and then he’s on your doorstep and you’re kissing and agreeing to a Roman Holiday?”
“It’s Harry,” she sighs, laying down on her couch. “How could I not, I got scared because he was gone, but once he was back, nothing else mattered.”
“I guess,” Cate mumbles.
“Oof, sorry Cate I have another call, I’ve got to go…”
By the time she tries to pick up the other line has gone to a message and she’s left to listen to her boss over a voicemail:
“Hey Y/N, I know your holidays have just begun, but I wanted to inform you that you’ll be getting a new client in the new year. Big artist! Anyway, just wanted to inform you that I’ll be emailing over some of their paperwork. Feel free to ignore it until the new year! Have a nice trip.”
She sighs. “Interesting...but will definitely be waiting for the new year to even think about work,” she says to herself.
She throws her phone to the side. Tired of all the phone tag and messages she had begun to have to deal with as the Holiday season dawned more and more upon her. She had more important things to think about. Most important being the suitcase laid out before her and the flight she was bound to be taking in less than 24 hours. This time, she wouldn’t be picking Harry up from the airport. No, this time they were flying out of London Heathrow together.
Together together? She wasn’t sure. The kiss on her doorstep and plea of Italian holiday meant a lot to her, but did it scream committed relationship? She had no idea when it came to Harry. Maybe it was better not to ask and just wait until he told her. Wondering had gotten her in a pit last time and she never wanted to feel the way she had over the last month while he had been gone.
She sleeps in her bed for one last night before leaving for a month. Harry had managed to convince the airline to allow Rori to ride with them in first class, so she wouldn’t have to leave her dog in a kennel or with friends during the holidays. She was grateful for that and she just didn’t understand how she had gotten so lucky as to have someone like Harry in her life.
They fly first class and while Harry had secured her ticket last minute, she insisted that he take her money to pay for the ticket. She was determined to not lose herself in this process. She would happily go along with Harry’s crazy life as long as she maintained her constitution. And paying for her own ticket was one of her ways of doing that.
The flight is short, a quick jaunt compared to the arduous trips across the Atlantic, both her and Harry were quite used to from their work and family lives. He smiles at her throughout the journey, coming across the aisle often to check on her and pet Rori. He would make little jokes that wouldn’t make anyone else laugh but them and he would grab the airpod she would take out and play whatever she had been listening to and offer a dance. His little dances were so sweet, if strange and awkward in the small flight cabin.
She wore grey marbled leggings and a matching thick strapped tank top beneath a nondescript hoodie. Harry’s dressed quite nice for traveling, she presumes in case he’s papped. Linen trousers, a collared coat, and some beaded necklaces he had taken to wearing over the last few months - each month seemed to add on another necklace, but she wasn’t counting.
He had reminded her to bring large sunglasses for the airport.
He had said “I don’t care if we’re seen together, but it’s more for your comfort. I hate when my friend’s lives are put on display for the whole world. You’re not the one who signed up for this.”
She had been appreciative and grabbed her largest pair of sunglasses because truthfully she didn’t want to be seen with Harry. She didn’t want the whole world knowing her or her business, it wasn’t who she was. No, not at all. So when they step off the plane and head to baggage claim after customs, she feels aware of her surroundings in a way she never has been. It reminds her of the way Jeff, Charlotte, and Mitch had conducted themselves in the bar that one time. Extremely alert. Watching people’s eye movements and considering whether they recognized her companion. She trails behind him a fair amount, three paces at least. Harry glances back every few moments, checking in to make sure she’s still with him as they move through the bustling airport.
They make it to baggage claim with no stops, but sadly Harry’s luggage seems to give him away. That or just his presence, he was a 6 foot tall and extremely broad man who gave off this energy that couldn’t help but turn eyes. And all it took was one of those eyes to recognize the fluff of hair, the olive-y skin, the peaking bird tattoos and colorful necklaces to alert the world of just where he was.
He doesn’t get stopped for any pictures, but she feels the number of eyes on him grow. She also watches as Harry doesn’t shrink from the growing attention. If anything, it simply makes him move quicker, but only slightly. He glances at her once to see her hood up and big green glasses covering up half her face. Rori has left his carrier and is covering the other half as she pushes a cart in front of her. He makes a nondescript nod and then sets off towards the exit, she follows behind easily.
By the time they’re in the car that was waiting to drive them to Harry’s villa, he’s gotten buzzed by Jeff just to check-in since a few photos have been uploaded of him at the airport. People were so fast. She shook her head in disbelief as she looked up Harry Styles on twitter and saw the scene she had just been apart of minutes ago on her screen now. She’s unrecognizable in the photos she happens to appear in and to everyone else she looks like another traveler instead of Harry’s companion or whatever she was to him. Instead of his friend.
Harry calls Jeff as they’re driven to his lovely sprawling home near Lake Como. He informs him they’re fine - he is quick to ensure that Y/N is well after asking her himself once they had gotten into the confines of the small car. She thinks it’s sweet especially because she was sure that Jeff really was more focused on Harry and his well-being since he was both his friend and his client while she was just an extra. The two men talk about the flight and customs and what Jeff will be doing with his holiday since he had turned down Harry’s invitation to come out to Italy as well. This leaves her to stare out the window at the passing scenery. She and Rori are completely content with this as they watch the tranquil life around them as they pass by little forests and towns over cobblestoned ground.
The colors seem brighter throughout Italy compared to the sad and gloomy winter of London. The dreary scape traded for something far more picturesque. Italy growing ever more beautiful the closer they drive to Harry’s home. Everything was so radiant, from the sun shining above her head to the little dew drops still pooled on the perfectly green leaves of plants she knew not the names of.
The car pulls up to the long driveway to Harry’s place which he insisted was just a house, but she knew better. The driveway felt like half a mile of perfect cobblestones, seemingly handpicked to make the smoothest drive. Outside the house sat a gorgeous little convertible that was in between steel and cream and sparkled in the sun. The top was currently up, but she could tell the interior was just as nice as the exterior. Harry had a thing for cars and she suspected that no matter where he was, he managed to keep his cars in perfect condition.
The house was breathtaking due to its simultaneous simplicity and intricacy. It’s coloring was variations of cream and gold and some terra cotta. But it sprawled into the hillside behind it and wrapped around the nature to the side of it and the pool to the back right of it. There also was a little separate shed like thing that also seemed to be a residence. Harry insisted it was just an extra bedroom, but it looked like almost another house to her.
As she stepped out of the car, she thought that she might get lost in that house if she was left to wander around it by herself. A feeling she feared to get accustomed to.
The door of the house was a dark green that seemed oddly familiar to her as she walked through it. And when Harry looked back to make sure she had gotten in the house alright she recognized it. His door somehow matched the color of his eyes in dark lighting. A green that was timeless and ancient at the same time. A green that was unnerving yet inviting. A green that was Harry. She never thought she had a favorite color, but in that moment she was sure it was his eyes.
Harry calls her name and she realizes he’s been saying it for awhile.
“Sorry?”
He smiles fondly at her confused face and leans towards her as if he might kiss her. She stops breathing in that moment, wanting more than anything for that to be his next move. His chest brushes against hers, his warmth invading her space. His face is a mere milimeter from hers and she can count every speck of stubble on his jaw. But his lips don’t brush gently over hers in a way that she knew was addicting. Instead, his strong hand reaches past her and shuts the entrancing green door gently.
His eyes flicker back to her face when he pulls back, taking a single step backwards to allow for a comfortable space between them. Still close, but not like he’s about to embrace her expecting frame and kiss her.
“I asked if you wanted a tour of the house? Or if you just wanted me to pick your room.” His eyes are crinkled at the corner, a smile on his face even though his mouth is hung open in a lingering question.
She blinks her eyes and twitches her head to glance around the rest of her surroundings. Rori had run off the moment they had gotten in the door. The hallway Harry and she found themselves was narrow and simple, a single painting right behind Harry’s head was the sole decoration and a tapestry style rug beneath their feet. She nods after a moment, feeling all her words caught somewhere in her throat for no reason at all.
“Good,” he nods and gives her a funny look, trying to understand her quiet demeanor. “Just drop your stuff here for now,” he adds.
His hand encircles her wrist, as it had grown accustomed to, to lead her through the house. She bites her lower lip to muffle the little giggle that somehow escapes her as he tugs her playfully down and through the house.
He goes on about almost every piece of art and trinket he has hung and placed throughout the house. Each thing has its story and Harry waxes eloquent on every single one. He shows her each room in the house and then leads her outside through the single door of the master bedroom on the second floor. The door takes them onto a small balcony that overlooks the center of the estate which included the pool and then a garden to the left of the converted poolhouse - what Harry insisted it be called when Y/N had told him it was a mini house.
His hand has traveled down to intertwine with hers as the tour had drawn on. So as he leads her down the little spiral staircase to the ground floor, she hums at the warmth his thumb rubs into her skin ever so softly. His eyes flicker to her face and hold her gaze for a moment as he watches her descend the last two stairs.
She smiles at him, her cheeks rosy from the air outside. They walk between the garden and the pool to reach the “converted pool house” and she stops for a moment to dance her fingers through the perfectly clean pool water - he must have had a housekeeper who came by recently to open everything up and clean it all.
“This is truly amazing, Harry,” she sighs as she stares out at the entire house from the single stone upstep to the little cottage. It gave her a view of the entire place besides the front of the house. It was gorgeous.
Harry nods, tucking his head to his chest slightly, possibly feeling a little bashful. Behind the successful man that stood before her was a young boy with a dream that had made this possible and he never forgot that.
“Thank you,” he says sincerely and unlocks the door of the cottage, a similar green is painted on this door as well.
She goes ahead of him at his request and he watches her fingers on the green paint, caressing it softly, each finger never wishing to leave it as they slowly depart its surface. This place is just a microcosm of the house they had just been. A kitchenette, a living area, a bedroom, and a full bath - including a freestanding tub.
She all but runs around the place, fingers running over the countless spines of books that Harry mindlessly chose to store there in ceiling high bookshelves and eyes taking in prints of personal photography he had been too nervous to store anywhere but here. There were larger poster sized prints as well as smaller ones, all black and white, of different scenes on the walls of the living area. Some were portraits of loved ones, others were landscapes of cities and countryside alike, and some were of past lovers with their hair swept behind them as they looked back at Harry in some beautiful place. She smiled at these obviously film photographs and turned to Harry after a moment, almost mirroring the people in the more personal pictures.
“When’s the last time you used your camera?” She asks.
Harry’s figure is perched in the door, his body slightly slumped on the frame while he rolls his lower lip between his thumb and forefinger. He hums, thinking back to the last time he took out his camera.
“Last tour...I think. I got film back with Camille in it and I just didn’t feel like putting more in it after that,” he rasps out and clears his throat at the end, clearly unnerved by the topic.
“Well, these are beautiful, you have a smart eye for catching precious moments,” she smiles softly, understanding Harry’s apprehension.
“Thanks,” his voice still a bit deeper than usual, “I still use my Super8 pretty regularly when I’m doing things for work. Like when I shoot music videos, I usually bring it along to get my own footage for later.”
She only nods and watches him enter the room, moving closer to her to gaze at the images more up close as well.
“I like to have something to remember it by. Just in case, someday,” he starts and sighs, eyes trained on the wall of memories, “My mind isn’t what it once was.”
She watches him delicately place his hand on the couch behind them to brace himself and she notices the slight fear in his face as he says it. She blinks at the scene in front of her. A man in an amazing moment in his life fearful that it might all disappear from his vision someday. A horrible thought that seems to plague him more often than one would expect.
She nudges closer to him immediately. Her shoulder brushes his arm as she presses her head to his own shoulder and stays there firmly.
“Thank you,” she whispers and his head drops down to look at her face now radiating warmth against him. “For sharing this with me.”
His hand on the couch moves to wrap around her shoulders and pull her closer. Instinctively, she wraps her arms around his waist and he rests his head atop of hers. He stays silent but places a chaste kiss in her hair. She squeezes harder, telling him everything is alright and all he had to be with her was himself.
He switches his gaze between the girl wrapped up in him and the pictures of the rest of his life in front of him and he takes it all in. He feels safe, a comfort he was hard pressed to find with his life always on the move. The bustling change felt eons away while he was wrapped up in her. She was constant and kind. Understanding. She took him as he was, no expectations. That realization has him melting further into her, his head dropping down to her shoulder and nosing into her hair. His hands cusping at the back of her neck and the small of her back. And he presses firmly yet gently.
They stand there, swaying slightly to an unknown tune that played only in their private world of just them two.
A branch sways too and breaks them out of their reverie when it taps against the French doors that lead out to somewhere else in Harry’s estate.
“I think I’d like to stay here, if that’s alright,” she says, pulling back from him only slightly.
His hands migrate from their embrace around her back and neck and slide to her hip and her shoulder separately. Her hands both rest on his chest and she feels his consistent heartbeat that she had been listening to for the last few minutes against her ear.
His eyes sparkle at her suggestion. “Really? There’s plenty of spots in the main house,” he rushes.
“No, I love this place,” she glances around once more, soaking in the cozy room that housed Harry’s art. “Plus, your family will be here tomorrow and you should all be together under one roof for the holidays. I know how rare that can be.”
He nods in agreement and twists a tendril of her hair around one of his fingers slowly. She doesn’t notice until he makes an experimental and playful tug on it. Her lips purse at the feeling and her eyes narrow.
“You’re an evil little thing under all those layers of niceties and kind words, Mr. Styles,” she says as she pulls away from him.
Now that it was decided on where she would be staying for the next few weeks, she wanted to get her things settled and take a shower possibly. She also needed to check in on Rori and see what he had gotten up to while they had been wandering.
Harry laughs, filled with an unmatched glee as he follows her out of the cottage and back into the main house, “I can show you evil if that’s what you want, dove. I’ll give you anything you want.”
And while she knows he’s saying this in jest, she knows he’s also telling the truth. He’d give her just about anything she wanted, all she had to do was ask.
-
After settling the house a bit, finding where Rori wanted to sleep - he chose inside the main house, and some showers, she and Harry both felt refreshed.
She walked out of the front door of the cottage and crossed to the French doors at the middle point of the house. They had them open to get fresh air in the house and she walked right through and into the kitchen where she found Harry and her dog happily perched on the countertop.
Rori batted at Harry’s hands and nuzzled into his scratches as Harry cradled him to his chest. It was criminally sweet and she knocked on the door frame to pull Harry’s attention away from her furry friend.
“You look nice,” Harry smiles.
She glances down at her outfit; a cashmere olive colored sweater and high waisted cream corduroys along with her sneakers of choice. She thought it was casual, but she appreciated the compliment nonetheless. She murmurs a thanks and a quick “you too”, she didn’t even need to look at what he was wearing, he always looked good. Her head tilts to rest on the door frame as well, her eyes trained on Harry’s face.
“Do you want to go for a drive?” He inquires as he places Rori back on the ground.
The dog scampers to her side for a moment before running off to do his own thing. Her lips quirk up on the sides and her eyes narrow slightly. He’s looking at her with a quiet confidence set in his jaw that she doesn’t quite understand.
His smile makes her bite her lip, slightly unnerved by the energy he was giving off. Maybe it was because they were completely alone - not something new to them since that’s how they interacted almost solely, but something about being in Italy seemed to have shifted the dynamic. Something in the water or whatever that saying was.
“Do I get to drive?” She stands from her leaning position and crosses in front of him.
His laugh comes out quickly and heartily. “No chance, dove.”
She groans and pushes at his shoulder.
“Trust me, you’ll like it better. Can just enjoy the scenery, don’t have to focus on the road.”
He wraps a hand around her waist and then scoots her towards the door that would lead them out of the house. She giggles at the contact and she feels him watching her. It felt nice, felt simply theirs.
He drove her down the driveway and onto a country road until it merged into a road by the lake. He brought the top down so the wind rushed around them, blustering about as he drove at a quick yet somehow leisurely pace. She glanced at the scenery and took a few pictures, but something else kept demanding her attention.
Harry. He was a quiet kind of handsome in this moment. It wasn’t in your face, it was just how each curve of his skin seemed perfectly placed. Every pore was clear and every mole had a reason. His tattoos peeking from his collar and shirt sleeves were that perfect inky black that remained smooth. It was consistent, the way his hair fell over his forehead and he would smooth it back without even thinking. His eyes were focused and bright, yet slightly stormier than normal. It was beautiful. He was beautiful. And she wondered what she had done to be beside him at that moment. Wondered what it was that she had done to be cared for by Harry.
His hand on her leg brings her out of her mind once again. His looks always seemed to get her lost in thought. He was just that special. No one else had ever caused any similar reaction. His fingers splay on her thigh, no rings on them today. He rubs his thumb back and forth softly and she leans closer to him to whisper in his ear. They were completely alone, but it felt like something even the wind didn’t deserve to hear.
He tilts his head to her, eyes flickering to her movement for a moment and then back to the road. His hand on her thigh slips upwards with how she moves.
“I’m the most lucky girl in the world,” she says, her lips brushing the shell of his ear as she says the words.
She pulls back and stares at him, her hand going down to her thigh to play with his lovingly. He looks at her again and sees her serious expression. This causes him to pull over on the side of the road by the water. He rubs at her thigh again with his thumb and she shifts in her seat.
“And why’s that?” His voice low as he asks and shifts the car into park.
“Because I’m here, with you. And I wouldn’t trade that for anything in this world.”
He hums in response and licks at his lips when her sweater happens to fall off her shoulder. She notices the slip, but doesn’t bother to fix it since she also saw how Harry’s eyes danced over the newly exposed skin.
“I wouldn’t trade this either” the words dance slowly off the tip of his tongue. His accent fuller as he says the last word. “Let’s walk around,” Harry suggests when he sees her eyes flicker between his and his lips.
They explore the grassy area that lives just before the dip of the water at Harry’s request. He guides her along with his hand entwined with hers. Her eyes stay on only him still, the scenery unable to compare to the beauty of him that she was just fully realizing how bad she wanted to be enveloped in. His profile is illuminated by the sun shining above them and she swears he’s sparkling under the light.
The fear of what they were and all of the things that came along with labels were the furthest away thoughts. The man who had been the quirky neighbour had transformed into the man she was pretty sure she was in love with. Too afraid to say those three words, she decided the best thing she could do was to show rather than tell.
“Harry,” she calls and he stops his wandering, turning to face her instead.
A hand reaches up to trace over his strong cheekbone and caresses down the side of his face and cradles his slightly stubbled jaw. Her thumb rubs over the place where his dimple often showed up. He sighs into her touch and says her name back. His voice fails him as he gazes down at her, everything he means to say dies in his throat, for once at a loss for words.
She purses her lips and reaches up to connect their lips, having missed his sweet lips touch. They were meant to press against hers. Harry seems to forget how to breathe, her initiating the kiss between them, something foreign to him, but not unwelcome. He leans down to make it easier on her and she glows in his reciprocation. His hand shifts to cradle the back of her head as the kiss continues. Their lips dance, brushing back and forth, tongues slightly licking into one another’s mouths ever so delicately, playfully even.
A specific clash of teeth as the kiss continues leads to a breathless laugh from her as Harry presses himself closer to her. His other hand pressing her waist safely into him. She happily obliges, sinking one hand to rest over his backside which makes him smile.
“Naughty,” he mumbles against her brightening lips, eyebrows bobbing over his closed eyes.
She laughs now, her head tilting up for a moment, eyes opening to look at his face, yet up so close it's just his eyes and upper cheeks. His eyes are extra large from this angle and the grey green they had been dancing between had merged into a darkening seafoam green that was rather rare for them. She wanted to take an inventory of every color his eyes managed to be, but she was sure the list would never end.
“You like it,” she quips back, a peck sneaked at the corner of his mouth. That little love touch leads to more minutes of making out. Her supple and soft chest against his strong one, hands roaming the other’s body searching for purchase. Soft sighs and gentle moans leave Harry’s mouth when she nibbles at his ear and leaves loving kisses to his neck and collarbone. She makes similar sounds when he laves his tongue over the hollow of her neck and mouths happily on her neck.
The sight of them is two lovers enthralled in each other’s mouths and bodies in a meadow beside a lake. The sounds of nature are only overtaken by their happiness with each other.
When he ruts his hips against her body and she writhes against him with eagerness previously not seen, Harry realizes just how in public they are and he pulls away. A whine of discontent falling from her lips before she can control herself.
“We should…” He falters again, staring down at his neighbour he had begun to want more than anything else in the world, “Should head back.”
“Right,” she nods curtly.
Hands falling back to her sides, but Harry grabs one of them and intertwine their fingers as they had them before. She smiles so wide her eyes crinkle at the corners and he can’t help himself to peck at the left side of her temple.
They drive back to the house and Harry suggests a dip in the pool which Y/N agrees to easily. Something to cool them off from the heavy makeout session they had partaken in down by the water.
“Everyone else is arriving tomorrow,” Harry says after he surfaces from his expert dive into the deep end. He treads water lightly and drifts towards her.
She’s floating on her back a little ways from him. Her hair was shimmery all wet again and the  skin of her face glowed with tiny droplets. Her eyes were closed as she moved her hands back and forth through the comfortable water.
She feels his eyes on her, burning into her, waiting for a response. She peaks open one eye and looks at him. His cheeks pinken quickly from the slight embarrassment of being caught, but he doesn’t look away.
“It’s going to be really fun, Harry,” she rights herself and swims closer to him causing him to smile happily. “I’m really happy to be here.”
“It won’t be just us anymore,” he says, swimming backwards and creating a slight chase for her as she follows after him.
She narrows her eyes at his tactics, but still follows as he swims to the edge of the pool where they could both stand.
“Nope, but we’re gonna really get the holiday spirit flowing. Family dinners and games, shopping for gifts...this really is one of my favorite times of the season,” she smiles back at him and puts her hand against the edge of the pool, her chest emerging from beneath the cooling water.
Droplets roll down her chest, racing down her body and in between her cleavage. Harry’s eyes follow the water droplets disappearing beneath her bright red tied bikini top. He gets distracted when the air pebbles her nippls beneath the thin wet fabric, his tongue darts out to wet his lips at the sight. The round of her breast was especially full in the thin fabric. He had never seen this much of her despite their friendship lasting for many months now. It was...mouthwatering and his eyes stayed trained on her breasts as they rhythmically moved up and down with her breathing. It was like a spell.
That he was brought out of when a splash of water flicks at his face. She gives him an obvious look saying she had caught him staring and then she rolls her eyes at his smirk obviously not embarrassed by his latest fixation.
“We won’t be alone like this,” he steps closer to her, his own chest running with water droplets. His hair messy and wet atop his head as he pushes it off his forehead. “Possibly at all for the next three weeks,” he continues and hears her breath catch as he moves even closer. His body hovers a moment away from hers as he stares down at her. His nose almost brushes hers as he starts to lean down. She stays almost completely still. Her head moves though to allow Harry access to where his mouth seems to be headed, the side of her neck.
“After today,” he whispers before smudging an open mouthed kiss just below her ear.
A small gasp escapes her at his hot breath and a searing kiss against her chilled skin. She feels his smirk on her skin as he continues down her neck, leaving spongy eager kisses down the column.
“Well, I don’t think that’s a problem,” she tries to remain composure, feeling the burn inside of her pitch back up. The fire had dulled from the kissing by the lake once they had swam, but here he was pressing into her once again. Suddenly more eager and forward than he had ever been. Her breathing is hard to regulate with his expert hands running along her naked sides below the water and his legs backing her into the edge of the pool while his lips make love to her neck.
“Oh?” Harry hums, moving a hand up to fiddle with a strap of her top, the wet nylon twisting easily and then he lets it snap back softly. Her arousal only grows from the tiny smack. “Not a problem, eh?” His lips travel down between her breasts and she gasps in anticipation.
“Won’t be able to make you feel this good anytime you want,” he breathes and then ghosts over her covered pebbled nipple.
“You’re a tease, Harry,” she grips at his shoulders that are hunched to allow him to kiss on her. Her eyes having the perfect view of his curved neck and spine, the skin an expanse of clear perfect flesh, no tattoos in sight from this angle. The little curls at the nape of his neck trickling with spare droplets as he sucks on her own skin.
“Hmm…” his lips travel back up to the underside of her jaw causing her to tilt her head back and her stimulated chest to press into Harry’s. A chuckle passes against her skin as he feels her two points press into him.
Then, suddenly, he pulls back and grips at the back of her head to make her look at him. His eyes are deep and dark as the day starts to wear on, the sun beginning to set off in the distance.
“Maybe I need to demonstrate just what you’ll be missing out on?” He tilts his head at his suggestion and the glimmer in his eyes shows that he knows exactly what he has to say to get his friend - and soon to be lover - riled up.
Her chest heaves once, longing for the warm touch of Harry’s lips again. “What are you getting at?”
“Wanna make you feel so good you’re begging me to call my family up and tell them to not bother coming because we won’t be leaving your bed for the next few weeks.”
A breathless laugh leaves her, in disbelief, but also in wanton need. Her desire for him grew tenfold in the last ten minutes. His last sentence leaves her itching with longing. For his touch as he promised it.
“Give me the best you got then,” she challenges, her conviction never wavering despite her needy state.
That little sentence is what sets Harry’s eyes ablaze and has him gripping her waist and picking her up and setting her on the edge of the pool.
A quick press of his lips against hers and a “wait here” before he’s pulling himself from the water and shuffling to grab one of the towels he had laid out. She watches him curiously, confused why he had just promised to ravage her but was pausing to towel off.
He comes back with the towel and lays it behind her.
“Harry, what are -”
A finger presses to her swollen lips as his other hand goes to her shoulder and lays her back.
“Do you trust me?” He asks.
She nods, eyes wide and glassy as she stares up at him kneeling over her, his body between her bent knees. He leans down to press another kiss to her lips and then begins his decent.
“Gonna make you feel so fucking good, sweetheart,” he whispers.
Down her throat that he had happily been sucking on. His lips ghost over her still hard nipples and his hot breath has her arching off the ground immediately. A whine leaving her lips when he mouths between her two breasts in the valley just above the tie of suit. His fingers dance around on her skin, playing with her swimsuit fabric and she wants to scream at him to just untie it and really touch her, but she refrains. He continues his assault down her body. His hands grip at her knees when his lips travel below her navel. Her breaths have grown more strained as he’s gotten closer and closer to her heat. The cold wet fabric that covered her was a poor substitute to what she wanted to rub against her.
“Please,” she begs in a sigh as Harry’s lips skip where she wants him, instead traveling to her upper inner thigh.
He spreads her legs wider with his arms and her back arches further, her body just about fully on display for Harry. His eyes flicker up to her face that was staring right back down at him, watching his every move.
The cheeky bottoms left little to the imagination and the ties on the sides were so enticing Harry’s fingers smoothed up her thighs and began to toy with them. His face now hovering over her clothed center. His breath fanning the flames of her arousal just below the cherry fabric.
“See,” he smirks, eyes back on her face, “I haven’t even touched you yet, but you’re already begging.
“You’re an ass,” she grits out, trying to not be bothered by how easily he has gotten her in this position.
He clicks his tongue and tugs experimentally at one of the bottoms ties, “S’not a very nice thing to say to the man who’s about to stick his tongue in ya’?”
She gasps and slaps at his right shoulder at his crudeness. “You’re dirty!”
“And you’re wet,” he says confidently, smirking up from between her legs.
His fingers finally tug the ties undone and pull the fabric away from her center. The red bikini bottom falls limply to the ground and Harry’s eyes train on her glistening mound. Wet with the pool water as well as her arousal. To add to the cool air ghosting over her newly exposed skin, Harry blows his own breath over her. She writhes at the sensation, she bites at her lip to hold back any possible moans.
He glances at her face again and settles one arm to be wrapped around her leg and pressing down on her left hip. His other hand snakes between his face and her body and lightly drags between her folds. She bucks her body again, completely in need of some friction after all of the build up and teasing of today. Every nerve down there was electrified at the possibility of Harry finally touching her like this.
His finger pulls back and a string of arousal clings to him, a testament to the filthy thoughts she had about her neighbour. Thoughts she had pushed away for so long until recently. Thoughts she only indulged in in the dead of night, when she was exhausted but her mind insisted on wandering to the green sharp eyes that might stare at her if he ever were to delve into her depths. Her hands would travel to where he was now and rub out a triumphant shake of her thighs and heaving chest all in hopes that maybe he would bring her to that euphoria himself one day. Well that day was today.
He filthily takes that finger into his mouth and grins.  “So wet,” he corrects.
His eyes disappear from view as he launches into his work. His drying curls flop over his forehead and tickle at her lower stomach slightly. He flattens his tongue and licks a strong stripe between her folds. The wet from her weeping hole spreads to her lips and around her clit as his finishes the lick with a little swirl. He uses his free hand to spread apart her lips a little more and takes the new angle to suck on the little puffy nub that is already throbbing. She gasps audibly when he pulls off of it with a squelching sound.
“Fuck,” he sighs and goes back to eating her out, happily pressing his tongue into her.
His hand on her hip travels to grope at one of her breasts and he deftly pulls at the top’s tie and grips onto her skin underneath the fabric. The strong grip mixed with his expert work between her thighs has her moaning loudly and her body writhing as he builds her up.
“Yeah, sweetheart,” he rasps, thumb on her nipple flicking happily back and forth. “Scream it out,” he says into her quivering center, “Nobody around to hear you, be as loud as you want.”
She moans louder at his words, her hands gripping harder into his hair. The thought of this scene turns her on even more. In all honesty, if someone did hear them she’d kind of like it. If someone walked in and saw her stretched out next to the pool with their wet bodies writhing against each other in pleasure. Harry’s head buried between her thighs making her feel better than she ever has, her breasts falling out of their top as he massages them harshly.
“Taste so sweet,” he groans, lapping at her tight hole, the muscle contracting against his tongue’s invasion.
She liked how messy he got with it, not that she really had much coherent thoughts in this moment. But his hot tongue swiping up and down and back and forth over her glistening lips and sucking on her clit left her breathless. Her juices and his saliva were making a mess of her thighs and the towel below her. When Harry felt her getting closer he’d back off and pay attention to another part of her and then go back to sucking and nipping perfectly into her.
She was eventually stuttering out, “I’m going to cum, Harry.” Breathing becoming uneven as she was about to tip over the edge. He nods, sucking harder at her clit one last time before taking his tongue and pushing it in and out of her hole, one of his thumbs traveling to rub over her clit in quick succession.  
“Cum for me, dove,” he mumbles quickly before going back to making her feel good.
She grips her own nipple now with one hand and Harry’s hair with the other, her hips pushing up into Harry’s face over and over again. And then she’s hitting her climax and tipping over the edge, a moan ripping from her throat and freezing on her face as Harry eats her out through it. His tongue licking over her quivering pussy. His thumb rubbing comforting circles around her clit until she stopped shaking. Her breathing slowing down, eyes fluttering open eventually. They lazily stare at the man below her who’s lips and chin are slick with her juices as he grins up at her.
“Do you want me to call my mum now or wait until you’re fully back on earth,” he says slyly and kisses the inside of her thigh once more. Eyes lovingly staying on her pleasured out face.
“Seriously talking about your mom while you’re still between my thighs,” she breathes out, completely in disbelief. Harry and her had never gone that far before and it was life changing. He had been right, even if she didn’t want to admit it, she wasn’t sure if she could go three weeks without that again.
He sits up and begins to gently pull back on her swim bottoms and tie them back up. She lays there watching him work.
“How about now?” He asks with a smirk, moving to sit beside her and help her sit up when her bottoms have been readjusted. The fabric against her newly sensitive area was definitely interesting, but she couldn’t care with Harry beside her. She ties off her top on her own, even though Harry gestured that he could do it.
“Shut up,” she laughs and takes a hand to caress at his cheek.
He nuzzles into her touch.
“You forget I’m staying in the cottage...separate from everyone else,” she winks at him.
“Think they’ll still be able to hear ya’ from in there, dove. You’re a loud one,” he bites the inside of his cheek as he teases her.
She huffs and drops her hand, “I was gonna return the favor, but now I don’t think so.”
It’s Harry’s turn to laugh and reach out to her face, he pulls her face close to his, bringing her eyes level with his. “I’m just teasing. Plus, you don’t need to return the favor, I’ve been wanting to do that for ages.”
A laugh bubbles from her lips at the thought of Harry wanting her as much as she wanted him and she pecks at his lips. She grimaces only a little, tasting herself on him still.
“We’ll just have to be sneaky,” she pulls back and rests her forehead against his.
“Yeah,” Harry breaths out. His breath hitches when he feels her hand begin to trail down his chest and fiddle with the hem of his shorts. Her eyes are trained on his, expressionless like she wasn’t beginning to palm his hardened length over his sticky swim shorts.
“I told you,” he musters, “You don’t have to.”
“But,” she rasps, finally. “I want to,” she licks her lips with determination, “Want to make you feel good, too.”
He hums as her soft fingers go back up to the hem of his shorts and he helps her pull them down as he gives a nod of approval to her watching eyes.
Her eyes widen when his length is finally revealed and its bright red tip stands tall and strong against Harry’s stomach, placing itself slightly just below one of the ferns. Harry watches her lick at her hand and then places it between his thighs, her body positioned right next to him. On her knees, she makes an experimental first pump, seeing how his body responded. Her eyes mainly watch his face and an open mouthed smirk twitches onto his face when he notices her gaze. She pumps him again, twisting her wrist this time and swiping at the precum leaking from his tip. A groan leaves Harry’s mouth at that and his stomach flexes, the skin beneath his many tattoos hardening.
“Feel good?” She inquires.
“Great,” he breathes out as she leans forward on her knees and attaches her mouth over his head.
She slowly moves her head down and attempts to fit his entire length into her mouth, but despite her best efforts, she can’t quite get her throat to open up for his entirety yet. After holding him there for a moment, his head scratching at the back of her throat, she pulls off. Heaving a sigh and continuing to work him with her hand, her now glassy eyes look at him. Saliva gathers at her mouth and Harry can’t help himself but reach one of his hands from behind him to her lips. He swipes at it and presses the wet to her lips which she sucks at eagerly, a whine hidden beneath the action.
When his hand pulls away she says, “You’re quite girthy.”
“Girthy?” He sputters, both at the funny comment but also that she’s said it while still jacking him off.
“Mhmm,” she nods seriously, “Couldn’t get you all in.”
“That’s alright,” he starts, but falters on a specifically masterful tug. She grins, knowing what she's doing to him. “You seem to excel, no matter the setbacks.”
“I’ll get it eventually,” she begins to speed up her strokes, “Just need a bit of practice.”
Then her lips are pressing back onto Harry’s prick. She sucks solely at his head and Harry moans out as he gets more sensitive. Then she slides down further and bops her head vigorously. She wants Harry to come undone for her just like she had for him. Make him feel like she had moments ago. And within a few more minutes of enthusiastic sucking and pumping of her hands, even some fondling of his balls which Harry had been extremely receptive to, she has him stuttering beneath her.
One hand gripping at her hair, while the other keeps him upright, Harry’s head is thrown back on his shoulders as he tries to keep his eyes open and trained on the girl taking him so well down her lovely little throat.
“I’m almost there, sweetheart,” he pants, his hips bucking up once as he begins to lose control.
This only spurs her forward, spit drooling down his cock every time she pulls back from his slightly. Her ass is high in the air now as she arches over his length, trying to get him to unload.
“Taking me so well,” Harry praises. “Fuck,” he exclaims at another squeeze of his balls.
She swirls her tongue around his runny head and then hollows her cheeks and sucks on him with everything she’s got. This has Harry cursing and repeating her name, his load spurting into her mouth as she stays still. His chest now covered in beads of sweat as he tries to catch his breath after tipping over the edge himself. His eyes are trained on her. She keeps her lips diligently around his cock, wanting to swallow everything he’s just expended. When he’s done, she pulls back and sits on her legs, swallowing quickly and staring at Harry as she does it.
His eyes bug at the sight. She was the hottest woman in the world and she’d just sucked him off so well that he’s pretty sure he saw stars. Then she made eye contact as she swallowed his cum with her pretty little bikini barely covering her anymore, as she seemed to shift slightly uncomfortable in her drying bottoms. God, he was fucked.
“Shit,” he says, still trying to catch his breath. “You’re an absolute angel.”
-
Harry’s family arrives the next day and the pair have a hard time keeping their hands off of each other. She doesn’t know why they decide to start this little game where they pretend like they don’t want to jump each other’s bones each minute of the day. But as the days go by, they maintain to his family and chosen family that they are only neighbours who became friends. Anne gives a knowing look to Gemma every so often and Gemma’s boyfriend whispers in her ear sometimes, but for the most part they buy it.
No one notices that some nights Harry’s or Y/N’s beds are vacant sometimes. They don’t see him descend his spiral staircase at midnight or see her scamper next to the pool and slip into her cottage in the wee hours of the morning.
In the nights, it’s Harry’s soft lips pressed against her hot skin, panting praise and leaving little bite marks that can’t be seen with clothes on. Her lips mouth at his shoulder when fills her up and she exhales a breath that feels like she’s been waiting to let go for her entire life. They make each other feel good and they don’t talk about it but the secrecy of it makes it all the more enticing.
At least that’s what she thinks. Harry had been completely ready to tell his family about him and Y/N, at least that things were new between them, but when she introduced herself to his mum and Gemma she had said she was a friend. Harry had gulped, his adam’s apple bobbing hard, taking in the change of direction and agreeing with Y/N immediately. “Just a friend” he confirmed with a nod of his head and glance at her. She had smiled wide and given a hug to the other most important women in his life like she’d known them forever.
He didn’t understand why she wanted it this way, but his objections would be forgotten when night fell and she’d do the things he’d only dreamt of. Her breathy whimpers and pliant body would all but wipe his mind of any other thoughts but her and then he had no complaints, just a wish for the night to never end.
Y/N doesn’t even tell Cate when she calls her a week into the trip. It’s just something she wants to keep to herself and Harry. Their own private world.
It’s Christmas Eve when that bubble pops. The Champagne has been flowing for hours non stop - well only stopping when a different drink is in their hands, whether that be red or white wine or a mixed drink Harry has decided to concoct.
In the big Italian house, he’s free of prying eyes and he’s able to truly spend quality time with his loved ones. They have fancy dinners at private restaurants, go on gorgeous hikes, swim, and relax. They have a good time with playing holiday games, which they do most nights when they stay in.
Tonight’s the first night that Harry and Y/N haven’t ended up on the same team. He fears that most times he cheats it by swapping a paper or two, but tonight the alcohol has fizzed his brain and he forgot. This shouldn’t be a problem, not really. Except that everyone in the house has learned over the past week and a half that besides being perfectly matched in almost everything else, Harry and her are both equally and extremely competitive. Being on the same team has both advantages and avoids squabbles like the one the house has found themselves in at half past 11.
Harry’s arguing that his team got the last question before the buzzer went off, but she won’t back down. She is sure that Gemma had said the correct answer, but after the timer had run out. Everyone else was too sauced to care, but Harry and her were adamant and passionate about game play. As the argument heats up, Anne gives Gemma another one of those looks.
Y/N has stood up and crossed the short distance to Harry. She’s a breath away from him and he puffs up his chest, his eyes dark and serious as he’s ready to fight for this win all night.
“The time was out,” she says simply, but her eyes are beginning to glower.
“No. It was not.” He states back.
His eyes narrow at her as she stares right back at him.
“Was too.”
“Was not.”
They go back and forth, rapid fire as the alcohol in their veins flows straight to their mind and hearts.
“Children please!” Gemma exclaims,  finally growing tired of the bickering. “It’s Christmas. Harry show some spirit and let your guest have the final say.”
They think she’s done but then adds, “Or else she might never want to come back here.”
Harry exhales harshly through his nose as his gaze flickers to his older sister and listens to her scolding. Handing over the timer to Y/N, which had been what kept them from moving on, he turns on his heel and walks out of the room.
“Oh gosh,” Y/N says after a moment, her frazzled mind processing that Harry’s leaving has something to do with her. A hand goes to her lips for a moment, a ghost of his warm breath still there, but gone too soon.
“I’ll...I’ll be right back,” she confirms and exits the room, following Harry’s footsteps.
She finds him on his front porch step, his breath misting in the cold air, much like it would back in London when they’d walk the neighbourhood streets together.
“I’m sorry, Harry,” she says, placing a hand on his left shoulder to really get his attention.
He turns from looking out at the clear night sky, his nose and cheeks already pinkened from the night breeze. His eyes are still dark out here, but there’s no malice or anger behind them. His lips tilt up on one side for a forgiving half smile, but there’s also some pain mixed in there.
“You wouldn’t not come back, right?” He asks helplessly, his smile faltering.
She swallows, taken aback by the question, both unsure of where it came from but also how exactly her drunk brain was supposed to respond with the double negatives.
“I’d come back next Christmas and the Christmas after that, Harry,” she whispers, “If you wanted me to of course.”
“Of course I’d want you to. I want you, sweetheart. All the time.” His voice isn’t slurred, but it’s raspy, a slight dry mouth from all the alcohol consumed tonight.
“Okay,” she confirms, “Then I’ll come back.”
They stand on the porch silently for a few minutes, eyes on one another, but no movement towards anything. It’s not a profound moment for their hazy minds, despite the meaning behind their words. It’s not quite clicking for them, but maybe tomorrow when they wake up with massive headaches it will register.
“I really am sorry,” she repeats when she sees little goosebumps begin to prick at his skin.
He had forgotten a jacket. And while his drunk blanket makes him immune to the feelings, her brain still registers that she doesn’t want him to get sick.
“S’alright. For what it’s worth, I was being a little childish. So, m’sorry too.” He says sincerely, maybe a little slurring of words slipping in.
He reaches a hand out of his pocket to touch at her upper arm. She can feel his warmth from beneath her thin long sleeve. They smile at one another and turn to reenter the house, feeling the giggly tide of alcohol wash over them again. Euphoria on their mind rather than family game malice.
Just as they’re about to open the door to the house. The two of them at the precipice of a house, a place they often find themselves, Gemma swings it open face and with little care for its heaviness. She glances between her brother and his “friend”  and then up to the top of the door.
The top of the door? Why was she looking at the top of the door? Mistletoe.
“Mistletoe!” Gemma exclaims, pointing between the two of them. “You’re beneath the mistletoe, go on!”
Harry shakes his head in protest, falling onto the sword of friendship again. But then Y/N is grabbing at the back of Harry’s neck and pressing her lips to his. It’s a little sloppy, but Harry can’t help but enjoy the taste of her against him. They slot together like they usually do, but this time his sister is watching them, which is a little odd, but his muddled mind quickly forgets that fact. Her tongue is the deciding factor as it licks into his mouth and he licks back, pulling her closer by the waist. They get lost in the kiss and only pull apart when they hear a cough.
Gemma is now accompanied by the rest of the household watching them in disbelief. Everyone’s eyebrows are raised and even Rori is standing with the group, confused that the humans didn’t know they were doing this.
“Erm…” Harry has no idea what to say, shifting to face his family more fully.
Y/N blushes and shrinks into Harry’s chest, feeling like a teenager caught in the closet with her crush.
“That’s not how friend’s kiss one another,” someone murmurs.
There’s a few “I knew it”s mixed in as well with the rest of the chatter.
“Well…” She finally musters and throws a hand out to her side in a ta-da motion,
“Happy Christmas!”
-
After the revelation on Christmas Eve, everyone won’t stop teasing Harry and Y/N. The two laugh it off but something always nags at the back of their head. What they were to the other person. The status of this relationship. This friendship that had taken a turn to something else entirely.
It’s another Eve of a holiday when Harry finally musters up the courage to ask her directly. They learned from Christmas day that they couldn’t drink as much as they once did for multiple reasons. So on New Year’s Eve, they both choose to only consume a couple glasses of Champagne.
It starts with “Can we talk about us?” right after midnight. Right after Harry’s just started the New Year with her lips on his. She hears his question and takes it in, her stomach twisting with nerves and possibly excitement as well, and nods.
They slink off to his bedroom, but not for the activity everyone else was certain they were engaging in.
He sits them on the edge of the bed, both her hands clasped in one of his. He’s been quiet all day, she just realizes as he stays silent another moment longer.
“I love you,” he says in his dimly lit room.
Her jaw drops slightly, not quite expecting those three words yet.
“You don’t, don’t have to say anything yet. I just wanted you to know that,” he continues. “And that I want to be with you.”
“Harry,” she starts, breathless at his words.
“No,” he stops her again, “I felt something draw me to you the day you moved in across from me on Sherwood, like I was meant to know you or something.  Then I met you and you made me feel so comfortable, all I wanted to do was be with you and that month when you didn’t really talk to me...dove, those weeks were wretched. But when I came back, it was like nothing happened and I was so happy because I couldn’t fathom life going back to the way it was before you. When we kissed, I felt overjoyed, I was so happy that you liked me like that because every time you called me friend...felt like a knife in me. I don’t want to be just your friend,” he pauses to say her name again, “I don’t want to be just your lover, I want to be your boyfriend or whatever they call it now - If you’ll have me.”
He takes a deep breath and blinks away the little well up of water that had grown in his eyes. He had forgotten to blink for a moment he realized.
His stare had been intense as he’d confessed all of his feelings to her, but she didn’t feel intimidated, his gaze had warmed her with its sincerity. It had strengthened his confession.
She sighed, her own eyes not as strong as his, unable to hold his gaze as she herself said her own confession.
His hand rests between them on the bed, steadying himself upright with it. She places her own hand over it and their fingers slightly intertwine. She feels him begin to fiddle with her fingers like usual. Like normal.
“Thank you,” she starts, “Of course I’ll have you. All the time, Harry.”  She repeats his words from Christmas Eve back to him.
He starts to interject, the rambling thing, but she tugs at his pointer finger and he takes it as a sign to be quiet.
“I want to be your partner, too. I want it all with you, lover,” she gazes at him now, his free hand reaching up to caress her cheek in that moment. “Want it all,” she repeats in a whisper before he’s kissing her again.
Kissing her and kissing her. Over and over again. Because she was his. And he was hers. And it was a happy beginning. A happy new year and a happy new beginning of a relationship that was bound in friendship, born out of proximity, and nurtured by two kindred souls.
And it all started with her parents making her take her dog. Harry really needed to thank that dog for being the best wing man to ever run around on four legs.
-
Who knows who that new client of Y/N’s might be...
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jq37 · 3 years
Text
The Report Card – Fantasy High: The Seven Ep 5
Through a Glass, Darkly
Welcome back to the Temple of the Earth Defiant where the girls and their magical horses (and one pony!) have found refuge from the strange, twisted, fae creatures that have been chasing them. The statue of Asha Hammerheart that Ost animated last episode is still alive and wrecking house on the remaining harpies and beasts that are foolish enough to keep fighting and the rest soon get the hint and flee. 
Ost does some healing (boosted by the ambient Hallow effect of the temple which gives everyone a short rest) and then, seeing the damage to the temple caused by erosion, starts using Mending to fix things up. Her friends help out too with Sam and Yelle being most effective--Sam by repairing water damage and Yelle by creating tree cover and other druid-y tricks. But of course, we can’t overlook Katja’s crucial addition of carving “A Horse is a Home” into one of the walls of this sacred temple. 
Anyway, the girls are nesting super hard, the horses are having their scrapbooking reviewing club (an insane thing that was established last episode) and then Sam asks a question. Did y’all mention something about a photo of me going viral? Everyone’s like yeah, but don’t worry, you looked super hot. That’s not the part Sam was worried about. What she’s worried about and what all the girls except Zelda don’t really seem to know is that Sam doesn’t really have a social media presence. So like, 180k and climbing views (as decided by a dice roll) isn’t really what she wants. She scrolls through the comments really quick and sees that they’re not awful but one person is like, “Hey that girl looks a lot like that character from that old show”. Which Sam doesn’t love. She says that she’s fine but also that, even without an Insight check, she’s obviously not. 
Sam kind of looks to Zelda to bail her out and Zelda is like, “Hey, I’m gonna delete this video.” The other girls follow suit, even though they don’t quite know what’s happening. When they have to split up to investigate, Sam has Zelda kind of bail her out again and they split up to go check a nest outside--Zelda waving off Danielle when she wants to go with. Ant and Yelle decide to check out a cache of some treasure they saw earlier and Ost and Katja stay with the horses to keep fixing the temple up. Penny initially goes with Ant and Yelle but rushes back to be with Ost and Kat when Ost discovers a hidden lock while she’s fixing a wall.
So, the girls are split up, let’s run all these scenes.
Antiope and Yelle
Ant and Yelle go see the pile of treasure (near the statue of dwarven paladin Yvonna) which they learn is like a “take a penny leave a penny” situation for weapons and items. They were left by adventures who were similarly chased here and you can take what you need as long as you leave something to help others. Like, “Oh no I only have an ice sword and I need flaming arrows.” It doesn’t have to be equivalent exchange, you just need to leave something useful.
In this space, Yelle feels a weird melancholy and like they’re within the watch of something vast and powerful. She tries to check for TK’s presence but rolls low. Antiope leaves her Kalvaxus killing shortsword and takes some really nice, white feather fledged arrows with mirror tips and an ax Kat wants as a present for her dad. Danielle takes a bandolier of potions (3 healing and 2 mystery I believe) and leaves a bunch of mushrooms. Some of them are psychedelic and Ant takes one because this is probably a good time to be high, right?
It’s not messing with her competence obviously though because she rolls a 25 on Primeval Awareness and gets a weird sense, like something is closing in on this place. And like something very powerful is bleeding, which combined with the chaos of the mountains might explain the weird harpies and the cat/dogs. But she’s high so she explains this is a very spacey, stoner way. Probably a good thing she’s with Yelle.
Sam and Zelda
Sam can fly and Zelda can basically walk vertically with her goat legs so they check out the nest. Well, ostensibly that’s what they’re doing. Really they’re just having a heart to heart. Sam thanks Zelda for saving her ass and apologizes profusely for being so short with her. Zelda gives her a huge mid-air hug and says it’s not a big deal because she knows Sam is just lashing out because she’s hurting but Sam says it’s not a good enough excuse and she’s truly sorry. It’s been her coping mechanism for so long but she doesn’t want to be that way. She tells Zelda that the Everpetals are divorcing and that she’s living alone and Zelda says that any one of the girls would be happy to have her stay with them. Sam further explains that this is a big part of the reason she’s been so broken up about the possibility of their group splitting up and Zelda immediately takes out her crystal and texts her “I’m in” in the thread, breaking Sam again. 
Since they’re in heart to heart mode, Sam tells her that she talked to her bio-mom and an agent and she’s not sure what to do. Zelda says that she’s gonna be spectacular no matter what she does and she doesn’t have to do any of them but it’s cool doors are opening for her but also Antiope and Penny are gonna be PISSED that she’s out here making side plans after she gave them so much shit for theirs. Lol, well it’s a nice moment in the meantime and we cut to…
Penny, Ost, and Katja 
While Penny is lockpicking (and also trying to teach one of the horses to lockpick because sure) Katja and Ost go talk to the statue of Asha Hammerheart. It seems to be animated with at least some level of her true consciousness from beyond the grave and that she can kind of woge into her statue when she wants, which is cool. She’s been there for like 250 years so that’s a lot of history to see. 
Ost is maybe the most polite we’ve ever seen her talking to Asha (at least to begin with lol) and they ask her about TK. Asha says she saw TK show up 12 years ago but she never left, at least not through the front door. And then about 2 years ago (right around when they were in the crystals) that’s when the harpy queen showed up. At first they were normal and then they started mutating. Also, recently, Korra (one of the other statues/heroes) saw a woman in the mountains--not TK. 
Ost then takes a page from the book of one St. Kristen Applebees and asks, “Hey. What’s the deal with our god? He never talks to us, does he just suck?” Asha--who has never talked to him even though she’s a martyred hero and literally in dwarf heaven makes some excuses for the guy but Katja scoffs at them. “If people wanna take care of you, they do.” Ost then straight up asks if Logran Soulforger is even real which sets Asha off but Ost isn’t mad AT her, she’s mad FOR her. You go and do all this cool shit to the point where you have this cool ass statue, you fully DIE for him and he doesn’t even say hi? With a 21 Persuasion check, Asha admits that yeah, she would have liked some recognition. She decides she’s gonna go do some talking to some people and leaves after getting Ost’s number but before they can ask more about the woman Korra saw (who they think is Charity). 
OK, that’s all the small group stuff! Everyone comes back as Penny finishes up with the lock and they go down into this room that’s full of polished, precious stones. This is probably where people who were upkeeping the temple stayed. While everyone else is going down, Sam feels some powerful magical pull--much like her episode 1 Lightning Lure--calling her from the top of the stairs so she goes back up. We’ll get back to her in a bit. 
Penny rolls a high check to clock what’s going on down here. First off, she finds flintlock bullets and airship uniform scraps which makes it seem like there was a battle here involving some airship guys from the Baronies. Which is not just the place of origin of Riz’s imaginary Romance Partner. It’s a cluster of nations known for high rates of monarchical turnover and renaissance style intrigue. I’m picturing just a nation of [REDACTED]s from Crown of Candy. 
With all of this stuff, Penny finds an emblem of a billionaire airship mogul named Lord Talcidimir Tallbreeze who is a friend of her dad’s. Yelle is immediately like FUCK billionaires which isn’t plot relevant but it’s nice to know she’s always on brand. 
Oh also, Penny just casually finds the Legendarium so that’s neat. 
To be safe, Ost casts Protection from Energy on Ant (who is the one who knows how to use it) and brings out her Spirit Guardian (who is a combo of her mom, nona, and Asha, with her dad’s rings). Ant checks it out and sees that there are currently no A, B, or C quests in all of Spyre. While Penny cross references the bylaws to see if there’s a way to get around this, Yelle does some druid BS that I still do not understand to use the crystals in the cave to jailbreak this super powerful magical Artifact so they can just have copies on their crystals. While that’s happening, let’s check on Sam. 
Sam goes back up the staircase where she sees Ending who doesn’t look menacing at all, just extremely sad. She’s looking out the mouth of the cave and, when she turns, Sam can see she’s crying blood. 
“What’s wrong?” asks Sam, the acid-tongued but good-hearted. “Can I help you?”
With a 25 Persuasion check to get her to talk, Ending apologizes for scaring her and her friends before. She didn’t mean to. She sometimes forgets that her very nature can be frightening and dangerous to others. She says that when she escaped, she tried to rejoin her sisters but found their mirrors shattered and them gone. Sam thought they escaped but that doesn’t make sense to Ending. If they had, why wouldn’t they have freed her as well?
Sam asks who her sisters were and we finally get true names for Ending and her sisters:
Chrona, Terra, Pyrria, Nira, Zefira, Anima, and herself, Talura (which is what I’ll be calling her now that we know). Talura is the baby, the youngest. Sam realizes she’s talking about the Eidolons and Talura seems surprised and a bit pleased that Sam recognizes them. 
Sam asks if she can hug her and Talura hugs her tightly in a very cold embrace that doesn’t hurt. Downstairs, she hears her friends (Penny specifically) freaking about about the lack of quests but she doesn’t break the hug. 
“My own sisters are struggling right now but I’m gonna stay with you because you don’t know where yours are. But maybe we can find them.”
Talura clocks that the way that Sam is being is her true nature, not the bitchiness she often uses as a shield. Then she starts to talk about her history. That she and her sisters were sealed away when the gods were done with them (Sam can relate to being used and set aside) and the only way out was death. Talura has been crying and looking for her sisters to no avail. Her tears of blood leaking seems to be what caused the monsters to mutate which is in line with what Yelle and Ant were sensing. 
Talura doesn’t think anything could have destroyed her sisters so she’s very confused. Sam offers Talura her Mirror of the Past because it almost knocked out Sam to get god-tier information but Talura presumably won’t have that problem. Talura offers her a boon in exchange for this great kindness but Sam says she doesn’t need any quid pro quo. “This is just because you’re hurting.”
Talura is supremely touched and still wants to do something for her new...friend? Sam accepts the title and says that what she needs is some help on her GED quest. Once she explains what she means, Talura again recognizes Aguefort and is like, Oh, you need a quest? I can totally help with that! As we learned earlier, these guys are kinda genie connected so it’s not super surprising when Talura very happily goes full your wish is my command.
Downstairs, a Class A quest suddenly appears in Spyre on the screen. 
Back upstairs, Talura says that it’s been too long since she got to grant a wish and seems really happy about it. Sam gives her the mirror so she can check what happened to her sisters but when she does, she totally flips out and gets super angry--not at Sam, just at whatever she’s looking at. She can hardly believe it. Sam tries to figure out what’s wrong but she just gets super big and then disappears into a puff of smoke, leaving Sam's mirror on the ground, covered in frost. 
Downstairs, the Class A quest expands across the entire globe and then the Legendarium cracks. Ost’s spirit guardian disappears because of alarm bells ringing in the afterlife. And the girls learn that a Class A quest is a quest that affects the whole MULTIVERSE. Yikes!
So anyway, they girls go upstairs to check on Sam (on a bear that Penny makes because sure) and they see that something clearly just happened with Sam. Yelle asks if she’s good and Sam is like yeahhhh I don’t think ANYONE is good right now. Sam seems like she’s about to cry and Antiope instantly forgets all the petty bullshit going on between them and rushes to make sure she’s not hurt. 
Sam gives the girls a rundown of what happened and Yelle concretely puts together what I said earlier about Talura’s tears messing with nature. 
Sam wants to check her mirror to see what Talura saw and Brennan says she can do it the safe way with risk of failure of the surefire way with risk of personal harm. She, of course, picks door 2 and rolls a 13 on her con save which means she rises into the air like Storm from X-Men, eyes wide, and then instantly passes out and goes into shock. Antiope is there to catch her as she does. 
Also, she looks SUPER hot while falling on a 31. Honestly, it’s a shame she doesn’t allow herself a social media presence. 
Anyway, we’ll get to what she sees in a bit. Yelle and Ant make sure she’s OK (she is, but the has to be knocked out for this or she won’t be able to handle it). 
Penny tells them what she knows about each Eidolon from her earlier research which is what element each goes with:
Chrona: Time (Related to astral and elemental planes) 
Terra: Earth
Pyrria: Fire
Nira: Water
Zefira: Air
Anima: Life
Talura: Death 
They also talk about TK never leaving via the front door and all this airship stuff being around. Maybe she left out the top of the mountain on an airship? Katja has the hookup with this Tal guy (she’s met him when she was younger) so they decide they need to check it out once Sam is good. 
The girls fix the Legendarium and Ost, when she goes to pray for her spells for the night, doesn’t pray to her usual god. She prays to Asha. And not only does she get her spells, she also gets a new one--Commune. 
And now let’s get to what Sam is seeing in her Vision Coma. 
She was told by Talura that the only way out of the mirrors given to them by the gods was death. And what Talura saw that drove her to do whatever multiverse threatening thing that she did was every one of her sisters walking out of their mirrors and choosing death. I will specifically highlight that the oldest sister leaves almost immediately with a small, “Oh,” of realization and Anima, the closest sister to her seems terrified before coming to a joyful realization and leaving.
And that’s the end of the episode! Join us next week when apparently there is talk of a masquerade ball?????? Brennan, you shouldn’t have!   
Superlatives 
Sam: Most Likely to Accidently Snag a Brand Deal
Did you guys ever read the Greek myth of Cupid and Psyche? Where Psyche was born so hot that it was basically a curse and she was miserable because she was so hot that Aphrodite hated her? That’s Sam. She is incapable of almost dying in a non-aesthetic way. It’s like a Pantene commercial every time. This is my favorite running gag.
Random Thoughts
Man, I have so many feelings about Sam. She’s such a BITCH in so many ways but it’s so obvious that she has a good heart. Every time she has an opportunity to be nice with no gain--helping Lola find her dog, magically turning the pages for the horses during book club, fully refusing a boon from Talura--she does. And I’m glad she gave Zelda such a sincere apology and didn’t let the extenuating circumstances absolve her because she said some pretty uncalled for things. But at her core she’s so kind and I want only good things for her. 
Also those of you who know me from my FH recaps know I’m a messy bitch for sister stuff so Talura and Sam both referring to the other maidens as her sister had me dead. You can tell when something in this show is f’ing me up when I just start directly quoting instead of paraphrasing. 
Katja being richer than Helio but having no idea what any of the brands Ost is mentioning are is peak comedy.  
As is Ant’s response to the take and penny leave a penny translation from Ost, “No, Penny didn’t come with us.”
Ost: I get service in the afterlife.
You could really tell which of the players watched Sophomore Year because the Baronies came up and all of them went into fight or flight immediately. 
Very Elsa vibes from Sam during the top of the scene with Talura. (Sam is, of course, a better sister but we simply do not have time to get into my feelings on Frozen 2 right now).
I was wondering why this season was called just “The Seven” when it dropped initially. Like, was it snappier? Did they not want to use the word “maiden”? But they still call themselves the Seven Maidens in the show so it’s probably not that. Now I’m wondering if it’s just to parallel the 7 of them w/ the 7 Eidolons. 
So it seems clear based on the reactions of the first and sixth sisters that they didn’t just “go gently into that good night” as Ant would say and ditch Talura. It seems like they figured something out. Also Brennan isn’t really a “and then they all died, the end” kind of DM, you know? Credit to my friend @camwritery for getting here before I did but the gods said the only way out was death and she is death so you know? Those def seem like puzzle pieces that go together. 
The only crit rolled this episode is a 1 by Penny which she gets to reroll as a halfling. 
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supercorpkid · 3 years
Text
Sweet 16.
Supercorp, Kara Danvers x Daughter!Reader, Lena Luthor x Daughter!Reader
Word count: 2430.
“Hey! There she is!” Kara opens her arms excitedly when you walk home from school.
“Here I am.” You answer unaware of why she’s so excited. It’s just a normal day.
“Your birthday is in a few days.” She says and you agree with your head. “Are you excited?”
“Sure.” It’s what your mouth says. But what your face says it’s ‘whatever’.
“I see that.” She waits until you’re seated to reach out from the other side of the counter and hold your chin up on her hand. “What’s wrong, little one?”
“Nothing’s wrong, momma.” You shrug. “It’s just a birthday. Just another day.”
“It is absolutely not just another day!” She lets go of your face and makes her way around the counter to reach you. “It is the day that the person I love the most in the universe finally came into my life.” She hugs tight and you smile.
“Mom’s birthday is still a few months away.” You joke and Kara squints her eyes at you.
“I’m serious, baby.” She sits next to you with the biggest smile on her face. “What do you want in your party?”
“I don’t know.” You shrug again. “Can I ask for anything?” She agrees with a nod. “Ok. Then, how about for my party, we don’t have one?”
Kara’s face drops when you say that, and she looks disappointed. You don’t want a party, honestly your birthday will be like every other birthday. Alex, Kelly and Jamie come over, Kara buys all the food in the universe, Lena buys all the presents in the universe, and that’s it. You’re fine with how things are. Besides, who else would you invite to the party anyway? Lillian Luthor? It’s a laughable thought.
“Just us family having dinner is enough.” You reassure her.
“Fine.” She still pouts though. “What do you want as a birthday gift?” Another shrug. “How about that video game you told me about?”
“Nah. Jamie already got it for her birthday and we usually play it together anyway.”
“Ok.” Kara agrees with her head and thinks some more. “A new phone?”
“Mine is fine.”
“A car?” She tries with a chuckle and you laugh too.
“I can fly.” You get up from the stool. “A hug will do. Oh, and maybe I can skip school?”
“That’s it? As your birthday present you want me to let you skip class?”
“No. I want you to convince mom to let me skip class.” You raise your eyebrows a couple of times at her and she agrees with her head. You kiss her cheek. “Don’t stress about it. Really. It’s just another day.”
You go to your room and lay in bed thinking about this ‘just another day’. You remember you were once so excited about birthdays. As a kid you would get up before your moms, run to their bedroom, climb on their bed and wake them up yelling ‘it’s my birthday!’. You could never wait until later to open all your presents (Lena would always save the best one for the party), and you would annoyingly tell every single person you saw that it was your day. Now the only thing you want is sleep until late and maybe go to your lab alone.
You were so anxious for leaving the whole ‘birthday conversation’, you didn’t eat and you’re starving. So, you wait a little until you see Kara is not in the kitchen anymore and you sneak there.
“Kara. What’s-?” You hear Lena’s voice from the living room. You’re not using your super hearing, they’re just close enough. “What’s all this?”
“Look at her, Lena.” You use your x-ray vision and you see a bunch of photo albums on the table. “Look at this cute little bean, all excited about her birthday.”
“Yeah, God. She loves it so much.” Lena agrees, grabbing one of the albums to look at it.
“Loved it.” Kara corrects her with a sigh. “She just told me she doesn’t want a party, and as a birthday gift she wants to not have to go to school.”
“What? Why? Do you think there is something going on at school?” Lena asks and you sit closer to hear their conversation without them seeing you. Honestly, you’re so good at eavesdropping you don’t even need powers for that.
“I don’t know. I think she just doesn't want to think about this day, you know?” Kara sighs and holds one of your pictures up. “I get it though. I mean, just look at this little smooch. Rao, she’s so big now. She is doing great with her powers; she has her own lab.”
“Yeah. She is smart, independent, strong, caring…” Lena completes the thought and you smile to yourself.
“Soon enough she’ll go to college and like…” You can hear Kara choking a little and you know she’s crying. “She won’t need me anymore. And I’ll be here all alone.”
“Why, thank you, honey.” Lena says ironically.
“Alone with you.” Kara adds trying to make her feel better.
“Oh yeah, that’s a lot better.” Lena breathes deep and wipes Kara’s tears. “Let’s not think about this now, ok? Let’s think about what we can do to make her enjoy her birthday like she used to.”
“I don’t want to push her into this. If she’s not feeling it, maybe we should let it be.” Kara closes one of the albums. “If not going to school and a family dinner is all she wants…”
“Wait, what? You can’t be serious. You really don’t want to throw her a party? You? Of all people?” Lena asks, surprised.
“Don’t look so shocked.” Kara crosses her arms. “If she wants to pretend that she’s not getting older, I’m fine with that. We can go on pretending she’s still 15 for years, that way she will never leave me.”
“Kara, this is not about you.” Lena does her whole ‘business woman’ pose. Crossed legs, fingers intertwined placed perfectly on top of her knee and serious expression. “Our daughter is incredible, and she can’t get stuck here because we’re unable to let her go. She deserves to see and save the world. She deserves to create incredible things and make the world better. We can’t get in the way of that.”
“I know, but…” Kara is still crying. “She is my baby. And I love her so much, and I want to be around her all the time. Maybe… Maybe we could build a time machine and relive her childhood all over again?”
“I don’t think you know how time machines work.”
“Fine. Then maybe I could go to college with her. You know, I’ll sign up for some classes and…”
“Yeah right, because that’s exactly what she will want. Go to college with her momma.” Lena hugs her and gets close to her ear. “I can think of a few things we could do to have fun when she goes off to college.”
Ew. No. You get up from where you’re sitting and grab a bag of chips and go back to your bedroom. This just turned R18+ super fast, you don’t want and shouldn’t listen anymore.
Your birthday came along really fast. None of your moms mentioned anything about a party, and Kara only said that your family was coming for dinner, so apparently, they decided to respect your wishes.
“It’s your birthday!” Kara walks in your room early in the morning, you wake up with a smile. She throws confetti in your face and you laugh. “Happy birthday, not-so little one.”
“Still little, momma.” She jumps in bed next to you and hugs you. “Thank you.”
“Happy birthday, babygirl.” Lena walks in the room and you see she has a box on her hands. “No peeking!”
“Uh, is that my present?” You raise one eyebrow and she agrees with her head.
“Guess what it is.” Kara says next to you and you shrug.
“Donuts?” You ask with a smile, but they shake their heads in denial at the same time. “Birthday cake?” Another no with their heads. “Cupcakes?”
“It’s not food.” Lena answers and comes next to you.
“Oh, then you guys probably didn’t get me what I wanted.” You joke and Kara laughs next to you. “Unless is a dog.”
“Definitely not a dog.” Lena gives you the box and you hug her to say thank you. She kisses your forehead. “I hope you like it, baby.”
“Cool, thanks mom.” You smile at Lena and then turn to Kara. “Now for your birthday gift to me. Did you do it? Did you talk to her?”
“Yes, kid. You don’t have to go to school today.” Kara agrees with her head and you smile.
“Well, thanks for the gifts. Now I’m going back to sleep, because I don’t have to wake up early today. I love you both. Happy birthday to me, yay!” You say not excitedly and put the blanket over your head, so they can take the hint and leave you to go back to sleep.
You wake up hours later and you’re starving. You joked about donuts and birthday cake, but you kind of wish they actually bought those. You hear the doorbell and Lena yells it’s for you, so you get out of your pajamas in a flash and run to the front door.
“Grandmother?” Your eyes grow bigger and you look at your mom next to you, still holding the door open.
“Granddaughter.” She answers with a tiny smile. “Do you mind if we speak out here for a minute?”
You look at Lena for permission. She gives you a little nod, and you take that as incentive. So you go out the door, and Lena closes it, to give you guys some more privacy.
“I just came by to wish you a happy birthday. It’s a very important age.” Lillian says and you smile.
“It’s just another year.” You shrug and she shakes her head.
“I suppose.” She clears her throat and you see she has something in her hands, and it’s carefully wrapped in a red and blue paper. “I wouldn’t know what’s important for a kid, anyhow.” She takes a deep breath. “I hope you enjoy it.”
She hands you the box and you so desperately want to lower your glasses to make sure it’s not a kryptonite bomb inside, but you refrain from doing so. You don’t want to seem impolite. You unwrap the paper and see a video game console, also red and blue. You smile.
“I remembered you told me you made one videogame and, well, the guy at the store told me this one sells well with kids.” She says and you beam at her. You almost feel like hugging her, but you don’t want to impose, so the smile will have to do.
“Thank you. It’s amazing, really.” She agrees with her head, looking proud of herself.
“A book would be better, but I don’t think you can get any smarter.”
“I could. But I would be unbearable.” You laugh and she smiles lightly. Kara lands on the doorstep at the moment.
“Lillian.” Kara says as a hello. Lillian turns back to her, adjusting the clothes on her body, looking nervous.
“Supergirl.” She replies, bitterly. Then turns back at you. “Well, happy birthday.” She mentions to leave, but before she tilts her head. “Granddaughter.”
“Thanks.” You salute her off. “Grandmother.”
Lillian makes her way to the black car parked in front of the driveway. Kara hugs you sideways and you get inside the house. You see her looking at the console on your hands.
“Birthday present.” You smile showing it to her.
“The one you wanted.” She stares at it for a while. Then agrees with her head, like she had just checked for bombs and it’s safe.
“Guess who just landed in the backyard?” Lena asks and you furrow your brows.
“COUSIN!” Superboy walks in all dressed in his stupid super hero clothes and you toss the video game to Kara and run to hug him.
“What are you doing here?” You ask surprise and stop smiling for a second. “Oh no, what have you done?”
Everyone laughs, well aware of his reputation, Conner also laughs and messes with your hair.
“It’s your birthday, lab rat! You actually think I would miss that?” He smiles and whispers in your ear. “I also know your moms buy the most delicious food for this day.”
“It’s true!” Kara agrees from the other side, proving there’s no way you can keep a secret from her. “I just went to Italy and picked up all of her favorites. Everyone else is already on their way, so we’ll eat in a while.”
“Your mom’s the best.” Conner says, making Kara smile, very proud of herself.
“Your uncle is also the best.” You hear behind you and you look at Superman standing on the backyard door with a smile.
“Kal!” You run to him and hug him tightly. You haven’t seen him in such a long time. Kara shows up behind you.
“Hey Kal.” You let go of him and Kara hugs him. You look at Conner and you both go to the living room, and let the grown-ups talk. You show Conner your new video game and you both play with it until the doorbell rings.
“I’ll get it.” You run to the door and see aunt Alex, aunt Kelly, Jamie and Eliza on the other side. “GRAMM!”
“Hi sweetheart.” Eliza smiles and kisses the top of your head. She looks at your surprised face. “What? You thought I wouldn’t come to your birthday?” You’re so happy. You can’t believe she left Midvale just to see you. “Happy birthday, sweetie.”
“Thanks Gramm.” You say and she goes inside.
“Happy birthday, kiddo.” Aunt Alex hugs you and your smile just grows bigger and bigger.
“Happy birthday, little Danvers.” Jamie hugs you and whispers in your ear. “If you leave me alone in school again, I’ll murder you.”
Aunt Kelly also wishes you happy birthday and you all go inside the house. You’re almost back in the living room when the doorbell rings again, and Nia and Brainy come inside too.
When you finally reach the living room, you see three shadows running around and you smile. Soon, the whole place is ready. There are balloons, a happy birthday banner, and the biggest birthday cake you’ve ever seen. You thought you had no one to invite to your party, but now looking at the full house, you smile to yourself. Your whole family is here. And they are amazing.
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stripper-patrick · 3 years
Text
China Love 🎎Andy Barber
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Part 1
Part 2
Warnings: smut, language, daddy kink, straight up nastiness, dom!Andy, angst, protected, this is a 2 parter
Ima try my best to do a 3rd person POV
Tags: @rebellious-desires @mrsbanreswillseeyou @eclecticblkgirl @designerwriterchic @bvssmob
Relationship: Andy Barber x black plus sized reader
~Andy’s POV~
2:46am and all I can think about is her moans and how good I made her feel. Her smile when I walk into the room, how strong she is, especially strong-minded. Laurie stirs in her sleep resting her arm on my chest and that’s when I look at her. I don’t find the same love I had for her before Y/N. It’s not to say I don’t love her as a person. I do dearly and I love her as the mother of my child but I don’t love her as my wife anymore.
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I sigh closing my eyes finally drifting to sleep not wanting to think anymore.
...
Y/N has been avoiding me for about 3 weeks and I can’t help but feel bad. The truth is I don’t know how to tell her I want her. That night is all I can think about. I’ve been so stressed out these last few weeks because my son might be a suspect in a murder case. That’s really been weighing on my shoulders especially since I’ve been kicked off the case. Laurie has been growing cold against me and I think she believes our son did it. There’s no way he did it. And I’m scared to ask just in case she thinks I’m trying to accuse her. I just need to know we’re on the same page as a family.
I’m sitting at my desk when I’ve finally had enough. I press the button for my assistant and she walks in with a smile “hey Lynn can you bring Y/N in here to me please?”
“Yes sir” she leaves and I take a deep breath standing up. I watch out of the glass as Y/N pushes her chair out and walks with Lynn. She opens the door and sees me folding her arms. Flashbacks hit me hard and next thing I know I’m having to shield my boner. She looks so gotdamn good with her beautiful mahogany hair placed into a neat puff on top of her head, her shapely body concealed into a short tight floral skirt and an olive green top with nude sandals with gems on them. Maybe it’s because I was drunk but I’m just noticing the tattoo on the inside of her wrist that says ‘breathe’ in intricate letters
“You wanted to see me” she doesn’t even make direct eye contact with me. I nod towards the seat and she shuts the door and sits down. I lean on the front of my table watching her cross her legs and move back.
“Can I ask why you’ve been avoiding me? And don’t lie”
“Because I feel absolutely terrible about what your wife will say when she finds out you fucked your intern and further more I don’t wanna be fired for fraternizing with my bosses boss” she cuts right the the chase
“Understandable but you won’t get fired” I reassure her
“Andy I already have people that don’t like me in this office and I don’t need our business getting out and I’m scared”
“Don’t be Y/N but if you wanna stop I completely understand” I nod “I just want the old us back” I’m referring to how much we used to be. Like 2 peas in a pod. Bound at the hip. Going from best friends to not even speaking is different for us.
She stares at me with her big daunting brown eyes “I bought you a coffee it might be a lil cold but you’ll be ok” I chuckle dropping my head while she stands up to get it. Honestly I don’t wanna stop what we’re doing because I can’t get enough of her but if that’s what she wants then I won’t argue it.
Y/N comes back with the coffee in her hand and hands it to me. “Have you talked to
Laurie about it yet?” She cross her arms looking at me and it’s just something about her stance that makes me wanna place her over my knee and smack her ass red. Laurie never really enjoyed when I spanked her or pulled her hair or even choked her.
“Absolutely not” I take a sip of the lukewarm coffee. She nods in approval.
“Well back to my never ending paperwork to file”
“Just do these for me and fill this out and have it back to me by the end of the day” I watch as YN scans the paper I gave her skipping the other papers. “This is an official hiring worksheet” she states as a matter of factly.
“I’m aware”
“You wanna hire me?”
“Yea and plus you’ll make more money that what you’re making now as an intern so fill it out and you’ve got it” I smile. She bites her lip and I know she said we should stop but I could fill that pretty pussy one more time.
“Thanks” she smiles. I watch her walk away before taking a deep breath. I sit back behind my desk and continue working.
....
Another late night at the office. I sigh rubbing my hands over my face. I look out and see Y/N coming in here. I believe it’s only me and her in here. I watch as a tall man stand up and walk to her. It’s Neal. He slams papers on her desk startling her yelling throughout the office.
“You dumbass bitch. You filed the wrong fucking stack” she stands up in protest. Anger fills me half way and I’m about to slap the dog shit out of him for talking to her like that.
“Don’t you ever in your gotdamn life say some bullshit like that Neal. I’ve dealt with your shit long enough. That stack was getting filed regardless right? Ard then chill out with the fuck shit” there’s her Baltimore accent. He rises above her with intimidating power and I stand up jogging to the door. Anger washes over me as I swing the door open and stomp towards the pair. I didn’t even notice the shocked scared expression painted on Y/N’s face. I grab Neal by the collar seething like a rabid animal. Without saying a word to him I give him a death glare as a warning.
“Andy” Y/N peeps out. Neal cracks a smile and I press him against the wall watching the humor drain from his face replaced with sheer terror.
“You think this is a joke? Do you?” I scream
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“Andy” Y/N screams louder and I come to my senses. I let him go watching him scramble to gather his things leaning collectively. I let out a deep sigh and she’s comes to my aid rubbing my shoulder “calm down I’m ok he didn’t hurt me”
“He wouldn’t have gotten the chance” I take a deep breath
...
It’s been a few weeks since the ordeal and unfortunately after that I was let off my sons case. To make matters worse me and Laurie got into an argument that I’m sure puts us close to the brink of separation. I believe that she thinks Jacob murdered Ben and she won’t admit to it and keeps trying to switch the narrative.
I’m sitting on the couch drinking a beer at 10:30 at night when I get a call. It’s Y/N.
“Hey Y/N” I swig the last of my beer
“Hey Andy are you busy?” She asks. She sounds nervous
“No why?” I ask smiling at the sweet sound of her voice
“Can you come by the office I have something for you”
“Y/N you know they’re gonna lose their shit if they see me in there especially after hours”
“Please it’ll be worth it” she pleads. I can already envision her bottom lip puckered out and her arms crossed. I sigh standing up stretching my back
“I’ll be there soon”
“Yay” she perks up and I laugh hanging up. I grab my coat and hear the footsteps of my basically estranged wife approaching.
“Where are you going? It’s 11:30”
“To handle some business at work” I lie. I’m not even sure what Y/N is up to. If it’s what I think it is then of course Laurie can’t know.
“I thought you were kicked off the case”
“Just some important files I forgot to log into the system. No big deal” I pull on my coat placing my hood on my head and exit swiftly. The heavy rain patters hard on the concrete splashing upward with each step I take toward the car.
I get in and press the start button watching Laurie observe me through the curtain. I reverse out of the driveway pulling off into the night.
....
I open the doors and see YN standing there with a trench coat and some heels on and a bottle of champagne. She doesn’t notice my movements as she smoothes out the wrinkles in her coat trying to perfect herself. She doesn’t realize she’s already perfect.
“To what do I owe this dubious pleasure Ms. YLN?” I inquire placing my hands on my pocket and leaning on the door frame. Her smile is bright when our eyes lock.
“Well I have made a change of my mind on something” I walk towards her where she sits me down in the chair standing before me. My heart is racing and my dick is starting to get hard.
“I bought the champagne just in case you need some extra convincing” she laughs. YN opens her coat dropping it on the floor revealing a beautiful 2 piece LINGERIE set. Her body compliments the piece beautifully and that’s when I really take her in. Not just for her sex appeal but for her in general. She kisses me leaning down and straddling my waist where I hold her hips and grab a handful of what’s really mine.
<3rd Person POV>
Andy can’t help but moan as YN grinds down on his thick throbbing boner just waiting to be released from its shackles. Her dominant side takes over and she grabs his face planting an open mouth kiss on his neck. She works on his pants getting on her knees. Mouth salivating as his dick finally springs free. She wraps her acrylic nails around the base swirling her top around collecting the precum.
Andy sinks in the chair ravishing in her skills. He presses her hair out of the way watching the way her pretty brown eyes stare back at him while she sucks and slurps her way to his soul. His head falls back guiding his hips into the back of her throat never breaking rhythm. She pulls his penis out of her mouth rubbing her thumb and palm over the tip while she takes one of his balls in his mouth. A loud moan escapes his lips. Andy has never experienced this before. Not this detailed to say the least.
All the while he’s receiving glorious pleasure, Laurie is home rocking and sobbing on the shower floor. She’s come to the conclusion that her husband doesn’t love her anymore and than her son is a murderer. While one of those is true she can’t help but feel rage and insanity boil within her.
Laurie collects herself and dries off grabbing a pair of jeans and a a shirt. She places her wet hair up letting it air dry. Her long legs stride to her sons room where he’d playing his game but pauses it and looks at her “are you ok mom?” Jacob asks
“Come with me honey we’re gonna go for a ride” before he can respond Laurie leaves the room going downstairs grabbing her shoes. She’s out of her mind. It’s like she’s watching herself complete this indescribable action and she can’t stop it. But she knows deep down in her heart Jacob murdered this boy and she can’t live her life knowing her son is a murderer.
Andy pulls YN up by the neck dragging his tongue along the bottom of her mouth holding her captive in his spell once again. He pulls her panties off collecting her wetness through his fingers. She’s more than ready. Andy pulls YN down on top of his dick watching her gasp as he fills her up.
“Feel that?” He rasps “that’s all yours”
“It’s mine. You’re mine” she utters rocking and swirling her hips electrifying her heated body. Her hands grip the arm rests of the chair as Andy starts pumping up into her.
Her sweet moans. Andy could listen to her moans all day. Laurie was never loud or pornographic like this. Not by a long shot. He watches her ass bounce on his lap as she licks and nips as his ear. The clapping and slushing sounds of their juices makes music to YN’s ears.
“My dirty little slut so fucking wet for me”
Meanwhile Laurie has just downed her second glass of bourbon while waiting for Jacob to approach. She places her glass in the sink when she hears his footsteps.
“Mom where are we going?” The young boy asks watching his mother look so far gone it looks like it’ll take her aged to return.
“Just for a drive” is all she says before she grabs the car keys walking past him and to the car. Jacob shuts and locks the door placing his hand on the car door and instantly gets this gut wrenching feeling that he needs to stay home.
“Maybe I should stay?” He asks
“Nonsense just get in” she starts the engine and Jacob takes a deep breath getting in the passenger seat. He grabs and locks his seatbelt as Laurie pulls out of the driveway pulling off. She takes an unfamiliar road of what looks like dark road. The sound of the rain was always Jacobs favorite. Only this time it dreaded him even more. The rain was heavy, loud, and unforgiving to any car that would step forth on the slippery slope with a daring intention to overcome it.
“Jacob I’m going to ask you one question and I need you to answer honestly” oh no. Jacob knew this question all too well “did you kill Ben?”
“Mom I already told you no” that wasn’t the answer Laurie had damn near given up her marriage for and she knew it wasn’t the truth. She just couldn’t shake this feeling that he was lying. Before she knows it she starts speeding up to 30 miles an hour when the speed limit is 35 but of course driving slow in this nasty weather is imperative but she didn’t care. It was imperative for Jacob to tell her the truth and she was convinced he wasn’t doing that.
“Jacob I’m being very serious tell me the truth”
“I am mom slow down” he pleads with her trying to understand why he isn’t believing her. Her foot presses on the gas even more going 45 miles an hour He goes on his Apple Watch sending a quick text to his father praying to God he answers immediately.
Andy’s wrist buzzes but he doesn’t even bother looking at it as YN whimpers his name. Her hands shake as they try to find something to grab onto. Andy grabs her arms wrapping them behind her back as he holds her waist down thrusting upward hitting her sensitive g-spot making she cries out and squeeze his thick hands. The black hole soon to swallow the two up at the same time.
By this time Laurie is screaming at Jacob and has reached 70 miles an hour down the long road. Jacob pull on his seatbelt which locked for his protection. “Jacob I know you did. Your father may believe your lies but I don’t. You’re just like him. He lies to me and says he’s doing work and I just know he’s screwing someone else” Laurie is fed up. Tears pool both of their faces. Hers in despair and Jacobs in fear. She reaches 90. Jacob has been trying to call Andy and to no avail, no answer. He’s weighed all the possible outcomes of throwing himself out the car but with his locked seatbelt it won’t work.
“Jacob tell me the truth” before he can answer she presses on the gas going to 100. His chest is tight and Jacob has a feeling he’s going to die.
YN’s legs shake as Andy keeps drilling into her relentlessly wanting to make the biggest mess of her. “Neal can’t have you. No one can have you your mine. Fuck this tight pussy is gonna make me fill you up”
“Andy I’m gonna cum”
“Cum for me darling” As the pair reach their climax grasping onto each other for dear life Laurie reaches hers screaming at Jacob continuing to incline the accelerator as he continues calling his father on his apple watch. The teary eyed boy sees that the speedometer has reached 104 Mph and all attempts to try to stop his manic mother have faded. He silently prays as she yells one final statement “I know you did it”
Andy clutches YN’s quaking body as she whines taking the thrusts of his dick with no other option. The duo moans out loudly just as Laurie and Jacob scream before black consumes the both of them. She crashed the car head first into the side of a brick tunnel.
YN looks at Andy who has a small smile on his face. His hands unwrap from her lower back where he held her in place and she looks at his Apple Watch seeing the 7 missed calls from Jacob and one text reading: “mom losing shit”. YN glances at the time displaying 1:22am. Why is Jacob awake and why did he call 7 times.
“Andy you need to go. Jacob called you 7 times” his eyes go wide as the brown skinned mistress pulls herself off of his deflating member as he tries calling Jacob back. It goes straight to voicemail. Andy can’t think of anything but the worst.
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paisley-print · 3 years
Text
8:00am : When We Cut The Cake
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A Wedding Day 
Rating: 18+
Word count: 2122
Characters: Agent Whiskey x Reader
Warnings: SMUT (Oral Fem Receiving, PIV sex, semi-public sex)  mentions of vomit , implied age gap, pregnancy, family drama, fluff.
Series Master-List 
Notes: Does anybody else get super nervous before they post a story? I get so nervous. Why?
“Almost ready honey?” Jack asked, knocking on the bathroom door.
“Yeah, just one sec” you said, fastening the last bobby pin into the veil. “Alright no peaking when I come out-”
“Sugar, our appointment time is at-”
“Jack please,” you whined. “It will just take a moment, and you’re not allowed to give me sass today because I will get my pay back tonight when we cut the cake.”
You heard him chuckle from behind the door, “alright darlin’ my eyes are closed.”
You cracked open the door to make sure he was telling the truth. “No peeking,” you warned, stepping out so that you could be in full view.
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” he said with a smirk.
“Alright - you can open.”
He opened his eyes, giving you the once over and whistling. “Well, look at you. My mamma forced me to go to church all my life, and they never mentioned anything about letting angels walk around on earth... but here you are.” 
“oh yeah, that’s me, proper virgin Mary.” You turned around to look in the stand up mirror in front of you. You weren’t showing a lot, but enough to make you feel bloated and icky. It had been weeks, but the morning sickness persisted.
He came up behind you, placing his hands on your stomach and resting his head on your shoulder. The two of you looked at each other in the mirror for a moment. 
Jack was in his Sunday best and you in the only white dress you could find at the boutique in town. You two were not pressed for money but considering the circumstances, and how sick you still felt, both you and Jack decided to keep the wedding low key. You didn’t need a big wedding anyway, neither did Jack.
“I don’t look dumb?” you asked.
He looked at you seriously “now sugar, why on earth would you say that?”
You adjusted the dress a little, frowning. “I don’t think either of our families are thrilled about the surprise. You know, one second we were both single, then the next we were pregnant and engaged… The age thing doesn’t help either. Then the people at the courthouse, they’re probably going to judge too-”
He spun you around so you were facing him. “If anybody says anything to you - then you tell me and I will deal with it. I don’t care who they are. You understand?”
You looked into his eyes, remembering how angry he had been the day you found out you were pregnant. “You still want this, right?”
“Yes. Do you?”
“Of course. I’m just making sure.”
He put his hands on your belly again. “Trust me sugar, nothin’ would make me happier than standing up there with you and telling the entire world how much I love you. I do not give a flyin’ fuck what anybody else has to say about it, because frankly it is none of their goddamn  business. You understand?”
You nodded. He spun you back around so he could hug you from behind again. You giggled and scrunched up your nose as he pressed little kisses to your cheek, then neck. 
Sunlight drifted in through the lace curtain, bathing the room in an amber glow. The two of you, together, it looked right. You had never felt more safe than when you were with Jack. He had collected the pieces of your broken heart and glued them back together one by one, and you did the same for him. 
For the first time in a long time, he was excited about the future because he knew he wouldn’t be alone. 
“What are you thinking about?” you asked him softly.
He smiled “how much I love you.”
You returned the smile. Feeling that familiar sting in the corners of your eyes. It seemed as though recently you had little control over these kinds of shifts in emotion. The last few weeks had been a lot. “Fuck,” you laughed “I knew I wasn’t going to make it to the ceremony.”
Jack noticed and kissed your cheek again and shushed you gently. “No need for that, you’ll ruin your makeup darlin’.”
“I love you too,” you told him.
“So let's get married. Come on” he said, giving your ass a light tap - before going over to grab his hat from the bed. “Or do I have to pick you up and carry you there myself?”
“I bet you wouldn’t even be able t -” you challenged.
Before you could even finish the sentence, Jack placed his hat on his head and scooped you up bridal style. You giggled all the way down the stairs.
-
The wedding was lovely. The courthouse was one of the oldest buildings in the county, built in 1796. It was a grand building, full of white stone columns, with a clock tower that made it the tallest structure in miles. The ceremony was brief. You and Jack were smiling like idiots the entire time.
A little while later, you hosted a backyard reception with your family and friends.
-
“Hey- I need you” you whispered, hooking your arm in your husbands and pulling him away from the group of people he was standing with. 
“Why? Are you okay? Is the baby okay?” he asked, placing a hand on your belly.
“Yes. Sorry, nothing like that just...you’ll see” you pulled him into the laundry room and shut the door behind you. Without another word, you leaned up and kissed him. He was surprised at first, but was soon kissing you back - trying to keep up.
You pulled away breathless and kept your voice low, “OK I need a favor.”
Jack’s brows were still knit in confusion. “anything.” 
 “I need you to fuck me.”
“Now?” he asked, a little too loud. You gave him a stern look and his voice softened “now?”
“Yes” you whined. “Tonight is too far away,” you gave him those puppy dog eyes “please?”
He put his hands on his hips and looked down at you, laughing a little. “Twice this morning wasn’t enough?”
You kicked idly at the floor with your shoe “no... but if you don’t want to-”
He was quick to cut you off “no, no. I want to…. but sugar, we got a whole house full of people, why don’t we go upstairs?”
“I want to save that for our real first time,” you said. 
Recently it seemed as though if you weren’t bed ridden from nausea you were all over him, begging for him to fuck you. Jack didn’t mind, of course, he enjoyed seeing you feel better…. and you know, the sex wasn’t too bad either. The record had been four times in one day. At his age, he was pretty proud of that. 
The cowboy laughed and glanced out the frosted glass window. Shadows of people moved back and forth. “What if they hear us?”
You gave him a little smirk “then I guess you’ll just have to keep me quiet.”
He narrowed his eyes at you, then took your hand to pull you in for a bruising kiss. He pulled you flush against him, exploring your mouth with his tongue, before breaking the kiss and spinning you around. 
He nudged you gently with his body, boxing you in against the dryer. 
“This okay?” he whispered, bringing a hand around to your stomach once more.
“Yeah” you said, then felt his hand move to the buttons on the back of the dress. “Don’t bother - keep it on.”
“Whatever you say Mrs. Daniels.” 
He got on his knees behind you, large hands brushing the back of your thighs and pushing your dress up over your waist. He smirked at the lacy panties you had on, hooking a finger in them and pulling them down. They fell to your ankles; he helped you kick them off easily. 
In one fluid motion, he lifted you up a little and put his mouth on you from behind. You suppressed a groan  hen grabbed at a towel to bite down on and muffle your sounds. 
He swiped his skilled tongue through your slick folds, loving how you tasted. Your eyes fluttered shut as he pushed his tongue inside of you. His hand came up, grabbing a fistful of your ass and squeezing until he left a little red mark. 
He continued licking into you, flicking his tongue against your clit as you squirmed under his touch. It didn’t take long for your orgasm to come crashing into you. You bit down hard on the fabric of the towel, trying and failing to stifle a moan. 
“Holyfuck Jack,” you breathed, when he finally broke away. 
You felt him move your veil to the side so he could plant sloppy kisses to your neck, his hands quickly undoing the loops on his belt. “Was that good honey?” he knew it was, he just wanted to hear you say it.
“I know what you’re doing,” you giggled. 
He pretended to be offended “what? Trying to make sure I’ve satisfied my wife?”
Hearing him referred to you as his wife turned you on even more. That need settled between your legs again. Jack’s arm came to hook around your waist while the other came to steady himself on the dryer. 
You shuddered as he dragged his cock along your folds, teasing you. 
His voice was dark with lust “you ready darlin’?”
As soon as you nodded, he moved his hand from your waist, clamping it over your mouth as he pushed inside you. You threw your head back and allowed your eyes to close again. The feeling of him stretching you out made you clench around his cock. He always felt so big from behind. 
He ground his hips into you slowly, his hand buzzing with the sound of your moans.
Soon he fell into a steady pace, pumping into you as your hips bucked to meet each thrust. His breaths fell heavy on your ear. The two of you were so lost in bliss you nearly forgot about the party outside. 
The handle to the laundry room door twisted and was pushed open only a crack before Jack’s hand came out and slammed it shut again.
“Is y/n in there?” a woman’s voice called from behind the door. It was one of your aunts, you realized. 
You felt Jack’s hand press a little harder into your mouth. “Yep, she’ll be out in a second,” he responded, never slowing his pace. “Morning sickness is a bitch, gotta get the stain out of her dress.”
“Oh, alright,” the woman said, “tell her to find me once you’re done, we want to get a picture for Facebook.”
“Will do,” Jack responded, then pulled out of you - spinning you around to face him before slamming into you again. 
He removed his hand from your mouth and replaced it with his lips. Growling against your lips as he continued to pump into you; he was trying to hold out until you came first. He wanted to make sure your needs were taken care of before his. 
He could tell that you were close by the way you clung onto him, the muscles in your body tensing as he built up the pleasure in your core. When you finally fell apart, he made sure to kiss you a little harder - absorbing the sound of your cries with his mouth. 
He was not far behind and soon you were both left, disheveled and out of breath. He kissed you on the cheek and nuzzled the side of your neck, breathing in the smell of hairspray.  Jack knew that the two of you had to go back out there, but he wished he could stay in there with you all night. 
He finally pulled back, studying your face for a moment before saying, “look at that, didn’t even smudge your lipstick. Am I good or what?”
“It’s a stain Jack. Cover Girl gets the credit here” you teased, patting the side of his face before reaching down to pick up your panties from the ground.
He started to dress himself again as well “you just wait, I still got two more tries tonight. I bet that mascara is gonna look wonderful running down your pretty little face.”
“Two, huh?” 
“What?..... Three? Christ darlin’ you’re gonna put me in the goddamn hospital you know that? If I throw my back out again you are gonna have to explain to Ginger how it happened this time.” He reached up to straighten your veil as you adjusted his tie. Then he offered you his arm. “Alright baby girl, you up for a dance or two?”
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pinkja · 4 years
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Jealousy (Ellie Williams x Female Reader)
Request:
jealous ellie imagine? 😳
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Ellie was mad at you. She was so mad at you right now she couldn’t even think straight. She couldn’t think about about your how your (e/c) eyes shined and closed as your perfect mouth parted open to let out a laugh like a melody. She couldn’t think about how you wore Ellie’s sweater so cutely because it was a bit oversized on you. She especially couldn’t think about how she wanted to run her hands through your hair and pull you close and kiss–
NO! Ellie was mad at you. Ellie was very mad at you because you and your cuteness in its entirety were talking to some…some dude that Ellie knew in her heart wasn’t good enough to talk to you. Well…Ellie didn’t know what the requirements were to be good enough to talk to you, nor did she know the guy enough to actually tell if he met the requirements, but still.
Ellie wanted to go over there and grab you, but she didn’t want to make a scene at this pseudo party that Dina had dragged you both to. But she swore if she squeezed this empty cup any harder she would’ve broken it.
She eyed the guy again, her eyebrows furrowing. He was tall, but too skinny for someone who lived in the apocalypse. He looked like a bad shot, and he looked like a damn know-it-all, and he bit his lip too often for Ellie’s comfort.
Of course, Ellie’s opinions were filtered through the green glasses of jealously. Wait, no, Ellie wasn’t jealous. She was just being…protective. Yeah, that’s it. That guy could be a creep or something. He could be a douche who compares woman to…dogs or some other insulting animal.
“Ellie, I don’t think that man’s gonna turn to dust just because you’re staring at him like that.” Dina said into her ear. Ellie jumped, holding the cup to her chest as she turned to Dina.
“I wasn’t staring.” Ellie mumbled, shooting another quick glance at you two. “I don’t trust him…” She said after a few beats.
“So you were staring?” Dina was smug, raising her eyebrows with a smile.
“Just…just look at him, Dina! What is so important that he has to have his hand on her shoulder? It’s bullshit.” Ellie crossed her arms and started tapping her foot.
“Is someone jealous?” Dina cocked her head to the side. She did that a lot when she knew she was right.
“I’m not jealous! I’m just…I should be the one making her laugh like that…” Ellie mumbled the last part under her breath.
“You are! That’s so cute!” Dina jumped. “But let me just take that cup really quickly.” Dina took the cup from Ellie’s grip. “(Y/n) will be fine, Ellie. Come on, let’s get you drunk.” Dina led Ellie away, stopping her from looking at the pair.
Dina filled Ellie’s cup almost to the brim and made her drink it all. Ellie turned her head around to look back at two, eyes narrowing once again. Was he brushing hair out of your face? That was her job! You looked at the inside of your cup and avoided eye contact, giving him a half smile.
Aha! So the dude was a creep! He was a creepy creep and now Ellie could go over there and–
“Elliiie!” Dina dragged out her name and took Ellie’s cup away from her. “Everytime you look at them you’re gonna drink another cup.” She filled it to the brim again.
“I’ll die of alcohol poisoning.” Ellie deadpanned, not even denying looking at the two anymore,
“Then don’t look, hmm.” Dina handed the cup back to Ellie and they both drank again. Ellie had to force herself not to look again. These cups were pretty big and Ellie didn’t want to be blackout drunk any time soon.
Later, after several looks at you, and several drinks later, you were still talking to the dude. Of course he wasn’t the only one you had talked to at the party, but he was the only one who Ellie felt was being way too friendly. Although at this point in her life Ellie was pretty drunk so she wasn’t making the best judgements in her life.
“Dinaaaaa…” Ellie slurred, leaning on the girl’s shoulder. Dina turned to her, an eyebrow raised at the sudden contact. “I’m so…mad right now!”
“Let me guess, (y/n)’s still talking to the man who you described as ‘a terrible awful human being who probably doesn’t know the difference between a rifle and a pistol’?” There was amusement in her voice as she repeated Ellie’s words back to her.
“No!…Yes! But also,” Ellie patted her pockets, “I can’t find my keys…” Dina rolled her eyes and sighed, placing her cup down on the table next to her.
“Ok, time to go home, Ellie.” She grabbed Ellie’s hand and started dragging her towards you. “But my keys, Dina…” Ellie whined. “(Y/n)’s gonna take you home now.” Ellie started dragging her feet in protest.
As they approached you, they could pick up on some of your conversation.
“Oh, I go on patrol again in a couple of days!” You had said, placing your cup on the table next to you.
“Well, maybe I can see you again before then?” There he goes biting his goddamn lip again. And he was putting his hand on your shoulder, again. That’s two times in one night!
Ellie wanted to shoot him.
“Ok, you’re clearly about to go on a muderous rampage.” Dina quipped and stopped walking. If Ellie got any closer she would strangle the poor dude. “(Y/n)!” You stopped talking and turned towards Dina with a smile on your face.
“Hi, Dina! Hi, Ellie!” You excused yourself from your previous conversation and walked over to them.
“(Y/n), can you do me a favor and take Ellie home? She lost her keys.” Ellie pouted like a child when Dina told you of her drunken irresponsibility.
“Sure!” You grabbed Ellie away from Dina and walked out of the party with her leaning on your shoulder.
Dina smiled at you two, placing her hand in her pocket to feel around for a pair of keys. Ellie’s keys. “I should probably return these…Nah I’ll give them to Joel.” She turned and went to go talk to Jesse.
Once you and Ellie had made it back to your house, you unlocked the door and listen to Ellie mumble under her breath. You guided her to your room and laid her on your bed. Ellie flopped down with a groan.
“You!” She suddenly said, pointing an accusing finger at you. “I’m so mad at you right now!” She hiccuped after speaking.
With a tilt of your head you asked, “Why are you mad at me, Ellie?” You started to take her shoes off.
“Why do you have to be so damn…so damn c-cute! It’s not fair!” You took off her jacket, struggling a bit because Ellie swung her arms in her drunken ranting.
“Well I can’t exactly help that, Ellie.” You spoke calmly. Inside you were giddy at her compliment, although she was drunk at the moment.
“And then you-you and your cuteness…why did you have to talk to that creep? He looks like a terrible shot!”
“I was just being polite, Ellie. And also, you can’t keep judging people because you think they’re not good with guns.”
“I can and I will! I’m so much better at shooting than him! I swear I can shoot him under the table!” Ellie rolled over to her side. “He doesn’t deserve you…”
You giggled, causing Ellie’s face to turn red. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were jealous.”
“I’m not jealous!” Ellie protested, puffing her cheeks out.
You moved to place her shoes by the door.
“Ok, Ms. Williams, who does deserve me then?” You walked back over to the bed and brushed some hair out of her face. Ellie pulled you down to the bed.
Ellie let out a huff and buried her face into your neck. You were going to tease her, but then she wrapped her arms around you and trapped you with her leg. She was clearly avoiding the question.
“Ok, you must be really drunk because you’re actually cuddling me.” She huffed again and made you wrap your arms around her. “Ok, I’ll accept it. This is a rare opportunity after all.” You laughed as Ellie mumbled into your shoulder.
Ellie breathed in your scent and closed her eyes. She would have such a hangover in the morning.
“Hey, Ellie?” You spoke. Ellie hummed, already sleepy. “Love you…” You could practically feel Ellie’s face burn into your neck. “My jealous baby.” You couldn’t help but tease her one last time. You ran your fingers through her hair and hummed a tune before she fell asleep in your arms.
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bxngchxn · 3 years
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Cupid’s Arrow || A Valentine’s Special
pairing: jisung x female!reader
wc: 2.85k 
genre: cupid!au, fluff, humor
warnings: none!
description: every cupid has one job: shoot the arrow at your assigned human. What happens when someone misses?
a/n: ok so I started writing this at 9pm and it’s currently 12:46 am on valentines day so obvs this won’t be perfect but this was a cute idea so I hope you guys like it! you’re all my valentines you don’t have a choice ok mwah love u 
(ps: pls don't be mad at me for how I ended this lmao if yall like it enough i’ll write a pt 2!)
taglist:  @dom--minnie @sparklemin @minholuvs @hanflix
-
the week leading up to Valentine’s Day is the busiest day of the year for angels like Jisung-- assignment after assignment of soulmates coming across his desk as the romantic holiday looms closer. don’t get him wrong, jisung loves his job. He loves getting to watch the moment two people, fated to each other finally meet-- the soft smiles, the faint blushes and shy introductions are something that makes his entire week. this time of year, though, all he really wants is to go home for the night. 
he turns off the multiple screens on his desk, videos of intended lovers fading to black as his day comes to an end. closing the door and making sure to turn the lock, jisung sighs in relief as he makes his way down the hallway to the elevators, a few fellow cupids waiting for him by the door. 
“hey jisung! we’re taking a trip down to earth to walk amongst the humans for awhile. do you wanna tag along?” Minho, the oldest of the bunch asks. next to him, jisung spots hyunjin, changbin and jeongin looking at him expectantly.
jisung met the group of angels five years ago, when he first started his job. inexperienced and ridiculously nervous, he clung to his coworkers throughout all of his training. although a sarcastic and rather rowdy bunch, jisung was quickly accepted for his bright smile and love for..well, love.
he had always found it interesting, the concept of love. it was merely a human emotion, but at the same time something so inhumanly complex. the idea that everyone has a person that they absolutely can’t live without, and some of them don’t even know it yet? crazy to him, but oh so fascinating. 
the early days are always his favorite to watch once he’s successfully struck two people. everything is new and fun, and so unpredictable. there’s the first dates, shy hand holding, stolen glances. you never know when someone is going to finally make the first move, shyly moving closer and closer to their lover to gauge their reaction. jisung had always wondered what love felt like-- the closest he could get was his job as a cupid. he figured that would have to suffice.
when he finally reaches the doors to the elevators, he flashes a smile at the boys in front of him. “last time we went down to earth, hyunjin literally caused a traffic jam because he smiled at a dog. are you guys sure this is a good idea?” he quips, and the boys laugh while hyunjin rolls his (absolutely gorgeous) eyes. 
“first of all that's not true,” he begins, and elbows jeongin in the side when he hears a sound of contradiction leave his mouth “and we aren’t going anywhere crowded, just to a café that I saw the other day when I was working.” he says, and jisung nods his head in contemplation. 
“sure, that sounds like fun. I haven’t had a good cup of coffee in awhile,” he agrees, and with that, the five make their way into the elevator.
stepping out onto the sidewalk, jisung took a moment to feel the sun on his skin. this was one of his favorite parts about earth, so warm and so bright. of course, it’s nothing compared to heaven, but sometimes the change of scenery made it easier for jisung to relax. 
the group is quite chatty as they make their way to the suggested café, commenting on the different humans they pass. everyone is so unique in their own ways, and it fascinates the five angels, who rarely get to walk among them. Lucky for them, they look like any other human being, meaning no one will be able to tell the difference.
the café that hyunjin brought everyone to had a light and airy atmosphere. the walls a bright white, flourishing greenery all around the restaurant complimented the white and yellow tables and matching chairs. It felt like they were in the middle of a field of wild flowers. jisung absolutely adored it, the smells of coffee and pastries filling his nose as they found a nice table next to a window.
looking around, the jisung watched as a girl made her way across the café and sat close to the entrance, with a laptop in front of her and headphones around her neck. She seemed content, sighing to herself with a small smile on her lips as she opened her laptop and took a bite of the muffin sitting in front of her.
“wait wait wait, that’s one of my humans! I’m supposed to shoot her once th- oh my god! there’s the soon-to-be soulmate too! I can’t miss this opportunity!” Minho exclaims quietly while he reaches into the backpack he had brought with him. The other cupids turn to look at him incredulously.
The ‘soon-to-be soulmate’, as Minho put it, seemed rather dull compared to his supposed counterpart. He wasn’t bad looking, but there was something about him that just didn’t seem right to Jisung. this girl seemed to match the vibes of the café-- like a warm summer day, not a cloud in the sky. the kind of day that lasts in your memories for years to come, and this man...he just was not it. Hair disheveled, seemingly in a rush as he was tapping his foot impatiently at the counter. Jisung knew that opposites could attract, but he just didn’t see it in the cards for this one.
“is this why you wanted to come down here?” jeongin asked with wide eyes, knowing that they shouldn’t be meddling unless they’re on the clock. The others turn to Minho who has now gotten two arrows and his bow out from his bag. 
“Uhm….no?” he says sheepishly once he sees the stares that are being thrown at him. He takes one of the arrows and lines it up on his bow, pulling his arm back and aiming at the girl peacefully enjoying her day.
“Minho do you really think this is the best time?” jisung asks apprehensively. almost too focused on getting a good shot, Minho didn’t answer him.
He lets go of the arrow and it zips through the air, hitting the girl in the shoulder as she starts to work on her laptop. Humans can’t physically feel the arrow when they get shot-- that almost defeats the belief in soulmates. She continues on as if nothing happened, and jisung almost rolls his eyes as he watches Minho line up his second shot.
“Look,” Minho begins, “they’re supposed to meet tomorrow anyway! why not speed up the process?” he says as he draws his arm back. 
Out of nowhere, a customer in the store drops a coffee cup. The sound of the glass shattering startles pretty much everyone in the café, including the group of angels. In fact, it startles them enough that the unbelievable happens.
Minho’s arm slips, and the arrow is released...straight into Jisung’s shoulder.
The two look at each other in absolute disbelief, and Jisung wants to strangle the older cupid. A very quiet “oops” leaves Minho’s mouth.  
“Are you kidding me?!?” Jisung says a little too loudly. Everyone is looking at the two of them, including the girl that Minho just struck. 
When the two make eye contact, Jisung feels something...strange. He knows it’s a reaction from the love arrow, but is this what love is supposed to feel like? He feels like he wants to throw up, butterflies flying in his stomach as he notices the faint blush on the cheeks of the girl across the room. That’s when he really sees her for the first time, like, really sees her.
He isn’t sure how he didn't see it before. Her hair falls perfectly over her shoulders, and her eyes that are staring at him in slight confusion still shine brighter than any star he’d ever seen..and he’s seen a lot of stars.
He’s silent for a few moments, and the other boys start looking at each other with concern. “Wait, no, what the hell? Cupid’s can’t get struck! What is going on?” Changbin says as he watches the way the two are staring at each other. 
This isn’t allowed. Cupids don’t have many rules, but one of the biggest rules for any angel is: Do not associate with humans. It’s the reason why they can’t-- or shouldn't, really-- feel love in the first place. Messing with the rules of the universe could have big consequences. It’s never happened before, but there have always been enough myths that get spread around that would deter any angel from even thinking about it. Yet, here jisung is, absolutely head over heels for a human, even if it is all Minho’s fault.
“I don't know, this hasn't happened before. Oh my god, what did I do,” Minho starts spiraling. Its at that moment that the others know they need to get the hell out of there. Scooping up Jisung, who is currently still staring at the girl who has now focused on her work instead, they rush out of the café. Once Jisung is out of eyesight of the girl, he shakes his head in confusion and comes back down to earth (pun intended). 
“Ohhhh no, no no no. This is bad,” Jisung says, running his hands through his hair exasperated. “Minho what the fuck happened?!” he asks. 
Putting his hands up, Minho tries to defend himself. “I don’t know! That person dropped their cup and it threw me off!” he says quickly, and it makes Jisung want to roll his eyes.
“You dumbass, that’s why we shouldn’t even be down here in the first place! If Chan finds out, we’re dead! That’s it! We’re gonna be out of jobs and not able to pay our bills and-- oh my god there she is,” Jisung exclaims once he sees the girl exit the café, looking around confused. Turning around, she spots Jisung and starts to make her way towards him. 
“Oh no, nope. Not now, this is a bad time,” Hyunjin says while they try to drag Jisung away from the girl. He shimmies out of their grip as she approaches him.
“Uh, hi. I think one of you left this in the café?” she says. Looking down, Jisung sees his cellphone in her hand. “I saw it sitting at the table you guys walked away from, I’m glad I was able to find you when I came outsi-- Oh, wow, hi..” she cuts herself off, awestruck when she makes eye contact with Jisung. Hyunjin rolls his eyes as he watches the two of them. Jisung doesn’t know what to say. 
“Oh, yeah this is..mine..thank you,” he says as he holds out his hand. He swears he can feel electricity run through him when her hand makes contact with his. He has never experienced a feeling so strong like this before. He knew that love was dramatic but he didn’t think it was like this.
Reminding himself that this isn’t supposed to be happening, he clears his throat. “Okay well we have to go. Thank you for my phone, goodbye!” he says quickly, leaving the girl and his friends in complete confusion has he turns on his heel and starts to almost sprint in the opposite direction. The boys quickly follow him after offering a small wave to the girl, who returns it as she turns to walk away. 
“Jisung, you cannot possibly see her again” Hyunjin says once they finally catch up to him. And even though Jisung knows that, there’s something that is inevitably pulling him towards her.
When they finally make it back to heaven and Jisung gets home, he pulls his phone out to check his messages. To his shock, he finds a new contact added into his phone, with a photo of a girl who’s eyes remind him of galaxies.
Y/N, aka Café Girl
As you walk down the street, you smile feeling the warm sunshine on your shoulders. It may be the middle of February, but you seemed to be blessed with a particularly warm day. This day had been nothing out of the ordinary, but for some reason you felt lighter, walking with a bounce in your step that you haven’t had in a long time.
Your mind wanders back to the boy you saw at the café not too long ago. His honey coloured hair shined under the artificial lights in the room, and his brown eyes reminding you of the warmest hot chocolate on a cold winter day. He hadn’t left your mind since the two of you made eye contact for the first time.
It’s been awhile since you’ve found someone that caught your interest so quickly. You never believed in love at first sight, but after today you just might be changing your mind. It seemed like fate that he left his cellphone on the table in the café, and it was definitely a risk that you had put your phone number in his contacts. You’ve never done something like that before, but something was telling you that you just needed to take the chance and make the first move. 
Eventually, days and then weeks pass, and you haven’t even received a text message from him. You feel a little disappointed every time you check your phone, hoping that you’ll see his number come up on your screen. You didn’t even know his name, nor when (or if) you’d ever get to see him again. You should’ve been prepared for the sinking feeling in your chest, but you had still been hopeful.
You still frequented the café, mainly because it was a calm and quiet place to work, but also because you were secretly hoping you’d run into him again-- you at least needed to learn his name. That’s all you could think about while you try to focus on your work, but to no avail. You decided to give yourself a break, letting your thoughts swirl with chocolate colored eyes.
 As your eyesight wanders the café, you hear the front door bell ring and you’re forced to meet eyes with the man that has lived in your head rent free for the past two weeks. You almost can’t believe it. He seems like he’s searching for something, or someone.
 As he looks around the room, you get nervous. You wonder if he’ll remember who you are, or maybe he’s already deleted your number and rejected you without even telling you? Maybe he already has a girlfriend? Maybe even a boyfriend? 
The thoughts running through your head completely distract your from the fact that he’s sat down in front of you. “Uhm..excuse me?” He says quietly, and your breath gets caught in your throat when you hear his voice. 
“Oh, i’m sorry, I didn’t scare you did I?” he asks, and you shake your head quickly. “No! No not at all. I, uh..hi,” you say with a light blush on your cheeks, and it makes Jisung’s heart soar to the sky. 
He’s definitely not used to feeling like this. He’s been trying to avoid it for the past few weeks, hoping that if he had ignored it these weird feelings would go away. He searched for hours and hours for a loophole in getting struck with a cupid’s arrow, but even hyunjin couldn’t find anything. 
After nights of tossing and turning while images of you danced through his head, he knew he needed to see you. He got lucky that you were at the café, this was the only place he had ever seen you so he was hoping he’d get to catch you here. 
“You never texted me, you know. Did you delete my number?” you asked him, feigning hurt. You saw his eyes go bigger as he tried to defend himself. “N-no! I definitely did not delete it. I was just so shocked that I didn’t know what to say...how did you even know the phone was mine?” He asked, laughing quietly. Jisung won’t lie, that was a pretty bold move. He was actually impressed once the initial shock had passed.
“Oh, I definitely wasn’t not staring at you across the room or anything and saw you on your phone. Definitely not,” you say with a flirty laugh, and it immediately sparks intrigue in Jisung.
 The line rolled off your lips so easily, and Jisung is convinced that it’s an effect from the arrow. “Oh, were you now? How did I not notice someone as pretty as you looking my way?” He asks, and his eyes go wide when he hears himself speak. 
What was that? All of this is so foreign to him, but when the blush on your cheeks gets a little darker he decides that maybe, just maybe, this will be worth the consequences he might face if Chan ever finds out about this.
“Listen,” he begins cautiously. “I have...a lot of things that I need to tell you. But let me start with this: How about I take you out on a date?”
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Day 11: Walk the Dog - William ‘Ironhead’ Miller
Day 11: Walk the Dog- William ‘Ironhead’ Miller 
This story was requested by @oldstuffnewstuff​. Thank you so much for the request! I love writing for requests! Thank you for all the rebloggs, comments, and likes. :)
Also gonna tag @myathleteeggspizza​ for our love of William Miller. 
November Writing Challenge Masterlist 
Day 10: Used Tea Bags - Javier Pena 
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William ‘Ironhead’ Miller liked numbers. His whole life since leaving the military was run down to the exact second the way he wanted it too. He would wake up at 0600 daily, stretch for eight minutes, down his first cup of coffee, and go for an eight mile run through the park. Then he would return home, take a five minute shower, get dressed, drink a smoothie, fill his tumblr with coffee, and leave for the base at 0730 sharp. 
Every single day was the same. But, that’s what someone with as many demons as he had needed. The structure and security of the same routine. Not one minute unaccounted for. Until the day he met her.
It was a chilly November morning when he first noticed her. She had on a black leggings, a maroon crewneck sweatshirt, black ankle boots, and hair in a messy bun atop her head. She was sitting at one of the unoccupied benches near the Veterans statue, reading aloud a book to a golden retriever lying quietly with her head in her owner's lap. 
He faltered for a moment, and one minute became two, became three and when he looked down at his watch he cursed to himself. He was behind schedule. When he looked back up they were gone. He turned each direction frantically looking for the girl and the dog but they were nowhere to be seen. He wondered for a moment if he had only imagined it before the beeping of his watch drew his attention and he picked up the pace to make up for the lost time. Lost time, what a novel concept for a person who counted everything in his life. 
The next morning when he entered the park he couldn’t help but look for them as he ran around the path. Keeping his eyes open for the golden retriever and her alluring owner. Will couldn’t help the pang of disappointment at missing them again. The routine remained the same day in and out for another week before Will began to give up hope about seeing them again. On Saturday after his run he came home and left at exactly 0730 again but this time he was meeting his old army buddies for breakfast at a diner across town. 
The diner looked old fashioned amongst the new and shiny chrome buildings that had begun to pop up around town but it wasn’t the outside that mattered. Will walked in and the bells tinkled on the door to notify the wait staff, and he nodded at the familiar faces before finding his friends. He slid into the worn, cracked leather of the booth next to his brother, shaking the other two men's hands across the table. 
The waitress came over and brought him a steaming mug of coffee, two packets of sugar, and one creamer before going back over to her other customers. Frankie pointed to the cup before back at Will, “you come here way too often if they know exactly how you take your coffee.” 
“Every Saturday,” Will tells him smiling as he prepares his coffee, taking a sip of the liquid gold, “Gladys knows just the way I like my coffee, and my breakfast. Why ruin a good thing by going somewhere else?” 
Frankie laughs at him, “Some people actually like to go out and try new things. Are you still doing the same routine every day and doing that counting thing?” 
Will only nods before he’s interrupted by Gladys who takes their orders, not even bothering to ask Will before she goes off to put their order into the kitchen. “Thank you Glady!” Will shouts at her and she raises a hand in acknowledgment. 
“So how the hell have you guys been?” Santiago asks over the rim of his mug. 
Benny fills them in on his training, and his new girlfriend he met at a fight a few months ago. Frankie tells them all about the house he just bought and is slowly renovating and shows them some new pictures of his daughter Juliette, who just turned three the past month. Frankie made the single father life look flawless. Santiago was in town for the next two months on break from down in Columbia where he’d been helping the local military take down a drug lord. All of them had something new to share, something exciting, except Will. 
“So what about you Will?” Santi gestures to him as they all dig into their breakfast. 
Will cuts himself another piece of pancake off for himself before running it through the syrup, “The same shit as usual, run, work, eat, sleep. On Saturdays I come here for breakfast and on Tuesday and Thursday I help Benny with training and Friday night is usually fight night. Besides that nothing is new.” 
“Youshouldgetadog” the words jumble together out of Benny’s mouth as he tries to talk through the French toast pouring from his mouth. 
“Damn it brother chew your food and then talk,” Will laughs. 
Benny swallows before trying again, “I said, you should get a dog.” 
“A dog? Why the hell would I get a dog?” he asks. 
“Just hear me out brother, you love routines right? You run every morning and it seems to me that your a little lonely, a dog could go running with you, and keep you company.” 
Will contemplates the idea for a moment and his thoughts can't help but go back to the beautiful woman from the park with the golden retriever. “Yeah, maybe… do we even have any pet shops around here?” 
“Fuck pet shops,” Frankie tells him, “you need to go to the humane society and get a rescue dog, they are the best. Juli and I will even go with you, she would love to see all the dogs. How about 1300 today?” 
Will thinks for a moment before agreeing, “ok...but just to look. I don’t know if I am ready for a dog yet.” 
“Ok I’ll meet you there with Juli and we can go look at the dogs, but I wouldn’t be surprised if you go and fall in love with one and take it home today.” 
Will scoffs, “Sure.” 
When Will pulls his black 2014 Ford truck into the parking lot he feels slightly overwhelmed by all the animals running about. There is a large fenced in yard with exactly fifteen dogs of various shapes and sizes. When Frankie pulled into the spot next to him, he began to feel more at ease with a familiar face and when Juli came running full speed at him he couldn’t help the smile that broke across his face. 
“Uncle WIll!!” Juli screamed tackling him into a hug. 
He swung her up into his arms and she squealed, “hello sunshine! How’s my favorite girl doing? Are you keeping your daddy busy?” 
“Of course! Daddy told me we're gonna help you find a puppy today? Can we get one too daddy?” She leans back in Wills arms and pouts at her father who crosses his arms. 
“I get the impression you and her had this discussion before you came today?” Will asks laughing at the exasperated expression on Frankie's face. 
“More than once,” Frankie nods to him before taking the toddler back, “Sweetie we talked about this, we are not getting a dog today, just Uncle Will.” 
Her face morphs into a pout and both men can feel the beginning of a tantrum coming so they deflect, “Let’s go sunshine! Don’t you want to see all the dogs?” Will leads the way into the shelter and when the bell dings as he crosses the threshold he stops. Frankie runs into his back before pushing the rest of the way inside. 
Sitting at a worn desk is the woman from the park. She’s wearing overalls with a white shirt covered in pink and yellow flowers. Her hair is pulled into a bun on top of her head but three long strands have slipped out and are dangling in front of her face. She’s wearing dark rimmed glasses, and has her nose buried in a book. On the ground under the desk, sticks out a wet black nose of a golden retriever snoring. 
Will coughs lightly to draw her attention and she snaps her head up and seems slightly startled. “Oh hello! I-” she puts her bookmark in her book and the dog rises to its feet, noticing the new arrivals, “Welcome to the Dog House, uhm how can - how can I help you today? She stumbles over her words, and a blush rises up her neck. 
“Hhh-uhm hi,” Will’s arm rises up and he scratches the back of his head, “Dog...I’m looking for a dog.” He can’t keep his eyes off her. The girl he had spent the last couple weeks thinking about, was right in front of him. 
She giggles, “Well then you’ve come to the right place, I’m Andy, you can follow me.” 
Will follows her like a lost puppy...no pun intended. Frankie just watches the two of them, smiling to himself. It’s obvious that Will likes this girl the way he’s acting if only he could see her looking at him the same way. Frankie keeps his thoughts to himself and follows behind the two. 
“What kind of dog are you looking for? Something big? Small? Athletic? Lazy? We have all kinds here.” she asks, gesturing around to the cages as she leads them to a small enclosed area outside. 
“I like to run, in Aveley Park over on 140th street, and I would like a dog to run with. I’m Will by the way,” he offers her his hand. When they touch they both feel a surge of electricity and they don’t let go, continuing to shake hands until Frankie not so subtly clears his throat.
She blushes deep red, and quickly drops his hand smiling shyly at him, “That’s where I like to go with Benny! We go almost every morning for a walk and then I usually read. My sisters have been in town the last couple weeks so we’ve been going in the evenings lately but they’re gone now so maybe I will see you some morning.” 
“Oh uhmm, whose Benny?” Will asks, he didn’t notice a boyfriend last time he saw her. 
“Oh my dog!” she gestures to the dog that has been slowly following between them. 
From behind, Frankie lets out a snort. Will glares at him before meeting your confused expression. “Benny is my brother's name…I guess he and the dog have some things in common. My brother is kind of like a lovable golden retriever.” 
She laughs out loud, and it’s the most beautiful sound he’s ever heard and he’s desperate to hear her laugh again. “Well maybe your Benny and my Benny should meet someday.” 
“I would like that,” Will tells her, smiling. 
The two just stand there smiling at each other like two lovesick fools when Frankie puts down Juli who's been squirming in his arms. She toddles over to the dog and begins gently petting his head, his eyes close and his tail wags and everyone laughs watching the adorable toddler and the dog. 
“Ok,” she slaps her hands together, “athletic dogs, good for running…” 
“Maybe one a little older?” Will hesitantly asks, “I don’t run as fast as I used to.” 
“You know I think I have the perfect dog for you,” she walks over to the kennel and comes back with a gorgeous chocolate lab. Will drops to his knee and gestures for the dog to come and sniff him and he does so without a second thought. 
“What’s his name?” Will asks looking up at her. 
“Tom.” 
Will freezes and in his peripheral he sees Frankie frozen too, both of their eyes are on the dog. “What’s his name?” Will whispers. 
“His name is Tom, they found him wandering around six months ago, they think someone left him. He’s house trained, and very well behaved. We-what’s wrong? You both look like you’ve seen a ghost…” She looks between Will and Frankie. 
Frankie sniffs, “our old army buddy, he passed away a few years ago...his name was Tom.” 
“Oh...oh I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to bring up any bad memories.” 
“I’ll take him,” Will tells her quickly, “how do I adopt him?” 
“Oh that’s wonderful! Come inside with me and we will get the paperwork all filled out, you can pay the $25 fee and he’s yours,” she places a leash around Tom and hands him to Will. When their hands brush he burns from her touch and she pulls her hand back. It’s not one sided. Juli and Frankie follow behind. Juli is more excited then everyone when Uncle Will tells her the dog is coming home with him. Just thirty minutes later and Will is the proud owner of a new dog. Frankie takes Juli outside to strap her into the car seat and head home. 
“I hope I’m not too forward, but maybe one morning we could go running together...I go for a walk there every morning like I said but for the right partner I could be persuaded to start running in the mornings.” 
“Actually...I would like to walk the dog with you tomorrow morning if you're free... it’s hard to get to know someone when running...then maybe I could take you out for breakfast?” Will feels as nervous as the first time he gave a speech. 
“Yes,” she doesn’t hesitate, “yes, I would like that very much.” She slips a piece of paper from her back pocket with her phone number on it, “I was kind of hoping you would ask. I wrote it as soon as you decided on the dog.” 
He laughs before taking the paper from her fingers, sliding the number into his pocket. He gently grasps her hand and presses a light kiss to her knuckles. “I can’t wait till tomorrow morning,” he tells her before walking backwards out the door. 
Frankie has already left with Juli and he loads Tom into the front seat of the truck, before getting into the driver's seat and buckling his seat belt. He pulls out onto the road and sits at the stop sign, Tom crawls across the seat and places his head in Will’s lap. He puts his head gently, before pulling out to go home, thinking about tomorrow with one beautiful girl, and two dogs. 
Day 12: It evaded me- 
192 notes · View notes
lakesandquarries · 3 years
Text
Tangled Up - Chapter Two
oh, i’m gonna mess this up
Benrey’s spent 26 years living in a tower - 27, tomorrow. When a thief breaks into his tower, he finds his chance to escape and takes it.
Alternatively: Tangled, but the AI is self aware.
(featuring art by @kenas-artstuff​ )
Notes: check ao3 for warnings and tags! “kane radio” is just gordon using a fake name. fic title from “tangled up” by caro emerald, chapter title from “shots” by imagine dragons.
AO3 Link
It’s nice to be back at Black Mesa. Well, mostly nice. Gordon shuts the door behind Benrey only to immediately spot a wanted poster, the only thing making it unrecognizable a bizarre mullet. Do people seriously think he looks like that??
“Hey, Mr. Radio!” a voice calls from behind the counter. Kane rips the paper off the door, rushing across the room. 
“Hi Darnold it’s great to see you shut the fuck up please -”
And that’s when he gets grabbed from behind. He barely sees Darnold’s eyes widen before he’s spun around, now facing an absolute mountain of a man. Behind him, he hears Darnold slap something - his forehead, probably - and mutter a quiet. “oh, right.”
He loves Darnold, he really does. Being friends with someone since you were kids will do that. Right now, though, he kind of wants to throttle him.
“Kane Radio, hm?” the main holding him says, ripping the wanted poster out of his hands. The thief glances around awkwardly, his eyes finally falling onto Benrey struggling to pull his hair back into his possession. 
"H-hey, he'd appreciate his hair not being touched, guys!", Kane exclaimed, to help his partner as well as pull away from his attention. It works for a moment, as Benrey tugs the last strands of hair away and marches up to the guy holding Kane, unintimidated despite the height difference.
“Hey,” Benrey says quietly as he walks up next to the man. “Put him down? Please and thank you?”
Mountain man snorts. “Not likely. I need the reward money. Hey, you! Go get the guards!”
One of the other men nods, slipping out of the tavern as an argument breaks out. Kane is pushed and pulled, various thugs grabbing him and insisting they need the money, they deserve it most, as the bar descends into chaos.
A loud, meaty thwack! breaks up the argument. Kane’s dropped on his ass, and when he looks up, Benrey has his crowbar against Mountain man’s arm. “I said put him down.”
Kane rolls off to the side, dodging another man’s grabbing hands, and stands up so he can dart back over to Benrey and push him out of the way. “Hey, appreciate that, don’t get me wrong, but - Benrey, what the fuck?”
Behind the counter Darnold is glaring, grabbing a cup and a spoon to try and get everyone’s attention. Black Mesa housed a fighting ring once upon a time, but that got stopped when Darnold took over. It doesn’t matter now - even with Darnold yelling, everyone’s too riled up. Kane has to duck down to avoid a punch, only to immediately get kicked in the face. A hand grabs his arm and he swings instinctively, stopping at the last second when he realizes it’s just Benrey, pulling him off to the side.
“What the fuck,” Kane repeats.
“Being polite didn’t work,” is Benrey’s only explanation.
Darnold is still yelling, trying desperately to get some sense of calm as the crowd beats the shit out of each other. And then - just as quick as it started, it’s over. Screams dissolve into laughter as the assembled patrons dust themselves off, seemingly satisfied with the amount of violence they've had. 
"It's been too long since we've had a fight like that," Mountain man says. "Nice job."
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Benrey blinks up at him. "Whuh?"
Gordon agrees with him. Wiping blood from his nose, he mutters a quiet “What?” as well.
“Should’ve been longer,” Darnold complains. “You know I hate this kind of behavior! I have half a mind to throw you all out.”
"We'll clean it up, Danny, don't worry,” another, very skinny guy cheerfully responds, followed by a roar of laughter.
“Darnold,” the bartender corrects sharply as he sets to cleaning the place up, picking up overturned chairs and mopping up spills and sweeping up broken glass. 
Turning back to Mountain man, Kane asks, "Just to be clear. Does this mean you won't tear me and my friend apart anymore?"
“Are you kidding? That’s the most fun I’ve had in years! Darnold never lets us do stuff like that. Real shame, considering how this place st -“
He’s cut off by someone slamming the door open. “I brought the guards!”
Apparently ten seconds of peace is the max he’s allowed. “Shit shit shit,” Kane wheezes, grabbing Benrey’s arm as Darnold directs them behind the door. The massive dog from earlier, the one who had chased him through the forest and up Benrey’s tower, is here. And it’s pissed. Kane’s heart drops as he watches it sniff around, following the trail of his footsteps.
Darnold pulls on a lever, revealing a ramp down into a stone tunnel. “You’re lucky you’re my friend,” he says as he ushers them through it. Benrey hesitates, but Kane pulls him through anyway, into some kind of cave system. The walls are dark stone, rough and natural. This is something old, and hopefully, it’ll cover them. 
He exhales slowly, adrenaline still rushing through him. “Shit,” he mutters again. “That was close.”
“Who were those guys?” Benrey asks. The raccoon on his shoulder chirps.
“Guards. Royal guards. They, uh….they don’t like me much.”
“You stole something?” 
“Big something.”
Benrey nods, apparently satisfied with the answer. The raccoon chirps again, and Benrey mumbles something in response to it. Because his day is just going so normally, he needs to listen to his weird...escort mission talk to his fucking raccoon as they run from guards.
Metal clanks behind them, and Kane picks up the pace, until he’s running down the tunnel. It opens into a cliffside, with no way down. “Fuck!”
“There’s a guy down there,” Benrey points out, and Kane bites back another string of curses when he realizes it’s fucking Forzen. He’d abandoned him after stealing the royal helmet. Betrayal’s nothing new between them, but this is recent enough that Forzen’s probably still pissed.
“That’s Forzen. He doesn’t like me much either.”
It’s then that the guards burst out of the tunnel and several things happen all at once. Benrey shoves his crowbar at Kane, and before he can question why Benrey is giving him his only weapon, he’s tossing his hair across the canyon like a grappling hook and running off the ledge.
Before he can even ask why Benrey would possibly give him his only weapon, he watches in horror as his partner takes flight. He doesn’t have time to check if Benrey’s alright - the guards are on his ass. The crowbar makes a satisfying thwack! as he swings it, taking down the guards in barely an instant. “Fuck, this is handy. Need to get me one of these!” Kane comments to himself, looking to see who’s left. One opponent remains - the dog, who is now holding a sword.
Because his day just cannot get any fucking weirder.
“You should know this is the weirdest thing I have ever fucking done!” Kane yells to Benrey, as he battles the dog, sword to crowbar, until the dog knocks it right out of his hands and down the cliff. “Two out of three?”
A lock of black hair wraps around his hand. Kane grins, giving the dog a salute as he’s pulled into a free fall. “Ha! Get fuc - hhhh.” His words dissolve into a wheeze, as his trajectory slams him into an exposed beam, knocking the wind out of him.
Kane, struggling to get a grip of himself, only just manages to hold on to Benrey while he swings down with his support. His feet connect with the water pipes, sliding down unsteadily as they collapse underneath him, and then the entire dam breaks. It happens in a flash, an enormous amount of water - it feels like the whole ocean when Kane glances back - pouring down into the valley. Rocks fall, the last of the wooden constructions collapsing. With a couple of leaps, Kane reaches an already running Benrey, and scoops up the last bit of his hair flailing behind him. "Benrey! Benrey, into the cave!" he shouts, hoping the other would get understand the general direction they have to run.
---
Benrey grabs the crowbar as he darts after Kane, barely avoiding getting crushed by the massive rock that comes crashing down and seals them into the cave. The walls are stone, not like the bricks of his tower but a random arrangement of rocks and boulders forming a lumpy wall. There’s a puddle of water on the floor, only as he looks it starts to grow, up over Benrey’s feet, his legs, creeping higher and higher. He looks around the cave frantically, spotting the trickles of water coming in past the rock that sealed them in. The only obvious opening, but the water is like another force behind it, pressing it shut like Benrey used to try and hold his door shut. The rock is stronger than him. No matter how hard he slams with his crowbar, there’s not even a dent. He turns his attention to the rest of the cave, alternately smashing and prying at the walls, but they hold firm. There’s nothing. Not a single loose rock, nothing resembling a weak point, not even a crack he can widen into an exit. 
The water’s at his waist now. His breathing sharpens, small panicked inhales as he realizes there’s no way out. They’re trapped, with water climbing higher and higher. The water is murky, making the already dim space feel smaller and darker with each second. 
Zeki was right. Kane’s gonna die here with him in this stupid fucking cave, all because Benrey wanted to see some lights.
“This is all my fault,” he mumbles, tugging on a strand of hair. “I never should’ve - she was right, this whole time, I just -“ 
Kane’s hands grip his shoulders, firm but gentle, forcing him to look at the thief’s face. "Benrey, don't blame yourself. Sometimes things go bad...that's how life works. It's - it's gonna be ok." In a different context it might be comforting. Right now, they’re about to die, and Kane’s voice is shaking.
Benrey’s voice is choked when he responds. “I’m sorry, Kane.”
"Gordon.” Benrey tilts his head, and Kane drops his hands from his shoulders with a sigh. “It's - my real name is Gordon Freeman. I made up Kane. You might as well know it now."
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“Feetman?” Benrey asks with a shaky smile.
“If we weren’t trapped in a cave I’d hit you with your crowbar,” Kane - Gordon? - Gordon says. For the briefest of seconds, he smiles at Benrey. 
“I, uh. I have magic hair that glows when I sing,” he says. Keeping a secret doesn’t matter when they’re both about to die. Gordon furrows his brows, looking questioningly at Benrey, and a sudden burst of inspiration hits as he repeats himself. “I have - oh shit!” He starts singing, voice shakier than normal as he races through the song. “Flower gleam and glow, let your power shine -“ The water is still rising, and maybe it’s his imagination but it feels even faster. “Make the clock reverse, bring back what once was mine -”
The last line gets cut off as the water fills the cave completely. He’s never tried singing underwater before, and for a moment he’s terrified it won’t work - and then his hair lights up, a bright neon teal, illuminating the cave. Gordon swims down to the bottom, pushing aside rocks desperately. He finds one that’s loose enough, dislodging it, and the rest follow suit. The wall starts to crumble before collapsing completely, launching the two of them into a river, the current quickly sweeping them downstream and onto a grassy bank. 
Benrey drags himself out, flopping limply onto the grass, taking deep breaths as he stares up at the sky. “We’re alive,” he breathes, looking over at Gordon. He likes that name better, now that he has a spare moment to think about it. Laughter bubbles up out of him, along with bright yellow-green. Olive means I’m glad to be alive.
Beside him, Gordon is less chill, elbows on the grass and hands in his hair. “His hair glows,” he’s mumbling. “He - hhh - his hair? Glowing - glowy shit - people don’t glow!” From there his words just get more and more incoherent as he stares at the ground.
With a huff, Benrey stands up, starting to squeeze the water out of his hair. Jefferem shakes himself dry, splashing water onto Gordon. “You good?” Benrey asks.
“Am I - are you good?? What the fuck was that? How long have you been - ow, fuck -” He pulls his right hand close to himself, and when he holds it out again Benrey sees blood, bright red against the brown skin. He must’ve cut himself on a rock or something. 
Benrey offers a hand to help Gordon get up, so he doesn’t put pressure on the injured one. “Lets, uh. Find somewhere to dry off first and then we can play 20 questions?” Or, maybe, if he stalls long enough, Gordon will forget whatever he wants to ask and Benrey can keep pretending like he’s a person.
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missmitchieg · 3 years
Text
The Rainbow Brigade Goes To Pride
Julie giggled into the microphone as she watched her best friends jump and dance along to their song, draping an arm around her boyfriend's shoulder as they belted the outro and Bright ended.
"Yes! That was amazing!" Flynn grinned, always the one to hype up their best friend.
"But was it 'performing at a cafe' amazing, or 'performing at tomorrow's Pride parade' amazing?" Julie asked, and Luke rolled his eyes fondly and reached up to tuck a curl behind Julie's ear.
"Definitely 'Pride parade' amazing, estrella." He promised her and pressed a kiss to her cheek.
Julie blushed and scrunched her nose as Alex, Reggie, Bobby, Willie, Nick, Carrie and the Dirty Candy crew immediately agreed.
"I'm a much harsher judge than your darling Luke, and I can confirm it was flawless." Carrie assured Julie with a grin.
Julie chuckled fondly and shook her head, rolling her eyes. "If you all insist."
"We do. Now," Willie clapped their hands, clasping them together. "I request to hear Now Or Never."
"Ooh, I second the request!" Carrie nodded.
"Third!"
"Fourth!"
"Your wish is our command." Luke smiled and Alex counted to start the song, everyone smiling as Ray walked in with a snack and water tray.
"Hey, kids."
"Hi, Mr. Molina!"
"Hi, papa!"
Ray grinned as he walked through the door in time to catch a song and leaned against the wall, lip syncing along.
Julie and the boys rehearsed the song and stopped for a water break, chatting about how excited they all were to be performing at something as big as a Pride parade. It was a pretty damn huge thing for everyone.
No one slept that night, too wired to even think about it.
Julie grinned as she looked up and turned off her phone alarm, running to open Carlos and her parents' bedroom doors. "Happy Pride!" She grinned as she ran back to her room and opened her laptop to Zoom. Soon, she had Flynn, Willie, Nick, Carrie, her girls, and her boys on screen as she ran to grab her hair products. "Hey, my people!"
"Hey, superstar! Boys. Rapunzel. Blond Troy Bolton. Twilight Sparkle. Biliam. Flynnigan. Candy Stripers." Luke grinned and blew a kiss, in the middle of changing into his POISON t shirt.
"Hey, Julianna! Lucas. Alexander. Robert. William. Nicholas. Caroline. Flynnie. Crew." Reggie grinned as he combed his hair and waved.
"Hi, Julie! Ladies. Love of my life. Boys. Willie-boo." Carrie grinned as she brushed her wig out to re-curl it later.
"Hey, Jules! Sweets. Gigi. Lexi. Lulu. Chaos crew." Bobby winked as he sprayed on deodorant.
"Hi, Julie! Candy canes. Boys. Partners in crime." Flynn smiled, braiding pink, white and orange ribbon into their hair.
"Hello, Julie. Luke. Reginald. Bobbles. Flynn-tastic. Care-bear. Nicky. Honeybunch. Candy fruits." Alex smiled before downing a glass of orange juice.
"Hey, Julie! Hot dog. PeterPatter. Chaos siblings. Sweethearts." Willie waved, braiding rainbow ribbons into his hair.
"Julie. Ladies. Boys. Enby buds." Nick waved, combing his hair.
"Julie. Ladies. Men. Non-binary friends." Kayla blew a kiss, popping a gummy vitamin in her mouth.
"Hi, Julie! Candy crew. Chaos children." Halle grinned, brushing the bangs of her wig.
"Hey, my darlings!" Sofia grinned, waving as she nibbled on her toast.
"Hi, gayngels!" Kyra giggled, flipping her pancakes.
"How are the members of The Rainbow Brigade on this fine day, my loves?" Julie asked as she combed her curls. She laughed as everyone started to answer the question at the same time, resuming her hair combing.
"All good here, Julie." Flynn answered once she stopped giggling.
"Here as well." Willie gave a thumbs up.
"Almost perfect but I'm all out of eyeliner." Reggie pouted.
"Oh, no! You can use mine, then." Julie promised.
"Sweet! Thanks, Jules." Reggie grinned gratefully.
"About as good as it's gonna get in the Patterson household." Luke shrugged. "Sparkle, Bobble?"
"All is well in the Wilson mansion, loves." Carrie grinned, looking up when she heard a knock on the door. "Yeah, daddy?" She asked once she opened it.
"Hi, baby. Hi, kids!" Trevor grinned and waved.
"Hi, Mr. Wilson!" Julie called and everyone else followed.
"So remind me of the carpooling situation?"
"Oh, we're gonna pick up my girls and Luke, Alex, and Reggie since their parents still dislike Luke and Bobby for 'corrupting their babies' and Nick only has room in his car to pick up Flynn and Willie and we're all going to Julie's to get ready together."
"Oh, ok. I'm gonna go pack all our bags with snacks and water, then. Breakfast is almost ready downstairs." Trevor smiled, walking out with a peace sign.
"Thanks for the ride, by the way." Reggie smiled.
"Hey, anything for my Gigi." Bobby promised.
Julie giggled, bringing her laptop downstairs to the kitchen where everyone was eating breakfast. "Hey, Carlos. Mom, dad! Say hey to the rainbow brigade!"
"Hey, brigade!"
"Hey, mijos, mijas." Ray grinned.
"Hey, babies!" Rose blew a quick kiss.
"Hi, Carlos! Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Molina! Looking good as always!"
"Thank you, Carrie. Julie, do you want some eggs? They're scrambled."
"Ooh, yes please." Julie nodded and then a plate of eggs, toast and pancakes appeared in front of her. "Gracias, mama."
"Mind saving some eggs for me, amor?"
"Always, cariño."
Luke smiled appreciatively and blushed. "I love you."
Julie smiled, scrunching her nose. "I love you, too."
"Hey, hey. Keep your nauseating adorable-ness to your private Skype sessions." Reggie pretended to gag.
Carrie scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Like you and my brother don't act the same way." She pointed out.
"So do you and Flynn!" Willie accused.
"Willie, so do you and Lexi!" Flynn laughed.
"I would like to point out that so do Halle and Sofia." Nick chimed in.
"True." Kayla nodded in agreement.
"OK, anyone coming over for dinner tonight, niños? I'm making my famous pastelon!" Rose piped up as she appeared next to Julie and wrapped an arm around her, the both of them laughing.
Flynn raised a hand immediately. "Ooh, I'm in! Mom said she's gonna try another duck recipe and my stomach can't take that."
"Me, too!" Alex nodded.
"Noted." Julie nodded.
"Bobins, Care-bear, can I go to your place tonight? I'm not feeling up to week-old left overs." Reggie asked.
Bobby opened his door and poked his head out. "Dad, can Reggie come for dinner tonight? ...OK!" He closed the door with a smile. "Yup."
The group laughed as they chatted and ate their breakfasts, moving their conversation to the group chat as the others made their ways to the Molina household. The groups piled out of their cars and headed inside, greeting Julie and her family with tight hugs.
"Hey, my love." Luke said in a gentle voice and pressed a kiss to her forehead, making Julie blush and scrunch her nose.
"Hi, Lucas." Julie said softly and kissed his lips, giggling against him when she heard fake gags from Alex and Reggie. "Hi, Lexi-love. Reggie boo." She said as she wrapped her arms around them, taking their bags of clothes.
"Here's your eggs, mijo."
Luke grinned as Ray presented him a plate of eggs and some waffles as a treat. "Thank you." He nodded and started eating, leaning against a wall.
"Do I see new earrings, Mrs. Molina?" Carrie asked with a grin.
"Uh-huh. You like them?" Rose grinned, showing off her turquoise earrings.
"Love! They're so pretty!" Carrie nodded.
Julie smiled as she looked around and watched her family and her found family get along so well, joking and laughing with each other. She leaned her head onto Flynn's shoulder, her smile growing when Flynn wrapped an arm around her. "Having a good time, Flynnie?"
"Absolute blast."
After Luke finished his eggs, the group stampeded upstairs and formed a line to the bathroom to change into their Pride outfits. One by one, the brigade stepped in and out in new outfits and walked to the garage to have more room to start doing their make up.
Julie hummed as she and Reggie did their eyeliner next to each other, half listening to the boys talking about how cool it was that they were singing certain songs together for the first time.
"Sunset Curve's fans are gonna get to hear our oldest hits belted out by a little wrecking ball of talent, boys! It's only the single most exciting and awesome thing that can possibly happen!" Luke bragged in excitement, huffing as he was held down in his chair and Flynn and Carrie were glittering up his face.
"I know! Dude, it's so cool!" Alex nodded, glittering up his own face. "And it's even better that it's a- Kayla, your left wing's bigger." He interrupted himself to point to Kayla's make up. "A Pride parade!"
"Oh, shoot. Thanks, Lexi." Kayla smiled and proceeded to fix it with concealer.
"And you're totally gonna come out of this with new fans, too! Think of all the people that are gonna film it for YouTube and so many people are going to watch!" Willie gushed.
"I know!" Bobby nodded and pressed a kiss to Reggie's cheek, applying black eye shadow to his eyes.
"And imagine how much Dirty Candy are gonna love watching you all sing at Pride, too!" Julie grinned. "Maybe then they'll get the whole sparkly rainbow costumes thing."
"Oh, yeah!" The group laughed as they finished glittering up and fixing wigs, and piled into their cars to go to the parade.
Dirty Candy performed a few of their favorite self love songs to the crowd and gave a few speeches about self love, acceptance and Pride to the crowd, getting the response of cheers and pride flags thrown their ways. The girls individually thanked the crowd, and Carrie glanced off stage toward Sunset Curve before announcing the next artist. "And now, a group that always has been and always will be very special to me and my girls, and not just because they're our best friends... Sunset Curve!"
The crowd erupted in screams as the girls stepped off to let the band take the stage, and Luke smiled at them, giving a playful wink to a few boys and girls in the front holding bi and pan pride flags.
"Hi, everybody! Happy Pride month!" Julie greeted, her pink, purple and blue dress sparkling in the sunlight. "How about our girls, Dirty Candy, huh?" She chuckled as the crowd screamed in agreement and glanced at Bobby, who just smiled.
"The pink one is my sister."
"And they are too powerful together." Luke joked.
"They're so much to handle." Reggie complained with a smile.
"You say that like you and Julie aren't a lot." Alex deadpanned.
Julie laughed and shook her head. "Ok, ok. Enough joking. So our first song of the day is called Edge Of Great." She announced, and the crowd screamed and started to throw flags as she sang the intro. As the boys joined in the chorus, Julie hopped and ran around, laughing and joking with the boys.
Reggie and Bobby laughed as Julie hopped around them and draped bi and ace flags around their necks.
Julie giggled and bopped their noses, skipping off to share the mic with Luke. She kissed him at the end of the song and smiled when the crowd started chanting their ship name, leaning her head on his neck. "Yeah, yeah. We get it. We're cute." She joked and Luke cackled.
"You are pretty cute." Alex agreed with a shrug.
Julie snickered and blew a kiss to Alex who threw one back and sighed, giving Luke another kiss on the cheek before launching into a speech about pride featuring comments here and there from the boys. "Boys, what do you say to Stand Tall?" She asked.
"I say yes."
"Definitely."
"Absolutely."
"Obviously."
"Well, that's a unanimous yes!" Julie announced and headed to the piano to play the song. She smiled as she played one of her favorite songs, skipping her way toward Alex as his solo came up. She draped a rainbow flag over his shoulders like a cape and kissed his cheek.
Alex whispered a quick "Love you, Julie." in her ear and she whispered "I love you." back, tapping his cheek before the group nailed the high note.
They sang the final chorus and this time it was Luke who kicked off a speech about doing what makes you happy, with Julie making a comment about Alex dating Willie even with his staunch Christian parents.
"Willie's actually here today. He's right over there." Julie pointed a thumb in the direction of Willie who blew a kiss at Alex. "Alex's parents aren't great, but Willie's grandparents are pretty cool." She chuckled.
"And that's Julie's best friend and Carrie's girlfriend, Flynn is right next to him." Reggie piped up. "Hey, Flynn."
Julie beamed as she walked toward Bobby and put an arm around him. "So this is a song is one that my boys wrote together, before I came into the picture, that they have so graciously transposed into my key so we can all sing it together-"
"Because we love you!" Bobby interrupted.
"And your voice is incredible!" Alex yelled.
"And we wanted to include you!" Luke insisted.
"Yeah, what they said. Love you, Julie." Reggie grinned.
"I love you, too." Julie grinned, looking back at her boys. "So that we can sing it together because of what it means to all of us. It's all about being free and being yourself. It's about having pride in who you are. It's called Finally Free."
The crowd erupted in cheers as Julie started to sing, leaning her head on Bobby's shoulder. She looked up as they hit the chorus and sprinted toward Luke, singing to him as Reggie shared Bobby's mic.
They sang through a few more Sunset Curve songs, the crowd screaming along to every one of them with speeches thrown in between a few songs, before it was nearly time to go. "Our last song of the day-" Julie cut herself off to giggle as the crowd awww'd and booed at her words, shaking her head. "I know! I know! We're sad about it, too." She joked and pouted. "Our last song is very special to me and my boys. It's about going for what you want, dreaming your dreams, and living. Like. It's Now Or Never."
Boos turned into cheers as the band started to play the song and Luke and Julie sang the opening lyrics together, the both of them looking up when they felt raindrops. They looked at each other with twin smirks and nodded, kicking and jumping into the puddles.
Julie giggled as she kicked a puddle in Reggie's direction and he laughed and kicked it back at her, neither of them caring about their make up or body glitter anymore.
Alex laughed through singing his harmonies with the boys, the rainwater bouncing off his drums with every hit.
Bobby and Reggie were once again sharing a microphone as they kicked puddles in Alex's direction and shook the water from their hair, glitter falling away with the water drops.
Luke laughed as he ran toward Alex's drums set and jumped onto the drum platform, wagging his tongue at his best friend.
Julie giggled as she hopped in a puddle and belted out her new solo of a second pre-chorus, bouncing her way toward Bobby while Reggie and Luke ran toward Alex.
Bobby chuckled as he and Julie did their new dance, specially choreographed just for them to do during Alex and Reggie's solos in Now Or Never: Hop twice, left step back, right step back, right step forward, hop once, high five.
Julie whooped as Reggie shouted the lyric about singing in the rain, and held her microphone out to the crowd to sing with her, holding up a fist as everyone screamed the final chorus. She sang the final line in harmony with the boys and the crowd cheered as they waved and took each other's hands, running off stage. She ran straight into the arms of her family, mentally placing this day up high in The Top Ten Best Days Of Her Life.
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jade-of-mourning · 3 years
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theformat wrote, "im floating with the birds im talking to the weeds look what youve done to me"
in which i spontaneously take several hours to translate nate’s awfully punctuated commentary on dog problems into Comprehensive English Words. partially so i can write my stupid essay on it for fun. but yes here you go, 4.2k words from a 2006 livejournal archive that i managed to snatch out of two saves. here’s a link if you want to read it from the source, but i’ll have you know it’s a nightmare. early 2000′s nate ruess learn how to type properly challenge.
theformat wrote,
[@ 2006-5-18 18:44:00]
"im floating with the birds im talking to the weeds look what youve done to me"
Hi,
Sitting on my couch, watching ESPN. Damn, it’s good to be home. Things have been pretty crazy the last 6 months. As a lot of you know, we were dropped by our label — we went and recorded a new record, labels became interested, [and] we decided to release it ourselves. We went on tour, and now I’m [...] home for the next week: my first week off in six months. What do I do? 
Well, my roommate and I got memberships to the YMCA down the street from our house. It’s an amazing place. Downtown Phoenix is pretty much an amazing place. It’s not like the rest of the state — speaking of which, I’m declaring war on Scottsdale, it’s the opposite of Downtown Phoenix.
Anyways, so I wake up at 9am every morning. I don’t know what it is, really — I’ve been a "pro" musician for about 3 years now, [and] we are supposed to wake up at 11 or 12. I know some dudes that wake up at 1, but no; since I’ve been home the last few days, I’ve been going to bed at 1 and waking up at 9. My roommate has a job, [so] I think it has to do with that. 
See, there are 3 showers total in our house. I have the big bedroom, so I have the big shower, [and] since I’ve been off on tour and recording, he has gotten used to the nice shower in my room (Which is fine — anyone that’s gotten close to me knows I’m not too fond of showers, so it’s not like I use it that much). So every morning around 8:45, I wake up to my door opening and my roommate going through my room to use the shower. 
You know what it’s like when you’re half asleep but you want to act like you’re awake so as not to freak someone out with all the crazy babble, but you just end up saying all the same crazy babble? I do that every morning. I turn and look at him and try to act like I wasn’t just dreaming about tootsie rolls and parrots that shatter like glass. "Hey [Roommate's Name], that was some game last night" [is what usually] comes out of my mouth — something to that extent — and I think he feels sorry for me, but continues to walk right into my bathroom, and use the shower. 
At this point, I’m awake. I usually have to pee, and I have to then use his restroom. It’s a terrible swap, and it always ends with me wide awake on my front porch (har har) smoking a cigarette and wondering how the hell I’m gonna fall back asleep when the air conditioning is broken. Ah, what a wonderful life at home, [but] that’s the weird thing — I love it. Now we wake up and we go to the [YMCA]. We run, we play basketball, we jump in the pool, we play pool basketball, we get yelled at for dunking the ball. We don’t use soap before we go into the sauna, and the night usually ends with a poker tournament. This is the life I love to live when I’m away from the road. It too is the opposite of Scottsdale. It’s who I am, [and] it’s pretty much who I’ve become.
See, for the last 23 years, it’s been about the highs and the lows for me. I’ve got an addictive personality, [so] I stay away from a lot of things because of this; however, when I find things, I get generally excited. I go crazy. It’s all I think about and all I do for the next howeverlong. For the first 23 years, it was either talking non-stop or locking myself in my room. It’s either great or terrible; not good or bad. Dog Problems changed that.
Initially, Dog Problems was supposed to be that — the original concept of Dog Problems was to be 2 sides of music, the first half taking over where Interventions [+ Lullabies] had left off: "We'll be together in the morning…"
We weren’t, in fact. We were over before Interventions was even released. We were over two weeks after it was recorded, [and] I spent the next 2 years feeling terrible. We got back together… we broke up… we got dogs… we broke up… we got back together and got dogs…
I was still miserable, but I wanted Dog Problems to get me through everything. I wanted it to help me, not anyone else — just me. The first side was supposed to be me down in the dumps [and] everything that went down: how the two of us were dealing with it differently, [and] the second half was supposed to be a realization.
The first inkling of realization was a day [when] we were on tour. We were all laughing about something I’m sure Marko or Adam said. Here I was supposed to be depressed, but the fact that I can spend all of my days in different states with my best friends, all of us doing what we love — that was major! Then my mom called… I’ve got my parents! My friends! What else could I possibly need?
At that point, I felt as if a relationship in a Michael Bolton sort of way didn’t mean anything. It was the people you surrounded yourself with — those were the people that made the difference, and that was going to be side two. I was convinced that when I just closed my eyes and thought about the wonderful people around me, I was going to be great. Not good, [but] great.
I didn’t get that far, no. I got back into the relationship. 
I was sure it was going to work. At that point, life would be perfect, and we all want perfection right? [But] things went right back to far from perfect. Things went to terrible. I couldn’t stop feeling sorry for myself, but I had a concept. At that point, I figured that even by singing and recording these positive songs I was going to feel better, so Sam showed me what was then just a short acoustic guitar version of Snails.
This was it. This was my first chance to prove to myself that life can be beautiful. The thing is, I had never been more miserable. I remember writing the lyrics to Snails: my roommate was at work, I was on the bed, on my night stand was a giant bottle of booze, and somewhere off in California she wasn’t calling me back on a Friday night. So I went to work, listened [to it] over and over. I wanted to get it right; I wanted to be positive. I passed out, then I woke up the next morning [with a] big headache (P.S. drinking is not really that cool; it’s cool when you condemn it for the first 22 years of your life, then it becomes not cool, then it becomes ok when you moderate yourself) and I started writing everything positive I could think of. [...] Snails was, in Sam’s mind, supposed to be a 2 minute kid’s song, [but] I wrote so much that there was no going back. I thought that was it — Snails solved all of my problems.
It didn’t get that far either. Nothing could shake the depression, [and] I really started to worry about myself. Here I want to feel great, but I only feel terrible, [and] a few months later it got really really bad. I had to go to my parents house that night, I didn’t want to be at my house. I wanted to feel like a kid.
It’s funny how we always want to be adults when we're younger. We want to drive cars, we want to have girlfriends. I still didn’t consider myself an adult — all I wanted was to come home, be tucked in, know that everything was going to be alright. I woke up the next day [and found out] she met someone new. I’ve got to figure myself out…
In the meantime, we've got 4 songs we are recording over at our friend Aaron’s house (he is an amazing producer and [...] musician, and his house and his roommates have gotten me through a lot of tough times. They’re some of the only people I know who would rather spend their Saturdays getting dinner and watching a movie instead of going to a party. I like that). All of this turmoil in my relationship was going on at the time, and I was trying to write side two [but] I couldn’t. There was more fuel to side one. These songs have to be done, so I wrote about what I knew, and at that point I knew how to feel terrible.
So much for side two. Dog Problems is going to be one giant mess of depression and "look what you’ve done to me".
Atlantic got those four songs, as well as a few others. They were not psyched, to say the least, but some people at the label actually cared about it enough to say "go record". So we were able to pick our producer, we met with a few people, talked to a few more. Things were looking up. Dog Problems was going to happen. 
I remember meeting Steve McDonald at his house — Sam and I were excited to be [there] because we knew his wife Anna would probably be there. Anna was the lead singer/songwriter for a band we used to obsess about called "That Dog", her brother was one of the ten drummers in the world that I actually liked, so Steve couldn't be so bad. And he wanted to produce our record, so he had to be pretty cool! 
He was just that, and more. Sam and I were eating every word that came out of his mouth. He had stories; he was young, hip, energetic, and yet very all knowing. We saw someone that was going to let us do whatever we wanted to do, and in the meantime he was going to make us laugh and make sure we didn't lose our minds. From that point on, I knew there was someone I could always trust. I made a friend pretty quick.
Things were moving forward. Steve McDonald was to be the producer. I hated Los Angeles so there was no way in hell I was going to record there, [so] we decided Palm Springs would be perfect. Weird, but perfect. I had a phone conversation with Steve that night and we were finalizing everything. I was going to call Atlantic in the morning and let them know just how everything was going to work, [but] I didn't get that far.
I was sleeping in a blowup bed at the house when my phone rang. I didn’t wake up and answer like it was my roommate and he was coming into my room to use my shower, [because] this call felt different. Right away, I was awake.
It was our manager: "You’ve been dropped." 
When I heard that, the first thought going through my mind wasn’t "Oh man...how are we going to be famous now and make boat loads of money?" It was more like "fuck...but Dog Problems. We were supposed to go make Dog Problems."
The thing is, Atlantic wasn’t into Dog Problems. They were into whatever it was they thought we were. Never had The First Single made more sense — what was supposed to be a song about getting the band started and doing something with it had actually turned into a song about how stuck we were in the labels eyes because of the song. I was past that; we're proud of something we wrote when we were 19 and 20, but when I think of music, I think of progression. 
I think of all of the wonderful records I had been introduced to when I had nothing to do riding in a van. I think of all of the new influences, all the instruments, all of the "How did they do that?" And I think of how much it gets me through everything.
Music has been the consecutive[ly] great[est] thing in my life. It’s been that one thing, and with Dog Problems, it wasn’t about "I want everyone to sing along because I can write a catchy song." It was about feeling. It was paying tribute to all of the bands that we obsessively listened to. It was for Harry Nilsson and Van Dyke Parks, it was for Jellyfish and XTC. It was our way of saying thanks for making our lives better, whether it be lyrically or musically. It was never about being something, being told something, and sticking to something. It was an adventure, for the artist and for the listener.
[And] they didn't get that. They wanted the old record, the old songs, just with different words and a few different chords here and there. They didn’t care about Snails or Dog problems [or] what it meant to write those songs. They knew it wasn't going to be huge; the guitars were not big enough (if big guitars are your thing that’s fine, it’s just not really our thing right now); it wasn’t going to be competitive, and so they dropped us. And rightfully so: we weren’t going to change, and obviously the major label business is never going to change, [so] now it comes down to who goes down first. And we weren’t ready to go down.
Sam and I had conversations about it, whether the business end of things have been fucking with us so much that we'll never be sane enough to just enjoy it. We thought about getting out — it wasn’t [be]cause we hated each other, or the songs; it was because we hated the business.
Steve called to let us know that he was still onboard, label or not, [and] we let him know we were still on board. We were going to make this record, [and] I was going to feel great! But the record was going to cost something. How could we afford it? 
We were lucky that we had a management company like Nettwerk. Not only are they the most forward-thinking music business people around, [but] they’re also (for the most part) Canadian. Oh, and they care a shit load about the music we make. They could have waited for the ship to sink, but they told us they would pay for the record if need be. Fortunately, we were able to get money for getting dropped — Atlantic actually paid us to leave, so we could afford the recording ourselves. The only stipulation was that it had to be done quicker, and when you want something quick, you have to go to the "right here, right now" capitol of the world: Los Angeles. I was a little irked at the thought at first, then Steve said it was his personal goal to make LA a wonderful city for me. Like I said, I would jump off a cliff if Steve said it was the best way to get coffee, but I wasn’t jumping off of cliffs. I was too excited to make Dog Problems, [so] LA it was.
Sam and I moved to the "Silver Palace" in Silverlake California in the middle of December. We found an amazing studio in Burbank, California and an amazing engineer in Ken Sluiter, and our goal was to just do everything free from a record label and someone constantly messing up the recording process by saying things like "that’s not high octave enough". The only pressure we had at all was from our manager saying "You have a tour you accepted in March, [so] get it done by then.” Other than that, it was me, Sam, Steve, and Ken working 13 hours a day for 6 days a week.
It became our lives we were putting so much of ourselves into. Everyone that worked and played on the record was the same way when they were there contributing. I would leave the studio at 2 in the morning and wake up at 10 to be at the studio by 11. There was no free time — the four of us were so invested in this. We all bought into the concept. 
In the meantime, things outside of the studio were getting interesting. We had a lot of labels calling and constantly asking about it. During one week of recording, I remember at least 3 different label people coming down to the studio. Our minds weren’t made up as to what we were doing with the record once it was recorded — all we wanted to do was finish it — but we kept our options open and let people sit in the big chair and listen to what we had been working on. The response was overwhelmingly positive, but we didn’t really think about it too much beyond the compliments we were receiving. Sam and I got used to LA — I was 10 minutes away from where I had been the previous summer when I was back "on" in my “on and off" relationship. I was ten minutes from her, she was calling every day, I was singing about it… but how was it not getting to me? Why did I not care?
My phone was off. I woke up in Silverlake one morning and started wondering why for the last month I had a smile on my face. Sure, I was down at times, but the thing that had been bringing me down for 3 years was now the last thing on my mind. Apparently, it had been that way for awhile. Something that took 3 years to get over… I was finally just okay with it. No big realization — just the fact that things happen. People make mistakes. And I came out of it alright. I was good; not great… I was good, and that felt good.
I wasn’t looking for great anymore. I was okay. The last song on Dog Problems is all about that. Here, this record was supposed to be the downs, and the ups, and it ended with the middle: the realization that I don’t need to be talking; I don’t need to be locked in my room — I need to enjoy what’s going on around me. And if things go wrong, they go wrong. There’s always tomorrow.
Dog Problems means so much to me in so many different ways. I’ve never been more proud of anything in my life. I cried so many times during the making of the record. All the money I had spent on therapy, and all I had to do was go make a record, realize that I’m alright, and realize that I made something that I’ll forever be proud of.
Shit… the record was supposed to be about how California can change you for the worse, [but] it played a huge part in doing the opposite!
So as we were putting the finishing touches on the record (all our friends came in and recorded! A ton of people we admired came and worked on the record! All of their responses were so positive that it's hard not to get an ego about it. These are the people I worship. They’re the ones I wanted to pay tribute to, and they think we've made something unique and special. It’s like Michael Jordan telling you that you have a nice jump shot (no more sports references… I swear I’m done)) and we started to think about what we were going to do with it. How we were going to release it. Labels were getting pretty into it, and we knew we would have to make a decision soon.
After much debate and discussion, we decided that the record was something we had made completely on our own, so why not release it completely on our own? Nettwerk was going to take care of the distribution so it would have a major label distro. It would be inside all of the Best Buys; what more did we want? We didn’t want a big fat check — we did that last time. It made us miserable, and nothing came out of it. Barely anyone at the labels helped us, we weren’t making music videos, our songs weren’t on the radio, so why would we take their criticism? After all, everything that we’ve done — any success we’ve had is from being real people who make music. From showing up to play, from 3 years on the road. 
On Interventions [+ Lullabies], there might have been an Elektra logo on the back of the record, but it ended right there. We were the ones SHOWING people who we were. I wouldn’t have it any other way — no one knows us better than ourselves, so why not release it ourselves? To me, it’s not only a testament to the hard work we put into the band (Mike, Don, Marko, Toco, everyone else involved in putting these songs to life — you guys are the best thing we have. It’s pretty special when your best friends are some of the most talented musicians), but I really feel like the people who come to our shows are such good people that they don’t give a fuck what label it’s on.
They are there because we are doing something positive, and because we care about them as much as they care about us. So for the time being we've said "fuck the middleman": we're the only people we can blame at this point. I’m so tired of even talking about major labels and the split and everything like this. The music is the only thing I care about. Dog Problems is the only thing I care about, so why let someone else ruin it?
The Vanity Label was born.
The record got finished. We had no time to rehearse, and we had to go right back out to tour. Our first show before the Motion City Soundtrack tour was in Nashville — I remember the last time we were in Nashville, there were about ten kids. Reuben’s accomplice kept asking them why they hate whales, so we figured why not go there and get some of the rust out of the way. After all, we haven't toured in a year so there should be like 3 kids there; we can mess up if need be.
Unfortunately, we were not allowed to mess up. On a Sunday night in Nashville, with Ted Leo playing across the street (I <3 Ted), our first headlining show outside of Arizona in almost a year was over sold out. What the fuck happened? 
We thought we were going to have to play for another 3 years just to get back to where we were when we left, and yet it’s sold out on a Sunday night? It didn’t end there either — the whole tour went like that… night after night ("nite after nite?"). I couldn't believe it. As if having Dog Problems wasn’t enough, now we have people showing their support in the most positive way: coming to the shows, being there from the only thing they knew before. Those two months were such good months. It was the last thing I expected. Thanks so much to all the bands that played with us, and thanks so much for everyone that came to the shows and sang along. We'll be back in July.
In the meantime, things were going great on the Vanity Label front. Business actually felt natural. We are shooting a video with the directors we had always dreamed of doing a video with (it won’t be serious...no pouty face). There were magazines like AP and online magazines like AP taking notice, supporting the whole idea and concept. We actually took press photos. I’ve never been through any of this before, it’s exciting. I don’t think it’s going to change who we are, not one bit, but it’s still exciting to see people who can help out actually help out.
So where does that leave me now? Sitting on my bed. I’ve rambled for hours, the air still doesn't work, and I’ve been told that Dog Problems (something that isn't supposed to come out till July) has been leaked. Not the best news when you just got out of the pool, but it happens. I freaked out at first — I thought I was going to lock myself in my room. After all, this is something that we spent over two years making. It’s something that you have to take the time… listen to in headphones… play loud… listen to in order of the tracks… the artwork… Sam did the best artwork he has ever done. The packaging is something we paid extra for because Sam’s concept was so brilliant, and now… it’s leaked on the internet? I was locking my door, then our manager called.
"Hello?" 
"We're releasing it on the website today." 
"Wow."
So, here goes. You’ve read enough. I shouldn’t have to go on about it anymore, but I will say, if you wanna wait for the full hard copy release then do so. It’s July 11 — we are gonna be touring right after that — but if you want to get it now,.please do it by purchasing it right here. We released it, it’s our money, it’s our little baby — you should take the time to listen to it all the way through, free of distraction. You should turn the songs into your own. It’s an adventure, and it’s something that we put everything we have into; and if anyone deserves it first, it’s you guys who have been here with us all along.
Without further ado...
"Dog Problems"
- Nate
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heiress - 2
pairing: bucky barnes x oc!reader
a/n: this is part two of a four part series based on a song lyrics sent to me by an amazing anon with a reader based on my favourite oc. hope you enjoy xx
“letters strewn across your bedroom floor. such beautiful words but you can’t remember who they’re for“
previous chapter
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His memories had always been foggy. Even after slipping from HYDRA’s control, his memories were still foggy. He could remember almost everything through a sepia-like filter yet his memory as even more distorted the moment he looked at her. He had this gut wrenching feeling he had known her yet his foggy red tinted memories gave him no answer as to who this woman was and whenever he tried digging deeper into his subconscious. he would just get tired. Almost as if his own mind did not allow him to know her but he knew he must’ve seen her face or her figure somewhere and if he hadn’t then he must’ve known her in another life because whenever he looked at her, he felt comfortable. It was an odd sensation to explain, a deja-vu like feeling, a feeling which made him want to run up to her and held her into his arms but she was a stranger. Everything was strange here even Wanda who despite him having shared a few words with, looked so distant.
      - When did Wanda have time to have two ten year olds? -  Sam threw himself to one of the beds in the room the two of them had been assigned to. Sharon had gotten a different room yet Sam and Bucky were bunking together like 13 year old campers. - Also can she resuscitate people now? I mean, he’s an android but nevertheless. Oh my god, how did an android and a human had kids?
     - Do you trust them? Sharon isn’t too convinced.
     - Well, Wanda fought by our side so did Vision and Fury and Hill are with them. Unless they all turned evil, I think we can somewhat trust them. 
     - I don’t know, Sam. I ... I don’t trust the girl.
     - They’re almost all girls, cyborg brain. Be specific. Did specificity did not exist in the 40s?
     - The one who dropped her gun first.
     - Maybe, she’s Pierce’s kid or so says Sharon. Maybe you used to babysit her. 
     - No, I ...
     - Sergeant Barnes ... - Monica knocked on the door before allowing herself into the bedroom. - There were some letters in the file written by you. We believe it is not our right to intrude onto your privacy so we wanted to give them to you. 
     - God, every time I discover something about you, it makes you sound even older than you are. - Sam leaned against the bed frame as Bucky warringly took the letters from the Monica who left the room once her job was done.
The paper had grown old with time, yellowing around the borders of the Red Room envelopes they used to give the girls who behaved well enough so they could send their parents some news. He remembered stealing a few to try and write any memories which came through so he wouldn’t forget them when the officers erased him. Somehow they always found the letters yet there it was in his hands, a big stack of letters which seemingly hadn’t been destroyed. It was his handwriting that much he knew, however he did not know who Daisy was, he did not know who had the name to which the letters were addressed to. 
     - Who did you write letters to? Steve?
     - Daisy. - he didn’t mean to reply but those words just seemed to flow naturally from him and he was entranced by the name in his handwriting alone. 
The snow felt step onto the ground, it was cold, cold enough everyone was wearing jackets inside despite the heater being on and he seemed to have been transported back into his memories. Everyone was cold and covered but not her and no matter how hard he tried to make up her face, it was fogged up in his memory but he could see her, he could see her in her strap black ballet top and worn out pink ballerina shoes which she had particularly asked Madam B not to be replaced. He could see her, but he couldn’t make her out, he didn’t know who she was. 
    - Daisy, you’re going to get sick. - Bucky could hear himself speak but he wasn’t speaking, he wasn’t there, he was just reliving a memory. 
   - Don’t call me Daisy. I hate it when you call me Daisy.
   - Hey, cyborg brain? Are you ok? - Sam’s voice was echoey until he touched his shoulder and then he was harshly brought back to reality. - Don’t bug out on me, I don’t know how to reset you. 
    - Yeah, just thinking.
The night was long, too long and he spent every minute of it reading every single letter he had written this woman until they were all spread out across the floor of the room; but we loved with a love that was more than love me and my Daisy, I’m sorry Daisy, I miss you Daisy. Daisy, Daisy, Daisy, Daisy. He had read that name more than a hundred times and he still couldn’t remember who she was yet he knew he loved her or that he had loved her. The more he tried to remember it, the more his head hurt, the more the blurry memories turned red. He didn’t known who this woman who had meant so much to him was. He shoved those letters under the bed and left the room while Sam was sleeping. He need to clear his head, clearly this woman hadn’t meant that much to him if he couldn’t remember her, but he knew it was a lie. He knew she mattered.
The sounds of his shoes against the floor made him forget about her, her the ghost of a woman he loved. He continued to walk, watching the walls surrounding him until a glass wall broke the continuous light blue of the walls. He peeked through it and there it was, the woman he felt he knew in a black suit on pointe. He was hypnotised by the constant plié to on pointe as if it was nothing. Bucky went around, opening the door to watch her more closely.
   - How do you do it? - he asked, taking her by surprise. Turning around, she had fear in her eyes as she took a step back, something Bucky was used to. It no longer hurt as it used to. - The feet thing. I ... my sister used to watch ballet and they always did that. 
   - Oh, uhm ... it’s all about supporting your body weight onto your toes and wearing the right pair of shoes.
   - I’m Bucky, by the way ... Uhm, thank you for not killing us. 
   - I’m Y/N. - she extended her hand to shake his. - Is the room alright? Do you need anything?
   - Do you know who Daisy is? Sharon said your father is Pierce so I thou ...
   - I don’t. - she interrupted him. - I don’t really know a lot about my father’s private life. I’m sorry.
   - You’re too early for ... - Yelena entered the room in tactical gear, stopping once she saw someone other than Y/N. Her eyes searched for Y/N’s who were begging for help. - Fight training. Closed off fight training.
   - Right, I ... I was just looking for the kitchen. - he said but was still gazing her eyes
   - I’ll take you. - the blonde Russian gave him a tight smile, pointing towards the door and exiting with him.
The air that seemed to have been previously held on her chest came out almost in a wave and she felt herself slide against the mirrored wall until she was sat on the floor, head looking at the tall ceiling as if she were in catatonic state, and maybe she was, she didn’t know. How could she know if whenever he spoke to her all she could hear was that piano, that damned low piano and the mirage of him, the mirage of the life she wanted with him in Westview. She looked at her shoes, worn out, the pink satin which one was shiny new had black worn out spots over where there used to be an embroidered daisy. She was glad it was gone, she was glad it wouldn’t return. Nevertheless, she could still feel her ... Agatha, poking at whatever protected her mind. She could almost hear her calling out to her with promises of all she wanted. They had always gone after her ... the weak link, the one whose will was easy to break. It was no mistake the red room had given her the nickname Daisy out of all flowers they could’ve picked. She was easily broken, manipulated to be a strong fighter but easily broken by those who knew. She wondered if the Red Room was still out looking for her, looking for Yelena ... she wondered what control they still held over her, what control her father had over her. Both knew she was alive, both had tortured her with tapes of ... him. They knew she was alive, it was only a cat and mouse game until they took her away. Their experiment. Their unsuccessful successful experiment. 
    - God, he’s awfully chattier than I remember. - Yelena walked into the room, eyes lowering to where she was. - Who told you to take a break? Get up and fight me. 
    - He knows.
    - Chill, Y/N. He didn’t even know what a waffle maker was until now. He’s not gonna break through whatever you made Wanda do to him which, by the way, I’m against. - the blonde sat next to her. - You let Monica hand him the letters, of course he’s gonna wonder who Daisy is. Terrible name.
   - I’m sorry, Yelena, not everyone had the pleasure of having the code name Hyacinth. -  Y/N teased.
   - It was a great code name. The best code name.
   - No, it wasn’t.
   - Want the morning off? I could spar with Monica or Alexei. - Yelena gave her a kind look and an offer she couldn’t refuse. Last thing she wanted to do was to spar with anyone in her mindset. Yelena understood it, her too having dealt with her own trauma inflicted by the Red Room. In times like these, both girls had learned to leave each other alone to cope with whatever demons they had.
Y/N dragged her knees up to her chest like a kid, hair falling in front of her eyes as she fished for the dog tags under her shirt. She ripped them from her neck, letting the old metal tags slide through her fingers. She clenched the memorabilia of past emotions against her chest. 
  - Yelena said you were gloom. - Wanda walked into the room still in her pyjamas. - Besides your shield is down and your thoughts are loud. You ought to learn to control it someday.
  - Well, you seem to love getting in people’s minds.
  - Not yours. Whenever I get the particular pleasure of doing it  ... - she sat next to her, still in her dressing gown. - You’re either feeling guilty or in such pain. I think it’s time you speak about it.
  - She’s still in my mind ... Agatha. She lingers. 
   - What does she know? She couldn’t even give you an actually accurate mirage of Bucky. Two arms? Please. 
   - She’s gonna be after us non-stop, Wanda. She will pair forces with Ross to get what she wants and then all of this will be as worthless as it was. With Zemo if she needs too ... 
   - She can’t get to you, okay? - Wanda gave her a kind smile, the type of smile she gave the twins whenever one of them was sad but this time it didn’t help. She could hear her voice calling out for her, she could see the purple tint in her nightmares and while Monica and Wanda had learned to deal with it, mostly ignoring it, she could fell the witch’s influence in her stronger than ever. 
She remained laid against the wall of the training room even after Wanda was gone. She looked at the ceiling, fingers toying around with the humidity in the air making it fall onto the ground like rain. Fitting, she thought. Yet again, whatever she could do always seemed to mirror whatever she thought or felt like. It was past midday when she made her way from the gym to her bedroom to get dressed. She knew better than to leave the hex unaccompanied but what surrounded it was wilderness and she always felt at peace in wilderness, the soft sounds of birds chirping and the water falls always made her forget the screams from the red room, the purple aura from Agatha ... it just didn’t make her forget Bucky. She had always wanted to see him again, to apologise ... to ... she didn’t know what to do, she just knew she got tongue tied whenever she saw him, the guilt eating her alive.
    - Well, hello dear. - Y/N turned around, eyes shining white behind her iris as Agatha stood there in her purple peplum dress. - There’s no need for a fight, dear. I just want to talk.
    - Well, I don’t ... - she took a fighting stance but the woman merely shrugged.
    - I just came to give you a shoulder to cry. Word on the street is that your Bucky is around. Isn’t that wonderful, dear?
    - Based on your illusion of him, I’d think you wouldn’t even recognise him. 
    - You know, you’ll always be my favourite out of the three girls. You and I are very similar, my dear. Besides, I can help you, I know how your powers work and it’s not for cheap tricks. I can help you with him, I know what it is like to have someone take the person who you love the most be taken for you but I can help you, dear. You and me, we can get what we want, what it’s rightfully yours.
     - He’s not mine. - she meant her words to come strong, swiftly like the thunderstorm winds yet they faltered, as if they were only now registering in her mind. 
     - You know, dearest ... the good thing about the soul stone is that it made you who you are. The bad thing is, you’re not gonna be able to control what it gave you if your soul is in disarray. The more your mind battles, the more your ability will take hold of you.
     - What do you mean?
     - Why do you think Wanda got more powerful when things were falling apart in Westview?
     - Y/N! - Monica’s voice made Agatha disappear in a cloud of purple mist. Y/N turned her head to the side to see Monica make her way through the trees, decked out in her fighting outfit. - What are you doing here? You missed the early morning brief and you’re in ... whatever you’re wearing.
     - I just needed some time off. - she smiled. - Why are you in battle gear?
     - Darcy’s sure one of the books must be in the Red Room ... the one where you were trained. - Monica sighed, less than happy to have to bring Y/N back to that place but if there was someone who could navigate it, it was her. - Yelena was not trained by ... him, so she does not know. Y/N, I don’t think ... I think you and him should talk. 
    - There’s nothing to talk about. - she forced a smile, following Monica back into the hex. - We are different people, besides ... I don’t think he would forgive me at all.
    - Can you at least tell me what happened? What happened with him, what happened in Westview? Wanda says you’re in pain and I don’t want you to be in pain. You helped me when I was in pain, I wanna help you too. We’ve known each other for what? Five years discounting the Thanos thing? Six?
    - I will talk about it someday. Just not today.
    - Are you in the headspace to go with us? We can always try and see what Sergeant Barnes remembers if you’re not up to it.  
    - I am a professional agent. - she smiled. - I’m always prepared.
The sooner we get this book situation sorted, the sooner she wouldn’t have to look at him anymore. At least that’s what she thought and as such she had no problem returning to the place which she had escaped from years and years ago. Nevertheless, she was first and foremost an agent, someone who fought for others and for once she had to do just that. Be professional. 
She got dressed in her traditional black tactic gear and jacket before heading down to the room where they kept most of their ammunition. It had been Jimmy’s idea to arm everyone involved in a mission just in case despite Y/N, Wanda and Monica being capable to hold their own without it. Even so, having a knife or a gun on them had made wonders before. Normally the people they go against aren’t exactly fair and she had learned that the hard way. As she opened the door to the ammunition room, she came face to face with him lacing up his boots. It was the most common action yet it felt so foreign to see him do it, to see him be in control of lacing up his own shoe laces. Part of her was happy for him, happy he was happy, happy he was his own person but the other part of her screamed for her to let it go of her insecurities, he was not the same man she had known and she was definitely not the same woman. She was guilty for more than half his pain and that, that remained the same. 
Y/N ignored him, sliding past him to grab her own utility belt which was really nothing special except for the fact she had gotten everyone important in her life to carve their initials in them. Her point was if she was dying on the field, she had least had something which reminded her of the love which regardless of every bad thing she had done, still remained. She wrapped her belt around her waist and thigh, yet nevertheless it was still too loose. Damned belt.
   - You’re putting it wrong. -  Buck mumbled.
   - Pardon?
   - The belt. - he got up and walked up to her. - The second strap ... it’s too low on your thigh, should be higher.
   - Oh ... -  she moved her gaze away from him.
   - Here. May I? - he asked her, hoping to meet her gaze but she merely nodded still looking the other way. Bucky unclasped the strap from her thigh, bringing it up further up, his knuckles brushing against the fabric of her trousers. She slowly moved her gaze to look at him and he fixed her belt before he moved up, eyes staring into hers. They seemed to look at each other for a lifetime, before he cleared his throat. - It should be better now.
    - Uhm ... thank you, Sergeant Barnes.
    - Cyborg brain, how long does it take to lace up some boots? - Sam’s voice reverberated through the room making the two take each a step back going back to the distance between them. 
    - I have to go. - Y/N grabbed her jacket, exiting the room as fast as she could.
The plane ride was equally unbearable with her sat in front of him, catching his eyes every once in a while. God, she used to love his eyes. She still remembered being tangled in grey worn out sheets, laying across his chest just looking at him, looking at those eyes which always looked the same even when he forgot her. Those blue eyes, they were always the same despite the two of them being different people from who they were in the Red Room. Speaking of the devil, it no longer looked like one. It was falling down, the once crown jewel of HYDRA had worn out with time. The red walls were fading to brown, the spotless rooms were now filled with dust and ghosts of memories. It was gone, so how come it still haunted her?
   - Wanda and Sharon will take east, me and Sam west, Alexei and Yelena south and Y/N you can take north with Sergeant Barnes. - Monica suggested. Y/N shot her a way too familiar look, almost as if she were about to argue with her yet she understood the basis of her decision. After all, not everyone had ... a something controlling power. 
She took charge into the very familiar north wing of the building. They kept most off the girls who were yet to pass to the red room there and it had been her home for years. Bucky however, was remembering things which he couldn’t fully understand. He knew this place yet he didn’t remember walking these halls, he remembered the pain. He could still feel the pain, the much too familiar pain of having all he knew be gone.
    - You’ll take the right and I the left? Sergeant Barnes? - she put her hand on his hand, almost magically taking him away from ghosts of his pain. - Do you want to stop?
    - Yeah, I’ll take the left. - he rebuffed her, turning left.
The room seemed to take him in, memories of his own strained voice as he yelled out for some mercy returned to his consciousness, memories of things he had said, things he hadn’t said. He swiftly turned around, turning his gun to the door before turning back again to see a woman standing in front of him.
    - Woah lower the gun down, dear. - she had an eerily smile on her lips. Buck took a step back slowly but she moved her hand, a purple glow followed by the sound of the door closing. - I’m only here to help.
   - Y/N ... - he tapped his intercom but no sound came from it.
   - Yes, that’s exactly who we are talking about. You see I know who Daisy is, she knows who Daisy is. - she took a file from under her shirt. - Everyone knows who Daisy is but you. Now, I think it’s really unfair you don’t know so I decided to even out the game.
She threw the file onto the ground before disappearing. God, at least back in the 40s people only removed their faces. Bucky looked around, wearingly of his surroundings much more than he was before.  This room. was playing with his mind yet the file laying on the ground proved the woman wasn’t a mere mirage of his mind. He kneeled down too grab the file, opening it to reveal a passport photo of Y/N accompanied by an information sheet. He read through the first lines quickly until one particular fact stopped him. Known aliases: Daisy.
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