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#bird is the only one of the crew who ever talks back and raises his voice to bane
righteousruin · 2 years
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listen,, bane will try and warn you too ,,,his longest sexual partner was bird and he developed no romo for him whatsoever, he’s probably still in that cargo hold having venom withdrawals because Bane never went back for him
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mydearlybeloathed · 5 months
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𝐈 𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐁𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐈 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐘𝐎𝐔 ¹
𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞, 𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞...
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𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: you have a decision to make: risk everything for the boy who means everything, or set him free of your doubts.
𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: opla!luffy x gn!reader
𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 2.7k
𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭: use of Y/N, gn reader, angst, garp ships it
𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬: august, two birds
series masterlist
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It took Luffy some time to figure it out, but he’d been in love with you years before it ever rolled off his lips. 
He always knew he loved you, of course. Luffy knew for certain his life would be incomplete without you there by his side, you his first mate, and he your captain.
You were his very best friend, and after the first six times he’d caught you unawares with displays of his affections—heated kisses against the wall of his grandfather’s house were your favorites—you sat him down and discussed what it meant to be lovers. 
He quite liked the sound of being your boyfriend. 
If it were up to Luffy he would have sailed the seas with you forever, if only he could get away from marine training.
He particularly wanted to get you away. You were strong and brave, but you had a dream, and this little town, Grandpa Garp, and your marine father were no good for chasing dreams.
Besides, you smiled less nowadays. Luffy missed your smile like a lost limb.
Especially now, as he sits with you on the sandy beach of your village. You laid between his legs, head resting on his abdomen, his hat on your belly. His arms wrapped around you, and he felt almost fulfilled just like this.
“When we’ve got our own ship,” he said, “there will be a room just for your books. And no one will be able to take them away from you ever again.”
Your heart warmed at the notion, remembering how your father had done just that earlier in the day, prompting this sunset rendezvous on the shore. “And we’ll have a pantry full of all the best foods.”
“And a masthead to be recognized all across the sea,” he went on in a mystified way he only got when talking about the future. 
You laughed and leaned your head back to admire him. “Naturally.”
To you, this was all dreaming and nothing more. A dream so dear to your heart that it was honestly the only thing holding you together at this point—along with his comforting arms wrapped around you, of course. A dream, an ideal, a wish for something more than the path already chosen for you.
You thought Luffy knew that too, or maybe you hoped he knew. Either way, when his arms fled your body and he jumped to his feet, you confusedly flopped back into the sand.
Maybe you didn’t know your life’s greatest love as well as you thought you did, because Luffy’s dream was more than a dream—Luffy would be a pirate, whether you were with him or not.
“Look!” He pointed down the beach as you shuffled to your feet. The setting sun allowed just enough light for you to spy a ship rocking back and forth along the water, beaching itself on the sand. 
From the way it swayed ever so slowly, and the lack of any light or person, the ship seemed to be abandoned. A lonely vessel to brave the seas.
Luffy latched onto your hand with practiced ease and tugged you along down the shore, kicking up sand all the way there. A shriek full laugh escaped you as he halted suddenly, staring up at the little sloop with admiration usually reserved for you. 
“I wonder what happened to the crew,” you mumbled, creeping up the side of it and bringing him along with you. No name was etched along the side, the deck was littered with bird droppings, and the sail had a few stains. The boat was loved by no one, and probably never had been before.
“Dunno,” Luffy said. His hand left yours so he could jump up onto the deck, leaving your palm an uncomfortable cold. 
You crossed your arms as he inspected the ship, coming back to the railing a moment later to grin down at you. You raised a brow at that look on his face. “Well?”
Luffy leaped down beside you, the sand giving under his feet, and he scooped up both your hands in his. A string in your heart stuttered then snapped at the gleam in his eyes, like it already knew the end was near. 
“This is it.” He was out of breath when he said it. “Our chance.”
You laughed mirthlessly through your answer. “What?”
He tugged on your arms, pulling you to hop onto the boat with him. “We’ll sail out at dawn. What should we call it?” You gaped a moment as he shook it off. “We’ll name it later. Look! Just enough room for your books and some food. It’s perfect.”
You ripped your hand away from his, crossing your arms over your chest and taking a slight step away from him. Terror creeped under your skin. “Luffy, what’re you talking about?”
He looked at you like you were the crazy one. “Our dream.”
His dream, you thought but didn't say. “You can’t be serious, Luffy.”
“I’ve never been serious about anything,” he mused, approaching you to cup your face in his hands so gently, like he was holding his whole world. “But this I’m serious about.”
“Luffy…” Slowly, your hands drifted over his own, taking them away from your face to hold them between you. “But… we can’t survive on our own.”
“We won’t be on our own. We’ll have each other.” If that wasn’t more salt in the wound.
Panic flooded your senses. If he left, you had no one. Surely, he would never leave you. “Yeah, but—but we can’t leave tomorrow. Look at this thing, there’s no way it’ll last a storm out there.”
Luffy pursed his lips, thinking, nodding. “Give me a week. I’ll have everything done by next week.” The wonder left him for a split moment. “We have to leave before next week.”
You gradually caught on. “We start as cadets next week, Luffy.”
“Exactly. We won’t be able to get away after that. This is our chance.”
You couldn’t bring yourself to return his smile, certain your face betrayed your intense reservations. You stepped away from him and turned your back, going to the edge of the little ship. “This is crazy.”
Luffy watched your shoulders shake. He watched you walk away from him, and felt something fragile slip between his fingers. He stepped up beside you, grazing his shoulder against yours. “What’s wrong? Isn’t this… isn’t this what we always wanted.”
The silence to follow was everlasting, and it let you think.
Somewhere inside you, you’d always feared this day would come. When Luffy outgrew the satisfaction of dreaming and truly set out to make it all true. He could do it too. You knew that if nothing else. Luffy was everything you had ever wanted, but his desires stretched beyond just you.
Was it unfair to wish to trap him here with you? Was it terrible to wish his dreams would die for the sake of never leaving you? You reacted to the thoughts, flinching at their truth. 
Yes. It was evil of you. Terrible and evil. A tear slid down your cheek. 
The wood of the boat burned beneath your bare feet. The chill night air froze your skin. Luffy’s shoulder was a brand he didn’t know he’d given you. 
“Luffy,” you whispered. “I… I can’t.”
His confusion was even more crushing than anger could ever be. “But we were just saying…”
“Yeah,” you laughed breathlessly, wiping at your cheek. “We were just saying stuff to make us feel better. That’s what it was to me.”
His hand found your shoulder and forced you to face him. Careful, like he feared you would break, he wiped away the increasing stream of tears. “You know it’s always been more to me.”
“I know.” You leaned into his touch. “I’m sorry. I’m…”
“Afraid?” You nodded into his palm, sniffling. “Of your father?”
Were you really so transparent? “Among other things. It’s just… we can’t leave.”
“Who says so?” Luffy left your side and spun around, gesturing to the little ship. “Once we’re out there, nothing can stop us. We’ll be free. Just like Shanks.”
You’d always held a grudge against Shanks. He was dangerous in your eyes, not for any other reason than the spirit he inspired in Luffy. The red haired pirate was kind and just and brave—and you had admired him as much as Luffy in your youth—but he threatened this peace you’d made. Luffy would leave this little island in his name, and that made you hate Shanks.
Luffy’s smile found you again, never relenting in its passion. He raced up to you and held you by your arms, shaking you slightly. You had no choice but to look right into his eyes. “Let’s leave. Nothing’s stopping us. Let’s go the night before we’re trapped forever.”
Sniffling, your eyes skimmed all over his face. There was really only one answer, in the end, as much as it killed you. “Okay.”
Luffy planted a burning kiss to your forehead, then your cheeks, then your lips, drawing you in as yet another tear traced your face. Breaking away, you hugged him with the ferocity of a person who knew it was their last. 
“We’ll start preparing the ship tomorrow. Then we’re free. Captain Luffy and his first mate, Y/N.”
જ⁀➴
All week you helped Luffy load supplies into the sloop, hidden away in the cove, out of sight from those who would thwart you.
From crates of food to medical supplies you convinced him he needed, to the minor repairs the sloop needed, everything was ready by the deadline Luffy had set. 
“Not yet,” he said through a grin, confusing you. “We need your books.”
You’d gathered the most important ones. The ones you used to read to him on particularly boring nights. Stories of grandeur he’d always promised to take you on one day. Books that held sentiment from over the years, that made him pause when he saw one and remind you of memories held close to your heart.
“Remember this one?” he asked, holding it up and flipping through the pages.
Of course you did. “Yeah. It’s my favorite.”
Luffy laughed and showed you the pages, as if you needed reminding of the memorized little drawings the two of you had scribbled into the margins. Yours were better by far, but you much preferred his little stick figures. Then he turned to the little messages he’d written you, and you’d written him, scrawled onto the pages when you were meant to be studying.
“The Two Birds,” he remembered, starting to read the pages. “It was my favorite too. Two birds of a feather say that they’re always going to stay together.”
Your heart thundered in your chest the longer that book lay open. “But one’s never going to let go of that wire.”
“He says that he will, but he’s just a liar.”
You hated that damn book.
Then came the morning of Luffy’s departure. He woke up before the sun, racing to your house and poking on the window. No one ever came to open it, so he gave it a push, swinging it open to find you were absent from the little room.
Not thinking anything of it, he headed down to the cove, deciding you must be there already.
Only, you weren’t. He looked all around the sloop and up on the deck, but aside from the crate of your books, there was no sign of you. 
“Luffy!” A voice bellowed from up the shore, and Luffy’s head snapped up as horror rushed up his spine. Vice Admiral Garp was racing toward him, tripping down the sandy slope.
Jumping to action, Luffy started pushing on the hull of the sloop, using all his might to get it into the water. Garp wasn’t making good time, his feet sinking into the sand and getting stuck every other step. 
The sloop got free of the beach and Luffy shoved off, chest heaving from exertion and panic, head swimming. He kept pushing and pushing till it was deep enough and he pulled himself onto the deck. 
“Hey!” Luffy whirled around just as you leaped at his grandfather, dragging him down to the sand with you. Holding the man down you looked up at him, and Luffy swore his heart dropped. “Go, Luffy!”
You had never intended on joining him, he realized, jaw setting as he spurred into motion, guiding the ship deeper and deeper into the sea, till he was too far away for Garp to catch. He kept going and going till he was just a speck on the horizon.
And with a throat burning with unspent tears, arm tight in the grip of the Vice Admiral, eyes locked on the sea, you found it in yourself to smile. 
Luffy would never have left you, you knew. He was too good. But, gods, he needed to leave. Your thoughts may be evil but you are not. To trap him would be to kill the light in him you so loved. It was better this way, for everyone involved, probably. 
“Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” Garp growled down at you.
“Yeah,” you murmured. “He’s free now.” The smile faded to make way for a sour frown that would grace your face for decades to come. “I’m ready to join the marines, Vice Admiral.”
His hold on your arm loosened enough for you to lead the way back to town, head ducked, and Garp watched you go. A puzzled crease was in his brow, and something in him admired you. Something in him decided you’d make an honorable marine, even if his grandson would not. 
જ⁀➴
Garp never told your father you’d played a part in Luffy’s departure, and you never paid a too hefty price. He figured cadet training without your best friend was enough punishment. And he had been right on all accounts; you made an excellent marine, one of the coldest and most efficient of your time.
Your superiors commended you. Your peers envied you. As for yourself, well, it was hard to stave off the self loathing. You missed Luffy, but this was all for the best.
He was free, and honestly, that was as good as freedom itself.
Some months later, you were sitting at a desk going over the files of recent prisoners, when a new wanted poster was slapped onto the table. You jumped, glancing up at Vice Admiral Garp, who wore a strange kind of grin on his face.
“Take a look at your boy,” he said, walking off not a second later.
Glancing down, you spilled your ink with how badly you spooked, practically throwing everything aside to pick up the poster. A watery laugh slipped past your lips as you cupped a hand over your mouth, eyes suddenly teary. He’d done it. Luffy was a pirate with one of the highest bounties you’d seen. 
“Care to go after him?” Garp wondered from the doorway. “We need our best on this crew. They’re a dangerous bunch.”
You looked away from the poster of a face you hoped to never see again. You’re not sure what you’d do if you saw him again. “I don’t think I should.”
“Why?” He settled you with a glare. “You’re one of the most promising soldiers I’ve seen. But you’re losing your edge. Perhaps some action away from the desk will bring it back.”
You started to shake your head. “Vice Admiral, I don’t think seeing him would end well for anyone.”
“Perhaps. But you should know he asked about you.” Your eyes widened a fraction.
“You talked to him?”
“And he asked how you’re doing mid fight with me,” he chuckled.
You tried to think about the implications. “He did?” Taking a moment to think, you shook your head. “Respectfully, I decline. I fully believe hell would break loose if he saw me.”
Garp seemed to smile at that, like that’s exactly what he wanted. “Respectfully, I decline your decline. You report to your new post tomorrow.”
Gaping, you chased after him as he stomped down the hall. “But Vice Admiral—Garp! Stop!”
He had the nerve to laugh at your panic, and without thinking you grabbed his sleeve and jerked him to stop. “I’m a coward! That’s why I’m here. I’m not a promising soldier—I’m a dirty coward.”
Garp stared at where your hand held his sleeve, his frown a thin line. “And how do we fix that?” He took hold of your wrist and gripped it tight. “We take you to the source and crush it.” 
His hand found your shoulder. “You chose to stay, cadet. Never forget that.”
Ouch. You nodded swiftly. “I know… Tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow,” Garp said through a tight lipped grin.
You gave him one last solid nod and returned to your desk, shoulders stiff and blood rushing in your ears. Your eyes skimmed over the paperwork you had left to finish, all scattered over the floor, some dirtied by spilled ink. Luffy’s wanted poster smiled up at you.
He had always been too good for you, you think, rolling the poster up and slipping it into your coat pocket. Hell would break loose should the Strawhat Pirates cross paths with Cadet L/N, for many, many reasons. Cracking your neck to relieve some stiffness, you considered that may not be such a bad thing.
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Mortal Kombat Legends: Blood Bound
Chapter 6: Sea Of Souls
After riding for 35 minutes, bird boy and the general finally reach the port, the which is full of Outworlder citizens. Nico, having been used to Earthrealm and it's standards, feels a bit uncomfortable.
ROBIN: Wow, so many people here... you sure we'll find the right man here? 
MUCHACHA: I'm certain of it. He should be somewhere around the docks, and if not, the locals should know his location. Just ride along, and let me handle this.
ROBIN: Sit still, let you do the talking, got it.
The two leave their horses near the entrance of the small town, heading off to the pier. It is here where they meet Kharon, one of, if not the best captain in all of Outworld, who Muchacha is quite familiar with. The two meet up with the sailor, who is leaning against the side of his ship.
MUCHACHA: Hey there, Kharon. Long time no see. How are things at sea?
Kharon, turning around and looking at the two, is surprised.
KHARON: Oi, Muchacha. How long has it been, a year? Anyways, to answer your question, everything is great, though not much work has been coming my way.
MUCHACHA: Hey, listen, I need you to do me a favor. Could you give my friend and I a lift to an island in the west side of the sea? We need to find a blood mage.
Robin is a bit suprised at the fact that she called him a friend, blushes a bit under his mask.
KHARON: Sure, I can give you a ride, BUT I won't carry anything illegal. I don't want any trouble.
Robin, looking up, sees the ships and starts walking. He gets distracted by the sights and sounds. The general follows him.
MUCHACHA: Don't worry about anything illegal, old friend. Just a simple favor. Now, about the price?
KHARON: Well... Since this is you, I will give you and your friend here a discount. What  say you about 40%?
MUCHACHA: Make it 60.
KAHRON: 50. Take it or leave it.
MUCHACHA: Fair deal. When can you have us off the coast?
Kharon, looking at his pocket watch.
KHARON: I can get us to the islands by the evening, how's that sound?
MUCHACHA: Perfect. Robin, lets go.
Robin, who is distracted, snaps out of it.
ROBIN: Oh, yeah, let's go. Nice to meet ya, Kahron.
Muchacha grabs him and starts heading off. Kahron’s crew members pull up the anchor, open the sails, and Kahron shouts out the following
KHARON: Sail ho!
The ship sets sail as the general and rogue make themselves comfortable and brace themselves for the ride. Muchacha leans on the ships wooden railing looking stoic as she stares over the horizon, and Nico tries his best to keep his balance on the rocking vessel. Noticing her on the other side, the masked man slides over to her, sitting on the railing. 
ROBIN: Sooooo… you enjoying the view?
MUCHACHA: Why are you acting nice?
ROBIN: Look, I’m not acting, I’m actually tryin’ to be nicer to you. Considering that if I don’t, you’ll feed me to the sharks. Or whatever is in here...
He says, as he turns around, looking down at the bright green ocean, with hundreds of souls spread around the ocean, with some of them trying to grab onto the ship.
MUCHACHA: Souls. Of all those who drowned in the sea. Imagine souls in a place called the Sea Of Souls.
ROBIN: Figured. So, you got any plans for when we get this job over with?
MUCHACHA: I’m getting back to work at the front lines.
Robin, showing an unpleasant expression started mocking her lightly, because it worked so perfectly the first time.
ROBIN: Is all you do work related? Don’t you ever kick back and catch some rays?
The general, showing a disaproving scowl toward the caped crusader, turned her head.
MUCHACHA: I can’t afford to be lazy. I only have one goal, and thats to change the way people look at me and my species. I’m trying to be a person who would protect the people from people like that cyclops who attacked the palace half a year ago. I wasn’t there when the Kahn needed me the most, what if I’m not there when she’s dying? What if–
Robin raises his tone, trying to slow her down.
ROBIN: Calm down!
Muchacha, looking at him stops, as she’s getting over her head.
ROBIN: Listen, Kitana will be fine. I’ve worked for her long enough to know she’s capable of herself. Look, believe it or not, I was a lot like you.
MUCHACHA: Now you’re lying and not even trying to hide it.
ROBIN: I’m not! Just… listen, okay? My people were slaughtered in cold blood, afterwards I didn’t know what to do or where to go. I was scared because a boy was wanted for the murder of five guards.
MUCHACHA: That boy was you, I presume?
ROBIN: Yes. Soon enough, the mage Dorfen took me in and... I was never alone again. Years go by, I work for Kitana, getting rid of late night assasins and chilling on the roof, rent free.I always re-think if I’m able to fight some of these guys, though I don’t look it.
The daughter of Shao Kahn realized now why the masked man tried to kill her a few days ago. Knowing this, she still doesn’t know how to react, so she forgives him. Sorta.
MUCHACHA: I… forgive you.
Robin, quite confused,  makes the following exclaim.
ROBIN: I’m sorry, you WHAT?
MUCHACHA: Forgive you. For trying to assasinate me, that is. You have one thing that stands out from other fighters i’ve met, an honest soul and a strong will for what is right. And I can respect that in a kombatant..
ROBIN: Well thats two things but, thanks anyways–
Before their dialogue is continued, there is a loud crash on the ship. Looking out to the sea, they see a ship with a black flag atop the sail.
MUCHACHA: We’re under attack!
ROBIN: Phew! And good timing, for a second I thought people would start shipping us over this scene.
Muchacha, holding her sword out, looks at Robin with a weird expression.
MUCHACHA: What the hell are you on about?
ROBIN: You do NOT want to know! What we need to do right now, is get rid of these bozos before–
A spear is shot right between where they’re standing, reeling the ships closer to one another.
ROBIN: That, before that.
The people would climb onto the ship with a plank, drawing their blades towards Kahron and his crew. Soon enough the captain of the opposing ship would walk out.
CAPTAIN: Good afternoon, gentlemen. Now that we have the formalities out of the way, leave this vessel or suffer greatly.
ROBIN: Guessing you’re the captain of this here “merry crew”?
CAPTAIN: You’d be correct, bird boy.
Amara would start chuckling, and this would be the first time that Nico saw her do this.
CAPTAIN: And what’s so funny, fish-looking thing?
MUCHACHA: Oh you know. The funny thing is, that you think we give in that easely.
CAPTAIN: … what?
As he said that, the daughter of Shao Kahn drew her sword, slicing a pirate’s head off. Robin jumps back to the other half of the ship, taking out his phone and playing a sick toon to fight to. He takes out his daggers, stabbing and slicing men left and right. Kahron’s crew is trying to get away from the bloodshed if possible, because they left they’re weapons below the deck. While Muchacha slays the pirates with minimal issues, Robin flips around, kicking and stabbing jobbers wherever he can.
CAPTAIN: They’re killing you bozo’s! Do something useful for once!
Muchacha, pulling her sword out of a dude, heared Robin’s music and is confused but intrigued.
ROBIN: You like it? Its Earthrealm music.
MUCHACHA: I don’t quite understand it, but I find it amusing. When we’re done, show me more of this music.
She says, as her sword slices across the chest of a pirate, and the caped crusader wipes blood off his dagger.
ROBIN: Will do, chief.
As the two stab and slash along, Muchacha was kicked in the stomach by the captain, seeing as most of, if not, all of the pirates were either injured, killed or tossed into the sea.
CAPTAIN: Well, seeing as I can only rely on myself, I’ll do just that to kill you two.
As he did that, Nico’s favourite song kicked in, hyping him up immensly.
ROBIN: Oh, ho ho. Alright, buddy, now you fucked up, PROPER!
Robin would run up to the pirate, doing a back handspring into a double twist, and landing on his chest, fliping back and kicking him in the face. Lighting his daggers on fire, he starts beating on the captain with every imaginable attack possible, wether its kicking, or punching, not minding if he breaks his bones, he would kick him to the plank he boarded Kahron’s ship on. 
ROBIN: hope you’re ready for a fatal blow, bastard, ‘cuz I sure as hell am.
He throws his daggers at the pirate’s chest, drop kicking them through and guiding them above them. He then kicked him into the air, and with a snap of his fingers, the daggers launched downwards, stabbing his chest and wind pipe and droping him on the floor. Muchacha gets up and leans on the guardrail to see what happens, and what happens is Robin picks up the captain and tosses him into the Sea Of Souls.
MUCHACHA: Woah…
ROBIN: Impressive, right? Now, you oka–
His sentance was interupted by the board breaking and Robin almost falling into the Sea Of Souls.
MUCHACHA: ROBIN!
She says, as she grabs his wrist as and looks down upon him before he falls into the sea. Robin looks down to the sea with great fear and then looks back up at Amara. She pulls him up, while Robin pushes off the side of the ship with his feet to get back up on the deck.
MUCHACHA: Don’t worry about me. What about you?
ROBIN: I’m, fine, i hesitate to say. My anger took over me, I don’t know what happened.
MUCHACHA: Well for one, you killed the captain, and almost lost the chance to interrogate these fools about why they attacked us, which is why i left one alive. But also, did you do that because you… cared for me?
Nico, scratches the back of his head, thinking of something to say.
ROBIN: Well, you ever heard the phrase “I’d kill for you”?
MUCHACHA: Ooh, fun.
ROBIN: Don’t get too excited, we still don’t want people to draw us together like we’re a couple. Don’t ask me what I'm talking about, you DON’T want to know!
The two turned to the pirate on the ground, preparing to interrogate him
MUCHACHA: So, how do we do this?
ROBIN: How about some “good cop, bad cop”?
MUCHACHA: How’s that work?
ROBIN: Good cop is acting nice to the criminal, whilst the bad cop is more violent. When I say that, I don’t mean stab him in the brain, I mean threaten him at worst.
MUCHACHA: Understood.
They walk up to the criminal at sea, ready to ask him some questions. Muchacha pulls out her sword, pointing it at his neck.
MUCHACHA: WHO SENT YOU!!!
Robin slowly pushes her aside.
ROBIN: I’ll take care of this. Spill the tea, bud, who sent you and your mostly dead buddies?
PIRATE: Well, I was gonna tell her anyways but you’re quite nice so I'll tell you willingly.
Robin eyes Muchacha, who then rolls her eyes.
PIRATE: We were sent to stop you by a wizard by the name of Xandras. I only know he doesn’t want his work undisturbed, and that he has some boy captive that he needs for some devious plan or something, I don't know further.
Robin and Muchacha exchange a look, both thinking the same thing. They look back at the pirate.
MUCHACHA: Where's he located? Give me coordinates. Now. Or I'll make sure you won't be able to swim away from this ship. And that's a promise.
PIRATE: H-He's on an island, about 10-15 kilometers South from here?
the caped crusader put his hand on the pirate's shoulder, smiling under his mask.
ROBIN: Thank you, friend. You've been of great help. Muchacha? He's all yours.
Muchacha, grinning and showing her sharp teeth, cracks her knuckles and the pirate gulps.
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theluckywizard · 7 months
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In the Shattering of Things, Ch. 51: Riding Away from it All
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Summary: Mired in ruminations, Rose hits the road to Crestwood with her companions, who, aware that some manner of romantic catastrophe has occurred, do their very best to distract her. On their way, Rose encounters her first rift since she left Redcliffe Castle and must face whether the anchor will continue to remain stable. Fic Summary: Lady Rose Trevelyan's idle, aristocratic life blinks out in a haze of irrelevance when the breach destroys the Conclave. She may be soft and coddled when she joins the Inquisition, but there's a fierceness inside her she's yet to fully recognize. Armed with only a few relevant skills and the mark that makes her a legend, she is thrust onto a path delivering hope where it’s long been scorched away and finds comfort in the grumpy, handsome stick in the mud charged with her protection and training. As she stumbles her way across southern Thedas, she begins to realize she's tangled at the center of machinations she barely understands, and she's not alone in that. Enter Hawke. Excerpt:
The battle ends so abruptly that I wander around the field bewildered, looking for targets that have tucked themselves away. With a full complement of companions and the addition of Hawke, the demons are vanquished before I’ve gone through a quarter of my quiver.
But I was never really worried about the demons.
The tear in the veil is unusually low to the ground, so low that I find myself staring into the cloudy green depths wondering what lies beyond, wondering whether another demon will climb out. The anchor feels alive, humming in anticipation as I will myself toward it, flanked closely by Blackwall and Cassandra in case of further company. But I can’t bring myself to open the anchor and connect, instead, sinking to my knees on the ground beneath it and scrubbing my hands over my face. My fear compresses the moment and dulls my thoughts to a murmur. Or perhaps it’s just the sound of my companions talking in the background.
“Anytime now, Roses,” calls Sera. I hear a smack and an ‘ow’ somewhere behind me.
The sudden hand at my shoulder and then another on my forearm feels like Cullen for a fleeting moment. Pulling me back from panic, pulling me into the present. But it’s Solas crouching beside me, reminding me of how much I’ve accomplished and how the closure of the Breach has surely calmed the outsized reactions to rifts.
“I can feel the rift in the scars. Buzzing,” I lament. “I know it’s going to hurt.”
“But it may not,” he says, his voice as even as ever. “We’ll all be right here for you, Inquisitor. You discharged the anchor this morning, yes?”
I had. Cassandra and I had slipped out of camp when only the mess crew was up, and had searched for the most lifeless portion of surrounding forest to open the rift. My guilt over the birds and rodents that were swept into it still festers hours later.
“There’s no point in dilly dallying,” I conclude, rising to my feet and gazing up into the green. “If it’s going to hurt, it doesn’t matter if it’s now or later.” I glance behind me at my companions, all of whom stare back at me with furrowed brows and shift on their feet.
Will it tear me asunder, the scars along my arms like cracks before a collapse?
But then, I’ve been a breath away from death so many times already. What’s one more?
I pull my glove off and raise my hand, pushing the anchor open the way I’d learn to and it seizes me, jostling me as the tether between it and myself pulls taut. The marks on my hand illuminate like a pathway for the anchor's energy. I will the process along and glance to my left to assess the expressions of my friends. Cassandra’s stricken face tells me enough.
The entire length of the scar-like streaks must be glowing.
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abysscronica · 2 years
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🪶 You giving me the go ahead to talk about the nuance of killer and birdies relationship just reminds me of that Tik Tok audio “You’re asking me about my theories? I’ve waited years for someone to ask me about my theories! Hang on, I made a model.”
Ok so I have to start with this, so I wanted to reread Captive before giving my analysis of Killed and Birdies relationship and JESUS CHRIST. I forgot just how god damn emotional this story makes me. The funeral scene when Kid says "I release you from your duty on
this ship" and when the crew raises their fists to say goodbye to their friend and comrade as he departs I was literally bawling my eyes out it gave me chills. And then the ending. Oh. My. God. The. Ending. Let me tell you, I had to take a break after finishing the last chapter because of how hard it hit me even though I knew what was going to happen. It literally made me nauseous (IN A GOOD WAY) and just so dead inside and knowing that I was feeling just a fraction of how Birdie was feeling in that moment made it so much more impactful and that really speaks to how amazing you are as a writer in being able to really put us in the story and have us feeling such intense feelings. But yeah, I wanted to go over everything again to refresh myself of certain dynamics so I can do this justice but be warned that I have several paragraphs of just notes I took while reading that I found all deeply interesting in their own rights let alone how they tie into the greater story, so this might be kind of long so I apologize for that😅 also rereading it made me realize just how much I adore Heat and Birdies relationship as well and I could speak on that all day but I’m sticking with the subject at hand for now lest I get too ahead of myself.
ok so this is one of those things that I’m going to mention that I feel like I may just be looking way too much into it but I feel is very interesting. And that is the way Birdie is addressed by different people throughout the story, and the way names are treated in general. So firstly, as we all know Kid mostly refers to his captive as “Birdie” which at the beginning is not only possibly referring to her position as a sniper which is often posted above those she’s up against like a bird is in the sky, but it can also be seen as a jab at her being caught. The idea of breaking a birds wings often refers to doing something that essentially weakens and debilitates an individual and or restricts their freedom, all of which applies to birdies position at the beginning of the story. It also makes a note to her weakness in the situation by comparing her to what is usually seen as a harmless animal that again is rendered defenseless without its wings (which can be seen in her case as 1) her physical restraints confining her 2) her lack of weapons or means of defending herself, which specifically with her gun you have stated the importance of to her and being without it available to her would leave her feeling insecure and vulnerable 3) the lack of companionship after being abandoned by the marines 4) her general freedom).
(Off topic for a second but, I’ve never actually read the material it’s from but there is a quote I’ve heard that goes “When a bird that can fly brakes its wings, it can't do anything. They are lost without their wings, this is how we are when we lose love. We are lost without it. No one has ever been completely lost because there is always someone out there who loves them.” Which even though completely unrelated I feel expresses a lot of the themes in Captive when it comes to the type of love shown by Aiokiji/Koby/Kid and others where even though they’re all different are kinds of love, she has experienced them all at one point throughout her life)
Back to the use of names within the story, there is a clear separation shown amongst people based on what they refer to birdie as. We’ve already discussed the mocking turned endearing pet name-esque way Kid refers to “Birdie”. Next is the way the crew refers to her as “marine girl” this starts out as a way of referring to an unfamiliar individual using their position in comparison to you while also calling out the fact that she is a girl amongst a bunch of men, which may be a tactic at the beginning to intimidate her by pointing out the power imbalance suspected to occur between a smaller girl and a bunch of seemingly stronger men. But later on it is showing their acknowledgment that even though they’re aware she isn’t technically part of the crew, by calling her that *and* simultaneously respecting and getting along with her they are showing that those positions don’t matter to them when it comes to their feelings towards her.
Then we have the use of Birdies real name. Her and Kid exchange names during an intimate moment as a soft exchange of acknowledgment that at the moment they are being intimate with each-other as individuals and not as prisoner and captor. (This also extends to her denying that it was r*pe seemingly because of that exchange where they revoke the power imbalance present in their dynamic)
Other people who notably use her real name is Killer and Heat. This can be seen as them seeing her as a *person* and not just as a prisoner or a simple marine, and this also demonstrates how close they become in that they express this acknowledgement to her directly by speaking to her using her name. Killer also uses her real name almost exclusively when he’s speaking to her in private. This could be seen as him again trying to get her to ignore their rolls in the world as pirate and marine so she will talk with him in a genuine manner that will help him help and guide her for both her and kids benefit.
Now what I find particularly interesting is the contrast between Kids nickname of “Birdie” vs Killers nickname of “Kitty”
Everyone is already aware of the general association between cats and birds as predator and prey and I find this to connect to the story in that Kid initially sees her as his prey while when Killer starts calling her Kitty, he can see the situation for what it is as her almost being a predator in that she’s effecting kid in ways that confuse and upset him. While Kid labels her as a helpless bird Killer prefers to express the fact that though she may not be a huge threat to them as a harmless kitty she still has power not only physically but verbally with how she uses her words as her claws and teeth.
Another things with names is how as time goes on Killer insists on him calling him “Killer” as opposed to his title as “Massacre Solider”. This can be seen as him trying to dismantle her familiarity of him (and by extension the crew) she has from her time in the marines, and instead have her get to know them as people just as they have with her.
It's so cool to see you back here and THANK YOU for this amazing analysis.
You're so on point with the difference between the nicknames "birdie" and "kitty". Killer definitely realizes way better than Kid how birdie can be dangerous. This is also why he insisted at the beginning that they'd get rid of her, and on the same line, he says he doesn't know if going back he would take her captive again.
Both "birdie" and "marine girl" turn from denigrating to affectionate names with time.
Also, notice how she basically never comments on any of the nicknames except "kitty". Birdie and Killer have a strange, subtle way of respecting each other strength and stay on guard at the same time.
He insists on her using his name, while she initially insists on calling him Massacre Soldier. Yes, he wants to achieve a little trust from her side there, but what he was trying to do at the beginning was lure her into a false sense of security that would render her a little easier to handle. On some level, she knew that, and she resisted for a while.
The switch between epithets/last name and first name happens more naturally between Kid and birdie because they are too confused about each other to play real mind games or plan ahead.
There's an instance in one of the spin-offs (STAMPEDE) where Kid reverts to "marine girl" when he's hurt by her actions and turns threatening. Some readers pointed it out immediately, recognising that he doesn't use "birdie" in dark circumstances anymore, because he needs to both put some distance between them and make sure that she doesn't feel safe.
Heat is the only one who sees her as a person and it's sympathetic from the beginning, and therefore he uses her name as soon as he learns it.
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ingeniousmindoftune · 2 years
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The Sextape, Part Five.
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Words: 2K.
Warning(s); mentions of bodily fluids, aggressive sex, implied murder plot
Since this is so successful, part of me is contemplating on turning it into a story, But I am not sure and don’t think I forgot about too much to drink.
All gifs are not mine, I found them on pinterest/google search, so if they are yours all credit to you. I need to make my own gifs man someone tell me how I can get scenes from an entire episode! Please and how I can make HD gifs. Comment below. Thank you.
Let’s get to it.
—-
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“Are you willing to die for this girl, man? Not that any of us would let that happen. I certainly won’t but you just need to ask yourself- Is she worth all of this?” Angel asks, looking down at me as I was fixing my bike. I will give Rio some credit, he was stupid enough to walk in the club house alone but next time, he won’t be walking out. I stopped what I was doing, rag in hand. “Of course.” I answered, shaking my head. “I don’t need you fighting my battles, Angel. I can handle Rio myself.”
Angel shook his head, “I just think you’re making a mistake. I mean, he was bold enough to show up here- I do know one thing- She has a type.”
“And what’s that?” I laugh softly, shaking my head, “She likes criminals. She likes the thrill of two men pinning themselves against each other- It's a thrill for her. She wants to feel wanted. You two made her feel that way,” Deep down, I knew he was right but at the same time. None of that matters to me because I loved her. I knew her. I hated that I was in this situation but I told myself if I ever saw her again, I wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to be with her. I slightly brushed the side of my face. “It’s my decision.” I looked back at him. He was about to speak when a car pulled up, I looked up to see who it was, I slightly frowned because I didn’t recognize the vehicle. “You expecting someone?” He asked me. Shaking my head no. “I was about to ask you that.”
He placed his hand in his waist band to get his gun, I stood up to get mine only to freeze when I saw who got out. “Whoa, whoa, put that away.”
“You know her?” He questioned. I forgot he’s never actually met her, I nod my head. “It’s Y/n.” He raised an eyebrow, “Damn, I see why you not letting up.” I laugh playfully shoving him, he chuckled leaning against his bike, she strolled up the driveway, pushing her shades off her eyes, using it to push her hair back. She smiled softly at me and glanced at Angel, slightly waving. “Hi, is this a bad time?” She asks me. “Hey.” Angel nods. “If you ever get tired of him, I’ll be more then happy to rock your world.”Angel janks. She raised an eyebrow than laughed. “I’m good, thanks for the offer though.” I rolled my eyes. “Don’t sweat him. That’s my brother Angel, the one I was telling you about.” He chuckled, “Imma leave you two love birds, I got business anyways, talk to you later.” We hugged, he hopped on his bike and left along with the rest of the crew. “Hop on.” I told her, getting on the bike handing her my helmet. “Um, what?” I knew she always had this big fear of motorcycles, her uncle was killed on one and she just never looked at one to ride. She admired them, but was terrified. “I’m not getting on that thing, Ez.” I sighed looking at her. “You trust me?” She nods. “Of course I do.” I patted the back. “Let’s go to my trailer, we can talk freely there. And no one knows where its at so you don’t have to worry about Rio. You can leave your car here. Just hold on to me and know that I won’t do anything that’ll endanger your life.”
She looked at me with trusting eyes, nodding as she got on. Once I was sure her helmet was on, I started up the bike, She snaked her arms around me tight earning a low chuckle. “I got you,” I assured her.
The sounds of the roaming and roaring of my bike was all we could hear. She held onto me so tight, at first but soon she loosened her grip, I looked back at her then back at the road. “You okay?” She nodded her head, “I am. I’m just trying to not be so scared.” She answers. “Its okay, I understand your fear.” Not too long after we pulled up to my trailer, I unlocked the door and went inside, taking her hand, I helped her inside. We walked over and sat down. “It’s small but its home, for now.” Sitting on the couch, I pulled her down on my lap. She took in the place. “You like?” I question, tucking her hair behind ear. “Alot cleaner than I expected,” I burst out laughing. “You thought I was a junkie?” She laughs. “No, but I mean when you said trailer, I just assumed.”
“You should know by now baby, assumptions are never good.”
She nods. “You bring all your women here or?” I shook my head no. “No, not that there are any other women but you’re the only i’ve brought here. You knew that though, you was just curious and wondering if I was with another woman, you know you can just come out and ask me.” She traced my patch on my vest. “Okay, are you seeing another woman?” Looking her in the eyes, I shook my head no. “No. I’m not. Barely have the time.” She hit my chest, I laughed. “But what’s the matter, Y/N? You never come down to the club.” She played with her freshly manicured nails. I took them in mine. “You come and try to break this off again?”
“I have to, Ez, Rio wants your head and he wants you dead. And If this doesn’t stop you’ll end up in a body bag.”
I laughed. “You really think I’m going to let that happen? Nah’. I’m not going to let that happen, hear me? I’m not worried about Rio. I’ll deal with him if he comes my way.” She shook her head. “No this just needs to end, this has been going on long enough.” Running my hand down my face, I looked her over. “Is that what you really want?” She looked me in the eyes, even I could see she didn’t want this to stop. “Y-yes. It has to.” I lifted her chin. “Does it?” She smacked her lip. “Stop doing that, Ez. You making it so hard right now, you knew this wasn’t supposed to go like this. It was just supposed to have been a one time thing. You and I have two different lives now. I’m married, and you deserve to be happy.”
“Okay,” I simply nodded. I knew this wasn’t what she wanted but if she told me enough was enough I wasn’t about to stand in the way of that, but did I want this to end? No, but at the same time, I knew she wasn’t done with me. “Okay? That’s all you have to say? No, smart remark or anything?” I shrugged, “I mean, you tried to leave before- It didn’t work out so what makes me think this is any different. Yeah, I know that you fear for my safety but is this really what you want? Yeah, this might have started out as a revenge trip- But now we both know this is something more. You and I always had something special.”
She shook her head, “That was in the past, Ezekiel. You and I are two entirely different people now. I’m not some young girl anymore and you’re not the same young boy fresh out of prison.”
“That’s true. But do me a favor?” She nods looking at me. “Anything.” Gazing into her beautiful Y/E/C eyes. I planted a kiss on her lips. “One last time, huh?” She nodded her head already knowing what I wanted, I grinned lifting her up taking her towards my bed, lying her down on it, I stripped out of my vest and white tee. Leaving me in nothing but my pants and boots, she leaned up starting to unbutton her blouse, I kissed her lips again, tasting the strawberry flavored lip balm, once her blouse was completely unbuttoned, I tossed it somewhere in the room after practically prying it off of her body. She didn’t break our kisses not once, raising her arm as I reached around and uncupped her bra, our tongues wrestled for dominance, lying her flat on her back . I hovered over her kissing on her neck earning some moans.
Lifting her skirt, I placed my hands inside her black lace thongs. She knew what she was doing when she came here dressed the way she did. She knew she wanted me just as much as I wanted her and sure for her it might just be the sex, but for me it was far more. She bit down on my bottom lip softly, I pulled away looking down at her. “You wanna play?” I smirked down, rubbing her pussy with my hands, rubbing the folds and her clit until she started to get wet, once she was wet enough. I slipped my middle finger in, then the index, just watching her facial expressions was a whole other level of turn ons for me.
Just when I thought she couldn’t turn me on anymore, she licked her juices off my fingers whilst looking me in the eyes. “I want you now,” She whispered, “No foreplay. I just want you inside me.”
I didn’t hesitate on her request, dropping my pants and boxers to the floor after kicking off my boots, she laid on her stomach with her ass up and face buried in the pillow below her head, pulling her back, I reached over grabbing a condom to slip on. “Fuck the condom, your pull out game strong, I need you in me… NOW!” I bit my lip, tossing the condom I slipped deep inside her ass first, giving her long deep thrusts, she moaned. “Mmm shit.” I grunted with each thrust. Each stroke I gave her the more cream came out her ass, speeding up my rhythmn, I grinded in and out of her pulling her hair in my hands. “Ah yes! Fuck. Just like that.” She threw her ass back on me sending me in a frenzy, I grunted throwing my head back starting the beat her ass up the way she liked it, For a soft spoken, sweet girl- She loved intense, hot, steamy and occasionally rough sex. She always has since the first time we fucked years ago. Pulling her head back, I placed a sloppy wet kiss on her lips. “You like that baby? You like the way I’m fucking you and beating down your walls right now?”
“Oh God, fuck yes! Give it to me just like thatt.” She moaned louder as her body shook. “Shit.”
I pulled out her ass, slipping in her pussy rubbing her asshole with my thumb sticking it deep inside her ass as it throbs. “Fuck meeee,” She moaned. “Yes, daddy!” Speeding up, she earned moans, “Fuck you so wet baby, and tight shit.” She reaches her arm around spreading her ass cheeks so I can deeper inside. “Mmm, I wanna feel you in my guts, Shit.”
Pulling out, she got up just in time, taking all of my juices in her mouth the best that she could. Spreading her lips apart, I placed my dick in her mouth giving her slow strokes, speeding up. I reached down, rubbing her clip and folds with my fingers. She moaned against my dick sending vibrations. “Just like that.” I moaned, I hissed. “Ah shiiiiit.” Releasing all over her face again, she smiled up at me licking it al up like the freak she was. Wiping her face and licking the rest of my cum, she laid back on her back, I pulled her down, watching as her legs were spread like a butterfly, rubbing her clit with my thumb, I watched how wet she was and how she was creaming on my dick. The most beautiful sight. “Look at that, somebody missed this dick huh?”
“Y-yes, fuck RIO!”
I stopped. She quickly covered her mouth, clenching my jawline. I pulled out and looked at her. “Fuck you just call me?”
—----
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Fuck, what the hell just happened? I knew damn well I was not fucking Rio. It was a difference between each of their styles, rhythm and strokes like night and day so how could I fuck up and call him Rio? I didn’t catch myself in time.
“I’m so sorry, Ez.”
He looked at me, “Rio? Do I look like fucking Rio to you?” You sighed deeply, grabbing his arm. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” He smacked his lip, getting into the bed. “Lay back,” I did as he asked, pulling me down, he slipped back in me, his strokes became more passionate yet aggressive and deeper, he leaned down looking me in the eyes before whispering into my ear. “Don’t call me that name again, what’s my name?” The base and depth of his voice sent chills down my spine. You could hear the hurt, frustration and seduction in his voice, with each stroke he made sure to remind me he wasn’t Rio. Each whisper in my ear of sweet nothings, and kisses on my ear lope and neck that brought me to his mercy. “Mm, I’m sorry.” I moaned as he thrusted his hips, the more he did so, the deeper he was inside my stomach, He was driving my body and I was just along for the ride. “Whats my damn name?”
“EZ.”
Opening my eyes, I looked around feeling for him but he was no where to be found, I couldn’t feel my lower legs. I groaned, leaning my head back. Shit. “Ezekiel!” I called out for him but had no response, I called for him again and about a good two minutes later he was entering the room, shirtless with a beer in his hand. “Sure, I’m not Rio?” He mutters. I sighed deeply. “You know I didn’t mean to call you his name. What time is it?” He looked at me for a good five minutes, crawling in bed with me, he pulled my legs down so I was closer to him, he leans down kissing my lips. “How are you feeling?”
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“Sore.”
He groaned. “I’m sorry.” He kissed my jawline. “It’s okay, I’m sore in a good way,” i smirked a little, “I need to get home though,” I sat up slowly, He looked at me. “Mmm, spend the night.” I shook my head, “You and I both know that's a bad idea besides, I need to get home and soak in the tub, you gotta take me back to my car. You know me spending the night isn’t a good idea.” As much as I wanted to stay, I had to keep telling myself no. He nods helping me to my feet, wrapping his arms around my waist, “So, is this goodbye?”
“I think it is.”
—--
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With her car in the shop for some minor repairs, She had to take my car and with that being said, I had tracked it to the clubhouse which only pissed me off even more. But, I would deal with all of that another day. I realized now she wouldn’t be satisfied until her lover ended up in a body bag, and I was about to make her wish come true. Shutting the front door and setting the alarm, I tossed my keys on the island. Noticing that my range was back out front again, walking up the stairs, I could smell her favorite scented candle and her favorite milk and honey scented bubble bath, Taking off my jacket, I rested it on the bed, walking towards the bathroom, seeing her in the tub drinking some red wine.
Leaning down planting a kiss on her lips, “You okay?”
“I am.” She pushes herself further into the water, I nod my head looking at her body over noticing the hickey on her shoulder blade, Clenching my jawline. “You went to see him?” She nodded her head. “And before you go with that threatening shit, you can cut it out- We ended things, plus you cant say shit when you not getting rid of your bitch. What if I killed her?” I shook my head, “You wouldn’t and I made it clear with her thats its just business, you feel free, you can come with me on the next meet.” She splashed the water slightly, “I don’t care at this point but stay the hell away from him RIo and I mean that. And instead of talking all of that shit just… fight for me.” Stripping out my clothes. I got in the tub, “Come here.”
She came over to my side, lying her head on my chest. I kissed her cheek and whispered in her ear, “I am, and that’s why I’m going to kill him.” I kissed her ear. She moved away from me. “I swear if you lay a hand on his head, I will never speak to you again. I swear I’ll divorce you, Rio and take your ass down so fucking fast! Where do you get off huh?? You have no right to be upset here.”
“I told you to stay away from him, didn’t I?”
Rolling her eyes. “You touch him, Rio and I swear. We are done.” Running my hand down my face. “You expect me to keep standing by and watching my wife sneak around with her ex? And it’s too late.” She looked at me, “W-What you mean, it’s too late?” He shook his head. “Don’t worry, he’s not dead. I just roughed him up a bit. He and I had a little tussle.” She looked at me for a long time. “How could you do that?”
“I warned you to stay away from him.”
Hurt plastered over her face. “The only reason I didn’t kill him is because of you. But let me make it clear, as of today. There will be no more Ezekiel. Don’t think about him, dream about him, talk about him. None of that, I spared him once because the love I have for you but that doesn’t mean I won’t take care of him for good. I’m not scared of his boys. And as far as Beth goes, she’s just business and you’re going to trust that. You can come to meets with me if you want, I don’t care. It’s business.”
“You’re not being fair.”
He shrugged. “I don’t care, I said what needed to be said. You wanted me to fight and make up for the hurt I caused you, you wanted to play even. Now we even. You hurt me back. Now can we hang up this childish ass game and get back to where we were?”
“We can’t.” She shook her head. “Not now.”
I sighed deeply. “So what you want from me?” She sighed deeply, looking away from me. “You shouldn’t of touched him. I had already called things off with him today, you shouldn’t have touched him.” I smacked my lips. “I told you next time I found out you were with him, things would be less civilized. If it makes you feel any better , he got licks in too. Let it be done here, it needs to end here so we both can move on.”
“I’m about to check on him. Don’t even think about following me.” She got out the tub
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Yes, I’m aware his son name is Marcus and not Marco.
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finelinevogue · 3 years
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Can you do one where Harry take his children and YN to one of his concert and their just dancing around singing along on stage with Harry.
i love this concept so much!! i kinda of wanna make it sad though soooo it’s gonna be harry’s final show :/ hope you enjoy;
oli - 29, felix - 27, belle - 24
The concert had been amazing, but unfortunately it was coming to its’ end now.
The final show.
That’s what Harry had decided to call it; a clever play on words with reference to his first ever solo single. The last 50 years had been a rollercoaster for Harry, from growing up just a kid in Cheshire, to going on the X Factor and winning the hearts of millions and from being in the most successful band of the decade to going solo and still being absolutely beloved. Times had changed, though. Harry had changed. He had a beautiful family of 3 now, excluding his wonderful wife. His children were his universe, no question about it, but they were getting older now - Harry was getting older. He was 50 this year and with that in mind he’d decided to retire. Retiring had involved a long conversation with you, along with a bottle of red wine, about whether it was the right decision or not. But it was - is.
You had suggested he put on one final, massive show, to celebrate his life and his achievements along with all that the fans have too. Tickets were open internationally and it was being streamed on various TV outlets for those who couldn’t attend. The tickets sold within 47 seconds. 47 seconds. It was being held in the Olympic Stadium in London, because it was Harry’s home and it held the most number of people he could genuinely allow.
The concert had started with ‘Fine Line’ songs, which merged into HS1 songs with a few One Direction songs as well. The entire set list had been composed by the fans with various polls on social media, with the concert supposedly lasting 2 hours (although with support artists and a few extra surprises it was more likely going to be 3!)
It had been beautiful so far. Magical. Unforgettable.
Every chance he got, without making it grossly obvious, he looked at you. He'd told you to stick your thumbs up at him every time he caught your eye, so he knew that you were okay - and every time, you did.
The concert was coming to an end now, which everyone was dreading. How could +30 years feel like it'd only been thirty minutes? You were devastated, so you could only imagine what his fans were thinking.
"Hey!"
The end Kiwi, for the second time, strummed throughout the arena and you knew it was time for the final song. His final song.
"Mum, is this the end?" Belle asked you, from where she was standing next to you. You had been dancing together all night and gotten progressively more tired. Your feet hurt. Your throats burned. Yet, as always, it was so worth it.
"Yes, Belles, it is." You tell her, and she pouted sadly. "Dad won't want to see you sad love, okay? He can still sing to you before bed?" You teased her, reminding her of a time when Harry would do such a thing, not wanting her to be all sad. It was supposed to be a celebration, but even you could admit that is was pretty hard-hitting.
"Really mum?" She asked.
You booped her nose annoyingly, before answering. "Every night if you want him to."
The lights changed from their green tone, thanks to Kiwi, back to a bright, white light. It beamed on Harry, making him look even more like the angel that he is. He dragged his microphone back to the centre stage and took a deep breath for beginning a speech he'd told you he'd prepared.
"So this is it, my friends." He laughed sadly into the microphone. He brushed his hair back and took out his in-ears to hear the audience. They were all awwing and crying, but what else did you expect? Their favourite artist was retiring - who wouldn't be crying a river?
"I, um. I'd like to take a bit of time to thank certain people." He coughed, something he always did after performing Kiwi due to his asthma. You thought it was lovely that he'd planned a speech to thank his management and crew. They did so much work backstage and you definitely didn't think they got enough credit for their hard work.
"Okay. I've made a little list..." Harry pulled out a tiny bit of crumpled paper from his pocket. "Just in case I forget anyone." He joked to himself, but made everyone laugh anyways. "So I guess first off, I should start with you lovely people." He pointed around the whole stadium, showing he was talking about the fans. "What you have done for me is indescribable. I think to myself, everyday, am I worthy of even being here—"
"Yes!" An army of agreement echoed around the arena, making Harry stop, blush and smile to himself.
"Well thank you! Um. You have been the best fans ever, and I know you will continue to be. I know you don't owe me anything, but all I ask you to keep loving yourselves and treating people with kindness, because I know I can count on you lot to do that, for me." He sniffled at the end, making you bite your lip to prevent the tears from falling for you. He looked so vulnerable right now, but you knew he'd be feeling on top of the world.
"Jheez." He sniffles again. "That's one thank you down and i'm already crying." He looked to his band to share the joke with.
“Dad’s such a wuss.” Oli laughed, holding his arm around Beas waist, making the people around you chuckle in agreement.
“Shut up you - Mr-tears-in-your-eyes!” You pointed out, laughing as he flipped you the bird - which then got him a hit off his grandma Anne.
All of Harrys family and friends were here, in a special cornered off section. It was such a thoughtful thing for Harry to do. All his family, and a fair few of yours, were sat down along with Harrys closest friends. Everyone was sharing laughs and drinks, whilst using every inch of space to dance along to your husbands boastful music.
"Secondly, my touring family. From Jeff and Ben, to Sarah's Kitchen, Adam, Mitch, Sarah, Charlotte and Nyoh, not forgetting everyone backstage and behind the lights, music and cameras. You've all been the greatest. Everything you do is second to none. You're all talented, warm-hearted, people whom I will carry in my heart forever. Thank you." You noticed members of the crew and band starting to tear up now.
"Moving on to my boys. We've been through it all, lads, and I couldn't have asked for four better brothers than you all. Louis. Liam. Niall. Zayn. Thank you." Everyone cheered ten times louder, maybe because this was as close to a One Direction reunion as the fans were ever going to get, but definitely because Harry had mentioned Zayn. You saw a girl faint at the mere mention of all the boys in the same sentence. The boys lifted up their beers to Harry, stood close by to where you were standing.
"I guess I should say thank you to the women who made all this possible. Mum. Gem. Thank you for signing me up all those years ago. Thank you for believing in me. You've made me the - crap, sorry! - the man I am now and I love you both." Harry prayed to them both, whilst bowing, and swiftly wiped away the tears afterwards. Anne and Gemma, on the other hand, were proudly crying.
"Ol, Fix and Belles. You rascals make me get out of bed every morning and give me more of a purpose in life. You four give me so much joy and happiness. I love you all, even if you do drive me up the wall on an early Saturday morning! Thank you, my loves." You stood close to all your children, giving them the support they needed in this moment. Belle was crying against your chest, the ever-so-emotional woman she was. Felix was stood up, with Heather, with his drink raised to his dad. Oli was to your side, trying to remain cool and stoic, but you still caught the tears that ran down his face.
"Now." The audience calmed down again after awing over your babies. Harry cleared his throat before beginning again. "This evening keeps on reminding me of a very special person in my life. Someone who is my everything and that's my beautiful wife, Y/N." His words make your breath hitch in your throat. You never expected him to say anything about you. I mean, what had you done?
"Mum." Belle called out to you, in affirmation that this was real.
"She's more than just a wife. She's a lover. She's my muse. She's my best-fucking-friend, apologises for swearing but sue me. I was hesitant to let go of all this, at first. What would I do with myself now? You know? People tell me i'm 'happiest on stage', and for a time that was true. Until I met Y/N. She's made me realise that family makes me the happiest. She makes me the happiest." He jumped down off stage, taking the microphone with him. He ran his hands along the fans in the front row, but had no intention of stopping until he met you.
You felt Belle leaving your side, but you were too captivated by Harry to fully understand what was happening.
"So what am I going to do now, you ask? Well..." Harry cheekily smiled at you. "I'm going to make her the happiest woman alive, just as she makes me the happiest man." You began to cry again and the chorus of thousands of fans clapping and screaming surrounds you, only to all stop when his lips meet yours. He tasted like a combination of salty sweat and mint, but he was home. After a minute of crying, kissing and 'i love yous' , Harry ran back to the stage before Jeff could shoot him.
"Thank you all. All my love." He said whilst adjusting his microphone. "Please sing along if you know the words." He asked, full well knowing every single person will be screaming out the lyrics to him.
"Just stop you're crying it's the sign of the times. Welcome to the final show. Hope you're wearing your best clothes."
288 notes · View notes
vvienne · 3 years
Text
XICHENG FIC RECS
hold my hands by Snooze (Chiruka)
Transplanting a core into a new person isn’t without repercussions. One year after the events at Guanyin Temple, Jiang Cheng found himself once again faced with the possibility of losing everything he had. Reconciling with his brother, learning to let Jin Ling go, and dealing with his blooming emotions toward the First Jade of Gusu — will Jiang Cheng accomplish what he wants before time runs out?
it all passes someday by screamlet
A week before the anniversary of Wei Wuxian’s death, there was a commotion outside Lan Wangji’s house.
*
Jiang Cheng and Lan Wangji over the years.
The Unlikely Expression of Love by manamune
When everything has settled, when everyone else has moved on with their lives and their friends, Jiang Cheng has a realization which shouldn’t actually be a surprise:
He’s lonely.
Indigo, lavender, and violet (I don't wanna be red) by ohwhatevrewhatevr
It, in the pale colors of the late morning, is the closest to perfect Jiang Cheng will ever reach. He strokes Lan XiChen's hair and presses a light kiss to where his ribbon and hair meet. The sky is a pale blue, and the pastels of flowers and clouds are spread out through the window, a brilliant world waiting for them, them in the gentian house, safe from stronger breezes - there is the clutter of birds fluttering and chirping outside. It is a warm, perfect, spring morning.
Jiang Cheng and Lan XiChen have been together for an year. In which, no one ever really gets over things, Jiang Cheng has the misfortune of interacting with his brother, the juniors help out with the proposal, and there's a marriage.
Altitude by starknjarvis 
When Jin Ling lures Jiang Cheng to the Cloud Recesses under false pretenses, he finds himself out of place among this new family Wei Wuxian has formed.
Lan Xichen, at least, seems pleased to have his company.
Perhaps there is still a chance for Jiang Cheng to make amends and move forward.
[Modao Zushi Online] GLITCH REPORT: My Brother Got Chased Down And %$@*$&@ By Gusu Dungeon Boss??? by oh_fudgecakes
Modao Zushi Online is a virtual reality MMORPG. Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian are top ranking players in its new server, currently tied with their arch-nemesis from their previous server, Wen Chao. In an attempt to defeat him, they take on the Gusu Dungeon Boss, Zewu-jun, to win the reward of a legendary weapon. Ever the cheat, Wei Wuxian tries to take advantage of a glitch to defeat the seemingly undefeatable boss. It backfires. Jiang Cheng gets fucked by a boss monster.
He can't get enough.
Meanwhile, Lan Xichen, the unwitting staff member in charge of controlling Zewu-jun, absolutely did not sign up to be pulled into a secret virtual reality fling with a player. Mod Ji, who has to deal with Wei Wuxian's incessant glitch reporting of his brother's sex life, is long-suffering.
Mulberry by xxdz
Jiang Cheng grits his teeth and pushes harder. He feels like torn silk, the embroidery needle sinking in again and again and again; patiently, desperately, endlessly trying to make something beautiful out of something broken.
Jiang Cheng builds his sect, learns embroidery, and raises his nephew.
we can raise a little family by lanyon
“Well, brother,” says Wei Wuxian, leaning against the outside of Jiang Cheng’s chambers. “I had heard that you and Xichen went on a night hunt and came back with a baby, which is not the order I’d choose to do things in…”
In which Jiang Cheng and Lan Xichen acquire a baby of unknown origin, and are the very last to know what it means.
Beyond the Impossible by Silverine
Summoned by Lan Qiren, Jiang Wanyin goes to the Cloud Recesses to drop his nephew Jin Ling, expecting to discuss relevant matters with his old master. Instead, he's asked to take with him no other than Sect Leader Lan himself, all the way back to Lotus Pier. If the reason why he accepted such an outrageous task is indeed a mystery, he's about to be surprised by how this entire trip, their encounters, and his warm company, suddenly feel fated.
Incrementally by xxdz
Jiang Cheng is trapped in a day on repeat where he begins by waking in Zewu Jun’s bed at dawn and ends by dying painfully at dusk.
It’s getting very irritating, and he has the sneaking suspicion that his chances to solve his own murder are rapidly running out. Soon, his death will be much more permanent.
All in all, worst birthday ever.
Audience of One by WinterDreams
“Then let an established star go first,” Lan Xichen interrupts again before Lan Wangji can give a stubborn reply. Both men twist toward Lan Xichen, and he smiles at Wei Wuxian’s tilted head. “If I publicly date a man for awhile first, your engagement shouldn’t receive as much backlash.”
Or, that AU where everyone is famous in some way or another, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji have been dating in private for years, and Lan Xichen and Jiang Cheng pretend to date publicly for their brothers' sake.
A Bit of Ruthlessness by jirluvien
When Jiang Cheng hears that Lan Xichen went into seclusion following Jin Guangyao’s death, it’s almost as if he can see the grabby hands of a restless ghost, reaching out for something to keep him company. For something warm and living and devastated. And as history has proved time and time again, the Lans are perfect victims when it comes to giving in to ghosts.Yeah, no. Not on Jiang Cheng’s fucking watch.A story about grief, determination, unexpected friendships, abandoned watchtowers, and letters. So many letters.
All Tied Up In You by Clearpearls
Yet again, the night had come to this:
Jiang Cheng on the floor, kneeling, Zidian wrapped around his wrists.
Alone.
Thank You, and I'm Sorry by Hamliet
Jin GuangYao might be dead, but his story is not. Taking advantage of the chaos he instigated, someone makes an attempt on the life of the young new leader of the Jin Sect. When Jiang Cheng takes Jin Ling to the Cloud Recesses to have him study while he attempts to work with Wei WuXian and his husband Lan WangJi to eliminate the threat, he encounters a mourning Lan XiChen, lovestruck teenagers, and a persistent corpse--and both pairs of brothers find themselves struggling to move on.
saturn's rings (don't be a heartbreaker) by iskendaris
Set after the seige of burial mounds, Yunmeng rebuilds as they hold the first Discussion Conference at Lotus Pier. Sometimes the night is a gift, a refuge for loneliness. "So stern, Sect Leader Jiang," Lan Xichen murmured, "So glacial... What will it take to melt that icy exterior? What can I say?"
"Nothing. There's nothing you can say or offer."
reciprocity by jukeboxhound
There’s a pause before Lan Xichen says, in a tone that’s a little more neutral, “I would like to paint on you.”
“…What?”
“Of course, if you say ‘yes’ but then change your mind at any point, for any reason, you need only say so and I will stop immediately,” he adds.
Well, silver lining: Jiang Cheng is feeling much more awake than he was a moment ago.
Talent Hunt Crew Finds Angry Guy Shouting On College Campus, Recruits Him For Vocal Projection Abilities by oh_fudgecakes
Jiang Cheng, resident Angry Guy and heir to a conglomerate empire, has never been the apple of his father’s eye. Quashed under the shadow of his brilliant brother, the music prodigy Wei Wuxian, Jiang Cheng sees his chance to turn things around when he is recruited by the All-Stars Lan Talent Hunt. One problem: he can’t sing to save his goddamn life.
As he struggles to develop his nascent singing abilities, Jiang Cheng finds himself sucked into the whirlwind drama of reality TV, helped along by his adoring siblings, his irritable vocal coach Wen Qing, and strangely enough, the unfairly attractive host of the All-Stars Lan Talent Hunt, Lan Xichen. Somewhere in the glare of the stage lights and an unexpected first love, Jiang Cheng stumbles upon the thing he was searching for all along: the courage to dream — and to attempt the impossible.
Marginal Costs by ohwhatevrewhatevr
“You think you know what you want, Er-Ge,” A-Yao says. “But you should consider what you’re willing to give first,” he says wryly, taking Lan XiChen’s chess piece with slim, skilled fingers.
Lan XiChen looks up at A-Yao’s concentrated expression and the hint of contentment on his face that he is special enough to be allowed to see.
“It’s not just one decision, but the lead up to many more. One decision decides what else you’re going to have to pay, and each time you have to ask yourself, ignoring the sunk costs, if this time it’s worth it as well.”
When his sworn brother looks up at him with those clear, amber eyes, waiting, Lan XiChen feels the pull and gives in: he asks.
“Are you happy being in love?”
(First half is two sad sworn brothers talking, internally mourning how unfortunate their other sworn brother’s death was :/ and second half is when a mopey boy in blue meets an angsty boy in purple whilst chasing a demonic cultivator, and a lil bit of sexy dual cultivation happens.)
Somewhat Tender by theherocomplex
There is no defense against kindness; it has always undone him.
I didn't expect you to be lonely (too) by bettydice (BettyKnight)
Jiang Cheng's life is a mess, he's a mess, and he doesn't miss his brother at all. So when his sister gifts him ten sessions with a massage therapist, who turns out to be someone he was crushing on for a hot minute as a teenager and is still as hot as ever... yeah, that might as well happen. It won't have to mean anything.
This feels intimate to Jiang Cheng in a way that's probably very inappropriate and maybe even pathetic. Nobody touches him like this, right where he’s hurt the most. There's no one who handles him so gently, so carefully.
It's the gentleness that's his undoing, he thinks. He would be able to deal better with it if it was painful.
Life for Rent by yodasyoyo
“Yeah well. You’re not taking me seriously. This guy is my soulmate!”
“Soulmate.” Jiang Cheng rolls his eyes. “Whatever.”
“Just because you don’t believe in them—”
“I believe in them!” Jiang Cheng says. “I’ve never denied they exist.”
“Just last week you said that it was an evolutionary quirk that had been used by greetings card companies, movie makers, and corporations to exploit lonely and vulnerable people.”
“And I stand by it! That doesn’t mean that soulmates aren’t real. Just incredibly unlikely and probably pointless.
-
Or:
Xicheng vs Soulmates. Fight!
Halfway Around the World by theherocomplex
Normally, Jiang Cheng would be seething, jaw clenched tight, if someone sounded like that while they were talking, but — Lan Xichen has the trick of always making you feel like you're in on the joke, whatever the joke is. That you're laughing together.
Whelmed by yodasyoyo
For months now Jiang Cheng’s been idly fantasizing about how it would be if something were to come between Wei Ying and Lan Zhan. Mostly those daydreams have been simple enough — they break up (probably because Lan Zhan is boring or Wei Ying is annoying), Wei Ying is sad for a couple of days (Jiang Cheng’s willing to allow some space for feelings, he isn't a total monster), but then Wei Ying realizes he’s better off, he gets over it, and Jiang Cheng gets his brother back.
Unfortunately the fantasy version of events has only proven partially true, so far. They've broken up. Wei Ying has been sad.
Now weeks have passed, though — and Wei Ying is still sad, every. Single. Day.
It’s like Jiang Cheng's stuck in a looping GIF, and it’s driving him insane.
Or:
Jiang Cheng plots, Lan Huan pines, and, unfortunately for Lan Qiren, Wangxian are inevitable.
298 notes · View notes
kyberphilosopher · 3 years
Text
Eunoia
The Mantis crew decides to take a well deserved break.  Word Count: 2422
Warning(s): straight fluff, short Requested: yep This can be read for a female, male, non binary, or any other reader.
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Eunoia is the shortest English word containing all five main vowel graphemes. It comes from the Greek word εὔνοια, meaning "well mind" or "beautiful thinking”. It is also a rarely used medical term referring to a state of normal mental health. In rhetoric, eunoia is the goodwill a speaker cultivates between himself and his audience, a condition of receptivity. In book eight of Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle uses the term to refer to the kind and benevolent feelings of goodwill a spouse has which form the basis for the ethical foundation of human life.
* ✭ ˚ ・゚ ✧ *・゚ * ✭˚・゚ ✧* ・  *
Cal is actually not as observant as people think he is. You know because you’ve been leaning against his doorway, watching him, for about two minutes now and he hasn’t noticed a thing. 
Maybe if you were in his position you’d be the same. That seems about right. He’s hunched over his desk with the lamp on bright, tinkering with something that you can only assume is for BD-1. He’s probably lost in thought. Maybe he’s dreaming of better days. Or maybe he’s just trying to figure out which wires and bolts connect to which. There’s no way to be certain from your position. He’s the mechanic, you are not. 
So why have you been watching the redhead from his doorway for three minutes now? A simple answer. He is your friend, and you enjoy his company. Even when he’s not giving you attention, completely unaware to your presence in moments like this one, lost in his own world, it’s his warmth that really counts. Cal is such a relaxing bout of fresh air compared to everything else in the galaxy, in your life. It’s like being at a great party, but whether you enjoy it or not, stepping outside and tasting the air and the smell of something wonderful. Even if you had a day full of talking to people and had become burned out, talking to Cal would have been no problem at all. Maybe in a way that makes him your favorite person. 
Yeah, maybe. 
BD-1 jumps onto Cal’s desk. His head looks at the boys hands, cocking about as if observing. Then he meets your gaze, only to find a smile. One index finger raises to your lips, prompting the little droid to stay quiet about this, before you turn away and head towards the main part of the ship. 
“Where’s Cal?” Greez gruffs upon seeing you. He’s shaking spice onto a steaming brown plate, which puts a pep in your step. Greez’s cooking always makes life better. 
“In his room,” you answer. You turn from the doorway to the counter, where something hot does cause stringy, swirly puffs of air to waft upwards from a large metal container. With your back to Greez, you pull a plate for yourself and begin hulling it full of food. Some sort of rice or grain?  
“Hmph, that reminds me,” the Latero begins mid-chew. “Me and Cere was talking about taking a vacation.”
“Vacation?” you scrunch your eyebrows and put the lid back on the container. “Where to?”
“The beach maybe?”
You scoff as you turn around and lean on the counter. One hand holds the plate while the other uses your index finger to prod at the mush. It smells alluring. The individual pieces of it stick to your skin. They burn and sting, but it’s so small it doesn’t bring much of a reaction. “I don’t know a lot of beaches.”
“Well, ya know,” Greez shrugs. “Just a thought.”
* ✭ ˚ ・゚ ✧ *・゚ * ✭˚・゚ ✧* ・  *
It was more than just a thought. Six days later, the Mantis touches down on Scarif. But first there’s the issue of landing. 
“Watch that tree,” you point, leaning over Cal’s shoulder as he co-pilots beside Greez. A second later, the ship gives a great rock and the palm tree crunches beneath it. “You weren’t watching the tree.”
“Sorry,” Cal offers sheepishly. 
“What?” Greez says. He’s the one in main control of the ship. He’d never let Cal take over the whole thing. “What he do?”
“Ran over a tree,” you snort. 
“Cal!” Cere scolds, turning around in her chair. 
“I said I was sorry!” Cal defends. 
“I’m telling the wookies what you did,” you whisper.
“Don’t,” Cal whispers back, though it’s still desperate. 
The Mantis parks itself in a field of tropical emerald on the cuff of a beach. The sand is white, the waves cyan and royal blue and sloshing. There’s several beaches on the planet. All of which are very beautiful. Would be a true shame if anything were to ever happen to Scarif. It’s so different compared to so many other planets in the galaxy- not occupied by Imperial forces or scumbags. 
Greez waves everybody off. Cere exits first. Cal is ahead of you, but he steps to the side and rather gentlemanly insists, “You first.”
You hum and move past him. The Scarif air hits your face with a warm breeze. It smells of salt and water and some kind of flower. The horizon goes orange and pink and salmon with the setting sun. It is... serene. It nearly knocks you off your feet. It takes his voice to realize Cal is beside you at the bottom of the ramp. 
“Woah,” he offers simply, in as much awe as yourself. 
“Woah,” you repeat in agreement. It’s still for a second. “Come on. Let’s join them. Or else I’ll have to cast a Jedi mind trick on you.” Your fingers wiggle up and down by Cal’s face for dramatic effect. 
Cal rolls his eyes. “Shut up,” he utters with a push on your elbow, urging you forward into the sand. 
Okay, so maybe you like Cal more than just a friend. But who can blame you? Things had been feeling different between you two lately. You’d always gotten along pretty smoothly. You made up for skills that Cal seemed to lack himself, and his abilities- human and nonhuman- never ceased to amaze you. He was a friend. And then, when you tended to the stab wound he’d gotten from Vader, there was a moment where you held each others eyes. After that, the joking became more constant. The little touches on the shoulders and elbows and forehead taps happened more often. And you started watching him from his doorway sometimes and... and at some point you just caught feelings. 
Cal Kestis seemed to feel the same, but who could really say? No use poking that bear right now. 
The sand is soft, even beneath your boots. Cere stands in front of the water, just breathing in the air. The light breeze makes her vest ripple. It’s tempting to just join her. 
“Gotta say,” you hear a familiar voice say from your left and below. “We picked a nice place.”
“Maybe we should stay a while,” you joke, though you secretly hope for it, to Greez. 
“Yeah,” Greez rolls his eyes. “Until this moron gets us into trouble again!”
Cal perks up. “What did I do?”
“Anybody who can lift things with their mind is gonna attract some attention, kid. You just brought it on us.”
“So true,” you jump on with a smirk to Cal. 
“Alright,” Cal turns away towards the beach. You position yourself so you’re closer to him, and Greez takes the opportunity to waddle away further ahead to waves.
“Sorry for bursting your bubble, Cal,” you continue with a smug grin. “Maybe in the next life, don’t be born with force powers? Just a suggestion.”
“You think you’re so funny,” Cal tells you, though he’s smiling too. His pale green eyes spare a glance at you, thick lashes dancing on his boyish face. 
Your knees bend until you collapse on your bottom in the sand. It’s so soft, it doesn’t even resist your weight. It makes way for you easily, like a blanket. “I do.”
Cal joins you in the sand quickly enough. You’re both face to face, the wind in your hair and the water at your side. It crashes every few seconds, but it’s peaceful. Some kind of bird flies overhead, and butterflies are in the forested area behind you. The light of the sunset illuminates Cal’s hair more than usual. The brightest points of his eyes are highlighted. 
“He loves you,” you offer. 
“You think so?”
“I am one hundred percent certain... Just don’t touch the ship.”
Cal raises his hands as if surrendering. “Understood. Hands off.”
You turn your head to the water. Greez and Cere are standing ahead, most likely having a conversation of their own. The tide carries so much of the stress your shoulders hold away from you. Everything with the holocron, the empire- it was ridiculous what living in hiding could do to a person. It’s hard to imagine how Cal did it for so long. How painful that must’ve been for him. How painful it is to imagine him in pain. 
“How’s your stomach?” you decide to ask at last. 
Cal tilts his head for a second. “Better.”
“Perfect?” you raise your knees to your chest and rest your arms on them. 
Just then, a little whirring noise pulls both of your attentions away. BD-1 bounds down the ramp of the ship, twirling around in observance as if excited. “Hey, BD,” Cal greets. “I know, buddy. I know.” The droid places itself in Cal’s lap, still looking around at the change in scenery. 
“We’ve never been able to do this before,” you tell him. “I mean, I wasn’t here for the whole adventure. But I was here after and before and... and just... we’ve never done this.”
Cal is quiet. “I haven’t either.”
You look at him. 
“Taken a break. I guess time on Bracca was the closest thing.”
You smile softly. “I’m sure it was really nice.”
Cal rolls his eyes along with his head, though the corner of his chapped pink lips turn upwards. “As nice as it could be with the Empire.”
“That’s pretty nice.”
Cal and you huff a humorous puff of air in unison. 
“What were you doing before the Mantis?” Cal suddenly asked. 
“Oh,” you roll your eyes and wave your hand. “Not important. Don’t even worry about it.”
“Come on!” Cal shifts. 
“I’m serious!” you defend. “It’s boring stuff. You wouldn’t want to hear about it. Not as interesting as the force.”
“Well anything related to you is interesting,” Cal says casually, one of his palms lifting in the air for effect as he shifts again. 
Well that makes your face feel hot. Anything related to you is interesting. How often do people get to hear that? And how casually it comes out of Cal’s mouth, the shrug of his shoulders that you tie so easily to him, that’s how you know it’s honest. Not only have you heard something intimate that not many people will in their whole lives, but it was also heartfelt. 
“Yeah,” you mutter, though it sounds distant and far away as you watch Cal’s eyes. He doesn’t seem to mind. Then you snap back to reality. “This is gonna be good.”
Cal watches you pop to life, standing up entirely and running towards the water. BD-1 perks up as well to watch you just in time to see your much bigger form nearly knock the Latero over. And, much to Cal’s surprise, the little droid jumps from his lap and bounds after you. The red head decides he’s next to follow. 
“BD-1,” he rasps, also nearly pushing Greez to the ground. “Don’t touch the water!”
But it’s too late. However, nothing happens. BD-1 stands in the shallow waves, unelectrocuted and unbroken. He doesn’t spark a bit, only cocking his head in wonder at his friend. 
“Think fast!” a voice calls. 
A splash of warm and salty water slaps against Cal’s face. He cringes, turning his shoulders away on impact with a little gasp that makes his throat burn. “Hey!”
Another splash. 
Cal turns to you. You’re standing with your hands on either side of yourself, open and matching your smug and proud face. Your boots are still on, which can’t be comfortable given that they’re now submerged in water. BD-1 is on the back of your shoulders- something Cal thought was only between him and the droid. Apparently not. 
“What’s wrong, Cal? Can’t handle the current?”
Cal stills himself. Then he bends down himself and flicks water upwards. 
“Hey! No!”
He does it once more. 
“No!”
So you too repeat your original actions and begin forcing salty liquid up into the air in Cal’s direction as well. BD-1 grips onto your collar for stability while you both go to town, careful to not open your mouths too wide and taste the saltiness. 
“Be careful you two!” Cere calls from the shore. Neither Cal nor yourself heed her words, continuing on in disrupting the tide. 
“They’re fine,” Greez assures with the wave of one of his many arms. 
“Are you sure about that?” Cere responds with a hand on her hip as she watches you tackle the Jedi to the sandy terrain below the shallow water. 
“Completely fine.”
You push both of Cal’s shoulders down jokingly, careful not to subdue his head under the water. He cranes his neck to keep it above the waves. Through his soft lashes, Cal can just see your smiling, evil intentioned face with BD-1 on your shoulder gazing at him. 
Honestly, it feels just how it did last week- the last time you had watched Cal in his room. Gazing at him, admiring him. Just now you get to touch him, relax with him, splash water at him, even. You wish you could capture this moment if not forever, then for a while, and Cal wishes the same. 
* ✭ ˚ ・゚ ✧ *・゚ * ✭˚・゚ ✧* ・  *
Sorry it’s short. Idk if it’s my best work certainly but I haven’t written for Cal or Star Wars in a while. But I didn’t kill the reader in this fic or have someone sick or in danger! So it might be my first ever straight fluff? I don’t know. But what a good character to do it with. I’m glad to give Cal a break. And i hope the requester enjoys. 
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imaginepirates · 3 years
Text
Pirate
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For the anon who wanted a James x reader where they meet on the Pearl, but James doesn’t have the guts to admit that he’s falling for them. Later, (we’re pretending his death didn’t happen), they meet again at Shipwreck Cove, and James confesses his feelings during the battle on the Dutchman.
@emdrabbles​ @tesserphantom​ @paljonkaikenlaista​ @viper-official​  @hellspawn-brownies​ @groovyfluxie​ @wordsinwinters​
~3760 words. Long again. 
~~~~~~~
           His hair hung in wet strings around his face. Whether they were matted together with water, alcohol, or vomit, you weren’t sure you wanted to know, though you suspected it to be a mixture of all three. A guard rail was all that kept him upright. He was a disaster, even for a pirate. Not that he’s a pirate, either.
          The former Commodore looked a wreck. You would be, too, you supposed, if you’d drunk yourself into complete oblivion. And someone needs to take away that damned wig. Currently, it sat on his head much like some bird’s nest, and you half-expected a gull to land in it at any moment. Pity mingled with your disgust. There had been a time when his name alone had struck fear into you. Now, he was a pathetic image, unable to do so much as hold himself up on two feet. He couldn’t strike fear into a fly.
          You were a bit surprised that Elizabeth, of all people, showed him no sympathy. Even Jack looked a bit repulsed, which was saying something, given that Jack himself was never in a prime state. He staggered upright, puking over the side of a railing.
          You sighed, walking brisky over, snatching the wig off the top of his head and tossing it overboard. He looked up at you through bleary eyes.
          “What the bloody hell was that for?”
          “You look awful.”
          “Thank you for your astute assessment.” Even drunk, his tone dripped sarcasm, and you were a little surprised.
          He’s still in his wits, then. You looked him over again. Somewhat. “You look marginally less awful without the wig.” He grunted. You grabbed the bottle he was holding, too, and threw it over the side.
          “Now that’s just a waste.”
          “You need to sober up.”
          “And who exactly are you, that it’s your job to police me?”
          “You’re embarrassing, is all, and it’s no good to be embarrassed by crewmates.”
          He snorted. “You should write to the admiralty. That sort of thinking would have spared me many of my own crewmates throughout the years.” He stared down into the waves, where his water-clogged wig had begun to sink under the surface.
          “Well, you don’t want to be that person, do you?”
          “At this point, I don’t particularly care.” His wig finally lost the battle, disappearing into the murky depths.
          “Have some pride.”
          “Pride?” He pushed himself up, looking coldly into your eyes with his own. “I’ve lost my title, I’ve lost my station, I’ve lost my livelihood. I have no house, nor family, nor friends. I’ve lost everything I ever held dear, including the woman I love, because despite being with her,” here he gestured with his chin to where Elizabeth stood at the helm, “I’m further from her than ever before. Now please, tell me again why I should have pride.”
          If you were being honest with yourself, it was hard to give him an answer. “You still have your life, and for however little that’s worth right now, things could be worse. You could be dead. Take pride in the fact that you didn’t let things get that far.” He scoffed, but you continued. “Go clean yourself up; splash some water on your face, and do something about the vomit in your hair. Things can get better. Clean up, and you’ll be one step closer.”
          He looked at you then, a vulnerability in his eye that wasn’t there before. Hope. He stalked off then, stumbling a bit, but trying admirably to, supposedly, follow your advice.
          Norrington carried out his tasks admirably and without complaint, no manner how demeaning for a man of his previous station. He was watched with suspicious eye; but why wouldn’t he be? He had been a ranking officer, after all, and an effective one at that. Too many pirates had been lost to his scouring of the Caribbean. Just how far can you trust a member of the navy, former or otherwise?
          The way he looked at Jack’s compass didn’t escape your notice. He knows. “Not thinking of stealing it, are you?” His neck craned to look up at you from his position kneeling on the deck, a wet cloth in hand. He stopped his scrubbing to glare.
          “I’m not a thief.” He looked back down, returning to his task.
          “You are a pirate.”
          His head whipped up at that, jaw working in annoyance. “I’m not a bloody pirate,” he hissed.
          “Then what the hell are you doing here? Top secret mission? I’m surprised you were chosen; I wouldn’t believe your fall from grace if I weren’t here to see it myself.”
          Norrington was showing clear restraint, obviously wanting to hit you with something. You watched him breifly consider using the wash-rag as a projectile before deciding against it.
          “Commodore Norrington. That was a name to fear, once.”
          The ferocity in his eyes vanished, replaced by sadness, his gaze dropping from yours. “I haven’t been that man in months. I never will be again.”
          “Good.” He shot you a questioning look. “It’s no use to be afraid of you. And, if what I hear from Elizabeth is true, you might learn to have some fun and not be so stiff all the time.” Offence flashes across his face, but you only smiled. “I blame high society. Welcome to freedom, James Norrington. I hope you get a taste for it.”
          He turned to look out over the steadily changing horizon, a soft pink beginning to dust the sky. “So do I.”
          The days wore on, and the crew steadily adjusted to James’ presence. He no longer ate alone, though he ate in silence, and the crew was more willing to interact with him. Elizabeth, you noted, had barely paid him any mind since his arrival. How she could be so callous towards him you didn’t know; you had expected her to at least talk to him, but she barely even looked his way.
          Not that he didn’t look hers. His gaze would fall upon her, sometimes, while he worked, and there was a sadness there that tugged at your heart. He was confused, too, as to her treatment of him. He wanted, more than anything, to be close to her. Even if she could treat him like a friend. But she refused to give him even that much.
          You were tired of watching it. “Come on,” you walked up to him, “let’s do something about that hair.”
          “You haven’t grown tired of telling me what to do, have you?” he drawled. He was propped against a railing, eyes following Elizabeth as she walked across the deck above them. With Jack, you noted. So, it seemed, did James.
          You sighed. “It can only get in the way, hanging down by your face like that.” You turned away, heading down belowdecks. He needs to get away from watching her.
          James followed, pushing off the railing and heading after you. Good. You found a spot with a few barrels—full of apples, you assumed; you never had gotten rid of all of Barbossa’s cargo—that would be suitable for sitting on. You motioned for James to do just that, moving behind him.
          You found yourself at a loss for words. What was there to say? You had little in common, and less that wouldn’t bring back poor memories for him. You kept silent, instead running your fingers through James’ hair. It’s longer than I expected, for a naval man. I wonder if he always kept it like this, or if it was close-cropped, once.
          “What exactly are you doing?” He turned his head a little to look back at you.
          “Braiding.” You separated his hair into three parts, beginning to twine the strands together.
          You expected him to ask you why, or to move away, but he stayed put. “I haven’t worn my hair in a braid since the navy.” It was almost a whisper. Somehow, in the low light of the hull, it seemed appropriate.
          You almost pulled away and apologized, but he went on. “I used to braid it to fit it under that damned wig. It could get so insufferably hot in the sun, though I was always glad to have the hair off the back of my neck. I don’t know how Elizabeth ever managed, in those dresses.” A soft smile sat on his face. “How did any of us manage, back then?”
          You knew he wasn’t speaking of the heat. You tied his hair off with a small strip of ribbon from around your wrist. It was interesting, to see something of yours on him, and you stared at it a moment before moving. “You’ve always kept your hair this long, then?” You moved to a barrel across from him.
          “For years. My mother hated it.” He smiled. “She told me it would be easier if I just cut it off.”
          “Good thing you didn’t.” He looked at you curiously, and you felt yourself beginning to flush. “It suits you.”
          His eyebrows raised in surprise. Even in the dim light of the lanterns, you could see his cheeks turn pink, the color extending down into his collar. You sat in awkward silence a moment, James fiddling with the cuffs of his sleeves while you looked down at the black deck. “A name to fear, you said.”
          James was still toying with the cuff on his left wrist when you looked back up. “I think I like you this way better.”
          “I’m not sure I do.”
          You got up, moving to a barrel next to his. “I’d rather not fear you.” You grabbed his hand, taking it gently away from its fiddling. He scanned your eyes. “Like most people, you aren’t as terrifying as the stories make you sound.”
          “I never thought of it that way.”
          “That you struck fear, even into the best of us?”
          “I…” he trailed off. “It seems so ridiculous, that anyone feared me. I know I was good at my job—it was all I was good for.” He scoffed. “But I was so out of place in society…I always felt horribly awkward at all those social events. I was much more afraid of those people than they were of me.”
          “You were like…” you wracked your brain for a parallel. “You were told stories about Blackbeard when you were a child, right?”
          “Yes, of course. Upon reflection, I’m sure they were too dramatic to be true.”
          “That’s how you were to us. You were a reverse Blackbeard.” James laughed aloud at that. “I can’t even tell you how I pictured you. Larger, maybe. Older. And with a horrible, mean beard that took up half your face.”
          James smiled, and you found you quite liked the expression on him. “Am I as scary as the stories?”
          “Not even close. Though I’m sure I wouldn’t want to meet the business end of your sword,” you added.
          “Is Blackbeard as frightening as the tales?” James questioned. Then, more seriously, “Is Davy Jones?”
          You sobered. “Aye, he is.” You found that his hand was still in yours—he hadn’t pulled away. “But it’s mixed with disgust. He isn’t human, anymore. It can be revulting. And sad,” you said, upon reflection. “I can’t imagine; losing your humanity like that.”
          James said nothing, his eyes on your entertwined fingers. He ran his thumb over your knuckles. “Why do you talk to me?”
          You shrugged. “There’s no reason not to.”
          “That doesn’t seem to be the common belief.” He continued to rub gentle circles in the top of your hand. His fingers were calloused from years of hard work, but so were yours. He traced over your knuckles and each finger in turn. His brows furrowed. “It’s pity, isn’t it?”
          You could see how disgusted he was with himself. “Some, yes,” you admitted. “But you’re not half-bad to be around. This was…nice. I haven’t had a quiet moment with someone in ages.”
          He looked at you thoughtfully, using his free hand to brush a strand of hair behind your ear. “You’re not half-bad either, for a pirate.”
          You smiled, and he looked like he might say something more, but he stayed quiet, a soft smile of his own gracing his features. When he left, you knew he was in a better mood than when he came. I wonder if I’ll occupy any of the space in his thoughts that Elizabeth does. It was a silly thought, and you didn’t quite know why it came to mind, but there was a ghostly touch where James had brushed your hair aside, and you realized that you liked the idea of his thinking about you. Wishing for the attention of a naval man. Who would’ve thought?
~~~~~~~
          The news about Isla de Muerta came hard. You had been anxious the entire time, confined to the Pearl on the account that Davy Jones could make an appearance, and the ship would need to be crewed if he did.
          You weren’t prepared for the eventuality that James wouldn’t come back. You had worried, of course, wringing your hands with it, but you hadn’t actually thought…
          You kept your tears for him to yourself. Nobody else was bothered—not even Elizabeth. A man she’s known her entire life, dead, and she has no sorrow to show for it. How can she be so heartless? It was as if nothing had happened at all. The crew ignored it; they were used to that, you supposed. Half your number had been killed by cannibles, after all. But even Gibbs seemed unbothered by the prospect of James’ death.
          Only later did you realize that James had taken the heart. You didn’t believe it, at first, but slowly came to reconcile yourself with the idea. Elizabeth thought him a traitor. But was he ever really on our side? You thought back to your conversations with him. I like you this way better. It had been true. I’m not sure I do. That was true, too, and now he’d shown it.
          At first, none of it mattered to you. He was dead, anyway. Slowly, you began to realize that Jones didn’t have the heart. After all, he hadn’t quit pursuing the Pearl, even if you didn’t have the heart. When you learned that the heart was in possession of Cutler Beckett, damn his eyes, your heart leapt with joy. James is alive! No matter the mood of Jack, or Gibbs, or Elizabeth, or the crew, you could only think of James. He wasn’t killed, then. He used the heart as leverage to secure his old position.
          You pondered the thought. If ever you met him again, would you be afraid? Or would you just be sad?
~~~~~~~
          Shipwreck Cove was just as you’d remembered it. Dimly lit, ships stacked one on the other, whispered conspiracies in every corner. Every sailor’s legend had its place in these ships. There wasn’t a legend that hadn’t been speculated within the fortress, and not a pirate who hadn’t chased them without.
          You had fond memories of the Cove, but less fond memories of the Court. The Brethren Court convened on only the deepest of issues, and you still remembered some of their gatherings from when you were a child. It was loud, and there was no order, and the Court couldn’t meet without at least one death per session.
          It was that way now. Jack toyed with the swords stuck in the globe at the front of the room while the other pirate lords surrendered the miscellaneous junk they deemed their pieces of eight. The end result was a dish full of random trinkets. Not that you didn’t understand; the idea that pirates obtained mass amounts of wealth was a myth. Most of the time, you barely had a shilling to your name. Working with Jack was especially non-lucrative, but it was certainly more entertaining.
          Jack’s hand strayed briefly to the piece of eight at his temple. “Might I point out that we are still short one pirate lord and I’m as content as a cucumber to wait until Sao Feng joins us.”
          “Sao Feng is dead.”
          You recognized that voice. You whipped around to see Elizabeth, clad in full Chinese armor, sword in hand. You smiled to yourself; she was always full of surprises.
          The best surprise, however, was the man standing at her side. You mouthed James’ name, and his eyes locked on yours. He stepped forward, as if to greet you, but you were interrupted by further discussion of the Court. He’s alive, and he’s here, and I never thought I would see him again. You glanced over your shoulder. And he’s in full uniform.
          The Court was chaos. Barbossa’s plan to free Calypso was not taken well by the others, and you couldn’t blame them. Your mind was preoccupied, focussing on the man somewhere behind you. You wondered if he had seen the relief in your eyes. Had he felt the same?
          A hand settled on your shoulder. You turned to see James, worried eyes staring into your own. He pulled you back, leading you out of the room.
          “James?” You felt your eyes beginning to water. “For the longest time, I thought you had died.” Your voice cracked, and you were unable to stop it.
          He opened his mouth as if to say something, but only reached out to you, pulling you into a firm embrace. “I’m so sorry.” His breath tickled your ear. “I’ve done horrible things.”
          You held tightly to the back of his coat. “I’m just happy to see you again.”
          He stepped back, pain blossoming across his features. “I know you can never forgive me, for what I’ve done. I can only hope you-”
          The doors behind you opened, and the Court flooded out. The consensus is war, then.
~~~~~~~
          The rain made it hard for you to keep a good grip on your sword. The Dutchman pitched and rolled under your feet, waves crashing rougly into the sides of the hull. Its mast, tangled with the Pearl’s, loomed above you, a towering dark figure in the haze of the monsoon.
          These damned fish people. The Dutchman’s crew fought more viscously than even Barbossa’s undead pirates. Who knew starfish could be so angry? You feared that their weapons, often tarnished and jagged, would catch on your own and leave you defenseless. I should’ve stayed on the Pearl. But there are fish people there now, too.
          At least you weren’t alone. Elizabeth and Will were with you, as was Jack, though he seemed to be having difficulties of his own. If you hadn’t been fighting for your life, you might have been more amused. You had lost sight of most of your crew mates. You were too focused on the eel-headed freak in front of you to give your fellows much thought. With your swords locked, you had no other way to grapple with the beast. It hadn’t occurred to you that the eel could elongate its neck, which was exactly what it did, arching forward to bite at your face.
          A moment later, the head lay at your feet, the slimy body collapsing beside it. James was there, sword in hand, looking at you with concern. That, or he’s squinting to keep the rain out of his eyes. You gave him a nod, stepping in closer.
          “There are too many of them. We’ll never get to them all. Some of them are coming right out of the walls!” You both looked around yourselves at the endless numbers in the Dutchman’s crew.
          “We only have to kill one.” James gestured towards the other end of the ship, where Davy Jones stood, lobster claw digging into the wood of the deck.
          “We don’t have the heart.”
          “But we both know who does.” James’ face was grim. “I should’ve stabbed it while I had the chance.”
          You grabbed his arm. “No. You would be just like Jones, then, bound to this ship for eternity. You’d have no humanity left.”
          “I’d be better than I am now.”
          The comment broke your heart, but there were too many enemies around for you to focus on it. You slashed at a shark-headed monstrosity before James pulled you in close, stabbing something just behind you. Now isn’t the time for blushing. But James was holding you tightly to his chest, and you heard him shoot another member of Jones’ crew.
          You hated to let go, but you had to duck under James’ arm to go after another, and another. Your back ended up pressed against James’, and you could feel each others’ heavy breathing.
          “I don’t think we’re going to make it out of this alive.” You had to shout to be heard over the thunderous racket. Between the rain, the gunfire, and the sharp clanging of swords, there was little room for words.
          “It doesn’t seem likely.”
          “You were trying to tell me something earlier.” Rain ran down your face in streams. “Now might be your only chance.”
          James put a hand on your shoulder, turning you around to face him. “I wanted to apologize, for it all. I hope you’ll accept it.”
          “Of course.” You grabbed the pistol from his side, leveling it at a creature behind his shoulder.
          “You didn’t deserve what I did.”
          You cupped his face with a hand. “I understand why you did it.”
          “You were the only one who treated me like a person, then, on the Pearl.” He had grabbed your arm, keeping you close. It occurred to you that you were both going to die like this, paying too much attention to each other and not enough to your surroundings. “I can’t…” James took a steadying breath. “I can’t help but love you for it.”
          You barely had time to process the words before his lips were on yours. Despite the storm, and the gunfire, and the clanging of swords—despite the knowledge that neither of you were going to make it out alive—the kiss was achingly tender, with so much softness and vulnerability that tears began to slip down your already soaked cheeks.
          This won’t be such a bad way to go.
          There was a sudden shuddering of the ship, and you and James had to cling to each other to keep upright. You looked up, only to find that the Pearl had broken away, her masts now untangled from the Dutchman’s.
          You tugged at James’ arm. “We have to go. I think the ship’s going under.”
          He nodded, and you found a loose line to swing over to the Pearl. The Dutchman sank not long after you hit the deck. The ship fell beneath the waves, sucked under by the storm.
          “We still have to face Beckett.” James looked out over the water to where the British armada was advancing.
          You could already feel some of the fight leaving you. How could you withstand an armada, when you’d barely defeated the Dutchman? “At least we have each other, now.”
          James looked down at you. “Yes.” He cautiously wrapped an arm around your waist. “And after? If there is an after.”
          You smiled teasingly. “I hope you don’t mind returning to piracy.”
          James smiled back. “I don’t think I’ll mind at all.”
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simplee-dreaming · 3 years
Text
The Runner (Part 2)
(Part 1 here)
A/N: THIS IS MY 50TH FIC WTF!! Ngl I'm not so confident about this one but that's just my anxiety being a demon. I hope you all like it.
Word count: 3823
Summary: With Darren being on the warpath, Chris takes great care of the reader...along with some friends.
-----------------------------------------
The next day you walked into work with a big smile on your face. Last night you shared food with Chris Evans, watched a film with Chris Evans, got into a tickle fight with Chris Evans and ended up being cuddled by Chris Evans. You were certainly on cloud nine right now.
“Black coffee for Mr Evans please! Black coffee!” a call came over the radio. You strode into the kitchen to make it but found another runner already on the case.
“Nevermind,” you thought to yourself. There’s no way you were gonna go the whole of today without seeing him anyway.
You turned on your heel to leave but walked straight into Darren.
“Oh, um, sorry, I-I didn’t see you there,” you stuttered.
“Watch where you’re going,” he said, sternly.
“Sorry,” you repeated.
“There’s a mess on the set, you need to clean it up before the next scene begins shooting,” he demanded. You looked at him.
“But, I’m not a cleaner?” You said, puzzled.
“You were perfectly happy to clean the set a few weeks back,” he said.
“Well yeah but-”
“No excuses, clean up that mess now,” he interrupted, marching out of the kitchen. You sighed but decided not to argue.
You went onto the set and helped the cleaners with the mess.
A few hours had passed and you were sitting on set filling out an accident form. Apparently, Sebastian Stan had slipped on set whilst filming and managed to cut his hand. Only a tiny cut, but any accident has to be filed. Unfortunately, you didn’t get to sit with Seb and fill it out but was given the details by his assistant, Jane.
You got up and walked into the set office, where all the paperwork was kept, and filed away the accident form. When you walked back onto the set, Darren was standing there staring at you. He lifted up his hand and ordered you to go over to him. You slowly walked over and stood in front of him.
“So what exactly did you do to clean the set earlier today?” He asked.
“I...I swept up the debris. I just cleared the mess,” you replied.
“You cleaned the floor, didn’t you?”
“I cleared it yeah but I-”
“You cleaned the floor and left it in a slippery state. No wonder Mr Stan slipped over,”
“No, but, I..I just cleared it! I never-”
“He could have broken a bone,”
“I didn’t clean it, I only swept!” You protested. Darren grunted at you and walked off, leaving you feeling deflated.
The rest of the day you were silent. You didn’t dare speak to anyone in case they thought the same as Darren. When your lunch break finally came around, you walked outside to the back of the studios and sat in a quiet corner where all you could hear was the wind sweeping through the trees and the birds singing. You finished your lunch in silence, a single tear escaping from your eye.
“There you are! I’ve been looking for you all day!” said a familiar voice. You looked up to see Chris walking towards you. A smile involuntarily grew on your lips.
“Oh, hey!” You said, quickly wiping away the tear.
“What’s wrong? Have you been crying?” He asked, sitting on the bench next to you.
“No. No, I’m fine,” you replied.
“You have been crying. What’s the matter?”
“I’m fine,”
“No you’re not,”
“Yes I am, I promise. I’m fine,” you said, a little too quickly. Chris gently put his hand on top of yours.
“What’s happened?” He asked, softly. You looked at him, then looked down and burst into tears. He pulled you in for a tight cuddle.
“It’s all my fault,” you sobbed into his chest.
“What is?” he asked.
“Seb. I made Seb slip. He’s hurt because of me,” you cried.
“Wait, what are you talking about?” Chris asked, rubbing your arm.
“I cleaned the set earlier, I must’ve put something down because Seb slipped and cut himself and it’s my fault,”
“Seb didn’t slip?” Chris said, confused.
“What?”
“Seb didn’t slip, he tripped and fell over. That’s how he cut his hand, he grabbed onto a bit of the set for support and caught a sharp edge. He never slipped,” Chris said. You looked up at him.
“So...so it wasn’t me?” You asked.
“Of course not, he’s just a clumsy idiot. The floor wasn’t slippery at all. Plus, he’s fine. Just got a big boy plaster on,” he chuckled.
“But...but Darren said-”
“What did Darren say?” Chris asked, more seriously.
“Darren said Seb slipped. And that it was my fault because I cleaned the set earlier but I didn’t remember actually putting any product down to clean and I thought I only swept the set which it seems is all I did and-”
“Whoa whoa whoa, breathe. Darren told you this was your fault?” Chris asked. You nodded.
“Right, I’m going to talk to him,” Chris said, standing up.
“No no please, he already hates me. If you say something then he’ll know I told on him and he’ll be even worse,” you begged.
“Y/N, he cannot treat you like this,”
“It’s fine, I can handle it,” you lied.
“He made you cry, Y/N. That is not okay. I’m going to speak to him,” Chris said. He walked off and you ran after him. When you turned the corner, you both ran straight into Seb.
“Whoa Speedy Gonzales, slow down!” Seb said, catching you as you tripped over Chris’ foot.
“S-sorry,” you said. You looked up and suddenly registered who was in front of you.
“Oh god. Oh I’m so sorry, Mr Stan, I didn’t mean to-”
“Y/N, calm down, it’s okay,” Chris said, placing a hand on your shoulder. You looked up at him and took a few deep breaths.
“Ohh so you’re Y/N. Chris has been telling me all about you, it’s nice to put a face to a name,” Seb said, smiling at you. You gave a shaky smile back. He looked at Chris.
“Where are you off to?”
“Going to see my assistant,” Chris said, sternly.
“Ah yes, ‘Divine Darren’,” Seb said, sarcastically. “More like Distasteful Darren.”
“Well, quite. He’s been so unpleasant to Y/N, so I’m going to talk to him,” Chris said, he sounded very angry.
“Chris please, it will only make things worse,” you begged. Seb looked at your worried face and looked back at Chris.
“I think she’s right, Chris. At least wait a little bit until you’re calmer. Then I’ll come and back you up,” Seb said. Chris let out a sigh then looked at you. His face softened.
“Okay. But he’s not going to get away with this,” Chris said. You breathed a sigh of relief.
“Good lad,” Seb said, patting Chris’ shoulder. He then turned to you.
“So, you’re the reason our Chris was so chirpy this morning, eh?” He said. You blushed.
“W-well...I...um…” you stammered. What had Chris told Seb?
“Seb…” Chris warned.
“What? I’ve gotta be polite to your new tickle attacker!” Seb said.
“SEB!” Chris cried.
“Chris told me you used his weakness against him last night. Nice to have you on board Y/N,” Seb winked at you. You let out a nervous giggle, praying that Chris didn’t tell Seb that you shared the same weakness.
“Although, it seems you may struggle more. We can’t have someone who is equally as ticklish on the front line until he’s not strong enough to retaliate,” Seb said. He winked at you again and smirked.
Fuck. He knew.
“Anyway, gotta get ready for my next scene. Catch you both later,” Seb waved goodbye and walked off.
You turned to Chris and punched him in the arm.
“Ow! What was that for?!” He exclaimed.
“You told him?” You asked.
“Ohh...yeah...yeah I did,” he said, giggling. You punched him again.
“Ow! Okay, okay, I’m sorry! I just had a great night last night and couldn’t keep my mouth shut,” he said. You couldn’t help but smile.
“So did I,” you replied. He chuckled and pulled you in for a hug. You relaxed in his arms until he squeezed your side.
“Hey!” You yelped.
“That was for punching me,” he said.
You sighed and walked back into the studios with him, ready to get back to work.
The day finally came to a close. Scenes were wrapping up shooting and members of the crew were packing up to go home. You had purposefully been avoiding Darren all day, terrified of what he may try and do next.
Chris has invited you to his caravan again for another movie night, so you decided to quickly clean up the kitchen area before you clocked out. You took the half-filled jug of coffee out of its hold and turned to pour it down the sink. But, as you turned, someone knocked into the back of you and you dropped the jug which smashed all over the floor.
“What the hell are you playing at?!” Yelled Darren from behind you. You swiftly turned around.
No words came out of your mouth, just incoherent babbling.
“Look at what you’ve done! You’ve smashed the bloody jug you blundering idiot!” He yelled. You took a step backwards and slipped slightly on the spilt coffee, you held the kitchen side for support as tears leaked down your face.
“I-I didn’t mean….I never meant to...it was an accident!” You cried.
“You did that on purpose. You’ve been messing about ever since you started here. Have you any idea the damage you’ve caused?!”
You burst into tears, frightened of the man standing before you.
“Hey hey, back off!” A voice said behind Darren. He turned around slightly and there stood Scarlett and Lizzie, both with their arms folded.
“Did you see what she did? She broke the coffee jug!” Darren exclaimed, gesturing at you.
“Then buy another one,” Scarlett said, shrugging.
“Better yet, buy another one secretly and we won’t tell anyone that you purposely fell into her,” Lizzie said.
“What? I never fell into her! Stupid girl tripped over,” he said, a wobble in his voice. Both women titled their heads and raised their eyebrows at the same time.
“She dropped it all by herself! She’s caused nothing but havoc since she started,” he tried to explain but the girls were having none of it.
“Grrr. Out of my way,” Darren huffed. He pushed past Scarlett and Lizzie and marched off.
“Hey, are you okay?” Lizzie asked, approaching you. You shook your head and burst into tears. Lizzie drew you in for a hug.
“What’s your name, sweetheart?” Scarlett asked.
“Y/N,” you responded, quietly.
“Oh goodness, you’re Y/N! Chris has mentioned you a few times today. He’s waiting for you, we'll take you to him,” said Lizzie.
“B-but the mess…” you stammered.
“Leave it, we’ll clean it up,” Scarlett said.
She and Lizzie each put an arm around you and guided you away from the kitchen. Chris was standing at the back of the studios, near the caravan park. His posture straightened up when he saw you, but his face grew more concerned as you approached.
“Oh my god, are you okay Y/N? What happened?” He asked. Scarlett looked at him and raised one eyebrow.
“No. No no. This wasn’t Darren again was it?!” He said, his voice getting louder. “Where is he? I’ll kill him!”
“Chris, he’s probably gone home by now,” Lizzie said. He put his hands on his hips and shook his head.
“That little….he has no right treating you like his,” he said. You tilted your head down. He drew in a deep breath and took you from Scar and Lizzie, wrapping you in a hug.
“It’s okay, you’re safe now,” he said, stroking your hair. You cried into his shoulders and hugged him tightly.
“Tell you what, Seb’s using the green room to relax in for a bit this evening. Shall we go and join him?” He asked.
“Will he mind?” You replied, lifting your head slightly.
“Not at all! We could have a group film night if you’re both up for it too?” Chris asked. Scarlett and Lizzie nodded. Chris put his arm around you and all four of you walked to the green room.
“Knock knock,” said Chris, entering the room. Seb was sat on the sofa, scrolling through Netflix.
“Hey man, how’s it going?” Seb asked, turning to greet you all. “Ooh more guests, this is exciting. What’s the occasion?”
“Another incident happened. We thought we could join you and watch a movie together?” Chris said.
“Why of course! The more the merrier!” Seb said. He shuffled up a bit on the sofa and Chris placed you between himself and Seb.
“I’m gonna go grab some food. Do you two mind helping me?” Chris said, gesturing at Lizzie and Scarlett. They both followed him out and into the kitchen area. Coffee and bits of jug were still splattered on the floor so Lizzie bent down to start cleaning it up.
“What happened?” Chris asked.
“Y/N was cleaning this area. She went to wash out the coffee jug and Darren purposely bumped into her so she dropped the jug and he had a proper go at her. She was terrified,” Scar informed him. He hung his head.
“I can’t let him get away with treating her like that,” he responded.
“Well, what are you gonna do?” Lizzie asked, sweeping the floor.
“I don’t know yet. But he’s not getting away lightly,” Chris said. “Do you think she’s okay?”
“I don’t know. I think she’s just putting on a brave face,” Scarlett said.
Chris, Scarlett and Lizzie finished cleaning the kitchen and grabbed some bags of popcorn to take back to the room. When they returned, they found you leaning forwards with your head in your hands and Seb rubbing your back.
“What’s happened??” Chris asked. He put down the popcorn and sat next to you, putting his arm around you.
“She keeps saying everything that happened today is her fault. I’ve told her it isn’t but she’s pretty shook up,” Seb whispered softly.
“Oh Y/N. Nothing that has happened is your fault! We’ve been through this my lovely,” Chris said, gently.
“I shouldn’t be here,” you mumbled.
“What? Chris said.
“I shouldn’t be here,” you said, standing up from the sofa and heading for the door. Chris grabbed your arm.
“Whoa whoa whoa, steady on. Where are you going?”
“Darren was right. I have no right being here. I’m just a runner.”
Another tear fell down your face and Chris’ heart broke.
“Y/N, listen to me. Yes, you are a runner but that doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to be here. Runners are an important asset to the studios, how else would I get my coffee?! Besides, you’re not just a runner. You’re incredible. You’re the first non-celebrity that hasn’t treated me like royalty and it’s a breath of fresh air,” Chris said. You looked up at him.
“Really?”
“Yes really! Don’t want you bowing down to kiss my feet, they’re not that great,” he said. You gave a shy giggle.
“Come here,” he said, pulling you in for a cuddle. You happily accepted and relaxed slightly in his arms.
“Now then you, we’re gonna have a great movie night, yes?” He asked, you nodded. “Good, but I want you to be happy before we start. Where’s that smile?”
He had a hint of playfulness in his voice. You knew what was coming but didn’t want to fight it, so you buried your head further into his chest.
“Come on...where is it?” He teased. He started poking up and down your sides and you squirmed.
You murmured a giggle into his chest as he continued to poke you.
“Where’s that smile?” He teased. You giggled louder as the pokes turned into squeezes.
“Chrihihihis!” You squealed, trying to twist out of his grip.
“Where are you going?” He asked, bending his head slightly to look at you. His hands squeezed your sides and tickled your ribs, making you squeal. You put your hands on Chris’ stomach to push him away but decided to tickle his tummy instead.
“Hehey!” He yelped, stepping backwards and releasing you from his grip. He tilted his head and raised an eyebrow.
“So that’s how you wanna play…” he said. The playful tone in his voice made you giggle but also kicked in the instinct to turn on your heel and run.
Bad move.
Chris lunged at you, as you turned, and picked you up - spinning you in the air before lying you flat on the sofa. You shrieked.
“No Chris!” You pleaded as he sat next to you, trapping you between him and the back of the sofa. He cackled evilly and started squeezing your sides again. You shrieked and kicked your legs out.
Seb, Lizzie and Scar all shared a smile as they watched Chris tease you.
“Show me that smile,” he teased once more. You were going bright red in the face and tried to bat his hands away, but you couldn’t stop giggling.
“Hey Chris, I think it may be in here,” Seb said. Before you realised what was about to happen, Seb had placed his fingers in the crook of your neck and started wiggling them.
“WAIHIHIHIT! You cried, not expecting Sebastian Stan to join in. You scrunched up your shoulders, trapping his hands in your neck, and shrieked.
“Wow, Chris, you’re right. She’s super ticklish!” He teased. Your face turned ruby red as you twisted and turned on the sofa.
“NOHO I’M NOHOHOT!” You cried.
“Oh yes you are,” Seb said. His hands trailed down to underneath you and started tickling your shoulder blades. The noise you made was different to any other you had ever made before.
“Whoa, I think you found a bad spot,” Chris laughed. He started squeezing and spider tickling your tummy and you let out a scream. You kicked your legs frantically as your arms waved around trying to stop the attacks.
“Girls, we need your help!” Seb said. Scarlett and Lizzie looked at each other and laughed. Scarlett got up and approached you.
She positioned herself next to Chris and gently fluttered her fingers over your kicking feet. No one had you pinned so you were free to twist and kick as much as you liked, but as soon as you twisted from one pair of hands you fell right into another.
“Does this tickle Y/N? Does it? Tickle tickle tickle!” Chris teased, now spider tickling your waistline.
“STOHOHOHP SAHAHAYING THAT!” You cried.
“Oh but you’re so fun to tease!” Chris said, laughing evilly.
Lizzie looked over at Chris and narrowed her eyes. Then, a thought hit her. She slowly crept up behind Chris before lunging at him, sitting on top of him so he was pinned to the floor. She wasted no time in shoving her hands under his armpits and wiggling her fingers.
“WHAHAHAT THE HEHEHELL?! AHAHAHAHA!” Chris yelled, taken aback by the sudden attack.
Seb and Scarlett instantly stopped tickling you so you could all watch the action unfold.
“Does this tickle Chris? Does it? Tickle tickle tickle!” She cooed, repeating his own teases. He thrashed below her and boomed out a laugh. You started giggling too.
“I’ve got him, Y/N. Come and get your own back,” she said, turning her head to wink at you. You jumped off the sofa and basically slid over to him.
“Do any of you know his worst spot?” You asked.
“His ears. Get the spot just behind the right one and flutter your fingers over the top of his left one and you’ll have him a babbling mess below you,” Seb said...a little too quickly.
You grinned at him. Lizzie stopped tickling but kept her hands positioned under his arms. You followed Seb’s instructions and, before you knew it, Chris was a babbling mess on the floor. A mix of squeals, giggles and high pitched laughs came out of him as he twisted his head from side to side. Every time he tried to lift his arms to stop you, Lizzie would tickle his armpits and he’d slam them back down again.
“Cootchie cootchie coo, Chris…” you teased. Your heart did somersaults at the sound of his precious laugh.
All of a sudden, Chris let out a booming laugh and jolted his body. You looked up and found Seb trapping one of Chris’ feet with one hand and using the other to scrape up and down his sole. Seb looked at you.
“His feet are his second worst,” he informed you.
You and Lizzie were too distracted by Seb tickling Chris’ foot that neither of you noticed him lifting up his arms. Because you were sitting right next to him, he managed to grab you and pull you over his torso. He held you close to him as his hand trailed up and down your back and sides. You shrieked loudly and bucked your body.
“CHRIHIHIHIS NOHOHOHO!” You cried.
Seb stopped tickling Chris and instead made a lunge for your foot, trapping it in the same way and raking his fingers up and down it. You burst into a loud laughter.
“Oh dear, we really are trapped now aren’t we?” Scarlett teased. She shoved her hands between you and Chris and started tickling both your tummies at the same time. You both shrieked loudly. Lizzie giggled and decided to join Chris in tickling your sides and back. Chris was giggling below you but you were screaming and shrieking before falling into a silent laughter. You hid your face in Chris’ torso and jolted your whole body. They all took this as the sign to stop.
You lay on top of Chris, getting your breath back. He was still giggling which made you giggle more.
“You okay?” He asked, now stroking your hair. You nodded and placed your head on his chest.
“You passed the initiation,” Seb said. You lifted your head and looked at him, brows furrowed.
“What?” You asked.
“You passed the initiation. You got through our torture without murdering us,” he laughed. You got off of Chris and sat on the floor, still giggling. Chris sat up too.
“You’re officially one of us now. That will never change,” he said, pulling you in for a cuddle. “And tomorrow, I promise, I will sort out this mess. Darren will never treat you so badly again, I promise.”
“Just don’t ever clean the set again,” Seb teased. You scoffed and playfully punched him, making him laugh.
Seb, Scarlett and Lizzie shuffled forward and all four cast members engulfed you in a massive hug. You felt so safe and secure, all of your worries left you for that evening.
Tomorrow is a new day.
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fruitcoops · 3 years
Text
Two of A Kind
I’ve been focusing on asks a lot lately because of everyone’s awesome ideas, but I saw a Cut video that was similar to this and just couldn’t resist. Hope you enjoy! Sweater Weather credit goes to @lumosinlove!
TW for mentions of sex and endless simping!
“Are you ready?” Marlene asks behind the camera. Kasey sits alone on a stool in the middle of the room, drumming his fingers on his knees.
“Yep. What am I doing again?”
The video cuts, revealing the same room, this time with James Potter on the stool. “You’re going to be answering a few questions,” Marlene explains. “And then we’re also going to be interviewing your wife and comparing your answers.”
“Oh, God,” James laughs. “Okay, hit me with your best shot.”
A title card appears on the screen. First Question: What was your first date?
Remus thinks for a moment. “Like, our first official date, or something that was definitely a date but we were both too dumb to notice?”
“Kasey took me to an ice rink,” Natalie says. She is inexplicably sitting on a folding chair rather than the stool. “We spent about three hours there, drinking cocoa and talking. It was a ton of fun!”
“Ice skating.” Kasey grins. “She told me she could skate, but she had never stepped on the ice in her life.”
“It was at Sid’s.” Sirius smiles to himself. “We had been together for about three months at that point.”
“Remus asked us to define ‘first date’,” Marlene says, sounding amused.
“Is there a different definition that I’m not aware of? We hung out at Sid’s a bunch before we actually got together, but those didn’t qualify as dates.” He pauses. “Looking back, they kind of were dates. We just didn’t know it.”
The video transitions to Lily and James, whose interviews are lined up side-by-side. “Lily took me to get ice cream after we went for a walk in the park,” James answers with a bright smile.
Lily laughs. “Our first date was a disaster. It was twenty-five degrees outside and we got ice cream. I think our brain freezes lasted about three straight minutes, but I had a great time.”
Second Question: When and where was your first kiss?
“Our first kiss happened on our first date,” Natalie says. “Kase caught me when I fell over and I just leaned right in.”
Kasey’s dopey smile makes his eyes crinkle. “At the ice rink. It felt like something out of a movie.”
Lily frowns in thought. “Oh, god, maybe our sixth date? He dropped me off at my apartment and kissed me goodnight.”
“I pulled a move straight from a John Hughes movie.” James grins and stretches his arms out. “Walked her to the door and everything. It was perfect.”
“Pascal Dumais’ basement,” Sirius says with a light laugh. “Which is a surprisingly romantic place.”
“It happened right after Sirius’ birthday party, which I was tricked into attending.” Remus gives the camera a mock-serious look. “Always be suspicious of Pascal Dumais. Always.”
Third Question: Who said ‘I love you’ first, and what was your reaction?
Sirius bites his lip. “I said it first, but only by two seconds. It was a long time coming, to be honest.”
“Sirius said it first.” Remus smiles at the memory. “We were both kind of wrecks at the time, but it was…amazing. I think I just cried harder and kissed him.”
Lily rolls her eyes fondly. “James said it first. We were both super drunk and he just blurted it out in the middle of the club.”
“She ran away!” James practically shouts as the video cuts to him. “I told her I loved her, she gave me this shocked look, and then disappeared! I get a text an hour later saying she caught a cab and went home, and she signs it with ‘love, Lily’. What the fuck was I supposed to do with that?”
Natalie coughs slightly. “Um, I don’t remember who said it first.”
Kasey grins at the camera. “Natalie said she didn’t remember,” Marlene calls.
“Oh, she remembers.”
Fourth Question: How’s your sex life? Anything you can do differently?
Sirius, who was taking a sip of water, chokes. “Excuse me?”
Remus is dead silent for a second, blinking at the camera in shock. “It’s, uh, good.”
“If we gave you some alcohol, would your answer change?” Marlene asks.
“Probably. Does anyone else feel like they’re suddenly in danger?”
“What sex life?” James snorts. “We have a baby. There is no time or energy for anything anymore.”
Lily raises an eyebrow. “You think I want him anywhere near me after I just shoved a baby out of my crotch?”
“It’s damn good.” Natalie winks, uncapping her own waterbottle. “Pro tip for anyone looking for a hockey boyfriend: go for the goalies. They’re flexible.”
Kasey is laughing into his hands when his interview appears. “She said that?” he manages. “Oh, Christ.”
Fifth Question: Do you dirty talk?
“Yes.” Kasey and Natalie say at the same time. James winks, and Lily shrugs with a sly smile.
Remus gives the camera crew a disbelieving look. “Are all the questions like this? Were we lulled into a false sense of security?”
“Answer the question, Loops!”
Remus sighs deeply. “On occasion, yes. I’m going to regret saying that.”
“Wouldn’t you like to know,” Sirius says, narrowing his eyes as he sets his water down.
Sixth Question: How well do you sleep?
“Not bad,” Remus says. “Better than I used to, that’s for sure.”
“I don’t sleep,” Lily scoffs. James just looks at the camera and wordlessly gestures to the shadows under his eyes.
“Pretty well,” Natalie muses, slinging one arm around the back of her folding chair.
Sirius nods. “I’d say I sleep well most nights. It’s more comfortable with another person, which was surprising.”
Seventh Question: Why do you feel obligated to share a bed?
“Obligated?” Sirius and Remus say with matching tones of incredulity.
Lily’s smile becomes softer. “I really like sharing a bed. It makes me feel safe.”
“Oh, I love sleeping next to Lily.” James’ gaze turns dreamy. “She smells nice, she’s so warm, and sharing a bed makes childcare much easier when the other person is within reach.”
“You can’t tell her I said this, okay?” Kasey looks around at the camera crew before answering, and his cheeks turn light pink. “Nat’s side of the bed faces east, so if I get up for practice and the sun is rising, she glows a little bit. I dunno, I like it.”
“Kasey is really warm and cuddly.” Natalie says after a moment of thought. “He’s like my own personal heater and I’m never cold if he’s there. Don’t tell him I said that.”
Remus bites his lip before speaking. “I’m not much of a cuddler, but I sleep better next to Sirius than I ever have before. It’s incredible.”
Sirius cocks his head to the side with a smile. “Hmm. Having someone there to hold, especially someone I care about so much, is the best feeling. If I ever wake up in the middle of the night, he’s just…always there.” He half-shrugs. “It’s sappy, but it’s true.”
Eighth Question: Rate your attractiveness on a scale of 1-10
“Eleven,” Lily and Natalie say in unison, as if it’s obvious.
“I’m going with a solid six,” Remus decides after a moment’s deliberation.
“Eight, maybe?” Kasey answers.
Sirius makes a face. “Six? Seven?”
James is mid-laugh when the video cuts to him. “Um, seven. Lily and I have talked about this before and I got in trouble for saying ten, that’s why I’m laughing. Sorry.”
Ninth Question: Rate your partner’s attractiveness on a scale of 1-10
Not a single one hesitates. “Ten.”
“Remus said he was a solid six,” Marlene says as the camera focuses on Sirius.
His eyebrows shoot up. “What? Where is he? Re!”
“What?” a distant voice shouts back.
“You’re a ten!”
“On what scale?”
“Nat said eleven, didn’t she?” Kasey asks with a grin as the clip changes. “I love it when she does that.”
Final Question: What animal is your partner and why? Give three reasons.
Lily gives Marlene a hard look. “Marley, I love you, but what I say right now needs to stay confidential from my husband.”
Sirius laughs quietly. “Oh, he’s going to hate me for this.”
“Lily is a lioness,” James says immediately. “She’s strong, fierce, and unbelievably brave.”
Natalie tilts her head. “Good question. I’m going to go with a bear, since he’s got a big, tough reputation but he’s all soft inside. He’s a pretty solid guy, too, and he likes cold weather.”
“Nat is one of those really colorful birds,” Kasey says. “The ones with big personalities and the pretty feathers.”
“James is a lion.” Lily thinks for a moment longer. “It’s not just that he plays for the Lions, but he really is one of the bravest people I know. He’s protective of his family and cares a lot about keeping everyone together.”
Remus grins at the camera. “Sirius is a dog, and I will happily tell you why. Number one: he loves going for walks. Number two: he is endlessly loyal to the people he cares for. Number three: peanut butter.”
“So, Re is either a cat or a dog, and I really can’t choose.” Sirius’ eyebrows draw together in thought.
“You can choose both if you have reasons,” Marlene calls behind the camera.
“Really? Alright, he’s a dog because he’s friendly, loyal, and brings people trinkets as gifts. Um, I don’t have a legitimate reason for the cat one, but do any of you know that one vine with the cat that’s being dragged around on a leash?”
The camera crew bursts out laughing, and a small picture of the cat appears in the upper left of the screen.
“Anyone who has tried to pick Remus up knows that he looks exactly like that. Goes completely limp, it’s the funniest fucking thing.”
The video cuts to Remus, who raises his eyebrows. “He said what?”
The title card appears and Marlene’s voiceover begins. “Thanks for watching, Lions! Special thanks to Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, James and Lily Potter, Natalie Darcy, and Kasey Winter for being with us today. Like and subscribe for more!”
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migilini · 3 years
Text
Not So Secret Anymore - Charlie Gillespie
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summary: It’s hard to hide a relationship from the public, particually when both work on the same show.
words: 2.5k
warnings: fluff
a/n: not my fave but i still somehow like it.
Requests are open :)
MASTERLIST
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September
"When do we have our first interview?" you asked the boy whose head was in your lap. He looked up from his phone and your eyes locked with his green ones "Hmm, my calendar says in about 30 minutes."
You groaned at that and stopped playing with Charlie's hair which earned you a grunt and whine from him. "Sorry babe but I think I have to go, so I still have time to get ready and set up." You muttered and gave him a small kiss on his brown hair.
"Uhh fine." The weight lifted from your legs, you stood up and before you knew it you were thrown over his shoulder. Laughing, you slapped his butt and back repeatedly. "Babe! I mean it" you tried to press out between giggles, "we both decided to keep us a secret." He sat you down on the kitchen isle and cornered your body in between his arms, standing right in front of you, you're back hitting the kitchen cabinet.
"I know... come back later?" he asked and tilted his head, looking at you with big puppy eyes. "You know it." After a swift kiss, or rather a little make out session, you were on your way back to your own appartement. Just in time to change your top and put on a lip-gloss before opening your laptop and joining the interview.
"Hello everybody! I'm here with the cast of Netflix' Julie and the Phantoms that came out on Thursday. How are you guys?" the interviewer asked and smiled into the camera of his laptop. The whole cast chirped in with a good, great, or amazing.
"That's fantastic!" he clapped his hands "Now, Jeremy, how would you describe your Character and the show in general?"
"It's a show about ghosts from 1995 who come back 25 years later and join a band with Julie who didn't sing a note after her mother died. Reggie, the character that I play, is one of those ghosts and he is a loveable himbo. Did I use that word correctly Maddie?"
Maddie smiled and the interviewer changed the topic "Madison and y/n, birds have told me that this was your first ever acting job is that right?"
You nodded and signaled Maddie to speak first "Yes, and it was both amazing and traumatizing! I was so nervous, but the crew really helped to calm me down, especially y/n who just was in the same position as me, so we freaked out together most of the time." She smiled and the interviewer waited for you to answer. "Except, Maddie had a least some acting training at school, that's why she is the best. I more or less walked into the whole situation." You said laughing.
"I love this story." Jeremy exclaimed, making you slightly blush at his words.
"Would you be so kind and tell us?" the interviewer questioned and smiled at your little nod.
"Yes, yes of course. Well, I was on vacation with one of my good friends from back home..."
"She means Germany." Owen interrupted with a smile on his lips. "Yes, Owen. Thank you for adding important details. Anyways, we saw that there was an Open Audition nearby and though why not? We don't have anything to lose or to do on that particular day. And here I am, my friend sadly didn't get in."
"That really is an amazing story, I can see why Jeremy likes it so much. So, Charlie how would you describe y/n's and Luke's characters, she wasn't supposed to be in the script and was later added in right?" Charlie quirked up at the mention of your name and stated proudly. "Indeed, she impressed Kenny so much that he wrote a character just for her. He thought that Sunset Curve, the band name before we died, needed a female to handle their chaos or well... at least tries to. Y/N plays Allie, who against common speculation isn't any of the boys' love interest which is a very nice turn of events. She and Luke bud head a lot because Luke only thinks about music and the band and she tries hard to make him take breaks every now and then." 
A lovesick smile sat on your face while you listened to your boyfriend of nearly a year, once you realized your expression you quickly shook it off. Hiding this relationship was definitely going to be harder than expected.
The Interviewer asked some more questions before the last and dreaded question was thrown your way. "So, most of your fans are wondering if any of you guys are in a relationship." You and Charlie had discussed a million times before what you guys would say in such a moment, the two of you shared a look.
Jeremy's eyes switched from Charlie's box on his screen to y/n's before answering "I have a lovely wife! The rest of us are happily single, right guys?"
"100%" Maddie added, while Owen only shrugged, his dog conveniently jumping into his lap.
"How about the other two?" he eyed up the last remaining.
"Very single" Charlie laughed, and you agreed "Totally."
As time went on it was harder and harder for the two of you to hide the relationship, as you two spent nearly every day together and therefore did the same activities. Particularly after your social media accounts have gained over a million followers and people started to ship actors and tv show characters. But you two loved the little secret bubble you've created, there was no pressure to take good pictures together, or to post stories, to be asked a thousand questions about your relationship and no hate towards any of you.
December
It has been 4 months since the show released and the hype it got definitely was way more than you ever expected. It blew your mind. Currently, you are on Charlie and yours one-year anniversary / Christmas / good deeds vacation. Charlie and you found a good mix, that made you both happy, between chilling and doing adventurous things.
It was Christmas eve and Maddie wanted to do a 'guess the song Christmas Edition' with the main cast. Eagerly you agreed and hurried from the beach, where Charlie currently took the quiz at the bar you both sat on just minutes before, to your shared bedroom. You shot Maddie a quick text that you were 'out of the relationship zone' and ready when she was ready.
"Helloooo. How did the others do?"
"Not the worst but I still have faith in you to win this. ARE YOU READY?" she screamed the last part.
“I’m going to read you the lyrics of a christmas song and you have to guess the next line. There are certain cards that give one point and others give two. Whoever has the most points at the end…”
“Hopefully get your earrings” you asked with a sly smile and your shoulders raised.
Maddie laughed but shook her head “Sadly, no. I haven't figured out the price yet, but I for sure will! I like your backdrop by the way.” she added and you quickly looked behind you. You sat crisscrossed on the hotel room floor, you used the coffee table and a water bottle as a phonestand and used a white checkered wall as a background to try and hide the fact that you didn't sit in your living room.
January
“This should be the last box.” you cheered into the empty hall and shut the front door with a light push from your hip. Charlie popped his head out of the bedroom and walked over to, dropping his head on your shoulder in exhaustion. Nothing was set up, boxes stood randomly all over the apartment, the fridge stood there still empty and a lonely mattress covered the bedroom floor.
“The walls look a bit bare don't you think?” you said about a week later, standing in the middle of the now a bit furnished living room. Strong arms sneaked their way around your waist and a head dropped on your shoulder.
“Hmm… you're right. What do you have in mind?” Charlie said and turned you around so you were facing him. He smiled at the spark in your eyes “I was thinking, a yellow akzent wall with random secondhand pictures and some pictures of us, all in frames of course. So it's gonna have this homey and creative atmosphere.” You rambled on for a while longer, telling him where you think his instruments could go, the pillows you saw online and thought they worked perfect with the colour of the couch. Charlie just stared at you, a dumb smile on his lips with his arms around you.
“Do you not like it?” you noticed that he hasn't talked for a while and got worried. “I love it. We could live in a dumpster for all I care, as long as I have you by my side.” You fake gaged at his romantic words and gave him a kiss.
The first time people got really suspicious was the time you accidentally walked in on a live he had on Instagram. He sat in front of his instruments, phone propped up before him. You thought that he was already finished but you were wrong.
“Do you think this…” you walked into the room, a shirt in your hand that you just took out of the dryer and lost your words the moment you saw him sitting in front of his phone. He looked at you with wide eyes, his brain clearly searching for a good excuse. 
“Is that y/n?” he read outloud from the chat, gesturing you do sit next to him. “Yes it's her! We’re hanging out and she helped me with my washing because I somehow still don't know how to do it.” he laughed nervously, his hand grabbing yours out of the frame.
“He promised me food and I live really close by, so I thought I'll help this poor man out.”
May
Looking back at this moment now, you and Charlie weren't sure why you just didn't come clean. You didn't mean to hide the relationship this long, it just kinda happened and at one point it just got too awkward to tell. It was fairly easy to hide most of the time, you didn't most that much on instagram and Charlie only showed parts of his daily life.
The easiest was the time you filmed JATP Season 2. You were expected to hang out and live together. Back in 2019 you already lived with Owen and Charlie. This time poor Owen had to live with a couple instead of just two friends. (You were already dating for a while back then but didn't tell the cast, to not make a fuss.)
It wasn't like the fans didn't suspect a thing, especially after Owen posted a video of you two fooling around. 
Everybody sat outside, enjoying the everwarming sun on their skin. Half of the cast was already in costume just waiting for the break to end. In typical Allie (your character) fashion you wore an overall with a tight tank top underneath, your makeup stood out from the others with the heavy blush, freckles and black eyeliner. 
Charlie, in his Luke wardrobe, thought that it was funny to stand in front of you to shield you from the sun.
"Stop that" you whined and tried to shove him away, which was harder than you thought considering he stood before you and you sat on a bench.
"Make me." He flirted and stood even wider before you, puffing out his chest. Raising an unimpressed eyebrow, you stole his beany with a swift motion. His expresion quickly changed from cocky to shocked, snickering was heard from Maddie who was used to this type of behaviour.
"Ups… heavy wind blows in the shadows." You explained nonchalantly and pulled the beany on your head, sticking your tongue out at your boyfriend.
"Oh it's on my lady" he growled "I'm giving you a three second advantage. One…" your eyes widened and your heart rate picked up. "Two…" you got up and scanned the place internally making a good running line. "Th-.." you began sprinting across the lot. You heard the laughing from your castmates behind you as you and Charlie ran in circles. 
Unfortunately, he was still fitter and faster than you and about a minute into the running he had you thrown over his shoulder.
"Surrender!" he screamed as you tried to wiggle out of his grip.
"Never!" You screamed back and wiggled even harder.
"Surrender or i'll have to tickle you" he warned and those were the last words Owen was able to film before a producer yelled that the break was finished.
February
“Baby, if I would believe this News Article, you have a secret girlfriend, but it's not me.” you showed him your phone screen.
“I’m not cheating on you. I would never, i'd die rather than…” his frantic expression made you snort. “I know. Oh my god! People saw you with Lia.” you held his hands comfortably.
“Lia as in your best friend Lia?”
“The one and only. People noticed the hickeys... At least they’re getting closer now. So are we still on for the masterplan? You by instruments and I'm gonna sit in the bedroom?" He nodded and smiled at the sight of your equally plastered neck. 
Eventually, before you even were able to execute the as you'd like to say 'masterplan' your relationship got outed. I mean it was time, the two of you getting lazier with the hiding as time went by. 
Fans noticed that you wore a lot of Charlie's things and that you and him always seemed to be at the same place at the same time. It was actually one of your lives that spilled the secret. 
"That's a really nice akzent wall" you read outloud from the chat "oh thank you! It was a long process to get all the pictures but it was actually Charlie's idea to not only have pictures but also plane tickets, date memories and so on hung up on that wall. It really makes it homey. I think to get that wall this crowded it took us...what? About well since we moved in…" you didn't even realise what you said you just babbled and then it was out.
"Charlie actually is home! I could call him. Babe! Come here for a sec- oh my god!" Your hands flew up to your mouth in realizion. 
From that moment on you were public and your social media exploded once again. However the two of you were happy to finally show each other off.
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pastelwitchling · 3 years
Text
Malex Happily Ever After chapter 114 sequel
Part One.
“Yeah,” Alex said into his phone, rubbing his eyes with his other hand. It was noon, but he hadn’t slept all night, consumed instead with his work at the base, his work in dismantling Project Shepherd, his breakup with Forrest, and his desire to talk to Michael about it all.
He had no idea why. It wasn’t like Michael was usually the epitome of comfort, but . . . Alex always thought, stupidly, that once Michael and Maria had ended things, and he and Forrest ended things, and they were both single again, that they would find their way back to each other. But Michael was keeping distance between them and smirking at Alex’s words every now and then, and it just felt a lot like being back where they started.
He plopped down on his couch and hung his head back to stare at the ceiling as Liz kept talking in his ear. She was saying a lot about the lab and bloodwork and finally finding Mr. Jones. Alex was tired, but he kept up fine. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw the duffel bag lying halfway under the couch. The duffel bag he’d packed so many months ago when leaving and never coming back had felt like running away. He’d thrown in a few more things over the past year, and constantly found himself looking to it, just barely having forgotten that it was there.
He stopped listening to Liz, thinking about taking that duffel bag now, throwing it in his car, and just driving. It didn’t feel like running away anymore. He’d tried as hard as he could to be with Michael, and now he found himself along again, feeling worse than ever. Because now he knew Michael had loved somebody else. He knew Michael had tried, but not for him.
Alex pinched the bridge of his nose as Liz went on, ending with the question, “So you think you can come by and check it out?”
Alex shook his head. “Er – sorry, come where?”
“Michael’s bunker,” she said. “That’s where we’re testing the serum. No one’s studied the Project Shepherd reports like you have, I’m thinking if anyone can look at the side-effects of the serum and tell us whether or not they match what was done to the prisoners, then –”
“Right,” Alex shut his eyes, not wanting to hear any more about Project Shepherd and the horrible things they’d done. All the things that Michael was still punishing him for by keeping a distance. “I’m on my way.”
Alex did not move for several long minutes, staring instead at the duffel bag. He probably should’ve taken it and left, but hope was annoying that way, and even though a part of him still clung to the idea that he and Michael would end up together, the bigger part growled that if it was going to take this long, and force Alex to endure seeing Michael with anybody else for even a second, then maybe eventually ending up together just wasn’t worth it.
When he finally got to Michael’s bunker, he couldn’t help but remember when Michael had locked that door behind Alex the last time they’d argued in there. Michael never chased after him, and he was just so sick of waiting for him to do it.
He groaned inwardly and rubbed his eyes. Seriously, he thought. What was wrong with him today? He should just be glad the airstream was back in the junkyard. It had gotten really difficult avoiding the Wild Pony for a while.
He made it down the ladder easily enough, and tossed his backpack on the table next to where Michael was working. Michael looked up at him through his glasses and tilted his chin up in silent greeting. Alex was too tired to pretend like that was remotely satisfying, and without responding turned to Liz.
“Hey,” Liz said happily.
“Hi,” Alex crossed his arms. “What’d you want me to take a look at?”
“Well,” Liz handed him some reports, “we wrote down all of the results of the serum.”
“On whom, may I ask?” Alex raised his brow as he took them. “Who was your test subject this time? Max again?”
Instead of answering, Liz’s eyes traveled over to Michael who, until Alex turned to look at him, had been staring at Alex with a pinch in his brows. Alex’s shoulders sagged.
“Tell me you didn’t.”
He shrugged, his smirk humorless. His mask was up again. “We had to get results quick and I was already here.”
“I told you I didn’t want you being experimented on,” Alex argued.
“Mom did it,” he said. “Guess I wanted to see what the big deal was.”
Alex tensed, and Michael’s smirk fell away.
“Yeah, okay.” He took the last of the files and turned to leave.
“Alex, w-wait –”
“Do whatever you want, Guerin,” Alex said. “I’m done trying to talk you down.”
“Alex, come on!” But it was too late. Alex had made it up the ladder and patted his clothes down, heading over to his car. His jaw was clenched and his eyes burned and a suffocating weight sat on his chest, but he walked ahead.
Of course. Of course, Michael would ignore his concerns, of course he’d want to show Alex just how little value his words carried. You’re not her, so I don’t care what you ask me to do. You don’t matter as much as she did, so I don’t care if you worry. You’re not worth trying for, why would you be worth listening to?
“Stop, Private!” Michael caught his arm and turned him around. He still had his glasses on, but he was panting. Eager to ease his guilt, Alex knew, nothing more. When he saw Alex’s face, his own fell. “Are you – are you crying?”
“No,” Alex turned away, wiping his face furiously. Michael stood there, eyes wide, like he never expected to see Alex cry. Oh screw it. “Yes!” Another tear fell, and he didn’t bother wiping it away. “Okay? Yes, I’m crying.”
“B-Because I took a needle?”
“Oh, Guerin, no, it’s not just because of that!” He paced to the end of the airstream and back, then again. He looked up at Michael’s house, and couldn’t help but remember the way it sat so close to the Wild Pony. Because Michael just had to be close to Maria. Alex couldn’t remember Michael ever so much as following him two feet, but he followed Maria?
He came back to stand in front of Michael, his breaths short and painful. “I’ve had a bag ready since I found your damn airstream at the Wild Pony parking lot. I was going to go, and I wasn’t going to come back. I’ve had it ready since you started dating Maria, since Forrest and I broke up, and I still can’t bring myself to just take it and go. I was terrified something would happen to you if you put that damn crap in your veins, and I didn’t want you to end up like the prisoners in Caulfield. You ignored the one thing I asked you to do with a smile on your face like you think it’s funny that I’m scared, and I still can’t just pick up that stupid bag. It’s unfair, Guerin!”
His lower lip trembled, and he looked away, covering his eyes with his hand. “You can move on and love someone else so freaking easily, and I can’t, and it’s so unfair.”
They stood there for a long time, nothing but the wind whistling in their ears and Alex’s quiet cries. Liz seemed to have the good sense to stay in the bunker. Then Michael suddenly came up behind Alex, and wrapped his arms around him tightly.
“Baby,” Michael breathed against the shell of his ear. “I – I didn’t know, Alex,” he whispered, his voice full of pain. “I thought you didn’t care, I thought you wanted me to stay away. I – I was just holding onto easy, no one ever came close to you. I swear, I thought you didn’t want me anymore . . .”
Alex tried to process all of that. Michael sounded sincere, though maybe that was only because Maria had been the one to end things. That’s right, a bitter voice sounded. She ended things. Not him. After he told her he loved her. Then she ended it.
It occurred to Alex then that maybe Michael was holding onto him for a completely different reason.
A disbelieving, miserable chuckle left his lips, and Michael faltered. Alex brought Michael’s hands down. “Just stop it, Guerin,” he said hoarsely, his throat raw. “I already gave you my word that I’d help, I’m not going to stop just because I’m frustrated.” He shook his head, already walking back to his car. He had to get out of here. “You don’t have to pretend to care about me anymore. You’ll still get what you want.”
Before Alex could take in Michael’s shattered expression or read into it, he got in his car, turned it on, and drove away, needing to put as much distance between the man he loved and himself.
 Alex woke slowly to the sun just rising. He was surprised he’d made it up so late, but after working through the files last night, he’d passed out just at sunset. He supposed misery, anguish, and a couple of nights of no sleep in a row really put a person out.
He spotted the files on his desk and laid sideways on his bed for a while. He didn’t think he could get back into the nightmares of his family’s past before a good cup of coffee. He stuffed half his face into his pillow and thought of his conversation yesterday with Michael, how unwilling he’d been to eat or drink or do much of anything besides get to work and be useful afterwards. The memory robbed him of even his comfort in bed.
He forced himself up, and when he was washing up in the bathroom, he thought he heard a rustling somewhere outside, but when he turned the faucet off and listened, he didn’t hear anything. Deciding his exhaustion might be making him imagine things that weren’t there, Alex finished up, grabbed his crutches, and made himself a steaming cup of coffee.
He sat down on his couch and rested back, staring at the ceiling. Once again, his eyes fell to the duffel bag halfway hidden. He imagined, yet again, grabbing it now, getting in his car, and driving away without ever coming back. The thought did not make any part of him any happier than he felt now.
There was nothing but the tree branches rustling in the wind, the birds chirping to one another at the morning sun, wheels on gravel in his backyard –
Alex faltered in his thoughts and picked his head up, his brows pinched. He listened closely, and this time, there was no mistaking it; there was someone in his backyard.
“What the hell?” he murmured and set his coffee cup down before grabbing his crutches. He stepped into his backyard, not knowing what he would find (after all, Roswell was a small town, and people were usually good about not bothering military around here), and stopped.
There, behind his circular tables and chairs, was Michael’s airstream. Michael stepped out, wiping his hands on a towel, and smiled at Alex.
He came to stand a foot away from him, his hands twitching at his sides as if eager to reach out and touch. “Can I kiss you good morning?”
Instead of answering, Alex asked, “Guerin, what is this?”
Michael’s smile widened, and he took that as the permission he needed before he closed the distance between them, taking Alex’s face in his hands and kissing his lips both deeply and softly at the same time. He pulled away with a deep sigh, pressing their foreheads together, his eyes closed, as if he could finally breathe.
“I love you,” he whispered, letting his hands fall down Alex’s neck, his shoulders, his arms, and staying on his waist, gripping tightly. “I missed you so much.”
Alex’s eyes started to flutter, but before he could fall into whatever wonderland being around Michael pulled him into, he swallowed and took a step back.
“Why’s your trailer here?” he asked. “What’s going on?”
Michael looked like he hated the distance between them just as much as Alex did, the mask of humor and indifference he usually wore completely gone.
“After Forrest,” he said, “I thought . . . I thought you were better off without me. I thought you wouldn’t want me when you’d already had someone . . . better.” He came closer to Alex, pleading with him to understand. “Alex, I thought you wanted me to stay away. And I was so terrified that I would get too close, and you would hate me, and tell me to leave and not come back. So I stayed a safe distance, and I hated every second of it.”
Alex shook his head. “Why?” he said, his voice breaking despite himself. “Why’d you try so hard for her?”
“It wasn’t for her,” Michael urged. “It was for me. I needed . . . easy. I needed not that bad. I had no idea what I was doing, I acted like Max, I . . .” he shook his head. “Private, I don’t even know who that person was. The only time I felt like myself, like I could actually be myself and still be loved was when I was with you.”
Michael huffed a shaky chuckle, and roughly wiped his face with one hand. “Besides,” he said, “I left that parking lot the next day.” He looked over his shoulder at his airstream as it sat beside Alex’s things, and smiled with such sincerity that Alex hadn’t seen on his face in too long. He looked back at Alex with bright eyes. “But I think this looks good here. Don’t you?”
Alex looked from the airstream to Michael, and he huffed a chuckle. A tear rolled down his cheek, and he sniffed and wiped it away. “I just needed you to show up at my front door.”
Michael laughed, pulling Alex in against him and hugging him tightly. As he buried his face in the crook of Alex’s neck, Alex took his chance to press his face to Michael’s shoulder and inhale his scent.
“I want to do more than show up,” Michael said against his skin. “I want to stay, Alex. I want to stay, please let me stay.”
Alex hugged Michael so closely that nothing could’ve fit between their bodies. He felt Michael’s heart race, Michael’s lips against his neck, Michael whimpering under his breath as he desperately pulled them closer and closer together.
Alex whispered, “Stay, Guerin. I want you to stay.”
***
If you enjoyed reading, even just a little bit, please comment and share/reblog, it always makes the world of a difference ❤
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starryse · 3 years
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Tent Bonding
Mingyu x Reader
Fluff, slight angst, implied sexual themes
1,663 words
Summary: it’s your annual camping trip with your friends, but there’s a change of plans this time around..specifically in love
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The woods that surrounded the small campsite went on for miles, the lights of the city seeming to be non-existent. Shades of orange and yellow in the sunset lit up the clearing, casting bright shadows off of the trees. You stood on the outskirts of the site, admiring the calm environment. It was a nice change compared to the busy city, the sounds of traffic replaced by the small chirps of birds and the scurrying of the animals running amongst the forest floor.
“Yah! Watch the food, that’s all we have!” Seungcheol’s sudden voice carried through the trees, scaring off the birds that had taken shelter on the branches. You turned your head over your shoulder, peering back at the scene behind you. Soonyoung held the basket of food close to his chest as he tripped over dirt piles and twigs, Seungcheol following close behind, his hands extended, in case Soonyoung fell- not that he was worried for his member, the food was his priority, of course.
You stifled a laugh, covering your mouth with your hoodie sleeve.
“Hey y/n, wanna help me set up the table?” Joshua appeared in front of you, a bag of appliances in hand. You nodded your head, following him to the large picnic table. The table was across from the tents a few of the boys were setting up, right in front of the fire pit that was poorly dug in the ground.
Joshua passed you one end of the dark blue tablecloth, unfolding the cloth over the middle of the table. Once spread to each corner, you taped the end pieces underneath the wooden table, not trusting the wind to keep it in place. Josh grinned, giving you a half-five, “easy peasy.”
You laughed, nodding with what he said, “just be glad we didn’t get tent set up-“
You both turned your heads, chuckling at the chaotic mess the boys were as they miserably set the tents up. One of the tents were lopsided, the other two not even put together quite yet. The cry’s and complaints were heard even across the clearing, the boys laying across the grass in frustration.
“Should we help them?” Josh spoke through giggles, his smile wide across his face
You contemplated your answer. It was highly entertaining watching the boys struggle, as they were so confident in the car. You could still hear their cocky remarks, “were men Y/n! We can put up a simple 2 step tent, okay. Have faith in your friends!” Plus, you were still pissed at Mingyu for acting like a douche over something as simple as you wanting to ride with Jeonghan to the site.
“I dunno, watching Mingyu struggle has been the highlight of my day so far, asshole deserves it from earlier.”
Joshua hummed, understanding why you were mad at the dark haired boy, “it is highly deserved”
“It is-“ you were cut off by the shout of Seungkwan, his voice echoing long after he finished talking.
“Hey you two!”
You and Joshua tensed. Seungkwan marched over, tent sticks in hand, “why are you standing here being useless while I work so hard to put up the tents?!”
Seungkwan held up his hand, shutting up Joshua very quickly, “I don’t wanna hear it, follow me”
You unwillingly followed the grumbling boy, watching as his hands flew left and right as he complained about “how lazy some people are”. Gripping your hand, Seungkwan tugged you to help setup with the left crew (composed of Mingyu, Seokmin & Chan), while Joshua was pulled to the right (Vernon, Seungkwan & Jeonghan).
You stumbled over the hammer that was carelessly lying about, earning a few snickers from Seokmin and Chan- though they immediately shut up when you stared them down.
Seokmin waved you over, patting the spot in the grass next to him, which happened to be right by Mingyu, “come sit, y/n! We need all the help we can get”
You could feel Mingyu’s eyes on you as you moved to sit down, though ignoring it didn’t do too much as your face heated up anyhow; whether that was from nerves or the fact you were still pissed at him, you wouldn’t know. Now you were a fumbling, pissy, mess as you turned your head to ask Chan a question, “Hey Channie?”
Chan hummed, his eyes quickly darting up to meet yours before he refocused on the tent,
“Who’s in what tent?”
That seemed to get his attention as he nervously slid his hand on the back of his neck, avoiding yours and Mingyu’s gaze as much as possible, “well we only have 3 tents, and they’re uh-“ he began to stutter, “pretty big, so we couldn’t fit anymore in the car-“
Oh you didn’t like where this was going.
Chan finally raised his head from anxiously toying with the grass in front of him, “but I figured I could squeeze in one of the small ones from last years trip-“
You cut him, a short sigh leaving your lips, “meaning Mingyu and I will be sharing one, right?”
Chan gulped, mumbling an mhm. Seokmin darted his eyes back and forth from you and Mingyu, who was currently chewing on the inside of his cheek, “that’s not a problem right? I mean, I can always stay with you, y/n-“
“No.”
Your eyes snapped in Mingyu’s direction, his lips in a thin line above his clenched jaw, “that won’t be necessary, they’re fine with me. Right, y/n?”
His eyes dashed to yours, not budging from their place. You quickly nodded in agreement, no clear words forming a response.
The sound of someone clearing their throat in front of you caused all 4 of yours heads to pop up, meeting the confused face of Seungcheol, “is everything okay here?”
A chorus of yeahs and mhms broke the awkward silence, Seungcheol casually shrugging it off with a pout, “anyways, it’s dinner time. We can finish these up afterwards”
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You had never been to such an awkward dinner. At least for you and the guy across from you it was.
The entire dinner was spent by ignoring Mingyu’s glances, or the few times he bumped your knee with his own. The other boys continued to laugh and wreak havoc as per usual, but you and Mingyu seemed to be in your own worlds.
You cleared your throat, catching Minghao’s attention next to you, “I think imma head to bed”. Minghao sympathized with you, he knew how close you and Mingyu were, and he hated seeing you two act as if you didn’t know one another.
“Alright, please try and work it out?” You could only budge a sad smile at him, muttering a quiet goodnight. He patted the small of your back as you got up, tossing your plate in the trash bag that was strung on the tree for you.
Meanwhile, Mingyu creeper mode was activated as he silently watched the encounter. He could feel the guilt eat away at his stomach, he hated when you were upset. And knowing he was the cause, was even worse. Minghao exchanged looks with him after you left, a silent agreement settling between the two as Mingyu trudged after you.
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When Chan said the tent was small, you forgot just how small he had meant.
The tent was barely big enough to fit a sleeping bag, let alone 2. Meaning you and Mingyu were to be up each other’s asses the rest of the night. Your shoulder deflated as you sighed, a disapproved look etched on your face.
You began to roll out the sleeping bag on the hard floor of the tent, adjusting it so it was as close to the wall as possible. With all the rustling of the bag as it slid around, you didn’t notice the sound of the tent unzipping. That is, until someone coughed right next to your ear.
You let out a sharp screech, body jumping out of its skin before you fell to the ground in shock. After you recovered from the almost heart attack, you whipped around to be with the sullen expression of Mingyu. His features resembled a puppy as his eyes were innocently looking into your own.
He moved to sit on his own sleeping bag he had set up earlier, “I’m really sorry for how I acted earlier, y/n”
You fell back onto your butt, sitting criss cross across from Mingyu. Your lip was hues of red and purple, your teeth had been gnawing on since he entered.
“I know”
Mingyu shook his head, a guilty look present in his eyes, “no, y/n. I shouldn’t have acted like that, you’re allowed to be friends with whoever you want” He paused, thoughts going haywire as he looked at you, Your face showed anger? sadness? He wasn’t sure, all he knew was he didn’t want to ever be the cause of them again.
Sucking in a breath, Mingyu quickly rambled, “I-I like you, Y/n- actually, no. I love it you”
Your heart stopped, pulse slowing down for a split second before rapidly speeding up, “w-what?” Your voice was soft, confused even.
Mingyu smiled, canines on full display. He shifted closer to you, smushing your face between his hands, “I love you y/n”
Before you could register what you were doing, you smashed your lips onto his, teeth clashing from the sudden push. Your cracked lips mixed with his own, the taste of the beer he had with dinner smothered the previous taste of champagne you had drank. Your brain was a fuzzy mess, and your stomach wasn’t so far off either.
You pulled back, a trail of saliva dripping onto your chin. Mingyu pulled his sleeve down, wiping it off, a sheepish grin etched on his face.
“I love you too”
Mingyu melted at your words, quickly reattaching his lips to yours. I think you know how the rest of the night went.
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omnivorousshipper · 3 years
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Hey Omni!! Happy Friday! This is kind of going off that F9 mini fic you posted 🤗 But what if that's how Dom found out about his family coming out! Either walking in on them or having a Shaw bring it up! Rowen, Rattie, Shobbs. Can you imagine! Practically no one in his family is straight 😂🥰🥰😘💕💕
Happy Friday friend! I love this! It's just too funny to think that Dom just doesn't know everyone around him isn't straight 🤣
~~~
Placing the plate of burgers done on the table, Dom glanced over at Ramsey. She had her hair in two puffballs and a giant smile on her face. She had sat down a while ago, texting up a storm and laughing whenever she got a response
Dom hadn't seen her smile that much before, maybe only when she succeeded in hacking into someone with ease
"Whoever you're texting must be great." Dom smirked at Ramsey, who snapped her head up and gave him a shy smile
"Yeah, she is."
Dom raised an eyebrow
"We've been talking for a few weeks now, and um..." Ramsey looked away, suddenly embarrassed
"What?"
"I'm thinking about asking her out." Ramsey mumbled
Dom blinked. He hadn't known Ramsey even liked women. Maybe that explained why she hadn't shown any interest in Roman or Tej
"Go for it." Dom told her
"Really?" Ramsey looked up at him with hopeful eyes. "Do you think she'll say yes?"
"She'd be stupid not to." Dom smiled at her and was glad to see Ramsey's large smile in return as her thumbs flew over her phone
He wasn't expecting Ramsey's new girlfriend to be Hattie Shaw when they showed up a month later
---
When Deckard had started bringing his little brother and sister around to the family bbqs, Dom hadn't been the happiest to see Owen
Luckily, the middle Shaw was great with the kids and apologized profusely to Mia. It had been hilarious to see her slap him and demand he do the dishes by himself
What Dom hadn't expected was Roman to start acting strange whenever Owen got close to him
There wasn't much bad blood between them. Roman had barely interacted with Owen since their crew had tried to take him down. So, why was Roman nervous around him?
After several cookouts, Dom noticed that both Owen and Roman had disappeared. Suspicious, Dom had gone in search of the two just in case Owen did something to Roman
What be wasn't expecting was Owent to be sitting on Roman's lap, kissing him with intense passion
"Ahem." Dom cleared his throat and smirked when he saw Roman jerk so badly, he smashed his and Owen's noses together
"Ro!" Owen hissed
"Sorry!" Roman said quietly but sent a sheepish look towards Dom
Shaking his head, Dom looked at them pointedly
"If any of the kids ask, you two get to give the birds and the bees talk."
With that, Dom turned on his heel and left the two men
He never would have guessed Roman was interested in guys
---
Looking around Luke's backyard, Dom was a bit surprised by all the food that was already set up on the large picnic table. Everything looked amazing
There was no way Luke had done this himself
"Looks great, Hobbs." Dom nodded in appreciation
"Thanks. But I have to say, it's mostly all because of Deckard."
"Deckard?" Dom frowned and looked at the other man. Everyone else was milling around and taking their seats at the table. He could see out of the corner of his eye Baby Brian trying to sit on two at once, mostly likely trying to save him a seat
"Yeah. Ever since he moved in, he's really been sprucing up the place. And cooking everything. The man could have been a professional chef."
"Really." Dom said and saw Deckard step out of the back door, holding yet another plate of food
Deckard was smiling widely as he greeted everyone. And if Dom looked closely enough, he could see a small gold ring on his finger
Glancing to Luke, Dom saw an identical ring
Was nobody in his family straight?
~~~
I hope you enjoyed friend!
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