the fundamental basis of a 'sams izzy' for me is that he has to be someone canon izzy looks at and thinks "... i could have had this?"

i dont think everything would have gone perfectly if izzy had gone with sam, but i do think maybe he would have been happier than our izzy is when we see him, and i want our izzy to see that and just... wonder. wonder if he made the right decisions. was he right to go with edward? is he happy with his life?

Laser-Like Focus - Chapter 5

Pairing:  Bucky x reader

Summary: You met Bucky while working with the Avengers. You fell in love and got married. One thing you had in common was to kill all members of HYDRA. Bucky for his known reasons, and you because they killed your parents in front of you when you were a little girl. Soon your focus on HYDRA pulled you and Bucky apart. He decided to leave the Avengers and after a long separation, sent you divorce papers. He comes back to get the signed papers, as he is about to get married again. But everything with you and Buck is an adventure.

Bucky felt his blood run cold as he ran in the direction of the second explosion. Where you just ran to. When he turned the corner there was rubble everywhere. “Y/N!” he called, with no answer. He continues to trek through the debris looking for any sign of you. His heart beating so fast in fear.

“Agent Y/L/N?!” he hears Jonah shout, as he also comes around the corner. Both men stop and stare at each other. “Shouldn’t you be protecting your girlfriend, or whatever?” Jonah spat at him as he went to walk past. Bucky grabbed his arm, “First of all, Melissa is my fiancé, and she is safe, and second of all, why is Y/N any concern of yours?” Bucky sneers.

Jonah pulls his arm away and continues past Bucky looking for you. Both men climb over a mountain of rubble and finally find you. You are partially pinned under a slab of concrete from a leveled building. “Y/N!” Bucky shouts before running up to you. “Buck? Jonah?” you question as both men come into your line of site. “Can someone help get me out of this?” you say looking at Bucky. He started to partially lift the concrete as Jonah pulled you from under your arms and gets you out from under the rubble. 

Before Bucky as a chance to look you over, Jonah sweeps you up into his arm and starts carrying you away. You look back at Bucky and give him a small smile, “Thanks Buck,” you say as Jonah climbs the mountain of debris. Bucky watches you both go and takes a deep breath. He hasn’t felt fear like that in awhile. It was terrible and exhilarating at the same time.

He quickly got himself out of rubble and ran back to Melissa who was sitting back at the command center. When she sees him she gets up and runs into his arms, hysterically crying. “Where did you go? I was so scared,” Melissa says. Bucky freezes, “I’m so sorry, honey. I didn’t think,” he says and he tightens his hold on her. He looks to the medical tent and sees you getting checked out, with Jonah sitting next to you, making you laugh.

He can’t help the jealousy he feels for a moment, but then he hears the sniffles from the woman in his arms and decides to not pay you attention. Once Melissa calms down, Bucky pulls her back and looks into her eyes. He sees she is scared and is considering calling the rest of the day off and taking her home. He shouldn’t be here anyway. But he wants to stay at the same time. He honestly has missed this.

“Melissa, I think you need to...” “Hey anyone want to go to the tower to regroup and eat?” Tony shouts, interrupting Bucky. Everyone, including you nod your head in agreement. “Alright Avengers, lets head over, Agents let us know of any update,” you say as you start walking toward Wanda and Natasha. Bucky looks at Melissa, “Do you want to go?” he asks. Melissa nods before snuggling into Bucky’s chest.

Back at the tower Bucky ran to shower off all the mud from the mission while everyone sets Melissa up with food. They start talking about all war stories of missions come and gone. Suddenly Bucky re-emerges, “Oh, food smells good,” he says with a smile, as the two of you almost walk into each other. You both dance around awkwardly for a moment before you stop. You quickly walked around Bucky and headed to your room to shower and check you bandages. 

Bucky sits across from Melissa and gives her a small smile as he listens to the war stories the team was telling. Sam shouts, “Remember Bucky that time you and Y/N ran after that head HYDRA guy. You guys went so off course that we were scared we would never find you,” he says with a laugh. Bucky chuckles, “Yeah, I just wanted to make sure she didn’t kill herself,” Bucky responds. 

“Why is she upset with these people?” Melissa asks. Everyone in the room goes quiet and sobers up. Melissa looks around wondering why everyone was staring at her, “Was that a bad question?” she asks. Bucky looks at her and shakes his head, “It’s... it’s not our story to tell, but they did something really bad to her years ago,” he says. She looks at him, “And why were you so obsessed?” she asks.

Tony drops his fork in surprise, “You don’t know about Bucky’s history?” he asks. Bucky glares at him, “She knows the basics,” he says to Tony before turning to Melissa, “HYDRA are the people that did this to me, “ he says raising his metal arm. Melissa’s eyes widen, “They... they are the ones who made you bad?” she asks. Bucky slowly nods, nervous of her reaction. Melissa takes a deep breath, “Ok, well I think they have what’s coming then,” she says.

--

You are brushing your hair into a ponytail after your shower. You have a new suit on, and feel so much better. There is a small knock and you turn to the door to see Nat, “Sound’s like old times in there,” she says with a small smile. You nod and look down, “it does,” you say quietly, “but it’s different. He is... different,” you say, trying to keep the tears in.

Nat walks closer to you, “Doesn’t sound so different to me. Didn’t look different when he ran after you,” she says with a smirk. “It feels different,” you say, a tear running down your cheek. “I pushed him away, and was too focused on what I wanted that I didn’t notice. Now he has her, and she supports him, and treats him so much better than me.” you sniff. “He doesn’t want me anymore,” you say.

Nat wraps you up into a tight hug, “But he is here,” she says quietly in your ear. “He is here, and there has to be a reason,” she says. You pull away and wipe your nose with your wrist. “To prove Jonah and everyone wrong. That he didn’t run away, that he chose to leave me,” you say. Nat gives you a sympathetic smile, “I know that’s what he said, but I don’t know if that’s the truth,” she says before leading you back out to the common room.

Bucky looks up as you both walk in and see your eyes are slightly bloodshot. He furrows his eyebrows in wonder what has you upset, but before he has a chance to check, Steve runs in, “Agent Miller just called in and said they spotted one of the informants, not too far from here,” he says. You all quickly jump up and run out to the waiting vehicles.

“Sam, can you bring Melissa to the command center and keep her safe?” he asks Sam. “Sure thing Tinman! Let me know if you guys need more air support, I will be on the comms,” Sam says. He leads Melissa to a separate truck after she gives Bucky a quick kiss goodbye. 

Bucky runs up after you and jumps in the front seat with you before you pull out and head to the area where the informant was seen.

--

Chapter 4 / Chapter 6

Reader finally understands what her actions did, but it’s too late. I’m allowing myself to feel bad for her. You don’t have to agree, but when you have such a focus on things, sometimes you don’t realize what you are doing. Feedback is appreciated.

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Story Taglist: @hommoturttle​ @adriannajackson @chipilerendi

The Captain’s Kid—

E.1: New World Order

The Falcon and The Winter Soldier FanFic

Main Masterlist — TCK Masterlist

Summary: We think of the after-life as a peaceful place. A place where there are no worries. When a girl comes back from the dead, so to speak, she has to find a new place in society— which ends up with her becoming a superhero. She’s been trained for the worst, but nothing could’ve prepared her for the things she was going to endure.

Word Count: ≈2k

Warnings: John Walker 🤢, minor cursing

A/N: The bold letters are the German translations

———————————————————————-

One Month Earlier…

“Steve represented the best in all of us: courageous, righteous… hopeful. And he mastered posing stoically.” The crowd laughed. Sam was giving a speech in Washington. Alyxandria was standing in the crowd next to James Rhodes. They were both in uniform.

“The world has been forever changed,” he continued. “A few months ago, billions of people reappeared after five years away, sending the world into turmoil. We need new heroes. One suited for the times we’re in. Symbols are nothing without the women and men who give them meaning. And this thing…” he picked up the shield, “I don’t know if there’s ever been a greater symbol. But, it’s more about the man who propped it up, and he’s gone. So, today, we honor Steve’s legacy, but also we look to the future.”

Sam turned his head to look at the poster behind him, which was Steve Rogers in the Captain America uniform. He spoke again, “Thank you, Captain America, but this belongs to you.” The crowd clapped. Alyxandria knew what was coming, and she wasn’t ready. She looked over to Rhodes; he knew it, too. Sam gave the shield to some guy with white gloves on and he took it and carefully placed it into a glass case to put it on display, with the help of another woman. And then they closed it.

Well, shit, Sam, she thought to herself.

——

“Ok, ok. I crossed a name off of my list of amends yesterday. Don’t worry, I used all your three rules. Senator Atwood; she was a HYDRA pawn for years. Helped her get into office when I was the Winter Soldier. And after HYDRA disbanded, she continued to abuse the power I gave her.”

“So, rule number one, you can’t do anything illegal.”

“All I did was give some intel to the aide to convict her, and I wasn’t involved in anything else.”

“Rule number two?”

“What was rule number two?”

“Nobody gets hurt. It’s a big one.”

“Then why isn’t it rule number one? I didn’t hurt anybody… I promise.”

“And what about rule number three?”

No answer came from Bucky. He was lost in his thoughts.

“The whole point of making amends is to fulfill rule number three.”

“You know, you’re a cynic, doc. Of course, I completed rule number three: I am no longer the Winter Soldier. I am James Bucky Barnes, and you are part of my efforts to make amends.” He finished with a smile.

“So, you did it all right, but it didn’t help with the nightmares,” Christina Raynor, James’ therapist, said.

“We’ll, like I said, I didn’t have any.” Doctor Raynor had an unsure look on her face.

“Look,” she started. “One day, you’re gonna have to open up and understand that some people really do want to help you, and that they can be trusted.”

“I trust people,” James whispered.

“Yeah? Give me your phone.” James pulled out a burner phone and gave it to Raynor. She started going through it and said, “You don’t have 10 phone numbers on this thing. Oh, and you’ve been ignoring the texts from Sam and Alyxandria— no, no, you texted her once. You said you were busy. Look, you’ve gotta nurture friendships. I am the only person you have called all week. That is so sad,” she said with finality and closed the phone, making a loud noise, and threw it back to him. “You’re alone. You’re a hundred years old. You have no history, no family-“

“Are you lashing out at me, doc?” James interrupted. He knew she was right, he just didn’t want to admit it.

“You’ve stopped fighting, James. What do you want?” Raynor asked. James stopped and thought about it for a few seconds before responding with, “Peace.”

“That is utter bullshit,” Raynor argued.

“You’re a terrible shrink.”

“I was an excellent soldier, so I saw a lot of dead bodies, and I know how that can shut you down. And if you are alone, that is the quietest, most personal hell. And, James, it is very hard to escape. Look, I know that you have been through a lot, but you’ve got your mind back, and you are being pardoned. I mean, these are good things. You’re free.”

You’re free.

James knew it, but didn’t feel it. The metal arm will forever be with him— a reminder of his past. Yori’s son was killed by the Winter Soldier, but he didn’t know that it was what happened nor did he know that the Winter Soldier was really a brainwashed James. Nothing made him feel free. He couldn’t say either. Couldn’t let someone in like that. Unfortunately, Yori set him up with the bartender at Izzy’s. He never got her name, though. That date didn’t end well. He ended up leaving after she brought up Yori and his son. James went to York’s apartment to tell him but… he just couldn’t bring himself to do it.

——

Joaquin Torres was in Switzerland. He was trying to uncover who these so-called “Flag Smashers” were. As far as he knew, they liked the way the world was during the Blip.

He got to the location that all of the Flag Smashers were supposed to meet up at, since he had some sort of app they were using. Torres stood around before going up to a guy who was present and asked, “Do you know what we’re supposed to do?” A whistle was made and everyone stopped what they were doing. The people started moving one way, towards a guy who had a duffel bag full of these masks that he gave out to everyone, including Torres. Everyone put them on when they got a notification.

Run!

A window was smashed and everyone started screaming and running. Two duffel bags full of something were thrown, and then a guy jumped out of the window. He picked up the bags and started walking. The police showed up and were there to arrest him. The guy holding the bags held them up with his arms stretched out all the way and two people ran up to him and grabbed the duffel bags out of his hands. An officer ran up to Torres and said, “You are under arrest!” but Torres shook him off and knocked him to the ground saying, “He’s getting away!” He turned around and said to the officer, “Sorry, sorry.”

That one guy was still walking and stopped when he saw an ally being attacked by a police officer. So, he kicked the officer, sending him flying into a pole. That’s when Torres ran up to him.

“Hey, hey, hey!” He screamed. He pulled out his gun and held the guy at gunpoint. “I don’t know how jurisdiction works here, but I’mma have to place you under arrest.” However, before Torres could do anything, the guy grabbed his arm and twisted it, making Joaquin yell in pain. He grabbed the gun, lifted Joaquin up, and threw him on the ground, leaving him groaning. Joaquin looked up, and the last thing he saw was a foot to his face, knocking him out and leaving him on the concrete. The guy just walked away.

——

“Alyxandria Rogers?” She turned her head. There was a woman standing there, holding a clipboard. Alyxandria got up and walked over to her. The woman walked her to where she was supposed to go:

The Oval Office.

The president wanted to discuss something with her. What was, well, Alyxandria didn’t know. She hoped that it wasn’t anything too bad…

The woman opened the door saying, “Mr. President, Ms. Rogers is here.” He got up from his desk and walked over to Alyxandria. The woman shut the door after Alyx walked in all the way. She saluted him, him being the president and all.

“At ease, Lieutenant,” he said. She lowered her hand and put both of her hands behind her back instead. “Thank you for coming, I know it was on short notice. I have a question for you.”

“Is everything okay, sir?”

“Yes, yes. As you know, Sam Wilson has recently given up the shield. Like he said in his speech, we need new heroes.” Alyx was confused but continued to listen. “America needs someone who can be a reminder of what we are.”

“I’m sorry, Mr. President, but I’m confused. Where are you getting at,” she asked, taking a small step forward.

“We’re giving the shield to someone else.”

“Excuse me, sir?”

“I know how it sounds, especially to you, but we need this. What I’m asking of you, Alyxandria,— and you can think about this— is to be the one to hand the shield to our new guy. You are Steve Rogers’ daughter, you would be the only other person who I can think of that would be impeccable for this. But, it is up to you. What do you say?”

I shouldn’t do this. I shouldn’t… it’s wrong. It's wrong.

——

“So, this is the leader of the Flag Smashers, huh?” Sam asked Joaquin, who was on a video call. Sam was watching a video Torres sent about the Flag Smashers group.

“Yeah,” Joaquin replied. “Real nice guy.”

“I thought you were supposed to be monitoring them online.” Sam said.

“I was. I did. But, you know, sometimes you gotta get your hands dirty or a broken orbital.”

“You’re lucky that’s all you got. He’s strong.”

“He was. I mean, bro, they went dark as soon as it was all over. But that’s their M.O. We just gotta keep our eyes and ears to the ground till they pop up again.”

“Anything else happen outside the video?”

“Nah, man. My face was in the dirt before I knew what was happening. Why? What are you thinking?” Sam stayed silent for a few moments before he responded, “Nothin’.” Torres looked at him curiously through the phone, knowing what could possibly be going on inside his head.

“Wait. You don’t think he could be a-“ Torres started, but was interrupted.

“Look, I’ll circle back to you. Let’s keep this between me and you, okay?”

“Alright,” Torres replied.

“Oh my god, Sam. You better look at this,” Sarah— Sam’s sister, said frantically, running in the room to turn on the TV. Sam hung up with Torres and closed the tab that was open on the computer. He turned around to see what was going on… and he couldn’t believe it.

“Unrest, in the wake of recent events, has left us vulnerable,” a man on the TV said. “Every day American feel it. While we love heroes who put their lives on the line to defend Earth, we also need a hero to defend this country. We need a real person who embodies America’s greatest values.”

That would be my father, Alyxandria thought to herself. She was standing near the front of the podium. The shield was right next to her in a case. Her heart was beating like crazy. Something doesn’t feel right about this…

“We need someone,” the man continued, “to inspire us again. Someone who can be a symbol for all of us. So, on behalf of the Department of Defense and our Commander-in-Chief, it is with great honor that we announce here today that the United States of America has a new hero. Join me in welcoming your new Captain America!” Everyone in the audience started clapping and cheering. A man walked out from behind the doors. He was in the Captain America costume, running down the stairs. He waved to the crowd for a second, when the man who had been talking shook his hand and gestured for him to go over to Alyxandria. So, he walked over to Alyx and stood in front of her with a wide smile. She unzipped the case and slowly pulled out the shield. She carefully held the shield out to this new guy and he gracefully accepted it. She saluted the man, and he too. He then walked to the front of the podium and stood there, proud of himself.

Alyxandria knew how Sam and Bucky’s faces might look right now. She knew they were going to kill her. She knew they’d think her crazy.

In all honesty, Alyx thought that she herself was crazy.

What have I done? Giving up my father’s legacy? This isn’t my place. This is wrong.

Oh, if only she knew…

———————————————————————-5/22/21

Sometimes a Thing Feels so Right: Part 5

Excerpt: A slow smile spreads across Izzie’s face. “This time, I’m ready to broadcast our business.” “Oh yeah?” Casey murmurs. “Pretty sure we’ve already done that.” The curve of Izzie’s lips makes it hard for Casey to think about anything else, so she inches closer until their foreheads touch. The two giggle as they re-live the forehead promise from their not-so-distant past. To draw out the moment, Casey gently rocks her temples against Izzie’s, enjoying how tantalizingly close their lips are.

One Block Later. The Library.

When Izzie walks into the library for the student council meeting, she’s pleased to see Mel is early, too.

Mel looks up from her notebook. “Hey. I know we already have the safe space posters printed and ready to hang up, but I have some ideas for future designs. And ideas for other ways we can make Clayton Prep an LGBTQ+ friendly place.” 

“Great! Hold that thought.” Izzie quickly texts Jason to check up on him.

Hi Jase. Did mum help you and Alysha get ready for school?

The two girls jump into it. They’re about 15 minutes into their work when Harmony and Scarlet show up.

“Wow, you’re early!” Scarlet exclaims, looking at the girls. Izzie shrugs and keeps working. Scarlet scrutinizes her as she makes her way over to the table. Her eyes burn into Izzie, making it hard for her to concentrate.

“What?” She asks, her voice a bit too sharp.

“Your energy feels different, that’s all.” Scarlet ignores Izzie’s tone, continuing her visual inspection. “Did you hear anything else from Brad?”

The pen in Izzie’s hand stops in its tracks. The last people she wants to hear about are Brad or Nate or some other guy she cannot care less about. In the past, she’s repeatedly made this clear, but these two are relentless. Izzie sighs, because she knows It’s time to go public. Before she can change her mind, she looks directly at Harmony and Scarlet and straightens her back, so she’s not slouching in her chair.  “You know that I think Nate and Brad are assholes and I’m tired of repeating myself… so, I’m hoping you’ll listen to this--I’m gay.”

Harmony’s eyes widen and repeatedly blink. Scarlet doesn’t look much different than Harmony, but she’s able to form some words.

“Oh, shit, Izzie. I--we didn’t know.” A long silence fills the library. “Sorry.”

To her right, Mel shifts in her seat, but despite everything, Izzie feels fine. Actually, she feels an odd sense of relief. She realizes she rarely sees Scarlet uncomfortable, so she decides to enjoy the moment.

“Damn, you two, nobody died. I like girls, it’s cool.” Izzie looks over at Mel and the two burst out laughing. “We have to go ladies, but no hard feelings. Really.”

The two girls take their LGBTQ+ posters and leave, so they can start hanging them up in the hallways. Meanwhile, Harmony and Scarlet find themselves alone and digesting the news.

“Do you think her and Casey--” asks Harmony.

“Yes,” replies Scarlet with a firm nod.

“So, we probably shouldn’t have written ‘slut’ and ‘ho’ on her shoes then--”

“No, we shouldn’t have,” she says with a firm head shake.

Harmony inches her hand toward Scarlet’s. “Should we--”

The warmth of Harmony’s hand startles her, making her quickly pull away. “No.”

Concern clouds over Harmony’s face. “Should I--”

“Yes.” Scarlet replies a bit too quickly. She forces herself to look at the wall, anywhere but her friend. In a flash, Harmony grabs her notebook and pencil case, then scurries out of the library.

Break Between Classes. In the Hallway.

“I can’t reach any higher.” Izzie protests while on her tippy toes. She’s holding a stapler with an outstretched arm.

Mel is holding the safe space poster with ease against the bulletin board. “Would you like me to find you a box?”

“Haha. Very funny.” Iz rolls her eyes. “But, yes, a box would help.”

With a grin Mel takes the stapler from Izzie. “Or, you know, I can do this and you can hold the posters.” She proceeds to staple the top right-hand edge of the poster. Out of the corner of her eye, she spots Casey walking down the hallway.

“Yo, Izzie. Casey 4 o’clock.”

At the sight of Newton, Izzie sucks in a quick breath. This is her chance. “Here, Mel. Hold these or something.” Izzie drops the small stack of posters on the ground and whirls around to face Casey’s direction. Her body is shaking as she tries to find the right words.

“Hey. Can we talk?” Izzie’s voice quavers.

“Nope,” Casey replies firmly.

“I’m sorry.” Iz follows Newton to her locker, while Newton aggressively puts in the lock combination.

“I'm sick of you apologizing. You led me on, you're jerking me around. I hate it.”

“I really like you.”

Her pleading and stating the obvious irks Casey even more. “Yeah, in this moment, but in ten minutes, you might be embarrassed by me or kissing some random guy. Just leave me alone.” She slams the locker door, then abruptly turns and starts marching down the hallway.

“Newton!” Izzie is on Casey’s heels. “Will you stop for two seconds so I can explain?” 

It’s as if Casey is seeing red. She’s exhausted from avoiding Izzie at track this morning, nevermind what is currently happening. Needless to say, when she turns to face Izzie, she is done with this conversation.

“What?” Her brow is furrowed, but when she notices Izzie’s close proximity, her eyes soften.

They are close enough for their bare legs to touch. One of the few perks of a Clayton Prep skirt. Izzie hovers close before dipping her chin up. “I’m done being weird,” she murmurs. Casey’s heart is practically bursting as she watches Izzie’s lips part. It’s deja vu of the dance. The two of them in the exact same position with their lips close, but it’s different this time. This time, Izzie initiates. But like before, time slows as the two enjoy one another’s presence and touch. Their legs gently bump together as their arms intertwine.

Her lips taste delicious, like soft, warm vanilla beans. Exactly how Casey remembers. She brushes away a strand of Izzie’s hair after pulling away. Their eyes are locked on one another, a happy glow emitting from the couple. 

Izzie hasn’t felt this good in weeks, not since the dance. She figured she’d feel self-conscious after kissing Casey in front of everyone in the hallway, instead she feels fine. More than fine, even. There’s a strange sense of pride. She’s happy to show off what she has with Newton to Clayton Prep.

“That was pretty weird.” A dumbstruck grin spreads across Casey’s face. This is not what she imagined happening during her walk from Biology to English. She’s still wondering whether the last few minutes actually happened.

Doubt sets in at Newton’s response. Izzie feels her inexperience showing. Was the kiss okay? Did Newton feel the same?

“Bad weird?” She tentatively asks.

Casey just chuckles and throws an arm around Izzie’s shoulders, leading her toward their next class.

“I have so much to tell you!” 

Iz giggles, ecstatic to have her girlfriend holding her close, to have her favourite person back.

“First of all, I told my dad that I love you.” Casey feels her body being pulled back, as Izzie’s feet stop moving. Her eyebrows shoot up as she struggles to find the words.

“Wow, Newton, I--”

“But he thought I meant as a friend.” The two girls laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. “I would’ve corrected him but.. I wasn’t sure about us.” There’s an uncomfortable silence for a few beats. Iz presses her hand firmly against Newton’s. 

“You can be sure about us.”

A Few Weeks Later. Getting Ready for the School Dance. Gardner’s House.

When Casey walks down the stairs in her 1980s-style yellow and black patterned button-up shirt with black suspenders, Elsa feels a surge of pride in her daughter. She cannot restrain herself, she has to throw her arms around her girl and squeeze tight.

“I’m so proud of you!” Casey’s outfit matches the 1980s theme of Clayton Prep’s dance, and it’s reminding Elsa of her first high school dance with its overabundance of neon, big hair, and hormones.

“Mum!” Casey protests with an eye roll. “It’s not like it’s prom or grad, it’s just a dance. Or what you kids used to call it, sock hops.” She’s waiting in the living room, so she can make a quick escape with Izzie when she shows up.

Elsa is now leaning on Doug, enjoying the moment, ignoring her daughter’s teasing. “Can you believe that our youngest is going to her first dance with her first girlfriend?” Her eyes are starting to water. Doug pulls Elsa in with one arm, so her chin is resting on his shoulders. 

“They grow up fast.” He says quietly enough so only Elsa hears.

By this point, Casey has noticed the water works are starting, so she wanders over to Sam who’s sitting on the couch sketching. She gets all up in his personal space by resting her chin on his shoulders. There’s no hesitation or pause in the pencil’s movements. It’s as if Casey isn’t even there.

Ding-dong.

Within seconds, Casey is flinging open the door. She needs a quick exit to escape from the Elsa paparazzi. Except that as soon as she sees Izzie, the quick exit gets scratched. Izzie is wearing a denim jumper, somewhat similar to her own, but more stylized with buttons and rolled up sleeves. Her ears are adorned with her usual hoop earrings, but she’s paired them with a Boy George inspired hat.

A sheepish smile spreads across her face. “Hey, Newton.” She peers around her girlfriend to look at the Gardner family. “Hi Gardners!”

There’s a flurry as Elsa ushers Izzie and Casey inside. “You girls look so cute! Come in, I just want to take a few pictures.”

Casey gives Izzie an apologetic look, but of course, Izzie doesn’t mind. It’s kind-of nice seeing Casey’s family wanting to document and remember this moment. There are pictures taken of them as a couple, then they move on to taking some pictures of the Gardner family.

Sam pauses while Elsa is taking one of him and Casey.

“Are you and Izzie more serious than you and Evan?” His question is genuine.

“Dude, what the hell?” Casey exclaims before glancing over at Izzie. Izzie laughs, not bothered by his question.

“I need another person to go to for advice, like Evan, but I don’t know if I should expect your relationship status to change.”

Casey playfully punches her brother’s shoulder.

“Ow!” His face is scrunched up. “Why did you do that?”

“Because I’m your sister. It’s basically my duty to communicate with you in annoying ways.” Casey walks over to Izzie, wraps her arm around her, then pulls her in for a kiss on the cheek. “I can’t say she’ll give you advice, weirdo, but she’ll be around for awhile.”

***

Synthesizers and dreamy British, New Wave sounds fill the gymnasium. There is a lot of neon, big hair, hormones, and bright lights on the polished gym floor. Izzie stretches out her arm, holding up an inviting palm to Newton. A slow, confident smile spreads across Casey’s face before she takes Izzie’s hand.

“You look…” Her brain is at a sudden loss for words.

“You too.” Izzie finishes her sentence, then promptly blushes before looking at her feet.

“C’mon, let’s show these Clayton Prep losers how to dance.” Casey proceeds to reach into her pocket and pull out fingerless gloves. Izzie’s eyebrows shoot up. 

“I got them from Elsa’s closet.” 

“My girlfriend is unbelievably cool.” Iz says with a wink before placing Newton’s fingerless-gloved hands around her waist. “Hold Me” by Fleetwood Mac begins playing from the speakers. In response, Casey pumps a fist in excitement and carefully but skillfully dips Izzie with her other arm. 

“The power of the fingerless gloves.” She giggles.

“And you think Sam’s a weirdo?” Iz smirks.

The two begin Snoopy dancing to the upbeat piano and guitar licks. Elsewhere, Harmony and Scarlet are dancing suspiciously close, while Mel is talking up some girls at the punch bar. Despite the entire student body surrounding her, Iz doesn’t feel self-conscious at all. She’s just happy she’s no longer hiding anything.

“Time After Time” by Cyndi Lauper begins playing, so the girls ditch the Peanuts-inspired dancing. Izzie cannot help but think of the hotel party as the familiar electricity between them pulls their bodies together. Her hands slip around the small of Newton’s back as their bodies rhythmically sway together.

A slow smile spreads across Izzie’s face. “This time, I’m ready to broadcast our business.” 

“Oh yeah?” Casey murmurs. “Pretty sure we’ve already done that.” The curve of Izzie’s lips makes it hard for Casey to think about anything else, so she inches closer until their foreheads touch. The two giggle as they re-live the forehead promise from their not-so-distant past. To draw out the moment, Casey gently rocks her temples against Izzie’s, enjoying how tantalizingly close their lips are.

Iz bites her lip. She wants to resist the urge to taste Newton, but her deliciously warm lips are too inviting. Goosebumps appear on her goosebumps. She feels the familiar tingly feeling that only Newton has ever given her. She could get used to this. This whole being happy at school, time away from her home responsibilities, being comfortable with her identity. Iz feels the remaining tension in her body loosen and the warmth of Newton’s arms around her. She feels safe in her embrace. Neither wants to let go, so they continue moving back and forth, as one, with their foreheads pressed together well after the song ends.

The End

Three Soldiers and a Baby | Part Twelve

summary: Three handsome bachelors find their day to day operations disrupted when an unexpected new roommate (who comes complete with a diaper and a pacifier) shows up at their doorstep. How will they deal with this new and baffling responsibility without losing their minds or killing each other in the process?

pairings: Bucky x Reader (eventual) featuring Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson

warnings: none, reader has been kept vague and unnamed to promote inclusivity

a/n: Mommy’s home! I know plenty of you have been waiting for this part to come and I hope you enjoy it! Like I said, I’m keeping this series mostly fluffy so it’s not overly dramatic. Well, sorta…

*warning to mobile users, the “keep reading” tab may not work so apologies in advance*

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 |

| previously |

By the end of the song, Ellie’s rhythmic breathing had evened out and her eyes had fallen shut. She was fast asleep. They all stared down at her sleeping face and felt an overwhelming love for the little girl that had stolen their hearts. Suddenly there was a knock at the door that broke them from their reverie and instantly put them on edge. No one was supposed to be able to get this far into the building without at least some kind of warning that they had a visitor. Much like the night when Bucky first got home, Steve moved to grab his shield and the other two men grabbed weapons that they had stashed in their secret weapons lockers.

Quietly, they shut the door to Bucky’s room to keep Ellie from picking up on the tense situation. They moved without a sound through the apartment, each taking precautions as they neared the front door. The knock came again, but this time with a faint, but distinct sound.

“Bucky?” A woman’s voice could barely be heard through the door, but it was enough to make Bucky drop his weapon to his side and run forward. He unlocked the door as fast as he could and swung it open completely to reveal the figure he had been dying to see after all this time. There you stood with bloodshot eyes, holding yourself protectively as you stared into the eyes of the man you had missed so much since the day you said goodbye.

Bucky felt as though his knees might give out at any second as he stared at your beautiful yet exhausted face. He wanted to reach out and grab hold of you in his arms and never let you go, but he just couldn’t make himself move in that moment. You were holding back tears as the silence went on, just before another figure behind Bucky appeared with a shield in his hands resting at his side. He said your name as though he had met you before, but you knew this was your first official meeting with none other than Captain America himself.

“Hi.” You introduced yourself shakily while the men beyond the door kept looking at you as though they’d seen a ghost.

“Oh for christ’s sake, let the woman in!” Sam cried out as he came forward and ushered  you into the apartment. You thanked him gratefully and moved in as Bucky slowly stepped back and away from you. There were still no words shared between the two of you and you were worried that he was going to yell for you to get out at any moment. It was then that Bucky finally came to his senses and reached out for you, pulling you into his embrace and holding you tightly. You felt all the tension leaving your body as he held you, wrapping your arms high around his neck and holding onto him for dear life. “I’m so sorry. I’m so so sorry.” You kept mumbling against his neck, wetting him with your tears as he rubbed his hands up and down your back comfortingly. He hated to do it, but he pulled away slightly to get a better look at you, resting his large hands on your wet cheeks and cradling your head. “Where have you been, baby? Why did you leave?”

You tilted your head down as much as you could, ashamed and just so tired after all this time, unable to look the man in the eyes. “I was scared, Bucky. I ran. I’ve been running ever since. I didn’t know what to do.”

Steve put a hand on Bucky’s shoulder, alerting both of them to his presence once again. “Come on, Buck. Bring her in and go take a seat. I’ll grab her something to drink and warm her up, yeah?” The two did as the Captain stated and moved to the living room couches, still unable to let each other go for more than a second. As you sat down beside the man who you used to know so intimately, you felt a wave of relief wash over you. Finally, after all these months alone and afraid you told him everything. How even while the two of you were together, something was going on and you just couldn’t shake the foreboding feeling. Someone had been following you.

“What do you mean someone’s been following you? Who?” Bucky asked, the worry now being replaced with a sense of anger that he had rarely experienced, but this time more intensely. Someone dared to put someone he cared so much about at risk and he was ready to tear apart heaven and earth for whoever they were.

You shook your head and drank from the hot drink Steve had brought to you. “I don’t know who. I just kept seeing someone following us wherever we went. It was like this constant presence around us. Like they knew who you were. I thought if we broke it off they would go away, but they didn’t. They kept following us and I just, I didn’t know what to do.”

“Us?” Bucky said aggressively. “You mean someone was following you around while you had Ellie.” You nodded affirmatively and Bucky was sure he could actually feel the blood boiling in his veins. “But why, doll? Why send me away if you were scared like that? Why didn’t you tell me?” Bucky could feel his voice start to give way as he pleaded with you.

“I thought whatever was going on was like a warning that I was supposed to stay away from you or something. Like whoever it was watching us didn’t want me around you anymore. I was scared, Bucky. I wasn’t thinking. So I just ran and I’ve been running ever since.” You admitted, humiliated and apologetic. Bucky grabbed you again and held you in his arms, whispering sweet and reassuring words that the other two men in the room couldn’t hear.

Sam and Steve thought to leave, but you had insisted that they stick around since you knew they were just as involved in the situation now. It was Sam that raised the question that had been plaguing him since the first day. “What I still don’t get is how you got into the building and managed to leave her at the door, though.”

You looked over to Sam and Steve, still shy and weary of them, but shrugged your shoulders, looking over to the man still holding you. “Bucky gave me a key and all the codes to your floor last year. Said to use it in case of an emergency.”

With one mystery solved for the night, you still had one gnawing, yet important, question on your mind. So many sleepless nights had passed since you left Ellie on their doorstep, sick to your stomach that it had come to that. “Please tell me she’s alright.” It was your turn to plead as you spoke to the men in the room. “Where is she?”

“She’s alright, she’s fine. Sleeping in the other room,” Bucky said.

You felt your shoulders shake and tears pour down your face. The lump in your throat threatened to burst at any moment as you croaked, “Can I please see her?”

Bucky led you into his room by the hand, gripping it comfortingly as you slowly walked over to the crib to see where your beautiful baby girl slumbered. She had barely moved from the time the guys had sung her to sleep only a little while ago and Bucky was thankful she was such a sound sleeper.

“Oh god, my baby.” You mumbled, your voice thick with emotion and stress. “There she is.” You smiled through the pain. She was still as beautiful and perfect as ever as you looked down at her. She even looked a little bigger if your eyes dared to believe it. Your little baby had grown and thrived while you were gone and as much as it pained you that you were not there with her, you were beyond happy that her father had stepped up for her. “Thank you, Bucky.”

“You don’t need to thank me, doll. She’s my little girl too. I’d do anything for her.”

You looked around the room and noticed that he had done that and more for her. There were baby clothes and toys strewn about the entire place. Even the crib she was sleeping in was the most luxurious one you had ever seen. You were right to trust Bucky with her. “You guys have done so much for her. For me. I don’t know how I can ever repay you for all of this.”

“It’s simple. You don’t have to. It’s been our pleasure.” Bucky smiled, kissing your forehead before resting his against yours. You wanted to stay in this moment forever. Surrounded by the people you cared for most in the world, terrified of leaving this room where everything seemed so perfect and right. Unfortunately, that wasn’t your reality and the hard part was yet to come. You gripped Bucky’s hand a little tighter before turning to look down at your sleeping daughter, then back up into her father’s expressive beautiful eyes.

“Bucky, I…I’m going back home to my parents. And I’m taking Ellie with me.”

a/n: Oh mommy dearest…

Feedback is always appreciated, leave it here!

part eleven << part twelve >> part thirteen

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It’s Complicated 7/25

Pairing: Clint Barton x Fisk Niece!Reader

A/N: Reader is Wilson Fisk’s Niece. I’m tired of the same old villains so keep your eyes peeled for who just might be the one lurking in the dark.

Warning: This is very match and lighter fluid type of burn. Feels of abandonment. Talks of Psychopaths. Overprotective male. Lies. Secrets. Language. Kidnapping. Violence. I think that’s about it.

Sometimes in life there are just certain people worth breaking the rules for. No matter the hell that may rain down. Is it possible to fall in love with someone in just a matter of one conversation? To be utterly and completely obsessed with someone in a matter of weeks? But what if they aren’t who you think they are? What if one day the person you love, they just disappear? Learning to live again is a bitch. Specially just when you think you’re doing fine, he shows up on your doorstep. Wanting to explain his secrets. But now you’ve got your own secrets but do you really ever just get over that type of love? Can you really just move on and pretend it never happened? Even when you’re carrying around proof inside you?

Tag List Is Open

He checks his phone again, pacing the landing of the stairwell. Out of sight and a quick exit for him. The door opens and Sam’s head pokes in.

“Barton?” He whispers.

“Who the fuck else you moron?” Clint grumbles, pulling Sam into the stairwell with him. The door falls shut behind him.

“You’re not supposed to be here unless it’s meetings.” Sam points out.

“Sam, I’m going to punch you.” Clint scraps a hand down his face.

“Need something?” Sam steps back.

“I need you to use your connection at the Ravencroft Institute.” Clint explains.

“For what?” Sam looks confused.

“I need you to escort Y/N L/N to her interview tomorrow.” Clint admits.

“Isn’t that, that’s Fisk’s niece.” Sam blinks at him.

“It is.” He nods.

“Isn’t she under your watch?” Sam’s brow pulls down.

“Yes.” He nods slowly.

“Clint?” Sam’s voice changes, it’s now worried.

“Look you put me in the middle when you and Wanda fight. You owe me, Wilson.” Clint jams a finger into Sam’s chest.

“Ow.” Sam grumbles, rubbing the spot on his chest. “Why do I need to escort her?” He sighs.

“Because she’s interviewing William Cross.” Clint swallows.

“Oh.” Sam’s eyes round and his mouth puckers. “He’s not so stable.” Sam nods.

“See my panic now?” Clint huffs.

“Why are you panicked, your assignment is interviewing a mental patient?” Sam crosses his arms over his chest.

“Don’t ask stupid questions, you already know the answer to Wilson.” Clint grumbles.

“Barton, you know better than to sleep with your assignment.” Sam hisses, looking shocked. Clint’s hand comes up, his thumb and pointer finger move over his forehead. He knew this, he knew the rules. But she was beyond more than just his assignment at this point. She’d long been more than his assignment. He knew what he was supposed to do, keep an eye on her. He was doing that, as well as having a relationship with her.

“I’m not just sleeping with her.” He admits, squeezing his eyes shut.

“Shit.” Sam whispers.

“Can you escort her or not, Sam.” Clint bites out. 

He needed someone he trusted, someone he knew and was above trained, with the woman he loved. He couldn’t let some random be what was supposed to stand between her and Cross. There was no way he could just sit back and just hope it didn’t get out of hand. No he needed pieces in place before hand, that insurance in case it did go sideways.

“Yeah, I’ll handle it.” He nods. A weight comes off Clint’s chest instantly. But he wasn’t in the clear, he couldn’t shake the worry that gripped at his chest still.

“Thank you.” Clint clears his throat, Sam pats him on the shoulder. “I have to go.” Clint pulls away, leaving quickly. 

------------------ 

Sam steps off the elevator, lost in thought. Someone calls his name making him stop, looking up. The others are watching him.

“Where did you run off too?” Wanda looks confused.

“Nowhere.” Sam swallows, his eyes flick around the room.

“Dude you just randomly got up and walked out.” Peter points out. Sam looks to be panicking slightly.

“Why are you so nosey?” Sam scuffs, nerves flooding him.

“Are you okay, Sam?” Steve wonders.

“Are you?” Sam scuffs. He starts to sweat.

“What?” Steve’s brow pulls down.

“Exactly.” Sam huffs, looking less and less stable.

“Did you fall down?” Tony squints at him.

“No!” Sam snorts loudly. Now looking completely panicked.

“Did Bucky punch you?” Nat wonders. She glances at Buck who shrugs.

“Maybe I just want some damn space!” Sam throws his hands up. “I don’t have to tell you people everything I do!” He rambles, he turns hurrying away. Looking for the safety of his room, away from prying questions from the others.

“Who broke, Wilson?” Buck asks, sipping from his water bottle. As the listen to the bedroom door slam closed and the flip of the lock seconds after.

“What do you see in him?” Tony looks over at Wanda, shaking his head.

“I’m so confused.” She shakes her head, looking rather astonished by her boyfriend’s strange melt down.

“Alright, it’s our turn for watch.” Steve nods, checking his watch, looking at Nat and Peter.

“Check in later.” Nat looks at Buck who nods.

“Think we need to get Banner to look at Sam?” Peter wonders.

“Maybe it’s a support group thing?” Wanda shrugs.

“Oh.” The room agrees, nodding. 

------------- 

“Could you do me a favor tomorrow?” Clint sighs, lying in the dark with Y/N in her bed. Worry didn’t let up on the grip it had on his chest.

“Sure.” She rolls her head over, looking at him.

“Text me. Just when you can.” He glances at her. It was overprotective and probably annoying, but he couldn’t help it. He needed something to keep him from busting in and blowing his cover.

“I can do that. Are you okay?” She wonders.

“What I do for work, I put away the type of guys you are looking to interview. I’m just worried.” He admits.

“That’s fair.” She nods. “I’ll keep you updated.” She smiles at him in the dark.

“Thank you.” He smiles back.

“Don’t worry, I’ll have someone with me the whole time.” She curls up into his side. He wraps his arms around her, kissing the top of her head.

“Yes you will.” He tries to ease the knot in his gut.

-----------------------

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Time Never Stops

Chapter Twelve: Remember When

Word Count: 3454

Prologue   Ch 1   Ch 2   Ch 3   Ch 4   Ch 5 Ch 6   Ch 7   Ch 8   Ch 9   Ch 10   Ch 11

Warnings: Mentions of vomiting / FLUFF

(Y/F/B): Your favorite breakfast

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I let out a soft groan as I drop my duffel bag and finally sit down at the kitchen table in the Holland's family home. It's six in the evening, and I am utterly exhausted. After PAX had ended, I flew out to L.A. for two weeks to record videos with Mark and crew before flying home to my apartment. Tom went back to filming another movie in Atlanta. I spent the two weeks I had at home packing and pre-recording videos so I had enough on file to post for about three weeks, while Tom and I looked and settled into our new home. The worst of everything from the last few weeks was that my landlord argued with me when I wouldn't sign for another lease, even though I told him that I was moving out of the country. At one point I just walked out of his office, leaving my notice on his desk the following morning because I was done with his bullshit.

When I got finally got to London, I had planned to stay at Tom and Harrison's flat. However, since the both of them were gone filming, I decided to stay with my future parents-in-laws. Staying with Tom's parents had its perks, it meant I could relax, look up apartments for Tom and I to move into, edit what was left of the videos, and get all my medical stuff re-situated.

Tessa barking at the opening of the front door catches my attention, my head lifting from its place on top of my arms. "Mum, is (Y/N) here yet?"

"Why don't you ask her yourself?" I tease, turning in my chair to see Paddy run down the hall, Tess on his heels, and skid to a stop in front of me.

He throws down his backpack, heavy with textbooks, before hugging me. "When did you get in?" He asks, pulling away to reveal a large smile on his face.

"Like, ten minutes ago I think. Mum?"

"Yeah, we got in about that time. Be careful, love, her flight was not pleasant for her and the little one." Nikki responds, working on dinner at the stove.

Paddy smiles, looking at me nervously, motioning to my stomach. "Can I um..."

I nod, "There's only a little bump, but they are in there." I state as he crouches down in front of me and places a hand on my stomach, smiling at the little bump. The sound of a camera going off tears my attention from the youngest Holland up toward the sound. I smile at Nikki who has her camera in hand, capturing the moment to memory.

"When will you know if they are a boy or a girl?" Paddy asks, moving to sit in the chair beside me, pulling homework from his backpack.

"Not long now, once Tom is home in a few weeks we will go to the appointment," I hum, propping my head on my hand.

"Do you know if you two are going to find out what the gender is or are you going to wait?" Paddy continues, making me smile.

"Pads, why are you bombarding (Y/N) with all these questions?" Dom asks, walking over and kissing the top of my head before greeting his wife with a kiss on the lips.

"Because Tom won't tell me anything and I'm nosy." Pad says, making me chuckle.

"To answer your question, Pads, I think we wanted to do a gender reveal, but we don't know when exactly we will do it. I am hoping that we can do it while Izzy is in town so she doesn't have to plan another flight. Right now, I just want to worry about finding a flat."

"Why a flat?" Paddy asks, looking up from his notebook.

"Well, we want to have everything set up before the baby gets here, so while Tom is on set, it's my job to look for an apartment-"

Paddy looks at me in confusion, "I thought Tom already-"

"Paddy," Nikki cuts in, "Why don't you call Sam and Harry and see if they are coming over for dinner or if they are going to their flat from their latest job?" Paddy gives her a sheepish grin before packing his homework and leaned across to kiss my cheek before leaving the room, grabbing my duffel bag on the way out.

"I am just going to assume I shouldn't ask," I giggle, running my hand through my hair, detangling the strands. I jump, accidentally yanking my hair, when something loudly land on the table.

"Sorry, darling, made you a cup of ginger tea, Tom said that you had been drinking it for your morning sickness." Dom chuckles, sliding the mug closer.

"Thanks, Dom," I smile taking it in my hand before sighing, whining. "I shouldn't be this tired."

"You had a long day, it's to be expected. Being pregnant is tiring," Nikki smiles.

I nod, feeling my phone buzz in my hoodie pocket. I dig it out and see that I had missed a call from Tom. "Tom called me, I'm going to go sit outside and call him back, that okay?"

"Of course, love, I'll come get you when supper's ready." Nikki responds, smiling at me as I shuffle over to the door, slipping outside with Tessa.

I redial his number, bringing my phone to my ear as I sit down on a patio chair.

"Hello, love," Tom coos.

"Hey," I rub my eyes sleepily, "sorry I missed your call, I was in your- well, your parents' kitchen talking to them and Paddy."

"S'okay, just wanted to make sure you made it home alright."

"Yeah, I did." I sigh, rubbing my eyes.

There is a pause on the other end of the phone, "Are you alright?"

"Uh, yeah, little love made me sick the whole flight. Didn't help we had rough air."

"Well, don't stress yourself out, okay? And if you feel like you need to get some sleep, my parents are not  going to judge you."

"I know, just wish I felt better. Honestly, I wish you were here. I love your family, don't get me wrong, I just-" I cut myself off, my emotions getting the better of me.

"Hey, only a week, then I will be home." His voice comes through the speaker comfortingly.

"A week, I thought it was a month?" I ask in disbelief, Tess placing herself between my legs and laying her head on my lap.

"Nope, just a week," he states, I can hear the smile on his face. "It was a miscommunication. I have to go back in November, but only for two weeks to finish filming."

"Well, I am excited to see you."

"Me too, love. Oh, do me a favor? Don't bother looking up flats."

"I thought you wanted me to look-"

"I don't want you to stress out about it, besides I actually have a surprise for you when I get back, if Paddy doesn't spoil it beforehand."

"Oh," I come to the realization, "Paddy almost did, but Mum stopped him." I giggle, making Tom sigh.

"Well at least she is looking out for me, but you will have to wait a little longer, love."

"That's okay, I can wait." I turn to the door opening seeing Sam. "Hold up, love," I pull the phone away from my face "Hey, Sam."

"Hey, Mum has supper ready."

"Okay, thanks." I smile at Sam as he slips back inside before placing my phone back to my ear, "Tom I gotta go, Mum has food ready."

"That's okay, I have to get back to set. I love you, (Y/N)."

"I love you too, see you soon, Tommy." I hang up after a minute, running my hand over Tessa's head before standing. Only a week til he's home, it'll be fine.

I lay my head on my arm as I lean against the bathtub in the upstairs bathroom. It is two forty-seven in the morning, and I have never been sicker. "Fuck morning sickness, its every fucking hour sickness," I grumble as I move to grab my water bottle from the floor. I groan at the realization that it was empty.

"(Y/N), are you in here?" Nikki's voice comes from behind the door, before I can answer, my stomach lurches again, causing me to puke. The door creaks open and a hand runs up and down my back, "Oh, darling."

"You know, this happened the night before Tom and I told you all that we were expecting." I let out a humorless laugh as I lay my arm back down on the side of the tub to catch my breath. "But tonight is about ten times worse."

"How long have you been up?" She asks as she moves to sit down beside me.

"Didn't fall asleep, but I've been in here since one."

"I'm sorry, darling," She coos.

"Not your fault," I whisper as I lean my head on the cool, porcelain tub.

"Is everyone alright in here?" Dom pokes his head in to see his wife and I on the floor, "We wondered why you two weren't in bed."

"'We'?" I ask, opening my eyes to look at him. After a second Tom joins his side, backpack hung over his shoulder and suitcase in his other hand.

"Hey, love," he mutters setting his things down before walking into the bathroom.

"There are too many people in this bathroom," I mutter, Tom slowly moving his hands to try and help me to stand, "Tom, I can't-"

"We are just going down stairs, settle on the couch for the rest of the night, yeah?" Tom says, lifting me carefully into his arms. "I'll be back up to clean, Mum."

"We can take care of it, Tom. Just worry about (Y/N/N)." Dom says, moving Tom's bags before we pass. I bury my face into his neck, breathing him in.

Tom chuckles at my reaction, "Love, I think it is a little strange to be smelling me-"

"You're not the one with the upset stomach, so shut up." I mutter into his neck, making him laugh. "Besides, a different smell might help a bit."

He sets me down on the couch before pressing a kiss to my forehead. "No, I am not, but I do have some things that might help and get you back to sleep." He mutters, standing back up, grabbing a trashcan to place near the couch, flipping the t.v. on, and finally leaving me in the living room while he retreats into the kitchen.

"Why did you leave?" I whine, hearing him chuckle as he moves around the kitchen. I smile as he walks back with my water bottle in hand.

"Wanted to get you more water," he stands next to me, handing my bottle to me. Tom motions for me to carefully lean forward so he can settle behind me so I can lay on his chest.

I go to take a sip and am hit with the overpowering smell of lemons. "Did you put lemons in this?"

"Yeah, lots of websites say that lemons help with morning sickness, like how ginger does too. Also, one of the makeup artists told me that lemons helped her a bunch when she was pregnant." He tilts his head to press a kiss to my cheek, running his hands under my shirt and over the bump, soothing me. I sip slowly on the water, focusing on the movement of his hands and the buzz from the t.v., slowly lulling me into a dreamless sleep.

I wake the next morning when I feel something brush against my nose. I flutter my eyes open, only to close them again when Tess licks my cheeks. A squeal escapes my lips, as I pull the sheet back over my head while Tess tries to show how happy she is to see me awake.

"Tess, leave her alone." Tom laughs, pulling her away from me and shooing her the other direction. Then he crouches next to me, carefully pulling the sheet away from my face. "How are you this morning, darling?"

"Better than when you found me last night." I mutter, my hand going into his hair to run through his dark locks.

"Good, how about we get some food in you, I'm thinking (Y/F/B), then we can go for a walk?" He suggests, squeezing my hip under the covers.

"Only if you have tea ready for me."

"Already on the table." He states, giving me his hand to pull me off the couch.

Tom and I spent time talking over breakfast, the house quiet since his parents are gone for the day while Paddy is at school. He squeezes my hand before grabbing our now empty plates. "Why don't you go upstairs and change, then we can take Tess for a walk?"

Tess jumps at our legs as the two of us stand and move about the room, "Sounds perfect, baby boy." I smile as I see Tom's face flush a bright shade of red, but his smile is undeniably the brightest that I had seen in a long time. I walk upstairs, slipping into his childhood bedroom to change. I pull out a pair of shorts and a plain white t-shirt with a pocket on the chest, but my shorts won't button. I groan, stripping out of them and kicking them away. After I look in my bag and spot something else to wear and toss my shirt over my head. I grab a light blue, white vertical line button up t-shirt dress and button it into place. I slip on a pair of flats, wander to the bathroom and brush my teeth, before I walk down the stairs to smile at Tom, who has Tess already on a lead ready to go.

"You look lovely, bug." He mutters, pulling me into a quick kiss.

"And you look handsome as always." I giggle, taking his hand before walking out the door with him. The two of us start up the street, Tess tugging us along happily.

After strolling for a few minutes Tom tugs my hand so I fall into his side, making me laugh. "Do you remember when we were like, maybe six or seven and we would walk to the end of the block and go to Mr. and Mrs. Freeman's house?"

"We used to tell our parents we were going to visit the 'neighborhood grandparents' and we would go play in their front yard until Mrs. Freeman would invite us inside to help her bake some sort of sweet." I laugh, leaning into his side as his arm wraps around my shoulder.

"Or Mr. Freeman would take us into the backyard to show us how to build a birdhouse," Tom chuckles. "Do you remember when we used to say we would raise our kids in that house?"

"I do." I smile, wrapping my arm around his and leaning into his side, Tom presses a kiss to my forehead. "We only said that because we couldn't believe that it was the first and only house her and her husband lived in. Even as little kids we knew we wanted that."

"We did," Tom states, smiling at me. He doesn't say anything for a minute, the two of us slowing our paces. Tom stops us in front of a house, opening the gate for me, and at first glance I don't recognize it. The two story home looked well loved and inviting. A new coat of dark blue paint caused the white windows and trim to pop. The path lead to the front porch, a small patch of roof covering the entrance from any weather that would bombard guests, with windows on either side of the turquoise door, the same shade as the cottage door back in Oregon.

"This is Mr. and Mrs. Freeman's house, or was?" I mutter, Tom only reaching out and taking my hand. "Tom, what is going on?" I giggle as he tugs me toward the door. I watch as he fishes a key out of his jacket pocket before he unlocks the door.

He turns toward me and gives me a nervous smile, "Don't freak out."

I let out a laugh and squeeze his hand in reassurance as he pushes the door open and leads me and Tess inside. I let out a gasp at the sight before me.

The front room that I remember was completely changed. The wallpaper had been stripped away and is now painted a pale gray. The carpet had been ripped out, uncovering warm wood floors that led down to where the kitchen had been. A dark blue couch and love-seat sprinkled in different colored throw pillows framed the fireplace, a t.v. hanging above it. The stairs that were directly in front of the entrance no longer had the old, fuzzy carpet running up it, replaced with a textured carpet that would make a person less likely to slip and fall down them. God, I could remember sliding down those stairs right at the forefront of my mind. Pictures of Tom and I through our life litter the space, some going up the stairs to the second floor.

"Tom, what, how?" I look at him in shock, unable to really speak my mind. Tom only smiles, tugging me further into the house. He stops in the kitchen, letting go of my hand as I look around the room. The room had been completely gutted and redone. Sky blue cabinets and cupboards with white marble counter-tops are nestled against two of the walls. Stainless steel appliances nestled into the spaces left for them, and white subway tiles decorate the walls between the cabinets and counter-tops. A small wood island with two stools sit in the middle of the kitchen, a vase filled with bouquet flowers sitting in the middle of it. On the wall across the entrance is a sliding door that leads to the back yard, showing the freshly painted white fence. A small, wood table sits a few feet from the door, rounded corners as for no one to knick themselves with simple chairs all around it.

Tom lets me slowly move about the house, looking at all the old rooms that are now either completely changed, or just have a fresh coat of paint, new flooring, and decorated to a t. He follows me up the stairs, watching me as I slip in and out of each room in amazement. I stop when I find a room painted a soft shade of gray with a plain wood floor sitting empty on the second floor.

"I thought," Tom's voice pulls me from my thoughts, making me turn to look at him. He is looking at the floor, a small blush on his cheeks. "I thought this could be the baby's room."

I walk over to him, cupping his cheeks. "When did you do this? When did you have time to do this?"

"Um," he lets out a laugh before pressing his forehead to mine, "We were in London for a few days for the premiere. I was out on a run and I saw Mrs. Freeman's family moving her out, her husband died a few years back and she was having a hard time living home by herself. I walked over and offered her family a hand, then went inside to say hello to her. She eventually asked about you and I told her that we were together, and expecting a baby. She was beyond excited. She somehow remembered that conversation we had with her in her kitchen when we were little; the one where we told her when her and her husband could no longer stay here, we would buy their house and raise our children here. She looked at me with the brightest smile, and offered to sell us the house. Her kids didn't even fight it, she gave me her price, I sighed a check for a little more than what she asked, and got the deed for the house, all before noon."

"You bought the house, while you were touring for your new movie, that's insane!"

"Stan and Mackie would not stop teasing me, made comments about how we haven't been together long, blah blah blah."

I giggle, pressing a quick kiss on his lips before looking at him in amazement. "But what about all the remodeling, you've been on the go for months."

"My family kept an eye on the place and helped me with all sorts of stuff." He laughs, pulling me into him again. "You haven't even gotten to the best of all the rooms in the house."

I giggle as he pulls me down the hallway. He opens the door, showing off the master bedroom. He smiles as I speed walk into the room and plop on the plush bed. He joins me, laughing along with me.

"Welcome home, love."

"Home sweet, home, Holland."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think! Reblog and comment!

@revenantwriting | @bellagrayson-wayne | @jackiehollanderr | @snowxbarryxendgame​ | @let-me-luve-you​ | @mybitchborky

Chapter Thirteen

Vanish in the Dark Pt 11

Pairings: None at the moment(Kind of)

Warnings: Language, nothing major

Word Count: 1500+

Summary: Assassin’s Creed AU and Marvel AU crossover.  The Brotherhood has spent years hiding in the shadows keeping the Templars in line as the years pass on. When the Templars company Abstergo Industries strikes up a deal with Hydra, things have to change. The Brotherhood decides to step out of the shadows, reaching out for the help of the Avengers. What could go wrong?

A/N: It’s been a while hasn’t it! Sorry for taking so long with this part. I hit a road block, and the life crazy. This part is a bit of a filler and set up to the next part. Hopefully you guys enjoy it!!

Once again, the gifs are not mine, credit to the owners.

Part Ten | Part Eleven |  Part Twelve *Coming Soon* | Series Masterlist

“Alright, everyone remembers the plan, but let’s go over it one last time- Heath, Clint stop that.”

Clint and Heath twisted around, staring wide-eyed at the back of Y/N’s head. Clint’s mouth fell open, blinking in confusion. Heath , however, was less than surprised. They were messing with the map's settings despite being told not to touch it, and Y/N did have eyes in the back of her head. Or perhaps she was part hawk.

“How did she do that?” Clint whispered in awe. Heath shrugged. None of them ever knew her secrets.

“Anyways,” Y/N cut the two off, turning back to the group in the quinjet. She pulled up the detailed hologram of the building's floor plans before beginning. “There’s only one way of getting into their hideout, and it’s through this little air vent on the side of one of these cliff walls. It’s too small for anybody but Aubree, Natasha and I. We’ll climb up and slip in. From there, wait for our signal, and we’ll open this gate to let the rest of you in. From there, we’ll split into two groups.”

She pulled up a diagram of the Animus and the locations of several machines. Besides the Animus diagram, there was a list of its weak points.

“Steve, Clint, Victoria, Aubree, and Natasha. Memorizes this map. I need the five of you to find each of the machines and disable them. Tear them apart if you must. I don’t care. Just make sure they can’t be rebuilt.”

“Shouldn’t that be something Barnes handles?” Sam snorted, eyeing Bucky’s metal arm. Bucky scowled but ignored his quip and turned back to Y/N who was glaring at Sam.

“Bucky might be the first assumption, but his arm is needed for something else.” Y/N flicked for another map. “We’ll need him to break into this vault. It’s where one of the databases are located. We can’t get in unless we have the eyeball of one of the Templar’s leaders, and the finger of another. Instead, he can rip it off its hinges here,” She pointed to a spot on the door of the vault. “And here.”

“Why would it be so easy to get into?” Wanda questioned.

“It’s not. That will activate the fail-safe lock system. Kind of like a glass re-locker. The whole system will shut down and freeze, giving our hacker Heath here, enough time to tell it to unlock and Bucky finishes the job of ripping it open.” Heath beamed from his spot beside the computer, already starting to tap away at the system.

“Wanda, Vision, Bruce, and Sam. I want you to stay behind and help cover him. During this, he’ll have a target on his back, and they’ll do anything and everything to stop him from breaking into the system. Wanda and Bruce stay close, while Sam and Vision; both of you cover the skies and keep anyone from slipping through. Trust me. They’re slippery.”

“And what about me?” Tony huffed, annoyed he was left out so far. Y/N had to bite her lip, finding it humorous that he really thought she assumed so little of him.

“You’re coming with Bucky and me. We’ll need you to transfer all the data over to F.R.I.D.A.Y. You know your system best. We’ll cover you until you’re finished and then we’re all booking it out of there.” Tony’s chest puffed out at that, his ego quickly returning to its usual level. Y/N smiled at the sight. She really did like Tony, even if he was slightly frustrating at times. She turned back to the rest, the grin slipping from her face.

“One thing I cannot stress enough. Before we get the files out of their system, you cannot be seen. If anyone knows that were there until after we break down the door, they’ll wipe everything and they have the site rigged to blow. If that happens, not only are we dead, the surrounding cities get to deal with an angry volcano.” Y/N leveled them all with a stare. This was important, they couldn’t screw this up. “Heath is going to take over the detonate code when he breaks into the system. Until then, stick to the shadows. It’s built-in a cave, there will be plenty of coverage.”

Y/N pulled up the map once more and motioned to Aubree, who stood on cue.

“Aubree’s the only one who successfully been able to break in and search around. She knows the quickest routes. I’ll let her explain them to you.” Aubree grinned and turned to the group already pulling up paths for certain groups. While she explained the routes to Steve and his group, Y/N let out a heavy sigh and turned to the cockpit.

Bucky watched her back hunch over as she settled in the pilot seat. He didn’t miss how she sagged in the seat, thinking she was safe from the others notice. The entire flight Y/N had a false bravo, outwardly showing strength that the team needed to see. But Bucky wasn’t blind. He saw behind her mask, could see the worry in her eyes. It took everything in him to not jump up and rush to her side. He chose to only sit and watch, chewing his lip with a death grip on his seat.

“You should go to her.” Bucky jumped at the soft voice in his ear. He turned to the woman beside him, Victoria. She smiled apologetically before looking back to Y/N. “She acts tough, but it’s all too much for her sometimes. You should go to her. Talk to her. She’d appreciate it.”

Bucky turned, his brows drawn in consideration. True, he did have more of a relationship with her than any of the other Assassins members, but he wasn’t sure it was that kind of relationship. Victoria rolled his eyes at his hesitation. Men. She gently shoved his shoulder, pushing him towards Y/N.

“Go.”

Grumbling something about pushy, mean trespassers under his breath, Bucky tiptoed his way over to the cockpit. He paused in the doorway, resting a hand on the metal door frame. He took a moment to take in her features, his heart clenching at the sight of the dark circles under her eyes. She looked exhausted, for the first time completely unguarded. Bucky cleared his throat, watching her mask slip back on and moved to the empty seat.

“Oh hey, Gladiolus.” She greeted him softly, smiling over her shoulder to him. He didn’t miss how it didn’t reach her eyes.

“Hey.” He paused. “You doin’ okay?”

“Yeah.” She shrugged, hardly convincing for Bucky. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

Bucky snorted and rolled his eyes. “Oh, please. I know you’re not.” He glanced over his shoulder to the others who were still engrossed with Aubree and leaned closer to YN. “I’m asking because I care. You doing okay?”

Y/N blinked, her cheeks reddening at his tender tone and his pleading blue eyes. She swore she stopped breathing and her brain short-circuited just from looking at him. How can someone be so pretty?

“I-I-.” Y/N stuttered, eyes darting between Bucky and the rest of the cockpit. It wasn’t often she found herself pinned by a stare like his.

To Bucky, it was amusing watching her fumble. She didn’t seem like an all mighty leader, she was human and could be thrown off every once and a while. He decided to give her a break and leaned back in the seat. Y/N let out a sigh of relief and turned back to the windows.

“I’m fine, Buck. I’m just a little tired, that’s all.” She thought she was convincing enough, but his huff proved her otherwise.

“No, you’re not. I’m not blind.” Gently reaching across the small space, he took hold of her hand. Her head snapped to his gentle touch, eyes wide watching his thumb rub soft circle on the back of her hand. He kept his gaze lowered to her hand, thinking over his words. “Look. Right now, we don’t have to talk about this. But know that I see you're exhausted. Hide it all you want, but I see it. Steve sees it. We know this is a lot to handle all on your own. You’re not alone though. We’re all here for you, we're with you through this.”

Y/N didn’t know what to say. She knew she looked more exhausted than usual, but she figured as long as she kept herself looking busy no one would notice. She forgot how perceptive this group of people could be. Bucky squeezed her hand, leaning in close.

“If you need help, with anything, please don’t hesitate to ask. I want to help.”

Y/N couldn’t respond. She didn’t know how to respond if she was completely honest. Her entire life, she was generally alone when it came to leading people. She was used to it, accepting the weight that rested on her shoulders. It came with the territory, and she never expects anyone to notice. Or even offer to help. Tears started to well up in her eyes, truly touched.

“Thank you, Bucky.” She forced through the lump in her throat. She sniffed back the tears, gently pulling her hand from his grip. He wasn’t bothered by her retreat, letting her slip from his fingers. She needed some space, he understood.

“Just thought you should know.” He hummed softly with a delighted grin. He leaned back in his seat, casting a glance over towards Steve. Steve sat watching the two of them with a small upturned grin. He couldn’t hear them but saw enough to figure it out. He nodded at Bucky and turned his attention back to Aubree. After all this was said and done, when there wasn’t so much on the line, the three of them would talk. For now, they had to focus on the mission at hand.

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Never say die - Chapter 19

Pairing: Axl Rose x reader Words: 2049 Summary: Reader accidentally time travels back to 1985 where Axl, Duff, Slash, Steven and Izzy find her. Warnings: Smut

Never say die masterlist

A/N: Here you gooo again.

We put our clothes on, bodies dry but hair still wet. We were still in Axl's room and now sat on the edge of the bed. We looked at each other through the mirror right in front of us and were quiet for a moment, thinking. ”This has to say as a secret,” i said quietly and there was a moment of silence between us until Axl nodded. ”Agreed,” he answered and held the bridge of his nose with his fingers. ”We're not even the half way of the tour and we can't dump Erin just in the middle of England where we're heading tomorrow.” ”Yeah, it would be quite awkward between the three of us to travel and hang out together,” i said, focusing my gaze on the floor. ”True, but i hate to pretend and lie to everyone that i love Erin, when i actually love you,” Axl said and put his arm around my shoulder, keeping me close. I rested my head on his shoulder and he planted a kiss on my hair. ”I hate to pretend too, but we just have to hope now that nobody suspects anything,” i said quietly and Axl just hummed for an answer. We were quiet for a moment, until Axl got up from the bed, trying to find something from his bag. I looked at him confused but still didn't say anything. After he had found what he was looking for, he came back to sit next to me. ”I, uhm, have something for you,” he said and handed me my necklace that had broken during our fights before Bon Jovi's tour. It was really important for me for many reasons, it was just a necklace but the only memory about Amelie and Leo. I smiled and took it from him. ”I fixed it while you were gone but forgot to give it to you when you came ba–” I cupped his face and interrupted his sentence by kissing him on the lips and then looked at each other's eyes. ”Thank you, Axl,” i said smiling and put the necklace around my neck. ”You're welcome, honey.” Soon i left Axl's room and closed the door after me. Just couple of seconds after i noticed Steven and Izzy coming towards me, about 10 metres away from me and they immediately noticed me. ”Hey, Amy!” Steven exclaimed and smiled. My eyes widened for a moment, until i put a smile on my face. Fuck. Be cool, be cool, they have no idea what happened. Shit, what if someone walked past Axl's room? What if they walked past Axl's room? They could have heard us. Okay, calm down, woman, they don't know. ”Hi,” i greeted. ”What's up?” ”I tried to knock on your door, already an hour ago to be honest, we were supposed to do drumming things again together, remember?” Steven said and i thought about it for a moment, until i realised how bad my memory is again. ”Ohh, yeah! I'm sorry, i forgot it completely,” i answered shaking my head and cleared my throat. ”Do you still have time, we could still go there now? I have time,” i suggested carefully. ”Yeah of course, i don't really have anything to do tonight anymore anyway,” Steven said agreeing and nodded his head and i let a relieved sigh out of my mouth. We hadn't had time to practice new songs in a while. But then Izzy narrowed his eyes, looked at Axl's door and then back at me. ”What were you doing in Axl's room anyway, hair wet and everything?” Izzy asked suspiciously and looked at me from head to toe. ”And why are you wearing Axl's shirt?” Izzy continued chuckling. ”You also don't have socks or shoes on, you know that these corridors aren't the cleanest. This looks exactly like someone haven't cleaned this place in a week,” Steven said, looking around him. ”We really should have got a better hotel than this,” he said huffing. I blushed a bit, realising what kind of huge mess i was actually looking like. ”Uhm, well, i had to use Axl's shower because,” i said, trying desperately to find a good excuse, ”mine was broken,” i continue chuckling nervously, scratching my neck. ”And my own shirt got wet because i accidentally dropped it on the bathroom floor, near enough for it to get wet.” It wasn't a lie though, we were so busy that we threw our clothes everywhere, not looking at all where. Even my bra wasn't completely dry but Axl's oversized black shirt didn't reveal it so much and i tried my best to hide it by crossing my arms. Damn, could they just leave and not ask questions anymore, this made me so anxious. I was just going to continue and tell them that i needed to go back to my room to get ready and they seemed like they would go as well, but then Axl opened his door and almost bumped on me, but then saw the three of us standing here and stopped and was quiet for a moment until cleared his throat. ”You forgot your keys and clothes, it would be better maybe if they were drying up in your room,” he said quietly and handed me my stuff. I turned to look at him, back towards Steven and Izzy. ”You couldn't have chosen better time to bring these back,” i mouthed at him without voice, but Axl didn't react to it in any way. Steven gasped and put his hand on his mouth. ”Since when have you started to shower together?” Steven asked surprised and Izzy just laughed, when they noticed how wet Axl's hair was as well. We both blushed and probably looked as red as a tomato. ”Oh hell no, are you crazy? I'm with Erin, i'd never cheat on her,” Axl scoffed nervously. ”Anyway!” i interrupted and started already walking away. ”I'll meet you there in 15, Steven, i'll just get myself ready, bye!” i continued and started running up the stairs since my room was on the other floor. --- A few weeks passed again. Everything was normal, Axl was still with Erin and after a few gigs in England we came back to the United States. We were now at the backstage, the concert was about to start in about 15-20 minutes and everyone were getting ready and i was just standing there, chatting with Scarlet and Erin. ”Hey, Sam called me last night by the way!” Scarlet said happily. ”Oh, how's she doing? I haven't talked with her in a while,” i asked. And with 'a while' i meant basically couple of months. ”She just wanted to say hi, she just arrived to Norway yesterday with his girlfriend, they started touring Europe,” she told me. ”Oh that sounds cool!” i said smiling. ”It would have been great if we met during this tour somewhere,” Erin said, taking part of the conversation. Scarlet and i nodded agreeing. ”But hey, i'll go get a glass of water somewhere and some snack, i haven't eaten in hours,” she said rolling her eyes and chuckled. ”I'll be right back,” she said, smiled and waved her hand. ”Okay, take your time,” Scarlet said. She turned back to me and was about to say something but then saw Axl approaching us. Axl came to stand next to us and looked at me. ”Amy, can i talk with you quickly,” he asked and i furrowed my eyebrows. ”But doesn't your concert start in any minute?” i asked confused. Axl took a deep breath. ”Just come, okay,” he said and started to walk away from us, expecting me to follow him. I looked at Scarlet and then back at Axl. ”I'll come right back,” i said to her and she nodded. I walked quickly after him and when we went behind a corner and nobody saw us anymore, he grabbed me by my arm and pulled me roughly to the nearest closet. Axl locked the door and pushed me against the wall. He quickly took his pants off so he had only his boxers on and then suddenly put his hand behind my neck and took me in a passionate kiss. I felt his huge erection against my body and broke the kiss. ”What are you doing? You don't have time for this right now,” i said, still confused. ”I swear, Amy, you have to help me with this,” Axl answered with a low voice and pointed on his cock which was still under his boxers until he finally took them off. ”I can't fucking go to the stage looking like this. This is your fault, why do you have to be so sexy in that skirt and top and everything, jesus christ, Amy,” he continued and shook his head. He lifted my skirt and took my panties off, dropping them on the floor. He was just going to put his cock inside me but i stopped him by putting my hand on my vagina, preventing his access. ”Nu-uh, we're doing this my way,” i said smirking and raised my other eyebrow. He looked at me confused and was about to say something but then i saw a chair behind us and pointed at it. ”Sit.” He looked at the chair and then back at me. ”Look, we don't have time for thi–” he started frustrated. ”Sit,” i commanded him with a strict voice and pointed at the stair. He rolled his eyes and did what i told him to do. ”Now, tell me how much you want me,” i said grinning and took my skirt off and i saw the lust in Axl's eyes when he looked at me. ”Please, just come here, wou–” ”Tell me, how much you want me now,” i said louder and bit my lip, slowly sliding my hand on my body towards my vagina and finally putting one finger inside me, sliding my finger in and out but soon walking towards Axl and put my hands on his shoulders. He just groaned. ”I want you so fucking bad right now, don't you fucking make me beg and tease like that. I've never needed you more than now, i swear if you don't come here right now and let me fuck you, i'm gonna punish you so hard later,” he said with a low voice between his teeth. I shrugged. ”Well, maybe i could help a bit,” i said after pondering it a bit, just so i could tease him more. I came closer to him but before i could sit on top of him, he grabbed me by my ass and slammed himself inside me sooner than i expected. A scream escaped from my throat and he didn't give me time at all to let me adjust to his size when he already started lifting my ass up and down. I started riding on him, as fast as i could, Axl helping me a bit. I tried to keep my moans in me and not let them to come out of my throat but didn't succeed completely. ”Fuck,” i whined, when he started hitting exactly the right spot every time. ”Oh shit, Amy,” he whispered. ”Fuck, i'm coming,” he said quietly and closed his eyes, biting his lower lip. And when he finally came and i felt like i was coming soon as well, Axl roughly lifted me, getting himself out of me and getting up from the chair. Axl was getting his pants back on and i looked at him, super offended now. ”Excuse me? You can't just fucking let me undone,” i complained, becoming angry. ”Yeah well, i have to be on the stage in a minute, try to survive,” he said, giving me a sarcastic smile and left from the door. ”Axl fucking Rose, you come back now, i don't care about your concert!” i screamed at him and still wasn't wearing my skirt. He quickly turned back to look at me. ”Don't worry, we'll finish you later,” he said grinning and waved his hand at me before started running to the others. I just groaned and went to put my clothes back on.

HELD - CHAPTER 6

CATCH UP HERE // PLAYLIST // ERINS INSTA // HARRYS INSTA // IZZY’S INSTA //

Harry’s grip on my waist was no longer enough to sooth my nerves, and I craved the safety of security and familiarity. Izzy was only a few paces in front, within distance for me to grab onto her arm. She turned to look at me over her shoulder, and immediately recognised the panic in my eyes. She reached behind me, locking her fingers around mine and pulling me with force towards the back door, to fresh air and freedom.

When the cold air hit my skin I took deep breaths, pulling Izzy against my body into a hug. She’d always acted as my kind of security blanket in situations like these, and right now I needed her close. “Please don’t leave me! I don’t know anyone!” I wailed, reluctantly pulling back from her, so as not to ruin her dress by smudging my makeup on it.

“I won’t, but yes you do! You know Harry!” she attempted to reassure me, running her hand up and down my back as I tried to consciously control my breathing. I was thankful for her comforting words, but I still felt unsettled, like a boat docked in the harbour as rough waves rocked the water beneath, but still chained to one spot unable to escape to calmer waters.

The rest of the Christmas holidays flew by in a blur, but the New Year was mere hours away and I’d be heading back to York with Harry in only a few days. I’d seen him a few more times over the weeks at Izzy and Sam’s, and the shameless flirting had continued the more we saw of each other, not that I was complaining. We’d been texting a bit too, about everything and nothing really. Like I now knew we shared a favourite flavour of ice cream in mint choc chip, and that he was allergic to cats. Harry in turn was now aware of my self diagnosed Netflix addiction, and that I was shit scared of spiders. But although I was very much enjoying the way the cheeky comments and lingering glances made my tummy flutter and my cheeks flush, I was also getting more confused as to why.

Once again I was sat with Izzy getting ready for another Holmes Chapel event. The annual New Year’s Eve party thrown by Auntie Josie and Uncle Chris’ friends was one I’d been to a few times over the years, so thankfully I wasn’t feeling as nervous as I was for the fundraising dinner. The more casual event, was more of a ‘get together’, yet Izzy was pulling out a rather classy looking black dress from her wardrobe. I looked down at my own outfit, in a black mini skirt and long sleeved top I wondered who was going to look more out of place.

“Harry said that you’re going back to uni together.” Izzy mused, as she pulled her hair behind her ears and into a low bun at the back of her head.

I hadn’t really talked to Izzy much about Harry and I, in any sense. For some reason I felt kind of awkward about it. It had always been Izzy and Harry, or Izzy and Erin, and I wasn’t sure how adding Erin and Harry to that mix would be received. If I wasn’t sure about my feelings myself, how was I meant to even begin to explain anything to Izzy?

“Yeah, he offered the other week when we went for a walk.” I answered as casually as I could, trying not to draw attention to the small smile that played on my lips, as I thought back to how nervous he’d seemed when he asked me the simple question.

“That was nice of him.” She said cheerily.

Ever since I’d answered yes to that question however, Harry had been anything but nervous around me. His undeniable charm and cheekiness were quickly becoming my weakness.

Just before Christmas everyone was at the pub, leant against the bar I was ready to place my order when Harry came to stand beside me, his shoulder touching mine.

“You know…” he began, turning his head slightly so I could feel his warm breath against my cheek. “You really shouldn’t keep your phone in your back pocket, who knows who could be looking and wanting to pinch it.”

But as much as his boyish charm and wit often made my knees weak, I was someone who very much enjoyed competition, and this game of ‘who can make the other the most flustered” was only spurring me on.

“Oh I know exactly who wants to pinch it, Harry.” I replied with a sly smile, and quickly called the bartender over before Harry could get in another word.

A knock on the door pulled me from my daydreams, and Sam appeared in the doorway letting us know the taxis would be here soon, so we had to get a move on. I looked at myself in the mirror once again, deciding it was too much effort to change. But when Izzy sauntered past me in her flowing dress and heels, I knew in comparison I looked like I’d just rolled out of bed. Quickly thinking about what would take the least amount of effort to make it seem like I’d actually made an effort, I grabbed a tube of red lipstick from Izzy’s dresser and swiped it across my lips before dropping it into my bag.

****

I heard my parents before I saw them. Hopping out of the taxi I saw them stood in the garden, chatting to Harry and his family, obviously too engrossed in conversation to have actually entered the party yet. Making our way down the path I giggled at Izzy, as I watched her furiously slam down the hem of her dress to her legs, as the brisk winter wind whipped it away from her and she almost had herself a Marilyn moment.

The sound of Izzy’s heels clomping against the uneven stone of the path gained the attention of the adults stood in the doorway and Harry’s Mum, who already had a half empty glass of champagne in her hand, greeted us the most enthusiastically.

“Isabelle, you look absolutely gorgeous honey.” she exclaimed with a bright smile, embracing her in a one armed hug, careful not to spill her drink.

I stood awkwardly behind, not quite in the conversation, but definitely close enough for them to know I was there with them. Nevertheless, I smiled at their exchange and thought about how Izzy was already being hounded with compliments before we’d even set foot in the door.

“Thanks Anne! Although I think I’ll be regretting wearing these shoes after I’ve had a few glasses of those.” She joked, tilting her head towards Anne’s lipstick stained glass and iff the fundraising dinner a few weeks ago was anything to go by, that statement was most true.

I made a move to stand next to Izzy, into the circle of friends and family, rather than the outside of it, when someone grabbed my upper arm, pulling me off to the side, but the sudden change in direction caused me to stumble, my ankle giving way and I tipped over heading towards the floor, and I quickly reached out grabbing onto whatever was closest. I pushed myself upright again, and when I looked up and saw a pair of green eyes staring down at me I couldn’t help but feel an alarming sense of deja vu.

“Pretty sure we’ve been here before.” Harry laughed, removing his arm from where he’d grabbed me in the first place, but it was my hand that was clenched around his other bicep.

“You’ve caught me both times before I hit the ground, you’re like my own personal safety harness!” I joked, reluctantly removing my hand from his arm.

“I’ll always catch you when you fall darling.” He said with a wink, and I couldn’t help but burst out laughing. “God, I don’t know where that line came from.” He grimaced, placing a hand lightly on the small of back leading me into the house where everyone was now moving to.

As we shuffled inside, a whoosh of warm air hit me, as an unsettling heat radiating off of already drunk and sweaty bodies swirled around the rooms. I moved closer into Harry’s side, needing some sort of comfort as we walked through the crowded house. The music, which was growing louder and louder as we navigated through the rooms caused my ears to ring. That paired with the sea of blurring faces made me feel as though I’d lost control of two senses and I was starting to panic.

Harry’s grip on my waist was no longer enough to sooth my nerves, and I craved the safety of security and familiarity. Izzy was only a few paces in front, within distance for me to grab onto her arm. She turned to look at me over her shoulder, and immediately recognised the panic in my eyes. She reached behind me, locking her fingers around mine and pulling me with force towards the back door, to fresh air and freedom.

When the cold air hit my skin I took deep breaths, pulling Izzy against my body into a hug. She’d always acted as my kind of security blanket in situations like these, and right now I needed her close. “Please don’t leave me! I don’t know anyone!” I wailed, reluctantly pulling back from her, so as not to ruin her dress by smudging my makeup on it.

“I won’t, but yes you do! You know Harry!” she attempted to reassure me, running her hand up and down my back as I tried to consciously control my breathing. I was thankful for her comforting words, but I still felt unsettled, like a boat docked in the harbour as rough waves rocked the water beneath, but still chained to one spot unable to escape to calmer waters.

****

At around half ten, I plonked myself down on a bench in the back garden, swinging my legs back and forth, I tried to ignore the bitter chill in the wind that was overpowering the warmth I had felt running through my veins from the alcohol I’d been sipping earlier. It had taken all of half an hour for Izzy to go back on her word and leave me for her friends. I didn’t mind too much though, as I could see her through the back window laughing and joking. She’d spent a lot of time with me this holiday, she probably wanted a break.

I’d milled around them in the kitchen for a bit, but felt out of place when they began exchanging Holmes Chapel high school stories and memories. However, my wallowing didn’t last too long, as I found refuge in the lovely selection of sweet treats that had been placed on a table in the dining room, and I presumed it was help yourself.

Anyone passing by in that moment must have thought I’d not been fed for weeks, like a stray dog taken from the streets with no food and water, suddenly overwhelmed when taken to shelter with too much to choose from, and wolfing everything down at once.

My eyes lit up in delight as I spotted my favourite strawberry laces among the mix of Haribos, flying saucers and rainbow belts. I grabbed a handful for now, and wasted no time in grabbing more and shoving them in my pocket to save for later.

Later, however wasn’t too long after my trip to the sweetie table. I just couldn’t stop myself. I pulled my legs up onto the bench, and swung them to the side trying to avoid flashing my knickers to everyone. I pushed my hand into my jacket pocket, searching for the treasure I’d snuck away from the table in the dining room. I peeled away three of the sweets, restraining myself from eating the ones left, placing them back in my pocket. I lined the slightly sticky sweets up with each other, before tying a knot at the top, and started to cross the strands over each other creating a plait.

With my head down in concentration, trying not to snap the sweet strands, I hadn’t noticed Harry’s arrival. Only when I’d finished playing with my food, and I tilted my head up to place the end of my work between my teeth did I spot him grinning at me.

“You addicted to e-numbers or something? You’ve not stopped with the strawberry laces.” he observed, taking a seat next to me on the bench.

“I can’t stop, Harry! I inherited my Dad’s sweet tooth, it’s not my fault!” I tried, placing more and more of the treat in my mouth. “Plus, I can braid them to pass the time while Izzy’s off socialising.” I said, rolling my eyes in the direction of the kitchen where she was still stood with her friends, and taking another bite of my strawberry masterpiece.

“She was never one to keep promises…” he muttered, more to himself than me I thought.

“I know. She can’t help being so popular though I guess.” I said shrugging my shoulders, and popping the final knots of the laces into my mouth.

“Well, you ended up with me, so you know, silver lining and all.” Harry noted, shuffling closer, and I couldn’t help but agree.

****

“What you drinking, Sweets?” Harry asked, a little while later. We’d moved back inside after sitting on the bench for a while talking. The bitter wind had only gotten worse, and when I had to force my teeth to stop chattering before answering Harry’s questions, he suggested we went back into the house to warm up.

I decided to ignore the little nickname he’d given me, but I couldn’t ignore the glint in his eye when he’d spoken it. When we were sat on the bench outside I’d reluctantly asked Harry if he wanted to share some of my sweeties. Bickering over who got the red skittles, and the rainbow belts with the most fizzy sugar, we sounded as though we were nine, not nineteen.

“Vodka lemonade please, just a single, I’m pacing myself after last time.” I answered with a grimace, thinking back to the state I’d found myself in after the fundraising dinner the other week.

“Good idea. I however, have no such self control so will be on the trebs all night I reckon.” he teased, as he began pouring our drinks.

I didn’t think that was a good idea really as I could tell Harry was already drunk, and that he wouldn’t be far off tipping the scales into absolutely hammered if he carried on the way he was. But it was New Year’s Eve, and I’d already stopped him from drinking one event this holiday, I didn’t think it’d do much harm.

He turned away from the kitchen counter, drinks in hand and gestured for me to follow him further into the house. We arrived in the living room, which thankfully was a lot less crowded than before. He took a seat on the arm of the sofa, facing out away from everyone else in the room. It didn’t bother me that he hadn’t offered me the seat, as I had a feeling he’d be needing to sit down more than me if he was going to continue gulping down his drinks the way he had been. Plus, I found it nice to be the one looking down at him for a change.

We didn’t say anything for a while, he just sat and I just stood, our knees touching lightly as I shuffled closer to him when people pushed by me. I was happy we’d reach a point of familiarity with each other where we didn’t have awkward silences. We’d not spent loads of time together, but I felt like Harry really was my friend now, and we could stop referring to each other through how we knew Izzy.

I felt like we’d clicked in the past few weeks, even though we’d got off to a rocky start. I think in the end Harry had understood my frustrations and protectiveness of Izzy, as he had felt it too. But I was thankful in more ways than one that we’d forgiven each other for our behaviour.

I glanced around the room, taking in all the groups of people, young and old who were happy and excited to be ringing in the new year with their family and friends. I looked down at Harry, who was doing the same, his eyes stopped wandering though when they landed on his Mum in the corner, chatting away with her friends. He looked at her with a fondness so pure, the adoration he showed for her beamed off of him like rays of sunlight in the height of summer.

It was then that I realised, as he continued his scan of the room that Harry must have known nearly everyone there. He’d gone to school with Izzy, which meant he knew the friends she’d been with all night, and if the charity match a few weeks ago had proved anything, it was that Harry was most certainly Holmes Chapel’s golden boy, and he hadn’t been forgotten since he’d been away to uni. Yet here he was with me, sat on the edge of a sofa in a crowded lounge, surrounded by drunk middle aged men and women trying to spend a night reliving their youth.

He must have finally sensed my staring and his eyes snapped back to mine, as they had been doing quite a bit recently. Where usually his intense gaze was too much for me to hold, I didn’t look away this time, hoping my eyes would show him the appreciation I felt for his company. I didn’t know why Harry had chosen to spend his time with me, when I was sure there were so many people craving his attention too.

He placed a light hand on my hip nudging me closer again between his parted legs, as a middle aged man carrying three pints in his hands tried to squeeze past behind me. I smiled at Harry, and offered a polite sorry to the man with the beers, who was too focused on not spilling the drinks to acknowledge my apology. His hand fell from my hip, but I stayed in place, deciding it was more convenient rather than having to move back and forth every time someone wanted to get past. Harry didn’t seem bothered by my closeness though, and I was sure I detected a hint of a smirk pulling at his lips before he brought his drink up to them, taking a sip.

“Do you want any laces?” I asked, digging my hand into my pocket to retrieve the last of my sweets. I hadn’t had any in over half an hour, and I was surprised with myself that I’d lasted so long knowing they were there.

“Not to eat no thank you, but if you show me how to braid them I’ll have some.” He replied with a toothy grin, wiggling his eyebrows playfully. “Izzy’s always complaining that I can't do it to her hair.” he mumbled in addition. I chuckled at the thought of Izzy, begging Harry to braid her hair while they watched a film together, then getting mad because he’d just made it all knotty.

I knew Izzy liked having her hair played with, when we were younger one of our favourite, (but Sam’s least favourite) games to play was hairdresser. Granny had a trinket box, full of clips and bows of all colours and shapes. You found something new every time you looked in that box. We’d perch ourselves in front of my dressing room mirror at the farm house, which had once been my Auntie Josie’s. Piling up cushions on the chair so we’d be tall enough to see the reflection, we pushed up a stool from the bathroom so we could reach the back of the others head. Completely engrossed in our own imaginary world, we’d sip our orange juice like it was complimentary tea at the salon, exchanging school gossip about who had the coolest pencil case and the new Crayola gel pens. Twisting and braiding, brushing and curling, it was a surprise either of us had any hair left at the end of our appointments. But the glittery butterfly clips and new styles we gave each other, never failed to make us feel anything less than fabulous.

“This is so exciting! Once we've done the laces can I do your hair!?” I exclaimed hopefully.

Harry barked out a laugh at my over enthusiasm for braiding. “Not right now, but definitely another time, it's more than long enough to.” he stated, and I squealed in excitement at the prospect of finally getting to run my hands through his curls.

I struggled to detangle the laces from each other with just one hand, so passed my drink to Harry, who took one last sip of his own and placed them both on the floor by his feet. I pinched the red strings together tying them at the top, then grabbed Harry’s fingers to replace my own so I could begin my demonstration.

I repeated the steps a few times, only stopping speaking when Harry insisted he understood. I was almost at the bottom when Harry spoke up. “You look gorgeous too, by the way.”

“What?” I asked incredulously, looking up from where my hands were working to create the pretty pattern. Where had that come from?

“When you arrived my Mum told Izzy she looked gorgeous, which she does.” he began, switching the end of the sweets around so my fingers clamped the top, and he began undoing my work. “But I didn’t want you to think that because she didn’t say it to you she didn’t think you looked gorgeous too.”

I could feel the heat in my cheeks as I blushed furiously at his compliment. Keeping my eyes down, I watched him bite his lip in concentration as he flawlessly copied my instructions to create the braid. I was pretty sure that that was the first time in which he’d explicitly paid me a compliment, rather than a cheeky remark or flirty comment which I had to read in to. I thought it was only fair to keep things even between us; “Thanks Harry, you don’t look too bad yourself.”

****

It was getting close to midnight when I finally spotted my Dad, stepping back into the kitchen from the garden. “Hi Erin, you ok darling?” he said, placing an empty bottle of Carlsberg on the kitchen counter, against which I was leant.

“Yeah good thanks Dad, just tired. I lost Izzy a while ago, I was with Harry for a bit, but he’s disappeared too.” I moaned.

After Harry expertly finished off his strawberry lace masterpiece we’d stayed in the living room for a while, sharing the last of my sweet stash between us. We tried to stifle our giggles every time we saw a middle aged woman try to take a selfie with her friends, only to end up clicking the lock button instead of actually taking the picture. And I’d also made Harry pinky promise that he would let me braid his hair at some point in the future. He’d down the rest of his drink rather quickly, and when I decided I’d had enough of my own, he drank that too. Shortly after that he was unsurprisingly desperate for the loo, but he never came back.

I spent the last fifteen minutes wandering through the open rooms, looking for familiar faces, but I couldn’t make anyone out, so I decided to wait in the kitchen hoping to catch someone as soon as they re-entered the house.

“I’m not feeling too good either, shall we head off after the countdown?” my Dad suggested, filling an empty glass with water from the tap.

“Sounds good.” I smiled.

My Dad and I met with my Mum and Evie in the garden just before the countdown, ready for the fireworks as the year drew to an end and the new one began. I hadn’t had a particularly bad year, but I was excited for what was to come. I’d be heading back to uni to finish my second year and start my third and final one, hopefully beginning to figure out what I was going to do with myself once it was all over.

When the clock struck midnight, I embraced my parents, and even Evie, wishing them good fortunes for the new year. The first firework startled me, and I jumped at the sound. I spun around to watch the rest of the display and awe at the exploding colours in the sky, but as my eyes followed the path of the second screamer from the ground upwards, I didn’t make it past the top of the hedges that lined the garden.

Harry was stood at the edge of the garden, his hands planted firmly on the tiny waist of a girl in a blue dress. She slipped her arms around his neck as he leaned towards her, pulling him closer still, and then, her lips were on his. My audible gasp was censored by the crackling fireworks, that mirrored the shattering of my heart.

They looked like the picture perfect ending to a rom-com, her perfectly pin-straight hair was blowing gracefully in the wind as they kissed, the fireworks above them showing the audience what they felt inside about each other. Although I was pretty sure neither Harry, or the pretty girl in blue were aware they had an audience at all.

****

I spent my morning walk down the lane to the Johnson’s, trying to come up with an explanation for my reaction towards what I’d seen the night before. I’d turned back to my parents, not waiting for when Harry and the girl in blue decided to finally pulled away from each other, thanking the heavens it was dark so no-one noticed the single tear that escaped and made a path down my cheek. I wiped it away quickly, but my Dad noticed my sniffling though, and I blamed it on the cold. He asked whether I still wanted to leave, and I answered yes, saying that I felt sick. I wasn’t lying.

I felt angry at myself for getting so emotional over someone I’d known for barely a month. I was ready to blame my heightened emotions on the alcohol I’d been drinking, but I knew I wasn’t drunk, and even then I thought that if I hadn’t been drinking at all I would have still felt the same. I wasn’t jealous though, was I? I was just angry. Angry that I’d been left, twice, when both Izzy and Harry knew how uneasy I felt about the situation. But the girl in the blue dress hadn’t done anything to me, and I was definitely feeling something towards her.

I kicked off my shoes at the door, and said good morning to my Auntie Josie and Uncle Chris, who looked a bit worse for wear sat at the kitchen table nursing their cups of tea. I made my way through to the living to find the familiar sight of Izzy wrapped in a blanket, watching the daytime murder mystery on ITV3. When she saw me in the doorway she moved up the sofa, pulling up the end of the blanket, inviting me in. I snuggled down next to her, relishing in the cocoon of warmth after I’d felt Jack Frost nipping at my nose and ears on my walk over.

“Did you have a good time then? Hardly saw you after the first hour…” I asked, reaching for the remote, turning the volume down,( being sure to land on an even number), so we wouldn’t be interrupted by Poirot solving the case while we talked.

“Erin, I’m so sorry. I just got distracted, I didn’t mean to leave you!” She professed. “Did you at least have a good night?” She asked, in an attempt to make me feel better.

“Not really to be honest.” I answered truthfully, willing my brain not to conjure up the image I’d been trying hard not to think about. “Harry stayed with me for a bit, but then he got distracted too. Went home just after midnight with Dad. Just wasn’t really feeling it.” I muttered, monotonously as I could, trying to hide any emotions that may have given themselves away in my voice.

“Wait, Harry wasn’t with you the whole time?” Izzy questioned, with furrowed brows. I knew then I was going to have to tell her what I knew.

“No, he was with some of the lads from the football team at first, I think I recognised them. Then he was with me, then he was with this brunette girl, very pretty, blue dress, mediu-

“Medium length hair, with brown eyes, yep I know.” She finished for me, sitting up abruptly and turning the TV off altogether. I was confused. If Izzy had seen Harry and the girl, why was she asking me about it?

“What’s wrong?” I asked, trying to understand her sudden change of demeanor.

“Nothing, you um, you didn’t see anything did you?” She pressed.

“Errrrrm, well I’m pretty sure he kissed her at midnight.” I revealed, with a shrug of my shoulders attempting to disguise the pain I felt at the memory. However, Izzy didn’t react as if she knew, the surprise and shock in her eyes was evident. She muttered curses under her breath as she frantically searched for something in the blankets. She pulled out her phone from the masses of soft fabric, quickly pressing buttons and holding it to her ear. I had a feeling I knew who she was calling.

Not too long after the extremely brief call, in which Izzy demanded the person on the other end arrive as soon as possible at the Johnson household, were my suspicions were confirmed it was Harry being summoned.

“Pretty sure I’m still slightly drunk.” He announced, shuffling into the room and flinging himself across the spare sofa across from Izzy and I. I couldn’t look at him fully though, I didn’t know how I’d react and I didn’t trust myself not to flip. So I kept my head down, picking and playing with loose threads on the blanket that shielded my body.

“Wouldn’t surprise me.” Izzy retorted with a laugh.

“So you had a good night then?” I asked brazenly. Upon Harry’s appearance, an overwhelming need to know more about the girl in blue came upon me, and although I had a feeling that was the direction the conversation would head in anyway thanks to Izzy’s reaction earlier, I wasn’t above slyly digging for information myself.

“It was ok.” Harry answered, my secretly weighted question not being fully acknowledged.

“Looked more than ok to me.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” He snapped. Had I said that outloud? Shit.

I forced myself to look up, and found him perched on the edge of his seat leaning towards me. His eyes wild with the same look I’d seen at the pub after the charity match, when we’d been at each other's throats. And although I’d hoped we wouldn’t be with each other like that again, the anger I felt wasn’t something I could ignore. “Nothing, it just looked like after you’d left me, you were having a good time.” I bit, more harshly than I’d intended.

“You think I wasn’t having a good time with you?” He challenged, raising from his chair and coming to stand above Izzy and I, but I’d had enough of him towering over me these past few weeks. I didn’t know if it made him feel more powerful, or whether he just liked to speak down to people, but I wasn’t giving him that extra distance so I stood up too.

“I didn’t say that.” I argued back, folding my arms across my chest defensively.

“Well that’s what it sounded like.” He countered, not moving from his spot.

“Sounds like Aimee had a good time too.” Izzy interjected, slowly standing to join me at my side, and I was thankful for her input as I felt like I was just about to snap.

Suddenly Harry stepped back away from us both, the tension he’d built up clearly dropping from his shoulders and his jaw slackened from where it had been clenched tight. “I was drunk, it didn’t mean anything I swear.” He insisted. My own defensive wall started to drop as I watched his eyes that seemed to me to be filled with both sadness and regret look between Izzy and I.

“You don't need to defend yourself to me. But honestly Harry, you're so stupid sometimes, you know how she is.” Izzy stated calmly, but also with a roll of her eyes, easily lowering the tension in the room.

I took a deep breath and retreated back to my own sofa, angling myself away from them both as they started to talk between themselves. I turned the TV back on in an attempt to drown out the nagging in my mind that was pestering me to sort out my feelings. I didn’t want to argue with him anymore, I knew that, plus there was no way I was going to be able to justify my anger to either of them if they asked why I was so upset.

My ears pricked up however when I heard my name. “Erin I need to be back at uni on the 6th, so I was gonna go back on the 5th if that’s ok with you?” Harry asked brightly, as if we hadn’t been ready to rip each other’s hair out just moments before.

“Yeah that’s fine.” I shrugged.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes Harry, I said it was fine.” I droned, returning my concentration back to solving the mystery on the screen, rather than the mystery that was my feelings towards Harry swirling around in my mind. I imagined even Poirot would have a tough time figuring out that one out.

A/N: Oooohhh! Their time in HC is coming to a close... what’s that going to mean for Harry and Erin, and also Izzy!??! Please let me know what you think, I’d love to hear your thoughts/predictions/questions!! My ask is open! As always, (although i’ve been a massive bell and forgot to write this earlier...) a mahoosive thank you to @cuddlemusclestyles and @islareeveswriting for all their love and support with everything, not just this fic. I was really stuck at one point with this, and they pulled me out and got me back on track. Plus they made me get on with my uni work, like the mums they are... They’ve both got AMAZING fics on the go/coming up, so you should definitely go and check them out, give them a read, like and reblog!  All the love 💕💕

*Jace Wayland*  Our Family Now

Jace Wayland X Girl

Requested:✔️

Plot: Can you do a jace wayland imagine where the reader tells him that she’s pregnant, but sort of at an awkward time like maybe he was in the room when she was arguing with clary about the reader slowing them down or something and she just blurts out she’s pregnant? 

 Word Count: 1,152

A/N: first of the gif is not mine, second I’ve never written a Jace Wayland before. I don’t write in third point of view with the reader, It’s not my writing style. I pick a name that fits. I’m so excited this is my first request. when requesting, throw in a name.

P.S: Just noticing I missed read the request, Sorry. Hope you still like it.

My hands shook rapidly as I held the pink and white pregnancy test in my hands. Two blue lines crossing over each other indicating I was pregnant. My eyes brimmed with tears and my throat grew sore.

I rolled my lips inward holding back the tears that wanted to fall. My grip on the pink stick grew, I held my arm back before throwing it against the wall with all the force I could muster. It broke into pieces, flying all over the room.

A knock on the bathroom door made me take in a calming breath. Realizing I stopped breathing for a seconds. “Yes?” My voice strong, taking every muscle inside my body to not sound weak.

“Sydney , are you okay? I heard something.”  Isabel’s voice was loud and silky as she spoke through the door. Izzy was like a sister to me, it was nice to feel like someone was there. Un-like I felt at my old institute the clave dragged me from.

“Yeah, I bumped a shampoo bottle and the cap flew off.” I replied, faking the reassurance in my voice. “Okay.” she said sound unconvinced, but never pushed. It was clear that she knew something was wrong, I’d come to her when I was ready to talk about it.

I heard her high heels click against the floor while she walked away. I closed my eyes sighing in relief, I collected my thoughts before I bent down. Picking up the little pieces of pregnancy test and shoved them into my back pocket.

If I just threw them away someone would find them. Then try and find who they belonged to, it’d trace back to me.

I twisted the cold knob and pulling the door opened. exiting the room fast and bumping into someone. Why couldn’t I just escape in peace?

The tall and firm structure of the person tolled me it had been Alec. I would be able to know who I ran into, it was an art to me since I did it so many times I lost count.

His big hands flew to both of my arms and moved me from his body. Only a few inches from him, “Where you headed Sydney?” He asked his facial expression dripping with curiousity, looking like a cat.

“Hey Alec, I was going to look for Jace. Have you seen him?” I asked him,  the memory of a few weeks ago replaying in my head.

Jace wandering  my body like it was a maze to him. Kissing every inch of me, until I turned into a moaning mess. That night I lost control with him so close, my defending thoughts got clouded over with lust. Jace was everything I wanted and I got it, now I was about to lose him to his sister.

“Yeah. He was by the training room hallway, last time I saw him .” Alec piped up as he moved from me and stalked down the opposite direction I was headed towards. “Thanks Alec.” I called to him before I started my journey.

“Whatever you need.” He hollered, letting his words reach me.

I heard them before I saw them, Strained and angry voices as they argued with each other. I sighed preparing myself for whatever came next.

I cautiously walked into the training room, seeing them just centimeters to one another. Clear frustration played onto Clary’s delicate face, “…She’s dragging us down, has for awhile now!” She tried to project her voice more.

“Clary, Sam’s been here longer than you have. If anyone is dragging us down it’s you.” He barked back at her, from the begging I knew they were talking about me. Clary never liked me from the start.

Where I stood I could feel the tension grow bigger and longer. I knew I caught him at a horrible time, but I needed to tell him I was pregnant with his child. The tension would turn into awkwardness, as soon as I came from the shadows.

I continued moving towards them, having no idea what to say. Before I could stop myself I burst out with words. “I don’t think I was pulling you guys down, but now I think I will. Since I’m pregnant.” It was confidently dripping with slight anxiety.

They both snapped their heads towards me half way through my burst. Silence washed over us, nobody talking only the look of shock. I could help but want to be sucked into the wall. Never wanting to come out again. It took a lot just to tell that him, the father of my child.

“You’re what?” Clary asked, her word laced with venom.

“She’s pregnant. And I’m the father.” He said quietly as the room picked it up and let it echo through the place. Something inside me ran with relive, he didn’t have the slightest of thought it wasn’t his.

My heart fluttered with warmth as he looked at me, his blue, green, and brown gaze holding something that felt like love. It was lightly covered. My stomach drop watching Clary’s expression turn into a scowl.

Jace eyed her before he stormed towards me. Grabbing my forearm, with a hard enough grip to yank me from the room. He dragged me down a few halls until he found a empty one. He stopped and threw me in front of him.

“Are you sure?” He asked his eyebrow raised, as if I would be lying just to keep Clary away from. It sounded like something I’d do, but I wouldn’t lie about being pregnant.

“Yes, Jace I couldn’t lie about anything near this serious.” I snapped at him trying to keep my voice down. I had to understand, I would question anything that’d be able to be life changing.

 “Okay, I’m just making sure.” She voice surprisingly calm around a situation like this. Almost like he’s been in one like this, I wouldn’t be shocked. Have you seen him? He was the definition of perfect.

“Have you thought about anything?” He asked, It took me a few seconds to understand what he meant.

“No! I haven’t thought about abortion. I know how much family means to you, but if it’s what you want.” I chocked on my words knowing the hormones were coming on.

“Hey, no that’s not what I want.” He said soothingly as he reached out for me, pulling me to his body. His arms wrapped around me as I let my hormones consume me.

“Family means a lot to me, now you and our baby are my family.” He said in a hushed tone, rubbing light circles on my back to  comfort me. Without him I’d be lost, he wasn’t just the guy I loved. He was my best friend.

“I feel safe when I’m with you.” I said once my head wasn’t covered into his shirt, and my sobs were subsided.

“I love you, Sydney.”

Three Soldiers and a Baby | Part Five

summary: Three handsome bachelors find their day to day operations disrupted when an unexpected new roommate (who comes complete with a diaper and a pacifier) shows up at their doorstep. How will they deal with this new and baffling responsibility without losing their minds or killing each other in the process?

pairings: Bucky x Reader (eventual) featuring Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson

warnings: none

a/n: It’s been a minute, but here’s part five! Sorry for the shorter chapter, but things are still moving along. Getting there slowly, but surely! I’ve actually been thinking about changing the posting schedule to twice a week, but work has been a little chaotic lately so I’m not sure what to do just yet. Also, sorry for not posting/responding to comment feedback this past week like I usually do. Like I said, chaos reigns! But I appreciate everyone who’s been keeping up with the story and leaving some nice little feedback for me. You’re all amazing and I appreciate you! Oh and Happy Canada D’eh! 💖

*warning to mobile users, the “keep reading” tab may not work so apologies in advance*

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 |

| previously |

After another minute passed, Steve’s impatience was really kicking in. He placed pillows on either side of Ellie to make sure she didn’t roll around and then turned to help Sam. “Just open the damn container.” He reached out to grab the bottle from him, but Sam pulled it away.

“I’m trying to for fucks sake!” Sam exclaimed, slamming the bottle down on the table in his frustration. A thick cloud erupted from the bottle covering both men in the soft white powder. Loud peals of laughter sounded behind them as both men slowly turned to face Ellie, who was clearly in hysterics over the mess they made.

Sam’s tired sigh turned into a low growl. “Barnes owes me so bad after all this and I plan to collect large.”

“You and me both, pal.” Steve agreed before they both broke out into a fit of coughs.

———————————————————————

Steve would be the first to admit that things may have started off a little rocky, but he felt like they were on a good track now. The fact that Ellie soiled her clean diaper almost as soon as they changed her was just another little speed bump. The little insect was just waiting for it. The two men were still covered in a light dusting of baby powder even though they did manage to shake themselves free of most of it. Unfortunately they would each have to wait for a shower until they figured out what to do with the child.

The pages from the letter they found were starting to crinkle with the amount of times Steve went back to read it. They'd have to have it laminated the way they were going. Ellie wasn't due for a feeding for a couple hours and now that she was clean, they really didn't know what to do with her. How were two grown men - whose main priority was to fight against the evils of the world - supposed to entertain a little baby? Of course, it was Steve that started strategizing because, well, that's what he does. 

“Okay, what we need to do is figure out how all of this is going to work and what we're supposed to expect. Sam, can you hold onto Ellie so I can go grab my laptop?” He lifted Ellie off the couch cushion and turned towards Sam who kept looking back and forth between the baby and Steve.

“How about you hold onto the kid and I go grab your stuff. You two already have a little thing going on. I'd hate to get in the middle of that.” He crossed his arms over his chest as though that would protect him from having to do anything.

“Sam, there's no way I'm doing this alone. Sooner or later you're going to have to hold her and right now is as good a time as any.” Steve held her out a little more expectantly. 

There was no doubt that the Captain was right and Sam knew that, but it really did nothing to calm his nerves. To share the responsibilities and duties of caring for a child that wasn't your own was not something Sam thought he would ever have to do. Barnes really would be in a world of trouble the moment he walked through the front door.

Reluctantly, Sam agreed but not before pumping himself up a little bit first. After a few sets of lunges, a couple jumping jacks, and some light jabs into thin air, Sam was as ready as he'd ever be. He craned his neck to the side, outstretched his arms, and let Steve place the small bundle in his hands. While Steve had been watching unimpressed by the spectacle his roommate was putting on, Ellie was just staring up at him in wonder. Maybe she was still too young to think he was being ridiculous, like Steve thought he was. 

After a few seconds passed with Sam holding out the baby like a sacrificial offering, he dared to open his eyes and get a good look at her. To his surprise, she wasn't crying and didn't even seem upset. She just kept staring up at him with her big blue eyes and her little fingers in her mouth, drooling all over her hand.

Once he loosened up a little bit he gently started rocking back and forth. “Alright this isn't so bad. Yeah. We can do this.”

Confident that he could leave the two on their own, Steve went off in search of his laptop so they could do some serious baby research. Whether they wanted to or not, this was happening and they needed as much information as possible. Over the next hour, they did as much research as they could. Visiting websites and blogs, even watching videos and ordering a couple books online. The mother didn't specify how long this little arrangement would last so they thought the more prepared they were, the better off they'd be. 

During that time, Sam and Steve would take turns entertaining Ellie while the other worked at the laptop and read everything out loud. Steve enjoyed talking to her. Just pointing out little things around the apartment and asking her questions she couldn't answer. When it was Sam's turn he would do much of the same except there was a little bit more movement. He would get up and waltz around the room with her in his arms, singing to her while she mumbled back. He even took her into Bucky's room and started telling her things about him. For the most part he only mentioned the negative traits.

“Sam, don't say those kind of things to her.”

“It's alright, man. It's all in the tone of voice you use.” Sam said sweetly. “As long as it sounds pleasant she doesn't care what I'm saying. Even if I'm telling her that her daddy's a tool, she's still all smiles. See, look at that.” He turned Ellie to face Steve and he was right. She was smiling up at Sam as though he wasn't just shit-talking her father.

When it finally came time to feed her Sam was the one to prepare the bottle since according to him, Steve was more likely to burn it. Sam even made sure to check that the milk wasn’t too hot by dabbing some on his wrist before handing the bottle to Steve who was still holding Ellie. She was starting to get fussy, but Steve was stuck admiring the way Sam seemed to be getting a grip on their new and strange situation.

“Don’t act so shocked, Steve.” Sam said, urging him to give the kid the bottle. “They do that kind of thing all the time in movies with little kids in them.”

Steve was about to ask what kind of kid friendly movies Sam had been talking about, but Ellie was starting to fuss in his arms. He shushed her gently and gave her the bottle, surprised to see how eager she was for the formula. Once her belly was full and she was properly burped, they settled her back into the bassinet to see if maybe she would be ready for a nap. It only took a few more moments of cute little babbling before she started to drift off to a peaceful slumber. One that they hoped would last until dinner time.

“Huh,” said Sam quizzically. “So that’s all she’s gonna do then? Eat, sleep, and shit?” That doesn’t seem so bad.” He turned to look at Steve who had already plopped down on the recliner and was emitting soft sounds from his partially opened lips. The super soldier was exhausted and they had only spent half a day with the kid. This was definitely going to be a lot harder than they thought.

Sam smiled down at his slumbering friend, taking pity on him for having done his fair share of the work with little Ellie. After a handful of seconds he was done taking pity on him, though, and moved to grab Steve by the shoulders and shake him awake.

“Wake your ass up. We’ve still got work to do if this kid is gonna be interrupting our typical daily operations.”

“Thanks, Sam.” Steve said with an unappreciative groan, wiping his hands down his tired face. “Okay, what’s first.”

Sam looked down at his friend then to the cute sleeping baby. He noticed the letter was still open on the coffee table and grabbed it.

“First,” he said. “We gotta find out who the baby mama is and what kind of trouble she’s in.”

———————————————————————

Feedback is always appreciated, leave it here!

———————————————————————

part four << part five >> part six

———————————————————————

Series Masterlist

Full Masterlist

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tags:

@avengerofyourheart | @aboveordinarymusicgal | @absolukeyrh | @ashlieadelia | @a-timeheist | @avengerskeeper | @buckys-other-punk | @captainwinterfalcon | @crazinessgraveyardsandcartoons | @curvybihufflepuff | @depressedpolishgirl | @desigirlworld | @divinediego | @dumblani | @fab-notfat | @feelmyroarrrr | @hiken-no-stark | @hv-chw3 | @igotkatiepowers | @izzys-addiction-for-fiction | @jesusbriskets | @kindnesswins | @kingcarterprince | @lbouvet | @mcuwillbethedeathofme | @meanerface | @mileysebschmidt | @miss2001babe | @mizzzpink | @rachelle-on-the-run | @rainbowkisses31 | @redqueen1221 | @rraise-a-glass-to-freedom | @rumoured-whispers | @sassylittlesamoan | @scarlettsoldier | @sexyvixen7 | @sgtbxckybxrnes | @sunmoonandbucky | @tanelle83 | @thefridgeismybestie | @this-is-mycrisis | @unlikelygalaxygiver | @verymuchclosetedfangirl | @xxloki81xx | @yallneedtrek | @yknott81 | @yourpotatotwiceremooved | @3dsaunt

All I Have 14/15

Pairing: Biker!Peter Parker x Reader

**Reminder: I write ANDREW GARFIELD as my Peter Parker **

Warnings: Language. Parental abuse. Arranged marriage. Shitty parent. I Guess Boarder line cheating. Lying. Secrets. Sneaking around.

Your daddy has a plan for you. He’s a strict man, with a belt and gun. You know better than to stray from the path, from the rules he set out for you. You’re promised to a good man,but not much of a man. Secretly your hear beats for bad boy, biker Peter Parker. He’s been hounding you for a date, a ride on his motorcycle, for one word; yes. You keep turning him down, because if your daddy finds out about Peter, he’ll kill the both of you. But Peter isn’t backing down that easy. He knows what you want and he’ll get that yes.

You play with the coffee mug in front of you, thanks to Aunt May who brought over a round. You fiddle with the spoon next to your cup, before Peter placed his hand over top of yours. You sigh, looking up at your grandfather.

“He told me you were Momma’s daddy. That you set up their marriage, and after momma passed, you didn’t want anything to do with me.” You shrug.

“He told me you didn’t want anything to do with me and asked me to stop calling and dropping by.” He nods.

“He said you knew about my arranged marriage.” You chew the inside of your cheek.

“To him?” Your granddad smirks looking at Peter.

“No, Sir. Someone else. She agreed to this one on her own.” Peter nods.

“Jesse Folts.” You explain. Your grandfather rolls his eyes, you almost choke on your coffee.

“That boring ass family?” He scuffs. “Your daddy must want your trust.” He sighs. Peter leans in towards you.

“Told you.” He smirks. You shut your eyes, shaking your head.

“Shut it.” You warn him. “Why didn’t I know about my trust?” You ask.

“I assume because your father’s business is drowning in debt. He needs that money.” Your grandfather nods.

“I get it at eighteen?” Your head tips.

“A portion.” He nods.

“Portion?” You and Peter repeat at the same time.

“Your momma set it up, so you get a portion at eighteen. When you get married you get another, and when you have your first child you get the rest.” He nods slowly.

“One question.” You hold up a finger. “My college fund. Did you take it?” You grip your coffee cup hard.

“No.” He scuffs. “I took it from him, when I was noticed he was attempting to dip into it when you were sixteen.” He shakes his head. “Little girl, everything is in your name, when you turn eighteen you get it all. Your college fund, your trust.”

“I’m so confused.” You squeeze the bridge of your nose.

“What happened to your face?” Your eyes snap up, swallowing hard you drop them to your coffee mug.

“Her daddy’s a drunk that beats on her.” Peter bites out.

“So she ran away, to be with you?” A brow is lifted.

“Yes.” Peter nods.

“Tell me about you.” Your granddaddy, leans back sipping his coffee slowly. “I assume you want to marry my granddaughter. Her daddy’s not worthy of permission, maybe you should ask mine.” Your eyes move from one man to the other.

  “What do you want to know?” Peter asks sipping his coffee.

“Age. Schooling. Career. Family. The kutte.” Logan smirks watching him.

“Eighteen almost nineteen. I skipped two grades and tested out early.” He winks at Y/N, who rolls her eyes. “I own my own tattoo shop, with my little brother and our best friend Sam.” Peter nods.

“I lost both my parents at eight. Drunk driver. I was adopted by my dad’s best friend and his wife. My little brother is from them.” He smirks as Aunt May comes over, filling coffee cups again. “My aunt May is pouring coffee into your cup.” He chuckles softly. Logan nods, thanking aunt May. “She and my uncle Ben own and run this diner.”

“I am apart of Sinner Disciples. My dad was apart of it. My dad, brother and as well as my best friends are apart of it as well. No drugs, nothing illegal. We run a fight ring, all legit thought.” Peter picks up his cup sipping again.

“Explains the scarred knuckles.” Logan nods slowly.

“Yes, Sir.”

“So neither of you knew about the money?” Logan glances between the two of them.

“Not at all.” Y/N shakes her head, disbelief on her face.

“Never thought about it.” Peter shrugs.

“Does it make you want to marry my granddaughter more?” Logan pins him with a look. He was a beefy old guy, he looked well put together, but he gave off a faint ‘don’t fuck with me’ vibe for an older guy.

“Nope. Changes nothing for me.” Peter looks over at Y/N. “Was never the reason I started chasing her in the first place.”

“What if I don’t want it?” She looks at her granddaddy and back to him.

“What you want, I support it.” He nods at her.

“Interesting.” Logan smirks watching the two of them.

“I want one thing.” She turns towards her grandfather.

“Tell me.” He nods.

“Sign the papers, consenting to me getting married before my eighteenth birthday.” She stares at him. “If you have to think of it in a different way, think of it as you helping keep my daddy from dragging me back to the house of horrors and possibly killing me before I can get out.” She was throwing a hard ball at him.

“That’s all you want?” He sighs, picking up his coffee cup.

“Can I change the conditions of my trust?” Her head tips, curiosity in her eyes.

“Anything you want.” He nods.

“I’d like to think it over and set it to my terms.” She nods.

“Dinner next week?” Logan looks between them.

“For my birthday.” She smiles.

“Now, Peter you own your own shop? Your aunt owns this diner?” Logan looks around.

“Yes, Sir.” He nods.

“Perhaps you show me around, while my granddaughter asks sweetly for the rest of the day off.” Logan smiles.

“Take it. Run.” Wanda walks past the table, as if it was the most normal thing to do.

“I just need to change.” Y/N laughs. He pulls her from the booth, helping her up.

“You love her.” Logan nods as he stands with him.

“Like you have no idea.” Peter nods.

“You leaving?” Aunt May pauses next to him.

“Yeah, I’m taking Y/N with me.” He leans in kissing her cheek, before slipping cash into the pocket of her apron.

“Okay, don’t forget to tell your momma a day for this wedding. I plan to close the diner to be there.” She gives him a squeeze.

“I know aunt May. Working on the bumps. I’ll make sure you know.” He grins.

“I’d like to be apart of the day as well.” Logan clears his throat, adjusting his jacket.

“If she wants it, I wouldn’t dream of taking anything away from her.” Peter nods. Logan grins nodding, his hands in his pants pockets.

“Okay. Where too?” Y/N bounces up to him. He takes her bag, before taking her hand.

“I’d like to see the shop you own.” Logan nods. Y/N grins, as she starts to babble away, Logan smiles nodding along as the three of them head out of the diner.

Everything Peaches 8/23/18: @mo320   @all1e23 @izzy--lee @irepeldirt @alyssaj23 @elle88531 @allyp1023 @itsemmyb @joannie95 @kgbrenner @violinbetty @jade-taillia @sarahp879   @raquegp02 @rileyloves5 @flashfanfics @pigwidgexn @bfuckjames @pcterpvrker @bluebird214 @wandressfox   @amandab-ftw @henrietteoaks @bettercallsabs @queenforatime @lucifersnipnips @queenkrissy11 @destiel-artemis @paintballkid711 @freakingnerd99 @sweet-honey15 @mellxander1993   @geeksareunique   @spookygrantaire @supernatural508 @mariekoukie6661 @futuremrsb-r-main @lovemarvelousfics @petersunderoos96 @booktvmoviefangirl @supernatural-girl97 @justmeinthisworldblr   @nerdyandexhausted @kingarthurofslytherin @supernaturaldean67 @xqueenofthecraziesx   @ssweet-empowerment @writingaworldofmyown @villainsaremorerelatable @ocaptain-mycaptainmorgan @extreme-supernatural-lover @crazy-little-thing-called-buck @teenagetragediesforeveryone   @letsgetfuckingsuperwholocked   @stupendoussciencenaturepanda       @jamesbarnesappreciationsociety

Peter Parker: @ariminiria @coley0823   @dkpink123   @everthenerd @crayonwriting @bellamouse16   @paranoiadestroyah   @kiss-the-stars-goodbye @supernatural-strangerthings-1980

All I Have: @eliza-kat @coley0823 @teller258316 @imcerealouslystevie @crumpets-are-better-with-jam

Vanish in the Dark Pt 8

Pairings: None at the moment (I think I got something.)

Warnings: None.

Word Count: 1200+

Summary: Assassin’s Creed AU and Marvel AU crossover.  The Brotherhood has spent years hiding in the shadows keeping the Templars in line as the years pass on. When the Templars company Abstergo Industries strikes up a deal with Hydra, things have to change. The Brotherhood decides to step out of the shadows, reaching out for the help of the Avengers. What could go wrong?

A/N: This part took me forever because it’s literally the one before things get interesting again. So I think It lacks a little in content, but hopefully the next part will make up for it. Enjoy lovelies!  ❤️

Daisy- Loyalty, innocence, purity

Gladiolus- strength of character, moral integrity, sincerity

Once again, the gif is not mine, credit to the owner. 

Part Seven | Part Eight | Part Nine | Series Masterlist

Ding.

The gentle tone from Steve’s laptop caused both Bucky and him to turn, small excited smiles on each of their faces. In the past few weeks Steve and Bucky had been exchanging messages back and forth with Y/N, who they learned was actually rather pleasant to talk to. They both learned more about her than they ever thought they would, more than the files they had of her would ever tell them.

Much to Tony’s chagrin, it seemed the only two people Y/N would talk to was either of the super soldiers. Sam had his own contact within the Brotherhood, the blonde woman he had ‘helped’ after her stumble. It took Natasha several days to admit she was talking with the snarky redhead, grinning widely when Tony all but blew a fuse. Despite his outward appearance, Tony never would admit that he was a little upset nobody was willing to talk to him. It upset him even more that they knew it bothers him.

They’re conversations had started a day after they returned from New York, Y/N sending Steve a message asking how everyone was. He was caught off guard at first, but after a quick back and forth with Bucky, he responded that they were all managing. It was hard to take everything in all at once, overwhelming when they sat and reread everything again. The others had been briefed, and they too were struggling with everything. Y/N knew Steve had been lying and called him out. She wasn’t a leader for nothing, she knew things were worse than he made it out to seem.

Steve had made a joke that she had camera’s in the compound, how else would she know? The smiley face he received made him somewhat nervous. Once Tony got word of her joke, he nearly ripped apart the building to find them all, the search fruitless in the end. Y/N seemed to find it hysterical whenever Steve or Bucky would tell her about how Tony handled things and constantly found ways to set him off from afar. Bucky loved it, he’d be the one to tell Tony the things Y/N joked about. Steve ended up having to referee when the two of them were in a room, fearful that Tony would take his frustration out on Bucky instead. It never escalated to that, and hopefully, it never would.

So how are things? Steve smiled at the question, Y/N’s concern for the team endearing. He knew she truly cared, or she wouldn’t ask as often as she had.

Things are better. Tony has finally managed to keep his cool whenever you’re brought up. Bucky snorted, rolling his eyes at that. There were days Tony would still start foaming at the mouth, but he was learning how to handle it a bit better. Steve shushed him before turning back to the laptop. So it’s a bit of an improvement from last week.

I’m glad. We must have really done a number on him. He hardly ever loses his cool.

Is that why you keep pushing his buttons?

Well duh. Steve chuckled, shaking his head at her response. This was a golden opportunity, and I was not going to pass it up.

Bucky elbowed Steve out of the way, ignore the protest from his friend.

Hey doll!

Hey Buck, did you shove Steve out of the way again?

It’s freaky how well you know these things.

You did this yesterday. And the day before that. And the day before that. Go check your laptop, you dork.

Bucky giggled, a familiar sound that always caused a smile to tug on Steve’s lips. Bucky all but ran out of the room to get his own laptop, grinning widely as he did so. Steve rolled his eyes and turn the laptop back to face him.

He went to get it.

Good. How does he always forget that he has his own chat with me?

He gets excited whenever you talk with us. I can’t blame him.

Aw Daisy, you’re gonna make me blush. Steve huffed out a laugh, grinning widely at the words in front of him. She had given him that nickname the first time they spoke, and it was something Steve seemed to adore. Bucky’s nickname was Gladiolus. Y/N never did explain why she had given them flower names, and neither of them were going to question it. The banter between them was refreshing for both the soldiers. Y/N always seemed to find a way to relax the two of them, despite dangers that lay ahead. She knew what they were going through, to some degree, and was willing to make sure they knew someone was there for them. Sometimes, Steve told her things he never told others, not even Bucky. Bucky did the same, finding it easy to confess things to Y/N. She had that effect on them.

It was in these small moments that Steve forgot that Y/N was part of an organization that prided themselves in assassinating people. He forgot that they knew nothing of her order until she gave them the information the Brotherhood wiped from the world. She held more power then he could ever have imagined, and when she made jokes with him, he forgot it all.

You still there?

Steve blinked, the chime pulling him out of his thoughts. Bucky meandered into the room, his laptop opened balanced on his hand as he typed away on the keyboard. He glanced at Steve as he settled into the love seat, propping his feet up on the coffee table, grinning widely at the screen.

Yeah, I’m still here. Sorry, got a bit distracted.

You had me worried there for a minute, Steve.

Worried for what?

Y/N’s response was slower than usual. Steve sat up straighter, his brows furrowed. Y/N was normally a quick response, if she ever had to step away she made sure they knew. It had been a full three minutes and no response yet. Steve’s exhaled in relief when the chime echoed in the room.

Nothing Steve. Just worried you lost that pretty head of yours in the clouds. Steve grinned widely, shaking his head at her reply. He was about to respond, his fingers hovering over the keys when a deafening blare caused him to stop short.

Both Bucky and Steve’s heads snapped up, the two exchanging frantic glances between themselves, before they bolted out of their seats, laptops forgotten.

“There has been a breach in the eastern corridor.” F.R.I.D.A.Y. spoke as the two soldiers darted through the compound. “They’re not friendlies, and there’s a lot of them.”

“Anyone breaking into the compound is generally not friendly.” Steve shot back, skidding around a corner. Another voice spoke out through the halls.

“Cap, we got a problem,” Tony growled. “A big one. We’re trying to hold them off, but we need you, Romanoff and Barnes here. Now.”

“I figured as much from the alarms, Stark. What’s the big problem?” Natasha appeared at Steve’s side, her face grim with his shield in hand. She passed it over to him and handed a gun back to Bucky while Tony shot an answer back.

“Apparently, we pissed some people off, and now they’re here to teach us a lesson.”

Steve frowned, shooting a look at Natasha. She seemed to know exactly what Tony was getting at, and wasn’t happy about it either. The three came to a halt in front of the doorway leading to the eastern corridor, the sound of gun fires and explosions muffled by the door.

“Who’s our visitor Tony?” Steve questioned, already having come to the realization on who was on the other side of the door with Tony and the others. The door swung open, revealing the mayhem taking place in the room.

“Templars.”

Vanish in the Dark Tag List:*

@buckybabybaby  @ccehrler  @the-echo-of-insanity @aya-fay@kystarlight17 @evra-von-what@sassyandclassyx@alicethecactus@rebsniper @ymstmp-izzi@northscorpio @inumorph @therealwatermelon@locaaednaa@savannahingersoll14@arrowguyxx @stay-wokke@thehunterismine@nilssonelinnn@deanlovescassie@dont4getthepie@mirajanestrauss1999 @38leticia @lex-ham@fandomsunitedtogetherforever @softwhispers @cookies186

(CLOSED) Let me know if you’ve asked and I’ve missed you! I didn’t mean to miss you:)

Never say die - Chapter 14

Pairing: Axl Rose x reader Words: 1906 Summary: Reader accidentally time travels back to 1985 where Axl, Duff, Slash, Steven and Izzy find her

Never say die masterlist

A/N: Okay i’m so sorry this comes so late. Again. I’m so disappointed on myself rn lmao and i know you are as well but i try. I hope you still like this even a bit lmao, let me know what you think again. 

Axl's POV I opened my eyes and immediately the sun was shining straight to my face which made my headache so much worse. I had passed out on the couch last night apparently. I didn't remember shit what happened last night, just some short random moments but nothing huge. I remember Duff totally embarrassing himself in front of bunch of hot young women and Slash leaving the place with two chicks. I didn't even see Steven and Izzy at all during that night. They came with us to the bar but soon just disappeared. I remember calling to Amy in some point but i have no clue what we were talking about. After that everything's just black. Soon i heard a phone rang very loudly and i groaned, holding my head. I couldn't stand any loud noices right now and especially wasn't in the mood to talk with anybody now. I walked towards the phone and hang up and after that walked to my bedroom after taking few painkillers. I managed to vomit probably like three times, i was surprised that every organ inside me didn't come up. After like an hour and half i heard someone opening the door and come inside to the apartment. I heard loud steps coming closer to my bedroom and when the door to my bedroom flinged open, i lifted my head from the pillow and looked at the figure who came in, narrowing my eyes. ”What the f –” ”Why the fuck haven't you answered to our calls?” Izzy shouted. ”We've tried to contact you like 10 times probably and i knew you were at home!” ”Jeez, could you chill a bit,” i said quietly and got up to sit on the edge of the bed. ”What the fuck is so important? It's not like the city is in flames and we're gonna die.” Izzy groaned and rolled his eyes. ”Yeah, not we, but Amy.” And those words made me fast move my gaze on Izzy, eyes widening. ”What the hell do you mean Amy?” i yelled panicking. ”He was in a car accident yesterday at night and she's now in the hospital,” Izzy told me and i could see the sorrow in his eyes. My heart skipped a beat, probably atleast two, and my stomach dropped, tears almost ready to roll down my cheeks. ”W-what are you saying?” i asked, my voice shaking. He took a deep breath. ”She's fine. A few bones broken, bruises everywhere and so on but she survived,” Izzy said and i could breathe properly again. My heart was still beating faster than ever before, so fast that it almost hurt. ”Thank god,” i whispered and closed my eyes for a moment, trying to calm down a bit. We rushed to the hospital as fast as we could. Scarlet was there with Sam and Jon, they had been there apparently the whole night. Jon held Amy's hand and also Steven was sitting next to her. After a while also Duff and Slash came to visit. Soon Scarlet and Sam had to leave to work, they couldn't skip a day of work, their boss would probably kill them otherwise. ”Jon, you should go home as well,” Sam said and looked at Jon, concerned. ”You're ill, you have fever and everything. Amy's gonna become sick soon too because of you.” ”No, i'm staying here with her, i have to –,” Jon started but Scarlet interrupted him. ”No, you have to rest. She's fine, okay? She just needs to rest, she can go back home in no time, okay? The guys will take care of her now, you've been here all night,” Scarlet stated seriously and raised her eyebrows. It took a while but finally Jon agreed with Scarlet and left. Duff and Slash couldn't stay any longer, they were both vomiting all the time and Izzy and Steven had to keep their long hair away from their faces so that those wouldn't be in puke either. I sat next to Amy and eventually i was left alone when also Duff, Slash, Steven and Izzy left, asking if i was fine alone with her. --- Amy's POV I opened my eyes and still felt pain on my body. I looked around me for a while until noticed Axl sitting next to me on a chair, asleep and squeezing my hand. When i moved a bit to get a better position on the hospital bed, Axl immediately woke up and focused his gaze on me. ”You're awake, thank god!” he exclaimed and got up to hug me tightly. I tried to hug him back but then winced when he hugged me too tightly, hurting my ribs. He noticed it and let me go, apologizing. ”You scared the hell out of me,” he said with a bit shaking voice. ”Don't ever too that again, okay? Promise.” I smiled a little. ”I'm fine, Axl. A bit damaged but i'm fine,” i said reassuring him but he still looked at me very concerned and took a deep breath. ”Look, i promise to be more careful from now on. Okay?” ”Okay,” he whispered and tried to calm down again. We chatted for a while about random things and i tried not to laugh too much but it became impossible. ”I was supposed to spend Valentine's Day with Jon today but then this happened and he became sick,” i told him and shook my head. ”He's leaving on their tour in a bit over a week so it would have been great to get to spend time with him as much as possible,” i said and sighed, shrugging, until brought my eyes back on Axl's eyes, smiling. ”But you're good company as well. Don't you have better things to do though?” i asked. He furrowed his eyebrows but then chuckled. ”Nothing is more important than you right now,” he said smiling and squeezed my bruised hand again. ”I can't leave you alone, i’d never want to.” His words made me smile widely and he was about to say something else too but then a knock on the door interrupted us. The door opened and a man came in. ”Amy and Axl? Am i in the right room?” he asked and we nodded confused. ”Some guy named Izzy told me to bring these for you,” he continued and gave us bunch of different movies, chocolate, popcorns and two pizzas which smelled extremely delicious. ”And these are for you, Jon sent them,” the man said and gave me bunch of lilies. ”What, why?” i asked and took the flowers on my hands and smelled them. They were so beautiful. There was also note on them which said ”try to recover soon, babe. Love you!” and had a heart on it, it really warmed my heart. There was also a note on one of the movies' cover and Axl read it. ”What does it say?” i asked him curiously and by now the man was already gone. ”I bought you pizzas so you, and especially Amy, won't starve because hospital food is shit – i've been there. And i also rented you some movies so you won't bore yourself to death there. Have fun. -Izzy,” Axl read outloud. ”Aw, that's so nice of him. What movies did he rent for us?” i asked. Axl put the note away and showed me the movies. There were five of them and we had still basically all day time to watch them all, it wouldn't get boring at all. ”There's two action movies, two horror movies and some romantic comedy,” Axl said and let me read the back covers of each movie. ”Wow, atleast they seem great,” i said surprised. ”Let's watch this,” i suggested and offered Axl the first action movie. He nodded and we took all the stuff with us to find some empty room we could use where's a tv. We had seen one here before. My leg was broken though so i needed to take a wheelchair to get there, i felt so helpless when Axl was pushing me forward in the hospital corridors. We sat on the couch and Axl went to put the movie in the tv and then came to sit next to me. ”I wonder if the pizza is cold already,” i chuckled and took a bite when the movie started playing. ”I'm surprised Izzy remembers what's my favorite. Last time he bought one with pineapples it was horrible,” he laughed but i turned to look at him fire in my eyes. He noticed the look on my face. ”Oh my god, don't say you're one of those fuckers who eat pizza with pineapples.” ”Hey, you can't eat pizza without them what the fuck. Pineapples are great,” i stated but he scoffed, pretending to look hurt. ”Well that's a huge lie, what the hell, woman.” Our argument didn't last for long and finally we decided to concentrate on the movie. We watched the rest of the movies as well. One of the horror movies was so bad that it felt more like a shitty comedy and we couldn't stop laughing. The other horror movie was the opposite, it was great and scary as hell and Axl just laughed every time when i became scared of some scene and hid under the blanket which we shared together. In some point we had eaten all the chocolate we had and i tried to make Axl to go to the store to buy more but he said it was already enough. We still had a little popcorns left though. The last movie we watched was the romantic comedy one. I wasn’t very into to romantic movies etc and that stuff you know and neither was Axl but we decided to try if it was atleast alright. ”Axl, can i ask you a question?” i asked suddenly in the middle of the movie and looked at him, furrowing my brows. He looked at me back, a bit concerned about the expression on my face. He nodded which was a sign for me to continue. ”Do you love me? You said last night that you loved me. Is it true?” He was quiet for some time and just looked at me, a bit shocked to be honest and unsure what he should answer. ”Pfft of course i love you, what kind of question is that?” Axl said, chuckling nervously. ”Yeah, you're like a sister to me.” He looked quickly away from me for a moment and didn't say anything for a while. ”Oh. Okay,” i answered, kind of disappointed actually which was weird. He turned to face me again. ”Look, i've done some crazy shit when i've been drunk,” he said, his hands shaking. ”Once i decided with Izzy to adopt a baby together,” he said chuckling and it made me chuckle. Yeah, i've heard that already before though. Izzy's great as well when he's drunk. But I don't know why but his words hurt me a bit. Did i love him? Oh, please, woman. No, of course not, you loved Jon. And if i did for some reason have feelings for Axl, it was just a little crush. I'm sure about that. Atleast i hope so. I couldn't just ruin our friendship and especially my relationship with Jon. He's such a nice guy and i couldn't just leave him like that. I'm sure this feeling will fade away soon.

HELD - CHAPTER 2

STORY PAGE // PLAYLIST

“Erin please” Izzy begged, her eyes no longer filled with tears but with concern, maybe for Harry as my simmering anger towards him was just about to boil over the edge. I released my grip on her hand which I realised had suddenly become a lot tighter. She raked her finger tips through her beautifully messy hair, slightly pulling it over to one side where it cast a shadow over her features. “We’ve talked about it, and figured it out please don’t bring it up again”.

CATCH UP HERE

The next morning I was rudely awakened by the sound of my phone vibrating on my bedside table. I let out a half groan, half whining cry as I flung my arm over my side trying to feel for it without actually having to open my eyes. I’d been looking forward to staying at my grandparents again. I liked being woken up slowly and peacefully by the natural light that seeped through the grotty old curtains. It was much better than the obnoxious iPhone alarm that drove me insane when I was at uni. I was definitely not a 9am girl.

After knocking over pretty much everything on the table I finally grasped my phone, pulled out the charging cord and brought it to my ear. “What!?” I spat. I hadn’t bothered to look at the caller id. Whoever thought it was a good idea to wake me up at this time was going have to deal with the wrath of early morning Erin. They deserved it for being so rude.

“Morning sunshine.” Izzy cackled down the line. I should have known. I slowly sat myself up and began to peel open my eyes, adjusting to the morning light.

“And what can I do for you at this fine hour?” I droned sarcastically.

“Well if you must know, my Mum, your Mum and Evie are going to finish their Christmas shopping in Manchester, and I know how much you don’t want to do that. So this is your formal invitation to Sam’s charity 5-a-side tournament at the playing field later. Basically your excuse not to go when your Mum asks you to go with them, which you know she will, mine’s already asked me, so consider this a warning, and your ticket out of it. I’ll text you the details, love you, bye!” She hung up.

I fell back onto the sheets dramatically with a huff, my head reeling from being thrown so much information in the space of about 30 seconds. I wasn’t even fully awake, but Izzy was right, there was no way I was being dragged around Manchester in the Christmas crowds, especially not with Mum and Evie in tow.

Placing my phone back on the night stand I stood up wearily, stretching out my limbs and wincing at the crack of my shoulders. I really need to stop sleeping in weird positions.

Grabbing my hair brush from my dressing table by the window I began to rake through my knotted hair. Gazing out into the garden, as the sun was coming up, a deep orange haze was beaming out over the fields and into the distance. The dim light from the rising sun appeared to touch every plant as the lingering raindrops on the leaves from the night before reflected the light. Suddenly I thought about Harry. How when he turned and told me he was sorry when he left last night, it was his smile that was bright enough to shine through the rain.

I trudged downstairs, my feet shuffling along the carpet as I was still half asleep and didn’t have enough energy to do anything properly, even walk. I winced when I stepped onto the cold tile floor of the kitchen and made a mental note to invest in some slippers while I was here.

“Morning Granny, morning Grandad.” I said while stifling a yawn.

They both looked up from their breakfasts with a smile on their faces. I loved my Grandparents more than anything in the world. I’d always had a great relationship with them, even if I only saw them once every two months. They never made me feel any less their Grandchild even though they saw Izzy and Sam every week. They loved unconditionally, and I loved them for it in return.

“Morning sweetheart. You’re up early, and we missed you come in last night. Are you ok?” Granny asked with concern as I padded over to the cupboard to grab a bowl and some cereal.

“You can blame Iz for both of those things” I laughed, sitting down opposite them at the table. Grandad passed me the milk jug as I began to explain the events of the previous night to them. I laughed along with them as I recounted my near death experience, but ended up having to constantly reassure them that I was fine and didn’t actually injure myself.

“Well, I’m just glad Isabelle got to see Harry for a bit, I think that must be the first time they’ve seen each other since they both left for university.” Grandad mused over his cup of tea.

Izzy and Harry were both freshers at uni this year. I knew Izzy had been finding the first term hard, she often randomly rang or texted me with questions or observations about university life. Although we fought sometimes, we also trusted each other 100%. I was in my second year of uni, so I was more than willing to help her try and settle in and give any advice I could. I hadn’t picked up on it at the time, but now that Grandad mentioned it, I realised that in all the times we talked she hadn’t brought up Harry once. Maybe they were having issues I didn’t know about, or maybe they were fine, and he just wasn’t relevant to the conversation we were having. Whatever it was, it seemed odd now.

“Yeah, I think it might be, Grandad.” I added, trying to think of a way to bring it up to Izzy later without making it seem completely obvious and really nosy.

****

I didn’t know how many matches I’d have to sit through in the cold December air, so when getting ready for the day I’d prepared for the worst. I pulled on my thick khaki winter jacket over my black jeans and oversized burgundy jumper. I’d made sure Izzy returned my brown leather boots before she went home last night. She’d handed them over reluctantly, but I promised her she could borrow them again if she swore not to ruin them. My tresses of mid length golden blonde hair were pulled into two loose french braids which peeked out from under a wooly beanie. A knitted grey scarf which was long enough to be wrapped around me twice hung over my shoulders and my gloves were shoved in my pockets, ready for the cold.

After an annoyingly long and drawn out conversation with my Mum, where she’d tried repeatedly to get me to go shopping with her, I finally managed to get away when I saw Izzy’s car pull up outside the living room window. I gave my mum a kiss on the cheek goodbye, wishing her a good time with Auntie Josie and Evie.

I heard both Izzy and Sam snicker to themselves as I jumped in the back seat. I rolled my eyes, not even bothering to entertain them with a comment because I knew exactly what they were going to say.

“They’re not playing the tournament in Iceland you know, Erin.” Izzy laughed. Here we go.

“Well don’t come running to me asking to borrow my scarf when you’re sat on the sidelines freezing your tits off.” I replied smugly. Izzy had always been one of those people to sacrifice her health for a good outfit. Unfortunately, that meant that during the winter months she was very prone to catching a cold because she refused to wear a suitable coat.

“I won’t,” she retorted. Izzy was also known for being extremely stubborn. So I knew now that later in the day even if her fingers were turning blue she wouldn’t come and ask for help. She rather be taken to hospital for hypothermia than get proven wrong and ask for a pair of gloves.

When we pulled up to the car park there were already many families there. A group of middle aged men, who I presumed were the organisers and referees, stood in a huddle in the middle of the field, all armed with clipboards and whistles. Some of the players who I recognised as some of Izzy and Sam’s friends from school were already warming up on the marked out pitches. The Mums and Grandmas had made their way to the kiosk and were making endless amounts of tea and coffee for the visitors.

I hopped out the car and pulled my scarf tighter around myself as the crisp December breeze whipped through the air. Izzy and I waved goodbye to Sam and wished him good luck for the day before heading off to get a drink before the tournament began. She linked her arm through mine and gave me a warm smile. “I’ve missed you.” she said softly, gently placing her head on my shoulder as we joined the back of the queue at the kiosk.

“I’ve missed you to.” I replied. It was the truth. No matter how many petty arguments we had, Izzy was always my best friend. She knew me better than anyone, even my friends back home in Leeds who I’d spent all my school years with. We just shared a special bond. No matter how long we spent apart we never stopped loving each other.

I looked down at where our arms intertwined and watched our matching dainty silver charm bracelets glint in the sunshine. I couldn’t help but smile as the ‘I’ charm on my bracelet and the ‘E’ charm on hers clinked together in the light breeze.

We’d been gifted the bracelets when we were only small children. One Christmas when we were maybe 5 or 6 Granny and Grandad had given them to us and we loved the idea that we matched. Every year we got a new charm and it was a tradition I knew I would never grow tired of. Granted, we’d had to have a few new links put in to accommodate our growing bones over the years, but I couldn’t remember that last time I hadn’t worn it.

After reaching the front of the line and paying for two cups of tea, we went to check the team boards to see which matches Sam would be playing in. The boards showed many names that I seemed to recognise from my visits to Holmes Chapel over the years and Izzy was quick to point out people she knew and promised to tell me embarrassing stories about them all later. I laughed at her bluntness as we trudged over to pitch number three where Sam was playing his first game.

We found a good place to watch from the sidelines just as the referee blew the starting whistle and the first touch was made. I spotted Sam straightaway, as he wasn’t hard to miss. In the past year he’d grown to be just shy of six foot tall, easily towering over Izzy and I; and he was nearly the same height as his Dad. His dark chocolate brown hair, the exact same shade as Izzy’s, was an annoyingly perfect mess on top of his head, hardly moving an inch as he ran across the field.

The ball landed at his feet and he began to sprint with it towards the goal. The other team’s defenders sprang into action ready to initiate a tackle. Sam, however, was quick on his feet and began to showboat around the opposition plays like it was nothing. Izzy and I cheered with the rest of the crowd as he broke free from the defenders and passed the ball into the box. The striker took aim and shot for the goal. Everyone around the pitch leaned in as the ball travelled towards the target. When the ball hit the back of the net after brushing past the fingertips of the goalkeeper, screams, shouts, laughter and applause erupted from the spectators.

Izzy and I screamed and hugged each other with glee while the goal celebrations continued. Sam’s team had come together in a group hug, but when they pulled back from one another I was shocked when I spotted Harry. How had I not seen him? Maybe I had been too engrossed with Sam’s showboating earlier, but nothing was taking my eyes off Harry now. His signature curly locks had been pulled back away from his face into a small bun, and a thin black headband was taking care of flyaways and baby hairs around his face. His chiseled features suddenly softened when he grinned back at his teammates, a small dimple appeared on his cheek and I wanted nothing more in than moment to run over to him and just prod it.

His toned arms which I’d had such a hard time taking my eyes off yesterday were on full display thanks to the short sleeved football shirt he was wearing. My eyes followed him as he jogged back lightly to his position, ready for the referees whistle. I think I was in shock from how broad he was; his back muscles looked like they wanted to rip through the thin material of the jersey hulk style.

I blinked rapidly as the sound of the whistle pulled me from my Harry induced trance. Dropping my head I sipped on my tea quietly before deciding this was a good a time as any to talk to Izzy about what Grandad had mentioned this morning.

“So, how was first term?” I asked tugging lightly on her jacket to gain her attention.

“Fine, it took me awhile to get settled in, I think” She shrugged in response, which was unlike Izzy in the first place, so I knew there was something else.

“You get on with your flatmates, yeah? You’re not having a hard time, are you?” My underlying need to protect her suddenly made an appearance.

She shook her head frantically. “Erin, honestly it’s fine; my flatmates are great. I dunno. I just; it doesn’t feel like home yet.” she replied. She wasn’t going to tell me anymore herself, I was just going to have to come right out and say it.

“Grandad said that you and Harry haven’t seen each other in a while.” I pressed cautiously. Her usual bright features shifted suddenly becoming sullen, I grimaced as her shoulders slumped, and she sighed.

“We got into a fight.” she admitted. “We’re fine now, but it was the first time we’d ever fallen out” she sipped at her tea, avoiding my gaze. All my life Izzy and Harry had been inseparable. I felt angry at myself.  How did I not notice when she stopped talking about him? Why did she feel she couldn’t tell me about it? We told each other everything.

I took a deep breath, attempting to calm myself. “Why didn’t you say anything? What happened? You know you can talk to me about it, yeah?” I tried to repress my protective nature, which immediately made me want to blame Harry for whatever had happened. But I didn’t know what had happened. It wasn’t fair to assume. She’d just opened up to me, I didn’t want to smother her.

Another rowdy cheer jolted us both from the bubble we’d surrounded ourselves in when another goal was scored. Izzy took the chance to wiggle out of the conversation, whipping her head around back to the match and joining in the celebrations. But I needed her to tell me.

“Izzy, please.” I begged. Reaching down my fingertips brushed against hers as I moved to take her hand in mine. Her eyes dropped to where our hands met, both our bracelets twinkling in the sunlight. She sighed again before meeting my gaze.

“Fine.” she huffed. “But we’re ok now. We sorted it out, so there’s no need for you to go ape shit at him or me for that matter…”. I tried to laugh, but I wasn’t making any promises. If I found out he hurt her, I’d be drop kicking him into next week.

She turned to face me fully and took a deep breath before starting. “Basically it was fine at the start. We spoke pretty much every day, but I missed him. A lot. He’d been around me for as long as I can remember; I was just finding it hard not having him right there. I felt lonely. We ended up speaking less as the weeks went on, but he had a reading week at the end of October I think it was, and we’d planned that he’d come to see me for a bit before he went home for a few days. Then the day before he was due to come to Leeds to see me he said he changed his mind, that he wanted to go straight home. I was furious. He’d built my hopes up for him to just completely dismiss me as if I didn’t matter to him at all.” Her bottom lip began to tremble as she recounted the memories. I squeezed her hand reassuringly, letting her know it was ok to let it out if she needed to.

“I played it off to him like I was fine. But I wasn’t. I was so hurt that I was missing him so much when he evidently didn’t miss me at all.” A single tear made a path down her left cheek and it was taking everything in me not to storm onto the pitch right then and there and rip into him like he obviously deserved.

“It was the longest we’d gone without seeing each other and he chose to make it longer still.” She took another shaky breath before continuing. “Then I got a text from Sam saying he’d thought he’d seen Harry at the pub with his ex Aimee and was confused because he thought he was meant to be with me in Leeds.”

I was seething now. I didn’t claim to know Harry that well, but I didn’t think he could be so insensitive. They’d managed to go nearly 18 years of their lives as best friends without more than a few little hiccups, so whatever his reasoning was as to why he left Izzy, was completely beyond me.

“Erin, please.” Izzy begged, her eyes no longer filled with tears but with concern, maybe for Harry as my simmering anger towards him was just about to boil over the edge. I released my grip on her hand which I realised had suddenly become a lot tighter. She raked her fingertips through her beautifully messy hair, slightly pulling it over to one side where it cast a shadow over her features. “We’ve talked about it, and figured it out. Please don’t bring it up again”.

“Ok.” I breathed, and I clamped my mouth shut before any more words could escape. She was obviously hurt, and I didn’t want to add to that feeling. It was so unlike her to not want to talk, but I also didn’t want her to think she couldn’t trust me. I wasn’t being nosy; I just wanted to help.

****

It was edging on early evening by the time the tournament finished. Izzy and I stood huddled together at the side of the field with the rest of the day’s spectators as the final standings were about to be announced. The players sat in their teams on the field laughing and talking amongst themselves as the referees from each pitch checked over the results. I flinched suddenly as I felt an arm snake around my back and a hand being placed in my coat pocket. I looked over my shoulder where Izzy was snuggled into my right hand side, a slightly sheepish smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. Obviously refusing to look at me, knowing she’d be faced with an ‘I told you so’ for not caring about the chilly weather earlier. She continued staring at the players in front of us while warming her fingers inside my coat. I shook my head and began to scan the crowd for Sam in the hopes we could make a quick exit once the standings were revealed.

I jumped slightly again when a presence on my left seemed suspiciously close. I began to turn my head slowly to see who it was, my shoulders slightly lifting in defense as I glanced at the person beside me. My eyes widened and I pulled back causing Izzy to stir.

“Dad, what the hell?” I exclaimed, confusion gracing my features.

“Hiya girls.” he chirped back. “Fancy the pub after this?”

“What?” I barked back, shaking my head again trying to understand how and why this conversation had come about.

“Do yo- “

I cut him off. “Have you been here the whole time?”

“Yeah, I came this morning. You’d already left by the time I had, and I forgot to mention that I was coming last night before you left with Izzy for the airport.” He said nonchalantly.

“Right.” I said with a slight nod. “Yeah, whatever. We’ll come.” I agreed as the head coach blew a whistle to get everyone’s attention. We all turned back to face the group of men holding clipboards as the chatter around us quickly faded out.

“Thank you everyone for coming today.” His voice bellowed out over the crowd. “We hope you’ve had a fun day. Thank you for all your donations; they are greatly appreciated and from your help our teams will only get better. As you can tell we’ve got some very talented players in this area who I’m sure will go on to do great things.”

A round of applause broke out amongst the spectators and the players began patting each other on the back for their hard work. Sam and Harry’s team had played brilliantly all day, winning every game except one, and even then they drew one all. Izzy and I had followed them pretty much all day as they moved to different pitches to play the other teams.

My unanswered questions about Izzy and Harry were nagging away in my brain just waiting to slip off the end of my tongue. Try as I might to concentrate on something, anything else, it was hard when they were both in my eyeline all day. After we dropped the topic the first time around Izzy’s mood had picked up significantly, jumping for joy any time her best friend and brother made a good tackle or scored a goal. I couldn’t bring myself to tear her down again.

“All the lads played brilliantly today, but one team racked up a fantastic 25 points, with 8 wins and 1 draw. Team C are the champions!” Everyone erupted with celebration. Sam, Harry and the rest of their team sprung up from where they were perched on the grass and collided with each other in a group hug. Izzy and I jumped up and down in delight, whistling and cheering as they collected their medals from the head coach.

“They played great today, didn’t they?” I heard my Dad say from beside me.

“Yeah, they did.” I replied. “I still can’t believe you’ve been here all day, and we’ve not seen you until now.”

Izzy chuckled, “Yeah, Uncle Michael, have you been avoiding us?”

“No, but I’m starting to think I’ve discovered a new talent here. I think I should get MI5 on the phone; maybe they’re looking for a new spy?”

“Oh my God.” I said with a huff while Izzy stood cackling next to me.

Soon enough Sam jogged over to us and the day’s crowd began to disperse. “Right,” Sam said, clapping his hands and rubbing the palms together before bringing them to his lips to warm them with his breath. “Where we off to?”

****

The Cross Keys was located on a quiet country road just on the outskirts of Holmes Chapel, about a 15 minute walk from my Grandparent’s farmhouse. I’d spent many evenings here when visiting my Grandparents over the years. The landlord, Brian, had served my Mum, Dad, Auntie Josie’s and Izzy’s first ‘legal’ pints, and I’m sure when Sam turned 18 he would be more than willing to keep up that tradition.

Stepping out of Izzy’s car, the gravel driveway crunched underneath my feet as I walked up to the familiar building. Pulling on the old wooden door, I stepped inside sighing with relief as the warm air hit me. Black painted wooden beams hung low from the ceiling, the bar on my left ran along a wall to the back of the room and a small fireplace was built into the wall on the right.

I could feel the heat calling out to me when my finger tips tingled with the sensation of the quick temperature change. I made my way over to an empty table near the fireplace, ready for the warmth of the fire to seep into my skin. Izzy, Sam and Harry trailed behind me choosing their seats around the table.

Sam had invited Harry and his family to join us for tea at the pub as a kind of really mundane celebration for winning the tournament. The parents trudged in a few minutes later as my Dad had to make a round trip to pick up everyone from their houses.

Once everyone had said their hellos and caught up, people gradually started making their way up to the bar to order. I stood leant forward slightly into the countertop, drumming my fingernails on the wood, hoping to be the next person to catch the barmaid’s attention.

Someone cleared his throat beside me, and I knew who it was without even looking. I’d tried my best to avoid conversation with Harry as my new found information  was still threatening to make an appearance. I turned and offered him a polite smile, not trusting myself to open my mouth without something spilling out that I wasn’t prepared for. So I turned my gaze back towards the waitress behind the bar.

“Are you ok?” He asked timidly.

“Yes.” I replied plainly, not turning to look at him again, praying the bartender would come over and save me from the inevitable interaction.

From the corner of my eye I saw him take breath as his shoulders dropped. It seemed to me almost a sigh of defeat, I didn’t think he was the type to give up so easily though, not after how driven and competitive I’d seen him be earlier today at the tournament.

“If this is about yesterday, I told you I was sorry. It was an accident. There’s no need to be in an arse about it,” he spat.

My eyes widened in shock, though I didn’t allow him the satisfaction of seeing my startled look, and I held myself as I was before. It was now my turn to calm myself with a deep breath. I found myself thinking back to my few memories of Harry as a child. I thought about how he seemed to be somewhat of shy little boy who followed Izzy round like a pet. Since then he’d obviously grown in confidence, seemingly enough to make him overtly rude and confrontational.

“It’s not about yesterday, and I’m not in an arse, Harry. I’m fine.” I replied as monotonously as I could manage.

“Well there’s clearly something wrong.” he persisted.

I was starting to lose my resolve, but I remained stood as I was, focusing on a random bottle of whiskey placed on the back of the bar. “No, there isn’t, Harry. I promised Izzy I wouldn’t mention it.”

“So there is something wrong.” I could hear the smirk. That was it. I turned round so harshly I pretty sure I nearly gave myself whiplash.

“Look Harry, I promised Izzy I wouldn’t bring it up, but you’ve brought it on yourself.”

Well….here comes the word vomit.

“You really upset her, do you know that? You know how much you mean to her and you just brushed her off like she was nothing.”

I really needed to learn some self control. Maybe I should try yoga?

“You didn’t even attempt to explain yourself, no measly excuse, you just left her alone thinking whatever it was you decided to do was better than just the idea of seeing her.”

I watched his face turn from shock, to confusion, to anger and then kind of an odd mix of all three. I tried to stop, but I didn’t. I couldn’t.

“You knew how alone she was feeling. You’re supposed to be her best friend when I’m not there, and you left her! She would never do anything like that to you, and you know it. If you’d told her in confidence how alone and vulnerable you felt, she would have been by your side in an instant. She would’ve dropped anything to make sure you were ok. You know she would. So why the fuck when she told you she needed you did you leave her on her own?!”

I’d always been the one to protect her, help her, comfort her, just be the person she needed me to be. But I couldn’t always be there physically when she did. Over the years I think I’d found comfort in knowing Izzy had Harry when she didn’t have me. But knowing he’d been the one to hurt her made me feel like I’d failed, like I somehow should have known that I shouldn’t have let him become this insensitive prat.

I hadn’t realised I’d started crying until I gasped because I was short of air and I felt the cold, salty water drip down my cheeks. I also hadn’t realised that during my outburst my voice had risen significantly, gaining the attention of all the local pub goers that afternoon. I glanced over my shoulder to the table where I’d left the group, seeing them all on their feet shifting uncomfortably. My eyes stopped searching when they found Izzy, whose gaze was locked on the boy beside me.

Well, well, well.... What do we think?? Please like and reblog if you’re enjoying the story I’d reality appreciate it! Also, come chat to me about it, I’d love to hear what you’re thinking!!! Much love 💕💕