#can you believe four days ago this was supposed to be a oneshot???
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i'm the best thing at this party | e.m.
up and coming rockstar!eddie munson x girlfriend!reader
(is that a picture of slash? sure, but we can pretend it isn't.)
aka the first time carol ever wrote a fic based off a taylor song.
but in my defense, it was a chase petra cover of 'you're losing me' that inspired it.
this is not connected to my rockstar!eddie x actress!reader storyline, this is it's own oneshot in a separate story.
in the early 90s, when your boyfriend's band starts to make it in the big leagues, you start to come to terms with the fact that he might not want or need a small town player anymore.
eighteen plus. established relationship. angst. hurt/no comfort-ish. open ending.
"and i'm fading, thinkin':
'do something, babe. say somethin'.
lose somethin' babe, risk something. choose somethin' babe.
i got nothin' to believe, unless you're choosing me.'"
The Hideout was hot with all the bodies packed in like sardines; stark contrast to the icy chill of winter outside. Glowing on the screen was The Tonight Show, everyone’s eyes glued to it while Corroded Coffin made their first national televised debut.
No one’s totally sure how their manager Richie was able to finesse this slot – but they went to New York to film earlier in the week and didn’t ask any questions. With Richie, it's better to not ask questions and just let it happen.
Eddie came home with an adrenaline rush so intense that he barely slept for three days. No matter how much you tried to keep him in bed and tire him out.
And sure, it was hard to have him be gone while you drove out to Indy and took a friend to see the new graffiti art exhibit that came in from LA when it was supposed to be with him. It was hard to have him miss a lot of things. His return from the city only started another big talk about it, one you've been having every few months the last two years.
Even so, you couldn’t help but be proud of him, proud of all of them. Remembering that just four years ago they were barely getting fifteen people in here to see them play when you first started dating.
The crowd erupts when the camera comes off of the band on the stage and back to Leno at his desk, the boys in real life all standing on the bar. You look up at Ed and smile, he finally did it, he’s doing it. The contracts are signed, the people saw him, he’s gonna make it. He’s making it.
You duck out of the way when they start to spray champagne over everyone by the bar, “Not my hair, babe!”
The two bartenders pour shots of Jameson and flutes of Prosecco while the show cuts to commercial and it’s not long before you feel the sticky chest of your boyfriend up against your shoulder, “It was good? I did good?”
“Ed you’re…you’re fuckin’ famous,” you grin, “You’re fuckin’ famous!”
You follow while he leads you through the crowd, settled in near the back where the stage doors lead to the dressing room and out into the parking lot. He looks over his shoulder twice before he sneaks you both behind the amps; heart pounding when he leans you up against the painted cinder block walls, noses mashing when he takes your lips in his. It’s feverish, desperate when he pulls at your hips, one arm wrapped around your mid back to keep you steady up against him.
“Lemme – mmm – lemme take you to the green room,” he breathes between kisses, moving your hand toward the bulge in his jeans, “C’mon I wan–”
“The interview’s up!” Jeff calls from on top of the bar.
“Where’s Ed? ED? Come on! The interview’s up!” Gareth calls, the crowd erupting in a cheer of ‘Edd-ie, Edd-ie, Edd-ie!’
“Come on, come on!” you squeal, pulling away to pull him toward the front of the bar again, “You said they were gonna cut it!”
“It’s stupid, babe,” he assures, “It’s so dumb.”
“Ed, you’re being interviewed by Leno, this isn’t stupid,” you urge, “This is like – this is it.”
“It’s literally like two minutes, it’s not special,” he doesn’t move when you pull him along with you, a frown pulling on your lips.
“Eddie,” your voice raises an octave, tugging on his hand – he lets go.
“I’m gonna take a leak,” he shrugs, heading toward the green room while you watch him disappear behind the door. Your brows furrow slightly, but it doesn’t stop you from making your way back to the edge of the bar where everyone’s eyes are glued to the medium sized screen in the corner.
The crowd cheers again while the band is re-introduced, Eddie and Jeff sitting on the chairs with Gareth and Grant standing behind them. You admire the way your boyfriend looks post performance, nearly glittering with sweat but glowing with pride – with accomplishment. You look over your shoulder to see if he’s back from the bathroom yet, but he’s nowhere to be seen.
“So we got a group of some – what looks like – nice, respectable hard core guys,” Jay smiles.
“I don’t know about respectable,” Eddie scrunches his nose back at the host.
“I don’t know about nice, either,” Jeff jokes. You marvel at how relaxed and natural they all look on camera, cracking wise and getting laughs from the audience. They talk about the album briefly, and the front cover which has all four boys in caskets with a red kiss print on their cheeks.
“So, the debut is self titled, Corroded Coffin – but it looks like you all got a coffin kiss here,” he points out, “These from anyone special? You got the girls going crazy.”
The audience erupts in cheers and screams, a bra finding its way flung into the sound stage. You giggle when Gareth and Grant hold it up, making them both blush pink on the screen.
“Well I got a girl at home, so, I don’t hear any screamin’ if it’s not her cheering for me,” Jeff’s smile is bright when the camera focuses on him and he winks into the lens. Sasha, Jeff’s girlfriend, screeches in the crowd of The Hideout.
“You didn’t tell me you were gonna do that!” she beams, and your heart thunders while you watch them kiss on the bar. The promise ring that he gave her back in ‘88 shines on her ring finger, awaiting something much more flashy when that first big rockstar payday hits.
“It’s definitely a change of pace,” Grant nods on the screen, “Definitely wasn’t getting a lot of girls in high school.”
“It’s wild,” Gare laughs.
“And what about you, Munson,” Jay asks, “Frontman like you’s gotta be beating them off with a stick.”
The camera focuses on him, his pink lips and smart grin, a flash of teeth before he starts talking. He’s so handsome, you feel your fingers and toes start to tingle when he opens his mouth.You weren’t expecting to hear your name on national television, or be alluded to. You’d never really prepared yourself for something like this. To be declared to thousands, maybe millions, as a rockstar girlfriend.
You swallow the nervous spit pooling in your mouth, heart pattering while you run through all of the scenarios of the outcome of being ‘announced’ in your head.
“I don’t kiss and tell, Jay,” he smirks.
Oh.
Your hearing clouds and your vision blurs – unsure of what you just heard. If maybe you imagined it, but that proves to be untrue when you feel a few sets of eyes on you. A moment of silent confusion lulls on the crowd at the bar.
You swallow the lump in your throat, fingers and toes cold now while the blood rushes to your heart and head, to your lungs which suddenly forgot how to work. Through teary eyes you look around, drowned out by the cheers of the bar when Jay announces when the album will release. You sniffle, trying to hold it back – but there he is in the back of the crowd now, eyes rounded; pleading, looking straight at you.
The tears spill over and you try to catch your breath as you make your way through the bodies on your way to the front door. You hear Gareth call after you, hearing him stumble over the barstools while he hops off the counter. Another ragged intake of breath shakes through you while you get closer to the sticker covered door, pushing through the first set and then the other into the dark blue night. Your breath puffs white in front of you, coat abandoned somewhere back inside The Hideout while you walk across the street to your car.
You fumble with the keys, blubbering while you get the engine started and the radio blares Al Green’s Let’s Stay Together part way through the song. In the rear view you see him hustle out of the bar to search for you, catching the start of your car and getting to the passenger window before you can pull away.
“Wait, wait, wait,” he strains, his fingers hanging on the edge of the half open glass, “I promise it’s not what you think. Richie asked me to answer like that, it wasn’t on purpose.”
You press slightly on the gas, making the car lurch forward and inch.
“Wait! Please don’t – don’t just go,” he begs, voice breaking with desperation, “We can talk about it.”
You look at him through wet eyes, the street lights haloing behind his head to feign his innocence. He can talk himself out of anything.
“There’s nothing to talk about,” you rasp out quietly, “We’ve done enough talking.”
“I can…please don’t go,” he says again, “Not with you crying like this, c’mon. Don’t leave.”
“I’m gonna go home, Ed,” you sniffle, “J-just go h-have fun inside. S’too cold to be out here.”
“You don’t have your coat,” he states, “Come back in and get it. We can talk in the back, please.”
“I don’t need my coat,” you garble out, “I’m going h-home.”
“Well I’ll – I’ll bring it to you tomorrow morning,” he nods needily, “Okay? Is that okay?”
You let out a shaky breath, fogging again against your windshield, “F-fine.”
Eddie cracks a weak but winning smile, “Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”
“I love you,” he adds. It tastes like ash in your mouth. You pull away before you feel compelled to say it back.
Eddie show’s up in the morning with coffee and your coat, a small carton of donut holes for you both to share. He’s all smiles, seeing you in the kitchenette cleaning out the coffee pot that you now no longer have to fill.
“Morning, baby,” he grins, “I brought your coat.”
“Thanks,” you mutter, keeping your eyes on the droplets of water that race down the side of the glass pout, “You can just hang it on the hook.”
“Are you…are you still upset with me?” his voice is airy, surprised while he makes his way behind you. Calloused hands reach around to pull your back in his chest, nose nuzzling against your cheek. Your stomach rolls, bile inching up the base of your throat.
“Enough, Ed,” you sigh, pulling out of his hold.
“Sweetheart, c’mon,” he huffs, “I told you already. I didn’t want to say that. But you know how Richie is! He just wants what’s best for the band and so do I! Don’t you? I thought you’d understand.”
“Jeff had no problem talking about Sasha,” you do your best to measure your tone, too early to start yelling.
“Jeff has the wholesome thing going for him; plus – you know his family isn’t for him being considered like, a rogue or whatever. He’s already in a metal band,” Eddie explains, like this is a totally normal conversation, “Richie even said this morning that he was getting a lot of calls.”
“Okay,” you nod, sitting down at the small table in your kitchen where your coffee sits.
“And like, a lot of people wanna do interviews with us and get hype up for the release,” he half smiles, sitting down across from you, “I told you, it was…it was a good thing. They were saying y’know like, mysterious bad boy front man is a good angle.”
“Great.”
“It doesn’t…babe, it doesn’t mean we can’t be together,” he leans forward, hand reaching out to touch yours. His shoulders sulk when you put them both under the table.
“Ed I –” you let out a breath, eyes tracing a pattern on the waxed canvas tablecloth, “I can’t even look at you right now. And you wanna tell me we can still be together?”
“What like it’s…some consolation prize?” you choke out, “You made a fool out of me. The looks I got?”
“I know, I know, but it was for the band. You know how I feel abo—“
“How you feel about me?” you hold back a bitter laugh.
“Ed, the last year or so we have kept having the same conversation over and over again. You are so, so caught up in Corroded and making it and getting there and trust me I am so proud of you. If there is anyone on the planet who is more proud than me maybe it’s Wayne, but – this is just like, this is kind of it. We have nowhere to go from here.”
He’s quiet for a moment, his brown eyes rounding and brows tilting slightly when he realizes what you’re really saying, “What do you mean no where to go? Are you not listening? I said we can still be together, just like befo–”
“Before? Before when?” you get up and pace back to the kitchen where he can still see you, “Before when you would cancel dates to go practice? When you missed my awards night for work because you wanted to fill in guitar for a gig in Ohio? When you didn’t come to my poetry reading with the guys like you said you would and instead got plastered at The Hideout after rehearsal?”
“Well I apologized for all that, that was all in the past couple years and I – look, I said I was sorry and you accepted that,” his voice raises slightly, he stands up to full height with defense evident in his stance, “You can’t just throw it back in my face.”
“When you were gone weeks at a time for mini tours, for opening for bands on the East Coast – god, all the work I took off to make sure I was there for you? When you canceled our three year anniversary dinner, without my knowledge, because you got a call for discounted studio time on the same night,” you manage to get out, the tears inching toward the edge of your lash line, “And I sat there at the table in my new dress and everyone looked at me the same way they looked at me last night. Poor girl. Must’ve got stood up. What an idiot.”
“Yeah well that studio time is why we were on fuckin’ LENO, babe!” he pleads, “Don’t you get that? It’s for us!”
“It’s for you!” you break, the shrill frustration coming out with your voice, “It’s always just been for you. It’s always about Eddie and the guys. I have done nothing but make sacrifice after sacrifice, excuse after excuse to play the part of perfect, understanding, cool, laidback girlfriend but like fuck Ed, when is it gonna be about me, huh?”
He stands there, unsure, cheeks sucking in between his teeth.
“And what’s on the docket for you on Friday? Have any plans?” you ask, your voice softening while you cross your arms over your chest. You lean the small of your back against the counter while you watch him. He clears his throat, hands finding their way into the back pockets of his jeans.
“Um, we have some meetings in the morning in Indy. And then um, we’re gonna take a late flight out to LA. The label’s excited – they’re really excited,” he breathes out, eyes finding the floor and your sock covered feet.
“Oh, that’s interesting,” you nod, voice still measured, “Since we’ve had the tickets for my niece’s winter school concert on the fridge for over a month. I guess I’ll have to tell her that her favorite bonus teacher couldn’t make it.”
“Fuck,” Eddie’s eyes shut, pulling his lips in to run his tongue across them while he thinks of what to say next. Your heart thrums in your chest, throat getting tighter and tighter while you hold back a cry – this was just another thing to add to the list.
“I can make it up to her, I promise,” his raspy nicotine voice becoming garbled with desperation, “I can make this all up to you, too. I swear. I wish you had just told me about all of this.”
“I have, Ed. We are always having the same conversation. I’m tired of having it. I’m so tired of this. Make it up to me? How do you make up for it?”
“I…” he chokes on his words, ringed fingers running over his face and reaching to pull his hair back off his neck.
“Go ahead,” you encourage angrily, “What’re you gonna do? Say something. Fucking, do something, Ed!”
“Baby, I don’t know what to…” he swallows, tears pooling in shiny wells over his eyes, “What do you want me to do? I’ll do it. I’ll do anything.”
You take a breath through your nose and let it out through your mouth, taking the three steps it takes to get to him. Your hands fall from being crossed, reaching up to cup each of his cheeks. Your thumbs run over the apples and drag softly over the stubble left over from the night before.
His eyes shut while he keens into your touch, his rough hands covering yours. Calloused fingertips coasting delicately over your knuckles. You know what you have to do, even if his touch makes you want to do the opposite.
“Go be famous,” you shrug, smiling weakly, “Go be the big rockstar I know you are. Like how you wanted. Go play The Garden and live in LA.”
Your hands slide down his face, tears falling after them, “Go do all that, and just, um – just leave me alone. Please.”
“But I don’t–” he starts, pulling in a sharp breath while a cry leaks out of him, “I don’t wanna lose you.”
“Oh, Ed,” you shake your head while the ache spills over into your own leveled sob, “I’m already lost.”
“No, please,” he begs, trying to catch your hands as they make it back to your sides, “Please, baby, I’ll fix it. I pro-promise.”
“There’s nothing left to fix,” you whisper in finality, “You should go.”
“I don’t want to,” Eddie’s soft pink lips quiver while he speaks, “Please. Please. I can fix it, the next interview, anything, it’ll be all you. I swear I can…I can…”
When your face doesn’t change he knows there’s no way to pull you from your stance, voice trailing off in defeat. You watch as he rips open your storm door and goes to his van, his chest and back shaking with sobs that make the hardware on his jacket cry with him.
A year passes and you are not surprised when you find out that Corroded Coffin has made the cover of Rolling Stone. Wayne bought every copy from the gas station at the end of the road and put them in every mailbox early that morning. You don’t think there’s been a day in the last year that Wayne wasn’t seen beaming ear to ear; his boy finally getting everything he wanted.
Life had gotten easier now that you weren’t regularly expecting disappointment. You went on few dates here and there, just trying to navigate your life after spending four years sharing it with someone else. Some nights were colder than others, but it was better than the frigidness you felt that night at the bar.
You did your best to avoid the tabloids – Eddie was certainly doing just fine navigating his life as a bachelor; some new model or actress on his arm every other month it seemed. Hardrock’s Resident Playboy. It stung the first time you saw it, and a little less each time after – heart breaker to the core; you would know, you were the blueprint.
In the same cold that matched the night at The Hideout a year prior; you sat on your steps wrapped in a robe – morning cigarette between your fingers.
“Morning,” Wayne’s voice is gravelly when it sounds over you, still soaked with left over sleep.
“Mornin’ Wayne,” you smile, taking a sip of the steaming cup of coffee in your other hand.
“Wanted to uh, to let you know that the guys are playin’ a show in the city tonight. I could uh – I could get you a ticket if y–”
“That’s sweet of you Wayne,” you smile tightly, “But I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“He might like to see you,” he shrugs. He hadn’t quite gotten over the break up the way you and Eddie had, convinced that this was the real deal – that he was watching young love flourish into something bigger.
“He’s seeing someone, Wayne,” you take a drag of your cigarette, “Why would he want to see his ex-girlfriend who still lives in Hawkins? He’s got some actress girl now, right?”
Wayne shrugs again, scratching at the back of his neck, “I never know what that boy’s got goin’ on in California outside of shows and gettin’ into trouble. Maybe he is seeing some girl but, y’know, seein’ an old friend could be good for him.”
“He’s still got plenty of friends here he can see,” you let the smoke out to drift off in the gentle wind rustling through the line of trailers and mobile homes, “I don’t think I need to be one of them.”
“Well, they’re gonna have a small after party at The Hideout tomorrow,” he offers, “Even if you just wanna do somethin’ fun. I never see you goin’ out anymore.”
You laugh, “You work at night, what do you mean you don’t see me goin’ out anymore? I go out plenty.”
His eyes linger on you, enough to encourage a thoughtful sigh – you might as well humor him.
“I’ll think about it, okay?” you toss your half finished cigarette onto the browned grass before looking back up at him.
“Okay,” he smiles, eyes sparkling as he makes his way back inside.
You spend the next day deliberating between making it to the bar or not, putting in the effort to get ready and showing up. Why bother? Just to sit awkwardly in the corner while everyone flocks to the boys and tells them how great they are? They already know they’re great, they’re crawling higher and higher up the ladder.
You haven’t even talked to Eddie since the morning he left your trailer, and Wayne knows that. He knows how bad you hurt his nephew because he came over to talk to you a week after Eddie went to California and stayed for good. ‘So why should I show my face there? So I can relive the moment he made a fool of me over again?’ You think while the hot water of the shower glides over your shoulders and down your chest.
‘Maybe it’ll be good to make amends or something, I at least owe it to the guys,’ you figure silently while you slather on some moisturizer at the bathroom sink. And you did – not seeing Eddie meant not seeing the rest of the band. Gareth, Jeff, and Grant were your friends too, and you sort of broke up with them in the same instance. Sasha moved out to California with them soon after – it would be nice to catch up at least. You hadn’t seen her since that night.
‘But why would I want to bother? So I can see that engagement ring on her finger and hear her talk about her wedding plans?’ you swallow sourly while you use a touch of your lipstick as blush on the apples of your cheeks. ‘Remember all the times you thought you and Ed were gonna get married? Hilarious.’
Before you know it, it’s 11:30 and you’re standing outside of the sticky and stickered covered door of The Hideout. Even from where you’re standing the bar is a buzz like a hive, energy inside like a livewire when you get into the entryway, showing your ID to the bouncer at the inside door.
‘Small after party my ass, Wayne,’ you think to yourself when you get in, shrugging off your coat. There was barely room to move and most of the lights were off or dimmed aside from the small stage in the back. By the looks of it, they must’ve played a small set – an intimate ‘home base’ concert for the real hometown fans. You push through some of the crowd, acrid smoke haze hovering over the room. A single bar stool sits empty at the end of the counter close to the wall and before you can think about it, you beeline straight there before someone else can grab it. Not that anyone would be able to see it through the six couples making out to Slayer blasting through the speakers.
The bar tender notices you soon after, coming over to get your order while his two cohorts speedily pour shots and mix drinks. You almost don’t want to get anything just to make the night easier, but opt for a beer instead.
“How much?” you ask over the music.
“WHAT?” the bartender shouts, holding a hand to his ear.
“HOW MUCH?” you yell back.
“ON THE HOUSE. BAND IS COVERING DRINKS,” he shouts back. You take a few dollars out while he pours your beer anyway, sliding it across the bar with a smile. He smiles back, pocketing the ones with a wink before helping another person leaning over the bar.
The TV takes your attention, a tape of their recent interviews and music videos playing on a loop with no sound. The beer is almost comforting as it passes over your tongue, it’s been some time since you just sat in a busy bar – and for the most part, no one here even knows you. For the most part.
A call of your name snaps you back to reality, looking around to see exactly who you thought you would. Sasha. And low and behold a ring sparkles bright on her finger, a breathtakingly big diamond glittering in the neon lights behind the bar.
“Hey!” you call back with a smile, sick crawling up your throat. You watch as she fights the crowd to get over to you, wrapping you in a tight hug while you stay seated on the stool.
“How have you been? You look gorgeous,” Sasha’s tan skin glows back orange in green while the lights change, tight dark curls bouncing prettily around her face.
“I’ve been good!” you nod, your voice hardly sounds like your own, “Y’know just – hanging around Hawkins. How’s LA? How’ that ring?!”
She holds her hand out so you can really see it, her skin is warm in yours while you take her fingers. It’s more beautiful up close, the marquise diamond flanked by two smaller triangles in perfect harmony.
“He did so good, Sash,” you giggle.
“I slapped his arm so hard when I saw it,” she laughs, “I said, ‘Jeff we could’ve bought a freakin’ house!’ but you know how he is.”
“I do, I do,” you nod, “Did you set a date?”
“Probably not for another year or so if we do a big wedding,” she shrugs, “Maybe a little longer? We think it’s smart to actually buy a house first – with this kind of money coming in. And y’know, the industry is, uh, well, it can be wishy washy. What’s in today could be out tomorrow. We wanna be smart.”
“Well thank god he’s marrying someone like you then,” you tease.
“That’s true,” she beams, “Do the guys know you’re here? I can go grab J–”
“No, no, they don’t,” you interrupt, taking her arm gently while she turns to leave, “You don’t have to tell them I’m here. I’ll go find them, I promise.”
Sasha gives you a half hearted smile, “Okay. Well – We’re sitting over by the stage if you wanna come say hi to the guys. Gareth would lose his mind, and Grant brought his new girl with him, she’s so cool. They met in LA and she’s like, got the sickest punky-goth type of thing about her.”
“I love that he’s in love,” you gush.
“Me too,” she nods, “The girls are obsessed with him out there.”
There’s a silence, but it’s knowing – still one person yet to have been mentioned but you both seem to understand it’s not worth bringing it up. Sasha reminds you that they’re by the stage, giving her a wave while she disappears in the throngs of people in the crowd.
Half way through your second beer and a couple of random conversations with people later, you see him in glimpses while people pass by. You can tell by the smirk on his face that he’s flirting, and when more people move and re-disperse, settling, you see glimpses of her, too. Some cute young looking thing, you wouldn’t be surprised if it was her twenty-first birthday. All doe eyed and giggly while he leans over her against the wall near the booths. I guess whoever he’s seeing in California isn’t too important.
He looks good, healthy, you can tell his clothes are tailored now – sort of comical that a tailor would fit and adjust ripped jeans and an old leather jacket. Not that he has to know you think it’s funny.
Eddie leans forward and lets his finger tap her on the nose, a tell-tale sign of his that they’ll kiss later. He’s used that move on you more times than you can count. He did it the night you met, tipsy at a party at Gareth’s – tapped you on the nose, making you scrunch it.
‘Aw, if I knew you’d make a face like that I would’ve booped you way earlier.’
‘What do you mean? What face?’ You scrunch again.
‘That face,’ he bites his lower lip, blush on his cheeks, ‘It’s a cute face.’
You expected it to hurt more, to watch him active in his element; but it doesn’t. You know the motions, you know his tells, he next move. You can see it in the way he leans into her and then leans away – almost kissing her, but leaving her wanting more. You smirk into your next sip, counting down the moments until he puts their conversation on pause to do their rounds and finding her again later. Gotta keep her yearning, you guess. He certainly was always good at things like that.
You don’t see their reunion, you assume it was somewhere near the stage where the band and Sasha were. At the end of the night, the boys play a goodnight mini-set, just three songs. You’d never seen Ed so in his zone in your life, fully basking in the glow of upcoming stardom. Every chord and every lyric punching out of him like the sweat pouring from his hairline and chest. This was what you wanted, what you told him to do.
Go be famous. And here he was. Famous. Just like you said he would be.
Water takes the place of your beer while they play; and you know better than to get up and join the crowd. Much happier sitting at the end of the now more empty bar just listening instead of getting potentially punched or tussled with amongst the bodies.
People take their time leaving when the set is over, shrugging on their coats to brave the cold weather.
‘Thanks for comin’ out to celebrate with us – now get the fuck out so our buddies at the bar can go home before four!’
You savor the conversations and music settling down to a much quieter murmur while you sketch on a napkin. A few people you shared niceties with tap your shoulder to say goodbye, new friends you’ll never see again. On the other end of the bar you hear Grant and his girl order a round of shots. Your head almost pops up at the sound of his voice, but that might bring attention to you that you don’t think you really want. Now that the night is over, you’re glad you came. If anything, just to see that they were making it just fine – and they would have with or without you.
With less people in the bar you can hear Sasha’s laugh in the back where the stage is, and you laugh into your napkin turned sketchpad. Her laugh was always infectious, enough to make the crowd follow suit. You grab a fresh napkin from the pile next to you and start to doodle again while you figure out how to best leave without anyone catching wise that you’re here. Out of the last twenty people left at the bar, a little more than half knew who you were.
The tap of the pen on the bar top while you think blends in with the tinkling of hardware that gets a little louder the closer it gets to you. A squish of leather and drag of a barstool later makes you privy that someone’s next to you. Spiced cologne and sweat sheened skin.
“You come here often?”
Slowly, you turn your head – level with brown eyes you haven’t looked in for a year, just in the glossy pages of magazines you’d leave behind at the grocery store or Melvald’s.
“I used to,” you offer a quiet tired smile, leaning your chin on your hand on the bar, “It’s been a while.”
Eddie smiles back, soft, cautious, “Yeah, same for me.”
You both don’t speak for a moment, adjusting yourselves on the barstools while a few more people head out to leave. The jingle of the door fades out, crunches of the parting patrons’ sneakers and boots in the snow sound outside.
He clears his throat, bringing your attention back to him – the curls of his hair, the slight stubble on his jaw and cheeks. His bottom lip tucks between his teeth for a moment before he turns his chest toward you.
“Can I uh, can I get you a drink?”
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The Red Name pt 7 *Complete*
Part One || Part Two || Part Three || Part Four || Part Five || Part Six || On Ao3
Alex didn’t bother with coffee this time. He didn’t need it. As tired as he was a minute ago, he was wide awake now. In front of him Michael crouched in his living room, playing with his dog. His bags were piled neatly inside the front door.
He was here.
“I’m confused,” he finally said. Michael looked up at him and slowly rose to his feet.
“You said if we wanted this to work, to be real, we had to work through our issues and we couldn’t do that from opposite sides of the country,” Michael reminded him. He was taking slow steps towards Alex. “We agreed that our biggest problem was that I was in Roswell and you were here,” he added. “Well now I’m here. And I’m not going anywhere. At least, not anywhere without you.”
“You can’t just-” Alex stuttered. “You can’t just show up on my doorstep at 5 o’clock in the morning and- what time was your flight?!”
Michael laughed. “Flew out last night. Took a cab from the airport.”
“You’re insane,” Alex commented mildly. “What about Max and Isobel?”
“They bought me the plane ticket,” Michael explained. He was much closer now. “They promised me that Roswell would always be my hometown and they would always be my family but-”
“But what?” Alex breathed.
“But it isn’t home. Not anymore. Not since the day you left.”
“You’re really moving here?”
“I already did. Just need to find a place to live and a garage to work at and I’m set.”
“You just picked up and moved across the country without telling me?” Alex raised an eyebrow. “Without asking me if I want this? If I’m okay with this?”
Michael didn’t even hesitate. “Yes. Because I know you, Alex Manes, and you want this as much as I do. You have been asking me to come with you since we were 21 and I’m sorry I took so long but yeah, I’m here. If you don’t want this, that’s fine, I’ll respect it. But I’m not going back to Roswell. I will be here until you do want this.”
“You’re that sure of yourself, huh?” Alex hated the waver he heard in his own voice. He was trying to be strong and stoic but it was impossible with Michael this close and this earnest.
“No,” he replied instantly. “I’m that sure of us. The biggest issue is already taken care of. Now we just need to make it work. And I know you,” he gave him that tiny head shake and smile Alex would forever associate with the words ‘I never look away’, “and you won’t let us fail. Not now. Not with both of us fighting for it.”
Alex swallowed. “Both of us fighting, huh? You’re going to pull your weight in this relationship?”
“I don’t look away, Alex. And I’m not walking away. Not ever again,” he promised as he brought their foreheads together.
“I hate you,” Alex groaned. Michael, to his credit, just chuckled. “I have to go to work and no I can’t call out sick. You have the worst timing, I swear to god.”
“Oh yeah?” Michael smiled. “Why’s that?”
Alex kissed him. Hell, he was fairly certain some part of his subconscious was actively trying to fuse his body to Michael’s. It was only when Buffy’s barking reached obnoxious levels that they pulled apart. But even then they didn’t go very far. “I have to take her out,” Alex panted, more than a little out of breath. “And then I have to take a shower, alone, and get ready for work.”
“What time do you get off?”
Alex groaned and kissed him again. “Do not ask me that. I can’t be thinking of that all day.”
“I think that ship has sailed,” Michael laughed.
“What will you do?”
“Today? Look for a job, find a place to live.” He shrugged. “As much as I would love to move right in-”
“We should go slow,” Alex finished for him. “Date first. Then live together.”
“Agreed.” Buffy whined from the front door. “Look, I’ll take her out, you take your shower and get ready.”
Alex followed him to the door and pushed him to the wall for one last kiss before finally letting him go. Once they were gone, he leaned against the door, his forehead braced against it as he took deep breaths to calm down. He went to sleep last night convinced he’d probably never see Michael again and now he’s here, and he’s staying, and they’re going to date.
From: [email protected]
You can’t just put him on a plane and send him to me Maxwell. He’s not a gift.
And you couldn’t even give me a head’s up??
A
From: [email protected]
No returns.
You’re welcome.
Max Evans
From: [email protected]
Thank you
A
---
“I take it you worked things out,” Jenna was immensely gratified to see Max jump as she slid onto the side of his desk. He was too busy checking out Kyle’s ass to notice so she figured he deserved it.
“Uh, what?”
She nodded at Kyle’s retreating back. “With Valenti. And Liz, I guess but Valenti was the source of the freak out right?”
Max looked like a fish, his mouth opening and closing. “How did you know-”
Jenna raised an eyebrow. “C’mon Evans. I know you,” she nudged him with her knee. “You sleep with him without Liz yet?”
“What? No! That’s not-!”
“Uhuh,” she grinned. “Me thinks the lady doth protest too much.” She winked at him and left him sputtering in her wake.
From: [email protected]
You’re going to keep me posted on all things Max and Kyle right? I need more information if I’m going to keep up this all knowing pretense
From: [email protected]
You could just spy on them the old fashioned way
A
From: [email protected]
Too much work. You’re faster
From: [email protected]
Was that an actual compliment, Sgt Cameron?
A
From: [email protected]
Don’t let it go to your head, Captain
---
From: [email protected]
How did you deal with your bisexual awakening? Asking for a friend
From: [email protected]
First of all, I don’t think our friendship has quite reached the point where we can talk about your sex life with my sister
Second of all, I am the wrong person to ask. I didn’t have a sexuality crisis. I just knew. I figured it was an alien thing until I realized Max and Isobel weren’t bi. And given recent events, I’m back to thinking it’s an alien thing. You puny humans and your outdated sexual binary tsk tsk
Third, find a hot chick and hook up with her. See if it’s women or just Isobel. Also, you need to get laid.
M
From: [email protected]
First, I wasn’t talking about our sex life but once we get to that point I’ll be sure to fill you in
Second, you are literally useless with this aren’t you?
Third, been there done that, it was fun but nothing to write home about?
From: [email protected]
Talk to Max. Or Kyle. Maybe they can commiserate on your latent bisexuality?
M
P.S. please for the love of god do not give me details about my sister’s sex life. I’m begging you. (but like, go have one with her? If you want?)
“Maria,” Max called from the other end of the bar. He and Kyle waved when she looked over but she just spared them a nod in greeting while she helped a customer.
Gabrielle passed by her to help them and Maria reached out and grabbed her arm lightly. “I’ll take the guys if you can help these folks?” She nodded at the customer she’d just been talking to.
“Sure thing,” Gabrielle agreed easily. Maria smiled in thanks and stepped neatly past her.
“Hey guys,” she greeted as she leaned across the bar. “Thanks for coming over.”
“Any time,” Kyle assured her.
“What’s up?” Max asked.
“I need someone to talk to about this whole I might actually be bi thing and Michael was absolutely no help but then I thought you two might be able to commiserate,” she explained brightly. They exchanged glances, their cheeks flushed, before both started shaking their heads.
“That’s not-”
“We’re not-”
“Uhuh,” she brushed them off. “Anyway, Liz is tragically straight, Rosa and Michael are completely unhelpful, and I can’t talk to Isobel about this, so that leaves you two.”
“What about Alex?” Kyle was quick to offer. Maria raised an eyebrow. “I thought you two were getting along better now?”
“We are,” she agreed. It was even mostly true. “But I’m not sure how a man who’s been out as gay since we were 13 can really sympathize with a sexuality crisis in my 30s.”
“You turned 30 two weeks ago,” Kyle leveled her with an unimpressed look.
“Like I said, in my 30s.”
“Ok fine,” Kyle sighed heavily. “I’m not sure how much help I’ll be but if you want to talk, I’m here.”
They both looked at Max. He looked mildly uncomfortable until Kyle elbowed him in the ribs. “Yeah, me too. If you want to talk. About you.”
Maria laughed. “Go find a table, I’ll send over some beers until I can join you.”
“You’re a queen, Maria!” Kyle leaned over and kissed her cheek. “A queen!”
“And don’t you forget it!”
---
From: [email protected]
I might be more into Kyle than I thought
Max Evans
From: [email protected]
Well do I have good news for you. You’re already dating the guy! Just kiss him
Side note: welcome to the party, it’s a real bisexual alien blast. See Isobel for your welcome packet
M
From: [email protected]
You’re not nearly as funny as you think you are.
Max Evans
From: [email protected]
I’m hilarious
M
From: [email protected]
Thanks
Max Evans
From: [email protected]
For not making a big deal out of it I mean
Max Evans
From: [email protected]
Wouldn’t dream of it
M
---
From: [email protected]
3 attachments
If you tell anyone about this I will send Buffy one of those dog toys with a million pieces that you’ll never find again.
It’s my official first date (actually really official this time) with Maria and I have no idea what to wear.
I like the first one but she won’t tell me where we’re going or what we’re doing so I don’t want to be overdressed. The second one might be too casual. And the third’s a little uncomfortable but I look amazing in it
From: [email protected]
Don’t ever threaten my dog with toys again, I swear she perked up as soon as I read your message. I mean the puppy eyes were out in full force and I don’t need that kind of pressure from her
Congrats on the date. I’m glad it’s working out and everyone’s on the same page this time.
Go with #2. Maria’s not going to take you anywhere super fancy so you won’t need the first one and as hot as you look in the last one, she’ll know if you’re uncomfortable and that’ll just put her on edge. Plus, you look the most like yourself in that one and Maria’s looking to date you not the fancy dress
From: [email protected]
Should I threaten to ship the Airstream then? I can fill it with the files out of his bunker?
And thank you.
From: [email protected]
Don’t even think about it. My apartment is not big enough for all of that research
From: [email protected]
Your apartment? I thought he had his own? Something you two forgot to share with the class?
“Wow,” was all Maria could say when Isobel opened the door. She sent up a silent thank you to Alex for the suggestion.
“You look amazing,” she replied. And Maria did. She was wearing her favorite peasant skirt with a crop top and a denim jacket and she looked so very Maria it was breathtaking.
Maria smiled and leaned up and kissed her lightly on the lips. She pulled away almost before Isobel realized what had happened and smiled shyly. “Sorry. I was going to wait for the end of the night but-”
Isobel cupped her face and kissed her slowly. She didn’t push, she couldn’t, but she let it linger as she savored the feeling.
“Wow,” Maria breathed. Her eyes were still closed. “I really want to take you out but I’m suddenly okay with just doing that all night.”
“We can do that later,” Isobel promised. “I want you to take me out.”
Maria smiled and took her hand. “Well, then, Ms. Evans, let’s go.”
---
From: [email protected]
HANDPRINT PLUS MARK
YOU WILL THANK ME
From: [email protected]
HANDPRINT ON THEM WHILE THEY TOUCH THE MARK + SEX = NEVERENDING ORGASM
From: [email protected]
These are our work emails, Michael! And I don’t need details on your sex life, ew
From: [email protected]
Holy shit
From: [email protected]
You’re welcome
From: [email protected]
Oh my god
From: [email protected]
Exactly
---
Liz was surprised for about half a second, she’ll freely admit that. This was not something she had expected to come home to tonight but she was definitely not going to complain.
In the kitchen, Max had Kyle pressed into a counter as they kissed. “Jesus, how does Liz do this?” Kyle pushed at Max a little bit. “My neck already hurts.” Liz hid her smile. She definitely did get neck cramps occasionally. But she and Max had worked out a way around that, usually entailing Liz up on a-
Max pushed up under Kyle’s armpits and lifted him onto the counter. “Holy shit,” Kyle gasped.
“We make it work.” Liz could hear the smirk in his voice as they fell back into each other.
From: [email protected]
Max and Kyle are making out in our kitchen right now. I don’t know whether I should feel left out or really turned on
From: [email protected]
Both?
From: [email protected]
1 attachment
Oh by the way…
Who’s the genius now Lizzie??
Liz rolled her eyes at the new moniker and opened the attachment. Her keys fell out of her hand as it flew to her mouth to stifle her gasp. The top of the page had the MIT logo and the first line read, “Congratulations Mr. Michael Guerin.”
She slipped out the front door and called him.
“Better than CU Boulder?”
“Holy shit Mikey, that’s amazing!” She yelled. “You’re seriously going to MIT?”
“That’s what the paper said.”
“Oh my god I’m so happy for you!”
“Thanks,” he suddenly sounded sheepish.
Liz rolled her eyes. “You deserve it, Michael, seriously. Or did you think we were all blowing smoke up your ass when we called you a genius?”
“Nah, I figured there had to be some truth to it all.”
Liz leaned against the closed front door. “What about Alex?”
“He’s happier than you are. I got a very nice congratulations present from him already.”
“Ew,” she laughed. “I meant, I thought you two weren’t splitting up? How’s it going to work if you’re at MIT and he’s at Andrews?”
“Yeah, I guess that would be an issue if he was staying here.”
Liz straightened. “He’s being relocated? I thought he’d be there until his service was up.”
Michael hummed. “I don’t pretend to understand the specifics-”
“Bullshit, you just don’t want to tell me.”
“That too,” he agreed. “But yes, he’s moving with me. We’ve realized we don’t do well with long distance so we’re just not going to.”
“Look at you two acting like two mature adults in a relationship,” she teased. “I’m really happy for you, Michael. For both of you.”
“Thanks, Liz.” He sobered. “Serious question.”
It was never a serious question when Michael said it like that. “Hit me.”
“Why the fuck are you talking to me when your boyfriends are making out with each other in your kitchen?”
“That is an excellent question,” Liz realized. “I will talk to you later.”
Michael laughed. “Bye. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
“That’s not saying much.”
“Have fun with your boy toys.”
---
She did. They had fun too, before and after she joined them.
---
From: [email protected]
2 attachments
You are not missing our birthday again this year if I have to fly up there and drag you back here myself. I already bought your tickets and Maria and Rosa are going to fix up the cabin so it’s not all dusty.
See you on the 7th.
Isobel
Michael wasn’t sure where it went wrong. He wasn’t even sure what went wrong. The air hummed with the remnants of their shouts.
Four days. They’d been back in Roswell four days and they were at each other’s throats.
“What are we fighting about?” Alex asked wearily. His shoulders were tense and his hair was in a disarray from where he’d been running his fingers through it. The last time Michael had seen him like this he’d had a bad day at work. A really bad day. He’d walked through the door like the world was weighing him down, his shoulders tense but bowed, his hair a mess, and Michael had wanted to fight everyone who’d even spoken to Alex that day because they’d all contributed to it. And right now, it was him. He was the one who made Alex look like that.
“Pack your bags,” he ordered.
Alex balked. “What?”
“Pack up. We’re leaving.”
“And going where?” Alex sighed.
“Home,” Michael said simply. “I don’t know what it is about this place that makes us so miserable for each other but I’m sick of it. Let’s go home.”
“Isobel’s going to be pissed,” Alex warned.
Michael shrugged. “Let her be pissed. I’m not going to fight with you, not over,” he waved a hand at their general vicinity, “I don’t even know what, honestly. You weren’t kidding when you said you couldn’t come back here. I didn’t really take you seriously and I’m sorry about that but now I understand so let’s leave. Go home, go back to being us.”
“Your family’s here, Michael,” Alex sounded exhausted. “We can’t just leave and never come back.”
“They can come to us.” Michael walked over and carded his fingers through the fine hairs at the back of Alex’s neck. “Maybe one day we can come back and be okay but that day isn’t today so let’s go. I’ve seen Max and Izzy, I’ve had drinks with Liz and Rosa and Maria and Jenna, I’ve kicked Kyle’s ass at pool, and watched the sunset in the desert. I am quite literally good to go. And even if I wasn’t, you are. So let’s leave. Just pack our stuff and go. We can get a hotel in Albuquerque and fly home in the morning.”
“And everyone else?”
Michael smiled. “I’ll send them an email.”
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
Sorry to cut and run but we decided it was better if we just went home. Thanks for the birthday party, Iz.
It was great to see everyone but next time, why don’t you all come to us?
1832 Lexington Ave
Medford, MA 02155
M&A
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
Holy shit you’re actually giving us your address??
Also, you two owe me some hugs next time I see you. I will collect interest
Travel safe
Liz
From: [email protected]
Everything okay?
From: [email protected]
It will be. We might not be back in Roswell for a while, though.
A
From: [email protected]
As long as we get to come to you I can live with that
Isobel
From: [email protected]
Always, Izzy
M
From: [email protected]
Fly safe. Call me when you get home
Max Evans
From: [email protected]
Prepare yourselves for lots of care packages. You will regret giving us your address.
Maria
---
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
Boston City Hall
August 14th
4:00pm
Consider this your formal invitation.
M&A
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
YOU ASSHOLES
This is not how you tell someone you’re getting married!
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
Isobel’s just upset you stole her and Maria’s thunder. Congratulations you two! We’ll be there!
(A little more notice wouldn’t have killed you by the way)
Liz
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
ELIZABETH
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
But yes, of course, Isobel and I will be there too. Congratulations!
Love,
Maria
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
I’ll be there. Jenna’s my +1
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
WHAT?
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
What?
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
...Did we not know about this? I thought we knew about this?
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
You knew about this
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
We knew about this
P.S. Michael’s graduating from MIT on the 17th if you want to stay an extra couple of days
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
ALEX
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
Wait, what? Since when is Michael at MIT?
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
Since they moved to Boston so he could go? Keep up, Max
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
I thought you guys were getting better at the whole communication thing?
Michael, congrats on graduating and congrats to you both on getting engaged. I will try my best to be there but I’m not sure if I can get the time off with such short notice.
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
Isobel?
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
I’ll take care of it. He’ll be there
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
Should I be worried?
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
No
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
No
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
No
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
I’m officially worried
---
“Look at you,” Maria moseyed up next to him. Michael raised an eyebrow in question. “I was right.”
“About what?”
“I’ve finally seen you smile for real.” She kissed his cheek. “It’s a thing of beauty.” She reached up and played with his tassel. “Congratulations, Michael. You deserve this.” She tapped his new ring. “And this.”
“Thank you,” he replied sincerely, meaning more than just the compliment. Her expression sobered slightly as she picked up on it. “You were a lot stronger than me when I needed it the most. I wouldn’t have any of this if it hadn’t been for you.”
“Eh,” she nudged his shoulder. “I think you would have figured it out in the end.”
“I’m not so sure,” he mused.
She sighed heavily, a laugh clearly on the tip of her tongue. “Well, fine, if you insist. I guess I’ll have to take all the credit for everything good that happens to you.”
“What, don’t I get some credit?” Alex came up on her other side.
“Nope,” Maria shook her head. “I broke up with him so all of the credit for Michael’s success in life and in love is mine.”
Alex nodded solemnly. “I see your point. Yes, this is all thanks to you.” He held the stoic expression for a beat more then broke into a brilliant smile and kissed her cheek. “I’m glad you’re here.”
“Me too.”
Someone, probably Isobel, called her name just then and slipped away from them. Michael hardly noticed, his attention already fixed on his husband. “Hey,” he greeted softly. Alex’s smile softened as he came over and wound his arms around Michael’s waist and kissed him lightly.
“Hey,” he returned. “I tell you lately how proud I am of you?”
“You might have mentioned it once or twice.”
“Well, I am. And you should be proud of yourself.”
“Thank you for believing in me. Especially when I didn’t believe in myself,” Michael pressed their foreheads together.
“Always.”
“Oi, lovebirds! This ain’t your honeymoon yet!” Trust Rosa Ortecho to ruin a moment. They both started laughing and turned around to face their friends. As they did, they saw that every single one of them had their phones up and were taking pictures of them.
“Oh that’s perfect,” Isobel declared. “Thank you, Rosa.”
Rosa shrugged. “Happy to help.”
“What?” Michael laughed.
“I wanted natural smiles!” Isobel explained. “You looked so stiff in the pictures we took earlier.”
Alex exchanged a look with Jenna and before Michael knew it, his cap was gone and his cowboy hat was in its place. “Much better,” Alex grinned. “Come here, cowboy.” Alex grabbed the front of his graduation robe and pulled him into a kiss that Michael was helpless to resist. Even if they were both smiling too wide for it to be a good kiss.
The click of fake shutters echoed around them.
From: [email protected]
2 attachments
Happiness looks good on you
#malex fic#roswell fic#maribel#kaliz#rnm#my fic#one bonus pairing#im never writing a fic with emails again#but hey guess what#yall got your happy endings#because i cant not#can you believe four days ago this was supposed to be a oneshot???#its 40k#long post
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One Shot Werewolf Story
So... first of all, Next part of PFTS should be coming out soon. It's going to take some work to make sure that I pull all the threads that's I've placed in all the worlds together without plot holes, so apologize for how long it's taking. Will probably finish this last world in 2-3 parts, with possibly 1 or two extra parts from Liam and the Traveler's perspective.
Now, back to the story at hand. About a week ago, I wandered into the werewolf side of Wattpad. It was very... interesting. Never written about werewolves before. Thought it might be fun to try my own using my own style. (Women who constantly think they aren't pretty or good enough for the man, men who force physical intimacy and growl "mine" aren't really going to work for me.)
Anyways, It's about a 13k oneshot. It's a bit out of my norm, so I hope you guys enjoy! (Also I would love to hear ideas on what to title this.)
Here it is:
________________________
“I can’t believe you read this garbage!” Alyssa’s coworker held up the book in her hand, staring at it with disgust. “What do you see in books like this, anyways?”
Alyssa sighed, looking up at the book in question. The cover showed a shirtless muscular man holding a busty woman while scowling at the camera, with the title written across the top in bright orange words: “The Alpha’s Timid Mate.”
“I don’t read it for fun.” She muttered, reaching up and snatching the book back. Opening the large roller suitcase behind her, she found its place among the hundreds of other werewolf books and put it away carefully.
“Then what is it?” Her coworker asked with a tone of disbelief.
“Research.”
“Really? Research? For what? When your werewolf boyfriend shows up out of nowhere? “ She let out a derisive snort. “Sure.”
“…You don’t understand.”
She doesn’t understand us. The wolf in Alyssa’s head spoke up silently.
“That’s what I said.”
Can we eat her? Her wolf seemed excited by the idea.
“No. You know we can’t. You don’t even really want to. You’re just acting out because you’re upset I won’t let you watch horror movies any more.”
I am not acting out! But since you mentioned it… bring back the horror movies!
“No.”
“What are you talking about?” Her coworker frowned; confused by the conversation she could only hear half of.
Turning to her briefly, Alyssa shrugged. “Sorry, I’m just having a small discussion. I’ll be free to talk shortly.”
“Don’t bother.” The girl walked away, whispering under her breath. “Freak.”
Should have just eaten her.
“Wolves don’t even eat people. Stop pretending.”
How do you know? Maybe WEREwolves DO eat people! You have no clue! You haven’t found a pack yet. Even though you PROMISED!
“I know, I know.” Alyssa rubbed her forehead tiredly. “It’s harder than I thought it would be.”
I’m lonely and bored! I want to go run! I want a pack!
“Anything else, Your Highness? A bone on a silver platter?”
The wolf paused at that, pouting quietly … I’m hungry. Feed us something tasty.
“That I can do. We’ll eat on our lunch break.”
Steak?
“…We’ll see.”
As her wolf silently cheered, the door to the bookstore she was tending opened. A strange smell reached her nose. Mint and pine along with another scent she couldn’t quite place.
Alyssa looked up and was startled. The man who walked in looked like he had stepped off the cover of one of her werewolf books. Muscular, handsome… his brown hair just long enough to frame his green eyes. And tall… Alyssa had always known she was short, but never felt quite so at a disadvantage height wise as she did at the man’s approach.
He looks like the lead from book #298. Her wolf suggested in an interested tone.
“I was thinking book #645, but I see your point.”
Why do you think he’s here?
“I don’t know.”
As he moved closer, his gaze meeting her own, Alyssa stepped back, the sound of her wolf’s growl filling her mind.
HE’S A WEREWOLF! … even better, he smells strong… an ALPHA? QUICK, MATE HIM!
An alpha? Crap. Alyssa had done enough research to know that was bad news. “Look here, missy, I am not assaulting some stranger just because…”
Then let’s switch over to wolf so I can do it!
“No!”
“Excuse me…” The man spoke up, his voice hesitant and trailing off.
Alyssa turned and hurried out the back. Passing through the bookshelves, she heard someone following close behind, and picked up the pace. The door squeaked loudly as she forced it open, slamming against the wall as she broke out into a run towards the back alley.
“Wait!” The man’s voice called out.
Seeing that they were now alone, she stopped in her tracks, and turned, more irritated than nervous. “What?”
“…” He seemed thrown off by her sudden change, but shook his head, studying her closely. The man seemed to recognize something, and moved quickly to stand next to her. “You’re…” His eyes widened, and he reached out to grab her. “A werewolf? My mate?!”
YES! I knew it! Her wolf’s scream of excitement echoed in her mind.
Alyssa sighed tiredly, reaching into her bag. “Well, crap.”
________________________
It had been a terrible day.
Lewis listened to his family arguing, wishing for the thousandth time that he wasn’t in charge.
“Nightfang’s pack could wipe us out!” Gary, his Beta, slammed his fist on the table, the force of it scattering plates and cups.
Lewis’s mother stood up, and despite her height only coming only to the enormous man’s chin he shrunk down in fear. “…Did you just mess up my kitchen?”
“…”
“Then you’re gonna be a good boy and clean that up right now, yes?” She raised an eyebrow. “Or you won’t have to worry about that Nightfang pack. There won’t be enough of you left for them to fight over once I’m through.”
“…I’ll clean it up right away, Ma’am.”
“That’s what I thought.” She turned to Lewis, patting his shoulder comfortingly. “What’s you plan to deal with this, dear?”
“My plan?” His voice came out slightly more stressed than he meant it to.
“Well, you’re the alpha. Your father left it to you to protect us. “
“Yes. Of course… a plan… which I definitely have.”
Gary and his mate Berta glanced at each other from the other side of the table.
“He doesn’t have a plan.”
“Did you really expect him to?”
“Hey!” At Lewis’s hurt exclamation, Gary shrugged.
“No offense, Alpha, but since your broth… since Nightfang left and took half the pack with him, things have been a little disorganized. You have to admit that’s true.”
Lewis walked over to the window of the cabin, leaning on the sill and staring up at the cloudy sky. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. We were supposed to help each other. Help the pack. But now it’s all just one huge mess and I’m the only one left to take care of it.
Hey, you’re not alone! His wolf’s irritated voice burst out. I’m always here. We’re stuck together for life!
I’m aware. He chuckled quietly. Glad to have you, Buddy.
So… Can we go find our mate now?
You know we can’t. There could be an attack any day now. Besides, I’ve already visited all the packs within driving distance. She’s not there.
Maybe she’s human, like our mom. We should go to town and find her.
Yeah, just go to town and pick up a mate like going to the grocery store to pick up milk. No problem with that.
She’s probably waiting for us! She’s wondering what’s taking us so long to find her. What if she thinks we can’t provide for her? Hurry, you have to find her…. Bring steak… no… four steaks… fatty ones! It will show that we can feed her… make her fat! She’ll definitely want to mate with us then!
Nothing turns women on more than shoving red meat in their face and telling them that you’ll help them gain weight.
Like you would know? Who have you dated? Regale me with tales of your vast experience.
Hey! You haven’t dated either.
I have instincts, at least.
“Lewis?” Gary’s voice broke him from his silent talk with his wolf.
He turned back “We’ll tighten up the patrol schedule.” He rubbed his forehead.
“It will mean giving up territory.”
“I’m aware.” The words came out as a growl. Territory was everything. In the old days it was a pack’s survival. The instinct to protect it at all costs remained, but Lewis had no choice. “Their safety matters more.”
The pack has to be protected first.
Agree. His wolf sounded unhappy, but stood by him, as always.
“Alright then. Continue with training, and preparing for if Nightfang brings his pack for war.” Lewis sighed. “Hopefully they’ll wait until the colder weather passes.”
Although it might be just delaying the inevitable.
“You are all dismissed.” As he stood up, however, his mother stopped him with a smile.
“Can you pick up some milk, dear? I’m out.”
“… Sure, Mom.” He held back a laugh thinking about his conversation with his wolf, knowing that no one else would get the joke. Maybe I’ll pick up my mate while I’m there.
He headed into town.
As he parked his car and walked towards the supermarket, however, his wolf suddenly started shouting in his head.
She’s here!
Lewis frowned. Who? Nightfang or one of his followers?
No, you idiot! Our mate!
Where? He skidded to a halt, staring around frantically. His heart started to race, as he prepared to meet his soulmate… the one he had been waiting for his entire life.
In the bookstore! His wolf wasn’t much better, barely able to communicate in its excitement.
He opened the door, ignoring the soft chime that sounded out to alert a new customer’s arrival. His eyes scanned the room, trying to spot… something. A familiar face, a special feeling. How do you know if someone is your mate…?
His silent voice trailed off in shock as he stared at… her.
She was beautiful.
Dark curls, the tips just barely brushing her shoulders. She was short… very short. He felt awkwardly tall, wondering if she would dislike his height. She seemed to be packing a book into a suitcase, but then turned to face him.
Her grey eyes widened at the sight of him.
Does she feel it too?
QUICK, FEED HER!
With what?!!! I don’t have any food!
Why didn’t you bring the steaks?!!! Now she’s going to think we’re weak and she’ll starve as our mate! What if she leaves us?!!
Human women don’t need steaks for courtship… watch.
Lewis cleared his throat. “Excuse me…”
She turned and rushed out of the store.
…
…
…You were saying?
…Maybe you were right about the steaks.
He followed her out to the back of the shop, cringing at the suspicious looks that the customers in the shop gave him.
I’m chasing after a girl into a back alley. I’ll be lucky if no one calls the cops.
She’s our mate! We could never hurt her!
They don’t know that. She might not even know that!
To his shock she stopped and turned around once they were out of the store. Placing her hands on her hips, she glared at him. “What?”
“…” She was even more mesmerizing up close. Lewis nervously cleared his throat, stepping closer.
Her scent filled his senses. Lilac and spring and… wolf?
She’s a werewolf! That’s awesome! Let’s shift and show her how strong our wolf form is. It’s much better looking than the human look.
“You’re…” Feeling stunned, he reached out, wanting to touch her, to hold her hand. “A werewolf? My mate?”
This is amazing! His mate, his soulmate was standing right in front of him. Would she be happy too? Was she excited to meet us?
She didn’t seem shocked. Didn’t seem happy either… or angry, or afraid. Her face just showed mild… annoyance?
Does she not feel the bond?
“Well, crap.”
As she spoke out with a matter of fact tone, Lewis’s hand neared her shoulder, only to spasm and drop as he fell to the ground shaking. His mate stood over him, staring down at him blankly, the Taser in her hand still sparking.
Well, crap. He silently echoed his mate’s words as darkness overcame him.
________________________
Alyssa sat on her favorite chair, holding her favorite mug, drinking her favorite tea, wrapped in her favorite blanket, hoping it would improve her mood.
It wasn’t working.
Mostly due to the large man on her living room floor, just now waking up from the effects of her Taser… and the large animal sedative she stuck him with after he went down. He blinked his eyes, seeming confused and disoriented.
He’s adorable. I bet his wolf is good looking! Can you ask him to shift? Her wolf hadn’t shut up since they met the other werewolf.
“Shush. He’s waking up now. It would be rude to ask him before we’ve talked. “
Spoilsport. At least show him all the hamburger meat we have frozen.
“Why would he want to see our hamburger meat?”
THAT will show him how effective we are at gathering food! We can be an asset to his pack! If he doesn’t have a pack he should follow us around, and we can fatten him up! … he’s too skinny.
“He’s not skinny… he’s very muscular.”
What if there’s not enough prey in the winter? His muscles will go away. He should have a nice little layer of fat.
“Do not fatten him up! I like him like this.”
“Excuse me?” The man on her living room floor struggled to sit up. Leaning back against her TV stand, he blinked a few more times, obviously still fighting off the tranquilizer. Looking around, he just seemed more confused. “Where am I?”
“My home.” Alyssa told him, taking another sip of her tea.
“Ah.” He paused, awkwardly shifting his weight and raising his hands which were tied together with silver chains, like his ankles. “Why am I tied up?”
“…” She stared at him silently a few moments. “You’re a werewolf.”
“…Yes. So are you?”
“You said I was your mate.”
He blushed at that, avoiding eye contact. “Sorry. I know that was awkward. I was surprised. I’ve been looking for years since I reached adulthood.”
“You’re an alpha?”
“Yes.” Straightening his spine, he forced a cocky looking grin. “A strong alpha of a great pack.”
“So now you know why you’re tied up.”
“…pardon?”
Alyssa rolled her eyes. “I’ve done enough research to know when an alpha finds his mate, it tends to get physical… and non-consensual… real quick.”
He still seemed confused. “Research?”
She set down her tea and blanket and dragged over the enormous roller suitcase. Opening it, she displayed hundreds of paperback romance books. She pulled one out, showing off the cover, which showed a half-naked muscular man holding a woman tightly as she half-heartedly pushed him away.
The bound man looked at the picture. “The Reluctant Mate of an Alpha? What is this?”
“There are 983 books on werewolves in my possession.” She pulled out her notebook, quickly flipping to the “alpha” section. “88% of them feature an alpha werewolf as the male lead… and 92% of those characters force their mate to engage in physical intimacy… mostly hugging and kissing… within the first few minutes of meeting them.”
“You… you’re getting your information from romance books?” He looked horrified. “Where’s your pack?”
“No pack. Abandoned as a baby. I grew up in the foster system.”
A low angry growl sounded from his chest. “What pack abandons a child?!”
“The kind of pack that I’m probably better off being abandoned than raised by.” She tapped the book again. “Back to the fact that I’m apparently the mate to an alpha wolf.”
“Not apparently!” He looked distressed still. “You ARE! Can’t you sense it?”
She ignored him, putting the book back carefully. “You know that alpha wolves aren’t even a natural thing… only happens with wolves in captivity. Wolves in the wild tend to form family units. “
“…But we aren’t normal wolves? We wouldn’t have the exact same pack structure.”
“Exactly. Thus I can’t use my wolf encyclopedia to gain information.” She frowned. “That would have been preferable, honestly. I don’t really like the alphas in these stories.”
If you’re not going to mate with him… can we eat him?
“Stop asking to eat people. You know the answer.”
Lewis’s eyes grew wide. “Did you say ‘eat PEOPLE?”
“Don’t worry. There’s a strict ‘no eating people’ rule. It’s just a phase she’s gone through since I let her watch 80s horror werewolf flicks. She thinks its funny, but its not. “ She threw her hands up helplessly. “This is WHY we are on a horror movie ban!”
This is unfair!
“It’s perfectly fair! Even if you ignore the moral implications, you wouldn’t even like the taste of human flesh!”
What about hot sauce? Didn’t you say hot sauce makes every thing taste better?
“Yes… hot sauce does make everything taste better.”
“Wait… are you going to EAT me?” Lewis questioned with a panicked tone, scooting backwards closer to the door.
“No. I told you, there’s a firm ‘no eating people’ rule in place. We’re done discussing that.”
“But…”
“We’re discussing whether or not hot sauce would make your flesh taste better if we ate you… hypothetically.”
“Oh.” He thought it over. “I do like hot sauce. But I don’t think wolves do.”
“No. It would give them diarrhea, probably.” Alyssa nodded. “See. Even hot sauce wouldn’t help.”
Then if we aren’t going to eat him, can we please just MATE with him?
“No eating. No mating.”
“Wait, can we not put a strict no mating rule in place just yet? At least not a permanent one?” He paused. “Also, if I promise not to engage in any alpha behaviors like you see in your ‘research’, can I please be untied?”
“…” She studied him warily. “I suppose.”
“Great!” He held out his wrists, smiling with relief as she started to untie him.
“I have plenty of tranquilizer anyways.” She muttered.
“…pardon?”
The bonds slipped free. The man rubbed his wrists, careful to not make any sudden movements. Relieved by his apparent honesty in not trying anything, Alyssa headed back to her chair and wrapped herself back in her blanket.
Grabbing her tea, she took a sip of the lukewarm liquid and smiled. “So what brought the great alpha into my place of work today? Were you looking for me?”
________________________
Lewis was unsure how to answer his mate. Panicking, he said the first thing he thought of.
“Actually I was going to go buy milk.”
She raised an eyebrow. “In the bookstore?”
“Yes! I mean, no!” He covered in his face. “I was on my way to the supermarket, when my wolf… sensed you.”
She tilted her head, seeming more interested. “Your wolf? What’s he like?”
TELL HER I AM VERY STRONG!
“Umm… he’s strong…”
TELL HER I CAN MAKE HER FAT!!
No!
How else will she know I can provide food for her and our children?!
No. I’m not saying we’ll make her fat!
ITS IMPORTANT! TELL HER HOW FAT WE CAN MAKE HER!
“Are you okay?”
“WE’LL MAKE YOU REALLY FAT!” Lewis blurted out… and then stared at the ground in embarrassed horror.
“…” There was a long silence.
“My wolf says that’s very attractive.” She shook her head. “She wants you to know that we have several pounds of hamburger in our freezer and that we are happy to contribute food to you and your family.”
She’s smart and stores plenty of meat in her freezer! Please convince her to stay as our mate!
“So would you like to come visit our pack? He asked, wincing as she pulled what appeared to be a miniature Taser out of thin air. “Just visiting! No mating!” He relaxed as she hid the Taser away again “…Where were you even keeping that?”
“Secret pocket in the sleeve…. It’s not my only one, so don’t think I’ve given you any advantage.”
Lewis tried to think of something that would appeal to her. “I know you don’t have a pack… it would be a chance to get to know others like you… “
“… I would be able to refine my research…” She muttered, staring down at her notebook. “Plus my wolf really wants to…”
SHE’S GOING TO SAY YES!
Shush!
“Sure. Why not?” She shrugged, holding out her hand. “I guess we should officially meet if we’re going back to your pack together. I’m Alyssa.”
Alyssa! Her name is pretty!
“Nice to meet you Alyssa.” Lewis smiled brightly. “I’m Lewis.” He shook her hand, trying to stay calm at the shocking feeling of touching her. It was almost painful, as if every cell in his body were screaming at him that he’s met his soulmate. Overwhelmed, confused, he glanced over at his mate, only to see her calm expression.
Does she not feel this? Are we just delusional?
She’s our mate! Of course she feels it!
She’s not acting like it. Maybe we’re wrong? Lewis felt a stabbing pain in his chest at the thought. She was his mate. He had waited his whole life to meet her. He belonged to her.
What if she doesn’t want us?
… His wolf didn’t have an answer to that.
Maybe she can sense our weakness… our failure.
No… we’re not weak! We’re alpha of a strong pack!
That’s fallen apart because most of them felt I wasn’t the best one for the job.
We have to be strong. We can’t fail our pack or our mate. Don’t show weakness!
I’ll try.
Lewis forced a calm smile as he looked at Alyssa. “Should we head over and meet the pack?”
“Hmm… Aren’t you forgetting something?” She angled her head, studying him.
“What?”
“Didn’t you say you were on your way to pick up milk when you met me?”
“OH SHOOT!” He jumped to his feet. “I’m glad you said something! You saved my life!”
“By remembering milk?”
“You don’t realize how horrible my death would be at my mom’s hands if I had forgotten it.”
“…” She raised an eyebrow, a slight smile at the corner of her mouth. “You’re welcome, then.”
I like her smile! Let’s help make her smile more!
Agree.
Lewis ran to pick up some milk while she packed a bag for the trip. When he returned, he was shocked by the number of suitcases she had brought with her.
“Are all these clothes?”
“Don’t be silly.” She looked at him like he was an idiot. “It’s my research.”
He was almost afraid to ask, but felt he had to. “… They’re all filled with werewolf romance books… aren’t they?
“Not just books… “ Alyssa seemed a little defensive. “There’s some weapons. And a few changes of clothes.”
“If you’re staying a few days at least, do you need to take off work?”
She shook her head. “No need.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. “
“…Okay.” He didn’t want to pry. At least not yet. Maybe one day she’ll trust us enough to tell us more.
He packed her bags into the car, glad for his superhuman strength as he lifted the suitcases filled to the brim with books. Alyssa sat in the passenger seat, clutching a notebook and a small messenger bag, which also appeared to be filled with books. As they headed outside of town, an awkward silence fell between them.
Say something witty! His wolf finally lost patience with Something that will make her think we’re smart!
Open to any suggestions, Buddy. I’m having trouble thinking straight with our mate so close, much less think of something smart to say!
Aren’t you supposed to be the more intelligent half? I’m supposed to be the stronger one.
You’re the one always saying that wolves are super intelligent creatures and I should listen to you more!
Now we’re being silent for too long! What if she thinks we’re an idiot?!
You’re not helping…
“So how do werewolves mate?” Alyssa asked calmly, the question almost causing Lewis to swerve off the road in shock.
“…”
…
“Sorry, I don’t think I heard you. Could you repeat the question?”
“How do werewolves mate?”
… I think I preferred the awkward silence.
No! This is good! She’s showing an interest in mating!
“Umm… Not differently than humans… you learned about that in health class, right?” He desperately hoped he would not have to have a “birds and bees” talk with his mate right after meeting her.
“Oh.” She sounded slightly disappointed. “So we don’t mate in wolf form?”
I’m game.
SHUT UP.
“Typically no… I mean I guess it’s possible…” He felt himself turn bright red, feeling super uncomfortable. “But usually its in human form… at least from my understanding of what mated couples say.”
“Hmm..” She seemed to be listening to something. “No, I don’t think his wolf is impotent. I think it’s a cultural thing.”
HER WOLF THINKS I’M IMPOTENT, WE’RE SHIFTING NOW!
We are currently driving down a highway! We are not shifting any time soon! Besides, what on earth do you think you’re going to do in wolf form that’s going to convince her otherwise?
I’ll show her my genitals, to reassure her.
THAT DOES NOT REASSURE WOMEN! ARE YOU TRYING TO GET US TASED?!
“So I bet that means that werewolf pregnancy follows human rules then. “ She sighed, frowning while pulling out her notebook and writing a few things down. “There was only 3% of books that presented mating and pregnancy while in wolf form, so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.”
“… I see.”
“How long does pregnancy last? 19% of the books depict a shorter pregnancy cycle, but I wasn’t sure if it was just to get the plot to move faster.”
“Normal 9 months.”
“Number of children per pregnancy?”
“One… unless you have twins.”
She groaned, leaning back in her chair. “So no advantages at all? So disappointing.”
SHE’S DISAPOINTED! TELL HER TWINS RUN IN OUR FAMILY! WE’LL GIVE HER SO MANY CHILDREN!
“Twins run in our family!” Lewis nearly shouted.
“Really?” Alyssa studied him, looking slightly interested. “Do you have a twin?”
Great. I really had to bring HIM up.
“I do… but he left the pack.”
“Does that happen often?”
“No.”
“I see…” She made a few more notes. “Obviously the villain.”
“…” I mean, she’s not wrong. “Any other questions?” Please be something easy.
“Will mating with another werewolf change my menstrual cycle?”
“…”
…
Do you know?
Nope. Nothing in the instincts about this. Do you?
Nope.
He cleared his throat. “Sorry, I don’t know the answer to that question. One of the pack might be able to answer it. Maybe Bridget? She seems pretty knowledgeable.”
“Bridget? Your sister?”
“No… she’s just one of the warriors in the pack..”
“Hmm…” Alyssa thought that over. “Is she pretty?”
Lewis shrugged. “Seems pretty normal.”
“Do you two get along?”
“She follows orders, so I guess?”
“I see.” He could hear her pen scratching against paper again. “The female side character who will try to chase we away, maybe? How exciting.”
“…” Lewis decided he didn’t want to ask anything about it. For the sake of his sanity if nothing else.
They spent the rest of the car ride in silence.
________________________
Alyssa felt increasingly nervous the closer they got to pack territory.
I think we’re almost there. This area smells different.
“Different how?”
It smells like our mate! I like it!
“Hmm… Do you think he pees on trees to mark his territory?”
Isn’t that normal?
“It’s normal for wolves… do you think he does it in human form too?”
“I DON’T MARK TERRITORY AS A HUMAN!” Lewis spoke out frantically. “Can you stop talking about me like I’m not here?!”
She turned to him, curious by his reaction. “Don’t you talk to your wolf?”
“All the time, but I do it SILENTLY!” He paused. “Do you not know how to?”
“Oh I know how to, I just think it’s really rude to leave her out of the general conversation. She’s here too you know.”
“That makes sense… I guess…” He sighed, rubbing a hand through his hair. “Well, I assume you know since you were commenting on the scent markings, but yes, we’re in pack territory. “
Alyssa nodded, her heart rate increasing slightly. She didn’t like this. Going to unfamiliar places. Meeting new people. Especially people who may have a culture or rules that she didn’t understand. They might not like her.
How could they not love us? We’re a strong, beautiful female… at least when we’re in wolf form.
“Hey!”
We’ll be just fine.
“I hope so.” She took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves.
A warm hand hesitantly grasped her own. She felt an electric shock traveling up her fingers from the touch, but kept her face expressionless. “Are you okay?” Lewis’s voice was quiet, a comforting sound.
I like his voice. His touch his very warm!
“If you’re worried… I know that you might not believe me, but the pack is very friendly. You’ll feel very welcome.”
“In 42% of the books the pack is welcoming to a stranger… usually because she’s the alpha’s mate. In the rest they are either wary of the unknown person, or distrustful or unfriendly. “ She thought it over. “I guess it’s not bad odds.”
The car came to a stop. Lewis squeezed her hand one last time, and then stepped out, getting her suitcases from the trunk and back seat. Alyssa stared down at her now empty hand, feeling frustrated.
I trust him.
“You trust everyone. It’s my job to keep us safe.” She got out of the car, staring around at the area. There were several nice houses, all scattered far from each other. The place was quiet, peaceful, surrounded by woods. She liked it.
He won’t hurt us. He can’t. It would be like hurting himself.
“You’d be surprised how low people can sink if they want.”
No I wouldn’t. I lived through all the same experiences with you. But wolves do better with a family. We’ll do better with a pack.
“I haven’t agreed to that yet.”
We’ll see.
Lewis carried her many bags without seeming stressed by the weight. “I’ll bring these into the main house. Do you want to come along? Or you can wait here, I can show you around.”
She glanced around at the forest around her. “I’ll wait here.”
“Ok. I’ll be right back.” He looked slightly worried about separating from her, but after a brief hesitation, he walked away.
Alyssa strolled around the clearing by the car, feeling calmer as she took in the fresh air.
I like it here. We should live here.
“We’ll see.”
Also mate Lewis before another female gets him.
“I don’t think that’s how it works. In 82% of the books, being mates meant soul mates. Only small exceptions made for if mates rejected each other and such… for the drama, I suppose. “
Don’t take chances. Even with an impotent wolf we should claim him sooner rather than later. He has fatty steaks in his house. I can smell them.
“That’s what’s important to you? And I told you, I don’t think his wolf is impotent…”
“WHO ARE YOU?” A strident voice called out.
Alyssa turned to see a beautiful young woman walking towards her with a suspicious expression. She had shorter, curly blond hair and bright green eyes, towering over her in height. Alyssa sighed slightly as she realized she would probably be the shortest werewolf here by a good amount.
We’re short but feisty! Don’t underestimate us!
“I’m Alyssa.” She waved cheerfully. “Who are you?”
“…” The young woman seemed confused. “Bridget.”
The bitch side character! Maybe she’ll shout at us to “stay away from her man!”
“You don’t know that. Maybe she’s nice. She’s pretty.”
She is pretty… but it would be more fun if she were hysterical and tried to scare us off.
“…Who are you talking to?”
“My wolf.” Alyssa grinned at her. “She’s wondering if you are going to scream at us and tell us to stay away from Lewis.”
The woman seemed stunned. “Why would I do that?”
“All the books have it.” She pulled out her notebook and spread out the books from her messenger bag. Holding up one where a woman in a ripped dress stood next to a large wolf titled “The Alpha’s Runaway Love”, she pointed to a smaller, angry looking woman in the background of the cover. “See… in 79% of these stories there’s a strong female side character who is desperately in love with the alpha despite him being mated to the main character and tries to drive her away.”
“… Are those… romance novels….?”
“But I really hope you aren’t that character type. I think you seem like an awesome older sister type.” She stepped closer, which highlighted the height difference between them. “We’ve always wanted a cool, pretty older sister like you. “
“…” Bridget seemed genuinely overwhelmed. “Umm… first of all… I don’t want to scare you away from Lewis… I grew up with the guy. He wet the bed once when I slept over when we were five… ruined my favorite princess sheets…”
Alyssa started taking notes.
“I was just curious about who you were…” She rested a hand on Alyssa’s head, almost seemingly despite herself. “Are you Lewis’ mate?”
“Yep! He found me in a bookstore.” She paused. “Do you know if mating with a werewolf changes your menstrual cycle? I asked Lewis, but he seemed like he was having a seizure and said he didn’t know.”
“…” Bridgett’s face spasmed at that, she seemed to be holding back a laugh.
“Also… I brought hamburger meat… do you want some? “
“So…” Bridget’s voice trailed off.
“So?” Alyssa tilted her head, confused.
“SO CUTE!!!” Alyssa was pulled into an enormous bear hug, squeezed almost uncomfortably tight as Bridget continued to yell. “YOU’RE ADOPTED!”
“What are you doing with my mate?” Lewis’s strained voice made Alyssa want to look over, but she was still trapped in the hug.
“She’s my little sister now, Alpha.” Bridget’s voice was calm, but stern. “If anything happens to her, I will destroy you.”
Alyssa smiled at her as the tall woman set her down. “Really?”
“Really.” Bridget grinned back. “I’ve always wanted a sister too.”
“Awesome!”
As the two girls began chatting excitedly, Lewis cleared his throat. “Guys? I hate to break up the love here, but the pack is gathering to meet Alyssa.”
He walked over towards Alyssa, stopping in his tracks as Bridget grabbed her first and tugged her in the correct direction. “Come on, let’s hurry up! I can’t wait to introduce you to them!”
“She’s MY mate! I want to introduce her!”
“Too bad, so sad, bedwetter! If you weren’t so slow maybe you could have grabbed her first.” She laughed.
“Hey, you promised never to mention that again! What if you scare my mate away?!”
“Even better, she’ll just live with me and my family.”
As they moved, Alyssa tapped her arm, leaning close. “Is this really okay?”
“Is what okay?”
“I mean… he’s your alpha… is it okay to be like this with him?”
Bridget smiled. “Don’t worry. He’s a good alpha… a strong fighter, a capable leader… but he’s very kind. He prefers his pack feel comfortable enough to joke around with him. Says if they can trust him enough to make fun of him that it means they’ll trust him enough to have the uncomfortable conversations as well.”
He’s a good leader.
“Maybe…”
Let’s mate him!
Alyssa groaned at the expected response from her wolf, shaking her head slowly.
They arrived in a clearing in the woods, where twenty or thirty people had gathered. Everyone looked very different, with skin tones, eye and hair color varying widely from person to person. People of all ages chatted excitedly, watching their approach. They did have one thing in common though:
They were all tall.
We’re… tall… too.
“We’re short.” Feeling uncomfortable, she hid behind Bridget, who growled at the crowd.
“Don’t you guys make my sister uncomfortable! Sit down, you’re scaring her.”
The crowd looked very confused at that, but sat down on the grass anyways. Besides the three of them, only one man remained standing. He was enormous, a head taller than even Lewis, who Alyssa already considered very tall. He was broad as well as tall, his muscles nearly bursting out of the flannel shirt he was wearing. His face was covered in a bushy beard, his dark hair cropped close.
Overall Alyssa thought he looked very intimidating. She watched as he approached, a hand grasping her hidden Taser in her sleeve.
“This is my Beta Gary.” Lewis’s calm voice was reassuring, but she refused to relax her vigilance as the large man bent down to look her in the eye. “Gary, this is my mate, Alyssa.”
“Hey there, Alyssa.” The hair-covered face broke into a friendly smile. “We’ve been hoping Lewis would find a nice mate for a while now. Glad you’re here. If anyone gives you trouble you let me know, I’ll knock a few heads in.”
Alyssa grinned back at him. “Nice to meet you, Gary. You’re really large.”
Ask him if we can sit on his shoulder! I want to be tall!
“It would be rude to ask to sit on his shoulder right after meeting him. We’ll ask him later.”
But…
Before her wolf could complain too much, Gary reached out and picked her up easily, placing her on one broad shoulder and steadying her with a single hand. “How’s this?”
Alyssa looked around. “This is GREAT!” She laughed.
Bow before us mortals! WE ARE TALL!
“My wolf is very happy right now. She was sad that we were so much shorter than everyone.”
HEY! You were sad too!
“Well you can ride on my shoulder anytime you want.” Gary laughed. “My mate Berta and I always wanted kids, but…” his voice trailed off slightly. “Well, anyways, feel free to come to us if you ever need help.”
“OR ME!” Bridget burst out. “I’ve already claimed her as my little sister!”
Lewis stared at the three of them, looking slightly tired. “Do I get any time with her as her mate?”
Gary and Bridget glanced at each other. “… We’ll see.”
Putting Alyssa down in front of the pack, Gary winked at her as if to reassure her before taking his place standing behind the Alpha. Lewis stepped forward, his manner becoming stronger, more confident as he addressed the crowd.
“Everyone, this is my mate Alyssa. She’s one of us, but she doesn’t have a pack. So I expect you all to make her feel safe and welcome.” He looked around, smiling as everyone nodded obediently.
“Welcome!”
“We’re glad you’re here!”
“Maybe Lewis will stop moping so much now!”
The cheerful voices of the pack made Alyssa feel calmer. She waved at them, speaking up. “Hey everyone! Like Lewis said, I’m Alyssa. I don’t know much about werewolves… I’ve only grown up around humans, but I’m excited to learn more.”
They seem nice.
Her wolf was happy about the packs’ reactions. No one seemed thrown off by her introduction. No one was glaring at her or even seeming suspicious of her.
It’s a good thing, right?
Before she could respond, Lewis spoke up, distracting her. “Let’s take you back to meet my mom.”
________________________
Lewis was relieved that the pack introduction went so well. Not that he was overly surprised; most of the more disagreeable pack members had left in the split with his brother. Who was left were either the ones too reasonable to be sucked into his rhetoric, or the very loyal ones to himself or his father.
Either way, I guess it’s a good thing.
He led his mate towards his house, breathing a small sigh of relief when Bridget and Gary didn’t insist on following. He liked them both a lot, but they could be a lot. Especially since they seemed to have instantly bonded with Alyssa.
Just admit it. We’re jealous. We want to bond with Alyssa too.
We don’t know what all she’s been through. She was abandoned by her pack as an infant. Her only knowledge of us doesn’t paint Alpha’s in a good light… or at least they don’t seem to. Lewis resolved to get his hands on some of those books and read through this. It might help us understand how she views us… and how to reassure her.
I like her. His wolf’s voice was filled with a patient care. Even if she doesn’t like us just yet, I hope she’s happy and feels safe here.
I do too. Lewis desperately wanted to reassure his mate. He could feel her anxiety through the bond. Even when she was smiling she didn’t feel safe. But he didn’t know how to help just yet.
They reached the house, and as they were about to enter, the door swung open and Lewis’s mother rushed out. Making a beeline for Alyssa, she hugged her tightly, grinning.
“I’M SO HAPPY YOU’RE HERE!”
Alyssa seemed shocked at the sudden appearance of his mother. Lewis tried to step in. “Mom, don’t scare her…”
“Finally someone normal sized!” Alyssa burst out, hugging his mother back.
“I know, right? They’re all way too tall!” Lewis’s mother stepped back, patting her head fondly. “I forgive them since they’re all such good people, but still, I’m happy to have someone I don’t have to strain my neck to look at.”
“Mom, this is Alyssa, my mate.”
“I figured as much dear. You’ve never paid so much attention and care to a single person before. “ She grabbed Alyssa’s hand. “Come in, I made food.”
Our mother understands! She’ll show our mate how much food we can provide!
Alyssa glanced at him. “My wolf wants to make sure that the hamburger meat we brought got put in the fridge.”
“I took care of it.” Lewis puffed out his chest, feeling accomplished.
His mother just shook her head. “Boys. Why don’t you take her bags up to the room next to mine while I get her something to pad her stomach?”
“Yes, Ma’am.” He grabbed the suitcases full of books, weapons and clothes and rushed up the stairs. Her room was on the opposite end of the house from him, right next to his mother’s rooms.
Why is she staying so far away from us? His wolf whined in his head. What if something happens? How will we protect her?
She already doesn’t trust us. Hopefully the living arrangements will make her less nervous. If she doesn’t like it, she might go stay with Bridget instead. Do you want that?
No. Stupid Bridgett. She brought up the bedwetting incident. Our childhood shame bared in front of our mate! What if she doesn’t like us now?
We were young. I can’t imagine she would hold it against us… although yes, it is very embarrassing.
As he neared the kitchen once more, he overheard Alyssa and his mother talking. About to announce his arrival, his mouth slammed shut as he heard his mate’s question.
“So Lewis’ brother is a villain, right?”
“…” His mother sighed. “How much has he told you?”
“Just that he has a twin, and he’s not with the pack.”
“Well, I guess you haven’t known each other long… you’ll hear it anyways, might as well be from me, since he’s my son.” She sat down at the counter, rubbing her forehead tiredly.
“I had three children, actually. Twins boys and a younger girl. My husband was the Alpha of the Western pack, and although it’s not set in stone, usually one of the children of the Alpha will inherit the position.”
Lewis could hear Alyssa’s pen moving as she frantically took notes. He silently laughed, even as his chest hurt at the sound of his mother’s disappointed tone, leaning against the wall to hear how she would describe their situation.
“Now, I’m not a werewolf, you know. I’m a human who happened to be mates with a werewolf. So maybe I didn’t instill the idea of pack values as strongly as I could have.” She sighed. “Lewis seemed to get it naturally. He got hurt when he was ten… the first time he transformed, just to protect an elderly pack member who was being attacked. He’s got a large scar on his left elbow from a hunter’s arrow. Werewolves heal well… but the scars remain.”
My other son… Benjamin… he wasn’t nearly as concerned about the pack’s well being. Just obsessed with being strong. Being in charge. My daughter Emily seemed to feel very similar.”
“Seems pretty Alpha-like… at least how the books describe them.”
“But that’s the thing. Alphas SHOULD be strong. My mate was very strong, in fact. But their strength exists to protect and feed the pack. Strength and power for its own sake has no purpose… and often leads down a dangerous pack.”
“…”
“My mate died.” His mother whispered, the pain in her voice breaking Lewis’s heart. “Lung cancer. Even werewolves can die from disease. They heal… but not fast enough for more aggressive wounds or diseases. They’re not immortal.”
“I’m sorry.” Alyssa seemed genuinely concerned. “How did you survive losing your mate?”
“It helps that I’m human.” Her voice was still quiet. “The pain is still there…it’s like a piece of your soul missing. But I had family, pack … people who needed me to keep waking up each morning. And I’m glad I have.”
“So what happened next?”
“My mate’s will left the pack to Lewis.” His mother shrugged, turning back to stir the contents of a pot on the stove. “It was an obvious choice to us. He is strong, careful… puts the pack first.”
“But Benjamin didn’t agree?”
“He rebelled. Said Lewis was weak. Tried to fight him, but was pushed back by the loyal members of the pack. In the end he took almost half the pack with him to start a new one… including my daughter who also thought Lewis was too weak to lead.”
“…” Alyssa was silent. Lewis leaned against the wall, desperately trying to sense his mate’s emotions. Was she disappointed in him? Did she think he was a failure.
“He goes by Nightfang now… his group is our pack’s greatest threat.”
“…” Suddenly in the silent kitchen, Alyssa chuckled. “Seriously? Nightfang? Did he think that was a cool name?”
Lewis’s mother laughed too. “I know, right. I mean, it’s a serious situation and all, but seriously… he sounds like a villain in a Saturday morning cartoon.” She looked over, and chuckled again. “Alright, Lewis. Stop hiding around the corner and come join the conversation.”
Shamefully, Lewis ducked his head and entered the kitchen. He noticed Alyssa didn’t seem surprised by his presence.
She probably can sense when we’re nearby. It means our bond is slightly stronger!
It also means she knows we were eavesdropping like a creep!
Well we were… not like it’s much better if she doesn’t know.
“So…” He spoke up, trying to appear less awkward. “Can I help with dinner at all, Mom?”
She smiled, reaching up high to pat his head as well. “I’m pretty much done. How about after we eat you show her around the territory?”
Alyssa seemed a little more relaxed, to Lewis’s relief. “I’d like that.”
WE GET TO SPEND TIME WITH HER! THIS IS GREAT!
Play it cool! She already knows that half the pack left because we’re too weak to convince them we’re a good Alpha. If we look like an idiot too…
OH SHUT UP! His wolf snapped at it. Don’t pretend you’re not super excited. We’re the same person!
…Stupid wolf.
Silly human.
... Lewis was excited. So excited he could hardly breathe. His mate was right here, in front of him. She was smart, beautiful, friendly… at least to everyone else… more than he could have ever dared to dream of.
I just want her to like us… any ideas?
I still vote for bringing her food or showing her our genitals. .
… Never mind… I’ll think of something.
________________________
A few weeks passed.
Alyssa sat on the cool grass, watching Lewis in wolf form teaching some of the younger pack members how to fight.
“Watch out for each other.” His voice resounded her mind. “You can’t be so focused on the enemy that you lose track of what’s behind you.”
Having never spent any time prior to this visit around other werewolves, she was interested to find that although she did understand some of wolf language – a combination of scents, sounds and body language – the majority of the time werewolves simply spoke through mental communication.
Lewis batted one of the young wolves aside, snapping at another’s flank and using his weight to push a third to the ground, baring his teeth. The fallen wolf whimpered slightly, more with frustration than pain.
“Alpha, I thought we had to focus all of our attention on the attack, and not stop until the enemy was dead?” The youngest of the three, a male wolf named Teddy, finally spoke up, his tail between his legs. “How are we supposed to do that AND watch our backs?”
“Who told you that?” Lewis seemed shocked. “You are nothing without your pack! Only by working together and looking out for each other will you be at your strongest.”
“It was Uncle Ben…mmph” Teddy’s voice was muffled as the other two wolves tackled him.
“Sorry Alpha, he’s a little dumb.” Teddy’s sister Lara apologized, grinding her brother’s muzzle into the dirt with a paw. “Of course we aren’t going to follow what the traitor Nightfang taught us.”
“But LARA…”
“SHUT UP and let me get us out of this, idiot!”
Lewis stared at them for a few minutes, and then laughed silently in our heads. “It’s okay. I know he was in charge of teaching fighting for years. It’s a different strategy, but give my idea a shot before you dismiss it, okay?”
“YES ALPHA!” The three younger wolves shouted in unison.
“…” Alyssa studied Lewis with a thoughtful expression. He was kind enough to the pups, even when they challenged him and brought up his brother’s name. He didn’t lash out, just calmly guiding them forward. If she didn’t know better, she would think the mention of his brother didn’t bother him at all.
But she could feel it.
Behind his kind words, there was a deep agony. Fear, hurt, betrayal. He resented that his brother left the pack, that he split the pack with his leaving. He regretted that he had let his brother teach the pups… that he taught the pups to be killers rather than to defend and protect the pack. Feared being compared to his brother at every turn.
But mostly… he blamed himself. Hated that he wasn’t a strong enough Alpha to force the pack to stay together. He wished desperately that he could be a better leader… more like his father.
Alyssa rubbed her chest idly, feeling a pain in her heart that wasn’t physical but still wishing to ease it. She could sense his self-doubt, his feelings of helplessness, but was unsure what to do with the knowledge.
Over the last few weeks, they had spent a lot of time together. She had come to recognize that he was as kind as he first seemed, very different than what her book research had led her to expect. He was strong… she could see that in every move her made, especially in his wolf form… but he didn’t seem to place his importance on that strength.
His mother had described him well. He was strong, careful… and he put his pack first.
The closer they got, the more she learned about him, the more she could feel through their bond. His emotions, his mental state. She couldn’t hear his thoughts, not unless he was mentally communicating in wolf form. The information she was getting, however, was almost more than she could bear.
It made her terrified to guess what he could sense about her.
That’s how bonding goes. He is our soul mate. We can’t hide from him.
“…” Alyssa ignored her wolf, mad that she was telling the truth.
“Are you okay?” Alyssa looked up at Lewis’s mental question, startled to see his wolf’s face right in front of her own. “Did something upset you?”
“… What would you do if something did?”
“Help you. No matter what.” His mental voice was firm… reassuring.
“What if it was you that upset me?” Alyssa was curious how he would answer that.
“… If I did something, please let me know… I don’t want to hurt you, even by accident.” He paused. “If you don’t feel comfortable telling me… then my mom or Bridget would be happy to listen. And of course beat me up for whatever I did…”
SORRY WE UPSET YOU MATE! WOULD YOU LIKE MEAT?! Startled, Alyssa realized she could hear Lewis’s wolf directly. He sounded a lot like Lewis, but slightly more… straightforward.
TELL HIM WE LIKE MEAT! Alyssa’s wolf shouted with frustration. OR SHIFT SO I CAN TELL HIM MYSELF!
“How can I hear your wolf? I thought that could only happen after mating?”
Lewis shook his head, the motion strange appearing when performed by a wolf. “I’m not sure… I’ve never been mated before… but I think as our bond deepens we’ll hear more. I can’t hear your wolf now… if she’s speaking…”
I AM SPEAKING! TELL HIM I WANT THE STEAK HE HAS IN THE FREEZER!
“…But if you were in wolf form I might. Their control is a little stronger in that form. One day we might be able to hear each other’s wolves even when in human form.”
“…”
We like you, Mate! We think you are smart and pretty and smell nice! We spend a lot of time arguing over what would make you like us! Lewis’s wolf chimed in.
“Shush…” Lewis tried to interrupt, but the wolf kept talking.
I wanted to bring you meat and expose our genitals to reassure you of our virility, but he insisted that would make you mad.
His wolf is smart. Alyssa’s wolf approved. That would have made me happy.
“…Your wolf and my wolf are on the same page. I have no desire to see genitals, though.”
“No worries, there’s a firm ‘no flashing’ rule in place. “
Her stomach rumbled. “Wouldn’t say no to a steak though!”
Hooray! We’ll bring you the tastiest of the steaks!
See, he loves us enough to bring us the best steak! We should mate him now!
Lewis ran behind a tree and shifted, quickly changing into loose fitting shorts and t-shirt. Alyssa had learned the hard way that the pack had very little sense of modesty.
After numbing her brain to the sight of naked people who had transformed back from wolf form multiple times, she had come to somewhat accept it as normal.
She was still glad that Lewis tried to not be naked in front of her. Although she was now realizing that this might have more to do with avoiding his wolf’s desire to show off genitals then anything else.
“Let’s go.” He smiled, the expression causing her heart to skip a quick beat, and held out his hand. After a short hesitation, she took it, feeling as always the thrill that came from touching him.
They walked together in silence.
As they neared the house, Lewis spoke up. “You know everyone likes you here.”
Alyssa tensed up. “But…?”
“No buts. They just like you.” He let out a quiet sigh. “You don’t have to try this hard.”
“…”
“You look relaxed when you’re talking with the pack. You’re smiling and joking around… you’ve even got half of them addicted to those werewolf romance novels… I mean your research…” He chuckled, squeezing her hand with his own. “But I can feel it, Lyss. I can feel how stressed out you are… how hard you’re trying to make them like you.”
“I…” Alyssa started to talk but then fell silent.
I told you he knows us.
“I’m not judging.” He smiled bitterly. “I wish I had met you much earlier. I don’t know what your life has been like leading up to now. I just want you to know that people like you for the weird, lovely person you are. You can try to relax a little.”
Alyssa thought his words over. “Growing up… being liked… it was safer. Especially if you were the weird kid who had a wolf voice in her head. I learned early how to read people, and act the way they wanted. I’ve grown out of it some… it does get very tiring. But I don’t know if I could completely stop, even if I wanted to.”
“That’s okay.” He grinned. “Just know that I care about you... honestly maybe more than that, although it’s just been a few weeks. You never have to try to get on my good side.”
“I don’t think we ever tried to do that.”
We tried to scare him off. And instead he treated us better than anyone else.
He grinned. “Good. Then I guess I got to see a closer side to you than most… even if it was not meant as a compliment.”
Alyssa felt scared by this. His care. His acceptance of her. Even worse by the fact she could feel through the bond that it was completely genuine.
“Don’t let it worry you too much. Let’s just take it a day at a time for now.”
She sighed with relief at his words. “Thanks.”
“No problem.” He thought it over for a moment. “Wait? What about your job at the bookstore? You’ve been here two weeks without notice? Do you still have a job?”
“You don’t need to worry about it.”
You’ll have to tell him eventually.
“If you say so.” His expression and mental state were a little sad, but she ignored it.
She would take it one step at a time, just like Lewis suggested.
________________________
Lewis was going a little crazy.
It had been a month. He spent every day at his mate’s side. Every day talking with Alyssa, laughing with her, getting to know her more and more. As they grew closer, he couldn’t help but wish for more.
They had just returned from a run through the forest in their wolf forms. He loved spending time with her wolf as well. She was much smaller than him, with silver fur and grey eyes that saw right through him. Her wolf self was much more open and playful, often pulling him to play or run through the forest. His wolf was enamored with her, yelling out offers to feed her or provide her with pups… or both. Her wolf was in hearty agreement, only to be silenced by Alyssa, who still seemed somewhat uncomfortable about the whole situation.
Lewis was happy. He hoped she would continue to stay with the pack… stay with him. He just wasn’t sure how long that would last. Fortunately she seemed completely unconcerned about how much time she took off the bookstore.
He shifted back behind a tree, changing into his clothes stuffed nearby and staring down at the ground until he heard she was done doing the same. Stepping out of his hiding spot he grinned and offered his hand.
“Should we get something to eat?”
Alyssa took his hand without hesitation. “Sure. What should we make?” Lewis felt his heartbeat speed up at her casual use of “we”.
STEAK!
STEAK PLEASE!
Their wolves chimed in, making them both shake their heads.
“How about pasta?” He asked. Feeling the wolves’ disappointment he added “We can have meat in the sauce.
YES!
Our mate is the best!
Lewis couldn’t help but chuckle at that. Her wolf likes me at least.
“ALPHA!” Gary’s panicked voice caused him to turn, seeing the large man running towards them fully naked.
Seeing Alyssa look towards the ground, Lewis couldn’t help but growl with annoyance. “Can’t you put pants on?”
“No time.” He skidded to a halt, trying to catch his breath. “It’s your brother…”
His heart stopped.
Benjamin. Nightfang. His brother. His enemy.
“What has he done?”
Gary’s face was grim. “He’s invaded. The South Segment.”
Lewis pulled off his clothes, shifting to his wolf form.
“Are there any of our pack patrolling in the area?”
“I let Teddy and Lara take that segment… it was supposed to be our safest area…” Gary rubbed his face looking horrified. “I thought it would be okay.”
“Stay here. Protect the pack. I’ll get the young wolves.”
His silent voice projected across the entire territory.
“Everyone. We are under attack. Go to your designated areas. The Nightfang pack has definitely invaded the South Segment, but it could be a distraction. DO NOT LET DOWN YOUR GUARD! Watch each others’ backs. I’m going after Teddy and Lara who were last seen in the attacked area. Listen to the Beta while I’m gone."
He hesitated mentally, continuing to run as fast as possible to the south segment, and then reached out privately to Alyssa.
“Please keep yourself safe. If you want to fight I won’t stop you, stay near Gary. If you want to stay out of the fight, go hide in the house with my mom. The pack is instructed to guard it. “
“I… “ He trailed off, unsure of how to finish the sentence.
TELL OUR MATE YOU LOVE HER!
He wanted to. He wanted to express the thoughts, the emotions that had slowly sprouted within him in the time they had spent together. To say everything he had wanted to say when he was by her side.
But he couldn’t.
We’re not strong. We can barely protect our pack. She won’t want us. She doesn’t trust us yet.
He reached out for what he hoped wouldn’t be the last time to his beloved mate.
“Stay safe.”
With that, he continued towards the south sector.
Calling out for Teddy and Lara as he neared the attacked area, Lewis wasn’t getting any answers. He tried not to think too hard about what that could mean.
They might just be unconscious… they might not be… His wolf trailed off, hesitating.
I don’t know what Ben… what Nightfang is capable of. He might kill them. But if there is a chance they are still alive… we have to try.
He slowed down, his paws silently stepping on the soft earth. He stayed on high alert, listening for any possible signs of the intruders.
Don’t let your guard down. Someone is close. His wolf could feel the intrusion on the Packs’ territory, it bothered him.
There, in the clearing! Lewis spotted two small wolf forms laying still on the ground. Praying they were just knocked out, he crouched down and inched closer.
They were breathing.
He let out a silent sigh of relief. Scouting around, there were at least two from the NightFang pack in the clearing with the pups.
Only two.
Where’s the rest of that bastard’s pack?! Where’s Ben? His wolf snarled within him.
It’s a distraction.He had known there was a possibility. But he couldn’t leave the two young wolves for dead. He couldn’t.
And Nightfang knew that.
Let’s save them quickly and head straight back. Hopefully Gary will keep things together until we return.
I miss our mate. I hope she’s okay.
… Me too.
Lewis attacked from the shadows. Normally he would owe them a noise, some sort of warning of his approach. He should give them the chance to surrender. To run away.
He didn’t warn them. They had invaded his pack’s territory. Kidnapped and attacked their young wolves. They knew the consequences.
One wolf screamed in pain and fear as his hamstring was shredded between Lewis’ teeth. He shifted in his confusion and shock, the bloody mess even worse in human form. Lewis had already turned to the next one.
He snapped at the enemy’s flank, and as the wolf dodged to avoid his teeth, used his much heavier muscle mass to push him to the ground. He grabbed his throat, resting his canines against the carotid pulse. The wolf grew still, not wanting to push him into ending his life.
“SPEAK! What is that traitor’s plan?”
The wolf whined at his mental command, but stayed silent. Lewis began closing his jaw. We don’t have time for this. The pack is in danger. Our mate is in danger.
“He’s attacking from the West!” Sensing death close by, the wolf began to mindspeak. “He wants to wipe out your pack while you’re distracted.”
Lewis opened his jaw slightly, considering his options. If I let him go he could warn the others.
Kill him.
He surrendered.
The pack must be protected.
Let me knock him out.
“Weakling.” A snarl came behind him, and he realized it was the man whose hamstring he had torn out. Swinging a metal bar at his head. At the same time, the wolf he had pinned bucked with teeth bared, trying to throw him off and attack.
Lewis dodged, clamping down his teeth as he moved, tearing the carotid and jugular with the sharp points of his teeth. He let go, tasting blood, knowing that the wolf beneath him was dead.
One left.
Before the attacker could say anything, Lewis jumped, fangs bared, and tore his throat out as well.
We did it.
He nudged Lara, the older of the two wolves, relieved when she woke up right away.
“Grab your brother and go to the main house.” His tone didn’t allow room for argument. She nodded silently, shaking awake her brother, and the two ran into the forest.
Lewis couldn’t help but chastise himself as he watched them move away. I hesitated.
You’re our kind half. I am the viciousness we hold, the killer instinct.
I’m weak.
We have to have both, or we’ll either be a tyrant killer or a ineffective Alpha. Now stop having a personal crisis and go SAVE OUR MATE.
Lewis nodded grimly, padding off into the forest towards where he could sense the pack.
It’s time to end this.
He ran into more enemy wolves as he neared the center of his territory. This time he sighed, giving up control to his wolf. His wolf seemed relieved at taking over, fighting both enemies to severe injury or death before moving forward.
Mate. He picked up the pace.
________________________
Alyssa had never been in a fight before. At least not with other wolves.
Don’t worry, I got this. Her wolf took over and leapt at the nearest attacker. Gary and Bridget were to either side of her, their much larger wolves defending her flank.
“There’s a lot of them, but I think we’ve got control.” Gary communicated calmly, his frantic attacks never slowing.
“They seem disorganized. “ Bridgett’s silent voice conveyed her disapproval. “Did they come here just to die?”
As her wolf continued to fight, leaping nimbly in between the snarling wolves, Alyssa studied her surroundings.
This is too easy. They’re injured… starving… what have they been doing in their territory?
Her wolf had no sympathy. Bad alphas make bad packs.
She looked around in the chaos. Everywhere she looked wolves were snapping at each other. Blood stained the cold ground, trampled into the dirt churning it into mud. Howls and whines of pain filled the air.
“I don’t see him.” She communicated to the other pack members.
“Who”? Gary trampled his enemy into the mud, his jaw locking on the throat of the other wolf. “Lewis?”
“No. Benjamin. I don’t sense an alpha in this group. Shouldn’t he be larger or stronger than the rest? Where is he?”
“Maybe the Southern Sector? An alpha fight?”
“No.” Alyssa’s mind was racing. “He doesn’t seem like the type to respect Lewis enough to fight him head on. 64% of the stories show the villain attempting some sort of sneak attack. The South Sector was a distraction… and so is this. They sent their weaker, injured members to fight us.”
That means….
She took off for the main house.
Alyssa! Bridgett called out. Where are you going?
To where the real fight is.
She crashed into the house, skidding to a halt at the sight of Lewis and his mother.
No… it’s not Lewis.Their faces were very similar, but everything else was wrong: his scent, his expression, his posture.
He smells dangerous… aggressive… Her wolf complained. He’s everything our mate isn’t.
I don’t like him.
Me either… he’s scary.
We should be careful.
She kept a defensive posture, her hackles raised, her teeth bared.
Benjamin looked down at her with a mocking smile. “Ah. The princess is here.”
His mother glared at him, holding a gun in her hand. To Alyssa’s shock there were already two large wolf bodies on the floor, cooling blood spilling from multiple bullet wounds. “Don’t you look at her, Ben! You came here for me.”
“It’s Nightfang now, Mother.” Ben laughed. “And you can’t tell me what to do. Not anymore. You lost that right when you betrayed me to side with my weak brother.”
Alyssa advanced closer.
“Oh don’t give her that crap, Benjamin. You might pretend to be mysterious and evil but you’re just pathetic. You aren’t Nightfang, or Eveningclaw or even Morning-freaking-wood. You are Ben. A bitter little boy who is mad at his mommy and daddy for giving the pack to your brother.” She kept her gaze on his, and his green eyes had trouble continuing to look into her own. “Never understanding why they made the choice, even though it’s obvious to anyone else.”
“Oh really?”
“I’ve only known you for a single minute and I wouldn’t trust you to be in charge of a self-cleaning litter box, much less actual people’s lives. “
“Well, well, Princess. That’s just needlessly cruel. Trying to rile me up? Distract me?” He shook his head sadly. “That only works in stories. It’s true that I’m very disappointed in my parents’ choice. They thought I was too violent to lead. That I didn’t care enough about the pack. But I did. I’m the only one who does.”
“Sure.” She circled around, spotting one of her bags close to the wall.
“Be careful, Alyssa.” Lewis’s Mom called out, still pointing her gun at her own son. “He’s dangerous.”
“You used up all your shots in the initial attack, Mom. Don’t embarrass yourself by pretending it’s still a threat.” Benjamin reached out and took the gun from her. “I forgive you for killing my men. But you should some respect when addressing her.”
“What are you…?” She looked over at Alyssa, who stayed silent.
“You didn’t tell them? ...Interesting.” He rubbed his face, a mocking grin starting to form. “Maybe you don’t even know?”
“Shut up. “ Alyssa leapt forward, reaching for his throat. Throwing himself backwards, Benjamin shifted as he moved. At the change she miscalculated, slamming into the much larger wolf, her teeth closing on only the fur around his neck.
“You want to fight? I’ll fight.” His wolf charged, snapping at her flank while she twisted desperately to avoid him. He was larger, stronger… but she was definitely more agile.
This isn’t a winning strategy. We can’t face him head on. Her wolf was directing the movements, keeping them alive from moment to moment as Benjamin pressed the attack.
I know that… Circle around towards the back of the room. I have an idea.
They growled, running in and taking a small chunk out of his foreleg before darting in the direction Alyssa had spotted earlier. Benjamin howled in pain, slamming her with his weight, throwing her smaller form enough to slam her against the wall. At the impact she shifted, turning into her more vulnerable form.
I don’t like this. We’re easier to kill this way.
“Not excited about being naked either, but it’s necessary.” She muttered, her hands working quickly.
“He should have protected you better than this.” Benjamin laughed silently in her head. “He didn’t even realize what a treasure he had.”
SLAM!
A grey form jumped through the air, landing on Benjamin and knocking him to the ground. As they straightened up Alyssa recognized her mate with a sense of terror and relief. Relief that he was here. Terror that he was now in danger.
The two alpha wolves circled each other.
“You should have just found your own territory.” Lewis silent voice was grim, full of his authority as Alpha. “Even with your treachery, I was willing to let you go.”
“That’s because you’re weak. This is MY territory. MY pack. You are the one who has to die. And as for your lovely mate who you know so little about… how about I take her too?”
He sighed at his brother’s words. “You’re forcing me to kill you.”
“Lewis, push him my way!” Alyssa called out silently through their connection.
“That’ll put you in danger!”
“Trust me!”
Lewis ducked his head, the almost submissive posture throwing his brother into confusion. As Benjamin hesitated, Lewis charged forward, aiming not for his throat or other vulnerable points, but at his feet. Throwing all his weight behind it, Lewis tripped him up, pushing him back- straight towards Alyssa.
“Here you go! Be careful!”
“Thanks!”
“You just put your mate in harm’s way! She’s defenseless!” He snarled, turning his attention to Alyssa’s vulnerable state. “Fool!”
BZZZT
His form seized for a brief moment and collapsed to the ground,
“Nope!” Alyssa grinned and held up her Taser. “He just trusts his mate!”
“…”
“…”
There was a brief stunned silence.
“I’m so glad you’re okay!” Lewis’ mother leaned against the counter, looking relieved.
“Just one more thing.” Alyssa held up a finger. Reaching down, she grabbed her overly loaded suitcase filled with her research books.
BAM! And raised it over her head, slamming it down on top of Benjamin.
“Oof.” Both Lewis and his mother winced, but made no move to stop her.
“That’s for attacking me. Not to mention what you’ve done to Lewis!” She then reached down and pulled an ampule out of one of the pockets, stabbing Benjamin in the arm with it.
“What is that?”
“Tranquilizer.” She answered, making sure the drug injected okay.
“It’s very effective.” Lewis laughed silently in their heads, and then slowly shifting back to his human form. His green eyes met her own, and neither looked away for a long a moment.
“Are you okay?”
“Are you alright?”
They asked at the same time. Alyssa smelled his blood and panicking, ran over to look at him closely. “Where are you hurt?”
She grabbed his arm, finding a small cut there, and continued to look at his limbs.
Lewis froze. “Umm… Could we do this with clothing on?”
“…” Alyssa stepped back, rubbing her forehead as she realized that they were both naked and she had been feeling him over. “…Sure.”
“…Well” Lewis’s mother broke the silence with an awkward cough. “I’m going to go see to the pack. You two… talk.” She gave them a thumbs up and slipped out.
THIS IS A PERFECT CHANCE TO DISPLAY YOUR GENITALS! WHY DID YOU RUIN IT!Lewis’ wolf spoke up, frustrated.
“That’s not even a wolf mating ritual.” Lewis hissed. “Will you leave it alone?!”
Don’t worry! Her wolf chimed in. We don’t think you’re impotent anymore!
“See…”
So we should just get straight to the mating!
AGREE!
Lewis and Alyssa sighed slightly at their wolves’ excitement, and looked down at Benjamin, still unconscious on the floor.
“What do we do to him?” She asked, feeling tired.
“Do you still have some of those chains?” Taking the object she handed to him, Lewis bound the now human form of his brother, sneaking in a single kick in the process. “We’ll send him to the Council. He’s broken every law that I know of.”
“… You know in all the stories where he’s not killed the villain escapes and causes trouble again.”
Lewis sighed at that. “I know it would be safer to kill him. But… I…” He trailed off, looking conflicted.
“It’s okay.” She patted his arm, avoiding the injury she found before. “If you were able to kill him so easily you wouldn’t be you.”
“I worry sometimes that I’m too weak to be an Alpha.”
“I know. And I’m sure there’s probably some perfect balance of strength and mercy… but you don’t have to have everything figured out right away.”
“…thanks.”
She shrugged. “Besides, isn’t your sister still out there? Maybe the council can use Benjamin to figure out where she is.”
After handing Benjamin off to Gary and Bridgett to guard (And having them both fuss over Alyssa to make sure she was okay) the two went back to their rooms to change. Alyssa stared at the wall of her temporary bedroom, feeling conflicted.
He’s our mate. He’ll understand.
“I know. And that’s what scares me.”
Finishing her brief hesitation, she walked over to Lewis’ room, knocking on the door.
“Come in.”
“We need to talk.”
________________________
Lewis was extremely nervous as he waved his mate to sit down on the bed. He took the chair on the other side of the room.
What if she doesn’t want to stay?
She’s our mate! His wolf answered his nervous thoughts. She won’t abandon us!
“I don’t know what you told him, but your wolf is right.” Alyssa spoke up. “We won’t abandon you. Not over something silly like your evil twin brother trying to invade and kill us all.”
Lewis let out the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. “That’s a relief.” He leaned back in his chair. “So what do you want to talk to me about?”
She stared at the ground a few moments before painfully continuing. “So I told you I grew up in the foster system, right?”
“Right.”
“So the part I didn’t tell you… is that a few years back, around the time I turned 18… a weird guy came and found me.”
Lewis growled. “Did he try to hurt you?”
“No. Quite the opposite. He said he was a friend of my family. He wasn’t one of us… definitely human.” She ran her fingers through her hair, obviously unhappy. “He wouldn’t tell me who they were, or why they abandoned me. He just said they had no choice.”
“That’s crap. I don’t know their situation but their only option was to abandon a baby?” HE shook his head. “Something’s off.”
“I thought so too. I told him to get lost.” She hesitated. “And he gave me a million dollars.”
“What…?
“He said it was a small gift from my parents. I don’t know who my family is, or what they were involved in, but it’s probably big… and definitely not good.”
Lewis processed this for a few moments. “So your job at the bookstore?”
“I actually own it. But I have a manager run it. I stop by occasionally and shelve books while I look for new research.”
“So…” He grinned. “Does this mean you can stay longer and not worry about losing your job?”
“…”
“… Is that what you’re thinking about?” Alyssa demanded, her hands twisting in the fabric of her t-shirt. “You’re not worried about unknown schemes, powerful families… who knows what nonsense could happen! I swear, haven’t you ever read one of these novels?!”
Lewis picked up the book on the table nearby. “I started reading through a few at your suggestion.
“The Seductive Alpha’s bride?” She raised an eyebrow. “Really?”
“It’s research! I’m trying to learn how to be a better mate!”
He’s hoping to learn how to make himself more attractive! His wolf added.
We already think you’re both attractive!
Great! Let’s mate then!
Agree!
“Not yet!” Alyssa stepped in as their wolves got carried away once more. “Although she’s right… we do think you’re attractive…”
“Really?”
“But how about we go slow… like a date, first?”
“A date!” Lewis jumped up, his mind racing. “Yes! Let me grab my car…”
“We were just attacked… remember?”
He stopped at her gentle reminder. “Oh. Right. How about after we get things sorted out?”
She smiled, the expression causing his heart to race.
“I’d like that.”
They fell into a comfortable silence.
“So how accurate has your research been so far?” He asked after a while, curious.
“The books?” She thought it over. “You know, considering the Alphas and the relationships I’ve read about?” She looked him over again. “I’d say I was a little surprised.”
“In a good way?” His tone was hopeful, he couldn’t help it.
“Yes. As for the future though?” She leaned in and kissed his cheek. “The majority of these stories have a happy ending. But we’ll just have to see.”
Lewis touched the spot that had been kissed, smiling. “A happy ending, huh? I’d like that.”
#writing#werewolf story#werewolves#alphas#mates#couple#i do know that the alpha structure isn't really natural to wolves in the wild#but it's the convention of the story type#I tried to write within the tropes of a werewolf romance but with my own types of characters#it was a fun experiment#I'll answer Asks later
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Could you write a Five (Umbrella Academy) x Reader oneshot, where Five is reunited with the past version of Reader?
a/n: first tua request for season 2! I hope this is what you meant by past version aha
warnings: language and five being a little sh*t as usual
November, 1963
You find yourself hiding out in the break room to avoid the morning rush of the day, absently filing your nails and swinging your legs back and forth along to the music that plays from the radio. After being dropped on your ass in that alley way, you ended up working at a shitty diner with shitty food and even shittier customers, but it was home after all, so you couldn’t complain too much. It beats being alone and homeless with no money and no food, so you might as well count your blessings.
“Y/n, come on, we got customers!” Your boss calls from the kitchen prompting you to roll your eyes in annoyance. “I ain’t paying you to sit around all day.”
“Kiss my ass, Al,” you grumble whilst aggressively tying your apron around your waist before snatching your pad of paper and trudging out to greet the clientele of the day. “You don’t pay me shit.”
As soon as you step out in front of the counter you find yourself being pulled every which way, serving coffee refills and providing napkins for the sticky kid at table four. It’s definitely not a very glamours life, and it certainly isn’t very rewarding, but it’s something to pass the time while you wait for someone to come find you. Though, the hope that you’ll ever see any of the Hargreeves siblings ever again is dwindling more and more with each passing day.
“There’s a kid at the counter asking for coffee,” Joy, the other waitress at the diner, points out to you in passing.
“Why can’t you do it?”
“I’m on my break,” she replies with the wave of her hand, a cigarette nestled in between her index and middle finger. Despite her name, she wasn’t much of a joy to be around. She left you alone though, so you found her to be decent enough.
“Here’s your coffee,” you sigh, pouring the beverage over the boy’s shoulder and into his cup. Your feet are aching and you’re tired, so you don’t really find yourself paying attention to any of the customers.
“You’re a peach,” the kid replies in a voice that’s vaguely familiar, but you’re too busy rolling your eyes at the name to notice.
“Asshole,” you grumble quietly. You begin to turn away only to freeze in your tracks when the boys speaks again.
“This coffee tastes like shit,” he grimaces, prompting you to whirl around angrily in an act to give him a piece of your mind. But then you see his face, the taunting smile on his lips, and the pot of coffee in your hands drops to the floor and shatters on the ground. Customers gasp at the action and Al is yelling at you to clean up the mess, but you don’t hear any of it as you grab Five by the collar of his sweater vest and drag him out back.
“Nice to see you, too,” he comments offhandedly, unbothered by the roughness of your actions. You’d changed from the last time he’d seen you; you weren’t as shy and quiet as you once were, and there was a fire in your eyes that made you way more attractive- not that you weren’t already, but you get the point.
“I can’t believe this,” you mutter, shutting the door behind you before focusing your attention back on Five. “Where the hell have you been?!”
“I arrived an hour ago, thought I’d get a quick cup of coffee and instead I found you. How’d you get here?”
“I got dropped here a year ago,” you mutter, crossing your arms over your chest. “Al and his wife found me in the alley way, gave me a place to stay and food to eat. I basically got adopted and now I work at this crappy diner. I was starting to lose hope that I’d ever see any of you again.”
“Yeah...” Five drawls quietly. His mind calls back to the nukes, and he shudders at the thought of almost being too late to save you.
“What is it?” You press gently, dropping your attitude for the first time since his arrival.
“The apocalypse is in ten days,” he says. “And I don’t know how it happens or how to stop it.”
“You’ve got to be shitting me,” you breathe anxiously running your hands through your hair. “Again?”
“Again.”
“And now I’m supposed to help you?”
“It would be nice,” Five replies sarcastically, smiling faintly when you punch him in the arm.
“Smart ass. Where are the others?”
“I don’t know, that’s why I need you to help me find them.”
“Beats working here,” you shrug, untying your apron and tossing it aside to the ground.
“That’s a cute little uniform you got there, really suits you,” Five compliments with a shit eating grin, and you have half a mind to smack it right off of him. But before you can retaliate he speaks, “I’m glad I found you.”
“Me too,” you admit with a small smile, your shyness returning. “I’ve missed you... probably the most.”
“Come on,” Five prods gently, taking your hand in his own. “Let’s go save the world.”
#number five#number five x reader#number five imagine#five hargreeves#five hargreeves x reader#five hargreeves imagine#five x reader#five imagine#the umbrella academy#tua#tua x reader#request
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Sweet Surrender
Pairings: Baekhyun x Y/N, Jongin x Y/N
Based loosely on: Sweet Surrender by Against the Current
Summary: Maybe moving on from Baekhyun isn’t so bad, especially when Jongin’s by your side.
Word Count: 2.7k
Sequel of Hopeless
A/N: Here it is, finally! Fun fact: I started writing this last November and I only finished it today. I stopped writing for a while because I got too busy with work and everything so I’m sorry if it took long. In my defense, Hopeless was supposed to be a oneshot but I can’t get enough of OC and Jongin so... 😅 I hope you all enjoy this!!!
Tagging: @bbhmystar
You scrunched your eyebrows because of the headache you were having, but you tried to pay it no mind. You remained still for a couple of minutes, trying to get back to sleep but to no avail. You didn’t really want to get up yet, much less open your eyes.
You started to wonder why you were having a headache in the first place. You didn’t even drink that much last night so it was definitely not a hangover, but then again, you sure did cry a lot. Maybe the headache was from dehydration, you thought.
You frowned as you tried to recall what happened the night before, trying to think of the reason why you cried. But because of your grogginess, your mind came out blank.
Before you could think further, you realized you felt warm even without your duvet.
Usually, you never feel this warm even during summer, unless of course you were wrapped in your beloved duvet. So waking up and feeling this way was strange for you. For some reason, anxiety filled you instantly. This wasn’t normal, this wasn’t right.
With a racing heart, you immediately got up and tried opening your puffy eyes.
The first thing you saw was Jongin looking ethereal as he slept peacefully beside you.
Only then did you remember requesting Jongin to stay with you last night, as well as the reason you asked him to do so. Your panic quickly subsided, however, it was replaced with pain and shame.
Naturally, you felt pain because, well, who wouldn’t? Especially when you’ve fallen so hard for your best friend who didn’t just reciprocate your feelings but also had fallen equally hard to a different person.
You felt shame too, because you let yourself fall this hard, only to realize it was futile when it was already too late.
Shame, because you let yourself get hurt this badly. And shame because Jongin saw it all.
Jongin saw you at your most vulnerable.
Sure, he had already seen you cry because of Baekhyun before, but last night was different. Last night, your heart had finally been broken down after all the instances where you let Baekhyun unintentionally leave cracks in it.
Last night was the final straw. Last night your heart had finally been shattered into tiny, little pieces.
If love was a war, last night was the night you had finally waved the white flag. You had surrendered.
You suddenly felt like crying again at the thought of Baekhyun. Tears were already forming in your eyes, but before they could even drop, Jongin had pulled you in an embrace.
One minute he was asleep and the next, here he was, consoling you. It was as if he could sense when you’re feeling sad. It was as if he had a sensor that gets triggered when you’re unhappy.
It was always like this with Jongin, he always came at the right time to whisk you away when you were in pain, no matter the intensity or reason of the pain. Most especially if the reason was Baekhyun.
Baekhyun had been in and out of many relationships already, each one leaving you more and more pained. While the girls — his girls — came and left, you were the one who remained, because you’re the best friend. And as much as it hurts you to admit, you know that’s all you’ll ever be.
Each and every time you cried over him, your mind would start to drift into a dark place. You’d hear voices in your head telling you how you weren’t as pretty as the last girl he dated, how you weren’t as experienced as the second girl he’d been with, how you weren’t funny, smart or nice enough, how you’ll never be his type. And each and every time this happened, you would lock yourself up in your room.
The four walls in your room were suffocating, but it was far more dangerous to be locked up in the cellar your mind built out of failure and shame. Your mind tended to get very dark sometimes; it was hard for any light to penetrate through it.
“Sweetheart?” Jongin called you.
You didn’t even hear it the first few times he called. You were too deep in your thoughts. Only when he started to rub your back and softly said, “It’s okay, you’re going to be okay,” along with the soft murmur of your name did he finally coax you out of your negative thoughts.
It has been a while since you last heard your name from Jongin’s lips. He has called your Sweetheart for as long as you could remember. And there was something in the way he tenderly said it that brought you back to reality.
With or without saying your name though, Jongin always found a way to bring you out of the prison you isolated yourself in.
No matter how bad your headspace got, he was always able to rescue you. No matter how dark your mind became, he would do what he can to bring back your light.
You feel yourself calming down a few moments later. “I’m sorry, I woke you up,” you murmured.
“That’s not a problem. Do you mind telling me what’s bothering you though?”
“Well…” You bite your lips. “I-I’m just s-so l-lame,” you say as your lips quivered.
“Sshh, you’re not lame, sweetheart.”
“But I am! I know what I’m s-supposed to d-do. I know I-I-I’m supposed t-to move o-on, b-b-but I can’t. I’m so ho-hopeless,” You stammered.
“Moving on is a long process… You’re already doing great since you know what to do. Admitting to yourself that you should move on is the first step. While that is hard, actually doing it is completely harder. Just take it easy. Don’t be too hard on yourself.”
Was he right? Should you believe him?
“You know what, let’s do something fun today.”
You looked at him, hesitating. Jongin’s definition of fun was rather unpredictable. While yours was to get piss drunk and party, to him fun was building legos from dusk to dawn. Regardless of the differences, you wouldn’t deny that time with him was worthwhile.
“I promise you’re going to enjoy it!” Jongin urged.
“Fine. As long as it doesn’t involve being out in the open for an extended period of time.”
Just like that you started preparing for the day with Jongin.
He didn’t bring up Baekhyun or what happened last night. He didn’t question anymore why you were on the verge of crying a while ago. He didn’t force you to talk, instead, he let you know he’s there for you.
The car ride to the location Jongin wanted to go to was silent, but the comfortable kind of silent. It was so quiet that you had unconsciously fallen asleep.
When the two of you arrived at the destination, Jongin gently shook you to wake you up, “Sweetheart, we’re here.” He said softly.
You pouted, you didn’t want to wake up yet. Crying always made you tired.
Jongin then cupped your cheeks as he said, “Come on now, I promised you’d have fun, right? I’ll make sure you get your rest after this.”
You tentatively opened one eye. Jongin was giving you the softest look and the gentlest caress on your cheeks. Then he gave you the sweetest smile. You opened your other eye, feasting on the sight of the man. Despite your feelings for Baekhyun, you couldn’t and wouldn’t deny that Jongin is attractive.
“Alright then. I’m counting on you.”
You both got out of the car. Jongin led you to the front door of a house you’ve never been before. He knocked three times before the door opened.
“Jongin we’ve been waiting for you!” Jongin’s sister greeted him. “Oh Y/N, darling, what a surprise! Come in, come in.” She welcomed you. But shortly after, she bid you and Jongin goodbye as she had to go elsewhere for the day.
Once you stepped in her house, Jongin got tackled by two cute little beans. “Kaichun!” They exclaimed.
Jongin laughed and scooped them in a hug. “Raeon, Rahee, how have you been?”
They answered excitedly, almost shouting at Jongin. He chuckled at their energy. “I’m glad you’re both doing fine!” Then he looked over at you, the children followed his line of sight immediately. “Do you remember my friend, Y/N? Why don’t you guys go and greet her?”
It was comical how the kids had suddenly switched from being loud and boisterous to quiet and reserved. They grabbed onto Jongin’s legs, shyness overcoming them. They quietly greeted you.
You couldn’t help but giggle at their cuteness. You stepped in closer to them and crouched down to reach their level. You ruffled their hair, “Oh my, aren’t you two the cutest?”
A faint blush could be seen on the children’s faces because of your compliment.
“Y/N is going to play with us today,” Jongin singsonged. They immediately perked up at the prospect of having a new playmate. In the blink of an eye, the kids were grabbing your hands and leading you to their playroom, leaving behind Jongin.
“Ya, don’t you want to play with me too?” Jongin whined.
You and the two kids giggled at him. “No!” The kids collectively yelled.
Jongin huffed in feigned annoyance but then immediately ran to keep up with the kids. When they noticed this, they ran and giggled, all the while not letting go of your hands.
That was how the cat and mouse chase started. Somehow in the middle of it all, the game shifted from Jongin chasing you and the kids to the kids chasing the adults. You didn’t even know why they ended up chasing you too, but you still indulged them in the little game.
When you noticed the kids getting tired, you slowed down your pace and pretended to pant hard. Jongin followed suit almost instantly. Raeon and Rahee caught up with you and Jongin, squealing “Gotcha!” as they did.
You and Jongin grunted and whined but it was short lived because soon enough, Jongin had convinced them to play another game that didn’t involve running around.
A round of indoor bowling and some random board game later, the kids had tired down but they refused to sleep.
“So what do we do now?” You whispered to Jongin.
“It’s time to watch a movie.”
You looked at him incredulously. “Are you sure about that? Shouldn’t we just tuck them to bed or something?”
He only grinned and said, “Trust me, they’ll fall asleep within minutes.”
True enough, the movie lulled the children to sleep. Now it was only you and Jongin who was awake.
“Are you hungry? Do you want to eat something?” Jongin asked.
“Not really, but I do want something sweet though.”
“Ah, a sweetheart.”
You raised your brow, “You mean sweet tooth, right?”
For a moment Jongin didn’t react and then he started shaking. You could tell he was laughing but without noise so he wouldn’t wake the kids up. Instead of laughing out loud like he usually did, he was smacking his legs uncontrollably. It didn’t take you long enough to laugh with him for his idiotic tendencies.
When he finally recovered from his laughing fit, he wiped the happy tears in his eyes and then said, “What exactly do you want to eat? Do you want to order from the cafe two blocks away?”
You contorted your face. You were really picky with your sweets so usually you only ate pastries that you bake. “I’m not so sure…”
As if Jongin knew what was going inside your head, he asked, “Do you want to bake instead? We can use my sister’s kitchen.”
You perked up. “Really?”
“Yeah, it’ll be fine as long as we clean up afterwards,” Jongin said. “Come on.”
You grinned and followed him to the kitchen where you immediately went to work.
Apparently Jongin’s sister was passionate about baking too because she has everything in her pantry, including the brands of the ingredients that you loved to use. You couldn’t help but get awed.
“What?” Jongin curiously asked as he saw you with your mouth wide open.
You only smiled and shrugged in response. Then you started taking out the ingredients needed to bake chocolate chip cookies.
You were mixing all the ingredients except for the flour and chocolate chips when you leaned in to smell the mixture. You knew it wasn’t necessary and sure, it was weird but you couldn’t help but chase the smell of the vanilla extract.
But before you could even stand straight up again, Jongin dumped the flour he had carefully measured in the bowl right in front of your face. The abrupt motion sent a portion of the powder flying right on your face.
You were both so shocked at what happened that for a few moments you two only looked at each other with mouths wide open. And when you had finally gathered your wits, you whisper-yelled, “Jongin!”
That was the cue for Jongin to laugh. But you were having none of it, so you stretched your arm — to clamp his mouth shut or to punch his arm, you weren’t sure. But the movement caused panic to him and he sprinted.
You had no other choice but to run after him to get your revenge. This time you were sure you were going to punch him. Every now and then he’d pause to apologize while laughing but you both knew you weren’t going to be satisfied until you get your revenge.
You should have known there was something wrong bound to happen because of how clumsy Jongin was. Because just as Jongin was rounding the kitchen counter, he elbowed the container with the measured chocolate chips. You watched in horror as the chocolate chips fell into the floor. The poor, innocent, sweet little pieces of delight had gone to waste. “Oh no!” you squeaked.
When Jongin saw the mess he managed to make, all he could mutter was “Oops.”
You instantly kneeled to clean up the mess, mumbling sadly about the poor fate of the chocolate chips. It took you some time to actually finish the task so you weren’t aware of the fact that Jongin was fondly looking at how cute you were and taking photos of you.
It took a few minutes for Jongin to snap out of his trance and when he did, he immediately went to help, but you were almost done by then.
Jongin was expecting you to snap at him or scold him like you usually did when he wasn’t careful enough, but he was surprised when you looked at him with a pout.
The look on your face sent Jongin into protective mode. He was assuming you had remembered something about Baekhyun again that made you feel sad.
Before he could even ask though, you whimpered, “The chocolate chips…”
Jongin just blinked upon hearing your voice. You were upset because of... chocolate chips? And not because of Baekhyun? He couldn’t be any more relieved.
A smile found its way into his face. He pat your head affectionately, “That’s alright, my sister has plenty.”
“But—”
“Why don’t we finish up baking your cookies, huh, sweetheart?”
You completely forgot about baking because of Jongin’s shenanigans! Your eyes widened in realization. You quickly went over to the mixing bowl and continued making the cookie dough.
A soft chuckle escaped Jongin’s lips at that. He proceeded to tidy up the counter and return the ingredients that weren’t needed anymore.
It was all work after that. You worked on the cookies while Jongin washed the utensils that were used.
When the cookies were done and had been cooled off, both of you grabbed a piece. You waited until Jongin took a bite before you did, wanting to see if he liked the taste or not.
It only took a couple of seconds after biting the treat before he had put on a big bright smile. One fact about Jongin’s smile was that it was contagious, therefore you find yourself smiling back at him. And for some reason, his smile had made your heart stutter against your chest. You couldn’t stop this one thought from popping on your mind: Maybe letting go of your feelings for Baekhyun wasn’t so bad.
#baekhyun fanfic#baekhyun x you#baekhyun x reader#baekhyun angst#jongin fanfic#jongin fanfiction#jongin x you#jongin x reader#jongin angst#kai fanfic#kai fanfiction#kai x reader#kai x you#kai angst#baekhyun fanfiction#exo fanfiction#exo fanfic#exo angst#kai fluff#jongin fluff#exo fluff
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Tortured, Broken, Brave
Request: imagine tommy accidentally blinding the reader- like she scared him and he just whips around and slices her- idk i’ve been thinking about it and i kinda want a request?
Requested by Anonymous
Thomas Shelby x Reader
Word Count: 1.9k
Warnings: Violence, mention of war. mention of ptsd
A/N: I was so torn with this. I love the idea because Tommy is such a complex character when it comes to emotions. You may think he’ll react one way but it’ll be the total opposite. I just had such a hard time deciding on if I wanted it to be a blurb or a headcanon. In the end, I think it’s more of a oneshot an pretty pleased with it.
Masterlist
It had been a year since the war that tore apart the world ended. A year since the men who were left standing returned home. And it had been a year since Y/n had greeted the love of her life, the shell of the man who had left four years earlier.
Like everyone who protected the home-front, Y/n knew that Tommy wouldn’t be the same once he returned home. As it was expected, she wasn’t surprised by the sleepless nights. In the dark hours of the evening, she’d sit beside her husband, give him the comfort he needed, whether he wanted to be held or just sit in silence next to her. Whatever he needed, Y/n gave him. Over time, Tommy began to heal, or so he led everyone to believe.
Stepping back into the family business, Thomas Shelby pretended to be a bronze statue: strong and mighty. With no scratches or dents to ruin his polished exterior, many thought the man was untouchable. And, for the most part, he was. His whole family could see that the war tortured the happy boy that lived inside him, leaving him battered and broken. The once happy personality that was evident in his smile and bright eyes, ran for the hills, hiding in a place where it couldn’t be found. The man Tommy used to be was never to return, a fact that Y/n would have to get used to.
Y/n shut the door behind her quickly in a daft attempt to keep the cold air out. It would still seep in under the door and through the thin window panes, but she didn’t like to think about that. Unwrapping her scarf, she hung it on the coat rack, silently wondering if her husband was home. Tommy was at the betting shop when she’d left for the market, that had been hours ago but the place had become his second home since his return and wouldn’t have surprised her if he was going over the books in his office. Y/n took the basket of produce she’d collected to the kitchen before setting off to find Tommy.
Silently, she crept through the house, searching for a sign of life. Usually, it wasn’t hard to tell if he was home. Tommy liked to perch himself in the drawing-room with a cigarette and paperwork, but as she stood in the archway, her husband couldn’t be seen. Moving along, Y/n walked pasted the guest bedroom. It had been turned into a makeshift office and, down the road, it would hopeful become a nursery. Taking a few steps back, Y/n caught sight of light seeping under the office door. As it was ajar, she didn’t bother knocking, though she knew it would have been best, a lightly pushed against the wood with her knuckles. Her footsteps were absorbed by the wood flooring, not a sound echoing through the room as she approached the man hunched over the small desked.
“You wor-” Y/n started, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder before she was violently cut off, the feeling of flesh being torn as cool metal sliced threw her tender skin. Adrenaline pumping threw her viens, she stumbled back, clutching her cheek. In front of her, Tommy stood, wide-eyed and horrified, with a blade, crimson red in color as her blood dripped onto the floor.
The blade clattered against the hardwood, Tommy’s face turning an alarming shade white. His hands shook as he held them up, “What have I done?” he muttered to himself, but his wife caught it.
In any other circumstance, Y/n would have fled the room, searching for safety, but she saw no danger from where she stood. Slowly she lowered her blood-stained hands and stepped towards the broken man in front of her like he was a wounded animal. “Tommy, hey, it’s alright. Just a cut,” she smiled at him, hoping it would bring back some color in him. It did not. “It’ll mend in a day or two.”
He shook his head, raking a hand threw his already disheveled hair. “No, no it’s not. It not.” He shook his head once more and walked past her and into the hall. The expression, that of a man that believed he deserved the noose, brought tears to Y/n’s eyes. She knew that Tommy often wished the war had taken him, but to see it written clearly on his face made her want to drown him in love and never let the nasty world touch him.
Alone in her thoughts, Y/n was left to tend to her own wound as Tommy left the house, drowning in misery. Tommy had never raised a hand to her, something he swore he would never do, he was likely walking along the canal, kicking himself for his actions. Knowing him like the back of her hand, Y/n knew he thought she’d only disregarded what he’d done because she was trying to make him feel better, feel less like a monster. But that wasn’t the case. As Y/n whipped a damp cloth across her face, she forgave him.
The war had left him empty and Y/n knew it would take time for him to become whole again. It was foolish of her to scare him like that, his reaction was on her whether he saw it that way or not. All she wanted was for him to get better, to allow himself to heal, that couldn’t be done if he feared what he was capable of.
That night, Tommy didn’t come home, leaving a cold spot next to Y/n where he was supposed to be. Y/n didn’t lay eyes on him until the next morning at work where he had suddenly become an expert at avoiding her. She didn’t try to seek him out, knowing he needed space, so she kept to her desk and tried to do her work.
“What’s going on?” Polly asked, leaning against Y/n’s desk as the young woman typed up a letter.
Y/n raised a brow, not lifting her eyes from the work in front of her. “What do you mean?” she asked even though she knew.
Polly folded her arms across her chest and glanced at her nephew, who was pacing in his office. “You have a cut on your cheek, Tommy has practically locked himself in his office, and you’ve been at your desk all day. You can’t tell me something didn’t happen.”
A sigh escaped her lips as she leaned back in her chair. It was silly of her to believe people wouldn’t notice. On a normal day, Y/n would usually do her work in her husband’s office as he did his own. Tommy liked to have her near, it calmed him, bringing the restless man peace. Her desk was often abandoned except for the few times a meeting was taking place that she wasn’t a part of. To have her sit at her desk all day was virtually unheard of. As the office was practically empty, almost everyone was out for lunch, Y/n took a deep breath and looked at the ground, ashamed with herself. “I snuck up on Tommy last night. I didn’t mean to, didn’t think anything of it, and it scared him and he cut me.”
A gasp split the older woman’s lips, “He cut you?” her words were laced with disgust causing Y/n to cringe.
“It’s not his fault, Pol. He’s been jumpy and he has night terrors. I should have expected this,” Y/n admitted, resting her head in her hands. “He was horrified with what he’d done and… he felt, practically ran out the door and didn’t come home. Now, he won’t look me in eye and I’m afraid of what he’s doing to himself because of this.”
Polly sighed, taking a moment to think. She’d dealt with plenty of men in her life, drunks, gamblers, players, cheaters, but she’d never dealt with men as broken as the Great War had created. She wanted to be angry at her nephew, Thomas knew better, but she knew with the state of his mind, it was often hard for him to enemy from ally. “Talk to him,” she shrugged. “Force him to listen to you, God knows you’re the only one who gets threw to him.”
“What do I say?”
Pushing herself off the desk, Polly smiled at her. “If you love him, you’ll know exactly what to say.”
Y/n rolled her eyes. Her husband’s aunt was a wise woman but she wasn’t one to give a straight answer. But she did as suggested and stood from her desk, pushed the wrinkles out of her skirt, and tapped her fingers against Tommy’s office door. Before an answer could be given, she let herself in, the owner shocked to see her enter.
“I’m busy, Y/n,” Tommy informed her, peering at her threw his lashes before moving his eyes back to his work. Stepping closer, his wife stood in front of his desk and waited for him to glance up at her once more. He huffed in frustration and gave in, dropping his pen and sitting up to look at her. “What?”
“You didn’t come home last night, where’d you go?”
He shook his head, a sad smile present on his lips. “Does it matter? Why would you care where I’ve been when I did that to you?” He gestured to the cut on her cheek.
It was Y/n’s turn to shake her head. Coming around the desk, she moved his chair so he was facing her and cupped his face in her hands, leaning over him. “It matter’s because you, Thomas Shelby, you stubborn arse, are my husband and I love you. I worry about you every fucking day!” she exclaimed, locking her y/e/c with his blue ones.
“But I…” he trailed off, tears pooling in his eyes.
Standing between his legs, Y/n pulled him against her, letting his head rest against her stomach. “But nothing. What happened last night was unavoidable, it was bound to happen. You aren’t as tough as you’d like the world to believe and you need to stop acting like it. I’m here,” she petted his hair as his tears soaked her blouse. “I’m here for you and I’ll help with whatever you need.”
Tommy pulled away, eyes red and puffy. “What if it happens again, Y/n? I can barely live with what I did to you. What if we have children and that happens? What if they think I’m a monster?”
Heart aching, Y/n wished she could absorb all his pain, take it away before any more damage could be done to him. “Hey, don’t think like that,” she frowned, caressing his cheek. “Our children will love you just as I do. They will think you’re a brave man, who fought for them when they were just a twinkle in his eyes.”
Letting his wife hold him once more, Tommy wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer. “I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry,” he said, voice muffled against the material of her shirt.
Y/n smiled, “I thought Thomas Shelby didn’t apologize?” she teased. Her husband pulled away a little, flashing her that smile that she fell in love with all those years ago, and pulled her into his lap, a chorus of giggles escaping her lips.
“You’re going to be the death of me,” he shook his head before peppering her neck with kisses.
“That’s the idea.”
*~~*~~*
Let me know if you like to be added to any of the taglists and feedback is always apprecaiated.
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#peaky blinders#peaky blinder fanfic#peaky blinders imagines#peaky blinder imagine#the peaky blinders#thomas shelby#thomas shelby imagine#thomas shelby imagines#thomas shelby x reader#tommy shelby imagine#tommy shleby imagines#tommy shelby#tommy shelby x reader#tom shelby#tom shelby imagine#tom shelby imagines#tom shelby x reader
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Weekends [Peter Parker x Reader] - Part One
Hey there! I hope you enjoy this oneshot :) I started writing this, going to go to a fluffy route and then it got sad and angsty lmao! That's why I'm planning on writing a second part to this! Thank you very much for reading :) I do not own the gif, credit to the creator.
This oneshot is set in the future, and everyone is alive :) The days in this oneshot is just Saturday and Sunday to clear things up!
Peter Parker x Reader (Angst)
Warnings: swear words and kissing
Word Count: 2.2k
--
Every weekend was put to good use.
This weekend though, you were bored and upset. Peter was supposed to be in the city yesterday, and he sent an apology, explaining that the meeting’s been extended out for at least another day. You rolled your eyes at the thought.
You didn’t like the idea of Peter following Stark’s footsteps, because you knew how much work it would be. All that business, and the Avengers, you didn’t really like it.
You’ve met Stark before, and he gave you a terrible impression. The way he greeted you as if you were just a little fly in his office made you so angry for weeks.
Peter made it one of his priorities to see that you two were to never meet again after you poured coffee onto one of his computers.
The phone buzzed in your hand, and you bit your lip, contemplating if you should answer it since it was Peter. You were still sad he couldn’t have just excused himself from the meeting. From what you could tell, it was something about a deal falling apart in Japan, but you knew Stark would probably fix whatever the issue was.
“Yeah?” You answered, rolling your eyes when you heard Peter’s automatic apologetic sigh. It was something you loved and disliked at the same time. He was always so… quiet compared to you. You were open, truthful, loud, stubborn, and Peter was a bit of the opposite. You knew he’d hide the truth from you about somethings, but it wasn’t really a big concern to you.
“I’m sorry babe, about my message. I think I’ll be back by like 10 tonight though. I know we always have like a date night or trip on weekends, but I think I’m too tired for a big thing. Is that alright?” Peter responded, and you could hear people mumbling in the background.
You laid back down into the couch, pushing your lips to the side feeling a little guilty. You didn’t like how he had to ask permission or say things to ask you if it was okay to do or not do something. You weren’t controlling, but Peter had some vocabulary or grammar that made it sound as if you were.
“Yeah, it’s cool, you don’t need to ask that Pete. I’m sorry I’m being a bit of a bitch.” You responded, twiddling your fingers a bit now after putting the phone on speaker. You were just frustrated, and you knew what you were craving but you needed to push it down if Peter didn’t want to do anything tonight.
“You’re not. Hey – I actually need to get back, I love you. And if you’re too tired, you don’t need to stay up or anything when I get back.” Peter replied, and you could hear the bit of panic in his voice and the raise of volume of the others in the room. You hummed back to him, picking your phone back up.
“Love you too, see ya.” You hung up quick, knowing he needed to sort whatever just happened.
--
You had the blankets pulled up over your shoulder, facing away from the door when you heard it creek a bit. You rolled over tiredly, yawning, and trying to blink open your eyes. “Hey.” You muttered, feeling your throat scratch a bit from the sleepiness.
“Oh, it’s okay, go back to sleep.” You were quickly shushed by Peter and you giggled a little when you felt him kiss your forehead. You nodded back and closed your eyes, breathing in heavily to start going back to sleep.
Peter changed into his pajamas, too tired to have a shower. He couldn’t believe how today was so chaotic. There was so much happening, he didn’t know how to handle it. Once he laid down on the bed, he didn’t bother grabbing a blanket from you because he was feeling too hot anyway.
He didn’t know how to tell you that he needed to leave soon. He felt sick thinking about it because he knew it would be so long, maybe almost a year.
He wished he could bring you, but he didn’t want to push you into traveling to a foreign country with him. You were looking for a job here, and the two of you just moved in four months ago. He couldn’t put your life on pause for him.
Tony said it was urgent that Peter left on Monday. Something about a mission with Bruce Banner, and researching a mysterious reading one of the monitors caught somewhere in Northern Ireland. There were very possible threats and sending Peter there to protect Banner and the equipment was necessary.
He scooted closer to you, shaking his head from the distressing thoughts. He’d have to tell you in the morning.
--
“So, what did you want for lunch?” You asked, bumping into Peter purposely. You noticed how down he was feeling today, the look on his face made you confused. It wasn’t fun seeing him upset, and you tried talking to him about it, but he shook it off, saying it was alright.
“Does pizza sound good to you?” He replied, scratching his hair a little. You grinned back to him, nodding a yes. That sounded delicious, and that was exactly the food that you knew could cheer him up. You searched for the pizza place’s number on your phone, handing it to him.
“Your choice of toppings!” You laughed, in a singsong voice. He cracked a smile back to you, shaking his head at your silliness.
He pulled himself up on the kitchen counter, sitting and started to swing his legs. You chuckled at his actions, quickly going between his legs, and leaned up on your toes to kiss his chin. As you started to pull away, he pressed call on the phone, pushing speaker. He wrapped his legs around the back of you, bringing you back in.
As the phone started to call, you leaned up again, wrapping your arms around his neck to make him lean a little down to your lips. You giggled silently, kissing the corner of his lips, then glanced up to him again. You saw the bits of pink spread across his face as you stared down to his mouth again.
And finally, you glanced back to his eyes again, noticing they were closed now, waiting for a kiss. You took half a moment before you pressed your lips against his, and he instantly responded. He scooted closer to the edge of the table, as you kissed him deeper, spreading your fingers on the back of his head, playing with his hair.
“Hi welcome to Matt’s Pizza, may I take your order?”
You and Peter instantly shot apart, laughing silently at each other. Peter cleared his throat as you raised your eyebrows at him, grinning. “Hey, um, I’d like to order a large pizza, one side cheese, the other meat.” He responded to the guy over the phone.
“Okay, will that be all?” The person said, and you set a hand on Peter’s thigh, tilting your head to the side a bit, watching his reaction.
“Yep, thank you!” Peter rushed out, supplying the guy with your address. You giggled when Peter practically punched the phone to hang up, hugging you again.
You went straight back to kissing him, moving your hand back to his hair. You twirled it around with your fingers, and you smiled into the kiss, tugging his hair softly, as his hand scanned up your back. His hand slipped under your t-shirt, gripping your skin now.
As he pulled away for a breath, you sighed shortly, glancing away. “Peter, what’s happening with you?” You whispered, not wanting to see what he’d do. Whenever you confronted something to Peter, he’d always have this look on his face, and sometimes you could tell it was bad, other times you couldn’t.
“I just… There’s stuff that happened recently. And it’s really hard. I don’t know what to say, or how to say it. I’m sorry.” Peter didn’t even understand what was drooping out of his mouth. He went over this so many times last night, how to explain it to you but now in the moment he didn’t really know.
“What is it? Please tell me.” You mumbled, looking down at his shirt. You watched his chest rise and lower with anxiety.
“I have to go on a mission, or like an assignment. I can’t really tell you the details, it’s in Ireland though. I know it’s super far away- fuck.” Peter shook his head, feeling too distraught. He couldn’t say it. This isn’t what he planned, it was supposed to be easier, and he felt a huge lump in his throat.
“What?” You glanced up to him, eyes wide. No way, that couldn’t be true. It must be a prank, or a joke at least. He likes jokes, but you knew he wouldn’t do this type of joke, right? You shook your head, denying it completely.
“No what, funny joke! Okay now, you can say it’s fake…Right? It’s fake.” You quickly added on.
When he didn’t respond, your smile dropped completely, and you backed away slightly. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Y/n. I didn’t choose to make it happen, I’m sorry. I don’t know how long it’ll be.” His voice cracked, and you hesitantly put your hand to his face.
You cupped his cheek, as you watched his eyes go red, and you frowned back at them, shaking your head again. “Don’t cry, babe. It’s okay, it’s not your fault. When?” You mumbled back, trying to hold back your emotions. It was hard, but you couldn’t let him see how much this would hurt you.
You loved him, and if he saw you this upset, it would hurt him too.
“Monday, this Monday.” He responded, not understanding how fast this happened. He couldn’t get it, how the two of you were speaking about this. He thought you would be angry, and sad, but he couldn’t tell. You were being calm and quiet, and it was nothing like you. Especially for something like this, and he furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.
“I’m sorry, I can’t – what are you thinking about right now?” He asked, slipping his confusion into his voice.
Your thumb moved softly in circles on his cheek to comfort him. You felt numb, but so hurt that you didn’t know how to react. How could you both have such a happy moment before and then this happened?
You didn’t know how to answer. You cleared your throat slightly, “I don’t know.” You answered honestly, knowing if you thought about this anymore, you’d have something to say.
It was too difficult to process. Monday? That soon? It was tomorrow. And you couldn’t see him for a certain amount of time either.
“Fuck, Pete.” You groaned, closing your eyes when you realized how much time you have left. “We only have today to say our goodbyes?” You added on.
Peter nodded slowly, “Yeah, it’s… I’m sorry I put it off for so long. I didn’t know how to tell you. I don’t want to disrupt your life or anything when I go there, and I know we rent this place together, but don’t worry. I already thought it through, I can pay for however long you want to stay here if you’d like, um, and if I can talk Tony into it, maybe I can have some breaks to come here and see you.” The words tumbled out of his mouth and he stopped when he heard you sigh.
You pulled yourself completely away from him, walking to the other side of the room, needing space.
Fuck this, you thought.
You closed your eyes again, needing to silent your thoughts for now, and you didn’t even realize the tears running down your face.
“Y/n, please talk to me.” Peter spoke up, walking towards you.
“I’m scared!” You let out, surprising yourself. “I’m scared, what the fuck is this mission? Are you going to be safe? Ireland, Peter? What- what time are you leaving tomorrow? Can I come? Fuck, I don’t want to leave you. I’m in love with you!” Your voice kept raising in volume until you felt Peter’s hands on your shoulders.
He spun you around to face him, and his face softened. “I’m sorry. I’m in love with you too.” He whispered, whipping away your tears.
“Can I come with you?” You repeated your question, with more steadiness in your voice.
When he slowly shook his head, no, your shoulders slumped. He pulled you into a silent hug, as you sniffled. After a few minutes of hugging, you could feel a slight wetness on your neck, and you hugged him tighter, knowing he was crying along with you.
“I’m sorry.” You heard the heaviness of guilt and sadness in his voice, and you squeezed your eyes closed.
“It’s not your fault Peter. I understand it.”
He kissed the side of your neck, and you loosened your hug. You blinked away the rest of your tears, pulling your face to his. His face was all red, and his eyes were still watery like yours were. You kissed his lips as soft as you could, wanting to savior it as much as possible.
“I promise you I will come back as soon as I can. I love you.”pe
#peter parker#peter parker x reader#peter parker x you#peter parker angst#peter parker fanfiction#peter parker x y/n#avengers fanfiction#thank you for reading! love ya'll#kidney9-9
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SH - Sherlock x Watson!reader - Strangers Like Me - 1,468
A/N: THIS IS THE FIRST SHERLOCK ONESHOT I WROTE! I HOPE YOU LIKE IT! (WHY AM I YELLING? 🤣) ~ AMETHYST
You had come to visit your brother in London about a week ago. Unfortunately, you had unknowingly brought with you a stomach bug and gave it to your brother. This particular morning he was still in bed sleeping, no longer sick but still too weak to go out. You'd spent most of your time helping him recover or sightseeing around the city. You, of course, had met Sherlock but you didn't spend too much time around him because you didn't want him to deduce your secret.
"John!" Sherlock yelled from downstairs. Your brother "Jawwwwwn!!!!" He yelled again. You ran downstairs to quiet him down.
"Sherlock!" You whisper-yelled. "Please don't yell! He's still sleeping for goodness sake!"
"Why?"
"Why is he still sleeping?"
"Yes."
"Because he's still recovering from being sick you twit!"
"But I need him for a case! Gavin just called me and said there was a murder!"
"Gavin?"
"Yes, Geoff."
"Geoff?"
"Gucci."
"Oh! Greg!"
"That's not it."
"Yes it is."
"No, Lestrade's first name is-"
"Greg," John said coming down the stairs completely wrapped up in his blanket.
"John!" You both exclaimed.
"You look absolutely dreadful!" Sherlock stated. "How are you supposed to help me in that condition?"
"I'm not!" He said, "I'm going back to bed. She'll go with you."
"John, please no," you pleaded. Your brother gave you a pointed look.
"Look, you can't avoid him forever. I think he might actually find you quite interesting." He whispered.
"I don't think this is a goo-" you paused a moment looking again at your brother. "Are you wearing any pants?" You asked loud enough for Sherlock to hear too.
"Nope." John and Sherlock both started laughing hysterically. You tried to look disgusted but couldn't help yourself and joined in on the laughter. John started coughing suddenly, ruining the happy mood.
"You'd better get back to bed, John," You said. "I'll put on a fresh pot for you and I guess I'll go with Sherlock if that'll make you happy."
"Thanks, sis," He replied heading back upstairs. You went to the kitchen and started some more tea. Sherlock hadn't said a word but you felt his intense gaze on your back. You whipped around suddenly, staring back at him. His gaze faltered for a moment before he finally opened his mouth to speak.
"I suppose you'll do. Just make sure not to mess anything up."
"I wouldn't dare," You replied. Purposely bumping into him as you walked out of the kitchen, you smiled to yourself. Perhaps you wouldn't let him figure out your secret. Perhaps you'd show it to him willingly.
"We found her in the car completely unresponsive. The medics pronounced her dead at the scene. We figure she couldn't have been here for more than a couple hours," D.I. Lestrade explained.
"To the average person it would look like a standard car accident. Why were you guys called?" You asked. Sherlock was completely ignoring Greg, preferring to examine the body.
"She was an old classmate of mine actually. We kept in contact occasionally. She always told me she would never get behind the wheel of a car. We were called because the car wasn't registered to her and the owner has gone missing." You nodded and thought about the situation. Walking up to the body and the car, you examined it for yourself.
"The driver of the car, where did he work?" You asked.
"At the bank about 6 blocks north of here."
"Call the bank and ask if they ever punched in this morning. I think they'll also find they're missing some money. Here's what happened. Your friend and the owner of the car had both gotten jobs at the bank about 2 months ago. They decided to carpool since they lived near each other. They headed into work this morning, the first ones in. When they entered the bank 2 robbers were already inside. They went to hit the alarm but the robbers took them hostage, they'd already gotten the money. They assumed your friend was the driver of the car and forced her to get behind the wheel. As they were driving she started to have an asthma attack and lost control of the car. They probably had another buddy nearby in another car so they could get away with at least one hostage." Taking a closer look at some papers in the car, you said: "Try the Hotel on 27th. That's where they're staying."
"How did you figure this all out?" Greg exclaimed.
"It's quite easy, all the evidence is right there," You stated.
"C'mon, Miss Watson," Sherlock said sharply. "Wouldn't want to keep your dear brother waiting home alone. Good day, Lestrade." He grabbed your arm, pulling you away from the scene. He was silent, never sparing a glance in your direction for the whole walk back to 221b.
"Wait just a minute, Mr. Holmes. We're both adults and we are going to discuss this matter as such," You said just before going inside. You now grabbed his arm and pulled him into Speedy's. Pushing him into a booth, you sat across him and analyzed him carefully. He'd placed his elbows on the table, hands together in a prayer position, fingertips resting on his chin. He stared straight ahead, which so happened to be directly at you. "Oh no you don't! Don't go off into your mind palace now, Sherly."
"Don't call me that!" He snapped, a barely noticeable pink rising to his cheek.
"Are you sure, Shirl?" You cooed, noting his reaction. He blushed even harder this time. His face remained stoic but his eyes shone. "You like the fact that someone has finally called you by a nickname without using it derogatorily. You claim not to be emotional but all the name calling affects you very much. Well they're wrong you know. You're not a freak, you're a genius. You're not ugly or weird, you're quite handsome and absolutely amazing. You're not crazy, well, maybe a little." He smiled slightly at that, finding himself unable to meet your eyes. "You do this work because you want to help and you find it enjoyable because you can understand it rather easily unlike emotional matters. Well lemme tell you something, honey, emotions aren't easy for anyone. But most people believe they're a necessary evil. And some people can read emotions a little better than others. You'll find most of those people are women though. I think that right now, you feel absolutely naked at having someone deduce you back." You looked down at your own hands. "Don't feel so bad. I don't mean any harm, I just-" You sighed deeply. "I've been doing this my whole life." He looked up at you, an amazed look on his face. "This deducing and all. Why do you think John gets along with you so well? He's used to me. I drove him and Harry crazy for years." You finally made eye contact with Sherlock again. "I'm sorry I stole your spotlight today. I just, I just wanted to let you know you're not alone."
"What emotions do you see in me now?" He stared deeply into your eyes.
"Admiration, surprise, and," you paused for a moment. 'No, he wouldn't feel that way,' You thought. "Uh, I don't know." You trailed off.
"C'mere," he said standing up and taking your hand. You stood up facing him. He took both of your hands in his. "You missed one," he whispered, leaning into you. "Love." He closed the gap, kissing you quickly on the lips.
"SherlocK! I-"
"Come with me," He exclaimed, grabbing your hand.
"What are you doing?" You yelled as he pulled you out of Speedy's and upstairs to the flat.
"Jawwwwwn!" He yelled bursting through the door.
"I'm right here," Your brother groaned from his chair not 6 feet away. "What is it?"
"I'm going to marry your sister."
"Sherlock!!!" You yelled. "You haven't even asked me yet!"
"So? I know your answer," He replied with his classic, cocky smile.
"I still want you to ask." He raised his eyebrow at you, still remaining silent.
"Just ask her the bloody question, Sherlock!" John yelled. You laughed as Sherlock reluctantly got down on one knee. Taking your hand he finally said those four special words.
"Will you marry me?"
"Yes!" You replied emphatically. He picked you up as he stood and twirled you around. After he finally put you down he kissed you with such emotion you almost didn't believe it was him.
"Ok, ok. I get it. My sister's in love with my best friend and my best friend finally admitted he's human. Now can you please not do that in front of me? I think I'm going to throw up and I promise you it's not this stomach bug I have."
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Is That All I Am To You?
Summary: Thinking that her and Dean are exclusive, the Reader is proved wrong when Dean tells another hunter that they are only friends…
Warnings: The tiniest bit of fluff (and I seriously mean tiny). some serious ANGST. No happy ending. Arguing. Language. Crying. Lots of crying…
Word Counts: 1,682
Pairing: Dean x Reader, Former Dean x Reader
PROMPT: Is that all I am to you?
A/N: This is for the @jawritter 1500 Follower Challenge - Jen’s Make Me Cry Challenge - here’s the masterlist to it.
MAIN MASTERLIST ~ SERIES MASTERLIST ~ ONESHOT MASTERLIST
Four years. Four years that I have known Dean Winchester. Two years that we have been dating. At first it started out as a friends with benefits thing, which I was completely fine with if it meant I could spend time with Dean. But then it started to get serious, he started to take me on dates. We’d go to restaurants - just me and him, go play crazy golf, go on walks, stuff that couples would do.
A year down the line of the relationship, Dean gives me space in his room for clothes. Not that it really mattered if I had a drawer or not in his room considering my room was only down the hall. But most of the time I would sleep in his room, with his arms protectively wrapped around me as we slept.
Even Sam believed we were dating, it felt like we were dating - like it was all real. But I was so wrong, that I didn’t even realise that everything Dean had ever promised me was a lie. I should have seen it coming. Like come on, it’s Dean freaking Winchester. The one who gets around with all the women, never settling down, never dating anyone because it would have the worst outcome.
How couldn’t I have seen this? Why couldn’t I have stopped myself from falling for his charm years ago? I feel so naive and gullible. I know now that I can’t ever believe anything that man says. Ever again.
I have to leave, I have to get out of here.
5 Hours Earlier…
Meeting Sam at the bar, Dean and I walk in with his arm “possessively” wrapped around my waist, warding off any guys that would even think to get close to me. Sam sat in one of the corner booths of the bar far away from anyone. To everyone it looked like we were together, technically we were.
Joining Sam at the table, I was sat next to Dean leaning my head on his shoulder while he had one of his arms wrapped around mine. It was so clear to everyone that we were more than just friends. The lingering touches, the featherlight kisses on the forehead. Even the way he looked at me suggested that there was more than friendship. For the first time in a long time, there were no girls even attempting to flirtatiously glance his way. They knew he was taken. They didn’t even try to come over to get his attention, they knew they wouldn’t get it.
“Any new cases, Sammy?” Dean asked, as he grabbed onto one of the many beer bottles that was brought over to them, taking a large gulp of it.
“Man, I’ve looked but nothing so far, a whole bunch of others have taken cases and there’s just nothing at the moment.”
“Do they need any help?” Dean asked, clearly needing something to keep him occupied but Sam quickly shook his head.
“I’ve already asked, but you know what hunters are like, they’ve got their own partners to help them and they don’t need three extra hunters. But I’ll keep looking for cases, I guess we can just take this time off that we never get round to having.” Sam explained, lifting his own beer to drink, his eyes scanning the bar before noticing someone staring at them. “Hey, we’re being watched.”
“What… by who?”
“Don’t know, I’ve never seen him before, he’s just intensely looking at us from the bar.” I turn around to see the man sitting at the bar. Once he see’s me looking at him, he smiles. Gasping I realise who it is. “Y/n, you know who that is?”
“Yeah… my ex.” Shifting uncomfortably in his seat, Dean slightly turns to see the guy who is staring at you.
“Bad ending?” Sam asked with concern, his eyes shifting from you to your ex and then to Dean.
“Not really. He’s not… a hunter. And it was a long time ago.” You started to explain to the boys.
“Are you going to go over?” Dean asked, masking his emotions with a straight face.
“Should I?” Looking up at him, trying to get a read on him but failing miserably.
Gulping, Dean looked from you to your ex before looking back at you. “Y/n, he’s clearly here to see you. You should go over there.”
“But I’m here with you guys… It’s fine, really. I’m with you. I have no reason to see him. It didn’t end well last time I saw him, which was when we broke up.”
“Did he know about the hunting life?”
“Yeah, that’s the main reason we broke it off.” I lie easily, not really wanting to explain my past.
“Maybe he’s trying to get you back, maybe he’s ok with you being a hunter.”
“Dean! I’m with you, I don’t need to go back with my ex… I’m already taken.”
“Yeah but we’re not really together, together…”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” You raise your voice slightly, hoping this isn’t where it’s really going.
“Dean, st-“ Sam started to say before Dean interrupted him.
“We’re only friends with benefits.”
“So, what two years of being together - friends with benefits or not, and not once id you think that with all your actions showed that this was more than friends with benefits. You don’t take a friend with benefits on dates. Let me guess in all of this whole ‘friends with benefits’ thing, you’ve been seeing other people haven’t you?”
“Y/n…I’m sorry that you thought there was more to this-“
“No. What you did was lead me on. I’m going back to the bunker.” Getting up from my seat, I quickly grab my stuff before heading out towards the door. My ex immediately heading towards me, and I couldn’t even stop the eye roll from forming.
“Hey, Y/n. It’s been a while.” He stops in front of me, blocking me from the exit and now i’m suddenly remembering why we broke up in the first place. Anyone would think that we broke up because I was in the hunting life and he was not, something normal. But no, this cheating bastard thinks he has the audacity to think we will pick things up where it was left.
“Yeah, I guess. How’s Amanda?”
“Andrea, was her name.”
“OH right, that so silly of me to get the name mixed up of the girl you threw me away for.” I said bitterly, crossing my arms over my chest.
“Y/n, at the time we weren’t really together.” You could just feel like your brain wanted to explode at that very second, what was with men and not telling you what the relationship status was. Was it that hard to talk for them to talk to me? And why did I have such bad luck with men!?
“Yeah, I remember, I remember you so clearly saying that as you were banging that chick in our bedroom of the house we brought together!”
“Y/n…” He started to say grabbing my arm slightly to pull me towards him, before I so rudely pushed it away. “Don’t be like this. Remember all the fun we had together.”
“No. I don’t. Now if you excuse me, I have to leave. I’ve dealt with dickheads all evening.”
“Hey, don’t go. Come on, catch up with me.”
“No. I’m not going down that path again. What happened between me and you is now over. It’s been over for years.” Clearly not getting the message, he pulls me roughly towards him, before I kick him in the balls. I didn’t even realise one of the Winchester boys were behind me before Sam pulled me back away from my dick of an ex-boyfriend.
“Hey, she clearly said no. So leave her alone.” Sam defended, a glare placed on his face, I turned slightly to see where Dean was but seeing him at the other end of the bar chatting up a chick just made my blood boil. Here I was clearly struggling to get rid of my ex and he’s over there throwing what little we had left away like trash. From this moment I knew it was over. I knew we would never be together. And I knew I had to leave for good. No more would I fall for men like him.
I could feel my eyes tearing up, blinking rapidly to hold them back from falling. My ex now left the area of the bar as Sam watched me with concern. “I’m going back to the bunker.”
“Do you want me to come with you?”
“No, I’ll be fine. I’m just going to get some sleep.”
“Ok…just call me to let me know you got back ok.”
“Of course.” Lying through my teeth as I give Sam a quick hug. With him never realising that this would be the last time he would see me. I leave the bar quickly heading back to place which will no longer be my home.
After 5 hours I had packed my things, grabbed anything and everything I had in Dean’s room and my old room to put into my car. My old car was sitting in the garage, where it had been left since the day I moved in here. I never really needed it when I had moved in, I couldn’t help the tears that fell down my face as I realise how much I will miss this place. The memories that I thought were good now turned to ash and dust.
I will move on from Dean Winchester. Sitting behind the wheel just made it all too real as Dean will never know how much I loved him but I have to leave, I can’t stay here knowing that he will never fully be with me not after everything that I now know. He’ll never know what he truly missed out on, holding a hand to my flat stomach, the life that was slowly growing inside of me. Dean will never know that he would have a child. Because he will never find me. Not ever again.
IF YOUR NAME IS CROSSED OUT IT MEANS I CANNOT TAG YOU FOR SOME REASON. ALSO FEEDBACK IS MUCH APPRECIATED!
Forever Tags:
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One Night Stand? (A Bakugou Oneshot)
-You were suppose to meet a coworker for drinks after work, but they never show. This is Bakugou's lucky chance to finally bring you home, if he can get Kirishima to shut up. Maybe he will have something up his sleeve, or perhaps under his shirt?
Teased smut, nothing too dirty.
Word Count - 3,777
- I‘m iffy on this entire story, but i’ve had it saved for awhile and I figured I would write it. Let me know what you think!
----
You rolled over, the sun shuttering across your face as you opened your eyes. You adjusted to the light, the room coming into focus around you. It was clean, minimal, nothing like your own.
The sheets were soft on your exposed skin, silk grey, expensive. You turned over, looking at the unmade side next you, it was still warm to the touch.
The room smelled like carmel, the sheets soaked in the scent as you buried your face in the fabric. It filled your senses, warm and inviting.
A few cupboards closed from the other room turning your attention to the slightly open bedroom door.
“Mmm, he’s already awake.” You hummed, looked at the clock on the wall. It was only 9:00 a.m. Early for a Saturday morning.
You lifted off the covers, stepping onto the warm floor. “He even has heated floors, how fancy.” You giggled, looking around for your clothing. You found your underwear, thrown on the dresser across the room, the rest of your clothing lost in the pile still scattered on the floor. You picked something out, a black shirt, definitely not yours.
You slipped it on, the hem covering just enough to be called modest.
The smell of breakfast filled the room, the sizzle of something cooking in the kitchen. You opened the door, making your way down the hallway. It looked different in the morning light, the pictures hung on the walls now viable.
You were sore, hand on the wall guiding you out to the kitchen. A consequence of last night.
You peaked a head around the corner, his exposed back to you as he stood at the stove.
“You're up early.” You smiled, walking over. You wrapped your arms around his waist, laying your cheek against his warm skin.
“Good morning, I didn’t expect to see you standing after last night.” He chuckled looking down at you.
----
You had been sitting at the bar for a little over an hour, slowly sipping at your drink as you watched the bartender run back and forth making drinks.
You slid up your sleeve to read your watch, 9:37 p.m. “How long is he going to take?” You groaned, leaning against the bar counter.
You had agreed to drinks with a coworker after work, something you usually would have protested. But it was now the weekend, and your case had been especially gruelling. Wrapping it up had been the best part of your week, scratch that month. Your new partner asking you out for drinks to celebrate had been the cherry on the top, but work had since ended and he was nowhere to be found.
You tipped your glass, draining the last of the liquor that pooled around the melting ice. The bartender made eye contact with you from the other end of the bar, shaking the empty glass in his hand and pointing to yours. You declined, flashing him a folded bill.
He printed the check and slipped it into a booklet, dropping it off in front of you before he greeted another customer. “Thank you!” You shouted over the music, wiggling the book before sticking the money inside. You closed the check book, sliding it back over to his side of the counter.
“L/N?”
You turned around, a smile pulling at your flushed cheeks. “Katsuki Bakugou, what are you doing here?”
“I just got off work, Kirishima forced me to come out.” He moved closer, a hand resting on the bar as he moved out of the way of a group pushing past. “What are you doing here? I thought they had put you on that neon district case up north?” He leaned in closer, lips brushing your ear as he squished you against the bartop.
“They did, we wrapped it up a few days ago. I just got back yesterday.” You rested a hand on his bicep as he glared behind him at the pushy people. The back of your neck growing red at the closing space between you two.
“With Shinsou right? I heard he had moved to your agency after Aizawa retired.” He waved down the bartender, slipping in between you and a random man at the bar. He pointed to the menu on the wall raising two fingers as the man nodded.
“Yeah, he was actually supposed to meet me here for drinks awhile ago...” You pulled your phone out of your back pocket, checking for any new messages. “I don’t think he’s gonna show up.” You turned off the blank screen, giving Bakugou a small smile.
“Well if you're sticking around I think Kirishima rented a booth. Your welcome to join us, dunce face flaked on us for a date night with his girlfriend.” Bakugou traded the bartender a bill for the drinks, waving for him to keep the change. “We're over on the other side of all this shit.” He motioned towards the dance floor, nodding for you to follow.
“Wait Bakugou…” You looked around the busy club, people flooding in through the front doors. It was after all a Friday night, the perfect time to visit the district's most popular dancing spot. He gave you a smirk, pushing into the crowd that was gathering around the bar.
“Why not.” You pushed your chair away from the bar table, turning to step into the crowd. You followed close behind him, or at least tried too. The dance floor thick with sweaty bodies as you slid through. You had seen the blonde tuft of hair only seconds ago, but it had been replaced with the glare of flashing lights as a new song picked up. The crowd pushed in, squishing you between two groups of dancing girls.
“Hey, fucking keep up!” Bakugou grabbed your hand, yanking you out of the mass of people. In the other were the two drinks he had bought, perfectly balanced in his large hands. “Your too short to be fucking around in the crowd idiot.” He smiled down at you, tugging you along behind him.
“Sorry…” You blushed, his hand warm around yours. It had been years since you last saw Bakugou, years since you were in UA together. But he still managed to make your head fuzzy with that confidence, the alcohol wasn’t helping the situation either.
He pulled you behind him to the private booths, escorting you through the gathered groups of people. Kirishima’s eyes landed on his friend, traveling down to his hand tightly enclosed around yours. He waved you both over, scooting out of the round booth.
“L/N!” Kirishima stood up from his seat, walking over to you with open arms as you walked behind Bakugou. He let go of your hand, walking over to set the drinks down on the table.
“Hi Kiri, how are you?” You wrapped your arms around him the best you could, the man had bulked up over the years.
“Good, married!” He flashed you the ring, his toothy smile bright as ever.
Bakugou put a hand on your shoulders, guiding you over to the booth. “Let's sit down at least, I'm tired of people rubbing up against my ass.” He complained in your ear, pushing you to sit down.
You slid into the seat, Bakugou moving in beside you.
“Do you guys want something to drink?” Kirishima yelled, walking away from the boothed section.
“Shitty hair I got you a fucking...nevermind.” Bakugou rolled his eyes, sliding the drink over to you. “Well I hope you like highballs.” He chuckled, taking a drink from his glass.
“It’s been what two years since I last saw you, what have you been up too?” You tried your best to shout over the music, the bass deafening.
“I can’t fucking hear you, come here.” He looped an arm around your waist, pulling you into his side. The friction of his jeans on your exposed skin left goosebumps on your leg, his skin hot under the dark denim.
“I said, what have you been doing these last two year!” Your lips brushed his cheek, breath tickling his ear as you spoke.
“I’ve been bouncing around agencies, they have me training idiot sidekicks for some fucking reason.” He playfully groaned, rolling his eyes.
“I can’t believe it’s been four years, since we graduated. I feel like we were in the dorms at UA just the other day.” You took a sip of your drink, whisky strong on the tip of your tongue.
“I’m glad, i’ve had way more fun outside of that fucking school.” He turned his head, Kirishima walking up the stairs with a bottle of sake. Kirishima waved the bottle at the blonde, empty glasses clutched in his other hand.
“I’m sure a top tier hero like yourself gets plenty of action.” You teased, sliding over as Kirishima moved in beside Bakugou.
“Wouldn’t you like to know.” He smirked, his teasing tone making your breath hitch.
Your cheeks heated up at the comment, eyes averting to your half full drink. You had never been brave enough to flirt with Bakugou, not even in school. He was intimidating, something you just didn’t do well with. But the liquid courage that burned in your chest was giving you the confidence to at least try.
“L/N?” Kirishima tilted his head, shot in his hand.
“Oh sorry...” You took the drink with two hands, thanking him as you set it on the table.
“How have you been? Last time I saw you was at Shotou’s agency last year.” Kirishima slid in on the other side of the booth, Bakugou pouring a shot beside you.
“Oh yeah, for that stupid ranking meeting. They called it after Ryukyu retired to discuss the popularity jumps we all had.” You took your shot with Bakugou, nose wrinkling at the taste.
Bakugou chuckled beside you, his arm resting behind you as he leaned back in the seat. “You got a pretty good boost from all the pro’s retiring last year.
“Yeah I got pushed up to number 15, they moved me to a new district after that.” You took a sip of your highball in an attempt to clean the taste from your mouth. “Your one to talk Ground Zero, number one hero after Deku moved to America.” You smirked up at the blonde, his red eyes narrowing.
Kirishima poured the both of you another shot of sake, “ She has you on that Bakugou.” laughing as he pushed the glasses back over to you two.
“Yeah I supposed she does.” Bakugou raised his eyebrow, an amused smile creeping over his face.
You drank with the two as the night continued on, the bottle emptying as you caught up with your old classmates.
“Wait a minute, so you're saying Bakugou had a fanclub in school?” Kirishima laughed, his face flushed. He had drank a majority of the bottle, the evidence clear from his intoxicated state.
“Yeah! A ton of girls had crushes on him. Shit even I liked you.” You chuckled, placing a hand on Bakugou’s arm. You felt the muscles tense, his heated gaze on you.
“No fucking way, Bakugou liked you in school too! He just wouldn't say anything because he thought you were scared of him!” Kirishima threw an arm over your shoulder, winking at his no longer buzzed friend across the table.
You looked at the man next to you, visibly flustered by his friend's comment. “Wait, I thought you hated me.” You giggled, pointing to yourself.
“No way, he used to bother me to move the patrols by your office so he could check up on you. He was always asking everyone about you at meetings too. Bakugou has been in love with you since first year!” Kirishima was holding his side, the look on his friend's face only making him laugh hard.
“Kirishima…” Bakugou reached across the table to grab his friend, fingers barely grazing his button up.
“Wait a minute, let me catch up here. So you're telling me you liked me the entire time I liked you, and I never knew?” You looked between the men, eyes stopping on Bakugou. He looked absolutely embarrassed, like his deepest darkest secret had just been told to the world.
Yes it was true, he had a massive crush on you. Yes, he did frequently check up on you. And maybe he had some glimmer of hope that he would be able to tell you tonight when he saw you at the bar all alone. But that wasn’t going to happen now that shitty hair was word vomiting every single thing Bakugou had ever told him.
“You two should go on a date! He always turns down anyone that asks him.” Kirishima leaned in, whispering to you. “I think it’s because he wanted to ask you out but he was scared you thought he was mean.”
“Ok, I think that's enough drinking! Let’s call it a night dumbass.” Bakugou slid out of the seat, ripping his friend out of the booth. You stumbled out of the seat, running behind them as they pushed through the dance floor.
You followed the bickering pair, the fresh air cold on your skin as you exited the club. Bakugou waved a hand, stopping a taxi outside the doors. “Get inside before I leave you out here for the night���” He helped his friend inside, pulling the seat belt over the wiggling redhead.
“Y/N…!” Kirishima tried to push past Bakugou, his head darting around the blonde's shoulders as he fought to close the door. The rest of his sentence was incomprehensible behind the closed door.
Bakugou leaned into the open passenger window, “Yeah, just take him straight home. You can keep the rest.” He handed the man a few bills, glaring at the beaming Kirishima as the taxi drove off down the busy road.
“Well that was a fun night.” You smiled, looking up at the irritated man.
He gave you a sarcastic chuckled, running his hand through his hair. “Yeah, fun.” He let out a loud sigh, looking around. “I don’t suppose you would want to go on that date now that you know about...everything?”
“It would be hard to say no with a confession like that.” You giggled, Bakugou relaxing at the confirmation.
“But...maybe you would want to take me home first?” You smirked, his eyes widening.
He returned the look, eyes darkening. A woman after his heart, confidant and you knew what you wanted. “ I guess I have made you wait long enough.” He chuckled, his hand wrapping around your arm as he pulled you along down the sidewalk.
That's how you ended up pressed against Bakugou’s apartment door, heated lips heavy on your own.
He fumbled with the lock while pressing hot kisses down your neck, his other hand digging into your waist.
“Just fucking open the door Katsuki.” You moaned, grabbing a fist full of his shirt as you pulled him closer.
“I would be able to if your big ass got out of the way.” He spun you around before pressing you back into the cold wood.
You gasped at the force, his lock clicking open as he pressed sloppy kisses down your shoulder. He pushed the door open into the dark apartment, chest pressing into your back as he moved the two of you inside.
He threw his keys on the table, spinning you around.
“Nice place.” You smiled, kicking off your shoes.
“Thank you, i’ll show you around later.” He grabbed the exposed skin under your ass to pick you up. Your legs wrapping around his waist as he slipped off his shoes. He pressed his lips back against yours, walking you through the hallways as he kicked open the bedroom door. He sat down on the edge of the bed, nipping down your jaw as he pushed you down on his growing bulge.
You moaned at the contact, hands moving down the hem of his shirt. You gave it a tug, leaning back as you tried to take it off him.
Bakugou untangled his hands from behind you, lifting them over his head as you pulled it up and over. You trailed a hand over his bare chest, fingers following the deep lines as you trailed down to his waist band. You roamed over the exposed skin, eyes stopping on his left peck. The shine of something metallic caught your eye, glistening in the light of the open window. Your brows knitted together as you stared at the metal ring.
“What is that face for brat?” Bakugou scowled, pulling at your own shirt.
You raised your arms over your head, eyes still on his chest as he pulled it off your head. “Katsuki is that a nipple ring?”
“What if it is?” Bakugou wasted no time attaching himself to the sensitive skin on your neck.
“I just didn’t think Bakugou Katsuki would be the type of guy to get a nipple piercing.” You shifted in his hold, chewing at your lips as he placed wet kisses over your chest.
You tried to push the thought from your head, submerging yourself in the feeling of the man wrapped around you. But the warm metal grazing over your skin was making that impossible. The more you thought about it, the funnier it became. Giggles bubbling up, escaping between soft moans as he grinded into you.
Someone had to have convinced Bakugou to get the thing. It was something he would have never picked out on his own. Maybe a dare, or a drunken decision. “Did Kiri convince you to get it?”
Bakugou pulled away, crimson creeping across his face as he turned away. He remembered you being nicer in school, but you were relentless with your teasing.
“I’m not even hard anymore, so fuck off.” He slid a hand under your thigh. With one move he flipped you off of him, throwing you to the side of the bed as he stood up to walk out of the room. He stomped his way out the door and down the hallways, lights turning on behind him as he made way for the kitchen.
You were close to tears, holding your sides as you buried your face in the sheets. Soft giggles turning to boisterous laughs as you held your sides. That was explanation enough. You rolled off the bed, wiping the threatening tears as you stood up.
“Wait, Katsuki! I’m still horny, even with that nipple thing!” You made your way out of the bedroom, trying to stifle your giggles.
“Fuck off shitty woman!” He yelled from the other room.
“I’m sorry, you can make fun of my All Might underwear.” You walked into the kitchen, no sight of the disgruntled man.
A hand dug into your waist, spinning you around. You were shoved into the kitchen island, lips hot on your ear. “ I would be careful what you say next, or you may not be able to speak tomorrow, let alone walk.” He nipped at your jaw, moaning as he pressed into you.
----
Bakugou turned around in your arms, leaning down to pick you up. He set you on the kitchen island, pressing his lips softly against yours.
You smiled into the kiss, reaching up to pull him closer.
He inched away chuckling. “I’ll burn breakfast if you distract me.” He scolded, walking back to the stove. You peaked over his shoulder, watching as he flipped the half cooked pancakes in the pan.
He checked everything cooking before walking back over to you, a smirk pulling at his soft features. He took your chin between his thumb and finger, tilting your head back and forth. “Wow, I really did a number on you.”
You blushes, pushes his hand away. “I could say that same thing.” You touched the now bruised love bites on his chest. Leaning down you pressed light kisses to each one, looking up at the smiling blonde. You gave him a playful bite, his hand pushing your head away.
“Oww asshole.” He laughed, rubbing his chest.
“Couldn’t help it, I like shiny things.” You teased as he walked over to the cabinet. He pulled out two plates, setting them down on the counter.
“Are you planning on making fun of this thing every time you see it.” He rolled his eyes, taking the bacon out of the oven.
“I don’t know, I think it’s growing on me.” You smiled, hopping off the island.
“Go sit down, i’ll bring it to you.” He smiled over his shoulder, turning off the stove.
You took a seat at the dining room table, looking around the spacious apartment. It was open, bright. Everything had a place, and it was perfectly positioned in it. The walls and open shelves were lined with photos, him with family, him with friends, him with fans.
Bakugou set a plate down in front of you, pulling out his seat next to you. “What's that look for?” He smiled, looking around the apartment.
“That's us, I don’t even remember taking that photo.” You pointed to a smaller photo on his bookshelf, positioned right in the middle of everything.
It was a photo of the two of you on the last day of school, the only day you two had talked to each other during school. Bakugou had been in front of you at the graduation ceremony, the two of you waiting to be called up. He had turned around half way through the ceremony to make a funny joke about Aizawa’s pink pants, it made you laugh.
“Oh yeah. My mom took that. She said she had never seen me smile around a girl or some stupid shit like that. I just like having it…” He shrugged, cutting his pancake.
“I was surprised when you turned around to talk to me that day. I had never talked to you alone before then.” You smiled, he kept a photo of you. You wouldn’t tell him now, but you had a newspaper clipping of the two of you together at the sports festival during your first year.
“Yeah, I wanted to ask you out before we graduated. I got nervous when you smiled at me, so I said something stupid about those dumb pants Aizawa had on.” He looked up at you, chewing on his lip. “You left before I could talk to you after graduation was over.”
“Well do you want to go out now? I don’t plan on going anywhere this time.” You took a bite of your bacon, looking up at him.
He laughed, rolling his eyes. “I think we're past that now dumbass. Eat your food, I promised you a tour.”
#bakugo#bakugou#bakugou katsuki#bakugo katsuki#bakugo katuski#bnha bakugou#katsuki bakugo x reader#bakugou smut#bnha bakugo katsuki#bakugou katuski x reader#mha bakugo x reader#mha#bnha#bnha x reader#bakugou oneshot#katsuki bakugo fanfiction#katsuki bakugo imagine#katsuki bakugō#mha katsuki#smut#fluff#bakugou fluff#fanfiction#fanfic#my hero academy fanfiction#fandom#teased smut#one night stand#kirishima eijirou
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[against all odds, your hand is in mine] [1/4]
Seasons change, and with each comes a different story. In a world where the dead roam around, romantic companionship seems unlikely. Yet Ericson stands, and within it are four couples who are proof that it's possible.
Spring: Briolet | flowers, picnics, blueberries, running river
Read on AO3
Notes: Sometimes I get the urge to write four oneshots over the course of two days. This is the first of those oneshots. It’s briolet in spring, but be careful: there is so much hand holding and some smooches. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
[screenshot used is from the lovely @pi-creates]
---
Brody pricks her finger again. It's easy to avoid that, but she doesn't have a thimble, and her hands refuse to stop trembling.
No blood, and really, it didn’t even hurt. It more startled her, a bit of panic sparking in her gut at the idea of staining the martial and ruining her project. She stops her work to rest her hands and the fabric in her lap, closes her eyes, and sucks in a deep breath. It does little to calm her nerves or her impatience.
“Don’t rush,” she mumbles to herself, readjusting her position on the bed. She crosses her legs and notices a long strand of thick, pale blue thread stuck to her pants. Great, she needed that color an hour ago to finish one of the flowers.
Doesn’t matter now, the floral design is complete and all she has left is to sew the pieces together. If she can finish soon, there’ll be more than enough time to clean up, gather the basket she made up the night before, and head down to the greenhouse. Violet should still be there.
Brody smiles, setting down her needle and holding the handmade eyepatch in her hands. She rubs a thumb over one of the little white flowers. She embroidered them just this morning, a final touch to the overall design. That feeling strikes her gut again, exciting her nerves.
The idea came to her one night after Violet found her in the common room. It was late at night, and the two shared a blanket on the couch and drank tea. Violet's ruined eye was covered with bandages despite being healed over. No one was able to find her an actual eye patch. The best they found was a plastic one used for a children’s pirate costume, so she kept it bandaged.
Violet never complains about it. She considers the bandages her patch, even though they're not the most comfortable to wear every day.
Brody decided at that moment that she would make her one. She tore through her closet the next morning, sorting through old shirts until she found one she never wore. Taupe in color, a thicker material, something she could easily work with.
Though she had no idea how eyepatches were made, figuring those things out came easy to Brody. She made several patterns, testing each one out on scraps until one worked. From there, it was all about creating a design should could see Violet wearing. It wasn't difficult- sewing and embroidery work came easy to her.
A family thing that stuck, she assumes.
Her grams used to do embroidery and cross-stitching work. She made a living off sewing intricate designs, all more beautiful than any painting. If Brody closes her eyes, she can still see the doorway into her gram’s cabin. The framed design of a flowery cottage with a stone path, rural trees and a cloudless sky hung up on the wall. Her gram’s final masterpiece. She worked on it for months, pouring every ounce of love she had into each stitch. It was something Brody admired every time she walked through that doorway.
She learned to hunt and skin animals from her dad and uncles, and sewing from her grams. Best of both worlds, she supposes. Two skills that became handier than she would’ve ever thought at the time.
Though her flowers weren’t as flawless as her gram’s once were, she still put her heart into each stitch just as she did. She hopes that when Violet sees it, she’ll feel the unspoken words Brody threaded through the fabric.
Purple, white, and blue flowers of all sizes, each with a yellow french knot in the center, standing bright against the muted taupe. She sewed a thicker piece beneath it, used a tiny bit of stuffing from an old, ripped pillow to give it some comfortable cushion. A piece of a silky shirt lines the inside so Violet’s skin won’t get agitated while wearing it.
After weeks of work, all she has left to sew is the straps she made. She had no way to measure the fit for Violet’s head since she wanted this to be a surprise, so she figured she could make them extra long enough to tie comfortably while wearing. If she needed to adjust anything, she could do that later.
Brody picks her needle back up.
It doesn’t take long to finish, even with her forcing herself to take her time.
With triumph, Brody sticks her needle back into its rightful container and hops off her bed, singing, “Ta-daah~ !”
Her mind is all over the place. Wrap up the patch-- does she have a box or even a bag?-- and hide it at the bottom of the woven basket she found in the basement, stuff the blanket in as much as she can so the two cups don’t clank together, and start boiling water for tea-- where the hell did she put the jar of blueberries?
She flicks a match to light the heater she borrowed from Clementine, letting the water come to a slow boil as she searches around for the mason jar. It’s right under her nose, of course, sitting in plain sight on her shelf.
With the greenhouse running smoothly and the trading they’ve done with the traveling caravan that comes around, they're able to plant seeds for several different fruits and vegetables. This week, they finally got their first bunch of blueberries in. She managed to pick a bunch and seal them away in a jar yesterday without Violet noticing. She thought they’d make for a refreshing picnic snack to pair with tea.
Brody’s been planning this picnic for a while now, all while she was working and spring came to chase the cold away. Her favorite time of year where it’s finally warm, but cool enough to not overheat everything. Grass grows greener, flowers bloom all over the place, the river flows, and the sun shines bright in the sky most days. Other days, like yesterday, it rains. She was worried it would rain today as well, but there isn’t a cloud in the sky today.
She lets the tea steep in a large mug and squeezes what she can from an old container of mostly crystallized honey. When it’s cooled down enough, she pours it slow and steady into an empty water bottle. Sure, they can’t have iced tea given they have no way to actually make ice once winter ends, but lukewarm tea would be just as good.
Basket in hand, Brody looks out her window one last time before leaving the dorms. With every step she takes, she grows closer to the greenhouse and her heart thumps gaily against her ribs.
Outside, everyone is out and about, enjoying the warm weather. AJ and Tenn color together at the table while Mitch works on sharpening his favorite knife. Willy sulks on the couch beside him with Ruby attending to his bleeding knee. She's going on about him needing to be more careful.
Clementine and Louis sit on the steps leading into the admin building. She sits a step lower, leaning back into his chest as the two talk. Brody waves at them as she passes, and Louis gives her a knowing grin when he eyes the basket.
It’s not a long walk to the greenhouse from there. She stops when she notices the wildflowers growing by the fence of the rabbit coop. Bees buzz around the white flowers, landing in their yellow centers. She hates to disturb them, but these flowers were part of her inspiration when designing Violet’s eyepatch. They're too perfect not to pick. She shoos away a fat bumblebee with pollen sticking to its little black legs, and gathers eight of the flowers, leaving plenty for the rest.
A simple bouquet, if she could even call it that, but it works.
Once inside, the fresh scent of wet soil and leafy greens hits her. Not as refreshing as the sweet air outside, but still, it fills her lungs with warmth. Or perhaps that sensation is from seeing Violet standing beside Omar, watering what Brody believes are the potatoes.
Most of her hair pulls back into a hair tie, apart from the bangs that fall over her forehead and bandages. She hasn’t had a haircut in a while, letting it grow long enough past her shoulders. A surprise, actually. Violet hasn’t had long hair since they were kids.
Not that Brody was complaining- she likes it very much.
Violet breaks her attention from the potatoes to meet her gaze. She grins, and yes, that warmth is definitely from her. Omar continues on about some sort of new stew he wants to try making, only stopping when he notices he’s lost Violet’s attention.
“Everything doin’ okay in here?” Brody asks.
Violet gives a shrug. She sticks her hand out to run along the wooden planter to steady herself. She meets Brody halfway, replying with, “Eh, nothing too exciting. Willy biffed it while watering the rabbits this morning, but other than that...”
“He about crushed one of the babies,” Omar adds with a shake of his head. “More upset about that than he was about his skinned knee.”
“Aw, poor little guy,” Brody laughs. “That why he looked so miserable when I passed him?”
“Probably. He tried to catch it to apologize, but it was too quick even for him, and Ruby didn’t want him getting a bunch of muck all over him with an open wound, so…”
Apologizing to a baby bunny that they’re eventually going to eat? Sounds like Willy, Brody thinks. But never mind that, she has more important things than rabbits.
She reaches out to grab Violet’s free hand, her lips involuntarily curling into a bright smile as she asks, “Are you almost finished ?”
“Yeah,” Violet says, raising a questioning brow. “Why?”
“We’re going on a picnic!”
Violet pauses, only now noticing the basket in Brody’s grasp.
“We are?”
“We are!”
“That’s news to me.”
Brody lets go of her hand to present her with the flowers. Violet stares at them for a moment as her skin flushes, starting at her neck and blooming along her cheeks. If Omar weren’t standing over there, Brody would lean over and kiss that lovely blush.
“And where exactly would we have a picnic?”
“By the river. Already got a spot in mind.”
Violet holds the flowers close to her chest and clears her throat. She glances back at Omar, and says, “Uh, I don’t-”
“Go ahead,” he interrupts with a wave of his hand. “I can take care of the rest. Go have your picnic, be careful. And Brody,” he points to her, putting on a stern voice, “have her home by eight, and don’t have too much fun.”
Brody laughs.
“Yes, sir!”
Violet shakes her head, but her smile betrays her amusement.
“Well, okay, I guess we’re going on a picnic. There better be peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in there... that's what people eat on picnics, right?”
“Yeah, but no. Close, though.”
Locking their hands together once more, Brody leads Violet out of the greenhouse and through the gates. Soon, they’re outside the walls of Ericson. Heading down the path, she makes sure to keep watch out for any obstacles to warn Violet about.
Brody knows that Violet’s other eye works perfectly well, but given that her depth perception isn’t what it used to be, she can’t help but be extra careful. She used that excuse to hold Violet’s hand before they were together, both still recovering from their respective injuries. Better safe than sorry, use the buddy system, and that system requires hand-holding. Brody didn’t make the rules.
“Never been on a picnic before,” Violet breaks the silence.
“No? Not even before?”
“No.”
“We used to go out on picnics to eat and play games all the time. Me, my grandma, my daddy and uncles, cousins- if it was warm out, we were out.”
“That sounds nice.”
“Most times it was,” Brody says, giving Violet’s hand a squeeze. “ Just because those days are gone doesn’t mean we can’t do that kinda stuff now, y’know?”
“Yeah, I guess so. Though there are more walkers around than there were back then.”
“True, but that shouldn’t be a big issue today,” Brody smiles. “I asked James to check the area and he collected the walkers he found. The river should be clear.”
Even without looking at her, she can sense her surprise. Violet’s quiet for a moment, turning her head to peer around them before saying, “You planned this.”
It’s not a question, but more of a realization.
“I thought this was a spur of the moment thing,” Violet admits. “I, uh…”
When she doesn’t continue, Brody says, “ Not many opportunities to take you out on a date,” the word makes Violet blush and repress a smile, “and when one does arise, you bet your bottom dollar I’m gonna take it .”
Violet says nothing more, but her grip on Brody’s hand tightens.
They make it to the river without spotting a single walker. She kept her knife handy in case, but James was thorough, it seems. Brody makes a note to thank him again for helping her out.
The running water is soothing and the grass colors with golden dandelions. It’s nice to be down here without the intention of working up a sweat while fishing, she thinks. They find a flat piece of grass, kicking rocks, sticks, and pinecones out of the way to lay the blanket down. Together they sit side by side with the basket between them.
Rubbing her hands together, Brody digs in to pull everything out. Except for the eyepatch. It remains, wrapped in a pillowcase she found. Hopefully Louis won’t notice she snuck it from his horde of pillows.
“Alright, we got tea and blueberries,” Brody says, handing one mug to Violet and opening the mason jar of berries. Their sweet scent escapes into the air, making her mouth water.
“How’d you manage to sneak these past Omar?” Violet asks, popping a blueberry into her mouth. Her face twists at the taste, and for a moment Brody worries they might be sour, but Violet shakes her head. “They’re good, just not used to that.”
By now the tea is completely cooled, and while not cold, still delightful to sip on.
“Open wide,” Violet says, holding up a blueberry. It misses Brody’s mouth, bouncing off her chin. Violet laughs. “Pfft, c’mon.”
“Okay, okay, I’m ready, try again.”
Another miss.
“Aww, nope!”
“Well, let's see you try!”
Brody throws up a berry, and Violet misses it completely.
“Damn depth perception,” she grins, grabbing the berry and tossing it up herself. It hits her cheek, lost to the grass. “Damn it!”
Violet’s laugh, while rare, is as bewitching as it is infectious. It’s been so long since Brody heard her laugh like this, and to know that they’re here together, comfortable together…
Emotion builds in her throat, and she has to eat berries to suppress it. She aims the blueberry just right, and Violet catches it this time. As she chews, they both let out victorious giggles.
Once the laughter dies down, Violet brings her knees to her chest as she watches the river.
“Think we’re missing out on a fish haul?” she asks.
“Nah,” Brody pulls the basket closer to look inside, biting her lip as she runs her fingers over the covered patch. “And if we are, I’m sure the traps’ll make up for it.”
Should she do it now? They did just get here, did she want to surprise her early, or…?
Brody grabs a flower instead, bringing it up to her nose to inhale the soft scent. An idea occurs to her as she admires the girl before. Scooping up the flowers, Brody breaks off most of the stems. The flower slips in through Violet’s hair, right where the hair tie is.
Violet jerks her head around to look back, but Brody says, “Don’t move.”
“What are you-?”
She doesn’t need to answer the question, she merely secures a few more flowers within the light strands of hair before leaning back to admire her work. She even tucks one behind her own ear so they match.
Violet remains quiet, but lays her hand on Brody's. A silent, content thank you.
Brody doesn’t know how long they sat there watching the river, sipping tea, and listening to the birds chirp from the trees . A small butterfly flutters by them, and for a moment, Brody forgets the world around them. Forgets the walkers, forgets Ericson, too swept up in the way the warm air blew against her skin, in how Violet’s hand felt in hers, and the strange sense of wonder, a desire to kick off her shoes and run through the river.
It took Violet kissing the back of her hand to break her out of it.
Violet grew sheepish, glancing away as if she needed to come up with an explanation for the kiss, and that was it.
“Vi,” she started, pulling her around to face her. “I have- I made ya somethin’.”
The nervous pounding in her chest thumps in her ears as she reached back into the basket, pulling out the pillowcase.
“Aw, from Lou’s stash,” Violet grins, amused. “You shouldn’t have.”
“No, no, not the pillowcase,” Brody fidgets with it until she finds what she’s looking for. Her thumb brushes over the flowers beneath the thin material. With a deep breath, she goes for it. “Listen, I’ve been thinkin’ a lot about you. Us... just everything, and- Remember that night we stayed up in the common room talkin’? I thought… well, I wanted to do this for you.”
Brody hands her the pillowcase. Not once does she take her eyes off Violet’s face, noting the curiosity and confusion playing in her features as she accepts the gift.
The eyepatch is finally brought out into the sunlight, laying in Violet’s palm.
Neither of them speaks. Violet’s lips part, eye widening.
Brody lets the air out of her lungs slow, and then the words spill from her lips before she can stop them.
“We couldn’t find you anything to wear other than that stupid costume patch, and I know you said you didn’t mind the bandages but then I got to thinkin’ ‘bout how bandages might not always be the comfiest-”
“Brody…” Violet’s voice is quiet, trembling as it breaks.
“-and I want you to be comfortable in somethin’ that you like, so I made this for you- the whole thing, hand sewed it myself. I- but y’know, if it’s maybe too much- I wasn’t sure if it might bring too much attention and you wouldn’t like that-”
She’s cut off when Violet practically throws herself at her, burying her face in the crook of Brody’s neck and holding her tight. Brody doesn’t hesitate. She embraces her back, pressing a hand to cradle her head.
“I… don’t know what to say,” Violet's voice quivers.
“You like it?”
“Yes.”
“Then that’s enough.”
Violet pulls back, and without warning, her hands cup Brody’s face. She presses their lips together in a way that’s anything but gentle. It’s firm, purposeful, and loving. All tension from her body melts away, and Brody truly believes she could kiss her all day and that tingle? The one that coursed through her veins, the butterflies that fluttered in her belly? It would never go away. It wouldn't even lessen.
They break apart, and Violet’s staring down at the eyepatch in her hands.
“Holy shit. It’s… I don’t-” she tries again. “You didn’t have to do this.”
“I wanted to,” Brody assures her, brushing the bangs that fell over her face.
“No one’s ever made me anything like this before. I mean, not a patch, just … you know.”
“Want to try it on?”
Violet nods, and Brody’s undoing the bandages with ease. Her eye's healed from the damage the raiders inflicted, leaving only angry scars. The patch is a perfect size, covering everything.
“Does it feel okay?”
“Yeah, it’s… nice. Soft.”
“Does this feel tight enough? Like it won’t fall off, but not too tight?”
“Yeah, it feels good.”
“Couldn’t figure out a good way to clasp it together, so it ties. If ya want me to change it or anything, I can make adjustments... There!”
Violet turns back around, avoiding her gaze. Brody studies her face, the way the colors of the embroidered flowers make the green in her other eye vibrant, how the taupe of the fabric flatters her.
“Beautiful.”
Violet scoffs, ducking her head to hide the flustered smile that betrays her lips. This gives Brody the perfect excuse to place a quick kiss on her forehead.
“You’re so mushy,” Violet says, embarrassed but trying to force a playful tone. “Y’know that?”
Well, to be fair, Brody could be mushier, so she replies with an over-the-top, sweet, “Only with you.”
Violet groans and they laugh once more.
They know their little picnic will wrap up soon, so together they sit close and enjoy the comfort of nature for a few minutes longer.
“Thank you, Brody… really.”
Brody responds with another kiss.
Yeah, she thinks. She could kiss Violet all day.
#[against all odds your hand in is mine]#twdg briolet#twdg violet#twdg brody#briolet#violet twdg#brody twdg#spring: briolet#thank you for reading#it's always super appreciated :D#twdg fanfics#twdg fanfiction
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An Angel’s Sin (Simeon x Reader)
There’s more to the relationship between demons and angels than being simple opposites, but after an afternoon with Simeon, it becomes clear that their interpretation of sin is a pivotal point in their differences. Spurred on by the conversation, you teasingly encourage Simeon to sin, but you quickly find that you’ve asked for more than what you initially expected. Though, with this particular angel, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
~Oneshot
MASTERLIST
They got it wrong.
Well, not entirely. But whoever discovered the concepts of angels and demons definitely didn't get it all right.
You shuffle in your seat, trying to keep your head out of sight so that your teacher can't see you openly ignoring his lecture as you stare out the window. Hey, it's not like you even need to pay attention. You're in Human Studies right now. Yeah. You, a human, actually have to take this class. And the teacher is currently going over what you learned in fourth grade, so you can afford to slack off.
But anyway, you think, mind drifting back to your previous train of thought. They definitely got it wrong.
You suppose you should commend your human ancestors for even figuring out that demons and angels exist in the first place. According to Solomon, it had been discovered through a trail of clues left behind from witches when they forged pacts with demons. Considering the obscure nature of casting sites, it's almost a wonder that people managed to understand anything at all.
Well, most of it was speculation. You muse, absentmindedly twisting your pen in your fingers. The same speculation that caused them to get everything so horribly incorrect.
You sigh.
For one, demons aren't evil.
You'd sensed it when you first arrived in the House of Lamentation, and the feeling persisted as you continued to bond with the various brothers, but there's no denying it now.
Demons are a lot of things: chaotic, messy, obnoxious, and rude, but they're not inherently evil as all the holy texts say.
Just last night, Satan cornered Lucifer in the dining hall with a plate of spaghetti while Belphegor threw meatballs at the firstborn, the two demons teaming up in the first demonstration of their "Lucifer Sucks" club while Beelzebub cried in the background over all the food wastage. Reckless, yes, and somewhat amusing to watch. But evil? Not even a little bit.
You smile at the memory, glancing at the clock.
There's barely a minute left in this period before you get to head to your next class: one of the only classes you have with Simeon. And while you usually look forward to Angel Studies, today you're excited for another reason. Someone like Solomon might be better for an objective analysis, but you want to hear what the angel has to say on the topic of demons and their innate nature.
The bell rings, and a smile blooms on your lips as you practically jump out of your seat.
You normally walk quicker to this class than all the rest, having developed a mild (read: intense) crush on the chocolate-haired boy, so no one bats an eyelid when you dart out of the classroom, practically skipping your way through the halls.
I wonder if he brought food today. The thought causes your stomach to grumble in anticipation. The two of you bonded long ago over your shared boredom in Angel Studies—Simeon, because he knows the subject better than the teacher, and you, because the Celestial Realm really isn't all that interesting. Conveniently seated next to each other from the very first day, you'd caught on early that Simeon was sneaking snacks into class. When he caught you staring, he'd offered you a cookie with a sheepish smile.
Everything after that point is history.
That single cookie had been the catalyst for conversation, laughter, and more food. Almost every day, Simeon now strolls into Angel Studies with half his binder stuffed with various treats prepared by Luke, ready to share them with you. What's not to love about the arrangement?
A soft smile blooms on your face as you enter the classroom, pleasantly surprised to find Simeon already seated in the back.
"Hey," You call, tossing a notebook onto the desk. Simeon turns to face you, a warm smile etched on his lips.
Typically, you two would take advantage of the beginnings of class to make plans for later in the day, like to review the material for Demon Studies (the hardest course for both of you) or to simply chill at Purgatory Hall; but today, the teacher walks in and immediately begins ranting about the lack of effort students are putting into his class and how upset it is making him.
From the corner of your eye, you glance at Simeon, who's shooting you that mischievous smirk of his, subtly sliding you a container under the table. You gasp in delight when you glance down, seeing the unmistakable outline of four delicious lemon squares through the glass covering.
You almost want to open the box and try a piece now, but your teacher's ranting has finally subsided, and it's too quiet for you to do such a thing without being noticed. You watch as the elderly demon finally sighs and crosses his arms, evidently ready to actually assign you your work for the period.
"So, to showcase your efforts, I want you to teach yourselves this next unit. You are to open your textbooks and read the passage: The Angel Trials of the Seventh Archbishop. I then want you to complete an analysis of the contrasting moral arguments that led to such controversy, and a concluding paragraph pointing out your personal beliefs on the matter. This is due next week, and this time I will not be accepting late papers."
You let out a sigh of relief when the teacher finally sits down, a silent instruction for all the students to begin their assignment. Where the other demons open their textbooks, though, you turn to Simeon. He's better than any book could hope to be. Not just in his natural gift for explaining, but with those abs? Nothing else stands a chance.
"So," You begin, voice low so that your teacher won't hear the whispering. "The trials of the seventh archbishop. Wanna summarize?" You ask with a giggle.
"Oh, please. You'd tune me out in my first sentence." Simeon chuckles. He has the truth of it. Since birth, you've been gifted with the rather unhelpful habit of zoning out whenever people begin explaining things you're not interested in, whether you want to or not. But after two study sessions with the angel, he'd quickly figured out the one way to keep you drawn in: food. Specifically, Luke's homemade chocolate chip cookies. "I'll explain it to you at Purgatory Hall this afternoon. Luke was planning on baking cookies anyway, so he won't mind."
You smile at the angel, thanking him for his offer.
You don't know what it is about having a cookie in your mouth while someone explains, but something about the deliciousness of the treat silences all the background noise in your mind, leaving you fully able to focus on Simeon while he explains whatever. In fact, Simeon is pretty much the only reason you're not failing your classes right now.
You sigh in contentment.
He truly is an angel.
A smart angel, at that.
"Hey Simeon," You say, suddenly remembering what you'd spent all of last period thinking about. "Why do humans depict demons as beings of pure evil and angels as beings of true good?"
The angel's eyes widen. He stares at you in pure surprise, lips forming a small o-shape before you awkwardly cough. "Sorry, sorry!" He apologizes, instantly snapping out of it. "It's just...I'm surprised. Solomon said it took him years before he realized the truth about the three realms... it's amazing that you're questioning it after only having been here a few months."
You shoot Simeon a questioning look. "The truth about the three realms?"
You have no clue what this boy is on about.
"Ah, sorry," He apologizes again, taking a second to gather his composure. You've learned that he can be quite a good teacher when he tries, so you know that he's about to go full explanation-mode on you. "Your question is valid, little lamb. When humans discovered the concepts of angels and demons, they didn't fully understand the meaning behind those ideas, which led them to make their own conclusions about our nature."
"And?"
"And those conclusions were wrong." Simeon chuckles, stealing the container of lemon squares off your lap to break one in half, offering you a piece while he continues. "It's something that people don't usually notice on their own. That's why I was so impressed that you'd picked up on it."
You smile at the boy, taking a bite of the treat in your hand. "Well, it's not like I noticed it very early. Up until now, I think I mostly bought into the whole idea that demons are evil."
"And now?"
"Well, I live with seven demons. How can I dislike them? They have their flaws, but I've seen more good than evil in them."
Simeon smiles at you, the same beaming grin that lets you know that he's proud of whatever deduction you've reached. "You're right. The human interpretation of angels and demons has never been very precise. We angels tend to love it, since it paints us in a good light...but a part of the reason why demons in the Devildom are so biased against humans is partially because you began it all, by depicting demons as emblems of pure evil."
"So then, what's the difference between an angel and a demon, if your supposed differences don't lie along the lines of good and evil?" There it is. The question that you've been thinking about this whole time.
Simeon smiles, taking another bite of the lemon square in his hand.
"Angels and demons...are merely two sides to the same coin. Two journeys to the same destination. Two halves to a whole that remains incomplete without both. We're nearly identical, in truth. Anatomically speaking, angel wings and demon wings are no different. And the way that demon horns materialize out of nowhere is akin to a halo's appearance. It's just that where angels believe in light, demons believe in dark."
"But isn't that it? That light is good, and dark is bad?" Simeon was making sense at first, but now you're more than a little confused.
"Not at all," Simeon says. He laughs his usual cute laugh. "Assigning moral values to natural features like light and dark has always been a human construct. A flawed construct, at that. Whether you're in the Celestial Realm or the Devildom, light and dark are two things that cannot exist without each other. They are entirely unrelated to good and evil."
"But isn't it natural that darkness is associated with fear, and things that are generally bad?" You pause for a minute, trying to find your words. "Light is comparable to sunlight, which directly supports life and growth. Whereas too much darkness will lead to deficiencies and...um...a worsened mental state?"
"I see your point, but the analogy is flawed. Just as not enough sunlight will kill a plant, too much sunlight will do the same. How can light be inherently good? Or the dark inherently bad?" Simeon pauses, letting his words sink in. "A blind man lives his entire life knowing only the darkness, but does that make his existence one shrouded in evil?"
Simeon pauses, letting his words sink in. By the time they have, you're left awestruck.
How have you never considered this before? It's always seemed so natural that halos and sunshine were equated to good, and horns and darkness were a sister to evil. But if what Simeon is saying is true...
"So there's no real difference between angels and demons, then, is there?"
"Not quite." Simeon hesitates, seemingly uncertain of how to put his thoughts into words. "I told you before that angels and demons are like two different journeys to the same destination. Our lives end with the ultimate purpose of serving the rulers of our respective realms, but the way we do it is where our differences come in."
"Elaborate?"
"Demons believe in more strongly in self servitude. They believe that by giving oneself their innate desires, that will result in a more satisfactory life and will better enable them to serve the demon lord. Angels believe in serving the realm before themselves. We devote ourselves to principles like virtue and servitude in hopes of reaching personal happiness."
"So then, if all that is true..." You hesitate, not sure if Simeon will laugh at your next words or not. "Then, does that mean that angels can sin, too?"
"Of course." A devious grin crosses Simeon's face. "The level of sin that an angel may allow themselves is different than what a demon would do, but certainly."
"I don't believe you," You say, smiling. Simeon? Sin? Yes, the angel dresses like a stripper, but the sheer notion of him doing anything bad seems so impossible. "I can't imagine you sinning."
"Well," Amusement flickers through Simeon's eyes, the teal-eyed boy, staring at you through a pause pregnant with thought. "Why don't I show you today? Let's skip Demon Studies today."
"Oh my god," You murmur, trying to choke back a laugh. "That's your big idea of sinning? Skipping class?" You flash the angel a grin as the bell rings, but honestly, you're surprised that he's even willing to go that far. You've yet to see any demons skipping class, so for an angel to play school delinquent? That's quite something.
"Oh hush," Simeon murmurs, gathering his things. He breaks off another piece of a lemon square before gathering his materials in preparation for the next class. "Just meet me in the courtyard, alright? I'll show you just how much an angel can sin."
"Alright," You agree, turning to gather your own materials.
The rest of the day passes quickly. Lunch is entertaining, but given that you sit with the demon brothers, lunch is never not entertaining. Today, Mammon managed to convince the lunch she-demon to double his meal portion. He then attempted to sell his extra foodstuffs to Beel, whereupon the secondborn was instantly shut down by Belphegor. Lucifer caught wind of the situation and threatened to string Mammon up for a hundred years, only calming down when you stepped in to deescalate the situation.
You couldn't fully focus on the demon brother's antics, though. Because across the lunchroom, at a table not too far from your own, sat Simeon, quirking his eyebrows mischievously as if to remind you of your plans for ditching Demon Studies.
The courtyard, he seemed to mouth out. You nodded at him, a confirmation that you'd be there. And at the time, he'd nodded back, his usual reassuring smile on his face, the entire exchange going unnoticed by any of your tablemates.
So where the heck is Simeon?
You glance at your D.D.D., checking to see how many minutes have passed since Demon Studies began. Six. Six whole minutes.
It can't take that long to get here from Simeon's previous classroom, right? What if the angel got cold feet over ditching and decided to go to class? What if he's not coming? What if Lucifer finds you skipping and strings you up for a hundred years?
"Little lamb!"
The voice unclogs a dam of relief that floods through your body. "There you are!" You exclaim, turning around to face Simeon. "I thought you'd decided not to cut class, after all."
"And leave you all alone?" Simeon asks, walking over to the bench you're on. It's comfortably under the shade of a nice, leafy tree, so the sunlight doesn't obstruct either of your eyes when you look at each other. "Why, that's a bigger sin than ditching in itself."
You smile at the angel's words, the boy never failing to bring a fresh shade of pink to your cheeks with his endless compliments. If they were to come from anyone else, you might assume them to be a form of flirting, but you doubt the angel knows the true effect of his words on you.
"Alright, so let me hear it. Tell me about all the sins you've committed!" You exclaim, clapping your hands together in excitement. You haven't forgotten the primary reason why you agreed to skip class in the first place.
"Oh, little lamb." Simeon pats your head. "Have you ever written down every single thing you've done that could be considered celestially questionable?"
Your silence says more than words can.
"I thought so." Simeon smiles. "It would be impossible for me to tell you of my every wrongdoing, or all my sins. But if you want to know a more recent example..."
"Yes!" Your voice is eager, anticipation lifting your spirits like the cool breeze of wind that rustles Simeon's fluffy hair. What kind of sins does an angel commit? Simeon told you earlier that angels consider sin differently from what demons and humans will consider sin, so you're dying to know what this mystery is. Your voice rings out clear in the courtyard: "Tell me!'
"Well," Simeon begins, angling his body toward you so that he can look at you as he tells his tale. "I'm sure you know that the Archangel Michael was the one who decided upon sending Luke and me down here as envoys of the Celestial Realm for Diavolo's program."
You nod.
"What you may not have realized is that my purpose here lies exclusively in guiding Luke, and ensuring that his exposure to demons at such a young age is not corrupting his angelic beliefs. I'm sure you can tell that we don't need to worry about that, but Michael made it clear that those were my only duties." Simeon frowns lightly, casually lifting a lock of your loose hair with his fingers and examining it as he speaks. It's a gesture he's always done, but it's never felt as intimate as now. "Michael made it especially clear that he did not wish for me to allow myself to be involved with anyone."
"Involved?" You ask, wondering if the word carries the same connotation in the Celestial Realm as it does in the human world.
"Involved," Simeon responds, and the way he says the word is enough for you to know that yes: it very much does mean the same thing.
"And...did you?" You ask. You try not to let it show, but inwardly, your brain is going wild. If Simeon is already with someone, you may as well just give up on your feelings now. No one would give up a man as perfect as him—with those godlike abs and naturally charismatic personality, and he's too good to break anyone's heart.
"Not yet," Simeon says. "My orders were clear. Though, as of recent, someone has been encouraging me to sin." His eyes are twinkling.
You feel your ears grow warm at that. "Hey!"
"So I think I might just disobey that order. What do you think, hm?" Simeon asks. He turns his gaze away from the lock of hair between your fingers, looking you straight in the eyes. Hair dropped, he uses his index finger to tilt your face towards his when you try to look away. As you stare into his eyes, you notice that the rich sapphires seem to be hiding a darker blue. But...the darkness isn't akin to evil. If there's one thing you've learned, it's that.
No, the deep blue of Simeon's eyes is speaking a different message entirely: desire.
"Should I 'involve' myself with the person I so want? Should I..." Simeon leans forward, letting his next words out softly into your ear so that you alone can hear this angel say these words of blasphemy. "Should I sin?"
You're left wordless. Or is it breathless? You can't tell. Simeon's close proximity to you no longer feels innocent. The finger he had on your cheek is now under your chin, keeping your gaze locked onto him as he awaits the answer to his question.
And you know.
You know he's aware of what he's been doing to you all this time, with his little touches and lingering looks and sweet smiles. And you can't even be embarrassed that he's so openly been pulling you further into the arms of your attraction for him, because with the way he's looking into your eyes, there's no denying that he feels it, too.
"Yes," You whisper, the wind gently carrying the word to his ears. And the second he hears your response, his restraint vanishes, and his lips are on yours.
Soft. That's your first thought. Soft, and gentle. Chaste, and beautiful.
The kiss is calm, serene as the boy himself. There's no unnecessary movement, no dramatic moaning, no senseless biting. It's just his lips, on yours, letting you feel the soothing wave of emotion and affection he has for you. His lips, on yours, and the tender hand that reaches up to cup your cheek. His lips, on yours, and the quiet pull of the moment, with the tranquil breeze dancing around you two as it touches every spot in the courtyard but where you stand, leaving the two of you blissfully alone in the moment of intimacy.
And then Simeon pulls away, and you feel the wind flitting in between you two once more. A light laugh escapes the angel's lips as he smiles down at you, gently moving to rest his forehead atop yours.
"Was it worth sinning?" You ask cheekily, interlacing your fingers with Simeon's other hand, savoring the brief squeeze he gives them.
"Absolutely," He whispers, stroking your cheek with his thumb. "Would you let me do it again?"
"Yes," You murmur, and then the distance between you two vanishes, the world stopped once more.
When he pulls away, all either of you can hear is his quiet whisper as he asks your permission to do it again, to steal just one more kiss from your lips, and your immediate reply that grants him the sin.
Only when you finally tell him that he doesn't need to ask does he stop requesting your explicit assent, and then the moment truly never seems to end, the brief breaths of air you take between kisses forgotten and replaced by new touches, new affection, new warmth.
How much time passes by before you gain the courage to cup Simeon's cheeks, touching the smooth skin you've spent so many hours daydreaming about? How long is it before his spare arm snakes around your waist and pulls you even closer to him? You cannot keep track. Even time seems to have stopped as Simeon embraces what he's spent so long denying himself, granting himself the rare mercy of an angel's sin: the most beautiful sin of them all.
You pull him closer, lips pressing against his, a quiet message to not let this stop: not just the moment, but the act. The closeness. The intimacy.
And the way Simeon squeezes your hand, it's as if he's responding. Telling you that the kisses won't end today, or tomorrow, or anytime soon. It's a quiet promise to stay with you, to be with you, to sin, and to do it all as long as it's with you.
You smile into his lips.
You wouldn't have it any other way.
MASTERLIST
Word count: 3.9k
Notes: My favorite part of this entire fic was the beginning where I described Satan cornering Lucifer with spaghetti and Belphie providing backup via meatballs - it really took all my restraint not to abandon this and write a crack fic about that
Comment & Like
Thank you for reading <3
I do not own the rights to Obey Me! or any of the characters within it.
#Word count: 3.9k#obey me#obey me shall we date#shall we date#obey me simeon#obey me simeon x reader#simeon x reader#fluff#cute#wholesome#kisses#simeon is precious#must protecc#reader is gender neutral#mc is gender neutral#reader is mc#happy ending :D#no spoilers#very fluff#probably the most indulgent simeon fic ill ever write#correction: reader is not mc reader is little lamb
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ghost of you (asheiji)
This oneshot is birthday gift from me to myself
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You May also find this oneshot on my AO3 account: https://archiveofourown.org/works/33681853
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In which Michael makes an imaginary friend.
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Warnings: post-canon, grief/mourning
Michael is eight. Eight years, five months, and four days, to be exact. He’s too old for imaginary friends.
But, his friend that shows up in his parents’ living room one day can’t be imaginary. He can’t be, because Michael recognizes him.
“Ash!” he squeals.
He’s not sure what Ash is doing here. According to his parents, Ash had “gone away for a long time,” and they’d both had tears in their eyes when they sat him down to talk about it. That was just a few days ago. But, Ash is back. He hadn’t been gone for very long.
He’s back, and he’s right here in Michael’s living room!
The older boy looks surprised. And pale. He looks very pale, but it only makes the green of his eyes even brighter as they widen. “Michael?”
“Hiya, Ash!”
As Ash’s eyes soften, they are sad, but calm. “You can… you can see me?”
“Course I can, silly!” Michael grins as he jumps to his feet. “Oh boy, just wait ‘til I tell Mom and Dad that you’re back. They’ve missed you a whole lot.”
“Wait, Michael,” Ash calls out.
Michael, who’d started for the hallway, stops in his tracks. Confused, he turns back to the older boy.
“I don’t think telling your parents about me is such a good idea,” Ash says softly.
Michael juts his lower lip out in a pout. “Why not?”
“People don’t…” Ash pauses. Hesitates. “People don’t… normally come back from where I went to.”
“Where did you go?”
Ash hesitates again. Michael frowns.
“What’s wrong, Ash?”
“Nothing, buddy,” Ash says. “Just… I went to a place that you won’t have to worry about for a long time.”
“Oh. When I do have to worry about it, then will you tell me?”
Ash cringes, but he nods. “Of course.”
Michael smiles, eyes sparkling again. “Okay!”
“Michael?”
At the sound of Jessica’s voice, Ash freezes. As Michael looks at him, he puts a finger to his lips.
Michael nods.
“Yeah, Mom?” he calls back, going into the hallway. His mother is coming down the stairs.
“Are you talking to someone?” she asks. She’d just gotten out of the shower and she’s wrapped in a fluffy robe, her hair still dripping wet.
Michael shakes his head. “Just me. I made up a new game.”
“Oh. That’s nice.” She smiles, but it’s small and sad. All of her smiles have been sad since Ash went away.
As she turns away to go back upstairs, Michael says, “Hey, Mom?”
Jessica pauses, then turns to face him again. “Yes?”
“I miss Ash.”
At that, Jessica’s eyes mist over. She stares down at the floor and tries to hide her sniffling, but without much success. “I think we all miss Ash, sweetheart.”
“Will he come back?”
Jessica tries to hide the tear that escapes down her cheek, but she’s too late. Michael sees it. “Probably not, Mikey.”
Michael’s eyes widen. His mom hadn’t called him Mikey since he was a little kid.
“Okay, Mom. Okay.”
“Michael, if you…” Jessica pauses. Takes a deep breath. “If you want to talk about Ash, or anything else, your dad and I will always be here to listen.”
He nods. “Will Dad be home soon?”
“He has another hour at work, but he’ll be home after.” She ruffles his hair, but he doesn’t cringe away like he normally would.
He nods. “Okay.”
After she goes back upstairs, Michael returns to the living room. Ash is huddled in a corner on the floor, knees drawn up to his chin.
“Are you okay?” Michael asks, voice squeaking a little.
“I will be,” Ash mumbles.
“How long will you stay?”
Ash lifts one shoulder in a half-hearted shrug. “I don’t have anywhere I need to be. I can stay awhile.”
Michael’s eyes light up again. “Oh, yay! Will you play with me?”
Lifting his head, Ash manages a small smile.
“Of course, buddy.”
*
Ash keeps his promise. Ash stays.
They’d been almost caught a few times, but Michael is starting to think that neither of his parents can see Ash, which is weird. They’d had no problem seeing him before he went away.
When he asks Ash about it, Ash says he doesn’t know. He says that the place he went to changed him, and maybe grown-ups can’t see him anymore.
Michael accepts this answer, but he’s still curious about where Ash went. Whenever he asks, all Ash says is that it “was a bad place.” He’d tell Michael more about it when he was older.
Michael didn’t like this answer.
He was almost eight and a half. Eight years, five months, and twenty-three days, to be exact. He thought he was plenty old enough.
But, even though he gets frustrated, the frustration usually fades quickly. Ash was sticking around, and they still played together. That was enough, for now.
It took a lot of concentration for Ash to play, though. He could hardly roll a car across Michael’s bedroom floor without focusing absolutely all of his attention on it. Michael thought maybe he was sick, but Ash said that the place he went to made him weak. Not sick, just weaker than he used to be.
Michael hadn’t realized it before, but Ash was good at keeping secrets. He wished he was as good at keeping secrets as Ash was.
Because one night, about two or three weeks after Ash came back, Michael accidentally lets their secret slip.
He and his parents are sitting around the dinner table. Salmon, green beans, and rice tonight — one of Jessica’s favorite meals. Max and Michael normally preferred burgers and fries. But, it’s still good. Everything Jessica cooks is delicious.
Max is talking about work, and Michael, in typical eight year old fashion, zones out.
That is, until Ash’s name comes up.
At the mention of Ash’s name, Michael perks up. Forgetting the promise he’d made, he pops a piece of fish into his mouth and says, delightedly, “We’re going to play a new game later!”
Talk ceases. Max and Jessica both turn their attention to their son.
“Who are you going to play with, bud?” Max asks.
Michael smiles. He thinks it’s funny that Ash started calling him ‘buddy’ like his dad does. “Ash! He can’t play a lot of games anymore, but he said he’s gonna teach me a new one. One he can play.”
The clinking of silverware stops. Both adults freeze, then glance at each other.
“You’re going to play a game with Ash?” Jessica asks.
“Yeah!”
“Where did Ash come from?” This time, it’s Max who speaks.
Michael shrugs. “He came back. You guys acted like he’d be gone forever, but it was just a few days.”
“A few days? But it’s been weeks…” Jessica glances at Max.
A frown is settling deep in Max’s brow. “How long has he been back, bud?”
Michael shrugs. “You guys talked to me, told me Ash had gone away. But then he came back again a few days later.”
Jessica sucks in a breath.
“All right.” Max inhales deeply, nods. Then, he smiles. “How about you finish dinner in your room, huh? A special treat.”
Michael’s eyes light up. “Can I watch TV?”
“Of course, bud.”
Jessica helps him prepare a tray, then Michael takes his food to his room without complaint.
When he arrives in his room, Ash is waiting for him.
And then he remembers his promise.
“Oh!” Michael gasps. He stands there, tray rattling as his hands start to shake, and his lower lip quivers. “I’m s-sorry, Ash.”
Ash, though, only smiles at him. “It’s all right, buddy.”
“Are you gonna leave?” Michael’s eyes fill with hot tears. “I’m sorry!”
“Nah.” Ash leans back, crossing one Converse-clad foot over the other, “I won’t leave.”
“Really? You’ll stay?” Michael sniffles, but manages a smile.
Ash smiles back. “Yeah, I’ll stay. But, playtime is going to be a bit delayed, all right? I need to check something.”
Michael nods. “O-Okay.”
“Finish your dinner, huh? I’ll be right back.”
Ash leaves Michael, still sniffling but calming down, in his room, and ventures out. He knows there’s no reason to be overly cautious or sneaky, but old habits die hard
(pun intended)
as he creeps down the hallway.
He finds Max and Jessica talking in the kitchen. He stands, totally exposed but unnoticed all the same, in the doorway, and watches.
Jessica has her head in her hands and her shoulders shake. Her tears are silent, but he knows she’s crying. Max has a chair pulled up next to her and he’s got his arms wrapped around her.
“Maybe this is his way of coping,” he mumbles.
“B-By thinking he can see Ash? Max, Ash is, Ash i-is—“
“I know.” Max cups her face in his hand. He attempts to wipe the tears away, but they come too quickly. “I know, Jess. But, I don’t think he quite understood when we tried talking to him. Maybe this is his way of… processing.”
“He’s too old for imaginary friends, Max!” Jessica snaps.
But, she’s not angry. Not at Max.
She’s angry at the world.
She’s heartbroken.
“This will last a few weeks, maybe a few months,” Max predicts, “but he’ll grow out of it. Maybe it’ll help if we sit down with him again. Explain things… properly.”
“Y-You mean, tell him—“
Max nods.
“Oh, but Max—“
“I know,” he mumbles, pulling her into a hug, “but, is it really fair to let him continue to believe that Ash could come back someday?”
“I, I—“ Jessica hiccups, sniffles. She rests her head on his shoulder and closes her eyes. “I suppose you’re right.”
“I’ll talk to him after school on Friday,” Max mumbles, rubbing her back.
“Okay,” she whispers. He holds her tight. “But, what if…”
“Hm?”
“What if… it doesn’t help? What if he still thinks he can play with Ash?”
Max sighs deeply, presses his lips to her forehead. “If it doesn’t pass after a few months… it may be a good idea to take him to a child therapist.”
“Max,” she whimpers.
“I know. Shh. We’ll cross that bridge if we come to it.”
It is then that Ash chooses to take his leave. He returns to Michael’s room with hunched shoulders. He can no longer feel pain, but he’d swear his heart would be aching in his chest if it could.
Michael, though, is thrilled (and incredibly relieved) when Ash returns.
“You came back!” he exclaimed, hopping off his bed. His plate, now empty, sits on his dresser.
“I told you I would.” Ash smiles, but it’s small and shaky.
“I’m sorry,” Michael says again.
“Don’t be. You kept the secret for a long time.”
“Can they see you now?” Michael asks.
Ash shakes his head.
“But—“
“They know, but it’s still probably a good idea not to talk about me too much, all right? Sometimes grown ups think ghost stories are silly.”
Michael frowns. “But, you’re not a ghost, are you, Ash? Ghosts are dead people.”
Instead of answering, Ash says, “Hey, how about I show you that game now, huh?”
At the mention of a new game, Michael grins.
“Okay!”
Questions forgotten.
*
When Michael comes home from school on Friday, he doesn’t come straight to his bedroom. Instead, Max calls him into the living room. He says he needs to talk to Michael about something important, but assures him he’s not in trouble.
Ash could observe, but he knows that he’d only be distracting Michael.
So, he sits on Michael’s floor.
And he waits.
Michael is gone for a long time.
But, finally, his bedroom door creaks open. He pokes his head into the room first, lip quivering, eyes flooded.
“Michael—“
“You lied to me,” he whispers.
Ash stares down into his lap, fiddling with the zipper on his coat. “I’m sorry, Michael. I—“
“I said ghosts were dead people, and you said you weren’t a ghost!”
Technically, Ash hadn’t. He’d changed the subject. But, he knows what Michael means. He’d been lied to for weeks.
He felt betrayed, and it was because of Ash.
“I’m so sorry, buddy. I…” Ash hesitates.
Michael stares at him, heavy tears down his cheeks. His eyes are red and swollen.
“I can leave, if you want,” Ash offers, quietly.
He doesn’t know where he’d go. But, Michael doesn’t have to know that.
“No,” Michael whimpers.
“What?”
“I don’t want you to leave!” the boy cries. He sits on the floor, school bag still heavy on his back, and sobs. “Don’t leave, Ash. Please don’t go.”
Ash had thought it selfish of him to stay.
But, looking at Michael, eight years old and already having to deal with more than any boy his age should, he thinks it’d be much more selfish of him to leave. At least, for now.
“Okay,” Ash mumbles. “Okay, buddy. I’m not going anywhere. I promise.”
“Ash?”
“Yeah, buddy?”
“C-Can I hug you?”
“I’m… not sure, Michael,” Ash admits.
“Can I try?”
Ash hesitates. “All right.”
Michael hurries at him, arms outstretched. But, he passes right through Ash like he’s made of smoke.
Ash shivers. Michael hangs his head low and sniffles.
“I’m sorry,” Ash says.
“I wish I could hug you.”
“I know.”
They’re interrupted by Jessica, who knocks on the open bedroom door. Michael looks up at her from his position on the floor, then looks away.
“I’m so sorry, baby,” she murmurs.
Michael ignores her.
“I don’t think… I don’t think it’s good for you to be alone right now, Mikey.”
“I’m not alone,” Michael says. He looks next to him, at Ash. “I have Ash.”
Jessica looks directly at him.
Ash’s green eyes are wide and bright.
But she does not see him.
“I’m so sorry, Mikey. Please… come watch a movie with us? It will take your mind off of…”
“Go with her,” Ash whispers.
Michael freezes.
“Go on, buddy. It’s okay. They just want to take care of you.”
“You’ll stay here?” Michael whispers, believing himself to be quieter than he is. Jessica’s eyes widen.
“I promise.”
“Okay,” Michael mumbles. Slowly, he gets to his feet. “Okay, Mom. Can I pick the movie?”
Jessica tries to smile.
“Of course.”
*
Michael turns nine tomorrow.
And Ash has stayed through it all.
Since learning of Ash’s death, Michael has tried to quiet down around Max and Jessica. He still talks about Ash sometimes, but, though the subject is still a sensitive one, they have dropped the idea of taking him to see a child therapist.
Ash and Michael still play sometimes, but mostly Ash has become somebody to talk to. Every day, after he comes home from school, Michael tells Ash about his day.
Ash can’t help but compare his nine-year-old self to Michael, and he’s so grateful he would cry if he could. Michael had gone through a lot in the past year that no eight-year-old kid should have to go through, but it was nowhere near the inferno that had engulfed Ash’s childhood. And, most of all, Michael had parents who loved him. Who supported him. Who helped him however they could.
Something that Ash himself had never, ever had.
They’re in the kitchen. Ash is leaned against the refrigerator, arms crossed over his chest, easy smile on his lips. Michael is helping his mother frost his chocolate birthday cake, but he keeps sticking his fingers in the frosting whenever she turns her back. Max is decorating in the living room, but pokes his head into the kitchen every once in awhile to sniff the air.
“Why does Michael get to lick the spoon?” Max whines.
“Because,” Jessica huffs in exaggerated annoyance, “only one of you is turning nine tomorrow.”
Michael sticks his tongue out at his father.
Max grins, about to retort, when the doorbell rings.
“Ah!” Max grins. “I believe our special guest has arrived!”
“‘Special guest?’” Michael echoes. He and Ash exchange a look, but Ash shrugs.
“You stay there, boy!” Max orders before hurrying to the door.
When he returns, Ash’s jaw drops.
“EIJI!” Michael screams.
Eiji smiles.
“Hiya, Michael.”
Michael runs across the room, knocking Eiji back against the wall in a hug. Laughing, Eiji wraps his arms around the boy.
Ash is frozen.
He can’t stop staring.
It’s only been six or seven months since Eiji left for Japan, and, apparently, he’d come back earlier than that for the funeral. But, this is the first that Ash has laid eyes on him since… the hospital.
Since he was alive.
Eiji’s hair is a little longer, a little shaggier — it looks like he’s trying to grow it out — but, otherwise, he looks the same as he had six, seven months ago. He—
No.
Not the same. Not quite.
His eyes are dark, dark and sad. He’s laughing as he hugs Michael back, but there is a heaviness behind those eyes that wasn’t there before. Because of…
Because of Ash.
“Eiji, Eiji,” Michael repeats over and over, like it’s been a lifetime since they’d seen each other, “You came from Japan?”
“I did,” Eiji says. His voice is soft.
“You came for my birthday?” Michael squeezes tighter, afraid to let go.
Eiji laughs as the air is squeezed out of him. “I did, yes. But, not only reason.”
“Huh?” Michael finally lets Eiji go as he takes a step back and looks up at him.
The gentlest smile pulls at Eiji’s lips. “I been thinking of relocating to New York. Permanently.”
Ash’s mouth falls open.
“You’re moving here?!” Michael demands.
“Well,” Eiji says, “I sure going to try.”
Ash continues to gape at a man who cannot see him.
What happened to going back to Japan?
“It’ll be wonderful to have you around again, Eiji,” Jessica gushes, wrapping him in a hug and gently squeezing, “You are always welcome here.”
Eiji holds Jessica close as he hugs her back, sturdy and comforting. “I appreciate you very much, Jessica.”
Jessica is shaking her head as they pull apart.
“You boys,” she murmurs, voice thick, “did not deserve any of what happened to you.”
Her own traumas go unspoken.
“I hate to interrupt,” Max says, stepping in as soon as he realizes Jessica is becoming overwhelmed with emotion, “but, I think we still have some presents to wrap. Can you watch the cake for us, Eiji?”
Eiji laughs. “Of course.”
Wrapping his arm around Jessica’s shoulders, Max leads her out of the room and takes her upstairs.
Michael waits until they are out of earshot before turning to Eiji, big smile on his face. “Guess what!”
Eiji smiles. “What?”
“Someone else is here for my birthday!”
Snapping out of his Eiji-induced trance, Ash’s eyes go wide. Pausing, Michael looks at him. Ash looks very scared for a moment.
But, after a moment, he nods.
“It’s okay,” he whispers.
Michael grins.
“Huh? Another guest? When will they come?” Eiji asks.
“They’re already here!”
“What?” Eiji crosses the kitchen and looks out into the hall. “Where?”
“Right here!’
Eiji turns to look back at Michael, who’s pointing at the wall.
“Ah, I get it. Is your friend invisible?”
“Yes!”
Eiji chuckles. “Well, then. What his name?”
“It’s Ash!”
The laughter cuts off as quickly as it had started.
“Your imaginary friend… is Ash?”
Michael scowls. “He’s not imaginary. He’s dead!”
He says that so excitedly that Ash can’t help but laugh. He covers his mouth with his hand.
Eiji is starting to look a little pale. “Don’t be silly, Michael. There’s no such thing as ghosts.”
“Yes, there is!”
Shaking his head, Eiji leaves the kitchen. Michael and Ash both follow him into the living room.
“Don’t you believe me?” Michael asks.
Crossing the room, Eiji goes to Jessica’s bookcase, picks a seemingly random book, and begins to flip through it. “You’re very imaginative, Michael. You should be an author when you grow up.”
“I’m serious!”
“There’s no such thing as ghosts,” Eiji repeats. He takes his book and sits on the floor… just like Ash does. Leaning against the wall, he pretends to read.
Michael looks at Ash, exasperated.
Biting his lip, Ash looks back at Eiji. His head is bowed as he skims the page.
Michael bites back a giggle as Ash moves closer to Eiji. He stands right in front of him, and Eiji shivers.
This, though, is where Ash falters.
In the months since Ash had shown up in Michael’s house, he has not been able to muster the strength to touch a living human.
Ash looks back at Michael, who nods his encouragement. He turns back to Eiji, who is still pretending to read though his teeth have started to chatter.
Slowly, very slowly, Ash bends down. Then, he leans forward and wraps Eiji in a hug.
Michael is all but holding his breath.
At first, nothing happens.
Then, Eiji gasps. The book falls from his hands, into his lap, and his head jerks up.
He stares directly into wide, bright, beautiful green eyes.
Ash’s smile is very soft.
“Hello, Eiji,” he mumbles.
“Nice to see you.”
#asheiji#banana fish#ash lynx#eiji okumura#okumura eiji#Banana fish Michael#max lobo#jessica randy#Oneshot#asheiji fanfiction#ao3 fanfiction#fanfiction
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~I Let You Down~
Gif found on google and it wouldn’t let me see who the original poster was. So credit to the original poster if this is your gif!
JP ‘Rook’ Cappelletty x Female!Reader
Word Count: 4,660
Prompt (also found on google): “I can’t keep kissing strangers and pretending they’re you!”
3rd person POV x Lyric oneshot
Song: Clumsy by All Time Low
‘Some say it’s true, that true love never dies...Even when it’s five years later and you’re still dead set on trying to hate the person who broke your heart and left you behind to pick up the pieces.’
Authors note: It’s been ages since I’ve done a lyric inspired oneshot, or a oneshot, or any writing really for that fact lol But I’m trying to get back into the swing of things, so I hope you guys enjoy it! This is also my first time writing for and actually posting something for Rook. So I hope I did it justice. Let me know if you guys would be interested in reading more, or even possibly reading a part 2 if this one does well enough!
Y/N (Your name) Y/F/N (Your full name)
------------------------------
‘I flew too close to the sun
Fell back to Earth like a stone
I got too high on myself
Too young and stupid to tellI was bound to make a mess of things
Mixin' fireworks and gasoline
Never meant to make you fall with me’
The words blasted from the speakers of her old ‘68 Chevelle as she whipped into a parking spot beside her favorite Cafe. Taking a moment to extinguish what was left of her cigarette before cutting the engine and climbing out into the sweltering LA summer heat. Taking a moment to adjust her aviators and check that she had everything she needed before making her way inside, the door chimed softly as she stepped into the building's relaxing atmosphere, the air condition a welcome feeling as she made her way up to order a much needed coffee.
The line was relatively long, congested by the usual late morning rush, but Y/N was happy to wait as long as it took. It was Friday, and she finally had a day off too herself for the first time in ages, and she would be damned if she let anything as trivial as waiting a few extra minutes in line ruin her good mood. So there she stood, patiently scrolling through some messages on her phone while she waited. Moving slowly with the flow of the line of customers, as she listened to the song that played from the shops speakers overhead; The same radio station she'd been listening to in her car.
‘I let you down
I've been clumsy with your heart again
I guess you figured me out
Now here's a taste of my own medicine
(I let you down)’
The door chiming softly behind her was nothing of significance. It had chimed at least four times prior to her arrival as more customers filtered in from the heat. Y/N unfazed by the sound at this point as she closed out an email from one of her clients managers. Making a mental note to herself to write a reply later when she arrived home before she stuffed her phone into her back pocket and looked up. A startled squeak escaping her lungs as she was suddenly rushed by a blur of curly hair.
“Aunt Y/N!”
A smile taking over Y/N’s face as she recognized the girl's voice. It was a voice that she’d recognize anywhere, even if Y/N hadn’t seen in her almost five years. “Hey, Casie.” Y/N smiled brightly as she hugged the girl a little tighter, happy to see such a familiar face.
“Dad! Look who I found!” Casie exclaimed excitedly, both her and Y/N turning at the same time to watch as Colson approached them through the small crowd that had formed inside the small Cafe.
“Hoooooly shit!” Colson chuckled as he approached the pair who were still locked in a tight embrace. One that Colson was quick to join in on. “Now there’s a face I never thought I’d see again. How the hell have you been, Cash?”
Y/N rolled her eyes at the silly nickname she had been given ages ago by the man before her himself. A nickname that she hadn’t heard in ages, something that tugged at her heart, sadly, as it brought forth a rush of memories she had long since kept buried...And for good reason.
“I’ve been doin’ alright.” Y/N chuckled softly as they finally broke away from the embrace to move up with the line. “How about you guys? It’s been ages -- When did she get so big?!” The words all came rushing out at once in a wave of excitement that overtook her, making Colson chuckle as he wrapped a long tattooed arm around his daughters shoulders, and pulled in for a tight side hug that had her squirming to escape before she punched his arm playful with a glare.
“I keep askin’ myself the same question.” He answered with a soft rumble of a laugh. Flinching a little as Casie punched his arm a little harder. “Ow.” Colson chuckled as he rubbed his arm lightly, moving to pull his wallet out of his back pocket before handing it to her as the line shortened once more. “Why don’t you grab us all somethin’, Princess, and we’ll grab a table--”
“Already on it!” Casie said excitedly as she rushed off to take Y/N’s spot in line as Colson motioned towards an empty table near the windows.
“I can’t believe how grown up she is...” Y/N admired as they took a seat, a hint of sadness in her eyes as she turned to watch Casie, who had finally reached the counter, place an order. “God, what was she, five, the last time I saw her?”
“Sounds about right.” Colson nodded. “Was right before you left Ohio for LA...”
“Yeah...” Y/N’s brows knit together tightly as she frowned, a wave of guilt crashing into her like a freight train. “Sorry I’ve been so shit at keeping in touch.” She apologized softly.
“Hey--” Colson reached out a hand to give her own a brief, reassuring squeeze. “Don’t do that to yourself. What happened, that wasn’t your fault and you know it. We were all young and stupid. Shit, even Rook knows that and how bad he fucked things up...You made your choice, and clearly it was the right one. I mean look at you--” Colson paused to lean back in his seat as he gestured at her proudly. “Ms. big time music producer over here.”
“Oh stop it.” Y/N waved off the comment playfully with a roll of her eyes. “But really, I mean it Colson. I always meant to come back and see you guys, especially Casie...But I just...I don’t know. I guess I just feel guilty that I disappeared from her life like that with nothing more than a few short video chats here and there, ya’know?”
“I get it.” Colson nodded. “Still not your fault. And if it’s any consolation, Rook still beats himself up for what happened.”
“Good!” Y/N replied harshly, her frown returning at the second mention of that name. “I hope it haunts the bastard for the rest of his life.” She muttered under her breath, though it was still loud enough that Colson heard it and gave a chuckle. About to say something in reply when Casie approached the table, drinks in hand, and took a seat beside Y/N, passing over her favorite drink --an iced chai latte-- before giving Colson his own coffee and returning his wallet.
“I ordered some breakfast sandwiches too.” Casie smiled.
“God I’ve missed you!” Y/N beamed as she hugged her tightly for a moment before letting go. Having to stave off the tears that built in her eyes when Casie refused to let go from the embrace. Torn away only by a sudden idea as she shot up and looked at Colson excitedly.
“Can she come over for the party tonight?!” Casie rushed out, bouncing in her seat a little as she waited for Colson’s reply as he turned to look at Y/N, giving a small shrug.
“I think I’ll leave that one up to Cash, Princess.” Colson chuckled softly as he took a sip of his coffee, thanking the waitress as their food was delivered.
“Please Aunt Y/N?! Please, please, please?!” Casie all but begged, hands clasped together as she gave Y/N that all to familiar puppy face. The same one she used to use on her all those years away when she wanted something. Eyes sparking with a level of adorableness that she knew Y/N would never be able to say no to; No matter how badly she wanted to.
Y/N groaned softly, knowing what this would entail, and exactly who she would be faced with having to avoid. But knowing that it was almost Casie’s birthday, Y/N didn’t have it in her heart to refuse. “I suppose I can’t really say ‘no’ to that face, now can I?”
“Yes! Oh my god, you’re the best Aunt Cash!” Casie exclaimed as she hugged Y/N tightly, melting what was left of her cold, icy heart a little as she hugged the girl back.
“Only cause it’s you.” Y/N chuckled softly with a smile. Even though she was a raging ball of anxiety on the inside now as every single worst case scenario suddenly played through her head as she thought about what the evening would hold in store.
~
‘Caught at the end of the lifeline
The catch of a lifetime
(I should've known, should've known, should've known)
Oh we were destined for danger
Familiar strangers
(I should've known, should've known)’
The party had been well under way for more than an hour when the sound of a vehicle nobody recognized was heard pulling into the driveway at Colson’s. A black Chevelle that found it’s parking spot beside the row of motorcycles nearest the front door. Everyone exchanging a few confused glances as Casie made a beeline straight for the door, flinging it open before whoever it was even had the chance to knock...Rook’s heart dropping somewhere into the vicinity of his stomach as she stepped into view, just as Casie flew in for a hug. Almost knocking Y/N over in the process.
“You made it!”
“Of course I made it.” Y/N chuckled softly, that all too familiar smile that haunted every single one of Rooks dreams, curving those beautiful lips of her upwards into a smile. A smile he never thought he could miss more than he did right at this very second.
“Holy shit, is that Cash?” Slim exclaimed as he came around the corner and out of the kitchen, wrapping Y/N in a tight embrace. “I thought Casie was pulling my damn leg when she told us who was comin’.”
“Surprise!” Y/N exclaimed with a nervous laugh as they broke away from the hug to extend the gift bag in her hand out towards Casie. “Happy Birthday, kiddo.”
Casie all but squealed as she moved back in for another hug, barely giving Y/N an chance to wave a hello to everyone as she thanked her for the gift before dragging her through the house for a tour and to catch up. Rook frozen to the same spot, just staring after the two, completely oblivious to Colson’s presence as he leaned up against the counter beside him.
“You alright?”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Rook’s head snapped around like it was on a swivel as he faced Colson. His tone sharp, but not one of anger. In fact, it was filled more with hurt than anything. His eyes drifting back towards the stairs where Casie and Y/N had disappeared just moments before. Colson held up his hands in defense as he shook his head lightly.
“We ran into her this morning while we were getting coffee. Case was so stoked to see her, man -- She didn’t wanna risk ruining anything. So she made me swear not to say anything. But I mean look, if you’re not cool with it and wanna take off, I understand--”
“No...It’s alright.” Rook cut Colson off as he shook his head. “It’s Casie’s day and I’m not gonna ruin that. We’re both adults.” He swallowed harshly as his mouth suddenly went dry. “It’ll be fine.” At least he hoped. Colson nodding, remaining silent as he watched Rook’s gaze wander once more as he sipped stiffly at the amber liquid in the glass he held. His grip on the glass was so tight that Colson thought it might shatter.
‘We were bound to make a mess of things
Mixin' fireworks and gasoline
Never meant to make you fall with me’
Time seemed to slow as the night drug on for what felt like an eternity. An eternity that was filled with awkward avoidance and sour glances that were periodically thrown in Rook’s direction whenever he was caught staring for just a fraction of a second too long. Midnight came and went. The whiskey was going down like water, and there wasn’t a joint strong enough to make this night any easier. The only thing keeping him from disappearing completely, was the constant reminder that this was for Casie, and he’d be damned if he was going to ruin that for her...Not that it made it any easier.
Left to watch from the side lines as Y/N joked and messed around with the rest of the guys, just like old times...Only this time around, Rook wasn’t a part of it. And knowing it was by his own wrong doings was like a dagger straight to the heart. A dagger that was slowly being twisted a little deeper into his chest with each passing hour that he was subject to someone dredging up a memory here and a memory there.
A soft sigh fell from his lips as he rubbed a tired hand over his face before standing, passing the joint he’d forgotten he’d been holding, back to Baze who had been eyeing him with a concerned look. “You alright, man?”
“Fine.” Rook waved a dismissive hand as he headed for the backyard. “I just need some air.” He added quietly. But the change in his demeanor didn’t go unnoticed as Baze gave a sigh of his own as he stood. Watching as Rook pushed through the small crowd of people and disappeared out the back door.
“Hey, Cash.” Baze waved her down as she came out of the kitchen with another beer, offering the joint he held out to her, which she gladly accepted. Taking a hit and holding it for a few seconds before she let the sweet trail from between her lips. “So now that you’ve had a decent hit, I’m gonna go ahead and say something, so don’t fuckin’ hit me, ok?”
Y/N’s gaze narrowed as she stared up at Baze, already knowing where this conversation was about to head. “I don’t wanna hear it, Basil.” She held up a hand. “He made his bed a long time ago, he can fuckin’ lay in it.”
“Don’t get me wrong,” Baze held up his hands as he shook his head, not wanting to start an argument. “I agree with you a hundred and ten percent. We all do, Y/N, but you have to understand something--”
“I don’t have to understand shit!” Y/N snapped before she took another puff from the joint she now held. She wanted nothing more than to walk away, yet for some reason, she felt compelled to hear what else Baze had to say.
“You’re right, you don’t.” Baze shrugged. “But Rook’s not the same person he was back then...None of us are; Not even you, Y/N. We were a bunch of stupid kids, despite the fact we were all fucking adults. And I can assure you, that not a day has gone by since then, where that kid hasn’t beat himself up over what happened. I’m not saying you have to forgive him, Cash...But at least let the guy have peace of mind enough to forgive himself.”
“Unlikely.” Y/N scoffed through the exhale of smoke she had been holding in, having finally heard enough as she moved to step around Baze. Pausing only to pass the joint she held back to him before she headed for the back door. “Thanks for the hit though.”
‘I let you down
I've been clumsy with your heart again
I guess you figured me out
Now here's a taste of my own medicine
And for all this pain, that I can't explain
There's a black flag wavin' tonight
You know I let you down
I've been clumsy with your heart again’
Y/N all but stumbled through the backdoor as that last hit from Baze’s joint hit her a lot sooner than she had anticipated it would --her tolerance wasn’t shit anymore-- and she suddenly felt like she should probably sit her ass down somewhere before she tipped the fuck over. Making sure that she paid extra close attention to where her feet were going as she made her way over to the edge of the pool and took a seat. Dipping her feet into the water immediately, having ditched her converse hours ago while dancing with Casie; Blissfully unaware of Rook’s presence as she kicked her feet back and forth gently, watching the ripples the movement created on the surface of the water. Rook watching her quietly, remembering how they used to sit and do that together at the hotels on tour. The memory caused the ache inside of his chest to worsen as he tried washing the feelings away with a sip from his drink as he hung his head in his free hand.
The distinct ‘clink’ of ice against glass alerted Y/N that she wasn’t alone, as she tensed up. Turning slowly to glance over her shoulder, only to find Rook sitting no more than a few feet away. A frustrated sigh left her lips as she turned back to stare at the water. Her first instinct to get up and leave, and she wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol or the weed in her system, but she didn’t have it in her to move. She had been running away all night, whenever he would enter a room, Y/N was gone the second he’d notice her. It was tiresome. And truth be told, no matter how much she still wanted to hate him right now, her heart simply wouldn’t let her...And she hated that even more.
She hated the fact that she had never stopped loving him, no matter how hard she tried to deny it and move on with her life, or how many times she had swore up and down to herself that she could never even possibly think about forgiving him...It just simply wasn’t possible. Not too say that it didn’t still hurt after all these years, or that it didn’t mean she wasn’t still angry. Because she was angry, and with every passing second that she thought about it, that anger rose to the surface, bit by bit, until it was too much for her to handle anymore. Y/N pushing herself up to her feet, trying her hardest to maintain her composure as she swayed slightly from the head rush of being inebriated. Her conscious all but screaming at her to keep her mouth shut and not start shit, but it was already too late as the words came pouring out of her mouth like word vomit.
“So that’s it then?” She hiccuped slightly as she stalked over to stand in front of Rook, her arms crossed tightly across her chest in an attempt to make herself appear angrier than really was. “Five fucking years, and all I get is a bunch of stolen glances and some forlorn fucking pouting? You’re not even gonna try--”
“Cash, please don’t...” Rook spoke softly as he tried to defuse the situation.
“Don’t you fucking DARE ‘Cash’ me, JP Cappelletty!” Y/N snapped. “Five fucking years! Five.Fucking.Years, JP, and you never even once tried to reach out, never tried to apologize! You just -- You just let me fucking leave with no more than a shitty ass excuse as to why I caught you sucking face with some random fucking half naked slut--”
“What the hell do you want me to say, Y/N?!” Rook’s head snapped up as he made eye contact and stood. His gaze boring straight into her own as he continued, his voice steadily growing heated, but he never raised it to the point of yelling. Not even once. “You want me to fucking apologize? When you and I both know that sorry doesn’t even begin to fucking fix what I let happen?! I’m sorry! I’m fucking sorry, Y/N! I’m sorry I fucked up so bad! I’m sorry I was a stupid fucking kid who got so wrapped up in all of this,” He paused to gesture around them. “That I didn’t stop to think it would even fucking matter. That there wouldn’t be any fucking consequences to my actions? I fucked up, Y/N, I know that, and I have to live with it every goddamn day! Sorry doesn’t even begin to fucking cut it, but if that’s what you want to hear, then I’m fucking sorry!”
Y/N remained quiet, her arms falling away to her sides as she watched Rook turn away from her. His hands scrubbed over his face and into his hair out of frustration as he tried to reign in every last shred of emotion that was threatening to pour out. “I’m sorry that I lost you...I’m sorry for that everyday that I wake up and remember that you’re not a part of my life anymore.”
“JP, don’t--” Y/N’s voice was barely above a whisper now, Rook’s back still to her as she spoke, but her words went unnoticed as he continued. Tipping his head back as he looked up at the night sky as the words continued to pour forth from whatever depths of his soul they had long been hidden away in.
“I wish that I could take it back, Y/N, I really do, but I fucking can’t. I’m sorry, and I’m sorry that ‘I’m sorry’ is never gonna be good enough to fix it...But I can’t do this anymore, Y/N. I can’t keep kissing strangers and pretending they’re you!” Rook sighed as he bowed his head in defeat. The silence between them was heavy, even if only for a moment before it was interrupted by the broken sob that fell from Y/N’s lips, the sound catching Rook’s attention immediately as he turned, watching as her hands flew up to her mouth as she tried to muffle the sound of her own body betraying her, as another sob followed close behind; Tears streaming down her face as her body shook.
“Y/N--” Rook was hesitant as he took a step forward and reached out, almost afraid that if he moved too quickly she might run; Or at the very least try and take a swing at him. Not that he didn’t deserve it. But as his outstretched fingers made contact with Y/N’s skin, it was all he could do to stay standing as she all but collapsed into his arms. Her face buried against his chest as she sobbed uncontrollably. “Hey, shh. It’s ok...I-I got you.” Rook murmured against her hair softly as he held her. Doing everything he could to blink back the tears that formed in his own eyes as every last ounce of pain and regret that flowed through her flowed through him as she cried.
“I-I’m s-sorry...” Y/N sobbed against Rook’s chest, causing him to glance down at her with a confused expression, as he was unsure why she felt the need to apologize, least of all to him. But before he could think to speak up and ask, Y/N continued. “I’m s-sorry that I’ve been a c-cold hearted, i-insufferable bitch! I’m sorry f-for how I’ve treated you. And not j-just in the past, b-but tonight to. I-I’m sorry for trying t-to force myself to h-hate you for the past f-five years--” Y/N paused, pulling away slightly as she tried to wipe away the tears that blurred her vision as she looked up at Rook. “I’m s-sorry that I never stopped loving you...But I’m not sorry for that as much as I try and hate you, that I’m still hopelessly in love with your dumbass!”
Rook was left looking like a slack jawed fish as he opened and closed his mouth a few times, searching for the right words while simultaneously questioning if he had even heard her correctly to begin with. That she was in fact still in love with him. Reassurance came in the form of her lips crashing into his before he could say anything at all that might possibly ruin the moment, and for that, among other things, he was incredibly grateful for, as he moved his hands to gently caress her face. Her own hands drifted up his chest to find their way around his neck, one settling in his hair at the nape of his neck, pulling him closer, as he deepened the kiss.
That familiar spark of electricity igniting between them once more, just as it had with the very kiss they had shared all those years ago. Neither one of them wanted to be the first to break away, but eventually, they had to come up for air, Rook pressing his lips against Y/N forehead gently as he pulled her closer, and made a promise. Afraid that if he let her go now, if he didn’t speak his truth, that he’d wake up from some sick dream and none of this will have been real.
“I swear to you, Y/F/N, I swear to you on my own goddamn life, that if you ever give you me another chance, even though I know I’ve done nothing to deserve it, I promise you that I will spend everyday making it up to you; Even if it’s the last thing I ever fucking do.” Rook’s voice trembled with emotion as he tilted Y/N’s chin so that she was looking up at him. “I love you, Cash. I loved you then, I love you now and I will love you for the rest of eternity; Even if you won’t have me. You will always be my girl, and I will do everything in my power to never let you down like that again. Not ever.”
Y/N pressed her lips back to Rook’s, not knowing how else to reply at that exact moment. Knowing this wasn’t something that could be as easily fixed as they both wanted it to be...But at least for tonight, they could pretend. Knowing that come morning, when they were both sober, this conversation would be a lot harder as they worked on figuring out how to try and make this work again. Rook’s lips were eager against her own in response as his hands drifted down her waist, stopping only when they reached the back of her thighs and he lifted her up as she wrapped her legs around his waist.
“Get a room!” Colson hollarded with a chuckle from the back door as the rest of the guys joined in with cheers and whistles, the pair now fully away that they had an audience. Both reaching a hand out to flip them all the bird. Too wrapped up in the moment to be bothered to care. “I love you.” Rook panted out when they finally did manage to break apart sometime later. The love and adoration in his eyes as he gazed up at Y/N, was almost too much for her to handle as she placed her hands against his cheeks and pressed her forehead against his own.
“I love you too, JP.” She whispered, keeping the last part to herself. ‘More than you could ever know.’
~
‘Turn the desert all to glass
Droppin' bombs on future's past
Nothing left for us, shadows dancin' in the ash
Turn the desert all to glass
Droppin' bombs on future's past
Nothing left
I let you down
I've been clumsy with your heart again
I guess you figured me out
Now here's a taste of my own medicine
And for all this pain, that I can't explain
There's a black flag wavin' tonight
You know I let you down (let you down)
I've been clumsy with your heart again
Turn the desert all to glass
Droppin' bombs on future's past
Nothing left for us, shadows dancin' in the ash
Turn the desert all to glass
Droppin' bombs on future's past
Nothing left for us, shadows dancin' in the ash’
------------------------------
Tagging: @jacksonroseroth
If you would like to be added to any of my future Rook fics, please feel free to let me know! ^-^
#rook cappelletty#jp cappelletty#MGK#fanfiction#Oneshot#Rook Cappelletty x Reader#jp cappelletty x reader#Machine Gun Kelly#Rookie needs more love#JP Cappelletty Oneshot#Rook Cappelletty Oneshot#JP 'Rook' Cappelletty#lyric oneshot#Clumsy by All Time Low
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Jim’s Best Friend
Part Thirteen - To Come Home
Word Count: 2104
Author’s Note: Yeah, so I think I’m going to maybe do a prompt list. And it doesn’t just have to be John Krasinski/Jack Ryan and Jim Halpert.... I dunno, I really like writing at the moment and I think I should try out some oneshot sort of things.
WARNING: implied smut.
March, 2007.
"So, Y/N is meant to be having a meeting with Michael and Jan today... And no-one but Pam and I know she's back in the States." Jim explained to the camera, glancing at his watch. "And as of two minutes ago, she has been in my car for two hours. Or in the warehouse, or wherever isn't the office." He glanced out into the main office. "I really hope she stays here in Scranton." He muttered softly, and a wave from Pam cause him to jump up. "Excuse me."
--
"Jan just called from the road, she should be here in ten minutes..." Pam informed, and as she did, the office door opened to reveal you, looking rather intensely at the floor that divided the office from the building behind you.
You needed time to think, to consider what could happen in the upcoming meeting, what people might think of you returning. In your thought, you had tidied out Jim's car, spent twenty minutes catching up with the building's security guy, Hugh, and gone to the bathroom twice. And after procrastinating for what felt like five years, two hours had passed, and you had a meeting to attend.
You took a breath, and set your shoulders, stepping into the office with a pretty smile and a wink to Pam. You kept your head high, stopping beside Jim in front of Pam's desk.
"Excuse me, Miss. I have a meeting with your manager that was moved up from noon to 11?" You said, loud enough for the office to eavesdrop. Jim shook his head, heading back to his desk with a big grin on his face, taking a seat to watch the scene unfold. He could see a few faces trying to place the dark-haired beauty, something about her too familiar.
"Ah, I have you right here, Miss Y/L/N. I'll let Michael know you are here." Pam responded in a loud voice, and your old colleagues jumped up to greet you. Phyllis was first, hugging you tight.
"What ten months can do! Do they not have food in Europe, Y/N?" She asked, and you noticed the ring on her finger.
"You're engaged!" You squeaked, and Phyllis nodded, letting you examine the ring.
One by one, you said hello to your old coworkers, even stopping by Dwight's desk to say a quick hello. Jim had stolen your old desk, Ryan stealing Jim's before that, and it was only one of the changes you noticed. There were two new staffers in the building, no doubt from the Stamford branch, and you noticed the woman from Jim's photo at a newly placed desk beside Phyllis. You headed over, smiling to her as she finished a phone call.
"We haven't met yet... But I'm Y/N. Jim has told me all about you, thought I'd say hello." You held out a hand, and Karen looked you over before smiling and returning the handshake.
"You went to Europe right?" She double checked, and you nodded, registering the sound of the front door opening again. You turned to see Jan, who smiled and nodded for you to follow her.
"Nice meeting you." You said quickly, straightening your top as you followed Jan into Michael's office. The moment the door was closed, Karen walked over to Jim's desk, tapping on his hand and gesturing for him to follow her into the hallway. Jim glanced at Michael's office door and then shrugged, following her out.
"What's up?" He asked, hands stuffed into his pockets. Karen turned to face him after pacing a few times.
"Y/N... You didn't tell me she was... Well..." Karen fumbled over her words. She wasn't the sort to get jealous. "She's hot, Jim. You described her as like a six at best and that girl is at least an eight point two." Jim laughed at that, quickly stopping himself when he saw she was serious. He, pulled her close, whispering something softly into her ear. A smile grew on Karen's face at the words, and she kissed Jim softly.
--
"What did I say to Karen?" Jim looked into the camera, a smirk crossing his lips. "A gentleman never tells."
--
"So, are we agreed?" Jan asked, looking between you and Michael, the latter of which had a frown on his face. "The temp will go with a glowing recommendation, and Y/N will be based here in Scranton as the company's reserve on Foreign Correspondence. What the Rochester branch can't handle, we have Y/N available for." Jan reiterated the agreement. "Y/N will also be available to the Scranton branch as a sales rep, though she answers directly to Corporate."
"First you left for Europe, and now you're joining the likes of Toby... Answering straight to corporate..." Michael grumbled, and you sighed.
"Michael, I won't have you talking to like that to my employee." Jan reprimanded him playfully, and smiled at you. There was clearly something going on there. "It's good to have you back with us, Y/N. Your boxes are being brought up by Darryl just now. You should be settled before lunch is over." Jan held out a hand, and you shook it quickly.
"Thank you so much, Jan. I promise to not let you down." You nodded, and Jan left the office, only you and Michael remaining.
The quiet was held for a few moments, uncomfortable and tense, before Michael let out a long sigh.
"So what? Everyone else gets a party?" You tried to joke with him.
"What am I supposed to say to a traitor?" Michael hissed, and you laughed out loud.
"I didn't betray you, Michael. I got out of Scranton, and I missed you, and I came back. If anything, this only makes us even after the Todd Packer thing." You folded your arms, and Michael looked down. He had hoped you had forgotten about it. "Why don't we go out tonight? We can get some food, catch up?" You suggested hopefully, giving Michael your best puppy dog eyes. He frowned deeper, trying his best to hide his smile, before he let it all burst out.
"Ah! I can't stay mad at you. Fine, yes, dinner! I want to hear all about Europe and, oh Y/N, the things you have missed here." Michael clapped, jumping up and hugging you tight. You did your best not to fall over, and Michael let go to open the door. "Ladies and gentlemen!" He called to the office. "It gives me great pleasure to announce that Y/N is back in Scranton!" The announcement was met with applause, and you curtsied to amuse your coworkers.
"Where you wanting the boxes, Y/N?" Darryl asked, standing by Pam's desk. You looked around the room, seeing the soon-to-be free desk was right across from Creed, and you bit your lip. As much as you wanted to be here, having Creed looking down your top the whole time was the last thing you dreamed of.
"Desk beside Jim's." You directed Darryl to place your boxes on Ryan's desk, who rushed out of the kitchen when he noticed.
"Y/N, what are you doing?" He asked, frowning at the smiles Dwight and Jim shared. "That's my desk."
"No, that's your desk." You pointed over to the spot beside Creed.
"But I'm not a temp anymore."
"And I'm not having Creed look down my shirt all day. Of course, I'm sure Kelly would love if you moved to the annexe with her..." You trailed off, smirking as his face dropped. Unlike Jim, you couldn't be pushed over so easily, and you remembered Ryan's weaker points.
"Creed is great." He said quickly, and you looked to a laughing Jim and winked. Within ten minutes, you had your new desk arranged and an office chair that didn't squeak.
"How did you do that..?" Jim asked, amazed by your ability to take back what you wanted. He hadn't wanted to cause any negative feelings between him and Ryan when he first came back.
"I'm better than you." You replied, taking a seat and placing down the last of your personal effects: a photo of you and your mom.
"Really? Because... The sales sheet would say otherwise." Jim had challenged you, and you had been in the office for no more than an hour.
"First to five sales?" You accepted it with a cheeky grin, and Jim nodded.
"Pam, keep count." He said, looking back at Pam, who was enjoying it all too much.
"Of course. Ready?" She asked, and with a nod of her head, the games begun.
--
"They really eat that much seafood in Spain?!" Michael asked through tears of laughter, the pair of you walking out the restaurant close to 11.30 that night. Your first day back had been more than successful, catching up with everybody, beating Jim in your competition, even messing a little with Dwight. It felt good to back in a routine, and you slotted back into the office like you never even left.
Michael and you had stuck to the plans, heading out after work to reconnect over burgers. And the past five hours had been filled with drink and food and joy, that you almost didn't want to get in the taxi.
"243 Maple Wood, please. Then 7303 Bonnie Place." You instructed the driver, sitting yourself beside Michael in the backseat. He looked up at you as the car took off.
"So you and Jim finally decided to date?" He said with a raised eyebrow. "I knew it! I always knew it, I have a radar for this sort of thi-"
"Oh, no!" You interrupted. "Jim is just letting me stay until I find a new place. He has a spare room, offered it to me last night instead of a hotel." You explained quickly, and Michael didn't look convinced.
"I don't believe a word you say Y/N, the chemistry there is palapalable..."
"Do you mean palpable?" You giggled, shaking your head. "He's been dating Karen for what, four months now?" You guesstimated, and your friend shrugged. "You seriously thought we were together?"
"Well, you're really touchy feely around the office with him, always getting him coffee and tormenting Dwight..."
"We're best friends..."
"Maybe." Michael shrugged, and the conversation ended there. You had never thought you were overly attentive to Jim, but looking back, the pair of you did partake in platonic PDA fairly often. "It'll be weird... Not really being your boss anymore." He spoke up again.
"I assure you Michael, you can order me around all you like. It'll be like old times, except some of the time I'll be speaking in Spanish over the phone. Or French..." The car slowed down outside of Jim's place, and you gave Michael a squeeze. "Thank you for tonight. I missed this."
"We'll make it a monthly thing." Michael said nonchalant, and you opened over the cash for the full fare.
"I'm holding you to that... And I wouldn't stress too much about the whole Jan thing... It'll work out at some point." You assured him, jumping out of the car. Part of the night had been dedicated to Michael's turbulent love life, and you were filled in on Carol at Diwali, then Christmas, and Jan at Christmas, which had led to a bizarre relationship that sort of happened? You had suggested dating outside of two women, but knowing Michael, he wouldn't listen to that advice until they were either both dead or married.
You tapped twice on the cab's roof, sending it speeding down the road towards Michael condo, and you walked up the driveway to Jim's front door, unlocking it with the keys he had given you that morning. You locked the door and dropped the keys in the bowl, heading first into the kitchen, and grabbing a drink.
As you shut the fridge, you heard giggling, and you walked into the living room to find Jim and Karen half naked on his couch, in the middle of a rather heated make out session. Karen spotted you first, her eyes widening as she covered herself with Jim's shirt.
"What... Why are you here?" Karen asked, and Jim looked over.
"Shit... Sorry Y/N..." he muttered, and you cracked open your can of beer, sending the pair a smile.
"No problem, I'll be in the guest room, headphones on... Enjoy your night, guys." You couldn't help but chuckle as you walked behind the couch to your sleeping quarters, the awkward situation was not what you had expected to face that evening.
And then, you realised that finding your own place, it might be better to do sooner rather than later.
--
Tags: @imsuperawkward @rosie2801 @onceuponahuntersrealm @poppirocks
#au#jim halpert#michael scott#pam beesly#dwight schrute#the office#jim halpert x reader#jim x reader#office au#reader#reader insert#reader is female#romance#friendship#pam and jim#jim and pam#slow burn#from season 1#fanfiction#fanfic#fandom#john krasinski#steve carell#jenna fischer#rainn wilson#jackryanplz#part thirteen
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Alchemy Lullaby (1/?)
Of all the changes that came with living in the castle, becoming a father was not one he anticipated.
When Eugene encounters a small child suffering like he did, he gives them the opportunity to grow up the way he never did... helping them both heal.
(AU where Varian is 4 and gets adopted by Eugene)
I've been thinkin about this for a lil bit, and then I met Saad who encouraged my dadgene desires and well, here we are. Also shoutout to @finnoky for an ADORABLE baby Varian design that I'm imagining in this scenario lol.
Be warned there's brief child abuse, only like 2 sentences of it though. And while there will be angst in this fic that's likely gonna be the only outright abuse.
I'll be honest I have an idea for an overarching plot but this may just end up being a bunch of baby Varian dad Eugene oneshots. Whatever I'm feeling. We'll see.
Eugene grumbled, muttering to himself as he walked through the streets of Corona. That’s not to say that he didn’t enjoy it here, quiiiiite the opposite. Life with Rapunzel in the castle was a dream. In the past six months Eugene hasn’t needed nor wanted anything but only Rapunzel’s happiness. If she was happy, so was he. Unfortunately, that was something he had in common with Cassandra. It was the only thing they seemed to have in common, because he refused to relate himself to that ice queen any further.
The reason why he was muttering was because he had misplaced his favorite brush (though he suspected Cassandra stole it to mess with him), and hey, Eugene, since you’re going into town, can you run a few errands for me? Don’t worry it won’t take you long, just a few dozen shops to visit while me and Rapunzel have a nice relaxing day.
Cassandra totally stole it just to get him to do her chores. Total jerk move.
He’d managed to get most of the things on her list, the only thing left was food for the animals. Apples for Max, mostly. The horse was like a chainsaw, ripping through apples like an axe through wood. It was terrifying and intriguing at the same time.
Thankfully, Cassandra supplied him with the funds and a cart in order to buy all of this stuff.
“Two crates of apples, please.” Eugene mumbled, not looking directly at the seller, as he was deep in thought, mostly cursing Cassandra. The woman, short with wild red hair, easily hauled the apples into his cart without a word. He paid her, eyes trained on the cart, when he saw it.
The crate rumbled, apples moving ever so slightly. He was a seasoned thief, he knew what that meant.
In any other situation, Eugene probably wouldn’t have cared. It was likely only a few apples. But he was cranky, and he didn’t want to be here, and also had he really gotten that sloppy? He used to be Flynn Rider, now thieves were stealing from right under his nose! It was a matter of pride, more than anything else.
“Oi!” He called. He couldn’t see the thief, but he heard the telltale squeak of a guilty ruffian, and the pattering of footsteps.
“Watch my stuff?” He asked, and before he could get an answer, he bolted after the thief. His boots thundered against the pavement, following the sound of the footsteps. They were faint, whoever this thief was must be light on their feet and damn good at going unnoticed. He weaved through the crowd, unable to catch a proper glimpse. All Eugene could see was that the figure was small, or maybe they were crouching? And they were damn fast. Eugene nearly tripped over himself on multiple occasions trying to follow them. He was getting rusty. If Cassandra was here she’d laugh her ass off.
They turned into a narrow alleyway, and Eugene followed shortly after.
The walls were tall and imposing, casting a shadow on the otherwise sunny day. This part of the capital was on the poorer side, with rundown houses and boarded windows. He hasn’t been in here in a while, now that he lived in the castle. But he’d used this general area as a hideout in his youth. He knew this road was a deadend.
“Got you,” he muttered, stalking down the road. “And just who do you think you are, stealing from… me?”
His voice trailed off, and he stared at the scene in shock.
Standing before him was a child. An incredibly tiny, incredibly scared child.
The small boy backed up in fear, practically huddled in the corner. His gangly limbs trembled like a leaf in the wind. His wide blue eyes were misting with crocodile tears, a few dripping onto his tattered clothes. He reached up to brush his hair out of his face, revealing a single shock of blue hair amongst the jet black.
Eugene took a step forward, and the boy took a step back. He whimpered. The ex-convict held up his arms in surrender. “It’s ok,” He breathed, slowly kneeling down. The child regarded him with terror and a hint of intrigue. “I’m not going to hurt you, I promise.” He picked up the apple, brushing the dirt off. It’s red sheen caught the kid’s attention. With how small the child was, he must be malnourished. Eugene’s hand opened, and the fruit slowly rolled back over to the boy. He eyed it before snatching it up and holding it close. He looked over at Eugene, an unspoken question glinting in his eyes. Eugene nodded, and the boy dug into the apple like a feral racoon. Juice spilled onto the dusty ground as he ate.
“Woah!” Eugene chuckled. “Slow down before you choke!” The little boy giggled.
That seemed to do the trick, as the fear slowly trickled from his eyes, being replaced with a childish joy. Eugene offered him a small smile, and he got a buck-toothed grin back.
“What’s your name, kid?”
The small child wiped his mouth with a tattered sleeve. “I’m Varian,” He said.
“Nice to meet you, Varian. How old are you?”
“I’m four and a half!”
Eugene raised an eyebrow, his smile dropping down to a concerned frown. Four and a half!? That was way too young to be by himself in the streets. He and Lance didn’t leave the orphanage until they were 12! Even that was too young! And before they left, they were definitely fed more than this. The boy was a stick! Why was he out here, left to the streets to survive or die? What pushed this child to steal to survive?
He cleared his throat. If he hadn’t, he probably would have started to cry. “It’s nice to meet you, Varian. Where... where’s your parents?”
Varian shrugged, digging his bare feet into the dirt. He was completely oblivious to Eugene’s mounting concern. “Dunno. Momma told me to wait here.”
Oh thank god, he just got separated from his mom. “When was that?” If it wasn’t too long ago, maybe his mom was among the crowd?
Varian hummed, deep in thought. “Uhh... the big lantern party.”
Never mind.
Eugene blinked, trying to comprehend. “The… the lantern festival. The one that was 6 months ago. That one?” Varian nodded. Eugene fell silent, completely shell-shocked by that revelation. Taking the silence as an invitation, Varian toddled over to Eugene.
“Sorry for taking an apple, I was just really hungry…” His r’s were slightly slurred, sounding more like a w. It was painfully cute. What kind of monster would ever abandon such a cute child? Big blue eyes gazed up at Eugene. “Are you mad?” he asked.
“Mad? Why would I be mad?”
Varian frowned, fear refilling his eyes. “Momma didn’t like it when I took the apples... I was just so hungry, and she had a buncha em in a big box, but she yelled at me.” His lips wobbled, lost in the memory.
Eugene grabbed his shoulders gently. “Hey hey,” he coaxed. “You shouldn’t take without asking, but if you’re hungry, all you gotta do is ask, ok?” He bit his lip. A small part of him really wanted to believe that he’d just gotten separated from his mom, that whoever he was, he was looking for Varian, but realistically… This poor kid was in the same boat as him. Thrown out into the world and told to get used to being alone.
What should he do? He can’t exactly take Varian back to the castle, can he?
...Can he?
No, he was still new to living in the castle. Maybe if he and Rapunzel were engaged, he could have gotten away with it. But Rapunzel wasn’t ready for marriage, so there was no doubt she wasn’t ready for this, either. Even if every atom in his body screamed to not let another child fall through the cracks like he did.
He sighed. “Varian,” the little boy looked up at him. “I….” how was he supposed to tell Varian? “Can I take you somewhere safe?”
Varian cocked his head, confused.
“You… you can’t stay here on the street, you need to be cared for, fed properly.” He added the last part to entice the kid. It did the trick, as Varian nodded.
“Will you be there?” He asked.
“N… no, but I can visit?” That soothed the screaming in his mind. He held out a hand for Varian to take.
Varian pondered his offer. “Do you promise?”
“Sure kid, I promise.”
A tiny hand slipped into his. Eugene couldn’t help but marvel at the size difference.
The two entered back into the crowded streets of Corona, and it was like a switch had flipped. Instead of only speaking a few words when asked, Varian babbled happily about anything and everything he could, from why he thought the sky was blue to a raccoon he saw the other day. He was a little chatterbox, even with his cheeks stuffed with the rest of the apple. Eugene wiped up the spare juice that fell from his lips, earning him a giggle. Even the people around them cooed at how adorable he was. How adorable they were together, as a family. It pained Eugene how nice that sounded.
At some point Eugene had lifted Varian onto his shoulders, letting him see everything Corona had to offer. The excited kicks to the face were worth it.
“I was listenin’ in on one of the schools, through the window,” Varian babbled. “Did you know the clouds are made of water? They’re made of puddles! After it rains, the puddles disappear back into the sky and then come back down again!”
“Oh really?”
“Yea! The mol...molecools…” The word was stuck on his tongue. The fact that he even knew the word was impressive, what else did the kid pick up? Orphanages don’t have the best education, he knew that first hand, all that intelligence would die there…
No, stop it Eugene. You cannot take him to the castle. Even if he is adorable, and smart, and just like him…
Suddenly, he felt violent smacks to the top of his head. Varian was bouncing up and down, practically screaming in excitement.
“Momma!” He yelled, squirming off of Eugene’s shoulders before he had the ability to process what just happened.
Eugene chased after him, bumping through the shoulders of passersby, until he finally spotted Varian tugging at the pant legs of the apple seller. Varian mentioned his mom had a lot of apples… oh no.
He raced up to the stand. His cart had, thankfully, been left untouched.
“Momma, Momma, Momma, I missed you!” Varian sang. “I waited for a while, but you never came back, and I had to take food, but I know you don’t like that, I just was suuupeer hungry…” He continued his excited babbling, completely unaware of the mounting dread Eugene felt.
The woman looked down on Varian, eyes narrowing. She seemed agitated, almost furious and even… disgusted. Eugene’s heart fractured and fell deep into the pits of his stomach.
Oh no. Please, no.
Those fractures lit on fire when she saw the woman kick Varian away. The small child slid into the street with a cry, and the woman turned back up to staring into the crowd as if nothing had happened.
As if she hadn’t just kicked her son.
Eugene moved to intervene, when little Varian, undeterred, waddled back up to his mother’s side. “I’m sorry, momma,” he mumbled. For what, Eugene had no idea. The man paid the child no mind. He didn’t even blink.
“Momma?” Varian tried again. “Momma, I’m sorry I made daddy go bye bye. Can we go home?”
Eugene’s fire was extinguished almost instantly, frost curling inside of him, up his throat. He was speechless.
So was Varian’s mother. She continued to ignore her son. Varian’s lip wobbled, and a single tear fell onto the dusty path. That was followed by more, and soon Varian was letting out hiccupping sobs.
That snapped Eugene into action. He walked up to the stand, acting completely nonchalant. He didn’t thank the woman for watching his cart, he’d never forgive a mother who abandoned her son. Wordlessly, he pushed the cart forward, scooping Varian up as he moved. Varian made no effort to fight back or protest, he simply curled into the man’s arms and cried.
“I’m so sorry,” Eugene whispered, leaning down and placing a kiss into inky black hair. Varian gripped onto Eugene ever so tighter.
To hell with what Rapunzel or Cassandra, or anyone else said. He would not let the same fate that befell him repeat.
Varian had a home, starting today.
#tangled#tangled the series#tts#tts varian#varian#tangled eugene#eugene fitzherbert#team awesome#tts eugene
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