god i read a post that was like. the manga acts like a shitty generic shounen manga and it only gets interesting once lacie shows up and. how do i kill someones opinions with my hands

Afterglow (A Bucky Barnes AU fan fiction) - Chapter 17

Afterglow chapters

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x reader

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

One of the advantages of being a photographer — or a self-taught photographer in your case — is having the ability to acquire an eidetic memory. You remembered the hat that the little bitch (a four-year old) was wearing when she pushed you off the swings in daycare, or the little stain on your father's doctor's lab coat when your family had to rush him to the hospital, or what Peter was wearing the day you guys first met (some oversized flannel he borrowed from Bucky), or the look on your ex-boyfriend's face when you punched him in the face for cheating on you.

The attention to every pretty little detail is, and always will be, a must, and so not remembering where you had seen Bucky before killed you, or rather, was killing you.

It was a normal morning, well, better than your normal mornings to say the least, with Bucky spending the night in your bed. This time, you woke up first, all wrapped in nothing but sheets and Bucky's arms just like yesterday. You rolled over to his side and admired him in his sleep. Then, sudden flashes of Bucky's face from before flooded your memory. You didn't know when exactly was before. It felt like a kind of a deja vu moment.

While eating Bucky's homemade breakfast, in your mind, you listed all the possible places where you could've seen him before: a café, a bar you once went to in college, a bookstore, a museum, a convivial gathering, a convenience store, and any other places you could've bumped into him.

The morning grew unusually quiet and clouded, eliciting concern from Bucky.

"You seem awfully quiet this morning." He observed. "Are you alright, doll?"

"Y-yes, I am."

"Uh-oh, was the sex not great last night?" He joked, nudging his elbow against yours.

You shook your head, trying to smile a little. Thankful that Bucky was trying to keep everything light. "No, no, it was great. You were great. It's just... I'm just quite anxious for today."

Today, you were going to Sam's office and to his store on Fifth Street, to discuss the details about the project. It wasn't what you had in your mind this morning but as you told Bucky about it, you realized you really were getting a bit nervous about the meeting. It was a big deal, after all.

Sam's business, The Falcons, was getting more recognition than you thought. He was now in near competition with Nike and Adidas, especially with the rumors of him releasing brand-new footwear, that could — and you quote one of the articles you read while on break — “overthrow the big leagues.” That alone, already put you in the spotlight. So, whatever you put out there should only be a success, and not a flop; because if it were a failure, you wouldn't only be humiliating yourself, but Bucky as well.

"You're gonna do great!" He assured you. "Plus, it's just a meeting. You two already seem to have a grasp on the project, anyway."

"Yeah." You sighed. "You're right."

You wanted to ask Bucky if you had ever, ever, met each other before — perhaps during a party where you’ve rescued Peter before? — but you bit your tongue to stop yourself. You already did when you met, anyway. And everything was going great between the two of you — whatever the hell this was; besides, labels are overrated nowadays — and you didn't want to say anything or do anything that could potentially ruin it. You were beyond happy in your little bubble, and you could tell Bucky was, too.

You brushed all those thoughts at the back of your mind as you and Bucky strolled through Sam's building's hallways, ironically telling yourself it was all just in your head, that you were just quite edgy about this damn meeting, that you were just thinking about Bucky all the damn time; and the more you told these things to yourself, the more you believed it, and the more you hoped you would never have these thoughts again.

Today, you wore something a bit different than what you usually wore down at the bar. A blazer and pants set, adorned with black and white stripes, a tube top inside, and a white belt that kept the blazer on your sides. You got the set when you and Bucky were out shopping on Monday, of course, Bucky paid for it no matter how many times you refused. Your hair was let down, all the ends flowing down your shoulders until the bottom of your breasts. Lips painted bright red (which Bucky really, really liked). A bit of shimmer on your eyelids as well.

Today was a huge deal and you wanted to look your best.

Bucky kept his hand on the small of your back the whole time you walked, giving a sense of comfort and familiarity you now learned to be fond of. He told the story of how he met Sam (at a bar, where else?), how he had seen him grow in the industry (all the ups and downs), and also how they've always supported each other — the three of them.

"Wait, the three of you?" You asked. "There's another one?"

Bucky almost wanted to stop in his tracks but decided against it. He avoided your gaze, his eyes straight down the hallway. "Yes, but we've fallen apart." He said. "He has his own thing now. Anyway, let's not talk about it. We have more important things to deal with today."

Before you could even ask what the name of this third friend was, Sam appeared at the end of the hallway, with his arms wide open, like a king opening his arms to his heir. Bucky, without leaving your side, proceeded to hug Sam only using his free arm, "Hey, man," he said, and retreated back afterwards.

On the other hand, you shook Sam's hand and gave him a smile.

"Hi, Sam." You greeted. "Nice to see you again."

"You too... y/n." Sam replied, hiding a smirk you knew he was itching to show, hiding the fact that he wanted to mock Bucky by calling you "babydoll."

"You guys made it in time." He said. "Come with me to the conference hall."

Sam led you to his right where a white long table stood in the middle with a bunch of vacant office chairs around. A projector sat on the center of the table, a series of displays of sports apparel lying around, perfectly organized by color. A blonde woman had her back on you, flipping papers on a clipboard. Once she heard you come in, she swiveled around and put the clipboard on the table.

"Y/n, this is Sharon Carter, my assistant and the project manager assigned for this new release." Sam spoke. "She knows everything there is to know about how my business works, all the ins and outs. And if in any case I won't be around, you can always rely on her."

"Hi, nice to meet you." You said.

Sharon Carter, instead of answering verbally, just offered you a smile and a small nod. Her gaze shifted towards Bucky, and then Sam. "Mr. Wilson, does he need to be here?"

"Always a pleasure to see you, Sharon." Bucky chuckled.

Sharon ignored him and continued to talk to Sam; well, tried to. "All the details in today's meeting are confidential and he — "

"He's good, Sharon." Sam cut her off. "I doubt he'll be interested in this, anyway. He's just here for his... doll." Sam chortled and Bucky winked and clicked his tongue in response. "Besides, he's the one who introduced me to y/n."

Sharon sighed in defeat and tried to smile at her boss. "Very well then."

"Please, take a seat." Sam offered, leading you towards the vacant chairs.

While walking towards the chairs, Bucky bent over on your side and whispered: "Don't worry, she's usually like that" which gave you relief.

"Good," you whispered back, "for a moment there, I thought she hated my guts."

"To be fair, she usually hates everyone's guts. Especially mine." Then, he placed a small kiss on your temple before pulling out a chair for you. "You'll do great, doll."

"Alright," Sharon started, glaring at Bucky, "shall we begin?"

The meeting lasted longer than you had liked it to be, and for a little while, it suddenly became an understanding of the difference between working with small, independent businesses and big businesses such as Sam's. Usually, you had a lot of artistic upper hand when it came to the small ones, seeing as they were still starting — and it was also where your college degree came in handy. You would talk to them about advertising, and marketing strategies through product photography. And that was that. But Sam's business already had something to start with.

Something already big.

In the middle of the presentation, Bucky reached for your hand under the table (which took you by surprise), hooking his pinky into yours.

"Just hold my pinky like this if this is too overwhelming for you." He whispered.

"Why the pinky?"

He just shrugged in response, a smile playing on his lips.

Sharon walked you all the way through it, careful not to miss any kind of detail, small or big: from the moment the business started (Sam working in retail, then reselling clothes, then making streetwear designs of his own until he landed on sporting apparels), and to what made the business grow what it is right now.

"Inclusivity." She continued, clicking on the next slide, "This is what The Falcons is going to be all about. Plus-size workout clothes, a huge array of colors suited for every skin tone — literally any color you can think of. We also have workout clothes and streetwear in one which means new designs and new materials. And of course, the new footwear. Bringing the light in speed, bringing new comfort, a new aesthetic, footwear for all. Again, inclusivity. Right in front of you," she pointed to all the sports apparel lying on the table, "are the new designs. We just received the first batch yesterday and we're expecting the second and last one hopefully this weekend just in time for the photoshoots any day next week."

"Me and the marketing team haven't actually discussed the photoshoot details, but they've had that with Sharon, seeing as she's the project head. All I have to do is approve it," Sam said, looking at you, "with you here, of course."

You nodded in agreement, then looked at Sharon. "Will we discuss, perhaps, half of it today?"

"Oh, I can discuss all of it." Sharon smugly replied. "I have a very promising proposal right here." She clicked the next slide, showing photos of various known models. "Let's start with the models. The new faces of the Falcons — "

"Hi, sorry. Can I weigh in on this one?" You interrupted as you scanned the faces of the models in front.

"I haven't finished yet."

You looked at Sam, who had his finger on his chin (assessing the situation), pleading with him with your eyes. "Go ahead, y/n." He said, nodding.

"Thank you, Sam." You replied then went back to the screen. "If I'm not mistaken, that's Kendall Jenner."

"Yes, it is."

"That's not exactly a new face." You argued. "And isn't she already an ambassador for Adidas?"

"It is a new face of The Falcons." She answered. "And she's actually ending her contract with Adidas. Something about breach of contract or some sort that I cannot legally discuss with outsiders."

"Where are the plus-size models?" You asked.

"I was actually getting to it." She clicked the next slide.

"Ashley Graham?"

"Yes, her. She's the perfect candidate."

You bit your lip, leaning forward on the table and unhooking your pinky with Bucky's. "Look, all of these models are gorgeous and handsome and good models but they're faces you see every single day on billboards — "

"Exactly. They're faces you see every single day." She repeated. "That means that these faces sell. And that's what we want for this release."

"I thought what you wanted was inclusivity." You frowned. "We should get people who are real athletes and models from different races, colors, and sizes. Real people, not these people you see every day on your phone or everywhere you go. These models are overrated, anyways." You faced Sam, who was listening intently. "Let's not get faces but stories instead. I believe that's what will separate The Falcons from these huge brands. It's a new release, right? Might as well make everything new."

Your words hung in the air, rendering the whole conference room quiet. Until Sharon broke it off. "Business doesn't work that way. I went to business school. I know how the system works."

You chuckled. "I majored in business and finance. Trust me, I know everything there is to know about business, not just you."

She was dumbfounded but tried to hide it, anyway. "But this is my proposal. You don't have a say on who we should get. You don't work for The Falcons."

"I know." You sighed. "But I'm working with you, and I have a say in this as much as you do." You glanced at Sam who was deep in thought. "But of course, Sam will always have the last say."

You leaned back in your chair, your chest heaving. With your eyes straight ahead, you grabbed Bucky's hand and hooked your pinky with his.

"Sharon," Sam started, "that was an excellent presentation and I humbly appreciate it but y/n does have a point. I wouldn't want these people representing The Falcons. I want people like me, people with stories to tell. Inclusivity isn't a marketing strategy, or a statement. It's what I believe in. And you," he swiveled his chair in your direction, "made a good case out of it."

You broke out in a smile, glancing at Bucky who also did the same. He now intertwined his fingers with yours, squeezing your hand three times.

"Sharon, find new models and athletes and have their profiles by next week. Let's think of it like... Kind of like a casting call." Sam said, standing up. "Now, let's dismiss this meeting 'cause I am starving."

-

"You have got to get a new assistant, Sam." Bucky groaned as you got inside Bucky's limo. You had lunch at some fancy restaurant in Manhattan before Sam showed you around the main store down Fifth Street.

You laughed, greeting Howard who gave you a smile through the rearview mirror. "She's the best assistant I could ever get."

"Please." Bucky said. "You could have better. She's just, ugh, I don't know, what's the word for someone who thinks she's better than everyone else in the room? Who hates practically everyone but goes to great, great lengths just to kiss your ass — "

"Alright, alright!" Sam cut him off, laughing. "I get it, man. But y'know I can't afford to lose her. It took me months to get a loyal and honest assistant."

"Ugh, fine."

"You just want her out because you're protecting your little babydoll."

"Jesus, Sam." Bucky said. "Stop calling her that."

"Yeah, stop calling me that." You frowned, leaning on Bucky's side and wrapping your hand around his muscular arm. "Only he gets to call me that."

"You guys make me sick." Sam joked.

You turned towards Bucky who had the end of his eyes, crinkled, and nose, scrunched. "Hey," you said, grabbing his attention, "did you get a text from Parker last night?"

His expression became relaxed, and looked at you. "Yes, actually. Something about a kid named Schmidt."

You chuckled. "Yeah, he's kind of a bully. Remind me to beat his ass when he comes to the bar. You won't miss him. He's got way too much gel in his hair, and too much of a know-it-all, kind of like, Ross Geller."

"Oh, I'd like to watch you beat someone up." Sam nodded, smirking. "You know what, I'd pay you to punch Parker."

"Oh come on, Sam." Bucky laughed.

"Nah, I'm kidding. I love that little kid. Speaking of Peter," Sam cleared his throat, "what are you guys gonna do when he gets back?"

You and Bucky fell silent, hooking your pinky with his once more. "We, uh," you glanced at Bucky who had his eyes on his shoes, "we haven't talked about it yet. But we will tell him, that's for sure. Right, James?"

His eyes shot up to yours, then at Sam. "Yes, yes, of course. I mean it's Peter. Of course, we'll tell him. Just not right away."

"What do you mean not right away?" You frowned.

"Well, we can't flat out tell the guy we're dating the moment he comes back. I don't want him to have a heart attack." Then, he bent down a little, leveling his mouth on your ear. "We are dating, right?"

"Well, we haven't talked about it and we're certainly not talking about it in front of Sam." You replied, glancing at Sam who was just staring at the both of you.

"We're here, Mr. Barnes." The partition pulled open, revealing Howard's voice. The three of you got out of the limo, the bar right just right in front. Before we even got to enter the bar, Sam tapped your shoulder and called out to Bucky.

"Do you mind if I borrow your girl for a moment? I'll just have to discuss something work-related."

Bucky turned around and glanced at the both of us. "Yes, sure." He pecked you on the lips then turned around to enter the bar.

"This is actually about Bucky." Sam said.

"Oh." You said. "Okay. What about Bucky?"

"I have to say, I haven't seen him that happy."

"Uh, isn't that supposed to be a good thing?"

"It is, it is! And I'm glad he has you."

"But?"

He sighed. "But just be careful with him. Look, y/n, he's a good guy and all; we're practically brothers... But he's a child. I've known him since we were teenagers. He's almost forty and not once has he had a serious relationship."

"What are you trying to say, Sam?"

"You've only known him for, what, a couple of weeks? Don't you think this is going a little too fast?"

"I like Bucky." You replied. "I genuinely do and what we do or how we do is honestly none of your business. It doesn't matter how long I've known him. I appreciate you looking out for Bucky, but Bucky's an adult. We're all adults here. We can handle ourselves."

"Just promise me one thing."

"Sure."

"Don't hurt my friend." He said. "He may act like this rich bitch just parading around town, getting by with his manly looks and shit, but he's a child. He doesn't know what he wants. If you hurt him, you'll also end up hurting yourself. So, be careful, alright? Think this through, and talk with him."

Silence.

"Promise me, y/n."

You nodded. "Yeah, I promise."

"Good. Now let's head in there, I need a drink."

"Wait, Sam." You said, making Sam stop in his tracks. "Do you think Bucky likes me as much as I do?"

"I can't say for sure." Sam replied before walking inside.

You leaned your back against the brick wall, hitting the back of your head. You closed your eyes, letting all your thoughts rush in.

Still feeling a little bit light-headed, you went inside (which was still empty except for Nat, Sam, and Bucky) and as soon as Nat's eyes landed on your figure, she whistled. "Oh wow, Mrs. Fancypants!"

You chuckled, removing your blazer, revealing the tight black tube top as it was getting a bit hot. "Shut up, Nat."

"Woah, somebody call the fire department 'cause it's getting hoooot in here!" Nat continued then tilted her head towards Bucky. "Hey big guy, if you're not gonna hit that, I will."

You rolled your eyes, chucking the blazer to her face. You turned to Bucky who was sitting in the usual booth with Sam. "She said the same thing to me about you."

"Don't expose me like that, y/n. Not. Cool."

You giggled, sliding in the booth and greeting Bucky with a kiss on the cheek. "Hey, you."

"Hey, doll." He smiled, placing his hand on your thigh and pulling you closer. "We were just talking about you."

You glanced at Sam, who was smiling at you. "Oh, really?"

"Yeah." Sam nodded. "Don't worry, it's all good. And, y/n... That thing we talked about earlier."

"What about it?" You asked.

"We're good." He answered. "And to answer that last question, he does."

You beamed. "Really? He does?" You asked, as if Bucky wasn't even in the room.

"Yes, he really does."

"Hey, what are you guys talking about?" Bucky asked out of curiosity.

You glanced at Sam, smiling, "Oh, just this model I want for the shoot," and then you looked back at Bucky, "I was kind of having doubts for a hot minute over there about him, but, everything's fine. Everything's good."

"Good." He kissed your temple softly, making your heart flutter. "It should be."

Lonely Hearts Club

Seokmin: Chapter 4 (Let Your Heart Hold Fast)

Characters: Seokmin x female reader

Genre/Warnings: multi-member au (different scenarios), werewolf au, fantasy, angst, fluff, implied toxic masculinity, food mentions, sexual mentions/jokes, mentions of the dead, mentions of potential violence. Any others will be put as warnings when future chapters are thought up/written. Please let me know if I’ve missed anything!

Author’s Note: For those of you asking, yes Soonyoung is Seungcheol’s mate in all the story lines but his own. Don’t ask me why, I just see it this way. I’m trying not to make every single chapter for every single member super angsty but your girl is a simple sad bitch so I can’t help it. Also, if I made another Seventeen Werewolf AU in a different universe following a different concept, would you guys read it? Let me know pls because I have an idea but I don’t wanna make it if no one would be interested in it.

Please remember that all of these chapters and the content within them are a work of fiction! They’re just for fun/entertainment!

Bold= Dialogue Italics= Thoughts

☁️

Lonely Hearts Club Master List

Chapter 4: Let Your Heart Hold Fast

Since you had gotten back to the pack’s house, things had been going… pretty well actually. You were getting along well with everyone, you were getting used to staying in a house again, and you had pretty much become content with living with a bunch of other wolves. You were still a bit awkward with your mate. It wasn’t necessarily bad, but it did make certain things… uncomfortable.

For instance, you guys stayed in the same room now. You figured there was no point in taking up a room if you were mates with one of the boys. It seemed selfish to you to continue to have your own. So instead, you began sleeping in the same room as Seokmin. He was beyond thrilled that you decided to stay with him, but your guys interactions got very… blurred. You weren’t sure what was okay and what wasn’t okay, neither was he.

So you usually slept on one side of the bed and he slept on the other, with a pillow in between the both of you to prevent touching. Still, you two always somehow managed to cuddle in your sleep and woke up in each other’s arms. THAT’S when it got awkward. You’d start to fumble around and get all embarrassed and he’d just be sitting there plain tongue tied at what was going on.

You weren’t even sure why you were nervous. The motherfucker had already seen every angle of your body naked, so what was the big deal? You couldn’t place it. Being around him now just made you feel so on edge. Seeing him or knowing he was near you had your fingers tingling from your palm to the tip of your middle finger, it felt like even your aura was shimmering due to his presence. Everything about him made every cell in your body was electrified. It was a strange feeling. And you always hoped your mate didn’t notice, but, unfortunately for you, he did notice.

He saw how scattered and frazzled you’d get whenever he’d get near you. He felt bad for it. But he couldn’t help but want to be near you, you were his whole world. You had been very kind to him and very caring towards him. You just didn’t really understand the whole ‘forever partners’ thing. He figured it would take you a lot of time to get used to having a mate again.

But the wolf part of him also just wanted to show you that he could be as good of a mate Cyrus was. He wanted to show you he was big and strong and able to be a good provider. He couldn’t help it, it was in his nature to be naturally competitive with your past partner. It was in his nature to want to protect you and want to be seen as someone you looked at as a safe place rather than someone you looked at like you had to protect yourself. He felt bad about it. He tried to suppress it, but he just couldn’t. The toxic masculinity of the wolf instinct just wouldn’t go away.

“Morning everyone!” you chirped as you all but skipped your way down the stairs to the kitchen, immediately locking eyes with your mate and feeling a heat rise to your cheeks instantly.

You were greeted with a wave of ‘mornings’ by the crowd now in front of you as you grabbed a bowl from one of the cabinets and began to pour yourself some cereal. You could feel Seokmin’s eyes on your every movement but you tried to brush it off as best you could and pretended not to notice.

You yawned a bit in tiredness before you sat down in an empty seat semi across from your mate. You were exhausted. Sleeping for you had become a bit better now that Seokmin slept next to you, but it had also become… uncomfortable for reasons you weren’t so sure you were ready to admit yet.

“Well it sounds like SOMEONE’s still tired!” Smirked Soonyoung, who was no doubt trying to make it sexual in nature. But it was truly just a yawn.

You rolled your eyes, “Yeah, tired from you keeping me up all night from having to hear you jerk one out for the umpteenth night in a row. Seriously what’s it been now? 4 days running? 5? I can’t keep track anymore.” You responded with a sly grin on your face, much to the delight of your brothers who began a symphony of laughter at your smart reply.

“Hey it’s not my fault Cheol’s withholding sex!” He explained defensively as he crossed his arms over his chest in a huff.

Seungcheol just snickered and let out a, “But It IS your own damn fault” before he continued on eating his breakfast by stuffing a spoon full of it in his mouth. At this point, you had begun joining in on the others fun and we’re holding your stomach in amusement.

“No it’s not!” Soonyoung put his hand over his heart dramatically as if he were accused of something horrendous, “You’re just being ridiculous!” He snarled at his partner angrily while the rest of you were still dying of laughter.

“I’m not being ridiculous my love, you need to be taught lessons and with you, withholding sex is the only way you learn. Therefor, I withhold sex.” Cheol replied matter of factly with a mouth full of food.

Jihoon raised his face in disgust at their conversation, “Eww gross! I don’t want to think about you two fucking!”

After that, it seemed like the laughter died down enough to have a more civilized conversation. Well, as civilized as the pack’s conversations could really get with 13 boys in it.

“So we need to go to the market today, we’re running low on supplies. Who’s all gonna go?” Joshua asked aloud, praying literally anyone would want to go out as he absolutely hated going himself.

A lot of the boys had already gotten caught or had close calls in the village. There were only a select few who could now go to the market undetected. Joshua just happened to be one of them, but he refused to go alone. He could be charming when he needed to be, but he preferred someone else come with so that he could take the things they needed and couldn’t afford while they distracted the shop keepers.

“I can go!” You raised your hand cutely with a sweet smile on your face before anyone else could say anything. Though, you did hear a loud huff that came from in front of you out of Seokmin.

It wasn’t that he wanted you to have to stay inside all the time. But the town was DANGEROUS. They had already caught half of them on multiple occasions, soon, there wouldn’t be anyone left that could go out and get supplies. And when they were caught, the boys got REAL close to being hung up on some hunter’s mantle.

Werewolves and hunters had been at each other’s throats since before even the alphas were born. So of course he didn’t want the love of his life out in the middle of a war there’s no way the boys could possibly win. If something happened to you, he wasn’t sure what he’d do. But he knew you would never see the validity of his argument. Because of this, instead of arguing with you, he decided to make his displeasure known passively.

Joshua clapped his hands together with joy, “Perfect! So (Y/N)’s in. Anyone else?”

He wasn’t super concerned about being alone now that you were going with. He knew that he could probably compel one of the younger boys who hadn’t been seen to go with him too just for safe measure. But he figured he’d ask in case he could actually get a volunteer for once. With you going, there was a good chance one of the others would decide to go willingly now too.

“If she’s going, then I’m going too.” Declared Seokmin from his seat of self pity.

The entire pack turned to look at him, including you. It wasn’t normal for him to want to go out in public. The only reason he was one of the few who hadn’t gotten exposed yet was because he was generally too scared of humans to go out. Now here he was volunteering to go because you had. He wasn’t about to let you go out without him. Boy, love sure had a way of making men do the stupidest things.

You shook your head in protest, “No. Absolutely not. You can’t go. I refuse to let you go.”

Seokmin grit his teeth in their place, “If you’re going then so am I. I’m just as capable as any of the rest of you!” He hissed out between nose flares.

That was another thing, this would also be the perfect way to show you that he could protect you and be tough for you like he wanted to. He knew you thought of him as some little boy, he wanted to change that. He wanted you to think as highly of him as he did you and this was a good way to start.

“But Seokmin-” You were swiftly cut off before you could continue with your argument.

“But Seokmin nothing. If you’re going, I’ll be right there with you watching you. End of discussion.” He finished with a bit of a growl to show you and everyone else he meant business.

The boys all looked to you as if you were the deciding voice, even though you weren’t an alpha. You were his mate and one of the few that could go. If you didn’t want him going, then they’d respect that decision. BUT both you and them also knew it meant trouble for your relationship or whatever it was you had with him if you refused it.

You groaned in frustration and thought while you drug your hands down your face in annoyance. He could get himself hurt. Did you REALLY have it in you today to protect him? You were still so on edge with him near, was it really a GOOD idea for him to be out in the human world right next to you? But part of you also knew full well that he wasn’t going to back down from his insane idea. The best you could do was humor him and PRAY that nothing bad would happen.

“Ugh fine! Whatever. But so help me god, if I have to come save your ass because you get caught, I’m definitely NOT gonna be happy.” You rolled your eyes at his narrowed ones.

He gave you a victorious grin that made you want to grab his face and pull him in for a kiss and smack him for his smugness at the same time. But instead of doing that, you all quickly adjourned to your rooms to get ready for the day to come. You just hoped it wouldn’t all go to shit.

(Updated 9/21)

Fanfiction review : Unexpected

Disclaimer: Do not send hate to anyone mentioned in this post. If you plan to respond in anyway to this post, I ask that you remain civil to everyone. Also, this review is an opinion post. Do not take what I say here as fact. Thank you.

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I like sorbet. I do! I prefer it to ice cream, and I would gladly eat half a tub without hesitation. But if I were to eat it every day? I'd get sick of it. It's always bothersome when something like that happens. Especially in literature. Sometimes, a short story is more enjoyable than a lengthy saga. Good things can come in small packages....

... what was I talking about again? Ah, whatever.

Anyway, let's talk about zoophobia fanfiction.

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Those who have had the misfortune of reading my last fic review may recall that I went through each and every chapter of TDL's story. This time, however, this will be structured in a sort of ramble. I will be discussing things in sections, and I will give my overall thoughts at the end. This is a review of "Unexpected " by a "Kalum16" , who, if my memory serves me correctly, goes by @kartoonluv on Tumblr. Now, this review was not requested by anyone, so if Kalum (who I'll refer to as KL for brevity's sake) wishes this review to be deleted, I will comply with his wishes. Also, I suggest that you read this on fanfiction.net before continuing with this post.

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Something I would like to get out of the way are my views on romance and the story's pairing. I'd like to bring these up now as I will be mentioning them later on.

Firstly, I have never been in a romantic relationship. However, I have been in love before, and I know people who are or who have been in relationships. That being said, I have considered that perhaps my lack of experience will mean that with certain things... I might not get it. The importance of certain events may be lost on me, and I may not be able to connect with things couples do.

I would also like to confess that Kayla x Damian is one of my least favorite ZP ships. The idea that after Damian basically harasses Kayla, manipulates her and Zill, and basically makes their lives miserable for his own gain, that he can be rewarded by getting the girl? Not exactly something I jive with. Also, (and this is my interpretation) I do not think that Damian's feelings towards Kayla are genuine. By that, I think (due to how little they know about each other) Dame is more in love with his idea of who Kayla is. Or, if we weren't going to look to deep into it and say that it's because he has a thing for Christians, it would make Dame's attraction pretty materialistic. Neither idea really screams "good ship!" to me.

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That being said, let's discuss how the pairing is handled here. I'm actually on board with this depiction of the relationship. For one thing, it seems that Kay and Dame have become friends. They clearly care about one another before starting a relationship, and the story makes it so that they can relate to each other. This takes away my issue of these characters not acting knowing each other well, and thus the feelings they have towards one another come off as genuine.

I think that the story makes them out to the a cute couple. However, I still have a major issue with it, and the story as a whole.

Basically, (after a while) I think it's boring.

To best explain why, I would first like detour and discuss Damian and Kayla individually.

*******

Ladies first. I have mentioned in previous posts that I enjoyed the first chapter of this story. Back then, I had not read beyond chapter 1, as I hadn't realized that the story had been updated. And you know what? I still stand by that. In chapter 1, Kayla feels a lot more interesting than she is in the comic. It's interesting to see Kay in a situation where she basically gets what she wants, but she ends up hating it. She struggles with writers block, self doubt and regret. It's sad to see how apathetic she's become, and how she no longer holds the ambition she once did.

I also liked that she still had some internalized prejudice against demons. It made sense, and it made what was going on more interesting as it created inner conflict. Now, if the story was just the one chapter, I would have bought that her falling in love with Dame would have made all her prejudice go away. I mean, you would need to wrap it up by the end.

But we got more than 1 chapter, and thus the evaporated prejudice feels kind of contrived and like lost potential. Hell, it would have been interesting if an ongoing subplot involved Kayla conquering her prejudice by learning about demons and debunking the stories that I heard as a kid. Her just yeeting away her prejudice because she falls for one guy feels kind of lame, and going forward, Kayla feels less interesting in the fic.

Originally, she had all this regret and self doubt. While it's great to see her doing good, her issues feel like they've almost all been resolved by a makeout session. Throughout the story, Kay doesn't grow or develop in any way. Her only real issue is "I'm in love with Dame and ppl don't like it, woe is me"

There's this chapter where Dame meets Kay's parents, and I feel like I should be invested, but I'm more confused than anything. The story points out that Kay's parents were ok with Zill (who's part demon, part whatever the fuck), but they're not ok with Dame. I mean, yes, he's the antichrist, but have they not figured out that their daughter is into some weird dudes? Like, they're perspective is painted as "oh, Kay was such a good girl, and yadda yadda", but, again, they were ok with Zill. You'd think that that relationship would at least make them question that idea? Also, why are Kay's parents deer? Am I missing something?

Kay serves really only one role here. She's Dame's gf, she'll defend the relationship to the grave, and she cares about him. She doesn't become much more than that, and every chapter feels like it's redundant in reinforcing that idea. Like...ok, we get it, let's move on.

*******

Does Damian do much here? Not really. He's mainly the inverse of Kayla for the most part, being "I will defend this love, no matter fucking what". The issue being constantly brought up about how he's the antichrist, so "oh no, that makes things difficult ", is always resolved in about a chapter.

The story feels like it's trying to give Damian some development. I mean, I guess he stands up for himself against Kay's parents, and defends her from his? Oh, and there's that moment where he's like "Yo, I have no control over my life, I don't wanna be a prince, you make me happy ", etc. But not even this really does anything. The meeting with his parents feels like a repeat of meeting Kay's parents. We even get the one parent approval, one on one talk, and it's the mom, just like before. Oh, and Dame's emotional "I will reject prince-y ness to be with you " speech? All that leads to is them having sex.

Ok, well, that last one I might give a pass. I don't find sex to be that big a deal, but I know some people view it as this super important thing, so maybe through that lense, I could see sex as being an emotional payoff.

*******

One thing I won't give a pass is chapter 2, which really didn't need to be here. Jack never shows up again, Kayla can be subtracted from this chapter entirely, and the only build up to this was a couple lines in the previous chapter. The chapter itself is alright, but it feels like it should have been it's own separate story. My only idea as to why this chapter should stay is that, apart from Kayla in chapter 1, this is the only chapter with development. Damian owning up for being a shit is great, and it shows some of only god damn growth for anyone here.

Another chapter that didn't need to be here was whichever was the chapter when Zill showed up again. Admittedly, I skipped this chapter almost entirely. Look, he and Kay broke up, and they're dating different people. That's it. That's all we need. I read the first few paragraphs and the last few. I feel like I don't need to read the entire chapter to know that it's just reinforcing the idea of how great a couple Kayla and Damian are. You know, like basically every chapter in here.

*****

My biggest issue overall with this story is the relationship. As much as I've been ragging on this fic, KL is very gifted at writing. There were some instances where a reread or two could fix some wonky sentences (sounds like me reviewing my posts), but overall he does have a good grasp on it.

That being said, the relationship, the core of this story, is not interesting enough to warrant all six chapters. The only issue Kayla and Damian face are the opinions of others. They never have any reason to question the relationship, question themselves as people, or think about how to handle things. It would have been a lot more interesting if we saw them develop the close relationship the story portrays them as having. It would be interesting if we saw them learn more about each other, or discover ways to deal with each other if one of them is being a dumb bitch. We get it. They love and care about each other. The world around them think it's weird. Every chapter just reinforces the same idea again and again.

I think KL could easily make this better. There's a bunch of plot points that are never brought up more than once that could be interesting. For instance, Kayla struggling to write new songs. We could see more of how she and Dame deal with that instead of having them mention "oh yeah, the problem is fixed now ". Does Damian ever earn Jack's forgiveness? Does Kayla learn anything new about demons?

KL, I believe you when you say these two care a lot about each other. And yeah, seeing how they make their relationship work in spite of what others think is an interesting idea on paper. But the characters don't become closer to each other or anything. Why would I be concerned about the issues presented in the story when I know that they're just going to be resolved in the same way?

You know it's kind of like sorbet...

I would still nonetheless recommend this story tho. Again, as much as I've ragged on it, I still think that the story is good. As mentioned before, I don't have much experience with romantic relationships, so perhaps something here could be lost on me. I'm curious to know anyone else's thoughts.

I apologize for wasting your time

- Spooky S Skeletons

Ps. Yes, quarantine is messing with my head :) just bear with me

Sword and Pen Reread, chapter 20

Here we are. Last chapter. Fuuuuuuuck.

Ephemera: directions from Nobel. Fuck you, Nobel.

Jess has seen Santi very, very upset. Quite a few times. But when he mentions Nobel’s name to Santi, “Jess had never seen the man so shaken.” Santi realizes right away how bad this is.

According to Wolfe, Santi doesn’t call things “unthinkable”, but destroying the Archives is just that to him. Looking back at previous books, Santi hasn’t even described the prison in Rome as unthinkable. Disturbing, yes (enough that he thought it would get through to Zara just to see it), but not something he couldn’t conceive of the Library doing. Going by Stormcrow, Santi has know about (or at least suspected) the Library’s corruption for a long time, he’s seen the Library’s dark side up close, and even he finds this hard to grasp.

Wolfe says “Nic”, not “Lord Commander” or even “Santi.” Stress = intimacy.

Right. So. Only the Archivist and Lord Commander know about Nobel’s system. But they had to have told foreign leaders about it - a threat is useless if they don’t tell anyone. But it hasn’t become common knowledge - the kids are all shocked to hear of it. Is that a sign of just how tightly the Library controls information? Someone threatens the Library, there’s a quiet meeting between their king and the Archivist, and everything gets hushed up? Maybe.

Another possibility: only the Archivist and Lord Commander have ever known. Things never really reached the point of any foreign leaders being told. Library propaganda passed down from one Archivist/Lord Commander to the next says it worked, though. Santi hasn’t had his job long enough to look into it or question it.

Wolfe heard rumors about the fail-safe system. Even he’s surprised it’s real.

The Archives are about to burn. Wolfe and Santi debate the finer points of Library bureaucracy. This is actually a nice little look at their perspectives on the whole corrupt mess of the Library. Santi sees the system and how it’s supposed to work, and he’s naturally inclined to work within its confines. Wolfe sees the system, recognizes it as stupid, and starts looking for a workaround, only to become irritable when there isn’t one.

Morgan tries to hack the records to make Khalila count as an official Archivist. She says she can’t because whoever wrote the protection was much more powerful than her. But she’s ridiculously powerful right now and wearing a magic ring. What’s going on? Pay attention to her hands: “Morgan flinched and dropped the Codex. Her hands looked red, as if she’d been burned by it.” Jess picks up the key detail, but interprets it wrong. The Codex didn’t burn Morgan. The ring did, just like it has other times when she’s tried to take power for unapproved reasons. She reached for the power to hack the records, and Gargi stopped her.

Why, though? Maybe she just couldn’t do it without killing people in the process? Maybe Gargi considers Nobel’s system to be a choice the Library made that she won’t save it from?

Nobel’s device is alchemy-powered. Morgan can sense it gathering power. Ok, time to stop trying to make sense of the technobabble. That way lies madness.

Gargi won’t give Morgan the power to hack the Archivist records. Kind of assuming Gargi won’t give Morgan the power just to stop the device, either (is that possible? I mean, why not? It seems to be alchemy? Ok seriously not trying to figure this thing out). She will give Morgan cryptic clues to turn off Nobel’s device. Gargi, you’re really kind of a bitch, you know that?

Everything’s going to shit, and it’s not Khalila who takes charge, but Wolfe. And he doesn’t hesitate. They’re falling back into the roles they’re used to under stress.

These are split-second choices for Wolfe, and for all I know they’re based on where everyone’s standing, but let’s read too much into things. Nic and Khalila together - both highly competent in Wolfe’s view, both absolutely essential to the library; it’s a sign of trust that he sends them both together. Thomas and Jess - there’s a balance of skills here, with Thomas’s mechanical genius and Jess’s experience spotting traps, but it’s also possible that Wolfe just thinks Jess might need someone to carry him. Wolfe and Dario - interesting, considering the last time we saw them together, Wolfe did not approve of Dario’s actions - keeping Dario where he can see him, maybe? Or is Wolfe bringing Dario along to balance out his own overconfidence in seeing traps, figuring Dario might spot tricks Wolfe overlooks? Morgan and Glain - wizard and warrior paired up; Morgan to handle the alchemy, Glain to do the heavy lifting.

Each team also has different talents. There’s the leadership/strategy team, Nic and Khalila. Mechanical geniuses Thomas and Jess (Jess might not give himself much credit, but he’s damn good with locks and such). Sneaky bastards Wolfe and Dario. Brute force (both physical and magical) Morgan and Glain. Splitting everyone this way means each wing gets hit with a different approach. Wolfe is possibly hoping that if ALL of them can’t figure it out, at least one team will have the right skills for the job, and they’ll potentially be able to help the others once they get their own.

Nobel’s an asshole. Zeus is an asshole. Fitting Nobel would put this shit in Zeus statues, really.

The trick is one Jess recognizes as the kind of thing the Library would do to catch thieves: an easy answer that’s a trap and a hidden correct answer. Jess gets it because of criminal background. Going to guess Wolfe and Santi both have enough experience with setting up these kinds of traps that they would recognize it. Dario’s political/spy training might predispose him to look for a trap, too. Khalila might be analytical enough to catch it, but maybe not. Morgan and Glain are the least likely to recognize this: neither has relevant experience. The only thing that might have helped Morgan would be a clue in the flow of energy, but that apparently wasn’t there.

Pardon me while I have Jess feels. Poor baby.

Jess hears Wolfe shouting - Wolfe still in charge as of this point? Seems that way. And when Jess does hear Wolfe, Wolfe is shouting for Morgan to leave. He’s choosing his kid over the Archives.

Khalila. Fuck. So one minute, she’s in tears, trying to save Jess. The next, she’s in Archivist mode, telling Morgan to save the Archives. Not just that, but explicitly reasserting command of the group after letting Wolfe give orders for a bit, specifically so she can order Morgan to die for the Archives.

I feel like we’re missing some really big internal conflict in Khalila here. From the beginning of the chapter, Khalila’s seemed off balance. She doesn’t really know what’s going on, she doesn’t have control of the relevant scripts or mechanical systems, she’s basically just been told that she doesn’t really count as Archivist. And this is right after the sphinx incident with Dario, which was also a blow to her confidence (which we could see was a bit shaky even there). From shock, from being overwhelmed by it all, something, she temporarily stepped back and let Wolfe take charge. But the moment Wolfe gives an order that contradicts what Khalila feels is their duty, Khalila snaps back into her role. She might not be fully confident in herself as Archivist, she might not know everything about the Library or her job yet, but she does know that her greatest duty is protecting the Archives at all costs.

Khalila may be more inclined than the others to see the sacrifice of Morgan for the Archives as the best solution. Putting aside emotional motivations (and damn is there a lot of that to go around), Khalila is going to be inclined to see the Archives as the one and only source of irreplaceable knowledge. She’s a law-abiding kid from a noble family, and until the events of canon, didn’t question the Library much. Compare that to Jess, who knows just how many illegal books are out there. Or Wolfe, who knows very personally how possible it is to go on after losing everything. Those backgrounds are going to factor in, whether consciously or not.

A thought on the whole mess of the library system. This was the chance to let it all burn down and start something new. Archivist Khalila decided to save the existing structure. Archivist Wolfe wouldn’t have. Interesting contrast with ideas that have previously been discussed concerning how Wolfe was too wrapped up in the Library to see beyond it - he was ready to accept the destruction of the whole thing to save Morgan. AU potential? Wolfe took the Archivist job and kept it, saved Morgan, Archives burned, now everyone’s rebuilding from the ground up? (This seems like your sort of thing, @eli-wray).  (Of course, all this assumes Morgan would actually listen to whoever is the Archivist and not do her own thing... which... you know... Morgan doesn’t work like that.)

Everyone does defer to Khalila, or at least, no one argues with her. The kids all stand back and keep quiet. Wolfe and Santi try to get to Morgan, but don’t try to persuade anyone. No time to argue? Kids are too shocked to do much of anything? It just occurred to me that after he drags Jess out to the middle of the Archive, we don’t see anything else Dario does.

“I’m glad I loved you.” *cries*

Interesting as it is to dissect Khalila’s choice here, it’s not actually her choice. It’s Morgan’s. Sure, Khalila gave the official order, but Morgan was already doing it. She wasn’t waiting for anyone’s approval. As we know, but the characters really don’t, Morgan was already dying, and even if she weren’t, Morgan has never hesitated to sacrifice herself for the others. It goes back as far as staying with Jess after the train crash in France. Then going back to the Iron Tower after Rome. Philly. Going back to the Iron Tower again. Corrupting herself again and again. This choice is as Morgan as it gets, and even if Khalila had ordered Morgan to run away, I think Morgan would have stayed and put the fire out anyway.

And this is so obviously something Morgan is doing not just for the Archives, but for her family. She pushes Jess back. Takes the time before walking into the fire to reassure Jess and Glain. Puts up a barrier to keep Wolfe and Santi back. She’s saving them, and she’s saving the Library for them.

Wolfe throws himself against Morgan’s barrier first. Then Santi joins in. As usual, here’s Wolfe running into danger (or trying to), and Santi following. We get no indication of Santi’s thoughts here, but I suspect he would have been ok with letting Morgan sacrifice herself. I’m sure he’s let soldiers sacrifice themselves in battle, and he can make the calculation of the value of that many books over one life. But Wolfe feels strongly about trying to save Morgan, so Santi’s right there with him.

It’s Santi who gets to Morgan first and picks her up. Interesting closure there. He was the greatest threat to her in the beginning, the loyal soldier who sent her to the Iron Tower. Now, in the end, he holds her.

The wing that burned was the one labeled “knowledge is power.” That’s symbolic, obviously. The Library’s corrupt practice of using knowledge for power literally just got burned down. Is it too much to hope that that wing might also be the one where books on weapons and such were stored, thus even more literally burning down the Library’s use of knowledge for power? Can’t decide whether I like that headcanon better or the headcanon that the wing that burned happened to be the one where the books that already were copied were kept, meaning that Morgan’s actions prevented anything at all from being lost.

Fuck it. There’s too much in this chapter. Finishing the rest of it and the epilogue in another post.

Weddings and Other Holy Deals

For Better or Worst: Chapter One

Featuring: Sam Winchester x Emery Simmons-Winchester (OFC)

Setting: Mid Season 14 AU

Word Count: 1675

Summary: Sam finds an unlikely solution to the Michael problem in Dean’s head. His soon-to-be wife has her own side of the deal with the powers that be.

^*^*^

Jan. 20, 2019

Somewhere beyond the neatly trimmed lawns and the perfectly timed sprinkler systems, over a wide porch with a loveseat swing and past a storm door with etched glass, slept a Winchester. It was not a normal place for this Winchester, Sam for clarity’s sake, to be upon waking. But this wasn’t a usual day, for the hunter or anyone honestly. Though he had lived another day like this one, the excitement and anticipation he felt as he rolled over and saw his clock face shining back at him was unmatched. Today, Sam Winchester was getting married, and if he knew anything it was the best decision he had ever made. That things would only get better after today. Rare is certainty in life, which was why Sam held fast to his and began the life-changing day.

Across town, Bandit woke his bride. Bandit is her dog, soon to be their dog, a Setter mix that loved to herd. Emery Simmons had always been an animal person, but Bandit was a surprise blessing from her former life.  She hadn’t asked to bring him along, though as there wasn’t much she had left, she supposed it was a perk to balance her expectations. She roamed through the short-term rental, contemplating the dress that had been left for her as she made herself a cup of tea. Bandit demanded a walk and a bout of catch in the park, which Emery accommodated, unhurried by the little preparations for the small ceremony. They weren’t going to start without her, after all.

Sam had exercised, showered and shaved by ten o’clock. He had another three hours before the service was scheduled, idle hands met a replaced contact list in his phone. He didn’t know any of these people yet, well he knew one. With little else to bide his time, Sam hit the old rotary phone icon below the smirking face.

“Whoa, when did they futz with our phones?” Emery asked, spinning around with Bandit’s leash before tucking her phone beneath her ear.

“Dunno, it’s weird right?” Sam stared at the tux bag hanging in the bedroom. Their bedroom.

“Creeptastic, actually. What’s up?” She sounded worried, maybe she was distracted. Sam was overthinking her tone and almost forgot to answer her.

“I didn’t have anyone else to call?” Sam offered, sitting at the end of the bed, huffing at himself with a sad smile. “Forget it, I’ll let you get back to your, stuff.”

“Hey, I’m just out for a walk, you’re not bothering me. Sam?” His name came out heavy, like she was reminding herself who she was marrying. He didn’t blame her. There was a scuffle on her end of the line before she groaned. “No, Bandit, no!”

Sam’s forehead shot to its full height. “Is that— are you walking a dog?”

“Uh, yesssssss? Is that going to be a problem?” Her sudden defensiveness made him grin, the image of her struggling with a leash warmed Sam from head to toe.

“Not at all, the opposite really. I love dogs.” He understood why she was anxious; they barely knew each other, it was a bit soon for a potential first fight.

“Well, good, shit, had me panicking there for a minute.” The conversation lulled as she reached the porch, each stumbling over small talk before she looked at the clock on the microwave. Sam was starting to pace, but the relief that there would be someone else in the house with them made it seem less scary somehow. They said their goodbyes and Sam decided he better eat before the nerves resurfaced. He quickly fried some bacon, out of habit, and tossed together a smoothie. Everything he could possibly want stocked in the fridge and cupboards; they had done their due diligence, apparently.

Two and a half hours later, Emery was hiking up the church steps, dress bent over her elbow and simple veil trailing behind her loose curls on a winter breeze. She had never had a lot of friends, but today was a day when a female entourage would have come in handy. She thought about her mother and how she would have worried over her hair until it needed to be reset. She sent up a silent prayer to her, telling her that she was finally making an honest woman of herself. Adding a few choice words that would have had them both pursing and posturing before breaking down into fits of giggles. God, did she miss her. She smiled quietly, opening her eyes and the heavy glass door.

The church was cavernous and quiet and after countless trips inside hallowed walls, Sam was able to appreciate the architecture and the scale of the ancient organ pipes. The minister seemed confused, but accommodating, given the last-minute organization. Sam stood at the end of the aisle, hands in his pockets, the ring box lightly brushing against his thigh. A blast of sound curled throughout the space, nimble fingers flying over aged keys as the timeless march stopped Sam’s heart. This was it, a pact fulfilled. He inhaled, swallowed, and turned to face his future.

Emery hated heels, but given the size of her husband, she may have to learn to live with them. The dress was forgiving at least, the gentle satin flowing as she glided down. Tried to glide. There was no one to give her away, no one at her elbow to keep time with, no onlookers to slow down for, no photographer to capture their faces as they saw each other for the first time. This moment was theirs alone, shy and appreciatively sacred. He smiled at her without teeth, dimples mesmerizing as she lost her rhythm, strolling to him out of the step-halt-step that was expected of her. None of that mattered anyway.

She shook her head and smiled back, licking her lips as she remembered the minister was waiting for her. Carefully she stood in front of Sam, toes of her white slippers lining up with his reflective black shoes. A small bouquet of orchids clutched in her right hand, her left petting her skirts as she tried to rub off the sweat.

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here-,” the ceremony began. They echoed the scripted vows, eyes locked on each other in hopeful promise. Cautiously optimistic was too naïve for these two, humble veneration too romantic. They stood as strangers, forging a partnership to save those dearest to them. It was a contract that required both of their souls, willfully shared and bonded before Heaven and Earth. Samuel Winchester took this woman, Emery Simmons as his lawfully wedded wife. And she him. For better or worse.

Two days prior

Two days and a series of choices prior, stood the other Winchester in an underground fortress, three hundred fifty miles due East. Dean was in his bedroom, staring at Death, or Billie, if we’re being technical. Which we should, being the time jumps and all. Billie handed him the last remaining outcome of his life on Earth. The book, once one of countless possibilities, remained his sole option from world ending calamity. That was until Sam burst in, with a very stern angel on his heels.

               “Dean! Listen, so—Naomi thinks she can help us. Help you, with Michael.” Dean looked from Death to his brother to the psychotic bureaucrat, the exhaustion heavy in his eyes and on his heart. Puppy dog’s hopeful eyes barraging him with an innocence he hadn’t had to let down gently in ages. Dean felt, unabashedly, like the oldest soul in the room. The women regarded each other, silent conversation earning only an audible hum from the former Reaper.

               “Interesting. Dean? I think you need to hear them out. I’ll be in touch.” Billie nodded to Naomi and vanished before Sam could get a word in. No one mentioned how these beings, especially the angel, entered the Bunker. A place lauded as being the securest on the planet, had conveniently become a haven for all sorts of unmentionables.

               “Okay, let’s hear it,” Dean sighed, perching on his bed as he listened to the latest hair-brained scheme. That night, after hours of arguing, endless curt responses from Naomi and rebuttals from Castiel, Dean agreed to leave with her. Before Naomi whisked him away, she shared a pregnant glance with Sam.

               “We’ll be in touch,” the platinum blonde angel replied curtly. The air was suffocating with tension, Dean tried to get Sam’s attention and Cas glared at his former puppet master.

“Wait, what am I supposed to leave like there isn’t something else going on here?!” Dean bellowed at Naomi, who looked like the cat that got the cream, rolled her eyes.

               “Boys, one thing at a time, please?” She gestured to a corner of the library, where a glowing pattern had appeared on the old tiles.

               “How’d you—” Cas stared in awe as a portal to Heaven opened before their eyes.

               “This is a one-way, temporary portal, Castiel. Don’t try to stowaway or the deal, all of the deals are off. Do I make myself clear?” Naomi glared at each man like a field trip chaperone. The men nodded, but Dean’s jaw worked over all of his unanswered questions. The pounding in his head intensified the moment Naomi arrived, which almost, was a relief. It meant Mikey knew something was happening and his suspicion was enough to swing Dean’s vote.

               “Alright boys,” Dean sniffed. “See you on the other side?” He shook Cas’s hand before pulling him into a brief hug. Sam stood waiting, an arm up and one underneath, they embraced as equals. Another risk, another potential goodbye.

               “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do, bitch.” Dean chided, giving Sam a knowing smirk.

               “Too short a list, jerk,” Sam tossed back, as Dean took Naomi’s hand like the kid forced to partner with the teacher in dance class. The portal swayed and flickered, the angel and the hunter pulled skyward, though Heaven was much farther away than the instant transport suggested.

               “Sam?”

               “Not now, Cas.” Sam stormed off, thumbing through his phone, needing to make some calls.

^*^*^

Read On: A New Normal

Rewatch: My Bride is a Mermaid - Conclusion

The manga Seto No Hanayome was one that relied heavily on visual comedy and Japanese wordplay, as is common with most gag mangas, and it ended up being nigh untranslatable as a result. It’s anime adaptation, however, played to its unique strengths of movement and voice-acting, and the English dub version My Bride is a Mermaid is an excellent translation; I don’t think there was a single bad performance out of the main cast and I honestly prefer most of the dub voice actors’ portrayals to the original Japanese ones. And since it’s a Seiji Kishi anime which means a lot of screaming at top volume, these voice actors are to be praised even more for risking throwing out their vocal cords out of commitment to their work. 

Furthermore, I honestly believe that this 26-episode anime is superior to the manga, and to the four Japanese-exclusive OVA episodes it later got that adapted other manga stories. The anime stopped at the exact equivalent to the end of the manga’s first half, volume 8. The manga would go on until volume 16, and while there were good moments and even a few outright good stories in this second half, it suffered from an influx of new characters that lacked the charm of the ones we already had and were more often than not redundant. 

Satori Sarutobi, Chimp’s little sister, was at first a one-shot character in the manga’s first half, in a chapter that was adapted as one of the OVA episodes. It would have been fine if that was all of her, but in the second half of the manga she suddenly was brought back as a recurring character and part of Nagasumi’s “harem”, which really did not need a little sister type in it (does any anime harem?) The second half of the manga began with the debut of Saturn, which was the basis for another OVA episode. In said OVA, Saturn was toned down into an innocent one-shot character who didn’t mean to scare and attack anyone and only wanted to see her childhood friend Sun again, returning to the sea without incident after she does. But in the actual manga, Saturn was a horrible bitch and a lesbian yandere who was in love with Sun and wanted to sabotage anyone who she saw as in her way, male and female alike. Not only is she a rehash of the “Sun’s childhood friend who is a screwed up person and gay for her” concept we already had with Lunar except done in a far less appealing way, but she then rehashes Gozaburo’s role by becoming a teacher at the school and the most frequent antagonist for a good many chapters following her introduction.

Sugio is literally Kamata’s twin brother and it makes no sense to include him when Kamata could have just been used for whatever roles he plays. Tenchou is the owner of a maid cafe that Akeno is forced to work at to pay off a debt, which draws in most of the other girls to work there too for chapters upon chapters, the first of which was the basis for an OVA episode. He could have been interesting as the straight man to the merpeople antics around him, but he’s kept too much at a distance from them, to the point where his design is altered in the OVA and his role is a mute, stationary one. The last new character who got adapted into an OVA episode is a recurring school delinquent named Emperor, who eventually got an incredibly disturbing chapter where it’s revealed he’s a fully-grown man who got perpetually held back in middle school, and who lusts after Lunar up until the chapter’s end where he gives up and goes home...with his wife and daughter. Yeah, that’s not funny, that’s just uncomfortable. 

We later got Jupiter, a kind of counterpart to Saturn except that she’s in love with Akeno, has an absurdly androgynous design, and is characterized by how utterly useless she is. Her desperate, stalker-y antics to get Akeno to return her affections are more annoying than humorous, and she’s so pathetic as an antagonist that the Last Amazoness is made to be more dangerous! Fuki is later introduced as Maki’s lookalike sister (her redundancy is such that it’s said that she was literally called “Maki #2″ in her childhood), and she serves Maruko Okhotsk, a teenage yakuza boss and creepy religious zealot who is yet another childhood friend of Sun’s who is obsessed with her to an insane degree and who ends up becoming yet another member of Nagasumi’s “harem”. You see what I mean about the redundancy issue?

The only new character I really appreciate is Amano Edomae, Lunar’s mother who sheds new light on Lunar’s childhood and motivations for becoming an idol, and is an interesting character in her own right who compliments her daughter and ex-husband well. Shortly after her introduction we go into the final story arc, which gives us 1/8th Figurine, a pixie-esque mer-noble later revealed to be a goddess who has no personality beyond providing long, drawn-out exposition, and Maki Yuri, a pupil of Akeno’s who recycles the name of a pre-existing character, rehashes Jupiter’s concept as a potential lesbian love interest for Akeno, and basically plays the same role that Akeno did in the anime’s finale since Akeno had developed to the point where she couldn’t play it here meaning a replacement was needed.

The manga’s finale, btw, is nowhere near as impactful as the anime’s, since Yoshio is a very different character here (an out-and-out catfish who was previously just a one-shot from the manga’s first half, who wants Sun so that he can make her the new sea goddess and rule through her), his forces fight the heroes by invading the school rather than the heroes taking the fight to him in his stronghold, the charmless new characters are involved and there are weaker roles for many of the older ones (Kai and Gozaburo especially are worse off), the resolution is anti-climactic (Nagasumi and Sun impale Yoshio with that magic spear that was used on Nagasumi when he was turned into a giant, which purifies the evil in Yoshio’s heart and makes him reform), and all of the humans involved in the battle, Nagasumi included, get their memories of it wiped Mewtwo-style by 1/8th Figurine which means they don’t get to savor the victory. The last chapter is just a random beach day for everyone, and while all the characters are left on the most appropriate note for them, it still feels underwhelming and even kind of forced (Nagasumi asks Sun to marry him here after she saves him from drowning again just like in the first chapter, and it’s revealed that she’d given him CPR back then so Masa wasn’t his first kiss after all...because that really needed to be clarified, right?)

Aside from the events and characterizations of episode 13 and episode 18 being far better portrayed, the only thing that I think the manga truly has over the anime is how Akeno’s story and character develop. I think I came to love Akeno even more on this rewatch than I did the first time around, and it was kind of disappointing that the anime ends before anything more can come out of the reveals in episode 23. The manga actually continues that plotline and by the end Akeno finds out that Masa is her brother and they get to have a formal reconciliation, and Akeno in general feels like an even stronger character who’s grown so much more by the end of the manga when compared to the end of the anime. Which isn’t to say that she and her development in the anime is bad, because it isn’t at all - it just feels notably incomplete. I’d gladly trade all four OVA episodes we got for one long OVA about Akeno; she deserves it.

And now, to wrap things up, my top 10 favorite characters and episodes:

1. Sun Seto 2. Lunar Edomae 3. Mawari Zenigata 4. Akeno Shiranui 5. Gozaburo Seto 6. Nagasumi Michishio 7. Kai Mikawa 8. Masa 9. Ren Seto 10. Papa Edomae

1. Episode 8: Duel* 2. Episode 26: The Place You Go Home To* 3. Episode 19: There's No Business Like Show Business 4. Episode 24: Farewell, My Friend 5. Episode 11: Armageddon 6. Episode 2: The Lord of the Ring 7. Episode 23: The Man Without a Past 8. Episode 17: Cops vs. Thugs 9. Episode 22: Privilege 10. Episode 6: Faibles Femmes   * Honorable mention to episodes 7 and 25, which are the set-up for these ones.

What else is left to say but: Honor Among Thieves is Honor Under the Seas!

Branjie Fic - Hold Me Closer, Tiny Dancer (2/?)

Title: Hold Me Closer, Tiny Dancer Summary: Brooke Lynn is a graduate student anxiously embracing her new position as her favorite dance professors’ new TA. Vanessa is a sophomore dance major who just might make her way into being more than the teacher(assistant)’s pet. (lesbian/university AU) Word Count: ~2.4k (this chapter)/~5k (total) Relationship: Branjie (Vanessa ‘Vanjie’ Mateo/Brooke Lynn Hytes) Rating: T Note(s): rating is subject to change, this is based on the story so far

Read on AO3 | Ch. 1 

While it is called the ‘fall semester’, classes always start during the summer, often at the end of August. This gave way for heatwaves hitting in the middle of the week, especially in densely-packed places like New York City. No one talks about this time of year in the city that never sleeps – it is devoid of the awe and whimsy that so often surrounded it in media. Artists don’t wax poetic about days like this, where the air is thick and hazy and smells of sweat and melting garbage. Where, despite it being the lunch rush, the streets were scare, and everyone is hiding in the comfort of air conditioning or high-powered fans.

Cut to the graduate student residence hall – more specifically, Brooke’s apartment. There, she and Nina sat on the floor in sports bras and shorts, drinking glass after glass of ice water and being eternally grateful that the a/c had been fixed just before the start of the semester. Nina looked on as Brooke stared catatonically at the ceiling and nudged her leg with her foot to get her attention. “I don’t think I’ve ever had to say this to anyone but myself, but I think you’re being overdramatic,” she told her.

“I’m not!” Brooke sighed in exasperation. “It’s only day two of the school year and I’ve already kissed a student. I couldn’t manage a full twenty-four hours on campus without jeopardizing everything,” she groaned, now laying on the floor. “It wasn’t even a cute cheek kiss, I almost slipped her tongue, Nina!”

Nina didn’t mean to laugh, trying to cover her mouth when she snorted. “What exactly do you think is going to happen? That she’s gonna tell Katya? That Katya’s gonna fire you?” she didn’t let her answer before she continued, “I don’t think you’re actually afraid of getting in trouble. I think you’re afraid of catching feelings for this girl.”

“Thanks for the insight, Dr. Phil,” Brooke huffed and pushed herself back into a sitting position. “Look, just because she’s beautiful, funny, and kissing her made me feel like glitter was exploding inside of me, doesn’t mean I’m about to fall for her.”

Nina stared at her blankly, hardly able to believe the level of denial she was stuck in. “Do you hear yourself? Because you sound ridiculous.” She swung her legs over to the side so she could shift and look at her. “You know it isn’t the end of the world to have a crush on someone, right? It’s a thing that happens to most of us humans every now and then.”

Brooke groaned and buried her head in her hands. “But why did it have to hit me now?” she couldn’t help but wonder, if it was in another time and place, would she be this stressed over the encounter? She supposed it was possible that she would try to find another excuse, or maybe she’d be in Vanessa’s bed instead.

“Because sometimes life is an asshole that takes its joy in screwing with you, and you just have to tough it out. That’s how I got into comedy,” doing improv and stand-up had become Nina’s way of coping, and Brooke’s way of coping was…not.

And she couldn’t counter her point either, leaving her pouting and looking at the floor. “So, what am I supposed to do in class tomorrow?”

Nina shrugged. “Just try not to make a big deal of things, it’ll just be business as usual. I’m sure she’s just as nervous and confused as you are.”

“She wants me,” Vanessa said to her friends. They were all sat in the dining hall during lunch, the group having just listened with interest as she recounted the events of the day before.

“You sound real confident about someone that deadass ran away from you,” A’keria retorted, pointing her fork at her as she spoke.

Vanessa shook her head, swallowing the food in her mouth before speaking. “Nah it wasn’t a ‘running away’ moment. She just got cold feet, I ain’t taking it personally,” she sat upright with a smug grin, proving a sincerity in her belief.

“So, what are you gonna do next? Like in class?” she furrowed her brows.

That was when she realized she hadn’t actually planned ahead, which was never her strength in the first place. While it was often a hindrance academically, she usually enjoyed the spontaneity that came with potential budding romances. But with Brooke? She might have to take another approach. “Gotta play the long game, babe.”

“The long game?” Blair chimed in. While she had a girlfriend, she was endlessly interested in her and A’keria’s dating lives – especially comparing and contrasting the two. They were both extroverts that thrived at a good party or club and were openly flirtatious with whoever caught their eye. The difference, perhaps, was the number of girls that caught their respective eyes – A’keria didn’t like leaving any outing empty-handed, while Vanessa had the tendency to pick and choose, even when drunk beyond belief.

Vanessa clicked her tongue and smirked. “She ain’t just gonna get with me overnight – you gotta finesse that shit when you’re aiming for, you know, a lady of Brooke Lynn’s caliber.”

“As opposed to us hoes?” A’keria arched her brow.

“Exactly, bitch!” Vanessa laughed.

“I think it’s sweet,” Blair hummed. “You’re changing your major to Brooke!” she said to a pair of blank stares. “Fun Home? Seriously? God, I waste my best musical theatre material on you guys,” she huffed.

Even though Vanessa didn’t understand the joke, she understood what Blair was getting at. Out of curiosity, she looked up the song she’d referenced, listening to it on her walk to class. “Oh, I get it now. That was clever,” she said to herself before she sat down in the lecture hall.

The class was about half full when she arrived, students filing in for the next five minutes or so. At one point, a girl took the seat next to her. She sat poised and upright – Vanessa wondered if she was a dancer too. “Nice bling you got there,” she told her, gesturing to the large earrings that stood out against her shaved head.

“Thanks,” she replied, casually looking her over. “I’m Yvie.”

“Vanjie.”

She quirked her brow. “Is that your given name?”

“No, it’s Vanessa. But that’s what I go by,” she replied, rifling through her bag and humming quietly to herself as she took what she needed out.

Yvie nodded in understanding, looking forward and scribbling aimlessly along the margins of her notebook paper. “So, what’s your major?”

“Brooke.”

“What?”

Vanessa’s eyes widened and she shrunk down, momentarily considering walking right out of the class and calling it a day. “Dance! I-I meant to say dance,” she sputtered out. Oh, she was going to get Blair later. It was her damn fault bringing up that musical.

“I’m not even gonna ask, girl,” Yvie shook her head. It was more out of sympathy, seeing how embarrassed she was, than an actual lack of interest. Frankly, she was much more tempted to press for more information, but then the professor called attention to the front of the class, and the various conversations died down, much to Vanessa’s relief.

Wednesday morning, on its own, seemed to promise a better day. The heatwave had passed, and the city was bustling with its usual energy. Even in the dance studio, Katya was the first one to arrive, which gave Brooke – who came in next – one less thing to worry about. She decided not to tell her about the kiss, lest she be subjected to an ‘I told you so’, making her hope all the more that the class would go by without incident.

Brooke scanned the room as each student entered, trying to make it seem like she was paying every one of them the same amount of attention. But then Vanessa walked in and suddenly no one else existed. This time she had on shorts and a tank top, and her hair was tied into a neat bun, and Brooke was able to study her for a good couple moments before their eyes met.

“Morning, Brooke,” Vanessa still seemed happy to see her, but her tone was calmer, more controlled. It was the same tone she had when she comforted her in Starbucks, and it brought on the same sense of ease it had then.

It baffled her, when she thought about it. Brooke’s emotions were so easily swayed – Vanessa could get her riled up and calmed down within the same conversation. That sort of thing might bother others, but it had something of an addictive quality to it. She wanted to get to know her more, to get another hit of her energy. “Good to see you, Vanjie,” she replied. And she meant it, truly.

After Brooke took attendance, Katya stood at the front of the class to begin the lecture. “Today we’re going to work on having to work with a partner. I know you guys touched on some dances last year, so we’re going to build off of that. I’m just going to go down the line and pair everyone up,” she paired up everyone as she walked across the studio, until she got down to the last three girls. “Looks like we’ve got an odd number today.”

One girl shrugged. “It’s fine, we can work in a gr—”

“No, no that just work,” she looked at the three girls, making it seem like she was really thinking about it. “You two pair up. Vanjie, you can work with Brooke,” she announced, actively refusing to acknowledge the way Brooke was staring her down.

The devil works hard, but Katya works harder, Brooke thought as she got up and went to sit by her new dance partner. She tuned out while Katya explained what dance steps they’d be doing – she had gone through all of this before and knew it by heart – especially considering how many times she had gone over the lesson plans. Instead, she took that time to remind herself to stay calm, that the only reaction she should have is no reaction at all.

“You ever tango before?” Brooke asked as she, Vanessa, and everyone else got to their feet.

“You heard her, we did this last year,” Vanessa shrugged as a simple tango tune filled the room from the speaker Katya hooked up to her laptop.

And each set of partners assumed the starting position – one hand on the other’s shoulder and the others clasped together out to the side. Some students were counting the steps out loud, while others were doing turns and back cortes.

Unsurprisingly, Vanessa was on the more advanced end of the spectrum, demonstrated both by her skill and her desire to take control. “Why can’t you let me lead?” she huffed.

“Grow six inches and we’ll talk,” Brooke retorted, dipping her in time with the music, earning her a scowl from the shorter girl, but she only found it as cute as her smile. Almost as if to further flaunt her size advantage, she moved her arm around Vanessa’s waist, lifting her up for a twirl.

But Vanessa was quick on her feet. She landed and wrapped a leg around her waist, and Brooke put a hand on her thigh and pulled her close. Another dip, and back up. As the music died down, they came to a stop, breathing heavily, close enough for their breath to hit each other’s faces.

“Now that’s a tango, ladies!” Katya had apparently been going from pair to pair, coaching and critiquing, not that this pair would’ve noticed. “I call it The Tango: Branjie!” she said with jazz hands for flourish. “Get it? Because, you know, you—and she—" she looked around at the stone-faced class. “Damn, tough crowd. Class dismissed,” she shrugged and walked to turn off her laptop.

“For the record,” Brooke said as she set Vanessa down and took a few cautious steps back, “as the student, I think you should get the credit. It’s called The Tango: Vanjie now,” she turned to gather her things, but Vanessa didn’t budge.

“I like the ring that has to it, but I ain’t leaving til we talk about that kiss,” she stood firmly, hands on her hips and head held high, only to cock a bit to the side as her pursed lips twitched to a smirk. “Or til I get another one.”

So that was how it was going to be. Brooke was impressed by Vanessa’s boldness, and perhaps a bit aroused. She gently placed her fingers under her chin, tilting her head up and pressing a kiss to her lips. “Goodbye, Vanjie,” she whispered sweetly, tapping her cheek lightly before sending her on her way. It was when she stood back up and turned to pick her bag up that she let out a frustrated groan. “Fuck, you’re still here.”

Katya was bouncing on the balls of her feet with a cheshire grin. “This is the best moment of my fucking career, bitch,” she ran over to Brooke and grabbed her hands, jumping up and down. “You guys are gonna have such crazy sex!”

Brooke’s eyes widened and she clapped her hand over Katya’s mouth. “Not if you keep running your fucking mouth!” she hissed in a stage whisper. She waited a beat, then let her hand drop to the side. “I swear, if you breathe a word—”

“Would you turn the paranoia down for like, five minutes to realize no one’s out to get you for whatever happens between you and Vanjie?” Katya gripped on to Brooke’s shoulders. “I think you need to go home, have a drink and a smoke, and go rub one out. You’ve got plenty of new material, now,” she bumped her elbow into her side.

Brooke exhaled and shook her head. “I’m gonna kill you,” she muttered before stepping out of the studio. She had only taken a couple steps towards the exit when she paused and turned around. Of course.

“So,” Vanessa pushed herself off the wall and took a half-step towards Brooke. “You off to follow Professor Katya’s advice?” she asked with the same type of grin the aforementioned woman had.

“No,” Brooke scoffed and tossed her hair off her shoulder. She waited until she saw something of a disappointed look on her face before adding “I’ve been trying to quit smoking,” she bit her lip and winked before turning on her heel and walking out of the building.

Vanessa was left stunned, but well-affected, nonetheless. “Just keep playing the long game, Vanjie. She’ll come around.”

PROMISE - CHAPTER 2

Plot: Jungkook forces Yoongi to make him a promise that could potentially kill him and destroy their relationship forever.

Character Info: Drug Dealer Yoongi, Aspiring Artist/Barista Jungkook, Drug Cartel Boss Taehyung, Drug Dealer Namjoon, Drug Runner Jimin, Secretary Seokjin, Former Drug Dealer Hoseok.

Pairing: Yoonkook, Taekook

Warnings (this will update and change as the chapters go): Drug Use, Drug Making, Smoking, Strong language

Words: 4677

Authors Note: This was actually one of my first fics right after I wrote Song of Temptation so don’t mind the subpar writing during the first few chapters I’ll be releasing back to back. Not that I’m an expert now but the writing is not as developed since I was starting out. Also the aesthetics are very much inspired by HYYH Yoonkook. I kind of want to do a story like this while also writing De Morte Magicae because it helps keep a little ‘grounded’ I guess. Anyway enjoy and let me know your thoughts in the replies or my inbox!

Taehyung was not a stranger to pressure being placed on him in times of dire circumstances but his fathers’ illness caused a lot more hustle than he expected. Every corner of the cartel was asking too many personal questions, making accusations or planning on taking advantage of this vulnerability. It was a constant race of who was going to be the first to be seen when the leader died. Taehyung knew more than anyone that his father wasn’t dying even though he might as well be for his dignity.

His day washed away with him sitting in his fathers’ study with Seokjin letting each person in to express their wasted words and then sent out. It was all the same anyway. Something about land and property rights and anything to set Taehyung off from his concentration for more important matters.

        Taehyung’s gaze was slowly directing away towards the gold clock which was indicating that it was three in the afternoon. He couldn’t remember when he even sat down before everyone started pouring in one by one with their constant complaints. As if he didn’t have better things to do with his day. Now it was wasted. Taking a sharp breath causing Seokjin to pause for a moment, his hand brushing against the golden handles of his chair. “How many more?” He tried his best not to grumble like a child but he was getting antsy.

        Papers flipped through before Seokjin spoke again. “Uh there’s Wonyoung, Dojung and…Min Yoongi, Master Kim,” Taehyung’s head shot up, brows furrowing as he rested back on his chair now with a little more interest.

         “Did Min say what it was about?”

        Seokjin shook his head, looking down at his clipboard. “Just that it was an urgent matter,” He fixed his glasses as the light now reflected against it.

        Taehyung’s fingers rested on his plump lips, brushing it lightly before he gestured towards Seokjin. The ruby on his ring glimmering against the light. “Bring him in first,”

        Seokjin immediately nodded before exiting the room leaving Taehyung slightly worried. Yoongi owned one of their dens but rarely spoke to them personally; if there was an urgent matter then it was hardly good news of any kind. As he let out a deep sigh, Seokjin walked in again with a familiar mint haired male walking in behind him. Instead of his usual bomber jacket, the man bothered to wear a coat and jeans that weren’t ripped. Except his mint hair took most of the attention.

       “What’s the problem? You never make personal visits unless it’s dire,” Taehyung moved his hand to rest on the table which was littered with different letters and forms he had to read and sign.

        Yoongi hesitated for a moment, digging his hands into his coat pockets before letting out a sigh. “I know this isn’t an ideal time to be doing this but…I…want to resign from the cartel,” Even Seokjin’s shocked gaze was on Yoongi while Taehyung tried to calm down the small fire that was igniting inside him.

        “You want to…what exactly?” Taehyung gritted through his teeth.

        “Resign from the cartel,”

        “And why is that?”

        Yoongi licked his lips. “Personal circumstances,”

        Taehyung scoffed, eyebrows raised. “So you want to leave the gang at these troubled times without my knowledge of why you’re doing it? Is that what I’m hearing, Min?”

        The older male stayed silent, looking down at his feet before facing him again with a blank expression that fired Taehyung up further. “Yes. This cartel was a home to me as a child onwards but now that I’m older, it’s not the best place for me,”

        “Lots of I’s and me’s there but I’m not sure I believe that this was your decision alone,” Taehyung gave him a puzzled look, wanting to see the others’ face crack somehow. “Spit it out now. Who persuaded you to do this?” He raised his chin searching his expression.

         It was now Yoongi started to look a little tense bringing Taehyung a little satisfaction. “No one persuaded me, I have been considering for a long time. I just don’t want to be in a place where my entire heart doesn’t lie anymore,” He stood stone-faced.

        Taehyung scoffed again before letting a small, bitter chuckle. “Your heart was supposed to stay back in the past when you were taken in, Yoongi,” The older male had the nerve to come down to his office and leave the cartel like it was some regular day job. Taehyung wasn’t having any of it. Every part of his request was burning up inside him like furnace. “You chose to abandon the very gang that’s in desperate for loyal men right now. My father is ill beyond repair, everyone’s coming at our throats and you want to go gallivanting off because your heart can’t handle it anymore?”

        Yoongi gulped, right eye twitching a little. “Yes,” He mumbled.

       “Well I do love being the bearer the bad news at times I’ll be honest. You’re not going anywhere,” Taehyung leaned forward to rest his elbows on the table as Yoongi looked more worried by the second.

        “You said you needed loyal men, Taehyung. Namjoon can take my place and Jimin is also more than capable of taking care of the den with him. You don’t need me,” Yoongi tried to argue but Taehyung’s expression stayed the same.

        “You’re right, I don’t really need you at all,” Taehyung sighed. “But I can’t have you wandering around either. The fact that you wanted to walk away right when the gang was vulnerable shows a lot of cowardice to me,” His eyes burned into Yoongi’s wavering gaze. “You should know fully well by now what we do to cowardice people in our cartel, Min. Now as I said…you’re not going anywhere,”

        Seokjin opened his mouth to say something before Taehyung interrupted him by calling two guards in to grab Yoongi from each side. “Taehyung! I’ve served this gang well, you know that,” Yoongi argued further which only made Taehyung roll his eyes.

        “Past tense. You don’t want to be in the cartel, that’s fine. But did you really think I was going to let you go so easily?” Taehyung gestured towards the two men before they dragged Yoongi out of the office, sounds of struggle fading away into the distance as he was now left with silence and the ticking of the clock. Taehyung rested back on his chair when Seokjin finally spoke up.

        “We…have known Yoongi for such a long time. He’s been nothing but loyal and hardworking,” Taehyung’s gaze flickered up and Seokjin gulped. “Should you really be punishing him like this? If he was planning on leaving, it must have been a good reason. Maybe you could…hear him out,”

        Taehyung shook his head. “I’ve been listening to people bitch all day today. It’s time to take action for something at the very least,”

        Seokjin sighed and lowered his head, fixing his eyes on his clipboard. When the silence took over the room, Taehyung had time to look over his thoughts. Seokjin was right. If Yoongi did have to go, it must have been an important reason. Something he probably should have asked further before deciding to punish him so quickly.

        With a sigh, Taehyung spoke again. “I’ll…talk to him when he gets to the warehouse,”

        Seokjin looked up at him with a sense of hope filling in his eyes now.

       “Whatever this reason is…better be fucking special,”

First Impressions 11

I literally just ran this chapter out in a day, which is totally unheard of for me, but when the mood hits you......

Trigger Warning: mentions of domestic abuse, rape, anxiety.

In this chapter the boys are back across the pond, Jack is in denial, Maya takes a trip and Lizzie finally stands up for herself.

Fic Masterlist

FIRST IMPRESSIONS 11

WHAT DOESN’T KILL YOU MAKES YOU STRONGER?

LIZZIE

The morning after the wrap party Lizzie woke up feeling like she was hung over. Her head pounded, her throat was all dry and scratchy and she felt sick to her stomach. How had an evening that had begun so well turned bad so quickly? How had any of it even been real it was so ridiculous. A glance at her phone showed that was 8am, far later than she usually slept and she moaned, knowing she was going to feel like shite all day. Shooting off a text to Charlie to see if his evening had turned out any better, she lumbered into the shower, hoping that the steam would at least help to clear her head.

She had to at least make herself presentable for Sunday dinner or there would be consequences. One thing that Lizzie was most certainly not in the mood for was her mother’s inferences and comments about her life choices or the way she looked. Mary and Kate would be there today and she wanted her time with her sisters to be as pleasant as possible. Of course bribery was always a good option too and so she spent the morning baking a few of Chloe’s favourite things, just in case she needed the distraction.

From past experience it had about a 70/30 chance of success, which were odds she could live with.

It seemed to be working this time too, Lizzie thought halfway through dinner. Lydia was still sulking of course, but everyone else seemed to happy enough while they planned for Thanksgiving. Chloe was insisting that everything be absolutely perfect for Tom to celebrate his first one, and while Lizzie thought some of her ideas were a bit over the top, she couldn’t fault her excitement. This would be the first time that any of the girls had brought a significant other to the celebration. Mary and her girlfriend had spent last Thanksgiving in Oregon and Colin had always insisted on spending the day with his family. None of hers had ever been invited and it wasn’t until after she’d gotten away that she realized how he had been isolating her. All told, Maya and Mary bringing someone home for the holiday was a huge deal for all of them.

Glad of the diversion, Lizzie had a great catch-up with her sisters, both of them happier than she had ever seen them. Maya was beaming every time Tom was mentioned (a lot), and for the first time in a long time, Lizzie was pretty content with how things were turning out.

There was a knock at the door after dinner, Kate and Mary having already left, the remaining family members watching a movie.

“Of course you can dear! Come on in, she’s in the living room.” Chloe was saying.

Lizzie looked at Maya who simply shrugged, apparently she wasn’t expecting Tom. Maybe it was one of Lydia’s friends. Then she looked up and her heart plummeted to her feet as she saw Colin standing there, flowers in hand while her mother beamed with pleasure.

“Lizzie, Colin wanted to have a word with you.”

Her heart was now thumping in her throat, the familiar breathless feeling rising from the pit of her belly. She couldn’t believe that her mother would ambush her like this, was she truly so blind to the situation and to Lizzie’s feelings? Or, and much more likely, had Coloin managed to charm her into believing that things were far different than they actually were? For the first time, she regretted not telling her parents about Colin’s abuse. Her mother might have a pain, but she would never have allowed Colin through the front door if she knew what he really was.

With everyone looking at her expectantly Lizzie stood up. It was time to end this, but not inside her parent’s house. She felt a hand on her arm and it was, surprisingly, Lydia.

“Do you want us to stay?” she whispered.

The girl had her moments but she was always, always there for the sisters if they needed her. Deep down, Lydia was a good egg.

“No. But thanks.” she patted Lydia’s hand. “I’ll speak to Colin outside.” she spoke firmly. “The rest of you need to stay here.”

Her look, especially toward Colin and Chloe brooked no argument and she stalked past them both and out the door. It took moments only for Colin to follow, narrowing his eyes when he noticed her stretched on the swing leaving him unable to do anything but stand.

It was up to him to start.

Lizzie watched him fiddle with the flowers, seeing him realize there was no way she was going to accept them. He was on edge because already he could see that things weren’t going according to plan. If he was smart, he would cut his losses and run.

Colin had always been too self-absorbed to be truly smart.

“Eliza, I’m sure you realize by now why I’m here.”

“I heard work.”

“No. Well yes but that’s not all of it. Anne could have sent me anywhere but I chose to come here.”

Yeah, ok, she thought wryly.

“I don’t see what that has to do with me.”

“I’ve decided to give you another chance. I’ve come to understand that you were young before and perhaps not ready to be thrust into the life I was planning. Ann thinks I have great potential and we’ve agreed that it would be advantageous to have someone to help me entertain clients.”

No way was he seriously saying this, utter astonishment at his audacity had replaced fear and she opened her mouth to respond, only to be cut off as Colin continued.

“You would be responsible for dinner parties - under mine and Ann’s supervision of course. She’s very big on entertaining potential client and her eye is absolutely impeccable. Then of course you would be expected to entertain personally on the day of, serve appetizers during my meetings, be charming and naturally you would put the company forth, first and foremost.”

“I’m confused Colin, are you offering me a job?”

“Yes and no, Ann did ask me to look for someone to fill the role and I thought that as my wife you could perform the duties required,” his eyes slid over her like a snakes, leaving no doubt about his double meaning. “It would save the company money and Ann is quite keen on frugality.”

Lizzie barely concealed the shudder that wafted down her spine, she was so stunned that she couldn’t even speak.

“I know it’s a lot to take in, but with training you could do well. Also, I don’t like to brag but the home Ann helped me pick out is perfectly suited for entertaining and is really quite awe-inspiring. Especially for the smaller names, like your Scottish friend.”

Lizzie didn’t miss the way his lips curled on a snarl as he spoke those words, a glimpse of the Colin that she knew well. Instinct had her screaming RUN in her head, this would be the moment when he would accuse and then hurt her. But things were different now, she was different, even if he wasn’t.

“No.” she said it firmly, almost surprised that she’d said it out loud at all.

Colin’s eyes flashed, his polite mask slipping for a second before he took a deep breath, concealing the monster once again.

“I see. Driving the hard bargain to hold out for more. Well, there could be travel involved. Ann’s main office is in London. There would be certain red carpet events, parties no doubt where I could wrangle a plus one, if you are doing well of course. You’d have an allowance naturally, and a driver, anything you could want.”

“Except freedom, Lizzie thought darkly.

“Still no. Not interested.”

“Eliza, don’t be stupid!” Colin snarled. “This is the best offer you are ever likely to get. I gave you time to grow up and pursue your pointless degrees, time to understand and appreciate what I have to offer you, now it’s time to think.”

“I am thinking, and my answer is still no. It will always be no.”

“Why? I don’t understand.”

“You know why, Colin.” Lizzie ground out.

Was he really so narcissistic that be believed himself innocent? Or worse, justified?

“Are you seriously dredging up the past Eliza? I think we are beyond that now. You were young and did enjoy pushing me.”

“Pushing you?” Anger now overrode all of Lizzie’s better judgement and she stood, facing him without backing down. “You punched me in the ribs for saying hello to the postman. How exactly was that pushing you?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” he snapped. “I never laid a hand on you unless you incited me. You knew how I felt about you talking to other men, flirting with them. You were mine, young and out of control, I was trying to shape you into a grown up.”

“He was 73, and what about the time I didn’t scrub the counters with both kind of bleach so dragged me by my hair through the house and locked me in the basement for two days. Was that justified?”

“All you had to do was what I asked, you brought it all on yourself, you needed to learn and you needed to be punished when you deliberately went against my wishes.”

“Oh I learned alright. I learned that I am a million times better than an abusive sack of shit like you in every way. I said no and I meant no, Colin, now get off my parent’s property before I call the Chief and your dirty secret gets out into the open.”

“You wouldn’t dare.” Colin had gone white, unconsciously backing up toward the steps.

“Oh, but I would. You come near me or my family again and I’ll make sure that the illustrious Anne deBourgh knows all about how much you like to hit women.”

“You bitch!” Colin was down the steps and onto the path, only feet away from his car.

Lizzie smiled triumphantly, raising her hand in a mocking wave.

“Buh bye now.” Colin didn’t say another word, instead he turned and got in his car, peeling away before Lizzie could make good on her threat. She waited until he was out of sight before collapsing onto the swing, her breath struggling in deep, gasping gulps. The enormity of what she’d done wasn’t lost on her, at one time she hadn’t even dared to look at him sideways and now she had told him to go to hell. Part of her somehow still expected to feel his fist in her ribs for even daring to speak out. That part had her eyes darting around in panic, certain she would see his car still there and him towering over her.

It was several minutes before she could pull herself together enough to breathe properly and she gratefully sucked the late fall air deep into her lungs. Her hands had almost stopped shaking and, while her legs were still a bit wobbly, she was able to stand again and slowly make her way to the door.

One unwanted confrontation down, one to go.

The expected scolding from her mother didn’t come as she closed the door behind her. Curious, she thought as she entered the living room, seeing only her father.

“Dad?”

“Kitchen. Everything ok?”

Lizzie smiled at his concerned look and nodded, leaning over to kiss the top of his head.

“It’s fine, I sorted it out.”

Watching as he turned his attention back to the t.v. Lizzie was once again glad she had never told her parents the truth about Colin. It would break her father’s heart to know that someone had hurt her - and that he hadn’t been there to stop it. A moot point now, she mused, making her way to the kitchen. The bastard was gone for good now, at least she hoped so.

Any thoughts about Colin fled as soon as she saw the state of Maya, who sat silently at the counter, fat tears streaming down her cheeks with her phone sitting in front of her. Chloe spotted Lizzie and before she could even open her mouth to Maya it began.

“Oh Lizzie, what a sad state of things! Just up and gone like that, what are we going to do?”

She was actually wringing her hands as she  paced up and down the room.

“Maya?” Lizzie asked softly, her hand on her sister’s shoulder.

Maya choked on a sob, handing Lizzie her phone before dashing away to her room. Looking down she read the message on the screen with horror.

From: [email protected] To: [email protected]

Subject: Sorry

Maya, love I’m sorry to bail like this, I thought there was more time but I’m needed in London tomorrow for auditions. I can’t blow them off. I’m sure you understand. Thanks for everything, you are a wonderful girl and I had a great time with you.

Tom.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” she growled, reading the email. An email of all things! “He has some fucking nerve.”

“Maybe she can catch him before he leaves?” her mother asked hopefully.

“I don’t think so Mom, if I had to guess I’d say he’s already on the plane, probably even in London by now. If he was too cowardly to say this face to face then he’s left town already. Bastard.”

“What about Colin? He’s involved in that world, with them, I’m sure he would look him up if you asked.”

“Colin is not, and will never be involved in this, Mom.” Lizzie stated.

“I know you just got back together but considering the circumstances, I’m sure he won’t mind.”

“I turned down Colin’s rather insulting proposal Mom. It’s done and I don’t want to hear anymore about it.”

“But…”

“No Mom! I mean it, it’s done. Give it up because I am never going to marry Colin Ryan.”

“I can’t believe you Elizabeth Bennett. Why are you so intent on throwing away your future?”

“Why are you so intent on throwing me at a man I despise?”

“You’d have stability, social standing, money, everything you need.”

“No, that’s just everything you want, it’s not what I want. I never cared about money or social bullshit.”

Lizzie moved past Chloe and down the hall.

“We are not done talking about this young lady.” Chloe snapped.

“Yes we are Mom. We are done, if you so much as mention Colin to me again then I’m out, I mean it. I can’t keep going through this with you. I love you and if you love me then you’ll trust me to make my own choices about my life!”

Lizzie didn’t realize how much her voice had risen until the shocked look on her mother’s face registered. She had never, even as a teen, ever yelled at her Mom. Lydia’s head poked out of her door with a worried frown and Ben stood in the hallway looking sad. Though angry tears threatened to spill over, Lizzie clamped her jaw shut.

“Come now loves, I think that’s enough excitement for one day. We’re all tired from last night and can do with a break.” Her father’s soft voice diffused the anger, as always. “Let’s go watch West Side Story shall we?” this he said to his wife.

“But…” sniff. “You hate musicals.”

“How about we see if I’ve changed my mind?”

Chloe allowed herself to be led away, Lydia retreated back into her room and Lizzie knocked softly on Maya’s door, not expecting a reply. Her heart twisted at the sight of her sister sobbing into the pillow. In twenty years she had never seen Maya once cry over a man.

She wanted to wring Tom’s neck.

“Hey May May, what do you say to a quiet night at my place? I have ice cream.”

Maya’s favourite feel better cure, and Lizzie knew that she would much rather be away from Chloe’s histrionics while the wound was still so fresh. She gathered a few of her sister’s things into a bag, patiently waiting until maya was ready to move.

“Dad.” She whispered from the kitchen, her father appearing almost immediately. “I’m taking Maya to my place for a few days.”

“Ok, go out the back door and I’ll keep your mother occupied.”

Lizzie nodded, heading for the kitchen door.

“Oh and Lizzie….” she turned to see a gentle smile on his face. “For what it’s worth, I never liked Colin, I’m glad you got rid of him.”

Shocked, Lizzie squeaked.

“Mom thinks he’s the second coming.” “I’ll take care of your mother, you take care of Maya. I love you both.”

“Love you too Dad.” Lizzie bundled Maya out the door.

It was only 6pm and today felt like the longest day of her life, all because of a couple of selfish, stupid bastards.

She was done with all of them.

JACK

The familiar sights and sounds of London were like a balm to his troubled soul, Jack thought happily as he trotted up the Tube steps. Everything that had bothered him for the past few months seemed to have dissipated and he could finally relax. Three days back and he had fallen back into his normal rhythm, better than he had been since Lisa if he was honest. He’d even made arrangements to have his flat painted while he was in Scotland for the holiday. He told himself that he’d only been waiting until he had the time to manage it, and he believed it.

How could he not?

Tom was still moping around, but Jack figured that was to be expected. He usually pulled himself together after about a week and there was no reason to think that this time was any different. In fact, the kid had nailed the audition so well that they hadn’t seen anyone else. It was a leading role and a big one, so more than ever Jack knew he had done the right thing by extracting Tom from the Bennett girl.

Safely back in his flat, Indian takeaway on the coffee table he turned on the telly for a night of vegging.

He choked on his curry, spraying rice all over the place when Saturday Night fever immediately appeared on the screen.

The curry was bloody hot, he thought as he cleaned it up, coughing and spluttering through a bottle of water. He should have been more careful.

He changed the channel anyway and with a suspiciously small bite of his food he settled in to watch…

Strictly Come Dancing with a disco theme.

Fuck no! Agitated now, Jack threw down the remote, going over to his media case. He grabbed an old horror flick, jamie Lee Curtis was a legend and he deemed it safe enough. He’d seen Prom Night a couple of times already but that didn’t matter. Relaxing back into the couch cushions he finished his food, scrolling through his phone mindlessly.

Until… “Ya haf tae be fucking kiddin me!”

He’d forgotten about the dance scene, the whole fucking disco soundtrack to the film it seemed. Disgusted, he simply clicked it off, opting to just sit in the dark.

The Universe was conspiring against him that was for bloody sure.

His phone vibrated with an incoming text, probably his best mate Andy wanting to go for a beer. Jack was so not in the mood. Ready to type the negative reply he was surprised to see the message was from Calum. It wasn’t like him to be awake this late when they were prepping a new production. Worried for a second he quickly opened it up.

CAL: hey asshole, what the fuck? Are you holding out on me?

Confused Jack’s brow furrowed.

JL: what are ye on about?

CAL: This! I thought you said the shoot was mindless misery, but you sure don’t look miserable!

What the hell is he talking about Jack wondered, totally confused now.

Another text, this one with an attachment. Tapping to open it he was unprepared for what he saw. Someone at the party had been taking photos, for whatever reason people did he vaguely remembered that. They had captured him dancing with Elizabeth and the moment they had caught...mid argument as he held her tightly, no space at all between them. The breath left his body in a woosh. He was stunned.

His phone rang, Calum.

“No response eh? Knew ye were holdin out.”

Jack’s mouth was dry and he had to take a gulp of water before he could even answer.

“Where did ye get tha?”

“Just Jared, that’s not the point. Who’s the girl?”

“No-one, just a local lass.”

“Uh huh.” Calum drawled. “That doesna look like a no-ne photo ye ken?”

“It was just a dance Cal, she’s no-one special.”

“Then why does it look like ye’s are seconds away from needin a room?”

“Bullshit. Beside we argued the whole song.”

“Ye say arguin, anyone else who looks at this is thinkin horizontal foreplay. I mean it Jack, the two o ye look like yer about tae go at it right there.”

“She doesna even like me, hates me in fact.”

“Fine line between hate and I wantae jump yer bones, Jack, and she wanted tae jump ye bad. Tell me ye sealed that deal.”

“Don’t be crass Cal.” Jack snapped. “And no, nothin happened with Elizabeth. At all.”

“Then yer a bigger idiot than I thought big brother.”

“Gee thanks Cal, nice tae know yer so supportive.”

Calum laughed. “Jack ye knob, ye really are so easy tae rile up. But seriously man, what’s the deal?”

“There’s no deal, I saw her a few times with mutual friends. We didna take a likin tae each other, that’s all there is to it.”

“If that’s what yer tellin yerself then ok, I won’t push. Anyway got tae go, early start. I’ll see ye at home. Love ya.”

The bugger hung up before Jack could even get a word in. He was never going to hear the end of it now. Looking at the picture again he tried to coolly explain it away. Not that it mattered at all, he was never going to see the woman again so what was some random picture taken at a party? Even if someone was curious, it wouldn’t be hard to figure out that he and Elizabeth lived on different continents and had no connection between them other than having attended this party.

What was he even so prickly about?

Looking at the picture again, Jack tried to see it through Calum’s eyes. As usual he had been making a stretch. Sure they were awfully close, but the dancefloor had been crowded and he had just dipped her the final time. That was why his arm was around her, rather than just a hand on her back. It also explained her fingers on the back of his neck rather than his shoulder.

His memory of the moment wasn’t as vague as he would have liked, and he could feel her breath on his neck as they quarrelled. The way she refused to be the first to look away, and how he’d smiled seeing the way her eyes flared. Calum wasn’t altogether wrong, Jack admitted bitterly. There had been some kind of weird sexual tension between them during that dance, He’d known it then. Fuck, he’d even fantasized about taking her off to a dark corner. When he looked at the photo with that memory in mind he could see why Calum had been so certain. Even though Elizabeth would be the first to deny it, want was etched clearly on her face as they sparred.

He felt almost viciously vindicated, he may not have slept with her but he at least had the small satisfaction of knowing she wasn’t as unaffected by him as she would have liked. It was almost a victory in his eyes and he went to bed with a smug smile, the picture safely saved onto his phone.

He felt somewhat less victorious on what would have been Thanksgiving. Spending the day with Tom had been more of a chore than anything as the younger man was impossibly more morose than ever.

“Should I call her and at least wish her a happy holiday?” he questioned over tea.

“Tom really, don’t ye think that's a little unfair? You’ve left, it’s over and done an thers no sense in draggin it out. It’s no fair tae anyone.”

“I know, I know.” Tom sighed sadly. “I just feel so awful for running out the way I did. I miss her.”

Jack was convinced that Tom’s feelings were stemming mainly from being denied the girl rather than truly missing her. Granted, he’d never seen him quite this upset over a girl, but again, the lad had a way of bouncing back quickly.

“Ye only miss her cause ye got used tae havin her around all the time. I know it’s a shite situation but ye haf tae admit, there was no way tae make it work out. Yer just savin the both of ye the grief of ending it much later.”

“I know you’re right and you do make sense, you do. But I still hate feeling like this.”

“Mate, jus give it time, yeah. Once ye get started on this new job ye’ll soon forget all about it.”

Jack flinched at the dark look Tom shot him.

“I know in the end that you are right, Jack. I’m convinced that you pushed me because you care, I Know you do, and I’m glad I have you as a mate. But don’t ever tell me I’ll forget about it, because I’m not going to. Maya was special and she didn’t deserve what I’ve done.”

For the first time, Jack felt something akin to guilt scratching its way to the surface. It was a feeling he didn’t like and he tried to push it down again after he and Tom went their separate ways. He’d never seen his friend so resolute and for a split second he second guessed his actions.

No. he told himself firmly as he pulled his coat tighter around his body, he’d done what was right. Chloe Bennett was nothing but a gold digger and he couldn’t let Tom get trapped like that. Not to mention the embarrassment of the family in general. He couldn’t fault his reasoning or his actions, and while he was sorry that Maya may have been hurt, he still didn’t think she was invested as Tom believed. In fact she was probably having a great day with her family, Tom all but forgotten.

So sure was he of that fact that after dinner he opened the Instagram account he’d created while in America. The one that he told himself was so he could be himself on the internet, anonymous, not created so that he could friend Elizabeth Bennett. He actually did follow other people, he justified, scrolling through his feed. He followed Andy on both accounts, as well as random celebs and travel blogs, not at all designed to get a certain someone and her private account to agree to become mutuals.

Nothing of Elizabeth showed on his feed and he cursed the lack of chronological order on social media. He couldn’t pretend he was just just scrolling for no reason if he had to actually go to her profile from his friends list. However, if he told himself he was doing it to prove to Tom that Maya was fine then he could justify it. Right?

To his legitimate surprise he saw that she had only posted once since Charlie’s birthday. In fact not a thing up until a few days ago, a quote: Women can fake orgasms, but men can fake whole relationships. Actually there were two and with some trepidation he swiped to the next one. For every tear you make her cry, there’s another man waiting to make her smile.

Confused he looked at the comments and all he got was a vague response from Elizabeth to any inquiries, “Not me, my sister.” That was it, no explanation, no response to any other questions, she didn’t even mention which sister.

Not that it could be any sister other than Maya, unless Lydia was hiding a secret boyfriend.

Doubtful.

Elizabeth was clearly upset, he thought, but did she speak for Maya? And it wasn’t fair to lump all the blame on Tom, wasn’t Maya pushed into it as much as Tom was pulled? In fact if anything it was the bennetts who’d been fake. Right? A more insidious thought came to him, perhaps Elizabeth was talking about herself, the quotes could be aimed at Colin or even Wick if he’d done another number. In fact the more he thought about it the more he was convinced it was indeed Elizabeth. Colin had obviously made her cry, and he’d certainly faked his whole personality. The orgasms were probably a dig at his lack of prowess in the bedroom.

He allowed himself a chuckle at that thought.

Immediately he felt an inexplicable feeling of both guilt and disgust. Guilt that he’d been so blase about an abuse victim and disgust at the thought of Colin’s hands and body all over Elizabeth’s. How was he even to know if intimacy between them had been consensual or forced? The feeling of rage that began to swell at the mere thought of something like that happening to Elizabeth was indescribable. He wanted to kill the bastard, literally strangle him for ever touching her in anger or abuse. If it had been up to him….

It hadn’t and it wasn’t, he was forced to tell himself. He hadn’t known Elizabeth when she was with Colin and now, as mere acquaintances it wasn’t his place. Besides, she had shown everyone that she was more than capable of standing up to her ex now. Even if she was reduced to medicating herself to do so. She was strong, stronger than she knew and she was brave.

It was as he was thinking that, that his phone pinged a notification. She had posted something. He quickly refreshed her page, not even realising how eager he was to see. A photo, her and her sisters sitting at the table, a huge dinner spread out in front of them. Elizabeth was smiling devilishly as she held a carving knife, Lydia even had a tiny smile. He saw Mary stealing a roll and Kate smiling down serenely. They really were all beautiful girls, he admitted, even more for their diversity in both looks and personalities. Then he saw Maya and frowned. She was smiling but even he could admit it didn’t reach her eyes which looked red and swollen.

She looked sad and Jack felt something tug sharply at his heart.

Had he done that?

The next few hours were punctuated by several more posts from Elizabeth in which he saw them playing Uno, apparently dancing in the kitchen as they cleaned. There were short videos of pie eating contests and one of Mary singing, her voice clear and pure.

Maya wasn’t in any of them except the first.

He finally nodded off to sleep sometime after 4am, his dreams uneasy and conflicted as his subconscious asked him again and again….

Are you sure you did the right thing?

LIZZIE

It was another week or so after Thanksgiving that Lizzie realized Maya wasn’t doing any better. She was strong, she still went to class and she acted like she was ok, but her sister knew better. Her eyes were swollen from crying and there were shadows under her eyes. Maya was hurting more than she would let show. After another family dinner listening to their mother’s thinly veiled accusations or lamentations at her daughters’ inability to hold onto a decent man, Lizzie had enough and a plan began to formulate.

A few days later her and Maya sat on her couch eating from a tub of ice cream and watching some cheesy disaster movie starring The Rock. Maya’s books were sprawled out on the table as she studied for mid-terms which were a mere day away. There had been no mention of Tom since Thanksgiving.

“Liz?”

“Uh huh?” she answered around a spoonful of turtle tracks. “Do you think I’m stupid? For falling for Tom?”

“No! May, don’t even think that.”

“But he left, what am I supposed to think?”

“I’m pissed at him, he did dirty leaving you the way he did, but hon, he was just as mad about you as you were about him. I’m sure of it.”

It was the one thing in this whole mess that she was sure of.

“Then why?” Maya sniffled.

“I wish I knew.” Lizzie admitted. “Maybe he was scared, I’m pretty sure his friends had a lot to do with the decision.”

“I’ve heard from Caro.” Maya admitted, Lizzie’s heart jumped with hope. “She said that they’ve been really busy with work and auditions.”

“Did she say anything about Tom?”

“No, just that she really sees him. She did mention that he’s spending a lot of time with his new co-star.”

“Of course she did, spiteful bitch.” Lizzie spat.

She’s not like that Liz, she’s just trying to warn me without hurting me.”

“Bullshit Maya, no way has Tom moved on like that. Caro is obviously just trying to get you away. She’s made no secret of how she feels about us.”

“She was always good to me and I consider her a friend.”

Lizzie bit her tongue before she launched into a rant about what a poisonous snake Caro was. Now was not the time to have this particular argument.

“Maya, what if you were to go to London?”

“Don’t be silly Liz.”

“Just hear me out. You’re out of school for a month and Aunt Sharon is always complaining that she never sees enough of us.”

“She’s not going to want and extra body at Christmas, not with the new baby.” “What if I told you she would be ecstatic to have you. Also Trinity and the baby moved in with the boyfriend.”

Lizzie saw the idea forming, the hope in Maya’s eyes and tried not to smile.

“You can email Caro and meet up, and you know where Tom likes to hang out….”

“I could see him.” Maya whispered.

“And put this nonsense of you two being apart behind you. Besides a change of scenery will do you some good.”

“I can’t ask Mom for the money.”

Lizzie whipped out the box she’d been hiding, placing it in Maya’s lap.

“Merry early Christmas.”

Maya looked at her suspiciously, fingering the bow.

“Liz, what did you do?”

Lizzie simply whistled innocently, waiting until Maya lifted the lid and looked inside.

“Before you get mad, Charlie’s dad had a bunch of miles he wasn’t going to use so I only paid maybe a hundred bucks for that.”

“It’s a plane ticket. To London. For Friday.”

“Yes it is, and Aunt Sharon is going to meet you at the airport.”

“I can’t believe this.”

“You deserve a break May, you need one. Plus you need to go and see about that wayward man of yours.”

“But you’ve dreamed of going to the UK since you were little, I can’t take this from you.”

“Ok, first off, I’m giving, you are not taking anything. And who’s to say I don’t have my own plans formulating. I want this for you May, you need to know once and for all exactly where you stand.”

“What if he doesn’t want me?” Maya whispered.

“He does, I know it. And if not, well then he’s an idiot and he doesn’t deserve the greatest girl in the world.”

Maya cried for about half an hour before she finally turned in. Lizzie laid down feeling hopeful, all they needed was to be in the same room and everything would be fine. She wasn’t wrong about Tom’s feelings for Maya, she just knew it. She did hope that Maya didn’t forgive him too easily though. Scared or not, leaving with nothing more than an email was a dick move, and so was ghosting. She was going to him a piece of her mind the next time she saw him that was for sure.

Drifting off to sleep she just hoped it would be sooner rather than later.

Christmas came and went with no word from Maya about seeing Tom and Lizzie was starting to worry. What if he wasn’t even in London? Or worse if she was completely wrong about his feelings? She would never forgive herself for giving Maya hope, or Tom for deceiving them. At one point, just before New Years, Lizzie had one crazy moment  and entertained the idea of trying to contact Jack and see what he had to say about it all. Thankfully she’d talked herself right out of that one, the only way that she knew to reach him was through Twitter. The thought had been insane for more reasons that she cared to admit.

There was still a few weeks before Maya was headed home so she just had to trust that things would work out in due time. While preparing herself for the possibility that it might not.

New Year’s Eve was usually spent with Maya and/or Charlie so she was faced with a quiet night in with Jane Austen and some fudge. Maya had already called when it hit midnight in London, the expected awful jokes about Lizzie living in the past ensuing. She seemed happier but she couldn’t tell how much so through the phone. At least she wasn’t spending the New Year crying into her pillow.

By 11:30pm she was almost falling asleep, fudge forgotten as her head lolled. No way was she going to make it till 12…..she was officially old now. With a bitter chuckle she stood up, turning off the t.v. and putting the fudge away. The sudden knock at her apartment door made her yelp and jump in surprise. Charlie could be seen through the peephole, looking unusually sober for his favourite party day of the year.

“Charlie! Is everything ok?” she opened the door, tugging him inside as he pulled her into a tight bear hug.

“You know I love you Red, more than anything right?”

“Of course I do silly, what’s wrong?”

Pulling back her best friend cupped her face in his hands, eyes full of trepidation.

“I have to tell you something.”

JACK

It was the week of Christmas when he saw her. Completely out of the blue, walking out of Harrods with with two teenagers and a woman who looked so much like Chloe Bennett he swore he could hear her voice in his head. He barely jumped back in time before she could see him, but he was a hundred percent certain that Maya Bennett was in London.

So he followed her, watching her laughing with her Aunt as they walked toward the Tube. The kids, twins by the look of them, were surprisingly well-behaved and looked to be a few years younger than Lydia, but he could see the resemblance in the girl. They looked like a typical happy family out doing the Christmas shopping and he found himself breathing easier. Here was proof that Maya was just fine, though her being in London couldn’t be just mere chance.

He moved closer, remaining out of sight but close enough to hear them talk.

“What are you planning to do when you graduate, Maya?”

The Aunt’s voice was a good deal quieter than her sister’s.

“I’ll intern for the summer with a law firm in the city then to Law School in the Fall, I just have to decide where.”

“Where were you accepted?” this from the boy.

“Harvard, Yale and Oxford.”

Jack’s face mimicked the nephew’s in astonishment. It was no easy feat to be accepted into any of those schools, let alone all of them. He was impressed despite himself.

“That’s a decision I wouldn’t want to be the one making.” the Aunt whistled.

“Let alone paying for,” Maya sighed. “I have scholarships but the rest is one me so I have to go where it’s cheapest.”

“Mum, couldn’t we move to Oxford so Aunty May can go there?” the girl asked in all seriousness.

“Oh love,” Maya hugged her tightly. “I would never want you to do that, not for me.”

Jack lost the rest of the conversation as the crowds grew thicker and he struggled to keep up, eventually losing sight of them.

“Shite.” he muttered.

He had questions, and he wanted to hear more about her plans as they clearly didn’t include Tom. The fact that she was moving away from home pleased him, at least she seemed to be forging her own path and not following her mother’s. Good for her, she was a lovely girl and he was feeling very generous now he was assured she was doing well.

JL: Hey caro, I just saw Maya Bennett coming out of Harrods.

CA: She’s in town for a month visiting family.

JL: You knew? Why didn’t you tell me?

CA: Because it was trivial, the girl sent me 2 emails to let me know where she was staying...I ignored them.

JL: What do we tell Tom?

CA: Nothing, he doesn’t need to know. No chance he’ll run into her, she’s staying in fucking Camden lol

Jack could hear the snobbery even through her texts and he bristled. Not everyone could be as well off as Caro’s family. He hadn’t exactly grown up rich himself and he had no quarrel with anyone making an honest living.

Choosing not to answer Caro he instead finished packing for his trip home. He’d ignored her none too subtle hints to invite her as well, apparently she thought that because they agreed about Tom it made them a pair. The very thought of it made him shudder.

He wondered if Elizabeth was in London with her sister, then quickly pushed that thought aside. She almost certainly would have been with them today.

Also he didn’t care. Not really.

He didn’t care when, after everyone else was asleep on Christmas Night he snuck out to the lounge with his phone. Sitting on the couch with only the tree lights for illumination he gnawed on a roast lamb sandwich and pulled up Elizabeth’s Instagram. Curiously there were no expected shots of food and presents, just one photo of Elizabeth laughing, playing a card game with a table of young men and women in military uniform.

Puzzled he checked to see if she’d enabled location and then he looked the place up. What an Elks Lodge was he had no idea but he quickly discovered  what was happening. Apparently Elizabeth was spending her Christmas Day volunteering to host a holiday for navy recruits in basic training. His curiosity was piqued and as he clicked on previous years events he saw Elizabeth in eight years of them, minus the two she’d been with Colin. The whole family did it he realized as he poked around. Honestly surprised and inexplicably proud, he added this to the list of things he had discovered about Elizabeth Bennett. A list that was leaning very heavily towards the positive. He shouldn’t have been surprised, since he’d met her he’d seen her volunteering, taking care of her sisters, loving people and the way the town had rallied around her after the fire should have told him everything he needed to know.

She was simply a good person with a big heart.

“What are ye doin lurkin in the dark son?”

Jack started at the sound of his father’s voice.

“I didna wantae wake anyone.”

“Don’t worry, ye didn’t. What’s weighin on yer mind?”

A hand reached down and Jack silently handed his dad the phone.

“Ahhhhhh.” Gordon nodded after a few moments, handing the phone back. “That the same lassie from Cal’s photo?”

“Aye. Elizabeth.”

“I thought ye didna like her.”

“I don’t.” Jack protested, flushing under his father’s knowing gaze, even in the dark. “Much.” he muttered.

“Well, she’s pretty. What’s the deal?”

“She doesna like me.”

Gordon laughed.

“Gee thanks, Da.”

“I’m sorry lad. It’s jus the fairer sex have been all over ye since ye could walk, I never thought I’d ever see ye hung up on one who wasn’t.”

“It doesna matter anyway, we’re too different, and her family….”

“Never thought I’d see a son o mine bein so judgemental.” Gordon scolded.

“Da, ye weren’t there, it was awful.”

“Was this Elizabeth like that?”

“No, not at all. She’s quite lovely actually.”

“She challenges ye and ye’ve never experienced tha before. Yer in fer a ride ma boy.”

“It’s done Da. It doesna matter anymore.”

“Then why are ye still cyberstalking the lass? Ye want my advice?”

“Do I have a choice?”

“Aye, ye can ignore me at your peril. Find a way tae see her, if ye still feel what ye are feelin now then take a leap. If she matters to ye then don’t let her go, give her a chance tae like ye. They usually do. Now go tae bed or yer Ma will box yer ears fer sleepin through breakfast.”

Jack nodded absently, contemplating his father’s words.

“Son?” he looked up. “I saw that picture too an fer what it’s worth, I think yer in with a chance.”

Doubtful, Jack thought. Then he remembered little details….his jacket around her shoulders, dinner and the tree in her apartment, the way she’d hugged him, given him water when he was sick, shared her last potsticker..

In fact, the more he thought about it, the more his heart pounded with excitement. Maybe he was wrong about her feelings for him. At the very least she didn’t hate him and he already knew there was that tension between them.

Maybe there was hope for him after all, he smiled to himself as he fell asleep.

Everyone Needs a Sam : Chapter 2

Summary: Two Sam’s in the Winchester family is better than one. 

Warnings: Language. A little fluff and angst. 

A/N: So this Sam is crazy and decided to keep going with this. It’s going to be interesting as I figure this all out with you! P.S. I have been slowly falling down the Sam rabbit hole...

As always comments and feedback are welcomed (GIVE ME LOVE). Any errors are completely my own because I am human. If anyone would like a Tag in future chapters or all writings send me an ASK! Thank you for reading! Enjoy!

Series Masterlist

*Gifs not mine*

A month had come and gone since that night in Albany and to be honest you still had no clue what exactly had happened. The rest of that hunt had gone pretty easily, finding the rugaru munching on long-pig in an abandoned warehouse, the most obvious place. Sam was the one to take it down with the blowtorch, while Dean and I distracted it. Another case had come up shortly after, but it was a simple salt ‘n burn haunting. It had become eerily quiet with no scent of any possible cases where you had actually decided to officially move into the bunker, making a room of your very own. Both Sam and Dean had been insisting for well over a month even before that night to actually make yourself at home. You would always tell them that you would when it was quiet, and now it finally was, your excuse ending.

Dean had not talked to you about that night and you sure as hell were not going to bring it up. Why mess things up over something that probably meant nothing? You would carefully watch him over the weeks to see if anything had changed in him towards you, but everything pretty much remained the same. You would still have your binge fests, but he would often stay quiet instead of adding his usual commentary to the screen. Actually, unless Sam was around he didn’t really say anything that wasn’t for a reason, asking what you wanted to watch or if you were feeling alright after eating that bad taco from the food truck. There wasn’t the usual bantering back and forth and you actually kind of missed it. 

You found yourself hanging around Sam a little more often than you had even beyond the lore books. He was a complete nerd like you, finding enjoyment in George Lucas marathons when he wasn’t rummaging through the news for anything suspect. Dean had even caught you braiding Sam’s hair out of boredom one night. It was so soft to play with and easily managed that you huffed how jealous you were. 

“Wow Sam,” Dean smiled. “You sure are looking sexy there.”

You knew he was just teasing his brother, Sam throwing up his middle finger in return, but the comment made your cheeks turn rosy. You had tried to hide your face from Dean, but he noticed while giving a wink. It was the little things like that that had you on edge about that kiss. What if it might have meant something? 

On a boring Friday night that not even Dr. Sexy reruns could entertain, you found yourself driving to the nearest bar. There was energy built up that needed to get out, and you knew the easiest way. While wearing your low-cut dark jeans, a bare mid-drift laced crop top, and heels you waltzed in with a swing in your hips. As you lowered yourself to the bar stool right in the center of the crowd, it had not taken long for a potential workout partner to introduce themselves. He had introduced himself, but honestly, you could have cared less. He was decently attractive and looked ready to go. As he talked you would let your tongue linger a little longer around the beer bottle while you took small sips while also finding opportune moments to casually let your hand flow down him softly. The lust was growing strong in his eyes, but he was too scared to speak the words you wanted to hear. You impatience shifting thinly, you bit your lower lip while moving in closer to his face.

“So what do you say we…”

“Hey little sister, there you are!” the deep voice that was all Dean exclaimed from behind you. 

“Son of a bitch,” you huffed quietly. 

You turned your face to him and gave him a tight-lipped smile while wishing you could smite him with your mind. “I’m kind of busy here…bro,” you growled. He walked up to place himself directly next to the man you were hoping to use and lose for the night with a large smile on his face. He stretched out his hand towards now a clearly frightened man as a tall wall of muscles came closer to him.

“Hi, I’m Sam’s big brother Dean.”

The man reluctantly shook his hand while stating his name. You could see Dean tightening his grasp in the handshake, the other guy's eyes growing darker now in fear. Dean smiled as he let go and looked over to you. 

“Sam, I’ve been trying to find you all night. Bobby-John got released from the pen today and he was looking for you.”

“Bobby-John?” the man asked.

As you opened your mouth to speak Dean was already answering for you. 

“Sam’s ex, or well boyfriend. Yeah he went upstate for a little while on attempted murder charges but they couldn’t find the evidence to prove him guilty,” he smiled widely.

The mans pupils widened in fear as he started to shift in his seat, looking for any indication in Dean’s face that he was kidding. Dean staying easily straight faced. 

“Well I am going to go,” the man said while quickly getting up from his seat. “No, really…” you started to protest, but he held up his hands to stop you. “No, really I am going. Busy day tomorrow and it seems like you have catching up to do of your own,” he said while almost falling over himself as he hightailed out of the bar.

“You son of a bitch,” you taking your time to annunciate each syllable slowly while you gritted your teeth. 

He laughed as he sat down next to you, waving for the bartender’s attention. 

“Seriously Dean? The Bobby-John story?”

“Works every time,” he nodding his head in satisfaction as the sly smile remained on his lips.

“I am getting really tired of this Dean,” you sneered as you went to stand up to leave. Dean grabbed you by the wrist tightly stopping you in your tracks.

“Where do you think you are going?” 

“Somewhere you aren’t,” you said while twisting your wrist loose from his grip. He tried to grab you again, but you pulled away too quickly and stormed off out the doors to the car you had commissioned from the bunker. As soon as you reached the end of the parking lot where it stood you screamed in frustration while also kicking the fender with the adrenaline pumping through you. 

“Sam?” 

You quickly turned your head to see Sam standing there alone with concern lingering on his face. You took in a deep breath before asking him what he was doing there.

“I’m here with Dean,” he said while pointing with his thumb back towards the bar. “I was just on the phone with Jody. Sam, what is going on?”

“Dean butting his nose where it doesn’t belong again,” you grumbled while not wanting to take any of your anger out on the youngest Winchester. 

He nodded his head slowly while scrunching in his eyebrows so much that the lines on his forehead stood apparent. His signature puppy dog look. The damn look that made you want to reveal your deepest emotions to while having him hold you close. He walked closer to you as you squeezed your eyes tightly shut while shaking your head.

“I don’t think I can do this forever Sam,” you whispered while his arms wrapped around you, pulling your head into his chest. 

“You want me to drive us back,” he asked while still in the embrace.

You slowly nodded in reply that he could feel against him. He grabbed your hand and walked you to the passenger door of the car, opening it for you to scoot yourself in. He slowly walked around the back of the car to the driver’s side, pulling out his phone to send a quick text to his brother. You laid your head on the top of your hand while leaning up against the open window. The wind tickling your face as he drove. When you arrived back at the bunker you immediately went for the little bar set up in the War room, pouring yourself the sweet amber liquid that would be your companion for the night. After shooting it back quickly, you refilled your glass while noticing Sam leaning in the doorway watching you. “You want to talk about it?” he asked with concern.

“Nope,” you stated abruptly, downing the contents of your glass again. While grabbing what remained of the amber liquid, you took it to your room and sat down on your bed. At this point, you stopped even trying to use a glass and opted right from the neck of the decanter. Gulp after gulp you started thinking about everything that irked you about how Dean had treated you over the last months. 

“Let the big boys handle this. Go ahead, flash him some cleavage so he’ll talk. That guy is no good for you. You are such a good girl,” you ranted aloud with sarcasm elongated in each word.

Apparently, you had been a little loud, because Sam was now in your doorway, crossing his arms with a grin on his face. You glared at his amusement and mockingly crossed your arms as well. 

“And you, Mister gorgeous hair and puppy dog eyes,” you slurred. “Don’t think you are so innocent. I know what you are thinking.”

“What am I thinking Sam?” he laughed.

“I’m just a little girl that needs to be protected,” you said while moving unsteadily to him and poking your finger into his hard chest. “Well I am not a little girl, I am a woman dammit. You both need to realize that I can do fine without you and your gorgeous faces.”

He laughed and shook his head while flashing his dimples in his cheeks, making you poke him again harder. He grabbed your hand and held it in his. 

“Sam, I think you are drunk.”

“No, I’m not,” you slurred. “You’re the Sam that’s drunk.”

”Come on,” he said while moving you back towards your bed. “Let’s get you to sleep.”

You bowed your head down in defeat as you sat down on the soft mattress, Sam sitting next to you while rubbing your back. Your mind shifted from the anger inside of you to the dreaded thoughts that had so often plagued you. 

“I can’t do this forever Sam,” you whispered as you laid your head down on his shoulder. 

“Do what?”

“Pretend,” you softly replied. Sam stayed silent, letting your head rest next to his while continuing his movements on your back to let you know you were safe with him. 

“Thank you,” you breathed.

“For what?”

“For being my Sam.”

Tags: @snffbeebee @curly-haired-disaster

Keep Reading Chapter 3 Here

Empty Corridors - chapter 33

Penultimate chapter!  These two dorks are about to get their HEA!

AO3 link

Gold was about as close to blissfully happy as he thought possible.  Neal had come back into his life, was cautiously open to reforging their relationship, and had agreed to bring Emma and Henry with him to visit the following month.  And he had Lacey, wonderful, beautiful Lacey, who made his skin hum and his heart swell and whose kisses were like fire.  Just thinking about how his life had changed in the past year made him smile as he went over inventory in the shop.  He remembered the lunch that the three of them had shared at Granny’s, and how he had sat back and watched as Neal and Lacey fell into the sort of easy banter that he had always found difficult.  She was the opposite of him in so many ways, and he loved her for it.  Enough that he was thinking of taking the next step in their relationship, if she was open to the idea.

The bell above the shop door jerked him out of his brief daydream, and when he saw the visitor, his good mood evaporated.  Zelena Green strode up to the counter with a mouth that was twisted up tight, as though she had eaten something sour and was trying to avoid spitting it out in disgust.  She tried to smile at him, and it made him want to take a step back.

“Mr Gold,” she said, in honeyed tones.  “I’m so happy to have caught you alone.”

“Not for long,” he said.  “Lacey went to purchase lunch for us, that’s all.”

“Then perhaps we should make the most of this time together,” she said.  “I’ve been meaning to ask you out to the farm to take a look at what I’ve done with the place.  I think you’ll be interested.  Mother said you were always a man who knows a good potential profit when he sees one.”

“The price you appear to want me to pay is rather too high, I’m afraid,” he said mildly, and she batted her eyelashes.

“I haven’t told you my offer yet,” she said, her voice low and sultry.

“You don’t need to,” he said.  “Whatever issues you have with your mother are of no interest to me, but I suspect you’re trying to get one over on her.  I couldn’t be less interested in facilitating that.”

Zelena frowned.

“I thought you might have got bored with the waitress by now,” she said.  “Apparently not.  No doubt she has some sort of appeal beyond the obvious, but I can’t see it.”

Gold sent her a thin smile.

“You don’t come into town much, do you Miss Green?”

“Well, the nightlife isn’t exactly stimulating, is it?” she said.  “The only decent conversations I have are with you, after all.”

“Don’t ninety percent of our conversations consist of you asking me for some sort of physical intimacy and me awkwardly refusing?”

Zelena smiled.  It made his flesh crawl.

“You’ll find that persistence is one of my traits.”

“Along with wilful blindness, it seems,” he drawled.  “I was going to say that because you don’t come into town much, you won’t be aware that Lacey and I are living together.  Very happily.”

Her mouth worked, her nostrils flaring a little, but that smile stayed on her face.

“I give it six months.”

“I don’t care,” he said dryly.  “Now, was there something you wanted, other than to creep me out?”

Zelena rolled her eyes, but that awful smile finally slipped from her face, and she raised her chin, her eyes suddenly cold.

“I want to talk about the man spying on me,” she said.  “I’m almost certain he’s working for you, and I want to know why.”

Gold let out a soft laugh.

“I have no idea who you’re talking about.”

“Don’t you?” she said flatly.  “Tall, dark-haired, dresses like he cosplays someone from a Victorian gothic novel?”

“Sounds - memorable,” he said.  “Alas, I’m drawing a blank.”

“Hmm.”  She looked unconvinced.  “Well, should he ever happen to come into your shop, tell him that I’ve introduced some new security measures at my farm.  Including arming my workers.  It would be a terrible shame if one of them were to mistake him for a criminal and shoot him.”

She held his gaze for a moment, then whirled on her toes, stomping towards the door, and Gold let the thin smile he had kept up in the face of her threats fall away as she walked out.  Shaking his head, he reached into his pocket for his phone, flipping it open to call Jefferson.

“No more surveillance at the farm,” he said, without announcing himself.  “She’s onto you, and she’s pretty much threatened to have you shot if you keep it up.”

“Dammit!”  Jefferson sounded frustrated.  “I think I was almost there!”

“I’d rather you were eighty percent certain and alive than one hundred percent certain and dead,” said Gold.  “I mean it.  Pull out.”

“It’s always disappointing to hear you say that to me, Gold.”

Gold pinched the bridge of his nose.  Hard.

“Is there ever gonna be a time when you don’t turn everything I say into an opportunity for inappropriate flirting?”

“Doubt it,” said Jefferson cheerfully.  “Okay, I’ll call time on the spying thing.  She’s good at concealing stuff, and everyone that works for her is disappointingly loyal, but the evidence I’ve collected should be enough for you to decide what you want to do.”

“Understood,” said Gold.  “Come over at six after I close up, give me what you have, and I’ll pay you.”

“If you gave me what you have, I’d give you a discount.”

Gold let out a long-suffering sigh, secretly amused.

“One of these days I’ll let Lacey spank you,” he said sternly.

“Kinks are extra.”

“And on that note…”

Gold rolled his eyes, flipping the phone shut and cutting off Jefferson’s laughter.

The shop bell went again, and he looked up with a frown that cleared instantly as he saw it was Lacey.  She stomped over to the counter with a grin on her face, holding up a large paper bag and a cardboard tray with two take-out coffees.

“Grilled cheese with onions and a slice of ham,” she said, with relish, making the bag rustle as she shook it.  “Gimme some sugar and one of ‘em’s yours.”

He couldn’t help grinning at that, and leaned over the counter to kiss her.  Lacey made a sound of enjoyment, her lips pulling at his.

“I should really hold out for more sugar,” she said, and he raised an eyebrow.

“What would you have me do?” he asked softly, and she pursed her lips.

“Lock the door, take me in the back room and eat me out on the bench, maybe?”

His grin widened.

“After our actual lunch, perhaps.”

“It’s a date.”

She winked at him, walking through to the back room with a swing of her hips and a glint in her eye, and it felt as though his heart would burst with love for her.  Soon.  I have to ask her soon.

It was Lacey’s turn to make dinner that evening, and she was fretting over it as usual.  She had started out feeling confident; steak with potato wedges was after all the first thing Gold had showed her how to cook, but preparing the potatoes had taken longer than she had estimated, and getting behind had made her panic.  She was stressed and overheated by the time he got home, huffing stray curls out of her face as she measured oil for the mayonnaise.  Gold took one look at her, told her to sit down, and poured her a glass of wine before taking over.  Which only served to remind her how much she loved him.  Not that a reminder was needed. Gold used the hand blender to make the mayonnaise, scraping it out into a jar and adding minced garlic before sticking a finger in to taste it.  He sucked a blob of pale yellow from his fingertip, nodded, and set the jar on the table before turning to the steaks.

“Sorry,” said Lacey, running a hand through her hair.  “I don’t know what happened there.”

“You know I don’t mind, right?” he said, grinning at her.  “Just relax.  Cooking shouldn’t be a chore.”

“I’ll get the hang of it one day,” she sighed.

“You already have,” he said gently.  “You seem to think that I’m expecting everything to be perfect, when really all I want is to eat dinner with the woman I love.”

Love.  It made her want to wriggle with pleasure in her seat.  She wasn’t sure she would ever get used to hearing him say he loved her.  She beamed at him, taking a drink and setting down her glass.  Gold checked on the potato wedges, but closed the oven when it was obvious they were nowhere near done.  He poured his own glass of wine and sat down opposite her.

“Neal called,” she said.  “He suggested coming down next weekend with Emma and Henry.  I said that would be okay.  It is, right?”

Gold smiled broadly, and she wanted to kiss him.

“That’s perfect,” he said.  “I can’t wait to see them.”

Her heart swelled at the dreamy look in his eyes, and she told herself to get a grip.

“How was your day?” she asked, and Gold sucked his teeth, as though he were pondering something.

“It was interesting,” he said eventually.

“In what way?”

He smiled somewhat enigmatically at that.

“Come for a walk with me tomorrow morning, and I’ll show you.”

Lacey had tried to get him to tell her what he meant, but Gold had insisted on being infuriating, and had refused to explain himself.  It was therefore with no small amount of curiosity that she followed him up the hiking trail that she and Ruby usually ran on a Sunday morning.  Gold set an easy pace, and the spring morning was pleasantly mild.  Her eyes narrowed as they neared what she remembered as the turning to Yellowbrick Farm.

“What are we doing out here?” she asked.  “That Green bitch decided to finally move out, or something?”

Gold grinned.

“Or something,” he confirmed.

He took her hand, gently pulling her with him, and she fell into step with him, walking along the trail.  As the trees thinned a little she could see flashes of coloured light, and hear the flat, tinny sound of walkie-talkies.  Curious, she quickened her pace a little, and broke out of the trees into a field, the farm clearly visible in front of her.  It was swarming with people; men and women in bulletproof vests were sweeping the area, and numerous cars and vans were parked up, blocking any other vehicles from leaving.  Lacey could clearly see some of the people striding back and forth around the greenhouses, guns out, DEA spelled out in large letters on their backs.

“The DEA?” she said, puzzled.  “What’s going on here?”

Gold had put his hand on her arm, but she didn’t need his urging to stay close.  She craned her neck at the shrill sound of a familiar voice, and clapped a hand to her mouth as Zelena was dragged out of the farmhouse in cuffs, screaming about her rights.

“I think we should leave now,” said Gold quietly, and Lacey nodded, letting him pull her back to the path in amongst the trees.

They walked for a moment in silence, and she chewed her lip, thinking over what she had just witnessed.

“So - she was dealing drugs?” she said eventually.  “Big time, by the look of that reaction.”

“A meth lab, I believe,” he said calmly.  “In a secret underground room beneath the greenhouses.  Your reports of what you and Ruby saw on your run made me suspicious, so I set Jefferson on the case.  She was remarkably cagey, and hid her tracks well.  Just not well enough.  The authorities appear to have received an anonymous tip-off.”

“Which had absolutely nothing to do with you, I’m sure,” she said dryly.  “Wow.  Gotta admire her nerve, setting up something like that in plain sight.”

“Always the best way to hide,” he said.  “Still, I suspect we won’t be bothered by her presence again.”

“Can’t say I’m sorry,” she said, with a sniff.  “Had to hold back from slapping her stupid face a few times when she practically threw herself at you.”

He grinned at that, drawing to a stop and pulling her close.

“As if I would ever look elsewhere when I have you,” he murmured, and she bit her lip, wrapping her arms around his neck.

“Good to know,” she said.  “Oh, and just so we’re clear, this is the weirdest date you’ve ever taken me on.”

“And here I thought you’d find it satisfying.”

“Not as satisfying as banging you against that tree,” she said, and he grinned.

“That could still happen,” he said, and Lacey snorted.

“With a bunch of DEA agents running around?  I don’t think so.”

“Fair point.”

He was grinning, and she wanted to kiss him, but she pursed her lips as though she was thinking.

“I bet the orange jumpsuit’s really gonna clash with that hair of hers,” she said.  “The thought of that’ll keep me smiling for months.”

Gold burst out laughing at that, and bent his head to kiss her.

As spring became summer and the woods around Storybrooke filled with green light and life and the chattering of birds, Lacey reflected that life, on the whole, didn’t suck.  She was happy living with Gold: blissfully happy, if she was honest, and now that he was developing a relationship with his son he seemed happy too.  A calmness had settled over him, a contentment that made her smile to see it.  Neal had brought Emma and Henry to visit one weekend, and Gold’s face had lit up as he held his grandson for the first time.  If Lacey had been the crying type that would definitely have set her off, and as it was she felt a strong urge to go into the kitchen to make tea and cut cake to hand around.

She liked Neal and Emma very much, and Henry was just adorable, and she was proud to have had some involvement in bringing them together with Gold, however small it might have been.  Her own family situation was quite different; her father had left town, left in the night owing rent on the shop and leaving the house in such a state that Gold had to hire a cleaning team before he could relet it.  Lacey had cried when she first heard that he had gone without so much as leaving a note, and Gold had held her close as she wept.  Once she was done, however, she reflected that their relationship had ended long before his leaving, and while it still hurt, she was able to find some sort of closure.

There was her own future to think about too, of course, and for once in her life she was actually planning ahead, now that she had a goal in mind.  She had been saving money from her job with Gold in advance of going to college in September, and there was a flutter in her belly whenever she thought about it.  Yeah, life definitely didn’t suck.  Life was good.

Lacey sighed, glancing from the address on her phone and back up at the apartment building.  This would be the sixth apartment she had visited that day, and her feet were hurting.  The others had been terrible; either they were not as described by the agency, or the tenant she would share with was weird, or there had been some other issue that had made her want to bolt.  Gold had taken one look through the door of the last one, issued a flat ‘No’, and steered her away.  She hadn’t bothered to ask what the problem was.  It was just one of those days.

“Maybe we’ll have better luck tomorrow,” she said despondently, and Gold put his hand on her shoulder.

“This is the last one,” he said.  “Let’s take a look, and then we’ll go for a drink, what do you say?”

“Sounds good to me.”

Lacey opened the door, making her way through the lobby to the elevator and pressing the button for the sixth floor.  At least the place was clean and the elevator worked.  Gold put an arm around her waist as it travelled upwards, and Lacey rested her head on his shoulder.

“I could still just buy an apartment, you know,” he said mildly.

“We’ve talked about this,” she said, and he sighed.

“Very well, we’ll do it your way,” he said.  “I’m just saying, in the current climate I wouldn’t lose money.  Probably turn a profit.”

“I want to do this myself,” she insisted, and sensed him roll his eyes.

“If this one smells like a makeshift drug lab I’m turning around and walking out,” he remarked, and she grinned.

“The agent said the other tenant’s a nurse,” she said.  “I’m pretty sure she’s not running a crack den in her spare time.  Not everyone has tenants like yours, you know.”

He grumbled at that, and Lacey grinned to herself as the elevator came to a stop.  The apartment was number fourteen, and Lacey ran her eyes over the door before lifting her fist to knock.  There was a scuffling noise behind it, a muffled Oops!, and then the lock rattled and the door opened to reveal a pretty woman with dark brown hair tied back from her face and a wide, somewhat anxious smile.

“Hey,” said Lacey.  “You’re looking for a roommate?  I’m Lacey.”

“Oh!” exclaimed the woman, almost hanging on the door.  “Oh, yes!  Come on in!  I’m Astrid.”

She held open the door, and Lacey stepped into the apartment.  It was small, but neat and clean, a leather couch and two chairs set around a coffee table and twin bookshelves stuffed with novels.  A small kitchen area with a table and two chairs was off to the right, and a floor-length window looked out onto the street.  She nodded approvingly.

“You’re a nurse, right?” she said.  “Shift work?”

Astrid nodded.

“Yeah, it varies,” she said.  “I’m quiet as a mouse, though, I promise.  I'll try my best not to wake you.”

“Well, I’m gonna be studying at the university,” said Lacey.  “Guess I could be pulling the odd all-nighter as well.”

“I could make you a snack when I get home, then,” suggested Astrid, beaming, and Lacey couldn’t help smiling back.

“Let me check the bedroom,” she said, and Astrid ducked in front of her, leading her along a short corridor to a door painted in purple.

“This is yours,” she said cheerfully, opening it up and stepping through.

Lacey followed, looking around appreciatively.  The room was compact, with a queen bed, dresser and chair, and a white-painted door to the closet in the corner.  Another floor-length window gave a view of the small park over the road, and the room was light and airy.  She nodded to herself.

“The street’s pretty quiet,” said Astrid.  “Occasionally the old couple three doors down argue, but most of the time they’re really sweet, and Mrs Costello makes really delicious cookies.  She’ll try to feed you up, by the way; she thinks all girls are too thin these days.”

“How’s the landlord?” asked Gold, and she started, as though she had forgotten he was there.  Lacey bit her lip in amusement.

“This is Connor, my - uh - partner,” she said, and Gold flicked an amused glance at her as Astrid’s eyes widened.

“Oh!” she said.  “I didn’t think the advertisement asked for two tenants.  It - it might be kind of snug in here…”

“Oh, it’s cool, he’s not moving in,” Lacey assured her.  “He’s gonna stay in Maine and look after my cats while I’m here.  I’ll go back at weekends.”

“Oh, you have cats?” exclaimed Astrid.  “I wish I could have cats!  The rental agreement doesn’t allow it.”

“Neither did mine,” said Lacey, winking at Gold.  “I managed to sweet-talk the landlord.”

“Maybe you could try the same trick here,” suggested Astrid.

“I think not,” said Gold blandly, and Lacey giggled.

“Okay,” she said.  “Let’s see the bathroom.”

Half an hour later, Lacey and Gold made their way out of the apartment, shooting one another little grins.  Astrid had insisted on making them tea, served up with the infamous Mrs Costello’s oatmeal raisin cookies, and had answered Gold’s questions about the landlord, the bills, and the damage deposit to his satisfaction.  She had also answered Lacey’s about the other tenants, the laundry room, and the local amenities.

“She’s adorable,” said Lacey.  “I think I should definitely move in, but I might die from the cuteness.”

“She certainly seems a glass half-full kind of person,” he remarked.  “Do you want me to call the agency and secure the apartment?”

“I can do that,” she said, and nudged him.  “Come on, let’s go get that drink you promised me.”

They walked down the street and across, heading for a bar that Gold had spied earlier.  Lacey slid onto a stool, and he ordered them two whiskies, pushing a glass towards her as he took his own seat.  She reached out to grasp his hand, a sudden burst of affection making her want to touch him, and he smiled at her, eyes crinkling.

“So,” he said.  “It seems we’ve found your home from home for the next few years.”

“Looks like.”  She took a sip of the whisky.  “Kind of a weird feeling.  Leaving Storybrooke.  Going out into the world and actually seeing some of it, for a change.  Actually makes me feel like an adult.  A little scary, not gonna lie.”

Gold lifted her hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles.

“You’ll be fine,” he said gently.  “I have the utmost faith in you.”

“Glad one of us does.”  She slipped from her seat, stepping in between his legs and twining her arms around his neck.  “You’ll miss me though, right?”

“I’ll miss you terribly,” he confirmed, his grin widening.  “As will the cats.”

Lacey sniffed.

“Please!  They’ll probably barely notice I’m gone,” she said dismissively.  “Just keep feeding ‘em and they’ll be fine.”

He reached up to cup her cheek, his thumb stroking over her skin and making her shiver deliciously.

“They’ll miss you,” he repeated softly.  “And so will I. I love you, Lacey.”

“I love you too.”

She kissed him, letting her body melt into his as his arms slid around her.  Yes. Life was good.  Life was great.

SHE'S NO YOU - Ch.6

A/N: This chapter is when the truth starts to unravel... do you think you have figured out what happened? Have a good read! P.s Loooooong chapter :) -- CHAPTER SIX: DON'T LISTEN TO THEM -- RAE POV: "How do you know Olivia?" I had just put the kids to bed and now I was sitting next to a tense Gregory awaiting his answer. "Well about 2 years ago I sold her sister a house. She was there of course, but I didn't know she was Finn's Girlfriend". 'It was interesting to know that he could still remember his clients sisters from 2 years ago, especially on a first name basis' I snickered to myself. It was a simplistic reply that was used as a deflection. It was obvious he was uncomfortable talking about her, and I was curious to know why. But for right now I was exhausted beyond belief. "Ohkay" I smiled. It wasn't worth a fight, it was bad enough that I was dealing with Finn, I didn't need to add Greg to the mix. "You seem close to your ex-husband's family" You could hear the bitterness in his voice, and internally I chucked. He didn't really have a reason to be mad at me over that, when he's the one lying right now. "Greg". "It was just a simple observation Rae. The man seemed very fond of you, if I must say". "We were very close when I was married. I cut all ties with them when I filed for divorce. It was the first time seeing Archie- Finn's brother in years" I sighed. "Mhm" he nodded. His hand lightly pressed against my naked thigh. "Hon, can I stay the night?" I was not prepared to hear that on a Wednesday night. He never stayed over when we both had work in the morning. "What about work your work tomorrow" I said stating the obvious. Gregory lived more towards the CBD, where traffic was lethal at anytime of the day or night. It was easier for him to get to work in the morning because he only lived a block away. It would take him a good two hours extra to drive home and get ready, then head to work for his 8am start. "I have a later start tomorrow. So I can just leave when you drop the kids off for school" he smiled; grazing his fingers more into my inner thigh. For some reason the intimate touch felt foreign. His hands were softer then I was use to, not as callous and rough. This was not good. "Ugh- sure" I encouraged myself to smile. We got off the couch and headed towards the bedroom hand in hand. Just as we opened the door to my bedroom and saw the state it was in, I froze. Clothes littered the floor in an unattractive manner. The bed, the same bed where I let Finn take me the night before had disheveled sheets, after not sleeping a wink last night. "You go have a shower and freshen up and I'll give this pig-sty a little clean. You don't really want to be smelling three day old Rae do you?" I tried to joke, I was embarrassed he had to witness this. "Don't worry about it to much hon" he laughed, then kissed my forehead. I didn't watch him walk into my ensuite. I was to busy glaring at my bed. There was no way I was washing those contaminated sheets, no they to be burnt. -- Anxiously, I hurried to get the last details added to the final sketch before the meeting in two hours. Chloe had organised for the board at 'Taylor industries' to come in and confirm the sketchs before signing of on the build. The new multi-million dollar mall has been a top priority for my team and I, for the past year and a half. I was glad that we were finally having the last meeting before I could watch my work come to life. When it was lunch time; or so my stomach reminded me. I checked mobile messages before leaving the office. I had turned it to silent, not wanting to be disrupted. Which I regretted once I saw the miss call from my children's school. Dialing the number on my office phone I waited for an answer. "Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School, Mary speaking, how may I help?" "Hi my name is Rachel Nelson-Earl, I'm the mother of Ruby and Joshua Nelson. I have a missed call, and I was wondering why". "Hi Ms. Nelson. Yes I have a message here for you referring to your son Joshua. It seems that he has had a altercation with another student. He has been stepped down for the rest of the day. We are in need for you to collect him as soon as possible please". 'Shit' I thought. Joshua had never been a kid to ever get into any sort of altercation, physical or not. This was completely out of character for him. Checking the time I noticed I had 30 minutes to til the meeting started, a meeting that could potentially sink my career if I didn't attend it. "I'll have to ring his father to collect him. But someone will be there as soon as possible" I replied. It was the only other solution I could think of. I just hoped Finn wasn't in a meeting. "Certainly. I will let his teacher know". "Thank you". As soon as I hung up the phone to the school, I dialed Finn's office number. I was put through to two different receptionist before i was finally directed through to Finn's office. "Finn Nelson's office, Olivia speaking" the nasily voice spoke. "Can you please put me through to Finn" I said in a rush and slightly paniced. I was not in the mood to talk to this bitch, time was against my side and I wasn't going to let her waste it. "And who's speaking?" Her cheerful demeanor forgotten. No wonder why Finn couldnt get any other pussy, she was the ultimate cock block. Clearing my throat, I continued speaking. "Its Rae, now can you put me through to f-". "Rae? Why would you possibly need to talk to Finn?" Olivia barked- like the true dog she was. "Olivia I don't have time for this! I need to talk to Finn about Joshua!" "I'm sure this is something that can be discussed outside of office hours-" "But y-" "- unlike some Ms. Earl, Finn is a busy Man and I can't possibly interrupt him!" "Fucki-" "Good day Rachel!" *Beeeeeeeeep!* That donkey nose airhead, wannabe-fucking-heiress, man-stealing bitch! I quickly dialed Finn's mobile, praying to God he actually turned it on for once. One thing Finn and I had in common was that we hated being disturbed from our work. No mobile, no hassle. "Rae?" "Finn! You need to put a fucking leash on that crackhead girlfriend of yours! I tri-" "Calm down Rae!" Finn sighed, I could only imagine him raking his hand through his hair. "Tell me what's going on? Slowly. And calmly". "I called your office to talk to you but your lovely assistant hung up on me! But that's not the point, the point is I rang you about Josh". "Why? What happened? Is he alright?" Finn rattled off questions. "He's fine, but he has been in a fight with another student. He's been stood down for the rest of the day.. Finn I need you to pick him up, please. I have a meeting in 15 minutes and my career depends on it. I know your busy bu-". "Of course I'll pick him up Rae. You don't need to explain yourself, he's my son too. I need to take responsibility for him too. But really, fighting?" I could hear the disbelief in his husky voice. "I know Finn. I don't know what's going on with him? He's never gotten into a fight before" My voice broke, but I managed to pull myself together. This was not the time to do this, especially whilst on the phone to my ex-husband. "Rae it will be Ohkay, I'll pick him up and take the rest of the day off. I'll get Archie to pick Ruby up for me when she finishes". "Ohkay" I breathe. "Thank you". "I'll talk to you tonight". For the second time today, I was hung up on. My phone was still pressed snuggly pressed against my ear when Chloe pranced in, smile beaming, and excitement lighting her eyes. "Are you ready?" She came around the desk to stand beside me. Her eyes flicking over the mountain of blueprints and sketches I had rolled up in a neat pile. "Is this all of them?". "Yes, there is a detailed plan of every floor, shop location, public area, toilets and even parking. Name a room and and I am certain it's here" I smiled at my friend. "This is why I love you Rae" Chloe beamed. Collecting a stack of scrolls, she took off towards the board room. I had a lot of people's jobs in my hand in this moment and all I had to do is impress 4 billionaires. Easier said then done, taming one was hard enough. -- FINN POV: I saw red the moment I ended the call with Rae. To whom my anger was directed towards was a mystery, because i couldn't narrow it down to just one person. Multiple people where now on my radar. Including a women only metres away from me. Grabbing my jacket, wallet and keys I threw the door open in a haste. I didn't even care about the looks that were directed towards me. Not that my floor was full of people, it was only a handful. But those select people obviously found my fury more interesting then their work at this moment. "Cancel the rest of the day, direct all my calls to the front desk with a note saying I'm away for the rest of the day and send sorry notes with chocolates to whoever I'm cancelling on" I spoke as I walked. I didn't even look in Olivia's direction, my main goal was getting to the elevator as quickly as possible. "But Finn where are you going? You can't just cancel ev-" "Do not tell me what to do Olivia! I am your boss and you are my employee. Start acting like it for Christ sake" I hissed, my voice was raised and no doubt our audience were enjoying the show. By the look Liv's face was portraying she was livid. Not that I cared. "Will you at least tell me where your going?" She asked, grabbing my arm just as I reached the elevator. "I'm going to collect Joshua from school" I said keeping all conversation to a minimum. Olivia snorted. "Really Finn? Your leaving work for that? It's only 1 o'clock, why on earth would you be picking him up now for? I bet you Rae is only doing this to trick you into some stupid pla-" Not being able to take her rant anymore. I closed my palm over her mouth, stopping the bullshit. "Enough! Enough for once Olivia! My son needs me, and not you or anyone else is going to stop me getting to him. Im his father first and foremost. So next time when Rae rings do not hang up on her. Do you understand me?" She nodded, my hand still firmly clasped over her sticky lips. "Now if you'll excuse me, you have work to get back too and I have a son I have to see. And maybe you should go see your sister after work for a bit. I need some alone time with my children". I didn't wait for her reply. Stepping into the elevator I immediately pressed the ground floor button. And just like in the movies the elevator doors closed that two seconds, too slow. - Joshua had remained quite when I spoke to the principle in his office. Mr. Horne was a rapacious man. When he needed money, I was his life line. When the music program needs to upgrade out of season instruments they come to me. In order to keep his bulging budget, he needed to keep me happy. Joshua had gotten away with barely a slap on the hand and a day off school. Nothing was going on his permanent file, and after much hesitation on Mr. Horne's behalf the name of the other student was given to me. I knew his parents, they had been an acquaintance of my company for some time, due to my shares in theirs. The matter will get sorted, quietly. We had been home for the past 20 minutes and still Joshua had barely looked my way, only nodding and shaking his head when I spoke. This sort of behavior was unusual for my 8 year old boy. He was never one to fight, or act up. Unless it was against his sister. But after being fly tackled by a pigtail wearing 6 year old, you would get mad too. The silence finally got the best of me, when I found myself sitting across from Joshua. "What happened?" My tone demanding, but I felt desperate. "He pushed me, so I hit him". Joshua would have to be kidding if he thought he was getting away with an answer like that. Raising an eyebrow. "You expect me to take that for an answer son". "I don't know" he shrugged. "Why did he push you?" "Because". "Oh come on Joshua just tell me!" My son slammed his hand down on the couch and stood abruptly. His face was glowing red, tears threatened to spill. Something was wrong. "You want to know why dad! It's because he was talking about you and mom and I told him to get a life. He pushed me and I just hit him... I don't know why" he cried. "I just couldn't help myself". "Son" I stood, walking towards Josh and sat him back on the couch, with me right next to him. "What did he say about your mother and I? You know you can tell me right?" Nodding, Joshua pulled his knees up against his chest. "He was saying that mom wasn't good enough. That- that's why you left us". My heart shattered. I knew kids could be cruel these days, but this was nothing that I would of expected. I didn't know how I was going to explain myself to Joshua. How do you tell your son that it wasn't me to walk away, but it was her? You don't. "Josh.. Josh look at me please" cupping his chin I turned his face towards me. "Your mother was never 'not good enough' for me. She is the most lovely and courageous women I know. We didn't break up because I got sick of her son". "Then why did you break up?" Shit! "We just grew apart, but I will always love your mother". "Then why are you mean to her dad? Why does she still cry at night?" It was my turn to start tearing up. I couldn't beleive I was having an adult conversation with my 8 year old son. My heart hurt more the longer he spoke. I never knew he could hear Rae and I's conversations. He heard me when i stupidly degraded his mother, everytime i opened my mouth. Did that mean Ruby could hear too? I felt like a monster, but i was hurt. Rae had broken me to the point where hate started seeping in, leaving me with fragments of my old self that I reserved for my kids. "I'm sorry Joshua. I should never of talked to your mother like that. Please promise me you wont ever speak to your mother like that". "I wouldn't. I actually love her" he declared. "Josh. Don't talk to me like that! You are not your mother so I don't have to explain anything to you, alright? We are getting off topic and I want to talk about you hitting another student Joshua". "Colton said that his dad got to touch mom" Joshua softly spoke. My heart skipped a beat with his words, then plummeted to the pit of my stomach. "What? When?" If I wasn't sitting my knees would've already buckled by now. He was talking about Mr. Davis and Rae. How many other men has she fucked while being with Gregory, or better yet me. "He said a few years ago his dad saw mom coming out of the bathroom of this big fancy ball... And touched her. The- then he said. He said his friends laughed when Mr. Davis said mom was fighting him. What does he mean dad?" I tried to remember the last ball he had attended with Rae. It had to of been at least 3 years ago. I remember vaguely the lacey number she wore. The neckline plunged deeper then usual, teasing my eyes, and many men around him. After thinking about it, I do remember how she had been the perfect plus one. Floating around from person to person, saying her hellos. Between dancing and chatting she was spreading her happiness. Well until half way through, when she insisted they went home early. Her mood sombre, but she insisted she was due for her menstrual cycle. Unless... Something happened between Mr. Davis and Rae. Something sinister, and degrading. That son of a bitch! "Joshua. Promise me you won't tell your mother. I want to be the one to speak to her about this. And I will tonight, Ohkay?" Nodding, Joshua leaned into me as my arm draped across his shoulders. My son was hurt and it was all my fault. I didn't help Rae, but I didn't know. If something happened during that ball without my knowledge I don't think i could forgive myself. I pray that the kid was feeding Josh bullshit, but somewhere in the back of my mind I felt like something did happen. The door softly opened to reveal my beautiful daughter and brother, walking through the entrance still unnoticed to Josh and I's presence. Until Ruby looked up and make eye contact with me. "Daddy!" The click of her polished leather shoes echoed the foyer. "Hi princess, did you have fun at school?" "I did! I did! We learnt our 4 times tables today daddy. They so easy, but Mike said that I was just a smarty pants. I told him that my daddy always said I should have my nose within a book, then a boy on a hook" she declared proudly. My glorious daughter reminded me so much of her mother. The light in her eyes shone brightly, just like Rae's. "Well done baby girl. Did you have fun with Uncle Archie?" I asked. Looking towards Archie I smiled, mouthing 'thank you'. I had phoned him the moment I jumped in the car to pick up Josh. He, of course agreed. Our work was close to Ruby's school, plus Archie had informed me that Ben is quite able to pick up Sophie daycare. "Yes we organised a play date for Mommy and Uncle Archie. He said he wants mommy, Joshua and I to come see them. It's going to be fun!" Archie and Rae must have rekindled their relationship after we interrupted her dinner. With Gregory. "That sounds great sweetheart. How about you and Josh go to your rooms for a second whilst I talk to Archie, ohkay". "Ohkay daddy! Come on Josh, I can show you what I did today in art class with Crissy" she pulled on her brother arm in a haste. Finally, when they went to their rooms I turned to my Brother. "What happened with Josh?" he asked, moving towards the love seat next to me. "He got into a fight with John Davis' son today. He punch him when Colton started to talk about Rae and I's relationship". Sighing, I ran my hand through my thick hair. I knew I could trust my brother with my life, so I knew what I was about to tell him will be kept confidential. "What about your relationship?" Quizativley he moved forward. "Apparently she wasn't good enough for me so I left. But that's not all..." "How could a kid say something like that! How would he know what was going on with your family? Hang on there's more?" I told him everything that Josh had just told me, down to what I remembered about the night. I could see the empathy in Archie's eyes. The more I talked, the more my throat constricted. The words left a bitter taste in my mouth, if only I had been there. I could of done something. "Finn you don't know for sure if anything happened that night. John could of been telling a bullshit story to a punch of people. Don't beat yourself up about it". "Archie, you don't understand. After that night Rae started to become slightly distant, I didn't notice it until she left though. She didn't seem like herself, but originally I thought it was because of the kids. Then 6 months later, she fucking left me with divorce papers". "Finn-" "What if this was the reason. She couldn't bare to look at me after I let my work associate molest her!" "You didn't know!" "I should of asked her what was wrong. I should of followed her or something. I can't stop thinking what if..." "Talk to her. Finn, you need to go around and talk to her. What time are you meant to drop Joshua and Ruby back off?" "7.." I breathed. "Its now 4pm, go talk to her now. I'll stay here with the kids and if your not back by 6.30pm then I'll drop them of there. That gives you 2 and a half hours to work out what the fuck happened, Ohkay?" Nodding like a scolded child I got up of the couch. "Are you sure?" I asked. I was unsure about leaving the kids with him, but I needed to talk to Rae immediately. I couldn't wait til i dropped Ruby and Joshua off tonight. "Of course Finn. I'm your brother, I'll do anything for you". "Thank you". I pulled Archie in for a hug, then ran out the door. I hope Rae is ready for me. -- As quickly as I could I drove to Rae's house. When I arrived, I threw the gear into parked and hurried to her front door. After knocking I waited very patiently for a very confused but equally beautiful Rae to open the door. "Finn?.. What are you doing here? Where are the kids?" "We need to talk Rae. Josh and Ruby are fine, they are with Archie" I said. The truth will be revived tonight. What really happened the night she walked away... No more waiting. -- I hope I haven't forgotten anyone! Sorry if I did!! @luly310 @milymargot @eveerez @I88cym @lily-pop-2 @mmfdfanfic @milllott @i-dream-of-emus @arathewallflower @tinakegg @hey1tskat1e

Hey, just wanted to say I love your profile pic. Ryuko is pretty friggin sweet. Anyway, a question: who is your favorite faction in warhammer in terms of the coolest lore they have?? Thanks for answering and have a lovely evening/day/morning!

Holy crap an ask

Thanks! Ryuko is the best 8D and Thanks for the ask! As for your question, that’s a toughy! My favorite faction is extremely difficult to pin down, considering I have an intense love for Orks and their dakka, the Guard and their standard issue BALLS OF STEEL, the Sisters and their BURN AND PURGE power armored greatness, CSMs for their BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD, and the Astartes for, well, their beefy PAULDRONS.However, if we’re talking from a lore standpoint, I’m gonna have to go with the Astartes. Granted the Guard has many different regiments all hailing from hundreds of different kinds of worlds(I mean come on, who doesn’t want to see Space Cossacks tearing it up with the Space Red Army?), I feel like a lot of the Astartes chapters are extremely well developed.Granted, that’s a bias, since they’re literally the Poster Boy faction, of course they’re going to have a shitton more lore than most other factions sitting behind them(and that’s not to say other factions don’t get their share, but count how much content GeeDubs themselves, Forge World, and Black Library has put out and you’ll see I’m not wrong) I do adore the variations between chapters, including the conflicts they have with each other.Above all, the Lamenters are my babies. They’re one of the only true good, heroism-and-valor types of Chapters, and their lore strikes a deep chord with me. However, I think it’s even more interesting to take note of the other factions that were beside them, before them, and even after them.For instance you have Marines that are complete asswads, like the Marines Malevolent, who are just as bad as the Blood Ravens with nicking everyone else’s shit, and even more assholish than the Minotaurs, to the point that Vulkan He’Stan had to smack the bitch out of one of their captains during the second war for Armaggedon.The Minotaurs, a chapter with an eerie background that somehow manages to recruit from Terra itself and is specialized in killing other Space Marine chapters.The Imperial Fists, who everyone knows as these badass fortress building, pain loving masochists slabs of meat, few know that they’re actually very artsy, at least in terms of their scrimshawing and their focus on both the function of their fortresses and the design as well(despite Dorn apparently having a massive hard on for gothic architecture).The Iron Hands, and how they shun the common organization with a Chapter Master at the forefront and instead actually elect a representative as Chapter Master to guide them in the next conflict.Even the Space Furries Wolves and their recruitment and initiation rituals, and how they’re literally the only chapter to successfully give the middle finger to the Inquisition and actually put the fear of Russ into their silly hat wearing leaders.

Even my own opinions on the various chapters aside, I find their quirks and doctrine really interesting, and I think it stretches beyond first founding when you consider other chapters. The Legion of the Damned/Firehawks, who are practically Imperial Daemons at this point. The Sons of Medusa and the Schism with the Iron Hands. Hell, even the Blood Ravens, who may or may not be loyalist Thousand Sons.Again, this is largely bias, considering this is probably an uncommon sentiment and it’s pretty much more Marines fanwank. I adore them, though, and find them to be extremely well developed. Big, beefy killing machines that will not eat, breathe, sleep, or stop killing until their enemies are truly dead but still retain their own quirks, eccentricities, and styles right down to their armor designs and personal enjoyments.That all being said, I would fucking love more development of other factions. The Guard has a ton of rich characters and regiments, that if expounded upon could be even more interesting and enthralling imo. the Tanith First are the absolute best, and pretty much kindled my hunger in knowing how the other regiments interact with one another. I’d love to see how Mordians act towards each other(which, I really need to buy that book when it comes out) and what they do when they’re not on the parade grounds, how a Krieg Trooper might spend his few moments of rest(even though we all know it’s probably clearing land mines by running through open fields or some crazy shit). I want to see more Drookian Fen Guard sassing Commissars and making sonnets.I’d love to see a Blood Axes force who are full-on militarized, with stolen/salvaged Imperial Tech, a character who is a spot on armor commander, or a Snakebites leader who’s basically an Orky William Wallace(Killum Choppace? Orkum Wallaz?)I love knowing that the Tau are actually being controlled by the Ethereals, and Farsight is basically not only against them, but could potentially lead to a hostile takeover in the future, which would be awesome to see. Alongside that, I love how their caste system shows that they actually are a very diverse race.I’d love to see more on the Lost and the Damned as well, The Blood Pact is fucking awesome as a functional military force, and I’d adore to see more of it, not just in favor of Khorne either! Desolator-styled army that uses poison and chemical warfare, a warband of psykers that manage to pull off massive feats against the Imperium with their collective mindbullets and praise to Tzeentch, even a Slaaneshi host that manages to strike fear into Eversors with their drug-addled charges, or even armored vehicles with giant speakers and chem-pumps for the operators that go in and knock buildings down with sheer ROCK sound!I feel like the Marines get a lot of love, but the other factions could receive so much more than they already have as well.

So, uh... that FFXV was a thing, wasn’t it?

It sure was, Bill... it sure as shit was.

So, yeah, I finally played and, just a moment ago, beat Final Fantasy XV.

I’m about to sum up my feelings on the game, many of which are shared with the general gaming community, so I might have nothing new to add at this point... But I feel strongly enough to keep writing, anyhow.

If you’re bothered by that sort of thing, scroll on.

Sometimes, in grade schools across the world, teachers feel the need to give every single child an award. Usually there’s nothing to it. Some might spring for a ribbon, others might give out trophies, and even fewer might elect to have other students create rewards for the recipients. The latter was my personal case in middle school. A boy, whose name escapes me because the entire affair was almost forgettable except for the reward, gave me the Most Potential award. Every other student made small bundles of candy or bought some small token for their reward recipient. I got... A small piece of notebook paper cut into the shape of a ribbon.

Most Potential.

I’m not sure if a more insulting award exists in the entire world.

What does this have to do with anything? I think you’re smart enough to see where I’m going.

Final Fantasy is quite possibly the franchise that made me a gamer. I played the first one the NES when I was a child, and I’m certain it was one of the first RPGs I had ever played. By middle school, when I was playing FF3 (really VI), I was knee deep in love with the genre and carving my path with a shovel made out of Blockbuster rental cases.

What I’m getting at is that my opinion on the franchise carries weight because I’m getting to be an old fart. I’ve seen the good, the bad, the ugly. I started out as Relm, and now I am becoming Cid (pick one).

When the game loads, the screen tells you that XV is for fans and first timers. My gut reaction to this was a big, fat, pessimistic, “Yeah, we’ll see.” XIII left me feeling like someone clipped my purse strings and ran off cackling into the night. Must stay on subject.... must... not... rant...

Well, I saw. I came, I saw, I conquered.

I didn’t hate it.

I didn’t love it, either. And here’s where the award comes in.

You, Final Fantasy XV, are the proud recipient of the Most Potential award. I’m even going the extra mile and writing this in a digital format rather than on notebook paper, so you can cherish it forever... as long as you have electricity.

What a hot-ass mess. Here are my beefs in broad strokes:

The combat feels sloppy. I know SE is trying desperately to get into the action RPG thing with FF because they feel like turn-based games are archaic and no one wants to play them. Fine. Whatever. That’s what made you a thing... but whatever. The problem is that they didn’t do a very good job with this. Kingdom Hearts does it amazingly well. Any Tales game puts it to shame.

Can I tell you a secret? You can laugh at me; it’s okay. I didn’t know you could just hold O to fight until I already had 80 hours on the game. Yep. I played that much just mashing O and square and warping. I spent untold minutes grinding my teeth during the Leviathan fight because nothing was happening. I kept missing an invisible quick-time event, apparently. IDK. (I researched it and others had the same problem? No clue.)

As a whole, the combat just felt very clunky and almost as if the AI was too smart. Maybe I should have played all the tutorials at the beginning. Who knows!

And magic sucked. So much suck. Friendly fire? REALLY? REALLY? THAT’S THE ROAD YOU CHOSE?

Hmm. what else.

Oh, you know how in some console RPGs, you can change the tactics in the menu to control the behavior of other characters in your party? Or you can switch who you want to play? None of that here. The other bros forget they have a spell equipped most of the time. But when they remember, you can be sure it’s when you’re in the thick of things so you can take that friendly fire. MMM Mmm. Good stuff.

Speaking of bros... the male gaze stuff was gross. They changed Ignis’ outfit so hit butt wasn’t hanging out, sure. But Cindy... the mechanic... boobs. Does not compute. Girl, get you some damn overalls so you don’t get burned.

I guess this Fantasy includes spark free machines.

So, then there’s the story. I won’t spoil what little story there is for folks that haven’t played it. I might spoil your urge to play it if you haven’t been able to yet. Sorry.

The game has some pretty amazing world-building. That’s not the same as the story, so don’t get excited. You get a general sense of history and a little bit of mythos. But it needed so much more to aid the story. People are so damned thirsty for lore that they’re theorycrafting THE FUCKING STORY for XV. It’s not in the game. They’re pulling shit out of thin air. Check Youtube, and you’ll get lost in a sea of “Ardyn’s TRUE name,” “The meaning of the true ending,” or “Eos Explained!” Yeah, okay, reeeeeeach for it.

And let’s not forget Kingsglaive and Brotherhood. Kingsglaive is a CG movie that accompanies the game. I enjoyed it. I watched it before I played the game (months before oops), because I was gifted both as a package deal. Problem is, Kingsglaive has some precious story that the game so desperately needed, it should have been IN THE GAME. And Brotherhood, the anime, should have been in the game as well. Maybe as flashbacks while camping. Yet even with both of these optional purchases, it’s still missing a truckload of substance.

Sadly, I think they tried to make up for it by putting a pace car in the game. That’s not even a cute metaphor; they really physically put in crap to slow you down. There’s a stamina bar for running, there’s a stamina bar on chocobos, and the Regalia has a set speed it cannot exceed (unless you get parts like the turbocharger several hours into the game). You can fast travel to your car, and you can get in your car and sometimes fast travel to quests or destinations (which, after chapter 13 seemed to be much more frequent unless I’m imagining it). However, sometimes you are forced to sit through minutes and minutes of scenic driving. And even that gets interrupted by a certain bro with a camera fetish. It felt very forced, and I fast traveled everywhere when given the opportunity. I somehow still wound up with 100+ hours on the game. Curse you, gambling and fishing.

The DLC episodes for each bro could have provided the game with a little more substance, too, but SE decided to nickel and dime their patrons for those. It’s becoming a trend that I hate. It’s like selling a jigsaw puzzle and then charging extra for 2-3 pieces that would complete the picture. Fuck a bunch of that.

Another thing that I felt was intentionally annoying stretched out: maps. Lestallam, or however you spell it, was laid out like a street gang’s fantasy. Lots of dead ends, terrible mini-map... just... please.. where’s my car... why is the big market tucked into the ass end of of Satan’s colon instead of on the main circuit WHERE A MARKET BELONGS?

My final Final Fantasy XV beef: TIME TRAVELING! choo choo all aboard the-woops-we-can’t-fix-this-shit train. No, there isn’t actual time-traveling in the game. Not really. Beyond a certain chapter, there is no way to return to Altissia or Lucis. SE handled this the way a dog does when it has a dingleberry. They dragged their ass on the floor until... no, no, I kid. They put in a menu that let’s you zip back to those two places without any explanation. You can do quests and hunts and get exp and items. Then, you can zip back to the “present” with all of those rewards. Hahahaha makes perfect sense, right? Riiiiiight? lolno.

It’s not part of the canon. You’re not dreaming or having a flashback or pulling an Assassin’s creed. They just added it in because otherwise you could plow through several chapters with no way of going back. It would be impossible to go back to those places (for lolstory reasons). They put in a point of no return and then were like, “Just kidding?” 

Imagine if in VI you could play all the way to Kefka’s Tower and then, with zero explanation, a save point gives you the option to return to the World of Balance. Bit of a head-scratcher, eh?

They had to do it, though. Remember that substance thing? A lot of it comes from the sparse side quests, fishing, hunting, optional junk-getting. If you’re not interested in any of that, you could skip returning to the “past” altogether.

It had a lot of potential. Unlike a person getting that award, it doesn’t get a chance to better itself. They continue to drop patches on it but nothing that can fix the story. 

I’m not sorry I played it. I did put 100+ hours on it, after all. I liked the characters (even if Noctis appears to grow into a Caucasian man and his eyes change color... um... what?). I liked the world.  It needed a lot more fine-tuning and character development, though. As I said to a few people already: it felt like a love letter to Final Fantasy rather than an actual Final Fantasy game.

It sort of suffered that same thing XIII did with FF mythos being tacked on but not nearly as badly. Throw in some chocobos. Bitches love chocobos. And a moogle. Just the one; don’t get carried away.

Bravely Default was a damn good Final Fantasy game (if you can get over the repetition) and it wasn’t even a FINAL FANTASY GAME.

Yeah, I’ll shutup now.