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queenofspades20 · 3 years

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Goddesses and their Gods (1/3)

Here is chapter one of my submission for @bonkywobble’s Halfway to 1K challenge.

Pairings: Bucky Barnes x Reader; Hephaestus!Bucky x Aphrodite!Reader

Synopsis: Tony has decided that it is time for the Goddess of Love to be married. Y/n and Bucky have been seeing each other in secret. Brock has made no secret that he wants Y/n, though she has no desire to be with him, and has declared his intentions to be with Y/n. Y/n, Bucky, Natasha, and their friends come up with ways to trick Brock to keep him away from Y/n.

Word Count: about 3.9k

Warnings: maybe language, fluff, slight angst, implied smut

CHAPTER 1 – the trick

Y/n was wandering around Bucky’s workshop, looking at the different projects he had started. She stopped at one of the tables when something purple and sparkly caught her eye. Y/n looked around for her lover, but didn’t see him.

“Hephaestus, Bucky, my brilliant lover, what are you working on?” she called out. Her hand reached out to touch the sparkly item. Just as her hand was about to touch it, a metal hand quickly grabbed her wrist to stop her.

“Haven’t I told you not to touch things without asking first? You could have hurt yourself,” Bucky said gruffly from behind her. His grip was firm on her wrist, but not enough to leave a mark. Y/n loved that even though he was strong, he was always gentle with her.

“Where did you come from?” Y/n turned with a smile, acting as though she hadn’t just tried to break one of his rules. “I looked for you.”

Bucky looked at Y/n with an unimpressed look. “Stop acting innocent, Love. You know better than to touch things without asking first.”

Y/n let out a light laugh and moved closer to Bucky. She reached up with her free hand and stroked the side of his face. “You know me and shiny. I’m like a crow sometimes.”

Bucky just shook his head and released her wrist. He pulled her close, his arms around her waist, and dropped a kiss on her lips. Y/n tasted faintly of ambrosia and a warm wine. “What brings you here, Love?”

Y/n shrugged one shoulder. “I was just missing you.”

“We saw each other just a few hours ago.”

“Yeah. Hours. I’m the Goddess of Love. A few hours feels like an eternity to be away from my love,” Y/n said with a pout. Bucky could see something troubling her and didn’t buy her reason.

“Don’t lie. We’ve been apart longer and you didn’t say anything. What’s really going on?”

“My father has decreed that it is time for the Goddess of Love to be married. Brock has made his intentions known and, obviously, I don’t want him. I want only you.” Y/n felt tears gathering in her eyes. “I don’t want us to be a secret anymore, Bucky. I want people to know I’m with you.”

“Your father won’t approve. He’s never liked me,” Bucky said dejectedly.

“He hasn’t bothered to get to know you! You know if Brock gets his way, we won’t be together. I mean, I’ve held him off so far, but we need to step up our efforts to keep him away from me. And we need to convince my father to see reason.” Y/n pulled him close. “My love, we have people on our side. We can be together. We just need to convince my father to let me choose you as my groom.”

“Are you sure you want me? You could have any god or goddess you want . . .”

“And I have chosen and will always choose you.” Y/n made sure Bucky was looking her straight in the eyes. “You are my great love. The one who makes me feel safe and happy and loved. You accept me as I am, unlike anyone before. I. LOVE. YOU.” She punctuated each word with a kiss. She sighed. “But first, I think we need to come up with something that will scare Brock off once and for all. My father is considering letting the match happen, but nothing would be worse. The Goddess of Love shouldn’t be with someone who is the God of destruction, aggression, and war. I should be with someone who creates and builds, like you.”

“You’re going to keep sneaking in reasons you chose me, aren’t you?” Bucky said with a smile.

Y/n knew Bucky sometimes didn’t understand why she chose him, but she never wasted an opportunity to explain why she loved him. “It’s my favorite hobby. I never want you to doubt that I love you.”

“If I have doubts, it’s never going to be because you haven’t told me you love me. I was thrown off Mount Olympus and I have this,” Bucky said, gesturing to his arm. “I live in exile. I would hate to think you might get cast out as well if our relationship came to be known.”

“Well, it is known to pretty much everyone except Brock and my father. We have several people who approve, including Pepper. And as the Goddess of Marriage, she thinks our union would be wonderful. But back to our first task, getting rid of Brock. I think we need to meet with Natasha to come up with a strategy.”

“She is the Goddess of Strategy. It would probably help, since she’s helped us avoid detection by your father,” Bucky agreed.

“I think we should also ask Loki for help,” Y/n said hesitantly. Bucky and Loki, while not enemies, did not have the best of relationships.

“Why would we involve the God of the Dead? Are you planning on killing Ares?” Bucky looked at Y/n like she had lost her mind.

“Because, you forget, my dear, he is the God of Trickery for the Norse. He and Thor pull double duty these days.”

“Fine,” Bucky said with a huff. “I don’t like it though. How do we know he won’t betray us?”

“Because 1. He is my friend and as many on Olympus aren’t particularly fond of him, he is actually protective of the friendships he has; and 2. He hates Brock and loves to cause him problems.” Y/n looked at Bucky with a smile.

“I trust you.”

“Good, because we need to go meet them in 15 minutes.” Y/n leaned in for another kiss and reached down with her hand to cup Bucky’s cock, which twitched at the contact. “Which gives us just enough time for a quickie.” Y/n smiled mischievously.

Bucky smiled back and moved his hands to just under Y/n’s ass and lifted her up. Y/n yelped. He leaned in for a heated kiss. “Gods, I love you.”

Natasha and Loki were sitting at a table on a beach that was protected by Steve’s powers. It was where they all usually met to avoid Tony’s attention. They each had cocktails in their hands. “How late do you think they’ll be?” Natasha asked with a smirk. She knew her friend wouldn’t be able to resist doing something with Bucky, it being in her nature.

Loki looked at her. “Knowing Y/n and Bucky and how many times they’ve been late before? I think we’ll have time for another round.” The two laughed and clinked glasses.

“Well, if it means more time to drink, I don’t mind. Besides, it’s nice seeing Y/n so happy. I don’t think she’s ever been as happy as she is with Bucky.”

Loki nodded. “Agreed. I think he’s a good influence on her, though he definitely indulges her a bit too much.”

Natasha laughed. “Can you blame the guy? But she’s as wrapped around his finger as he is wrapped around hers, so it doesn’t do much harm.”

“I’ve heard Brock announced his intentions towards Y/n. We really need to nip that.”

“Tony seems amendable to it. We need to do something that will scare Brock off of Y/n and maybe get Tony off the idea of Brock as well.”

“Did you have something in mind?” Loki asked with a lifted brow.

“Well, I think we need to make sure Bucky is on board and willing to build what I had in mind.”

“If it means Brock is out of the picture and I get to be with Y/n in the open, I’m willing to do my part,” Bucky said as he and Y/n made their way over to the table. They were holding hands. Y/n had a few marks on her neck and some clear beard burn.

“I’m impressed,” Natasha said, pretending to look at a watch. “You’re pretty much on time. That’s a first.”

Bucky blushed while Y/n just laughed off her friend’s remarks. “Well, I didn’t want to keep my two friends waiting for us, especially since time is of the essence. I see you two were already started to strategize.”

Loki waived his hand and two more chairs appeared at the table. Bucky sat in one of the chairs and Y/n just sat on Bucky’s lap, wrapping her arm around his shoulders to hold herself in place. “Really, Loki? You thought I’d sit in my own chair?”

“No. But I know Steve is going to want a seat of his own.”

Steve walked out of the water and made his way to the table. “Thank you, Loki.”

“Why, great Poseidon, what brings you to our little oasis?” Y/n asked with a smile.

“Cut the cheekiness, Y/n,” Steve said, chuckling. “You want to be with Bucky, you’re going to need all the help you can get.”

Y/n stuck her tongue out at Steve and then curled in closer to Bucky. “Fair enough,” she said, rolling her eyes. Bucky chuckled and kissed her temple.

“Alright, so what do we have in mind for the God of War?” Bucky asked.

Natasha looked a little hesitant. “Well, my plan involves Y/n acting kind of like bait to lure Brock into a place where we can spring a trap.”

Y/n perked up. “What do you mean, act like bait?”

Bucky shook his head. “I don’t want her being put in danger. Brock is unpredictable. He’s a brute. He doesn’t exactly like to play fair.”

Natasha waived her hand. “Y/n wouldn’t be anywhere near where him when the trap is sprung. She would basically get him to agree to meet in a place of our choosing. That’s it. You really think I would put my best friend in danger like that?”

Loki chimed in, “I think it’s a good idea. What are we thinking for the trap?”

“Well,” Natasha began, “I’m thinking Bucky builds some inescapable chains, not to be released until you and Y/n can be married. Tony can control him and prevent him from doing anything else. Maybe we can even point out that he was outsmarted and the Goddess of Love should be with someone who isn’t easily tricked?”

Steve looked interested. “I think Tony would go along with that. What about Pepper? Do you think she would help convince him?”

“She is the Goddess of Marriage and Tony listens to pretty much only her. And she knows about me and Bucky and has told me she approves.” Y/n piped in. “I think she’d help or basically make him agree to it.”

While the rest of the group started to discuss logistics, Bucky leaned forward and whispered in Y/n’s ear. “She knows?”

“Yeah.” Y/n whispered back. “She’s been helping cover my absences when I come to see you. She noticed that I was, and I quote, ‘happier than she’d ever seen me and it must be love.’”

Bucky smiled and kissed her cheek. “You make me happier than I’ve ever been or hoped to be.”

Y/n laid her head against Bucky’s and sighed in contentment.

“You lovebirds need a minute?” Natasha asked with a smirk.

“We’re good. When are we springing this trap?” Y/n asked, unbothered by Natasha’s attempt to tease her about Bucky. She knew Natasha liked to see if she could embarrass Y/n. Y/n thought it was a fun game.

“I’m thinking in a week, if Bucky can get the chains done that quickly.”

Bucky just smirked. “I can get them done in less than a day. I’ve made chains that like before for Loki.”

Everyone turned to look at Loki, curious. Loki just rolled his eyes. “I do have certain people in Tartarus that need to be held, you know.”

“Of course that’s all you need them for,” Natasha said with a smirk.

Loki looked bored. “If you all would get your mind out of the gutter. May I remind you I am not with anyone?”

“That never stopped me before,” Y/n said, trying not to laugh.

Bucky perked up and looked interested. “Are you saying there are things you’d like to try, Love?”

Y/n kissed Bucky’s cheek. “Of course. But I think that’s a conversation we should have later, maybe on our wedding night?”

“You’re awfully confident you’ll convince Tony.”

“I’m the Goddess of Love. If I marry, it’ll be because I’m in love. I’m in love with you. Therefore, I’m going to marry you. Tony can’t argue with that logic, especially when Pepper helps me. He’ll have to put aside any issues he has.”

Bucky just pulled Y/n tighter against him and rested his head on her shoulder. He felt like he was the luckiest being in the universe to have such a wonderful person in love with him.

Loki, Natasha, and Steve looked at them with smiles. They all felt the love Y/n and Bucky were feeling for each other. It was a pleasant feeling.

“Okay,” Natasha clapped her hands. “I’m going to find a spot that works for us. I have a few in mind that won’t raise suspicion. Y/n, all you have to do is bait him. You don’t even have to invite him there. Just make it seem as if you’ll be there and you won’t mind him showing up. I’ll let you know of the place later today.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Bucky slid his arm under Y/n’s legs and picked her up as he stood.

“Bucky!” Y/n yelled, laughing.

“What? I need to go back to my workshop to get the chains done and then I want some quality time with you.”

Bucky made his way back to the passage way that would lead him to his workshop. The other gods smiled at their friends and then went off to deal with their own things.

About a week later, Bucky had made the chains and Natasha found the perfect place to spring the trap. They decided to include Pietro to try and limit Y/n’s contact with Brock. Natasha sent messages to Brock, pretending to be Y/n. In the messages she feigned interest in Brock, playing to his ego. Natasha and Y/n met on the beach to sort out the final details of the trap.

“Okay. So, you’re going to see him on Olympus and mention wanting to go somewhere secluded. In the messages I sent all week, I made it seem like you were interested in a little rendezvous and that you were flattered by his declared intentions. He hasn’t responded, but I think he’s either waiting for you to come to him, proving the messages are real, or he’s not interested. I’m inclined to think it’s the former, as he declared his intentions towards you.”

“Eww. Can we just start off with that?” Y/n said with a scrunched face. She had always gotten creepy vibes off the God of War and couldn’t imagine a scenario where she would willingly spend time with him.

Natasha laughed. “Sure. But it had to be done.”

“I know, but eww. So, the place you chose is a beach not far from Olympus?”

“Yes. Because I want to make sure you have plausible deniability, I described the place in your messages. I made it seem like you love to go there to get away from everyone, perfect spot for privacy. When you see him, you’re going to mention going to your spot at precisely sunset tomorrow. And it will . . .”

“Nat. I am the Goddess of Love. I do not know how to flirt well enough to get someone to pick up hints and go where I want them. How do you think I convinced Bucky to go on that first date?”

“I am the Goddess of War and strategy, it’s my nature to make sure the plan is clear and there are no misunderstandings.”

“Fair enough. Okay, so I guess I’ll head up there now.” Y/n stood up.

“Y/n. Please be careful with him. I don’t want to see something happen to you.”

Y/n leaned over and hugged her friend. “I know and I will be. This is the easy part. You, Loki, Bucky, and Steve are doing the hard part by trapping him.”

“And it’s something we are happy to do to keep you safe.”

“Well, here goes nothing.” With a flash of soft light, Y/n transported herself onto Olympus. There were a few gods and goddesses around, strolling and enjoying the eternal beautiful weather that existed. While most gods and goddesses were content to stay in Olympus, Y/n had always found it interesting to go to the world of man. She enjoyed bring love into people’s lives, no matter what kind. Y/n strolled around the area that she knew Brock liked to frequent and she wasn’t disappointed. She walked up to him and caressed his shoulder.

“Hello, Brock,” Y/n said leisurely.

“Y/n! What a pleasant surprise. As this isn’t usually your kind of area, were you looking for me?” Brock leered at her, seemingly undressing her with his eyes.

It took everything Y/n had to not shudder at his look. She smiled serenely. “Well, I’ve been sending you messages for a week but I haven’t heard from you. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were avoiding me,” Y/n said with a pout.

“Oh Angel, don’t look at me like that. I am very interested in spending more time with you.” Brock reached out and stroked a finger down Y/n’s arm. “I would love to see that beach you mentioned in your messages.”

“Why don’t you go?”

“By myself?”

“Well, I go by myself sometimes,” Y/n said with a shrug.

“I’d rather go with you.”

“And why would you want to go there with me?” Y/n knew that with a god like Brock, she needed to act coy to reel him in. He was the sort of man that preferred to chase his women.

“I’d love to spend some private time together. I’ve made it clear that I’d like to be your husband.”

“Well, when you put it that way . . . I’m probably going to be there at sunset tomorrow.”

“Is that so?”

“I was planning on going alone, but I wouldn’t object if someone were to pop up either.”

“It’s a date then.” Brock clearly felt he had bagged her.

“I’ll see you tomorrow then,” Y/n said, a smirk on her lips. She placed a hand on his bicep. “Enjoy your day.” She sauntered off, making sure to sway her hips a bit more than normal. She didn’t want to come off too strong, but just enough to keep him interested.

When she got far enough away, Y/n flashed herself to Bucky’s workshop. She was on a mission. “Bucky!”

“Love?” Bucky asked, coming from around a corner. In his hands was some contraption he had been working on.

“Set whatever you’re working on down,” she demanded as she made her way to Bucky.

Bucky, seeing the look in her eyes, wasted no time setting the item on a nearby table. By the time he had turned his body back to her, Y/n had jumped onto him, wrapping her arms and legs around him. Bucky caught her easily.

“I feel so creeped out dealing with him. I need you. Make me feel good in the way only you can.” Y/n pulled him close for a kiss.

Bucky moved over to a wall, using it to hold her up. “You gonna be a good girl for me?” he rasped out as he kissed his way down her neck.

“Always for you. Please, my love. I need you.”

Bucky and Y/n made their way into a bedroom Y/n had made sure Bucky set up when they first started seeing each other. After several hours, they fell next to each other, panting.

“Always such a good girl for me, Love.” Bucky turned his head towards Y/n.

“I love you.” Y/n felt overwhelmed by her feelings for Bucky.

Bucky turned on his side and pulled her close. “I love you, too.”

They stayed with each other until the next day, when it was time to spring the trap.

Natasha and Loki were at the beach, waiting for sunset. They were hidden behind a rock. They had a perfect view.

“You know how to spring those chains, Loki?”

“Of course. Bucky informed me what to do. We just need the buffoon to show up.”

“Well, I’m assuming since I haven’t heard from Y/n, the plan went as it should. We would’ve heard otherwise if it didn’t go as we expected.”

Loki looked over at Natasha. “You didn’t confirm?”

“Knowing her? She probably went straight to Bucky. And if you want to get involved in that, be my guest, but I tend to stay away when they’re being ‘a couple.’”

Loki made an illusion to make himself look like Y/n. “Well, I guess I should take my place.”

“I’ll keep an eye on you. If anything goes wrong, I’ll be there to help.”

“The things I do for friends.” Loki, as Y/n, rolled his eyes. He sighed and made his way to the spot where the chains had been hidden.

He had been sitting there for a few minutes when he saw a flash of angry red light.

“Hello, Y/n. Been waiting for me long?”

Loki turned to look at the approaching god. “Not at all.”

Brock came close to him. He ran his finger along Loki’s arm. “So, what should we do with our privacy?”

Loki took care to keep his face schooled in a sweet smile. Gods, this idiot doesn’t waste time, he thought to himself. At least that makes this quick. Hidden in his hand was a button to press that would activate the chains. Loki put his hand on Brock’s wrist, pressing the button. Suddenly, golden chains sprung up from the ground and wrapped themselves around Brock. Loki quickly jumped back to avoid getting caught.

“What the Hades is this?!” Brock yelled out, struggling to break free.

Loki, in a flash of green light, returned back to his normal self. “I didn’t make those. But you certainly will not be able to get free.”

Brock’s face turned a deep shade of red. “What are you doing here? Where’s Y/n?”

Natasha came out from behind the rock. The chains had done their job and Brock was securely tied up. “Y/n isn’t here. We came here to make sure you leave her alone so she can arrange her own marriage to the god of her choice, which, if it isn’t clear, isn’t you.” Natasha sneered at him.

“I will have her!” he screamed out.

“Oh, I don’t think so,” a voice could be heard coming from the water. Steve made his way onto the beach. “You are going to be held in Loki’s domain for a while.”

Loki looked at Steve. “Why my domain? Why not yours?”

“Because you have Tartarus. You can hold him. You are all powerful, right brother?”

Loki rolled his eyes. “Fine. But I’m not doing it because you appealed to my vanity. You make a point about Tartarus.”

Steve just smile. “Fair enough.”

Loki, taking hold of the chains, flashed him and Brock to the Underworld. Natasha and Steve looked at each other. With Brock taken care of, now they just needed to convince Tony to approve of Bucky and Y/n’s marriage.

#bonkyshalfwayto1k #bucky barnes x reader #bucky x reader #bucky x y/n #hephaestus!bucky #Bucky Barnes #aphrodite!reader #Goddesses and their gods

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hankwritten · 3 years

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Keep in a Cool Dry Place

Demoman/Soldier, 3k

A couple of old, past their prime mercs live out their days, but at least they’re slowly breaking down together.

Oftentimes, Jane would go out onto the deck to find Tavish fixed in place, chin tilted skywards, soaking up the stars for all they were worth. He could be like that, sometimes for hours, eye glossy against the Milky Way as he stood so still he could make a statue proud.

“You’re up awful late,” he said to Jane, unmoving. Probably had realized Jane had been watching for a while now.

“Could say the same to you,” Jane said, pulling himself into a deck chair with a great cascade of air from his smoker’s lungs, the grunt of an old man he always thought was an exaggerated affectation until it started happening to him.

“I don’t get up at five in the morning,” Tavish reminded him.

“You could. Good for the health, Tavish.”

“I don’t think anything’s good for the health these days. Just bad, and slightly worse.” He drummed his fingers on the deck’s railing. “C’mere, look at this.”

“I can see the damn stars just fine from here,” Jane sniffed.

Tavish broke from his surveying to shoot a grin Jane’s way, features cut sharp in the porch light. “Come on you old fart, get over here.”

Jane grumbled, pushing out of the chair with more effort than he would have liked to admit. He made his way to Tavish, joining him at the railing, their shoulders brushing just briefly until Tavish swung an arm around Jane’s waist.

His voice took on a fading quality all of the sudden, as though far away winds were dragging him skyward. “Nice night, isn’t it?”

Jane watched him. In the past few years his good eye had grown white in the center, a fuzzy film growing out from the pupil that would one day take the whole cornea. It was irreversible, Tavish had explained, years of buildup from stromnium or strotenium or something like that, Jane could never remember. Tavish wasn’t surprised, had told Jane that he was shocked he’d still had the thing this long, but that didn’t mean there was no mourning within the man. It was just different than how most people would have gone about it.

“Sure is,” Jane said. “Real beautiful.”

“Aye. And you ‘n me, we’re not seeing the half of it. Those telescopes, the ones the size of whole buildings, all they have is a bunch of different magnifying glasses and yet when they put ‘em all together you can see whole galaxies that weren’t there before. Same sky, just some folks can see it, some folks can’t.”

“You can still see it,” Jane reminded him, a gentle bump to the shoulder.

“For now,” Tavish agreed. He turned, smiling with just the corner of his mouth, a testament that was gone before Jane could fully appreciate how much he loved the small, sad ways he chose to be happy. A hand came up to brush the side of Jane’s cheek. “I just keep thinking about how one of these days will be the last day I see you.”

Their foreheads came together. Jane’s hand rose to cover the one across his cheek, thumb rubbing the small band of gold on Tavish’s finger. Sometimes he still couldn’t believe this; despite the decades, despite the promises made on cold desert nights, despite watching the grey hairs spring in Tavish’s beard and knowing the same was happening to him, it was still hard to fathom that someone had chosen to spend the rest of their life with him. Even though the years with Tavish came close to outnumbering the years without, that time in Jane’s life of infinite loneliness, of stubborn self sufficiency, made him question how he was ever lucky enough that someone had hung on their sense and decided he was worth it.

Jane pulled Tavish closer. “Yeah. Well. If you’re going to keep a last image of me in your head, I really wish it was back when I was still handsome.”

Tavish laughed, swaying them both slightly in the unusually still air. Normally winds rattled the badlands, stirring up loose sand and seething through plants too hardy to notice. It felt like, for once, the world had chosen to be kind this night, just for them.

“You get handsomer every day Jane,” Tavish said, and hidden behind the words were each day I love you more. “I just…miss.”

“Miss how things used to be?”

“More than that. I’ve got the ‘ole yearning, I suppose, the eater of men.” Tavish chewed his words, looking up at the sky again. “I miss places. I miss how everything used to feel, even if it wasn’t terribly good.”

“Not talking about going back to your home planet, are you?” Jane joked, jerking his thumb at the now witnessed stars.

“No,” Tavish snorted. “Not exactly. But I…” He trailed off.

Now it was Jane’s turn to bring his hands to the sides of Tavish’s face, his own ring warm from where he’d been cradling it inside his fist. “What is it, Tav? You can tell me.”

Tavish looked not at the stars nor the horizon, but the ground, kicking the wooden deck neither of them had ever gotten around to re-staining. “I feel…I feel the hills always calling out to me. Like there’s something in my bones that just wants to rest, to go back where it’s green, to where it isn’t so bloody dry. Every time we visit I think ‘is this the last time I’ll ever see it? The very last time? Am I going to be too old or too tired the next time around, and never feel like I’m home again?’”

Jane watched the worry lines in Tavish’s forehead. “You want to go back to Scotland.”

“I dunno. Just the more my eye goes the more I…I dunno.”

They hung in silence for a while longer, just breathing. Jane hadn’t felt the need to wear his helmet for a long time, not at home, not at this mansion that was their private oasis from the rest of the world. Were money made their problems—if not vanish—then kept far back beyond the fence where they never had to think about them unless they ventured beyond. Where, even with BLU’s protection no longer keeping the various chapters of local and federal law enforcement trying to wrangle some comeuppance out of the soldier for sins past, he still had a place of refuge.

“Let’s go,” Jane said.

Tavish looked away. “I don’t mean for a visit Jane, I mean…”

“I know,” Jane insisted. Tavish’s milky eye fixed him with disbelief. “You want to go home. I get it. We should go.”

Tavish stared at him, still uncomprehending. “Jane you know that would mean…”

“I know,” Jane repeated.

A warm, subtle smile filled Tavish’s face, and neither of them had to say any more. Tavish drew Jane in closer, and the two of them rocked in the wind that had just picked up again.

***

“Jane,” Tavish frowned as he examined the box Jane had dropped thunderously at the bottom of the stairs, “do you really need to bring all of these?”

“Hey, I’m not trying to make you get rid of your treasured possessions,” Jane pointed out, depositing a second box filled entirely with Guns & Haircuts net to the first.

“We’re not going to have space for these,” Tavish retorted. “It’s going to be a tiny little thing, remember? They don’t build mansions in Ullapool.”

Moving had left the New Mexico mansion barren and faded where pictures had hung on the wall since Tavish had first moved in. Now they were all gone, sold off as their attempts to downsize left only what was necessary and a few DeGroot family heirlooms.

It twisted something in Jane to see their home of three decades slowly dismantled into carpet scuffs and cardboard boxes. This had been his dwelling longer than any other, a turning point from when the Gravel Wars had folded in on themselves and left Jane with an odd freedom he had no idea if he was allowed to act on. Even before that, when Tavish’s mother had still been alive and the halls were filled with her vigor, this place was safe haven for Jane, where he’d come to meet with his forbidden friend and get wasted in his living room.

Now it was mostly empty. Ready for the last goodbyes.

“These are important,” Jane declared of the boxes.

“You haven’t read them in ages,” Tavish pointed out.

“So? They are valuable. Scout sold his whole Bonk! Boy collection for a fortune, and I’ve got twice as many as that little squirt does!” Jane cleared his throat suddenly. “Did.”

It was hard to remember sometimes. He thought his old teammates would want nothing to do with him after the end, but to his surprise they actually kept in contact better than when they’d actually worked together. Maybe owing to the fact he now had an actual address they could send letters to.

Neither Spy nor Sniper had ever actually retired, and over time the tepid, passably courteous correspondences with Sniper had stopped a few years after Spy disappeared entirely. Jane assumed something similar had happened to them both. Occupational hazard.

Engie had complications with his diabetes. The remaining team had shown up for the funeral, except for Pyro, who everyone politely wouldn’t mention, even when Jane asked.

The one person Jane hadn’t expected to outlive was Scout. Scout didn’t write, but he could talk anyone’s ear off, and when coming home from the second funeral in as many years it hit Jane hard that he’d never hear the kitchen phone ringing off its holder again, practically trembling as the other line was just dying to tell him about whatever exactly Scout was so wound up about today.

Tavish noticed Jane’s slipup, and kindly ignored it. Nearly ten years, and Jane still found himself forgetting. “That’s because they were comics,” Tavish explained. “They were collectors items. The only person collecting Guns & Haircuts is you.”

“And don’t I know it!”

Tavish sighed. “Are you even planning on selling them, or are you just going to do the same thing you’ve done with them here and leave them in a big box to gather dust?”

“Of course I’m going to leave them in a big box!” Jane huffed proudly. “What other purpose is there in life other than to gather material objects and then have them accumulate in piles in your living room? You do not see me complaining about the giant, wall mounted family crest, do you?”

Tavish rubbed the bridge of his nose, sighed as an old argument became even older. “Ach, fine. I suppose we’ll fine the space.” When he opened his eye, he saw the third giant box Jane was hauling out for the movers. “Jane! We don’t need to be taking that.”

“Yes we do, sonny!” Jane said, slapping a hand on the trumpet of the old record player he hadn’t been able to properly fit in the box. “I do not trust those cassette tapes! The snakes that live in them always try to come out and strangle me!”

“We’ve got some CDs now-” Tavish tried.

“Even worse!” Jane declared. “Australian mind control devices!”

Tavish could see he wasn’t winning, which was just fine by Jane. The magazines were one thing, but the record player he wasn’t leaving without.

“Well,” Tavish said, looking around their house, stripped bare. “I suppose that’s everything.”

Jane couldn’t find a reason to object. He glanced around, looking for one last missing detail, one more reason to stall, but found none. Gently, he took Tavish’s hand and squeezed. “Everything we need.”

***

Scotland was even wetter than the last time they’d visited.

Mud, the most distantly remembered and ancient of substances, clung to Jane’s pant leg all the way up to the knee as they made their way down hundred-year old paths someone really should’ve figured out how to weather-proof by now. But, where Jane was grumbling, Tavish looked about as happy as a clam in water. (Or, Jane supposed was more fitting, a pig in mud.)

“Aha! Look, there it is,” Tavish said, tugging on Jane’s arm and pointing at the glimpse of water creeping around the bend. “Still there.”

“I don’t think they would have up and moved a whole lake while you were gone,” Jane mumbled, but Tavish didn’t seem to hear as he moved with surprising speed down the hill. It was times like this Jane actually envied the cane.

When he finally caught up, Tavish was breathing in the thick air, his chest rising and then collapsing with a satisfied sigh. “Used to play down here as lad. Sometimes there’s a beach, far as the eye can see.”

“Thought you were done with sand,” Jane said, stomping up next to him on damp boots.

Tavish just breamed broadly at him, drinking in the sweep of the land and the crash of the lake. Jane could remember the stories, ones from Tavish’s childhood much better than his own, told and retold so many times that he could flip open the memories like a scrapbook and find exactly where every place in Ullapool fit. An old pub, a crumbling church. The house where the DeGroots used to live, the field where Merasmus’s castle had once briefly towered. So vivid were they, they superimposed themselves over Jane’s (admittedly more insubstantial) memories until he felt he had lived here himself.

“…Gettin’ dark, Tav,” Jane pointed out.

Tavish frowned, and squinted at the horizon. “Aye, I suppose it is.”

“Think the movers are done?” Jane didn’t approve of hiring other people to life heavy things when lifting heavy things had once been one of Jane’s favorite pastimes, but Tavish convinced him that if he threw out his back again, it’d be a lot harder to get him to a doctor.

“Probably,” Tavish nodded. “Let’s go see.”

“Do you think they dropped my magazines?”

“I’m sure they’re fine, love.”

They made the long, much more slippery journey back to their new home. It overlooked Ullapool and the coast, but was nevertheless removed enough that Jane could revel in the privacy he had grown used to. Privacy was not on Tavish’s mind when they’d walked through town that first time, however, as he’d greeted nearly everyone who came their way. It had shocked Jane how many people knew him, or at least recognized the DeGroot name, and greeted Tavish as familiarly as they would have had he been gone for only a few weeks rather than years.

It was good, to see Tavish like this. Even now, as they climbed slowly back up the hill, Jane watched him out the corner of his eye, smiling at the look of serenity that hadn’t been on his husband’s face so naturally in years.

“Isn’t this cozy,” Tavish said lovingly as they crossed the threshold of their new home.

That it was. Jane had worried he had grown soft living in luxury, that his years of being rich and retied would make him forgot that he’d once loved his little apartment, had cherished the security its simplicity had given him. But now that he was back inside four walls, surrounded by the items that had come to mean things beyond their purpose, a swell of pleasant familiarity welled up in him. The curtains blocked out the last of the fading light through soft yellow. There was a fireplace (modern and gas powered) but one ready to fill the house with a warm glow.

Tavish made the motions to begin unpacking, but Jane’s pretense of rooting though the boxes had a different goal in mind. Preoccupied, Tavish didn’t turn around until Jane finally slipped the record into place.

Perking, Tavish looked over his shoulder to see Jane offering his hand as the music bubbled slowly to life. “Been a long time since we danced,” Jane said.

Tavish’s smile fit well in this homey, quiet room. He took Jane’s hand, and let Jane pull him up off his knees until they were chest to chest, resting his chin on Jane’s shoulder.

“Too long,” he agreed.

They began sway rhythmlessly to music in the middle of the tiny living room, caring little where they put their feet as long as it wasn’t one top of one another. Jane loved the record player, needed it more these days, as it was one of the only things that made the horrid, incessant ringing in his ears quiet for just a short while. Leaving the fan on at night might help him get to sleep, but the was no denying the scratching notes out of the player were a world more enjoyable.

It was piano piece, one he’d heard Tavish play now and again. There was no space for a grand piano here in this little cottage on the hill, but maybe they could get a smaller one, and Tavish could try teaching him again. Like he’d promised so long ago.

So many promises that’d slipped through the cracks, both to each other and themselves. Things they simply couldn’t do anymore. Ever since the scare with Jane’s lung cancer, they had tried to do better, had realized what they had built meant something and they couldn’t go piddling away with their complacent recklessness. Jane had quit smoking, Tavish had quit drinking as part of the deal.

But still, there were other things, other mistakes that had compounded over the years. Jane always kept thinking he should have been over it by now, that for how many gentle touches Tavish had placed against him, he should forget the violence those same hands had once brought him. The times they’d shoved a sword into Jane’s gut. The bombs from nowhere. The individual atrocities. It was duller now, the years had been good enough to do that, but if Tavish’s memories were anything like Jane’s, he understood why the ex-demoman sometimes woke screaming in the middle of the night, needing to be reminded—soothed, assured, sometimes begged—that the Jane beside him wasn’t the monster from his dreams.

That was the real tragedy of the War. Officially, all they had been paid to do was kill each other—the horrors they chose to inflict on one another had been their own doing, their own wills brought to fruition. RED had never asked Tavish to shove Jane’s shovel down its owner's throat, laughing vengefully all the while. Jane was sure he’d done equally as cruel things to Tavish during those hell times, but had trouble recalling exactly what. It’s much easier to remember the sins committed against you, than those you have unleashed yourself.

Those hands, those bloodstained, gentle, perfect hands, rubbed circles and Jane’s back, and he sighed. He’d listened to this record enough to know it was getting to the end of this side, but he found he didn’t want to move. He wanted to keep standing here, swaying with the man he loved in their home in the mountains, remembering that they had earned this.

“I cherish these moments we spend together,” he said resolutely into Tavish’s chest.

“Every one of them,” Tavish agreed.

Eventually they would lay down, rest their old bones in their new bed, but for now they held each other in the slowly encroaching night, the sound of rain playing its first patter on the roof.

#tf2 fanfiction #demosolly #boots n bombs

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winchester90210 · 4 years

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The BH 90210 Rewrite. 1x15: Palm Springs (AKA A Fling in Palm Springs)

Rewrite Masterlist

Read the previous chapter here!

Chapter Summary: The gang heads to Palm Springs for President’s day weekend.

Warnings: swearing probably, lots of fluffy feelings, mentions of sex.

Words: 2,900

My work is not to be reposted and/or edited without my expressed written consent. (Reblogging is fine and encouraged!!!)

Feedback is incredibly appreciated!

A/N: Hope everyone enjoys this week’s episode! We are going to be skipping the next one but Laverne the gum-chomping waitress WILL make an appearance at some point in the series, so don’t worry. Next week the reader moves out with Brenda and deals with Class President election!

“You’re really gonna stay and work all weekend?” You launch yourself backwards onto the kitchen counter, the cold marble against your legs, “Kelly says anybody who’s anybody goes to Palm Springs.”

“You’re talking to Kelly again?” Your brother cocks an eyebrow at you as he cuts himself a brownie, stuffing half of it into his mouth.

“Well, no… Kelly told Brenda who told me— but what does it matter?” You steal the brownie pan from his other hand, and place it out of his reach, “Just because it’s from a secondary source doesn’t mean it’s not true. It’s a ritual. Like the geese flying south or something.”

“How do you expect to get there? It’s not like you have a car, or a bike, or can afford a plane ticket.” You stay silent for a moment, then give him a pleading, rosy smile. “Oh, no. No! You’re not taking Duke to Palm Springs.” Duke was Eric’s beloved cherry red ‘48 Ferrari. It was given to him on his eighteenth birthday, previously loved and adored by your father, and his father before that and blah blah blah.

“Please? I always take good care of it!” You beg, “I’ll even fill up the tank when I get back! What is it, a dollar per gallon?”

“Sorry. No way. You’ll have to ask Brenda,” he shrugs stubbornly, reaching around you and swiping the pan while you're preoccupied with the argument.

“I can’t! She’s riding with Kelly!”

“Then ask Brandon— look, this isn’t my problem, Y/N/N. Either find another ride or don’t go.”

“It has the original interior, the original grille work. It’s gorgeous,” Brandon enthuses, slipping his hand under your shirt and to your sides as you both lie in the backseat of Mondale, mid make-out session. Well, you were making out. Until he decided to stop it to talk about that car he wanted. Like guys often do. “and it’s only twenty-five thousand dollars.”

“Twenty-five thousand? Brandon! No wonder your dad won’t buy you that thing. Dads are cheapskates, It’s just a fact of life.”

“Dylan‘s dad bought him a Porsche.”

“Babe, Dylan’s dad is facing a grand jury indictment,” you stifle a giggle as you pop a button off of his shirt.

“But my dad knows how hard I work,” Brandon grumbles, “And to top it all off, last night Nat told me that I can’t go to Palm Springs this weekend with you, and all of my friends because his sister is sick and now I have to work all weekend. But hey, you don’t hear me complaining, do ya?”

“Yes. Yes I do.”

“Hey there!” You’re greeted almost immediately by Brandon upon entering the Peach Pit, who’s over at the far end of the counter with a little blond boy. “What a nice surprise. I thought you’d be in packing mode for your trip… but knowing you, you packed early, didn’t you?”

“Always do,” you nod, taking the seat in front of him. You hand Brandon a modest wad of cash and kiss his cheek, making him smile. He mumbles a thanks as he stuffs it into his pocket and hands you a menu.

“Hey… do you ever get the feeling that the entire world is flying in first class, and you’re stuck with a folding chair in the baggage compartment?” He takes your hand in his, leaning over the counter.

“Never,” you deadpan. He studies your face, causing you to giggle into his shoulder.

“Liar!” He laughs genuinely, his eyes crinkling at the edges,“you total liar!” He straightens himself out, “This is Curtis.” He gestures to the adorable little boy beside you, “the hangout king of Beverly Hills.”

“It’s a free country, I can hang out if I want!” The little boy whines.

“Hey, hey, relax, sport. No one said you couldn’t… but does your mom know how much time you spend here?”

“She’s the one that brung me! I told her the food’s not that good," Curtis criticizes, mowing down a plate of greasy french fries.

“See what I have to put up with to make a buck?” Brandon teases, grabbing a plate of food from the kitchen and dashing off to deliver it to a table. Once he’s gone, Curtis turns his stool to you.

“Is he your boyfriend?”

“Oh! Well, uh… no. But he’s… not not my boyfriend,” you waffle. Curtis narrows his eyes, confused. “Look, it’s complicated, kid."

“You give him that friendship bracelet he’s wearing?”

“Yeah, actually… he told you about that?”

The kid dodges your question, chewing on the straw of his drink, “Why aren’t you wearing one?”

“It's a long story, Curtis. Certainly one you don't have time for, okay?"

"I got plenty of time."

You couldn’t ride with your brother, you couldn’t ride with Brandon, there’s no way in hell you’re riding with Steve… that left one option. Brenda, Kelly, and Donna.

“Donna,” Kelly giggles, “we’re not going to Europe. You don’t need three bags!”

“Kelly, I have to dress according to the guys we meet. I mean— high school guys, college guys, grad school guys, dropout guys— you cannot dress the same for all guys. No,” Donna shakes her head disapprovingly, like she just dropped a fashion truth-bomb on all three of you. To be honest, though, she kind of did.

“I guess she has a point,” you laugh, propping yourself up against a locker, “Bring everything.”

Then Steve saunters over, in his usual confusingly patterned button-down, an agitated look spread across his face. He nods down to the innumerable bags on the floor.

“What, are we going to France?” He scoffs, only taking a moment before continuing, “Will you guys come on? There’s gonna be a lot of traffic on the roads." Gee, wonder what’s making him so delightful this afternoon.

“Hey gang!” Oh no. David Silver? What was he doing here? “Are we going to have a blast or what? Huh?” We?

The rest of the group is just as lost as you are, exchanging silent looks of terror to the person next to them. Steve takes note of this and clears his throat.

“There’s been a uh, slight change in plans.”

“It’s weird, I mean I want to be with Dylan and everything, but part of me just wants to get it over with. Like I’m the last person that hasn’t done it yet." Brenda confides uneasily as you all stand against Kelly’s convertible, waiting as the tank fills up.

“Brenda… you are,” Kelly replies.

“No you’re not!" You assure her, "Look, Bren, you’re really gonna like it… I think." Ha. Like you know any more than she does. Donna nods in agreement.

“Yeah, totally… probably. Maybe? I—“

Kelly cuts Donna off, “Listen, who would you rather be with? Dylan McKay or David Silver?”

“Bren, Dylan’s a wonderful guy. You’re gonna have a great time! And you brought protection, so there’s nothing to be worried about!” You place a soothing hand on her arm.

“Right!” Brenda smiles, “I mean, I care about him, he cares about me, it’s gonna be great, right?”

“My grandparents collect anything they can get their hands on,” David guides the four of you, sans Brenda plus Steve, as you wander his grandparents' house. It’s definitely nice, definitely big… kinda smells like patchouli and sunscreen in the best way. “When I was younger I used to travel with them but my dad’s mad at them about something so I don’t see ‘em much anymore.”

“What’s he mad about?” Donna asks.

“Well, my grandparents like my mom and think it’s, y’know, bad he wants to divorce her... Come on,” he waves you all over to him as he escapes through the back door, “I saved the best for last.” You reluctantly follow behind him, your shoes clacking down the concrete steps and into the depths of his backyard. It was gorgeous— a huge pool, palm trees, brick-lined lounging areas. You could get used to this.

“Dude, we are definitely styling out here in this little desert oasis,” Steve grins, “David, I always knew you had potential.” No you didn’t.

“Thanks, Steve,” David begins to venture further back, “but you ain’t seen nothin’ yet! Look, if anyone gets in the mood, you climb up this little terrace here to this hidden nook and nobody will bother you.” You step up another flight of brick-lined concrete stairs and through a small patch of greenery, to be met with a cute little private hot tub… with people in it.

“David?” The old woman gasps, clutching her small champagne flute.

“Grandma?”

“What the hell are you doing here?” The senior man, presumably (and hopefully) his grandfather groans.

“It was an amaaaazing trip!” David’s grandmother raves, pouring pretzels into a glass bowl as the group is gathered around the kitchen island.

“It was indescribable,” his grandfather agrees excitedly, “we would dance every night under the stars.” He pulls Kelly from her stool, picking her up and spinning her around as if they were about to tango.

“Ooh! Can somebody pull the ice cream?” His grandma asks.

“Yeah, sure,” Donna smiles.

“Triple. Chocolate. Chip. I mean, If we’re gonna do it, we should do it right.” Steve chuckles politely at the woman, though he looks like he wants to put a gun to his head.

“Well, I’ve never seen so many old fogies on one boat in my whole life. I mean, a floating rest home is what it was!” His grandpa laughs heartily, getting ice cream bowls from the cupboard,

“Oh, Henry, that’s not so. But hey, one day we woke up on the boat and we both said ‘Let’s go home!’” Funny. That’s exactly what you were thinking. “I mean, we missed our little house in the desert.”

“We sure did,” Henry smiles happily, grabbing his wife’s jaw gently and planting a big smooch on her. “And lucky for us, we would have missed you if we didn’t cut our trip short!”

“Uh, well you guys must be really tired. Huh?” David chuckles awkwardly.

“Oh, we’re exhausted!” The woman nods, “but hey, who cares? I am so excited to see you! And to finally meet some of your friends! Hey! Why don’t we all stay up late, chow down on the snacks, and get to know each other?” Oh, joy.

“This way ladies,” David’s grandma guides the three of you upstairs, her hand on your shoulder. “You’re gonna go up these stairs, down the hall, first door on your right, and you are gonna love it.” You hop up the steps with Kelly and Donna, bags in hand.

“Did you guys hear her?” Kelly starts, opening the door to the room and throwing her bags on an empty bed. Hey, she acknowledged you. That’s a start. “She said she was gonna invite all the cute guys from the neighborhood over to the pool tomorrow!”

“Steve is not gonna like that,” Donna

“Oh, who cares?” Kelly snickers, “I wonder how Brenda’s doing.”

“‘Oh! Dylan, what beautiful eyes you have!’” You joke, throwing your hand to your forehead and bowing backwards.

“‘Oh, Brenda, you are so exquisite!’” Donna joins in, giggling.

“Barf.”

You splash your feet in the Silver's pool, crowds of people surrounding it. Overwhelmed by the vast amount of new people, you're off by yourself, kicking the water around, staring at your feet.

"You know, there's room on this raft for two." You look up to Steve, lying back on a giant inflatable alligator. Ugh, if only it was a real one.

"Why don't you ask your new girlfriends?" You point behind you to the two girls, who you could only think to describe as biker babes, lounging together. Porcelain white skin, spiked black bikinis, way more makeup than you need for a pool party. "They look pretty interested."

"Can you imagine what it would be like if you were interested? You know, me instead of Brandon?" You feign a gag, shaking your head.

"I don't really want to, Steve," you cringe dramatically as he chuckles, "but thanks for getting that thought haunting my dreams forever. Really appreciate it."

"Remember—" He wags his pointer finger at your face, eyes narrowing lightheartedly, "I saw you first." He puts his foot flat against the concrete wall of the pool, kicking off, but as soon as he's far enough— he guffaws. Of course he laughs at his own jokes.

"Dylan, hi!" You practically leap over to him in the foyer, your damp feet leaving faint footprints on the cold floor. "So?"

He shakes his head, brows furrowed ever so slightly, "So?"

"How'd it go?" You raise your eyebrows excitedly.

"How'd what go?"

"With Brenda!" He groans at that.

"Don't ask."

"Well, it's too late, I already did."

"What's with you girls?" Oh, this should be good. "You see a guy with another girl and you immediately think they're sleeping with her?! What is that?! I mean, every time a female customer goes into the Pit-- do you lose it at Brandon?"

"Can't say I do. They usually want him. But thankfully it's not the other way around… look, if this is about the other Walsh-- and McKay, it better be, or else I have questions-- just talk to her about it. Have an adult conversation."

"Easy for you to say, you're dating the king of good family values. The kid's a Hartley House episode."

You open the fridge in the kitchen, helping David’s grandparents scoop out ice cream. You fidget with the scoop in your hands before setting it down. After a devastating loss of Charades, you had to comfort your friends with ice cream. It was the only option, really.

“How do you guys do it?” They both look up from the bowls to stare at you. “The whole long-term relationship thing,” you clarify. “It’s just so… scary.”

“You’re right,” Henry nods, “It’s very scary. Trusting someone, with your heart, your intimate feelings. I mean, before we got married, Adele broke up with me seven different times. Running for the hills was our solution to every problem. Giving yourself to that person— trusting that they’re going to cherish you, to value you and every intimate part of yourself— that is the hardest thing.”

Adele jumps in, “And you have to accept each other for who you are. For every flaw and every perfection, you have to let the other person be who they are. But when you do find the person you can really be yourself with, who you can have fun with, and fully trust… it is the greatest feeling in the world.” She takes the scoop from in front of you and begins scooping. “Who is he? It’s not David, is it?”

You giggle, “No. No, it’s not David. His name’s Brandon, he’s—“ you can’t stop a grin from slowly breaking out on your face, “He’s great. He’s kind, and considerate, and totally crazy about me... but it’s still scary, y’know? My last relationship didn’t exactly end on great terms. And if I barely even liked the other guy but I was still totally obliterated by it ending… I can’t imagine how I’d feel with Brandon. I’ve never felt this way about anyone in my life. I guess you can imagine how much of a major scare that is, huh?”

“Seven break-ups, sweetheart. I can imagine.”

"He even set up a meal plan for the kid! I can show you the security cameras if you want to see them," Nat indulges. You never thought you’d say this, but you were thrilled to be back in Beverly Hills. You missed your own bed, the Peach Pit… the cute waiter at the Peach Pit. And you’re thrilled to be eating something that isn’t ice cream.

"Oh, don't you dare! I cannot handle any more of that guy being good with kids or else he's gonna get me to procreate with him-- and nobody wants a bunch of little Walshes running around here," you snort, stirring your water mindlessly with the straw. Nat shrugs as he picks up an order.

“I could use the extra help!” As per usual, he booms out in laughter, walking away with the plate of food.

“What’s he so happy about?” You twist your head to the kitchen and you’re faced with your overtly-paternal and charitable lover.

“Oh, it’s nothing. Just you fathering a sweet little homeless boy for the weekend,” you have to halt yourself from fawning over him. He’s probably the only teenage boy that would tolerate a little kid, let alone help them out like he did.

“He told you about that?”

“You mean how you not only befriended the little boy, but fed him for free, and made sure that his whole family would stay fed until they got back on their feet? Yeah, he might’ve. I mean I laughed, I cried— it was the feel-good story of the year, B.” He smiles at his feet as he ties his apron around his waist.

“I really missed you this weekend, Y/N/N.”

“Well, I’m here to stay now,” you smile as he kisses the top of your head.

“I’m a real lucky guy, you know that?”

“That’s funny. I was about to say the same thing.”

Taglist: @be-patient-be-good @mpmarypoppins @bevelyhills90210 @blueoz @harleylilo88 @princess-ghost-alien @hueycat2004 @l4life @keepcalm-and-beyou @palefiregiver @bitch-imma-head-out

#beverly hills 90210 #90210 #bh90210 #bh 90210 #rewrite #brandon walsh x reader #brandon walsh #brenda walsh #shannen doherty #luke perry #dylan mckay #beverly hills 90210 imagine #beverly hills 90210 x reader #brandon walsh imagine #kelly taylor #david silver #donna martin #jason priestley

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yumenosakiacademy · 4 years

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fuck it. a3 blooming live liveblog but condensed. aka Highlightz. i cant understand japanese so these’ll just b like. stuff that stood out 2 me. also rip but i skipped some of the songs that i did’;t kno/havent heard yet so i can experience em later n enjoy em more after i kno the song! note: i call em by their chara namez since idk all the seiyuu n it’s easier to just refer t’ em all by chara name even if i do remember/kno the seiyuu for some a the charaz okie~? ^^

itaru’s hair styled like itarus!! :D chikage wearing circle glasses!! :DD

AZAMI IS SO CUTE WAA??? n homare too but azami aaa OH and hisoka? cuute

tenma going “woo!” a lil after his initial intro

misumi doing a finger triangle!

someone (idk who??) on stage (?) going “foo/woo!” a few times during tenmas intro pff cute

misumi’s va forgetting to say his name during his intro n going “ah. hirose daisuke-desu ///” after the others looked at him

KAZUNARI YELLING FOR HIS INTRO GJHSN same w kumon! n taichi!! but waaa taichi was so energetic n cute daisukiii

hisokas intro being so cuuute. then when he finished up after/while saying his name someone i think tenma went “wooooo!” in the bg gjhsnd

[homare] “kan-to-ku-san. o-ha-yo~” gjhsnd why did he say it. Like That.

HOMARES WEIRD “a-ha-ha-ha-ha” LAUGH AT THE END OF HIS INTRO idk whats up itz just homare brand of Weird

citron coming up on the screen during Spring Is Coming since he couldnt b there n then throwing a ton of glitter during his part gjhnsj Citron Dayo !

NATSUGUMI SONG HAS SO MUCH ENERGY MY GOD they got 2 swing towels around during natsutte party party

MISUMI N KAZUNARI HUGGED DURING THE SONG UWAA

EVERYONE IN THE AUDIENCE YELLING “KA!ZU!NA!RI!” DURING THAT PART U KNO THE ONE!

“KA! ZU! NA! RI! UUUUUUUYABAIIIIIII!!!!!!!!”

tenma loudly going “WOO~!!” after the song had ended + lights had dimmed to transition into the next song

PYROTECHNICS DURING ONEXONE HOLY SHIT

juza n banri facing off n sakyo breaking it up

omi singing a bit higher than usual oh yum

juza’s wavy hair looks so nice btw.......

idk how taichi manages to do his in-chara voice so well during the song live while moving around but damn if he doesnt sound Perfect

“ARE U RREADY?” -AZAMI (w a thick accent too whoa)

[had 2 skip fuyugumi’s song bc i havent heard it b4 :( ]

the way they staged the dialogue portion of the romeo & julius song like the tower from the play waa

the synchronized dancing during rakuen oasis.. the harmonies.. omg

juza in his bad bad buddy outfit w the wavy hair.... ok ok 😳

THE GUN SHOTS N EXPLOSIONS DURING BAD BAD BUDDY

WHEN THEY LIFTED TASUKU N TSUMUGI UP N PUT WING HOLOGRAMS BEHIND THEM.... BRO.............

tasuku’s pained line/lyric delivery.. him reaching his hand out desperately as he says “ikanaide”... tsumugis soft “shiawase~”... bro i am. Hurting.

tsumugi looking down and tasuku also looking downward but tasuku holding a hand onto his heart w a heartbeat sound resounding thru the venue.......... im dead. it hurts. :(

EVERYTHING ABT THE PERFORMANCE OF KITETSU POEMER.. HOMARE HAS A THRONE? THE DANCERS R ACTING INSANE BEHIND HIM THROWING ROSE PETALS N HOLDING ROSES IN THEIR MOUTHS N MAKING WEIRD FACES?? THEY LIFT HOMARE UP N CARRY HIM AROUND TOO???? WACK.

during hisoka’s solo i just realized that his hair is styled to match hisoka’s i think! like tousled n mainly to one side :o

[had to skip a song. i dont kno what it was tbh? singer looked like chikage’s for the like 5 secs i saw him but it didnt sound like chikages chara song bc i kno it’s guitar baed...? :o ]

ppl doing lil triangles w their glowsticks (colored yellow of course!) when misumi came out to sing ichi ni sankaku! :D

ichi ni sankaku was so cute waaa 🥺

muku sounds so cute aaaa also he danced w a shadow princess n “kissed her hand” n did the thing where he got down on one knee w an arm outstretched! ur a prince in my heart sweetieeeee~~~!!!!

[had to skip a bunch of solos bc i havent heard the songs yet ;;; i dont kno who all was in the 13 minutes i skipped but i saw sakyo n sakuya]

SUSUME PIRATES HAD A BOAT ON THAT ONE PLAYFORM THAT MOVES AROUND THE VENUE? IDK WHAT TO CALL IT BUT FUCK YEA!

MISUMI YELLING THROUGHOUT SUSUME PIRATES/MAKING HIMSELF SOUND MORE GROWLY N AGGRESSIVE N AUTHORITATIVE OH BABY WE LUV 2 SEE IT YUM

during wonderland a go go they had a bunch of kids onstage dressed up a rabbits hopping around? cute..

masumi seeming so fucking confused during the performance (bc he’s alice, who’s confused upon entering wonderland. it’s on purpose) n getting his clothes tugged on by the bunnies n they keep dancing aroudn him n hes just “bro what the fuck,,,”

the audience was SO happy over this song sjhdn they kept cheering n oh my god when hatter first came out they were ECSTATIC

itaru holding a kids hand n giving them a lil curtsey/ not-all-the-way-down kneel like. aaa.

hatter keeping calm even during the dance parts n seeming so mature while dancing around the kids. even his steps n dance moves seem to be downplayed to keep itaru/hatter’s aura.

masumi n itaru linking hands w the bunny kids n doing a lil dance circle oh my god that’s ADORABLE

the moving platform was a hot air balloon for the oz song!!! :D

oswald snapping his fingers n the stage lighting up green waaa

fireworks coming up on the screen when they went “ladies! and! gentlemen!” aa

PYROTECHNICS GUNS N DIGHT CHERO FOR DEAD/UNDEAD

azami’s outfit in dead/undead looks punk im SO diggin it

GAMERS HIGH STARTING W ITARU GAMING ON THE BIG SCREEN WHILE SITTING ON A BED.... he does it thru like 1/2 of the song gjs

they didnt include him chanting R.. SR... SSR! or w/e i dont think aww

the crowd losing their shit when he went “otsu~ ;)” mood

[skipped guy (?), kazunari, n tenma bc i havent heard their songs ;( ]

masumi vibing w his headphones on at the beginning of sick sick sick remindin me of when he moved similarly as ramuda during battle battle battle during the ear line or smth. idk hes just done that b4 haha

“yamanai~” [crowd goes apeshit] (mood tho)

also rly appreciate how intimate masumi got w the mic on the stand in front of him. even when he detatched it n held it near his chest/torso at the end heehee.

BANRI MOONWALKING AT THE BEGINNING OF SUPER ULTRA EASY MODE...

LOVED the energy n choreo during super ultra easy mode also heehee

[skipped: ???, tasuku, taichi, omi, ???, baseball charmer]

they brought the kids back as kitten backup dancers for nyanbare!! :D

GIANT NIBOSHI PLUSH!!!

god can i just say juza looks so pretty dude..... buzama more like “i focus on juza the whole time bc damn good voice AND good looks”

JUST 4 MYSELF WAS SO GOOD.. THE DIALOGUE B4 THE SONG.. THE EMOTION IN THEIR VOICES... TAICHI HITTING THOSE HIGH NOTES AND LOOKING/SOUNDING LIKE AN ANGEL. THE RAWNESS OF OMI’S VOICE N THE ROUGH N RAW EMOTION HE DID DURING THE YELLS. DEAR LORD. OH MY GOD.

ALSO WOLF!OMI LOOKING LIKE A WHOLE SNACK.

also more pyrotechnics during that song! fuck yea!

the chandelier drop n fire on the screen during unmask! whoa!

tsumugi’s emotion throughout the entire song.. esp during the emotional end.... n him looking so sad n holding a hand to his chest.. aa

sakuya being all nice w harugumi then going “ok now onto natsugumi” n tenma immediately just “HII, NATSUGUMI-DEEESU~!” summer energy

KUMON JUST GOING “YYEAA!” N WHEN GOADED ON BY TENMA WENT LOUDER N WENT “YYYYYEAAAAA!!!!!” TO THE AUDIENCE WHILE KAZUNARI ALSO YELLED N WENT “WOO!” ALONG W I THINK TENMA GJHFNA THEN THEN ALL GOING “WOO!! YEAAA!!!” N CHEERING TO THE AUDIENCE natsugumi Nonstop Energy.

THEM JUST CONTINUING TO SCREAM THEIR OUTRO W VARIOUS “WOO!”S N MUKU YELLING “YEEEEESSS!!” (it kinda sounded like “gaaaaas!”?? im guessing it’s “yes” tho but gjhnsd)

tenma, after all the yelling, bowing along w natsugumi: “[smth] natsugumi deshita~ arigato gozaimashitaaa~~”

chikage i think encouraging sakuya to try n hav natsugumi energy too n hes just “YYAYYY!! HARUGUMI [other words i dont kno] ARIGATOUUU” while theyre all like “wait wait” but then natsugumi start going “WOO!!” to goad sakuya on n they call sakuya kawaii gjhnddsdsn

sakuya: ok! akigumi! banri, immediately: YYEAAAAAHH!!! the rest of akigumi: [starts yelling too] omi: [does a super long yell while the others look at him] banri: [climbs up the stairs n yells while doing a pose w his finger] YEAAAA!!!! someone from natsugumi: “WOO~!!!!”

akigumi making various sound effect noises like “bang~!” n “chi-chi-chi!” n other assorted ones n just being laughy aaaa

juza saying it was a fast live n talking abt all the ppl w penlights n thanking them for coming n banri being like “hey! ur takin my spotlight as leader!” (or smth like that. idk what he said but i think it was smth along those lines) n the others going “ok leader then say smth” so banri goes “everyone thsnk u 4 coming” n he keeps bowing while they all laugh

i think homare commenting on how fuyugumi is much calmer than the other troupes n everyone laughing but it’s so funny to go from the other troupes yelling then fuyugumi speaking in a calm yet pleasant manner gkhsnd

natsugumi getting together to pose right in front of one of the lower cameras during mankai seigen n kazunari blowing it a kiss waa

omi being given (taking?) one of the big filming cameras n some of the others getting close to it n smiling n stuff whereas homare just stared deadpan at it while walking toward it to go past it gjhndd so did masumi before giving a slight smile

sakyo taking the camera from omi for a sec to film omi before omi got back to filming everyone aaaa 🥺

kazunari blowing the omi cam four (4!) kisses then a peace sign n yuki giving it a peace sign too while tenma happily waved aaaaaaaa

misumi hugging yuki from behind + arm around the neck n yuki happily smiling n putting his hands on misumis arms around his neck when they stepped on the middle platform to exit waaa

all of harugumi wearing citron buttons on their shirt during the free talk at the end bc citron’s va wasn’t there.........

AZUMA CAME IN AT THE LAST MINUTE? DURING THE LAST LIKE 15 MINUTES DURING THE FREE TALK. WHERE THE FUCK WAS HE FOR THE REST OF THE LIVE??? TSUMUGI YELLED OUT “KAKIHARA-SAAAN!” N HE CAME OUT IN THE FUYUGUMI SHIRT WEARING 3 AZUMA PINS? BUT FR WHERE WAS HE I WANTED 2 SEE AZUMAS SOLO LIVE...........

azuma yelling rly loudly then after everyone cheered, then just screaming “arigatoOOOUUUU!!!” sjhd

jesus CHRIST azuma can speak fast

all of them sitting down for a group picture taken by a cameraman/staff on the upper stage area while the screen showed them so the audience could see then them going “hmm.. no lets stand up itll be/look better” so they all stood up then they went “...no no, ppl in the front sit back down” gjhd

azuma just headbopping to harunatsuakifuyu while riding on the moving platform gjhsnd

sakuya n tenma trying to close out the show n going “blooming~!” but the other guys r all too busy throwing the balls that fell on stage out into the audience n tenmas like “guys! guys pause w the balls for a sec so we can Full Blooming! hey!”

misumi doing a lil triangle dance as they all said thank you repeatedly at the end waa

azuma screeching “ARIGATOOOUUUUU!!” again gkhsnd

sakuya running out one final time after everyone left (back n forth across the stage), stopping in the middle, giving a bow n a smile, then running to go backstage. aaaaaa

songs i skipped (for future ref, so i can watch em standalone later! the ???s were i didnt kno the chara since i didnt kno the song or recognize the va immediately):

29:05 (2nd winter song)

59:20 (???)

72:00-85:32 (a bunch of solos, but i saw sakyo+sakuya in there!)

111:15-120:34 (guy’s song, i think..? idk tbh. then kazunari? then tenma)

128:54-151:15 (???, tasuku, taichi, omi, ???, baseball charmer)

#THIS WAS ALL TYPED AS I WATCHED THE LIVE!! meaning i kept pausing the live show gjgh anyway this was so much fun aa!#favorite performance was Just 4 Myself n natsutte party party. also GOD i luv the energy n chaos of natsugumi. theyre so much fun!! daisuki #draw a circle thatz a liveblog!#swearing #delete later

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eyesfixedonthesun22 · 5 years

Text

She’s So High: Chapter 7

Summary: 90’s karaoke and your snarky wit seem to have revived the charming side of one Bucky Barnes. Now that he finally has you home all to himself, perhaps he can put some of that charm to good use. Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Female Reader Warning(s): Smut 18+. Swearing. Kissing, Hand Job, Oral Sex (male receiving), Vaginal Sex, Unprotected Sex. Word Count: 2,635 Notes: Idea was inspired by this 90′s playlist. This chapter was beta read by the lovely @viktordrago. You all go thank her cause without her there would have been A TON of really laughable errors. Thank you so much to everyone for their likes and reblogs thus far. Anyone who left comments has literally melted my heart. I love you all. Smut Note: ***DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, INTERACT WITH MY WORK IF YOU’RE NOT 18+*** It goes without saying, unprotected sex....please make sure your partners are clean and you use an agreed upon form of protection (if relevant).

You sprint up to the tower mildly annoyed you’re being made to run on one of your days off. The public doors to the tower are locked for the evening so you head for the private entrance. After scanning your biometrics, you push the door open only to see a smug Bucky standing in the elevator with the door hold button on.

“Took you long enough, Doll.” He says dangling your phone back and forth like a pendulum feigning as if he’d waiting longer.

“Not everyone has super serum steroids running through their veins. Plus, you try running with someone’s cum leaking out of you. Not fun!” you rant while attempting to steal your phone back.

“Not so fast, darling. All that talk of my cum inside of you is turning me on.” He says puckering his lips in a taunting manner while continuing to hold your phone just out of reach. You roll your eyes at his arrogance. Taking a deep relaxing breath, you spring into one of your favorite field moves in hopes of being able to grapple your phone to freedom.

Bucky must have known you’d take the bait. He counters you gently and with lightning precision has you pinned against the elevator wall with your hands helplessly overhead; hips locked in place by his own.

“Did you really think I don’t have your favorite move memorized? You and Nat, so predictable.” he tuts with his face close enough to smell the hints of whiskey on his breath.

His left hand takes over holding both of your wrists in place; the cool metallic palm dwarfing both your own. To any onlooker, Bucky’s position over you would have looked predatory but you basked in the return of his confidence. His right hand tucks your phone securely in his back pocket before taking a firm hold on your hip.

“Ever think this is the exact outcome I wanted and you just fell for it?” you counter, testing the waters. “Winter Soldier’s getting soft.”

“I think you’ll find it's quite the contrary, doll.” His hips grind against you and you feel him stirring in his jeans. Sensing your resolve is crumbling, he peppers light kisses along the column of exposed skin on your neck. You attempt to hold back and not give him the satisfaction, when he begins sucking and nipping at your soft flesh, you reluctantly cave.

The two of you are so thoroughly lost in one another you, don’t hear the elevator ding once you reach the living quarters.

“Agent Barnes. Agent Y/L/N. Floor 90: Living Quarters” Friday prompts. Bucky doesn’t come up for air. His metal arm releases your wrists from their willing prison only to tap lightly on your thighs. You know what he’s suggesting but you pause.

“Up you go!” He says picking you up with ease.

“Bucky Barnes you put me down this minute! I swear to god if you drop me-” His footsteps pause and he pulls back from kissing your neck. One eyebrow is raised and his mouth is firmly set in a smirk.

“I’m not exactly light as a feather, Buck.” His expression flickers to confusion as his head cocks to the side.

“Being picked up makes me hyper aware of my body.” Your eyes fall from his face now self-conscious about meeting his gaze.

“You mean aware of these?” He squeezes your bum appreciatively. “Or these?” Now holding you with his right arm and caressing the curves of your hip and thighs. “You must mean these?” Palming your breast in admiration. “Darlin’ I ache for every damn bit of your body. I wanna worship it all.”

Your eyes raise from their spot on his chest. “I’m serious, sweetheart. Besides, you’d have to somehow grow to Scott’s freaky large Antman size to pose a challenge for this super strength.” You beam and peck his nose lightly.

“Thank you, Buck.” He kisses you back with renewed fervor while continuing the trek down the hall. Finally in the privacy of your room, he lets your body gently descend his with a controlled grace; lips never leaving yours. You come up for air only to realize you’re in Bucky’s room not your own.

It shouldn’t surprise you; but it catches you off guard regardless. You’ve only ever seen small slivers of his room in the past. His door was always shut like a not so subtle “keep out” sign. If it is open, it’s only so he can peak his head out to chat with Steve to decline a run. Bucky senses your curiosity and lets you explore.

On the largest window-filled wall sits a beautiful walnut desk. You’d imagined it would be bathed in sunlight come morning. The desk is bare except for a set of small plain back notebooks stood between leather wrapped bookends. Upon further examination, you can see each notebook has a range of dates on its spine.

“Therapy has helped a lot; but my memory isn’t one hundred percent still. Whenever I remember something or have a dream, I write it down in those.” Your heart clenches with empathy.

On the wall near his closet is a cork board with a small collection of photos; mostly black and white prints. Looking closer, you find a scrawny Steve beaming a stress free smile you rarely see on him now. Bucky’s arm is slung over his shoulder. They look so young; clearly void of the pressures of Captain America and Winter Soldier. Squinting at the more faded photos, you make out what looks to be his family interspersed with some drawings you recognize in Steve’s style. Right in the center of the collection is a group photo of the Avengers from the holiday party last year.

On his nightstand is a well-worn copy of War of the Worlds next to an ambient noise machine. His duvet is a calming shade of blue which perfectly coordinates with the camel leather headboard. It’s warm and welcoming.

It almost feels intrusive to see the intimate details of Bucky’s space and disturb his calm oasis. Your heart swells with emotion knowing how much he must trust you to have brought you here.

“It’s beautiful, Buck. Did you decorate it?” you feel his arms circle around your waist from behind as you continue to look around.

“Of course I did, darling. It took me a long time to figure out what I wanted; but I finally have something that feels like mine.” He gives you a quick peck on your cheek before walking over to the nightstand.

Still wonderstruck by his room, your revere is interrupted by music filling the space. It’s a song you recognize from one of your private playlists. You turn to face him; his hands once again encircling you. “How did you-” You’re pushed back into the plush duvet with a short yelp.

“Your playlists may be private but you didn’t turn on a private listening session.” He raises his eyebrows like he couldn’t possibly be more proud of his sneaking abilities. Making grabby hands, you feel his weight settle on top of you.

“So you spied on my listening habits? That’s pretty impressive technology navigation for a senior citizen.”

“I mean… they don’t call me a ghost story for nothing.” He says with a lighthearted chuckle. “Plus I’d watch all that senior citizen talk, missy. What does that make you?”

Bucky’s warm lips mold themselves to the contours of your neck making it difficult to think. “A harlot?”

He hums in response while marking you with another love bite. His hands roam to your breasts caressing them in earnest while pressing you back into the down duvet. His hand moves to the small of your back to hoist you up further on the bed, quickly settling his weight back onto you.

Despite the earlier fervor you both shared on the elevator, you’ve wordlessly communicated a temper of pace. His flesh hand cups your jaw gently as his tongue slips in to meet your own. All urgency lost, you allow yourself to savor Bucky. The now familiar scent of his body wash envelops you as you attempt to memorize his tastes and sounds.

Fingers trace and graze. Palms grip and smooth across planes and dips of one another's body. Your lips only separate to gasp needy puffs of air before diving back into each other; never wanting to be apart for long. Each article of clothing is removed reverently before the skin below is explored.

“Fuck darlin’-” He says stealing his lips away. His eyes are a vivid shade of blue but show no signs of hesitancy. There’s a subtle flush across his cheeks which matches the beautiful color the kissing has brought to his plump lips. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted this.”

You rise up to meet his lips again; gently pushing him off the bed before your hands move to the waistband of his jeans. The belt joins his other clothing strewn on the floor and you’re able to get the zipper down with far more grace this time. His hands settle on top of yours and you both push his jeans and underwear down together. He pulls you to stand and rids you of your final garments.

“You finally gonna let me have my turn, Buck?” He’s lying in the center of the bed stroking his length languidly; the mischievous grin you’ve grown to love makes an appearance.

“Doll, you know you don’t have-”

“I want to… so badly do. I want to.” You crawl up the bed and settle between his legs; kissing his firm thighs as you near your goal. “You’re not the only one who’s thought about this for a while, honey.”

“You been thinking about me during your alone time, doll?” He says folding his flesh arm behind his head as he looks down at you.

You’re certain there’s another snarky comment coming but it gets choked off in his throat as you lick him from base to tip. Knowing full well you have all evening, you set out to figure out what combination can draw those beautiful sounds from deep in Bucky’s chest.

A particularly strong moan followed by a choked breath alert you to a sweet spot. You continue to work the same pattern with heavier pressure; savoring the rhythmic tensing of his thighs in response. Bucky leans up slightly as if he’s going to tell you to stop; but you gently press him back down. He sighs deeply while pressing his head further back into the pillow; hips raising on their own accord, pushing him further into your mouth.

“Doll, I’m-”

He lets out a low growl from deep in his chest before he spills into you. You continue your motions; touching softer while adoring his little whimpers of oversensitivity.

“Sorry, darlin’. Didn’t give you much warning.” His voice carries a heady coarseness; indicating his post-orgasm state. Kissing your way up his thighs, abs, and pecs you hum gently in his ear-

“Didn’t need one, sweetheart.” You kiss the shell of his ear before moving to his pillow soft lips for a deep kiss. “Besides, you’re not exactly subtle.”

He chuckles lightly and shifts his weight pinning you beneath him once again.

“As perfect as that mouth of yours feels, I’m not done with you yet, doll.” Your legs part wider allowing him to settle between them. Allowing him time to recover, you both kiss with renewed desire. His cock, previously semi-hard, stiffens once more. His hips roll and dip allowing his shaft to slide between your wetness. Each pass provides a delicious friction to your clit making you crave him inside you.

“You’re such a tease, Bucky.” You intend for it to be a stern warning but it comes out a desperate plea.

“Hush baby girl. It’s not teasing if I deliver on my promise.” On the last word he angles his hips slightly and pushes into you.

Having been acquainted with quick and dirty, you’re surprised how delicate Bucky is. His kisses seem to land on your body exactly where you crave them. The gentle glide of his cock against your walls stretches you deliciously; passionate and slow. Before, your release came on like a freight train. Now it’s as though he started a small fire and was stoking it with each push and pull inside you.

“Bucky! That feels so-” your words die into a whimper as the fire breaks forth and spreads like a wave over your body. You spasm and clench around his length as he continues to rut into you.

“I’m so close, darlin’.” He manages to last a handful of thrusts longer before he releases into you. He quieter this time but it seems his release is endless.

Bucky stills above you; barely supporting his weight as to not crush your form beneath him. He pecks your lips so softly before gently lifting off you.

“I’ll be right back, doll.”

You watch his firm backside retreat into the bathroom. Releasing a deep sigh you reach for your phone in hopes to update Natasha and Steve so they don’t worry about you. Bucky returns from the bathroom with a soaring belly flop onto the bed before he scoots up closer; burying his head in your neck. Distantly, you hear the stream of the shower he started in the bathroom.

“Watcha doin’?” He slurs lazily against your skin.

“Just updating Nat so she doesn’t come hunt you down.” you say chuckling.

“You’d defend my honor.” He wraps his arm around your waist pulling you impossibly closer to him.

Opening the message on your phone a flush starts to creep to your cheeks. You see a string of concerned messages from Steve, Sam, and Wanda wondering if you need consoling. Tony sent a rather inappropriate message asking if Barnes had “sacked up”.

At the top of your list you see Nat’s messages turn from positively frantic to utterly annoyed. The last one reading, “I’m home now. I can hear you sickos through the wall. He better be treating you good for me to endure this torture.”

You return back to the message threads debating who to respond to first; or if you want to respond at all.

You contemplation is interrupted, “Why am I in your phone as ‘Grumpy Barnes’?! How rude!”

Bucky apparently has woken up from his mini post-coital nap. You’re about to defend the name (blame Sam) when he launches a sneak tickle attack. Eventually you manage to wiggle free from his clutches and sprint to the awaiting warmth of the shower. Bucky walks in and soon has you wrapped back in his embrace.

The gentle caresses of his fingers up and down the wet skin of your body paired with the steamy mist from the warm shower have your eyelids feeling heavy. You lean your body back against Bucky letting him support you while he washes you in his body wash. You find so much comfort being surrounded by his scent.

“What do you wanna do now, doll?” You hum sleepily; the length of the day catching up with you. “How about we curl up, watch something on Netflix and crash? You nod slowly into his chest.

After drying off and ignoring searching for pajamas, you’re nestled amongst the pillows and comforter. Bucky pulls you close under his arm while turning on an episode of Twilight Zone at a low background volume. Your eyes flutter shut enjoying the warmth of his body pressed next to yours. It’s quiet but you hear him mumble something inaudible before sleep takes you both.

“Doll, I know I’ll never been the same Bucky I was before Hydra got ahold of me, but if the new version of me feels how I do now, I don’t think I mind.”

#Bucky x reader #bucky x female reader #Bucky Barnes x reader #Bucky Barnes x female reader #bucky x you #bucky #bucky barnes #bucky smut #bucky fluff #my writing #my fics #She's So High #marvel #mcu

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noonawriter · 6 years

Text

Caught in the Rain

BTS reaction to being caught in the rain with you.

NAMJOON:

The two of you were walking, hand in hand, through the park as your date came to a close. A nice evening consisting of a few unique food trucks and an outdoor arts festival was quite the surprise when you walked through the door of your shared apartment hours earlier. RM was notoriously meticulous when it came to these “impromptu outings”. You’d barely crossed the threshold when he smiled that dimpled grin and ushered you to the bedroom. A simple “Get dressed” was all he said as pecked your cheek tenderly and left you to your wardrobe in a mild state of confusion. Opting for a simple black shift dress and a pair of flats, you quickly plaited your hair and freshened up the days makeup.

Now you two were strolling casually, silently. Content in each other’s company. Your head against his shoulder, fingers laced together, you sighed. A clap of thunder startled the both of you but you weren’t far from the apartment complex. A few more steps and the bottom fell out. A harsh, heavy rain pelted the two of you as his grip on your hand steeled; almost dragging you as he ran. “Joon, wait.” Your plea almost drowned out by the storm. He looked back as you slipped off your flats and tucked them into your bag. He changed the path you were on to a small alcove that was once a bus stop. It’s light was gone and it’s walls were close but you were no longer victim to the stinging rain. He wrapped his arms around you, hugging you close after watching a shiver course through your body. “We’ll hang out a bit and see if it clears up.” You nod in agreement and lay your head against his chest enjoying the warmth he radiated. He muttered, “I’m sorry. I should have planned better for tonight”. His words sounded hurt and disappointed. You looked into his eyes, “I don’t care babe. I’m with you so I don’t care what else happens. Tonight was wonderful and I am so thankful.” You could see the protest forming on his lips so you kissed him quickly to quiet him. As you tried to pull away, he stopped you, mouth on yours again with a renewed vigor. A chucked escaped your lips as your “impromptu” makeout session became the best part of the night.

SEOKJIN:

The car ride was laid back, you two enjoying the radio and singing along. Though now, Jin was currently muttering under his breath about the stupid weather and how you two should already be at home enjoying this storm from his bed. You heard him but ignored him; too preoccupied with the show outside. Lightning crashed in a distance and you watched as the bolt danced across the sky. Thunder echoed loud and long and you listened to its bang reverberate through the car. “Babe, it’s fine. We’ll get home soon. Let’s just enjoy it.” You said still watching the rain. He slowed enough to pull over and watch you.

It was as though he saw you in a whole new light. Your eyes were constantly roving, taking in every image before you. Your lips curled up in a lazy smile. Your hands against the window, tracing the raindrops as they rolled down the pane of glass. He smiled softly and cut the ignition. The two of you sat until it slacked up. The sound of your door opened brought you from your daze. You blinked and saw Jin standing in the light drizzle offering his hand to you, “Come on. Dance with me.” You take his hand and laugh, “We gonna make our own?” He nods and grins.

YOONGI:

Driving down the coastal highway, you took in the overcast scenery around you. You hummed along with the soft music playing while your boyfriend slept in the seat next to you. Being halfway through your drive, you were growing drowsy and about ready to swap places with Yoongi. That and the pending rainstorm tended to make you sleepy. While trying to find a place to stop, you heard a hollow pop and the familiar thudding sound of a flat tire. “Dammit” you cried out as you pulled to the shoulder. Somehow, he stayed asleep during the entire event. Worry entered your mind. This was his new car. The first new car he’d ever owned and he was extremely proud of it. Then it hit you. He was such a sound sleeper, maybe you could get the tire changed and be back on your way before he woke up. Quietly, you exited the car and popped the trunk, preparing all you needed to fix the tire.

Minutes later, you had the car jacked up and the damaged tire off. As soon as the new tire was up in place, the bottom dropped out of the sky and rain drizzled down. Your hair matted to your face, your clothes stuck to your skin and your hands slipped as you tried to get the new tire secure on the car. “Y/n” could be heard across the storm as you recognized your boyfriend’s annoyed voice. “What the hell? What happened?” You kept quiet, deciding to stew silently. “Talk to me, now. This car is barely two months old. Is there damage? Do I need to call someone?” As he finished, you managed to lower the jack, and clean up your mess all the while ignoring your man. You manage to load the damaged tire and put up your tools, getting filthy in the process. Standing up, you stretch your back and wipe the wet hair from your face. The rain, still falling, was light but a constant presence and your boyfriend was staring daggers in your direction. He grabbed your wrist, stopping you. “Why won’t you talk to me?” You yanked and pulled from his grasp. “Why won’t I talk to you? Well, let’s see. This entire time, you haven’t asked if I was ok. If I needed help. You’ve been worried about this damn car. This is supposed to be a getaway for us. Not you, me and your car.” You started to stomp away when you felt his arms wrap around you. A guilt laced voice in your ear said “I’m sorry.” You both stood still as the rain poured and you calmed down. “How about I drive us to the closest dealership, we get a new tire and spare and get to the bed and breakfast, yea? Besides, you’re shivering and I love you but I want to have fun with a healthy you instead of taking care of a sick you.” You nodded and worked your way around to the passenger side. He opened the door, laid out the blanket from the back seat and let you settle in. He wrapped it around your shoulders and kissed your forehead knowing full and well he would take the rest of the trip making sure you know just how much he loved you.

HOSEOK:

Watching your boyfriend work on his dance moves in the backyard was one of your favorite pastimes. His eyebrows scrunched as he repeated one particular eight count for the fifth time. A groan of frustration came from his pursed lips. A misstep in particular had him cursing up a storm. “Babe.” You called to him, holding up his water bottle. He jogged over and snatched it from your hands, drinking greedily. You step back cautiously, not wanting to piss him off any further. He noticed your movement and glanced at you. A sheepish look in his eyes told you he was sorry for his actions. His hands opened wide after sitting the bottle down and you crashed into them.

A tight hug enveloped your body as he lead you to the yard. A quick adjustment on the stereo from his phone had soft mellow music playing. He spun you around and brought you in close, swaying softly to the beat. You head on his shoulders, his hands firmly on your waist. Body touching body. A warm spring rain surrounded you two quickly, causing you to yelp out and tear away from his grip. Instead he held you closer, whispering in your ear, “Dance with me. Let’s forget my choreography. Let’s forget your work. Let’s lose ourselves in the moment.” His lips ghosting over the shell of your ear, sending goosebumps down your spine. The two of you moved gently in the relaxing downpour without a care in the world.

JIMIN:

A day at the pool was what the doctor ordered. You, your boyfriend and a cooler of food and drinks. Jimin has dutifully set it up, making a cabana type oasis for the two of you to enjoy the day. He helped with your sun tan lotion as you did with his. The two of you soaked up the sun's rays as you laid side by side on the pool lounges. It was bliss with no interruptions. No phones, no friends, no paparazzi. Jimin looked completely relaxed which made you relaxed in turn. Just as you’re about to drift off into a light nap, he shakes your shoulder. “Babe, I’m going for a swim. You good?” You nod and observe as he dives in gracefully. He is a beautiful specimen. Muscular, tan, good looking and charming. And he’s all yours. As you sit there daydreaming, a small splash of water breaks your thoughts.

“I see you staring. Come get in. The sun is gone now. Let’s play.” His cocky smirk enticing you just enough. Slowly, you sit up, rotating your neck and stretching the stiffness out of your muscles. You hear Jimin huff. That does nothing but make you take your time even more. Sitting up, you grab a quick drink, lay down your sunglasses and strut towards the pool. “I think you're staring now” you call out as you move towards the diving board. He stands in the shallow end, “Let’s see how quick you can get here to me”. You dive in, all your swim team training coming back to you. No breath needed. One swift kick and next thing you know, you’re swimming to his front. You reach out a hand and cup him over his trunks as you use the other hand on his hip to haul yourself up. His eyes, now lust blown, close slowly and open back up. His lips crash on to yours as his arms wrap around you. Neither of you even realize the rain has started until a large flash of lightning catches Jimin’s eyes and he’s all but throwing you over his shoulder and headed to the pool house.

TAEHYUNG:

Arm in arm with Tae, you walk back to your apartment. A slow, leisurely stroll with your man was relaxing and there was nothing better. He was a walking fashion show and he always made sure you looked as good, if not better, as he did. As you walked along the avenue, you window shopped, telling him of the things you wanted and liked. He took it all to heart, remembering these picks for special occasions. A thunderclap overhead sounded and your eyes darted around. “Tae, I’m sorry but I only have this small umbrella. Let’s find a cab so your suit doesn’t ruin.” You pull on his hand, searching desperately for an alcove or a bus stop or something to take shelter in while the rain falls. He pulls on your hand to stop you. Confused, you hear him say, “It’s fine really. Let’s go this way. I wanna play a game”. You cock your eyebrow up but follow along willingly. Tae has never led you astray. Even the weirdest sounding ideas turned out to be amazing adventures with him.

He stops you on the edge of the grassy clearing a few blocks from your apartment. “Puddle jumping. If you don’t make a big enough splash, you have to do it again.” “Sounds simple enough” you reply, deciding to go first. A small one to your left catches your eye and you hop into it, water splashing up to your ankles. “Good?” You ask him. He smiles and moves to the next. One by one, you two have covered every puddle on the grassy clearing and an hour later, he is giggling and soaked and staring at you in awe. “My makeup. It’s running isn’t it?” Hands moving to clean up some of the presumably smeared mascara. His head shakes. “You look absolutely beautiful right now. Having the time of your life, not caring about anything else. Enjoying the moment with me.” The walk to your apartment is quiet, but ripe with sexual tension. You’re not sure if you’ll get sweet and sensual Tae or rough and hard Tae. But either way, you’re excited to say the least.

JUNGKOOK:

“It’s raining Y/n. You know what that means.” Jungkook looked at you with a sly smirk on his face. “Snuggles on the couch?” You asked. He shook his head, shedding his shoes. “Movie?” You try again. He shook his head once more, turning his ball cap backwards. “I don’t know babe. What does it mean?” You knew full and well what he wanted to do. Last time you enjoyed it, but a cold followed quickly and you were miserable when you were sick. As though he was reading your mind, “I’ll take care of you if you get sick again. I promise”. With those words he leaned down and gave you a peck on the forehead, sweet and meaningful. He tilted your chin up to make your eyes lock with his. A hush fell between you two. His lips come as close as humanly possible; ghosting over yours as he whispers “Tag. You’re it”

He darts out the door into the evening rainstorm. You groan for show but when he can’t see you, a grin crawls across your face as you leave your slippers behind, tie your hair up and run after him. It goes back and forth for several minutes. Both of you slipping and sliding as the grass is soaked and there is no traction. You hide behind the large bush trying to catch your breath; listening intently to see if you can pinpoint his location. You won last time. You knew he was out to reclaim his title so all bets were off. After five minutes of nothing but the rounds of rain falling around you, you carefully tread to the front porch hoping to catch a glimpse of your man. As you try to step up, his large arms wrap around you and yank you back. Both of you lose your balance and land on the ground, him on bottom. He grins cheekily. “I was gonna do this when we got inside and dried off but I’m cool with now.” You smirk and give him a quick kiss, pushing yourself off him. “Last one in the shower has to give oral” Jungkook moves quicker than you’d ever seen.

#bts scenarios #bts #bts reactions #namjoon #jin #suga #jhope #jimin #taehyung #jungkook #kpop reactions #kpop scenarios

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nightmare-afton-cosplay · 4 years

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Baker House From Final Season of ‘Fixer Upper’ Is the Week’s Most Popular Home

realtor.com

The multitalented power couple Chip and Joanna Gaines have the Midas touch—and they’ve struck again. Featured on “Fixer Upper,” the Baker House is back on the market and racking up clicks like crazy.

It’s listed for $359,500, and it’s this week’s most popular home on realtor.com®.

Magnolia Nation first fell in love with the house when Chip and Joanna gave it a makeover during the final season of their HGTV hit show.

It came on the market in 2018, shortly after an episode about its renovation appeared on the show. Still filled with plenty of the desirable Gaines aesthetic, it’s now available for another buyer who’s wild about Waco.

Besides the Baker House, this week’s list was crammed with off-the-wall dream properties.

Want to live in Phoenix in a 11,000-square-foot brownstone with a French chateau vibe? Check.

In search of a self-sustaining homestead in Illinois? We’ve got you covered.

Or if you’ve always dreamed of living like James Bond … but in Los Angeles? If you have $62 million to spare, there’s a mega property that’s shaken, not stirred, and hovering over the city.

But even if you don’t have tens of millions to spend, there’s something for nearly everyone with this week’s most popular properties. Scroll on down and enjoy!

10. 2001 N. First Ave, Phoenix, AZ

Price: $4,950,000

Why it’s here: The price of this brownstone with a quirky chateau feel, in the heart of downtown Phoenix, was slashed by nearly $1 million in April.

The massive 11,400-square-foot residence was built in 2014, and comes fully furnished with daring interiors. You’ll find two pool tables, a game room, home theater, patio with outdoor kitchen, a library, and multiple areas to simply chill in the desert.

Phoenix, AZ

realtor.com

———

9. 12738 Hammack Rd, Denham Springs, LA

Price: $655,000

Why it’s here: Completed in 2014, this three-bedroom, Acadian-style home has over 3,200 square feet of living space.

It’s stylish and move-in ready, and highlights include antique pine floors, a dual-sided ventless fireplace, and an owner’s suite bathroom oasis with elegant soaking tub.

On 4 acres with a pond, it also offers a slab, already poured, prepped, and plumbed, to build your very own outdoor kitchen.

Denham Springs, LA

realtor.com

———

8. 1575 Poplar St, Huntington, IN

Price: $164,900

Why it’s here: Originally built in 1936, this three-bedroom cottage has been completely remodeled.

A sweet blend of vintage style and modern looks, it comes with a huge partially finished basement as well as a detached two-car garage.

Other assets include a mudroom, freshly painted decks outside, and a cute covered front porch.

Huntington, IN

realtor.com

———

7. 1301 Collingwood Pl, Los Angeles, CA

Price: $62,000,000

Why it’s here: This sleek, sexy cube hovers above the City of Angels. Designed by Olson Lundig, the custom home was completed in 2018.

The listing details call the 15,600-square-foot residence the “Bond house of the future.”

Sitting on over a half acre, the three-level compound comes with the finest finishes, hidden panels, gallery parking for a fleet of 15 cars, and multiple pools with jaw-dropping views.

Los Angeles

realtor.com

———

6. 1127 Frew Run Rd, Frewsburg, NY

Price: $119,900

Why it’s here: This two-story, three-bedroom farmhouse was built in 1900 on 2.5 acres, and has a chicken coop and greenhouse.

Updated throughout its 1,500 square feet, the cozy retreat is move-in ready and features a mudroom, wood stove, and beamed ceilings.

Frewsburg, NY

realtor.com

———

5. 5743 Rocking Horse Rd, Orlando, FL

Price: $865,000

Why it’s here: It’s shapely, to say the least. “The Stark House” was the home of famed architect Duane Stark, who designed the Orlando downtown library and contributed to the city’s airport design.

The modern, nature-forward residence feels a bit like a tree house imagined by Frank Lloyd Wright.

Built in 1973, the 2,500-square-foot residence sits on 4 secluded acres and has been featured in a number of architectural magazines.

Orlando, FL

realtor.com

———

4. 187 Umpawaug Rd, Redding, CT

Price: $19,000,000

Why it’s here: Maple Hill Farm is a 47-acre oasis with a 9,720-square-foot main house built in 2014.

The property also features three antique guesthouses, a recording studio and performing arts venue, as well as a working barn.

If those amenities aren’t enough for you, it has a sugar house, boathouse, orchard, stocked pond, and horse stalls. Trails throughout the property are dotted with Winnie the Pooh-themed sculptures created by a chainsaw artist.

Redding, CT

realtor.com

———

3. 20826 N. Blue Ridge Rd, Chillicothe, IL

Price: $330,000

Why it’s here: Escape from the city to this 25-acre homestead with an authentic log cabin.

The listing describes the property as a “hunter’s paradise,” and promises deer and turkey roaming the acreage.

The property also boasts a stocked pond, an orchard, barns, animal shelter, and just about anything else you’d need for a self-sustaining lifestyle away from the madding crowd.

Chillicothe, IL

realtor.com

———

2. 6160 Weckerly Rd, Whitehouse, OH

Price: $639,900

Why it’s here: Another residence with an odd facade.

Four floors of funky, contemporary living await home shoppers in search of a one-of-a-kind property.

The nearly 5,900-square-foot home with serious style has more than 2 acres of wooded, private land.

Whitehouse, OH

realtor.com

———

1. 3829 Herwol Ave, Waco, TX

Price: $359,500

Why it’s here: You remember it from season five of “Fixer Upper.” The Baker House episode told the story of Patti Baker, who bought a little Waco bungalow for $162,500. She then enlisted the Magnolia experts to give it a masterful makeover.

Chip and Jo proceeded to put another $88,000 of improvements into the property and created an absolutely adorable result.

The two-bedroom home boasts custom Gaines upgrades, like the concrete countertops, and is filled with Joanna’s clever, lovely, and functional signature touches.

However, soon after the remodel, Baker fell in love with her pastor and moved a few hours away.

A California couple purchased the home in 2018 as “an adventure” but now that they aren’t spending as much time in the area, they’re ready to sell. And although the furniture is different from what you saw on the episode, the structural changes made on the show remain exactly the same.

Waco, TX

realtor.com

The post Baker House From Final Season of ‘Fixer Upper’ Is the Week’s Most Popular Home appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

from https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/baker-house-fixer-upper-most-popular-home/

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ineverhadmyinternetphase · 7 years

Text

Steal My Heart (steal my whole life too) 14/24

Genre: Chaptered, fantasy AU, Prince!Phil, Thief!Dan, romance, enemies to lovers, angst and fluff, slow burn (like serious slow burn)

Warnings: some violence, mentions of death (no main characters), dark magic, descriptions of wounds/blood, some hints of sexual scenes (but no actual smut), murder, dangerous situations, stealing/thievery

Summary: Captain of the Royal Guard and Prince of Morellia, Philip Lester has never been given the chance to find love. Instead, he’s run from a system that works to end class differences and improve equality for its citizens. Happy as he is to make the world a better place, Phil can’t help feeling bitter towards his ancestors for making it impossible for him to find someone who will actually love him for more than just his title, and strives instead for a life of justice and doing good - only to meet his match in the King of Thieves, a man who will change everything he once thought he knew in life. Together, they must depart on a quest to save the kingdom, and, in the process, destroy their differences and find their own form of love.

Word count: 240,000+

Updates: Sunday

Thanks so much to @botanistlester for betaing this giant monster, as she’s been super helpful and encouraging with her little comments and endless excitement. We couldn’t have done it without you <3

Disclaimer: In no way do I claim that this is real or cast aspersions on Dan or Phil

For reference, @snowbunnylester is Phil, @ineverhadmyinternetphase is Dan

(AO3 link) (Masterlist)

A/N: Thanks so much for the response to last chapter!! Sorry we haven’t got around to answering all the comments yet, both Eliza and I have got some life stuff going on right now. Eliza in particular has a lot of stress so send her lots of love and well wishes <3 Thank you for continuing to read and (hopefully) enjoying this fic though!

Chapter 14

Phil let himself sink into that last, lingering kiss, knowing beyond a doubt what Dan was doing and that he was getting ready to draw them both apart, popping their little bubble of isolation. He was proved right when Dan leaned away from him.

Dan shuffled his way out of the furs and out of Phil’s arms, relieved that the sun had mostly risen now, warming the air in his cavern. He went to an area he'd sectioned off slightly and hunted through his clothes, finding a clean tunic to change into. As he moved, he spoke over his shoulder, "I have plenty of clothes, if you need any. And there's a small oasis just behind the cavern if you want to wash - I can show you. You must be sweaty, you stole all my blankets last night." Dan sniffed, although his displeased tone was ruined a little by the fact he couldn't stop grinning.

Phil had slept in Dan's bed last night. They'd probably be sharing many more nights together, if Dan got his way. There was very little to be disgruntled with.

The idea of an oasis was more appealing than Phil had thought it would be. He'd never been given much chance to try those kinds of things, and he understood that it was less likely to be as appealing as Phil's mind was making it out to be, but he wanted to know what it was like to live like Dan, to live among the world without the baths he had at home. He wanted to learn to take care of himself, to take care of Dan, and so he ended up agreeing with Dan.

"I would be happy to borrow your things," he murmured.

Dan grinned back at him, a slow warm feeling curling in his chest. The idea of Phil in his clothes was appealing in a way Dan hadn’t quite expected it to be, oddly domestic, something Dan had never expected to have. So he shuffled his way back over and tugged on Phil’s hand. “Come along, then. I’ll show you everything.”

Phil stood up, following after Dan as Dan pointed out his oasis, tucked away behind the cave in a secluded little cove. On the way, Dan paused by his bed, setting the little lion down among the pile of his most precious things - with the fairy tales and bear carved by his brother, where the locket had been until Dan gave it to Phil last night.

Phil shooed Dan off to take a bath first, grinning as he not only got to watch Dan place the lion plushie down in the pile he now understood to be number one in Dan’s heart, but got to stare at Dan moving around stark-naked, as neither male had bothered to get dressed again last night.

The long expanse of Dan's back and flank kept Phil's attention long past when it should have, and he licked his lips when Dan turned to show off all that skin, all those marks, that Phil himself had left.

Yeah. Dan was his.

While Dan washed and got himself ready for the long journey ahead of them, Phil looked through his pile of clothing, catching sight of more weapons than he had imagined he'd find. There were piles of daggers, most of which looked far less exciting than the three Phil had given back to Dan, as well as the hunting bow Dan had mentioned. The clothes were a mix of old and new, but he and Dan were similar sizes, and Phil knew approximately what he should wear to survive the desert, so picked out something that Dan had left for him to pull on after he had his wash.

After that, Phil turned to head back to the oasis just as Dan was leaving. Their eyes met, and Phil wondered that if things were different right then, if they could have bathed together. It seemed like an intimate thing to do, something Phil would have loved had they had the time. He sighed regretfully, and dropped the pile of clothes just inside the area of Dan’s home that held the oasis.

Dan watched him go, something awfully close to longing tugging at his chest. But he would have hours to spend with Phil in the desert, days and weeks and months of travelling stretching out ahead of them. Soon, this would become normal for them. For a short precious time, Dan could pretend to keep Phil.

Once Phil had gone on to wash, Dan turned back to his cavern, and grinned when he remembered the food store he’d been able to take from the Palace kitchens when they were last there. As if the actual King himself had given Dan permission to steal - had hugged him, of all things. It made Dan smile a little, to think of Phil’s family accepting him in whatever little ways they could.

It also meant they now had a lot more food than Dan had been expecting, so he set about making Phil breakfast, getting a fire going and laying out some meat and bread, chewing on a strip of meat as he went.

The water of the oasis was surprisingly warm, and Phil quickly discovered it was due to a small hole in the side that gushed out hot water. The small spring must have stemmed from a hot well, and Phil could see how the running water entered one direction, and flowed out another in two small streams that all coalesced in a giant hole in the middle of this room. Dan was lucky to have discovered something he could wash in that was warm but wouldn't burn him, and Phil allowed himself to enjoy lathering himself up, relaxing into the warm water, dunking under it to wash his hair. It was almost more lavish and amazing than Phil's baths back at the palace in the end, something Phil had not been expecting, and he had to remind himself that they may not be so lucky on their journey.

As Phil got dressed again, he realized he was quite hungry, and wandered into the main cavern of Dan's home once more in search of food. He found Dan already in the midsts of setting up a nice breakfast for the two of them and grinned. Phil moved to where Dan was settled down whittling away at a sharp knife while chewing on one thing or another, and plopped down next to him.

"So, my thief. I promised to obey you from here on out, and I fully intend to keep that promise. Care to share the plan, though?" Phil asked as he picked up a loaf of bread Dan had set out and tore off a piece from it.

Dan glanced up as Phil returned from his bath, smiling instantly. That was becoming a reflex reaction - Phil entered the room, and Dan smiled. Especially seeing him dressed in Dan's clothes, fresh from Dan's oasis. There was something so quietly intimate about it, so telling of a shared life. Dan's imagination was running away with itself, thinking of many other mornings like this one, spent in quiet domesticity with his Prince. Dan's heart gave a funny little flip at the thought.

Phil's words, however, brought Dan straight back to earth. He gave a small, sombre sigh, setting aside the knife he'd been idly sharpening after cutting up some of the meat. "You're just desperate to get down to business, aren't you, Phil?"

Dan knew they couldn't delay long, no matter what Dan personally might want. He expected Phil was worrying about his brother, and Dan had promised to help, so he would. Dan was itching with the desire to make Phil's world a little happier, in whatever way he could.

So Dan got back to his feet and strode over to a pile of parchments, hunting through them messily. Piles of trinkets and scrolls and stories and jewels were thrown carelessly to the ground until Dan emerged with a triumphant noise, holding up a map.

"Here we go." Dan dropped down by Phil's side again and stole a piece of his bread, chewing on it as he pointed at the map. "So according to your father, the dragon is over here, in the mountains at the Western border. Now, I've been to the villages out that way, and it's very remote. We'll need to cross most of the desert and then get over the river somehow, which means we need a lot of supplies. It's about a week's journey just to the edge of the desert."

Dan's finger moved up, then, away from the villages and higher up to the jagged area depicting the mountain range. "I've never been up that high," Dan admitted, "But the village people will know the safest routes. This map is quite old - I charmed it off a duchess after she'd bought it from a museum I was trying to break into, she ended up giving me three snake skins and a ball of cotton wool as well, long story - but because it's old, some of the detail may be a little wrong."

Dan chewed his lip. "I'd say - maybe three more days to find the dragon's cave. Then we wait for it to sleep, take a scale, and head back. So maybe two to three weeks in total - enough time to get back to Cornelia." He sent Phil a sidelong grin. "Am I the best at planning, or what?"

Phil listened intently as Dan spoke, heart racing in his chest for multiple reasons. One, Dan was pressed up to his side, and was stealing Phil's bread in the perfect imitation of casual intimacy and domesticity, something Phil had craved all his life. Two, he was anxious and terrified, ready to get back home to his family to keep them well and safe, and so he was far too anxious to hear the plan laid out before him. Three, he was excited. This would be the first true adventure Phil had ever been on, and he felt like he was being set free.

Chewing softly, Phil nodded along to show he was listening, snorting a bit at Dan's strange story about snake skin and cotton wool, almost wishing they had the time for Phil to stop Dan talking and explain what the hell had happened there. Instead, he stared at Dan's map thoughtfully, watched the way Dan mapped everything out, detail oriented and certain they'd be back in time to save the Princess.

"The best," Phil agreed morosely, still staring intently at the map. It might be old, but he wanted to memorize the planes of it, memorize Dan's plan, try to understand best how to help them both. They needed to pack for a three week trip at most, needed to figure out a way to cross the river, and had to face the indigenous people of the mountains in order to get to the dragon they either worshipped or feared.

Phil added, "I know how to build a bridge. I used to practice them over the moat at the East Gate. If there's no other way across that river, I know I can get us safely across if you trust me and watch my back. How wide is it?" he asked, knowing already he could make something sturdy enough but light enough to get them across if they moved quickly, if only the river wasn't too wide.

Dan's eyes lit up with interest when Phil mentioned that he knew how to build a bridge. He hummed thoughtfully, turning back to the river on the map and running his finger along the creased and lined parchment. "That could be really useful, actually. I was thinking we'd have to get all the way up North, where it's safe to ford, but if you can build a bridge then we should be able to cross further South. It's not too wide there, I think." He grinned and nudged Phil's side. "So you're not just a pretty face after all, hm?"

Phil rolled his eyes, ignoring that comment to say, "I'm trusting you to get us through the villages, Dan. I can't be the Prince there. Do you think you can charm them?" he asked, knowing the answer already when he looked back up at Dan's face. Biting his lip, Phil narrowed his eyes. "I swear to God if you flirt with them, I might have to kick your ass."

From the glint in Dan's eyes, Phil thought he knew the answer to that, and he groaned, shoulders slumping in defeat.

"Fine, but your ass is mine. No kissing, no sex, just words Daniel Howell," Phil demanded.

Dan couldn't help but snicker and narrow his eyes into a playful glare. Phil's jealousy and possessiveness was more than a little endearing. Dan kind of wanted to push him over right there and remind him just how much Dan's ass belonged to him, but Dan had a feeling they wouldn't leave for several more hours if that happened, and the sun was already climbing. So he chuckled, “Oh don't worry, Phil, whatever happens I promise you'll be the one I return to."

The flirtatious avoidance of Phil's demand playfully annoyed him, and he narrowed his eyes at Dan. He could just see his mark showing above Dan's tunic, and pressed his finger there, turning his body to lean over Dan and make him feel small for once. He glared, bared his teeth, and leaned in to nip at Dan's chin.

"I better be the only one you're ever with again," Phil insisted, wishing for one second that he could push Dan over and show him just how much Phil meant it, but they had no time.

Dan couldn't help but snicker again, eyes delighted as he glanced up to Phil leaning over him and nipping at his chin. "Jealousy gets you going, I see," Dan all but purred, leaning into Phil to place his lips right by Phil's ear. "Interesting. You have nothing to fear, though - trust me, I have no desire to take anyone else, not now I have you as mine."

Dan was almost surprised to discover he meant what he said. Dan had never committed to one person before, and it felt a little alien. Now he had Phil, though, Dan couldn't even imagine looking at anyone else twice.

To prove his point, Dan leaned in and pressed a possessive kiss to Phil's lips.

It sent a thrill down Phil's spine to have Dan speaking low in his ear and then taking his mouth in a possessive kiss. Phil had never known he was a jealous person, but it seemed to be lighting a fire inside of him to imagine Dan using his charms on anyone but Phil for any reason other than to get them through their journey together. The last thing Phil was allowing was for Dan to run off with someone else, no matter how dumb that thought might be.

If anything, it was clear that Dan rarely felt this type of affection for anyone else, let alone had sex with them for any other reason than physical enjoyment and to get something out of them. It was clear that Phil had stolen his heart, and yet the jealousy burned hot and new. Even thinking of anyone else who had ever gotten the chance to be with his Dan was hard, and Phil had to shake his head to shake the thoughts away.

Being with Phil like this, it was the best thing ever, but also very distracting and they had a journey to start. So Dan forced his thoughts out of the gutter and settled for a chuckle instead. "Anyway. Travelling should work fine. I’ll get us through the mountains, don’t worry.” He tapped his chin, surveying Phil thoughtfully but with a wicked glint to his eye. "We will need a back story for you though. Maybe you can be my old, senile uncle who's convinced himself he wants to go gold hunting up the mountains."

"I'm not that much older than you," Phil grumbled, trying to force his mind back on thoughts of the incredible back story his thief had come up with for them rather than his romantic interests. "Four years doesn't necessitate a senile uncle of all things, but considering I treated you like my annoying nephew a few weeks ago, I guess this is what I deserve."

Dan stuck his nose in the air when Phil reminded him of when he'd been forced to play the past of Phil's nephew. "Yes, well," Dan huffed, "I'm sure I'd have got out of there just fine by myself. Just needed an excuse to talk to you again.”

Dan wasn’t pouting. He wasn’t.

Phil grinned, poking at Dan’s dimple that appeared when he pouted like that. "Don’t worry, my thief. I can do that. Gold hunting is a good cover, that way if they worship the dragon then they won't kill us because they'll think that we're fool enough to get killed ourselves."

Sighing again, Phil pushed a hand through his wet fringe, and reached out for a piece of dried meat, sucking and chewing on it for a bit as he thought.

“Senile old uncle it is, then," Dan continued, tone changing to teasing as he shook off annoyed thoughts of that last time he’d needed Phil’s help and rolling up his map to go stick it in his bag along with the other things he'd prepared for their journey. "Four years is enough, Lester. You're in your twenties." Dan deliberately made himself sound horrified, even as he scampered about his cavern preparing their supplies. He always loved travelling, but he had a feeling this would be even better now that he had a companion. “Honestly, as if I’d need the help of someone so old to get out of that house when I was stealing.”

Snickering, Phil knocked into Dan. "I'm pretty sure you somehow managed to fuck yourself that night, and if I hadn't been around to save you, things might have turned out very different for you. How did you end up handcuffed, anyway?" Phil wondered, suddenly unsure if Dan really had done that just to get Phil's attention or not. "Did you really not need my help then?" he wondered, standing up as well as Dan began to pack up some more things from his cavern to place among the objects they'd taken from the Palace.

Dan just pouted more as Phil questioned him about the night Phil had had to come to his rescue. "It really wasn't my fault," he said petulantly, "I was climbing through their chimney when they came home early. I should have realised - they were on their guard, I'd broken into just about every rich house in the capital that week. I should have moved cities, but, well. I wanted to stay close to you." Dan admitted, feeling the spot on his right cheek going red. "The handcuffs were the Lady's fault. She grabbed me out of the chimney, and found my daggers. I couldn't do much else but use your name. So I suppose you were maybe a little bit useful, yes."

Phil shouldn't have felt as gleefully proud as he did of the fact that Dan had been forced to use his name to protect himself all because he'd been too selfish to leave the city. Of course, Phil might have to throttle Dan if he did something stupid like that again, because who knew what could happen next time. If Phil was willing to let Dan continue his life as a thief, then Dan better work his ass off to keep that life safe.

He had no idea what Dan was looking for in his home, but he had a few thoughts of his own. "If you could find me like, kind of a lot of rope, that'd be good," Phil explained, watching Dan move about. "And, you know, ask me for help if you need it," he added. "I might be in my twenties, but I think I proved I'm not useless last night, and every other encounter we've ever had," Phil explained with another snicker.

Dan snickered when Phil asked for rope, and he moved to add some to his growing pile. "As you can see, I'm not the tidiest person," Dan admitted with a wry grin. "So it's probably best I find my stuff. We got most of what we need from your father, anyway."

"Pack that lot up," Dan added, nudging the pile over towards Phil, along with a bag. "You are my packhorse, after all." He dodged Phil's whack with a laugh, instead hopping on over to the corner he kept his weapons in. The bow he'd long loved was coming with them, of course, and Dan would need his usual favourite daggers, along with some spares, and knives for cutting up meat. Having Phil along meant Dan could afford to bring some of his heavier items that he usually couldn't manage alone.

Yes, Dan could get used to having a companion.

Rolling his eyes and attempting to slap at Dan for being annoying, Phil leant over and began to pack up a third bag for the two of them. It was a good thing Phil was a strong person or this might be a bit more difficult for them. He knew everything they had with them was of great importance, however, and knew the longer into the three weeks they got, the less stuff they would have. They needed to survive for three weeks, though, and Phil trusted Dan's judgement on what they might need.

Once the bag was packed and Phil was sure he'd be able to balance the three packs on his back, he moved to stretch and get himself settled properly. He watched as Dan moved about collecting hunting items, and decided that if they did run out of food, they'd probably be safe.

Phil was anxious to get on the road, though.

"So, how do I know quicksand is coming, then? And what other dangers should I be keeping my eye out for in your desert? I can't leave all the hard work to you," he explained. "I don't want to get myself or you hurt and screw us both over if I don't at least know what I'm looking out for. "

Dan glanced up and over at Phil at his question, arching a brow. He had absolutely no intention of getting Phil hurt, but after seeing the way Phil had just wandered off exploring earlier, Dan felt cold fingers of fear wrap around his heart. Dan couldn't imagine Phil getting hurt, could already feel the way that would damage him.

No, Phil wasn't allowed to get hurt.

Dan placed his weapons down by the packs and strode over to Phil, hands on his shoulders, looking straight down into his eyes. "For one thing, you are not going running off without me. Ok? You stick by my side at all times or I swear I will tether you to me with that stupid rope you're demanding we bring."

Dan dug his fingers into Phil's shoulders, holding him firmly in place. "For another - stick to the trails I point out. The desert can be tricky. Quicksand is easy enough to spot - if you see oddly thick mud, avoid it. Same with sand dunes. Don't stand under them for too long, if the wind changes you can get buried."

Dan's lips quirked up. "Basically, just obey me to the letter, and watch where you put your feet. Don't stand on snakes or scorpions, and only walk on the paths I show you, and you'll be fine. I'm not going to let anything happen to you, you hear? You're mine, Phil. I'm not going to let you hurt yourself."

Phil blinked, and suddenly Dan was there, stood determinedly in front of him with his hands on Phil's shoulder forcing him to stay in place. Listening intently, Phil nodded along with wide eyes, able to see quite clearly how serious and determined Dan was in his directions.

Avoiding mud and sand dunes were definitely things that Phil could do, though he kind of felt the way he usually did when he was out with his guard. They never taught him anything, just decided to keep him safe by telling him exactly what to do, and it was kind of irritating to Phil that Dan was doing the same thing to him too. Phil wanted to be able to protect himself as well, wanted to learn.

"I know you won't," he replied. "And I'm happy to have you protecting me, probably need it more than I can say when we're under such a strict time limit, but damnit Dan, I want to learn. Next time, I won't be so quiet. I don't care how badly you want to keep me safe, if my family weren't on the line, I'd be insisting you teach me how to protect myself rather than just ordering me around. I want to be free, and I can't be free if I rely solely on you and my guard to keep me from walking into one of nature’s stupid traps."

Phil just narrowly kept himself from stomping his foot on the ground like a child.

To be fair though, he did understand why Dan wasn’t considering anything but ordering Phil around. He also couldn't help being delighted at the idea of Dan tethering himself to Phil, figuratively or otherwise.

Dan was a little taken aback by Phil's sudden stubborn response, but then he reassessed the way he'd just spoken to Phil and realised he’d basically been treating him like a child. Dan tapped his fingers thoughtfully against Phil's shoulders. "Hm. I suppose you have a point. I didn't mean to be patronising - I just want you safe." He let out a slow sigh, meeting Phil's eyes, and his expression softened. "I want to give you freedom, Phil, but it's dangerous. I promise I'll teach you as we go, but some things just come with time and experience. You'll have to trust me and do as I say sometimes, at least in the beginning."

Dan narrowed his eyes a little at the thought of being like the Royal Guard, though. He'd always wanted to give Phil his freedom. Dan could see that Phil wouldn't be truly free if he just did everything Dan said - but it was tricky, when all he wanted was to make sure Phil was alright and safe and protected.

Perhaps he could give him a little more free reign.

Phil had already known that Dan just wanted to make sure Phil didn't get hurt on this trip, and he understood that, enough to realize that he couldn't just expect Dan to be willing to go through this whole thing via trial and error, but he still needed to get his voice heard, so it felt good when Dan acknowledged him and his desires.

Nodding, Phil said, "I know. I know this is the worst time for me to be petulant about it, but I want to see the world with you, Dan, and I can't do that if you don't trust me to keep myself safe, too. I'll always trust you. I'll even do as you say. But don't treat me like a child. I want to know why you tell me something, want to know the reason behind the moves we make and the things we do. I don't want to follow blindly, not because I don't trust you, but because I want to be your equal in everything, including this."

Phil couldn't help being proud of the way he'd phrased himself, hoped that Dan would understand and even agree with his need.

Phil's words had certainly given Dan a lot to think about. The fact that Phil was so adamant on them being equal gave new rise to his desires - as if Phil wanted more than to be free just for himself, but for Dan, too. He was embracing Dan's world entirely, wanted to be part of it, wanted to know how it worked and how to survive in it.

Dan was touched, but also worried. He wanted nothing more than to have Phil with him, by his side, but he worried. Dan's world was dangerous. Dan had grown up knowing nothing else, and while Dan had no doubts that Phil was tough, he didn't want Phil to have a hard, horrible life when he could have it so much easier. Dan didn't want to be the one to put Phil in danger.

He shook himself out of those thoughts for now, though. He had Phil here with him, and they had a task to perform, and that meant Dan could live out this little fantasy for now. Phil was here with him. That was all that mattered.

"Alright," Dan said suddenly, grinning mischievously, and stepping back from Phil. He pointed up to the cavern roof, where the sun was visibly climbing but was still in the early hours of the day. "First lesson. When do you think it's safest to travel in this heat? Especially considering we've got three packs to manage between us."

Choosing to stop thinking with the part of his brain that didn't want to be embarrassed by getting a question wrong, Phil looked up and said what seemed most obvious. "When the sun's setting. It's always hottest as the sun rises and settles in the middle of the sky, right?" Phil asked.

"Correct," Dan nodded approvingly, smirking at Phil. "Well - almost. You're right about sunset being the safest time, but the hottest part of the day is actually early afternoon. The sun's at its peak then. We should be safe for now."

He knelt and stowed his weapons away in various places about his body, aware that Phil would know where Dan kept them if he ever ending up having to fight him again. Dan recoiled from that thought.

Phil smiled broadly to have gotten even half of the question right, and nodded along with Dan's explanation of how it really was, realizing that it definitely made more sense. He wasn't going to allow himself to crack under embarrassment, however, not when Dan had already made it obvious he wasn't going to make fun of Phil with the way he'd replied, as if he were a proper teacher.

Relieved that they could definitely start heading out now, Phil reached for the dagger he'd discarded to Dan's floor last night in the midst of their more passionate adventures in an attempt not to hurt either of them, and shoved it into the little holster he'd created just for it that he'd slung along the inside of the trousers he was borrowing so it would have less of a chance of being dislodged from his person. Dan had also offered him another, longer, more jagged knife that Phil was keeping in a similar type holster along his arm. It reminded him of his sword as he strapped it on, and he turned to watch Dan get ready as well.

Dan slung one of their three packs over his shoulder as he straightened again, nudging the other two over towards Phil with a grin. "Normally I wouldn't recommend carrying such heavy loads, but we have a long journey ahead of us, and I have you to carry stuff for me." He snickered. "This is what I'm proposing we do - we travel in the early hours, as far as we can, but when it reaches noon we find shelter. I can show you how to safely do that - and I'll teach you, not just order you, calm down. Then we can travel again in the evening until nightfall. Sound ok to you?"

It was odd, for Dan, to be including someone else in his planning process like this. Ordinarily he'd be running off on his own, or barking orders at his subordinate thieves to obey him to the letter. Having an equal was something new for Dan, as well as Phil, it seemed.

PIcking up the bags Dan had tossed to him, Phil merely snorted at his joke, and nodded along to his plan, knowing that Dan knew best and just grateful he was making sure Phil understood all they were doing. Whether he did so by teasing Phil or not hardly mattered, but his jokes were small and lame anyway, making Phil relax as he allowed himself to believe that yes, this could actually work between them.

"Sounds great," Phil agreed, shouldering the two heavier bags Dan had loaded him with and getting ready for a long adventure.

Dan grinned at Phil's reply, and stopped for a second just to admire the absurdity of this situation. Here he was, the King of Thieves, about to lead the Captain of the Royal Guard out on a mission. Phil was all dressed up in Dan's clothes, with Dan's weapons and belongings and bags, and he looked just about ready to meld in with any of the thieving gangs Dan had come to know.

Dan shook his head, a smile slowly growing on his face. There was something wonderful about seeing Phil in his clothes.

"Off we go, then," Dan said lightly, reaching out to take Phil's hand and lead him into the desert.

The crawl through the passage outside again was a little hard on Phil, so Dan went first and moved all the rocks out of the way, then waited in plain sight so Phil had something to crawl towards. He took Phil's hands and pulled him through as soon as Phil was close enough, and rewarded him with a possessive kiss as soon as he was out.

As much as Dan would like to continue exploring Phil's mouth, however, the sun was climbing ever higher, so to make best use of the short time they had before noon, Dan linked his fingers with Phil's again and began to lead him across the desert. It was a little hot to be holding hands, and Dan was already sweating, but he didn't want to let Phil go. Dan liked the physical reminder that Phil was right there, that Dan had somehow managed to catch himself a companion better suited to him than he thought he'd ever find.

Dan's touch was quickly becoming a thing of dreams for Phil. Chest heaving with nerves but far more prepared than last time, Phil was rewarded for his bravery in facing his fears with a heated kiss from Dan that gave Phil all the bravery he needed, and then, despite the desert heat, they once again held hands as Dan pointed out the direction on the map they were following, beginning to lead them along in a weaving, almost serpentine like path, through the desert dunes and quicksand.

As they went, Dan made sure to point out the safest paths to Phil, explaining why the routes were the best rather than just telling him. Much to Dan's pleasure, Phil was an attentive listener and he asked all the right questions about life out in Dan's world. It wouldn't take too long for him to be able to survive out here alone - not that Dan had any plans of letting that happen.

As promised, Phil did everything that Dan asked him to, and was rewarded for his obedience and trust with explanations and how-to's on surviving the desert and knowing where to go. The paths became easier to navigate the more Dan explained, until Phil was seeing far more than he ever had before.

He knew before the winds had fully changed if a dune was about to collapse down and turn in on itself, knew before he could see muddied sand that he was treading far too close to quicksand, and could spot both rattlesnakes and scorpions far better than he ever had before. His gaze was wandering, but he behaved himself, didn't wander off the way he had just yesterday, and allowed Dan to lead and teach him.

One day, he wanted to experience this without the necessitated rush that was traveling as fast as they could. He wanted to properly see the desert that Dan called his home, wanted to experience as much of his kingdom as he could with his thief, and then, if he were to get so lucky, planned to take Dan away with him to faraway places that wouldn't even know either of their faces.

His biggest fear was being stripped of Dan too early, but despite Phil not fully agreeing with the morality of stealing from anybody, he knew he would always fight on Dan's side, fight to protect him no matter what he'd done.

Love was blind, Phil was quickly discovering. Should that terrify him? Perhaps a little, and perhaps it did.

The sun climbed ever higher, until Dan could feel it burning against the back of his neck. When it was at its highest and hottest point, Dan gave in and tugged Phil over to rest in what little cover they could find in the centre of the desert. He showed Phil how to set up a little protective shelter using blankets and sticks and rope, and they huddled under it together, Dan pressing himself up against Phil's side again even if it was a little warm. Dan couldn't resist it. He'd never realised just how much he craved human touch.

"I think you can sort out some lunch for us," Dan mumbled, wrapping himself securely around Phil's broad body. "Seeing as I did breakfast. Feed me, my Prince." He didn't even care if he sounded childish - Dan was too busy enjoying the sensation of having Phil in his arms.

By the time the sun was beginning to prickle too hot against Phil's skin, Dan was drawing them to a stop and helping Phil to build a lean-to. It was easy to learn, with Phil's background in bridges and such, and he collapsed next to Dan underneath it with a small huff. He thought he'd be less tired had it not been so hot. They'd hardly traveled, and Phil already wanted to collapse.

Grinning to himself at Dan's whiny command, Phil pulled the bag with food near the top closer to him, and began to pull together a small lunch. He dragged dried meats and bread out, placed them on top of the pack beside him, and then turned to Dan with a mischievous grin of his own.

Before Dan could so much as react, Phil had his arm around his shoulder, and was dragging him down until he was sprawled across Phil's lap.

He liked the way Dan looked there.

Picking up the half loaf of bread Phil had retrieved, he pulled off a bit of the middle - the best part - and begin to hand feed it to Dan.

Dan gave a loud, undignified squawk when Phil suddenly grabbed his shoulders and pulled him down, until Dan was falling and landing firmly in Phil's lap. He blinked, astonished, for the second or two it took him to regain control of himself, and then he narrowed his eyes up at Phil.

Not that Dan could honestly complain too much. Phil's lap was exceedingly comfortable, and he got to be close to Phil without having to hold his own body weight up.

So Dan curled into Phil easily enough, shifting a little until he got more comfortable, and nestled himself happily into Phil's embrace. He remembered all the times he'd had to berate Phil for not paying enough attention to him - well, Dan certainly seemed to have got his point across now. He lay his head against Phil's stomach, the soft material of his tunic pleasant against Dan's cheek, and Dan quite liked the sense of being shielded and held by Phil. He could probably get used to this.

Then Phil was breaking off a piece of bread and offering it to Dan, and Dan arched a brow. When he'd asked Phil to feed him, he hadn't meant quite this literally.

Well, Dan wasn't one to question if he was getting exactly what he wanted.

He leaned his head up just a little from where he'd nestled it against Phil's stomach, and took the bite of bread, giving Phil's fingers a cheeky lick. He nestled himself back into Phil's hold, swallowed, and said, "I mean, I'm not complaining if you want to dote on your King, Phil."

"Your wish is my command, my thief," Phil mocked, shivering a bit as Dan teasingly licking at his fingers, nestling into Phil's body and clearly making himself comfortable. It was nice, having Dan laying against him like this, staring up at Phil as if Phil had become the light of his world. The desert around them was lost on them until all Phil could see was Dan.

"If it pleases you," he continued, and then bent over to speak right against Dan's lips, "I'll always dote on you." Pressing a chaste kiss to Dan's lips, Phil then pulled back away, grinning like the hawk who'd caught the lizard and shoving a piece of crust into his own mouth before handing Dan a bit of the soft middle again, enjoying the way Dan took it from him easily. Phil could tell this was strange and new to Dan, however, to be treated like this by anyone, and his movements were stilted despite the happy gleam in his eye.

So Phil finally had someone to spoil. He wasn't going to waste the chance now that it was in his arms, and it was clear that Dan quite liked to be doted on, so both their wishes were coming true.

"Do you like that I have eyes only for you, my thief," Phil wondered as he started to feed Dan bits of meat as well.

Dan closed his eyes into the kiss, making a noise of discontent when Phil moved away too soon. He huffed, wrapping himself closer into Phil's hold, and went back to taking the morsels Phil fed to him. This was pleasant, if entirely new to Dan. In fact, Dan couldn't even remember the last time someone had looked after him. Dan's life had always been about fighting for survival, fighting to protect the ones he loved, until they got taken away. Then he'd just been alone.

Now, though... Now Dan was starting to discover the joy of leaning on someone else, of letting someone else take care of him. It should have made him vulnerable, but instead, Dan loved it.

"I do," he answered Phil's question, sending him a warm glance. "In fact, I'm going to make sure your eyes are always on me." He wrapped an arm around Phil's waist, anchoring himself firmly in place on Phil's lap. "I quite like this in general, to be honest. You have my permission to dote on me whenever you wish."

This was new, this warmth. It felt like every passing day taught Dan a new way to be intimate with Phil, another good thing that Dan had been missing out on. Wanting more of Phil's attention, Dan pushed himself against Phil's free hand, nudging his hair into Phil's touch. If Phil wanted to spoil him, then Dan was going to make the most of it, and nothing beat having Phil's arms around him, tugging at his hair, holding him close.

Laughing, Phil shook his head in amusement at Dan, enjoying the way his thief wrapped his arm around Phil's waist in order to force the two of them to remain close together. His fingers continued to pick at the pile of food splayed out next to him as he attempted to feed both himself and Dan, though admittedly, Dan was getting most of Phil's attention, especially when he moved to nudge his head against Phil's free hand in a clear attempt to soak up everything Phil had to offer to him.

Slowly working his way through the selection of meats and bread that he'd pulled out for their lunch, Phil gave Dan all the best bits without hardly caring for himself. Mostly, he just wanted to make Dan happy in a way he didn't think Dan usually got to be, and so it didn't matter to him if he ate the crusted bits of bread rather than the soft doughy center, and he enjoyed the scraps of meat that Dan didn't seem to enjoy as much while giving him the pieces he eyed when he thought Phil wasn't looking.

Eventually, though, lunch was finished, and Phil was sat there running his fingers through Dan's hair while they waited for the worst of the heat to pass. Dan's eyes were closed, his breathing even, but he was clearly not asleep. There was nothing relaxed about the way he held his body, even laying against Phil as he was, and Phil didn't blame him. Instead, he just memorized the creases on Dan's face, thought of the future they might have together, and tried to keep his thoughts from drifting into dangerous territory; like how Phil was going to handle the dark sides to Dan's lifestyle. He knew deep down he knew nothing of what Dan did, and while he understood and even respected the way that Dan stole from the rich and gave back to the people, he wasn't entirely sure what that all entailed.

Mostly though, he was just a fool in love who didn't want to give any of this up.

Finally, Dan seemed to stir, and his eyes drifted open, seemingly surprised to see that Phil was still staring at him, before he sat up slowly, informing Phil that they needed to get going.

Without a word, somewhat distracted by his own thoughts, Phil stood and began packing things back up again, shouldering the two heavier packs, and taking Dan's hand in his for comfort before they began walking again.

Relaxing in Phil's lap wasn't something Dan was going to forget in a hurry. Although he hadn't allowed himself to sleep, not when they were mostly exposed in the middle of the desert, he had enjoyed the idea that someone else was looking out for him. Dan had been blissfully happy. Phil took care of him, gave him the best bits of the food, and held him close in all the ways Dan wanted him to. It was so unusual for Dan that he never wanted to leave, wanted Phil to take care of him that way forever.

It couldn't last, though.

Dan eventually roused himself once he felt the air starting to cool, and sure enough, a glance at the sky told him the sun was beginning to make its way down towards evening. Reluctantly, he forced himself out of Phil's lap, watching Phil's eyes, and surprised to find a slight shadow in them. Phil's expression was thoughtful, and Dan couldn't quite read the reasoning behind it.

Time to figure it out later. Phil was like a puzzle to Dan, someone to work out, to crack open to reveal all the secrets he kept. If he did. Phil was completely honest, but Dan had a feeling he preferred to hide parts of himself he thought Dan wouldn't like.

Dan smiled when Phil took his hand again, giving his fingers a gentle squeeze. The travelling was easier now it was later in the day, the cooler air starting to become refreshing rather than baking. Dan was a little worried that Phil's pale skin would burn, so he leaned over and tugged Phil's hood down over his face, standing over Phil to try and cover him as much as possible. It was easy to get heatstroke out here.

As such, when dusk started to cloud the air, Dan pulled them to a stop again. He showed Phil how to find the best place to camp for the night, by checking the direction of the wind and ensuring they weren't too close to any dunes. There wasn't much shelter, but Dan led them over to a small outcrop of rock, and showed Phil how to build a temporary shelter. He was pleased when Phil already knew the best way to build a campfire, no doubt from his time in the Royal Guard, so while Phil did that, Dan dug through their packs to find some meat and herbs to make up a broth.

When the fire was going, Dan set a flat stone over it and placed a bowl with the broth in to cook, the familiar smell soon wafting up in steam. The desert nights grew cold quickly, so Dan allowed himself a small smirk. He edged up behind Phil and snuck his arms around Phil's waist, leaning in to murmur in his ear, "We have around an hour until full dark. It's easy to freeze out here, so no stealing all of the blankets from me this time. Got it?"

Dan pressed a kiss to Phil's cheek before stepping back. He fetched the water skin and nestled himself up next to Phil again, wrapping an arm around Phil's shoulders to bring him close. "Drink," Dan told him, "The last thing we need is you drying out on me."

The walk through the desert as dusk approached was easier, and Phil's mind cleared of his heavy thoughts as he and Dan murmured lowly together, conserving energy but still talking about the desert around them and the small things Phil might want to know. There came a point where Dan quite literally lifted Phil's hood up to press it over the top of his head, though, and when Phil glanced behind him, he realized his thief was doing his best to protect Phil from the hot desert sun. Amused but also deeply pleased by this, Phil merely turned back around and grinned.

Later, he did a little showing off of his own by proving to Dan that Phil wasn't entirely useless and started them both a fire once they'd found the right place to camp for the night. He was quick to settle down in front of it, finding as night fell that the air grew colder, and he was suddenly missing the heat of the sun. Down in Dan's cavern, the change in temperature hadn't seemed so obvious, and now Phil was missing it more than ever.

Shivering as warm arms came around him, Phil relaxed against Dan and let out a small chuckle, promising himself he'd do his best not to completely leave Dan out to die without his own furs. Perhaps they'd have to give up the cuddling a bit, so that Phil had no covers to steal, but he didn't bring it up just yet, not when the smell of broth and meat was swirling in the air around him, distracting him from his need for Dan with his need for food.

"Drying out on you?" Phil teased getting comfortable in the way Dan put a protective arm around his shoulder, taking the water skin easily enough regardless and pulling a few gulps down. "Would you still want me even if I was a dried out piece of skin?" he teased as he handed the skin back to Dan.

Dan gave a small chuckle at that mental image, giving his head a shake. He placed the water skin securely behind them and then focused all his attention on Phil, wrapping both arms around him and drawing him against Dan's chest. Dan nuzzled into his hair. "I'm fairly sure I'll always want you, but let's try and stick with the human form, shall we?"

He snickered, laying his head on top of Phil's, idly watching the way the flames moved. Darkness was growing around them, and Dan could hear the distant howling of desert wolves, but with their fire going they should be safe. Dan was used to spending nights like this alone, and it was immensely comforting to have the warmth of another body pressed against him.

Unable to help himself, Phil merely began to laugh again, allowing Dan to pull him into a warm, sturdy chest all over again. Phil had rarely laughed this much in all of his life, and it was strange, now, that he could do so so much. His cheeks hurt with the sensation of near constant happiness. Of all the times to feel this way, when his family was in danger, and yet Phil couldn't bring himself to regret any of it.

Once the broth was done, Dan reluctantly removed his hold on Phil and instead reached for the food. He spooned half into a bowl and gave it to Phil, making sure he had a decent amount of meat, seeing as he'd skimped on lunch by giving Dan all the best bits.

Phil nuzzled his face into Dan's neck as Dan's chin rested on top of his head, glad for the way they could give each other comfort, and sighed as he began to feel the exhaustion of the day hit him. He drowsed against Dan a bit despite the sound of howling desert wolves that Phil was all too familiar with from the few times he'd been out here with the royal guard, and only stirred as Dan served him a fresh hot bowl of broth.

He was too tired to eat it properly himself let alone feed it to Dan, and rested against Dan as he slurped it up, glad to have his presence and companionship. Literally nothing could be better to Phil.

Dan was unable to help himself from leaning back against Phil as they ate. He could lie and say it was to conserve warmth, but truthfully, Dan was enjoying the presence of another person, of Phil, too much. He wanted to know more, to hear Phil talk, to drown in his company until Dan forgot the world.

"So," Dan began around his mouthful, "What did you think of your first day in the desert? Beats hanging around in your Castle, I bet."

"Definitely beats hanging around the Castle, Dan, you don't understand. I've been cooped up far too long this last week what with the wedding coming along. For the first time, I feel free,” Phil explained, laughing despite his exhaustion.

Dan's eyes were bright as he watched the way Phil laughed, enraptured by the way he looked so free and happy. When he laughed, his tongue did this adorable thing where it poked out of the side of his mouth.

Dan set his empty bowl aside and turned Phil to face him, poking the side of Phil's mouth with a grin. "I'm going to have to make you laugh more often. That's the most charming thing I think I've ever seen."

He leaned into Phil's touch, more than happy to have Phil resting against his chest. Dan absentmindedly ran his fingers across Phil's skin, exploring up his arm, down his back, around his hip and stomach, anywhere he could reach without disturbing his peace. Everything in Dan burned to make Phil happy - to give him freedom and safety and warmth. For this short time, out on their journey, Dan could do that.

Flushing darkly, not for the first time, Phil tried to bite back his grin, but it was difficult to do when Dan's words were sending so much affection swelling through his heart. Despite his embarrassment, he kind of just let himself go, finishing off his broth in a long slurp and four quick swallows, before placing his bowl aside and allowing Dan to pull him in.

It felt good to bed held, to have his body caressed the way Dan's wandering arms caressed Phil, clearly just wishing to touch and explore sweetly the same way he'd passionately touched Phil just yesterday. Still warm with the knowledge of what they'd done, Phil was tempted to turn and kiss Dan, to let their touches dissolve into something different, into something more, but he held himself back, more than just that little bit aware that they couldn't do that out here.

It wasn't safe. Besides, it was something Phil wanted to keep private.

"You won't find me complaining." Dan nipped playfully at Phil's ear. "That wedding was taking up far too much of your time, I couldn't even entice you out when I was stealing right in your city. Had to get up to the fucking rafters just to see you at all." Dan sighed heavily, curling his fingers around Phil's hip. "I'm sure your brother's lovely, but he's going to have to learn that your attention is... elsewhere, now."

Shivering a bit at Dan's playful nip to his ear, Phil turned to watch the emotion flit across his face. It was clear that Dan wasn't faking his annoyance, and Phil couldn't help wondering just how long that had been there.

"I think he'll survive," Phil teased back playfully, turning in Dan's arms and shifting his body so he could be pressed to Dan but also able to look at him. "He hardly knew of you before this whole mess, did he?" Phil wondered if Dan would understand about his duties in the future, but they could talk about that later. Maybe Dan would even be willing to stick around and help Phil out with them from time to time, in order to be together more often.

"Your brother seemed to know who I was when he tried to catch me in the library," Dan huffed, keeping up his gentle touches to Phil's body, wherever he could reach. The tug of desire to run his hands against bare skin instead was there, but Dan ignored it, however reluctantly, knowing they had to keep their wits about them. He'd had his Prince the night before, and would have him again in the future. Dan would have to learn patience.

Rolling his eyes, Phil batted at Dan's arms a bit. "Yes, well, he knew you as the King of Thieves, the plague on our Kingdom that his brother, Captain of the Royal Guard, was determined to catch. I think he and father knew before I did that it was more than that, though. Before the confirmation after the failed wedding, how could they possibly know who was courting me? The refusal to give them a name meant I had no chance of running off with you during wedding planning, although I must say how grateful I was to have your gift around my wrist. Easier to get rid of suitors when you have a sign that you're already taken," Phil explained, fond expression on his face as he stared up at his thief.

Silly man. Did he truly think that Phil was going to let anyone get in the way of his happiness with Dan? Did he truly believe there was anyway that someone would steal Phil's attention away from him? All Phil wanted was to shower Dan with gifts and affection, and no one was taking that away from him.

Dan grinned wickedly as his eyes trailed down to the bracelet still on Phil's wrist, the one he'd gifted Phil in their spot in the Palace gardens. He was proud to see it sitting there, a sign that Phil was his. "Yes, well, you shouldn't have any potential suitors anymore. If the bracelet wasn't clue enough, I think my thrown dagger worked quite well on the last one."

Phil hummed at that. He couldn’t claim Dan was wrong about that, after all, and it still sent a thrill through him that someone would defend him like that. Dan had perhaps meant it in a possessive way, but the man he’d thrown a dagger at had clearly stated his intention as a threat, and Phil could not be more grateful for Dan’s need to stake his claim on Phil.

That did get him thinking though.

“I do have a question for you though, my thief. When did things change for you?" Phil whispered, blue eyes intent on Dan's brown. "With me, I mean."

As Phil turned, Dan looked down into his eyes, instantly tensing a little at the question. He didn't want to analyse his feelings too much, to figure out when they'd first arisen, or how he'd known he was falling for his Prince. That was a dangerous path, because Dan was still struggling to imagine a future for them. A thief and a Prince - it could never work without one of them drastically changing their lifestyle, and that thought terrified Dan. He didn't want to get in too deep, no matter how fruitless that may be now.

Phil was looking at him with such honesty, though, and Dan had never known someone to be able to disarm him with a look alone before. As it was, he could feel himself crumbling under Phil's gaze, his defences down, made vulnerable once again.

"I suppose," Dan began quietly, glancing down, "things changed the more I got to know you." Dan took one of Phil's hands in his, starting to idly play with his fingers. "I had this image of the Captain of the Royal Guard as a hard, cruel man who'd put away all of my comrades, and who would be after me next. That's why I was so cheeky, so determined to prove you wrong, to show I was better than you. Only..." Dan shook his head, smiling a little. "Then I actually met you, and you were nothing like I expected. Persistent, annoying, determined to catch me, yes, but - but you treated me like an equal."

Dan sighed a little. "I played you at the start, I admit. Watching your reactions was too entertaining, but, remember when I summoned you outside the city walls, and asked you to help me steal a diamond, and you refused?" Dan looked back into Phil's eyes then, expression unreadable. "I was furious. But then you said you were always on my side, right before you left, and I was kind of shocked. A Royal, on my side? It made me think, made me realise just how badly I'd misjudged you. And that's when I started to let you in."

Phils heart lodged in his throat at the reminder of Dan requesting that Captain Philip help him steal a diamond, and glanced down at his own hands as well. That had not been a good moment for them, had in fact been so heartbreaking for Phil that he'd tried to put thoughts of Dan away entirely from his head. That hadn't worked either, though, and now they were here.

Phil caught Dan's gaze again.

"Why did you ask that of me?" he wondered. "You were playing me, sure, but... I went home thinking you were like everyone else, only wanting to know me so that you could use me. I never understood that request. What indication had I given that I..." Phil felt choked up again, just at the thought, but he was afraid that Dan would misunderstand his questions as Phil not wanting him anymore, and so he reached down and laced their fingers together once more, holding tight, tighter than ever before. "I think I had fallen for you long before then. You'd nearly kissed me in the -" Phil's heart clenched. "I know you said maybe in the beginning you had been trying to use me. When you almost kissed me, was that to get what you wanted as well?" Phil asked, voice small.

Knowing was something he needed, but he knew he could get over it either way. It hardly mattered now. Phil had won his thief's heart. But he didn't want to treasure that memory if it was a falsehood full of pain, rather than Dan's true self.

Dan's expression dropped the more Phil spoke, his eyes dimming. He was grateful when Phil gripped his hand tight, grounding him, reminding him that whatever had happened before, Phil was here with him now. Dan didn't want to risk that, but Phil was asking him for truths Dan wasn't sure he should tell.

Would lying be better, though? Dan didn't want to lie to Phil, not anymore, not now he knew how honest Phil always was. He deserved that honesty back, even if Dan was terrified to give it. He just didn't want to risk what they had found, now Dan was learning to give his heart to someone else. It was still difficult, when he was used to closing himself off, guarding himself. Phil wanted to get inside his head, and that scared Dan.

He let out a deep sigh and pressed his face into Phil's hair, keeping Phil close. It would be easier if he couldn't see Phil's eyes for this. "I... I'm going to be completely honest with you, Phil. I was playing you, at first. But - it maybe isn't as bad as it sounds." Dan grimaced, shifting a bit. "I wouldn't blame you for hating me for this, but I am not a stranger to charming people into getting what I want. I thought I could do the same for you - but then it got more personal than that. When I - when I almost kissed you, in the library, I'd already slipped up. Did you know I love to read? No one knows that - it's something I keep to myself. But I let it slip to you, and more, when I asked you for the fairy tales - I wanted them because my father used to read them to me."

Dan drew in a shaky breath, knowing he wasn't making much sense, but wanting to continue. "I already wanted you to know me, the actual me, not just the King of Thieves. And when I almost kissed you, it was because I wanted to. But when I got back to my camp, and when I had time to think, I realised how bad a mistake that was. I had to get back to my plan - which was to use you. That's why I asked you to help me steal a diamond." Dan was staring down at the sand by now, avoiding Phil's gaze. "I thought I could make myself keep my distance that way, stay to what I knew - which was using you. Only it didn't work, because you kept surprising me. You said no. And then you said you were on my side." Dan shook his head, smiling just a little. "Kept surprising me, my Prince. I could never second guess you, but that night was when I realised you were actually a good person. And you didn't hate me. Though you probably should."

Dan pressing his face into Phil's hair told him a lot; one, that Dan regretted what he had to say, and two, that perhaps it was time to give up that memory and the chills it still sent down Phil's spine, because it clearly wasn't a good one.

As always, however, Dan took Phil by surprise. Numb and a bit hurt as he was, Phil stared calmly at where Dan's collarbones poked out from his tunic, and listened as he spoke, expecting the pain it would bring to discover that it had taken Dan much longer than Phil to start falling for him. Therefore, it was a surprise when Dan crushed that thought almost right away, telling Phil that even before they'd properly began to court each other, Dan had opened up to Phil.

Phil remembered that day, how annoyed and panicked he'd been to find his thief hiding in the archives, so deep in the library that Phil couldn't properly breathe. He remembered being confused why Dan would want fairy tales of all things, and how he wasn't annoyed when Phil couldn't offer him a first edition, the original copy. It hadn't added up until Dan had later told Phil what the fairy tales meant to him, until Phil had seen the way Dan looked at the palace library when they'd gone to meet his family.

Now, Phil understood how that moment between them had meant even more than Phil had originally thought, and though Dan was still hiding his face in Phil's hair, a slow smiling was creeping up Phil's face.

He'd always known Dan was a charmer. It had scared him for a little bit, and now it just made jealously boil in a pit in his stomach at the thought of Dan flirting with someone to get what they needed, but knowing that somehow Phil had charmed Dan even before either of them had been willing to admit there was something more going on, soothed him.

Reaching up, Phil pulled away and cupped Dan's cheeks with his hands. He felt like Dan needed constant reassurance that every truth he shared with Phil would be met with nothing more than love and acceptance. "Well. I must say I'm glad I was able to prove myself to you. And I have to admit I'm glad I get to keep that little memory as something special," he added, chuckling against Dan's lips. "Thank you for telling me the truth," he added, the sound becoming more of a soft rumble as he tried to keep both of them calm. "Now, my thief, I hope you plan to use me in very different ways," he added just because he could, and then he was kissing Dan, slow and deep, something sweet just to reassure them both.

Dan was completely blown away by his Prince.

The last thing he expected upon revealing his history was more teasing and to be brought in for a sweet kiss. And yet, Phil seemed to completely take everything in his stride. He held Dan as if he wanted to comfort, every word a reminder that Phil forgave him, that it didn't matter to Phil what Dan's past might hold.

Dan had no idea how he'd got so lucky.

He returned Phil's kiss, after a moment, gathering himself out of the past and back to the present. He'd fought for so long against his feelings for Phil, desperate to prove that he was something more, that he didn't need to fall for something as ridiculous as want for another person. Dan wanted to be above it, but Phil had completely disarmed him. Now, having Phil in his arms, Dan couldn't bring himself to be mad.

He was curious, though. After drawing back from Phil, Dan met his eyes with a low chuckle. "Don't worry, I have plenty of ways to use you now. I do wonder, though..." Dan trailed off, his eyes softening as he met Phil's gaze. "You say you fell for me much earlier - when did you know? And how on earth did you decide to accept the courting of a man who could have killed you, someone you were supposed to be capturing?"

Embarrassed by his own admittance, but nonetheless determined to keep himself open and honest with his thief, Phil thought for a second, one hand pressed to Dan's cheek, gaze cast towards the top of their makeshift shelter for the night as he tried to think.

Phil knew that by the time he'd met up with Dan in the archives, he'd already began to come to terms with his feelings, but when had it really started?

"I've never had someone like you in my life before," Phil started, tone musing. "From the very beginning, you flirted with me. But the worst was when you took my family's crown. I followed you into the crawl space, and you taunted me, and there was so much panic in my chest that the flirting threw me overboard. It hurt to have someone talking to me like that when they couldn't mean it, when I couldn't have that, and that's what made me lash out at you," Phil explained thoughtfully, finally looking back at Dan and drawing away a bit to avoid the distraction of having Dan's face so damn close to his own.

"But that was also the moment I think I started to fall for you, as ridiculous as that sounds. It wasn't for the flirting, no. It was because I'd grown up my entire life meeting new people constantly, and every new face brought with it another person who just wanted to suck up to me, get into my pants, marry me for the fame and the money that came with being a Prince's partner. I'd never once had a true relationship with anyone but my brother - not even a friendship. I told you before, it made me hate my kingdom, but especially the lower classes, as they were the main perpetrators of my misfortune - at least in my mind."

Talking about it again now hurt a little, but Phil was nothing if he couldn't admit his wrong-doings.

"No, I still hated you, but when you blamed me, reminded me that it was my fault, the crown's fault, that so many people were destitute and desperate enough to turn to a life of crime, it finally hit me that… well, I couldn't go on forever blaming the poor for my lot in life. I couldn't have love, fine, but I had finally met my match, someone who wouldn't tip toe around me and give me anything I wanted. The flirting still hurt because I knew it couldn't mean anything, but when I went home that night, after you walked me back to the surface and made sure I was okay, a thief who kept his word, I realized I was screwed, because I'd never had that kind of attention in my life. I was used to flirting that meant nothing to the person on the other end, but I wasn't used to… you."

It probably sounded horrible when Phil put it like that, possibly even made Dan upset to think that Phil had only liked him because Dan was giving Phil something he'd never had before, but he continued on anyway, watching Dan's face, and trying to read into those still closed off eyes.

"It was just a crush, at first, something I knew I couldn't have, and I still chased you around the kingdom, but then I looked forward to the witty banter you would offer me, the fact that you wouldn't let me get away with anything, and the more fun I had being around you...the more I realized that I really was screwed. I couldn't have you, maybe, shouldn't want you, possibly, but I could promise to help you. I could promise to be someone who tried their best to care for you. I wanted to make it up to you, all that I'd done, and I had a passionate need to prove myself to you. Nearly kissing you in that library was just.. the icing on the cake. I'll admit, though, that my heart was absolutely broken when... when you asked me to help you steal that diamond. But I couldn't get over you, and when you sent me the raven, I knew I would always give you a second chance."

Dan's heart stuttered a little to hear Phil's open, honest reply. It was fascinating to get to hear Phil's perspective of the last few weeks, to figure out the puzzle of his behaviour.

Dan couldn't help but feel a small tug of pride at knowing how soon he'd captured Phil's heart, but it was with a tiny tinge of regret. Regret that it had taken so much longer for Dan to admit his feelings, to allow them to reach their new blissful state.

At least, Dan was blissful. He hoped Phil was happy too, thought he saw it in the way Phil laughed and smiled with Dan. He looked so happy and free out here; Dan wanted to keep him that way forever.

Dan looked straight into Phil's eyes and smiled - his true, honest smile that made his eyes crinkle up. He took Phil's hands and held them tight, thumbing gently across his wrists, playing with the feeling of his fingers against Phil's skin.

"It's funny you say I'm the first person who treated you differently," Dan murmured, his tone low but sincere. "Because you're the first person who ever treated me with anything like honesty. I have been surrounded by liars my whole life, and then you showed up all honourable and kind-hearted. When I heard you were setting up orphanages and feeding the poor..." Dan shook his head, still smiling. "Well. It was new, certainly, to have someone who actually cared about us low-lifes."

"But, Phil--" Dan bit his lip, struggling to say the next words, but knowing he had to get them out. He drew Phil closer, burying his head in Phil's hair to hide his face again. He was trembling, terrified of what might come, but Dan needed to say this. He needed to know that Phil was fully aware what he was getting himself into, before he allowed himself to fall any deeper.

So Dan drew in another shuddering breath and said quietly, "You don't know everything about me, Phil. I've done some terrible things in my time, things even I am ashamed of. And I've done other things that I have no doubt you disapprove of, but I delight in. I take pride in." Dan's voice was shaking, thoughts of Phil’s uncle heavy on his mind, but he continued as best he could. "I'm not expecting you to be ok with that. With me. But you have to know - you have to see what you're getting yourself into, here. I am a dangerous man, and I lead a dangerous life. And I want you, Phil Lester."

Dan drew back just enough to meet Phil's eyes, more open and honest than he'd ever been. "I want you, but I care about you. If my life isn't right for you, then you deserve to know before I lead you on too much. I don't expect you to forgive me or approve of me, and I can promise that I would never, ever hurt you. But I don't want you thinking better of me than what I actually am."

It made Phil's heart flutter to watch the way Dan's eyes crinkled up when he looked at Phil, that full, bright smile he so rarely gave out taking over his features telling Phil that Dan wasn't offended in anyway by Phil's confession, and that made him feel light and happy as well.

The last thing Phil wanted was for Dan to feel in anyway as though he weren't everything Phil could have ever wanted.

So his heart sank when Dan revealed exactly that. For one moment Phil thought they were going to be okay, that he could tease and prod at Dan about how much they'd changed everything for each other, found the right partner through someone who treated them differently than the rest of the world, but then Dan was dragging Phil near once again and burying his face in Phil's hair.

This time it was the trembling that gave everything away, the hesitance and fear in Dan's voice breaking Phil's heart. He hated to see his thief so scared and insecure, but he couldn't blame him. Phil's heart still raced with the thought of the things Dan had done that Phil didn't know about, his mind still chased itself in circles over how he was going to be able to stay with someone who possibly did things that Phil couldn't condone.

Hearing Dan say he wanted Phil though, that he would never hurt Phil, that he would even let him go if it meant giving Phil the life he deserved, well. That made Phil's heart break even more for his thief, because if his thief was willing to give that to Phil, then Phil had to be willing to try.

Moving his hands to Dan's shoulders, Phil very quickly and very easily shoved them both over so he could hover over Dan, pinning him to the ground in that way he'd learned delighted him. His fingers laced through Dan's, and he crowded into his space, stared him down.

"I won't lie to you, my thief," he whispered, eyes growing moist. "The thought of what you do, of the things you take pride in, what you've done and will continue to do, terrifies me. You're right, I don't fully know you. But I meant it when I said I never wanted you to change," he declared, words passionate and strong despite all his emotions.

He closed them for a brief moment, but was quick to catch Dan's gaze again. He could see the fear there as much as he could still feel it under his fingertips, and that's what gave him the strength to continue.

"I want you, Dan. I don't want anyone else. And that terrifies me almost as much as the thought of what I don't know about you. Because I don't want to let you go. I'm just afraid, afraid that we're going to hurt each other whether we want to or not. The only thing that keeps me going in this is knowing that you're a better person than either of us realize. You, Dan Howell, are a better person than you realize. You think you do terrible things, but you don't know what happens behind the scenes with the Royals, with the Guard. You don't know the things I've been exposed to. I pride myself as a morally righteous man, but we've both seen that that is not always true. And I don't know what you've done, but I do know that ultimately, your aim isn't to hurt anyone who doesn't deserve it, and it's that thought that keeps me going, because your heart is far kinder than I think you even realize."

Dan was taken by surprise when Phil knocked him backward, leaning over him until Dan could see nothing but the intense blue-green of Phil's eyes. Phil's expression was open and vulnerable, but it was also warm in a way Dan didn't expect. He'd thought he'd see hatred, maybe disgust, or worse, even pity, but Phil was still looking at him with as much affection as Dan had ever seen.

And his words. His words made Dan flush, the spot on his right cheek growing warm, and he loved the warm weight of Phil above him, grounding him, making this all feel so real. The more Phil spoke, the more Dan thought he could believe him. If Phil thought Dan could be a good man, maybe Dan could - because Phil never lied.

Dan drew in another breath, his chest heavy and full. He'd never thought he'd find someone who could look at him with such affection. He was used to fear or awe, and awe from the wrong people. Dan had always run with a rough crowd, forced to prove himself, to make himself tough. It was a matter of survival.

"You're something else, Phil Lester," Dan murmured. A small thrill still rang through him when Phil used his full name, surname and all. Phil was getting to know Dan, and Dan loved it. He loved knowing Phil, growing closer to Phil.

Gently, Dan freed one hand and leaned up to cup Phil's cheek, pressing a careful kiss to his forehead, and then both his cheeks. "I never thought I'd find you. Even when I started to realise I was falling for you, I never thought I could actually have you. I was sure you'd be disgusted by me."

Dan was still trembling, though he calmed under Phil's touch. "If you say I can be a good person - I want to believe you, Phil. I want to be that person you deserve. More than anything, though I want you to have your freedom. To be safe and happy." Dan smiled at him again, his chest bursting with warmth and care for this man, this precious person he got to call his. "If I can give you that - for however long you'll let me - that's all I want."

They stared at each other in total silence for a moment, both men trying to take in what Phil had just said, and then Dan was reaching up and pressing his hand to Phil's cheek. Flushing a bit at the way it felt to be kissed everywhere but his lips, Phil felt a small smile start to form again, because somehow, he'd managed to soothe his Dan, and that had been all he'd wanted.

"I could never be disgusted by you," Phil murmured in reply, knowing that even in the beginning, there had been no room for disgust for Dan other than the fleeting moment of absolute hatred when Phil had been trapped in that underground cavern, unable to breathe, and being taunted in that teasing way Phil had grown up with for far too long. Now, though, it didn't matter what Dan told Phil, he knew he could never be disgusted by him.

"Maybe I'll be disappointed, upset at first, even, to hear something... but I will never be disgusted with you," Phil reassured him, fingers tightening around the one hand he still had in his grasp.

Dan was still trembling. There was so much emotion pulling between then, so much on Dan's face that told Phil how much this man cared for him, and his words only lit a fire inside of Phil.

"So believe me. I don't care how long it takes, I will make you believe me. I want you, I think I always will, and all I want is to be happy with you. I want you to set me free, and maybe I can set you free, too," he murmured, leaning in to press a chaste kiss to Dan's neck, right over a mark he'd made there to claim his thief. "You're mine, thief. You wear my gifts, my heart. You belong with me."

Dan's trembling calmed even more at Phil's soft reassurances, his soothing touch. He was promising Dan never to be disgusted. Disappointed and upset Dan could deal with - maybe - as long as he knew Phil didn't hate him. He still didn't want to hurt Phil, though. Dan knew he'd do anything to avoid that - even if it would be difficult, if it would hurt Dan himself. He just wanted Phil safe and happy.

"I like the idea of us setting each other free," Dan agreed with a small nod. His lips turned up, his hand gently moving up to stroke through Phil's hair. "I think I can work with that."

He shuddered again as Phil kissed over a mark on his neck. Dan wasn't having that for long, though. He used his hand in Phil's hair to angle his face up, enough that Dan could kiss him on the lips again, deep and sweet, losing himself in Phil's touch and saying through actions what he couldn't quite put into words.

Dan leaned into the touch, but then he forcefully rolled them until he had Phil on his back and was hovering over him. Dan grinned down at Phil, faces close together. "I might be yours, my Prince, but you are also mine. I caught you, and you belong to me, and you will always be mine." Dan punctuated his last words with kisses, hovering teasingly over Phil's mouth.

Dan's hold on Phil's hair gave him a lot of advantages, one of them being that he could control where Phil's head was and drag him into a passionate kiss. Phil wasn't complaining though, and even thought he might finally understand why Dan liked to have his hair pulled so much. He let out a small noise of appreciation into the kiss, feeling taken and perfect when it came to being with Dan like this, and pouted a bit when Dan pulled away. He couldn't complain long, however, as Dan was quite suddenly flipping them over so it was Phil on his back underneath Dan.

Phil, ultimately, thought he might prefer this. Having a dominant Dan over top of him felt right, made Phil's heart race and flutter with both nerves and excitement. It felt good to have someone protecting him, loving him, and he accepted Dan's next few kisses easily enough, enjoying the fact that they so fully had decided that they belonged to each other. It didn't feel like there was any need or reason to ever take that back, and Phil gave himself to Dan completely, moaning a bit at the feel of Dan's passionate lips on his.

The kisses trailed into something more teasing, with their lips hardly touching as Dan mouthed against him, and Phil reached up to tangle his fingers into Dan's hair to try to force more onto him. Dan didn't move however, grinning and laughing as Phil fought against him until finally, he gave it up, collapsing in a frustrated heap to the floor.

"Fine! You win. There's no point in getting worked up out here anyway, I guess," Phil complained, though really, he'd spend everyday of his entire life kissing Dan if he could, and... doing other things with him.

Dan gave a delighted laugh when Phil gave into him, and he snickered, eyes warm and soft and fond. He rather enjoyed the sight of Phil below him, allowed himself to enjoy it more now some of his conscience was clear. At least Phil was going into this with his eyes wide open about exactly what Dan was. Dan would forget it for now, then, and let himself enjoy this time with Phil.

"I think you'll find I'll always win," Dan responded lightly, pressing one last warm kiss to Phil's lips before collapsing down against his chest. Dan rubbed his cheek against Phil's soft tunic, closing his eyes and breathing him in. He relaxed even further when Phil wrapped his arms around him to hold him firmly in place. Dan might be taller, but Phil was strong and warm and gave the best hugs Dan had ever felt. Not that he'd had many hugs in his life, but being wrapped in Phil's arms was a privilege Dan would never tire of.

Sighing, Phil let out a small "ooph," when Dan suddenly collapsed on top of him, eradicating any last dredges of cold from the freezing desert air, and wrapped his arms around his thief.

"Daniel Howell," Phil murmured into the shell of his ear, grinning when he felt Dan shiver. "I am completely, utterly yours."

Dan gave a shiver when Phil used his full name again, sighing gently. It was nice to have someone else who knew his identity - who knew that Dan Howell wouldn't be forgotten. Dan Howell meant something beyond the King of Thieves, which was something Dan often forgot.

Maybe Dan Howell could be the kind of person Phil deserved.

"I feel I should apologise," Dan mumbled sleepily, "While we're getting all sentimental about the past. I shouldn't have made you follow me down into the underground passages, and I certainly shouldn't have tried to make you steal for me. Kinda regret that, now." Dan nosed gently at Phil, still refusing to open his eyes.

"Also, we should probably get some furs and sleep clothes out, but I totally can't be bothered to move, and as my pillow you can't move either. So. There's that."

Phil tilted his head a bit as Dan spoke, not agreeing in the least that Dan should feel he had to apologize. They'd both done a lot of things in the past, even to each other, but it was gone now. They clearly had gotten past it in the first place to get this far, and Phil didn't think it was worth dwelling on.

"It's alright, Dan. I already forgave you. How could I blame you for using my weakness against me when I was trying to arrest you? How could I blame you for doing any of the things you've done to protect yourself?" He murmured lightly in reply.

"But thank you for caring enough to want apologize," he added, realizing it was likely quite hard for Dan to do that at all.

He sighed as Dan seemed to get comfortable on top of him, far happier than he could ever explain to have each other wrapped up like this, and chuckled at the fact that Dan didn't want to move.

"Come on. We have to figure out who's on look out first and how we're going to keep the fire going to keep the wolves away. Besides, I can't have you freezing to death on me. I want human Dan, not icicle Dan," Phil teased, but Dan didn't move.

Laughing again, Phil shoved at him a little, but Dan was still ignoring him until Phil decided to dig his fingers into Dan's sides and began tickling, not above fighting dirty to get what he wanted.

"Come oooon, Dan, get up!" He groaned as Dan started to wiggle about on top of him, hiding chuckles in Phil's neck. Baring his teeth, Phil fought harder against him, leaning up and nipping Dan on the ear with a bright laugh of his own.

Dan squirmed against Phil, grumbling as he kept trying to get him to move. The tickling was a low blow, as Dan ended up gasping for breath between laughter, but he still refused to move, stubbornly pushing his face into Phil's neck.

"Whyyyyyy," Dan whined, wriggling on Phil's chest to try and keep his comfort. "See, I was starting to think I liked you, Lester, and then you went and did that. Lie still and let me rest, if you're not a good pillow then what use are you?"

As Dan stubbornly tried to keep his place, Phil eventually leaned in and nipped Dan's ear, constantly bothering and fighting him until Dan was all but pushed off Phil's chest.

"I hate you," Dan announced determinedly as he forced himself up to his feet. He brushed himself down, and then bent down to grab Phil and tug him upright as well, constantly prodding him. "If I have to move, then you're moving, too."

Dan knew Phil was right, though, and was pleasantly surprised that Phil had picked up his lessons in life in the desert so well. He wandered over to the bags and dug around until he found his long stick to stoke the fire with, which doubled as a cane for when he tired of walking, or in case of injury. Dan chucked it over to the fireside and then ruffled through until he found the blankets he'd brought to sleep under, protection from the freezing desert night.

"There," Dan threw the blankets unceremoniously at Phil's head. "You can sleep first. I'll keep the fire going. Get some good rest, OK? We've got a lot of ground to cover tomorrow."

With that said, Dan went to settle himself by the flames, already missing the presence of Phil at his side. If he could, Dan would stay wrapped up in Phil's arms always, but, perhaps foolishly, he didn't want to appear clingy or stop Phil getting the rest he would need.

Once Phil had finally managed to dislodge Dan from his chest, pushing him away, he found himself immediately being dragged up off the ground and into Dan's hold. The prodding returned full force but on Dan's end this time, and Phil began giggling uncontrollably, squirming in Dan's arms and fighting against his hold until he was breathless and Dan was finally letting him go.

Bending over in exhaustion but still giggling, Phil watched Dan move to start shuffling through a bag, pulling out first a long stick and then some blankets that he threw at Phil's head. Grumbling a bit, Phil pulled the furs away but moved to get settled. He knew Dan was right. He needed to get a good rest so he could watch over Dan and make the long journey tomorrow once he woke up. He was a bit disgruntled when Dan picked the far end of the fire to sit at, though, and ended up getting up and moving to his side, abandoning his furs to get dan.

"Come," he insisted quietly. "You can keep me just as safe over here," he insisted, making his voice soft and sweet and calming so Dan would do as he said.

Dan didn't argue. He was quiet as he did as Phil had asked and moved with him to the other side of the fire. Once Dan was settled, Phil crawled back into his piles of furs, rolled over, and pressed his back up against Dan's side. "Goodnight, Dan," Phil whispered. The words, 'I love you,' rested on his tongue, but he didn't speak them. Instead, he closed his eyes and did his best to sleep.

Dan was quietly pleased when Phil came to fetch him to bring him over to the other side of the fire. It proved that maybe Phil wanted to be physically close just as much as Dan did, and only reaffirmed everything Dan was learning about Phil's desire for him.

"Goodnight, Phil," Dan murmured back. He leaned into Phil's warmth, though he stayed sitting up. The temptation to crawl under the furs and wind his way into Phil's arms was immense, but Dan knew he had to stay awake and keep watch. Phil was right that the exposed desert wasn't a safe place for them both to sleep, or get up to any other shenanigans. The wolves and hawks and scorpions and mice roamed free, and the desert was a wild and freezing place at night.

As Dan watched the glowing embers of the fire, occasionally stoking the flames to stop them dying out, he couldn't help his mind from wandering. He wondered whether Phil had truly meant what he said - that he would always forgive Dan for what he'd done. It was almost too good to believe. Even if it was true, Phil had hinted that there were elements to Dan's lifestyle that he wouldn't approve of. That worried Dan. He knew Phil would never ask him to change, but Dan was coming to realise that he didn't want to disappoint his golden hearted prince. If Phil thought Dan could be a better person, then maybe... just maybe he could.

Dan had mixed feelings about that.

With a sigh, Dan tangled his fingers in Phil's hair, trying to distract himself from his dark thoughts by touching Phil. Phil was here with him - that was the most important thing. They had to focus on surviving this trip and returning to the castle in enough time to save Cornelia and the rest of Phil's family. That should be the priority, and he and Phil would sort out - whatever this was between them - when they got back and both had time and freedom.

Or would Phil be called back to the duties of the palace?

Dan shook the thoughts away, instead studying Phil's sleeping form. He was wrapped up completely in the furs, his eyes closed, his face smooth in sleep. He looked content and free, all worry lines disappeared in his relaxed state. He looked younger. His hair had pushed up into a quiff which Dan gently ran his fingers through, wondering how on earth he'd managed to get himself so tangled up with a prince.

It was Phil, though. Dan was fairly sure he'd do anything for Phil.

Dan sat and watched Phil contemplatively for most of the night, his eyes dark with the weight of his thoughts.

Phil slept surprisingly like a log. He was more exhausted than he'd realized, and knowing that Dan was watching out for him was far more of a comfort than even having Phil's Guards looking out for him had ever been. Perhaps it was that Dan had proven he knew more about this desert than anyone else, or perhaps it was just the fact that Phil knew Dan could hold his own, almost on par or even better than Phil, but Phil felt safe enough to truly sleep until Dan woke him up for his shift.

The night air was surprisingly easy to wake to, as was the way Dan kissed him, urging him up in the best way possible. Phil had never thought he'd wake up to something like that, and he smiled slowly as he kissed Dan back, sighing when Dan pulled away and sitting up immediately.

Tired as he was, Dan swapped places with Phil quickly and without much resistance or fighting over time to cuddle. Phil couldn't deny being a little disappointed, but he ran his fingers through Dan's hair as he settled down to sleep, and enjoyed the heat of Dan's body pressed up against his side.

Come morning, Phil was shaking Dan awake, and they were off across the desert once more.

#phanfiction #snowbunnylester #iwritephanthings #phan fluff #thief!Dan #prince!Phil #steal my heart

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