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thyme-in-a-bubble · 9 months

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the busted engine

lilac, chapter one

a/n: the plot of this series came to me like fucking lightning, essentially all at once with how quick it fell into place. sometimes it's like that, sometimes magic happens in your brain. I hope you all enjoy this ride as much as I am having writing it. get ready for everything, because I've got twenty chapters planned out and ready, and spoiler, they aren't all just gonna be insanely wholesome small town cuteness... we getting angsty... we getting the drama.... but most of all, we be getting slutty. strap in folks.

summary: “I, um,” your eyes briefly flickered to the bundles of firewood needly stacked in the back of the pickup, “my car broke down and my phone conveniently also decided to run out of battery, so, uh, could I perhaps borrow yours just a moment? I just need it to make one call, that’s it.”

warnings: lumberjack!frank castle x reader, lumberjack AU, pete castiglione era, past domestic violence, crazy ex trope, slow burn, car trouble, meet cute

word count: 2674

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Your vision couldn’t help but linger every time it drifted over your hands gripping the steering wheel. The immense weight the sight of your bare ring finger lifted off your shoulders was so overwhelming that you found yourself fighting tears from blurring the road before you.

The sun was beginning to set as you had been driving all day long, not stopped for even a second to let the gravitas sink in of what you’d done at the crack of dawn.

The fear of Preston stirring from his slumber and finding you in the midst of sneaking out still hadn’t settled within your gut. Your paranoid brain still compelled you to check the rear-view mirror every couple of seconds just in case the sleek sportscar of your former fiancé would appear.

You had finally done what he had drilled into your mind you weren’t capable of. You’d left him for good.

Equipped with only a small backpack of your belongings, the last thing you’d done before sneaking out of the apartment had been to toss the ring he had so insistently forced upon your finger into the trash.

Ripping you out of your cloudy thoughts, your car suddenly began to cough like a mythical monster that was dying.

“Oh shit…” you felt the vehicle begin to slow as ominous smoke started to billow out from under the hood. Mindful of the bushy pine trees framing the road, you guided it to the edge just in time before it gave out.

Stepping out with an exhausted sigh, you promptly cracked the front open to take a look, though what you saw within didn’t soothe your worries as all of the fumes oozing out only made the broken engine look like that much more of a mess.

“Fucking great,” you mumbled heatedly, fiercely slamming the hood shut in an effort to relieve some of your abundant stress. Curving back around, you swung the passenger side open and rummaged for your phone, though when you located it, the only solution it flashed you was a blinking red battery icon before the screen went completely black, “seriously?”

Not knowing if you were about to scream or burst into tears, you chucked it back inside before hurling your spine against the side of the car, leaning against it as you cursed up at the grey sky.

Was this the universe showing its true bias? You’d hoped that was the one thing money couldn’t buy, but perhaps you were wrong, just like he always said you were. Perhaps it would be best if you went back to the city. His reaction towards a stunt like this couldn’t be that bad compared to what you had endured before, could it?

The sound of another vehicle cresting the thicket on the rural road caught your ears and you turned your head to see a navy-blue truck appear.

Your hand shot up to wave it down before you could even ponder the action. Fearing that it was a lost cause by the speed the driver was going at, it caught you by surprise as it suddenly came to a halt a ways in front of you.

“Are you alright, ma'am?” the driver asked as he slammed his door shut behind him. The tall man certainly looked like the type to call the area his home. Dark beard scraggly and hair in unkept waves long enough to tickle the furrow lines decorating his forehead, his wide palm traced the lines of the truck as he made his way towards you.

“I, um,” your eyes briefly flickered to the bundles of firewood needly stacked in the back of the pickup, “my car broke down and my phone conveniently also decided to run out of battery, so, uh, could I perhaps borrow yours just a moment? I just need it to make one call, that’s it.”

Eyeing your busted vehicle a moment, his low timbre then rumbled out once more, “sure,” as he reached into his pocket and fished out his telephone.

“Thank you so much,” seizing it, you swiftly clicked it to life, “you have no idea what a lifesaver you are–, oh fuck,” your vision zeroed in on the lack of bars in the uppermost corner, “of course there’s no fucking services out here,” your eyes briefly screwed shut and your jaw clenched in an effort not to scream, “it’s fine, it’s fine! I’ll just walk then!” you tried not the throw it as you handed the phone back to the helpful stranger, “I’m sorry that you had to stop for nothing, but thank you anyways.”

Swinging your door open to yank out your stuff, the stranger’s feet stayed fast, “what direction are you headed?”

“Dunbrook,” you answered as your body folded to reach your tossed telephone.

“You wanna catch a ride?” he unexpectedly offered, causing you to bump your head on the roof of the car.

“Ow–, what?” you blinked back at him through the windshield as your hand shot up to rub the top of your now sore head, “no, I couldn’t… I–, uh, I kinda recognise this area, the town is not too far from here, so I can walk, it’s fine.”

“Yeah, but it’ll properly still take you all night. Please, it’s no bother, I’m headed in that direction anyways.”

Gnawing at your bottom lip, you slowly retracted out of the vehicle, “you sure?”

“Yeah,” he nodded, attempting a faint smile in order to soften his gruff and intimidating features.

“Alright,” swinging your backpack on you slammed your busted car shut, “thank you.”

Sliding into the passenger seat, you clicked on the seatbelt and slotted your bag between your legs. Fiddling tensely with the straps for a moment, it dawned on you how your sleeves were still rolled all the way up to your elbows from when you had checked under the hood. Pulse instantly picking up and thumping in your ears, you hastily tugged them back down to cover the lavender bruises peaking out.

Had he noticed?

Hearing the door slam to your left, being too caught up in your own mess, it only caused your form to jump in the seat.

Trying to play it off as nothing, you attempted a casual, “I’m Y/n by the way,” though your voice came out much more strangled than you’d intended.

Catching your flickering eye a moment before turning the key, he likewise enlightened, “Pete.”

Your bottom lip didn’t escape the prison of your teeth the entire ride, gnawing subconsciously at it as you purposely stare out at the wild flora you passed in order to not look at the advantageous stranger.

Though after you passed the crooked sign welcoming you back to your small hometown, Pete’s gruff voice broke the silence.

“So, where can I drop you off?”

“The inn,” you turned your head to inform him, “the Lilac Inn, if you know where that is.”

“Yeah, I know it,” he nodded, sucking in a knowing breath as if he didn’t need any more information to figure you out, “so you’re a tourist? One of those nature people who come out here to hike or something?”

“Not exactly,” was all the explanation you offer as you watched the familiar scenery come into view.

Dunbrook. To call it a town was very generous indeed as the whole population could properly fit under the same roof if they really wanted to, and they often did. The rolling fields of wildlife that surrounded the village also divided and broke up the infrastructure of the old settlement, causing most of the homes and businesses to not all the clustered together as you had grown accustomed to seeing after moving to a metropolis as vast as New York.

Every familiar structure rolling by evoked memories long ago buried and forgotten. The corner where you fell learning how to ride a bike. The quaint general store where you once stole a lollipop, walked for all of 48 seconds before turning right back and apologising to the owner with tears in your eyes. But most of all, the large Victorian structure at the bottom of the tiny town by far held the fondest of memories in your heart.

The dust puffed up around the truck as you rolled down the narrow dirt road, the bushy lilac trees that flourished all over the property haven not quite yet come into bloom, yet still forewarned your destination that already peaked over the tops.

“Here it is,” Pete exhaled as the car came to a stop before the vast veranda, “the Lilac Inn.”

Eyes glued to your childhood home, you stepped out of the truck, “thank you,” slamming the door shut, you turned to add awkwardly through the rolled down window, “and also thank you for not turning out to be an axe murderer or something,” a nervous laugh swiftly bubbling out at the notion.

Glancing back at your bumbling form, he simply flashed you a tight-lipped smile and said, “you have a good trip, ma'am.”

“You too–, I mean, you have a good, uhm, rest of your life,” you fumbled as your feet slowly backed up, “it was nice meeting you, Pete.”

“Yeah, you too,” he just managed to reply before you spun your mortified flush away from his stare and scurried up the steps of the porch.

Pushing the creaky, stained glass adorn front door open, you tiptoed inside.

The lighting dim and the atmosphere nothing short of comforting, a smile finally bloomed upon your lips as you let out the breath you’d been holding for who knows how long.

Peeking around the corner into one of the sitting rooms, you only spotted one patron sitting by the small round table next to the crackling fireplace, working away at a puzzle. Either the others had gone to bed already or this fellow was the only one staying here.

“Excuse me,” you gently interrupted from the archway, “would you happen to know where the owner, Harvey, is–”

Though before you managed to get out the remainder of the sentence, a bustle from the kitchen answered your question for you, “every time I forget to whisk long enough and every time I say it’s gonna be different, but this time I mean it!”

Sharing a knowing look with the guest, you chuckle, “never mind…”

“This time I won't just stop when my arm feels like it’s gonna fall off,” even though it was clear he was talking to himself, his usual vibrato still carried, “oh no, no, you just wait and see how light and fluffy you turn out this time, cake!”

Poking your head through the ajar door, you spotted the familiar greying man grumbling into the contents of the bowl he was furiously beating with a whisk.

“Dad?”

Nearly jumping out of his skin, your father gasped, whisk jolting upright as he laid his eyes upon you, subsequently splattering some batter across the kitchen, back near the sink, “Y/n?” he exclaimed, his eyes growing to the size of saucers, “is that really you? Is my little baby girl really standing in my kitchen or is this a hallucination?”

“Hi,” your head tilted in a soft chuckle.

Starring at you as if you were just a newborn puppy, “oh, come here, munchkin and give your pops a hug!” the moustachioed man’s arms went wide and pulled you in, dripping whisk still in his hand as he blubbered into your hair, “ah, I’ve missed you so much,” squeezing your form in the magical way that only parents could, “I haven’t heard from you in, well I don’t even know how long, that’s how long and if you ask me then that’s too long,” he pulled back, cupping your cheek as he gazed at you, “you don’t write, you don’t call.”

“Not true, I do write,” you corrected him light-heartedly, “and you don’t have a cellphone.”

“Well, there’s the telephone out in reception, why would I need more?” he shrugged, lending you to then slip out of his grip, swiftly boosting your own form to hop onto one of the empty counters, “also, your last letter was 10 months ago.”

“No, it wasn’t, was it?” you gasped, thinking back.

“You can check the date, they’re still in the cookie tin up there,” he gestured to one of the top shelves before reuniting the whisk in his grip with the large bowl on the table.

Only briefly glancing up at the enamel box, you already knew that you didn’t wanna revisit them. However vague the letters were, which they always were, you were still certain that they’d have the power to send you right back there into Preston’s iron fist, even though you’d never even mentioned him once in all the years you’d been with him. They only ever really contained small talk and pleasantries, never about something so personal as to whom you were dating, but you also didn’t share at all as things took a turn for the worse, when you were in so deep that you felt like you couldn’t escape. Perhaps it was out of pride, perhaps it was to shield him from the truth, or maybe even in a way yourself, not admitting to the fiend you had welcomed into your own bed, creating some false reality as a coping mechanism.

Averting your gaze, you then uttered softly, “I’m really sorry dad,” gliding your right thumb over the jagged edge of the counter as you gripped onto it with both fists.

“Ah, it’s fine,” he waved a hand, “you’re young, out there living your life. You shouldn’t have to check in with your father every few seconds. I am aware that you’re 29 after all. Although, you know I wouldn’t be a pose to just a little bit more…” he winked, playfully bumping the side of his hip against your shin before picking up the speed of the whisk once more, “so, did I forget it’s my birthday or did you just miss your old man?” his jovial glance flickered between you and the batter.

“Can I stay here a while? I just need some place to,” lay low, “figure things out, you know?”

Whisk halting, his gaze upon you grew in concern, “of course you can, honey. Is everything okay? What’s wrong?”

“I’m okay, I just–, uh… needed a change,” not looking him in the eye, you spoke, “I don’t know to where or what I’m gonna do next, but I do know that I don’t wanna go back,” you felt a lump of emotion swell up in your throat, “and I won’t just stay here for free, I’ll pay you rent,” you tried to appease the stubborn sensation of being a nuance to everyone, even to your own kin, “though I don’t really have any money right now, so I’d have to get a job first, but that’s fine, I’ll figure something out–”

“Oh, don’t be ridiculous,” your father cut you off, “you can stay here as long as you want, it never stopped being your home even when you moved away. Still keep your room exactly the same, just in case,” he offered you a warm smile, his silver moustache stretching wider, “how about you just give me a hand around here, huh?”

“Alright,” you exhaled, “deal.”

His grin turning more mischievous, he then noted slyly, “you know I’ve always dreamed of you taking over this place one day, running the family business…”

Rolling your eyes, you chuckled, “not this again…”

“Just think about, you could–”

“Dad, I’m not gonna take over the inn! Running a place like this isn’t what it used to be back when your parents opened it up. You might have always been dead set on taking over it, but I haven’t.”

“I know, I know,” he gracefully backed down again as he always did, “you want adventure, isn’t that what you called it when you went away for college?”

Adventure… it was that kind of philosophy that had sent an innocent young girl into the arms of a devil…

#lea’s writing #lilac series #lumberjack!frank castle #frank castle x reader #frank castle imagine #frank castle x you #frank castle x y/n #frank castle x female reader #frank castle x fem!reader #frank castle x f!reader #frank castle fic #the punisher fic #frank castle fanfiction #the punisher x reader #frank castle fluff #frank castle series #frank castle angst #lumberjack au #frank castle hurt/comfort

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marymary-diva17 · 6 months

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Where is she (2)

Miles quaritch x ex wife reader + spider and recoms

Miles and his team were on a mission to avenge you and the death, that had fallen upon you from Jake sully and his navi friends. None of them had yet to see they are being used by Parker and that the whole military and them had been lied about your so called death. Right now that was something to handled later, as right now you were in the forest with your son along with nephews and nieces.It seems like no one knew that this day was going to change everything for everyone one and life might never be the same.

Y/n " tuk don't wonder to far"

tuk " yes aunt y/n"

y/n " good sweetie I don't wish to cut off your fun but we have to be careful"

tuk " yes auntie" tuk smiled towards you as she went to chase some fan lizards, making you smile as you went back to doing your work.

y/n "come on let go find your siblings and cousins I hope they are not getting in trouble" you soon started walking toward where the older kids had ran off to be, placing a comforting hand on tuk back as you walking with her. All the sully kids had become your nieces and nephews as you are best friends with Jake and neytiri, they as well become uncle and aunt to spider.

tuk " auntie y/n is it true you were once married like my daddy and mama" you were shocked by tuk question but you knew you had to give her some type of answer.

y/n " yes I was once married like you dad and mom but I lost him, many years ago"

tuk " oh I'm sorry auntie I heard uncle norm and daddy talking about you and him"

y/n " it okay honey there no need to worry everything is fine" tuk smiled towards you she felt bad but once, she heard it wad okay she was happy again. You soon heard yelling and laughing it was definitely your son and the other kids.

tuk " we found them auntie we found them"

y/n " well go join them sweetie and see what they are doing" tuk soon ran off to join the older kids you soon reach, the area to see the kids swimming in the water and running under a water fall.

y/n " hello kiddos it seems like you all are having a wonderful time" s

spider " hey mom" you smile looking at your son as he had pushed lo'ak into the water. the kids seem to be having a good time soon kiri came out of the water and walked towards you.

kiri " hello auntie"

y/n " hello my sweet girl have you kids been having a good time"

kiri " yes we bene having a good time swimming and seeing what the, great mother has to offer us" kiri had a very close bond with lo'ak and spider as all three three had five finger and eyebrows. They were able to bond over that and become friends when other kids didn't wish to play with them.

kiri " tuk be careful"

tuk " I'm being careful kiri" you smile and shake your head a the four children played in the water a bit longer, it made you happy to see them still being kids and not letting the war effect them.

y/n " as much I wish for you kids to have fun all day we most head home before night fall, we don't need everyone worry about you guys"

sully kids " yes auntie"

spider " yes mom"

y/n " come children come we should be heading home now" the kids soon got out of the water and after drying off, them and you soon headed back home.

y/n " well come on and if we are lucky maybe we will find some adventure on our way home, and it will be good to see what new moves you kids came up with for climbing and running" Lo'ak and spider had ran ahead of the group racing each other.

lo'ak " aunt y/n" you soon heard lo'ak calling you and soon ran toward him and spider as they were kneeling down and looking at something.

y/n " what the matter" you ran toward the two as they were looking at something, you soon spot it and what you saw a massive shot print.

loak “ it to big to be a human shoe”

spider “ then it most be a avatar shoes”

loak “ it can’t be they don’t do that far and, some of them don’t ware shoes outside that much anymore”

y/n “ come on we have to get home right now” the children soon took off running with you, as you were looking out of danger.

y/n “ get down here kids loak call your dad” the children hide down low as you heard something coming towards the family.

loak “ dad said he coming with the others”you had nodded your head and soon you heard Tuk screaming.

???? “ drop your weapons drop them” you soon saw avatar in RDA uniform holding weapons, and yelling at the group. These avatar are holding the kids hostage but failed to see you, and watching your son and nieces and nephew being held by the rda made your blood boil.

????? " Three teens and kid colonel" you were looking at the rda and their faces were faces that you knew so well, you are looking at them but saw one of them coming near your son.

????? " where is Jake sully toruk makto"

y/n "let them go" you were pointing a arrow that these rda as they all looked at you, as you stand there your voice had gotten them off guard.

y/n " I said let them go or you will see mt rage if any harm comes to them ... so let them go now"

quaritch " y/n"

y/n " quaritch" you were looked at your so called dead husband as she soon. let lo'ak go and soon walked towards you, he was shocked to see you are alive and well.

quaritch " how is this real you are supposed to be dead"

y/n " free the children now"

mansk " the kids are free to go" the recoms soon let the kdis go as they ran towards you, and you had check on them each looking over them.

y/n " good you are all okay thank you great mother" you were looking that the recoms you dead husband and dead friends were now alive.

z-dog " how are you alive they told us you were dead"

tuk " she not dead she alive"

Lopez " look at those three kids hands they have human DNA in them"

spider " don't touch us and don touch her"

quaritch " easy there kid we know her" quaritch was trying to grab your hand and feel if you were real, he touch you finger tips and knew you are real.

tuk " auntie"

y/n " don't worry my love come on you all are coming with us"

lyle " okay"

lo'ak " dropp the weapon and leave them" the recoms looked at each other and soon at the boy who was ordering them around.

y/n " do what he says or when the other comes it will look bad" the rocks dropped their weapon and looked at you, they so badly wanted to hug you and talk with you.

y/n " now come we most leave now before night time comes and none of you will make it" you soon took off home with the recoms and the kids. None of you all will reach home when a call had been made getting everyone attention.

y/n " well I hope you all can explain yourself to the clan and Jake sully"

quaritch " wait what happing" soon the recoms had been shocked when many warriors soon came out of nowhere and soon surrendered the recoms.

neytiri " children" neytiri ran towards all the children and you checking up on all of them, and being followed by neteyam.

tuk " mama we are okay auntie made sure we were safe and made these soldiers drop their weapons"

neytiri " y/n"

y/n " I'm okay"

quaritch : hello miss sully it good to see you are alive ad I'm guessing these kids are you ... wow you and Jake have been busy" neytiri looked at the demon man and soon pushed you and the children behind her.

neytiri " demon I will make you die again if you come near any of these children and y/n ... you have done enough harm"

Jake " neytiri"

y/n " Jake"

Jake " so you all are alive my son was not lying" The recoms were looking at Jake he had changed as well, it had been many years since everyone last saw each other.

quaritch " it good to see you again Jake sully"

Jake " no more words from you now come we will bring you with us, we head home now everyone" the group soon headed home as the recoms were confuses about everything that was going on, soon reaching the home tree and the recoms were hissed that by all the adults.

neytiri " children head home now" the kids knew there was no fighting and soon headed home, as you were attending the meeting that was happening.

Jake " how are you all alive you dead fifteen years ago and now you are back here"

quaritch " the rda had some chips with our memories and after a while we came back from the dead in navi bodies"

neytiri " demons"

y/n " so how long has you all been back from the dead"

quaritch " for a day when we were told it had bene fifteen years it was shock to us all"

y/n " so you were sent to hunt down Jake and everyone else so the rda can take, over the planet and destroy all it wonder and beauty"

lyle " yes but we also came to get revenge for you"

norm " revenge for y/n why" everyone was looking at the recoms as they ere standing there explaining themselves.

z-dog " we told you were killed my Jake and navi they your own friends and navi had betrayed you, and it lead to you death"

quaritch " your death and the death of our unborn child"

y/n " that was lie Parker has lied to you all the rda almost killed me and my son, but I lived as the navi saved my life and you came here to harm them"

lyle " we meant no harm we thought we were getting revenge for you, we thought we lost you you are special to us"

y/n " oh lyle"

mo'at " it seems like these former husband have been given, a second chance now we most teach them out ways in exchange they will help us as well"

navi elder " no we shouldn't help them"

mo'at " I know we all have out own feelings about them but one of them is y/n mate and she a member of the clan ... so we most offer them help"

navi elder 2 " it will be her decision if she chose for them to stay or leave"

y/n " them coming here and dropping their weapon has deemed them a failure to the rda, sending them awya will be cruel and they still hold a special place in my heart"

Jake " then it agreed one but they will be watched closely as we don't need them causing anymore issues for any of us"

neytiri " I will let this decision happen as I owe so much to you y/n. but one wrong move against you or the children and I will fight back"

y/n " thank you neytiri" the meeting was called to end and you soon started taking the recoms to where they will be living, none of them were saying anything.

y/n " you all will be staying here it big enough for all of you"

quaritch " thank you so much"

y/n " my home is a few feet away so if anything happens call me for help"

z-dog " yes"

y/n " there will be some change for clothes for you all to wear, as you will need to get rid to these they smell horrible"

lopez " it good tp have our girl back with us"

quaritch " y/n I was wondering if we can talk there as been so much, left unsaid between us both"

y/n " yes that ie true but you ...."

????? " mom" everyone soon got quite when they heard a teenage boy voice, everyone soon turn around and saw the teen boy from early today.

y/n " spider"

spider " I came to see you when aunt neytiri told me you will be home, what are they doing here did you come to hurt my mom"

y/n " no my son everything is fine there no need to worry"

mansk " I most be getting my hearing right or misunderstanding words but did he call you mom"

y/n " yes spider is my son he is fifteen years old born shortly after the war"

quaritch " wait he your kid ... he my kid you had a boy"

y/n " yes I was going to tell you but you had left caring more about the war and human greed" quaritch was looking at you as you stood there with with your hands on spider shoulder.

quaritch " hello spider ... should I call you son or kid" spider looked at quaritch and said nothing, as there was dead silence.

spider " mom I'm going inside I can start on the cooking fire" you had nodded your head as spider soon walked off and into the home, leaving you with your former husband and friends.

y/n " There is some fruit waiting inside for you all to eat and the dried out meat, it will be good and keep you well feed until tomorrow"

z-dog " thank you we have some food as well that can maintain us well"

y/n " okay I will see you all tomorrow if anything comes up plase come find me or speak to me tomorrow" there was nothing else need to be said as the recoms soon walked inside their home, you help them with a few other things before you left for home. It seems like miles and the recoms wish to speak more to you, but it was to late as you were gone maybe they will have a better chance in the morning.

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oh-goddess-of-chaos · 1 year

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⠀ 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐑 – 𝐣. 𝐝. 𝐱 𝐟𝐞𝐦!𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐬 ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✧‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ (navi. & masterlist. & tag. )

「 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 」 yandere!jason dean 𝒙 female!reader

「 𝐬𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬 」 being the new girl at a school can be difficult, especially during the middle of the year and in a place with a rigid social structure such as westerburg high, but things can only seem to worsen when you start feeling as though you're being watched.

「 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 」 general themes from heathers the movie such as bullying, mentions of suicide, murder (c'mon, it's a heathers fic, what did u expect?), usage of guns, kissing, stalking, attempted rape (kurt n' ram), swearing , usage of drugs such as cigarettes, unconsensual kissing (doesn't get further than that in this), very slight insinuations to sex (spoken), the whole shebang.

「 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 」 4.5k

「 𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐧'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞 .⁺ ˖ ⌒ (slight spoilers) i wanted to make the reader decently perceptive and sarcastic this one, but nearing the end i definitely made her rationality kinda disappear since that's what fear can do to a person. jd is more based off movie jd, and so is veronica.

Joining a new school midway through the school year was, to say the least, unideal.

You and your parents had just gotten the wonderful opportunity to move to the quaint town of Sherwood, Ohio, somewhere you all were essentially forced to go since your father had been promoted by his job and your family was strapped for cash. And, sure, your house was bigger and nicer than your last, but you'd had to leave all your friends you'd been with since your childhood, which was difficult.

To add to all of that, the people were unfriendly and rude, and the weather was tolerable at best. Though your old home wasn't perfect by any means, it was most certainly better than where you were living now.

And now, here you were, standing before your new high school, knowing perfectly nothing about it or what to expect yet still expecting it to be one of the worst schools you've gone to. The odd stares your fellow students were shooting you seemed to be indicative of that.

Oh, good grief.

You sighed as you entered, only to immediately crinkle your nose in disgust as you were hit with the pleasant aroma of sweaty jocks and what you could only guess were something akin to rotting bodies. Speak of the devil, you thought to yourself as you were almost hit by what you guessed were two football players dashing down the hallways.

This was going to be a long rest of the year.

You were quick to shove past the students to get to the front office, keen on getting your class schedule and getting to your class as early as you could. You'd only just gotten here and yet already you wanted to go home, though you supposed that that was how high school normally operated. It was never something anyone particularly enjoyed. Most people just managed to tolerate it enough to attend the next day.

"Hello, I'm looking to get my schedule?" You said once you'd reached your destination, crossing your arms as you stared at the woman at the front desk. Focused upon her own work, she offered you no response. You pursed your lips.

"Excuse me?" You spoke, louder this time, a hint of annoyance in your voice.

Apparently you weren't the only one unhappy to be at Westerburg high today, as the woman, seemingly irked, slowly craned her head to face you. "Yes?"

She seemed an unpleasant sort of woman, a frown etched permanently upon her wrinkled face. You wondered what the other teachers must look like, and if they resembled her by any means.

"This is my first day here. I need my class schedule."

"Name?"

"Y/n L/n."

The woman nodded and typed something into her computer. She then pointed to the printer. "Wait over there. Your class schedule is printing right now. Once it's finished, just go to your first class. The class numbers are listed on the right side."

"Well, is anyone going the help me find my way around?"

Your question was only met with silence. "Fine, I'll find it on my own. After all, why would I ever need the help of a teacher, anyway? It's not like I'm new to this school or anything." You grumbled before grabbing your schedule and exiting.

Luckily, navigating the school was a relatively simple task. The numbers on every door and the maps plastered on the walls definitely helped, and you were able to find your history class before the bell rang.

"Here's your textbook, Ms. L/n." The teacher said to you the moment you told her your name. Silently, you nodded, deciding to take a seat somewhere in the middle of the classroom as you waited for class to begin.

Something seemed off, though, as the lecture began and you jotted down nearly everything you heard. You could sense eyes boring into the back of your skull, like daggers piercing through your mind, and it inhibited your focus. You could hardly pay any attention to the teacher as she went on and on about some war you didn't even know the name of. And so, discreetly enough, you 'grabbed' something from you bag, staring over your shoulder briefly in an attempt to see if anyone really was watching you.

And, as it seemed, someone was. You managed to spot them - or him, to be more specific. Uncannily dark eyes stared back at you, blank and hollow. It made your stomach sink. Quickly, then, you retrieved an object from your school bag and continued with your notes to the best of your abilities. Unfortunately, though, you couldn't get that kid's sharp gaze out of your mind. Something about it - something about him - was off, though you couldn't quite place what it was. And, sure, from what you could see he dressed somewhat oddly - a dark trench coat adorning his shoulders, covering his already black pants and shirt - but it was more than just the way he was dressed. You knew it.

You gave up on the matter minutes after you were done with US History. As much as you were curious at the time, you could care less if some creep was watching you. It wasn't like you didn't have your fair share of those back at your old school - you just supposed that they didn't seem so outward about it. After all, you'd stared at that kid - caught him right in the act, but he didn't look away, didn't flinch, just kept staring. Looking back on it, you were convinced that you'd caught the glimpse of some sort of smile. But, as you'd mentioned, what was done was done. You'd only have to deal with him for 45 minutes every day for the rest for the year, at worst.

Sighing, you dropped your bag beside you as you sat down on one of the sticky cafeteria benches, secluded from everyone else. Although you knew you could've tried to make friends during your classes, you were aware of the truth about social politics in high school: halfway through the year, friendships were already sealed airtight and people were much less open to saying 'hi' to a new face, so you didn't even bother. And, sure, the seating was horrible, but you weren't about to make a fool of yourself, especially on your first day.

The food at Westerburg High was - albeit surprisingly - quite alright, and you found yourself somewhat enjoying it. Disregarding the horrible smell and the violently loud chatter, you supposed the cafeteria and lunch as a whole was okay.

That was, at least, until you caught sight of that kid who'd been staring at you in history. You hadn't even noticed he was there at first, but there he was, halfway across the cafeteria, staring blatantly right at you. This time, though, he was just smiling - smirking, even, and it unnerved you.

What is wrong with this guy?

The rest of the week went by like this. On your way to class, you'd always see him in the halls, eyes locking with yours as you passed him. Or getting your books from your locker - he'd always be there, eyes glued to your form. He wasn't even doing anything, was simply fixated on you. It made you shiver, the looks he gave you at first.

Now, however, it was almost expected. You'd anticipate dark eyes boring into your skull and the fumes of cigars to follow you in class, or truly just anywhere around school, just as you would expect your shadow to follow you in the sunlight. And, as annoying as it was the every first day, now it was eerie. You didn't have to look over your shoulder to know you were being watched, but when you did, you'd surely freeze out of both paranoia and fear. While, yes, you'd expected this year of high school to be your worst yet, never had you expected for it to be to such an extent.

Your fear later festered when he pulled a blank on two jocks in the cafeteria. Although you knew blanks couldn't truly hurt them, you shuddered to think what he'd do if he really wanted to cause some damage.

Things got worse still when the kid started dating the infamous Veronica Sawyer, not quite a Heather but not quite anything else either. Gossip around the school grew mad about the unconventional couple, and you soon learned the name of the kid who never did seem to leave you alone: Jason Dean, or 'J. D.' as everyone knew him.

Now, whenever you'd see J. D., he'd always be accompanied by his girlfriend, Veronica. He never did stop staring, though, resulting in numerous glares coming from Veronica's way.

So much for being tolerated by the popular crowd.

School had then became a living hell for you, because if one Heather didn't like you, none of them did, making life going unnoticed near impossible. Now, no matter where you were, someone was either glaring or gazing at you, their intentions vague and unclear.

Things then got particularly bad when Heather Chandler became a sort of enemy of yours. You weren't sure what you did to irk specifically her, but, whatever it was that you did, she most certainly hated you, more so than Veronica, even. Not a day went by without a rude confrontation by her, and you could name several instances when she'd embarrassed you in front of the school.

But then, one day, she was gone.

Suicide. At least, that's what they said it was, but you knew too many people hated that bitch for it to be so. All it would take was a teenager driven insane enough by her to be driven to such a point, and considering the state of Westerburg high, you didn't doubt for a moment that the queen bee of the school essentially prompted her own death.

So, yeah. You knew her suicide was faked. Not that you were going to report it to the cops - you weren't planning on stirring up more drama - but you weren't stupid enough to be fooled by such a thing. And, besides, though you'd never admit it aloud, you were glad she was dead, in an odd way. Now you had at least one less person to make your life at this sorry school miserable.

So, life was okay for a while. People got too busy about mourning Heather's death to notice a nobody like you. Other than that creep J. D. and his jealous girlfriend stalking the halls, life was tolerable.

But when you're at the top, the only way you can go is down. And that's where you went. Down. All the way to rock bottom.

You didn't know how to put it in lighter terms, so here it was: You were almost raped. By Kurt and Ram, to be more exact.

Apparently, J. D. wasn't the only one who had an eye on you, and with all your attention focused on him (since you were so damn paranoid) you'd failed to notice the two jocks that also seemed to have been interested by you.

It was late at night. You were walking home from some house you'd babysat at as a favor, and two guys started following you. You didn't think much of it at first - just tried to forget about it and cool your nerves, but then they started to get faster, and faster, and you did too, until suddenly you were running, and then, almost abruptly, the two jocks had grabbed your arms and startled forcing you elsewhere. You screamed and fought, but no one was around to hear you.

You could only imagine the other 'nobodies' they must have done this to.

You remembered vividly your horror as the two piled themselves on top of you, eager to rip your clothes off. But, just as they were about to do so, a gun shot rang out, and then another. Frozen in terror, you didn't even move as you felt the boys' bodies go limp over you. You were only able to move when you felt a hand grab onto your own and force you up and get you back on your feet.

"Thank you," you barely managed to sputter out once the initial shock wore off.

"Go," is all the figure replied. A man, you presumed. You couldn't see his face, though, covered by the dark lighting. And so, dazed and confused, you obliged, not thinking twice about the words spoken to you.

The next day, though, was when things truly got out of hand.

Kurt and Ram, supposedly, had died in some gay love pact, wherein they killed each other. Hearing the news over the TV your parents played, you felt sick to your stomach. But, there they lied on the screen, a bag of supposed 'homosexual artifacts' and a suicide note to tie it all together.

And the whole town ate the story up.

You didn't go to school for about the next week or so. You told your parents that you were sick, and even though they knew you weren't, they still called in sick for you, able to detect that you weren't exactly feeling well mentally.

The week of repose was good, too. You were able to gather yourself up, not to the point where you didn't fear what could have happen had your savior not came to the rescue, but to the point where you could suppose that you were grateful that you wouldn't have to answer any questions from the police.

But now, at least for now, you knew you'd be safe.

* * *

You let out a soft sigh as you landed on your bed, curling into your warm sheets as a way of seeking comfort. At least you were safe and secure at home, you supposed, your parents only a relatively quiet yell away and your windows locked for good measure. If school was your hell, then you would consider home your heaven, away from the Heathers, away from J. D., away from everyone.

Turning off your light, you sank into your pillow in a desperate sort of way, clinging to it as if it were your lifeline. You'd hardly been getting sufficient sleep within the past weeks, so it didn't take long for you to fall into oblivion, the abyss of sleep consuming you whole in minutes.

So deeply unaware of your surrounding now, you didn't even hear quiet footsteps entering your bedroom.

J. D. was, to say the least, unsure what made him drawn to you in the first place. Maybe it was your calm and uncaring demeanor, or maybe it was the way you seemed to pick up on things through simple observation so easily, similarly to him. Whatever it was, he most certainly found you interesting. And, somehow, he could simply tell that there was something different about you - something like him that he saw in you, and it intrigued him to no end.

No matter how paranoid you were, you were never completely aware of J. D.'s reach in your life. When he'd watch you when you were at home, he'd remain particularly clever, knowing that if he was caught there was a high chance that he'd get into some really deep shit. Staring at a girl in school every day was one thing, but following her home? That was much more serious, and required a much less conspicuous plan.

But, alas, his plan paid off, and J. D. smiled knowingly as he stared at your vulnerable figure, taken over by a much needed sleep. You simply looked so perfectly innocent like that, something he couldn't wait to ruin once he had the chance.

J. D. laughed euphorically as he continued to just stare at you, unsure if he still had his wits about him but uncaring at the very same time. Perhaps all the cigars he had been smoking really were getting to him. But he knew what he needed to do before he brought you with him. So, quietly, resisting the urge to kiss your pristine lips, J. D. raced out of your bedroom, your door that was previously shut left open behind him.

Unfortunately for him, however, he'd forgotten that you were often a light sleeper that woke up at different intervals in the night, so when a particularly cool gust of wind came in through your open window, you were startled awake.

"What the fuck?" You muttered under your breath as you drowsily peeled your eyes open, squinting them as you stood up to close the window, before pausing and wondering how on earth your window had opened. After all, your parents never came into your room late at night as far as you were concerned, and you had locked your window when you'd fallen asleep, so how could it have opened?

It was at that very moment, too, that the faint smell of smoke wafted through the room, and you froze.

Sure, you knew you were paranoid, and that maybe fear had gotten the better of you, but you also knew that a potentially dangerous kid had been staring at you ever since you got to school and that it would be idiotic for you to assume that he had no malicious intentions.

Your stomach then tightened up once you noticed your open bedroom door. So, yes. It was possible that maybe your assumptions were idiotic, but you'd be a fool to not go with your gut when the most it'd cost you was some short-lived embarrassment, especially considering what could have happened with Kurt and Ram. So, quietly, you exited your bedroom, looking down the hallways of the upstairs floor as to reassure that the coast was clear.

It was.

More silently than you've ever done so before, then, you tip-toed to your parents bedroom, hoping to either alert them of an intruder or ask them what the were doing. But, just as you were about to open their door, footsteps were heard on the other side - not your mother's quiet, considerate ones, nor your father's loud, heavy ones, but a different kind.

Fuck.

As fast as you could, you dashed into the nearest room, leaving the door only just barely open as to not allow it to make any sound. From your parent's room exited a dark silhouette, wearing what you guessed was a trench coat and with only the burning edge of a cigarette as a light source plucked between two fingers.

You were right. You were fucking right. No other than Jason Dean was in your house, and right now, he was heading right for your bedroom, most likely intending to kill.

You needed to think fast.

My parents - right, my parents. They keep a gun in their bedroom.

You were shaking. Yes, your parents showed you were they kept the gun in the case of an emergency, but you'd never been taught how to use it.

As quietly as you could, you dashed over to your parents bedroom, closing the door behind you. And, even though you knew you didn't have the time, you took a moment to catch your breath. God, you couldn't breathe. And neither could your parents, as it seemed, when you looked over at their limp corpses sprawled in the bed. Slowly, you retracted the covers from their bodies, only to find a wet pool of blood that lay beneath them and their slit throats.

They were dead. J. D. had fucking killed your parents. You felt your knees buckle underneath you as you caressed your mother's lifeless face, her eyes never to once again open.

"Mom..." You whimpered, not caring if her blood stained your fingers. But then, you paused, realizing that, if you didn't speed up, you could be next.

Fuck, fuck, fuck! I really need to find a weapon or a way out of here. I only have so much time before he finds me.

You suppressed a scream as you then scoured their bedroom in search of the gun safe, not keen on wasting any more time, but to your dismay, you couldn't find it.

They must have moved it from last year - fuck! - what else could they have?

Your eyes then landed on your father's esteemed baseball bat. You'd remember him talking about it, the pride radiating from him as he explained how it was the first bat he used to hit a home run with in high school.

Well, sorry dad.

Picking up what was now a weapon and placing it in such a way that would allow you to swing at a moment's notice, you slowly sauntered out of your parent's bedroom and into the hallway.

Your blood ran colder and colder as you approached your bedroom door, until, finally, you did, and raised the baseball bat even higher as to deliver the hardest blow on the boy that stood before you.

"You know, it would have probably been better if you'd stayed hiding," you then heard J. D. speak, turning around and raising an eyebrow at the bat in you hands. "You know, that isn't going to do much against a gun."

Time seemed to stop, and all you could stare at was the gun that sat loosely in J. D.'s hand. He was going to fucking kill you.

"Oh, don't worry, I'm not going to use it on you," he then reassured coyly, as if reading your mind. "It's just a necessary... precaution. Now, why don't place the bat down so we can talk."

"I could scream."

J. D. seemed to smile at this and clicked his tongue, as if scolding you. "Now, would you really like to have someone else's blood on your hands like that? Just because I'm not going to shoot you doesn't mean I won't shoot anyone else. It'd be a shame if anyone had to die because of you."

Silence.

"Good, now... place the bat down."

Nodding, you complied, slowly placing your only means of defence on the ground.

"Okay, okay," you mumbled, trying to calm your racing heart down. Though you doubted it, you supposed that there was a chance that, if you could calm down enough, you could convince J. D. to leave you alive.

J. D. grinned. "Now, darling, why don't you come right here."

If you could've moved, you most certainly would've. After all, you'd seen that gun in J. D.'s hand. You knew what it could do. But you were frozen by fear, and no amount of rationality was going to move you.

"Now, this would all be, uh, a lot easier if you'd just come with me, because I'd hate to have to man-handle - " J. D.'s words cut short as he watched you, nearly stunned, as you bolted past him and towards the window. But he was quick to recoup his bearings, cocking the gun (for good measure) and grab onto your leg, successfully dragging you towards the ground. You grunted in pain upon your head slamming against the hardwood floor, the beginnings of a bruise already starting to appear.

Now only partially unconscious, it took you a long while to notice the tongue now prying apart your mouth and the chapped lips pressed against your own. You'd only really noticed when you realized that you couldn't breathe, and you let out a strangled groan as you tried to detach yourself from the figure above you, but to no avail. J. D. merely slid his tongue deeper down your throat, inhibiting you from screaming or making any other noise as he kissed you roughly.

You thrashed and flailed under his touch, but nothing was enough to free yourself from him. He was faster, stronger, and had the firearm in this situation. You stood no chance. So, with a heavy heart, you moved pliantly underneath J. D.'s touch, hoping he'd at least go a little easier on you at the very least.

And then, with bated breath, you observed as he stopped, and, hovering above you, took something out of his pocket. At first, fearing it was a gun, you began to once again fight against him, but then paused upon not recognizing the silhouette of the object in his hand.

"You know, as much as I'd like to continue this, I did come here for a reason." J. D. stared at you, no ounce of sympathy as he spoke his next words. "You know, it'd have been a hell of a lot easier if you'd just fucking stayed asleep."

Without so much as a moment to respond, a wet rag was forced upon your face. Confused at first, you lied still, before realizing what it must have been drenched it. You were now even more urgent in your fighting of J. D. (if that was even possible), punching and kicking him wherever you could. But he didn't budge, simply kept a firm grip on the rag.

"Shhh, it's fine, I won't hurt ya," he reassured, "Not unless I need to, of course."

But you didn't hear him, your consciousness already slipping as you'd only been half conscious before. You were trying to kick free, but already you were so exhausted, your adrenaline already beginning to ware off. Worse still, J. D.'s words of reassurance that you'd be fine and that everything will be alright were starting to mess with you.

You could hear him talking, but the words were muffled and blurred, and your body seemed to take everything in as if it were truth, because it was already relaxing under his cool touch. And it seemed that, the more fearful your mind grew, the more numb your body became, until, finally, you gave up your thrashing and your fighting, and sunk into J. D. harsh embrace willingly.

Upon your figure going limp, a devilish grin spread across J. D.'s face. Though he knew this was not how things were meant to occur, he was simply so happy - for he finally had you in his arms, where you belonged. And then, unable to help himself, he pressed a hungry kiss on your mouth, pleased to hear a muffled moan escape it as your tongue moved submissively under his own.

This was it! Finally - finally, after waiting for so long, you belonged to him. No more were the days when he'd have to watch you through your bedroom window, or the days where all he'd see of you were your paranoid eyes in the hallways, because, finally, here you were, in his arms, where you belonged!

Here you were at last, finally.

Finally, you were his and only his.

657 notes · View notes

justabigassnerd · 2 months

Text

Summer of Love pt. 3

Pairing - Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw x reader

Word count - 6,041

Warnings - mentions of injuries and medication, little pinch of angst, fluff, mentions of Goose and Carole

Summary - while in the final stages of recovery after a mission gone wrong, Bradley signs himself up to work at a summer camp just for something to do since Maverick has barred him from Navy work for the time being. meanwhile, you're in between jobs and figure working at a summer camp is some good experience. you meet Bradley and experience a romance you could've never expected (along with some very nosy kids)

Summer of Love masterlist

A/N - wow I'm back with a new part of Summer of Love?? this was long overdue and I kinda went off on one here so I really hope I did this series some justice with the newest part. there's actually a part in here based off something that legitimately happened to me when I worked at a summer camp in America so there's a fun fact for ya :). anyway I won't ramble, as per y'all, please send in requests, feedback, and enjoy!!!

Waking up to the sound of your alarm would normally fill you with a sense of dread at having to face a day of work, but since arriving at camp your excitement levels had been climbing with each waking moment. Today it felt like they were at an all-time high because today was finally the day that the children would arrive and camp would begin properly. You get up and change before making your way over to the dining hall to have some breakfast, greeting all your friends as you join them at the table.

“How are you guys feeling about the fact camp is going to be in full swing by tonight?” Ella asks, a clear excitement in her voice as she glances at each of you in turn, all of you nodding with wide smiles.

“I can’t wait for it to get started!” You reply, practically grinning ear to ear with excitement.

“It’s going to be one hell of an experience.” Bradley then says, his smile matching yours as the group of you continue to talk, trying to predict what the next two months could hold for you all until Kerry stands at the front of the room and addresses you all.

“Alright, you guys! As you are all aware, the kids will be arriving this afternoon so take the morning to make sure your cabins are spotless and welcoming for when the children and their parents arrive so they can feel settled the moment they arrive.” Kerry announces, looking around the room at all the excited members of staff who were eagerly anticipating the official start of the camp session.

After Kerry had finished explaining what would transpire when the children began to arrive as well as telling you what time they were due to arrive, you were all dismissed to go and finish preparing your cabins for the arrival of the kids.

You arrive back at your cabin and quickly get to work, writing out little notes for each girl assigned to your cabin and placing one on each of the beds in the cabin so the girls have a bed assigned but you weren’t going to be upset if they wanted to swap with someone else. As long as it was agreed upon and caused no arguments, you were happy for the girls to make their experience as good as possible in their own way.

Once you’ve placed the notes down on the beds, you do a sweep of the whole cabin, getting rid of any outside dirt that may have snuck its way in before wiping down all the bedside tables to rid them of dust that had settled over time. When you were satisfied that your cabin was completely tidy and looked welcoming enough, you got changed into the correct uniform you needed to be wearing for when the children arrived and made your way over to the staff lounge to relax and hang out with your friends before lunch.

Meanwhile, across the camp, Bradley was making similar preparations for his cabin. Unlike you, Bradley had not made any notes or anything similar to put on the beds. He had chosen to roughly sketch out a layout of the cabin and write names on each of the four beds in the cabin but he wasn’t going to put up much of a fight if they wanted to switch around. All Bradley could hope for was that none of the boys in his cabin had heavy gear that they would ask for a hand with. While Bradley had remembered to take his medication this time, his back was still not up to any heavy lifting tasks just yet. When Bradley was satisfied the cabin was clean after thoroughly cleaning as if he were back in the naval academy awaiting a room inspection, he changed into the appropriate uniform. He then made his way to the staff lounge as you had done.

“Hey, Bradley.” You greet him warmly the moment you notice him enter the room, smiling up at him as he crosses the room to sit on the sofa with you.

“Hey, y/n. Cabin all sorted?” Bradley asks with a smile, easing himself back against the sofa cushions as you nod your head.

“I think so. All it needs now is some campers. Are you all sorted?” You reply, smiling softly at Bradley as he mirrors your nod.

“Yeah, all sorted.” He says, smiling as you begin to talk about how excited you were for camp to start properly. Bradley thought you had the cutest smile, and that it was so cute seeing you so excited for this.

Before Bradley could continue his conversation with you, he felt his phone buzz in his pocket and he tilted his head slightly in confusion when he saw Maverick’s name displayed across his phone for a Facetime call.

“I’m so sorry, I’ve got to take this really quick.” Bradley excuses himself apologetically, grabbing his headphones from his locker and plugging them into his phone before sitting out on the porch and picking up the call.

“Hey, Mav.” He greets his godfather with a small smile.

“Hey, kid. I remembered you saying that camp officially starts this afternoon so I figured I’d get a last-minute call in before you’re too busy.” Maverick starts before Penny crosses to stand behind him, leaning over his shoulder so Bradley can see her.

“He means I reminded him.” She says, eliciting a chuckle from Bradley as she moves off camera again to continue with what she is doing.

“How’s things back home?” Bradley asks, partially curious as to how things at Top Gun have been, and partially trying to deal with his fear of missing out.

“It’s good. Pretty quiet without you and Hangman butting heads that’s for sure. But you know the Daggers, they’re able to keep me on my toes.” Maverick admits with a soft chuckle as he thinks back to all the shenanigans he’s had to put up with since becoming Captain of the Dagger Squadron.

“I never thought I’d say this, but I sort of miss butting heads with Jake. But don’t tell him I said that, his ego doesn’t need any more boosts, he gets enough from the women at the Hard Deck.” Bradley says, finding himself admitting something he thought he’d die before saying out loud.

“Your secret is safe with me Bradley. I will be honest, we do all miss you here. I wish nothing more than for you to be flying with us but I know I need to stick to my guns and let you finish up your recovery before you come back.” Maverick says, a solemn expression crossing his face as Bradley nods his head sadly.

“I understand, Mav.” Bradley says, sadness tugging lightly at his heart as he thinks of everything he is missing back in San Diego. He knew coming to work at a summer camp was his idea, and he was yet to have any regrets about it. But his heart still longed to be up in the air, flying with his friends and doing his duty.

“Your back isn’t giving you too much trouble is it?” Maverick asks quietly as if people were potentially listening in to their conversation. Bradley could only bring himself to shake his head at Maverick’s question, not trusting his voice enough to convince his godfather that his back wasn’t troubling him.

“Hey, Bradley. I just thought I’d let you know we’re heading over for lunch so you can come and join us whenever you’re ready. But don’t rush though. Finish your call whenever.” Bradley is shaken out of his pity party thoughts by your soft voice and gentle hand on his shoulder, leaning down and speaking softly so as not to cause too much of a ruckus while he’s on the phone before offering him a small smile when he looked up at you and then leaving the porch and crossing to the dining hall, Bradley’s gaze following you the whole way.

“Who was that?” Maverick’s voice snaps Bradley back to reality, feeling a slight blush cover his cheeks at being caught out.

“It was… uh- y/n.” Bradley stumbles over his words, only serving to deepen his blush as he watches Maverick raise an eyebrow.

“I see. Is y/n your girlfriend?” Maverick asks, watching and fighting back a laugh when Bradley’s eyes widen.

“No. She’s a friend who happens to be a girl. That’s it.” Bradley defends himself, trying to hide his feelings as Maverick hums in amusement, clearly not believing Bradley’s adamant denial of his feelings.

“Pete, leave Bradley alone.” Penny scolds in the background, shooting Maverick a look when he glances away from his phone to look at her, warning him to behave.

“Look Mav, I should get going if I want to get lunch before the kids arrive.” Bradley says, glancing over at the dining hall as he feels his stomach grumble at the thought of food.

“Yes, of course. Have a good time, kid. Message us when you can and I’ll keep you up to date on what the Daggers get up to.” Maverick says, smiling as he and Bradley bid each other goodbye before ending the call. Bradley pulls his headphones out with a sigh and moves to stand up, wincing when his back twinges in pain before shoving his phone back in his locker and crossing to the dining hall. He quickly plates up some food once he enters before scanning the room, unable to stop the smile from covering his face when he sees you sat with your friends, one seat free for him.

“Hey guys.” Bradley greets everyone at the table as he sits down, placing his plate down in front of him and digging in.

“Oh, Bradley you didn’t need to rush your call if you weren’t done I could’ve plated some stuff up for you.” You say apologetically, feeling bad that he ended his call so soon after you and the others came up for lunch.

“Don’t worry about it, Mav isn’t one for long calls anyway so we probably would’ve finished the call by now anyway.” Bradley says with a shrug, placing his fork down and lifting the cup of water to his lips.

“Mav? Who names their kid that?” Cameron asks, confused, glancing over at Bradley who quickly realises his slight error.

“My godfather is in the Navy, same as me. Mav is short for Maverick. That’s his callsign.” Bradley clarifies, receiving nods of understanding in response.

“Wait so if you’re in the Navy too, that means you must have a fancy callsign too. What is it then?” Nathan asks, causing a clamour of people wanting to know Bradley’s callsign as he rolls his eyes and shakes his head.

“I’ve got enough people calling me by my callsign in my day-to-day life I don’t need to add you guys into it as well. It’s staying a secret sorry guys.” Bradley shrugs with a grin as everyone jokingly groans at the lack of a callsign reveal. As you finish up your lunch together, you are suddenly aware that it’s only a matter of time before the children start to arrive so with one last good luck to each other, you leave the dining hall and head your separate ways to your cabins to await the arrival of your campers.

You wait with a smile inside your cabin, you had the door propped open so parents and children alike could see that you were inside as you busied yourself with last-minute adjustments so you didn’t look like you were just sitting around bored.

“Hello?” You hear a voice come from behind you, making you turn to face the owner of the voice, seeing two parents and their daughter between them.

“Hello, it’s so nice to meet you! What’s your name?” You greet the three happily, welcoming them into the cabin and addressing the young girl who glances down at the floor, clearly shy.

“I’m Zoe.” She says quietly, fidgeting with the hair tie on her wrist.

“Hi Zoe, I’m y/n and I’m going to be your counsellor for the summer. Would you like to find the bed with your name on it?” You introduce yourself with a gentle smile before offering her something to do as she nods, creeping towards each of the beds in turn until she eventually points out the bed with her name card on it.

“Look at that Zo, you’ve got a great view of the lake isn’t that amazing?” Her dad states, glancing out the window that sat beside her bed, wrapping his arm around his daughter and looking at the view with her.

“It’s Zoe’s first time here so she’s a little nervous since it’s her first time spending a good chunk of time away from home.” Zoe’s mother sidles up alongside you to mumble and you turn to face her.

“That is completely understandable. My job is to make sure she has a great time here.” You say with a nod, understanding her potential homesickness and shyness in a new place. You then help get her bags in before Zoe’s parents bid her goodbye, leaving you to help her unpack her things with the space she has. You made small talk with Zoe, asking her about some of the activities she had signed up for and told her about how friendly the counsellors running those activities were so she felt less nervous about them. Soon another girl entered the cabin with her parents trailing behind.

“Hi, I’m Julia!” The girl introduces herself to both you and Zoe, leading her parents into the cabin and quickly locating the bed with her name on it as if she’d done it before.

“Wow, you knew to look for the name card, guess I’m not the first one to have tried it, huh?” You joke with a laugh as Julia’s parents set her bags down by her bed.

“This is my second summer here, and my last counsellor did the same thing so I figured it wouldn’t hurt to check.” Julia says with a smile as she instantly starts to unpack her belongings.

“Well, I’m y/n and I’ll be your counsellor for the summer.” You introduce yourself to the young girl as she grins over at you. Julia’s parents mingle for a few more minutes, talking to you as Julia starts to make conversation with Zoe, helping her to break out of her shell a little as she shares some of her spare fabrics to make curtains for the windows as you smile at the interactions. Julia’s parents then said goodbye to their daughter who quickly hugged them goodbye before returning to her conversation with Zoe. Soon your last two girls arrived at the same time with their parents in tow.

“You two must be Louisa and Megan. I’m y/n, your counsellor.” You introduce yourself to the girls as you help their parents bring their bags into the cabin.

“It’s nice to meet you.” The two girls chirp in tandem, smiling and crossing to their beds and starting to unpack, introducing themselves to the others as their parents join you.

“These two have been best friends since birth. And they’ve been coming here since we found out about this camp so they definitely know how it works around here.” The woman who introduces herself as Louisa’s mother says as she watches her daughter happily interacting with her new cabinmates.

“They definitely look like they know what they’re doing.” You muse as you watch the two girls giving advice and helping Zoe and Julia set up their makeshift curtains before doing the same with the window nearest their beds before turning to you.

“Hey, y/n. Do you want some fabric for this little window here? That way you can have some privacy when you’re in your area of the cabin.” Megan asks, holding up some fabric as you glance from it to the little window that sits in the wall separating your cabin area from the girls.

“That’s a great idea, Megan. We can make them into little curtains so whenever we’re in here during the day I can have them open to keep an eye on you all.” You joke, eliciting giggles from all the girls as the parents chuckle too.

“Well, I guess we should be off then.” Both Megan and Louisa’s parents say, getting hugs from their children before bidding everyone goodbye and then heading out of the cabin to begin their journey home.

After they leave, you turn to your campers, a smile on your face as you watch them helping each other unpack and decorate the cabin.

“Alright girls, how about we get to know each other a little while we decorate? I know Megan and Louisa know each other but there’s no harm in being friends with your whole cabin is there? Why don’t we go around and everyone can introduce themself with their name and an activity they’re excited for.” You say, addressing each of the girls as they all nod glancing around each other, introducing themselves by name and naming an activity they’re excited for. Zoe was excited to learn how to waterski, Louisa was excited to horse ride, Megan was excited to audition for the camp musical, and Julia was excited to do some arts and crafts. It made you happy to hear how excited these girls were for the various activities the camp had to offer. You sat with the girls as they helped you make curtains out of the fabric Megan gave to you and once they were made you entered your part of the cabin and hung it up in the window, pulling them back and tying them back so they were open and you could see into the girls area of the cabin.

“I don’t know about you guys but I think we have the best cabin ever.”

Meanwhile, over in Bradley’s cabin he was just greeting the parents of the last boy to arrive in his cabin, he had already greeted Nick, Tom, and Alex so by process of elimination it was Lucas who had just arrived. He greeted the parents with a shake of the hand before introducing himself to Lucas and pointed out his bed so he could start to unpack.

“I hate to be a bother but Lucas’ trunk is a little heavy, we had to cart it down here. Do you think you could give me a hand bringing it into the cabin?” Lucas’ dad asks, looking very apologetic for having to ask in the first place. Bradley knew he should say no, he could picture his doctor and Maverick screaming at him to not help but Bradley couldn’t bring himself to turn down the ask for help.

“Of course, we’ll take a handle each.” Bradley says with a smile, stepping outside the cabin to where the small wooden cart with the trunk on was sitting. Bradley took one of the handles in his hand while Lucas’ dad took the other. Upon lifting it, Bradley was relieved to find out it was nowhere near as heavy as he had anticipated it to be, in fact, he was sure he could’ve carried it himself, but he couldn’t ignore the throbbing pain in his back when he lifted it so he did his best to get it into the cabin as quickly as possible.

“There we go.” Lucas’ dad says as he and Bradley put the trunk down on the floor for Lucas to begin unpacking.

“That hardly seemed like a problem for you.” Lucas’ mum praises Bradley, smiling as Bradley shakes his head with a chuckle.

“I’m pretty sure the bag I brought was heavier than that.” Bradley says with a laugh as Lucas’ parents exchange a look and laugh.

“Well, we’ll leave Lucas in your capable hands then. Have a good time son.” Lucas’ dad says, bidding goodbye to his son who says a goodbye in response before focusing on unpacking and making his bed while chatting with the other three boys in his cabin. Bradley then decides to make the effort to get to know the boys who very clearly all knew each other already and so strikes up a conversation asking what they’re looking forward to doing. Unsurprisingly, Bradley soon found out that most of the boys were excited to work on their sports skills, mostly in soccer, which meant Bradley had to make sure he was the best instructor he could be to help the boys get to the skill level they’d like to. Bradley continues to chat with his campers for a while, helping them set up their areas until he clocks the time on his watch.

“Alright guys, we should head out to the assembly point.” He says, remembering that there was a meeting to welcome everyone to camp before everyone was given the assigned table that they had to sit at for breakfast and dinner while at lunch they could sit wherever they wanted. Bradley ushers his campers out of the cabin once they’re ready and they make their way to the assembly point, finding a place to sit and waiting as more and more people arrive and find somewhere to sit. Bradley saw you arrive with your campers in tow, you had brief eye contact and you offered him a small wave before one of your campers pointed out a place you could all sit so you then followed her to the free spot.

Soon, Kerry stood before you all and welcomed all the campers to the beginning of camp, which was met with excited cheers from the campers as some began to murmur excitedly amongst each other until Kerry quietened them down, her smile still wide and welcoming. When everyone is calmed down again, Kerry explains that she’s going to call out the table number, and then the people who are sitting at that table. After she says the names, the people who were called out can go and sit at their assigned table and wait for everyone else. You all wait patiently as Kerry calls out the numbers and names.

“On table twelve we have Bradley, y/n, Molly, Jamie, Sophia, Seb, Eve, and Kevin.” Kerry calls out your name and you stand up, making your way towards the dining hall with the other people at your table, unable to suppress your smile as Bradley walks up alongside you.

“Guess we’re tablemates now.” Bradley jokes, smiling as the eight of you enter the dining hall, locating the table displaying the number twelve.

“I suppose there are worse people to be grouped with.” You say with a smile, giggling as Bradley jokingly scoffs and rolls his eyes as you all sit down at your table, waiting for the rest of the camp to go to their tables.

When everyone is sat at their tables, Kerry announces how breakfast and dinner will function. Everyone will sit at their tables after the morning and afternoon meetings and will wait as the tables are released to get their food by row, and every table is responsible for cleaning up after themselves. With the rules now established, the tables are released row by row to go and plate up their meals. When your table is released, you make your way up to the hot food bar and plate up some dinner before returning to your table and digging into your food as the rest of your table slowly returns.

“All I’m saying is the Daggers would be so jealous of the food we have here. The food in the canteen isn’t nearly as good as this.” Bradley says after a mouthful of food, glancing over at you as you nod in agreement. Knowing your friends from back home would be jealous of the food you were being served.

“What is the Daggers?” Jamie asks, looking at Bradley curiously as he exchanges a look with you, clearly unprepared for such a question.

“I’m a naval aviator and the Daggers is the name of my squadron.” Bradley explains with a small smile, seeing how the kid's eyes light up when he reveals his job to them. He is then bombarded with questions from curious kids who want to know more. They all seem to love hearing some of Bradley’s stories, he made sure to only pick the appropriate ones, mostly about his training and teammates.

“My dad used to be an aviator, his callsign was Diesel. What’s your callsign?” Sophia asks, which once again has all eyes on Bradley as he chuckles.

“That’s staying a secret from everyone. Not even the other counsellors know my callsign. I get called it enough to earn a little break.” Bradley says, earning a wave of groans and pleads with the promise it would stay a secret between the table but Bradley sticks to his guns.

“Sorry guys, some things just stay secret.” Bradley grins as he lifts his cup of water to his lips before taking a sip as there’s yet another ripple of groans from the children. You then effortlessly switch the subject and ask the kids what kinds of activities they’ve signed up for and Bradley can’t help but admire how good you are with the children and how you hold conversation with them, listening to them as if their thoughts and opinions were the most important thing to you.

Before you knew it, dinner was over and everyone made their way into the hall that functioned as a small theatre and a gymnasium to watch some of the counsellors take part in the counsellor variety show, some singing, some doing silly dances with their friends, and more. You were happy to sit at the back of the room along with the other counsellors to watch and enjoy the show. When the show was finished Kerry took to the stage to dismiss you all to head back to your cabins for the night and you gathered up your four campers and walked back up to the cabin with them while Bradley found his four.

“Are you guys good to head back to the cabin yourselves? I have something I need to do.” Bradley says and once they nod he sends them off to the cabin, instructing them to get ready for bed before he gets back, as they leave, Bradley heads in the direction of the nurse’s lodge, grabbing his medication from the bag with his name on and taking it with a swig of water before shoving it away and making his way back to the cabin where he enters his area of the cabin and changes into a pair of flannel pyjama bottoms and one of his shirts from his Navy training days before throwing on his beloved Eagles sweatshirt over the top to counter the chill he felt in the cabin. Once he was ready and checked with the boys that they had gotten changed, he entered their area of the cabin and leaned up against the wall asking how they all were.

“We’re good. Hey, what’s going on with you and y/n? You two looked really close.” Nick asks, getting a murmur of agreement from the rest of the boys while Bradley fights back a blush he knows is coming.

“We’re friends. We’ve been friendly since we met at the start of counsellor orientation.” Bradley says, not missing how the campers exchange a knowing look.

“Sure… well, Louisa from y/n’s cabin was at my table and she noticed it too so I bet she’s going to ask her as well.” Alex says, making Bradley let out a soft sigh.

“Look, don’t drag y/n into anything. We’re just here to do our jobs and make sure you guys have a good summer. It’s hard to do that when kids are bugging you about things that aren’t true.” Bradley says, an overwhelming urge to protect you from the pestering campers leaping out without a second thought.

“You sound pretty protective there, Bradley. Sure it’s because y/n is just a friend?” Tom says making Bradley roll his eyes biting his tongue so he wouldn’t seem so defensive and add fuel to their fire. All he could hope was that your campers weren’t putting you through the same interrogation.

“y/n, we saw you and Bradley laughing and chatting during dinner. Do you have a crush on him?” Louisa asks as you’re perched on the end of Zoe’s bed, book in hand to read to them as per their request.

“What?” You ask with a laugh, feeling your cheeks growing hot at the sudden question.

“All of us saw it. You were laughing and chatting with him. You totally have a crush on him.” Julia pipes up, making you let out a breathy laugh.

“We’re just friends girls. Friends laugh and talk together, especially when you’re the only two adults at the table. Bradley’s a nice guy to talk with.” You defend yourself, picking what you believe to be the most believable excuses to say as your cheeks grow hotter.

“Okay.” Megan says, all four girls exchanging a look as you open the book to the first chapter, focusing on the page to calm down before looking back up at the girls.

“Are you ready for me to start reading now?”

About forty-five minutes later, you were quietly sneaking out of your cabin after lights out. Usually, you’d be granted from ten to midnight to have off while a few other counsellors were on patrol to make sure the cabins were covered. But since it was the first night of camp, you only got an hour instead of two but you were more than okay with that. You just wanted to stargaze for a while. You made your way to a small slope in the ground near the dining hall, sitting down on the grass and looking up at the stars, a soft smile on your face as you searched for constellations.

“Room for one more?” You hear about five minutes into stargazing and you look up to see Bradley smiling down at you.

“Of course.” You say with a smile, patting the grass next to you and waiting for Bradley to sit down, fighting the urge to raise your eyebrow at the smallest hiss of pain that escaped his lips as he sat down. Once he’s sat down, you both focus your gaze on the stars, watching them shine up in the darkened sky. You felt slightly awkward with Bradley sat alongside you after the questioning you received from your campers. They had hit the nail on the head with your crush on the tall aviator, but you had no clue how he felt about you and you treasured the newfound friendship with Bradley that you were more than willing to lock your feelings away to prevent heartbreak. After a brief silence, you clear your throat slightly and speak up.

“So you’re really not going to tell anyone your callsign? Not even the kids?” You ask with a smile as you glance over at Bradley who lets out a small breathy chuckle.

“I don’t think my ego could handle my callsign being public knowledge among the campers. It’s not exactly a callsign that strikes fear into the hearts of people.” Bradley says, explaining his reasoning and you nod in understanding.

“That’s okay. I didn’t mean to make it seem like you had to tell anyone if you didn’t want to.” You apologise, shifting your gaze back to the night sky as Bradley mirrors your actions before a comfortable silence falls over the two of you.

“Rooster.” Bradley says quietly after a brief silence.

“What was that?” You ask, turning to look at Bradley who somehow seemed perfectly illuminated under the moonlight.

“My callsign, it’s Rooster.” Bradley then says, shifting his gaze to meet yours, a shy smile appearing on his face.

“Rooster… I like it. What earned you that callsign?” You ask curiously, immediately wondering if you overstepped judging by Bradley’s expression and were prepping an apology before he spoke up.

“My dad’s callsign was Goose so I wanted to keep my callsign avian. Duck or Chicken probably weren’t the best choices so I ended up with Rooster. It’s not the most terrifying of callsigns but it’s good enough for me.” Bradley explains, glancing back up at the stars, wondering if his parents were up there together watching down on him as you listen carefully to his words.

“I think it’s lovely you wanted a callsign that could connect to your dad’s. Honestly, anyone who thinks that Rooster isn’t a scary callsign clearly has never been around a rooster because those things are scary.” You say, letting out a small laugh at the end of your sentence as Bradley cracks a smile of his own.

“So, is that why you didn’t want anyone to know? Because you’re worried it’s not considered cool enough?” You ask softly, curious as to whether that’s the only reason he won’t tell anyone.

“Well, there’s that. Then there’s the fact that more people in my life call me by my callsign instead of my actual name. I just want time to be Bradley.” He admits, gaze briefly flicking over to lock eyes with you once more before focusing back on the stars.

“You’re always going to be Bradley to all of us here. Even after we all head our own ways, everyone here is going to refer to you as Bradley.” You say with a smile, making Bradley nod slightly, his soft smile returning. Bradley was trying not to give away any of his supposedly obvious feelings towards you after the boys in his cabin grilled him about his feelings. He couldn’t keep lying to himself about his feelings anymore, but he didn’t want to risk the friendship he had with you. He didn’t want to scare you away. But you listened to him. You looked past Rooster and focused on Bradley. He realised then and there that he didn’t want anyone else but you.

“That will be nice. Just please don’t tell anyone my callsign.” Bradley asks, bringing himself back to reality and shifting to look over at you as you nod with a smile, moving to rest a comforting hand on top of Bradley’s entirely missing how his breath hitched at the contact because of how focused you were on the warmth of Bradley’s hand.

“Your secret is safe with me, Bradley.” You say, your voice no louder than a whisper, before removing your hand from atop Bradley’s, fighting back a frown at how cold you got the moment you moved your hand away while Bradley fought a frown of his own at the loss of the comforting feeling. The two of you look back up at the stars and continue to sit in comfortable silence for a few more minutes before a yawn slips past your lips without warning.

“I think that’s my cue to go and get some rest. You should do the same. We’re going to need all the rest we can get.” You say, beginning to get to your feet as Bradley mirrors your actions, standing face to face with you as you smile up at him under the moonlight.

“Goodnight Bradley.” You mutter with a shy smile, getting the sudden confidence to wrap him in a quick hug that took him aback at how gentle your hold was, able to wrap his arms around you for a brief second before you pulled away.

“Goodnight y/n.” Bradley replies, his soft smile never fading as he watches you turn around and make your way to the girl's line and disappear into the darkness before finally turning around himself and making his way back to his cabin.

When you reached your cabin, you snuck into your area of the cabin quietly, pulling your hoodie off and hanging it on a peg before taking your shoes off and climbing into bed, tugging the covers over yourself as you lie down, thinking about the first full day of camp tomorrow, and the tall aviator with a moustache on the other side of camp.

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#justabigassnerd #justabigassnerd writes #summer of love #summer of love universe #top gun #top gun maverick #top gun fic #top gun maverick fic #rooster top gun #bradley rooster bradshaw #bradley 'rooster' bradshaw #rooster x y/n #rooster x reader #rooster #bradley 'rooster' bradshaw x reader #bradley bradshaw x reader #bradley bradshaw x y/n #bradley bradshaw

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yujo-nishimura · 5 months

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Impel Down Chaos - Head Canon

Okay, I did it. And I am sooooo enjoying writing this - a deeply in love Y/n and a very clueless Captain Buggy - I want to write this head canon as funny and as chaotic as it can get.

Warning: Buggy x fem reader, SFW for now and a lot of goof, English is not my native language

You had always considered yourself an incredibly fortunate girl, but today marked a great departure from that belief. Seated on a chilly stone bench, dressed in your new black and white striped outfit, your wrists bound tightly by handcuffs behind unyielding iron bars, you found yourself confined within Impel Down—the world's most renowned and impregnable prison. Maybe you were actually lucky to finally see this infamous building from the inside - but it would have been a more pleasant experience if you had been a mere visitor and not a criminal.

Earlier, you had been leisurely strolling through town, intending to gather supplies for the ship. You were not aware that fate led you down a path that crossed with the only street where numerous Navy officials had assembled. They were busy examining updated wanted posters, one of them including to be yours with a very new, very beautiful picture of yourself. Lost in a daydream about your flashy captain, you accidently walked straight into their midst, surprising both them and yourself. In that moment, you never suspected the dangerous trap into which your steps had unwittingly led you.

The sheer number of fifteen Navy officials proved overwhelming, leaving you helpless and unable to defend yourself. Before you could even entertain second thoughts about venturing alone from the safety of your ship, you found your hands restrained by handcuffs, a gag stifling your voice, and were forcefully carried aboard the Navy vessel.

You let out a heavy sigh as you gazed down at the shackles that bound your wrists now. The mere act of being brought into this prison had already instilled in you a profound fear, heightened further by the piercing screams of tortured prisoners that vibrated through the air.

Seated within the confines of a cramped cell on Level 1, you found yourself surrounded by fellow male inmates, their eyes gleaming with an unsettling desire. Upon your arrival, the navy officials had instructed you to wait until they could locate a female guard to escort you to the women's prison. However, what seemed like a mere half-hour had stretched into an eternity, leaving you still perched upon the cold bench. You could feel the weight of the gazes from approximately ten men fixated upon you, their eyes undressing you in an unholy manner, while whispering to each other about your arrival.

You did not know how long these pirates had been imprisoned for, but it was evident that they had not known the comforts of a bath or the company of a woman for an extended period of time.

You thought of your crew and your captain - would they know about what had happened to you? Would they come and rescue you? You thought of Cabaji and Mohji, being all eager and motivated to sail to your rescue. However, you couldn't help but acknowledge their inherent cowardice, knowing that once they discovered the location of your captivity, their bravery might just disappear and they would dig you a grave with some withering flowers on a random island. But your Captain, would he come to rescue you? There was no other person on the Grand Line you admired more than Buggy the Clown, but you were not sure if he felt the same for you. You had done everything to get his attention until he finally agreed on letting you join his crew. Since that day you felt you were the happiest girl on the whole wide ocean, having already found your personal One Piece in form of a goofy, selfish and always angry clown.

Yet, deep down, a nagging doubt crept into your thoughts. You couldn't shake the feeling that the Buggy Pirates would not come to your aid. Their ship lacked the capability to navigate the treacherous calm belt, and their crew, while being motivated and loyal, wasn't known for their exceptional strength. Breaking into the formidable fortress of a prison seemed far beyond their capabilities.

You let out another sigh, accidentally drawing the attention of the men surrounding you once again. One of them, with teeth nearly as dark as obsidian, attempted a smile as he addressed you. "You seem down, Missy. How about we liven things up a bit, eh?" His words were promptly echoed by another man, sporting an overgrown blonde mohawk. He exuded an air of danger, matched only by the apparent lack of intelligence on his face. "Yeah, why not have some fun together before you have to bid us farewell?"

You gulped, fear pressing on your lungs and your heart, rendering you unable to speak. The two guys now walked slowly towards you, laughing in anticipation, knowing you had no chance against them without a weapon and without backup.

Just as one of the men stood before you, his hand reaching out to touch your arm, a scream of terror escaped your lips. In a twist of fate, the cell door swung open in the same moment, and another prisoner was forcefully thrown inside, drawing the attention away from you, if only for a brief moment.

“You damn bastards, that is not how you treat a renowned pirate captain!”, a familiar voice echoed through the cell, making you immediately getting up from your seat. Dressed in the same prisoner's clothes as you, his long blue hair pulled back in a ponytail, the familiar red nose shining in the darkness of the cell, sitting on his bum was your captain - Buggy the clown!

"Captain!" you exclaimed, leaping towards him in sheer delight, only to restrain yourself at the last moment, suppressing the overwhelming urge to envelop him in a tight passionate hug.

"Y/n!" he responded, clearly taken aback by your presence. Rising to his feet, it dawned on him that he still had at least one loyal crew member left to give orders to. "You've come to rescue me, right?" you pleaded, clasping your hands together, tears welling up in your eyes as you regarded your clown captain as if he were the second coming of Jesus on an Easter holiday. For a brief moment, he appeared dumbfounded, but then he burst into laughter. "Yes, my dear Y/n! It was all part of my grand plan to willingly get captured, brought here, and locked up, all in order to uncover a means of escape for the both of us. I never, ever just got caught by the marines and tossed in here because I happened to take a wrong turn in town. That would never happen to the great Buggy the Clown!"

"I knew it!" you exclaimed, unable to contain your joy, as you almost broke into a spontaneous dance around Buggy. However, the gravity of your current situation quickly brought you back to reality, and you leaned in closer to whisper in his ear, "They're planning to transfer me out of here soon, on account of being a woman, and these guys around us have already started making unwanted advances..."

Buggy stared back at you, his face etched with a perplexed expression, seemingly unable to grasp the severity of the situation and what you meant.

"Don't worry, Y/n," he reassured you, a hint of cluelessness in his voice. "In prison, we're all treated equally... equally poorly, that is! The Navy's idea of justice seems to involve tormenting everyone indiscriminately."

"But Buggy...!" you exclaimed, desperately gesturing towards your chest and hips, hoping to draw his attention to your unmistakable feminine features. "I can't be treated the same as these... men!"

Buggy glanced at your attire, seemingly misinterpreting your concerns. "Ah, your clothes! Fear not, we shall retrieve them! Just like they've taken mine and my precious hat, robbing me of everything important to me. But don't you worry, Y/n, that doesn't change the fact that I am still your captain!"

"Are you two finished with your chit-chat?" interjected the persistent man from earlier, intruding once more and extending his arm, evidently trying to resume his unwelcome advances.

"We are most certainly not finished!" your captain interjected, swiftly coming to your rescue by forcefully pulling you away from the persistent individual, yet again misreading the situation.

"How dare you attempt to take away my one and only loyal crew member! Y/n will come up with a brilliant plan to free us from this wretched place!" Buggy declared with unwavering confidence.

"Me?" you exclaimed, caught off guard by his declaration, yet simultaneously feeling a delightful warmth spread through you from Buggy's firm touch.

The situation was undeniably bleak, yet in the midst of it all, you couldn't help but be captivated by the sheer handsomeness of your captain. As fate would have it, this forced enclosure within the confines of the prison presented an opportunity for you to finally confess your feelings to him. You were never alone on board the ship. Now it was just him, you and some stinky fellow prisoners. This was finally your chance. Your day had come. Now you only needed to convince him of your loyalty, beauty and charm. Maybe after all you were still the lucky girl that you used to be.

“My plan…!”, you started to say, without even knowing what your plan was. As he nodded in understanding, his magnificent blue locks fell over his strong, broad shoulders. It was a sight you had never seen before, and you silently expressed gratitude to the damn guards of Impel Down for confiscating his hat and bandana, allowing you to witness this mesmerizing sight.

"I'm all ears, Y/n. By the way, did those guards harm you when they dragged you in here? Your nose is bleeding...!" Buggy exclaimed, concern etched across his face.

#one piece #buggytheclown #buggy the clown x reader #one piece buggy #buggy x reader #buggy x you #impel down

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xreaderbooks · 9 months

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The Shadows of Our Love |12|

Chapter 12 | In the Shadow of Detention

Pair: Sebastian Sallow x Reader

Summary: After the events at the recent Crossed Wands match, Y/n and Sebastian are required to serve their time in detention.

Warnings: language (?), jealousy, mentions of violence

Word Count: 4.3k

Wattpad | Ao3 | Playlist

a/n: I listened to 'salamander eyes' from the fantastic beasts playlist for the last conversation in the common room which really added to the feelings i had while writing it. comment or message me to be tagged in future parts :)

Chapter 11 - Series Masterlist - Navi - Chapter 13

“The behavior displayed by you this evening, Ms. L/n, was indecorous.” Sharp began his speech, “This unsanctioned dueling club you children believe to be secretive, as it happens, is not. The faculty is well aware of the illicit activities being held and while we may turn a blind eye to the extracurricular activity; to be informed of a physical altercation and that there was bloodshed-”

You couldn’t help the sly smirk that happened upon your face, highly unintentional, your facial features didn’t comprehend the lecture you were getting from your professor who- frighteningly enough- was an ex-Auror.

“I’m glad you are amused, Ms. L/n because you are stripped of your Hogsmeade privileges,” His eyes zeroed in on you, “And every Saturday for the rest of the semester you will be in the detention room executing the tasks given to you.”

Your jaw dropped, and you glance at Garreth whose hand is shyly raised. Seeing him reminded you- there went your Hogsmeade group dates.

“Mr. Weasley,” Professor Sharp acknowledges the boy who is fraught at his declaration.

Garreth gulps, “Sir, surely the punishment isn’t meant for all of us.” Traitor, you thought.

Professor Sharps turns his attention to the rest of your classmates, he had you all standing in a row, with you in the middle- the main culprit. Sebastian to your left and Poppy to the left of him, Natty to your right and Garreth to hers, Nellie at the end.

“As for Mr. Weasley, Ms. Onai, Oggspire, and Sweeting, you are all to serve detention on Saturday. You will still be able to attend the Samhain feast, unlike Ms. L/n who will be allowed to have her first two meals and will be serving her detention for the entirety of the day.” He gives you a pointed look. “That is all, the four of you are dismissed.”

Natty squeezes your hand goodbye as she walks away without a word, surely her mother would not be happy with her. Nellie, Garreth, and Poppy all give you winces and sympathetic glances as they leave.

Now you were piqued, your once free Saturdays were now taken up with one more thing that you did not need to be busy with, permission to go to Hogsmeade was gone- when you were already banned from leaving school grounds for anything else- how exactly were you going to put an end to the Death Reapers or at least stop them from taking any more people, when you were on lockdown. To top it off, the Samhain feast was off the table, you didn’t get to enjoy it last year because you were out helping Sebastian at a time when you and he weren’t even on good terms.

You risked Sharp’s wrath to ask, “Excuse me, Professor, but what about him?” You send your thumb in the direction of the brunet next to you.

“Surely, sir, I am the victim here,” Sebastian tries to manipulate. Thankfully, your favorite teacher- despite the circumstances- was not convinced.

“Surely, Mr. Sallow, you are not.” You can almost see the glint in the man's eyes as he says, “You are to join, L/n, every Saturday in a place you are not unfamiliar with. Do not think that I am not aware of the warring tension you both share in classes, particularly in Professor Hecat’s class. We are tired, and so as an exercise, you will be partnered in each task that is given.”

As if you didn’t see him everywhere you exhaled. He was going to hate you even more than he already does, and you were going to replay the memory of your fists in his face every five minutes to keep your sanity. Being near each other every other second of the day will drive you both mad.

You and Sallow were going to tear each other apart.

~~~

You stabbed at your plate of breakfast for the fourth time making the fork scrape against the plate making those around you grimace.

This morning you received an owl instructing you that you will report to Madame Scribner for your assignment today. The chatter of excitement around you makes your mood worsen, everyone will be having a grand time in the village with their friends and ending the night with the feast while you’d be in the library.

“Chin up, Y/n/n, It won't be so bad. Sallow’s known to make his detentions lively.” Garreth slides into the bench across from you. You were in a sour mood this morning, barely getting any sleep with the dread that when you woke up it wouldn’t be an exciting day at all, you couldn’t help but pout.

“Not bloody likely,” You drop the fork and push the plate away, it disapparated into thin air. You let your head fall onto your forearm that was on the table, staring at your lap. “You lucky little wanker, you only get one-half day of detention and you’re paired up with Nellie.”

“And?”

“And that’s hardly a punishment at all!” You throw your hands up half in the air with exasperation.

“Who told you to go all mental on Sebastian,” Garreth chided.

You inhaled sharply, Garreth was getting close to being on the list of people on your bad side for today, “He deserved it and you bloody well know it.”

Garreth raises his hands in surrender, “Save your hostility for your true enemies and not your caring friend who’s trying to make you feel better.”

That didn’t help his case, you sent daggers through your eyes, and with that, he eased his way up from the Slytherin table and scurried away from you before you turned him into a flubberworm.

Ominis finds you leaving the great hall and makes a beeline toward where his wand leads him, “Mind if I escort you to your cell?”

You chuckle darkly, “Keep to your family fortune Ominis, jesting is not your forte.”

“I only wanted to warn you about Sebastian,” He walks at a leisurely pace, you held no complaints knowing you wanted to stall your sentence as long as possible. You both went down the steps and out to the courtyard where you caught a glimpse of the cool autumn weather that you no longer have the privilege of enjoying in Hogsmeade.

“I can imagine he’s feeling vengeful right about now.”

He halted and faced you, “You know him, he’s-”

“A complete tosser?” You knew you were being excessively rude with the interruptions and insults, however, you could not bring yourself to care with your overwhelming annoyance.

“Sensitive, Y/n, he’s sensitive.” Ominis sighed, “He has his issues but he feels, deeply. Lets his anger get the best of him so often you forget that.”

Sensitive was not a word you would use to describe Sebastian, as emotional as he can get with the people he cares about, it was obvious that you were not one of them. ‘Sensitive’ was the word he wanted to use to tell you that he was going through something else. It feels like lately everyone was giving you justifications for Sebastian's actions and it didn’t make you feel any better. You didn't feel the need to hold back on him if he wasn't holding back on you.

~~~

Madame Scribner informed you to meet her in front of the fireplace, she wasn’t present when you arrived, only the exact broad-shouldered lad you were cross with, leaning against the mantle twirling his wand.

“Aren’t you looking a little worse for wear,” Sebastian comments on your tired appearance. You took in his casual attire that was purposely disheveled and his face, you didn’t hold back the smile that graced your lips at the sight of him.

“Speak for yourself,” You didn’t need to motion for his bruised left eye and his swollen nose (that to your dismay only made him appear more rugged). “Did I do that? Looks like a herd of cattle stomped all over you.”

“Oh, this?” He pointed to his eye, “I wear this with pride.”

You quirked your brow in question, “And why is that?”

“I faced the great Y/n L/n and lived to tell the tale,” He wore a smug expression that made you want to rewind to yesterday and just strangle him.

“I’ll be sure not to hold back next time.”

“That is quite enough out of the pair of you.” Said the head librarian, Madame Scribner, a short stout woman who was of the more strict staff members of Hogwarts, had rounded a corner of a two-tier bookshelf. “Mr. Sallow, Ms. L/n, Professor Sharp has led you both into my care for the day and I shall have you both working with order. I have much to do and I’ve assigned you enough work, you should not have the time to bicker.”

“Now,” She waved as she began to walk. You and Sebastian followed the click of her heels to the second floor. “Your wands, if you may.” She held out her hand for the both of you to hand your only form of defense, you reluctantly turned yours in. “You are to sort scattered books onto their shelves, without magic. I've lifted the enchantments on the stacks so you will have no assistance. There are plenty of piles to keep you busy and should anyone need help, I trust that Mr. Sallow is well-versed within these walls.”

She pocketed both of your wands, both hands entwined in front of her, you can certainly say that you were intimidated by her sternness.

“I’ll be sure that all will be to your satisfaction, Madame Scribner,” Sebastian tells her, though, by her unimpressed stare, you could tell that she did not, in fact, trust him at all. She fixes her gaze on you as if expecting you to be the lead example.

You were sure to keep any reservations you had about working with Sebastian to yourself and manifested yourself to seem competent, if only so that she wouldn’t feel the need to check up on you or Sebastian. You would scurry away as quickly and as far away from Sallow as you could, when you did, you didn’t need the librarian to report you to Professor Sharp.

As soon as she felt satisfied with the lack of argument, she was off, leaving you, Sebastian, and stacks on stacks of books to sort. “Up for a little wager?” He spoke, fingering through the books.

You began to wonder if this was the fun Garreth spoke of.

“If I say that I'm in no mood for games?”

He shrugged, “I suppose that means we’re forced to work beside each other in agonizing silence so as not to disturb the many students in this acute learning environment.”

The library was empty, save for a handful of students that were either doing homework or studying. The sarcasm ran deep in his voice, it made you snort in an unladylike manner that had your hand flying to cover your face, solely on the fact that you didn’t want to laugh at any of his attempts at humor.

“Or,” He dared a step closer to tempt you, “We can work together without actually working together.”

“Please do be more vague,” Beginning to feel put out by his intimations.

“How about, the last person to finish sorting their books has to help the winner with the next assignment, pick up more of a load next time?”

“Working smarter not harder, I see.” It was a perfect solution, you didn’t have to be near each other, no bickering- no problem. The work will be done quicker this way.

“Always.”

“Fine,” You agreed.

And so the work began, Sebastian strolled over to the other side of the second floor. You started at the stained glass window section to the right of the spiral stairs. It was tedious work but you managed to gather all the books left on tables, the piles at the ends of the stacks, the ones left on the floor, and organized them into their separate sections to make it easier to sort them in their aisle.

That took two hours by how many there were, and as you stuffed them into their shelves you noticed how many of them were placed in the wrong section. So you gathered all the misplaced texts and added them to their appropriate pile, another hour passed.

As you made your last pile of books into sections on one of the large tables you noticed one that wasn’t included in the piles Madame Scribner had given you and Sebastian. It was an ancient looking one that didn’t look like it was supposed to be on the public side of the library. The book was black and the spine had intricate swirls which looked as if it was supposed to shape into skulls.

It was a book on the Dark Arts. You flipped through the pages, curious about what particular subject of dark magic it held; there were chapters and chapters of relics.

“Need any help?”

You were lost reading the pages from the book, Was Sebastian creeping around the restricted section again? If so, then why? And why would he read this so openly, surely he would have snuck it back into his dorm.

You would have seen if he was in your area, you flinch and shut the book quickly, feeling caught. “No,” You blushed and recalled the question. “No, I’m alright, thank you.”

The bright-eyed Hufflepuff boys' eyes flickered to your tight clutch on the dusty old book, “Are you sure? I wouldn’t mind easing the load.”

“Trust me, I wouldn’t either but I wouldn’t want to be caught by Madame Scribner, if anything I should be working with my assigned partner.” You continue your work, settling the books on their appropriate shelf. “Serving my time and all that.”

“Oh,” He searched around the area you both were standing. “Sebastian Sallow, is it? I saw you with him earlier.”

You nodded, lifting a heavy stack of books, and moved with them to the right section, you didn’t want to do two separate trips to carry books. You almost tripped over your feet, with a huff you grabbed a chair, balanced on the seat tiptoeing to reach the upper tier of the shelf.

Vaugh took pity on you, grabbed the book you were struggling with, and easily tucked it in with the rest. “I won’t tell if you won’t,” He winked waving his wand, his magic levitating one of the piles and sending them off to where they belong.

“Thanks,” You lifted the next pile to move on to the other side of the shelf- the next aisle.

“Where is he, anyhow?”

As if summoning the devil himself, Sebastian appeared from the exact place you were headed, “He’s right here.” To your surprise, he grabbed six of the twelve books you had in your arms.

“You can bugger off now, Vincent.” Sebastian purposefully said Vaughn's name incorrectly. You didn’t appreciate how rude he was being to the boy who had been nothing but helpful.

Vaughn shrugged and smiled at you, “Give me a shout if you need anything.”

Sebastian glared as the boy walked away, his features were full of distaste, “One can’t ever seem to be rid of him.”

You readjust your grip on the books that were now less heavy thanks to Sebastian, you set them down on the desk in front of the shelf before placing them in empty slots in alphabetical order of surname. “He’s not bothering anyone, he was just trying to be helpful.”

“I find him bothersome,” He copies your movements, he was already done with his work. You were suspicious as to how but then remembered that he had years of being in this library, especially with his coming here in his spare time, you’ve only been here for a school year and a few months.

He eyed the last book laid on the table, you had purposefully placed it on the bottom of the stack and snatched it as you saw him reaching for it. “You find the air around you to be bothersome.”

“Oh darling, you couldn’t be more wrong, you see I love breathing- and not to mention the fact that oxygen is transparent, something he is so obviously not.”

The pet name made your heart flutter despite the obvious sarcasm he spoke it with, but his cryptic words puzzled you.

He tilted his head at the way you clutched the book to your chest, “Taking a page out of my book, are we?”

“I can’t say I know what you mean,” You looked at the book front and back as if you weren’t reading its pages just minutes ago.

“Dangerous topic that one.”

“Is this one you’ve read?” In your search for a cure… you wanted to say. He met your eye and was blown back by the questions in them.

He took a step in your direction and slipped the book out of your hands swiftly, opening it up, flipping through the pages with his thumb so it made an arch then shutting it. “It goes deep into the Dark Arts, but you already knew that.”

“Musn’t let Scribner catch you with that,” He set the book down on the desk more in your direction.

“I’m not keeping it, I found it here.” You pointed to the opposite end of the table you both were standing by.

“It’s alright if you’re curious,” He arched a brow, “I wouldn’t blame you, I mean look at who you’re talking to.”

“Ah yes,” You exaggerate your remembrance. “Forgive me, Sebastian ‘Master of the Dark Arts’ Sallow.”

His expression darkened covering his former amusement at his catching you with a forbidden book. Sebastian recovered his mask with a light tone, “Calling me a Master is a flattery I did not expect to receive from you today.”

“It’s simply a fact, I suppose. You must know all there is about Dark magic.”

Sebastian lifted a brow at your insinuation, “So what if I do?”

“You might know if there is a spell, an enchantment of sorts to enhance your magic.” You hoped he wouldn’t ask any questions about what you wanted to know, you should have known better.

“The great Y/n L/n wants to enhance her magic?” His voice echoed in the near-empty library from how loud he was. You put a hand over his mouth and a finger to your lips, and your eyes widened in a warning.

You released him at the realization of how intrusively close you got to him, “I want to know if it would be possible for wizards to do it, in theory.”

“In theory, if certain wizards were participating in the Dark Arts that in itself would be able to ‘enhance their magic’, was that the answer you were looking for?.” He held your gaze with an inquisitive stare, he wanted to ask but asking would cross over the line of being friends. “May I ask the reason behind your sudden interest in the subject?” His curiosity got the better of him.

“You just did,” You took the book from the desk. “I do not plan to share any of my thoughts with you of all people.”

Sebastian tutted, “And we were getting on so well.”

“If we must be in each other's company, we should endeavor to be as plain and straightforward with each other as possible.”

“As you are being now?” He smirks.

“If you didn’t make it a habit to be a nosy parker, it would be easier.” You glance at his side of the library and back at him, changing the subject. “You win.”

“I do, though I wouldn’t say it was fair, I had an advantage.”

You wished he would just take the win and get on with his gloating, you would have to go through with your end of the deal next Saturday anyhow. “Yes, and I had help, we’ll call it even.”

His lips quirked in annoyance, “Right.” He took the book from you once more, “I’ll return this to its rightful place before Scribner ever notices it’s gone.” Sebastian stalked off before you could protest.

~~~

“May I walk you to your common room?” Vaughn stands by the mermaid fountain as if he were waiting for you. It was well past the hour of the Samhain feast and you were planning on going down to the kitchens to beg the house elves for food. He had his arm open for you to hook your arm to his, and so you did, with his kindness earlier it felt rude to not accept.

You were tired from running back and forth, doing all kinds of errands for Madame Scribner, once you were done sorting books she had you and Sebastian busy work. With what you did today, you didn’t have to miss the feast, you realized that that was the point of the punishment.

You and Sebastian were forced to sit by each other during lunch, and not allowed to talk to anyone else, which felt childish but this was a part of the ‘bonding’ exercise so that there are no other altercations as there was last night.

Sebastian was frustratingly well-behaved around you after your conversation about the book, with no back-handed remarks or comments that made you want to hex him. He was decently pleasant while you, on the other hand, were the one to avoid him in his every attempt to talk to you even if it was a question on what Scribner had assigned you to do. You were convinced he simply enjoyed watching you squirm as he neared you.

You were surprised by how normal it felt to be walking with a boy whom you barely knew in complete silence, not feeling at all odd.

“How was the feast?” You felt the silence growing.

“It went well, I don’t know you well enough but I believe you would have enjoyed it.” He then began to describe the food that was served, the desultory speech Professor Sharp had made at the beginning, and how the ghosts that haunted the halls popped out of the student's food to give them a scare.

A pang of jealousy hit your heart, you wished you would have been there to enjoy it, “I feel I would have as well.”

For the rest of the walk to the Slytherin common room, the halls were quiet as he talked to you about his day and asked you about yours. He was patient with your responses and didn’t force any topics you weren’t comfortable with. The conversation was pleasant and without expectation, something you felt you had lacked recently and were glad of the change.

“As I’ve said, I am aware that we are not well acquainted, but I would like to” He stuttered a little as he spoke. “Be acquainted with you- as friends.”

You both stopped in front of the stone wall entrance of your common room, you let your arm fall from his, and you giggled at his nervousness “We can be friends.”

“Perfect,” He grinned.

“Well then,” Vaughn lifted your right hand and bowed midway, placing a kiss on your knuckles. Without warning your mind wandered to your half-dead state from weeks ago, when unidentified lips brushed the back of your hand, it wasn’t Vaughn but the same gesture made your heart flutter. “I bid thee goodnight, dear Y/n.”

“Goodnight,” You whispered back. You watched him walk up the grand steps at the same time Sebastian was walking down. Vaughn gave him a friendly wave, which he ignored. You rolled your eyes at his discourteousness and spoke the password to the wall, causing the snake to slither into an arch.

You walk through the entrance, not daring to look back as you hear Sebastian's footsteps come from behind you. They were fast-paced and loud, you didn’t stop until you reached the bottom.

You turned to face him last minute almost getting a face full of his chest, you didn’t let the sudden shock at how close he was, show on your face. “Yes?”

“Dear, Y/n?” He mocked Vaughn.

You guffawed, “Words I never thought would come out of your mouth.”

You loosened the laces of your boots and slipped them off, it made you lose a couple of inches of your height. “What is the problem now, Sebastian?” You sit on the couch in front of the fireplace closest to the girl’s dormitory.

“There is no problem,” The tightness in his voice said otherwise. “Only wondering when exactly you became best mates with the new sixth year.”

“Just now actually,” You didn’t care for his tone but you were too exhausted to put up much of a fight. “There’s nothing wrong with befriending a new student, you would know. As a matter of fact, you might even say he’s my new charge.”

Daggers shot from his eyes, “You think you’re real clever, don’t you?”

You had quite enough of this, you sighed as you pushed yourself off the plush seating. “I don’t think I’m clever, darling, I just am.” You emphasized the name he off-handedly called you earlier. “Last I recalled you weren’t supposed to care who I spend my time with.”

“I don’t,” He hissed and hesitated before mentioning “He appears everywhere you are.”

“Something you and he have in common.”

“Although you and I are often in the same area, I can assure you that it is not intentional, and I do not stalk as he does.” The tension in your argument had dissolved as you let out an exasperated laugh at the memories of Sebastian indeed stalking across Hogwarts grounds, though not in the way he intended the word for Vaughn.

“You should see the way you, the ghosts as my witness.”

He lets out a breath, “I’ve had enough of ghosts, thank you.”

You remember Peeves following you and Sebastian into the depths of the restricted section, right as you both were about to enter the Athenaeum when Sebastian took the punishment of detention for the both of you. Pesky Peeves, you thought.

“As have I,” You took your boots from the floor and a step back in the direction of the girl’s dormitory, “If we’re all settled then.”

Sebastian nodded, “Yes.”

“Goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” He responded in a tight tone, the collar of his shirt seemed to be choking him from his neck.

You stifled a smile as he stalked away to the boy’s side of the common room.

~~~

Chapter 13

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megamindsecretlair · 9 months

Text

Once Upon a December

Pairing: Prince!Bucky x Black!Fem!reader / Plus Size reader

Warnings: 18+. Minors DNI. You are in charge of your own reading experience. Smut. Making out, fingering (fem receiving), oral (fem receiving), PIV, PWP. Cursing. Dark, gothic undertones.

Summary: AU Bucky is a prince you visit in your dreams. He calls to you while awake and you can't wait to join him and dance in the ballroom. But no matter how much you try to enjoy the night, there is something wrong.

Word Count: 4,197k

A/N: I got this idea last night while watching a show and it had a music box in it. It got me thinking about Anastasia and arguably, one of the best songs in that movie. So enjoy a random AU with Bucky as Anastasia as the inspiration. I had soooo much fun writing this! I hope you enjoy. Likes are always awesome. Please consider commenting and reblogging to help support writers!

He called to you more and more in the waking hours. You spent the whole day yawning and rubbing your eyes. Your eyes were watery all the time. Sleep. You needed sleep. You barely finished dinner by the time you were giddily slipping under the covers and putting your head on the pillow.

You slipped away, pulled to that far away and distant place…

He was there to greet you. He was so handsome. Dressed in a dark officer’s uniform with silver buttons and silver tassels, he also wore a cap slightly askew on his head. He stood by the large windows, facing you coming down the stairs.

You don’t remember getting dressed or getting to the stairs, but you were already halfway down. Your A-line ball gown was a deep navy blue, with silver swirls sewn into it making you shimmer in the candle light.

“You look like starlight,” he said. As you neared the foot of the stairs, he held out his hand to you. You placed your hand in his and he tugged you closer. His lips descended on yours. His kisses were hungry and desperate. He grabbed you around the waist and half carried you to the pillar in between windows.

He pushed you against it and the rough rock was cold against your bare back. You gasped from the shock of it but he was there to warm you back up. He pushed into you, kissing you and licking your lips. He tasted like something wicked. Like chocolate and secrets.

“I’ve missed you,” he said.

“I’ve missed you. I hear you when I’m awake. Why is that? Am I actually here?” You asked.

For weeks, you had been waking up in this strange land. It was like something out of a fairytale. The prince lived in a sweeping castle, with arched doorways and dome-like windows. The hallways were lit by candelabras and chandeliers. Paintings hung on the walls of ancestors. And they all looked like your prince. Dark hair, strong jaws.

“You are actually here, my little doll,” he said. He kissed you again. He couldn’t stand to be away from your lips for so long. And neither could you. All day, you’d dreamt of being right back here. In his arms. You had never felt such need before but it was a breathing, living thing inside of you. It was only satisfied when his hands were around yours.

His left hand was encased in metal and it held yours. A freak accident took his left arm from him but it only made him more rugged, daring, and handsome. His beard was full and soft. His hair was brushed back and styled on top of his head. He was your dark prince and a thrill went through you.

His deep blue eyes softened as he looked at you. He leaned down for another toe-curling kiss. He moved your hands over his military coat and down the front of his pants. His hardening bulge twitched while you palmed him. He pressed your hand against him, using the strength of his metal hand to keep it there.

“I must have you, my little doll. I can’t stand being away from you,” he said. He brought his other hand up to your face. A knuckle grazed your cheek as he gazed at you.

“James,” you said and smiled at him.

Someone cleared their throat next to you. James smiled and winked at you. He turned and stood in front of you, protecting you from the person who interrupted. You couldn’t see around the broad expanse of his back so you waited and breathed deeply to control your breathing.

“Your presence is required in the ballroom, your highness.” It was a masculine voice, a little old and reedy.

“We’ll be right there, thank you,” James said. He bowed his head and the man walked away. You think. It was hard to tell since there was a carpet running the length of the hallway. You assumed that James’ valet was trained to walk quietly. Seen but never heard unless called for.

This place was still so strange to you. There was an air in the palace. Like a great empty chamber and sometimes, it seemed like it was only you and James in the entire place. That was silly of course, James just talked to someone. But there were never any guards or people wandering the halls when you arrived. If James knew when you came every time, perhaps he cleared the space so that he could get you to himself. You sighed thinking of the notion. Of James being so possessive that he didn’t want anyone to even look at you.

James turned back to you and smirked. You’d never admit to him, but sometimes he took your breath away by simply smiling. He was so criminally handsome, it wasn’t fair. You would have followed him off the side of a bridge or inside a cave. Only if he kept looking at you just like that. Like he wanted to eat you whole.

He grabbed both of your hands and brought it to his lips. “I hate that I have to share you, even for a second,” he said.

“If we hurry, we can sneak out earlier,” you said. You wanted him just as desperately. You weren’t sure who dressed you or how you got dressed. You didn’t know who picked out this outfit or the corset. But you knew that you weren’t wearing any panties and you grew wetter by the minute, just thinking of having him inside of you again.

Almost as if he could smell you, he grinned and placed another kiss on your hands. He placed your hand in the crook of his arm and escorted you down the hallway. You held up the side of your dress so that you didn’t accidentally fall on your face. Everything had an enchanting quality to it. You knew you were dreaming, so you expected the edges to look fuzzy.

You thought that the ceiling was a tad too dark or the flickering flames dimmed as you walked past. But it was a trick of the light. Or perhaps your brain was filling in information as you moved through the space.

Whatever the reason, James was solid under your hand. His face was clear and his dark head was ringed by the passing light. Shadows played across his features. His eyes kept flicking towards you. He seemed so real. Perhaps he was. Perhaps you found yourself in another dimension or a palace that could only be accessed in dreams.

You weren’t sure. But you wouldn’t have it any other way. You’d spent the majority of your days wanting to get back here. You contemplated naps all day long. You didn’t care if you were sleeping too much.

James escorted you to the main ballroom. Music rose and fell from the open doorway and there was light chatter reaching your ears. He stopped just before entering and looked at you.

His lust and desire was raw and naked in his eyes. “One dance, my little doll,” he said.

You nodded. You didn’t want to wait even that long. But the Prince had to make some kind of appearance. He couldn’t disappear the whole night without making the rounds and pleasing all of the old aristocrats.

He escorted you into the ballroom with the announcement of his name and titles. You were introduced as well, your name carrying even over the music. James nodded at everyone and raised his hands. The people in the room clapped politely and smiled and waved at him.

James helped you down the stairs. You made it down without making a fool of yourself. People rushed you to gush over your dress and hair and makeup. The people were all dressed so finely in their coattails and ball gowns. Some of the ballgowns were bigger than others and others were more subtle.

Jewelry reflected in the light of the grand chandelier above your heads. The windows were open to show a starry night. More stars than you could have ever hoped to see in person, considering you were a city girl. You were lucky to see a spattering of stars where you were from.

There was a long table filled with refreshments off to the side of the room. People milled in front of it, picking up finger foods like sandwiches and crackers. They held tiny cups in their hands filled with champagne. There was an ice sculpture at the end of the table in the shape of a swan.

At the head of the room, the King and Queen sat on thrones. There were two kids playing in front of it, sitting on a blanket surrounded by toys. Older kids ran around the thrones, chasing each other. The King looked at his family and laughed at their playing.

You looked at the King as some sort of glimpse into what the Prince would look like when he was older. Would you see James when he got older? If all you had were dreams with him, would he age as you did?

James squeezed your hand and you looked at him. “Almost done,” he whispered into your ear. He kissed you on the head and let his lips linger there. He breathed in the dainty, floral perfume on you.

He escorted you around the room, saying hi to foreign dignitaries and the mainstays at court. They all smiled and greeted you. As soon as you turned your head too fast, people’s faces seemed to melt away revealing dusty bones and skulls. But when you turned back, people were normal.

Maybe it was the dinner you had. Perhaps you had gone to bed too fast on a full stomach. You had thought about skipping it again, but you didn’t want to wake up starving. You tended to eat everything in sight in the morning and that wasn’t healthy.

James made it across the room and you joined him in bowing to his parents. “How wonderful to see you, my dear,” the King said. His voice was loud and commanding. A voice suited to calling orders across a battlefield. Not eating from fruit trays and drinking wine.

“It’s wonderful to see you too,” you said and bowed your head. The King clapped and for a moment…well, his hands looked skeletal and decaying. The sleeves of his military coat were eaten through and had cobwebs hanging from it. You gasped but when you looked at his face, he was unchanged. You glanced back at his hands and they were still fleshy and pink and human.

“A dance!” The King decreed. James kissed your hand and led you to the middle of the dancefloor. The orchestra paused briefly as they shuffled sheet music. Then, the haunting notes of a song began.

James moved in closer, his right hand wrapping possessively around your waist. You wrapped your left hand around his shoulder and placed your right hand in his left one. The cool, heavy weight of it was like an anchor. He began to move and you let him lead you across the dancefloor.

The song was full of longing, passion, and stolen glances. It was full of tear-filled goodbyes and soft touches. Of long handwritten letters. Of obsession and possession and eternal belonging.

James spun you around faster and faster. He caught the shadows in between the light. One moment he was fine, the next moment his face was half decayed and crumbling. He smiled. You saw his gorgeous face one minute and a skull the next. Which was real? Why did your brain conjure up such a horrible image?

Other patrons in the room were dancing as well. They were a blur as James moved you through the throng of people. The more you looked, the more you picked out dusty ballgowns and cobwebs hanging from hands clutching tiny cups. Hair hung off of pale skulls and lips were peeled back to reveal bare teeth.

You clutched James’ hand and he pulled you closer. The smell of sweet rot fanned over you and you choked on the cloying scent.

“James! James!” You screamed. The shadows grew closer and closer until James stopped spinning you. The room returned to normal. The light was still shining, there were members of the court watching on the sidelines. On the floor, people were still dancing and twirling around you. Sweeps of the ball gowns created a moving dance around you. You felt like you were in the middle of a whirlpool.

“What’s wrong?” He asked. He pulled you close and you looked into his hypnotizing eyes.

“I thought…something’s wrong,” you said. He nodded and pulled you off of the dancefloor. He grabbed you a drink and you took a sip, letting it calm you down.

“I knew this was too much. Next time, we won’t have to dance.”

You placed your hand on his forearm. “It’s not that…it’s like there’s a nightmare trying to push. Trying to get me to see horrible things,” you said.

“I know of a way to fix that,” he said. His devilish smirk made you grin and bite your lip. You knew what he was suggesting and you wanted it. You nodded. He took your hand and tugged you out of the ballroom.

On the way out, he explained that you weren’t feeling well and he would see you to your room. Yes, you were fine. Please, it was only a precaution. Too much excitement and trying to keep up with everyone. That made them laugh.

Truth was, you didn’t really have a room here. Your alarm would wake you and you had to return to the dull, gray world of your waking life. You had a good life, but it was nothing compared to James’ world. At least they didn’t have to pay rent here and live in a world that thrives on tearing people down.

Excitement built up in your belly as you left the ballroom with James. You ran down the hallway, getting far away from the rest of the crowd. He took many twists and turns and you didn’t know where you were. But you couldn’t wait any longer. James tried the first room on the right and pushed you into the dark room.

Moonlight spilled into the room from the open window and it was enough light to see that it was a library. There were bookshelves stretching as far as the ceiling was high. There were armchairs and sofas for people to sit and read. There were a few desks for people that required deep research and enough space to do so.

James closed the door and crossed the short distance to you. He grabbed your face and pulled you close, kissing you. Your hands slid into his soft and fluffy hair. Your breaths mingled as you kissed all over each other. You kissed his lips, the corner of his mouth, sucked on his bottom lip.

He walked forwards, pushing you backwards. Your legs hit something and James kissed your neck as he turned you around. He unzipped you and you brought your arm up and around his head. It strained your arm a bit, but you needed to touch him.

He nibbled on your neck as he unwrapped you like a present. Your dress fell from your shoulders, over your wide hips and thick thighs, and pooled on the floor. He helped you step out of it and then he started on the corset.

You couldn’t breathe from all the anticipation of his hands on your skin. For every lace he undid, he kissed your spine and you cried out. His lips were so soft and warm, a stark contrast from the hint of cold on your skin from his hand.

“My little doll,” he whispered over your skin. Your flesh pebbled. His deep voice and the intimacy of the dark room drove you wild. Made this more wicked and forbidden than if you were in his bed.

“My Prince,” you said. Oh, you needed him now. Forget the corset. You didn’t need to breathe while he was inside of you. You tried to turn around, but he stopped you. He was near the bottom of the corset, right up against the top of your ass. He released you and you sucked in air.

He massaged your hips, your ass, and wrapped his right arm around your stomach and pulled you against him. You felt the outline of his cock into the crook of your ass and you wiggled. He groaned in your ear.

“Naughty little doll,” he whispered and kissed the shell of your ear. He gathered up your slip dress and bunched it around your hips. He dragged his right hand down your stomach and in between your legs.

You both groaned for different reasons. His hands were warm as he dragged them through your slick folds. “Already wet for me, my little doll? You know how to please me,” he said.

Your pussy clenched and you wailed. “Shh, shh,” he said. He kissed the side of your neck. He used his fingers to circle your clit and you bent forward. He kept his body pressed to yours so he bent with you.

He was the only thing keeping you upright as his fingers continued to please you. He fingered you until you were an incoherent mess. Your arousal dripped down your leg. He nibbled and suckled on your ear.

Your head dropped back, onto his shoulders. It allowed him better access to kiss and bite your shoulder. Your orgasm built and built until you were screaming his name as you fell apart. He chuckled at you, at how easily he made you cum.

He turned you around and kissed you, kissed your desperate huffing. You just came but you wanted him still. You wanted all of him.

He was still completely dressed. His cap was still on his head. You pushed it off and he lifted an eyebrow. You smiled as you used the limited light to unbutton his military jacket. You were shaking so badly that you fumbled in some areas but he didn’t help. He made you work for it.

He distracted you with occasional kisses and nibbling on your lips. “James! I’m trying to concentrate!” You finally said. You were halfway done. The buttons seemed to multiply and you were growing frustrated.

He chuckled and leaned back. “Fine, I’ll behave,” he said. You gave him a look. You knew he was full of shit, but you doubled your efforts. You finally got the damn thing off and you salivated over the black dress shirt he wore underneath.

You attacked those buttons, far easier this time. Each button that you unhooked, it revealed more of his luscious skin. He helped you pull it off of him. You grinned as you reached for his pants. His cock was straining against his pants.

“Ah, my little doll. Enough exploring,” he said. He pushed you onto the love seat. You pouted until he knelt slowly to his knees.

He was the prince of his kingdom and he was bowing in front of you. Your slip had fallen down as you were undressing him. He raised it now until you were bare and open to him. He pried your legs open more and he groaned as the moonlight highlighted your wet, glistening pussy.

He kissed your calves and then your thighs. His thick beard tickled as he alternated in between your legs. “James, please,” you begged. You couldn’t stand any teasing right now. It had been far too long. You didn’t know how time worked between your worlds. You were here yesterday but was it yesterday for him?

He chuckled, distracting you from your train of thought. “So impatient,” he said. He took his time reaching your pussy. He blew his breath across your clit and you bucked off of the loveseat. He used his left hand to push you back down.

He rubbed his nose against your clit and breathed deeply. He moaned and his tongue darted out to taste you. There was no more talking. He licked up everything you had, sucking on your clit.

Your fingers pulled at his hair and he groaned the tighter you pulled. He brought his right hand up to finger you while he suckled on your clit. His tongue swirled in tiny, close circles until your lungs burned from panting so hard. His left hand was still on your tummy, pushing you down. Forcing you to take what he was giving you.

You were sobbing and moaning. His fingers pumped into you. The only sounds in the room were your combined moans and the wet suction of his fingers inside of you. The sound alone was enough to drive your pleasure higher until you were near the peak.

James wrapped his lips around your clit and sucked. The pressure made you arch your back until you were screaming and moaning and climaxing all over his face. He continued to finger fuck you through it. Your hands ripped at his hair but it didn’t faze him.

Your hands relaxed first. You didn’t want to hurt him. He placed sloppy wet kisses on your thighs. He crawled up your body until he kissed you. His beard was wet from your slick and you moaned around your own taste on his lips.

His fingers worked on his belt and pants until he drew them down far enough to free himself. He kissed his way along your jaw and neck and dragged his thick cock through your drenched folds. He rubbed himself, getting himself wet with your slick. Then he entered you and you both moaned.

“Fuck. My little doll. I’ve missed you. I’ve missed this cunt,” he whispered against your neck. He slammed into you, over and over. The time for teasing was over. He filled you completely, every solid inch stretching you out.

He glided in and out of you so quickly and smoothly. His moans kept getting louder and louder. His left hand crushed your hip as he slammed you onto him again and again. The wet slap of your thighs filled the room.

Your eyes rolled back into your head. He was home, in between your legs. He filled that deep pit inside of you. The pit that only he could reach. Only he could satisfy.

“Look at you taking all of me, little doll,” he said. He leaned back far enough to look at your face.

He was half in shadow but this time, there was no decaying flesh. No scary skull with a permanent grin. He was just James. Just your dark prince. He was made for moonlight. His skin glowed and the shadows only highlighted the planes of his face, even through his thick beard and deep blue eyes.

He pumped into you, getting deeper with each stroke. He pushed down on your stomach, making sure you felt him. Felt him owning you. Pleasing you.

“You take me so well, my little doll. Let me hear you scream for me,” he said.

You cried for him, moaning and shaking around his cock. “James…” you whispered.

He nodded his head. He caressed your cheek with his free hand and ran his thumb down your lips.

“I know, little doll. It’s okay. Come for me,” he quietly demanded.

You nodded and stared into his eyes. He smiled at you, patiently, even though his strokes were anything but patient. They were bruising and punishing. He slammed into you hard and you held onto the edges of the couch as you came again. Your shuddering breaths made him finally cum.

He slammed into you one more time before stilling and emptying inside of you. You felt his hot cum fill you up and leak out of you around his cock. He sighed as he twitched. He pulled out and dropped down into a squat to watch his cum leak out of you.

You felt its slow glide down your cunt and over your asscheeks. He hummed in satisfaction before standing over you and staring down at you.

“I wish I could keep you, little doll,” he said.

You shook as the waves of pleasure washed over you. “I wish I could stay, my Prince,” you said. He climbed onto the loveseat with you and pulled you into his arms.

The moonlight made a soft halo around his head. “If I could find a way, would you stay? Would you stay here with me? I cannot sleep without you. My days are spent looking for you everywhere,” he said. He caressed your thick hair, playing with the edge of your temple.

“I would if I could,” you said. And you meant it. You wanted to stay here with him. You wanted his hands around you, forever.

James nodded. “I will find a way, my little doll. Stay until it’s time,” he said. He sounded so sad. He sighed quietly but you still heard him. You placed your head on his chest and listened for a heartbeat.

But there was none.

There's more Bucky to love! The Secret Bucky Files

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startrekfangirl2233-writes · 3 months

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Firebird

A Natasha 'Phoenix' Trace Origin Story

Slight Natasha 'Phoenix' Trace / Jake 'Hangman' Seresin

Description: Natasha Trace is used to being marveled and stared at. She's the only woman in her flight class. For the most part, the staring only leads to occasional requests to join the remainder of her cohort for drinks at the nearest bar to base. She always refuses. Her COs have enough to say about her without resorting to the usual criticisms of her gender, which going to a bar would garner.

But Natasha's only human. When she seeks out a bar to get drunk where nobody knows her name, she's surprised to find the one man she never wanted to see off base dropping into the seat next to her. The conversation that follows changes her life and gives her a callsign.

Warnings: Mysogyny, Discussions of Strength and Power as a woman in a male-dominated field

A/N: Hi everyone! Nice to see you here! I wrote this fic for @thedroneranger's Pick Your Poison Challenge to accompany her fabulous Phoenix Cocktail Moodboard Grit & Glam. I wanted to explore a headcanon of how Jake gave Phoenix her callsign and ended up venturing slightly into Hannix territory. I hope you all love it! The italicized lyrics at the end are from the song Firebird by Galantis.

AO3: Cross-posted here!

Wattpad: Cross-posted here!

My Masterlist

“Oh, come on, Trace.” This, she’s used to. It’s what she gets when she’s the only woman in her flight school class. “It’s just a few drinks tonight!”

It’s the overly insistent, ridiculously charming blond man who’s asking her that Natasha’s not used to. Seresin, at least she thinks that’s his name, asks her to go out with the rest of the class every night despite her refusals.

“It’s not happening, Seresin.” She keeps her tone light and her eyes on the NATOPS she’s rifling through and making notes on. After all, there’s no denying that Seresin is easy on the eyes, with his green eyes and shining blond hair, broad shoulders, and muscular physique. Maybe in another life, she’d have fallen for the lines he feeds girls at the bar hook, line, and sinker. But in this life, she wants to be a Naval Aviator, wants to be the best of the best. No six-foot blond is going to stop her, not when she’s so close.

“C’mon, Trace. It’s just one night of drinks.” He sounds oddly frustrated at her lack of response. “You don’t have to be so frigid all the time, you know? What’s one round of drinks amongst friends and colleagues?”

“Well, Seresin,” Her voice is sardonic and a little sarcastic as she packs up her notebook and her NATOPS. “There’s nothing wrong with a round of drinks amongst friends and colleagues. But you’re neither of them. So I have to say no. Goodnight, Seresin.”

Her voice is just loud enough, cutting enough, that the others hear from the huddle they're in on the other side of the room. They're ooh-ing and aww-ing and ribbing Seresin with every iota of their limited intelligence as she sweeps out of the room. Of course, Natasha also hears the way one of the others, Williams or maybe Monroe, calls her an ice-hearted bitch, but that's nothing she hasn't heard before. Seresin is awfully quiet, and she's sure he would normally have joined in on their censure of her if she hadn't seen the small flicker of hurt that wafted through those crystalline green eyes as she swept out of the room.

She can't figure out why he's so adamant about her socializing, though. It’s not as if Natasha is a stranger to having fun. Once upon a time, when she was a young tomboy, she used to sneak out to bars and other unsavory establishments and party all night long. It had been fun roaming around wild in the hot, sticky San Diego summers, dangling out of an old Pontiac Firebird. She’d slept half-naked under the stars, smoked hand-rolled cigarettes, and drunk too much alcohol. Of course, joining the Navy had put a stop to that kind of reckless, foolish, youthful abandonment.

It still doesn’t explain Seresin’s behavior. He’s never once attempted to be cordial or nice or even kind for the entire time she’s known him. All Natasha knows is that Jake Seresin is filled with the same urge to be the best that she is. It’s a conundrum that she turns over in her mind late that night and in any spare moment in which her brain isn’t being crammed full of more flying techniques and NATOPS sections. The same conundrum seems to be captivating Seresin as well. Each day for their classes, he takes the seat behind or near hers and spends the time boring a hole into the back of her regulation slicked-back bun or into the side of her face. She spends the week with the heat of his gaze prickling across the back of her neck and distracting her thoroughly.

That’s the only reason why she fucks up on Friday afternoon. It’s supposed to be an easy maneuver. It’s one she’s had swimming in front of her eyes whether she’s awake or asleep. But she messed up. Others in her cohort messed up on the hop, too. But of course, it’s Natasha who’s standing at parade rest facing down their CO as he spits in her face all of the reasons why a woman isn’t talented or determined enough to fly a fighter jet. It’s the snickering Natasha can hear in the background from the others, which has her spine straightening. It shouldn’t be so common to be lambasted over every mistake just because of your gender. But there’s a reason why so few women in the armed forces are aviators. There’s a reason why Natasha has faced only one of these particular dressing-downs only once in her career prior to today. But nothing her CO is saying can even touch the dressing down she’s giving herself.

When she’s dismissed, she stomps her way into the ladies’ locker room and tries her best not to sob where anyone important can hear it. The deluge of hot water drums over her head and beats her stiff muscles into some form of flexibility, but it doesn’t beat the whiff of failure from her skin. She stands under the deluge until her fingers prune and the water cools. She’s shivering and shuddering as she towels off and pulls on her clothes. But the clothes she pulls out of her gym bag aren’t jeans and a T-shirt but a sundress. Natasha slams her forehead against the locker door because this is yet another symptom of her distraction. This was the dress she was supposed to wear to brunch with college friends in town. Not the outfit she wants to walk out of base wearing. At least she’s managed to pack the matching heels as well.

Unsurprisingly, Natasha hears wolf-whistles a-plenty as she clacks her way out to her car. The comments make her angrier and feel even worse. At one point in time, sometime between the beginning and end of that long, unfulfilling shower, she’d made up her mind to drive home and collapse onto her sofa and maybe drink an entire bottle of wine. But the more the pigs she has to fly with notice her uncharacteristic attire, the more her mind changes. Now, all she wants is alcohol, enough to drown out her thoughts and to lift her mood. It might be time to bring back the wild little thing who’d run circles around folks back in San Diego.

The bar she ends up at a couple of hours later is what people would pick for a night out on the town. In truth, Natasha had two major criteria for picking this place. It’s not within five miles of the base, and it serves an elderflower and gin flaming cocktail. Something about it feels fitting to her current state of mind.

The sky has darkened in the time between when Natasha sat down and now. Natasha’s not sure how long it’s been, but she feels a million times better than she did before. The bartender was very kind and plied her with round after round of Phoenix cocktails all afternoon long. It’s just her luck that she’s tilting a drink between her fingers, watching the pinkish-purple shimmering liquid dance in the light, when a body drops heavily onto the barstool next to her. It's a bar, so obviously, bodies have been dropping into the seat next to her as the night progresses. But this particular body is wearing a very recognizable cologne and speaking in a very recognizable tenor to the bartender.

“Can I get a whiskey on ice for myself and another one of those flaming things for the pretty lady next to me?”

“It’s not a flaming thing.” Natasha's words are slurring but still sharp as she rotates on the fiddly little base of the barstool and faces exactly who she thought she'd be facing - Jake Seresin. Her voice is gritty with the burn of over-proofed smooth liquor as she responds.

“It's a Phoenix cocktail. What are you doing here, anyway, Seresin? I didn't think fancy bars were your idea of fun.”

“Mmm, they’re usually not.” There isn’t a bite to his words tonight. “I like my bars to come with their own history, usually.”

He pushes the Phoenix cocktail he'd ordered over to her and watches, enraptured, as the bartender snuffs out the flames.

“You don’t seem the type, Trace, to get rip-roaring drunk in a bar all by your lonesome.”

“Whatever gave you that idea?” Natasha is ginger as she sips from the warm glass, careful not to scald her mouth on the flame-kissed surface.

“You did.” He purses his plush lips, rolling the whiskey from the sip he just took on his tongue with his eyes lidded in the lowlights of the bar. He looks like a man who has cultivated that expression solely for the purpose of making a lady weak at the knees, not that Natasha would ever call one of his usual types a lady. His pink tongue slips out of his mouth and swipes away a droplet of the amber-colored liquid. He leans forward, gently tucking a loose tendril of hair behind Natasha’s ear.

“When you told me you’d only have drinks with your friends and colleagues.” He leans in closer until all Natasha Trace can hear is Jake. All of a sudden he seems to surround her with his presence. She can smell the smokey whiskey on his breath, the rich scent of his cologne, and the gentle scent of soap crowding out the scents of the bar. And then there’s the heat of his skin, elusively, unbearably comforting against the bare skin of her shoulders.

It feels good being this close to somebody else. But Natasha can’t let Jake Seresin, of all people, know just how lonely it feels to never be able to let her guard down. He can’t know how much it will set her apart from the others in their cohort above and beyond the way her gender already does.

“I did.” Her voice comes out in a whisper so quiet Natasha’s not sure he can hear.

“Yet you’re out here drinking something purple and pink and ridiculously sweet, all while looking like there is something you’d desperately like to forget.” He settles back in his stool, a long leg hooked on the footrest of her stool as he peers knowingly at her. “Are you trying to forget the dressing down Smith gave you today?”

Natasha shrugs, alcohol making her limbs uncooperative. “Others made mistakes, too. Why were mine so severe that they deserved a public audience? Or if they were severe, surely someone else had made a mistake equally as severe and deserved the same treatment?”

She sips on her drink, trying to ignore how her eyes sting, and her throat is tight. “Of course,” she rasps after swallowing, “it’s not like the perfect Jake Seresin knows how to make a mistake.” Natasha realizes that she’s murmuring that fact like it’s a secret, leaning into his lushly scented space like she craves the nearness of his skin. Maybe she’s already drunk too many of these pretty little drinks for her sanity?

“I make mistakes, Natasha.” He’s just as close as she is to him; the two of them nearly braced against each other like they’d collapse, marionettes without strings, if they weren’t so close and if they couldn’t prop each other up.

“Who said you can call me Natasha?” Her words are as spicy as the sips of top-shelf liquor dripping down her throat, but her smile is as sweet as the syrup of a maraschino cherry. He chuckles, dimples on full display as he tugs her stool closer to compensate for her listing sway on her tri-legged perch.

“What made you start drinking these lovely Phoenix cocktails, hmm?”

Oh, the room seems to be swimming a bit more. Jake’s so close Natasha can see motes of amber in the mercurial stormy green of his eyes.

“How much do you know about phoenixes, Seresin?”

“No matter how much I know, I get the feeling you’re going to tell me anyway, Natasha.”

She snorts, swigging back the last bit of her drink, running the tip of her finger along the rim of her glass, mesmerized by the sparkling residue left behind on her skin.

“Phoenixes are mythical beasts found in Greek, Roman, and Egyptian mythology. Of course, you probably know how they set themselves on fire and are reborn from the flames. As a result of this imagery, they were associated with immortality.” Huddled in against the counter as they are, Natasha can’t say if there is anyone else even in the room.

“But they’re more than that to me.” Her inhale is shaky even as she sips from the cup of water, cold and crisp, which has suddenly appeared at her elbow. “It’s probably painful to be burned alive and then reborn as a chick. But it also takes a lot of strength.”

To her surprise, Jake is still listening, one long-fingered hand tapping at the water glass in her sweat-damp palms when she pauses, prompting her to drink sip after sip.

“I…” She swallows with a mouth as dry as the Sahara Desert. “I, well, I hope to somehow have that same strength. So when a day like today happens, I find a bar that serves Phoenixes, drink them all night until the sting of failure and my despair and my loneliness wash away.”

“Is it working tonight?”

Natasha hums as she drinks yet another sip from her never-ending, always full glass. “I’m not sure it ever really did.”

“For what it’s worth, we both know you weren’t making more mistakes than any of those other idiots we fly with.” His smile is special and soft, filling the cavity of her chest with a softly flickering warmth at odds with the sharp burn of the liquor. “You’re good at what you do, Natasha. You could fly circles around all of them. You fly circles around me, too.”

Natasha can’t believe what she’s hearing. There’s no way Jake Seresin is admitting that Natasha Trace can be better than he is. She stands without realizing, her legs about as sturdy as those of a newborn giraffe. All of the alcohol rushes to her head with a vengeance.

“Have you closed out your tab?” She nods, desperately trying to keep a hold of her swimming head and her roiling stomach. She staggers her way out of the bar, trying desperately to navigate to the Uber app without stumbling over her high heels or face-planting into another of the patrons. An arm wraps around her waist before she can even get to the doors.

“C’mon, Natasha.” Her feet are steadier due to his support. “I’ve got you, darling.”

The endearment, in an undertone colored by a Texan twang, sounds tenderly fond as it’s rasped into her ears. The air is cool outside the bar as she staggers to a stop against a truck in the parking lot. There’s a click as the doors unlock, and when Jake opens the door, the step is so high that when she lifts her leg up, she nearly falls into the gravel, so impaired is her sense of balance.

“I’ve gotcha, darling.” Those same big hands brace her under her knees and behind her shoulders as they heft her into the seat of the truck. Sitting in the cab, she’s even more surrounded by his scent. But he doesn’t close the door immediately. Instead, Jake Seresin unlaces each of her strappy heels and sets them in the footwell of her seat. His fingers, warm and calloused, massage firmly at her stiff, aching arches until she feels like putty in his hands.

“You’re pretty good at that, Seresin.” He smiles again, a devastatingly tender quirk of his lips that barely creates that dimple in his cheek she’s quickly coming to adore.

“I like working with my hands.” It seems like he’s downplaying the true reason. This humble side of Jake Seresin is something she’s never seen before, something she likes. She fists her hands in the collar of his soft pullover and tugs him up until his arms are braced on the seat on either side of her, and his face is inches from her own. Thinking back on it, Natasha’s not sure who made the first move. All she remembers is the taste of whiskey on his tongue as her fingers grasp at the soft curls against the back of his neck. His mouth feels divine, thin lips just the right level of wet and soft as they move against hers. There’s heat making her flush as his hands cup the back of her neck.

When Jake Seresin pulls away with a question in his eyes, Natasha’s almost sure she can guess the words about to leave his lips. It’s going to be some variation of ‘Would you like to come home with me’, no doubt. But instead, he presses more of those warm, tender kisses across her bare shoulders, throat, collarbones, and cheeks. When he presses a lingering kiss to her forehead, Natasha’s eyes flutter closed.

“Let me take you home, darling.”

Those words, in a hauntingly tender tone, stick in her mind all weekend long, even when she’s hungover and curled up under her sheets. It feels like something has changed between her and Jake Seresin, inexplicably and totally. Or maybe it’s the sense of confidence Jake Seresin has instilled in her. One night, a few drinks, and his presence are all she needs to boost her mood? It’s ridiculous. Walking into the classroom on Monday morning at 0700 hours sharp and seeing Seresin laughing with the others like nothing has happened feels almost like a slap to the face. He doesn’t look at her or speak to her. Natasha’s sure the Jake of that hazy dream-like Friday evening was only looking for one thing, which he didn’t get when he needed to babysit her drunk ass.

By the time she’s in her flight suit and kitted out with her helmet in hand, she's ready to smoke every man she has to fly with, especially one Jake Seresin. Sure enough, Natasha’s cold, calculated, and on her game that day. She doesn’t make a single mistake. Of course, Smith doesn’t so much as nod in her direction, but it’s enough to hear the men grumble as her flight is used as the exemplar for their hop. When they’re dismissed, nobody tells her goodbye. Monroe and Williams are still whining and moaning about her success and their subsequent dressing down from Smith. But Jake Seresin’s smiling at her, that crooked tender grin, and saying, “See you tomorrow, Phoenix!”

Under the stars awaken To the sound of a firebird

I DO NOT CONSENT TO HAVE MY WORK POSTED, TRANSLATED, OR PUBLISHED ON ANY SITES OTHER THAN ON AO3, ON WATTPAD, OR ON TUMBLR BY ME. IF YOU SEE MY WORKS ANYWHERE OTHER THAN HERE, ON WATTPAD, OR TUMBLR, THEN THEY HAVE BEEN POSTED WITHOUT MY PERMISSION AND I WILL BE WORKING TO TAKE THEM DOWN.

Taglist:

@desert-fern @horseshoegirl @dakotakazansky @sarahsmi13s @teacupsandtopgun @callsignspitfire @roosterforme @mak-32 @beyondthesefourwalls @thedroneranger @cherrycola27 @kmc1989 @chaoticassidy @shanimallina87

#star writes #top gun fanfic #top gun fanfiction #top gun maverick fanfic #top gun maverick fanfiction #top gun imagine #natasha phoenix trace #phoenix #natasha trace #jake hangman seresin #hangman #jake seresin #natasha phoenix trace x jake hangman seresin #natasha trace x jake seresin #phoenix x hangman #jake hangman seresin x natasha phoenix trace #jake seresin x natasha trace #hangman x phoenix #hannix

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ghost-with-a-teacup · 1 year

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𝐓𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐬 ~ 𝐀𝐥𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐃𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐮 𝐱 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

Summary: After a long day of paperwork, you let yourself wind down a bit when something catches your eye. A single pink rose pinned alongside the usual black ones on Alcina's dress. What you didn't understand, however, was the meaning. OR You're a little lost, have a moment with the girls, and have a soft moment with Alcina as she tells you what it means to her. Pairing: Alcina Dimitrescu x Reader Word Count: 2.1K Warnings: None!! It's sofffttttt Author's Note: Hello my lovelies~ It's been a while since I've written for Alcina, but she's still my one true wife and I've missed her dearly so here we are! This is a request by the lovely @theshiplife I hope you enjoy!! (I have 12 minutes before my class starts so if there are mistakes I'm sorry ghfgjhdfkjgfg)

It was still early in the evening, but with Romanian winters oftentimes at this time it already felt like the middle of the night with the way the dark navy sky surrounded the castle.

The candelabras flickered slightly as you made your way through the ornate halls having finished the paperwork a bit earlier than expected; a walk was in order. After marrying Alcina you had taken it upon yourself to help with the workload, as is to be expected for her lover.

You didn’t mind it at all, it eased some of the stress she had, and it also meant more time to spend with her and the girls. No, you didn’t mind at all.

‘Think of her and she appears’ you thought to yourself as you spot her from the far end of the hallway making her way up the staircase, ever graceful despite no eyes (well, aside from yours) on her.

Just as you notice her, she notices you as well, glowing golden eyes capturing your own in her grasp. She makes her way over to you in a few quick strides and all at once you’re embraced in her familiar scent; rose water and wine, one that brought you comfort.

“Ah, darling, finished up work for the evening?” she says as her fingertip tilts your chin up to meet her gaze.

“Yup, I’m surprised I finished it so early,” you say, fighting back the feeling of your face heating up. You were married to her for god’s sake! You can’t be flustered like a schoolgirl like this anymore.

Not that Alcina minded though (especially cough, in the bedroom).

She only hums slightly for a moment.

“A shame, I would have liked to join you on your walk,” she says, letting go of you. “It seems I have a bit more work to do, I’ll have to begin now if I want to make it to bed on time,” she says with a heavy sigh.

“Do you need any help, love?” you ask, eager to ease the workload.

“No, no need. You go rest up now, alright? I’ll be done soon enough,” she says, a soft smile playing across her lips just at the sight of you.

“Alright, don’t overwork yourself now,” you chastise her playfully which makes her roll her eyes in response.

“My, we get married and you think you can boss me around now?” she bites back and you giggle lightly.

“As if I wasn’t doing that already, you know how you get.” She hums once more.

“If you say so,” she says, smoothing a hand over your head fondly before turning back to her office.

Right as she does, your eyes zero in on the flowers she wore by her heart. There were the usual black ones, and a new one of a light pink colour, a sharp contrast to the others that oddly enough went quite well with them.

Though it was already to late to ask her about it, she was busy and you didn’t have the heart to bother her, so you went along your way.

Eventually you found yourself at the library, and figured you could do a bit of reading to pass the time. When you opened the doors however you found your daughters dogpiled on top of each other, Daniela squished at the bottom and gasping for air dramatically as Cassandra and Bela laughed on top.

“Girls? What’s going on?” you ask, making your way over. In an instant they’re surrounded by a plume of flies before Bela and Cassandra are sat comically prim and proper on the other side of the couch, Daniela still lying where she had been.

“SALVATION!” she shouts, sitting up for a moment before flopping right back down.

“Nothing, Mama!” Cassandra says, crossing one leg over the other. “Right, Bela?”

“Absolutely, nothing at all. This is definitely not retaliation for a grave crime,” she says, nodding gravely.

“Oh, and what crime would that be?” you ask, feeling like a judge in a courtroom.

Daniela’s form manifests right in front of you, grasping your hands tightly, her eyes pleading.

“No, Mama, don’t listen to them, you can’t! I did nothing wrong,” she pleads.

“I didn’t know stealing the cookies Agnes had baked for us and eating them yourself was ‘nothing wrong’,” Cassandra says with a scoff.

“I couldn’t help it!! They were calling to me, and who am I to deny them?” she says, her eyes dreamy. “They were raspberry cheesecake flavoured?”

Bela lets out an offended gasp. “How dare you,” she says, her tone threatening.

“Alright girls, that’s enough,” you say, jumping in before sickles came swinging. “How about I bake with you three tomorrow, yeah? Then we can ensure no cookies are stolen.”

“But Daniela must pay for her crimes!” Cassandra exclaims.

“I say we take a finger, that’s how they used to punish thieves way back when,” Bela says.

“Of course you would know, you probably lived through those times you old ass,” Daniela retorts snarkily.

“I’m two years older than you, dumbass,” Bela responds.

“Okay~ That’s enough. Daniela, you’ll give two cookies from your share to Bela and Cassandra, alright?” you mediate.

“Awww, but your cookies are the best though,” she whines, throwing you the puppy dog eyes.

“But it wasn’t nice to take the cookies Agnes had baked from your sisters,” you explain, ruffling her hair soothingly.

She sighs, “Fine,” she says with a pout.

“Is that fair for you two?” you ask, turning to Bela and Cassandra. They both nod.

“It will have to do,” Cassandra says.

“A finger would’ve been nice,” Bela sighs.

“That…wouldn’t even work, her finger would just reconnect to her body instantly,” you snort.

“It’s the heart of the action that counts, Mama,” she says, and you chuckle.

“Alright you three, get along now,” you say, turning to leave before you’re stopped by Daniela.

“Sit with us a while?” she asks, and you can’t help but agree. The four of you move to the big couch where they all cuddle up next to you, Bela and Cassandra on either shoulder while Daniela lay sprawled across your laps, since Bela and Cassandra had squashed her earlier.

You read to them for a bit, a pastime you loved but hadn’t gotten the chance to do as of late.

“Oh, before I forget, when did your Mother start wearing that fourth flower one her dress?” you ask them, and they all turn to look at you.

“Hmmm, a couple days after the wedding maybe? I’m not quite sure,” Cassandra says.

“Really? I’m surprised I haven’t noticed yet, interesting. Any idea what it means?” you ask them, and they all share a look with one another.

“Mama…do you not know what the roses she wears represent?” Daniela asks, looking up at you.

“No…? Should I?” you ask confusedly, and they all share a little laugh with one another.

“Alright sisters, I think its time we head off to bed,” Bela says, getting up and almost pushing Daniela off the couch.

“I agree, sister,” Cassandra says.

“I do as well,” Daniela says with a mischievous grin.

You knew damn well they weren’t going to bed, not at this early hour. They were more often than not, awake until the wee hours of the morning.

“Hey! Since you all seem to know, why don’t you tell me?” you ask them.

“Mmm~ Perhaps not. You can, however, ask Mother that question you so desperately want to know,” Bela says with a smile, eyes twinkling.

You only sigh softly, “Alright, go. It seems like I won’t get anything out of you three, good night then,” you smile at them.

“Good night, mama!”

“Thank you for reading to us,”

“Have fun with Mother~”

And in an instant you’re alone in the library, the door closing shut behind them. Glancing at the clock you see that a good two hours had passed, and Alcina was likely done with her work. If any time was good to ask her, it was now.

You walk through the hallways once more, the moon now hanging over the night sky and shining through the windows leaving its cool glow in its wake.

You had checked Alcina’s office but she wasn’t there, so you figured she was already back in your shared bedroom getting ready for the night.

Peeking your head through the door, you spot Alcina sitting at her vanity taking her makeup off with a wipe.

Making your way over, you take the wipe from her hand, moving to stand between her legs as she grasps onto your hips.

“Darling, I was wondering where you had gone off to,” she says, her eyes closing at your soft touch.

“The girls were arguing over cookies so I jumped in before anything got broken,” Alcina only chuckles amusedly.

“Wouldn’t be the first time.”

“Yeah, when I walked in Bela and Cass were sitting on top of her,” you laugh, moving from cleaning her face to her deep crimson lips. “So as a compromise, I said that I would bake with them tomorrow.”

“That sounds lovely, be sure to save me some, darling,” she says, leaning in to press a kiss to your forward.

“Of course~”

That was when you remember the question you had for her.

“Alcina…why did you start wearing that pink flower?” you ask hesitantly, not wanting to seem silly when everyone else seemed to know what they stood for.

She only snorts in response before stroking a hand down your cheek fondly.

“Is it not obvious, darling? It represents you, and how dearly I hold you close to my heart,” she says, her voice so tender it makes you almost want to tear up.

“Really?” you say so softly it was practically a whisper.

“Had I not told you why I wore these flowers, my love?” she asks, and you shake your head no.

“Originally I wore three to represent Bela, Cassandra and Daniela, and after we got married I began wearing this one too. Honestly, I’m surprised it took as long as it did considering I had known long before that how much I loved you,” she says, gazing deep into your eyes it felt like they pierced your very soul, warming you from the inside out.

“I love you too,” you say simply, before leaning in to press a tender kiss to her lips, saying the unspoken words you knew you wouldn’t be able to find that could describe the extent of your feelings.

“Why pink though,” you ask after you pull away.

She only smiles down at you for a moment.

“As you may know, the colour of flowers holds meaning,” you nod in response. “Well, pink represents sweetness, gentleness, which I figured was a fitting colour for someone like you in a world like ours,” she says, her eyes darkening for a moment before they brighten back up looking at you again.

“You’re the light this castle had needed for so long, the warmth that this family had been lacking for longer than I’d like to admit. The kindness in your heart radiates far and wide, this rose attests to that,” she says, and you can’t help the tears that fill your eyes now.

“They also represent joy, a feeling I felt an infinite amount on the day we got married,” she admits, a thumb swiping under your eyes that caught the tears that fell.

“That…wow,” was all you managed to say before you captured her lips with yours once more, hands moving up to cup her face as she pulled you close.

“I hope that gives you at least a tiny idea of how much you mean to me,” she says with a soft smile, which you mirror back in turn.

#lady dimitrescu #lady alcina #lady alcina dimitrescu #lady dimitrescu x reader #alcina dimitrescu x reader #lady dimitrescu x gn! reader #lady dimitrescu x y/n #resident evil alcina #resident evil village #FLUFF

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littleemptyattik · 8 months

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This week I finished reading this book— The Republic of Pirates by Colin Woodard

For a book that's entirely nonfiction and written with only the solid facts as the main focus, I can honestly say I felt more emotions reading this than any other book in a long time.

Despite my instinctive love for the world and concept of classic pirates, when I picked up this book I was preparing to be disappointed in some ways; I wanted to know the truth about them, but I was afraid the truth was dismal and that I was going to find a book full of men not to be admired, motivated by their own greed and violence.

In the history of piracy there is certainly greed and violence, but it's not the pirates that I found myself despising. Maybe I'm still a little biased by my idealized view of them, but after reading this book I can't help but feel more love for that league of pirate kings and queens. These were people whose governments—mainly the British, but also the French and others, including the blooming Americas—had not only neglected, but also abused and exploited and even tortured. More than once in the early chapters I had to put the book down because I felt overwhelmed reading about some of the accounts of navy and merchant ships, whose captains and owners had manipulated or even straight-up kidnapped men and boys to put to work as practical slaves. Hundreds of thousands of innocent lives were lost to the sea with no proper respect, sometimes even through deliberate murder by their superiors, and no one did anything about it because these men and boys (and the women and children who were left behind) were poor and had no power, existing as nothing but a workforce for politicians and businessmen to use until they broke.

I'm not going to pretend the pirates weren't sometimes just as vile; of course they were, at times. But these men had decided that enough was enough, that their lives were worth more than having their bodies dumped overboard so some old man could count his riches in his mansion back on land. I feel like many of us can still relate to this in our world today.

These men and women weren't saints, but I don't know what choice they had. Mutinying, thievery, fear tactics—these were all the resources they had, and it was either that or continue to be exploited by a system that gave them no benefit. And in the end, even the most vicious pirate in this book was not as corrupt as most of the high-class thieves and murderers who got away with their corruption because it was legal. The pirates stole to survive and try to thrive in a world not made for them. They married women of other cultures and had beautiful mixed children in a time when that was rare and would be for three more centuries. They often freed slaves from the cargo holds and invited them to join their crews, not caring about their skin color or even if they didn't speak the same language. I found myself laughing more than once at how the many of them would board a ship and then send the crew on their way with an apology and well wishes to get home safely, sometimes even paying the captain for his trouble and the goods they took. Though they did harm some people and earned their reputation in some ways, these men weren't a stereotype of cruelty and lust. They were human.

I held myself back because I was in public at the time, but when I read the last few pages detailing the fall of the pirate leaders, I felt somehow like I was losing friends. They certainly weren't perfect, but I also can't agree that they deserved their fates. The propaganda and political corruption of the times had ensured pirates like "Blackbeard" would be remembered with hatred and terror even to this day, when in reality, the brilliant Edward Teach was known in his circles for his mercy and moral standards toward his men and his victims. In a world where violence was utilized like a tool, forced upon men like him who didn't actually want violence, did he really deserve to die so brutally? Did Calico Jack and Stede Bonnet and Mary Read, and that 20-something-year-old who called the audience cowards for not standing up against their oppressors just before he was hanged with seven others? In a republic (because it was exactly that, a system of fair election based on merit), did the pirate leaders deserve to have their society torn apart so that the old system of exploitation could continue?

After I finished the book, I ate dinner and just wondered...What if? What if some of the pirates' political plans, like Charles Vane's desire to depose the royal family, had actually happened? (That's the same royal family that still rules Britain today, by the way.) What if they had been united with more educated people to enhance their society, providing more structure to it? What if they'd kept Nassau as their capital, creating a trade system that might help fund their goals and dreams? What if their knowledge about other lands and peoples had become the norm? Would we be more intermixed in color and culture today, more advanced in our treatment of other people groups as equals? What if the ideologies hadn't been suppressed, but had been allowed to spread around cities and towns in Britain, Europe, and the Americas, ideologies of freedom for individuals and curiosity about the world and motivation to challenge injustice? What if they'd been given the chance to rule for longer than just the handful of years they'd had?

I didn't mean to write all of this, honestly. I was just going to give a little summary and post the photo. But it's been repeating in my head for days now...What if?

(And just to be clear, I would have married Blackbeard if he'd asked.)

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bullet-prooflove · 2 months

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For You: Arlo Turk x Reader

Tagging: @scorpio-1357 @fanny-123456 @alexlynn16 @kmc1989 @mini-bee-beee @@alixw22x @fanficwritinggirl @sca3a @nu1freakshow

When Arlo was in Mexico he used to think about nights like this, about being tangled up in you, your bare skin brushing over his. It wasn’t the sex that he missed, it was the intimacy. There’s something about being so connected in that moment that transcends anything else. He recalled that sense of belonging in the aftermath, how right it felt as he held you close.

There has never been another person who understands him the way that you do, whose had the power to strip away his armour and see the man underneath. With you he learned it was ok to be vulnerable, to want someone, to be wanted.

He looks at you now by the light of the bonfire, the warm glow bathing your flushed skin as you lay underneath him. You still have that desire in you, that passion, it hasn’t died in the time he’s been away, you love him just as fiercely as he loves you.

“I thought about you all the time when I was away.” He finds himself saying as his thumb chases over the apple of your cheek.

He goes back there for a minute, back to Mexico. Dark nights spent on a cot in the corner of the garage he ‘owned’. He’d lie there with his eyes closed and he’d think about the last time he saw you, the scent of your perfume, the press of the navy blue sundress you’d been wearing when he’d kissed you goodbye.

Your fingers snag on the chain around his neck bringing him back to the present. Your thumb traces over the battered St Christopher pendant that hangs between you. You’d given it to him the morning he’d left, fastening it around his throat after the two of you had made love in the shower. It had belonged to your father once upon a time, then you and now him. He’d tried to return it the night he got back but you’d refused.

Your fingertips ghost over the tattoos just under his collarbone, your palm coming to rest upon the space where his heart resides in his chest.

“It still only beats for you.” He tells you, his hand covering yours. He holds it in place so that you can feel the steady thud against the pads of your fingers.

It’s important to him that you know that. He’s fucked other women in the time you’ve been apart but he’d never made love to them. He’d reserved that for you and only you.

“You know how much I love you Arlo.” You whisper, your fingertips brushing the errant curls away from his forehead.

“I’ll never get tired of hearing that.” He murmurs, his voice rough as he kisses you. “And I will never get tired of saying it.”

Love Arlo? Don’t miss any of his stories by joining the taglist here.

Interested in supporting me? Join my Patreon for Bonus Content!

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#max martini #arlo turk x reader #ncis los angeles #arlo turk x you #arlo turk #ncis la

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callsign-phoenix · 1 year

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I wrote this as a part of my advent calendar fics, I hope you like it!

It is a Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw x gn!reader imagine.

Thank you @marvelandotherfandomimagines for proofreading!

Day 22: office Christmas party

Warnings: you’re working an office job in this one, if you don’t have one regard this as an AU 😉

You definitely weren’t a fan of forced social gatherings, even though you didn’t mind the people at your office.

They were actually kind, but like with all the people at a work environment you hadn’t chosen to be close to them, fate had just thrown them upon you.

While you liked some of them enough to regularly talk to them you weren’t exactly sure if you wanted to call them your friends, so any kind of social interaction outside of your workspace felt awkward to you.

That was why you didn’t look forward to the Christmas parties that came around every year, though that particular Christmas you didn’t mind as much.

Your boyfriend would be going with you for the first time, and you knew that wherever Bradley went everyone else had a great time as well.

You were excited for him to be there even though you didn’t particularly enjoy going, you were just glad that he came along.

You had dressed up for the occasion and Bradley was wearing something nicer as well.

Even though he didn’t like dressing fancier, he wore black trousers and a Christmas themed button up, a welcome contrast to the Hawaiian shirts he wore usually.

You were happy to take him with you and your hand immediately wrapped around his as you entered the site they had rented for the evening: a nice small floor with tables of food and drinks stacked around the walls and a makeshift dance floor in the middle of the room.

Bradley chuckled at the small mess this Christmas party seemed to be and you were about to say something when some of your coworkers and their spouses approached you.

“So this is the hunky Navy man you’ve been withholding from us for so long?” Your coworker Susanne asked, and gave you a glass of champagne that you almost dropped at what she said to you.

You did an awkward movement in trying to keep your glass from toppling out of your grasp and Bradley did nothing but watch you, with raised eyebrows and an internal snicker you could hear even though he didn’t actively voice it.

Once you had your beverage under control again you opted for an awkward laugh and a nod, trying to diffuse the situation.

“This is Bradley, he’s a Naval aviator,” you answered her, and a broad bashful smile rushed over Bradley’s face.

“Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw,” he introduced himself, shaking a few hands and receiving a glass from Susanne’s husband.

“You didn’t tell us he was this attractive, or I would have made you bring him to work often,” Susanne shamelessly flirted with your boyfriend, and you felt a tinge of annoyance run through you.

Bradley knew exactly how you were feeling without even looking at you, setting one hand at the small of your back and smiling away through the pain that conversation caused you.

“Oh I have a tight work schedule, but for you I’d have made it fit in,” Bradley winked at her shamelessly and you had to hold yourself back from laughing.

It was a strategy Bradley used often, because older ladies had the tendency to hit on him.

Bradley liked to flirt back ruthlessly, because they’d usually grow flustered and move on.

It had made you break out into fits of laughter often but this time you had a satisfied grin on your face as Susanne grew red as a beetroot and looked at her husband, downing her drink and asking him to accompany her to get a new one.

Once she had left Laurie embraced you quickly, chuckling as she pulled away.

“Suzie had looked too deeply into her glass even when I got here, and I was perfectly on time,” she laughed, and you joined her in it.

She did well in shifting the topic of conversation somewhere less awkward and the group of you casually chatted along, while Bradley kept his hand possessively at your side.

It made you feel good knowing he wanted to keep in contact with you even though you weren’t talking to each other, and you stood just a bit straighter because of it.

The evening went well despite a few more slip-ups by some more drunken coworkers, and Bradley escorted you to the car afterwards.

The drive was silent for the first few minutes as you awkwardly fiddled with your hands, the beginning of the party vividly running through your mind.

“For the record, I never said you were hunky,” you spoke up, and you saw and heard Bradley snort as you looked over at him.

The light of the street barely lit up his features, but you could still see how amused and how fundamentally pleased he was.

“That’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of me, though, don’t be shy to admit it,” he joked, and intertwined the fingers of the hand he wasn’t using to drive with yours.

You had to laugh too, and felt like despite Susanne the office Christmas party had been a full blown success.

tagging: @wildbornsiren @mayhem24-7forever @green-socks @hederasgarden @letsfvckingdance @shadeds-library @a-reader-and-a-writer @yespolkadotkitty @whateverbagman @neptunes-curse @sweetheartlizzie07 @top-gun-rooster @iloveprettyboysblog @ateliefloresdaprimavera @imjess-themess @littlebadariell @angstyjellybean @marchingicenotes7 @midget713 @supernaturaldawning @gspenc @adorephina @gigisimsonmars @pansexualwitchwhoneedstherapy @bespinnn @softromantist @malindacath @oliviah-25 @kwanimations @18crazybutcutealsopsycho @glowingtree @natasharomanoffisbaebby @luckyladycreator2 @blue-aconite @tipsykeen @ycarlii @teti-menchon0604 @butaneandthebeast @mavericksicybabe @kendra-rose @desert-fern @starkleila @mavrellover91 @allivingstone01 @rhettabbotts @withakindheartx @trikigirl271 @cherrycola27 @bonitanightmxres

(please tell me if you want to be added to the taglist, or use this link)

#bradley rooster bradshaw x you #bradley rooster bradshaw x reader #bradley rooster bradshaw #bradley bradshaw x you #bradley bradshaw x reader #bradley bradshaw imagine #bradley bradshaw x y/n #rooster top gun #top gun rooster

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hummingbird-of-light · 4 months

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Twenty-first story for @badthingshappenbingo ~

Title: A Wish Upon A Star

Fandom: Star Trek (AOS)

Character(s): Montgomery "Scotty" Scott, Original Female Character(s)

Relationship(s): Hints of Scotty/Bones

Rating: M

Words: 782

Prompt: Pushed from a Moving Vehicle

Warnings: Blood and Injury, Major Character Injury, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting

(You can also find this story on AO3)

~ A Wish Upon A Star ~

He closed his eyes and enjoyed the fresh night-time air at sea. Aye, of course, Montgomery Scott loved to be down in engineering, however, he couldn't deny that from time to time he also liked to get upstairs and watch the sea and the sky.

It was a lovely night. The air was cool, the stars were shining brightly at the dark sky. Down below, the waves evenly crushed against the ship.

It was the most wonderful sound the Scottish chief engineer could imagine.

He opened his eyes to look up at the moon and the stars and smiled softly.

It had been the right decision to work aboard a ship. That way he could see more of the world than he ever had been able to imagine.

He thought of his mother. She had always been scared that he'd actually leave home one day to travel the big wide world. She had never understood his longing for freedom and travel. And when he had told her that he'd join the navy, she was even more worried for him.

But it was fine. He was a big lad, able to take care of himself.

And he had met wonderful people aboard the Enterprise. The captain, his first officer, the whole bridge crew, the staff down in engineering and... a very handsome Southern doctor.

Scotty blushed at the thought of Dr. McCoy. The chief medical officer really was a handsome devil. And one day he'd tell him about his feelings for sure.

Aye, he really was happy aboard the ship. It was a dream come true.

Steps coming from behind him made the Scotsman turn around and he smiled when he saw a familar face.

"Lt. Williams," he greeted the young woman with a nod and she smiled back at him.

"Lt. Cmdr. Scott. Good evening, sir."

"Good evening," Scotty returned the pleasantries before he turned back to face the sea.

His colleague from engineering stepped up next to him and followed his example.

"It's a beautiful night, isn't it?" Lt. Williams eventually asked after a moment of silence and Scotty nodded in agreement.

"Aye, it sure is. There's nothing better than a night at sea."

They fell silent once again, simply enjoying the air and the quiet of the night, but when Lt. Williams sighed next to him, Scotty turned to face her.

"It's... just not fair."

The engineer tilted his head in confusion.

"Lieutenant?"

The woman didn't look at him. She was staring at the stars, tears in her eyes.

"When I was a little girl, my parents always told me that if I wished upon a star, all my dreams would come true."

A weak smile crossed Scotty's lips. Everyone knew these stories. If only it were that easy.

"And... I believed them. I wished for something and then I did everything in my power to be... the smartest and the best and the most hardworking girl aboard this ship."

Slowly, the tears started to fall and Scotty felt pity for the young woman. She looked so desperate. Even though she was one of his greatest engineers, she seemed so hopeless.

"Yet still... he chose you."

It wasn't more than a mere whisper, but Scotty still heard it.

"Lt. Williams," he tried to say something, but the woman wouldn't let him finish. She turned around so that she was standing in front of him, anger written all over her face.

"I was the best! I was always the best! It should be me! I should be chief engineer! But no! Kirk chose you!"

More and more tears streamed down Lt. Williams' face as she let out all of her rage and despair.

And suddenly it happened.

The knife she always carried with her was in her hand and only a second later, it was jammed into Scotty's neck.

For a moment the Scotsman didn't even realize what had happened. He only stared at his counterpart, who clasped her hands in front of her mouth, eyes wide.

She... she had stabbed him. Lt. Williams had stabbed him.

Slowly, Scotty reached for the knife, but before he could even touch it, the woman in front of him reacted.

She pushed him. Over the railing.

And the Scotsman? He didn't even try to defend himself. It was almost as if he was paralyzed by shock and disbelief.

When his body hit the water and blood started to surround his body, he knew that it was his end.

And, even though there were so many things in the world to think of, he couldn't help the one last thought that came to his mind.

He should have told the doctor that he loved him.

#bad things happen bingo #prompt: pushed from a moving vehicle #fandom: star trek aos #fanfiction #montgomery scott #oc #whump #major character injury #blood and injury #au #modern setting

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justathoughtfulangel · 1 year

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What I've Lost ~ Colors, Chapter 10 (Kai Parker Fanfiction)

Hello and happy new year, my dear readers! Welcome to Chapter 10 of Colors, my Kai Parker Soulmate AU Fanfiction. I apologize for the very long hiatus on the Colors series. I am back and do promise to write this story to completion!

This is NOT meant to be read as a standalone piece. Events of the story and even the universe it is set in vary greatly from the original show. If you haven’t yet, please read the Details post and previous chapters linked on this masterlist.

*not my gif

Word Count: 1,508

I don’t like writing with Y/N in the place of character names, but this IS a reader insert fanfiction. I use Rosalie Wilson as a placeholder. Use Rose/Rosalie as a substitution for Y/N.

Warnings: scattered mature language

This chapter takes place two months after Chapter 9, which places our characters in late summer. I hope you enjoy it! :)

Colored pencils lay scattered on a wooden desk. Rosalie twirled one of navy blue between her fingers, debating on the pattern the waves should form. She leaned back, and her head nudged Kai’s knee as he lounged on the couch. He played with a puzzle piece, attempting to fit it in multiple locations.

Scooting over, Rose rested her chin on his forearm. The puzzle was slowly coming together, months after he’d started it. It had been a birthday present, and its creation was a surprise to them both, in a way. One winter morning, Caroline managed to snap a perfectly candid picture of Kai and Rosalie together. Snowflakes fluttered around them. Pure joy sparkled in their eyes. They shared a laugh, their arms wrapped around each other.

When she shared it with Rosalie, she had it crafted into a 1000-piece puzzle for Kai. He had an affinity for many random things because of his time in the prison world, and puzzles that occupied him for weeks at a time once helped him maintain his sanity.

Malachai had begun the puzzle in May and was teasingly close to finishing it. It occupied a large portion of their dining table when he wasn’t actively working on it over long, stray cardboard. They both loved looking at it, for it brought both a great deal of serenity.

Hidden within that laughter and embrace was a promise – both unspoken and not. A promise to love their other half forever.

The Mystic Falls’ namesake gurgled in the distance, lashing against the boulders below. Music was blaring from some boombox, people were chattering, and the fire crackled. The smell of toasting sugar melded with the smoke as marshmallows roasted by the flames’ lick.

Despite having moved on from high school, the annual back-to-school bonfire was a tradition. Each year, their group seemed to only grow. What had once started out as a yearly activity for Rosalie, Elena, Bonnie, and Caroline had become a custom for their whole group. It was also the first bonfire where Rosalie wasn’t the odd one out among the couples.

Kai slowly sipped his beer, sitting beside Enzo. Things will never be comfortable between them; even if Bonnie had forgiven him for their friction in the 1994 prison world, Enzo held quite the grudge. Too many conversations flowed, and none were worth joining.

He occupied his attention with the dancing fire, watching the kaleidoscope of colors alternate between orange, yellow, red, and even blue closest to the logs. Despite the beauty in the flames, Malachai grew bored quickly. His eyes began searching for the one they would always be glad to gaze upon. Rosalie was a little bit away, talking to someone Kai was unfamiliar with. The man in question stepped close to her as if he’d known her for years; Malachai’s teeth clenched, and there was a dark glint in his eyes along with the reflection of the bonfire.

There was a reason Kai didn’t know about Logan; Rose wanted nothing to do with him. He was the one person she’d ever dated before meeting her soulmate. Their relationship hadn’t ended horribly, but it was still a phase of her life she did not want to remember. Just like Elena broke up with Matt after the death of her parents, Rosalie left Logan when her powers destroyed her family. He’d left Mystic Falls shortly after, and she did not expect to see him again.

Despite the past, Rose was doing her best to be civil. In his mind, she was in the wrong. “What brings you back to Mystic Falls?” Rosalie wrapped her arms around herself, creating some distance between them. Logan didn’t get the message, taking another step closer. “You. I came back for you.”

Rose balked, completely silent for a moment. It had been years since they’d last seen each other. How could he possibly still be hung up on her? “We could do what we talked about. Get a big house on Oak Street, send our kids to the same schools we went to… don’t you want to?” There was this incredulous shine in Logan’s eyes as if it was completely crazy Rosalie didn’t return his manic pining.

Kai couldn’t take it. He’d never wanted to violate her privacy this way, but he had to know. With an unnoticeable wave of his hand and a mutter of an incantation under his breath, he began listening in to their conversation. The second he did, he immediately wished he hadn’t. A vein throbbed above Kai’s left temple, all the tension held in his jaw.

“A lot has happened since we broke up, Logan. I don’t want that anymore. I suggest you leave.” Rose was doing her best to still be respectful, even if she wanted to crush his hopes entirely. She turned to walk away, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her. Before she could shove it off, Kai beat her to it.

“You heard her. Leave.” Rosalie had never heard such an edge in Malachai’s tone. There was something frightening about the side of him she never saw. Logan looked between the two and erupted into a crude laugh. “And who are you to tell me that? You’ve been around for, what, a few months? I’ve been here for years.”

That was it. Kai grabbed his collar, nearly lifting him from the ground. “Malachai, that’s enough.” Logan was the one who’d stepped out of line first, but she only had the right to stop her soulmate. Pulling them apart, she stepped between them both. A silent conversation took place between Malachai and Rosalie, after which he finally let him go. Without another word, he took her wrist, leaving Logan and their friends in the dust.

Kai stormed to the car. Anger still coursed through his veins, and he didn’t know how to quiet it. Anger terrified him. It was a part of him that he thought he’d left behind. The engine roared to a start, and their car squealed out of the parking lot. In the dark of the night, no one stopped them as they sped through the streets.

“What was that?” Malachai’s voice was quiet now. Somehow, it was even more dangerous. His eyes, tinged with jealousy, flashed over to Rosalie. She didn’t know what to say. “Stop the car.” He scoffed, stepping on the accelerator. He was seeing red, no longer caring for anything.

“Damn it, Malachai, we’re going to crash! Stop the car right now!” Her hand rested on Kai’s forearm, and he finally regained some consciousness. The car came to a dangerous halt in the center of Wickery Bridge. Turning it off, he stepped out and slammed the door shut. Rosalie was also incensed by his behavior. He wasn’t a child, and this tantrum didn’t amuse her. A grown adult – her soulmate, no less – would listen before jumping to conclusions.

Taking a deep breath, Rose followed him out. The water was treacherously black. The only light came from the car’s headlights. Malachai was staring out into the distance, his hands clenching the bridge’s wooden railing. “Are you going to tell me what that was about?”

The corner of Rosalie’s eye twitched, but she held onto her sanity. Exploding in anger wasn’t going to help. “He was my ex. He didn’t know I was with you and wanted to get back together. I shot him down as nicely as I could.” Truthfully, Malachai knew as much. In all likelihood, given all the memories he shared with Rose, he knew there was nothing more to the story. Unfortunately, his rationality had disappeared long ago.

“Really? If that’s all there is to it, then why didn’t you ever mention him before?” His hands smacked the railing in unison, the splinters drawing blood. Rosalie rushed over immediately. Healing spells weren’t complicated, but with her mind so frazzled, nothing was happening. “Malachai, please… he doesn’t matter. He never mattered. You’re hurt, let me look.”

When she moved to touch his hands, he yanked them away. “You know everything about me. Every fucking detail. You didn’t care enough to mention this.” Kai spit the words out. They’d formed a harsh whip, each lash brutally hitting Rosalie. “I gave up everything for you! You don’t know what I’ve lost because of you.”

There it was. Rosalie had mentioned her fear of monopolizing his life, of taking more from him than she could give in return. He’d taken the thing that hurt her most - the worry that kept her up at night - and threw it in her face. She didn’t say anything, standing in painful silence.

The second the words left his lips, Kai wanted to take them back. He couldn’t. Wounds made by words often cut much deeper than any other weapon. He couldn’t even bring himself to apologize. Rosalie looked up at him, and Malachai could only see the barest hint of tears forming in her eyes when she vanished.

Then, it was just him. Him and a running car, stranded on Wickery Bridge.

~~~

This concludes Chapter 10 of Colors! Thank you so much for reading :)

Chapter 11 is now posted! Read it here.

Feel free to check out my other stories from my Malachai Parker Masterlist (pinned to the top of my profile).

Please feel free to send any thoughts/comments/constructive criticisms my way. I always welcome them!

If you’d like to be added to the taglist for this story and/or for my other Kai Parker pieces, please send me a message or leave a comment on this post.

Until next time, JustAThoughtfulAngel :)

Master Taglist: @bluelicious, @prettybitchfatwitch, @genevivetaylor, @socio-kai-path1972, @kolsangel, @phasmatos-incendia

Colors Taglist: @southernbell91, @rootbeerfaygo, @enretrogue

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apileofashandember-writes · 10 months

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the weight we carry

the weight we carry (unedited)

Summary: Gaining a pair of dragon wings upon becoming a dragonlord wasn’t all that bad, except for the amount of times he had to sneak away in the middle of the night to let them out. And of course, his increased lying to Arthur.