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fireteam-dauntless · 4 years

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A Tale of Two Guardians XIX

Part 1 of the Destined Series. Chapter 19 : Secret Escape masterlist

word count : 3.3K tag list : @mail-me-a-snail @basically-nacl @shins-wife

When I woke the next morning, the sun was barely shining over the city’s skyline. My bedroom was filled with a gentle glow of the rising sun. I yawned aloud and stretched my arms over my head.

“Good morning, peu de lumière,” I said and my Ghost came flying into the room and hovered in front of my face.

“Good morning, Genesis, I already started your coffee,” she said.

I smiled and gently rubbed the top of her shell. “Thank you,” I said and stood up. “Any messages overnight?” I asked.

“Well…” she paused a moment and followed me into the kitchen. “There’s a message from Ikora, approving your trip for the next few days. There’s a notice from the postmaster that your mission report was delivered last night. And a message from Maverick about an hour ago… he’s going to stop by around 7 this morning to pick you up for your trip. And that’s about it.”

“Thank you,” I said as I picked up my mug and sat down at the kitchen table. I sipped on my coffee and read the morning news for the City. Shortly after I finished my cup I stood and started to get ready. It was right around 6:30, so Maverick was going to be here soon. I pulled on the leggings and skin tight shirt that I wore under my armor when there was a knock at the door. “Peu de lumière, I’m sure that’s Maverick, can you let him in and tell him I’ll be down momentarily.”

“Okay,” she said then flew downstairs. I pulled on a different set of armor from yesterday, since that armor still smelled like Hive. I pulled on my Apex Harmonic set, but settled for my Sunbracers instead of the normal gauntlets. I heard Maverick coming upstairs, and my Ghost screaming after him.

“C’est d’accord, peu de lumière, je suis vêtu*,” I reassured, and turned to Maverick when he stood in my bedroom door. “You really should listen to my Ghost, Mav. Usually her words are coming straight from me.”

Maverick leaned against the door frame and shrugged. “Eh, where’s the fun in that? Besides, I like catching you off guard. You get all flushed and adorable.”

I looked away immediately to hide my face. That alone made my cheeks warm and a smile come to my lips. I took a deep breath and continued to collect myself. “So, what’s the plan Maverick? Or is everything about this trip to Venus going to be a surprise?”

“What, surprises are nice, right?”

“Most definitely, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to know what’s going on.”

He sighed and caved. “Alright, I’m taking you to a place not much of the Vanguard knows about. Only Cayde knows I go there. But that’s all I can tell you.”

I chuckled and slung my sniper over my shoulder, holstered my hand cannon, and slid my sword into place on my back. “When do we fly out?”

“We can head out whenever you’re ready. My ship’s waiting in orbit.”

I turned and smiled at him. “You had everything planned, didn’t you?”

The red glow behind his mouth glowed brighter, a sign that he was smiling. “Maybe.”

I smiled and stood across from him. “Did you go to your debriefing with Zavala? You have to go before we leave.”

Maverick groaned and covered my mouth. “Don’t talk about it. The longer I can keep Mister Blue waiting, the better. It’s hilarious when he gets frustrated, because then he just gives you the short version and leaves you alone.”

I laughed and pushed his hand away. “Alright, fine. I’m ready to go, if you are.”

“Good.” He handed me a small electronic card with the transmat link codes for his ship. “Give that to your Ghost. I’ll see you up there.” Then he pulled out his Ghost, and disappeared from my house.

“Genesis?” My Ghost came and hovered in front of my face. “Are you alright.”

I didn’t realize until now that I was blushing like a maniac and I felt frozen in place. “Fuck, I must be crazy, but it feels like he just gets hotter and hotter every time I see him.”

“You’re insane and should probably start seeing a doctor.”

I laughed and gave the transmat codes to my Ghost then gently rubbed her shell. “Oh, peu de lumière, that’s why I have you.”

My Ghost sighed and transmatted me up to Maverick’s ship. I walked from the bay to the cockpit, and took a seat in the co-pilot chair.

I didn’t have my helmet on yet when I sat down next to Maverick, so when I turned I caught him staring at me. “What?”

“Nothing, nothing,” he said quickly and turned away. “Just taking a moment to admire you. Can’t help it sometimes.”

My cheeks flushed, once again, and I smiled, but kept quiet. I pulled on my helmet and took hold of the co-pilot controls. “I can’t help but think of you, too. Your eyes… they’re haunting and yet… magnificent…”

I looked over at him as he set a course for Venus, and he looked at me. “Is that all?”

“Oh, of course not, but I’m not going to hopelessly embarrass myself by turning into a blushing mess.”

He laughed loudly and turned back to the front as we slid into slip space. “Oh that would be a sight to see.”

I was already a blushing mess beneath my helmet. We flew to Venus in under an hour, and when we landed, Maverick summoned his Sparrow and looked at me. “Hop on,” he said.

I looked at him in disbelief. “Are you serious?” I asked him.

“Does it look like I’m kidding?” He looked back at me as he took a seat. “Hop on.”

I crossed my arms and stared at him, wondering if I should. Not only was it a dangerous risk since most sparrows weren’t equipped to carry two passengers, but it was raining, though that wasn’t uncommon for Venus.

“Don’t do it,” my Ghost said. “Don’t get in over your head.”

“I was in over my head when I gave you those transmat codes,” I said to her, dropped my arms, and sat behind Maverick on the Sparrow. I wrapped my arms tightly around his waist, and he took off towards the Academy. It was rare that I got to view Venus like this, so I leaned my head on his back and gazed out over the landscape. Venus was beautiful. The Ishtar Academy was a sight to see too, and whenever I had a chance, I occasionally snagged a book from the Library and brought it home to read. We passed by the Shattered Coast and were riding along the Cliffs when Maverick slowed to a stop.

“See over there? The volcanoes?” He asked, and pointed out towards the volcanoes with blue lava that crept over the sides and down the hills.

“Yeah?”

“I know a place where we can get closer. You in?”

“Of course!”

He chuckled and pulled off towards the Waking Ruins. We passed by some Vex on the way and easily avoided their fire, but for fun and games I tossed a fusion grenade at a Minotaur, and it stuck right on its eye. I laughed aloud and wrapped my arms tight around Maverick again. He drove us all the way through Campus 9.

“Where are we going?” I asked.

“You’ll see, just hang on, it’s gonna get rough pretty soon.”

I nodded and hugged him tighter. We drove past the Endless Steps, past anywhere on any Vanguard map. The road definitely did get bumpy, but his sparrow was so stable and secure I wasn’t even scared of being thrown off. He slowed down right before we reached a cliff and took a sharp left turn, scattering some rocks over the edge of the cliff.

“Whoa!” I shouted and hugged tightly onto Maverick.

“Hold on, we’re almost there,” he assured me, he let go of one of the throttles and squeezed my hand before pulling us ahead. He drove us down a narrow path down the side of the cliff, and finally, to this little base in front of a cave that had the perfect view of the volcanoes. Maverick stopped driving and sat up, prompting me to let him go. He stood off of the Sparrow, then held a hand out for me. I took his hand and stood, and shortly after my feet were planted on the ground, his Sparrow disappeared. I looked around and walked forward a bit. This little place was so secluded, no one would find it unless they knew where they were going.

“How did you find this place?” I asked and turned to Maverick. The cave was covered by wood panels, surely ones that he built, making a door and protecting the inside from the weather.

“I kind of did the same thing you did after my fireteam was killed. I ran away from the Vanguard for a while. And I found this place.” He crossed his arms and looked out over the land, gazing at the volcanoes that spat out their blue lava. I went and stood next to him, and gently laced my arm with his. “C’mon, I’ll take you inside. I had my Ghost set wards so that you can take your helmet off and breathe comfortably inside.”

Maverick led me inside and closed the door behind him. It was dark, but he walked around and lit small lanterns that were inside. The room filled with a warm golden glow.

“You made this all yourself?” I asked and looked around. There was a cot and a table with two chairs, but not much else. “It’s… it’s almost homey. The seclusion…”

“I know,” he said. “I needed it at the time. And now it’s a good place to get away to when the Vanguard is trying to get on my ass.”

I laughed softly and nodded. “I get that. I always go to France or Venus. Either one is good enough for me. But Venus always holds a special place in my heart.”

Maverick nodded and pulled off his helmet, and I pulled off mine. I took a seat on one of the chairs, and Maverick sat across from me. “Okay,” I said and looked over at Maverick. “I have to ask. What Sparrow do you have? I mean, it had no problem carrying two passengers and didn’t even lose any speed.”

“Timebreaker,” he said, nonchalant. “Found the schematic for it in the Vault of Glass. Best Sparrow I’ve ever had Amanda build for me.”

“Can I have it?” I asked jokingly.

“Ha! Over my dead body.”

I laughed and stood, and walked over to the cot and collapsed down on top of it. I studied the stone ceilings. “You know… I could paint a mural of our meeting on this ceiling.” I waved Maverick over; he walked over to me and laid down beside me on the cot. I started pointing out different areas of the ceiling. “The Vault over here… then we would be over here, maybe side by side fighting that Minotaur right over… there.” I looked over at him expectantly, a wide and excited smile on my lips.

Maverick was quiet for a moment, then turned his head and met my gaze. “Or you could do something a little more abstract. Just you and me, no battles needed.”

“Why?”

He paused a moment before responding. “This is a place I go to in order to get away from fighting and battlefields, to clear my head.”

“Ah, I see.” I drummed my fingers on my stomach and chewed the inside of my cheek. “Well… I could draw somethings up. Might take me awhile. Abstract isn’t really my expertise.”

“I’d love to see what you come up with.”

Silence fell between us. Maverick and I were laying side by side. After a few moments of silence. I rolled on my side and nestled against him, resting my head on his arm. He responded by turning on his side and he pulled my body close to him. We cuddled in silence, my head tucked against his chest, his hand gently yet firmly placed on my waist. I yawned and nestled against him.

“Are you tired?” He asked quietly. I gave him a small nod. “Go ahead and rest. That’s the point of this little getaway.”

“Are you sure you’re okay with it? I would hate to fall asleep in case anything happens. I'm only tired because I stayed up most of the night painting…”

His mouth pressed against my forehead and I felt a small spark scatter across my skin. I shivered and he pulled me closer. “Go to sleep, Genny,” he said. “We’ll be just fine.”

I sighed and nodded. I started to slip off into sleep, but was disturbed when Maverick started moving. I grabbed onto his armor because I thought he was going to leave, and I heard him chuckle quietly, then pulled a blanket over the two of us. “Shh… I’m not going anywhere. It just gets chilly when night falls on Venus.”

“I know…” I mumbled and nestled closer to his chest. The blanket was warm, heavy, and a comforting feeling.

His fingers traced the outline of my face and I couldn’t help the gentle smile that came to my lips. “You… you are the best thing that’s ever happened to me, Genny,” Maverick said quietly.

I opened my eyes a bit and looked up at him. There was a smile on my lips but I felt loopy and overjoyed at the same time. “Really?” I asked.

He smiled and gently cupped my cheek in his hand. “Truly.”

My smile grew warmer. “And you are the best thing that's happened to me, Maverick. Mon amour.”

“Moan-a… what?”

I giggled like a giddy child being handed a new toy. “Mon amour… It means ‘my love’.”

He gazed down at me and sighed softly. “My love… that’s a title I’m going to have to get used to.” His thumb traced along my cheekbone. “Still… I think it’s the only title I’m willing to have.”

“Oh?” I asked curiously. “What other fancy titles does the mysterious Maverick-7 have?” His expression changed quickly, almost like he was closing off. My eyes widened and I held his face in my hands. “No, no, no, I’m sorry I asked! I can tell you don’t want to talk about it so I won’t ask, I meant it only as I joke I swear! Oh mon dieu je vous ai contrarié s'il vous plaît ne pensez pas à ce sujet, oubliez j'ai demandé!**”

“Genesis, Genny!” Maverick snapped and held my face in his hands. I stared at him with wide eyes still, but I stopped talking. “It’s okay. It’s just not something I like to think about. It’s not your fault.”

I took a few deep breaths, but I could feel my cheeks flushing. “Sorry… I didn’t mean to pry… mmph!” I could have continued apologizing, but Maverick pressed his mouth against mine in a kiss before I could speak. I longed for this more than anything, but man, did it get more intense every time. I pressed closer up against him and Maverick wrapped his arms tightly around me. I know it was crazy, considering our differences, but the kisses I shared with Maverick were different and much more intense than any I have distant memory of kissing men from my previous life. They were electric, hot, and made my skin tingle and my face heat.

When we finally separated, Maverick had pulled me so close his hand was on the back of my thighs and my leg was pulled over his. We were pressed so close to each other. I looked at him and his eyes finally flickered open.

“Mav…” I whispered quietly, my voice airy and almost raspy. I wanted to tell him I loved him, but I didn’t even get a chance to say.

“I know,” he mumbled back. He rolled onto his back and pulled me on top of him, I braced my hand on the pillow by his head.

Genesis… My Ghost was speaking to me in the back of my head. Be careful now. Don’t do anything stupid.

My Ghost was right this time. Things were getting hot, and I don’t think either of us could afford for the Vanguard to even get a whiff of a rumor of what could happen if we continued. I leaned down and kissed Maverick again, and then lowered myself onto his chest. He laced his hands in my hair and played with my silver locks. I cuddled against his chest and closed my eyes. I fell asleep to the gentle motions of his hands running through my hair.

I woke up to an empty bed. I yawned and sat up, and looked around. “Mav...?” I said softly. I pulled the blanket aside and stood. Out of normal anxiety, I grabbed a hold of my sword and looked around. “Mav, are you there?”

“Out here!” Maverick shouted. I lowered my weapon and pushed the door open. He was sitting outside against the wall. I grabbed my helmet and pulled it on, and then went and sat outside beside him.

“Everything okay?” I asked quietly.

“Yeah, everything’s fine. I just don’t sleep often.”

“I understand. I know I usually require it, but I think the longest I’ve gone without sleep was…”

“Eleven days,” my Ghost piped in.

“Yeah, eleven days. Not the best idea, but I just… wasn’t tired.”

“Let me guess…” Maverick started to ponder. “It was shortly after your Ghost woke you up?”

I nodded and smiled. “Yeah. Something like that. I never really felt tired after that. Now that I’m acclimated, I can sleep just fine.”

“Well… you know, I’m an Exo, so technically I don’t need sleep. Do I still sleep? On occasion, yes. I do. But it’s rare and hard for me to even begin to try to sleep.”

I folded my legs to the side and leaned beside him. “Well… if you ever need to sleep, I’m always here to keep you company.”

“Thank you, Angel,” Maverick said quietly.

I perked up and looked at him curiously. “Angel? Where did that come from?”

He looked over at me, a gentle look in his eyes. “When we first met, when you were in your Radiance… well, you left an impression, to say the least. You looked like an angel.”

I was blushing as he explained his reasoning. “Mon chérie,” I murmured softly.

“And what does that mean?”

“My sweetheart.”

His gaze softened and wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me against him. “How do you say ‘my angel’ in French, I’m curious.”

I smiled. “Mon ange.”

“Mon ange… I like that, but I think I’ll stick with Angel.”

I nodded and cuddled against his side. “Alright.”

We stayed sitting outside that cave and watched the volcanoes spit their blue lava and watched the sky turn from yellow and sunny to blue and covered with clouds. Venus was our safe place, somewhere we could get away from the Vanguard and the regulations. We spent the next two days in each other’s company. I drew up a few sketches for Maverick concerning the mural for the roof of the cave. He liked all of them, so he wanted me to decide which one got the pick of them all. I chose the sketch of the galaxies and stars, with constellations of a Stormcaller and a Sunbreaker etched into the mix. I kept another sketch for a painting I could do back home of the two of us. A Sunbreaker and a Sunsinger. Maverick with his hammers, me with my grenades.

But like all good things, they ended too soon and before I knew it, we were flying back to the Tower.

--- translations ---

* “It’s okay, little light, I am dressed.” ** “Oh god I have upset you please do not think about it, forget I asked!”

#a tale of two guardians fic #destiny #destiny fic #destiny fanfiction #the taken king #destiny: the taken king #fireteam dauntless

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ryeheart-blog1 · 6 years

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your consenting mind

The world was a blur.

Lost in the depths of a drunken stupor after an evening of partying at a nightclub, Stan could hardly differentiate between objects and people, the only concrete shape being him. Him and all of his beauty, how his blue eyes glistened as they reflected incoming headlights.

His thin frame leaned forward, asking a question so adorably innocent and sweet, "Hey, could you turn the radio down a little? I think Mabel might be falling asleep up there." There was an unintelligible, on-the-brink-of-sleep protest, but Stan didn't register it, couldn't be bothered when he was too caught up in Maverick. His Maverick, whom he hadn't seen in so long, who'd left him so many years ago.

It hardly mattered, even when the smaller figure upfront clunked against the window, bolting away with a loud 'ow!'. Then, she was crawling onto the console and into the backseat. "Maverick," she whined, "I wanna use you as a pillow!' Something about the words, about his name sounded... off, but no heed was paid to the inconsistency.

"Christ, Shooting Star. You make this whole scene about wanting shotgun, now you're ditching?"

There was a second of hesitance before he was helping her climb over. "Okay, just… be careful, don't kick the gearshift." And once situated she was leaning into him, nuzzled comfortably in his shoulder as he slung an arm around her, pulling her in tightly.

Then, those gorgeously blue, stormy eyes were on him, searching him as they always could with ease. Seeing through him. "Stan," the way he said his name— it was tender, heartfelt and laced with concern, exactly like he remembered it. Nothing had changed, and it filled his heart with hope. "Are you alright?" His Maverick had his head tilted at him now, worry etched on his smoothed, delicate features. But god those eyes, those damn cerulean eyes would never fail to melt him.

"I'm always wonderful when you're around," Stan told him warmly, and his expression brightened with a blush and a timid lip-bite at the compliment. Oh, how couldn't he be? His Maverick had returned to him after all these years.

"Oh, uh—" he sputtered, seemingly holding back a laugh, "gosh, thanks? That's super nice of you. Kind of weird but still nice."

From the driver's seat, he could hear a growl. "Leave my Pine Tree alone, you old fuck." Pine Tree? That was a lovely name, so fitting of his Maverick. He loved nature and the outdoors.

"Come on, Bill." Bill? That didn't seem right. Shermie was driving tonight. Shermie was what he'd meant. The chide was gentle with affection, but really, that was no surprise. Maverick always had adored everyone and everything, almost to a ridiculous extent when he refused to engage in violence for a situation as dire as self-defense. "He's drunk out of his mind, just let him say whatever. He probably doesn't mean it."

Oh, but he did mean it. Every word. "Did I do something wrong?" he asked. "I meant every word, ya know?"

"That's," there was a thoughtful hum, then he shrugged, "flattering? I like it when you're around too." Ducking his head, he wore a faint grin. The mere sight made the wait worth his strife to Stan, it was as if the stars had aligned and it all had fallen into place. He couldn't count the number of times he'd dreamed of that smile, begging whatever heartless gods were out there to give him a chance to witness it again. "At first, I thought you were sort of intimidating, but I gotta hand it to you, you're not as bad as I thought." Stan broke into a smile, looking at his Mav– how refreshingly blue his eyes were, like the ocean on a hot summer day, and how a tuft of his brown hair hung just above his eye. It was adorable. Stan wanted to kiss him.

Blinking, he inquired, "Are you sure you're okay? You're looking at me and it's… been like a minute." A cough, and he was averting his eyes only to bring them back a moment later, shuffling closer to the best of his ability, hindered by the form leaning on him. "Jeez, you really drank a lot, shouldn't do that to yourself. Seriously, dude."

"Hun," Stan spoke quietly, leaning close to his face. "I'm fine, I just…" he leaned in more. "Wanna kiss… ya."

"Oh, man," he said with a breathless, maybe nervous chuckle, fluffing his brown hair as a slender hand ran through the strands. It had a bit more of a reddish tint than he'd thought it did, a possible trick of the lighting. "You are completely out of it." Turning away, he told Shermie, "I'm going to stay with Stan once we get back, okay? Just for a bit, like… to make sure he's okay and gets to bed without hurting himself." Although he continued speaking, the rest was muffled to Stan, only processing bits: "...overdid it tonight… doubt he'll even remember."

Shermie huffed, uncharacteristically displeased. "If he tries anything, I'm kicking his ass."

"You can come with, if you want..? Just thought you'd rather shower to get sand out of, um… places." Places? Stan knew his Mav liked to stroll along the beach and throw beached starfishes back into the ocean with a promise that he'd be there if they were ever washed ashore again. His and Mav's twilight walks together were some of his best memories, just chatting while his sweetheart lovingly tended to the world.

Stan leaned in closer, prepared to close the distance between him and his love, but he was jolting back, looking flustered beyond belief. Utterly stunned, a little frightened. His shoulders were tense and drawn together, and he kept stealing brief peeks at him but kept his attention trained forward, his handsome face deliberately out of reach. His Maverick must've been feeling shy, almost challenging him– he'd always been skittish with affection, and Stan was going to accept that challenge. "Look, I— wow. Mmmaybe… let's not do that."

"Ya know ya want it," Stan hummed as he leaned in again, trying to close that precious distance between them once more. Mav loved playing hard to get, and Stan knew his face would light up once he was attacked by kisses.

There was a hand pushed to his chest, forcing him to stay at arm's length. Though, 'forcing' was a stretch since Mav had never been the most muscular and wouldn't last under brute strength. "Stan, no. I know you're totally wasted, so… yeah, I get it, but I don't think either of us actually want this." Removing the hand from his chest, he used it to prod Shermie, appearing pleading. "Drive faster, Bill." That strange name again. "Pretty sure drunk Stan is trying to kiss me, so it'd be nice if we could get to the penthouse and y'know, never mention this again."

He was… being rejected? That couldn't be, Mav always liked being kissed. He was also against driving fast, his ideal speed limit was ten miles per hour everywhere. "Why are ya rejecting me, hun?"

A sigh resounded from the driver's seat, from Shermie undoubtedly. "Listen to him. He's so fucked he won't remember any of this."

"I know," he concurred with a nod, and then Stan saw it as he looked back at him— his eyes pools of anxiety and a pinch of sadness. "Sorry for rejecting you, man. I just… you get why, right? The only reason you're doing this is because you had too much to drink at that nightclub."

What? No, he was doing this because he was Mav, and Stan loved his Mav. ...Why was Mav looking different? His wonderful blue eyes had grown murky, a deep brown… and Stan pulled back in confusion. Even his hair was different, having a distinct reddish tone in his brown. It definitely wasn't the result of poor lighting. What the fuck?

Noticing, he… whoever it was, asked, "Whoa, what's wrong?" But they sounded so similar, it was so close and yet the pitch was wrong, it was higher, more strained. No. No, no, no. "Stan. I'm seriously worried about you, what's going on?"

He squinted, as if that would fix everything wrong with how Mav looked. "I'm seein' shit."

"Like, hallucinating?" His eyes widened with fear, throat working silently as if getting out a single word was a struggle. "It's alright," the tone suggested it was aimed to be reassuring, compounded when he grabbed his wrist, "I'm here and uh… I— I'll make sure you're okay, I promise, but you should stop drinking so much in the future."

Stan let out a laugh. "It's crazy, for a second it looked like ya had brown eyes."'

"Oh! Well, yeah, I do," he clarified jovially, a chuckle escaping. "I guess I've been told they're hazel in different lighting, but brown is kind of the consensus." What? No he didn't, he had a striking pair of blue eyes. Right? ...Oh, fuck.

No.

Fuck. Stan recoiled further, pressing himself back against the car door. This wasn't Mav, Mav was gone, his Top Gun-obsessed lover had left long ago. This was… this was Dipper. Concern flashed in the depths of his off-eyes, and he reached out to stabilize him. "Dude, calm down. It's not a big deal."

"You–" Stan had begun to speak, but the touch was by Mav. Instantly calming. He was certain the others didn't exist, that they were merely a figment of his imagination. Mav was the only real thing. "Shit. I think you're fuckin' with me, love bug. Your eyes are blue again. I always liked your eyes."

In another second, those eyes were darting nervously, something he rarely saw on his beloved. "Are you sure? I mean, I think they're mostly brown. Nobody's ever called them blue, so maybe it's too dark in here to see or something." There was a quiet puff of a laugh, his touch retracting to wring his hands together.

He'd moved closer once more, leaning into Maverick and enjoying the warmth of his body against his. He missed this so fucking much. "They've always been blue," he told him. "They're fuckin' pretty."

"Okay, thanks…?" he responded tentatively, then Stan could feel his shoulders lifting and falling in a shrug. "I'm just glad you're feeling better, man. You had me worried for a while, I thought we were going to have to call Ford."

Why'd they call Ford when he was with them? "Ford's on your lap, jus' wake 'im up."

A frown pulled the corners of his lips downward, and he was giving him the same critical stare. "No, that's Mabel," he spoke gently. "She fell asleep after we left the nightclub because she'd danced for like, two hours straight. Ford isn't here, that's why we went out in the first place."

He didn't know who that was, but he knew Ford wasn't big on dancing. Did someone give the guy too much spiked punch or something? Stan couldn't remember slipping him anything, it was so unlike himself. "Ford is here," he insisted. "He's right there. See?" He pointed at the sleeping figure on Mav. "Must've tired himself out thinking too fuckin' much."

Although he gave a blank, uncertain stare for several moments, his attention swapped to the front and he asked, "Shermie,” that was better, “what do I do about this? Like, is this how Stan normally acts when he's really intoxicated?"

Shermie huffed. He was surprisingly huffy today, Stan couldn't understand why. Shermie was always in a good mood. "He always acts like a drunken buffoon, ignore him. If he tries to kiss you again, I'm pulling this car over."

"Yeah, that's a good idea," Mav agreed. "If you don't mind, maybe I could switch seats? Honestly, I kind of wanted to be in the front to begin with, but Mabel stole it from me."

Stan blinked, looking at Maverick and all of his cuteness. He leaned in, moving to sneakily steal a kiss and he almost had it— before Mav seemed to flinch at the last moment, seeing what he was doing and turning his head so his lips collided with his cheek. "Seriously, I don't think we should be doing that." It was followed by a mumbled lamentation, something about wondering why drunk people always tried to kiss him.

To Shermie, he said, "Okay, so that just happened. Can we pull over now?" The car had already screeched to a stop, Shermie growling in the front.

Stan emitted a noise of distress, watching as his Maverick seemingly disappeared from his side. "Where'd ya go?" he called out quietly. "... Did you leave me again?"

"I thought I'd take the passenger seat? Then if you want, uh.. you have more room to stretch out and stuff, or maybe fall asleep. Yeah, that'd be good." There was the voice, but it still didn't sound quite right. Too tight, on the verge of cracking, heavy with anxiety. Quieter and leaning toward Shermie, he said, "Can this be the last time we go out with Stan if he's going to get totally drunk?"

Shermie leaned over to his Mav, planting a loud kiss to his lips, and Mav was reciprocating eagerly, finding his hand and giving it an affectionate squeeze. What the fuck? Why was Shermie kissing his adoptive—? Eh, sorta, if plucking the kid off the street counted. Didn’t matter, that wasn't like them at all. Shermie hardly liked Stan dating him to begin with, said it was too dangerous, too treading on the border of immoral. "Why are ya kissing him and not me?"

They parted, and it seemed Mav was surprised by the question. He'd better be, that was fuckin' weird and Stan didn't like it. "Because… we're friends with benefits? Not dating, or anything obviously, because we're just friends and nothing more."

"Why are ya friends with benefits with your adoptive dad?!"

"Okay, I… wait, what? I don't have an adoptive dad, and also, meet Bill. Bill Cipher, the guy in your crew, the huge jerk easily mistaken for a bumblebee?" The last bit was twinged with a moonstruck affection that made Stan's stomach churn. "He's my friend with benefits." Bill… who? He'd been so sure it was Shermie. His brother, their leader, the one who'd made it possible to be with Mav. Who was this Bill? Was this just a twisted dream, a nightmare come to haunt him?

No, he realized with a startling revelation. This was real. Mav was gone forever, like he was twenty years ago when he left the crew in favor of a domestic life. Stan had hoped… he'd hoped they could reclaim their lost relationship, that Mav would accept his love and enjoy an unofficial legal binding like Stan wanted to. He wanted to make him his, wanted to grow old with him until they died, but all of that was ruined, and nothing could fix it. Now… now he was left with his kids and shattered memories and dreams, and Stan could feel the tears welling in his eyes. "I wanna go home," he muttered, struggling to keep his voice even.

"We're on the way to the penthouse," Dipper said. "Bill's almost there."

Stan wanted to be there five minutes ago. Make that ten. He wished he never left the penthouse, that he never thought he saw Mav. "Can it go faster?" His question was a forced grumble, and it elicited Bill looking back at him.

"Not with your shitty attitude slowing us down. Stars, I wish Fiddleford hadn't given you that heart medication. It's made you less fun when you're fucking drunk."

"Bill, be nice," he said frowning. "I think everyone's just tired, so… I don't know, maybe give it a rest for tonight."

Stan heaved a sigh, leaning against the window as he closed his eyes. He regretted drinking so heavily around Dipper, and he didn't plan on doing it again. Would that last? Probably not. He didn't want to see Mav, he didn't want to feel this pain again, to know he couldn't… get back what he'd lost.

Trying to tune out everything else, the voices of Dipper and Bill talking were slowly fading away, becoming more distanced as he drifted off to sleep.

Exiting the shower, Bill made quick work of drying off and tossing on fresh boxers. He returned to his bedroom, flopping on the bed and wiggling under the sheets with some grumbling. What was supposed to be a fun night at the club had soured his mood with Stan hitting on his Pine Tree, and now he just wanted to snuggle up with his favorite person and sleep. Beside him, Dipper was on his phone, probably reading something nerdy like Huckleberry Finn or something stupid like Conservation Efforts Weekly. Bill would convince him to put that shit down and cuddle with him, one way or another.

But before he could manually deter his attention, Dipper was peering to him, cocking his head to a side. "Hey, do you feel better? I'm assuming the sand had to be kind of uncomfortable. Guess that's what we get for making out on the beach like lovesick teenagers, huh?"

Did he feel better? Bill didn't think so, not when Stan spent the drive home eyeing his boyfriend up. Dipper was his, and his alone– why didn't Stan get that? He wasn't his fucking ex. Mav was dead, had been dead for a couple months now, although Stan would refuse to acknowledge that. 'Maverick died twenty years ago in the crew,' he'd drunkenly argue on the rare occasion the subject arose. 'Maxwell is a stupid politician, they're not the same fucking person.' Such bullshit, especially now that there was no uncertainty over the dude's death. Robbie had made sure of that. "Yeah," he murmured. "About the sand, at least. Hey, cutie?"

Locking his phone and setting it aside, Dipper shuffled deeper into bed, drawing near. "What's up?" His curious gaze was transfixed on him, intrigued, trying to examine him and probably mentally entertaining hundreds of theories. Ugh, the kid thought too much, he could hear the gears turning from here.

"If Stan had tried going further, and I wasn't there, would you have stopped him?" An idiotic question, he knew, but he wanted to make sure. Stan was… unpredictable, when he was drunk, and it didn't help he seemed to be fucked up from combining his medication with alcohol.

"Bill," he was addressed through a reverberating laugh, "I did stop him tonight. You basically did nothing except grump and pout, so yes, it's safe to say I would have." Scrambling to rest partially atop him, Dipper brushed their noses together and murmured, "You're the only one I want. I know we're dating, but you're still my now-and-forever heterosexual life partner too."

Bill huffed, moving to wrap his arms around him, a hand drifting over his pajama shirt. "I'd better be, sugar." Seriously, he couldn't be without him, and he didn't want to be.

There was a pause before Dipper said, "Oh! Okay, so while you were showering… I made sure Stan was okay and all that, left him some water and ibuprofen for tomorrow but uh— when I came back, you were still in the shower, so… remember what you said earlier? About wearing the bowtie on my leg? I kind of got creative." Dipper leaned back, pushing the sheets with him to reveal his lower half, sporting his star-patterned boxers with bowties wrapped around each thigh, the bows facing outward and resting approximately midway between his waist and knee. He was biting his lip to stop from laughing, a delighted flush on his cheeks. Mm, he was pleased with himself for this.

"Oh, stars." He loved it, wanted to rip it off of him and make him his. "Cutie, you're on the highway to being fucked soon if you keep this up."

That finally got the laughter to spill over, and Dipper went with it, gracefully falling forward on top of him. "The mandatory clubbing turned this into a really long night, but honestly I… I kind of just want you to pin me down and do stuff, pick up where we left off earlier on the balcony and the beach. Is that weird? I'm pretty sure I'll crash immediately after if we do, though."

"What," Bill teased, eyeing him as he spoke. "All that dancing got you frisky, doll?" He loved it when his Pine Tree was horny, eager and flooded with desire.

"It's not that!" he protested, the redness on his cheeks flaring, and Bill swore he could feel the heat radiating off his skin from where he laid. "It's— it's just that after you shower, you look super good?" Dipper's voice raised with embarrassment, smile turning bashful. "Like, your hair is wet, you smell nice, I can see all your tattoos, and it reminds me of the first time I drew you. ...And then we ended up making out."

Bill chuckled, leaning in to connect their lips, and Dipper made a happy noise into the kiss as he returned it. "We'll be doing more than making out, doll." Probably just grinding, but Bill longed for the day they could take it further.

Pupils dilating, Dipper inhaled sharply in response and squirmed in his lap, Bill thrusting up against him. "Th-that's what you want to do?" he asked, eyebrows raised. "Okay." That was followed by a more intentional grind, this one slower and with less contact, meanwhile Dipper's gaze never left him. Watching, waiting. Bill narrowed his eyes, suddenly heaving himself to a side to knock Dipper onto the mattress, pinning him down and hearing a squeak probably more for show than out of surprise. That was confirmed when Dipper didn't protest or fight, instead wrapping his legs around him and pulling him closer, the silent encouragement to keep going.

There was a kiss on his shoulder, then on the junction of his neck, and he murmured dreamily, "I can't wait until you're… uh, y'know, actually… inside of me like this."

Bill couldn't wait either. He wanted to take him now, make him moan in pleasure as he was pounded into oblivion, but he knew Dipper wouldn't be ready. Not yet.

That was fine, Bill could wait longer. He'd just have a fun night with his boyfriend in the meantime.

#glovesforthis #my writing #hopeless romantic stan #red right hand #we wrote this together #but it's only canon if you want it to be #also fluff at the end :)

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sarahjane0886 · 6 years

Text

Begin Again 12

Chapter 12

"Are you sure you're okay keeping Mav?" Sharna asked as she worked on curling her hair.

"Babe, yes, stop asking me that. He'll be fine. Maks is gonna come over and we're going to do we're going to take them to the park, then dinner and ice cream. He got a new movie. He'll help with bedtime and then once they are asleep, we'll tuck them in. Mav has the mattress in Lottie's room. And if anything happens we'll call you guys. Stop worrying, it's going to be okay."

"I know, I just....I want this to go good."

"And it will. You guys need this. It's going to be good. I promise." Peta said reaching forward and squeezing Sharna's hand.

"I hope, does this look alright?" Sharna said as she finally finished her hair. She turned to look at Peta for approval. Her and Noah were going on their first official date that evening and after, they were going to go back to his house for the night. Peta had said she'd keep Maverick for Noah so he and Sharna could focus on them and do whatever they wanted.

"Gorgeous, Noah is going to love it. Are you still wearing the black dress you picked out?" Peta asked. They had a girls day yesterday and went shopping and primping. It was one of the first times they took Lottie out to do it and she had loved it. Sharna had found a black dress that came to her knees and had a sheer lace overlay over the top. The lace was detailed beautifully. It was fitted through the body while the bottom flared out just slightly. She also had a white and gray one but Peta had picked the black one from the beginning.

"I think so. I gotta do my makeup and throw my bag together and then I'll decide for sure."

"Alright, you want me to stay or you want quiet time?" Peta asked. She knew that sometimes she wanted distraction and sometimes she needed to think.

"No, stay. I just. Yeah, stay. I'm almost done. He should be here in 20 right?" Sharna asked. Noah was picking her up around 4 since he wanted to take her to dinner a little ways out of town and have some fun before they returned to the house for some them time.

"Yeah, in about 20. What are you taking for pajamas?" Peta said with a wink.

"Both?"

"Good thinking, although I'll bet you don't need anything other than that dress."

"P!"

"What, he's an attractive man. You're an attractive lady. That dress is smoking. Enjoy yourself. Have some fun."

"Oh my god, I should have sent you downstairs." Sharna said as her cheeks turned as red as her hair.

"I'm just teasing you. Here, give me your bag, go get dressed." Peta said taking the pile of stuff Sharna already had stacked on the bed. Sharna threw her the bag she was going to use which was actually Peta's and took the dress and headed into the bathroom. Peta packed while Sharna dressed.

"Well?" Sharna said finally appearing in the doorway. Peta turned around and her eyes got wide. "I mean I can wear the other one."

"No, no, no. Babe, you look stunning. Oh my goodness. The dress looked good in the store, but this, with your hair and your shoes. Babe, Noah is going to melt."

"Honestly, you think it's that good? Do you think I need a necklace?" Sharna said checking herself in the mirror. She was suddenly feeling very shy and indecisive. Two things she wasn't used to feeling.

"Babe, what's wrong?" Peta said looking at her best friend. There was something going on in her head and she could see it.

"I don't know, I just, I'm nervous. I want this to be perfect P. I've never been nervous like this before. It's not an oh my god, this might fall to pieces nervous, it's more of a giddy, excited, want this to work perfectly nervous." Sharna said as her hands started to fidget.

"Whoa babe. First breath. Second, i get it. It's actually how I felt when I first started dating Ollie. Everything was heightened. It'll settle. I promise. When you close your eyes, think about what you want out of this. I promise, it'll come to you." Peta said as she held Sharna's hands tightly in her own and squeezed. Sharna's eyes closed and she breathed deep a few times. She concentrated on what she wanted out of tonight and knew that Peta was right. It was different and that's why she was scared. It wasn't cause of Noah, it was becasue it was real.

"Better?" Peta asked after a few minutes.

"Yeah, thanks P."

"Anytime. Now the necklace. I think it could do either way, but it would be a nice touch. I have that kinda tight gold chain so it wouldn't lay on the lace, how about that?"

"Let's try it." Sharna said as she followed Peta to her room. She found the necklace quickly and hooked it on for her friend.

"I like it." Peta said moving so Sharna could see in the mirror.

"Me too." She said as the doorbell rang. Her eyes widened, making Peta laugh.

"Come on babe, let's go get your guy." Sharna nodded and followed Peta down the steps, Maks was working on letting Noah in while he held a giggling Lottie upside down.

"Hey man, the girls are, right here." He said as his eyes widened at Sharna's dress. Even he had to admit that she looked stunning.

"Hey, Shar, honey, you look beautiful." He stammered.

"Flowers." Maverick said as he interrupted the adults and made his way over to Sharna. He held a tiny boquet of daisies for his favorite lady.

"Aww, buddy, are these for me?"

"For my Sha-na." He said with a shy grin. Sharna accepted them and then scooped Maverick up to give him some hugs and kisses.

"Thank you Mav. I love them."

"Ahem, well hopefully that means you'll love these too." Noah said as he moved to his son and Sharna. He held out a much larger boquet of flowers this time. It included roses, lilies, daisies.

"Noah." She said breathlessly at first. She smiled and went to take them but Maverick was glued to her.

"I can hold them." He said however he leaned close enough to put a simple kiss to her lips. "You do look stunning."

"Thank you." She said smiling happily.

"Are you ready?" He asked.

"Yup. I am. Peta has my bag."

"Here Noah, I'll swap." Peta said taking the flowers from him as well as what she assumed was Maverick's bag while handing him Sharna's. She took Sharna's flowers from Maverick too.

"Alright buddy, are you going to be good for Miss Peta and Uncle Maks?" Noah asked. Maverick however had other ideas.

"No, no weave Sha-na." He said as he wrapped his arms around her neck tightly. Sharna bit her lip. She had been worried about this.

"Buddy, we are going to be back in the morning and remember tomorrow you, are coming with me and daddy for the whole day?" Sharna said as she rubbed his back gently. She swayed slowly.

"But I miss you." He said into her neck.

"I'll miss you too little man but how about when it's bedtime, Uncle Maks or Miss Peta calls us and we can tell you goodnight?"

"Pwomise?" He said almost so softly that she nearly missed it.

"I promise. Pinky." She said holding up her pinky for him and letting him link his with hers. He buried back into her neck for a minute as she cuddled him as well. Then she kissed his cheek before handing him over to Noah. Noah said goodbye to him as well, including the same promises that Sharna had along with a pinky promise as well. Then the two were off leaving, the kids and Maks and Peta alone.

"Okay, whose's ready for our adventure?" Peta asked as she saw Maverick's lip trembling.

"Venture?" He asked curious as Lottie held tight to her hand.

"Yup, we're going to go to a new park and play and have dinner." Maks said.

"It even has a pirate ship!" Peta added.

"Like Tink ship?" Lottie asked immediately. She had seen Peter Pan a few times however was slightly more enthralled with the sassy fairy than she was with the boys.

"Exactly. Just like Tinkerbell's ship."

"Tay, Mav we pay?" Lottie asked holding her hand out to her buddy. He still clung to Maks however still a bit upset that his dad and Sharna had honestly left him.

"It's okay buddy. We're actually going to drive to the park. So we have to go get in the car. And I think Uncle Maks said we might get ice cream later." Peta said as she scooped up Lottie. She caught the little boy's eyes light up as he looked at his uncle. Maks nodded making Maverick smile.

"We have everything already right?" Maks asked Peta. They had attempted to get everything ready earlier in the day figuring that they may need a quick distraction for Maverick once his two favorite adults left.

"Yup, do you two need to go potty?" Peta said looking at her daughter knowingly. It never failed that as soon as they put her in the car, she'd need to use the bathroom.

"Uh huh." Maverick said as he rested on Maks. He was much calmer now however you could tell that he still wasn't too keen on the situation.

"Alright. That's okay. Little miss you need to go try though." Peta said taking her and headed towards the bathroom. Once she returned they got the kids settled in the car and headed out to the playground. It was about 20 minutes away and they let the kids pick the music which consisted mainly of songs from the latest Disney movies. Once they got there, they got the kids out.

"Whoa, this is much bigger than I remembered. There only used to be the pirate ship thing." Maks said as he helped Peta get both kids out of the car. There were 3 play sets at the park, one of them being the pirate ship set up. The other one was regular while the last one was set up like a castle with the slides coming out of the turrets.

"It is huge. Okay you two, you have to stay with us." Peta said slightly nervous at the space and number of families there.

"Right. you can't run off. We'll make sure you play with everything. You guys can take turns picking." Maks said looking at Peta. He could see her anxiety on her face and knew he was going to need to assist in keeping the kids together.

"What do you two want to do first?" Peta asked praying that they'd say the same thing.

"Ship!!" They both said pointing and she breathed a sigh of relief. They headed toward the ship. Maks stole the backpack from her that had a few water bottles and snacks just incase as well as other things. She tried to keep it but he waved her off easily as he slipped it on. They spent the next hour and a half letting the kids take turns picking activities. Finally it was dinner time.

"More wings!" Lottie fussed as they put the kids in the car.

"We'll come back miss. We'll bring Aunt Sharna and Mr. Noah okay?" Maks said as he buckled her in, making sure that her straps were tight before moving to Maverick.

"Noo." She said as she started to cry. Maverick looked at her and held his hand out to her but she wouldn't take it.

"It's okay buddy. That was sweet of you though. She's just a little sad." Maks explained at the hurt look on Maverick's face.

"Kay." He said softly, grinning as Maks tickled him lightly.

"She's hungry. I think. Or I hope." Peta said as she looked at her daughter who was still sobbing quietly as she reached for the park.

"Me too. We still doing the chicken place for dinner?" Maks asked as he started towards what they had already agreed on.

"Yeah, they both like the chicken so that's easy. And there's that ice cream place beside it."

"Aksssss. Need you." Lottie whimpered from the backseat.

"In a minute sugar. We're almost there." Maks said as he finally caught her eye in the rearview. Peta watched the exchange with a twinge of guilt but relief at the same time. She checked on Maverick who was quietly watching out the window. They finally made it to dinner and Peta let Maks get Lottie while she got Maverick.

"Lottie sad?" Mav asked Peta once she had him in her arms.

"She is. I think she's a little cranky since she's hungry and ready for dinner." Peta said with a wink.

"Unca Maks fix it?" Maverick asked Peta as he watched Maks cuddle Lottie into him. She started to settle once she was in the man's arms.

"It looks like he is." Peta said softly.

"Lottie love Unca Maks?

"She does buddy she does. Just like you love Uncle Maks." She said ruffling his hair before setting him down to walk next to her. The group headed in and they ordered before finding a booth. Lottie refused to leave Maks so Maverick hung out with Peta. He was a bit skeptical at first since he hadn't spent too much time with her since he was always with Sharna whenever he could be. Once they ate, Lottie was a little calmer however Maks did tell Peta she felt warm.

"I hope she's not getting sick." Peta said with a look. She started work next week and Lottie started daycare as well. Peta couldn't send her to daycare sick.

"I hope not too. Do you need to give her anything?"

"Not yet, I'll see how she is at bedtime. She was upset and everything and has stayed tucked into you. Not likely that it's that but I hate giving her things if she doesn't need it."

"Right, I understand. Do you want to skip ice cream and just head home?"

"They are not going to forget ice cream. I think it's fine. We'll just get them home and get them in jammies and do a movie right away if that's okay with you. I know you have Louis and everything so if you need to go to him you can."

"No, it's fine. I had Louis out all morning with Lottie while I kept her for you. I told you I'd help you tonight. I'm all yours. Err, I mean...you know what I meant." Maks said trying to fix his slip.

"I know. I just I don't want to take you away from anything." She said with a shrug.

"You're not. Let me help, okay?" He said not sure where the sudden bout of stubbornness had come from on Peta's part.

"Okay." She nodded before looting at the kids. "Who's ready for ice cream?"

"Meeee!" They both yelled excitedly. Peta winked at Maks as they gathered the kids and headed to the ice cream shop next door. A half hour later, they were taking two sticky little kids out to the car.

"Looks like we're having bath time before movie time." Peta said with a grin.

"I'd say so." Maks said laughing. He did his best to buckle the kids in without ending up covered as well but it was kind of a lost cause. They headed to Peta's and got the kids ready for bed before settling on the couch to watch a movie. Maverick curled up next to his uncle which set Lottie off almost immediately.

"Nooooo." She wailed from the middle of the living room as she realized Maverick was with Maks.

"What's wrong baby?" Peta said moving to pick her up. She threw herself on the floor however instead and began to scream.

"No. No. No. No." She yelled again and again.

"Baby, Momma can't fix it unless you tell me what's wrong?" Peta said sitting next to her.

"Want Aks....." She finally wailed and Peta put her head back nearly laughing.

"Sweetheart, is that why you're crying?"

"Mav sit aks. Lottie want Aks." She whimpered sadly.

"Baby, you both can sit with Maks. I think Maverick will share, right Mav?" Peta said looking at him.

"I shares Unca Maks with yous Lottie. Come here." He called her. She looked for a second and Peta thought for sure she was going to lose it again at having to share Maks but she went for the two instead. Maks pulled her up and helped her get situated.

"She's still hot." He said softly to Peta.

"I'm gonna go grab Tylenol. I mean I know she's been glued to you lately but that was a bit out of the ordinary for her. Tired or not."

"Okay. I mean maybe it's just teething?" Maks asked with a shrug. He knew and loved Maverick but didn't know what the different ailments could be for the little ones.

"Let's hope. I can't send her to daycare for the first day, sick." She said standing up and walking away. She brought the medicine back and gave it to Lottie. They started the movie and Lottie fell asleep pretty quickly. Maverick however shifted over to Peta and made it to nearly the end of the movie before falling asleep as well.

"Someone forgot about calling Sharna and Daddy." Maks said as they made their way back down the stairwell after tucking the kids in.

"That he did. I'm gonna text them real quick and just let them know he's alright. Irony is Shar will probably worry more than Noah."

"You're not kidding. It's the "new" thing." Maks said air quoting the word new. Peta knew exactly what he meant. Ever since Sharna and Noah had decided they were going to try this thing out, Sharna had developed this extreme mother sense for Maverick. It was adorable at times but you could also tell it was more intense than usual.

"Oh you're right. Are you staying for awhile? Or you leaving me?" Peta asked as she laid her phone down. She had snapped a picture of Mav snuggled into her before they had taken them up which was what she sent Sharna and Noah letting them know that he was safe and happy.

"That's up to you. I don't want to do anything you're not comfortable with." Maks said. He wanted to spend time with her but he also didn't want to be pushy and hurt her in the process.

"Stay. Do you wine? I was going to have a glass." She asked moving to the kitchen.

"I wine, I'll wine with you." He followed her. She handed him the wine and opener while she pulled down two glasses. He served them and then she lead them back into the living room. Tye both settled on the sofa, she on one end and him on the other.

"I know you're going to say to be quiet but thank you for being you with Lottie. I still feel guilty when it comes down to it but I do appreciate it. I know she misses Ollie and misses having that dad figure."

"Well it's not necessary but you're welcome. She makes it easy. She's a sweetheart. You can tell she's had a lot of love and support in her life. I think despite the fact that she's lost that, she's going to be a great kid and she has you to thank for that."

"I can't say I agree but I appreciate the idea. But I feel like you know all this stuff about us because of everything. I want to know more about you. Tell me a Maks story. Tell me about your family." She said as she curled into her end of the sofa.

"What about?" He asked looking at her with a grin.

"I don't know. You pick. Something happy." She said curling her legs under her as well.

"Alright. Hmm, I don't think I've really talked to you about my brother much have I?"

"Umm, you really only have told me about the studio and that your momma would punish you if you didn't treat a lady right. I don't even know that I knew you had a brother." Peta said was a grin.

"Okay, well that's what we'll go with. There's 6 years between us so it's always been quite the relationship. We shared a bedroom and bunk bed clear up until I was 21. Then I moved out only to start helping with a different studio."

"Wow, so you two are pretty close then?"

"Very. It's been awhile since I've seen him actually. I need to get him to get his butt down here." Maks said.

"Yes you do. Or go to him. What's his name?"

"Valentin."

"Ohh."

"But we call him Val usually. Momma is the only one who says Valentin and that means he's in trouble." Maks said laughing. He paused for a few moments before launching into a story about when Val and him were younger and they had gotten into a mess of trouble. The two were giggling ridiculously by the end of the story. Peta then began to tell a story about her and her brother, Sam, who was still in Australia. Her story was interrupted by a huge crash of thunder.

"Shit, Lottie." Peta said bouncing up. Lottie was full out terrified of thunderstorms. She would panic and shake relentlessly whenever one went down so Peta knew this wasn't going to go over well.

"What?" Maks asked jumping up with her. They were both met with a shrill shriek. Peta took off up the steps with Maks right behind her. By the time he made it to the bedroom, Peta already had Lottie up in her arms swaying her trying to calm her however the little one was having none of it. She wasn't hysterical, Maks could see she was just terrified. Maverick had woken up in the process as well, looking confused as ever and worried about Lottie.

"Unca Aks?" He whispered holding his arms up to his Uncle.

"Come here buddy, it looks like Lottie is afraid of the storm. You think we can help her feel better?" Maks said as Maverick rested his head on his shoulder. While Maverick wasn't terrified of storms he wasn't fond of them either. Maks figured distracting him was the safest best. He nodded his head so Maks moved over to the two ladies.

"It's okay baby, it's just the big booms remember?" Peta said as she swayed slowly rubbing Lottie's back in unison.

"No like, no like, no like." Lottie said miserably. She yelped as another clap echoed through the house a long with a burst of lightening.

"I know sweetheart, I know. You're safe though. Look you have momma, Maverick, and Mr. Maks." Peta said as she tried to settle her some.

"Aks. Keep Lottie safe." Lottie said picking her head up as the tears continued to fall. "And momma, and mav."

"I'm right here miss. You're safe. I promise. We're all safe."

"Hold hers." Lottie said reaching for him.

"Okay, come here baby." Maks said catching her easily. He shifted Maverick slightly guessing he wasn't going to go to Peta at the moment. Lottie buried into his neck but held her hand out for Peta as well.

"Momma, hand." She whimpered as her body shook against Maks.

"I'm right here love. We're all right here." Peta said letting her take her hand. Maverick ended up reaching across Maks and putting his hand on Lottie too. The 4 stood there for awhile as the booms and flashes continued to fill the room.

"It has to stop soon." Maks said looking at Peta.

"She's not going to settle even then. She's going to be glued to one of us for the night." Peta said knowingly. Maks nodded, not necessarily minding but trying to figure out how they were going to work this. He remembered something that he used to do with Val when they were younger and wondered if that would help.

"Do you have extra blankets? Like sheets and that?"

"Umm, yeah. I have a few extra pairs, why?"

"How would you two like to build a fort? We can camp in the living room, that way we all stay together?" Maks asked the two little ones.

"Tent?" Maverick asked knowingly from when Noah and Maks had taken him camping.

"Like a tent buddy."

"K." He nodded his head in agreement. Lottie however just buried further into Maks.

"Mav, can you go with Miss Peta and help her get the blankets? Lottie and I will get pillows and meet you in the living room. P, do you have flashlights?" He asked.

"Yeah, we can grab them too. They are actually in the kitchen. If you wanna grab the pillows out of mine and Sharna's rooms you can. Okay Mav, you ready to help?" Peta said leaning forward to take Maverick. He went with her willingly.

"Okay Miss Lottie, let's get some pillows for us. You want to camp out with me and Momma and Maverick?"

"You no go way." She said as her grip on his neck tightened. He paused his motions for a moment holding her tightly.

"I'm not going anywhere baby. I promise." Maks said pressing a kiss to her head.

"K. Lily and blankie." She pointed. The two lovies had gotten lost in her panic and were laying in her crib.

"Here you go. You hold them tight, okay?" Maks said handing them to her. Then he gathered a few of the pillows in her room, tossing them down the stairs before grabbing another batch from the guest room Sharna was staying in, followed by Peta's as well. He headed down with Lottie and started fixing the furniture so that they could make the fort. Peta and Maverick came in soon after and helped as well. Once everything was arranged they covered the furniture and chucked the pillows under makeshift tent.

"Go ahead buddy." Peta said as Maverick let her put him down and crawled in. She went after him followed by Maks and Lottie who still refused to release her grip on Maks. The storm had stopped by then however her shaking had not.

"Lottie, can you?" Maks said as he tried to get them situated. She tightened her hold on him however and he nearly laughed.

"That's a no." Peta said as she helped Maverick get snuggled into a blanket with his pillow.

"Momma" Lottie mumbled.

"I'm right here baby, I'm tucking in Maverick." Peta said as she got him all settled.

"Hold Lottie too, peas." She said sadly as she held her hand out. Peta looked between Maks and Maverick who was holding Peta's hand as well.

"Umm, Lottie, Momma..."

"Need hers too." Lottie fussed as her eyes filled with tears again.

"Okay, okay baby, I'm coming." Peta said. "I'm assuming you're keeping her for now?"

"Yeah, no use working her up, I'm fine." Maks said.

"Okay, can you get situated and then I'll just...well I'll have to lay next to you. And I'll just bring Maverick with me." Peta said as she surveyed their situation. They were already in tight corners as it was but this was tricky.

"You okay with that?" Maks asked as she shifted down keeping Lottie on him the whole time.

"I have to be. She's going to lose it. And she's not old enough that I can explain it." Peta said as she laid next to Maks before bringing Maverick over. He was basically half asleep so he barely noticed.

"Right." Maks said. Peta kept an eye on Maverick for a second until she was sure he was out before laying on her side facing Maks. Lottie was tucked into his chest with Lily and Blankie in her arms as she gripped Maks's shirt. She held her hand out for Peta who took it. this meant that Peta was resting almost near Maks's shoulder with her hand laying above his heart.

"Close your eyes lovebug. We're all right here." Peta said as she saw Lottie's eyes begin to close. Maks started to rub her back and it wasn't soon before she was out as well.

"You okay?" Maks asked looking at Peta.

"Yeah, I just don't like that I can't fix it when she's scared like that. However she's not really old enough to understand the words to explain it." She said as she shifted around trying to get comfortable.

"You're right. This is all you can do though, let her see she's honestly safe when it happens."

"Yeah." Peta said with a yawn.

"I guess we should try to sleep. There's no telling that there won't be another one." He said with a sigh.

"You're okay with her?" Peta asked.

"Yeah, she's fine."

"Okay." She shifted around a few more times trying to settle and sleep but all of a sudden it was like every bone in her body was pressing into the floor and she couldn't get comfortable. Maks watched her for quite some time trying to decide what to do before he finally decided he was going to do it.

"Come here." He said softly.

"What?" She said alarmed.

"Come here." He said again holding his arm out.

"Maks...." She said as she leaned up and looked at him.

"Nothing fancy, nothing else, just you need to sleep and clearly that's not happening now. If you get over here and it's not okay, we'll figure something else out."

"K." She said before sliding over to him. She rested her head on his shoulder as her arm came up to rest around Lottie. He wrapped his arm around her and settled it on her hip. He waited a few more moments before saying anything.

"You okay?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, goodnight Peta."

"Goodnight Maks." She said. It still took a little bit it wasn't long before sleep won and she drifted off to dreamland along with the other three.

**That's a wrap. Guess who's back! Maybe not permanently or well consistently but a lot of things have settled in life. Some changes may be coming that have been long anticipated and honestly needed. So as long as things continue to progress well, I'll have writing time again. I can't say there will be a schedule or that I'll update once a week but I'll try to not leave you guys again.

Thank you for sticking this out with me. I hope you enjoy this one! Don't forget to like it and let me know what you thought. Love you all!

#chmergs #chmergatroyd #chmergatroyd fanfiction #shway #shway fanfiction #peta #Maksim Chmerkovskiy #peta and maks #peta murgatroyd #sharna burgess #Noah Galloway #alternate universe #sarahs stories #im back

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