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dameronology · 3 years

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love in the time of PTA meetings {marcus moreno} - 1/5

summary: despite what pinterest shows, being in a parent in the twenty first century is hard; especially a single parent. your kid takes up your entire life and the idea of finding a fairy tale is laughable - that is until you finally attend a p.t.a meeting and cross paths with a certain marcus moreno. {series masterlist}

warnings: i do not have children. i don’t know children work. this written entirely what i have seen them do in the sims 4. also, swearing.

- jazz

Leaving work early was never a good look.

Leaving work early because your child had managed to set fire to a trash can was...well, it was something else entirely.

After rushing out of a very important meeting and parking your car in a did-you-park-it-or-crash-it manner, you were sprinting across the play ground and towards the front entrance. Having given up half way through, you’d kicked your stupidly high heels off and held them in one hand, trying to organise your slightly disheveled hair as you entered the building. Most parents might have been nervous to collect their kid after a call from the principle, but this was a regular Tuesday for you. Jack was a good kid, perhaps just a little...misguided. In your books, it was impressive that a five year old had managed to discover pyrotechnics, though you sensed the school might have been a little less lenient about it.

‘Hey!’ You greeted the principle with a smile as you breezed through the doors.

Jack was in a chair by the front desk, a gleeful look on his face when he saw you. As far as he knew or cared, he got to go home early and watch Paw Patrol for the rest of the day.

‘Afternoon.’ He replied. ‘You’re lucky it was only a phone call.’

‘I know, I know.’ You grumbled. ‘I’m sorry. He’s...adventurous-’

‘ - he singed off his class mate’s eyebrows!’ The principle cut you off. ‘Given Monday’s biting incident, I see it fit that Jack take the rest of the week off.’

‘Right.’ You sighed. ‘Thank you. And sorry again.’

‘I’ll email you a list of...behavioural specialists.’ He muttered.

‘There’s nothing wrong with my kid. He’s just...curious.’ You insisted. ‘C’mon, buddy. Let’s go home.’

Jack sprung up from the chair, taking your hand in his and skipping out the door beside you. Parenting had been hard enough when you’d been married, and even harder now that his dad was out of the picture. It meant that everything fell on your shoulders; school runs, packed lunches, earning money, staying sane. You barely found the time to sleep, let alone go to soccer matches or take him to extra curricular activities. It meant that the stay-at-home mums - the ones who drove minivans and had specified walking shoes and shared memes about parenting on Facebook - muttered about you.

I heard Jack’s mum couldn’t make it to the parent-teacher association meeting because there was a divorce hearing.

Look at the kid’s lunch! Oh the saturated fat, the horror!

What do you MEAN your five year old isn’t vegan?!

Frankly, you wanted to whack them over the head with their own damn vision boards. So what if your kid was a little rough around the edges? He’d discovered fire today! If it had been in the stone ages, that would have been impressive. The kind of thing that would have earned him a McDonald’s, had the fast food chain been around at the dawn of time. With the way things were going, paired with the fact you knew your fridge was empty, it looked like you were heading for a Happy Meal anyway.

‘So do I get all week off?’ Jack peered up at you, tugging on your arm.

‘Yup, all week.’ You sighed. ‘But it’s not a reward, okay? It’s...’

You stopped in your tracks when you saw Marcus Moreno’s car pull up in the lot. Naturally, it was expensive and electric and perfectly between the white lines. He gave your less-than-stellar parking a frown as he breezed by - not that you noticed. Frankly, you were too busy admiring him. You saw his face more on the news than you did in person, but he was beautiful. Talk, dark, handsome and mysterious, but also...friendly and approachable. He’d held the door open for you once two years ago and that had been it for you. There had been whispers about the fact he was a widow, though you’d tried not to pay attention to them. It wasn’t anyone’s damn business. You knew he was a good dad; you’d had the chance to meet Missy when Jack had got his head stuck between the playground fence and she’d helped pull him out. She was sweet and well-behaved and clearly well brought up. Could you say the same for your own kid? Eh, parenting was all trial and error.

‘It’s what?’ Your son’s voice dragged you back to reality. ‘Am in trouble?’

‘What?!’ You jumped at the question. ‘No, I just...’

‘Because Principle Eikner said I’d done something bad.’

A small sigh escaped your mouth; placing his backpack on the ground, you knelt down to his height, gently placing your hands on his shoulder. ‘You haven’t done anything wrong, little man. We're just gonna take a few days out to talk about the rules and what it means to do the right thing, okay?’

‘Dad always said not to listen to the rules.’

‘Your dad said a lot of things.’ You reminded him. You stood back up, offering your hand to him. ‘Let’s go home.’

After a few minutes of bartering and the promise of a McDonald’s, you finally made your way back to the car, now with Jack attached to your back. If giving him a piggy back ride meant getting home quicker, it was a price you were willing to pay, especially since the other mums were starting to arrive to pick up their kids. The parking lot was slowly filling up with minivans - compared to your decade-old Honda Civic. It had seen better days, and one too many run ins with other cars and parking lot bollards. Still, it got the job done.

‘Oh, I’m so glad to see you!’ You froze in your tracks again. This time, it wasn’t because of Marcus Moreno’s otherworldly presence, but rather due to the sound of the resident soccer mum.

‘Carol.’ You turned around to face her (slowly, given the five year old on your back) with a forced smile on your face. ‘Hi.’

‘I take it you’re here for the parent-teacher’s association meeting?’ She gave you a phoney grin, handing you a leaflet. ‘I know you couldn’t make the last one, because of your...d-i-v-o-r-c-e hearings.’

‘I can spell!’ Jack chirped from behind you.

‘It’s okay, buddy.’ You reached up to ruffle his hair, smile not faltering. ‘But yeah, you’re right. And what about it?’

‘Nothing.’ Carol quickly shook her head. ‘So you are coming to this one? It starts in ten minutes.’

Truth be told, you’d no idea there was even a meeting tonight. You usually ignored the damn things until the news letter came out, and then you could read it from the comfort of your sofa with a glass of wine. There was nothing you stopping going tonight, aside from your intense hatred for them.

‘I wanna get home and watch South Park!’ Jack chirped from behind you.

‘I don’t - I mean...I don’t let my five year old watch South Park.’ You said. ‘He walked in on me watching it one time and...point is, yes, I’m here for the meeting!’

‘No, you’re not-’

‘- Jack, just sssh!’

Carol blinked in surprise, but her phoney smile returned a moment later. ‘Excellent! I’ll see you inside.’

You inwardly groaned. Why had you just done that? You fucking despised sitting in a stuffy gym for the better part of an hour, listening to the perfect mums bang on about healthy eating and limiting their kids’ internet time. You already questioned your parenting skills as it was - the meetings only made it worst. You didn’t assimilate into that crowd; they were all married, with big houses out in the ‘burbs and bank accounts that could cover their kids ever-expanding interests and activities. Meanwhile, you were living on one wage and your two-bedroom apartment had a balcony, not a back garden. If Jack wanted to go on a field trip, you usually had to save up for months. You didn’t know if you envied the other mums’ lives, but you certainly weren’t jealous of how they viewed working mums and single parents.

‘That lady is mean.’ Jack murmured from your shoulders.

‘Yeah buddy, I know.’ You nodded. ‘Guess we’re going back to school.’

Lugging the kid and his bag back up the school yard and towards the building was exhausting - at least it was your work out for the week done. By the time you’d reached the gym and placed Jack back on the ground, your shoulders were aching and you were disappointed to see that the refreshments didn’t have any alcohol. Was it too late to sneak out? The fire exit was right there and-

‘- shame this thing doesn’t have any wine, huh?’ A man was stood next to you, arms folded across his chest as he stared at the luke-warm jug of coffee on the table ahead.

Tall, dark hair, stubble and with a faint hint of expensive aftershave you pretended not to notice? Hello, Marcus Moreno. Goodbye, ability to form coherent sentences.

You blinked in surprise. ‘Yeah. I could do with a glass. Or ten.’

‘So you hate these things too, huh?’ He smiled.

‘With a passion.’ You returned the gesture. ‘I’m only here because Carol and her Karen Committee kept muttering about me not being at the last one.’

‘Yeah, same here. I was attending an emergency meeting about nuclear arms in Vienna, but I guess this is more important.’

‘I was...’ in court, signing documents to end my marriage, ‘otherwise occupied too.’

Marcus nodded in understanding. ‘Kids alone are a full time job, huh? ‘Specially when you’re the only one who’s running around after them.’

He knew about your situation and in return, figured that you knew about his. He’d heard the whispers about the divorce and presumed that the loss of his wife had been subject to similar gossip. The environment amongst the parents was shockingly similar to high school and things got around pretty quickly. You both hated it, especially given the nature of both your circumstances; death and separation was not something other people should have been talking about. Especially when you all you wanted to do was mind your own business and raise your damn (chaotic) kid.

‘Yeah, tell me about it.’ You replied. ‘My kid is like...a baby crackhead, as well. He’s been sent home twice this week and it’s only Wednesday.’

‘Oh, Jack’s your kid?’

You let out a groan, holding your face in your hands. ‘Yeah. Famously so, apparently.’

‘No, it’s not a bad thing!’ Marcus chuckled, pulling your hands away. ‘He played a brilliant baby Jesus in the Nativity last year.’

‘Aside from when he bit one of the three wise men, yeah.’ You could feel your cheeks heating up. ‘Missy actually helped him once. She seems really...not at all like my child. Which is good.’

‘She told me about the fence incident.’ He nodded. ‘May I ask why he was shoving his head out of the school gates?’

‘He saw an interesting looking slug.’ You replied.

Your conversation was interrupted by Carol, who had now climbed up on stage. She tapped the microphone and cleared her throat, gesturing to everyone to sit down so that the meeting could start. You wanted to curse her. Whatever giddy conversation you were having with Marcus was a thousand times more interesting than the PTA. At least you could revel in the fact he didn’t want to be here either.

‘Shall we?’ Marcus gestured to two empty seats a few rows back.

‘I mean, it’s an aisle seat, which is good for a quick escape if Jack decides to be Jack,’ you nodded in agreement. ‘Hey kid, c’mon!’

Turning away from the other kids, Jack sprinted towards you, hurling himself into your lap as he sat down. You let out an oof! and a groan. He wasn’t as light as he used to be a toddler. He stayed still for a moment, tiny hands clasping yours, before he realised who you were sat next to. The kids’ impression of Marcus was not quite the same as yours - he’d only seen him on TV, with the likes of all the heroes. You couldn’t remember their names (but in your defence, they were kind of ridiculous).

‘Are you a superhero?’ He reached up, poking Marcus in the cheek.

‘Jack!’ You hissed. ‘You can’t-’

‘- yeah, buddy.’ Marcus ruffled his hair. ‘But it’s my day off today, so I’m doing all this boring stuff instead.’

‘Can you fly? Do you know Miracle Guy? Have you fought aliens? Do you have a super suit? Do you know Iron Man? Wait! Can I be a superhero?!’

‘No, yes, yes, no, no and maybe when you’re older.’ He counted the questions off on his fingers. ‘But for now we have to keep quiet for the meeting. That would make you a superhero.’

You wanted to marry Marcus Moreno.

Seriously, you wanted to marry him.

His little comment had kept Jack quiet the entire meeting. And it was a long fucking meeting indeed. The last time he’d shut up for that long was...probably before he learnt to talk. You loved he was full of curiosity and questions, but he didn’t always understand that there was a time and a place. At least now you knew what would shut him up.

‘How does Miracle Guy fly? Is Batman real? Are you rich? Do you know Wonder Woman? How does her lasso of truth work?’

‘Jack.’ You groaned.

You were walking out of the school now and down towards the car park. Missy was in tow, tapping away on her phone, whilst Jack trotted alongside you and Marcus. He’d been spewing questions at the poor man pretty much since the meeting had ended - and yet, he seemed happy to answer them. Excited, even. It was clear that he loved his job.

‘You gotta give Mr Moreno a break, little man.’ You said.

‘Hey, just Marcus is fine.’ He replied.

‘Hey Just Marcus, I’m dad.’ Missy chimed from beside you, not even looking up from her phone. It was...impressive, actually.

‘I already regret buying her that.’ Marcus murmured.

The two of you eventually reached your cars. The Civic was still terribly parked across two spaces - you were a good driver, you’d just been in a rush. The dents and scrapes all over the doors and bumper implied other wise but hey, we move. You had a thousand and one other things to save up before a new car. Putting down the deposit on a house - one you could actually own, maybe a little further out from the city - was your number one concern. Paying off your divorce attorney came after that.

‘It was nice to meet you properly.’ You pulled your keys out your back, tugging four empty packets of crisps and three bags of gummy worms with it.

‘I’m not done asking questions-’

‘- you gotta let Marcus go, JJ.’ You peered down at Jack. ‘Sorry. He’s a little obsessed with the Heroics, but I guess you’ve worked that one out.’

‘Can I visit your base?’ He continued, ignoring you.

Marcus knelt down to his height, a grin on his face. ‘I’ve got a free window tomorrow afternoon. You wanna come by? Your mum tells me you’re off school for the rest of the week.’

‘Really?’ You blinked in surprise. ‘I mean, I’m sure he would love that but I’m at work and he’s gotta go to my mum’s.’

Your mother also doubled up as your baby-sitter. In an ideal world, you would have been able to afford a professional, but this was very much the opposite of an ideal world. It was the real world, and you were constantly juggling a thousand things at once. Never in a million years would you have changed it but there were days when you wanted to cry. When it was 9PM and Jack suddenly chimed in that he had a science project due the next day, or when he refused to eat his dinner because his chicken nuggets weren’t shaped like dinosaurs and fed them to the dog.

Marcus looked, on the surface at least, like he had his shit together. He worked in a public facing job and he always looked put together. His car wasn’t covered in bumps and bruises and the inside probably wasn’t covered in yoghurt like yours. He seemed as though he got more than five hours sleep a night and his child was well-behaved.

‘I’m sure we can work something out.’ He said. ‘If you give me your number, I’ll give you a call.’

‘Uh, yeah! Of course.’ He’d asked for your number. No big deal.

You switched phones - naturally, his was much more high-tech than yours - and entered in your respective numbers. The whole thing made you admire Marcus even more; he didn’t have to have your tyrannical son over to his office, yet he offered to. He’d clearly seen how excited he’d gotten and it seemed like he’d found it endearing.

‘Are you okay?’ Marcus asked quietly, suddenly putting his hand on your shoulder. ‘You suddenly zoned out.’

‘Yeah, sorry.’ You rubbed your eyes. ‘I got about three hours sleep last night. I would blame it on the terrible twos but I guess it’s the...fucking awful fives?’

He quickly turned his attention to Jack, opening the car door for him. ‘You wanna hop in? I’m just gonna talk to your mom about you visiting, yeah?’

'There’s Cheetos in the centre console!’ You called after him.

Once Marcus had shut the door, he turned around to face you. There was silence for a minute, and he just kind of...stared at you. You couldn’t read his expression or quite figure it out, but he had an eyebrow quirked and a look of...concern? Sympathy?

‘I recognise that look. It’s the help! I’m suddenly a single parent to a five year old and it feels like the world is eating me alive look.’ He said. ‘It’s the exact same one I had six years ago. Missy was about Jack’s age when...when it became just me and her.’

You softly smiled. ‘It’s not been easy.’

‘You’re doing a good job, okay?’ He gave your shoulder a light squeeze. ‘And if you ever need him off your hands for a few hours, I’ll gladly give him a tour of our headquarters.’

‘Thank you. So much, for both of those things.’ Your eyes fell to the ground. ‘It’s a refreshing change from Carol and her Pinterest boards and half-assed invitations to potlucks.’

‘God, I can’t stand all that.’ Marcus chuckled.

‘I gotta get back now because I can see that Jack is about smush Cheetos over my break pedals but I’ll...’ you trailed off, forcing yourself to look at him and smile. ‘I’ll call you.’

‘I look forward to it.’

#marcus moreno x reader #marcus moreno imagine #marcus moreno x you #pedro pascal characters #pedro pascal character headcanons

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flightfoot · 3 years

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Secrets, Lies, and Hope

AO3 Thanks to pjomlb23 for betaing! ----

Alya hummed to herself as she walked, looking at the newest footage some helpful Parisians had sent her of the latest akuma fight.

Ladybug almost getting hit by the latest akuma, Chat Noir knocking her out of the way just in time, Ladybug casting her Lucky Charm, and the two of them using their superb teamwork to take out the villain - nothing unusual.

Yet everything had changed.

Because that wasn’t just Ladybug - superhero of Paris, her idol, and part-time teammate. It was also Marinette, rising fashion designer, lovestruck teen, and her full-time best friend.

The revelation of Ladybug’s identity and the true source of Marinette’s troubles hadn’t been as much of a surprise as she was expecting. She’d been involved with Ladybug right from the get-go, filming their very first akuma fight against Stoneheart. Over the course of Hawkmoth's reign of terror she’d gotten to know Ladybug as more than a superhero to film from afar, but as a good friend, one who was kind, caring, and clever.

As for Marinette… well, she’d been involved in many of her crazy schemes. Heck, she helped Marinette come up with Operation Secret Garden! Her taking those same schemes to akuma fights wasn’t that much of a stretch.

Her leadership skills as Ladybug weren’t a shocker either. With how calm and collected she’d been during the Darkblade fight, organizing the rest of the class to try to keep them safe, she’d demonstrated those in spades.

Once Marinette confessed, it all came together.

What could she do but give her friend - her friend twice-over in fact - a hug?

After that they’d talked for awhile, Marinette finally getting everything off her chest, for real this time, as well as telling her about some Guardian-related things she hadn’t known about before.

Her theory about there even BEING Guardians was totally correct! Point one for Alya!

She winced. ...And take away a score for hastily posting her theories on the Ladyblog, where anyone - including Hawkmoth - could read them.

At least now she could tell Ladybug about her theories directly, and who knew - maybe even help her unmask mister Butterfly Butt! She’d already uncovered one Miraculous wielder after all. (Though she doubted Hawkmoth was quite as obviously… well, HAWKMOTH in his civilian life, as Carapace was obviously Nino).

*bump*

“OW!”

“OOOPH!”

Alya collided with someone, getting knocked to the ground. She shook her head, dazed.

When she looked up, a sheathed fencing foil pointed at her face.

Kagami’s eyes widened as she registered Alya’s face, and that she was not a threat. Immediately she put away her foil. “I am sorry, Alya,” she said, turning away from her briskly.

Alya frowned. Kagami could be pretty standoffish, but she’d been opening up more as she spent time around other kids - especially Adrien.

But now, she seemed as cold and detached as her initial Ice Queen reputation had suggested.

Something was definitely wrong.

“Kagami!”

She stopped, turning her head slightly. “What is it?”

Alya walked over to her. “I just wanted to talk. We’ve seen each other on-and-off and I’d like to get to know you better.”

Kagami turned away, facing forward, pointedly not looking at her. “I am not looking for any more friends.”

She said that last word harshly, venomously.

“Everyone needs friends,” Alya told her gently.

Kagami shook her head. “Not me. Mother was right. It only leads to disappointment - and even more when you try to become lovers”.

Oh.

Marinette was not the only girl suffering from a broken heart it seemed.

“Did something happen with Adrien?” Alya guessed. She hadn’t heard anything about Kagami and Adrien dating, but then again, she hadn’t known that Luka and Marinette were together either until Luka showed up at Marinette’s house during that call.

Were all her friends dating on the down-low?

Kagami sat down on a nearby bench, staring down at her feet. “I knew he had reservations. He’s pulled away from me before, saying he wasn’t ready yet.”

She clenched her skirt, her fingers tightening. “If he didn’t want to spend time with me - if he’d rather be somewhere else - he could have just told me so. Should have told me, instead of just feeding me LIES!”

Alya blinked, taken aback by Kagami’s sudden outburst. “Lies? About?”

That explained Kagami’s akumatization the other day at least. Multiple akumas on the same day weren’t exactly unknown, but two of them being her peers was more unusual - usually it was just Mr. Pigeon and some other random Parisian.

She knew full well why Luka was akumatized of course, but hadn’t had the time or mental capacity to dive into Kagami’s akumatization, though she’d had people send info about it to the Ladyblog. She’d been a little too busy trying to puzzle out why Marinette hadn’t told her about the breakup with Luka, and then reassembling her entire worldview after that earth-shattering conversation where Marinette confessed her secret.

“Mother doesn’t like me associating with other teens for too long. She doesn’t think it’s productive. But I’d sneak around, rearrange schedules, lie so that Adrien and I could spend more time together than normally allowed, could do things besides simply fencing. We’d meet up early so we could hang out in the art room, have our drivers ‘happen’ to sync up cars for a kiss, even sneak out for ice cream! But he ditched me. Constantly. Making up excuses. Not even trying to look at me as he left!” Her voice cracked.

Alya tilted her head. “That doesn’t make sense,” she said slowly, puzzling out Kagami’s words. “Adrien loves spending time with people.”

Kagami turned away. “Not with me it seems. He dropped some bracelet while we were on the Couffaine’s houseboat. I picked it up, intending to return it to him later… after a small test.”

Her voice dropped to nearly a whisper. “Next time I saw him, I asked whether he’d found what he was looking for. He said yes.”

Kagami’s teeth ground. “A moment later he realized it wasn’t on him, and he claimed he must’ve lost it again. If I hadn’t been holding the object in his hand, I would have believed him - he’s that good a liar.”

That- that didn’t fit with the Adrien she knew. But she didn’t think Kagami was lying either.

“Do you have any idea why he’d lie?”

Kagami shook her head. “I thought about him cheating, I know he has a crush on another girl, but-”

“WHAT?!”

Marinette had told her about the ride back from the museum, how Adrien had talked about the “girl he loved”. They’d both assumed that was Kagami.

But Adrien hadn’t actually said the girl’s name.

Was there someone else in Adrien’s life?

Kagami raised an eyebrow. “Is it really such a surprise? Granted I thought it was Marinette for awhile, what with the way he looks at her-”

Oh, Alya knew. She’d seen the doe eyes Adrien sent at Marinette anytime she did… well, anything really, and that boy needed only the slightest prompting to start waxing lyrical about how amazing Marinette was.

“-but it quickly became apparent that Adrien had never asked Marinette out, and he had asked out this other girl, so it couldn’t be her,” Kagami concluded.

Alya furrowed her brow. “A girl that even Marinette doesn’t know about?” she wondered out loud. “How is that even possible? Heck, even Nino doesn’t know her!”

Adrien didn’t exactly get a lot of opportunities to talk to other kids - his father made sure of that. And he didn’t seem the type to fall for someone just based on their looks and two minutes of conversation, at least not long-term.

“I don’t think he was actually cheating,” Kagami said. “He may be a liar, but I couldn’t see him doing that. I still get this sense of sincerity from him, even after that. He sees others as people, and is too empathetic for me to believe he’d do that. I got the sense that he didn’t want to lie, even if he was good at it.”

Alya nodded. “Yeah, I can’t see Adrien doing that. Not that I could see him lying either, but… something just seems off.”

She’d considered that she’d might have totally misjudged what type of person Adrien was in the past, when ‘Adrien’ sent back a nasty video reply on the anniversary of his mother’s death.

The evidence was right there in front of her, after all.

But she’d been wrong that day. Adrien had been the kind of person he’d been shown to be over the past few months, was kind, sincere, and loved his friends.

So if she assumed that Adrien had good intentions, that he wasn’t being awful to Kagami, that he had a good reason for always needing to ditch and make up excuses-

WAIT.

She gripped Kagami’s shoulders. “When exactly did he need to ditch? Like, what times?” she said urgently.

Kagami narrowed her eyes, giving Alya a searching look. “It changed from day to day, it was never consistent.”

“Then how about that last day you two were together? When exactly did he leave?”

Kagami hummed for a moment. “I’m not sure of the exact clock time, but… well, you saw him arrive late to that Kitty Section concert. Just a few minutes after we left the boat, we were talking, but he seemed distracted. He kept on looking behind me. I actually checked myself, but I didn’t see anything there. That’s when he made up the lie about the bracelet and raced off.”

Adrien arrived late to the Kitty Section concert… the same one Marinette was late to.

Adrien had to beat a hasty retreat from Kagami a few minutes after he’d left the Couffaine’s houseboat… which was about the time Truth showed up.

Ladybug had turned out to be Alya’s best friend. What were the chances that Chat Noir was also someone she knew?

“Are you going to tell me what you figured out?” Kagami asked her flatly.

Alya blinked, snapping out of her thoughts. “Figured out? Figured what out?”

“Don’t lie.” Kagami said harshly. “I’ve endured enough of that already.”

Alya winced. “Ok, yes, I figured something out. At least I think I did. I haven’t confirmed it, and I’m not sure I’m going to. If I’m right, then Adrien had to lie and ditch and make up those excuses, and couldn’t tell anyone safely. That’s why I’m not sure about digging further. Me knowing would be dangerous too.”

Kagami’s eyes widened in alarm. “Is he in danger?”

Alya mulled that over. “...Sort of? Yes.” Noticing Kagami putting her hand on the hilt of her blade, she hastily added, “but it’s not a danger you can save him from!”

“Do not underestimate me,” Kagami said, her voice low and dangerous.

Considering that Kagami tried to assault Desperada with a mic stand as soon as she was in range, she might have a point.

“He’s ok for now,” Alya tried to assure her. “He has some solid backup.”

“And that doesn’t include me?” Kagami asked.

Well, actually, it does sometimes, Alya wanted to say. But that would be too much of a giveaway.

Was this what Marinette felt like all those times she had to conceal her Ladybug knowledge? It sucked.

Kagami pulled away. “I can’t do this. I already had one person keeping secrets from me. I don’t need another.”

As Kagami walked away, Alya reached out a hand… and retracted it.

She was right. Kagami had been hurt enough by secrets and lies. As much as Alya would love to be totally honest with Kagami, to bring her into the loop… she just couldn’t. It was too dangerous and not her call anyway.

But Kagami needed someone. She was more alone than anyone else she knew, especially since her relationship with Adrien ended.

Hm…

Maybe Kagami couldn’t spend that much time with others as Kagami...

But Ryuuko was a different story.

And if Marinette could bring back Rena Rouge even after having her identity exposed… why not? At least getting her occasionally.

Alya turned to head towards the bakery.

Hopefully soon, the dragon would rejoin the cat and ladybug in protecting Paris, getting to spend time with her friends once again.

This time, at least getting to know why there were secrets between them, even if those secrets had to remain.

#Alya cesaire #kagami tsurugi #ml fanfic #Miraculous ladybug #secrets lies and hope #gang of secrets #ml spoilers

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chaoticpuff17 · 4 years

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A Dangerous Game

part 12

masterlist

Namjoon left in a huff after that leaving both Y/N and Jungkook in shock. Neither of them really knew what to make of his exit as they looked at each other with mirrored looks of confusion.

“Well that was interesting.” She laughed. “Shall we walk around the garden?” She suggested smiling at the younger man. What else were they really supposed to do?

She had the time but not the inclination to stay and contemplate what was going around in Namjoon’s head. That was a twisted mess she had no interest in detangling. If you entered the labyrinth that was his mind you were likely to never come out again. It was not a risk she was willing to take, and so instead they walked around the garden.

Jungkook, she found, was a rather shy young man. He didn’t say much, but he followed her like a shadow as they wandered about the gardens. She was looking for an exit. He was making sure she didn’t do anything Namjoon wouldn’t approve of. At least that was what they were doing before they were accosted by the happiest ball of fluff she had ever seen.

“Who is this cutie?” She asked kneeling down to scratch behind the dog’s ears.

Jungkook kneeled down as well smiling as he gave the dog attention as well. “This is Moni. He’d Namjoon hyung’s dog.”

“Namjoon has a dog?�� Jungkook nodded. “That man, the devil himself, has a white fluffy dog?” Again, he nodded. And she couldn’t help but laugh. It just seemed so out of character. Weren’t crime lord’s supposed to keep tough dogs like Rottweilers and Pitbulls? But here was possibly the cutest little ball of fluff she had ever seen.

“Your hyung is a very strange man.” She told Jungkook. “Does he even have time for a dog? You know between the illegal activities and kidnapping women?”

“Moni spends a lot of time with the staff.”

“Well that’s no good. Moni and I will just have to be friends from now on. Won’t we, Moni?” She cooed smooshing the dogs face. It was her dog now.

“Come along, boys!” She smiled standing back up straightening out her skirt ready to continue their walk.

She found out rather quickly that the gardens were enclosed by a wall, a very tall wall, but there were trees, trees that were very climbable. They could get her close to the top of the wall. The problem was that she didn’t know what was on the other side of that wall or how many goons Namjoon had watching the perimeter of the estate. And then there was her new problem. Jungkook. How was she supposed to get rid of her new shadow? Those would all have to be problems for another time though. She didn’t have the free reign she needed to properly scope out the area and plot.

Her days quickly fell into a new routine. She would wake up and go to her breakfasts with Namjoon in the morning and share a meal with him in the evening. Other than that she would be free to spend the day as she pleased, so long as she remained within the boundaries of the estate. Jungkook would be with her wherever she went or at the very least waiting just outside the door. The only time Jungkook was not with her was when either Namjoon or Jin was, but Jin’s visits could not be as frequent as she would have liked them to be. But she found a great friend in Jungkook.

The young man was like a younger brother to her now, and she no longer minded his constant presence in her life. He also came with the added bonus of sneaking her into activities that were not quite Namjoon approved such as Mario Kart tournaments or movie marathons. Of course the house staff knew of her activities, but no one could begrudge her a few luxuries without the boss’ knowing especially not when there was so little to keep someone occupied when you did the same things day after day. So they kept her secret, and Namjoon never knew of the little indulgences Jungkook allowed her.

It had been maybe three weeks since she’d been released from her rooms, and she was wondering the garden with Moni and Jungkook like she did most days. Her days were an endless cycle of wandering the gardens, playing the piano, and reading books that Namjoon had prepared. She and Jungkook would have tea in the garden. It wasn’t that harsh of a life. Namjoon treated her well in fact. The only real complaint she had, other than being a prisoner, was how monotonous her gilded cage was. If you didn’t know she was a prisoner, you never would have suspected it. She was treated as the lady of the house, Namjoon’s precious wife.

She was grateful for the gardens and for the piano room. She was even grateful for Jungkook, her guard, her shadow. When it was just the two of them and Moni, she could almost forget that she was a prisoner and that Jungkook was her guard. She could almost forget that he wouldn’t hesitate to turn her into Namjoon if she slipped up. But or a few moments at least, she could forget.

“I’d heard that Namjoon had found himself a woman.” An unfamiliar voice spoke startling her from her reverie.

Looking up she found a man smiling down at her. He was handsome with a lovely smile that normally would have given her butterflies, but nothing was normal about her life these days, and everyone she met was in Namjoon’s pocket.

She stood up straight and smoothed out the fabric of her skirt as Jungkook watched carefully from a few feet away where he had been playing with Moni while she watched the Koi from the bridge. “He hasn’t.”

“Then you’re not the lady of the house I’ve heard so much about?”

“That depends on who you ask.” She scoffed a frown marring her features.

“And what do you say?”

Y/N laughed, the sound bitter. “You must be new. What I say doesn’t matter here. All of Namjoon’s men know who I am and what my position here is. And if you don’t know you’re probably not one of Namjoon’s men.”

“And if I told you I wasn’t one of Namjoon’s men?” He asked curiously.

“Then I’d say you’re an idiot for being here.”

The stranger threw back his head and laughed. “I can see why Namjoon likes you. I’m Mark.”

“Y/N.” She replied shaking his out stretched hand. “So why hasn’t Jungkook removed you yet? He’s watching us like a hawk.”

“Jungkook?”

“The man staring daggers at you from the lawn.” She shrugged. “He’s here to make sure I don’t do anything stupid like try to hop the fence.”

“A caged bird then.” He hummed.

She narrowed her eyes taking him in. In all her time at the estate she hadn’t once met anyone who wasn’t under Namjoon’s thumb. But this man claimed not to be one of Namjoon’s goons.

“So who are you if you don’t work for Namjoon?”

“I’m an associate of his. I have a few businesses based in Taiwan and America”

“Legitimate business or Namjoon’s kind of business?”

He laughed again showing off a dazzling smile. Why were all these mafiosos so attractive? It was a carefree and happy expression, but there was something sharp lingering in his eyes. “A bit of both, darling.”

“Figures.” She sighed turning back to the pond and leaning on the railing of the bridge. “No one who comes here is anything less than shady.”

Mark gasped placing a hand over his heart. “Are you calling me shady? Darling, I’m offended.”

“I met you two minutes ago in a mob boss’ house.” She deadpanned.

“Point taken.” He shrugged nonplussed by her lack of enthusiasm.

“I suppose since you’re an associate of Namjoon’s I can’t convince you to sneak me back to the states.” She glanced over at him knowing full well he wasn’t going to get her out of this nightmare.

“Plotting your escape, jagi?” Her spine stiffened, and she immediately stood upright again at the sound of his voice.

There he was, sauntering up the bridge towards them as put together as ever in one of his suits. Y/N knew immediately that she was in trouble. Though he was smiling, his eyes were cold and hard.

“Tuan.” He greeted the other man with a curt nod.

“Kim.” Came the equally as curt reply.

“Jagi.” Namjoon beckoned her to his side, and she dutifully went unwilling to make him any angrier than he already seemed. He wrapped an arm round her waist, and pulled her into his side. “I do recall that guests are meant to wait in the parlor, Tuan.”

The other man smiled. “Yes, but you have such beautiful gardens. I couldn’t resist a stroll. And I got to meet the lovely, Y/N.” Namjoon’s hand tightened uncomfortably on her hip.

“Jagi, I believe Miss In has prepared tea for you in your rooms.” He squeezed her hip again flashing her a cold smile as she paled. “Tuan, I believe that you and I have business to discuss.” Namjoon motioned for Jungkook, who had moved closer during the encounter, to come and collect her. “There’s a lovely pavilion we can talk in since you enjoy the garden so much.”

He passed her over to Jungkook all the while maintaining his coldly polite smile. The message was clear. Her time in the garden was finished for today, and Namjoon didn’t want her anywhere near Mark. It probably didn’t help that he had walked right into a conversation about her trying to leave. She would probably be paying for that comment later.

“Until next time, Y/N.” Mark bid her goodbye with a sly smile as Jungkook gently herded her back towards the house, Moni following at their heels.

For the rest of the day Y/N was confined to her rooms. She wasn’t locked in like she had been before, but Jungkook stood guard outside making it clear that she wasn’t allowed out until Namjoon himself came to release her. As promised, Miss In had provided tea, but that was the last she had seen of anyone.

Boredom had quickly set in. She finished the book she had with her, and had resorted to rereading it when there was nothing else to do.

“Jagiya.” She was startled from her book by Namjoon. He stood in the doorway with his arms folded across his chest his features set in a stern look.

She sighed uncurling herself from the corner of the sofa and setting the book aside. “I wish you wouldn’t call me that. I’m not your sweet heart or honey or whatever.”

“Jagiya.” The endearment was stated more sternly this time.

“Yes, Namjoon?” She asked keeping her eyes on her hands folded neatly in her lap. She knew full well that she was in trouble.

“Oh, jagiya.” He cooed crossing the room. One of his hands came up to cup her jaw forcing her to look at him. “Talking to strange men in the garden? What were you thinking? What if he had hurt you?”

She pushed his hand away. “I doubt that you would allow someone into the house who would cause disruption. You’re far too careful for that. Besides, Jungkook wouldn’t let anything happen.”

“I appreciate the faith you have in me, jagi, but I don’t appreciate you talking to strange men.”

“He was your guest, and we only spoke for a moment.” She scoffed.

He smiled at her, bu the expression was cold and sharp. “Yes, you spoke for a moment, and yet you still managed to ask him for help leaving me.” Suddenly, she found the yellow of her dress very fascinating. “Did you really think that was a good idea, jagi?”

“I didn’t think he’d actually do it.” She murmured plucking at the fabric of her skirts.

He tsked under his breath. “I thought we’d put all those silly thoughts out of your head, jagi. You’ve been so good recently.” One hand snaked up to grasp her hair at the nape of her neck forcing her to look up at him with a gasp of pain. “Don’t you like it here, jagi?”

“I would burn this whole place to the ground with you in it if I could.” She hissed.

He released her with a chuckle moving instead to cage her against the sofa with two hands on either side of her head. “I know you would, jagi.” The smile he sent her made her skin crawl.

They both knew that she didn’t have any power in the relationship, but that only made his condescending attitude worse. He’d kept her here for weeks and weeks neither of them budging. But there wasn’t really anything she could do anyway, not yet anyway. Even if she somehow managed to escape the estate, she would still be in a foreign city with no phone, no passport, no money, and no way to contact the only person she knew here. She didn’t even know if Eun-ho had recovered from their crash. No one would tell her anything.

“I want you to know, jagi, that if you did manage to escape, you wouldn’t get far. I can promise you that nothing would stop me from finding you and dragging you back to me. You are mine, my wife. There is nowhere on this earth you can hide from me.” He smirked cruelly bringing a hand to her cheek in a gesture that was far more gentle than his words. “Not even that little friend of yours bothering the police can help you now. He came all the way from America for you.” She felt her heart drop, plummeting into her stomach. “Anything you’d like to tell me, jagi?”

part 13

#bts #bts fic #yandere bts #namjoon #namjoon x reader #mafia namjoon #yandere namjoon #rm #rm x reader #mafia #mafia au #dark romance #a dangerous game #soft yandere #fanfic

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the-fiction-witch · 3 years

Text

The Witch

MOVIE THE LAST LEGION AGE UP COUPLE: ROMULUS X READER RATING: SMUT

I stood leant on the balcony looking out across the city, watching the villages on the other side of the mountain… they were burning, the smoke rising high into the sky, the flames illuminating the stars, we had sent a legion but they had been slaughtered along with the hundreds of men, women and children defenceless and slaughtered. My advisors were idiots, my staff useless. I feared for those in the city and the palace, the hundreds and thousands here that would die if our walls were to be breached.

I knew what had to be done, but I was fearful to do it.

"Romulus My king, please, you must reconsider" my father said as we walked down the hallowed palace halls

"Reconsider? What other hope have I got?"

"Our walls with prevail the legions will destroy them before they step foot into the city"

"Yeah we send one to protect the villages… how well did that go"

"Those were rural mountain villages, now where near the strength or security of the city”

“And what happens if they do get through the wall?”

“The army will-”

“What happens. If they get though?”

“If they get though” He says “The moment one of the barbarian men steps foot in on the city stone, We will have you halfway to britannia”

“So, you want me to run off to Britannia with my tail between my legs? While my people die for me? While they suffer under a barbarian ruler? While children are tortured? While women are raped in the streets? Men forced into amries? While I hide myself away in Britannia hiding away in some dirty, muddy, tiny little hole while he destroys everything my ancestors have built?”

“Why not come sit in with the senet we will discuss the attack and matters” “The senet is a bunch of men sitting around with titles from a hundred years ago. What is that going to help?”

“They know the city better than anyone” “The beggars in the street know the city better the senet never leaves the palace” I sighed

“Then why not go to the vestals? They always have good advice for the kings”

“Ohh so you want me to go sit around with a bunch of honry old virgins? And philosophers who cut their dicks off?”

“Then go to the library and discuss with the Philosophers?”

“Ohh please, Unless I’m a new constellation, some old books or a cannabis bath they couldn’t give less of a shit” I sighed

“Then go to the temple my king, discuss with the gods. Think things over in their presence” He says “Speak with Minerva, Take council with Mars,”

“I’m going to the temple… just not theres”

“I still do not advise it my king”

“Well that's all it is. Advice” I said “I’m going to see her”

“You know the sort of things people…. Will say they see you going there?”

“I know. But I need power… and wisdom. Older, Stronger than the twelve”

I could feel my fear, thick inside my heart, getting heavier, harder, Like… I wanted to run away with every step I took closer, my escort followed me as did two slaves heading though the city past people all adoring but even the people had fear knowing the trouble coming and some knowing… where I was going. I walked the walk of gods where the temples all sat, I past Vesta and Vulcan, Past ceres and Minerva, Past Apollo and Diana, Past Venus, Past Neptune, Past mercury and mars, Past Pulto, Past juno and Jupiter… but I stopped a moment and nodded to the female slave who carried the offerings she nodded and took some of the flowers to juno and jupiter's statues as I felt there eyes watched me. Once she came back I continued until reaching the end of the road where the temple of Luna sat.

I went inside the empty temple, the black stone mosaic floor clean and the roof open to allow in the sun but at the right times the moon. I went to the statue and left all the flowers there and I saw the door at the side

“Stay here, I need to see her alone” I said. They nodded so I headed to the door and down the stone steps deeper below the temple. Each stone step was dusty, and felt Ill trodden.

I got to the chamber firelight cascading across the room and a woman in black knelt on the stone.

“Greetings My king” she said

“Greetings Lady of the Moon” I said

“What is it you seak?”

“You know what I seak”

She stopped and turned to me pulling the hood of her dress down revealing her shock white hair

“You seak her?”

“I do.”

“You know what darkness lurks there?”

“I do. Please…. I need her.”

“I can send you there… but I cannot be held accountable for if you return”

“I know that. But I must see her”

"....very well. You know where she is"

"Thank you" I nodded hurrying out the temple.

I stood changing my clothes to look plain so I could walk freely wrapping a brown cloak around me,

"Please let someone accompany you"

"No. I don't wanna scare her. I take an army boy she'll think I'm arresting her, besides I need to be quiet, quick and unnoticed. She already knows I'm coming if she's going to hurt me there is little we can do about it"

"My king… as one of your oldest and most trusted advisors make I speak plainly"

"Yes."

"I think you are betraying the gods. Your people. And your ansestors. Romulus… I have severed your family my whole life, served your father and mother while you rested in her womb and I have seved you every day you have been king… I beg of you. Do not go to her"

"I must. And honestly…" I said "I want to see her"

"Very well my king" he nods

I took my things and scurried out the palace like a theif, sneaking thought the city as best I could trying not to draw attention to myself keeping my hood up so people didn't see who I was, I got to the city gate out to the woods seeing travelers coming in to find rooms for the night, women coming in from walks in the woods with there baskets, traders headed in and out but I walked straight out.

I felt so strange but I kept walking deeper and deeper into the woods, walking the pathway between the trees and animal burrows flowing the trail of lavender flowers that grow along the walk, there purple glow in the setting sun leading me to her.

I stopped, as I arrived.

The smell of grass, lavender and smoke filled my sinuses.

The sound of music from within, the wind in the tree's like voices, the movements of the branches and grass all seemed muted here.

I could feel grass and small sticks under my feet.

As I looked apon the house.

It was a small thached cottage with firelight beyond the windows, smoke coming from the chimneys, a wooden fence around the garden where herbs and flowers grew a gate in the fence sat close to me open already, beside the gate was a little apothecary shelf with a few bottles of things.

I stepped inside the gate shutting it behind me pulling down my hood stepping in the stone wedged into the dirt to avoid touching any plants I went to the blue door tapping three times.

The door creaked open, I exhaled to calm me down before stepping inside, I shut the door behind me looking at the cottage, it was dark the fire going yet it did illuminate much, herbs sat on windowsills and tools in tables, a bed by the side with gosomer red and purple curtains and sheets with lots of pillows, symbols carved into anything wood or stone, the smell of something sweet over the fire and I saw her across the room sat surrounded by candles in her black dress she faced away from me her hair tightly wound around her head, working one something at her desk, lightly humming as she did.

I stood a moment just listening to her hum, to the fire crack all of it muffled by the sound of my own heart beating in my ears.

"I-" I began

"Romulus Augustus, king of rome, second if his name right, blood of Cesar, the boy king" she says "good evening"

"Good evening miss."

"You don't have to you know"

"Don't have to what?" I asked

"Go see her. If you would like to come see me romulus you have only to come see me" she says mixing potions

"I like to, so you know I'm coming"

"I always know when your coming" she giggled

"I know you do. But still"

"I know why your here"

"I don't doubt you do." I said "you know everything else"

"Not everything"

"Almost everything"

"You know I can't romulus. It's not fair"

"How is it not? He believes himself a god carries dark magic with him it's only leveling the battle field"

"And I'm sure he'd say the same if he found out you had first"

"Y/n. Please"

"My magic isn't strong enough for that romulus"

"Isn't strong enough? I've seen the power you have…" I said going over to her wrapping my arms around her neck and kissing her hair "I know you can. Please… thousands in the city will die if you don't"

"And thousands of them will die if I do" she says turning to face me going to get up and walk somewhere else but I held her hand

"If your alligence to me? Or to him?"

"Neither of you" she says "I don't fight. For either side" she says moving away to go to the fire

"You've seen what will happen if you don't? Haven't you?"

"I have"

"Tell me"

"No. Knowone should know there-"

"Tell me!" I snapped "by order of the king you will tell me"

"I…. Romulus I can't" she said holding back tears I went over and pulled her to my chest kissing her hair

"I'll die. Won't I?"

She nods

"And if you do?"

"Then he dies"

"Y/n… I know that can't be easy. But would you listen anyway?"

"Okay" she nods

"If you help me, I can give you anything, you'll save thousands of men, women and children in the city, save generations of art, books, sculptures that you'll know he'll destroy if he can and… and I'll owe you my life. And anything I have the power to give you I will. Land, a title, servents, a castle, whatever you want in this world I will do it for you, if you just do this...for me"

"Romulus, he's my father" she says

"He abused you, abandoned you, murdered your mother, I know he's your father but he has never once treated you like his daughter," I explain "atleast I wouldn't hurt you, I care about you… my little witch" I smiled caressing her cheek

"Romulus, you know I can't" she says pushing me away and going back to her work

"So you'll let me die?" I asked she didn't answer "... I thought you loved me?"

"I do"

"You love me? Your the only one who can help and your going to let me die?"

"Romulus! I can't"

"Why not?" I asked her "give me one good reason why you can't?" She didn't answer just sitting there staring at the fire "well?"

"Relax. I already did" she smiled

"What?"

"Seriously romulus I did it hours ago. Before you even left home"

"... You evil little thing! You really had be going there didn't you!"

"It's fun" she giggled

"What do you need for doing it?" I asked

"The usual"

"Alright" I smiled getting the coins out my bag and the little bag of treats from the palace kitchens

"Thank you" she giggled taking the to put them elsewhere in her house

"Your welcome my little witch. Thank you for doing so"

"I have to take care of you" she smiled "speaking of which?"

"Is it that time again already?"

"Humm"

"Alright," I smirked slipping off my cloak and my bag leaving them by the door I went over to the bed perching myself on the edge leaning in my elbows as she came over and began untieing my pants hooking her finger into each loop of the string pulling hard and so each loop and knot undid until they where completely untied she pulled them down enough that my cock jumped free excited to see her, I bit my lip hard watching her undo the small leather corset around her waist letting it drop to the floor which allowed her dress that noticably wasn't tied together in the centre as it should have been, she took each side and pulled it off letting it pool in the floor around her leaving her completely naked. I tried not to moan just looking at that beautiful body. She let her hair down completely and pushed me back in the bed I smirked back and moved to be laid in her bed as she crawled ontop of me sitting so my cock nuzzled between the lips of her pussy. I went to touch her breasts but she slapped my hands away

"You know the rules" she says

"I know" I blushed "I pledge my heart, my soul and my body, willingly and ...excited"

"I pledge my heart, my body, and my soul willingly" she giggled before she lent down and kissed me, those lips as soft and sweet as last I was here. I kissed back eagerly as I felt her undoing my shirt so I took over and pulled it off throwing it off the bed she smirked sitting up and next I knew I was inside her

"Uughhh y/n!" I groaned grabbing her hips feeling how warm and soft she was around me

She gasped as she reached the hilt and moved over grabbing something from her table as she did the way she leant her breasts where in my face so I smirked nuzzling with them and giving them kisses

"Romulus!" She giggled pushing me away

"Aww come on! You can't wave them in my face and not expect me to give them a kiss" I smirked

“Dirty boy” she smirked holding her knife she cut her hand she offered the knife so I let her cut my hand and I took her hand tightly feeling my heart beating out of my chest as she began to move …

#the last legion #Romulus Augustus #Romulus #Thomas #thomasbrodiesangster #thomassangster #thomas brodie sangster #thomas sangster #thomas brodie sangster smut #thomas brodie sangster imagine #thomas brodie sangster i #thomas brodie sangster s #thomas smut #thomas sangster x reader #thomas sangster smut #thomas sangster imagine

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ficforce · 3 years

Text

Running Scared Part 2

Y/N sat on the raised platform that lead out to the very small garden of her home and her fingertips tapped nervously on the edge of the small table; Konro suggested they head out there to talk. She had pulled out the zabuton for them to sit on and he made her stay out in the warm, night air whilst he made tea in her kitchen. She could hear the voices of her friends and neighbours drifting over from the streets, sounds of games being played and a few friendly arguments over who was buying the next round of drinks - she was almost certain she heard Hinata and Hikage’s giggles from the other side of her fence.

Konro set the teapot down and poured for them both, “I can’t remember the last time we had tea out here, your tree got pretty tall… it’s almost as tall as Waka.”

“Which is still not that tall,” Konro looked at her and grinned, one of their past times had been picking on Benimaru. Y/N watched him as he looked over the dimly lit space, the lanterns all around town had brightened up everything but the stars were still perfectly visible, much more so than in the Cities. She hadn’t realised he wasn’t in uniform; his hair was pulled back as usual but the yukata seemed almost new, it was simple in a dark, navy colour that matched his eyes and at the shoulder seams, she noticed silver crosses providing a little decoration. They reminded her of the tattoos that encircled his biceps.

He didn’t seem to be as heavily bandaged as usual and somehow it made him look a little softer. Not that that made any sense to her but that’s what Y/N thought, “You’re missing the festival because of me…” He couldn’t tell her he wasn’t going in an attempt to make her feel better, he was dressed up for it and she also guessed he would have spent it with the twins, “I’m okay now, Konro. I would have spent the evening out here or by the window anyway.”

“I’m not that bad a company… besides,” he fixed her with a gentle but firm stare, “You agreed to tell me why you’ve been avoiding me.” He had only wanted to come out tonight in hopes of seeing her, it wasn’t quite the scenario he had envisioned though.

Y/N picked up her cup as a distraction and took a deep breath before exhaling slowly, “Okay…”

x - -

“Y/N!” The woman’s head turned toward the closed hatch as she heard Benimaru’s voice - shortly followed by the distinct sound of Konro smacking the back of the younger man’s head. She laughed as Benimaru complained and opened up the hatch to see her two favourite Hikeshi, “‘bout time. I’m starving.” He took the bento she offered him and settled himself in the shade her doorstep provided.

Konro looked about ready to hit him again.

“Would you like some tea, Konro?” Her question brought the disapproving glare away from Benimaru and Konro’s expression softened for her as he nodded, he thanked her when she gave him a bento and he leaned on the counter to eat it, “I had to close earlier than usual today.” Y/N spoke a little louder as she prepared the drinks, “I sold out completely - though I made sure to save you two some food. I’m getting popular!”

The man swallowed a mouthful of rice before replying, “That’s great, Y/N. And you haven’t had any more trouble with those brats?”

“Not since you made one of them piss their pants,” she handed him a cup and Konro nudged Benimaru with his foot to get his attention, Y/N heard a muffled thanks from around whatever he was chewing on and smiled. “You didn’t have to go out of your way for me…”

He shrugged and took the cup she offered him, “Its all part of the job.”

“No, it’s not.” Benimaru’s voice piped up from the doorstep - followed by a small ‘ow’ as Konro kicked him.

“Yes. It is.” Maybe he had taken it a little further than usual but he didn’t appreciate the wannabe gang trying to extort money from Y/N’s business… or anyone else. The Hikeshi were supposed to keep the peace and stop it from becoming as lawless as the Empire seemed to think it already was. “If I didn’t scare the hell out of them they’d only come back, might makes right.” It was as simple as that; the strongest ran Asakusa. Konro was just glad that the Hikeshi were on the side of the people rather than a gang of thugs out for themselves.

Watching him eat for a moment longer, admiring his broad shoulders and the way the muscles in his arms moved when he lifted food to his mouth - a mouth she had thought about kissing…

Y/N felt her face heat up and quickly set about cleaning up the kitchen and putting away the supplies she had bought a little earlier. Konro had a way of looking intimidating whilst, at the same time, being the gentlest man she knew. His presence never failed to put butterflies in her stomach and make her giddy as a schoolgirl with her first crush.

She didn’t seem to notice Konro stealing glances at her as she kept herself busy, occasionally she would almost catch him but managed to play it off, smiling to himself as he thought it was cute that she could be so shy… He just hoped it was because she liked him too. “Y/N… you wanna go to that new bar with me tonight?”

“What?” Benimaru looked at him with an almost glare, he put his empty cup down by his side and crossed his arms, “You coulda asked me.”

Y/N returned to the counter, leaning over it just enough to see him at the side of her home, “Maybe he’ll ask when you’re twenty-one.” She tossed him one of the salted snacks he said he liked and grinned as he caught it with ease, “I know you can get hold of sake but good luck getting it in an actual bar, short stuff.”

“I’m taller than you… probably.”

The woman turned her head to look at Konro, her eyes widening as she realised their faces weren’t that far apart with them both leaning on the counter, the serious edge to her voice faltered a little, “D-don’t even think about sneaking him in.”

Konro chuckled into his tea; she could be quite motherly when it came to Benimaru. Placing the empty cup on the counter he leaned in just a little more and his hand moved to cover hers on the counter, “I was asking you.” It was fun watching her flounder at his obvious attempt at asking her on a date, he could almost feel the heat radiating off her cheeks and her shy smile only made him want to lean in the last few inches to steal a kiss.

“I… yeah, that sounds good…”

“I’ll pick you up at s-” the sound of someone screaming cut through his words and as the three of them looked in the direction it had come from a plume of black smoke rose into the sky. “Infernal…” Konro stood back up straight and then another plume appeared, followed by a third and fourth in quick succession before the alarm began to ring from the watchtower. “Y/N, go inside and don’t leave unless a Hikeshi says otherwise.”

Y/N nodded quickly and watched as the two men ran toward the centre of town. Closing the hatch and locking it tightly she stood still with her hands fisted in her apron - something wasn’t right… Surely that many people hadn’t combusted all at once?

A chill trickled down her spine as her fingers started to feel cold, letting go of her apron and shaking them out she ran to her room to grab an overnight bag in case she needed a temporary home in the guardhouse. It wouldn’t be the first time Benimaru wrecked her house.

And then she waited as it began to get unnaturally dark; the feeling of dread her only company.

It was hard to tell how quickly or slowly time was ticking by as she heard explosions from outside, often followed by screams and then there was what sounded like dozens of feet running past her house. A loud bang on her door made her drop her bag, “We’re evacuating to the river!” whoever it was yelling through her door was gone just as quick but she heard them yell the same at the next house and then the one after that. Y/N opened her door, stumbling back as heat washed over her face and the smoke assaulted her nose and mouth, through slightly watering eyes she saw that the sky was masked out by smoke, ash and flames as Asakusa burned violently. Crowds of people were running past her and she did her best to stay at the edge of it and not become affected by the mass hysteria.

This wasn’t normally how evacuations went, this wasn’t well organised and there was none of the usual bravado that Asakusa’s residents showed - they were terrified.

Red and orange flames jumped from house to house as if chasing them, and perhaps it was the panic but Y/N thought she saw the figure of a person in the flames. The thought flew from her mind as she felt someone push into her and sent her onto her hands and knees in the dirt. A knee knocked into her cheek and someone else stepped on her ankle, it was all she could do to turn herself into a ball to protect herself from being trampled. The crowd soon overtook her and Y/N bit down a pained sob as she tried to stand, hobbling forward a few steps forward before freezing solid - the turn at the end of the street, where all those people had run, had become an inferno.

Screams and yells that had been panicked morphed into ones of agony.

The woman couldn’t even draw in a breath as she watched burning people stagger and fall back into view. Some were infernalised, whilst most were burning alive; Men, women and even the children. The smell of burning hair, and flesh, and clothes ravished her senses and made her gag. Her inability to move, the fear paralysing her, made it possible for the burning crowd to stagger or crawl back towards her; it wasn’t until someone grabbed her injured ankle that she had the sense to runaway.

x - -

Konro’s hand went to the back of his neck and he couldn’t speak - or rather, he didn’t know what to say. He hadn’t known what she had seen or gone through, he hadn’t even known she’d gotten hurt or trampled or burned or anything. All he had known in the first few days after the fire was that she was cooking for anyone who needed feeding and that she came to the guardhouse a few times. “I’m sorry… I shoulda checked on you.” During her description of what had happened he had reached for her hand after she had started to cry, he gave it a small squeeze as she wiped her eyes on her sleeve.

“You were so heavily sedated you barely knew which way was up… idiot.” His sudden guilt made her want to hit him because there hadn’t been anything he could do but at the same time, it was sweet of him. “I… I heard you and Beni through the wall that night.” His head tilted a little and she continued, “I locked myself inside the house and huddled up as far away from the door as I could and I heard you telling him he was at his limit and then it got really quiet and this… this horrible feeling came over me.”

Konro grit his teeth, he remembered what came next and he hadn’t known she was in the house - he could have killed her. He had taken out the houses around him and somehow left hers standing. Maybe he did it unconsciously? It was her home and her business, it was important to her so it was also important to him. “That was just before I put Beni out of commission. I didn’t want him burning himself out and ending up…” he gestured vaguely to himself, “Like me.”

“It sounded like a hell of a fight, the whole house shook and I really thought it was going to come down on top of me. I remember getting my first panic attack and passing out after I heard what must have been your Akatsuki rip up the ground,” Y/N felt his hand move onto of hers and when she looked up he was staring at the table with his head bowed, it wasn’t hard to tell he was berating himself and Y/N took her hand from his so that she could move to sit beside him. Leaning into his arms a little she took his hand in both hers, “What’s wrong?”

She was warm against his side, the weight on him wasn’t enough to bother his damaged skin too much and even if it did he wouldn’t want her to move. It was nothing short of a miracle to him that she wanted to be this close, especially after everything he had put her through, “I knew I’d frightened you…” Konro felt his voice crack a little and cleared his throat before continuing, still unable to meet her eyes, “It just wasn’t the same between us again and I couldn’t figure out why you were so uncomfortable near me… It was only today that I realised you live opposite the mess I made and now I find out you were in my… you were in range for the shockwave to have brought your house down on top of you - I could have killed you, Y/N!”

“That’s not it at all!” Without thinking, she grabbed his face with both her hands and turned his head to look at her, silently pleading for him to listen and actually believe what she was saying, “You nearly died, Konro, you gave all you had to fight for our Town! I’m not scared of you, I’ve never been afraid of you, Konro… I just…” She needed to tell him or she really would lose him, “I can hardly leave the house anymore, I was scared you’d ask me out and I’d have to say no and then you’d never speak to me again!”

He felt her hands beginning to tremble and caught them in his, bringing them down to her lap. Y/N looked down at their hands and then back at his face where he was gazing at her the way he used to; like she was something special and adored. She had expected pity but found none.

The Lieutenant reached out to stroke her cheek with the backs of his fingers, “I wish I had asked you sooner, so that you didn’t have to keep running away. I guess I was scared too; worried you might say no.” The man pulled away from her and with a ghost of a smile on his lips he opened up the pouch tied to his belt, “We don’t have to go out to have fun, I could come here and if you want to stay at the guardhouse then I’ll walk with you the entire way. I only took tonight off because I hoped I would meet you and give you this…”

He held out a kanzashi. It was a single round petalled flower on a hairpin, he hoped it was still her favourite colour and Konro watched her expression nervously, “I’m not great at making these but it’s the best one I could manage because they’re kinda fiddly.” When she didn’t react or say anything he started to doubt himself and was tempted to put the small gift back, “It’s a dumb tradition… making a kanzashi for the girl you want to take to the festival.”

“Konro… I…” Y/N’s face felt hot and she gripped the hand he had left on her lap, “I can’t go out there, I want to take it, I want to spend time with you again.” Tears pricked her eyes again and she looked down, “I can’t go out there, Konro! I’m sorry, I’m sor-” Her whole body fell forward as she was pulled to him, Konro hugged her to his chest and stroked her back; it was so similar to when he had calmed her down earlier.

“We don’t have to go out,” he slid the kanzashi into her hair and pressed a kiss to the top of her head, “A man only goes to a festival for three things; Pretty women, sake and fireworks.” Almost as if he had timed it a whistle sounded up into the stars and burst into colour, “I have two out of three.” Feeling her turn her head so that she could watch the fireworks, Konro felt his heart flutter when her arms wrapped his middle.

Y/N sucked in her bottom lip, thinking as she watched the sky blossoming every colour imaginable, “You know, if you stay a little longer… I can find some sake.”

“I’ll stay for as long as you’ll have me, Y/N.”

#sagamiya konro #reader #fire force #enen no shouboutai #enn enn no shouboutai

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marrys-dream-world · 3 years

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lovers alone wear sunlight (chapter five)

Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four

Read on AO3

Notes: Sorry for this late entry, June 5th was my birthday and I didn't have time to finish the chapter. Hope you enjoy it anyway. I liked writing this, even though I don't fully agree with Ladybug's opinions through it. Next chapter will come out on the 13th. This if for Day 5: Adverstisement. @ladrienjune

Adrien Agreste’s apple juice advertisement came out on a saturday and it was quite a hit with the ladies.

Marinette, as a lady herself, would know. She couldn’t walk down the street without seeing posters on every wall or buses with the ad passing by. No matter what video she watched on youtube, it was always that ad that played before, skippable after five seconds (not that she ever did). Most of the girls in her class thought it was cute, apart from Alíx, and she even caught Chloé, as angry as she was with Adrien, watching it alone in the locker room during break.

Lila, never one to lose an opportunity, had cooed about how she had been invited to be a poster girl along with Adrien, but had to decline filming due to her intense fear of pools. When she hugged his arm to her chest along with a “right, Adrien?”, he had only offered her a thin smile and no words. Marinette bit back the urge to make Lila back off from her boyfriend and call her out on that obvious lie. What good would that do? Alya had rubbed her arm sympathetically, but what really calmed her down was meeting Adrien’s eyes after.

Stupid, right? His green eyes said, rolling.

Very stupid. Her blue eyes said, smiling along with her mouth.

But Lila’s tall tales were not the worst thing that came out of it and Marinette learned that on a wednesday afternoon.

She had been walking home midday, eager for the quiche her father promised her that morning and to check on her wayward kwamis, whose phone was dead, probably from taking turns in playing subway surf (Longg was, surprisingly, an unbeatable champion). She was making her way through the park when she was pulled behind the merry-go-around, preparing to scream and apply the self-defense class she got from her mother to good use. Then, she noticed who it was.

“Adrien?” Marinette asked, confused.

“Marinette, sorry to ask you this, but can I hide at your house during lunch?” He said, pulling her into a crouch and looking over his shoulder every once in a while.

“Of course!” She said immediately, grabbing his arm and stealthily guiding him towards the bakery.

They arrived on record time, perfected by months of Marinette sneaking around and trying to get to her house undetected. After all, Ladybug shouldn’t be seen by her balcony too often as either her identity would be done for or Paris would assume Marinette Dupain-Cheng was Ladybug’s, ahem, friend (both Tikki and Alya thought this theory was completely bogus, but she still thought it had some merit). Her mother was running the counter, running through the dozens of clients as easily as breathing and sparing a smile at Marinette that fell a bit when she saw Adrien.

“I’ll explain later.” Marinette told her mother, rushing Adrien to the back before anyone could get a good look at him.

Sabine frowned. “Make sure he eats something. He looks so tired, poor thing.”

Everything happened so fast that Marinette didn't notice it at first, but her mother was right. Standing awkwardly in her living room, Adrien’s skin looked pale in the afternoon light and even his expertly-done make-up was having trouble hiding the bruise-like shadows under his eyes. He was, as always, perfectly styled, but his red sweater looked a bit rumpled and his hair windswept.

“Hum, Adrien, why don’t you stand up? I m-mean, sit down, you’re already up.” She said, grabbing an extra plate and setting up the table, quiche already warm waiting for them. “You can take any seat, just not the one that I’m sitting on hehehe- not that I’m saying you would sit on my lap. I know you wouldn’t, would you? Forget it, forget it.”

Adrien cracked a smile, the sun coming from behind the clouds. “Thanks, Marinette, but you don’t have to feed me or anything, I’ll just wait for a bit and then I’ll be out of your hair.”

“What? No, there’s plenty of food.” She said, gesturing to the table. At his hesitancy, she played dirty: “You wouldn’t make me eat alone after I set your plate, would you?”

Flushing, he sat down. “No, of course not, thank you, Marinette.” His eyes softened. “You saved my life back there.”

“You know me, everyday Ladybug.” She joked before biting her tongue. Was she begging him to figure out her identity or what? But his expression didn’t change to anything but fonder. “What were you hiding for?”

“Oh.” His face darkened and she immediately regretted the question. “My fans have been… worse since my new ad was released.”

“A new ad?” Marinette said, voice coming out higher than she intended, cutting a piece of quiche and dropping it on his plate.

“Thank you, Marinette, and yes, on saturday.” Adrien said, picking up his fork and tasting the food. Then, the corner of his lips quirked. “Since that day, my life has never known peace.”

“Fangirls started manifesting physically in your house?” She guessed and he laughed quietly. She could listen to it in a loop for hours. “Why aren't you at your house, though? You usually have lunch there.”

“I convinced my father to let me spend a lunch break at school. He's been in a good mood since saturday. I was going to surprise Nino, but he had a lunch date with Alya today and I didn’t want to bother. So I was going to check out that cafe near the school but… I got caught.” He chuckled humorlessly.

“Well, if anything like that happens again, you can always come here.” Marinette said, firmly. ”You know what? You can come here whenever, you don’t even need a reason. Just say you want to have lunch and we will have lunch.”

“Really?” Adrien asked, eyes strangely shiny.

“Yeah. We’re friends, right?”

He blinked rapidly, looking at her as if for the first time. “Right. Thanks, Marinette, really.”

The expression he had stayed with her for the rest of the day, even when she was flying through Paris with her yo-yo and into the night. Shadow Moth had been quiet these days, especially when compared to the string of akumas and sentimonsters he had been sending her way the past few months. He had settled since Saturday, so Marinette liked to joke that even he was so entranced by Adrien’s commercial and perfect looks that he decided to give up villany altogether (Daizzi and Kaalki agreed with her, but Trixx and Wayzz thought it was unlikely. The other kwamis decided to not comment on their three-hour debate, but Tikki did take down the post-it from her theory wall. Unfair.).

However, it was hard to enjoy peace and quiet with the cat-sized void by her side. After their last patrol, they exchanged messages through their communicators and scheduled different patrol days, their conversation kept short and professional. So, not like them at all. Marinette, as a civilian, sometimes saw Chat Noir from her balcony and on the streets as he talked with parisians. When he noticed her, she thought she saw him sending her a smile that was a touch more familiar than for the others. But it was just her mind seeing things that she wanted because sure, they interacted more than once, but why would Chat Noir care?

This wasn’t the time to think about Chat Noir anyway. She arrived at her destination, knocking softly on the window. The lights of the room were on and one of her biggest sources of heartache was lying head down on his desk, textbooks open around him.

“Adrien?” She called as softly as she could, watching him stirr. “Adrien!”

He jumped from his chair, hair messy and sticky to his face and sweater rumpled. He blinked a couple of times, eyes foggy. “Ladybug?”

“Can you open the window?” She asked and he complied quickly, helping her in with a hand and earning a kiss on the cheek. “Thanks, handsome.”

No matter how many times she did, he always replied with the same dopey grin, even if it was a little subsided today.

“I’m the one who should be grateful, getting a visit from Paris’ prettiest superhero.”

“Don’t let Chat Noir hear that.” She teased, only to get confused when his expression became melancholic.

“I’m sure he would agree.” Adrien said, squeezing the hand he still held. “Is everything okay with you two?”

“Well, he’s still not talking to me and we still patrol by ourselves so… no.” Ladybug sighed. “But I don’t want to talk about him, I want to talk about you.”

“Me?” He seemed genuinely startled at the question. “What about me?”

“You don’t look so hot right now.” She said, trying to broach the topic in a lighthearted manner. But Adrien flinched, dropping her hand.

“I-I’m sorry. I had a full day with school and fencing and homework so I didn’t have time to freshen up or anything. Give me, hum, a minute and-”

“Adrien, hey. Adrien.” She interrupted, gently touching his face with her hand and turning it towards her. He let her, looking defeated and incredibly tired. “That’s not what I meant at all.”

“W-what?”

“You look tired and sad and I’m worried about you because I care, Adrien.” She said as clearly as she could, trying to leave as little room for misunderstandings as possible.

“... why?” He whispered.

She frowned. “Why what?”

“Why do you care?”

She floundered at that. “What do you mean, Adrien? I care because you’re my boyfriend and I like you.”

“But why do you like me, Ladybug?” He snapped, frown deepening and shadows under his eyes looking deeper. “It doesn’t make sense at all, we barely know each other and you’re Paris’ superhero and I’m just… me. Shouldn’t you want someone better? Like, I don’t know, Chat Noir?”

“I…” I don’t want Chat Noir, she meant to say, but those words got stuck in her throat. So she said, as calmly as she could through the storm in her mind: “I want you, Adrien, there isn’t anyone better.”

Adrien stared at her. She couldn't place the look in his green eyes.

“I hate doing commercials, you know?” He said softly, giving her whiplash with the change of subject. “Everytime I do, my fans get really, really hard to deal with. I get chased down the streets, get dozens of love letters stuffed in my locker and tons of people saying they love me. Love me. They don’t even know me, how can they say that?”

Ladybug’s tongue felt like lead. Fortunately, Adrien didn’t give her time to speak.

“And my dad just… gets so weird about it. He goes to press conferences saying things like ‘yes, yes, that’s my perfect son’ and talking about how the success was expected because it was me and looks at me… like he doesn’t at home.” He chuckled wetly and she realized there were tears sliding down his cheeks. “Why does everyone like me more when I’m like that? What am I doing wrong the rest of the time?”

Her body moved on it’s own and before she knew it, her arms were pulling him into a hug he gladly melted into, sobbing.

“You’re not doing anything wrong, Adrien.” She said soothingly, caressing his hair. Hesitantly, he asked: “Did you think… that I only like you when you’re like that too?”

Adrien freezing in her arms was all the answer she needed. Her throat went dry.

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I just wanted you to stay.” He said in a small voice, hiding his face in her neck. Her heart felt heavy.

“Adrien, I need you to pay attention right now, okay?” She waited until she felt him nod against her shoulder. “I really like you. Yes, you’re handsome, but you’re also sweet, smart and funny. You’re one of the kindest people I know and you’re always willing to help. I really admire that.”

He lifted his head from her shoulder to look at her earnest face.

“But I think that what always gets me by surprise is how brave you are. You always face things head on and not everyone does that. I know I don’t.”

He looked confused. “But… you’re Ladybug. I’ve never seen you turn down a challenge.”

“I’m not always Ladybug, you know? I can be a bit of a coward in my everyday life. But you? You take things on. Mortifying the ordeal of being known or not, Even if it’s embarrassing or not your best look, if you think it’ll help, you do it anyway.” And it was true, wasn’t it? Because admitting you’re friendless and completely lost on social interactions to someone that dislikes you is terrifying, but he did that anyway. With that, her heart was gone. “We may not know each other for that long, but I really care about you, Adrien. I-I love you.”

“Y-you love me?” Adrien said, eyes wide and shining with tears.

“I-I mean, yeah, I do. You don't have to say it back or anything-” She was cut off by a gentle kiss on her lips, one that never failed to make her heart flutter.

“I love you too.” He said, almost like a prayer. “I love you so much.”

Happiness burst in her chest and goosebumps ran through her skin, making her laugh in delight. He joined her, leaning his forehead against hers, eyes shining with joy.

We’ll be alright. She thought and, for once, truly believed that.

#ladrienjune #ladrienjune2021 #beautiful ladrien #adrinette #ladybug #adrien agreste #marinette dupain-cheng #ml fic #my stuff #lovers alone wear sunlight

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nikkzwrites · 3 years

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The Girl I Left Behind | Peaky Blinders Fic | Thomas Shelby x OFC | Chapter 1

A/N: So this is a story of a Scottish Mobster named Elspeth Finley and her adventures with and becoming a Shelby.

Content Warning: Smoking, Alcohol, Canon Typical Behavior, Canon Typical Triggers

Words: ~3.2k

[Next Chapter]

Elspeth sighed as she turned in her sleep. Tonight, surprisingly, she was visited by a fairly good memory.

She couldn’t have been older than 10 years old as she ran through the woods. The wet dirt and grass felt nice against her feet. She knew the teacher and her parents would be mad at her for sneaking out, but Archie, her brother, had told her about their father’s “plans” to trade their little sister, Maggie, to the visiting gypsies for horses. This lined up with what their mother had told them. She had told them that their father was going to the camp to get some new horses. Elspeth had ditched her shoes earlier to make sure she was less likely to get caught. It was easier to feel where there was going to be noise with your shoes off. Soon, she reached the edge of the wood near the shore. The girl crouched and made her way into a shrub to hide herself. She spied her father talking to another man. Two boys, just a bit older than the girl, were unloading horses under the watchful eye of a beautiful woman. Elspeth couldn’t help it. She ran to the woman and with a bright smile. “Excuse me,” she called.

The woman turned and smiled at her, “Oh ‘Ello there. What are you doing here, little miss? Shouldn’t you be in school?”

Elspeth’s eyes shone brightly under the afternoon sun as she beamed. The girl smiled and said, “You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”

Suppressed laughter from the boat caused the woman to turn to her two sons, “You two stop laughing and keep unloading the boat.” She shook her head and turned back to the copper-haired wild girl. Her clothes were definitely school clothes that were muddied from running in the woods. The young girl’s hair was more wavy than ringlets telling the mother that the girl was the type of girl who did this quite often. A girl who was too much into adventure to sit still for a single moment. She took the girl’s hand and said, “Why don’t we go talk to my husband and take you back?”

Elspeth shook her head, “It’s okay. My Papa is here with my sister.” Her hand slipped from the woman’s as she ran back to her father.

Wiliam rolled his eyes and said, “Elsie, what are you doing here and not at school?”

“Elsie,” Maggie shrieked and waved to her older sister.

The dark-haired man laughed, “Aye, Will. I see you have your hands full with this one. Must be around my Ada’s age. Where’s your two boys?”

“At school,” Wiliam replied before turning back to his daughter and knelt down, “Elsie, pay attention. Why aren’t you in school?”

Elspeth nodded and stated simply, “Well, if you are going to trade any of us to the gypsies, it should be me, yeah? I’m older, I love to travel, plus Momma says my spirit is just like my fiery red mop of hair… So I’d fit right in!”

The other man let out a hardy laugh. He looked at the man and asked, “Is that what you tell your kids?”

Wiliam shook his head and before he could comment Elspeth spoke up saying. “My big brother told me! Archie said that maybe next time he’d trade me and Seumas too. Momma always said that Papa made bad decisions about horses and betting so…”

The man laughed again, “Well your older brother was just tellin you tales youngin.” The man ruffled her hair and winked, “Though you may travel with us one day with that kinda spirit in ya. How do you feel about fortune tellin?”

Elspeth beamed and her father turned to the man, “Don’t start that Arthur. She always claims to be seeing faeries and wisps. Don’t be fillin her head with anymore of that shit.”

The man nodded, “Fine, fine. I assume you want her back at school, yea?” Seeing Wiliam nod, he whistled over to his two sons who were trying to hide their laughter. He called over to them, “Thomas. Come ‘ere will ya?”

A dark-haired boy with the brightest blue eyes walked over. He was the younger of the two brothers unpacking the boat. “Yeah,” his voice was already starting to deepen. He shoved his hands into his pockets.

“Take this young lass ove to er school, will ya,” the man commanded. “You can take one of dem horses ove ere. Make sure you keep ya eyes on this one, right?”

Thomas rolled his eyes and asked, “Why can’t Arthur do it?”

“Yer brother ain’t learned anything about our business and yous already knows it. So you gotta go,” The man insisted in a fatherly forceful tone.

The boy rolled his eyes, “Fine.” He nodded to the girl, “Come on.” He nodded towards the pin and waited for her to start walking before he followed her. When they were far enough away from their fathers he started to ask, “Do you really-”

“I really don’t need an escort, don’t cha know,” she interrupted the older boy. She huffed angrily at him as if he had willingly chose this or forced this upon her himself.

He rolled his eyes, “Disappointingly, it seems like ya do. I ain’t thrilled about this either, love. Much rather not have to deal with you.” He ducked his way into the horse pin to grab one and start putting on the riding gear, “Did you really think any of this was a good idea? Do you always listen to your brother?”

Elspeth sat on the fence and watched as the older boy got the horse ready, “Better then ya taking Maggie at least. And yes. Why would Archie lie to me?”

“Than,” Thomas corrected, then said, “I say shit to my sister all the time to scare er. You really ought to not listen to em all the time.” He finished his work, then hopped onto the horse. The boy had the horse trot over to the girl and held out an arm to her.

Elspeth took it and pulled her way up. She blushed as Thomas put her in front of him. She turned her face to look at the boy as they rode, “That’s mean of yous. For someone with the prettiest lightest eyes, you really have a blacken soul, don’t ya?” She huffed and added, “I could have ridden behind you. I’m not a baby.”

“Couldn’t have kept my eye on ya from behind me,” Thomas answered cooly. He made a turn to go through the fields instead of the forest.

“Aye,” Elspeth complained. She leaned over him and pointed the other direction, “My school is over that way. Through the woods.”

Thomas nodded, “Yeah, and she’d get spooked if I took that way.” He patted the horse’s neck and explained, “So we are going this way.”

“You’re gonna get us into trouble,” she commented.

“More than you already are,” Thomas rose one of his brows at her. He shook his head and said, “Besides, they aren’t payin any attention to us anymore. I could just steal ya away if I wanted.” He chuckled. He knew that it was going to land on him if they were going to get into trouble. He was not only older, but also, the boy therefore was the one to make sure he upheld her honor and dignity. He just wanted to bend the truth to see how she was going to react.

Elspeth rolled her eyes, “Don’t be actin like you're so much wiser then me. You can’t be but a year older.” She had to admit, he was already developing his strong jaw. If he were a nicer boy, she’d admit that he’d probably have nearly all the girls smitten with him already.

“Than,” Thomas corrected, clenching his jaw slightly, “And besides, I am much more experienced than you. You still are listenin to your older brother all the time and I’m much more skilled at sneakin off without gettin caught. Then again, I don’t go off followin my father.”

Elspeth made a face at him, “How old are you anyway to talk to me like this?”

“Older than you,” The boy chuckled. He shook his head and whispered into her ear, “Want to go a bit faster?”

“Will it get me away from you faster,” Elspeth countered.

“Nah,” He shook his head, “I decided ya staying with me.” He chuckled.

Elspeth blinked then said after a moment of thought, “You’re just trying to get out of doing work.”

Thomas laughed, “There we go. The young miss is learnin somethin new.” He brought the pace up to a gallop, “If I’m with you, they can’t make me go back to work. Then I can also blame you and your free spirit for getting me into trouble.”

Elspeth huffed at him. She rolled her eyes and said, “You’re a devil...Uh…”

“Thomas,” He told her, “Thomas Shelby, Elsie.”

She shook her head, “Only my friends and family can call me that. You can call me Elspeth.”

Thomas chuckled and made the horse start to canter. They both bounced with every forceful step the horse took. He looked down and asked, “Should we go get your shoes and socks?”

Elspeth nodded, “Probably.” She felt herself start to slip off, but before she had time to react, Thomas moved his arm to place her back into place. She blushed and asked, “Are you takin me home now?”

Thomas smiled. His smile was bright. It made him look even more handsome. Elsie stared at his face as his mind was so far away. She wondered what he’d look like if he were truly older. He was going to be a very handsome and strong man. He must have noticed her staring because he chuckled, “Not til you are thoroughly done being a fiery free spirit.”

He was right. He didn’t take her back until nearly dinner time well into sundown. She was right about the both of them getting into trouble, but Thomas just smiled through it. He laughed and told his parents something in his blood told him to go on a joyride and it must have been the hills that did it. Her mother scolded her for causing so many problems and for losing her shoes and socks she knitted. They were forced to look at each other once last time.

“Tell er goodbye,” Arthur Sr told Thomas angrily.

Thomas bowed to her and she curtseyed to him. Elspeth smiled gently. Her eyes having cooled and her sense of adventure both quenched and renewed. Her voice was more gentle now, “Goodbye Thomas.”

With a new fire in his eyes, Thomas pulled out a ribbon that he had bought on their excersson. He tied the blue ribbon overlayed with white lace into her hair. The blue of the ribbon matching his eyes. He, then, reached around her ear to gently grab a lock of her hair. He kissed it playfully before chuckling, “Goodbye Elsie.”

The woman woke up with a burning face. She fanned her face. She had no idea why she was having this dream again. She walked to the basin and washed her face. She looked up and stared at herself. Her now auburn hair framed her face well. Her eyes still held a fire within them, but now it was a fire to grab power and the security it provides. The war had made her free spirit haunted with the deeds she had to do as a spy. She finished her hair and makeup before walking downstairs. Their territory, now, growing well into Birmingham. She greeted her youngest two siblings as they ran around her. “Edward and Lucy,” She scolded, “You two run like that outside!”

Edward shook his head, “The Blinders are out there.”

Elspeth rolled her eyes, “And they don’t know who the head family is yet nor do they know who we are. So go on outside and play. Where’s Maggie?’

Lucy shrugged, “I saw her going towards the dress shop, I think.” She ran after her brother to go outside to play.

Elspeth rolled her eyes and closed up the house, “I guess I should go find er then.” She walked down the street to go try and find her younger sister.

Maggie giggled as John’s lips tickled her neck. He groaned against her neck and whispered, “Come on, please be quiet.” He led her against the other wall in the alleyway. His hands never leaving her hips as he placed kisses up and down her neck.

“Why, you’re a Blinder, who’s gonna stop us,” Maggie teased the man. She kissed his cheek purposely leaving a lipstick mark there, “When are we going to stop sneaking around like this?”

John sighed against her neck and placed his forehead there annoyed by her questioning. “You really don’t want to meet my family,” he tried to reason with her. He kissed her lips and hummed, “But if you want to, I guess we can have you meet everyone. Aunt Pol sure would like it if I finally took a wife with my four kids runnin round.”

Maggie giggled, “Then you should ask Archie and Elspeth for their blessing.” She kissed his lips quickly and stole his hat from him and placed it on her head. “Do I look like a nice Shelby,” She asked beaming.

John laughed, “The prettiest.”

Elspeth’s shoes clicked against the pavement as she made her way through the area. She had heard through the vine that the Shelby’s normally met people at the Garrison. So she was on her way there. The head of the Blinders was Thomas Shelby, part of her wondered if it were the same as her Thomas Shelby.

Thomas sighed as he drank. He was just trying to take a small break from dealing with the Kimber situation, the guns, Campbell, and the new group The Screaming Banshees. Then he heard a silence roll over the Garrison. This was strange. Sure there were lulls, but you could hear a pin drop with how quiet it was. He poked his head out of the bar to see a well dressed woman at the bar. He moistened his lips as he watched her. She had an air about her that screamed that nothing bothered her, but yet everyone was on their best behavior. She had a very gentle melodic voice. Her accent was definitely from the area of Scotland. His ears perked up hearing her utter his name.

“I’m looking for a Mr. Thomas Shelby,” Elspeth spoke to the woman at the bar. She put on her best ladylike face. She could feel the eyes of all the men on her, but this didn’t bother her. She just needed this John situation taken care of from the source. She could see movement from the private area from the side of her vision. A familiar hoarse deep voice broke the silence of the bar.

“And what would you need with a man like that,” Thomas coyly responded from the door. He watched as the woman turned to face him. She was so familiar to him. A face of tiny embers from a once raging fire. He studied her. He tried to place where he knew her from, but it was just coming up with a woman that couldn’t have been her out in France and a small Scottish girl he hadn’t seen in at least seventeen years with hair that resembled more of a fire than what was on this woman’s head.

Elspeth turned to face the voice. She recognized him instantly. Her heart rate spiked for a second. Her face blushed for a small fraction of a moment. She bolstered her spirit again and explained, “I have something about our families to discuss with him. It involves his brother. John Shelby.” Her instincts were right. They were the same exact Shelbys.

Thomas motioned for her to join him inside the room and spoke to the barmaid, “Bring a bottle for us in here, please Grace.” He stood up and walked to the woman to escort her into the room.

Elspeth gave him a small smile, “Thank you.” When the door closed behind her, she sat across from Thomas before he could motion for her to do so. She smiled gently at him as she watched him sit, “I am sorry to find you like this, I just… I figured it would be best if we talked. Your brother asked if we would bless a union between him and my just younger sister. I, while excited to see my sister so happy, believe this would join two rival gangs together. Our leader I don’t think would want to see this union go through.” She used small gentle hand gestures to make herself seem more demure and still the childish girl she once was.

Thomas’s brows furrowed together as she spoke. He tried to figure out just what she was telling him. Soon he put together the pieces and spoke, “Your family is the head of the Screaming Banshees and the union would then force a bond between us. I see where he wouldn’t want that, but honestly, it would take care of both of our problems.” He thought for a moment, “You said you want your sister’s happiness. Why not allow this to happen? Once she’s a Shelby, your safety would be granted as well.”

Anger rose in Elspeth, but she was lucky to know exactly how to hide it. She giggled and let a few tears fall from her eyes. “You are too kind,” She smiled and leaned forward to take one of his hands with both of hers, “Still that devilish boy getting us into trouble.” The ribbon he gave her carefully tied around her left wrist. She knew in her head that this gave her the advantage, it makes her seem smaller and still in love with him, therefore it makes it seem like she’s easier for Thomas to manipulate.

Thomas stared at the ribbon on her wrist. He knew it instantly. There was the evidence that this was that same little girl that was his first love. The girl he first promised to court. Did she really keep that gift all this time and the way it looked made it look well loved, yet still taken care of. Her hair was darker than he remembered. She was more gentle, sweet, softer. It was throwing him off. He never would have pictured her becoming such a delicate lady. He looked into her eyes and smirked, “Well some people never change, but then some people change tremendously.”

Elspeth giggled, “Well some people learn.” She looked out and stood. She held out her hand and said, “Well, it was nice speaking with you, Mister Shelby.” She watched as he gently brought her hand up for him to gently place a small kiss upon her gloved knuckles. Elspeth allowed a blush to grow across her freckled face. She giggled, “I forgot myself giving my hand to a devil. I should have expected.” As she left, she grasped the wrist of the hand she had given him up to her heart. She growled and her face contorted in disgust. She needed to defeat this issue herself now, and take Thomas down with it.

#thomas shelby #thomas shelby x oc #peaky blinders fanfiction #peaky blinders fanfic #elspeth finley #elsie finley x thomas shelby #thomas shelby fanfic #thomas shelby x ofc

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grownups-are-the-real-monsters · 3 years

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(There's No Place Like) Jake's House for Christmas

{I’ve decided to post some Holiday one-shots during this Holiday season!! Leading up to Christmas, I’ll post a one-shot for a few different King Ships so be on the look out!!}

Summary: Cuthbert’s toes were going to break off in a few seconds if he didn’t switch positions but the glittering Christmas lights would never get put up that way. He continued to stand on his tip-toes, pressing the green wire of multi-colored bulbs against their wall.

He glanced over his shoulder to spot his husband digging through the box of dusty decorations with something like pensive curiosity on his face. Almost as if he had trouble seeing the point in decorating at all, which Cuthbert knew was a very likely possibility. It might irritate him if Roland didn’t flash him genuinely warm smiles every twenty minutes.

Fandom: The Dark Tower

Ships: Roland/Cuthbert, Jake/Benny, Susannah/Eddie

Word Count: 6,773

The year of Jake’s 13th Birthday had so far been the busiest one in the Deschain-Allgood household. The husbands had finally managed to gather a regular crowd at their own bar which they’d opened just the previous year (despite all obstacles from outside and inside sources). And just a few weeks shy of Jake’s big day, their old, ‘We’re Homophobic but won’t say it out-loud’ neighbors moved out of the sweet brick house to their right. Roland had helped carry out boxes just to make them uncomfortable one last time. Loving Father and darling son had played an extra long game of catch there in the front-lawn while the old sweethearts ‘politely’ hid their scowls.

From that point on, dead silence was all that came from next door. Roland had been pleased with the idea of having no obnoxious neighbors coming to replace them but just days before Jake’s birthday, a large moving truck rolled down the street. It had hiccupped like an old man before parking up against the Robinson’s old curb. Cuthbert had just enough time to spy on them through the safety of their large Livingroom window before he was due to open their bar for the night. “Young enough to be our kids, maybe.” He’d wrinkled his nose as Jake observed the couple for himself.

“You sure that one isn’t yours, dad?” Jake bumped Cuthbert’s arm and gestured to the skinny long-haired man pushing his girlfriend up the walk-way in her wheelchair. They’d stayed silent again for a moment or two, father and son kneeling on the breaking couch. The neighbor turned to get a box then, showing off a t-shirt which read ‘Somebody who hates me went to Colorado & all they got me was this dumbass shirt’.

Cuthbert and Jake fell into eerily similar sounding hysteric laughter while Roland finally attempted to sneak some glances.

They’d had to order in that night because Roland burned their dinner.

More time began to pass and Jake realized he’d have to save himself from the embarrassment of having 1 one incredibly recluse father and 1 overly-social dad and make the first neighborly move all on his own.

That had been accomplished by playing out in the backyard with Oy on the finest of autumn afternoons. He kept himself busy until he suspected someone on the other side of that wood fence had come out to enjoy the weather. So...

He picked up his catching ball and ‘accidentally’ tossed it over.

What he hadn’t known was that his neighbor, later introduced as Eddie Dean, had been sitting in a lounge chair positioned perfectly for him to get popped in the shoulder.

However, Eddie of New York hadn’t cared. He played about 15 minutes worth of catch with Jake until gathering his girlfriend, Susannah, for a formal family introduction.

Jake didn’t get to hear much of that first conversation they’d had with his Father’s but he didn’t need to. For he’d always had a knack for sensing certain things. What he felt from Eddie and Susannah was an outpour of warmth and determination for life...Jake supposed that was exactly what tied Roland to them so instantly.

: : : : : : : : : Time had slipped through young Jake’s fingers like the fluffy snow which now fell from the gray clouds hovering above the neighborhood. Silver bells were ringing out for Christmas and the upcoming New year.

He passed through the cold, dead eyes of many Snowmen on his walk home from the last day of school. He pulled aimlessly at his heavy coat (old and comforting, passed down from Cuthbert) when he felt a sudden jolt of shock that took a bit of his breath away. He didn’t have to look to know who that was.

There against the white fuzzy sky and curling Jake’s back in a forward hunch was Benny Slightman and his familiar toothy grin. “Merry Christmas Jake!”

“Gee, thanks Benny.” He did his best to hide his amused expression, trying to look back at him as best as he could. Benny shifted and looped his arms around his neck with ease. “Happy Holidays, here’s a broken back.” He huffed yet hiked the slightly smaller boy up to keep steady.

Benny only chuckled happily, he felt the breath on his ear as he wiggled his feet. “This isn’t the way to your house...?”

Jake rolled his eyes as he started to turn around. “Astute observation Benny.” He reached up to move his friend’s hand down to avoid being choked. “I was going to walk past your house to see if I’d run into you and....”

Another laugh. Benny tightened his grip and enjoyed the sounds of crunching snow under his friend’s feet. He nuzzled his face into the dip between Jake’s cheek and shoulder.

Those same snowmen from before, with eyes of dull black, watched again as Jake padded back with a boy caught on his back. They, of course, said nothing but stared one. Sometimes from under knit hats but more often they sported simple bald heads. “I have a question for you, Benny.”

His friend hummed but spoke nothing.

“My dad’s are having this Christmas party tonight.” He shoved the boy farther up his back, gently. “Our neighbors are coming and everything. Do you wanna come?” The slight hiccup of nerves in his voice was obvious only to him.

“Sounds fun to me!”

Jack smiled, holding onto the boy’s legs a bit tighter. ‘Yes. Benny could come. Yes, he could come and play.’

Benny had yet to actually come over to his home. He’d never even seen Roland or Cuthbert--not that Jake had been afraid for such. Benny was purely sweet. Older in years but younger at heart. Jake had no doubt that the boy would be impressed by his fathers. There weren’t very many people in town these days that weren’t. It sounded braggy but Jake took pride in his family. He just didn’t want them to think...-

He’d mentioned his buddy to his parents a few times...at least enough for Cuthbert to insist he invite him over. But for an odd reason, Jake kept on keeping Benny to himself like his own special secret friend. Cuthbert sensed as much considering he gave Jake mini-looks whenever the subject came up. He liked for his son to let-go and behave like a carefree boy and if getting to spend some time away from home with a new friend was the way to this, he’d be ok with that.

Benny sniffled into his mitten as snow continued to flurry down all around them, standing out against the colorful strings of lights around the streetlamps. Christmas was upon them now but would be over just as quickly. Boy boys silently hoped for a long stand-still pause; one to make the Holiday last much longer.

“Wanna walk to the Dunkin’ Donuts for hot chocolate?”

Jake attempted to look back again. “Yeah! I’ll even buy you a doughnut.” He looked both ways once they reached the busy street and allowed Benny to slide off his back and plant his feet on the concrete.

“What did I do to deserve that?” He teased but Jake just shrugged.

“Nothing.” He looked off down the distant right and felt a knot of pure joy hit his gut.

: : : : : : : : :

Cuthbert’s toes were going to break off in a few seconds if he didn’t switch positions but the glittering Christmas lights would never get put up that way. He continued to stand on his tip-toes, pressing the green wire of multi-colored bulbs against their wall.

The humble green tree had been set-up in their living room for a week previous to the day Cuthbert announced he wanted to have a Christmas party. Roland had lifted Jake off the floor to hang the star.

The home--their home--was sort of small but fleshed out with the strapping personalities of the men who’d bought it years ago. It shined during each Christmas season because they had a young boy--who was now a ways past young...

Slowly, he lowered himself down and came upon his husband to kneel next to him. He briefly admired the box which turned out to be filled with the ghosts of Christmas past; macaroni noodle ornaments made by the hands of a boy not too much younger than Jake. “Our son is a teenager.”

Roland scoffed, thumping his hands past several tongue depressor reindeer. His eyes--heavy with sleep--blinked thoughtfully.

“Seems like just yesterday he was following you wherever you went.” Cuthbert gently reached for Roland’s hand. “Remember him walking around the house with your boots on-?” He paused, feeling that memory deep in his chest. “I look at him and I see you, Roland.” He began to rub his thumb in smooth circles against the rough skin of his husbands palm. “Being a father looks good on you.”

“Better on you.” Roland gently slapped Cuthbert’s hand. For a moment they just leaned on each other. “I’m gonna miss driving him everywhere. I already don’t get to tell him stories at bedtime anymore-” Roland shrugged, to anyone but his husband he would only look indifferent but Cuthbert knew he was broken up.

“There’s time left, Roland. Lots. Do you good to remember that.” He kissed him quickly. “We’ve done good. Combing knots out of his hair...taking him to school.” This time he had to stop himself with a purse of his lips. “You’ve come a long way from the boy who told me he didn’t know he could be a father.”

Roland looked a mixture of touched and sad. “I still think about that day I dropped him.”

Cuthbert rolled his eyes but his stomach dropped at the memory-echo of little Jake’s screaming mixing with Roland’s horrified gasps. It’d been shortly after the adoption process. That baby had wiggled his tiny body right out of his new father’s arms and tumbled to the floor. Carpeted but still just about the scariest sound in the world. “That was a long time ago. You wouldn’t ever let him fall again.” He teased but with a genuine smile.

Roland only smiled back, kissed Cuthbert’s temple and continued to sort through the box. Together they separated what was worth keeping out & what needed to be thrown away. Cuthbert’s dancing snowmen were in the garbage pile for two-minute intervals every twenty minutes before Roland finally gave up.

“Bert?” Roland frowned as he watched his husband carry the snowmen into their bedroom. No answer. “Cuthbert?” still nothing. He frowned, hopping up to chase after him.

Cuthbert was rooting his hands through their sock draw and occasionally pulling out a few pairs and folding them together. The snowmen were dancing and singing just at his eye-line. It was obviously very amusing to him which Roland couldn’t help but admire.

Cuthbert’s broken nails caught on threads every few minutes so he’d pull and pull until the thin string would just snap. But on the eighth time he grew a little bit restless and snapped the string. Quickly shutting the drawer afterwards. “Roland?”

He turned to his husband, who was still lazing around behind him like he wasn’t sure how to decorate without direction. He gave him a small smile and walked towards him, putting his hand on his back. Roland looked up at him, waiting for him to speak whatever was on his mind. “Do you think-” he paused for a second before shaking her head. “Never mind, it’s stupid.”

Roland smiled up at him and chuckled. “You say a lot of stupid things, I won’t mind.”

Cuthbert gave him a look that he’d seen a lot of wives give their husbands when they were younger and felt a genuine thrill that he had a husband to be annoyed with now. It was a look of amusement and familiarity. “Well, I was just wondering…” he began again, going back over to the drawers to root around for Christmas socks. “Do you think Jake has something to tell us?” he asked, a little unsure of himself.

Roland cocked his head to the side and looked lost. “Like what?” He asked, swirling an extra mini string on dead lights in his hand. Cuthbert sighed and leaned back on the drawers behind him. Clasping his hands together, he spoke again.

“Well, he’s been spending a lot of time with that Benny kid….” he trailed off, waiting to see the glaze of realization in his husbands eyes but Roland just smiled.

“Yeah, that’s great. Isn’t it? I’m glad he’s got someone to hang out with, I was getting worried-”

“Roland!” he crossed his arms and the corner of his mouth raised into a small grin. “I mean, do you think the boys….”

Roland still had that clueless look on his face so Cuthbert tried to specify with a look what he had actually meant. “….like each-other?” he finished.

“No.” Roland answered, definitively. Just like that. Cuthbert was actually a bit hurt by the quick rejection. He raised his brows.

“That was decisive.” His head shook just the same as the snowmen behind him. “I was only asking because he’s just seemed so happy-”

“Because they are friends.” Roland shrugged.

“Yes but he keeps him away from us-”

“Jake probably doesn’t want us to embarrass him.”

Cuthbert scowled at the contestant interruptions. “Yes but they go down to the woods all the time-”

“And? We used to do that all the time too.” Roland shrugged again which defused some of Cuthbert's anger into laughter.

“We’re married now! We snuck down there to make-out! Don’t you see my point here?” He hunched over to get the last of his hearty laughter out but Roland looked completely annoyed by the whole show. “I’m not laughing at you.”

“Good.” He rolled his eyes, shoving the string-lights aside so he could leave the room.

Cuthbert followed him like a lost puppy, same hurt expression too. “Why is this making you so uncomfortable?”

Roland turned, just now noticing that Cuthbert had stuck an old (probably rusty) Christmas pin through the earring hole he’d first given himself in the sixth grade. He sighed with a soft expression, now reaching over to unclasp the damn thing before it got infected.

Cuthbert just moved back as if burned. The pain that cause Roland was obvious on his face.

“I don’t want to think about him growing up right now, Bert.” His partner’s voice was uncharacteristically soft. There was more to the issue, that they both knew, but it was have to wait for a later period. Now, Cuthbert just brushed his hand against his love’s face and smiled.

Outside the snow pelted down harder and covered their lawn in a cold blanket of slush. The picture of their son’s growth would surely not freeze but the air surrounding their home most defiantly would. So, Cuthbert decided it was time to make some hot chocolate and cuddle with the man he’s been enamored with since they were small.

“You want a candy cane in yours?” Roland asked, as if reading his thoughts.

“Yes please.”

A few kisses and a laugh later, the men were guzzling down their warm drinks and waiting for their company to come.

: : : : : : : : :

'Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost nipping at your nose …’

Benny’s nose twitched almost as if taking cue from the song and Jake thought it had to be the most adorable thing he’d ever seen...He looked back down at his sad little doughnut and sighed. Hot chocolate burned it’s way down his throat while he wondered just what his parents were doing.

The two boys sat in the lonesome corner of the Dunkin Donut’s where he knew for a fact Benny had once spilled a bottle of strawberry milk all over himself when he was nine. The picture of the incident in his mind made Jake want to giggle. Instead, he watched Benny pull his sweater sleeves over his hands and drink tiny sips of his hot drink.

“Quit your looking at me.” Benny chuckled almost self consciously--though he needn’t be--and tried to flip Jake off with subtlety he never had. It only made Jake feel alive with joy; he kept looking. “You can get a cup of whip-cream for dogs, look-!” Benny cast his eyes over at a couple feeding their little furry-friend at the counter. “We should’ve brought Oy.”

Jake loved the way Benny absolutely adored his dog just as much as he did. It almost made him feel like they were part of a little unit. “I think you only like me for Oy.”

Nat King Cole changed to Paul McCartney and Benny bounced a little atop his stool. “He’s a nice bonus.” He chuckled. “But you’re my honest favorite.” Benny leaned in closer over the table.

Jake surprised himself by letting a blush bled into his cheeks. He quickly looked away.

Benny, as carefree as ever, didn’t seem to notice. “What are your dad’s gonna think of me?” That question shocked Jake. He nearly choked on his doughnut.

“I guess what they already think of you.” He finished chewing and swallowed carefully under Benny’s watchful eyes. He wanted more, obviously. Jake pounded his fist to his chest. “I’ve never been very good at making friends, to be completely honest Benny. My parents are pretty happy with you.”

That earned him a smile as white as the snow. “And they haven’t even met me yet!” He struck a bit nervous to Jake in that moment.

Honestly, Jake couldn’t see how anyone in their right mind could dislike Benny. There was so much the boy found to love in his friend--his openness, appetite for fun, his willingness to work hard when there was chores to do. And there was that yodeling laugh of his--to name just a few things. “I have your Christmas present ready for tonight.”

Benny was aglow at just the mention. “Me too.” He tapped his bag, which was currently close to sitting in a puddle. Jake chuckled lightly and allowed himself to admire his friend.

He thought back to the time not so long ago when they’d met. When Jake had been introduced to Benny’s kindly personality. He’d been deeply afraid he would only lose the friendship they had developed so quickly. He’d been a boy who constantly lived in his head and not many kids his age liked him. But surprisingly, Benny had grown quite attached to Jake. Reminding the boy of that John Denver song that Cuthbert sometimes sang around the house... ‘Follow me where I go what I do and who I know. Make it part of you to be a part of me’

Jake let a quick release of air pass his lips in the way Benny used to do when they slept close together at the Slightman household. He was growing attached as well...

“Jake!”

The boy did not jump...not in the slightest. But Benny nearly jumped to the ceiling, it was quite funny considering the man who shouted was just Father Callahan. The man from Salem’s Lot who now lived here in town with them.

He was dusting powdery snow from his shoulders and juggling a few bags as he strolled past the counter (for now) to say hello. It looked like a scene straight from the print of a Christmas card. “Good afternoon.” Jake hopped off his stool to help the man set his bags on a nearby table.

“Oh, thank you.” Callahan smiled, taking off his gloves with an appreciative expression.

“No problem, Father.” He shrugged then looked back to Benny, looking a bit...shy. Which was a bit odd. “This is my friend, Benny Slightman.”

Callahan held out a hand and shook with the boy before digging through his bags. Jake watched him with amusement. “Would you like to come to our Christmas party, sir?”

The man turned, looking a bit touched. “If your parents would have me.” He nodded to himself. “I believe I carry a gift for your Roland in one of these bags.” He huffed.

“I hope you’ll promise not to have one of those long religious debates with my dad.” Exasperation was hard to keep from his voice. Benny looked like he wanted to chuckle but...he held back for whatever reason.

Donald Callahan held up his hands in mock surrender. “I promise.”

: : : : : : : : :

The twenty-three year olds had much more energy than Roland imagined he even had left. He watched--gleefully if you asked Cuthbert--as Susannah and Eddie Dean made their way up the walk to the door.

They were chuckling already, Roland could hear Eddie singing ‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town’. He smiled and opened the door before they could even knock.

‘Life was funny. Sometimes it delivered you two of the greatest friends a person could have. But it also gave you the inability to voice your genuine thankfulness for their being.’

“Merry Christmas!” Eddie leaned in to smack a kiss against Roland’s rough cheek before moving on to Cuthbert. Roland did not have the time to playfully shove him back before Suzie approached with that special little smile just for him.

“Happy Holidays old man.” She smiled and accepted a gentle hug before wheeling herself in the open spot next to Cuthbert’s rocking chair.

Eddie Dean was admiring the tinsel surrounding the kitchen while mixing himself some kind of Christmas drink. Roland watched his friend for a few moments, only meeting his eye when he spilled the eggnog into the sink. He took the time to be grateful that he could share Eddie’s laughter.

“Where’s Jake?” Suzie craned her neck towards the bedrooms. As she did so, Oy padded his way out of Jake’s and scampered over to jump into her lap. He didn’t usually take to strangers but Eddie & Susannah seemed to be exceptions.

“Out with his friend, Benny.” Cuthbert took the same drink order which Eddie handed to him without hesitation. “Think he probably invited him over for the party.” He hushed his voice like the topic was a secret.

From the kitchen, Eddie noticed that with ease as he stirred Roland’s hot chocolate. Standing there in his neighbors--friends--house with his fuzzy snowmen socks pressed against the cold tile, Eddie Dean felt at home. “You ok, big guy?” He slapped the back of his hand to Roland’s hard chest.

The big guy in question wiped down the splash of eggnog he’d gotten on his shirt and shrugged. He would speak nothing of the stirring inside him, that much Eddie knew.

“I brought a classic Christmas movie.” He changed the subject for him, popping some kind of snack he’d found into his mouth. He pulled free a DVD case from his back pocket.

“Star Wars...” Roland squinted like an old man to read “Is not a Christmas movie. Put that away before Cuthbert thumps you.” He chuckled, sipping hesitantly at his drink.

“Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, thank you very much.” Eddie scoffed. “It takes place on a snow planet. That’s close enough.” He shrugged. “Plus, I’m still mad at your husband for saying the Prequels are better.”

Roland smiled at the mention of that long debate the two similar men had during their mini Thanksgiving get-together. Eddie had decided the time had come to share his fondness of the movies with his older friends. Jake had gotten a real kick out of watching them go back-and-forth for nearly two hours. “If it were up to me, I’d let you.” He rolled his lips together to taste some more chocolate as he set down the mug. “You know I thought those movies were kind of...cool.”

Eddie chuckled. “You were a real riot, Roland. Something to say about every scene.”

“I just like the idea of...a spiritual force binding us together.” His eyes seemed to gloss over. “One that directs us...has a will of it’s own.” He clinked their mugs together before turning around to join his husband and Susannah.

Eddie pursed his lips together. “I just like the lightsaber fights but whatever.”

“Come on, Eddie! We’re watching ‘A Christmas Story!’“ Susannah called.

“Can’t we watch a Christmas movie that isn’t overplayed like...‘Home Alone’ or ‘Scrooged’!” He pretended to pout. “Oooh or ‘Gremlins’!” He bounced on his slippery socks as he plopped right next to Roland.

“Since when is Home Alone not overplayed?” Susannah rolled her eyes fondly. Delicate flakes of snow continued to fall and press against the glass of the window behind her head.

“And we can’t watch Gremlins, it scares Roland!” Cuthbert smirked and was immediately rewarding with a hard kick to the ankle. The attempt to hush him did not even phase him. Eddie burst into hysterical laughter.

Susannah even fell victim to the giggles, leaning over the arm of her chair to try and conceal it.

“He’s lying. It doesn’t scare me.” Roland thumped his husband on the arm and leaned back on the couch, ignoring his husband mocking him. “Ask Jake.” Cuthbert pretended to nod in agreement but sipped his eggnog suspiciously.

: : : : : : : : :

Jake gulped down his hot chocolate without considering that Benny might be staring at him. Father Callahan went on to his own table with a peppermint tea to finish sorting through his gifts. They could still hear the shuffling of gift wrap and bags upon bags.

“Jake?”

The boy finally set down his drink and wiped his mouth on his sleeve. The foamy residue was erased in a half-second. Benny had to fight away the thought of tasting that chocolate. Deep down there was a part of himself sparring against the naivety which he’d lived with for years. “Should we wait to walk over with Father Callahan?”

Jake paused, noticing the tonal shift within his friend. “We could...” He glanced over at the man before going back to Benny with a gentle grin. “But we don’t have to. He could just meet us all there.”

Benny tried not to look too pleased with that answer but found it hard to stop his shy smile as he hid it behind his cup. He watched as Jake went over to say his goodbye to his old friend with nerves building up.

“We’re good to go.” He threw away the empty cups and grabbed for Benny’s wrist, pulling him out of the Dunkin’ with something like excitement. The touch burned pleasantly at the boy’s skin with hot intensity. For a ridiculous moment, Benny worried Jake might catch the way his pulse was thundering and drop him from his grasp with disgust. He didn’t dare to look at the Father as they darted out.

Together, they walked a little over a block before either of them spoke again. Benny kept his heart to a calm flutter and thought briefly of the Christmas song Jake was crazy for...‘The moon and stars seem awful cold and bright Let's hope the snow will make this Christmas right...’

The snow was at that point, a thin blanket coating the wet ground. It would soon be the same kind of dangerous ice that his Father had despised. It’d make it hard for him to drive to work, he’d complain with a shaking fist.

Abruptly, Jake turned to face him with his nose a bright color to rival Rudolph’s. He pulled softly at the end of Benny’s sleeve, truly making him all the more endearing. ‘My friend the world will share this special night. Because it's Christmas...’

His eyes were glowing like the festive sparkling bulbs across each house’s rooftops. If he knew of the stunning beauty it made him, Jake showed not. Instead, he just kept swaying their arms in the cold air.

“Jake?”

The boy blinked. “Sorry. I was just-” He waved his spare hand by his ear. “I wrote some stuff on your card. But I think I’d rather just say it to you...before we get to my house. If that’s ok?”

Benny raised his brows but nodded quickly. “Yeah-yes. I’m ok with that.” He smiled, kicking himself for sounding so stupid. Jake smiled, looking confident in a way that Benny couldn’t imagine for himself. His heart thumped down to his gut.

“First of all, Merry Christmas.” He chuckled, looking embarrassed for the first time in a while. He wiped his free sleeve against his cheek when hot color blossomed underneath. “I’m glad you’re my friend, Benny. I really needed a good one and you’re the best.” He swayed their hands again but did not meet Benny’s eyes. “I really like you.”

Benny couldn’t even begin to convince himself that he didn’t hear Jake’s special inflection or see the way he’d widened his eyes. “I really like you too, Jake.”

His friend blushed fiercer and let his hand fall from Benny’s sleeve to fully grab onto his hand, interlocking their grip. For a second, the boys couldn’t manage much else but giggling there in the middle of the sidewalk.

“I’ll race you home?” Jake challenged.

Benny smirked and hugged the boy’s hand tighter, their palms were a sweaty and warm relief from the bitter cold. “You’ll have to let me go.” The party seemed a weary idea now compared to their new found discovery. But as the snow continued to poor down on them, Jake seemed suddenly eager.

He hesitantly slipped his hand free and blinked up at Benny with curious eyes before launching forward and placing a surprise kiss against his cheek. He pulled back and stood for a mere second before taking off towards his house.

“That’s cheating, Chambers!” Benny called out, catching a few snowflakes on his lips before chasing after the boy.

: : : : : : : : :

Eddie was curled up against Susannah with a look of pleasant shock at the scene unfolding in front of their eyes.

Cuthbert lounged right onto Roland’s lap and was heavily making-out with the man in such a...relaxed state. Neither neighbor had ever seen Roland so...open or frisky before. The guy was downright playful in the way that he ran his large hand through Cuthbert’s tangled hair and knocked off his obnoxious Santa hat.

Susannah smiled for a moment before throwing the DVD case at their heads. “Quit that, will you?” She chuckled when Cuthbert tumbled onto the floor with a smile. She pretended to ignore her husbands thumbs-up directed to a now more in-character Roland, who was looking stern once again. “Your boy will be home any minute.”

Cuthbert leaned against Roland’s tall leg and grinned.

As if on cue, the front door creaked open to reveal two red-faced boys as they piled into the home, wiping their boots on the mat. “Hey guys.” Jake bounced inside, greeting Oy with rushed excitement. His friend stayed back by the doorway with a shy expression. Eddie waved, hoping to ease the kid.

“This is Benny Slightman.” Jake reached out for his friend from his place, kneeling in front of Oy, and urged him forward.

Roland shifted in the arm chair, both Eddie and Susannah noticed the uncomfortable look on his face. Eddie felt a sudden urge to go over and ask him about it. However, Cuthbert crossed the room to shake the kids hand before anyone could do anything else.

“Cuthbert, Jake’s Dad.” He grinned, the beautiful one of his. He pointed to his Husband. “That’s Roland, his other Dad. Over there are our neighbors, Susannah and Eddie Dean.”

Benny nervously shifted on his feet and nodded. Susannah smiled kindly and was close enough to offer her hand to shake. “Nice to meet you, Benny. You boys want to watch ‘Home Alone two’ with us?” She asked kindly, not knowing this had immediately endeared her to the kid. Benny decided just then that he really liked her.

Jake gave Oy a final pat before stealing a glance to Roland. “Maybe we’ll join later. Benny and I are gonna go exchange gifts in my room.”

Roland seemed to consider the statement with some kind of tension hanging in the air. Nothing necessarily bad...just a bit awkward though for once in his life, Jake didn’t seem to notice anything was off. “Alright.” He took a long sip of his coffee and smiled back when Jake rewarded him with one.

The boy ushered his friend into the other room and quickly shut the door behind them.

“And what did I say?” Cuthbert asked, a smirk on his face but Roland didn’t seem too amused. He looked blankly at the closed door before excusing himself for a refill. Eddie watched Cuthbert deflate and felt a pang of sadness for him.

He got up, Susannah urging him to follow Roland, and went straight for the kitchen to chase the pacing man. “What’s up with you?” He asked, sparing his own look to Jake’s closed door.

“Nothing.”

Eddie rolled his eyes and dug his fingers into an open bag of cookies left on the counter by Cuthbert earlier. He wasn’t the biggest fan of Peppermint but the taste was actually quite nice on his hot tongue. Ignoring his friends obvious attempt to shut down the conversation, Eddie blocked the doorway. “I’m not an idiot, you know?”

“Nothing that concerns you, Eddie.” Roland corrected himself with that special classy asshole tone of his. Nothing couldn’t possibly piss Eddie off quicker than that voice.

“Just when I think we’re getting to be close, you shut me down.” He scowled and swallowed a particularly minty chunk of cookie. “I wonder how Cuthbert feels being married to someone so...”

“So what?” Roland’s wise eyes crinkled with anger.

“So guarded...so solitary.” Eddie flicked his tongue accusingly and nearly choked on the cookie crumbs lingering in his mouth. Part of him found it disgustingly strong and wanted to spit up the remnants into the silver sink. But he held that back in favor of appearing non-idiotic.

Roland huffed and blew past his skinnier friend and treaded his way back to the lounge seat.

“Oh no, Don’t waltz back in here if you’re all worked up.” Susannah’s voice came from a ways off, making Eddie smile despite the annoyance flaring up inside him. He could always count on his wife.

Eddie followed in shortly after and plopped down next to Cuthbert who was looking just as irritated when he leaned over to whisper; “Suzy thinks Roland has some internalized homophobia to work-out.”

Eddie raised a brow. “The dude is married to a man, how can he be homophobic?” He asked, feeling that dreaded idiotic feeling again.

Taking another invisible cue, the doorbell rang and was used as Roland’s next distraction.

Father Don Callahan & a handsome friend entered behind a small pile of Christmas printed bags.

: : : : : : : : :

Benny ran his hand through his hair, feeling through the soft curls. He found that he did that more and more, especially when he was nervous. The heat from just his nerves alone was getting close to unbearable. He shed his larger coat (finally) and placed it awkwardly in his lap.

Though, Jake simply reached out to swipe it and threw it across his bed (blue sheets) with a smile thick with teeth. “Merry Christmas, Benny.” He placed a delicate present (silver wrapping) between their criss-crossed legs.

His hands shook but his smile never faltered because Jake was just about the cutest Benny had ever seen him. He watched nervously as he playfully shook the gift.

Unwrapping slowly, bending the paper under his curled fingers and enjoying that attention…was NOT of his nature. Not at all. Benny tore open the gift with anxiety pouring out of him like sweat.

Laying atop a bed of fluff was one of those spinner rings he’d talked about just a couple weeks ago. It stared up at him, shining into his eyes.

“You said you wanted to try one of them to help with your fidgeting.” Jake grinned before scooting closer to pick it from the bed and hold it out for his friend. Benny slowly slid his ring finger into the cold silver with a warm blush taking over his cheeks.

“I got one with paw prints on it...cause you only like me for my dog, you know?” He chuckled, backing off slightly to watch Benny’s reaction.

“Rad.” A horrible word really. But it was just the one to pop into his mind like a dumb old jack-in-the-box. Benny cringed but quickly laughed it off. “I mean, Thanks, Jake. I love it. Thank you!” He spun the metal and watched the prints blur. “Your turn, now!” He reached into his own bag and handed over a medium sized green box. The red ribbon glittered under the light.

The boys had gone for the same theme, it seemed. Jake pulled free a silver ornament in perfect likeness to Oy by it’s velvety red loop. Though Benny felt a renewed sense of inferiority as he spun his ring, Jake’s eyes light up. He cradled his hands under the ornament with that shy smile of his.

“It’s lame, I know, to get someone an ornament for Christmas...” Benny frowned. “Your gift-”

"It's not a competition, Benny. Besides..." Jake turned back to look at the ornament that was now laying in the tissue paper. "I love it, you know me so well." He chuckled before biting into his cheek and turning slightly, to face Benny fully. He opened his mouth to say something but Benny was quicker to voice his own thought.

“Do you want to go back to watch the movie...?” He gestured to the door.

“Do you?” Jake countered.

No. He did not. Benny really wanted to keep their illusion of privacy up for just a little longer. His heart was doing flips in his chest just at the thought of it. “No...” He giggled. “But I get the sense that you’ll be missed, Jake.”

The boy shrugged. “Ok. We’ll go watch.” They set their gifts onto Jake’s nightstand and went for the door but before either of their hands could curl around the gold, Jake leaned over and gently kissed Benny’s cheek.

It was quick and devastatingly soft. But very, very important to both of them.

: : : : : : : : :

The two boys ended up on the couch with a blanket tossed over them by Cuthbert, only one so of course they had to squish together or else one of them would be too cold.

Jake had somehow found himself with Benny’s sleeping head resting on his shoulder by the second movie. Not that he minded it at all. Benny had a candy cane hanging out of the side of his mouth that he occasionally twirled around. But was now slipping from the corner of his lips.

Roland watched Jake, who was watching Benny, with a feeling of...discomfort(?) that even he didn’t understand.

“Please free that cane before it goes down the kids throat, Jake.” Susannah chuckled. The boy chuckled and when he slipped the red & white candy out, Benny shook himself awake.

“Sorry.”

“S’fine.” Jake grinned and let his gaze linger. Benny looked around for that Father Callahan, who’d been in the kitchen when he fell asleep, and found him basically curled up with that friend he’d brought; Lupe.

Benny widened his eyes. “Is he gay?” He snapped his head over to whisper to Jake, who’d started to cackle.

“Yeah, he is.” He wiped his sleeve across his mouth to settle down. “We’re you worried he was...homophobic?” His brow raised as he remembered how off his friend became in that Dunkin’ when ol’ Father Don Callahan came over.

“Yes!”

The boys dissolved into a privately shared laugh as Oy jumped onto the couch next to them.

Cuthbert plopped down into Roland’s lap and gently ran his fingers down his shoulder as they just watched their son. “Are you alright?”

Roland nodded, pulling his eyes away and towards his handsome husband who was cuddling down next to him despite the limited seat room. It would be annoying if it were anyone else on earth but for Cuthbert, Roland loved like Cupid.

He kissed the top of his head and hid behind it slightly as the intro to ‘Gremlins’ played on their small TV. “I hate you.” He mumbled into Cuthbert’s hair.

He hummed. “I love you too.” He leaned back and kissed Roland’s jaw. “Merry Christmas.”

Outside, the snow had slowed considerably but the ground was not visible under the thick blanket given from the sky.

#used an actual jake quote when he was talking about what he likes in Benny #his openness and appetite for fun etc..#The Dark Tower #my fanfiction #jake chambers #benny slightman #roland deschain #cuthbert allgood #eddie dean #susannah dean #stephen king #holiday fics

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thethousandyearwitch · 3 years

Text

Lest Darkness Falls on Yorknew

A Pariging Vampire + Werewolf AU!

High Priestess of Yorknew, Cheadle Yorkshire, is troubled by recent developments. Livestock and people have started to disappear or end up slaughtered, and people turn to her and the church in hope of saving. Could it truly be that the new owner of the hillside mansion has something to do with it? Investigating by herself may be more dangerous than she thinks..

Chapter 4: The Finale.

AO3 Link

What the hell am I doing? Ging cursed himself as he surveyed the hillside manor towering above Yorknew. The sun had freshly set, and darkness had spread over everything in the valley, except for the oil lantern Ging carried and the bright lights of the mansion in front of him. The mansion was framed by black wrought-iron fences, around 7 feet tall, melting into each other at a large front gate. Behind the gate, a stone path lead straight to the front door. There was no patrol outside, though Ging wondered if they could still sense him as much as he could sense them. The hairs at the back of his neck had stood up as soon as he had entered the area, his ears were twitching with the faintest trace of sound or movement, and his teeth felt uncomfortable in his own mouth, itching to bite down into whatever he could find. What am I even supposed to do? ‘Eliminate’ my ass, am I just supposed to ring the door? Ding Dong Hello yes, it’s me, a Werewolf, here to kill your coven leader- A shadow passed by a window on the second floor, and Gings attention got drawn back. Tall, upright statue, they had already mostly walked out of view. But for a moment, the shadow stood still, their left shoulder and half of their face still blurry and dark in the window.

And even though it was too dark to tell,

And he was hidden from sight,

Ging felt like they were looking directly at him.

Instinctively he hid behind the tree he was leaning on, and killed the fire of his oil lamp, biting the inside of his cheek. Slowly, shivers crept up his spine, his muscles tensed. His hand shot to his pocket to grab the cross Cheadle had provided for him. Pure iron bathed in holy water, uncomfortably warm to the touch for a werewolf, painfully hot and burning to a vampire. Ging had never interacted face to face with a vampire before, and yet something deep withing him recognized this piercing gaze as something inherently hostile and predatory. A century old feud that would carry on with generations, a natural born hatred for each other, its groundwork laid in territory conflicts and a right to hunt.

Everything around him felt intensified, more suspicious, from the cold breeze cutting his skin, to the creaking of old trees under their own weight. Leaves on the ground rustled with either footsteps or a gust of wind. Somewhere a twig snapped. Ging bit down harder on his check, until the comfort of warm blood engulfed his mouth, bitter and tainted.

Silence. Despite his heart beating heavily against his chest, Ging slowly turned around to check on the window. Clear, no trace of anyone. No sign of anyone exiting the mansion, either. Ging sighed with relief and leaned with his shoulder against the tree. His body was still alert, twitching and tensing, but it seemed like he wasn’t in any danger.

“Ah, I knew I saw a lost puppy wandering out here~” Before Ging could fully turn around and process what happened, a hand wrapped firmly around his throat, and lifted him off the ground.

He was face to face with who he could only assume was Pariston Hill. Blonde Hair, tall, lean, wearing a golden herringbone suit so ridiculously shiny, that Ging would have made a joke if his windpipe weren’t being crushed. Dark brown eyes were closely examining the werewolf, and slowly, Paristons lips parted to reveal sharp fangs. “Didn’t you know its impolite to spy on people? How should I go about punishing a stray dog like you?” Paristons grip tightened, and his lips curled into a smile.

Ging knew that trying to overpower a Vampire in this position would be difficult, not having the opportunity to transform, or freely move around to take advantage of his agility. But that would all be fair play, and he knew better than to restrict himself to that. His right hand was still in his pocket and clutched the cross.

In a swift motion, Ging pulled his hand out of his pocket, and smacked it flat on Paristons hand. Immediately the smell of burned flesh filled the air, along with a sizzling sound. Holy shit it actually works- The vampire withdrew his hand with a sharp inhale, and Ging fell to the ground, gasping for air. He looked up to see the other still holding his own hand, most likely covering a severe burn, eyes fixated on him, lips twitching.

Ging knew he should have immediately grabbed his bag and take the stake or holy water.

Or he should have just made a run for it, a werewolf has a vampire beat in speed.

But he just returned the others stare, painfully aware of his own vulnerability.

Paristons lips twitched to a bigger smile, a smile of irritation and disbelief. “Not bad, not bad at all. What’s your name, Mutt?”

“Ging Freecs, if you’d like I can use your ashes to write it down for you.” His eyes darted towards his bag, still next to the tree. He wondered if he could out speed the vampire to take the bag and grab the holy water.

A clap, and a pleased sound drew his attention back. “Ging Freecs, Ging Freecs! Marvelous, I must command you for your bravery. Tell me, are you just blissfully stupid, or did someone order you to spy on me?”

“Do you think I’d voluntarily spy on someone as boring as you? Next time you could at least put on a peep-show or something.”

Silence fell between them, Ging grinned confidently, Pariston replied with a satisfied smile. Time stood still for this moment, a Vampire and a Werewolf acknowledging each other as spiteful creatures.

The moment passed. Ging quickly leaned towards the tree and reached for his bag. One dash of holy water to burn and distract, and then a quick stab through the heart, and ill be back home before sunrise.

But before Ging could even stand up, or open his bag, a swift kick to his head threw his body against the tree, head hitting the hard bark. His vision faded fast as he fell back onto the ground, numb pain spreading from his head to the rest of his body.

“Don’t worry, we’re not done playing yet~” The last thing Ging saw, was a blurred Pariston towering over him, flashing another smile.

---------------------------------------------------------

Ging wasn’t sure how many hours had passed when he awoke. His head felt heavy, and his entire body ached, as if he were going through a bad hangover. Once he opened his eyes, he first saw the thick ropes that bound him into an uncomfortable seated position, unnaturally upright, arms and legs restricted.

It took more effort than he’d like to admit to lift his head, but when he did, he realized the darkness covering the room, only penetrated by a few lit candles on the large dinning table he was seated in front of. The table was decked with gold plated cutlery, and a plate covered by a stainless-steel cloche.

Gings night-sight had never been the best, but it was still good enough to pierce through the darkness of the room and find Pariston sitting at the end of the table, leaned forward on his elbows, chin rested in the palm of his hand. There was a small, burning red spark in his eyes, and he smiled at the werewolf. “Good Morning, sleeping beauty. How’s your head?” The vampire chimed.

“Just great, never had a concussion as lovely as this.”

Pariston laughed lightly, as if Ging had told an actual joke before he tilted his head just a tad to the side. “I removed that pesky scarf from your head, I hope you don’t mind. I have to say, a werewolves’ ears are quite sensitive, even while they are passed out.”

Ging grimaced, “I hope you had your fill of touching my ears, because that will never happen again.” His ears twitched involuntary at the thought of someone else coming close to them.

“That’s a shame. It’s my first time I’ve had the pleasure with one of your kind, so I’m naturally curious. You should brush your teeth more often, by the way, I think I spotted some discolorations on your fangs.”

“Did you put your disgusting spider fingers in my mouth?”

“I may have sneaked a peak at the unique canines of a wolf, how truly fascinating!” Ging wasn’t sure if it was the concussion, or the thought of Pariston prying around in his mouth, that got him close to throwing up on himself.

“So how long are you planning to keep me here, ‘cause it smells like death in here, and I’d rather be anywhere else.”

Pariston, instead of answering, slowly pushed his chair back, and walked leisurely towards Ging. Again, alarm bells rang loudly in his head, even drowning out the numb pain, and the hairs at the back of his neck stood up. But he could not back away, not even when Pariston laid his hand on his head and ruffled through his hair. “To be honest, I was planning to keep you. The relationship between werewolves and vampires can be quite beneficial to both, if they are willing to set aside their differences.” His face came uncomfortably close to Gings, and the werewolf pondered if he could somehow manage to lunge forward and bite the others nose off. “You could go outside in the daylight, and run any errands and surveillance as is needed, and in exchange we can give you the security to hunt whatever and whoever, as much as your wild heart pleases.”

Ging spit, with precision, on Paristons right cheek, who in return jumped a few feet back, hastily grabbed a tissue from his suit, and tried to clean himself. “I don’t care much for hunting whoever. I’m a simple man, a couple of sheep every few weeks keep me satisfied. You’re disguising yourself as human, while I have kept my humanity intact.”

The vampire stopped wiping at his cheek, and tilted his head again, lips curled again in a playful manner. “Ah~ So it’s like that. A good boy who never bites the shepherd’s hand, never reaps the sheep he’s guarding. Of course, you wouldn’t want to associate with degenerates like us, would you?”

Slowly, carefully, he stepped closer to Gings side again, but stopped at the edge of the table. “Are you hungry, Ging? I will happily release you back to your herd, but I would be a horrible host if I didn’t offer you some food first.”

“Does a good host tie his guests to chairs?” Gings head still felt heavy, and he used most of his energy just to keep his eyes focused on the other. Naturally, he was hungry, wanting to recharge on energy. How long had it been again since he had hunted anything?

Pariston lifted the cloche to reveal a piece of meat, still steaming, served with a side of green asparagus and a couple of wedged potatoes.

“My specialty, filet mignon. Rare, ‘kissed by the flame’, served with a side of asparagus and rosemary-potatoes.”

The smell hit Gings nostrils, and he started salivating. He watched Pariston cut into the meat, like a knife cutting into hot butter, the meat seemed tender, and revealed its inner reddish pink. And for a second, Ging had forgotten whatever they had just been talking about. He just saw food, ready to be ate, to satisfy this hunger he had been carrying around. It was just when Pariston turned towards him, fork in hand, flashing another toothy grin, that Ging realized.

“This is- “Before the sentence could leave his lips, Paristons hand was firmly grabbing his jaw. “It’s bad manners to say you don’t like something before you’ve even tried it.”

Ging dug his nails into the chair he was bound to, tried to rip free from the ropes, tried to release his jaw from the vampire’s iron grip. But all in vain.

If he had eaten before going on this mission, or if he could have been thinking clear without a head injury, maybe then he would have had a chance.

But instead, Pariston pressed his mouth open, and insistently pushed the fork carrying a piece of the filet into the werewolf’s’ mouth.

Various images flashed in front of his inner eye. His son Gon, so small, how he promised him he’d be able to grow up between humans and live like one of them. Cheadle, who trusted him with her own life, and the life of everyone in Yorknew, whose kindness had saved his life. And the nameless corpse, faceless human, whose flesh Ging was eating. Pariston brushed the meat off the work on Gings teeth, and held his mouth closed. As if practiced, he moved his ring finger just under the others jaw, and imitated chewing motions with it.

Slowly, the taste of the meat spread through Gings mouth, coating everything. He did not notice when he started to chew by himself. Or when he finally swallowed the bite. Paristons hand was still on his jaw, though it was no longer in a firm grasp but merely resting there as a ghosting touch.

“How did you like it, Ging?” The vampires voice was just above a whisper, and for the first time since he had seen him, Ging saw something other than a dangerous abyss in the others’ eyes. There was no comfort in them, no reassurance or regret. But suddenly he felt like he could understand him. Not entirely, not his existence or his person, but something in his core.

“More.” Gings voice was strained, hungry, mournful. For the first time in his life, he felt his humanity ripped away from him. And yet he could not care less. All he could care about in the moment was to feed, to indulge in this primal need that he had kept himself from for so long.

Pariston brushed his thumb over Gings cheekbone, “Good boy.”

He proceeded to feed the werewolf the rest of the steak, though he no longer had to motivate him to chew, or open his mouth.

After just a couple of minutes, it was all gone, and Ging let his head hang forward. His face felt hot and flushed, and he licked over his canines and incisors in a desperate attempt to recover any more of the sweet, rich taste he had indulged in. He had consumed human flesh, which he had sworn to never do. To never loose this part of his humanity, to keep this moral ground. And it all got thrown out the window. His heart ached with disappointment and regret.

A hand lifted his chin, and he starred back into those deep brown eyes who did this to him. “Do you think you want to go back to the village? Play the good sheepdog?” Pariston leaned forward, resting his hands on each of Gings shoulders, whispering in a light tone into his ear, “Do you think you can? Now that you know what you’d be missing.” His left hand gently cupped his cheek. “You don’t have to. I’m giving you an option to come with me. Soon we’ll leave this village, and head west towards the next. Join us, and you can taste to your hearts content.” As Pariston pulled back, his lips briefly brushed over Gings skin, chased by shivers and goosebumps.

“Why me? You’ve seemed to be fine hunting so far.” Ging flexed against the tight ropes again.

“Because you intrigue me, Ging Freecs. I want to know more about werewolves, about what they are capable of. What you are capable of.”

With a snap, the ropes came off one after another, a demonstration of Paristons finely sharpened nails. He stood up straight and extended a hand towards the wolf, a devilish smile on his lips. “Will you indulge me, Ging?”

And Ging pondered if he would.

#Pariging #Hunter X Hunter #hunter x hunter fanfiction #pariston hill #Ging freecs #WE FINALLY DID IT LADS

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kennedycatherine · 3 years

Text

04.27.21

We were thirteen and I knew enough to know that was absurd.

We still inhabited a school yard with children learning their ABC’s. Girls our own age hadn’t yet graduated out of training bras.

Aren’t our brains like, too underdeveloped for this?

A few nights I just watched.

They came in fun colours, like the vitamins my mom still set out with my breakfast.

I found the whole thing anxious and boring. Anxious because it was drugs, and we were thirteen and what if we got caught or what if something happened. Boring because they bored me.

Nothing happened.

I made sure they had water and popsicles and candies to suck on.

“You’ll bite your tongue off,” Kallie had said one night.

A small trickle of blood came from her mouth awhile later and she looked pleased. I knew she’d done it. When I looked at her, I wanted to call her a liar.

“I know,” I wanted to say, “I’m sober. You just did that to yourself.”

I felt very young and very old all at once.

They asked for lotion. Lotioned themselves from head to toe.

One night one of the girls did a runner. Just opened the front door to suburbia and took off down the street in nothing but skimpy shorts and a tank top into the chilled night air.

I worried about her, but I didn’t go after her.

There were babies to look after, real babies. 6 years old and one year.

I don’t remember their names, but I remember loving them. I remember feeling sad for them.

Every weekend their mom would leave. She was pretty and young and had a thirteen-year-old she trusted to handle things.

“Where does she go?”

“To the bars in some small town. I think a guy lives there.”

They had family photos in the house. She had a husband. I remember wondering how things had fallen apart so quickly? They’d had a baby only a year ago and now they were getting a divorce?

Except they weren't. He just worked out of the city for months at a time and neither of them cared, I suppose.

I sat on a bed with the 6-year-old once, playing a game or reading a story and I heard laughter downstairs and I was so angry.

I was angry that no one cared that there were children upstairs. I was angry that I was going to put a child to bed who had a mother but seemingly didn’t. I was angry that I had to do it at all, that I was expected to. That it had come to mean relief when I walked in the door. If I was there, it was handled. I didn’t want to handle it.

I wanted to call my mom.

I wanted to tell her what was happening, tell her that someone needed to hold these babies or feed them right and love them. Because surely, I didn’t know how.

But I didn’t want to ruin the fun. I didn’t want Kallie’s mom to be in trouble. I didn’t want my mom, who also had a seventeen-year-old who just couldn’t seem to keep it together, to realize that a house she’d deemed safe by proximity in our good neighbourhood probably wasn’t.

“Give me one.”

No one teased or questioned it. They just handed over the small plastic bag.

I don’t remember what it felt like, only that I didn’t care for it. I didn’t understand it. I was bored by it.

I stopped going. Those girls decided they hated me. I worried about those babies and over 10 years later, I still do.

I started to see my childhood best friend, Maddy, a lot after that. She was pretty and athletic and loud and adventurous and young, my age but, young.

She lived a few blocks away, in the opposite direction from Kallie.

Her mom was in the midst of a divorce. She was older than most of the moms because Maddy had been a “surprise.” A blessing, she’d say, but a surprise. So, the rest of her kids were grown and gone. She’d done it all, seen it all.

We were in the eighth grade, just a few months away from high school when she offered to buy us booze.

She promised it would stay within the walls of the house, my parents wouldn’t have to know. She just wanted us to get a feel for it so we could test our limits, learn our boundaries.

When she presented us with those sickly-sweet orange coolers, I winced. Alcohol had never really interested me. I didn’t feel mystified by it or interested in it.

We drank them anyway.

We had one each. Then shoved two more under our thick sweaters and walked to the nearby park.

There were always kids there, in that strange age range where you have some sense of freedom without actually having any and you crave it, always. You know how to sneak alcohol, ask people outside the convenience store to buy you cigarettes.

Uncool teens, acting very cool leaning against slides and monkey bars we earnestly used only a few years earlier.

By then I’d decided I liked Logan. He was in high school already, two years older than us, seemed nice enough and attractive enough to like, so I guessed I did. I showed him the stashed coolers under my sweater and shivered when the air hit me. He offered me his jacket.

I was only wearing it maybe a minute, not even long enough to brag, when the sirens hit and the park was lit up with red and blue. Everyone scattered in different directions. We hopped a fence and then another and another until we collapsed on her lawn, one cooler lost to our epic and brave journey.

The patrol car circled the block.

“It’s almost 2am,” they told us. We nodded.

They asked how old we were and I told them we were 16.

Maybe they believed us because it was dark but maybe they didn’t because we weren't.

“Do you live here?”

“Yes.”

“Go inside.” We did.

I didn’t drink much after that. All we could get our hands on were drinks that seemed to be a half pound of sugar and something that tasted like mouth wash. The group favourite was Troika which smelt like hand sanitizer and cost about $25 for more than a litre. Everything was vodka.

Every time I drank any of it, I was immediately and violently ill.

My entire body would flush, an ache in my collar bones that radiated and buzzed down my arms and go on and on and on until I’d have to peel my clothes off and stick myself to the coldest surface, let my body wretch and wretch until I’d vomited everything.

I’d find out a few years later that I’m alcohol intolerant with a vodka allergy.

But I’d given up trying long before then. Found my way to pot.

I loved it immediately. It calmed me down, it made me laugh. It made me hungry.

I suffered far fewer embarrassing stories and hallway whispers than most.

I had a starring role in only one story that would go down in infamy.

There’d been a birthday party, someone had made an ice cream cake that was immediately forgotten in favour of solo cups and bongs. I smoked my own joint and remembered that cake. In a haze I found myself alone in a tiny storage room, in front of a deepfreeze. Opening the lid, there it was, creamy and beautiful.

“Fuck yes.”

Then the door opened.

I turned and there he was. The hottest guy in our grade and he’d been calling me a dirty hippie for two years. I closed the lid.

“What are you doing?” He asked

“Waiting.”

“For?”

“You.”

He looked confused. He should've. I had no reason to be waiting for him, I hadn’t even spoken to him. I was 16 and stoned and I wanted to eat an ice cream cake at this dumb birthday party by my fucking self. I pushed myself on top of the freezer.

“Come here.”

He did. We made out on top of the freezer until I felt he was sufficiently distracted, and my job was done and then I pushed him out of the room.

Then I ate some of that cake alone as I’d intended.

Upstairs my best friend sobbed in a bathroom. Even now that we’ve long outgrown teenage angst and hormones she can be prickly, angry, deeply unaffectionate. Then, she was slightly volatile. She wanted to be alone, but I stayed – shoved myself into a corner of the bathtub as she refused to look at me or tell me what she was so upset about it. I waited her out. Mostly because I was stoned and relieved to be in a room away from a throng of sweaty, horny 16-year-olds.

Suddenly, she confessed something to me quietly. She’d made out with that same guy - the hot one I’d been with on top of a freezer - at a party the weekend before. I hadn’t known and she hadn’t stopped thinking about him, and he hadn’t looked at her since.

“I just want him,” she whined.

“I just made out with him on top of a freezer.”

She turned her startling green eyes on me. “You what?”

“I don’t know,” I felt deeply guilty, “there was a cake inside.”

She choked and then she laughed and then I laughed. We left and we laughed the whole walk back to wherever we slept that night.

I went to a performing arts college that had less than twenty students which became lesser and lesser as we viciously vied for the same thing. There were no parties or binge drinking or even any outings. We worked quietly and quickly, most kept to ourselves.

If school really was a competition, I won.

My instructor called me into his office, “I want you to go to this interview. You’re ready.”

I wasn’t supposed to be graduating for at least 3, maybe 4 months. I wasn’t ready. But I went. I got the job and I left, the school and the city.

I was alone and I was terrified, and I was working most hours of everyday and waking up every morning feeling like I’d made a massive mistake. I hadn’t. I was just 19 with no idea what I was doing, only that people seemed to believe I could, and I didn’t know why.

My sister and my grandfather became sicker and sicker with addiction.

I stopped smoking pot almost completely. I’d found alcohol that didn’t upset my entire system, but I never drank by myself. I was afraid that if I did, I wouldn’t stop. I’d fill the hole and then just like them, I’d never learn how to be whole on my own. I went for runs and I journaled and worked and tried to make friends.

I drove home for graduation and realized a few things. These people had three more months together. They were closer, most of them resented me for being given an opportunity that most days I wasn’t even sure I wanted.

There was a party afterward and I felt 13, lonely and bored. I wanted to leave.

My sister was really sick by then.

The best friend I’d made in school, Elliot, he cornered me in the empty kitchen. Most people had settled into the living room for conversations or the basement for beer pong and I hovered in the kitchen, feeling entirely silly in my cheap white dress. Elliot smelled like whiskey while he hugged me, and I wanted to cry. I'd missed him.

We’d had plans to get jobs together. We were going to become a morning show duo in some city we’d never been to, rent a house together. Spend our afternoons drinking beer, planning our show content and break into big markets before we were 25.

I cried when I took the job that meant those things wouldn’t happen and he’d hugged me then too. He was happy for me.

He pulled out of the hug in that kitchen and looked at me for a long time, with big open eyes. A nearly childish, wide stare. He took a deep breathe.

Then he told me he was in love with me.

I startled backward away from him and hit my hip hard against the stove. I was angry immediately. Because I was gay. Because people had been telling me he was in love with me. Because I chose not to believe them. I felt my trust had been broken. Because why? What can I do with that? I loved him. I couldn’t be in love with him. If I could, I would’ve wanted to be. He was so good.

And I was so mad because he was drunk.

I was sick of whispered late-night confessions and people telling me things that weren’t true. I was tired of people making promises to me and telling me they loved me and none of it mattering. I was just so fucking sick of everyone being wasted on something all the time.

It wasn’t his fault. I’d always felt loved by him, I appreciated him, I loved him. I wanted to be gentle with him. I should’ve been. It was just… there were so many things.

“What am I supposed to do with that?” I asked him.

“I just needed you to know.”

I left. He called me so many times, he left voicemails I deleted, and I never answered. I went back to my small town and my small job the next day. I re-read his texts, “I’m sorry, I was drunk” over and over and felt no relief in his excuses.

I didn’t drink for a long time.

A man I thought I knew told me he was in love with me.

I found my sister cold and blue on a floor, medically dead, though she miraculously survived.

My grandfather vomited on himself in the back of a van as we took him to the dry out centre where he'd eventually become sober for a brief time.

I was so tired.

When I moved back to the city, I found comfort in things again. I could drink and be fine. The world didn’t end. I didn’t crave it in the morning or when things got hard. I started smoking pot again. It calmed me down, it made me laugh. It made me hungry.

I took mushrooms a handful of times with my friends. I cried the first time because I felt like me. Present and responsible and in control and so deeply, disappointingly myself. I’d wanted drugs to be a void, even if I never took them. I wanted to believe that somewhere there was a way to just not be myself for a while.

I was bored of myself.

I wanted to escape, and it wasn’t happening.

But the second or third time I learned to enjoy them for what they were and felt all too proud for simply having a nice time.

I begged my roommate to come to this EDM show with me. It was my co-worker’s birthday and she’d always been excessively, exceedingly lovely to me. When she sheepishly asked if I would be interested in going to this live show to celebrate her 37th, I swallowed down the price of tickets and said yes. Emphatically.

Matt, good natured and so easy, said yes. He liked live music and whiskey and leaving the house.

We got there and she was alone.

I asked about her husband. He stayed home with the baby. And her friends?

Coming, she said.

There were three of them. I thought back to days she’d cried to me in the bathroom and the coffees we’d shared in her office. I’d always thought of her as a sort of leaky faucet, spilling out without control. I hadn’t realized I was actually just in her circle. One of five.

She got adorably drunk. “Mom’s night out!” They all chanted and Matt and I stood off to the side a bit while I apologized to him on a loop for painting this night as an in and out affair.

“We can just leave whenever, I'm sure she won’t notice.” I’d said.

Eventually she asked me if I wanted to “score” in the alley. I laughed because it sounded so seedy and suspicious coming from the mouth of this quintessential suburban mom who I only knew as a woman sitting in a blazer, in an office, next to her family portraits.

I asked Matt if he wanted any. No, he’d brought his vape pen.

We went outside, me, her and her curvy friend with the insane curly hair. Some guy was already there, and the exchange was quick. She turned back and announced, “to the bathroom.”

The bathroom? Fuck.

It’d seemed seedy and suspicious because it kind of was. “Dumb stoner,” I thought to myself as we marched back inside with the bag of cocaine I’d thought would be a Ziplock of weak weed.

I don’t like coke. It makes me angry.

She lined it up, wide eyed, on the hard back of her red wallet. She yammered and mumbled and stumbled over her words quickly and excitedly. It’d been years, I couldn’t tell anyone at work, her husband could never find out, was I sure?

Once again, I felt bored. “I’m sure.”

The friend took her bump and turned back to me, “what’s your sign?”

“Cancer.”

Her eyes were frenzied, like I’d said something important.

“I knew it, I’m a Scorpio.” She wound her fingers into the hair at the back of my neck and whispered to me, “we’re like sisters.” Then she kissed me, hard and square. Her breath was sour, her lips were chapped and she pulled away with a toothy grin before offering the wallet up to my nose.

I looked at them, their excitement, I felt the overwhelming emptiness in my chest. I felt sad for someone, them or me, and how dull I found the whole thing to be.

I sniffed it through a receipt from a kids play centre and wondered, idly, if there are people who think mothers don’t behave this way.

I wiped and sniffled and felt the light burn in my twice broken nose, now irritated by thin white powder.

“Well, that took for-fucking-ever,” Matt yelled over his whiskey.

“It wasn’t pot.”

“Did you do it?”

“Yeah.”

He laughed, slung his arm around my shoulders and we moved into the crowd of dancing bodies. Mostly I felt sober and a little annoyed about the money I’d spent.

I found the group, buttoned one of their torn open shirts and hugged them goodbye.

Matt checked his watch in the cab, “we have to be up in like, less than 5 hours” he groaned and then called the wing place to make sure we could have some delivered.

He’s a sneaky drunk. You never know until it’s too late. As he poured himself a whiskey at our bar cart, I knew it was too late.

We settled into the couch, waiting for our food. He kept dozing off and I kept saving the glass tumbler he refused to relinquish, from falling to the floor and sloshing all over our new carpet.

When the food arrived, I ran to get it. I had the energy.

I decided to take the stairs and took a turn too sharply, smashed myself against a railing and yelped in pain. A bruise blossomed on my arm before I got back to our apartment.

I tried to sleep and kept waking with my knees knocking and my thighs wobbling. Matt came to my door, bleary eyed and dull. It was 6:30am. I hadn’t slept for more than seven minutes at a time.

“We gotta go, G.”

I looked at my packed bags on the floor. We were driving to his moms, 2.5 hours away.

“Yeah, I’m ready.”

He turned away and called over his shoulder, “Happy Easter.”

Jesus, I laughed, it is fucking Easter.

And while I sipped my third mid-afternoon coffee over a card game with his mom and sister, I thought - I guess if there’s a day to decide I probably never have to sniff anything through my nose ever again, Easters as good as any.

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azaleablue · 4 years

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Best Kept Secret

(Snowbaz Fanfic)

Summary: Simon and Baz get together in 5th year. Baz is ready for people to know about them, but Simon does not want it getting out at all. In act of rage, Simon goes a little too far, and everything ends in the worst way.

Simon

The first thing I notice is the blood. It’s everywhere. On his clothes, on the ground, dyeing the bright white snow deep red. I rush to his side. His arms are at his side. He isn’t even putting pressure on the wound anymore. I hold him as tight as I can and pray to whatever god there is that he’ll be okay.

Two Years Earlier

Baz

Simon and I are bickering about the window. I have no idea why he never seems to understand how cold it gets in here when he leaves it open in the dead of winter. I let myself steal a glance at his eyes. They’re always so determined when we get into an argument, but somethings different. There’s a little less fire, and a hint of something else. They still have the same beautiful, courageous shine, but something is off.

“Snow, is everything alright.” I sound softer than I want to, but I can’t help it. No matter how much pride I have, I cannot let the boy I’m so madly in love with be in pain.

“You wouldn’t get it. Just leave me alone!” He went to his bed.

“Look, I can just close the window and this can all me over.” I start to walk toward the window, but before I can Simon puts his lips on mine and nothing matters anymore. Suddenly I know, it will be forever him and I.

Present Day

Simon

There are so many things I wish I could have told him. There are so many things I wish that I could change. I wish that I had let us live. I wish that I didn’t put everything before him. I just want one more hour with him to tell him how much I love him. To tell him that he’ll always mean the world to me. But now, he’s going limp in my arms. I don’t think I’ll ever get the chance.

Two Years Earlier

Baz

It has been the best two days of my life. Simon and I are stealing glances at one another, sneaking into closets to make out, and coming back to our room to do whatever we want without the whole world watching.

I’m resting my head on his chest when I ask, “How do you think people will react? To the two of us together. It would certainly take the whole world for a spin.”

“You should care Baz. Those people aren’t you, those people aren’t us. They don’t need to know.” I laugh into his shoulder. When did he get so eloquent?

“You’re right, so just a well kept secret?” I look up at him and he laughs.

“The best kept secret.”

Present Day

Simon

I’m holding on to him as tight as I can. He’s still conscious, but barely. He’s always been strong, stronger than I’ll ever be, but I don’t think he’s this strong. He’s colder than I ever thought possible and white as the snow around us. I just hope that the ambulance will get here before it’s too late.

One Year Earlier

Baz

This has been so much more than I ever thought I deserved. Simon’s and my friend groups have combined into one. We all get along so well. Once we stopped arguing with each other all the time, our friends saw that they actually enjoy each other’s company. It’s strange how well it all fits, but I couldn’t ask for my thing more. Although, there is one thing.

“I want to tell Fiona about us.” I want the world to know, but if the mage ever found out he’d probably make Simon’s life a living hell.

“Why? Why do we have to change anything? Is this not enough for you?” He’s getting standoffish. I knew this would happen. The mage has been forcing the two of us apart. My family has been as well. He’s scared. I can tell by the look in his eyes.

“Of course it is, but I just would like her to know. You told Penny, didn’t you?”

He steps away from me. “Of course I told Penny, but I just… I don’t. It’s different, okay? I just… We need to figure this out okay? There’s too much going on. Let’s wait for our happily ever after.”

“Okay.” I believe him, because I always will. Just one look in his eyes and I’m gone.

Present Day

Simon

I’m holding onto him so tightly my arms are starting to go numb. I don’t care. I just need him to be okay. I just need him to make it out alive. I don’t care what happens to me. I used a tracking spell to find him, but I don’t know any powerful enough healing spells. Even if I did, it would probably just make it worse.

“Simon?” He looks up. His voice is so weak. I couldn’t care less, I’m just so happy he’s awake.

“Yes, yes I’m here. I’ve got you, and I’m not letting go.” There are tears rolling down my face. I lean my forehead against his

“I guess I’m out then. The real Simon wouldn’t save me. The real Simon knows that he’ll always deserve better than me.” He says it like it’s a simple face, but his face is still sad.

“No, no, no. Baz it’s me. It’s the real me. I love you. I love you so much. I’m so sorry. Please just stay with me, everything is going to be okay. Please.”

Eight Months Earlier

Baz

Simon has always been there for me. He’s worked to slay my demons, but at the cost of ignoring his own. I didn’t deserve that kind of love, and I’m shocked that I got it at all. I just hope that I can help him. He’s been very troubled recently. I don’t know how to talk to him about it.

“Love, is everything alright?” He’s clearly flustered.

“Yeah, it’s fine. I just wish that Agatha would stop staring at you.”

“You know that I don’t have eyes for her. I will only ever be yours remember.”

“I just wish that she’d pay more attention to me, considering we’re actually dating.” He mumbles that part under his breath. I very clearly was not meant to hear it.

“I’m sorry, what? I thought that we were together? I thought that we meant something?” I don’t understand. He’s just hurting her and I don’t think he understands.

“Look, it’s just so people get off my back about the whole dating thing. The chosen one needs a white picket fence right? She’s just part of what people think I want. You’re the one I actually see there though. We’ll get our happy ending.” He comforts me. I give in. I’ll always give in.

Present Day

Simon

Baz tries to sit up. He shouldn’t be moving, so I do my best to keep him in place.

“Funny. I once thought that was the case. I know it’s not anymore. He deserves the life he wants, and I know I’m no longer a part of it. Some part of me always knew. He was too good for me anyways.” I’m not. I never was. He’s always been perfect. He figured himself out. I wasn't able to. I said so many things that he feared to be true, and he believed them again. I wish I hadn’t let my temper do the talking.

“You’re my happy ending. Please, please stay with me.” He is. He always will be. I don’t know how I ever thought otherwise.

Six Months Earlier

Baz

“So you and Agatha are official now.” Simon walks toward his bed and away from me.

“Look, just forget it.”

“How am I supposed to forget it? You can’t keep pretending to be something that you aren’t. Why can’t you just stand up for yourself, for me?”

“Who are you to go and blame this all on me? Just because you’ve found your way it can all work? Put away the fairy tales Basilton.” I was never one to believe in fairy tales, but to hear the most optimistic person say it makes my heart stop. To hear him say my name like that hurts more than I ever thought possible. I fall back onto my bed.

“So much for our happily ever after. I thought that we’d win; I trusted the hero.” I guess that I was never his.

“I’m sorry okay. I want you, you know that. Let’s just… keep this to ourselves okay. We can wait.” I stare into his eyes. He’s telling the truth, but it looks like he’s trying to convince himself of it too. He doesn’t believe it, but I let myself believe in him.

Present Day

Simon

“I always loved the color of his eyes. Such an ordinary shade of blue and yet completely unique all on their own.” Of course he can speak so well when he’s bleeding out. He’s speaking like a fucking poet when he’s bleeding out in the middle of an ally in London.

“I’d give in. I’d let him tell me anything and I’d believe it. Just one look into his eyes and I thought everything would be okay. I should have known better. I should have realized that he would eventually understand that he deserved better than a monster like me.” He lets out a weak cough and leans a little more into me. He’s losing his strength as we speak. I have to keep him awake.

“That’s not true. I love you. I love you so much. I’m sorry for everything I said. Please just stay. Stay so that I can prove to you how wrong I was. Please don’t leave me.”

One Month Earlier

Baz

The argument goes how it always does. I don’t understand why he’s still with Agatha. He’s just going to hurt her.

“If you’re going to leave her in the end why keep her on the line? It’s just cruel to string her along for this.”

“Maybe it’s not. Maybe I’ve been stringing you along?”

“You don’t mean that.”

“Who are you to tell you what I mean? This was fun, but we both knew this could never last.”

“What do you mean? You said…”

“I said lots of things.” He interrupts me. “I care about you. I really do. I can’t do this though. I can’t throw my future away for a boy that I dated in high school.”

“Is that all I am to you? A fling? A sex toy?” He looks at me.

“Did you really ever think that I was really going to run off with you? How would the word react if they saw me with you? A monster. You’re nothing more than that.” He’s telling the truth. It was a fear I always had, but I guess I really know now. If he can’t find it in his heart to truly love me, then who can? I ran out of the room. I ran with no intention of turning back.

Simon

I regretted saying it as soon as I did. I was just so angry at the whole situation. I wanted to be with him, but I couldn’t let myself have it. I tried so hard to not let myself have these moments, but I was selfish to keep him with me for as long as I could. Now, I’ve hurt him. I’ve hurt him a lot. He probably doesn’t want to see me right now. I’ll make this up to him, but I’ll wait until he can bear to see my face again.

Present Day

Baz

The universe is playing games with me. I must have already blacked out. How did he find me? Why does he even care? I don’t even know what I’m saying anymore. Thoughts are just pouring out of my mouth without any filter. Dream Simon is crying, begging me to stay. I’m already gone. This is the way it should always have been. No one will know. They’ll think I was killed. Stabbed in the wrong side of London going out on a walk. I’m one of the smartest mages of my generation so it was not very hard to fake a murder. No one will know how much of a coward I was. They won’t know that I escaped; they’ll just be happy I’m gone.

Simon

“I always wanted him, for as long as I can remember. I used to watch his smile, hoping that one day I could be the cause of it. I got everything that I ever wanted. I didn’t deserve it though. It’ll be okay. With me gone, he’ll get what he always wanted. He’ll get the ending he deserves, and I’ll get the one that I deserve.” He sounds so content. He speaks in such a way that shows that he completely accepts it.

“No, no, none of that is true. You deserved it. You deserve happiness more than me. More than I ever will. Please stay. Stay with me. Please don’t leave like this. I don’t know what I’ll do without you.” I’m finally realizing the gravity of the situation. I’m pressing so hard onto what I can only assume is a stab wound and yet blood is still escaping as we speak. His eyes are starting to close. Once they close, I don’t think he’ll ever be able to open them again. He can’t lose this much blood. I want more than anything for him to take from me, but I know that he won’t.

“He fought so hard for me. He… he.. destroyed my demons, but ignored his own. He was… was… my hero. It’s just that I… I wasn’t his.” He lets out a final sigh as his eyes close. I fall completely silent. I don’t think he has much time left. I have one hand on the wound and another on his chest to make sure he’s still breathing. I’m checking for a pulse when I hear the sirens.

(A/N: I would say I’m sorry, but I’m not really. Should I continue this?)

8 notes · View notes

aliypop · 4 years

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Amongst The Roses

Word Count:3,165

Character count: 17,430

Warning: ususal Hannibal Stuff

A/N: This is part 5 I hope you guys enjoy it

“Mammina, mammina!” Shanel nearly shouted from inside the manor autumn leaves present in her hair, " Mio dolce bambino invernale,“ Rose shook her head. Displeased with the appearance of her daughter, she was adventurous wild, even some would agree to a girl who couldn’t be tamed. “You are 16 going on 6 Shanel..” her mother grumbled, watching the way her daughter reacted. “Forse I want happiness… ” she sighed, grabbing her foil from off the side of the wall, Miles who was a butler walked towards the duo, when he wasn’t up to his duties, however, he was usually teaching Shanel something new, whether her mother liked it, however, wasn’t his issue,

Sitting in Hannibal’s office like usual was Shanel. This time a bit more relaxed then she had been in the past few months that they had started. “What more do you remember that was good from your childhood..” he asked writing every word that she had mentioned down, “Well, there.. was the time where I used to play piano with Milo, I did everything with him, singing lessons, dance, you name it.” she smiled for a moment as a thought then popped into her head.

“What about you, any good memories?” she asked him, now that therapy for the two of them felt more like an allotment for a date. “There were some,” he smiled,

“Want to tell me about it?” she asked.

“If you must know, I suppose..” he gave her a playful sigh as his mind traveled back to a semi-simple time.

Winters in Paris were different than in Lithuania, they weren’t as harsh, but they were dreary and colder. Hannibal, who had been sketching once more, had stopped when he heard the sound of distant singing from his door. Poking his head out to listen, he had caught a glimpse of something beautiful. Walking by was a girl with dark brown curly hair and vibrant brown eyes. Who seemed to be carrying around a big stack of books in her arms, she had to be one of the prettiest girls he had ever seen, even though they did share quite a few classes he never bothered to say hello to her. Something about never really finding her interesting was what got him to stay to himself. Besides, he had his internship to worry about rather than the womanly ways of a songbird.

“Aren’t you the one who interns at the hospital..” her accent thicker than his,

“šitai.,” he mumbled under his breath, looking at the girl who seemed close to his age, “Who’s asking.”

“Just a girl who wants to learn about anatomy ..” she stared at his vibrant eyes, “Spiacente..” she began walking away. Her bow flopping behind her as he tapped her on the shoulder,

“I suppose I could let you join in..” he smirked, “But no touching anything..” he looked at her. She nodded,

“Maybe we could talk this over during how do you say..pranzo.”

“Lunch,” he winked, kissing her hand, “ I would be delighted to.”

“Sometimes I wonder where she is,” Hannibal sighed, shaking his head. As he looked back at Shanel, it had him confused as to why she was laughing at him, almost like a maniac escaping bedlam asylum. She couldn’t help but hide her excitement as to why he. Had felt familiar to her, “Well, I could tell you, but you wouldn’t believe me..” she nearly cheesed, a bit worse than Franklyn, who he had an appointment within a few moments. “I think I could get around to it,” he replied, nearly hating the anticipation, he wanted her to spit it out to say something, “We’ll see about that..” she smiled, watching as he began growing impatient on the answer.

“Well, tell me ?”

“You’re looking at her..” she smiled, watching the utter shock on his face, “And my times up, I should get going..” She walked towards her office, someone sneaking up behind her as everything around her surroundings went black. Franklyn sat down tears in his eyes, a bit heavier than usual. Hannibal, who usually knew the drill had already set the tissues out for him.

“ He ignores my.. calls, and .. lately he’s been very annoyed with me, I think he’s hurting people,” he said in one breath as Hannibal tried to speed up his writing,

“What makes you say this, Franklyn.,” he asked him, knowing that earlier that da Will had called him about the brutally slaughtered opera singer, "Today he said he was going to kill someone..“ crying harder as Hannibal passed him the garbage can to discard his used tissues in,

Hannibal smiled to himself, knowing exactly where Tobias was, but not exactly who he was trying to kill. Franklyn continued to cry, and Hannibal kept supplying him with tissues. Shanel woke up with a funny taste in her mouth, which was violin string polishing oil, and if her thoughts were correct, she was next to be a violin. Shanell looked around in the basement of what seemed to be his shop surrounded by the smell of human guts turned into violin strings. A sigh then left her mouth, hearing footsteps pitter-patter on the hardwood floor she could tell that whoever was the killer wasn’t exactly good at being discreet their steps made so much noise they could alert the police in seconds.

"I see you’re up.. ” her vision a bit foggy from whatever else he mixed in the polish. She could smell the scent of Tobias sweat, depression, and Franklyn? She had questioned her thoughts. Still, non-the-less Shanel sat there tied up like the Bride of Frankenstein, and Tobias was the doctor. "What else would I be..“ she laughed, seeing double, "Dead..” her sarcastic wit always got her into trouble when she was younger, but that was just who Shanel was and who was she to change it now. Taking a look at her neck, he loved everything that he saw. He could tell she was a singer, her cords were healthy and just the perfect type he needed for his instrumental experiment.

“Your friend and I are just alike..” he smirked, getting a few surgical tools. Shanel gave out a small laugh, if, he was comparing himself to Hannibal, then he was dead wrong.

“Hannibal would find you sloppy, which by him is just about everyone who tries to be like he is, creating a new God in his head.” she turned to look at the darker-skinned man watching him become angered by her remarks.

“And what do you think of me?” he smirked.

“ Pitchy, and Bitchy..” she smirked, “I know women who are far better than you are at killing..” she looked at him rather boldly, “ And if you see Hannibal..”

“Yes..” he smirked, trying to hide his anger.

“Give him this!” she gave him an uppercut blow to the jaw knocking him out cold for a while, crawling up the steps to find Will Graham standing there like a deer in headlights.

“And where were you..” she growled, seeing Jack by his side.

“The concert Hall,” he said, as the two heard a car leave from the back, Shanel sighed trying to sturdy up her strength to get up. Jack, who helped her up, looked at her he was suspicious as to why she wasn’t so deep in hysterics but instead calm. Hannibal, who was now sitting with Tobias, was enjoying a nice glass of wine something, that he didn’t often do with all of his patients. Their conversation had lead them in quite a turn of events.

“ I could use a friend, someone who could understand me, who thinks as I do, who can see the world and people in it the way I did.” Tobias smiled as Hannibal nodded along with him, looking at the bruise on his jaw.

“I see you’ve encountered Shanel..” he made a gesture to his thigh and his face, “A feisty woman… I don’t see why you don’t kill her.” Tobias laughed, having yet another drink as Hannibal stared blankly at him. Tallying him for every rude thing he could think of, “So did you do it?” he asked, trying to change the subject. Tobias had already known that Hannibal was the Chesapeake Ripper, but as friends, no one else needed to know that,

“Do you have to ask..” he laughed, confirming that he did it, “You and I aren’t so different..” he smirked, laughing as Shanel walked into their little session, throwing her razor at Tobias as he ducked striking Hannibal with a few violin strings,

“And to think I was going to kill him first..” he looked at Shanel as he got back up, knocking Hannibal down. Shanel, who had sprung into action, took Tobias by chance, her other razor in hand as she bobbed and weaved, waiting for the right moment to strike. To her, this was just like fencing, and she was merely using a short foil. “ En garde..” she whispered to herself, going for his legs, “Hannibal, he’s all yours!” she growled tossing him over to the library ladder, she watched as Hannibal tricked Tobias to punch him through the ladder, in her many years of fighting experience that was the first time the woman saw a ladder as a weapon,

Hannibal took Tobias by the arm as he broke it, leaving him quite crippled to try to fight back, still swinging his strings in the other hand he was no match for what was behind him, Shanel who took a left hook blow to the face gave him a right hook jab her eyes still watering. She blinked away the tears as he tried to strike her, but her kick to the ankle made him fall over, “NOW!” Shanel shouted, watching as Hannibal took the stag sculpture as he bludgeoned him to death with it right in the adam’s apple. Will Graham came in through the door, Looking tired like the most days he’d come to visit. The rest of the FBI came to check on what would have been considered the crime scene.

“Will you’re okay,” Hannibal said, a bloody gash on his nose and lip.

“Did he attack you?” Will asked, watching as Hannibal nodded, Shanel who had seen Jack from across the room, she only sighed as the FBI questioned her and tended to her wounds.

“So, you killed him..” Jack stared at Hannibal,

“It was self-defense, he, did kill Franklyn, my patient, he snapped his neck..” Jack walked away, keeping his eye on Hannibal and watching at Shanels reactions, she seemed to be in a type of shock that he had never seen before. Calm, although he couldn’t tell who, he knew that someone was lying and they were doing it quite well. Shanel looked at Will, who only gave her a nod as he exited out the office, a signal of he’d talk to her later. Night had fallen, and Hannibal had been prepping for the return of his dinner parties. Shanel, on the other hand, had already started getting herself to get ready, besides she wanted it to be a surprise to everyone who was coming if she were to be playing the lie of Hannibal’s fiance then why not make an entrance.

Guests began to appear one by one in the humble home of Lecter, some not knowing that it could be their last time. Plates of beautifully garnished victims danced around the table as everyone oohed and ahhed over it, although the food was a crowd-pleaser they had been waiting for the morbid Jay Gatsby, Hannibal Lecter who had worn his best suit for the occasion that he would be returning to his pompous social circle gathering parties, everyone around him sounded almost like a chattering lamb nearly screaming for his attention,

But there was only one woman who held it, promenading down the stairs was Shanel in a deep red mermaid gown that graced her figure beautifully and had the finest golden trim jewels around it. In her hair were diamonds that accented every curl in her updo. All eyes were on her, but she only cared about one set, Hannibals. Walking gracefully down to him, she took him by the hand escorted to the dining room where everyone was breathless of her. "Sorry, I’m late everyone, do forgive me..“ she gave them a small chuckle of a laugh something from charm school that she kept with her. Standing there was the grace of her mother and the fire to succeed in his little test. "Shall we begin our fest?” she looked at Hannibal as he gave her nod.

“Though I must warn you, nothing here is Vegetarian .” a curl to his lips as he kissed Shanel on the hand. The night had seemed to last almost an eternity. She had never felt so drained around people in her life, but when you get asked the same several questions, repeatedly, it could most certainly wear you thin. Sitting on the edge of his bed, she noticed just how much she was changing to the person she had wanted to be.

“What you said back there, did you mean it?” She asked wiping, the last bits of makeup off her face.

“Every word of it.” he kissed her forehead, unzipping her dress for her, “You, my dear make me smile.” he took in her scent. She turned towards him laughing,

“Just weeks ago, the lamb and the lion hated each other, and now the lion loves the lamb.” she kissed him softly grabbing him by the side of his face, moonlight shining above them from the window, she had it bad for Hannibal, and there wasn’t a thing she wouldn’t do for him, nothing at all.

“Ms. Mahone..” Crawford said, looking over at the shorter woman who had seemed a bit pissed at him, reason being was Bloom had called her at precisely 1 in the morning to tell her that Jack had not only brought in Abigal to identify the body of someone who he had presumed she killed, but he had questioned her without the sight of her lawyer,

“Crawford..” she snarled, “You asked my client, a minor who is also facing trauma to identify a body..” she sighed her hand on her temple, “And on top of that questioned her!”

“An attorney doesn’t have to be present for either of those.” he smirked, “Or did they not teach that Ms. Mahone,” his eyebrow raised, looking at her. Most people were intimidated by Jack but not Shanel,

“No, but as her represented voice, it would be best not to push me, Crawford, I am something not to reckon with.” Shanel took the pencil, stabbing it right into his desk, “That’s not a tone you want to carry with me, Mahone.” he jerked back, watching the smile on her face, “Then don’t ever question me.” getting up from his desk walking towards the morgue.

She had passed a classroom with gruesome pictures displayed on the projector screen listening in on what was said. “Now The Hunter is a difficult one to catch there’s, never a trace of footsteps barely any DNA left from the victims, but we know one thing he has a vendetta .. a cry in the murders,” Will said, looking over his shoulders only to find that no one was there. Shanel, who had a pleasant grin on her face, had always loved the sheer fact that the FBI could never trace the fact a woman was behind the murders, and it pleased her. Walking down to the morgue had become a relaxing pastime of hers the more times that she had begun to do it.

“Morning, Brian morning Jimmy.” she winked, sitting her briefcase down. Grabbing a pair of goggles and gloves Shanel, couldn’t believe her eyes as to what she was seeing.

“Morning Shanel,” Brian smiled, “Wanna see something interesting,?” he asked as she nodded, walking over to him she could see the rope burns the discoloration but not exactly how long they had been dead. Taking her finger and pressing it on the forehead and then to her tongue, she nearly heaved.

“Well we found-”

“1977..” she looked at Brian, then Jimmy.

“What?”

“This ones been dead since 1977..” She looked at the state of the others, “Where did you find them? ”

“On a beach, pieced like a totem pole,” Beverly said, ushering her towards the pictures, Shanel stopped and stared at them remembering Will talking about something to the extent of this crime in Hannibal’s office but, she didn’t remember too much or if all that he had said, looking at the pictures she was generally impressed with what she had seen, everything had seemed to mostly be done in post mortem,

“Doesn’t look too bad?” Shanel smirked, looking at the disembodied jigsaw puzzle, “But if I were your third opinion … I would say the killer doesn’t have a motive .” she then looked at the three examiners,

“Gotcha.,” Beverly smirked, finding a bit of DNA attached to the fighting dead body, “Well, I should get going..” Shanel smiled, walking away back to her car. Opening the door in the early morning fog, she felt hands grab her waist. Shanel then bent over as she leaned to the side, breaking away from grasp stabbing him right in the eyes as she then slit his throat open, tossing him in the trunk, another present for Hannibal as she liked to put it.

“Hannibal I’m home and I-” Shanel paused, walking into the kitchen as her eyes had gazed upon Alana Bloom drinking an ice-cold beer, the two giggling and carrying on about psychology as they both cooked. She could feel something in the pit of her stomach boil and a bad taste in her mouth form. “You ?” Hannibal looked up, waiting for her to finish her sentence, “I’ll tell you later it’s great to see you, Doctor Bloom..” she nodded, walking up the stairs.

“Would you like to join us for dinner?” Alana asked a slight smirk on her face.

“I wouldn’t want to interrupt a teacher and his student.” She laughed, walking back upstairs, a bit upset about everything she had just seen, and right after she had trusted someone confided into someone, there would be nothing left but the slow ache from her heart. She would convince herself that nothing was going on between them, but it would have been fine if they didn’t look so in love with each other. Sitting the tub, she could hear them laughing and talking about the good days when he was a professor and how everything he taught her she used. For Shanel, it made her practically sick to her stomach.

“I don’t think I can love you anymore..” Shanel said, looking in the mirror, rolling her hair.

“I wish every day to hold you.” he held her by the waist.

“Let go of me, You don’t love me like I love you.”

#hannibal x oc #nbc hannibal #hannibal fanfiction #hannibal lector #shanel mahone

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mystical-flute · 4 years

Text

Home is Wherever I’m With You (Ch. 1)

Ao3 || Ko-Fi

Neal refuses to leave Emma, escaping into Canada with her to start their lives over. They know as long as they're together, everything will be fine... even if that means running into the past they both tried so hard to escape. (Swanfire primary, minor Snowing/Rumbelle/other ships later)

“You need to leave her. It’s for her own good.”

Neal balked. Yes, somehow, this dude knew about magic, knew his name, and somehow knew that Emma’s destiny was to break a curse in… wherever the curse had dropped the residents of the Enchanted Forest. But Neal for the life of him couldn’t believe that August was asking him to do the one thing he feared the most.

“No,” he finally said. “I won’t do it. I won’t leave her.”

“But I know your story, Baelfire. I know about your relationship with your father. Surely you don’t want to see him again?”

He almost flinched back at the use of his real name, but he remained steady, staring intently at the other. “I love Emma. I would never leave her behind.”

August glared. “And what about the innocent people that are cursed?”

“I’ll get Emma there. I’ll get her where she needs to go.”

“Why should I believe you?”

“Because I can’t do a worse job than you have of making sure she’s safe. Where the hell have you been the last eighteen years when she was in and out of foster homes and living on the streets? We got a plan in action. We’re going to settle down and live the straight life. And on her birthday… we’ll be there to break the curse.”

“What about your father? I thought you hated him? How can I trust that you’ll really do that knowing your relationship with him?”

Neal bristled, anger growing. “Don’t you dare bring my father into this. My relationship with my father is moot when other people are at risk. I don’t care about my father, but if there are other people in danger… I can’t let them suffer.”

August seemed taken aback by that, and his eyes narrowed just slightly. “There’s seriously no convincing you?”

“No. Not at all. I will protect Emma and lead her to her destiny.”

The thought of it made his stomach twist in a knot, but he knew it was the best thing to do. He couldn’t be a coward, not like his father. He needed to make personal sacrifices to make sure people he cared about were happy.

Wendy. John. Michael. Mr. and Mrs. Darling…

He’d saved them, but at the same time, he lost them too.

He wouldn’t let it happen again.

“Look, I’ll even send you a postcard when we get to Vancouver. I’ll keep in contact with you if it means I can stay with her,” Neal implored. “I don’t want to hurt her like so many other people have.”

August shifted, clearly not having expected push back, but he finally sighed and nodded. “Alright, fine. Just make sure she gets to Storybrooke by her 28th birthday. And keep her safe. You have to promise me that you’ll send me a word when you get there.”

Neal wanted to snap back at him, but he realized how lucky he was getting, and nodded slowly instead, choosing to be polite as he took the business card August had given him. “I will, I promise. Thank you, August.”

“You better hurry back to your car. Emma’ll be back soon,” August said, hopping onto his motorcycle.

Neal rushed back to the bug, turning it on moments before Emma came running around the corner, watches in a bag at her side, and a wide smile of delight.

That damned smile would kill him one day, he was sure.

“I did it!” she cheered, breathless as she dropped into the passenger’s seat, triumphant. “Canada here we come!”

Neal laughed, leaning to kiss her deeply. “You’re brilliant, Emma. I - I still can’t believe you’d risk so much for a criminal like me.”

“C’mon, are you still worried about that? I love you, Neal. You’re the only one that’s really been there for me and hasn’t betrayed me…”

There was something haunted in her eyes, and while Neal had the urge to ask, he knew better not to. And, it was that look that sealed his decision to not leave her.

He wasn’t a coward. Not like his father. He’d keep his promise to Emma, and now, to August. He’d keep Emma safe… and bring her to Storybrooke in ten years.

Taking a deep breath, Neal put the car into drive and sped away from the train station, heading straight for the border.

“How long’s the trip?” Emma asked, relaxing against the sea. “I’ve never been to Canada before.”

“Map says only a couple hours. I picked up a couple late night snacks while you were gone for the ride up,” Neal replied.

“You didn’t have to - ”

“We needed food, Em. We can’t get to Canada on an empty stomach,” Neal laughed. “Besides, we don’t know what kinds of snack foods they have in Canada. This could be the last time you eat a bear claw until we can get to Tallahassee!”

Emma’s eyes widened. “Don’t you dare say that. I can’t live in a country without bear claws!”

He grinned. “Yeah, yeah, I know. I’m sure Canada has doughnut places that sell bear claws.”

“What’s the plan?” Emma asked. “Luckily, I have a passport, but, if you’re wanted here, there’s no way they’ll let you into Canada.”

Neal paused as the city skyline became more distant in the rear view mirror. “I got a passport too. We’ll just have to have faith that we’ll both be let through.”

“I don’t know how to do that…” Emma said softly, flicking the radio on, classic rock bursting from the speakers. “But I’ll try, for you.”

Neal reached to take Emma’s hand with his, using the other to steer. “Hey - look at me. It’s going to be okay. I promise you. Nothing bad is going to happen to us again. We’re gonna go, fence the watches, and we’re gonna start our lives over. No more stealing from gas stations and sleeping in this uncomfortable as shit car. I’m going to get you a cute little apartment in Tallahassee. We’re gonna fly straight from now on. I promise.”

Emma’s hand squeezed his tightly. “I don’t normally pray, but I think this might just make me start.”

Neal smiled. “Whatever will make you feel better.”

All of this was for her. Dropping the Bonnie and Clyde act, going straight, getting her to some town called Storybrooke where he was destined to reunite with his father after three-hundred years.

He just hoped she wouldn’t want something different in the ensuing years.

The drive was quiet, minus the radio, which began to crackle the further they got from Seattle and its radio towers.

“Do you want me to see if I can pick up a Canadian station?” Emma suggested.

“Yeah - if you want.”

Emma hummed softly, fiddling with the radio, before the music flickered back on. Only You, by Yaz.

Neal unconsciously gripped the steering wheel tighter as the words rang in his ears.

“You okay?” Emma asked quietly.

“Huh? Oh… yeah, I’m alright. This song just reminds me of someone.”

“Lost love?”

Neal kept his eyes focused on the road as the signs for the border crossing came into view. “Not exactly.”

“Your dad?”

“ … Sort of. He was as close as I had to a dad for a while.”

“It reminds me of someone too. Someone I thought was my friend.”

He noted Emma’s cheeks had turned a dusty pink, but didn’t say anything. “Sorry to hear that.”

“Yeah. Me too,” she sighed, looking out the window. “The watches are hidden. I made sure to hide the bag in my purse. Hopefully since it’s so dark they won’t search all that much.”

Neal nodded as they got in line. “Just act cool. Like we know what we’re doing.”

“Right.”

As the line creeped along, Neal’s fingers tapped anxiously against the steering wheel. Just a bit longer, and they were free. All they had to do was -

“Evening!” the patrol officer’s voice boomed suddenly. Neal scrambled to roll down the window. “It's a bit late to be coming across!”

Neal laughed a little as he handed him their passports. “Yeah… we had a bit of car trouble that set us back a couple hours. We wanted to get here in time for a late dinner… but instead we had to settle for gas station snacks.”

“Ah, you don’t need to worry about that there’s a 24-hour diner about ten minutes from here, and a hotel as well. How long do you guys plan to be in Canada?”

“Oh - only about a week or two. One last hurrah before we start school, y’know?”

“Oh sure, sure. We’ve gotten a lot of you guys comin’ through,” the guard said, stamping both passports with a smile. “Well, Miss Swan, Mr. Cassidy, you enjoy your time here.”

“Thanks. Have a good night,” Neal said, tossing Emma’s passport back to her as the other guard finished his sweep of the bug. Rolling the window up and pulling onto the main road, Neal let out a breathless laugh of relief.

They’d done it. They’d really and truly done it.

He pulled off to the welcome building, exchanging what little cash he had for Canadian dollars, and realized with glee that, just with their cash, they had enough for a proper dinner. Not for a motel room, but food was more important.

That night, they feasted on cheap diner food. Chicken strips, onion rings and grilled cheese, with pumpkin pie for dessert, and black coffee to wash it down. They slept in the bug in the motel’s parking lot, and in the morning, managed to sneak into one of the rooms to shower before they continued on their way to Vancouver.

“Today just feels different, you know?” Emma asked, looking over at him with a wide grin. “It feels like we can just wash everything away once we get rid of these watches.”

“It does. Like the start of the rest of our lives,” Neal said, squeezing her hand and grinning as they drove through the confusing streets of Vancouver. “The pawn shop I looked up in the phone book should be on this road, so keep an eye out for that.”

“There it is! Less Junk 4 U!”

Neal grinned, finding a parking spot and looking at the shop. “Are you ready? After today, everything changes.”

“I’m ready for anything.”

They clasped their hands together when they exited the bug and entered the shop, Neal holding the bag of watches carefully as he approached the counter.

“Hey there! How can I help you both today?” the woman at the counter asked with a wide smile.

“Got a few watches here that belonged to my dad,” Neal explained, letting Emma’s hand go and setting the bag down, carefully taking each watch out.

The woman’s eyes widened as she took in the condition of them, lifting one into her hands delicately. “These are beautiful. Pristine, even! It’s so rare that we get a treasure like this. You’re really sure you want to sell these?”

Neal wrinkled his nose, shrugging a little as if it were a difficult choice. “Yeah, I’m sure. Before he died, my dad and I didn’t have the greatest relationship and I’m not really a watch guy so… I figured someone else would get more use out of them if I brought ‘em here.”

“That’s very kind of you. I know many people who would love to have a Patek Philippe in this beautiful condition. I can give you... $20,000 for them, is that alright?”

Neal and Emma gasped, pretending to be shocked at the price, letting out chuckles of surprise, and Neal gripping the counter hard.

“Twe - twenty thousand? That - that’s amazing! We could do anything we wanted!” Emma remarked. “Ma’am… you’ve just changed our lives.”

She laughed softly, gesturing them over to the register. “Aw, come on now, you’re giving me too much credit. It’s not just about the money, it’s about what you guys intend to do with it.”

“We plan to get an apartment in Tallahassee,” Emma said, although Neal noticed she was beginning to look a little pale. “It’ll be our first time living together.”

The woman hummed, smiling a little as she finished counting out the cash. “Here you are… hey, are you feeling alright?”

“Um. Sorry but do you have a bathroom I could use?” Emma asked, her face going white.

“Of course, just go down this hall, it’s on the right.”

Emma rushed off, and Neal followed, worriedly waiting for her outside. Christ, this was only his second day of his promise to August, and Emma was puking her guts out in a pawn shop toilet! What if something was terribly wrong with her?

Neal fussed with his hands until the sound of the flush graced his ears. Emma looked shaken when she emerged, but otherwise okay.

“That’s better…” she said calmly, popping a mint she’d swiped from the motel desk into her mouth. “Are you ready to go?”

He nodded wordlessly, taking her hand as they moved back into the main area of the store.

“Are you alright?” the employee asked as they approached the door.

“Yeah - sorry about that. We just had too much fried food last night and I think it’s come back to kick me in the ass. Thanks for letting me use your bathroom,” Emma said.

Neal found his voice. “Yeah, and thanks for the money too. You’ve really helped us out today.”

“No trouble. You two have a good day.”

When they were alone, Neal looked worriedly at her. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine, Neal… I promise. Let’s just check into a proper hotel now.”

He smiled, tucking a piece of blonde hair behind her ear. “Whatever you want to do. Maybe we can do a little bit of sightseeing before we go back to the States?”

“I think that sounds fun. It’ll be like a proper vacation,” she said with a grin. “I’ve never been on vacation before.”

“Me either, so I’m glad it’s with you.”

“I love you, Neal Cassidy.”

“I love you too, Emma Swan.”

They kissed before driving off into the Vancouver afternoon.

#swanfire #emma swan #neal cassidy #ouat #once upon a time #fanfiction #home is wherever i'm with you

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the-fiction-witch · 4 years

Text

Watch You WHAT!

REAL LIFE X NIGHTMARE ON ELMSTREET COUPLE TBS X READER RATING SMUTT

I yawned fighting back the desire to sleep, I can't not with that dream occupying murderer I couldn't sleep, sleep would be suicide not when there is not possiblity I could wake myself-

"I got it!" I said as it clicked in my head I got up going to my bedroom window pulling the curtians away so I could look outside to nextdoor I saw the light flooding out nextdoors window as I looked into the bedroom of the boy nextdoor, he sat on his bed playing his bass in his boxer shorts and some motorbike t shirt so I waved but nothing, I yelled and nothing so I sighed getting my phone and calling him

"Hello?" He asks as he just picked up his phone without even looking

"Look out your window Thomas" I told him

"What? Y/n? Wh- why do I need to look out my window?" He asks

"Just do it you dickhole"

He put his bass down coming to the window with his phone

"I see you? Hello" he says as he waved

"Hi, I need you to do me a favour"

"Sure" he shrugs

"I need you to come over" I told him

"C-come over?" He stuttered "I uhh I thought your parents weren't there?"

"They aren't that's why I want you to come over"

"Uuuuhhh okay" he blushed "which door can you unlock for me?"

"Neither, my dad's paranoid about me sneaking out, just hop over the fence, and climb the drainpipe"

"Y-you want me to climb your drainpipe so I can sneak secretly into your room?"

"Yes now hurry up" I told him hanging up and getting a drink not even a minute later there was a tap into on my window so I opened it letting Thomas climb in

"Hi" he smiled as he shut my window for me

"Hi" I sighed as he came sitting on my bed with me

"Soo..." He began

"Soo" I began about to start telling him my plan but before I could speak he jumped in on me kissing me rather lustfully grabbing my waist I was in shock till he pulled away

"Umm y/n" he smirked blushing a little

"WHAT THE FUCK THOMAS!" I screamed

"What?" He asks

"Why did you kiss me!"

"But you- but i-" he stuttered very confused "have I missread this?"

"Yeah! Whatever the fuck you read this as is definitely wrong"

"You didn't invite me over so we could fool around?"

"No!" I argue "where the hell did you get that idea?"

"You rang me up in the middle of the night in your nightie telling me to drop was I was doing and sneak in your bedroom window while your parents are out' he explained "how the hell did you expect me to read it!"

"That I need to talk to you?"

"You couldn't talk on the phone?"

"No... Thomas this is serious, it has to be in person"

"Oh my god your pregnant!"

"What! Thomas no! I'm not pregnant!"

"Ooh... Are you in love with someone?" He asks carefully and with a suggestive tone to his voice "if you you should probably just out right tell me so we can go back to what we where doing?" He suggested trying to kiss me

"Not in love, and not with you even if I was" I argued pushing him away "why when I tell you I need to talk about something serious your first two guess are I'm pregnant or I'm in love with you?"

"Seemed logical" he shrugs

"What was your next guess?"

"Running away"

"What would your response to that have been?" I laughed

"Either, no don't go y/n we can work this all out or, get going get your new identity and I'll throw the police off your scent by feeding them false information"

"C-can I have your brain? When you die?"

"Why?" He asks

"I just want to... Study it" I told him "no Thomas I brought you over for a very simple reason, because of all these in dream murders I can't risk going sleep on my own I need you to sit here and watch me sleep and wake me up if I'm in trouble"

"You want me to do what?" He asks in shock

"Watch me sleep"

"Watch you what!"

"Watch me sleep Thomas it's not complicated"

"Am I really the person you want for this job? Given that you bought a black out blind for the soul purpose of stopping me looking in your window"

"Because you where being a perv!"

"And you want me sat watching you sleep?"

"It's not ideal... But you'll do"

"So I just have to sit here at the end of your bed not go to sleep and just watch you sleep and wake you if your about to be murdered?"

"Yes"

"No, I'm tried as it is I'm sorry y/n I'm not doing it" he says going to leave out my window

"I'll let you look through my window again?" I offer

"All the time?" He asks carefully

"As much as you want, but I shut my blind after a shower"

"No deal that's like the best bit" he says going to leave

"I'll let you feel my boobs!" I offer

He froze "both of them?"

"Yes" I sighed "under your nightie?"

"No I'm not wearing a bra you perv!"

"Your not?" He smirked his eyes linguring on my chest so I crossed my arms "no deal"

"I'll suck you off" I offer as he was about to climb out my window

"Really!"

"Yes" I sighed

"Will I get to finish?"

"Yes"

"Can you take your nightie off when you do it?" He smirked

"No!" I argue and he went to leave "I'll leave my nightie on but you can feel my boobs while you do it"

"Deal" he smirked "but I wanna keep watch in the bed"

"Fine" I sighed so we got sorted and I tucked myself up into bed Thomas sat over the covers with his phone "remember you wake me up if there's trouble"

"I will"

"Good,... Goodnight Thomas" I yawned

"Goodnight y/n" he smiled "hey uuhh before you go to sleep? Could I get a kiss goodnight?"

"Fine" I sighed sitting up and giving him a little kiss before I turned away to sleep.

"Ummmm... Uuuummmm....uuuhh ummmm" I heard as I slowly woke up that was the best night's sleep I've had in weeks I was curious as to what that noise was but then I remembered

Oh yeah, I let Thomas watch me sleep last night, And I let him sit in my bed.

I felt his hands on my breasts having slipped up my nightie to do so groping them softly and slowly his morning wood rubbing up against my butt, pressing kisses down my neck between his moans and making hikis to prevent much louder moans from waking me one hand left my breasts a moment slipping down my body pulling up my nightie so he could rub on my bare ass his hand grabbing my butt and thigh giving the soft squishy skin a grope "uuhh UUmmm oh god you feel so good" he groans desperately but hushed as he tried not to wake me returning to kissing his hand slipping around to touch my clit precisely and carefully "huummm again? Alright darling but this will really have to be the last one" he smirked his rubbing turning to humping so I pushed him s hands away and slapped him so hard he fell out my bed "y/n! What the hell!" He complained getting up

"Me! Your the pervert who was about to have sex with me in my sleep!"

"I wasn't going to have sex with you!"

"Then what where you doing!"

"I was... Going to hump your butt till I came and then get you off with my hands"

"You said again how many times have you done this tonight!"

"I've had three Uhhh I think you had about five" he shrugs sitting back on my bed "I kept asking if you wanted to you kept nodding I thought you where awake and you where playing with me" he blushed

"Your a dirty pervert"

"I know, shall we just call it even?"

"How is this even?"

"I stayed up like you asked me too in exchange for a promised blowjob... I got to fool around with you in bed I'm happy, so even?"

"Even" I agreed mostly to get me out of having to suck him off

"Okay, call me if you need me to come watch you sleep again" he sighed tugging his rather dirty boxers up and going to my window

"Thomas?"

"Yeah?"

"Might as well finish what you started"

"What?"

"I'm not that evil to make you go home when your half done come on" I laughed

"Really!"

"Yes" I laughed so he shut my window and jumped back in bed with me

"Want me to Uhhh do you to or just me?" He asked excitedly

"Well you might as well do both of us" I smirked turning to sit on my stomach he looked shocked but very excited

"You mean it?"

"Condoms in the top draw Thomas, and be quiet I don't know when my parents get home" I giggled

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reaganjenelle · 4 years

Text

Louder Than Words

An Anders x OC soulmate AU nobody asked for, but didn't know they needed.

Hi there, possible reader! I'm reaganjenelle. I can tell you're on the fence about reading this Fan fiction. Don't worry, you're not alone. I promise that if you try it, there's a strong possibility that you'll enjoy what you find. So, why don't you kick back, relax, and try something new? Enjoy.

Word Count: 2,284

Chapter 1. Kirkwall

Kirkwall, quite frankly, smelled like piss. Julia had half a mind to simply get back on the ship a return to Fereldan, blight be damned. But she wouldn't. Elric was here and now so was she. Julia took a moment to stretch her cramped muscles before slipping off the cargo ship unnoticed. The journey across the sea had been spent hiding amongst the crates and dodging the crew. It wasn't that she wasn't willing to pay for safe passage. She had, in fact, approached the captain about paying to be smuggled into the city. He was just too far up the Maker's arse to agree. Hadn't thought her coin was worth the risk of being caught. Little did he know Julia had hitched a ride anyway, and he was short the gold he would have had. Not to mention the captain was now convinced one of his crew members had been sneaking extra rations.

The docks were crowded with sweaty workers shoving past each other. It took little effort for the rouge to blend in. Everyone was too busy minding the cargo to pay a lone woman any mind. The first thing Julia decided she needed was to find a hot meal and a stiff drink. A surly looking man grunted directions to her for a tavern in Lowtown only after she had begrudgingly handed over a few coins in return. It was hard to see the appeal of Kirkwall for Julia. As previously stated, it smelled something awful, the buildings had seen better days, and the people seemed just as run down. It wasn't just that they all sorely needed to bathe, it was the way they carried themselves. As if they were caught between looking out for pickpockets and trying to find any easy target for themselves. A woman leaned against the door of an extremely run down house, leering at those who passed by and promised a good time for very little coin. A scabbed sore warned on her mouth. Julia wrinkled her nose and passed by more quickly. But not before her deft fingers found coin in a distracted man's pocket. Alleys broke off in several directions. Some were empty, some held people engaged in shady dealings, and still others worked as homes.

A child huddled by himself in ally opening, clothes threadbare and eyes downcast. He took shelter beneath a soiled sheet stuffed between cracks to hold it up. Behind him was a crust of moldy bread with small bites taken in it. It appeared the boy was trying to ration it. A tin can sat empty between his dirty feet; it was most likely used to catch rain water so he could drink. No one paid him any mind. Julia felt a twinge of guilt as she went to pass by, feet hesitating. It was like looking into a mirror.

"Hey, kid." The child flinched before looking up. His dark eyes were slightly glazed and he had trouble focusing on anything. His pale lips were chapped from dehydration and his cheeks were sunken in from lack of nutrition.Julia squatted in front of him before she could really understand how she managed to find herself there. "Got a name?"

He nodded mutely.

She raised an eyebrow. "Wanna tell me what it is?"

His face flushed and he croaked, "Daniel, serah."

Julia 'hmmed'. "Where are your parents?"

Daniel looked down at his boney hands. "Gone."

"Are you hungry?"

His head snapped up, eyes wide. "W-what?"

Julia ran her fingers through her hair. "Are you hungry? I've always hated eating alone."

A spark of hope ignited in his eyes. "Me, too."

"Well then." Julia stood and gestured for him to do the same. "Why don't we find something to eat together?"

He got shakily to his feet. The rouge winced at his boney frame, but said nothing. Instead, she held out her hand for him to take and led the way to Lowtown. Why she had decided to take him with her was beyond her. She couldn't waste time trying to play the good guy. Not with Elric so close. The kid was a liability and expense she didn't need.

One meal, that's all I can do for him.

The tavern was easy enough to find, what with the sign being a hanged man and all. Julia wrinkled her nose when she stepped inside. The aroma of stale beer and vomit sucker punched her senses as soon as she crossed the threshold. It was mostly empty, save for the few drunkards passed out randomly throughout the establishment. All things considered, it wasn't the worst pub she had been to. Who knows? Maybe they had great mead and even better stew. Julia sat the kid down at a relatively clean table before making her way to the bar.

The bartender was wiping down a dirty mug with an equally dirty rag. "Wha' can I get for ya, love?"

"Food for two, a stiff drink, and two glasses of water." Julia said, sliding a few coins across the grimy surface to him.

Cups in hand, she sat down at the table and slid the water over to Daniel. He hesitated before taking a large drink draining it dry. Julia hid her smile by taking a swig of her own drink and pushing the second cup of water toward him. She grimaced at the burn followed by a bitter after taste. Maybe she should have gotten a water, too. The pair sat in silence until a stern looking barmaid practically slammed down two bowls of mutton and a stale loaf of bread on the table before walking away.

"Well," Julia slid a bowl over to herself. "Dig in, kid." He needed no further invitation. "Whoah, slow down!" Julia laughed. Daniel looked up at her, cheeks stuffed full of anything he could get his hands on. "There's no rush. You'll make yourself sick at the rate you're going." He swallowed thickly and did his best to slow his pace. Satisfied, Julia began to eat as well.

The mutton wasn't bad. It wasn't good, but it wasn't terrible either. It was far better than the scraps of food she had managed to scrounge up on the ship, and far more satisfying. Daniel finished before her, and fan his dirty fingers along the bottom of the dish. Which an internal sigh, she pushed her half eaten food across the wooden table.

"Here. Not as hungry as I thought I was."

He looked from her to the mutton and back in disbelief. "But…"

"Don't get you smalls in a twist. I had plenty." Julia said, taking a large gulp of her mead.

When Daniel finished off the last of the food, he looked up at her and offered a small smile. "Thank you."

Julia shoved down the warm feeling his simple statement had given her. "Yes, well. I wanted the company and you had nothing better to do. Win, win."

Except it wasn't. She had spent more than she should have. It was hard enough taking care of herself. Time was wasting. She had enough on her plate without him to worry about.

Clearing her throat, she stood. "I should get going. See you around, kid."

He continued to sit there even after Julia paid for a room and left the tavern behind. She put him out of her mind. He had food in his belly, now. He would be fine. Probably. Or not. Whatever, it wasn't her problem.

Julia wandered around Kirkwall aimlessly, carefully swiping coin from several pockets on her way. The higher she went into the city, the cleaner it became, and the more snobbish people became. They made for the easiest targets. Coins jingled happily in her purse, steadily growing in number. While raising funds (read: stealing), Julia also made inquiries about the Circle. A particularly chatting vendor explained they kept mages in the Gallows. It was a small island like structure in the bay that had once held the Tevinter slaves. A fortress that now housed mages. A large host of templars guarded them, the biggest in the Free Marches, she was assured. When asked about how to get there, the man simply blinked at her.

"Why would you want to go there?"

Why, indeed. "My brother is Templar. I traveled here to visit him." I lied.

With an understanding smile, he explained about the boats reserved for visiting the prison, and gave her an apple for free. "My thanks to your brother. For keeping us safe.

Shadows grew longer as the sun began its slow descent behind the tops of buildings. Leaning against a stone banister, Julia mulled over what she had learned. The templars were the biggest problem she faced. With so many, it would make her goal harder to achieve. Not only that, but the Gallows being an island would make a clean getaway difficult. She also had to account for securing passage to and from the fortress, then out of Kirkwall. Frustrated, Julia pushed off the railing. Stupid blight. If it had waited just a few more weeks to reach them… but it hadn't. Now here she was, having to rebuild her plans. It was terribly annoying.

Finding the red lantern district in the middle of the richest part of town gave Julia a small sense of amusement. She would have thought it would be in Lowtown if only to keep the undesirables separated. She supposed it would too unbearable for rich folk to have to sully themselves by being seen with the rabel.

The Blooming Rose was filled with people looking for comfort in others. While Julia had never paid for company, she could certainly see the appeal when she saw a muscular young man lead a customer into another room with a seductive grin. Shaking her head wistfully, she made her way to the counter.

"What's your poison, darling?" The woman behind the counter was beautiful. Her long hair curled loosely around her bare shoulders. It was a wonder her sleeveless dress was able to keep her ample bosom from spilling out of top.

"How much for a hot bath?" Julia asked, appreciating the view she was given when the woman leaned forward.

"Looking for someone to wash your back?"

A wide smirk appeared on Julia's lips. "Not tonight, just a private bath."

"Shame." The woman said, a pout on her pretty face. She gave the price and Julia handed over the money.

The bathing room was steamy, and a large bath was built into the floor. The rouge folded her clothes neatly before sinking into its warm depths. Weeks of dirt melted off her skin. It was refreshing to scrub her skin until it was pink. Julia let her mind wander and found herself thinking of Elric. It had been years since she had seen him. Nine years, in fact. He wouldn't be the little boy she remembered, no, her little brother was a man now. She wondered if he thought of her. Of what she had done. Julia sighed as she massaged scented oils into her hair. There was no use dwelling on it. Once she freed him they would talk. She would explain why she had done it, how she had been weak. But she wasn't weak anymore. Now she could take care of him, of both of them. He would see.

Julia left the brothel feeling refreshed. Her hair was left down to dry as she made the trek back to Lowtown. Perhaps she would grow it out again. It currently rested just below her chin due to an unfortunate accident involving a nug and a horde of dark spawn. The mousey colored locks hung limply, and would continue to do so even after it was completely dry. At least when it was long she could braid it back. At the moment it was too short to do much of anything with.

The streets were empty aside from the occasional thug looking for easy victims. It was simple enough to avoid them buy sticking to the shadows. All Julia wanted when the Hanged Man rose to greet her was an ale and sleep. Food be damned. The bath had her too relaxed to care for much else, and that apple had been far better than anything the tavern had. That is, until she was him. Daniel sat exactly where she had left him, surrounded by rowdy drunks ignoring him. When he spotted Julia, a relieved smile lit up his face.

He's like a stray dog. Julia though as she waded through the crowd towards him. Feed them once and they never leave.

"I wasn't sure if you were coming back." He said when she had reached him.

Julia forced the smile that threatened to appear away. This was a problem. The kid now thought she was some kind of good person who had taken him in off the streets. She wasn't. He wasn't her responsibility, and her act of kindness had already been fulfilled for the week, thank you. She needed to tell him to scam, to find someone else to leech off of.

"So, you waited here all day?" She asked instead.

He looked down at the table top and mumbled, "Was that bad?"

Yes. The last thing she needed was someone who needed her. Julia sighed and asked instead, "Hungry?"

His face lit up and he nodded quickly.

Later that night, she looked down at the boy who slept soundly in her bed. One night, then he was gone. She would give him some coin in the morning and send him on his way. Mind made up, Julia settled deeper into the rickety chair and tried to get some sleep.

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