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herrmannhalsteadproduction · 1 year

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Wingman? Wingwoman? Wingperson. (Chapter Three)

Summary: This is Part Seventeen of my series A Herrmann/Halstead Production. It is an AU where Christopher Herrmann's mom had an affair with Pat Halstead resulting in a baby. The series follows this OC character (Rebecca "Bex" Herrmann) as she grows up and gets to know her brothers and the various Chicago teams. It is very much an AU, just to underscore that. It doesn't follow the same timeline and characters will follow different paths.

Click here for the Series Rundown where you can find the links to read all of the previous installments (which I highly recommend you do so that this one makes sense.)

Rating: Teen and Up

Relationships: Christopher Herrmann & Original Female Character, Jay Halstead & Original Female Character, Will Halstead & Original Female Character, Jay Halstead & Will Halstead, pre-Greg 'Mouse' Gerwitz/Original Female Character, Will Halstead/Connor Rhodes, Assorted OC Couples

Warnings: Referenced Domestic Violence and Threatening Behaviour (these are warning tags for a brief scenes with Ty), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Rejection, Self-Sabotage, Swearing, but also on the flip side - Connor and Will being too freaking cute to handle.

A/N: To underscore my previous note, this is an alternate universe so things have unfolded differently. This will not follow the canon arc exactly by any means. But I hope you'll still enjoy it!

Chapter One Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Will

Bex and Emery had pushed him out the door that morning with a travel mug of coffee and an earful of encouragement.

That had bolstered him right up until he was about to step foot inside of Med and now, here he was. Frozen in place.

He could do this.

He was thirty-one years old for chrissake. He could ask someone out on a date.

He could look that someone in his handsome friggin’ face and say—

“Will!”

“No, I’m Will,” he blurted out to an amused looking Connor who had popped up out of nowhere.

Great start. Absolutely fantastic.

“Yes, you are,” Connor said sounding, oh god, stupidly fond. Will tried to fight the blush working its way up his cheeks, but it was a useless battle.

“You coming in?” Connor asked, nodding at the front door. “Or hanging out here for the day?”

“No, yeah, I’m uh, I’m coming in,” Will said, floundering for his words. Any string of comprehensible words. “I just need to call Bex first? About this thing that I forgot—we forgot about it, the two of us, and I need to tell her—but I’ll be right there. You go ahead.”

“Okay,” Connor said slowly, like he was trying to decide how concerned to be. “Say hi to Bex. I’ll see you in there.”

“Mm-hm, yup, bye,” Will said, waving him off. As soon as Connor was out of sight, he clenched his fists and banged them against his forehead. “Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.”

Deep breath.

One more.

Okay.

Will dug out his phone and called Bex, willing her to pick up which she did instantly.

“Hey! That was fast! How did—”

“I already messed it up!” Will exclaimed, cutting her off and quickly relaying the last few minutes to her blow-by-blow.

“You didn’t mess it up,” Bex said immediately.

“No, it sounds like it was cute,” Emery added in, her voice slightly tinny. Bex must have him on speaker phone. Good. This could be a group effort.

“I’m freaking out a little bit here,” he confessed. “I was all confident and then I saw him and got weird and I think I need another pep talk. Or a plan of attack. I need to figure out how to pick my moment.”

“Try and get him alone,” Bex said. “I think you’ll be less nervous if it’s just the two of you.”

“Hasn’t worked out so far,” Will muttered.

“You need a confidence boost again,” Emery said, voice louder like she was leaning in. “You need a green light to give your green light.”

“I don’t—”

“Do something hot,” Emery continued like that explained things. “And then when you see that he’s into it…you pounce. Ask him out.”

Will was silent for a full five seconds while he absorbed that advice. And another five when he realized he was considering it. “What hot thing could I possibly do while I’m at work?” he asked in a strangled voice.

“I’m gonna let Emery take the lead here because this is way too awkward a conversation to have with my brother,” Bex said.

A shuffling noise while he guessed Emery was taking possession of the phone.

“This is going to be easy, Will,” she assured him. “Do any of the following…push up your sleeves to show off your forearms—”

“My fore—”

“Don’t interrupt,” she said. “This is science, Will. Sleeves. Forearms. Trust me. Also, run a hand through your hair and let it go a bit messy. You’ve got great hair. It’s like your own personal wingman.”

Why did he feel like he was supposed to be writing this down?

“Lips,” Emery declared. “Bite or lick your bottom lip. Keep it brief. Extended is creepy.”

“Okay, no. Thank you for the help, but I think I’ll just figure this out as I go,” Will said and there was another shuffle before Bex came back on the phone.

“Just breathe, Will. Do what feels right in the moment,” she said. “You and Connor already have something great. This is just you taking a step to make it even better.”

He took a deep breath and let her words sink in.

Okay.

He could do this.

“Thanks, Bex,” he said softly.

“Go team,” she sing-songed back.

“Go forearms!” Emery yelled in the background.

“I’m going now,” he laughed. “Good-bye. Love you.”

“Love you too,” Bex said before disconnecting the call.

“Go, team,” he whispered himself before squaring his shoulders and heading into the hospital.

***

Bex

“I’m so nervous for him,” Bex groaned to Emery as she set her phone back down on the kitchen table. “I just want to go there and give him a hug.”

“No,” Emery said, pointing a finger at her from her perch on the counter. “That is a delay tactic to avoid going to see Mouse. I see you, missy.”

Bex rolled her eyes and picked up her phone again. “I’ll send him a few more messages,” she said. “Boost that confidence a little more.”

“Good idea.” Emery picked up her own phone. “Arm flex emoji. Lips emoji. Eggplant. Eggplant. Eggplant—”

“Emery! Stop!” Bex laughed. “You’ll freak him out.”

“Nah,” she said, finishing off the rest of what was probably a ridiculous string of symbols. “It’ll make him laugh just like you and then you’ll both be a bit more relaxed.”

Bex hoped so, for Will’s sake. And that he read his messages where no one else could see…

“Now,” Emery hopped off the counter and plopped into the chair on the other side of the table. “What’s your plan?”

“I haven’t been able to nail him down for a get together lately,” Bex said, propping her elbow on the table and resting her chin in her hand. “So, I thought I’d try and catch him outside the station? There’s a little garden park a couple of blocks over that we could walk to.”

“I like that,” Emery agreed. “Good thinking. And then, all you have to do is bite your lip—”

“Stop,” Bex cackled, throwing a grape from her plate at her. Emery caught it and popped it in her mouth with a grin. “What are your plans for the day?”

She was well aware that Emery hadn’t left the apartment since she got there except for when they went to retrieve her stuff. Bex was letting her set the pace, not wanting to push her, but she didn’t want her feeling trapped either.

“I hadn’t really thought about it yet…” Emery trailed off.

“My afternoon is free,” Bex said. She could push the work she was planning to do on her graphic novel to tomorrow. “Do you need anything? We could go run errands together. Maybe grab lunch?”

Emery hesitated for a moment before nodding with a small smile. “That would be really nice. It’s been—I haven’t really wanted to go anywhere by myself yet.”

“And you don’t have to yet if you don’t feel ready.” Bex reached across the table to squeeze her hand. “Whatever you feel most comfortable with is what we’ll do.”

“I don’t want to feel like I’m hiding here,” Emery said with a quiet sigh. “The whole point of—of getting out of there was to be free of him so I don’t want the worry that he’s out there to keep me from doing anything.” She squeezed Bex’s hand back. “But I think starting small is a good idea? I like the idea of going out for errands. Especially with a buddy.”

“I can bring you back here before I go to the station,” Bex offered. “Or maybe drop you off at Kira and Malia’s if they’ll be home? If you’d like to see them?”

“Yeah. That sounds great,” Emery grabbed her phone, getting into the plan. “I’ll check.”

“I’ll get changed.” Bex left her to it and headed to her room to get changed out of her pajamas. She wanted something cute, but not too cute? She didn’t want to start out declaring her intentions with her outfit. Did that even make sense? “Normal,” she muttered to herself. “Just aim for normal.”

Jean shorts, red boho top, and slip on yellow Converse.

There. Just a normal outfit to wear when going to pour one’s heart out and pray for reciprocation.

Perfect.

She put her hair up, added a bit of make-up, and left before she could overthink it.

Emery was sitting on the couch texting, having been dressed and ready since before Will left. “Isaac says they’re all available tonight and want to have a get together at Kira and Malia’s,” she said as soon as Bex entered the room. “As long as you’re not too busy…” Emery looked up from her phone and waggled her eyebrows.

“Let’s not jinx anything,” Bex warned her. “And that sounds awesome. I’d love to see everyone.”

“Great, I’ll let him know.” Emery dashed off another text before grabbing her bag and rising from the couch. She gave Bex a slow onceover once she was in front of her and held out a thumb’s up. “You look great. Casual, but still hot.”

“Step one of the plan.” Bex grinned at her. “Come on, let’s go.” She twirled her keys on her finger as they headed down to the parking lot. There was something about today. Something crackling in the energy.

She was going to take it as a good sign.

***

He watched Bex pull out of the parking lot in her piece of shit car with Emery sitting in the passenger seat.

He could admit that he’d lost his mind a bit when Emery left. All he’d been able to think about was tracking her down and bringing her back home.

But he went in too hot and that stupid bitch and her fucking cop brother slapped him with a restraining order.

And that was fine.

Looking down at his phone, Ty watched the little dot moving along the map as the tracker he’d stuck under the bumper of her car did its job. It was amazing what you could buy on the internet these days.

Now that the shock had worn off, he could be calm.

He could be patient.

He could plan.

Because he knew where Emery belonged.

And soon enough she would too.

***

Shay

“Oh, my god,” Shay jumped in her seat as she looked down at her phone. “Oh, my god.”

“What?” Brett looked over at her in concern. “Is everything okay?”

“Where’s Herrmann?” She looked around the break room, not spotting him anywhere.

“He’s out at the Squad table talking to Severide and Casey about something,” Otis said around a mouthful of apple. “What’s up?”

She waved her phone at him. “It’s happening. It’s happening!!!”

“What’s happening?” Dawson plopped down beside her.

“Bouse.” Shay let the enormity of that hang in the air.

“Ugh,” Dawson groaned. “I still think we can come up with a better nickna—wait.” She sat up ramrod straight. “What you mean it’s happening?”

“Bex’s friend Emery told Isaac who just texted me that Bex plans to talk to Mouse today and ask him out. On a date.” “Oh, my god,” Dawson whispered.

Otis immediately crammed himself into their little huddle and Mouch ambled over from the couch. “Who had today?” Otis asked. “What are the circumstances? She’s definitely asking him? I put money on that.”

“She and Will made a pact?” Shay said, scrolling through her messages. “I guess he’s going to ask out Connor today too?”

“Um?” Brett raised a hand in question. “I thought Will and Connor were already dating?”

“Yeah, there’s a whole thing there,” Dawson said, shaking her head. “So, we didn’t include them in the bet. This is strictly a Bex and Mouse show.”

“And now it’s happening. Finally. I’ve never been so invested in a heterosexual relationship before,” Shay said, staring off into the distance. “I don’t know who I am anymore.”

“Text Trudy,” Dawnson urged her, “We need to know where the pot stands and compare notes with Isaac and Devon.”

“On it.” She started typing rapidly, shooting off a message to the group chat while she was at it, warning everyone to keep this close to the vest. The last thing they needed was someone spilling the beans before Bex had a chance to make her move.

Man. They were going to have to have another party to celebrate those two finally sorting themselves out.

***

Will

He’d gone most of the day without finding the opportunity to talk to Connor. It was like the ED was conspiring to keep the both as busy as possible.

Finally, mid-afternoon, he managed to sneak away when he saw Connor headed into the break room. He slipped inside and helped himself to a bottle of water while Connor stood at the counter, fixing a cup of coffee.

“Hey,” Connor smiled at him. “Crazy day, eh?”

“Always is,” Will sighed, aiming for a casual stretch as he carefully side-eyed him.

Okay, do it.

Do it now.

Would you like to go out on a date with me? That’s all he had to say.

Connor glanced over at him, raising an eyebrow and Will found himself reaching for his wrist to push up a sleeve that didn’t exist because it was summer, Emery.

“You okay?” Connor asked.

“Yeah.” Will rubbed at his arm and headed over to his cubby because fuck it. Apparently, he was going all in and doing this. “Air conditioning’s getting to me a bit.”

He pulled out his white lab coat and put it on.

“Won’t you get overheated in that?” Connor gave him a look when he came to lean against the counter beside him.

Will shrugged. “I can always do this,” he said, grabbing one sleeve and folding it back a couple of times before slowly—because if he was doing this ridiculousness, he was doing it—pushing it up over his elbow.

Connor took a sip of his coffee and tracked the movement with his eyes.

Hunh.

So far, so good.

Will shot him a grin and went to do the other arm and—

Ow. Okay, Sleeve up over the elbow was a bad idea. Too tight. Now it was bunchy and cutting off circulation. “Hang on,” he grumbled, trying to get the right angle to pull the damn thing down, but it was stuck and christ, this was a disaster—

"Jesus."

“Hang on, let me help,” Connor said, chuckling softly as he set his coffee down. He stepped into Will’s space and gently tugged the bunched up fabric over his elbow and down his arm.

Connor kept his touch light, looking up when he was done. “All fixed.”

...he hadn’t let go of Will’s arm yet.

Will bit his lip lightly.

For science.

Connor’s eyes darted down, watching, darkening slightly and—

Oh.

“Go out with me,” Will said, words rushing out in one go.

“What?” Connor blinked in surprise, taking a small step back.

“Would you, Connor,” Will said slowly, savouring the words this time. “Like to go out on a date with me?”

“I would love that.” A wide grin spread across Connor’s face. “How about tonight?”

Holy shit. “Tonight sounds perfect.”

Connor moved closer. “I could pick you up in my fancy car.”

“Ah, no,” Will laughed, poking at him. “The asker gets to do the picking up.”

Connor shrugged, unfazed. “Fine by me,” he said. “I’ll pick you up for our second date.”

Will’s eyebrows flew up. “Second date? Feeling pretty confident there, are we?”

“Let’s just say,” Connor leaned in close. “I’ve thought a lot about getting you in my car.”

A whole series of not safe for work images flashed through Will’s mind. He could see exactly how it would play out and it was fast. Too fast. Flame out too soon fast. “Oh, ah, haha…”

“Too much?” Connor took a careful step back, picking up on the change in the room.

“No?” Will said, voice pitched about an octave higher than normal. “Maybe?”

Emery’s voice piped up in his brain. Honesty. Horrible, horrible honesty.

He straightened up and reached out to stop Connor from retreating completely. “It sounded a little too good,” he confessed, taking a deep breath. “I had my fill of fast and fun in New York. I never really had anything that lasted and you know all about the reasons behind that.”

Connor nodded, leaning against the counter as he listened.

“I want to take things slow here with you,” he said. “Because this is important to me. You’re important to me. I want…whatever it is we’re starting to last.”

“Me too,” Connor said, reaching out to give his hand a squeeze.

“Good,” Will said before shaking his head. “Still going to be thinking about you and that damn car for the rest of the day though so thanks for that.”

Connor instantly relaxed the rest of the way, releasing Will’s hand and shooting him shit-eating grin. “Good.” He headed for the door, calling over his shoulder. “Pick me up at seven.”

“I’ll be there,” Will called after him.

He took a quick look around and made sure no one was looking his way before doing a quick little fist pump dance. “Yes, yes, yes!” He shucked his coat and scrambled for his phone.

He had to call Bex.

Click here to read Chapter Four.

Click here to read Wingman? Wingwoman? Wingperson. on ao3:

And here is the tag list (let me know if you wish to be added or removed):

@sorry-i-spaced, @iunnowatuwant, @thegirlwhowishedeveryonelived, @ivyalmighty, @thewannabewriter, @lexhalstead3, @multifandomgrl08, @foxes-and-cats, @sensitivemallysix, @thebewingedjewelcat

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emitheduck · 3 years

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So. We're Soulmates? (Bucky x Reader)

A/N: my first soulmate AU, and I figured it was finally time, and bucky deserved one lol. no spoilers whatsoever

Soulmate AU where you have your soulmate’s birthday tattooed on your arm ---

March 10th, 1917.

(Y/n) had always thought, there was no possible way that the universe had ever, ever gotten her soulmate’s birthday right. When everyone was celebrating that their soulmate was around the same age as them, she got to look down in horror as she could practically see her soulmate’s life fly by. There was legitimately no possible way that her soulmate would even still be alive.

The rules of the soulmate were strange, and no one ever understood them or questioned them. It was found out sometime in the 80s that the dates on peoples forearms weren’t random--but the birthday of their soulmate. Because the universe was a cosmic nightmare, when someone’s soulmate died, the numbers went with them.

That’s what made this so strange.

Either (Y/n)’s soulmate was hanging onto life support, or the universe had fucked up and decided it was going to trick her into thinking she could find happiness like everyone else.

She had these feelings up until she got the faithful call one day, that she had landed the job with SHIELD and found out that she would be working in the helicarrier during the attack on New York. And that’s how she met Steve Rogers.

“You know, it’s kind of funny.” Steve sighed with a chuckle, shaking his head as he followed (Y/n) who was leading him to where he would be staying.

“What is?” She asked as she typed in the access code for one of the doors as they walked.

“The number on your arm. That’s my friend’s birthday.” Steve was smirking as he walked into his room. “I mean, it was his birthday.”

(Y/n) looked down at the date on her arm and sighed, her hand instinctively covering the date. “You sure he’s dead? Not some hundred-year-old veteran in a nursing home that you haven’t checked in on or something?” She was trying her best to not sound horrible for joking about his friend's death, but he seemed almost amused by her banter.

“Last I checked, he’s dead. I watched him fall off the train and everything.” He told her as he sat down on the edge of his bed. “His name was Bucky.” He told her as she turned around to leave, watching her stop for a moment to listen before she left.

Steve’s words always lingered in the back of her mind ever since that day on the helicarrier. She had seen the Bucky memorial spot in the museum, and the day she found out that he was alive, she would never forget (mostly because when it happened, she had dropped the bottle of wine she was holding on the floor and spent hours picking up tiny shards of glass).

The year was now 2023. Five years after the blip, and (Y/n) now fully retired from SHIELD. She left on good terms, but the years of working were just exhausting. Especially now that she came back after vanishing for five years and had to rebuild her life all over again. At least they were respectful, and were happy to give her the pay that she had missed out on.

It was hard enough having to deal with knowing all your close friends sacrificed themselves for the whole world, and not being able to do anything about it. That was the reason that kept her up most nights. The guilt of feeling like she could have done something, but never got the chance to, was the hardest feeling.

That’s what led (Y/n) to walking aimlessly around the grocery store at almost 2am. When she couldn’t sleep, sometimes the best thing to do was walk around pushing the cart and praying that the LED lights would calm her down enough to go home and face the empty apartment.

What she didn’t expect was turning the corner of the frozen section and crashing her cart into someone elses. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry I wasn’t paying attention.” (Y/n) apologize as she looked at the man in front of her. “I should have been looking. I guess I’m just tired.”

“I’m probably just tired too.” He chuckled, pulling his cart away from hers. Both the carts were empty anway. “You come here to walk around at night too?”

“How could you tell?” (Y/n) laughed, running a hand through her hair as she looked him over. He looked familiar, and knowing her luck he was some assassin that was stalking her, and came here to finish the job.

He motioned to their empty carts with a bob of his head. “Something about just pushing the carts around and listening to the crappy music makes me feel better too.” He smirked as he never broke eye contact. “Also, people normally buy food when they’re shopping.”

(Y/n) sighed, nodding. “You caught me. I’m just here to wander.”

“It’s okay. I am too. Sometimes staring at the TV isn’t enough.” He mumbled, shaking his head as he broke eye contact to look where his hands were gripping the handle of the cart. “Sorry, I’m just rambling I guess.”

“No, I get it.” She laughed it off, knowing it was late and sometimes people just kept talking when they were tired. “My names (Y/n).” She smiled, holding out her hand for him to shake.

He seemed to hesitate, but reached out and shook her hand. “My name’s Bucky.”

She could feel her mouth go dry. “Bucky?” There was just no, possible way that this was the man who has been in the back of her mind for years on end.

“I’m guessing you know who I am.” He muttered, already preparing himself to turn around and forget this interaction never happened. “Sorry, I should go.”

“Wait! No, I didn’t mean it like that.” (Y/n) exclaimed as she held her hands out to stop him from leaving. “I just have heard so much about you--not the way you think, it sounds so weird. I talked to Steve about you once, way back before the battle of New York.”

She peaked his interest at the mention of Steve. “You knew Steve?”

(Y/n) nodded. “He told me all about you. Look, I even have your birthday on my arm.” She told him, lifting up her sleeve to show him the date on her arm, watching his eyes go wide out of shock. “Steve liked to always tease me that I had your birthday, and I always told him that I probably had some old man, sitting in some hospital bed, decaying before our eyes. Wow, I am rambling, I am so sorry. I should leave.” She was bright red as she decided to just leave her cart where it was and accept the humiliation and leave.

“No, you don’t have to go.” Bucky told her, gently grabbing her arm to stop her from leaving. “I guess now that you showed me yours, I’ll show you mine.” He grinned as he let go of her arm, using his left hand to pull up his long sleeve. There on his arm, in bold black numbers was (Y/n)’s birthday clear as day.

“Do you maybe want to go get coffee at that 24 hour place across the street? We might have a bit we need to talk about.” She was dumbfounded. Steve would always tease and joke, telling her that Bucky was her soulmate just because it was the same birthday on her arm. But due to the fact that he was presumed dead for so long, (Y/n) never thought anything of it.

“Are you going to come inside? I’ve been holding the door open for almost a minute.” Bucky asked, laughing a little uncomfortably as he watched the woman just stand at the door of the diner. She didn’t even remember the walk to get there.

(Y/n) blinked, rubbing her eyes as she nodded and walked inside. The sign said seat yourself, and she found a nice seat by the window for the two of them. “Sorry. I guess I’m just a little speechless.”

He chuckled as he shifted in the booth. “I’ll be honest. Me too.”

“So. We’re soulmates.” She shrugged, feeling uncertain of herself. Finding her soulmate was never the first thing on her mind, because she never actually thought that she would find him. Sure, the universe also had a way of making the two cross paths at some point, but because of the age, she never cared.

“When I used to see the date on my arm, I thought it was a joke.” He told her, mumbling that he wanted a coffee when the waiter walked over and asked what they wanted. “She wants a coffee. Two cream, one sugar.” He said as the other man nodded and walked away.

“How did you know my coffee order?” She asked with a raise of her eyebrow.

Bucky opened his mouth like he was about to speak but sighed. “I legit have no idea. My brain was working for me, and it just came out.”

(Y/n) laughed. “I mean, we’re cosmically linked so it does make sense.” The coffee was set down in front of them and she smiled as she held onto the mug. “Is this when I ask if you can tell me about yourself?”

“Where do I start?” He asked as he set his coffee down after taking a sip. “My name is James Buchanan Barnes, but I go by Bucky. James is only for when shit hits the fan I guess.”

“I think I prefer Bucky.” She smiled, watching as his cheeks turned red for a moment.

“What about you Doll? What fun thing do you have to tell me?” Bucky asked her with a smirk, making it her turn to blush.

“I worked for SHIELD, that’s where I met Steve. But then there was that time we found out that Hydra was inside of SHIELD, and technically you tried to kill me.” She pointed out, watching as he put his head down in shame. “But that’s all in the past now. I’m not that person anymore.”

He took a sip of his coffee before he spoke. “What changed?”

(Y/n) sighed, shaking her head as she held onto her coffee mug for warmth. “I was pretty close with Steve and Natasha. Tony helped me get the job at SHIELD, too. Three people that I looked up to more than anything, were gone before I ever got a chance to say goodbye.” She told him, knowing that there would be no more tears left to cry. Her tear-ducts seemed to stop working after she had cried for days straight that they were gone.

“I wasn’t very close to anyone but Steve, but I do understand how you feel.” He told her, leaning across the table to rest a hand on her shoulder. “Do you live in the city?”

“I live pretty close to Hell’s Kitchen.” She told him, watching as he nodded. “I’m guessing you live in Brooklyn?”

He looked a little surprised, but still smiled. “How could you tell?”

She smiled back, a little shy. “Some part of me just knew, but the other part of me heard Steve talk about Brooklyn all the time. He loved it there, and I guess I thought you did too.”

“It’s definitely still amazing, but a lot has changed. I’m still getting used to it all.” Bucky confessed, putting down some money for the coffee as they both finished and stood up from the table.

(Y/n) checked her phone and sighed at the time. 3:30 in the morning, and there was no way she was going to sleep now. Now, she was going to ride the train and hope that the rocking of the subway would be enough to turn her mind off for a while. “I should get going. It’s getting late, and I’m taking the train back.”

He nodded, seeming a little uneasy that she was about to leave. “Do you maybe want my number? We could meet up someday, maybe get to know eachother better?”

She grinned as she handed him her phone. “Put your number in.” She told him as they traded phones, smirking as she put in her contact. “I put my information as (Y/n)-Soulmate, just in case you seemed to forget.”

“Oh trust me, I don’t think I’ll ever forget.” Bucky chuckled as he looked at her contact. “Promise you’ll call?”

“Considering the fact I’ve known you for a few hours, and I’m already completely head-over-heels for you, I don’t think you have to worry.” (Y/n) told him, leaning up and pressing a quick kiss to his cheek. “Bye for now, but not bye forever.”

Bucky was grinning like an idiot, and he knew it. “I like the sound of that. I still just can’t believe I found you after all these years.”

“You better believe it, because you’re going to be seeing a lot more of me from now on.”

MASTERLIST

#bucky x y/n #bucky x female reader #bucky barnes #bucky fic #bucky x reader #marvel #reader insert #reader #bucky imagine #falcon and the winter solider #winter solider x y/n

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pearlplusau · 3 years

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Attack of the Multiverse!! (Pink Pearl edition)

“Presenting....a new writing series! Here’s the preview of the entire story! Enjoy and thanks for reading in advance!”

*que intense chase track

A pink pearl in her latest crystal gem form, was blindly running into the darkened beach, where everything was pitch black. She couldn’t see the water, she couldn't see the sand, heck, she couldn’t even see the giant temple that should be located somewhere in front of her without any light source!

She couldn’t remember how long she ran, but it was more than her physic could take. As she slowed down, she huffed and puffed, almost wheezing from all the running.

But her break was cut short when-

A sound of blast came from somewhere behind her, controlling whatever it touched as the torn objects such as floor boards, trash cans, and giant chunks of earth levitating around the enemy figure.

As Coral raced towards the temple, which was finally visible from the bright aura of the floating gem, another figure appeared, stretching out her ballerina leg and tripped the poor pink gem.

“Ooof-“ she exclaimed as she faceplanted into the sand.

As Coral lifted her head, she saw two figures, no wait…two identical figures!

The closest figure wore the outfit she had before the rebellion, her first ever pearl form, except it's all nastified, torned up and darkened, as if someone drenched her with the colour schemes of an arch villain. Instead of buns for her hair, two shaggy and messy side ponytails wildly danced under the blowing night wind. Under her eyes was a trail of dark ink, making her look more horrifying than she could ever imagine! (She’s abandoned pearl, but let’s go with Crazy)

The other figure looked like the first figure, except she was completely greyscaled. Her entire body radiated absolutely no colour, just the dreadful shades of black and white! Her hair, too, was in a complete mess, but in a mad scientist style, where her hair looked like it was electrocuted, but more neatly and less frizzy. Anger was radiated from her twitching eye and her frozen W pose, the twitching eye was glowing with power, as if it’s holding back the power with what’s happening next!

The two of them both bore a damaged right eye, but resembled no difference to each other, they even look like-

Coral gasped, “No way! You’re…me?” as she pointed to the two Pink pearls, getting more and more confused.

“That’s right!” Crazy Pearl spoke with a raspy voice and some crazy in her eyes. “And now that we finally got you, we’ll take our sweet time to DESTROY YOU!!”

The pearl brought out a wand from her gem, and it immediately extended and sprung into a deadly, pink, glowing rejuvenator. “Once you’re rejuvenated, you can join my little army, and we’ll destroy the worlds together! Mwahhahahhahahahaha!!”

Coral was only able to whimper out, “worlds?” as the crazy gem wasted no time and brought down her pink glowing scythe!

As Coral braced for rejuvenation, a pink ribbon lashed out and gripped on Crazy pearl’s arm. The scythe was frozen in place, but it was flung aside as Crazy was yanked out of her spot! As the ribbon retreated, another figure slowly came out of its hiding.

“You won’t be destroying anything once I’m done with you!” It’s the same voice as Coral herself, but more confident and sure. The figure had Coral’s face, her hair, her gift from Pink diamond. The more obvious significance was the green dress and the placement of the gem on her forehead. The gem in green shouted, “Earl! You take that freak while I take care of crazy here!”

As soon as she ordered, the sound of a gem retrieving their weapon echoed, “SHING!” with the sound of pistol fire not long after!

Bullets were shot, all flying towards freak pearl, but a metal trash can flew out of nowhere and acted as a shield against the attack.

Coral saw the shooter come out with angered expression, as if she was annoyed of the constant blockage of her attacks. The shooter looked almost exactly like freak pearl, the only difference was one of them is a bleached floating freak while the other wore a long sleeved silk shirt with a diamond shaped cut around her gem, bright pink shorts with huge pink splatters and spots all over her body. Her grey hair buns had little strays of hair at the end, with far less cracks on her face. Earl also had the same cracked eye, but she’s looking a lot less freaky than her counterpart.

As the two pearls fought as ballerinas, assassins and shooters simultaneously, the confident pearl grabbed on to Coral and ordered, “Come on! We need to get out of here! That ribbon wont hold her for long!!”

The said ribbon was wrapping up crazy pearl with a neat bow on top, however, she looked like she could break free any moment!

“Hurry!” Coral got up and they both went to help Earl. The confident pearl pointed to the levitating gem and ordered, “Use your lance and take her down!”

“What!?” Coral questioned in surprise, “isn’t that a bit too much?”

“Trust me, it's not!”

Coral summoned and gripped her lance, aimed at the freaky pearl and threw.

The weapon was barely slapped away with the metal trash can, but that little distraction was able to give Earl the chance to finally strike and take her down!

Earl leaped into the air and performed a 10/10 somersault, she gracefully kicked freak pearl as far as she could! “Smack!”

The knocked pearl made no sound, just the sound of her SPLASH landing into the dark ocean.

Coral immediately took the chance and demanded answers from the two, “Can someone explain what is going on!?”

She looked at Earl, who, instead of speaking, did hand gestures that were clearly sign language, but Coral didn’t get the chance to study them unfortunately…

Confident pink pearl translated, “She’s saying we don’t have much time! Come one, this way!” she pointed to the side of the crystal gem temple. “There's a portal there that should lead us straight to her!”

Coral demanded as they ran, “Her who?!?”

“Coral, do you believe in alternate universes?!” Confident pearl asked.

“I do now! Seeing all of you here! Being literally alternate versions of…ME!”

“Well actually, we’re all alternative versions of the OG Pink Pearl, The original! I’m from a diamond swap universe where White Diamond and Pink diamond swapped places, I’m one of original crystal gems, without White diamonds old pearl.” C!Pearl said as Earl nodded at the side.

Earl made more hand gestures to say something, pointing to herself along with more sign language. C!Pearl translated, “That’s Earl, she’s from another timeline where she… you know what, it’s a long story, all you need to know is that we can trust her!”

“But what about the two we just fought?” Coral demanded.

“Those two? I call them freaky and crazy! They’ve been after us ever since we started portal jumping! I’m not sure where they’re from, but I’m pretty sure Crazy is from an AU where SHE was abandoned in Pink diamond’s garden instead of Spinel! As for freak pearl, really not sure here. Maybe she’s an interpretation of how powerful she could get under a diamond’s complete influence and power?”

Coral gave another quick question, “How do we know who the original Pink pearl is if we’re all from different timelines?”

“Simple,” C!Pearl said, “she’s the pinkpearl that followed the Canon timeline, where she got controlled by White Diamond and spent 6000 years as her mindless servant! Us, however, were created to avoid that specific timeline, so she’s the root of all Pink Pearl. The most important thing to do right now is to look for the first Pink Pearl!! She’s the only one that can help us get deal with our...situation right now.”

“How are we gonna get there with these two on our tail!??” Coral said as she notices more rubble floating behind her as well as a maniacal laugh echoing louder and louder!

“All we need is to get through that portal! Those two wont be able to catch up! Come one!”

The portal, swirling in pink and white star dust, finally became visible behind one of the temple palms. Within the right distance, all three pearls leaped into the portal as it closed behind them!

Shooooofwop!

End of part ???

Multiverse Pink pearl series! Next chapter coming in-

The two rogue pink pearls stopped their tracks when they found...no portal, nor any of the pearls they were fighting.

The two antagonists turned to the camera, made little chuckles and pointed at you, the reader. Crazy teased, “Look what we got here freak pearl, someone that thinks this ISNT an April Fool’s special.”

Freak pearl rotated her floating junk around her until they got to a trash can. She set the trash can on the sand and tapped three times.

Knock

There was a moment of silence and snoring, sounds like someone fell asleep.

Crazy summoned a speaker phone from her gem, placed it at the side of the can, and screamed, “HEY PEARLPLUSAU WRITER! ITS YOUR QUE!”

The writer groggily woke up rubbing his eyes, “Yawnnnn….”

He fell off into the sand.

“Heyyy there fellow readers, yes this IS an April fool’s special, a friend of mine was curious if i would write one of these and sure enough, once the idea got developed, i got straight to the writing process.”

“What was surprising is using us AU characters into his little joke writing, where are the credits you punk?!” Crazy asked in a rather annoyed tone.

"Oh that? ” The writer continued," Credits of the characters are below! You can see the images, as well as the title of the AUs. Some of the characters are linked back to the creators tumblr account, while other creators who dont have tumblr accounts are linked to original posts, like from Instagram!! ”

Freak pearl snapped her fingers for the writer’s attention and pointed to herself, asking for her origin.

“Oh freak pearl? I just thought it would be cool if there’s more than one antagonist for this special, so i kinda created you myself. The idea was, how dangerous can pinkpearl be with a diamond’s ability, and there you are! Telekinesis and mega white laser beams! Pretty cool huh?”

Freak pearl did not respond...well.

“Anyways,” the writer proceeded, “writing this was a pretty fun 1.5 hours of the time i have, not including reviewing and editing tho. If theres anyone out there that wishes to continue the story in their own way, be my guest. Just let me know so i can read it myself lol, im very interested in your take of the situation! “

April fools! And thanks for reading!

Characters (even though they’re not drawn)

Coral/Pink pearl from Pearlplusau - Original design by Tripixle!!

Crystal gem Pink pearl from Diamond swap au - Credit to @dreambigstars

Earl from WD steven au - AU character from @ask-whitepearl-and-steven

Crazy pearl (Despair pink pearl), Design from Shrimp.face (Link to their post)

Freak Pearl, no specific au named, nor from any creator. So i guess she’s my AU character?

A/N: Hope you guys had fun reading as much as i had fun writing it!

Also the real new chapter coming in probs two weeks from now.

Slightly unrelated, there might not be as much visuals as there was last chapter. The drawing pen is a bit busted.

Till then! Bye!

#suau #pinkpearl #Coral #WD!steven #Spinelpinkpearlswap #diamondswap #stevenuniverse #ohwait #iforgotsmth #april fools #happyapril1st

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metalbvcky · 4 years

Photo

Back in May, I made my first Stucky Ficrec post and months later, I’ve decided to make another since this fandom is hella talented. There’s a little over two dozen fics down below ranging from 10k-100k+ and everything’s categorized.

Do note that lot of these are Modern AU’s (I love those) and most of them are smutty. (yes hello, an asexual here who enjoys smut so very much) Also heed the tags once you click the link(s). Other than that, enjoy!!!

Key: ♥ = My personal favorites, S = Smut, DS = Dom/Sub

a) CANON UNIVERSE

If You're Reading This, Steve Rogers by fallendarlings Words: 39,273 | Post/Canon Divergence 2012 Avengers/TWS, Recovery, Slow Burn

Nobody tells Steve it's okay to cry.

Nobody touches him.

Nobody remembers Steve Rogers is a person under the mantle. It's okay. He hasn't felt like a person since he watched Bucky fall.

don't threaten me with a good time ♥ by canistakahari - Words 10,106 | Post-TWS, Sick!Fic, Sick!Bucky, Cabin Fic

Steve's taken him on vacation to a cabin in Canada in the middle of winter, so it's obviously the perfect time for his body to go haywire. Bucky is determined to stick it out, though, partly because he's a stubborn bastard, but mostly because he feels some kinda way about Steve.

Higher Ground by EmilianaDarling - Words: 13,002 | Post-TWS, S, DS (undertones), Top!Bucky, Bottom!Steve

“S’okay,” Bucky murmurs quietly, and Steve sucks in a sharp breath at the brush of Bucky’s lips against his ear, his breath hot against the side of Steve’s neck. There’s a hint of a grin in Bucky’s voice; amused affection and confidence and something heated beneath it all, a familiar tone from so long ago that makes Steve’s heart clench and his cock twitch helplessly in his jeans.

“S’okay, Stevie,” he says again, and Steve can feel the curl of Bucky’s lips against his throat when he smiles. His metal thumb is rubbing circles on Steve’s shoulder. “M’gonna take care of you.”

A year and a half after the events of The Winter Soldier, Steve's been acting recklessly. Bucky deals with it as best he can.

The Simple Life ♥ from The Simple Life Series by howler32557038 - Words: 114,329 (Series Total: 337,273 + ongoing) | Canon Universe, MPreg, Top!Steve, Bottom!Bucky

"The simple life."

"You'll get there one day."

"I don't know. Family, stability...The guy who wanted all that went in the ice seventy-five years ago. I think someone else came out."

Bucky wants to be part of Steve's life. He wants to be an Avenger. He wants to be a good partner. Unfortunately, sometimes that means not telling Steve everything.

a road less traveled by Claudia_flies, cyclamental art (cyclamental),maichan, zilia - Words: 75,396 | 2012 Timeline AU, Post-Avengers 2012 (Endgame Divergence), Domestic Avengers, Recovering!Bucky

Steve wakes up on the cold stone floor of the foyer. He scrambles up; there’s glass shards everywhere and they crunch under his gloved hands. People are staring, holding themselves back. They must have seen the fight, must have seen two of him.

His own voice rings in his head.

“Bucky is alive!”

Kept Safe by Whendoestheshipsail (restricted to AO3 users only) - Words: 54,419 | S, DS, BDSM

Steve and Bucky are friends. Best Friends. If asked, Bucky would say he knows absolutely everything about Steve. Except when it comes to sex. Steve lives such a monastic existence that Bucky doesn't know if he likes girls, boys, or none of the above. For all he knows, Steve may have no interest in sex whatsoever.

But then a mission goes wrong, Steve is bleeding out from a wound to the femoral artery and Bucky is trying to stop the bleeding when his hand brushes against metal. Where there most definitely shouldn't be metal. Or a padlock. And most definitely not a torturously small cage.

48 hours by Whendoestheshipsail (restricted to AO3 users only) - Words: 25,894 | Post-CW, S, DS, Top!Bucky, Bottom!Steve

Steve is keeping it together. No one would say he's keeping it together well, but he's getting by. Mission after mission, he goes back to his apartment in Wakanda and breaks down. Then he watches Bucky sleep and tries to not notice how everyone looks at him like he's the saddest bastard that ever lived.

But, this time is different. This time, Steve goes back to his apartment post-mission and Bucky is awake, out of cryo and making them dinner in Steve's kitchen. The breakdown is still happening. Bucky isn't pleased, but he does have a plan. For 48 hours after every mission, Steve is going to let Bucky take care of him or he's going to be on Steve's next mission. He can't risk losing Bucky again. Which should make the decision simple.

It isn't simple.

The Sex Therapist ♥ by Whendoestheshipsail (restricted to AO3 users only) - Words: 179,941 | S, DS, DKink, Top!Bucky, Bottom!Steve, Current/Past Steve/Sharon

Sharon has given him an ultimatum- either go to sex therapy or it's over. Sex therapy sounds like normal therapy but more humiliating and expensive. It's total BS. He will go because she's making him, but he will also make everyone's lives miserable (Yeah, including his own) and never return again.

Do they have a lot of sex? No. Does Sharon want more sex? Yes. Does Steve do his best? Yeah, actually, he does. He can get it up, he just needs time. Alone. There's... preparation involved. It's not like one just 'is' aroused.

He can't explain it. And he won't. He definitely won't tell Bucky what exactly he thinks about to get worked up enough to screw his girlfriend.

Found My Place in Time - Cap_D, humapuma - Words: 12,492 | Post-EG (Divergence, duh) S, Fluff, Top!Steve, Bottom!Bucky

“Buck,” he heard Steve say, “wake up. We’re here.” Bucky opened his eyes and rolled his shoulders, trying to ease some of the tension out of his back. When Steve’s words sunk in, though, he turned and leaned forward, staring past Steve’s chest to look out the window. Beyond the wing of the plane, he found a beautiful coastline with white sand, blue waters, and palm trees, as well as rows of bungalows on the water. “Wow,” he murmured. “We’re staying in one of those, right?”

In which Steve invites Bucky on a trip to Fiji and they discover something a lot more than beautiful vistas and friendly locals.

Total Institution ♥ from the Institutions of Love and Incarceration series by thelittlestpurplecat - Words: 94,303 | Canon Universe AU, Prison!AU, Guard!Steve, Prisoner!Bucky, Unrequited Love, Slow Burn, WS Trial

The Winter Soldier has been sentenced to life without parol. His entire world had been condensed to a hot, cramped cell that he hasn't seen the outside of in the four years since his apprehension. It's hell. He has no means of escape, no means of terminating his suffering, and no means of distraction...that is, until he's assigned a new guard. Steve Rogers is assigned the Winter Soldier as his singular charge. He expects a sadistic, violent murderer. What he finds instead is a broken, tormented man with no memory of his past life, and no control over what had been done to him. He's a victim. Not a monster. And Steve won't stand to see him pay for crimes over which he had no control.

Raise Your Glass by minkeys - Words: 10,008 | Top!Bucky, Bottom!Steve, Light DS, S, DKink

Bucky knows Steve in ways that his 21st century friends could never even begin to imagine. Or at least, they couldn't until tonight. It's about time somebody corrected all those historians that painted Steve as a straight-laced, God-fearing soldier, and what better way to do it than over a harmless game of "Never Have I Ever." What's the worst that could be said?

b) SHRUNKYCLUNKS

Waking Up Slow ♥ by odetteandodile - Words: 44,638 | Dad!Bucky, Kid!Fic, Hurt/Comfort

In 1945 Steve Rogers crashed the Valkyrie into the Arctic Ocean and was never recovered.

In 2019 Bucky Barnes is walking along the beach below the decommissioned lighthouse where he lives with his sixteen month old daughter when he finds the body of a man washed up in the surf, half frozen but miraculously alive.

Bucky manages to revive him, but finds that the stranger has no memory of who he is or how he got here aside from a name: Steve. Snowed in by a blizzard soon after and unable to get Steve a medevac, Bucky discovers that the funny, good-hearted man slips into the fabric of his and Alice’s life faster than he would have thought possible. The two are undeniably drawn to each other, but as their feelings grow so does the looming possibility that the answer to the question “who is Steve?” might be much more complicated than either of them realized.

Isn't It Ironic? (Don't You Think?) ♥ by HeyBoy, Huntress79, imhereforgaysuperheroes - Words: 33,342 | Jewish, Dad!Bucky, Kid!Fic

Bucky is used to his daughter bursting into tears in the middle of department stores. What he isn't used to is someone braving the wails and actually being able to stop Becca's tantrum in its tracks. Oh, and he's also not used to that someone being Captain America.

AKA, how Steve Rogers calms a screaming kid in Target and falls in love with two more Barneses than he had bargained for.

in my condition love's the best physician by aniloquent - Words: 9,177 | Pharmacy!AU, Russian!Bucky

“This situation is a little more delicate because I don't even know if he speaks English and I'm tired of going down to the pharmacy for constipation medication and allergy pills when I haven't sneezed since 1941.” Steve shouts.

The room falls silent, and he turns back around to find four pairs of stunned eyes watching him.

Tony, as always, speaks first. “He?”

Or the one where Bucky is a hot pharmacist and Steve keeps making up bullshit reasons to go see him.

c) MODERN AU

Home Is Wherever I'm With You ♥ by cydonic - Words: 88,570 | Neighbors!AU, Slow Burn, Parent!Steve, Kid!Fic

This is what happens when you buy a house to flip having only seen the online images: you get more than you bargained for. Bucky Barnes brings all the tools to handle a dilapidated home, but he's hardly prepared for a smart-mouthed child (with poor aim), a crying baby, and the hottest dad he's ever seen in his life living right next door.

That House-Flipper!AU.

if only you could see me (for the pie that i am) ♥ by bitelikefire (theoleo) | Words: 35,121 | Baker!Steve, WeddingPlanner!Bucky

In which Steve is the proud owner of Frost; a semi famous local bakery in D.C. And despite the overwhelming insistence that it’s about time he start dating, Steve swears up and down he isn’t ready for that.

Or as of recently, just doesn’t have the time because of Mr. Barnes. The highly demanding wedding planner on the phone who keeps asking for nearly impossible deliveries and maybe Steve would like to personally strangle him. Maybe.

(There is pie. And misunderstandings. But a lot more desserts and eye rolls.)

So Alive ♥ from the Brooklyn Heights Books Series by GottaSaveBucky (Cosmic_Entity_1of4) - Words: 109,074 (Series Total: 165,440 + ongoing) | Bookstore!AU (sort of), Top!Steve, Bottom!Bucky, DKink

A man wearing a light denim jacket over a dark blue shirt came into the shop, a box tucked under his right arm. Despite it being late afternoon, he was wearing sunglasses with bright blue lenses, and his long, dark hair was pulled back in a messy little bun. A few strands had escaped, framing his strong, unshaven jawline. The man looked into the café, smiled widely, and waved in Clint’s direction as he kept walking into the bookstore, and Steve’s mouth went completely dry.

Beautiful, was the only word to describe that smile; straight, white teeth framed by full, lush, red lips, bracketed by laugh lines and an adorable dimple in his right cheek, a charming little chin cleft just visible under the light stubble—Steve was struck literally speechless. And that was before he got a glimpse of the man’s backside. Slim hips and a round, firm-looking ass led to long, lean legs that were encased in snug, dark blue jeans.

“Guh,” Steve said, watching the dark-haired man continue on to the back of the store.

The Penthouse Suite ♥ by elle1991 - Words: 15,873 | S, DS, BSDM, Top!Steve, Bottom!Bucky, Happy Ending

Bucky Barnes has the chance to earn $5,000 in one night. All he has to do is go to the penthouse suite of a luxury hotel and spend the night with his client, one enigmatic Steve Rogers.

The catch? Steve is a massive pervert, intent on using this one night to satisfy every single one of his many debauched kinks.

Even ignoring the big box of sex toys on the bed, Bucky should have known he was in trouble the moment Steve opened his mouth and said his first words: "My name is Steve Rogers, but you can call me Sir..."

Burnin' For You by GoldBlooded - Words: 15,753 | Firefighter!Steve, Detective!Bucky, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Top!Steve, Bottom!Bucky

Steve Rogers is Fire Captain of Brooklyn’s very busy Station 118. He wants three things out of life: People he can count on, for everyone to get through their shifts safe and sound, and for Sergeant James Barnes to get the hell off of his arson scene.

James Barnes is Detective Sergeant of Brooklyn’s very busy 107th Precinct. He wants three things out of life: A decent cup of coffee, good leads to chase, and for Captain Steven Rogers to get the hell off of his arson scene.

Everyone knows to steer clear when these two have to deal with each other. Everyone knows about their mutual dislike and sometimes hatred. But what everyone doesn't know? How they got to be like that in the first place.

Collar Full of Chemistry ♥ from the Rich People Are Wild Series by 2bestfriends - Words: 188,437 (Series Total: 219,519) | Heavy BDSM, DS, S, Top!Steve, Bottom!Bucky

Steve is very rich and desperate to feel in control of his life again after a recent divorce has left him feeling bitter and lonely. When he keeps crossing paths with a disaster twenty-something, an unconventional solution presents itself. Steve's always been one for following his instincts.

Bucky is very broke and can't seem to catch a break, especially after some asshole fires him for one fucking mistake. So of course, it follows that he should sign a contract agreeing to do everything and anything that same asshole wants for a whole year in exchange for a payout that could finally change his life for the better.

Toothpaste Kisses ♥ by buckybees - Words: 18,736 | Dentist!Steve, Patient!Bucky, Amputee!Bucky

Sitting in the horribly antiseptic gateway to hell, otherwise known as the waiting room, Bucky was deeply reassessing his life choices. Maybe if he didn’t eat ice cream for every meal this wouldn’t have happened.

Steve's a dentist, Bucky's a patient. You know the drill.

Out of the Blue ♥ by IsabellaJack - Words: 37,564 | PreSerum!Steve, Detective!Bucky (and Sam!), Mystery!Fic

“Does she have family?” Barnes asks again.

Steve tries to remember. “I don’t know.”

“You sing her praises and don’t know a simple info like that?” Barnes huffs, looking irritated.

Love Is An Ocean Wide by fancyh - Words: 29,009 | Shapeshifter!AU, Orca!Bucky, Marine Biologist!Steve

When marine biologist Steve Rogers helps to rescue an injured orca from the marine traffickers Hydra, he has no idea how his life will change. Once rehabilitated, the orca is released and disappears, and a despondent Steve throws himself into his work, only to feel a spark when a new volunteer arrives, a man with one arm and curiously familiar blue eyes.

Bucky has lived in the ocean his whole life. But when his family is killed and his sister captured by Hydra, he is forced to turn to humans for help. One human in particular intrigues him, a man by the name of Steve. As Bucky comes ashore to search for his sister, he finds himself falling for the man, but dangerous secrets still stand between them.

Includes clueless-about-humans Bucky, heart-eyes-Steve, and lots of Very Important rocks.

Innocent Until ♥ by L1av - Words: 136,866 | Lawyer!Bucky, Defendant!Steve, DS, BDSM, Top!Bucky, Bottom!Steve

Bucky Barnes made a name for himself as the attorney who could get anyone off, but he still lives by the saying, "Innocent until proven guilty." Steve Rogers finds himself on trial for multiple homicides but he swears he was only trying to protect a girl. Bucky's been in this business long enough to know when someone's innocent, and Steve is innocent. Steve already feels like a monster and Bucky's worried this guy's going to lay himself on the sword come his trial. So Bucky offers up another course for punishment:

Turns out, chains and whips really excite Steve.

Brooklyn Syndrome ♥ by lordelannette - Words: 158,350 | DARKFIC, Dark!Steve (VERY DARK, heed the tags, you have been warned) Doctor!Steve, Writer!Bucky, Kidnapping, Slow Burn, Graphic Violence

Bucky's back was pressed against the cold floor and he stared through blurry eyes as Steve stood over him. He was trying to push himself as far away as he could, using his hands and bare feet to slide himself out from between Steve's legs but he couldn't find purchase against the wooden floor. Steve's legs were locked on both sides of his hips and Bucky couldn't move, couldn't get away, and the room was swimming before his eyes and he couldn't focus, couldn't think straight. All he could make out was the hazy figure of Steve towering over him and he lifted his arm to push uselessly at Steve's shin.

"P-please," Bucky whispered. His voice was weak, like him, and his jaw trembled as Steve reached down.

Steve slid down onto the floor and effortlessly gathered him into his strong arms, cradling Bucky to his chest as he leaned against the wall. "Bucky," Steve breathed. One of his large hands slid gently into Bucky's hair, the other curving against his spine and pulling him even closer. "You're mine now, remember?"

Steve's grip tightened then it all went black.

lay me down (tell me i've been found) by coffeeinallcaps - Words: 25,188 | Modern!AU, DS, Top!Steve, Bottom!Bucky

The collar is a little on the heavy side, and incredibly soft against Bucky's skin. Even softer than he thought it would be. It seems to fit snugly, and for a second he feels like he can't breathe. Then, Steve slides two fingers under the collar and runs them along the inside, almost all the way around. Bucky shivers. Goose bumps spread down his back, his arms. "How does it feel?" Steve murmurs, hooking his fingers into the ring and giving a gentle tug on it. Bucky swallows. Nods.

(In which billionaire businessman Steve shows up and turns Bucky's life into an improbable fantasy.)

All Those Things You've Always Pined For by LavenderProse - Words: 92,142 | Family Man (2000) aka the Nicholas Cage movie AU, Domestic, Kid!Fic, PreSerum!Steve

“Steve Rogers. I haven’t thought about him in…God, at least ten years. Probably longer." “Who is he?” Sharon asks, and perches on the corner of his desk, hands folded in her lap. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Bucky clears his throat, tosses the sticky note onto the desk. “Steve was…my college boyfriend. We almost got married.”

It's been fifteen years since Bucky Barnes left Steve Rogers standing in a New York airport and never saw him again. Those fifteen years have brought him wealth and stability; everything his lower middle class Brooklyn upbringing had not provided. He is happy. He doesn't want for anything. He doesn't need anything. That's about to change.

Karma's A Fake Orgasm ♥ by daisymondays - Words: 51,637 | College!AU, Friends to Lovers, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Humor, Slow Burn

There’s another abandoned mug, festering with mould in the living room — Steve offically has the world's worst roommates. And complains about them. Often. Bucky, tired of his lack of action, decides it’s time to avenge Steve's sleepless nights and unsanitary conditions once and for all. They’ll pretend to be the world’s most annoying couple: excessive PDA, loud fake sex, and general repugnance. The plan sounds easy enough; it will be strictly platonic. Or will it?

I'll Be Your Shield by 17 pansies (17pansies) - Words: 23,332 | Bodyguard!Steve, Rich!Bucky, Top!Steve, Bottom!Bucky

"If he's just minor nobility, why does he need a bodyguard?" Steve shoved the folder which held Barnes' details towards the middle of the table. "He's not exactly prime kidnap material."

"His parents aren't worried about kidnapping," Fury said. "They need someone to steer him away from the dumb ass situations he keeps getting into."

"You mean he needs a babysitter." Steve sat back and folded his arms. "Seriously."

I think this is a pretty diverse list :) There’s a good sample of everything here, some old fashioned post TWS recovery fics, some good dom steve/bucky, slow burns, fake pretend relationships and so forth!

PS: I’m on AO3 with more bookmarks plus my own hurt/comfort fics if anyone is interested :P

#stucky #stevebucky #bucky barnes x steve rogers #shrunkyclunks #stucky fanfiction #stucky fanfic rec #stucky fanfic #stucky fanfiction rec #stucky fic #stucky fic rec #modern au #canon divergence #marvel #my reclist #long post for ts

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thahiree · 2 years

Note

I like soulmates AUs for Stevetony when they’re like, messy messy. And for different reasons across the multiverse! In all cases I want Tony to HATE the idea of soulmates, either on principle because fuck fate and this is a man that’s friends with a pagan god and is still an atheist. Also Tony secretly yearning for a soulmate but not getting one until Steve wakes up and he’s given up/feels abandoned and thus refuses the whole concept even more is yes

Like comics Tony is the king of “identity porn” and his rock bottom self esteem, and his constant heart conditions killing him is just another way of refusing the soulmate call, as it were. And if he knew Steve was his Soulmate? He’d feel so awful about saddling Steve with him, better to stay apart. (Steve would alternate between being jazzed by the whole “meant to be” thing because hey he got frozen for a reason in the end! But comics be messy and then Steve might also resent the whole cosmic thing but then take it as a sign to forgive, etc)

And in the MCU world, Steve not knowing until post CW? That the thing he was looking for and had given up on/was mourning because his Soulmate might be in the past? It was right here and now it might be ruined??? Yes. Also I like it when Steve tells Tony this post CW and Tony is like, so mad (it doesn’t matter if he knew and was hiding it or also finds out later, he’s mad). Because oh now you care?! Now you’d pick me? Ha.

(And now they have to choose each other without the whole soulmate thing because it didn’t help before, now Tony has to learn to forgive Steve and Steve has to fight for Tony or let him go, *sigh* the dream. Or! Somehow the Soulmate links get destroyed and it’s in fact now totally their choice? Also yes)

And the thing is, even in none Soulmates AUs, they are cosmically linked, they’re always gonna be in like every media they exist in together. So them being soulmates where everyone has one? It’s a cool way to explore that link and all it entails for better or worse. Them being soulmates and it’s this rare, precious thing they have somehow messed with? Yes also

And now they have to choose each other without the whole soulmate thing because it didn’t help before, now Tony has to learn to forgive Steve and Steve has to fight for Tony or let him go, *sigh* the dream. Or! Somehow the Soulmate links get destroyed and it’s in fact now totally their choice? Also yes

HOLD UP I love this idea??? I literally gasped when I read that last line?? Also Stevetony being cosmically linked, across all universes, bound and cursed to never be able to escape each other?? YESSSSS that's my jam!!

I just hate it when it's smooth sailing and they get together so fast and seamlessly as a result of the bond but if there's anger and pain and betrayal, yeah I can get behind it agsghdhdj

What's one soulmate fic you think I/everyone needs to have read? I'm curious now!! 😂🙈

#sorry this took so long #🙈#i alway stay away from soulmate fic #it's just not my thing at all #but your explanation was eye-opening #there's so much potential for pining and suffering #my asks #slowly working through them agdghdh #ty for your patience #stevetony

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ravs6709 · 3 years

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These Feelings Inside (How Deep Do They Go)

Chapter 2- A Broken Heart

Read on ao3.

Masterlist. Previous. Next.

Woo, chapter 2 of the fic for the @kotlc2021collab! Fun fact, like all of this chapter was supposed to happen in the first one, but I got carried away with the prologue (which I do like)

Anyways, this is a mermaid (siren) au, so its about time we meet a siren. I've mentioned last time that this was inspired by Siren's Lament. I didn't use those lyrics as the siren song, and instead made my own (with very loose inspiration from SL's version)

And uh... I did record myself singing it, and made a post for it. If you want to listen to it, you can go here! (I'll put a link at the end too)

Warnings I guess? Uh, Sophie goes through a whole panic section at the end. And then the siren lures her and it's indirectly said that she falls off a cliff/whatever and into the water and starts drifting off. Idk how to label that but yeah

Anyways, enjoy!

•~•~•~•~•~•

"Sometimes, I'm still surprised you keep them," Biana said, gesturing to the various flowers that were in the corner of Sophie's room. "I mean, if you ever want him to look at you differently, you're going to have to make a move. You know that, right?"

Even without saying a name, Sophie knew that she was referring to Fitz. It took a long time until she'd admitted the crush to Biana, who had already known. She always liked keeping the flowers that Fitz gave her, and would keep them for as long as possible. They might not be what she wanted, but she still appreciated the fact that he even gifted the flowers to her in the first place.

"It's not like I've kept them all," Sophie pointed out.

She ignored the fact that the ones that she had thrown away were too old to be kept.

Unfortunately, Biana knew that. "If they didn't wilt so easily, you'd be keeping them all. But you ignored my question. You know that you'll have to make a move, right?"

"Biana, he gave me a yellow rose first. He's the one who made his feelings clear first. What am I supposed to say? Oh yeah, I've had a crush on you for like eight years now, and I never mentioned it before because you've been giving me signs that you clearly see me as a friend? Is that what you want me to tell him?"

Biana shrugged. "When you say it like that…"

"Even if saying that did work, it's not like I'd be able to actually say it. My brain just runs non-stop but then the moment I make eye contact everything just stops."

"Sophie, when has he not been understanding of you?"

That was true. A lot of people didn't take the effort to try and understand Sophie, but Fitz did. The way he was so respectful- despite the fact that it should have been basic decency- was one of the numerous reasons why Sophie loved him.

"I know he'll be understanding, but that's just going to make things even more awkward."

"I guess. Should we go down now?"

"Sure."

•~•~•~•~•~•

"Oh, Fitz, you're here! What are you doing?" Sophie asked.

While he did come over often, he was usually busy on Thursdays, which was why Sophie was surprised to see him.

"I'm free this time, so I figured that I'd drop by," he explained.

She liked that he was around for the visit. Working at the shop wasn't boring, but it was more entertaining when she had someone to pass the time with.

He walked closer to her, and rested a hand on her shoulder. "Also," he whispered. "I'm making sure that plans for tonight go well."

She glanced at Biana for a moment, who was on her phone. Sophie whispered back. "Your house or mine? I think yours would probably be better."

"What's the movie for tonight? That movie Biana said that she wanted to watch?"

"That's the plan."

"I don't get why you two always get secretive about the birthday movie night," Biana said.

Both Sophie and Fitz spun towards her, and it turned out that she still wasn't looking up from her phone.

"We've been doing this for years ."

"It's the birthday spirit we're trying to achieve, and you know that!" Fitz defended.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever."

•~•~•~•~•~•

The couches at Everglen were really comfortable. It was even more comfortable to be sitting with her friends. The birthday person was often the one who sat in the center, and Sophie smiled as Biana wrapped an arm around her. Occasionally Dex would join them, but he wasn't available this time.

The movie was playing, but they were only somewhat paying attention to what was going on. Sophie paid more attention to the clock, which showed 11:58 p.m. Just two minutes away from midnight, or Biana's birthday. She counted down the seconds, until it was finally time.

"Happy birthday!" she cheered.

"Happy birthday!" Fitz repeated.

"Thanks, both of you."

•~•~•~•~•~•

"You'll be fine, right?" Sophie asked.

"Sophie, it's just one day," Edaline said, exasperated. "You don't have to feel bad about taking a day off."

"Tell us how the game goes!" Grady added.

Biana's university team had managed to make it to the finals for volleyball, so Sophie and Fitz planned to go support her. But it also meant that neither of them would be at the shop.

"You'll text me if you need help though, right?"

"Yes, we'll text you. You can leave, it looks like Fitz is waiting for you." Edaline pointed to the entrance, where Fitz was indeed standing.

"Bye mom, bye dad!" she said, before kissing them both on the cheek.

Fitz took her hand as they walked to the car. She concentrated so hard on trying to stop herself from blushing that she didn't realize when they stopped walking.

She'd been pining after Fitz for around eight years, and her feelings had gotten easier to work with. Most of the time, at least. But during the times like this, those feelings that she suppressed would fight to be released. He was casually affectionate, which was great (sometimes she found it hard to initiate the contact, no matter how much she wanted it), but it constantly did things to her heart.

Each time it happened, she had to remind herself that no , he wasn't flirting with her or acting out of romantic interest. That was just how he was.

She shook her head to clear her thoughts, let go of his hand, then went in the car. It was silent on the way there, but she needed that silence in order to prepare herself. She took out her headphones once they were almost there.

"Sophie?" Fitz called out.

She responded with a hum.

"You know how it is. If it gets too loud, squeeze my arm."

She hummed again.

Then they arrived, and made their way to the seats. Biana was brilliant on the court, and she seemed to be doing even better than usual. By the end of the game, the cheering got loud, but not bad enough that it hurt. Biana's team had won by a decent amount.

"Congrats, Biana!" Fitz cheered once it was over and they met up.

"It feels unbelievable, because that was the finals? I can't believe we just won!"

"I knew you could do it," Sophie stated.

"I mean yeah, but the other uni was also really good! Guess it wasn't their day, huh?"

"It was definitely your day though," Fitz replied.

•~•~•~•~•~•

"I hate the fact that horns exist," Fitz groaned.

"What, so you like being hit by blue shells?" Sophie asked.

"Obviously not! But I like hitting you with them!"

"If you're able to get blue shells, it's clear that you aren't good at the game!"

It was game night again, and they were playing the newest version of Mario Kart, a game that was nostalgic to them. They were sitting in Sophie's room this time. Biana wasn't there, as she was busy studying with Dex.

"Look, if you aren't second place all the CPUs are there and you aren't safe," he retorted.

"Then just don't be third place? It's not that hard?"

Somehow, he managed to actually do that, and was quickly approaching her kart. It was the end of the final lap, and he passed her. But she got a red shell, shot him right before the finish line, then won first place.

"Excuse me?" he shouted. "Why do you get the red shells?"

She turned towards him with a smirk, only to be startled by the proximity. All she could see were those teal eyes, and the snarky reply she had planned to make was now forgotten. His eyes were wide, and he seemed to barely be breathing. It felt like time had frozen.

Could she take the risk and close the gap between them?

Should I?

Before she could make up her mind, he turned away, and he even moved slightly further away.

He's keeping his distance…

The realization was a hard blow to her, because that wasn't something he had ever done before. Was he that bothered by it?

"I thought you were good at the game," Fitz teased.

But unless Sophie was imagining it, his tone wasn't as lighthearted as it usually was. She tried to channel the frustration and use it to focus on the game, but she was doing worse. Ninth place. She hadn't scored so low in a while.

"Looks like that was the last game," he pointed out. "I'll head home now."

"Bye, Fitz."

She winced at her voice, because she was doing a terrible job at pretending that she was okay. Once she was sure that he left, she buried her face in her hands and just sat there. What was going on? Was Fitz mad at her? That would be the only reason why he would distance himself like that.

But why? Did she do something wrong? If she knew, she'd try and set things right. But what was she supposed to do?

Even though her room was large, she felt restricted. Too small, too hot, too suffocating. She couldn't breathe.

Her actions after that were a blur. She'd grabbed a sweater and went outside. She walked aimlessly along a path. The area seemed vaguely familiar, but she couldn't tell where she was.

The wind was cool against her face, the only thing that kept her remotely aware of her surroundings. There may have even been rain too.

Breathe. You need to breathe .

The voice sounded strangely like Fitz's, and it reminded her of when she had a panic attack and Fitz was there to help her. But he wasn't here this time. Was he going to start avoiding her? What about Biana? Did she have a problem with her too? W-

There was a hum, loud and melodic. She looked around for the source.

'Oh you, with that broken heart.'

"Who's there?"

'You, whose life's falling apart.'

Almost as if against her will, her mind replayed the moment of Fitz turning away from her. The rain fell harder, making it harder to see anything except her own imagination.

'Have you come here to the sea,

To drown in your memories?'

If Fitz and Biana were going to distance themselves, what was she going to do? Ten years worth of memories, were they just going to be tossed aside?

'The weight of them is too strong,

Crushing you, it's all so wrong.'

Different memories kept emerging. Her first meeting with Biana. Her first meeting with Fitz. Exchanging flowers with Fitz. Weren't the worst memories the ones that started off good? They were the ones that had you soaring, until you're being dragged towards the ground.

'May the waves wash all the tears,

That you've gathered through the years.'

Sophie knew that she could show her emotions around her friends, but she hated doing it. She had a tendency to suppress her sadness and tears and right now felt like a good time to just let it out.

Very distantly, she could feel herself walking towards the source of the singing.

'But what if there was a way,

To make the pain go away?'

Was that a thing? She hated doubting her friends, it hurt so much. But if she could just not worry, wouldn't that be better? Wouldn't that ease so much of her pain?

'To leave behind your sorrows,

Enter a new tomorrow.'

If tomorrow could come and ease away all of her pain, shouldn't she take that chance? Her foot caught against the ground, and now she was tumbling forward, and fell into the water.

'I have an offer for you,

You can start your life anew.'

The fall was by no means something that snapped her out of her daze, but Sophie found herself slightly more aware. Starting your life anew? Did she want that? Did she want to leave behind the people she loved?

Wasn't that what she worried Fitz was doing? Throwing their love away?

Sophie thought of the memories that they'd shared. It hurt, but they were the best memories that Sophie had. Would it ever be worth it to throw away all those good times just to abandon a potentially bad one?

I want my life , she told herself. I'm happiest with them. But… it's hard.

'You can escape the abyss.'

The voice was so much louder now, and she tried to move away, but her body wouldn't move.

'All I ask is for one kiss.'

She couldn't see, and she could vaguely feel a pair of lips press against her own. She was just drifting, in both her thoughts and the sea. She kept drifting until she could no longer feel anything.

•~•~•~•~•~•

You can find the song here!

Kotlc taglist- @keefeinnit @impostertamsong @my-swan-song @subrosasteath

Want to be added/removed from the taglist? Just let me know!

#sophie foster #fitz vacker #biana vacker #sokeefitz (eventually)#kotlc #keeper of the lost cities #kotlc fanfiction #fanfiction #ravi writes a thing #these feelings inside (how deep do they go)

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pagingevilspawn · 4 years

Text

Photographs

okay, so thanks to @doc-pickles and @iamtrebleclefstories i’ve been obsessed with with soulmate fanfics in this fandom and the stranger things fandom, so all idea credit goes to those two!

its also been posted on my wattpad as part of my one shots book- to build a home. i’m not very good with links haha.

A soulmate AU where on your 16th birthday, you receive three photos of your soulmate

____

His sixteenth birthday was honestly not something he was looking forward to. He knew his mom wouldn't be stable enough to cook him a cake like she had when he was younger, before her condition worsened to the point where nearly all her days were bad ones, unlike how it had been the previous year. He knew she wouldn't cup his face in her hands and softly speak, "Alex, my sweetest boy. My truest love." as she stroked his cheeks ever so tenderly. His dad wasn't around anymore, which he knew was a positive thing, well, he supposed it was.

But it was still the first birthday without his dad in it, and that thought made him sad. Not a lot, but a little. Just because all of his birthdays for the past nine years had been his dad telling him that he was a waste of space and a 'fucking idiot' didn't mean he didn't miss him in the smallest way shape or form. He was still his dad after all. The guy who brought him to the fair when he was younger. The guy who briefly taught him how to play guitar. And on the rare occasion when he was sober for about a week or so, would bring Alex out to fix up a pick up truck his dad planned to give him on his sixteenth birthday, but ultimately started using not long before his fifteenth.

He knew Aaron and Amber would maybe do something, but he knew there wasn't much they could do. They were only four and ten. They shouldn't do anything for their brother because he was feeling crappy about a day that didn't even mean that much to him.

Ugh. Birthdays. He thought they were really stupid. Why make a big deal out of the day you were born? Especially if nobody really seemed to care much about your existence.

That's why when he awoke on his sixteenth birthday he was surprised. He'd completely forgotten about what happened on the day everyone had told him about since, well... since he could remember. Some of the things people said to him when he was still was a small boy were nice and comforting, something that made him look forward to this special day, like "Oh, what a lucky women that boy's soulmate will be," was something he got often when he was younger, before his mom's schizophrenia and before his dad's substance abuse. He used to be a really sweet kid. He gave his lollipops to others who looked like they wanted it more, he shared his toys with people in the park. He talked and interacted with everyone from a young age. He was a cute kid too, he remembered. That's what people always said. They would pinch his chubby cheeks and ruffle his dark brown hair, which would lead to Alex giving them his signature crooked smile, which warmed the hearts of many. "What a sweet soulmate he will be.", "The special girl won't know what hit her!" , "He will treat her like a queen i'm sure." thats what daycare teachers and random moms at the park used to say to his parents, complimenting him on how well little Alex treated their daughters. While most boys his age we certain that girls had cooties, Alex just simply talked to him and played with them like they were just a normal person. Not to mention, what a little charmer he was. He was a flirt from the moment he was born. He told some girls he thought they were 'weally pwetty' and said he liked the bows in their hair or the outfit they were wearing. He had mad game. Even from the young age of four he had somehow even managed to completely charm his preschool teacher Ms. Ryan, who he thought was the most beautiful women to ever walk the face of the earth at the time (other than his mom). Ms. Ryan definitely favored Alex, always giving him extra treats at snack, or letting him out first to go to recess. Turns out, being thirty three and a four year old boy telling you on an almost daily basis that 'your dwess is supa pwetty Ms. Ryan' or 'i wike your hair vwery much' was a major confidence booster.

It all changed when he was five though, when his mom's condition was getting worse and his dad started using more and more and more. The situation just decreased as the years went on. Out were the compliments and looks of adoration and in rolled the dirty glares and not-so secret whispers. "What a poor girl to have him as her soulmate.", "I would hate for my daughter to be tied to him forever.", "Let's just hope his soulmate can put up with him." were the ones he heard instead. It used to hurt, but now he didn't mind. He didn't have any friends, any girlfriends, just some mere acquaintances. All he could really say he had were about half of the school's females tucked under his belt. Something he didn't actually care about. Sex was a defense mechanism. Sex made him feel wanted. If some girl was throwing herself at him, he took the opportunity. He felt like he was wanted, even if it was just for twenty minutes in some random parking lot.

He didn't really care for birthdays.

So, imagine his surprise when he woke up that morning to find an orange envelope on his dresser table. It was then he remembered. He remembered that the day of your sixteenth birthday you found out who your soulmate was.

He grabbed the folder so quickly it was like a flash of light. This envelope gave him hope. Hope that one day, someone would care about him. Because, that was the point of soulmates, right? A soulmate was someone who was made for you. Someone who would be okay with all the crap life had thrown at him. Some who would love you. Because, his soulmate would right? Right. She had to. He needed somebody. He really, really needed somebody. And his soulmate was his somebody. Hopefully.

With that thought he takes a deep breath and nearly rips the envelope open. He pulls out the three photos in it delicately, not wanting to even risk a crease or fold forming on the photos. He flips them over one by one.

The three photos.

Wow.

The three photos he'd been hearing about since he was a little boy.

The first one, as he had learned, is what your soulmate looked like on the day of their sixteen birthday, whether it be in the future or the past.

He feels stupid, really stupid. He was smiling like a god damn idiot.

She was hot, his soulmate. Really hot.

Her long brown hair was in gentle curls, natural he could tell. He knew what real curls were versus curling iron ones. She had bright golden eyes. He swore, they were like actual gold. They had specks of green, yellow, and honey. A little beauty mark sat by her right lip. And those lips? They were plump, full, and a bright pink. In the photo she was smiling. He really liked her smile. It was joyous, it made him feel happy, in a way he'd never felt before. He assumed she was laughing, based on the fact that her head was slightly tilted back. From what he could tell, she was wearing a pair of jeans and a flannel. He liked that about her, the fact that she wasn't wearing whatever uncomfortable shit he'd seen some girls at his school wear. She looked like she was dressed how she wanted to and wasn't gonna let society or school cliques tell her otherwise.

He let out a small sigh as he placed down the photo delicately, as if he dropped it any harsher it would break like glass. He picks up the second photo, another smile gracing his lips as he studies it.

The second photo was always of your soulmate the day you met. Well, more specifically, the first time you meet. In his, the girl looked even more beautiful. Except now, she wasn't a girl, she was a woman, and that was obvious. Her face was a bit fuller, and instead of having her hair down this time, two strands of her dark locks were framing her face. He could tell she was in the middle of saying something, but her face wasn't frozen in some awkward position. It looked natural, like a well shot candid.

Alex placed down the second photo just as delicately as the first, setting them side by side. The third and final photo he wasn't quite ready for.

The last photo was a picture of them at their worst. When they had hit absolute rock bottom, before thirty though. Again with the age. Alex didn't get it. Why should they put an age limit on knowing your soulmate? Wasn't there a saying in wedding vows, "for better or worse"? and that was for married people for god's sake. So, why shouldn't he be able to see his soulmate at her worst? It made sense right?

Alex flipped over the photograph hesitantly, his breath getting caught in his throat.

He slams the photo down on the bed as quickly as he could, not being able to look at it any longer.

He understood now.

His soulmate was beaten and bruised, almost all her marks, scars, and bruises visible due to the nightgown she wore. In the photo she was crying, silent tears, he could tell.

He understood now, why they only let you see towards a certain age. Because what if it was worse? What if something worse had happened while his soulmate was older?

A horrible thought came to his mind, shaking it off immediately.

No, he did not do that.

He knew he didn't. He wouldn't. He'd seen his dad beat his mom again and again. He would never be like his dad. He swore on it.

But still, that lingering thought in his mind.

No.

Instead of thinking further, he picked up the first photo of her, the one wheres she is sixteen too. He studies it, knowing that by tomorrow the photo would be gone. Just like the others. That was how it worked anyways. The photos only lasted a day. The next morning, the pictures would be gone. All he knew about her would be her face, which he was going to imprint into his memory as best as he could. The universe seemed to enjoy playing games with people, so again after the one day, your memory of the photo was foggy. Very foggy. It wasn't until you actually met your soulmate when you would remember the photos you saw when you were sixteen. So, her studied her. Even laugh line, every beauty mark, every freckle (she had them sprinkled in every so lightly on her nose). He would remember it all, he told himself that. So that way when he saw her, he would know. But of course, forgetting was inevitable.

He smiles at the photo, biting his lip in a failed attempt to stop his smile from growing. It all seemed surreal to him. A soulmate. He had one? He, Alexander Michael Karev, a boy who had to grow up much younger than most, had a soulmate? Someone who would be okay with his crap?

The man was far from a romantic. He gagged at chick flicks and still felt uncomfortable when he saw any form of PDA, whether it be him or anyone else, but he swore, he thinks this girl would make him okay with everything. For this girl, he could see himself do anything. He would jump in front of a bear for her. No doubt. It didn't matter that he had never even met her. He just knew.

He shrugs the sappy thoughts away, scoffing at himself, in an attempt to not lose his 'tough guy behavior'.

Get a hold of yourself Karev. She's just a girl.

But even those thoughts couldn't erase the smile from his face.

____

On the night before her sixteenth birthday, she was anxious. Really anxious. And scared. She could barely sleep that night, tossing and turning without being able to stop in the backseat of her car. But she knew the envelope wouldn't come unless she slept, since it only showed up after you fell asleep. So, she squeezed her eyes as tight as she could like a little girl wishing to see fairies and let the exhaustion of the days events take over her.

As she awoke the next morning, she temporarily forgot everything. For her, it was jut another day, trying to pry her exhausted eyes open, her mind having a battle with her body. She makes tiny noises as she drifts towards consciousness, her brain foggy with jumbled words and half made thoughts.

When she does manage to open her eyes, she sees an orange envelope tucked into the car's window from the inside. She doesn't think much of it at first, her brain still not on the cognitive thinking side of things, until she wakes up a bit more, remembering the day it was.

She sits up with a start, grabbing the envelope and opening it carefully, but still so quickly that the photos were tumbling out.

She picks up the first from the deck. A photo of her soulmate on his sixteenth birthday. And damn, she was a lucky woman.

He had a sharp jawline, no scratch that, a really freakin sharp jawline. Like you could run your finger across and you would end up with a cut. His messy-yet-styled hair was a dark brown. He had a broad build, biceps pulsing out form the white t-shirt he wore, and a really freakin sexy half smirk. His eyes were a dark brown like his hair, but his eyes, they held something familiar. They held, loneliness. Longing. Exhaustion. That was a big one. At first glance, you couldn't tell, but she could see, behind the eyes of dark brown and bits of green, he was exhausted. Exhausted of what? She didn't know. But she could tell, since she was sure she had the same in her orbs too. Loneliness. She felt that one too. But him? Lonely? He didn't look like the lonely type. He looked like the guys she saw at her school, the ones were girls falling at their feet and at least five different men to meet him every morning by the lockers to do a 'bro hug'. But she knew to not make assumptions. Longing. What was he longing for? A better life? Better parents? Better friends, better grades? She had no idea, but the look was clear in his eyes. But there was one more thing that shone in his seas of brown. Hope. The day of the photo was of the day of his sixteenth birthday. Could the glimmer of hope be for her? Could she be the cause of someone to believe. Probably not, but still, it never hurt to dream.

The second photo was of him the day they meet. And once again, she was a lucky lady. She couldn't quite see what he was wearing, but it looked to be some type of flimsy dark blue materiel. He had a half snarl on his face, but it didn't really look awkward, like she assumed it would on others. It looked natural, like he'd done it so many times before, it just came with ease.

He had the slightest bit of a stubble on his face, looking like he'd just shaved that morning or the night before, a bit more hair visible in the mustache area. His hair was a bit shorter than the previous photo, but not by much. It was better styled, but still looked like he had run his hands through it too many times to count. She sets the photo down next the the other one, taking a deep breath before flipping over the third and final photograph.

She intakes a sharp breath upon seeing the picture, tears pooling in her eyes at the sight in her hand. It was her soumate, lyig in a pool of his own blood, the red liquid coming from his chest.

He was shot.

In the chest, she assumed. That's where the most of the blood was at. She bites her bottom lip, trying to keep it from trembling. He was what seemed to be a metal box. An elevator? That seemed most likely. His blood stained clothes were previously a light blue, his hair shorter than the previous two photos.

The clothing, it liked familiar. Where had she seen them before? She racks her brain, trying to identify what her soulmate was wearing, purposefully ignoring the large sum of red surrounding the man.

A small smile graces her lips. Scrubs. She'd seen them on a few people when she went into town. So that meant he was doctor. Right? Or a nurse, but he didn't really look like he would be a nurse. And his scrubs were a different color than the ones in the precios picture. She assumed the clothing were scrubs in the second photo as well.

She swallowed thickly. It hurt. She felt the pain. The pain of her soulmate getting shot. It hurt like hell, and she wasn't even experiencing it first hand. But it still hurt. It felt like someone was grabbing her heart and squeezing it. It wasn't the same type of pain, but it was still pain nonetheless.

With that she sets the photo down. The fear starts to kick in then.

How would he soulmate feel about her past? He looked normal. Despite the loneliness and longing in his eyes, her looked normal.

What if she screwed it up? What if he couldn't deal with her crazy? She was Brooke. Hobo, car living, foster home, no parents Brooke.

She shoved the thoughts aside. He was her soulmate. The handsome stranger with the dark eyes that were somehow calming was her soulmate. Who knows, maybe he was just as screwed up as her.

____

Alex Karev had always been impatient. Ever since he was a little boy really.

So imagine how impatient he was when he was twenty nine years old and had still yet to meet his soulmate.

Her loved Izzie, and she had lost Denny, her soulmate. They made each other happy. They loved each other, she was probably going to die. He loved her, so they got married. He got married to someone who wasn't his soulmate. He had given up at that point. I mean, come on. Twenty nine years he'd been on this planet and he still had yet to meet his soulmate. God, he really wished he could just remember her face. He couldn't remember a single thing. Everything else from the day was clear, but the photos that held his soulmates face were a complete blur, nearly nonexistent. All he could remember were his feelings. He remembers thinking she was really hot. And he remembers feeling really happy. Too happy. He pushed the feelings aside. He loved Izzie.

And it hurt like hell when she left. They had their arguments, sure. But he loved her. He waited to kiss her because he wanted it to be special. He gave her a cupcake on her birthday because he wanted her to know she was loved. He wanted to let her know that she wasn't just another notch under his belt. He was a jerk, he knew that. He could be grumpy and he pushed people away. He guessed he pushed Izzie away.

He didn't know if he was ever going to meet his soulmate. He tried dating by and only had a list of failed relationships. And then the plane crash happened. He should've been on that plane, but Robbins boarded it instead. Maybe he would've been the one to lose a leg. Then Robbins would still be happy and making Alex gag at how in love her and Callie were. They were soulmates. It seemed like everyone had already gout their soulmate. Meredith had Derek. Callie had Arizona. Owen had Cristina, even though they had more than many disagreements. Bailey had Ben. Everybody had somebody.

Except him.

And that freakin sucked. So, he slept with the interns. Lots of them. Stacy, Tina, Irene, Brooks, Murphy. He'd pretty much given up on meeting his soulmate. At thirty-two he had still yet to meet the girl from the photographs.

So, sleeping with the interns and having non serious , inappropriate relationships with them it is.

____

She had always been impatient. When she was six she once punched a boy because one; he was being a complete ass, and two; he was taking too long to give her the crayon. he deserves it. he was making fun of her and purposefully trying to flatten the green crayon just to annoy her. he deserved the punch.

So when she met a man who treated her like a queen, who didn't beat her down for not having parents and living in her car she felt amazing. He called her beautiful and showered her with gifts and expensive foods. she didn't really care about that though, she enjoyed when he would delicately hold her like she was a porcelain doll. When he would greet her with a deep kiss after he came home from work.

She loved him so much that she agreed to marry him after only being together for eleven months. She knew Paul wasn't her soulmate, but a man who treated her so nicely, a man who was ever do handsome, wanted her? Who treated her with such love and tenderness, so what if he wasn't her soulmate. She was twenty three years old and hadn't met him yet. And if this amazing guy wanted her and loved her as much as she loved him, than it was okay, not being with her soulmate.

She held onto that love. She held onto that love for three years. Three years of beatings, begging that the man who showed her so much love and kindness would come back and stay.

Because Paul wasn't always bad. Some days he would come home and give her that breathtaking kiss as he walked through the door. Some days he still held her like she was a little porcelain doll.

Some days he did still show her that love like he used to that first year. But those days were few and far between.

She wished she had just waited. Gotten over her impatience for something real and waited. Maybe then everything would be okay.

Maybe one day she'll meet him.

....

She was no longer Brooke. No more with Brooke Stadler or the various names she took from all the different foster homes.

Now she was Jo. Josephine. Josephine Alice Wilson. It's who she felt like.

Jo. It was a bit old-timey, sure. But she liked it, the fact that she could probably confuse people who had only seen her name and think she was a boy. She didn't want to be a man, but maybe people would be surprised to see that all this well done work was actually done by a woman.

Jo was strong. Jo was powerful. Jo was the person she had always wanted to be.

She left behind Brooke. Brooke was... she was someone else. Brooke was a survivor. But Brooke was scared. Scared of everything. But Jo?

Jo knew Paul could find her. It would be hard, very hard. And he probably wouldn't, but now she wasn't scared. Brooke would've been scared. Brooke wouldn't been scared shitless. But Jo? No, Jo was far from scared. She was excited. She was eager. Because she had a new start. She got to be whoever the hell she wanted. She could go out and drink with her friends. She could go out and drink until she probably couldn't walk. She could do whatever the hell she wanted. She could wear whatever the hell she wanted. She could talk however the hell she wanted.

Because she was Jo.

But Jo did still want the one thing Brooke wanted. To find her soulmate. Sure, by now she knew that he probably didn't exist and the whole ordeal was just plain poppycock, but she wanted to find him. She really, truly, desperately wanted to find him.

She was twenty-seven years old and had a nonexistent love life. a few random hook ups from a bar were not included.

Maybe here. Maybe in Seattle she would meet her soulmate.

____

She was on Peds today, with Alex Karev. She hadn't ever met the man before, but she had heard more about him than she cared to. Mainly from Leah Murphy with the occasional input from Heather Brooks. From what she gathered, the easiest way to label him was a man whore. So she wasn't really the most excited to be on his service for the week.

She'd been in Seattle for a month now, starting her internship as Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital. She was in love. Sure, doing scut all day and running labs wasn't much, but when she gets to observe from inside the OR? She felt like she won the freakin lottery.

The girl grabbed a trauma gown form behind her attending. "Do you mind" he snarls not even meeting her gaze as he turns around and heads to the ambulance bay.

She says she was sorry, but she doesn't think he hears her.

"Why are you following me?" she doesn't know why, but for some reason his voice gives her butterflies. She hadn't gotten a look at his face yet, but she assumed it was turned into a grimace.

"I'm your intern for the day." her voice sends tingles through him, shooting down his spine. He hadn't seen her yet, but her voice was strangely comforting.

"Hello intern you got a-" he starts, stopping as soon as he looks at her.

He feels breath get caught in his throat. no, surely he was imagining things. Right?

She feels like she can't breathe. That face. It was the same one as the one she saw on her sixteenth birthday. She remembers him. His sharp jawline and tiny bit of stubble.

And those eyes. she remember those eyes.

They held the same things as before. Loneliness, longing, exhaustion. But now, the tiny glimmer of hope she once saw was bright, not like the barely there she saw once before.

He felt everything in that moment. She was just like he remembered. Her long brown hair was swept up into a low updo, two dark strands framing her face. She had that little beauty mark by lip. And her eyes, they were truly everything. They showed him what she was feeling, surprise, disbelief, a bit of fear, hope. he knew his eyes were telling her the same thing.

They're not sure how long they're standing there in the middle of the ambulance bay, oblivious to the two other people next to them.

She wasn't sure how long it was until he broke the silence, a large crooked smile making its way onto his lips.

"Hi."

he whispers so delicately, like if he were to speak any louder the world around then would shatter.

She feels he smile widen, but now grinning from ear to ear.

"Hi."

#jo wilson #alex karev #jolex fanfic #jolex #jolex fic #au #jolexau #greys anatomy #greys #soulmates #screw 16 x 16 #camilla luddington #justin chambers #jo karev #jolex is endgame

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snowdice · 4 years

Text

Folds in Paper (Chapter 4: Before All the Paperwork Got Signed)[Folds in Time Universe]

Fandom: Sanders Sides

Relationships: Janus/Patton, Remus & Roman, eventual Logan/Virgil (maybe more)

Characters:

Main: Janus, Patton, Remus

Appear: Remy, Emile, Virgil, Logan, Roman

Summary: Janus, a disillusioned senior agent working for the Time Preservation Initiative, struggles to find meaning in a world where time travel could change everything about your life’s history in less than a moment. When time distortions start popping up, threatening the timeline and the fabric of reality as he knows it, it becomes a race against the clock to fix the damage before everything unravels. And the problem with time travel… you never how long you have before the clock strikes 12 and your time is up.

With a partner who has more mysteries in his past than Janus had anticipated and an enigmatic free agent time traveler mucking about time always with a clever pun or a time appropriate pet name on his lips, Janus will need to figure out what went wrong with time, and more importantly, how to fix it.

Chapter Summary:

I can draw a straight line Through my mind Right back to the good times Back when all the stars were aligned Before all the paperwork got signed

Notes: Time travel AU, mystery, enemies to lovers, alcohol

This is a fic I’ve been writing on study breaks that you have probably all already seen at this point. I’ve slightly edited it for wording and grammar, but not for content from my previous posts. Feel free to send in asks to direct it because I’m not 100% sure where this is going and you can help decide if you feel so inclined! You can see the process I went through to build this at this link.

I also have a playlist on youtube (because Spotify didn’t have one of the songs I wanted).

AO3 Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Janus was frozen in surprise for a few long moments after Pat disappeared. Which had been, admittedly, his mistake, because, while their window had technically been until 11:17pm and it was only 11:10, the loud crack that whatever Pat had been using for time travel made, garnered the attention of someone else.

“Uh oh,” Remus said, likely hearing footsteps. “Hide.”

That snapped Janus into action, but instead of hiding immediately like a sensible human being, he chose to go for the only link to the man who’d just stolen time travel tech and waltzed away: the mask.

Which… was why he ended up getting arrested.

Remy tsked the moment they were all alone in the police car having come to ‘transfer Lee to another facility.’ Remus was already waiting in the front seat, and flashed Janus a smug smile. If Janus wasn’t still handcuffed, he’d slap him.

“Well,” Remy said. “At least you didn’t shoot anybody like I asked. I was joking by the way. I didn’t really want to pick you up from a 1920s police station period.”

“It wasn’t my fault.”

“Mmm, nah, ‘cause Remus managed to not get arrested this time, so you defiantly screwed something up.”

“Oh, he defiantly wanted to screw something all right,” Remus said joyfully.

“Remus,” Janus hissed.

“What?” he asked. “I’m not the horny one for once. Well, no, that’s a lie, but it didn’t affect the job this time.”

Janus groaned and leaned his head back against the seat.

Remy pulled into a seemingly random garage around 20 minutes later. “Alright,” he said. “Here we are.” He got out of the car and then helped Janus out before uncuffing him. “Here’s your ‘watch,’” Remy handed him the timepiece that had been confiscated when he’d been arrested.

Janus put it on and activated it. “Shit,” he said.

“What?” Remus asked.

“An appointment with cultural outreach has already been downloaded to my calendar for once we get out of decon.”

“Oof. Going to baby jail,” Remy laughed. Remus was cackling.

“This,” Janus said, “was not a cultural faux pas. I did nothing that indicated that I was not from this time. I am not some rookie.”

“Don’t forget cell phones don’t exist in the 1920s,” Remus sang.

“The real question is whether or not my foot exists in your…” Remus disappeared before he could finish, a smirk on his face. Janus growled. “By Remy,” he gritted out. He selected the decontamination chamber from his queue, ignoring the appointment that came after it for now.

He knew exactly where Remus would be standing when he landed, which was why he stepped forward on reentry to ram into him.

He yelped in surprise. “Sorry,” Janus said pleasantly. “I must have also forgotten landing procedures.

Remus laughed good naturally. “Aw, come on Jay,” he said, bumping Janus back, albeit much gentler than Janus had been. “It’s not a big deal. You just go talk with some crusty old college professor who is far too interested in spoons or something than can be healthy and then everything’s fine.”

“It’s the principle of the thing,” he growled. “They’re treating me like I’m an idiot who accidently invented disco in the 1920s when I was conned by some free agent time traveler.”

“‘Conned,’ Remus said. Is that what they’re calling it now?”

“I know where and when you live Remus,” Janus said.

Remus gave him a dopey smile as the decontamination cycle finished and the door unlocked. Janus’s wrist buzzed telling him that the coordinates to the cultural outreach office were now unlocked. Instead of pulling them up, Janus walked to the door.

“Um,” Remus said, following him. “Aren’t you supposed to be going to your appointment?” Janus just kept walking towards their office. “Uh… Jan?”

“It’s absolutely ridiculous that I have to go to Cultural Outreach,” Janus said. “In fact, no one can make me. If they want me to go have a discussion about the definition of ‘bushwa,’ they’re going to have to have me dragged there.”

“Mmm, I feel like The Boss won’t be too happy about that, and I have a feeling she’d be 100% down to dragging you there herself.”

“Well, then, let her,” Janus said, stalking through the door to his office. “I’m not going to…”

“Ah, Agent Picani,” the woman standing next to his desk, clearly waiting for him, said when he came through the door. “Dr. Picani was informed that there were complications with your last mission and wishes to have a conversation with you. He asks that you meet him in his office at the AMO.”

“Oh, um,” Janus said, stumbling a bit before plastering on a regretful half smile. “Unfortunately, I actually have an appointment right now at Cultural Outreach. It’s mandatory and very important, and I have to go now. So, I’ll have to take a raincheck on that.”

“But-” she started, frowning.

“Remus, work on the report!” Janus said quickly as he waved his hand to bring up his timepiece display and jammed his finger at the glowing appointment card in his queue. A few moments later, Janus was at Cultural Outreach.

Cultural Outreach was not part of the TPI, though it often worked very closely with them. It was a collaboration between the government and multiple universities to help government workers, politicians, and other citizens understand and bridge cultural gaps. It had existed before time travel was invented but had expanded to also teach people who needed to time travel how to behave in unfamiliar times and cultures.

After it had to be expanded to provide for the TPI, it had been moved to Silver Mountains University. The building had once just been a museum, but it had been thoroughly renovated and there had been add-ons for office space and some classrooms. It was still a museum, however, its purpose had expanded greatly and there were many areas that were off limits to the general public.

One of these areas was the fourth floor, where Janus’s timepiece had dumped him. This was the floor that was almost exclusively for TPI agents and the staff of Cultural Outreach who worked with them.

He immediately turned away from the reception area, hoping that he could escape and go sit on the university’s quad or something of the like for the next hour or so in hopes the woman his brother sent to fetch him would give up and go back to the AMO. Yet, the receptionist apparently saw him.

“Janus Picani?” he asked.

Janus grimaced and turned back towards him. “Yes,” he said.

“Is something wrong?” he asked. “You’re 5 minutes late for your appointment and seem disoriented.

“Nothing’s wrong.”

“Is your timepiece malfunctioning?”

“No.”

“Uh… okay. Well, if you sign in here, I can take you to your appointment.”

“…Fine.”

He begrudgingly stepped forward and touched the screen the receptionist gestured to for him sign with his fingerprint, and then let the man lead him down the hall.

The door they stopped at was propped open slightly, but he still paused and knocked. “Professor Eran? Your 2:30 is here.”

Janus had just a moment upon hearing the name to think that maybe there was actually some sort of intelligent design of the universe and whatever being of ultimate power had crafted it was a dick.

The door opened and Virgil Eran’s eyes immediately narrowed on him. “Janus.”

“Virgil.”

“I see you’re still late for everything.”

“I see you’re still a bastard.” Janus saw the receptionist slowly back away in the direction they’d come.

“Why don’t you come in?” Virgil said faux pleasantly.

Janus did, because he really didn’t have much of a choice at this point unless he wanted to jump out of a window… or push someone out of a window.

Virgil turned back into his office and took a seat behind his desk. Janus unhappily followed him in and sat across from him.

He took his time pulling up whatever the TPI sent him and reading it over. “So, I see you failed your recovery mission and were arrested in 1923.”

“It wasn’t like that,” Janus said. “I shouldn’t be here.”

Virgil gave him that same suspicious look he used to give Janus whenever Janus claimed to have not eaten his hot pockets out of the freezer in the middle of the night. He’d only been lying 80% of the time. Virgil had a tendency to forget what he’d eaten in a half-conscious state at 3 o’clock in the morning.

“I shouldn’t,” Janus snapped defensively. “Nothing went wrong with anyone from the time period. An illegal time traveler screwed up the mission details.”

“Well, it is still protocol to make sure nothing slipped when agents go off script. You weren’t prepared to be in a jail cell, and it is possible that you screwed something up.”

“I didn’t screw anything up,” Janus growled.

“Alright,” Virgil said, pulling up a document on his desk. “The mission started on July 27th, 1923 at 9:58pm, correct?”

“Oh, god, we’re not really going to fill out a time sheet? I don’t have time for that today.”

“It is protocol and best that the information is documented when it is still fresh in your mind. Besides, your schedule has been cleared for the rest of the workday.” The bastard was enjoying this. He knew how much Janus hated this stuff.

“I didn’t do anything wrong,” Janus said, “it was the damned illicit time traveler.”

“And I will be the judge of that,” Virgil said. Janus should have just bit the bullet and had coffee with his brother. “If you truly did nothing wrong, your supervisor will see that when I send this to her.”

Yet, despite the fact that Virgil clearly relished in his suffering, he was charitable enough to do most of the actual filling out of the forms. He’d read out the questions and write down what Janus said instead of making him do it himself. Janus really only had to do a quick quality check and sign it at the end.

He still was an asshole about the details, but really he’d been like that about stupid thing like the settings for the dish washer and how the pantry was organized during their college days before they’d had their falling out, so Janus wasn’t particularly surprised. When they were finally done, Virgil sent it off to get filed by the TPI.

Then, they were left staring at each other with nothing between them but almost a decade of radio silence and a whole lot of awkwardness.

“I should go,” Janus finally said, standing up.

Virgil tilted his head slightly to the side and gave him a half smile. “Don’t lock the door behind you,” he said. “Not that I’d expect you too.”

Janus took it for the clear attempt at a joke it was intended to be and puffed out a breath of amusement with a head shake. “No risk of that,” he said. Then, he turned and walked out of the office.

Want to read more? Click below!

AO3 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9

#sanders sides #janus sanders #patton sanders #remus sanders #moceit #time travel #adriana writes #folds in paper #folds in time universe #remy sanders #virgil sanders #logan sanders #analogical #emile piccani

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herrmannhalsteadproduction · 1 year

Text

The Centre Must Hold (Chapter One)

Summary: This is Part Fifteen of my series A Herrmann/Halstead Production. It is an AU where Christopher Herrmann's mom had an affair with Pat Halstead resulting in a baby. The series follows this OC character (Rebecca "Bex" Herrmann) as she grows up and gets to know her brothers and the various Chicago teams. It is very much an AU, just to underscore that. It doesn't follow the same timeline and characters will follow different paths.

Click here for the Series Rundown where you can find the links to read all of the previous installments (which I highly recommend you do so that this one makes sense.)

Rating: Teen and Up

Relationships: Christopher Herrmann & Original Female Character, Christopher Herrmann/Cindy Herrmann, Jay Halstead & Original Female Character, Will Halstead & Original Female Character, Jay Halstead & Will Halstead, pre-Greg 'Mouse' Gerwitz/Original Female Character, pre-Will Halstead/Connor Rhodes

Warnings: This loosely follows the arc where Chris is stabbed by Freddie Clemente. There will be discussion of his injuries, but not in extreme detail. Also: Hospitalization, Near Death Experience, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Arguing, just lots of stress A/N: To underscore my previous note, this is an alternate universe so things have unfolded differently. This will not follow the canon arc exactly by any means. But I hope you'll still enjoy it!

Chapter One

Bex

Bex was bustling around the kitchen, getting lunch ready for her and Will. He was at therapy this morning and while he never felt like talking about it when he got home, it helped if she was there and they could spend some time together.

And even better if there was delicious food waiting.

He came through the door just as she was pulling the cookies out of the oven.

“Hey!” Bex called out. “I’ve got BLTs ready to go and double fudge cookies!”

Will wandered into the kitchen and sat down at the table with a sigh. “Have I told you lately that you’re my favourite sister?”

“And don’t you forget it,” she laughed.

Bex surreptitiously gave him a once over while they ate. Will looked tired, but every week he also looked a little bit lighter. Even though talking through his past was hard, it was definitely having a positive effect.

He was still Will—just more so. Like he was settling into himself.

She was so damn proud of him.

“Why are you smiling at me like that, you weirdo?” Will was squinting at her, sandwich paused in front of his face.

“You have a gigantic glob of mayo on your chin.”

Will cursed, laughing as he swiped a finger, trying to locate the mess.

“Left. No, my left. More—oh, my god, just get a paper towel, Will,” she laughed.

He grabbed one from the counter and wiped exaggeratedly at his face. “Better?”

“I mean…it’s still your face, but yes.”

Will balled up the paper towel and threw it in her face. “What are you up to for the rest of the day?”

“I was going to stop by and help Cindy sort through some of the kids’ clothes for donations and then I have a shift at Molly’s,” she said, getting up as her phone started ringing in the living room.

Bex stilled as she saw the name on the caller ID before grabbing the phone and darting into her room. “…hello?”

***

Bex

Twenty minutes later, she sat frozen on her bed, phone clutched in her hand.

She hadn't yet managed to process what she’d been told.

A quiet knock sounded on her door. “Bex?” Will called. “You okay in there?”

“Um, yeah. Yup. Just a second.” She roused herself out of her stupor and opened the door. Will stood in the hallway with a concerned frown on his face.

“Sorry,” he said. “I’m not trying to be nosy, you’ve just been in there for a long time and it’s been quiet for a while. Was it—is it bad news?”

Bex couldn’t help the surprised laugh that bubbled out. “The opposite? Actually?”

Will followed her as she wandered out to the living room and sat bonelessly on the couch.

“Okay, well, can you tell me what it was because you’re kind of freaking me out right now.”

She turned to face him where he sat beside her and realized that—though this was excellent news—she was about to get the scolding of her life.

And then again from Cindy and Chris and Jay.

Might as well get started then.

“So, you know I’ve been working on my graphic novel, right?”

Will sat up, excitement lighting up his eyes. “Yeah.”

“A few months ago, I kind of signed with a literary agent who has been submitting my work to publishers?”

His mouth fell open and she rushed ahead with the rest of the news.

“And that was her on the phone just now and we have an offer on it? Not the one I showed you. I actually started on one for kids? And yeah, someone wants to publish it.”

“Bex—that’s—oh, my god, Bex!” Will grabbed her up in a hug before pulling back to scowl at her. “You got a literary agent and didn’t tell me? Did you tell Jay? Chris?”

“No?” Bex shrugged, staring down at her tangled fingers. “I didn’t want to get everyone’s hopes up, you know? The odds were not great of anything happening and I didn’t want you guys to be all excited for something that might not ever happen.”

“But what if we want to be excited for you? I want to cheer you on every step of the way, Bex,” he said gently. “And if it didn’t work out, I want to be here to eat ice cream and curse the publishing industry with you. Isn’t that what you keep telling me family is for?”

“Yes,” she sighed, steeling herself to be fully honest, now that she was telling him everything. “I think the other part was that I didn’t want to get my hopes up, you know? I wanted this so bad and I didn’t really know what I was going to do if it didn’t work out. So, I just put it out of my mind.”

“I get that,” Will nodded. Then he grabbed her arm again and grinned. “But Bex—it is happening. You’re getting published!”

Her own wide grin spread across her face. “I’m getting published!”

He pulled her up off the couch to cheer and jump around before falling back down. “Okay, tell me everything,” he said.

She filled him in on the ins and outs of the process as she understood it and what her book was about and the fact that it was super secret news for now before catching a glimpse at the time. “I’ve got go,” she exclaimed, grabbing her stuff. “I’m supposed to be at Cindy’s in like fifteen minutes.”

“Go, go,” Will shooed her out the door. “Don’t forget to call Jay and call me later to tell me everyone’s reactions!”

“I’ll be home late so celebration breakfast tomorrow?” She called over her shoulder.

“You know it,” he said with a smile. “I’ll make pancakes.

Bex made it over to Chris and Cindy’s just before Chris was headed out the door for a supply run. She sat them both down in the kitchen and broke the news.

Chris was instantly a mess. He pulled her into a hug, tears running down his face as Cindy put the kettle on. “I’m just so proud of you, kiddo,” he said, squeezing her tight and getting choked up. “You knew what you wanted and you worked hard and you never gave up. You’re amazing.”

“Thanks, Chris.” Bex hugged him back just as tight.

“No more keeping secrets though!” he chastised her. “I want to hear everything about every step from here on out. What’s next?”

She told them about the next steps and the fact that everything had to be kept a secret until the deal was announced.

“Right,” Chris nodded. “So, 51 family only.”

“No,” Bex laughed, shaking her head. “As in, you, Cindy, Will, and Jay are the only ones who get to know. Seriously. A secret secret, Chris.”

“Well, that sucks,” Chris complained. “I wanna brag!”

Cindy patted his shoulder. “All in good time, hun. All in good time.”

Bex could hardly wait to tell him it would probably be another two years before the book actually came out.

She would hold off on sharing that little tidbit.

He hung out with them a bit longer, badgering Bex with every question he could think of before heading out, dropping a smooch on both of their heads before he left. “See you tonight, amazing soon to be published author,” he called out.

Bex exchanged a look with Cindy who chuckled at her. “This secret thing isn’t going to last long, is it?”

“You know Christopher,” Cindy said with a fond gaze at the front door. “He can’t help himself when it comes to his family.”

Bex couldn’t even be annoyed. It was just Chris and she loved him for it.

“Let’s tackle those donations, hm?” Cindy put their mugs in the sink and they got to work sorting through the clothes that no longer fit any of her forever growing nephews.

“Annabelle is never allowed to grow up,” Bex sniffed. “One of them has to stay tiny.”

“She’s already four going on twenty-four,” Cindy exclaimed. “Honestly, that kid keeps me hopping more than her brothers all put together.”

“That’s my girl,” Bex said with a satisfied nod.

She and Cindy got everything bagged up and loaded into her car so she could drop it off at the donation centre. With a bit of time to kill after accomplishing that task, Bex took a chance on texting Jay to see if he had a moment.

Luckily, he was in the middle of paperwork and more than happy to have a break. She met up with him at the parking lot of 21 and told him the big news.

He also had to get his two cents in for keeping secrets (“Cut that shit out.”) before grilling her for all the details he could during their little window of visit time.

“I didn’t even know you were working on one for kids!” he exclaimed.

“Oh, yeah, that was kind of Annabelle’s fault?” Bex laughed. “I’ve been telling her this bedtime story when I’ve been babysitting and because it’s Annabelle, she wanted one with a girl kicking butt so the story kind of spun out from there.”

“Nothing, but the butt-kickingest-best for Annabelle.”

“Exactly,” Bex said. “So, it’s about a girl who has all of these older brothers who are super heroes—” Jay raised an eyebrow at her. “—and they get kidnapped by these super villains and she has to go and rescue them.”

“Well, that sounds awesome,” Jay said with a grin. “I can’t wait to read it. Oh, man, wait until I tell everyone.”

Jay was about as pleased as Chris to hear about the keep it secret, keep it safe nature of the news.

“Okay, but when can I talk about it?”

“I will let you know! I promise?” she exclaimed.

“Like how you told me about your agent? Hm? I feel like I need this promise in writing, Bex,” he teased her, darting out of the way of her swat before grabbing her in a hug. “Proud of you, kid. You should be too.”

“Thanks, Jay.” She hugged him back and he tousled her hair before letting her go.

“I’ve got to head back up, but we’re celebrating soon!”

“Will’s making pancakes tomorrow morning,” Bex said.

“I am there,” Jay said. “I’ll bring fancy juice so we can toast.”

“What’s fancy juice?” Bex laughed.

“I don’t know,” Jay shrugged. “The kind that has more than one fruit? I’ll find the best one and that’s what I’ll bring.”

“Sounds good,” Bex said, still laughing as she got back in her car while he jogged back into the station.

***

Jay

Jay winced as he heard Bex’s brakes scream as she left the parking lot. Maybe now that she had a book deal, she could get an actual reliable vehicle. That would be a relief.

“Mini-Chuckles okay?” Platt asked as he passed the desk.

“She’s great,” Jay said, hurrying up the stairs before she could ask any further questions because he definitely wanted to spill his guts.

Back at his desk, he slipped into his chair and got back to his paperwork, avoiding everyone’s questioning looks. A shadow fell over his files and he looked up to see Mouse hovering nearby.

“Was, uh—that was Bex, right?” he asked, eyes flicking to the stairs, like she might be coming up next. “Everything good?”

Jay narrowed his eyes at Mouse, trying to decipher his expression. Was that worry? Casual interest? UN-casual interest? He felt like he was second-guessing every familiar twitch of his friend’s features now that he had growing suspicions about said friend.

Mouse’s twitchiness grew and Jay didn’t have the heart to keep him dangling. “Yeah, she’s fine, man,” he said, putting Mouse at ease. “She just had some good news to share. Ah—” He held up a finger cutting off the inevitable next question. “I’m not allowed to talk about it yet.”

Mouse’s face fell into an instant pout and Jay couldn’t help laughing a bit. “I’m sure she’s gonna tell you soon enough,” he said. And then unable to resist a little poking, he added—

“You guys seem to be talking a lot lately.”

“She’s better at texting than you,” Mouse shot back. “If I’m trying to track you down, she’ll tell me where you are and what you’re up to in the time it takes you to find your phone.”

He couldn’t really argue that.

But still. He knew they had to be talking about more than his whereabouts.

“Whatever, man,” he grumbled and Mouse just smirked at him as he headed back to his own desk. Jay watched as he pulled out his own phone, tapping out a quick message before setting it down and dropping into his chair. He must have felt Jay’s eyes on him because he looked up and—

Blushed?

Like Jay had caught him in the act?

Of texting his baby sister perhaps?

Jay narrowed his eyes at him before slowly returning to his paperwork.

More surveillance was clearly needed.

***

Bex

She rolled her eyes affectionately at the message on her phone.

Mouse: Heard you have news…

“Wow, Jay,” she muttered. “That took about five seconds.” The text had been waiting for her once she’d finally looked at her phone after arriving at Molly’s.

Bex: And when I can share it, you will hear all about it.

Mouse: ☹ Mouse: I want to know now. Mouse: I like cool news too.

Bex: Jay said it was cool news?

Mouse: No. Mouse: I just assumed. He seemed excited and it was you so I figured it was cool.

Bex: 😊 You’re not wrong. Bex: Come to breakfast tomorrow. Will’s making pancakes and I’ll fill you in.

Mouse: I’ll be there.

“Who are you texting that’s got you grinning like that?” Chris asked, trying to take a peek at her phone.

“Just Jay being a dork,” she said, tucking her phone away in her pocket.

“Then stop hanging around and help me get this stuff put away.” He loaded her up with boxes to take into the store room and unload. “We’ve got to get this place sorted before open and I’m not sure when Freddie’s showing up to lend a hand.”

“How’s it going with him?” She asked as she followed him to the back.

“Eh.” Chris moved his head from side to side since his hands weren’t free to do the see-saw motion. “He’s a tough nut to crack, but it’s early days.”

“I think it’s really great what you guys are doing.” Bex set her boxes on the floor and started rearranging the shelves. “Joe reaching out to him and you guys offering him the job here. He deserves a chance.”

“I think Cruz has his work cut out for him,” Chris quipped. “But yeah, being around a different environment could really help.”

“Being around you guys,” Bex added. “You know, I think about Jay and how angry he was as a kid and what a difference you made for him.” Chris looked over at her with soft eyes at that, nodding at the memories.

“As bad as things were at the Halstead house, I think Freddie’s had it even worse.” She reached out to squeeze Chris’s shoulder. “I’m happy you guys are at least making the effort. I hope he sticks with it.”

“Cruz isn’t giving up on him any time soon so he’s got that going for him too,” Chris said. “All we can do is try, right?”

“Exactly,” she nodded. And then frowned at the shelf. “Okay, why does Otis insist on organizing things this way. It makes no sense!”

“Don’t rearrange it!” Chris held a warning hand out. “Last time you switched it around, he complained about it for a week.”

“He’s never said anything to me.”

“Because he hates arguing with you,” Chris rolled his eyes. “He says you pull out the sad puppy eyes and it’s cheating.”

Bex laughed. “Oh! These?” She widened her eyes at Chris.

“Yeah, those haven’t worked on me since you were eight,” he snorted.

“But they work on Otis,” she cackled and got to work on switching things around to her liking.

***

Bex

The evening passed by in a blur of drinks and laughter and cheering the return of Uncle Bo to the firehouse. Chris had filled her in on bits and pieces of what had been going on, but hearing the full story from everyone and seeing the relief was something else.

She basked in the joy of having them all together. The only thing that would have been better would be if Will, Jay, and Mouse were there, but they were staying in at Jay’s watching some kind of sporting event. She’d tuned out the details because sportsball.

Freddie kind of skirted the edge of things, bussing tables and talking a little bit with Joe, Otis, Chris, Gabi, and herself. He shied away anytime Kelly came up to the bar and she didn’t blame him with the glare that kept being aimed in his direction.

Not exactly the spirit of 51 that they were aiming for.

Bex made a quiet note to ask Chris about it and see if maybe he could talk to Kelly about it. Or ask Matt to talk to him. She knew he’d been through a hard time, but his level of animosity felt really out of proportion.

The evening was winding down and they were cleaning up behind the bar.

Otis was grumbling to himself about something and she caught Freddie’s name.

“What’s up?”

He looked over and sighed. “I sent Freddie to the back for some lowball glasses, but I think he’s having trouble finding them because somebody rearranged everything again.”

Bex widened her eyes at the look he gave her and he immediately started shaking a finger in her face. “No,” he said. “Don’t start with that. It’s cheating!”

She laughed at him, tossing a bar rag at his still wagging finger. “I’ll go back and help him,” she said. “Relax.”

Still chuckling, she headed to the storage room. “Hey, Freddie, you need some help? I can show you where—”

She stopped short at the sight of the empty room.

A groan sounded from the floor.

Bex stepped further in and then froze.

Every part of her

froze.

All she could hear was a high-pitched whine.

Screaming in her ears.

Chris was laying on the ground in a pool of blood, gasping out pained little breaths.

Bleeding.

Dying.

“B—ex—”

His strained voice cut through her shock and she dropped to her knees beside him. “Oh, my god, Chris. Chris! What happened?” Her hands fluttered over him, trying figure out what to do, how to help.

“Freddie—stabbed me—”

“Wh—where—what do I do—Chris—what—”

He took another breath, a shaky hand reaching for her. “B-breathe, Bex. Breathe.”

She gulped in air and tried to calm down. Tried to think.

“T-owel—”

Right. Yes. Stop the bleeding. She grabbed a clean bar towel from the shelf and pressed it against Chris’s side and he grunted.

“Call—help—” he whispered.

Help. That word kicked her brain back online and it was like the real world rushed back in. She could hear the sounds of everyone laughing out in the bar. The sounds that Chris had been lying here listening too while no one came.

But she was here now.

And they needed help.

“Help,” she called out.

Not loud enough.

“Help! We need help in here! Help!”

Footsteps running their way.

“You’re going to be okay, Chris,” she whispered to him. “You’re going to be okay.”

Kept whispering.

You’re going to be okay.

You’re going to be—

Click here for Chapter Two Click here for Chapter Three Click here for Chapter Four Click here for Chapter Five Click here for Chapter Six Click here for Chapter Seven

Click here to read The Centre Must Hold on ao3:

And here is the tag list (let me know if you wish to be added or removed): @sorry-i-spaced, @iunnowatuwant, @lexhalstead3, @multifandomgrl08, @thegirlwhowishedeveryonelived, @ivyalmighty, @thewannabewriter

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onthevirgeofdestruction · 4 years

Text

Words: 2,006 Warnings: Kissing, Gay Panic Characters: Roman, Janus Ships: Roceit Universe: Generic College AU Genre: 1000% Romantic Fluff

AO3 Link

Janus pulled off the dark winding drive into the dirt on the side of the road. Roman wasn’t sure what had possessed him to agree to go anywhere with Janus. He normally was so confident and good at putting up a mask. But around Janus? Undoubtedly the cutest boy in his English lecture? Possibly on campus? Roman was a mess. He knew he was a mess. Boys shouldn’t be allowed to be that hot. Somebody needed to draw a line. Roman couldn’t focus in the lecture the first time Janus sat next to him. He could focus even less after they started chatting. Well, after Janus started talking and Roman started nodding because suddenly his tongue wouldn’t work. The fact he managed to get in Janus’s car was almost an act of god itself.

“It’s here. You’ll love it, I promise,” Janus said silkily and looked Roman in the eye. Roman’s face grew hot every time Janus did that. There was no way Janus didn’t notice, but he never brought it up. He was probably used to seeing it, he was so damn hot. “Come on,” Janus smiled and brushed his hand across Roman’s that was gripping his knees. A little spark bit between them, but Janus didn’t act like he felt it. He got out of the car and Roman followed suit after a moment of staring after him, unable to process the static shock.

Roman stepped out into the cool night air. It was dark out here on the hills. There were no road lights nearby to light the way. Just the wind and the trees. Roman could barely make out anything five feet away from him. It would be a little freaky if Janus didn’t seem so confident and self-assured. Janus climb up on to the hood of his car and held out his hand. Roman swallowed and took it, joining him on top of the car. The hood made a loud hollow noise when Roman climbed on to it. He was nervous about scuffing up Janus’s car, but Janus just smiled reassuringly. He shifted, and they both sat upon the highest part of the hood and faced out over the cliff-side Janus parked on.

Roman really did love it. They were positioned over a lake next to the city. The lights from the city all bounced off the water in magical ways, making urban sprawl look like luminescent art instead of harsh reality. There were many different shimmering colors of light, even on the water. It looked like one lakefront house was having a party, with different colors reflecting off the water near the house every few seconds. The city was still alive and pulsing with motion. Lights on the road flying past and buildings and towers lit up with an amber glow. Roman leaned forward and grabbed his legs and kept looking around at the ever-changing landscape in front of him.

“If you like stars, you can also see them out here,” Janus said and pointed up in Roman’s peripheral vision. Roman leaned back to look up. Roman liked stars now. You could barely make them out in the city. But out here, they spread out like a glittery blanket and coated the sky in an otherworldly mystical glow. Some of them that shone brightly he might have recognized, but amongst the flickering pale glow of the thousands of others he had never seen before, it was like a whole new sky. Roman leaned back on his hands and stared up in wonder at the celestial marvel above him.

“You know, the stars out here are almost as bright and beautiful as your eyes,” Janus said softly and scooted closer to Roman on the hood of the car. Roman felt his entire face burn, and he was glad it was so dark out here that Janus couldn’t see how extremely affected Roman was by that compliment. Was Janus… interested in him? Why would Janus be interested in him? Roman was a wreck in nice packaging. He was great at acting okay and strong despite his insecurities, but he was nothing that someone like Janus should be interested in.

“Are you sure?” Roman asked quietly, glancing out of the side of his eyes to Janus in the pale glow moonlight.

“I’m very sure,” Janus cooed, taking Roman’s chin and angled his face towards him. “Absolutely stunning,” He said with a knowing smile. Roman’s face somehow grew hotter if that was even possible. Was it possible to die from flattery? Roman might find out if this kept up.

“Um, yeah, the view is something,” Roman said meekly, not able to tear his gaze away from Janus’s piercing look.

“I’m glad you are enjoying it. So, what kinds of things do you like?” Janus released Roman’s face and angled his body towards Roman more. Roman was still reeling for a moment, but Janus just looked at Roman with interest instead of annoyance while Roman got ahold of himself. Well, as ahold of himself as he could manage in this situation. Which was not much.

“Art, poetry, music… you know… endeavors of the human spirit or whatever,” Roman replied much less eloquently than he would have liked.

“So you like romantic things?” Janus leaned forward towards Roman a little.

“I, um, yeah,” Roman muttered. He would love to confidently say he did and speak of the volumes of his interests. To gush about his favourite musical. To show Janus one of his paintings. To recite some poetry he had memorized to prove it. But He opened his mouth and nothing came out. So he closed it and kept meeting Janus’s intense gaze, unable to find any words, starting to feel lost in Janus's eyes.

“So how do you feel about kissing, then?” Janus asked, and Janus’s hand slid closer to Roman’s, pressing gently into the side of Roman’s hand. His heart would have jumped into his throat when that happened, but Roman just stiffened. He didn’t want to admit it. He was 20 now. And despite all the love ballads he sang on stage or the passionate poetry he performed… “Are you okay?” He asked gently. Roman felt wound tighter than a music box that had been twisted too many times. Roman swallowed and nodded.

“Can I tell you a secret?” Roman whispered. He had no reason to whisper. They were alone out here. But he just couldn’t bring himself to say it louder.

“My lips are sealed and my ears are open,” Janus wrapped his hand around Roman’s on the hood of the car.

“I’ve never…” Roman tried and trailed off, finally pulling his eyes away from Janus and looking down in shame. He wasn’t able to say it. He couldn’t admit it. But the intended message was obvious.

“Would you like to?” Janus said smoothly and Roman’s eyes shot back up, staring widely at Janus. He was smirking at Roman but didn’t make a move forward. Janus lightly squeezed Roman’s hands as his brain seemed to stop completely in its tracks. Did he really- was- no- he couldn’t- “I’d be happy to oblige,” Janus purred. He really- holy shit- what the fuck- oh my god! Janus leaned in halfway and watched Roman’s face glow at one thousand megawatts, but didn’t pressure him any while Roman sat there, completely frozen and unable to process this.

After a supreme effort, Roman swallowed and managed to nod. Janus smiled and moved closer to Roman. Janus grabbed one of Roman’s cheeks and pulled Roman millimeters away from Janus’s lips, letting Roman close the final gap. Roman closed his eyes and went in. Fireworks. A chorus. His heart was pounding, but Roman didn’t care. It was like warm honey, hot electricity, completely familiar like home and completely unknown like the furthest reaches of outer space. Janus kissed Roman expertly. They moved slowly with each other, Janus’s hand gently cradling Roman’s face and slipping into Roman’s hand on the car. Roman took it, and they intertwined fingers while they kissed. Roman had reached out and held Janus’s waist without even realizing it, gently caressing his side. Janus slid his hand into the back of Roman’s head and Roman’s hand wandered up Janus’s back and they pulled each other closer. Roman could barely process what was happening outside of the fire in his heart and brain Janus was fanning with the kiss.

Janus and Roman finally pulled apart to breathe. Roman felt like he’d run a marathon he was panting so hard. Janus had a very satisfied smile, and he pulled the pair of them down to lie back on the car, hands still grasping one another.

“Do you have an opinion now?” Janus smirked humorously.

“I-yes. Good,” Roman managed to stammer out, still completely dazzled by the kiss.

“Just good? Shame,” Janus hummed, though he was still smiling.

“No! Great! Amazing! Life-affirming!” Roman blurted out, quickly correcting himself.

“You do have a way with words,” Janus leaned in and Roman didn’t hesitate to kiss him again. This one was just as tender, but shorter. Which was good, since Roman was still trying to catch his breath from the first one.

“I, uh, you’re… really good at that,” Roman muttered out. “You took my breath away,” Roman exhaled, still trying to get it back.

“I also enjoyed myself thoroughly,” Janus pecked Roman on the forehead and he was a blushing mess all over again.

“H-how many… how much practice have you had?” Roman asked, feeling embarrassed. “I mean, you’re so good and it seems like maybe you’ve kissed a lot, I don't know, sorry,” Roman stumbled out quickly, realizing how that sounded.

“Zero,” Janus grinned slyly.

“Zero what?” Roman asked, feeling confused on top of completely discombobulated by that kiss and Janus and his proximity and the stars and, well, everything about this situation.

“You’re my first kiss,” Janus squeezed Roman’s hand in his.

“No way,” Roman said incredulously, furrowing his eyebrows.

“How would you like to be my first everything, darling?” Janus said and pulled Roman in closer. Okay, if it was possible to die from being flustered and flattered, Roman would be dead right now. Roman’s brain completely melted. He didn’t have one functional thought left. Just his heart and mind doing backflips at the very concept of being asked out. “Would you like to go on a date tomorrow evening? My treat,” Janus offered smoothly after a long pause of Roman staring at him wide-eyed like a deer in headlights. Roman nodded furiously, unable to form words at this point. Janus had completely destroyed Roman's mind and stole his heart. Janus pulled Roman in for another kiss and they kissed amorously under the heavenly glow of the cosmos, finding themselves in each other. The urgency of the kisses never rose, but the passion did, leaving them both breathless and longing for more. Roman was very glad he wasn’t driving because he’d be drunk off of Janus’s lips for days.

#tsss #sanders sides #tsss fanfiction #sanders sides fanfiction #tsss fanfic #roceit #fanfiction #kissing #ts roman #ts janus #romantic #fluff #tooth-rotting fluff #first kiss #romance #smooth janus #insecure roman

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rainythefox · 4 years

Text

Nightfall (Ch.14)

Synopsis: Pre-Resident Evil 1, slight-AU/Canon Divergence. Claire Redfield comes home to visit her brother Chris for the holidays but gets caught up in a dangerous game of cat and mouse with Albert Wesker, the Captain of STARS, after stumbling upon dark secrets. She can’t call the law; Wesker is the law, and she can’t tell Chris. She is trapped…Claire/Wesker & Slight Chris/Jill (There’s Wesker & William Bromance too lol). Rated M for eventual smut, language, violence, adult content.

AO3 Link

Chapter 14: On the Trail

The journey through NEST seemed to take ages this time. Claire was super lost now. How did these people know where they were going? The directions painted on the walls seemed alien to her.

She stayed close to Wesker, although the two barely spoke as he led her through the underground facility once more. That was fine by her. The redhead was still overwhelmed and distracted with what just happened. She tried not to think about it right now. It was something she'd need to process once she was back home, away from his scrutiny. As long as no one ever found out, especially Chris, she would be able to handle it.

The younger Redfield thought that was reasonable…until Dr. William Birkin stepped around the next corner, looking at some papers and whistling a tune.

Claire panicked inside. Wesker better not boast about what happened or she would kill them both…somehow. She remained calm on the outside, glancing up at Wesker. His expression was unreadable, except maybe it had eased up on his usual seriousness when spotting Will.

William looked up from his documents, noticing them. He took just one glance between the two of them before a wicked, all-knowing grin broke out on his face and Claire inwardly cringed. Could these two read each other's minds or what?!

She prepared herself for whatever cracks were about to come out of William's mouth.

"Dear God, it finally happened! Anne owes me fifty bu-" Wesker's hand smacked Will's face and knocked it back into the wall. "Ow!"

"Not a word," Wesker stated as his best friend rubbed the back of his head with a shit-eating grin.

This close, Claire realized the documents he had been reading were the same ones she had stolen from Raccoon University. She wondered what dark secrets they contained.

The eccentric researcher put up his free hand in mock surrender. "Okay, okay! I would never disrespect Claire that way...and expect to survive." His eyes found her and she instinctively balled a fist, ready to punch him where it counted. "Are you alright, Claire? I can castrate him if you wish. Unless you enjoyed it, of course."

Claire punched him in the gut. Will curled over, holding his stomach, wheezing. "So that's a no then...right?"

The redhead glared daggers at him as he slowly recovered from her punch.

"Never mind Claire, I deserved that, and Anne will kiss my boo-boo better tonight, so no harm done. I should thank you...", Birkin squeezed out, rubbing his abused belly.

"Dr. William Birkin, your presence is urgently needed in the incubation center," came the mechanical female voice on the intercom.

He hobbled away, mumbling to his partner. "She hits fucking hard. You're two are meant to be, Al."

Claire glared at his back as he went down another hallway, but Wesker got her attention by clearing his throat. "Shall we?" He looked amused by what had just happened, but Claire felt it was best to leave it alone. Once they made it up to the surface, Wesker surprised her.

"William is a complex man. It may not have seemed like it, but he was genuinely concerned when he asked your well-being." He opened the passenger door to his Jaguar for her, but she hesitated getting in.

"Your point?" Claire asked, looking him directly in the eyes, still disturbed and confused over all that happened tonight.

The STARS Captain half-shrugged, hand still propped on the open door. "Perhaps to spare him another of your retaliations, deserved or not, as much fun as they surely are. Besides, punishing him is my job."

She rolled her eyes and got inside the luxury sports car. Wesker shut her in and got in the driver seat. Claire stared out the window, flurries of snow falling in sheets now. It was just after 11p.m. according to the car's radio. She was ready to get home, bury herself in a mass of blankets and forget this whole nightmare. Boy, had she dug herself a hole so deep she could no longer see the light! She looked over at Wesker. The redhead cursed his good looks and silver tongue. But ultimately, she had done this to herself. She could've walked out that door. Could've said no, refused him. But no, she just had to prove to herself just how attracted to trouble she was...

As long as Chris doesn't find out…and he stays safe. That's all that matters.

For added measure, she wanted to take a whole week's worth of birth control, even if she had been diligently taking it for over a year. She couldn't imagine trying to come up with a story for that scenario if Wesker managed to knock her up.

It would probably come out looking just like him, blond hair, wearing sunglasses and all. No paternity test needed to explain that! She joked crudely, but soon dismissed it. Don't jinx yourself. He obviously didn't care about protection tonight. He got what he wanted.

"Something wrong?" Wesker asked, stirring her from her thoughts.

Claire blushed, realizing she had been staring at him, and hid her embarrassment with the first jeer to fly from her tongue. "For someone who doesn't like or want kids, you sure as hell didn't care about protection back there." Facepalm. Way to go, Claire, you fucking idiot.

A soft snort came from her brother's boss, and the sly smile that quirked made her heart do a funny flip. "You're on contraception, yes? Safyrallin?"

A strange, icy feeling bit its way into her spine. He knew what medications she was taking? Should she be surprised anymore? His satisfied half-glance her way confirmed he had revealed that knowledge with the sole intent to unnerve her even more. And it had worked.

"Don't act surprised, dear heart. I know nearly everything of all my quarries, including medical histories and prescriptions. Comes in handy where it counts."

I'm sure it does…

"Nothing surprises me with you and your lows anymore."

"Good. You're learning."

She shot him a glare just before they came to a stop at a red light. He looked at her, serious, piercing steel blue eyes freezing her in place. "I told you before I control most of this city and you thought I was bluffing. Do you still believe I am?"

Claire quietly shook her head. He smirked. His hand made contact with her thigh, caressing down and squeezing her knee. "I thought so."

The light turned green. His hand left her thigh, its burning, tingling touch slowly fading away within Claire's flesh beneath her jeans and she shivered.

Claire was relieved to finally see home come into view. Chris's truck was gone, but Wesker just pulled over to the curb. She was ready to get the hell out of that car, but her door was locked. She knew he would have one last thing to say to her, and so she turned to him, ready to get it over with.

"I'll be in touch soon, dear heart. The same conditions apply. Keep your stories straight and Chris nescient."

"I will," she snarked. "Now let me out."

Her door clicked, unlocking. Claire grabbed the door handle, but Wesker asked a question she wasn't at all expecting.

"Why did you use your mother's name tonight at the university?"

She wasn't shocked he knew her mother's name or that he asked her reasoning for using it tonight as her cover. But she was surprised by how he asked it. It was pure curiosity; no scorn, no teasing, no patronizing. Claire shrugged, not really knowing herself as she dug for an answer.

"I don't know. It was the first name I thought of. She went there when she was my age. Raced dirt bikes and motorcycles back when they had that." She stopped herself from rambling. "Why?"

"I would refrain from using family names in the future, especially one as unique as hers. It could get you into trouble. Always use fabricated aliases."

She nodded. "Okay." In a weird way, she knew he was advising her for her protection. She got out of the Jaguar and closed the door. The car sped away, the sleek black body disappearing into darkness, fading in flurries of snow.

It was nice to finally pull into his own driveway after most of the evening spent at the bar. Chris made sure Jill got home okay in her car. She had more to drink than him and the snowfall had picked up since they left. His partner told him to let her know if she was needed, in case Claire didn't come home. She also made sure to point out not to jump right in demanding answers for her supposedly being spotted with Wesker across town the other day. Well, no promises there. It had eaten at him more than he thought it would.

It was the moment of truth as he hit the front porch, stomping his boots to knock the snow off. He hoped his little sister had returned. It was nearly midnight! If she wasn't home, Chris swore he would hunt down this William Birkin fellow at his house. Just as he reached for his keys, hands frozen because he forgot his gloves (again), the front door opened. His heart skyrocketed. Claire! She was home! She was safe!

"Chris, get in here, ya goof! It's cold out there!" She grinned.

"Hell yeah, it is!"

He entered the warm house, stripping off his coat and boots and placing them near the door. He tossed his keys and wallet onto the nearby counter as he waltzed into the kitchen. Sizzling ham and cheese permeated the air. Claire flipped the grilling sandwich on the stove.

"You're hungry this late? Did you not eat at that guy's house?"

"I cooked a small meal for me and his daughter, but it was early. I didn't want to be rude and raid their kitchen waiting for them to get home while Sherry slept."

"Oh." That sounded honest enough. "So, how's the whole babysitting thing going?"

Claire's eyes dipped down, and she quickly made her plate. "It's been fine. Sherry's a real doll, and her parents are…nice." Okay, not as honest sounding, but maybe she was just tired.

Claire didn't bother sitting down to eat, just leaned against the kitchen counter as she took a big bite of her hot sandwich.

"Well that's…nice," Chris awkwardly replied. "Who told you about this job again?"

His sister chewed slowly, giving him a look. Chris' bullshit sensor went online immediately to filter her reaction for any dishonesty or half-truths, but she instantly was onto him. "Eh fren of eh fren."

"Don't talk with your mouth full."

She swallowed. "Don't ask me dumb questions while I'm trying to eat."

"I'm not! I'm just…making sure everything is okay with you. You've been gone a lot recently. And…honestly, I'm starting to think you're hiding something from me, Sis."

"Bro, come on. I'm fine. Look at me! Just babysitting! I'm not getting into trouble, Jesus! You should know me better than that!"

She was getting a little defensive. Which meant she was telling the truth and getting mad he didn't believe her, or she was lying and was trying to cover it up. It was hard to say with his headstrong sister at times.

The older Redfield sighed. He was just going to have to come out and say it. "Look, Kendo told me he saw you and Captain Wesker together the other day across town. You got into his car. I'm just…wondering why? And you never mentioned it to me."

Claire nearly dropped her plate taking it to the sink. She had scarfed down her small meal as quickly as she could, probably to sooner get away from him and avoid his questions. It took her a moment to face him, trembling slightly as she rinsed off her dishes. When she turned around, she looked as though that sandwich did not agree with her stomach.

"Yeah? I was with him the other day, so what?"

He was stunned. "Why?"

"Does it matter?"

Chris kept his temper in check. "It does. He's my boss."

"You think we're bumping uglies or something? That'll be the day..."

"What?! N-No! I, I…" Chris stammered, completely thrown off by her accusation…even if Forest and Joseph's teasing of that particular subject had gotten under his skin. "I know Wesker wouldn't do that, I just…"

Claire snorted a laugh, and he didn't particularly know why. "Are we really doing this, Bro? We really gonna fight over something this stupid? If you don't think anything bad is going on between us, then why so goddamn nosy about it?"

"Why so defensive, if it's so innocent?"

"Because you're pissing me off with your constant police interrogations! I'm your sister, not a suspect! And I'm an adult! You really want to know why I was with Wesker? I bumped into him while picking up some things before going to William's. He offered me a fucking ride because he was being nice and looking out for me. He knows the fucking guy! They're friends. Are you happy now?!"

Silence. Thick, unbearable silence.

"Sorry, Sis…I just…" He was relieved, but he was far from happy. Maybe he had gone too far. He had done it before…a few times. Still, even with all this new information at the cost of a fight with Claire, something still didn't feel right.

"I'm taking a shower."

His little sister was mad now. But she also had tears in her eyes. Claire didn't typically cry when she was mad. Maybe she was just really frustrated with this whole mess. She stormed out of the kitchen and through the living room, taking to the hallway to her room. The door slammed shut, echoing across the house and rattling some pictures.

Chris rubbed the back of his neck. Yeah…he done fucked up.

This night had taken its toll on her. Claire screamed into her pillow, frustration, dread, anger, all suffocating her. Chris was making this so much harder. It didn't matter if he was just protecting her. She could protect herself, he knew that! But more so, he was pushing them both closer and closer to the edge where she would no longer be able to protect him. She had to figure out a way to get Chris off her back before he found out too much. But she had no idea how!

The younger Redfield needed a shower, badly. Not just to wash away all this tension and stress, but to wash away all where Wesker had touched and kissed and claimed. She could still feel his seed oozing within her, leaking between her tightly pressed thighs. And his hands roaming her body, igniting every single nerve.

Claire jumped to her feet, stripping. Disgusted, she tossed her dirty clothes into the hamper and entered her bathroom. She looked herself over in the full-size mirror. Wesker had kept his promise to not leave any marks where anyone could see, but she did notice the light bruises from his grip around her hips. One of her breasts had a small bruise too…from his mouth? Maybe? When she turned, she saw the faint marbling on her lower back from hanging over the back of the couch. Yeah, she's gonna be feeling that tomorrow! She was already feeling a lot of it. Her pussy was sore from all the friction with Wesker's large member. Her legs were still questionable with walking and balancing.

She was soon distracted by cold seepage between her legs, courtesy of Wesker. Gross! Claire wrinkled her nose in displeasure and quickly grabbed up a sponge as she turned on the shower, getting it as hot as she could stand. Steam filled the bathroom soon after. She would clean every single inch of herself from him, if only to make her feel that Wesker hadn't somehow laid complete claim to her tonight. No, she would wash it all away, she would refuse him next time. And, by God, she would find some way to keep Chris from finding out the truth…

The following morning went as expected. Claire didn't get up to greet him good morning or join him for breakfast. Chris didn't let it bother him. After all, Claire could hold a grudge longer than he could. It was his fault anyway. He left her the key to his truck just in case and caught a ride with Jill.

"I told you! Didn't I tell you?!"

Jill berated him (and slugged him hard in the chest) as they got coffee and made their way to the STARS Office. The Raccoon Police Department was already a hustle and bustle.

"I know, I know! I'm stupid, okay?"

"I know you're just trying to be a good big brother," Jill reassured. "I know all the hardships you two have been through and you worry for her. But she is an adult, and you taught her how to take care of herself really well! You don't want to spend Christmas fighting, do you?"

He couldn't believe Christmas was less than a week away. "No…"

"Then make up with Claire and let go of whatever's making you obsess over something being wrong with her. She's fine!"

The partners dodged heavy foot traffic of police officers, civilians, detectives and desk workers, taking the stairs. On the second floor of the main hall near the Lion Statue, they spotted Chief Irons bitching at the Captain and Vice-Captain of STARS. Enrico looked tired, after all, he'd been here all night, and looked as though he toned out the Police Chief, dreaming about his bed instead. Wesker rolled his neck, apathetic of Irons's rant. He noticed them but didn't say anything as they walked by.

"Poor Wesker and Enrico. I don't know how they deal with that asshole constantly," Jill sighed.

"Enrico says he just hears the sounds that Charlie Brown's parents made," Chris joked. "And I'm pretty sure Wesker just thinks of all the ways he could murder him."

"Who hasn't?"

They both laughed.

Jill stopped to pet her favorite K9, Vance, in the hallway just down from their office. The RPD used Dobermans for their K9 officers over the more popular German Shepherd. The old red Doberman was close to retirement, having served six years so far. Chris high-fived the dog and they went on.

When they entered the STARS Office, they were greeted with the usual faces, but also a familiar one they didn't see as often. Barry, Joseph, and Brad were chatting with Kevin Ryman, an outgoing fellow police officer. Barry leaned on one desk, arms folded, grinning as Kevin exuberantly told a story about a disturbance call for a party.

"The guy was handcuffed to the bed with a horse mask and socks on only! He even had the gall to neigh when we were arresting him! Weirdest shit ever, I couldn't keep a straight face, man."

"Sounds like one hell of a party, damn!" Joseph laughed.

"Oh, so you weren't in the horse mask this time, Kev?" Chris ribbed.

Kevin noticed them and laughed, bumping firsts with Chris. "Redfield! You wish. You know I always use a unicorn mask, bro! Rainbow mane!" He flipped his dark hair dramatically.

"Oh lord," Jill shook her head, smiling.

"Badass Jill, looking lovely as always. How do you get through the day surrounded by these dweebs all the time?"

"Funny," Chris interrupted, knowing Kevin was just joshing, but he was a little defensive because he knew he was also flirting. "What're you doing up here anyway?"

"Oh, dropped off my paperwork again. Another STARS exam test coming up! I got a good feeling about this one!"

"Again?" Joseph asked, skeptical, but was smacked by Barry. He rubbed his arm in pain.

Kevin had tried the exam for STARS twice now, and failed both. It wasn't as though Kevin didn't have the necessary qualities. He was a great cop and a nice guy. But he was still inexperienced, and well, a little too carefree at times.

"Best of luck when the time comes, Kevin!" Brad encouraged. "You can do it."

"Yeah, just keep training," Chris said.

"And studying," Jill added.

Kevin nodded with a grin. "Will do!"

The door to the STARS Office creaked open and finally their Captain had escaped Irons' tirade. Chris just hoped it didn't put him in an awful mood. That always made for long days. Wesker glared at Kevin behind dark shades. The young police officer shrank a little under the scrutiny.

"Ryman! What are you doing in my office?"

"Uhh, sorry, sir! Just turned in my paperwork for the next exam. It's on your desk."

"You're trying...again?"

"Yessir! Third time's a charm, ain't that what they say?"

Wesker walked over to their huddle, coffee cup in hand. "Perhaps you should give yourself more time for training? Save face, yes? There's no shame in that."

Kevin chuckled. "Of course I'll save my face for the new STARS poster! Besides, I have no shame!"

Barry facepalmed for everyone.

With one eyebrow raised, it was obvious Wesker couldn't decide if Kevin was joking or just dumb. "Clearly..."

"Just you wait, Captain Wesker! In a few months I'll be the newest Alpha member!"

"Bravo. It's for Bravo...if you even bothered reading the memo."

"Oh...yeah." Kevin snorted. "I knew that!"

Wesker smirked. "Good. Then that means you also read the qualifications needed. Chemical science, pathology and toxicology. You know, chromatography, spectrophotometry, ballistics, post mortems, the simple things. Oh, and let's certainly not forget that they need to be a healthcare specialist as well."

Kevin gulped. "Uh, is that all?"

"The basics. I'm sure you'll do fine. You're a smart lad, after all."

"Yeah...okay." The young cop gathered himself up and cleared his throat. "Well, I better get back to my desk and get some paperwork filed. See ya guys later!"

"See ya, Kev."

Once the door shut, they all looked to their Captain. Barry scratched the back of his head. "Jesus, Wesker, you really go for the kill, don't ya? Did you have to humiliate the kid so much?"

"He'll be fine. Builds character. Besides, some people are impervious to humiliation. Look at Frost."

"Hey!"

"It was a compliment, you idiot."

"Oh…"

"So, it's true then? Kenneth's gonna retire in a couple of years?" Jill asked.

"That's the plan," Wesker answered after a sip of coffee. "It'll take me months to find someone promising, I'm sure, even with scouting outside the state."

Barry sighed. "If 'ol Ken does an early retirement, I might have to as well."

"Don't you dare, Barry," Chris threatened light-heartedly. "Although getting weapons supervisor would be pretty awesome."

Barry snorted a chuckle. "You sound mighty sure of yourself there, 'ol buddy."

"I already promised Chris he would get it," Wesker informed.

"Hey, no fair. Don't I get a say in who would get my spot?"

"Would you rather me give it to Frost?"

Just as Joseph grinned, Barry ruined the moment. "Hell no!"

Barry slapped his large hand into Joseph's back playfully.

"Okay then," Wesker said, glancing at his watch when the phone on his desk started ringing. "Besides Barry, if you retire early, I'd have to blackmail you to stay, and I currently have too many blackmailing affairs to manage another."

They laughed as he left them to answer his phone. Chris nudged Jill and they went to their desks to get to work.

"Sometimes he sounds a little too serious when he says stuff like that," Brad said, his chair squeaking as he sat down.

"I'm telling you guys, secretly a supervillain," Joseph joked as he signed into his computer.

Chris rolled his eyes. "It's called dry humor, Brad. You should know him by now."

"I know that! It's just...I don't know, sometimes I think he really means what he says."

They focused on their work for a while. Chris tried hard not to let his sister and their fight distract him, but he did find himself zoning off for minutes at a time. He stared at the picture he had of them together on his desk, CDs, pens, and change scattered around the small frame. A hand touched his as it hovered just over his keyboard, and he pulled out of his thoughts to look at Jill.

Her reassuring smile centered him quickly and he returned it. No soon after did their Captain emerge from his room, taking his shades off long enough to rub his eyes. He looked a little tired, but Chris knew that wasn't all that abnormal.

"I do hope you all remembered that today is marksmanship training? I have to turn in all the paperwork by the end of the day."

Brad groaned softly and made himself smaller, but that only caused Wesker to single him out faster. "Vickers, front and center."

"Yes sir," he mumbled, getting up and plodding over to the door.

The two left the STARS Office, presumably heading down to the B1 floor of the police department where the firing range was. Chris, Jill, Barry, and Joseph remained, typing reports for previous and ongoing investigations. As an elite force, the STARS was subject to ongoing training and development. It wasn't anything new. Usually, marksmanship training was an extra forty hours every year, give or take. There was also training in defense tactics, legal education, and rescue procedures, to name a few.

Over the course of the morning and early afternoon, Brad, Jill, Joseph, and Barry got their training and returned to the office, informing the next member to go to the firing range. Chris was last, nodding as Barry jerked his thumb over his shoulder towards the door.

He made his way down to the B1 floor, mind flooded with thoughts of Claire and how he would fix their situation, torn on burying his instincts and letting it go to make up with his sister, or continue following his gut to figure out exactly what he was missing here.

"Chris, am I happy to see you. Means I'm about done wasting my time for the day."

Chris chuckled at Wesker. "How'd the others do?"

"Fine, as to be expected. But they still don't shoot anything like you. So, why don't you be a showoff and ace the training so we can get out of here?"

Wesker was never one to beat around the bush. Chris respected the man more for his direct nature, even if he was an asshole at times. Though he was well mannered and professional around most, and even a little friendly to those he liked, the STARS Captain wasn't known for sugar coating or being amenable.

Perhaps that was why he and Chris bumped heads at times, as Chris couldn't help his own rebellious, straightforward nature that got him canned many a times for insubordination, including his career in the Air Force. The other STARS members may have joked that he was a favorite to their pragmatic Captain, but he wasn't a stranger to any of his rebukes or discipline. Still, Chris was grateful that Wesker allowed him on the team despite his history, and was willing to work with and advise Chris as he, well, grew up a little.

Chris nodded, faintly smiling. "Sure."

As he walked over to the selection of weapons on the table, he hoped he could suppress his worries of Claire and all that was going on long enough to concentrate on the marksmanship training. Then again, sharpshooting came as natural to him as breathing. So, he had nothing to worry about...right?

First up on the list was the W870. Chris fitted his earmuffs and walked over to his booth in the firing range. He used the 12-gauge shotgun to clear the targets in a quick amount of time, and also reloaded and took apart the gun. Wesker didn't say anything, and didn't even mark anything on the sheet, arms folded, bored. It was typical of Chris to ace the whole training, and so it wasn't anything new that Wesker took this time to be absorbed into his own thoughts. Although, Chris distinctly detected that the Captain seemed distracted today.

Chris dismissed it and grabbed the next gun. MQ11. Not his favorite, but it was a handy little machine gun. He taught Claire how to shoot one of these. She liked it a lot, he recalled. She also liked the GM79 he "accidentally took home but actually took out to the country to shoot on more than one occasion". She was a good shot with that thing!

Jill was right...He did teach Claire how to take care of herself, quite well. She was a good shot with all kinds of weapons, even ones not supposed to be in the hands of civvies. He taught her self-defense, and she was so smart. Smarter than he was at that age. So why was he so worried that something was wrong?

As he reloaded and took apart the small machine gun, he really picked at it. He at first thought maybe she was in trouble somehow, but now he didn't really feel that way. His gut kept telling him she was hiding something from him, but what? If she wasn't in trouble or danger, what could she be hiding?

He picked up the Samurai Edge next, the Kendo-modified M92F handgun all STARS were issued with. As he checked the gun over and lined up his sights, it finally hit him.

"A friend of a friend."

"He offered me a fucking ride because he was being nice and looking out for me. He knows the fucking guy! They're friends. Are you happy now?!"

He pulled the trigger, appalled by that connection - and completely missed his mark...

He despised days like these. Unfortunately, it was protocol, and Wesker needed to keep up appearances. The Captain supposed it could be worse. The stoic leader of Alpha team actually liked most of his subordinates. The marksmanship training was simple, but time consuming. It often made his mind wander, which he usually didn't care for. That is, if his co-workers didn't feel the need to be chatty with him as they trained.

While enduring today's lackluster training sessions, most of his thoughts consisted of something he wasn't expecting: Claire. He tried to focus on more important matters, like his and William's next step against Roth, or even the next set of experiments for G. But they would soon all go back to her. The way she sounded and moved underneath him, the way she tasted, the way she felt. That little taste was an addiction for sure, and he found himself craving to take her again.

Yet, he hated distractions. So why was he letting her consume his thoughts so much?

Seeing Chris was a relief. He was the last one for training, and he always finished in impeccable timing. Soon he could get out of this noisy dungeon and put his mind to something more productive.

Everything was going smoothly until Chris missed a target. Wesker did a double take to make sure he not only heard correctly, but saw correctly. Chris faltered, but the next few trigger squeezes came swiftly. He hit the remaining targets, but his aim was off. It didn't look like much, but to sharpshooters like Chris, it was concerning.

"Redfield, what's your problem?"

His point man flinched, staring across the way at the targets. He lowered the handgun, his eyes slowly turning his way. His usual, and occasionally annoying, aura of confidence was shaky now. Wesker didn't appreciate how Chris was looking at him.

Great, a heart-to-heart I have to pretend to care about. This day just keeps getting better by the minute.

"So-Sorry, Captain. I, uh, don't know what happened," he said when Wesker approached him.

"Do you wish me to write these marks down on your sheet?"

"No! I can redo it! I...I just had bad ammunition, is all."

Wesker grabbed the gun from the table and quickly fired one-handed down the range, emptying the remaining magazine. Five shots perforated the bulls-eye of one target. "Seems fine to me."

Chris looked away, rubbing the back of his head. It was unlike him at all. Wesker would've preferred that Redfield temper that usually tested him on the worst of days.

Wesker sighed. "So, let's hear it."

"What? I'm fine. I'm just having an off day…"

"You're distracted. I cannot have one of my best men in such a state. I need you focused. This team relies on you, and so do I."

Chris didn't say anything. Wesker contained his irritation. He hated his time wasted. Apparently, he needed to give him a little push, since Wesker had a suspicion he knew exactly what was bothering him.

"Let me guess, trouble at home?"

That wide-eyed, nostril-flaring stare told him he was correct. No surprise.

"How did you-"

"I have ears," Wesker cut him off. "You've mentioned it once or twice, not to mention Jill and Barry talk as well."

"Oh...right."

"You obviously need to vent. I'm here to listen and give advice, if you choose so. It is my responsibility to look after you and make sure you are fit to do your job - physically, mentally, and emotionally."

"Thanks, that's alright, Wesker. I appreciate it. You probably wouldn't understand...not having a sister and all."

"I do have a sister, actually."

At least, that is what they proclaim her to be…

He pushed those vexing thoughts aside. For now, there was a more pertinent problem at hand.

"You have a sister?" Chris didn't hide the disbelief in his voice.

"I'll give you the whole family tree one day, if you will just focus on you," he dismissed.

"Alright, alright." Chris sighed heavily, scowling. He gathered his thoughts, still perturbed. "Well, Claire and I had a big fight last night. I kind of...accused her of hiding something from me."

I detest insignificant euphemisms...

"You either did or you didn't, so which is it?"

"Okay, sheesh, I accused her! She blew up...she's got a temper like me."

As I've seen…

"What do you think she is hiding?"

Chris thought hard. "I...don't know. I feel it. I know her. It's been going on for a week now, ever since she went to that damn hiking trail. I-I thought maybe she got herself into some trouble, but now…"

"Time for some hard reality, Chris: your sister is an adult. She can live her life however she chooses. Do you really believe you should be able to have a say in every aspect of her life?"

"Well, I..."

It was a rhetorical question, you fool.

"Forgive my candor, but you are only pushing her away. If she is hiding something from you, perhaps it is because she fears your judgment or overprotective propensities. You should put more trust into her."

"I know that…"

Despite his agreement, the STARS Captain still sensed conflict within him. He wasn't particularly worried about Chris's instinct about Claire, but did find it impressive.

"If you know that, then why still so insecure?"

"Look...there's something else bothering me, and I hope you don't take this the wrong way...but Kendo said he saw you and Claire together the other day. She got into your car…"

Interesting. Wesker kept a straight face, knowing Chris would gauge his reaction. Little did his subordinate know, he was a master at this game.

"And?"

Chris's eyebrows furrowed, and he frowned. "I guess I'm just surprised you didn't say anything about it to me."

"Why would I?"

He didn't say anything, eyes shifty, fidgeting instead, like William often did when he was uncomfortable. Wesker sighed, deciding to push him even further.

"You asked Claire about it. It's what started the feud." It was a random guess, but the way Chris squirmed told him he was right on the money. This was almost too easy! "And what did she say to that?"

"N-Nothing really."

"Humor me."

"I guess she thought I was implying that something...indecent happened between you two. But I wasn't! I swear! I know you wouldn't do that!"

Don't lie, Chris! This had to be the highlight of his day, so far. It took a lot of willpower to keep himself composed.

"That's exactly what happened between us," Wesker said in the driest tone he could manage.

Chris grimaced and quickly shook his head. "No! Come on, Wesker, I didn't mean it like that, she just took it that way! She said you gave her a ride to William's to babysit after running into her across town. I didn't know you were the one who told her about the job!"

Oh, I certainly did give her a ride...

"I did. I overheard Barry say she watched his daughters and William needed somebody short notice. I'm sorry, am I missing something here? Was I supposed to leave your sister in a questionable part of town with only a cab?"

"No, no, of course not! I appreciate it, Captain, really."

"Then what is your problem, exactly? I can understand why Claire lost her temper. You seem awfully worked up over nothing, Chris."

Chris smacked a hand to his face, groaning. "I'm sorry, okay? It's this...gut feeling. I can't shake it."

"Instinct is useless when inhibited by emotions." Chris looked away, considering his words, still unsure. As frustrating as he was, Wesker had to commend his point man for his intuition. "You said this all started after Claire went hiking?"

"Yeah. She was fine until she came home that day. Hasn't been right since. I think something happened out there."

"Did you go out there and look for yourself?"

He shook his head.

"Why not?"

Chris shrugged. "I guess because I know I won't find anything, or that it's a foolish endeavor."

Wesker sighed. "Indeed, quite foolish. But I suppose we better get it over with."

"Huh? What do ya mean?"

"The sooner we go out to this hiking trail and put your worries to rest, the sooner we can put this behind us and you can focus on your job. Now come along, that's an order."

Chris trudged forward with a groan. "Yes sir…"

Chris was thankful for the sunshine when they pulled up to the Arklay Hiking Trails. The trails were open, but they were the only ones around. Most people didn't want to run or hike in freezing weather, although with the sun out it wasn't as bad as it's been. They got out of the STARS marked Ford Expedition and looked around.

"Please tell me you know which trail she took?" Wesker asked.

"Yeah." Chris motioned to the two-mile trail nearby. "This one. We walk it a lot."

"Lead the way."

The two men took to the pathway, straight into the woods. Chris checked his watch. It was lunch time. Hopefully, Jill wasn't too worried. He and Wesker had left straight from the gun range to the parking lot and out in the squad car, not bothering to tell anyone. Jill probably assumed he went home for lunch to see Claire. Although, if they found out he was with Wesker, it wouldn't be too out of the ordinary. Their Captain preferred to do his own thing on his lunch hour mostly, but he did eat lunch with them on occasion.

Chris was certain Wesker would've preferred utilizing his lunch break in a more practical way.

"You really didn't have to do this, Wesker. It's a stupid thing, I know. I shouldn't let home affect my work."

"Don't mention it, Chris. Really. Don't. Let's just focus on finding whatever you're looking for."

Yep, that was his no-nonsense boss. Most people would've taken his remark all wrong, but Chris knew better and took no offense.

They followed the forest trail. The sun reflected off melting snow and there were a lot of deer, birds, and rabbits. Chris told Wesker how Claire had made the comment about being freaked out by a dead deer out here.

"And you don't believe that?" Wesker inquired. "Seems plausible."

"Nah, Claire doesn't scare easily...and isn't squeamish."

They were probably a little over halfway through the trail, Chris about ready to give up, when he spotted something not far off the trail. It was easily missed, but he somehow caught it contrasting on a knotted root, soaked from melted snow, and glinting in the sun.

He broke away from Wesker and the road to get a closer look.

Chris's blind trust in him was almost too much. While they travelled the path, Chris doing most of the talking while looking out for any clues, Wesker weighed his options here.

Thanks to his brotherly instincts and innate perception as a cop, Chris was close enough on the proverbial trail that he could become a threat. Sniffing away like a hound hot on the scent. And he was close to baying. It was Wesker's job to shoot the hounds before they found the foxhole.

Wesker would actually hate to have to put this dog down. Such a waste. And so when Chris left the path to kneel next to a muddy mound of leaves and roots, he pulled his gun out from its holster and aimed it at the back of his head.

Too easy. Only a few people saw them leave together, and that was easily manipulated. The surveillance footage in the underground parking lot could be deleted with one order to Irons.

Perhaps he could throw him off the scent? He was an important asset, and yet Wesker actually liked him. Then again, this was business, and assets could change on a whim.

He itched to pull the trigger, to blow his unsuspecting subordinate's head to pieces just like the last fool he killed out here.

Why?

Claire, he finally admitted. He wanted her with no obstacles to stop him.

He ultimately lowered the gun, holstering it. Killing Chris now gave him no advantage, and wasn't beneficial in any way, especially with Claire. So, he would do this favor for her, and she would owe him for his mercy.

"Find something?" Wesker asked.

"A watch," Chris answered, standing up, looking it over, none the wiser of what could have been his end. "From who though?"

Wesker looked at it. He recognized the broken wristwatch. Ned Finley's, probably lost when he and William caught him out here alone. He had only killed the man a week ago, but this small item was missed by the cleanup crew. Luckily, it wasn't anything incriminating. People lost watches all the time.

"From your dead deer perhaps?"

Chris sighed, downhearted, and cast the watch away. "I don't know anymore. I must be losing it."

"Honestly, I just think you're conflicted, Chris. You know she's an adult, but old habits die hard, and you worry that you cannot be there at all times for her anymore. You think something is wrong, but there isn't. Just stress and emotions."

"Well, yeah, I know that. She's been living off on her own and doing her own thing for two years, so I'm used to it. I thought this was something different…"

Wesker crossed his arms, welcoming the chill on the wind. "It takes time to fully realize it. As she explores her life more, relationships, goals, and the like. Again, you just need to trust her more."

"I do trust her. I just...She's all I have...after what happened to our parents. I don't want anything to happen to her."

"That's the idea, isn't it?" Wesker asked. "If you don't let anything happen to her, nothing will happen to her. You take the good with the bad. Unfortunately, that is life."

Chris slowly nodded, taking in his words, finally pacifying. "You know what, you're right...Thanks, Wesker."

Wesker was relieved. Seemed like he was able to finally get through to him, and throw him off the scent. He was ready to put this behind them and move on. He clapped Chris on the shoulder. "Come on, we should get back. You have training to finish."

"C'mon Al, I neeeeeeeed details!"

"I've already told you all I'm willing to share. Is it still not enough?"

"No!"

"Quit chewing my ears off Will, I swear you're worse than Mike Tyson. And that's saying something..."

"You both are despicable." Annette typed away on a small laptop behind Wesker and William, logging recent findings.

Wesker tried to ignore them both and do his work. This whole day had been a complete headache to him, and he wanted to finish out the night with some worthwhile results. Although working beside his partner as he drooled for more details on his coupling with Claire, he doubted he would succeed. William's sly grin in his peripheral vision was highly aggravating and distracting.

"I will break your nose again," Wesker warned.

"Oh, come on! Was she just a fling…or, ya know…is it something more? I can tell you like her a lot. Is she the one? Because, I'm thinking…she needs to be."

Wesker pinched his nose, his headache inflating by the second. "I'm sure I'm about to regret asking, but what is that supposed to mean?"

"I'm just saying! Hear me out…I may - or may not - have gotten a sample of Claire's DNA and ran some tests. And according to my results that I, ahem, may have received, her genetics compliments yours greatly!"

Annette turned around with a glare. "William! Really? Didn't you do this with Anezka?"

Wesker clenched his jaw, hand closing tight on the pen he was trying not to stab into his best friend's jugular vein.

"SHHH, don't say her name!" William hissed. "You'll put Al in a sour mood! Besides, I did not! She…beat me up when I tried. So violent...Al sure likes 'em feisty!"

William's wife rolled her eyes, flipping the notes on her clipboard. "Get over yourselves. Both of you. We have much more important matters at stake here."

William waved her off. "Claire's good breeding for you, Al. Just saying. Besides, it's obvious to me that you like her. You just refuse to admit it, even to yourself."

"I'm concerned on multiple levels on why you are so obsessed with me procreating."

The Golgotha creator fidgeted under Wesker's glare, pulling at his shirt collar. "Hey! I beg to differ, buddy. I'm just trying to help you find love since you're absolutely hopeless at it without me!"

Wesker shook his head and turned back to his work. "Drop it. I made a point with Claire yesterday. That's all it was."

"Whatever you say, pal."

William sure was testing him tonight. Gratefully, he fell quiet after that and the three of them were able to start a fresh round of tests on William's new phase of the G-Virus. While Annette typed away behind them, the two partners worked in perfect sync, programming the computer to handle most of the work and watching the analysis onscreen.

"So, what else did Nikolai want in payment for his service besides money? You never told me."

Wesker flipped through some of William's notes to make sure all the sequences were matching up. "He wanted the Colonel's confidential list of Monitors in the UBCS."

"Why? That's not suspicious at all. Ain't Sergei his bestest bud?"

Wesker sighed. "Don't know. Don't care. I assume Nikolai wishes to have it in case he can use it to his advantage in the future. He likes to think ahead, like us."

William tapped his pen impatiently. "Yeah, well, as long as he stays out of our way."

The next hour played out smoothly, without errors or hiccups. They got a lot of work done, and Wesker was impressed with William's ingenious theses. His old friend was always a bit better at the scientific research side of things.

Wesker's headache was just about gone now that they were close to finishing up for the night, when the Birkins started up another conversation.

"Anne, did you hear Sherry say she wants to become a professional artist?"

"Really? When did she say that?"

"This morning getting ready for school. I mean, she is quite the artist, but she's definitely becoming a researcher."

Anne frowned, fiddling with her glasses hanging around her neck. "Ya know…I often wonder what Sherry will become when she's an adult. What kind of life she will lead. Who she will marry and have kids with. Don't you ever wonder that, Will?"

"Why? When I know she's gonna become a researcher like me?" Will snorted. "My beautiful girl is gonna follow in her daddy's footsteps!"

Anne sighed and turned to Wesker. "What do you think, Albert?"

"She'll probably end up with a cocky, foul-mouthed delinquent who gets her into nothing but trouble," Wesker made up. Anne's glare was worth it.

"...and have his pretty babies," he added with a smirk, just because he knew it would drive the Birkins nuts.

"Over my dead body!" William huffed. "In fact, no dating until she's like…thirty…maybe! She won't be having no miscreant's offspring either!"

Wesker snickered as his partner went off on an incoherent rant about Sherry's future love life. Annette tried to smite him with her eyes and then had to bring her husband to his senses.

"-and if he has a motorcycle, that's it, hell no. I'm getting the shotgun! No, scratch that, he'll become my next guinea pig!"

"Will, Christ, shut up. Albert's just busting your balls as usual. Can we please get back to work? I swear your two are even more pains in my ass when you're together."

"He started it!"

"Real mature, William."

"Just stating the facts, partner."

"If we're stating facts, you actually started it, old friend, with your incessant whining for more details of my personal engagements."

"I explicitly offered you to draw me diagrams instead if you're too embarrassed, but noooo…you still don't wanna share, ya prude old party pooper."

Annette groaned "I'm gonna kill you both."

A video screen popped up on William's computer, covering his work and showing the hallway just outside the laboratory. The word "Caution" flashed. It showed the guard standing by the door with a familiar face waiting impatiently. The guard's voice filtered through the computer's speakers. "Dr. Birkin? Sorry to interrupt but you have a visitor that's not on the schedule. A Miss Ada Wong?"

Wesker nodded at William, but not without hearing Anne's mutter of disapproval.

"Yep, send her in, Johnny!"

"Yessir."

Annette crossed her arms. "Is there a reason why you two are still allowing her in here to do business? Can it not be handled somewhere else?"

"Be nice, honey! Ada's on our side."

"I have a feeling one day she won't be."

"You worry too much, Anne," Wesker added. "As long as I'm around, you have nothing to worry about with Ada."

"Coming from you, that does not relieve me in the slightest."

The double agent entered the laboratory and instantly made herself at home when she found them in the back. She greeted them with her usual charm and grace. Birkin responded like a hormone-stricken adolescent, making his nearby wife roll her eyes and gather up her things.

"Excuse me."

"Dinner time already, Annie?" Ada teased.

"Definitely not. I've suddenly lost my appetite."

"Again?" Ada slyly smiled. "You keep that up, you'll shrivel up even more than you are now."

Annette didn't take the bait, and sauntered out of the laboratory. Ada shrugged, unimpressed from not getting any witty banter back, and turned to the two infamous partners in crime. Wesker could tell something was bothering Ada, but she kept it well hidden as she noticed William wriggling in his seat with a stupid grin on his face.

"What's your problem, Will?"

"Guess what - Al banged Claire last night!"

Wesker glared at his partner. William winced, expecting retaliation that he was about to deliver, but the way Ada subtly flinched intrigued him more. He temporarily let his old friend off the hook, if only to study the agent more closely.

"Would you like to announce it to Sergei and Spencer as well? Or how about her brother? Do I need to cut your tongue out and feed it to one of your less successful 'experiments'? Because you sure are tempting me tonight."

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself! Ada's good at keeping secrets, that's the only reason I told her."

Ada casually shrugged it off, but Wesker knew her half-smile to be not only forced, but bothered. It would have fooled anyone else. She was a great actress, after all. "And this is something I should know or care about because…?"

William expertly leaned just out of his best friend's reach. "No reason really, maybe just to see how you'd react."

"How would you expect me to react? I don't know the girl. I wasn't able to pick her up last night because of the change in plans. Nikolai picked her up, remember? I just know what you two have told me. It's none of my business what Albert does in his personal time. And same with you, William, because I don't think it's anything I want to know about."

Hmm, so his speculations were correct. Ada had met Claire personally, and the two of them were keeping it in secret. But why was Claire such an interest to Ada? So much that she exposed herself like so? At first, he considered maybe he should be concerned with her behavior, wondering if she was siphoning information to the Colonel behind his back instead of keeping him at bay.

Wesker soon dismissed it. Ada was clever. Such a situation with Sergei could expose them all, and Ada had too much at stake to risk dealing such a hand. Not while he had her under his thumb. And certainly not while Umbrella's rival had big expectations from them both.

More than likely, Ada met with Claire to get as much information as she could about her and why Wesker was keeping her alive. Not just because of the assignment Sergei had given her, but because of her own curiosity; to give herself the best odds at dissuading the Colonel's interest in the matter. Perhaps she had sympathy for Claire, or sought something to use against Wesker. The latter was unlikely, as the two of them were in the same boat, no matter what. Too useful to each other to kill and too detrimental to expose the other.

"If you want more details, you're gonna have to use your charm," William joked. "He's staying tight-lipped with me. And I'm his best friend! We're supposed to tell each other this stuff! Bros before hoes, Al!"

"No thanks," Ada declined. "Look, we have a serious problem on our hands. I trailed Roth last night and he met in secret with two men...one of them was Irons. Mueller joined them later and was complaining about something big, something about mass producing Tyrants."

William snorted a laugh. "What? You gotta be shitting me. The T-002 is gonna be a failure, even if they perfect the Epsilon strain. Those idiots won't listen to me...no offense. I know you like John and all. I wouldn't mass produce that thing. If they don't stabilize the mutagens within that strain's genome, it'll be Beta two all over again. The Tyrant's brain will deteriorate. They'll be lucky if it's smarter than those damn zombies. I mean, I could fix it for them in a matter of weeks...if it was my project. Then they would have a Tyrant that'll take orders and utilize secondary exposures for more Crimson Heads...win-win. Although, with a little modification, Crimson Heads can become something far more deadly." He paused, noticing their glares. "What? I'm just saying!"

Wesker looked to Ada, used to William's ramblings. "Who was with Irons?"

"Beats me. Didn't recognize him. Roth seemed to know him really well though. Also, I should mention, Mueller wanted out. He accused them of what happened at the university. He apparently doesn't want his secret project used in this mass production." Ada frowned. "What of Irons, you think? I have a bad feeling about this, Albert. He knows about Crawford, Finley, and Claire. He's been trying to set you up, just like Sergei. You're going to get cornered."

"You leave Irons to us. Find out what you can from Mueller, threaten him if you must, but we need him alive." He hated that speaking that last name still bothered him, even if it was spelled differently, even if it was a completely different person.

"And what of Sergei? I can't keep him at bay forever. Especially if Irons or Nikolai reported to him."

"Nikolai got what he wanted. He won't volunteer anything to the Colonel because I gave him knowledge that could cost him his life. Irons, on the other hand, doesn't have the temerity to say anything...yet. But William and I will remind him how that will be detrimental to his health."

"Yeah, an intervention you might say." William smirked, tapping his steepled fingers. "And he's long overdue for one of ours."

#resident evil #resident evil fanfiction #resident evil fanfic #claire x wesker #clairexwesker #Albert Wesker #Claire Redfield #chris x jill #Chris Redfield #Jill Valentine #William Birkin #sherry birkin #My writing #AO3 fanfic

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imthedoctorlove · 4 years

Text

Skin Deep (Soulmate AU) (Part 4) 13th Doctor x Reader x Dhawan!Master

Well, this took a completely different turn to what I had planned, but then I realised: when do I ever follow a plan?

I want to once again thank you all for the love you have shown the first three parts of Skin Deep. You have no idea how much it means to me. I am my own biggest critic and constantly believe that my work is not good enough, but reading your comments has made me realise that it is. I just hope this next part lives up to expectations.

I would also like to give a massive thank you and shout out to @theaussietimelord for the amazing edit! Look how awesome it is!

Warnings - Strangling, choking, lots of angst.

Tag list -

@whittakerjodie @icarusinstatic @wonders-of-the-multiverse @oswildin @imagine-whatever @madelineannmolder @koschei-taylor

Please feel free to message me if you want me to add you to the tag list. apologises if I missed anyone off.

P.s - apologise for any errors.

—

(Y/n) gasped as the Master lunged at her and wrapped his hand around her throat. The force caused her to fall backwards and off the sofa, bringing the Master with her. She stared up at him, frozen by the intensity of the way he was looking at her as if she was the thing he despiced most in the universe. The hand around her neck tightened. Panic coursed through her. Her hand gripped the one her neck as she tried to pull it off, but he was too strong for her. It didn’t help the fact that his entire body weighed on hers, restricting the use of her lungs.

“Master! You’re - you’re hurting me!” The use of his name did nothing, but make him squeeze harder. She gasped out as her oxygen supply got less and less.

Her vision began to darken as her breath became short pants. He’s going to kill me. She tried in vain to free her legs to give her leverage to get him off, but the lack of oxygen added to her already weakened state. Her lungs were on fire! Tears streamed down her face as her thoughts turned to the Doctor. Did she know what was happening? Did she even care? She didn’t know if it would work, but she concentrated on the mark that branded her right arm and held the image of her in mind. Help me. She was ready to give up. Her body suddenly jerked with a renewed energy. The pressure from around her throat suddenly released and the weight from her body was lifted. (Y/n)’s lungs drunk in the oxygen that had been denied for too long. The last thing she saw before exhaustion to its hold was the Master’s distressed expression as he reached for her.

“(Y/n)!” The Doctor gasped as she stumbled into the writing desk in the extravagant room she had found herself in. The people who were with her became alarmed as she seemed to grasp at an invisible hand around her neck. She knew that it would do no good, but instinct caused her to nearly tear her own throat out. Both of her soulmate marks blazed angrily. He’s going to kill her. The realisation that she could do nothing to save her caused her to collapse.

“Doctor!” Ada exclaimed as she helped her over to the sofa.

The Doctor’s vision glazed over and all she could see was the Master’s crazed eyes. “Master.” She wheezed as the pressure around her windpipe tightened. There was no way to reach him now; he was too far gone. All of her hope began to slip away, but then she heard it, a whisper. Help me. The sound of her voice awoke something in The Doctor as she reached out to her. With great strain on her part she pushed the last remnants of her energy through the link between that was hanging on by a thread.

The invisible grip around her neck suddenly vanished and she fell down on the bed gulping down oxygen.

—

What have I done?

The Master reached for his broken soulmate only for her to cower away from him before losing consciousness. He gathered her limp body into his arms and winced when he saw the dark purple bruise that was forming on her neck. He had tried so hard not to lose himself, but he still failed. He should had known better. Why didn’t he just tell her about the intricates of their bond? And now he was going to lose her too. There was no way he could atone for this; he nearly killed her! He placed her on the sofa and kneeled down next to her. Guilt weighed down his hearts. He glared at the hand that had caused her harm and wished to cut it from his body. Pained breaths passed through (Y/n)’s chapped lips as his eyes glossed over. A soft glow illuminated from his tainted hand and gently covered the bruise. (Y/n) jerked as regeneration energy seeped into her neck. Her breathing slowly became normal as he lifted his hand away to reveal soft, unblemished skin.

An alarm sounded from the console and the Master sprung up to see what had set it off. His hands clenched into fists when he discovered that the silver lady had been activated and there was only one person who could have done it.

“Oh, you no you don’t.” Getting to work on tracking where the silver lady had sent her focused his mind away from his unyielding loathing of himself.

—

The Doctor caught his attention by using the special code only known to them. They agreed to meet at the Eiffel tower.

“Where is she!?” The Doctor seethed as soon as she saw him.

“Is that it? No hello?” The Master clutched the railing in front of him, his gaze remaining fixed on the burning city below. He couldn’t bring himself to look at her. “She’s fine.” He finally said.

“Fine? You nearly killed her! I felt it! Enlighten me, please because I am struggling to understand, why did you do it?”

“I don’t know - It just happened.”

“It. Just. Happened.” The Doctor spat his words back out to him.

The Master finally turned to look at him finding no point in concealing his tears that were threatening to fall.

“She called me by my name. I never - I never thought that it would have such an effect on me, considering the fact she has yet to speak my real name.” His eyes fell closed as if to punish himself from looking upon the flame he fought so hard to put out, but here she was still blazing bright and here he was still find himself drawn towards her, like a moth to a flame.

The Doctor was taken aback by his expression and tried to recall the last time he had been this vulnerable in front of her. Her gaze softened as she stepped closer to him. The Master let out a shuddering breath as he felt her soft hands cup his face.

“Look at me.” Chestnut met hazel. “Come away with me.” She whispered. “It can just be the three of us, no one else. Stop all this and come away with me Please.”

He knew deep down that something was holding him back, but he would never reveal this information to her or anyone. He covered her hands with his gloved ones and was ready to answer, but paused when he heard a thunder of footsteps drawing close to them. The Master tore her hands away him as if he been burned. “What have you done!?” Was this her plan all along? To trap me? His hand immediately went around her throat as he forced her up against the railing. Realisation hit him that he had (Y/n) in the same position not too long ago, but it was too late to take it back. The Master saw the blazing fire of her eyes as they showed nothing, but disappointment.

“I took a trip home, to Gallifrey. Hiding in it’s little bubble universe. Not sure how to describe what I found. Pulverised. Burned. Nuked. All over the above. Someone destroyed it.” He felt himself grin as he saw the fire in her eyes extinguish into a dim ember.

“You’re lying.” The Doctor forced him away from her. She ran over to the elevator with the Master following close behind. She pulled out her sonic screwdriver and activated when pointed at his head. He groaned and fell backwards. “Your perception filter, very easy to jam. Now they’ll see the real you. Good luck.” The Master glared at her as the elevator began to descend. She ignored her mark and the pang of her hearts as she focused on one thing.

I’m coming for you, (Y/n).

#13th doctor x reader #13th doctor #13th doctor imagine #doctor who #dhawan!master x reader #master x reader x the doctor #dhawan!master imagines #dhawan master #dhawan!master #soulmate #soulmate au #reader insert #13th doctor x dhawan!master

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manggojooz · 5 years

Text

Pick A Side (14 - Final)

pairing: Taehyung x reader

word count: 1,870

genre: university!au; angst; romance; thriller; a lil bit of fluff

warnings: slight references to voyeuristic behaviour

taglist: @destiel1597 @mila271 @hopetookmysoul @ximaginx@honeyursosweet @coffeecupyoongs@bangtanbaesstuff@annoyingpessimist @betysotelo18 @okaysoplshelpme@igot7bangs @tahaing @mochi-and-co @somewhereinthestarss

“A collection of your choices is your life.”

At some point we all ask ourselves, “Where did it go wrong? When did it become like this?”

Eventually we realise that there is no answer, for each choice we make is but one link in an extended chain. What we do, what we do not do. What we choose, what we do not choose. What we say and what we do not say. Every single choice has led us to this moment. So how can we determine which is the choice that we can blame all of this on?

“I shouldn’t have trusted him...”, Jihyun weeps silently outside the police station.

“No... it’s not your fault Jihyun... If anything, I should have known when he was using me...”, you tried to comfort her.

“It’s neither of your fault, we all wouldn’t have been in this situation if I hadn’t been an idiot...”, Taehyung said

Jihyun looks at Taehyung and starts to reason with him that it has nothing to do with him at all.

You quietly thought to yourself, “How did it become this way? Did it start when Taehyung broke up with you? Was it really triggered by the argument you had with Jihyun over that bullying video? So was your past to blame for all of this? No, but this wouldn’t have happened if you had not meet Taehyung in the first place. And this wouldn’t have happened if Jihyun never met Haejoong either. Does this mean that it was wrong the moment all of us crossed paths?”

You were confused, very confused.

“Guys, there’s no point in saying all these now. Let’s just go... it’s been a long day”, you uttered exhaustedly.

A choice we make is like a photo etched onto film. It cannot be reversed. It cannot be changed. And we have to make such choices every day. There are no alternatives. Yet humans are fallible from the start. It is thus destined that we make mistakes.

---

The next day Taehyung and you returned to the police station to record your statements as to how Haejoong had locked you on the school rooftop and coerced Taehyung into recording a false confession.

As you were about to leave the station, Taehyung stopped abruptly. You followed his line of sight and it lands on Haejoong, his wrists bound by handcuffs and trudging slowly behind two police officers towards a caged van. Before Taehyung could catch you, you dashed across the foyer.

Thank goodness you still had the sanity to ask the officers for permission to speak to Haejoong and they reluctantly granted you just two minutes.

“Don’t you think you owe us an apology?”, you demanded.

“What for? I did nothing wrong. I was showing her the truth... in fact, I was showing all of you the truth”, he lamented.

“I hope the law punishes you enough for you to realise how wrong you are”, you snipped.

Haejoong only shakes his head, “People are often punished for doing the right things too, Y/N. Someday you will understand that I mean well... like I said, I never intended to hurt you.”

You shuddered when he said your name but felt someone hold gently onto your shaking hand.

“Leave him be”, Taehyung said to you as he came up from behind you. He turns to Haejoong, “Don’t ever apologise, they are kind-hearted and I am afraid that they may forgive you. You were never deserving of Y/N... or Jihyun. You will never deserve her”, Taehyung clenches his teeth and held onto your hand a little tighter.

Haejoong looks shaken, faintly. His features filling with a sadness you have never seen in them before. Perhaps Taehyung hit the right nail – the only punishment to Haejoong is that his choices has led him away from the one thing he wanted.

He did not say another word and turned back towards the barred vehicle behind him.

Humans are fixated, in fact overly-obsessed, with the notion of making the right choices. Every other movie will tell you to “do the right thing”. We audaciously presume that the choices that can be made in this world are categorised into “right ones” and “wrong ones”, just like how a developed photo is a positive and there must therefore be a negative on a film somewhere. And all we have to do is to pick the side with the right ones. That is not always the case, not for everyone.

---

The radio on the bus was having a lot of static disturbance but the music was country pop. You were looking out the window and you could see Taehyung’s reflection in it.

He was lost in thought, sitting next to you but looking out the window on the other side of the aisle.

“Hey... so um... where are we going?”, Taehyung muttered.

“We are going to get hit by stones...”, you answered.

“Huh?”, Taehyung was always rather spontaneous, but the bus was proceeding towards a particularly unfamiliar route and he would be happy to know at least something about the destination.

“Do you remember what you said to me when I asked you whether you would take my side even if I did something wrong?”, you asked him.

He tilted his head, eyes slanting upwards, thinking really hard.

“... if it can’t be fixed, then let’s suffer the consequences together. If you have to apologise, I’ll apologise with you. If the world throws stones at you, I’ll get hit together.”

Is this what he think it is?

“I’m visiting a friend. I go now and then, but I am never welcomed. I’m wondering whether it’ll be easier for me to face it if you are with me...”, your words were met with silence and an intense stare from Taehyung.

“There are two stops left before we reach, you still have two chances to run away if you want to”, you ended on a lighter note.

“Well, it’s not as if anyone would really throw stones at us, right?”, he smiles that same dorky smile and and you couldn’t help but feel better to have him next to you.

---

“Leave, don’t you see that you are burdening him when you keep coming to visit him? He doesn’t want to see you! Leave!”, a high-pitched voice pierces the hallways as you were shoved to the ground and Taehyung stumbles. After regaining his balance, he quickly kneels down to help you up but you did not budge.

“I won’t disturb him, he doesn’t have to see me. I just want to pass this letter to him... it’s not from me, it’s from another classmate”, you held out a tiny envelope with Jinho’s name written on the front.

The woman who had pushed you away snatches the envelope, tears it in half before throwing it at you. "This reminds me...”, she mumbles as she disappears into the nearest room, coming back shortly with a box in her hands.

“... take all these back with you...”, she hurls the entire content within the box onto you, inevitably hitting Taehyung with them too.

“Stop coming, we don’t want your apology”, her voice rumbles and the door crashes shut.

There was no one else left in the corridor except Taehyung and you, the floor surrounding you littered with photographs, letters, cards, charms and pendants brought or sent by you and your friends over the years.

And all choices have consequences – in some way or another, whether you intended it or not. Are you really picking someone’s side? Or are you merely choosing what consequences you are able to live with?

---

The lake behind the rehabilitation centre was no longer as frozen as it was before and the view was not as misty as it used to be.

“Oh, isn’t this the lake in your photos?”, Taehyung recognises the scenery as he approaches alongside you.

You just nodded. Every time after visiting Jinho you would end up at this lake and you imagined if you were drowning in it. If you were screaming in the middle and no one had heard you or saved you. You imagined the despair, and that is what you imagine Jinho must have felt. And then each time you were able to make the same choice again and again, that you will continue to come quietly, apologise silently, and let him decide if he was willing to let you in.

“But in the end, spring will come someday. The ice will melt and flow away”, you whispered. Taehyung turns to look at you sharply, surprised that you are recalling his words. “Thanks for telling me that... it meant a lot to me then... I will wait for the ice to melt and flow away, let’s hope it does happen someday, but if it never happens, at least I tried to do something about it”, you smiled back at him satisfied with your decision again.

You turn to walk back towards the bus stop and Taehyung stays standing by the lake, watching you, and deliberating. He feels that maybe it is finally time to ask you to consider giving the relationship a second shot.

“Y/N”, he finally calls out to you just as you walked into the shade of a young budding tree. You turned to face him and he slowly walks up to you.

“Isn’t spring nice? Even though the flowers were lost because of the winter, they get to bloom again in spring”, Taehyung marvels, still not quite decided on whether to make the proposition.

You looked up at the blossoming tree, not recognising what kind of flower it is.

“In the bigger picture it is probably a nice sentiment, but from the flower’s point of view, once it has wilted, then it will never bloom again...”, you replied.

This prompted you to take out a film camera from your bag and snap a photo of the flowers, the slow mechanical sounds from the rolling of the film permeating the air.

In that moment, Taehyung seems to have understood something.

There is never truly a second chance at anything. The flower that bloomed this spring, even though on the same tree, is never the same flower from the past spring. And therein lies the gravity of our choices.

He finally understands the difficulty and his inability to make certain choices in the past, but now he also knows that his inaction had then amounted to a choice as well. He sighed deeply, finally coming to terms that he too, has to face the consequences of his unintended choices.

You were puzzled by him, “Are you okay?”, you asked.

He inhaled as deeply as he sighed before replying, “I cannot say ‘let’s start again’, since the flower from last year has already wilted. I will not ask you to come back to me if you do not want to. My choices have led us here, and it’s only fair for it to be your turn. Whatever you choose, I will live with that. So, this time let me ask you instead, do you still want me as your boyfriend... or just a friend... or not even a friend? What do you want, Y/N? What will you pick?”

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thebiasrekkers · 4 years

Text

Fragmentation 5.0 - KNJ

Plot: How does one measure freedom? Are our choices truly our own, or are they part of a preset design outside of our control? We all have a question burning inside of us, though few speak it out. It is the question that drives us forward, seeking purpose in our lives. What is The Matrix?

Rating: NC-17 // NSFW

Pairing: N/A

Warnings: Strong language, allusions to suicide, extreme angst, graphic violence

Links: FAQ || BTS Masterlist || Admin E’s AO3 || [ REQUESTS ARE OPEN ]

Word Count: 2,269

AN: Now we get Namjoon’s perspective. YAY. Also in the Real World in Zion. Again, all information in the universe can be found on the official Matrix Wiki so please use that as a reference guide if you ever get confused!

Tag List: @aroseforyoongi, @prisczero, @pinkpjmin, @btsaudge, @flowerwrites06, @unoriginal-username15432

© thebiasrekkers (Admin E). All rights reserved. Reposting/modifying our work is prohibited. Translations are not allowed. Plagiarism/stealing is not tolerated by any means. Legal action will be taken in instances of theft.

“Oh look,” a voice said suddenly, “it’s the prodigy.”

Namjoon sighed as he continued typing away on one of the system computers. For the last three years, he lived in Zion’s control tower. It was where all the trainees went who hoped to become Operators for a ship. In less than a year of his boarding, Namjoon showed excellent marks in reaction time as well as hacking prowess. It was no secret that he was far ahead of the rest of his class and there were rumors that he would graduate in the next year if he continued to excel in every area of expertise they could throw at him.

That didn’t make him very popular with his peers. Then again, it wasn’t like he actually cared. They all had a common goal and as long as that remained true, then they only needed to focus on doing their jobs.

Who cared if it was some popularity contest?

“Wait guys. You know he hates that title. We have to call him by his alias, remember?”

The tone was snide and insincere. Again, Namjoon didn’t care. He had other things he needed to devote his attention to. Rumor was that he would be boarding a ship soon to help with a simple reconnaissance mission. Nothing too overly complicated, but he wasn’t about to turn his nose up to the task. The lives of Matrix Operatives were in his hands and that was a responsibility that no one should ever take lightly.

So he continued to tune out his fellow classmates, focusing his energy on the program he was creating. It was a training program that would be used in the Construct - an exercise to help hone the sensory perceptions of operatives so that Agents wouldn’t be able to get the jump on them. When Agents obtained a target, they were relentless in their pursuit until an Operator was able to get them out. Namjoon wanted to prevent such tragedies from ever taking place. What better way than to prepare the operatives in any way possible?

He received word from his mother that Taehyung would be boarding a hovercraft next year. To successfully become a pilot, a trainee needed to physically handle the controls for years. Namjoon barely saw his brother due to his own hacker training, but it was guaranteed that they would not cross paths for several more years once Taehyung boarded a vessel.

Namjoon felt a hand on his shoulder, but he continued typing away at his station.

“Don’t listen to them,” said Vermillion, giving Namjoon a gentle shake.

“I don’t,” he replied, his eyes narrowing at the line of code he was reworking, “I always tune them out.”

“Typical. That’s just like you, Spectre.” Vermillion chuckled, sliding into the chair beside him. She peered over his shoulder as he continued working. “That looks pretty advanced. I can’t wait to see it when it’s finished.”

Pressing several more keys, Namjoon saved his progress and closed out the command console. Everything was transferred to the mini disc that slid out from a tray on the main hub. He popped it into a small case and shoved it into his pocket.

“It’ll take a few more weeks before I’m satisfied.”

Namjoon stood from his chair, grabbed his bag, and made for the exit. He didn’t have to look to know that Vermillion was hot on his heels. It wasn’t that he didn’t like her, but he’d come to be a very solitary person. He rarely saw his mother and there was a good chance that he wouldn’t see his brother for several years. Not until they were both finished with their respective Training Programs.

“You’re not going to report to the Head Programmer of your progress for the day?”

He smirked. “He already knows.” Turning to look at her, he continued walking. “I was told to help out at the Command Tower for a few hours.”

Vermillion’s eyes widened. “Wow. Forreal?”

He nodded and they continued walking through the various metal corridors. The shocked look on her face was well-placed. Most people didn’t get to work at the Command Tower during training because there was a high risk of something failing because of an amateur mistake. The fact that their teacher cleared him for work at the Command Tower was another testament to Namjoon’s skill level.

They reached the elevator for the Command Tower. Namjoon’s hand hesitated over the button as he looked at Vermillion. She seemed to want to say something else to him, so he waited. But after a handful of minutes of silence, he sighed and pressed the button to call the lift.

“Well, I’ll be seein’ you,” he said as he readjusted his bag’s strap along his shoulder.

The metal doors groaned as they slid open, granting him access. He stepped onto the lift and just before the doors closed, he saw Vermillion’s smile as she waved at him.

“Do well, Spectre.”

He flashed an easy grin in her direction. But once the doors were closed, the smile fell off his face immediately. Namjoon didn’t have any time to waste. There was a chance the war could be over in his lifetime. It waged on for damn near a century already. The people of Zion, human-born and field-born alike, were all tired of this seemingly never ending conflict. His parents saw the brunt of it during the beginning phases - children when their parents were fighting for their freedom.

Namjoon didn’t want to pass this burden on to his children.

To keep that from happening, he would work himself into the ground. Until there wasn’t a single breath left in his mortal body.

Four Years Later

Spectre pulled out his mini computer, booting it up to look over the dossier files of the ship he was newly assigned to. He was originally slated for Operator duty the previous year, but he opted out of it. His brother, Edge, hadn’t returned from his training tour yet. The benefit of finishing at the top of his peer group was that Spectre got to pick and choose a few things here and there.

Namely when he would be boarding a ship.

He quipped a brow at the list of crewmates on his future ship. There were some impressive resumes on the vessel. Certainly nothing he could turn his nose up at. The Admiral must have had a hand in the assignments and there was clearly a reason why Spectre was placed with that particular group. Based on the skill records of everyone on board, save for the pilot, they all had more than one year of field experience that wasn’t “on the job training”.

The Captain and First Mate in particular.

His eyes scanned over the pilot’s name and he couldn’t help the smile that pulled at the corners of his mouth. Spectre had all the faith in the world that his brother would make it through the Training Program, but he hadn’t expected to see his name on a crew member manifest just days after his ship docked back home.

“Yo, Big Bro!”

Spectre lowered the mini computer to his side, lifting his gaze up to see his younger brother strolling up the long metal walkway toward him. He closed the computer, slid it into his pocket, and waved to Edge. His little brother wasted no time closing the distance between them, taking off in a dead run and barrelling into him. Spectre grunted when he felt Edge’s shoulder crashing into his chest, his arms encircling around his waist. He laughed as Edge lifted him up off the ground.

“Hey,” Spectre said, patting his younger brother’s head, “a little over the top, don’t you think?”

Edge set him down, placing a fist on his hip. “Are you kiddin’ me?” He pouted. “I haven’t seen you in years. I should be setting off fireworks.”

Lifting a basket off the ground and handing it to Edge, Spectre shook his head. “Yeah, don’t do that. We’ll get court-martialed.”

Edge’s heavy steps reverberated off the metal flooring. “It would totally be worth it, though.”

“It wouldn’t, actually, but whatever.”

The brothers shared a smirk with each other.

It didn’t take them long to reach their house. The door was already open just as they saw their mother stepping out. She carried a basket of linens in her hands - presumably to go do laundry at the water recycling plant. The minute her eyes shifted in their direction, however, she seemed frozen in place. They took a few more steps toward her, watching as she dropped the basket at her feet. The dirty clothes and bedding would remain ignored. They already knew what mattered most to their mother.

“You’re back,” she finally managed, her hands trembling as she reached for them, “I knew you’d both come back home together.”

The two brothers filled their arms with their mother - holding her closer than they believed was possible. Her smell hadn’t changed and the strength in her embrace was just as they remembered it when they were children. She openly sobbed against each of their faces, overwhelmed with how much they’d changed. Yet they remained the same. They were men now, but the brothers knew that they would always be her little boys.

Her pride and glory.

After what seemed like too short a moment, their mother pried herself from them. “You two must be starving,” she said, turning to usher them into the house, “I’ll see about gathering some rations for dinner.”

Spectre leaned down to pick up the discarded laundry basket. “You don’t have to do that, Mother,” he offered, but he could tell that she would not be hearing any of it.

“Go inside and unpack your things. I’ll be back!”

They both sighed in unison as they watched their mother dart off down the metal walkway and across the bridge. Spectre turned to Edge and they both shrugged, making their way inside the home they hadn’t been in for several years. Lucky for them, nothing had really changed.

Spectre poured himself a cup of water, handing it to Edge and then poured another. “Have you gotten your assignment yet?”

Edge smirked as he pressed the metal cup to his lips. “Of course I have.” He gulped down half the water and set it down on the metal counter. “I’m stoked as fuck that I’m going to be piloting the ship you’re the Operator of.”

“That’s it?” Spectre lofted a brow at his younger brother. “Nothing else?”

“I mean, not really.” Edge shrugged. “I don’t know much about the others. I’m just glad I’m with you.”

Chuckling, he shook his head. He should have known that his brother would still continue to be simple-minded, even after all of these years. It didn’t come to him as a surprise; not really. In a way, it was almost relieving to know that his brother remained wholly the same - even after the intensity of the Training Programs.

“Did you get a chance to look at the ship?”

Edge whistled, sailing his hand out across his body in a dramatic flourish. “Bro, let me tell you…” He leaned sideways, bumping his shoulder against Spectre’s. “Just thinking about flying that ship is giving me a hard-on like you wouldn’t believe!”

He rolled his eyes, lightly elbowing his younger brother’s side. “Seriously? Come on.”

“I’m dead-ass serious, Bro. Like, holy shit, the Amaterasu is one sexy fuckin’ vessel.” Spectre watched a gleam sparkle in his younger brother’s eyes as he spoke. “She’s the newest hovercraft in the fleet and that baby was made for speed and destruction. I bet she could make it to The Fields and back before a Sentinel could even detect what actually happened.”

Spectre quipped a brow. “New stealth tech?”

He watched his brother nod emphatically. “Oh yeah, and then some.” He clapped his hands together. “I can’t wait to test that beauty out.”

Pulling out his computer, he looked over the ship’s diagnostics. There was some serious hardware put into the hovercraft. If the deployment of the Amaterasu was successful, the engineering crew would work on replicating the ship’s schematics for future hovercrafts. As exciting as that prospect was, Spectre couldn’t help but frown a little.

It didn’t take a genius to figure out that the Amaterasu was a guinea pig ship. This would be the first time the crew would work together as a collective. Some were still fairly young, their minds “freed” but needing more time to mature. There was also the chance that they would all clash when it came to their personalities and work flow.

He barely got the sigh out of him before Edge wrapped an arm around his shoulder to pull him in close. “Hey, c’mon, Spectre! This is what we went through all that training for, right?” Edge winked at him. “Everything’ll be fine. Every single member of the crew is the best of the best of the best, right?”

Spectre nodded. “Yeah…”

“So there’s nothing to worry about. We’re going to be the talk of the entire fleet. Everyone in Zion is going to know our ship.” Edge laughed, causing Spectre to grin; his enthusiasm was infectious. “We’ll do great things, Bro. I know we will.”

Spectre ruffled his little brother’s hair. It brought him an overwhelming amount of relief to know that his younger brother had, in fact, barely changed at all. In a time where their future was bleak and uncertain, pure optimism was necessary. Hope was needed.

And he would do whatever he needed to do in order to ensure that that hope never died.

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mood-swings-for-days · 5 years

Text

Thunderstorm Ι Ch. 2 Ι JJK

Pairing: Jungkook x Reader

Genre: Angst, Smut, Werewolf!au

Word count: 4, 599

Warnings: Characters in a less than healthy state of mind, violence, slight body horror, an addicted to cigarettes Jungkook (don’t do drugs, kids!)

Summary: An accidental encounter triggers a series of events that shatter your monotonous life. A new relationship starts to develop, following the stages of a thunderstorm.

Note: Written under the influence of beautiful music

1 2 3 4

Chapter 2: Clouds

As the days rolled by your routine was quick to swallow you whole once again. Your dreams remained consistently vague and your nights remained restless. You chalked your previous nightmare up to the day spent doing something out of the ordinary and refrained from pondering over it. At this point it wasn’t the dream that bothered you, it was the perpetual state of panic you found yourself in every time you woke up. All your energy had been spent a while back and you were pushing through, relying solely on caffeine and the belief that your days will remain consistently mundane. Your mood was always somewhat cloudy too, a perfect match to the weather outside.

The sound of pouring rain seeped through the walls and into the crowded hall, mixing and blending into the chatter of a hundred voices.

“I can’t believe you’re not gonna do anything about it!” Yara grumbled beside you as she vigorously tapped her pen against her notebook.

Your temples were throbbing, partly because of the noisy environment and general exhaustion and partly because Yara was trying to pick up the same subject again. Thoroughly disappointed by your refusal to venture into the woods at night, it had been weeks and she just couldn’t seem to drop it. She was absolutely convinced that it would give you some closure and therefore solve all your problems. Honestly, you got so freaked out by that one nightmare, that just the thought of being alone and defenseless in the woods made you sick to your stomach.

Your hand shot forward and clamped over Yara’s, ceasing the incessant tapping of her pen.

“I told you already and I’m starting to get tired of repeating myself. I am not going out there.”

“But, why?!” Yara whined despite your fingers clenching around hers in irritation “I thought we agreed on bear spray.”

You sighed deeply. You were fuming. Yara’s characteristically childish stubbornness clashing with your absolute refusal to back down was driving you mad. You had become noticeably irritable lately and it was getting harder to contain yourself every time this subject got picked up.

“Yara, I have an awful feeling about this. I’m afraid of it and bear spray isn’t going to make me feel any better. Do you understand this? I’m scared and I don’t want to.”

Upon seeing your tense frame, she seemed to back off somewhat. Until now, you hadn’t explicitly stated you were scared, but you didn’t deem it necessary. Yara still looked at you with displeasure, but for now she seemed to drop it. You were well aware that this wasn’t the last time she brings it up however.

Your attention shifted to the other end of the room where your professor was leaning back in his chair and absentmindedly staring out the tall window to his left. Raindrops were drumming heavily against the glass pane, the wind was howling eerily and every once in a while thunder rumbled deeply, making the old window rattle lightly. You always enjoyed evening lectures. There was something comfortable about sharing a big warm room with a bunch of people when rain was pouring as the daylight dwindled outside.

“Look” Yara whispered as she elbowed you in the ribs. You looked over in the direction she was pointing and you were surprised to see Jungkook walking quietly into the hall. He shook rainwater out of his long bangs and pushed them back. His coat was dripping wet too and you watched with fascination as he wiggled his shoulders out of it. Since you rarely saw him and admittedly found him kind of attractive you were curious to observe his motions. You watched him swing his bag off his shoulder and onto the empty chair in front of him. You almost felt like you were taking a peek into his character by seeing him perform the movements that were natural to him. Only when he was finally seated did you turn back as to not accidentally catch his attention and give yourself away.

“Am I right in thinking that you may be interested in Mr. Jeon Jungkook?” Yara grinned to your left. She wasn’t wrong per se, but you weren’t interested in the sense she was implying.

“Since I gave him a ride, I’ve been noticing him a lot more around town. I’m interested in him as a person.” You clarified, abstracted.

“Soo, you think he’s totally hot and you wanna ‘get to know him better’?” Yara emphasized the last part with air quotes. Your face suddenly grew hot at the memory of cigarette smoke still burning on your lips.

“You clearly misunderstood me.”

“Oh, come on, since when are you not interested in a guy this attractive?” Yara deadpanned “He’s been sneaking glances at you too, you know? It might just work out.” After you refused to answer, she continued “If you’re that curious about his personality, why don’t you go talk to him then?”

Your face was positively burning by this point “I’m perfectly content with watching him from a distance.”

“Well, I’m not.” Yara proclaimed and before you could realize what she was doing, she twisted her body to look back. Your eyes went wide with panic when she not-so-subtly whistled and started waving Jungkook over to where you two were sitting. Aside from his, Yara managed to obtain the attention of several other people, including your professor. He coughed loudly in a discreet attempt to correct her behavior and at this point you were too mortified to lift your face from your arms on the desk. If you did, however, you would have seen the way Jungkook sat frozen and stared at your dumbass best friend with an expression, just as mortified as your own. In fact, most of the people present were staring at her too, but she couldn’t care less. When she figured her brilliant idea had failed, she simply pouted and turned back to your shared desk.

“You people are no fun.” She stated simply as if nothing had happened. The silence that followed her little stunt was something you had burned into your memory that day and for the rest of your life.

The professor cleared his throat awkwardly, breaking the sickening silence. The lesson began a few seconds later and you waited for a few more before emerging from your arms, just to make sure no one was still staring at you. You felt goosebumps erupting all over your body at the thought that Jungkook might still be staring at the back of your head in bewilderment, but you didn’t dare check.

At the end of the class, when you started to gather your things and turned to leave you were relieved to see that Jungkook had already left the hall. You felt so bad from the second hand embarrassment Yara had dumped onto your shoulders, that you didn’t think you could look him in the eye anytime soon.

“What?” Yara grumbled upon seeing your sour expression

“Yara, that was horrific!” You exploded “Why in the world did you think this was a good idea?!”

“Oh, come on, it’s not that big of a deal.” She linked arms with you and started pulling you out of the hall, mumbling excuses all the way to your car.

You drove Yara home and, after offering your respectable goodbyes, headed back to your place. The streets were vacant due to the thunderstorm and you didn’t want to be outside for much longer either. Although the rain had somewhat lessened, every now and then the distant rumble of thunder reminded you that the storm was far from over. The radio was playing some forgotten track, but reception came and went, resulting in sudden spikes of static. You were entering the last stretch of road that surrounded the forest before entering your neighborhood. You remembered the day you picked Jungkook up off this exact intersection. Supposedly, he lived somewhere in the general vicinity of your house. That day he was walking in the rain at night and today he came to class completely soaked so you could only assume he didn’t own a car. This made you wonder if you would see him down the road again tonight. Part of you cringed at the way Yara embarrassed you in front of him just a couple hours ago, but another part of you still hung onto the desire to find yourself alone with him again. Every now and then your memory drifted back to the first part of your nightmare weeks ago, the part with sensual touches and moments of intimacy, shared with a stranger that in your mind wore the face of Jeon Jungkook for a while now. Your fantasy was further fueled by the quick kiss you two actually shared and you just couldn’t stop his image from sneaking in to brighten your duller moments. You were afraid to give in and admit to liking him though, because you honestly didn’t know him. You liked the idea of him, you liked his appearance, but in your head you had slowly built a falsely complete image of his personality that you also really liked. You were way too old to fall for someone without even having one proper conversation with him. Still, that didn’t stop the pleasant rushes of adrenaline from flooding your system every other time you caught his eye or the way you had become just a bit more attentive when in public, reveling in every second you managed to watch his broad frame move through the hallways of your university.

You sighed, you were stepping into dangerous territory daydreaming about him like that. You still had wet asphalt and limited visibility in front of you. The remainder of the intersection you crossed with a clear mind to the steady hum of static from the radio. You were turning left, just about to enter your neighborhood, when your headlights caught the reflection of eyes. For a brief moment you caught sight of a human silhouette, but it darted for the forest faster than your mind could register it. When you reached the spot where the person had been standing, you turned to look at the edge of the woods. Nothing but swaying bushes and branches were left behind to remind you of his sudden exit. Your hands trembled on the steering wheel as a lump lodged itself in your throat. You immediately thought someone was about to jump your car so you unconsciously accelerated while your heart was pounding loudly in your ears. In hind sight it wasn’t your brightest idea, but you drove straight home, ran to your front door and fumbled with your keys for a few seconds too long before unlocking it and stumbling inside.

Your roommate’s wet shoes were laid out under the hanger and, once you had turned every lock your door had to offer, you could somewhat relax at the thought you weren’t home alone. You filled a glass up with water and went straight to your room. After you made sure your blinds were shut, you started to rummage through your belongings; when you found the box of sleeping pills, you popped two in your mouth and downed the glass of water. The cold liquid trickled town your esophagus and into your empty stomach, making you shiver. You had the feeling that your dreams weren’t going to be kind to you tonight. You quickly changed out of your clothes and headed for the bathroom. While you were brushing your teeth, you couldn’t stop glancing at the small open window above the shower. Only a mosquito net separated you from the darkness outside and you couldn’t look at it for too long, imagining someone’s face or hand reaching for you. Every few seconds you stopped brushing your teeth to listen for any noise outside that would send you running and when you finally did hear quiet rustling your heart leapt into your throat. Clamping your toothbrush between your teeth and mustering up every ounce of courage you had left in you, you dashed to close the window, hurriedly washed up and dove for safety under your covers; In the morning you awoke more tired than ever, but with a lighter heart since the sun had risen and that gave you some sense of security.

You went to work earlier than necessary that morning and that happened to be a wise decision. You managed to avoid traffic and when you arrived, the store was kind of a mess. The guy from the previous shift hadn’t bothered to mop up the muddy footprints and a shipment of various merchandise from the day before had yet to be unpacked and loaded into the shelves. You flicked the lights on and decided that cleaning the floor would be a good start. It was around 7 AM and you had about an hour before the store would officially open, you noted. You were vigorously scrubbing the tiles in front of the front door and in your peripheral you could see pedestrians start appearing on the street. The ground was still wet from last night’s thunderstorm and the sky was still gray and moody, but at least the rain had stopped. The air was cold and crisp as it seeped in from the small open window behind the cash register. Once you deemed the floor presentable, you went to put the mop away and hopped onto the counter to wait for it to dry. You picked up the paper beside your butt and looked with disdain at your co-worker’s signature on the delivery slip. At least he took the effort to check that everything had arrived. There were several boxes of cigarette packs, stacks of newspapers and magazines, soft drinks, ground coffee packets and various other items people could find at a local convenience store. With a soft exhale, you turned around to rummage through the counter drawers in search of a box cutter. With the instrument in hand you wiggled off of your seat and went to town slicing through layers and layers of duct tape and cellophane.

You were about thirty minutes into stacking the shelves with goods when the little bell above the door rang.

“Good morning!” You greeted without looking as you wanted to finish arranging the last few packets of cigarettes you had left.

The customer walked around without saying anything and you just assumed they were stopping by on their way to work or school or something and just weren’t in the greatest of moods. You crouched to grab more merchandise from the cardboard box beside your feet. You could hear the customer’s footsteps draw near you so you hurried to put the packets away. Slowly a broad frame approached you from behind. Your skin pricked with goosebumps upon feeling the person’s warmth seep into your back. The scent of fresh linen, mixed with the distinct smell of sweat flooded your nose and you visibly tensed. A bare veiny forearm reached over your shoulder and plucked a pack of cigarettes from your hands. Seeing the raw knuckles and skinny fingers retreat behind you, you immediately felt the urge to turn around. You flinched and took a step back when you were met by Jungkook’s dark eyes watching you from a close proximity. Your heart was pounding as your back pressed into the shelf behind you. Upon seeing your wide eyes and the way your arms unconsciously pressed into your chest, Jungkook’s lips tugged into a barely noticeable smile. He was wearing black joggers and some loose white top that exposed his arms. His face and neck were damp with perspiration and somewhere in your flustered brain you managed to register that he probably had been working out.

“Good morning.” You repeated in a smaller voice this time. Your eyes were darting all over his face and chest, unable to look at one spot for too long while his calmly looked into yours. You thought you were going to be sick if he didn’t say anything.

“Morning.” He offered hoarsely and you felt your face heat up. Suddenly you remembered the stunt Yara pulled yesterday and couldn’t make yourself look at him. You just nodded, quickly turned to jam the last pack of cigarettes you were clutching into its respective place and almost ran behind the counter. Jungkook slowly followed after you to place his items on the cash register. You reached for his water and cigarettes when he spoke again:

“Can I have a large coffee too?”

You reached for the stack of paper cups on the counter and handed him one. “The machine is self-service. Press the ‘L’ button.”

You watched him pick up a few packets of sugar and fumble with them while his coffee was being prepared. Once the beep sounded, he carefully took it and placed it in front of you. Out of habit, you picked up a cardboard sleeve and slipped it around the paper cup. You then proceeded to scan the rest of his items when he chuckled.

“Hot!” He exclaimed and you stared at him in mild bewilderment for a second before realizing that’s what the cardboard sleeve had written on it in bold black letters.

“Uh, that’ll be 7.50.”

Jungkook pulled a $10 bill out of his pocket and reached out to hand it to you. You took it from him, taking care to avoid brushing his fingers in the process. He just kept looking at you calmly and you wanted to address the elephant in the room so badly. When he picked up his items and turned to leave you finally chimed in.

“Hey, uh-about yesterday…” You trailed off when he turned to look at you again. Your head snapped up because weren’t expecting the cackle that escaped him suddenly.

His chest was still spasming when he answered “Oh God, that was horrific! I didn’t know how to react.” His confession made a shy smile brighten your face.

“I’m sorry about that. Yara can be a bit much sometimes.”

“Care to explain what she was doing?” Jungkook raised his coffee cup and motioned for the door with his head.

Your cheeks blossomed again at his subtle implication. You shyly bit your lip and shook your head.

“It’s too early for my break and I can’t leave the store.”

“You won’t leave then. Just come keep me company outside for a minute.” Jungkook shrugged.

Without further contemplation you rounded the counter and followed him out the door, which he held open for you. Immediately the cold air penetrated your thin uniform and made you suppress a shiver. Jungkook took a seat at the low window ledge and situated his steaming coffee cup next to him. You quickly followed suit and sat down a couple feet away from him. He cracked his water bottle open and started literally inhaling it. You watched him with a cautious smile while he finished and sighed deeply.

“Okay, now I’m listening.” He grinned back at you and your heart leapt in your throat for a moment.

“My friend, Yara, was just messing around.” You began while he pulled a cigarette out with his teeth “We were just talking about you and she decided to call you over to… sit with us”

For a moment he remained silent, furrowing his brows while he held the flame to his cigarette and took a long drag. “Talking about me, huh?” He chuckled as smoke poured from his lips. “I hope it’s kind words only.”

“Yeah, and she really made a scene of it.” You shifted awkwardly under his gaze.

“Fuck, that was weird!” he shook his head “Who the hell whistles at people like that? I didn’t know what she wanted and just ended up staring at her.”

“Yeah, you and the rest of the people present.”

“And the professor coughed to try and get her attention, but no. She was adamant!”

You finally managed to release a genuine laugh. Yara really had no shame. It was almost natural for her to embarrass herself and those around her in front a bunch of people. You were starting to visibly relax now. Jungkook was putting in effort to ease your embarrassment and that was putting you at ease.

“Pardon me asking, but why were you two talking about me? I’m really curious.”

“Yara was teasing me, cause she thinks I like you. It’s childish”

“So you don’t like me?” Jungkook retorted, suddenly serious and you didn’t know how to respond.

“N-no it’s not like that, I m-mean I don’t really know you. I’m sure you’re great, but-”

Jungkook interrupted your stammering with a high pitched laugh. Your face was so red by this point; you couldn’t even feel the cold anymore.

“Relax, I’m just messing with you!” He turned to look at you “Oh God, you’re so red! I’m sorry!” He exploded in another fit of giggles and you blinked sheepishly until the humor of the situation dawned on you too. With a quiet snort you joined him in wholehearted laughter. You enjoyed the way he scrunched his eyes and clapped his hands in amusement. Once you both calmed down, he apologized again.

“I guess I have to sit with you next time then?”

“You’re more than welcome to.” You beamed up at him and he responded with a fond smile of his own.

For a while longer you two chatted casually. He finished his cigarette and sipped on his coffee, making a face every time he felt the bitter taste. You learned that he loved dogs and music and wasn’t the biggest fan of coffee, but still drank it in the morning after a workout. You learned that he was born in Busan but moved here, because he hated the big city. You learned that he didn’t speak to his family much and you two related on that note. You also learned that he was genuinely a great guy and your attraction for him grew with every smile and every lingering gaze you two shared.

Eventually, you realized you needed to go back to work, as customers were starting to come in. You got up from your seat and stretched. Unbeknownst to you, Jungkook’s eyes followed the curve of your body as you bent back. He sighed and pushed himself into a standing position, moving quickly to dispose of his coffee cup, but not before slipping the little cardboard sleeve off.

“Do you happen to have a pen or something on you?”

You reached for the breast pocket on your uniform shirt and pulled a little black pen while Jungkook tore the cardboard sleeve in two and handed you one half. He clumsily scribbled something on his paper, trying to use his non-dominant hand to support it. The pen looked comically small while he tried to get a good grip on it and it kept slipping between his fingers. Finally satisfied, he extended the piece of cardboard toward you. You accepted it and eagerly scanned what was written on it. You were surprised to see his name and number scribbled down in uneven handwriting.

“Now you write your number down so we can catch up again sometime.” He offered the little black pen back to you with a goofy smile. With a smile mirroring his, you turned to prop your half of the cardboard sleeve against the store window. In the neatest and prettiest handwriting, you could muster at the moment, you wrote down your number and name with a smiley face next to it. Jungkook bit back a grin when he noticed the silly little smile that gave away your excitement about the whole ordeal. When you reached out to hand him the slip of paper, his hand wrapped around yours and you felt like electricity zapped your entire body from the point of contact. His palm was ice cold and rough in contrast to the gentle warmth his eyes exuded. He pulled you just a step closer to him. You were frozen staring up at him for a moment that lasted several heartbeats. When your tongue poked out to lick your lips, his gaze followed the movement and lingered on your mouth for just a second too long before he spoke:

“So, what are you up to later today?” he asked, distracted.

“Um, I’m working until around 4 pm and then I have lectures.” You answered truthfully, not really knowing where his train of thought was heading.

Jungkook shook his head as if to clear his thoughts and smiled again, but it didn’t reach his eyes for some reason “Right, sorry.” He mumbled and finally released your hand, leaving only the piece of cardboard in his grasp. “Well, see you around, right?”

You nodded just as a customer entered the store. You turned to look at them and then back at Jungkook with an apologetic smile.

“I really should go back to work.”

He offered you a wave before he watched you disappear behind the closing door as you took your place behind the cash register. Jungkook lingered beside the window for a few more seconds, eyeing the elderly man that waddled over to you with a newspaper in hand. The smile you greeted him with was enough for Jungkook to turn around and resume his jog down the street and away from your shop.

The rest of your day was spent in giddy anticipation of the next potential encounter with Jeon Jungkook. You paid no mind to your grumpy colleague arriving late for work well past the end of your shift. At home you put a little extra effort into your appearance, which Yara noticed when you went to pick her up for your shared evening lectures. You two had a pleasant conversation on the way to university and upon entering the hall, you asked Yara to sit with you a little more toward the back.

“Ok, what did I miss in the last 24 hours?” She was onto you before you had the chance to explain yourself. “Are you finally gonna ask Jeon Jungkook out on a date?”

“Geez, would you stop saying his full name every time?” Yara’s eyes narrowed suspiciously “Okay, okay, I am planning to talk to him, but only to apologize about yesterday and I think you should too.”

Yara wasn’t amused by your preposition “I didn’t do nuffin’ wrong! Y’all are just losers.” And after thinking about it for a bit “And since when did you become such a polite and pleasant person?”

She was most definitely onto you, but you bit your tongue and refused to admit to what had happened earlier. If she found out that you went as far as exchanging phone numbers with Jungkook, you would never hear the end of it.

The boy in question however never showed up for lectures that evening, no matter how many times you turned to look at the door or made sure he was supposed to be present. Not even Yara’s keen eyes managed to spot him anywhere. The realization that he decided to skip uni today, although disappointing, didn’t really do much to dampen your mood.

Tonight you drove home with the sound of his pleasant laughter on your mind. Just as you parked in front of your house, thunder rumbled in the distance and by the time you were in bed, raindrops were drumming against your window. You were tired and you drifted off without the aid of the sleeping pills you had been frequenting recently. For the first time in months your sleep was peaceful and fulfilling.

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