#and one day he tells tom about a guy who used to deal him pot and they were sort of friends until he disappeared | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

say-narry · 3 years

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Note: English isn’t my first language. Hope you all like it. Please, give me your opinion with a reblog, fav or a note in my askbox :)

pairing: Louis!peaky blinders era x reader

warnings: explicit sex, unprotected sex (don't do that!), curse words, daddy kink, overstimulation, dirt talk, mention of jealousy, mention of astrology.

Words: 4k

talk with me | masterlist

Astrology

In my spare time I loved to read about astrology. It was a habit I adhered to since I was a teenager and now as an adult, it was my secret cringe.

So many times, the things described there met the personality traits of someone I knew and that made me believe it even more.

Sure, there were some holes in the script, but I had been in this world forever, so I just ignored that and kept it as a supposed truth and that was only affirmed when I met Louis.

Friends in common, I liked the way his accent sounded, a few drinks here and there, we shared the lighter to light the cigarette and ended up kissing at the end of the party at Calvin's house.

That was a year ago now.

I already knew all his quirks and as Louis lived more at my place than at his mansion here in London, he had to follow my rules, which was a little difficult even though he is Capricorn. Lately it was complicated to deal with him, because he seemed to ignore me and my weekly horoscope had already said that my relationship would be shaken by the smallest things and that I should be careful.

"Babe, don't leave your shoes like that. I already asked for them!" I complained as I placed our shoes side by side by the door. This was one of his manners that annoyed me deeply. "My friends will be here soon!"

"Nah." he muttered, not even looking at me.

I snorted and rolled my eyes, going to check the cheese and chocolate fondue I was preparing.

My friends Peter, Anne, Sam and Paul were coming over for happy hour. I am on vacation at work, an accounting office, so this is a perfect opportunity to hear what's new.

"Babe, is there any way to go to that grocery store down the street? I forgot that Anne has a gluten allergy and forgot to buy the gluten-free bagel." I stirred the melted cheese in the small pot on the stove.

No response from Louis.

Because my house is small, there's no way he couldn't hear me. I stretched my body back a little and in my half vision through the door, I could see that Louis was still concentrating on the smartphone game while gnawing on the corner of his left thumb.

I took another deep breath, it seemed that Louis became a child watching the games on the device and this was another flaw of his sign's characteristic, however I knew he was loyal and domineering, which eventually gave me an idea.

I turned off the stove and wrapped the fondues, putting them in the electric oven in warm-up mode so that they would not cool down.

My friends would arrive in half an hour, it was time to put my idea into practice.

I grabbed my purse, checked the pounds in my wallet, put on a sweatshirt and ran to the door.

"Luv, where are you going?" Louis asked without looking at me.

"Grocery store, babe." I put on my moccasins and closed the door.

It was dusk and for a change London was cold, for as soon as I passed the small gate in my driveway I sped to the grocery store.

As luck would have it, I found the guys a few meters from my house and ran to hug them.

"How are you, Y/N?" Sam, the blond girl with freckles and green eyes asked me as she released me from her hug.

"Fine! But I need a little help from all of you, specifically you, Paul and Anne." I pointed to them, who were inches away from me.

My couple of friends looked at me, Paul was a tall man with blue eyes, a muscular body and a beard. He was dating Anne, a tall, beautiful black woman with curly hair and honey-brown eyes with a mouth to envy.

"What happened?" Anne asked.

I explained to them that Louis seemed to be ignoring me as if I was just someone else working for him, but that he was the dominating type and so I wanted to tease him and see if we should continue with this relationship or if he was just distracted.

"I swear it won't go any further than that, I love Louis very much but this is killing me." I held the brown paper bag against me.

"Have you tried talking to him?" Peter suggested.

"Louis is a Capricorn, you know how it is. When he focuses on something, that's it." I rolled my eyes.

"That's fine with me, it will be fun watching a music star want to kill me because his wife wants me." Paul grabbed the bag from my hands and winked at me, and we laughed.

"It's fine with me too, you know I find it sexy to see men jealous." Anne winked at Paul, who closed his face, causing us to let out a few more low chuckles.

"I think there's a way we can help too." Sam put his arm around my neck and held Peter by the waist.

I had the best friends in the world.

"He simply came in halfway through the meeting with a huge mark on his neck. Emily wanted to climb the walls!" Peter commented on our co-worker.

We were all sitting on the floor of the room with the creams and fondue mixes on the coffee table. Louis was on my right side with black sweatpants and the jacket I loved so much, Paul was on my left side, next to him was Anne followed by Peter and Sam.

"But we know why Tom's nights out..." Sam looked at me suggestively and then looked at Anne. I straightened up waiting for what was to come.

Louis followed the conversation, sometimes hugging me around the waist and offering me something to eat. I just helped myself to a glass of red wine.

"Why?" Anne asked as if she didn't understand.

"Oh, you know, since the S/N went on vacation he has been gloomy, seems to have forgotten how to do calculations on the spreadsheets, and gets sad at lunchtime." Sam replied, alternating his gaze between Louis and me.

Louis, who was serving himself a piece of bread and cheese, grimaced, but said nothing.

"It's true, we know he's not over it yet."

I had the glass in my mouth trying to hold back the laugh I wanted to give.

"Get over what?" Louis asked me with a frown and I arched my shoulders, pretending not to know what they were referring to.

"Tom is in love with Y/N, Louis. Ever since she came to the office, he only has eyes for her." Anne answered by pouring herself some strawberry slices and pouring the melted chocolate on top. "You know, alluring and attractive men don't get over it so easily when they are dumped by a beautiful woman."

My eyes were watering from holding back tears of laughter. It was funny to imagine this situation, since Tom was a very well married gentleman, father of three children, and would soon be a grandfather.

"I'm going to get some more wine." I pushed myself to get up, because I needed to release the laughter that was stuck in me.

"I'll get it, babe." Paul took the glass from my hand, passing his hand through mine and stood up.

"Oh, thank you Paulie!" I smiled and sat back down.

Louis's face was red, he chewed angrily and stared at me. His blue eyes fixed on me in an uncomfortable way, as if he were reading my thoughts.

"What's up, babe?" I asked as Anne, Sam and Peter talked among themselves, I tried to stroke his face but he turned away.

"Nothing." he nodded, and I narrowed my eyes.

Paul returned with my full glass, I took it and thanked him again. Since I was sitting only on the carpet, I decided to do a little stretching. Purposefully, Paul looked at the open buttons of my black blouse that was thin and skinny long. Unconsciously, it was tighter than I usually wore which highlighted my breasts covered by the bra.

Louis seemed to notice, he huffed and ran his hand through his hair. I just ignored him and pretended to pay attention to my friends' conversation.

I felt his arm going around my shoulders and a few kisses on my neck, and I simply held myself together not to react, but it was so good his affection.

"We were talking about Tom before and now I remembered, can you believe that every day he comes into your office and wipes down your desk and computer?" Sam was sharp in the theater, I just wanted to thank her for that.

"And I'll tell you something else, he takes his shoes off before he comes in. " Peter continued.

Broadway was losing these actors to an accounting office. Louis leaned back on one of the sofas and crossed his arms with a brave expression.

"Tom has always been very nice to me." I commented, swirling the rest of the wine in my glass. "But I don't know..."

"I don't know, Y/N?" Louis spoke a little louder, turning his face abruptly to me.

"Yes, Tom is a nice guy but he is the kind of guy who ignores things I say, he was not organized and sometimes we almost missed deadlines... If he is like that at work, who will say to have a relationship with him."

I drank the rest of the wine and almost saw Louis erupt.

"Nothing beyond that stays between you?" I looked at Sam, who put his hand over his mouth, holding back his laughter, as did Anne, Paul, and Peter.

"Nah. " I repeated Louis' murmur from earlier and repeated his motion, leaning back against the couch behind me.

He ran his fingers through his bangs and chuckled gracelessly, denying it with his head. I narrowed my eyes in surprise at his reaction.

"It's getting late isn't it? Want some help cleaning up, petal?" Paul stroked my arm.

"I'll help my girl, Paulie." Louis imitated my voice when I called him and stared at Paul's hand on my arm, moving his mouth as if he were dissatisfied.

We talked some more, Louis was still silent and crossed his arms, his legs intertwined with each other and swinging rapidly.

I knew that Louis was about to explode, so I said goodbye to the guys who thanked me for the evening. Paul gave me a tight hug and a kiss on the cheek. They motioned for me to tell them by text what was going to happen, I silently agreed and closed the door.

Louis had gotten up and was removing things from the coffee table. I started to organize the room and finished taking the last dishes to the sink.

"You and this Tom guy, have you ever had anything?" Louis was sponging one of the dishes. His sleeves were rolled up, which gave me a view of the tattoos on his wrist that I liked so much.

I poured myself the rest of the wine and leaned back against the sink where he was standing.

"We only went out together once." Which was true, but it was with the rest of the office and nothing happened because his wife accompanied us and I saw him as a father or even an uncle. I would stay in my tantrum, yes, he was the one who should end his.

"Hm." Louis answered.

"Why the question?"

Louis remained silent, washing the dishes as if it were the most fun thing in the world.

"Louis? If I asked a question, I want an answer." I said angrily, tired of the tantrum.

He continued in silence. I took a deep breath trying to oxygenate my brain and continued to stare at him.

I drank the rest of the wine and left the glass in the sink. I walked slowly to the door, still trying to remain calm.

"Where are you going?" Louis asked.

I just turned and smiled, raising my two middle fingers in his direction.

"Fuck you!" I shouted nervously, pointing at him.

Without waiting for his response, I headed towards my room, but within three steps I felt something pulling me, two cold, wet hands.

Louis might be shorter than most men, but he still possessed great strength.

In one swift movement, I felt him turn me around and my back hit the wall to my right and my head bounced, causing me to grunt in pain.

Louis pressed his body against mine, my hands went up to push his chest.

"I don't want to talk, Louis." I said annoyed, almost in tears already.

"What's up, luv? Your babe wants to know... "Louis brushed his nose across my neck, soon after caressing my face by turning and pulling it slightly to the opposite side, my eyes automatically closed."What were those teasing things earlier?"

My body stiffened, I couldn't hide anything from him.

"Let go of me. " I asked, still pushing him slightly, but it came out more like a groan.

Louis let out a small laugh and began to distribute wet kisses down my neck, sometimes my body betrayed me and shivered.

Louis's right hand, which previously held my waist, lifted my blouse to gain access to the skin of my belly and with a rush, held my right breast, massaging it lovingly.

"I'm sure my girl is getting wet..." His warm breath hitched against the cartilage of my left ear. "You like to tease me by showing off those luscious breasts, but in the end you're all mine, aren't you?"

I groaned as if in agreement. My hands, which before had been pushing her breasts, had moved to her back, scratching the white fabric.

"Who's my little whore? Hm?" His teeth went to my jaw, scraping it lightly, and then down to my neck where I felt pressure being applied.

Oh, hell! He was marking me.

"I-I-I..." I answered weakly and brushed my crotch against his.

My body arched and I held on to his arms, I could already feel the throbbing in between my legs as they buckled.

"My silly little girl!" He moved a few inches away from me and I opened my eyes, staring at Louis's long lashes in front of his blue orbs that were almost covered by his dilated pupils. "I saw what you did with the whole Tom and Paulie thing."

When I regained consciousness, I bit my lower lip and smiled mischievously, returning my hands to his back.

"What are you going to do about it, stud?" I teased.

Louis's hands went around my waist as he made a point of kissing me fiercely and hotly. My hands grabbed his face, pulling him to me, afraid that he would just stop and leave me there, hot and needy for his touch.

His hands went down to unbutton my jeans and unzip me. I let out a moan in anticipation and I could feel him smile in the middle of the kiss.

Louis pulled away from me and spun me around, placing me face down against the wall.

"Louis..." I moaned softly, thrusting my ass toward him.

I felt his pelvis fit over my ass and his member was already hardening, I tried to make more contact, but his hands on my waist stopped me.

"I know, luv... I want you too." I felt his chest against my back as I closed my eyes and rested my head on the wall and pressed my hands against it, trying to support myself. "I want to feel your pussy squeezing my cock as I fuck you very slowly, because I know you like to feel my cock pulsing in you."

I was already dizzy, biting my lower lip trying to hide my moans, until Louis pulled away and his hands hooked on the hem of my jeans and pulled them down.

"Spread your legs, Darlin'"

I did as he cried out, with a little difficulty because my jeans were still binding my legs and the state of my panties was embarrassing.

His hand slid up and down my ass, and then slapped me with his open hand, which made me jump in surprise.

"My girl doesn't like to be neglected, huh?" Shivers ran through me, my breathing was heavy and my brows furrowed and more slaps came, making my skin burn and my eyes water. "You get needy for my cock when I don't fuck you, don't you?"

In one swift act, my panties were keeping company with my jeans. I pushed my hips even higher, rubbing one leg against the other in an effort to relieve the agony my clit felt.

"Daddy will take care of you, luv!" I heard some noises and then the glorious sensation of Louis's hot tongue running over my pussy.

"Louis!" I moaned loudly and his breath hitched against my exposed intimacy as he let out a laugh. His hands grabbed my thighs and spread them even further apart, leaving me wide open for him.

Louis's tongue ran from my sensitive spot to my entrance, sucking and licking. I swayed my hips trying to get closer, but whenever I did he laughed and ran just the tip of it all the way over. My eyes rolled back and a vibration came in the pit of my stomach.

He didn't last long there, but the sound of my wetness clicking on his tongue was something out of reality.

"Babe, please..." My right arm kept pushing against the wall while my left was bent and I massaged my breasts, trying to relieve myself somehow.

"What's wrong, kitten?" Louis groaned and blew against me.

I turned my head to the side and Louis had stood up, taking off his sweatpants along with his underwear and his white jacket, and threw them on the floor beside us.

"Daddy..." I murmured.

Louis' member was hard, and with the glans of his member shiny and pink, his left hand wrapped around it, going up and down slowly. Louis stroked my ass with his free hand, his lower lip was biting and his head eventually fell back as he sighed.

He knew how sexy I found the veins in his hands tensing up and showing as he played with his cock. The tattoos on his wrist added a special touch.

"Lucky for you I want to get it over with, luv... Otherwise you'd have to beg me to fuck you..." He spoke as his cock touched me, dragging and teasing me, making me almost fall to my knees on the floor. "I'm going to fuck your little pussy so hard, babe? I want to hear you moan for the rest of the night, do you want to feel my cock all the way in here?" His finger ran across my entrance, giving me mini shocks in that area.

I mumbled the only sound left in my throat. I turned my face forward and leaned my forehead against the wall. He knew how much I melted for his dirt talk.

My arm against the wall was aching, my forehead was sweaty, and my legs were almost giving way from the way they trembled.

Louis launched himself inside me without warning, burying his wet member until his balls slammed against my clit.

A scream tore through my throat, my nails digging into the wall. Louis didn't even give me time to get used to it, he immediately began thrusting against me. Back and forth, thrusting hard and trying to go all the way in. I was panting as was he, my eyes still closed, enjoying his member filling me.

I turned my face to the side opening my eyes and I could cum right there at the sight, my heart throbbed even more seeing Louis with his nails digging into my hips, his tattooed chest and arms tensed tightly and his head relaxed back with his mouth ajar.

"Fuck!" My eyelids fluttered and I could feel the anguish in my uterus rising.

"My girl is so hot, so warm and tight ... oh!" Louis went down again and if it wasn't for the euphoria, I could feel him almost ripping me in half with his cock slamming against my uterus.

I tilted my head back and one of Louis' hands grabbed my loose hair and formed a sort of ponytail. His hand forced my neck, causing my body to arch and my ass to bulge even more.

My back began to ache as his hipbones crashed against my muscles, he had never caught me this way before and I was already addicted to it. Louis let go of my hair and went back to kneading the sides of my hips.

I put my arm in front of me and bit down on it, feeling my face hit him lightly with the thrusts, my throat aching with the moans, and Louis murmured my name as he tried to sink even deeper inside me.

"Whose pussy is this, babe? Who fucks it hard and the way you like it?" Louis, still not stopping his thrusts, rotated his hips and a wave of ecstasy hit me at the cervix. My pussy clenching rapidly, I was getting there. Louis fucked me so fast that I couldn't even scream.

"You, babe! Only you, Louis!" I spoke softly and felt him kiss me on my back.

"Are you sure, babygirl?" Louis teased and again I felt his chest against my spine.

His cock was halfway out of me and seconds later I was already missing him, which didn't last long as I pushed my hips back against him, burying his cock back into me. I stood on my tiptoes and his member reached the hidden spot that Louis sometimes managed to reach.

"Come on my cock, babe! Because I'm going to mark you, fill you with my milk... Do you want it, my naughty little girl?"

My breath came out of my lungs in a sharp intake of breath. My body exploded inside, shuddering as Louis forced himself to orgasm. Small jolts ran through me, and the ground no longer seemed to be beneath my feet.

My man's nails sank into my skin, his thrusts became sloppy and a loud moan came from Louis' chest, his cock swelled even more inside me and I felt hot spurts fill me, joining my liquid. He groaned loudly and his hands gripped my waist tightly, easing the grip seconds later. Violent trembling came over my knees, causing me to close my eyes in shame as Louis continued inside me and hugged me from behind.

"What's up, Luv? Did I hurt you?" He pushed my hair away from my sweaty, flushed face. Louis kissed the top of my head and I could feel some shocks from the orgasm still being delivered and the delicious feeling of having him inside me.

I nodded positively and then negatively, answering his questions.

"Sorry about the last few days, I was so distracted, thinking about the new album, and then I realized that I didn't do the right thing to the point where my perfect girl insinuated herself to our friend and they talked about some guy at work."

"How did you find out?" I lay my face against the wall, feeling the frosty, chilling cold on my face. I was tired, almost closing my eyes.

"I know you, darlin'... You can't lie, your sign says so."

I covered my face in shame that he knew my shameful secret. Louis pulled his member out of me and already I felt it go limp, Louis tightened his embrace around my buttocks and his arms wrapped around mine, tucking me in.

"Thanks for not giving up on your Capricorn. He'll pay more attention to his girl."

I nodded and turned around, kissing him slowly, feeling his tongue caress mine calmly and tenderly. He was everything to me, giving him up would be the last thing I would ever do.

I pulled away still hugging him and could see his sweaty bangs.

"Thanks for the sex against the wall, it was amazing." I blinked, placing a kiss on his chin.

"Maybe tomorrow you'll rethink it." His face turned into a smile, kissing my cheeks.

I stared at him even longer, not understanding his statement.

"Uh... I may or may not have left some... marks." He gave me his best puppy dog face, squeezed my ass, and kissed my neck lightly.

I rolled my eyes eagerly to see these possible marks.

"All right, they're marks from my Capricorn..." I said, kissing him and jumping on his lap. "But if you ignore me again, you won't have sex against the wall or anywhere else." I shook his shoulder to get his attention and he agreed.

"No more Capricorn stuff!" He promised, raising his right hand.

Astrology thing or not, I loved the guy standing in front of me.

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probably-writing-x · 4 years

Text

If it was me

Tom Holland x Reader

Based on If It Was Me by Sarah Close (A beautiful song and her EP comes out at midnight!)

If you want to be tagged, just let me know <3

The rain was relentless as you hurried through the door with it’s all too familiar bell calling behind you. The entire place was practically empty as you stepped through, slipping the hood from your hair and shaking off the ends that had still managed to fall victim to the downpour. There’s a welcome smell of coffee clawing at your nose and far too little chatter from the few couples that had bothered to come out in this weather on a Thursday morning. It’s simply instinct when you take the seat you’d always sat at here, right by the window with a typical British view of the forest outside, it was occasionally scattered with minimal litter but was a view you’d always associate with a good memory - perhaps until today.

Today, you’d invited Tom to meet you at this exact spot - having split up with him over a very stressful argument. You’d argued for at least two hours before you decided to call it a day and left his flat. It had been reaching that point anyway and both of you could tell you were getting nowhere with relentless arguing and never really listening. It wasn’t healthy so you’d left with tears streaming down your face. Though, that’s not how you’d want things to end - you wanted to hear each other’s side properly.

It would be so easy to avoid. You could walk out of that exit before he arrived, and he’d know that you’d just given up on the two of you. That would be it - maybe you’d just see him in a few months time and you’d both have moved on by then. He was late anyway - you’d agreed to meet at eleven. He hated being late for things when you two were together; was he trying to prove a point? It’s not because of the rain, that would’ve made him quicker if anything. Tom’s likely to be rehearsing a thousand arguments in his head for why you were to blame in this situation. You’d been doing the same for him.

Then, there it is. A bell at the door that settles an unnerving fear in your chest, nerves building too quickly to be controlled. How could he have this effect? He was a boy that you’d loved. That you still did love. The fear was likely to come from the worry of him no longer feeling the same.

Tom tugs down his hood and readjusts the cap on his head - like he was trying to make himself as invisible as possible. His eyes instinctively go towards the table he’d expect you to be at as he starts to make his way over.

“Hi,” He begins, dragging out the chair opposite you as it wobbles slightly on the uneven floor.

“Hey,” You reply, trying to clear your throat so your voice wouldn’t sound so weak, “How have yo-“

“Good morning guys, what can I get for you?” The waiter is young and definitely new to working in here, you’d never seen him before.

Tom clears his throat, “I’ll take a flat white please mate. Same for you?”

You nod in response, almost struck by the fact that he was actually sat across from you - neither of you were yelling yet.

“She’ll have with some cold milk too, please,” Tom comments and waits for the waiter to jot down the note before he walks away, “You still do that, right?”

You smile just a little, “Yeah, they always make them too hot.”

He nods with a gentle smile too but it feels forced against the tension between you.

“How have you been?” You get back to asking - it would be ridiculous for you two to start fighting before even the simple question had been asked. You wanted to keep this calm for as long as possible.

“Okay, I guess. We’re finished with Cherry now,” He explains shortly, nodding politely to the waiter as your drinks are brought over, “What about you?”

It’s just like normal when your drinks are sat in front of you and you pour in the colder milk to lighten the temperature just a little. But his foot should be bumping against yours, and his gaze should never leave your eyes for a second.

“I’ve been okay,” You respond, “Busy, I guess.”

“I have some of your stuff at home still, I’ll see about getting that back to you soon.”

“Oh, no, you’re in no rush honestly - whenever is fine.”

“I’d rather get it out of the house if I’m honest - it doesn’t seem healthy to keep your ex-girlfriend’s stuff, right?”

It sounds like a comment at which you should laugh but it feels like a stab in the heart. He must see how your face falters.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean that in a bad way! It’s just that I-“ He stops himself, “You ended things.”

“I think we were both to blame for things ending, Tom,” You respond - here it comes.

He scoffs and it’s that confidence that you’d normally adore but had grown to dislike, “No, correction, we were both to blame for things getting bad. You were the one that called things off, gave up on everything.”

You clench your jaw to stop your bottom lip from trembling, “You know it wasn’t like that, T. You’d have done the same thing if you were me.”

“No, I would’ve tried to make things better - if you really cared, you’d have done exactly that.”

“Really cared?!” You half-exclaim, “You’re really going to tell me that I didn’t care about us?”

“Well, you didn’t care enough to stay with me,” He shrugs, taking a long sip of his coffee and hissing at the temperature.

You push over the half-empty cold milk and watch as he eyes you suspiciously before giving in and pouring it in.

“I stayed for longer than I should’ve done Tom,” You say it before you have the chance to overthink, “The nights sleeping in different beds, arguing over the stupidest of things, snapping at each other and saying stuff we would’ve never meant - that’s not a healthy relationship.”

“You’re going to talk about healthy? You were telling my fucking best friend more about our relationship than I knew!”

His raised tone catches the attention of the few other people here but they’re quick to look away again.

“Tom, we didn’t communicate. I’ve never felt more alone, I know I should’ve spoken to you but Harrison listened - and he was my friend too, he still is,” You defend yourself, trying to pull the tone back to normal.

He shakes his head, “You can’t say that I didn’t at least make an effort to change things.”

He really thought he hadn’t put a foot wrong - like it was all on your shoulders. The boy you’d seen as faultless was now telling you that he was, when you’d seen enough to tell you that he was far from it - everybody was.

“This is hopeless if this is how we go about things Tom.”

You stay in silence for far too long after that and it’s a relief this time when the waiter returns to take your food orders. You order a superfood salad and Tom orders a sandwich.

“That comes with the crisps that you don’t like,” You comment, like it was something so blaringly obvious as a change in him. It was petty really but it was like you still wanted him to be exactly the same as the Tom you’d left.

“I know, but you love them.”

And, just like that, your heart breaks between adoration and irritation. And you’re not sure which takes the bigger half.

As simple as it is, the two of you stay in silence whilst awaiting your food. You look between the table, the window, the empty tables around you - but try to force yourself to not look back at Tom. Eventually, it becomes nearly impossible. You see everything of a boy that you’d found your match in. He was honest, funny, loving, ambitious - you couldn’t possibly ask for more. But relationships become stretched over time, pulled between external commitments, fear, and the sickening thought of it ending. It pained you that something like that had changed your opinion of him completely. All it would take would be for him to own up, apologise to you and admit that his actions had been wrong. You’d do exactly the same. You would change it. You’d have been kinder when he’d been stressed about work. You’d have used words that were a little wiser when you were trying to explain why you were annoyed, rather than letting your emotions get the better of you.

- - - - - -

It feels like a lifetime before your food finally arrives. You two hadn’t said a word for that whole period of time until the waiter sets down your food and you quietly thank him.

Tom reaches over a hand to hand you the pot of vegetable crisps and you reach back for it with shaking hands.

“You’re shaking,” He observes, not releasing his half of the pot as his finger brushed yours.

“Sorry,” You shake your head, setting your hands on the table to stop the trembling.

“Is it me?”

“No, no,” You’re quick to assure him, “I’m just not good with confrontation, I can’t deal with it well.”

He looks at you hopelessly and sighs, “Yeah, I know. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have raised my voice.”

“I think we both did T,” You smile a little, “We’ve done it a lot to each other.”

It’s another instinct when his hand reaches over and brushes yours, holding it over your fist until it loosens and your fingers intertwine.

“I didn’t mean for things to happen like this. I just think there’s a lot that we both want to say to each other,” He admits, looking younger and softer than he had done previously.

His other hands moves up to remove the cap from his head as he drags a hand over his growing hair.

“What would you have done differently?” You ask it too quickly, “About us? What would you change?”

Tom’s eyes brush over your features, scanning between your eyes, your nose, your lips that he could easily seal with a needed kiss.

“I’d admit that I wasn’t fair,” He takes in a deep breath, “I’d be honest with you when I was struggling with things, I’d have told you when I didn’t like how things were going or when I was so scared of losing you that I’d stay awake all night after we’d argued. I didn’t tell you any of that because it’s like admitting it would scare me even more.”

When his bottom lip trembles, you have half a mind to reach over and grip his face and tell him it was all okay.

“I hate who I became at the end (Y/n). I was thoughtless, completely and utterly thoughtless.”

“That’s not true,” You interject, “We both should’ve done things differently but neither of us were fully to blame.”

His hand squeezes yours, “I know. But I’ve been so reluctant to apologise because I was trying to prove to myself that I didn’t need anybody else. And, really, I think all I needed during that whole time was for you to hold me and tell me we’d make it through.”

“Me too,” You’re whispering because you want this moment to be concealed between the two of you.

Yet again, that’s how you stay. Though, this time, your eyes stay focused on his and every part of him that you’d missed - the parts that had become clouded by all of the bad that you’d both built up.

You’re not sure how much time has passed before the waiter returns once again.

“I’m sorry, but are you guys going to be eating your food? I can wrap it up to takeout if you’d like. We kind of have limits on how long people can be sat at the-“

“Yeah, we’ll take it to go buddy,” Tom says, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a note, “Take that to cover the bill please.”

During that whole interaction, his hand doesn’t leave yours and neither do his eyes as they remain solely focused on everything about you.

- - - - - -

It feels like a snap second after when you’re driving back in the passenger seat of Toms car - having accepted his offer to avoid you walking home. The rain was still shattering the streets outside.

He pulls up outside of your apartment block and sets on the hand brake, “Thank you for meeting me today, we needed this.”

You look at him with a soft smile and nod, “Yeah, I think we did too.”

He shifts his grip on the steering wheel and shuffles in his seat like he was nervous, “So where does this leave us?”

You can’t help but chuckle a little, “I’d call it the healing process. We both need space to understand what’s happened and reset after everything - I don’t know how much time that will take but it’s necessary. But I don’t think we’re ready to completely close the doors on all of this.”

“The healing process, I like that,” He smirks, “And, whenever you’re ready, I’ll still be stood with my foot in the door to stop you from closing it.”

You laugh and grab your bag from the floor, “Bye, Tom.”

“See you soon.”

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justwritethatdown · 4 years

Text

Chapter3

I apologise for taking so long to post chapter 3, but this story is pretty personal to me and I didn't think it would have been so hard for me to write it honestly.

→ MASTERPOST

During the two weeks’ vacation in Florida, Beca and Chloe really meet each other and get a lot closer. Beca has to deal with Aubrey and some other known faces, along with new ones, which causes her a lot of social anxiety. This chapter is accompanied by various old songs so it’s a bit of a throwback (:

Words Count: 8.9K

Rating: T

Warnings: Underage smoking, drinking and mention of sex

Read it on AO3 or under the cut ↓

Summer after high school (When we first met)

1st of July 2010

As soon as they arrived to the hotel Beca wanted to go back home. Aubrey was already getting on her nerves, bitching about how much she hated the place. Like if Aubrey wasn’t enough already, Chloe had brought with her Tom and Stacie, so the group was now formed by four people other than her and Chloe – way too many for Beca’s liking – and on top of everything, the other guy of their group was super creepy and started hitting on her in the most disgusting way.

“Bumper leave her alone, she’s off limits” intimated to him Chloe and Beca smiled at her thankfully.

“This place sucks! There’s literally nothing here!” kept dramatically complaining the blonde.

“Why didn’t we go to Miami as always?” wined Stacie.

“Apparently this shithole is the only place Sheila’s new husband could afford" answered Aubrey with disgust “oh- sorry" she fake-apologized to Beca, Chloe glared at her but didn’t say anything.

Beca wasn’t quick enough to think about a comeback that Bumper added “It’s incredible how they could find the only place in Florida with nothing to do! Why do they hate us so much?”

Beca was actually glad there wasn’t much to do and, even if she planned to stay in her room the whole time, avoiding as much as possible socializing, she had to admit the place was nice; the beach looked amazing and it was right in front of their hotel, which had a swimming pool and a spa too, so she didn’t really know what the others were complaining about.

“I hope I will find some chicks anyway" she heard Bumper say.

“As if anyone would date you” dismissed him Aubrey.

“Who talked about dating?” he retorted.

“You’re so gross" hissed the blonde.

“Aw Aubrey, I know you only say that because you’re jealous” he lamented “but you know I see you as a sister... unless...” he trailed off and Aubrey almost gagged at that.

“in your dreams".

__Sometimes I get so weird, I even freak myself out

After leaving their things in the respective rooms and freshening up Beca was forced to go to the beach with her father and Sheila.

“Once we’ve figured out the place, you will be allowed to go around on your own" he explained.

“Dad, the beach is literally on the other side of the street" she complained.

Beca didn’t bother to put on a swimming suit since she was sure she would have been back in her hotel room right away to work on her mix – she was wrong.

They got on the beach and walked to their assigned spot, where they had two sunbeds and a sunshade.

“okay, can I go now?” she asked impatiently

“Honey, why don’t you stay here for a while? It’s so nice" suggested Sheila and Beca just rolled her eyes at her, sitting on the hot sand besides one of their chairs and putting her headphones on.

Beca noticed Chloe playing volleyball in the water with the others and found herself hypnotized by her; the way her arms and body moved swiftly to hit the ball, the way she smiled. Beca was sure, if she were to remove her headphones, she would have been able to hear her melodic laugh.

The teenager froze when she saw Chloe noticing her. She quickly lowered her eyes and fixated them on the sand but was still enough aware of Chloe to know she was getting out of the water and walking her way. When she was close enough, Beca looked up again lowering her headphones. Chloe didn’t bother to get a towel and Beca's eyes couldn’t help but follow the droplets of water running down Chloe’s body.

“Aren’t you getting hot?" Chloe asked making Beca’s face go bright red.

“no... I-what?” babbled Beca shaking her head. Chloe chuckled at that and sat down on the sand next to her.

“why are you still fully dressed?” she questioned, and Beca released the breath she was holding in.

“I don’t want to swim” she simply said, without giving the redhead much to continue a conversation.

“The others wanted to go explore this place, to see if we can find something to do, you wanna come with us?” she offered gently.

“Nah, I’m good" declined Beca.

“Okay".

Chloe got up and started walking towards her friends when she suddenly turned around “I’ll see you tonight then" she said smiling and Beca’s heart felt warm.

The brunette was still looking at Chloe when she saw Tom reach out with a hand and shamelessly clean the sand from her toned ass, making it bounce a little. Beca had to look away.

“Okay I’m gonna go back to the hotel" she announced, leaving before her dad could answer anything. She spent the rest of the day working on her mix.

“So... Beca, right?” asked Stacie not waiting for an answer “we’re going out tonight and you’re coming with us" she ordered. Beca instinctively looked at Chloe, who smiled brightly at her “it’s gonna be fun, I promise” added the tall brunette with a wink. Beca found herself walking to the beach with the rest of the group, Chloe never dropped Tom’s hand – not that she was paying attention to that.

Beca froze when she noticed a bigger group of people waiting for them. She really wasn’t good at dealing with many people at once.

“Hey guys, this is Beca" introduced her Chloe “Beca, these are Jessica and Ashley. They come here every year, so they know every corner of this place" explained the redhead “She’s Flo...”

Beca zoned out while Chloe was introducing her to everyone, she knew she wouldn’t remember any of their names anyway, and which one was Ashley again?

“...and he-" continued Chloe, gesturing towards someone attached to Stacie face. Beca reconnected to the situation just in time to see Luke grinning at Chloe “is Luke. You should know him, he goes to our school” before Beca could decide if she wanted to say that yes, she knew him, Luke smiled at her.

“Of course! I gave her a fake ID. Becky, right?” Beca faked a smile awkwardly.

“it’s Beca actually” corrected him Chloe.

The brunette barely said a word through the whole night. Ashley and Jessica took them to an old forsaken pier, where they stood chatting and drinking beer. Beca thought it was pretty dangerous to drink in the dark on a tiny strike of cement in the sea, but whatever.

“At the end of this pier there is an old dismissed firehouse, everything is dark around it" said Ashley.

“it’s the best place to watch shooting stars" added Jessica.

“that’s amazing, we must go one night!” gasped Chloe excited.

Beca was desperately trying to find something to say, but the more she tried the more her brain got stuck on every little thought, without being able to express any of them. She felt weird, it was like nothing she came up with was good enough to say it aloud; everything sounded too stupid or too lame to interest all those people.

“Oh my god, Beca would you shut up for a second? You’re filling my head with words” complained ironically – and over dramatically – Aubrey, making almost everybody laugh.

“Aubrey!” scolded her Chloe.

“what? It was a joke, she didn’t say a word all night, that’s weird" complained the blonde grinning.

Beca was spiraling and she even considered to tell the group she was tired and run away from the situation when Luke suddenly took out a joint “does someone smoke?” he asked to the group before lighting it up.

“Sure” she answered, glad to have something to calm her nerves just a little.

“You smoke?” gasped Chloe, making Beca’s anxiety hit a new high.

“I… no, I mean yes- just sometimes. Is that a problem?” she found herself babble, as if she had to give some kind of explanation to anyone about that.

“She hates when I smoke” cut in Tom blowing the smoke out of his mouth, before passing her the joint.

Beca took a deep puff thinking that she would never smoke in front of Chloe after she told her it bothered her – if she were her girlfriend, of course – but Tom didn’t seem to have a problem with that.

“It not a problem” softly giggled the redhead “I just don’t like the smell”.

On their way back to the hotel, all Beca could think about was what a waste of time it had been to go out instead of working on her mix. The night was somehow even worse than she had expected, and she was feeling rather nauseous for all the anxiety it changed her with. Socializing is the fucking worst.

Suddenly she felt Chloe’s hand slide into hers, so she looked up at her – she had slowed down to walk next to Beca at the end of the group.

“So, fake ID, smoking pot… maybe I should stay away from you?” joked the redhead.

“Oh yes, I’m such a bad influence” scoffed Beca immediately cringing at her own words.

“How are you?” Chloe gently asked in a way more serious tone.

Beca swallowed hard “I’m good" she lied.

“You know, Aubrey isn’t as mean as she seems, she’s just really insecure and thinks to look stronger taking others down" she explained – that’s not an excuse thought Beca – “she does that with Bumper too" added the redhead squeezing her hand.

“Yeah, it’s okay, I don’t mind" assured her Beca trying her best to smile.

The next day Beca put on some shorts and her bikini top, but still sat the whole morning under her sunshade with her iPod, watching the others play.

The group seemed to have begun official, since they were all having fun together, even Luke was there. He and Stacie seemed to be very intimate, the guy didn’t waste any opportunity to playfully swipe her up in his arms and every time Stacie made sure to let her hands linger on his muscular arms or his toned abs.

The brunette took her phone to message Amy, who texted her the night before asking how the situation was, but Beca was too socially exhausted to answer at the time.

Beca:

Your Luke is here too. The guy is RIPPED!

Amy:

:Q_______ don’t make me jealous T_T

TALK TO HIM ABOUT ME!

Beca:

You know I don’t talk to people.

I think he’s hooking up with Stacie btw :/

Amy:

Aw fuck! <\3

Beca:

Anyway, the situation is balls! I hate everything about this fucking vacation!

She also got an SMS by Jesse that made her roll her eyes, but smile nonetheless.

Jesse:

I miss you too btw <3

Beca:

Shut up.

“Who are you texting?” asked Chloe peering over her shoulder “Jesse..." she answered herself “is he your boyfriend?” Beca instinctively locked her phone and put it away.

“What? No. Absolutely not, he’s not" she hurried.

“okay...” answered Chloe in amusement “boys only send me hearts when they want to date me though" she insinuated “and you told him you missed him"

“I didn’t, that’s the point” gasped Beca “he just assumed on his own" she complained.

“I think you like him" teased the redhead.

“I so do not” stated Beca blushing.

“Whatever, your face says otherwise. Come play now, you’ve sat here long enough" ordered Chloe and Beca found herself obliging.

“I don’t like him!” she repeated letting Chloe drag her towards their friends.

__Please take me away from here ‘Cause I feel like such an insomniac

On the 4th of July they organized this big bonfire on the beach, to see the fireworks and then spend the night there with lots of alcohol, drinking games and a stupid midnight swim – totally recommended to get eaten by a shark.

Beca was particularly grumpy the whole day, she couldn’t believe she was really going to spend the night with all those people she barely knew, after having spent the whole day with them already. She allowed herself to stay in the hotel for a little longer that morning, telling her father and Sheila she had a headache and would have reached them soon.

Beca was chilling under her sunshade when she noticed Chloe approaching her and lowered her headphones around her neck.

“Sheila told me you weren’t feeling good this morning, how are you now?” she asked and Beca could sense she really cared, for some reason.

“Yeah I’m feeling better now" assured her Beca with a small smile.

“Awes! So you’ll still gonna be with us tonight, right?”

The brunette rolled her eyes at that, she really couldn’t understand why Chloe cared so much about her going with them at this stupid party. “Yes, Chloe I’ll be there" she promised hating herself for not being able to say no to the redhead.

“Now come, we’re playing beach volley” added Chloe dragging her by the arm.

Beca could barely leave her iPod and headphones inside her sun bag, that was thrown in a match with Flo and Bumper against Chloe, Tom and Aubrey.

The brunette hated any kind of physical activity, but there was something about beating Aubrey – and Tom – that sparked a fire in her. She still found herself rooting for Chloe somehow, so she couldn’t find it in herself to strike the winning point and let the ball pass her. They won anyway because Flo saved it and Bumper finished the action crushing it at Tom’s feet. The look on Aubrey’s face was priceless.

“Did you miss that on propose?” joyfully accused her Chloe when she went to congratulate them for the win – she was the only one of her team to do that, since Aubrey was still yelling at Tom how big of a delusion he was.

“What? No!" she lied “now can I go listen to my mus-"

“Nope" interrupted her Chloe “now we’re swimming!” Chloe said taking her hand and Beca let the redhead drag her in the water, where Ashley, Jessica and other guys Beca couldn’t remember the names of, were waiting for them.

Shortly after Stacie and Luke reached them informing the group everything was set for the night.

After watching the fireworks Beca was ready to head home – she was ready to head home way before that – but Chloe convinced her to stay, offering her a solo cup with vodka mixed with something super sweet. It was gross but Beca drank it anyway – liquid confidence.

She was on her second drink when Stacie suggested to play ‘spin the bottle’ and everyone eagerly agreed. Beca didn’t, but she didn’t want to draw attention on her, being the only one who didn’t want to play.

“Okay the rules are simple" started Bumper with a serious voice, once they all sat around the fire “on your turn you spin the bottle and kiss whoever it points to. No exceptions or you must pay a pledge” he uselessly explained, since everybody knew the game. Beca hated this game.

“Girls don’t hold back. Specially if you’re kissing another girl, we all want to see that!” he added with a perverted smile on his stupid face.

Beca started feeling sick, she started to think about what she would have done if she had to kiss Tom or, even worse, what if she had to kiss Chloe? She didn’t want that to make things awkward and ruin what could become a good friendship between them.

The first one to spin the bottle was Flo – Bumper’s victim for the day apparently.

Bumper groaned loudly in disappointment when the bottle landed on Luke and the two shared a short kiss without losing too much time.

Beca’s heart was beating way to hard in her chest.

“This game is stupid, I’m out of here" she blurred out before getting up.

“Oh, come on! Worried your nerdy boyfriend would be jealous about it?” teased her Aubrey. Beca straight up wanted to tell her to go fuck herself, but she didn’t – for Chloe, obviously.

“He's not my boyfriend” she said leaving.

“Beca hey, wait” called after her Chloe following her. When Beca was positive they were far enough from the group, she slowed down and let Chloe reach her.

“What happened?” asked the redhead with those soft eyes Beca could clearly see, even in the dim light.

“Nothing happened. It’s a stupid game" she repeated “and I don’t want to kiss most of the people sitting there anyway so what’s the point?” “so there’s someone you do want to kiss!” pointed out Chloe. Beca’s stomach twisted at that “who is it?”

“Is it Luke?” she hazarded when Beca didn’t answer to her.

“That’s none of your business” growled the brunette, starting to walk away again “don’t follow me" she demanded.

Beca couldn’t sleep that night and she couldn’t even work on her mix as she used to most nights, she was too preoccupied obsessing over the fact that she was rude to Chloe for no reason. She just really wanted to go back home.

The next day Beca didn’t want to go to the beach. She was sure Chloe hated her and didn’t have the guts to face her. She knew she had to, she needed to apologize to her, just like she did with Jesse before leaving for this hellscape.

“Dude, can we talk for a moment?” asked Beca before their chemistry class started. “What for?” asked Jesse. Beca guessed she deserved that.

“Look, I’ve been an ass okay? I was stressed out and took it out on you" she tried, but she knew the guy wouldn’t give in so easily “I like having you around, you’re like the only one I actually like having around. I miss you dude, I’m not good at this but school is not the same without you being my friend"

Jesse sighed loudly “okay weirdo, I’m gonna let this one go, but next time you pull something like that we’re done.” He threatened “now, what did you say about missing me?” he teased with a smug smile.

__Thinking to myself, hey isn't this easy? And you've got a smile that could light up this whole town

When Beca finally found the courage to go to the beach she even forgot to bring her headphones, busy rehearsing the speech she had prepared to apologize to Chloe.

She totally didn’t expect to find Chloe sat on the sunbed next to Sheila’s, waiting for her. Beca gulped and slowed down, her heart started racing and her hands were sweaty.

“Hey, Chloe... uhm" she cleared her throat, her speech suddenly disappeared from her memory. Chloe looked at her using a hand as a shield against the sun, that still passed through, forcing her to close one eye.

“Hey! You finally decided to join us huh?” she beamed at her and for a moment Beca thought her smile was brighter than the sun. Chloe wasn’t mad at her apparently, so Beca sighed sitting down next to her.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

“I was waiting for you" simply said the redhead.

“What about the others?” “they went surfing". Beca furrowed her brows at that so Chloe added “I’m on my period" “oh" was all the brunette could answer.

“I was thinking we could listen to one of your playlists, but I see you don’t have your iPod” said Chloe pouting a little.

“I- I actually have it. I just forgot the headphones”.

“Oh, you girls can use mine" offered Sheila smiling at them and Beca felt very confused at that.

“No, don’t worry, there’s no need to" tried Beca but the woman insisted, so Chloe took the white wire she was offering.

“I’m going to put my feet in the water" excused herself Sheila.

Beca plugged the earphones in and gave one to Chloe, who adjusted herself on the lounger she was sharing with Beca – even if there was an empty one next to them now. Beca pressed play to her ’09 – ’10 playlist. It didn’t take long for Chloe to take charge of the device and start go through the tracks.

“Oh my God, can you listen to one whole song?” groaned Beca, Chloe kept constantly skipping through songs.

“Sorry" chuckled the redhead “okay, I promise I won’t skip this one" she said when ‘When Love Takes Over’ started playing.

“I didn’t think you listened to this stuff” Chloe quoted her and Beca smiled biting her bottom lip “it’s so different from your other playlists”

“I’m trying new things recently. I like the beat; David Guetta is really talented” she explained.

It was so easy to be with Chloe without all those annoying people around them, Beca loved the way Chloe went through her playlists and the smile she had while they discussed music made Beca feel all warm inside, or maybe it was the fact that they were basically laying on top of each other in the small sunbed, both wearing nothing but their swimming suits, with so much skin on skin contact. Beca was just actively not thinking about that.

Beca tried not to read too much into it when Chloe declined Tom's invitation to sunbathe together – that totally meant “come make out with me for a while” – telling him she’d rather stay there with Beca, but when the redhead turned even Aubrey down, a small pleased smile made its way on her lips.

“Ugh Chloe, you’re really boring when you’re on your period” complained the blonde in front of everyone and Beca furrowed at her “dude, what’s your problem?” she asked and felt Chloe grab her arm “don’t” she whispered before getting up “I’m coming” she sung following Aubrey.

__Oh, her eyes, her eyes, make the stars look like they’re not shining

That night they decided to go to the abandoned lighthouse. The path was so dark they had to use their phone screens or lighters to see where they were placing their feet.

“You could have told us to bring some flashlight or something” commented Stacie. “Yeah, you’re right… sorry” apologized Ashley.

“Okay, what now?” asked Aubrey crossing her arms around her middle, when they reached the end of the pier. “We… lay down and watch the stars” answered Jessica, trying her best to maintain her smile in place – she was clearly struggling with Aubrey’s attitude – so Beca decided to back her up.

“Sounds great to me” she said laying down.

Chloe was the first one to follow her and decided to use Beca stomach as a pillow, making her gulp. Beca didn’t even notice how much Jessica appreciated her gesture, because she was focused on not breathing too much and bother Chloe someway.

One at a time, all the guys laid down beside them, in a Tetris way; each of them was using a part of someone’s body as a pillow – except for Beca, who only put her crumpled hoody under her head – The brunette noticed Tom resting his head on Chloe’s tights, just where her short summer dress ended – they totally had sex already – something about that, incredibly bothered her.

“You guys aren’t going to do it while I’m your pillow, right?” she joked awkwardly and Chloe giggled looking up at her “Don’t worry, we’ll behave” she assured her with a wink that made Beca’s insides melt.

The starry sky was beautiful, the stars shined so brightly in the dark surrounding them that they could spot several shooting stars. Beca was finally enjoying herself; no interactions, no Aubrey – she was somewhere far from Beca and was finally shutting up – if Beca focused hard enough she could pretend it was only her, the stars and Chloe. It felt so good to have the redhead lying comfortably against her, she let her right hand gaze Chloe’s arm, it wasn’t Beca’s fault, it was just their position.

What she didn’t expect was for Chloe to reach out to take that hand and hold it on her own stomach, Beca froze for a moment at the feeling of Chloe’s fingers intertwined with hers, even if that wasn’t the first time.

“Ugh! I’m so bored” wined Aubrey, making Beca almost groan while she rolled her eyes.

“Yeah me, too” agreed Stacie “if we don’t do something now, I’m gonna fall asleep”.

“We could sing something!” suggested Chloe, but the others completely ignored her suggestion.

“Isn’t there a club or something?” asked Tom sitting up.

“Yeah, I wanna dance with some hot girls” exclaimed Bumper getting on his feet.

“Well, there’s a crappy disco club, but there are mostly old creepy men there” hesitantly admitted Ashley.

“Anything would be better than doing nothing here” stated Aubrey getting up.

Beca noticed Chloe huffing and she spoke without thinking “I’m cool staying here, if you want to stay” she whispered to Chloe. The girl suddenly started to sweat, her heart racing.

“Would you do that?” asked the redhead in disbelieve and Beca smiled at her.

“Of course, dude”.

Chloe turned to the others, now all on their feet, waiting for them “You guys go, we’re staying here” she informed them. Tom crouched down to hover over Chloe’s face “you gonna be okay?” he asked and she nodded smiling at him. The guy gave Chloe a quick kiss goodbye before leaving with the others.

Beca was in her head. She thought she had to say something, not to make things awkward, but for some reason she couldn’t stop thinking about Tom; about the fact that, if Chloe were her girlfriend, she would have never left her to go clubbing – if it was up to her she would have stayed there with Chloe stargazing her whole life.

Chloe shivering brought Beca back to reality, she quickly reached for the hoody under her head and offered it to her “cold?”

“Oh, don’t worry, I don’t want to take it from you” declined it Chloe shivering again.

“Shut up, you’re shivering!” stated Beca putting the hoodie on Chloe as a blanket.

“What if you get cold too?”

“You are my blanket” Beca heard herself saying and she widened her eyes.

“Fair enough, but if you get cold, you’re getting it back” intimated the redhead, and squeezed Beca’s hand, she was still holding under the hoodie.

“Okay” agreed Beca – there was no way she would take that hoodie back from her.

“So… your parents let you sleep with Tom?” Beca asked out of the blue.

“Absolutely not” laughed Chloe “officially, I share my hotel room with Stacie. But he has his own room”. Beca bit her tongue for asking – yup, they were definitely doing it.

“Have you ever been with someone?” asked Chloe as if she could read Beca’s mind, it made Beca choke on air and it took her a few coughs to blur a simple “no”.

“What about Jesse?”

Beca rolled her eyes at that “I told you, he’s not my boyfriend” she repeated annoyed

“Stacie says the same about Luke” informed her Chloe and Beca snorted.

“I don’t l-”

“you don’t like him, okay” sighed Chloe “but I think he likes you”.

Beca fell silent for a moment, contemplating that. “It is possible, yes. But does it really matter if I don’t like him back anyway?”

They weren’t staring at the stars anymore; Chloe had turned on her side to look at Beca more comfortably and Beca felt like she was drowning in those ocean blue eyes.

“No” said softly Chloe “but you could like him and not knowing. If Aubrey wouldn’t have told me Tom was into me, making me consider the fact of dating him, we wouldn’t have been together for almost two years now” she added. Beca frowned, could she really feel something for Jesse without knowing it? – she had to admit, she was rather clueless regarding her own feelings. “But maybe that’s not your case” shrugged Chloe.

“You’re different” blurred out Beca and Chloe gave her a questioning look “from the girl I met at dinner” she clarified looking away, suddenly looking at Chloe was too much for her.

“Yeah, about that” sighed the redhead “I owe you an apology, I was kind of a bitch” she said screwing up her face.

“I think you made up for that” Beca chuckled “why did you act like that though?” she asked.

“it’s just that… my parents, they are…” she railed off, so Beca looked at her again “I don’t really like them, or their friends- sorry”.

“Oh no, trust me, no one likes Sheila less than me” scoffed Beca.

“But she seems nice to you, I think being with your father changed her”

“I think she’s just faking it for him” answered Beca, feeling rather uncomfortable talking about her.

“Trust me, I would notice that. I’ve known her my whole life” assured Chloe.

“Why don’t you like your parents?” Beca asked, desperately trying to change the subject.

“They’re just two selfish snobs, who only care about the appearances. Everything must look perfect on the outside, when the truth is that they don’t care about me at all-”

“How can that be true?” interrupted her Beca, genuinely finding it impossible for someone not to care about Chloe.

“They only care that I don’t embarrass them. So I put up with their façade in public, but I ignore them at home.”

Beca found herself squeezing Chloe’s hand in empathy, sensing the deep sadness behind her words.

“I’m sorry I ignored you too, to me you were only Sheila’s new kid” apologized Chloe “and I always ignored her too”

“I’m not her kid” clarified Beca, feeling uneasy “and you said that like if I was a new pair of shoes” she scoffed.

“No oh my god, of course. I- sorry, I didn’t mean it like that” rushed out Chloe “you’re so much more than that, Becs”.

Beca didn’t know if she blushed at that, but she knew for sure that her heart started racing again, so she cleared her throat to dissimulate it “why are you so kind to me all the times?” she asked, genuinely curious about that.

“why not?” asked Chloe smiling and Beca just laughed shaking her head.

“Why are you Aubrey’s friend then?” inquired the brunette. Chloe huffed loudly and Beca feared she overstepped – Aubrey was her best friend after all.

“We grew up together…” she started unsure “I don’t have memories of a time when I didn’t know her”.

Beca could understand that, even if she and Amy had opposite personalities, she grew to love her through time, so she figured it was the same thing for Chloe – Amy was way better than Aubrey though.

“I know she seems awful, but her parents are way worse than mine” continued Chloe “they put on her so many expectations, it’s so much pressure that I don’t know how she doesn’t crack under it” Chloe stopped to clear her throat “if she doesn’t reach their standards they call her a failure, she’s just a teenager!”

The girls talked until 2am before Chloe declared she was tired, so they went back to the hotel.

“Thank you” said Chloe taking off Beca’s hoodie and giving it back to her

“No problem” answered the brunette smiling gently “goodnight”

Her hoodie smell like Chloe now and Beca didn’t stop to wonder why she liked it so much, but she did. She made a mental note to always bring it along, just in case Chloe might need it again.

__My heart it pounds, yeah you got me

Beca wasn’t surprised when the next day Chloe spent more time with Tom, what surprised her was that she joined the group willingly and spent the day with them without hating it. She was pleased to notice that after a few days of knowing these people the effort she had to put in to socialize wasn’t that big anymore, things were starting to feel natural.

They decided – Aubrey decided – to go back to the club that night and Beca really hated the idea. She didn’t dance, no matter how hard Amy had tried, Beca decided that dancing just wasn’t for her.

“That place sucks so bad” said Aubrey for the millionth time and Beca was bold enough to ask her “why are we going then?”

“Because there’s nothing else to do in this fucking place” spat out the blonde rolling her eyes.

Beca found herself isolating again when they started a singing game where one player started singing a song and, on your turn, you had to sing another song starting by one word of the song the other player was singing. If you don’t sing on your turn, you lost.

Beca was close enough to hear them and had a song ready for each turn, she couldn’t help her smile when Chloe started to sing the same song she thought of. When Bumper interrupted her to keep the game going, Beca found herself missing Chloe’s voice for a moment and decided to distract herself not to think about that.

“Why don’t you come playing with us?” asked Chloe, making her jump; the brunette didn’t notice Chloe approaching her.

“I don’t sing” she blurred out.

“This is not a singing contest, it’s just a game. I know you would be very good at-”

“Chloe would you come play? Forget about her” scoffed Aubrey “she’s just being a weirdo as usual”.

Beca sensed Chloe tensing up, she knew the girl was ready to fight Aubrey about that, but she stopped her hushing out a quickly “don’t worry” before getting up from her beach towel “it’s not worth it” she added leaving.

It was shortly after dinner when Chloe showed up at her hotel room “You forgot this on the beach today” she said gently handing her the towel.

“Oh, thanks” answered Beca taking it with a smile and starting to close the door.

“Wait” stopped her the redhead pushing against the wooden surface “can I come in?”

“Sure” said Beca moving out of the way “if this is about what Aubrey said, I’m okay” she assured.

“It isn’t” said Chloe “I mean, yes that too, but mostly I came here to get you ready” she beamed out showing her the beauty case she brought along.

Beca arched an eyebrow “what for?” she asked slightly scared.

“for tonight”

“I’m not coming” scoffed Beca.

“Yes, you are! Beca please, we’re gonna have fun! Do it for me?”

So Beca found herself sitting on a chair in front of the mirror, with Cloe fixing her hair with a curling iron.

“Why do you care so much if I come to this stupid club anyway?” asked Beca struggling to stay still with the burning hot weapon so close to her head.

“I just enjoy your company” Chloe said casually “is it that hard to believe?”

“No, I guess” lied Beca – it was the most impossible think to believe for her, that someone like Chloe wanted to waste her time with her. She was obviously just being nice to the weird kid because she was a nice person.

Beca spent most of the night sitting on a short wall next to the dancefloor, if one could call it that; the ‘club’ was more a bar stand with a large space – probably a dismissed caravan parking site – they put a console, some speakers and stroboscopic lights in. the only good aspect was that they served alcohol without asking for an ID, but the place was depressing and the Dj sucked.

Next to Beca there was Lily – a girl of their group Beca never heard speaking, but who still interacted more than her – who didn’t feel like dancing either apparently. Beca didn’t talk to her, she kept sipping at her Rum and Coke in silence. Beca was definitely not watching Chloe dance against Tom, the way she dipped low and grind against him after rising back up, he was slowly moving behind her, eventually grabbing her hips or bending over to kiss her cheek, neck or anything he could find.

If you ask her, Beca couldn’t tell how, but when she saw the group come back from the dancefloor, she knew Aubrey was about to tell her something stupid, convinced to be extremely funny. “Wow Beca, you’re really having fun tonight huh?” she teased and the brunette just snorted at her, more bothered by the terrible work the ‘Dj’ was doing than by the cheap comments Aubrey could come up with.

She vaguely noticed Just Dance started playing. The mix she just finished making was ten times better than what they were listening to. For a moment she fantasized about taking control of the dj boot and play it, she had it in her iPod after all. Chloe taking her hand brought her back to reality.

“Let’s go dancing!” screamed Chloe, probably because she’d been dancing too close to one of the speakers, tugging at her arm.

“I don’t dance”

“Of course, you don’t” chuckled Chloe “come onnnnn” she whined.

“I don’t even like this song” tried Beca, putting down the empty solo cup she was still holding.

“Liar, I know you love this song, it’s in your playlist!” called her out Chloe “come dance with me, please”

Beca couldn’t resist that smile, her heart started racing; the brunette knew in that moment that she was doomed – she would have done anything Chloe had asked her.

Beca let Chloe drag her in the middle of the dancefloor and felt a shiver when the girl didn’t drop her hand when she started dancing. Beca was frozen, she had no idea what to do, she was the only idiot standing still, but couldn’t convince her body to start moving.

“Dance!” laughed Chloe, gently shaking her by the hand.

“I don’t know how to” she confessed.

Chloe moved impossibly close to her face and Beca’s breath got caught in her throat. “I’m gonna tell you a secret” whispered the redhead “nobody does” she said winking “just move with me”

Beca thought she was going to pass out when Chloe reached out to gently place her hands on Beca’s hips, bringing their bodies together, to rhythmically move against each other. Having the other girl so close made her heart beat unsafely fast. Eventually she started moving on her own to dance with Chloe; the way Chloe pushed her head up, sometimes running her fingers through auburn hair, was unfairly sexy. For the first time Beca didn’t second-guess what was going on; she just kept on dancing, resting her forearms on Chloe’s shoulders. The way Chloe’s looked oat her took her breath away; she blamed it on the alcohol and the loud beat, on the endorphins formed in her system because of all the dancing – probably everybody felt this intoxicated while dancing with someone – everything was normal.

__ She is like a melody in my head That I can't keep out

The rest of the vacation was a blur to Beca. Maybe it’s true what they say about time running faster when you’re having a good time. Beca wouldn’t say she was actually having a good time, she still hated hanging out with people she barely knew and had pretty much nothing in common with – and most of all she still hated Aubrey – but the small moments she got to spend with Chloe were enough to get her by.

Those times Chloe choose to sit on her lap instead of the empty seat that was too far from her, or when she randomly took her hand or started lightly brushing her fingertips on her harm in that relaxing way – that did everything but relax Beca, if she was honest – or even the casual touches, those Beca wasn’t even sure Chloe did on purpose. Those moments were all Beca could think about. Chloe was all Beca could think about.

It wasn’t unusual for them to listen to Beca’s iPod together while eating lunch or while the others went jumping from the riff; something that Beca found very funny, but that Chloe hated, so Beca decided to pass on that too, just to spend more time alone with the redhead.

“What is this?” Asked the redhead scrolling through the songs “Beca-mix_1"

Beca’s eyes widened and she jumped to take the iPod from Chloe, but she was too slow, and swallowed hard hearing the first notes of it playing in her ear.

“Did you make this?” asked Chloe in shock.

“Yeah...” shyly admitted the brunette.

“Beca this is amazing!”

“You like it?” asked Beca in disbelief.

“I love it!” gasped Chloe in awe “Beca, you’re so talented!”

“I- thank yo-"

“Did you make others?”

“No, I mean yes, but they’re crap. This is the first one I liked enough to save it" explained Beca scratching at the back of her head.

She had never let anyone listen to her mixes – not even Amy – and she’d never thought Chloe of all people would have been the first one to hear it. For some reason Chloe’s opinion meant the world to her, and the fact that she liked something she made, gave her a weird kind of high she’d never experienced before.

__Feels like I’ve waited so long for this, I wonder if it shows

One night, after they said goodbye to the others, the core group decided to stay up until dawn instead of going to sleep, so they sneaked Luke – who always walked Stacie to the hotel to steal one last kiss – in and went on the roof of the hotel, that was full equipped with chairs, sofas and sunbeds. Beca opted for a hammock, while the others were gathering their seats in a circle-like form next to her.

“Scoot" intimated her Chloe wanting to fit on the hammock with her, but Beca didn’t move. “fine, I’m just gonna lay on top of you then" threatened the redhead trying to climb on the hammock and risking flipping it.

“Okay, okay. Jesus!” laughed Beca making room for Chloe next to her.

“Do you two need a room?” joked Stacie.

“I’m totally on board with that babe!” added Tom laughing.

“Who told you you’re invited?” teased Chloe with a smug smile.

Beca knew they were all kidding, but she couldn’t stop her face to turn bright red and her heart to beat so fast she was afraid Chloe could feel it hammer against her chest.

“Beca you wanna smoke?” asked her Luke lighting up yet another joint.

“No thanks, I’m gonna pass" she declined, for Chloe obviously; she didn’t want to bother the redhead, since she knew the girl couldn’t stand the smell of it. Beca didn’t know if she was hoping that Chloe noticed she was doing it for her or not, but when Chloe turned to whisper to her “it’s okay if you wanna smoke, it doesn’t bother me" she felt her stomach flip.

“Aw Beca, your alt girl days are ending already?” mocked her Aubrey.

“Aubrey why don’t you try smoking a little? It will relax you! And while you’re at it you can also try getting off my case for once?” she spat out.

“Woooooah" cheered Bumper and everyone – except for Aubrey, obviously – started laughing.

It didn’t take long for Chloe to fall asleep, Beca had put her hoodie on the both of them as a blanket and made sure not to raise her voice too much while laughing and chatting with the others. After a while the group started to run out of energy; Tom was checking his phone, Stacie and Luke were just making out and Aubrey was busy convincing Bumper that nothing would ever happen between the two of them.

Beca took the opportunity to lose herself in her thoughts; in the fact that, even if she’d always hated physical contact, to have Chloe sleeping cuddled up on her felt so nice. She didn’t want to elaborate the feeling, nice was enough for now, it was too soon to let her mind analyse the way her body felt warmer every time Chloe as much as looked her way, or the way her heart beat out of time. It was too dangerous to get an answer to why that happened to her every time Chloe was around.

She noticed the guys decided to go to give up, too tired to wait for the sunrise, and she decided to pretend she was asleep, not ready to give up laying there with Chloe yet.

“Chlo, come on, we’re going to sleep" tried Tom, but the redhead didn’t give him any response, other than a soft snore.

After a few minutes of trying, Aubrey got annoyed “let’s just leave them" she said, “I’m going to bed" and left.

Beca heard Tom standing there pondering the situation for a moment, before deciding to leave too.

The morning after Beca was awakened by the sun burning hot on her face; that and the hoodie worked together to generate an uncomfortable heat, making them both sweat. A soft groan escaped her, she didn’t mean to really fall asleep, she just wanted a few more minutes before waking Chloe up and going to their respective hotel rooms.

They had shifted during the night and Beca soon found out that she couldn’t move without waking Chloe up some way; the redhead was half on top of her, using her shoulder as a pillow and their limbs were intertwined. Beca’s left arm – the one laying under Chloe’s body – was numb, but somehow Beca didn’t hate any of that.

Chloe’s smell surrounding her and the weight of the girl on her made Beca feel things she’d never felt before. If it was anyone else, Beca would have rung for the hills, but there was something different about this girl, something special, that didn’t scare her. If anything, it made her feel brave.

Beca didn’t realise her hand was on Chloe’s hip, until the girl shifted beneath it while turning around, she turned too much and Beca had to catch her before she fell down the hammock. The brunette knew it would have given away the fact that she was awake, but she figured that falling down the hammock wouldn’t have been a really nice way to wake up.

“Nice catch" mumbled Chloe rubbing her eyes, still a little shook for her almost fall “were you awake?”

“Yeah I just woke up" confessed Beca “I couldn’t move though”.

“Why didn’t you wake me up?” asked the redhead still half asleep – she looked adorable.

“I don’t know, it seemed rude" laughed Beca.

__ I'll hold on to it, don't you let it pass you by

The last day of vacation came way too soon. Beca spent the day with a heavy feeling on her stomach, due to the awareness that everything was ending. Back in Atlanta things won’t be the same as they were now, they were going back to reality, a reality where Beca can’t spend every day with Chloe listening to music and just being.

It was bittersweet to see her same gloom mirrored in Chloe’s behavior; it felt nice to know that Chloe was sad about giving up what they had now, but that only confirmed Beca’s conviction that everything was about to change for them.

The evening went by in the blink of an eye and the group was finishing dinner in the big hotel’s dining room.

“Are we going to stay up tonight? For real I mean" asked Tom chewing the last bite of his steak.

“Of course we are, that’s our last night" answered Bumper “but we have to sneak in everyone this time, I know Florencia will give in tonight" he added making the others roll their eyes.

“Leave that poor girl alone, she doesn’t know how to tell you anymore, she’s not interested” spat out Stacie.

“That’s the point, she doesn’t know how to say no anymore, so she might say yes" he explained wiggling his eyebrows.

“Ugh, dude that’s fucked up!” groaned Beca pushing her plate away.

“Are we going to sneak in some booze too or we gonna behave?” asked Chloe biting her lip.

“We’re obviously sneaking some alcohol in, Chloe. I can’t stand those idiots when I’m sober" scolded her Aubrey.

“Ugh true” laughed Stacie, igniting a general laugh.

This was one of the things Beca couldn’t stand about this group, they were always talking shit about people behind their backs and pretend to like them when they were around. It wasn’t even true that they didn’t like them, they just needed to be assholes sometimes and make fun of other people. Even Chloe let herself get involved in their behavior – something she had to do to adapt to the group, for sure – and that was probably the only thing Beca didn’t like about her. Beca was sure they did the same thing with her too and the thought made her feel sick.

That night there was an unspoken agreement between the girls, to keep Flo away from Bumper for as long as they could; he was harmless, but all of them knew how annoying he could get and they didn’t want Flo to give in just to make him stop – even Aubrey seemed to care about that and did her part.

As soon as they got to the roof, they rushed to find a seat.

“Becs, come sit with me?” suggested Chloe gesturing towards the hammock and Beca felt her stomach do that flip she was used to by now.

“No way!” shouted Bumper “the hammock is mine tonight! Miss Fuentes, care to join me?” he said all charming after occupying the hammock.

“She won’t. She’s sitting next to me" ordered Aubrey patting the empty chair next to her sofa, as if she was calling a dog.

Flo sat down next to her whispering a hushed “thank you".

Chloe ended up sitting on Tom’s lap and Beca curled up in a sofa a couple of seats from them.

They decided to play ‘never have I ever’ and Beca thought she was winning when she realized she hadn’t done most of the things they were mentioning; she only drank once when Chloe said “Never have I ever smoked pot".

She learned a lot of things she didn’t care about but that Amy would have loved to know; she learned that Aubrey got blackout drunk and spent the night with her face in the water, that Luke was actually pretty good in school and that Stacie – and Bumper apparently, but no one really believed him – was in a threesome once.

When it came her turn, she smirked devilishly, convinced that what she was about to say would have made everyone drink – something nobody succeeded with yet – “Never have I ever… kissed someone” she proudly declared.

The group fell silent for a moment.

“What?” spat out Aubrey suddenly, unable to keep her laugh in anymore.

“You can’t be serious” added Stacie shocked.

“I mean we can make up for that if you want, we have Bumper who would kiss anything as long as it moves" chuckled Aubrey.

Beca stood there while everyone was laughing at her, she didn’t know what the hell made her think it was something to brag about – to be 16 and haven’t kissed anyone yet – she felt her eyes sting, she knew she was about to tear up, but was trying to hold back with everything she had, she couldn’t give them any more reasons to laugh at her.

“I don’t think it’s funny" said Chloe.

“Come on babe, you have to admit it is a little funny" said Tom still giggling.

It made Chloe stand up from his lap and turn around to glare at him “okay, whatever, it’s not funny" he agreed, trying to get her to sit back on his lap, Chloe angrily freed her hand from his grasp and walked away from him, towards Beca.

“Can I sit with you?” she asked gently.

“Sure" quickly answered the brunette trying to make as much room as she could for Chloe to sit next to her.

“I don’t wanna play this game anymore” she declared.

“Babe I’m cold, come back here" complained Tom.

“You know I can’t stand you when you act like an asshole”.

It didn’t take long for Chloe to curl up into Beca while they were listening to one of Flo’s weird stories. Beca wasn’t listening to her at all, she was focused on the feeling of having Chloe curled up on her for the last time in who knows how long.

When the sun started rising, Beca felt there was something final about it. Her last sunrise with Chloe. It was like time was slipping from her hands and there was nothing to do about it.

“Shouldn’t we clean up this mess?” asked Chloe when the guys started to say goodbye to each other.

“People are paid to do it, Chloe” told her Aubrey in her usual smartass tone.

Beca had an earlier flight than the rest of the group because her father had to be back in Atlanta sooner, so she had to say goodbye to Chloe at the hotel, while the others got to take her same plane. Beca awkwardly waved the group goodbye before pushing her suitcase in the back of the taxi and when she turned around Chloe crushed into her, hugging her tight.

“Have a safe flight" she whispered in Beca’s ear.

“Yeah you too" told her the brunette pulling back from the hug with a soft smile.

When she climbed into the taxi Sheila was looking at her proudly “I told you, you were gonna become friends" she all but beamed.

“Whatever” huffed Beca before putting her headphones on. She felt bad about being rude to Sheila – that’s a first, she thought – but it lasted for almost five seconds, before she turned around to see Chloe waving her goodbye from the sidewalk.

#bechloe au #high school au #beca mitchell #chloe beale #pitch perfect au #becloe fic

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dlwritings · 4 years

Text

Got Your Six | Tom Holland | pt 9

series masterlist found here

general masterlist found here

pairing - mob!Tom x reader word count - 4,160 warnings - swearing, smoking, sexual harassment, cocaine usage, mention of rape

summary - (Y/N) walks in on something she shouldn’t have, and one of Tom’s men crosses a line, sparking Tom to make a confession.

(previous) (next)

I woke up the next morning, squinting against the sunlight that was coming in through Tom’s glass door. I turned to face Tom so I could cuddle back up against him, but he wasn’t there. I frowned and pushed myself out of bed. My legs shook a little, so I gripped the bedpost to balance myself and rolled my eyes. Had it really been that long since I’d been fucked that well? So long that my legs couldn’t handle standing up the next day? Ridiculous.

Once I knew I was fine, stretched my arms over my head and tossed my hair up into a ponytail. The boxers of Tom’s that I was wearing felt like short-shorts, and his t-shirt fit me just like one of my own would, so I left his room, not really worried about looking inappropriate if I ran into Harrison or Harry or Sam. At this point, I knew them well enough that I didn’t give a shit about what they thought of me.

I headed downstairs, assuming Tom was making coffee or breakfast for himself. It was about 10:00, so it only made sense that he was up and ready. He was much more of a morning person than I was. I was confused when I didn’t smell coffee or hear anyone awake. So where was Tom? The next place I thought to look was down in the gym. As I neared the basement stairs, I heard voices, so I figured Tom was working out with one of the boys. But, as I headed further down, I didn’t hear fighting noises. By the time I reached the bottom, I saw a large conference table set up with Tom sitting at the head and smoking a cigar. Harrison was to his right, Harry to his left. To the left of Harry was Sam, but there was no one else I recognized. There were only six other guys there. They all turned to look at me when I walked in, and I quickly regretted the outfit I had once been completely okay with wearing. I tugged at the hem of Tom’s shirt and pressed my lips into a tight line. “S-sorry,” I said. My feet were frozen to the spot.

“S’alright, darling,” Tom said with a gentle smile, tapping the cigar over his ashtray. “I’ll be up in just a minute.” I nodded and forced myself to turn around and hurry back up the stairs. My cheeks burnt in embarrassment. I went straight to my room to tug on some sweatpants and put a bra on under Tom’s t-shirt. Once I deemed myself more presentable, I went out into the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. I waited for it to brew, and reached up into the cabinets to get a mug.

I almost dropped the mug when I jumped as a pair of hands landed on my waist. I didn’t even need to turn to know that it wasn’t Tom. “Boss didn’t tell us he picked up a prossie last night,” he said, his breath tickling my ear. I tried to wiggle out of his grasp, but he just gripped his hands tighter. He pressed his frontside into my backside, making me increasingly uncomfortable. “Aw, don’t be like that, darling.”

“Don’t call me that,” I snapped.

“Hm, can only the boss call you that?” he asked, his nose brushing against the back of my neck.

“Can you just leave me alone?” I asked, still trying to move away from him.

“You’ve got quite the attitude,” he said with an audible grin. “I’m gonna have to figure out where he found you. How much does it cost for a go with you, huh? Couple bucks? That’s what the Americans call it, right? A buck or two?”

“Go to hell,” I muttered. He laughed again, then moved his hands to squeeze my ass before he stepped away.

“Yeah,” he said, “I like you.” I finally turned to face him and memorized everything about him- strong cheekbones, intense eyes, hair buzzed on the sides but full on top, and a thin beard. He looked like he was a few years older than me. Without another word, he turned and walked to the front door. I heard it open and close and finally allowed myself to relax.

What the fuck was that?

Only a few minutes after creepy guy left, the rest of the guys who were downstairs came up and left. None of them stopped to talk to me, which I appreciated. This time, when a pair of arms wrapped around my waist, I melted into them and smiled. Tom nuzzled his face against my neck. I could feel him smile. “Good morning,” he mumbled.

“G’morning,” I said back. I was still standing in the kitchen, this time making some toast. When I finished spreading peanut butter on it, I turned to face Tom. He trapped me between himself and the counter, and I just grinned. “What’s up?” I asked.

“C’mon,” he said, pushing himself away from me. “Let’s go upstairs.” I nodded and took a bite of my toast before following him upstairs. When we got to the top of the stairs, April walked out of Harrison’s room. She sent me a wide eyed look before I just turned and walked into Tom’s room. He closed the door behind us, and I walked over to the balcony. I sat criss cross applesauce on the daybed, and Tom quickly joined me. He sat behind me, spreading his legs so I was between them. I leaned onto his chest and took another bite of my toast. Tom sniffed and wiped his nose with the back of his hand.

“We need to talk about what happened last night,” he said. I turned my head to look at him, feeling like my heart dropped to my stomach. This was it. This was where he told me last night meant nothing and he wanted me to stay away from him again. This was where everything fell apart. I turned to face him and finished the rest of my toast. If he was going to turn me down, I wanted him to do it to my face.

Tom sighed and stroked my cheek. I involuntarily leaned into his touch. “It’s dangerous, (Y/N),” he said. “I won’t lie to you.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, tilting my head to the side.

“The right thing for you to do would be to stay away from me,” he said. “To leave as soon as this all goes away.”

“Do you-” I took a deep breath. “Are you upset that we did what we did?”

“No,” Tom said, shaking his head. “No. Not at all, petal.” He put his hand on my cheek, and I hadn’t even realized I wasn’t looking at him until he tilted my head up.

“All I’m saying,” he said, “is that I want you to know what being with me entails. Now, you being associated with me isn’t just fake. It’s a real thing, and this puts an even bigger target on your back. That’s why I’m saying the right thing for you to do would be to pretend last night didn’t happen. It’s not what I want, but I want you to know you have the option.”

I shook my head and stood up, adjusting how we were sitting so I was now on his lap. He immediately put his hands on my hips. “I’ve been doing the right thing my whole life.” I paused. “Well, save a few one night stands here or there.” Tom laughed, and I smiled and tangled my fingers in the curls at the nape of his neck. “I think it’s about time I live a little, yeah?”

Tom smiled and stroked his thumb along my cheekbone again. “I like that answer,” Tom said. I smiled and leaned forward, pressing a kiss to his lips. When we pulled away from each other, I noticed he looked nervous. I thought his eyes were red, but I convinced myself I was imagining it. “I want-” He started, then stopped to clear his throat. “I want you to know that, I, um-” He licked his lips, and his eyes darted around the room.

“Tom?” I said, putting my hand on his cheek. He looked at me and took a deep breath.

“I’ve always got your six, okay?” he said. I smiled and pressed my lips to his again.

“And I’ve got yours,” I told him. Tom chuckled, and I pouted playfully. “What, is that not valuable?” I said. “You see me at the range. I’m good with a gun!”

“I know, petal,” he laughed, brushing his thumb across my lower lip. “I know.” I lightly bit his thumb, and Tom groaned lowly. “Do that again, and I might have to strip you.” I laughed and cuddled up against him. He wrapped his arms around me, and I laid my head on his chest. He was wearing shorts and a hoodie, and I didn’t think he had ever seemed so fluffy. Sometimes I doubted he was really a mobster. But then I saw meetings like the one I walked into and was struck with reality.

The thought of that reminded me of the creepy guy who came and talked to me that morning. Even though I didn’t want to talk about it, I knew I needed to tell Tom and that he’d want to know. I sat up a little bit so I could look at him while I spoke. “What’s wrong?” he asked, noticing my shift in expression.

“I don’t want to make this a big deal,” I said, playing with the strings of his hoodie, “but I feel like I should tell you. Like, I don’t want you to blow up about it because it’s really not a big deal-”

“What’s wrong?” Tom asked, lifting my chin so I was looking at him. My eyes looked from his lips to his eyes again.

“One of your guys,” I said, “came up to me and, um, he -I don’t know- he just made me a little uncomfortable, I guess.”

“What did he do?” Tom asked, his eyes softening at my words but his grip on me getting tighter.

“I was upstairs making coffee,” I said, “and I was reaching for a mug, and he came up to me and put his hands on my hips, and-” I cleared my throat awkwardly. “He called me a name, but I didn’t know what it meant.”

“What did he call you?”

“A prossie?” It came out more as a question, but it must’ve been right, because Tom’s jaw clenched in anger. He nodded for me to continue. “What does it mean?” I asked.

“Nothing,” he said with a shake of his head. “Keep going.”

“Tom, I can take it,” I said. “I want to know.”

He sighed. “It’s British slang for prostitute.” I let out an annoyed breath, rolled my eyes, and shook my head.

“Whatever,” I muttered. Whatever happened to him now was on him. A prostitute. The nerve. “He had his hands on my hips and kept pressing himself up against me. He said some other stuff like how much he’d have to pay to get to sleep with me, and then he grabbed my ass before he finally left.” Tom put his hand on my cheek, and it was clear he was trying to control his anger.

“Are you okay?” he asked. I nodded. “Can you tell me what he looked like?” I described the guy to Tom, and he nodded along like he knew exactly who I was talking about. Granted, he probably did.

“But to be fair,” I added, “you saw what I was wearing when I came downstairs, and it was super inappropriate-”

“No, that’s such a blame the victim you-were-asking-for-it bullshit mindset,” Tom said, shaking his head, “and I don’t put up with that. He sexually harassed you, and that’s not fucking okay.”

I bit my lip and brushed my hand through Tom’s hair. He looked at me and grabbed my wrist, pulling my hand away from him and kissing my palm. “Tom?”

“Mm?” he hummed. I hesitated, but Tom kissed my palm again, urging me to continue.

“Tell me about your mother?”

I wasn’t sure what had come over me. I could tell by the look in Tom’s eyes that I asked a question I shouldn’t have. And of course that was the case. He almost beat Harrison up at the mere mention of her. “I’m sorry,” I said, shaking my head. “I’m sorry. I told you I wouldn’t pry, and now I’m prying again. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have-”

“Babe, relax, relax,” Tom said, stroking my cheek. “It’s okay.” I looked up at him with soft eyes.

“You don’t have to talk about it,” I said. “I know it’s not my place.” Tom was quiet for a while. He looked like he was having a battle with himself. After a while, he laid down and moved me so I was laying on his chest. He pushed my t-shirt up a bit so his hands were resting on my bare back. I didn’t say anything. I figured I should let him talk at his own pace. As expected, he did.

“I was 17 when it happened,” he said. “That would make Harry and Sam about 14, and Paddy only 9. It’s like Harrison was telling you. It-” He swallowed thickly. “It was a lot like what happened to you, except she wasn’t alone. She went out with some friends and someone slipped something into her drink. She didn’t know, so she drank it. It just, it didn’t end for her the same way it ended for you. The guy took her and-” Tom stopped, closing his eyes. I could feel his hands ball my shirt into his fists. His breathing even got heavier.

“Hey, hey,” I said, reaching up to stroke his cheek. He looked down at me. “It’s okay. You can stop whenever you want. It’s okay.”

“No,” Tom said, taking a deep breath again. “I know Harrison’s right. I need to talk about this.”

I nodded. “Take your time.” He nodded and took a few deep breaths before he continued.

“He brought her back to his mob family’s house, and he raped her,” he said. “And then-” Tears were coming to his eyes. “-a bunch of other guys came and, they, they fucking took turns just, just taking advantage of her.”

“Jesus Christ,” I whispered.

“And then,” he continued, “they brought her back to our house and left her on the doorstep. Obviously the mob guys brag about their conquests, so it didn’t take long for them to rub the fact in our face. So when my mum found out what happened, she just, she couldn’t handle the mob life anymore. So she-” He let out a broken sob. “-she overdosed. And, I was, I was the one who found her.”

Tom fully broke down then, so I moved so he could sit up. I wrapped my arms around him and let him fall into my chest. He was shaking so hard, completely destroyed and riddled with sobs. “It’s okay,” I whispered to him, holding him close to my chest. “I’m right here. It’s okay.”

I tried to blink back my own tears, not wanting to make the situation about me. Seeing him that way scared me. Someone so strong breaking down so hard was heartbreaking. I wondered when the last time was that he talked about this to someone. The way he yelled at Harrison made me think it had been a long time. It was probably festering inside of him, and he had no outlet to get it out.

I didn’t know how long we had been laying like that, but I figured it had to have been a while. He composed himself and pulled away from me, wiping his hands harshly against his cheeks. “I’m sorry,” he said. “That was-”

“Okay,” I said. “That was okay and perfectly understandable. I’m not judging you. I’m sorry I made you talk about it.”

“It’s okay,” he said. “I just, I haven’t talked about it in so long.”

“I understand,” I said. I hesitated, then added, “Was that one reason you didn’t want to take over for your dad?”

“And why I moved here,” he said with a nod. “I just didn’t want to be a part of the thing that killed her. I figured if I could just get far away from London, I’d at least be able to put some miles between me and the memories.” I nodded and wiped away some stray tears from his cheeks. "You know-" He hesitated and brushed the back of his hand against my cheek. "-you remind me of her."

"Yeah?" I whispered.

"Mhm," he hummed. "She was really strong. By the end, she had just been so strong for so long that she couldn’t take it anymore. But man, she did not put up with anyone's shit." I laughed, and he smiled. "And neither do you.”

“You’re right,” I said with a playful grin. “I don’t.”

Tom laughed. “And I think you keep me grounded." I cocked my head to the side, and he elaborated. "You put me in my place. Make me realize when I'm being a fucking idiot. I think that's good for me."

I put my arms around his neck and played with his hair. “I really like you, Tom,” I told him.

He smiled. “I really like you, too.” He scoffed and ran a hand through his hair. “I will say though, I think I need another line after confessing all that to you.” I furrowed my eyebrows and rubbed my thumbs under his eyes. He closed his eyes at my touch.

“Are you high?” I asked. Tom clenched his jaw, and I could see it in the slight shift of his expression that he wanted to take the words right back. He looked away from me. “Hey,” I whispered, putting my fingers on his cheek to make him look at me. “Talk to me.”

“I’m fine,” he said. “Just a stressful meeting. I needed to cool off.” I sighed and shook my head, then pressed my forehead to his.

“You’ve gotta quit it,” I told him. “It’s not good for you.”

Tom chuckled. “I do a lot of things that aren’t good for me.”

“I’m being serious,” I said, tugging gently at his hoodie strings. “I don’t want to see something happen to you someday.”

“Nothing’s gonna happen,” he said.

“I’d have a way easier time believing that if you weren’t high right now.”

Tom sighed and pulled me closer to him, nuzzling his face against my neck. He started peppering kisses across my skin, and I couldn’t help but thread my fingers in his hair again. He made me like putty in his hands. When he bit my skin, I let out a quiet moan and tilted my head to the side. Tom chuckled and licked the skin he bit. “I’ve been told,” he muttered, “that I fuck even better when I’m high.”

I scoffed. “Just what every girl wants to hear,” I told him. “That other people have told you that.”

“Come on, petal,” he cooed. “I don’t care about any girls but you.”

“Oh fuck off,” I laughed, pushing his face away from me. “Don’t be a kiss ass.” He grinned and looked at me. His eyes were squinting because he was smiling so big. I brushed some hair away from his forehead. “A month ago, I wouldn’t have ever cared if anything happened to you,” I told him. “But things are different now, and I really care about you. And I don’t want you to get hurt. Coke isn’t something to mess with.”

Tom rolled his eyes with a grin, and I just put my hands on his cheeks. “I’m not in control of your life,” I told him, “and I know that. You have no reason to listen to me, ever, but-” I hesitated, not wanting to overstep or upset him. Tom whispered my name, urging me to continue. I took a deep breath and did. “Think about your mom, you know? Don’t you think she wouldn’t want you to do this?” Tom clenched his jaw, swallowed thickly, and started looking away from me. “Hey,” I whispered, turning his head to face me again. “I’m just watching your six.” This made him smile and press another kiss to my lips.

“Thank you,” he said. “And you taste like peanut butter.” I pushed his face away from me with a laugh and stood up from the daybed.

“Well, you taste like cigars,” I said back. “But I’ll go brush my teeth.”

“Thank god,” he said sarcastically. I stuck my tongue out at him and left his room. As soon as I stepped outside his door, I ran into April.

“Jesus,” I said, jumping a bit. “What are you doing? Were you eavesdropping?”

“I couldn’t hear anything,” she said with a shrug.

“April!”

“What?” she said. “This is weird. Are you guys, like, fucking?”

“Dude,” I said, rolling my eyes and walking past her.

“It’s a valid question,” she said. “I thought you hated each other.”

“We haven’t hated each other for a long time,” I said. “I think that’s pretty obvious.”

“So you’re friends,” she said. “With benefits?”

“I don’t know what we are, okay?” I said.

“But you fucked?”

I rolled my eyes. I knew she wouldn’t let it go. And if it was any other guy, I would’ve told her right away. There was no reason I should hide it from her because it was Tom. “Yeah,” I said. “Yeah, we fucked. And I like him a lot, okay? And he likes me too.”

Without missing a beat, April said, “Yes! Harrison!” she called through the house. “You owe me ten bucks!”

“Dude!” I said, slapping her arm. “You bet on us?”

“Of course we did,” she said. “The sexual tension has been radiating off of you two for a month.”

“I hate you so much.”

I went down to my room and hopped in the shower. When I got out, I changed into some leggings and a t-shirt. It may’ve been summer, but it was getting chilly, as was life in New York. The weather was rarely steady or consistent. I brushed my teeth and my hair, deciding to let the latter air dry for the day. I didn’t want to put on any make-up, so I opted out and left to go hang out with the others. Harrison and April were sitting on the couch, so I joined them. “Got any plans for today?” I asked.

“Don’t think so,” April said.

“We could train?” Harrison offered.

“It’s the weekend,” April said. “Weekends are rest days.”

“The bad guys never rest,” Harrison countered.

Tom came into the room then dressed in joggers and a t-shirt. He smiled and sat next to me, putting his arm around my waist and pulling me close to his side. I bit my lip to hide a smile and rested my head on his chest. No one said anything until Harrison blurted out, “This is going to take some getting used to.” I looked up at Tom who was still smiling. He looked down at me and pressed a kiss to my nose. “Who are you, and what have you done to Tom Holland?” Harrison asked.

“Mate, keep your comments to yourself,” Tom said, wagging a finger at Harrison. He was still smiling though, so we all chuckled. I picked up the TV remote and turned it on, opening up the Netflix app and started to flick through movies and TV show titles.

My phone vibrated in the waistband of my leggings, so I pulled it out and looked at it. A reminder appeared on my screen that said RENT CHECK. “Mm, April,” I hummed. “Rent’s due tomorrow.”

“I mailed the check yesterday,” April said.

I sighed. “I can’t believe we have to pay rent for an apartment we’re not even living in.”

“True,” April agreed. “But we can’t exactly get evicted without Mom and Dad finding out.” I scoffed and turned my full attention back to the TV again. After a few beats of silence, Tom spoke.

“We need to hold another meeting,” he said, addressing Harrison.

“Oh?” Harrison said, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah,” Tom said. “Tell Harry and Sam to call their guys.”

“Now?” Harrison asked.

“I want the meeting tonight,” Tom said. “So, yeah, now.” Harrison nodded and stood up from the couch to go find and talk to Harry and Sam. I looked at Tom with crinkled eyebrows.

“What’s the meeting for?” I asked. “Didn’t you just have one this morning?”

“This one’s different,” Tom said. “You’ll see.”

“I’ll see?” I asked.

“You’ll see,” he said with a nod.

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TAGLIST

#tom holland #tom holland imagine #tom holland x reader #tom holland fluff #tom holland angst #tom holland smut #smut #marvel #mob!tom #mob!tom holland #got your six

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19mrs-barnes17 · 4 years

Text

Friendly Wager

Summary: Nothing like a little friendly wager between old friends to stir up feelings

Part: 1/1

Pairing: Billy Russo x reader

Warnings: none?

Word count: 2,065

A/N: Hope you enjoy! Requested by anonymous

“Over here!” Emma waved her hand high, a gentle smile tugging at the edges of her lips, something in her spirit brighter than before.

“Someone’s in a very good mood.” She waves you off and passes you a cup filled to the brim with caffeine and foam. “What on earth have you ordered me Em?”

“Don’t question my expertise and drink woman.” She smirks as you sip the beverage and hum in delight, arching a brow at you. “That’s what I thought. Now, are you working late Friday?”

“No I think I’m off early actually, why do you ask? What are you planning?” You narrow your eyes at your former roommate, cautious of what you were getting yourself into. “Better not be a party.”

“No, no. Of course not, but as you know I am now living with my boyfriend Tom.” You gasp, placing a hand over your heart. “Oh quit it. He’s finally back from his trip today and I want you to meet him.”

“And let me guess, he’s free Friday?” She nods, her gaze a bit distracted by something over your shoulder. “Okay, I’m in but you should really be a bit more subtle if you’re gonna keep gawking at other men.”

“What? No, there’s this guy who keeps staring over here but I don’t think he’s staring at me.” With your brow knit closely you begin to scan the environment until you land upon the subject in question and sigh heavily. “Do you know him?”

“Unfortunately.”

“He’s hot.” You inhaled in shock far too quickly and began coughing, Emma raises a brow at what she assumes are theatrics. “Are you two a thing?”

“Are you trying to kill me Em? Asking stuff like that when I’ve taken a drink?” She shrugs and mutters something about a master plan before sipping her drink. “No, we’re just friends, he’s too wrapped up in himself for anything else.”

“You might wanna tell him that. Don’t think he received that memo.” The ringing of her phone saves her, and by the gentle tone of her voice you know it's Tom on the other end. “Sorry amiga, I’ve gotta go pick up Tom from the airport. Totally blanked.”

“For shame!” She swats your shoulder and pulls you into a hug before rushing out the door, flaming hair billowing behind her.

Finishing your drink you toss the cups and exit the building, eyes landing on someone who seemed to be waiting for you. His soft smile made you roll your eyes as you approached.

“Billy Russo. Back in the city are we?”

“Fancy a walk to catch up?”

You hadn’t the slightest clue why you agreed to the walk, he had never done anything to make you think he was anything but selfish. The man hadn’t even told you he had enlisted. One day he simply disappeared, no call or explanation. Social media plastered his face across the papers when he became CEO of Anvil, your only indication he had survived his service. And now he was back again, no call.

The guilt was etched into his features as you told your side of the story, always ending up in the dark. His eyes softened and you almost believed his apology, but your stubbornness wouldn’t let it go that easy. Not with one single apology for years of mistakes.

“You’re going to have to do better than that Russo.” He arched a brow, curiosity overtaking his features. “If we’re actually friends you are going to have to keep in contact instead of disappearing and reappearing.”

“Deal. Daily updates it is.”

“You could never, eventually you’d forget.” He walked in front of you and halted your steps, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“I could keep this up all week and longer.”

“You couldn’t even keep this up till Friday.” He rolled his eyes, not backing down. “In fact, I wager you won’t.”

“It’s on.”

“What do I win if you forget?” He pauses, eyes locked onto yours for a minute or two before fumbling out that you could kiss him. You scoffed, not surprised he’d find that a promising prize and moved around him to continue the walk.

“Oh, come on Y/N you know you want to!”

“You are completely delusional!” Billy jogs to catch up to you, muttering apologies as you continue speed walking.

“Okay, okay. If you win, I owe you a favor of your choosing. Valid until you decide to use it.” This slows you down, mulling the idea over before nodding. “If I win, you invite me to dinner.”

“What?”

“Your friend passed me by, I asked if you two were celebrating something and she told me she was there to invite you to dinner with her boyfriend.” He smirked, seeming rather proud of himself for acquiring such information.

“Remind me to tell Emma not to talk to strangers about our private plans.”

“Deal?”

“Deal, but only because i’m confident you’ll slip.”

Somehow this bastard was doing it, each day your phone was flooded with texts from him about his day. He even asked about yours, which surprised the hell out of you. Something about him seemed different and you weren’t sure you trusted it. Instead of being the self-absorbed pretty boy you had met when your cousin came to visit, who used to occasionally reply to your emails, Billy was now the flirtatious man who sent you daily texts and replied fairly quickly. It was a 180. One you couldn’t allow yourself to be attached to for fear of being eventually disappointed.

He even called you when you were at home alone, talking to you about all manner of subjects and even on occasion making you laugh. Slowly the man was squeezing between a crack in your wall and you absolutely hated it. All you could think was that it was all an act for the wager. He was determined to win. Nothing more.

“Hey Em, you might wanna set another plate at the table.”

“And may I ask who this is for?” Her smirk traveled across the line through her tone.

“Oh please, you practically invited him yourself outside the cafe.” She was silent, you almost began to think she wasn’t there anymore.

“Billy’s coming? Oooh.”

“I may be on the other end of a phone call with you, but I know where you live and I will pound on your door at an ungodly hour.”

“Duly noted.”

Tom was an absolute sweetheart, a tough looking guy with a heart of gold and you had to make a good impression. This man was dating your best friend and it seemed as though they were going to last, so if you were going to be seeing a lot of him you wanted to get off on the right foot. Billy being present made that a challenge, but one you were prepared to tackle.

“So how did you two meet?” Tom was sweet, but you were beginning to think that he thought this was a double date.

“I grew up with her cousin, served with him.” Emma sat back, eyes recollecting where she had seen him before.

“You’re in the photo we had hanging in the apartment. The one with the marines standing at attention.” His attention moved to you, smirk tugging at his lips.

“Don’t flatter yourself, my cousin is the reason that still hangs on my wall. You just happen to be in it.”

“Oh, but of course.” There was something about the way he acted toward you that had you questioning your stance on him, the way he smiled and watched you out of the corner of his eye. How he offered to walk you home after dinner, maintained the distance you asked of him, and left without a smart-ass remark.

Your back pressed softly against the door as thoughts began to race through your mind. He was so different from the man you knew before, and yet there was something in your heart that held back. It was just an act, you couldn’t have been wrong about that. You had merely miscalculated just how much he wanted to prove you wrong. It wasn’t out of love, it was out of competition. You were certain.

When he continued to message you the entire next week you pushed it aside, it was just him proving his point. He was gloating that he could keep up the act. Nothing more, nothing less. Just an act.

Each week was filled with conversation, secrets began to be shared and slowly you became less and less sure about your stance. He was patient it seemed, but was he just devoted to his promise or was it more. It was driving you mad.

“We need to talk.” Billy was rubbing his face awake, eyes blinking slowly to regain their ability of clear sight. A yawn slipped from his lips as he moved aside to let you in.

“It's 3 in the morning you maniac.” He chuckles softly, shutting the door behind you and putting on a pot of coffee. Pulling out a stool Billy sat and awaited whatever revelation had brought you to his home.

“I need to know something and I want the truth, no lies or evasion.” You point your finger accusingly and he wanted to feign offence but he was far too sleepy.

“No accusations before coffee please, I have no energy to defend myself yet.” He smiles softly, features waking up a little. “What is it you have to know at this hour?”

“Why?”

“You’re going to have to be a tad more specific sweetheart.” You could smack him for the nickname, it made asking increasingly more difficult.

“It’s been two weeks since you won. You’re still keeping up the act. Why?”

“Act?”

“Pretending like you care, you never have before.” He slowly stood from the stool, brow knit together as he studied your face. “What’s your aim?”

“It’s definitely too early for you to be accusing me of lies. In my own home.” His confidence faltered, eyes tearing away from you to pour two cups of coffee. “I keep in touch because I promised to and I try to be a man of my word.”

“So is that it? Just to uphold a promise?”

“Did you want there to be something more?” He was very close as he handed the second cup to you, eyes watching you curiously. You were speechless, unsure how to ask him what you wanted in a way that would protect you.

“That’s not what I asked.” He sighed, setting down his drink and taking a seat on the stool once more.

“There may have been an ulterior motive, one i had hoped you would eventually reciprocate.” You tilted your head and this seemed to just break the wall down. “I love you Y/N, I have since I spent two tours with your cousin who watched your video updates every day. I fell in love with your smile, and your theatrical way of telling a story. Your life drama and your achievements became important to me. I suddenly felt closer to you than I had ever felt to anyone. I knew I’d have to do better before I could reintegrate into your life again.”

“You watched those?” He nodded before sipping his coffee, eyes beginning to wander to your lips every now and again. “You love me?”

“I do.” You pulled out the other stool and sat in silence, Billy said nothing as he drank his coffee and let you process everything.

“I think I love you too.” Barely above a whisper, but his hand on your told you he heard every syllable. “Maybe I should have made a wager I was sure to win.”

“Why is that?”

“Because then I wouldn’t have come knocking and waking you at 3 in the morning and I wouldn’t have to tell Emma she’s right.” He laughs, eyes crinkling as he shakes his head. “She’s going to hold this over me for the rest of our lives.”

“That so?” He smirks before sliding off his stool and offering his hand, which you gingerly took. “Then we’ll have to make this worth the consequence, eh?”

“Don’t you tell another living soul, but you wouldn’t have to do a thing.” His forehead rested gently against yours as you swayed to the tune of some song Alexa played at his command.

Tags: @qtmeryr @broken-hearted-barnes @asphalt-cocktail @gstran18 @cantnkrusshedevil @alexaandraah

#requested #billy russo #billy #billy x reader #billy russo x reader #jigsaw #punisher #marvel #kayla answers #open requests

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cheshiremadd · 4 years

Text

Superfluous

AO3

Chapter 2 A flashback already?!

sometime late last year

Chat found her at Patrol Starting Spot #13, looking for all the world like she intended to become this generation’s Thinker statue. She didn’t turn her head or acknowledge him as he approached. Even when he took a seat beside her, she stared resolutely forward.

He slowly leaned against her, giving her the opportunity to pull away. He gave her his full weight when she didn’t, putting his chin on her shoulder. “What’s the matter, Bug? Wanna talk about it?”

She stayed quiet. Chat gave her a bit of a head nudge and prompted again. “Or I could talk about my problems? They are many, and I can make more when I run out.”

“Love problems.” It was a soft warning, her accompanying shrug saying that he could give the conversation a pass if he wanted.

Chat, though, apparently liked pain and heartache. So of course he pressed on. “Ah, trouble with the boyfriend? Wonder Boy not everything he’s cracked up to be?”

And, wow, that wasn’t exactly how he meant for that to come out. They’d talked a lot about boundaries and relationships in general, and their boundaries and relationship specifically, and he hoped she knew that wasn’t meant to be a dig.

“I wouldn’t say we progressed to the ‘boyfriend and girlfriend’ stage.” She trailed off. Scrubbed her face with her hands, and blew out a gust of air. She waved a hand, and Chat took his cue. He flopped away from her, keeping his butt in the same spot beside her but laying back across the rooftop.

“Oh, LB, I’ve got a big problem.” He ran his claws through the part of his hair that he could reach without moving too much. “So I don’t think I told you that my girlfriend and I broke up.”

Ladybug gasped and looked his way. “Oh, Chat. I’m so sorry.”

He waved her off. “Eh, don’t be. It kind of sucked, but it was very mutual. We both decided that we were better friends. She realized that, while she is- was- something interested in me, she also really likes women. And I realized that- well..”

He huffed.

“Look, I am not telling you all this so I can get another ‘I told you so’.” His hand mimicked a talking puppet with the phrase. He was very tired of it by now, thank you very much.

She pushed her arms in the air, stretching her back, and then leaned back with her arms to prop her up. “I won’t give you one if you’ll refrain from using it on me.”

“Deal. My good friend that I apparently talk about too much? She got a boyfriend right before we broke up. He’s a mutual and honestly a real nice guy. Very chill.”

Ladybug gave him a knowing look. She could already tell where this was going. She knew him too well, just like he knew her. He sighed.

“Yeah. I hated seeing the two of them together. Hate. Ongoing thing. Problem not resolved. I was -am- so jealous, and I didn’t understand why because I had just the tiniest crush on her, not a big deal, not any bigger than anyone else who knows this woman. Seriously, Bug, everyone who ever meets her gets at least a small crush on her. It’s a fact of life. Minus, you know, those who aren’t female attracted.”

She finally allowed herself to relax all the way back, laying on her side facing Chat. “I know someone like that.”

“Yeah?”

“Mm-hmm,” she nodded. “She’s kind. Very strong. Bold and determined. Sometimes she messes up, but she always tries. I would have wondered if she were Ladybug, if I weren’t.”

He shot her a bright grin. Such glowing praise for his princess! “Exactly! My Lady, I almost wonder if we’re talking about the same person.”

The air between them turned somber just as quickly. “We can’t confirm it.”

A reminder that was for her as much as it was for him.

“I know.”

Silence fell between them, the world as quiet as it was noisy. A city as big as Paris always had some activity going on, and this building was on a busier road. It was several minutes before Ladybug prodded him.

“So. Crush not as tiny as you previously thought?”

He covered his eyes with his forearm. Hoped against hope that the ground would just swallow him. “Noooo. Plagg was actually helpful for once. He suggested comparing my feelings for- well. To be perfectly candid, my Lady, he suggested comparing my feelings for each of you. And I-”

He sighed.

“I don’t even know when I started to love her.” The declaration came out softly. It still felt like betrayal to utter it. “I can’t think of a time where I didn’t think about her, strive for her approval, want to just..be in her presence.”

Ladybug let out a humorless laugh. “We just love to make life complicated, huh.”

She fell to her back and picked at her fingers.

“So, the jealousy is a problem?” She seemed to be grasping at whatever conversation threads she could find.

He shook his head. “No. I mean, it is. But not, like, in a way that’s going to cause problems for our relationship, or her relationship with her boyfriend. I’m doing better at keeping it a me problem.”

She turned over to lay on her belly. Buried her face in her arms.

“Did you really think she could be me?” And, yeah, she was definitely stalling.

“I considered the pawsibility once, my Lady, but I’ve seen the two of you at the same scratching post more than once. Unfurtunately for this poor Tom’s heart, it seems I’m destined to love two Queens, instead of one.” He could see her blush, which spread all the way to the tips of her ears. An interesting development. But she giggled, too, which had been his goal.

It was a long moment before she spoke again.

“I wasn’t dating Wonder Boy. I didn’t know that I’d given you that impression. He’s still as wonderful as ever.”

Oh. Yep. He could have this conversation. He would rock this conversation. He’d be the best, ever, at this conversation. He took a deep breath. She’s his best friend. He could do that for her.

“Everything was nice! My not-quite-boyfriend and I got along great. It was...calming. Easy. But my brain decided it was too easy.”

He released the breath in what he hoped was a measured way, and reached a hand over to rub between her shoulder blades. Just enough to give support without interrupting.

“I just. The anxiety wasn’t there, which was nice. But...I knew that if we ended it, I wouldn’t be heartbroken. I’d call one of my best friends and we’d use the excuse to stay up all night and eat too much ice cream. Maybe I’d cry a little. And I’d be okay the next day. He could stop being my friend, and that would honestly be awful, because he’s fun to hang around, but I know that I’d get through it.”

It was her turn to take a deep breath and let it out slowly.

“It wouldn’t be like losing Wonder Boy...or you.”

Chat stopped the motion of his hand and stared at her.

“You’re one of my needs, Chat. Right up there with food and water and shelter. And Wonder Boy...I think it’d kill me if he walked out of my life.”

And wasn’t that just what he’d always wanted her to say. He’d heard her gush about Wonder Boy, and here she was placing them on the same level. Yet. He found that he was glad she’d never said it before. He loved Marinette, and he wanted to love her.

He turned over to match her, threw an arm over her, and did his level best to bury his head in her shoulder.

What a mess.

She turned to face him more. “Why are hearts so complicated, Chat?”

He shook his head against her, still not quite able to speak.

Sometimes they defined ‘patrol’ as training. Sometimes a break from hectic lives and grabbing a bite to eat. It was helping that little old lady over on Rue Clément Marot bring her flower pots in. And sometimes it was having an emotional conversation and keeping watch for butterflies.

They stayed like that for some time. Until he had to do something to change the mood, because his first priority had to be her, had to be them, and akumatization was not an option.

“Want to hear something funny?”

She raised an eyebrow. “Is it actually going to be funny?”

“Hey! Don’t lie! You cat get enough of my humor.”

“Yay. The low-hanging fruit puns.”

Chat narrowed his eyes and scrutinized her. She looked away and picked at her thumb. One of her nervous ticks. “You stole that line from Marinette!”

“Did I? Or did Marinette steal it from me?”

He paused at that, thoughtful. “Hmm. My princess is a majestic thief. But I’m certain that was her crowning jewel before it was yours.”

“Oh, all right,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “What was your ‘something funny’?”

“I don’t know if you deserve to hear now, after such blatant thievery from the Kingdom of the Pink Lands.”

Ladybug huffed. “Fine, don’t tell me.”

He chuckled, enjoying getting a rise out of her, before he told her anyway. “I wanted to break up after I figured out how much I liked my Good Friend, and that I was happier having my ex-girlfriend as a good friend. She wanted to break up because my Good Friend was her gay awakening.”

He heard a startled laugh, and turned to see Ladybug covering her mouth with her fist. “Way to ruin the moment, Chaton.”

He shrugged, unrepentant. “It needed ruining.”

two and a half months ago

Adrien lay on his bed, arm propping his head up, and stared at his phone. Pictures took up the screen. Kim walking towards the camera, holding Max and Ondine’s hands. The three sitting at a cafe table, Kim making exaggerated motions to Ondine, Max forgetting the computer in front of him to stare at him with her. Ondine and Max surprising Kim by kissing his cheeks.

The caption below the three pictures read: Sassinette: Look who Kagami and I ran into!

To Adrien’s knowledge, Max and Ondine weren’t interested in dating each other. But they got along well enough, and they both loved Kim, and they were okay with (encouraged, even!) Kim to love both of them. The arrangement worked for them. And Kim didn’t have to choose.

Adrien had never imagined having this problem. When he and Kagami started dating, he hadn’t dreamed that Ladybug might have feelings for him. Even when he and Kagami split, he didn’t know. But then that conversation happened, and they’d sat on the information for months. Each of them unwilling to pursue one while they still thought about both.

And now a crazy solution presented itself. Deceptively simple, until he considered the secret identities in play. Ladybug would understand, but could he ask Marinette to be in a polyamorous relationship when he couldn’t introduce the two?

A new message came through. Marinette’s text tone was reminiscent of collecting coins in a retro video game. He chose it for her because he felt like he was gaining every time she texted him, and she rocked at video games.

Sassinette: I think Mme. Tsurugi is warming up to me. She asked about the competition that I’m prepping for?

Sassinette: I mean Kagami and I were talking about it in her hearing, and all she asked about was who was putting it on, then nodded and said ‘They’re a prominent company; worthy of your time.’

Rapunzel: That’s not ‘warming up’, Maricakes. That’s downright approval.

He still smiled when he saw his contact name. Marinette had stolen his phone and changed it in retribution for what he did to hers.

“Disney Princess, golden hair, questionable parent.” She’d ticked each point with her fingers. “All you need are the magical powers!”

Joke’s on her. I do have magical powers.

….That he needed to use soon. Joint patrol started in twenty minutes.

His phone collected more coins.

Sassinette: I’m not convinced, but I kind of only care as far as it lets Kagami hang out without the subterfuge.

Sassinette: Between you and me, we’ll convince her of the importance of socializing with one’s peers!

He covered his eyes with his free forearm and whined. If he didn’t do something soon, Kagami was going to ask her out. He just knew it. She kept saying she wasn’t going to, that Marinette didn’t like her like that, but Adrien could see how well the two of them got along. They’d make such a cute couple.

Coins again.

Sassinette: Still alive over there? I’m getting up to take a shower and find food in a few minutes, in case you come back later and wonder why I’m not answering.

His eyebrows drew together. That was odd.

Rapunzel: Those sound like things I should be doing. No dinner with the parents tonight?

Sassinette: Wednesday night is their night to work on business accounts, and my night to sleep early!

He snorted and turned to his belly, gathered a pillow in his arms to lazily prop himself up.

Rapunzel: Tell me the truth. Are you actually going to sleep?

Sassinette: Your lack of faith astounds me! Of course I’m going to sleep! ….after I finish the rough draft of this commission.

“Soft and gooey Cancoillotte, you’re still mooning over your phone?”

Adrien startled at the harsh sound of Plagg’s voice in his ear.

“What do you mean, ‘still’? I haven’t been laying here for long.” It was funny how admitting to his crush on his good friend took most of the sting out of Plagg’s teasing.

The Kwami wasn’t buying any of his bullshit. “I napped near two hours. You haven’t moved.”

“I moved! I turned over.” He indicated his new position with a grin.

“You’ll miss Bugsy if you don’t move some more. Unless we’re skipping tonight. In which case I’m going back to napping.” Plagg exaggerated his yawn.

Adrien most certainly did not yelp and tangle his feet and fall out of his bed. And if Plagg told anyone he did, well, Plagg wasn’t always a reliable source for information.

#miraculous ladybug #Superfluous #ladynoir #adrienette #ladybug #chat noir #adrien agreste #marinette dupain cheng #polyamory

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woossexyponytail · 4 years

Text

Shadow Born, Chapter 5, How it all began.

Masterlist.

We made our way home. Auntie already waiting for all of us at the front door.

"Come in, come in darlings" auntie said as we all followed her to the kitchen.

The guy's looked around the building, being their first time in the house. Yeosang almost walked in to Leviathan stand, he hoowd at him, peeking at Yeosang's head. Ducking and jumping away, he freaked out until he saw it was an owl. Wooyoung watching the whole thing pointing and laughing at Yeosang.

Though then Wooyoung walked in to Vinegar Tom cage, as he slithered up to Wooyoung. He turned around seeing the snake and screamed as he ran behind Hongjoon. Yeosang laughed back at Wooyoung as I rolled my eyes at the stupid scene and Yunho chuckled at the two. Auntie made us sit down in at the dining table.

"A nice pot of calming tea might help soothe all of your nerves." Auntie said going over to the kettle to make us tea. Auntie placed the cups down on the table for us.

"Thank you auntie but my nerves are perfectly fine. Which is more than I can say for you lot. Running around like headless chickens." I said grabbing my cup and taking a sip.

"So can someone please explain to us what the hell happened?" Hongjoon asks looking around at the three of us waiting for an explanation. "Yeah and why was I able to summon a a demon?" San asked looking confused, he looked up at me and I couldn't help but look away, I don't want to be the one to tell him.

"We are not human but something called shadow born we have magic in our blood" auntie said as she sat down with us to explain. "Shadow born? What does that mean?" Wooyoung asked looking around at us.

"Like witches?" Jongho asked grabbing his cup and taking a slow sip. "In other words, yes" Yunho agreed nodding his head.

"Shadow born, How is that possible?" Hongjoon asked rubbing his head, "Well I'm hoping you all know your Christian study's" auntie said looking around at the guys.

"Like God?, Satan?, heaven and hell?" Yeosang asked raising an eyebrow at that. "Yes exactly. Shadow borns where born from fallen angels millions of years ago" auntie told them.

"Fallen angels?" Wooyoung asked I could feel his eyes burning in to me, I just rolled my eyes. "Fallen angels are angels who were expelled from heaven. The literal term fallen angel used to describe angels who were cast out of heaven, or angels who sinned. Such angels often tempt humans to sin." I said shrugging at them.

"So Shadow born are angels?" Yeosang asked eyes wider then I've seen, his mouth dropping open.

"It's a little more complicated. You see it started as a war in heaven between angels led by the Archangel Michael against those led by the dragon, identified as lucifer the morning star or the devil, who was defeated and thrown down to the earth." Auntie said.

"The motif of a heavenly being striving for the highest seat of heaven only to be cast down to the underworld." I said, just then I heard a meow, looking over Stolas came running over and jumped up on my lap.

"Yep he was cast down then mocked by God. 'How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, 'I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.' But you are brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit. Those who see you stare at you, they ponder your fate: 'Is this the man who shook the earth and made kingdoms tremble, the man who made the world a wilderness, who overthrew its cities and would not let his captives go home?'

Once on earth he created his own religion, satanism. Leading many angels that stood by his side in the war to become followers once again." Auntie explained.

"Shadow borns are descendants from fallen angel's, we have angel blood that allows us to step foot in holy lands. God believes shadow borns are abominations" Yunho said as he stood up and grabbed some crisps from the cupboard.

"Abominations?" San asked his eye glued on to Stolas as he leaned over and scratched behind Stolas ear, the cat started purring.

"Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are swift in running to mischief, a false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers." I told him watching as Stolas jumped over to San and sat on his lap.

"So sixteen years ago God's plane started and sent his disciples down to earth to exterminate all shadow borns, which is why so many people died in the attack here, one of them being your farther, San." Auntie said her voice low and soft, looking over sadly at him.

"My...my farther?" San froze looking over at auntie shocked about that, I watched closely as I saw some tears in his eyes, I rubbed his shoulder as he looked up at me, a sad smile now placed on him lips.

"You are half shadow born, that's why you were able to summon that demon" auntie explained. "Jongho is a full shadow born, but no one knew so both of your magic was dormant for being suppressed for so many years" she said walking over to the sink.

"And how do we get our magic back?" Jongho asked eyes wide with excitement. "You little one have to cast a spell, any really. But you are a little harder to deal with, after all you need someone to do a reborn ritual for you. Most likely Yn." Auntie explained further rubbing her chin.

"WHAT!?" I said as I chocked on my tea not expecting auntie to say something like that. "A reborn ritual? What's that?" San asked now looking back over to me.

"Auntie that's really dangerous-" I ignored San's curious eyes as I looked over at auntie, but then Yunho interrupted me. "Not to mention really intimate" he said chuckling at the situation, I slapped him at the back of the head.

"Uhm what!?" San asked eyes wide again as he looked over at Yunho who was now rubbing his head. "EXACTLY!? No absolutely not, I'm not doing it" I told auntie crossing my arms.

"I think it should be up to San if he wants to do it or not, right Yn?" Auntie asked, I slumped down in my seat getting uncomfortable.

❖ ── ✦ ──『✙』── ✦ ── ❖

After that auntie sent the guy's home safely as I started walking to my bedroom. Yunho came running up behind me putting his hands on my shoulders and started jumping.

"Today was soo fun! best Halloween ever!" Yunho yelled as he carried on jumping over to his room, once he got to his door he turned around and smiled at me.

"It's nice that we've got some good friends here" he said and then giggled as he said night and closed his bedroom door. I sighed and made my way to my room closing the door, Stolas jumped up on the bed meowing.

"I don't care if you like San, I'm not going to do the reborn ritual" I told him crossing my arms, Stolas meowed again, "No you know what I would have to do, we're not even that close" I explained.

"What do you mean he likes me?" I asked glearing at the cat as I sighed and sat down on my bed, Stolas jumped up on my lap meowing again, "No I didn't see him blushing, and No he wont text or call me soon" I said rolling my eyes.

Just then my phone started ringing. Getting up and walking over to my phone that was charging, I picked it up and saw who was calling, my breath caught in my throat as I saw San's name.

"I hate when your right" I sighed glaring at Stolas as he meowed and walked over to me. Clicking the green button I put the phone to my ear.

"Hey Yn it's San" I heard, I took a breath to cool my nerves, 'nerves? Why was I so nervous?' I thought shacking my head.

"Hey San, what's up are you okay?" I asked wondering why he called, San was silent for a little while before he spoke up again.

"Uh about the reborn ritual, can we meet tomorrow so I can talk to you about it?" He asked, I agreed and told him where to meet and what time, after that we hung up.

Putting my phone back down, I looked over at Stolas as he meowed at me, I rolled my eyes at him, "Yeah yeah, shut up" I told him as I started to get ready for bed. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.

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wolfpawn · 4 years

Text

I Hate You, I Love You, Chapter 95

Chapter Summary - Tom and Danielle get on with living their lives, paps be damned. But of course, the internet has its own ideas when it saw the two coffee cups, and of course, that statement regarding Tom and Bond.

Previous Chapter

Rating - Mature (some chapters contain smut)

Triggers - references to Tom Hiddleston’s work with the #MeToo Movement. That chapter will be tagged accordingly.

authors Note - I have been working on this for the last 3 years, it is currently 180+ chapters long. This will be updated daily, so long as I can get time to do so, obviously.

tags: @sweetkingdomstarlight-blog @jessibelle-nerdy-mum @nonsensicalobsessions @damalseer @hiddlesbitch1 @winterisakiller @fairlightswiftly @salempoe @wolfsmom1

If you wish to be tagged, please let me know.

Danielle was checking her phone since she heard it go off while she and Tom were collecting Mac. She had texted the kennels the night before on seeing Tom so ill to ask them if it was alright to leave the dog for another night, they, of course, obliged and as soon as the coffee and pastries were finished, the pair decided to collect him. She read the text from Nacelle a second time, trying to see the logic behind it.

“Something important?” Tom came into her peripheral vision as he sat into the passenger seat.

“Nope, but funny as hell.” She showed him the photo that was on the screen of him with the two coffees.

“That asshole was outside the coffee shop this morning, what are they saying now?”

“Well, it is all over the internet.”

“What is?” He asked worriedly.

“Sure, this is the confirmation the world needed.” She giggled.

“What are you on about Elle?” He looked at her worriedly.

“Proof you and Taylor are still together,” His brow rose immediately. “The little ‘Hiddleswift’ fanatics are all over the internet violently arguing that this is unequivocal proof you are still together.”

“It’s a picture of me with coffee?” Tom stated, concerned at the severe lack of explanation.

“No, there are pictures of you running to the café, then with you walking back with not one, but two coffees,” Danielle explained. “Oh, and why did you not tell me I am to be a stepmom?”

“I am sorry, what?”

“Apparently that is why she has not been seen since the break-up, you’re to be a dad, congrats.” Tom looked at her appalled. “Relax, she did a show a few weeks ago, there was no bump.” Danielle laughed. “If she was pregnant, you would know about it.”

“But…”

“Tom, be reasonable, she is twenty-seven, unmarried and already getting too old to hold this fresh-faced teen songstress look, a baby would be career suicide for her now. Relax, this is the same people who are saying she is sitting in this car beside you today, that you are with her, and we both know you’re not.” She smiled.

Tom nodded. “Sorry, I am just a bit off today.” He then shook his head, “My brain is playing tricks on me.”

“You have not seen her since the end of August, it would have come to you before now.”

“I have not…no, it’s longer.”

“Right well, calm yourself. It’s just silly people trying to enrich their lives with speculation because they are looking for something interesting.”

“That’s a polite way to put it. Doesn’t it bother you?”

“Tom, if you were away for hours on end a day, not answering the phone and no explanation, then coming back, smelling of other women and not interested in me, I would have to worry, but you are always contactable, if you’re not, you tell me beforehand and you are not the sort to do something that slimy. I know you are not off fucking someone else and I know that you are not with her, so I don’t care. Let them have their speculation, so long as they are not physically affecting my life, I don’t care. Even after they learn about us, they will still write their stories with you with other real or made-up women and they will comment on things, but I don’t care. It’s not reality. Reality is what we have, we have our friends and family and we are not bothered.” She shrugged.

Tom paid attention to her smile and her genuine expression. “You really have been spending time dealing with this and preparing for it, haven’t you?”

“I have. I am not happy, knowing that some weirdo will annoy me when I am walking Mac, but they will get bored, we will be just like Sophie and Ben, just two people minding our own business, no one knows what they are doing from one week to the next, we’ll be the next ones to be like that.”

“We will,” Tom kissed her hand. “And I understand. Going for the coffee this morning and for that guy to be there, it is annoying, but it is not forever. They will get their fresh blood and the two of us will be too boring and normal for them.”

“I am never boring, excuse you.” Danielle nudged his side. Tom was about to give her a kiss when Mac stuck his head on his shoulder. “I think someone has decided we need to start driving.”

Tom laughed, looking at the dog who was giving him large puppy-eyes. “I think he has.” He turned and rubbed Mac’s head. “Blame her buddy, she’s in the driving seat.”

“Alright, let’s go.” Danielle sighed, turning on the engine.

Three days and three public outings later, Tom and Danielle had not been spotted, which suited them. They did not hide but were also careful not to bring too much attention to themselves. They were after bringing Mac to the park, Tom jogging with the dog while Danielle cycled nearby, finally using the bike Tom had procured for her. When they met again at the end of it, Tom smiled and watched as she loaded the bike onto the car. “I forgot to ask,” She turned to look at him. “The situation with your…” He indicated to her arm.

“Nothing since, no cramps, bleeding, anything.” She smiled. “I guess it was just the changeover.”

“So, are we safe to…” he grinned wickedly.

“Yes.”

“For the record, you are not showering alone today.”

“Thanks for the warning, though, since you are back to yourself after your illness, I hadn’t planned to anyway.”

“Using me for my body.” He jested.

“So, have you seen them while I was away?” Tom asked as he stirred the pot on the stove.

“No, I haven’t really had time with work, but I was talking to Sophie, she was saying how tired and hectic things have been, I would not doubt her, two in nappies, that’s terrifying.”

“I was born not much over a year after Sarah.”

“I know, your poor Mam.”

“So, not close together then?”

“I am not going to say anything because I will jinx myself.”

Tom laughed in return. He was about to say something more when the doorbell rang. “There’s Luke now.”

“I’ll stay in here so and bring some tea in for you both,” Danielle stated before going to the laundry room.

Tom ran to the front door and opened it for his friend. “Good afternoon.”

“Hello Tom.”

It was notable while he was in the turmoil of the time with Taylor that Luke seldom smiled when he saw Tom, he almost looked fearful, but he grinned widely as he walked into the actor’s home, something that made Tom smile. “Well, what is the gist of things?”

“Well the tour went down well, as we knew it would, and the film, as you are aware, is being well received.”

“So, dare I ask, what is the reason for the afternoon visit?”

“There is a terrible little rumour going around that you are being turned down for the Bond role as you are ‘too smug’.”

Tom frowned for a moment. “But no one has discussed the role with me in months.”

“I am aware, you are aware, the studio is aware, the general public, however, is not, and they are going with whatever story filled their fancy. And some are continuing with the farcical idea that you are some egomaniac with narcissistic tendencies that considers himself a shoe-in for the role.”

“Let them think it, it means nothing.”

“Agreed.” Luke smiled. “Speaking of people’s opinions, how is Danielle?”

“She is fine, she is in the kitchen making some tea.” A moment later, Danielle walked in. “Speak of the devil.”

“Use my Earthly name, you fool.” She hissed. “Honestly, some mortals, they think they can declare your presence to everyone.”

Even Luke had to chuckle at her jestful comment. “He talks too much.”

“No one has suffered with him as you have Luke, you deserve a sainthood.”

Again, Luke laughed. “I was speaking to Tom regarding a rumour that he was declined the role for Bond for being too smug.”

For a moment, Danielle thought he was joking, but when she realised that it was genuine, she laughed. “Well, true fans will know that’s bullshit and the Fairweather’s will not be convinced otherwise regardless. We can’t please everybody, fuck ‘em.”

Tom smiled at Danielle’s immediate dismissal of such comments. “Exactly, then Luke was asking how you are and you walked in.”

“I am okay thank you, I hope you are well. I’m going to walk out now to let you two talk over whatever else needs to be discussed.” A moment later Mac stuck his head in the door. “Get out you lout.” She ordered, but Mac looked at Luke for a moment. “You met him already, he’s not a dog person, so bugger off and leave him alone.”

Mac gave the PR man a judgmental look and left the room with his master. “Her dog just gave me a stink-eye.”

“Elle is the person who raised him, I would not doubt it.”

“You must be happy to finally have a dog, you complained too many times before that you didn’t have one.”

“It’s great, honestly, I love it, he loves jogging and Danielle insists on being the one to clean after him, so I get all the benefits.”

“What happens when she isn’t here?”

“I look after everything. We use kennels when we’re both away.”

“It is very all very domestic,” Luke noted. “And you have never looked happier.”

“I am, I…” Tom beamed. “Life is incredible these days, busy, sometimes even difficult, but incredible.”

“Good, I am glad to hear it,” Luke answered. “I am frightened to ask, but have you heard anything from…?”

“Why on Earth would I contact Taylor?”

“I never stated you contacting her, I mean in general.”

“No, I have not heard of her or from her, thankfully. I have seen online that there is speculation that she is in the UK and that she and I are supposedly still dating according to some, in fact, Danielle informed me the other day that apparently, I am the father of Taylor’s imaginary unborn child in some people’s books.”

“I have seen that particular gem a few times as to why she is not in the spotlight, yes.” Luke nodded.

“There was something though.” Luke looked at Tom with concern as Tom’s tone became somewhat angry. “A friend of hers, Lena Durham.”

“I know of her.”

“Danielle went to the US last week for a job interview. She passed all the primary tests, they were very interested in her…her experience was seen as a downside, considering the lack of it, but what she had done, her references, as well as her extra work was something that they were willing to work with. Elle really was hoping for it.”

“What happened?”

“She was the assistant director, she apparently just looked at Danielle with a sneer and said no. No reason, nothing, and that was it.” Tom’s anger mounted as he spoke. “It cost Danielle a considerable amount of money to go to New Orleans and she didn’t even…” he inhaled deeply. “Because of me.”

“Why, did you go and smear Durham?”

“No.”

“Did you in any way make it that she would do that?”

“Because of everything with Taylor…”

“Tom, it is clear from the way Danielle was looking at you not fifteen minutes ago, that if she really wanted this job, she is not holding you responsible for the actions that led to her not getting it,” Luke stated bluntly. “Yes, you having dated Taylor and the subsequent break-up meant that when her friend was in a position of power over Danielle, she abused it, I am not denying that. But you did not actively bring this on Danielle, and if I am entirely honest, I believe that she dodged a bullet. I have heard it from sources unrelated to all of this that though talented, she is, as the saying goes, a grade A bitch. Danielle does not need such aggravation in her life and can you imagine if she had gotten it, considering. If Durham had decided to insist she get it and work the set, could you imagine what she could do to Danielle?”

“She could have made her life a misery.” Tom realised.

“At the very least, she could have ruined Danielle’s love of her job, she could have made everything she has worked for be for nothing, she would have run back to Suffolk, or even Ireland and the hell away from the career she has worked so hard for.”

Tom looked at him for a moment. “You’re right.”

“Of course I am.”

“Thank you, Luke.”

“anytime.” Luke smiled back at him. “I am glad to help. Don’t let it piss you off, Danielle isn’t.”

“She got a job with Branagh as a result.”

“Where?”

“Here, France and Ireland, some war film.”

“Doesn’t he have one coming out this year on that topic?”

“No, Christopher Nolan directs it, he is only an actor. He wanted to do some sort of story that is effectively the air battle over the Channel and the bombing of London.”

“How is that related to Ireland?”

“Apparently they got bombed once in Belfast, then Dublin was bombed for helping Belfast, according to Elle, plus they have financial incentives to film there and some beach they use that acts as a D-Day beach in most films and documentary remakes,” Tom explained.

“So, she lost one job and got another as a result, how?”

“She is working with this man in the US with regards a flaw she found while studying, something to do with stunt wiring I think, and he has her as a consultant as a result, so they are communicating a lot and she had mentioned the job in the US before to him, but she must have said something about not getting it and then he offered her that, saying he was too busy, but that he recommended her to Branagh.”

“And she got it?”

“Apparently she has first refusal, she and I are meeting Branagh next week.”

“You’re going?”

“More for a catch-up, plus, she asked because I think she is nervous.” Luke made an odd facial expression. “What?”

“If it gets out, some people are going to accuse her of using you to get her the job.”

“But she has it already. She had it before Branagh knew she was my girlfriend.”

“Because of course, that matters to gossips.” Luke scoffed. Tom said nothing for a moment, it was true, they would think it regardless. “This is a time to consider her idea to not care about appeasing others.”

“I know, but I don’t want her to feel resentful for that,” Tom stated.

“Tom, she is big enough to look after herself, I have seen her do it. If she asked you, she has considered it and has dismissed it.” Luke explained.

“I hate you and your job some days, it can really put a dampener on things.”

“I know, I really hate having to see the sceptical side of everything, I really wish there were times I could just smile and not have to. I hate having to think the worst.” Luke admitted.

#I Hate You I Love You #chapter 95 #tom hiddleston #Tom hiddleston fic #wolfpawn

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smokinholsters · 4 years

Text

A Decision at the Crossroads

A Heartland AU - Chapter 2

Mitch sat back down and dropped his hat on the small pile of logs next to his chair then reached to refill his coffee cup. He’d already checked, mucked out and fed the horses in his care, saw that the barn and the area around the trailer was none the worse for wear. Checking the time he dialed Amy’s phone and waited.

She answered and he heard the screen door of the house open and close almost simultaneously and he immediately heard those motorcycle boots walk the stairs.

“Good morning husband.”

“Morning Ames, how are things ?”

“Things are great but JT needs some potty time and Lyndy’s in the bath so ….”

“I’ll call when I know something. Anyone helping ?”

“Georgie and Quinn are coming over to deal with horses, Caleb will check the herd.”

“Love you, talk later.”

“More than talk sweetheart, I hugged a pillow last night, not very satisfying.”

Mitch laughed and hit disconnect.

“Mitch, good morning, I was expecting to knock and wake you.”

“Morning Ty, rancher’s hours I guess, my wife’s an early riser too which is helpful getting a bunch done before the kids get up raring to go.”

“I was going to run out to pick up some breakfast but you seem to have beat me to it.”

“If you’re not fancy, there’s a bag of home made muffins and some oranges right inside, coffee’s fresh.”

“Your wife baked these ?”

“I think those are her grandmother’s honestly but she does with the kids.”

“How about you Ty, you hail from around here ?”

“Vancouver originally, my mom’s still out there, dad died a few years ago, mom’s remarried, we talk every week and she was here I guess 4 or 5 months ago.”

Ty came out of the trailer a few minutes later with a small plate, two muffins, an orange and mug he found on the counter and sat a second before his phone rang.

“It’s the clinic, I have to take this.”

“No problem at all Ty.”

He was on the phone for about 20 minutes and glanced a couple of times at Mitch in apology. At one point Mitch checked on the horses again, removed their empty feed buckets, checked their stalls, water and the horses general condition and returned outside as Ty was getting off the phone.

“OK, let’s get that front end off the ground and see what’s up.” Ty said walking over “Everything Ok at home ?”

“Everything’s fine, it’s the busy time getting the kids ready so we didn’t talk long.”

Ty nodded as they walked. There was no lift per se but a nice platform ramp setup. The plan was to jack the truck up and slide the two platform ramps underneath the front end and the jack the truck on the platform so they could check it out and see what needed to be fixed.

Matt, the officer from the day before came by in his regular clothes, jeans, t shirt and flannel. He walked over with work gloves, there to lend a hand and took over once the jacking for each of them as they manually lifted the Dodge heavie’s 8 cylinder Cummins Diesel off the ground. He helped slide the platforms over and then jack the truck again to raise the front passenger side off of the platform.

The first thing they did was remove the tire which had gone flat overnight due to a crack up the rear of the rim they hadn’t seen the day before. This wasn’t an issue as Mitch travelled with two spares, one in the trailer and one under the pick up in the rear.

As Mitch had predicted the rocker arm was a goner as was the front right shock. The shock would be easy enough to pick up locally as a pair since they should both be done together, the real issue was the rocker arm.

When they were satisfied at what needed to be done they sat down in what looked like a small makeshift patio outside Ty’s shop.

“OK, the shocks’ll be easy, Canadian Tire should have them in stock.” Ty began. “You have a viable spare so that’s not an issue. Let me call around and go online and see if I can’t round up a right side rocker arm.”

“I’ll set up another pot of coffee.”

Ty nodded and checked his phone walking away. Matt accompanied Mitch over to the trailer. It was a little chilly so Mitch stopped and stoked the fire pit, threw on a few logs and grabbed the empty pot while Matt pulled up a chair and a small branch to push some embers around. He expected Mitch to have a coffee machine inside and was surprised when he put a grate over the pit and lay the old style percolator on the fire.

“Old school.” Matt said watching.

“I’m not much for the machine stuff though my wife loves the convenience of those one cup things, can’t fault that but when I have the time, real perk is the way to go I think.”

“Yeah, my dad was like that, me, I get most of mine for free really, perk of the uniform I guess.”

“So when’s the wedding ?” Mitch asked as he leaned forward to move the pot off of the flame when it started to perk.”

“Next June so we can get married outside at her folks place.”

“And after ?”

“We both want kids so maybe that, we’ll have the house by then and both get good benefits, time off for kids, we’ll see. How long you wait ?”

“I don’t know that we really waited or planned anything, she was pregnant about a year after we married I guess. JT, about 2 ½ years later I guess and now 3 years later once again. We’re also waiting on approval for a foster, we both feel strongly about it, she wasn’t pregnant at the time we applied but we’re fine with it.”

“Boy or girl ?”

“Which one, it’s a girl in the oven and the foster will be what it is.”

“Nice, maybe you’ll even up.”

“Not necessary, love ‘em all the same, treat ‘em all the same.”

“Definitely the way it should be.” Matt said as the door to the porch of the house opened and closed.

“Just in time for a fresh cup Ty.” Mitch said gingerly pouring the hot coffee from the steaming pot into a mug. “Good news I hope.” Mitch continued.

“I found one we can get today the rest Monday after delivery which means you may not be driving home until Tuesday.”

“The one we can get today ?”

“Airdrie.”

“Airdrie, that’s what, 2 ½ hours each way.” Matt said.

“And I’ve got to get to the clinic for something. This is the number of the dealership, the guy who has it is Tom and the name he has is Cutty, whatever you decide is fine Mitch, that’s my truck, key’s in the ignition.”

“I may have an idea.” Mitch said “we’ll figure it out and let you know Ty.”

“I’m a bachelor for the weekend Mitch” Matt told him. “I can grab a cruiser and we can be down and back in under 4 hours.”

Mitch laughed, “let me make a call.”

Matt strolled off into the barn as Mitch thought for a minute and hit his phone.

“Hey buddy, Amy tells you’ve got a problem.”

“One maybe you can help me with Caleb, there’s a rocker arm with my name on it in Airdrie, how about you ride past, pick it up and bring it up ?”

“Where are you ?”

“Place called Nelson Lake, it’s about 2 maybe 2 ½ hours ?”

“I’d love to help you out Mitch but, well, we’ve got this fence thing at Heartland I’m dealing with.”

“How many ?”

“Just 6 and they’re all back but I got to get this fence back up, I’ve got Trace and Jade with me. Give Amy a call, maybe she can think of something.”

“Ok Caleb, get ‘er done.”

“You know I will brother, later.”

Mitch took off his hat and dropped on the ever decreasing log pile, ran his hand through his hair as he sat down and hit the call button.

“Give me some good news cowboy, your baby momma’s missing you big time.”

“Ames.”

“No Mitch.”

“Not that bad, there’s a rocker arm in Airdrie, if someone can pick it up and drive it here I can be home tomorrow. I’ll get the shocks done today so tomorrow will go real fast. I asked Caleb but ….”

“I know about the fence. Let me ask Georgie and Quinn, they’re with the kids and kind of aimless for the weekend it seems. I’ll text you, it’s easier from out there, text me an address or GPS.”

“On the way. Hey Amy, you know I miss you as much as….”

“I know you do sweetheart, I love you.”

“Love you too.”

“Where are we ?”

“Waiting to hear someone from home is driving up through Airdrie and bringing us that rocker arm while we get those shocks done.”

“You think we can get it all done today ?” Matt asked.

“We can try I guess, I wouldn’t drive the trailer down at night but first thing in the morning would make my wife happy. It’ll all depends on when it gets here.”

“Well, I called Canadian Tire and they have your shocks in stock so let’s pick up those, install ‘em and get them out of the way.”

“And then lunch is on me.” Mitch said patting Matt on the shoulder “I know you don’t have to do this but I sure appreciate the company.”

Mitch’s phone sounded off on the way back with the parts and he checked his messages. The tone was specifically Amy’s.

“Georgie and Quinn glad to help out, help on the way !! Love you heading out, talk later !!”

Mitch read the text out loud once he read it.

“Excellent” Matt said “how long you think ?”

“With the stop in Airdrie, maybe a lunch, figure 3 to 4 hours, we may get this done today yet.”

Mitch then texted Ty rather than called and received a call back as they pulled into Ty’s property.

“Hey Ty, just getting back from Canadian Tire.”

“You two Ok on your own, we’re swamped here at the clinic and I don’t want to leave Kelsey.”

“We’re great, take whatever time you need Ty and if you can later, dinner’s on me.”

“Feel free to put whomever is bringing that part in the guest room Mitch.”

“Thanks Ty, we’ll see, the trailer has plenty of room.”

“Consider the option Mitch, talk to you later.”

“He’s a nice guy, bit of a loner.” Matt said.

“I’ve noticed, what’s his story ?”

“Ty ? Not really sure, he got here maybe a dozen years or so ago and was working for Kelsey. Rumor has it he was escaping a bad break up or something, broken heart kind of thing. He’s dated some, he’s a good looking guy, just nothing stuck I guess.”

“How’s he related to Kelsey ?”

“How so, I don’t think they are.”

“Isn’t his last name Burton ?” Mitch asked now thoroughly confused.

Matt laughed “No, no but I can definitely see how you made that mistake, Ty’s last name is Borden, B-o-r-d-en not Burton, B-u-r-t-o-n like Kelsey.”

“Ty Borden” Mitch said quietly running the name through his memory “It sounded familiar when I thought it was Burton, this doesn’t help, I can’t make the connection. He said he was down our way years ago, but the time frame is all wrong because I was in the service back then, who knows, let’s get the truck done.”

Working leisurely on the truck they got the shocks changed, the wrecked tire stowed and the spare ready to install once the rocker was swapped out. There was a small bar that served lunch and snacks a few miles away that Matt recommended and on the way Mitch decided to touch base.

He was surprised that he couldn’t get either Georgie or Quinn on the phone and left messages to call him when they could. Then he tried Amy who picked up on the second ring.

“Hey Ames, how’s it going and did you hear from Georgie or Quinn ?”

“It’s going fine and I haven’t, hold on a second Mitch” she said as he heard the phone moved and her talking to someone else which sounded as if she was handing him something and thanking him.

“What was that all about ?”

“Tipping a nice young man who just loaded something in the pickup for me, where are you ?”

“Heading for a burger with Matt, the deputy who’s helping me out. Where are you anyway and what’s being loaded, I thought you were out with the kids.”

“What gave you that idea, Georgie and Quinn are with the kids, I just had a rocker arm loaded in and strapped down.”

“Really ? You’re driving it up, why ?”

“Date night in the trailer lover.”

“You’re not serious.”

“What’s that supposed to mean.” She asked playfully indignant.

“Let’s not go there, you know I can’t wait to see you.”

“And touch me and hold me ?”

“All those things Ames, stop and eat please and don’t overdue.”

“I’m fine sweetheart and I have a sandwich and drinks and a bag of clementines, I’ll stop to eat on the road.”

“And I promised dinner to our hosts.”

“I can’t wait to meet and thank them. I love you, gotta ride !!”

“Stay safe Ames.”

“Change in plans Mitch ?” Matt asked laughing as they parked at the small bar and grill.

“Yup.”

“Nice she misses you.”

“She’s usually better than this when I’m away, this is pregnancy hormones.”

“So that rumor’s true ?”

“Which rumor is that Matt ?”

“You know, the uhm, uhm, closeness.” He said with a grin.

“I only have the experience with Amy but in her case yes and in spades.”

“Good for you buddy, sounds like fun.”

Mitch laughed, “yeah, it doesn’t suck and I’m long gone head over heels in love with her so…..”

#heartland #heartland-fanfiction #fan fic writing #amy fleming #mitch cutty #ty borden

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sinfulserpents · 5 years

Text

Power Trip | Part Seven

Mob!AU Tom Holland x Reader

SERIES MASTERLIST

Warnings: blood, gore, violence, and other gang-related themes, NSFW themes, swearing

Word Count: 2.3 k

[This part contains (poorly written) smut! Do not continue reading the story if that makes you uncomfortable - other chapters will have more. Also don’t have unprotected sex; you will get pregnant and die.]

Let me know if the read more bar doesn’t work & if you want to be tagged for future parts

“Trish, I just want to go get myself some water.”

“And I’m going to tag along with you,” propping your hand on your hip, your face screwed into a grimace as Trish pushed the covers of your bed off.

“I want to go alone,” you stood your ground, “the kitchen is literally down the hall. I don’t understand why you want to hang out with me so much.”

“I just want things to go back to the way they were. I know we never actually spent time together outside of work, but we got along really well-”

“Trish, you’re the reason why I’m here in the first place.”

Letting a long exhale past her lips, Trish slid out of the bed and walked over to the door, you following behind her. You had no idea why she suddenly started spending so much time with you for the past three days.

She took the liberty to give you a tour of the entire house, connected the T.V. in your room to Netflix so you both could watch movies and even started sleeping in your room. She wouldn’t let you go anywhere by yourself and it was starting to get suffocating.

“Look, I appreciate your sudden epiphany to spend more time with me – but you won’t let me do anything by myself.”

Trish curled her lip and stared at the ceiling in frustration, but she understood where you were coming from. When Tom said she had to watch you twenty-four-seven, he meant it. So she spent every waking moment with you and when she was sure you were asleep, she would sneak out to report back to Tom and catch up with Harrison.

“If I let you go get water by yourself, and only if,” she stared directly at you, “do you promise me to come straight back here.”

Profusely nodding, Trish briefly shut her eyes before opening the door for you. “Come straight back, do you hear me?”

“Whatever you say, mum.”

Sending her a quick smile, you skipped your way down the hall and in the direction of the kitchen. You were happy to finally be alone, even if it was only for a couple of minutes.

Entering the relatively huge kitchen, your eyes caught sight of the giant figure that was stirring something on the stove. The man lifted his head when he heard your steps and gave you a smirk before turning back to the food he was cooking.

Walking past him, you grabbed a glass from the stack on the side of the counter and opened the fridge, pulling out the jug of chilled water. Filling your cup, you leaned back against the bench-top as your eyes watched the man.

You assumed he was just one of Tom’s men, but knew that if he was he would be on the West Wing of the mansion. You had to admit, whoever he was, he was attractive.

“Take a picture, princess; it’ll last longer.” Your stomach twisted at the way he used the nickname, but you quickly gulped down the rest of the water in your cup before placing it in the sink.

“What’d you make?” You spoke up, voice soft.

“Gazpacho, I was missing home.” Tilting your head at his accent, you silently questioned him as he took the pot off the stove.

“I’m from Spain,” he noticed your look, gesturing to the pan. “Have you ever tried it?”

“Can’t say I have.”

Making a ‘come hither’ movement with his hand, you walked over to the mystery guy as he grabbed the wooden spoon he used to stir the dish. Collecting some of the soup on the spoon, he gently blew on it to cool it down before holding it out for you.

Taking the spoon from his hand, you let out a hum of approval as the delicious liquid met your tastebuds. “It’s really good,” you smiled, watching as his eyes seemed to light up with your approval.

“It’s not as good as my mama’s, but it’s decent. The name’s Zeke by the way.”

“Y/N. If you don’t mind me asking,” you began, watching as he poured the soup into a small white bowl, handing it over to you. “Who are you?”

“I’m the new right hand man,” he chuckled, pouring a bowl for himself. You placed your soup on the counter next to you as you lifted yourself up so you were sitting on the counter.

“I thought Tom already had Harrison and Trish for that?”

“Yeah, about that,” he chuckled, drinking some of the Gazpacho straight from the bowl. “Tom’s dad swapped Trish out for me.”

“Oh,” was the only thing you could mutter. Everything seemed to click in that moment; the reason why Trish had suddenly hanging out with you more instead of doing whatever the hell she did for Tom – he was forcing her to babysit you.

“What about you? What do you do around here?”

“I’m kind of just under the protection of the mob.”

“You in some kind of trouble?” Zeke questioned, eyebrows furrowing.

“Something like that,” you muttered, shovelling down the rest of the food in your bowl. “Thank you for this by the way. I’ve got to get going.”

Jumping down from the counter, you placed your bowl in the sink. The urge to wash the dishes was overwhelming, but the last time you tried Trish had yelled at you and told you they had people to clean.

“No worries, it was nice meeting you.”

Offering Zeke one last smile, it quickly vanished as soon as you left the kitchen as you stormed down the hall and into Tom’s office without so much as knocking.

You noticed two men sitting in the seats in front of him, but you didn’t even give them attention as you stormed in the middle of them. You could feel their eyes burning into your backside as they glanced between your ass and face with disgusting smirks.

“Y/N, what the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

Fire burned behind your eyes, as you glared him down. “You sent Trish to fucking babysit me? Do you not understand how fucking overbearing that is?!”

Tom bit his tongue as he looked at the men he was trying to strike a business deal with. His face twisted as he watched them leer at you. Slamming his palms down on the desk, you weren’t even startled at his action, but the men quickly turned to look at the mob boss.

“I’m sorry, but we’re going to have to reschedule this business deal. Tell Carlington that he should come next time,” to gritted out, eyes burning into the men. “Also, take your eyes off the girl or I’ll dig them out with a fucking spoon.”

Both the men quickly let out a string of “sorry boss,” and “didn’t realise she was your girl” before they scrambled to leave the office.

Tom was furious, not only was he about to close one of the biggest business deals that have ever fell onto his lap, but you had possibly ruined it for him all together.

“What the fuck are you doing? You can’t just storm into my fucking office whenever you damn well please!” He sneered.

“I can when you organise a fucking babysitter for me Tom! I barely get any freedom in this place as is and there you go making Trish stick with me at all times. It’s getting fucking ridiculous!”

Tom sent you an icy glare as impatience filled his body. Ever since you had gotten here, you had caused him nothing but trouble. He had lost countless hours of sleep over trying to find out more about your family and put up more security measures to make sure that nobody would hurt you. He quickly realised that for some reason he had an infatuation for you no matter how much he denied it.

You froze in your spot as he stormed around his desk and grasped your arm, walking you over to the door. You were thinking that he was about to throw you out of the room for sure, but he only flicked the lock before pushing you up against it.

He was so close to you that you could feel his hot breath fan across your face, and his hard chest pressed against yours. Your breathing faltered as his deep brown eyes bore into yours.

“You have absolutely no idea how much fucking trouble you are do you? You’re driving me absolutely insane.” Your heart was rapidly beating as he grabbed both your arms and pinned them above your head, his intense eyes never left yours.

“You continuously undermine me,” Tom continued, pressing himself up against you even closer. “Yet, for some fucking reason instead of punishing you my normal way for ruining my fucking deal, all I want to do is bend you over my fucking desk.”

Letting a throaty moan erupt from your chest at his words, your body began to squirm under his dominance.

“Tell me you don’t want this,” Tom whispered, forehead pressed up against yours. “Please, tell me to stop.”

Your voice barely came out above a whisper, “what if I can’t?”

Tom only groaned at your response before smashing his lips onto yours, you were frozen in shock for a few seconds before your lips moved against his. He release his grip on your arms as they quickly made their way around his neck, your hands roughly grabbing the hairs at the nape of his neck.

His palms made their way down your hips until they reached your thighs, where he gave you a quick tap as a signal to jump. Wrapping your legs around his waist, both of you became immersed in each other as Tom stumbled his way back over to his desk.

He briefly dropped your legs and broke your kiss to roughly shove everything he could off the top, before his hands were back on your hips and his lips were back on yours. He guided your body onto the cold surface as he laid you down.

Your hands ran over his chest until they reached the buttons of his shirt and you ripped it open, the small beads flying everywhere but neither of you cared. Tom was quick to remove the material from his torso as he broke your kiss again to lift your knitted baggy jumper off your body – tossing it behind him as his hands grasped your breasts that weren’t in a bra.

Your hands made quick work of undoing his belt and tugging his pants down, as his pulled your shorts and panties off at the same time. Tom took a moment to look at you, completely naked and weathering under his touch. He was quickly drawn back to the task at hand as you tugged his boxers down his legs.

He rushed to step out of them, kicking them aside with both of your clothes strewn around the room. His hands grabbed your hips as he tugged you closer to him. Your wet core met his hardened length and the sound that left your lips was one of pure need.

Tom’s lips quickly latched to your neck as he grinded himself against you, feeling as you became even slicker with his actions. He quickly pulled his face away from the mark he had just made in between your breasts and looked at your face.

“What’s wrong?” You sputtered, voice strained and breathless.

Tom knew he had to ask you once again, just to make sure you were okay with this. “Are you sure you want this, darlin’?”

“Tom, just fuck me.”

“I don’t have a con-”

“I’m on birth control and will deal with shit later. Get inside me.”

Giving him all the confirmation he needed, Tom made quick work of filling you with his cock; both of you moaning at the sensation. Since you were both completely tossing foreplay out the window, he gave you a few seconds to adjust to his girth, only moving when you gave him a soft nod.

His hands roughly gripped at your thighs and he slowly started thrusting in and out of you; almost pulling completely out of you before filling you up completely. Soft mewls spilled from your lips at his slow movements.

“T-Tom, faster... please.”

Fulfilling your wishes, Tom quickly began increasing the strength of each of his thrusts, his left hand moving so his thumb could begin to rub harsh circles on your sensitive clit.

“Oh my God,” you wailed, hands gripping the desk behind your head. The entire desk creaked and groaned as Tom relentlessly pounded in and out of you.

“That’s it darlin’. You’re taking me so good.”

Pornographic moans continuously found their way past your lips and Tom’s breathy grunts would sporadically be heard over the sounds of your skin slapping against each other. If anyone walked past the office at this moment, you were sure they wouldn’t ever be able to un-hear the sensual sounds you both were making.

“You’re doing so fucking good, love,” Tom’s voice deepened with lust, as his hand gripping your hip made its way to your breast. His fingers toyed with your hard nipple as his lips began sucking and nipping at your other.

The familiar burning sensation settled in the pit of your stomach as you found yourself coming closer to your climax.

“I’m... I’m fucking close,” you stuttered, finger nails clawing at Tom’s back.

“I know darling, just hold off a little longer for me. I’m almost there.”

Tom’s thrusts began slowing down slightly as he got closer and closer to his peak. Your foreheads rested against each others as you let out illicit sounds, drawing him closer.

With his hips jutting against yours, Tom could only let out a grumble of “let go for me darling,” as your orgasm washed over you so hard you saw stars. The sounds that you made as you were overcome by ecstasy quickly pushed Tom to his own release as he pulled out of you; collapsing on top of you.

Both of you remained in that position as you tried to get your breath back from the powerful climax’s you just had. Your hands ran through Tom’s sweaty hair as you pulled him back to reality. His lips pressing gently kisses to your collar bone.

You were both figuratively and metaphorically, fucked.

PART EIGHT

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emospritelet · 5 years

Text

After 3 years (and a 2-year hiatus after chapter 9) this is it. The final chapter.

Time to give these two idiots their Happy Ever After

AO3 link

The sky outside the bedroom window had turned midnight blue, the night fully upon them, and Belle sighed as she realised she would soon have to get up and go home. Their reunion had been everything she had hoped for: the first, frantic, desperate time followed by gentle kisses and whispered words and a second long, slow session of lovemaking. Gold had rolled onto his back and pulled her to his side as they relaxed together, and was now stroking his fingers over the curve of her hip, a gentle caress that tickled her skin. She snuggled closer, enjoying his warmth.

“So,” he said. “I presume you have no interest in sneaking around.”

“None whatsoever,” said Belle. “We’re together and I don’t care who knows it.”

He kissed her forehead, and she felt him smile against her skin.

“We should probably pretend a courtship of some sort, though,” he murmured. “Let them all get used to it.”

“Does that mean we get to go on dates and stare longingly at each other over cups of coffee and glasses of iced tea?”

“I might even throw in a cake or two, if you ask nicely.”

She giggled at that, and he kissed her again, lips soft and warm.

“In the meantime, I suppose I should go up to Boston and tell my family,” he added, and she raised her head a little.

“What will you tell them?”

“Some version of the truth,” he said. “They don’t know about my - about the life I had until recently, and I certainly don’t plan on telling them about our meeting in the Neverland Motel.”

“Good,” said Belle fervently.

“But I think I’ll have to tell them about how we knew one another,” he added. “They’ll find out anyway, it’s not as though it’ll be a secret in Storybrooke, is it?”

“How do you think they’ll react?”

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “Both Neal and Emma have been telling me for years that I should try to meet someone, so I’d like to think they’ll be pleased for me, but…”

He shrugged, and Belle nodded, nuzzling his chest.

“I guess it’s gonna seem weird to a lot of people,” she said, with a sigh.

“What are you going to tell your father?” he asked. Belle pulled a face.

“Well, I’m definitely not telling him how we really got together,” she said. “I think in these circumstances we can be excused a few white lies.”

“Agreed.”

“But I don’t want to lie to him completely, either,” she added, and Gold glanced at her.

“I’m open to ideas.”

Belle wriggled onto her side a little more, looking up at him.

“Okay, how about this?” she said. “We bumped into each other in Boston and got talking—”

“Which is true.”

“—and then we decided to get a cup of coffee, and we spent the whole afternoon chatting, and we realised we had a lot of things in common.”

“And then?”

“And then,” said Belle. “I saw you here. Maybe in the diner when you came in for a cup of coffee, and you asked me out to dinner.”

“How about I asked you out to brunch?” he suggested. “That sounds more appropriate for a first date.”

“Are you going to ask me to brunch?” she said, amused.

“Of course. I was thinking we could go to Granny’s. Maybe next Sunday.”

“Hmm.” Belle snuggled against him again. “Well, I guess that’s one way of being out and proud.”

“Can I kiss you in the diner?” he asked, and she raised her head, smirking at him.

“Oh, you’d better.” She kissed his chest. “Ruby’s gonna blow a fuse.”

“You can’t be serious.” Ruby stared at her, dark pigtails swinging, brown eyes wide with shock in the midst of the diner’s busy kitchen. “You have a date with your teacher?”

“He’s not my teacher,” said Belle patiently.

“Well, not anymore.”

Belle pulled a face, turning on her toes as one of the cooks shouted out an order.

“It’s not a big deal,” she said, grabbing a plate of eggs, bacon and hash browns and setting it on a tray with a side of pancakes. “I’m an adult, he’s an adult…”

“Oh, I know he’s an adult,” said Ruby, hands on hips. “I remember him teaching us English for years.”

Belle sighed again as she headed for the diner, shoving open the kitchen door with her foot.

“Could you bring the coffee?” she asked over her shoulder.

“He’s gotta be forty-five at least!” went on Ruby, following her. “Belle, seriously?”

“I like him,” she said obstinately. “He’s nice, and he’s clever, and he’s the only person I know who likes books as much as me. You keep telling me I should date more.”

“I was thinking maybe someone from college,” said Ruby, snatching up the coffee pot as she passed. “You know, a student. Not your teacher.”

“He’s not my teacher,” said Belle again.

She down the plate with a loud clunk in front of a startled Tom Clarke before clearing two empty tables, leaving Ruby pouring coffee. Belle wiped down the tables and hefted the tray of dirty dishes just as Ruby bounced up to her again, coffee sloshing in the pot she carried.

“Well okay, but how did this even happen?” she asked. “You haven’t seen him in two years, unless you count that time we bumped into him at a sex shop with what I was pretty sure was his boyfriend.”

“It wasn’t his boyfriend…”

“Did he tell you that?”

“Yes, actually,” said Belle impatiently, heading back to the kitchen.

“But tell me when he asked you out,” persisted Ruby. “How did it happen?”

Belle hesitated, not wanting to lie.

“I - I saw him in Boston a day or two later,” she said. “In a bookshop.”

“Of course,” said Ruby, in a very dry tone. “How come you never mentioned it?”

“Well, I wasn’t really sure what to think,” said Belle slowly. “We got talking about books, and we have so many that we both love, and it was so easy to talk to him, and one thing led to another—”

Ruby jumped in place, eyes wide and mouth open.

“You had sex?”

“We had a cup of coffee,” said Belle, in a flat tone, hoping she wouldn’t blush too hard. “We spent the whole afternoon just talking, and when we went our separate ways, I kind of thought that would be it. But - but I couldn’t stop thinking about him, and then I came back to Storybrooke, and I figured - well, I figured maybe he’d want to get another cup of coffee, or something. And - and I saw him when I was out grocery shopping, and I was gonna ask him for coffee, but before I could he asked me to brunch.”

“Beats getting drunk at The Rabbit Hole, which is the only offer I’ve had since getting back here,” said Ruby fairly. “Brunch, huh? At least it’ll be in a public place. I can throw something over him if he puts a finger out of line.”

“That won’t be necessary.”

“Oh my God!” Ruby slapped her arm playfully, mouth making a perfect ‘o’. “You want him to put a finger out of line! Maybe several fingers!”

“Ruby…”

“Don’t deny it, I can always tell when you’re thirsty for someone, you do that smirk thing.”

“I do not!” snapped Belle. “It’s just he’s - he’s interesting, and he’s kind, and I really want to go on this date with him.”

“I guess he’s kinda hot with that new haircut,” said Ruby thoughtfully. “Are you gonna sleep with him?”

“Oh my God, Ruby!”

“Come on, I’m asking the important questions here!” said Ruby, grinning. “I’ve never seen the guy date, that’s all. How many years do you think it’s been since he had sex? He could be terrible!”

“We’re having brunch!” said Belle, blushing furiously.

“Yeah, but if it goes really well…”

“I’m not about to jump him in the middle of the diner!” snapped Belle. “Let’s just - see how this date goes, okay?”

“Okay, but take some condoms, just in case.”

“Yes, Mom,” sighed Belle, and Ruby grinned.

“What does your Dad say?”

Belle pulled a face.

“Okay, I haven’t actually told him yet,” she admitted. “I thought you should be the first to know.”

“I bet he blows a fuse!”

“Who?” Moe appeared to be listening with half an ear, one eye on the sports news as he munched on potato wedges and mayonnaise.

“Alistair Gold,” said Belle, waiting for him to make the connection. Moe’s brow wrinkled.

“Gold… Oh, is he related to your old teacher?”

“No.” Belle hesitated. “He - he is my old teacher.”

Moe stopped chewing, brows lowering, and turned his head slowly to face her. Belle shifted from one foot to the other a little nervously.

“Come again?” said Moe.

“We kind of got talking in Boston one time,” said Belle hurriedly. “And - and we got a cup of coffee and talked some more, and we really got along well, and - and so when I got back here, and I saw him, he - he asked me to brunch.”

Moe licked mayonnaise from his thumb, his face reddening.

“But - but he has to be my age!” he blustered.

“So?”

“So?” He got to his feet. “So? What the hell is he doing asking out a girl of twenty?”

“I’m not a girl!” snapped Belle. “I’m an adult! I’m a full-grown woman!”

“Barely!” countered Moe, glaring at her. “The man’s a pervert! He’s been teaching you bloody English for years, and he has the bloody nerve to ask you on a dinner date?”

“It’s brunch!” said Belle defensively.

“Yeah, and that’s another thing, who the hell goes for bloody brunch?” snorted Moe. “Is it just because he can’t buy you a bloody drink for another year!”

“Yeah, well, not everyone needs alcohol to enjoy themselves!”

“Don’t you take that tone with me, my girl!”

“I’m not!” Belle ran her hands over her face in frustration. “Look, I really like him, okay?”

“What can you two possibly have in common?”

“Lots of things!” she said hotly. “Books, and - and Shakespeare, and music, and - and food! What, you think that because he’s older he can’t hold a conversation with someone younger?”

“Oh no, I’m sure he gets plenty of practice at that,” said Moe sarcastically. “At school!”

“He’s not my teacher!”

“Not anymore!”

Belle growled in frustration as Ruby’s words were repeated with a little more venom.

“Dad, just - look, don’t worry so much, okay?” she said. “He’s been a perfect gentleman—”

“Well of course he has!”

“He’s nice. He’s kind—”

“He’s fifty if he’s a day.”

“I don’t care about that!”

“You will in ten years’ time when you’re caring for him twenty-four-seven.”

“Oh, don’t be so dramatic…”

Moe sighed, shaking his head and seeming to calm himself a little.

“I just worry about you, love,” he said gently. “You’ve got your whole life ahead of you. College, your career...”

“One brunch date isn’t going to change that,” said Belle, matching his tone. “I know you care about me, but it’s my life. Just - just let me make my own choices, okay?”

There was silence for a moment, and Moe sighed again.

“I wish your mother was here,” he said gloomily. “Maybe she’d know what to say.”

“She’d tell you to let me live my life,” said Belle, and he shrugged, as though he knew it was true, but didn’t want to admit it.

“I don’t trust him,” he said.

“Well, maybe you’ll grow to trust him,” said Belle gently. “And if not - at least trust my judgement. You always said I had a sense about people, right?”

Moe grunted acknowledgement, and Belle nodded.

“I’m right about him,” she said. “He’s a good man. I know it. He won’t hurt me.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“Trust me.”

Moe grumbled something, pulling a face, but eventually gave a reluctant nod.

“Alright,” he said. “Just - don’t try to make it work to spite me, okay?”

Belle smiled, stepping forward to kiss his cheek.

“I’d never do that.”

It was a warm evening, and Gold parked up outside Neal and Emma’s small house in the Boston suburbs, resting his hands on the wheel for a moment and taking a breath. The street was quiet, a few children cycling along and shouting to each other, the drone of insects and the scent of sun-baked asphalt drifting in through the open window. Gold glanced across at the little house with its neat fenced garden. Neal and Emma had moved there just before Christmas the previous year, with his help. Getting the deposit together was one of the reasons he had continued to work after Neal had qualified. Well, that and putting aside money for Henry’s education. He suspected that there might be a brother or sister on the way soon, and so he had started squirrelling away money for them, too.

He got out of the car, locking the door and tugging the cuffs of his shirt straight before heading up the path. It was approaching seven in the evening, but he could still feel the heat of the sun on the back of his neck as it slid towards the horizon. He knocked on the door, and Neal opened it with a wide smile, his eyes crinkling.

“Hey, Dad,” he said. “Right on time, I just put Henry to bed. Drink?”

“A glass of wine would be lovely.”

“Think I’ll join you.”

Neal let him in, closing the door behind them and showing him to the lounge before heading to the kitchen. Gold bounced on his toes anxiously, glancing around the room without seeing anything.

“Where’s Emma?” he asked, hearing the clinking sound of glasses.

“She’ll be back soon,” called Neal. “I asked her to pick up some dinner, so I hope you don’t mind Chinese. It’s tough to get a home-cooked meal organised some nights.”

“Of course not.” Gold paced the room, nervous. “If you’d said something, I could have brought dinner myself. I don’t mind cooking.”

“Nah, it’s cool.” Neal reappeared with two glasses of red wine in his hands. “And don’t start thinking we eat crap all the time. It’s only Fridays that are a nightmare. Just the way our shifts work at the moment.”

“Well, if you ever need my help, I’m only a phone call away.”

“A phone call and a four-hour drive,” said Neal, amused. “Don’t worry so much, Pops. One Chinese takeout a week isn’t gonna kill us. Trust me, I’m a doctor. Here.”

He held out a glass, and Gold took it with a nod of thanks, taking a seat on the couch. Neal sat next to him, relaxing back against the cushions with a sigh of relief.

“How’s work?” asked Gold, aware that he was procrastinating, and not caring too much. Neal eyed him flatly.

“Work’s great,” he said. “So why don’t you tell me what’s on your mind? Don’t think I’m not glad to see you, but Storybrooke isn’t exactly a short drive down the road. I know you didn’t just come over here midweek to eat dinner with us.”

“Right.” Gold began turning the glass between his fingers, watching the red wine ripple and swirl. “Right.”

“Dad,” said Neal. “Come on, the suspense is killing me.”

Gold took a deep breath.

“Okay,” he said. “Okay. Well - uh - the thing is… The thing is, I’ve met someone.”

“Right,” said Neal lightly. “Well, that’s great!”

“Yes.” Gold set down his glass to stop his restless hands fidgeting. “Yes, it is. It’s just - well - the thing is—”

Neal held up a hand.

“Dad, before you say anything,” he said. “I just want you to know that - that I love you, and - and I support you, okay? And you can tell me anything.”

“O - kay,” said Gold, wondering where this was coming from. “That - that’s good of you, son, thank you. I love you too.”

“I know you’ve been alone since the divorce,” Neal went on. “And that was years ago. A long time to be alone. And - and I don’t want you to be lonely, okay? I want you to be happy.”

“Yes, well…”

“So if you’ve found a special person to share your life with, then I’m really happy for you.”

Gold blinked.

“Well, I have,” he said. “At least - I suppose in a sense it’s early days, but - well, we’re dating properly now. We kind of had a - a thing a little while back, but we decided it was best to break up. Turns out that was just putting off the inevitable. We couldn’t stay away from each other.”

“When you know, you know, I guess,” said Neal.

“Yes, that’s it exactly,” said Gold eagerly. “Like you and Emma, right?”

“Love at first insult, for us,” said Neal with a grin. “So come on, tell me more.”

“I…” Gold hesitated, unsure which piece of information he should impart first.

“Is this special person here in Boston?” asked Neal. “Are they - are they maybe somewhat younger than you?”

“Ye-es…” Gold felt his brow crinkle. “Have you been spying on me?”

“No, of course not!”

“Anyway, the age thing isn’t the issue,” said Gold. “Well not - not really. At least not for us. I’m well aware some people will have a problem with it, but frankly I don’t give a flying fuck...”

“Right,” said Neal, looking puzzled. “Go on.”

“The issue,” said Gold, and took a deep breath. “The issue is that she was my student.”

Neal blinked. “‘She’?”

“Her name is Belle,” Gold went on. “Belle French.”

Neal’s eyes widened.

“Holy crap, Dad, you’re sleeping with a student?” he demanded. “Have you lost your mind?”

“Ex-student,” corrected Gold, frowning. “She’s now in college. And what happened to ‘I love and support you’?”

“I thought you were gonna tell me you were gay!”

“I - what?” Gold ran a bewildered hand through his hair. “Where did you get that from?”

Neal threw up his arms, wine sloshing in his glass.

“I dunno, the suits, the hair, the fact that you’re really looking after yourself, the fact that I saw you the other week with a hot young guy draping himself over you…”

“Ah.” Gold nodded. “Jefferson. Neal, I’m not gay. Jefferson is - well, he’s bisexual - but he’s just a friend.”

“Oh.” Neal took a drink. “Well. Okay, so tell me about this ex-student. How ex are we talking?”

Gold shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “She’s twenty.”

“I don’t believe this…” Neal let his head drop before looking up again. “Please tell me this relationship didn’t start until she left school.”

Gold hesitated.

“I can’t do that.”

“Dammit, Dad!” He set down his glass, pushing to his feet. “Do you have any idea how much trouble you could have gotten in? Or how much of an abuse of power that was?”

“I’m well aware, thank you!” snapped Gold, getting up to face him. “It only happened a couple of - okay, four times. It happened four times, that’s all. And - and it was after she turned eighteen.”

“That doesn’t make it okay!”

“I know!” Gold threw up his hands and let them fall. “Look, I’m not proud of it. Far from it. But I put a stop to it, and I didn’t see her for two years. We ended it, because it wasn’t right.”

“Oh, you think?”

“I couldn’t continue to see her when I was her teacher, despite how I felt about her,” he went on. “And - and she couldn’t handle what I had to do. It was for the best that we broke up. But then we happened to meet, quite by chance, and - and now we’re together.”

“What you had to do?” Neal was frowning. “What do you mean?”

“What?” Gold felt his face go blank, panic making his heart pound. “Nothing - I meant - I meant we both knew we couldn’t be together. Not then. But - but I’m no longer her teacher, and she has her own life, and seeing her again out of the blue was - it was—”

He ran a hand over his face with a sigh.

“Look, I don’t know if I can explain it,” he said. “But it’s like you said - when you know, you know. She’s the one. I love her.”

“I can’t believe I’m hearing this…”

“Neal, my private life is my own affair,” said Gold sharply. “We’re both adults, and I don’t question you about yours.”

There was the sound of the front door opening and closing, and Emma stuck her head around the lounge door, blonde hair swinging as she grinned at them.

“I’m back, and I brought dinner,” she announced, but then the grin fell from her face, her expression growing wary. “Not interrupting anything, am I?”

“No honey, come on in,” said Neal dryly. “Dad was just telling me how he’s started dating a twenty-year-old.”

“Really?” Emma shook out her hair, staring at Gold. “Wow, Pops, way to go, you silver fox!”

She held up a hand for a high-five, and Gold groaned.

“Are you kidding me?” said Neal flatly, and Emma shrugged.

“Come on, it’s not like he’s the first guy to date a woman half his age,” she said. “What’s her name?”

“Her name’s Belle,” said Gold, smiling slightly. “Belle French. She’s - wonderful.”

“I’m sure she’s great,” said Neal. “And I can’t wait to meet her, I just - this all seems kind of sudden, that’s all.”

“Your dad doesn’t have to tell you everything he gets up to after dark,” said Emma. “So what if he’s getting his rocks off three times a night?”

She winked at Gold, grinning widely, and Neal winced.

“Emma, please don’t.”

“Yes, please don’t,” added Gold, in a dry tone, and Emma shrugged.

“Fine, let’s all pretend this relationship is purely platonic,” she said. “Tell me about the lovely Belle French. What does she do?”

“She’s studying English at Boston University,” said Gold. “We share a love of Shakespeare. She wants to teach at elementary school.”

Emma turned to Neal, raising her arms and letting them slap against her sides.

“See? Lots in common,” she said. “Give your dad a break, you keep saying he should meet someone. He’s been alone for years. Working his butt off to put you through med school.”

“I know that!” protested Neal. “It’s just - it’s weird!”

“Don’t be such a wiener!”

“It’s alright,” said Gold hastily. “I realise this is all quite sudden, and - and honestly I’m still getting used to it myself.”

Neal sighed heavily.

“No, it’s fine,” he said, giving Gold a look to convey more meaning to the statement. “Like I said before, if you’ve met someone special, then I’m happy for you.”

“Thank you,” he said. “I - I hope I can make her as happy as she’s made me.”

Emma whistled.

“Really looking forward to meeting this woman,” she said. “Why don’t you bring her to Boston the weekend after next? I could swap shifts with someone, we could have dinner.”

She nudged Neal, who flinched a little, but nodded.

“Yeah,” he said. “Yeah, I’d - I’d really like to meet her.”

Gold smiled, a feeling of relief spreading through him. It would be alright. They would all be alright.

“That sounds perfect,” he said. “I’ll cook.”

“Better and better,” said Emma, and Neal grinned and kissed her cheek.

Sunday morning was warm and bright, the sky a perfect, cloudless blue, and Gold had been up since six, tidying the house to burn off the excess energy that the prospect of a date with Belle had produced. The two of them were due to meet in the park at ten-thirty before heading to Granny’s, and he had showered and shaved and dressed in dark jeans and a white cotton shirt, open at the neck. He wore a waistcoat over the top of it to dress it up a little, and leather ankle boots. Nerves had made him restless, and he must have checked his reflection a dozen times before telling himself firmly to get the hell out of the door.

Given the beautiful weather, he decided to walk into town, the sun warm on his shoulders and a pair of dark glasses cutting the glare. He walked slowly, nodding to townsfolk he passed on the street and wondering how they would react when they saw him out with Moe French’s daughter. Moe himself had glared at him from across the street two days earlier, so he knew that Belle had told her father about their date. Moe hadn’t shouted or tried to punch him yet, though, so perhaps glaring would be as far as it went.

He crossed the street into the park, and headed down over the dry grass to where the small lake was, its rippled surface glittering in the sunlight. Clumps of rushes grew at its edges, and ducks quacked and dipped their heads below the surface. He smiled slightly, allowing himself a brief, indulgent dream of the future, in which he and Belle might picnic in the park, side by side on a thick rug while two small children played nearby. It made a pretty picture in his mind, but he shook his head, telling himself firmly to take things one step at a time. The buzz of his phone in his jeans pocket provided a useful distraction.

“Oh my God, you are never gonna believe this!” Jefferson’s words were tumbling over themselves before Gold could even issue a greeting. “You kept the suits, right? You’re gonna need one.”

Gold sighed, rolling his eyes.

“Jefferson, I’m not coming back to work…”

“No no, I’m not asking you to break out the black bag of fun again,” said Jefferson impatiently. “I’m talking about the wedding of the year!”

Gold blinked.

“I thought you and Graham were getting married next year.”

“Not us!” Jefferson growled under his breath. “God, it all happened so fast. Astrid and Leroy! We went out for drinks the other night, and he had one or five too many, and he told her she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen, and the most beautiful person he’d ever known, and that he was completely in love with her!”

“About time,” said Gold, with feeling. “What did Astrid say?”

“She said ‘well, in that case, maybe you should marry me’,” said Jefferson. “And he kind of looked like he’d been punched in the face with a baby unicorn, so she kissed him, and that, my friend, was that.”

Gold grinned.

“Really? They’re getting married?”

“September sixth,” said Jefferson. “Guess they’re making up for all that lost time. Everyone’s going - not sure about Hook, he was mumbling something about family commitments - but the rest of us are all going. You’ll need a plus one.”

Gold glanced up, a wide smile breaking across his face as he saw Belle walking towards him across the grass. Her dark curls were shining in the sunlight, bouncing around her shoulders, the white dress she wore fluttering in the summer breeze. She looked like an angel, and his breath caught in his throat, as he felt his heart swell with love for her.

“I have a plus one,” he managed. “Look, I - I have to go, I’ll call you later. Tell Leroy and Astrid congratulations.”

“Oh my God, who’s your plus one?”

“Bye, Jefferson.”

“But—”

He hung off, cutting off Jefferson’s excited squawk, and slipped the phone into his pocket just as Belle bounced up to him with a beautiful grin on her face.

“Hey,” she said, and rose up on her toes.

“Hey.” He kissed her gently, then stepped back and offered her his arm. “I believe we have an appointment.”

She beamed, sinking back onto her heels and linking her arm through his.

“I believe we do,” she said, and he raised an eyebrow.

"Ready to cause a delicious scandal amongst the good people of Storybrooke?" he asked. Belle smirked.

"Ready and willing," she said, and pouted at him. “Take me to brunch.”

He smiled back, catching and holding her gaze, feeling love for her bloom within him, making his heart thump and his skin tingle. He patted her hand, setting off at a leisurely stroll towards the diner, the heat of the morning sun on his skin and the scent of grass in his nose. For a moment, he let himself feel the pure joy of it all, a sleepy small town on a beautiful summer day, strolling arm-in-arm with the woman he loved. It was a new start, a new life. It was going to be perfect.

#fic: neverland #rumbelle fic #my fic #escort!gold verse #rumbelle

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lokis-lady-death · 5 years

Text

Slither Pt 7

Loki x Reader

Reader is a museum curator is put in charge of a Viking/Norse exhibit at the Smithsonian Museum. While going through all the artifacts, she comes across a strange relic that seems to have a mind of it’s own. She accidentally stumbles into an ancient world of gods.

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6

Slither Part 7

Your hand came up to your face, lightly brushing loose hair from your face back as you took a moment to appreciate all your hard work. Finally, after days of drifting in and out of the surrealism that had become your life, you were able to complete the set up for the Norse exhibit, laying out paperwork on all the appropriate artifacts so they could be labeled for the stage floor with simple notes for the tour guides to read.

It had only been a couple of days since you were first thrusted into the world of Asgard, unknowingly meeting Loki. There was something about the mythical place, or rather the god himself, that had consumed you, fueling your curiosity until finally nearly trapping you in his world. To say it had distracted you from your work would be putting it mildly, but now, after seven hours and two pots of coffee, you had completed what could be a career building opportunity for you.

Checking the clock, you realized you had finished just as the museum was opening.

“Y/n?” you heard, echoing through the massive shelves in the archives room. “You still here?”

Collecting the last few pieces of a viking armor into a box, you couldn’t help but let out a sigh at the sound of Chris’s hurried footsteps stomping against the concrete floor.

In the distance, unbeknownst to you, a soft rustling sound came from under one of the shelves. The Chains of Sigyn that you had thrown under the shelves out of anger had sparked back to life.

“Yes, I’m awake,” you answered wearily, forcing a smile on your face despite how exhausted you were. Of course he would make that comment, seeing as how you had stayed at the museum overnight last time he caught you at work this early. But once he rounded the last shelf and faced you, wearing his normal light hearted grin, you couldn’t help but notice something else he was wearing. “Is that the same suit you had on last night?”

He didn’t answer immediately, instead laughing nervously while his eyes drifted to the floor. “Yes, well, uh... I didn’t make it back home.”

You laughed as you stacked the packed boxes on a trolly. Chris Evans wasn’t the type to go out partying on the town all night, but apparently having a friend like Tom Hiddleston was enough to keep him going. “You boys have a fun night I take it?”

“Yeah, it’s always this big event with Tom. We had tons of fun when we were in California.” He came around the table to help you load up the last of your boxes, going on about everything the two of them had done, starting at one bar, then a karaoke bar, then a club, then another club that ended up being a drag queen hangout and was a little awkward but ended up being the best part of their night, then ending the evening at an Ihop where they stuffed their faces with over sugared coffee and pancakes. “I’m not nearly as exhausted as I should be,” he told you as he loaded the last of the artifacts for you.

All you could do was shake your head and warn, “Oh, it’ll hit you by noon.”

“Oh I don’t doubt it.” He let out a short chuckle, grabbing hold of the cart. “Are you taking this up?” he asked, changing the subject.

“Yep. Gonna hide it all in my office til the exhibit.”

“Your big day is coming up,” he told you, pushing the load as you lead him through the archive room. “You gotta be getting excited.”

“Stoked actually.” You let out a loud yawn, stopping in your tracks to catch your breath. “But I think I’m gonna have to get some sleep if I’m going to actually be able to revel in my awesomeness.”

“Yeah, you’ve been here since we left, huh?” he asked as you swiped your card to leave the room. You held the door open for him to push past.

“Yup.”

There was an awkward silence as you led Chris and the cart to the elevator, and for a moment you thought you could hear a hissing sound. As it slowly dinged one floor at a time, you were pulled away from the strange noise when he asked, “Did your, uh, your friend -what was his name? Loki? Did he stay with you long after we left?”

“Nope,” you answered, remembering vividly how you had managed to talk the god into going back to Asgard. “He left right after you.”

You had hoped Loki hadn’t left such an impression on your friend, but after he had accidentally slipped and let Chris and Tom both see him perform magic, you knew it was something you would probably have to deal with eventually. A fact that was not made simpler by Tom actually realizing that Loki was in fact The Loki of Asgard, the character he was to play for upcoming Marvel movies.

Right now, you were too tired to dwell on it. Tom wasn’t there, Loki wasn’t there. You just wanted to sleep and ignore it all.

“I really am sorry we barged in on you guys,” he offered, snatching you back into the conversation. “It’s just, I wasn’t expecting you to be here with some guy when I brought Tom. But…”

“But what?” you pressed as the doors of the elevator finally opened. He pushed the cart inside, his eyes shifting as they usually did when he was trying to find the right way to say something.

“I was actually going to ask you to come out with us...”

“Come out with you?” you echoed, halfway laughing while you hit the keypad. He knew you didn’t go bar-hopping or dancing.

“Well, I was sort of…. Ya know. Trying to introduce you to Tom.”

“You did introduce me to Tom? Like, literally, you introduced us. We shook hands and everything. Weird British man even gave me a business card.”

This time you glanced back at him, seeing the notable rise in his eyebrows as he said again, “I mean introduce introduce.”

“Apparently I don’t know what ‘introduce’ means, so why don’t you clarify?”

“I thought you guys,” he shrugged, “Ya know… might hit it off.”

“What?!” Your cheeks flushed at the mention of it, completely going over your head that Chris could have, in all actually, been trying to hook you and his actor friend up. As the elevator dinged that you were on the right floor, you stopped Chris from stepping off with your boxes. “Why on Earth would you think that?”

“I don’t know. Why on earth do you have some mystery goth boyfriend I’ve never heard about? And how come you brought him here after hours? You trying to woo him with your viking memorabilia?”

The doors finally opened. The two of you locked eyes before you pulled the trolly from him to push it out onto the floor, snapping at him, “Why, is that what you hoped I’d do with Tom? Woo him with my nerd collection?”

It wasn’t until you bumped into him with the trolley that you realized that there, holding a brown takeout bag form Ihop, was Tom.

“To be completely honest, I was a bit wooed,” he told you with a gorgeous smile, his British accent etching into his words with a sense of sophistication that could melt panties on impact.

You clicked your tongue, embarrassed to say the least. Turning back to Chris who looked even more uncomfortable than before, all he could offer was, “Oh, I forgot to tell you. I figured you’d still be here so Tom and I got you breakfast.” He shrugged his shoulders and gave you his signature puppy dog smile. “Surprise?”

Covering your eyes with your hand, unable to contain the flush of your face, you let out an aggravated grunt. Rather than respond to either of them, you pushed passed to go down the hall.

You made it to your office, managing to get the door unlocked and pushing everything inside. Again, a noise caught you by surprise, like something dragging against the lament floor of your office. When you heard the light sound of hissing again, you stopped in your tracks, mortified.

You had left the Chains of Sigyn in the archive room.

They couldn’t possibly be here.

Could they?

The hissing got louder, and in the corner of your eye you saw it coming across the floor.

As fast as you could, you took one of the boxes, dumping it’s priceless contents all over the floor as you slammed the box on top of the enchanted necklace just before it reached your feet. You froze, mortified but proud of your capturing skills.

“Miss Y/n?”

Looking up from the floor, you leaned all your weight on the box to keep the necklace trapped. It was a bit surprising that Tom followed you, especially since you knew that Chris recognized your temper well enough to know when to stay back. Your eyes narrowed up at him, only softening when he lifted the bag of food. “I come bearing gifts. Did you just catch something?”

You sighed, taking the Harry Potter calendar off your wall and sliding it under the box to secure the creature. “Yeah, don’t worry about it, I’m gonna let it go on my way out.” You stood up, propping the box under your arm. To your relief, it didn’t make any movement. “If this is about what Chris said, I don’t know what he may have told you but I’m not looking for anything…”

“No, I completely understand,” he accepted, setting the food on your desk. “And I should be the one apologizing, I shouldn’t have let him interrupt you and your friend last night.” Tom let loose a short laugh, rubbing the back of his neck while his eyes wandered around your small office space. “Though if I am to be honest, I was a bit disappointed you were already involved…”

“We’re not involved, we’re just friends.”

At that, Tom looked back to you, his piercing blue eyes capturing you like a bear trap. “Are you friends with any other gods, or just the one?”

The comment was enough to suck the air from your chest, making you quickly turn away to start packing up what you had dumped from the box for no other reason than to not make eye contact. “Look, I’m not sure what you think you know, but it's really none of your business. Now, I appreciate the food but I'm not hungry, so,” you grabbed up the bag from your desk and shoved it into his chest. “Thank you, but no thank you. I'm headed home for some sleep.”

As you went to let go of the bag, Tom grabbed hold of your wrist. You couldn't avoid his eyes any longer, trying your damnedest to not look as concerned as you felt. “Y/n, I may not know what's going on, or know you, but from what Chris has told me you're a good person. I would certainly hope that you are using your best judgement in whatever situation you are in…”

His grip was loose enough that you snatched your hand back, clenching your jaw while you glared up at him. “You're right. You don't know anything. So, why don't you leave my office?”

“And what if I told Chris?”

Your eyes widened at that. You didn't know what could come of others knowing the god of mischief was walking around Washington D.C. but it wasn't a risk you were willing to take. “He wouldn't believe you, I can't even convince him 100% that evolution is real with a museum full of evidence, how are you going to make him believe some Norse god is real?”

“I wouldn't have to convince him of anything. All I would have to say is I think that he's a danger to you. He mentioned your friend while we were out, that he is concerned for you. It wouldn't take much...”

It was absolutely flooring that this stranger would have such audacity, but you knew he was right. Chris was always protective of you and had run off more than a few possible suitors.

Not that Loki was a suitor, you quickly corrected, but all the same the last thing you needed was him finding a reason to spark animosity between them. Chris was harmless enough, but what if he made Loki angry?

You shook your head, trying to concentrate. “So, what exactly do you want?”

“Bring him out with us. Let Chris see he isn't a threat.”

“Why do you even care?” you snapped at him, picking up the box with the chains.

“Your safety matters to my friend and so I feel obligated to ensure you're not in over your head. Judging by how you acted last night, you yourself dont know this god of mischief that well.” You noticed him grin with a certain slyness that reminded you too much of Loki. “And I do happen to be playing him in my movie, so I would be remiss if I didn't take the opportunity to study him.”

You scoffed, but in reality you didn't feel like you had much choice. You were already supposed to see Loki that night, what harm could it be to take him out with a few midgardians?

Immediately you knew it was a terrible idea but without any other option, you agreed. “Fine. You win. We’re supposed to meet up tonight anyway, I'll text Chris and set it up after I get some sleep. Now, if you don't mind,” you laid a hand flat on his chest and walked out of your office, pushing him backwards into the hall. He stumbled a bit, but managed to straighten up. “Go catch up with your buddy cause I'm going home.”

Before you could turn away, he offered, “Here,” holding out the bag one last time. “If I go back to Chris holding this, I'm sure he'll hunt you down in the parking lot to insist you take it.”

You grunted, knowing he was right, but once you took it from his hand your pride pushed you to throw it across the hall, nailing the open waste bin. “For the life of me I cannot imagine what Chris thought I'd see in a jerk like you.”

“That's funny, because I'm starting to see what he thought I'd like about you,” he marveled with a smile as he watched you leave.

You pretended you didn't hear him while you took the long way through the building to get back outside to go track down your back. You weren't going to risk running into Chris after that hellacious encounter, because truth be told the more time you spent with Tom, the more he seemed like Loki.

And that, in itself, was unsettling to say the least.

It made you wonder if the god of mischief had actually managed to find any reason for why a mortal would look so much like him, if there were a reason at all.

~~~~~

Back in Asgard, Loki had in fact found absolutely nothing on the entire library on why a midgardian would favor him in such a way. Not even Allfather's private, off limits study had any literature on the subject, leaving him to wonder if it was a wild goose chase. He had searched and searched and searched since returning home but nothing had turned up.

He did, however, find an interesting book on the capabilities of using synchronized neurological impulses to actually infiltrate another being's dream. Back in his room, he unpocketed the book and started studying to pass the time until he would see you again.

Hours had passed and he was so enthralled with it that he didn't notice when Thor opened his chamber door.

“Loki!”

Loki looked up, remembering the last time he had seen the god of thunder he was hiding from him in the throne room with you. “Oh,” he startled, closing his book and bouncing off his bed. “Brother, good, you’re here, may I put you to sleep?”

Thor stopped in his tracks, his brow creasing in confusion. “What? No? No! I'm here because you lied to me!”

“Lied to you, why would I….”

“Fathers library? Something being stolen? Does that sound familiar?”

“OH YES, that… well…”

“So you ADMIT it?”

“I admit what per say?”

Letting out a frustrated disgruntled sound, Thor roared, “That you went in there after he forbid it and then told me someone stole something so I would go on a never ending search for an item that never went missing!”

“Ah…”

“And then today, you snuck back in and actually did steal from him!” Thor exclaimed, his body trembling in fury. “I have repeatedly stood up to father on your behalf, all for you to go behind my back and do any little thing that you please! I am becoming quite fed up, brother, and I am this close to telling him… “

The god of mischief knew when it was time to concede. He held his hands up in defeat, walking towards his brother as he let honey slip from his lips, “I am sorry. Truly. Brother, you are right, I have not been fair to you or the opportunities that you have granted me. I know that I have been deceitful and I have done you wrong.” Thor stood his ground with his eyes focused solely on Loki, half expecting some sort of trick.

But instead, what he got, was a strange hissing sound.

Loki paused and looked down at his body, confused as to where the sound was coming from.

“Is there... a snake in your pocket?” Thor wondered, eying his brother wearily.

“Don’t be absurd, why would…” The movement, a slithering, in the inner pocket of his cloak made him stop.

“Oh no…”

“Brother?”

Loki began trying to shrug off his cloak, realizing what must be about to happen. Thor held out his hands to try and help but could only watch in confused silence as what looked like a metallic snake slithered out from behind him and moving up his chest.

“BROTHER!” Thor reached out to try and grab the creature but it was too late.

The chains wrapped themselves around Loki’s neck and he instantly vanished, leaving the god of thunder dumbstruck as he stared into the blank space Loki had once occupied.

~~~~~

It had happened so quickly that there was no time to stop it, no time to fight. But to his utter surprise, there he stood, the god of mischief, in you midgardian apartment.

This was only the second time that the god of mischief had used the Chains of Sigyn, but it was the first time he had experienced anything like this. As his eyes combed over the room, only taking a second to find you asleep in your bed despite the afternoon rays of sun that pierced through the thin curtains on your window.

He watched you for the longest time, unsure how to take the sudden surge he was feeling, like a jolt of lightning coursing through his veins. He tentatively pet the necklace that had wrapped itself so forcefully around his throat, a tad relieved that it was mere metal again and no longer moving.

How had they done this without him willing it? How had the Chains of Sigyn come to life to bring him to you?

That's when he remembered what you had told him the day before after appearing suddenly in his bath chamber..

~“I didn’t put this on…It… came to life…wrapped around my neck when I was in the shower...”~

You had been so stunned by the experience, just as he was feeling now. He himself had been so distracted by your sudden appearance that it hadn't dawned on him to listen to your words. He had known the necklace wanted to connect with its other half but now that he had used his portion to travel to Midgard, that meant he too was susceptible to its possession. He cursed under his breath for not realizing this could happen.

You must have heard him because your body twitched in the bed and for a second he thought you would wake up. But when you merely relaxed back into your pillow, letting out a soft “Hmmm” he felt curiosity tugging.

Sure, Loki could remove the chains that had brought him there, wait until you came to him as you had said you would and spend the evening with you.

But as he watched you, blissful, relaxed, innocent, fragile, he couldn't help himself.

He walked beside your bed, trying to calm his own excitement from seeing you like this, so vulnerable, so peaceful. Usually you were panicked at the mere sight of him, so the change was welcome even if it meant you were weren't conscious.

Absentmindedly, he reached down and lightly stroked your cheek.

“Loki….”

He stopped, frozen in place at hearing his name escape your lips.

You were still very much asleep, merely reflecting something from your own subconscious.

He smiled, realizing that you were thinking about him and the touch of your face had been enough to make you call out his name. “My sweet y/n,” he whispered, unable to stop himself from sitting on the bed beside you. “Whatever could you be dreaming?”

You tossed a bit as his weight indented the mattress, rolling onto your stomach and losing your cover. Loki inhaled sharply at the unexpected sight of you in nothing but a thin shirt and panties, your bare legs practically begging to be touched. His eyes combed over you, taking in the decadent curves of your ass and thighs. He couldn't resist reaching out and lightly stroking up your leg, feeling himself go breathless when you moved to the rhythm of his touch as he got closer to underwear.

He bit down on his lips, cutting his eyes away and removing his hand before he was tempted to go further. Instead, he pulled your comforter over you, tucking it around you.

Quietly he sat by you, taking in the serenity on your face, the gentle breaths you let out, until again he heard you breathe out, “Loki…”

The softness in your voice is what had struck him this time, having never heard you speak his name with such regard. Such affection.

Knowing it would be best you didn't find him in your bed, he began to tug at the Chains of Sigyn.

But he hesitated.

What could you possibly be dreaming?

His grip tightened on the chains, knowing he should go, knowing that he wasn't supposed to be there at all. You were finally warming up to him, even kissing him back the last time he saw you.

But.

What would make you say his name like that?

Loki released the necklace, instead lightly pressing his palm to your forehead.

He only needed a glimpse, he reasoned with himself.

Just a peek.

~~~~~

The glistening of stars in the midnight sky were something one rarely experienced in the city, but in the middle of the forest they shined like astronomical diamonds. Tiny multicolored string lights were wrapped around several of the trees with larger glowing lanterns hung from branches. There in the center of it all was a cast iron chandelier that emitted enough of a twinkling glow that it softly illuminated a brush-free, dirt padded dance floor. There was no logical reasoning for this scene to be aglow like it was, all that power without any of the actual electricity, but in the realms of dreams anything was possible.

Your eyes had opened up to this magnificent place just before soft music began to play from an unseen violin.

“Lady y/n,” was whispered in your ear.

Turning around, it didn't surprise you to see Loki here dressed in a black on black suit that meshed so well with his mystic bravado. His hair was combed back neatly, framing his porcelain face. There was a slight dullness to his otherwise brilliant emerald eyes that was only explainable by the fact that a dream couldn't possibly recreate something so magical, even from your own memory.

“Loki…” Even here, he gave you that flutter deep in the pit of your stomach that he did in the real world, but there was a difference. Here, you weren't constrained by the fears you had of the god of mischief. Here, you were in control, and when he offered you his hand, you took it with a smile.

Together you walked out under the chandelier where Loki twirled you like a ballerina. At the simple motion, a golden ray passed over you, transforming your sweatshirt and jeans into a gown worthy of the red carpet. The top wrapped around your neck with a thin layer of black chiffon, covering a green strapless slip, the fabric hugging your curves until it reached your knees where the material layered out into a mermaid style.

You gasped, twirling enough to see the skirt pick up in the air, a glitter of golden sparkles coming off like magic dust.

“I'll never get used to that,” you admitted with a blush.

Loki closed the distance between you, a hand wrapping around your waist while he took your hand in his. The two of you began to sway to the music when he asked “But could you get used to this?” His lips were so close that his words tickled your ear, sending a delicious shiver down to your core. “To me holding you like I am? Because truth be told, my darling, I could very easily spend all of eternity here like this with you.” His hand behind your back clenched against you, his fingers digging into the fabric before starting to move down. “Though if I am being perfectly honest, there is something else I might prefer to do with you. Or rather to you.”

Your hips gave a gentle push into him as he caressed your ass, making you whimper his name, “Loki…”

There was a deepthroated hum in delight that escaped him, at the motion of your hips or the sound of his name escaping your lips, you weren't sure.

When the music stopped you looked up into Loki's eyes, again missing the spark that they normally held. He leaned down, his mouth catching yours in a feather light kiss.

“I am normally a jealous man, but I suppose I can make an exception this one time.”

Hearing his disembodied voice, there was something different in his tone. The lighthearted snark that the man you were kissing simply didn't possess. You pulled back, whipping your head around to see no one.

But then, from out of the darkness, you could make out his silhouette as it moved in closer. Wearing his normal devilish smirk and leather robes, Loki stepped into the light.

The Loki whose hands were once around you vanished, but you were too stunned to notice. Your eyes were locked on this new version of him, or rather this original version.

He was wearing the Chains of Sigyn.

Loki moved slowly as he reached out to tuck a loose strand of hair behind your ear, the corners of his mouth curling. “Darling, you look positively radiant.”

But you could only stare up at him, unsure if what you were seeing was true. “Am I dreaming?” you asked, your voice coming out small and weak. “Are you really here?”

The god’s smile grew, his head tilting while a glint of mischief sparked in his eye. “Would that make this easier, my pet? If it was all just a dream?”

His fingers traced up your arms, sending goosebumps all over your body while you stood in frozen silence.

Yes, it's a dream. You knew this was a dream, you were just lucid enough to know this wasn’t happening.

And yet, it was his smell that made you really wonder. The cinnamon spice smell that you noticed in the library the first time you met him.

“Loki?”

~~~~~

Your phone gave off a violent ringing sound, startling you awake. You jumped, heart racing and gasping as you looked around for the sound, but also for signs of Loki.

But he wasn’t there.

You ran a hand over your face as your phone kept ringing, realizing how obsessed you were becoming. Of course he wasn’t there, you were dreaming. Your phone silenced, but there was another noise you noticed.

Through the walls of your apartment, you could make out a hissing and rattling. As soon as you got home from the museum, you had locked your own Chains of Sigyn in the safe you kept in your closet, fairly certain that three inches of steal could keep you from being taken by it again.

Apparently the chains were becoming angry.

Rolling your eyes, missing how boring your life was just a few days ago, you picked up your phone to check the voicemail whoever had called left for you.

“Hello, this is Chris Hemsworth with the Edinburgh Museum? I’m just returning a call to a Miss y/n, I’m sorry I missed you but if you could please call me back, my extension is 496. I believe you received an artifact from my office by mistake.”

Like my garbage? Read more of it! Master List

Tags are open! You can request a tag view comments, private messages, or asks! I will always respond to let you know when you’re added! If you requested to be added and didn’t get a notification, let me know!

SLITHER TAGS: @wolfgamzee , @harrymewmew , @tarithenurse, @sbluehi, @tarynkauai @kinghiddlestonanddixon, @inumorph @fire-in-her-veinz @bbcsassdeadass @loki-marveltrash @moonlightprime @perceptorxbrainstorm @youveseen--thebutcher– @soulessbabylovesyou@laufxsn @thesearepoststhatiwannasave @jiminhasnoojams @arttasticgreatnessoftheawesome77 @evilzinblr@teylacarter91@radiant–punk @loavesofmeat @neverfuckinglearnedhowtodrive @andreahe @therealityhelix @cyborgjules

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#loki #loki odinson #Loki Love #Loki Laufeyson #loki x oc #loki x reader #loki x you #marvel #loki (marvel)#marvel fanfiction #marvel smutt

138 notes · View notes

bittysvalentines · 5 years

Text

I’ll Talk Bromance (if I can get it)

From: @leftwinglibrarian

To: @redneterp

Rating: Teen. Tags - Holsom, friends to lovers, mutual pining, Valentine's Day, canon-typical language

A message to your recipient - Happy Valentine's Day @redneterp! I loved getting your request, because it was almost exactly like the one I'd submitted! I felt like the world just needs more Holsom content, so that's what I went with. I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for giving me the chance to write something for this pairing I love so much!

“HOLSTER? ARE YOU WEARING A TIE OR ..” Ransom’s query is cut off by the sound of the doorbell. “Shit. CAN ONE OF YOU GUYS GET THAT?”

Apparently not, if the repeated ringing interspersed with door knocking is any indication. Ransom would grab it but he’s still standing there shirtless, which seems OK for the Haus but somehow not for Haus 2.0. Maybe this is the moment he achieves actual adulthood, he muses to himself as he grabs a dark red V-neck sweater from his drawer and pulls it on as he heads to the door.

“On my way, just one sec!” he calls out to the maniac who seems intent on knocking down their door.

He finally gets his sweater on, muttering under his breath about the uselessness of his roommates. Honestly, what is the point of living with four other people? Can’t one of them help out a guy who doesn’t want to answer the door half naked? Though to be fair, Shitty and Lardo aren’t home, because they are spending the holiday at a romantic B&B in Rockport. They both made a big deal about how they were staying “ironically” but Rans and Holster aren’t buying it. And their other roommate spends all of her time either out of the house or holed up in her room, so Rans hasn’t actually seen her in … well, it’s been a while. And Holster …

Holster is standing at the front door holding a bouquet of red roses and a giant heart-shaped box of chocolates.

“What the hell Holtzy?”

“And a Happy Valentine’s Day to you as well, Justin. May I come in?”

“Dude, you live here. What are you doing?”

“I am being a gentleman and picking up my date,” Holster says, brushing past him. “Are you ready?”

“Again, why are you picking me up? WE LITERALLY LIVE TOGETHER.”

“Bro, can’t a bro do bromance right and pick up his Brolentine’s Day date in style?”

“Brolentine’s????”

“OK, I concede that ‘Galentine’s’ works better, but I feel like you are focusing too much on the details here and missing the spirit of this holiday. Are you ready for the most Bromantic evening of your life?”

“Sure Leslie Knope,” Ransom says with a smile, glancing down at his outfit. “If you think this is OK? Wasn’t sure how dressed up we needed to get.”

“Looks great, I’m about the same,” Holster says, gesturing down to his dark jeans and a navy blue half-zip sweater. “I’m gonna grab a vase for these while you get your shoes on.”

“Wait, are we doing gifts now? Hang on,” Ransom jogs back to his room. Holster may think he’s gone all out, but two can play at this game.

Which … it started out as a game, but it’s gotten a little intense, or at least it feels that way to Ransom. It had all started a few weeks ago when the group chat started talking about Valentine’s Day. That’s when Shitty had brought up their “ironic” V-Day plans, and Jack was being super cagey, so chances are he’s got something pretty epic planned. Ransom and Holster were the only ones without real plans, since he and March had finally called it quits a few months ago after trying the long-distance thing. Holster hasn’t really dated anyone more than casually for, well ... he’s always been more into hookups than relationships. But then so has Ransom, since the breakup, so who is he to talk?

The team had resorted to those chirps that have started to make Ransom blush a bit, about how the two of them are soulmates and will have an epic Palentine’s Day, etc. And of course they had to do it when Holster had just been on a “How I Met Your Mother” kick that lead to him posting at least 17 different “Challenge Accepted” memes. That combined with his always ardent love for Leslie Knope was enough to get Holster swearing that this was going to be the most epic Galentine’s Day - or, apparently, Brolentine’s - either of them had ever experienced.

Somehow the evening had morphed from beer, pizza and Mario Kart to actual PLANS, with Holster taking on dinner and Rans in charge of the activity. Of course Shitty’s encouragement to “fuck heteronormativity, two bros can celebrate their love” had only upped the ante, and now Holster was picking him up even though they still live together and bringing him gifts … At least Holster won’t win that one.

Ransom returns to the living room where Holster has managed to find something to serve as a vase and hands him a red gift bag, complete with heart-covered tissue paper.

“Rans, are these HIS AND HIS BOXER BRIEFS? ‘Swawesome. We are totes wearing these and doing some snuggling later.”

“Sure bro, of course,” Ransom says, ducking to tie his shoe and hide his blush. That was of course what he’d been planning when he ordered them, but hearing Holster say it, well. It’s just A LOT.

Honestly, ALL of Ransoms feelings about Holster have been a lot lately. He’s always thought his best friend was handsome and funny and talented and basically just the best person ever, but since things started going south with March, those feelings have somehow morphed into something more. He finds himself noticing how Holster’s singing in the shower sets the tone for his day, or how much he misses living in each other’s pockets now that they have separate bedrooms and work in different departments at the consulting firm. Or how perfect Holster’s arms and shoulders are and wondering what they’d feel like boxing him in against the bed as Holster looms over him. And that’s not how you are supposed to feel about your best bro. So Ransom will endure this night of flowers and chocolates and fake hand holding, and he’ll stay chill, and their friendship will be fine.

He stands up to find Holster holding the door.

“My lord, your chariot awaits.”

That earns an eye roll from Ransom as he heads to the door to grab the bag full of cold weather gear he’s packed for their activity, but he lets Holster hold the door and they pile into the car, headed out for the mystery dinner Holster has planned.

Turns out Holster did a pretty damn good job. He might end up winning this thing. Not that there is an actual winner or anything, but fondue was a boss choice. Anything that features the words “beer cheese” is going to be amazing. But served with a nice Chianti, because they are grownups and this is romantic. Still, turns out beer cheese is incredible on pretty much everything, from apples to shrimp to steak tips to the piece of baguette Holster is holding out to him across the table.

“Oh my God, Rans, you have to try this. This is my new favorite combination of carbs and cheese. It is the best thing in my life besides your smiling face.”

“Whoa, dramatic much, Holtz? Besides, you say that about pretty much every combination of carbs and cheese,” Ransom jokes, trying not to let Holster’s hyperbolic talk set his heart racing. He is your best friend, that’s IT.

“I really mean it this time. And if you don’t shut the fuck up and eat it right now and allow even one precious drop of this delicious perfection to escape I will never forgive you.”

They exchange a smile with their eyes as Ransom opens his mouth and allows Holster to feed him, because bromance. He starts to chew and can’t help but let out a moan. He’s already so full but he’s going to have to eat at least a full loaf of bread now because that was fucking delicious.

He opens his eyes to find Holster with a weird look on his face, one Ransom can’t quite interpret. It disappears instantly when Holster realizes Rans is back with him, and they continue on, scraping the bottom of the fondue pot to get every last bit of the melty cheese.

They move on to dessert, Ransom allowing Holster to feed him a brownie bite covered in chocolate and returning the favor with a bit of cheesecake. Ransom could sit here all night, eating delicious food and listening to Holster talk, using his hands to gesture wildly. Ransom probably shouldn’t find it so endearing, especially since he almost hit that waitress who was carrying a full fondue pot, but he lets himself enjoy the moment. The check has come and gone and their feet are casually touching under the table. Holster’s hair looks golden in the dim lighting of the restaurant. The Boston skyline twinkles in the background, and this truly is the best Valentine’s Day Ransom can remember spending.

He’s brought back to reality by a high-pitched squeal and someone yelling “Yes! Oh my god, Tom! Yes!” All heads in the restaurant turn to see the newly engaged couple kiss, earning cheers from the crowd. It’s enough to break the spell.

“So, you ready to head out?”

“Oh dude. I literally can’t imagine doing anything other than going home and lying around in front of the TV with my pants unbuttoned while I digest. Please tell me you aren’t making us go to one of those trampoline places or something.”

“Nope. You killed it at dinner, but now it’s my turn.”

They head to the car and bundle up, Ransom handing out hand warmers before shouldering the remaining items in the bag. He’s glad the restaurant isn’t too far away, since parking in Boston is hell on a good day, and tonight is sure to be even worse.

“Do I get to see what’s in the bag?” Holster asks as they head out to walk the few blocks. It’s cold, but not too bad, and clear — a perfect winter night.

“Nope, it would spoil the surprise,” Ransom says, pulling the bag a little tighter. “You’ll guess it soon, probably before we get there.”

He does start throwing out a few guesses as they near Boston Common (“Dude, is there some special V-Day Freedom Trail thing? Do you think I’m Jack Zimmermann?”), but it’s not until they can actually see the Frog Pond that Holster realizes what the night has in store.

“Skating? That is some next level bromance, taking it back to the place we first met. Can’t believe I didn’t see this coming.”

And that … may have been exactly what Ransom was thinking, but it seems incredibly cheesy now that they’re here. He’s seriously having second thoughts about this plan. Plus the hordes of couples holding hands and the fairy lights strung through the trees are making this infinitely more romantic than any of the places they have skated. He and Holster have shared so many cellies, helmet kisses and bear hugs on the ice, but being surrounded by couples holding hands on a sheet of ice — which will always mean Holster, no matter where it might be — well, that might just be too much.

“It’s super cheesy, bro. I’m sorry. We can bail and go home and binge something, it’s fine. I just … I thought it would be funny if we came here ironically or whatever, you know?” Ransom can tell he’s not sounding convincing, especially to Holster, who knows him too well. But he’s looking around the pond instead of at Ransom, and doesn’t seem to mind the level of schmaltz surrounding them.

“Ironcially? Hell no. This is the cutest fucking thing I’ve ever seen. We are totally doing this. Did you bring our skates? Because I am not putting my foot in some stanky rental.”

Ransom’s feeling reassured enough to feign shock at the very idea of getting rentals, and they lace up and pay the fee before taking to the pond, doing lazy loops that remind Justin of the early days of their friendship, lazily passing pucks back and forth as they stayed after practice talking for hours, discovering all they had in common.

It must be weighing on Holster’s mind as well, because he speaks up voice low where he’s skating too close to Ransom, hedged in by all the other couples on the ice.

“Did you ever think we’d be here? That first day we met?”

“I mean, not exactly,” and something in the air is making Ransom’s breath come a little faster and convincing him to be more vulnerable than he thinks is actually a good idea. “But I figured out pretty early on that you were someone I wanted to be a part of my life for a long time.”

“I knew. That day,” Holster says, still quiet in a way he rarely gets that lets Ransom know these moments are to be treasured. “I just like, we met and I just KNEW that you were going to be important to me.”

Ransom realizes that they’ve slowed down and are leaning into one another, so close they are breathing each other’s air. Which, it’s not like that’s anything new for them, but this feels somehow different. The frosty air seems charged, thick between them. Ransom is just starting to question whether Holster might be feeling the same, when someone slams into him from behind, sending him crashing into Holster’s strong arms. It’s only due to Holster’s height and strength that they don’t go crashing down.

“WATCH OUT, ASSHOLE!” Holster yells over his shoulder, as he helps steady Ransom. “What a dick. Can you believe that guy? You OK?”

Luckily the shove was enough to shatter the moment, and Ransom has recovered his wits along with his balance.

“Bro, I’m good. Thanks though,” he gives Holster a soft punch on the arm, shouting after him. “YOU COULD DO BETTER MISS. I MEAN REALLY, YOU COULD DO SO MUCH BETTER.”

They start skating again, laughing together, best bros once again in a sea of lovers, when Holster’s face lights up.

“Dude, you are so buying me hot chocolate.”

“Are you even serious right now? Do you realize how much chocolate we just ate?”

“Feel the bromance in the air, Justin. That calls for some fucking hot chocolate and snuggling.”

So Ransom forks over the money for hot chocolate (least he could do, after Holster shelled out big time for dinner), and they sit down on a bench, sitting close and quiet the way they normally only do at home in front of the TV or after they’ve been drinking. That’s happening less and less these days, with separate bedrooms and no kegsters to get them schwasted and keep Ransom from climbing up to the top bunk.

The cocoa is too hot to drink, and the rink is getting even more crowded, so they pack up their skates and sip as they walk back to the car, the talk going in a million directions just like it always does, able to follow one another’s mental leaps in a way that wouldn’t make sense to most people. They get in the car and and head home, but instead of pulling in the back, Holster parks out on the street.

“Can I walk you to the door?” Holster asks, turning to look at Ransom.

“Holster. YOU. LIVE. HERE.”

“I know. But can’t a bro try to treat his bro right after an epic V-Day?”

“Sure,” Ransom sighs and thunks his head back on the rest as Holster gets out of the car. “Bros for life, right?”

Holster is still playing the game and comes around to open Ransom’s door which is next level, even for him. They walk up to the door in silence, Ransom struggling to control his emotions. He’s your best friend. Don’t fuck this up. He tries to shake it off and find the joviality from earlier in the evening, which he can tell is a mistake as soon as he opens his mouth. But even as he’s telling himself to shut the fuck up, he hears the words coming out.

“So, does this mean I get a goodnight kiss?” he tries for a laugh but it sounds strangled, and Holster is being silent and Holster isn’t laughing, why isn’t he laughing?

Ransom realizes Holster has stopped walking and he turns back to find him looking absolutely shattered. Does Holster know? Did he take this too far?

“Rans, I … I can’t do this, OK?”

“Holster, what … what do you mean? I’m sorry, OK? I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t joke about that shit. I just … it was a stupid thing to say, OK?” he moves to pull Holster into a hug, and for the first time Ransom can remember, Holster pulls away.

“I didn’t realize you knew. I’m sorry. I’ll drive up to Samwell and crash there for the night, and we can figure it out tomorrow.” Holster won’t look at him, and he starts to shuffle back to the car, and he just looks so small and miserable and Holster should never feel that way and it’s Ransom who made him look like that.

“Adam, no. It was my fault, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable,” he calls after him, grabbing Holster’s arm and turning him around so they are face to face. “I just … I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“You don’t?” Holster is looking at him incredulously. “Dude, I’m … Justin. I’m in love with you.”

Ransom can’t help the gasp that escapes from his lips. He feels himself sway a bit, feels the panic rise. This is what he’s been wanting for so long, including Holster’s strong arms wrapping around him, but Holster is still talking to him, soothing, holding him close but rubbing his back to calm the panic attack he can tell Ransom is trying to fight off.

“I love you, but I just can’t do this again. After we made out that time sophomore year, I just … Rans, that almost killed me. I just can’t do it again. And you deserve better than a creepy roommate who is mooning over you, so I can move out. I still want to be your friend, but I understand if you don’t want that.”

Ransom is still trying to get himself under control, and words are a struggle.

“I … I want. I wanted tonight to be real.”

“Justin … please,” and he’s cold as Holster is pulling slightly away, looking at Ransom with the saddest eyes Ransom has ever seen. “Please don’t say that when you don’t mean it. It hurts too much.”

“No, Holster … Adam, I. I’ve wanted it for a while now. It’s part of why I broke it off with March. I just … I thought it was just me.”

“Are you fucking with me right now?”

“No. No, I wouldn’t. Holster, I would never …” Ransom still can’t think of the right words to fix this, to let Holster know how he feels, so he does the only thing he can think of and pulls him into a kiss.

Holster is tense at first, surprised, but as Ransom keeps kissing him, trying to express what panic isn’t letting him say, he feels Holster relax into it, his arms sliding up to hold Ransom and opening his mouth to let the kiss deepen. Ransom is unsure how long it lasts, could be seconds, also seems like years, and they pull apart breathless, foreheads resting together, gulping down the cold air.

“So,” Holster says, still a bit breathless as his arms slide down to take Ransom’s hands in his. “You’re telling me that we have basically been pining away for each other for MONTHS now?”

“Uh, I guess so,” Ransom can feel himself beaming, panic sliding away as he lets himself realize that this moment is actually happening. “Should have told you, we missed so much time.”

“Bro, we still have time,” Holster says, pulling their joined hands up to his mouth and cupping them to his face, turning to kiss Ransom’s palm. “What do you say we turn this into a real Valentine’s Day?”

“Dude, only if we put on our matching boxers.”

“We can put them on, I’m just not promising they’ll stay on,” Holster says, wagging his eyebrows as he unlocks the door and they tumble inside, kissing as they move down the hallway.

Ransom loves him so fucking much.

“Hey Holster? I love you, too.”

“Bro. ‘Swawesome. Me too, obvs. Now, the big question … your room, or mine?”

Ransom drags Holster after him, wondering if it’s too soon to make one room “theirs.”

#holsterransom #fanfiction #bittysvalentines #bv2019 #omgcp

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