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reidslovely · 2 years

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That’s the Price: Cruel World (Chapter Two) (Mob! Peter x Reader)

Request: Sort of. @mango-mastani brought up turning this into a mini series and i caved.

A/N: This could be a heavy chapter for some so please be aware of that, and please read the content warnings before continuing this fic.

Pairing: Mob Boss! Peter Parker x Fem! Reader

Content Warning: Sexual allusions, mentions and brief descriptions of abuse/neglect on part of reader’s father, threats of gun violence, there is a gun present towards the end. Passing mention of blood, and beatings.

As always please reblog and if you feel like it comment!

Dating normally was not an option in this business, Peter knew that from a young age. He had heard the stories of how his parents met, how May and Ben had met. From the age of eight he knew the pattern, knew how he would meet the woman he would one day marry.

“So this is the first date you’re having? With her I mean?”

Asked Harry, as he lounged on the blue velour couch. Peter flattened out his curls with the palm of his hands, looking in the mirror at the blonde. “You’ve known you were going to marry this girl for years and you’ve never talked?”

“I’ve..I’ve sent her letters, and flowers. Besides we’ve talked..just not alone. And I haven’t known for years I’ve known for a year.”

“Does she return the favor?” Harry laughed. “Letters I mean get your head outta the gutter.”

“Doesn’t matter Har, we gotta do this.”

“It’s sad..going on your first date with your arranged wife..at nineteen.”

The way Harry drew it out made Peter bathe himself in embarrassment and guilt. He should have tried harder, harder to get (Y/N)’s affection- break her away from her fathers grip. Harry was lucky, Norman had gotten rid of the arrangement idea for himself after his failed marriage. Now Harry got to indulge in any girl or guy who paid him any bit of their time and affection. Peter grabbed the sports coat off the back of his desk chair, heading towards the door of his bedroom.

“Goodbye Har.” Sarcasm, and annoyance dripping from his tongue. The dirty blonde laughed, raising a glass to him as his friend passed.

“Yeah, tell me all about it when you get back.”

The park the two had agreed to meet at was even more private than (Y/N) had mentioned. This was a blessing to both of them, neither were technically supposed to meet without chaperones present. Peter paced nervously looking back and forth between entrances waiting for her, his sense perking up at the sound of the entrance gate opening. Soft footsteps approached him, he stood turning to meet the girl.

“Hi..(Y/N)…” He fumbled his words out.

“Peter.” The way she looked at him was one of fear, and confusion. But under it all there was a softness. Peter looked at the flowers that rested on top of the chess table, he grabbed them, thrusting them out to her.

“Hydrangeas..they’re your favorite.” Her cheeks pushed up as she smiled slightly, suddenly forgetting what their future held. It was like a normal date.

“You remembered.”

“Of course.”

“Pete..”

Peter lifted his head finding his wife's eyes, her cheeks soft and dusted with her fancy blush. Luring a soft, content hum from his lips as he reached out for her. (Y/N) smiled sweetly, taking her place on his lap, her hands holding his shoulders. “What are you thinking about?”

You..I’ve always thought of you.

“How much of a coward your father is for pulling out of lunch. I mean c’mon I was gonna pay for him.” He laughed bitterly, the two knowing the real meaning of his words.

“I’m sure you were, baby.”

Peter hummed out a laugh, his fingers rubbing over the exposed skin of her legs. (Y/N) hummed looking at him, holding his hand there. The two had gotten closer in the weeks since their wedding, even sharing the bedroom now. However, Peter had only ever gone as far as holding her as she slept at night regardless of her ache for more. Peter Parker was raised a gentleman, for better or for worse.

“Our guests are here.” She says against his cheek, his hands holding her closer.

“And you’re up here with me, instead of downstairs playing hostess?”

(Y/N) giggled, her nose brushing against his cheek. “I find you much more interesting, Mr. Parker.” Peter laughed with her, his hands rubbing her sides.

“Up, Dove. This is in celebration of you.” Peter settles her onto her feet, fixing her dress. “You’re all bunched up. Go to the bathroom and fix that up, and I will go play host? Sounds good?”

(Y/N) nodded, wrapping her arms around his waist in a hug. Peter’s lips pressed against her forehead before sending her off to the bathroom. He closed his office door, fixing his tie and started down the stairs, Miles and Harry blocking his way halfway down.

“We have a problem..” Harry says leaning on the railing. “(Y/N)’s disappeared and we have an unwanted guest.”

“She’s not missing, she's in the bathroom cleaning up.” Peter looks over the two men’s shoulders, knowing whose face to be searching for.

“We can’t find him. He came in through the back, and ran off when we spotted him.” Miles answers as calmly as possible, not wanting to draw attention to themselves. Peter sucked in a breath, his irrational brain wanting to lock (Y/N) in the bathroom until the coast was clear. As always, the rational part took over.

“Okay, Harry, you take the front. Miles, can I trust you with both backdoors?” The young man nodded quickly, rushing off towards the back. “Harry, I need you to set parameters for the outside. He’s not leaving here.”

“But-”

“Alive, I mean. He wants to show his ass here, I’ll let him but he’s gonna deal with the aftermath. If you excuse me, I need to go get my wife.”

Peter coughed under his breath as he turned loosening his tie. Soon he was rushing back up the steps, pushing the bathroom door open; he was not met with the sight of his wife.

Here’s where the irrational part of his brain took over.

“Goddamn it.”

Peter pushes through the different bedroom doors, looking in his upstairs office once again. Peter pushed his way into the locked door of their bedroom. The handle rips off as he slams his body into the door opening it.

“What the fuck!” (Y/N) yelled out a scream covering her naked body with the new dress. She stared at her husband, whose chest heaved up and down all of his feelings boiling to the surface at once. A cold, and painful shiver ran over her body- in that moment she knew something was wrong.

“Why did you lock the door? I..was worried. I couldn’t find you.” Peter calmed himself before approaching her. (Y/N)’s hands shook as she held the dress to her, tears swelling in her eyes. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Peter covered his mouth, as he held her arms.

“My zipper broke on my dress when I was fixing it in the bathroom. I needed..needed to change, I’m sorry.” She apologized to him, her heart pounding in her throat. What had she done to make him upset at her? She hiccuped as he zipped up her new dress, pulling her into a hug.

“Shush, shh shh.” Peter petted her hair, shaking his head. “It’s not you baby, I thought you were in danger was all.”

“Pete, why- why would I be in- he’s here.” She let out a shaky sigh.

“He is, was. I’m not sure where he is, but we can’t let it ruin the night okay? I will be by your side all night. I’ve got people on it.”

He grabbed her face tenderly, pulling her eye to eye with him. She nodded, her jaw tense as she held her hands over his. “If he shows back up here, I guarantee you the only way he’ll be leaving here is in a body bag.”

Peter picked up the old dress that was laying on the bed, patting the fabric on her cheeks. “Do. Not. Leave my side tonight.” He dropped the fabric pulling her into his arms.

“I wasn’t planning on it.” She whispers, nuzzling her head under his chin. (Y/N) let out a shaky breath, her hands dropping from his sides as they broke apart. She tilted her head back to look at him, his lips pulling down slightly as he stared at her.

“C’mon they’re going to get restless. That’s the last thing we want tonight.”

(Y/N) hummed softly, a forced laugh leaving her lips as she and Peter made their way downstairs.

She lit up on his arm, moreso, Peter lit up on her arm. His friends and colleagues had never seen the brunette with such a loving, whimsical smile. (Y/N) couldn’t help but let out a little laugh each time Peter introduced her.

“Ah Curt, Curt. This is my beautiful, adoring wife (Y/N). (Y/N) this is..well I shouldn’t call you by that here, Dr. Connors.” He teased the older man, his grip still firm on (Y/N)’s hip. She had never fel so cared for, so adored. Almost forgetting she should be on high alert for the ghost to make his appearance, but there comes a time where she believes that maybe he had finally left her alone.

“He talks about you like that all the time you know.” (Y/N) turned to the temptress-like voice, before her stood three women all holding a drink. The dark haired girl thrusted the other glass out to her smiling. “You did what none of us could do.” She grins. “I’m Felicia this is Gwen and Mary-Jane.”

The women had been mentioned in passing, all women Peter had dated with in one way or another in his teen years. “Yes, I put two and two together.” (Y/N) smiles at the women.

She laughed taking the glass filled with the red liquid, like clockwork she looked over her shoulder checking Peter was still in her line of sight. Swirling the wine, she thought of conversation topics; this was still all so new to her.

“I mean it’s not like we had a choice, we’ve practically had this arrangement since we were kids.”

The girls laughed in response.

It wasn’t a joke.

However, she forced out a laugh with them. “Well congrats, really.” Gwen smiles. “You’re one of us now.”

“I am honored. Are there any expectations from me?” (Y/N) joked, settling into the dynamic. Mary-Jane shook her head, her hand grabbing (Y/N)’s forearm lightly.

“Of course not, you’re the wife you just have to tell us the juicy details.”

(Y/N) jumped at the sudden firm hand finding her lower back, a thumb stroking it’s way across. “Have you inducted my wife to your coven Miss Hardy?” Peter teased, nursing his whiskey.

“She was a willing participant.” Felicia's sweet voice hummed. Peter scoffed with a laugh, pressing his lips to (Y/N)’s temple. Her eyes peered up at him watching his every facial movement, he talked with the women so politely and respectfully. Asking about their jobs, Gwen and Harry’s newborn letting them know that if they ever needed anything to reach out. It was astonishing to (Y/N), that a man of Peter’s status treated women like equals.

“I need to refill my glass.” He says, (Y/N) jumps from their embrace taking his glass from his hand. “Dove, I’m a grown man, I can get it myself.”

“No please. I’ll be right back, Harry is at the bar. I'll have eyes on me.”

Dodging his argument, (Y/N) turned and rushed to the bar before Peter could say no. The bar was lined with liquor, grabbing the bourbon from the bottom shelf she poured it over the ice in his glass.

“Mrs. Parker.” Harry says urgently, as he rushed around the bar. “I need you to follo-“

A hand reached over the bar clamping down on (Y/N)’s forearm, shock settles over her body as the glass crashes to the ground.

“You think you can just throw me out of your own wedding? Forget about me?” The ghost she had forgotten abut yells in her face, practically pulling her across the bar. Osborn threw himself across the bar, pulling Tony back; pulling (Y/N) further across the bar in the fight.

“Peter!”

There was a mix of voices yelling the name, and (Y/N) wasn’t even sure if he heard them. Her eyes screwed shut, her mouth agape in pain. “Let me go, please, please. I’m sorry”

Her tears felt hot against her cheeks, as they rolled down into her mouth.

“You are so ungrateful. Without me you wouldn’t be here, you would be nothing. And you throw me out of an event I spent your whole life putting together. You fucking bitch. I have half the mind to pull you across this bar and show you your-“

Click.

The steel click of the handgun is the only other sound that filled the room besides (Y/N)’s begs and plea on top of her fathers yelling.

“You have not even five seconds to step away from her or I will lay your brains out on this floor.” Peter’s calm demeanor set an eerie feeling over the room.

“Yeah or wha-“

Peter pushed the barrel of the gun deeper against Tony’s temple, the sheer force pushing Tony’s head the other direction.

“I said. Walk. I don’t like repeating myself.”

Peter grabbed the back of Tony’s suit pulling him off (Y/N). Forcing him to walk towards his office doors. Harry grabbed the other side of Tony’s jacket, leading the way.

“Party is over, thank you everyone for coming and for your lovely gifts. Now, Miles will show you all to your cars and you can expect thank you cards very soon.”

As if nothing happened, everyone had gone back to chatting as they exited the house. (Y/N) dropped behind the bar, shaking and holding her legs closer to her. There were no tears, she couldn’t cry even if she wanted to.

“(Y/N)..” Gwen’s soft voice overtook her sense, her freshly manicured hands reaching out to her, (Y/N) took them as support as she lifted herself from the space behind the bar. She glanced at Peter's office. There were no screams, no arguing, not even a gunshot.

“No, no. Let’s get you to lay down.”

There was no fight left, she leaned on Gwen as she walked up the steps her body finally giving into the tiredness that washes over her. Gwen laid (Y/N) on the bed, and pulled her shoes off before covering her up.

“It’s alright, you need to stay up here. Go to sleep, okay.” Gwen walked to the door, closing it softly behind her.

As much as she wanted to give into the sleep she couldn’t, she tossed and threw herself around. Even using what little strength she had left to get up and change into her nightgown thinking she just needed to be more comfortable. Subconsciously, she knew it was the missing body in the bed. The only touch that could comfort her in moments like these.

(Y/N) let out a shaky breath, rolling in the bed to watch the door. Counting down, wishing that he’d walk in- but ultimately she had no idea how long it would be. She didn’t know how long it had been since the argument. She closed her eyes holding Peter’s pillow close to her chest, her eyes closing. Finally feeling warm, her body started to drift into that sweet comfort; the creaking sound for the wood door opening her sense back up.

“Peter?”

“Oh, Dove, I'm sorry.” Peter held himself at a distance, something he never did with her. Avoiding her gaze in the dark room, his hands shoved into his pockets. “Go back to sleep, I’ll be in soon.”

(Y/N) watched as he disappeared into the bathroom, the door shutting behind him. The water in the sink ran for what felt like forever, she waited like a kid for him to walk out. Finally, when the door opened and Peter settled into bed everything felt normal again. Except his distance, he laid on his left side tonight, not his right facing her. She stared at his back for only a couple seconds before pulling the fabric of his shirt. Without words he knew what she wanted, he turned to her pulling her to his chest. As his hands pulled on her she saw the red that lined his nail beds, the bruising on his knuckles, and the busted vein that left a ugly mark. Refusing to let her see it he moved his hands flat against her back, holding her as close as humanly possible.

“I’m so sorry Peter.” She says her hands rubbing his chest. Her guilt building in her chest, she drove him to that point.

“No, no. None of that- you are not to blame. He is the monster, not me. Not you.” Peter brought his hand to cradle her face, his thumb rubbing softly.

“Did you kill him?”

The question shocked Peter to a point of laughter. “No. I wish I had.” His breath came out rough, his thumb stroking her cheek. ‘Harry pulled me off. He’s dropping him off at a hospital, no questions asked.”

(Y/N) kissed his palm, her eyes fluttering closed.

“That is the price I pay for you. For my love for you.” The devotion in his voice could drive her to tears. “I would do anything for you, you know that right? Protect you to any extent I have too.” He spoke so tenderly, the tears overflowed.

“I know, I do.”

Their lips found one another like magnets, her hands grabbing his shirt in the heat of passion. This was what safety felt like, here in this moment she knew that nothing would ever take away the love they had for each other.

Tags: If you were forgotten let me know!

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ecoamerica · 19 days

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magnoliabutters · 1 year

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• CAN YOU TAKE IT ALL? •

pairing: eddie munson x steve harrington

summary: the munson-harrington friendship gets a tad bit more complicated.

warnings: 18+ content, mdni, adult language; st spoilers; ptsd-related nightmares, first kiss, fluffy fluff, smutty smutty, oral, etc.

word count: ~5.7k

support your writer: reblogs for the steddie boys 🤤

note: my dear staffi, your 1k is 1k% well deserved. i could think of nothing better than to honor @seidenbros with a steddie smut fic. this is inspired by my homie @steveshairychest post and miss staffi's thoughts, as well as the nightmares mentioned in her beautiful steddie post. this story is set in a cannon divergent universe post season 4’s events. i hope you like it! also i will say there’s a lot of back and forth so i hope it’s not too too confusing 🥹 there’s also a narrator type of feel in there, idk my adhd brain’s like mad scattered so good luck?

prompts included: (1) scars tell the story of where we’ve been, they are a part of us, and you show that to your loved one with kissing all of their scars, (2) “you taste like heaven, and I can’t get enough,” & (3) “will you stop talking, or do I have to make you shut up?”

He will never forget that red thundering sky.

The sounds crash above him. His instinct is to look up, but he keeps his eyes focused as the demobats spiral around him. His grip tightens onto his shield. He knows he is going to die. He knew that when he decided against going through the portal in his living room. When he walked away from Dustin’s screaming pleas. He wanted to be a coward no more. He would need to die to ensure the party’s safety - his safety. He is fine with this. He honestly could not think of a better way to go. He just prays it will be quick.

He watches as the bats seem to alter their flying at the sound of each clap of thunder. His mind begins reeling. What can he do to use this information against them? He feels the fear bubble up through his chest. He yells out to give himself the bravery he desperately clings onto. He thrusts his spear into the tornado of bats just to be met with their attack. He holds as much as he can back with his shield but they overwhelm him. He falls.

Once recognizing the floor pressed against his back, he knew it was time. It was his time. He uses the shield to cover as much of his body as possible. He feels hot strikes of pain through his shins and thighs. He cannot help but scream as he grips tighter onto his shield’s handle. They are killing him and it is not quick. He feels every single bite. Each bite plays on repeat in his head.

One wraps it’s tail around his throat. He cannot breathe. He quickly digs his nails against his own skin, struggling to put distance between his neck and the tail. Panic hits him like a train. His entire body is in this confusing mixed state of stillness and desperation. He is moving in slow motion, perpetually stuck in death.

Steve wakes to a thumping sound. His eyes open widely. His body is startled, but swiftly ready for action. Was it happening again? Was Vecna coming? Or was it the demodogs this time? Did they come back? He raises from his bed and continues to listen. He keeps his eyes on his closet, knowing he has a shotgun waiting for him. A gun he purchased back when he found out the truth about Barbara - how close death was. How was he never meant to feel safe in his home again.

He hears a voice. Eddie’s voice. The mental grog from waking up blurs his mind, but Eddie’s voice pulls him through. He remembers that he invited Eddie to stay with him while they both heal and particularly while he is technically still on the lam. As much as his voice calms him, an interesting reaction he notes, it sounds a bit troubled now. He quietly stands from the bed and walks towards his parents’ room - where Eddie was sleeping.

Steve feels worry as he tip-toes down the hallway. He does not want to scare Eddie, but something is wrong. The altruistic side of him would never be able to ignore that, let alone fall back asleep. He hears mumbling again and suddenly a scream. He bursts in the through the door, quickly scanning the room for any threats. He stands above Eddie who wriggles in his sheets. His brows pressing in and out as he mumbles in his sleep.

Part of Steve is clearly concerned. The other part could not help noticing the sleeping beauty below him. His lips supple. His hair thick and incredible. His shirt cut at the shoulders. His biceps on full display. From far, Munson looks scrawny but from where Steve stands, the boy has muscle. Quickly, he pushes those thoughts from his head. His face scrunches as he struggles to ignore the light hearted feeling of letting in that type of thinking.

Steve has only felt this way towards two people in his life, despite the trail of people he has left behind in his high school career. The feeling of his heart being drawn out of his chest. He felt it with Nancy. He feels it again with Eddie. It caught him off guard. Nothing prepares you for a sudden longing of a guy, especially when you pride yourself as a ladies’ man.

Steve felt a brief attraction to Billy Hargrove when he so aggressively beat him in basketball. It definitely had nothing to do with his personality - how could it? But how he pushed against him, with that sweat-filled bare chest. There was a moment where anger and annoyance subsided, and Steve did not mind being pushed around by Hargrove’s strength. Of course, this thought was pushed down deeper than the pits of hell. Especially after he heard what Billy had done to Max and Lucas.

Once Dustin began high school, Eddie became a prominent person in Steve’s life - whether he liked it or not. Dustin loved this guy, compared this guy to Steve. Anger and jealousy fueled his mind anytime “Eddie Munson” was discussed. Yet, when he finally met the man, he felt a spark. Eddie jumped out of nowhere and pressed Steve against the shack’s wall, hard. A hand on his collarbone and a broken bottle dangerously close to his juggler.

Steve initially thought the spark was the fear and adrenaline pushing through his body. He rose his hands to show he wasn’t a threat. Once Dustin started talking, Eddie began to let his guard down, placing space between them. It gave Steve the opportunity to look into those gentle chocolate eyes and see the genuine sincerity and beauty within them. He knew in that moment that every incredible thing Dustin said about Eddie was true. He had to know more. The spark, he now recognizes, turned into a red hot flush to his cheeks…

As another disturbed mumble falls from Eddie’s lips, Steve is pulled from his thoughts and lightly pats Eddie’s shoulder. “Eddie,” he whispers. “Eddie, it’s just a dream.” He continues to mumble, his movements more jagged. “Eddie,” he says louder. He shakes his shoulder and sits on the edge of the bed. He begins to stress, wanting to remove him from this scary state. He shakes a bit harder.

Eddie’s eyes shoot open. His breathing heavies as he grips onto Steve’s shoulder. “Eddie, it’s okay. It’s okay,” Steve soothes. “Where’s Dustin?” he mumbles on as his brows pull together. Eddie struggles to grip onto reality, but he recognizes the mattress and sheets below him. He realizes it is not the upside down’s floor plastered against his back. He pulls his eyes towards Steve’s. “Steve?” he asks out of breath and still panicked.

“Hey, yeah. I think you had a bad dream,” Steve answers as he places his hand upon Eddie’s chest. “You’re safe.” Eddie watches with confused eyes. He feels comfort from Steve’s warmth but still lost in bouncing thoughts between what is real and what is not. His eyes travel towards Steve’s hairy chest and green pajama pants hanging by a draw string. He immediately pulls away and places all his energy on not staring. Steve’s eyes are focused upon his hand. He’s both shocked and overjoyed with his hand’s placement. Ambiguous thoughts flood his mind.

Where Steve has hidden his attraction, even from himself, Eddie has always been straight forward with those he’s closest to. At first, Eddie was not the biggest fan of Steve. He even told him so. Dustin spoke of him at length. Each conversation that surrounded Harrington just reminded him of every conversation he had in school. Everyone spoke of him and his gorgeous hair.

Yet, when Eddie finally had the opportunity to interact with Steve, all that changed. Through the danger, gore, and fear within the weeks filled of Vecna, Eddie felt a burning inside of him. He recognized immediately that Steve was someone special and that he wanted more. He had no care in the world and openly flirted with him any chance he got. He particularly enjoyed the confused looks of the members of his party. Not to mention a shirtless Steve wearing his denim vest? Eddie was done for. So when all that shit was finally done and Steve asked if he wanted to stay at his house, Eddie did not hesitate.

“Thanks,” Eddie says with a shaken tone as he lifts himself from the bed, resting back on his palms. Steve lightly pulls away as his focus has shifted back to concern. He remembers the last time he saw Eddie like this. It was a horrifying sight. He walked up on Dustin cradling Eddie in the darkness of the upside down. Henderson’s tears falling upon Eddie’s lifeless face as blood pooled at the edge of his mouth. They thought he was going to die. But Steve was going to work his damned hardest to make sure that didn’t happen - especially not in front of Dustin.

As gently as he could, Steve flung Eddie over his shoulder and ran into the trailer. He heard a grumble and a wince. Both sounds that burst energy through his body. He was alive. He and Dustin worked together to hoist Eddie through the portal. Nancy and Robin were shortly behind. They both quickly jumped into the roles of doctor as they treated his wounds with bandages and disinfectant. Steve can still hear his screams when they dowsed his injuries with alcohol. Steve wanted nothing more than to run to him in that moment. To comfort him - hold him. Instead, he watched from the corner of the room, gripping tightly onto his chin as he bit his trembling lip.

Eddie’s eyes flick towards Steve. He observes the shift in his face’s expression. His first instinct is to raise his hand to his face, pull him back from whatever thoughts clouded him. He strongly stops the urge, clearing his throat. “Steve,” he says softly. Quickly Steve’s eyes look back into his. “Sorry,” he laughs and pushes his hand through his hair. “It’s okay,” Eddie says softly. “Get lost in your thoughts?” Eddie asks. Steve turns to look at him with a smile. “Something like that,” he replies innocently. “Yeah, that happens to me too,” Eddie nods as he looks down at his hands on his lap.

Steve took that moment to realize that he may have overstayed his welcome. He stands and gestures a goodbye. “Well, I’ll let you get back to bed,” he says as he turns towards the door. Panic rushes through Eddie. He isn’t ready for Steve to leave. “Wait,” he says loudly. “You can stay if you want,” he coyly murmurs.

Steve reaches the door handle and turns back to Eddie. “Are you sure?” he asks. “I’m sure, Harrington,” Eddie reassures with a smile. The devilish smile that Steve has been waiting for. It quickly eases his worry and melts his heart, all at the same time. Most of all, it pulls a big grin upon his face. Eddie has the best smile, whether you would like to admit it or not. And Steve will admit it.

With a failed attempt to not be awkward, Steve sits at the foot of the bed. He rests only a few inches away from Eddie's feet. Eddie stifles a laugh as he watches. "You can sit up here," he chuckles as he pats the bed beside him. Steve laughs at himself. "I wasn't sure what would be weirder," he mutters under his breath. "Hm, I think the sitting at the edge of the bed is weirder," Eddie says with a bit of flare.

Steve shrugs, amused, as he stands and walks over to the other side. Surprisingly, he lays back onto the pillow comfortably and without hesitation. His feet cross in front of him. He intertwines his fingers as they rest upon his stomach. Without looking at him, he gently asks, "Did you wanna talk about it?" Eddie turns towards him and smiles as Steve's eyes remain down. "It's nothing too bad," Eddie tries to downplay. "Just some nightmares after everything that went down."

That was enough to pull Steve's eyes towards Eddie's face. Eddie watched as his sweet honey hazel irises peer into his soul. They were so full of anguish and worry. "But it's okay. It's not that bad, remember?" he tries to reassure. Steve's brows continue to furrow as he watches in sadness. There is a certain twinkle to his eye that Eddie doesn't recognize.

Steve pulls his eyes from Eddie once more. "When I first got dragged into all this, I had nightmares every night for at least 2 months straight," Steve says solemnly. Eddie listens intently, now his turn to worry. "I had a few months of life going back to normal, which - I knew wouldn't last. But then the demodogs showed up-" he shares. "Demodogs?" Eddie asks. His mind immediately screams at him for interrupting. Steve turns back towards him with a small smile. "Yeah, they're like smaller versions of Demogorgens," he answers. "You know about Demogorgens?" Eddie scoffs. "It's what the kids call it - I don't know," he laughs. "Just talk to Henderson. He'll give you the whole run down."

Eddie smiles as his eyes fall upon Steve's. "I'm sorry I interrupted," he murmurs. "What were you saying?" Steve could swear his heart stopped beating for a second. Those sweet eyes give him all the pleasure and all the comfort he could ever want. "After Vecna, the nightmares came back for good. I haven't had a good night sleep since," he weakly laughs. "I wake up to the slightest of sounds and if I manage to get to sleep, I dream about those bats choking the life out of me." Eddie's heart races as he hears Steve's account. He almost forgot that Steve was attacked by the bats too. That he shares the same wounds - physically and mentally.

"I've been dreaming about them too," Eddie sighs as he plays with the blankets. With a deep breath, he plasters a brave smile on his face. "I'm just happy I made it out alive." He places a hesitant hand upon Steve's. "Thanks to you," he whispers under his breath. Steve could not help but blush. He pulls his eyes from Eddie's touch, as if not to bring attention to it. "You would've done it for me," Steve says. Eddie laughs, "I'm not sure I would've been able to do that." Steve joins him in a nervous chuckle. "What do you mean? You wouldn't have come back for me?"

Eddie pats his hand on Steve before holding it against his own laughing abdomen. "I don't think I'd be able to carry you, dude," he tries to say through bursts of laughter. Steve chuckles as he pulls his head back onto the headboard. He smirks and playfully punches Eddie's bicep. "You wouldn't be able to carry me with these muscles?" he scoffs with an eyebrow raised. Eddie smiles at his touch, but quickly wiggles it away. "Maybe I could," Eddie mumbles under his breath with a shrug. Steve grins as he looks back at those gorgeous eyes of his.

"I would have never left you there. No matter what," Steve murmurs with a shake of his head. Eddie pulls the side of his mouth and nods. "I would do the same for you," he whispers. Steve recognizes the sincerity in Eddie's eyes. Eddie enjoys the warmth in Steve's smile. They sit there for a few seconds, which feels like hours. But for the two of them, hours are not enough.

Steve's heart races. He can feel his pulse in his ears. Nerves rush through his extremities. Happiness fills his chest. Eddie feels a pit in his stomach. His muscles tighten as he struggles to remain calm. He is caught off guard by this reaction. He usually only feels this when he's nervous before a show. Luckily for him, the usual adrenaline that follows shortly rides throughout his body. Without a second thought, Eddie slowly leans closer towards Steve. His eyes focus on his supple lips, hoping that this isn't a mistake. Before Steve could even think, he places his hands on Eddie's cheeks and pulls him into a kiss.

Now, this is not your typical first kiss. There is no sweet peck and pulling away to look into each other’s eyes. No. There is a huge fire burning deep within Steve and Eddie. It’s been building for months. And it finally has a way out.

Steve’s hand travels towards Eddie’s ear. He intertwines his fingers within his brunette curls. Eddie bites into the kiss. His neck extended as his body slowly follows. He notes that Steve’s lips are supple and sweet - sweeter than expected. His ringed hand feels cool against Steve’s cheek. The painful longing they both felt now turned into an aggressive match of love.

Eddie’s fingers grasp harshly against Steve’s skin. Steve’s body scoots closer to his, eventually toppling over him. The ends of his soft hair tickling Eddie’s face. The two struggle to gasp for breaths as they crash their tongues against each other. Eddie spreads his legs as Steve leans between them. Steve’s hand rests upon his waist as Eddie ruts his hips up. Steve could feel that bulge against his crotch. He wants nothing more than to…

Steve pulls away with a gasping breath. His eyes dragged from Eddie’s as he slowly begins to lean up from the embrace. Eddie rests frozen in place, completely confused. “I’m sorry,” Steve mutters as he wipes his lips with the back of his hand. He crashes back onto his side of the bed. His head leaning onto the headboard as he tracks his hands down his face. “It’s alright,” Eddie says as he watches Steve out of his peripherals.

“I haven’t done anything like this before,” Steve says as he places his hands on his legs out in front of him. His body language screaming “uncomfortable.” “We don’t have to do anything-” Eddie starts. “But I want to, Eddie, that’s the thing,” Steve says with distress, finally turning to look at the chocolate eyed boy. Eddie sighs as the sides of his mouth curl into a smile.

Steve puts his hands to his own face. “Have you done this before?” he asks, peering out curiously from behind his fingers. Eddie softly laughs at the sight. “Yeah, once or twice,” he murmurs. “Oh god,” Steve says as he drags his hands down his face. “Harrington, it’s okay,” Eddie soothes. “Let’s just take this slow.” Steve sighs in relief as he shakes his head. “I can do slow,” he whispers. “Yeah,” Eddie says as he places a hand to his shoulder. “That way we’ll have a better story to tell our grandkids.”

Steve’s head shoots up, “Hey! That’s not slow!” Eddie bursts into laughter. To the point where his knees are at his chest. His hand at his stomach. Steve can’t help but chuckle alongside him. “I’m kidding, Harrington,” he manages to mumble between laughs. “You are too easy.” Steve smiles as he rolls his eyes.

“Eddie?” Steve asks with a softened tone. Eddie smiles as he directs his attention torwards the god of beauty in front of him. “Do you mind if I sleep here, with you, tonight?” he asks. A tightness balls in his chest. Eddie can’t help but smile larger at his request. “Yes,” he says. Steve immediately beams. “But only if I get one more kiss,” he adds.

Steve bites his lip as he leans in towards Eddie. They both close their eyes as their lips meet in a gentler embrace. Steve pulls back and whispers onto Eddie’s lips. “Good night, Munson.” He turns over and gets under the blankets. The two begin their sleep with their backs to each other. Only to wake up to Eddie resting his head upon Steve’s chest, and Steve’s arm caressing Eddie’s back - pulling him closer.

Not much has changed for the Harrington-Munson friendship. One month later and a handful of heavy make out sessions to show for it. The biggest change was that neither of them slept alone anymore. Since that first night, they have slept in the same bed. They have slept better than they ever have. They both had no intention of sleeping without each other again.

After a long night of Eddie trying to teach Steve how to play dungeons and dragons, Steve finally was able to suggest saying goodbye to the group. “I’m not at all surprised that you chose a Paladin,” Dustin says with a sheepish laugh as he packs up the dnd game. Eddie smirks from across the table. “Yeah, I still have no idea what that means,” Steve says as he grabs another chip from the designated snack bowl.

“I would’ve thought he’d been a Cleric,” Will shares with a shrug of his shoulders. “Big boy’s got the energy for both. Don’tcha, Harrington?” Eddie says with a tilt of his head. Steve watches his taunting smile with hunger in his eyes. “Still got nothing,” Steve says with his hands thrown up. “We’ll be back next week,” Mike says as he waves for Lucas to stand up. They clearly have somewhere to be.

“Wait, wait, wait,” Steve says as the boys rush to the front door. “Next week?” His face full of confusion. His face squished together in worry. “I thought this was a one time thing?” Eddie smiles, biting on one of his rings, as he softly laughs. He adores the man. “Yeah, we made our characters and next week we play,” Lucas says dumbfounded. “What did you think we were doing here, Steve?” Dustin asks with a chuckle. “I thought we were just making characters. Isn’t that what you guys do?” Steve asks, pushing a hand through his hair and raising his other hand. “Yeah, and then we bring our characters into battle,” Will says sarcastically as he shares an annoyed glance with Mike.

“Okay, okay. Whatever next week,” Steve says, shooing the gang away. Eddie immediately stands and begins to clap his hands. “Let’s go boys,” he yells. “We were just leaving-” Mike whines. “Up-up-up,” Eddie interrupts. Steve smiles as he watches him from the side of his eye. “That doesn’t sound like leaving, Wheeler.” Will laughs and quickly grabs his die. “Quick feet, Beyers. Let’s go!” Eddie claps closely at Will’s back, enough to make him hop and skip to the door.

With confused faces and devilish laughter, Eddie got the boys out without much of a hassle. He closes the Harrington’s front door and flicks the lock. He turns with his arms held high and bows before Steve. Steve watches amused but with teetering brows. "You're welcome," he says with that demon smile. "Thank you," Steve scoffs as he crosses his arms against his chest. Eddie walks over to the couch and flings back with dramatic intent. “Alright, Harrington. Come ravish me,” he says with a deep breath and closing his eyes. Steve laughs as he walks to the other end of the couch. He picks up Eddie’s crossed legs and places them onto his lap as he sits upon the cushion.

“Or … I could ravish you,” Eddie says as he raises his torso closer to Steve’s. His hand is placed against Steve’s chin, pulling his eyes towards him. “Ravish me?” Steve laughs. Eddie leans in with a bit lip. Steve’s lips meet him half way for a short, simple kiss. He pulls back with a sweet grin. “We wouldn’t be doing anything you haven’t done before, Harrington,” Eddie says as his finger travels down his chin to his adam’s apple and to his collarbone. Steve’s eyes light up. “This has all been pretty new, Munson,” he scoffs.

“Oh what, you think because it’s two guys it’s different?” Eddie says with a smirk as his finger tracks down his chest. “It’s still just two people who enjoy each other’s company and making each other feel good.” Steve chuckles as his finger twirls a curl in Eddie’s brunette locks. “That’s one way to simplify it,” he says under his breath.

Eddie plays with Steve’s happy trail and finally hooks his finger beneath his waistline. Steve’s eyes are pulled quickly towards him. The two have spoken of moving forward before but no one has initiated, until now. Nerves send shock waves out to Steve’s body. His touch hesitant and thought out. Eddie smiles as he crawls onto the living room floor and plants himself between Steve’s legs.

Steve watches as Eddie looks up at him with those “fuck me” eyes. God, did Steve want to but he is so nervous. He is more nervous now than his first time with Lacy Pickett. Eddie slowly spreads his legs as his hands smooth out the denim of his inner thighs’ jeans. Sharp breaths leave Steve’s nostrils as his chest tightens and he feels the blood leave his head.

“You can always tell me to stop, Steve,” Eddie says as he licks his bottom lip. “I promise it will be okay. We can try again another day.” He squeezes his hands against his inner thigh, massaging as he playfully taunts his groin. “I-I don’t want to wait another day,” Steve mutters softly. He could feel how hard he was for Eddie. He would not be able to leave without releasing some form of pressure. Eddie blushes as he bites his lip. “We’ll go slow,” he says with a nod.

Steve returns the nod as he reaches for his shirt, pulling it off rapidly. He then gently reaches for Eddie’s, but is met with hesitation. “Oh, I’m sorry,” he says as his worried eyes make another appearance. Eddie takes a deep breath as he sits back onto his knees. “I just-,” he laughs, trying to brush off his feelings. “I just haven’t gotten used to the scars yet.” Steve slightly smiles as he completely understands.

“I love your scars,” Steve says as he holds Eddie’s hand. Eddie scoffs as he keeps his eyes down. “They show how strong you are. How much you’ve been through. They are a part of you now,” he murmurs. “They’re disgusting,” Eddie adds with a sheepish smile. Steve shakes his head. “Not to me. To me, they scream bravery and strength. You saved us, you saved me. I love them, Eddie,” he says with all sincerity.

Eddie’s eyes finally make their way back to his. Steve slowly raises Eddie’s shirt, watching him for any sign of discomfort. Bites rest on the sides of his torso. One broke through his spider tattoo. Steve joins Eddie on the ground. He places a kiss onto each scar softly. Eddie jumps at ticklish spots, making them both laugh. “I love them,” he says as he places a kiss on Eddie’s lips. “I love yours,” Eddie adds.

Steve smirks. “So what the hell is a Paladin?” he asks. Eddie quickly shakes his finger no as he returns back on his knees. “No seriously. Can we go over that part again because-” “Will you stop talking, or do I have to make you shut up?” Eddie asks with a daring look. Steve scoffs as a grin sprawls across his face. “You might need to make me,” he jokes. Eddie smirks. “Shut up, and get your ass back on the couch,” he instructs with his finger pointed. Steve laughs with his hands up. He stands and follows Eddie’s demands. “Yes, sir,” he mutters. He sits with his legs spread and a growing mass at his groin. He leans back into the couch in excitement.

Eddie carefully unbuckles Steve’s belt. He lightly pulls it around his waist. Their eyes remain on each other. He then unbuttons his jeans and pulls them down. Steve lifts himself up so that his pants could pile at his ankles. Eddie glances at the thickly lined cock hidden under Steve’s boxers. Eddie could feel himself hardening at the thought of it. His tongue presses against the roof of his mouth as excitement hits him like a wave.

“You don’t know how long I’ve wanted to do this,” Eddie mutters under his breath as he tugs onto his boxers. Steve quickly leans forward to place a sweet hand to Eddie’s cheek. “I’ve wanted to kiss you since we met in that shack,” he says with all sincerity. Eddie is speechless, completely frozen in shock. Not once did he imagine Steve returning the level of attraction and affection that Eddie had for him.

Without any more words being said, the two knew in that moment that they are not just a fling. They are not a curious experiment. They are not a frivolous mistake. There is something real between them. Something special, something they have never had before.

Eddie’s smile grows as he pulls down Steve’s waist line. Steve’s hand now behind his curled locks as his eyes remain on Eddie’s. A small gasp escapes Eddie’s mouth as he catches a full glance at the thick, girthy cock in front of him. The blood rushes quickly down to his groin, but he tries his best to stay on task.

Eddie lightly wraps his hand around its staff as Steve lets out shaky breaths. Eddie slowly makes his way up and rubs his thumb against the bead of pre-cum falling from its slit. He uses it as lube as he begins to strengthen his grasp. His eyes flick up towards Steve, just to see Steve struggling to maintain his slow breaths.

As he quickens his strokes, Eddie’s tongue dances against the back of his front teeth. He struggles to keep it in. Steve’s eyes begin to close as he rests his head back. Eddie can feel Steve's hips grinding against his forearms. He could feel the slight thrusts into his grasp. Eddie’s other hand lays flat and tight against Steve’s upper thigh.

Steve lets out slow, low-toned moans as he wriggles under Eddie. “Oh fuck,” he mumbles under his breath. His grip behind Eddie’s head becomes tighter. “Steve,” Eddie says, breaking Steve’s concentration. “Hold my hair up,” he demands. Steve quickly raises to gather as much of his thick hair as he could.

Eddie lowers his mouth onto the tip of his cock. Steve’s mouth opens widely and quickly shuts with a bit lip at the sight and sensation. Eddie’s tongue wraps around the head as his grasp tightens at its bottom. He lets out a sweet moan as he takes another inch in. Steve’s grasp of Eddie's hair tightens even harder as he watches Eddie take more of him in. “Shit, shit,” he whines as he begins to slowly thrust into his sweet mouth.

“Eddie, fuck,” Steve moans as his hips wiggle. Eddie takes in more as he squeezes Steve’s thigh. He grinds his own cock against the couch’s side. Eddie loves feeling Steve's thick cock in his mouth. It’s grooves and veins excite him, making him salivate. He rubs against it as it lightly rides down the center of his tongue. “C-can you take it all?” Steve softly blurts out, struggling to keep his breath. Eddie smiles at the request and takes in a deep breath from his nostrils. He takes as much as he can, with Steve’s hand guiding him down.

Steve releases a moan that Eddie will remember for the rest of his life. It was sweet, yet dominant. He loves it. He wants to hear it again and again. He lifts off Steve’s cock with drool seeping from the side of his mouth. Steve is still breathing heavily, now with a hand in his hair. Eddie goes back in taking a little bit more. “Shit, Eddie. Oh my god,” he says as he thrusts further into his mouth. Eddie lightly gags but fights to stay enthralled with Steve. He could feel his curls at the tip of his nose.

With a gentle movement, Eddie begins to play with Steve’s balls. Steve quickly and instinctually pulls back as to not overstimulate himself. Eddie begins to circle his tongue around his head once again. His thumb plays with the thick vein underneath his shaft.

Steve feels a familiar pit in his stomach. Without thinking, he begins to thrust into Eddie’s mouth lightly. Eddie encourages him by quickening his movements and licks. Steve thrusts quicker, harder into Eddie’s throat. His mind reeling as he feels his muscles tighten. “Oh fuck, Eddie. Oh god,” he moans breathlessly. Eddie can’t help but smile at the beautiful sounds. He knows he must be close.

The pit in Steve's stomach is growing in size. His toes tighten and straighten out. He feels tingles at the top of his head. “I’m cumming, Eddie. I-I’m cumming,” he yells. Eddie begins to feel the shots of salt within his mouth. The taste that brings an incredible rush of happiness through his body. Steve’s muscles tense and relax as he thrusts into Eddie’s mouth. He releases more than he would have expected.

With a final groan, Steve goes limp. His chest heaving. Sweat building at his collarbones. Eddie swallows and wipes off the drool from his chin. He slowly rises with a smile and sits next to Steve with his arm resting behind his head. “That was different,” Steve murmurs with his eyes slightly opening. Eddie’s brow peaks in curiosity. “It was better,” he adds with a light laugh. Eddie rolls his eyes and playfully bumps against his shoulder.

“Come here and kiss me,” Steve says, barely able to move. “Let me brush my teeth first,” Eddie answers with a smile as he attempts to stand. Steve quickly grabs his pants to pull him back down. “No, kiss me,” he whispers. Eddie’s smile pulls to its side. He gently pushes back strands of hair from Steve’s sweaty face. He places a soft kiss upon his lips. “You taste like heaven, and I can’t get enough,” Steve whispers between kisses. Eddie smiles until his cheeks hurt.

note: i think my perspective has slowly shifted to eddie the pansexual god and steve the bisexual hoe. and i love that. please let me know what you think! shall there be more? who knows. i hope you like it staffi! check her out @seidenbros (you won't regret it)

✨don’t forget to reblog and/or comment lovelies!✨

• nav • no-no plagiarism • one shot • requests open •

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captainanndor · 1 year

Text

I posted 455 times in 2022

That's 335 more posts than 2021!

8 posts created (2%)

447 posts reblogged (98%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@maculategiraffe

@rhinozilla

@wardenmages

@drchucktingle

@kick-girl

I tagged 26 of my posts in 2022

#our flag means death - 7 posts

#ofmd - 6 posts

#stede bonnet - 5 posts

#edward teach - 4 posts

#renew our flag means death - 3 posts

#pirates - 2 posts

#i want what they have - 2 posts

#birthday - 2 posts

#blackbeard - 2 posts

#the orange - 2 posts

Longest Tag: 59 characters

#but honestly the most bites i've done are affectionate ones

I sent 1 gift in 2022

My Top Posts in 2022:

Aww, I knew I celebrated a previous. birthday at a Ren Faire with a bunch of friends, all of us dressed as pirates. Forgot it was my milestone 30th. I rang in my 30s as a pirate & I'll be ringing out the end of my 30s as a pirate as well, cuz I am going to the Royal Feast this summer as a 39th bday treat! Hopefully this time goes smoother, because that was also the same trip where I got pulled over by a state trooper doing 72mph in a 55mph zone (I thought it was 65mph speed limit) and his first question to the car full of gals fully decked out in pirate looks was "you going to the ren faire?" Instead of saying NO for lolz, I said "um, yeah..." like a COWARD. As a "happy birthday" he didn't write me a speeding ticket but still wrote a ticket for my license plate frame because "you'd never get pulled over just for this, but it's technically illegal to have *anything* covering any part of your plate". The ticket was still ~$350 (thanks NYS surcharge). Anyways I got to feed a duck, ride a camel, and spend the day with some of the best people, so it was all worth it and I look forward to a repeat (on a slightly smaller scale, because I am le tired) for my 39th!

See the full post

1 note - Posted June 22, 2022

For my 39th birthday, a friend and I made Roach’s 40 Orange Glaze Cake from Our Flag Means Death! We then set up a little scene and did a photoshoot for it. More under the cut!

See the full post

20 notes - Posted July 31, 2022

I changed the first panel of this meme for a Twitter comment and then immediately had to change the second panel as well. Tumblr I know you will understand this joke.

37 notes - Posted June 15, 2022

And while I’m at it! Putting this energy out there: #RenewOurFlagMeansDeath and cast Kate McKinnon as either Anne Bonny or Mary Read. They already gave us an in with Calico Jack whining he's been mutinied against 3 times recently and they ran with him historically. He’s also already out of the way so there’s no wasted time/boring love triangle drama and we can just have happy badass lesbian pirates co-captaining their own ship.

37 notes - Posted April 6, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Re-posting this from my own Twitter thread: Oh shit! #OurFlagMeansDeath S2 prediction: Ed is gonna shoot Stede when they meet again. It’ll be dramatic, Ed’ll cry thinking he killed him, etc. But the half of the fucking petrified orange Stede's daughter gave him will stop the bullet & save him #RenewOurFlagMeansDeath Or Izzy will shoot Stede, but I think Ed would be more dramatic for the story/reunion and needing to really knock him HARD out of The Kraken. Ed knows Stede knows how to take a stab, or maybe their sword fight will be a draw or with Stede thinking he won and Ed pulls the gun. Ed never used the gun in the show. Only threatened Stede (and started to load it at the party) OH GOD! Actually, Stede will probs just refuse a sword fight. Ed will want one & Stede will refuse & Ed will threaten with the gun (again).Will the shot be intentional or accidental? (Does it matter?) Stede should never have left but the clean break/forgiveness from his family is what will save his life in the end. After also setting him free to love with no doubts or guilts from his old life haunting him. Knowing he's not a curse or a monster.

48 notes - Posted April 6, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review

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inkyblinders · 3 years

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Dancing with the Devil: Part II

Part 1

Pairing: Luca Changretta x Reader

Author’s note: This was so embarrassing to write not because of smut...but because I’m crushing hard on Adrien Brody right now. And I can’t even share this obsession with anyone because… he’s kinda niche? Someone please reassure me that I’m just going through a phase because dear God why can’t I stop watching Darjeeling Limited just to see him ahhh.

The story picks up right after the end of Part 1, so I recommend reading that first. Comments, likes, and reblogs are always appreciated, let me know what you think!

Summary: Following your meeting with Luca Changretta, you face the Shelby family and Tommy's reaction. (2.6k words)

Warnings: Smut, angst, swearing

Tag: Let me know if you would like to be added or removed

@anythingwriter, @rrtxcmt, @shut-chan

_____________________________________________________________

You barely make it into your bedroom before he is all over you. The buttons of his crisp, tailored shirt fall like marbles. He moans when you nip the skin of his neck, right over his tattoo of the black cross, legs tangled together like a depraved waltz.

When he grinds into you, you shudder deliciously at the hardness that meets between your bare thighs.

How easy would it be for him to kill you after he fucks you, leaving your corpse twisted in the bedsheets. You know Tommy would find it when he eventually remembers that he has not seen you for days.

“Signorita, you know I come to you with the most honorable of intentions.” He murmurs, as if sensing your thoughts.

“You're not a very honorable man then.” A laugh that turns into a gasp as he trails his hand lower and strokes between your legs. No, not very honorable at all. And pretty soon all thoughts of honor are forgotten as he coaxes a moan from your throat.

His fingers are magic. The cold outline of his onyx rings scald your skin each time he crooks a finger inside you. Knowing exactly what you need, seeking your depths, swirling, rising to rub the clit, all the while exploring the flushed expanse of your body with his other hand.

Shoulder to breasts to hips and back again.

Without meaning to, you’ve let this stranger take control of your entire being. But God, do you crave this pure ecstasy.

It’s as if he wants to know precisely how much you can take before you're undone. So when you clench around his hand and feel the familiar ache he is right there, helping you ride the wave of pleasure, never breaking the rhythm of his thrusting fingers even as you curse, rake your nails down his back.

You almost cry out his name when you come. But you bite into his shoulder instead.

“Sweetheart, I’m gonna have to hear you next time.” He growls.

His words barely register as you come down from the high. Aftershocks spark like tiny flames. Now you are wearing his scent as much as he is wearing yours.

“Be inside me,” You whimper, tugging at his soft hair, urging him for more.

He rasps an empty warning, “What's my name, sweetheart?”

Of course. All this time you've never acknowledged you know of his identity. There was no use in trying to hide it now.

“Luca,” you breathe. And his eyes gleam with approval.

With a snap of his hips, he plunges into silky warmth. The fullness stretches you to your limit, head thrown back. It’s good, so good. Every withdrawal of his thrust is a blessing because you know what follows next. It’s him inside you again, wrapping you with his touch and the scent of tobacco and roses.

“Does your Tommy fuck you like this? Like the way I do?”

“He’s not mine.” You choke out, punishing Luca with a bite on the neck that elicits a chuckle rather than a yelp of pain.

He kisses you, your foreheads pressed together. “A damn shame for him.” Soon he starts to quicken his pace, going faster, more erratic, his breathing heavy upon your ears.

Yes, you urge him, come on, now.

And this is your chance. In a flash you roll on top of him, pinning down his shoulders with your hands. He tries to arch up but you stop him with a knee.

“How many men did you bring, Changretta?” You ask, making your voice rough to mask the lust, pressing your hands around his jugular.

It's a pleasure to see him like this. Shocked at your actions, maybe even scared. Naked with want but unable to do anything to relieve it. Unless he tells the truth.

“Fifteen. Why baby, am I not enough for you?” He laughs breathlessly, hands trailing goosebumps along your hips, tracing the contour of your breasts. The jib doesn't hurt you. After all, men have said worse. He tries to surge into you again, and his hot member pulses on your thighs.

“Do you swear on your honor? That you’re telling the truth?” You insist, squeezing him harder. The touch brands his skin as much as it brands yours.

In a voice full of self-mockery he says, “Yes I swear on my honor. Now let me in, clever Isabel.”

You take him in you, the sensations amplify a thousandfold. You try teasing him, going slowly in and out, but soon you are caught up in the sensation of him completely at your mercy and you ride him, faster, until you keen his name, until he too is undone.

****

Through the haze of dawn, he stumbles out of bed and gets dressed. Before he dons his hat once more, Luca leans down to whisper in your ear, as soft as sin.

“You tell Tommy Shelby he may expect a visitor in the night. I'm coming for him as the angel of death. The vendetta has begun…” He kisses your hair.

“I’ll see you soon, sweetheart.”

The door clicks shut. You rise from your pillow, and a small, hard lump rolls next to your hand.

It is a signet ring of onyx and gold.

****

“So we all get a death letter from the mafia, but Izzy gets jewelry?” Ada huffs as the family filters into the betting shop. As usual, Tommy holds court at the front of the table, brooding over a glass of whiskey. You roll your eyes as Arthur and John try to cover their snort of laughter with a cough.

“If you want it, you can have it, Ada. He’s probably planning on killing me too.”

“Doubt it. You’re not a Shelby, and we’re the ones who killed his father. Well, someone did, to be precise.” She shoots a bitter look at Tommy, who doesn’t even have the decency to look ashamed.

Despite Ada’s matter-of-fact tone, the words cut to your heart. Not a Shelby.

It’s not her fault. No one knows you’ve been sleeping with Tommy, not even your dearest friend. It’s a lonely secret to keep, but at least you can look at the family square in the eye and not have to worry about the things they say behind your back. Or worse, pity you.

You can handle the violence and moral ambiguity of Tommy’s business. But to lose the love and respect of the Shelbys would break your heart.

“What was the mafia man like, Izzy?” Finn asks eagerly. It’s obvious the boy is thinking of the dashing, gun-wielding gangsters he’s seen in the pictures.

“He was a wrinkly old brute. Kind of like your arsehole brother Tommy.” A smile to take the edge off the insult. But Tommy only looks off into space. As if he hasn't paid attention to this entire conversation.

Arthur clears his throat. “Now, let’s get one thing straight. It was me who pulled the trigger on his dad, so the blame falls on me.” He pats Linda’s hand even as his voice is heavy with guilt.

“No one’s blaming you Arthur, you weren’t the brains behind the operation, no offense.” Ada says. He is about to say something when Polly cuts in.

“Stop squabbling like children. We’ve all voted for truce, despite everything Tommy’s done to us—” The words nearly having us hanged hover pointedly in the air. “—So let’s focus on the matter at hand." She fixes Tommy with a sharp look.

“What’s the news from Camden Town? Will Solomons help us?”

“No.” He says tiredly. And all of a sudden you feel sorry for teasing him. He look gaunt. There are shadows under his eyes, even more so than usual. Without you to remind him to eat, you can imagine his diet for the past few days consisted more of alcohol and cigarettes than anything substantial.

“Spent three hours on a fucking tour of his bakery and another pretending to drink his piss-poor rum. I think he was trying to get me sloshed so I’d forget what I came for.” Tommy rubs his head.

“He’s refusing to send his men to help. Said he’s not going to go after another oppressed people.”

“Did you tell him the Italians are rounding up Jews in their country as we speak?” Polly asks incredulously.

“Wouldn’t make a difference to Alfie. Besides, that’s just an excuse. He’s really just a fucking coward.”

Polly looks troubled at this, as does the rest of the family. Everyone had been counting on Alfie’s friendship with Tommy, however peculiar, to help them with the vendetta. What they hadn’t expected was his extreme sense of self-perseverance. How are they going to protect themselves now?

“Before everyone panics, I’d like to say something.” Tommy clears his throat, setting down the whisky.

“As you may all know, two nights ago our Izzy encountered Mr. Changretta in the Garrison. He bought her a drink and asked her to deliver an official beginning of the vendetta.” He chooses this time to finally look at you. You hold his gaze until he looks shiftily away.

“We can also assume that he has been scoping out Small Heath, looking for any weaknesses on our turf. Now, Izzy has something to share with you all.”

You stand up uncertainly. The last time a woman other than Polly tried to speak her mind at the table it had been Esme, who still refuses to come to the betting shop unless Tommy is not here.

“While Mr. Changretta was, er, indisposed at the Garrison, I found some items in his coat that I think could be useful.” You fish out a passport and a stack of papers from your skirt pockets.

“Good job, Izzy! Oh, I knew we could count on you more than my idiot brother.” Ada beams.

“Becoming a right little spy, eh?” John ruffles your hair good-naturedly. As everyone gathers around, Polly gives a low whistle.

“Goodness, if this is your definition of an ugly brute, I wonder who’ll really catch your fancy, darling.”

You flush. The documents were obtained shortly after Luca had fallen asleep. It was an exercise in agility, trying to extricate yourself from his tangle of limbs, especially when you wanted nothing more than to stay in bed, encased in his warmth.

To your own credit, the papers were highly useful indeed. Some were maps of Birmingham, circles drawn in places where the Shelbys are known to frequent. The Garrison. Charlie’s Yard. The Arrow House. There was also stationary from The Stanton, a hotel just outside of the city.

There had been another piece of paper in the stack, a letter. But you kept that for yourself.

“We all have Izzy to thank for bringing us this valuable information.” Tommy’s voice rises above the chatter. “I will be personally examining all the documents and think of a plan. In the meantime, everyone stay alert, stay armed, and stay together.”

“Now if no one has any further questions, I need to have a private word with her. Alone.”

*****

You twirl the onyx ring around your finger as everyone filters out. It’s much too big but you still wear it anyways. The thick band of gold is comforting in its own way. And despite what you told Ada earlier, you don’t want to give it to anyone else.

Tommy’s curt voice snaps you from your reverie.

“Was it good, then?”

A small muscle tics on the underside of his jaw. His previously blank expression is now cold. The coward in you compels you to feign ignorance.

“What do you mean, Tommy?” You ask lightly.

“Did it feel good to have that fucking wop inside you?”

You burst out laughing. “Christ, Tommy. Did you pick up that word from Alfie? You sound bloody ridiculous when you’re trying to be crass, you know.”

“Don’t fucking change the subject, Isabel.” Tommy snaps.

“Oh, so I’m Isabel, now? You only call me that when you’re trying to get me in bed. Is that what you want? A bit early in the evening if you ask me.”

“What I want for you is to tell me how it felt having that man inside you, inside---”

You blaze with anger. “My sex life is none of your business, even if you are an occasional participant. I did what you would have wanted, and now I’ve got intel on the Changrettas that could save your arse!”

“Do you know how dangerous it could have been? Fraternizing with the enemy is exactly what got us into trouble with the Changrettas!”

“And fraternizing with them again has given us an advantage. We know how many associates he’s brought with him, and where they are staying. Good God,” Your eyes widen as you see the mutinous look on Tommy’s face. “Are you jealous?”

The silence of the room presses in until it's almost palpable. Finally he rubs a hand over his eyes, looking utterly defeated.

“I have no right to.” He says, pained. “But I am, just the same.”

The admission of his feelings would have made your heart soar a few days ago, before you met a man who enchanted you in the Garrison. You only laugh bitterly.

“What makes this different from all those other times you made me seduce the men you wanted to spy on?”

He says nothing. But what else is there to say? The past is in the past, and so many hurts have been caused by the both of you, it would be impossible to untangle it all.

You soften your voice, laying a hand on Tommy's arm.

“Let me continue seeing him. He wants me, and we can use that. You know it will be help, you know it might save us all.”

A breath flutters in your chest as you wait for his decision. If Tommy allows it, you’ll do it in a heartbeat. The Shelbys are your family, whether you're one in name or not.

But if he refuses, then perhaps… Perhaps he might actually care for you, deeper than jealousy, deeper than he admits.

“Very well.” Tommy says finally, and something in your heart shatters. The corners of your mouth curve up in a wobbly smile.

“Thank you for trusting me, Tommy. I won’t let you down.”

“You would never let me down, no matter what you do. Just…Be careful, Izzy.”

He closes the distance between you and enfolds you in a hug. You enjoy this quiet warmth, as fragile as spider's silk. With a small laugh, you pull away, patting his arm before turning to the door.

You don't look back to see if he follows.

#luca changretta #luca changretta smut #luca changretta x reader #peaky blinders #peaky blinder fanfic #peaky blinder imagine #tommy shelby

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misterewrites · 2 years

Text

Shattered Echoes (Arcane)

Hello everyone! E here with a surprising update! Arcane. Great show, great writing, great characters! just amazing! I love it so much! BUT if this makes you wanna play league of legends....maybe don't it. It's not as bad as it used to be but...yeah....toxicity. If you do wanna play, try wildrift. it's a lighter version of league and not as toxic but still a bit. There’s also legends of runeterra which is a hearthstone styled card game with a single player experience. You can also just play league with bots. Less likely to have assholes chilling out in the lobby. Oh! the ruined king rpg which is a really good rpg especially 30 bucks BUT follows the adventure of some other characters and might be spoilery for future seasons. If you’d like more information about this story, beyond the keep reading sign for spoiler purposes.

So some things I wanna clear up with this: Spoilers for episode 7 of Arcane. That's why I didn't tag them in case. Also possible spoilers for future seasons about a character's abilities cuz this is based on a single line interaction in game along with other factors. Given how well integrated their in game abilities are to the show characters, yeah it's happening (I’m so excited!)

Have a great day! happy holidays, may you be happy, safe and sound. Wash your hands, wear your mask, keep yourself and your loved ones safe, push for global vaccination cuz im getting really fucking tired of this shit. BYEEEEE! Enjoy! share with your friends, comment, reblog and feedback i love it all! and deeply appreciate it.

Here’s the story over on Ao3 *no character tags for now so everyone has enough of a chance to catch up but I will add them later.* https://archiveofourown.org/works/35929279

Here’s the rest of my work over here https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrE42/pseuds/MrE42

And I hope you’re doing great! Bye! to the other side of the fence!

Okay this is your last warning. turn around lest ye be spoiled.

Ekko and Jinx. Honestly their little interactions in the Enemy music video, that one line of dialogue “I used to have a crush on you. Until you started talking to the gun) and honestly the whole idea of them being fierce enemies that used to have crushes on each other. It was too tempting and it was perfect to break ya'll hearts. Also not too intense descriptions of violence but just warning in case.

Also I'm not too caught up on all of League lore and it's not official but Ekko is probably bi given that pulsefire Ekko skin and Pulsefire Ezreal were dating and one of the artists or writers have a link to a little story they had them being flirty exes if that's more your speed. *not official cuz riot are cowards and need to try to hit every demographic they can*

Summary: Remember when we were kids: playing war with toy guns and wooden swords, caught up in glory and revenge without realizing the price?

Remember the childish promise I made you when I went too far and you cried? A home beyond the dirtied streets and polluted air we wallowed in.

Once upon a time I wanted to give you a new life but now you keep trying to take mine.

-----

Life has a twisted sense of humor sometimes. It pushes and pulls people towards their destiny in complex, unforeseen ways. It doesn’t matter how long it takes: A second, a week, a year. Every choice you make leads you to the middle of a messed up punchline.

The uncaring, unrelenting grand clockwork of the universe and it loved punching Ekko in the face.

That’s why he was here on this stupid bridge, surrounded by corpses with the smell of iron and smoke burning his lungs.

The sheriff of Piltover had been in Silco’s pocket which is why the enforcers were putting so much pressure on the Firelights while Silco worked unopposed. It’d been so obvious in hindsight but like they say in the lanes: Hindsight’s a bitch.

Thankfully so was dumb luck. The asshole shot his armor and while Ekko was going to have one hell of a nasty bruise, he’d live.

Which was good because he wasn’t finished yet.

Ekko gripped the bat tightly, his fingers stiff and cold from the night air. His heart raced with only the thundering of blood all he could hear as he took his place between Vi and Her.

Jinx stared his way, her gaze cold and ruthless. Her usual manic demeanor was gone today. Maybe seeing her sister buried her insanity for a moment, maybe she recognized her childhood friend. Either way it didn’t matter. It claw its way out of her sooner or later.

It always did.

-----

Jinx’s heart raged violently in her chest, each beat sending an uncontrollable fury coursing through her body as the world turned dark and static.

Vi. Vi. Vi. Vi.

She left. She left me. SHE LEFT ME! VI!

“Is that Ekko?” Clagger’s voice asked curiously from nowhere “He seriously grew up.”

Ekko. Ekko. Ekko.

Mylo’s voice scoffed in that irritating way only he could manage “Come on. Scrawny Ekko grew into that? Please. What’s he think he is? Some kind of boy savior?”

Hee boy savior. That’s a good one.

“Oh look who it is.” Jinx growled, unable to keep the anger or hurt out of her voice “The boy savior!”

Ekko looked away for a moment, feeling small and foolish. He’d wanted to believe Vi. He wanted to believe that Powder was still inside the monster he had fought tooth and nail for years. He wanted…..hoped that seeing him without his mask or the trappings of her hated enemy would stir something, anything in her.

He used to have a crush on her. Until she started talking to the gun. Oh yeah and helped corrupt Zaun and murdered his people.

He sighed tiredly.

Yep, he could feel the bruise starting to form.

This was all a game to Jinx: Pain, death, even the rage and horror meant nothing more than a sick thrill to Silco’s ward.

‘Fine’ he chuckled to himself, a small grin forming on his lips despite the situation ‘she wants to play? Let’s play.’

He slid the chain of his pocket watch into the palm of his hand and swung the timepiece back and forth, the ticking of the gears beating rhythmically as if keeping tempo to some unheard song.

-----

Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.

Jinx scoffed to herself. He was really going to drag this out huh? Typical Ekko.

“Man, he really loves that watch.” Mylo sneered rudely.

“Well yeah.” Clagger replied gently “He used to carry it all the time.”

Jinx smiled cruelly while she placed a new round into her gun ‘I’ll play. We all know how this ended last time.’

Tick tick tick tick.

“Heh.” Jinx smirked, turning away from him and taking a gunslinger’s pose. A familiar one.

-----

Powder’s laughter filled the air for a moment, an echo from a time long past. He could still see her clearly: The crudely drawn eyeball thing on an old cooking pan she’d use for her helmet. Bright pink war paint on her cheeks, giggling and smiling as she threw up a mocking peace sign.

Ekko still remembered that fight distinctly even now: His reckless charge forward, wooden sword high in hand. The paintball whizzing by his head as he bobbed back and forth between them. Powder’s first shot followed by two more in quick secession. His ill fated jump and the decisive blow, paint splattering across the metal plate he used for armor. The embarrassment he felt as he angrily tossed his pocket watch to the floor and broke it.

Took him a whole month to fix it up. Finding the parts alone had been a massive headache but taught him a valuable lesson about breaking things in the Lanes: Don’t unless you want to spend the next few weeks fixing it.

Well this time it was going to be different because this wasn’t pretend anymore. No second chances or mercy for either this time around.

With one fluid motion, he pulled the watch into his hand. He clicked it, stopping the timer and breaking into a furious sprint.

Jinx drew her pistol with an expert hand. She bit her lip in anticipation as the gun twirled in her grip before she fired the first shot.

Ekko ducked low and pushed forward, the bullet barely missing his head. He rose to his feet, a fierce scowl on his face.

Pew, pew. Jinx let out two more shots out of habit than any conscious choice but Ekko was counting on it: He pivoted his on a foot, bending his body away from his hated foe before launching into a side flip, the projectiles sailed by without a scratch as he contorted his body to avoid the attacks.

He landed gracefully for a moment before launching himself into the air with as much force as he could muster. He rose his bat, gripping it for dear life while he prepared a mighty swing.

-----

Jinx was awestruck by the sight before her: the spotlight flickered on and off yet illuminated her enemy in its harsh light. Terror washed over her as she saw Ekko for as he truly was: not a child clutching onto a piece of wood and playing hero. Nor was he the leader of the Firelights, thorn in her and Silco’s side as they rose to power.

In this moment Ekko was beyond Jinx’s fragmented comprehension: He was an avenging angel, blazing with the fury of the dead and wronged. He descended from on high to deliver judgment onto her personally and would show her no mercy.

Jinx eyes widened in surprise and fear, the weight of her sins crawling down her spine. She couldn’t move, she couldn’t breathe. Her finger trembled on the trigger but she couldn’t bring herself to pull it.

“It’s not like that.” Clagger’s voice whispered softly “It’s not your fault.”

Mylo’s laugh echoed harshly through the night air “Of course it’s her fault! Look what’s she done. Bridge full of dead enforcers and Ekko, little baby Ekko about to bash her skull in! How much of a jinx do you need to be piss off Ekko?”

Ekko swung, knocking Jinx down and sending her tumbling to the floor face first. She whirled around and aimed her pistol directly at Ekko’s face. He batted it away and swung again. She reeled backwards and was unprepared for Ekko’s fist to slam into her face.

Jinx’s main advantage was that she was stronger than she looked. She was no Vi but most people assumed she couldn’t be much of a threat without her guns. They, of course, forgot this was the girl who totted a minigun around no problem all the time.

Ekko knew better. Ekko had been fighting Silco and Jinx long enough to know Jinx would knock him off balance and regain control of the fight if her let her.

So he didn’t.

He drove another fist into her cheek then pinned her with his makeshift bat. She thrashed wildly: She pushed back against him, trying to get him off her. She lashed out with her hands and tried to scratch and claw his eyes out but Ekko remained steadfast.

Until.

Ekko pulled his hand back and balled it into a fist.

He paused, breathing heavily as he found himself looking upon not Jinx but Powder. Her eyes were wide with fear, blood dripping down her nose. Scared, unsure Powder.

She really was in there under the layers of sick joy and twisted mania.

Vi was right.

Ekko could feel his heart stop. He could feel pain and regret seep into old wounds he’d thought he healed.

What happened to us? How did we get here? Two enemies fighting to the death on a ill fated momentum to our failures.

She recognized him, confused and lost about what was going on.

Powder.

'I used to have a crush on you.’ Ekko thought to himself.

-----

Powder wasn’t sure how she got here, pinned under her friend and beaten into an inch of her life.

Actually she did know how she ended up in this mess: She remembered being Silco’s attack dog. She remembered the lives she took, the destruction she caused. How she helped her beloved Lanes descend into a cesspool of crime, drugs and corruption.

Vander wanted them to be better, to do better than he did. He wanted his children to live in an age of peace and love, where no one was lesser because Piltover said so.

And she ruined it when she killed him. Killed Mylo and Clagger. Broke Vi.

She really was a jinx, huh?

She was so tired. Her bones ached, her heart felt like it was tearing itself in two. Everything she’s done and for what? She just tried to murder Vi! She just tried to kill Ekko! And all over some random girl Vi was with? Because she couldn’t see how the world was burning and she was the one that lit the match.

God she was pathetic. No wonder she was alone.

No. Not alone. Not really.

Ekko never left her. He stayed with her. True it was thwarting her attempts to take over the undercity but he never stopped. He was always there, ready to stop the next shipment of shimmer or robbing Silco blind.

He grew to be so handsome. She remembered them hanging in the alleyway, dancing and laughing without a care in the world. When they both tried to copy Vi’s form, her strength. The terrible way they both punched.

Ekko never left her.

Maybe he never would.

‘I’m a monster.’ She whispered silently ‘a terrible creature who shouldn’t exist. This needs to stop. I’m sorry Ekko, Vi. I think it’s time Powder fell down a well for good.’

She pulled out one of her chompers from her belt.

She needed to say goodbye to Ekko. To warn him to get far away from her as she finally ended this madness once and for all.

Powder tried to force her broken jaw to speak.

Jinx clamped it shut.

‘NO!” The mania grinned and leered as Powder felt herself slip into the darkness. ‘If we’re going to go I’m taking him with me! After all, we’d never be alone. Not anymore!’

Powder tried to fight back but it was too late, she was too weak to keep going. Jinx had returned. Her hold on their psyche was too strong, too overwhelming to overcome.

Goodbye Ekko. I’m sorry.

-----

Jinx felt nothing as she pulled the pin on the chomper. She just laid there and waited for the explosion to go off. She always wondered how effective her booms were and now she’d get to finally find out.

Ekko stared in confusion at the chomper biting at empty air. Powder was gone and he found himself staring at Jinx again.

Realization hit. He had lost her again and she had returned.

She always did.

He pulled back, loosening his grip on Jinx and trying to find way out.

Boom.

-----

Ekko’s eyes fluttered open. There was a cold sense of dread that washed over him in his sleep but it seemed to be gone now.

That happened on occasion: Little chills or phantom pains he felt out of nowhere. Aches, stiff joints. Once or twice his bones would throb dully like he’d broken them once upon a time. But they always passed a moment later and the doctors said he was perfectly healthy. Not a single thing wrong with him. Well all things considering.

He glanced back to see Powder still sleeping, her arms clutching onto his waist tightly as if she was afraid he’d vanish into thin air.

He looked out the window and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the massive tree still looming over them: a reminder that even here in the dark, dank sewers life thrived.

Him and Powder actually found this place not so long ago when they were exploring. It took forever to convince Vander and more importantly Vi to let them take a few of the younger kids and elderly here so they could be safe while the pair worked to clean up the streets of the undercity.

It wasn’t perfect by all means and lord knows every other week some sort some asshat or the sheriff of Piltover Marcus tried to undermine Vander’s control but luckily he had Vi looking out for him. And she finally learned to stop blocking punches with her face.

Clagger was somewhere around here. He’d come by to run some ideas about a new gauntlets for Powder’s sister. Vander’s old mining gear was classic but just because something worked did not mean it could not be improved.

Benzo had taught him that. He really missed the old man.

Ekko slowly slipped out of Powder’s grip as not to wake her.

Life was good. It was better than he had ever dreamt.

He smiled to himself before noticing one of his unfinished projects haphazardly laying on his drawer.

It was his old pocket watch he used to carry around everywhere, its hands still frozen in place when he chucked it to the ground after losing to Powder for the fifth time in a row.

He’d been meaning to fix the old thing up but between Silco’s attempted coup a few years back, helping Vander keep peace in the Lanes and this new side project among all the other ideas he’s been playing with, he never really had the time anymore.

Boy what he’d do for an extra few seconds in the day.

“Ekko?” Powder’s voice groggily called from bed.

Ekko smiled gently “Here sweetie.”

“Ugh. Don’t call me that.”

“Honey?”

“Stop! It’s too early for this.”

“You love it.”

Powder waved him off tiredly “yeah yeah you dork. Why you up?”

Ekko paused, wondering if he should tell her about why he wasn’t sleeping.

“That thing I told you about” Ekko admitted after a moment “The whole feelings of dread, phantom pains?”

Powder nodded in understanding “You are way too stressed out.”

“And whose fault is that?”

“I’m perfect angel.” Powder stuck out her tongue at at him “Mostly.”

“Mhm. You mean like that time you were gonna chase after your sister to the clearly dangerous warehouse with orbs you barely understood?”

Powder pouted “One time….Hey. Did I ever thank you for staying with me that night?”

“Only every time it comes up.” Ekko chuckled before he waved her away “we were kids. It was a scary time. I don’t blame you. I was going to hide in the shop but….I didn’t want to be alone.”

Powder smiled gratefully “Me either. I was losing my mind when Vi left me. Thank god you showed up when you did. I was ready to throw all those hexstones in my monkey and just throw caution to the wind.”

“You? Cautious?” Ekko raised an eyebrow playfully “Never heard that in the same sentence unless not is in between.”

“Shut up and come to bed. It’s cold and my heater is picking on me.”

“Yes dear.”

“You sound like Vi when she talks to her girlfriend. A piltie of all things.”

Ekko grinned to himself as he made his way back to bed and let his loving girlfriend clamp onto him for dear life.

He really should fix that watch.

Eh, maybe later.

#Arcane #My story

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njeancastro316 · 3 years

Text

Captive

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is what happens when one of your tumblr sisters @moon-ascendant teases you with a picture of Daniel Gillies as Wing commander Hayes from Occupation Rainfall just to show you his hands and active the heck of the hand kink 🤤🥵 while chatting. Love ya! I have not watch the movie. I’m just going from the synopsis of the story.

English is not my first language.🤷🏻‍♀️

Bolds thoughts: sorry that’s my style of writing

Warnings SMUT like real SMUT complete SMUT be freaking gentle this was torturous to write. Lord knows I love to read them but writing them is a completely different thing entirely. So if you’re younger that 18 please look away my darlings.

Kudos to the gif creator , that giff was used for the facial expressions and the yummy eye FUCK Vibes Hayes gives the female reader.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Y/N couldn’t think of a worse situation . At the moment she was held captive in an Australian military facility, underground in a secret lab where gruesome experiments were done to the alien invaders. She led a mission to free the captives and ended up being one. She was stripped and left in nothing but her underwear her hands were tied and her arms were up placed on some sort of a butchers hook , behind her a concrete wall. Tired and beaten up she waited for the commander of the facility . Since she didn’t talk to the officers they summoned the man himself to whom they referred as the beast. She was anxious but not scared . Her arms hurt from the uncomfortable position they were placed in .

Then footsteps could be heard from the corridor. The comander was close , coming to interrogate her and possible torture her. She would not give the wanker the satisfaction of making her talk , she’d rather die. Beeping sounds were heard and her breath hitched on her throat as the door whooshed open. In came the one person she never in a million years expected to see. So this was their leader Special Wing Comander Hayes .They had history. ‘Bugger’ she thought . Hayes brown eyes locked on hers and spoke to the rest of the men in the room. “Leave us”.

“But sir she’s dangerous” the soldier interrupted . Big mistake Hayes gun was out in a flash hitting the man with it on his face blood splattering everywhere from the soldiers nose.

“If I can’t control this little sheila then perhaps I do deserve to die. Now fuck off”. He went to the control console shutting the monitors down. Once the soldiers were gone he turned to Y/N and by god he had never look more handsome . This man made the uniform look like a sin she desperately wanted to commit. “My Ohhh my Y/N” he started. “Fancy that ... what are the odds of me finding you here of all places”.

“Fuck off Hayes”.

“Tchhh tchhh tchh”he reprimanded with his tongue. “Language mate , I see something’s never changed” he smirked. “Now listen very carefully baby . This could go either fairly easy where you tell me who’s leading the resistance and what is their location? Or things could get ugly up to where I have to get it out of you by any means necessary and we both know that I don’t want to do that, not to you luv. So what do ya reckon eh? , come on talk to me”. He stood in front of her as her chest heaved frustrated.

“I’m not talking Hayes. Do what you have to I’m not a traitor and a coward like you”! She shouted.

His hand found her neck swiftly and gave her a hard squeeze “You wound me mate” . “Look whose talking about traitors THEY invaded US , THEY are killing US why do you help THEM ? he asked upset squeezing a little making her harder for her to breathe then releasing his hold a bit enough for Y/N to catch her breath.

“Not all of them are bad , what you are doing here is wrong , there has to be another way to defeat them . Not like this Hayes please listen to me I” she spoke while taking gulps of much needed oxygen.

“You can what ? Help me? My duty is to my country and if I have to torture and kill the lot of them bastards he paused I will”. “I’ll ask one last time luv tell me who’s your leader? Don’t make me hurt you”. He ran his gun over from her cheek to her breasts . She recoiled.

“Fuck you”! Spitting to the ground disrespecting him.

“Fuck me ? ... Fuck me?!” Hayes snapped he pressed her to the wall with his body . The hand on her neck moved to her dark locks, his long fingers tangling on her tresses pulling her head back hard while his gun pressed to the underside of her left breast. “You want to try that again luv? , I’m going to give you one last chance”. He snarled. Y/N remembered what those big calloused hands could do as he jabbed his gun to her side again and pulled her hair simultaneously earning him a moan not from pain or discomfort but from lust.

“Is this ... he paused “is this turning you on mate?” He smirked

“Hayes let me go ... I don’t have the information you seek Please .. please I” she gasped her panties were gone. His gun disappeared and soon his fingers were at her core .

“God”! She moaned “Hayes please”.

‘Fuck this interrogation’ he thought he’d missed her and she was here vulnerable and ready for him to take her to heaven. There was something about having her like this arms up hands tied that he could not resist. He sped the movement of his fingers making Y/Ns eyes rolled back into her head. ‘Fuck the mission he’s mine’ she was close. Suddenly her vision blurred and white appeared before her eyes as she came on his fingers her body shaking violently. He brought his fingers to his mouth and licked them clean ‘Fucking delicious baby’ he ran his tongue through his lips before taking her mouth with his own. His slippery tongue fought with her for dominance eventually winning. Y/N threw her head back hissing as his lips found her breasts . His beard scratched her light sensitive skin as he took a nipple in his mouth and suckled.

“Untie me” she begged .

“No”

“Please let me touch you”

He almost gave in ... almost “No” making her growl and curse pulling at her bindings.

Y/N heard his zipper come undone making her look down to his trousers . She had never been so glad to hear that sound. She looked up at him and the look on his face made her cum right then and there. He was so intense.

With little effort he grabbed her by the back of her thighs and hoisted her up against his waist . His length was warm and hard ready to take her. Y/N wrapped her legs around him and leaned forward to kiss him. He sighed into the kiss. He could feel her trembling with need as his fingers greazed her lower back , his tongue intertwining with hers, relishing in her sweet taste. He couldn’t wait any longer and with a hard thrust he swallowed her moan. He was finally in and it was blissful. Hayes set a fast and brutal pace hammering her against the wall and Y/N enjoyed every single second of it. He pulled her hands from the hook and place them behind his neck . She met his thrusts pressing her forehead against his as they panted into each other’s mouths. “Hayes”... Y/N whimpered he knew she was close so he lowered his hand to her core again and started to rub her clit. She moaned into his ear as her thrusts became desperate trying to keep up with him but failing .With a few more movements of his hips she screamed his name for the whole facility to hear . Feeling her walls convulsing around him sent the wing comander over the edge whispering her name fervently over and over again. Coming down from his high he pulled out slowly hissing in the process. “Sensitive comander”? Y/N whispered making him chuckle. “Something like that mate” he took her arms off from around his neck and looking into one of his pockets he produced a knife. “What are you doing”?! She got anxious. “Hush now lass” he cut off her bindings he steadied her .“Get dressed and go I’ll cover ya”. Y/N’s eyes widened “Come with me Hayes”. “No luv I’m into this way to deep , I’ve made my bed no way I’ll back out now” .He grabbed her face and brought his lips to hers one last time. Once dressed she turned to leave when he held her hand .

“What?”

“Take my gun” he put the firearm on her hands.

“You cannot give me this , I can’t” her eyes full of tears.

“You have to and make it believable” he nodded.

“You can’t be serious Hayes ...no” she looked at him refusing to do what he commanded .

“Now my luv you’ll have a window of 60 seconds before I tripped the alarm. Do you understand?”

“Y/N”! he shouted .

“Bugger” she said angry.

“For what is worth... I love you” he gave her a small smile.

“See ya comander” she said before hitting him with his gun on the face cutting his right eyebrow open and aiming at his arm shooting on the forearm.

“You bitch!! ... Fuck”!

“I love you too”she ran from the room hoping she could find the exit before he tripped the alarm.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There you go a little fluffy towards the end. 😁 Please my smut writing needs some serious refinement but hell I did it weeee!!🎉🎉. I don’t know what happens or have seen Occupation Rainfall , I just couldn’t resist Daniel in a uniform 🤤🥵. I tried to keep the Australian in it lol, I dont know anyone from there so I apologize in advance 🤦🏻‍♀️. I hope you enjoy. Like , reblog , leave coments. I adore them. Toodles until next time my darlings.

@hellotvshowtrash @moon-ascendant @moon-child-writer @multifandom-girlie @eternityunicorn @elejahfanfic @mikaelson-emma @dumble-daddy @nikmikaelsonswife @lady-salvatore @soul-revoir @maldita-world @satedbond @xxwritemeastoryxx @elijahs-wife @lokis-favorite-follower @petrova-banz @umaficwriter @raemikaelson @ronniemikaelson

#daniel gillies #daniel gillies has ruined me #alternative universe #njeanlongsnippets #smut

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crossovereddie · 3 years

Text

Thoughts on 11x06

I had to come back to type this after the episode. I was gonna wait to post until more people are active but everyone’s safety is more important than notes. This was really hard for me to watch. It took me two hours because I kept needing a break. It’s a tough one yall. It’s heartbreaking and really brought out issues I didn’t know I was still dealing with until I reacted so badly to some stuff. Take care of yourselves and I’m here if you need to talk. I’ll have timestamps for major tws in another post coming right after this. I just gotta go back and get the end of those scenes. I only go the time they started.

Okay. So. There’s some trigger warnings that I’ve reblogged earlier. This recap WILL have thoughts about those triggers. If you think you’ll be triggered just message me or send me an ask and I’ll give you the non triggering recap. Stay safe please.

Kev and v intro. They’re having sex behind the bar

I’m extremely nervous for some reason I might not be able to get through this

Bike heist!!

LICKEY RIGHTS

LIP CALLS HIM MICK

MISSION IMPISSIBLE

Mickey is unimpressed

Lip telling Mickey what to do yes please

Fucking Mickey omg

HE LOOKS SO GOOD

THE WAY HE SAYS BRAD

Again Mickey is unimpressed

Lip :(

MICKEY CONCERNED ABOUT LIPS SOBRIETY

AGAIN I SAY LICKEY RIGHTS

Frank is falling the chick he’s boning Monica

Not sure that’s her real name

Wait yeah it is

Frank??? Has to get to work???

Wait her name isn’t Monica

Oh shut now I get what’s happening

“Can I speak to Pope Francis please” LIAM 😭

Poor baby

Lip cooking breakfast. Hot.

I forgot about camis baby

I actually beep bad for lip and Tami

We already heard this argument with Mickey and Ian get new material writers

PRODIGAL THEIF

PINK BOX HES SO CUTE

HE LOOKS SO CUTE GOTTA SQUEEZE HIM PLS

Yeah don’t tell Carl that traitor

MICKEY BROUGHT DONUTS PLS

HES SO CUTE

ITS TOO MUCH

I LOVE HIM

HIS SMILE!!!!!!!!

GALLAGHER YOUTH

THAT MEANS MICKEY TOO BYE

CARL CALLING HIM MICK TOO PLS

I CANT TAKE IT

Poor Liam he’s terrified

“I was hoping the fucker would just die” :(

Shut up Debbie

Mickey is beautiful

Leave Mickey out of it debbie goddamn

I cant fucking stand her

Frank just observing his kids and smiling

Same frank

SHUT UP DEBBIE

OH MY GOD HIS LAUGH IS THIS WHAT YOU HEAR WHEN YOU FIRST GET TO HEAVEN????

“And the smartest” lol

Someone save Liam

“I want Sandy”

We all do kid

Fucking manipulative little I CANT STAND DEBBIE

Sandy deserves better

I hate the Milkovichs!!!!

How did smart sensitive sweet beautiful loving Mickey come from this disgusting family????

MICKEY IS THE BOSS

My heart hurts so him

“Homo sexy” dear god

Mickey is too good he deserves so much better

I love him so much

Let him be happy

Mickey has the biggest heart

They’re actually talking and not fighting

CHAPO STFU

You’re so funny and smart and beautiful don’t forget that baby

SUGAR TITS

And no one is fazed lmao

“He’s actually my uncle and my dad” I fucking hate this show

I forgot Carl makes legit money now

Wtf kinda school is this

This is so fucked up

The twins are so adorable

SHUT UP DEBBIE

“You guys” I hate that but also she’s acknowledging Mickey as “hers” and he’s family :(

Okay this horrifying comment

I hate that it’s just nonchalant

Debbie just keeps talking.

Let’s move on

Mickeys face when she says “butt naked”lmao

LIP CALLING HIM MICK AGAIN

“Talk to you for a minute?”

“Yes. Please”

I LOVE IT

Mickey is unimpressed by lip once again and I’m smiling

They love each other they’re secretly best friends ITS A FACT

HAND SHAKE SO CUTE

MY BABIES

“Blue like my balls” fucking frank lol

They’re going in on Frank’s storyline now

Boss Mickey at it again

Terry’s home

The way his face falls im sick

SANDY BABY

My heart is racing

Mickeys face is breaking my heart

Great now I’m crying

Mickey got emotional

Ian sensed it and touched his neck all fucking sweet

Okay I had to take a little break because I started crying

I love him too much

Fucking Noel is so damn good

My heart is fucking breaking

“Frank’s not a homophobic psychopath who tortured you for years”

Please Mickey deserves better

I don’t wanna hear any Ian slander either.

In this house we protect my son and my son in law I will fight you

“Let’s get the fuck outta here. Lip you coming?” 😭

That was so hard to watch yall. I’m not gonna lie to you. My parents weren’t half as shitty as terry but growing up feeling unloved your whole life fucks you up anyway and that brought out some emotions and feelings I didn’t realize I still dealt with. I had to pause for a good while and cry.

Leave Sandy alone debbie

Terry is disgusting

Okay the homophobic language he uses is definitely triggering so I’ll time stamp that too

Debbie you selfish bitch

Everyone leaving terry outside it’s a yes from me

I honestly can’t concentrate on the other scenes now I’m sorry y’all

I try to cover everyone’s scenes but it’s hard for me today

I’m not okay

Liam is too innocent poor kid

MICKEY LIP AND IAN THE BEST TRIO

We need more scenes

I PAUSED TO TYPE AND THE FUCKING LOOK HES GIVING HIM STOP

They’re besties

Mickey is beautiful

MY BABY BUSINESS BOSS MAN I LOVE YOU

he really hasn’t called him Philip the entire episode wtf

Ignoring Debbie

Now I want fries

Carl is cringy

Mickey drove them home and pulled a gun

Honestly again another heartbreaking scene

Ian’s trying to make him stop

Terry is disgusting and also a coward but we’ve been knew

Noel is the most amazing

Mickey gets teary but doesn’t cry bc I cried enough for the both of us

He’s the strongest bravest ever and I’m so proud of him

I need a hug

My heart hurts so much y’all

I just want him to be happy

I’m a fucking mess

I can’t handle Lip being emotional too

Oh I thought lip wanted to sell the house for himself only but at least they all get their share

Horrible music choice

I wanna tuck Mickey in with his favorite tv show on(911) make him his favorite food to eat in bed and not let anyone but Ian around him for a good 72 hours

The way Ian is looking at him

“Would you take care of me if I was paralyzed?”

“....yeah. Yeah”

“Top you whenever I wanted” “asshole”

His smile is back that’s all I need in life

MICKEY IS TOO GOOD FOR THIS WORLD

RIP DOWN THAT FLAG YES BABY

“That was big of you” “he’s an asshole...I wanna be better than that”

WHEN I TELL YALL I LOST IT I MEAN FULL ON SOBBING

YOURE ALREADY A THOUSAND TIMES BETTER THAN THAT PIECE OF SHIT

YOURE SO KIND AND BRAVE AND BEAUTIFUL INSIDE AND OUT

Ian’s like “back of the head? Gotta grab and hold my boy”

“You are so much better than that” IAN MY SWEET SON IN LAW I LOVE YOU THANK YOU FOR LOVING OUR BOY SO WELL

IAN IS THE MOST SUPPORTIVE HUSBAND

V spitting truth

I want terry to fucking suffer

Don’t do it frank

“Nah” LMAO

Frank loves his son in law

Sandy I love you

I need to hold her

No debbie I LOVE HER

NO SANDY LOVE ME INSTEAD

DEBBIE DOESNT DESERVE YOU

Carl scene was so awful I feel so bad for him this girl is a fucking psycho

That was an actual rape scene what the fuck

Mickey making frank laugh

Debbie explaining? Really?

I hate her

“How long is this gonna take? I’m fucking starving Lip” WHY WONT YOU CALL HIM PHILIP

“We could get on with our lives” well that hurt more than it should’ve

It’s really the end soon huh? 😢

According to captions Ian says “we’re in”

Frank reads his diagnosis

Carl goes to report his rape

That took me nearly two hours to watch. Yeah I usually pause to type but I had to take long breaks after the hard scenes. It was a really hard episode to watch. A lot darker than it has been. I’m not really okay right now. It was emotional but a really good episode overall.

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monsoonblooms12 · 3 years

Text

Detectives By Chance: Chapter 7- Hide & Seek

Summary of the Series: It was supposed to be a usual weekend for the four. Coffee, fun, friends and love. But an unexpected case changed their lives in a way they had never imagined. A mystery - a murder - many secrets… Will Ethan, Pooja, Alexandra and Mark, be able to survive? Or will the circumstances twist and break their lives forever?

A/N: Okay, let me get this straight. This is ALL Action and Miles being evil. The most happening chapter of the series, and my favourite chapter because it brings out that fighter inside Pooja. Also, a lil bittersweet moment because only 2 chapters are left, and then we are done. (And I am using my Wattpad cover for this chapter because A. I like it! and B. It gives me the dark feels that embody this chapter) Anyway, hope you enjoy it as much as I did when I wrote it!💛

If you enjoy the story, please like it, leave a comment or reblog. Your feedback keeps me going💕

Pairing: Ethan Ramsey X f!MC (Dr Pooja Sharma)

Word Count: about 4.3K

Rating: Teen

Triggers: Curse Words, Mentions of blood, murder Gun Violence

Disclaimer: PB owns most of the characters. I only own the OCs and my MC.

Prompt:- @choicesaprilchallenge2021 Day 14: Now or Never

CATCH UP HERE: Previous Chapter I Complete Series

It took all of her self-control as she prevented herself from throwing away her phone and breaking it into a thousand pieces.

Only the thought, the hope of a chance to save her Ethan, to save Mark and Alex, who were like family to her kept her going.

It was A Now or Never Moment for her.

Seconds later, Pooja's phone tinged. The screen lit up. She unlocked it to see the address that glared from her screen towards her. The address that hid all secrets and all proofs. The address which held the love of her life in who knows what condition.

She got into the car, entered the address on GPS and drove as fast as her driving skills allowed. Her mouth turned dry, face pale, beads of sweat on her forehead, her mind whirling through numerous unpleasant thoughts and a lingering doubt,

Will she be able to save them?

After what felt like a lifetime to her, Pooja arrived at her destination. A mid-sized mansion stood tall amid a deserted locality. The place was so muted, that the silence seemed to make voices. The winds gushed, chilling her bones. She stood in front of the black wood door. The silver handle's shine was unsolicited for her eyes. She took a deep breath.

Do this, for them. They are your family.

The thought repeated in her mind like verses of an orison. She let the ire, the woe to flood her soul and with fortitude and balance, she pushed the door.

He had kept it open.

The door clicked in place as she entered the devil's edifice. The interior was tenebrous, the conspiracy of silence etched deep in every wood and every wall.

"You are here"

The sudden sound caused Pooja to quail. The words resounded throughout the mansion, causing goosebumps to rise on her skin. The sweat on her body contrasted with the rigour of the air.

There was no doubt in her mind. Her caller was here.

Miles Danvers was here.

But... She Looked Around. Where is He? She looked around, maybe it was a mirage. She looked everywhere but there was no sign of him.

"Don't try, You won't be able to see me." The ominous voice struck again.

Another chill ran down her spine. The thought of Ethan being unaccompanied in the devil's edifice with the devil himself was unbearable.

Will I be able to do this?

"Awww, Tsk, Tsk, is little blossom scared? Did I give her a heart attack?" Miles spoke mockingly.

That was the last straw. She would never give him the satisfaction of having scared her. With as much courage she could muster she yelled,

"AHHHH! You ruthless, sinister, cruel, heartless, disgusting monster. What the freaking hell do you want? Why the hell are you doing this? You are a goddamn monster, you are a freaking BASTARD."

She stopped for a breath.

"Not only that, you are a coward. You are a goddamn fucking coward. You don't dare to face the consequences of your actions. Hell, you don't even dare to come out and face me. If you had the courage, you wouldn't do what you have done. Now come out, you ruthless bastard. Get the hell out and come and face me." Pooja screamed hysterically.

"What will you get by yelling at me, hmm? Will Mark and Alexandra be out of jail? Or will you find Ramsey? Which one, huh?"

"You're the one who is responsible for all of this. You disg-"

"Do you want to save them?"

She felt as if her heart had stopped. Her mind pondering with hundreds of thoughts, doubts, yet she waited with batted breath for him to continue.

"Le silence signifie le consentement."

"J'accepte" Pooja muttered. Bloody Show Off

"Hmm. Three Clues, Three tips, Three keys. Three is your lucky number, isn't it? So let's put your luck to test and see if your lucky number is lucky enough to save your dear ones" Miles challenged her with a mock that boiled her blood. Seeing her helpless was utter humour for his soul and he was cackling in joy.

She shouted, hurled abuses, banged her fists, but there was no answer, no reply other than "You are running out of time... Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha...."

Her legs were giving out, she felt herself losing her balance, her steadiness. A chance, wasn't that all you needed? She heard her alter ego questioned her.

So good friends, like family, huh? Is this what you do for family, fall and bow to danger without putting up a fight? Is this what you did, when you fought for your mother, give up just like that?

Her sane mind was questioning her. No. She didn't give up then, She will not give up now. Maybe she will never make it out of here, maybe nor will they. But it was better to die fighting for them, than dying without even trying, striving for them.

"Miles", her steady voice, with power and courage, surprised him for a moment, but he wasn't shocked. This was Pooja Sharma after all. One who always stood for the right, even if it would make her lose her dreams.

"I am ready. And I hope you are too."

"Are you sure? This game can take that breath from you."

"Until it does, I will fight. For them"

A part of his mind already knew that she would win. But for his ego, accepting defeat was never an option.

"Fight all you want to. But winning is not an option for you."

"Time shall tell the answer"

"Alright, Two rooms to the left, and your search beginsss."

She ran. The worn-out door refused to give way to her. She pushed, but her strength was not enough. If only you had drunk that milk your mom gave you. Her mind swirled to the thoughts of her mother and she had to give a jerk to come back to the present.

"Seven minutes up already, and you're still stuck at the door. How sad!"

Cursing him under her breath, she upped her power and got ready to give a push just as,

Her fingertips felt a carving on the door. She had been praised for her impeccable sense of touch, but she never knew that it would come in handy in a dire situation one day.

Her mind, her heart, indicated that this was the clue, and she slowly, gently, moved her palm on the door. She got a slight trail of the carving and followed it further a few times. It took her about a minute to comprehend what it was.

A word. TIME. She was looking for something to do with time. But what? The place was so quiet that one would hear the ticking. But she didn't. Although auditory skills were never her strong point after she had a blockage in her left ear and had to go through five doctor visits to clear it, she was sure that there was no analogue clock around her. Her brain cells were running haywire when her shoes rubbed the floor. Sand had been spread around. Consciously.

Because on her trail from the main entrance to the door she was standing in front of right now, she was sure she hadn't felt sand anywhere other than this specific space. This was an indication, It had to be.

Time and Sand, Time and Sand, where do we find time and sand together. Time and sand... Her mind rushed frantically through a dozen options, none fitting the criteria, while Miles smirked at her foolishness.

And then, Oh shit, HOURGLASS! She practically jumped and nearly fell, as she comprehended the answer. With the newfound energy, she pushed the door, and it opened with a BANG! Her hand went to her pocket and she almost shrieked as she felt her phone, about which she had completely forgotten the moment she set her step in here. Taking it out and switching on the flashlight, she trailed into the room. Looking around and tripping on a dozen articles, she finally located the semi-broken hourglass. She held it under the flashlight and the words, upstairs, three rooms right, written in red, came to sight.

She glanced around the room once more, to make sure that there was nothing she was leaving out.

Her eyes stopped their search as her eyes fell on the five drawers of the broken cupboard on which the hourglass was kept. Only one of the drawers was in place, and that made it seem out of place in midst of all the chaos. She pulled at it, Once, Twice, Thrice, before it gave way. A blue file lay inside it. She picked it up, hoping to find some useful information and rushed on to the next step of her search.

On the other side, a corner of Miles's mind was terrified and nagged him to do something before it was too late, and he became the loser of his own game. But he just sat there, not moving an inch, as he watched Pooja running towards her next destination.

The next door, to her surprise, was pretty sturdy and opened easily. No catch this time? Unbelievable. As far as she had come to know Miles Danvers, setting up clues right in front of her eye was a far-fetched possibility.

She double-checked the exterior. Nah, nothing here, she was sure of it. Her silent steps fell on the hardwood floor as she looked around in the room for the clue. Her mind got distracted and worry came flooding back. Will she be able to save them? Was she even going to make out of her alive?

Suddenly, her foot struck something and,

"Twoooo Roooomsss Toooo Theee Rightttt..."

The Echo and her Shriek came almost simultaneously. And with the two sounds, mixed the third one of a cackle, from Miles.

The sudden rush of Adrenaline left her panting.

After a few minutes wasted in overcoming it, she kicked the weird machine once more. The Echo came again, this time clearer than the first one. But since, she didn't trust her ears, or maybe it was just her anger speaking, she kicked it once more.

Two rooms to the right was her next destination. She moved towards the exit, having checked the surroundings already and no clue found.

A few footsteps outside the room later, a thought struck her. She rushed back to the previous room, and using her flashlight, picked up the echo machine and checked it thoroughly.

And right her intuition was! A piece of paper stuck between the lined back. She took it out and unfolded it. It was a code.

M14-6D9

She looked around. There had to be something that opened with the code.

Wow! Such thorough checking! She rolled her eyes, berating her self.

And as she did so, her mind went back to every time Lex had called her the living image of the 🙄 emoji.

A light, sorrowful chuckle escaped her, along with a lone tear.

She let it drop and moved on to complete the mission she had partaken in.

She searched, and Nah, Nothing at all. Pooja doubtfully looked around. Was she missing out on something, or was it just another one of Miles' Red Herrings to mislead her?

Five seconds and temporarily deciding on the second option, she went out to the next room and thought of coming back to this later.

Pooja went to grab the surprisingly well-kept handle, and in a reflex pulled it back. The handle was abnormally hot. It felt out of nowhere. No fire, no nothing, how the hell was the door handle so freaking hot?!

Of Course, she couldn't twist and turn a burning hot doorknob and harm her chances of success. So, she decided on other ways of opening the door. She kicked, pushed, forced it with the tad bit of strength left in her, but the door didn't even budge a single inch.

Her ankle sprained with the forceful kicking, she sat down. Tears rolled down her eyes, but she couldn't decide why.

The pain in her ankle, the fear of failing or a mix of both?

But obviously, No pain greater than letting down those whom you love.

She couldn't comprehend the time she was losing as she sat there, crying silently. She slowly started to rise, but couldn't bother to wipe her tears. Wasn't this what Miles Danvers wanted to see? She let him enjoy his short-lived victory.

Forgetting that the doorknob was hot as hell, she held it, and before she could withdraw her hand, her eyes fell on a cuboidal machine stuck just below the spherical structure.

This time, she did wipe the water from her glassy eyes, to get a better look.

Pooja switched on the flashlight and looked closely at it. So this was the mini devil burning her palm. After a few minutes of scrutinizing the black box closely, her eyes caught a red button on the downside of it. She went on to switch it off, and as soon as she did, the faint, almost inaudible buzz coming from it stopped.

The devil had been silenced.

But she knew that it would take time for the knob to cool down. She searched her jean pockets, and luckily her baby blue handkerchief with a neat P Alekhya has sewn on it was there to save the day.

She folded the kerchief in half and with it tried twisting the knob. A Few failed attempts later, she slowly opened the door.

But as soon as the light fell inside the room, her phone and kerchief, both fell on the floor.

The floor swayed under her feet. In front of her on a one-arm broken couch, lay Ethan.

Her Ethan.

The only light-emitting source of the room now lay covered on the floor, preventing her from taking a better look. And she was shaken to the core by the way events unfolded, layer by layer, that there was nothing to say at all.

Her brain froze, all ideas drowning down the drain, her confidence uprooted by the pain she felt seeing her love like that. A Thousand thoughts spiralling in her mind, but she pushed them aside. Her knee bruised by the fall, her feet wobbled as she tried to get up. Garnering strength on an empty stomach & little sleep was becoming increasingly difficult for her, but she needed to go on.

Giving up was never an option

She got up and decided to look around for a way out of the musty building with Ethan, all while hiding from Miles' eyes. Because he had been keeping an eye on her.

Picking up her phone, she directed the light around the room. Raggedy and Unclean, her fingers clenched around her phone as she felt fury fill in her veins. If she didn't have morals, she would have killed Miles herself at that very instant.

There were no cupboards or drawers anywhere around the room. She strolled around with careful steps and heard dry leaves and glass crunching underneath her foot. Pooja looked at the floor, and seeing its condition, didn't hope to find anything helpful.

That's when her eyes fell on a piece of paper. She picked the dust-coated sheet which had become brown from its originally white colour. She tried opening it up using a single hand but ended up tearing it a bit. Pocketing her phone, she opened the sheet up gently and then took the phone out again. Flashing the light, she slowly went through the contents.

It was a map of the building, and she had never felt as grateful as she did at the moment.

She studied it closely, carefully and located a narrow stairway at the corner of the first floor, i.e. the floor she was on, that would lead her out of the building without having to use the main entrance.

She needed to take E out of here, at any cost. But how in God's name was she going to carry her Dr Giraffe alone, all while making sure Miles didn't have suspicions?

She made his unconscious body sit upright as the couch creaked. This broken shit isn't going to last much longer, she thought to herself. She couldn't take any chances of getting caught. Whatever you have to do, do it quick.

She bent and locked his arms around her neck. Then, she stood up slowly and an Uff! escaped her mouth. Wish I had paid attention to the weight lifting lessons.

Pooja lifted him off the sofa and enclosed his long, really long legs, around her waist. And as she started to walk, she stumbled back and forth, and almost fell, as she gained a stable posture. She slowly got out, making sure her shoes don't prompt the creaky floorboards to begin a musical. She scooted to the farthest edge of the floor and walked quickly to reach the darkest corner.

A walk of a lifetime and approaching the darkness, her eyes struggled to make out the door for the staircase. She trusted her intuition and slowly, very carefully, placed a foot in front of the other, as she made her way down. She worried that E might get hurt, and she would hate herself for the rest of her years if that happened.

The grey light at the end of the staircase was a ray of hope for her. She thanked her past self for parking the car closer to this side of the building as she hurried to place Ethan there. She felt her pockets and found the key faster than her expectation. She opened the passenger seat and placed E down on the floor because as much as she hated it, she couldn't take chances with Miles locating him in the car in case he came for a lookout.

Phew! She was relieved that whether or not she makes it out of the mess she had got tangled in, her love will be safe. Locking him safely in, she rushed back to the mansion.

On her way back, she rushed a bit too much, all while forgetting to switch on her flashlight. She tripped badly on the stairs and fell facedown. When she got up, the coppery taste of blood filled her mouth. She felt a blank space in her mouth. She had lost a tooth.

She made her way back and expressed her gratitude to God for letting her make this trip safely. She remembered to shut the door behind as she left and made her quickly to the room where Ethan was held captive. A mistake she had noticed the time she looked at the map was that she had entered the wrong room.

And it was a four-leafed clover for her.

She closed the door of the forbidden room just as her ears pricked up. Tips & Taps of someone's footsteps made her heartbeat rush as she quickly moved to the actual room she was supposed to be searching.

"Hmmm" Miles arrived behind her, hands in pocket. The room in front of her didn't have a door.

"So are you planning to spend the rest of your life chillin' here? That'll be a wonderful plan!" He mocked her and the list of the number of times Poo had wanted to punch him had just become longer.

"What the fuck do you want?" She hissed.

A lopsided grin told her that he was having the best time of his life tormenting her.

"No, I just wanted to check if you will ever make out of here or not."

"And what conclusion did you arrive at?" She mocked curiosity.

"I think- No, scratch that. I am sure, that this" He gestured around him, "is your Final Destination"

His grim laughter filled the place as he went around, checking his surroundings, especially the forbidden room.

Poo had smartly switched on the Make-Hot machine to avoid any suspicions. Seeing, rather, feeling that the door handle was perfectly hot as hell, he returned, and she let out the sigh of utmost relief.

Her heart was filled with gratitude as she thanked God, over and over again, as things turned out in her favour in a place where she had no resource & no help. Although she still felt as if she had been left on the battlefield without preparation or weapons, she used her skills to pave her way safely.

The last room, surprisingly well-kept, lay open before her. Please let me pass this last one, she let out a silent prayer and went in.

Flashlight on, she looked around. This time it was only evidence and no clues and keeping that in mind she carried on her search. A bed lay at the centre of the room. All around were shelves and cupboards which had been kept to mislead her and make her waste her time. A 40% charge in her phone and the clock telling her that she had only 20 minutes left to get out safely, she hurried away.

Quickly opening one drawer and then the other, disappointment flooded her as she failed to locate any file, folder, hell, even a piece of paper.

At last, all drawers, cupboards done and nothing there at all. She felt let down, her heart palpitated. She sat down on the bed and as she placed her hand, heard the very soft scrunch of paper. The stillness of the surroundings was the reason why she could hear it.

She quickened her actions and lifted all the goddamn blankets, to reveal a bunch of paper, half folded, half-torn. She gathered them all. Suddenly she felt something stuck behind one of the sheets. Turning it revealed a USB drive.

Fuck, this was her gold!

She rushed out, picking the papers and the blue file she had collected from the first room. She remembered to check back the second one and the M something code. When she tried to reopen the door, however, she failed. All her trials went in vain. Unlike last time, the door didn't even budge this time.

And then, the entire manor shook as the roar of a bullet echoed all around her. It had been shot just next to her foot, and she stood frozen at her place. She slowly turned around, and saw Miles, with the evil expression on his face appearing to shine in dim light, standing there with a gun.

Slowly, Stuttering, Pooja asked, "What, what, t-the h, hell do you think you are, are doing?"

"I said I will give you the clues, I never said I will let you get away with them. Why would I invite my danger, when putting you to the deathbed would be much, much, easier?" Miles Danvers hissed.

"You want to do a second murder, lose the chance to save your brother forever?"

At the mention of Mark, Miles did fall a little weak, but that passed in a heartbeat.

"Girl, if I really cared about him, I would have never plotted against him in the first place. Bringing you here, was just a ploy, a mask, so that I can finish all four of you and live my life in peace."

He moved forward, one step and the next, as Pooja tried to run. He held her hand with a bone-crushing grip and twisted her hand to her back and held the gun to her cheek. She tried to free herself as she cried out in pain. Her eyes widened as the cold metal touched her skin.

She had really walked into hell at her own will.

Pooja knew her twisting and turning will not be able to help her a bit. So she tried to remember the self-defence techniques she had learnt in her teens and using her foot, kicked him hard in the groin.

He groaned in pain and his attention shifted. Pooja taking the chance, ran swiftly down the stairs, only to slip down the stairs and land on the ground floor. She incurred painful injuries and couldn't move for a good minute.

Even as she mustered the courage to sit up, her body ached in extreme pain. She must've sprained something real bad. Miles was still withering in pain, and she took the chance to get up and slowly move towards the exit.

She dragged her foot and muttered to herself,

Just one more step, just one more.

This rhyme gave her the strength as she almost made it to the door and then

AAH!

Blood splattered on the ground as the bullet pierced through her left hand, and she held the door to support herself. Tears rushed out of her eyes as Pooja screamed in pain.

At least it was her hand and not her mind that had been hurt. Even in pain, she acted smart. Throwing away the files that she held in her right hand outside, she took out the pepper spray that she always had in her pocket and sprayed a good bit of it at the approaching Miles.

It was her black, powdered dynamite, her most powerful weapon.

Coughing, Sneezing, Stumbling, Miles let out cries of help and the gun was very soon forgotten.

Smirking through her tears, Pooja chanted, It's the end Miles, It's the end.

Getting out of there, She shut off the main entrance door on his face and collected all the papers with her non-injured hand. Dragging her foot slowly, she escaped, pride and contentment filled in her heart.

Whatever she did, whatever pain she received, all paled as she bathed in the joy of the possibility of finally being able to rescue her people, her persons.

She did it, for her family...

You never know how strong you are, until being strong is your only choice.

PS: I would have killed Miles myself if given the chance😡 Also sorry for this dark, twisty tale after my birthday. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading this mess and here's to hoping that you have a wonderful day ahead🧡! Love You!

Tags (Please let me know if you want to be added or removed!): @bbrandy2002 @whimsicallywayward15 @ohramsey @nervoussaladsludgeopera @trrfanaddict @hopelessromanticmonie @ilikemenbutonlyethanramsey @lovablegranny @bellcat2010 @gkittylove99 @kingliam2019 @starrystarrytrouble @3riche @chetachisblog @zoehanji @withbeautyandrage @drariellevalentine @mvalentine @aestheticartsx @angela8754 @schnitzelbutterfingers @ao719 @choicesstan1 @neotericthemis @arnikki-2406 @anotherbeingsworld @maurine07 @sophxwithers @twinkleallnight @choicesaddict5 @gardeningourmet @mysticaurathings @jessiembruno

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some-cookie-crumbz · 3 years

Text

Insights

Insights Fandom: My Hero Academia Pairing: TodoMomo; established Huwumi and Natsuo x Mouse GIrlfriend Summary: TodoMomo Positivity Week Day 2 Prompt Fill: Roses. Shoto kinda seeks out romantic advice from Natsuo and Hawks and then everything gets complicated. Standard Disclaimer: If you read and enjoy this, please give it a like/ reblog so I know if I should write more.

Despite his concerns in the beginning, Todoroki Shoto had learned that relationships were a relatively easy thing to navigate. Well, given that there was respect and trust and communication, anyway. Which, he was proud to say he had with his girlfriend, Yaoyorozu Momo. The two of them were hitting the start of their third year at UA as well as their first year together as a couple. Shoto hadn’t thought much about it until he’d gone to a small training event with some of his other classmates.

“So,” Kaminari had drawled, a sly grin on his lips, “I gotta know. What’s on the agenda for you and Yaomomo’s anniversary? Because if you need some suggestions, I’ve got your back!”

He had blinked and tilted his head at him. “Ha?”

Sero snorted as he walked over as well. “Todoroki, it’s okay! You don’t gotta play coy with us! High roller like you must be planning to bust out the big guns for your first anniversary with your girlfriend!”

He merely continued to stare at them, unsure what they meant. “You shitty extras are giving IcyHot way too much credit. Dumbass probably doesn't have shit all figured out,” Bakugo scoffed.

“... Should I be making a big fuss over it being a year since we officially started dating?” Shoto had asked, genuinely befuddled. Which seemed to distress Sero and Kaminari, who had just as genuinely thought he was just teasing. The epiphany that he wasn’t just messing with them had led down a rather slippery slope of explaining the significance of anniversaries and such when in a romantic relationship. Specifically, how the one year mark was a huge landmark and warranted going above and beyond for your partner. And it wasn’t as if Shoto was completely ignorant to these things - both his older siblings were in successful relationships, after all - but… Well, the way they made it sound, their schedule should be much grander than it was. Outside of them agreeing to spend that day together, they hadn’t discussed much more nor had Momo implied she expected more than that.

But, then again, it seemed like an unspoken rule of courtship. So maybe she had simply assumed he already knew what to do?

Which was how he ended up awkwardly wandering into the living room of the estate, where Natsuo and Keigo were settled in front of the television and having a playful debate. “Nii-Chan,” he said when there was a lapse in the conversation.

The two older men both looked up at him. “Which one?” Keigo teased.

Natsuo rolled his eyes. “You aren’t his brother yet, birdbrain,”

“Ah, yes, because three months of time will make such a huge difference,”

“I meant Natsuo,” he clarified. Keigo’s feathers ruffled a bit at the remark while Natsuo flashed the Pro a smug grin. He then turned his attention back to Shoto and nodded his head, indicating he continue with what he had to say. “I need your advice on something… personal.”

He blinked before his brow knit in concern. “Hmm? Did you strain something during one of your workouts again? I keep telling you, Shoto; it’s fine if you wanna push your limits a little, but you can’t go breaking yourself like your buddy Midoriya,”

He shook his head. “No, it’s not about that. It’s about my upcoming anniversary with Momo,” Both men looked absolutely stunned by this, eyes wide and gawking. Shoto shifted his weight uncomfortably to keep himself from backing down, feeling incredibly judged. “I need help figuring out what to do for it.”

“Ah, Shoto, Shoto! You’ve come to the right man for help with this!” Keigo suddenly sang, a few of his feathers flying over and starting to push him towards the blonde. Once he was close enough, he was pulled down beside him, one of his arms draping over the younger’s shoulders as he leaned into him. “Let the King of Romance help you out! With my knowledge on your side, you’ll woo Yaomomo right off her feet!”

”Uh, excuse you,” Natsuo snapped, slamming one hand on the table to get their attention, “but he was coming to me for help. You know. Me. His big brother.”

Keigo’s arm slipped off Shoto’s shoulders so he could clap his hands together as if he was praying. He then gently tapped his lips with his hands, humming as he did. “Yeah, but… How to put this gently… You are bad at romance,” he said after a few pregnant pauses, enunciating the words of the final sentence with small chops of his hands.

“Wha-! What the Hell?”

“Look, I’m not saying I’ve heard some things but I’ve heard some things. Pro tip: Being together for three years doesn’t mean you don’t still have to try,” Keigo said, smirking as he held his hands up in a placating manner and glancing at Shoto.

Shoto blinked slowly before turning his attention to his flustered older brother again, curious what his response to that would be.

“I’d rather have room for improvement than being a brain dead peacock like you!” he snapped, pointing an accusatory finger at him. He then turned to Shoto again, pointing at Hawks again aggressively. “Shoto, did you know that our sister got accosted by a Villain when this idiot tried to propose?”

“I was off duty and out of my jurisdiction! It’s not my fault the Pro that runs that area had shit scheduling! And I got her away from the creep!” Keigo snapped back, slamming one of his hands down on the table as well and leaning closer to the other Todoroki.

“That creep was naked!” he laughed, crossing his arms over his chest and quirking an eyebrow expectantly.

Shoto’s head snapped between the two of them in complete bewilderment. He didn’t recall that being part of Fuyumi’s retelling of how Keigo had proposed. “... I… What?”

“It had to do with his Quirk,” Keigo waved a hand dismissively, as if that answered ever question Shoto could have to go along with that, but his gaze never wavered from Natsuo. One of his bushy eyebrows twitched in a way that seemed a bit menacing, as if he was about to deal a huge blow to the other. “Look, you don’t get to criticize me on shit when you’re too much of a coward to take the plunge!”

“What did you say, you mushy chicken nugget?”

“You heard me, protein powder!”

At this point, Shoto quietly crept away from the pair and made a beeline for the kitchen. After that, he had earned a glass of water or juice or something. Fuyumi was settled at the counter, preparing tea water with the electric kettle, while chatting amicably with Nezumi, Natsuo’s girlfriend. Nezumi herself was settled at the table, rounded mouse ears up to show she was comfortable and content. His sister perked up and smiled at him. “Hmm? Oh, hey, Shoto,” she mused. She seemed to read his body language well as her smile faltered. “What’s wrong? You seem upset.” She motioned him over towards the table while plucking out another tea mug for him.

“You two are dating a pair of useless idiots,” he groaned as he slumped at the table, letting his head thunk against the surface. After a moment he sighed and brought his arms up to rest his head on them instead. “Or maybe I’m the useless idiot.”

“Hey, you shouldn’t talk about yourself like that, Shoto!” Fuyumi admonished as she started pouring the water into the mugs.

Nezumi’s ears tipped down a bit as she meekly leaned over to give his head a comforting pat. “Would talking about it help, Shoto-Kun?”

He sighed again and closed his eyes. “Well, it’s just… Momo and I are going to be having our one year anniversary next Sunday and I worry that I don’t have anything spectacular figured out,” he confessed. He opened his eyes as Fuyumi carefully set a mug in front of him, watching the steam billow over the top. He pushed himself to sit upright and take the mug, letting the warmth bleed into his hands through the ceramic.“I want to make this something good for her. She’s important to me and… I just… I want to make sure she knows that. I want to make sure to show her that the right way.”

“Shoto, there is no right or wrong way to celebrate your anniversary. Every couple is different and what works for one may not work for another,” Fuyumi said, ever patient as she reached out and gently stroked his back. He could feel some of the tension slip from his body at her presence and reassurance. A glance at her revealed a small smile on her lips. “I mean, what Keigo and I do is radically different from Natsuo and Nezumi-Chan. And what you and Momo-Chan want to do to celebrate is most likely different from both of us, too.”

Nezumi nodded, lifting her mug to blow a bit at it. “Has Yaoyorozu-Chan made any mention of what she’d like to do with you on the anniversary?” she prompted before taking a small sip.

“She told me she just wants us to spend the day together,” he said. He took a sip of his own tea as his mind churned back to the conversation for the umptenth time, looking for any and all small details he could have missed. “We talked about maybe going to a park to walk around or something. But we do things like that for dates all the time. I want to make it special, somehow… Something more than just another date.”

Fuyumi tapped her chin before her eyes lit up and she grinned at him. “You could prepare a picnic for that day!”

Shoto stared at her for a long, quiet moment. “... Do you remember what happened last time I tried cooking?”

“We could help you,” Nezumi chimed in. Then, seeming to immediately worry she’d stepped out line, she slumped back. Her ears were tipped further down and she avoided eye contact. “O-Only if that’s okay, of course!”

He offered her a small smile, gently patting her shoulder so she would look at him. “I would appreciate it. Thank you, Nezumi-San,” She blinked then smiled and nodded. Her ears tipped back up completely and her stance became a bit more casual again. He blinked then frowned again as another thought occurred. “Ah, but what about a present?”

“Hmm… What do you think she’d like?” Fuyumi asked before taking a sip of her tea.

“She’s been gardening in her free time and seems to enjoy that,”

“Ah, a bouquet! You could get her that if she likes flowers!” Nezumi said eagerly. Her tail was visibly now, swaying a bit like he’d noticed it did when she was excited about something. “And I may have a suggestion for how you can make it a little more special!”

“Thank you, both of you,” Shoto said, finally allowing his whole body to relax at the prospect of having some real help to figure out what to do.

……………………………………………………………..

“Shoto-Kun, good afternoon! I hope you weren’t waiting too long,” Momo called the following week as she jogged over to him. They had agreed to meet up at the entrance to the park. In one arm he had the sizeable picnic basket Fuyumi had helped him put everything in while the picnic blanket was tossed over his opposing shoulder.

“Ah. Not at all,” he said, smiling when he was her. He then held the basket up, looking away sheepishly. “I, um… prepared a lunch for us. With Fuyumi-Nee and Nezumi-San’s help. It’s nothing extravagant but I hope that it is acceptable,”

Gray eyes lit up at that. “Oh! I brought a homemade dessert for us as well!” She indicated the large purse she had slung over her shoulder, moving it to hold it open so he could peer inside. There was a colorful tupperware container inside, along with her other personal effects, but he couldn’t make out what was inside it. “It’s just some cookies… I’m still figuring out how to make more complex treats but I felt this would be a simple but enjoyable.”

“I’m sure they’ll be delicious,” he said with a nod before starting to rummage through the basket. “One last thing. I got these for you.” He help out to her a bouquet of a dozen white roses, tied off with pastel pink paper and lacy purple ribbon.

“Roses? They’re lovely, Shoto-Kun. Thank you,” she giggled, reaching to take them. She help the bouquet closer to smell them. She perked up when the rose dead center, sticking out just the slightest bit more than the others, brushed her nose. She blinked in alarm before tentatively reaching out to touch it. “Ah, it seems that this one is fake.”

“Yes. That was intentional. You see, this bouquet comes with a promise,” he explained, heart racing a ,mile a minute as he remembered what Nezumi-San had told him to say.

“Oh?”

“Yes. That I will love you until the final rose wilts,”

Momo’s eyes widened, her fingers still tracing the fabric petals of the fake flower, as a pink hue crept up her cheeks and the tips of her ears. A small smile turned up on Shoto’s lips as she stared down at the bouquet affectionately.

Maybe he could get this whole romance thing down, after all.

#My Hero Academia #TodoMomo #Yaoyorozu Momo #Todoroki Shoto #TodoMomo Positivity Week #my fics #I just really wanted to include family shenanigans #And Shoto getting to bond with his siblings partners #And stupid sappy cliche internet post style shit from the early 2000s so #*shrugs*#If you don't like it #Fite me in a Denny's parking lot

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chazz-anova · 3 years

Text

...And Hell Followed With Him, Chapter 3

Guys I finally did it!! 😭 Thank you to @fadedjacket who helped motivate me to keep writing this story, and thank you to everyone who reblogs content of my girl, Veronica! 💚💚 So, without further ado, here’s my newest chapter in my main fic! (Here’s the ao3 link for those who prefer to read there!)

1 / 2

Sunlight streamed through the bedroom’s windows, casting a golden glow onto the hardwood floor. Veronica’s eyes opened lazily and she squinted into the sunshine, her throat felt dry and her stomach hollow. When she looked at the end of the bed, a grey mass of fur rose and fell slowly. Wiping the sleep from her eyes- V made out the shape of Boomer slumbering at her feet. A smile came across her features when she heard quiet snoring from him.

Ronnie shifted her legs under the covers, trying to move slowly as not to wake her companion. Her bare feet met the planks quietly, and she went to the door. The moment she turned the knob to leave, Boomer’s head shot up and he looked around for a moment before yawning. He cocked his head at Veronica, and she went back to the bed to pat him on the head. “You can stay here, I’m gonna go check in with Mary May… and hopefully get a shower.” V tousled his floppy ears once more before heading downstairs as he settled back down.

On the main floor of the Spread Eagle- the people of Fall’s End were still celebrating their emancipation from the cult. Beer bottles clinked together and people laughed in groups. Mary May was running food and drinks to a table in the corner before she met Veronica at the bar. “Morning dep, you look tired.” The woman observed, her blonde ponytail swinging cheerfully as she wiped up a spilled drink at the end of the counter.

“Well I feel like shit. Got any aspirin?” Came Ronnie’s response.

“Nope, fresh out.”

“Hair of the dog it is then! One beer please.” Veronica sighed, hopping onto a stool.

Mary May grabbed a bottle from the cooler, setting it down in front of her with a smile. Veronica twisted off the tip, hoping the frosty beverage would quell her headache, “Also, could I use your shower, and maybe a change of clothes? I could definitely use it after last night.”

“Go for it!” Mary called back, hurrying over to another table to take their orders.

V headed back upstairs, opening the door to see Boomer sitting up with his tongue lolling out. “Hey little guy, sleep well?” She asked him and he hopped down, walking over to her and nosing her hand so she’d pet him. “You’re such a sweetie..” The deputy smiled and scratched under his chin before going into the en suite.

The shower was a small standing one with subpar water pressure, but as Veronica stood in the warm torrent she released a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. This was practically the only moment of true solitude she’d had in two days, yet she couldn’t keep her mind from racing. How was she supposed to take down Eden’s Gate when she was just one woman? Sure, she’d been lucky so far, but at the end of the day she was only one person. V thought of her mother, the bright grin on her face the day that she’d watched Veronica follow in her footsteps and graduate from the Police Academy. What would she think of her daughter now? Would she also think she was a coward and a murderer like John?

Veronica raised a hand to clutch the heart-shaped locket her Nana had given her; it hung loosely around her neck and the metal was growing colder as the hot water depleted. She tried to shake the thoughts from her mind, thinking ‘I’ve only done what I had to do… my hand’s been forced..’ Yet in the back of her mind, V knew part of her wasn’t hating this, part of her wanted to make the people who’d snatched her from her normal life pay for the turmoil she was going through.

Almost thirty minutes later, Ronnie emerged from the steamy room wrapped in a fluffy purple towel. She immediately made her way to the dresser and dug through the drawers until she found an outfit that suited her. ‘Anything is better than tan fuckin’ cargo pants.’ She chuckled to herself, laying out dark blue jeans and a low-cut black tank top.

Once changed, she admired herself in the mirror and slipped her boots on. She noticed her brunette roots were spreading, and she was sure it would be a long time before she could dye it again.

Next, Veronica strapped her holstered handgun around her waist and grabbed her backpack and M60, swinging both over her shoulders. “God this gun is fucking heavy!” She cursed. Taking one last look around the room before heading downstairs, she saw Boomer had taken his leave already. ‘That dog has a mind of his own.’ V smiled, and closed the door behind her.

On the main floor of the Spread Eagle, business was still booming. Mary May was behind the bar speaking to one of the patrons who sat in front of her. When she caught Ronnie’s eye, she gestured her over. “Deputy! After a shower and a beer you seem bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.”

“Well I certainly feel better. Any way I could badger you for a meal?” The woman pulled out her wallet from the red backpack containing most of her belongings.

“You put that away, heroes eat free in my bar!”

At being called a hero, Veronica stiffened. The moniker didn’t seem to fit as comfortably as the barkeep used it; ‘What kind of hero murders people?’ Her mind practically shouted at her.

Mary May had already turned towards the kitchen, calling out “Casey? Get our friend, the deputy, some breakfast ready- would ya?”

The man in the window wiped his hands on his apron and nodded at the pair “One full breakfast, coming up!”

V came to her senses once more and put her wallet back in the pack she’d withdrawn it from, giving the barkeep a smile. “I appreciate that, but the ‘hero’ stuff isn’t necessary… I’m just trying to do what’s right, that’s all.”

“Oh I don’t think you have to worry about trying, seems like doin’ what’s right’s in your blood, hun. Not a lot of people would run in here guns ablazing to save a town of near strangers.” The blonde gave her another smile before going to check on her tables.

“That’s a pretty thought.” Veronica mused, thinking she wasn’t quite sure what was right anymore.

Her foot tapped against the metal of the bar stool as she watched the chef work, her stomach growling at her impatiently. She realised the last time she’d eaten was well over 24 hours ago, and that thought did nothing to help her hunger panes. Turning to the patron next to her, Veronica asked “Got a cig?” The man next to her obliged, giving her a nod as she stepped off the barstool and out the front door.

“I really wish this were a joint.” V shook her head before lighting up, inhaling the bitter fumes. Cigarettes had never been her favourite vice- but she would take what she could get at this point.

The morning sun poured over the small town, framing everything in an angelic light. Townspeople roamed through the streets, picking up debris and throwing it into contractor bags. Despite spending almost the whole previous day cleaning and mending the broken town, there was still much to be done. It heartened Veronica to see the people of Fall’s End working together to fix their home.

Another drag of her cigarette, and the deputy couldn’t help but reflect on the past two days. She’d seen more bloodshed than in her whole life, and been the cause of most of it. The weight of each death she had caused was heavy on her heart as she replayed watching the light fade from too many eyes.

Ronnie had never thought she’d need to discharge her weapon in the line of duty. Working at the Hope County Sheriff’s Department was a relatively easy job, there were your fair share of crazy people and petty criminals, but she had never seen anything like this. It crossed her mind that every time a call regarding Eden’s Gate had come across the scanner, her partner, Staci Pratt, had been completely against going and always let someone else go in their place. ‘Hell, even Sheriff Whitehorse didn’t seem to want to send us on those calls. God I hope he’s okay…’

Veronica’s mind drifted to her companions- and what they must be going through at the hands of the cult. Dutch had assured her that they were all alive, but he’d neglected to give her any details. She thought of Joey- the fear on her face as she had been snatched out of the flaming wreckage of their helicopter. Now where was she? Trapped by John, being held against her will for what purpose? To convert her?

The thoughts and questions raced through the deputy’s head, making her feel dazed. She continued to circle back to one thought: ‘I have to save them, I’m the only one who can.’ Her fingers felt the warmth of the cherry of her cigarette, and she realised she had smoked it down to the filter. V tossed it to the ground and wandered back inside. The customers were rowdy for only 11 in the morning, and their clamoring mixed with the song on the jukebox to create a nice din that allowed Veronica to not have to think anymore.

Reaching the bar, she saw a plate filled to the brim with eggs, bacon, and toast. Her stomach rejoiced as she picked up the silver fork and dug in.

In no time at all, the heavy meal rested comfortably in the deputy’s stomach. Ronnie leaned back on the stool and patted her midsection with a delighted smile. “My compliments to the chef!” She grinned and felt some of her bad mood fading away.

Mary May strode behind the bar and leaned over it, resting her elbows on the polished wood. “Don’t say that, or it’ll go straight to his head!” She chuckled, glancing at the kitchen window.

“So, deputy, remember last night when I mentioned you.. lending a hand?”

“I don’t remember much of last night, but I do recall that… what do you have in mind?”

Mary May took a deep breath, her gaze turning to the bar. “Yesterday, you had some balls running into town like that. Most people see Eden’s Gate and run the other way… but, my dad was one of the first to stand up to ‘em. Any time one of those peggies would show up lookin’ to cause trouble- he’d hop in his big rig and chase them right outta town.” She smiled at the memory, and with a nod she continued, “He loved that truck; called it the ‘Widowmaker’.”

Her face darkened, thunderclouds practically rolling into her deep blue eyes. “Those fuckers stole it from him, a week before he passed…” Her fist clenched on the bar and she shook her head.

“I’m so sorry, I had no idea.” Veronica sympathised, unsure if she should take the other’s hand but ultimately deciding against it.

The blonde pulled herself from her memories and met V’s eyes once more. “You really wanna piss off the cult? Get the Widowmaker back. Show them we’re not just gonna roll over… and give folks here something to cheer about.”

At this, Ronnie nodded; mulling it over for a moment. “How do you propose I do that?”

“It’s locked up under guard at a grain mill not far from here. Hell, you came in here and saved a whole town! I think you’re the person for the job, Veronica.”

The deputy saw sincerity and a hint of desperation in the bartender’s eyes, striking a cord in her. This woman had shown her some much needed friendship yesterday when the past days’ events were starting to take their toll, and Veronica wanted to do what she could for her. ‘This is also the only way I can get any closer to saving Joey, even though that’s a daunting enough task…’ V felt herself almost begin brooding, but got back on track quickly- “Okay, one Widowmaker coming up!”

Relief washed over Mary May’s features, and she smiled, “Somehow I knew I could count on you, dep.”

She returned her smile, and the two shared a happy moment despite the days of chaos. “Could I steal a beer for the road?” Ronnie asked.

Turning to grab a cold one from the cooler, Mary May obliged- popping off the cap and handing it over. “Be safe out there, and go ahead and take the Jeep ‘round back, just park it somewhere I can go get it after this business is over. The grain elevator is northeast of here, follow the road and you’ll be there in no time.” She offered as the deputy headed for the door.

“Thanks, I figure I can’t order an Uber around here.” V joked as she managed to catch the keys Mary May threw unceremoniously her way.

Outside- the morning sun rose higher and higher, blinding Veronica as she stepped out of the Spread Eagle. She made her way around the side, spotting the Jeep at the end of the dirt driveway. As she opened the driver’s door, a bark came from behind her. “Hey buddy!” The woman turned to see Boomer watching her expectantly. He padded closer to her with a small whine. “I don’t know if you should go with on this one, it’s pretty dangerous…”

His brown almond eyes met hers as if to say ‘And our last escapade wasn’t?’. She shook her head with a chuckle, reaching down to scratch him under the chin saying, “Most dogs aren’t adrenaline junkies, that’ll take some getting used to!”

Sighing, Ronnie put her hands on her hips; Boomer stood there, projecting as much sass as a 35 pound furball could. Finally relenting, she moved away from the open door and gestured him in, “Fine, I guess if you want to run headlong into danger I can’t stop you!”

The pup jumped into the passenger seat, celebrating his victory. Veronica took her spot next to him and started the car, pulling out of the driveway while fiddling with the radio. Faced with the ‘only-two-radio-stations-conundrum’, the deputy landed on the peggie station. The song playing relayed the perks of baptism, advising the listener to ‘let the water wash away their sins’.

“Is this seriously all they listen to?” V asked, glancing at Boomer as they cruised down the road. The dog sighed, putting his head between his feet in agreeance. She reached forward and switched the station back to the original one, where a soft rock song played.

The trees they passed blurred together, one green line as they sped to their destination. Veronica couldn’t help but let her thoughts stray to her own father. When Ronnie was only twelve, Benjamin Rook had ruined their family’s picturesque life by finding love in the arms of another woman, and abandoning Veronica and her mother. He moved to North Carolina and forfeited his parental rights without much of a fight so he could start life anew without the burden of his old family.

Letters would come in the mail; at first every week but then every two, then every month, and then not at all. Before long, Sarah Rook had decided her and her daughter needed a change of their own. The two packed up their belongings and moved from Butte, Montana to Hope County, right on the outskirts of Missoula.

Sarah, with previous law enforcement experience, had no problem securing a job at the Hope County Sheriff’s Department. She became quick friends with Earl Whitehorse, who was chief deputy to the sheriff at the time. Because of this friendship, she’d been able to secure a job for her daughter those many years later when Ronnie had felt so lost and needed a direction to go in life.

The wound of her father leaving never quite healed, and it wasn’t one Veronica tore open too often unless she was deep in her cups. Seeing the admiration Mary May held for her own father had almost reared the ugly head of jealousy in her; however irrational that may be. At the same time, she’d felt the need to preserve that happiness in any way she could. ‘Man, projecting much?’ She chastised herself. The things lack of closure will do to you.

Coming out of the trees, V saw a towering grey structure up the road and knew she’d reached her destination. To the side of the grain elevator and the building next to it rose a large hill. The deputy pulled off into a clearing, making sure the Jeep was out of sight of the road before getting out.

Boomer hopped out with her once parked, and the pair began their trek up the hill. It took them only a couple minutes before they were at the summit and had a decent view of their objective. The cattle dog growled at the sight of peggies patrolling the grounds, armed to the teeth. “We gotta be careful, okay bud? Just follow my lead and stay safe.” Veronica smiled reassuringly at him and pet his head.

The hill they stood upon sloped directly down to the fence around the building in which the deputy knew the Widowmaker must be kept, offering her a quick entrance to her objective. Patches of tall grass and flowers offered sufficient camouflage as the woman and her dog crept downhill. As they approached- the sound of the cult’s music and sermons could be heard. John’s voice was practically blasting over the speaker as he preached, “...We are fast approaching the Collapse! Soon, the world as you know it will be gone, and with it- all that is cruel and evil!”

V rolled her eyes at his words, trying to count the cultists waiting below. John’s voice continued, “But for those of you that embrace us, those of you who say yes to the Father; Eden’s Gate will provide salvation! Do not be afraid, God has graced us with the opportunity to start anew!”

The deputy pulled around her backpack, pulling out a pair of binoculars. “Looks like four peggies so far…” She muttered, watching them patrol. John’s voice over the speaker grew sinister as he said, “But not everyone is going to embrace us, some have fires that need.. dampening. Some need our help to say yes… that is the will of the Father, to say yes! To say ‘Yes I will be reborn.’, to say ‘Yes I will give my life for the project.’, to say ‘Yes I will pledge my soul to the family at Eden’s Gate!’!”

Veronica tossed the binoculars back into the pack and shared a horrified look with Boomer, affirming “Sounds like cult shit to me!” Her pup whined in response, taking the lead as they reached the bottom of the slope.

Slinging her M60 around her shoulders to the front of her body, Ronnie popped open the top and made sure the gun was fully loaded. As she did so- the deputy caught herself humming the cult song she’d heard on the radio barely thirty minutes earlier. “‘Now that this whole world is ending….’ fuck that song is such an earworm!” She cussed to herself and let the gun settle against her body once more. Taking a few deep breaths to prepare herself for whatever may occur, she decided it was now or never.

The woman lowered to almost a crawl and made her way to the bottom of the hill, into one of the flower patches. The soft yellow flowers had a perfumy scent that filled the air, but Veronica felt no different among the blossoms so she assumed these weren’t the Bliss flowers Dutch had mentioned.

One of the men who guarded the building strolled out of the fenced area, coming to stand just in front of her. He was whistling quietly, not paying attention to the danger behind him. V checked that no other peggies had followed him, and she rushed forward to grab him in a chokehold; slowly taking him to the ground and pressing her arm to his windpipe until he stopped struggling. She hoisted him onto her shoulder and retreated to the flower patch. After dropping him to the ground, Veronica checked his pocket and found a twenty dollar bill and a grenade. “Seriously? Are all these guys armed like this?” She wondered aloud before sliding the grenade into her bag. She hesitated over taking the money, thinking ‘Am I any better than one of them if I take this?’ After a moment, Ronnie slid the bill back into his pocket, thinking better of it.

Leaving her fallen enemy, she made her way back to the chain link fence and passed through a gate leading to a space behind the building filled with piles of wood, pallets covered in tarp, and all manner of odds and ends. Veronica took refuge behind a pile of 2x4s and peeked over it, spotting only one cultist at the end of the alley. Boomer waited outside of the gate, watching her every move. ‘I’ll take this guy out, and just keep trying to move forward.’ She planned loosely.

V moved from crate to crate, getting closer to her target until got close enough to take him out much the same way she did his lookout. She stashed this body behind a crate, finding only some spare ammo on him before advancing.

At the end of the warehouse was the backdoor. Ronnie tried the handle, but found it to be locked. “Well fuck..” She sighed. Turning to her right to continue on, she saw a note next to the door.

“The warehouse is to remain locked and access is limited. If you need to get inside you can find the key by the workshop tent, but check with the Baptist before using it. We can’t afford to be careless around the Widowmaker.”

The deputy frowned, “Baptist… that must be John.” The last line gave her a light laugh and she murmured, “I think it’s more careless to leave a note saying where your key is stashed, assholes.” And she set off.

In the space in front of the building, Veronica counted four more peggies. Looking to Boomer, Veronica murmured “It’s a damn infestation.” She scanned the ground and found plenty of small rocks, and helped herself to a few. One man was near the corner of the compound, away from the others. Taking careful aim, one rock was thrown about 10 feet from him. The man startled before going to investigate. V smirked and threw another one at the side of the building, luring him away from the flock. Once the man was alone he was dispatched, leaving only three.

Creeping further out than before, Ronnie saw the three gathered around two large cages covered in black. On the side, they both read ‘Meat Wagon’ and angry growls could be heard from within. ‘What the fuck is a ‘meat wagon’?’ She wondered.

“That was a hard hunt today.” One of them said, looking at the others.

“It was… I hope Brother Jacob appreciates these offerings.” The one in the middle replied.

The gnashing of teeth could be heard clearly as Veronica recalled what she’d read in Dutch’s bunker, ‘Jacob, he’s the eldest… didn’t his note say something about monster wolves?’ She contemplated this, deciding the best course of action.

She drew her pistol, shooting the lock on the first cage and allowing a large grey wolf to spring forth, leaping onto the cultist that had called it an ‘offering’. The wolf savaged the man as the others yelled, raising their guns. Before they could even get any shots off V shot them both to the ground.

The thick sounds of flesh tearing reached Veronica’s ears, and were sure to occupy her nightmares later. Once the wolf finished his revenge, its amber eyes found her own and a deep growl emitted from its throat. The deputy froze, licking her lips nervously as her life practically flashed in front of her eyes.

It felt like far longer than a minute as the wolf contemplated the deputy. Suddenly, the beast broke eye contact and looked behind her before dashing out of the tall gate leading to the road, and then to the treeline; content to not eat its savior.

It was only when Ronnie could no longer see the wolf that she resumed breathing. She turned around to see Boomer watching her. “Did you just scare a wolf?” She asked him in disbelief. The dog barked twice in response, and V sighed in relief “Props where props are due... holy fuck that was scary!”

After another solid minute, they headed towards the tent mentioned in the note. The keys to the warehouse were sitting on a table directly inside, and Veronica grabbed them.

Once inside the warehouse- the deputy took in the sight of her charge. The semi-truck was painted purple with a mural of a bald eagle painted on the side, and hot-rod flames graced the hood. On the front near the grill, twin M2 Browning machine guns were mounted. “Wow… I think I’m in love.” V chuckled, staring at the machine in awe before tentatively climbing into the cab, keeping the door open for her furry friend to hop in. She found the key and the garage opener in the visor, and then they were off.

Easily crashing through the fence gate, Veronica felt they were home free until someone called over the radio “Someone made off with the Widowmaker! Block the roads leading back to Fall’s End, don’t let it through!” Ronnie took a deep breath and turned up the radio, blasting rock music.

As she sped towards the first roadblock, Mary May’s voice crackled through the radio, exclaiming “Holy shit you did it! I knew you had it in the bag, V!” Before Veronica could think of a response, she continued. “Listen, the cult’s gonna throw everything at you now, shove it right back down their fuckin’ throats! My daddy put cannons on that thing, don’t be afraid to use ‘em!”

“You got it!” Ronnie called into the radio. She scanned the cab and her eyes landed on a trigger mechanism near the gearshift. The truck barrelled forward and the Brownings fired off, sending several peggies flying. Boomer hunkered down in the passenger seat, attempting still to peek up through the windshield.

Ahead, two of the off-white trucks with Eden’s Gate symbols blocked the way. The deputy braced herself for impact as the 18-wheeler crashed through the first of many roadblocks; the first truck flipped off of the road and the second spun out of the way. “Goddamn!” The deputy yelled as the Widowmaker hurtled down the asphalt.

The truck cleared the block with no damage, and Veronica lit up like a kid in a candy shop. She turned to her companion in the other seat, Boomer gave her a big doggy smile and turned back to look out the window. V pressed the call button on her radio, reaching out to Mary May. “This is pretty badass!” She whooped.

A second later, her friend was on the line, saying “Hell yeah! Hit those sons of bitches! Better yet, honk that horn every time you do so I know when to cheer!”

As they approached the next roadblock, a fierce grin came over her features and she smoothed a finger over the trigger in anticipation. The upcoming barrier was composed of one white truck, and a fuel truck blocking the entire road. When they were about two-hundred feet from the block, Veronica pulled the trigger, shooting off round after round into the tank on the truck ahead. When they were only a hundred feet away from it- the fuel truck erupted into a blaze, sending flaming shrapnel flying in every direction. Clearing the second block, V laid on the horn with an almost crazed grin.

The pair flew down the road and through the wall of heat and embers that had roasted all nearby cultists. They had once more come out without a scratch, causing Ronnie to rejoice. “Woo! This is the shit!!” She yelled, adrenaline pumping as the music resounded through the cab and they careened down the country road.

A few minutes later, the turn to Fall’s End was the next left. V’s eyes darted between the turn and the open road that lay ahead. ‘I’m sure the cult has even more roadblocks ahead.’ She mulled the thought over before turning to Boomer and declaring “I say we do a victory lap!” Before pressing the pedal almost to the floor, rushing down the road.

Many roadblocks later- Veronica and her furry friend were once again rounding the bend that led to the turn for Fall’s End. The deputy felt as though she was practically vibrating with the adrenaline coursing through her veins. The sounds of men screaming, the warmth of the multitude of explosions, the feeling of the trigger under her finger growing more and more comfortable. Her aquamarine eyes seemed to glaze over as she considered what all this might mean for her, and what her eagerness to cause mayhem may say about her true nature.

Before V could travel too far down that rabbit hole, her radio crackled to life with the grateful voice of her friend, “The way you’re handling that rig would make my dad proud, Ronnie. Now bring her home!”

Hearing Mary May’s voice laden with joy, Veronica couldn’t help a small smile. “Be there in 5!” She called back down the line, turning down the road at the sign for Fall’s End.

The moment Veronica and Boomer rumbled down main street to the Spread Eagle, the blonde bartender could be seen waving them on. The rig turned slowly onto the dirt driveway- and the hydraulics of the brake system hissing loudly as the 18-wheeler came to a full stop.

V pulled the keys from the ignition and the truck shuddered as the engine cut off, leaving the semi to creak and settle like a great beast falling into the deep slumber of hibernation when the pair hopped out of the cab.

Boomer’s tail wagged and he bounded ahead to circle round Mary May’s legs before returning to his companion’s side. Across from the pair, the barkeep beamed at the sight of the rig right where it belonged.

“I gotta say, deputy, seeing my daddy’s truck rumbling home sure brings back memories. I’d stand out here every time he came back, just like this, wavin’ him home.” A sigh escaped the woman and she nodded at Veronica, her eyes almost misting over. “Thank you for this, I honestly can’t thank you enough.”

Seeing the joy and nostalgia from her newfound friend warmed V’s heart, and she offered the other a heartfelt smile. “Ain’t nothin’ but a thing, girl. I’m glad to stick it to those peggies, show them they’re not the ones in charge. Not for long anyways.”

Mary May clapped her on the shoulder, looking up at the semi, her face filled with pride. “You know, my dad woulda liked you. You’ve got grit, that’s for sure! If you ever need to use the Widowmaker you don’t even gotta ask!” Moving past Veronica, the other placed a hand on the curved steel of the machine, sliding a hand lovingly over the smooth metal.

Ronnie’s smile faded, and she scratched the back of her neck. Clearing her throat softly, she spoke, “I really appreciate that, Mary May. Listen… do you know anything yet? …About Deputy Hudson, I mean.”

The blonde met her eyes, a frown plain on her face as she stated, “I ain’t heard nothing good, I can tell you that. All I know so far is that John’s got your friend holed up somewhere, and he’s trying to make her ‘atone’, whatever the fuck that means. So far it sounds like Hudson’s been holding out- but no one can hold out against John for long. Motherfucker’s crazy.” She spit on the ground, as though unable to contain her disgust.

Anxiety overtook Veronica, icy cold fear freezing the blood in her veins. At the forefront of her brain, images of Joey bound and bloodied assaulted her senses. Swallowing past her emotions, V asked, “What can I do next??”

Mary May put a reassuring hand on her shoulder before taking a few steps towards the bar. “Go talk to Jerome at his church, then come back and see me. I’m gonna go put my ear to the ground, and make a ridiculously strong drink with your name on it.”

“Sounds like a plan… especially that drink.” Ronnie muttered.

Once she was sure the bartender had made her way back inside, Veronica wrapped her arms around herself, a shiver running down her spine despite the warm breeze touseling her dirty blonde locks. She thought of her friends, each of them trapped and waiting for her. The weight of her obligations felt like too much to bear for one woman- but she knew there were no other options. Her hands fell to her sides, and her gaze was drawn to the ground. ‘What the hell am I doing here? Running around playing vigilante… and enjoying it, for fucks sake! These people may be monsters, but I sure as shit am not any better.’ V scoffed, chastising herself silently.

Her hand felt wet for a moment, and she looked next to her to see Boomer nudging her with his shiny black nose. He licked her again and met her eyes- his tongue lolling out of his mouth as he gave her a big smile as if to say, “It’ll all work out!”.

Despite everything, the corners of her lips tugged upwards, and she lifted her hand to stroke his soft fur. “Thanks bud, don’t you worry about me, I can handle this...” She reassured him, not quite convincing either of them.

Behind them, church bells from down the road chimed suddenly, signifying the top of the hour. The pair’s gaze was drawn to where the bells swung in the white tower- sounding off three times before coming to a stop. The echo of the last ring filled the air, and Veronica adjusted the strap of her M60 uneasily, looking down at Boomer once more to say, “Sounds like that’s our cue, huh?”

The pup barked encouragingly, starting off down the short road without looking behind to see if she followed. After only a moment of hesitation, V joined him.

Golden sunlight filled the near empty streets, painting the white walls of the church a shining shade of yellow. Paint peeled off the outside walls, but a platform on the side of the building with painting supplies held the promise of the future.

A simple garden graced the front of the building; two large flower pots framed the stairs leading to the entrance. Under a large glass window- the doors to the church were propped open, offering a view of the interior. Pastor Jerome sat on a chair in the front of the church, a Bible in one hand as he read to an injured man lying on a mattress on the floor.

As Veronica came through the entrance, she noted the bullet holes in the walls that were accompanied by violent maroon swatches of dried blood. It was hard to believe the fight for Fall’s End was merely 24 hours ago. The deputy stopped at the end of the aisle as Jerome’s words echoed off the holy walls.

“Psalm 41:3, and the Lord will heal him upon his sickbed, The Lord sustains them on their sickbed and restores them from their bed of illness. In the darkest of times, there’s always a bit of light.”

On the mattress, the man’s eyes stayed closed and he rolled on his side. The pastor’s eyes lifted from his pages, finding Ronnie’s. He greeted her with a smile, closing the book but leaving his thumb in it to preserve his spot. “Veronica. I’m glad you came.”

Clearing her throat, she replied “I just finished helping Mary May, I figured I’d drop in and see what you needed help with.” The woman’s finger ran down the strap on her weapon restlessly, glancing at the podium behind Jerome. It wasn’t hard to envision him there, preaching to his flock.

The man in front of her nodded, adjusting his glasses. “Jeremiah 23:16, ‘Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord.” He met her eyes once more and there was a weight to his gaze she didn’t quite understand.

Resisting the urge to say ‘Huh?’ and give him an annoyed look, Ronnie waited for him to continue. She’d never liked church, but standing in one now with proverbial blood on her hands felt even more wrong.

He waited only a moment more before saying, “Scripture tells us there is evil in the world. And that horrible things happen for reasons that do not make sense.” The pastor sighed. “A long time ago, in peaceful times, I asked John Seed what was driving him. He gave me so many answers… all of them lies. I had one conversation with him and I knew. I knew… he masks his words as guidance, but deep down there is a selfishness that can only come from pure evil.”

Not knowing what to say, Veronica looked away from him. She saw the man on the mattress had stirred, his eyes were glazed over with milky white cataracts yet they still searched the room for something. His breath came out in labored wheezes.

On the floor next to the mattress, a cup of water lay within his reach. V leaned over to grab it, putting a gentle hand on the man’s arm and saying, “Here…” While guiding the cup into his now waiting hands. He took small sips before offering it back, rasping out a quiet thank you as he settled back onto the bare bed.

“You seem tense, Veronica, how are you holding up?”

A long sigh escaped her lips, and she took a seat in one of the askew pews. “I’m not sure how to answer that.” Came her honest response.

“Do you need to talk about something?” He offered.

Ronnie smiled humorlessly- finally looking at him. “You know, this is the first time I’ve been in a church since my grandma died.”

Jerome pondered her for a moment before inquiring, “How old were you?”

“23. It was just last year, actually. I don’t go to church, but she did… every day. Except one morning she didn’t wake up, and she never went again. What do you think that got her? Do you think she stamped her ticket to heaven by going to church?”

When Veronica received no reply, she continued, “Because if that’s the case, I think my ticket’s already been revoked. Especially now.”

Settling his elbows on his knees, the pastor leaned forward. “Why especially now?”

V shook her head, a dry laugh escaping her. “Isn’t murder a big no-no to the man upstairs?”

Jerome frowned at her, understanding her tangent now. He took a moment to contemplate his answer. “Years ago… I refused to own a gun. I relied on the Lord to help me win every battle, to stand by my side and lead me to victory. Now, I know better.” He stood from his chair to join her where she sat dejectedly. “We are fighting a war, deputy. You’re here to protect people.”

She couldn’t help but scoff. “I’m here because I got thrown in a fucking river and dragged into this ‘war’. Excuse my French.”

“Veronica, I can’t heal the pain you’re feeling but I can say this: there’s a destiny for everyone. The work you’re doing here, fighting against Eden’s Gate, this is the Lord’s work. You are doing what you must, and every one of us is grateful. You are stronger than even you know.” Jerome gave her a long look, his faith in her clear in his eyes. “The cult has done so much damage to this Valley, and you’re doing right by us. Giving people something to believe in again… you can’t know how much that means to all of us.”

The woman took a deep breath, unsure how to feel. Jerome’s words filled her with hope for herself, and her friends; but she worried about what her breaking point might be. ‘At least someone thinks I’m doing this shit right.’ She thought, the weight of the world temporarily lifted from her tired shoulders. “Is it ironic that I’m an atheist?” Ronnie asked, a small smile appearing on her features.

“I think that’s the definition of irony, my friend.” Jerome smiled with her, and for the moment they both felt a sense of calm.

Veronica nodded, the idea of doing more dirty work not bothering her as much as when she first stepped in. ‘If a literal pastor thinks I’m the good guy, then I am, right?’ She reasoned with herself, pushing aside her moral dilemmas for now. “So, what exactly is it you need from me?”

Jerome sighed, suddenly weary once more. “With the Resistance budding, and people starting to fight back, I’ve been needed here in Fall’s End now more than ever.” He stood once more and wandered to the front of the church, pacing as he continued, “As you can see- John’s making a lot of people suffer right now, and quite frankly, I can’t keep up. These people need me, they’re my responsibility now... but that just means keeping tabs on the Resistance has been that much harder.”

The deputy nodded, urging him to finish his thought. It seemed everyone was experiencing some degree of the mental turmoil she’d been enduring over the past few days.

“There are a couple of people hiding away at Woodson Pig Farm, trying to hold out from the cult. I haven’t heard from them in a few days now, and I’m getting worried. Can you check on them for me? We can’t afford to lose a single one of our fighters.” The man pleaded, finally coming to a stop at his podium.

Veronica reached into her backpack, pulling out the map Dutch had given her. “Where’s it at?”

Jerome pointed out a building almost directly east of Fall’s End, only a couple miles away.

The deputy nodded and stashed her map, “I’m off then!” As she headed for the exit, Boomer got up from where he’d been lying in the corner and stretched before following after. V paused in the doorway, turning back to say, “Thank you, Pastor. Really.”

“Any time, Veronica. I’m a pretty good listener. Good luck.” He nodded to her as she stepped through the threshold.

In less than 10 minutes, the duo saw a long dirt drive leading up a hill into the trees. They could hear shouting not too far away. “Sounds like it’s time to ditch the car.” V pulled the key from the ignition, and the pair left it at the bottom of the driveway.

They trudged up the hill, the yelling growing closer by the moment. At the crest of the driveway, there was a worn sign that read “Woodson Pig Farm, Family Farm Since 1942” with a pink pig above. The word ‘Gluttony’ had been scrawled on the pig.

Behind the sign stood a small, mint-green house with dried flowers adorning the front porch. A rustic looking fence surrounded the house and farm, but had been broken down in a few spots where the cult’s trucks had crashed through. Veronica crouched behind one and peered around it.

The front door of the house stood ajar, and a single peggie stood inside. He held his gun close, and was yelling at another man who was bound on his knees. “Saying yes is the only way!” He shouted before using the butt of his gun to hit the man in the face. Ronnie winced as the captive spat blood.

Creeping closer, the deputy peered through the windows of the house. She saw no one else inside, and inched forward. Next to the frame of the door, a white and red poster had been hastily hung. Veronica’s eyebrows raised in surprise as she recognized what the poster depicted. It was a ‘Wanted’ poster, with the word ‘Sinner’ bolded on the bottom; the picture in the center was from a grainy security camera, but Veronica’s face could be clearly made out.

‘Wow, I’m so infamous I get my own wanted poster?’ She thought with a brief, bemused smile. Ronnie made it to the doorway, and pulled out her long black hunting knife. Inside, the cultist was still yelling at his hostage with his back to the doorway.

Veronica crept forward and then lunged, grabbing the man and thrusting the blade through his neck. A deluge of blood sprang from the nicked artery, painting both the cultist and the hostage red. V kept her hand clamped down on her victim’s mouth, until his muffled yelling turned into choking gasps.

The man’s body slumped to the floor; and the woman wiped her knife on his shirt before using it to cut the bonds of her ally. The man stood his eyes wide with shock. “Go, get out of here and hide! I’ll take care of the rest of them.” Veronica insisted. The man nodded shakily and turned, running out the door.

Ronnie moved through the living room to the back of the house, heading towards the back door. She paused at the entrance to the bedroom, where she could see two peggies outside the window. One held a flamethrower, and was using it liberally on a pile of the occupant’s belongings.

Pressing on to the back, V came through the door into blinding brightness and held an arm over her gaze to let her eyes adjust. When they did, she gagged at the sight in front of her. In the fenced pen, a pile of pig corpses festered in the sun. To the left of this awful vision, another cultist berated a woman lying on the ground, her hands and feet bound.

A moment was needed to compose herself, then Veronica crouched once more to sneak along the side of the building. Behind her, the other two peggies were bickering. “Brother John’s head is clouded. We should just kill the deputy.” One of them said.

“He said she needs to atone, see the error of her ways. He’s serious about this one.” The other replied, his tone cautionary.

A chill seized Veronica as she imagined herself at the hands of John; tied to a chair, at his mercy. A strong shiver traveled down her spine, and she stiffened as her brain took that thought in a much different context. Bile filled her throat with the realization that even with all she knew of John, she was still attracted to him. She shook her head, shooing the thought from her conscious.

Behind her, Boomer had made his way out the back door and to her side. It relieved her to see him, and she smiled. “Wanna tag team on this one?” Veronica asked her companion.

The cattle dog’s ears perked up, and he scratched at the ground in anticipation. Nodding, Ronnie murmured “Good boy! Now, see him?” She pointed to the man in the pig pen. “You take care of him, and I’ll grab them.” Her finger drifted to the pair who were still complaining behind them.

Seeming to understand, Boomer started forward with his ears low and came up behind the man. He leapt forward and seized the peggie’s arm- wrenching him down to the ground. The man fell with a startled yell and hit the dirt. Boomer wasted no time and went for the jugular, mauling him before he could make another noise.

At the same time, Veronica pulled her M60 forward and jumped out from behind her cover. She shot a spray of bullets at the two cultists, not even giving them time to go for their weapons before they dropped. V let the machine gun fall against her, and she went to the woman in the pig pen to cut her loose.

“Thank you, deputy, I knew you’d come!” The hostage professed, picking up her deceased captor’s weapon.

Ronnie gave her a bashful smile, replying “Happy to help, Miss… now you should get out of here, get somewhere safe.” What she was really thinking was, ‘Am I a household name or something? Jesus.’

The woman nodded before turning and leaving through a gate in the fence.

Once she was out of sight- Veronica turned back to the house and headed back inside. In the living room, she was about to pull out her radio and call Jerome when she heard something that made her stop. A faint click, and then something that sounded like whispering came from above.

V looked all around her, finally stopping in the middle of the living room and peering up. Above her there was a large, square opening that looked like it had been hastily covered by flattened cardboard boxes. She frowned and jumped up, hitting one of the pieces with a thud. The sound suddenly stopped.

Jumping again, Ronnie batted the cardboard away and left the opening uncovered. She paused for a moment, listening hard for anything. A few moments passed with no noise- and the woman made one last jump to grip the edge of the opening. With a small grunt, she pulled herself upwards into the attic space.

As she hoisted herself up, she took in her surroundings. The attic was small, only the length of the living room. Two wooden shelves stood opposite one another; one filled with only boxes and the other holding some ammo and a tac vest. Next to the second shelf, there was a dark recess in the wall.

Veronica clutched her gun closer, and heard the same noise as before: a click followed by a softer noise. She stepped closer to the recess in the wall, and could finally distinguish the noise. A man huddled in the space behind the wall, gripping his radio and whispering hurriedly, “That sinner’s here!! Send a capture party! We can get her for John!”

Their eyes met, and the deputy scowled at the man before firing at him. He fell backwards with the force of the bullets, gore covering the wall behind him. His radio was still intact, and his contact could be heard shouting “It’s deputy huntin’ season! Capture not kill, we need her alive! Use Bliss bullets!”

The woman grabbed some ammo off the nearby shelf and stuffed it into her backpack. After taking what she needed, she dropped down into the living room and checked her gun. As she was about to reload- an off-white Eden’s Gate truck screeched to a stop in front of the house, and three men in heavy riot gear hopped out.

Upon seeing this, Veronica dove for cover before they could see her. Her back rested against the wall next to the front door, and she heard one of them shout “Come on out darlin’!” She swung around her backpack and pulled out her radio, turning it to the frequency she wanted.

“Jerome, it’s Veronica, I secured the farm but one of those fucks called for backup and they said something about a capture party? I don’t know what the hell that is, but I sure as shit don’t plan on finding out.” She babbled into the radio. When no response came, the deputy moved underneath the window, readying her weapon. She peeked up and aimed, seeing one of them on the porch.

Before Ronnie could get off a shot, a sound behind her caused her to whip around and she was confronted with one of the men; who must have come in the back while she was making her call. He shot a round, hitting her in the thigh and causing her to yelp with pain. Before she could make a comment about his aim, or think about why the bullet hadn’t torn through her, her vision blurred.

The world became shaky- and stars swarmed her sight. V was able to slur together a few words before she passed out, and she grumbled “You… asshole…”

Though she could no longer see, Veronica could feel someone pick her up in a fireman’s carry. She knew they’d tossed her into the back of the truck, and heard the engine rumbling in the distance. A few bumps in the road were the last things she felt every sensation was gone, and she fell into a white abyss of Bliss.

#i feel like i havent written in forever so if this is bad im sorry lmaooo #so glad i finally finished this chapter though #hope everyone enjoys this!#❤❤❤#my writing #veronica rook #far cry 5 #fc5 #mary may fairgrave #jerome jeffries #boomer #ahfwh #...and hell followed with him

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ecoamerica · 19 days

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youtube

Watch the American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 now: https://youtu.be/bWiW4Rp8vF0?feature=shared

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alyssawritesssfics · 3 years

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Hounded [2] 2. Earth Skills

Pairings: Bellamy x OC // Kane x daughter!OC

Word Count: 2.6K

Warnings: violence, series spoilers

Summary: Athena joins the search for Jasper, who has been taken by Grounders, and comes face-to-face with danger for the first time on the ground.

Author’s Note: Hii, I’m back with the second chapter/episode. Please remember to note and reblog! It really helps me see interest and therefore update the story more often. Thank you! PS. If you’d like to be tagged in future chapters, please send me an ask with your @ and I will add you to my list!

previous chapter // series masterlist

That night we all slept in the dropship, either on the floor or on makeshift hammocks. I hardly slept that night, too worried about the group heading to Mount Weather, as well as wondering about my family on the Ark. I knew my father had to have known about the plan, but did he bother to tell my mother?

I pushed through the sheet covering the dropship door, heading outside. Just a few feet away, I watched as Atom reached for the clothes in Wells’ hands.

“There’s always a market for-”

Wells yanked himself away from Atom. “We share based on need, just like back home.”

I felt myself being shoved to the side as Bellamy exited the dropship, his chest bare as a girl followed close behind. “You still don’t get it, do you, Chancellor?” I watched as Bellamy kissed the girl, her happily marching away.

Gross.

“This is home now. Your father's rules no longer apply.” Bellamy continued, heading over to Wells and grabbing a shirt. Wells attempted to grab the shirt back, Atom pushing him away.

“Atom, hold up,” Bellamy responded, looking in Wells’ direction. “You want it back? Take it.”

Wells stared Bellamy down for a few moments before tossing the rest of the clothes on the ground. A nearby group of delinquents ran over, sifting through the pile.

“Is this what you want? Chaos?” Wells asked.

Bellamy smirked. “What’s wrong with a little chaos?”

“A little chaos goes a long way with a bunch of criminals,” I responded, knocking into Bellamy’s shoulder as I walked past him.

Just as I reached Wells, the sound of yelps filled the air. We all exchanged glances before running off in the direction it was coming from.

“Bellamy, check it out,” Murphy spoke, holding a girl’s head over a fire. “We want the Ark to think the ground is killing us, right? I figured it would look better if we suffered a little first.”

“Let her go!” Wells rushed over, shoving Murphy to the ground. He looked to Bellamy, shaking his head. “You can stop this.”

“Stop this? I’m just getting started.”

With that, Murphy swung at Wells, clocking him in the cheek. As Wells fell back slightly, Murphy continued to beat on him while others cheered him on.

“Stop it!” I screamed, though Bellamy grabbed my arm before I could place myself in the middle of the two boys.

Wells backed away, limping slightly. “Don’t you see you can’t control this?” He asked, looking at Bellamy.

“You’re dead.” Murphy declared, pulling out a knife.

“Wait,” Bellamy spoke, letting go of my arm. He reached into the pocket of his pants, pulling out a knife and tossing it on the ground in front of Wells. “Fair fight.”

I looked at Bellamy, stunned.

Wells stared at Murphy for a moment before looking down at the knife. He finally knelt down, picking up the knife before rising to his feet again. Murphy was the first to swing, Wells swinging back. Eventually, Murphy sliced Wells’ arm.

“This is for my father!” Murphy called out, going to swing again.

Wells dodged the swing, grabbing Murphy and putting him in a headlock. “Drop it! Drop it!”

“Wells! Let him go.”

I looked over, watching Clarke make her way down the hill, Finn following close behind. Wells did as she said, Murphy quickly charging back at him.

Bellamy quickly jumped in, grabbing Murphy. “Enough.”

Octavia stumbled down the hill next, Monty assisting her. She had a piece of cloth wrapped around her leg, which she was limping on.

“Octavia!” Bellamy called out, rushing towards her. “Are you alright?”

Octavia nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Where’s the food?”

Finn sighed. “We didn’t make it to Mount Weather.”

“What the hell happened out there?” I asked.

“We were attacked,” Clarke responded.

“Attacked? By what?” Wells asked.

“Not what, who,” Finn responded. “ It turns out, when the last man from the ground died on the Ark, he wasn't the last Grounder.”

“It’s true,” Clarke spoke. “Everything we thought we knew about the ground is wrong. There are people here, survivors. The good news is, that means we can survive. Radiation won't kill us.”

“Yeah, the bad news is the grounders will.”

I stood there, taken aback by Finn’s words. “How is any of this possible? There’s no way anyone could have survived the blast, let alone the radiation for the last hundred years.”

Clarke shook her head. “I don’t know, maybe they came from a bunker?”

“They definitely didn’t come from space,” Finn said.

Wells looked around. “Where’s the kid with the goggles?”

“Jasper was hit. They took him.” Clarke responded, looking at Wells’ wrist. “Where’s your wristband?”

I hadn’t even noticed it was missing.

Wells glared at Bellamy. “Ask him.”

Clarke turned to Bellamy, moving closer as she clenched her jaw. “How many?”

“Twenty-four and counting,” Murphy spoke up.

“You idiots,” Clarke said, shaking her head. “Life support on the Ark is failing. That's why they brought us down here. They need to know the ground is survivable again, and we need their help against whoever is out there. If you take off your wristbands, you're not just killing them. You're killing us!”

Bellamy’s face fell pale, though he quickly pulled himself together. “We're stronger than you think. Don't listen to her. She's one of the privileged. If they come down, she'll have it good. How many of you can say the same?” He asked, looking around. “We can take care of ourselves. That wristband on your arm? It makes you a prisoner. We are not prisoners anymore! They say they'll forgive your crimes. I say you're not criminals! You're fighters, survivors! The Grounders should worry about us!”

People began cheering, once again eating up every stupid word he said. How could they be so blind?

“What do we do now?” I heard Monty whisper to Clarke.

“Now we go after Jasper.”

…

I followed Wells up the dropship ladder, pulling myself up through the door behind him. Clarke sat in the middle of the room, packing items into her backpack.

“There you are,” Wells said.

I took a deep breath, exhaling loudly. “When your father said they didn’t leave us anything, he wasn’t kidding.”

Clarke looked over at us, her eyes falling on the gash on Wells’ arm from his knife fight with Murphy. Wells looked away. “It’s just a scratch.”

“You’re making friends fast.” Clarke sighed, looking at me. “How about you?”

“No knife fights yet, but Bellamy is tempting me.”

Clarke smiled slightly before turning her attention back to Wells. “Keep it covered. It could get infected.” As Wells adjusted the strap of his bag, Clarke smiled again. “Nice pack.”

“Yeah, seat belts and insulation.” Wells smiled. “I also packed part of the parachute, figured we could use it to carry Jasper back to camp.”

“Good,” Clarke said. “Give it to someone else. You’re not coming with us.”

Wells shook his head. “My ankle is fine.”

“It’s not your ankle Wells, it’s you,” Clarke responded, making her way down the ladder.

I climbed down the ladder after Clarke, Wells following after me. “I get to come though, right? Being stuck at this suck ass camp is driving me insane.”

“Yeah, we could use another person.”

“You came back for reinforcements. I’m going to help.” Wells pressed on.

Monty, who stood by the ladder, turned his attention to us. “Clarke, he’s right. We need him. So far no one else has volunteered.”

“I’m sorry, Monty. You’re not coming either.”

“Like hell I’m not,” Monty responded. “Jasper’s my best friend.”

“You’re too important. You were raised on Farm Station and recruited by Engineering. That’s food and communication.” Clarke pointed to Monty’s head. “What’s up here is going to save us all. You figure out how to talk to the Ark and I’ll bring Jasper back.”

Finn entered the dropship, stopping as he spotted us all.

“Are you ready to go?” I asked.

“I’m not going anywhere, and neither should any of you,” Finn said. “That spear was thrown with pinpoint accuracy from three hundred feet away.”

“So what, we let Jasper die? Not going to happen.” Clarke replied. “Spacewalker? What a joke. You think you’re such an adventurer. You’re really just a coward.”

“It’s not an adventure, Clarke. It’s a suicide mission.”

Clarke shook her head, pushing past him and out of the dropship.

Wells stepped forward. “Build a wall. Use the fallen trees. I’ll watch out for her.”

As Wells left the dropship, I followed him towards Clarke. She now stood in front of Bellamy and Octavia, who sat together on a log.

“You guys are leaving? I’m coming too.” Octavia spoke, attempting to stand up.

“No, not again,” Bellamy spoke as he stood from the log, his voice stern.

“He’s right, your leg’s just going to slow us down,” Clarke said, before focusing on Bellamy. “I’m here for you.”

Wells raised an eyebrow. “Clarke, what are you doing?”

“I hear you have a gun,” Bellamy smirked, lifting up his shirt slightly to reveal the gun tucked in his waistband. “Good. Follow me.”

“Why would I do that?”

Clarke turned back to Bellamy, her eyebrows raised. “Because you want them to follow you, and right now, they're thinking only one of us is scared.”

Without waiting for an answer, Clarke began heading off into the forest. Wells and I followed her, Bellamy and Murphy joining us not long after.

I wanted to go with Clarke to get away from these two idiots.

“Those guys aren’t just bullies, Clarke. They’re dangerous criminals.” Wells said, his voice hushed.

“Good. I’m counting on it.”

…

I followed close behind Clarke as she rushed through the forest, the boys staying further behind. She was avoiding Wells, that much was obvious. All I wanted to do was tell her the truth; that Wells hadn’t been the one to turn her father in. I knew I couldn’t though.

“Do you really think we’ll find Jasper?” I asked. “Finn mentioned a spear. Odds are he wouldn’t have survived that.”

Clarke didn’t answer, her eyebrows furrowing more than previously.

I watched as Bellamy sped up, getting closer to myself and Clarke. “Hey, hold up.” He spoke, pulling out his gun. “What’s the rush? Like Athena said, you don’t survive a spear to the heart.”

“Put the gun away, Bellamy,” Wells demanded.

Murphy stepped in front of Wells. “Why don’t you do something about it?”

Clarke shook her head. “Jasper screamed when they moved him. If the spear struck his heart, he'd have died instantly. It doesn't mean we have time to waste.”

Bellamy grabbed her arm. “As soon as you remove your wristband, we can go.”

Clarke jerked her arm out of his grip. “The only way the Ark is going to think I’m dead is if I’m dead. Got it?”

“Brave princess,” Bellamy smirked.

“Why don’t you find your own nickname?” I hadn’t noticed Finn following us. “You call this a rescue party? Got to split up, cover more ground. Clarke, come with me.”

Clarke smiled, turning around and following Finn.

Bellamy shook his head, turning his attention to me. “What about you, Athena? Ready to remove your wristband yet?”

“Not in a million years,” I said. “You might not have anyone who gives two shits about what happens to you down here, but I do.”

With that, I turned around and began heading off in the direction Finn and Clarke went. There was no way I was going to give up my wristband. As much as I would love for my father to wonder if I was alive, I knew I couldn’t do that to my mother.

...

“Hey, how do we know this is the right way?” Murphy asked.

Clarke and Finn had found Jasper’s goggles by the river, and we were now following the blood trail left alongside it.

“We don’t,” Bellamy said. “Spacewalker thinks he’s a tracker.”

“It’s called cutting sign. Fourth-year Earth Skills, he’s good.” Wells looked over Finn’s shoulder.

Finn turned around. “You want to keep it down or should I paint a target on your backs?”

Finn began following the blood trail further, myself and Clarke staying close behind him. I kept swatting the air around me, growing more annoyed by the bugs and all the bites I could feel covering my skin.

“Too bad they didn’t send us with bug spray,” Clarke spoke softly.

I raised my eyebrow. “That’s a thing?”

“You never paid attention in Earth Skills.”

“I never thought it would matter,” I said. “I knew they expected the ground to be survivable soon, but I didn’t think we’d ever actually get down here. Not in our lifetime at least.”

The sound of moans filled the air, causing us all to stop in our tracks.

“What the hell was that?” Murphy asked.

Clarke looked at Bellamy. “Now would be a good time to take out that gun.”

The moaning continued and we followed it, coming across an open field. Across the way was a tree, and my jaw dropped as I noticed what was strung from it.

“Oh my god.”

“Jasper?” Clarke gasped, rushing forward.

“Clarke, watch out!”

Suddenly the ground fell from beneath Clarke. Bellamy lunged forward, grabbing her hand. I watched as he stared down at her, not pulling her up. The rest of us came to his aid, grabbing Clarke and pulling her back up from the hole.

As everyone gasped for air, I peeked into the hole. It was filled with spikes.

“Are you okay?” Finn asked.

Clarke nodded. “We need to get him down.”

“I’ll climb up there and cut the vines.”

“I’m with you.” Wells offered.

“No,” Finn said. “You and Athena stay with Clarke, and watch him.” He eyed Bellamy, a scowl forming across his face. “Murphy, you’re with me.”

Clarke took a deep breath. “There’s a poultice in his wound.”

“Medicine?” Wells asked. “Why would they save his life just to string him up as live bait?”

“Maybe what they’re trying to catch likes its dinner breathing,” Bellamy suggested.

“Maybe what they’re trying to catch is us.” Finn frowned.

Finn and Murphy worked on cutting Jasper down, while Wells was checking in on Clarke and Bellamy and I stood off to the side.

A bug landed on my arm, causing me to swat it, crushing it against my skin. I quickly wiped the blood away, causing Bellamy to laugh.

“What?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.

Bellamy shrugged. “Nothing, It’s just- from what Octavia’s said, I never would’ve guessed you’d be afraid of bugs.”

“I’m not afraid of them,” I mumbled. “I just don’t want them touching me.”

“Just wait until the hornets come out.”

My eyes grew wide. “Hornets?”

He simply laughed, looking over at Finn and Murphy.

As I continued to swat the bugs away, a deep growl came from the forest surrounding us.

“What the hell was that?” Murphy asked.

“Grounders?” Bellamy suggested.

The growling continued to grow louder until finally, a pair of yellow eyes came out of the forest. It was a large black cat, unlike anything I’d seen before.

“Bellamy, the gun!” Clarke called out.

Bellamy reached for the gun, patting around but unable to feel it.

The cat lunged forward, Bellamy grabbing me and yanking me out of its line of sight. Suddenly the sound of gunshots filled the air, the cat falling to the ground.

I looked around, my eyes landing on Wells, who held the gun in his shaky hand. Clarke stood next to him, looking back and forth between him and the cat.

“Now she sees you,” Bellamy spoke through shaky breaths.

I gasped for air, not realizing I’d been holding my breath. “I hate Earth already.”

next chapter

#the 100 #the 100 fanfiction #bellamy blake #bellamy blake fanfiction #bellamy blake x oc

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gingyboo · 3 years

Text

Mirror Mirror

A/N: Again many thanks to @booglebug

Description- Soulmates existed. People knew that much. Soulmates were rare, a handful in each generation, an unexplainable phenomenon that formed a bond closer than blood and more sacred than marriage.

Bucky finds his soulmate when he needs her most. Little does he know how much she needs him too.

(Soulmate au that slots pretty much in to the MCU but with soulmates. Set after TFATWS.)

Pairing- Bucky Barnes x OFC

Warnings- Mentions of violence and guns, but its mostly fluff, drama and angst.

This is a multi chaptered fic.

Please like, comment, reblog!

prologue Chapter 1

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Chapter 2

Bucky stared into the mirror as the reflection changed back to himself. ‘Don’t be a coward’ he said to himself. Nancy knew who he was, Nancy knew what he’d done and where he was. Maybe most importantly, Nancy was made for him, and him for her. He had to meet her, but he also had to protect her. The conflict in his mind, how could he keep her safe, war followed him everywhere he went. But to not be with her, to know her and not be together, that was unbearable.

‘’Come on ice man, we got a job to do,’’ Sam shouted outside the door to Bucky’s hotel room.

‘’I’ll be right out.’’

They were staying in Paris, following up a lead on an arms dealing ring when he’d got the message, ‘Wakanda needs you white wolf’ then an address.

The journey there was simple enough, Sam was on the phone to Torres for a long time, organising a jet to their location if required. The address as it turned out was the Wakandan outreach centre in Paris. It was a modest sized town house overlooking the Seine. They were led inside by a stoic faced man, looking to be in his late 60s, white hair stark against his dark skin. He silently brought them to a small office. Children’s faces were pressed against the banisters opposite pointing at them laughing and waving. Bucky couldn’t help but smile, waving two fingers in a salute of greeting. Their guide turned to usher them away. When they entered the room, the door closed behind.

‘’White Wolf.’’ Bucky didn’t recognise the woman behind the desk. She was tall, had long braids pulled back off her face and wore an immaculate black suit. Her face was striking yet kind, there was a deep worry line on her forehead. Bucky nodded at her and Sam introduced himself. Kitama was her name.

‘’We have a job for you, a rescue of sorts.’’

Bucky and Sam shared a quick glance between them.

Kitama continued,

‘’There is to be a kidnapping attempt on a British socialite, we need you to stop it.’’ She spun the screen in front of her round and Bucky’s heart stopped.

Nancy’s face was plastered across the screen. If anyone in the room noticed his shock, they didn’t show it.

"Nancy Cartwright is the daughter of England’s ambassador in Wakanda, she’s attending a dinner representing her father tonight, then her and some other select officials will attend the royal opera house for a ballet. Our intel tells us that is when the terrorists will take her.’’ Bucky still couldn’t speak. He couldn’t take his eyes off her picture. She wasn’t smiling, she didn’t even know the picture was being taken, her getting into the back of a black car, red dress hitched up showing her black heels, gazing back at the building she must’ve just left. Her home. ‘Go back’ he wanted to shout at the picture.

‘’What do they want with her?’’ Sam asked, Bucky was grateful he was dealing with the conversation.

"Ransom."

"Money?" Sam asked

"Not exactly, we believe they wish to force the hand of her father, to work on their behalf."

‘’Where is she, we’ll go now, we’ll get her safe.’’ Bucky thought he saw Sam’s jaw drop at his statement, but it didn’t matter, he had to find her, get her safe, and the safest place for her was right by his side.

The details were passed on in a blur, Bucky’s attention was fixed on Nancy, the royal opera house in London, Torres would get them there, Sam could survey the outside, he could get in grab her and get out, quicker the better, the rest could be sorted later.

Before he knew it he was sat opposite Sam in a stealth plane, quiet as they took off over Paris.

‘’What going on blue eyes?’’ Sam asked and was met by a stony glare. ‘’Come on, I saw your face in there, you know this kid, knew her back in Wakanda?’’

‘’She’s no kid and she’s never lived in Wakanda.’’ Bucky said without thinking.

‘’But you do know her?’’ Sam pushed.

‘’Complicated.’’

‘’Look I know you’ve got this while silent and deadly thing going on, but if there’s something I should know, you probably best to tell me, so there’s no surprises.’’

Bucky shook his head and Sam stood up to adjust his suit, stalking over to Torres. Soulmates were sacred and Bucky wasn’t ready to share that truth with anyone but Nancy right now. Sam knew something was up, he wasn’t stupid. However, he also knew when not to push Bucky.

The trip across the channel was short and Torres came over with Sam. They had to fly low and quiet, small jump to the adjacent roof and get down to the third story window. Take the bridge between the two buildings. From then Bucky would need to memorise the layout, find his way to the box and get her. Then down to the streets and blend into the busy city. Sam would find them, monitor anyone following and then Torres would pick them up for extraction. Simple. Simple up to a point.

The grandeur of the opera house surprised Bucky, the patterned carpet and large stairwells reminded him of a time long ago. Sam stayed pitched on adjacent roof, shield in hand, monitoring the CCTV footage whilst redwing scanned the surroundings.

‘’Next right Buck, should be a stairwell, you are looking for box 5, she should be there, the corridors unguarded,’’

‘’On it,’’ he took the stairs 2 at a time,

‘’ you gonna tell me what’s so special about this girl yet?’’

‘’No.’’

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

Nancy lent forward in her chair as Tchaikovsky’s music swirled around her. She was enjoying this, if only because feigning great interest stopped the foreign secretary from attempting more conversation. No, she didn’t know what her father’s position was on an exclusive trade deal with Wakanda, and no she wasn’t sure when he’d be back in the country. She also didn’t need him to get her an ice cream in the interval though a strong drink might be appreciated. He swapped from treating her like his 13-year-old daughter to trying to catch a glimpse down the front of her dress. More than once she thought of Bucky, off on a mission, out their doing something for the greater good. Nancy liked helping her father, reporting back to him on the goings on at such events, feeding him information on the British perception of Wakanda. These were turbulent times, and yet she still felt nothing more than shiny ornament brought out for parties.

She felt the door opening before she heard it, a slight change in pressure within the top box. The minister didn’t notice, in fact she thought he might have dropped into sleep. She felt someone behind her, silently approaching, the hair standing straight on her neck. No one else should be in there. She swung round quickly arm raised. A metal hand caught it as a palm of flesh covered her mouth, she bit into it on instinct before seeing who it was. Bucky. Her face of fear relaxed at once and Bucky gently knelt behind her chair, the minister hadn’t so much as stirred. His breath was at her ear as he wound his right hand into hers, holding it tightly.

‘’In ten minutes, the interval starts, get up and leave the box, we have to get you out of here.’’

His voice was barely a whisper, she responded in the same tone.

‘’What’s happening?’’

‘’Shhh,’’ he breathed stroking his thumb overs hers soothingly, ‘’later.’’

And so, the sat in silence, him holding her hand and her watching the ballet. As the curtain closed and the audience clapped Bucky drew her silently to her feet and out the door.

He looped her hand through his arm and steered her down the stair well.

‘’What’s happening?’’ Nancy tried not to shout as she struggled to keep up with his long strides.

‘’The Wakandans sent us, someone’s planning to take you,’’ he pulled her close to him stroking a thumb along her cheek. She shivered gently, his eyes darted around her face ‘’I won’t let them.’’ He turned on his heel and pulled her after him.

‘’Slow down Buck... Bucky- ‘’she stood firm, ‘’James!’’ There were people milling around them now, coming out from the lower circle.

‘’ I’m prepared for this, my whole childhood, we had like practice runs, what’s the plan?’’ She held his gaze sternly. Bucky felt pain in his chest, who has to prepare to be kidnapped, what child should have to worry like that. He stalled for a moment.

‘’We go out, down to the streets, find a safe place to wait for an extraction.’’ He looked her in the eye, trying to read her feelings, she rolled her eyes.

‘’We’ll go to my house, it’s safe there.’’ She made to walk off, but Bucky’s grip on her arm stopped her.

‘’We are getting you out of the city, tonight.’’ He said firmly.

‘’Not gonna happen, there’s things I need.’’ Nancy kept trying to walk away but Bucky wouldn’t move.

‘’Nancy- ‘’

‘’No Bucky- ‘’

‘’No Nancy stop! Look at me, pretend we’re talking, laugh at something I said.’’ He pulled her easily back him. She laughed cheerfully, a sound like Christmas bells.

"Too men against the wall back there," he breathed just loud enough for her to hear. "don’t look, they’re watching you, we need to find another way, walk with me." He linked his fingers with hers and they walked slowly back towards the box, they could’ve been just another couple out to see the ballet. He was even dressed the part, black suit and shirt, he hid the metal had in his pocket.

‘’Are they following?’’ Nancy whispered. Bucky nodded his jaw clenching. ‘’I got a plan, meet me on the roof’’ she said as she pushed off him with surprising force and her hand slipped from his. She darted into the woman’s bathroom.

The queue inside was thick, woman everywhere touching up makeup, waiting for a stall, drying hands, noise and people, a good place to hide. She shimmied through the crowd, muttering apologies as she went, and found the window she was looking for. Pushing in wide It locked in its stays, shit, she thought glimpsing the fire escape she was looking for, the gap was too tight for any adult to fit through. Nancy took a moment, breathed in and out. She jumped up on the windowsill and amongst shouts from the other ladies, kicked on the window stays. Property damage, great they might not let her come back now. She slid out the window, landing on the fire escape just as the window above smashed and Bucky’s arm appeared. He soon followed, shouts following him. Nancy ran up the stairs to join him as they continued up to the roof. No easy feat in stilettos.

‘’What’s this plan then doll?’’ Bucky said turning to her as side of the building turned into the deep London sky. Nancy looked around finding her bearings.

‘’Over there, there’s a way down, comes out the other side of the stage, go down take the side door out. Hit the streets, get back to my house.’’

‘’We can’t go to your house- ‘’ Bucky’s protests were stopped short by the roof door bursting open. ‘’Ever used a gun before?’’

‘’Give us the girl!’’ A masked man shouted, he was followed by three others, behind them Bucky could hear feet pounding on the metal fire escape.

‘’No of course not.’’ Nancy replied not taking her eyes off their assailants. Bucky had his handgun drawn, Nancy hadn’t seen where it had come from, he’d been too quick.

‘’How about a knife?’’

‘’No not that either.’’

Bucky pushed her down and drew another gun, seemingly from nowhere, one pointed towards the masked men and the other back towards the fire escape where more men now emerged.

He shot first, the masked men had drawn guns as well, but they were no match for his superhuman reflexes. He aimed for hands and feet, to disarm not kill, this gave Bucky time to move Nancy towards the buildings edge. One escaped the fire though, dashing round and grabbing Nancy round the middle. Before Bucky could respond Nancy had landed a sharp elbow to his nose, stepped back, digging a heel into the top of his foot. The attackers grip loosened enough for her to break free. She grabbed his arm bending it around his back until she heard the tell-tale crunch of dislocation, then forced him into the floor with a kick to the back of the knee.

‘‘Where’d you learn that?’’ Bucky called over his shoulder as another figure approached him.

‘’I told you, I’ve done a lot of preparing.’’ She shuffled back then realised she was at the roofs edge, there were still 3 men coming toward them.

‘’Do you trust me?’’ Bucky said turning briefly towards her.

‘’Of course, I do.’’ For she did, since the moment he first spoken to him, the first time she knew what he was to her, she’d known, he will protect me, he will never let me down. I am his and he is mine. There was no thought of doubt. Although she was surprised when he pushed her. Hard in the chest and she toppled. Next she was falling and falling fast.

#bucky barnes #the winter solider #sam wilson #captain america #mcu

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