#AND THEN WHEN I TELL HER I LOVE HER TOO SHE JUST STARTS GIGGLING MANIACALLY AND HUGGING ME TIGHT AND TELLING ME THAT I BELONG TO HER NOW | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

futbol16 · 10 months

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Nothing is Going Well • England Lionesses

Requests: im sooooo loving the keira leah and georgia trio 😍😍😍😍 could I request a oneshot where the three have grown into Y/N’s older sisters and best friends. In their next game Y/N gets left bloody like Melanie Leupolz during the Chelsea match. Except this time the three see that the injury is much worse as Y/N is unresponsive, their favorite player who was happily playing with them 20 minutes ago now in danger

could you write something with leah keira and georgia being like big sisters to R? and like teasing her but also being very protective of her? thank you love your works

Word count: 4k

“GEE!!” a shriek accompanied by loud giggles echo through the corridors of the stadium and many of your teammates look back at the source of the sound. You’re running past Alex, a cookie in your hand and giggling like a maniac as you attempt to run away from Georgia who is chasing you.

“GIMME BACK MY COOKIE!” her booming voice only makes you throw your head back as you swerve in and out through the line of teammates filing into the stadium’s changing room. Georgia can’t help it anymore as she also breaks out in fits of giggles, her arms outstretched towards you as you just manage to slip away from her.

The girls amusedly watch the two of you running around and they chuckle as you slip and fall on your bottom, Georgia crashing onto the ground too. You let out a loud groan as Georgia snatches the cookie back from you and in the same move she shoves the whole thing in her mouth.

“Crackheads, those two, absolute crackheads.” Leah points to behind her as she grins at the camera, shooting it a cheeky wink that makes the cameraman laugh as he captures the England Lionesses arriving at the Brentford Community Stadium.

Georgia sticks her tongue out at you and you pout at her silliness, arms crossing over your chest. The brunette in front of you laughs at you and you look to the redhead approaching for help.

“Kie, Gee is being mean!”

“AM NOT!” she protests as Keira pulls you off the ground before throwing an arm around your shoulders.

“Let’s go girls. Warm ups start soon.” she nods towards the changing room where most of your teammates are waiting and Georgia ruffles your hair before skipping off. You grumble as you try to fix your hair but Keira poking at your cheek makes you look at her. Upon doing so you’re met with a cookie in your face and a cheeky smile on her face as you take it from her.

“Shh, don’t tell Gee” she winks at you and you hug her waist as the two of you enter the changing room, your mouth full.

Leah, Keira and Georgia have become your best mates in the England camps and you cherished your friendship with them very much. You were much younger than the other three, standing at a rough 19 years of age and they instantly took you under their wings when you made your debut for the national team earlier this year. The trio had unofficially adopted you as their younger sister which they had been teased for by the other girls but they would only smile at their words as they’d pull you into their side and ruffle your hair, saying something about how you were ‘the team baby’.

All four of you played in different positions with Leah all the way back in defense, Kei and Georgia as the midfielders and you upfront as a forward. You had only recently made a name for yourself but it didn’t take long for you to become a fan favorite.

You grew up playing for Arsenal’s youth teams and despite being moved to the first team a year ago, you hadn’t had the chance to show just how good you were. The tragic injuries of Mead and Miedema had forced Jonas to experiment with his other players though, giving you, Frida, and Stina more game time, which had proved to be the right decision. Within two months you went from a last minute substitute to a constant starter and being recognized as the young star of the Reds.

Leah had watched you excel on the field since your very first few minutes of your debut and she felt immense pride when you got your first start. She’s still in absolute awe of your talent every time you step on the field and she has kept you close to her at Arsenal too. She was one of your favorite people and you had even been on vacation with her family. Her mother often jokes that you’ve officially become a Williamson.

Jonas knew that if it weren’t for ‘the main force at the front’ - referring to the team’s three goalscorers - he wouldn’t know what to do since Arsenal had been cursed with so many injuries. Similarly to your debut for the reds, you got your debut for the England Lionesses because of the number of injured players as well.

Sarina had kept an eye on you all of last season and as an Arsenal fan herself she was excited to see what you would bring to the team. She had instantly put you in the starting line up, which was shocking to not only the fans but you as well. Nonetheless, you didn’t disappoint as you served two assists in the same match and then being named the player of the match. You only got better after and it was a no brainer for Sarina to have you play in the final of the Finalissima.

Your journey had only just begun and you were already suspected to be a future Ballon D’or winner. Keira loved to remind you of this and since joining Barca she has frequently brought your name up to Alexia Putellas. When she first mentioned your name Alexia had confirmed that she knew about you and would love to meet you, gaining you a face time that Kei had arranged with one of your idols.

You stand by the sidelines with Leah behind you, her arms around your shoulders as the two of you watch the girls start warming up. Your fingers curl around the blonde’s forearms as you lean back into her, finding safety in her arms.

“You ready for this game?” she leans down to whisper to you and your eyes scan over the Australian players as you nod.

“Yeah” you pause as you spot Steph waving at the two of you and you wave back at her with a wide smile. You loved Steph and you had great chemistry on the field. “I’ve never played Australia before.”

Leah tightens her hold on you as she presses a kiss to the top of your head.

“But it’s going to be fine and you’ll be great. Besides, it’s only a friendly so just in case you panic, remember that.” she tells you, knowing how much pressure you felt and your need to prove your worth to England. You nod again as you look up at her smiling.

“You too Lee.” you tell her seriously. Just like her, you also knew about the stress she was experiencing especially as captain.

“Yeah” she assures you before Georgia and Keira come bouncing over.

“Come on Y/N warm up with me!” Leah shoots the brunette a look as she brings you even closer to her, refusing to let go of you.

“You’ve had her for long enough! It’s our turn now!” the midfielder demands, ball in hand as she tries to tempt you with it. “Come Y/N, follow the ball”

“Gee she’s not a dog!” Keira laughs at her and you untangle yourself from Leah’s hold. She gives you a hurt look, dramatically slapping a hand against her chest and you giggle at her antics.

“I’ll be back but you go with Kei, okay?” you negotiate with the two while Georgia is shouting at you from a distance as she urges you to hurry up. They nod at you as you walk away from them and Leah leans into her best friend’s side.

“She should come to Barca”

“Aww Kei don’t start” the blonde jokes as she throws her head back, smacking at her friend’s shoulder.

“What? Jonatan already has his eyes on her. She’d fit right in.” she explains to Leah who nods, understanding. Leah knows you’re bound to join the club sooner or later in spite of being a die hard Arsenal fan, but it would be a great move for your career…somewhere down the line.

“But Arsenal needs her more” she points out. Keira is about to open her mouth to interrupt again and tell her that Jonas won’t give you or any of this season’s players minutes once his main strikers are back, but Leah cuts her off. “Let’s go warm up, we’ve only got a few more minutes and Sarina won’t be happy with us.”

You start on the bench for this game, which you don’t mind because it gives you more time to observe the Australians playing style before you would be substituted in. It’s clear from early on that Sarina’s new line up isn’t working as well as she had hoped. Leah and Esme can’t seem to connect in the defense, Millie is obviously greatly missed from there and every shot on goal is either wide or offside. Despite this, England still manages to keep more possession of the ball, but you worry that won’t mean much if you can’t get a goal out of it.

If the number of injuries wasn’t enough, another is added to the tally in minute 28, but thankfully nothing serious as Lauren is subbed off for you. Sarina’s hand remains on your shoulder as you wait for Lauren to get to the sidelines, a silent encouragement that she has faith in you to change the game.

On your run to your position you get pats on the back from Georgia and Keira, both throwing a word of encouragement after you. You slowly exhale as you look over the opposition and your eyes connect with another pair of eyes. You look away as you feel a wave of anxiousness crash over you and you focus back on the game at hand as the match is resumed.

“Come on Y/N” you mutter under your breath, eyes trained on the ball.

All it takes is one chance. And Kerr proves that to you as she runs after the ball, hot on Leah’s tail. Leah heads the ball down for Mary but it unfortunately bounces before she can catch it in her gloved hands and Kerr’s foot has already connected with the ball. It’s a goal for Australia.

Leah walks back with her head hung low as she wipes at her forehead, disappointed in herself. While the Matildas celebrate you take the time to jog to your friend who has turned into an older sister.

“It’s a friendly, Lee. Remember that. You’ve been doing great” you assure her as you squeeze her fingers and she sniffles when she gives you an unsure smile. You nod back at her, telling her to believe you.

“As long as we have you on the field, I’m not overly worried” she uses flattery as a distraction from her mistake but you see right through it.

“We’ve still got time to turn this around.” is the last thing you tell her before getting back into position. You’re not too worried about your game because you have Keira and Georgia backing you up as well as your other teammates. Leah recognizes this as well and within a second she has her game face back, ready to face whatever would come next.

It took you a few minutes to get used to the Matildas’ football but you feel like you’ve figured it out. It instantly shows in your game because you’re creating chances for Chloe and Alessia whenever you can. The ball possession remains on England’s side as your team pushes forward and the Australians are visibly taken aback as shots are fired at them. None finds the back of the net until Kerr loses the ball from a pass that Raso gives her. You’re quick to pick up the loose ball and in a blink of an eye you’re sprinting towards their goal, sending a screamer into the top bins. You run towards the corner flag in celebration, patting the badge on your heart as your teammates surround you.

“There you go!”

“Yes Y/N!” Lucy and Georgia scream in ecstasy. England keep the ball in their possession until the halftime whistle is blown three minutes after your goal. A giddy smile resides on your face, still happy about your involvement in the game and confident that the girls would come out victorious.

Sarina’s halftime speech isn’t very long but everything she could say is said. When England reenters the pitch, Australia is already out and finishing up their drinks break.

Arms make their way around your shoulders and you hear a whisper next to you.

“I heard you got a crush on an academy player” Georgia’s voice is laced with a teasing tone as the two of you walk to the field. You abruptly pull back and turn to her, eyes full of questions.

“Who told you?” the brunette raises her eyebrows at your lack of denial but her expression quickly morphs into a smirk. She shrugs but you already know the answer.

“Leah” she says nonchalantly and another voice cuts in.

“She didn’t need to.” Keira’s arm circles your waist as Georgia’s arm is placed back around your shoulders. You look at the redhead in confusion and the girl on your other side decides to elaborate.

“Every time you tell us about your academy days you mention her name” you blush furiously as you remember the amount of times you had unknowingly flashed the girls a dreamy look when talking about your best friend from the Arsenal academy.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about” A chuckle leaves Georgia, there’s the denial. She shares a look with Keira who is giving you the same knowing look.

“Freya Godfrey. Does that ring a bell?” you can feel your face heating up and you hide in Keira’s shoulder as you listen to the two giggling at you.

“Get away” you joke with them, pushing the both of them towards their positions on the field as you retake yours as well. You can still hear their giggles until they stop, getting ready for the game to restart.

All seems to be going well as England better their tactics and keep the Australians on their toes. All seems to be going well as Chloe, Alessia, and yourself make a run towards their goal. All seems to be going well as Alessia delivers a wonderful cross to you. All seems to be going well until nothing is going well.

You jump forwards to head the ball into the net and at the same time Sam Kerr tries to intercept. She also jumps, leg outstretched towards the incoming ball but she misses and instead of the ball she gets you. You can feel her studs sliding across your face before you land on the ground with a big thump. Searing pain takes over you as you lay face down on the grass, eyes stinging, nose feeling like it’s not in place and your head throbbing. Then suddenly you feel nothing as everything goes numb.

Kerr looks down at you, a horrified look on her face but the referee hasn’t blown the whistle yet and she feels obligated to run after the ball. Alessia is immediately screaming for the referee as you lay still while Keira instantly runs to your aid. It takes the ref around two minutes to finally blow the whistle and by that time Keira and Alessia have managed to turn you on your backside.

Your face is covered in blood, so much so that they can barely make out where your mouth is.

“Oh no, no no” Keira is panicking as she looks you over and she starts waving for the medics.

Georgia and Chloe are the next to get to you, both gasping in shock. Georgia feels sick to her stomach and she turns away from the sight of you all bloodied, opting to lean onto Rachel for support. Keira’s hand is on your knee as she calls out your name, waiting for any sign that you’re awake.

By the time Leah gets to you the medics are already making their way past Georgia and Rachel.

Leah’s face pales at what she sees and she drops to her knees next to you in horror.

“Leah” Keira’s voice is broken as she searches for her captain's eyes. Her eyes remain on you however and she reaches a shaking hand out to your face, moving a strand of bloody hair from your forehead. Medics push them back as they try to assess the damage.

Your three sisters watch in almost slow motion as they lift your head and wipe the blood from your face. They watch as the medics feel for a pulse and their panic only rises until they get a thumbs up and they allow themselves to let out the smallest exhales of relief.

“She’s -” Georgia can't finish her sentence as her eyes water. Another wipe of your face reveals the cut on your cheek and nose. It also reveals the swelling of your nose and the misplacement of it. A broken nose. It’s not a big injury and you’d recover quickly but the way your face is now adorned with small cuts is not a pretty sight and it only makes your teammates even more worried.

“Oh my god” Leah wipes her eyes before the tears can fall. You have still yet to open your eyes or give them any indication that you were conscious.

“What’s going on?” Keira questions one of the medics as they load you onto a stretcher.

“She’s likely passed out from the pain. She’s got a broken nose and maybe a concussion but that’s about it. She’ll need stitches for two of those cuts. We’re taking her to the medical room” the team is briefly told as the medic rushes the words out before he runs off after his colleagues.

The three stare after them as the medics carry you off the field, sorrowful looks painted across their faces as it sets in. Georgia huffs out a breath of frustration for not being allowed to go after you while the other two reflect on just twenty minutes ago when you were running around and scoring.

The loss of your presence is immediately felt as Australia scores seven minutes later though it’s called off as an offside. The rest of the game goes by in a blur and the second the final whistle is blown and the teams have shaken hands, the trio are off towards the locker room in search of you. Hoping that you’re okay and sitting in your cubby with one of their hoodies draped over you like usual, waiting for them to get back.

Silence and emptiness is what greets them when they open the door of the changing room. They turn on their heels, marching to where they think the medical room is, to where you’d be. However, before they can reach it Leah is pulled back by a hand on her arm and she looks to one of the staff members. He wears an apologetic look on his face and she knows what’s coming.

“Now?! They want me to do a post-match interview now??!” she aggressively barks back but calms herself as she follows the staff member, urging Georgia and Keira to find you.

“Good evening Leah, sorry to hold you back, we’ve only got a few questions.” the interviewer tells her but she couldn’t muster up a genuine smile even if she tried. She speed runs the basic questions she always gets asked, her feet thumping on the floor as she looks behind the camera every few seconds, waiting for the signal that she can leave.

“Do you feel this tie is a setback?”

“Uh no. Absolutely not. Sometimes you have to take blessings in disguise. This friendly allowed us to experiment with different lineups and strategies which I think could help us greatly for the world cup.” she nods along to her words.

“Facing one of the top teams, top player. How hard was it to stop Sam Kerr ?”

“As a footballer you expect to go up against those top teams' top players. Obviously it’s hard, it’s a challenge but yeah, I think we nullified the threat pretty well. Obviously gifted that goal..” she pauses for a second as they replay the clip where she headed the ball towards Mary, effectively giving a goal to Sam.

“You play top teams - watching it again, thanks for having that in front of me” she lets out a nervous laugh as she rewatches the clip. Your words echo in her mind and she wills herself to calm her nerves.

“You play top teams, you play top players and when they’re in form sometimes that punishes us, but I think this has fueled the fire in us. It gives you a bit of fire.”

The interviewer nods at her answer as she checks over her questions and once again Leah finds herself glancing towards the doorway in hopes of getting away.

“Y/N L/N took a rough hit tonight in a nasty collision with Sam Kerr. She’s a recent addition to the team, what can you say about her as a player?”

Leah’s eyes widened slightly at the mention of you, her mind replaying the scene in front of her as you fell to the ground, when she saw your blood covered face, how you were unresponsive. She clears her throat as she tries to clear the images from her head.

“She’s pure class, a very talented young player and I believe she has got a very bright future ahead of her.” she says, voice full of determination as her eyes twinkle with pride but also worry.

“Speaking of, may I?” she points a thumb to the side, asking if they could wrap up the interview.

“Yes, of course. Thank you for your time!”

“Yeah, thanks” she rushes out before jogging down the corridor to where the medical room is, anxiety and nervousness rising in her chest.

Upon opening the door a squeal greets her.

“Leeeeee!” your voice is nasally but it brings Leah so much comfort she could fall to the ground in relief. Georgia and Keira are sitting on either side of you, both holding onto your hand as they smile at their captain.

“Hey babes” she breathes out, taking long strides to your bed. She takes notice of your wrapped up nose and the stitching on your cheek. She gently runs a finger over it before she leans down to press a big kiss on your hairline. You grin up at her, nodding to the space next to your legs and she sits down.

“So?”

“Mild concussion, broken nose-”

“Not anymore!” you cut off Keira’s medical report, giggling to yourself. Leah raises an eyebrow at your state.

“No more broken nose then but she has stitches on the bridge of her nose and her cheek - as you can see” Leah scans your face before resting a hand on your thigh and giving you a gentle smile.

“I feel like a hamster.” you announced, flailing around your hand and Georgia’s. “You know in my dream there was this big big green truck? I named it Weelah Liliamson.”

The girls burst out laughing at your words, the air becoming lighter.

“Oh yeah, and she’s high on meds.” Georgia states, chuckling at your offended expression.

“I don’t get high, I’m a football player you know? You know I’m a football player? I play football!”

“Yeah, yes I know” she giggles along.

“Don’t take drugs kids, no drugs.” you shake your head at her, eyes wide and bleary.

“Okay Y/N/N, we’re taking you home yeah? You’re sleeping at mine.” Leah pats your thigh to gain your attention and you sit up straighter.

“We’re having a sleepover?! YESSS!” you cheer before falling back.

“Shhh. Yes, sleepover.” Keira confirms, helping you drink. An amused look in her eyes, only happy that you were feeling beter.

“You guys are my bestest friends, man I love you all so much” you mumble out, eyelids suddenly getting heavy. The three look at each other with wide smiles, their heart melting at your words and they watch over you as you fall back asleep.

“We love you too”

#england lionesses x reader #woso imagine #futbol16 #woso x reader #leah williamson x reader #keira walsh x reader #georgia stanway x reader

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sadprose-auroras · 7 months

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hiiii i was wondering if i could make a request for a hazel x reader where reader is beaten up by someone not from fight club and hazel gets really protective and rounds up the rest of the club to retaliate

Hey, thank you for your request! Sorry it took a hot min, this one took on a life of its own. Not sure how I feel about it tbh, but please let me know what you think! xx

Content warning: targeted violence, themes of bullying, cursing

Word count: 3.7k

You were well aware that Jeff, star quarterback, most popular guy in school, widely celebrated asshole, completely had it in him to take his bullying way too far. You couldn’t ever forget the first time you saw him beat somebody to a pulp.

It was eighth grade, and you were an awkward, shy thing, just trying to navigate schoolwork and friendships. To put it simply, you were figuring out who you were and your place in the world. There were so many questions swirling around in your head. Why did you feel an immense swirling sensation in your tummy when your classmate, Hazel Callahan, would sit next to you in class when nobody else would? Was it normal to be so deeply enamoured by the clothes she wore, her hairstyle, her school supplies, so much so that you would try and emulate an outfit she’d worn, to beg your mom for a haircut like hers, to buy the same pencil case she had, just because she was the coolest person you knew? Reflecting back, of course, you had a crush on her, and didn’t know how to express it. But at the time, you thought you just really wanted to be her best friend and not leave her side for a moment.

At this awkward pre-pubescent stage, Jeff and all his football buddies seemed to be way older, more mature, and you were terrified of them. Jeff, especially. He had always been a bully, shoving kids out of his way in the school halls and calling people derogatory names. But he only seemed to be getting worse. And every time you passed him in the hallway, your heart was in your throat as you kept your head down and walked faster. Was this the time he was going to target you?

One day, you were in the schoolyard, sitting on a bench with Hazel chatting about a book that Hazel had lent to you. One that, to your surprise and deep excitement, included two of the girl characters sharing a kiss on the lips. Vampires, at that. You thought that was the coolest thing ever. You’d read that same passage over and over, enthralled at that even being a possibility. It had crossed your mind that you really wanted to kiss Hazel like that.

“So… did you like it?” she asked with an expectant smile. You nodded incessantly.

“Oh my god, it was AMAZING! The vampires were SO cool, Kali and Anna were my favourite characters by far! I wanna be a vampire,” you gushed, flushing a deep shade of red when Hazel giggled.

“Dude, I knew you’d say that!” she said. “You so don’t wish you were a vampire, you love the sun!” You laughed and shrugged. She was completely right.

“You know me well, Haze,” you laughed.

“Hey?” Hazel asked, chewing on the end of the straw on her juice box. She looked nervous.

“Hm?”

“I have to tell you something.” Your heart started going a million miles an hour.

“What is it?”

“Well-“ before she could finish, a commotion out of the corner of your eye caught both of your attentions. You whipped your head around to see a large group gathered around two people on the floor. It was Jeff, holding down a kid and punching him. Over. And over. And over. You quickly realised it was a boy in your English class, Thomas, who you’d never really talked to but was a shy nerd like you. He seemed nice; he had lent you a pencil once. To your horror, he didn’t even seem to be moving. And Jeff was cackling. Maniacally.

“Oh god, what do we do?” you asked frantically. “We should get a teacher, right?” Although there were a bunch of kids cheering him on, it didn’t feel right.

“Yeah, come on!” Hazel said, grabbing your hand and dragging you behind her as you rushed off together to find a teacher. You couldn’t tell if it was the handholding, or the life and death situation, that was giving you more adrenaline.

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Now that you were all seniors, you were only more terrified of Jeff. He had never targeted you, luckily, but you had witnessed his increasing violent nature towards many of your other classmates. As for Hazel, the vampire book situation all those years ago had been somewhat of an awakening for you; you were totally, completely in love with your best friend. You never, ever told her though, your fear of rejection outweighing anything else. The closest you got was telling her you liked girls when you were having a sleepover for your sixteenth birthday. There was something about sleepovers that made you feel like you could talk about things you usually weren’t brave enough to. To your delight, she told you the exact same thing moments later.

Shockingly, you and Hazel had finally branched out and spoke to people besides each other. Your other friends, PJ and Josie, made you a perfect little foursome. You had bonded over your respective codependent friendships. You first heard about the fight club when PJ and Josie told you and Hazel over lunch that they had created a self-defence club to sleep with cheerleaders.

“We’re teaching them how to defend themselves, next thing we know, Isabel and Brittany are kissing us on the mouths!” PJ addressed Josie, flailing her arms around.

“Can we join?” you asked, then realised how that sounded, laughing. “I mean-“

Hazel squinted at you from the sun, furrowing her brows in confusion. Your heart skipped a beat; her eyes particularly sparkled in the sunshine.

“You want both of us” – she pointed back and forth between herself and you – “to join those two” – she gestured at PJ and Josie – “in kissing Brittany and Isabel!?”

“No, no,” you say quickly. “The club. Can we join the club?”

“Yeah, sure!” Josie said.

“I mean, I guess, except we don’t want the losers to outweigh everyone else. No offense,” PJ says, and you shrug, entirely not offended.

“You’re not wrong,” you chuckle. “We are decidedly losers.”

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

Despite the murky intentions PJ and Josie had for starting the club, it began to take on a life of its own. The mismatched groups of girls really began to bond, and you found yourself emotionally fulfilled in a new way that you hadn’t really experienced before. Being able to talk about deep things with a group of girls you knew had your back, and vice versa, was life changing. You noticed a significant difference in how you felt at school. Before, you were on edge most of the time and relatively lonely in a lot of your classes. Now, you had people to sit with, to say ‘hi’ to in the hallways. It was like a weight had been lifted off your shoulders that you didn’t know existed.

One evening after a particularly long club meeting, you were the last one to leave, packing up after everybody else had left. You were humming to yourself as you worked, the warm feeling you had inside from hanging out with your friends still lingering. It was ironic how beating each other up brought you so close. Once you finished, you left the gym, backpack slung over your shoulder and keys in hand as you walked into the carpark. You noticed a figure moving in your general direction out of the corner of your eye but didn’t think much of it; there were lots of people still around school, coming out of their extracurriculars. Just as you had unlocked your car, the footsteps neared, and you whipped around to be met with Jeff standing over you threateningly. You gulped.

“May I help you?” you asked, trying to keep your voice even as not to show how terrified you were of him.

“Yeah, actually,” he said, crossing his arms. “I’ve had enough of your little girls group taking attention away from football. You’re all over the school, and it’s done. You’re all done.”

“I don’t know what you expect us to do,” you said, voice barely above a whisper. “Now if you’ll excuse me.” You shoved him away, going to get into your car. Before you could, he reached out and pushed the door closed.

“You shouldn’t have done that,” he said, and your heart sank.

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

The first place you thought to go after Jeff beating you up was Hazel’s house. You practically sped to get there, unable to stop the sobs wracking your body. As you pulled into her driveway, you let out a sigh of relief noticing that her mum’s car wasn’t in the driveway. Barely stopping to take off your seatbelt before rushing out of the car, you ran up to the door and rang the doorbell twice in a row. It didn’t take long for you to hear footsteps, and the door swung open to Hazel dressed in sweatpants and a cozy jumper. She murmured your name, eyes scanning your face with concern.

“What happened?”

Without speaking, you practically fell into her arms in a hug, only crying harder. She engulfed you with her arms, stroking your hair comfortingly.

“I’ve got you, I’ve got you,” she whispered, rubbing a hand up and down your back. You hiccupped, pulled away from the hug and wiped some tears from your eyes with your sleeve.

“Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.” You wordlessly took Hazel’s outstretched hand, following her to the bathroom. You hoisted yourself up onto the sink, swinging your legs. Hazel started collecting supplies: damp cloths, antiseptic, band aids, bruise ointment. As you watched her, face deep in concentration as she murmured to herself about what she needed, you felt a surge of love for her.

“Thank you,” you whispered, voice dripping with sincerity. She looked at you funnily as if to say, you don’t need to thank me, don’t be ridiculous.

“Okay, I’m just going to-“ she said gently, stepping between your legs and beginning to gently dab the blood off your face. As she worked, you watched her, suppressing tears at the realisation that you couldn’t feel any safer and protected with her by your side. God, you loved her. As she applied antiseptic, she shook her head in disbelief.

“Who did this to you?” she asked, visibly seething.

“Jeff,” you said quietly, lip quivering. Steam practically blew out of Hazel’s ears. Her movements ceased for a moment, and she pressed her lips tightly together.

“He deserves to die,” she said matter of factly.

“I don’t disagree,” you murmur.

“Hey?” you ask, making eye contact with her. You realise how truly close your faces are, and your heart rate increases rapidly. You let out a shuddering breath, trying to keep your composure.

“Can I stay here tonight, please?” you ask, desperately trying to suppress the urge to be embarrassed. You just really didn’t want to be alone.

“Of course. You don’t even have to ask, you know that.” Her voice was so gentle, you practically melted.

“Thanks, Haze,” you said, as she finished cleaning you up.

“All done,” she said, beginning to pack away everything. You hop off the bench, taking the painkillers and water she hands you gratefully.

“Thank you,” you say as you pop the tablets into your mouth and swallow them with a big gulp of water.

“Stop thanking me,” Hazel chuckled lightly. “Come on, let’s go to bed.” You followed her to her bedroom, suddenly feeling unusually nervous. It wasn’t as if you hadn’t slept in each other’s beds before. Sleepovers were a major part of your friendship when you were younger, and more recently were particularly convenient when you got a little too drunk to get home. Perhaps there was something about the added layer of vulnerability to your state that was making you feel shyer with your best friend. As you contemplated this, shuffling back and forth on your feet, Hazel retrieved a soft t-shirt and shorts for you to wear to bed. She threw them at you, and you caught them with a soft smile.

“Thanks, dude.” You moved into an alcove in the corner of her room, turning to face the wall as you heard Hazel shuffling around, presumably getting changed as well. You desperately fought the urge to turn around, unsure if the tension in the room you could feel just at the thought of you both getting changed at the same time was in your head. But you swore, you could feel it. You pulled Hazel’s shorts up, tying them at the waist and trying to ignore the fact that the t-shirt she had lent you smelt like her. Although it was difficult not to. You folded your clothes, placing them on a chair, then turned around to find Hazel in a pair of plaid pyjama bottoms and a white tank top, sitting on her bed scrolling on her phone.

“You look cute,” she remarked in an indecipherable tone, and you couldn’t entirely tell if she was joking or not. Since eighth grade, you’d definitely developed your own style apart from Hazel’s, and her clothes on you were not your style at all. You poked you tongue out at her, as you walked over and got under the covers, snuggling down. It was easier to fall back into your friendship as it had always been in those moments, where you were unsure if she was feeling the same way. Otherwise, you might have to actually confess your own feelings, which was completely terrifying.

Hazel followed your lead, placing her phone down on the nightstand and pushing the covers back so she could get in, pulling them up to her chin and turning over to face you. Your heart skipped a beat.

“Thank you for everything, Haze,” you said, shutting your eyes. If you looked into hers for a second longer you might actually explode.

“I’d do anything for you,” she whispered, so softly you could barely hear it. Before you knew it, you were drifting off.

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

The next morning you awoke to sun pouring in the curtains, and you slowly opened your eyes, stretching your back and yawning. Despite the events of last night, you actually slept better than you had in weeks. The pain in your face had subsided a lot already. You rolled over to face Hazel’s side of the bed, heart sinking when you found it empty. Confused, you rolled back over and reached for your phone, touching the screen. Realisation flooded in. It was 9:00am on a Thursday. A text from Hazel was waiting for you, which she had sent half an hour earlier.

morning! i let you sleep, hope that’s okay. wasn’t sure if u were gonna go to school today. text me if you need anything <3

You smiled softly to yourself, eyes focused on the heart she sent a little longer than necessary. You quickly replied.

Thank youuuu, needed that sleep in. I think I will come to school, I’ll see you for second period probs xx

After hitting send, you got out of bed, making sure to make it neatly before deciding to go and quickly take a shower. After you stripped out of your clothes and waited for the water to warm up, you took a moment to examine your face in the mirror. It felt significantly better than last night, as if Hazel’s touch was magic. The bruising around your eyes was starting to come out, you had a small cut on your cheekbone, and the eye that you could barely open last night was much less swollen. You stepped into the shower, allowing the warm water to relax your muscles with a sigh.

Little did you know, as you were sleeping that morning, Hazel had called an emergency meeting of the fight club. She was on a mission, and absolutely nothing was going to stop her. All she kept seeing in her mind’s eye was your face when you showed up on her doorstep, beaten and bloody, sniffling, eyes brimming with tears. To see you like that, the person she loved more than anyone in the world, shattered her heart. She had to get revenge, and she needed some help.

“Are we all clear on the plan?” Hazel asked, looking around at the group. It felt strange for the whole club to be there with you missing; she certainly noticed your absent presence. Normally, you’d be next to her, sitting cross-legged, and tapping your fingers on your leg like you do, exchanging glances with Hazel when something funny happened. She basically ached at the thought.

“Let’s fucking do it!” PJ yelled, banging the handle of a broom on the ground. Everyone else cheered and clapped in agreement.

“Let’s kill him,” Isabel said, narrowing her eyes with determination. She had her own reasons to want to do this.

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

By the time you pulled into the carpark at school, the bell was just ringing, indicating the end of the first period. You weren’t going to lie, you were nervous about running into Jeff, but you prayed that there were enough people around during the actual school day that he couldn’t get you again. Just as you stepped out of your car, you heard a commotion coming from behind you. You frowned, swinging your backpack over your shoulder to follow the noise of people shouting. Rounding the corner to the other side of the carpark, your hand flew to your mouth. You couldn’t believe your eyes.

Hazel, along with all your friends from fight club, were stood over a football-uniform clad guy on the ground, who you couldn’t see from your angle. As other students had gathered around to watch, whooping and cheering, your friends were taking turns to punch, kick, stomp on, and slap the guy on the ground.

“THAT’S FOR CHEATING ON ME WITH MY SISTER!” Isabel cried out, kicking hard. That’s when it dawned on you; the guy on the ground, who was barely moving, unable to get out of the girls’ grips, was Jeff.

“THAT’S FOR Y/N!” Hazel yelled, in a voice you had never heard her use before, swinging both of her fists down hard on Jeff’s face multiple times. You approached the group, pushing past the onlooking crowd. You couldn’t believe how many people were supporting this. The way Jeff was thoroughly worshipped in school was obscene. Perhaps everybody was just waiting for someone to get back at him first. You approached your friends, taking a deep breath to yourself. They all turned to look at you as Josie was kicking Jeff in the head blood dripping from his mouth. Isabel was watching on proudly. You placed your hand on Hazel’s shoulder, and she spun around.

“Hey,” you murmured, smiling softly.

“I-uh-“ she began, as if she was about to explain herself, then you shook your head.

“Can I get in on this?” you asked, and she visibly relaxed, grinning.

“You’re not mad?”

“Fuck, no! You’re so brave for doing this, to be the first to give him what he deserves.” With that, you turned your attention to the guy lying on the ground, smiling at the sight of him groaning, bleeding, looking like absolute death.

“Hey, remember me?” you asked, before bringing your fist down on his face. Hard. And then again. And then again. And once more. Your friends, as well as the crowd watching on, cheered you on. The last punch you threw caused Jeff’s head to fall to the side as he passed out. You stood up proudly, looking around at your friends.

“I love you guys,” you grinned, and you all engulfed each other in a big group hug, all congratulating each other and saying how much you all loved each other. Amidst the chaos, you could feel Hazel’s hand resting on the small of your back. You all pulled away, and as everybody fell into chatter you grabbed Hazel’s hand and pulled her with you away from the crowd.

“Where are we going?” she asked with a laugh, awkwardly trailing behind you in a half jog, half walk.

“Here,” you said breathlessly, stopping when you rounded a corner to a quiet spot.

“Thank you for protecting me.” Your voice was still breathless, your head spinning with anticipation. It was now or never. Before Hazel could respond, you leant against the brick wall of the building behind you, pulling her toward you by her waist. She cupped your face, and your lips met. Desire pooled in your stomach as your lips slotted together perfectly, moving together in sync. Her lips were way softer than they looked, and you had spent a lot of time looking at them.

Hazel pulled away slightly, and you instinctively chased her lips. She smirked, eyes scanning your face. You flushed deeply.

“Oh my god,” she said in that voice that made you want to melt into the floor, and you laughed in disbelief.

“I know,” you whispered before kissing the corner of her mouth. She smiled at this, pushing a strand of your hair out of your eyes. If it was anybody else, you would feel insecure about your swollen eye and bruised face, you would worry that you weren’t attractive, but it didn’t cross your mind once with Hazel. She made you feel like the most beautiful person in the world.

“I didn’t know-“ you both started to say at the same time, then giggled. You were literally giddy.

“You go,” you said.

“I didn’t know you liked me.”

“I didn’t know you liked me,” you replied, laughing.

“Do you remember-“ Hazel started, then cleared her throat. “Do you remember that book I lent you in eighth grade about those gay vampires?”

“That was literally my gay awakening,” you said with a laugh, unable to believe that she remembered that. “Wait, what does that-“

“I’ve been in love with you since then,” Hazel suddenly said, and your heart caught in your throat. You pulled Hazel even closer to you by her belt loops, and she gasped. You kissed her more passionately this time, your head spinning.

“I’m in love with you too,” you murmured when you pulled away, foreheads resting together.

#hazel callahan #hazel callahan x reader #hazel callahan x you #bottoms 2023 #bottoms movie #hazel callahan imagine #bottoms fanfic #hazel callahan smut

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sixosix · 1 year

Text

KATSUKI & IZUKU: IT WENT LIKE THAT

( ? ) an interview from you (following the events of “it goes like this”)

you’re not saying you regret coming here, but you regret coming here a little bit.

“so, y/n-san,” kana says with a dangerous sparkle in her eyes. you’re acutely aware of the camera pointed right at you. “onto the next question: who’s your celebrity crush?”

“celebrity crush…? oh, that’s a hard one.” there are excited murmurs from the audience, all speculating. there are whispers about bakugou and izuku’s names; you pointedly ignore them. “i don’t know, really. a tie between mirko and hawks.”

izuku is going to grill you about this later.

“ah, makes sense,” kana nods, accepting your answer without further digging. “they’re the top two every time i ask that question.”

you don’t know how to respond to that, so you opt for a smile and a nod.

kana lights up when she moves on to the next question, and the people seated in rows across you fall hushed in anticipation. she giggles, almost maniacally, bringing the mic closer to her lips.

“you’re really close with deku and dynamight, right?”

you already know where this is going. with practiced ease, you lean against the couch, picking careful words that wouldn’t make villains froth in the mouths for a chance to break your ties. “we’re a trio.”

“right, right!” kana shivers with glee. “so, tell us about your favorite moment with deku and dynamight!”

there are cheers of encouragement and approval, nearly startling you out of your seat had you not been prepared. but any mention of their names when talking to you is always the most prominent font in headlines.

you have a feeling that once you return home, you’ll be bombarded with a series of explosions from katsuki and embarrassed whining from izuku. but that’s a problem for you later—right now, you’re here to please the audience.

“what’s my favorite moment with deku and dynamight?”

your first and favorite memory with bakugou katsuki was witnessing the start of his crude language. he taught you the phrase ‘eat shit and die’, and you find it funny to say, so you let him teach you.

he found out about it from a world-weary employee walking past and cursing out his phone, frustrated to hell. he wasn’t dressed like a villain, only someone who carried dark eyebags and a dingy, old phone. he shut up pretty quickly upon the sight of katsuki’s sharp red eyes as if expecting him to tattle tale to his mom.

instead, he turned to you and izuku, and recited those words wholeheartedly. he found the horrified looks of grown-ups to be funny.

izuku was confused, and you cackled.

he took this as encouragement because the next day, he’d found thousands of creative ways to spew nonsensical insults strung together loosely with shit and fuck.

“it fucking helps me express my shitty emotions,” five-year-old katsuki said solemnly, right after he tormented izuku with a bunch of it just to stress the poor boy out. izuku had to learn the hard way that eat shit and die is not a phrase of encouragement.

(katsuki’s smile was strangely fond and soft when you kept laughing—not that you’d indulge the audience too much by giving them that.)

“so dynamight was always like this, huh…” kana murmurs thoughtfully, giggling along with the audience.

“it’s not surprising,” you snort, “he’s fluent in the arts of being a little brat, as his parents say. we still love him for it, don’t we?”

your first and favorite memory with midoriya izuku was when you met him.

you don’t remember every detail—only bits and pieces that often keep you awake at night, thinking, “if things turned out differently, would i still be here?”. the answer was yes, you would. on a stage someday, maybe, but to miss out on izuku and katsuki sounds like a bland world to live in.

you recall stumbling into the classroom, still hanging on to the fragments of sleep your family rudely interrupted just for something as stupid as kindergarten.

katsuki was surrounded by the class, preening like a proud cat. izuku, on the other hand, was staring right at you with wide, curious eyes that resembled a puppy.

“do you have a quirk?” he asked, and the fun facts about your pet fish you practiced the day beforehand all dissipated instantly.

“i… do,” you murmured, thumbing at the hem of your shirt. “‘s not cool, though. so i don’t want to tell you.”

the strange boy with green curls looked as if you had just told him that all might retired. “i bet that’s not true! every quirk is cool! kacchan has a quirk that makes him boom!”

“...boom?”

he nodded, beaming, hopping up and down. “he can create explosives with his hands by igniting the nitroglycerin he sweats!”

“um, excuse me?” who even is kacchan? and what’s a night-row-glistening?

he continued to peer up at you as if the kacchan person was enough to convince you to reveal your secrets to him.

(you leave this part from the audience, knowing that it would raise suspicion about izuku’s quirk origins, but it went like this:

tired and a little irritated, you ask, “what’s your quirk, huh?”

izuku froze, his expression blanking for a split second before it fell into a hesitant one. “i don’t have one, yet. but i’ll get it soon! and even if i didn’t have a quirk, that wouldn’t stop me from becoming a hero!”)

and so, you focused on the pen in his hand and tried to hide a smirk when his jaw dropped to the floor when it began to float mid-air, followed shortly after by his notebook. (your quirk is nothing special. useful, maybe—especially in your line of work where you’re in charge of handling hero equipment—but nothing special. until now, you never understood why izuku…)

“oi, deku, who’s this?” a blond materialized out of nowhere, staring blankly at a pen and notebook hovering.

“kacchan!” deku practically shrieked, ignoring the grunt of christ from his best friend. “kacchan, look! this quirk is so cool, isn’t it?”

you felt your face warm at the praise, your poor heart racing. “it’s really nothing.”

kacchan eyed your expression, quirked a brow at izuku’s, then shrugged. “‘s pretty cool, yeah.”

“your quirk is like my mom’s! she can pull my toys towards her, but you can do it a bajillion more times!” deku squealed. “can i please be your friend? please? kacchan doesn’t bite, and i promise i’ll only ask three questions a day!”

your fate was sealed to both of them the moment you said yes. not that you were complaining.

“ah, y/n!” izuku all but scrambles to the door when you open it, his smile taking up most of his face. “you’re home!”

“i’m home,” you agree, grinning. izuku reaches for your bag, and you let him take it as you wriggle out of your shoes. “did i miss dinner?”

“yeah, it’s fucking cold now,” katsuki sneers as he appears from the kitchen. “go shower, i can smell you from here.” still, he does not complain when izuku tosses him your bag; instead, he places it gently on the couch.

“we watched your interview,” izuku says, gently pushing you towards the dining table despite katsuki’s chiding. “you did well! i told you they’d love you.”

“now,” katsuki says as soon as you sit down, “tell us what happened.”

“what…? you said you already watched it.”

“yeah, but, i like it better hearing it from you,” katsuki says, like it should be the most obvious thing in the world. “because it’s funnier,” he clarifies, glaring, “stop laughing, deku.”

ok guys!!!!! this little au is fun and all but HONESTLY im out of ideas and i do not have the brainpower to turn this into a series so this is the last one </3 GUYS I ACTUALLY HATE THIS i finished half of it it in one sitting but ill die if i delay it another day

#606:BNHA #bnha x reader #mha x reader #bnha fluff #mha fluff #bnha imagines #mha imagines #bnha drabbles #katsuki bakugo x reader #bakugou katsuki x you #bakugou katsuki x reader #midoriya izuku x reader #midoriya izuku x you #izuku midoria x reader

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call-me-maggie13 · 9 months

Text

It’s a Tuesday when Lucia calls the first time. Beatrice is leaving her apartment for a run when her phone rings, interrupting her favorite part of the song she’s listening to on her headphones. There’s no caller ID, but Beatrice recognizes the number, so she answers.

"Hello, this is Beatrice." She’s formal. Lucia likes to try to blur the line between a professional relationship and a friendly one.

"Hey, Bea - "

"Beatrice." She corrects, dropping to her knee to retie her laces.

"Yeah, Beatrice." Lucia’s mocking her, Beatrice isn’t stupid, but she lets it go.

"Is there a reason you’re calling?" Beatrice asks after Lucia goes silent.

"Right! Yes! Carlos misses you, I was wondering if we could do lunch sometime this week so he could see you?" Carlos. Beatrice loves Carlos. He’s fun, witty and charismatic and kind. He’s always been one of her favorite kids she’s worked with. Lucia, however, is one of Beatrice’s least preferred parents.

"I don’t know if you remember, but I’m in - "

"In the city. Yes, I remember. Carlos and I just moved here too! Isn’t that exciting?" No. Beatrice thinks. Exciting is not a word I would use. Lucia drops her voice, nearly to a whisper. "He’s having a hard time making friends at his new school, I think seeing a friendly face would make him feel better about the move."

Beatrice sighs, checks the time on her watch and realizes she’s spent half of her allotted running time on the phone with Lucia.

"I can’t do lunch, but I can do an early dinner. Maybe Thursday? I’ll have to - "

"Yes, perfect! That works!" She hangs up before Beatrice can tell her she will be bringing Diana. She could send her a message, but that would mean Lucia would message her back and Beatrice doesn’t want to speak to her anymore than necessary.

Beatrice tells Ava about it that evening, between Diana’s snack and her bath while Ava’s scrambling about looking for the keys Diana hid.

"Who is this again?" Ava looks up from digging through the couch cushions, cheeks flushed and hair tousled.

"It’s a kid I used to work with before I started uni. Him and his mum." Diana giggles around her fingers when Ava looks under the couch, Beatrice bouncing her and asking where the keys are quietly. Ava’s asked her three times, Diana isn’t answering either of them. "It’s okay if you don’t want - "

"No, it’s fine! It sounds fun, just - make her eat something other than chicken strips, please? You always say you will then you cave when she pouts. She needs to try new foods." Ava looks under the coffee table and through Diana’s toy bin. She’s going to be late if she doesn’t find the keys soon.

"Okay. I won’t have her out late, we’ll be back before the sun goes down. Won’t we?" Beatrice tickles Diana who squeals and pushes away, nearly toppling out of her arms. Beatrice grabs her leg to keep from falling and her shoe falls off, jingling when it hits the ground. Diana glances between the fallen shoe and Ava for a moment before she starts giggling maniacally.

"They were in your shoes? Are you serious? Diana, you little…" Ava picks the keys out of the baby shoe, holds Diana’s face between her hands and sighs fondly, shaking her head. "You little punk." Ava laughs and kisses both of her cheeks. "I love you. Be good, yeah?"

Diana smiles and wipes her wet hand down Ava’s cheek. Ava grimaces and rubs her cheek against Diana’s sleeve, earning a full body laugh and a gleeful wiggle. Ava presses a soft kiss against Beatrice’s cheek before she’s gone.

Beatrice almost considers going after her, almost considers asking her to say no, almost considers telling her she doesn’t want to go. But she doesn’t.

She doesn’t.

Read more below the break or here!

Beatrice stops for the third time. Considers turning back. It’s not too late, she can still say she can’t make it. Diana bounces beside her, swings their intwined hands back and forth. She spins, twists Beatrice’s fingers over her head before dropping it and racing around her.

"Let’s go! Let’s goooooo!" Diana whines, taking her hands and tugging her forward. "I wan’ nuggies!"

"It’s want, baby. Try again." Diana pauses to pout, tucks her hands under her elbows and sticks her bottom lip out. Beatrice quirks her eyebrow and fights back a smile. "Try again."

"I. Want. Nuggies." She pauses between each word to huff, spins on her heel to take two steps forward then turn back to Beatrice with her head cocked.

"Okay. But I will have you know, your mama wants you to try something else." They resume towards the restaurant hand in hand, Beatrice’s blunder already forgiven and forgotten. "Like maybe something not chicken?"

"No. I like nuggies." Diana pouts again, gives her tiny chin a tremble to prove her point.

"If you try something else, we can get ice cream on the way home?" Ava would never barter with Diana like this and she would be upset if she knew Beatrice was doing it.

"Sprinkles?" She comes to a complete stop, nearly causing the people behind them to crash into her. Beatrice nods and scoops her up, apologizes quickly to the strangers and hurries down the sidewalk.

It really is unfair, how late they are because she couldn’t decide if she actually wanted to come. Carlos probably thinks they’re not going to show up, the thought stabs her in the chest and speeds her steps.

"Beatrice!" The boy bolts down the sidewalk and crashes into her legs, nearly tackling her to the ground. Beatrice chuckles and ruffles the boy’s unruly curls.

"Hi, Carlos! How have you been?" The boy steps back and flips her hair out of his face, grinning at her with a gap in his teeth. "Oh! When did you lose that tooth?"

"Last night! The tooth fairy gave me fifteen bucks! Look!" He presses up onto his toes and pokes the empty space with his tongue. Beatrice peers into his mouth intently, inspecting it with the same fervency with which he presents it. "Who’s this?"

"This is Diana! Diana, can I introduce you to my friend Carlos?" Diana shakes her head and buries her face in Beatrice’s shoulder. "That’s okay, you don’t have to talk to him until you’re ready."

"Beatrice, hello!" Lucia steps up behind Carlos, strokes Beatrice’s shoulder, her hand lingers. Beatrice shrugs it off awkwardly.

"Hello, Lucia." Beatrice takes a half step back and a deep breath, forcing a smile and turning back to Carlos. "So, I’m hungry, are you?"

"Yeah, we already have a table, right, mom?" Lucia confirms and leads them to the booth while Carlos launches into a story about his friend’s birthday party. "So then, I told Marley, dude, you can’t just say stuff like that. People are going to think you’re weird. But like. People already think Marley’s weird because she tells everyone she was named after a dog. But it’s okay that she’s weird because it like. It’s not weird when she does it. You know?"

"I do! I know someone like that." Beatrice smiles fondly as she thinks of the last time she’d been to the farmers market and Ava spent twenty minutes deciding which lemon looked the sourest. "Have you ever read Stargirl?"

"Yeah! Marley is just like Stargirl! It’s her favorite book!" Carlos bounces in his seat. Lucia places a hand on his knee to still him.

"Sorry, he’s got a little crush." Lucia winks and Beatrice has to bite her lip not to snap at her. He’s eight. He’s allowed to have friends of the opposite gender. Carlos deflates at her words, sinks into his seat and drops his hands into his lap.

"It sounds like you found a really cool friend. Is Marley a friend from school?" Carlos nods weakly but doesn’t look up from his hands, Beatrice frowns. Diana stops scribbling on her menu to look at him quizzically, dropping her crayon to turn to Beatrice with her head tilted. "Have you decided what you want?"

"Nuggies," Diana whispers and Beatrice grins bemused, Diana rolls her eyes and sighs, pushes the menu to Beatrice and climbs into her lap. "Read, please?"

Beatrice reads the children’s menu to her quietly, answers her questions when asked and offers suggestions when Diana struggles to decide. She settles on macaroni and cheese, with much exasperation and disgust. Beatrice gives their orders to the waiter when he checks on them.

Lucia keeps rubbing her foot up the inside of Beatrice’s leg, somehow finding it even when she moves. Beatrice scoots to the far edge of the booth and silently begs her to stop. Diana seems unamused at every attempt Lucia makes to initiate a conversation and Carlos doesn’t recover from his mother’s comment, it’s truly awkward and uncomfortable and Beatrice can barely contain herself when they get their checks.

"Why don’t we go to the park?" Lucia suggests as they step out of the restaurant, Carlos’s face lights up as he waits excitedly for Beatrice’s reaction.

"Umm… I don’t know, Diana seems pretty tired, maybe some other time?" Beatrice bounces Diana in her arms, presses a soft kiss against her temple.

"Dada?" Diana whispers and curls into her neck. Beatrice hums and presses their foreheads together. "He sad?" Beatrice nods softly and Diana turns back to him. "We play a little. Okay?"

Carlos bounces and nods, taking the hand Diana offers him.

"Dada?" Lucia asks, bumping their shoulders together. Beatrice takes a step to the side.

"Uh, yeah. I actually don’t like when people touch me, Lucia. So, could you stop, please?" Beatrice’s cheeks burn as she says it and Diana presses a cold hand over the heat.

"Ah, but I’m not just people, yeah?" Beatrice barely dodges the arm Lucia tries to swing over her shoulder by leaning to set Diana on the ground. Diana takes her hand and tugs her forward, Beatrice welcomes the distraction and follows her happily to the swing set, offering to push her when she climbs into the seat.

"I can do it!" Carlos volunteers and Diana beams at him, squeezing her fists around the chain and laughing when he pushes her forward. He bounces in place at the response, and Beatrice has to bite her tongue every time he asks Diana. "Higher? Higher?"

She knows her limits. Beatrice tells herself. She knows when she wants to stop.

She stays nearby, just in case. Ready to pounce in and save her if she asks to stop and Carlos doesn’t. She’s chewing on her nail when Lucia sidles up beside her, expensive perfume making the inside of Beatrice’s nose itch. Lucia tries to pull her hand out of her mouth but Beatrice steps away, curls her hands under her elbows and tucks them into her side.

"So how long have you been working with her?" There’s a hint of something else just beneath her words, something burbling and churning and dark.

"Oh, I don’t." It’s true, in a sense. Beatrice has stopped accepting Ava’s money in exchange for her babysitting services. So Beatrice isn’t quite lying when she says it. It’s not the entire truth but she hopes it’s vague enough that Lucia doesn’t press.

Of course, she could be granted no respite because Lucia charges ahead full-steam.

"Oh, so is she like your niece? Friend’s kid? Who is she?" She’s fishing, trying to find the answer to a question Beatrice isn’t ready to face on her own, certainly not with someone the likes of Lucia.

"Mine. Yeah, she’s mine." Diana tumbles out of the swing and Beatrice’s heart stops in her chest. She waits two heartbeats before moving, slowly helping Diana brush he wood chips from her face. She forces her voice to remain calm and level so Diana doesn’t hear how much it scared her as well. "Are you okay?"

Diana bursts into tears, throws herself face first into Beatrice’s chest and squeezes her arms around her neck as her body is wracked with sobs.

"Oh, baby! I know." Beatrice rubs her back and picks her up, smiling sadly at Carlos when he tries to apologize. "It’s alright, buddy, she’s just scared. I’ll see you again soon, yeah?"

The boy nods enthusiastically and Beatrice feels Diana lift her head to wave goodbye to him sadly before she returns to her hiding spot in Beatrice’s neck. Beatrice squeezes her tightly, rubbing her back as they depart, stepping quickly across the street and pausing outside the nearest ice cream shop.

"Do you still want ice cream, my love?" Beatrice’s hand pauses on the door, waiting until Diana shakes her head and burrows herself deeper into Beatrice’s embrace. "Can I check to make sure you’re not hurt?"

Diana sniffles as she pulls away, allows Beatrice to seat them on a nearby bench and check her face and hands for injury. She finds none, despite the overall redness from her fall.

"Does anywhere hurt, baby?" Diana shakes her head and blinks tears out of her eyes. "Hey, it’s okay. You’re allowed to be scared. What happened was scary, it’s okay if you feel like you need to cry. Would it make you feel better if I told you it scared me too?"

"You scared?" Diana’s voice is painfully infantile, reverting to a similar pattern of speech from when she first started speaking. Beatrice kisses her forehead and nods.

"Yeah, kiddo. I thought you were really hurt and that really scared me." Diana tucks her thumb into her mouth and blinks at her slowly. "I get scared a lot, you know?"

"Whens?" Diana curls back into her chest and Beatrice hums in thought for a moment.

"Like when your mama got sick. When you run off and I can’t see you. When I have exams at school. Sometimes I get scared when it storms and the thunder makes the windows rattle. I get scared all the time, my darling." Beatrice hates being scared, she feels like it makes her stupid and irrational. She knows that fear is a valid emotion and it exists for a reason, but she has never quite managed to shake her parents’ voices from her head when she’s scared.

She hopes Diana never has to experience that.

She’ll do her best to ensure Diana never has to experience it.

"Do you know what helps me when I get scared?" Diana nods against her chest, curling her fingers around the neck of Beatrice’s shirt. "Sometimes I count all the pretty things I can see. Sometimes I sing a song until I feel better. Or sometimes I take some deep breaths. Do you want to try one of those?"

"Count?" Beatrice hums, squints and looks around.

"The sky is very blue today. What about you?"

"Flowers." Diana points to the wildflowers clawing out of the cracks in the sidewalk, then to a pair of birds chasing each other through the air. "Birb."

"You," Beatrice nudges her softly, smiles gently when she lifts her head tearily, "You’re the best thing I’ve ever seen."

"I love you." She stumbles over the v sound, pronounces the word like lub with a tender smile

"I love you too, meu patinho." Beatrice kisses the top of her head. "Did you at least have fun today?"

"Carlos is funny."

"He is. Would you like to see him again?" Diana hums and mumbles into Beatrice’s neck. "I didn’t understand that, darling, could you say it again?"

"Yeah. We go home now?"

"Alright, we can go home now. Are we going to tell your mama about how much fun you had with your new friend?" Diana yawns and shakes her head, Beatrice watches the sun dye the clouds pink and purple. It’s still early for Diana to go to bed, but she’s had an eventful evening so Beatrice could make an exception to their schedule. "Can we at least tell her about your not chicken nugget dinner?"

Diana giggles but nods regardless, twists a lock of Beatrice’s hair through her fingers. Beatrice’s heart swells and her skin warms and she feels like her heart might explode when she looks at the little girl in her arms. Something inside her twinkles. She never expected a love like this. Something that plays her heartstrings like a symphony in her chest, fills her chest with a light no star could ever compete with. It’s endless, she realizes.

It makes her wonder if her parents ever looked at her the same way she looks at Diana.

~*~

Ava does not like Lucia.

She’s not jealous. That would be absurd.

But she can’t deny that her chest burns when she comes home and Diana regales her in their latest adventure with Carlos and Luisa — it doesn’t matter how many times Beatrice corrects Diana, she only refers to Lucia by the wrong name.

Today, they played tag with a group of kids at the park. Two days ago, they saw a movie. Last week, they went to an art class at the library.

Ava doesn’t have a reason not to like Lucia.

Except for every reason Beatrice gives her after every play date.

"So then she kept trying to take my hand, like we’re a couple or something and every time I would pull my hand away and tell her I wasn’t interested but she doesn’t care." Beatrice sighs and kicks her feet over the arm of the couch, stares up at Ava from her lap. "I don’t understand why she keeps trying to touch me. I don’t like when people touch me. I’ve told her I don’t like being touched at least two million times. It’s annoying."

The hand scraping through Beatrice’s hair pauses at her words, Ava barely pulling away before Beatrice whines and drags her hand back to her scalp.

"Why’d you stop?" She doesn’t give Ava a chance to answer, instead continuing her rant. "Regardless, she made a joke about me confusing Diana by allowing her to call me dad. Which is hilarious because last week, she tried to get Carlos to call me dad and I had to respond with my name’s Beatrice, pal, I’m not your dad. Then Lucia was all well, you’re not Diana’s dad either. And I swear, Ava. I swear I almost hit her. Who does she think she is? I mean, seriously."

Ava is certainly not going to ask the difference between her and Lucia, doesn’t ask why she’s allowed to play with her hair nor why Diana is allowed to call Beatrice dad while Carlos is not. She knows, on some level. Ava’s not stupid, she knows she gets a version of Beatrice Lucia will never see. She knows there’s a piece of Beatrice that is reserved exclusively for her. She knows Beatrice would choose her, if she forced an ultimatum between her and Lucia.

Ava knows.

She knows how she feels about Lucia is irrational and unfair.

She also knows Beatrice would never see Lucia again if she asked.

She knows. Right?

"Bea?" Beatrice stops her rant and tilts her head up. "Does it bother you when I do those things?"

"No. Of course not. Why would it?" Beatrice pushes herself upright, shifts until she’s practically sitting in Ava’s lap.

"Because it bothers you when Lucia does it." Ava looks away,

"You’re not Lucia."

Ava doesn’t know how to explain herself. She doesn’t have the words to express why that doesn’t make sense. Beatrice babysat both their children, has spent extensive time with both of them, read both their children to sleep, eaten at both of their tables. Why is she different? Why is she the exception?

Or is Lucia the exception? Is Beatrice like this with all parents except for Lucia?

"Ava." She quirks her head, furrows her eyebrows, ducks to meet Ava’s averted gaze. "I trust you."

It’s not enough. The words make Ava’s heart skip a beat, but it doesn’t smother the smoke in her lungs.

"I like spending time with you. I like when you hold my hand and kiss my cheek and make me laugh. I like when Diana calls me dad. You’re not just the mother of the child I babysit, you’re my friend too. My best friend. I would tell you if you did something that bothers me and I know you wouldn’t do it again.

"I like you." She grins before scrunching her face up in mock disgust and continuing. "I don’t like Lucia."

It makes Ava laugh, Beatrice's pout miserable and nose crinkled. In response to the sound, Beatrice smiles widely, leans back into Ava's chest, and tucks her nose into the crook of her neck.

~*~

She’s doing it on purpose. Beatrice might not be great at reading people but she is certain that Lucia only wants one thing from her. One thing that Beatrice has absolutely no interest in ever giving her.

Diana crawls inside the enclosed slide, tucks her knees to her chest and closes her eyes when Carlos finishes counting. He grins from the top of the playground, peering over the sides and searching for Diana.

"God, they’re so cute. We would be amazing parents." The comment is accompanied with an arm around her shoulders and a soft sigh. Beatrice ducks out from underneath Lucia’s touch and frowns at her, eyebrows sewn together with utter confusion.

"Would be?" Beatrice might not be Diana’s actual parent, but she sure as shit isn’t a bad understudy.

"I meant like… like together. Both of us."

"I’m doing pretty great with her mother, actually. I don’t think Diana needs anyone else telling her what to do." It makes her stomach twist, the thought of Lucia and her, together.

Lucia laughs at her words, loud and jarring and it makes Diana lift her head from her hiding place on the slide. Carlos sees her move and races to tag her without even acknowledging his mother. Lucia tries to touch her again and Beatrice’s fingers burn when she clenches them into fists at her sides.

"Stop. Touching. Me." She clenches her jaw and takes another step back.

Beatrice doesn’t do anger. She doesn’t do rage. She doesn’t do losing her temper. Beatrice is patient and and forgiving.

Or, as Shannon would say, she’s a pushover.

Either way, Beatrice doesn’t get upset easily. It’s not in her nature.

Lucia seems to take it as a challenge. Like Beatrice’s burning ire is a taunt, like it’s all for show and they’re playing a game.

"Oh, relax, Bea."

"My name is Beatrice."

"Plenty of people call you Bea."

"Only the ones I like." She takes another step back when Lucia reaches for her hand before turning on her heel and storming away. She smiles warmly at Diana when she approaches her, strokes her hair when she tumbles into Beatrice’s legs. "We gotta go, patinho. Your mama’s gunna be home soon."

Diana frowns but wishes Carlos and Luisa farewell, taking Beatrice’s hand and tugging her out of the park.

Beatrice decides not to tell Ava about Lucia anymore. Every time she complains, Ava gets quiet and distant and Beatrice doesn’t like how upset it makes her sometimes. So she decides she will suffer in silence.

~*~

Shannon is easy. She’s easy and relaxed and she goes with the flow. She doesn’t pick fights or start problems.

Except when it comes to Beatrice. Shannon would commit eleven different forms of high treason and treat the Geneva Conventions like a checklist for Beatrice.

"Where are you going?" Beatrice freezes with her hand on the doorknob.

"I’m going with you. You better hurry or we’re gunna be late." Shannon bumps Beatrice carefully out of the way and steps through the door, starting toward Beatrice’s car.

Beatrice doesn’t say anything the entire ride. Diana sings and dances and talks to herself in the backseat while Beatrice grips the steering wheel with all her strength to try to hide the way her hands are shaking.

The house is larger than Shannon had been expecting. An ugly modern, blockish thing with funky shaped windows and uneven roofing. It doesn’t look good or fancy or pretty. It looks like a stain on the skyline.

Like it brings her neighborhood property value down.

There’s a bounce house set up in the front yard, though it’s empty. There are children’s shrieks coming from the backyard, a cacophony of voices and laughter leading Beatrice around the side of the house to the garden gate.

"Hey! Bea! You made it!" Lucia tries to dive into a hug after letting them through the gate, but Shannon intercepts by throwing herself between them and offering her hand to shake.

"I’m Shannon, Beatrice is my sister." She’s silently begging Lucia to say something, to give her an excuse to punch her.

Other than all the reasons Beatrice has given for her.

"Oh. Do you not remember me? We’ve met, years ago." Shannon remembers, it was a scene much alike the one they’re in right now for Carlos’s third birthday. Lucia had annoyed her even then, but she hadn’t made any advances on her baby sister, so Shannon hadn’t really a reason to hate her.

"Sorry, I meet a lot of people in my job, only have the mental capacity to remember a few of the important ones and my personal favorites." If there’s one thing Shannon has learned from her mother, it’s how to make an off-handed comment that slices through someone’s soul. Lucia’s face falls but she doesn’t respond.

"Beatrice! Diana!" A minuscule little girl breaks free of the crowd waving, followed closely by Carlos. He’s older and much taller than the last time Shannon had seen him, and he’s wearing more than a diaper, but it’s certainly him.

Immediately, he’s offering his name and his hand for her to shake, introducing her to his mother and his best friend Marley.

He’s taken Diana to an inflatable slide before Shannon has a chance to ask where to put his present.

"Why don’t you put the gift with the rest and Bea and I can - "

"I’m good. Beatrice can put it with the rest. You and I can do whatever you need her help with, though." Beatrice squeezes Shannon’s fingers when they exchange the gift, a meek nod and tight smile before she’s disappearing into the crowd.

"Oh, I need Bea’s help."

"I taught Beatrice how to do everything she knows. If she can do it, I’ve probably been doing it better for longer." Lucia sighs and shakes her head, rolls her eyes when she turns away and enters the house.

"Hey." Beatrice ducks out from behind a group of young parents chattering loudly over their drinks.

"I don’t like her."

"You don’t have to treat her like that." Shannon laughs and slings her arm over Beatrice’s shoulders.

"When she calls you the right name, I’ll consider being nicer."

"No you won’t." Beatrice smiles and rolls her eyes, presses heavily into Shannon’s side.

"I said consider. I never said I had any actual intention of doing it." Beatrice laughs and searches for Diana in the line for the slide. She can’t deny that her heart stutters when she can’t immediately find her.

"Da!" Diana waves from atop the slide, smiling until she looks down. Beatrice extricates herself from Shannon and moves to the bottom to wait for Diana, who appears to have no intention of moving.

"Are you scared?" Diana nods softly, eyes wide and wet. Carlos crawls beside her and offers his hand, whispering quietly. Diana shakes her head and pushes away from the slope, dropping his hand. "I’m coming up, okay?"

Diana meets her at the top of the ladder, arms raised for Beatrice to pick her up.

"It’s okay. Do you want to go down together?" Diana shakes her head again and balls Beatrice’s shirt in her fists. "Alright, we will have to climb down though. We can’t live up here, can we?"

Diana shakes her head, lifts her head warily and glances to the ladder. "Carlos has cake."

"I can ask mom if we can cut it now." Carlos waves at someone near the base of the slide. "Do you want me to ask? I’m gunna go ask."

And with that, he’s gone.

Beatrice pushes as far away from the slope as possible so other children can go, holds Diana and pats her back until she lifts her head and turns to watch some of the kids jumping and falling down the slide. She blinks slowly, thumb tucked carefully between her teeth.

"Do you want to try again?" Marley bounces and waves while she waits her turn in line. Diana lifts her head slowly and waves back but doesn’t respond to Beatrice’s question. "You don’t have to but if you would like, you can sit on my lap and we can go down together."

Beatrice motions for the girl at the top of the stairs to go, squeezes Diana tighter when she flinches at the girl throwing herself haphazardly down the slide. She watches quietly as more and more kids go and Beatrice is beginning to think she’s going to change her mind when Marley finally emerges from the line.

"Carlos said they’re gunna do the cake soon, do you wanna climb down with me?" Marley offers her hand but doesn’t try to push Diana, she waits. Diana glances between her and Beatrice warily, fist squeezing tightly around the neck of Beatrice’s sweater.

"We can all go together, but it’s up to you, patinho." Diana nods and makes no move to follow Marley down the steps.

Carlos calls for them from below but neither of them move, Marley offers a cursory glance but doesn’t respond when he calls her name.

"Dada?" Diana buries her head in the crook of Beatrice’s neck, Beatrice hums and squeezes her tighter. "Scared."

"I know. It’s okay to be scared, Diana. Everyone gets scared."

"I’m scared of the dark and vampires and multiplication," Marley chimes, crawling to them. "But the sun still goes down and vampires aren’t real and my mom makes me do my math homework. You can do things that scare you."

"Okay," Diana nods and takes Marley’s hand.

"You wanna go down?" Diana nods and tugs Beatrice’s hand.

"Do you want me to hold you?" Diana nods again and Beatrice agrees, moving to the edge of the slide and letting Diana settle in her lap. "Are you ready?"

"No." Beatrice squeezes her closer and Diana takes a deep breath. "We go now."

For the first time, Beatrice looks down the slide and her stomach drops. Why is a kid’s slide so tall?

"Dada. Now." Beatrice nods and pushes off, squeezing her eyes closed and trying not to scream at the plummet. When they hit the bottom, Diana squirms out of Beatrice’s arms and bounces to the exit when Shannon is standing bemused.

"Was it fun, kiddo?"

"No. Cake?" Shannon laughs and watches her race off to Carlos.

"You alright?" Shannon pulls Beatrice up, helps her out of the slide. "I thought you were going to wet yourself."

"I’m fine. It was great. Ava’s supposed to do the high stuff," Beatrice jokes.

"The high stuff? It was a kid’s slide, bumble Bea."

"I hate you, you can leave." Lucia looks up at her jeer, eyes l alight with something that drains the warmth from the moment. Shannon glances between them and steps in front of her to block Beatrice from Lucia’s view.

"I’m not leaving until I get cake." She says it loud enough for Lucia to hear before turning to Beatrice and dropping her voice. "Let me say something, Bea."

"No. Shannon, it’s his birthday."

"So? You know I wouldn’t say anything to him."

"Shannon." Shannon rolls her eyes and turns back around just in time for Carlos to blow out his candles.

"Why won’t you let me do this for you?"

"Because I remember the last time you did this for me. And we both know you don’t look good in stripes or in orange. If you think about it, I’m actually protecting you." Beatrice watches Diana waiting to get her piece of cake and glances at the back door to the house. "I’ll be back, can you - "

"Is she gunna do a flip?" It’s Beatrice’s turn to roll her eyes, sighing fondly before slipping through the door in search of a bathroom. Luckily, Lucia had the foresight to plaster directional signs on the walls so Beatrice doesn’t have to search hard.

Lucia is leaned against the wall waiting for her when she comes out.

"Saved you a piece of cake," Lucia straightens and extends a slice of cake.

"Oh. Thank you, but I’m not very fond of sweets." Beatrice smiles politely and waves the cake away, glancing past Lucia in the direction she had come.

"Oh that’s fine. I have something else for you too." Beatrice doesn’t like the way Lucia smiles at her.

"I should really get back to Diana…" Beatrice glances down the hall again, hoping Shannon somehow knew she needed her and materialized to rescue her.

"It’ll only take a few minutes. Diana won’t even notice." Beatrice jerks away when Lucia tries to take her hand.

"No I really - "

"Hey, Bea…?" Shannon. "I think we should go…"

Diana’s holding a racecar napkin over her elbow. It’s stained a deep red.

"Oh my god, what happened?" Shannon slaps her hand over Beatrice’s when she tries to move the napkin. "Are you okay?"

Diana nods and shifts toward Beatrice so she takes her, Shannon fixes her with a look that Beatrice doesn’t understand but she follows her out of the house anyways. They wish Carlos a happy birthday in quick farewells before leaving.

They’re halfway to her car when Shannon speaks.

"I knew she would try something."

"I was gone for two minutes, what happened?"

"I saw her follow you." Beatrice stops and turns to her.

"To Diana. What happened to Diana?"

"Oh. Nothing, she’s fine." Shannon lifts the napkin to prove her point, revealing a red stained, uninjured elbow. Beatrice scoffs and rubs the red dye away with her thumb.

"What did you - "

"Fake blood. You can buy it by the gallon at a Hallow-"

"You just carry around fake blood? Shannon!" Beatrice pauses to reinspect Diana’s skin, double-checking she has no injuries before fastening in her car seat.

"I knew you would need an out and Mary never lets me use the fake blood. Come on, you gotta admit that it - "

"I don’t have to admit anything. Don’t use Diana like that, she’s not a prop." Beatrice closes Diana’s door carefully before turning to face Shannon.

"You wouldn’t have left if it was me bleeding." She right. Probably. Truthfully, it would’ve depended on how much fake blood Shannon was willing to use.

"I didn’t need an out, I was fine." Beatrice starts to storm around the car when Shannon grabs her wrist.

"Fine? Beatrice, you looked like you were going to throw up. Maybe I could’ve gone about things differently but I don’t like her. I don’t trust her."

"You don’t have to like her or trust her, I do."

"Do you?" Shannon drops Beatrice’s arm, watches her walk around the car and climb in the drivers seat.

"Do I what, Shannon?" She knows. It’s answer enough for both of them to know.

Shannon doesn’t respond.

~*~

The next time they see Carlos, Beatrice has taken Diana to the local children’s museum. Diana is shoving colored scarfs into a tube then chasing them when they are blown out the top. She loves it.

"Beatrice!" A small body collides into her back, tearing her attention from the little girl to greet Carlos.

"Hi, Carlos. Diana, do you want to say hi?" Diana waves before returning to her previous task, Beatrice smiles and ruffles her hair before turning back to Carlos. "How are you doing, buddy?"

"I’m good. Marley is here, do you wanna see her?" He bounces in place when he asks, positively vibrating about the edges.

"I would love to see her! Could you bring her here, I don’t think Diana’s quite ready to move on yet." He agrees and disappears into the sea of children.

"Good morning, Bea." Beatrice sidesteps a hug, shrugging off the hand Lucia strokes across her shoulder.

"I’ve told you, my name is Beatrice." She tries so very hard to keep the edge from her tone, but Diana looks up worriedly at the change in her voice. Beatrice forces a smile and she returns to her game. Beatrice searches briefly for Carlos’s unruly curls in the everflowing ocean of children, catching and returning a yellow scarf that falls into her face.

"Da!" Diana calls, tugging on Beatrice’s hand before continuing in a whine. "Hungry."

"We were just about to head out for lunch, if you want to join?" Lucia winks when Beatrice meets her gaze, twisting Beatrice’s stomach into a knot.

"Thanks but - "

"Bea!" Beatrice’s head snaps to Ava waving at her energetically, trying to weave through the children racing between them. She smiles reflexively, waves and lifts Diana to see her, setting her back down and watching her race to her mother. Ava captures her, picks her up and kisses her cheek before dropping into Beatrice’s chest. "Hans needed me to trade shifts, I have the day off. I was thinking we could get lunch?"

"I was actually just inviting them with us!" Lucia’s voice is overly saccharine, too bright. Ava lifts her head from Beatrice’s shoulder and stares at the woman curiously, smiling and waving at the children when they greet her.

"This is Carlos, the boy I was telling you about, his friend Marley, and his mother Lucia." Ava twists to meet her eyes when the woman’s name comes out sharper than Beatrice had intended. She asks about it silently, searches for the words Beatrice isn’t ready to say. Beatrice looks away.

"Well, what do you wanna do, Di?" Ava bounces her softly. Diana looks between Beatrice’s tensed jaw and Carlos’s buzzing excitement.

"Go Carlos?" Ava nods once and waits for Beatrice to agree as well before acknowledging Lucia.

Ava makes small talk with Lucia while they make their way to the restaurant next door, Beatrice’s fingers curled tightly around hers. When they are taken to a table, Lucia’s hand presses briefly into the small of her back and she winks when Beatrice bumps into Ava trying to shrug her off. The children elect to sit across from the adults with Beatrice sat between Ava and Lucia. Beatrice prays this meal won’t be as awful as she thinks it will.

Ava kisses the back of her hand before relinquishing it to take Diana to the bathroom.

"So?" Lucia’s hand scrapes up Beatrice’s thigh until she shoves it off her lap. "Who’s that?"

"She is Diana’s mother, Ava. Please stop touching me." Beatrice tries to fight the rising pressure in her lungs. Lucia smiles coyly and winks when Ava slides back into the seat next to Beatrice.

"Are you alright?" Ava presses into Beatrice’s side, squeezes the hand she pulls into her lap.

"Fine." Beatrice forces a smile and she knows Ava doesn’t believe her, she knows by the wrinkle between her eyes and the little quiver of the corner of her mouth. Carlos shoots a straw wrapper at Beatrice and she laughs brightly, dropping Ava’s gaze to fling the wrapper in his direction.

Lucia pats her knee and Beatrice suddenly finds she isn’t hungry anymore. Beatrice crosses and uncrosses her legs more times than she can count, trying desperately to listen as Carlos and Ava discuss the best Pokémon and why it’s Mimikyu. Marley disagrees and brings Mew into the conversation but Beatrice can’t focus enough to join, even when they all try so hard to get her involved. Ava keeps pausing to look at her, especially when Beatrice chokes on her drink because Lucia squeezes her thigh.

"I’m going to clean myself up." Beatrice blots the wet spot on her shirt with her napkin, ignoring the stares she receives when she scrapes her chair back and rushes to the restroom.

She stares at her wild eyes and hair in the mirror for only a moment before pulling her shirt off and holding it under the hand dryers, more thankful than ever that she decided to wear a top under her shirt today.

The door creaks open and Beatrice sighs, doesn’t turn from the hand dryer. She waits for Ava’s worried voice to ask if she’s alright, she waits for the light touch on her elbow to silently ask her to turn.

Instead, arms slither around her hips, curl around her stomach and turn her in place.

"Lucia. Umm, could I… could I just get a minute… I’m not feeling too well." Beatrice takes a step back, hits her elbow on the hot metal of the dryer. She has nowhere to go, Lucia stands between her and the door.

"So Ava, huh?" Is this what a rabbit feels like when a wolf decides to make a meal of it?

"I would really prefer not to do this, please." She hates how her voice shakes, how her hip clips the edge of the sink, how her shoulders press into the cold tile wall.

"It’s okay, we don’t have to tell your girlfriend." Lucia winks and her breath singes across Beatrice’s face. She squeezes her eyes closed and tries to disappear.

Beatrice forgets how to breathe, she feels the world collapse into this single moment as her blood runs cold and Lucia kisses her.

Her stomach turns hard and she freezes, she disappears. Beatrice is certain she’s going to fall through the floor and wake up in hell, that this is some sort of demonic torture method for whatever sins she’s forgotten to ask repentance for. But when Lucia tries to force her tongue in Beatrice’s mouth, she remembers how to move.

Beatrice shoves her shoulders hard, sends Lucia stumbling backward and crashing into the far wall. She makes a beeline for the door, swings it open and wrenches her arm out of Lucia’s cold grip.

"Bea?" Ava’s already on her feet, eyes wide and fingers brushing over the inside of Beatrice’s wrist. She doesn’t try to regain the contact when Beatrice yanks her arm away. "Hey, are you okay?"

"I just remembered I have a thing, I’ve got to go." Carlos watches her dig through her jacket for a handful of cash, dropping it on the table before ducking through the group coming in the door and turning down the sidewalk.

Ava lifts Diana from her seat, hurries to follow Beatrice onto the street, spins in place to try to find her when they emerge.

Beatrice has disappeared without a trace.

Ava tries calling her, tries sending her messages but she receives no replies. So she makes her way home with Diana, promises to order pizza in exchange for her lunch being cut short.

She’s there.

Pacing in hurried circles and chewing on her thumbnail in front of Ava’s door. Her eyes are red and her breaths are ragged and wet, her nail beds on the opposite hand are raw and bleeding in some places from where she’s torn the skin apart between her teeth.

Ava doesn’t try to stop her movements, doesn’t try to figure out what’s bothering her, she simply opens the door and steps out of the way for Beatrice to enter unimpeded. Beatrice offers no acknowledgment, no explanation as she pushes into the apartment and locks herself in the bathroom.

Ava settles Diana in her high chair with chicken nuggets and broccoli pieces before going to check on Beatrice.

"Hey, Bea." She knocks on the door. "It’s just me. Are you okay?"

"I’m going to take a shower." Her words are rushed and she stumbles over them like Bambi on ice.

"Okay. I can get you some fresh clothes, would you prefer that?"

"Thank you." Ava rests her forehead against the door and sighs, lets her eyes close as she tries to will Beatrice into being okay.

She gathers her softest pajamas, the set Beatrice always steals when she forgets to bring her own. She hears the water screech on, the shower curtain scream closed. Diana whines from her entrapment and Ava lets her down, bribes her with cookies into going down for her nap early before she returns to the door. She knocks firmly and receives no reply.

"Hey, Bea." Ava calls through the door. "I have those pajamas you love. Do you want me to leave them out here or - "

"You can come in." Ava inhales deeply and nods, twists the knob slowly, staring intentionally at her feet as she steps into the steam filled room.

"I’m just going to leave these on the counter, I’ll be in the living room if you need me." She spins back to the door after dropping the clothes where she’d promised to leave them, pausing when she hears a sharp sniffle from behind the curtain. "Bea? Are you alright?"

"Yeah. Just - can…" Beatrice takes a shaky breath. "Can you stay?"

"Oh. Umm yeah. I can stay. Do I - do I need to like… I’m not quite certain what I’m supposed to do." Beatrice makes a coughing sound that resembles a choked sob and Ava wants to wrap her in a blanket and tell her everything’s going to be alright. "Do you want me to sit here next to the tub?"

"It’s fine, you don’t - "

"That wasn’t my question, Bea. Do you want me to sit next to the tub, yes or no?"

"Yes." Her voice nearly gets lost in the water hitting the bottom of the basin, Ava barely catches when she adds infinitely quieter. "Please."

"Of course." Ava presses her back into the cold porcelain tub and hums quietly to herself, crossing her legs and hoping Beatrice will tell her what’s wrong without her having to ask. She’s not sure why she offers, but Beatrice doesn’t seem to be doing much more than standing under the scalding hot water. "I have a bath bomb or bubbles if you would prefer to take a bath."

"I - are you sure?" The curtain shifts and Beatrice’s hair drips water onto the tiles beside Ava.

"Absolutely. I mean, the bath bombs have little toys in them, but if you’re willing to overlook that." Ava stares at the animals on the bathmat.

"Are they good toys?" Beatrice is trying very hard to sound lighthearted, Ava knows she’s trying to wash away the stifling dark clouds that have settled in the room with them.

"Well, Diana loves them." Ava offers a half smile over her shoulder, not quite turning enough to meet Beatrice’s eyes. Beatrice laughs wetly and the water turns off briefly before she starts to fill the tub. Ava digs through Diana’s bath supplies, raising the bath bomb box above her head triumphantly when she finds it. "I have lavender and chamomile, orange and grapefruit, or… well this just says milk. I don’t know what that means."

"I would rather not smell like soggy cereal," Beatrice tries to joke, but the tears in her voice drown the humor. "The chamomile one sounds nice."

The curtain screams as it’s pushed open slowly, Ava stares intently at the door when she turns to hand the bath bomb to Beatrice.

"Thank you." Her voice is softer than it had been before, strained with emotion and Ava wants so desperately to wrap her in her arms and tell her it’s okay.

"It’s just a bath bomb. I think it was like four dollars for the set."

"Not. Not that. For - " Beatrice makes a clicking noise. Ava presses her back into the side of the tub. She doesn’t turn. "For being you. For being here."

"I never left. I’ve always been here, Bea. I always will."

"You can’t promise that." Ava almost turns, for barely a second she starts to. But she stops. She doesn’t want to make Beatrice uncomfortable.

"I can. And I have. And I will." Beatrice’s hand drips water down her neck when she brushes Ava’s hair over her shoulder. The droplet races down Ava’s spine and makes her shiver.

The water sloshes as Beatrice leans to turn it off, Ava can hear the bath bomb fizzing quietly as it dissolves, Diana’s music box slows to a stop. Ava worries Beatrice can hear her heart thumping against her chest. Lavender and chamomile wrap around her like a warm coat, carried by the steam from the broiling hot water.

Ava twists, keeps her head trained on the opposite wall while she extends her hand for Beatrice to take if she wishes. She does, threads her wet fingers through Ava’s and squeezes. Ava squeezes back.

"You can look." Ava’s heart stops and she shakes her head reflexively. "It’s okay, Ava."

"Are you sure?" Father forgive me but fuck you, this is not the time for these feelings. Beatrice’s free hand is gentle as it takes Ava’s chin and slowly turns her head for their eyes to meet. Her smile is soft and sincere, Ava reciprocates it easily.

She’s folded into herself, knees tucked under her chin, arm squeezing around her shins, shoulders curled into her thighs. She looks so small. Small and broken. Eyes red and puffy, nose raw, cheeks flushed. Ava’s never seen her like this, it twists and pulls and stabs her in the heart.

"Are you alright?" She rubs her thumb over Beatrice’s knuckles, watches her throat bob when she swallows.

"Fine." Ava raises an eyebrow but she doesn’t ask again, Beatrice drops her chin onto her knees and sighs, cuts her eyes away. "I’m sorry."

"You don’t have to apologize. You’ve done nothing wrong." Beatrice shrugs and Ava offers a half smile. "Do you want me to wash your hair? It always makes me feel better when I’m upset."

Beatrice nods and Ava grabs the shampoo bottle as she moves behind Beatrice, massaging it into her scalp. Beatrice sighs deeply and leans into the touch, the soap foams and drips onto Beatrice’s shoulder. Ava watches the bubbles race down her back, trail over a freckle on her back.

"It was Lucia." Ava’s head snaps up as Beatrice turns, presses her chin into her shoulder.

"That upset you?" Beatrice nods. "Did you get into a fight?" Ava rinses the soap off her hands, cups water in her hand to rinse Beatrice’s hair.

"We aren’t - it’s not like that. I don’t - " Beatrice shakes her head, turns away. She sniffs and her voice wobbles, she continues barely in a whisper. "Please."

"Sorry. It’s not my business. You don’t have to tell me." Beatrice sighs again. "You can if you want, I just don’t want to pry."

"Ask."

"Uh, what?" Ava pulls back, braces herself on the edge of the tub.

"Ask. Please. I can’t…"

"Did she do something?" Beatrice nods. "Something you didn’t like?" She nods again. "Something you didn’t want?" Another nod. "Did she hurt you?"

Beatrice twists completely, tears in her eyes and chin wobbling. Soap tracks down the side of her face and Ava wipes it away without thinking. Beatrice flinches away.

"Sorry." She pulls away. Beatrice chases her hand with her own, leads it back to her face.

"Please."

"What’d she do, Bea?" Ava holds her face steady, listens to the water drip from the faucet.

"It’s not - it’s not even - I shouldn’t - "

"Hey, hey. Listen to me, you’re safe. You’re safe now. Whatever happened, I’m here." Ava doesn’t think before pulling her into her arms, soapy water drenching her shirt when Beatrice tucks her head into her neck. Ava cradles the back of her head, scratches the foamy skin there softly. "I’m here. You’re safe."

"I shouldn’t feel like this. It was just - it was - it was - "

"It wasn’t just anything, Bea. If you’re upset, it’s not just anything. Don’t invalidate your own emotions." Ava drops her cheek against the top of her head, squeezes her shoulders and rubs a circle on her back. "I’m here. You’re safe."

She holds her while she cries, scratches the nape of her neck and rubs across her shoulders until the tears fade and the sobs stop. She lets Beatrice’s wet hair stick her shirt to her back and trickle water down her spine, resists the urge to press a kiss against her temple. She holds her until the steam stops rising and the water cools and the bath bomb fizz all pops. She holds her until she pulls away.

"Hey. Come on. Let’s get you dressed and into bed, yeah?" Ava rubs the tops of her shoulders and smiles. "Let me rinse the rest of the shampoo out of your hair, then I’ll brush it and braid it, yeah?"

"Thank you."

"Always." Ava guides her back around, tilts her head back and slowly rinses the remaining soap from her hair. Beatrice watches her silently through glassy eyes, Ava’s careful not to splash any soap into her eyes, cups her hands to block the water when she pours it over her scalp. She helps her up, hands her a clean towel from the rack. "I’ll be right outside, if you need me."

"You don’t - you can stay." Ava pauses with her fingers on the doorknob.

"I know. I’ll be on the other side of the door." She doesn’t close it all the way, she stays where Beatrice can see her through the crack in the door. The wet spot on her shirt is cold, makes the skin feel blasted with frigid Arctic air. The door creaks open quietly and Beatrice’s fingers are warm as she grazes down the back of Ava’s elbow to her wrist. Ava turns and watches a water droplet speed down the vein in Beatrice’s neck and spread into the neck of her pullover. She’s holding Ava’s hairbrush and a hair tie. "Bed?" Beatrice nods a single time, chews on her bottom lip until Ava taps her thumb against the flesh. She smiles when Beatrice releases the raw skin from between her teeth. "Come now, let’s take care of your hair."

She’s gentle as she leads Beatrice to her bedroom, as she settles her on the floor beside her bed, as she shifts so Beatrice’s back is pressed into her shins.

"Is this okay?" Her hand hovers over Beatrice’s damp hair. She nods. "I need you to tell me, Bea."

"This is okay." Ava’s fingers sift through her hair, bundle the hair together so she can pull the brush through it carefully. Ava doesn’t speak again while she twists Beatrice’s hair into a French braid, ties the hair elastic around the end and drops it over Beatrice’s shoulder.

"All done. Do you want to lay down? Or I can make tea. Or we can watch a movie. Diana’s down for her nap so we have - "

"Ava."

"Sorry. I don’t want to make you feel like you - "

"I know." Beatrice presses deeper into Ava’s legs, drops her head over her knee. "I feel safe with you."

And there it is. That’s silly warm feeling that twists Ava’s heart in her chest and squeezes her lungs and makes her body pulse with each heartbeat.

Ava rubs her thumb over a freckle on Beatrice’s neck that’s shaped almost like a heart.

"Diana has one like this in this same spot." Beatrice twists to try to see what Ava’s talking about. "This heart-shaped freckle. She has it right here." She traces the muscle in her neck further up before pressing her thumb into the space Diana’s freckle is. She can feel Beatrice’s heartbeat thrashing beneath her fingertips.

Beatrice lifts her eyes from Ava’s hand to meet her gentle gaze, she turns into her, presses up on her knees to launch herself into Ava’s chest. She knocks the breath from Ava’s lungs as she tackles her back into the mattress, nose pressing into its home in the crook of her neck and arms squeezing tight.

Ava’s shirt is still wet and Beatrice’s breath across the cold flesh ripples goosebumps across her skin.

"You’re wet." She mumbled into the damp cloth, nuzzling closer.

"That’s what she said." Ava responds automatically before freezing. "Shit sorry, that was - "

Beatrice giggles, soft and unsteady. Ava feels her try to bury her smile in her shoulder, the curve of her grin pressed into her collarbone, the warmth of her laughter seeping through her skin and spreading through her chest.

"It’s okay." Beatrice smiles crookedly, face softer than it has been in as long as Ava can remember. She pulls away, rolls off her and pokes her side softly. "You should change out of your wet clothes."

Ava bites back another witty retort in favor of kissing Beatrice on the forehead and following her suggestion, ducking into her closet to shed the shirt and tug a dry one on. Beatrice is sprawled on her stomach across the bedspread waiting when she opens the door. She smiles, soft eyes watching her quietly.

Ava takes the hand Beatrice holds out to her, allows her to be pulled down beside her. She starts to curl against her when she hesitates.

"Is this okay?" Beatrice nods and Ava chews her lip but doesn’t move.

"It’s okay." Beatrice wiggles closer, guides Ava’s arm around her waist and tucks her nose into her neck. "I feel safe with you."

I feel safe with you.

Ava kisses her forehead again, holds her against her racing heart and prays she’ll never forget this moment.

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margotwhites · 2 months

Text

Jason Todd x Singer reader (fem)

Author's note: I posted about this idea SUCH a long time ago. But it never really vanished from my mind, thankfully. Also, this is just a preview. If you guys like it, I can rewrite it and add more chapters.

Warnings: Terrible writting probably (I'll fix it later) also english is not my first language so sorry about any mistakes

__________________________________________________

Dick Grayson was laughing too damn hard. And he was looking at Jason. Which, obviously, made Jason worry. It's always like that with Dick. He starts to laugh like a maniac suddenly, and the reason always turns out to be something bad.

"What is it this time?" Jason asks, feeling already tired of this bullshit. It all got worse when Stephanie bursts into one of the TV rooms of the Manor, laughing just as much as his older brother. And also looking at Jason. He frowns.

"Check out twitter! Or X. What a terrible name, X." Stephanie says, suddenly contemplative. Jason ignores it and grabs his phone inside his pocket, going straight up to the trending topics. It wouldn't be the first time his persona, Red Hood, appeared on them. Or hell, even his actual name. Being a child of Bruce Wayne was just as bad.

Right on the first trending topic.

#RED HOOD'S NEW GIRLFRIEND

The second trending topic was a ship of his persona with a name he never heard of before. He sighs and looks back at Dick, that has an amusing grin on his face.

"Who is this chick?" He asks, clicking on the ship hashtag and scrolling through the tweets.

"You don't know her? She's like, ultra famous." Steph says, arching a blond brow. "I love her. She's super funny and-"

"I don't care. Why are people shipping me with her?" Jason asks, not finding this as funny as his siblings.

Dick laughs again and turns the TV on, putting a video from his cellphone on the large screen. The video is five minutes long. It was an interview of the singer at the Kurt's show, a famous journalist.

"So, I heard the repercussions of your last album were nothing but great. How does it feel to ascend on your career that fastly?" Kurt asked.

"It's great, Kurt. It makes me feel a little nervous. There is a lot of pressure and expectations from my fans, but I'm happy to do my best to satisfy them."

Jason notices the woman is young and well, gorgeous. She wears a black dress and a collar full of diamonds, her hair done perfectly.

"I heard you're a huge fun of... vigilantes. Is that truth?" Kurt asked once more, leaning closer to the woman. She giggles.

"What can I say? I guess they have a lot of fans, and that includes me." She answers. She has a polite smile on her face.

"Tell me, do you have any favorite?" She chuckles at that, the smile never fading. She was clearly having fun talking about this.

"I do! I'm a big fan of Red Hood." She says. Kurt's eyes go wide.

"That's an interesting choice. Why's that?"

"I like how he completes his job and actually ends the bad guys he deal with." She says. It's a bold statement to be done in public, even more considering she's famous. She doesn't seem to care.

"If you could say anything to him, what would you say?"

"I'd ask him to take me to a ride on his bike. Oh, and to get some hobbies out of the vigilantism stuff. I think he needs it. Also, maybe get a girlfriend. It also seems like he needs it."

And then the video ends. Dick and Steph are laughing loudly, and Jason just stares at the television. Get hobbies? Get a girlfriend?

He can hardly believe his ears. But at the same time, it is quite amusing. He goes back to reading the tweets in the hashtag.

Omgggg they'd make such a cute couple!

I'd let both of them punch my face

He can't help but laugh at some the tweets. People don't seem to hate him like the other times he was a trending topic. But it was a bit irritating that he was being shipped with a singer he knows nothing about. But that's just how internet works, anyway.

This can't become much of a problem for him, really. It's just a stupid ship. Nothing too serious. Nothing serious, at all.

Little did he know.

#jason todd #jason todd reader #batfamily #jason todd fanfiction #jason todd deserves better #dc memes #jason todd x you #jason todd blurb #dick grayson #dick and jason #dc comics imagine #dc comics #jason todd x fem!reader #jason todd fluff

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look-at-the-soul · 7 months

Text

The Photoshoot - Part 47

Cillian Murphy x OC

Series Master list: Part 1 (2014), Part 2 (2015)

I’ve to start this part by saying I’m surprised how this chapter got written by itself-and no, I’m not talking about AI-, what I mean is I had the idea súper clear from the beginning, the dialogue flew or slipped out of my fingers as I typed like a maniac 🤭 and I know it’s because of how much I love this story and all the journey I as a writer have been with them, the ups and downs, the turns… I cried and laughed so much and it fills my heart in a way that anything else can’t.

To the families/people going through adoption, I hope you get those papers, from the bottom of my heart. Last but not least, @forbidden-forest-witch thank YOU for the niece inspiration 🥰💕

Word count: 3,368

⚠️ Extra fluff

Cillian flopped on the couch with a groan, after loading the car to its maximum capacity with all the things Yael bought for their visit to the orphanage. Scout jumped next to him exhausted from following them inside and outside.

“What are you doing?” His wife called from the kitchen, getting closer she decided to join them on the couch, by sitting on Cillian’s lap.

“Taking a break.” He chuckled and her whole world lit.

“Lee-Anne sent me money to buy a few snacks for the children and Jenna bought them boxes of orange and apple juice.” Yael explained running her fingers through his locks. “God, I’m going to miss these.”

Cillian closed his eyes, giving into the relaxing feeling her fingers were providing him.

“They did? That’s very, very thoughtful.” He opened one of his eyes a little, if she continued doing that he’d be sleeping in less than five minutes.

“Yes, and your sisters donated loads of new toys, can you believe they still have the tags attached?” Her eyes sparkled in excitement.

“Mhmm.”

“You’re not even listening to me.” Yael half complained attempting to get up, but Cillian’s arms wrapped around her waist firmly to stop her.

“‘Course I’m.” He rubbed his nose against the crook of her neck, taking in her fragrance.

“Oh there it is… the Tommy Shelby voice.” Yael leaned back to look at her husband, he had a gushing expression as he cupped her face.

“No it’s not.” Cillian debated.

“ I can totally see it, don’t try to hide it.”

She saw him tilting his head and doing his signature pout.

“Staaaawp.” She giggled, the more she looked at him, the more evident it was.

In a fluent motion, Cillian pinned her beneath his body.

“And now you’re going to tell me you don’t like it?” Cillian raised his eyebrow.

Yael bit her lower lip, her eyes sparkling. “Actually… I love it.”

“I’m sure those kids will be so happy with all the things you bought for them.” Cillian admitted leaning down and kissing all over her jaw.

“Don’t you think it’s too much?” Yael asked tentatively, doubting for an instance.

Cillian’s hands cupped her face gently. “Not at all,” he held his weight above her and went back for another kiss, “why do I have a feeling that this isn’t the first time you’re getting involved in a project like this?” A soft smile spread on his lips and his blue orbs were shining just like hers.

“I feel like this is my call, you know? Just like when I chose to study photography…”

A tender smile grew on his lips while he ran his hand up and down her thigh.

“You know I support you fully on this, right?”

Instead of answering her husband with words, Yael choose to give him kiss after kiss, a small peck on the corner of his lips, smooches sounds filled the living room, Cillian felt Yael smiling and his hand cupped her cheek as she moved back. She’d be forever grateful for having him by her side not only during the difficult times, but also to see the growing in different aspects of their lives.

She ran her hands over his shoulders, feeling his biceps. A content sigh slipped from her lips.

“I’m really excited about this.”

Cillian smiled widely at her happiness, it was literally oozing from every pore reflecting beautifully in her eyes and features.

“There’s so much to do, these kids they don’t have someone who looks out for them, wh-what if they need shoes? Or glasses to see? A doctor if they get sick?”

Cillian was mesmerized by the passion in her voice, she was so humble and genuine, so it wasn’t really a surprise to see how her engagement was enveloping him as well.

“We’ve plenty of time to see what else they might need at the orphanage, we should get going though.” He gave her then a playful slap on her bum. “So you’re not going to spend our budget on spa days and shopping huh?”

“Nope, I’m going to buy loads of things for the orphanages.” Yael accepted the coat Cillian was holding for her and after letting Scout know they’d be later, she linked her arm with his.

“More than one?” Cillian added a dramatic look but didn’t hide the grin that turned the corner of his lips upwards. “Are you sure you don’t want a spa day? I’m sure it’s cheaper.”

Yael laughed feeling her cheeks burning. “Don’t worry I’m planning on doing a professional photo shoot in a few weeks to raise funds.”

As Cillian drove, he placed his hand on her thigh. “How so?”

“People like accountants, nurses, anyone basically will have the chance to get their picture taken professionally to use it for their resume it’s a quick session I’m thinking twenty-thirty minutes, one after another and then sending the digital images so they can upload their resume or web page. So from the price I’ll only take the money to rent the office and the rest I’ll donate it equally to two or three orphanages.”

“I love this and I love you. This speaks volumes about you and your heart.” He felt more than proud of the way Yael decided to turn things around. Instead of becoming anger and resentful for not being able to have children biologically or the slow process she was looking for a way to help.

“We’re touched by your generosity Mr. and Mrs. Murphy.” The responsible of the orphanage thanked them as they finished unloading the truck of their vehicle.

“We’ve family and friends involved in this, although they couldn’t join us unfortunately.” Yael explained.

“That’s lovely, having the community support and share a little bit of what they have with the children has a huge impact.” She motioned them to join the children in the patio of the house, volunteers helped them organize the children in a line. “Kids, we’ve visitors today, Mr. and Mrs. Murphy and I heard they brought snacks over!”

A loud round of cheering took them by surprise, bringing Yael to the edge of tearing at the happy smiles they got in response after a loud thank you the kids shouted in chorus.

“Do you like it Shioban?” Yael crouched down at the little girl’s height as she handed her a stuffed animal.

“I love it! Thanks!”

Ages varied just as personalities, it was a shock at first to be surrounded by so many kids, but they all were so well behaved, listened carefully to the instructions and remained in silence when an adult was talking, sharing excited glances at the boy or girl standing next to them.

Yael and Cillian explained they brought over books to read, a few chairs, toys and game boards they would be giving the responsible of the place to take to the reading room they had, they also brought a few first aid kit, plastic glasses and some clothes. The happiness in the children’s faces hit them deep, touching every fiber of their bodies.

“That was the last one,” Cillian sighed surprised by all the energy he felt the kids had been taking from him, they were so demanding, asking loads of questions, shouting over to get whatever they had in their hands.

“Shall we give them their snacks? That should keep them busy for a while.” Suggested the orphanage’s director.

Cillian nodded touching the head of a girl who was already in line. “How about you go and take your place at the table sweetie? I’ll bring your lunch in a minute.”

The girl nodded and stormed to take her place.

Later on when they left the orphanage, Yael felt something else, it was a bittersweet feeling. For leaving so soon and for thinking that she wasn’t doing enough.

Before they left, Cillian was gifted with a couple of drawings and Yael had a few colorful bracelets made by the girls. They both promised they’d go back soon and invite their family and friends.

“Did you see that little boy, Jax playing with the ball we gave him?” Yael beamed once in the car, touched by the memory of the kid running to give her a hug and then storm to play.

Cillian kissed her temple, still fighting the lump in his throat after such emotional moment at the orphanage they visited.

Learning the background stories of some of the children left them heartbroken as it was very mixed, some had been taken away due to violence or their parents passing away, others were left because they couldn’t cover the kid’s expenses. But either way it was hard to digest.

“If I could, I’d adopt them all.” Yael admitted, her voice sounded shaky.

“I know you would, love.” Cillian gave her hand a firm squeeze. “Now how about we grab a coffee before your photoshoot?”

Adjusting on her seat, Yael nodded and leant onto his shoulder as her husband drove. His comfort and support meant to her a lot more than words could express.

****

Sometimes her photo sessions got longer than expected, so Yael arrived home past seven o’clock. Tired but pleased by the way the photos turned out.

Noticing a vehicle in her driveway, she stepped inside greeted by Scout and the loud tap of his tail, wiggling from side to side. Kissing the top of his head, she caressed the muzzle gently noticing the voices coming from the kitchen.

“Hey Orla, hello Sienna!” Yael greeted them going for a quick peck on the lips from her husband. “What’s the matter?”

She focused on her niece’s puffy eyes.

“Someone thought it was a funny idea to stick gum on Sienna’s hair, we had to cut it to get rid of it… I tried ice, well everything.” Orla shared with a sad expression.

“What’s the problem with these children?! Are you alright baby girl?” She went to give the girl a hug.

“She wanted to see you.” Orla smiled.

“Oh! Yes of course do you wanna have dinner?” Yael looked at her husband they didn’t know yet what they’d do but she was sure they’d figure something out.

“I wish, but I can’t… there’s a phone call I need to take with other parents.”

“Mama can I stay here?” Sienna asked.

“No darling, they’re probably busy-”

Yael looked at Cillian and he knew immediately what she was about to suggest.

“She can stay tonight, if you want of course.”

Orla had been on the edge all day, emotions right at the surface so having someone taking over mommy duty for one night sounded wonderful.

“Pleaseeeee.” Sienna asked with big puppy eyes.

“Are you sure this is alright?” She looked at her brother, finding a nod as answer. “Fine, but be a good girl, okay?”

“Okay!” Sienna clapped excitedly and jumped from the kitchen island to tackle Scout.

“We can drive her tomorrow morning.” Yael offered with a genuine smile.

Orla was still torn, but relieved at the same time. “Do you need anything?”

“Please just go, don’t be noisy.” Cillian waved at her, making Yael giggle.

“Grand, I’ll see you tomorrow kiddo.” Orla kissed the top of her daughter’s head. “Enjoy the sleepover.”

“We can watch a movie, would you like that?” Yael felt a rush of love spread through her body as her niece gave a little jump. “Help me find the popcorn first.”

“Tell me what’s going on… Orla? What’s the problem?”

His sister looked down, he knew her so damn well.

“I’m pregnant and we didn’t even planned for it.” She confessed worriedly.

Cillian’s features softened and hugged his sister. “Congratulations! But why are you acting like this?”

Orla let out a low sob, she was so emotional. “Because you guys have trouble starting a family and it kind of feels wrong.”

“Hey non of that, I’m so happy for you and you should enjoy it as well, it’s a wonderful news!”

“But I’m worried about Yael I don’t want to make her feel bad like I’m rubbing it in her face.”

“Stop worrying about that, yes we wish it was us every time we hear about a baby, but it doesn’t mean she won’t be happy for you.” He kissed his sister on the cheek. “Now take a deep breath and text me when you get home, love you.”

“Thank you, for everything.” She wiped her eyes and shouted goodbye to her daughter and sister in law.

Of course it was a bittersweet sweet feeling for both of them, but they were stronger than this and there was no chance to take it personally.

“Did you pick a movie yet?” Yael asked as she joined her niece in the TV room upstairs, already changed into a decent pajama top and bottom because she regularly wore Cillian’s clothes to sleep.

Placing the tray of snacks in the middle, Sienna had a look of surprise.

“I love your braid!” Sienna beamed pointing at her aunt’s hairstyle.

“Thanks, if I don’t braid it the following morning it will be a mess.” She chuckled. “Do you want me to braid yours?”

“Yes! Please.”

After a few minutes she came back from the master bedroom with a box full of hair ties, a comb and a brush, finding Cillian eating the popcorn.

“I hope you’re leaving some for us, mister.” Scout gave her a guilty look.

Cillian extended his hand to offer her a popcorn. One.

“Really?”

“I was showing you the one I’m eating.” He shoved it into his mouth and handed his wife the bowl with the rest with a smirk.

Internally melting at the sight of Yael brushing his niece’s hair. He simply knew she’d be the greatest mother one day.

Cillian was in awe at her abilities to move her hands as she braided Sienna’s hair, but at the same time he could see how careful she was.

“Okay drums roll please…” Yael handed Sienna a mirror so she could check herself and how the braids turned out. “It’s harder to make it to someone else ‘cause I need to think how to do in the opposite direction.”

“I don’t know how you do it.” He got comfortable at his wife’s lap now that she was free, resting his head on her thighs.

“I love it auntie!” Sienna expressed and Yael felt like her heart could explode.

So the three of them plus Scout snuggled closer to enjoy the rest of the film.

By the time the film was done, Sienna was sound asleep so quietly they got the remaining of their food downstairs. Cillian gave his wife a long look.

“Did she talk to you about the gum?”

“Yeah… guess it was harder than she showed, but luckily the piece of hair Orla cut can hide, she’s a fantastic kid I don’t understand why that girl is determined to bother Sienna.” She added while cleaning the top of the kitchen island. “I feel so bad for her, this human stupidity is getting out of hand.”

Cillian sighed, hands on his hips. “Hopefully the principal will take actions against that bully.”

“I know violence is not the way, but I swear some people need to see red from time to time.”

He couldn’t have said that better. “Let’s go upstairs now, we’ll clean that tomorrow.” He added grabbing his wife by the hips to guide her out of the kitchen.

Minutes later they went back into their TV room, and turning off the lights, Cillian and Yael went to lay down next to their niece and Scout. Whispering goodnight to each other, Yael snuggled into the crook of his neck, feeling his hands running up and down her back.

They both loved to feel that they were a safe place to Sienna, looking forward to be there for her as much as they could so in a near future when the teen age started their bond would be closer and stronger.

The following morning after having breakfast, Orla picked up Sienna from her brother’s house and Yael went to the suburbs for a photoshoot, her heart had been pounding from the first minute she let the couple who requested her photography services for their special occasion.

They had a gorgeous scenery, they oozed happiness and love for each other, but the reason behind their photoshoot it’s what touched Yael’s heart.

It was hard but not impossible to think this was a huge coincidence and she spent most of the session wiping her eyes. They were a lovely couple and the photos flew so easily. She was planning on edit those first thing once she got home to print and send the digital copies as soon as possible.

That’s why when Cillian offered to pick her up when the photoshoot was over, she agreed immediately, excited to see him.

“Wow, it’s safe to assume they didn’t give you loads of trouble with the poses?” He leaned in for a quick peck after seeing her big smile.

“You’re not going to believe this, but you can have a sneak peek.” Yael clicked a few times on her camera, scrolling through the images, stopping in one of her favorites.

“Can’t believe this.” His hand flew to his forehead in surprise and looked at his wife.

“I know! Thought the same, they’ve been in the process for a while, and the first time they picked a family at the last minute the biological parents called of the adoption papers and they were left with a broken heart. However… they tried again and this time they chose a little boy he’s seven-years old and they fell in love with him, like love at first sight.”

Without realizing Cillian’s hand was caressing Yael’s shoulders, touched by the story behind the photographs.

“They finally got green light from the judge to finalize the adoption and they’re heading to court next week to sign the papers. But they kept it very low key, she told me a lot of people tried to convince her this was a wrong idea.”

Sighing, Cillian thought about it for a second. “It’s always for the best to keep important things to yourself. Sadly people ruin plans if you share them beforehand.”

Yael wrapped her arms around his torso as they walked towards his car parked at the other side of the park.

“There are so many kids looking for a family… and parent looking for a kid.” Emotions taking over her. “But I also think…”

“Whot?”

The look she gave him sent chills all over his body. But in a good way.

“These kind of matches is just like love you know? There’s an instant connection.”

Brushing away a loose lock, he kissed the top of her head.

“Amen.”

Yael giggled, little by little she was getting more comfortable with the process, knowing that it was meant to be.

As they reached the car, his phone started ringing. When Cillian took a look at the screen his heart rate went up rapidly.

“It’s the social worker.”

Yael had an adrenaline rush. “Go! Answer it.”

As she helped him put it in speaker, her hands started shaking.

“Hello? Mr. Murphy?”

“Ya.”

“Just calling to let you know the home study has been approved,” the woman stated and they could t believe what they just heard, …”you can continue now with the interview process and-”

“Goodness! Is this real?”

“Yes Mrs. Murphy, my secretary will give you a call to tell you the date for the individual and joint interview.”

Their minds couldn’t process the rest of the phone call, everything was blurry.

Was that really happening?

“I’m sorry can you make sure it’s-” Yael’s hand flew to her mouth, her hands were shaking!

“The home study has been approved for Mr. and Mrs. Murphy…” she read part of the letter. “I’ll make sure to send the official papers to your house tomorrow morning.”

Thanking her and hanging up the phone, Cillian pulled Yael for a tight hug, not finding the right words to say, but feeling extremely blessed and relieved. This was a huge step in the process, so now they could focus on keeping their hopes high.

Next part

Tag list @lyarr24 @gypsy-girl-08 @lespendy @onlydeadcells @fastfan @winchestergirl22 @stevie75 @prettylittlehoneyeyesxoxo @esposadomd @strayrockette @forbidden-forest-witch @elenavampire21 @forgottenpeakywriter @heidimoreton @thenattitude @moral-terpitude @babaohhhriley @queenshelby @ange-thoughts @shelbydelrey @shaddixlife @sloanexx @cilliansangel @rangerelik @already-broken144 @alessioayla @paprikabadger @dolllol2405 @conversationpits @itsilvermorny @lafell @imichelle-l-rigby @yrli8 @cutecurly-hair @mrkdvidal1989 @cillspropertea @hyperfixationsonshuffle @sydneyyyya can’t tag @abbymcguire @shelundeadxxxx @elk96 @pono-pura-vida @lovemissyhoneybee @slimeantha (can’t tag) @kmc1989

#That’s what Cill said #cillian murphy #cillianmurphy #cillian murphy fanfic #cillian murphy fiction #cillian murphy fan fiction #cillian murphy imagine #cillian murphy x y/n #cillian murphy fic #cillian murphy oc

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mounts89 · 1 year

Text

The Great War

Based on The Great War by Taylor Swift. Mason Mount x reader. Fluff & angst. Word count: 1.4k.

Hi everyone, thank you so much for all the lovely comments on my precious blurb thing. I’m glad you all liked it, so I hope you enjoy this one too. 🥺 If you have suggestions on what I could write about next, please send them to me.

“You did nothing the whole time, Mason. That’s what pisses me off. She was practically throwing herself at you, and you did NOTHING to stop her.” you told him for the umpteenth time that week, pacing back and forth in his kitchen.

“Babe, I already told you. She was not doing that, it’s normal for us to be that close together when we’re doing a photoshoot.” he tells you nonchalantly, as he stares at you from the stool he was sitting on.

The way he seemed to not care the way you did, or care at all, doing nothing to help the anger running through your veins. The way he seemed to give the same answer every day doing nothing to ease the fears running through your mind.

This whole fight had started about a week ago, after Mason had convinced you to go with him to shoot the cover of a magazine. What he had failed to mention, however, was that a gorgeous model would be in the photos with him.

Your relationship was relatively new, having recently celebrated your four month anniversary. In his defence, he had done nothing to make you question his loyalty, always reminding you that you are it for him. But, in your defence, your past relationships didn’t leave you any room for trust. You were scared that what you had with Mason was just as fragile as everything, and everyone, else that had come before him.

So you justified it. You justified your insecurities, you justified the anger you felt as he laughed whenever she whispered, whatever the hell she did, into his ear.

“You were giggling like a fucking maniac whenever she said anything. Surely NOTHING is that funny, Mason.” you raise your voice at him this time.

“Y/N, please,” he says as stands up from his spot, reaching for your hand, “I already told you to please drop it. The gaffer yelled at me today so I don’t appreciate you doing the same.” he gives you a look you’d never seen from him before. His eyes not having that same shine they usually do.

“No, you know what, Mason. What I don’t appreciate is you belittling me. I’ve told you this whole week how bothered I was by the whole thing.” you don’t dare to look at him anymore, as you pull away from him.

“What do you want me to do, Y/N.” he sighs. His voice full of defeat, sorrow. He sounded over it.

He sounded over you, you thought.

“What the fuck is there for you to do? You already let her flirt with you the whole time. When I was there, mind you. Who knows what you do when I’m not around.” you immediately answer back, mentally cringing at how jealous you sounded, but knowing you couldn’t quite control that feeling and how you were reacting.

“Please, drop it, Y/N. You’ve not only yelled at me but now you’ve also sworn at me. Please, please just drop it. I’m frankly starting to get tired of this bullshit, you’ve brought it up every single day this week and I already told you that nothing happened.” he utters, not being able to control his lack of patience at this point.

You stayed quiet, trying to think through the words you’d be saying next. It dawned on you how quickly everything has changed. From feeling like nothing could come between you, to now feeling betrayed.

“Yeah, you know what, this is the last time I’ll bring it up because you clearly don’t care. So, let’s just leave it at that. Goodbye, Mason. Consider yourself free of my bullshit forever.” you begin to walk towards the door, holding back tears.

“You don’t mean that, Y/N. I’ve already told you that you have to trust me more freely. Especially knowing how my career is. Take. It. Back.” he asserts, following you, reaching for your hand once again.

“Goodbye Mason.” you say one final time before mustering every bit of courage, or perhaps cowardliness, as you pull away from him to walk out of his house.

____________________________________________

It had been two weeks since that night with Mason. Since The Great War, as you had coined it. You had hoped that he would run after you. That he would show up to your house with 1000 roses, that he’d shout that he only wanted you to the rest of the world. But he didn’t.

And as much as it hurt, you understood.

You had had time to reflect on it all. The way you had reacted, the way you punished him for things he didn’t do. The way your egos were swinging at each other that whole week, the way she looked at him. How it felt that in a matter of days you nearly lost him.

But you also knew you were both too proud to reach out to the other first. You had really lost him this time, you thought.

Above all, you now had time to analyze, to intellectualize that dammed cover.

As soon as you saw it pop up on his instagram, you texted Sophia asking if you could come over. You knew that there weren’t many people who would let you be as irrational as had been for the past two weeks. Thankfully, she was one of them.

So there you were. Feeling sorry for yourself as you drank your third glass of wine and watched whatever Sophia had said her comfort movie was. You didn’t care enough to pay attention, just appreciating the fact that she was willing to be there with you.

The helplessness you felt as you saw the photos he’d posted, tearing away at all your edges. You can’t help but compare pictures that his friends had taken of the two of you to the highly edited ones of the magazine. Of course, the cover was a picture of him giggling as she whispers in his ear. The model, as beautiful as she was, didn’t look at him the same way you did. Mason, as big as his smile was, didn’t have that same shy look in his eyes as he did when you told a joke. It seems so obvious in retrospect, but every picture of the two of you was more genuine, more real, more actually in love.

You’re pulled away from your thoughts as you hear Kai walk into the house. Just behind him, you hear his laughter. The one you had missed, the one you needed like a lifeline.

“Shit, sorry. I swear I didn’t know he was coming.” Sophia tries to reassure you as she sees you stare at the door frozen in your spot.

He stops laughing at whatever it was as Kai moves out of the way and he spots you. Flashbacks of all the arguments you’d had leading up to that night coming to you in a blur. And you two just look at each other, for 10 seconds, 10 minutes, 10 days, you really weren’t quite sure. The look the two of you shared silently screaming everything you’d both been too stubborn to say out loud. I’m sorry. We’ll never do this again. If we can survive this, we can survive whatever. I’ll always be yours. I vow I will always be yours.

You stand up and walk towards him, taking uncertain steps, not knowing if he really wanted you again. You didn’t know what you were going to do, what you were going to say, you just knew that you had to be closer to him. So now, there you were, less than two feet away from him. You want to pour everything out to him, you want to tell him how miserable you’ve been without him. Selfishly, you want him to tell you that life’s also been hell without you.

But instead, he just reaches out for your hand.

And you crash into him. Pouring every single emotion of the past two weeks into that hug. Every single tear, every single time you yelled at your empty apartment, every single text you erased before pressing send, every single time you drove by his house to apologize.

And he simply holds you, bringing your hand to place a kiss. And as he looks at you, his eyes tell you just how broken and blue he’d been without you. And you smile at him weakly, telling him you’d always be his after having survived that, without needing to say much.

And you muster every single bit of courage you can as you whisper, “I really thought I lost you.”

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mrvlbimbo · 2 years

Note

bimbo reader flirting with gareth to get eddies attention :> maybe it ends in a bit of bratty smut?

Hush

She would never

Maybe by accident though.

Like she’s leaning over the table and giggling at whatever he’s saying. It seems like flirting and maybe it is a little but flirty is just her natural state of being so who’s to say.

Eddie is going to have to give Gareth a stern talking to later but right now he has to deal with his girl.

He’s huffing and puffing, grabbing her by the arm (gently) and pulling her into the hallway.

She’s like “Eddie baby what’s wrong?”

“Is there a reason you’re flirting with Gareth?” He snaps, glaring at her. He feels bad for being so mean but he can’t help the insecurity he feels at the sight of his girl being flirty with someone else.

“Eds, that’s nothing. I’ve only got eyes for you.” She shakes her head, kissing him on the cheek and grabbing onto the front of his shirt.

“I know. I’m sorry…” He’s starting to feel embarrassed about the scene he caused.

She noticed the drop in his mood immediately, bringing her lips to his to ease his worrying. “Only for you. My perfect, sweet, strong boyfriend who takes such good care of me,” she says breathily against his lips.

“Fuuuck. I love you,” he whines, hands gliding down her sides to grip her hips.

“I love you too, baby. Now let’s get back in there.” She laced their fingers together, pulling him back into the room with everyone else.

The rest of the meeting she stayed practically attached to him, sitting on his lap and rubbing her hands all over him.

It was a clear show of possession, letting everyone know she was very very spoken for.

He couldn’t help be incredibly turned on by the way she let him claim her infront of the whole club, pliantly sitting on his lap and busying herself with kissing his neck.

When it was all over he was littered with lipstick marks, face red with a vicious blush and his legs were shaking. He barely had time to say goodbye to everyone before he was rushing out of the school to get her home.

His fingers danced over her thigh as he drove recklessly. “My house or yours,” he panted, her nails digging into his bicep.

“Mine. Parents are away for the weekend,” she moaned as he eased his hand farther home her leg.

As soon as the car is parked he has her slung over his shoulder as he practically runs into the house. She was always surprised by his strength.

He throws her onto the bed, climbing ontop of her and kissing down her neck as he rips her clothing away. “So good, babe. You were so good for me tonight. Showing everyone you’re mine. I’m so sorry for doubting you.”

“I’m yours.” Somehow she said it in the most possessive way, as if it was her way of telling him he was stuck with her.

“Yeah, baby? All mine?” he teases, pushing her panties to the side and easing two fingers in to curl at that spot inside of her that makes her see stars.

Her back arches up, pressing herself against his chest. “Mmmhm. Fuck me like I’m yours.”

That’s all it took for him too side his own jeans off, thrusting into her slowly and deeply. “This pussy. All mine,” he grunts.

“Yeah. Yeah. Take it. It’s yours.” He cradles her hips, angling her up in just the right way so the head of him is bumping her cervix.

“You’re mine,” he chokes out as he cums.

“You’re mine,” she repeated, giggly and slightly breathless.

Eddie x bimbo!reader taglist

@no-tresspassing @molllybc @eddiemunsonswhorehouse @drainedjaw @beenz-beenz @ninjago1282 @crowww @what-a-load-of-queers @nxrdamp @just-v @the-maniac-fly @ha1rsprayqu33n @misaamaneswifey @bisexualbreadexpert @queer-as-fork @theemeraldbutterfly @whore-for-eddie @bucky-daddy-barnes @grape-flavored-lipgloss @eddiemunsonsluvrrr

(if you asked to be added and I haven't added u its probably bc it won't let me tag u for some reason)

masterlist here

#eddie x bimbo!reader🎀#stranger things #eddie munson x reader #stranger things season 4 #eddie munson stranger things #eddie stranger things #eddie munson imagine #eddie munson #eddie munson fanfiction #eddie munson fluff #eddie munson smut

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onceuponastory · 1 year

Text

twisted fantasy - max burnett x reader

“Your biggest fear has just come true, This maniac’s in love with you.” - This Maniac’s in Love With You by Alice Cooper

Plot: Looking for love, Y/N takes a chance on a date with Max...and instead finds herself in his twisted fantasy. Pairing: Max Burnett (Sharper!Max) x Female!Reader Warnings: 18+ Please, this is a dark fic. No minors. Mentions of kidnapping, drugging/drink spiking, stalking/obsessive behaviour, Stockholm Syndrome, dubious consent, force feeding, violence, injuries and nausea. As always, if I miss any triggers please let me know! Notes: Happy Sharper Day! This fic doesn’t contain any spoilers for the movie, I just wanted to make him dark and give my own interpretation on why he started hustling.

Thank you so much to @lunarbuck for both helping me with this idea and for beta reading it for me!

Pulling her jacket around her body for warmth, Y/N scrolls through her phone to keep herself occupied. Hopefully, her date shows up soon, and that it goes well… especially since it’s her first one in god knows how long.

At first, Y/N was fine with being on her own, not seeing the appeal of finding romance. Yet, as more and more time went on, her thoughts changed, and she craved the thought of having someone to call hers, and to share the rest of her life with. After all, being alone for such a long time whilst also being bombarded with your friends getting married, images of true love and talks of ‘Mr. Right’ can drive you crazy after a while. So, she braved the world of dating apps. Each day, she would scroll through endless pictures of men, not finding a spark or the person she wants to spend the rest of her life with. After a few months with no luck, she lost hope, deciding her true love didn’t exist. Or at least, not there.

But then, she saw Max. The second she saw his icy blue eyes staring back at her through her phone screen, Y/N fell head over heels for him, messaging him right away. Thankfully, he seemed to feel the same about her, given how quickly he messaged her back. And now, here she is, waiting outside a fancy restaurant for Max to show up for their date. A very fancy and expensive restaurant. Of course, Y/N is still willing to pay for her half of the meal, but the fact that this was the first place Max suggested already tells her he’s well off. Not that it matters too much to her, but she won’t deny that it’s definitely appealing.

When Max pulls up in a sleek BMW, Y/N’s suspicions are confirmed. “Hey, I’m sorry I’m late,” he sighs, running a hand through his dark hair. When she reassures him it’s fine, he shakes his head. “No. I hate to leave a pretty lady like you waiting.” Y/N giggles at his words, feeling heat settling on her cheeks and her heart rate picking up. What a charmer. And he’s even cuter in person. “Shall we head inside?” Max asks, opening the door for her.

Yet, as they sit down to eat, something strikes her as off. Despite Max’s pleasant conversation, and how he orders a bottle of her favourite wine for them to share, Y/N feels on edge. Even though she’s having fun, there’s a strange sensation in the pit of her stomach. Almost as if it’s being twisted. Like something is wrong. The entire meal, she keeps her gaze on Max, studying him intently as she tries to figure out what the issue is. And each time, her mind turns up blank. “Is something the matter?” Max asks, pouring her another glass of wine.

“Not at all.” She lies, taking a drink in the hopes it pushes away her feelings of unease. Hopefully, it’s just first-date jitters.

Yet, as the bitter drink flows down her throat, Y/N’s stomach twinges again.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

After dinner, Max helps Y/N out to his car. The world seems to spin, and she stumbles a few times as she walks. Despite her clearly drunken state, her stomach still twists, and her mind knows that something still doesn’t feel right. She didn’t drink that much. There’s no way she could be this drunk. Something’s very wrong here.

“It’s okay. I’m here.” Max whispers, tightening his hold on her arm. He leads her to his car, helping her inside and strapping her in. Y/N leans back against the headrest, moaning softly. “Don’t worry, Y/N. I’ll take you home.” As she mumbles something in reply, he smirks, chuckling. “You’re really out of it, aren’t you?” Y/N glances up at Max. And then, something finally clicks in her mind.

“Wait. I got it. Don’t… don’t I know you from somewhere?” She asks, mumbling her words slightly. Max chuckles, leaning in closer.

“Well, we met on a dating app, remember?” The way he stares at her chills her blood. Like there’s something she doesn’t know, something sick hiding behind his smile. It’s as if he’s eyeing her up like she’s a piece of meat.

“No. Before that.” Y/N insists. “I knew you already, didn’t I?” The words tumble out of her mouth with little thought, and once they’re out in the open, the realisation slowly seeps through. Yes, she’s definitely met him before. She just can’t think where or when.

“Did you?” He smirks. Y/N’s brow furrows. She tries to push through the haze in her mind, but she’s just too drunk to even think straight. Y/N nods, her head suddenly feeling like it weighs a hundred pounds. “Clever girl.” He whispers. As her eyes begin to close and her head lulls to the side, Max grins. “I have big plans for you. Don’t worry. You’ll find out soon.”

And that’s the last thing Y/N hears.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

As she slowly comes to, Y/N murmurs. Her head is pounding, and her ears are ringing. She opens her eyes, wincing at the sudden bright light in the room.

“You’re finally awake.” Max’s voice sounds. Y/N registers him running his finger down her jawline. Reflexively, she shudders at his touch. “Oh, it’s okay, Y/N. I won’t hurt you. Come on, open your eyes for me.” Slowly, Y/N’s eyes open. Max stares down at her, smirking. Y/N’s stomach twists again. “There you are.”

“What happened?” She tries to get up, but can’t. It’s only then that she realises she’s strapped to a chair. Gasping, she tries to move again, hoping this is some kind of sick joke, or her still-drunk brain causing her to hallucinate. When it doesn’t work, she begins to shake and cry as her mind and body go into panic stations. “Max, what’s going on?”

“Just calm down, Y/N. It’ll be okay.” He replies, scarily calm. Y/N feels her heart pounding against her chest, so quick and strong it could break through her skin.

“Max. Tell me what’s going on.” She repeats. Again, another scarily calm reply telling her to be calm follows. As the horrible reality sinks in, Y/N whimpers. “Oh god, I don’t want to die.”

“Hey, hey, shhh….” Max soothes. Y/N tries to ignore him, until: “Look at me.” He commands, his voice mesmerising. Y/N looks up, into his eyes. So blue and calm. Like the sea after a storm, the complete opposite of how he is now. Y/N almost laughs. After all, that was what originally attracted her to Max. His eyes. And now, she’s staring into them and begging for her life. “Nobody said anything about dying.”

“So why am I here, then?” Max stares at her once more. Then, he smirks.

“You really don’t remember me, do you?” Before she can even reply, Max continues. “I remember you, though. Everything about you.” Y/N runs through her memories, trying to piece them together. However, her confusion, combined with the drug and alcohol in her system, means that her mind continuously draws a blank.

“Y/N Y/L/N. Popular, a cheerleader… and a spoiled bitch.” Y/N gasps, fury flowing through her veins.

“How dare you say that about me?! You have no idea who I am.”

“Oh, but I do.” He snarks, coming closer, kneeling in front of her. “I’m Max. Max Burnett. Remember me?” There’s some familiarity to his name, yet she still can’t figure out just who he’s meant to be. Seeing he’s getting nowhere, Max frowns, rolling his eyes. “I used to sit behind you in all our English classes… and you still don’t remember me?”

And then it clicks. That Max. He’s definitely changed since the last time she saw him. In all honesty, he’s barely recognisable now. His arms and body are more toned, and he looks older, more mature. In all honesty, he looks better now, far more attractive for a start. But as she looks him over, there are little things that she notices that are still the same. A freckle here, a scar there. Is it really so hard to notice that it’s him?

Then again, though, it’s not like they were close friends, or friends at all back in high school. Y/N would be the first to admit that they were both part of different social circles back then. She stayed with the popular girls and cheerleaders, and Max was near the bottom of the social ladder with a few close friends compared to her many. Aside from the occasional glance at each other’s way in the hallways or discussion during classes, the pair barely interacted. Yet, she always greeted him with a smile and a hello, and never intentionally ignored him. He liked to keep himself to himself, whilst she didn’t. That’s all. So she has no idea where the hell he’s getting the idea that she’s a spoiled bitch from.

“Hi, Max. Yeah, I remember you.” She nods. Y/N wiggles her wrists, hoping that her recognition of Max is enough for her to be set free. Yet when he doesn’t move and just keeps staring at her, she frowns. “Max? What’s going on?” She asks, her voice quiet. “Why am I here? I said I remembered you, a-and I do, so can you take these off please?” Max simply scoffs.

“I can’t do that.”

“But why? I haven’t done anything to you!”

“Quiet.”

“Max, please just-”

“Quiet!” He shouts, the sudden change in volume making her jump. Y/N bites her lip hard to stop herself from yelling out in fear. As her entire body shakes, Max smiles. “Good girl.” Within an instant, he’s back to the eerily calm person he was before. Now, though, she knows the level of anger that he’s capable of. And seeing him standing there, staring down at her without another word, shakes her to the core. “Now, let me explain.” He speaks, finally. “I fell in love with you from the moment you first sat in front of me in class. You were so pretty and popular, especially in that little cheerleading skirt.” He bites his lip at that, and Y/N closes her mouth, trying to suppress her growing nausea. “And you always had a kind word to say to me, despite how different we were. You were everything I wanted, Y/N.” It’s then that Y/N notices something odd. Whenever Max talks about back then, about how much he loved her, there’s a small smile on his face. And his smile causes something inside her stomach to flutter.

“Our little chats in class each week meant the world to me, and I fell more and more in love with you as the years went by. I wanted to tell you how I felt right away, but I was too scared. So instead, I gradually worked up the courage to ask if you had a date to prom, and if you wanted to go with me, remember?” Immediately, Max’s smile falls, and his eyes narrow. “But you turned me down.” Y/N frowns.

“Because I was going with Owen.” She answers. Max rolls his eyes, groaning.

“Oh yes, Owen. The star quarterback of the football team. Mister Perfect.” He hisses. “He was an asshole who didn’t deserve someone like you. You deserved someone like me! Someone who wouldn’t demean you by talking to other girls like he would! I loved you! And I was willing to give you the world! More than he ever could!” He insists, his voice getting louder and angrier with each sentence. Y/N flinches away from him, not wanting to attract his ire. “But no. I wasn’t good enough, was I? Not popular, rich, or handsome enough for spoiled little Miss Y/N.”

“It’s not that Max, it was just I didn’t see you-” Y/N tries to explain, but Max cuts her off.

“What? Say it. Say it was because I wasn’t good enough for you. I wasn’t rich enough, or popular enough.” He spits, bitterness lacing his words.

“Because I didn’t like you in that way back then! I only saw you as a friend!” She argues. “Max, please just let me go. I promise I won’t say anything about this.” She whimpers, a few more tears slipping out.

“I can’t do that, Y/N. It’s okay though, I’m not mad at you. I was at first, but that was before I realised what you needed.” Smiling, he leans in closer. “I’ve been working hard on something for you. For us. And it’s going to make you want to stay.” Y/N furrows her brow, and Max begins to explain. “Since we graduated, I’ve become a bit of a hustler. Or maybe Robin Hood is a better term for it. I took money from those rich assholes who don’t deserve it. People who hurt those like me, at the bottom of the food chain, with no remorse. People who hurt good, caring souls like you, and don’t stick around to pick up the pieces. Now, I have more money than all of those assholes put together.” He grins proudly. And it’s all for you, my darling. I took it for you.” He bends down to her eye level.

Seeing she’s still crying, Max cups her cheek, using his thumb to wipe away her tears. His touch against her skin makes Y/N shiver, especially since she can’t back away from him. She’s powerless against him. “At first, I was just going to look for you on the streets of New York, so when I found you on that dating app, it was like a dream come true.” As he explains his sick obsession, and how he planned to stalk her, Y/N’s blood chills, and her stomach churns. In high school, she had no idea Max was so dangerous. Especially towards her. “We can finally be together, and I can give you anything you want. Everything you deserve will be yours. You can finally be happy. With me.” Y/N frowns, her blood beginning to boil.

“What, you think that kidnapping me and showing me all your money is going to change that and make me fall in love with you?!” she snaps. “I don’t want your money, Max! I never cared about anyone’s money! I’m not a fucking spoiled bitch. I just want to go home!” Max chuckles, shaking his head.

“I told you already. I can’t do that. You belong here with me. This is your home.”

“No, I don’t.” When Max still refuses to let her go, Y/N huffs angrily. “You know what, Max? Is it any wonder why I didn’t go out with you in high school? You’re a fucking depraved freak if you need to kidnap girls to get them to fall for you.”

“Stop it. Stop calling me that.” Max hisses. His fist noticeably twitches at her words, but Y/N continues. After seeing just how scary Max can be when he’s angry, she knows she’s playing with fire, but she doesn’t care. She’s just too scared and angry to even think about that right now. All she wants to do is to make him hurt.

“How dare you think that kidnapping me and flaunting your wealth at me will make me fall in love with you? I’m not yours to own!”

“Y/N….” Max warns, seething with rage. He stands up straighter, towering over her as if to show her just how out-powered she is, and to stop before she gets hurt.

And yet, Y/N still keeps going.

“Now, let me go.” Her demand is the final trigger. Suddenly, Max snaps, yelling out and slamming the table beside him angrily. The sound reverberates across the room, infiltrating every fibre of her body. Y/N yelps in fear, the sound causing her to jump in her seat.

“Look what you made me do. I hate getting so angry, especially at you.” Max huffs. He watches as Y/N shakes in fear, whimpering. “Being here will be good for you. You’ll learn soon enough.” He states, turning on his heel and leaving the room.

From that moment, Y/N is stuck with Max, trapped in his twisted fantasy. Some time after he storms off, he returns to untie her… whilst also making sure she knows to stay in her room. As he removes the ropes, his fingertips lightly brushing against her skin, Y/N’s heart rate picks up. The sensation confuses her, especially considering how easily he can switch back to the terrifying, angry state that she saw only hours ago. Warily, she watches him, waiting for him to snap or attack her.

Yet… she won’t deny that the sensation feels nice all the same. After all, there’s a reason she was so attracted to him in the first place.

“What are you looking at?” He chuckles, raising a brow.

“Nothing.” She states, moving her gaze away from him. Max sighs, getting up and running a hand through his dark strands.

“Y/N. Please trust me when I say that the last thing I want is to hurt you.” When he realises no reply from Y/N is coming, and just how frightened she is of him, his face falls. “I’ll bring you some food. You must be hungry.” He mutters.

Once he’s gone, Y/N looks around the room. It’s a lot bigger than she expected, with a big double bed, and closets filled to the brim with shoes, expensive clothes and makeup, worth more than she could ever afford. When Max said he wanted her to be comfortable, he wasn’t lying. And the room is actually really nice, considering the alternative. Yet, even a prisoner in a gilded cell is still a prisoner. And despite how nice the clothes are, the way she got here and why he’s holding her here still makes her stomach churn.

Y/N’s life soon fades into a routine, one limited to the confines of her bedroom, with Max coming in a few times a day to bring her food and water. At first, she tried to defy him, refusing to eat to fight back against the control he has over her life and its routine. That defiance worked a few times… until Max threatened to force the food down her throat so he could be sure she’s okay. As he keeps reminding her, the whole reason he brought her here was to protect and care for her in all aspects of her life. Since that threat, Y/N started eating again.

Max has joined her meal times since then, too. Yet, he never eats. He just watches, making sure she’s doing as she’s told. Sometimes, he tells stories about his various conquests as she eats, making sure she knows how lucky she is to be there, and how many gifts and riches he can give her. He does that a lot, acting like her anger and unease around him will fade, and that she’ll come around to him if given enough time. Yet, as time goes on, Y/N finds herself looking forward to Max’s visits. Being stuck in one place for god knows how long, unaware of what day or even what time it is, unable to do anything but read and sleep is so isolating. She feels like she’s losing her mind.

At least with Max, there’s routine, and a human connection, something she grows to crave. And so, slowly but surely, she starts to lower her guard around him, no longer reacting to his words with anger or fear. Because despite everything he’s done to her… she appreciates his company more than she’d like to admit.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

One night, one that feels like years away from when she first got here, Max tells her to join him for dinner. The tone of his voice tells her it’s best for her to attend.

“But I’ve never done that. We always eat separately.” She murmurs. Seeing her frown, Max chuckles.

“Well, I thought it’d be nice to have a change. Especially since you’ve been good recently. Consider it a treat.” He smiles. “Pick something nice to wear, and I’ll see you soon.” And then he’s gone.

So, Y/N does as he asks, not wanting to cause any further problems. She picks out an outfit, slipping into it with ease. The material is comfortable against her skin, and a welcome change. Catching sight of herself in the mirror, Y/N turns, looking over every inch of her body. She looks good. Max clearly has good taste. Or at least, knows her taste. For a moment, the thought makes her smile. How someone knows so much about her, and wants to make sure she has things she looks and feels good in.

“Yeah, it’s because he’s obsessed with you, and has been stalking you since high school.” The voice in her head cuts through the happy thought and Y/N shudders, all positive thoughts about this moment gone. Hopefully, this is over soon. Although… she can’t help but twirl once more in the mirror and apply a little bit of makeup.

If she has to dine with the devil, at least she’ll look good doing it.

Max arrives at her door some time later, dressed in a fancy suit. The first time she sees him, Y/N’s breath hitches a little in her throat. Max looks good. Handsome even. “You look incredible.” He grins, offering his arm to her like a true gentleman. Or at least, like the one he’s pretending to be. Slowly, she links her arm with his, suddenly very aware of the warmth of Max’s body. Being this close to Max whilst knowing what he’s capable of still causes an eerie feeling to settle in her stomach.

As he leads her down towards the dining room, Y/N looks around the house, at the castle holding her prisoner. It’s huge, filled with expensive paintings and furniture. She doesn’t even realise how much her eyes have widened or how her mouth has dropped open until Max chuckles from beside her. “You like it? I told you, the life of a hustler pays well.” He watches as she looks from room to room, gazing at her with a smile on his face. And the same thing in Y/N’s stomach flutters again, this time even more than before. But before she can dwell too much on it, they reach the dining room. Max leads her to her seat, and for a moment she waits for him to tie down her wrists. When he doesn’t, she frowns. “I told you. You’ve been good.” Max shrugs, pouring her a glass of wine.

When she stares at it warily, remembering what happened the last time she drank wine in front of him, he simply smiles once more. “Don’t worry. It’s perfectly safe.” She takes a few incredulous sips, waiting for the familiar bitter aftertaste that seemingly never comes. The wine is lovely actually, clearly from an expensive bottle. A steaming hot plate of food is soon placed in front of her, the smell making her moan happily. Quickly, she takes a bite, savouring the flavour as it dances across her tongue. This tastes better than any other meal he gave her, and it’s a welcome relief.

“Did you cook this?”

“Well… no. I thought that since tonight was an important night, I should hire a private chef to take care of us.” He answers, taking a bite and grinning back at her. His revelation surprises her, yet she likes it all the same. Nobody has ever done something like this for her before.He’s really pulling out all the stops to make her feel happy and comfortable.

As the meal continues, Y/N feels her worries around Max lessening and even finds herself smiling and laughing along with him. This dinner is nice, it’s safe. For a moment, she’s transported back to their first date, the one she thought would go so well, but turned into a nightmare. Now, though, it’s like they’re getting another chance. She watches Max as he speaks Italian with the Chef, laughing along with him and grinning widely. And Y/N realises she enjoys having another chance with him.

After dinner, Max walks her back to her room, still arm in arm. “You know, I had a great night tonight.”

“Me too. It was nice to get out of my room for a while.” Y/N agrees. Max seems surprised at her admission, yet grateful, happy that she’s finally feeling slightly comfortable around him.

“I do feel bad about leaving you in here again.” Max sighs, taking her hand and running his fingers along her knuckles.

“I don’t like it there, Max. I mean, the bed is comfortable and all, and I’m grateful for everything you’ve given me, but I feel like I’m going crazy being trapped in there. It’s just all been too much for me.” Her words make Max’s face fall, and guilt overtakes his features.

“I know, and I’m sorry. But I need you to stay there just a little longer. I want to make sure you’re okay and comfortable enough around me first.” Even though she appreciates his insistence of making sure she’s okay above all else, his refusal to just let her be free, just this once, causes her stomach to twist. Max notices the look on her face, and he sighs. “I’m sorry Y/N. This is how it has to be.” Before she can protest further, Max steps out, locking the door.

And then, Y/N is alone again.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Later that night, Y/N lies in her bed, tossing and turning. Her brain shows her horrible images, ones of her trying to run, of doors that lead nowhere. When Max catches her, he stands over her with a knife, carving his name into her skin so she’d be his forever. She awakens with a jolt, crying out in fear. Panting, she grips her bedding, trying to ground herself. Yet it doesn’t work, and her heart continues to pound. She cuddles into herself, shaking as she begins to cry.

Within an instant, the door bursts open. Max stands in the doorway, illuminated by the minimal light in the doorway. “What happened?” He asks, coming closer to her. As he reaches out to her, Y/N flinches away from him. Max’s face falls. “Sweetheart, I need you to tell me what happened so I can help you. Did you have a nightmare?” She nods, sniffling.

“You scared me. Y-You hurt me in it.” She murmurs, her voice hoarse from all the screaming. Max sighs.

“Y/N, it was just a nightmare. I would never hurt you.” He promises. Noticing she’s still shaking, he takes her hand. At first, she flinches away once more, but when she realises that Max really doesn’t mean any harm, she lets him intertwine his fingers with her. “Just match my breathing, okay?” As she slowly calms her breathing, Max raises his free hand, pressing it against her forehead. “You’re all sweaty and burning up.” He sighs. “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up. I’ll run you a bath.” She nods, and Max helps her up and out of the room.

As she leans into him, Y/N picks up on his heartbeat, the pounding rhythm soothing her and almost lulling her back to sleep. When they reach the bathroom, Max runs the water, filling the tub with bubbles. Y/N watches him, her body still shaking. Then he turns his attention back to her.

“Let’s get these pyjamas off. They’re drenched in sweat.” He sighs. As he peels them off of her body, Y/N stands there, her head bowed in shame.

“I’m sorry.” She murmurs, embarrassed to have made him frustrated.

“No, no sweetheart, it’s okay. I’m not mad.” He soothes, cupping her cheek. Y/N flinches at his touch once more, and Max sighs. “You got a big fright, didn’t you?” She nods. He presses a kiss to her forehead, and Y/N smiles slightly. “Let me fix it. Let me take care of you.” He whispers. When she’s fully undressed, the cold air chills her skin, and she can feel her nipples hardening. Yet, being so bare in front of Max, letting him see every inch of her naked, exposed body makes her feel like she’s on fire. Max’s eyes move lower, and Y/N feels the heat rising. Gently, he takes her hand, helping into the bath. The bubbles brush against her skin, and she leans back into the warm water.

Max rubs soap and lotion into her skin, delicately running his fingers along her skin as he does so. The sensation sends a shockwave throughout her body… but she likes it all the same. It’s nice to finally feel more comfortable around Max, to feel loved by him. He peppers kisses along her skin, and this time, Y/N doesn’t flinch away from him.

He’s here to take care of her.

To give her what she needs.

What she’s always needed.

Once the bath is over, Max hands her one of his shirts to put on. The material drapes over her body, almost like a dress. Although, it’s comforting, and the material feels good against her skin. “You look good.” He smirks. “Now it’s time for bed.”

“No. Please don’t make me go back there. I don’t want to be alone.” She begs, whimpering slightly.

“Shhh, shh. You’re not going back there.” He promises. He leads her out of the room, taking her down the hallway. As they walk, Y/N finds solace in his heartbeat once more. She inhales his scent, letting it permeate her entire being. She never noticed how nice he smells. So inviting, so alluring. She’s so consumed by Max’s scent that she doesn’t even notice that they’re in another room. Almost immediately, she can tell where she is.

Max’s room.

She climbs onto the bed, sinking into his mattress, feeling better almost immediately. As Max goes towards the door, she speaks once more:

“Please don’t go. I don’t want to be alone.” Max peers down at her.

“You want me to stay with you?” He asks. Y/N nods, and he chuckles, grinning like the cat that got the cream. “Of course I can.” He climbs in beside her, finding her hand in the darkness and intertwining his fingers with hers. As he looks down at her, his eyes tracing over her jawline, Y/N registers her heart beating ever so slightly faster, and she finds herself suddenly struck with a desire to reach out and touch Max. To run her fingers along his chest and through his hair. To pull him closer, wrap her arms around him, and kiss him deeply.

“No. This is wrong.” A voice in her head sounds.

But yet, something about it feels so right.

“You’re so beautiful.” He whispers. “I’m so lucky to have you here with me.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Y/N awakens in Max’s bed sometime later, already feeling much more rested than she ever had before. She rolls over, expecting Max to be there, yet only finding empty space. Her heart sinks with disappointment, and she sighs. For a moment, she sinks her nose into his pillow, inhaling the scent that makes her heart feel like it’s beating a million miles a minute. She stretches out, grabbing his bed sheets, intertwining the material through her fingers. She feels better, more comfortable, even sleeping through the night without having another nightmare.

And it’s all because Max was there beside her. Maybe he’s better for her than she thought. As that thought dawns on her, she registers her heart rate beating ever so slightly faster. But this time, she realises she loves being taken care of by Max. After so long being locked away like a prisoner, this brief glimpse of freedom, of care and of love, means so much to her. Hopefully, all her mornings from now on start like this.

Before she can think too much about it however, the door opens and Max appears, the sight making her smile.

“Afternoon, sleepyhead. I have something for you.” He grins, holding out a box. When she sees the lettering on the box in his hands, Y/N gasps. The box is from her favourite bakery. She only mentioned it in passing to Max one day in class, talking about how much she loved their desserts. Max passes the box over, and she opens it, seeing two eclairs.

“Max… you remembered.” She whispers.

“Y/N, I remember everything about you. And besides, I feel awful after the nightmare you had last night. You deserve something nice.” Quickly, she grabs one, taking a huge bite. As the sugar rushes through her blood, Y/N can’t stop a smile from spreading across her cheeks, one so wide it almost takes over her entire face. After spending so long locked away with no form of happiness, being given something like this is just what she needed. And the fact that Max gave it to her, that he cared enough to get her something that he remembered makes her happy after such a horrible night… makes her heart flutter once more. “That was incredible. Thank you.” At the sight of her smile, Max grins.

“You’re welcome. By the way, you have some….” Without another word, he reaches out, brushing some chocolate off her cheek. The sensation of his thumb brushing against her skin feels like her skin is on fire.

“Oh.”she murmurs, as all the blood in her body rushes to her cheeks. As Max looks down at her, his eyes tracing over her jawline…Y/N registers her heart beating ever so slightly faster. Without another word, Max leans in, pressing a kiss to her lips. His kiss sends another shockwave through her body. Hungrily, Y/N pulls Max closer to her, deepening the kiss as he slips his tongue inside her mouth. A moan escapes Y/N’s lips and Max chuckles, his laugh reverberating through her entire body. They fall backwards, Y/N sinking into the plush sheets of Max’s bed once more as he climbs on top of her.

“You’re beautiful.” He murmurs, removing his lips from hers. As he does, Y/N’s gaze moves upwards, and soon she’s staring into his icy blue eyes once more. The same pair of eyes she fell in love with so long ago. Her heart pounds, and she gasps for air.

She’s never felt more alive.

Her hands fly out, grabbing Max’s shirt and pulling him closer to her once more.

Maybe being here won’t be so bad after all.

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