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buckystevelove · 3 years

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My Brightest Star

Pairing: Bucky x Reader

Word count: 2708

Warning: ANGST and fluff

A/N: This is my longest work. Please leave comments. Ask, submissions and requests are open.

A week, that’s how long has passed since Bucky’s world felt apart. He should have known, his whole life has been full of tragedy, one after the other. He had 7 years of happiness and peace, he will have to come to terms with the fact that maybe those years would be the only ones in his long and sad life that he would known what real and complete happiness really is.

He met you 7 years ago in a coffee shop, you accidentally tripped and spilled all your coffee in him. You apologized over and over again, Bucky couldn’t care less about the hot drink splatted all over his body, he was so enthralled over the beautiful woman standing in front of him, for years he thought that he would never get love, but you managed to prove him wrong. He claims that it was love at first sight, he simply knew that you were his soul mate.

After the incident, you bought his coffee as a symbol of forgiveness, though he really didn’t care. You exchanged names and phone numbers. Just a few hours later you received a massage from Bucky, inviting you to go for dinner the next day. Soon, one date turn to seeing each other every time you could. You felt for him, and hard. Eventually you met all of his friends, you became a great friend with Wanda and Nat. They would invite you to all the girl nights they had. You got along with Sam, always joking around and making pranks, same with Tony. You also became best friend with Steve, you had a strong relationship with him besides yours with Bucky. You too were like siblings, he always claimed that you were his little sister, and warned Bucky never harm you, or he would have to face the consequences.

Nobody was surprise nor bother when you moved to the compound with Bucky. Everyone was super exited to have you closer, that made Bucky a bit jealous.

You and Bucky were attached to the hip. One year into your relationship, he knew that he was going to marry you, you were going to be the mother of his children. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with you. You were the one, so he asked you to marry him.

It was so beautiful, he took you on a trip to the museum, your favorite place to spend the time. When you were in the sculptures room the kneeled and said; “YN, since the moment I saw you I knew that you were the one, I knew that I was going to marry you, and all you have done is prove me right. You are the love of my life, my partner, my best friend I can no longer imagine a future in which you are not in it, because YOU are my FUTURE. You have been the light at the end of the tunnel, you have brought me happiness, love I thought I no longer deserved after all the awful things I had done, you helped name realized who the real James Buchanan Barnes is, and who I want him to be. I want to be your husband because I love you so much. You are my entire world YN. So, would you marry me?”

At the end of his speech both of you had tears in your checks, you throw yourself over him and said yes over and over again, you were beaming.

6 months after that, many hours of planning and cake tasting, you and Bucky had the most beautiful fall wedding. It was perfect. Your family and the team was there, everyone was so happy for the two of you.

When the time to say the vowels came you couldn’t be more thrilled, you have been writing them for so long.

“James Buchanan Barnes, you are the love of my life. You have been the one who has taught me what love really is, what it is like to love someone with every single atom in my body. You have taught me what is like to be completely and uoughterly happy, that is how I feel when ever I am with you. James, when we met you told me that you only saw yourself as a monster, as the vilan of many people’s lives, but baby, you are my knight in shining armor, you are absolutely everything to me. You are the brightest star in my universe, the one and only. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, I want to tell you and show you how much I love you every day, I want you to feel how much I love you even after we are death. I want to keep loving you and choosing you a hundred of lives after this. Because Bucky, MY LOVE FOR YOU WILL NEVER END.”

At the end both of you were crying, among many other of your guests.

Your honeymoon was perfect. Tony paid the two of you a 3 weeks trip around Europe. Nine months later, you had your gorgeous daughter, Rebecca. She looked exactly like you, but her eyes, she had the most beautiful blue eyes just like her father. The three of you were the definition of a perfect family, you and Bucky did ocationaly fight like all healthy couples do, but your life was great. Your house was so full of love and happiness.

Bucky was so thankful to you, you had given him all he could ever dreamed for in life and more.

The three of you spent all the time you could together, you went to the park and had movie nights, went of family trips and spent lazy Sunday mornings in bed together. You wanted Becca to feel and understand what a loving home was, since you didn’t had one. You wanted her to feel the love you and Bucky had for her.

“Becca, Bucky, you two know you are the most important people in my life right. I love the two of you so so much. You are the ones that make me happy. You are my greatest treasures.” You said to your husband and 5 year old daughter one afternoon, while cuddling in the couch together.

“I love you too mommy, you too daddy. You are the best parents in the world, thank you.” She said kissing yours and Bucky’s face, making you giggle.

“You dolls are my everything. I love you.” He said before attacking the two of you with tickles, and whispering to your ear. “Thanks doll, for all this.”

The day had started like any other Tuesday would, you woke up after your alarm. Waking up Bucky with kisses and loving touches, after he woke up he heads to shower while you got Becca ready. Once the two of them were dressed, Bucky went to the kitchen to make breakfast wihle you got ready. The three of you ate together, you heard how Becca´s best friend was going to have a party next Saturday and you needed to buy her a present. You decided to go to the mall with her after classes and maybe have a girl’s day and do you nails. That made her smile so bright, which was what you loved the most about your life, that it was full of happiness.

After eating, you said goodbye to Bucky and Rebecca, he was going to take her to school and then go to the Avengers compound to train some new recruits, while you went to your office.

Bucky’s day went normal, as any other day would go, he did some training and hanged out with Sam and Steve. When 4pm came around the received a call from Becca´s school, her teacher told him that she was still there. You never came pick her up, he didn´t know why you were late. You always told him if your meeting was going to be longer so someone would pick your daughter from school.

“Sorry man.” He told Steve at the middle of the meeting. “Apparently YN never went to pick Rebecca from school she is there by herself, I really need to go. I also need to see what happened to YN. She is not picking up her phone.” Bucky said standing up from his chair.

“Sure pal, everything good with her?” Steve said a bit worry, he didn´t want his best friend to be in panic.

“I hope so.” He said walking to the door, but before he could reach it his phone rang again.

Steve just stood there, and watched how the color of his best friends face went completely white, then Bucky’s knees failed and he felt to the floor. Tears running down his cheeks, his face was shaking. He was wordless. Sentences couldn´t form in his mouth. Steve was next to him in second, he took the phone from his hand.

That when he heard him scream, he screamed as if he was dying, painful and horrible screams.

“Excuse me.” Steve said through the phone. “This is Steve Rogers. What happened?” He asked, though he already had an idea of what had happened.

“I am so sorry Sir, but I regret to inform you that Mrs. Barnes had a car accident today. She arrived to the New York Presbyterian Hospital at 2:36pm, she immediately went to surgery. She didn´t make it, she was called at 3:49pm. I am so sorry, but we need her husband to come.”

Steve hanged up the phone, he had tears in his eyes, he was about to cry. He had lost his best friend, but he needed to be strong for the man that was like a brother to him, to his nice.

Bucky was in the floor, sobbing and screaming. He went and called for Nat. She enter and saw the state in which Bucky was, then she saw the tears in Steve´s eyes.

“What happened?” She asked in panic.

“I… he…N-Nat” he mumbled between sobs. “Can you please look for Rebecca at school? Please.”

Nat realized, she immediately shook her head in disbelieve, “no, no, no,”

“Nat, please. Someone needs to be with her.” Steve managed to say. She wiped her tears and left the room.

Steve was in the floor hugging his best friend while he cried his eyes out, he was no longer screaming.

“I am sorry buddy, I am so sorry.” He said to his friend. “I know how you feel, just let it all out. But later you need to be strong for your daughter. She just lost her mother, she will need her dad. She needs you to be there for her, but now. I am here for you.”

“Not her, please not her. She is perfect Steve, I can’t, I love her, we can’t lose her.” He sobbed and screamed. “We were supposed to spend the rest of our lives together, the two of us.”

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When he calmed down, they went to the hospital. A drunk driver had crashed against your car in a traffic light. He died immediately.

Becca slept in Nat´s room. Bucky slept in his old room in the compound, he couldn’t go to your home. Too many memories. He couldn’t face his daughter, he would broke in front of her, he needed to be strong. He cried himself to sleep that day.

He next day was awful, he needed to explain to her 5 year old baby, that her mother would never hug her again. He couldn’t even began to comprehend that.

“Becca, baby. I need to talk to you.” He said the next morning the compounds living room, all the other Avengers were in the hospital helping Bucky prepare every detail for the funeral, Steve was the only one there, next to Bucky and Becca. In case either of them needed him.

“Daddy, why did we slept here?” She asked frowning her eyebrows, just like her dad. “Where is mommy? We were supposed to have a girl´s day yesterday.”

That made Bucky tear a few tears which he rapidly cleaned.

“Babydoll, its because…” Bucky mad a pause and looked through the windows. “Mommy had an accident, and she will never come again.”

Becca made a confused face.

“Why? Can´t you just put her a bad-aid like you do to me when I have accident?” She asked in all her innocence, which made Bucky’s strength fall. He quickly enveloped her in his arms.

“That is the thing baby, she had a big accident, she is gone.” He started to sob again, so did Steve.

Becca began to stroke her father’s hair. “We will see her daddy, someday, but I am really going to miss her.” She started to cry and hug her dad.

“I want my mommy, dad.”

“So do I honey.”

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The funeral was beautiful, full with YN´s family and friends. They all told beautiful stories and tried to remember the amazing person YN was. Bucky couldn’t talk, he had so many things to say, none of them were for this people to hear, they were for his love.

A week had passed since you awful dead, Bucky stayed at the compound, he couldn’t go home, he also needed help with Becca. He could barely managed to take care of himself.

He was in his bed, looking at the celling, numb. He know the needed to stand up and shower, he needed to get up and care of his baby, but she was the carbon copy of you. It was like looking at you, it hurt, it really hurt. Lying there he heard some knocking at his door. Then Steve came..

“Hey pal, the lawyer came today, he left the will and this letter. She wrote it you when you guys had Rebecca.”

“Thanks, just leave it there.” He said gesturing to his night stand.

When Steve left he got up and grabbed the letter, it had his name in your beautiful calligraphy.

Bucky,

My love, I hope that you never have to open this letter, but if you do, I want you to know that you made me the happiest woman alive. In all the galaxies we know that exist, in all the universe that may. I was the happiest, all thanks to you. You teached me what the meaning for being alive really meant, you showed me so many incredible and beautiful things, and you gave me our most amazing gift, our daughter Rebecca, she is the tangible evidence of our love.

If the time in which you have to open this letter comes, know that you did everything you could. Under any circumstances think that this was your fault, it wasn´t.

I love you so much Bucky, you have really no idea, and I know you loved me just as much, that is why I am asking you one last favor.

Please don´t close yourself, don´t let yourself return to the man you were before be met, not that he was any less amazing, but he was lonely. I want you to continue living your life to the fullest. I know I can´t ask you to not miss me or forget me, I don’t want that. I want you to remember my memory and cherish it. I want you to show all then wonders of the world to sweet Becca. Please never let her forget that she was the most important person in my life besides you.

I want the two of you to continue to love, and let yourselves be love. I love you with all my heart, and every single atom in my body.

Don’t forget me my brightest star, YN.

After reading that Bucky cleaned his cheeks.

“I will always love you.” He kissed the letter and placed it in his nightstand. He got up and went to find his daughter.

“I love you baby, and so did you mother. You are our greatest creations.” He no longer had you here, so he was going to spend all his breathing moments showing her how much he loved her, he was the only part left in this world of YN, and she was that greatest gift she could have left him.

He would continue to love you long after you are gone. For ever, til the end of times.

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A/N: I cried so hard writing this. I am so sorry, but I hope you like it. I really appreciate feedback.

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thestarrynightslover · 3 years

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It’s Hard Sometimes

Pairing: Jay Halstead x Reader

Word count: 2,975

Warnings: Yelling, arguing (gets a little physical, really just a little bit!), high risk-pregnancy, slight mentions of fertility issues, mentions of anxiety and overthinking, and a lot of angst.

Summary: Jay and the reader are married, but start having a hard time after they found out that (y/n) is pregnant.

Disclaimer: I don’t own any of the One Chicago shows, or its characters, also not associated with it in any way or know anyone involved with it.

A/N: I made this piece of almost pure angst mostly because I feel like Jay is such a well-built character, who gives us a lot of space to talk about mental health and anxiety (even though I don’t think I developed it very well, lol), so I wanted to use this space to try and add to the conversation with him. Anyways, I hope it doesn’t suck too bad and, please, feel free to give me feedback, cause I’m also here to learn!!

(y/n) = (your name) (y/l/n) = (your last name) (y/n/n) = (your nickname)

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Your Saturday morning just couldn’t get any worse.

Or, at least, that’s what you thought after having been mugged at the subway and then asked to go pick up your stuff at the 21st District, where your husband works. You had to go in because they had apprehended your bag as stolen property. But you were hoping that, maybe, you’d be able to sort it all out without Jay seeing you.

“(y/n), hi! Here to see Chuckles? Cause they’re all out working on a case now.” Trudy said with a small smile on her lips, while you just prayed she wouldn’t notice how relieved you were to hear that.

“No, uh, I’m actually here because there was an incident at the subway and the responding officers told me I had to come in to get my bag back. Also, sign something, I think…” You answered shrugging your shoulders to make it seem like nothing. But, of course, Trudy knew better, she always does.

“Oh my God! I heard about that, just didn’t know you were one of the victims! Are you okay? García, go get (y/n) a glass of water!!!” She quickly shouted at the young officer, not waiting long to turn back to face you with a concerned glare: “Can I get you anything else?”

“Oh, no, Trudy! You don’t need to worry about me! It wasn’t a big deal!” You said, also noticing that she was already going through some evidence bags, looking for the one that contained your things. “But there is one thing that I’d appreciate from you…” Hearing that, she didn’t even let you finish:

“Yes, of course! Anything, just name it!” At that, you shot her your brightest smile. Maybe Jay was right and the tough Sergeant Trudy Platt did have a soft spot for you.

“Well, it’s just that… You know how Jay can get, so maybe you could not mention any of this to him? I just don’t want him worrying, the way I know he will, over something like this…” You would’ve continued but Trudy had the weirdest look on her face and, then, you got it. “He’s standing right behind me, isn’t he?” She didn’t bother to answer as your husband turned you to face him and the other members of the Intelligence Unit.

“So, what is it you don’t want me to worry about, huh?” He had a playful smirk on his lips, but his eyes showed you he was already worried. And now you had no other option but to tell him what happened.

“Well, um, there was a little confusion at the subway today and the officers said I had to come in…” You would gladly stop at that, but you knew that Jay wasn’t gonna let it go until you told him everything, so you just went on: “To retrieve what I, um, lost.” God, you couldn’t even look in his eyes right now.

“What you lost? What kind of confusion are you talking about exactly, babe?” In spite of the pet name, his voice was already showing off a bit of irritation.

“It was a, um, robbery,” at that his eyes almost jumped out of their orbits, so you quickly added, “but it wasn’t a big deal! Nobody got hurt! The officers tackled the guy pretty fast, as soon as he stepped out on the station! And everything is here,” you said raising the bag Trudy handed you a few minutes earlier, “so, really, there’s nothing to worry about!” You told him, not being able to conceal the exasperation in your voice.

“Nothing to worry about? You just got mugged, (y/n)! We heard a call about that over the radio, it was an armed robbery! Or did you happen to miss the gun on your face when he was getting your bag, huh?” He asked and, even though you knew that the only reason why he was lashing out like that was the concern, the way he said what he said made you feel really small and brought tears to your eyes. “Actually, what I’d like to know, to begin with, is why were you even riding the subway alone, after our talk from the other day, huh?” You could feel the eyes from every person in that District on you and, as much as you knew where Jay was coming from, it was starting to really bother you.

“I was just going to the library. Sorry I didn’t think I needed an escort to do that!” You wish you wouldn’t have said it with those exact words, but you were reaching your limit.

“But we talked about it!” He snapped and you jumped back a little. Then he added, more calmly: “You should have called me.” He was pinching the bridge of his nose, like he always did when he was disappointed and upset about something, and you just felt yourself getting smaller and smaller, as the tears started falling. As if all of it hadn’t been enough, he asked: “Are you okay, though? Because, you know, given our circumstances, you’re to avoid going out on your own to prevent this kinda stress from hitting you, babe.” He explained that to you like he was talking to a child. Like he was the only one who heard what the doctor said. And that was it for you. As much as you loved the man, you just didn't have infinite patience towards his overprotective dad-to-be mode.

“Oh, really? Why don’t you just go ahead and say ‘I told you so’, huh? Because I can tell you’re dying to do it!” God damn those pregnancy hormones because you were fuming with anger and the tears just kept going down at full force.

“Babe, that’s not what I-”

“The hell it isn’t!” Part of you really wanted to let it all out. All the hurtful words that were just waiting for a go-ahead at the tip of your tongue. But the other part of you, the rational one, knew that wasn’t gonna do any good for you or Jay. Or your baby. So you decided you’d leave instead. “You know what? It’s probably best if I go home now!”

“Okay, then, I’ll drive you.” You heard Jay saying, with a deep sigh, but you couldn’t even begin to think about an entire drive home with him at that moment.

“No way! I can do that by myself! And don’t worry I’ll get a cab this time!” As you headed towards the exit, you felt a strong grip on your wrist. You turned around and it was Jay. He’d never done that before. “Jay, you’re hurting me!” You breathed out, trying not to be too nervous. When your eyes met his, he let your arm go quickly, looking absolutely stunned by his own behavior.

You knew that the healthiest thing to do right then would be to try and talk to him about it, but you couldn’t. At that point you needed the space more than ever, so you took the opportunity to just leave the District and go home.

After you stormed out crying, every cop in that building laid their eyes on Jay. To say they were completely shocked by the previous scene was an understatement. Almost everyone there knew you and Jay and how you two were great together. But, more importantly, they knew Jay Halstead wasn’t that kinda guy ⎯ or at least they thought so ⎯ and now they were all wondering.

Still, Trudy Platt, who wasn’t about to have any more of that drama at her District, ordered loudly for everyone to get back to their tasks, while shooting Jay a worried look, because, as much as she knew for a fact that he wasn’t that kinda guy, she cared a lot about you and had, obviously, witnessed the whole thing.

After the little gathering of cops had been dissolved, it was Voight’s turn to speak up: “Alright, Intelligence, let’s get back upstairs, we still have a lot of work to do on this case. And, Jay, you should go home now.” He said with a stern look, despite his concern for the detective.

“But, sarge, I-” Jay started to protest, like Hank knew he would.

“I don’t wanna hear it, Halstead. I know your head is not gonna be on the case until you fix whatever that was, so, now, the best thing you can do is just calm down and go home.” This time Jay knew there was no point in arguing, so he accepted the defeat and went upstairs to get changed in the locker room before leaving.

As he got there, he saw his reflection in the mirror and that was when it hit him. All of it. From your incident to your tears, to his aggressiveness. He really messed up. He let his fears get the best of him and he hurt you, he made you cry, fear him, even. So he started crying himself, like a little child whose favorite toy had just broken, like there was no tomorrow. By the time Voight went there to check up on Jay, maybe give him some advice, that’s what he saw: a grown man sitting on the floor crying his eyes out. So he did the one thing he could think about doing, to try and make that man he considered like a son feel better: he sat there by Jay’s side and put a hand over the detective’s shoulder until the crying sufficed.

“So, you and (y/n) been on the odds lately?” Hank asked after a while.

“No, uh, not really.” Jay started whilst sniffling. “It’s just that this week we got some news that messed with our emotions a little, but, Hank, I swear I have no idea why I did that! I would never do anything to hurt her, you gotta believe me! Please?” He pleaded, in desperation, for someone who knew it, who knew him.

“Jay, Jay!” By then the sergeant had to shout to get the frantic young man’s attention back. “Jay, I know you wouldn’t hurt her, you hear me? I know. I know you love her more than you love yourself, hell, everyone here knows it! They were just… A little surprised to see you two arguing, that’s all.” Hank tried to make it sound a lot less bad than it actually was, and Jay appreciated that. “Now, why don’t you tell me what’s really going on between you and (y/n), huh? Maybe I can help you somehow… Or maybe you just need to vent.” Hearing that, Jay decided that he should take Voight’s suggestion and just talk about it already.

“Well, here’s the thing, sarge, (y/n/n) and I, we’ve been trying to get pregnant for a while now. And, um, we were having a bit of a hard time with it. But then last weekend we found out that it worked, she got pregnant, and we were so happy about it!” He almost smiled at the memory. “But then we went to the doctor to check it and all that, and found out that it’s a high-risk pregnancy, meaning she’s gotta take it real easy from now on, otherwise the baby’s life and her own would be in danger! And I’m terrified ever since we left that hospital! Because the simplest thing could take her away from me! My everything, sarge, she is my entire world and I can’t live without her.” He said shaking his head in a way that made even Hank Voight feel a bit of sadness. “So when she said she’d been robbed at gunpoint… I just lost it, you know? What if I’d lost them?”

“Ah, Jay…” Hank knew exactly what the detective was scared of, after all, he had already lost a wife and a son. “Look, I know this can be hard, trust me. Camille and I had our issues before Justin came, as well… But you said it yourself, you’re both happy, aren’t you?” Jay didn’t even need to think before answering that question.

“Yes, of course, sarge! But-”

“No buts! Look, Jay, I know what a big heart you have and I know how much you care, how- how intensely you care, I know, okay? But sometimes, with things like this, you just gotta keep going and hope- just hope that everything is gonna work out. So here’s what you’re gonna do: go home, make up with your wife and start planning a nursery, or whatever else you, parents-to-be, have on your to-do lists these days.” At that, Jay chuckled a little, feeling grateful to have this second father to set him on straight.

“I know you’re right, and I really appreciate you saying this to me… I’m pretty sure that (y/n/n) said something among those lines after we got back from the doctor’s appointment too. The problem is that sometimes it seems like I can’t control my own thoughts. Then, next thing I know, I’m freaking out…” Hank thought that he sounded so frustrated saying that… He really felt for the kid.

“Listen, Jay, you- you just try, okay? You just try your best. And talk to (y/n/n) about it, just let her know what’s going on in there.” He pointed to Jay’s head, as they had already stood up.

“Alright, I will try. Thank you, sarge. Thank you so much, I really needed this.” They half-hugged and the detective went home to you.

The thing he wasn’t prepared for, at all, was finding you: the woman he loved more than anything and anyone in the entire world, sitting on the floor, leaning your back against the bed in the bedroom you two shared, crying and shaking. You were scared of him. That broke him in a way he never thought possible. He wanted to hurt himself, as punishment for hurting you, but he knew it wouldn’t be fair to you. So he gathered some courage to speak through his shame instead. “B- babe?”

You shivered, but you didn’t wanna be afraid of him. That was Jay. Your Jay. The man you loved. The man who loved you. You knew he would never hurt you or your baby. But your body didn’t seem to be listening to your brain. Still, you wanted to say something. But you couldn’t. You wouldn’t know what to say, so you just stayed silent, trying to stop the sobs. He decided to make a move: He sat down on the floor like you, but still giving you some space. “I’m sorry,” he said softly, almost whispering, “I’m so, so, so sorry. You don’t need to say anything, or to forgive me, or do anything, really. I came here willing to talk to you. To do anything to get you back. But now I see just how much I hurt you, so I’ll give you all the space and time you want.” You still couldn’t seem to find your words. It was that same man, you knew it. Why couldn’t you just tell him that? “I’ll sleep in the spare bedroom, or even go to Will’s if it makes you more comfortable?” Just by the sound of his voice, you could tell he meant it. And that was your Jay.

“No,” you spoke so lowly, that you weren’t even sure he’d heard it, “I want you to stay.” And you really did. But you needed to understand, in order to be able to forgive him. “Just- just tell me what happened there? Why?” You tried, a little louder this time.

“Long story short? I was scared to death.” He said with a long and heavy sigh, looking so much older than he’d ever done before; at the same time, you could see the bags under his eyes, from all those sleepless nights he’d been having lately.

“Scared? Because of the robbery? Baby, you’re a cop! You’ve heard of that kind of thing a million times before, and you know it’s not that big of a deal!" You tried to reason with him, even though you were afraid too, at the time.

“I know!” He said, in a tone that made you flinch a little and, then, more calmly: “Look, I know. And I know that you’ve been through tougher stuff. And that you can handle yourself. But that whole thing could’ve gone badly for you, for the baby, for us, in a thousand different ways. Besides, it’s not just that. Ever since we left that exam room, on Monday, I’ve been scared, worried. Because, according to the doctor, the tiniest problem could get you on edge. Because of the tiniest problem, I could lose you. I could lose everything, babe!” You could only stare at him in shock, after hearing that. Of course, you understood his concerns, but you had been so absorbed in your own fears, that you never thought about how much the whole situation was affecting him. Your formerly brave soldier, now tough detective, was also a very anxious man ⎯ who always overthought every single detail of everything when it came to you ⎯ and was, now, crying his eyes out, sobbing like a little kid by your side. So you did the one thing you thought could make him feel better: you pulled him closer to you, letting him break, into your chest, as he listened to your soothing heartbeat.

“It’s alright, my love, it’s alright. Shhh, I’m right here and I’m safe. We both are. You don’t need to be afraid, because we’re not going anywhere, baby.” You promised him with tears already pricking through your eyes, as well.

And, like that, you two stayed, crying in each other’s arms, just holding each other. With a renewed hope that everything was gonna be okay.

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cairparavei · 3 years

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when love comes | ivar (vikings)

requested by @kingleshe

pairing: ivar x f!reader

wc: 2.7k

warnings: language, the lothbroks being assholes (kinda, all of them except for ubbe)

You had known them since middle school.

The four brothers had always been a mystery to you, until you dumped into Ubbe, the oldest, accidentally.

You used to have a normal friendship; nothing too remarkable, until their parents passed, and you found yourself in the middle of the four brothers, letting them take their rage and sadness on you, making yourself worth of their trust.

Which was a good thing, because everyone knew that messing with a Lothbrok could only mean trouble.

It all went better ever since. They used to be the popular kids in high school, and almost every guy was scared of them.

In fact, they made your prom date leave you hanging just because they didn’t like his necktie, or so the guy said, and you had no choice but to go with Hvitserk.

Not that you were complaining; Hvitserk had grown into a very nice looking man, but you really liked this date you managed to get for yourself, so you were disappointed when you heard your parents’ house bell ring and saw the brothers waiting for you outside, instead of him.

Time passed and you were still as close as ever, and not a day comes by that you’re not thankful to Ubbe for being clumsy as hell that day, and the next one, and then the next until he introduced you to the rest of his brothers.

To sum up, you claimed Ubbe as your big brother, since he was always overprotective because you apparently are the little sister he always wished to have, and not a bunch of horny teenagers to take care of every time they went to a party and drank more than what their bodies could handle.

On the other side, you were like the chamber of secrets for the two middle brothers, Hvitserk and Sigurd. They told you everything from the first time they failed an exam to the most detailed description on how they lost their virginities, and they knew very well you wouldn’t say a word about it, for they also knew your biggest secret; you’ve been in love with Ivar since the day you met him.

They constantly teased you about it, claiming he felt the same towards you and that you were going to have to tell him sooner or later, but you kept knocking this issue off until it was completely necessary.

In fact, Hvitserk and Sigurd had told Ivar for you, but both of them were so drunk none of them remember, and, how did you know about this?

Ubbe heard them.

It happened when he picked them up from a party a couple of weeks ago actually. Both were sitting in the back of Ubbe’s car, and he noticed that they were whisper-arguing, until Sigurd raised his voice and told Ivar he was being blind for not noticing how you had eyes for nobody but him.

Of course, Ivar was oblivious.

As soon as Ubbe arrived home with them, he left Ivar in the car, half asleep, and accompanied Sigurd to your shared flat. First thing he did was glare at you for not telling him before, for he could have helped you.

“Someone had better be dying if you’re calling me this late.”; Ivar threatened over the phone.

“Ivar, I’m bored, and I can’t sleep”, you pouted over the phone. “Come over, please?”

“Listen, Y/N, it’s almost 4 a.m., and you share a flat with Sigurd, why can’t you just wake him up instead of me? I have classes tomorrow if you didn’t know”

“Okay, first of all, he’s not here. Second, I have classes as well, and lastly” you remarked. “I want to see you. You’ve been avoiding me for days, what the hell is wrong with you? Am I not your best friend? We don’t ignore best friends in this household, Ivar Lothbrok”

You heard Ivar sigh on the other side of the call, and after a while he finally agreed to visit you.

You hung up happily and started to make yourself look presentable.

You really had missed Ivar lately. One day the Lothbroks throw a party, then the next it seems like you barely exist to one of them.

It’s not like you had done anything bad, or that you thought, so you found no reason for Ivar to behave like this.

A few minutes later you heard the door open. All of Sigurd’s brothers had a spare key, just in case something happened; which usually meant they were too wasted to go to their own homes so they crashed at your place.

You peeked outside from the kitchen to see Ivar taking of his shoes and coat.

He hadn’t noticed you yet, so you took the opportunity to observe him – he had his hair in a small bun, his glasses on, and was wearing a hoodie and sweatpants. Straight out of bed, you thought.

He made his way to the kitchen and took one of the cups you were holding.

“What’s going on, Y/N?”, he asked out of nowhere.

“What, can I not invite my best friend over without a reason?”

“Not if you call at 4 a.m. and make hot chocolate. It’s more than clear you want to talk about something”

You shivered and looked over him, making his way to the living room and taking a seat in the sofa.

You knew each other like the back of your hands, but were you really that obvious?

“I told you, I couldn’t sleep”, you said sitting on the other side of the couch.

“Why, are you afraid of the dark, sweetheart?”, he smiled.

“Shut up, asshole”, you said, laughing.

The Lothbroks used to tease you often, but especially when you moved in with Sigurd and had to spend your first night in your new place all alone and pretty scared, because he had decided it was a good idea to attend some random girl’s party because “he was in desperate need of human warmth”. So when it became way too terrifying for you to tolerate it, you called over Ivar to spend the night with you.

“Now, tell me what’s wrong. You don’t call someone at this hour for nothing. I don’t believe it’s just because you ‘can’t sleep’”.

You sighed. You really couldn’t let a small lie go past him.

“You’re being weird with me these days. For no reason. I don’t think I’ve done anything wrong to you or anyone for you to be distant as fuck”, you told him, putting your cup on the small table in front of you. You sat back, facing him and crossing your arms over your chest.

“I’m not being weird, you’re overreacting”, he said, and you furrowed your brows.

What in the actual fuck?

“I am not.”, you remarked, “Just like it’s obvious of me to make hot chocolate when something doesn’t feel right, it is for you too when you haven’t been the same towards me these days.”

He licked his lips and looked down at his cup of chocolate. He smiled to himself, noticing you had given him your Toothless cup, just as you used your Light Fury one.

It was kind of funny to him, because you always screamed that you would only share you ‘How to train your dragon’ stuff with who you would consider to be the love of your life.

“You just don’t want to believe it, Ivar. But you know very well that she’s always looked at you with the brightest eyes.” Sigurd said drunkenly; “Or are you really that much of an idiot? I mean, you’re not the brightest of guys, but I thought of you as an intelligent person, baby brother”

“Shut your fucking mouth, Sig, you don’t know what you’re saying.”, Ivar answered.

“I won’t shut up until you notice”, Sigurd hiccupped, “Or at least until you admit you feel the same for her”.

Ivar frowned. They knew. But how? He knew his brothers, and they would only mess this all up if he had told them.

Being the youngest, he had seen his brothers have their hearts broken, especially Ubbe’s.

Breaking up with his long-time girlfriend, and childhood friend as well, meant for them to lose contact with her completely, and that scared Ivar.

Like, really. He was scared to the point that, if confessing meant losing you, he would rather dig his own grave and let some wild dogs rip his arms and legs out until he no longer breathed.

Yes, that much you meant to him. Not only Ivar, but to his brothers as well.

You were like the glue that stick them together, for he knows they wouldn’t be talking to each other anymore if it wasn’t because you were there to help them solve their problems.

Like that one time he and Sigurd had the biggest argument and you literally took him by his ear, forced him to eat his own ego, and apologise to Sigurd for ruining his possible ‘potential long-termed relationship’ by telling the girl he had a fart kink.

“Ivar!”, you snapped him out of his daydreaming, sighing “I’m fucking talking to a brick”

“I’m sorry”, he said, “I was thinking. There’s a lot on my mind right now, I’m really sorry, Y/N”.

“Then let it all out, Ivar, you know that’s what I’m here for”, you smiled softly, taking his hands in yours.

You really had no idea what you did to him.

You cleared his mind whenever you talked to him, and gave him goosebumps whenever you held his hands or snuggled up to him every time you slept over at their place and they chose to watch a horror film

What both of you weren’t aware of is that both Ubbe and Hvitserk did it on purpose, since they were able to see how much you liked to be close to him, feeling his warmth when he put his arms around you and told you repeatedly how he would protect you if anything happened to you, as well as how much he enjoyed being able to be the one to calm you on stressing situations.

Suddenly your phone, which was on the table as well, lit up. You both looked over as a knee-jerk action, and he noticed you had a picture of him as your wallpaper.

“You have some explaining to do as well, miss”, he said, smiling, “I don’t remember giving you permission to use me as your wallpaper”

“Ah, shut up, you know very well I don’t need it”, you laughed, “You’ll have your explanation, but you go first”

“I really have no choice, right?”, he smiled softly while you shook your head no.

He shifted in his seat, facing you as well, and took your other hand in his. You heard him take the biggest breath of air while looking down at your intertwined hands, and you were able to see fear in his eyes when he looked back at you.

“I’m scared, Y/N”, he started, “I’m scared of doing something that could make you run away from me”

You stared at him, your breath stuck in your throat.

“I could never leave you, Ivar, none of you. Tell me what’s wrong, please”, you said, tightening your hold in his hands, trying to reassure him you weren’t leaving.

He took both of your hands and lead them towards his mouth, kissing them softly before supporting his forehead on them.

“Just tell me, Ivar, don’t overthink it. I’m sure whatever it is, we can make it work, nothing bad will happen if you and I stick together, remember?

You felt him smile in your hands. He straightened his back and snuggled you close to him until you were sitting in his lap facing him. He then hugged you tightly, pulling you as close as he could. You felt him shaking a bit.

“It’s okay, Ivar, we don’t have to talk about it now, I’m sorry if you feel pressured”, you told him.

“I just can’t find the right words”, he sighed. “I didn’t think I would ever have to tell you all this shit I’m feeling, I’m so sorry”.

“Don’t be, and don’t say those things about yourself”, you hugged him tightly, “You’re the most amazing person I know, Ivar. You have your tantrums, yes, but who doesn’t?”

You took his face into your hands, and looked him in the eyes.

“I love you, Ivar. You know damn well I love the four of you with all my heart, but out of all of them, you’re the most intelligent, talented, and handsome. You hear me?”, you asked, and he nodded, “And it doesn’t matter how bad whatever that’s going on inside that stubborn head of yours, I’m not going anywhere, okay? It’s fine if you don’t want to tell me yet, I understand, and it’s completely fine”

You were about to keep talking, but, as you were about to do so, he put one of his hands over your mouth while his other one kept you still and close to him by circling around your waist.

“I don’t deserve you. None of us do, actually, but I couldn’t care less about them now”, he started, “I... Remember that time when we went on a picnic that turned into a photo session and then in a cinema date, months ago? That day made me realize I was starting to catch feelings for you. I thought it was just the heat of the moment, but once they came, those feelings never left. I found myself thinking even more about you, and all I knew was that I didn’t see you as a friend anymore”

You frowned, scared of what he could say.

He took off his glassed and put them on the table and rubbed his eyes before looking back at you with the most sparkly eyes you had ever seen.

“Don’t think of this as a bad situation. I don’t want you to be uncomfortable around me, and I know how awkward you get whenever a guy tells you he likes you, or how you don’t even speak to boys after you go out on a date with them. That’s why I didn’t tell you all this before. I don’t want you to feel strange around me. God, I should have kissed you when I dropped you off at your parents’ house that night. You looked so pretty back then”

He was caressing your face now. You were trying to get all those words he had said into your head. You were trying to believe this was really happening and was not some made-up scenario happening in your head while you were trying to sleep.

“You mean so much to me, Y/N”, he continued, “I don’t even know what I would do if you weren’t around anymore. I don’t want you to leave my side, I feel like I need to know what is like to kiss you whenever I want, to make love to you until we can no longer breath. It may sound childish, or stupid, but I need to know what is like to be loved by you”

You felt like your heart was going to get out of your chest from how hard it was beating.

Ivar, your Ivar, the one you’ve loved for so many years, was here confessing to you.

You couldn’t find the words to tell him you felt the same, and that you were never in your life going to leave him, so you did what your mind, body and heart told you to.

You kissed him. And he kissed you back with such passion you thought you were going to run out of air. You were holding his face firmly while he snaked his arms around your waist again, pulling you as close as possible without breaking apart from the kiss.

You both knew what this kiss meant. You both knew that, after this night, nothing would ever be the same between you; at last, it was going to get the best it could. You both were telling the other one that you loved them deeply. You both were giving your hearts and souls to each other.

You leaned back until your forehead touched his, and whispered a soft “I’m in love with you”.

“I’m so in love with you too, Y/N, you have no idea”, he whispered back.

#ivar the boneless #ivar ragnarsson #ivar x reader #ivar the king #ivar fanfic #ivar scenario #ivar imagine #vikings #vikings au #vikings imagine #vikings scenario #modern!vikings #modern au

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peeterparkr · 4 years

Text

perfidy;tom holland|17

chapter 17: the actors

enemies to lovers au/enemies with benefits

chapter summary: tom and y/n want to rule the world alone

pairing: tom holland x y/n

warnings: angsty, fluff, Tom gets drunk, didn’t proof read

word count: 8.6k whoooops

here’s a playlist

and here’s another one

and here’s another one inspired by 1D

social media before you read (IMPORTANT FOR THE CHAPTER) :

tweets, texts and instagram: with Tom and y/n on their date and giving no updates to their friends

previous chapter next chapter series masterlist wanna be tagged?

Hi, it came early again! This is angsty because well it was coming but because Taylor released Folklore, go stream it!!! and i’m sad because of 1D so :)

A rain was falling down in a clear sky.

Timothée. A perfect name. Perfect eyes, perfect nose, perfect lips. Perfect guy. Everybody said it. Everybody saw it. A melodic laugh that would be heard all across the room, bright eyes that were only meant to look at y/n. The curls falling down on his forehead and the bright beam everytime she looked at him. The gentle whispers, secret kisses. The way they finished each other’s sentences and the way they sometimes had coordinated outfits without them even trying. The way he was in her kind of scene, and the way he always managed to picture her in her brightest glory, the way he pictured her being her. Because she was herself whenever she was around him. Never faking, always laughing. The way she’d be calm, and not doubting, not fearing. The way he fit her description of her perfect guy. As if they’d made him out of her dreams, sculpting it. A Greek sculpture, but hey, they guy only spoke in Greek tragedies.

Tom was very well aware that the damned guy was everything y/n could’ve asked for. From the first moment he’d met him, Tom knew that y/n would completely fall in love with him. Y/N would end up with him. And he’d seen her fall in love with him, as Tim would watch her as she danced around the room, spinning that strawberry--or were they cherries?-- dress she loved to wear. He’d seen her sing around him, because she trusted him. Tom saw Y/N find her happy place. Fucking Timothée.

And he hated it was with Tim. Because he knew that Tim had been the one to be there when he broke her heart. When it should’ve been Harry. Even all of this crafted shit, Tom had fucked it up, because Harry had also distanced himself from y/n.

And all because he had fucked up. If that night he had had the guts to accept it.

He wondered whether Harry would’ve been heartbroken or not. Correction, he wondered how heartbroken his brother would have been. And he remembered how for the first time, after that, Harry had ignored him. So angry at him.

But nobody knew what Tom had gone through. How many times had he stopped himself from going to her and try to say he hadn’t meant it, to try and kiss her, mend her heart. When his own heart broken. And he had been lonely too, and he also hadn’t gone out. He didn’t have the energy, he only stared at the ceiling, asked questions that had no answers.

And they hadn’t spoken after that, not even after y/n was slowly coming back into his life. He had gone filming, and sometimes he’d shed a tear but no one would know it.

And then one day, y/n was talking to Harry again, and he heard her voice over the phone, and his heart had stopped. And he wanted to say he was sorry, and he wondered if she knew that he was also destroyed.

And then, a party, James’ birthday, maybe. He couldn’t remember. And he had seen her, and she had avoided his gaze and he only wanted to scream everything he’d ever felt. But he had kept it to himself.

And then, he saw him, Tim. A new friend of y/n’s Harry said. And Tom saw the way Tim looked at her, and the way he had made her smile. A smile Tom hadn’t seen in months. All because he had fucked up, Tim had taken away his chance.

Did y/n see Tom? Did y/n see that Tom was also anxious and breaking? Did y/n ever listen to what he wanted to say?

Y/N had approached James, and then was speaking with whoever had crossed her path. And Tom knew it was wrong, and he wondered if she had thought about calling him, too. If they had stared at the phone at the same time. If she ever wanted him to go to her door.

Timothee had approached Harry and him. Tom stared at him, up and down.

“So, I don’t know you,” Tom chuckled. “Hi, I’m Tom.”

“Oh, I finally meet you, Tom, I’m Timothée.”

And it sounded like one of the silly names y/n would come up for in her stories. A bloody main character.

“Are you… y/n’s….?” Tom asked.

Harry chuckled. “They’re just friends.”

Timmy had smiled. “Yeah, for now.”

Tom had hidden his frown and faked a laugh. “Oh, so you do want to date her?”

Harry had pursed his lips and then watched Tim.

Timothée had cleared his throat. “Yeah, she’s... “ And he had looked back at her, y/n had given Tim a faintly embarrassed smile, she had blushed. “she’s just like a song, or a movie, she’s splendid. She is a main character, isn't she?”

“I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean,” Tom had said.

“Look at her, she just stands out in a crowd, and I swear I can hear her voice across the room and it’s music to my ears,” Tim explained. “There’s so much mystery to her, I—.”

Tom had to agree, and she was wearing that golden dress that made her perfectly different from everyone in the room. Bright as she could be, red lips and hair flowing.Y/N then looked back at them, and then she finally crossed eyes with Tom, her smile had faded away, and she had quickly looked away.

“You’ll finally ask her out, then?” Harry chuckled. “It’s been taking you long enough.”

Tim grinned. “Yeah, I just want her to be ready,” he explained. “She… Did she recently go through a breakup or-?”

Tom had felt a stab across his chest, no, not a breakup, a heartbreak possibly.

“No,” Harry shook his head. “But y/n is very complicated.”

“Very,” Tom added. “Too complicated, you don’t want to get there. She’s too crazy.”

Tim chuckled. “And she mentioned you were her biggest enemy.”

Harry laughed. “Yeah, he is so don’t listen to him.”

Of course, from what he had initially seen, he thought Timmy didn’t have a chance. Sure the guy was perfect but y/n probably wouldn’t give him a chance.

And it had started.

“Y/N’s new boyfriend is perfect isn’t he?” His mother had once said. “He’s such a sweetheart.”

And he had heard it once, and twice and everyone was saying it, at an early Christmas dinner y/n’s family had thrown.

“He’s the guy she’ll end up marrying,” y/n’s mother, Elaine, had said. “It’s just amazing how good they are for each other.”

“Yeah, I must admit it, that Tim really has won her over, and not only her, all of us,” James had said.

“She’ll be spending Christmas with his family, in France we will see how it goes, he’s a good guy,” Richard, y/n’s dad had mentioned. “She’ll probably come back with a ring in her hand. I’ve never seen her happier.”

“This Timmy guy, really, I’m glad she found him. She finally needed to date someone who treated her like the queen she is,” Sam had mentioned.

And Tom knew it had been lost when even Harry had said it.

“They’re perfect for each other. I am so happy she’s happy.”

And if Harry was happy, when he had been in love with her. Then Tom should be, too, right?

Then why wasn’t he?

But all of them had been wrong, right? All of them had been completely and utterly wrong because y/n had not accepted the marriage proposal. Y/N couldn’t have been as happy as everyone had claimed she had been. Tim had been right where Tom should’ve been.

Problem was, Tom knew she had been. And even if she had said that she had loved Tom, there was a part of Tom that knew that y/n had been lying about that statement. Because y/n had actually fallen in love so deeply with Timothee, and because Tom was well aware that he was only just for a little bit, to cease her thoughts. Tom knew y/n would end up realizing that Tom wasn’t what she wanted him to be. Because Tom was not Timmy.

And Tom had that very present. That’s probably why he had searched for a thousand things to do with her, the film museum, then the picnic at the park, then maybe a philharmonic. Everywhere that Tim would’ve taken her. Because Tom feared that y/n would realize how different they were.

And Tom feared that she had her heartbreaks very present. And that Timmy had been the one to pull her out of them.

When he had found the ring, it made it even more present, y/n had kept it. Sure she had said no, but her no had meant “not yet”. The ring had meant that she, yes, wanted to know what it felt like to date Tom, but she’d eventually run back to Tim, because he was her endgame.

But she had gone to give it back. And maybe he shouldn’t have said anything. If she hadn’t given it back on her own, she probably was still holding on to him.

The fantasy had tumbled down in less than 5 minutes. And it seemed so crazy, less than 24 hours. They’d gone from her having dinner with Tim, with him admitting his feelings, with her saying she was in love too, to the perfect date and now. Back to reality. Knowing that their promises and apologies had barely meant anything at all. It would eventually fall out.

Because Tom also feared that all of this was some sort of revenge y/n was planning and that she’d go back to Tim and be happy.

Because they were both right, and they knew that they didn’t trust each other. And he was selfish. He didn’t want y/n to ever be around Timothée. But he knew that he could never control y/n, not that he wanted to. But he had the right.

He remembered it, when they dated. How he’d be in the worst state each time Timmy placed his hand on her hips, or his lips on her skin. He hated it. He despised it. How he wished to be in his place.

And even know that he knew that y/n probably was breaking Tim’s heart he couldn’t help but think about it, how with one kiss Tim could probably make her leave Tom. That’s all it took him, his fingers to delicately brush against her arm. That’s the power Tim had over y/n.

And now he was calling her, he wanted her to be back already. Even if Tom was in shambles.

He took out the alcohol bottles from the minibar, downing a shot of whiskey, he felt the warm liquor burn his throat. What if Tim caressed her cheek? What if with one look y/n realized the big mistake Tom was?

He called her.

Straight to voicemail. Tom tapped his foot anxiously. He needed another shot. He couldn’t wait for her right there.

So he went down to the hotel bar. And he didn’t know if he was worried more about the fact she was with Timmy or that she was alone in a city like New York. He kept calling her, it rang a few times but then to voicemail.

Tom ordered a gin and tonic, first, then a beer, and then a scotch and he ignored everybody in the room. He only kept trying to call her, and he texted only asking if she was okay.

And she answered a simple yes.

Which drove Tom crazier. He downed another drink. His body warming up, not sure if it was with rage, jealousy, or the alcohol. He clenched his jaw, she drove him completely insane. It would leave nowhere.

He ignored his phone, everything, he only listened to the band that played gentle slow rock that was playing at the bar. And he kept waiting. Picturing the worst.

But suddenly he had seen her walking into the bar, too, after a while, after yet more beers and another scotch. And he stopped to see if it was truly her. Undeniably, it was her. Slightly smudged mascara under her eyes, and a trace of her crying, but her lipswere bright red. She hadn’t seen him, she had sat near the band, ordered a gin and tonic, first, too. He only saw how her lipstick stained the glass. She seemed… angry, sad, confused. Tom could read those emotions just fine, the usual face she’d sketch whenever he was around.

At least she wasn’t with Tim, thought Tom. He texted her again, she only lifted her phone and then took a deep breath. She didn’t text back. But he saw tears streaming down her face.

It was particularly weird. Being in the same room. He waited for the song to finish until he decided to send her a drink. Another gin and tonic.

He watched her, and she seemed surprised when the waiter had told her a gentleman had sent her a drink, she denied the drink until the waiter pointed at Tom. And she suddenly stopped, her eyes landed on him, as if she was deciding whether or not to walk over. But Tom was already wasted, so he made the decision himself. He paid for his and her drinks and then stumbled up to stand, he didn’t want to be in the same room as her right now. He was too dizzy, the floor was moving just as he walked out of the hotel bar and made his way to the elevator.

But before the door closed, y/n ran into the elevator. Tom gave her a drunken smile, watching her yet again get far from him.

“Heeeeey,” a drunk and slurred voice came out.

Y/N turned coldly. “Are you drunk?”

“No,” he lied but then opened his arms, laying against the elevator wall. “Mmhm c’mere.”

She didn’t look at him now.

“Y/N,” he called her, loudly. “Are you—are we breaking up even if—hic—even if we only dated for like 10 minutes? Are you going back to Timmy Tim?” His words sounded slow and long.

“Tom, stop, no, okay, you’re too drunk and I’m not in the mood to talk about this, okay? We’re not breaking up,”she confirmed and walked over to his side. He could now see she really had been crying, her eyes were still trying to hold back more tears, and she kept avoiding his gaze. Her cheeks were probably humid.

He reached out for her hand lazily, and brought it to his lips. She looked away. He tried to kiss her cheek, but she turned around again.

“God, you stink of alcohol, Tom,” she rolled her eyes as he mumbled an apology.

He frowned, and tried to lean over, he ended up nuzzling into her neck. She sighed, but caressed his hair anyway.

“Do you hate me?” He asked her.

“Yes,” she answered.

He pouted. “Y/N,” he hiccuped again. “Mm… didn’t ya love me?” His words were even more slurred now.

“Yes.”

He tried to stand back up but he was so dizzy, that he decided to keep leaning against her.

“You’re being really annoying right now, I understand you got angry but right now I’m too emotional to deal with drunk you —” She pointed out as the doors opened, Tom didn’t move. “Thomas,” she sighed. “C’mon, let’s…Tom, I’m really not in the mood to do this.”

It seemed like the floor was spinning, but he helped him out, as he was striding to their room, y/n helping him as he had a shoulder around her, using her as support.

Before she opened the door, Tom took her hand again and brought it up to his gaze.

“what are you—what are you doing?” She asked.

“Checking if you’re not wearing the ring, babe” Tom mumbled.

Y/N sighed. “I gave it back.”

Tom looked at the blurry image standing in front of him and formed a smile. “Good.”

She opened the door, and Tom stumbled right behind her, he was still angry, but that soothed him. Y/N guided him to the bed, sitting him down.

“You’ve… you have,” he closed his eyes and burped. “You’ve been crying,” Tom pointed out as he watched her walking around the room.

She then was right beside him, Tom didn’t even notice how, but she handed him a bottle of water. “Drink.”

Tom watched her. “Have you been crying?”

She took a deep breath, “yes,” she answered. “Just drunk the water, Tom.”

“Why?” He questioned as she glared at him, “why are you crying?”

“Tom—drink the water.”

He took a sip, “You love him.”

“Tom—right now I really—I know this is too simple for you, I know that this seems simple for you, if anything you’ll just go on and live with your life okay? But—I need you not to make this hard for me,” she snapped as she walked away.

Tom watched her. “I know, you just officially let go of the love of your life I know, I know.”

She crossed her arms turning back to him. “You’re really being an ass.”

“I am just hurt y/n,” he admitted. “I am sooo in love with you and you just see me as...I don’t know”

She took a deep breath, “I didn’t mean to hurt you okay?” Her voice was shaking. “I was going to give it back I just—hadn’t found the right time but—I gave it to him, happy?”

Tom blinked, giving it a thought. “No.”

“I...really don’t want you to be hurt okay?” She walked over, taking his hands.. “You were not supposed to know.”

Tom gave her a cynic smile. “But I found it,” he shrugged.

“Yes, but—Tom,” she sighed. “really just we will talk when you’re sober and when I’m not on the verge of tears—“

He wasn’t really listening, he couldn’t focus. “Did he kiss you?”

She closed her eyes. “No.”

“Did he… try to kiss ya?”he pushed.

“No, Tom,” she let him go, and then more tears were coming down her cheeks. “I broke his heart, and do you know how fucking difficult it was?” She gulped. “That’s why I—I hadn’t done it yet because I didn’t want to spend my last days in New York with you crying over someone else—“

Tom laid down on the bed. “Y/N you still have feelings for him.”

“Tom oh my god, do you really want to go there?”

He chuckled. “Just did, besides it’s clear you still love him because you’re crying.”

“Tom, it’s not if I have feelings or not,” she pointed out. “I am sad because I just closed a very important part of my life for something—“

“For something not certain,” he finished her line.

“You don’t even understand this, you’re too drunk for me to explain this.” She was angry, so angry.

“Try then,” he sat up. He had a sad, cynic smile across his face, and he could barely keep his eyes open.

“I don’t even know if I want to,”she admitted, arms over her chest as she leaned against the wall. “we’ve already yelled and fought at each other twice in less than two days,” she sassed. “and I’m just here thinking hey, this won’t work!” She looked away. “because we don’t trust each other.”

He felt like somehow that had sobered him up. “Good to know you don’t trust me,” he laughed with sarcasm, as he rubbed his face.

“Well, do you? Do you trust me? If you did, we wouldn’t be helping this conversation.”

He didn’t answer.

She shrugged, chuckling. “There’s your answer, we are both so damaged, Tom. This won’t be easy and you just have to accept it,” she explained.

He looked away. “Why did you keep the ring?”

“Tom.”

He took a deep breath. “I just need to know y/n because I—I know how much you loved him and feelings simply don’t disappear—“

She only walked to the window. “Everybody said it, okay?” She sniffed. “And I’m someone who plans ahead and I’m someone who—Who ends up doing the right thing, and I kept—“he could see her breaking her heart. “I kept the ring because he told me to,”her voice was now completely broken. “, and because I thought everyone says it—and I—“

“That you were perfect,” Tom finished,

“And I’ve always been known for making all the wrong choices—“

“And Timmy is the right one isn’t he?” He cackled. “Great.”

“Bloody hell, Thomas you’re not making it easy,” she snapped.

He stood up. “Y/N literally what the hell do I have to do for you to fucking look at me?” He asked as he walked to her, placing his hands on her shoulders so she’d finally face him, and to not lose balance, as well. “All my life I’ve literally been doing the impossible and yet you always turn around—“

“Oh my god,” she closed her eyes as she pushed his arms away. “”I can’t believe you, I’m in love with you!” She yelled. “Don’t you fucking see it? I’m in love with you,” she cried as she walked away. “after crying for a fucking year for that night in the club, I can’t bloody look at yellow flowers without tearing up but guess what,” she chuckled angrily. “I still fucking choose you every time, Tom, you literally don’t have to do anything for me to always fucking choose you and that’s why I don’t get it!” She turned back to see him. “I don’t get why, and yet you still doubt it, and even if you we’re screwing me over and over I still chose you and even if there was either Tim or Harry or—“

“Harry?” Tom didn’t even let her finish as she finally paused. “Harry?”

“I—no, let’s not go there,” she shook her head and hugged herself.

Tom was sober now. “No, I want to fucking know now.”

“Tom no, you’re drunk let’s—“she closed her eyes, as she looked around, trying to escape.

“What about Harry?”

“Nothing.”

“Did you know—“

“Yes, Tom I knew—“She snapped.

The weather had turned cold, he thought he heard rain falling down but the night sky was clear.

“How did you know?” Tom asked, quietly.

She huffed, “Because unlike you, he’s shown me his whole life that he loves me.”

Tom felt it again, an anger or guilt he had suffered from throughout his life. “Then why the fuck do you love me if you—Harry was perfect!”

She blinked with confusion. “What?”

“You should end up with Harry.”

“See? Now you get it,” she sat on the bed. “Everyone says it, Harry or Tim how nice and perfect, and yet—I choose you, Tom I don’t even know why you’re angry at me,” she complained “they all said it, but you know what and they also always said I would end up dating you, people are strange huh? They say a lot of things.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

She gulped down a sob, but then calmed down. “I’ve heard it all Tom,” she explained. “I know. That’s what I’m trying to tell you, the heart wants what it wants.”

“But—everyone says it.”

“Yes I know, that Tim is my endgame and that Harry was the guy I should’ve fallen in love with, but guess what! They also said that we needed to sleep together to finally get along and look at us now, people are wrong, aren’t they?”

He closed his eyes, hurt, as he sat beside her. “No—I—“

“I need to sleep,” she stood up. They didn’t follow the routine that night, not together.

“I don’t want to go to bed like this,” he said as y/n picked up a pillow and a blanket and walked over to the sofa. “Y/N no—come here. If anything I’ll sleep there.”

She sat down, hugging the pillow, so he made his way over.

“Y/N, no come on, please—Let’s, I’m sorry okay?” He sighed sitting beside her. She stayed quiet, but scooted closer to him. “Y/N?”

“I don’t want it to rain in New York, Tom,” she whispered. “And I’m trying, okay? I just hope you’re trying, too.”

She then went quiet, but then snuggled close to him, with her eyes closed. Tom blinked, but wrapped his arms around her confused. He still had a lot of thoughts in his head. Very confusing, hurtful thoughts. Especially around what she said about Harry.

But then again, she was right, why the hell did she doubt her if she’d chosen him over and over?

But then guilt, the guilt of not wanting to break his brother’s heart. He decided it right there in that precise moment, that he wanted to tell him. Harry was with Emma. It was now or never.

And he understood what she meant, maybe she’d felt it too, the thunder striking outside, but… If he looked out the window, the night was clear, the stars were bright.

The next day they didn’t even talk about it, y/n had woken up earlier than him, Tom had woken up sore from sleeping on a couch, but he knew that she’d held him all night long, he had heard her cry in the middle of the night, he had seen her pace around the room but then, eventually she came back and snuggled him. But he woke up alone, and it felt weird, but she had gone out and brought him a juice that she swore would cure his hangover. Neither him or y/n addressed anything they had talked the night before.

He understood what she meant. This was Rome. New York was the new Rome, the part where they both could be happy, live the fairytale and then it would come to London, rainy London. Even if the sky in New York had turned gray.

And though Tom was facing a constant headache they both quietly decided that they’d enjoy the clear sky in New York. They went to that museum in Queens, they walked through Central Park and enjoyed a Picnic, they even bought a kite and flew it. And they didn’t fight. Not once, or not in the way they had fought the night before. As if both of them were actively avoiding it, pretending they were fine. Laughs. On the edge, as if the other would bring up one heartbreak eventually. They were fine. Even if they weren’t.

But maybe, just maybe, they were. Even if the fantasy they were living was crafted, a film he’d seen before, not with him. Maybe that’s why it felt different, because Tom was trying too much. And so was y/n, because that day they weren’t each other. Like they played a part of something they didn’t belong in. Because they were being seen, in a way.

But Tom looked at y/n, and even if her eyes looked tired, and even if her smile was slightly sad, her eyes brightened up when they looked at each other. That’s probably what had him crazy, because she was choosing him, even if just last night they were fighting. Why did y/n choose someone who broke her? Why couldn’t he stop breaking her?

He felt like he’d run out of chances, and he knew this was the last time. Not sure why it felt like that, but maybe that’s why they were trying so hard to make each other smile and forget the night before.

Were they forcing this too much? Had they loved each other so much and they had been so impatient that they had forced this? Like a film. Playing a part.

He knew what he had to do.

New York became a memory that they didn’t want to let go. The last days of filming had gone very quickly, especially because Tim wasn’t around anymore, and there were no more peonies coming. Tim looked destroyed, Tom had caught him smoking cigarettes and hiding a tear. Tom knew how it felt, he’d been there before, feeling like someone else had taken his place, a place that belonged to him. He couldn’t blame him.

And maybe Tom had just a slight bit of sympathy and guilt and maybe that’s why he hadn’t kissed y/n as much when Tim was around. The guy wasn’t to blame, honestly. Even if he despised him, Tim had nothing to blame right now. If anything, Tom respected him because y/n had broken his heart.

And the last night, while they were in the bathtub, surrounded by bubbles and foam, his arm around her, her back against his chest, glasses of red wine in their hands, the lights out, they were quiet. They had been quiet those days. Words were their strongest weapons and this time they didn’t want to wound each other.

“y/n?” he had talked.

And he felt how she had shifted, turning cold, as if she didn’t want to have any conversation. “Yes?”

“I… I uh, called my parents before,” he said.

She nodded. “Yeah, I heard, that’s why I didn’t interrupt.”

“Yeah,” he gulped before placing a sweet kiss on her shoulder. “I…” He gulped, “Apparently they’re… having another lunch party of sorts with your parents when we come back, and we have to be there.”

“Ah, yeah, James told me about it, what’s with them always throwing parties together?” she chuckled as she blew some bubbles at him. “As if they didn’t see each other once a week.”

Tom grinned, as he then decided to splash out some water at her. “And as if we didn’t hang out on our own.”

She laughed, leaning against him, she took his hand and played with it.

Tom locked his fingers with hers, and took a sip of his wine.

“Oh, if they knew,” she chuckled. “We haven’t behaved, haven’t we?” she asked before turning around to beard him up with the bubbles.

Tom almost choked on his wine, but chuckled. “Y/N!”

“What?” she giggled. “I don’t think this is exactly what they wanted when they told us to behave whenever we fought.”

He grinned, agreeing. He really didn’t want this to die, not this time. Because this wasn’t supposed to be forbidden, this wasn’t them being silly children fighting, or kissing. This wasn’t illicit, the deal couldn’t be expired.

“I told them I was seeing someone,” Tom mentioned after a while.

She turned warm again and then turned to face him. “Yea?”

He smiled. “Yes, hope you don’t mind”

She chuckled. “I… did they ask who?”

“Yes,” Tom gulped. “I didn’t tell them, told them I wanted them to meet her.”

She laughed. “I love pretending not to know your parents,” she looked down at him and placed a soft kiss on the edge of his lips.

“So, I told them that I’d bring her to lunch,” he whispered, hoping this wasn’t something that would bring their little act down.

She paused, taking a deep breath.

Tom then feared his words had been a knife and he had just stabbed her. But then, after what Tom felt was the longest minute of his life she turned to him.

“Well, I hope they like her and that she’s there on time” And she’d kissed him.

“And… I’ve been thinking,” he said. “I… also have a song for us.”

“Ah, you do?”

“Yeah, that’s what’s been keeping me awake these two nights,” he said, ignoring what had happened the night before. “It took me a lot to think about it.”

“Really?”

“Yes because it couldn’t be a normal song, you know? I can’t just simply choose a random one.”

“Why not?” She chuckled.

“Because it’s you, it either has to be an 80’s song or a One Direction song, I know you,” he laughed.

She giggled. “But… If a song fits, it fits, you know?” She tilted her head.

“Okay, I’m just going to pretend you just didn’t say that,” he blinked. “Because I really wanted it to be perfect, and…I really had to think about it to fit your whole aesthetic, and crazy mind of yours, and I came up with this one. And now, I’ll…” He reached for his phone. “I just want you to close your eyes, and…”

“Does it have a meaning?”

“I just feel like… It fits, you know?” he chuckled. “It’s actually a song about war.”

She blinked. “War?”

“Yeah, war.”

“Funny, I also relate a war concept to you,” she whispered.

“Huh?”

“Nothing, what’s the song?” She smiled.

“Close your eyes….”

And she did, and he played the song. Everybody Wants To Rule The World. Tears for Fears. And maybe that song did it for them, because they believed it.

The flight back home had been quiet, and y/n said she never wanted to forget New York, the city that never sleeps, and the city where they barely had slept, tangled up in the sheets and yearning for an eternal moonlight, memorizing each other. The city where they had only found each other in a crowd, where no matter how chaotic, they’d found peace. A sun making its way back out after a storm. Tom didn’t want to leave the clear blue sky, the cozy nights, the hope, he didn’t want to go back to the rain. Because it felt like it was coming.

But London received them with a bright sunny day, not a gray sky. It was sunny, and warm. And maybe it was telling them that it’d be alright.

Tom had only gone back home, picked out a few clothes, avoided Harrison and then decided to go to y/n’s place. He avoided everyone’s calls. So had y/n. They needed to be alone before everything could explode.

Because just the very next day, they’d go to the lunch thing. And he knew that he wasn’t nervous about his parents, or her parents. Both of them were nervous about Harry. Even if they hadn’t said anything, he knew both of them were very very very anxious about it. Especially now that Tom knew that y/n had known about his brother’s infatuation towards her. And he still hadn’t yet decided how to feel about it. Guilty, at least. Very, very guilty. And maybe angry at y/n. But was he, really? He loved her, and she loved him back. He couldn’t be stupid enough to think about how y/n didn’t love someone else.

This was y/n’s fault, or was it Tom’s? Why the hell couldn’t he make up his mind about this. And he thought how it would go, how if she’d chosen Harry instead. How he’d have to stay quiet, be happy for his brother. But Harry? Would Harry be happy?

Because Tom knew that that territory was dangerous, mostly because y/n had been right. Tom had never shown her that he loved her, and Harry probably would get defensive, and he’d probably be angry because everyone said it, and he knew what was coming: Tom will break y/n’s heart because that’s all Tom does. Break y/n apart.

But Harry would bring Emma, right? It’d be okay. Harry had moved on, and the only thing Tom would have to deal with was the fact that TOm had hidden his love towards y/n.

He knew the conversation was long overdue, with y/n, with Harry. Of course, that by admitting it with everyone else there, he’d avoid some kind of drama. But if they didn’t, Tom decided to enjoy his tranquility alone with y/n. Kissing, and cuddling and laughing and then with their clothes again on the floor, tangled in between the sheets, and longing for the night to never end because the next day, it could probably rain.

They had a sort of plan, test the waters first.

And she’d chosen that strawberry dress, yes, it was strawberries, on a pink dress that Tom loved. And Tom felt dizzy, as he’d given her one last quick kiss before walking in, to see Nikki and Elaine with a glass of champagne in their hands as they were talking to each other.

They paused, watching Tom as he knew they tried to look behind him, trying to find the girl he had so talked marvels about.

They both kissed their mother’s cheeks, and hugged the others’.

“Well, hello, you two,” Elaine said. “I’m surprised you’re both complete after spending two months together,” she commented.

“We get along,” y/n laughed. “For now, besides, he was paying me so.”

“How was New York? It was always a dream of yours, did you like it?” Elaine asked.

“Loved it, it’s the best time I’ve ever had in my life,” she admitted with a grin.

Tom blushed, but then cleared his throat to look at his mother. “Uh, we--” He cleared his throat. “I brought wine, so...I’m gonna…”

Nikki grinned. “Tom, where’s your...girlfriend?” She sounded suspicious.

He chuckled as he headed to the kitchen. “Ah, she’ll be here, she’s running late,” he lied.

“Hm, not a great first impression as the new girlfriend huh?” Elaine commented.

Tom hid a grin, as he heard y/n chuckle. He took out two beers from the fridge and opened them

“So, y/n, thoughts on his new girlfriend? I assume you know her,” Nikki commented.

Tom walked back over, handed y/n a beer and laughed. “You’re really asking my worst enemy her thoughts on my new girlfriend?”

Elaine smirked. “She’s the one who will tell us the truth.”

Y/N snickered. “Uh- well,” she looked at Tom. “Mm, honestly she’s a little slutty, feel like he paid her to date her.”

Tom choked on his beer.

Elaine and Nikki widened their eyes with surprise.

“What?” the three of them said in unison.

“Y/N!” Her mother called her.

“I’m kidding,” she laughed. “Uh seriously I’m joking, , honestly I… I’m sorry, I don’t think I have an opinion of her, I only know she’s got terrible taste if she wants to date him.”

Tom smirked and faked a phony laugh. “Can’t deny that,” he grinned. “But, no, she’s the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen in my life, she’s stunning, so smart and talented.”

“But, let’s just say they can rule the world.”

Tom smiled.

Y/N smiled to herself. “So, where are the guys?”

“Sam, Rich and Dom went to buy some stuff, Pad is upstairs-”Nikki explained.

“And Ha--”Tom couldn't finish.

“I’m here, you guys arrived early,” James had walked in just in time for Tom and y/n to scoot away from each other. “Didn’t see your car, n/n,” he raised his brows with a smirk. He then turned with his coldest stare at Tom. “Thomas.”

“Hi, bro,” Tom awkwardly fist bumped him.

He said hello to Nikki and his mother.

“So, what’s the occasion this time?” James asked as he snatched the beer from his sister’s hand, she pouted but then Tom discreetly offered his, y/n denied it.

“As if we needed an occasion to have lunch together,” y/n pointed out.

“Tom’s got a girlfriend,” Elaine answered. “We’re meeting her today.”

James’ eyes widened as he stared between the young couple. “Does he, now?” Tom only sipped his beer. “Ah, I’ve never seen you guys make such a deal out of a new girlfriend,” James snaked, chuckling. “Well, what about you, y/n?” James grinned. “Have you a boyfriend now?”

Y/N now snatched the beer from Tom’s hands, taking a sip. “Hm?”

James raised his brows, chuckling. “Fine.”

“So…” Nikki cleared her throat. “Y/n, dear, I need you to help me out with something, you’re going to be Emma’s maid of honor right?”

“Yes!” Y/N gulped.

Nikki grinned, “amazing, can you come here a little and help me out?”

Tom held his breath as he watched his mother and y/n leave.

“So, Tom, how really is she?” Elaine asked. “No need to impress y/n now,” she chuckled.

“How is who?” James asked.

“We were talking about his girlfriend, y/n called her slutty,” Elaine commented.

“But she’s not!” Tom was quick to answer.

“No, I know,” Elaine laughed.

James crossed his arms and chuckled. “Mum, I don’t think you should be asking him that.”

“Well, she's running late, already making a bad impression, Tom, meeting the parents is always a deal breaker.”

James let out a long laugh. “I am sure they will love her.”

“Do you know her, already?” Asked Elaine. “Is she—how do you guys say it? A hottie?”

“Mum I really don’t think—“James chuckled. “Don’t.”

“She’s beautiful,” Tom said, snickering.

Elaine nodded. “So, Tom, I… I am going to ask you because well, you were there,” she sighed. “How did y/n do? With Tim being there?”

Tom turned cold. Of course Elaine would ask about Timothée. James’ eyes widened and he coughed.

“Mum, don’t… Go there,” James warned.

“Well, I’ve gotta ask,” she nodded. “I’m just worried, I… She was really bummed when they broke up. Tim really was the love of her life.”

Tom blinked and cleared his throat, he shook his head. “I… You know what? I.. I don’t think he is,” he said. “But yea, she did fine… And I’m getting another beer.”

Tom decided to not go back to that conversation and join his youngest brother instead, too busy playing on his Nintendo Switch, Tessa ran over to his lap. Eventually, he heard the door open again and men’s laughs filled the house, Richard, y/n’s father, Dom and Sam had walked in. No trace of Harry.

Tom had walked backstairs again to see Sam and Y/N catching up, laughing at something she was showing him on his phone. Still, no trace of Harry.

“Mum, where’s Harry?” Tom asked Nikki.

“Ah, he had something to do with Emma, you know, they’re planning an engagement party and--”

“They are? He didn’t tell me,” Harry frowned. “He’s not coming, then?”

“No,” Nikki shook her head. “He told me that he was happy you had a girlfriend though,” she mentioned.

Tom felt a stab in his chest. Did Harry know? Maybe he did, and if he did, was he happy? Maybe he had to tell this to his brother alone, not like this. This was the universe telling Tom that he had to speak to his brother, even if he’d been avoiding him for a while now.

The afternoon continued, and Tom and y/n were trying so hard not to give hints yet, and it was hard, Tom was holding back from taking her hand, from kissing her cheek. They’d gotten so used to being alone that this wasn’t them.

Tom and y/n had agreed not to say anything until the very end. But honestly, Tom didn’t know what this was even for anymore, their parents weren’t the ones who mattered and Sam and James probably had guessed it by now. For who was this surprise for? Paddy? This was the moment Tom had planned to tell Harry. Not… Well, if they were honest this was their way out to not be scared. To be alone even if they were surrounded by all of them.

“Tom’s girlfriend hasn’t showed up, huh?” Richard laughed. “We’ve all been there buddy, maybe it was too soon to meet the parents, huh?”

Tom laughed. “I… Don’t think it is.”

“So, is she actually a real girlfriend or another girl you’re parading with?” Richard pushed.

James took a long sip of his beer. “Yeah, Tom, is she a real girlfriend?”

Tom laughed nervously. “I… she’s a real girlfriend, I’m really hoping it’ll last.”

“Well, if she’s not here already, I wouldn’t be so sure,” Dom pointed out.

Sam burst out in laughter and nudged Tom. “Uh-huh.”

Tom managed a way to sneak out of the conversation as he had seen y/n walk in alone to the kitchen, he ran over to her and made sure nobody was watching before placing a kiss on her cheek from behind.

“Oh, hi,” she grinned.

“So how’s it going?” he asked, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind.

“So, my mum and your mum already hate me because I’m late and now they are wondering if I’m ugly because you’ve never said anything about it, and they really think I’m a little slutty,” she giggled.

“I mean, last night...” Tom smirked.

“Shut up!” She slapped his shoulder.

“I’m joking,” he laughed as he nuzzled into her neck, giggling.

“Well how is it going for you?” she frowned.

“Pretty much the same, they don’t suspect a thing,” Tom admitted, kissing her neck again.. “Mmh, should we tell them now?”

“I don’t know, maybe… We could wait, tell them she won’t be able to come and… I feel like… I dunno.” She turned around. “Now, this is obvious enough so,” she pushed him away before walking outside where they’d be eating.

They were getting ready, their sitting arrangements just as usual, Tom and y/n far away from each other. A seat, usual Harry’s seat, empty.

“And this is for your nameless girlfriend,” Nikki said as she placed an empty plate right beside Tom. “Whom I don’t think will show up now but…”

“Actually, mum, I’m gonna be sitting over there,” Tom said, taking his plate and walking over to y/n.

All the table went quiet, Sam and James only watched him curiously and about to burst into laughter. Seemed like the two of them had realized they both knew and they were having quite a lot of fun with this situation.

“You guys are gonna behave?” Elaine laughed.

“Yeah, think I can behave just fine with my girlfriend,” Tom smirked as he finally sat down beside y/n, finally holding her hand. It felt like the walls had tumbled down finally. There was only a wall far away, waiting to be tumbled, but Tom would take care of that himself later.

The table went cold and quiet, shock coming from both their parents faces as y/n was also a bit in shock. But she smiled.

“What?” Paddy was the only one to make a noise. “Didn’t you hate each other? What the hell?” He scrunched his nose with confusion.

They remained quiet, their eyebrows were raised and their mouths shaped in big ‘o’s.

The silence was broken with Elaine, gracefully turning to her best friend and smirking. “Give me my money back, and pay up.”

“What?” Tom and y/n asked in unison.

“Wait, wait, wait,” Nikki blinked as Elaine grinned. “Are you guys serious? Are you actually?”

“Yeah,” y/n chuckled. “I’m the slutty ugly girl who arrived late.”

Tom laughed. “No-”

“Pay up, Nik,” Elaine grinned.

“What?” Tom asked again.

“Your mothers decided to bet, Elaine said you’d end up dating with this and your mum said you wouldn’t,” Dom explained. “They’ve been doing this their whole lives and now it’s actually a--”

“You guys are betting over our love life?” Y/N frowned, laughing.

“You guys are dating?” Richard was the one to ask now. “What is going on?”

Of course, Tom and y/n couldn’t tell them how they had actually started dating, they had come up with them starting to hang out more and realizing their feelings with each other, and technically that wasn’t a lie, but of course Sam and James weren’t buying it, but they kept quiet, so it was good,at least so after calming down their shock. Obviously then seeing their parents' reactions and regrets over past comments about making fun of Tom and his non-existent girlfriend or about how she probably was ugly. It went… great, it was calm and they finally could slowly hold hands and they finally let themselves go. They were free, out of a cage, out of a staged lie, and they were on their best behavior, for the first time they didn’t hear it ‘children, behave’, and he finally could place an arm around her, and they didn’t have to hide the fact that they were lovingly staring into each other's eyes. They didn’t have to be alone now, and honestly, they could rule the world by then. Everything was perfect.

The news was great for both families, and although the one Tom wanted to know the most hadn’t heard it yet, he wasn’t scared, not for the first time. Because he felt free, for the first time he really wanted to do things right. Even if he’d heard it, and even if they hadn’t talked about it, they’d have time because they didn’t have to hide, not anymore.

He went back to her place again that night.

“So, that went amazing,” y/n commented as soon as they’d walk into her apartment, Tom couldn’t keep her hands off of her.

“I thought… I thought they wouldn’t like it,” he laughed.

“Can you believe they’ve been betting their whole lives?” She laughed. “God, I mean, I understand they’re best friends and that they-- But?”

He scoffed. “Maybe we should start betting on them too, you know? Stuff like, who’s going to go bald first or dunno.”

“Whatever, I think we should celebrate,” she smirked.

“Oh?”

She giggled but then pulled him in for a long, long kiss, as her tongue explored his. She quickly pulled away. “Huh, wait, what time is it? I haven’t--I haven’t sent out that thing for my script, shit, shit shit,” she continued cursing as she let him go, she ran over to her room and took out her laptop. Tom blinked but followed after her.

She was quick to type, and then she seemed so stressed as she kept swearing until she finally sent it in, whatever she was sending. Tom only sat on the edge of the bed watching her.

“Where were we?” She asked, before crawling over to him. She hadn’t closed her laptop.

“About to celebrate, I believe,” he smirked, as he wrapped his arms around her to kiss her again. She sat on his lap, and played with his hair.

Her phone started to ring, she ignored it, as she was taking off Tom’s shirt and he was ready to take off her cherry dress. But it kept ringing.

“Would you mind if---?” She asked as she took out her phone. Tom chuckled but kept his lips on her jawline, tracing it down with soft kisses. She cleared her throat. “Shit, it’s my boss.”

He kept kissing her neck, though.

“Uh, hi, Alessandra--”

“I’m sorry I’m calling you this late,” Tom heard her boss say over the phone. “I hope you’re not busy.”

Y/N bit her lip as Tom chuckled, kissing down his way to her collarbone.

“I’m… No, I’m not busy, it’s alright.”

“Well, uh, we need to talk about the script I uh--”

“Actually, um, Alessandra just give me a sec,” she cleared her throat as she quickly pushed Tom away and jumped off his grip. He pouted but then she placed a quick kiss on his lips before rushing out of her room.

Tom chuckled, and then stared at her laptop. He pulled it close and saw the opened document, from what he could see it was her script. The same script she’d been so secretive about. Of course he was going to read it, he wanted to praise her work and talent, so he started reading it.

But maybe he shouldn’t have, because just as he started, a storm started pouring down in London.

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themilky-way · 4 years

Text

Connections {s.r}

gif credit: nobravery on tumblr!

pairing: spencer reid x female! reader

summary: you work at the BAU and are best friends with everybody, except spencer. you think he just doesn’t like you until one day, he proves you wrong.

warnings: just some minor hints of sadness, reader going through something, nothing major or specific.

author’s note: ah yes I did miss writing and spencer reid has my heart entirely. stay safe guys! ALSO I’M BARELY ON SEASON 3 SO YA’LL BETTER NOT SPOIL ANYTHING ISTG LMAO

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working in the BAU, your job was never boring. five months in had changed your outlook on almost anything and everything in your life, and had your mind now racing at what seemed like a million miles per minute. it was an exhilarating experience, regardless of how crude the crime scene could be, and it was about time you came to terms with that.

the BAU team was just as thrilled to have you with them as you were to join. nobody expected-or wanted- a new member, and were ready to reject your application when they finally met you for the interview. however, after you demonstrated to everyone that you could profile a serial killer based on only the amount of blood at the scene and position of the victim, everyone basically wanted to give you the “welcome tour” of the headquarters.

after you finally got an opportunity to get used to the layout of the job and your training ended, the team always looked forward to your “good morning” notes on their desk. being an early bird, you got there before everyone so you could get ahead on your reports, and always left small notes of encouragement on the person’s desk. it was a small and sweet gesture, and very much needed for the severity of the job.

“seriously, this girl must be doing some type of hypnosis or something to everybody here. why is it that every time I see her, I just wanna hug her, huh?”

“not hypnosis, morgan. just plain ol’ appreciation,” jj said. they were huddled around his desk as they all read a note that said: “always keep your head up, champ. we appreciate the work you do around here :)”

by then, he was the last of the bunch to read his card. however, he didn't have a gold star attached to it, which meant he wasn’t the “agent of the day” as you liked to phrase it. derek flipped the sticky note over and attempted to find it, but stopped when he realized he wasn’t it.

“wait, guys, so if I didn’t get a star, who did?” morgan asked, clearly puzzled. garcia shook her head and pouted, jj simply put a thumbs down, and prentiss muttered a “nope.” everyone knew hotch didn’t get it, because they figured he would call you in privately to thank you. everyone turned to look at you work in the conference room through the window. you were scribbling something on the whiteboard and had papers scattered everywhere on the table, unaware of the team’s puzzled expressions. at that moment, spencer walked through the double glass doors of the bureau and headed over to his desk as he normally would. as he did so, he found the team huddled together and looking at something, and when he followed their gaze he knew what this was about.

in truth, spencer never really cared for having a friendship with you. he looked at you as a coworker and just that, and developing a platonic relationship with you just wasn't anywhere in his mind. he did enjoy the words of encouragement and motivation every morning, though, and no matter how many phases of denial he went through, he looked for it as soon as he reached his desk.

“hey, guys, wanna hear something I discovered about dolphins last night?” spencer teased as he made his way over to morgan’s desk. nobody turned their heads from your direction, and it wasn't until reid mentioned your note that everyone stopped profiling you and turned their attention to him.

“you guys wanna hear-yeah that’s what I thought-wanna hear my note (y/n) left me?” he held up the sticky note and everyone nodded eagerly. he turned the note so he was able to read it, and began. “ ‘the world is smart, but you’re smarter. have a great day, reid!’ how cool is this!” he smiled and at that point so did everyone, when they realized that the note still had more to it.

“oh my god, reid! you got the gold star! congratulations sunshine,” garcia pointed out as she gave him a light punch on the shoulder. spencer’s mind started bouncing back and forth between thoughts when he looked at the tiny gold sticker below your comment. did this mean anything? should he mention it?

the answer to that was yes, he should, but was he going to? probably not. pats on the back were given as the team got up from morgan’s desk and headed to their own when hotch came out of his office and told everyone to meet in the conference room in five to look over a new case. reid, as he walked back to his pile of reports, looked at you working on your own. he never really thought of you as a friend, and didn't want to for that matter. but the longer he looked at you he started to realize that maybe befriending you wouldn't be so horrible. as everyone entered the room and gave you a hug or cheery greeting, spencer opted to sit at the other end of you. but one thing was for sure: his smile was the brightest one in the room.

the next few weeks went by quickly, and included a variety of new “agents’ of the day.” after reid, there was morgan, who practically wanted to kiss you after that. emily followed, who was beginning to turn into one of your closest friends. jj and garcia came next, and soon the four of you founded a girl’s night out every weekend.

however, them being the best profilers in the entire bureau, they noticed that the notes progressively stopped. the team realized something was off with you, and they noticed that your demeanor was different. you began to come later than you usually did, at one point even later than derek. your hairstyle changed to a messier bun, your desk was worse than reid’s, and no more cute notes were seen for almost two weeks.

“something’s wrong, you guys. she’s been here for months and she’s never once frowned or even forgot to put the cap back on her pen,” emily said, packing her files in her briefcase. jj nodded her head, “yeah I know, and I want to ask but I don’t want to make her uncomfortable. I mean, what if we’re reading too much into it?”

“reading into it? jj, we profile murderers who we’ve never even met, I’m pretty sure (y/n)’s going through something,” morgan stated, standing up from his chair and pushing it in adequately.

“we know one thing: when she’s ready to vent, we’ll be here. in the meantime, we should go home and get some rest. we fly out to oregon tomorrow,” hotch said. everyone agreed, and they stood up and gathered their belongings and headed for the exit door. they waved and said their goodbye’s to you, who was seated at the other end of the room.

you were the only one left at the bureau, and you were more tired than usual due to your lack of sleep recently. you closed your eyes, took a couple of deep breaths, and began to massage your temples with your pointer fingers. it’s been tough for you, taking care of your grandparents ever since they came to live with you. arguments with your mother always lead to the same thing: leaving. you loved them, and you adored having family with you, especially in a job like the one you had. but you had to sacrifice your sleep and wellbeing in order for them to be safe.

you were so concentrated in your thoughts that you didn’t hear footsteps coming down the stairs, moving towards your direction, and finally coming to a complete stop next to your desk. it wasn't until a soft voice broke you from your thoughts, or more so from your nap at that point.

“(y/n)?”

you lifted your head rapidly, and looked up to find the source of the voice, and when you did, you managed to slur, “reid, what the hell, I, uh, thought I was the only one left.

“no, I was just catching up on my reports and was about to go home. by the looks of it, you should too.”

“alright, catch you in the morning, spence. I still gotta finish this case file,” you were looking at him now, and as you spoke you gave a tiny nod to your opened manila folder. “wait you’re staying later? do you know how dangerous it is for girls of your type to be out at these hours of the night? I read a study once that determined women who wandered at night suffered the most danger between the hours of 1 a.m. to 4 a.m.. I mean you don't want to put yourself-”

“I'm not gonna be long, dr. reid, I think I’ll be fine,” you cut him off mid fact. you returned to your paperwork and picked up your pen to write some notes on the margin, and when you looked back up a couple minutes later, you found reid staring at you, confusion clearly manifesting over his features.

‘I suggest offering you a seat, sir. that way you can look at me in distress as long as you like,” you let yourself chuckle a little bit, and even though it made spencer want to laugh too, he restrained himself and asked you what had troubled him for weeks now.

“(y/n), what’s going on? you’re not the same since garcia got the last morning note from you. seriously, I-I’m here to help you.”

dropping your pen, you swiveled your chair so you were in his direction and looked up at him to answer him. “in all honesty, and by no means full offense, I don’t think you care what’s going on with me.”

in his mind, reid was going nuts, and his silence? not helping very much. all he could do was look down at you with a shocked expression and his mouth opened and closed before he finally rebutted your statement.

“(y/n), I’m sorry I made it seem that way. I really am and the truth is I didn’t really care for your notes at first until I stopped receiving them.” he crouched down now to level with your height on the chair, a hand laying on his knee and the other on the ground for balance.

“I didn’t really care for a friend, until I realized I wanted your friendship. I never even thanked you for giving me the privilege of being ‘agent of the day.’”

you realized he meant it, and it wasn’t some cheesy reponse you were so used to getting. he felt it, and you began to realize you could also trust him even a little.

“thanks, reid. sorry for lashing out too, it’s just things haven’t been so easy back home. do you mind?”

“of course not. I’m all ears, (y/n).” you nodded and thanked him, standing up from your chair and kneeling down to ultimately sit down criss cross on the ground. he did the same as you, and his attention was fully yours.

you told him everything that had happened; the fights with your mom, your grandparents moving in, your lack of sleep and how you felt. you vented to him about almost everything in your life and he listened like his life depended on it. at the end, you were crying a little no matter how hard you tried not to. amidst everything, he had pulled you into an awkward sort of hug, considering your position and the fact he doesn't give much physical affection to people. nonetheless, he gave you the comfort you needed and you valued it.

he pulled away suddenly, and lifted himself off the ground a little to get his phone from his pocket. he asked you to get yours, and you did so by reaching over to the top of your desk. the both of you exchanged phones and he wrote his rather rapidly, you still trying to think about your own area code by the time he was finished.

you exchanged phones again, and when you grabbed yours from his hand, he held on to it as well. before he let go, he looked down at the ground and then landed on your hand on the phone.

“you can call me whenever you want. even if you don’t have a reason too.”

his eyes flicked up to your semi-red eyes, and he smiled softly. you did as well, and he felt small butterflies forming in his tummy when you did. spencer reid didn’t care for affection, nor for personal connections with anyone. but perhaps you were beginning to turn into the only exception.

and he didn't really mind it at all.

#spencer reid x reader #spencer reid #spencer reid fanfiction #matthew gray gubler #criminal minds #criminal minds fanfiction #spencer reid fluff #derek morgan #shemar moore #jennifer jareau #aj cook #penelope garcia #kirsten vangsness #emily prentiss #paget brewster #aaron hotchner #thomas gibson

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7wanderingpaws · 4 years

Text

He Loves Love (2/3)

Pairing: Baekhyun x reader

Genre: solo singer! AU

Word count: 7K

Warnings: slowburn, flirty Baek, ehm t-e-n-s-i-o-n

A/N: Finally the second part is here! I apologise if it took a bit longer, but darn, I just realised there is much more that needs to be told. I am so tired rn, I edited it but there still might be grammatical mistakes or typos, so I apologise in advance if it will interrupt your reading time :( I LOVED the feedback I received for the first part, so I really hope I didnt disappoint with this one. Please read the ending note! Enjoy! BTW: did you like the new album? I am having it on replay haha

Masterlist

1 <<<

You never thought you were a person deserving of a deep love or one capable of love. A weird sense of discomfort and impossible feeling overwhelming you was something you connected to that four-letter word. No matter how many times you had a crush (which was, unfortunately, rarely), the excitement wasn't enough for you to give you hope that you would be capable to love.

So when everything started with this famous singer, naturally you had doubts. You didn't want to get too much into detail about why you were feeling the way you were about relationships, but you definitely thought it is normal to think having a relationship with someone like him was ridiculous. He easily could have been playing with you. But you did not have relevant proof for this. Neither did you ever hear a single bad word about his reputation with women.

Just one date, he said. “I really want to take you on a date. A playdate?” he would raise his eyebrow, seducing you.

He didn't understand your point of view on the whole situation. But, what you did not know, was that he had figured you and your personality out, although you would let very little for him to read from your expressions. He admired how you maintained a professional attitude despite your racing pulse or your blown pupils. That, you could hardly control.

You sighed, looking at your reflection in the mirror. You couldn't stop your heart from beating so fast and so loud it was making you a bit dizzy… Let alone you couldn't eat a single thing the whole day because the idea that he was to pick you up at 11pm was making your insides so uneasy, needing to go to the bathroom every hour or, worse, making you almost vomit from the anticipation. He was so attractive, flirtatious, and you couldn't stop thinking about him ever since the shoot had finished. The second day of shooting was, when he asked you out. Very carefully, he formulated his question, but it was his voice, his deep eyes that told you just how much he meant it. And because you didn't have enough time, for he had to leave right after the shoot, you nodded in approval to which he rewarded you with the brightest smile, his eyes gorgeous half-moons, his cheeks puffed up just like he was smiling into the camera while he was being interviewed. Ever so carefully, he for your phone number, and when he saved it, he called you. Declining the call, you unlocked your phone to save his contact and that was when he muttered: “Please, don't lose your phone.”

“I won't save it under your name, that would be too obvious,” you replied quietly, feared of being overheard although you knew nobody would come to the storage room. Everyone was still cleaning up the set. But it was Baekhyun's team that was most probably looking for him by now.

He shook his head gently, making just a tiny step closer, suddenly his face not that far from your. “No,” he breathed, his eyes glinting, “but I will call you when I'm in front of yours. So don't lose it.”

You gave out a small chuckle, shaking your head at his cheesiness. “I cherish my phone, okay? Just like all the people these days. Don't worry, Baekhyun ssi.”

Pursing his lips, he said, before turning to leave: “Just Baekhyun, okay? For you, it's Baekhyun.”

And now, here you were. Waiting for - just Baekhyun - the singer.

You almost jumped out of your skin when your phone vibrated on the tiny table in your one-room apartment. Interesting how a usual vibration of a phone just meant a simple message or a phone call, usually not giving it any meaning. Now it gave you butterflies, another wave of nausea from all the anticipation and just pure bliss at the idea that he was the one giving you a call. Just like he promised, at exactly the time he said he would be there.

The entire time you were coming out of the basement (yes, your apartment was in a basement, having two small windows just under the ceiling) and out to the dark street was unreal. Those two minutes that it took you to leave your place and walk out felt like eternity because you were shaky and nervous from meeting him. There was also a possibility that after spending time with you tonight, you might never hear from him given that he might be disappointed in you, not quite what he thought you would be like.

You just hoped nobody would recognize his car or him…

Please, don't let anyone recognize him. Or they can recognize him and all, but please don't let them catch you with him, okay?

You quickly chided yourself for thinking such silly thoughts and just then you recognized his car. It was the only one with its motor on, quitely purring, the car just as black as the night, all shiny and so… just so Baekhyun. Which meant sexy. Could a car be sexy?

God.

You were going crazy.

Quickly making your way to the vehicle, you opened the door to the passenger seat and swiftly slid onto the leather seat, closing the door behind you with as much gentleness as you could, scared that it would probably just break.

You heard a gentle laugh from your left side and you finally turned to look at him, so mesmerized you couldn't stop the bewitched smile creeping onto your face as you took him in.

“I didn't pay so much money for this car for it to break if you close it roughly,” was what he said, but you could see his mind and gaze were quite unfocused as he let his eyes slide over your features that were ever so gently touched up with some make up. You were thankful he didn't eye you up hungrily like most men did, still a gentleman just like he was until then.

“Well, it ain't my car,” you replied, your smile widening. “And good evening to you.”

His elbow that was resting between you two was making his shoulder and chest so wide, but he was wearing a black, long-sleeved t-shirt so you couldn't make up much of him. Only the long silver chain hanging around his neck. “Good evening,” he muttered dreamily. After another heartbeat, he cleared his throat. “Ready to go?”

Finally looking ahead and out onto the street, you nodded. “No idea where to, but I trust you. So yeah, I am ready,” you said enthusiastically, not knowing where the positive energy was coming from, but it was welcomed. You looked at him again, to see his bright smile and a resolute nod before he turned to face the front, his right hand expertly putting the vehicle into drive.

The lights in the car were all red, including the seatbelt that was holding you together, because otherwise you might have fallen apart at how you were levitating in the air from the man driving next to you. And boy, did you need some reality check because this all seemed way out of your league for it to be true. So while Baekhyun was talking to you, asking you some questions to get to know you, your right hand slid to the outer side of your thigh and pinched it as hard as could, scared that you would suddenly wake up in your shitty one-room apartment and a bitter taste in your mouth at how real the dream was-

-except it wasn't a dream.

You were in his car.

And currently he was quietly laughing at something silly you replied, most probably not paying attention since you were too busy being scared of having such a vivid dream with him.

There was this whiff of his cologne, that was strangely soft and not quite masculine as you would have expected. It was clean, yet so enthralling it was the only sign you could connect it to you grounding yourself with the current moment.

“I hope you won't dislike my plan too much,” he said after he focused on the road for a minute since there was sudden traffic and he was changing lines. His eyes were checking the side mirrors, and you swallowed.

Biting your lip, you realised all the lip gloss has disappeared since you kept gnawing at it nonstop, too nervous to notice. “It is the company that counts, right?” you tried, but you just felt like everything you said might have earned you bad points.

He smiled, still looking at the road as he took a right, a huge hill next to you. Gazing out of the window, you held your breath.

“Wait,” you muttered, frowning. “Isn't this-”

“I live elsewhere-”

“UN Village?” your tone went almost an octave higher, not being able to tear your gaze away. After you passed the bridge to Hannam-dong, you recognized it immediately since there were so many embassies but you thought you would end up in Itaewon. But he was stopping right there. Turning to him, you gave him a squint. “What are we doing here?”

Since there were no more cars on the road as you were driving up he stole a glance at you. “Don't worry, we aren't going to any of the houses here.”

Your heart sped up again.

“As you know,” he tried, leading the car through streets full of expensive houses and mansions, and you wanted to hide from all the posh, luxurious buildings that seemed to be out of place in a cramped city like Seoul. “I can't just go anywhere I like, unfortunately.” Finally, he stopped the car in front of a house but on the other side of the road so that he wasn't blocking the entrance. “If you don't like it or feel uncomfortable, we can go elsewhere.” Now he turned in the driver's seat, facing you with a slight worry in his eyes. You might have not read him so well, but he honestly wanted to be on a calm place. With you. Alone. No disturbances.

You shook your head, scolding yourself internally for freaking out at him like that. Another bad point, you thought. “Not at all,” you replied, giving him an apologetic smile. “I don't think I've ever even been in the vicinity of this place, is all.”

“I guess I'm the first to bring you here then, eh?”

You chuckled. “Good guess.”

He stared at you for a tad longer than normally, which in your communication studies lecture definitely meant affectionate body language, but you tried not to pay too much attention. “Shall we?” he asked, motioning with his hand to the silent street.

Once outside, you realised his plan was very simple. Walking. Enjoying the bright moonlight above you that was almost in full moon. Oh, the city lights as well. The entire city of Seoul was lying in front of you.

“This is gorgeous,” you breathed out, stopping at some point to just stare and enjoy the pretty view. “I could stare at this the whole night.”

Feeling a presence right next to you, you turned to see his side profile that made you, once again, realise who the hell took you out on a date. Byun fucking Baekhyun. He brought you on your date, and it was walking in UN Village… Just walking in this posh place so that you wouldn't be disturbed. So that you wouldn't be caught.

The last thought right there gave you a powerful bang in your chest, and it only multiplied when the handsome man turned his head to look at you, his eyes soft as he smiled down at you. “I figured you aren't the type to like crowded places,” he said, breaking the comfortable silence.

You scoffed playfully. “Another good guess. Are you like a mind reader or something?”

Pushing his hands into the pockets of his jeans, he laughed. “Could be? Sometimes you are quite an open book to me.”

“That sounds like we know each other for a long time, Baekhyun.” ssi, you added in your mind, the idea of being comfortable with him still foreign to you.

Few seconds passed by when he finally hummed. That hum that made wonders to you. “I kinda wish I did.”

Freezing for a brief moment, you dared to look at him with wide eyes. Biting your lip, you tried to come up with a reply quickly, but he faced you as well and stole your breath away. That pull, the attraction was suddenly ignited. “You can always amend that,” was what you managed to say. Inhaling deeply, you continued: “Is that why you… ehm, you gave in a word for my favour at the magazine?”

This time it was Baekhyun who froze, definitely not expecting you to know this information. It was supposed to be between him and you're editor-in-chief. “I-”

“What is your plan, Baekhyun?” you didn't let him speak. “Because…” you trailed off, suddenly your emotions on fire. “Because I want to be straightforward with you, as you know by now. You like me, I know that. But is this a game?”

“No!” his whole body turned to you, deep frown etched into his forehead. “I didn't know you could misinterpret me asking you out on a date as a form of, what, mockery?”

Inside, you knew he already explained himself to you, so that was why you beat yourself up for starting this subject again, but you couldn't help it. Your insecurities were skyrocketing and it didn't make sense for him to be interested in someone so lowly when he had all the glitter and shine within a reach of his hand. “I didn't say mockery,” you said. Opening your mouth to continue, he cut you off, stepping closer.

“What about you? Do you like me?”

You went silent, while your ragged breathing was answering him for you. Not breaking eye contact once, he nodded. “You know, I will need you to confirm with words.”

Starting to shake your head, scared that he caught you, you felt the need to explain, but you could only stutter: “It's not that- I mean I don't-ah! You are a famous personality,” you exclaimed, getting evidently defensive. “Why would you think I won't snap a picture of you and post it on SNS and just, I don't know, expose you?”

“You wouldn't.”

“What makes you so confident?” you dared him, your voice dropping in challenge.

“I trust you.”

“That should be a difficult phrase to say, coming from someone like you. A-list celebrity and artist.”

He kept looking at you, analysing you, but his stance was still confident and honest. “I could be just a normal man if you didn't look at my job.”

“Don't they usually talk about jobs on the first dates?”

He was quiet but he smiled, crossing his arms over his chest. “I feel honoured you finally consider this as an actual first date, miss.”

Scoffing, you looked away for a second but turned your gaze right back to him, him always being the magnet of your eyes. “You still didn't answer me, mister.”

A playful glint shone in his eye. “To which question again?”

You sighed but you were entertained and butterflies were fluttering in your lower tummy at the situation you found yourself in. “Why would you trust me... I honestly don't know.”

“You aren't ready for my answer, yet.”

At that, you frowned. “What does that mean?”

He shrugged, grinning pridefully. “Exactly what I said.”

“But-”

“You will have to come out for another date, or two-” he stopped abruptly, thinking for a second, his eyes up on the sky before dropping back to your eager orbs, “or three or four, to find out the answer.”

“Till then, I will have you alllllll exposed to the world,” you whispered darkly, widening your eyes at him.

That night, Baekhyun laughed the loudest.

Work, although your favourite thing, suddenly became a small dread and a difficult task to fulfill. Whatever transcriptions you had to do, meetings to attend, come up with ideas and make sure you were growing as an editor and future writer, you needed to speed up your game - or at least keep it up, since the feature with Baekhyun earned you quite the plus points with the editor-in-chief. It was only natural you did not want to disappoint her by any chance.

But you were very, very distracted.

This distraction was there nonstop. If not actively on your mind, then lurking in the back of it, always rudely intruding your train of thoughts about work, your line of work and basically everything that was involving anything in every minute of your waking hour.

Your hand would literally shake, your heart painfully jumping at any vibration of your phone and whenever his name was uttered at work (because you were still perfecting the interview and the pictorial for the release) you would quite literally jump in your chair, looking around frantically hoping to see… his face.

But you were only met with Hyeri's amused grin and a huge stack of papers that needed to be skimmed through. As much as you wished to be thankful for the amount of work that should have helped you get your mind off of him, it wasn't effective at all.

You were completely charmed, swayed and you didn't seem to know how to come back to planet Earth and stand with two solid feet on the ground. It wasn't like you were constantly in touch with him - so maybe that was why you were so restless, unfocused and just useless at whatever you did ever since the date in UN Village. Him being so busy just meant that he really was preparing hard for his comeback. And it also meant that he really didn't want to pressure you, for which you were thankful, and you just swooned more, because ugh, what a considerate gentleman.

So after couple of days of just swimming by at work, making sure all the absolutely necessary parts were thoroughly double-checked and handed in, you decided resolutely, that it was time to get yourself back on track. It wasn't okay for you to act this way because of some man. That was what he implied at the date, right? For you to look at him as just a man with a job…

Of course, when you entered office on a Wednesday with a hot cup of strong English tea in your hand at 8am (you needed to get in earlier to get some extra work done), your phone signalled a happy ding! letting you know you received a text message. No hour would be too early for your heart to react so frantically as you looked at the lit up screen to see the notification with the preview of his message before you unlocked your phone, excitement swallowing all your focused thoughts for the day.

Waiter: good morning!! ^^ i guess you are up already?ㅅ please have a good breakfast!! no caffeine on empty stomach!! i am already on the shoot, ㅠㅠ i hope you will make my long day a bit brighter with your reply hehehehe ><!! (8:02am)

A high-pitched giggle bubbled up in your stomach and out into the empty space of the office. You covered your mouth quickly as you read the lines over and over again, literally hearing his excited voice through the exclamation marks. Biting your lip, you sat down onto your office chair and stared just a bit longer before mulling if you should reply right away or wait a bit. It would look desperate if you replied right away, wouldn't it? But if you wouldn't reply right away, he might not have his phone with him anymore and you would have to wait a lot for his reply and also he was relying on you making his day brighte-

Another fit of giggles took over you as you realised that a message from you could make someone else's day much brighter. That someone else being Baekhyun. Who was waiting. Who was expecting a happy ding! of his own. Preferably from you.

Sighing like a love stricken teenage girl, you started typing before deleting. The cycle went on a few times before you finally resolved to just send the message.

Me: Good morning :) my day is much nicer now that heard from you :P I ate my breakfast but did you eat yours?? I bet you didnt… hope shoot is fun! (8:10am)

There. It should do for a whi-

Ding!

It wasn't even few seconds-

Waiter: shoot isnt fun without a certain editor being present…(8:10am)

Waiter: i had my breakfast!! but dieting only allows so much for now ㅠㅠㅠㅠ

Waiter: you leaving for work now? (8:11am)

Me: i'm sure the editor you have now is more professional lol

Me: i actually just arrived to work to get something done before others arrive

Waiter: huhuuu alone in the office?

Waiter: you work hard, just as i always knew you were

Waiter: dont overwork oki?

Waiter: and NO SHE IS NOT MORE PROFESSIONAL she doesnt even smile

Me: you overwork not me

Me: ok ok chill, people not smiling at me is my everyday life, welcome welcome ;)

Waiter: mmmmmm……...

Waiter: ill make up for all the unrequited smiles ^^

You put down your phone for a moment, needing a breather after his last message. No, no, do not by any chance get too attached yet, you chided yourself. But the pain in your cheeks from smiling too much was protesting, letting you feel the taste of the magic that was the man who was eager to talk to you at this hour of the day.

Thinking over what to reply next, another ding rushed in, following other excited ones.

Waiter: ive gotta run, they are calling me now

Waiter: if you feel like it, drop me a msg anytime hihi

Waiter: have a beautiful day

You quickly grabbed your phone, wanting him to see your message before he would face his busy day.

Me: thank you waiter. have a good day

Me: …

Me: I also wouldnt mind you dropping me a message :)

Gosh, you sucked. Texting was not your thing, you were bad at it and just… you felt like your messages were not conveying the real emotions that you were feeling, thinking. Meanwhile he was… wow. Pure passion.

Just before you could finally face the work you planned, you received an email from your editor-in-chief, which you immediately opened in case it would had to be dealt with right away. Only then you noticed it was an official email for your team.

Upcoming Music Awards attendee list, it read.

Your magazine was one of the few that would personally send out writers and photographers to bring its own insight into the various award shows. The magazine had even a special column just for the shows that were happening all over Asia, and your magazine was following its each step.

Quickly skimming through the introductory text she wrote, your eyes finally landed on the list of names of those who would have to attend the show, bringing some good insight into the show itself.

Excitement was burning in your veins as you spotted Hyeri's name and right after hers came yours.

Your name was there. You would go to the awards show. It would be your first time...

Another big step in your career!

Days went by, and you were starting to grow impatient about meeting him. It wasn't like you could do anything about it - he was constantly under supervision of his managers, since he was so packed with various schedules, photoshoots, probably even recordings for shows. You wouldn't know, and you definitely wouldn't be asking him about it. The reason was simple. As much as it must have been interesting to be nosy about his artist life, you were much more interested in him as a human.

As a man.

Weirdly enough for you, he kept in touch with you here and there, always reminding you to drink your water and eat good food. He would wake you up with morning texts and always manage to catch you just before pulling the curtains shut, ready for the bed. Was he a mind reader by any chance? You still wondered...

Just as you were thinking this, he was already making himself present by sending you a message.

Waiter: i was wondering where should i take you next?

Waiter: because it is definitely time for the NEXT

Your heartbeat instantly sped up, hands trembling as you opened his messages. But before he could bombard you more, you already had something in your mind. It was something you thought right after your first date, since you knew the place well you could ensure he wouldn't be caught there.

Me: I have an idea ;)

Waiter: but i am the one calling you ouuuuuuut so I should decide…..

Me: i thought you wanted to make me feel comfortable?

Waiter: yes. that, is true

Me: there might be a slight issue though…

As soon as you saw the read sign next to your message, your phone was ringing, his nickname flashing happily. Hastily, you picked it up, not ready to hear him like this.

“Hello?”

“Hey,” he breathed softly, a smile painting his voice. “So… What is this slight issue that would prevent me from seeing you?”

Not trying to give too much attention to your frantic heart at his choice of words, you replied calmly: “Well, you know Asan, right?” He hummed in acknowledgement, sending electric shocks down your spine. “There is this gorgeous place that literally looks like Santorini in Greece.”

He was silent for a moment before responding: “Santorini in Greece?” he asked, slight doubt in his voice. He called your name strictly, but you knew he was being playful with you. “Are you making fun of me?”

You giggled, slapping your hand on your mouth to shut out the shriek you let out. “No! I promise you I know the place very well. And at night there is barely a living soul.”

“Now you have my attention,” he laughed quietly, the sound of it somehow intimate. “So the best time is to go in the night, you say?”

“Yeah. We want you to stay unnoticed, don't we?”

“Yeah,” he sighed, obviously not happy he was making meet ups more difficult because of his status. “Would 10 or 11 be safe you think?”

“Definitely,” you answered, smiling brightly.

“Perfect! Then how about tonight?”

“Tonight?”

“Tonight.”

“Yes, tonight,” you confirmed, closing your eyes.

Knowing the way this Korean Santorini was, you dressed in an elegant baby pink dress, the long wavy skirt coming to your knees, the upper part gorgeously hugging all the right places. You rarely wore this dress, not needing anyone's attention on your chest, but tonight, although very shyly, you wanted to finally shine for someone.

What was this weird feeling pooling in your stomach? You felt it before as well, but this time knowing how he really wanted to meet you and spend time with you, this feeling increased and left you in a pleasurable pain that you didn't dare to think too much into. Being ashamed about your mind and your body's reaction to him, you wanted to pretend he wasn't affecting you.

But it was a concrete fact by now.

You both shared a rather strong chemistry and if it weren't for Baekhyun acting up on his feelings, you would never be in this situation.

Checking the clock, you hurriedly checked yourself once more in the mirror before grabbing your white sweater and heading out.

Just like on the first date, his car was the only car alive on the parking lot at this hour. Quickly making your way towards it, you slipped inside swiftly, closed the door and faced him with a bright grin.

A tired pair of eyes was what welcomed you, but his genuine smile still met them.

“Hey,” you breathed, your eyes running over his features.

“Hi,” his smile widened. Just like the first time, he didn't let his eyes drop down to check you out, but this time you realised you were not that happy with it. This time, you wanted him to check you out. And he better have made it obvious to you.

“You look tired,” you commented, concern flashing over your face.

“Oh, no, I'm good! It was a long day, but now that you are finally sitting here I feel much more energised,” he tried, not looking your way as he reached for the GPS, handing it to you before pulling the seat belt over him again. “Type in the address and we shall head down to Asan.”

Your mind was racing with possible options on how to resolve this situation.

Of course, the best would have been to immediately send him home to have the rest he was obviously so deprived of.

But who were you kidding.

You were selfish and sending him away from you was the last thing on your mind.

So the second option was something you were dreading, but what wouldn't you do?

“I think we should just erm, take a taxi or something, and leave your car here. I don't think you should drive like this. It isn't that far, but at this hour in this state it will be difficult.”

He glanced at you briefly, and you saw the wheels turning in his head as he was also brainstorming options. Then he looked at you, calling your name. “Do you have a driving license?”

“Excuse me?”

“Can you drive a car?” he repeated patiently, glint of amusement at your shocked face.

“I can, yes,” you replied, hesitant. This didn't sound good.

“Let's switch then,” he decided, already unbuckling his belt. “You can drive us there, right?”

“What?” you whisper-shouted. “But I can't drive your car! What if I crash it? I wouldn't be able to pay the damage in the next ten years!” you exclaimed, flashes of the possible unfortunate event vivid in your mind.

He chuckled at your outburst before reaching his hand out to mess with your nicely combed hair as he rested his head back on the headrest, giving you an affectionate look. “I trust you, remember? I don't have a problem with you driving my car.”

“But-”

“We can go elsewhere-”

“Okay, let's switch.”

He laughed loudly, the sound giving you an incredible sense of satisfaction. It was you who made him laugh, brightened his features. It was you who was glistening in the reflection of his eyes.

But he didn't move, not yet. His eyes were trained on you, his head still leaned back on the headrest. “I don't want to give you stress,” sweetheart. He bit his lip.

You shook your head, suddenly determined. “Not at all, Baekhyun.”

His eyes turned into gorgeous half-moons, loving the hue of pink and red kissing your puffed up cheeks from the flush that he was obviously causing you. Slowly, he was getting more and more assured about the effect he had on you, and he wouldn't lie if he said he was starting to like it quite too much given how shy and innocent and cutely professional you were trying to be with him.

“Eerm,” you let out, baffled by his intense stare. But he was still not moving, so you decided to reciprocate the intense stare, the purring of the motor a completely closed out noise by now. If elephants would start falling from the sky, you both would have been oblivious. “Should we… change?” you asked quietly, as you also rested your head on the headrest, your left cheek touching the soft leather of his car.

He also adjusted his face to have a better look at you. “Are you sure you will be alright?” he mimicked your silent voice, but to you it seemed loud in the quiet space.

Not answering right away, you let yourself enjoy his eyes on you, just as you wanted him to. What you couldn't imagine before though, was the softness of his demeanor, tenderness and something- affection? How could you know? You still had to explore him, his facial expressions, his ways of telling you how he was feeling...Licking your lips at the thought, you closed your eyes briefly before opening them. His lips, although ever-so-slightly, lifted. “Yes. You will be right here, guiding me right?”

“Of course! I will be the captain,” he said as he lifted his head from the rest as he leaned in, utterly unable to keep any distance between you two any longer, “and you will be the ship.”

Successfully, you made it to the highway that was leading you outside of Seoul. Not daring to be close to the speed limit, you still drove the car in an acceptable manner, not even daring to blink in case some idiot of a driver would jump in front of you which would lead you crashing Baekhyun's car.

You heard a soft laugh from your right before you saw a hand in your line of vision. It landed on your right one, leaving it there briefly, but still long enough to give you a complete heart-attack. “Relax,” he said, entertained. “The steering wheel didn't do you no wrong. Your knuckles are literally white.”

Knowing yourself all to well, you were about to spill some nasty swear words, because you couldn't drive and do conversation, let alone being touched by fucking Byun Baekhyun. “Okay, okay, I am relaxing just don't-” you stopped abruptly as he retrieved his hand and gave you a quizzical look, “ehm, just, rest, would you? We have a date to attend to after the arrival.”

It was silent for literally one second before he bursted out into a huge fit of laughter, making him wheeze. “God, you're so cute. I didn't know you were this blunt while driving!”

Biting your lip, you felt your face heat up from the points he made about you. “Please,” you sighed, “just don't pay attention to me.”

“Now I kind of want to annoy you, though,” he replied, coughing his laugh away as a mischievous grin was overtaking his features. “Who knows what might I get out of you by the end of this ride?” his flirty tone was taking lead.

“Baekhyun,” you warned, not giving a damn about keeping your image clean and kind.

“Yes?” he asked, his voice like honey. “Is there anything I can do for you?”

Scoffing, but smiling anyway, you looked at the side mirror, about to switch lanes, turning to the direction of Cheonan, Asan. “Am I going in the right way?”

With that he immediately checked, but you knew you were going to the right one, based on the signs that he didn't seem to pay attention to. He checked the GPS that was lying in his lap, before he looked on the road. “You are. Keep going straight.”

Even though you couldn't see him, your peripheral vision was on spot. His seat was pushed more backwards, as yours was pushed towards the steering wheel, since his legs were longer than yours. He was sitting comfortably, his right hand gripping the holder above the window as he was looking ahead on the road, occasionally letting his gaze rest on your side profile before looking back, scared you would catch him staring.

It was silent for a bit, but you didn't want to break it, hoping he would get a peace of mind, and just rest up.

Then you heard it. A tired sigh as you sensed he leaned back on the seat even more. “How was your day? I hope I wasn't too pushy with my request to meet tonight.”

“Not at all,” you breathed, “I was glad you asked.”

Baekhyun smiled to himself as he finally let his eyes close for a moment, enjoying your company and the fact that you were driving his car. So cute as you solely focused on the road, but one of his touches and you were on fire. He licked his lips. “I would have asked way earlier,” he started, making a slight pause, hoping his words wouldn't scare you away, “but I really didn't want to push you.”

Silently, you were dying to hear more of what he had to say, you heart causing you slight problems with focusing on the highway that was, thankfully, almost empty, except buses and trucks.

“Heck, I would have called you out as soon as I brought you home last time.”

To this, you giggled, feeling like on cloud 9 from his confession.

“You're laughing at me?” he cracked one eye open, once again unable to stop himself as he poked the side of your right thigh.

You giggled more before almost losing balance with the car.

He stopped, seeing your face. “Oh, sorry, sorry.”

No, don't be, you thought, now completely on fire. Touch me more.

Just as you told him, Santorini, or also called Blue Crystal Village, was silent, the small streets full of white, traditional Greek houses making you smile right away. If you tried just a little bit, you could easily believe you were actually in Santorini, if only there wouldn't be signs in hangul everywhere.

Finally standing on your shaky legs, you heard Baekhyun lock the car and joining you in front so you could start walking. It was a very, very foreign urge, but once he was next to you, you had the need to take his hand. However, you knew you were nowhere near close to that stage. You still couldn't easily let him slip between your fingers.

“Wow, this place is literally Greece,” he laughed quietly as he looked at your reaction before motioning with his head to start walking.

He had a cap now securely on his head, which was good for a coverup, but you hated the shadow it was throwing on his eyes.

“This used to be my favourite place once,” you told him, “very, very good getaway when you want some quiet time.” You walked in the streets, the fairy lights connected from one house to the other, some displaying hearts, others just big light bulbs. The streets were all lit up prettily, just as you remembered. “In fact, I used to come here whenever something was bothering me.”

“Really? Want to share something more?” he urged, playfully pushing you with his elbow.

And so you talked about your university studies, and various memories that were tied to the streets you were currently walking on. He was such a great listener, although you preferred him when he was speaking. Simply, because you loved his voice, the expressions he made, his body language.

And he was able to show it all to you through that one hour and half that you wandered around, took pictures with the fairly lights and the houses, and eventually sat down at a little convenience store that had a small table and plastic chairs outside. Baekhyun insisted on buying you both a drink - lemonade. You couldn't help but smile fondly at this gesture.

“I don't really like drinking alcohol,” he explained as he sat down opposite you.

Just like that, you got to know him better. You got to realise how deep and serious he could be, a complete opposite of the playful puppy he was on set. Of course, he would always make sure to be flirty, and the electric shocks you got whenever your hands would accidentally touch while walking, would be too painful, borderline unbearable.

It escalated completely when both of you stopped in front of the car. You were ready to drive back, still worried he would be tired.

As he unlocked the car and you opened the door, he suddenly pushed it back, letting it close. You turned, only to be surprised at the proximity of his body.

“Sorry,” he let out a breathy chuckle, “Just… I don't think I can get out of the car and give you a proper bye once we arrive at yours.”

What did he mean by this proper bye?

Your heart fell at the realisation.

Would this be the time where he would tell you he wouldn't be seeing you again?

Before the panic could take over, he continued: “I really enjoyed my time with you tonight. Also, I will be driving back!” he exclaimed with a wide smile.

Confused, you nodded and gave a small smile, ready to turn when he held you by your wrist and gently brought you to him. The action caused your breath to hitch, legs getting shaky at his warm touch. “I just,” he started again, but he shook his head once before lifting his left hand and held your cheek gently. This was the moment where you could have sworn you would go down on your knees. “You're so beautiful,” he murmured, looking at your lips. And he was leaning in. His breath fanning your right cheek. His wet lips touching your skin, giving you a sweet kiss. You closed your eyes, heaving out a shaky breath. “I like you. Even more now,” he whispered. Slowly pulling away, but not too far, he whispered as he let his hand that was still on your cheek slide towards your hairline, his thumb caressing your skin. “Could you now tell me using your words?”

“Wha-”

“Do you like me?” he murmured, his eyes gently smiling at you before his gaze dropped again on your now parted lips. “I need you to confirm it. Out loud.”

Now or never. You might have been already falling too hard, when you spoke: “I like you.”

He leaned in, giving you hopes of receiving your first kiss. But he merely gave a lingering kiss to your other cheek. Baekhyun let his lips hover over your flushed skin as he made his way to your lips, once again lingering there for a brief second, giving you false, painful hopes, before he brought them up to your forehead and finally, pressed them there. “Awesome.”

---

There. Will. Be. A. Next. Part. (final)

Cause its just too much what I have in mind! I hope I didnt disappoint. Please, let me know what you thought! I love to hear any feedback! 😇

Btw can you guess why is his nickname "waiter"? ^^

#baekhyun fanfiction #baekhyun fic #Baekhyun fluff #baekhyun scenario #baekhyun imagine #exo fic #Exo scenario #exo imagine #exo fanfiction #baekhyun ff #baekhyun au #my writings

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curiosi-tea-writes · 3 years

Text

Letters from Home (One Survivor pt. 2)

Pairing: Din Djarin Cobb Vanth

Setting: Survivor AU / Modern AU (My previous fic of this AU can be found here.)

Warning: This is 3036 words of almost pure angst! Also, some cursing.

Summary: Din and Cobb are excited to go to a reward challenge together with Fennec and Boba until it’s reveled that part of the reward are letters from home. Then, Din asks Fennec to help him with a lie to Cobb that would advance one of them in the game while taking the other out of it.

@i-dnt-know-either helped me a lot with the last bit of this fic and @intricatecakes is very likely to put me in angst jail for this. I refuse to be sorry.

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“It wasn’t long after the merge. The final eight Survivors were split up into groups of four for a reward challenge, chosen by drawing colored rocks. Fennec, Boba, Din, and Cobb had ended up on the same team - Fennec and Boba rolling their eyes impossibly hard as the two younger men smiled brightly at each other.

“You’ve chosen your teams. Want to know what you’re playing for?” Jeff asked with a grin. When all the contestants nodded excitedly, he clapped his hands together. “By now, I know you would all like a nice break from the game. There are beautiful waterfalls just on the next island over. Winners of today’s challenge will take a boat over to see one of them.” There was ooh-ing and ah-ing amongst the Survivors. “And- because you’re all hungry, and I’m sure missing the states at this point- a BBQ. Hamburgers, hotdogs, chips, the whole deal.”

Din laughed as Cobb excitedly wrapped his arm around his shoulder and gently shook him.

“And one final thing,” Jeff began again. He pulled a cloth off of the table revealing a stack of brown envelopes. “Letters from home.”

Cobb stiffened quickly, his smile dropping. Din found it impossible to miss the look of near pity that Jeff threw to Cobb. He watched Cobb give a short nod in return as he pulled his arm off of Din’s shoulders.

“You okay?” Din whispered, leaning close to him. “Letters from home, that sounds amazing! I’m sure everyone back home misses you a lot.”

Cobb cleared his throat and forced a smile, one that quickly turned genuine when he met Din’s eyes. “Yeah,” he choked out, “I’m sure you’re excited to hear from your son.”

“Kiddin’?” Din scoffed out, looking away. “I miss him like crazy. Meanwhile, I’m sure he’s having the time of his life with his aunt.”

“Nah,” Cobb shook his head. “He misses you. And I’m positive you got a letter in there from him tellin’ you as much. Which is why,” he nudged Din’s shoulder to make him look at him again, “we gotta win this one.”

Din had the brightest smile Cobb had ever seen him give as they lined up to begin the challenge. It filled Cobb with the sort of energy that he felt like he could run a marathon. Which was kind of what they had to do, run a marathon- in an oval- in the water- carrying 20 pounds of sand each.

"For reward:," Jeff called from his tower at the center of the oval, "a taste from home with a BBQ by a waterfall and letters from home. Survivors, ready!"

Din and Cobb shared a smile of good luck as they had during every pause before they started a challenge since the merge. It always gave Cobb a lot of hope.

"Go!"

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

"Cobb, Din, Fennec, and Boba win reward!" Jeff called as Fennec managed to tag a member of the other team.

Cobb cheered loudly in Din's ear as he threw his arms around his neck with a bounce. Din stumbled backwards with a laugh, wrapping his arms tightly around Cobb's waist. He buried his face in Cobb's neck, taking a deep and calming breath.

The promise of good food, a letter from his son, two of the best friends he had ever made, and the man who had somehow managed to win his heart. What could be a better afternoon?

The other half of the tribe was dismissed back to camp. The four friends boarded the small boat, Jeff following in behind them, stack of everyone's letters in hand. It was a quiet trip and Cobb was thankful for it. It gave him a chance to breathe and enjoy the feeling in his chest when Din slowly slid their hands together, interlocking their fingers. Cobb gave a soft squeeze which earned him a smile in return.

They were at the island far too quickly for either of their likings and everyone was leaving the boat.

"Before you go," Jeff said, separating the first few letters from the stack. "Letters from home, you can either share these with each other or keep them to yourselves." Fennec gave a small laugh of joy which made everyone chuckle. She was normally so serious.

"You'll notice, however," he continued, "there's only three letters here." He passed the stack of letters over to Boba who took them questioningly. Jeff turned to Cobb, the same look of pity on his face that he had before the challenge. "Cowboy, I'm sorry to say we didn't get a letter for you. I'm not sure if it just wasn't sent in on time or what happened, but I'm sorry."

Cobb nodded, straightening his shoulders. He tried to focus on Din's hand on his shoulder and not on Fennec and Boba's apologies towards him.

Jeff nodded and clapped his hands together. "You four enjoy your reward. See you at the next challenge!"

And then Jeff was gone and the four friends were left to walk the trail to the waterfall. Because it wasn't wide enough to walk even two across, Cobb let the three of them take the lead, choosing to stay a couple paces behind Din. He tried not to pay mind to the way Din glanced at him over his shoulder. He tried not to care that he had the same look of pity that Jeff had given him and, for the first time ever, Cobb wished he hadn't been voted back into the game. If he hadn't, he wouldn't have made it to this challenge and wouldn't have to be attempting to ignore looks and words of pity.

The sight of the waterfall was a welcomed one indeed. The four Survivors stopped and gazed at it, eyes wide, truly thrilled for the first time in so long.

Once sat around a small picnic bench, food laid out in front of them, Boba jumped right into strategy. The game never really stops. Cobb was the "outsider" of the tribe. All but Boba from the old Marseydotes tribe hated him because he got voted back in, while most of the old Noyapara tribe wasn't thrilled that he pulled Din into a separate alliance. Boba, Fennec, and Din all firmly believed Cobb could win the whole game and had decided right at the merge that they were going to make it happen. It was almost all Boba would talk about at this point.

Once the latest game plan was decided, the four of them fell into silence. Cobb knew that he didn't have it in him to keep them from the part of the reward they truly wanted to take part in. Everyone watched quietly as he stood and gave a small smile. "I'm gonna go up the trail a bit more, look around." He gave a small awkward wave up towards the waterfall. "You guys do your thing," he sighed, now gesturing at the stack of letters on the table.

Without meeting any of their eyes, he quickly walked away from the table and started up the path. He was happy that they all got their letters. But it still hurt.

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

Din found Cobb sitting on a rock at the top of the waterfall, fiddling with his scarf. He took the moment of being hidden from Cobb's sight to appreciate the way the sun hit his skin and the soft breeze pushed his hair to the wrong side.

He sighed softly and walked slowly to join him. He took a seat next to him and the rock and bumped his shoulder, which got him a chuckle.

"You didn't have to leave," Din commented quietly.

Cobb let out a shaky sigh. "I know. But you guys weren't going to open the letters unless I did."

"You know us too well." Din turned and looked up at Cobb who was only giving him a side glance. After a moment of silence, Din finally risked saying what was on his mind, "Jeff said it probably got lost in the mail or-"

"Nobody wrote to me," Cobb interrupted, taking his eyes off Din and putting them back on the scenery. He heard Din sigh beside him and could almost feel the questions that were surely running through his mind. Cobb took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "I didn't have anyone to write me anything."

Din watched as Cobb's fingers tightened around his scarf the way he did when he was nervous at tribal council. He slowly raised his hand and brushed his fingers lightly along Cobb's. He smiled when Cobb quickly let go of his scarf in favor of Din's hand.

Cobb knew he could let it go. Din wasn't going to push him for any more answers than he was willing to give. He could leave it at that and they could get on with the game and Din didn't need to know. But it was Din. He was the most understanding person Cobb had ever met. If he couldn't tell Din the full truth, who could he tell?

With another deep breath, Cobb continued, and Din listened carefully, his thumb running along the side of Cobb's hand softly. "My parents aren't around anymore. They died a few years ago. I was an only child so it’s not like I had any siblings to write to me. The only real friends I have are at work and I lied to be able to get time off to come here so I couldn't tell any of them where I was going."

"So nobody knows you're out here?"

"Nobody but the show crew and the 15 other players," Cobb mumbled with a nod. He finally opened his eyes and turned to look at Din, expecting to see the pity. But instead all he saw was love.

Din tilted his head a little. "Why the confused look?"

"You-" Cobb stopped and shifted how he was sitting, facing Din more straight on. "You get it," he stated simply, knowing Din would understand.

And he did. Din nodded with a soft smile. "My parents died when I was a kid. Grogu is the only family I've ever truly known."

Cobb gave Din's hand a small squeeze and smiled, admiring the way Din's eyes always lit up when he talked about his son. "Did he write to you?"

Din grinned and nodded. "Yeah, Peli helped a lot, he's just learning to write. He drew some pictures too which were cute." Din's smile drooped a little and he looked away back over the waterfall as he realized he could have just answered Cobb with a "yes" and it would've been preferable. He couldn't imagine Cobb really wanted to hear Din go on about his son's letter right then.

"Could I see it?" Cobb asked, nudging his shoulder with a smile.

Din snapped his gaze back to Cobb, surprised. When he saw the soft look Cobb was giving him, he breathed a sigh of relief knowing he hadn't said the wrong thing. He nodded and pulled the folded up papers from his back pocket. He unfolded them carefully and passed them over to Cobb who took them and scooted closer to Din.

Their legs were pressed together as Cobb opened the papers. Din wrapped his arms around Cobb's middle and rested his chin on his shoulder, allowing him to look again at the letter.

The letter was written in green crayon which made Cobb chuckle, remembering Din mentioning Grogu's obsession with green. It was shaky handwriting but surprisingly readable. On the second page were small doodles of Grogu and Din and a few of Din on the island.

Cobb smiled and he refolded the papers and handed them back to Din. "He seems like a really sweet kid," he spoke softly. He turned his head just enough to place a small kiss to Din's cheek. His smile widened when Din turned and nuzzled his nose into Cobb's neck.

"He's going to love you," Din replied, voice muffled against Cobb's scarf.

Cobb froze for a moment, wondering if he had heard him right. They had never talked about what would happen after the game was over.

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

That night, Din and Cobb laid together in the shelter. They had spent every night since the merge cuddled close to each other and this night was no different. Cobb had his chest resting on Din's chest, listening to his heartbeat. He was sure that Din was asleep already, as most of the players were, but Cobb was wide awake thinking of Din and the game.

Would they still be together when the game ended? Were they together even now? Pairs can make it to the final two, but lovers can only go so far in this game before they have to decide if a potential relationship is worth a million dollars. But Cobb also knew that neither of them were in it for the money. Cobb just wanted an adventure and Din just wanted to make his son happy. Cobb supposed that was going to be something they would have to talk about sooner or later.

For now, he supposed, he could just be content knowing that he was in Din's arms and cared for in the moment.

But what Cobb didn't know was that Din was also awake, and thinking of Cobb, but not the game.

He was picturing loading Grogu into the car for a road trip to go see Cobb once the game was over. He was sure that Grogu was going to love him and not because Grogu loves everyone. Cobb was funny and smart and Grogu was going to adore that. He knew his son would hear him talk and ask him if he's a cowboy which will likely make Cobb laugh. Cobb would probably say yes just to amuse him.

He knew they hadn't talked about what would happen after the game. But he knew that he cared for Cobb so much that there was no way he was letting this relationship be just during the game, even if it meant not winning. He didn't really care about the money anyways, but he knew Cobb did, even though he wouldn't admit it even to himself. Din saw the way he talked about wanting to open up a photography studio and he knew the money would help him with that.

In the cold air of the night on a nearly deserted island, his arm tightly wrapped around Cobb while the other man traced soft patterns on his shoulder, Din made his decision on two accounts. He wasn't letting Cobb go so easily. And he would take the fall if it meant Cobb had a chance of winning this game.

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

Four tribal councils later, they were down to the final four. Boba had won immunity and, as a group, they had decided they would tie the vote between Cobb and Din. Or, that's what was discussed in the open. Before the day was over, Din pulled Fennec aside and told her what was really going to happen.

"So you're screwing me," Fennec nearly yelled. She was furious. "I don't have a chance in Hell if you quit."

"I'm not quitting, Fennec! Don't you think I've thought this through?" Din ran a hand through his hair and sighed when Fennec didn't answer.

"They're gonna kill me when we get back to camp," she whispered. "I'm the next one to go."

"No, I'm a sympathy vote. Tell them that, it’s the truth. You three have pissed off a lot of people these last few weeks. A teacher who's a single dad with a young kid sounds like a better winner of a million dollars, if you ask me." Fennec stayed silent. "Hey," Din whispered, placing a hand on her shoulder. "If we tie, and we draw rocks, there's a chance it’s you going home tonight too. This way, you have a third of a chance of winning rather than a third of a chance of going home."

She scoffed. "I still have a third of a chance of going home."

"Then win immunity." He sighed deeply. "Look, you’re my friend, and me and Cobb, we’re- well, I’m not exactly sure what we are. If you win, if Cobb wins- I'll be happy. I just want to see people I feel deserve to be up there winning the prize."

“If we make it to the final two, you’d have to choose between me and him,” Fennec pointed out.

Din sighed. “I know, and it will be the hardest decision I’ve ever made.”

She pulled him into a tight hug. “You’re gonna vote for him,” she whispered.

“Fennec let’s just-”

“Din.” She pulled back and looked him in the eyes. “If you end up on the jury and he doesn’t. Regardless of who is sitting next to him, you are going to vote for him, do you understand?”

Din could just nod and give her another hug before they broke apart and headed back for camp. They had to prepare for tribal council.

That night, Cobb and Boba voted for Din, Din voted for Cobb, like they had planned. And-

"Eleventh person voted out, and the sixth member of our jury: Din. That's three, that's enough, you need to bring me your torch."

Din grabbed his bag and shook Boba's hand. He kissed Fennec on the cheek and finally turned to Cobb who stood. The betrayal was written clear on his face and it broke Din's heart. He was expecting a cold shoulder and was surprised to tears when Cobb threw his arms around him.

"I love you," Din whispered in his ear before pulling away quickly and grabbing his touch before Cobb had the chance to reply or even process what he’d said.

"Din," Jeff said sadly. "The tribe has spoken." Din watched his torch be snuffed and nodded. "Time for you to go."

Din turned and waved. His heart broke impossibly more when he saw Cobb wipe his eyes with his scarf. Din blew him a kiss and his eyes watered as Cobb blew one back.

He turned and walked down the steps. At least he would get to see him in the next evening where, for as much as he liked Boba, he hoped Cobb or Fennec would be the one wearing the immunity necklace.

#dincobb #marshmando #marshalorian #din x cobb #din djarin #cobb vanth #survivor au #the mandalorian #star wars #Han writes

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hawkeyes-chicklet · 3 years

Text

Holidays - Clintasha advent 2020

"A secret Santa?", Natasha asked: "What's that?" Steve smiled: "We write our name on cards, fold it and put it in a bowl. Everyone picks a card and has to get a present for the person on the card. We gather the presents under the tree and nobody will know from whom his or her present is from." "Yeah. Thank you Steve. So. You're in, Nat?", Clint looked at her with puppy eyes. She turned soft and sighed "And I thought that your Santa Guy does all the work." They laughed and wrote their names on the cards. One by one they picked them up.

"Okay, does everyone have a counterpart? No cheating! No telling!"

"Who have you got?", Clint tried as he walked to the gym with his partner. "No telling," she quoted Cap. "That's the spirit!" "Yeah, it's still bullshit." "Aww, don't say that. You promised me to get along." "And you promised to steal a jet and fly me out of this Christmas dump when it's getting too glittery and holiday-ish." He laughed "And I mean it." "Good."

He got Cap. Piece of cake. At least it was not Tony. What do you get a billionaire who had literally everything? But Steve was a sentimental old chap. He only had to get a vinyl with old music or some memorabilia from the 40ies or something. But still he was curious who Nat had to get a present for.

Steves POV…. Well, sort of...

The weeks flew by and they had few missions. Everyone was chilled and the Christmas spirit lay upon them. Clint and Steve were in the kitchen on a Sunday morning, baking cookies, as Nat shuffled up. She looked grumpy and took a seat, eyed the boys as they were wearing aprons and singing carols. "Morning Nat. Slept well?" Steve asked with the brightest smile. She didn't answer and Clint passed her a mug of coffee as she always drinks it. Her fingers touched his shortly, it does not seemed to be a big deal but Steve noticed it anyway. Clint came back to his work. Steve had just taken a tray out of the oven. "Mhm, yum!" Clint reached for one cookie but Steve held him back. "They're hot!", he scolded. "Yes mom!", Clint answered. "So Nat, we want to go to the big tree in the city when it's getting dark. A little window shopping, grab something to eat and so on. Wanna come?", Steve tried to convince her. She looked up from her coffee. "Sure." Clint had blown a cookie and went to Nat again. "Try them, they are so good!" He held the cookie to her mouth and lets her take a bite.

Another very private move as Steve registered. She smiled "Indeed, they ARE good. Can't believe you two made them!", she smiled. "Thanks. You're invited to help us do the icing and decorating." "And you can eat all the cookies you want - we have made plenty.", Clint whispered and Steve nodded. "You are adorable. All right." "Come here." She stood up and came to the counter. Clint approached and tied a apron around her. She looked kind of embarrassed. As she raised to mock he said: "No, you have to. You don't want to get icing or glitter all over you." "There is glitter?", she asked baffled but Steve just shrugged his shoulders, grinning.

It turned out that Nat was quite creative and gave attention on details in decorating the cookies. So they got some awesome snowflakes and trees. "Look Nat, I've made us as gingerbread people!" Clint presented two cookie assasins with a little gear on, one with red hair, one with a bow. It wasn't perfect but recognizable and very sweet. And suddenly Nat laughed. Steve had never hear her laugh like this before. But apparently Clint had. He was a little proud. Both, of the cookie and his ability to make her laugh like that. Steve was aware that there was chemistry between them. More than ever. She seemed to be more relaxed when Clint was with her. No one knew what they were like when they were alone but know he got a glimpse. And somehow it made him happy.

On December 24, Steve and Clint set up the tree in the common room. It was a big tree. The rest of the Avengers came to have a look and to give suggestions for the decorations. They argued like children. Nat sat by Clints side and helped him detangle Christmas lights. For her it wasn't important in which colour the tree was decorated, she just was amused by her boys. Everyone wanted a different colour, mostly the one that their uniform holds. "How about we all add something to the tree. Maybe looks a little bit chaotic but you like blinking and changing lights on trees, for gods sake," She finally interrupted the brawlers.

….

It was late this evening. Nat snuck to the common room. She wanted to place her secret Santa present. As she entered the room, Clint rose from the sofa. "What are you doing here?", she asked surprised and hid her present behind her back. "Waiting for Santa. And you?" "Wanted to bring my present in. Forgot it over the day." "Yeah." "Yeah." She kneeled down so he couldn't see what and where she was hiding it.

The room wasn't lit up, they wanted to present the tree and the whole room in the morning.

"Rise and shine! It's Christmas time!" Clint stood before Natashas bed where she'd fallen asleep with a book still by her side.

In the morning they had a big breakfast altogether. Everyone was wearing ugly sweaters. Even Nat, some elves had left her one at the doorstep. After they had finished, they all went into the common room.

Clint and Steve had thrived themselves and it looked simply great. They had even set up a fake chimney with stockings for everyone. The tree was lit up and pretty. They had rearranged the sofas and it was cozy with blankets, cookies on plates on the table. Before they all sat down, Steve gave out coffee or hot chocolate. Christmas carols were the background noises. "You did quite the job, it looks amazing!", Nat praised. Clint slid next to her, holding a cocoa. "We spared no expenses," he laughed.

"Presents!", Thor insisted. The norse god had found like on this holiday.

And so it started. One by one they got their presents. Nat got a pair of expensive looking earrings and she assumed that they came from Tony. Clint was the last one to open his present. It was a simple box with a white silk inlay and a strip of paper. On the paper something was written by a typewriter or a printout from a printer. It just said: "Later.".

"Okay, who fucked it up and got no present?" Tony looked to one another, clearly pissed. Clint waved him away "It says later. For whatever that means." "It means: I fucked up and need time to get to the next 7-11 to buy some trash." Ironman got upset. "No need to get angry. I'm sure time will tell."

Much later that day Clint sat on one of the sofas, just relaxing by the tree and flipping trough a new book he got. He wasn't that mad that his secret Santa had not showed up by now but if he found out who it was, he would maybe throw a tantrum. He heard a noise and looked up. Nat came in, holding a tray with a plate and two mugs.

"Mind if I join you?", she asked looking at him. "Would i ever reject you?" So she sat next to him. "Brought you our gingerbread selves. Wanna eat them?" He smiled, than they ate the tiny assasins and drank cocoa. She looked around the room. It was a few minutes to 12 and they were alone. Everything was silent "Still no secret Santa?", she asked quietly. "Hell no. It's an impudence… if I get my hands on...-", he stopped. He understood. She turned to look at him and he looked back. "You are my secret Santa?", he pronounced the obvious and all of a sudden his throat got dry. She noded slowly. What could she have as a present that she couldn't have given him in front of the others? Her eyes fixated his. She reached behind a cushion and grabbed something. "Sorry to kept you waiting this long. I know you were upset.", she handed him a mistletoe. Clint looked confused at the branch in his hand, then back at her face. "A kiss? You are giving me a kiss?", he slowly said. She cleared her throat "If you want to. Or I'll go to the next 7-11, as Tony suggested." Clint sniggerd and lifted the mistletoe over their heads. She drew nearer as his free hand laid on her cheek carefully. Their eyes met, both were a little nervous. Clint throws the branch to the floor only to cup her face fully. Eventually they kissed, their eyes shut.

They kissed long and intensely. Her hands ran trough his hair. "That's a wonderful present. Thank you," he whispered, his forehead touched hers. "You're welcome." "Sooo, was this a one-kiss-only-gift, or…," he teased. "What, you want more of that?", she laughed and gave him a smooch on the cheek. "Hey, you missed!", he said and laid his arms around her, pulling her closer. "I'm not like you Mister i-can't-seem-to-miss.", she replied, gently stroking her hands on Clints chest. "Wanna try again then?"

And though all that Steve stood in the doorway, looking at this couple of master assassins kissing and cuddling and his heart was full. This truly was a Christmas miracle.

#clint barton #hawkeye #natasha romanoff #black widow #clintasha #steve rogers #clintasha advent 2020

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msjr0119 · 4 years

Text

The American Adventure

Part 3

Prince Liam and his closest friends are sent to a summer camp in America for a month, whilst in Cordonia the nobles are preparing for Prince Leo’s social season unknowingly to him. During their time there, Liam and Drake become besotted with the same girl- Riley Brooks.

A/N: For those who have read my series ‘Cordonian Wags’, there are a lot of similar themes in this series. However there has been a mix up with the pairings. I’ve completely changed my original plan for this series. Later on in the series it will include some canon from The Royal Romance- Book 1 (with a slight twist), as well as some similarities/quotes from the film “The Best Of Me.” This series includes present time and flashbacks to the past.

Book: The Royal Romance (A/U for majority of this series, some canon will be used but with slight twists)

All characters belong to Pixelberry apart from; Lindsey Brooks, Andy Brooks, Jackie Brooks, Nate Cooper, Lola Hughes and Bethany Hughes.

Warnings: PLEASE DO NOT READ IF YOU ARE UNDER 18! Adult language, mention of depression suspicion, mention of domestic abuse, mention of character death (present tense).

Tags- if you want to be added or removed let me know; @drakexwillow @loveellamae @annekebbphotography @texaskitten30 @cordonianroyalty @bascmve01 @sanchita012 @princessleac1 @queenjilian @kingliam2019 @lodberg @rainbowsinthestorm @furiousherringoperatortoad @lovablegranny @j-a-82

Previously: Riley has been having counselling and the conversation was mainly about her time at summer camp from ten years ago. Then her heart is destroyed learning that her Uncle Bastien has tragically passed away.

****

Summer in New York hadn’t been the same over the last few years. Andy and Jackie Brooks, tragically passed away in a road traffic accident. The two of them fought hard upon the arrival at the hospital- however both lost their fight minutes apart. This tragedy shattered both Riley’s and Lindsey’s hearts. The two young women had lost their role models, their best friends. Unable to grieve properly, the two girls had decided to permanently closed camp until further notice as nobody was available to cover. Or offered to cover for that matter. Riley never went to college, all the dreams that she once expressed and shared with Drake were now non-existent. Instead she became a waitress/barmaid at a dive bar along with one of her closest friends, Daniel. Lindsey had managed to work her way up the career ladder, with Liam never leaving her thoughts - ever. Now the news about another close person in their life had broken their hearts into a million pieces once again.

After ending the call from Bastien’s estate attorney, Riley headed towards Central Park. Naturally it felt the best place to be. The very few times Bastien would visit them he had always insisted to take them there for a day out before rushing back to Europe.

After a few hours of ‘people watching’ in Central Park- Riley had a lot of time to think. To herself. The information that she had just unexpectedly received, still hadn’t fully sunk in yet. Lindsey had filled up her notifications screen with all the missed calls and texts- all Riley could respond with to her sister was two simple words “I know.”

Lindsey had attempted to persuade her sister to go to her house, so they could grieve together. Not alone. In Riley’s heart she wanted nothing more than to visit her sister- however her mind advised her otherwise. For her own safety.

“Where the hell have you been?”

“The park.” Avoiding the true events of her day, it wasn’t a total lie. “Also, I received a phone call with some bad news.”

“What now, Riley? Another attention seeking act?”

“It’s not an act. Or attention seeking. My Uncle has passed away. I have a meeting with his attorney on Monday morning.” Holding in the tears, proved to be a difficult task. Even though she didn’t really love her husband, right now she felt the need for a hug off of him. Or something similar at least. Instead all he provided her with was the gesture of his eyes rolling back and the slamming of his tumbler against the glass table causing her to flinch. A regular reaction.

“Well you will have to cancel that meeting. We are going away, meeting up with the Darlington’s. You’ve already embarrassed yourself infront of them- don’t have the audacity to do it again by going awol. I’m going for a drive.” Riley looked at the empty bottle of whiskey on the table- knowing full well that he will have consumed it all in a small amount of time. An hour? Possibly two if he drank it slowly.

“You’re going to kill yourself one of these days.”

“Baby, I’m invincible. If I do, you drove me to it.”

Not responding, she was unsure as to what he would do if she did. Instead, she decided to clean away the empty bottle and the tumbler with the residue of whiskey still lingering. Taking a step outside, the air was cool for a summers night- focusing on the brightest star in the sky- all of her emotions finally escaped. Wiping her cheek, she whispered to herself- “you said you’d never leave me when my parents died. You promised me, Uncle B. Like someone else- he promised me that he would keep in touch. No matter what. I was foolish to think that a summer fling could turn into more, like Mom and Dad. I was afraid of telling you why myself and he stopped talking when you and I spoke on the phone. Mainly incase you decided to hunt him down and kill him. But now, I wish that somehow- Drake Walker would contact me. That’s never going to happen though, is it?”

****

In Cordonia, the last ten years had been something that Liam never had expected. His older brother had abdicated the throne. Now he was the Crown Prince, being forced to marry for a political reason. For the last ten years, he had wished that he could see Lindsey just one more time, explain to her the truth about his identity. She was always on his mind, even with noble women throwing themselves at him at every single opportunity. However, this didn’t bother him in the slightest.

When they had returned to Cordonia after that summer in New York, Drake felt like he had lost a limb. As much as he avoided her in the beginning, their relationship slowly turned into something more than long distance friendship. The first time in his life, he had fallen in love at such a young age. Even since Riley, he hadn’t made much of an effort with women. Now he was going to have to inform Liam about Bastien’s last wishes. Returning to New York City.

Hey, Li. Can you come to the cabin? I need to talk to you.

Sure. I’ll get Glen to escort me. Is everything okay?

You’ll find out when you get here.

*****

Drake began pacing the room, waiting for Liam. Wondering if he would attend or not. Eventually he turned up, looking regal as ever whereas Drake looked like a caveman who hadn’t shaved in years.

“So what’s up?”

“We have to go back to New York. Bastien’s last wishes. Here read this...” Drake purposely scrolled past the part regarding his past with the King Father. His hidden past with his best friends father. The untold secrets. Unable to articulate what his true thoughts regarding the impromptu trip were, Liam provided Drake with a soft smile instead. After the events that had occurred recently, he was unsure whether or not that they would all be safe. Liam’s court wasn’t out of harm’s way in their own country, what would the situation be like in another?

“Li? If not I’ll go on my own. I don’t mind.” You’ll be fine, you’re a King. Tragedy can not occur again! Liam’s inner voice attempted to make him not think negatively. Instead of elaborating on Drake’s words, he focused his eyes onto the photos that were displayed. Photos that were taken when life was ‘easy’.

“If only we could turn back time? That’s a lovely photo of the two of you. I think that’s the first and the only time that I’ve seen you smile....” Pausing, he noticed that Drake had become mute- knowing full well that his friend didn’t want to think about or discuss the ‘what if’s’. “Do you think that we will ever see them again?” Liam queried, knowing it was a ridiculous thing to say.

“I highly doubt it. But there is one person that we need to locate before we go....” Riley? Lindsey? Deep down, Liam thought or rather hoped that Drake would mention at least one of those names.

“Leo.” Sighing, the King provided his trained stoic expression- not wanting to provide any inkling at his disappointment of Leo’s name being mentioned.

“I’ll get Glen to attempt to locate the missing Prince. Are you sure that you are okay, Drake?”

“No, I’m not Liam- okay? The one person that protected me throughout life isn’t here anymore. My family- they are non existent. And you see that picture......” Pointing to his and Riley’s selfie, Drake couldn’t prevent the tears from rolling down his cheek. For the last decade all he felt was guilt.

“That one person would have given anything to protect and love me. What do I do? I promise to keep in touch with her, no matter the circumstances. I let her down. I let her go. It’s my fault that you also lost contact with Lindsey and are having to go through all of this shit. Why couldn’t I have died instead of Bastien?”

“Because he simply gave his life up for you.”

“Li, you don’t know the half of what Bastien gave up for me. Or did for me.”

“What do you mean?”

“Ignore me. It doesn’t matter, your Majesty.”

****

Liam wished that Drake wouldn’t hold everything in- he knew there was more that he needed to confess. But didn’t want to force it. Glen entered the cabin, to try and help Liam locate Leo- as Drake believed he was useless and unable to help he stepped outside and took a slow walk towards the lake. The one place where he and Bastien would have their heart to heart conversations. Back in New York- Riley was doing the exact same thing. Thinking back to the last personal talk she had with her second father figure was the time at camp when she was sent to the isolation cabin.

****

“He did what?” Riley just shrugged her shoulders, she knew that what she had informed her father about wasn’t a riddle. It was quite clear. Nate had punched Drake first and had avoided punishment as he did it in a sly way.

“Riley, just go to where you need to go. I’ll sort Nate out possibly tomorrow but I’ll talk to Drake now.”

.......

Andy arrived at the cabin- they had all expected him to show up with Riley as she was Daddy’s little Princess. When she wasn’t there, they all knew where she was.

“Is Drake in? I’d like to talk to him in my office.” Maxwell escorted Andy towards the room that Drake had barricaded himself in. Everybody had been asking questions about his face, lying he assumed that he had convinced them that the ‘falling over’ excuse would be a success. Covering his face, Drake allowed Andy to escort him to his office- upon arrival Bastien stood dormant with his arms folded.

“Drake what’s happening with you? You are always falling over recently.” Riley had enlightened Andy about exactly how Drake had received his most recent injury. When they arrived, Andy believed that Bastien would be able to gain the full details out of Drake. But now his mind was thinking overtime with his best friends comment.

“Sir, this wasn’t an accident. My youngest daughter, Riley...” Keeping the link between them all hidden, Bastien gave a slight nod- knowing exactly why Andy was acting as if they were all strangers. “....Explained that a fellow camper did this to Drake. It wasn’t a fall. It wasn’t an accident. He was defending my daughter like a true gentleman.”

“Drake is that correct?” Nodding, he didn’t want to go into anymore detail. However he didn’t want to seem like a pushover to his friends. “Andy, thank you for your time. I’ll deal with this if you need to sort the little fucker out.” Drake’s eyes widened at Bastien’s description of Nate, usually he would be more professional- more polite. Now he was panic stricken that next time he saw Nate, it wouldn’t result in only a black eye.

“I think that you and I need to talk young Walker... over the years, the injuries... were they not accidents either?” Remaining silent for a while, Bastien eventually became frustrated as time went on without a word muttered between the two of them.

“Drake! Answer me! I promised your father that I would look after you. If you don’t tell me I can’t help you.”

“No they weren’t accidents, Bastien. I lied. I’m sorry.” Kneeling down, he looked into Drake’s eyes- reassuring him that he would be there always. “Who did it to you, son. Tell me.” Drake removed his shirt, Bastien gasped as he could visibly see markings. Old ones. New ones. “The Ki-the King did this....”

Drake explained how every time he stood paralysed with fear, attempting for his body not to tremble as it would result in more abuse. “He was embarrassed.... that he had to take myself and Savannah in. Every time I avoided doing noble things he would shout at me, saying I was lucky that I had him ... asking why I was ungrateful. Why I couldn’t act noble like Sav?” Explaining all of this felt like relief in some way. That he didn’t have to hide the abuse from everybody. The ‘sulky’ attitude that he had helped cover the true facts about his personal life up. Describing how the King would have bloodshot eyes, as well as the thick saliva that formed around his mouth as he spat towards him. Once he was in this rage, Drake just responded with a gesture such as shaking or nodding his head or one worded answers- fearing what would occur if he said anything ‘wrong’.

“He threatened to put me up for adoption if I didn’t abide by his rules. There are blanks, half the time I don’t remember things. But he just acts all normal as if nothing has happened. I want to leave Cordonia as soon as I can, Bast. But what would people think?” Bastien at this moment in time didn’t care what other people thought. In the back of his mind he was furious and beyond upset with the unexpected confession provided- but bit his lip not willing for his true feelings regarding the matter to appear.

“Don’t you worry about it. You have me. I will not allow him to hurt you again. You hear me? Go back to the others. I need to go and see someone.” Debating whether or not to leave him alone, Drake pulled Bastien in for a tight hug- explaining how much he appreciated him and never wanted to lose him.

“You’ll never lose me, I promise. Oh by the way Drake, I think that Andy appreciates you defending his daughter. But she can look after herself. Trust me. She’s stronger than she looks.”

“How do you know?”

“Instinct. Just like instinct tells me you wouldn’t defend any girl. I know how young men’s minds work. Oh also, Riley punched Nate. See you later, son. I’m only a phone call away. I love you.”

.....

“Hello, Riley.” Riley answered the door of the isolation cabin. To begin with she believed that it was her father- giving in to punishing her.

“Erm, Liam. You’re not supposed to be here. You need to go now before my parents see you!” Raising his eyebrows up towards her, a little bit of the rebellious Rys attitude appeared from nowhere.

“I got lost on my walk. No one needs to know the truth. Are you okay?” Pulling him through the threshold, she didn’t want him to be punished too for her previous actions.

“I’m fine. At least I get a bit of peace and quiet here.” Nervously giggling, this was the way she always hid feelings. A this moment of time, she had a mixture of those feelings that needed to disappear whilst she had company. The hated towards Nate. The growing feelings towards a stranger. The disappointment in herself for becoming a ‘boxer’ short term.

“Listen, tell me to mind my own business if you feel the need to... ‘Nigel’ as we all call him now, he’s not worth your time. Anybody’s time for that matter.” Stepping closer towards her, he removed a stray piece of hair from her face to behind her ear. Having this close contact made her heart flutter in an instant as he began to caress her rosy cheek. Leaving it lingering there, the two of them remained in silence for a while.

“You’re beautiful, Riley. You deserve better. Don’t allow him to hurt you in anyway.”

“Okay Prince Charming, no need to call me beautiful to make me feel better.” If only she knew. Liam thought as he silently chuckled to himself.

“You and your sister are beautiful young women. I’m not trying to charm you, I’m telling the truth. If he hurts you or anybody again.....”

“Thank you. But Nate won’t do anything again- I can assure you of that. Regarding your charm.... You guys are, what I suppose the equivalent to beautiful is.”

“Well I could understand you calling me good looking. But hyper Maxwell and sulky Drake?” Blushing the minute he mentioned Drake, Liam noticed immediately. Trying to read her facial expression, she daren’t make eye contact with him.

“Have you got something that you’d like to tell me?”

“No! Why would I?” Knowing she was lying not only to Liam but to herself- she wished that involuntary gesture of the blush didn’t provide the truth. “Okay, Nate was criticising me... Drake defended me... I asked him to meet me but he never showed up. Then when I found him he confessed that Nate had hurt him....because of me.”

“So I assume that’s why you did it back to him? Do you have feelings for Drake?” Asking this question, he didn’t really want to know the answer- of course he would be happy for his best friend. But he still had those conflicted feelings ever since meeting both Riley and Lindsey.

“Even if I did, it doesn’t matter. He hates me one minute- then the next he’s being my knight in shining armour. Can we change the subject please? There’s Monopoly if you wanna play... I mean you’ve already gone awol - what would another hour matter?”

“Oh... I’d love to. But at home that game is banished in my household...” Following the British royal family tradition, Constantine had also agreed that the board game shouldn’t be played.

“Why?” Riley asked whilst wearing a confused expression- not quite believing his story.

“Erm.... it just becomes vicious. It causes too many arguments. So my parents made a joint decision to not play it.”

“I promise that I’ll play fair. Don’t worry I won’t tell anyone that you’ve played...” A mischievous grin formed on her face, before reaching for the box. Liam couldn’t help but agree to play- just this one time, he promised himself.

After an hour or so playing, Liam really enjoyed himself. Having the freedom to break the usual royal rules. During the game, they became comfortable within each other’s company. Liam confessed that he honestly thought he would fall for Riley but now he had met Lindsey he wanted to get to know her more. Due to this, Riley warned him about the ‘do’s and don’ts’ regarding her older sister- then Liam did the same regarding Drake.

.......

Bastien overheard two familiar voices coming from inside the isolation cabin; his goddaughter and the ‘good prince’. As far as he was aware Liam always stuck to protocol- never once acted like Leo. As Liam left, Bastien hid behind the tree- he knew his responsibility was to protect the teenagers from Cordonia, but whilst he was in the States; the Brooks’ sisters were also his priority in his mind.

“Hey, baby. Can I come in?” Riley gestured for him to enter, wondering who would be next on her visitor list. “I know I’m not your father, but keep those fists down next time. Years ago I taught you self defence. Not for you to be a fighter for the sake of it.” Riley avoided eye contact with him, feeling as if she was a small child that was about to be sent to the naughty step. Feeling guilty for saying his words, he sighed before continuing. “Listen, I love you. I don’t want you becoming hurt. So just leave the fighting to us men if and when required.”

“Okay, I’m sorry. I’m not a kid, Uncle Bastien.”

“You’re 15. Soon to be 16. That’s still a kid in my eyes. Stay away from Nate and stick close with your friends and the people from Europe. They are kind and loyal. Well the men are, the two woman aren’t.”

“And how would you know?”

“Your father.” Bastien regretted lying to her, but it was part of his duty to keep not only his job role a secret but also the identity of the nobles from Cordonia.

“Can you keep a secret, Uncle Bast?”

“You can tell me anything, sweetheart.”

“I... I think that I like one of them. I don’t know. I just. I want to get to know him better, just by talking to him. He stood me up before, I was furious but then I knew the reasoning why. He’s only here for a month, but..... I’m being silly aren’t I? I need to stop thinking like this.” When Riley began talking Bastien automatically assumed that she meant Liam - now he understood that she meant Drake. The boy that was practically his adoptive son.

“Drake is... he’s...” Practically my son. You’re my goddaughter. For fuck sake.

“Grumpy? Arrogant? Handsome?”

“I wasn’t going to say that... he seems like a lovely young man who would protect you in a heartbeat. But he doesn’t live around here. You can have a summer fling if you really want to but it can’t really be more than that, Ri.”

“I know... but Mom wasn’t from New York. But my parents have an amazing bond and relationship...Just ignore me. I’ll try not to fall for him just because of the circumstances. Although.......Liam, the blonde one- is trying to make a move on Lindsey. We are both going to end up heartbroken if we follow our hearts aren’t we?” As much as Bastien wanted to allow them all to live happily ever after, he knew that it would be virtually impossible.

“Maybe? Or maybe in the future fate will find a way. We don’t know what our future holds. But I suppose we need to grab every opportunity as if it’s our last. I’ll pop down and see you in the morning, okay? I love you.” Maybe just maybe, Liam could marry for love as Eleanor once hoped for. Drake deserves happiness after all of the shit that he has been through. Could Lindsey and Riley be their happy endings? They would be better than people such Madeleine and Olivia. No. One thing at a time Bast, get them through the summer camp without any scandal occurring first. After leaving Riley, all Bastien could think of was everything and anything that had been discussed.

****

“Drake! There you are! Where have you been?”

“Sorry, I just went to the lake. Must have lost track of the time.” Liam knew the reasoning why. Bastien and Jackson would take himself, Leo and Drake there quite a lot during their childhood. It was the place where Drake was taught to fish- the only time that he outshined the two princes in an activity.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, Li. I just needed some air. What’s the matter?”

“Glen thinks that he’s found a lead on Leo. Whilst he’s on the phone, he’s found a few numbers for the two of us to contact. I’ve tried a few but had no luck. He suggested not using our personal phones. There’s two more numbers left, here...You ring this one and I’ll ring the other in the other room.” Liam smiled softly as he passed his friend the number. Without a word, he exited the room- eager to find his brother to complete his ex head guards wishes.

****

Riley was grateful once her husband arrived home- unscathed. Not that she was thrilled with his actions, but it was better than viewing his body in a body bag. Assisting him to their bed, she grabbed the spare blankets and made her way over to the guest room. The alcohol smell surrounding him made her feel nauseous, as it had done the last few weeks. As she finally got settled and comfy, her phone rang on an unknown number.

“Hello?” Not hearing a response from the other end of the line- she shook her head believing that it was somebody with the wrong number. Or somebody’s sense of humour with pranking people.

“Hello? Is anyone there?” The heavy breathing and ignorance from the mystery person frustrated her eventually. “Listen arsehole! I’m not in the mood for childish games. I’ve got a block list that is as long as my arm and that began ten years ago and is now going to end with your number. Last chance, who is this?”

“Riley?”

The line cut off.

#choices trr #theroyalromance #trr fanfic #riley brooks #Liam Rys #Drake Walker #bastien lykel #Riley x Liam #Liam x mc #Riley x Drake #drake x mc #mc x Bastien #tw abuse mention #tw swearing #tw depression warning #tw character death #long post #read more link never works

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moonlightserenadeeznutz · 3 years

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Warlocks Are Attacking: Full muggle timeline.

(Hello internet, welllllcome to film theory!)

This is a detailed timeline of the headcanon I made about James Sirius Potter being in a band, specifically the tl during which the band pretended to be a lost 80s band in the muggle world, explained in this post (which I recommend reading first otherwise you may be quite confused).

This is honestly a super random thing I wrote when I was bored, but I ended up getting super invested in it so guess what, you guys are subjected to it as well now!

Written in the style of a YouTube video, I’ve heavily based the discography of Warlocks are Attacking on the band I Don’t Know How But They Found Me.

Enjoy!

~ On April 17th 2025, a piano cover of The Scientist by Coldplay was released on the YouTube channel JSHarkness04. A completely ordinary- if not low quality- video where the person behind the camera is neither seen nor heard.

More covers are uploaded over the coming months in the same style, and really the channel gains no special interest or notoriety. A few edit videos are uploaded, the usual crack stuff, and a few more covers.

On January 23rd 2026, a vlog is released showing the YouTuber moving into his new house. We finally hear and see the person behind the camera, a British dude around early twenties whose name is revealed to be Alex, and his girlfriend. Again, there’s nothing out of the ordinary in this video, and it’s only a few minutes long.

A few more piano covers are uploaded, as well as another edit video, and then...

This is where it starts.

On May 3rd 2026, a video is uploaded entitled “Warlocks are Attacking”. In it, Alex talks about how he was clearing out the attic of his new home when he came across some old cassette tapes. All the tapes had writing on them, all different, except for the phrase “Warlocks are Attacking”. Judging by the labels, it appeared to be the name of a band, while the rest of the writing could be taken as song titles: Bleed Magic, Do It All The Time, Nobody Likes the Opening Band, etc. Alex said he had listened to some of the tapes, and confirmed that they were songs correlating with the titles. Alex said he’d never heard of the songs before, nor could he find any trace of the band’s existence online, but that some of the tapes had been dated 1986.

This video didn’t really have a conclusion, but only two days after it was uploaded, another video- only a minute long- was uploaded entitled “New Channel”, where Alex explains that he would be setting up a new YouTube channel to showcase the songs he’d found on the tapes, and hopefully be able to find out who the band was.

On May 25th, two videos on Alex’s new channel, given the name “Warlocks are Attacking” were uploaded. The first one was 30 seconds long entitled “Introduction”, which was nothing more than a man’s voice introducing the band. It didn’t cause much suspicion, especially since the record label that the band was apparently signed to was called “None You Jerk”, obviously a fake label. So the introduction could most likely just be a joke made by the band and recorded.

The second video was a simple lyric video for the song “Nobody Likes the Opening Band”. And in the description he explained the story again of how he found the tapes, and asked if anyone knew the song, or the band.

More songs were uploaded, Choke, Bleed Magic, Absinthe etc. And soon the channel started to grow, both from people who genuinely enjoyed the music, and people who were intrigued as to whether or not this really was a lost 80s band, or whether the entire thing was fake.

Theories started circulating, and people started to try and find hidden messages. They started with the username of the original channel JSHarkness04 but search J Harkness, or even JS Harkness, and the only real result you get is Captain Jack Harkness from Doctor Who. So it seemed that the only thing that the username implied was that the YouTuber was perhaps a Doctor Who fan.

People searched for hidden meanings in the piano covers, the moving house vlog, even the random edits. But no one came up with anything. So eventually people started to give up and accepted the fact that the whole thing was real, and the songs really were from old cassette tapes found in some guy’s attic.

That being said, there were a select few people who just weren’t convinced. Mainly because of the fact that the songs were good. They weren’t experimental pieces from a band trying to find its sound. They had their sound. They knew what they were doing. So how come no one had ever heard of them? Did they really never play these songs to anyone? Not even for an underground gig?

Well, that’s the thing. There’s no saying they didn’t. If you heard a song forty years ago at some random gig, would you remember? And even so, a number of things could have happened that would have stopped the band from ever having their songs released. Maybe they broke up, maybe they couldn’t find anyone who wanted to pick up their songs, maybe they died was one theory someone had.

Point is, the quality and consistency of the songs was really the only evidence that this whole thing was fake, and even that evidence was sketchy.

But then, on November 7th 2026, an altogether different video was uploaded titled “Comfortably Numb- Pink Floyd (cover by Warlocks are Attacking) (found footage!)”

In the description of this video, Alex claims that he found some video tapes in the attic that had been hidden away. A few had been recorded over, but he was able to find a few complete videos of the band.

In this video, we see three band members in what looks like a garage jamming out a cover of Pink Floyd’s Comfortably Numb. And people went crazy. Not only did we finally see what the band members looked like, but we also found out their names. The video, which was dated 1983, had credits edited to the beginning, easily done in the 80s so there was no implication that it wasn’t legit.

Anyway, the credits show that the singer in the video is called Noah Mori, the keyboardist is called Lyra Thomas, and the drummer is called James Potter.

People took apart this video piece by piece, trying to find evidence of either the band being new, or some connection to the YouTuber. Maybe something in the garage was from a time after 1983, maybe the 70s Doctor Who poster in the corner had something to do with JSHarkness04. But all in all, once again, there really was nothing to suggest that it wasn’t real.

However, one thing that was noticed was that, when comparing the singing voice of Noah to the singing voice in the other songs released, they sound completely different.

So despite everything, no one could say for sure who the band members were. We didn’t know if the drummer and the keyboardist were the same, nor did we know who the new singer was. We didn’t even know if they had more than three band members by the time 1986 rolled around, or even if some of the original members had left. All we knew was that the singer had been switched, either with a new singer who wasn’t in the video, or with James Potter, since he was the only other guy in the video.

After the video was released, not much else happened, except the occasional release of another song, which were combed by theorisers looking for evidence that the songs couldn’t have been written and recorded in the 80s but once again came up short.

By this point, the band had grown a real cult following, increased even further when the songs were put on Spotify by Alex.

On March 18th 2027, another video was released, titled “Choke- Live Performance” and showed footage of an actual gig where the band was playing their song, filmed on an old camcorder by someone in the audience, completely unprofessionally as the camera would bob down every so often. Once again no evidence was found of it being faked. However, it did open new possibilities: the band had played gigs. Which means that someone must have seen them play. Not only that but it confirmed that the singer had been switched to James Potter, while the drummer was now Noah, and Lyra was still the keyboardist.

People went onto various sites trying to find anyone who may have been present at a gig in the 80s to see the band live, but no one came forward.

Well, a few people did. But the only evidence they could give was their word, so no one knew whether or not to believe them, which means no one could for definite write off the gig as being fake.

The next stir in the band’s fanbase came with a video simply entitled “???”, a one minute video, with the same voice as the introduction, talking about indoctrination:

Indoctrination program, designation "CVM51-D". Congratulations, you have been selected. You are special. Only the very best and brightest are considered for placement in our patented Temporal Arts program. We invite you to follow along, as we work together to decode and exploit the secrets of time and space for our benefit. Each volunteer pairing will be assigned a chaperone. Our white shadows will oversee your progress. Be sure that our company's interests maintain the highest priority throughout your journey. Please enjoy your experience, and remember: Time is on our side.

Predictably, people were very excited to analyse the text, and while it could still be taken as just a joke by the band, and therefore still no evidence of the band being new, it was an odd thing for the band to do if their songs were never released. A waste of time in a way, especially after already doing it once with the introduction. The voice also wasn’t familiar, though some say that it sounded a little like Noah when compared with the Pink Floyd cover, but putting on an American accent and edited to sound like something out of a PSA.

Another song was released entitled “Need You Here” and then came an actual music video. Or at least, an attempt at a music video.

It was for the song: “Nobody Likes the Opening Band” and in the video we see James singing on a stage, with Lyra playing the piano in a corner and Noah entering onto the stage to play the accompanying tambourine. It’s clearly a music video rather than footage from a show, considering the rather humorous moments that it involves, but executed with complete seriousness.

It also cuts out at the end and shows footage from some kids show which, according to Alex in the description, was called Bagpuss, and was aired in the UK from February 12th 1974 to May 7th of the same year, indicating that the music video had perhaps accidentally been taped over.

(Badly edited example I made of the end of the mv).

While the music video itself didn’t cause too much of a stir, the kids show at the end did, as people claimed that if the show had aired in 1974, and the band hadn’t established itself until at least 1983, how had they managed to accidentally tape over the video with the tv show? People thought it was deliberate, and therefore a sign that the band wasn’t real. Others claimed Alex had done it himself as a joke.

Looking back in the coming months, people saw this video as the start of the band slowly revealing itself to be not what it first seemed. But more evidence didn’t come for a while.

After the release of the song “Mad IQs”, another music video was released, and this one seemed much more professional, as if the band was really trying to make a proper video. It was still filmed in the 80s camcorder style, and it was still very simplistic, and possibly low-budget, again implying that this was a band doing everything themselves.

Released on the 23rd December 2027, the video was a cover of “Merry Christmas Everybody” and once again had the rather quirky vibe of the Opening Band video, where James is unsmilingly singing the song while Noah sits next to him... playing dead? And Lyra comes in halfway through and begins decorating the lifeless Noah with Christmas lights. So at least, if nothing, we know the band has a sense of humour.

An acoustic cover was released of Choke, then a few more songs. And then another music video which so far was the most professional out of all of the ones released. The song was called “Social Climb” and for the video, they actually had a set: a very fancy mansion. We don’t know whether they rented the mansion out, if they borrowed it from a friend, or if one of them even lived there, but by this point they had seemingly become determined to be a real band, which is why the whole idea of them having no recognition whatsoever was odd.

But it was the next video that caused much more of stir, and was the real proper beginning of the band revealing their true identity.

On the 12th September 2027, another cover video was released of David Bowie’s “Heroes”, though was much more in the same style as the Comfortably Numb cover, suggesting that this video was made quite soon after. It was still filmed in the same garage, though with a little more editing, and James was now the singer, and Noah the drummer.

Once again it had credits, but this time they were a little different:

Songwriter/drummer: N. H. Mori Keyboardist: L. A. Thomas Singer/guitarist: J. S. Potter

Doesn’t seem like anything out of the ordinary, right? Well, that’s what most people thought too, but others were adamant that the initials were a sign, because if you notice, James Potter: J S Potter.

People were convinced that the initials JS were linked to the username JSHarkness04, and even brought up the 70s poster of Doctor Who seen in the first footage video as evidence that the username was something to do with James, and therefore showing that the entire thing was contrived.

Some people accepted this, but a lot of people were still sceptical. After all, it could easily just be a coincidence.

Another song was released, and then one more music video on November 16th.

This one was the most different- and the most professional of all the music videos on the channel, for the song “Do It All The Time”.

According to the description, it was sent to Alex by “an anonymous donor” saying that it had once been aired as an educational video in their school, around the year 1987/88.

And while the video could have been created in the 80s, it’s format is much more satirical than anything. The description could easily have said that it was another- and much better- attempt from the band at creating a music video, but instead the description gave an explanation that seemed... off. Not because the uploader had grown cocky, but because the band was finally making its transition from being surrounded in theory to being simply aesthetically satirical.

That being said, it still wasn’t concrete evidence.

There wasn’t another video until December 23rd. Another Christmas one, this time for a song called “Oh Noel” with James sitting alone in front of a decorated fireplace and singing.

Another subtle reference to the band’s identity was revealed with the lyric “I met you in December ’93”, obviously quite a few years after the band was supposedly around.

The next music video was for “Modern Day Cain”, and this is where the band’s identity properly moved away from the convincing 80s set up. The music video had a similar vibe to “Do It All The Time”, though the content was different. In this case, the video was mock footage from a TV show, which, according to the description was called ‘Superstar Showcase’, aired in 1989.

No such TV show ever existed, which was rather obvious by the footage, as once again it was very satirical.

So by now, only the most stubborn of fans were still convinced that the band was really from the 80s.

But no one was really disappointed. The band had executed their persona well. They had maintained the belief that they were a lost band for over two years, and revealed themselves so subtly that people hardly noticed.

The entire act was wrapped up on April 17th 2028, exactly three years after the first video was uploaded on JSHarkness04′s channel, with the release of a cover of “Debra” by Beck. A song released in 1999.

I should mention by this point that the channel JSHarkness04 had been uploading relatively consistently the entire time, most likely for the extra realism to the act. But once the act had been dropped, the channel went dormant.

Since then, the band has been releasing new songs here and there, and they still keep up the 80s persona, but now that they don’t have to be so careful, they’ve been able to have more freedom over what they post. An official music video for “Choke” was released, with the description:

“Pop Time Live was a short-lived music television program that aired briefly in Eastern Europe in the early 1980s. The show, and its producers, had hoped to capitalize on the then popular ‘Italo Disco’ movement, but audiences found its lack of authenticity objectionable. Labeled ‘NOT FOR BROADCAST,’ it is believed that this particular Warlocks performance never made it to air due to the band’s refusal to properly pantomime to their own song.”

Again, no such show existed. So now it was clear that the band was now a fully satirical 80s persona, and eventually they made live appearances, and even interviews, where people were finally able to find out exactly who they were, and that the band had actually been formed in 2021, and their plan to pretend to be an 80s band had first been made up by Noah who filmed one of their performances when they were first starting out (and James was still the drummer, Noah the lead singer) with the idea already in mind. And Alex was a friend of the group who had agreed to play along, but that the Warlocks’ YouTube channel wasn’t run by him, but by all three members of the group.

And as of now, that really covers the entire timeline of Warlocks are Attacking.

~ But heeey. That’s juust a theory. A film theory. Aaand cut.

#only on tumblr could I post something like this and people wouldn’t think it was weird #or at least I hope people don’t think it’s weird #im so fucking invested in this as well though #harry potter #james sirius #Harry Potter next gen #Harry Potter next gen hc #james sirius potter #james sirius hc #Harry Potter oc

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c-is-for-circinate · 5 years

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I’m so ready to be intrigued and fascinated by Raphael-as-Crowley headcanons, and I keep just not finding what I’m looking for--not because what’s out there isn’t perfectly lovely, but because none of it is quite the Crowley I want out of the story.

There’s an awful lot that focuses on all I ever did was ask questions, and I keep feeling like it loses some of the sauntered vaguely downwards. The Crowley who didn’t fall all at once, in some great big argument or terrible trauma, but just...kept going along a certain path until it hit an inevitable conclusion he really should have seen coming and yet somehow assumed wouldn’t hit him until it did.

This is a Raphael!Crowley I’d believe:

He asks questions from the very Beginning. Some of them, he asks to God, and They answer, or They don’t, as it suits their ineffable mood in the moment. Some of them he asks to Michael or to Gabriel, and they have no answers, but it doesn’t bother them not to, and when Raphael goes they think on it no more. Some of them he asks to his brightest, oldest brother, who tells him to love God and worry less, and when Raphael goes, he thinks about it all a great deal.

When the oldest, brightest archangel, the glittering Morning Star and his followers go to war against Michael and Gabriel and all the other angels, it doesn’t happen all at once. Time doesn’t quite exist yet, not properly--things more or less happen one after the other, but how long it takes one thing to move on to the next is still very much a question. It is both an instant and several billion years between Lucifer’s first shouted challenge and his blazing, plummeting fall to the Bottomless Pit below the depths of the Earth.

It is a war, yes, but there has never been a war before, and nobody quite knows what it means. Raphael rolls his eyes, millions of them all fiery and blazing, and tends to every angel to cross his path injured from the spat, and invents waiting as he waits for it to be over. He creates a handful of nebulas in an eyeblink or over the course of somebody else’s battle or in an eon. He asks the various angels involved just what, exactly, they think they’re accomplishing here. He asks God how long They intend for this mess to go on. He asks Michael and Gabriel if they really think this whole invention of conflict was really The Ineffable’s best idea, really. He asks his oldest brightest brother to come invent some new animals with him rather than sulking about the latest spat. It’ll all blow over sooner or later.

The Morning Star Falls, but there has never been a Fall before, and still, with all the heavenly hosts assembled and all of creation poised on this moment, nobody knows what it means.

There is a Bottomless Pit in Creation now, and nobody can remember the first and brightest archangel’s name. They know he was Lucifer the bright-shining one, but his true name, the divine one that held the Name of God within it, is lost from all time and space and knowledge. He is not an angel any more. He is a new thing now, a thing called a demon, that nobody has ever seen before and nobody entirely understands. Just as he was the very first of all the angels, he is the first of these new demon-things. He is not the last.

The angels that fought at Lucifer’s side plummet down one by one to join him, with grand dramatic declarations and enormous swan-dives into pain and fire. The angels that fought against them watch in wonderment. There aren’t exactly rules yet, about Heaven and Hell, with Hell only just starting to exist for the very first time ever. The war might be over, or it might still be going on. Heaven invents another brand new thing called a wall, and with it a gate, which is a way of passing through a wall, and angels and demons both use it with caution and confusion.

Raphael visits both sides, and tends to wounds, and asks questions.

He asks, when can Lucifer come back home? He asks, why did you have to push Them so hard and bring this upon yourself, anyway? He asks, why did you let all this business go on so long in the first place? He asks, did you know what They would do to you? He asks, did we really need to go through all this trouble just to invent this ‘wall’ thing?

He asks, If you didn’t want me going out there and coming back in, why did you invent a gate?

It isn’t entirely a surprise when the-thing-that-was-once-the-archangel-Raphael returns to the Gates of Heaven to find them locked and barred against him. It is only mostly a surprise. It is a feeling he couldn’t describe to any other angel, who stands on the entire Universe as their own solid ground, or any other demon, who has plummeted down the entire length of said Universe in one fast Fall. A human sometime in the future might be able to relate to the sensation of tripping somewhere in the middle of a staircase, the sudden feeling of panic and vertigo and feeling all the wind rush out of them even without hitting the ground, but staircases haven’t been invented yet.

It shouldn’t have been a surprise at all, not with all the questions he’s asked, not with the way the Walls of Heaven have been getting thicker and taller and the lines between angels and demons have been firming up and all of the cosmic uncertainties have been turning more and more certain. And yet. He hadn’t rebelled. He hadn’t fought. He’d thought, deep in his optimist’s soul, that sooner or later the whole thing would blow over and Lucifer and his lot would end up back where they belonged. He’d thought, of course there’s a plan, I’d just like to see it. Just to be ready.

(And perhaps he ignored the warning signs, and perhaps that was the sin: not optimism, but pride. The sin of Lucifer’s fall. The archangel vanity Michael and Gabriel still swear they do not possess. He sauntered out of the gate and down, and sauntered back up to Heaven again, so very sure that of course it would be fine. He was filled with God’s grace and love and blessing. He was the Archangel Raphael. He couldn’t do wrong.)

He thinks, now: of course there’s a plan, and probably this is part of it. He thinks, Heaven is the place for those that follow every order without ever asking questions, so Hell must have been invented to test every order they can. That’s his job now. Hell is for doubt. Hell is for questions.

It hurts, walking into Hell, feeling all his Divine grace and certainty burn away bit by bit. It’s been hurting little by little for eons now, a growing ache that began as a throb and wracked his whole being when he stood in front of the closed gate and realized what it meant. He really shouldn’t have been surprised to find himself at the bottom of a Fall. He still isn’t clear on the purpose of suffering.

So: he remakes himself for doubt-sowing, for temptation to question and break divine orders, for this thing that must be his new purpose, probably. He thinks, if this is the Ineffable Divine Plan, that it’s cruel and complicated in a way that does not feel either just or comprehensible from this end of it. He’s got several more questions he’d like to have answered. The rest of Hell remakes itself for cruelty and suffering, which must be their new purpose. They have all suffered so much. It must be what they’re for. He thinks that if questions are what he’s for now, and if suffering leads to his asking questions, well, that’s tidily done then on the Ineffable’s side, isn’t it.

The Morning Star has begun calling himself The Adversary, turning Satan from a description into a name. The demon that once called itself Raphael takes the shape of an animal he once built with his brother that likes to keep low to the ground, long and unseen by those above, and describes himself as The One Who Creeps. English won’t be invented for another five thousand years, but one might translate the thing he’s calling himself into Crawly just the same.

He leaves Raphael up in Heaven with all things that belong directly to the angels. He doesn’t miss it, exactly. The name was his to use while he wore it, and now it’s Heaven’s to discard or reuse however they like. There are other things he misses so much more.

There are gates in the wall around the Garden of Eden, the sort that were invented to let things pass through, but only in exactly the right way. The angel guarding the one in the East is named a thing that would sound like Aziraphale if English had been invented yet, but because it hasn’t, Crawly hears Israfael. Filling the gaps in the ranks, one way or another.

Crawly wonders, but doesn’t ask, if the angel knows exactly what became of the archangel he was so clearly created to partially replace. Time is firm, now, minutes moving past one after another, and he can only ask so many questions at once.

Right now, standing on the wall of the Garden overlooking a gate, he is wondering and he is asking: if it is a demon’s job to go against the will of God, but that job was given by God, then is doing that job in accordance with God’s will or not? If God has given an order and a demon who was tasked by the ineffable design to countermand Them has convinced a pair of humans to go against that order, then has that demon in fact carried out a good deed under the auspices of God after all? What happens to a demon if the other demons, who may also be doing jobs that were assigned by God but don’t believe that they are, decide that the first demon is acting too closely in line with God’s plans after all?

If an angel, who is explicitly tasked to follow the will of God, does a thing with a flaming sword that was very specifically not ordered by God, but they’re an angel and were tasked with a general sort of kindness to begin with, and were more or less attempting to act according to that general order by going against the spirit but not technically the letter of a more specific order vis-a-vis said sword, then just exactly how ineffable is the damned plan, anyway?

The angel who’s got the majority of Raphael’s name and no longer has a flaming sword clearly has a mind for loopholes. Crawly wonders if that’s part of the job of being basically-Raphael, too.

Time passes. Humans propagate. Hell is cruel. Humans are, too. Crawly teaches them to be. It’s his job, to make sure humans understand what cruelty is like, to make sure they have the whole picture. He thinks maybe he’s got some of it figured out by now. It’s something like a test.

The business with Noah is cruel, and it’s not Crawly’s doing at all. Seeing it feels a little like an old echo of falling, the surprise-that-isn’t-a-surprise-at-all.

He does his job. He asks the angel questions. He tries to sow doubt. He doesn’t save anybody, not even the unicorn.

(One of these things is wrong, is against everything that Crawly is supposed to be: that he stands by and lets them all suffer and drown, or that he regrets it. He doesn’t know which it is, but he thinks he ought to.)

The business with Jesus is cruel, too. He doesn’t flinch this time. It’s too familiar by now, the miseries the Divine is so generous in handing out to sinners and innocent alike.

The boy comes back, because of course he does, and his followers spread, because of course they do, and the world--

It doesn’t change. Not in any way that matters. Crowley doesn’t know what he was expecting.

He puts on glasses, hides his eyes and his nature from Rome and everyone else, and doesn’t ask himself what he’d thought would happen, after all. Doesn’t ask why he’d bothered hoping for anything.

He stops trying to lead the angel into asking unanswerable questions, after that. They eat oysters. Nobody talks about Christianity.

(One of these things would infuriate all the hosts of heaven if they ever knew: that he can’t bring himself to seriously tempt Aziraphale towards doubt any more, or that he ever really tried. He thinks, perhaps, that it might be both.)

He thinks about being Raphael, sometimes, highest on high, welcomed into the presence of God Themself, crowned in grace and glory. Usually he thinks about it right after humans have thought up something that’s sure to get him a commendation when he reports it down Below, right before he gets himself blind drunk enough to forget again.

The thing of it is, there was no getting blind drunk in Heaven to protect yourself from pain. There wasn’t meant to be any suffering in Heaven to begin with.

Raphael was made to be a healer, and so he was, once, when Heaven needed a healer, before it invented the idea of a wall to keep all the newly-invented pain out. It all seems more or less inevitable after that, really.

Aziraphale is a little bit Raphael’s replacement and Aziraphale is entirely himself, and the fact that he’s been both of those things at once has kept Crowley intrigued and unwillingly charmed ever since the Garden. He’s not just a healer, but he’s good at healing miracles. Crowley’s seen him at them, the happy grin that spreads across his face when he can relieve a random human of a little pain, so similar to the grin he gets over a good oyster. It only makes sense that he’s down here on Earth, really. Individuals belong in Heaven as much as healers do.

The thing of it is, there was no suffering in Heaven, and nor was there sin. There was no gluttony or sloth or lust. There was Grace and Blessing and capital-L Love, but Crowley doesn’t remember if Raphael ever loved anything the greedy, prideful, possessive, satisfying way he might just privately admit to loving his Bentley.

The thing of it is, Crowley has had this job for as long as time has been real, which is by definition both infinitesimally and infinitely longer than he was ever an archangel. The thing of it is, Crowley is good at it.

(The thing of it is, tempting and sowing doubt and inspiring sin is no crueler than Heaven’s righteous wrath. It might, sometimes, be kinder. It might, sometimes, be Good.)

(The thing of it is that Crowley still believes, somewhere deep in the glowing core of himself, that this is all still according to the Ineffable Plan, and deep down, he’s never managed to forgive God for any of it.)

One of these things is unforgivable: that even now Crowley the demon, creator of Original Sin, tempter and exactly as the Almighty made him, for brief and passing moments, yearns desperately to be forgiven. That even now Crowley the demon, who was once an archangel and gifted with the very highest blessings of God’s grace, would choose to reject any forgiveness he was offered and stay exactly as he is. He doesn’t know which it is.

(He hopes--he fears--he thinks, deep in his soul, that it might be neither. That it might be both.)

Here’s the truth: nowhere in Crowley’s six-thousand-plus-year existence as a demon does it really matter who he used to be. Rank in Hell has nothing to do with rank in Heaven. It never really did.

Satan, who was once Lucifer, who was once the brightest and most shining of them all, doesn’t love him in exactly the same way Satan doesn’t love any of his hordes of demons. Satan once loved everyone and everything and God above all, and now doesn’t love anything, not even himself.

There’s nothing left in Crowley for Michael or Gabriel to recognize, and on the whole he prefers it that way. They know, he presumes, that Raphael their brother is gone. They grieve the Morning Star and they hate the Adversary with equal intensity, according to Aziraphale, and Crowley remembers both well enough. Easy enough to extend the same to him.

Michael and Gabriel were always the worst of Heaven, anyway. That’s the problem in standing with the surety of the entire Universe beneath your feet. Stone statues don’t exactly take pleasure in being cruel, but that doesn’t make them any more forgiving.

And yet...

“I wonder sometimes,” Crowley says, on a sun-drenched afternoon in the South Downs, sitting on a porch next to Aziraphale, looking out over a garden with no walls.

(It doesn’t need any. No daring rabbit or unwary neighborhood child who’d venture too close would make that mistake twice. Anyway, Crowley figured, any wall with a gate is just as easy to get through as not having a wall at all, and any wall without a gate is just a prison anyway.)

He stops himself, because he’d stopped trying to tempt the angel to doubt two thousand years ago, and there are some questions even he doesn’t quite know how to ask out loud.

“Wonder what, my dear?” Aziraphale asks.

“It never makes you furious, the idea that They planned it all like this from the beginning?” Crowley asks. “That Satan and every last one of the rest of us demons was created already doomed to fall. That humans were created to eat the apple and to be punished for it before they even existed. That you were made--for me, or to replace me, or whatever the hel--the heaven they did or said about it, and they send you down here with me and me up here with you and six thousand years later there's us and the Antichrist, not a trumpet to blow between us, standing at the threshold of Armageddon and refusing to see it off. It never bothers you, that all of this was part of the plan from the beginning, you and me and the house and the garden and all of it.”

“I find it deeply comforting, to be entirely honest,” Aziraphale admits. “I do rather like where we’ve ended up, after all. But what’s all this about replacing you?”

“Weeeeeeeell,” said Crowley. He’d felt it was rather unfair at this point to go on having, if not precisely knowledge, then at least some well-supported hypotheses about the angel’s particular origins. He still did not fancy having this conversation in the least. “ ‘S not like you go creating an angel Israfael five minutes after a certain demon with the same basic name, you know, once upon a time, gets locked out of Heaven for asking too many questions without it being fairly obvious what you’re trying to do. At least. To the demon in question.”

Aziraphale gapes. Crowley keeps his head very carefully inclined so he can keep looking casually out over the extremely lush back garden, and also not reveal his eyes in that gap between his sunglasses and his face.

“Raphael?” Aziraphale asks. Crowley winces.

“Really, you did a much better job with the whole thing than I would’ve done,” he said. “I mean, obviously. If I’d been any good at the whole archangel thing, never would have ended up a demon to begin with, right?”

“Well, I--and I mean--the entire time?” he demands. “Since the Garden?”

“Been a demon since well before the Garden, angel,” Crowley says, a bit of warning in the tone, six millennia of being forsaken behind him.

“But you knew about me,” Aziraphale says. “And you.”

Crowley stretches his legs out ahead, and leans back on his elbows, long and lean and snake-like. He doesn’t say, between the two of us, I think we’ve done the entire job Raphael was ever made to do, and I don’t think any archangel sitting up there in Heaven could’ve done it alone. I think Raphael was always supposed to be just like this, and I’m so damned grateful, and I hate it.

“Not like this,” he says. “Don’t think anyone without ‘ineffable’ in their title could’ve figured on it going like this.”

“Well,” says Aziraphale, who’s always been the other half of him after all, anyway. “Considering all the other ways it could have gone...that is, if anyone was going to be an archangel and then vacate their post and need a replacement and then come back and dog my heels for six thousand years...oh, what I mean to say is, I’m glad it was you.”

“Yeah,” says Crowley, who figures that, at least, is a sentiment he can get behind. “Me too.”

#C writes stuff #good omens #welp that happened #not-quite-fic as a list of bullet points #apparently I have been really wanting a very particular take on this story #go figure #crowley

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fangirlfics · 4 years

Text

Reunited part 3 (Cal Kestis x reader)

word count: 702 summary: y/n, a former jedi and current bounty hunter attempts to capture Cal to collect a bounty however upon realizing he’s an old friend she changes her mind. (love triangle)

part 1

part 2

let’s be honest I have no idea where this is going, I hope you’re all staying safe

y/n walked besides Cal and BD-1 through the thickest part of Zeffo’s forest. It had been three days now since they had been reunited and his crew’s ship was close to being completely fixed, it was supposed to be done later that afternoon. “We’re almost to the point where you should head back.” y/n told the jedi as she fished her gloves from her belt.

“It’s fine, the village isn’t until another mile.” He protested, wanting to stay with her.

She smiled, shaking her head “always so stubborn.”

“I should probably meet up with my friends anyway.“ Cal told her, “we’re leaving tonight anyway...“ Then a silence fell over the two. Sure Cal was being hunted down and it was only a matter of time before someone from her crew discovered his whereabouts, but the past few days y/n had with Cal had been the best ones she’d ever experienced since her jedi days. “You know.“ Cal said, stopping in his tracks, “you can come with me.“

“What?“ She asked the boy, dropping her gloves because of the sudden suggestion.

“I mean it.“ He told her, bending over and reaching for her gloves.

“Cal it’s a nice thought but I can’t, what would I tell my crew? I’m a bounty hunter-“

“You don’t have to tell them anything, you can sneak away. My friends would love to have you!“ y/n smiled at the thought of joining his small anti-Galactic Empire party and took a deep breath. She thought of Jeremy and what he’d think if she just vanished, would he even care? After all although she wouldn’t like to admit it, she was more of a possession to him than a person. “Ok.“ She sighed, “I’ll go with you, but I have some stuff back at my crew’s place.“

Cal smiled the brightest smile she had seen in awhile “that’s fine, I can go with you.” He beamed, and BD-1 trilled happily at the fact that y/n would be joining their team.

“No, that’s too risky. I’ll go alone, I'll be there in...say thirty minutes.“ Cal nodded in agreement and they were both off on their way.

The walk to where y/n and her bounty hunter “friends” lived wasn’t too long. She moved quietly peering into a small window located at the front of the house-where you could spot the living room area. Normally nobody really was home due to looking for another job, but she needed to be sure she was alone. And from what it seemed, she was alone. She sighed in relief going in through the front door and hurrying to the room that she shared with the two other girls that were part of the crew. She didn’t have many possessions, given that with their line of work they were almost constantly moving around. y/n picked up her brown leather bag that sat in one of the room’s corners and unzipped it fast, moving to the shared dresser. Sure nobody was home but she wanted to get out of there fast, she pulled open her drawer that held her clothes and picked up multiple shirts and pants at once, frantically throwing them inside. She dropped the bag onto the ground and pulled off her gloves and armor, tossing them into her bag. She pulled out the remaining clothes from her drawer and threw the beige colored shirt over her head, pushing her arms through it’s short sleeves, she reached down grabbing the pair of olive green pants and put them on in a hurry too. It hadn’t been that long since she and Cal had last seen each other but she realized she missed his and BD-1′s company. It then occurred to her how lonely she used to feel-despite living with six other people. She picked up her bag again and took it to the room’s small closet, pulling on the drawstring light switch that lit the closet. It’s light was faint and came after a few short flickers but it didn’t matter, there were only three jackets in the closet. Latts Razzi’s lime feathered coat that she wore to parties, Lola’s (made up character) black coat that was lined with aeien silk and y/n’s plain brown leather jacket that two small pockets on the outside and two huge pockets on the inside of it. y/n pulled her jacket down from where it hung, putting it on along with the utility belt that she had been wearing with her armor. Her bag was hanging from her shoulder again and she slipped her lightsaber into her jacket’s (inside ) pocket before turning off the closet’s light and going back to the living room. The living room had a large chest against a wall with a few blankets and pillows stacked on top of it, she pushed them off, opening the chest to reveal various weaponry. She took two of the smaller knives, a whip cord and her blaster rifle along with extra ammo and what was left of the ion grenades, she also took one of the stun guns and put it in her other pocket before heading back to the front door. She was half way there when she heard heavy footsteps and voices coming from the other side. That’s not good. She thought backing up quickly and she slipped into the closest room, hiding under a bed-which happened to belong to Jeremy. Now she could hear the voices clearly.

“She’s probably looking for that jedi...” She heard a female voice say lazily-Lola. “I would too if I were her, how embarrassing-I mean he was stunned and he got away? What a wimp!”

“Don’t talk about her like that, he’s a jedi after all.” That voice belonged to Jeremy, “besides...” his footsteps were getting closer now. “it’s not like her to be gone for so long, I haven’t seen her since last night.”

“Calm down, lover boy. She’s fine, probably more than fine if you ask me...” Jeremy came through the door and y/n watched as he walked over to his bed, putting what was probably his helmet onto it. “what do you mean?”

“Oh, nothing...” Lola responded casually sounding bored.

“Lola, what?” Jeremy asked again.

“well, the girl’s been talking in her sleep for the last three or four days-drives me insane-anyway...she’s always talking about some guy, keeps saying his name over and over.”

“What?” Jeremy asked turning around, and Lola’s feet were visible now as she entered the room slowly.

“Yeah...it’s always the same thing like ‘I’m sorry Cal!’” She mocked pretending to sound sad, “ or “’I’m so happy I found you!’ Once she even said ‘you’re the best thing that’s happened to me blah blah blah’-couldn’t really tell the rest. It is sooo annoying. Every night I swear. Soon she’s gonna be confessing her love, maybe she’ll even leave you-”

“You’re lying.” Jeremy practically snarled.

“Oh honey, trust me. I’m not. But if I’m right, and she leaves you for some loser...I’m always here.” She laughed lightly leaving the room and after a moment she called back, “Hey Jeremy, looks like I was right.”

“What are you talking about now?” Jeremy called back, and y/n could practically hear the eye roll that was included.

“Your girl’s stuff is all gone.”

“What?” Jeremy bolted out of the room and his footsteps faded.

“I came to get my jacket and hers is gone, so is all of her other clothes...no note.” y/n took this opportunity to crawl out from under the bed, and she climbed out of the window. She headed towards

(3 days later)

“It’s fine, the village isn’t until another mile.” He protested, wanting to stay with her.

She smiled, shaking her head “always so stubborn.”

“What?“ She asked the boy, dropping her gloves because of the sudden suggestion.

“I mean it.“ He told her, bending over and reaching for her gloves.

“Cal it’s a nice thought but I can’t, what would I tell my crew? I’m a bounty hunter-“

Cal smiled the brightest smile she had seen in awhile “that’s fine, I can go with you.” He beamed, and BD-1 trilled happily at the fact that y/n would be joining their team.

“No, that’s too risky. I’ll go alone, I'll be there in...say thirty minutes.“ Cal nodded in agreement and they were both off on their way.

“She’s probably looking for that jedi...” She heard a female voice say lazily-Lola. “I would too if I were her, how embarrassing-I mean he was stunned and he got away? What a wimp!”

“Oh, nothing...” Lola responded casually sounding bored.

“Lola, what?” Jeremy asked again.

“well, the girl’s been talking in her sleep for the last three or four days-drives me insane-anyway...she’s always talking about some guy, keeps saying his name over and over.”

“What?” Jeremy asked turning around, and Lola’s feet were visible now as she entered the room slowly.

“You’re lying.” Jeremy practically snarled.

“What are you talking about now?” Jeremy called back, and y/n could practically hear the eye roll that was included.

“Your girl’s stuff is all gone.”

“What?” Jeremy bolted out of the room and his footsteps faded.

“I came to get my jacket and hers is gone, so is all of her other clothes...no note.” y/n took this opportunity to quickly push her bag out from under the bed and crawl out, without looking back she climbed out of the window. She headed towards the shop where Cal would be waiting with his crew.

“you’re here!” Was the first thing she heard Cal say as she approached the shop.

“You’re not supposed to be out in the open!” She whisper yelled.

He smiled at her concern, “it’s alright there’s nobody here anyway.”

y/n sighed with uncertainty, “you’re a risk taker I see.”

He shrugged, “so the mantis should be ready for takeoff in about ten minutes or so.” But he noticed how y/n seemed to be a little off “are you ok? You’re...still sure that you want to come right?”

“Yes, I’m certain.” She quickly clarified, “I just...I almost got caught leaving and now Lola and Jeremy know that I left.”

“Jeremy was you’re boyfriend?” He asked remembering the stories that y/n had told him. She nodded. “and you’re afraid that he’ll find you here..with me?” Another nod as the girl stared at the ground.

“If he found out about everything-if he even saw me with you he’d freak out especially now that he knows I’m leaving.” She explained, “and I didn’t even realize how crazy he is and how bad my decisions have been until you came back and I actually thought that I was in love with him, I didn’t even realize how controlling he was-.”

“It’s ok.” Cal reassured her, putting his hands on her shoulders, “in a little bit we’ll be out of here and you won’t ever see him again.”

y/n shook her head smiling up at the boy timidly. “Thank you.” She told him, wrapping her arms around her friend’s torso. “I feel like you’re literally saving me.”

“Well I am a jedi.” Cal joked, hugging her back, “come on, I’ll introduce you to my friends.” So she followed him inside feeling hopeful.

But what neither of them noticed was that someone was watching nearby with narrowed eyes. They looked back from y/n’s face, to Cal’s, to the lightsaber hanging from his belt in disgust. “That treacherous little filth.” Lola snared from the shadows, and she turned around back into the direction of her home, “just wait until the others hear about this.”

#cal kestis #cal kestis imagine #cal kestis x reader #cal kestis fanfic #cal x reader #cal #star wars #star wars fanfiction #star wars imagine #star wars one shot #star wars fangirl #star wars fallen order #star wars jedi: fallen order #jedi fallen order #jedi fallen order fanfic #jedi #fallen order

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holeinotomemind · 4 years

Text

MLQC Fanfic: Hearts of Storm - Ch 2 - My Jupiter?

WARNING: NSFW/18+ fic. No smut in this chapter, but eventual smut, dub/non-con, eventual 3P, spoilers, long dragged out fic and angst. Not morally correct. Turn away if this is not your thing. Pairing: Shaw x MC, Gavin x MC, Shaw x MC x Gavin AO3 Link: [here]

Notes: [See full notes on AO3] Catch up post. Special thanks to Lutz, Sonicaj and Kinako for beta-ing. Another slow chapter, but we're getting somewhere. I promise!

USB key in her hand, Yui hurried onto the bus. She didn’t know how she managed this past week, staring at the Ferris Wheel and the Merry-Go-’Round filled with so many sweet memories which were now bringing her so much pain.

Those were memories she wanted to cherish for the rest of her life and she wasn’t ready to taint them by associating them with this pain that was threatening to rip her heart into shreds. But life had a strange way of being cruel to her. The more she wanted to avoid it, the more she needed to confront it.

She went to work at the amusement park hoping that she’d be selling admission tickets or being a janitor in some absurd corner of the park, but instead she was given the job of handing out balloons in front of the carousel, the exact same one where she told Gavin she couldn’t imagine being with anyone else but him when they were standing in for the wedding shoot. The only saving grace was that she was in a bear suit, meaning nobody could see her face when she broke down crying at the memories with tears streaming down her face.

Yui was able to befriend her target quickly, but it took her a full week before she was able to get the information she needed. She was at her limit after a full week of staring at the things that reminded her of what would never be anymore. Now she left the park as soon as her shift ended, fleeing as if being chased by an invisible monster.

She took a seat at the very back of the bus, where no one would see her, leaned her head against the window and closed her eyes. She could feel her hands shaking and she had to take several deep breaths to calm herself.

“It’s over.” She muttered to herself. She could return to keeping those fond memories pure. There was no need to force herself to face reality every single day as she worked at the park anymore.

She didn’t realize she had been clutching the USB key in her hand with so much force until her hand stung from it digging into her palm. She loosened her grip a little and remembered that she should let Shaw know she completed her mission. She took her cell phone out from her purse, but as she was about to press the call button, she realized her hands were still shaking.

She didn’t want to call him in this state of mind. She would have felt too exposed. Putting her phone away, she decided to wait until she was home and calmer first. Sighing, she leaned her head against the window again, staring out at the moving scenery with hollow eyes.

Her mind drifted and she wondered what Gavin was doing right now.

Would he be on a mission? Or perhaps this was his day off? It was late now. If he wasn’t on a mission, he would probably have gone to bed now. He liked to sleep early on his days off, unless he was with her. Then he would have stayed up later after their dinner or movie dates to take her home.

A voice pierced through her thoughts and Yui realized it was the bus’s PA system announcing a stop. She looked up at the monitor and belatedly saw that the bus was already two stops past the one she was supposed to get off of.

She quickly jumped out of her seat and got off behind the other passengers before it was too late. Looking around she realized she never gotten off on this stop before, but was not entirely unfamiliar with the area. It was, in fact, not far from her place, so she decided to just walk her way home. It’d help her clear her head at least.

It was late and most shops were already closed, but they had their lights on in the windows, showcasing their products to passerbys. Yui leisurely walked by, stopping in front of a few shops displaying items that caught her eye.

Then, she noticed a liquor store she had never seen before. The word “Open” flashed on the neon sign hanging on the door. As she walked up to the shop window, she noticed a sign that said imported liquor and underneath it an assortment of red and white wines from all over the world. What caught her eyes, however, were the green and white beer cans sitting unassumingly in the corner.

Her heart raced.

Before she knew it, her hand was already pushing open the door to the store. Walking over to the beers, she picked up a six-pack and looked at the label. She wasn’t imagining it, they were the same fruit beers she had with Gavin when they went on that island holiday.

She bought them without thinking.

And that was how she ended up on the rooftop of her apartment an hour later, staring idly at the night sky.

Her phone buzzed for the nth time. She stared at it for a long while before sighing and picking up.

“Why didn’t you pick up?” As expected, it was Shaw. He sounded annoyed, but at the same time there was a hint of something else. She tried to identify it, but her brain wasn’t cooperating and she gave up.

“Didn’t wanna.” Her words came out slurred as she aimlessly stared at the four empty cans lying on the ground.

“You drunk?” His voice deeper now and sounded as if he disapproved.

She frowned. Who was he to disapprove of her? That twenty year old obnoxious little brat, who drinks coke mixed with pepsi.

The noise of a plane flying above caught her attention. Her eyes traced it across the night sky which was clearer than usual tonight.

“Go away.” She pouted and hung up the phone. She wasn’t in the mood to deal with him tonight, not when the moon was shining down so gently on her.

Yui tipped the can against her mouth and realized she had finished her fifth can of fruit beer. She could feel her face burning up as she grabbed the last one and popped it open. She took another swig before she looked up to the sky once more.

The moon was hanging in the sky and beside it was a star shining bright.

She giggled. She wasn’t sure why, but it felt funny to her. Ironically funny.

She reached out a hand towards the star, wanting to touch it. The brightest star to the southeast, he once said. The star that always showed up to stand guard over the moon.

But it was too far. No matter how much she stretched out her arm, it was still out of her reach. Tears began to fill her eyes as her vision blurred and her smile faltered.

“Gavin, the moon is shining bright tonight, but where are you?” Her voice trembled as tears began to roll down her face. “Where’s my Jupiter?”

“What are you doing out on the roof in the middle of the night?” A male voice broke the silence that she was so sure would have been her answer.

Slowly she turned her head towards the voice and saw the silhouette of a tall male walking towards her. He stopped a foot in front of her and she craned her head up to try to see his face, but the combination of alcohol and tears blurred her vision. She couldn’t quite make out his features, but she recognized those amber eyes.

Those were the eyes she had been dreaming about day and night ever since she came here. Those colors of bright amber, she wouldn’t mistake anywhere. They belonged to the person she loved so much.

Wanting to make sure he was real and not a figment of her imagination, Yui reached up a hand to touch the man’s face. When she felt his warmth under her trembling fingertips, tears fell down her cheeks anew.

“Gavin,” she whispered inaudibly under her breath the name that she had repeated a million times in her head.

She felt his long fingers circled her wrist, pulling her hand away from him.

No! She panicked. Quickly, she searched his eyes. Her vision was still unclear, but she could sense that he was looking at her with annoyance and frustration.

“Please don’t look at me like that.” She pleaded, couldn’t bear it.

Terrified of his rejection, she jumped to her feet. Dizziness from all the alcohol she consumed hit her hard at her sudden movement and she stumbled towards him. She fell face first onto his broad chest.

She felt him putting his hands on her upper arms, trying to push her away from him. Yui shook her head violently, quickly wrapping her arms around his waist. After all this time, she could finally feel the warmth of his body again, could finally embrace him again. She wasn’t about to let him push her away.

“Let go.” She heard him say, voice stern.

“No.” She refused, hugging him even tighter. “I don’t wanna let go. I missed you, so so much.”

“I said, let go.” He shoved her away so hard that she was forced to take a step back from him. But Yui could feel his hands still holding onto her upper arms, making sure she didn’t fall over.

His small gesture of care gave her intoxicated mind hope that, perhaps, he didn’t truly want her to let go. Maybe he was upset with her and she just needed to be bolder to show him her true feelings, she convinced herself.

Shrugging off the arms holding her, she stepped towards him again. Cupping his face with both of her hands, she stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips onto his. She closed her eyes, kissing him again and again, the way she remembered he liked best, desperate for him to want her back.

Her lips quivered when he didn’t react to her. His mouth remained closed, his body almost rigid. She could taste the saltiness of her tears as she realized her Gavin didn’t want her anymore.

Defeated and embarrassed at the rejection, she awkwardly retracted her shaking hands. She averted her eyes to avoid seeing the disgust he must have in his eyes now. Tears streamed down her face, falling silently on the ground.

“S-sorry… I shouldn’t have…” She stammered as the ache in her chest intensified, so much so that it took all her willpower to keep herself standing upright.

But before she could take a step back away from him, she felt his hand tighten around her arm, yanking her back against him. His other hand gripped the back of her neck forcing her head up. She only had time to let out a surprised gasp before his lips came crashing onto hers.

His tongue forced its way into her mouth domineering her senses, not allowing any room for her to retreat. His kiss was like a storm, sweeping her off her feet so that she had no choice but to follow wherever he leads.

The sharp edges of his jacket zipper dug into her palm as she clutched it, trying to hold on. Gavin had never kissed her like that before. Even during their most intimate moments when they hungered for each other, he was always gentle with her, but this kiss was different. This kiss was rough and all-consuming, as if he was ready to engulf her whole.

Yui was confused at the change but wasn’t about to complain. Her love was here with her now, wanting her just as much as she wanted him. The only thing she desired more at this very moment was for them to melt into each other, to become one so that they would never have to part again.

She didn’t know whether it was due to the kiss robbing her of the needed oxygen or it was the fruit beer she previously drank that caused her mind to become increasingly hazy, but she didn’t care either way. She mewled into his mouth as she clumsily tried to kiss him back, determined to show him how much she loved him, wanted him.

She could feel his hand trace down her spine before he snaked his arm around her small waist, pulling her even closer to him. Feeling his hard length pressed against her stomach, revealing his desire for her, she let out a small moan.

Tears fell from her eyes again, this time in joy. She was so happy to know that he still wanted her.

When he finally broke the kiss, they were both breathless. She gazed up at him and saw him looking back at her, seemingly searching for something in her expression. But when he frowned, she grew afraid.

She was frightened at the prospect that he might have regretted kissing her and he was about to leave her again. Frantically, she circled her arms around his neck, pulling him close to her and begged, “Please don’t leave me.”

He froze at her words for a moment. Then as if he made up his mind, he let out a small curse under his breath before he picked her up and hoisted her over his shoulder.

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